"Again, again ..."

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 time keeping. It turned out that the South African couple that I mentioned yesterday did end up getting a ticket on the bus and at 6.30, so 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 heart breaking area 'I' have seen in India. There is a section right at the end of the road where the to main roads meet, which can only be described as a 'slum nativity.' Its literally a 20metre area where people have set up shanti tents, or are simply sleeping on the ground, surrounded by rubbish and filth. There is on old,frail women, in the most beautifully brightly coloured Sari, squatting and holding up flowers to sell. There was a baby sitting playing by himself in the rubbish, children with hardly any clothes on just sitting holding out their hands, and random dogs and other animals just sniffing around for food. It was absolutely horrible to walk through, you cant even imagine that someone might have to spend their life living in those conditions.
I so desperately wanted to take a photo, but it just seemed so 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 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 them selves 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 the photo's you would never had 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!:-)

And 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!!


And so all desperately needing a goodnight sleep we all crawled happily into our comfy, spacious, clean beds for the night! And then we got introduced to the bus's hooter!! 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 rear view mirror, hell you dont even need on, because people simply 'honk' every time they approach behind you. And you don't have to stay on your side of the road either...you can simply weave to your hearts content, safe in the knowledge that you will be 'honked' as soon as someone is passing! Sounds ideal....but makes for a hell of honking...especially when you are in a 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....India's most Romantic City!