Pushkar and Udaipur

Rah

Bathing ghats, Pushkar Lake

Udaipur Lake palace, the set location of Octopussy,which I have since learned is a terrible movie

Summer is pilgrimage season in Rajasthan, and Pushkar is one of the holiest sites in India. Devout Hindus make the pilgrimage to bathe in Pushkar Lake at least once during their lifetime, and also to visit one of the few remaining Brahman temples (Pushkar Lake was formed by a weaponized lotus petal that fell from the sky after Brahma slayed the demon Vajranabha). There are 52 bathing ghats on the circumference of the lake, including Ghandi Ghat, where Ghandi's ashes rest. The cramped streets outside the complex chime with street music, prayer, frying sweets, and the muted mooing of cows.

Udaipur, with its sparkling lake, island palaces, and steep sandy hills, is generally considered the most romantic spot in India. We wouldn't know. We barely left our penthouse, lake-view hotel room, though this in the most unsexy way possible. Food poisoning again, and this time Christina bore the brunt. As luxurious as our hotel room was, it still only had a single toilet - a sometime point of contention between an otherwise happy couple. Love is gross.