My Christmas came early this year. I’m chuffed to announce that I won October’s Guardian ‘Been There’ travel photography competition! The theme was ‘Weather’ and I submitted an image of school girls splashing their way through a monsoon puddle.
Winner of The Guardian’s Monthly Travel Photography Competition Read Post »
Portrait of a Blacksmith – taken in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Portrait of a Blacksmith Read Post »
[Jodhpur, Rajasthan] In this week’s podcast we’re going to get lost in the back streets of Jodhpur town itself. There are plenty of sounds to take in here, with the noise of market traders selling their wares. But first, a refreshing drink…
Blue City Back Streets Read Post »
The Mehrangarh Fort, one of the lagest forts in India, sits over 120meters above the city, surrounded by huge thick walls. Inside are a number of palaces and courtyards, the foundations of which date back to 1459, although most of what we see today dates from the period of Jaswant Singh – 1638 to 1678. Entry to the fort is through a series of seven gates, again built and installed over different periods. These have been offset so as to avoid being charged at by armoured elephants.
[S02E19] This is the second part of our podcast interview with Govind Rathore who set up and runs the Sambhali Trust, a non-profit, grass-roots charitable organisation based in Jodhpur, the Blue City of Rajasthan. In this episode we continue to chat with Govind on the rooftop of his homestay, Durag Niwas, and we take in two of the empowerment centres that help women who come from troubled backgrounds.
Sambhali Trust – An Interview With Govind Rathore – Pt 2 Read Post »
[S02E18] A couple of kilometres outside the centre of Jodhpur, Govind Rathore and his family run the Durag Niwas homestay, but that’s not their main interest. In 2007 Govind set up the Sambhali Trust, an NGO that helps women from the lowest castes in India escape their lives of hardship and empowers them with the skills necessary to operate their own businesses. Many of these women only speak a local dialect and don’t understand Hindi, so they learn to read, write and speak Hindi and English. They are also taught sewing and farming skills. The work Govind and the Trust is doing is so important, having helped over 600 women in its five year existance, that we are dedicating two podcast episodes to our time with the Sambhali Trust.
Sambhali Trust – An Interview With Govind Rathore – Pt 1 Read Post »
[S02E17] The Taj was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and the whole complex was completed in 1653. It is a mausoleum using Persian, Turkish and Indian styles of architecture. The building needs no introduction, it’s one of the most visited tourist sites in the world. If you decide to go there, do what we did and get up really early!
Taj Mahal & Her Baby Sister Read Post »
[S02E16] Fatehpur Sikri consists of two areas: The huge Jama Masjid, the second largest mosque in India, and the Palace of Akbar. For a short while Akbar made Fatehpur Sikri the capital of his empire. He spent 15 years building the mosque, the palace, harems, courts, water features and other buildings and drew his influences from Persia. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is not to be missed, but if you can’t make it, then listen to this week’s podcast to get a great idea of what the fuss is all about.
Snobs In Fatehpur Sikri Read Post »
[S02E15] In this podcast we take our first train trip. We learn of a king who locked his own father up until his death, the same man who built the Taj Mahal. We’re in Agra, home to the world’s most famous building.
It’s a bit early but the storms have started brewing over Cochin. I remember two years ago sailing from Goa to Cochin having to motor straight through some nasty weather and seeing lightning like you see in this video clip.
Around the one minute mark you’ll see it’s just like someone turning the kitchen light on and off. It feels like monsoon is just around the corner.
Storm Brewing Over Cochin Read Post »
“If you’re talking about a great place to live, I’d say Kolkata. It’s got everything: great restaurants, historic buildings, the Maidan, an excellent transport service and friendly people.” Upon this great bit of advice from a seasoned visitor to India we spent a few days in Kolkata and in this post we visit the untouristic Kalighat to view a few burning bodies.
Kolkata, Kewpies and Kalighat Read Post »
[S02E05] We’re in one of the most important towns in south India during one of its most important celebrations, Pongal. Hear how we weave our way through the back streets of Marurai and into the ancient ‘Tailor’s Market’, ending up in an Escher painting.
The Madness Of Madurai Read Post »
[S02E4] Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. This podcast is a car journey that starts off badly and turns into a nightmare. It begins with a crash and ends with us getting lost in the middle of the Western Ghat mountain range. Along the way we discover a new breakfast and meet lots of people wearing green and orange.
For all their jingoism and arrogance, I felt humbled by their intrepidness. We call ourselves travellers today, but catching a flight over to the other side of the world for a quick jaunt up to Machu Picchu, or a guided tour round a wildlife park, doesn’t compare to the terrifying adventure into the unknown these individuals must have endured for the sake of commerce.
A Murder of Crows Read Post »
[S02E03] We have been so busy this week that we’ve not completed editing our next adventure, which takes us into the Western Ghats mountain range. In this podcast we offer a couple of poor excuses but round it off with some great news…
