Goodbye India, Hello Bollywood

I have been storing up mental lists of things I love about India – and things I won’t miss at all. I’ll share these lists as my farewell to an … Continue Reading →

Temple Caves

  Shivaji S. and his wife arrived at my hotel Saturday morning, bearing a single red rose, to see me off. Shivaji spoke no English, and I spoke no Marathi, … Continue Reading →

Shahu and the Shankaracharya

My two full days in Kolhapur proved fascinating, as I met historians, university faculty and students. Girish first took me to visit the New Palace, which is part museum and … Continue Reading →

Ancient Gods and Modern Men

I arrived in Kolhapur yesterday, but my laundry did not. This was the first real glitch in my travels. I’m finding that it is the small things that are most … Continue Reading →

Monument to Love

We arrived in Agra at night, craning our necks for a possible view of the Taj Mahal. We pointed and gawked when, over a high wall, we spotted a large, … Continue Reading →

Gringos on Parade

Our visit to Karauli allowed us to look through a kaleidoscope at multiple, parallel Indias. Where Delhi and Jaipur are mostly modern cities with historical landmarks visited by tourists and … Continue Reading →

The Pink City

Jaipur is a bazaar for the senses: a cacophony of horns, the bleat of goats, and the singing of the muezzin from the minaret of a nearby mosque; bright saris … Continue Reading →

Delicious Delhi

Delhi has proven fascinating and not as overwhelming as I’d expected. I hired a taxi through the hotel on Monday and went to see the Purana Qila (Old Fort), the … Continue Reading →

Dubai Detour

Today I’d planned to visit the Purana Quila and its archaeology museum in Delhi, as well as the national Craft Museum. But after unexpected fog delayed our arrival in Dubai … Continue Reading →

A snowy winter at home.

India Ho!

I’ve dreamed of going to India many times, but soft-edged fantasies are about to give way to sharp, chaotic reality. As much as I’m trying to prepare myself for that … Continue Reading →