We travelled through some of the most remote and magical villages and farmland to reach Bundi city (Blue City) in Eastern Rajasthan. I’m busy capturing photos of the locals as our crazy driver recklessly speeds through some of the largest pot holes known to man so it’s no surprise when we suddenly hear a humongous bang as one of the rear tires burst and our 4x4 comes to a skidding halt. I swear driving in these areas is like something out of an Ace Ventura movie as I bounce here there and everywhere trying to hold on for dear life. Luckily this happens only 15 minutes into our journey before we're fully into no mans land where we'd have been waiting hours for a replacement car to arrive. Thank god it wasn't long before we're back ... read more

It was back to the city today as we headed to the ‘Pink City’ of Paipur. After visiting Amber Red Palace we stopped off at a local shop where they produced carpets of all descriptions…Dad you’d have loved this place! They showed us how they’re made and I was surprised to hear it can take anything from 3 to 9 months to produce a high quality rug by hand. Once they finally got the picture I was in no position to splash out and buy one they eventually let us go. Once rested we took ourselves off to watch a Bollywood movie at a fabulous theatre house in town. Extremely tacky but great fun. ... read more

A morning of sight seeing in the deserted Mughal kingdom of Fatehpur Sikri, 40 km from Agra was followed by a visit to the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary now home to more than 400 species of birds. It was great to get away from the hustle and bustle of the dirty cities and spend some time in a more rural environment. The fresh air was so inviting and the calmness of nature therapeutic. ... read more

Our first official day was spent in Old Delhi. We took the surprisingly modern Metro across town. I was shocked at how advanced it was. Security was tighter than England and they had everything from the oyster card system to air conditioned carriages. We visited one of Delhi’s oldest mosque’s and joined the crowds to walk in the bazaars of the old city, immersing in the noise and smells of the crowded narrow streets and alleys where people went about their everyday lives selling everything from silver, copper, brass and spices. Amazingly animals such as cows, goats, dogs and even the occasional monkey wandered the streets unfased by hordes of people and vehicles. It was bizarre to see areas of progression and wealth alongside streets full of homeless families and huge amounts of litter. Sadly many ... read more

After a hassle free flight I’m dropped off at a pleasant hotel in New Delhi where I have the following 24hrs alone before meeting up with the group I’m spending the next 2 weeks with. The half hour journey from the airport already gives me a glimpse of what’s to come and my bodies pumping with adrenaline. The vast number of people and cars roaming the streets in the most chaotic manor, horns honking for no particular reason so load my ears feel as if there about to drop off. The people and buildings have so much character and the colours beaming from women’s saris, fruit & spice stalls and the vast numbers of markets is so eye catching. The midday heat is unbelievable and immediately drains you of any energy that still remains. It seems ... read more