Click on any image to enlarge it. Some have incredible detail so its worth the click.

India by Motorcycle. This is the tale of my third trip to India. Of the eight weeks I travelled I only spent 3 of them on bike and it was really only a mode of transportation. But, it was fun. So read on ....

Trip #3 to India starts in Rishikesh, a small Hindu holy town on the banks of the river Ganges about 200kms north of New Delhi. The photos show a couple of views of the town plus the entrance to the ashram I stayed at for 2 weeks and an archway and statue in the ashram grounds. Don't be fooled by the sunshine. It was February and darn cold at night. I was happy to have a down sleeping bag.

Next stop, Rajasthan. A state in the north west of India referred to as the "Land of Kings". I had been here before but wanted to do a bit more travelling. Albeit it was my intention to do so on my motorcycle but things did not work out so I used local transportation. The city of Jaipur was my base and from it I travelled to the "Shekhawati Region" and then to the city of Jaisalmer which is a city in the north western part of the state.

Jaipur: Photo shows many "cow patties" which are used as fuel, drying in the sun.

Modern day "mohout" (elephant keeper and driver) with cell phone on Jaipur city street.

I visited a local school in a suburb of Jaipur that was started by a group of people from Belgium and Jaipur. This is the school's Chairman standing out front and he gave me a tour of it and a hospital that they had just opened. There are over 700 students that attend the school. It is my understanding that the government had not provided schools in this area of Jaipur. The school was started to let a number of local children get a free basic education.

Shekhawati. Wildly colourful, beautifully and bizarrely painted havelis (traditional ornately decorated residences) decorate the semi-desert Shekhawati region in north east Rajasthan. The buildings mostly date from the 18th to early 20th century, were constructed by wealthy merchants. I visit a couple of towns, Mandawa and Fatehpur to see a number of these. Many of these buildings are not being kept up which is unfortunate. Below is a restored havelis that is now a hotel in Mandawa. The views are the main floor courtyard and two exterior views. Best to enlarge these to see the fantastic detail.

Below, this havelis has not been restored. It has famililies living in it and agree to allow you to tour for a small fee.

A terrific pink auto rickshaw.