India day 5!!

India Day 5:  what an amazing day!! We slept in like kings in our 5 star hotel

and were served coffee and chai in bed. Then we set out to tour India's second largest palace which was nothing short of impressive. The sheer opulence of past and present kings continued to astound us as our hired guide rambled through the intricate history of this magnificent city. There were many photos taken and relics appreciated. Halfway through the day we set sail for the king's pleasure palace (no longer in operation). Emasculate gardens, hand carved rooms, and plenty of concubines, it was a place I could spend my summers. After an hour at the pleasure palace, we returned to the mainland famished.  We found the only vegetarian restaurant in the city and toasted to Rach as we splurged on decadent curries, rice platters, and beer. After lunch Ben and I opted for a 70 minute full body massage while Miche headed out in search if a haircut and shave.  

Now this was an experience, Ben and I were only separated by a curtain and I could hear him laughing and exclaiming "sorry, I'm ticklish". But the real laughter didn't arrive until late in the massage. Our masseurs asked us to sit for the final back rub down and my masseuse proclaimed in nearly perfect English with an Indian accent, "hey man you've got too much hairs on your back and shoulders, you are in very dire need of a good and proper waxing."  To which Ben erupted in laugher, so fierce he struggled to catch his breath. It must have been contagious because we were all in tears for the remainder of the massage. Afterwards Ben and I set out to explore our neighborhood and nearly drowned in the labyrinth of buildings, shops, schools, and temples. We knew vaguely where to go but along the way fell upon a high school cricket game, cows wondering as lost as we were, and Miche! Yes, as we were meandering down a narrow street we happened to look in to a shop and saw a clean shaven and well trimmed Miche sitting in a barber chair enjoy coffee with his new friends. The barber just so happened to be the 3 time defending barber champion of Udaipur. Chai coffee soon arrived for Ben and I and, after much chatter, we left amidst a cascade of salutations. Finally we retired to the tallest roof top restaurant in town to watch the sun set over a hilltop temple. Perfection. Boys on the roof with beers just soaking up the city. Now we are off on a train towards the great T Hall. Wish us luck! And if you are reading this please drop a comment or two to let us know you're out there!!