Jaisalmer. After touring the Shekhawati region, I took an auto to Bikaner (about 150kms) and then caught a train to Jaisalmer (over 300kms further west). It is located in the far north west of Rajasthan, near the Pakistan border. To quote the Lonely Planet guide book, "Jaiselmer looks as if it has grown out of the desert. Like a giant sand castle, its golden fort thrusts skywards out of the surrounding barren landscape." Below you can see the fort in the horizon. I am standing on the roof of a building in the city that is outside of the fort.

As you get closer to the fort itself, it really does seem like a story book. Inside are winding streets, bazaars, Hindu and Jain temples, a palace and havelis.


I stayed at a small guest house inside the fort. First night there was no room so I slept on the roof which was okay because it was a lovely night, clear and cool. Below is the lane that leads to the guest house entrance. As usual one must navigate around the livestock, auto rickshaws, booths that sell stuff to tourists and not be distracted by the signage.
The view from the roof top of the guest house was magnificent.

I walked around the city outside the fort and found this street that was absolutely delightful. It was clean, the homes were well cared for ... ...... with architecture that was very traditional and carved from wood and golden sandstone. Founded in 1156, Jaisalmer had a strategic position on the camel-train routes between India and Central Asia which brought it great wealth.
Do consider "clicking" on these images to enlarge them. You can then better see the incredible, intricate carving of the sand stone.
Turbans are the name of the game in Rajasthan and no where are they more prolific than in Jaisalmer. The colourful turban tradition among the men of this state contrasts with the parched, burnt land, much of which borders the Thar Desert. The dramatic colour and styles of the Rajasthan turban reveals caste, what a man does for a living and where he comes from.

In one lane way I viewed this ugly fellow (see below) along with the usual assortment of cows and bikes. I'm not a fan of camels and approached him cautiously in order to pass. Turned out he was hitched to a cart which was being loaded with rubble. Passing beneath him did not pose a problem.

This man fixed my sandal. He came along the street at a point when I was particularly aggravated with my shoe and starting to look for a cobbler in one of the shops. Very convenient in deed!

The women wear a lot of jewellery and ornaments worn in the nose can be small or significant!
A local street scene.
I met a fellow who invited me to a Hindu wedding. It was happening that evening and since I had nothing better to do I took him up on the offer. Below is an over head view of the wedding feast preparations in the empty lot, next door to the house and tent that would host the festivities.

This lady (below) was the aunt of the bride and a person who was described as "tribal". In other words, she was not from the town of Jaisalmer but rather from the desert and had married a "towny". She was very friendly, however at times she could be quite fierce.

Her son who had great eyes and a charming smile.
A wedding reveller sharing a joke with me. Or at least I think it was a joke. Given that I did not speak their language, the rolling of the eyes could have been at something I did.!!

More turbans. When do I get mine?

The groom. Very serious.

The bride. Looking not real happy. Getting married is a serious undertaking and these two young people (bride is 18 years old, groom probably not much older) have never met each other until tonight.
The party started in the early evening, with the actual ceremony taking place about midnight and lasting a good two hours. Things were still going on at 5:00a.m.

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Motorcycle Madness. Some of you already know and for those of you that don't, I bought a motorcycle in India and planned to do some travelling on it in order to get off the beaten path and out of the tourist spots. It had been my intention to have it sent up to Rajasthan but when that did not work out, I went to Cochin, Kerala in southern India to pick it up.

Behold the beast. An 1972 Enfield Bullet.

I left Cochin which is on the south western coast of of Kerala and drove north on National Highway 17. Along the way you could see canals or "backwaters" with Chinese fishing nets suspended over them. William Dalrymple wrote of Kerala: "It is the greenest state in India: hot and humid, still and brooding. The soil is so fertile that as you drift up the lotus-choked waterways, the trees close in around you, as twisting tropical fan vaults of palm and bamboo arch together in the forest canopy. Mango trees hang heavy over the fishermen's skiffs; pepper vines creep through the fronds of the waterside papaya orchards." I think the two photos below sort of represent this sentiment.

After about 400kms you leave Kerala and enter the state of Karnataka. It is the eighth largest state in India, both in area and population and is situated on the westen edge of the Deccan Plateau. Bangalore (call-centre central) is its capital. Another 250kms up the coast and you reach the town of Gokarn, a Hindu pilgrim centre and quiet beach town. Below is a photo of "Koorti Teertha" the large temple tank, where locals, pilgrims and immaculately dressed Brahmins perform the ablutions and worship on the ghats.

At the nearby Ganapati Temple, which honours the role Ganesh played in rescuing the Shiva lingam housed in another nearby temple, are two gargantuan chariots made of wood which barrel down the main street during the Shivaratri Festival. I was there for the some of the week long festival but could not stay for the race down the street.
A local "holy cow" with his musician friend.


He (or she) was really cute.

A couple of local school girls....

Who were creating a mandala-like design outside their front door in the evening. Many people do this in the town and I believe it is a welcoming sign for the house.
As mentioned, Gokarn is a beach town and there are many, many lovely beaches along the coast of Karnataka. Most of the ones around Gokarn can only be reached on foot. No roads which means no vehicular traffic. It makes them really nice and quiet.
Of course, you do have to share your space...
While at the beach one day there was a Bollywood movie being shot. This is the hero (below) and he is suppose to be a fisherman. They were trying to teach him how to throw the net but it was taking a lot of time for him to learn. I took this photo just as the director yelled "Action!".
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Hampi. Almost 300kms inland from the coast is the village of Hampi. It is a grueling drive across the Deccan Plain where temperatures soared to almost 40 degrees celcius and the wind swept across the plain. "The landscape and ruins of Vijayanagar, near the village of Hampi, are some of the most fascinating in India. They're set in a strange and sublime boulder-strewn landscape that resonates with a magical air. Vijayanagar was once the capital of one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history. Founded in 1336 and hit the peak of its power in the 16th century. It camed to a sudden end in 1565 when the city was ransacked by a confederacy of Deccan sultanates." (source Lonely Planet)

There are hundreds of ruins to see amid the large boulders.

Hemakuta Hill has a scattering of early ruins including Jain temples and...
a monolithic sculpture of Narasimha (Vishnu in his man-lion incarnation) which is almost 7 metres tall.
Just a shot of a woman drying her sari which she had just washed in the river.


Panoramic view of ruins at sunset
Quirky house / temple built into boulder on top of a hill Local monkeys. They are nasty creatures and I am not a fan of them either!
The area has a few well tended enclosures which contain structures like this delicately designed pavilion called the "Lotus Mahal" and....
... the Elephant Stables which is a grand building with domed chambers and, yes, elephants once resided here.
Probably one of the most famous sites is the Vittala Temple which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The entire complex is very large. This is an ornate stone chariot in the temple courtyard. Its wheels were reportedly once capable of turning.

Leaving Hampi, I headed west back out to the coast and north to Goa. On this particular day we completed 400kms on the bikes. A regular day would be about 150kms. The sun is strong, temperatures high (30 - 40 degrees celcius), plenty of dust and pot holes. Hence I wore jeans, jean jacket, bandanna and handkerchief across my face. Leave very little exposed.

Not much to report about Goa. Below are a couple of gypsy women at the Friday market in Mapusa.

To return to Cochin, I took the train and had the bike shipped. Below, the local railway station guys are wrapping the bike for the journey south.





So that's the end of the travels in India for 2008. By bike I did about 1,600kms over a period of 3 weeks. The rest was by plane, train, and car.

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Singapore. I hopped a 4 hour flight to visit a cousin who had recently moved there. Singapore is the complete antithesis of India. It is clean and orderly. It can be expensive. It is one giant sauna at any time of the year. It is only 1° north of the equator. Temperatures average around 31°C during the day and linger around 24°C at night., 365 days of the year. There are about 4 million people who live there and it was a good rest from the madness of South Asia.

It has a Chinese, Malay and Indian heritage. Below is a very large and modern Buddhist "Temple of the Tooth Relic"

The roof top had the most gorgeous orchid garden (see below). Note the two Buddhist monks taking a photo of the flowers. Many places you go in Singapore have these fantastic flowers. You can spend many hours in the Bontanical Gardens viewing them and many other plants. I would recommend a visit to both this temple and the SBG if you visit the city.


The Singapore Zoo is truly world class. I was so impressed by it. Below are some of its residents.

White tigers...




After a week in Singapore it was not quite time to return to India so I headed to Thailand for a few days entertainment.

A quick trip to Bangkok, Thailand also known as "City of Angels" allowed for two days of sightseeing. First day was temple day as Thailand is a Buddhist country and there are many, many of them. The place to start is The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha). The days are about 35 degrees celcius but in order to see the temples appropriate clothing must be worn (i.e. no exposed shoulders and long pants or skirts must be worn).

The splendid Grand Palace enclosure is home to many ornate temples and buildings with a variety of architectureal styles. Gold leaf, reflective tiling and Buddha images are to be seen everywhere.

After the Grand Palace, it was off to the somewhat unremarkable temple of Wat Traimit, where is hidden the world's largest solid gold Buddha image. Weighing in at five and a half tons, the 15-foot tall seated image is worth in the neighborhood of US$14 Million.

A few more temples were in order and by the end of the day I was templed out.

There are food vendors everywhere on the streets and it is all great food, especially the seafood. This place below was my local eatery each night. $1 for a beer and another $1 for a large dish of great seafood and noodles or rice. Grab a plastic stool, sit on the sidewalk and watch the street life. It can't get any better.

Day two I did a bike tour of the city which was a great way to see authentic Bangkok. I would highly recommend it. (Tour company was http://www.covankessel.com/.) We wound through narrow alleys, past colourful shrines, markets, took a boat across the river Chao Praya and up a canal to more a more rural area where there were rice paddies and coconut groves.

The 20 minute boat trip up the canal allowed for some viewing of typical houses along the water...

And there were some homes that looked a bit more "Thai" in design.

Bangkok has an extensive Chinatown.

And some wonderful florescent pink taxi cabs.

After Bangkok, it was back to Singapore and then a return to India for my departure home.

A good friend of mine has started a tour company in Delhi, India. He will take care of you like no other person I know. If you are looking to travel to India and want to arrange anything related to your trip contact Praveen at www.peacetravelsindia.com

Peace and Joy
India Trekker

Some photos from the beginning of my trip. Click on any image to enlarge.

Approach to Lamayuru Gompa (monastry), Ladakh. June 2006.

Woman in traditional Ladakh dress and jewellery. Lamayuru monastry, festival time, Ladakh. June 2006

Monk performing in festival costume. Lamayuru, Ladahk. June 2006

Another performer. Lamayuru, Ladahk. June 2006

Truck front. Ladakh. June 2006

Wonderful detail. Interior of Buddhist monastry also known as a Gompa. Ladakh. June 2006.

Typical Ladakh scene. Snow capped Himalayas; dry desert-like terrain and green valley. Ladakh people are expert water managers and farmers. June 2006

Pretty blue dome mosque in Leh, Ladakh. June 2006

Nubra Valley. Over the Khardung La (pass 5,602m) and down the other side. Lots of late spring snow. Ladakh. June 2006.

Another truck front. Khardung La pass. Ladakh. June 2006

Snow at the Khardung La (pass 5,602m), Ladakh. June 2006.

Sunrise over Himalayas, Tungnath. May 2006

Sunrise over Himalayas, Tungnath. May 2006

5:00 a.m. Just after sunrise. Tungnath. May 2006

The best hike of the trip was out to Gaumukh (glacier which is the geological source of the Ganges River). Photo is of the glacier valley with huge Himalayan mountain in the distance and small settlement in foreground where we camped the night before. We did 23 kms this day which was our longest hike but not the toughest. That was reserved for Kedarnath - the hike from hell. May 2006.

Driving through a land slide on the mountain road coming back from Badrinath. May 2006.

Rajastani pilgrim at Yamunotri. May 2006.

Yours truly in my sari. Aranmula, Kerala. July 2006.

Tamil Nadu by Motorcycle: Greetings! Sorry no photos this time as I'm not able to upload. So, at the beginning of August, I rode approximately 1,000 kms by motorcycle. From Cochin I traveled up into the Western Ghats to a hill station called Munnar. It exists primarily because of the tea grown in the area. Did some hiking. After a few days there it was south to Kumili near the The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary which is an absolutely beautiful and breathtaking drive through mountains, cardamom groves, and tea estates. It's monsoon, so I bought rain gear and needed it as it was wet. Then headed east into Tamil Nadu. Moved out of the mountains very quickly into a vast plain that is hot and dry and desert like. Headed for Madurai.

Madurai or the "city of nectar" is the oldest and second largest city of Tamil Nadu (about 1.1million). It's an animated city packed with pilgrims, beggars, business people, bullock carts and legions of underemployed rickshaw- wallahs. Dating about 2500 years back in time, it is one of southern India's oldest cities. The Meenakshi Hindu temple, covers a vast area and is an eclectic mix of architectural styles. It is dedicated to Meenakshi, the consort of Lord Shiva and is one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimages. The temple is splendid and I really enjoyed my time at the temple and walking around the city.

Changed plans in Madurai and instead of going east to Pondicherry on the Bay of Bengal headed south to Kanyakumari (referred as the 'Land's End' of India). Here, the Bay of Bengal confluences with the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. You can watch the sun rise as well as the sunset and the moon rise. It, too, is an important revered pilgrim centre. The sea is fairly rough, so it is entertaining to watch it beat itself against the rocks and then subside, before it gathers itself up for another attack. The clouds in the sky, because it is monsoon time were dramatic. I had wanted to go here because I had been in Ladakh in the far north so being at the southern most tip, completed my trip. From here I rode up the west coast back into Kerala and stayed at Varkala Beach one night (it rained cats and dogs that night) and then returned to Cochin.

Vijnana Kala Vedi Centre, Aranmula, Kerela: I arrived July 1 in the most south-western state of India, Kerala, after a 50 hour train ride from Delhi (whew... good experience but dont' think I will do that again). Last year I spent a bit of time in Kerala and liked it very much so my plan is to spend more time here this summer. During July I attended a school for the Keralan/Indian arts in a small village called Aranmula. It is about equidistance between the two major cities of Kerala: Trivandum and Cochin. This area which is about an hour from the coast is lush and tropical with banana and palm trees, rice paddies and of course the monsoon is here!

Vijnana Kala Vedi Cultural Centre was started by a French woman about 23 years ago to preserve and promote the traditional arts of Kerala like its music, dance, drama, language, painting, cooking, etc. They also offer languages, introduction to Ayurveda, yoga. I came for the Ayurveda course which was taught to just two students by Dr. Hari Kumar (www.doctorhari.com). He is just excellent and I learned a lot. I also took a traditional Kerala cooking class and Hindi. These classes were taught one to one. Yoga is available most days as drop in class - afterall this is India! The village of Aranmula is lively and the locals find us curious. There are about 20 students at the centre and we reside in one of three houses situated in the village. My house usually has one or two cows out front that cut the grass. There are working elephants in the district and you see them occassionally on the road going here and there with their master (the mahoot). There is a very famous Hindu temple in the village which draws many pilgrims and the chants of the priests seem to go 24 hours - over loud speakers. So this is always in the back ground. There is a sacred river - The Pampa - which is now swollen with monsoon rain. The locals swim in it, but I stayed away from such activity. A couple of weekends ago a few of us headed to the coast to a beach town - Kovalam. Swam in a pool there as the sea is too dangerous. The beach had black sand and because it is low season (monsoon) the room rates at the hotel were about 200 rupees which is about CDN $5.00.

Below are some photos. One is me with a Delhi family. I went to their house for dinner. The others are, Kerala mural painter, sample of traditional Kerala painting, metal worker making mirror, my house in Aranmula, the local corner store, the bicycle repair man, the umbrella repair man ( a very necessary person during monsoon), and elephant going to work.

Well I am out of here as of August 1 and headed to the big city of Cochin. Not sure what August will hold for me. I think I'll travel more throughout Kerala and the state of Tamil Nadu. Stay tuned.

Ladakhi woman in tradional dress with prayer wheel and view of Himalaya mountains and fertile valley in Ladakh.



Ladakh. First some background. The state of Jammu & Kashmir in northern India consists of the regions of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. Ladakh is predominantly Buddhist with a small Muslim population. Travel advisories issued by foreign gov'ts have lumped Ladakh into the same danger category as Kashmir without making any exception for the city of Leh and the Indus Valley. This is underserved. The Indus Valley is as safe as other parts of India. Ladakh - the land of high passes - separates the peaks of the western Himalaya from the vast Tibetan plateau.It is often called "Lttle Tibet" because of it's similarities in topography and culture with nearby Tibet. The Himalayas are high (6 - 7,000 metres) and snow capped. The valleys are desert like. The Ladakhis are expert farmers / gardeners and use the water resources from the major rivers and mountain streams to their significant advantage. Dotted throught the vast and awesome landscape are villages that are green, green, green. They are like an oasis in a sea of brown, red, orange, purple and green rock. (see photo included) The temperature this time of year can be extreme - 30 degrees in the day to -3 degrees at night. The sun is brilliant due to high altitude and less pollution and the stars shine so bright and are so plentiful you have trouble picking out the constellations.

Trekking / hiking is one of the major activity here, plus visiting Buddhist gompas (monastries) which dominate the landscape.

Leaving the excruciating heat of Delhi, June 15, I took the one hour flight to Leh and spent two weeks travelling around the Indus and Nubra valleys by jeep and doing some hiking and visiting gompas. Flying to Leh is challenging on two fronts - the security is extreme and at an altitude of 3,500 metres you invariably suffer some symptions of altitude sickness. Luckily I was not viewed as a risk and had little AMS to contend with probably due to all the high altitude hiking I did previously in Uttaranchal.

Some of the highlights for me was hiking up to the Kardung La Pass. We had started out by jeep but because it had snowed the night before, many vehicles were stuck. Rather than wait around I walked up the road the final 5 km to the "highest motorable pass in the world" at 5,602 metres (about 18,000 feet). Quite spectacular. We were headed into the Nubra Valley. On the way back to Leh, three days later, there was a snow avalanche and once again I walked up to the pass, while they dug out with one broken shovel and a pie plate. Don't ask me why eveyone doesn't carry a shovel in this region but they don't. Later in the week we happened upon a festival at a monastry in Lamayuru (the oldest known gompa in Ladakh) which was colourful and riveting. One of the best things about it was all the locals were there wearing their traditional dress which was fantastic (see other photo). The village of Alchi and it's gompa was so picturesque and restul we stayed an extra night to enjoy it. I stayed at the Zimskhang Guest House and shared a room (with a British woman who I was travelling with) for 500 rupees / night which is roughly $12 - $13 between the two of us. My base of operation in Leh was the family run guest house call the Oriental (350 rupees / night about $8) and both I would highly recommend if you ever come to Ladakh.

One last gompa - Thiksey - 17 km south of Leh is well worth the visit in early morning (6:00 a.m.) to hear the monks observe puja (morning prayers). Lots of chanting, banging on drums and blowing of horns.

So, on June 28 I flew out of Leh and returned to the heat of Delhi. Monsoon is late and the heat is oppressive. I had unfortunately been violently ill the night before my flight so arrived in the city in a weakened state and it took some time to recover. Guess it was something I ate !?!. Next stop .... Kerala in South India.