Up and at it early doors again, on the train to Lalitpur.
It's another hot one, as our guide Khalli Bai, archaeology enthusiast and local historian takes us to his village Chanderi, a few miles away by 4x4.
The heat has got to me, so after checking in at the charmingly-named Hotel Shrikunj I'm off for a lie down, paracetamol, hydration powders and a cold shower, while Kim joins the group for a village ramble.
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| Haircut, sir? |
We're much more off the beaten track here. This is a small but bustling village, full of more smokey things, market places and alleyways full of emporia filled with rugs, jewellery, saris and spices.
There's even a roadside barber, plus the now-familiar smiling, curious faces - requests for selfies not optional!
The home-made fudge looks good, but there's a cow licking out the pan the previous batch was made in, so I give it a miss.
A black hairy dog with two heads approaches, but it actually just has the one, with the face of a small boar in its mouth - not the head, just the face.
Next day we're back on the temple trail again, kicking off with a nice mosque, shown here.
This is our man Khalli Bai, in the hat, behind two beautiful locals and a fella.
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| AKA Curly Pie |
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| Sleeping dogs, lying |
Lunch found us at the Koshak Mahal - a fine example of medieval architecture, it says on the sign.
In a Graham Greene style twist, a local MP showed up to press the flesh and pronounce on his current election drive. He had about six words of English, all propaganda 'No Plastic, Clean India, Healthy Planet' and we dutifully lined up behind him for photos, like the useful idiots B***s Johnson's people rustle up.
We may well have made the local paper, but in return for being his foreign stooges, we were allowed lunch on the verandah, with beautiful views in a tranquil setting.
On the road back, a chai stop and more majestic views.
Back at the Shrikunj, there was a show of dancing and music. Kim and the Aussies joined in.
And that was Chanderi.
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