Have just stayed three nights in the excellent Pearl Palace, Jaipur - main thing was reliable and healthy food so no stomach problems! The first night though I struggled to get any food or drink here because of the Diwali festival (apparenly bigger than Xmas and involves loads of firecrackers) so I got a rickshaw up to Godfreys pub for some pukka food and a couple of beers.

Following day went on a full toursity trip to all the sights including forts, temples and palaces which was all good except I didnt fancy eating in the dirty looking cafe we stopped in. Cockroaches on the floor did little to inspire my apetite, so just a couple of cokes for me. Met up with a people from Turkey, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, all of which were good fun. After the tour had a couple of beers and an excellent curry at the Pearl Palace which by 8pm was much in need.

Yesteday I tried in vain to find a photo place to download digital photos to CD, or to find nail clippers. Then had loads of hassle at the chaotic railway station trying to confirm my rail trip to Sawai Madhopur, the station for the two day Tiger Safari. Eventually made it but am still a bit worried as he said something about a waiting list, also it seems I am now on a night train going from SM to Agra in a couple of days rather than the perfectly timed day train I thought I had sorted. Oh well. Yesterday afternoon I got the rickshaw to take me to a posh hotel, where it was me, hot sunshine, swimming pool, ipod and a good book before an evening tour around the city including an excellent curry at a fort on a mountain top which was a bit special although I was the only European on it, and the only one to have a beer "Look at the Englander, first to the beer kiosk..." was promptly shouted at me.

Weather still good with no prospect of that changing, 80+ degrees and sunny, so alls good despite missing home occasionally (and its only been a week!) and the nagging fear thats something is bound to go drastically wrong at some point!