Category Archives: India

Hard Rock Hampi

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Years ago, on a different beach in another part of the world, a traveler told me of being on a Goan beach and seeing a young man standing in the breakers, obviously under the influence of something, repeating over and over, “You can’t go away from Goa, you can’t go away from Goa…” I understand that feeling, not just in regards to Goa but nearly any beach. When it was finally time to move on we weren’t sure whether we had spent too much time in Goa, or not enough. Maybe both. In any case, we stopped in at a … Continue reading →

A Little R&R

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A trip and a vacation are not the same thing. A vacation is relaxing and enjoyable. A trip on the other hand is usually tiring but interesting. If it is also enjoyable, all the better. Often at some point in our trips we’ll feel like we need a vacation, so we’ll head for some travelers’ ghetto where we can relax, eat comfort food, and not worry so much about violating the social norms of whatever conservative culture we are visiting. In India the place to go are the beaches of Goa. The beaches of Goa were a hot spot for … Continue reading →

The Stone Temples of Ajanta and Ellora

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Even in the brief time we have been here, less than two weeks, it has become clear that India is a country of diversity and contrasts. Mumbai itself shows many different faces depending on which way you look (though whichever way you look, it is crowded.) But all of Mumbai is relatively modern— “ Old Bombay” dates basically to the Colonial Era. In the scope of India’s history, that isn’t very long. Our next destination was a giant leap into the past, the ancient and beautiful temples and monasteries of Ellora and Ajanta, near the city of Aurangabad. Carved out … Continue reading →

Maximum City

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We left Canada the afternoon of the last day of 2014 and landed in Mumbai, India, on the second day of the new year, having fast-forwarded through New Years Day on eastward flights. We’re at the beginning of a two-and-a-half-month trip which will take us through much of India, but by no means all of it. India is a vast and diverse country and we have no hope of doing more than scratching the surface. We had the good fortune of meeting an Indian couple just days before we left home, which resulted in us being met at the Mumbai … Continue reading →