india – Hereandthereclaire.com

Reflections on India. Part 2.

For part 2 of my reflections on India I’d like to talk about my experience of men during my visit and also of my experience with women, or lack there of. This I feel ties into the Caste system and the different way women are treated depending on their Caste and on prevailing Gender attitudes.

My experience and my thoughts on this were cumulative, it wasn’t immediately obvious but something that you start to be aware of, then it becomes blindingly obvious.

I am also only speaking of my personal experience, I do not have an extensive knowledge of the Caste System or Gender Politics in India.

I learnt some things whilst in India and from further reading and research.

On my arrival in India, all of the security staff and the staff at the phone SIM counter were all male. I had arranged to be picked up, my driver was male.

On arriving at my hotel, all of the staff I met were male. At breakfast the following day, again all the staff were male, I did meet the owner who was a lovely lady, who chatted to me for a short while, she used to live in England.

My first outing was to an area called Khan Market, which was close to the hotel and was pretty upscale, I did see some women, mainly western white women shopping. There were a couple of women working in the bank and in a few of the shops, but not really that many. To be fair I didn’t notice this straight away, it was only after walking around for a bit I realised how few females were around. I was approached a couple of times asking if I wanted a Tuk Tuk or asking where I was going.

During the next couple of days and on my various excursions around Delhi this pattern was repeated, very few women around, not in shops or restaurants, not on the streets unless less they were sweeping or begging. This was particularly prevalent in the middle of Delhi and away from the upscale areas.

During my walk through Chandni Chowk Market and the spice market, you barely see any Indian women, again they are not working in the market, on the stalls, in the shops, the restaurants.

When I moved to the hotel to start my Tour the area was extremely busy, lots of hotels, shops etc but again no women.

My hotel was again staffed entirely by men.

I went for a little walk from the hotel and got approached almost immediately. A man stating that he was from my hotel, asked where I was going? I said to look at the shops, he told me the shops weren’t open until later and asked a Tuk Tuk driver, who had been following me to take me to a ‘Shopping Market’ I agreed (stupidly) the Tuk Tuk cost very little so it didn’t seem a big deal. He took me to a bloody Tourist Market, full of people selling tourist tat, but high end and very expensive. Clearly this was a scam the driver and the other guy get kick backs to take you there.

This sort of shit happened ALL the time, pretty much every time I walked anywhere alone. Frustrating and annoying but also potentially dangerous.

This was my experience throughout my stay, being hassled and approached continuously. For the younger women in our group things were even worse.

Whilst I didn’t always feel particularly threatened, it is disturbing and a constant source of irritation.

I did however feel unsafe and vulnerable during my stay at the last hotel in Delhi, again all male staff, all male guests a few of whom were drunk, the staff were not very welcoming or helpful. I felt the need to barricade my door with a huge wooden table and my suitcase. Not good.

Everywhere I went, in Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Alipura, the cities and also in the villages women are very scarce.

On our village walks, we saw some women, mainly in their homes, or doing chores, making dung patties, making cigarettes, minding children but they were in the background. It was the men on the streets, sitting outside the cafes chatting playing cards, the children we met were a mix of boys and girls but older girls and women were hard to find.

We did encounter a few more women in Varanasi, this was because they were traveling as families for the Shiva Festival or from the Kumbh Mela Festival.

But In the back streets it was the same, very few women.

It’s strange because once you become aware of it, it starts to be so obvious.

India still has a big problem with sexual violence, domestic violence and rape, particularly in the more rural areas. Women continue to be the victims of these crimes on an alarming scale.

Vikram, our group leader was a wonderful guy who is rightly proud of his country and that came across when he spoke to us about the history, the culture, the religions and everything in between!

Vikram explained that the caste system no longer prevents people from achieving their potential and that it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of caste. This is a huge positive step and highlights that things are certainly moving in the right direction.

My thoughts are that things for people and more specifically women in the higher castes are improving, I’m not quite so sure this is the case for the lower castes and the women in poor and more rural communities.

Vikram talked about his experience of women in his family and social circle who have well paid, high profile, high status roles. However these women are from wealthy, high status families, they have had access to education and opportunities that others do not. The gap between the rich & the poor is huge, this gap widens considerably when you factor in Gender.

I spent a month in India, during that time my interactions with Indian females was severely limited.

I had 2 proper conversations with women, both of whom I met whilst traveling on planes, one on the way to Varanasi and one on my flight to Bangkok. I chatted to the young girl who took us in our City Walk in Delhi, Kajahl. That was it.

As I’ve said I think India has a way to go in terms of Gender Equality, it takes more than Government policies and Laws, it needs a shift in attitudes and most importantly access to education for all young people particularly Girls.

Although I found things difficult at times and attitudes towards women challenging. I also feel hopeful that things are changing, attitudes are improving and women are starting to make their voices heard.

The current President of India is a women, Droupadi Murmu. Her family were farmers. Droupadi Murmu has spent her life trying to empower the downtrodden and more marginalised sections of society.

Whilst on my tour I was lucky enough to visit 3 different projects devoted to improving the life of women and children, in the cities and in rural communities, supporting their access to education, employment and financial independence.

The Salaam Balkan Trust. Who help and support street children in Delhi.
Anoothi Block Printing Project. Supporting women from marginalised communities.
TARAgram. A project supporting tribal women making paper items from recycled clothing.
Women with Wheels. Offering livelihoods to women in a sector usually denied to women. They operate in Delhi & Jaipur.

There are many more projects operating throughout India. G Adventures who I did my tour with have a charitable arm called Planeterra who support all of these projects.

I think it’s important to acknowledge that India is not alone in its attitudes towards women and women’s rights. It was more visible and obvious but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worse than other countries

You only have to look at the current situation in America to see that the rights that women have fought so incredibly hard for over the last century are under attack.

No country has managed to achieve Gender Equality, not one!

The Patriarchy is alive and well.

We need to continue to fight and advocate for women’s equality in Social, economic and political terms.

Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity, everyone should be treated equally, fairly and with equal and equitable access to resources regardless of their race, religion, gender or sexuality.

If we continue to build society’s that fight for the opposite of this, then we all lose.

Reflections on India. Part 1.

I have to be honest I didn’t really have many preconceived ideas about India prior to my visit.

I knew that it was probably a sensible idea to do an organised tour, that traveling in India as a solo female wasn’t the best idea, even for an ‘older’ female (god, it pains me to have to write that! 😳😀) I knew that Delhi was quite polluted, but I hadn’t done much reading about the country, which is unusual for me. I put this down to the fact that I was doing an organised tour so felt a little less inclined to do as much research, I had some helpful tips from a friends daughter, which came in very handy.

Nearly everyone I spoke to that had visited only had positive things to say about India, many saying it was one of their favourite places.

My initial impression of India and of Delhi weren’t that bad, the traffic was bonkers, but that’s nothing new to me, the hotel I stayed in was very pleasant and my first few outings were also not too bad.

I was in Delhi at a time of year that usually sees less pollution, so although it was polluted it didn’t seem quite as bad as I’d expected.

The previous few months are when crops are being burnt and pollution is horrendous.

You do notice the rubbish almost immediately, as it’s everywhere.

At this point I think I need to acknowledge that at the beginning I was pretty sheltered from the ‘real’ Delhi experience. My hotel was in a very upscale residential area called ‘Defence Colony’ this is in a part of New Delhi with wide tree lined streets. It was built in the 1960s for veterans of India’s Armed Forces. It is now home to people from the entertainment and political sector. It has art galleries, coffee shops & parks also slightly less rubbish!

I had found the hotel on a list of the best places to stay in Delhi by The Sunday Telegraph. (It was the cheapest one they recommended 😀)

The other guests at the hotel were predominantly British, my age or older, retired and not traveling on a budget! They were doing organised tours but with more upscale organisations than G Adventures, who I used. This is not a criticism at all, but I feel it’s important to note.

In these first few days I did a couple of tours, but I did them with a male guide and driver, organised by the hotel. This makes a big difference. It meant that when we were walking through the area around Chandni Chowk for example, it felt exciting not intimidating or scary.

Things changed somewhat when I moved to the first Tour hotel further into Delhi and away from the relative luxury of ‘Defence Colony’

The hotel I arrived at felt like a massive drop in standards!

It was on a busy and insanely noisy, dirty street, men were everywhere, no women in sight. All the staff in the hotel were men. I think it was here that I started to note the distinct lack of females on the streets or in the hotels, shops etc.

There are so many things to say and reflect on from my time in India so it might be easier if I try to break it down a little.

I’ve got so used to writing things chronologically that it seems that’s what I’ve started to do again!

Firstly, I think I’d like to reflect on India’s pollution and how dirty it is.

Unless you have been there it is difficult to convey exactly how filthy, rundown and polluted the country is.

I spent my whole time in India travelling around the north, in the areas of Rajasthan, Utter Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. All of these state’s feature in the top 10 most polluted areas of India. With Delhi being the most polluted city.

The air Quality Index, AQI states that readings of 50 or below represents good air quality.

51 – 100 represents moderate air quality.

101 – 150 represents unhealthy air quality for sensitive people.

150 – 200 then represents unhealthy.

200 – 300 represents very unhealthy.

Anything over 300 represents hazardous air quality.

Delhi rarely gets below 100, and in November 2024 it reached an AQI of 491!

During my time there in February it was an average of 121. Which to be honest is still not great. Today’s, (17.03.25) AQI is 162

The pollution is caused by a variety of factors.

Diesel & Petrol
Crop burning
Open waste burning
Industrial emissions
Construction dust.

This is obviously worse during the period of crop burning, which happens more frequently as farmers rush to burn off rice residue in order to plant the next cash crop, wheat. Although this practice is deemed illegal it continues on a huge scale. The areas of Punjab, Haryana & Utter Pradesh are the main sources of this pollution.

The traffic in India is insane especially in the cities. Freight is transported mainly by road, so lots of large, old trucks driving through the country. so it’s clear to see where that pollution comes from.

The areas surrounding Delhi are rapidly expanding, building is never ending, roads, apartments, shopping areas the list goes on, with a growing economy and a growing population this is not going to end any time soon.

The current population stands at 1.438 Billion this is nearly 18% of the world’s population.

Open waste burning is something you see everywhere on a small scale, but then you see the huge waste mountains looming above you just outside Delhi, burning waste on a scale that is unbelievable.

Plastic waste and rubbish is everywhere, on every street, by every road, in every body of water. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. In some cases you can see that it is several feet deep beside a road or beside a village. It is so prevalent that I think if you spent a lot of time in India you would start to not see it, or become immune to it.

It is estimated that air pollution shortens the average Indians life expectancy by between 2 – 5.3 years.

Tracey sent me a really interesting article/Ted Talk given by an Indian organisation called ‘The Ugly Indian’.

The talk centred on the issue of rubbish and filth on the streets of India, why it happens and why nothing gets done. The speaker acknowledged that some of it is due to the Indian mindset and he also referred to a couple of theories.

One from Criminology: ‘The Broken Window Theory’ This theory posits that visible signs of disorder and misbehaviour in an environment encourage further disorder, leading to serious crime. If your Neighborhood is filthy and covered in rubbish, this encourages further littering and disregard for the area.

The other theory is an economic one called ‘The Tragedy of the Commons.’ This describes a situation where shared environmental resources are overused and exploited, and eventually depleted posing risks to everyone. This theory can be used on a global scale to explain Climate Change and on a smaller scale to explain deteriorating neighbourhoods and littering.

The Ugly Indian have various ways of tackling this issue on a smaller scale, they do this without judgement and with the involvement of local people.

For example: Taking an area beside a housing development and outside a Wine shop. The area is used by lots of men, they then piss everywhere, spit Paan/Gutka residue everywhere (Paan/Gutka is a chewing leaf, which then creates saliva which is brown and gets spat everywhere) Rubbish is everywhere, the area is filthy and unpleasant. The Ugly Indian then clean the area, provide sanitary urinals, waste collection, seating and pleasant walkways. The area then looks attractive therefore people are less likely to abuse it.

They did the same thing to a filthy stinking underpass. The underpass was so revolting that people refused to use it, instead risking their lives crossing a very busy road. Once the underpass was cleaned, painted and made good, people started using it, seeing the benefit

to themselves they also then kept it clean and well maintained.

These examples were in Bangalore, but they have projects across India.

These are great ideas, and the projects are definitely having an impact on a small scale. I’m unsure how this will work on a country wide scale. Especially as it appears not to be a priority for the government. I certainly didn’t see anything like this is on my travels.

What I did see often was people sweeping their shop steps clean, and simply sweeping the rubbish into the road, where it then becomes someone else’s problem.

I saw people sweeping the streets, but again just sweeping things into a large pile, which then sits there.

There are very few Waste bins in public spaces. People just throw the rubbish into the street.

The situation seems to be the same even in the rural areas that I visited, the small villages we walked through were also littered with rubbish, much of it plastic. Plastic waste is a whole other issue, its effect on the environment both in India and globally.

I only traveled through a small section of India, it may be that things are better in other areas, I really hope so.

The Indian Government have introduced various initiatives over the years:

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) focuses on Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Waste to Wealth Mission. To promote and encourage innovative technology solutions to waste management and achieve a zero landfill and zero waste nation.
Lots of other projects and initiatives to encourage community participation and move towards sustainability in waste management and recycling.

I was lucky enough to see the wonder that is The Taj Mahal in all its stunning glory. Sometimes, however, it is impossible to see it through the fog of pollution. That’s tragic.

I have travelled through many countries and seen rubbish and pollution but truly not on the same scale as India. It is something that stays with you.

This is incredibly sad as the country is beautiful, but sometimes that beauty is buried under a layer of dust, pollution and rubbish.

Unless there is a major shift in mindset and a greater commitment from Government I fear that the state of public spaces in India and the high levels of pollution will continue to get worse.

Saturday 1st March – Saturday 8th March 2025

I had booked myself into a different hotel for the 2 nights before my Tiger Safari starts. I did this when I’d first arrived at the Tour Hotel, which I didn’t like at the time but to be fair I was given a different room on our return, which was better and at least I knew the area, but the new place was non refundable. So I guess I’ll have to go.

Before leaving I had a walk around the area, I wanted to get a few little bits and use the ATM and I knew where the shops etc were from walking to restaurants with the group.

Unfortunately it’s a whole different ball game when you are on your own. Initially things were ok, a few Tuk Tuk drivers asking if I needed a lift. Then it got a little more pushy, one particular guy insisting he knew where my hotel was and that I was walking in the wrong direction, he may well have known, but I also knew where my hotel was and I knew that I was walking there a different way! I explained this calmly numerous times, he wouldn’t stop, and started to get a bit loud and pushy eventually a very nice Sikh gentleman told him to leave me alone.

I found a shop selling spices and bought some black cardamom needed to make Masala Chia, I also got some ready mixed Masala Chia powder. I adore the Masala Chia here, it’s delicious! 😋

I would have liked to stop for a cold drink, but there just isn’t anywhere, apart from a few random places, which are chock full of men.

I went back to the hotel and gathered my stuff then got a Taxi to my new abode!

The new hotel isn’t in a great area, it’s down near the train station but the hotel itself is nice.

I have finally succumbed to the cold that has plagued everyone on the tour, so I’m snotty and have a sore throat. I decide not to do too much for the rest of the day I just grab a cup of masala chai in Café near the hotel, so they do exist in some places in Delhi!

I eat dinner in the hotel which was pleasant then went to bed.

I’m still feeling under the weather but have a plan to visit an area called Connaught Place. It’s in New Delhi and it has nice buildings with apparently some good shops and an M & S! I thought a wander around somewhere nice and having a nice lunch might cheer me up! It doesn’t. Although this area does have some branded shops it’s still Delhi and I get hassled constantly by guys asking where I’m going, telling me I’m going the wrong way, how they can determine this I have no idea 🤷‍♀️ Asking where I’m from, would I like to visit some random market, would I like to see their uncles shop, can they get a picture. 🤯 I’m a little bit over it all tbh.

I eventually find a decent cafe, grab a well needed Lemon, ginger, honey tea and take a breather. I decide to go out again and give it another try, I know there is a pharmacy somewhere nearby and I need some vitamin C. But once again I get hassled straight away. I give up and grab a Tuk Tuk and after much discussion and showing the driver the hotel name and address in English and Hindi he says he’s good. Only he isn’t really and I end up using my google maps to direct him, he then tried to charge me more than agreed, irritating!

I find a pharmacy near the hotel, grab the vitamin C and return to the calm of my hotel room. ☺️

I have dinner in the hotel again and prepare for an earlyish pick up in the morning to go on my Tiger Tour.

I booked this Tiger Tour back in November, booked and paid I might add.

I booked through a company called TourRadar, whom I’ve used before and they have been great. The Tour was outsourced to a company Called Fragrance of Taj. They had messaged me a couple of times, but over the last few weeks have been very poor at returning messages or providing the information I have asked for, things like timings, what to expect, etc.

still, they had good online reviews so I was hopeful that all would be well.

The driver, Shubha arrived on time, so a good start. The car was nice and comfortable. Off we went. It’s supposed to be a 5 hour drive to Jim Corbett National Park from Delhi. But it took us 61/2! 😳

The car is a semi hybrid which clearly has the tank capacity of a moped, as we stopped 3 times for fuel! On 2 of these occasions it took nearly 1/2 an hour to get the fuel, then Shubha said he needed to stop for a rest, then we had a loo break, then more fuel! By which time I was tired, snotty, thirsty and hungry.

We arrived at the hotel around 4pm, I grabbed a Masala Chai which thankfully came with biscuits 🍪😍 Then had a mooch around.

The hotel is very nice, quiet, clean with a restaurant and even a lovely looking pool.

By this point I had messaged with Sanjeev from Fragrance of Taj numerous times asking about timings for the Safari the next day. I then called him, he said he would send the information to me, he didn’t.

I eventually got a brief message about being ready at 5am and that my driver would explain everything.

I went and found Shubha, I asked him what was happening. I had received 2 QR codes for Safaris, one for the morning, one for the afternoon. Now, bearing in mind I speak no Hindi and Shubha’s English is ok but not great and Sanjeev was less than forthcoming, I was finally told that we would leave the hotel at 5.15am. I would do a morning Safari, come back to the hotel by 9ish have breakfast and relax then go out again around lunchtime and do an afternoon safari. This sounded great.

I duly set my alarm and got up at the crack of sodding dawn, got ready and made my way to reception at 5.10. The hotel and reception were in darkness with nobody around. I waited 5 minutes, then a security guy came along, I called Shubha, he said he would be 5 minutes, nearly 15 minutes later he appeared, now I’m a tad pissed off.

We get in the car, he then drives like a loon to the safari pick up point. When we arrive, he clearly has no clue what’s happening. He speaks to a couple of people, they’re also not completely sure what’s occurring with my tickets. Eventually someone comes over and explains that I will be doing a morning safari, in a Cantor (a big bus not a jeep) this will start when the bus reaches the gate, some 30 mins away and then finish around 4hrs later. I will then have to wait and do my afternoon safari on another cantor. I won’t be coming back to the hotel for breakfast I will now be out all day!! WTF. I am not impressed.

I have come out with a small bottle of water and no food, expecting to be back at the hotel in around 3 – 4 hours! Shubha says no worries there will be water and food.

My seat on the bus is in the aisle, at the back. It’s cold, I have a wrap and a scarf but it’s still chilly. All the other passengers look set for winter! Sensible.

The bus is not great, not bad, but not ideal. The guide, who isn’t really a guide, only speaks Hindi.

We arrive at the gate, load up more passengers and go into the park.

The park is huge, but the Cantor buses can only use 1 road, due to their size. We travel along the road, through jungle and across lots of big dry river beds, which in Monsoon season would be raging rivers. The sun is starting to come up, but it’s still cold, my feet and legs by this point are freezing 🥶 We spot a few deer and I see my first wild boar.

There is one other western guy sitting at the front, Ramos from Switzerland, who is very nice. The driver tells me I can sit next to him, this enables me to have a better view. We travel through the park for approximately 2 1/2 hours then arrive at a station/post/ habitat thing where we stop for 30 minutes, there is a place selling tea so I grab a chai, use the rather unpleasant loo then get back on the bus.

The bus then travels back along the same route, with a slight detour to go closer to the river briefly.

There isn’t an awful lot of wildlife visible, very few birds, just a few more deer.

We then arrive back at the gate at around 11.30. I’m hoping I can grab some snacks and more water. No snacks! Ramos takes pity and gives me a small packet of his biscuits. I then hang around and wait for an hour for the next Safari, which is going to be exactly the same as the first, the same route, the same sort of bus just different passengers. I debate giving it a miss, but figure I’m here and I might just see a Tiger!

The next Safari begins, I’m at the back, but luckily not in the aisle, this bus has a few children, they aren’t thrilled to be sitting on a cold bus for hours 😳😬 and make this known quite vocally!

We trundle back the same way, seeing the same things, I am trying to be positive and hopeful that we’ll see something amazing, we don’t.

We have a break and return the same way, again with a short detour where we see some fish eagles.

Just as we are crossing the last dry river bed 5 minutes before the tour ends, the woman in front of me shouts ‘Tiger’ I’m trying to see where she is pointing, but everyone has jumped up and are also trying to see, there is a lot of noise and commotion, I’m desperately trying to see where she is pointing, but then the moment is gone, the Tiger has disappeared back into the jungle and that’s it!! Done.

We drive back to the town where I picked up the bus, I’m offloaded and it’s all over.

I’m cold, tired, hungry, thirsty, dirty, dusty and a tad pissed off.

This wasn’t the experience I had booked and paid for.

I feel that Sanjeev has messed up the booking or forgotten about it till the last minute then cobbled something together. The driver confirms he was booked only a few days ago as was the hotel.

There was supposed to be a trip to a museum and waterfalls, lunch, breakfast a Jeep Safari. I got none of this. I feel very frustrated and cross. I have emailed TourRadar I also sent Sanjeev a message, he’s very apologetic but is blaming the park authorities for the mistakes, which is bullshit.

I have some food, a cup of tea a hot shower and go to bed. 😩

I wake up having had a decent nights sleep. I had confirmed with Shubha the night before that we would leave at 8.15 to go back to Delhi.

I get a Good Morning message from Shubha at 6.30, I reply.

I get up pack my stuff, grab a cup of Chai then go the front of the hotel at 8.15. No Shubha, I wait 5 minutes, send a message, he messages me back ‘Wait 5 minutes’ Really? Again?

He pitches up 15 minutes later. No apology, no hello, in fact nothing, total silence. I feel an overwhelming urge to throat punch him!! I don’t, obviously, although it would have made me feel better. 😂

We drive back to Delhi in silence, he drives alternately like Lewis Hamilton then like a 90 year old blind person without an accelerator 😱🫣🙄🤦‍♀️

It’s safe to say The Tiger Tour has not been quite the experience I had hoped for!!

I relax when I get back to the oasis of calm that is The Colonels Retreat Hotel. It’s so lovely, it’s where I stayed on my arrival in India.

I make my way to the shady, flower filled rooftop, the guys bring me a delicious pot of Masala Chai and some homemade banana loaf and peace returns. ☺️

I spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on my blog, checking emails, organising onward travel plans and then have a very tasty dinner and sleep. 💤

After a delicious breakfast back on the rooftop I am going to be heading to my next and final hotel here in India. I am spending it at an airport hotel, not ideal but practical for my morning flight, I don’t want to be battling through Delhi traffic in the early hours, that would be too stressful.

I grab a taxi and make my way to Areocity and my last Delhi hotel.

What can I say, the place is a complete shit hole. It bears absolutely no resemblance to the photos online, the room is not great, the nice restaurant does not exist at all instead they show me an eating place in the basement that is rank, dirty, smelly and full of flies! I am beyond pissed off. The guy at reception keeps asking me for payment, I’m not giving him shit. I confront him and ask why the hotel is nothing like the the hotel advertising, he can’t answer. Then more men appear from somewhere, all just standing around listening to me get more irate. Then some big bloke appears, he seems to be the owner, again I ask what the hell is going on, he says there is a restaurant, I explain that I wouldn’t call that a restaurant and it is nothing like the picture on their booking.com site, he says that the restaurant is in a different hotel, not really very fucking helpful. We have an ongoing argument, then he agrees to move me to another hotel, which he promises has a restaurant. (Tbh,mits nothing to do with the restaurant, it’s the fact they have outright lied!) By now there is myself and about 6 men all crowded into the small reception area, a tad intimidating.

I go back to the room get my stuff and try to find an alternative hotel, but short of paying £150 for a Holiday Inn or a Radisson, the rest are much the same. I go to the owners new hotel, it’s probably worse, if that’s possible. I agree to stay, then take myself off for a short stroll along the chock a block 3 lane highway that’s directly in front of the hotel, no path. I find a big Radisson Blu Hotel 5 minutes away and shelter there for the rest of the afternoon/evening before returning to my hovel, barricade the door and try to sleep. I don’t sleep, too much noise, men shouting, lots of people going past my room!

I’m up and left by 5am. I’m happy to be at the airport and on my way to Thailand.

A rather unfortunate and unpleasant end to my time in India. ☹️

I will need some time to absorb and reflect on all of my experiences of India. It is a country like no other I’ve visited.

Apologies for the miserable tone of this blog! But it’s not always sunshine and samosa’s!

I will leave it there.

Next stop Thailand. 🇹🇭

Have a great week.

🩷💜❤️💚🧡

Books read.

The Great Alone. Kristin Hannah. Other great story from this author. I really enjoyed her books.

The Midnight Hour. Eve Chase. A reasonable read, nothing remarkable.

Wednesday 26th – Saturday 1st March 2025

Our flight arrived in Varanasi at around 1pm. The airport seemed quieter than I’d expected.

This didn’t last once we left. The road into Varanasi was absolutely chocker! Cars, trucks, bikes, coaches, minibuses, pickup beds full of people. The 45 minute journey took over 2 hours. Luckily for us our hotel was in the newer part of Varanasi, so not quite as busy.

We just had time to drop off our luggage then we all climbed aboard a series of Tuk Tuks and started to make our way into the old part of Varanasi and the river Ganges for an evening boat trip.

I thought the traffic in Delhi was bad, this was on another level. So many people, Shiva Processions with horses, followers, dancing, statues plus all the usual chaos. The roads by the Ganges are closed to vehicles so we walked the last bit, It is crazy busy and so loud!

Then there we were, on the banks of the holiest of rivers, at sunset, during a significant holy festival. It was beyond belief.

We boarded our boat, I managed to do this across a wobbly platform and mud without injury! Impressive. 🥰

We set off down the river, watching all the madness on shore.

Varanasi has a series of 88 Ghats, Ghats are riverfront steps leading from the city down to the river. Some are more popular or more important than others. Dashashwamedh Ghat is very important as it’s close to the Shiva Temple, Vishwanath.

The Ganges was misty and atmospheric, so many boats and people on the Ghats or bathing in the river purifying themselves, floral offerings were floating on the river, the sun was setting, on the other side there were more people, tents and camels. It felt like we had stepped back in time.

So much to see and absorb. I have never seen or been anywhere quite like it. The atmosphere was incredible, you could feel the festival, celebratory vibe in the air.

On Dashashwamedh Ghat and some of the other Ghats there are lots of Naga Sadhus, or holy men. These men have given up all material processions and devote themselves to spiritual enlightenment. They have travelled from all over an India and particularly Nepal to attend the Kumbh Mela and then on to Varanasi for the Maha Shivaratri Festival

Some of these Sudhus are naked and covered in ash from the funeral pyres. People are desperate to take blessings from these holy men and they are treated with utmost respect.

Our boat took us past Manikarnika Ghat. This is one of the cities oldest and holiest Ghats and is the scared spot for Hindu Cremation.

The cremations take place outside on the Ghat using wood and a flame taken from the eternal flame said to have been burning there for thousands of years.

It’s very difficult to convey the sights, sounds and smells of Varanasi and the Ganges. It is an assault on all of your senses but not unpleasant just slightly overwhelming. I felt quite emotional.

We made our way back to shore and walked through the throngs of people to our Tuk Tuks and a much needed late dinner!

The following day we had some free time. There was an optional tour to a Buddhist Temple, but to be honest I was feeling all templed out!

I had been looking forward to a nice lie in however the 100s of sodding mosquitoes in my room put paid to that! 🦟 Fuckers.

I’ve had not bites in India, now I have around 20, also some on my face! Fun.

Vikram had pointed out a very old hotel near Dashashwamedh Ghat, right in the thick of everything. He said it was a very nice hotel, so my plan was to go there, sit on the terrace and watch everything going on, have some peace and quiet, people watch and chill.

Lovely Hannah from the tour said she would like to join me, which was great. Vikram explained that we might need to walk a little way due to roads still being shut, which was fine.

After leaving the Tuk Tuk, we grabbed a rickshaw operated by a little old fella, who insisted we get on his particular rickshaw!

He took us through some back roads, which were still really busy, and then dropped us off by a very busy roundabout.

The Maha Shivratri Festival was still in full swing, there had been a procession early in the morning with a Shiva Statue taken from the Temple. People were queuing to visit the temple, the queue was over 2 kilometres long 😳 People were leaving, people were arriving, people were everywhere and in amongst all of this were Hannah & myself trying to find our way to this bloody hotel!

Luckily Hannah’s google maps was good, and she could read it well, so we made our way in a zig zag through the throng in all the tiny little windy streets, it was amazing. Although it was away from some of the crowds it was still busy with the local people just going about their lives. After a while we made it to the hotel. We took the lift up and were then asked to wait in reception, as we weren’t residents or have a table booked.

We could see the outside terrace with its fabulous view, then the manager came and explained that we could come into the restaurant for lunch, but there would be a 2100 rupee surcharge (approximately £21) plus our meal. The restaurant was inside with no views, the prices were very high, so although we were gasping for a drink and a sit down we decided to leave. We asked if there were any other restaurants/cafes nearby, which the rather surly staff didn’t seem to know. They told us to take the lift down and walk along the Ghat and see if we could find anything! Helpful..not.

We duly took the lift and then found ourselves right in the thick of all the goings on! People, priests, Sudhus (naked & clothed) dogs, children, bathers, everyone, everywhere all at once! It was crazy! 🤯

We were also being hassled quite badly for photographs and selfies particularly by men and especially Hannah who is Tall, young, blonde and beautiful. It gets very annoying very quickly.

We couldn’t find anywhere to go, so went back to the hotel to ask if they could organise a Tuk Tuk or rickshaw. They couldn’t. A nice guy explained that we should go back down walk along past 3 or 4 Ghats then head back into the Melee. 😳😬😳

We did at least get a couple of minutes on the terrace!

Off we went back into it, and boy it was crazy! We were walking along the busiest most important Ghats.

I got patted on the head with some peacock feathers by a naked Sudhu which I’m taking to be a blessing! 🥰

We walked back through the madness for ages and eventually came to a road with Tuk Tuks, jumped in and asked to go to the shopping mall near our hotel.

After an hour of him battling the insane traffic we made it to the Mall, and much to Hannah’s joy a MacDonalds! 😂😍 We also bumped into several of our tour buddies in Maccy Ds.

I opted for a coke and fries. Then Negiz said that there was supposed to be a nice coffee place nearby so we walked there.

Oh my god! It was lush, in a lovely hotel, gorgeous gardens, quiet and peaceful! Why hadn’t I just come here this morning? 😂

To be honest I wouldn’t have missed our completely immersive Varanasi experience for anything. It was hot, dusty, smelly, mad, chaotic, colourful, vibrant, loud and totally amazing. 🤩🧡💚❤️💙💜🩷

Having said that it was such a joy to sit in the garden with a cold drink and catch up on writing my blog and relax.

We had dinner that night in a really nice restaurant, unfortunately they forgot my order so I ended up eating last, but it was the most yummy Adraki Aloo Gobi, I’ve had so far. 😋😋

We were up and out at silly o clock again the next morning, 5am!

I managed to get a little more sleep, having killed most of the Mosquitoes in my room and by sleeping completely inside the duvet cover.

We were heading back to the Ganges for a sunrise boat trip.

Lovely Vikram had organised for a sitar player and a drummer to join us and play some beautiful music while we drifted along the Ganges watching the sunrise. He also bought us all a flower offerings to set afloat on the water with a prayer.

I found this all very emotional and moving. Seeing the flowers and the flames carrying our thoughts, wishes and prayers along the Ganges was something very special.

We came back to shore at the Cremation Ghat, Manaharinkia Ghat. The largest and most auspicious Ghat. It was very busy and also very muddy. I was a genuinely concerned about ending up in the mud like I had done in the Killing Fields, luckily I didn’t.

Here we met our guide, who was going to take us on a Heritage Walk through Old Varanasi. I was looking forward to it, even though I feel Hannah and I had already done a pretty comprehensive walk the day before. 😀

Our walk started beside the Crematorium. Where we learnt about the Hindu rituals around death and cremation.

This crematorium Ghat is very sacred and many people wish to be burnt here, many old people also want to come to Varanasi to die.

The crematorium runs constantly, and is particularly busy at night.

The families brink their deceased relative down to the Ghat, they then immerse them in the holy water of the Ganges to purify them. The bodies are wrapped in cloth and treated with oils and herbs, and then covered in Ghee. This means that there is no unpleasant smell. A funeral pyre is built using wood from the Himalayas the body is placed on the pyre and a flame lit, from the eternal flame created by Shiva, this is done by the eldest son or male family member. Females are not allowed to take part in the cremation ritual.

The cremation takes between 3 -4 hours. Once the body is burnt the ashes are then scattered into the Ganges thereby salvation is achieved.

Our guide took us right up onto the cremation platform, we arrived just as a body was beginning to burn, and others were now reduced to ash. We were standing feet away from the cremation site and walked inches away from the ash filled pits. I found it incredibly confronting and difficult. Our guide asked if we wanted to stay in that spot while he explained everything and I said No, please could we leave and do it elsewhere. I wasn’t comfortable being there, I felt we were intruding on the families grief and ceremony. It was uncomfortable and upsetting.

I was also aware that there was a lot of ash and smoke in the air that we were breathing in.

We left.

I have since asked Vikram how the family would feel about us being there, he seemed to think it was ok, I’m not so sure.

All of us were pleased to move away.

I am aware that I am bringing my own cultural sensitivities to this situation, but nevertheless it was difficult.

At another Cremation Ghat further down the river, we had witnessed tourists, knelt down right next to bodies taking pictures, which is completely disrespectful.

Once we all composed ourselves we continued on our walk.

The winding old streets of Varanasi are filled with unexpected things, huge cows, temples, shops, priests, food stalls, dogs, bikes, mopeds, people, cow dung, rats, homes, shrines, cows in peoples homes, children, colourful doors, offerings. 😍

It is wonderful, it feels ancient and beautiful.

We stopped at a food stall to try some Kachori-sabzi, crispy dumpling things with a spicy dal. I opted not to have one, but I did try some and it was very good! We also stopped at the best Lassi stall in Varanasi. The yogurt is made fresh and then the drink is mixed to order. I have never had a Lassi, it simply didn’t appeal. But I decided to give it a go and I have to say it was delicious 🤤. The Lassi is served in an earthen ware cup, which tradition states you have to break when finished.

I really enjoyed the walk and seeing all the sites, even those that were difficult. Varanasi is a unique and special place and I feel very privileged to have been here and shared in such an important festival.

It was our last night together as a group so we went to a nice restaurant and enjoyed a yummy meal.

Our time together has gone by so quickly. I was very apprehensive about doing an organised tour, and I’m so pleased to say that I absolutely loved it.

I think we were very lucky to have so many fabulous people in our group, everyone was kind, thoughtful and fun. We got on well, we laughed, we cried (well I did!) To meet so many strong, capable, independent, well traveled women was an inspiration.

We were also blessed with the most wonderful guide, Vikram, he was fantastic. Knowledgeable, calm, organised and just lovely.

I couldn’t imagine doing India on my own, I certainly wouldn’t have had as many fantastic experiences. I would recommend looking at the company I used, ‘G Adventures’ to any solo female traveler.

We all landed back Delhi feeling a little subdued. Some of the group stayed on in the airport to get onward flights, most were leaving early the next day. Only Carol, Gill and myself were hanging around in Delhi.

We met for breakfast and then it was time for final goodbyes and I was back to being a solo traveler, having to organise myself and make my own decisions! 😟

I am still pretty behind with my blog, due to lack of wifi or time to write it! I intend to catch up in the next couple of days.

Books read.

Current book not finished yet!

Have a great day everyone.

Thinking of you all and missing you.

💚❤️🧡🩷💜🩵💙

Monday 24th – Wednesday 26th February 2025

After our utterly fabulous stay in Alipura, our next stop is a small place called Orchha, set on the banks of the Betwa River. It’s a short drive of around 90 mins, which is great as it means we don’t have to get up at the crack of Dawn! 😁

Just before reaching Orchha we have a stop at a paper making factory, another of the projects supported by G adventures helping local tribal women.

The paper is made using recycled clothing and wood pulp. The process is very clever and the end result is lovely thick parchment like paper.

We stayed in a smallish home stay/hotelin Orchha which was lovely. Some of the group did an optional cooking class and others, including myself opted to stay at the hotel and have a spa treatment! I had a fabulous reflexology massage on my rather dry and grubby feet! 😳😍

We were due to have a 2 night stay in Orchha but as we now have to fly to Varanasi we are only staying 1 night, this means a full day. After our treatments we were off out to walk through the town and visit Orchha Palace. Another beautiful Mughal building. After this we visited Vir Singh Deos Mausoleum and gardens, these were lovely, the gardens were particularly nice, very peaceful. The lovely gardener gave us all a red rose to put in our hair! 🌹❤️

From here we went down to the river to watch the sunset. The river was quite wide, fast flowing and busy! People bathing, washing clothes, picnicking, walking and relaxing. The sunset was pleasant, the smell not so much. 😬

We had a quick chance to freshen up before our evening visit to the large Ram Raja Temple for a ceremony. It was packed and pretty intense, but not too scary! All in all a full on day, but great.

Orchha was an interesting and not too busy place, which I enjoyed visiting.

We left early the next morning to head back to Khajuraho to fly to Varanasi.

We seem to always be arriving in places at the same time as lots of VIPs!

The airport at Khajuraho is small but we were there at the same time as the President, Droupadi Murmu and the Chief Minister, Dr. Mohan Yadav, who we saw walking through the airport. (With a big security detail!)

This meant that security was incredibly tight and took ages to go through, my carry on bag was searched, and I had to empty it as I had a small purse holding my keys in, which were metal and showed up on the scanner, which I had completely forgotten about!

The President was apparently in the area to officiate at a huge mass wedding event. I think I’ve mentioned that it’s wedding season here in India at the moment and this mass wedding event is for people who can’t afford a big private wedding, so therefore they do a group one. It’s no doubt couples from the lowest caste, Shudras, which is the caste that the President herself came from.

Our flight was great, on Indigo Air, on time, nice big comfy seats. Very nice.

We arrived in Varanasi on 26th of February. This is also the last day of the Kumbh Mela festival.

The Kumbh Mela Festival has attracted approximately 660 million visitors during its 6 weeks! This is an insane number of people! To put it into perspective that is nearly 10 x the population of the UK! 😳😳

Many of the people visiting the last days of Kumbh Mela were then making their way to Varanasi for the Mahashivratri Festival. This is a very important festival celebrating Lord Shivas celestial union with Goddess Parvati. The Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is the epicentre of these celebrations.

I think I’m going to leave it there for now, as I feel that Varanasi deserves its own blog!

Books Read.

The Wrong Hands. Mark Billingham. The 2nd Detective Miller Novel. I really enjoyed it.

The Lost Past of Billy McQueen. Neil Alexander. An enjoyable read.

Have a great week everyone.

💙🩷🩵❤️🧡💜💚

Thursday 20th – Saturday 22nd February 2025

After another not great nights sleep, due to a big birthday party going on in the restaurant next door we left after breakfast to our next stop. We are driving to a small place called Dhulla Village.

This is a nice relaxing stay in the countryside to recuperate after the madness of Delhi & Jaipur.

It was a pretty long drive with a stop along the way for some lunch then we arrived at the place we were staying, and it’s gorgeous. A beautiful tented camp in the grounds of an old Palace. It’s so tranquil and calm, the tents are great and there is also a swimming pool, not quite full but still fab for a cooling dip! We got settled in and had a relaxing afternoon. I chose to have a dip and then relax in the shade and read my book, and watch all the birds, peacocks and even a Jackel!

Later in the afternoon we all went for a bike ride through the local village, led by a lovely local guy. The ride was on bikes with no gears and tiny saddles 😬 but it was brilliant, just seeing all the fields and the village and villagers going about their business was amazing. The kids all get so excited and wave and want to high 5! Not the easiest manoeuvre when on a bicycle! 😀

Our guide then took us to his home in the village, where we met his son, wife and mother and all had a refreshing cup of Masala Chai.

Village life is still pretty simple and traditional, but also peaceful and calm. I loved this activity.

We all had dinner in camp and then sat around a fire pit chatting and enjoying the fireworks and music from a wedding taking place very nearby.

Unfortunately the music became slightly less enjoyable from 11 – 3am! It finished just before a whole pack of jackets began howling, they then stopped just in time for the birds to start! 🥱😴🥱😴 So another night of very little sleep, India definitely likes a party! 🥳🎉

We left Dhulla after breakfast, next stop Agra.

We stopped on route to visit a magnificent Step Well, Chand Baori. It is stunning. It was built in the 8 & 9th centuries by King Chanda of the Nikumbha dynasty. It was the idea of the queen and the women to build it to save the long, hot walk to fetch fresh water. It has appeared in several Bollywood films and also in The Dark Knight Rises.

I found it amazing, if a little hairy, it’s deep and steep!

When we arrived in Agra our first stop was Itmad-ud-Daula or Baby Taj. It is referred to as a Jewel Box and is possibly a draft of the Taj Mahal. It is a Mughal Mausoleum. It was built around 1625. It is impressive and very pretty. It is the tomb of Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, the grandfather of Arjumand Banu Begum, the wife of Emperor Shah Japan, who was responsible for building the Taj Mahal.

Vik is so good at explaining all the history and giving plenty of information, not all of which I can remember! Suffice to say it’s fascinating.

We arrived at the hotel, a more modern place, which is fine, I had a slight issue with mouldy and dirty pillows, and some peoples rooms are pretty damp smelling! But overall it’s ok. It does have a roof terrace with a small pool and a great view of the sunset. 🌆

We had a pleasant dinner out and got to try a local delicacy, Petha, sweet. It’s is made from Winter Melon, or white pumpkin. It’s was interesting. To be fair we tried another the next day and that was yummy!

It was an early night as we were leaving to visit the Taj Mahal at 5am. 😳

It was the first quiet night I’ve had, such a shame I had to get up so bloody early.

We set off in our bus to the entrance which wasn’t very far, luckily for us the early start payed off as we were pretty much first in line. It’s obviously very busy but even more so on Saturdays.

We entered while the sun was starting to rise, so not completely light. You walk along past some red sandstone buildings then through the huge entrance gate and there it is!

It is overwhelming, huge and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

I got very emotional. I just felt very privileged to be there and be able to see one of the 7 wonders of the world.

The story of the Taj Mahal is also very beautiful and moving. (Although I feel it might be embellished somewhat!)

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum). Mumtaz had 14 children with the Emperor, she also accompanied him on missions and to battles and acted as an advisor. She was very beautiful. When she was giving birth to her 14th child there were complications and she became very ill, the Emperor was called back from battle and arrived in time to see and speak to his wife before she died.

Mumtaz made Shah Jahan make 3 promises, 1. Look after her family. 2. Never marry again. 3. Build a monument to tell the world how much he loved her.

Shah Jahan was inconsolable after her death and plunged the royal court into 2 years of mourning, but he kept his promises to his favourite wife.

He summoned Muslim artists and architects from all over the world to help design and build a mausoleum worthy of Mumtaz.

It took 20,000 artisans, 1,000s of elephants, 10s of thousands of workers and over 22 years to build.

Incredibly it is also earthquake proof! It is built on a raised platform, with deep foundations. The foundation’s consist of a series of wells, the materials used including clay, stone and wood help to distribute the load evenly and provide stability. The use of Sandstone and marble reduces the overall weight. The four Minerets are built angled outwards, so that if they fall they fall away from the main structure. The overall height, and design, using Domes and arches also helps with the stability. This is a hugely impressive feat for a building over 400 years old!

The White Marble used to build the Taj Mahal is from Rajasthan, it is a very special marble, hard, non porous and with quartz in it. This is why after 400 years it still looks pristine.

The design of the whole place is stunning. The gardens, the water, the mosque’s. Everything is to reflect the Mughal ideas of symmetry, balance and harmony.

I found the whole place to be quite spectacular, incredibly beautiful and very peaceful. I can’t quite believe that I was able to see this wonderful monument.

We spent around 3 hours here. I could easily have spent much longer, just soaking in the beauty. But it was beginning to get very, very busy so we left and went for a much needed big breakfast buffet!

After this we went back to the hotel for a short rest and time to freshen up before we headed to the Agra Fort, also known as the Red Fort. Again this stunning place was built by the Mughals. Emperor Humayun was crowned here in 1530. It is also another fantastic building, very complex and intricate. Emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned here by his son, this fate was awful for him as his prison, to be fair it was quite a fancy series of rooms! But it looked across the river to the Taj Mahal and his wife but he wasn’t able to visit.

Agra Fort was also the site where the emperor’s signed a trade agreement with the British East India Trading Company in the 1800s and heralded the end of the Mughal empire.

It really has been a full on few days, so much to see and absorb. I’m so behind on my blog, as I just don’t have time to write it or sometimes no wifi to post or both!

That’s it for now, so much more to tell you! 😍🧡💚🇮🇳

Books Read.

I’ve nearly finished another book!

Have a great week.

🧡❤️🩵🩷💙

Tuesday 18th – Thursday 20th February 2025

Today we headed out of Delhi to Jaipur. I’m happy to be leaving Delhi, I’ve been here for 5 days and I feel it’s time to see somewhere else!

We left at 6.30am to ensure we missed the traffic.

It’s amazing to be driving on almost empty streets! 😁

We are in a nice comfy coach.

Delhi is enormous, you leave the central area which is massive then all the surrounding areas are vast. Leaving the city centre you start to see the huge cloud of smog hanging over everything, and the pollution isn’t even that bad at the moment.

Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The pollution comes from the millions of cars, coal burning power plants, massive landfills of waste, which are burnt and the huge amount of non stop construction of roads, flyovers, apartments etc and then in the winter (now) there is the added problem of vast areas of agricultural land burning crop stubble.

The drive is fascinating, trying to guess what you might see next by the side of the road! Cows, lots of cows! Goats, dogs, people, children, temples, piles of rubbish, monkeys and airplanes! 😳 The cows are both by the side of the highway and also ambling across busy carriageways. Vik explained that the reason the cows don’t stay in the fields is because they don’t get bothered by flies near the roads! Clever.

We had a stop for breakfast and another toilet break, then we made our way to our next visit. A place called ‘Anoothi’ This is a project that helps to support women from violent or difficult backgrounds. They women learn how to do block printing and sewing then they work with the project producing goods, giving the woman I

some independence and financial security. The project also provides schooling for the family’s. G Adventures are one of the supporters, not just with visits like ours but through their sister company, Planeterra Foundation, a leading non-profit organisation using tourism to bring positive impacts to local communities.

It was great to be in the outdoors and away from the city. The first resident we met was a cow who had given birth to her calf that morning! It’s inspiring to meet and listen to the women’s stories. The work they produce is amazing. In the sewing room they were busy making a large number of Buddhist Robes for somewhere in America.

We all got to try our hand at block printing, it’s harder than it looks!

We also had a chance to buy some stuff, all of which was beautiful, but lack of space for me is a problem, but I did buy a small item. 🥰

From Anoothi we made our way to Jaipur and The Amber Fort.

OMG! Wow! It is huge and absolutely stunning. Our guide, Abear, was brilliant, a little like a Sargent Major, bossy, stern but extremely funny & Informative.

The current Palace was constructed in the 16th Century, it’s built of red sandstone and white marble and decorated with precious stones, paint, mirrors and carvings. Inside some of the walls look and feel like marble but are in fact made of a weird mix of materials, Crushed sea shells, lemon juice, sea salt, marble dust, sugar and yogurt, this is mixed and applied the mixture is then oiled to make it feel smooth! Brilliant. 😍❤️

Some of the design features are ingenious, the ways of keeping cool and keeping flies out using water, scented oils and materials. The use of convex and concave mirrors in the large hall is stunning.

The area reserved for the Queens or Maharanis was beautiful, with a gorgeous garden that would have been stunning. However it needed to be, as once the women entered the palace they were not allowed to leave or mix with anyone else or show their faces apart from to each other. They were looked after and serviced by a large group of Transgender people, not eunuchs. The Maharaja had 12 wives and over 350 mistresses!

I really loved learning the history of the Fort, and how ingenious they were.

Such a fantastic introduction to Jaipur. We then drove into the city, known as The Pink City due to the colour of the buildings. The buildings were painted pink in 1876 by Maharaja Sakai Ram Singh 11 to welcome Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The colour pink is the colour of hospitality.

Again another mad city, very busy roads, lots of honking, lots of people but not quite as bad as Delhi.

Our hotel is fine, perfectly adequate. We got checked in had time to freshen up then it was off out for dinner. We had dinner in quite a fancy place called, House of Binder & Café Auberge. The food was lovely I had a Vegetarian Thali, a perfectly sized platter of yummyness! Then home for an early night! 😴

I opted not to do the early morning cycle ride, mainly because it started at 5.45!

I had a bit of a lie in, lush, then a light breakfast in the restaurant, wrote my blog and chatted to Barb, one of the group.

After breakfast it was time to head into Jaipur to start our day. First stop pictures of the Wind Palace in Jaipur the second most photographed monument in India apparently. The Palace has 953 small windows decorated with intricate lattice work, known as Jharokhas, these allow air to flow through keeping the palace cool. This natural ventilation system is the reason for the name.

It is really beautiful, my pictures don’t really do it justice.

From here we walked to the Jantar Mantar. This is a collection of 19 large astronomical instruments built in 1734 by the founder of Jaipur, Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh 11. It has the largest sundial in the world. It was incredibly impressive and fascinating learning how important astronomical readings are within the Hindu faith.

From here we went across to the Jaipur city palace. The current Maharaja and the family still live in part of the palace. The rest is open to the public and has museums. It was a beautiful, intricately decorated palace. With stunning gateways.

After a yummy buffet lunch we visited another block printing place and were offered the chance to buy more gorgeous things! It’s is so, so tempting to buy something, gorgeous throws, quilts, clothes, bags…etc. but I just can’t, I don’t have the room in my case or even a bloody home to put them in! 😂😂

Unfortunately I did succumb to temptation in our next stop the gem place! Jaipur is renowned for its gemstones and their cutting. I ended up buying a small and not expensive moonstone pendant, to go with my New Zealand Pounamu & World necklace.

We all decided to head to our dinner restaurant a little early rather than battle traffic to go back to the hotel first.

Vik had chosen a fabulous rooftop (my favourite!) restaurant 😍 and we were also going to be doing some Bollywood dancing on the rooftop in front of everyone.

OMG! It was brilliant! 😍❤️🧡💚 We had costumes and it was so much fun, I’m not sure I want to see the video 🤦‍♀️😬😂 but it was fabulous. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, it was a pretty OK sunset despite the cloud, however the clouds hailed the onset of a bloody massive thunderstorm! So much lightning then the wind whipped up and everyone was running inside, the staff desperately trying to save the crockery, plants, plates etc that were flying about and amongst it all were Barb (a fellow storm lover) & myself loving the drama and the incredible storm! Simply fantastic. The perfect end to an awesome day.

Tomorrow we are heading to a village and a tented camp, no wifi but it does have a pool 🩵💙 Vik tells us that it’s a wonderful place to stay.

I’m hoping to post this blog before I leave tomorrow morning.

I’m on day 5 of my tour and I am loving it! I’m enjoying being with all of the other people who are great company and great fun. It is such a pleasure to have the days planned for me, just turn up and join in!

Vik is fabulous and all the other guides have been fantastic.

Happy Days. 😍❤️❤️

Happy Thursday guys.

Books Read.

Still reading one. Not much reading time at the moment.

🧡💚🇮🇳🧡💚🇮🇳🧡💚🇮🇳🧡💚🇮🇳