Udaipur

Udaipur is supposed to be one of India's most beautiful cities. I confess that after the previous night's travel, we don't explore too much on arrival. We find a nice place to chill out called "The Whistling Teal", locally known as the "vslingtea". This makes it initially quite hard to locate.

It has a garden and deep, almost bed-like, sofas. Squirrels bound across the lawn. Crickets chirp. What I assume to be the eponomous teal whistles in the tall trees above. I like it here - it is peaceful and green. We spend more time here than anywhere else in Udaipur. There is an old man who seems to run the place and who wears a red beret. I compliment him on it and he tells me that it is traditional Hindu headwear. I think it makes him look like a South American revolutionary and, in a fit of originality, name him Che. Che tells us that we should visit one of Udaipur's lakes and that one is in walking distance.

We walk the street of Udaipur, dodging traffic, stepping round construction work and smouldering mounds. After a few wrong turns, we find our way down to the shore of one of the famous lakes. There are many people bathing and kids are playing in the water. In the centre of the lake there is a building and as I watch, tiny figures scale the sides and leap from the top.