Mumbai was so many things at once that it was almost overwhelming trying to get more impressions in after more than two weeks of intense travelling around India. We did the must-sees of the city; The Gateway of India, the big British heritage buildings and the markets. We also saw the world’s biggest outdoor laundromat – the Dhobi Ghat – where the bed linen, towels and clothes from Mumbai’s hotels and hospitals are washed, and had some really good street food. For me personally, the highlight was our trip to the Dharavi slum, also known from the movie “Slumdog Millionnaire” where we got to walk around, talk to people, see the clay pot production process, and get an insight into what life looks like when you live so close to your neighbours – and how what looks like simple metal boxes can be beautifully furnished and decorated apartments with high-tech TV sets on the inside – a contrast I unfortunately didn’t get the opportunity to capture in a photo. I will share a couple of more photos from the slum later, and until then you have this selection of children playing, food and contrasts from this extremely segregated city.

Leaving Mumbai, we said good bye to magnificent India. See you again, some time.

Jodhpur, also known as the blue city, is not a small place. Yet, it manages not to be too chaotic or dusty, and it is easy to get around by foot. We arrived after five hours in a taxi where my google maps app and gps clearly had saved us from getting completely lost – the taxi driver spoke no word of English and clearly had no idea where we were going. As always, things work themselves out and we found a nice guesthouse we wanted to stay at. In Jodhpur, we took up some of the touristing, visited the beautiful Mehrangarh Fort and the clock tower, had nice lunches, a pedicure session, a private cooking class with the owner of our guesthouse and a look at very sparkling jewelry. It was nice, and still as blue as I had remembered it.

(Edit: If you want more practical information, you can check out Pankaj’s website about Jodhpur, his own town.)

We took a taxi to the beautiful little town Pushkar, one of the most holy places in India, after the train from Jaipur had dropped us off at the Ajmer station. We decided to check in at a TripAdvisor #1 and true gem worthy its name; the Seventh Heaven Inn. Without any doubt the most beautiful and pleasant place we stayed in during our entire trip. In Pushkar, I reconnected with India again after a couple of busy days of exploring, and enjoyed the simplicity in just walking around, talking to people and photographing. We didn’t have much of a plan in Pushkar – as there simply isn’t much to do apart from walking around and trying to take in the tranquil ambience, which for me was absolutely perfect. It was so nice and flowing we decided to stay longer, our room was bright and airy, and the internet connection was great, allowing me to continue my job application spree and small consultancies. I thought a lot of the last time I stayed in Pushkar, where I also got to know the two Italians that I traveled with for more than two weeks. It was all lovely and both my mother and I were happy with what Pushkar had to offer. What also happened was that we got so comfortable that when the time came to decide for our next step, we decided to move on by cab to the very blue city of Jodhpur. Trains and buses simply weren’t convenient nor time efficient enough, and comfort and time had become a priority as we were reaching the end of our trip. More on Jodhpur in the next India post, and then there’s only Mumbai left.

Here are the photos from when my mother and I visited the pink city Jaipur in India last year. I had been there three years earlier, but wasn’t very impressed at the time as it’s a busy, grey and dusty city where people aren’t very keen on stopping to have a talk. Going with my mother, however, was very different as she really insisted that we visit all the different temples and attractions around. I’m more of a people person than a building person – but I did get to photograph a couple of interesting faces, play with monkeys, and see a lot of cool, colourful buildings. Still not particularly pink, but beautiful.

On our second day in Jaipur we went to the impressive Amber fort, which I remember really enjoying visiting last time – it was still as interesting.

I met this gentleman in Jaipur, India, last year. With his white beard tucked into a net and his moustache coloured black, he was standing just outside the Hawa Mahal, the magnificent “Palace of the Winds”. He posed and asked me to take his photo and I took a whole bunch. I’ll share more photos from the “pink city” with its beautiful palaces some day soon – they are next up in line from the trip.

Good night, friends!