A tough first nights sleep at Mewargarh Palace. My single room is that small that accumulating body heat resulted in me waking up at 6am in a pool of sweat and I got very little sleep after.

Boiled egg on toast for breakfast as I start to bring some normality and structure to my days. Then I ventured out to the less than impressive City Palace - With Will, who is studying Media and Broadcasting (I believe), Silas a Biology student at Oxford and Sean who is known for his magic tricks, observational jokes and ingrowing toenail - all from the UK.

Whilst architecturally the Palace is impressive, it is run down, drab and they seemed to struggle to fill the sheer number of rooms with anything of great interest. But it passed the time!

It's been good to sit around and chat with good people and trade tales of woe whilst in India. 'Wandering Will' managed to gruesomely slice his shin open whilst trekking in Goa. They also hired scooters which looked extremely fun and something I may look to do, perhaps in Rishikesh to explore the mountains.

Afterwards we went to a rooftop cafe overlooking the lake and I had a curiously oily tomato soup accompanied by a pungent garlic naan. We strolled around the windy narrow streets for a while always on high alert for the passing mopeds, bikes and rickshaws that fizzed past through the tightest of spaces. We also met up with Otis and decided to take a trip to Monsoon Palace. A deteriorating 19th Century hilltop palace with stunning panoramic 360° views which were great to just relax and reflect upon for roughly an hour. 5 up in a rickshaw was good fun but backbreaking all the same!

We observed a Blackfoot Langur Monkey, who seemed as intrigued with us as we were with him as he acrobatically scaled a 30 foot wall to come and check us out. We retreated after initially getting some snaps! An obnoxious local tourist found it hilarious to trying and goad and scare the monkey as we watched on, willing him to get bitten!

After we returned we visited a well known backpackers hotspot for food. Red Thai Curry and a side of mash potato with onion and tomato. I appreciate this may sound like a very weird combination. It was, but this is india. Anything goes!

Thousands of huge bats, about the size of seagulls, flew majestically over the lake as the sun set. I think the next evening I will get a better view and take some photos.

I end the day smoking shisha on the highest point of the hostel, a small raised level which houses the water towers reached by a precarious climb up a wobbly ladder! Accompanied by Will, Sean, Silas and two American girls who's names I have predictably forgotten we chatted away and observed the almost full moon. A fitting end to a relaxing and very touristy day.

Unfortunately the guys leave tomorrow and I will once again be left on my lonesome! Oh well, onto the next adventure.