Udaipur

Sunrise

Everything centres around the lake. Upon arrival we were greeted with welcoming strands of fragrant red roses and tika (not food - but red dots on the forehead) before heading up to the roof for stunning views of the full lake (the monsoon has been good this year) and across to the old town on the other side - and we were still there at dusk. After dinner, drinks were taken in a nearby cafe on the lake's edge. When the waiter headed towards the lake with three empty tea cups, I though he was getting water for our lemon, ginger and honey tea! Thankfully not - although beautiful from a distance, the lake is not to be inspected to closely! I am now sitting in my multi-arched balcony watching the sun as an orange sphere, rise above the domes and triangular shapes of the temples on the opposite shore. Flocks of dark crows and kingfishers swoop overhead as the city gradually comes alive. The pale purple of the early morning gives way to stronger contrasts as the echo of brightly clad women beating cloths at the ghat on the shore is accompanied by ringing bells and chanting.

Jodhpur - Happy Diwali everyone!

Katy capturing colour

Take the most brilliantly lit street at Christmas and add the old fashined cracker night and multiply it by 100 to come somewhere near last night. The Indian version of Christmas is louder and more vibrant that the Australian one, with crackers set of by three year olds and up! 1,000s of people were out late in the main bazaar buying huge amounts of sweets and candles. Doorways to homes were lined with very small terracotta cups filled with oil and lit wicks to show the gods the way. This morning still seems like a demolition site with the loud crackers constantly vibrating the ground. Yesterday we spent a few hours looking down on the geometric buildings of the blue city trying to capture its lines and shapes using pale milky blues, greens and purples that are used by the locals when painting their homes and businesses for Diwali.

Shekawati

The magic box

Fresco class

Our walled garden surrounded by painted and mirrowed rooms was a respite from the dusty market towns that we passed on the way from Delhi on our second day. A cooking class revealed some secrets on the Indian kitchen with a large wooden box piled high with intensely coloured herbs and spices taking centre stage. The frescoed havelis (wealthy merchants homes on the caravan route) of the neighbouring towns provided inspiration for our painting class with a local chitraker with finely outlined forms painstakingly achieved. Exploring local towns provided new shopping experiences for spicy nibblies, sweet Diwali treats and tied-dyed and mirrowed fabrics. Out little troupe of 'princesses' is kept informed of local customs by our 'manservant; Abdul (but who can believe all he says?) and we are kept safe by our gorgeous and shy driver Manoj.

Thar Desert towards Pakistan

An hour spent sketching the golden arches of a series of small domed open-sided tombs caught the attention of several small children. Abdul played choir master and they sang beautifully before becoming more engrossed in our drawings. Cate kindly created a portrait for each which they excitedly cherished. We attempted to decorate the doorways, window s and mudbrick walls of a village using intense white and emerald green in a much more 'painterly' way than the women whose designs were precise, linear and geometric. Riding camels into the sand dunes before a bright orange sunset was accompanied by much groaning and farting (oh, on the part of the camels not our group!) After dinner, singing made way for yoga party tricks - flexible Jenny and Cate suceeded at many, but others landed in the soft sand. The 'Camel Man' is extremely fit and agile and tells a great joke! A starlit night night made way for the gentle misty hues of the morning and a mixed-media workshop focussed on the elegant lines of the camels with their heads aloft and their long eye lashes shielding big brown eyes.