is there poodle in my noodle

A common question would-be travellers pose in online chatrooms is: ‘Is Jaipur or Udaipur nicer to visit?”, with each destination typically getting half of the favourable votes. Jem and I are in despair at the comparison. Whilst Jaipur is much like being ensnared in Lucifer’s raging infernos having led an extremely sinful life, Udaipur is more like getting lost in St. Ives in July after a rather hectic but amiable acid trip.

Udaipur is a world away from its busier neighbour; rather quaint, colourful, local, and friendly, with jaw-dropping views over the artificial lakes.

We arrived at 6am this morning after a 9-hour night bus, just before Jem left his rucksack in a taxi; a skill he is honing nicely having left his favourite running cap and Rab fleece on trains somewhere in China. This time, though, we were lucky, and the nice taxi guy came back with it an hour later 😀

Udaipur, founded in 1559 and known as ‘Venice of the East’, is set around a series of artificial lakes and is known for its lavish royal residences. With a population very similar to Sheffield’s urban area; 650,000, it is an accessible destination with everything in walking distance.

Cleaner and more personable it may be, but the city is not without its own struggles. Stray dogs and beggars are still endemic, and the waterways notable for their smell and rancid iridescent film – the very same water in which we saw locals bathing and washing their clothes.

It was a surprise to me that the world GDP ranking of 2025 reveals India to be the world’s 4th largest economy in the world, on a par with Japan. India’s GDP has doubled in a decade, with the IMF predicting it will overtake Germany in 3rd place by 2028.

Similar growth in China saw huge investment in transport, rural development, and farming, bringing the standard of living up for almost all marginalised groups.

However, in India, the wealth has not been spread far and wide due to its massive population, and wealth remaining in the top percentile. India, for individual wealth, or GDP per capita, ranks around 140th out of 193 countries. While the GDP per capita (wealth per person) in Germany is almost $56,000, and in China $14,000, in India it is just below $3,000.