Category Archives: India

a final farewell to the land of chaos and charm

Posted on 07/02/2008 by clairelinney

The Black Hole of Calcutta I have been praising the efficiency of the Indian rail system to several people over the last month, every train I have caught in the four months I’ve been here has left on time and … Continue reading →

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the India effect

Posted on 05/02/2008 by clairelinney

Before I left on this trip, after four and a half years of living in London and working for L’Oréal, I had definitely begun to enjoy a certain quality of lifestyle: eating in smart restaurants, staying in five star hotels … Continue reading →

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the monkey watch

Posted on 03/02/2008 by clairelinney

After four months in India I am well used to the constant staring from Indian men, women, small children and the odd cow, all fine. Things have gone too far, however, when the monkeys start getting voyeuristic too. I arrived in … Continue reading →

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before sunrise

Posted on 01/02/2008 by clairelinney

The Magic of the Taj Mahal I feel as if I’ve had India overload in the past three days, both in terms of the good, the bad and the ugly, but definitely more of the good. Emily, Melissa and I … Continue reading →

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the legacy of occupation?

Posted on 29/01/2008 by clairelinney

I visited the Tibetan Museum in McLeod Ganj early this afternoon and it is a really wonderfully constructed place over two large rooms but really quite emotional to absorb. It tells the story of the Tibetan people from when the … Continue reading →

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the monks and the cold

Posted on 28/01/2008 by clairelinney

I am currently huddled in a warm internet cafe in McLeod Ganj, a small hill top town next to Dharamsala and home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile. On the bus up from Amritsar I ran … Continue reading →

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the unexpected charms of Delhi

Posted on 22/01/2008 by clairelinney

I strongly suspect that my reasons for rather liking Delhi are probably due to the fact that four months in the country has made me immune to a certain amount of tourist hassle and the somewhat darker side of India. … Continue reading →

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Claire v Delhi: 15-0

Posted on 19/01/2008 by clairelinney

Arrive at Old Delhi station at 7am, not at New Delhi which was where I thought I was arriving, so I had to get an autorickshaw across town. Taxi driver no. 1 offers to drive me to Paharganj (tourist central) … Continue reading →

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too much tourist touting

Posted on 18/01/2008 by clairelinney

I’ve got to be honest, not loving Jodhpur. It’s loud, noisy, rude, bustling, dusty and totally lacks the charm, for me, of all the other places I’ve visited in Rajasthan. The rickshaws are quite entertaining though, they all look like … Continue reading →

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Mr India’s balls and other camel stories

Posted on 14/01/2008 by clairelinney

The biggest reason for many people to come to Jaisalmer other than the beautiful Jain temples, Havelis, and sandstone town surrounding a fort cut into the rock rising above the rooftops glowing in the setting sun, is to go on … Continue reading →

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