In the pool at the Taj Ganges Hotel - a naughty treat!

Varanasi

Where to begin?

I am struggling to know where to begin, it's been so long! We haven't really been near computers for enough time to be able to update this in ages..... But here's a quick rundown on what's been happening:

After our safari we had 48 hours on a train from Kerala to Delhi ready for Mum's arrival at the end of April. We had a brilliant and eventful week - as the photos show we went to Agra for the Taj Mahal, etc, Jaipur for the beautiful Amber Fort (I have never seen so many elephants and camels wondering around), Ranthambore National Park for another safari and a suite in a fantastic hunting lodge with stunning views.... Back to Jaipur and then back to Delhi to say a tearful goodbye to Mum a week later. During this time my camera broke (cue broken heart which sort of repaired itself when I shelled out more than I could afford for a new one), we had a violent encounter on a train, a four hour delay on another train, the temperate hit FORTY FOUR.... it was one adventure after another.

After Delhi we caught another overnight train to Varanasi. For those of you who don't know, Varanasi has the Ganges running through it which is the centre of the life of everyone who lives there. They bathe there, do their laundry, cremate their dead, teach their children to swim - everything. Consequently it's one of the dirtiest stretches of river in the world. If you ever visit do NOT ask your hotel to do your laundry, you know where it'll end up!

Seeing as most Indians go there to die/say goodbye to their dead, it is a surprisingly lively and vibrant place. Adrian and I were blessed by a holy man (see above!) and we met some amazing
people.

Now we're in Darjeeling. We've been here since Wednesday and although I've been in bed most of the time with 'flu (poor me) we love it here. The scenery (when the cloud clears) is breathtaking and it's cooler which is a welcome relief. Tomorrow we're off to Nepal!