India Pakistan Border, Wagah, Attari

Every day, at the border post between Attari and Wagah, there’s a ceremony to lower national flags and formally close the border between India and Pakistan for the night. To watch what should be a sombre affair, both sides provide seating. The Indian side has a stadium now, with a new tier being built. As … Continue reading / view photos India Pakistan Border, Wagah, Attari

Shimla

The three and a half hour cab journey to Shimla, full of twists and turns to ascend 2000m, was a dizzying experience. Shimla is built on a mountain side. Its high street is called Mall Road and is at the top of Shimla. Vehicles aren’t allowed on it. The main access road is 100m below … Continue reading / view photos Shimla

Chandigarh

My nephew’s wife, Sharon, has an uncle in Chandigarh. Her uncle, Jasbir, and his son, Angad, have given me much advice during this trip, as has Sharon. I’m very grateful to all three. Without their advice, my trip would have been very different. I spoke many times to Jasbir during my trip. His sense of … Continue reading / view photos Chandigarh

Hounded in New Delhi

The night train from Varanasi to Delhi was comfortable. We got a good night’s sleep. The trains have been generally better than I thought they would be apart from their timeliness. It’s rare for a train to get anywhere on time. For some trains, that’s not surprising because routes can be several hundred kilometres, running … Continue reading / view photos Hounded in New Delhi

Varanasi homestay

One of the benefits of staying at a homestay is that sometimes communal breakfasts and dinners are arranged. This is a great way to have home-cooked food in India and meet other travellers. In Varanasi, we had generous hosts. The food was very good and the chef, once I explained vegan food, made some very … Continue reading / view photos Varanasi homestay

Delhi to Varanasi

After Agra, I went to Delhi to meet Helene who was flying over from the UK for two weeks. I didn’t see much of Delhi because we flew to Varanasi on the same day that she landed. For some people, Varanasi represents real India. All the icons are here: snake charmers, people begging (with and … Continue reading / view photos Delhi to Varanasi

Fatehpur Sikri

It was gorgeous day to go to Fatehpur Sikri. I met Imri in Pushkar and we ended up together in Agra too. We went to Fatehpur Sikri together. We took an auto to the bus stand then got an ancient bus to Fatehpur Sikri. The combination of rough roads and the bus’s poor suspension resulted … Continue reading / view photos Fatehpur Sikri

The baby Taj

Having seen the Taj Mahal and Red Fort, I finished off the eventful day by visiting the tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah (known as the “baby Taj”) and Mehtab Bagh, the park opposite the Taj Mahal. The baby Taj in any other place would be regarded as extraordinary. It’s overshadowed in Agra by the Taj Mahal. However, … Continue reading / view photos The baby Taj

Agra Fort

Where do you go to after you’ve been to see the Taj Mahal? The obvious place is Agra Fort, one of the finest Mughal forts in India. I was a bit mentally exhausted after the morning at the Taj and may not have done the Fort justice. The man behind the Taj, Shah Jahan, transformed … Continue reading / view photos Agra Fort

The incomparable Taj Mahal

Last Thursday, I went to the Taj Mahal. In some ways, I’ve wanted to see the Taj most of my life. My mother occasionally mentioned it when I was growing up. We had a tiny model of it at home. When I landed in Mumbai in November last year, my intention was to visit relatives … Continue reading / view photos The incomparable Taj Mahal