Thar to Himalayas

Our rooftop view of the Jodpur fort.

Inside the amazing fort we listened to the audio tour describing years of Rajput history.

The buildings in the old city of Jodpur were historically painted blue to denote Brahmin caste ownership.

Standing on the ramparts of the fort. Although still late winter the sun really heats up by midday, baking the sandstone city.

We arrived in Jaisalmer for the Desert Festival. Events included camel polo, pani races where women carry clay pots of water atop their heads, camel racing and showmanship, mustache and turban tying competitions and endless fireworks.

Some of our favorite camels over the three days of festivities.

Keeping watch...

The winner of the costume contest.

One of our favorite parts of Jaisalmer was the Havelis, gorgeously carved and cool exteriors, mazes of cool stone corridors surrounding a quiet courtyard.

A sunset and full moonrise over beautiful Gadi Sagar. Where the lake ends the pristine desert begins.

An overnight train to Delhi gave us a few hours for beauty treatments. Intending a hair trim Conor received the works...

Fresh crisp air kisses the lovely Mussorie, Queen of the Hill Stations. We purchased woolens to join the Indian Honeymooners in our morning, afternoon and evening strolls along the beautiful Mall, Mussorie's main artery.

On a steep cliff behind the ridge perches a quiet and hidden graveyard. We spent a few hours meandering among the stones and wondering about the lives of Mussorie's last 200 years of British inhabitants.

A typical vista. Due to the winter season we were able to afford Mussorie's best in accommodation, landing us in the 180 degree panoramic deluxe suite of Walnut Grove.

Back in Rishikesh we again find a delicious room overlooking a gorgeously blossoming tree and the Ganges river. Plains below and mountains above hem in the turquoise hued valley.

Yogis and spiritual seekers flock to Rishikesh, including the Beatles in 1968. Their former ashram is tucked into the forest on a cliff overlooking the Ganges but has been abandoned and closed. We spent hours peering into the meditation huts, halls, nooks and crannies.

Sunset over the Ganga.

I am the Eggman. You are the Walrus.
These meditation nooks perch at the top of an enormous dormitory. Climbing down into one was to descend into silence accompanied only by one's thoughts and heavy breathing.

The northward vista from our balcony.

Temples, Cathedrals, and High Courts

Finally. A word of note: The photos are in the complete reverse order so begin at the bottom and work upwards. Enjoy!

Cricketers on the Oval Maidan, proving ground for India's young players.

Victoria Station, a World Heritage Site and major train station for Mumbai.

We somehow managed to propel ourselves through these throngs on the suburban rail line.

Making use of every inch of the city to grow fresh greens.

This photo speaks for itself.

A long train ride, a chaotic train station, and we arrive at Hotel Outram, home sweet home.

The High Court of Mumbai.

Classic taxis ply Mumbai's fairly orderly streets with the University of Mumbai in the background.

Mumbai's fruit wallahs artistically present their fruit salads.

The Portugese influence on Goa, Panjim in particular manifests in cozy alleys and delightful architecture, the churches and Christianity, and the popular palm and cashew liquor called Feni.

Panjim's Church of our Lady of Immaculate Conception dominates the city.

High Court in the hills above Panjim, overlooking the river.

Xavier's bones.

Cathedral of St Francis of Assisi.

Without a doubt the favorite among jostling Indian tourists, the Basilica of Bom Jesus houses the remains of famed Jesuit missonary St Francis Xavier. Sadly they didn't notice the tiny glass cases displaying bones but were instead craning for views of the golden casket imagined to house the remains.

The ruins of St. Augustine's Cathedral at the top of the hill.

Se Cathedral. When we hopped off the train in Goa at 4 am we were amazed by the throngs of Indians walking through the darkness to Church. Unaware that it was Ash Wednesday and overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Christians in the area we were enthralled at the sight.

Monastery in Old Goa adjacent to St. Catejan's Church. We roamed through the dozens of immense laterite cathedrals in various states of repair.

Sunset at Hampi.

The temple elephant gets her bath every morning below the ghats.

Saris drying in the sun on the banks of Hampi's river. Exhausted after the night train we alighted in the dusty town, only to hear that everything was closed for the President's visit. On an inside tip we braved the detritus of the riverbank to a place where the locals were crossing, out of sight of the ubiquitous and stern police force. The grass was indeed greener and we had our choice of empty guesthouses, eager to fill their cozy and relaxing rooms, crossing back into town until we were stopped by the wis-er police.

Off in the hinterlands we paused in our climb to watch a herd trundle past, followed by their dusty and weary keeper.

Frangipani tree in the gloaming at Hampi's 'Crown Jewel Temple.' Our favorite thing to do in Hampi was wander the ruins in the late afternoon and at sunset when the sun had cooled but the rocks released plentiful warmth.

The largest and most traditional of Hindu temples at Hampi stands at one end of the bazaar and dominates the township, visible even from our guesthouse across the river.

Children in the Hampi Bazaar: The long dusty plaza is filled with goaties, cows, dogs and graceful monkeys. It was eerily silent upon our arrival, a mystery until we realized that the President had delayed her visit and was coinciding with ours.

The Ruins at Hampi

High Court, Bangalore: Adjacent to our favorite park in this 'Garden City,' we finished up our strolls with a delightful visit to Infinitea, a local hip teashop.

The fearsome T-Rex at the Government Museum, Chennai: The museum had some exhibits which were probably nice in 1890 including a molding turtle shell.