Just over three weeks and I'm heading back to India. Three trips in 18 months seems a little indulgent but at my age I've decided that I may as well make hay while the sun shines. It is also so easy for me now, as I know all I need to do is make the decision to go...no worries about where to go, who to go with, how to travel...it's just going to be a repeat of the last trip but in a different part of India.
I will be leaving on 7 March and spending the whole time ( 4 and 1/2 weeks) travelling with Tarun again. This time we are heading to Gujarat. Until recently I knew very little about this part of India apart from the fact that it was Gandhi's birthplace, it is a 'dry' state (in terms of alcohol) and they had a major earthquake there about fifteen years ago. I know a lot more now. It is a place that has been off the popular tourist trail but in recent years seems to be getting more recognition.....and I'm not surprised as there appears to be a huge variety of attractions. One place I'm looking forward to visiting is the Rann of Kutch. This is a seasonal salt marsh. It is about 7,505.22 square km in size and is reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world. Pictures I've seen of it show it as a huge white desert....and I'm told it can get very hot there....I hate wearing sunglasses but perhaps I'll be glad of them here.
Gujarat also has a very long coastline with many beaches. Some of them look quite beautiful so I'm also looking forward to spending some time on them....a little different from the Himalayas where I spent so much time last trip, I'm sure that they won't all be as deserted as this one.
Many years ago I spent time in the Loire Valley of France and was wowed by the beautiful castles I saw there,I have also visited the historic sights of places like Greece, Italy and Turkey, but I never had any idea at all about what India had to offer in this department. India has an incredible history and the area I will be seeing seems to be particularly rich in ancient temples, palaces and forts which are easily on a par with what I've seen in Europe. Gujarat is quite a religious state so there will be many very impressive temples I should imagine, but I will also be travelling through Rajasthan to get there and this area is full of old forts and palaces. We will be travelling with little forward planning,
I arrive in Delhi at 5.45 am (sorry Tarun) and will be heading from the airport to a 10am appointment with a dentist. It's finally time to get a permanent crown on my implant so I'm getting the impression done as soon as possible so I get to spend the minimum amount of time in Delhi. It's not that I don't like Delhi, but I've spent quite a lot of time there already and there are so many more places to see. I'm counting down the days.
For those of you who are following me, I'll continue with this blog throughout my trip. I hope you find it interesting and that it makes you consider India as a great travel destination. Just remember that the last post is at the top and you have to go down or to the archives, to read earlier ones...some of you told me you were confused about that last time.
Many of you also told me that you couldn't post comments. I've fixed that now and I'd love to hear from you.
I will be leaving on 7 March and spending the whole time ( 4 and 1/2 weeks) travelling with Tarun again. This time we are heading to Gujarat. Until recently I knew very little about this part of India apart from the fact that it was Gandhi's birthplace, it is a 'dry' state (in terms of alcohol) and they had a major earthquake there about fifteen years ago. I know a lot more now. It is a place that has been off the popular tourist trail but in recent years seems to be getting more recognition.....and I'm not surprised as there appears to be a huge variety of attractions. One place I'm looking forward to visiting is the Rann of Kutch. This is a seasonal salt marsh. It is about 7,505.22 square km in size and is reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world. Pictures I've seen of it show it as a huge white desert....and I'm told it can get very hot there....I hate wearing sunglasses but perhaps I'll be glad of them here.
Gujarat also has a very long coastline with many beaches. Some of them look quite beautiful so I'm also looking forward to spending some time on them....a little different from the Himalayas where I spent so much time last trip, I'm sure that they won't all be as deserted as this one.
Many years ago I spent time in the Loire Valley of France and was wowed by the beautiful castles I saw there,I have also visited the historic sights of places like Greece, Italy and Turkey, but I never had any idea at all about what India had to offer in this department. India has an incredible history and the area I will be seeing seems to be particularly rich in ancient temples, palaces and forts which are easily on a par with what I've seen in Europe. Gujarat is quite a religious state so there will be many very impressive temples I should imagine, but I will also be travelling through Rajasthan to get there and this area is full of old forts and palaces. We will be travelling with little forward planning,
I arrive in Delhi at 5.45 am (sorry Tarun) and will be heading from the airport to a 10am appointment with a dentist. It's finally time to get a permanent crown on my implant so I'm getting the impression done as soon as possible so I get to spend the minimum amount of time in Delhi. It's not that I don't like Delhi, but I've spent quite a lot of time there already and there are so many more places to see. I'm counting down the days.
For those of you who are following me, I'll continue with this blog throughout my trip. I hope you find it interesting and that it makes you consider India as a great travel destination. Just remember that the last post is at the top and you have to go down or to the archives, to read earlier ones...some of you told me you were confused about that last time.
Many of you also told me that you couldn't post comments. I've fixed that now and I'd love to hear from you.
