The Shifting Sands

No doubt, life in Mumbai and in India has its frustrations and challenges.  Sometimes the small difficulties pile up and it all seems insurmountable.  However, sometimes, it all comes together and last Sunday was one of those days. It started with 13 km run through Bandra it was steamy but not unpleasant. But the exercise box was ticked off early in the day which is always good. I returned home to pick up Alistair, our resident English back packer, for the regular Sunday game of touch Rugby for about an hour.  Most weekends outside of monsoon a group of Non- Resident Indians (NRIs) and Expats get together for a social game of touch rugby. The rules are loosely applied and we all have some fun. For some, it is a chance to run the alcohol from the night before out of their system. For others is is a chance to get some exercise.  That said, some get more exercise than others! A great backdrop for international 7's Rugby We returned back to the apartment to freshen up an

A simple step well at Chandelao I must admit that I find step wells the most fascinating piece of ancient public works in India.  I have had the good fortune to visit a basic step well at the village of Chandelao in Rajasthan that still forms an integral part on daily village life, the spectacular step well at  Chand Baori  and, my most recent visit, the Adalaj step well near Ahmedabad. Stages for performances and... ..steps that double as seating at Chand Baori    I have been to Ahmedabad on many occasions, mostly flying in for a day of meetings before flying out again. On a recent trip, the  meetings finished earlier than planned, which is unusual in India, and I had some time before my flight.  I decided that a quick trip to Adalaj was in order. The view from the stairs down to the water This step well  was built in 1499 by Muslim king Mohammed Begda for Queen Rani Roopba, wife of Veer Singh, a local  chieftain. Adalaj step well was b

Terraced fields between Kolhapur and Goa Driving anywhere in India is interesting but when you travel with a 5.8 metre sea kayak on the roof of your car you become the centre of interest. You get to drive past interesting things that you have never seen before and the locals get to see something they have never seen before too. We traveled via Pune down to Kolhapur which, my driver insisted was the turn off point for the "short cut" to Goa.  What the route saved in distance it made up for in time. The route from this point proved to be scenic but very slow.  We drove through villages that saw little traffic and descended to the coast below spectacular waterfalls past the Western Ghats. The country side was green and there was a lot of activity. Descending the Western Ghats with the monssonal waterfalls in the back ground A farmer shaving a Buffalo with a straight razor.  I am not sure why After negotiating the maze of small roads that i