Udaipur to Agra

Spent the past couple of days up in Udaipur, a city known for the lake palaces in the north western state of Rajasthan. Stayed in a sweet hotel with sweeping lake views for 500 rupees. Took a cooking class today and learned to prepare a wide range of curries. Most importantly, was instructed how to prepare a garam masala by roasting the spices before grinding them together. Garam masala consists of black cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and bay leaves. Tastes fantastic and is used in all the dishes, including the chai.
Dishes prepared:
* Butter Paneer Masala
* Yellow Dal
* Aloo Gobi
* Chapati

Pretty standard, but it was the instruction to the process that was key. Keen to get a kitchen again so I can setup shop and start experimenting.
*******
Had a quality conversation on the way home. A rickshaw driver approached Scrappy and I asking if we wanted a rickshaw. We declined as we had just gotten out of one. The conversation went as follows:
- Rickshaw?
- Nah. Thanks
- Special? Smoke? Hash?
- Nope.
- Girls?
- Hmm. Where are the girls? (we were intrigued, but mostly as there appear to be so few in public)
- In the Farmhouse.
- Ok. Where is the Farmhouse?
- In the Mountains.
- Right. Where are the mountains?
- One hundred and fifty-one kilometers away.

- Cool. Maybe next time.

******
About to jump a night train from Udaipur to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Will spend the day there before catching another night train to Varanasi.

Godspeed.