Well, after the hectic hustle and chaos of India, we thought that we would have a nice relaxing holiday this year. We're jetting off to Costa Rica this time and with everything that we've seen and heard, it should be a trip to remember. To start with there was the earthquake a week before we left. Luckily it was strong, but there wasn't much damage. Hopefully it will set off some activity in the volcanoes. The flight down went through the States and that was a nightmare way to begin the holiday. Border and immigration checks were tough due to the fact that it was the inauguration of Obama the day we travelled. ... read more

We're home and it feels good. We've travelled half way around the world and arrived back safely. We've seen places we'll always remember and things that we can't forget. We've had great times and tough times. But all of these things are part of the travel experience. Without the bad times the good times wouldn't have been so enjoyable. Without the friends, the the places would have been less interesting. Part of travelling is walking into the unknown and coming out the other side with something that will change your perspective on the world. We want to thank everyone who made this trip more enjoyable. Our guide Charles, driver Raj and all our fellow tourists on the GAP tour. Tariq at Incredible India in Delhi. Raj II, our driver in Rajasthan. A.K. and her fabulous family ... read more

We're back in Mumbai. This time to stay a little longer than the 2 hours we spent here 5 weeks ago. Mumbai is a bit of an enigma. It's a big Indian city but it's a lot different than others like Delhi and Chennai. It's cleaner, more modern and there are more western stye shops and hotels. In some ways this is good, you can get an espresso or a salad. In some ways it's not so good, there are McDonald's, Nike and Pizza Huts. Things that were not what I was looking for from my India experience. Still it is what it is and that too is India. A country on the verge of changing drastically, forever. So in a sense Mumbai is India in a nutshell, Indian values coming face to face with western ... read more

Our trek through Rajastan is over. We did the final leg from Jhodpur to Udaipur by way of a magnificent Jain Temple. The temple has over a thousand columns, every one different. Although it would be more impressive if they had all been identical. The Jains are the ultra orthodox hindus and they don't like shorts in the temple. So I had to rent a lovely pair of pants. The best part was that they charged me a 2 dollar deposit so that I would bring them back. I brought them back. Udaipur is a beautiful city with lots of windy backstreets that you could get lost in and not care. Tiny little shops that were no larger than a cupboard and yet they were not only a shop but usually the bedroom as well.The floating ... read more

We were getting deeper and deeper into the desert now. I'd never seen India so barren of people. Everywhere else it was wall to wall bodies. Now we were driving 10 to 20 kms between seeing a soul. The goats outnumbered the people 100 to 1. The people were changing as well. There were turbans on the men and wildly colourful saris on the women. Even the camels were getting in on the action with ornate saddles and bright beads around their necks and legs. We're on our way to something that Lesley is thrilled about and I'm not looking forward to as much. A camel safari. It's not that I'm afraid of camels, it's just that I'd heard so many horror stories about their constant farting and spitting. Well, mine didn't spit, that's all I'm ... read more