See the World Differently
As we walked into the old city in Jodhpur, silence fell. Suddenly there were no homeless people sleeping in the street. There were no dogs. There was nobody at all, which for India is really unusual. Walking further into the maze of alleyways, unsure exactly which way to go, we finally saw some people up […]
Bright flowers bobbed down the Ganges in leafy baskets, each with a tiny flame flickering in the centre. The incense from the offerings wafted across the water to the crowds seated on the riverbank. The devotees raised their arms as one, chanting along with the preachers. Across the river, holy men crouched on the steps […]
As the lid was lifted off the basket, the snake’s head wove upwards. Its beady unblinking eyes were cautiously alert, its hood flaring out in a defensive display. The head continued to weave in time with the haunting tones of the pungi, a curious wind instrument made from a gourd. The snake charmer was clad […]
The crenellated sandstone walls rising up behind the wide moat were supposed to be impregnable but no one ever dreamed of an assault such as this. The arrow slits and murder holes that once spelled doom for invading soldiers now assist the progress of the advancing scourge. The ornate gates, built to withstand the onslaught […]
The camel edged nearer and nearer until it was peering over my shoulder, a little too close for comfort. It smiled at me, bearing its perfect yellow teeth before leaning in and clamping down on my arm. It chewed thoughtfully as we plodded along until I managed to wrestle my arm away. I had thought […]
“Hello, Rishikesh?” The cry heralded the arrival of yet another tuk-tuk. This driver, like all the others we encountered in Haridwar, seemed intent on taking us to Rishikesh. It didn’t seem to matter that it was already 10pm. What better time to embark on a lengthy journey into the mountains? We were curious to find […]
As we tramped along the cobbled path, a high pitched squeal caught our attention. The squealing became increasingly frantic and we finally spotted the source. Four young boys were wrestling with a large and very vocal pig. With some effort they managed to hog-tie the pig and manhandle it onto their motorbike. Two boys carefully […]
Rumbling through the streets of Thailand, inhaling the traffic fumes, I began to realise that it wasn’t just the tuk tuk that was rumbling. As we arrived at the train station, the waves of nausea reached critical mass and I made a frantic dash for the bathroom. The attendant was unsympathetic as she demanded the […]