And then there were two...

Sharon and Bernie have just left us, and after 11 days of whirlwind touring, we're ready for a vacation. And some heavy drinking.

We had a fabulous time with FB and Sharon, but we're tired from going at a much faster pace than we normally do. Deb and I usually try to do about one thing a day (e.g., seeing a fort, going to a market, or napping -- any one of those things would normally constitute a full day). But not with Sharon and Bernie. Oh no. We sometimes saw two or three things a day. Did you hear that? Two or three things every day!!! Plus we ate up to three meals every single day. Can you believe it?

As Bernie mentioned, we've been touring Rajasthan, which is known for it's forts and palaces (and places called "toilets"). They are spectacular buildings that have been turned into museums and hotels since India became a united country. Here's a few photos

This is the fort in Jodhpur:

Here is the palace/fort in Udaipur:

The roof top of our hotel in Udaipur

Sharon on a camel.

For Sharon's birthday we went on a village jeep safari. Bernie LOVES jeeps (almost as much as motorcycles), so everyone thought this was a great plan. We stopped in various villages in the desert and watched them make crafts.

In one, we learned how they make pottery and then got to try it:

Here is what Deb made:
Here is Bernie's creation:


And here is mine -- I think I'll keep my day job.

In another, we watched them making phenomenal rugs. So nice, that we were swayed to buy one each--- they claim that Prince Charles bought a rug from them, and if it's good enough for royalty, it's good enough for us, damn it!

The high point of the tour (pun intended) was participating in a traditional opium ceremony.

This is the guy making our opium.

After the opium look how happy everyone is!!!!

Sharon and Bernie have headed south to the backwaters of Kerela. We are heading back north to the mountains to Haridwar/Rishikesh.