The brown boy visits Umeå

urban crawl

(I don’t have a scanner, and not enough light in my room, hence the image quality)

The funniest monk

I met a monk in Ladakh who narrated the buddhist scriptures in the funniest way. Here he is in front of another monastery.

o goa

delhi airport

palolem beach

our goa map

vivek @ venite

searching for seafood

panjim inn

@ viva panjim

bebinca

Jaisalmer!

From the terrace of a house in Jaisalmer Fort. We traveled on an empty train through the coldest night over the desert to Jaisalmer, but the view of the fort at sunrise really made it worthwhile!

We went to have dinner at Nachana Haveli, which had great food, and a chatty owner who showed us around his whole house and his tiger skins and bear skin rugs!

(overheard: a little British girl wanted to dance for a living like the Rajasthani performers there)

From the stairs of the raja’s palace in the fort. Many conversations with many people, and the lady who owns 8 July. I also ended up meeting a user of ibibo!

Some of the stuff from the famous Salim Singh ki Haveli. Our guide was awesome, and he made the whole story come alive.

The fort from the entrance where we also got compliments for our drawings! (and I had some fabulous pasta at the desi Little Italy just inside the entrance!)

the bikaner diaries – part 2

From our first day in Bikaner. It was Vivek’s birthday.

From our last day there, while I was busy eating a rajasthani masala dosa!

the bikaner diaries – part 1

Last winter we went to Bikaner and Jaisalmer. Here are some of the sketches from the trip.

This is the Station Road, Bikaner. Our hotel was right across the street – can you see the windows of our room on the first floor? We were sitting in a restaurant opposite and eating bhajias and chai.

Here’s Vivek sitting and drawing away. We had many cups of chai and some friendly local people for company. On the wall at the back is a big mural of Krishna.

Here’s an old man with his afternoon tea and bhajias. You can see Chhotu-Motu Joshi, Bikaner’s famous halwai behind the old man.

This is the bhajiawala outside the hotel.

In the Gajner palace courtyard. Gajner was the Maharaja of Bikaner’s shooting lodge, a few kms from the main city, on the banks of Gajner lake.

(to be continued)

traveller tales