Several of you expressed concerns about NOT getting some of my travel entries this winter. Well here you go ...and I might be able to attach photos this time...... read more

WOW!! Is Dubai ever clean and orderly... My journey from India here was quite an interesting one. The airport trek in Chennai wasn't a problem. I had managed to get 4 1/2 hours of sleep in the evening and my prepaid cab was there to get me at the allotted time. Granted it was an old TATA car with lots of rust and dings in the exterior and many rattles and clanks as we drove , but it did the job. The airport had a large and very comfortable lounge area so I was able to sleep a little more before boarding. The plane was full and I was the only Caucasian woman on board. One of the stewardesses , a youngish blond woman had been on the plane to India on Feb4 and she recognized ... read more

My first bus journey ,from Pondicherry to Mamalpuram ,went off without a hitch. I was able to get on the bus a bit early and scored the single seat at the very front and had room to store my bags as well. Again I had an interesting time watching the world go by. This area of Tamil Nadu was quite severely struck by the tsunami. Over 10,000 people died. There are signs of reconstuction everywhere and evidence (plaques and posters ) of international involvement mostly by church groups. The highway itself is the coastal road and one must pay a toll to use it. It was a surprizingly quick journey for Indian travel .It only took 2 1/2 hours to go about 90 km!!! Again I enjoyed watching the crops and the people working in the ... read more

Yesterday I spent an interesting morning travelling about in an auto rickshaw with the same driver who had taken me out to the Gandhi Museum. My agenda had been to go to the Napier palace and the church that you can see from the rooftop restaurant of the hotel. I negotiated that at a price I considered reasonable. The Palace was Magnificent ! It as built in the 1500's and the largest secular building in Madurai. There are only 2 parts left but they are works of art.HUGE ...carvings of mythical creatures up pillars ,over arches, across ceilings and down again .The "dance"hall took my breath away it was so well done.The builders and artisans of that time certainly knew what they were doing. Next stop was St Mary's church .It is a pretty building painted ... read more

I have so enjoyed my time here.. For any of you interested in a beach holiday in this part of the world I recommend it highly.One can fly into Trivandrum take a 40 minute train ride and be here !! I have read a Danielle Steel novel and half finished one by David Baldaci ,wrote MANY pages in my journal , seen Borat and The DaVinci Code and had fresh Butterfish ,Tuna, barracuda ,Tiger Prawns and Kingfish . I have walked on the beaches twice a day done a little shopping and watched the dolphins play while I ate breakfast this morning. Life is good ...and it is time to move on. Yesterday I got my train tickets for my final tour in India. I take an overnight train at 6:40 this evening for Madurai in ... read more