“May you be blessed with five sons,” says the tiny, elderly woman sitting on the curb with her hand out, as I give her 10 rupees. Well, I am blessed with two – not sure I could have managed five – but that is a pretty good indication of gender Read More

    We arrive at the Heritage property of Rawla Narlai, an old hunting lodge – beautifully restored — and  still owned by the royal family of Jodhpur, through the town of Narlai which (on first impression) consists of dirt streets with free-range cows and open waste water ditches. I Read More

Driving from Udaipur north and west on tiny roads through the Aravalli hills is captivating.  Each village brings fresh surprises and not always pleasant.  This is real, hard, grinding life that hasn’t changed in forever. The caste system has not disappeared (or the many many categories of sub-castes) and if Read More

We arrive at Devi Garh after a death defying drive in the dark from Udaipur airport in which the driver negotiates (drive left) speeding mopeds loaded with families heading against traffic, meandering cows, people carrying huge loads on their heads, top-heavy painted trucks, madly honking motorists, and zigzag speed bumps. Read More

Udaipur, in south-eastern Rajasthan, is often called the “White City”from the locally-mined white marble used to build the palaces lining the blue waters of Lake Pichola set against the backdrop of the ancient Aravalli hills. But I found it bursting with color. It’s winter here — quite chilly at night Read More

We arrive in Mumbai on New Year’s Eve in 37 C weather (about 100F).  It takes almost two hours from the airport to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Colaba, South Mumbai, during which every car in the city honks their horn incessantly. It’s chaotic and colorful as we pass Read More