In January 2012 my friend Sonali and I took a road trip through the romantic region of India called Rajasthan. Home to forts, palaces, and tigers, Rajasthan is where maharajas reigned. We visited the amazing Blue City of Jodhpur, with its imposing fort overlooking the cubist-like blue buildings of the city; the spectacular Jain temple at Ranakpur, where no two of the 1440 columns are exactly the same; the Lake City of Udaipur, where we took a sunset ride on the water and toured the giant City Palace; the abandoned fort of Chittorgarh and the sleepy town of Bundi; Ranthambore National Park, home to wild tigers that we sadly failed to spot; the Pink City of Jaipur with its observatory complex that looked like modern sculpture and its endless shopping; and Nawalgarh, a sleepy town famous for its decaying, mural-covered havelis. We also did some sari shopping and toured the old spice market in Delhi; wandered the ghats of Varanasi during a holiday that had everyone out flying kites; and enjoyed the Taj Mahal at sunrise, without the crowds. It was a great trip to a fascinating place.