Hotel Harmony Porbandar

... had our picture taken together under a picturesque tree, I offered to pay but our new friend wouldn't accept, he had two copies printed<br>one for us and one for them, on handing me the copy he said "One will be in England, One will be in India", as if we were now somehow connected. A great finish to a great trip.<br><br>We travel to Diu now, a small island south of Gujarat. Time to relax and to soak our sore legs in the deep blue ocean. See you there.<br><br>Ben

... on the top, and ghostly white underneath. I think we all had a good time, even our driver, who collected bits of shell and coral. Ravnit: It was a really nice and slow day with most of the morning relaxing and waiting for the beach visit arrangements to be completed. More Indian mishaps, but we kept a good attitude about it and really enjoyed our day. We saw wildlife and enjoyed the sea breezes as we watched birds and other wildlife. It was nice to be ...

... amazing antique jewelry that was, as Mommy would say, "Quintessentially Indian." As you have heard, the car ride was a disaster, Mommy and the Driver got off on the wrong foot, and so therefore just about everything that could go wrong did. Ravnit: This was a long day that started early and ended late with a lot of travel time. My impressions of Gujarat are of a green landscape with more open space than Delhi. The flight was short, but with ...

... with this I see my way out. I say my hearted fair well to Babaji as without his help and advice I would have been in a lot more trouble. And with this I make a dash. I have to get to where the jeep has just exited fast before the crowd fills in again. I'm running as though my life depends on it, a Sadhu starts shouting at me but I have no time to pay attention to it, as I have to make the exit. As I'm approaching the police raises the perimeter and just in time I make it into ...

... may also be happy to hear that i've been flexing my vocal chords in the safety of a school where no one but Jilly really knows me, singing Christmas carols and a few other English hits in front of hoards has become a habit! Today we also did an assembly for the children about the environment and the effects of climate change. I hope it all sunk in as they after all are our future... Although we have had some time to explore ...

So-where to start!?- firstly, i am safe and sounder than sound. Sleep has been rare as it's all so exciting but there's plenty of time for all that eh! The food is agreeing with me and it's a good job as everyone force feeds us wherever we go. This blog would burst if i tried to include all we have seen, heard, touched, smelt, eaten and drank but here is a brief run-down of some best bits... First impressions of India were immense...heat...brown faces ...

... riding through endless cotton field and lakes that are filled with migrating bird I arrive in Junagadh. Time is getting on and the next possible destination is quite far away so the decision was made for me to stay the night in Junagadh. With time still left in the day I go exploring the town making my way to the Uparkot Citadel, the highlight of the town. It is on a small plateau with high walls protecting it from any assault. I start to walk round the perimeter of ...

... avoid its path, as the male was clearly one of the old dominant males. "Very rare to see," said the guide. In a brief time, the lion had walked away. We felt very lucky, once again. After that, we saw another lioness, resting under a tree in the morning light. We continued our trip, weaving through the leafless teak forests in the early morning light. Soon the journey was over. We were left wondering, though about the ...

Back on the dodgy buses we headed to the Safari Park at Sasan Gir to hunt down the last few remaining Asiatic Lions in the world. We were unsuccesful! Was it really worth the 10 hour journey...? Probably, we had great Palak Paneer (Spinach and cheese) curry to make up for the dissapointment!

So after the desert of Jaisalmer i decided to head down to the supposedly picturesque town of Udaipur, not before spending one more night back in Jodphur. I wanted to stay another day so that i could see the rest of the sights in and around Jodhpur. This included a palace that is actually half a hotel where the rooms are $250 a night and the tea is 200 rupees. Chatting to the security guard outside this fine ...