So from Nepal it was onto India. First stop - smelly Delhi !! Here, I was joined by Clive and we spent a couple of days exploring the sights and smells of Delhi before joining a group to travel around Rajasthan. Stopping first at Agra, we visited the Taj Mahal and Red Fort (as well as the baby Taj). We travelled onto Bharatpur where I was in my element in the Keoladeo Bird Park. The park was full of birds, monkeys, deer and a few rather large turtles -who made Rufus look like a midget! The village of Madhogarth was our next stop where we stayed at the royal residence, Fort Madhogarth with its beautiful rooms (each room was unique). Dressing for dinner in traditional Rajasthan clothes I looked just the part. We also walked around the village and watched a couple making bangles (needless to say I lined their pockets and came away with several bangles). In Jaipur we visited the Amber Fort, enjoyed a Bollywood movie and did more shopping!! The village locals in Bundi, which is less of a tourist destination, were fascinated by us. Though we were equally fascinated by them - especially their roadside dentists and barbers. We also took an early morning boat ride on the Chambal River (very deep river with lots of crocodiles) where we saw more lovely birds (am starting to sound like a twitcher!). Castle Bijaipur was our next destination (I believe Kate Moss has stayed here!) and here we spent some time walking around the local village and doing a bit of horse riding. Early morning Yoga session and then it was onto Pushkar for more shopping (more big furniture was purchased here though not sure where it is all going to fit when it arrives home!) and a sunset camel ride which ended up being a monsoon camel ride. Before arriving at the dunes we leapt off our camels and dashed into a disused building for shelter from the rains - we never made it to the dunes and decided to turn back once the rain had eased. After a great couple of weeks it was back to Delhi on the overnight train. Arriving at the train station in Ajmer we were greeted by a sea of Indians laid out soundly asleep on the platform. We watched in amusement the mass of snoring people before boarding our train. Back in Delhi a last day was spent at the National Museum and then enjoying the sunshine with an ice-cream at the boating lake near India Gate. So now I find myself in beautiful Kerala...I hope to spend the next week travelling from Trivandrum up the coast to Kochi, stopping at the beach town of Varkala high on the cliffs and the backwaters of Alleppey. If time permits, I will go to the tea and spice plantations inland at Munnar. From Kochi I will go to Goa for some family visits, shopping and a trip to the dentist (for a cheap makeover -hopefully). Then it's onto Mumbai for my flight home (in 12 days!!!!!!!!! ouch). So see you all soon with my jealous making brown (very very brown) skin............. xxx