Highlights of India

• Our trip to Amritsar stands out as a beautiful experience. Since it was one of our first experiences in India and everything was new, we were even enchanted by the tomato soup and pakoras sold from stands at the train station. But even accounting for our newbie status, with the splendor of the Golden Temple with its pious festival atmosphere and the friendly free meal shared by all and the haunting singsong chanting of the Sikh holy book, we felt transformed.
• Our stay in Jillings Estate within view of the Himalayas was also a highlight. Here, we were spoiled by the fabulous home-cooked meals, the brilliant night skies, the looming mountains, and the riot of animal life. We weren't spoiled by the rigorous hikes up and down the terraced hillsides, but who wants to be spoiled all the time?
• Jaisalmer Fort was a surprisingly lovely spot. It is a small town that almost all fits into the old fort. And that is its charm: watching life go on for all these people in the fort. There are many dramatic forts in Rajasthan, but this one has the extra magic of being alive.
• Seeing the flock of Siberian cranes at Khichan was another transforming experience. I'm captivated by mere pigeons as they twirl through the sky, evading hawks. But the graceful and gangly cranes were even more captivating. The sound of thousands of wings, thousands of bugling calls, and the complex flight pattern of all those birds at dawn made it very hard for me to remember to keep my mouth closed as I looked up.
• It was a rare treat indeed to spend a night with an Indian family in the Aravalli Hills on our way south to Udaipur. The extended family took us in and fed us until we were ready to burst. Listening to the daughters practice their English at night was very soothing. I particularly enjoyed watching the kids frolicking around the temples.
• Tour of Old Delhi: walking through the tangled warrens of the old market, where burlap bags full of red chillies made us choke, and pots of every imaginable product were available. It felt like we were walking through a pocket of time that was still in the medieval age.
• Rajasthan by road: motorcycle ride through desert mountains, sand dunes, ... julie learning to drive.
• The downside of being a tourist is the industry that caters to you (or at you) -- touts and pushy salespeople. The absence of these things in Bundi, and the abandoned state of the fort, gave us the magical feeling of exploration and discovery that we wish for in every destination. Only later did we learn that the lack of other people has its dangers: there are sometimes attacks on tourists by panthers in the fort.

1. Nathu's sweets and snacks shop (in Bengali Market, Delhi). This highly professional operation moves mobs of people through meals every day. The servings are small and inexpensive, so you are perfectly justified in ordering many delicious things, half of them being dessert.
2. Cottage Industries Emporium, Delhi: Several floors of handcrafts from all over India -- decent prices without haggling
3. Lassiwallas -- shops making the world's most delicious lassis (sweet, creamy yoghurt drinks). They are usually in old bazaars.
4. Karim's, a Muslim kebab restaurant in the Nizammudin quarter of Delhi. Drool. Here we had a vegetarian's nightmare of kebabs and a huge leg of goat on a silver platter. Incredibly tasty.
5. The Presidential Platter of kebabs sold at Bukhara, a restaurant in a five-star hotel in Dehli. Named after President Clinton. Too much food and all of it wonderful. We should have starved ourselves for a few days before coming here.