After a grueling six hour car ride through Uttarakhand and up the mountains surrounding Nainital, we made it to the Naini Retreat high up the slope overlooking the city.

Nainital is situated on the hills around a volcanic lake. A top destination with Indian honeymooners, apparently.

Unfortunately, this hookah was for decoration only.

The Naini Retreat was the residence of the Maharaja of Pilibhit and sits at an altitude of 2000 meters. The weather was a lot colder than we had packed for.

In the afternoons a roving band of Langur monkeys would descend on the property.

The building codes in Nainital leave a little to be desired.

The Jama Masjid mosque was built in 1882 during the British Raj for muslim soldiers based in military camps around Nainital.

In the early morning before the tourists awake all the sightseeing gondolas are moored together.

The cricket pitch was being prepared in the early morning for a Test match that would start a few hours later. This area is known as "The Flats" and was the site of a British hotel that was destroyed by a landslide in the 19th century and later turned into a common recreation area.

Practice pitches surround the main ground just outside of the boundary. In the morning it's full of boys honing their skill before school starts.

Pace

Leg glance.

Cover drive.

Those vortices that the boat is heading for are the result of aerators recently installed in Naini Lake to revive its eco-system.

Sunrise over the Tallital end of Naini Lake.

A portrait of canine stoicism.

On the west side of the lake, there is a peaceful walking path maintained by the Buddhist temple with many little outpost temple sites like this one.