Udaipur cooking and Holi festival

We had signed up for a morning learning to cook some Indian dishes. So headed there at 11. We had great fun, assisting in turn, making a vegetarian lunch and chapattis for our lunch. Chopping and stiring until lunch was ready.
The food was simple but all the dishes had distinct texture and flavour and we all enjoyed eating our creations.

We went for a wander I wanted to buy some earrings and a miniature painting.
In the jewellers I was flummoxed by the prices and seemed to have a more pushy less helpful sales man to help. I looked at a few pairs of earrings and even chose two. They were much more than expensive and I'm sure one pair aren't silver. But I like them and they will remind me to be more switched on next time.

It was the festival of Holi which meant that the streets were filling with people chanting and getting excited. Towers like trees covered with straw had been built at the crossroads in the town. These were to be set alight in the evening. The crowds were rapidly growing and were getting more excited. A tape was laid down the streets leading to the tower, I thought it would be like a fuse. This it was in a way but it was full of firecrackers and exploded all through the street when lite. We had to run out of the way to avoid the fireworks shooting in all directions.

James had got left behind when we left the restaurant. He had worked his way round the crowd back to the hotel, with Clare and Norman.
I was with Karen who was frightened by the firecrackers.
When the fire reached the tower, the crowd was going mad, there were fireworks in the fire too! All a bit looney!

I wasn't enjoying the experience and was worried and annoyed that James wasn't to be seen.

Holi is the festival of colour, celebrating the love between the Gods Radha and Krishna.
People throw paint powder at each other in the streets..
We made it back to the hotel through the back streets.Read more