So arrived in Udaipur, North India today after what seemed like the longest bus trip ever. You have to be able to laugh at the Indian timekeeping.

So it turned out that the South African couple, that I mentioned yesterday, did end up getting a ticket on the same bus as me. After gulping down our meal and rushing to get to the bus stop by 7, we were then informed that the bus only left at 8pm.
At 8.30 we were still waiting, very patiently by the side of the road. 9pm they decided to move us to another road which was about a 10-minute walk away. While walking there we passed probably the most heartbreaking area I have seen in India. In the middle of an intersection of two main roads, there is, what can only be described as a ‘slum nativity.’ It’s literally a 20metre area where people have set up Shanti tents, or are simply sleeping on the ground, surrounded by rubbish and filth. There are old, frail women, in the most beautiful, brightly coloured Sari’s, squatting and holding up flowers to sell. There was a baby – sitting playing by himself in the middle of the rubbish. Children with hardly any clothes, barely moving as they hold out their hands for money….and dogs and other random animals were just sniffing around the rubbish for food. It was absolutely horrible to walk through, I couldn’t even imagine how anyone could spend their life living in these conditions.
I so desperately wanted to take a photo, but it just seemed too invasive.

At about 9.45 we were still waiting when the cutest little boy walked up to us asking for money. I gave him RS2 (have wised up to the fact that I can give a lot more if I just limited the amount) and asked if I could take a photo of him.
About 5 minutes later he was back…..with 4 more children, all wanting their photo’s taken. 2 minutes after that their parents turned up with the MOST adorable toddler I have ever seen. More photos!

The next 45 minutes was absolutely the best time I have had in India so far. The absolute JOY that they all got from simply having their photo taken was just unbelievable…I just had the child after child coming up to me asking to have their photo taken again and again. Eventually, I started showing the children how to hold the camera and take photos themselves. Their parents came and introduced themselves and told us which children were theirs. We were just totally overwhelmed by all the love and friendliness we were shown, especially when their dad went and bought all three of us a Pepsi. All the children then ran off at one point and came back with tiny little school photographs that they had of themselves. Looking at the photo’s you would never have said it was the same, dirty, scruffy children. Each one was immaculately done up in their spotless school uniform, ties, hair ribbons, the works.
All in it really was such an amazing experience, by the time our bus eventually turned up at 10.15…I was smiling so hard my face literally hurt!:-) A humbling reminder that ‘joy’ and ‘happiness’ can be found absolutely anywhere….

To add to the great euphoria we were already experiencing…our bus was gorgeous. Spotlessly clean with a single sleeper for me, so no concerns about having to share my bed with a completed stranger;-) Absolute bliss!!

So all desperately needing a good nights sleep we crawled happily into our comfy, spacious, clean beds for the night! ……….And then we got introduced to the bus’s hooter!! The loudest bloody thing you have ever heard that literally impregnated my dreams for the next 14 hours!!! I think I would be an excellent driver in India….in India you don’t have to worry about checking your rearview mirror, hell you don’t even need one because people simply ‘honk’ every time they approach behind you. ( I failed my first UK drivers test because I forget to check my mirrors;-0) And you don’t have to stay on your side of the road either…you can simply weave to your heart’s content, safe in the knowledge that you will be ‘honked’ at as soon as someone is passing! Sounds ideal….but makes for a hell of honking…especially when you are in an 11 plus ton bus with a hooter to match!!

So between all the honking, and spending most of the night needing the toilet, praying desperately for the next piece of soil I could happily squat on…..I was absolutely ecstatic to finally reach Udaipur…suposively one of India’s most Romantic City!