Category Archives: Travel

I’ve had a couple of miserable travel days in the last week, but they have been worth it. A 12 hour combination train and two bus rides got me from Bhopal to Khajuharo. Khajuharo was the capital of an Indian … Continue reading →

After killing hundreds of thousands in conquering Kalinga in the 3rd century BC, Emporor Ashoka foresook violence, embraced Buddhism, and built many temples. The grandest complex was at Sanchi. There are a couple of intact stupas, which are just monuments … Continue reading →

I took the 32 hour train, two nights and one day, to Bhopal because I wanted to go to Sanchi, where there is temple complex built by the first great king of much of India, Ashoka, in the 3rd-2nd centuries … Continue reading →

   I went through Tranjavur (Tanjure) and Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) on my way to Madurai. There are nice temples in those places, and it broke up what would have been another grueling all day government bus ride. Also, I caught a … Continue reading →

 I could eat a horse, but alas Pondicherry is not Paris. I didn’t see horse on any of the menus. But they do have quite good western food. The coq au vin at Rendesvous was good, along with the mashed … Continue reading →

Most people come to the Andamans to go to Havelock Island. That’s tourist central, such as it is. There are about, I’d say, 200 tourists there, mostly stretched out along a main, one lane blacktop road on the east side of … Continue reading →

I’m heading off to the Andaman Islands tomorrow, leaving here at 4 AM for a 7:15 AM flight from Chennai. I don’t know what the internet access out there will be like. I think it’s agood idea and a good … Continue reading →

The plan originally was to go south through Kerala and sweep up Tamil Nadu, then go from Chennai by air to the Andaman Islands to dive. It turns out that almost all the flights to the Andamans and back were … Continue reading →

Since before independence from the British, Indians have been proud to build “indigenous” products, and prove they can take their place among the world’s leading industrial powers. To be sure, you can get reasonable facsimiles of products one sees in … Continue reading →

The most common car in India is an Indian made Suzuki Swift called the Maruti. It cost about $5000 US, and you get what you pay for. One model, the Zen, comes with a few features, like choice of color, … Continue reading →