Tag: India

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After dropping my rucksack at the guesthouse, I wandered into town. I saw an English-looking couple having tea outside a cafe and started talking to them. They were neighbours in Spain. Eventually the man, who had been a builder in London before he retired, joined me on my stroll through town. He had been coming … Continue reading / view photos Pushkar – the hippie paradise

I left Jaipur, the Pink City, on Saturday. The relative size of Rajasthan’s capital was somewhat overwhelming after the intimacy of Jaisalmer. However, there were some magnificent and beautiful buildings. The Hawa Mahal (see first photo) is breathtaking. A five story building that rises dramatically from the ground. It was used to allow women in … Continue reading / view photos Jaipur, the Pink City

The jewel in the Jaipur regional crown belongs to the magnificent fort of Amer (Amber). Because I was in a group of mixed ability, we were whizzed up to the Fort in these beetle-like electric buggies. Amer Fort and Jaigarh are considered one complex. They are joined by a passage and, during war, the royal … Continue reading / view photos Amer Fort, Jairpur