Day 4; checking out of Paro to head east. Our drive is through the mountains and every corner produces a fabulous view once navigated. We stop at a suspension bridge, bedecked in flags, that leads to a 14th century monastry. The flags are the five colours previously mentioned, however, they are prayers, Taras, the point being that the wind takes these prayers and spreads them over the land. The river below is quite low, however, there is some excellent trout fish...

It is rare these days that I get childishly excited at the anticpation of visiting a country, however, here I am on the tarmac of Paro airport taking pictures of the plane's approach, beaming from ear to ear, ticking a pivotal box in my travel adventures! We used Uber in India for the first time heading to Kolkata airport, very efficient and timely, £2.50 to get to there in 40 minutes. The flight is 50 minutes, it's all about the landing. Youtube it, to see why...

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 ...

Cape Town to Mumbai was literally a hop, skip and jump. Three flights totalling nearly 11 hours passing thru Johannesberg (my least favourite airport) and Mahe, the largest Seychelloise island. We've been to Mumbai on two previous trips, as a result I didn't feel too guilty going to bed for 6 hours when we arrived at our hotel at 06.00am. It's a huge city, with an airport to match. The new Terminal 2 is the usual cross between a modern art museum and children's i...