Udaipur city of Lakes

Driving out of the Aravali hills which legend foretold would help fortify this city from Mughal invaders, we had almost arrived in Udaiour - dubbed by some " The City of Lakes"

Waking up as ou car approached felt strange and confusing. Its was as if we had been wisked away on a magice carpet to a mediterranean seaside town or dropped on the set of Octopussy. What ever the reality it felt good to arrive and our driver assured us we were still in India.

Udaipur has much to offer and been the location of many a celebrity and film crew, emphasising the beauty and romance with which it is so associated. It also houses two of the best hotels in the world and is mentioned as the birth place of Bageera's birth place in Rudyard Kiplings " The Jungle Book".

Udaipur certainly has a unique lure which sets it apart from the other cities in the north. Its relaxed by Indian standards and visually stunning, making it a welcome break for any weary traveller.

We stayed at two hotels our first was the - UdaiKothi - a charming property decorated with ornate glass bringing the same quality to the property that the lakes bring to the city. Without a doubt the roof top swimming pool is ts best asset with a jacuzzi offering stunning views of lake Pichola,

Our second - The Taj Lake Hotel - proved to a masterclass in the finer things in life and a place reserved for a priviledged few. A stay in a hotel that can only be described as the jewel in the crown of luxury. I could write about its grandeur and hospitality for hours. We were totally spoilt.

My first venture out on to the streets of Udaipur was a solitary one. My companion weary from travel opted to relax by the pool. I decided to seek out a sitar tutor and maybe see a few religious sites before finding a watering hole for a quick beer ( Godfather - 8.5%) and returning on foot the only way to get a feel for any city.

To prevent getting lost though i jumped in a tuk-tuk and having consulted a map, waited for driver to name a priice one i thought reasonable if not a little generous.I over estimated the distance and ended up giving him two days worth of payment which do add insult to injury he nonchantley accepted.

I arrived a few doors down from the Jagdish Temple an Indo-Aryan construction built in 1651 by Jagat Singh and also from the top of the steps, the camera angle for the tuk-tuk race in Octopussy.

I was greeted almost immediately by Babalu a warm and bombastic Indian with an infectious mood and my guru of the stringed arts for the next hour and a half. The lesson went amazingly well so much so that Bablu bought out some tablas half way through and for a few golden moments, we sat totally immersed in the music.

On the strength of this lesson and the integrity of my new found friend. I inquired about a purchase and after much negotiation settled on a price.

The night began to draw in and as the white washed walls and buildings which were so alive during the day had started to discolour and loose their potency. I rejoined my travel companion nad we headed for Sunset Point Terraceto savour the evening and enjoy a drink. The scenery and ambience of the spot seemed stolen from the pages of a romance novel and would have been the perfect location for a marriage proposal if i was so inclined.

As we sat on the rooftop terrace and sipped our drinks giant bats swooped and circled the lake, serenading the moon and each other as they feasted on insects that swarmed the banks. It was truly enchanting we looked longingly across the moon lit waters, gazing at the Taj Lake Palace and marveling at India and her many secrets.