We have finally made it to the far south of India after several long train journeys! We are staying in Kerala for the next week. It is a really lovely place - much greener again and the people are even more laid back and friendly. Its also cheaper down south which is always a bonus. Our first stop off the train was Ernaukalum in Cochin - we booked into a guest house with a tv (what a luxury) although another cold shower. We can't remember when we had a hot s...

We finally made it Goa after a long train journey, stopping in Mumbai (Bombay) which was another crazy Indian city although a little bit more organised than Delhi! Goa is wonderful and a complete change from the north of the country - it is so good to relax and sit on the beach after all the running around and travelling over the last fortnight. We are staying in a guesthouse on the beach in Benaulim - it is lovely....blue seas, white sand and amazing sunsets....

Visited a large park this morning and had a good walk around admiring the views over the lake. Also went to the 'garden of the maids of honour' where we found water features with actual water in them which has been a first over the last fortnight. After going to the City Palace we fell upon a German Bakery who served much needed apple pie and cheescake...without any spices! Later on we went to Shilpgram which is a rural arts and crafts centre and showcase of...

Got up early to walk 8kn from Ranakpur to Kumbalgarh through the forest and hills of Aravalli range. It started off quite flat but soon we were climbing and climbing and climbing! It was great to do but a little on the warm side - we visited a tiny temple built into the side of the cliff and offered up some flowers. We received a sacred coconut and some sweeties for our time as well as.....yes, you guessed it - a dot on our foreheads! We finally reached the ...

Moved onto Jodhpur today - this is known as the Blue City because of the colour wash on the houses. We visited Meherangarh Fort which was one of the more impressive ones and gave excellent views of the city. Also went to see where the current Maharaja of Jodhpur lives - very nice too! From here we moved onto Ranakpur which was like a whole other world - wide open spaces, lakes, mountains, fresh air and loads of wildlife and greenery. We went to the Adinath t...