This begins my journey through the Rajasthan region of India, literally "Land of Kings"...

My bus arrived in Udaipur early in the morning, which gave me a full day to explore the city used for filming the James Bond epic, Octopussy. I left my bags with a local hotel for the day, and began by visiting the Maharaja of Udaipur's collection of antique automobiles. He had everything from 1938 Mercedes-Benzs to Buicks to the famous black Rolls-Royce from Octopussy. I would have given anything to take the car out for a drive, maybe even test the side mounted rockets, but the guide would have none of it.

Afterward, I made my way to the imposing Udaipur City Palace, Rajasthan's largest. I cannot begin to describe the architecture (hopefully the pictures give an idea), except that it could come straight out of a fairy tale. Positioned high on a peninsula jutting out in a lake, it was fascinating wandering the hallways and taking in the views from the terraces. The surrounding city is painted in an eclectic mix of colors making the breezy palace feel like an ideal escape from the bustle of the world.

I spent more time than I expected wandering the halls of the museum (much of the palace has been set aside), intrigued by the bloody and deceitful history the kings endured in India. One story that stands out is of a Maharaja's brother who slaid the king, and was then going to do the same to the king's son. Before he arrived at the child's room, a maid swapped her own child so that the royal heir could be saved - leaving her own son to be chopped to pieces before her eyes. This was only one of many stories of the court intrigue notorious in a land where children carry daggers and kings lead armies deep into the desert.

The clear highlight of my day came as I was exploring a set-aside crystal gallery in one of the palace's far wings. Everything you would ever want in crystal could be found here - combs, glassware, tables, chairs, and even a bed. The gallery itself was viewed from a walkway around Udaipur's durbar hall (official meeting room for the Maharaja), and I was in no hurry to finish. I then caught sight of a meeting being conducted at the end of the hall, and began making my way over until a guard stopped me. After talking to him (again, the Indians love good conversation) and basically showing a genuine interest in the city's history, the guard informed me it was the Maharaja himself holding the meeting with his daughter and advisors.

For the next hour, I stood partially hidden behind a rampart, listening to the debates over the financial and tactical future of the royal family. There was disagreement over how to handle the growing tourism business spawned by the Maharaja - he owns over 20 hotels in the city, as well as the palace, museums, and endless other money-generating ventures. What so interested me was watching an actual king conduct himself with his advisors. He was both mutually authoritative and seeking in guidance, saving his smiles only for his daughter (who seemed like a ruthless businesswoman).

I went on a boat ride of the lake later in the day, and was able to see the famous island used in the James Bond movie. The island is actually an enormous estate, now hotel, with water slapping against it from all sides.

In the evening I watched a traditional Rajasthani performance, complete with exotic woman dancing under the moonlight. One of the more experienced woman had nine pots balanced on her head while she twirled and amazed the crowd with her agility. There is definitely an other-world feel about the city, and I certainly felt like I was caught in a "land of kings".

At 10pm I boarded another bus, this time for Jodhpur, a city in Western Rajasthan. You can imagine my excitement at more night travel.