Many years ago, I was travelling across Turkey, with a white male friend. We were off the usual tourist circuit and visited small towns and villages. Because we couldn’t pass off as related, I wore a ring. When anyone asked if we were married, this helped avoid a lot of questions and made life easier. For years,…
Tag: backpacking in india
An unexpected tea stop
On the way we spotted a few men huddled by the side of road, on the outskirts of a tiny village, smoking and gossiping. This is not unusual in Gujarat or really anywhere in India. True to form, Hoshner squeezed the car on to the side of the road and jumped out to take a few photographs. Within seconds he was surrounded by people and it took me a minute to realise that all the village folk had materialised out of nowhere, wanting their picture taken.
The Old Guard
Lined and wrinkled, Jehangir Ahmed squats by the entrance to the famous Jumma Masjid in Bijapur, quietly pulling at his ‘biddi’. As we look up at him from the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the Mosque doors, he gestures to us from his perch, indicating that we should not hesitate, but enter…
Sultans of the South; The Deccan Sultanates of Bidar & Bijapur
Beautiful old monuments and ruins inhabit street corners and stand forlornly in the middle of overgrown fields, many forgotten in the bustle of everyday life. Questions as to their origins elicit vague responses and disinterested shrugs, the locals having lived besides these relics all their lives, simply consider them to be part of the topography of their little town. This however, only serves to enhance their wonder and mystery, and we can’t help but feel that we are exploring lost history, off the beaten path.
Hampi: The 5(ish) Minute Guide
Planning a Hampi trip? We tell you how to get there, where to stay & the top places to visit in Hampi in our comprehensive guide to this ancient city.
38 days into our Southern Sojourn
We are 38 days into our travels around South India, and in Coorg, Karnataka. Staying at the lovely Berry Lane homestay, with a cook we’d love to steal and take back home, we are spending time walking the spice and coffee estates and wandering in the forests. We have learnt many things about travelling in…