Today we went to the fort here at Jaisalmer, it was very big and took 4 hours to walk around it, Vera and I were gald to sit down for lunch and have a wee rest, then we were off to Sam go on a camel cart rife out into the desert to see the sun set over the sand dunes, I thought as usuall it would just be us but no there where hundreds of people sitting on camels or in carts heading out into the dunes to watch, it was so noisy and busy that some of the majectic beauty of the moment was lost. Tomorrow we head to Bikaner which is 350kms from here and will take us 5 to 6 hourd to drive. It is hard to believe that our amazing trip is nearly over.

We are in a place called Jaisilmar and staying in a hotel which sits under the biggest fort I have seen so far. This city is called the golden city as everything is made of yellow stone and the houses have amazing carvings all over them. Just outside our hotel is a market and as Vera and I walked through the traders called out to us to go and see what they had to buy, one man came and asked what country we where from and when I told him New Zealand he said ohohoh you lost the test. well that put me off him right away, he made no sale lol. Vera and I are both very sad to hear about the very sad news from Pike River and our thoughs are with the families at this sad time.
We went for a camel ride this morning, it was really cold and trying to rain but Vera and I climbed up on this big camel while it was sitting down and the was hard enough, me on the front and Vera hanging on on the back, well now for a camel to stand up it goes back first and the front gones down, I thought Vera was going to go flying over the top of me and I felt like I was going to go sliding down the camel's neck between his ears and off the end of his nose but then the front end came up too and there we were sitting way up on a camel, I have to say I have a lot of respect forLawance of Arabia now, what a ride I have to say I was glad to get off. I need to say that that was not so easy as to get down the camel goes front first, so there I was looking at sliding off down his neck with Vera coming behind, thank goodness the back end went down and we were really happy to get our feet on solid ground again. The good news is we have another ride on a camel tomorrow. Letr you know how it goes, lol. Its time for dinner so I had better go and find Vera, will try to write again tomorrow that is if I servive the camel ride

Hi everyone

To the children at Greenwood, thank you for your questions.

Our plane flight was long and I was really tired but it was also interesting as I was able to see all the lights of the towns and cities as we went over India and I realised just how wmany people there must be living here so many lights. I dont like some of the smells here like the rubbish and open sewers but the smell of the many flowers are amazing. I didnt see any tigers but the guide said that they only come out to look at people once a week so I guess I was not the day that they want to come, never mind it was still very beautiful and I loved every minute I was there in the park.

I am having an amazing time here I have seen, heard, felt, smelled and tasted so many new things my senses are ketp very busy get all the new information for me just like in the song we sing.

Kota was a small town but we went to a place called the City Palace and saw some wonderful wall paintings that were hundreds of years old. Now we are in Udaipur and our hotel is right by a lake called Pichola, it looks like the view from Tahuna Beach looking over toward rocks road, We went to a temple and another palace called City Palace but it was so much bigger than the one we saw in Kota and the royal family still live there and then we wnt for a boat ride out on the lake and saw the very beautiful Lake palace hotel which looks like it is floating on the water but whcih is infact build on a large rock and when it was a palace it was know as the summer palace and then we went to another island called Jagmandir and that was a palace once too and it was known as the leisure palace, but on the hill over looking the city is a palace called the monsoon palace, jsut about a palace for all seasons lol tomorrow we are off to Jodhpur where the riding pants came from.

Hi everyone, well I have seen the Pushkaar camel fair, what an amazing event to be part of, I have never seen so many camels, horses or cow in one place and mixed into that were lots of people, local Indians and lots of overseas visitors. Vera and I went to the fair in a camel cart and that was slow but the camel was really nice and I even patted it at the end of the trip. While were at Pushkar it rained really hard for most of the day and we were told that that had not happened in thge last 10 years. Our tent was really wet and the main dining tent leaked and all the seats were wet as were the carpets on the floor. I have to tell you as funny story about our time in the tent village, when we arrived we where shown to our tent and I thought I would have a shower so I went into the back area where there was a toilet, hand basin and toilet. I picked up the shower hose and it all fell apart so we had to get the man to come and fix it, that was fine then I thought I needed to use the toilet so I did and then I flushed and the flushpipe to the bowl came off and water went everwhere, good heavens want a mess, but the man came again and fix it, so that was cool, that night I sat on my bed and leant over to turn the light off and fell through the base of the bed, what a hoot Vera was laughing so much she was could hardly stop long enough to help me fix it. We didnt tell the man about the bed I think he might have kicked us out of the camp lol.

We went to Kota yesterday and I well tell you about that tomorrow.

It is a hot evening here in Ranthambhore tonight the hotel we were to stay in had a power cut so we where upgraded to another hotel called Dev Vilas. It is amazing, it was a hunting lodge at the turn of last century and the British use to come and hunt tigers here. Tomorrow we are going out to see if we can see on of the remaining 36 tigers left in this area and hunt them with our cameras. We went to a bird park today on our way here and it was great to see the birds and animals including a big monator lizzard, a jackle and some funny looking birds called painted storks. I also saw soft shelled turtles and catfish as big as a man.
The road to Ranthambhore was fine for about half the trip and then it turned into one big pot hole that lasted for 50kms. It was worst than the roadworks on the new road to Motueka, it was amazing because there was still heaps of cars, trucks, motor bike, push bikes, cows, goats,and lots of people using the road and we were all bumping along together.

Yesterday we went to a place called the baby taj and it was beautiful as it looked like a huge jellery box but it was tonb of a queen and her husband. We also went to Agar Fort which is so big and red and has 7 palaces within its walls and a garrison of the Indian army who still live there.

I am going for a swim tomorrow in the hotel pool and I am looking forward to that. I also saw the first star tonight so that was exciting as the sky has been gray and smoky all the time we have been in India.

The Taj Mahal

So today we traveled to Agra 360kms and should have taken 5 hours but it was more like 7 hours the traffic is something to behold. Any way we got here late so had to rush off to see the Taj Mahal as it is closed on Fridays. Our guide was really good and told us so much about the Taj but to walk through the main gate after a pat down from the security guards and see it for your self it was really amazing. It really is a wonder and its also a wonder that you can get so many people in one place, I had it in my mind that there would just be Vera and me there just like when princess di was there but no there were thousands there, standing room only and sometimes you had to share that too. It is so hot here 99% humidity. Its been a long day and Vera and I are both very tired so I will write more tomorrow with news of the Red fort and the baby Taj. Love to you all, please write back. Greenwood children Andrea told me about Charlie and Igor and their wee baby, tell me what its like and have you named it yet Sandiexx

Well Hello everyone
I have finially found a computer and one that is hooked up to the internet.
We had a great trip on the plane although it was very long and I was very tired when we arrived, I had a cuppa and then went to bed and slept for 23 hours straight. Poor Vera had to sit and watch me snore lol. Yesterday we went out with a guide and driver to see the sights of Delhi. I have to say that I could never have driven here, the cars go fast and there are no road rulse that I can see. Our driver said that there are only 4 things you need to drive in Delhi 1 good eyes 2 good horn 3 good breaks and 4 good luck and he is so right, I often have my eyes closed as we just miss hitting another car. Anyway we have seen some amazing things, a building that looks like a lotus flower and a fort that is red. We have been in a mosic and several temples and had a good look at an iron pole that is hundreds of years old but does not rust. My feet have been in and out of my shoes as lots of places wont let you wear your shoes and I have to put on another cover dress to go into one fort. Today we went to the Logi Gardens (Bit like the Queens gardens only not a nice) and saw more temples and a bonsi garden which Vera was interested in. We also went for a ride in a tuktuk (funny little moterbike with a seat on the back for Vera and I to sit on), that was fun and scary at the same time and the driver want to take us to shop to buy things at "At a good price" . lol Everything here is very dusty and looks like it need a good wash, the sky is gray with smoke and the smell is interesting sometimes even horrid. But we are having an amazing adventure.
Tomorrow we head of to Agra and I am really looking forward to that, its a 5 hour drive and we have to leave here at 8am. I hope you are all well I miss you all at Greenwood Kindergarten and wonder what you are all up too. Love to you my family and I will write again soon