Almost Gone!

Just a quick note to say that the 2012 calendars are almost gone; it was a limited edition print and there are only a few left so if you were thinking of getting one, make sure you get it before they sell out! You can find them right here in the shop.

Thanks to everyone who bought one, this was a huge seller and I'm already brainstorming the 2013 calendar!

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On to Gujarat: Gamthiwala's

From Udaipur, we got on an overnight train to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Gujarat is known for textiles: block printing, weaving, quilts, embroidery; it's basically a textile wonderland. One of our first stops in Ahmedabad was Gamthiwala, a fabric shop that only sells yards of block printed fabric made in Gujarat. I was in heaven: we spent almost two hours in the shop and I came away with eleven different prints.

Most of the fabric is printed in Kutch, our next stop on the trip, so we will be headed to some of the block printing factories to see the prints in progress. I compared the Gujarati prints to some I bought in Jaipur, and the work is so much finer here, with more detail, better printing and brighter (natural) colors. They had both chemical and natural-dyed fabric at Gamthiwala, but I stuck with the natural colors: black, red, yellow, and blue that come from dyes made with ingredients like iron, indigo and madder.  

I have some ideas for how to use my giant piles of fabric, but I will keep that under wraps until the finished products are ready. And I'm sure I'll be collecting just a few (read: a lot) more prints once we get to Kutch.

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Ranakpur, Rajasthan

Two hours from Udaipur is Ranakpur, a Jain temple that must be one of the most intricately carved buildings in the world. Every surface is covered with tiny details and carved patterns, making the whole thing look like an iced birthday cake. The temple is not very big, but we spent hours walking around in circles, taking in every detail. Every time I walked around, I would find some new carving that hadn't stood out before; I must have circled the temple ten times.

The work was more intricate than anything we have seen so far, and one of the monks told us they had taken thirty years to finish the carved pillars inside. There will definitely be some Ranakpur-inspired prints coming out this year, I got hundreds of new ideas just from standing inside the temple.

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Lake Pichola

We spent an evening in Udaipur on the ghats, looking out over the lake. In the middle of the lake is the Taj Lake Palace, one of the nicest hotels in the world where the Bombay Sapphire Martini was apparently invented. Having a drink at their bar was on Joe's top list of things to do on this trip, but unforunately only guests are allowed on the island. For one brief minute, we considered blowing the rest of our trip budget on a night at the hotel, but decided it wasn't the most practical idea.

Either way, the lake was one of the most beautiful and romantic places we have been in India so far. We followed it with an amazing traditional dance concert in an old, crumbling building. At one point, one of the women danced with nine giant ceramic pots balanced on her head, that were twice as tall as she was. It was incredible. Another five points for Udaipur.

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Udaipur: Vacation City

Arriving in Udaipur was so refreshing after two and a half weeks in Jaipur. The city is cleaner, calmer and more relaxed, with an incredible landscape of desert and lake set between mountains. On our first afternoon, as we were standing on a ghat by the lake we had an interaction that went something like this:

Indian Man: Where are you from?
Joe and Me: (Quietly) Oh no, another scammer, let's get away before he drags us to his shop or tells us a story about his cousin's friend who can't speak English and urgently needs our help...
Joe and Me: (Loudly) United States!

Conversation continues for ten minutes

Indian Man: OK, well it was so nice to meet you! Enjoy your time in Udaipur!

This conversation may not sound shocking, but after two weeks where we didn't meet a single person who wasn't selling something, having a genuine conversation was incredible. We spent the entire afternoon wandering the streets of Udaipur, saying hi to people, talking to shopkeepers without being pressured to buy anything, and exploring local markets that we never felt welcome in in Jaipur. 

Within minutes, Udaipur made it to the top of my "Favorite Places in India" list. It's a holiday city built around the lake, so it has good food, beautiful hotels, lots to see and a very laid-back atmosphere. In Jaipur, we had a handful of good meals, but every meal we've eaten in Udaipur has been incredible, from the garlic-fried okra and naan to the chicken burger I had at the museum cafe. We are only in Udaipur for four days, but I wish we could stay longer.

Our goal on our first afternoon of wandering was Natraj Restaurant, where Anthony Bourdain ate when he came to Udaipur. Since Joe is his #1 fan, Natraj was our first stop in the city. It's far off the tourist track, through the local markets about a mile away from the main hotel area. When we got there the unlimited thalis were spicy and delicious, but the best part was wandering through the alleyways trying to find it. 

I highly recommend adding Udaipur to your travel list, this has been one of the best stops on our trip so far. And did I mention the food? Yum.

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A Visit to the Jaipur Post Office

We had one final thing to do in Jaipur: ship home all the quilts we had collected over two weeks. I saved a whole day to do this since I knew that shipping things from an Indian post office could be a long and complicated process, and it was worth it. We spent almost three hours moving from line to line, collecting different forms and getting the packages officially wrapped: each piece has to be professionally sewn up with cotton and sealed with wax, to secure the contents but also to make them look extremely sketchy. When I ordered some large packages of fabric from India last year, I got several raised eyebrows in the lobby of our building and more than one person asking if I had received a giant shipment of cocaine. Luckily, I shipped them to my dad's office building this time, so he will be the one getting raised eyebrows.

We spent the afternoon waiting our turn, and eventually said goodbye to the packages in exchange for what we thought was a tracking number, but turned out not to be. In a few weeks, we will either see that all this chaos is actually extremely efficient, or the packages will never arrive. Fingers crossed we will see them again soon. And next time I am in line at USPS, sending those flat rate boxes is going to seem so easy.

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The Greatest Rickshaw Driver on Earth

We met Ali on one of our first nights in Jaipur, and quickly became friends. He took us to the best shops, gave us tours of the city, and we shared a delicious South Indian meal together. I am sure that Ali is the best rickshaw driver in all of India because:

1) He invited us to his house to meet his entire family, including his adorable baby son and 9-month-pregnant wife.

2) He went with me on a trip to a paper factory to help with negotiations, and when the driver of the car asked for more than a fair price, he offered to pay the difference because he didn’t want me to lose money. I declined the offer, but remembered it as one of the sweetest gestures I have ever encountered.

3) But the biggest one of all: we had set a time for him to pick us up to go to the train station at 9:00pm. He literally LEFT HIS WIFE WHILE SHE WAS IN LABOR so that he didn’t have to cancel. We tried to tell him not to come, but he wouldn’t hear it. The ride to the station was one of the scariest rides of my life; it was like a movie where the taxi driver is taking the pregnant woman to the hospital, except the pregnant woman was already there. He was driving at least 60 mph through Jaipur traffic while we gripped the sides of the rickshaw.

And, baby Tanya was born just 40 minutes after he dropped us off, so that fast driving was worth it! Tanya, we are so glad your dad was there with you and not stuck with us at the Jaipur train station.

If you are ever in Jaipur and are in need of the best tour guide/driver around, let me know and I will give you his number. I don't think there is a better person in the whole city.

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