Natraj Hotel Porbandar

... high we were really didn't cross our minds. The view in a word was, outstanding, dense green forest as far as the eye can see, the city below was almost unrecognizable and the spaghetti of steps that we'd climbed now suddenly became apparent, draped over the hill, an impressive sight in itself.<br><br>On our way down, almost at the bottom, we came across the man we'd met at the top, the man who shook my hand and thanked me for our trip, this ...

... on it and got stuck in it. Overall it was a nice beach. We came back to the hotel and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Aman: This was one of the coolest things in the whole trip so far. On the way there, when we weren't even in the park yet, we saw some flamingoes past a levy. I'm guessing the levy is for monsoon season, when water levels rise, but the flamingoes were incredible! They were not quite pink, except on their wings and chests, and ...

... earlier the night before. Mommy says, "That's India." The flight itself was only an hour long. It was hot and there were a few bumpy roads, which were a recipe for disaster. I threw up next to Mommy in the farthest back seat. We were in a van. I had a hot shower at the hotel and felt much better. The hotel was called the Hotel Express Residency and was a little outside Jamnagar. Aman: Well, Janpal said it. Today was one huge car ride. At ...

... a lathi. I mix it up by walking a few steps then crouching then walking again. I am definitely not feeling so VIP or godlike now. I need to do something but what? I get up to walk a few steps and this is where I get a violent jab in my ribs that draws blood. I am a sitting / walking duck, it is like I have 'hit me' tattooed on my forehead. At last a familiar face as my Baba friend approaches me. 'Ok crouch' he advises and with my militant style moves I try to weave through ...

Since my last blog back in the bustle of Ahmedabad we had a bumpy ride to Bhuj in more ways than one. After an 8 hour sleeper bus to the NGO we are working at here, we were more than ready for a cuppa chai and some serious sleep but this was not exactly what met us here at Veerayatan. Instead we are attending Jain prayers and teaching such special but excitable children. They are all orphans or under-priviledged children as a ...

... lunch for them then cruised through the forest and found some deer and peacocks instead. When we had had all the tasty Parothes we could manage we moved on to Junaghad, a busy and bustling place where Jilly's mum was brought up. Here, we braved the hustle and bustle of bikes, rickshaws, trailers and trucks to buy some traditional Indian clothes. We explored the surrounding areas by checking out places called Mangrove and Porbander(where Gandhi was ...

... doing so it also makes them appear so much more achievable. I leave Porbander with even more admiration for Gandhi and personally inspired to achieve my goals, regardless of how big or how many hurdles there are to overcome. I don't quite know where the next destination will be as there are a few options, but I know the direction I am heading is east, so I set off to see what will grab me. Driving around Gujarat is great, the land in the south is flat, so offers ...

... enforced a hunting ban on lions. From there, the population slowly increased, although threats--disease, poaching, genetic bottlenecks, and human population pressures--still could easily destroy this vulnerable population. One morning I took a jeep trip into the park with four others, a guide, and a driver, in search of lions. With lions spread over 300,000 acres, sightings are not very common. Nevertheless, after ...

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!

... worth the effort as it is a very beautiful town indeed, it very much reminded me of a medieval town in France. But then i started getting a bit bored as there was literally nothing in the town to do. I only allowed myself one night here and then i left for the island of Diu. This place is an old Portugeuse town with churches and old European style houses. So here i am. Havent quite made it to the beach yet as i ...