We arrived in Jaisalmer so early that it was still dark when the hotel owner picked us up at the train station and took us to our rooms. It wasn’t until after we awoke from our early morning naps that I went outside and saw that we were staying inside a stone fort.
I wasn’t feeling well when we arrived in Jodhpur. The overnight train ride from Udaipur to Jodhpur had increased the pain in my already aching joints. The evening we arrived, I was not in the mood to dodge traffic and cow patties.
Sitting at a roof top restaurant in Udaipur, India, looking out over the lake towards the island filled with white domed stone buildings adorned with numerous archways, it is not hard to imagine James Bond in a speed boat cruising through the water towards the island palace.
Everything I knew about slums in Mumbai I learned from watching Slumdog Millionaire.
I expected tin roofed shacks patched together in a maze. I thought I wouldn’t be able to avoid stepping a piles of garbage and feces.
When your daughter’s middle name is Ellora, you have to go visit the Ellora Caves in India, especially if you got the name from finding the caves on an atlas.
We sat watching the sun rise behind the Gateway to India arch on our first day in Mumbai (Bombay). Our overnight train from Panaji had arrived at 5 am and it would be several hours before we could get into our hotel room. The city of millions was just starting to wake.
On our brief visit to Goa’s capital city, Panaji, we found a mix of present day India and old Portuguese colonial influence.
We stayed in the Fontainhas area with its winding alleys, colorful buildings, and European style balconies overlooking it all.
A visit to Goa isn’t complete without spending some time on a Goan beach. Goa is known for its party backpacker scene (which we weren’t looking for), so we searched for a more laid back family-friendly beach. Palolem Beach fit the bill.
The harbor town of Kochi in the state of Kerala is laid back as far as Indian cities go. Sure it has auto rickshaws zipzaging around the streets. And livestock roams freely, mostly goats instead of the usual cows. And garbage is everywhere, either strewn on the sides of the roads and beaches or burning in piles. But Kochi has a small town feel and we enjoyed our time there.
Cruising the Kerala backwaters in a houseboat is a classic travel experience. At least that is what Rand tells me. He has been dreaming about doing this since he starting planning an around the world trip for us 20 years ago.
Any Direction We Choose 