Nepal and the Bus Ride from Heck

Note the Smashed Windshield

It was 1:40 in the morning and as dark outside as I imagine it to be deep down in a coal mine. There were about 40 of us on the bus, some 10 odd travelers, the rest Nepalese heading home from India for the Holi celebration, the festival that mirrors the water festivities in Myanmar and Thailand. We all sat in hushed silence, like little mice, not knowing what to expect next. It had taken us five hours to reach this point, only about 20 kilometers into Nepal and it had been a bit of an adventure so far. More was to come.

Rajasthan – Jai Ho!

March 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Jai Ho! 

As you would expect, Slum Dog Millionaire has hit India like a tsunami. The signature song by A. R. Rahman can be heard playing everywhere, and around the time of the Oscars, newspapers were full of stories praising Director Danny Boyle and the cast which featured real residents of Mumbai’s slums.

Kama Sutra for Dummies

Dear Family and Friends,

Khajuraho is said to be on the road from nowhere. To nowhere. But for tourists going to India, a trip to this remote area to see the village’s many famous temples has become as big a draw as has been the mandatory trek to Agra, to view the Taj Mahal, and to Varanasi, to visit the spiritual home of Hinduism.

My Bus From Gwalior to Jhansi