22-09-2022 FLIGHT MUMBAI 

My alarm goes off at 0545, I have to be there early because of the long waiting times at Schiphol Airport. 

Today you can be happy that your flight is leaving at all.  

I leave for the station with butterflies in my stomach. What a feeling of freedom rising gives!  

When we arrive at Schiphol, it turns out that the advice to arrive at Schiphol 4 hours in advance makes no sense. The check-in desks only open 2 hours before the flight, with a waiting time of 90 minutes at security. Good looking! 

Fortunately, the line for security seems to be not too bad so far, not that this says anything about what it will be like in 2 hours!  

I was lucky that the check-in desk opened half an hour earlier, otherwise I would have 

probably didn’t make the flight. 

I was able to go straight to the gate and the boarding started in no time! 

Quick stopover in Helsinki, just enough time to down a Wopper. My flight to Mumbai is finally in less than an hour, God I feel so happy! My friend Udai arrived there from Goa early this morning and will be waiting for me at the airport! 

Unfortunately, another departure without saying goodbye to a few daughters. Despite that, I feel happy and grateful that I can finally go to India again! 

When I arrive at the gate I see that the majority of the passengers are Indian. It already feels like I’m in India, the people are nice, polite and food comes out of just about every bag. 

It was a bit stressful to get my visa (wrong part of the email printed) so I held everyone up. Luckily it was still in my inbox and it was resolved quickly! 

23-09-2022 MUMBAI 

Arriving at Mumbai Airport, the party can begin with a start in the smoking den where an Iranian man gives me dates and some chat with fellow addicts… Udai is already waiting for me, and sweet messages from friends and family come in as soon as I use WiFi have. I wonder what this first day will bring me!  

Bombay has many faces, from beautiful colonial buildings to modern apartment complexes (about 10 floors where only 1 family seems to live), to slums, to people sleeping on the street under a stretched cloth. The area where I stay (near the fort) looks clean and is quiet (at 8 am).  

We walk along the coastal road to relax on the beach while waiting for my room to be available. Once there, Udai has a present for me. Anyone who knows me knows how uncomfortable I feel right now! He bought 2 traditional clothing sets so that I can enter the temples without any worries. How sweet is this! 

At lunchtime I look for a restaurant. It is the oldest Tali restaurant in Mumbai (1947) where we eat unlimited delicious dishes. The service is also amazing! Every now and then they come to your table and ask if you want more.  

Every now and then I have to laugh internally, I clearly notice a cultural difference here when it comes to the contact between Udai and me.  

Men seem to want to take the lead here, are very gallant (which I like) and arrange everything for you. Actually, I should be a little more dependent or submissive. You look just like me, single for years and quite independent! Okay, okay, now that I’m starting to realize it, I’ll let myself be guided a little more and let him take care of me more. It’s also quite sweet of him and very well-intentioned, just a bit awkward for me as an independent world traveler. 

It is not possible to take really nice photos because of the chaos on the street. We end with (me) a beer on a rooftop bar. My eyes are almost closed now and I decide to take the evening for myself. 

I decide to have a bite to eat around 1900 p.m. to avoid waking up from hunger tonight. I eat across the street from the hotel for the outrageous amount of 1,50. The food was delicious too! After dinner I still want a beer. It is not available in the local restaurant.  

The owner refers me to a building across the street with 2 subtle neon lights. I walk there. There are only men in the queue, close together, looking around. Well, in India, drinking alcohol is a taboo. And women certainly don’t come here. So I’m stealing the show again tonight! There was a lot of fuss about the contents of the bottle I wanted. An ordinary bottle of beer, which became a mega bottle, the change, not to mention the hassle of getting them to open the bottle for me too! In the end I end up sitting in front of the entrance to my room like a wanderer with the bottle to my mouth, enjoying the cooling down! 

24-09-2022 MUMBAI  

I wake up at 8am, having slept around the clock. I’ve barely opened my eyes when I get a call from Udai. He’s probably had half a day at it already. Not yet, wake up first!  

I put on my Indian suit, which is way too big (looks like a soup dress). Udai may have had me in mind at 15 kilos heavier, but hey, it’s for a good cause so I’m happy to wear it! 

It takes a while to get to Udai so I take the time to take some pictures in the street of the hotel. The humidity is so high that my lens fogs up immediately. It strikes me how late people come alive here compared to, for example, Bangkok. Where the locals are already in full swing at 0530, here it only gets going a little bit around 9 o’clock. 

In the morning we go to Khotachiwadi, a Heritage village in Mumbai that is 180 years old and where time seems to have stood still. I eat my first street food bite here. No idea what it was, but very tasty! Then we head to the beach to taste one of Mumbai’s specialties. Again from a street stall and again delicious!  

We take a taxi to Mahalaxmi Dhuabi Ghat, the largest outdoor laundry in Mumbai. Some girls come up to me and tell me all about the laundry and want to sell me souvenirs. I actually don’t need anything, but they tried so hard that I decided to buy a fan of Peacock Feathers for Pien. I’ll give the other girl some money because she was an excellent guide!  

Mumbai is a city of such enormous contrasts. One moment you drive past mega luxury and high skylines, only to see skinny women with children sitting on the street a few meters further and doing nothing. Sometimes you see them grooming each other. I see all this from the car on the way to the Bandra East district.  

On the way we drive past Dharavi Slum. Of course I ask if we can stop for a moment, from the bridge you have a nice view over the slum. About a million people live here on 2,2 square kilometers, very bizarre! 

We take the train back to the hotel. The train station is located just next to the Slum. I stop to take a photo and see a scene that reminds me of the movie “Lion”. For a moment I am confronted with the harsh reality and I realize even more how hard it is for some people here. 

I have read that people in the slums do not have their own sanitary facilities, in a book I read that they have to walk to a field somewhere for their needs. I don’t know if that’s true, but it is noticeable that it stinks here. The smell is penetrating, almost scratches my neck every now and then.  

Taking the train is not easy even for Indians. Udai can’t figure it out so she asks Jan and everyone for help.  

In the end we got a ticket (for 10 cents instead of about 4 euros for the taxi)  

It’s a cool experience in those crowded trains! 

You see people jumping in and out of the moving train and here too I seem to be a sight to behold. I am the only white person.  

We have to change, believe me it would be impossible for a tourist to find out from which Perón which train goes to which! 

We look in vain for a terrace where you can have a drink, but we end up having a bite to eat opposite the hotel.  

After dinner I walk across the street to get a beer. I have to smile at the faces of those men again with me crammed between them like a shrimp! The owner immediately knew what I came for, “small beer madam? Yes please sir!” 

25-09-2022 MUMBAI 

I didn’t sleep very well last night so I woke up feeling exhausted.  

Today we are going by train to the north of Mumbai. It’s nice how things are arranged here by train. Besides the fact that you have different classes and therefore a huge difference in fare, there are also special wagons for women and people who need help. Despite the enormous difference between rich and poor, (almost) everyone can travel by public transport. An average of 8 million passengers are transported by train every day, which seems to me to be an experience in itself. Udai wants to travel first class, I actually enjoy traveling second class. This only costs 25 cents return for a 45-minute ride  

From my seat I now have a view of what is going on on the train. The reason why people board the train while it is still moving at a station is to get a seat. The women on the other hand take it slower. Men give up their places so that they can travel safely and comfortably. It is a chaos of chatter, people pressed against each other and yet you don’t hear an unruly word! 

Our first stop is Gilbert Hill; a Basaltic hill in the middle of a residential area. It is a 66 million year old and 61 meter high monolith made entirely of basalt. The hill was formed when volcanic lava erupted during the Mesozoic era in the Indian states of Maharashtra. From the top you have a beautiful view of the city.  

When you walk through this neighborhood you will encounter many goats on the street. Literally everything is sold from a shop, a stall or just on the street. The nicest “shop” I thought was the barber who had placed a chair along the road and was shaving men there. Not to mention the butchers who sell fresh meat here and the penetrating smell that this brings. 

We take a tuk tuk to the restaurant 2,5 km away because it is starting to get hot. Once we get there we have to wait 40 minutes before we get a table so we go to the Dakshinayan temple where people are just praying. 

Back at the restaurant, Udai and I are placed at a large table with people we don’t know. Something that is very normal in India. In no time we start talking and meals are shared. You have to taste everyone, super cool! We eat so well again (no idea what I ate) and that for 6,30 for the two of us. 

After dinner we take a long walk on the beach, how could it be otherwise; there is a lot of food for sale! Finally we settle down for a drink in a bar overlooking the beach, how good do you want it?! 

We walk a long way back along the beach. The tide is now low and the cricket fields are springing up like mushrooms. I think it’s so beautiful to see how people here can still enjoy the simplest things in life!  

I’m sitting on the pier for a moment to enjoy the view and have a smoke, when a young boy comes up to me, he wants a fire. His cigarette is already half smoked, he tries to light it but doesn’t know how it works. Due to the strong wind I offer my cigarette to light his, this also seems new to him. I show him how to do it. He takes a puff and doesn’t inhale the smoke. I thought this was such a touching scene. 

As we walk to the station, at one point I see a girl of about three sitting alone on the sidewalk of a busy intersection, no adult in sight around her. She is thin, wears dirty clothes and no shoes. When I mention it to Udai, he says: “She is probably waiting for her parents and they hope that some money will be thrown in her bucket.” Typical example of The Hell of India. I walk on with a broken heart… I will continue to see this image before me for a long time.  

The train journey back is fantastic again, the sun is starting to set, giving the buildings a warm glow. I try to take some pictures from the open door.  

Just chilling for an hour and then my last meeting with Udai. We are going to eat in a restaurant that existed before the first train in India, 160 years ago). Here too there is a huge queue and everyone sits together at the table. 

I look back fondly on my days together with my boyfriend who took the train all the way from Goa to visit me! A very sweet, caring and gallant man. 

Tomorrow I continue my journey towards Ahmedabad. I met Jigar here at 17 p.m. A now friend whom I met for the first time in Jaiselmer in 2019. Tomorrow is the first day of the Navrati Festival and I have been invited to celebrate it with him and his family at home, very much looking forward to it! 

26-09-2022 MUMBAI- AHMEDABAD  

This morning one last walk near the hotel. It is wonderfully quiet at 8 o’clock in the morning and I enjoy a walk alone. 

At 11 o’clock I go to the airport. My driver has placed his phone on the dashboard and while driving he watches a movie, burns incense, performs a ritual and drives like crazy. Even when going slow, he presses his accelerator deeply. He’s not afraid and I try not to be either. Luckily I only have to spend an hour in the car with him! He simply turns a two-lane road into a three-lane road and squeezes between everything while honking his horn and playing nerve-wracking music! 

I made it to the airport, and I must honestly say that I felt stiff with fear at times. 

I land in Ahmedabad at 1530. I take a tuk tuk to my hotel.  

People sometimes say that you have to come from good homes to drive on the Champs Elises, well believe me the French are nothing like this!  

When I stand in front of the Haveli my jaw drops, what a beautiful building this is! I drink my first masala chai here and hurry because I’m going to Jigar soon. 

Here it feels like the real India, no, the north of India. The Haveli reminds me of Jodhpur The way the women are dressed, the architecture in the old center.  

I drop my luggage and head towards Jigar’s business. Great to see him again! He also shows me his brother-in-law’s shop where he gives me traditional clothes to wear tonight. Then we go to his house where I meet all his family. Massala chai is made especially for me and they offer me all kinds of snacks. Food is a sign of hospitality in India. In no time I have a connection with his daughter who takes me everywhere hand in hand. Jigar and I go for a bite to eat, his wife stays at home, which feels quite uncomfortable. I let Jigar order, I eat 2 dishes that I have not eaten before and it tastes fantastic again, completely different dishes than the ones I have had so far. It’s super fun, so much to tell after almost three years! After dinner we go back to his apartment and then go downstairs where the entire apartment complex comes together to chat and dance. At 23 p.m. I call it a night and Jigar takes me home, he doesn’t want to let me go alone. On the way we stop for a 0.0 beer (Gujarat is a dry state) and we drink it in the tuktuk while toasting hihi  

When I arrive at my hotel room I bump into my neighbor (27 years old). We start talking and he tells me a lot about Indian concepts. This also applies to the fact that men cannot show emotions for fear of being laughed at. We talk about addictions, relationships and the difference between men and women. 

He also says that he wanted to study in Europe, but that he sacrificed himself. He is an only child so he should take care of his parents and therefore stay here in India.  

He then talks about his great love, who recently married a man from her own caste, about the fact that he is still a virgin and talks in detail about all the information about love and sex that he has gathered from the internet and books. For someone who is a virgin, he has considerable technical knowledge on the subject, I hear sciences that I have never heard of or thought about before (also never had a lover who put all these sciences into practice with me hahahaha) 

27-09-2022 AHMEDABAD 

I start this morning with a visit to the Sarkhei Rosa mosque, which dates from 1511.  

Then my tuktuk driver shows me all kinds of colonial houses and I can even go inside people’s houses to take a look. Super cool to see how people can create a cozy living space with the simplest materials.  

I visit the glorious and colorful Hindi swaminarayan temple dating from 1822 and then we drive to the Hutheesingh temple. A beautiful Jain temple from 1848. I also had a few museums on my list, but unfortunately they were all closed! 

One of the highlights for me was the beautiful Adalaj Step-well dating from 1498. It is one of several step wells built in India to provide access to groundwater. 

I had the opportunity to photograph some young women here wearing beautiful traditional clothing for tonight’s Navrati festival! 

 The driver explains everything. Unfortunately, I don’t always understand everything he says.  

I will also visit The Sabarmati Ashram, which was the home and place of reflection of Mahatma Gandhi and where he stayed from 1917 to 1930. It is now a National Monument and a museum about his teachings and life. I recognize a lot here from the film Gandhi. 

What an oasis of peace it is here and that is quite welcome after 4 hours of racing through this busy city.  

I’m brought back at 1430:1630 PM, nothing for an afternoon and that’s a good thing because at XNUMX:XNUMX PM it’s pouring down the sky. After an hour of heavy rain, the sun comes out again! 

28-09-2022 AHMEDABAD 

I decide to take it easy today and walk alone through the streets around the hotel, but first I will arrange a bus ticket for tomorrow, which is quite a hassle. 

They don’t speak English at the station and hardly any foreign tourists travel by bus to Dasala. We try to make ourselves understood with our hands and feet. After half an hour we finally managed to buy a ticket. It is now 11:15 and very hot! 

I’m not doing much today, on the way back from lunch I jump on the back of a motorbike because I can’t get a tuk uk. Actually quite nice sitting on the back with my hair in the wind, until my driver almost crashed into the oncoming car because he was looking at Google maps. Luckily I was alert and was able to warn him just in time!  

29-09-2022 AHMEDABAD – ZAINABAD (LITTLE RANN OF KACHCHH) 

This morning I’m taking the bus for a ride. When I arrive at the station I feel somewhat lost. There are about 25 platforms and everything is signposted in Indian. Fortunately, I soon receive help and after an hour I am called and told that I can board the bus.  

I now realize that it is special that people have to wear face masks on an airplane and that this is not necessary on buses and trains where you sit more or less on top of each other!  

After a little more than an hour’s delay, I find myself drenched in sweat in a local bus without air conditioning 

No one here seems to care about delays. Small children also wait quietly. They don’t run away, scream or cry… 

The journey that was supposed to take 2 hours will take 3,5 hours and I am already about to burst. It’s going to be a nice ride! 

As we drive through the north of the city I see monkeys jumping from one balcony to another for the first time! All in all, once you’re on the bus it’s completely fine.  

At every major intersection, women (often with small children under their arms) walk around begging. Young boys clean the windshields of cars for a few rupees instead of going to school. 

The road to Dasada is not much further. It is flat, green with a village here and there.  

At 1445 I am picked up by the owner at the Zainabad bus stop. We drive to the eco lodge in his old pick-up truck. It is really beautiful here. The owner tells me on the way that he hopes it won’t rain for a while so he can close the lodge for 10 days. Much of this is made from cow dung. This means that the huts and benches are made of concrete, but everything over them is decorated with cow dung. It looks beautiful! It’s a nasty idea that I’ll soon be sitting on shit. The national park also closes when it rains because you simply can’t drive through it anymore.  

It is an oasis of peace here, which I could really use after 6 days in the teeming region!  

At 1630 we go on Safari now that it is dry. I am the first guest, there is only 1 English man (a friend of the owner) here who left everything behind him in 2019 and is traveling through India. 

At the end of the afternoon we drive to Little Rann of Kachchh to spot the wild Ass. This is the only place in the world where this donkey species can be seen. In addition, there are many birds to spot here and it is breathtakingly beautiful! 

The owner tells me all about nature, the animals and the residents of the nearby villages. He also talks extensively about what he thinks about “the untouchables” who do very heavy work in the salt fields. 

It’s like being part of a family here, we have drinks together, eat (fantastically) together and chat about anything and everything. This is India as I remember from a few years ago!  

30-09-2022 ZAINABAD (LITTLE RANN OF KACHCHH) 

During breakfast we discuss my plans. Think ahead because the train tickets often have to be booked well in advance.  

I finally know the owner’s name: Dhanraj. He owns a large piece of land here and does a lot for society. For example, he sponsors a high school, an orphanage (until COVID because there is no longer the money for it), helps people in need, and has adopted an orphan, which is a horrible story. The young man is disabled and lived alone with his mother. He has no other family. His mother could no longer support him and one day decided to commit suicide for both of them by setting their house on fire. However, he survives this tragedy and she does not. Since then, Dhanraj has taken care of him.  

Along the way, Dhanraj talks about public health, which looks good on paper but makes no difference in practice. There are rarely doctors and nurses present in hospitals and when they are there they prescribe as much medication as possible because they receive a 40% commission on this. So unaffordable for many!  

Along the way we talk to a woman. I ask her how many children she has, she says three (she apparently has 4, I hear from Dhanraj). Apparently they only allow boys to count as their children because girls don’t yield anything. They would rather lose them because they will eventually live with their husbands and take care of their parents-in-law instead of them. For this reason, they often consider their education not important and neglected.  

In the village we stop for Ian at the Eye Hospital. I have to pee, so I go to the toilet, it’s a squat toilet. When I hang above the hole, about 10 mosquitoes suddenly come towards my punani. I did get hit! 

On the way back I see dirt along the road. When I ask about this, Dhanraj explains that garbage is only collected here once every 1 weeks and that there are no waste containers here. I also see a little boy crouching along the road. He poops on the side of the road. I get an explanation about this: the state has ensured that every house has a toilet, but they hardly get any water available, so they save the water for cooking and washing and do not use it to flush the toilets. The toilets are therefore used as storage space and people do their business outside.  

Dhanraj is a very respected man here. Not only does he help many people and own a lot of land here, he is also the son of the king of Zainabat. Everywhere he goes he is greeted and often does not have to pay for his groceries.  

At the end of the afternoon we return to the national park to spot birds and visit the ‘salt people’. 

Once again Dhanraj tells all about how things are going here.  

20000 families work in the park, harvesting salt (permissibly illegally). He talks about the entire harvesting process. People work 14 hours a day (man, woman and children from 3 years old) in the summer months with temperatures of 56 degrees. According to him, at least 1 woman dies every day. Children up to the age of 5 are not given a name because 33% of children do not reach their 5th birthday.  

The family we are visiting lives here 7 months a year with 6 men in a tent. They have 2 beds (without mattress), no electricity and 200 liters of water per 2 weeks. Because they work (supposedly) illegally, the police seem to come by regularly, and they have to give money and/or lend their wives to them for some fun for the cop. During my previous trip through India I did not receive much information about what is going on here. This is just a very short version of what he told me and it will stay with me for a long time and affect me enormously. While I can’t see anything about the people themselves here, they are friendly, laugh, take the time for you and live their lives! 

1-10-2022 ZAINABAD (LITTLE RANN OF KACHCHH) 

This morning we were going to a village where women (originally from Rajasthan but moved to Gujarat in the 1960s) make and sell jewelry. However, my interest lies in photographing these people. They seem to be beautifully dressed. Eventually they come here and display all their wares. Taking photos is allowed, but you are expected to buy something, which I understand, so I look for my daughter’s shopping list and find some nice things for her and in the meantime I take photos!  

Around 10 am we drive to the school that Dhanraj founded. There is a school for boys and one for girls. Dhanraj has made a demand for every parent to send their daughter to education. If they do not agree to this, their sons are also not welcome at this local school. I think it’s a great initiative! 

Today is a special day because the new girls (1st year of secondary school) receive a bicycle because they sometimes live up to 10 km from school. Not only is it a very long drive if you have to walk, but it is often also very unsafe to walk along the road. The bicycles are handed out and we are asked to hand them over, which I do with some discomfort. A little later, Mitsra (the Iranian girl) and I are given a microphone so that we can tell the girls something about ourselves and how important education and independence are for a woman.  

After the speeches, they walk row after row in straight lines back to their classrooms.  

I feel so at home and welcome in this place, I hope it will be my first stop for volunteer work in India next year. 

I have already spoken to Marian (from Key of Education) about the possibility of teaching English here. Hopefully we will succeed! 

This afternoon I will go for a walk with Mitsra through the surrounding village. It is quiet here, every now and then you come across someone or bump into a stray dog. Furthermore, the village seems to be sleeping.  

At the end of the afternoon we go on safari again and visit a village that we encounter on the way to the lake where we will go bird watching. All the locals are equally nice and are more than happy to pose for you!  

Tonight we are going to attend a festival… 

2-10-2022 SIDHPUR – PATAN – MODHERA 

Today I get up at 0630 for the first time because we leave early for Sidhpur, also known as the forgotten city of Gujarat. Which also seems to be correct because the city is not mentioned in the lonely planet. The old part of the city looks magical! When I get out of the car and walk through the old center I am amazed. I come across an uninterrupted row of decorated houses made of wood, brick and plaster on both sides of the street. The houses are so similar in design and architecture that the facades look more like beautifully decorated walls! 

This city seems like a kind of ghost town, there are hardly any people on the streets, there is little traffic and you can smell the delicious smell of the meals that are prepared here.  

The town is truly beautiful! As many as 90% of these homes are empty, the wealthy owners are moving to the big cities or abroad. They don’t do the selling. We are invited to a man’s house to take a look at his house, I don’t think this would happen so quickly in the Netherlands! We are shown around by the driver’s best friend and his brothers who live here. We eat some delicious snack that includes potatoes. I’m not allowed to pay for anything because I’m their guest after all.  

From here we drive towards Patan to visit the Rani-ki-Vaw step-well dating from 1063, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its intricate carvings and stunning architecture. 

This is the oldest and step-well in Gujarat and is decorated with more than 800 sculptures and is 27 meters deep! 

We drive through Patan, where there are also beautiful Heritage houses and where the most beautiful scenes pass me by, which unfortunately I cannot capture due to the speed at which we drive.  

The monument is located in the middle of a beautifully maintained park where many people are chilling under the trees. I have had my picture taken with locals at least 20 times. I feel happy, not because I am asked to take a photo, but because I always make some people happy with such a small gesture. One by one they also ask in their best English where I come from and what my ‘good name’ is. Sweet! 

Finally we drive to Madhera to visit the Sun temple, one of the most beautiful and important temples in Gujarat. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to the sun god Suryauit and dates back to 1027.  

On the way back I realize that this place is exactly what I needed. The peace and quiet but also the people of the guesthouse where I am admitted as a family member. The people are warm, open and so helpful! I feel at home here and completely relaxed! 

Along the way we occasionally come across camels that transport all kinds of things. This reminds me of Rajasthan which is also almost around the corner. The roads are remarkably good and I enjoy the views.  

We drive back around sunset and I look back on a day full of impressions!  

3-10-2022 ZAINABAD (LITTLE RANN OF KACHCHH) 

I ask Dhanraj if he would like to take me to the Rann to spend some time with the locals who are working in the salt farms. These are illegal salt farms where people earn a meager living by pumping groundwater and extracting the salt.  

I get a tour through the vast fields and the man tries to explain to me how everything works here.  

I take off my slippers and decide to go into the field with him. I just do the work he does every day. To the eye it seems to be not too bad until you sink a few centimeters into the mud and you barely have any grip. Then you still have to trim the field with those heavy tools.  

In addition, you also have to level the field millimeter by millimeter. He often sinks halfway down his lower leg into the mega salty water.  

It’s quite hard work. It’s special that someone who has to work so hard just takes the time to hang out with you and explain about his life in the fields!  

I am invited for a cup of tea and can take a look at their ‘house’.  

It looks so structured and clean. It is made of jute bags and clay  

When I get back I’ll talk to Ian for a moment. When he sees my muddy feet, we start talking about the work of those people. He tells me that when these people die and are cremated, their feet to the middle of the lower leg and hands are not burned due to working in the salt fields. Quite shocking! 

Spend the whole afternoon at the dining table with Mitsra (Iranian girl) and Zaheede (wife of Dhanraj). 

She talks extensively about her life and how she experiences working at the guesthouse. I notice that people here are open and trust you. I also tell a few things about my deceased person and my plans for the future. Now that I’ve gotten to know her a little better (she was a bit quiet until today, looking straight forward) I’m even more looking forward to coming back here! But first check whether the teachers have sufficient knowledge of the English language. We are not just talking about misery. She also shares her passion for fabrics and having clothes made. So next year we will be shopping for authentic clothing made of soft loose cotton, a silky soft cotton type that is very airy to wear in the most beautiful colors! 

At the end of the afternoon we will visit family. The Princess of Bajahna. Every state has a royal family in India and here too we receive such a hospitable welcome.  

Before dancing, a Punja ceremony is performed, which we attend for a moment.  

I look back on a wonderful day!  

04-10-2022 ZAINABAD – BHUJ 

The early rhythm is nice. At 0630 I get out of bed and chat with Ian.  

During breakfast my visa is discussed and it turns out that because I have a tourist entry visa for a period of 5 years, I cannot apply for any other type of visa. I really need this if I am going to do volunteer work, because that is not allowed under a tourist visa. That’s a bummer and I’ll have to look into it when I get home! 

As for setting up the guesthouse, Dhanraj warned me to do this legally (possess work visas) because there are very strict rules here and you certainly don’t want to go to jail here!  

It seems like we’ll have to stick to online coaching/travel, blogging or something like that and do some short-term volunteer work. Also quite an excellent solution.  

I’m really sad to be leaving now because I really enjoyed my stay at Desert Eco Lodge! 

At 0930 I leave by tuk tuk for an hour-long ride to the station for my bus to Bhuj. Normally this bus runs directly from Ahmedabad to Bhuj, but Dhanraj knows the company I am traveling with and arranges an extra stop for me. He urges me to pay close attention to the bus number because it sometimes happens that people get on the wrong bus and he has to pay for the ticket!  

Along the way, make a stop at a gas station for a sanitary stop in case the bus does not stop along the way. When I open the toilet door, the smell of piss hits me. To make it complete, dozens of giant ants walk on the floor and walls and the cage is inimini. I have rarely peed so quickly and I don’t take the time to put my panties on properly. I storm out of the cage in disgust! 

When we arrive at the bus stop, it turns out that the bus has not yet left Ahmedabad. So I have to wait here for at least an hour and a half and it is now quite hot with no place in the shade.  

Fortunately, my driver can wait with me, so I still have a roof over my head, which offers some protection against the heat.  

Finally he (the mayor of Zainabad who drove me) drives to a place under a tree where it is a bit better to stay.  

It’s 12 o’clock and we’re still waiting. I’m dying of thirst but I don’t dare drink anything because I already have to pee and I’ll probably only get there around 18 p.m. I decide to take the risk and pee just behind the tuk tuk. Peeing has never been so fast. Very sad what it is in a kind of open building where I know people will sleep there tonight, but I couldn’t stand it anymore. Then just rinse with water… In and next to the building you can see that a cooking facility has been made from a kind of clay. They are quite inventive here.  

After 2,5 hours of waiting, the bus finally arrives. I see more people quitting here, so I come to the conclusion that I should take Dahnraj’s words with a grain of salt every now and then. 

When I want to sit in my spot (you can lie there) there is already a man in my reserved spot. He is kindly asked to leave. The man was lying there with shoes and all and it smelled like sweaty feet! Fortunately, the nasty smell goes away fairly quickly, but there’s no way I’m going to lay my head on that mattress!  

Luckily we have a pie break at 15pm! Still 135 km to go (2,5 hours)  

An hour before arrival I get stressed. The hotel that Dhanraj booked for me looks very shabby. I’m diligently looking for something descent for a reasonable amount, which isn’t easy, but I’m succeeding. The Tour for tomorrow has not yet been arranged, which is quite worrying because it is very touristy here.  

I finally arrive in Bhuj at 19 pm and at the hotel at 1930 pm. Time for a 0.0 dinner   

5-10-2022 NIRONA – THAN – HODKA – BHUJ 

I slept wonderfully last night. How nice it is to have a better mattress and pillows! 

At 8 am I leave for a day tour in an air-conditioned car!  

We visit tourist craft villages, the Than Monastery and the intention is to visit the Rann of Kuch at sunset.  

Because it is close to the Pakistani border, I need to have a passport with me today. 

This region has some mountains, which makes the view a lot more interesting than anything I’ve seen in this state.  

First we go to Nirona Village where we see people at work. Everything is still made by hand. Along the way we meet camel keepers. The young girls work just as hard even though they are no older than about 10 years old, I think. These camels are not used to transport goods but for milking.  

It is incredible to see how people turn rusted car parts into beautiful objects.  

They also show me how they decorate fabrics using only natural materials. 

Along the way I meet some children who like to take a break in front of the camera. When I buy them something tasty later, I discover that my money is no longer in the side pocket of my camera bag. The zipper was open. No idea if I lost it or left it in my room. Nice because I had about 80-90 peak in it and there are no ATMs in the area. Well great!  

The driver is trying to get some money somewhere. He manages to pay around 30 euros via socket. Locals can pay contactless almost everywhere. Something that I think is hardly possible in France, for example.  

The Than Monastery (12th century) is somewhat remote, we drive through the hills to get there. It is a beautiful green area. 

When we arrive it initially seems like nothing special, until you go inside. I am overwhelmed by the beautiful buildings and also the gurus who look very special with their orange rolled cloths on their heads and huge wooden rings through their ears. I’m in for a small part of the ceremony. They put something in a pipe and one by one they take a puff. It is special to see. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to capture it. The people here are also so friendly. I am offered food and drinks and asked if I want to go to the toilet. As if they can read minds. I won’t dwell on the smell and condition inside today, I paid enough attention to that yesterday…  

Along the way the driver points out to me a sign indicating that this is the ‘Tropic of Cancer’. I didn’t know what it was so looked it up: it marks the highest latitude in the Northern Hemisphere where the sun can be at zenith, perpendicularly above the Earth’s surface. 

It is an imaginary line around the Earth where the sun reaches its northernmost position once a year. The point is located in the middle of the Rann of Kutch area.  

We arrive at the Hodka Village. It is quite touristy and yet it is enjoyable. I especially enjoy the interaction with the children! They stick out their tongues and giggle, imitating the cat. I make funny faces and bark. We have the most fun. I am not interested in the products, I prefer the contact!  

If I understand correctly, the girls here go to school until the age of 7. Then they go to work making souvenirs from beads. The head of the village also owns a home stay. They are beautiful luxury houses. We have lunch here and the food is super good.  

During lunch I meet the French couple and their driver. 

After lunch we go to a village. It strikes me that people in the villages are mainly focused on sales and that you don’t really make contact. We were supposed to go to the Rann for sunset but I decided against it. The salt flats are not there yet, that’s only in 2 months, so I ask the driver to go to Bhuj Hill for sunset with a view over the city.  

Because we are driving past the center, the driver suggests we visit the Swaminarayan temple. It is a new temple of marble and gold. Everywhere, from the pillars to the walls and domes, you will see fine carvings and sculptures. 

We drive on to Bhuj Hill. The walk up is beautiful and there are only 3 people here. Very cool and the view is beautiful! 

When I return to the hotel I immediately start looking for the money. Not in my wallet. I’m bummed! Ultimately I find it in a completely illogical place. Typical ADD Nic! 

6-10-2022 BHUJ – MANDVI  

Just before 8 am I leave for Aina Mahal, a beautiful palace from 1752. Next to this palace there are two more: the Prag Mahal from the 19th century, designed by an Italian architect, and Rani Mahal from the 17th century. This was the king’s main residence and was almost completely destroyed by the 2001 earthquake. 

It doesn’t open until half past nine. I take some pictures of the outside until a few stray dogs approach me. I almost wet my pants, I can still clearly remember the growling and chasing dog in a village near Jailsemer in 2019. I dare not move. Fortunately, at some point a local comes along and I walk with him. Then I walk around the city, along the lake where some kind of festival is going on.  

Back at the Aina Mahal it turns out to be closed on Thursdays, so unfortunately I cannot visit the inside. Too bad because it seems to be beautiful! 

After a short walk I’m sweating so I continue with a tuk tuk. So funny how things work here. If your driver does not know the way (despite showing the route on Google Maps), within no time there will be 5 people surrounding the vehicle discussing how to get there and in the end you will always arrive at your destination. 

Around 11 am I return to the hotel to read a few things about Mandvi, my next destination. Turns out there is a private beach there where you can also enjoy delicious food. I’m going to grab this opportunity with both hands! So sightseeing this afternoon and tomorrow morning and then chilling for part of the day.  

The ride is super chill in an air-conditioned car and fun with the French and extremely friendly driver!  

On the way we first stop at the beautiful Jinalay Jain temple and then we visit the Vijay Vilas Palace. Savings, I can also go to a ceremony in the same Jain temple, which is quite special considering that access to Jain temples for tourists is usually prohibited.  

The ceremony lasts an hour during which people dance and play instruments. It is so funny to see that one moment people fully participate in the ceremony and the next they are busy with the phones again.  

This is followed by a ritual for their God. We can also stand by and participate in this. When I close my eyes I feel it coming in, I am in a kind of trance. After this we walk backwards out of the temple (you are not allowed to turn your back on their God). 

After lunch we visit the Vijay Vilas Palace, once a summer palace of the Kutch royal family from 1929. From the roof terrace you have a beautiful view of the estate and the beach of Mandvi behind it. 

It was a very nice experience to be able to ride with these people for a day and it is also a real added value if you go out with a good driver/guide! 

7-10-2022 MANDVI 

This morning it is cloudy so I am in no hurry to leave the guesthouse. The guesthouse flyer states that they can arrange a massage here, which is what I am going to do today. I also go with an acquaintance of the owner to his village where you are allowed to take photos of women in traditional clothing. 

When I want to take my things from the trolley, an unpleasant surprise awaits me. I see a huge cockroach in there!! I shout and get my stuff out. He jumps out of the suitcase and disappears somewhere on the bed. Gadget the gadver! The owner allegedly sprayed him to death but has not found him.  

I have some clothes left that I want to give to the Dalit people so I ask where I should go. Once there, I am overwhelmed with emotions. They live in such terrible conditions. When I walk back I almost feel guilty about how good I actually am. I want to buy some fruit and vegetables for them, but I don’t see any stalls, probably because it’s still too early.  

The reason why tourists come to Mandvi is the special shipbuilding industry. I take a few pictures of it but it doesn’t really pique my interest. On the way to the beach I come across beautiful homes with (again) such a lack of maintenance. How beautiful this village would be if everything were renovated!  

For the last part towards the beach I am offered a lift which I happily accept, so I jump on the back of the motorbike. When I arrive at the beach I think I see sunbeds. As I come closer, I am left with no illusions. They’re just benches. I also understand that the women here hardly go into the sea and if they do, it is with clothes on. You don’t see any tourists yet. Many people are ready to offer their services. From camel riding to a quad bike ride.  

Back I take a tuk tuk back to the guesthouse because I have to be on time for the massage, which turns out to be very special. The lady starts with her feet, sliding a copper bowl under my feet at a considerable speed. After some time the sole of my foot becomes hot and it is also completely black!  

After lunch I walk around the bazaar, where an older woman with a blind eye tries to extort money from me quite forcefully. My feet have never been so black before (and that is not from the massage itself, perhaps due to the oil on my body that retains the dust). Just take a shower then. My driver takes me to his family. They live there with 35 people, it is a great house, very clean and there was an atmosphere of harmony. Once again I am welcomed with open arms! Then we visit a few other families who proudly show what they make. We also stop along the way to buy some fruit and vegetables for the poor. It’s like they smell it. As soon as we stop in front of their tents, adults and small children come running towards us. I had 4 bags of food made, the children push each other to be the first. Heartbreaking to see this scene! The driver starts quickly  

the engine and speaks to them. Before I know it we’re driving again.  

We pass a few villages where people decorate fabrics and make pots by hand. 

Tonight by night bus to my next destination. 

Bhuj and Mandvi were quite nice, but I don’t think I would make the detour for these places next time. I think Bhuj is too touristy and Mandvi is more relaxed but not that special. Later I hear that you can go to local villages near Mandvi and that they are a lot less touristy than those near Bhuj. Maybe I’ll try it again someday… 

8-10-2022 JUNAGADH 

The ride last night went fairly smoothly. The only disadvantage was that it was a non-AC bus, so I had to keep my window open to get some (heavily polluted) air in. I don’t know what emissions our bus emitted, but it was so bad that I kept coughing and decided to sleep with a face mask on. I arrive at my destination at 07:00 am. First at the more luxurious hotel with a deck top bar and swimming pool, but it looked dilapidated due to renovation so I walked to another (cheaper) hotel that also had a swimming pool. I get the room for a good price and jump on the back of a motorbike to pick up my luggage at the other hotel.  

I had already heard that most sights are closed due to renovation at the moment, but I’m going to take a look anyway. First I walk to Mahabat Maqbara Mausoleum from 1851. It is an impressive building, a masterpiece of its kind with finely designed arches, vertical columns and extensive stone carvings on the walls and windows. The mausoleum of Mahabat Maqbara was once the royal residence of the Nawabs of Junagadh. 

At the hotel I am told that I can probably visit the Uparkot fort if I ask, so I jump in a tucktuck and let them take me there. And indeed, after some ‘ah please’ I can enter. The structure is said to date back to 319 BC although it has been expanded many times. In some places the ramparts reach up to 20 meters high. It has been besieged 16 times and legend has it that the fortress once withstood a 12-year siege. When I get to the top I have a view of the Ginar Hill which I will climb tomorrow at 6 am.  

Within the walls is a beautiful former mosque, a series of thousands of years old Buddhist caves and two beautiful stairwells and step wells. you can spend hours here. 

It is blisteringly hot and my white T-shirt is soaked! In the afternoon I chill in the pool, God this is so nice! 

Around half past five I storm down and take another chance to get inside the gates of the Mahabat Maqbara. And damn, smile sweetly and I can go in for 5 minutes. I end the visit with a selfie with the daughter of the man who let me in. Give a little, take a little!  

When I return I chat with the hotel manager. I ask him for the bus/train times for tomorrow. He says, let’s walk there and he asks me everything. The friendliness of the people here makes me so happy. Truly nothing is too much and they always have time for you and for each other!  

After dinner I see that the gate and the Mahabat Maqbara are beautifully illuminated. I run upstairs and build a tripod hoping to capture it. Chair on the table, window open as wide as possible, level it with a pack of cigarette butts, tea bags… hihi I’m having a good time. Tomorrow the alarm goes off at 0515:XNUMX am  

mountain walk of 10000 steps. I don’t know yet whether I will do them all. I have heard that you absolutely have to grab the first 5000, okay then. Grrrrr  

9-10-2022 JUNAGADH – Gondal  

At 6 am I leave for Gilbert Hill and at 6:30 am I start my climb. It is a sacred mountain full of Hindu and Jain temples. Pilgrims come here every day to climb the 10000 steps.  

What I always forget to mention is that many cars here still run on gas tanks. Just like Dhanraj’s daughter. She had a huge tank in her trunk! It’s not surprising that there is so much smog in this country!  

I encounter people who are already at the end of the return journey, people on the way up, monkeys, many monkeys that make me pause for a moment. They look just like people and even in the way they sit I think I can see the difference between male and female. One sits neatly, legs together and hands on the knees, while the other sits with his legs apart and scratches his crotch.  

The walk is tough and beautiful. At half past seven the sweat is already on my back and that is putting it mildly. I’m pissed and wet. Along the way I try to take some pictures of people inconspicuously, as they try to take of me. After 3500 steps I finally arrive at the Jain temple of Neminath from the 12th century. This is also the largest and oldest temple here with stupas decorated with beautiful mosaics. It is truly beautiful on the inside and the peace and quiet that prevails there is overwhelming. Unfortunately I am not allowed to take photos. 

I’m not sure whether I’m going to walk back or take another 2700 steps up to take the gondola back. I choose the second option and it is difficult. It is even steeper now and the sun is shining brightly on my face.  

Along the way I encounter transvestites who beg. She has a lot of money in her hand. Dhanraj had earlier said that the story doing the rounds is that if you don’t give them money, some kind of curse will come on you. Am I glad I’m not religious! You also see mothers with whole packs of water on their heads making the climb and people who let two men carry them up or down on a kind of chair. I feel sorry for those men, because I only see obese people using the service.  

At 9:15 am I finally reach the point of 5000 steps and where the temple or Amba Mata is located. The story goes that a visit to this temple predicts a good marriage. I decide not to climb any higher and join the queue to buy a ticket for the gondola down. 

When I sit in the gondola I see what a feat I have accomplished. My goodness, it went up so steeply! 

I go back to the hotel to take a shower and then leave for Gondal. Arriving at the station it is chaos here, like everywhere in India. I ask about the bus and it turns out to be pulling away in front of me. The next one is in 30 minutes. I sprint behind the bus with my suitcase and all and call the driver and yes, they stop and I can come along!  

At some point I will receive a text from the contact person of the next hotel. He reminds me that he had booked an AC train ticket for me. Also before departure at 1130. I then sit in the hot bus. Typical Nic again! 

Arriving in Gondol I take a tuk tuk to Orchard Palace, which was once the Royal guesthouse and is now one of the best Heritage hotels in Gujarat. I only have a living room (bigger than my loft) and an immense bedroom with separate dressing room. The Royals, great grandson and family of the last king (Maharaja) live in the palace next to the hotel where he has a huge collection of vintage and classic cars and which he still drives himself. Tonight I will eat at the hotel (my most expensive meal so far (11 euros). I am told that I am being served a royal meal because I am eating what the pot has to offer. I am curious. Everything seems to come fresh from my own vegetable garden. .  

It is a nice experience to be here, but my main reason for this choice was the swimming pool and the garden, which provide an opportunity to relax and not be surrounded by dust.  

After an hour at the pool I prepare to go to a village where women are traditionally dressed and whom I can photograph. The butler is coming with me lol. The Tour fell apart for 2 reasons. 1 because a highly respected man from the village died and 2 because it suddenly came out of the blue. A very local shower because back in Gondal it is dry (12 km away).  

I get a three course dinner and it is surprisingly tasty, I have never eaten here so refined!  

10-10-2022 GONDAL 

Unfortunately, it is very cloudy this morning, so there is no point in an early visit to the palace. So I have all the time. When I walk around the grounds, I come across the parking lot of the cars. One model is even more beautiful than the other. There are even examples from before the First World War, really beautiful!  

I also arrange a taxi for tomorrow, it costs a bit but it saves me about 5 hours of travel, a transfer in Bhavnagar and 8 hours of travel in total in a local bus without air conditioning. I can get there by taxi in 4,5 hours. 

Gondal is a compact and friendly town. I immediately feel at home here! Around 9 o’clock I go into town with the butler (completely in uniform, only without a beret this time) past the market, temple and the family’s river palace. We also visit a school. I tell him about the level of education and what we could do. He will first discuss this with his manager, who will then present it to the queen because the family funds the school. Everything is paid for for the children. They pay for uniforms and books for the poorer people. Participation in education is free. I give him the information in the hope of starting a conversation with her. 

The city is bustling but not overcrowded. The people are very approachable and the Hindu temple is beautiful on the inside! We walk through the city for almost 3 hours and I really enjoy it!  

In the afternoon I meet with the French and Ranjeet. They just happen to be here too. We talk about the journeys the French made with him.  

I must and will get mom here, so I discuss in detail what I have in mind and what the trip should include. I get really excited because we have a beautiful route in mind. Now just have to get Mom to do that!  

I’m going out with my butler for a while and we end up at the liquor shop. They don’t have alcohol free so I apply for my permit. If I had known afterwards that it would take them more than half an hour to get my permit in order to have a beer, I would have let it go. They need my passport, proof of my flight, my visa and everything is recorded. However, my butler is happy because he buys a bottle of J&B on my permit for when her brother-in-law comes during Diwali. This means that I am not allowed to buy any drinks in this state for the next 10 days. Best of all, it turns out the beer isn’t even chilled! 

He gives me a lift back to the hotel, on the same site, and I see him driving back to the liquor shop with his bag of alcohol.  

When I walk downstairs a few minutes later to get a glass, I see that he is back. Maybe a bad thought on my part, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he sells the bottle on the black market and makes a big profit! I thought it was strange that he paid the taxes (60%) of the price of my beer and that he bought a bottle of alcohol for no less than 30 euros excluding tax.  

During dinner, the butler tells me that there is an event in the area tonight and asks if I want to go. Of course I want that!  

When we arrive, we are asked if I can watch. I am allowed to do that and receive a very warm welcome. I even get a seat with the guests of honor! In addition to the usual photos/videos that are often taken of me, a professional cameraman is now also filming and I am in the picture with my sniffer.  

First some women are honored, then the show starts.  

The women wear the most beautiful and colorful dresses and watching their dance show is a party. I could have watched this for hours! 

11-10-2022 GONDAL – PALITANA 

This morning I will visit the Ayurveda doctor for a check up. I appear to be in good health for my age, despite some swollen stomach. He prescribes a few things, but because it doesn’t bother me, I decide not to buy anything. Back at the hotel, the butler and I visit the car collection (the king has 110 pieces in his possession), some of which are exclusive examples of which only one was made. The oldest copy dates from 1903.  

This family really seems to collect everything. From dolls, crockery, tea pots and even eggs that are exhibited in the Naulakha museum.  

At 12 o’clock I take the taxi to Palitana.  

On the way we drive through some villages and many cotton fields. It’s a pleasant ride in the back of a car with air conditioning!  

For the first time I see a dead cow lying on the street. Until now it has been limited to a dead dog here and there. We even come across a stop sign, which I haven’t seen here before!  

When we still have about 30 minutes to go to our destination, the landscape becomes much hillier, which is a pleasant change.  

As far as I can see from the car, Palitana really looks like a dirty village and it looks very unattractive! There is waste literally everywhere. I’ve never seen it this bad before. I’ll check with the hotel but I don’t think I’ll venture out here.  

When we almost arrive at the guesthouse I am pleasantly surprised again. It is so quiet here, I hear the birds singing, see some farmers walking across the road with their donkeys and the house where I am going to sleep with its garden is truly beautiful. I’ll enjoy myself here for the next 24 hours! 

I am taken to the living room, given a cup of chai and the door is closed. I have no idea what is expected of me now! 

I decide to go outside and enjoy the view. It is very cloudy and there is a cool breeze. I think there’s going to be rain. 

The owner has 2 dachshunds walking around, the first time I have seen a purebred dog in India! 

Once I’ve checked in, I’ll go for a walk. I soon bump into an old man who wants to show me his garden, Buffalos and house.  

I look fascinated at the expressions of these best ones, they look so languid in their eyes, until one of them seems to bow to me. That was a hilarious sight!  

I think I smell something of alcohol on the old man and when he walks with me later he doesn’t seem to be completely steady on his feet. He just wants to go out with me, but I don’t take any chances, so I brush him off. A little later I meet a girl, about 11 years old. She has long stories in Gujarati, we don’t understand each other and yet we seem to have a connection. At first she doesn’t want to have her picture taken, but later she takes me to her family and they ask for pictures. I have to make a whole series of them in all kinds of settings and I am happy to do this. I ask for a phone number so I can send them the photos.  

When I want to say goodbye she tries to ask me about money, money and necklace. She even wants a cigarette. I give her nothing and say goodbye to her. What a portrait this was. I enjoyed it immensely! 

12-10-2022 PALITANA – MUMBAI VIA BHAVNAGAR  

Shartrunjaya is one of the holiest pilgrimage site for the Jains. The temples, some of which are more than 900 years old, are located on a mountain that will have to be climbed again. I’m lucky because the hotel is located on a favorable side of the mountain, so I will only have to climb 2700 steps instead of 3500.  

This is the last sight of this trip and I must say also one of the most impressive! The walking route to it is shorter than the climb in Junagadh, but I think it is also a lot steeper. And this time I also have to walk the way back down. I don’t meet a single local or a few animals. I have a beautiful view over the valley. There is a serene peace here! When I arrive at my destination after 75 minutes of climbing, my jaw drops. It is overwhelmingly beautiful here and for the first hour I don’t encounter anyone except for a few guards and people cleaning the grounds. Around 9:30 am I meet some people who come to pray here and when I am on the way back I see a number of women with donkeys just outside the walls of the temple complex. They wear beautiful and I think very heavy silver arm and ankle bracelets. Unfortunately, they do not want to be photographed. They do ask me to sit with them and one of the ladies shows a film of her dance performance during Navrati. A little later I continue my route towards the hotel. Along the way I see beautiful birds, butterflies and flowers and I enjoy the walk in absolute peace. I only hear the birds singing and every now and then a sound that I would rather not hear (snake?). Luckily I don’t see one but I’m on the lookout!  

When I arrive downstairs I see a cow running away and three guests chasing her on their scooters, hilarious!  

At 1130 I arrive soaked, have a cup of tea and a cold shower. 

At 16 pm I am picked up to go to the station in Bhavnagar for the night train to Mumbai. A ride of approximately 850 kilometers.  

When we are 5 minutes into the journey, the owner of the hotel calls. Forgot your charger! I already had a gut feeling in the car but thought; no, you always check your room. Well not this time! Before we enter Palitana we stop with a family to ask if I can take a few photos. Those jewelry fascinate me and I haven’t really gotten a picture of them yet. We stop and I can go ahead. They even enjoy it. Of course I will forward the photos to them. It turns out that the ladies with those heavy silver jewelry do not come from this state at all, but from Rajasthan. About 60 years ago they emigrated to Gujarat for a reason unknown to me. I put on my espadrilles for the ride in the hope of keeping my feet dry if I have to use an Indian toilet…  

It is always exciting to take the train here. I rush to the train for fear that it will leave early. This is not the case and I am in the second best class. It is a sleeper AC with only 4 beds per compartment. I also get clean bedding and a pillow, I can adjust the temperature and charge my phone if necessary.  

I am (still) with 2 men who are both friendly. Even the toilet is dry. Around 20 p.m. I am expected to lie down.  

I sleep upstairs where I’d rather not lie because I won’t have a view tomorrow morning. My neighbors get off at 0130, hopefully their spot will remain free for the rest of the ride.  

Tomorrow is my last day in India and I don’t feel like going back to the Netherlands at all! 

13-10-2022 MUMBAI  

My last day again. When I think about my return to the Netherlands I feel a knot in my stomach! 

Around 0715 I think we drive through the suburbs of Mumbai.  

My night on the train: all in all, it’s not too bad. Toilets didn’t smell, I got clean bedding, it was quiet on the train. Only the mattress was very hard, which woke me up a few times, but I feel pretty good.  

When I arrive in Mumbai I take a tuk tuk for a 30 minute ride to my hotel (a bit shabby) but hey, we take it in stride…  

It takes me a while to find my feet and decide what I’m going to do today. At 1050 am I leave for Bandra and will stroll around a market and have lunch.  

The sun is not shining today, which provides a pleasant “cooling”. 

Most tuktuk drivers have no idea where and how to get to places outside their neighborhood. My driver wants to drop me off at a market in another neighborhood. Long live Google Maps! 

So he has now made a long detour and it takes me 1h20 instead of 40 minutes! 

Well, that shopping doesn’t happen much. I wanted to buy traditional trousers with a top and of course I want a certain quality (mullet cotton) because this is a very thin cotton type, feels soft and absorbs heat. After 3 shops (kind of stalls) and not finding anything, I give up. On my last day I decide to go to a typical foreigners’ place for a salad and a cappuccino that they are known for. Indeed, I mainly encounter foreigners here. Until now I didn’t see so many in one place!  

A last day like that is always a bit strange for me, I know I’m almost leaving and I prefer to leave straight away. This just won’t work because my flight doesn’t leave until early tomorrow.  

What is also becoming increasingly clear to me is that big cities in general, but especially in India, are not my thing. The more remote places, nature, farmers, the peace and quiet and hearing the birds suit me better.  

As I’m still sitting there trying to figure out where I’m going next, I hear some really loud lightning and then it comes pouring down from the sky. While waiting for the rain to slow down, I started talking to two Indian women. They recommend me a shop. Given the weather, I’ll go for that.  

I already had a bad feeling about this hotel this morning, but tonight I received an email informing me that I have canceled my room and that costs will be charged. Room was paid for in cash and I have a key! The email states that if I have not canceled and my room has been offered at a lower price, I must call a certain number. Done and no call back. It doesn’t feel good to have to stay here! To complete the story, the drivers don’t know where my hotel is and I walk from one side to the other in the busy traffic with children chasing me while begging. This is one of the reasons I don’t like those big cities! Eventually I am helped by a nice man and I am on my way to the hotel.  

Upon arrival at the hotel, I immediately ask for proof of payment. Initially the best man says you will receive this by email when you check out. Better now anyway. And I get the proof.  

At 0400 I have to go to the airport, it will be another short night! 

Amsterdam – Delhi 27-09-2023 

After a roller coaster of emotions while saying goodbye to my loved ones in recent weeks, I finally walk through customs at 1830 with a feeling of enormous freedom; India here we come!!! 

I received a letter from my best buddy asking me not to read it until on board. I’ve been wondering for days whether I should open the envelope. Do I do it on board or do I take a moment to do it when I’m sitting on a veranda somewhere? I still haven’t figured it out. On the one hand, curiosity challenges me and on the other hand, I postpone it as long as possible so as not to be confronted with the reality of the farewell…  

When I arrive at the gate, I feel like I’m in little India. I think only 1% of travelers are not of Indian origin!  

Delhi – Tapukara 28-09-23 

Upon arrival in Delhi I do not see Anku at the agreed location. I ask a local for a telephone booth and have his phone pressed into my hands. That’s how it goes here!  

On the way to Vipin’s parental home we talk a lot, a nice guy, Vipin’s brother! That’s a good thing because I’ll be doing business with him soon if all goes well.  

When I arrive at their home, in a small town an hour from Delhi, I am greeted by the entire family and offered all kinds of snacks. I’m definitely not hungry, but refusing here is very rude. So it is a constant decision whether I should take another bite or just say thank you kindly.  

It is a large house with a sofa and table in each bedroom where you eat. Just like during my previous trip, I eat with the men, the women serve the food and make sure you don’t miss anything! 

Toilets here are a bit of a problem, there is no toilet paper, you have to rinse with water. It is hygienic, but I don’t think it is very convenient…  

Anku has to work in the afternoon, he suggests that I take a rest, but I know that if I lie down I will fall asleep. I say I want to go into the village for a while. Don’t think you can go alone, I have an entire escort with me and we walked to Vipin’s cousin’s house. A baby was born there a few days ago. I immediately get it pressed into my arms. He is so cute! It’s a double feeling to hold this baby in my arms while I haven’t been able to hold my own grandson…  

When I lie down in bed at 16 p.m. to write, I feel quite tired!  

Tonight or tomorrow let’s see how and what we are going to plan for the coming days!  

I spend the afternoon alternately with Vipin’s family and with my nose in the travel documents. After some fiddling, I have a rough plan for the 2 weeks to come. 

The people here are so friendly, interested in Dutch culture and completely shocked when they hear about our customs! 

Vipin’s cousin has arranged a SIM card for me with unlimited internet, so I don’t have to worry if I have to work online. At 1930 I give in, but I have to hold on a little longer because we still have to eat. Food that once again tastes delicious. Everything is done for me, I am not allowed to help with anything. Feels uncomfortable!  

An unpleasant surprise awaits me in the evening. I’m on my period, omg how am I going to survive this?!  

Tapukara 29-09-2023 

I slept almost around the clock last night, fearing Corona. All the people I was with before leaving seem to have it. Isa, Rene and Pien. Mom just got rid of it and she seems to have been the pass-through…  

I walk early through the main street of the village looking for coffee, but unfortunately in vain. Luckily I still have some bags in stock in my suitcase.   

Later I get a cup of tea, I sit in the room where pretty much everything takes place. The room is 5 by 3, there is a bed, a sofa with coffee tables, a piece of furniture with an (old) TV on it and a prayer altar. People socialize, eat, pray and sleep in the space. Last night there were 6 of us here and no one ever gets in each other’s way! Everything goes smoothly here. You only see children laughing and knowing how to entertain themselves.  

At 10 am we will visit some schools and I get approval from Marian to start the projects! Vipin’s father was as happy as a little child!  

When I get home, family has been coming in pretty much all afternoon. They all want to see the white dude. I then sit down and drink Chai all day long. At the end of the day, Vipin’s niece wants to dress me in a sari, so I am happy to oblige. Of course, selfies should not be missed!  

Tapukara – Alwar – Jaipur 30-09-2023 

This morning I drive with Anku towards Jaipur. Along the way we will stop at a number of places that seem worthwhile and that are off the usual tourist paths.  

First we take a detour because a friend of Anku is coming with us (Mintu). He speaks very poor English, we use our hands and feet to make ourselves understood. We stop first in Alwaar, the oldest kingdom of Rajasthan and visit the city palace. Unfortunately we don’t have time to visit the fort. 

Then we drive through the National Park towards Jaipur. 

The route through the Aravalli Mountains is beautiful! Even Anku and Mintu are impressed. They had not taken this route before. On the way we take the exit into the park to visit a temple that is important to Hindus. It remains impressive to see the ceremonies!  

It takes quite some time to drive through the mountains, so we only arrive at the villages at sunset and we cannot visit them further.  

When we leave the Aravalli area, Anku thinks it’s time to get a beer. For this you don’t sit on a terrace like in the Netherlands, no, you get a 650 ml bottle in your lap and drink it in the back seat of the car hahaha. This whole thing should not be told to Anku’s family because drinking alcohol and smoking (which he did all day long) is not done!  

Jaipur 01-10-2023 

At first I felt a bit upset this morning. It turns out that I am far from the center and notice that I still have to find my way. This soon changes, I receive one invitation after another from people I contact via Facebook. I still don’t know exactly what I’m going to do. When I am having breakfast, the owners of the house come and sit with me and it soon turns out that the lady of the house is in education and could possibly help me with schools in different parts of Rajasthan.  

A little later, a newly engaged couple sits down at the table. We chatted for 2 hours about the customs of our countries and have a nice connection. Dhruv and Saloni appear to be very impressed by my story (leaving everything behind and going on an adventure) and they say they have many more questions for me. They invite me to have dinner with them in Jaipur sometime next week.  

I am strongly advised not to visit the old center of the city because a murder of a Muslim has been committed. It will probably remain restless there for days. Now I don’t necessarily have to go into the old center. When I go out with the owners at the end of the day, they tell me what was going on in the old center. It was a car accident between a Hindu and a Muslim, after which they came to blows and the Muslim died that night in the hospital. As a result, the Muslims no longer tolerated Hindus in their neighborhood. After the Hindus had raised money for the cremation and the blame turned out to be with the Muslims, peace had returned to the old center. I received nothing further from this.  

On the way back they want to eat at Mac’s (of all places!), well then, bahhhh  

In the evening I sit on the roof terrace with the whole family until 2330. She drinks huge bubbles of whiskey, I drinks a beer. There seems to be no hierarchy at all within this family. Everyone drinks together, talks, laughs and partners are chosen out of love and not arranged. It’s special to experience this side too!   

This morning Virendra comes by, a man I have known for some time through Facebook. He occasionally does something in tourism and knows the region well. He wants to take me to my next destination next week and spend a few days exploring the area together. I think I’ll do it because this way I can also stop at some spots along the way that I want to explore. In the afternoon I go out with the daughter-in-law of the owners to shop for some local clothing. I have forgotten her name, but I do know that her name means rain. Then call her rain haha.  

We go in and out of the store, as usual I have a fixed idea of ​​what I want to buy and I can’t find it. Finally after 5 hours of shopping I find something, I am devastated. God I hate shopping! I’m struck by how the differences in casting are still expressed here. When entering a store, the door is kept open. The customer is also waiting for this to happen! When I have tried on clothes and want to put them back neatly, rain says to me; no, the staff does that! When I shop in the rain, she carries my bags. She also always lets me go first.  

Once again we are talking about differences in culture. Time and again the locals are in shock when I tell them how it works for us. There is clearly a hierarchy here and certainly a lot of respect for parents. For example, it is not done not to answer the phone immediately when your parent calls (or did I mention this before?) and also the servant of the family who has an open room on the roof terrace with machines and only a bed with a “mattress” made of rope. In any case, it impresses me a lot!  

At 2030 I finally returned and was able to score some clothes in the last shop! Post quickly now because there are 2 who are getting impatient… 

Jaipur 03-10-2023 

This morning I’m going out with Vivrendra. We drive back towards the Aravalli mountains. On the way he asks me about my plans for tomorrow. I tell him that I have been invited to a ranch near Jaipur to take pictures of horses. He asks for the man’s name and when I tell him he warns me. The man seems not to be trusted! I’m not sure if I should believe him so I checked with Millan, another horse man who lives 1000 km away. He confirms the story. He would harass foreign women. The entire horse world seems to draw each other’s attention here. So we’re not going!  

First we stop in the old village of Ajabgarh. It is serene, life takes place here at a leisurely pace. It is surrounded by mountains. We get out to take a walk through the village and take a look at a lady who is crushing grain and I look around her tea shop. You really go back 50 years in time here! 

Then we drive towards Neelkanth, an area in the Aravalli mountains where there are many temples. It’s quite a beautiful drive there. After a lot of winding and occasionally bad roads we arrive at a centuries-old temple. We get off here. I enjoy the people who come to pray here and the peace that reigns here!  

Once again we look for the village of Rusirani, but unfortunately we cannot find it. You should actually take a guide with you for this area who is familiar with the area.  

Along the road we see Nomads who settle along the road. They always move on after a few days in the hope of selling something again. I ask Vivrendra how these poor people can wear so much silver jewelry. He explains to me that the jewelry has been handed down for generations. The ancestors of these people once worked for the king and fought against the Mongols. As a proof of honor to the loyal followers (who, like their king, gave up their home when the Mongols conquered their country) he gave them jewelry at the time. These people still live according to the traditions of the king at the time, which means they roam the state. Some of these nomads now have a permanent home.  

Then we drive towards Bhangarh, a 17th-century settlement that was mysteriously abandoned shortly after its completion.  

I also went here with mom in March. We visited the Abhaneri stepwell then and again now. Only now we also take the time to walk through the village. In the car I sit right behind Virendra and I’ve been amazed all day how on earth he manages to have such bushes of hair on his ears. I haven’t seen anything like this before!!  

When I want to put the photos on the laptop in the evening, I see that they are very grainy. So panic because I have no idea what went wrong! Being able to wipe away almost everything! Fortunately, the food was excellent, which allowed me to forget my misery for a while! The owner also tells me that she is actively looking for schools. She would also prefer to receive training at her school because she absolutely loves the method.  

Ajabgarh 04-10-2023 

All morning I have been diligently looking for a solution to my camera problem. I have the feeling that things have improved a bit now, but I still don’t think the photos are very sharp!  

I also see Vivrenda who is trying to sell me a tour to Amer for 3000 rupee while he initially offered yesterday. 3600 would go out with me all day. So I’m not going to do this! I pick up my clothes together with Rain. She calls an Uber for this. So this doesn’t cost any liquorice! I just look at what it would cost to drop me in Amer; 300 rupees!!!    

I notice that I have some difficulty going out of my comfort zone. I have been so pampered so far that it is difficult for me to make my own independent plan. Come on Dane, don’t act like that, you’re just going to order an Uber and head to the old center. Rain doesn’t understand at all that I don’t take an air-conditioned taxi. I explain to her that the air conditioning only gives me a cold and I like the tuk tuk much more. Along the way I feel alive, I feel free and privileged. This is how I prefer to experience India! I clearly needed a little push!    

I am having an Indian set made in the old center. It is completely custom made and the dress, pants and scarf are completely matched! The man takes all my measurements. It looks very professional at first glance!  

After shopping I walk a little bit to take a few photos. The owners of the homestay send another message asking if I have arrived safely. Yes, I’m even on my way back and tomorrow I’ll definitely hit the road in the same way. I should have done this much sooner!  

The tailor comes by in the evening. Turns out I’m 1 screwed because only the scarf is loose cotton and 2 I look like a clown in the custom clothing. The pants are especially hilarious! Fortunately, Regen’s mother-in-law will take over from me and I can get new fabric tomorrow and I will have to go to a (now good) tailor again. I also have some charging stress tonight. That will not be going to the flower market early tomorrow, but back to the fabric shop and to the electronics stores together with Regen. Very sweet that she comes along! 

I call Anku around 2330 to discuss the next stay and the drive to my next destination. At 0100 at night I’m bouncing in bed! 

Jaipur 05-10-2023 

I was supposed to leave this morning at 10 am with Regen, around 1130 she finally arrived. They are not really punctual here and my patience is being tested. I’m a bit disappointed that I had enough plans for today. But don’t complain. Hopefully we’ll be done fairly quickly, which I don’t expect to be honest, but that’s fine!  

Jaipur 06-10-2023 

This morning I leave at 0715 towards Galta Temple, about 10 km from Jaipur. The temple is known for its natural springs, the water of which accumulates in tanks (kunds). There are seven sacred tanks, the holiest of which is the Galta Kund, which never dries up. The water is said to be several elephants deep and is fed by a spring flowing through the mouth of a carved cow. 

It is considered an honor to bathe in the waters of Galtaji, especially on Makar Sankranti, and thousands of people come to bathe here every year. 

It is still wonderfully quiet on the road and the temperature is pleasant! When I stop at Galta Kund to take photos, I see a man in the water trying to resuscitate a parakeet, unfortunately to no avail.  

When getting into the tuk tuk, it already has some start-up problems. We come to a stop along the way! Eventually he gets it working again and we continue driving.    

The last 10 minutes of the ride we drive through a beautiful part of Rajasthan. You see the mountains on either side and here too the world seems to go back 50 years in time. Once there, it is teeming with monkeys and cows. I say 10 colors but I’ll have to get over it because those animals just walk around here!   

Soon a young man speaks to me and we chat. My Western background makes me a bit suspicious, could he want something from me? It soon turns out not. He tells me a lot about how he has been feeding and caring for the 5000 monkeys here during COVID. He shows me videos of it. I am impressed by his goodness. He also tells how he took care of three street boys 10 years ago and taught them English. (he was 15 years old at the time) and how they now earn some money here at this temple. He takes me on the back of his motorcycle with another boy, yes, there are three of us on that thing. It goes up steeply and there are boulders everywhere, I hold my breath, but when I reach the top I am surprised with a beautiful view of the city!  

His friend, the street boy, gives me a lift down where I can take a tuk tuk. On the way he asks me if he can be my servant. He doesn’t need money, but he does need food in return. My heart breaks. I give him some money when we say goodbye and a little later the other boy calls me with the meddling that you don’t give good friends money for a service. Well this is India!    

I’m having myself taken to a camera shop for a custom cable for my charger. After some hop on hop off I finally find a shop where I can buy these. I have to pay attention to the time today because I have to work in the afternoon. Last night I did some more research into the shops where Regen took me to buy local clothes. Unlike the other day, I see all kinds of nice clothing items online, so I decide to go back. At cottons I succeed and do well. I have a whole Indian wardrobe! For just a little more than what I recently paid for those 2 sets. So we won’t do that anymore! I get home at 1430 and I have just an hour to eat before I go to work. Rain wants to see all my sets, so we’ll take another look at my acquisitions together!  

She makes me an ice cold lassie, God this tastes so good!    

My trip so far has cost a little more than the monthly amount I had planned. Let’s just think of it as a few weeks of vacation. In 3 weeks I will start spending less…  

My first video calling appointment went quite well, apart from some minor start-up problems. Just like I was in the Netherlands, nice! After our conversation I walk to a street tea shop and drink a delicious Chai 

My second appointment is canceled and that doesn’t suit me that bad. I think I’m going to do something fun! Or just chill or buy a pair of matching shoes hihi  

In the end I stay home and spend the evening with the host family. It’s super fun. These people are so warm! Regen’s mother-in-law (Varsha, yes I finally have her name again!!) also put me in touch with a lady who has a lot of influence within NGOs and schools for underprivileged children. I explain to her what we do and she is very enthusiastic about the key. So to be continued! 

I spend the entire evening with the family, we exchange experiences about our cultures, travels, life… I can always call them if I ever need anything. Another great experience staying here, I’m sad that I’m leaving tomorrow! 

Jaipur 07-10-2023 

Today I was going to Umaid Vilas on Divyraj’s invitation. However, his sister-in-law calls me and invites me to stay at their own house (Dileep kothi) so that we can get acquainted. This place is even more beautiful than the one I would stay in before, really wow! If you were to book a room here, you would spend 200 euros per night and I would just be invited. How privileged am I?!! 

I feel a bit broke today. It was late yesterday, I drank a little too much beer, smoked too much, ate too little and didn’t sleep enough. Now you have blisters, your own fault! 

Going to the toilet is really a thing. You have to take off your clothes and when you are done, you stand with your buttocks under the tap. I don’t have a shower tray, so the bathroom floods. You then dry this with a squeegee and then dry yourself again and walk out of the bathroom to get dressed again. Just something for me, always impatient/hurried, so I didn’t dry my feet properly and I collapsed on the marble floor!   

The villa where I arrive early in the afternoon is truly stunningly beautiful! It is located in a luxurious residential area of ​​Jaipur, I can’t believe it and it is so quiet here! I meet the owner and she tells me about the history of the building and the family. Then I go on a work visit. We visit their other 2 properties, including the one where I would originally sleep. I have no idea why I got this upgrade, but for a moment I imagine myself in Western luxury. It seems to be very special to be able to buy a piece of land opposite the palace of the King of Jaipur. The reason this family had this privilege years ago is because they were close friends of the king.   

When we get back I sit down at a Western restaurant and order something to eat.  

I’m still negotiating my trip to Deogarh next Monday. Virendra offers a good price, but he also needs to be offered accommodation if he travels for a few days. At one point he suggests sleeping on a mattress in my room. Well, I didn’t think so! Whahahaha then pay a little more! Now let’s see what he will charge for the day trip there.   

Before dinner I briefly meet the man of the house and eat together with mother and daughter-in-law. The food tastes fantastic and once again we exchange our views on culture and way of life.  

After one and a half thousand tables I’m calling it a day, I’m still broke!  

Jaipur 08-10-2023 

I wake up at 0750, my plan to go to Central Park falls apart. It’s already quite hot outside at 0830!  

At 10 o’clock I can go to the Royal Gaitor; the Royal Cenotaphs. These are located just outside the center of Jaipur. A place little known to foreign tourists. Once again I’m amazed. I decide to climb up to see if I have a nice view from there. It is quite a climb for a smoker and every time I take a walk like this I resolve to stop smoking and then light up again when I get to the bottom…   

It’s slippery along the way. I’m walking in my slippers and sweat is pouring all over my body! When I reached the top I could have taken some side paths, but I decided against it. If I drink chai I order an Uber. I go to a neighborhood in the old center, Johari bazaar, to see if I can find a certain stone for (colleague) Rens’ wife. It seems that you have to be careful because as a non-expert you can often be scammed. We’ll see!  

I spent 2 hours looking for the bazaar. Almost all jewelers were closed and when I was taken to the last possible place it turned out that there was nothing there. A skinny man comes to my tuk tuk and wants to help us. I’m a bit hesitant but let him come along. In no time he will want to drag me from place to place, it will be difficult for me to get rid of him. Eventually I brush him off and get dropped off at a beautiful bar (Bar Palladio). It is an oasis of peace and radiates luxury, while 50 meters away you imagine yourself back in the chaos.  

I have a date at 1530:1600 PM. Yes yes hihi they are really not punctual in India. He hasn’t arrived yet at 450. Initially he wanted to pick me up and have a drink at his own hotel, but I like to be independent so we meet at the peacock bar. A super nice bar on a roof terrace XNUMX meters from my accommodation. Well, that bar looked super nice just like my date, but the service was more than shit and I had to pull the words right out of my date’s mouth. I have never experienced this before in India! In addition, he is married.” He says he is in a very complicated marriage, yep, I’ve heard that before! After an hour of boredom I run away. He invites me to dinner, but no, I’ll pass! 

During the date, Jesse (my nephew) called me, I enjoyed that so much! It was short because his mobile data would otherwise use up too quickly, but it was so nice to hear his voice! 

Just before my date I speak to Jigar for a moment, the room in Pushkar becomes a different place because the owner has leased the guest house. He does have an alternative. Well, we’ll see what we’re going to do. Maybe I’ll just go there for the fair. In any case, Jigar lets me know that if I want to stay in Pali district I can stay with his parents or in one of his apartments. In India, nothing ever goes as planned and I actually quite like that!    

As I walk back to my hotel a man speaks to me. He says I have such a happy face (I hear this often here and I’m not aware of it). He says most tourists look sullen and don’t want to engage in conversations with locals for fear that they want something from the tourists. My experience is generally that people are genuinely interested. He asks where I come from and wants to exchange experiences. That’s what we do. This is one of the things I like about this. I get to talk to a wide variety of people all day long. Everyone seems to have time to pay attention to each other!  

After a few phone calls with home, I go somewhere for a bite to eat. I thought it would be an Indian restaurant but it turns out to be a mix of everything. Definitely a nice place full of Indians.  

I start talking to my neighbors who are in tourism and I order whatever they are eating. Some cheese steak with sauce and some vegetables. Not my thing, but my stomach is full again, which happens sometimes. I have to lose some excess kilos so that works out well! I think I eat and drink for 8 euros, well that’s not the cost

I think Virendra’s car is almost repaired so we can leave tomorrow haha  

Deogarh 9-10-2023 

This morning I would leave at 0930. It ends up being 1130 before Vivendra arrives because his car was not ready yet. I was a little irritated, I can tell you, then someone told me, in India we assume that if things don’t go as planned, then maybe it should have been that way and that’s a good thing. Well, a different way of looking at things and one that also provides a lot more peace of mind. We’ll keep this in!   

Yet my mood does not improve gradually. We arrive in Bagru and it turns out that he doesn’t know the way there and we arrive there much too late because the people who treat the block print fabrics have long since finished. I tell him to drive straight to our destination. Along the way I stop a few times because his car makes squeaking and creaking noises!  

When we arrive at the guesthouse around 17 p.m. I am pleasantly surprised. It is located 2 km from the town of Deogarh and has a house on the premises that is more than 200 years old. There are some beautiful trees and the birds are singing enthusiastically. I am the only guest and am receiving a room upgrade. The room is spacious and very nice. Again with a beautiful floor and spacious terrace.  

Yet the owner’s energy does not feel good. I also pick up a few things from the conversation between Vivendra and him. Doesn’t feel right, and they also charge full price to drop you off a few km away. I certainly won’t be doing business with them!    

When I wake up this morning I decide to take a walk towards Deogarh. I visit the Royal House there, which has been converted into a hotel. Again very beautiful. I think it’s a bit on the massive side. As the walk progresses I realize that I don’t want to stay in this place another night. Somehow the energy here doesn’t feel right. I therefore take immediate action and arrange transport to my hotel in Jojawar. My luggage is collected at the dusty and remote Phulad station and taken to the hotel. Once on the train I realize how high this part of Rajasthan is. You can also take the train from Deogarh, but if you want that in-the-middle-of-nowhere feeling, take the Khamli Ghat stop a few kilometers away. Highly recommended, you will feel like you are 100 years back in time! 

The meter gauge line runs from Udaipur to the Marwar junction, a distance of just under 200 kilometers. The train has no name. It only has a number – 222 which dates back to the English era. It’s a small passenger train and takes you through some pretty rugged and beautiful scenery. The stretch between Khamli Ghat and Phulad is the most beautiful and lasts an hour and a half, the train runs at a leisurely pace. This is also the highest route of the Western Railways. The train journey was one big, beautiful surprise! Along the way the train stops a few times for monkeys crossing the road, which are then fed by the locals and they just take their time! 

On the train I sit among an Indian family who do not speak English but do everything they can to make themselves understood. The children, especially with sweet smiles, attract my attention.   

The people from the Jojawar hotel are waiting for me at the station and I immediately have a good feeling about them. They have a positive energy and warm appearance. Already happy with my choice!  

I find the environment here a lot nicer and also quieter. Jojawar, is a small village in the Pali district of Rajasthan. The village is surrounded by the Aravalli hills which create a picturesque backdrop to the traditional farms that dot the landscape.  

When I arrived at my hotel I was also pleasantly surprised. It is a beautiful event and there is a swimming pool! The first thing I do here is take a splash!  

At the end of the afternoon I go into the village. It is a pleasant event, except for a few arguing people. I’ve never seen this on the street before. Things are going well, I can tell you! In the village I encounter the Rabaris, the local camel herders and shepherds, who contribute to the charm of this region with their daily activities. 

I have a stranger take me to the liquor shop, after this short ride he seems trustworthy to me, I ask him what he charges for me on Saturday  

to my next destination, so I already have material for comparison.  

In the evening I meet the owner of the hotel and we discuss a few things. I explain to him what I do and what I am looking for. Tomorrow morning I’m going out with the man with the sweet eyes.  

Jojawar 11-10-2023 

I’m leaving this morning at 0646 with the lovely man from the hotel. The streets are virtually empty. The village slowly awakens. Women prepare the food and the streets in front of the houses are swept and sprayed. Water is still taken from the well here, we can’t imagine anything about this anymore, can we?!  

We also walk into a school, the teacher is enthusiastic but explains that a government school is not allowed to just put volunteers to work. This would first have to be approved by the local government. What a pity this is! 

We drink a cup of chai on the square while I keep my eyes focused on the beautiful scenes unfolding before me. After a few hours I continue on my own and walk into the residential areas. People welcome me and try to have a chat. There is even an old man who dances for me a few times, too funny! 

This morning I discovered that I forgot my phone charger. There are some calls back and forth and if all goes well the charger will be taken by bus today so that we don’t have to travel the road to Deogarh.   

At lunchtime I lie by the pool for a few hours with a book and I feel that I am starting to find peace. I fall asleep every now and then and spend a lot of time in the water to cool down. At 15 p.m. I go out again with the men. We stop at various villages where we are offered tea again and again. At the last farm where I get to see how people harvest dahl, we are again offered tea. Some goats are quickly milked and they use the milk for tea. I have no idea whether I am at risk of becoming ill. I take it for granted, I can’t possibly refuse this freshly made tea. This afternoon I see people picking corn grains, picking vegetables, cotton fields, all kinds of oil plantations, sheep herders, camels on the street. It is an oasis of peace here and the people are so friendly and hospitable! The children are all equally excited to see a foreigner.  

Once again I notice that these are the places where I relax.    

When I put the photos on my laptop in the evening, I see that I took quite a few photos today that I am satisfied with. From capturing daily life to characteristic faces, what a photographic country India and its people are! 

Pali District 12-10-2023  

This morning I’m going out again. This time where the Pali district starts and also the mountains. It’s not far from here. Along the way I see children getting ready for school, others do not have this privilege, they have to help in the fields. For example, I see young children carrying branches home so they can light a fire to prepare breakfast. Another child helps his mother to fetch drinking water from the well, while another washes himself at this well. The air smells clean here, the roads are quiet and it’s quite quiet, I enjoy it!  

At noon I spend a lot of time in the water again, which is necessary because it is very hot! Far too hot for the time of year, they expect quite a bit of rain in three days, which is also unusual in mid-October. 

Between the companies I go after a train ticket for Caroline (my daughter), because train tickets are often sold out 6 months in advance. This also appears to be the case now. It will take some time to figure out how to arrange this. Fortunately, Udai can help with this!  

At the end of the afternoon I go out with the owner to take pictures of one of his Marwari horses. I find it quite exciting. No experience with it and I don’t do it for myself so it must be good right… Well what a drama. Firstly, one of the employees is ill, so there is only 1 horse. The horse is truly beautiful but does not cooperate at all. In addition, we are going to an area where there is a lot of greenery and it is difficult to create depth of field. The horse also doesn’t want to go through the water hahaha  

Well, I tried to make the best of it, but I’m anything but satisfied. We do talk about tourism. He tells me that what I want to offer is a gap in the market. Most tour operators offer the famous places so that people do not get to know the real India. Well, that’s how I thought about it too. At least be able to exchange ideas!   

After the shoot we go to his ranch, where there are about 15 horses and hundreds of birds singing, well call it screeching, what a noise those animals make! They have so much more space here and everything looks spic and span. I can imagine that the people who work here are very satisfied. Being busy with horses all day long, in the middle of nature, getting good food, what else does a person really need? 

14-10-2023  

Yesterday, except for the early morning, I stayed home because I had to work. After 7 hours of sitting on a wooden chair and a bad night, I literally woke up this morning in creases. I have to come up with something about this!  

Today I’m going out for a long day. The Ranakpur Jain temple is 60 km from here. I had already visited this in 2019, but I didn’t have time to visit it inside, so I took my chance today. I will also visit the Kumbhalgarh Fort and do a Leopard Safari at the end of the day. A nice prospect!  

Oh yes, I decided yesterday to stay here for 2 more nights. The Indians are also very easy to shift departure or arrival days in hotels, something that suits me well!   

On the way we stop in the picturesque village of Narlai.  

When I walk through the cap while chatting with an older lady in my slippers, I stand with my left foot in the middle of a fresh cow pie. Gadget the gadver! The lady wipes some shit off my feet with her slipper and later I see a well near the temple where I thoroughly clean my foot and slipper.   

The surroundings here are once again beautiful. The route from Jojawar to the fort too! We drive again through the Aravelli Mountains with many mountains, lots of greenery, lakes and here and there a sleeping village. 

On the highway (which looks nothing like a highway) shepherds walk with their flock. Nobody cares about this!   

The road from the fort to Ranakpur takes about an hour and a half. We drive on winding, sometimes narrow roads through a beautiful nature reserve. You hardly encounter oncoming traffic here.    

We arrive at the medieval citadel of Kumbhalgarh which is located amid a cluster of thirteen peaks of the Aravalli range. The fort wall stretches for about 36 km and is 1.914 m above sea level. It was built in the 15th century by Maharani Kumbha. The battlements are said to be second only to the Wall of China in size.     

Along the way I occasionally see young, often unkempt children standing along the road and as soon as a car drives past they jump up and run onto the road to sell their fruit to people driving by. I didn’t see a single car stop. I also see young girls doing laundry in the rivers or at the water pump. Young girls sit naked in water reservoirs for the animals looking for some cooling off, Older men bathe in the river with a few meters away the Buffalos looking to cool off in the same river.  

I have lunch in a tent on the river, I am the only guest. I enjoy the peace!  

We drive on to the 15 century Ranakpur Jain Temple (Chaturmukha Dharana), the marble temple complex consists of 1444 carved pillars, 24 pillared halls, accompanied by 80 domes supported by 400 columns. The highlight of this entire temple architecture is the fact that no two pillars here are the same!  

The temple is said to be one of the most brilliant architectural monuments in the Indian subcontinent. This temple is also the largest and most important place of worship for the Jains.   

At the end of the afternoon we go on a Jeep Safari in search of the leopards. We cross the area and are lucky to see 2. From quite a distance, but still. 

When we drive towards Jojawar around 1830 I notice that I am still not feeling well. My muscles ache, my head feels strange, I think it feels a bit warm and you feel shivery… 

At one point there is a group of cows and a bull in the middle of the street. The driver honks and honks, but the bull promptly stays in place. Fortunately, the calf is willing to let us through!  

When we arrive at the hotel, the manager and the man with the sweet eyes are waiting for me. Dear eyes drove me this morning to the farm where we were last to get those fresh (according to him) delicious vegetables. He even prepared it for me personally, the sweetheart! 

Jojawar 15-10-2023 

Today I’m taking it easy because I have a fever.  

I feel a bit uncomfortable at breakfast. This morning I have 3 men around me watching me eat. The manager, a very old man I think, is quite charmed by me. Every time I talk to him he starts talking about my beautiful smile and then stares at me the whole time!   

After a quiet day in bed, we decide to visit some villages and the ranch. The fact that I am not satisfied with the horse photos does not sit well with me. I have to do this again! 

Today I speak to Dhanraj from Jodhpur. I decide to move in with his family for a few days. He has 7 Marwari horses and works in tourism, which seems nice to me!  

I ask to leave a little earlier for the Safari, but the manager clearly stops me, very annoying!    

We eventually go to the farm and then I walk through Jojawar with sweet eyes. He shows me craftsmen at work. From handmade scissors to leather shoes to women who process grain or make the most beautiful garments on their sewing machine. 

Within no time a number of children are walking with us. Everyone wants to shake my hand and ask my name. One by one they are cheerful and cheerful!  

I also have a chat with an old lady (as far as possible, I mainly do this with gestures and expressions). She wears silver anklets weighing no less than 1000 grams each on both ankles!  

The Navrati festival starts tonight. The plan was to go into the village, but I’m still feeling really good, tomorrow in Chandelao will probably be fun too… 

Jojawar 16-10-2023  

This morning we drive to Chandelao. We don’t take the highway and visit some villages along the way.  

I don’t feel 100% yet. Sweating and sore body. Just take paracetamol and go! 

When we arrive at the first village we stop at a house. On one side there are about 15 men from different ethnic groups. You can recognize them by the color of their turban. For example, the Rabari have a red turban. The men with a white turban are widowers. They belong to an indigenous tribe of nomadic cattle and camel herders and shepherds. 

You can also recognize the women of the different ethnic groups by their clothing and jewelry.    

On the other side of the terrace are women making chapatis, I am asked to sit with the men. Bizarre actually, their wives are not allowed there and I, as a foreigner, am. When I sit down my driver says they are smoking opium. There are a number of bowls on the floor containing dirty looking cigarette butts. He asks if I want to smoke too, as if smoking opium is the most normal thing in the world. I thank you kindly!  

I notice that even the smell of the smoke does something to me, I get dizzy so stand back and take a look at the ladies. This is another special experience!  

When we stop along the road for a cup of Chai, I see how the roads here are marked with white markings. This is also done in a very primitive way and very carefully!  

On the other side of the tea tent, I see a gypsy “house”. The Gypsy tribe of Rajasthan is one of the nomadic or wanderer communities in India. The origins of the tribe go back several centuries. The people of this Rajasthani tribe belong to the lowest rung of the socio-cultural and socio-economic ladder. 

You come across this sun everywhere along roads and in more remote areas. It is also noticeable that these people often look poorly groomed and often walk barefoot.  

When we actually get close to a gypsy family and I photograph the children, I am upset. It touches me to see this poverty and I would prefer to take them all under my wing and offer them a better life. Yes this is the downside of India! 

Cigarettes have a fixed price here. When I want to stock up on some parcels, they try to cheat me (again). First of all they say the correct price but once you pay they refuse to give you the correct change. I asked for my money back 3 times and walked away. After the fourth attempt, I end up paying whatever a package costs. Oh well, you have plenty of time here, so this is also a kind of games that is part of India!   

The road towards Jodhpur is a lot more boring than around Jojawar. It is flat with a river here and there and there is little variation in vegetation. It’s also cloudy today, which doesn’t exactly brighten things up  

When we are half an hour from our destination we stop in a village (Hoongaon Khurd) and I visit a Krishna temple where I am blessed. They offer with holy water and sugar. I also get an orange dot on my forehead and an orange bracelet. The women wear beautiful jewelry on their foreheads.  

Here too the people are super friendly and they all want a selfie. 

2 km further on we invite a friend of the driver to have a cup of tea. I keep forgetting to mention it, it is very special (and disgusting to hear) how people enjoy every sip of tea while slurping!  

In the meantime, I am in contact with Milan who is looking for an affordable place to sleep during the Pushkar fair. There was an apartment available but I had to share it. Milan didn’t think this was safe, so he continued looking for me.   

We arrive in the village of Chandelao around 14 p.m. A small village with 2000 inhabitants. The Chandelao Garh is a beautiful country house converted into a hotel. Because I received a significant discount, I stay in a room that is a bit dark, but don’t worry, the garden is beautiful and when you sit by the pool you can see dozens of green parrots in the trees. They sing along nicely! 

Just call Ies today, the sale of their house has finally been completed. Also a new start in their lives for her and Rene, I’m enjoying it with them!  

At the end of the afternoon I started talking to mother and daughter from New Zealand. I also eat with them, we share experiences about India and they ask me for tips, which is quite nice, I notice that I already know quite a bit and can show people the way! Just before dinner it starts to rain, the wind increases and the temperature drops. I’m not feeling well yet so I go to my room early. 

Manda 21-10-2023

It is now my fifth day in Chandelao. I haven’t done much here yet because I haven’t been feeling too well. After 2 days in bed I had hoped that the oppressive feeling in my eye sockets would be gone, but alas!  

You notice that it is slowly moving towards winter. The mornings are pleasantly cooler, the sky clear blue. The palace from 1744 where I am staying is once again beautiful. The beautifully maintained garden full of trees and bougainvillea in particular attracts my attention time and time again!  

The owner is very friendly. In addition to running his hotel, he is also concerned with the emancipation of women who work for him by making souvenirs and clothing. They receive a basic salary and commission on every product sold. These women contribute an average of 30% to the family’s income.  

For this project, Praduman received help from a few women from Norway. We also talked about the key and what we could do. As soon as the director of the school is back in the village, we will talk to him. The meeting with the school director has now taken place and he will consult with the local authorities. They are confident so let’s hope for the best! After my few days of illness, there are 2 working days that caused some stress because my internet connection is not too stable here. With some occasional faltering images, I still manage to have conversations. At the end of the day I’m going out here for the first time. We take the jeep towards the lake to stop the birds that come to winter here from Siberia. I also see a lot of antelopes. I find the area around Jodhpur (I am 40 km away) less inviting than the area around Jojawar. It is flatter and less green here. Still, I’ll stay here for a while to get a few days of rest!

Chandelao 22-10-2023 

Today I’m going out again to discover local life here. As in every village in India, people only get started later. When we leave at 7 o’clock there is not much life on the streets yet. On the way to the village where a pottery family is located, we stop with friends of the driver for a cup of tea. The man is talking my ears off. He seems to speak English quite well, but appearances can be deceiving, I only understand half of what he says!    

We take the short routes from one village to another, driving off road where I would definitely get lost if I were touring here on my own!  

We stop at the family that is in the pottery business. The business has been run by the family for 4 generations! It is impressive to see how they make the water pots with their bare hands, they look beautifully finished!  

We hang around here so I can take some pictures and continue our route. We stop at a Bishnoi family demonstrating an opium ceremony. Opium is regularly used as medicine. My driver drinks quite a few sips of it and I am also suggested to drink, I get some of the stuff poured into my palm and I slurp down the little bit. It tastes bitter and certainly you don’t want more! I do feel a pleasant numbness in my still somewhat sensitive throat… After the ceremony, my driver shows how to roll a turban on one’s head. They just have 11 meters of fabric on their heads!    

I’ll be back at the hotel at 10am for breakfast. I chat with Indian guests who come from Delhi and work in the fashion industry. I ask them if I can ask them a personal question: whether they are homosexual? They are very open about this and not at all shocked by my question. They say that homosexuality has been accepted by law since 2016. Gay marriage is strictly prohibited. They do not suffer from discrimination in the big cities and in their field of work. Their orientation is also accepted within their family. Something that is certainly not self-evident in India. This also varies per caste. The richer, the more traveled and the greater the chance of acceptance!    

On the way to the town of Pipar we first encounter a whole group of men on their way to the inauguration of a temple and then the women follow. The people are cheerful, they sing and dance in the street. When the men see me, I have 50 guys around me in no time. They get too close to my aura. It feels oppressive for a split second. Soon it disappears because there is nothing behind it. This is how people are here. My driver keeps them at a distance. Children are also around me, they want me to take pictures of them and they want selfies with me in the picture. The women also enjoy posing. They want me to go to the temple. That seems cool to me, but for some reason my driver doesn’t like it. It would be dangerous because they are stoned. It will…we continue our route to the town of Pipar where we will receive a demonstration of block painting. Beautiful to see this complicated process. All colors are obtained by mixing herbs. It is then left to dry in the sun. 

The town with 1 million inhabitants looks quiet and very pleasant. Once again so many children walk with us and practice their English language! At one point we walk into a house, a whole family including some goats just staying there. Too funny!  

Today I feel completely okay for the first time, I am enjoying all the impressions I have gained today! I’m sick when, after formatting my SD card, I discover that most of my photos, and even the coolest ones, haven’t been downloaded yet, so I’ve lost them!! The whole thing around the temple and all the shoots in the town, gone. God damn it!!!!!! 

Jairoop Nagar 23-10-2023

Yesterday evening I had a meeting with Vipin and Anku about our tourism business. We’ve set some deadlines, so I’m jumping straight into action this morning!  

I put some things on paper and send the text for the website. This is also in full development! In addition, I am working on a school here for which I got the green light this morning. So quickly go to school to shoot some photos for Marian!    

I also talk to a guide who is here with guests and I call Ranjeet and Barli Fort about a possible collaboration. I’m working on everything at the same time and I enjoy it! During the afternoon I make sure I spend a lot of time in the water to cool down. At 16 p.m. I go back to the lake to spot birds. I’m going with a couple from Quebec who speak French but are difficult to understand.    

After dinner I sit outside with my laptop to import today’s photos. Behind me is a group of older ladies. One of them comes up to me and asks if I do photography work. She had seen me working on the photos. We soon start talking. The English lady has been a guide here in India for years. She is also involved in setting up volunteer projects. She knows a lot about the country and the people. She too will be in Pushkar when I am there. She gives me the name of an American who has set up some things there and we agree to meet when we are in Pushkar. It’s bizarre how you meet people with the same interests! 

All in all, another interesting day today, I feel great! 

 

Chandelao 25-10-2023 

After much deliberation, I decide to leave Chandelao today. The internet connection here is too unstable to stay here for the next 2 working days.   

I’m reading my book while waiting for my taxi and I feel something on my foot. A huge wasp. Large with very long legs and uniformly orange in color. I’m scared! I had seen the animals before, but since 2 days there have been more and more of them! When I ask for the reason, the man shows me the enormous nest in the tree. I take some pictures of it and wait in my room for my driver. 

While taking photos, I discover that despite my care, there is a spot on my sensor. Now I have to take up the challenge of cleaning with the swabs. The fear that Karel once had about this still haunts me, so I almost don’t dare to do it. In addition, I had to follow a number of actions and I can’t remember what they were. Karel can you help me on my way? 

At 1445 I drive towards Jodhpur, happy to know that I will have more freedom of movement there!    

The driver asks if I like music, yes of course you can put on music. Not knowing it would be cat whining….  

Nic wouldn’t be Nic if she didn’t make an impulsive overnight action. So this morning I book a room via Airbnb that looked good in the photo, good reviews and supposedly near the clock tower with great fast WiFi. Just what I need for the next 2 working days!  

Once there, the WiFi appears to be down all the time and the house is located in a remote and somewhat dirty street. I decide to go straight to the hotel I had booked for Monday. Why didn’t I do that before? Well my stinginess got the better of me this morning! This saved me 8,50! Sometimes I can get so annoyed with my own behavior afterwards! In addition to now double the costs, this whole thing has also cost me my entire day! Hahaha    

Well, I’m fine where I am now with a decent table and chair that I can work on tomorrow. Also because I am just outside the old center I have a good internet connection. Something I will have to take more into account from now on!  

When I walk through the city in the afternoon, my experience from 2019 bottles up. Jodhpur was my 2nd destination in India (well third if I include the stop in Delhi). I had an appointment with Jigar here at the most wonderful lassie place in Rajasthan. Just before my appointment with him, all hell broke loose here due to a demonstration. I then had to hide in a shop in fear of death! I recognize every place, including the lassi tent where I stop. Once again it tasted delicious! I also take a look at the Toorji Ka Jhaira step well, which still impresses me as much as it did in 2019. There are fish swimming in the clear water and every now and then a local also dives into the water. I think I’ll go here again tomorrow morning to just sit and watch.    

If I do the necessary negotiations at my current guesthouse (yes, I’m not going to unlearn it!) and manage to take another 4 euros off the nightly price, I decide to stay here for 9 nights! At 6 o’clock I am sitting on the rooftop with a beer, rereading a letter from someone very dear to me. It gives me good pleasure to read the letter, but on the other hand it is also sad because I miss him and have no prospect of seeing him again. That is the downside of my decision to go on an adventure. I also leave behind people I love and miss quite a lot!   

In the evening I decide to go out for a bite to eat. I think it’s the first time I’ve gone out to eat. There is a roundabout right in front of the guesthouse, I have never seen such a busy roundabout. The smell of the exhaust fumes and the honking greets you. I had forgotten that this is also India! The smell hits my throat, luckily it’s not a far walk to the restaurant and I have a fantastic meal for only 1,50! The same snack as the first meal I ate with mom in Delhi, the name of which I now know: Raj Kachori. 

The reason why this intersection in front of the door is so busy is because Diwali is less than 2 weeks away and there is a fireworks store across the street. People from surrounding villages come here to get it. It seems that the owner of this business gets his annual income from the period before Diwali. Just as crazy as the Dutch do with New Year’s Eve! When I get back to the guesthouse I barely hear any noise. I talk to the owner about tourism and the Key and he also wants to think about whether he knows a suitable school!  

I really have a great place! My heavy antique front door is bright turquoise in color, I admire it every time I stand in front of it. When I open the door and walk into my room I smell a wonderful floral scent, I also have a sitting area with a sofa and coffee tables and a very nice shower. I feel at home, the energy here is nice!  

Chandelao – Jodhpur 26-10-2023

At 0745 I leave for the hill. Life is only slowly getting started. There’s a garbage dump right outside my hotel. The smell is penetrating, I hold my hand in front of my nose, it smells so bad. I see a man lying in the middle of the street, he is sleeping. Everyone walks by as if it is the most normal thing in the world. That’s it here too!  

People slowly come out of their houses and neatly sweep the area clean. 

I’ll go back to the scooter via the clock tower. Once again it is beautiful here, it radiates a kind of serenity. This place is popular with filmmakers and photographers. I have managed to attend a few shoots and try to capture some moments as best I can between the cameramen. I’m enjoying!    

At 0945 I walk back to the hotel for breakfast. Actually, I wasn’t done with it for a long time, but I forgot to take both water and money with me, so you won’t last long!  

I have breakfast at the hotel where I feel incredibly at home, it literally feels like home. The ambiance is nice and most of the guests are Indians so far who I have a chat with every now and then.  

Before Diwali, religious beliefs require that houses, facades, those cracks between the stones and plants be cleaned. This is what they are doing here in the hotel in full force.  

The building is so beautiful with the typical red bricks from Jodhpur with contrasting turquoise doors and red-brown floors and the green plants in the courts. It’s a feast for the eyes!  

I have to work in the afternoon, the connection is great so that’s nice! In between the appointments I arrange my stay for the next 2 weeks here, with 3 nights in between in Osian, which is located in a desert area. I speak to Gemar. I have had contact with him before regarding volunteer work, both in the field of training and helping to promote his company in tourism. I’m going to stay there for 3 nights. The first man who doesn’t want to make a cent from me but wants to show me around at cost price. In return, I will see if I can take nice photos for his site and how I can further support him with his company. Super cool! 

I also speak to Dahnraj. I’m going out with him on Saturday to visit the surrounding villages. He clearly wants to make money from it. That’s fine too, but I’m not going to stay at his house, I’d rather keep my freedom here in Jodhpur! 

After work I look at the photos I took this morning and notice that I am quite happy with the result! Once again we had a great day! 

Jodhpur 27-10-2023  

I have to work today so I’m staying in except for a visit to the camera shop and some pictures of Dalit people washing on the street after being indoors all day. In the morning I do some research about the places I want to see here and look for the camera shop I went to in 2019. This man had beautiful photos of leopards at the time and had also given me an address in Jawai for Safari. I sit in the breakfast room from 11 to 5 and at 5 o’clock when I come outside I see that the sun is shining brightly. I would not have experienced this after a day of confinement! After work I walk to the store I think I visited 4 years ago and damn it I find the store and chat with the guy for like an hour! Once again I walk past that garbage dump that emits even more penetrating odors in the afternoon after hours of sunshine. Luckily I have a scarf on and can use it as camouflage! The owner of the camera shop invites me to join him in December or January when he goes to Jawai for three days of photography. This is another typical disadvantage of planning because I already have something ready (Caroline is coming, luckily that makes up for it!) We chat for a long time and buy 2 spare tickets from him. I also ask him for a few tips because I often experience motion blur. Don’t worry Karel, he can’t replace you, no one can, but I’m just happy to have someone on hand now! When I look at the few photos in the evening of the people who live on the street and have to shower, my heart breaks. So much poverty, such a huge difference between rich and poor….

Jodhpur 28-10-2023 

My plan is to be at a viewpoint over the fort just after sunrise this morning. Unfortunately I can’t get here on foot, so ask some people. Eventually I meet someone who will drive me there this week. I already had a suspicion that I would have to go into the park. This is simply not possible on foot! I walk around around Mehrangarh fort waiting for it to open.  

The Fort dates back to the 15th century and was built by Rao Jodha, a Rajput ruler. Since then, every ruler of Jodhpur has contributed to the construction of this fort.  

The fortress stands high on a cliff and dominates the city skyline. It is among the best preserved forts in India.  

There is music everywhere in the fort during Diwali. I even enjoy a meditation session to Indian music. The man who plays and sings says that his music has been passed on from generation to generation. It would balance your meridians, chakra and something else. I don’t know if that is the case. I do enjoy it.    

After the fort I walk through the “blue” city. I come across beautiful alleys and buildings! A teenager comes up to me and tells me that it is not safe here because of the stray dogs. For a moment I feel something of an anxious feeling, but I quickly realize that it is probably a trick on his part. Later it turns out that not the dogs but a local himself is not completely 100%…   

Everywhere I see people painting their facades or shops. This has to do with Diwali. The houses are also completely cleaned and decorated with flowers. They do not eat meat or drink alcohol for a week. Diwali represents the victory of good over evil, victory of light over darkness, victory of bliss over ignorance.    

As I walk through the remote and deserted narrow streets, I stop in front of a gate with a huge terrace behind it. I want to go there but I don’t know if it’s private property. A young man comes up to me and says I can go in. I stand there for quite a while to take some pictures and see that he is still there. First from a distance, later he comes to stand next to me. He says something about boom, at first it doesn’t make any difference. When I decide to continue walking through a narrow alley, he walks diagonally next to me. Side by side wouldn’t even fit. He starts talking about those boomers again and reaches his hand towards my left breast. The devil in me comes out, I even feel how cruel I had to look at him! I said stop now and go away very quickly! The boy didn’t know how quickly to run. Phew, I quickly walk through the dog poop to a busier place to have a drink of Chai. I wasn’t even scared, the young one seemed a bit timid to me, but what a fool!  

Later I think about the time I was walking through the woods with Isabel and some man on a bicycle tried to assault her and she grabbed him and threw him into the woods.  

The massala Chai tastes like a weak cup, which is usually the case at those tourist tents. It’s much better to buy your tea on the street! 

Speaking of the streets, I continue to be amazed by the handicrafts here in India. Almost everything is still made in tiny shops or on the street. From clothing to decorated bracelets, scissors and of course food. You name it what it is or it is made here! 

What also strikes me is a super busy stall. The man sells soft drinks such as Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite. And this in the old-fashioned bottles as we saw them years ago. So people come to this very busy traffic circle to enjoy a drink. No one, rich or poor, seems to care about noise pollution and exhaust fumes here!  

Oh yes, I also bought a beautiful dress today. I’ve seen it hanging in the shop window for days and couldn’t resist the temptation anymore:-)   

In the evening, while showering, I carefully scrub my dirty feet with a dishwashing brush. Another beautiful day that flew by!  

Jodhpur 29-10-2023 

I’m going out with Dahnraj today. We go to surrounding villages of Jodhpur. I had already been warned that these villages are very touristy and that is true. Nothing authentic about it, the guide I knew through Facebook was more concerned with picking filth out of his nose than with his tour. He actually did that for half the day we were on the road.    

We stop at a single house in a village, just enter the private areas and the people are not interested, even shy (which I understand if you just drop in) and ask the guide for compensation if you take a photo.  

A tour that doesn’t suit me at all, but it’s a good thing I made this trip with him because I’m certainly not going to work with him!    

I let him drop me off at the clock tower and stroll around the market. In addition to the usual wares, plenty of jewelry and earthenware bowls are now being sold for Diwali.  

I’m sleeping in a hotel in the blue part of the city tonight because my hotel is full. On the way there I see people who really live in terrible conditions among the rubbish and believe me, you don’t even want to walk past there, let alone sleep there!    

The hotel where I am staying is a beautiful 500 year old Haveli in the middle of the blue part of the city… from the roof terrace I have a view of the fort. Great to stay here for a night too!  

At 1830 I call the NGO in Jodhpur for the key to schedule an appointment. It appears that some LGBT evening has been organized to promote this freedom for locals. There are also volunteers present from various European countries. I am invited and decide to go there. And so at 1930 I am in a tuk tuk heading that way. Still have to negotiate hard because the driver is trying to make a profit! I wonder what this evening will bring me!    

On the way I see some police officers walking with not a gun like at home, but with a bamboo stick! 

Along the way my driver gets into an argument with a fellow road user on a motorcycle. He speaks to him well! I think my driver cut off the other person’s road, but anyway… He didn’t really get out of line. You hardly hear them scream here anyway.  

The best man gets lost, wants to stop for 5 minutes on the way, which I don’t allow and he drives like a man possessed with my phone in his hand. When he puts it next to him on the couch, I kindly ask him to give the phone back immediately. I arrive in one piece. 

Apart from some chips I haven’t eaten today, I’m waiting with a growling stomach for Govind to come. I lost my cigarettes along the way, so that’s going well!  

I was a little late, he’s even later. At 2030 I’m still waiting here. On what, no idea! The pension looks very cozy and homely!    

As I sit waiting I realize I forgot to get my bag of chips from my room. I really didn’t want to leave this in my room because of my experience in 2019 in Sulawesi where rats had smelled my coffee in my suitcase and then destroyed my entire suitcase! At 2045 Govind comes to pick me up and I leave with his son for “the party”. When I get there, my goodness, I find myself standing in front of a disco. You have to pay 1000 rupee entrance fee, which I didn’t have with me because I had no idea I would end up in a disco. In front of the entrance I see the most feminine men ever. Thailand is nothing like it! It’s a lot of noise and I only want one thing: GONE! There is no talking and the music is terrible! I’m quite a distance from my hotel and a tuk tuk (which I really need to get home, they aren’t here!), this is really another NIC promotion! After my drink I’m really going to see how I’m going to get home because this worries me a bit!    

I start talking to a few French women who do volunteer work in the state of Osian. We exchange numbers because they think that we could make a difference there from the key. 

At 2230 I actually saw it. I am helped along the way by Govind’s son, who has just got his driver’s license and is having some trouble with the engine stalling as soon as he has to accelerate from a stop. I wisely keep my mouth shut and don’t come to the rescue. I cover the last part in a tuk tuk. My ears are ringing and I’m tired! 

Khejarli-Kalan 30-10-2023 

Today I spent almost all day at Sambhali trust. First I get a tour. They show me the projects for under-employed women and how they work with empowerment at both their locations and in the neighborhoods of Jodhpur. On the way there we drive through the new neighborhoods that are clean and have wide, quiet avenues. Those neighborhoods where the schools are located are not in the touristy Muslim neighborhoods. The goats lying in chains in front of the houses, skinny horses that have to carry 10 men in a cart behind them. Here I go back in time 50 years. I see how adult women here learn to count, learn the English language and receive sewing lessons. Bizarre to experience this. It is unthinkable for us that an adult woman still has to learn the 2 times table. 

They also have a helpline for women in need in cases of domestic violence, for example, and they receive sex education. According to Govind, Rajasthan is the most unsafe state for women. Especially during corona, things got out of hand when people ended up at home. Many men took to drinking with all its consequences. 

The women usually come to the workshop faithfully and if a woman does not come for a while, they investigate. Once they are advanced enough, they can produce for sale. The profit is then theirs.  

They are also committed to children. On the one hand, they provide tutoring to children in the afternoon and they also have a boarding school. The lady who shows me around tells me that the first success stories are now coming to light. Like one of the girls who just graduated from college. It’s a lot what they do! 

In the afternoon I walk around Jodhpur and see those terrible images of the people living on the streets again. A girl holding her nose because of the bad smell, a man sleeping and the young children doing their thing with an expensive jeep next to them… (the photos are not great but they give an idea)  

At 17 p.m. I go back to the trust, I have been invited to join them for dinner. Govind explains how the trust also works for homosexuals and trans genders. They also receive information and help where they need it. The substantive stories don’t lie. It is truly terrible how these people are involved in a double life because it is a taboo! For example, they can get free condoms in hospitals, but they do not do this because people have privacy in India. A mother, grandmother or anyone else can look through your pockets or bag and say hello if they find a condom. As a result, 40% of homosexuals in India have HIV. This is also because they prostitute themselves along the road for sometimes 100 to 200 rupees (1,10 to 2,20 euros). These are often men who have not had sex with girls or men from the big cities who want to get rid of their jizz, says Govind. We see them along the road…. Horrible! 

Govind also explains how he once started offering help to abused women and I also share my story about how I came to work in addiction care. It’s a special evening! 

Govind’s friend has been working in tourism for years, so we are also talking about that. I’m going out with one of his people tomorrow. Curious what this will bring! 

They also invite me to join them for a few days in the village where Govind grew up. Here too they have a few locations where they help women and it also seems to be a beautiful and non-touristy village in the desert. I think it would be cool to go with them. That means I have to change some things hahah.

Jodhpur 31-10-2023  

This morning I’m leaving via Virendra from the trust. He assures me that his tour will be a lot better than my last experience.  

We leave at 06:30 am. My guide talks plainly. For example, all this time I thought that the cows walking on the street were wild cows. It turns out that only the bulls have no owners because they yield nothing except seed. The cows are let loose all day long without supervision because they are then fed by passers-by. And this is because cows are sacred and people are convinced that feeding the animals will bring them happiness. And so a cow costs nothing and also yields (milk). 

The stray dogs all belong to a certain street that they guard, especially at night. As soon as a dog sees a strange face, he sounds the alarm. But he doesn’t have an owner.   

Bishnoi village turns out not to be a village but stands for eco-friendly villages and the residents belong to a certain caste. The residents are known for their drive to protect trees and animals.  

Today we also stop again at a family that makes pottery. A very friendly family and I can also make something myself. Very cool to do and so relaxing!    

It takes people some time to arrive at a final product. First the clay is sieved, after which they process it with water and use it to turn water pots into bird houses. This must then dry for 2 days in the shade, then lie in the sun for 2 days and finally finish it in an oven. Ultimately, such a water pot is sold for 120 rupees (1,40). Bizarre!    

We stop here and there along the way. At one point we see a number of children walking to school. We’ll give them a lift. We are taking about 6 children with us. The excitement and happiness are so beautiful to see. These children talk all day about nothing other than that they came to school in a gypsy and also with a foreigner on board. Their happy faces also make me happy and grateful that I can be here!    

A little later we see a man walking. In India you don’t have to hitchhike to be taken. If you are in a car and you see someone walking, you offer them a lift… 

We drive further towards Rohat where we stop along the road for a snack: Catchurie, a local specialty of Rohat   

We drive about 10 kilometers further to visit a memorial site, the Om eama temple, where the motorcycle of someone who died there years ago from a motorcycle accident is located. Legend has it that after the accident the motorcycle was removed from there by the police and taken to the station. The motorcycle disappeared three times and returned to the scene of the accident. They never found out how this could happen, they assume that the deceased man arranged it this way and that the motorcycle was supposed to bring good luck to others. The family then built a temple there and added the engine. This one is still there. A visit to the temple would now bring you good luck when you are traveling. I participate in the ritual and take some photos.    

Then we drive to Rohet Garh from 1662, which has been a heritage hotel for 35 years. It has been owned by the same family for 15 generations. It is beautiful, we are warmly welcomed with a lime soda and given a tour of the friendly village.  

Then we drive to Dondsli. Bhramin people (also a name of a caste) live here. It’s a cute (mostly) blue village on a lake and the people are very friendly! I can take a look at a house and tell them through my driver how they process sesame seeds and store them in huge beautiful jars for up to 3 years. I find it special to see how people use everything they find in nature! We drive further towards the other hotel of this family in the desert. It is located in the middle of no where, there is a serene tranquility. They also have horses here and it is really beautiful. Everything is correct! From the environment to the architecture and decoration. It is a feast for the eyes. That is also allowed if you pay 450 euros per night! Especially the garden with a beautiful white temple, the seating areas, restaurant and the general swimming pool are a feast for the eyes!  

When we drive back towards Jodhpur via B roads, I see people working on the road. I ask what these people earn. 

Women 400 rupee and men 650 (4,55 / 6,80) per day! Time and again they set up tents near the place where they are working.    

I’ll be back at my hotel around 17 p.m. and look back on an unforgettable day while enjoying a beer! 

To make the day even more complete, also an update when it comes to the projects. Together with Marian, we have now found 9 schools that want to follow our program in those few months. Super cool! 

Rohat 01-11-2023   

Nothing planned today except for the walk through the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park. I’m going here with Camey from Chandelao. It is a beautiful walk so early in the morning. We sat on top of a rock somewhere with a view of the fortress and the blue city and chatted a lot. We mainly talk about norms and values, about how his life went and where he is now. A special person! Then drink a cappuccino, which tastes very good! Camey has to go back to work so he drops me off by scooter at the Umaid Bhawan Palace museum, which is attached to the most expensive hotel in Rajasthan. The museum is okay, the view from here over the city is beautiful!    

After my visit I am dropped off at the bottom of the mountain. I hear music and see a lot of people so I decide to take a look. It turns out there is a wedding going on. My goodness this is so cool to see!  

It takes place in a luxurious hotel, the Ajit Bhawan hotel, which from the outside I think is even more beautiful than the Umaid!  

I’m trying to take some pictures. A bit reluctant at first and after I receive approval from a guest who lets me know that it is completely okay, I walk with the crowd. It’s so special to see! I get talking to a very handsome guy from Punjab. He is one of the bride’s guests. We talk a lot and sometimes I have trouble listening because I’m mesmerized by his manly beauty!  

There are the most extensive buffets everywhere and people come by with snacks. It looks perfectly cared for! 

Finally the bride comes down and walks with a bed decorated with flowers above her head and her bridesmaids (I think they are bridesmaids) to her groom. I see everything from a distance. Some rituals are performed after which they open the dance to a beautiful English song, the title of which I can’t remember. It’s so moving to see! On the other hand, I feel a wave of sadness rising in me, the sadness of not having been lucky in love. It appears for a moment and then disappears again and I continue to enjoy this fairytale scene!   

While I’m wandering around in the nearby street, a little boy comes up to me and begs. I’m not going to give him money. I did get 4 cookies with my breakfast last night. I decide to give him this, something tasty. When I see him in the distance a little later, I see that he is sharing the cookies with 2 more children and 2 adults. he has broken the cookies into pieces, people are laughing and I can clearly see them enjoying themselves. A little later I receive a message from Gemar from Hacra desert lodge who I contacted about the key and also to take some photos for him as promotion for his website. He is in Jodhpur because his guests forgot their passports. So they simply travel 2 hours after you by bus to give you a helping hand… I ask him if he has time to drink a chai and he does before he takes the bus back. In the meantime I get talking to a bunch of French people. They are in India for the first time, on business. They are also enchanted by the country and the people. They tell me all about their business and I tell them how I got here and what I am doing. Special because at one point the woman says that she has actually achieved everything she wants, she lives a good life and now wants to do something for others in addition to her business. She is thinking about financial support in education. One thing leads to another, we exchange Instagram accounts and agree to stay in touch when it comes to doing something for the people here. In addition, she says that as soon as my website is online she wants to promote my company on her website. 

What a fantastic day full of unplanned and special encounters! 

Tonight I’m going to have my first massage. A Hazma therapy. It is a special massage where you get a kind of glass on your back. He first burns some cotton to heat the cups and then creates a vacuum. He shows me pictures of my back. My skin has pulled into the cup, it looks bizarre. This is said to be good for blood flow and purifies your body. 

I enjoy it thoroughly and feel so happy despite the sadness of my child’s condition and what this does to me. Life is clearly not only full of contradictions in India…  

Rohat 01-11-2023   

Nothing planned today except for the walk through the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park. I’m going here with Camey from Chandelao. It is a beautiful walk so early in the morning. We sat on top of a rock somewhere with a view of the fortress and the blue city and chatted a lot. We mainly talk about norms and values, about how his life went and where he is now. A special person! Then drink a cappuccino, which tastes very good! Camey has to go back to work so he drops me off by scooter at the Umaid Bhawan Palace museum, which is attached to the most expensive hotel in Rajasthan. The museum is okay, the view from here over the city is beautiful!    

After my visit I am dropped off at the bottom of the mountain. I hear music and see a lot of people so I decide to take a look. It turns out there is a wedding going on. My goodness this is so cool to see!  

It takes place in a luxurious hotel, the Ajit Bhawan hotel, which from the outside I think is even more beautiful than the Umaid!  

I’m trying to take some pictures. A bit reluctant at first and after I receive approval from a guest who lets me know that it is completely okay, I walk with the crowd. It’s so special to see! I get talking to a very handsome guy from Punjab. He is one of the bride’s guests. We talk a lot and sometimes I have trouble listening because I’m mesmerized by his manly beauty!  

There are the most extensive buffets everywhere and people come by with snacks. It looks perfectly cared for! 

Finally the bride comes down and walks with a bed decorated with flowers above her head and her bridesmaids (I think they are bridesmaids) to her groom. I see everything from a distance. Some rituals are performed after which they open the dance to a beautiful English song, the title of which I can’t remember. It’s so moving to see! On the other hand, I feel a wave of sadness rising in me, the sadness of not having been lucky in love. It appears for a moment and then disappears again and I continue to enjoy this fairytale scene!   

While I’m wandering around in the nearby street, a little boy comes up to me and begs. I’m not going to give him money. I did get 4 cookies with my breakfast last night. I decide to give him this, something tasty. When I see him in the distance a little later, I see that he is sharing the cookies with 2 more children and 2 adults. he has broken the cookies into pieces, people are laughing and I can clearly see them enjoying themselves. A little later I receive a message from Gemar from Hacra desert lodge who I contacted about the key and also to take some photos for him as promotion for his website. He is in Jodhpur because his guests forgot their passports. So they simply travel 2 hours after you by bus to give you a helping hand… I ask him if he has time to drink a chai and he does before he takes the bus back. In the meantime I get talking to a bunch of French people. They are in India for the first time, on business. They are also enchanted by the country and the people. They tell me all about their business and I tell them how I got here and what I am doing. Special because at one point the woman says that she has actually achieved everything she wants, she lives a good life and now wants to do something for others in addition to her business. She is thinking about financial support in education. One thing leads to another, we exchange Instagram accounts and agree to stay in touch when it comes to doing something for the people here. In addition, she says that as soon as my website is online she wants to promote my company on her website. 

What a fantastic day full of unplanned and special encounters! 

Tonight I’m going to have my first massage. A Hazma therapy. It is a special massage where you get a kind of glass on your back. He first burns some cotton to heat the cups and then creates a vacuum. He shows me pictures of my back. My skin has pulled into the cup, it looks bizarre. This is said to be good for blood flow and purifies your body. 

I enjoy it thoroughly and feel so happy despite the sadness of my child’s condition and what this does to me. Life is clearly not only full of contradictions in India…  

Jodhpur 02-11-2023  

I’m going out with Virendra this morning. He takes me to the old city to get to know it even better. We start at the clock tower where the people from Gujarat who come to Rajasthan for the tourist season and set up their stalls. Then we walk through the neighborhoods where various goods are sold. Every street has its specialty. We walk through the street where all the sweets are made. Jodhpur has a specialty, the basis of this specialty whose name I have forgotten is boiled milk with sugar. This is left for hours until it is thick and is then used as a base for various recipes. (and god does this taste good!). We stop at the local tobacco shop where you can buy all kinds of different types of tobacco, the jeweler who still weighs the gold with an old-fashioned scale, the perfumery where the royals buy their perfume (the business has been in the same family for generations and every time the owner designs a new perfume, the Maharaja receives it as a gift). He draws my attention to the most beautiful houses and tells me that the blue color is not only to keep the heat out but also the insects.  

We stop at the locals’ meeting place where there is also an emergency room. People come here to read the newspaper under a tree, drink a chai or just have a chat. Once again you only see men. If women came it would mean that they are open to having sex. So they chatted in front of their houses. You also see a kind of raised entrance in front of each house. So this is a terrace in front of the house and the women sit there. It’s really cool to have a guide with you who can tell you all about local customs! 

We stop for a Chai on that square. They made this with saffron. Also very tasty! 

Along the way he also shows me a few temples that I enter. The women who are praying ask me to sit with them. It was well worth it to go out with him!   

Around 12 o’clock I go to Virendra and Govind to talk about tourism and whether we can do something for each other. I show him my list of destinations in Rajasthan and he has only one to add. Good job Dane!   

When we were out this morning, Virendra saw a Haveli for sale for 120.000 euros. You don’t want to know how beautiful, old and big this one is! Needs some renovation work but so cool! They ask if I am interested in investing in this with them. I tell them I don’t have the money for this. Later they ask me if I would like to rent and run their guesthouse. It is currently rented to a man who does not put much effort into the business and they only receive 1250 euros in rent from him. I think there are 18 rooms in total and it’s a cool place! I just don’t think I want to tie myself down here for now, besides I don’t know them well enough…   

When I visit the ladies in between to have a top sewn, I immediately fall in love with a little boy. Taimur, 3 years old. He sits in a room playing by himself. He doesn’t make a sound. When I walk towards him he smiles at me and says something in Hindi. I immediately melt, he speaks Hindi, I speak English.  

I ask about his mother, she turns out to be a single woman, works here to earn something, but the child does not go to school because she has no money for this. It affects me enormously, perhaps because my nephew has experienced the same thing in a way. I immediately know that I want to support them. I meet the mother. She has a sweet appearance and is very thin. I’m going to talk to the lady who is about support for underprivileged children. There are still a number of children on the list for him. I tell her that I absolutely want to support this child and mother and explain why. An hour later I have a god son (as they call it here). His mother hugs me and is emotional. She also wants to stay in touch via email because she does not have a telephone herself.  

So I’m going to pay his school fees (220 euros per year, what are we talking about?!). All I can do now is wish him luck with this and hope that he will get a chance in life and will seize it! 

I am also in contact with Muriel (the French lady from yesterday). She invites me to have a bite to eat with them tonight. That seems like great fun!   

When I get back to my room I grab my breakfast that I didn’t eat and take it to the place where I saw some gypsies yesterday. When I get there I see 5 or 6 families. Well, who are you going to give 4 hams and 4 cookies to? I see a family sleeping on a pile of stone next to their cart in broad daylight. 2 parents and 3 children. The 2 youngest are exposed. I think they are 1 and 3 years old. I have rarely seen so many flies on and around a person. They all look unkempt. It’s terrible to see. I put the bag of food between mother and youngest child and walk away. They didn’t even notice that someone was standing so close to them…    

What I forgot to mention is that today I received a message from Jikke, a client of mine. We fought for almost a year to get her baby back after an out-of-home placement immediately after Billy was born. Youth Protection did not follow the court’s advice, after which I eventually contacted the court. Apparently Youth Protection has been reprimanded because Billy is home, finally! It cost me a complaint from youth protection and yes I went outside my book, but the result is there. This also made me extremely happy today!  

Jodhpur 04-11-2023 

Last night I slept in another hotel because my hotel was fully booked. I’m 100 m from the stepwell so I walked there early this morning to see if there were any pre-wedding shoots going on. And yes, I’m in for a treat! People also think it’s fine if you take photographs and what strikes me is that the bolder you are, the more welcome you are. Today I just stand next to the photographers every now and then. I exchange numbers with a photographer and 2 brides so that I can send them something, provided they are good enough of course!  

While the photographers are busy with the bridal couples-to-be, the Dalit people are busy picking up dog poop and cleaning everything.    

Around 10 o’clock I wind down and go to the blue cafe for a Chai. It is located slightly above the stepwell, I have a beautiful view! Earn some money in 2 hours and then continue enjoying! 

The dinner with the French (Muriel and Roger) was very nice. We are sitting in the beautiful garden of a luxurious hotel, with the most beautiful vintage cars on either side. Classical music is being played and about 4 waiters at our table ensure that we are not short of anything. The food was tasty but not sublime. A bit too salty even for me, too bad!  

Muriel mainly talks about the business she is going to set up here and chats on and on. Roger is a somewhat quieter, very sympathetic man. It was a beautiful meeting!    

On the way to the hotel I stop at the omelette shop. They have the best omelettes in Jodhpur here and it has 26 variations!   

When I look at the photos in the evening I wonder whether the lady in pink is really happy with her upcoming wedding! I think the lady in red is absolutely beautiful and is very photogenic, the lady in orange is my favorite. She had such a sweet appearance and happiness radiated from her face. Unfortunately they arrived later in the morning, so the light was too bright and I fled.    

In the afternoon I earn my money and go after a lost pair of pants. I gave it to be washed but apparently something went wrong. They are immediately ready to come up with a solution. In this case, make new pants if mine don’t surface…    

When I ask the owner of the hotel about a ticket for the bus tomorrow, he reacts wildly. Mom those buses are so busy please go by car, this will not be convenient for you! When I explain that I often travel by local bus, he accepts it. 

By the way, my photos are a lot sharper. Thanks to Karel’s tips! 

Jodhpur – Osian 05-11-2023 

At 0740 I arrive at Paota bus station. Buying a ticket goes quite smoothly. There is always someone to help you. I buy a ticket for Bhikamkor which is a 2 hour journey. The ticket only cost me 45 rupees (50 cents). 

I ask the co-driver to warn me when we arrive at my stop. Hopefully it goes well!  

I’m the only white person on the bus and I’m an attraction. They’re all staring at me haha    

The girl with the orange dress received the photos I sent yesterday. She was very happy with it and invited me to their wedding on 27-11, Lets see!  

The bus leaves on time and will be picked up by Gemar later.  

Besides the girl sitting next to me, there are only men on the bus. The man who sits next to me is sent away by the conductor, as there are other seats available on the bus. A little later a woman comes in and takes the seat next to me and the three of us sit like princesses in the front row.  

The bus is already full before we leave Jodhpur. I have no idea how many times we will stop and how many more people will have to come, but I think the bus will be packed!   

The bus wasn’t that full and I had a great trip! I think because we go to villages in the morning instead of the big city because the buses that drive to Jodhpur are a lot fuller! Gemar picks me up at the bus stop and we drive to his house. He built a beautiful small resort in 2001, which he expanded with the help of the people from the village. He built 5 huts in traditional style. Here too, an oasis of peace, in the middle of nature. A place where you can relax for a while. I don’t even have electricity in my room, except for a generator for a light point.  

The wasps are here again, darn! According to Gemar, when winter comes, they come to the villages to build nests there because it is too cold for them in nature. They wouldn’t sting either, let’s hope so. You hear a loud buzzing sound all around you!   

I don’t do much in the afternoon, you can’t go anywhere else here and sitting in my room is not a good idea either. When I open doors or windows to get some light, the wasps fly in so I sit on a wall waiting for some birds. And they are coming so I can practice some. I also chat with Gemar and take some pictures of his houses. At the end of the afternoon we go for a walk for an hour and walk past houses and see some birds, a desert mouse and some cute goats. The children from the neighboring houses come running outside, it is a joy for them when someone comes by and that shows on their faces. This is truly local India!    

The lady of the house makes chapati in the evening in a traditional way (on charcoal) in a hut next to their house. Furthermore, it is pitch dark here. Luckily I brought a flashlight and got the only room with an en-suite bathroom (because I told him about my fear of snakes hahaha)  

I look at my photos the way locals would: on the floor with a rug under my buttocks.    

The price difference between a house in the countryside or in Jodhpur is shocking. Here you pay 2 euros to build a house with 25.000 bedrooms, while in the chic Jodhpur district a 2-room apartment costs around 230.000 euros!  

It is blisteringly hot in my room, no fan and with the lights on the windows have to be closed. I have the privilege of a sauna tonight! 

Osian 06-11-2023 

One of the reasons I traveled to Bihkamkor is because the town of Osian was recommended in the lonely planet because of the (partly ruins) of Hindu and Jain temples from the 8th to 12th century. The city was an important religious center of the Kingdom of Marwar during the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty. 

So I’m going there with great anticipation this morning after a walk through the Thar Desert. The Mahavira Jain temple is the oldest and most important Jain pilgrim centers of Rajasthan.  

It is built in soft red sandstone and with beautiful intricate patterns!    

Gemar leaves me here because he has to pick up some guests.  

The city is otherwise nothing special. I take a look at the Hindu temple where a ceremony is taking place. 

As I wait outside for Gemar I see more and more people driving in and out of the village. This has to do with the upcoming elections on November 25. I take a Chai and sit quietly on a bench and watch the scene. Everything is going smoothly, I think the farmers’ movement was being promoted because I see tractors driving everywhere.    

Gemar wants to take me home, there is nothing else planned today. I don’t like this because it is teeming with wasps. I ended up sitting on a bench for a few hours watching what was happening around me. Around 1630 Gemar drops me at the place where I will watch the sunset on the back of a camel. The animals look well cared for and one of them is very sulky! He bawls and occasionally refuses to get up or move on. When we arrive at the intersection towards their house and we go straight instead of turning left, things break out. He drops to his knees and roars. He also lights my camel. I’ll take care of myself! Fortunately, the camel rider has them well under control and before I know it everything is back to normal and we are jolting quietly up the mountain. The view is wide! Personally, I like the desert near Jaisalmer better. 

I am picked up to go back to the homestay. It’s starting to get dark and we have to go 20 km through all kinds of sandy paths with every now and then a piece of asphalt. The driver continues to drive well. I think he wants to drive in the dark for as little time as possible and I understand that. They are not roads but really paths and sometimes just bushes that we drive through. I’m not really having it to my liking. I come up with all kinds of disaster scenarios that just make me crazier! 

Finally arriving without a scratch. Very handsome!  

I’m eating outside again, on the floor with a table in front of me, an extensive meal!  

Jodhpur 08-11-2023  

Yesterday afternoon I met Ranjeet. He also happened to be in Jodhpur. I still have the best feeling with him when it comes to collaboration. Before talking further about collaboration, he first wants to meet Vipin and Anku. I contact Anku directly and ask him to come to Puskar. He says he can come and we’ll set a date.  

After a very pleasant evening and going to bed too late, I feel a little tired today. Still, I’m going on the road. Locals told me about some bazaars. When I’m sitting in a quiet place by the water, I start talking to 2 English ladies. One of them works for an NGO in Jaipur. They work there with slum children who need basic education before they can go to public school. 

We exchange numbers and she gives the details of the NGO. Who knows, maybe something will come of it!  

When I arrive at the step well I see the lady again who sells me her homemade necklaces again and again. Every time she sees me she smiles and asks if I want to buy a necklace. It’s not to my taste so I don’t buy anything. I decide to give her some money today. Unlike many other people who beg all day, she stands on her feet all day hoping to sell something. That’s a credit to her!  

We start talking, she tells me that she lives in a village 2 hours away. Every morning she takes the bus at 7 am and at 17 pm she goes home to take care of her daughter and mother. She cooks and makes new necklaces in the evenings. You can literally chat with strangers for fifteen minutes on any corner of the state. I think that’s so cool!  

I thoroughly enjoy my stay here and all the people I meet. I feel happy!  

I don’t do much else today. I feel sick, I think I caught a cold again from the air conditioning in the car recently, so I’m hanging out in my room for a bit.  

Jodhpur 08-11-2023  

Yesterday afternoon I met Ranjeet. He also happened to be in Jodhpur. I still have the best feeling with him when it comes to collaboration. Before talking further about collaboration, he first wants to meet Vipin and Anku. I contact Anku directly and ask him to come to Puskar. He says he can come and we’ll set a date.  

After a very pleasant evening and going to bed too late, I feel a little tired today. Still, I’m going on the road. Locals told me about some bazaars. When I’m sitting in a quiet place by the water, I start talking to 2 English ladies. One of them works for an NGO in Jaipur. They work there with slum children who need basic education before they can go to public school. 

We exchange numbers and she gives the details of the NGO. Who knows, maybe something will come of it!  

When I arrive at the step well I see the lady again who sells me her homemade necklaces again and again. Every time she sees me she smiles and asks if I want to buy a necklace. It’s not to my taste so I don’t buy anything. I decide to give her some money today. Unlike many other people who beg all day, she stands on her feet all day hoping to sell something. That’s a credit to her!  

We start talking, she tells me that she lives in a village 2 hours away. Every morning she takes the bus at 7 am and at 17 pm she goes home to take care of her daughter and mother. She cooks and makes new necklaces in the evenings. You can literally chat with strangers for fifteen minutes on any corner of the state. I think that’s so cool!  

I thoroughly enjoy my stay here and all the people I meet. I feel happy!  

I don’t do much else today. I feel sick, I think I caught a cold again from the air conditioning in the car recently, so I’m hanging out in my room for a bit.  

Jodhpur 09-11-2023 

I’m going to Jaswant Thada early this morning (06:30) to watch the sunrise and take pictures of the fort from here. Unfortunately it is cloudy and we have to make do with a gray sky. I meet a few people here including an Indian who lives in Dungapur. According to him, a nice place to settle down. It is not a very large city with many tribe villages nearby, not far from Udaipur. Definitely a region that I want to explore further, so who knows… 

When I walk back towards the hotel I meet the lady from yesterday (Bimdya, the one from the chains). I invite her for a chai. Initially she insists on inviting me, even though she doesn’t have a cent to make! 

Eventually we make a deal. My place to sleep tonight is near where she works, so tomorrow she can have a treat. We sit on the sidewalk and chat. The locals around us stare at us…. 

The start of my working week has arrived again, so I spend the afternoon in the hotel.  

Tonight I’m going to treat myself to a fancy restaurant. The garden where the restaurant is located is beautiful, it has a rooftop bar with a view of the illuminated fortress and they also have Western dishes that I am looking forward to again. I don’t have much time because I have my last appointment at 2030.  

When I go to my new hotel for 1 night at the end of the afternoon, I meet my girlfriend again, she sees me in the tuk tuk and calls me. We agree to meet at the step well. I have to throw off my bag first. We sit in a small booth, the shop of a friend of hers. We chatted again for a long time. Her English is very good for someone who has had no education! She cannot read and write. She says that her father died at an early age and that her mother then started begging to get money. She then decided never to do this herself and that is how she ended up in the chain trade.  

I misunderstood something yesterday, not her husband but her son died due to malnutrition. Her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter still drinks from the breast in the morning and evening. I wonder where the food comes from. Bymdia is actually very thin.  

At one point she tells me that she saw me before in Jodhpur about 6 years ago. It’s been 4 years, but it’s still very special that she still remembers this!  

She is 21, looks 30. She has a beautiful warm appearance and my heart really breaks when I hear her stories. She not only talks about herself, she is also interested in my story.  

When I’m talking to her like this, I feel such a need to do something for her! After our conversation I will be having a beer for 8 euros in a mega luxurious tent. The world is so unfairly divided!  

Tomorrow morning we will go to the market together. Get all kinds of Punja stuff (for the religious rituals for Diwali) and eat some healthy food. Of course it is not a structural solution, I know that all too well. There is no point in supporting training. Money needs to be raised and she has the care of her daughter and mother as a priority. It’s a shame because I think she really has potential!   

Well, I’m sitting here typing on the rooftop bar of the Raas hotel. The view is fantastic! The atmosphere is cool and dull. People talk softly, you hear no laughter, no life. A place suitable for when you want to escape reality.  

When I arrive at my guesthouse, the owner starts chatting with me. Ultimately, my departure from the Netherlands comes to the fore and my wish to settle somewhere in India. He thinks I should definitely live in Jodhpur. If I ever want that, he can help me find a nice room with a family for little. Oh well, always good to keep in mind!  

Jodhpur 10-11-2023 

This morning I only met Bimdya and I have to get some local sweets for lunch at Divraj in Barli. It is customary to bring sweets or whiskey (preferably) with you when you are invited somewhere. I find out where the best sweets can be bought and go there via Uber on the back of my motorcycle. On the way I meet Virendra who is out with tourists. He invites me to visit him this afternoon. Unfortunately no time today!   

I also sit with Bimdya on the square, give her some fruit left over from breakfast and then we go out through the bazaar where I come across a variety of shops. From locksmiths to musical instruments and that soft drink tent again. Many children walk on the street with whole bunches of peacock feathers in the hope of selling them. Also shops everywhere that focus on evening lights (Diwali)    

After work (yes, I worked 6 hours today) the owner of the hotel comes to me with a box full of sweets as a Diwali gift. So sweet!  

When I go out in the evening, the streets are even busier than normal. Everyone comes to buy some lights and fireworks for Diwali. It can be compared to New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands when everyone rushes to the bakery and pastry stalls to get olibollen. It is very busy!  

I’m eating that snack again that I ate with mom in Delhi in March, my God, it’s so delicious! 

My Jodhpur adventure is over after 2,5 weeks. I wasn’t bored for a second here and I had a great time!  

Jodhpur – Pushkar 11-11-2023 

I leave early for Pushkar. The deal is to avoid the highway and get a taste of local life. The taxi driver doesn’t seem to understand this, even when he sees the text in Hindi. Along the way I want to pass 2 specific villages where I saw a beautiful hotel (especially in 1 village). We arrive at the first hotel in Raipur. It is located on a lake a few km from the village and is the most special hotel I have seen so far! The 2 main buildings date from 1850. Everything is in old Rajasthani style. Every detail has been thought of. 

The colors of the furnishings match and stand out from each other. We only cook with ingredients from our own garden. You can learn to mix herbs and process them in dishes, take a pottery course, or take morning walks to spot birds. The cottages have an old-fashioned Indian fireplace and a private pool overlooking the lake. In the bathroom there are herbs and rose water that you can mix for a mask and so on. It is a feast for the eyes and definitely a destination that I will offer!   

I chat with the manager, he tells about the history of the place, how they do business responsibly, support the locals and we talk about the price of the rooms. We will come to a great deal!   

We drive on to the 2nd village (Nimaj) again via the highway! This hotel is luxurious but has no Indian atmosphere so I’ll be done with it quickly! 

Finally we drive to Pushkar via a tourist road. Again beautiful, straight through the Aravelli Mountains. We drive past villages, life slows down here. The speed of the car also decreases, which my driver is anything but happy about. He complains that the road is dangerous because it is a wide one-lane road hahaha. Finally we arrive around 6 o’clock and I am unpleasantly surprised when I see my hotel/room! I get an upgrade twice, but it’s simply disgusting! Everything full of dust, a toilet too dirty to sit on and sheets full of stains!  

In the evening Mohiit comes by and we have a bite to eat together. I wake up in the middle of the night because of all the dust I’ve ingested! 

Pushkar 12-11-2023 

When I get out of bed this morning I decide to get out of here very quickly. The man is grumpy and thinks I’m a nag. I should have paid half of the accommodation costs in advance and he does not want to refund it. Not even partially!  

I will inform Millan so that he knows what he is getting into if he also sleeps in this hotel. He tells me that he will have a word with him about my reinstatement. 

After a lot of searching I found a decent and clean hotel!  

My suitcases are being moved on scooters, I’m worried! This start to the day ensures that I walk a bit with my soul under my arms. I don’t feel good until about 4 o’clock. I wonder what I’m doing here for 10 days. The town is loaded with souvenirs and clothing shops aimed at tourists and hippies. I already had this feeling in 2019! But this time the fair is the reason for my coming. When I am with a Sadhu (saint) I relax and forget what happened in the morning. 

As I walk around a few ladies (gypsys) approach me and ask if I will sit with them. I hear stories about how bad they are and before I know it, one of the ladies smears my hand with henna. Of course she ultimately wants money/food for it, which I don’t do because I don’t like to be pushed!  

Pushkar is considered a holy city by Hindus and is an important pilgrimage site.  

I sit by the lake before sunset, I attend a Diwali ceremony, I see how people pour the holy water from the lake over themselves, light candles and let them slide into the water and I enjoy it!  

When it is dark, the shopkeepers light up their shops and the fireworks start. No decorative fireworks, just bangs! Suddenly it also cools down considerably in the morning and evening! 

Bhavana, Millan’s wife, also has a room in my hotel and calls to discuss. She decides to cancel her room, just in case for that jerk!  

A little later I receive a message from him that I will get part of my money back!  

Pushkar 13-11-2023 

As soon as I have a cup of coffee in my room this morning, my new admirer (the receptionist) comes to greet me and have a chat. He offers to take me to the camel grounds. Yesterday he suggested that we watch the sunrise together on the mountain where there is a temple. Because he wanted to hug me yesterday, I kept some distance…  

I walk around the fair grounds on the outskirts of Puskar from 0830 to about 1130. The well-known wine shops along the road. In Puskar itself no alcohol is served or meat is served because it is a holy city. But as soon as you drive out of the center, things take off!! Camels and a few horses slowly arrive in Pushkar. I walk from tent to tent through the dunes.  

I stop at a small resort directly opposite the place where most of the horse stables will be set up in a few days. I start talking to the owner. A retired colonel. He has been retired since the age of 54 after 35 years of service and 17 years of active service in war zones in Sri Lanka and Kashmir, among others. Now he is enjoying his old age by running this small resort. It is a beautiful place for people who come especially for the fair, so we also talk about business and make excellent agreements!  

When I leave here I walk through the outskirts past the hotel of a friend of Jigar’s, it doesn’t look very inviting so I walk back to the lake and settle down for a lime soda.  

I walk through the more remote streets of the city, at one point I bump into a cow with her calf. She probably sensed my suspicion because she decides to kind of attack me. I quickly take off in the other direction (not smart, I know!) In the end I just wait until someone comes along. I see a little boy approaching with his flock of sheep, he is going to be my saving angel. And yes, he drives the animal away with a stick and I walk along with him at a fast pace. Pfff, that was quite an arrangement!   

When I arrive at the ghats I hear huge firecrackers everywhere, I believe we call them cobras. What a T noise!  

After my drink I walk around the lake via the ghats and see the many people bathing or pouring the holy water over themselves.  

Eventually I get stuck in a place where a whole group of women and girls are attending a ceremony. It’s impressive to see!  

They don’t mind me photographing them, in fact they enjoy it. We finish with some selfies and I give one of the girls my number so I can text her the photos.  

On the way to the hotel I meet Lynn, what a coincidence in this crowd! We agree that they will pick me up tomorrow to go to the village where the children of the NGO she knows live.   

I drop off 1 camera at the hotel to walk towards the camel fair, it is now cloudy so I don’t take many pictures. At the last minute I do see some ladies who make a kind of doll out of a cow pie for their front door and perform all kinds of rituals. I bump into Lynn again, according to her this is the person to be!  

Oh yes, along the way I also see a little boy who is just sitting on the edge of the street pooping, well it is and remains India!   

I’m going to sit with the Colonel for a drink and eat a pizza just like yesterday! There is some wonderful 60s music on here, I enjoy it! Despite the praising words of the colonel and the chef himself, the pizza is far from tasty. I’ll eat it anyway because I walked 20000 steps today and could use a snack! 

At just after six it is pitch dark. I’m glad I get a ride back! 

Tonight I receive a message from Ashu, he does not want to give my money back in cash and does not want to refund it via Millan, but wants to send it to me via Dahnraj’s account (from Jodhpur). I have no idea how he wants to do that and I certainly won’t see Dahnraj again after his disappointing tour. He refuses to do it any other way. So I’ll just leave a message with Millan. He’s going to arrange it. It’s really nice to have some connections! 

As I lie on my bed tonight I notice that my feet are starting to look very Indian. There are painful cracks in my football and they are completely dry. I think I should wear sneakers more often, or just walk less in my slippers! 

Pushkar 14-11-2023 

When I am on my way this morning I see camels with a special appearance. They have a black mane. I don’t know if this is painted, but it looks special!  

The cows also have a special color today. For Diwali they are painted in pastel shades. It suits her quite well!  

Bhavana asked me to check out a resort so I walk over. It is 2 km away and the road is full of holes and water!  

After this I walk back to the fairgrounds to see how things are going here today.  

More and more horses are arriving at the fair. The appearance of the horses varies considerably. You see the horses of the (poorer) farmers who are quite thin and are not treated very lovingly. They are beaten with sticks, they have barely any room to move and they look unkempt. If you walk a little further, there are the tents of “the big boys”. Horses are brushed, look beautiful, have a shiny coat and even stables where they can run freely. 

I also notice the cars in which they are transported. They are just loaded into trucks, three of them next to each other or with all kinds of other stuff being transported!  

Many gypsy children run after me hoping that I will give them some money. Despite the fact that I understand it all, I am now annoyed by it. I have never seen begging as bad as here. At one point I even see a young girl jumping on the back of the camel chart full of Indian tourists and begging the people for money. People point at me, causing her to jump off and come to me begging. I make a stop at the Colonel for a cup of spicy Chai, delicious! 

Around 16 p.m., Lynn and her guests will visit some families who receive education and medical assistance through the foundation where she donates. I am upset as I write this. The poverty in which these people live, the domestic violence that women suffer due to the alcohol use of many men is heartbreaking! The uncared for children and yet all those happy faces because people make an effort to visit them. The children are clearly crazy about Britt, they hang around his neck and legs. It’s so touching to see!  

Hearing the personal stories through Brett touches me enormously. You would prefer to take all these people under your wing. The children speak good English, which will hopefully give them a better future than their parents!  

Seeing poverty from a distance is really different from being briefly immersed in it. I’m at a loss for words and need to let all this sink in! 

Only half an hour later I’m in Ranjeet’s car on the way to a restaurant and I get back to the business of the day, bizarre how that goes! 

Pushkar 15-11-2023 

Today I don’t do much more than hop up and down to the fair grounds, amazed at how the villagers treat their animals and sit down at some farm stands for a Chai. For example, an old man talks through his grandson about the origin and typical characteristics of the Marwari horses. They have their own chef with them and invite them for a meal. Even to come and live with them in Jaipur! I have my doubts whether they really mean this! But after an hour I’m happily skipping through the fair again.  

In the evening I met with Ranjeet and Anku to discuss how to organize the heart of India travel and to investigate what we can do for each other. Anku is 2,5 hours late, so we don’t finish until 23:30 PM. I go to bed with blisters under my toes! 

Pushkar 16-11-2023 

In the morning I take a look at the Brahma temple. The temple is one of the few existing temples dedicated to the Hindu creator god Brahma in India. The temple is marked by a red spire and above the entrance is the symbol of Brahma. Inside, the floor and walls are engraved with dedications to the dead.  

Around 12 o’clock I visit the school where the children of the Blue project receive education. The school is small and looks cute. I’m making a video to give Marian an impression. 

I am picked up at the temple by 2 young men and asked to sit on the back of the motorcycle. The three of us on that thing and we’re off! We drive through stretches of desert sand. Every now and then the youngster has trouble keeping control of the bike and I’m heartbroken. We’ll get there safely, they can absolutely drive here!  

When I get back to Pushkar I call the hotel where Lyn stayed a few days ago.  

I walk there and am welcomed by the owner.  

I end up sitting here for 2 hours listening to the man’s stories, which is no punishment. What a piece that is! He also has interesting stories 

For example, he says that he only hires people from the Rajput caste to work for him. (Rajputs come from peasant or pastoral communities). He trains them from the age of about 15 and they are allowed to stay on his property until death.  

I briefly explain to him what I do here and he offers to help me with any problems I encounter. He also invites me to have lunch with him before I leave. As I walk towards the fairground I wander a bit in my thoughts. In the Netherlands it is really rare that someone who barely knows you (say not) just offers you help and is willing to sort out everything for you (from a long-term visa to opening a bank account). 

When I arrive there, Minister Yogi of Uttar Pradesh has just arrived by helicopter for the inauguration of the Mela fair. People run towards the helicopter hoping to catch a glimpse of the best man.  

There is no place so far where I have seen as many gypsies as here. (Of course they also come to the fair because they can generate some income, a girl comes up to me. Finally there is no immediate begging, which is a relief! Soon I have about 6 children following me. They are super cheeky. They want to have their picture taken, jump in front of my camera when I am taking pictures, pull my arm and squeeze it. If at a certain point they no longer get attention, they run after a camel chart to jump and hitch a ride. A girl hangs around, we fool around together, she wants to take a picture and doesn’t ask me for money. A little further on I see a sugar cane cart for her and another girl We are buying a glass of this. I think these people are so focused on people who give something because before I know it there are 15 people around me who all want a glass! They are standing there so close to me that I can barely reach them. I speak to them sternly, which eventually makes them stand a little further away. As I walk away, one of the ladies warns me that my bag is not closed properly and that I should close it. I think this is beautiful and very sweet! Just before departure, a few people come up to me again in the hope that I will take a few (paid) photos. The young mother stands in front of me with a straight face. I decide to take some photos for a fee. Slowly she thaws and eventually she is smiling in the photo and enjoying our short interaction! 

Every now and then I have to laugh because out of nowhere you hear a huge roar. That is a camel that disagrees with something. It is a pleasure to watch how they refuse to listen to their owner, howl louder and louder and how the owner calls for help and tries with all his might to get his way. 

After sunset I walk to the only restaurant here where I sit in a secret place with a beer. Delicious! It cools down quickly in the evening so I don’t leave too late. The colonel had told me earlier that if I came to eat with him he would have me dropped back to the center. I’m happy with that because I don’t like walking alone in the dark through the remote streets. When I ask him if someone can take me, he says that it won’t work tonight because he doesn’t have enough staff. When he walks off the grounds and looks around, he says, come on, I’ll have you taken away. There are too many guests walking on the street, I don’t trust it.  

After years of independence and being the only one who can stand up for myself, it feels quite nice that there are so many people here who care about me and even want to protect me! 

Pushkar 18-11-2023 

After a day of work yesterday, I’m starting a new week where I have free play for the next 5 days. I honestly like it!  

Around 7:30 am I walk back to the fair grounds. For the first time with jeans and a cardigan because it cools down quite a bit in the mornings and evenings. A busy program ahead of us today. At 10 o’clock to the school with the American (Brett from NGO vikasproject.org), a lunch appointment at 12 o’clock after which I go to see Bhavana   

When I walk through the dunes I come across a neighborhood dispute. How they can rage when they are angry. A woman also gets involved. God, how I wish I had heard them! 

A little further on I see a man trimming the ears of a camel! Wouldn’t they be wise to first trim their own ear hair or would it be a sign of masculinity to have those bunches of hair on and in the ears? 

I can also witness a camel getting into a fight with its owner. He refuses any cooperation and shouts the entire neighborhood together. God, that beast went crazy!  

On the way back I see a mother being groomed by a child at a well. Things are serious! 

I am picked up to visit the school of the vikas project. 

On the way he sees that one of the children is at home instead of at school. The parents get a good deal of it! To get any help from him, parents must commit to sending their children to school. If they do not come to school, he withdraws his hands for further help. He’s doing quite well! 

I was recently impressed by the bond between him and the children, and that was surpassed today! He radiates so much love to the children and teaches them norms and values. Every child also listens to him and they clearly love him. 

What I also like is that Brett ensures that they also have a place where they can be children for a while.  

What is also striking is how serious the children are when making the work and ask Brett for help if they do not understand something. It is very beautiful to see and I am grateful that I can be a part of this! 

The girls love my nails and nail polish. I agree with them that I will do my best to come by and paint their nails as well.  

Before lunch it’s time to stretch and play games. They first do a musical chair dance and end with a dance performance by a number of girls. They are about 10-12 years old and already dance professionally in expensive resorts. I don’t understand why tourists come here! Brett also says that the girls are often married off at the age of 12. How bizarre! About poverty and living conditions, he says that these people would not have to live the way they do now if they would use their money more wisely!  

Brett tells me that 6-year-old children often cannot speak. Parents see them as a burden rather than as an added value. They are not looked after.  

Brett teaches the children himself and speaks almost only English with them, so I can have short conversations with them  

After my lunch with the piece whose name I still don’t know, I return to the fair. I’m back at my hotel around 1830. Do some regular work and organize photos…  

Pushkar 19-1-2023 

I was going to take pictures of a horse this morning upon request. When they arrived there at 0730, it turned out that they did not finish preparing the horse for the shoot until 0900. Given the beautiful light there now and my taxi that leaves at 1000 for Barli, I decide to call it a day. 

Initially I think “another same walk through the dunes, I’ve seen that now”. In the end I discover that I am completely wrong!  

I have to say that at the end I ended up at a location that was teeming with photographers and people were posing, which isn’t really my thing, but I still managed to get some nice pictures!  

What is also funny is that locals mainly tell me not to give money, not even for photos, and a tourist comes up to me to make a comment about the fact that I don’t give money. When I look at my photos later in the day, you can also clearly see that the children and adults posing are having a discussion with a local photographer. Well, what are you doing right…  

Around 11 am I leave for Barli to have lunch with Divryaj and his wife. I have the beer cans that Mohit smuggled in (strong and dark beer, yuck!) and a few empty bottles. I’ll have to drop that one along the way. I’m going to ask my driver for a smoke stop and then hope I can discharge them unnoticed.  

Seeing Divraj and Nithia again feels like coming home. This place and the people who run it are so warm. And of course that hospitality that the Indians are known for! 

We chat all afternoon about the fort (from 1650), the plans they have to offer their guests the opportunity to book an Ayurveda retreat with them, that he is the 16th generation of royals to live here and about my business and how he can help with this. He thinks my idea about hidden gems and photography travel is a very good one and thinks I shouldn’t deviate from it either. I agree with this and will continue to follow this plan!   

When Divyraj is away for a while, I start talking to Nithia. I ask her how she experiences life in the countryside, whether she misses her friends and whether she does her shopping in Barli. It turns out that given her status as the wife of a Maharaja, she is not allowed to walk through the village unaccompanied. Not because of safety but because of Indian customs.   

He wants to think along with everything and he has some pretty good ideas! He will also put me in touch with fort owners he knows. And so I am accepted into his family and I am welcome to come and stay with them.  

I wonder what will come of this, in any case I had another wonderful afternoon!   

Around 1730 we drive back to Pushkar. I’m calling Pientje. Glad I spoke to her again and even happier that she will be here in 3 weeks and we can be close to each other for a month! 

Pushkar 20-11-2023 

This morning I was going to go out with Millan’s photographer, but they appear to be still asleep after a long night’s sleep. So I’m going out alone again.  

When walking through the dunes towards the fair, I see men everywhere walking with bottles of water. I haven’t seen this before. A little later it becomes clear to me why they have those bottles with them; they all go out for a shit fuck!   

Around 9 o’clock I meet the two girls from yesterday again. They are always lurking. As soon as they see someone with a camera, they run over, pose and ask for money. By now they know perfectly well that I don’t give them money. Yet they stay close to me and we joke around without speaking each other’s language. I brought shampoo from the hotel this morning and gave it to them. They could really use a wash. I have nail polish with me so I ask them if they would like me to paint their nails. They think this is really cool, so we sit on a wall and I paint their nails. The band slowly starts to grow. I see photographers capturing our scene. 

We have fun together and take them to the Chai tent on top of the hill. For them a large Chai, a kind of croissant and noodles (maggi). I take a small Chai myself. The girls take a seat on the large couch, where they are normally not allowed to sit, and clearly enjoy themselves! They ask me to be photographed and spontaneously appear in the photo. For others, they pose as expected and without a smile on their face.   

After breakfast I straighten the hair of one of the girls and put some hair clips in it. They crawl against me and I see that a girl is covered in lice. My God what now, my instinct says stand back and quickly, but my heart tells me I can’t do that! So I’m going to continue tidying up her hair. After this we walk around a bit until the father of one of them calls them back. They ask me to come with them to their “house” and I do. 1 of the girls lost her mother 1 months ago when she gave birth to her baby. These types of encounters are accompanied by such mixed feelings. On the one hand, so much compassion and on the other hand, so valuable to see them happy with this moment full of attention for them.  

When I walk alone I feel an itch on my head. All sorts of things are going through my mind; It wouldn’t be right, how would I allow myself to be deloused if that best one had jumped over, am I just driving myself crazy?  

I go to the colonel to have a Chai and start talking to him. He says that if I leave the day after tomorrow I will miss the highlight of the fair. The religious ending in particular seems to be very special! I have been having doubts for the past few days whether I should go to Jamnagar or not and if so for how long… finding a hotel is a problem, I tell him. My hotel is fully booked. He rents out his rooms during these days for 6000 rupees (65 euros). This is well above my budget. he says he will let you know tonight if he has a room available and can stay for 2500 (27,50) per night. If this works then it should have been this way and I will have to tell Millan and Bhavana that I am not riding with them. Something that I really like because I told him a long time ago that I would like to go with them.  

Yesterday a Buffalo weighing 1350 kilos apparently broke free. I see in the video how he attacks a horse and how people flee, quite a fierce sight!  

The Colonel warned me that the children cannot be trusted and will steal them from me as soon as they have the chance. My experience is different, they have actually told me a number of times that I have to close the zipper of my camera bag, so you see…  

In the afternoon I sit in my room for a few hours, Mitchell has sent me an update of my website. It’s looking even cooler! Just a few minor adjustments and it can go live!  

At the end of the afternoon I walk through the fair of the Pushkar fair and then I go with Brett to the villages where the school children live. The difference between one village and another is enormous! At the 2nd village the people live much more primitively. He also tells me that these parents do not care about their children at all and that they leave their children to fend for themselves. They are mainly concerned with smoking (chew nicotine) and consuming alcohol or letting their children work. The girl who the parents left in a coma for 3 days and with whom they did not want to go to the hospital with Brett also lives here. They wanted to wait a few more days and take her to a temple, this would make her better. Brett managed to convince them and on the day itself drove them to a nearby temple after which they went to the hospital. He saved this girl from death. She did not come out unscathed, she is partly paralyzed and one of her arms is deformed and yet the girl is cheerful and very cheerful!  

In these few hours I provided 20 pairs of hands with nail polish and gave them some shampoo, soap and nuts. The children are clearly enjoying themselves! Then we sit together on the floor and chat. They ask about my children. I show them pictures and also pictures of my grandson. They love Pientje. They find her beautiful and sweet. When I tell them she is coming to India, they ask her if she wants to come to their home. 

I ask Brett quickly about the fleas, almost all children have them. At one point he tells me that it happened once that a monkey was feeding on one of the children. This is in the context of the lack of involvement of the mothers from the second village. This is just one of many examples he cites! 

Brett once worked as a reporter and shows me some photos he took of the children, I am very impressed with his work! 

Pushkar 21-11-2023

At 6 o’clock I am at the fair waiting for Tania, the photographer. I’m going with her group to see how she works. We are a man between 10 and 12, the locals are asked to pose and there is a crowd to get in.  

Firstly, I’m not into posed portraits, I prefer to capture the moment and an emotion and secondly, you can barely get to it. It feels like a zoo. Hmmm  

I meet the girls around 0800, in a completely different place than where I normally meet them. They are also asked to pose, which of course they do. Work comes first! They look in their usual way, without appearance. A Japanese woman even whistles at them if they are not looking in the right direction. Bah! A little later I am painting my nails again and as soon as it is known that I have shampoo with me, they come to me like bees to honey. About 15 children are pushing to get to me. They push each other and it almost feels aggressive. I speak to them so that they calm down a bit. I too am now a subject for the photographers because the girls hang around my neck and I paint my nails.   

My two friends walk with me for a long time. At some point I decide to leave the group and pick up the bananas for them. We walk hand in hand through the dunes.  

I also got some hair clips that I put in their hair. They are so happy!  

Some magic show is given along the way. The girls are deeply impressed so they stand there for some time. It’s so nice to see the children enjoying themselves so much!   

I’m moving my things and having a quick chat with the colonel. He asks about my photos from yesterday and says he is impressed, or is he just impressed by me and wants to leave a good impression? God will know…  

In the afternoon I go to the horse beauty competition. I meet a bunch of French people there who need a car if they are going to travel through the south. Would this be my debut in tourism?  

Because I’m staying here longer, I can still pursue some things for The Key. I arrange a visit to the blue house project for tomorrow and visit Hotel Everest where the volunteers will be staying. A super cozy spot with a very friendly owner and a beautiful view of the mountains from the rooftop café!   

I continue again, it is now 17 pm and I now have 2 little boys following me. They’re trying to sell me bracelets. Even though I say I don’t want to buy anything, they keep following me. When I arrive at the fair they are still there. I buy them an ice cream and they are happy. A little later I see the fairground attractions running at full speed. The richer children are thoroughly enjoying themselves. When I look at those 2 lads I think, they deserve a moment of fun too. I treat them to a round. Of course, in no time there will be 2 more boys next to me. Okay all 4 then. For 200 rupees they have the time of their lives. They wave, laugh and wave. My day can not be ruined!  

When I arrive at my hotel, I have spent 13 hours of wandering and I am exhausted! I plop down on my porch with an illegal beer. God it tastes so good! 

Pushkar 22-11-2023 

Today the festivities of the fair take place at the Mela ground. The program includes a mustache competition and also beauty competitions of Marwari horses. I notice to myself that these kinds of occasions where people push to be at the front to take a picture are not really my thing. Anyway, I try not to capture posing moments but people don’t notice. In the afternoon, both Bhavana and I have time so we have lunch together. She is a spontaneous, well-spoken woman and we have a good time. After lunch she will film again for her You Tube channel while I try to capture the horses. At one point she walks past me so I too am viral hahahaha  

It is a beauty contest between stallions in which they are judged on certain physical characteristics, but also on their masculinity and dominance over other stallions. They are placed opposite each other and allow the horses to smell each other, after which they rear up. Things are getting intense. The men holding the horses seem to have no fear. They also (almost) always manage to withdraw in time. However, yesterday things went wrong and a man was injured! I haven’t seen it myself, Bhavana tells me. 

In the evening I have Mitchell on the phone to go over the final details about layout. The site is really starting to look good, I’m very happy with it! 

I wrote this report a day later, from the rooftop terrace of my new hotel overlooking the setting sun, and I have already forgotten the details of what I experienced yesterday.  

Pushkar 23-11-2023 

I’m moving to another hotel (again) today. The resort where I stayed did not have a stable internet connection and it is also located away from the center of Puskar. So far no problem because it is located in the middle of the fair ground where the horses, camels and buffalos were in recent days, but they are now all heading home again and the activities have moved to the Mela ground where I am now sitting close to. I’ll take in the camel show. It is about the most beautifully decorated camel. And yes they look beautiful! I can no longer attend the camel dance show because I have to work, unfortunately!  

During the shows people are constantly warned about pickpockets and there are police here and there to keep an eye on it. At one point I suddenly see a man running through the sand and I don’t know how many locals and police are following him. They all scream and run wild. The thief too, by the way! Even before leaving the Mela ground, he is caught by the collar and has to go with the police!  

After work I could have looked at the Arti at the lake, but I caught a cold again and I don’t feel 100% so I stay in the hotel 

An Arti is one of the most important and popular ceremonies of the Hindu faith. It is a prayer ceremony performed to greet and thank the Deities, reminding devotees of God’s glorious presence and providence. It is an impressive ceremony that takes place here every day, so tomorrow is another day! 

Pushkar 25-11-2023

When I looked at Polarsteps yesterday I was surprised by the fact that I have already been away from the Netherlands for 60 days. Of course there are some people I would like to hold for a while, but other than that I haven’t missed the Netherlands for a second. Nothing from the Netherlands that I crave. Yes my fisherman’s miss every now and then!   

I woke up early this morning. It was a short night. The noise continues here until late and starts again in the early morning. Yesterday I also spoke with Dyvraj about destinations that I will visit from 28-11 to 6-12. Turns out there is a hotel run by his relatives at all 3 destinations. He contacted them so I could take a look there. It’s still unclear exactly what it will look like, but it sounds great! The intention is to first go to a camp in Jawai district and spot leopards that still roam freely, including on the grounds of the lodge. Then I want to go to Dungarpur and Poshina, both off-beaten places where many tribes still live. Sounds really fantastic!   

I decide to have a massage today and I bump into a masseur on the way to another massage center. He explains to me how he works and his massage depends on what he feels the customer needs. The massage is great and afterwards he tells me what he felt and what I should do. He also works with chakras during the massage, I am really perplexed because everything he says is correct! His advice is to have a massage three days in a row and I have been given a number of assignments that I have to carry out every day. Then let’s take a listen!  

Afterwards I met with Vijay who works for the blue project. She is a sweet woman and is charming. She has been caring for the gypsy children for 8 years. Previously for Brett, now for the blue project. She invites me to her house, we sit on the bed with her 2 daughters. We talk about the project and she proudly tells us how one daughter sings and draws beautifully and how beautifully the other dances. The oldest girl sings a song while playing a kind of mini piano with an accordion. Mother and sister sing along and I see how Viyaj street. She is clearly proud of her daughter!   

When I’m on the road again I bump into a hostel. Music is loud and they offer Magic lassi (with cannabis). I make sure I don’t get magic chai!  

The streets behind the crowded street around the lake give me the feeling of walking in a different village. No beggars, people are friendly and chatting with them (as best they can). I play with 2 little boys who were up to mischief and end up sitting at a ghat to attend an Arti. It remains impressive time and time again.  

Pushkar 26-11-2023 

It has suddenly cooled down a lot, especially the stronger wind and the clouds make it feel colder. I’m taking it easy today and rearranging my suitcase again and looking at train tickets for Mumbai. That doesn’t look good. All classes are sold out. The only option is to go to a train station 1 day in advance and buy a reserve ticket. According to the owner of the hotel, that shouldn’t be a problem, I’m curious! 

I’m going outside at 11 o’clock, another nice massage in an hour!  

My ankle bracelet broke last week and I had it in my bag for days in case I saw a shop somewhere where they could fix it. Near my hotel I see an old man making a lady’s necklace. I ask him if he can make my anklet and yes, that is no problem. He even threads the 2 undamaged parts. Very special how he works and so precisely! I’m sitting here, looking at his work for an hour, I think. His tools also stand out. He uses very old large and heavy scissors with a brass handle. The stringing is done with the help of his toes, around which he twists the wire and transfers my stones from one wire to the other in one go, and then threads the stones onto another wire. What craftsmanship and time-consuming work!  

I view the Arti from the rooftop of the U-turn cafe. When it’s over, it slowly flows in here and I see people rolling joints one after another. Time for me to go!   

A well-known band from Punjab is playing at the Mela ground tonight, we’ll take a look there.  

When I walk back via the main street it is even busier than normal. A water tank runs through the walking street next to the scooters that always drive there. I am completely crushed and a jerk takes the opportunity to touch my bottom. He knew that! The woman behind me is bursting with laughter!  

Once I have dropped my camera, I walk through the local streets towards the Mela ground. I stop for a delicious street food snack and while I’m quietly eating on a wall, a fight breaks out. I jump on the wall so that I can quickly run away if necessary, which is not necessary because the problem is soon resolved because they are separated by bystanders.   

When I arrive at Mela ground, because I am a tourist, I can go through the side entrance to the VIP lounge where there is also a section especially for foreigners.  

In front of the first row there are gold tables and the benches with white fur, hilarious! When I sit here and look at the professional appearance of the stage and everything around it, I forget for a moment that there is so much poverty here!   

They start 45 minutes late, they test the music and I have the feeling that I will soon come home deaf! Once it starts, a woman has some kind of speech. She has a voice to run from and it’s getting chilly. There’s a good chance I’ll tap out quickly, which I do after an hour! 

Pushkar 27-11-2023 

Today is the full moon, so it is also the conclusion and religious highlight of the fair. 200 buses a day drop people who come to take a bath in the sacred lake. People everywhere, a COVID fireplace you would have said a few years ago!   

I start the day by calling the resort that Divraj recommended to me in Jawai district (where leopards still roam freely). He spoke to the owner in advance and I still had to contact him. No sooner said than done. The man sounds very sympathetic. So this will be my next destination. Then I go to Dungarpur and then to Poshina which is run by Divraj’s sister. I am now also in contact with a renowned Indian wildlife photographer who is committed to the protection of wild animals. An institution that suits what I want to set up.  

Curious to see what will come out of it!   

Around 0930 I am at the Mela ground for the closing spectacle, and it is one! All winners are presented, dance shows are performed by both adults and teenage girls. All beautifully dressed! The winning Buffalo also appears, he steals the show because every now and then he goes on the attack!  

Finally, there is a tug-of-war competition between the tourists and the locals. Both the Indian men and the Indian women win, which causes a huge noise and a lot of fun among the locals. Very cool to see that passion in people!   

I have my last massage and I’m disappointed that I won’t be getting any more from Manu for a while. How fantastic that was and what a beautiful and engaging person he is! I still recommend him to Ranjeet for his guests.   

Around 16 p.m. I walk via Mela ground towards the fair ground. You can really walk over the heads, it’s so busy! In addition, you also walk on residual waste everywhere because most people here just dump everything on the street! I walk past the colonel to say goodbye, but I’m sleeping. I drink a lukewarm beer from the black market because the liquor shops close during the elections. I have dinner early (another pizza at blue cafe).  

In the evening, Manu the masseur gives me a photo of an article in the newspaper, I just stand there, too funny! 

Bera 28-11-2023 

On the way to Bera we stop at a roadside restaurant on the other side of the road. If we want to continue our way, my driver says; We drive 500 meters against traffic (on the highway!) because otherwise we will end up in a traffic jam. He drives very safely and quietly and before I know it we are back on the right side of the road. Well, everything is possible in India! 

Just as my daily life in India often consists of extremes, the places where I spend the night are also quite diverse, which I think makes me enjoy my stay here even more. I came from a very simple room with a shower that made my entire bathroom wet, a bed from the year zero and rough bedding to then stay for 2 nights by invitation in a beautiful small-scale resort in the middle of nature. Everything is correct, well cared for, beautiful and just completed a month ago. And what an oasis of peace. All I hear are the sounds the animals make!   

The owner explains how he came to set up this resort. It turns out that there was a minefield here until 10 years ago. Dangerous to humans and animals. After a period of 3 years, the mines were removed and he set up the resort.  

He also says that Jawai is different from a National Park. People and animals have lived here in harmony for centuries.  

If a leopard kills a sheep, the farmer is compensated by the rest of the community, so no resentment arises.  

I tell him about the photographer I want to get in touch with and he says he knows someone else who is even better because, in addition to wildlife, he is also very good at portraits, landscapes and night photography. In addition, he seems to know Rajasthan like the back of his hand!  

He is going to put me in touch with him, I wonder what this will bring next!    

At 16 pm we go on safari in the hope of spotting leopards. The area is beautiful with mountains of rock formations all around me, the places where leopards like to go. Because it was very foggy this morning, the spotters have not yet been able to locate the animals.  

It is quite a quest and our guide takes the most exciting routes. Well, routes, they are usually not well-trodden paths, but we drive straight over those rock formations. It gets intense sometimes. The engine stalls, we skid and can’t get any further. There you are, at the mercy of one man. Every now and then I close my eyes because it is very intense, and believe me I can handle quite a bit! 

Finally, at 18 p.m., a tiger with 3 cubs is spotted. Very far away, on top of the mountain. With my telephoto lens I can still see them reasonably well. They play around there and run from left to right. Unfortunately it could not be captured due to lack of light and too long a shutter speed!  

When we return to camp we sit alone by the campfire. A total of 8 guests, the owner and the naturalists. Experiences are exchanged and Chatrunjai explains how he set up the wine industry in India. I’m drinking a glass of Indian red wine for the first time and it tastes pretty good! Once again a very successful day! 

Bera 29-11-2023 

Today it is my birthday. Yes, another birthday where I am traveling.  

When we get ready to go on safari at 6 am it is too foggy to leave. The intention is to be ready at 8 o’clock. So I decide to take a walk and enjoy the sun rising. When I stand on top of a rock formation somewhere (I hear illegally because it can be dangerous) to photograph the rising sun, I see the jeeps driving by before 8 am. I walk back to the lodge like a rocket. One of the men is at my door, they thought I was taking a shower and had been knocking on my door for some time. They spotted a leopard from the lodge. Quickly call the driver who will pick me up! Once there we no longer see a leopard, unfortunately.   

After breakfast we set off again for a short trek. It is breathtakingly beautiful! The rock formations resemble those at Hampi in Karnataka and look like something out of a Flintstones movie! We stay far too short for my taste.  

Back at the lodge I chat with the owner and look at the latest update of the website that Michell sent me today. Just a few more finishing touches and it’s online!  

We leave again around 15 pm. First to a point overlooking Homer Lake, then to spot the animals. Once again it’s like a Wild West safari. It’s rough, but the results are impressive when you reach the top!  

After about an hour of waiting we see the leopard come out of the cave, we are quite close so I think I took a nice picture and without noise!   

As we drive back via the charming village of Seda (which I would have happily walked through), the driver sees a snake along the road. It is pitch dark, but with the help of a flashlight we capture the tiger snake. I hesitated for a while to get out given my panicky fear of snakes, but my photography passion won out over the fear and in the end it wasn’t too bad! I was more concerned with capturing him than with my fear of him (he was also quite small, maybe that helped hihi)  

Bera 30-11-2023 

At 5:20 am my alarm goes off again, at 6 am we leave for another part of the Jawai area. When we arrive on top of a mountain we have a phenomenal view of the landscape and the sun rising! First we see a Slot bear with her 2 little ones. I missed it because I was looking for leopards and only saw a black spot in the distance, so it turns out to be the bear, but yes, I was looking for leopards, so you don’t pay attention to whether you happen to see a bear, right? ! The naturalist had said something like, look, there’s a black bear (that’s their name) but unfortunately I didn’t get it! But don’t worry, a little later we see a huge leopard (it’s a male) and the light is beautiful! 

We continue to watch for a long time, so we miss the villagers of the temporarily established village, but we do see yellow pigeons, which I had not seen before!  

Another beautiful Safari! 

Ruturaj (the naturalist) gives me his phone number in case I want tips during my stay in Goa. He has family living in the interior of the southern part of the state. Just where we stay. Cool, because I hadn’t visited the interior there yet, so we will definitely do that! It would be a 1,5 hour drive by scooter, which is doable!  

Around 12 o’clock I say goodbye and we leave for Dungarpur with a stop along the way in Gogunda. The road past the villages is no punishment, I thoroughly enjoy it! 

Even when we get on the highway, the view remains beautiful! The areas surrounding the Aravelli Mountains are my favorite! I find that I am really happy when I am surrounded by mountains! There is no end to the beauty of nature. The stretch between Bera and Gogunda is especially beautiful. After that it’s less impressive.   

When we are almost at Gogunda I get a tip from a local. Near here in the mountains there is a temple in a cave surrounded by a small waterfall. We go there, climb up where I see an old lady doing her laundry in the stream in the presence of her playing grandchild, I think it’s a beautiful scene!  

I also speak to Marian and we make the decisions. On 5-2-24 I will start at Trushita Foundation for 2 months of volunteer work in Amer, near Jaipur and in between I will fly from Jaipur to Benares to help her for 2 days with the teacher training she is going to give. How cool is this?!  

Well, a plan has been made until sometime in mid-April!   

The hotel where I am staying tonight is clearly not used to receiving foreigners. It is not clean, wallpaper is hanging loose on the wall, the bedding is covered in stains, taps are rusted and they are also asking top price compared to what I have gotten for my money so far. I look at another hotel but it is not much better. The only other alternative is the palace around the corner, but it charges 5 times as much for an overnight stay. So I’m choosing my money’s worth. And hey, you can’t always have everything, right…  

Bera – Dungarpur 01-12-2023 

This morning I quickly check the sights in the city and surrounding area. I don’t have much time today because I also have to work sometimes. 

The driver says that Dungarpur is 2nd on the ranking of the cleanest cities in India. The top prize goes to Indor in the state of Madhya Pradesh  

We start with a visit to the Baneshwar temple in Bhuvaneshwar, 9 km from the city. The road to it is more fun than the temple itself, where there is not much to it. Back to Dungarpur..  

We drive a bit above the city to arrive at Juna Mahal (old palace) from the 13th century building with seven floors. It is built on a high platform of Pareva stone and its rugged exterior makes it resemble a citadel. It is elaborately planned with fortified walls, watchtowers, narrow doorways and corridors to delay the enemy for as long as possible. The inside of the palace is in complete contrast to the outside with beautiful murals, miniature paintings and the delicate glass and mirror work that adorns the interiors. Everything is still in its original condition, it is beautiful!  

The old part of the city, which is located just below the palace, is very pleasant and photogenic. Unfortunately I have to go back to the hotel for work. 

I do the intake sitting on an ottoman in front of my bed, with my laptop on the trolley. It takes some effort but it works. When I’m done we drive to the Udai Bilas palace. The maharajas live here and part of the palace is used as a hotel. I had previously contacted the owner via email, but our agendas initially did not seem to match. The palace is only accessible to guests, but the manager asks me if I am the travel agent when he sees me. I am offered a cup of tea by the pool and a little later the owner arrives. We talk a bit, I explain to him what I do. He asks me where I’m sleeping and tells him I’m staying in a hotel in the city and it’s a bit disappointing. He immediately says, pack your things and come and spend a night with us at our invitation. I tell them that I am staying in Dungarpur for another 2 nights and that I would happily spend a night with them tomorrow. So that will be arranged, but now first a tour. I had already seen the palace on their website. I have to tell you that it doesn’t do justice there at all. I go from one surprise to another, the architecture is very special. The courtyard in particular is breathtakingly beautiful. The maharaja also has a passion for architecture and collections. For example, he recently designed a dining table with water in the middle where candles float in the evening and he has created a beautiful lounge where people can have a drink with a car theme in one room and an army force plane in the other. The man has an enormous eye for detail, everything is correct and looks very impressive! These are just some details of the beautiful palace!  

The rooms are all in art deco style with many old original accessories such as old suitcases, claw-foot baths and gramophones. All this with a beautiful view of the lake or the inner courtyard. It is a feast for the eyes. I could easily stay here for a few days with a good book and admire the details of this palace!  

In the evening I eat in a very small local tent. They are clearly not used to foreigners here because before I know it the owner is making a video call with his daughter, I have the phone pressed into my hands and I am chatting with her. A beautiful young woman with jet black hair and radiant brown eyes. After chatting for a few minutes, she invites me to her sister’s wedding. Unfortunately I’m no longer here… 

Dungarpur – Poshina 03-12-2023 

When I wake up this morning it is raining. Something unusual this time of year. I have breakfast and we leave for Poshina. On the advice of the owner of Darbargadh Poshina palace, we take the route Dungarpur – Kherwada – Rani – Vijaynagar – Khedbrahma.. Poshina. It seems to be a beautiful route and a must see along the way; the polo temples in the polo forest.  

An area with many bends through the hills. It is green and the temperature is pleasant despite the clouds and wind! At 0930 the sun starts to break through and we drive across the border to the state of Gujarat where Poshina is located.  

When we arrive in the Polo forest it turns out that the Polo Jain temple ruins are being renovated. I continue on foot with a guide to visit the Sun Temple. It is a 2 kilometer trek, quite a climb and then of course downhill again over slippery stones. From the top I have a beautiful view over the valley and I catch a glimpse of the temple. Once you arrive at the bottom, you still have to walk a bit over a bridge that is once again very slippery due to the rain that has just fallen.    

When I arrive in Poshina the owner is waiting for me. He comes to sit with me and we chat a lot in the beautiful courtyard.  

Around 3 o’clock one of the employees takes me for a walk through the village. It is immediately noticeable that the streets here are less well maintained than in Dungarpur, but the people here are all very friendly, like to have their picture taken and laugh a lot! 

2 boys, about 11 years old, walk with us all the time. One has the privilege of receiving English education, which allows us to communicate. He tells me what people are saying and he also points out to me when a man has been drinking on the street. Too funny. I don’t think the man who is actually on the road with me likes it that the boys tag along. I get stopped everywhere and take pictures. We walk into a house where the famous terracotta horses are made. The locals give these figures to their loved ones and pray for health, happiness and prosperity.  

Cotton seems to be one of the larger sources of income here, so I often see men filling entire trucks with cotton balls.  

What is also nice is that it is a car-free village, so you can stroll around the streets without too many worries.  

At one point I am taken to a stall where a woman and child are sitting. It is not clear to me what she officially sells, but if you go around the back you can buy alcohol from her illegally (Gujarat is a dry state). It is therefore contained in an inconspicuous transparent plastic bag. Of course we record this and the lady and my guide have fun with it!  

The people who travel here every day to sell their goods are slowly preparing to return home in overcrowded jeep taxis.  

At the end of the day I chat a lot with Rao, the owner. I hang on his every word, what interesting stories and what knowledge he has about the country, its people and customs! 

Poshina 04-12-2023 

This morning we first go to the Adivasi tribes. The name stands for ancient inhabitant. We are allowed to walk into the villages and even on the grounds of their houses. I see how cotton is picked and laid out to dry, children playing in the grass with lambs, how chapati is made, the children who still work hard before they can go to school. The schools don’t start until 11 a.m., so they can first contribute to the household and the little ones can enjoy themselves with simple, home-made toys. 

Many children are clearly not used to white people. The toddlers start to cry when they see me, others run away with their little brother or sister under their arm. When they see Rao, they are happy, he always brings them biscuits.  

I also get to attend a ritual by a shaman, very cool!  

Then Roa takes me to the. Mountain where the terracotta horse army is located, for which Poshina is so famous. These horses are made by local indigenous craftsmen. Horse sacrifice used to be very common among the indigenous people of Poshina, but over time there were no horses left for sacrifice, but the sacrificial ritual had to be performed. So to avoid the wrath of their deity, the natives came up with the idea of ​​terracotta horses which their deity happily accepted. 

The area is beautiful, full of rivers and a rolling landscape.  

As we drive over a bridge, Roa points out a Pid kingfisher, it is black and white and I had not seen it before. Beautiful bird! There are three species of kingfisher found here, the one I just mentioned and 2 others. The difference is in the color of the breast. There is another one with a brown breast that I have also seen and one with a white breast. I see more birds whose names I have unfortunately forgotten.  

We drive 25 kilometers, one moment through Rajasthan and the next through Gujarat until we arrive at his farm where we have a simple lunch and a local and illegal alcoholic drink with a view of the grain fields and the mountains.  

When we drive back, we stop in Rajasthan, the first village across the border, to stock up on alcohol for the hotel guests. He buys a lot. I watch how they work, he enters through the back door, the boy who is with us seems to be keeping watch somehow and every now and then he walks towards the car again to deal with the car. loading I don’t know whether this is because Roa is a Rajput, but I enjoy seeing it this way.   

Finally, we stop at a house that makes pottery. He seems to have taken over the horse business from Poshina, they are busy making horses and are allowed to experience part of the process. Everyone cooperates. From men to old men, women and small children who are allowed to light the fire so that the earthenware can harden and discolour. I had already heard of this process near Jodhpur, but it seems to be less touristy here. I love the children, enjoy them and I continue to be amazed by the living conditions. Those little children who light a fire and then sit in the middle of the smoke for hours…  

When at one point I drop to my knees for “the” good photo, I suddenly feel it getting very warm under my buttocks. I jump high, almost had my ass on fire. The children and I are having a blast!  

When we return to the hotel, Roa’s wife sits down with me and we talk about the children’s education and the importance of learning the English language. According to her and her husband, people in Gujarat are very eager to learn the language! We also exchange our opinions when it comes to relationships between men and women, cheating here and the Western older women who target young Indians. It’s an interesting conversation! Toroongi 05-12-2023 

Today we are going to a ceremony prior to a Rabari wedding. The village of Tarungy is located on the road to Udaipur and the drive there is once again a feast for the eyes! So far, the Poshina area has been my favorite. I would love to stay here longer! Do some further research into what a room will cost. In any case, Rao has quite a few suggestions of what I could do here. This way we fantasize about it together!   

On the way he tells me that when I recently put a cigarette butt in my pocket instead of throwing it on the grounds of people’s homes, he approached the locals and said to them ‘look, that’s how it should be’. Hii has been waging a battle in his village for centuries to get people to throw their trash in the trash bins he has set up. However, this was without success! Roa believes that I, as an outsider, could influence them. Well, I don’t know if this is the case, but I would like to make an effort for it!   

We are present during the preparations for the wedding from the groom’s side. There must be food for every guest, so the ladies are busy making chapattis. Daily household chores also continue. The laundry is done and even the little ones help with this. The little boy is placed in the tub of water together with the laundry and he joins in the washing. Then it goes into another bowl with clean water and is washed.   

We get Chai from the occasional cups that are only used for special guests. 

I take a walk through the village with one of the ladies, and of course the children are present! One of the children asks if I am married, when I say no and they later see a photo of Pien they seem completely in shock! One of the (young) ladies wants to find a man for me, her brother, and asks if I want to stay with them until the wedding (6 more days). They also want to make a room available for me for the longer term! 

I see one of the older ladies milking a Buffalo and at the same time her baby is also drinking from her nipple and at the same rhythm as the buffalo! The oldies; men hold an opium ceremony and chat while the rest of the community is busy preparing the festivities.  

We had a delicious and simple lunch with the Rabaris (well with the men!)  

I had a fantastic morning with these extremely friendly people!   

We are clearly on the hunt for marriage today! After attending the pre-wedding we drive further towards Udaipur where a wedding is taking place.  

The welcome by a few ladies was again very warm. I am soon pulled away by the chief of the first village. I have to go and see where the wedding is taking place. I think the ceremony is already over. I see people eating everywhere. A young person asks if I want tea and I have to sit on a chair. Soon there are about 30 people standing very close to me. A little too close, asking them to move back, whatever they do, makes me feel hot. When I walk away they follow me and before I know it I have at least 50 children running with me. I decide to walk out of the village in the hope that they will give up the chase, but unfortunately I cannot get rid of them.  

The little ones know exactly where to go, they take me to where the grooms are sitting, fully and beautifully dressed.    

We drive back as the sun starts to set, making the hilly surroundings even more spectacular! 

Time for a beer, again with delicious food and good company! 

Poshina – Ambaji – Mumbai 06-12-2023

I pulled quite a bit last night, I was devastated last night. It’s nice to have no alarm clock and sleep in until 0730! 

When I arrive at breakfast I hear ‘bad’ news. There has been a political assassination in Jaipur and all the borders of Rajasthan are closed. So the question is whether my bus can cross the gens. I get on at Abu Road, which is just across the border between Rajasthan and Gujarat. Rao makes a phone call to the bus company, so far there are no restrictions and the bus will leave. Of course it can change during the day, we will experience it!  

After breakfast I get a tour of the yard and look at the different rooms. They also show me the room that I could possibly rent. A room with all amenities with a lovely veranda and a view of the mountains from the window. Not wrong! I wonder what they will ask for it and whether we can reach a deal! After some negotiating we reach a deal. The intention is to stay there from September 15 to mid-November 15. Also I can stay in their other palace for 2 months in Rajpipla. This way I have affordable accommodation and they have someone who looks after their property and manages the people there.   

Around 13 p.m. we leave for Abu Road and visit the Garasia people in Ambaji  

We first stop at the Kumbhariya Jain Temple which comes from the remains of a group of 360 temples built by Vimalsha in the year 1032. It is compared to Ranakpur but less touristy. It’s also true the temple contains beautiful detailed sculptures! Initially I thought it was a village we were going to, but it turns out to be a town where the Garasia come to sell their vegetables. The city is very clean because it is sponsored by believers. There is a significant temple in the town, the top of which is made of gold. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. The Ambaji Mata Temple is an important Shakti Peeth of India, an Indian Goddess.  

The Garasia, ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Aravalli region of remote Sabarkatha district in Gujarat, has a curious history. Although the Garasias are a depressed class and are classified as a non-notified tribe, they are in many respects very similar to the advanced Rajput clans. Due to this, the British government had even categorized the Garasias as a branch of Rajputs who were small landholders. Even today, amid poverty and deep isolation, Garasias can be seen not only as leading farmers but also as owners of large tracts of land in the remote slopes of the Aravali Mountains. Their houses are widely spread and surrounded by a large farm. 

Yet the Garasias are poor and deprived of basic services such as health care, education and safe drinking water. Agriculture is largely rain-fed. 

These people also have a completely different costume than the Rabaris. You will see flowers embroidered on the front and on the sleeves of their dresses and often also their name on it. I also feel very comfortable here and will definitely go back to spend a whole day here.  

While driving through the beautiful mountains, ideas for the heart of India travel arise. Such as ‘give your day and meal to the tribe children’. The intention is to do some shopping in the village, drive to one of the villages and spend a day with the Garasias and cook with them. I also suggest trekking both on foot and by bike, I think it will be super cool!   

At 16:45 PM I am dropped at the pickup point in Abu Road for my 15-hour night bus to Mumbai. 

If we leave an hour late, we have a police raid on the bus after 30 minutes. They come with 2 people and all sleeping compartments and bags are thoroughly checked, well thoroughly… they check part of my backpack and camera bags they don’t look at and the same goes for my fellow passengers. Well, let’s hope there isn’t some political extremist on board hahaha 

After this I will continue uploading my photos  

As we drive near Ahmedabad, Jigar calls. He asks where I am now and if we are stopping in Ahmedabad to eat. This is not the case, we have already had a food stop. He suggests getting off the bus for a drink and taking the fast train to Mumbai tomorrow (I can sleep at his place). I can’t take the risk, I have to be in Mumbai on Friday because then I have to work. Also not convenient with all the luggage I’m carrying!  

When I tell him that I will be in Jaipur for 2 months from February, he invites me to his cousin’s wedding. It is exactly on 13-14-15 when I am in Benares with Marian for the key of education. Shit I’m so bummed! The days after the wedding there is a festival in Jaiselmer, should I go there with him? I have to come to Pali and then we will drive together to Jaiselmer. Great!  

We make a bathroom stop around midnight. Twice I walk in to pee, but the room is permeated by the smell of piss and the floor is soaking wet, so I decide to call it a day in the hope that the next stop will be a little less disgusting! At 2:06 am there is finally another toilet stop, 00 hours later. The toilet is still just as disgusting. I hang gagging above the squat toilet. Holding my pants up and pinching my nose, making sure my bag doesn’t touch the ground, I pee at a rapid pace. God what a relief this is! If I don’t drink too much now, I should be able to make it through the last 11 hours!  

Vrindavan, Barsana,Nandgaon 

Lathmar Holi, a special Holi celebration in the villages of Barsana and Nandgaon!

Please note that registration for our special will start soon; Holi photography tour. Keep an eye on the website and social media!

16-03-2024 Jaipur -Agra – Vrindavan

This morning I leave for Vrindavan to celebrate 10 days of Holi, with the highlight for me being the celebration of Lathmar Holi in Barsana and Nandgaon. The day after tomorrow Lathmar holi starts in Barsana.

Lathmar Holi is celebrated in 2 days and 2 different villages.

On the first day, the men from Nandgaon come to Barsana. They plan to take over Shri Radhikaji’s temple. But the women of Barsana hesitate to allow them to do so. They resist them with bamboo sticks.

The men cannot strike back. All they can do is splash colors on the women. The men who get caught are quite unhappy. The men are forced to dress in women’s clothes, apply cosmetics and dance like ladies in front of everyone.

This is embarrassing for them, but others sometimes laugh about it too. However, everything is done in the right spirit. It’s a mock battle, and both the victors and the vanquished are enjoying everything to the fullest. Legend has it that Lord Krishna received similar treatment from the gopis.

The next day the exact opposite happens. The men of Barsana drench the women of Nandgaon and the air reverberates with sacred songs on the occasion of Holi. These songs, known as Hori, are based on the conversations between Krishna and Radha.

It feels a bit strange to leave Kawa guesthouse. After 2 months it still feels like home here, despite the fact that the owner has regularly crossed borders. The manager Kamal made up for a lot and still gave a feeling of safety! I also think the town of Amer is a wonderful place. It is steeped in culture, old buildings and the atmosphere is friendly!

Anyway, there is a time to come and a time to go. This morning I take the train to Agra where I am picked up by Rajesh to drive to Vrindavan.

I was allowed to leave some of my luggage with Kamal and I am still packed and ready at the Perón, waiting for my train.

Actually catching the train is still a bit of a challenge. I am ready half an hour before time for the correct wagon according to the signs. When the train arrives and I look around, I can’t imagine that most of the people standing next to me are traveling in AC class. And it turns out, the signs are wrong. Fortunately, there are a few foreign girls next to me with their driver. I ask him for my wagon number and he says it’s that way. The train has already stopped and they don’t stay at the stations for long. We start running. The train is so long, it never ends! Sometimes I have to slow down the running because I can barely get any air from running with my 3 bags and a trolley. I arrive at my carriage just in time, one of the last on the train, and I plop down on my seat. I think I need 5 minutes to catch my breath again but… we are on our way to Agra!

During the entire 4 hour trip I was busy sorting out photos from the last week. Before I know it we are there and Rajesh is waiting for me on the Perón, so sweet! We drive to Vrindavan around 2 hours. His car is big, just like him, a truck!

We had a great time along the way, just like last time. We chat about anything and everything. It feels very relaxed! As soon as we stop somewhere and talk to locals, they think Rajesh is my guide. We agree that from now on he will not concern himself with prices and negotiating. His smile is so gentle (his character too, by the way) that he pays an even higher price than the tourists!

We arrive at 15:45 PM. Just like last year, it is very busy around the town and roads are closed off. He arranges everything, very nice!

Because the road is closed, we have to pass through small villages with very narrow streets that we can barely drive through. When a water tank is supplying water to supply the local houses we get stuck. After half an hour I go out for a smoke. When I return, Rajesh has advanced a few meters. It is now on an even narrower part. I can’t just get into the car. I see a wall on the side, so I decide to climb the wall and get into the car through the window. I throw my bag, shoes and glasses in the car and swing myself inside. You should have seen the faces of the locals. R is in stitches and thinks it should be filmed but he’s too late!

At 1730 we finally reach the apartment, a typical middle-class Indian event. Barely clean to the eye, the cupboards empty except for 2 coffee cups, 2 beds and a balcony without chairs and a non-smoking complex. Well great!

Once we have dropped off the stuff, we head towards the center. The tuk tuk takes a detour because the traffic to the center is completely stuck. Bumping along unpaved paths to the town and we are quite shaken! As soon as we get out of the tuk tuk, 3 ladies stand around us who want to press a Krishna stamp in orange and yellow on our foreheads. If I say no they both accept it. Rajesh’s no to that doesn’t really seem to get across and despite his protestations he gets 3 stamps on his face! I can’t recover anymore, he’s really too sweet!

Holi 17-03-2024 Barsana

We start the day by wrapping our camera with plastic wrap and a cup of coffee. At 07:30 AM we drive to Barsana where at 16:00 PM where The Holi festivities in Braj begin with Barsana’s famous Laddu Mar Holi where devotees line up at the Shriji temple and wait to receive the laddoos (sweets) delivered by priests from the roof of the temple is thrown. The people then throw laddos at each other, which symbolizes the Gopis’ playful teasing of Lord Krishna.

We arrive there at 08:30 am and it is already quite busy. We park the car 2 km from the village and continue on foot. Along the way we see a tut with one of India’s greatest gurus. Red carpets are laid out in front of him the entire way, which causes the necessary stress for the helpers. Hundreds of people walk with him and recite chants.

When we arrive, people are already busy celebrating Holi. People smear each other with bright colors or spray colored water on each other and shout radhe radhe (a greeting that is used for many purposes). As we walk through the village a very cute little boy walks towards me. He asks for something but I don’t understand him. R translates as he continues to pull my arm for a long time. He wants a spray can. When I look into those cute eyes I can’t refuse him. I also buy some powder. The little boy is very happy and so am I!

We blend in with the crowd, try to take some pictures from a distance and also enjoy the festivities such as dance performances by passers-by to the music that is being played.

Around 12 o’clock we walk towards the temple, we think we will be early, but that is not the case. At first we walk up in a relaxed manner, but soon it gets stuck and we are pressed against each other. Every now and then you see someone become unwell and faint. After 2 hours we still have an hour to go, it’s getting hotter, people take side paths and then merge again, so we don’t make any progress. As soon as I start to get claustrophobic thoughts, I manage to talk myself back into the right direction, but at a certain point I make the decision not to walk to the temple after all. I feel my blood pressure is a bit low and have barely eaten anything today. Luckily R doesn’t mind either, we’ll just go back tomorrow at 6am!

Meanwhile, my camera is overheating and there is a kind of pink glow on the photos I take. So time to go.

When we are almost back in Vrindavan we stop for a bite to eat. We meet the guests again who wanted a selfie in the afternoon. And of course this could not be missed now. They were completely polished again, I am still covered in colors!

18-03-2024 Today is the day of Lathmar Holi celebration.

The Hurriyares of Nandgaon reach Priya Kund in the afternoon to play Lathmar Holi where they are welcomed by the people of Barsana. On this occasion they serve cold thandai of cannabis. The residents of both villages go to the Ladliji temple, where a joint chant of Goswami’s from Barsana and Nandgaon takes place. After the community singing, the Rangili enter Gali. Where the women of Barsana prepare with sticks in their hands to welcome the men from Barsana. From Rangili Gali Huriyaris start throwing lathis on Huriyars and Huriyaris deftly defend themselves carrying the lathi blows on their shields.

When we arrive, an hour earlier than yesterday, it is already quite busy and it is also more intense than yesterday. Of course, as a tourist I am screwed! I get buckets of water poured over me and I have all the colors of the rainbow on my face today! My bags and even my camera also had a hard time! But it’s fun and I enjoy it. Everything happens with a smile and in a pleasant manner, except when you get into a traffic jam. Then you will literally be crushed!

I often hide behind R or hold on to his shirt so as not to fall over, it really is a madhouse and sometimes I think it’s a shame that I can’t throw colors myself because I have my cameras with me. Next year I’m really going to dedicate 1 day to spreading!!

A tradition during Holi is to consume Bhaang lassie (yogurt drink with marijuana) that is specially prepared for this occasion.

Bhang is considered a spiritual drink and is often used in religious ceremonies. It is a traditional drink consumed during Holi celebrations in India. The use of bhang during Holi dates back to ancient times and is an integral part of the festival.

I’m thinking about trying it, but I also find it a bit scary because I have no idea how I will react to this and I also like to keep myself extra sharp when I know that many people are under the influence. Yet it challenges me when I write my report. Who knows, maybe I’ll taste it sometime this week… or next year…

The Lathmar celebration only starts at 16 pm,”. Until then, we will stand in the same place for a long time in the hope of shooting that one perfect shot. When I have had a bucket thrown over me three times and one squirt of paint after another is thrown at me, I decide to disguise myself. I put a scarf on my head which also helps with all that paint on my hair.

Just as the Indians mesmerize me, I apparently mesmerize the local photographers. One after another who has their lens pointed at me or for whom I have to look into the lens. Oh well, it remains a win-win situation hihi

I can’t see the real Lathmar celebration clearly, I’m too small and unfortunately I didn’t manage to get a good spot from above! We have to do this better next year!

At 18 p.m. we have been on the road for 11 hours and we are heading home. When we walk to the car we see women hitting the men with bamboo sticks as a sign of flirting. I think it’s quite tough, but the locals love it. Oh well, to each their own…when I take a shower in the evening I see that my body also has a beautiful play of colors. My light pink painted nails are colored from dark pink to blue to some toenails lilac. It looks pretty cool! My soles can’t be cleaned, my underpants come off with pink paint when I wash them, not to mention my bra has every color in the rainbow!

All in all, another fantastic day full of impressions and lots of fun!

19-03-2024 Shri Nand Baba temple Lathmar Holi, Nandgaon

Around 12 noon we drive towards Nandgaon for another afternoon Holi celebration.

When we get there it doesn’t seem too busy. Once we arrive and walk towards the temple, it becomes busier and we are not allowed to enter the street towards the temple. T asks around where I should be. I see a photographer and decide to take matters into my own hands. I ask him where we should be and he tells me in sign language that I have to wait and walk with him because otherwise we won’t get in. We are admitted for a fee, well that’s what we thought. If we want to climb the stairs to the roof where you have a view of the temple site, we are not allowed. I am literally pushed against the wall but refuse to leave when the police tell me to.

R is at the bottom of the stairs, he had not squeezed in. Eventually I get in, R doesn’t.

When I get to the top it is also very busy there with people with cameras in their hands and everyone is pushing and pushing to get a spot at the front. I walk with the photographer I met earlier for a while. A nice man who just takes me along. After a while I decide to go my own way and not to go for the best spot but more to the side where I see a small space where I just fit in.

I get talking to a few locals. They show the huge pots filled with water and flowers that give off a green color. The tradition is to pour this on the people of Barsana as they pass by. We chat a bit between taking photos and I am invited to join people for dinner after the party. They also give me a cup so that I can throw some of the mess down. The (pretty good looking) young man gives me his number and tells me to call him if I want to accept the invitation.

They also advise me to stay until the villagers of Barsana arrive. Then the gate opens and indeed what a party and what craziness! They advise me not to go down for close ups because it is so busy that on the one hand you can hardly get air and on the other hand you are crushed.

I follow their advice but point it out. When I decide to leave towards the end, I try to find a way where I don’t get a bucket of that green goo all over me and I succeed.

At the exit of the temple I meet the young men again. They tell me to walk with them, they say they can take the short route. They advise me to hold on to the railings because here too people are crushed and it is extremely slippery. They make the road safe for me by surrounding me, so super sweet! Eventually they go to the place where lathmar Holi is celebrated, but I see the crowd and decide to take the other exit where I also have a great time. When I arrive downstairs I meet R again. He points out to me a man who has used too much, he lies on the street as if he were dead for pampers! One after another asks me to take pictures of them, so I dutifully do so and I enjoy it!

When R and I are drinking sugar cane juice on the street, an old lady comes up to me. She says something that I don’t understand. She has sweet eyes and a soft appearance. She protects me from powder good people throw on me and I melt. I think that’s so sweet! When I offer her a drink she refuses it, but she does want money. I rarely give money to people but I give her something. She stays with us the entire time. She is small and constantly looks up into my eyes. When we walk back to the car, she walks the 2,5 km to the car with us. She has really gotten into the swing of things and we walk hand in hand. Every now and then she touches my face, gives me a pat on my face. I find her so adorable! I let myself believe for a moment that this is all serious and enjoy our time together! Bystanders (who probably know her) see us walking and are in stitches…

When we drink a Chai near the parking lot, the monkey comes out of her sleeve, she asks for money to support the poor haha. We will not go into this.

Around 19:00 PM we drive back to Vrindavan and drop the old lady (Maya) at her home. Had another great day!

21-03-2024 Vrindavan

Yesterday we returned to the apartment after a short walk towards the city center. We both don’t feel well, a bit like flu. After a decent night’s sleep I feel pretty okay, R is still sick so I stay at home and I go out alone in my new Holi outfit, which I sweat in quite quickly because it is so synthetic!

It is a lot quieter here than yesterday and I don’t see much playing with the colored powder. My plan is to visit the Prem Mandir temple, but I can’t get there with my camera. So I walk further to the Iskcon temple where I had already been last year and towards the Keshi ghat, which is also familiar to me. I don’t really think there is an atmosphere here, except for a temple where people play with powder and dance to the drums of a few men. I watch with fascination how smoothly and sensually the Indians dance. It is a pleasure for the eyes!

However, it is a diverse audience that comes here. From saints to their followers to people who come here to celebrate Holi.

Around 15 p.m. I walk back to the apartment to prepare for my working day.

On the way back I walk past a street where people live on the street meters after each other. Sometimes they have a curtain over their heads, sometimes just a bed. Their belongings often hang from the branches of trees, and some have a pet goat in front of their tent. Mothers cook, breastfeed the little ones or sleep while the children run around.

The small children play with stones, help their parents, some walk around half naked and the slightly older ones (about 5 years old) are trained to chase you with an even smaller child under his or her arm and ask for money. They even pull on your arm. I find that terrible!

24-03-2024

Today we drive towards Barsana again to make another attempt to visit the Shri Radha Rani Mandir temple. This time also with R’s niece, Mahima, a super sweet girl who flew in from Hyderabad yesterday. Well, she is a 24 year old woman. We soon find ourselves in a traffic jam. It is completely stuck because the traffic comes from all sides.

Both police and locals try to regulate traffic, pedestrians cross the road by literally walking through the tuck tucks. It’s chaos and I’m enjoying the scene! After half an hour the intersection is reasonably clear again and we can speed up towards Barsana.

It is a lot quieter today in Barsana and Nandgaon, which gives me time to explore and capture the villages themselves a little better. They are cute and friendly villages with nice alleys, especially in Nandgaon!

Today is Holika Dahan Holi, people burn piles of cow pies that are decorated and around the pile the women perform rituals with dedication. It is celebrated with a bonfire that is lit in honor of Prahlad’s victory over Holika and the triumph of good over evil.

When we get back to Vrindavan, Mahima and I go to the Iskon temple, one of the most important Iskon temples in the world. I am now taking a good look at it for the first time and am impressed by its beauty and the intensity of the Krishna chanting makes a deep impression on me!

Thousands of people sing, dance and clap. I’m mesmerized again at how the Indians dance! When we leave the temple around 19:30 PM, the street is even busier. Even walking you can barely get through. Hundreds of thousands of people walk between cars, tuktuks and scooters and nowhere on the street do you see aggression. It’s one big smile wherever you look!

Google Maps takes us via a shortcut into all kinds of dark streets. We start together full of courage and tough, but at a certain point we look at each other and decide to turn around because it is very dark. Along the way we chat quite a bit about her family’s involvement and her tendency to overprotect her. I very carefully compliment her for the desire and steps she is taking towards independence and encourage her to continue in this way.

25-03-2024 Holi Barsana / Nandgaon

This morning we first drive to Barsana because we want to get another Lassie there. Well, especially me. I really liked yesterday’s and it is filling and I don’t feel like eating local food for a while…

It’s not super busy, but it gets intense when it comes to playing with colors and pouring entire buckets of water over each other!

So I make sure we take some detours and hide behind R so as not to get thoroughly wet. After the lassie we set sail for Nandgaon, my favorite village in Bragd district. We stop at the restaurant on the edge of the village where we have been a few times so I can empty my bladder. Because they are officially closed, there is plenty of time to chat and hear stories about Krishna. The man who tells the stories has unprecedented beauty and charisma. I don’t understand him and yet I hang on his (beautiful) lips…

Of course, a Chai and offered lunch should not be missed. It is relaxed and we enjoy the peace and the colors that are subtly smeared on our faces and that we also display on the other person’s face.

The cousin of the owner of the restaurant says that they are going to build a guesthouse behind their house, which should be ready for Holi next year. How cool is this, then we could rent rooms here and you can sit close to the fire both during the day and at night! So we exchange numbers…

We arrive at the temple around 1430:16 PM to wait for a music and dance show that would start around 16 PM. However, at 10 p.m. we ask again and it turns out that it could take a while. We walk towards the car because R is still not feeling well and we are tired of waiting. We leave, slowly bringing our XNUMX day Holi adventure to an end.

What a special experience that I wouldn’t have missed for anything! Satisfied, I unfold my clothes and bags and leave my dusty scarves with all the colors of the rainbow behind on a wall.

Tomorrow I will head back to Jaipur where I will spend 5 nights in a Western hotel to recover from all the hectic dust and impressions!

AMSTERDAM 02-03-2023 

On the last day of my last trip I had a mission: to get mom to come to India with me! I knew I would have to put a lot of effort into convincing her. It took some effort, but after a lot of deliberation she gave me a resounding yes to come with me. I was given carte blanche to arrange and book everything. Of course I did that with dedication and now the day of our departure has finally arrived! This morning I wake up at 05:00 am. I can’t wait to leave and I’m already an hour and a half early starting! Hopefully I will receive an agreement on my counter offer for the sale of my apartment before departure today or tomorrow upon arrival in Delhi. Once the sale is complete, I will be as free as a bird to travel the world (well through India) and dedicate myself to volunteer work and setting up Heart of India Travel. 

At 11:45 am when we are in the car heading to Schiphol, the good news comes: I have sold my apartment for the price I wanted for it. What a feeling of freedom!!!  

We say goodbye to Micheal who brought us and everything goes smoothly at Schiphol! Quite strange to have a travel group with me again after 4 years of traveling alone!  

The waiting time at Schiphol flies by, you’re busy answering all the kind words and congratulations. How rich it feels to have such thoughtful people around you!  

When I arrive in Doha, I look for a smoking shelter as usual. It’s blue from the smoke here. Mom skips a beat, I surrender to my addiction and feel a buzz. Wonderful, another 4 hours and we arrive in Delhi! 

DELHI 03-03-2023 

As we drive through Delhi I notice that there is much less smog than in 2019. I ask Ranjeet and indeed it is true. They have taken a number of measures to make the city a lot less polluted (including almost all cars that run on petrol instead of diesel). In addition, it strikes me that compared to 2019, the entire modern part of the city is littered with new trees and many flowers. According to Ranjeet, this has to do with the G20 that is going on. They pimped up the whole city for this! 

When I arrived at the hotel I discovered that I had forgotten my trolley on the baggage carousel. Well, I always take it into the cabin with me, so I don’t think about it at all anymore. That means we can go back to the airport in no time! Nice start NIC. And Mike reminds me that I have to make sure that mom doesn’t forget anything…  

We return to the airport, after 2,5 hours we finally know where we need to be, at least we hope so. Ranjeet and I are standing in the terminal at the arrivals exit. We packed Mom outside and had to leave her collapsed on a bench. Looks like we’ll have to skip the sightseeing. It is now 15:00 PM, an hour’s drive to the hotel and we also have to have lunch. 

At 1540 I finally got the trolley back. We are both exhausted and we only want one thing: food! Mom’s first meal is a simple but delicious thali and another snack that will stay with her throughout the trip! 

At 17:30 PM we return to the hotel, tired. So we didn’t visit anything today, but we did see the airport from all sides! 

On the way to the hotel we couldn’t resist driving past a dark wine shop and getting a beer. But how do you open a bottle? I’ll try with the room key. However, this was without success. Mom has a plan. Just look NIC here in the bathroom door lock. And yes, bottle open, bathroom and we were sprayed. Our room smells like an old pub. We clean and fill our glasses and walk downstairs with them because smoking is required… also in Delhi you are not allowed to drink on public grounds (which I understand). Our glasses are wrapped in napkins and we sit there looking our best. Until mommy starts playing piromancy… 

Tomorrow towards Mathura for the first day of Holi celebration! 

VRINDAVAN 04-03-2023 

The day starts well. We were supposed to leave for Vridavan/Mathura at 0800 and it turned out that the alarm did not go off, so we woke up at 08:40. We slept more than 30 hours a day. Quickly sent Ranjeet a message to let him know that we would be outside within XNUMX minutes. Once we get in the car I can’t find my wallet. Shit, just search the room again. Nothing! Then just take the suitcase out of the car and look in the suitcase in the middle of the street. Yes, there it is! Yesterday I put it in the suitcase in all my tiredness. Well, anyone who thought I was going out with a mess is very wrong because mom has everything in order so far. Not that this is a guarantee for the future, but so far she is doing better than me!  

When we arrive in Vrindavan, we have to take a long detour because Holi is already in full swing. Once the car is parked we have to cover the last 500 meters on foot. I take a tuk tuk because the suitcases need to be transported. Winding through the streets and looking around I feel at home.  

Holi is already celebrated here. The festival of spring, the transition from old to new. Holi has its origins in India, where castes, social classes, are linked to color. On Holi, Hindus throw different colors of powder into the air: a sign that on this day the caste system has been completely disrupted. 

In this region, Athmar Holi is celebrated 4-5 days prior to the Holi festivities of other states. The festival is celebrated here in a peculiar manner in the towns of Nandgaon and Barsana. The towns are located about 42 km from Mathura and are extremely popular for the celebrations during Holi. The natives are known for their interesting way of playing Holi with not only colors but also sticks. Lathmar Holi is a Hindi word that literally translates – ‘Lath’ means stick, ‘mar’ means to hit and together they mean playing Holi with stick and colours. Drinking Thandai (a sweet drink) during Holi seems to be a tradition here. 

People full of paint with smiles on their faces, puddles of water colored red by the paint! Mom gets a first impression of the real India. Something that now feels very normal to me is a true culture shock for mom. People who live or sleep along the road, cows who provide themselves with a meal on piles of garbage and not to forget the monkeys that hop around here and which she is terrified of (and so am I!). 

When we are smoking in front of the hotel we see a monkey stealing someone’s glasses! He quickly jumps onto a roof and refuses to give it back until he gets a carton of drinks! Too funny to watch!  

Before we go into the crowd we go shopping for (Holi) clothes. You can hardly get the paint stains out of your clothes. Once we have bought the clothes we go into the town. We start in a temple where a Guru is waiting! Mom is enjoying, I’m messing with my camera because my settings are lost. If we continue to a place where people are playing Holi, we soon come to crowded, noisy streets. Honking is very common here, but now it is happening very loudly. Mom is getting tired of all this hustle and bustle, so she decides to go back to the hotel. This place is clearly too overwhelming for someone visiting India for the first time! So I’m trying to make some arrangements to change the schedule a bit. Yes, on day 2 already… 

In the evenings I obsess over my camera. At 00:30 the setup problems were resolved. Hey hey!  

MATHURA 05-03-2023 

The alarm goes off at 06:30 am while we are both sound asleep. We only slept 5 hours. We would spend a night in Agra tomorrow. I app the accommodation in Jaipur asking if we can come a day earlier. And yes, they have room! Now I also have more peace because I notice that mom really has to take care of herself… okay Agra will be a bird’s-eye visit, with only the Taj Mahal in the morning.  

We arrive early in Mathura. A city known as the birthplace of the Hindu god Krishna. Mathura is one of the seven holy cities of Hinduism. The stretch of the holy Yamuna river that flows along here is lined with 25 ghats. 

Before the start of our trip, I had done some research into local specialties and where you can buy them. I ask our driver to take us here. Before we know it, we’ll be eating on the street among the locals! 

You could leave me here for hours just looking at the people. Every now and then I have a chat and walk towards the Yamuna river. Here we see that the ashes of a survivor are scattered into the river with the necessary rituals. We are invited to join them and they even say I can take photos! We take another short boat trip to see the Ghats from the water. When she returns to the car, mom discovers that she has lost her glasses. Hehe, finally something goes wrong too! Back to the boat to check if she forgot it there. And yes, there it is. Such a nice set! 

After this we drive to the spiritual town of Nandgaon, which is part of the Braja Mandal Parikrama pilgrimage route. We walk through narrow alleys up to the temple where Holi is celebrated. I also get smeared and I enjoy it. It’s nice to see people having so much fun!  

We drive back to the hotel to rest for a while, after which I walk with Ranjeet through the city towards the river to enjoy an Arti from the water; Hindu ritual to attend. The city center is even busier than yesterday and I am covered in colored powder. The last part of the walk is quiet and peaceful again with people going about their daily business (mainly drinking tea and chatting with each other). 

On the water I am literally punctured by mosquitoes, what hell! The strange thing is that the stings no longer itch after an hour.  

I’m back in the room around 20:30 PM and we go to bed early because tomorrow the alarm goes off at 04:00 AM. 

AGRA 06-03-2023 

We have to get up early this morning. At 5 o’clock we leave for Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. When we arrive there at 6 am it is already quite busy. It would have been more convenient to buy a ticket online because there is already a line. The tickets have doubled in price in 4 years. The entrance now costs 15 euros per person. 

Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. It dates from the 17th century. Shah Jahan, the fifth ruler of the Mongol Empire, had this beautiful mausoleum built for his favorite wife. The building has therefore become a symbol for love. He had the grave monument built between 1632 and 1648 as the final resting place for his wife. 

The Taj Mahal is truly breathtakingly beautiful! We come out at 08:30 am. We drink 2 chai (tea) and 2 coffee for the total price of 80 cents! We then walk towards the car to continue our journey to Jaipur.  

I arrive again in Rajasthan, where I started my 2019 month journey through India in 2,5. Nowhere in India is there as much history as in Rajasthan. It is called the land of the kings, the realm of the Maharajas, majestic forts and palaces. In addition, you will also find extensive sand dunes, jungle, colorful saris, beautiful jewelry and a vibrant culture. There are also many festivals here throughout the year, not to mention the delicious food. With this in mind, it can only be fantastic here 

Along the way I chat with Ranjeet and he asks me to work with him in the tourism industry when I go to live in India. In this way we could offer Europeans trips at a much cheaper price that are not included in the average travel guide. This seems like a good plan to develop further. Generating some income in addition to volunteer work is a welcome bonus!  

On the way we make a stop to visit the Chand Baori, which was built in the 8th century to serve as a huge well.  

serve to collect rainwater in this dry state. The well was surrounded by 3500 steps, so that everyone could access the rainwater. In the 18th century, the upper part of Chand Baori was converted into a palace.  

At lunchtime we have a hot meal along the road in a local restaurant for 6,50 euros for 3 people, while mom has a Western cappuccino an hour earlier for 2,5 euros (massala chai costs 20 cents). Everything has been going smoothly so far today, I didn’t forget anything, I got up on time and both are in chill mode!  

Before we go to the hotel in Jaipur, we drive past Patricka Gate on the outside of the city. It is nothing more than a gate but many people stop there for a selfie because it is so beautiful. Nothing is less true! 

When we arrive at the guest house (in the middle of a residential area outside the busy center) I see mom beaming! Yes, this one is completely to her taste. The owner’s core business is designing jewelry and clothing. His designs sell in France for ten times what they cost here (he says). On the ground floor he has a kind of gallery. Three guesses as to where mom will go first… let’s be honest, it’s a beautiful hotel/guest house. We drink a cold beer on the rooftop with a swimming pool and in an hour we go out onto the street for the Holi dedication. A fire is set. We don’t want to miss this!! 

JAIPUR 07-03-2023 

I slept like a log last night. When I just wake up I go to the rooftop where it is an oasis of peace with a view of the sun that is slowly rising. All I hear is the birdsong. This is enjoyment!  

Ranjeet picks me up at 9 am. Let’s celebrate Holi!  

The celebration starts at the hotel before departure. We wish each other happy Holi by smearing the most beautiful pastel shades of powder on each other’s faces!  

The party we are going to is specially organized by the government for tourists to ensure their safety during the celebration. (Indians, alcohol and white women don’t go well together apparently…) All kinds of performances are also arranged. Let’s check the crowds in a moment and then see if mom can’t just join us. This is a one-time life experience! 

I start talking to a French woman who tells me that today she is walking through the city with locals and ending at an orphanage for which she is doing some work. I immediately seize the opportunity to tell her about the key and give her the information. Hopefully something will come of this!  

Well done around the party. It was teeming with tourists. This isn’t for me. I want a local experience and not a tourist attraction. I try to capture some locals (the travel agents because other locals are not welcome) and tell Ranjeet that I want to leave and go to a local celebration. According to him, there are none. People celebrate it at each other’s homes and go door to door. Now that my phone has crashed and my mom can’t reach me, I’m going back to the hotel. This is a shame!! Well, at the end of the year I will return to India and will probably really celebrate Holi somewhere next year with some locals. So keep your wits about you and get a few hours of sun!  

At 15 p.m. we are picked up for a bite to eat and then we go to a Bollywood movie.  

As we wait for Ranjeet in front of the restaurant, a man comes up to me and starts talking to me in broken English. He appears to be drunk. Ranjeet later tells us that he confronted the man and told him to leave me alone. I myself had no problems with that dear man. When we sit down to dinner, he sits at a table diagonally in front of us. At one point he walks up to our table and approaches Ranjeet somewhat aggressively, after which Ranjeet immediately walks downstairs with his phone in his hand. The man behind him. When Ranjeet returns we ask what was going on. It turned out that he had said something very bad about me, after which Ranjeet threatened to call the police. So it seems that Indians end up in jail for a few days if they harass tourists (women). When I ask what he said, Ranjeet says that the man told him that he wanted to fuck me! This is quite an insult to us here. This whole story doesn’t impress me much. Mom sees all kinds of obstacles on the road and fears for my safety (sweet!).  

On the way to the temple, Ranjeet tells us more about his faith (Sikhism) and what it stands for. Among other things, the Sikh people are the only ones in India who are allowed to carry a firearms permit for self-defense. This dates back to when the Mongol people tried to conquer India sometime in the 1600s.  

According to him, the Sikhs are a very peaceful people. They never attack, only defend themselves and are also very resentful. If you do something to them, sooner or later they will get you back. He addresses the attacks on his people in 1982. I still remember the film I saw about this, it was very moving! 

When we are at a temple and I want to take a photo, I discover that the battery is not in the camera and I had just put it in my handbag, so I had no supplies with me. Hey, I thought our last few days went very smoothly…   

The bios looks well, how should I describe it? Very special with, according to Ranjeet, very expensive carpet. The local women and children look very well cared for and they have special lighting that comes on 5 minutes before the start of the film.  

The sound in the hall is loud, very loud! The film is not special and for the first time I see women in a Bollywood film that are scantily clad. When I look to my right I see mom making funny faces and I know it won’t be long before she says she wants to leave. She lasted 40 minutes, quite an achievement hahaha  

JAIPUR 08-03-2023  

At 07:30 we drive towards the old part of the city to go first to the Wind Palace (Hawa Mahal, from 1799). Early in the morning the sun shines beautifully here. 

What stands out most is the construction. Legend has it that it was built so that the women of the royal household could see the streets without being observed. People didn’t live here. It only served as a lookout post. 

The doors of the City Palace open at 0930. The city palace is truly beautiful. The royal family of Jaipur was one of the richest in India. The enormous complex consists of courtyards, gardens and buildings.  

The Peacock Gate is very impressive and contains detailed images of peacocks. You will also find a museum, art gallery and exhibitions of royal costumes and ancient Indian weapons. 

The blue room is also absolutely worth it. A ticket to visit the entire palace including the private part costs 23 euros per person. Quite an expense by Indian standards, but more than worth it! 

In the old city we get a demonstration of Handblock printing, where all the colors used come from natural products such as tamarind and saffron.  

We have lunch in the restaurant of a friend of Ranjeet where we once again have excellent food! Then we stop at Maharani Chhatri the royal crematorium which is truly beautiful! 

The name pink city as they call Jaipur originated in the 18-19th century, when the then king of Jaipur invited the English king who was his friend. For this occasion, he painted all the buildings in the city pink. He even built a beautiful castle for him.  

The color is now more terracotta and that has everything to do with cost savings. 

After this we kick around at Fab India, well mom then! I was standing at the cash register to buy my first Indian set, but my card no longer worked. I could have taken cash out of the car but I was done with it so I passed up the purchase. Which I now regret!  

Coming back to our tour with guide in the city palace… Mom is known for letting locals rip her off. I usually don’t. I rarely buy anything when I travel. Also this time. But at the end of the tour we are taken inside the palace to the pashmina shovel. Our guide (with beautiful light brown eyes, beautiful white teeth and super friendly) tells us that you can buy everything tax free inside the palace and therefore a lot cheaper than outside the palace. According to him, the current Maharaja has taken care of this. Okay, we’re coming along.  

We enter the shop and are helped by a man, so beautiful! Broad build, he also has beautiful eyes, lips, teeth and beautiful big hands) I think we were both sold! I won’t tell you what caught Mom’s eyes (and mine too hihihi) well, we got into it and Mom paid almost double for her scarves compared to the shop we went to afterwards!! She bought no less than 3!! (they are very beautiful and look great on her!) 

At the end of the day it starts to rain again, something that has never happened here before this month according to the owner of the guest house! 

I’ll have a beer, mom will smuggle her whiskey up to the rooftop as soon as it’s dry. Another wonderful day!  

When we have light in the room again around 21 p.m. (the light sometimes goes out here in India) I walk into the bathroom where mom is. And what do I find? A naked mother wrapped in her latest cobalt blue scarf. My god the tears are rolling down my face, what a portrait this is! She walks around our room for a while while I tear myself!!! 

JAIPUR 09-03-2023  

I wake up at 6 am, mom is still in a deep coma. We leave at 9 am to first make a stop at the Chand Baori Step Well in the city of Amer. This town is more than worth a visit! It is full of old monuments and life seems to be quiet here. (Leave before 10 am, then it will be busier). Ranjeet and I have breakfast and on the way pick up some sweets that mom had asked for.  

We then head towards Ranthambore National Park where we will stay 2 nights in a tented camp and make 3 safaris to spot Bengal tigers.  

According to Ranjeet, it is not safe to walk around the park yourself because wild animals sometimes roam there! It sometimes happens that old tigers who are no longer able to hunt find their prey in the villages. From animals to sometimes people. He says that if an animal bites a human, the animal will go to prison (the zoo) for the rest of their lives. They do not kill the animal.  

When we arrive at the resort we are greeted by an unsympathetic guy. We are taken to the tent that does not look like the one I booked. After a lot of hassle, I got an upgrade. What jerks here! The resort here also looks a bit smaller than the photos I saw on the site. But the deluxe tent looks a lot better than the previous one. There are still some things missing, so I kindly but emphatically request that you supply what is shown in the photos. They are not happy with me. I notice this from how that guy tries to undermine Ranjeet by telling me that he paid less for the room than he invoiced us (it seems logical to me that he takes a commission on that, so I won’t let that discourage me!) .  

Ranjeet supports us on all sides. He really takes good care of his guests!! 

We order a beer which is served after half an hour of waiting. We are now sitting in the garden with all kinds of birds singing. It is an oasis of peace!  

In any case, I will never recommend Tiger Machan!  

RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK 10-03-2023  

After a bad night (due to singing in a temple that lasted from 22 p.m. to 05 a.m.), we are picked up this morning at 06:30 a.m. to go to Ranthambore National Park, which is one of the largest NPs in northern India. 

This was once the hunting ground of the Maharajas from Jaipur. The park has an area of ​​400 square meters. 

The sun has just risen when we arrive at the park (zone 5). It is beautiful here and you hear so many different sounds! To find out whether there are Bengal tigers in the area, the guide listens for warning cries from the monkeys. They keep watch for the other animals from the top of the trees! Unfortunately we hear a cry several times but see no tiger. We do see the footprints of an adult male, but we are too late. The tigers feed on average twice a week and can go 2 days without eating. However, it should not spoil the fun because we see plenty of other animals and even a large owl and the nature is beautiful here. The Banyan tree especially impresses me!  

After breakfast we sit in the garden with a chai when there are more and more texting people around me (mom has now gone to put on a bathing suit). 

I see the animals coming closer and closer and there are no staff to chase them away. I grab my things and walk away. Within no time, 2 monkeys are sitting on our table, sipping our tea! After filming this scene I quickly walk to the tent to get my camera. When I return, unfortunately they have left! 

Unfortunately, lying by the pool doesn’t seem to be an option. Once we get there, the monkeys will come too! They lie down at the edge of the pool to drink the chlorinated water! Then just in the garden with clothes on. 

At 12 noon I go with Ranjeet to the fort and temples from the 8th century that are located in the park. From the top I have a beautiful view of the lake.  

At 14:30 PM we set off again in search of the tigers (zone 1 now). The best time to spot these is from April to June when it is very hot and dry. The tigers then flock to the lakes en masse. The largest lake is located in zone 2.  

We drive around a lot through this part of the park hoping to see tigers. We stop to watch the scene of some monkeys. So cute I capture a little one nursing from the breast. We encounter some more animals until we finally see a tiger. Very cool! Unfortunately, there are a few disturbing factors in the way, but I still manage to capture it. When we leave the park we see a tiger twice more. The driver now really has to press his accelerator deeply to leave the park in time (otherwise he risks losing his license). We are shaken in all directions and arrive at 2:17 PM!  

RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK – BUNDI 11-03-2023 

We conclude our visit this morning with a final Safari in zone 2. Once again we are ready for departure at 06:30 am. Mom was also dressed a bit warmer this time because she died of the cold yesterday despite the fact that she had wrapped 2 pashminas and a towel around herself and at the last minute she had bought the wrong red fleece hat and put it on the water (Yes, her coat had leaving them in Ranjeet’s car). 

The beginning of the zone takes us along the walls of the fortress. They are narrow paths with high rocks on either side. I have the impression that we drive deeper into the park than in the previous zones. At some point we encounter rivers and it becomes wider. It is another beautiful piece of nature! 

And yes, we see a tiger and what the heck, he is lying in the grass waiting for the deer to come closer. He slowly creeps towards the spotted deer that are grazing alertly in the middle of the tall grass. We can no longer see the tiger. Until from one moment to the next the animals sprint because the tiger has launched the attack! And yes, he got a bite! He is lying somewhere between the blades of grass so we can barely see him and is starting to eat his breakfast.  

On the way back we stop for a photo of the rock formations and are lucky enough to see 2 Stort Kingfisher high in a tree, a very rare species of Kingfisher. 

When we are on our way, I will immediately let Ranjeet know which surrounding places I want to go to tomorrow during sunrise. He doesn’t know this Grand Canyon itself and he never actually comes to the place where I want to go. It is an off beat route that I found on a blog by an Indian.  

At one point we see two bulls fighting in the middle of the highway. Everyone drives around it or looks at it and lets those two do their thing. The moment I get ready with my camera, they are tired of fighting and are left standing head to head, still in the middle of the highway!  

We arrive at our hotel in Bundi, a 400 year old Haveli. The hotel and the room are very attractive, decorated with antiques. From the rooftop you look at the palace, which is almost the same height as the terrace. 

Mom continues to read a book while I walk to Bundi Palace, which dates from 1607 and was inhabited by Maharajas until 1948. The Chitrasala Palace from the 18th century is also located within the complex. It’s a good walk up and the palace is beautiful, as is the view from here! When I’m done I pick up mom and the three of us walk through the old town and I enjoy it!! It looks like a miniature of Jodhpur with all the old blue houses.  

Bundi is a town full of narrow streets, bazars, blue houses and a temple on every street corner.  

The town is known for its Stepwells, no less than 60! Many are no longer in use due to the water shortage in the region. The most impressive is the Raniji-ki-Baori. 

Along the way we drink the best masala chai so far, freshly in front of us the herbs are pounded on the concrete with a stone. What makes this chai so delicious is the use of pure Buffalo milk. It gives the tea an enormous creamy taste. We drink it at Krishna tea in the old center. I arrive on the rooftop just in time to see the beautiful sunset! Mom was exhausted from the walk, the last bit which is uphill broke her. When she arrives in the room, she immediately takes a shower! 

BUNDI 12-02-2023 

My alarm goes off at 04:35 am. We drive about an hour to the Garadia Mohadev temple which is located near the city of Kota. You seem to have a beautiful view here, especially at sunrise and sunset, of the Chambal River.  

Once there, it turns out to be a wildlife park where tigers and leopards live. Walking to the temple, which is located 1,5 km from the entrance, is therefore not an option. We have to wait half an hour until 07 am, then the park opens. We pay 14 euros to enter. It is very quiet here and the sun rises slowly. 

At the end of the road is a deep gorge through which the river flows with gigantic cliffs on either side! The view is breathtaking, not to mention the beautiful shades of color during the hour! 

On the way back we stop at the lake just before the entrance to the city of Bundi.  

As I wait outside for Ranjeet, dogs start barking, and within no time I hear and see more and more of them. I shit my pants. No idea why they suddenly bark like that. I’m going to stand on some stairs in a secluded position. I suddenly see that they are chasing away a wild boar that runs past me towards our hotel. Pfff, delicious on an empty stomach!  

At one point I ask Ranjeet why there are so few rubbish bins on the street and why people just throw plastic bottles on the street. Apparently this is how they keep the economy going. The poor pick up the plastic and then sell it.  

On the way to Barli I see that people are playing Holi in the villages today. Upon inquiry it appears that it will indeed be played here today and tomorrow.   

The last hour to Barli we take the tourist route. Every village is barricaded at the entrance by young people. You can only pass by if you give some money. Ranjeet says it is not safe to get out of the car. Holi is more intense here than in the cities.  

They will celebrate it tomorrow in Barli. 

Still, there are some places where we can stop to take a photo of children playing. 

Mom didn’t sleep well last night. Now she’s not feeling well, she appears to have a fever and a pain in her throat, cunt! 

Upon arrival at Barli Palace, I first take care of mom. The fever has already gone down a bit, but she doesn’t feel well so she crawls into bed.  

I am guided through this beautiful palace from 1600 and inhabited by the Maharajas until 2007. Then relax by the pool! 

At the end of the afternoon I go into the village. Ranjeet’s advice was to go with someone. However, I don’t like that at all and decide to go alone. And yes, contact with people. Sometimes just eye contact, sometimes some poor exchanges in English. Almost all of them ask to be photographed or are okay with me asking. For me, the smaller non-touristy villages are truly India at its best!! 

When I come back, mom has just woken up. Still not tasty. Tomorrow we have a longer drive that we really have to make because we will be closer to Delhi, if this proves necessary. We agree that if necessary, we will skip the other destinations and stay there. Hopefully it gives her some peace! 

After dinner I started talking to the owners of the hotel and we soon came to the key of education. And it turns out, they do a lot of charity and are very enthusiastic about the training. They want to help in every way and possibly even provide the training themselves and inspire top people in other cities! I receive his email and telephone number, he receives more information from me on paper.  

What a wonderful end to the day! 

NAWALGRAH 13-03-2023 

We leave today at 08:30 am because they are going to celebrate Holi here and Ranjeet is afraid that his car will be covered in powder. It is also quite a drive to Nawalgarh 

There is a Neem tree in the courtyard of the palace. The leaves and branches are used in Ayurvedic traditions. Drinking the pressed leaves is said to have a blood purifying function. The tree is big and impressive! 

On the way we see a blue bull, the largest antelope species. These only occur in India. We had already seen them in the park.  

When we arrive in Nawalgarh we stop at the hospital so that mom can be examined. Very bizarre how this works here. The regular hospitals are free. There are huge lines in front of the doors and sick people are very close to each other. You even see people sitting on the floor with sick children in their arms. They don’t have a waiting room here. People press in to get a consultation with the doctor and his treatment room is filled with people. There is no privacy here at all! As a foreigner, Mom gets priority. This feels very mixed, I don’t want us to get to the front but we have nothing to say. I see the looks of people who have been waiting longer and completely understand their frustration! The doctor listens to our lungs and we are prescribed antibiotics. Within a few minutes we are outside and buy the medicines.  

Today we sleep in a beautiful haveli about 10 km from Nawalgarh. 

The North of Rajastan (Shekhawati) is much less visited than other parts of the state. The region is known for its beautifully painted havelis. These are mainly found in small towns connected by narrow roads that run through the deserted countryside north of Jaipur. You will be amazed when you drive through it!  

At the end of the afternoon I go to Dundlod with Ranjeet, where I want to admire the Marwari horses. I had received via this address. The Marwari is a rare breed of horse from the Indian region of Marwar in the state of Rajasthan. In the past, the Marwari was mainly known as an excellent war horse. A striking feature of the breed is the typical, inwardly curled, small ears. 

After some searching and asking, we arrive at Bonnie’s. One of the most renowned horse breeders in Rajasthan. His wife from the US, who is called the horse lady, has taught the locals how to treat the animals differently (more gently).  

When we get there it turns out that artificial insemination is just about to be started. We get to experience the whole scene. Very special and it is intense! As soon as the stallions come near the mares, they seem to run wild. I feel sorry for the mare. No fewer than three will pass over it! (One has the privilege of penetration, the remaining two are fooled). The other stallions stand there and watch!  

JHUNJHUNUN 14-03-2023  

This morning I agreed with Ranjeet at 07:30 am to go to Nawalgarh. Because I wake up early, I walk into the village around 06:30 am. The sun is just rising and within half an hour some Havelis are beautifully illuminated by the sun. The sand, which is found in almost every street, also turns beautiful gold. The temperature is wonderful and the village is slowly awakening. I’m enjoying!  

Nawalgarh is a heritage city and is called the Open Air Gallery. There is art everywhere. The havelis boast beautifully carved wooden gates and painted walls. I am immediately impressed by this town. It is pleasant and clean compared to other villages. The people are super friendly, don’t push themselves and you pay the same price for your merchandise here as the locals. This place is also strategically located, with direct train and bus connections to major cities and various tourist spots in Rajasthan. I soon started thinking about staying here longer!  

My guide Bablu tells about a Frenchwoman who is married here to an Indian, who does good business in tourism here. When I come back next time he will put me in touch with her.  

After visiting the various havelis, we walk through the car-free and cozy bazar where we drink Chai, consume sugar cane juice and I eat a delicious samosa. He knows the best street food stalls here. He tells anyone who will listen that I am going to come back and stay here for a longer period of time. I am immediately invited to a wedding and to dinner at people’s homes.  

I get back to the hotel around 13 p.m. and chill with mom at the pool.  

We are picked up around 1630 and go to Mandawa. Most havelis here are well maintained, so old paintings are still clearly visible. The paintings show different themes, varying by the time in which they were made. There are paintings of hunting men and local legends to images of the first trains and gramophones. The business people who worked in the big cities had this painted to give the people in the smaller towns an idea of ​​what the new inventions looked like. Many of the larger houses have been renovated and transformed into hotels, but there is still so much empty. The houses have been in the family for generations and people do not want to part with them, so they remain empty. Sometimes maintained by people who let them live in them. When you enter such a hotel you feel like you are in a completely different world. The walls are full of paintings and you almost hit your head on the gigantic chandeliers. 

One of the most important havelis in Mandawa is the Hanuman Prasad Goenka Haveli. This haveli has a religious image of Indra Dev on an elephant, and Shiva. The Goenka Double haveli is a haveli with two gates, which are decorated with camels, elephants and horses.  

The Mumruria haveli features images of a train, in addition to traditional images of gods and elephants, among others. The Jhunjhunwala is also worth a visit, mainly because parts of it are painted in gold leaf. After the tour we will have a bite to eat in the town. We meet a nice French couple there and have a nice time! Back at the hotel there is some kind of party going on again. A noise that is not normal!!  

JHUNJHUNUN 15-03-2023 

Ranjeet and I drive early towards Mahansar. What is striking in this region is that all villages look somewhat similar. I have now seen the havelis. Then we visit the town of Ramgarh. I had read about this in a blog by an Indian. I don’t think Ranjeet knew it either. Here we view a beautiful Chatriya, a Hindi crematorium that is 180 years old.  

On the way back, Ranjeet says that he now knows my tastes and that this trip does not fully meet my wishes, which is also true. I show him some pictures of the style of travel (photography) I am looking for. I like the offbeat places where there are not many or no tourists. Around 12:30 I’m back at the hotel where mom is relaxing by the pool. I decide not to go out again this afternoon and to stay by the pool.  

PATIAL 16-03-2023 

Today we have a long drive ahead of us because we previously adjusted the itinerary a bit because mom was not feeling well. Fortunately, she is feeling better today and can sleep 6 hours in the car if necessary. 

Our destination today is Patiala in the state of Punjab.  

Patiala is considered by Lonely Planet to be one of Punjab’s best-kept secrets. It was once the capital of an independent Sikh state ruled by an extravagant family of Maharajas.  

The city contains what appear to be ancient marketplaces and crumbling fortresses that hint at past glory. 

We visit the old city, the bazar and take a “Heritage” walk around Adalat Bazar. Of course I had also researched the specialties here and where you can eat them.  

So we are going to eat at the food library, which is completely deserted. Still, we eat well there. 

When I walk through the city with Ranjeet I indeed see a city with much far-reaching glory. The fort is beautiful and huge. Unfortunately not open for tourism. 

On the way we walk past a kind of spice factory. The owner shows us how the whole process works. Later we see how scarves are matched to the exact colors of the dress. The man does this with powders and boils them in the colored water. The scarf will eventually have 3 colors! Very clever how they do this and they do it with precision! 

A little later we see a young man cycling through the streets and how he makes popsicles to order from the residents, a kind of home delivery. Nice to see how people still make all kinds of things here in an old-fashioned way! All in all, for me a city that is not worth a detour.  

AMRITSAR 17-03-2023 

Our last week has arrived. How time flies! Before leaving Patiāla we visit the Sikh temple where everyone can eat and stay for free. They even have private rooms for families and it seems to be much cleaner than a (cheaper) guesthouse. Ranjeet likes staying here. 

Today we drive to Amritsar, known for the Golden Temple.  

The temple called Sri Harmandir Sahib is the most important pilgrimage site for the Sikh. The temple stands for brotherhood and equality and here too, everyone who comes there can eat and sleep for free, as long as you take off your shoes and socks and cover your head. Everything is peaceful within the walls of the complex. Visitors bathe in the holy water, eat in the busy halls. We visit the temple in the evening because it is beautifully illuminated. Apparently you have to stand in line for 2 to 3 hours to get in, so I don’t know yet whether I will do that. But first we drive to the border crossing with Pakistan to attend the Border Ceremony. This border bears the name Wagah.  

Wagah is the only land border crossing between India and Pakistan, 30 km from Amritsar, and a shared city since 1947, the western part is in Pakistan and the eastern part in India.  

The Wagah border is officially closed every day. In India and Pakistan, soldiers close the gates and take down the flags. Before the border ceremony begins, women dance at the bottom of the stands. It is a very impressive and noisy scene!  

In the evening we have a bite to eat at Brothers Dhaba, which is beautifully located in the heritage part of the city and is full of locals.  

After dinner we walk the heritage walk on the way to the golden temple. Of course we don’t have anything with us to cover our heads. A lady sees it and walks towards us. She tells us that we can buy wipes further down the road for next to nothing. She walks with us and helps us buy them and even tie the cloths on our heads. The typical friendliness of the Indians! As we approach the temple I am amazed. I have rarely seen something so beautiful! Unfortunately, my tripod was not allowed, so I tried to capture it handheld as best I could. It also had to be done quickly because you are only allowed to take photos here with a phone.. 

AMRITSAR 18-03-2023 

After breakfast we walk the route towards the temple again. On the way we stop at Jallianwala Bagh Memorial. This monument was built to commemorate the massacre that took place here in 1919. The British Indian army then shot dead 379 unarmed people who were demonstrating for an independent India.  

All morning we don’t do much more than people watch and shop. Mommy is having a great time! 

Later I go out for lens caps and around 16 p.m. we go to Ranjeet’s friends, 30 km from Amritsar, where we have been invited for dinner.  

When we arrive we first walk with Ranjeet and two of his friends who live in the village. About 1000 people live here and everyone knows each other. Tourists have never seen the children. Within no time you see people looking around the corner and we have about 20 giggling children following us. A few of them make funny faces and when I turn around I join them exuberantly. Now the fun can’t stop!  

We arrive at the family of Ranjeet’s friend, and as a guest you will be completely pampered. At the harbor blow you will be offered something! The older people (from about 22 years old) do not speak English, the young people do. The conversation gets off to a slow start and we just sit and sit. All focused on the young girl of 2. Happy with the distraction because I feel quite uncomfortable. We are bitten by the mosquitoes, which makes the family feel uncomfortable again and try everything to drive them away!  

After sitting awkwardly for 3 hours we go to dinner, well the man of the house, Ranjeet, mom and me. The younger generation cooks, the lady of the house conducts. The food is simple and tastes fantastic! At 20:45 PM we drive towards Amritsar again. 

CHANDIGRAH 19-03-2023 

This morning the internet is down. When I inquire at the reception, it turns out that there are some political issues going on in Punjab, as a result of which the government has thrown out the internet throughout the state. They can’t tell me what the issues are.  

Ranjeet knows more about this. It would involve the arrest of a political extremist  

At 07:30 we set course for Chandigarh. The roadside restaurants are very noticeable here in Punjab. They are very luxurious and very large with a main restaurant with food stalls on either side. The people who stop here also stand out, some even better dressed than others. It’s a feast for the eyes!  

When we drive through the toll gates, there are people in front of our car on both the left and right of us handing out food, free of charge according to Ranjeet. A custom in Punjab that I had not noticed before. You also come across wrong-way drivers with some regularity (throughout India) and no one really seems to be surprised by this! 

Chandigarh has a unique status by being the capital of two Indian states (Punjab and Haryana). The city is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in India in the twentieth century. The city was designed by Swiss-French designer Le Corbusier and is one of the first planned cities in India. The streets are clean and has lots of parks! It is the only city in India where there are cycle paths. You even see bicycle sheds, a western-looking city. It is even the 3rd cleanest city in India, much to mom’s delight! 

It is grandly designed, no stalls where you can buy anything and everything, but a mega open-air shopping complex with many (real) shops. When we see it we are actually ready. Too many shops, which gives me a kind of claustrophobia despite the spacious layout. We’ll be out of there in no time.  

There are 2 sights in the city: 

The Nekchand Rock Garden, which Le Corbusier started designing this park as a hobby in 1957. It is spread over 40 hectares and you will find more than 5.000 sculptures here. All sculptures are made from different types of industrial and municipal waste. It is beautiful to see and the locals come here to chill with their children. So it is also very busy!  

We also visit the Capitol Complex. It is on the world heritage list, although I don’t quite understand why. His vision is well conceived, but I don’t think the monuments are that special.  

It is said to be Le Corbusier’s most spectacular work, which makes Chandigarh unique from other places in India. He conceived the Chandigarh master plan as analogous to the human body. He proposed that the city should have a head (the Capitol complex, Sector-1), heart (the city center, Sector-17), lungs (the gardens and the leisure valley), mind (cultural and educational institutions), the circulatory system (road network ) and the intestines (the Industrial area). The concept of the city is based on four main functions: living, working, care for body and mind and circulation. I think it’s all beautifully thought out, the Indians even dream of living here and I don’t think anything of it! 

When we’re done with the sightseeing, we buy a beer on the way to the hotel. There is nowhere to sit outside the hotel, so we walk to the park further away. Drinking a beer in the park has to be done secretly because it is not allowed, which only makes it more fun for us. We sit on a bench, with our can in the bag and take sips, looking around to see if there are any police in the area (they are on every street corner with machine guns under their arms)! According to Ranjeet, mainly rich people live here.  

It’s fun to watch the teenagers playing sports here. The houses are also huge and quite modern. Everything here seems ordered and under control. It’s not my city, I miss the friendliness of the people here and the chaos that you find everywhere else in India! 

We’re going for a massage at 20 p.m., I’m looking forward to this!! 

RISHIKESH 20-03-2023 

My God, what could have been wonderful relaxation after a massage turned out dramatically different for mom. She is deathly ill. She spits and spits and it comes out from underneath too. She feels bad! Where does this come from; We ate exactly the same except for the grapes. I think this is so bad for her, really one setback after another! She’s been busy all night. Now we have a long ride ahead of us today.  

When we are almost at Rishikesh, mom starts vomiting some bile again. When we arrive at the hotel, we are also unpleasantly surprised. The hotel looked a lot better on the internet. We can get a free upgrade to the suite but this doesn’t look good either. Quickly check booking to see if you can find a nicer hotel on this rainy day!  

I see a hotel, it costs almost double than the hotel we are in now (which already costs 90 euros per night)  

I ask Ranjeet to call and negotiate the price. In the end we get the superior room with a view of the Ganga river and the mountains for 510 Euro for three nights instead of 710 Euro. All meals are included as well as all kinds of yoga classes, visits to an Ayurvedic doctor and a few other things. What I overlooked is that it is a smoke-free hotel. And just now that we have a lovely balcony (for the first time!)  

I’m having trouble with my period too, but also some cramps. Fortunately not as intense as mom. She goes to sleep for a while, I walk past the Ayurvedic doctor. She prescribes me some medication to help me get through the menopause and reduce blood loss. I also receive nutritional advice and she recommended a massage using specific oils that match my complaints.  

Then I take a walk along the Ganga. Even a dog seems to enjoy the peace and quiet and the view of the mountains and the Ganges! It is an oasis of peace here, 6 km outside the center. I like it, mom is really happy!  

RISHIKESH 21-03-2023 

Last night I took over from mom. Going to the toilet every 2 hours, my intestines must have been cleaned by now?! Mom, on the other hand, slept like a baby from 21 p.m. to 06 a.m. It’s raining quite a bit when we wake up, but that doesn’t spoil the fun because I have a beautiful view of the river from our balcony. The mist and sound of the rain is soothing!  

It is a wonderfully relaxed day. We visit the doctor and participate in a Pranayama & Om Chanting session. These are exercises to improve the energy flow in your body. During the exercises I can hardly contain my laughter when I look at mom who doesn’t seem to understand anything. Her coordination is truly a disaster! Afterwards mom goes for a massage, I have to wait a little longer so chill out on our balcony, it’s still raining!  

The massage was fantastic! Then go outside for a while. I drive with Ranjeet to the center to attend an Arti at the temple of the Parmath Niketan ashram, where the light falls beautifully during sunset! You first have to walk across a very long bridge (Ram bridge) to get there. All ashrams are also located on this side of the river. I enjoy it here. It is teeming with people, there are no cars, there are cows walking and everywhere you see food stalls next to shops! Unfortunately no street food for me today. This is typically one of those places where I can wander around for hours and even days. There is plenty to do here! From seeing pilgrims wandering around, people performing rituals, yoga courses to rafting, trekking past villages and waterfalls. A wonderful place! Unfortunately I can’t last more than 2 hours. My stomach starts to rumble again and it takes 40 minutes before we get back to the hotel. Luckily I made it!  

Enjoy a nice snack again (dry rice while there is a delicious buffet available!!)  

RISHIKESH 22-03-2023 

Penultimate day again. Slept well, both of you.  

When I wake up I don’t feel 100% yet and it is dry this morning. I therefore decide not to go to Mussoorie but to continue exploring Rishikesh. I don’t feel fit enough to go on a trek yet. I’m annoyed about this! Thanks to the sale of the loft, I now know that I will simply come back to this region at a later date!  

We walk to the other side of the river via the Ganki bridge.  

The intention is that we start with a visit to the Maharishi Mahesh yogi Ashram of the famous Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who started the Transcendental Meditation movement. In 1968 the ashram became famous and put Rishikesh on the world map when The Beatles stayed here and wrote the lyrics to the album White. When we arrive there it turns out to be in a National Park that only opens at 10 am. So we decide to take a walk along the Ganges. We see many pilgrims on their way to the temples to pray and then receive food. After 2 hours of walking I feel that I am getting weak on my legs so we decide to skip the ashram. During the walk I regularly see mom clinging to Ranjeet’s arm or making side jumps. She’s terrified of cows hahaha 

When we return to the hotel we will rest by the pool for a few hours. We have to renovate some things, the beds are equipped with screens against the sun or they are in the shade. We take off the screens, the girl at security looks at us in surprise! Mom’s fear of cows spills over into her fear of the monkeys (which are not there now!!)  

We’re not doing much else today. Pack suitcases (which is quite a task for mom hihi) and we do a 5-hour show on a bench on the quay where at one point we spot 2 bathing wild elephants on the other side of the river. We sit here with a lovely view of the water and the mountains and look back on our 3 weeks in India! When we get to the room we both throw ourselves on our bed! Long day and night tomorrow! 

DELHI 23-03-2023 

I’m enjoying my last morning in India. The sun is shining on our balcony and the temperature is very pleasant! The staff is busy cleaning the terraces at 7 am. Everything looks spic and span! If I take a closer look at one of the employees while doing his work, I see that he collects dirt in his pockets and then throws it over the fence into the street. The streets are then swept clean by other people (women). It’s special how this works in India!  

We set course for Delhi where we will visit 2 tourist spots and then end with dinner in the Indian Accent restaurant of the Lodhi hotel. The restaurant is on the top 100 best restaurants in the world!  

When we arrive in Delhi after a 4-hour drive, we see something that looks like a mountain. I suspect this is one of those garbage mountains I once saw on TV. This is also true when asked. The mountain is immense, hundreds of crows fly above the mountain, there are tractors and cranes on it and many houses around it. The poor people who live here, I can imagine that it must stink enormously! I open the car window but not to check. The plastic is recycled after which the mountain is turned into a garden. Everything is possible in India!  

We have lunch in a lovely tent near the Khan market in south Delhi. This seems to be the place to be for the upper class of Delhi. You can also see this in expensive parked cars and the prices in the eateries. We both eat a delicious sandwich. Still nice to eat something Western again!  

After lunch we first visit the Humayan Tomb. It was built in the 16th century by Haji Begum, the eldest (Persian) wife of Mughal Emperor Humayan. This makes the Humayan Tomb a special and unique mix of both Persian and Mughal architectural styles. The Humayan Tomb strongly influenced the construction of the Taj Mahal. 

Then we drive to the Lotus temple. It is made of white marble and the temple belongs to the Bahai faith. This faith proclaims the unity of all people and religions. Everyone is welcome to pray there. I had read on Google that it is most beautiful after sunset when the temple is illuminated. Unfortunately, the temple is closed. For the most beautiful light on the temple, it is best to go early in the morning. There are many mini orange trees in the garden. The locals jump over the fences to pick the oranges, after which they are chased away by security. The people are having a lot of fun and I’m enjoying the scene!  

I try to walk around and photograph it from the other side, unfortunately there are high fences everywhere. After visiting this peaceful place, I am confronted with the harsh reality that India also consists of. I see a girl, 5 years old at most, on the street. She is wearing make-up, a sort of costume and has peacock feathers in her hand (brings good luck). She tries to persuade people to take a picture with her for a fee. I also see children who are sent onto the streets by their mothers to beg.  

Mom’s energy is running out and we still have a while to go, so we decide to settle down on a terrace somewhere while waiting for our closing time for dinner.  

Ranjeet takes us to Hauz khas village at lama kitchen, a single tent with a view of a fort and lake, an attractive spot! 

When we sit in the restaurant and see the menu, we decide to go for the 6-course dinner with a matching wine arrangement. We eat really well and mom clearly enjoys the appearance and quality of the food. That makes me enjoy it all the more. I couldn’t have imagined a better ending to this trip!