Jaipur Family-Ann's arrival and busy tour

This is Ann, a good friend and my first One Love Tours person. We had a very full couple of weeks planned for her first visit to India. From Delhi-Jaipur-village stay with family-some local forts and a stay in a Royal Families palace-Agra(taj)-Goa-Mumbai (city tour, caves).


Ann enjoying her first Indian cup of Chai.


First Indian train ride. a view out of the window.
Good window seats for views of the passing cities, villages and countryside.


Different foods that come by on the train which allows for never leaving your seat for anything.

The start of Jaipur day tour.


Jaipur-Rajasthan's capital most famous fort.



We did the day tour in a Rickshaw which makes it easier to get into small, less touristy roads and places.

Ann with Moin (one of my driver/tour guides).



Visiting the monkey temple for sunset. As you can see it's like a zoo on the streets.


When we arrived to the village to spend a day with my Indian family, they were all practicing flying kites or the upcoming kite festival at which time there will be thousands of kites in the air at a time.

Using camels to get some things hauled and work done.

Ann walked around the different parts of the village with the kids from the family. Got a insight of village life.

Some of the family.

Learning how to prepare some indian dishes.


Trying on traditional clothing-the girls in the family were happy to teach and play dress up.


Monkees are everywhere and are always after a free meal....who isn't?

Guy keeping monkeys out of tree while party is going on below.


Hanging out withe Madhu and Jyoti. It was a bit cool at night.


One of Ann's roomates for the night.


Talking with some locals at a day trip out to the haunted fort.

Just taking it in.


As much as I've been here, I don't know how people sit like this for hours.



Our palace we stayed for a night with a Royal family.

Me and Pooja. She is famous or answering people who say hello to me with "Hello, you are a buffalo"

Ann got henna'd while with the family.

We had a cold few days in the north, so warm chai was always welcomed and appreciated.

At the Taj.

The rest of her trip to come. This concludes the north part.

New Places, some new friends.....

Why have I waited so long to write a blog: busy, lazy, don't worry why; it's here.
After leaving friends in Hydrabad, I made my way to Aurangabad which is where you go to see the Ajanta and Ellora Caves.
Constructed between 200BC and 650AD, the Ajanta Caves are cut from the volcanic lavas of the Deccan Trap in a steep crescent shaped hillside in a forested ravine of the Sahyadri hills. Years and years went by at the jungle gulped them up until they were again discovered in the 1800's.



This above is one of the famous buildings of Aurangabad.

I've been trying to eat at least 1 pomegranite every other day, when you can buy them from a guy who sells them from a basket off his bike, it makes it easy.



The Ajanta caves.

The detail and beauty of each cave really is incredible. To think that these caves were done with a chisel and they had one shot at it. This set of caves took hundreds of years to complete.


Of course within each cave there are carvings of Gods to pray too. You can see the enormity of them though.





This waterfall was on the walk to the caves.


The Ellora caves lie near an important ancient trade route and consists of some Hindu, some Jain, and some Buddhist caves. The caves are thought to be the work of priests and pilgrims who used the route.
This is the rickshaw driver I hired for the day to see the Ellora caves. He is from the area and has never been in the caves, for years has only shuttled people back and forth....so I made him go inside with me and if you could have seen his eyes light up while inside the caves.


I stopped in Ahmadabad, Gujarat to visit my cousin Amy's friend, Alana. We explored for the day and went to see a great short film festival. This is her and her roomies. Then I was off to see my Indian family in Saiwar and then to Delhi to meet up with Ann for my first tour of India with a OneLoveTour traveler.

This will be the next blog written very soon.

The clinic life and now on the move

So, this is my Jag Clinic group (minus Jag). From all stretches and so many different personalities, but we all blend beautifully.
After my 6 weeks there I have learned soooooo much, feel like I'm in med school, yoga school, and cooking school all in one! I loved it so much and plan to continue at it for some months each year, that I rented a house near to the clinic for the next few years (it doesn't hurt that it's near a great city also).


One weekend off Antoine (blue shirt) and I went to visit a organic farm he is quite familiar with in the country on the outskirts of town (such an escape from everything). Just as much as I enjoyed the farm, I enjoyed even more with his friend in the white shirt (very wordly thinker and lives such a simple life).

This is our group every morning making and eating breakfast together after our yoga class, it's as much about the group activity and laughing as the food (although nobody would come if there was no food)

The whole group worked together to make a big lunch party one Sat after the clinic. Menu included about 6 delicious, healthy items including fish curry without fish and applesauce I made.

That's Me and Vicky lending a helping hand and turning it into a bit of a competition (I hope I don't have to tell you who won)

The full group before we attack the meal laid out ahead of us!

This is our 6am yoga class. Jag likes to stand over me and is very humored when I am struggling or really feeling the burn (which is why you can tell we get along, because my friends would also enjoy watching me struggle)



My whole eating habits have fully changed to a healthy lifestyle, so I take great pleasure in walking through the huge Vegetable markets that are very common in India (dwindling as they are trying to eat more and more foolishly like us westerners).

After leaving Mysore, I made my way up to Hydrabad (my first time here) was picked up by Veera's (see some blogs ago) cousin and his friend who are both in the movie business. 3 on a bike we headed out of the city to visit the Golcanda fort. We had a lot of laughs throughout the day.

This is a view of this immense and stunning fort!

This is Krishna and Sita who I met last year while touring in India and since we've stayed in touch, I stayed with them at their home in Hydrabad, we had some great conversations and they kicked my butt at Carram, an indian board game.

Thanksgiving came and went and now I can't believe it is only 10 days until Christmas. Doesn't feel like it one bit!


Life is good and I look forward to the months that come ahead with OneLoveTours first visitors to India.