Ahmedabad

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A good bus ride to Ahmedabad, I think it was about 10 hrs and we managed to get some sleep and arrived as everyone was setting up shop. Everyone was smiling and welcoming and we grabbed some chai before heading to Cadillac Lodge... the only 'G' rated hotel in our guidebook. The room was 350Rps per night and was really not great, we did in fairness get a TV with Star movies but the toilet was a drop with no flush, the sink was communual (not cool when you see how much the Indians spit) and the beds were solid. Anyway, we head off round the corner and get on a local 60Rp tour bus with all the Indians, first stop was a Lake which other than being very pretty and a nice morning stroll I'm not really sure of the significance. The the Hathi Singh Jain Temple which was another truly stunning temple, the highlight of the day for me, Gandhi's Sabarmati (originally Satyagraha) Ashram hich was the starting point for Ghandi's famous 385Km salt march to Dandi in 1930. I would like to have spent more tine in the ashram, but the small while I was there I found it to be a very peaceful, powerful place set on the banks of the lake.

That evening, we had a bit of a food drama, following the book we decided to try a a restaurant Vishala set 5Km away, this was supposed to have excellent Thalis and an authentic Gugarati layout, drinking from clay tumblers etc. Sadly this place seems to be a another victim of guidebook success and the staff were unfriendly and the food overpriced (now 450Rps for a Thali which locally you can get for 50Rps). We ended up walking about 3 miles to fulfill Jonny's eternal desire for Domino's pizza.

The next day we head out into town to take pics down the pols (streets) and enjoy the sky festival that was going on. Everyone had 2 days off work/school and flies kites. The streets were full of happy excitable kids and smiling adults and the sky was literally full of kites. Jonny met a music shop owner who invited us up on his roof with all his family and friends. It was like another world. Every roof top filled with kids flying mazzive, colourful kites and a real celebratory atmosphere. Jonny and I had to be in and take a million photos and meet everyones friends and families and wave at everyone on all the roofs. Was brilliant.

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