Maybe my memories of Jaipur are romanticised. We had left the slums of Delhi where we had worked with the charities and seen some of the worst and best of humanity. I had my health problems on the train heading south and was still processing what we had seen and our experiences in the ashram. Here in Jaipur I was feeling healthy, spirits were raised. We were eating (and drinking well) and in terms of the trip this day was the day of being a tourist.

India needs tourism as well as those willing to help those in need. As an individual I needed a day to experience the tourist destination of India. We were to have an oasis of 48 hours in the city before the storms clouds and darkness gathered again.

Having visited the Amber Palace we now set off (with our trusty tuk-tuk guides) in to the city.

As with every other site in India you have the combination of the old, the new and the litter. Look closely at the image and you will see pigs moving through the rubbish. You have people living among it, litter pickers who need these piles of rubbish to work through. People come and go on various types of transport and it is a normal scene.

Here is one of the entrances to the Pink City and gives you a sense of the grandeur of the place. One can only imagine an earlier time and the majesty of these far-away cities.

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Within the city is Jantar Mantar. It is a collection of astronomical clocks, devices and buildings. They pointed to the stars to time the seasons. They created a system of amazing accurate times for festivals and religion.

It was all built in the early 1700s under the instruction of Sawai Jai Singh II, Rajah of Jaipur.

It is a collection of various buildings, all looking to the stars or the sun. It adds to the mystery of India that these were advanced people living closely with their natural environment.

Studying these fantastic constructions freed the mind completely. The group were in good spirits, the site offers exceptional photographic opportunities and the chance to relax.

India was giving us a break. We were walking in the warm atmosphere, the air seemed slightly clearer and everything was a little less congested and hurried.

The pink of the granite, the setting of the orange sun. Jaipur calls out to your camera to capture these images. Every minute the light changes and a new opportunity presents itself to you.

In 2012 these streets of Jaipur gave us the opportunity to see people going about their daily business. With the bustling nature of Delhi, and always being on-guard, followed by the clam of Wardha, this was a chance to see another side of India.

A not unusual sight of a man on a bicycle transported a seemingly impossible load. Within the image we see traditional costume and modern dress, something I asked about and never got a satisfactory answer. You will also see a mixture of faiths intertwined, with no tension.

Within the city the palace of Hawal Mahal was built in 1799. It has been described as being like a honeycomb in a beehive. It has 953 windows that allowed even the smallest of breezes to move through the building making it tolerable in the heat of summer. The windows also allowed the ladies of the royal household to look out over the city without actually being visible themselves.

We never ate in an establishment like this. We also saw a Macdonalds and pizza restaurants when we returned to Delhi. Its a sign that India wants to embrace the western world and I think they have every right to do so. I just hope nothing is lost as time moves on.

Jaipur left a lasting impression upon me. It gave the rest and peace I needed after my first week in the country. As usual the students took everything in their stride. They had become a strong unit and it was a pleasure to be in their company.

We would need that unity as we got ready to move on.