Dream Trip 2008: January

Great Travel Moment

After a four hour ride back from Agra and the Taj Mahal, we were taken by plane to the Oberoi Udaivilas on the banks of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, India. Ranked as one of the top hotels in the world, that title is misleading. When I saw the swimming pool that encircles the hotel, I wondered if I was on the edge of the world. Flowers draped over the balcony, a soft sunset after a harsh heat, and cool water balancing on the edge of the cliff perfectly summed up India for me: a contrast between safely exciting and dangerous; between utter poverty and beautiful hope; and most importantly, the beautiful truth in simplicity amidst a complicated world. There is no pretension here. You are connected to a peaceful happiness like nowhere else in the world. This place changed me forever.