What could go wrong? Nothing, absolutely nada! I’ll start at the end, it was the quintessential T20 game, it had everything, finishing with a victory from the last ball! Back to the beginning... A leisurely start, no stupid o’clock alarm call for guide or taxi, lying in bed, admiring the ceiling of our beautiful room, before an al fresco breakfast, listening to an old gentleman playing two recorders at the same time, it sounds like he’s in need of a snake....

The IPL leg! Typically us, instead of just going home we bolt on another leg. Imagine going a thousand miles for a couple of football games!? It’s an early start, leaving our safe haven for, who knows what! Needless to say Kathmandu air traffic control is still on point, and falling over, a 40 minute hold on the tarmac becomes 45 minutes more, but, engines started earlier. This is a flight which bridges a strange time zone, we are flying back in time by 15 minu...

Having finally negotiated Nepal’s dreadful air traffic control, we are picked up, reunited with our bags, which we’d left at the City Centre hotel, and head for Dwarika’s Resort in Dhulikhel, on the outskirts of the city. Every year, AD kindly takes me somewhere for my birthday. This has been the incredibly exotic Rwanda to see the gorillas, or The Ice Hotel within the Artic Circle. One of the highlights was Barmouth for fish and chips! She’s very excite...

While the itinerary might look extensive, it only takes 50 minutes for us to fly from Varanasi. Immediately, you realise that Kolkata is different, the taxi is 75% cheaper than Mumbai, the hotel 50%, while a vastly superior road infrastructure, policed junctions, make the passage thru brilliant, neon lit streets, a lot quicker. The only thing that slows down your passage are antiquated trams, they've had the sense to ban cows and tuk tuks in the CBD! Mind you, be...

4.45am!! A ridiculous time to get up, however, we are off to watch the same ceremony as the night before, this time, for sunrise. The performance is towards the river, seven monks dressed in bright yellow silks, parade a variety of flame in the general direction of the Ganges. The light before the sun appears is delighful, it's calm and really pleasant to watch close up, without the hordes. Our guide, Prasan, is an earnest chap, grabbing our attention by holding ...