Happy Diwali from India
An elephant pulls up alongside us at the traffic lights.
We're in Jaipur, India, and very much enjoying the Pink City.
We deliberately avoid riding on one of these noble creatures up to the Amber Fort though - much to the surprise of our lovely driver, Rajiv - because we're concerned about the animals' welfare.
Still, we see plenty of them, and lots of other things beside, on our Trailfinders trip to India's Golden Triangle - Delhi, Agra and Jaipur - and then on to Shimla on The Himalayan Queen 'toy train' up into the cool of the mountains.
So many stories, so many wonderful moments, it's hard to pick out just one highlight, because everything is so special. Mr Grigg and I will never forget our visit to Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, the Sikh temple in Delhi, where hundreds of people are fed every day.
The Taj Mahal is more serene and jaw-droppingly beautiful than anyone could ever imagine, even with hundreds of people walking around the grounds. It changes colour according to the light.
In Northern India, there are ancient sites and temples wherever you look. Colour and noise and smells. Glorious chaos.
This is a country of contrasts, dichotomies and ironies. It's where well-fed pigeons gorge on corn while, just steps away, young children weave their way in and out of traffic, tapping on car windows and beg for money.
Where there are cows wandering the streets along with monkeys. Tigers in the jungle and even this one in Shimla.
It's like nowhere else on earth.
Today is Diwali, the festival of lights, which celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
That's about it.
Love Maddie x
We deliberately avoid riding on one of these noble creatures up to the Amber Fort though - much to the surprise of our lovely driver, Rajiv - because we're concerned about the animals' welfare.
Still, we see plenty of them, and lots of other things beside, on our Trailfinders trip to India's Golden Triangle - Delhi, Agra and Jaipur - and then on to Shimla on The Himalayan Queen 'toy train' up into the cool of the mountains.
So many stories, so many wonderful moments, it's hard to pick out just one highlight, because everything is so special. Mr Grigg and I will never forget our visit to Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, the Sikh temple in Delhi, where hundreds of people are fed every day.
The Taj Mahal is more serene and jaw-droppingly beautiful than anyone could ever imagine, even with hundreds of people walking around the grounds. It changes colour according to the light.
Where there are cows wandering the streets along with monkeys. Tigers in the jungle and even this one in Shimla.
Today is Diwali, the festival of lights, which celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
Love Maddie x
The light . . .what the light is like shapes so much the atmosphere of a visit it can make or break one's relationship with a place.
ReplyDelete