Day 10: Camp Rules

After another five hours in the car with the fearless Madhav at the wheel, we motored in to the heavenly Chhatra Sagar just in time for an organic lunch overlooking a private reservoir teeming with birdlife. After a few glasses of fine local wine, Hugo was nowhere to be seen. Assuming he was twitching with binos at the water's edge, I turned my attention to the murmurings of our fellow campers: some nutter had been sighted in the water and was now on the opposite bank - probably stranded, having spotted the resident croc.... Fearing the truth, I raised my binos to spot you-know-who bobbing about on a tyre in the centre of the waters. The only fabrication had fortunately been the resident croc. Swimming is nevertheless strictly forbidden.

After lying low for a few hours, we took up the owner's suggestion of a sunset hike up the adjoining hill.

The unexpected reward of a G&T at the summit with our fellow campers seemed to suggest that all crimes had been forgiven and we were welcome at the camp fire for fine dining under the stars. How civilised...