Mike's take on 1st day in Udaipur..

....Pete Sampras in Udaipur

We flew back to Delhi for a connecting flight to Udaipur, for some chillaxing after the last few full on days. At Jaipur airport a lady asked me if I was a movie star - ha ha - I'll take that!

The 350 mile connecting flights were a breeze and before I knew it, we were winding through the tiny roads in Udaipur - The City of Lakes.

Our hotel was possible the best located... perched high up on the hillside, overlooking the lake and the City Palace. Again, first things first, we got up onto the rooftop bar, and cracked opem a cold Kingfisher to help take it all in.

In Comparison to Delhi and Agra, the air was clean. Still was was still the common factor of the sound of horns blowing through the city air, 24-7. Strangely, you just get used to it.

Today was our own day, so we ventured along the tiny streets of motorbikes, cows and goats. With the direction of Ian, an Easyjet pilot we just met, we ended up on an old platform, on the waters edge, overlooking the City Palace. It was a quiet spot, where a few locals would sit quietly and reflect.

Soon after we stopped off to refuel on water and a couple of buttered naans at Jasmins, a locals restaurant - perfect, other than Dave swinging his camera over his shoulder and inadvertently cracked a young boy over the head with his telephoto lens!... No serious injuries, and all smiles around fortunately :-)

We meandered through the streets and found a small sitair shop. Before you could say 'chicken biriyani' were were ushered in, sat down by the owner wearing a full banyan (vest), door closed and had a private Sitar performance, during which i noticed what seem like all of Udaipurs mosquito population hovering and attacking my ankles. My legs moved like Michael Flaherty, whilst banyan man cracked out another sitar tune. I think he thought I was dancing....how was I to get out of this place?... bavyan man paused for a moment, and broke play. He handed me what I can only describe as an electrified tennis racket to kill the pescy mossies. He picked up play again, whilst, I, Michael Flaherty turned into Pete Sampras - forehand smashing as many mossies as possible, each with an electrifying CRACK on impact! Needless to say, we quickly got the heck out of there..

Our first night concluded with yet another amazing meal, on the 'mosquito free' rooftop bar. Tomorrow will 'no doubt' bring more stories...