Hi,

First of all a big thank you to all those who wrote after my last epistle. It is a real tonic when you are physically isolated from everyone to come in from touring of an evening and get some contact with news from home. Please keep them coming.

India is good for email as internet access is everywhere and relatively cheap. I have been able to reply to most people the next day. This may not always be the case in other countries so please be patient if I do not reply right away.

My time in India is now coming to an end. I can't quite believe how fast it has gone. I thought I would update you on some tales since I last wrote and give some impressions of the country.

I have travelled widely in Rajasthan and and am now near the end of the loop back to Delhi where I leave Tuesday morning. I have seen a large number of spectacular forts, palaces,temples with varying architecture but most are on a huge scale. Some of the forts are museums but others are living communities with bustling economic activity dominating, and not all tourist related.

I arrived in the most westerly part of the trip in Jaisalmer after a seven hour bus trip on the evening of the spring colour festival called Holi. From an ourtsiders point of view I had noticed people with paint about their face and clothes for a few days previously in other places but didn't quite realise what would happen on the day itself....

On passing clothes shops the shopkeepers would indicate that I might want to but garments for Holi. I didn't understand that this meant ' if you buy something you can chuck it out after you had been smeared with paint on the day of the festival'.

On the evening fire was lit on the street in which my hotel was located. From the balcony I could see musicians and people generally gyrating around. Next day when making my way from my room to the other building on which food was served I was greeted by some locals who casually smeared some paint on my face whilst offering me greetings of the festival. From the breakfast balcony I was then, along with other assembled tourists able to survey the scene below. Basically it looked like a complete bun fight with especially kids drenching each other with coloured water or dousing each other with powdered paint. We were told this would last until about 2 to 3 p.m.

Now whilst other tourists were not planning to go outdoors until then I am on a tight schedule and can't really be bothered to get stuck in a hotel captive in the middle of the day. I was told the fort was open so decided I would get back to the room, change into my oldest clothes and make my way out. I got back with only one further smearing, thankfully not on the better clothes I was wearing.

Suitably clothed I made my way up to the fort through the town... There was nothing particularly aggressive about this business and no one seemed to take offence. Every single person in the town was coloured from head to toe, as a result of people greeting them by smearing paint or paint dust on them or just squirting paint coloured water as they passed..

In a short time I was all colours of the rainbow as well. The photos should prove this. The only trick was keeping the camera free of dust and water. not easy, especially with the kids but if i warned them off the camera , adults nearby would shout to get them out of the way.

Only thing is that not all of the paint washes off immediately! The madness did die down as predicted but the next day I had a large purple patch on one side of my forehead and a yellow one on the other side. Possibly its as well I'm isolated from you all. My coupon is back to normal now and the clothes of the day are with the local laundry brigade.

Whilst in Jaisalmer, I got in tow with a Canadian photojournalist staying at the hotel and we went into the desert to see the sun setting on some silky, sahara type sand dunes. This was a great experience, even if there were too many tourists about. I hope I have got some great shots of camels against the dunes near sunset and some classic face shots of older, weather beaten camel drivers with faces that tell a whole lifetime.

Moving on, I visited the Taj Mahal today. Unlike the one that used to be in Park Road, this one does not even do take-aways, far less home deliveries. Seriously though , even if you have seen the pictures, it is an awesome spectacle, stunning white marble designed by an architect from Shiraz in Iran. It is mobbed, mostly by Indian tourists.

I could go on and on about sights, but am missing the human experience on a personal level. Food: overwhelmingly vegetarian. meat is available, but not in most places I have been to. I usually have the Thali, which lets you try a variety of local dishes, and although a big meat eater, I have Argentina to look forward to on that score. the veggie options have been great and a time of writing, no sign of the Delhi belly. Would pick India before Egypt any day... I found most curries quite bland, but that is the case in most places where tourists go. For hotter options, you can go to the smaller cafes, which will offer you hot , medium or spiced. medium is the equivalent of our hot, which is as far as I have gone.

After a few days of curries you need a spice free day or two and that is not difficult to get, so a balance is maintained.

On drink, the tea is fantastic. I got so used to it that when I got tetley tea bags the other day I didn't really take to them compared to Indian tea. Alcohol is a peculiar issue here. Very few places have it on the menu but will offer it to you with a raised eyebrow. Once place had a printed receipt for me but with a beer added in ink and the tally made manually. No doubt Sir Ken Morrison would approve. I understand wine is prohibitively expensive, but why anyone would want to drink it in this climate I can't imagine. Some menus specifically state alcohol is prohibited which I assume is for religious reasons.

Have really enjoyed the experience of meeting Indian people and found them to be in the main friendly, conventional and polite in an old fashioned sense. They are warm and welcoming and even in the most remote places I was greeted in a friendly manner and never felt like I had strayed off into a dodgy part which might be dangerous. Once you get over the first couple of days, india is a fantastic experience, I would recommend to anyone.

One thing I have not got to the bottom of is the prevalence of the swastica in Rajasthan. It obviously has some local meaning not related to the Nazis, but it is a bit weird when you pass the Swastica Hotel on your way out every day in Jaisalmir.

Have no really come accross the call centre parts of the country which are elsewhere. Most places I have been in are really poor wth only basic economic development plus some tourism.

Anyway, must finish and get the train to Delhi.

To make it clear, yes I have seen a snake charmer and no, contrary to nefarious suggestions, I have never possessed a flute which I could try out on them.

Take care and please keep writing

Best wishes

Murdo