Today we drive from Jodhpur to Udaipur, with a stop part way in between to visit the Jain temples at Ranakpur.

Showered, breakfasted and left the hotel by 9:00 am.

As we head south from Jodhpur the landscape is noticeably greener than it was coming into town from the West. There are farms along the highway and some greenery in the ditches. We even crossed a river with a trickle of running water in the bottom of the river bed. Generally still very dry, but seems lush by comparison.

And of course there were lots of interesting sights along the way.
   

The Jain temple at Ranakpur is in a beautiful setting in a little valley at the foot of a small mountain range. And the temple itself is beautiful too.
 
Jains are super strict about not harming anyone or anything. For example, they can't eat potatoes because digging them up might disturb the microbes in the soil. There was a long list of dos and don'ts for anyone visiting the temple, such as no leather goods, no food and no menstruating.

Inside, the temple was even more beautiful, with hundreds of carved pillars, intricate domed ceilings and numerous pieces of religious sculpture, all of it from white marble.
 

   
 
We also walked around outside the temple and took a picture of a big bee hive hanging off it.
 
From Ranakpur we headed up and over the mountains on a narrow twisty mountain road. It was really beautiful, forested with leaves turning colour. And it was clean, without the usual trash piled everywhere.

 

Along the way we saw an animal cross the road. Looked a bit like a giant squirrel or maybe a weasel. Asked driver what it was, and he said 'mongoose'!

On the other side of the mountains we emerged onto higher ground that was not as arid as the land below. 
 
Here we encountered some new road hazards, such as water buffaloes...
 
And an elephant!
 
Along with the usual crazy shit.

 
That night we stayed in the Sargam Sadan hotel on Lake Pichola in Udaipur. We had dinner at the roof-top restaurant with lights from a palace in the lake reflecting off the water. We sat cross legged in an eastern-style booth on cushions and and pillows. And the food is served on a small table that sits atop the mattress.