After friends gave us a grand send-off from Shikshantar, we headed west out of Udaipur. Within just a few short kilometers the city gave way to the small farms, lush desert hills and virtually car-free roads that would come to characterize our journey.
Soon we ascended towards our first stop: a hilltop reservoir that was nearly overflowing from one of the heaviest monsoons in recent memory. It was the first in a series of “talabs” that were constructed hundreds of centuries ago to harvest the often torrential, but short-lived monsoon rains. After a quick swim, we made our first village stop where we shared songs in exchange for the opportunity to help with the corn harvest. Refueled by fresh buttermilk and popped corn, we headed on…
