As a tourist (or traveler, a term Calvin prefers), we enter each city, see its sights, eat at the restaurants, and try to form a impression. This view, while vast geographically, is inherently shallow. Furthermore, up to this point in my travels, it has somewhat...
Mumbai: just the way I left it. It’s been a day since 3 bombs killed 20+ people in 3 heavily populated areas of the center city, and Mumbaikars carry on as usual. The only noticeable signs of the attacks are the tan-clothes police officers stationed every 20...
Before I get into what’s going on in Mumbai, I must give a recap from Jaipur. Although last year’s trip to Jaipur was pretty cursory, I think I made up for it this time. Take a look at this trailer for Tarsem’s “The Fall” and analyze it...
It’s all over the news in India. A series of bombs went off in 3 separate areas of the city last night during rush hour, 2 of which were in popular areas that foreigners (including myself) regularly would travel through. If we arrived in Mumbai one day earlier,...
I am alone. The desert gales wash my naked chest, and my bare feet burrow into the heat of the earth. I bathe in breathing moonlight. For a moment I can see God moving over the face of the sands. And I see only the desert. I feel a slight night shiver. In...
Although the Thar Desert isn’t the grand sand dunes you’d think of when it comes to deserts, it does have a few bright moments of smooth stretches of wind-sculpted sand. The famous Rajasthani desert safari gig can be made flexible from a half day trip to as many as...
Last year I was confronted with a choice between Udaipur or Jaisalmer given my limited time. In the end I chose Udaipur due to warnings that Jaisalmer was way too hot this time of year (55 degrees celsius?!). I think I had chosen wisely, not only due to the...
