Lisbon to Auckland Blog

January 30, 2018 – Day 75. Jan 31-Feb1

Puducherry to Patnem Beach, Goa – 2561 km (air and car) We were at a point in our India trip where we both felt a need for some down-time, preferably on the beach. Lois was still hoping to find a centre where she could learn some yoga and meditation techniques. A search for yoga/beach retreats turned ...

January 27, 2018 – Day 74. Jan 28-29

Chennai to Puducherry – 199 km (train and car) & 31,050 Fit Bit Steps On the platform at Vilapuram station, we were interested to see a table set up where a public health nurse was administering oral polio vaccine to children passing through the station. This is a reminder that Pakistan and Afghanistan, two of the three ...

January 24, 2018 – Day 73. Jan 25 – Jan 26.

Tala to Chennai – 1307 km (car and air) & 20, 696 Ft Bit steps We left Bandhavgarh (Tala) by car for Jabalpur to catch a flight to Chennai, from where we intended to tour southern India by train. Although we were closer to Darjeeling, we decided it made sense to go south and then stop in ...

January 20, 2018 – Day 72. Jan 21-23

Khajuraho to Tala – 284 km (car) & 62060 Fit Bit steps  Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?…(William Blake) Our driver, Ashok, was careful and  knew where to stop for chai/Nescafé and clean bathrooms. On the road to Tala, we noticed winter wheat planted in the rice ...

January 18, 2018 – Day 71. Jan 19

Jaipur to Khajuraho – 656 km (train) & 7791 Fit Bit Steps We had pleasant and interesting company for the first part of our 13 hour train journey to Khujuraho. Adam is originally from Texas, but presently lives in Berlin. He is a travel writer and blogger, his blog targetted at hipsters and the gay community. Alex, ...

January 15, 2018 – Day 70. Jan 16 – 17

Udaipur to Jaipur – 434 km (overnight train) & 30483 Fit Bit steps  Old Jaipur, “the pink city”, laid out in a grid system, appears more recently established than the late 1700’s, when it was designed. Jai Singh II was a man of science and mathematics and the form of the city that he built reflects this. ...

January 11, 2018 – Day 69 & Jan 12-14

Jodhpur to Udaipur – 254 km (by car) &  25289 Fit Bit steps  Our road trip across the Aravali Hills to Udaipur was not at all relaxing as the driver ignored our requests to drive more slowly (“I don’t like to follow”, he said, somewhat apologetically), and talked on his cell phone continuously, which meant no hands ...

January 7, 2018 – Day 68 & Jan 8-10

Mumbai to Jodhpur – 935 km (train) & 44176 Fit Bit steps  As we were both keen to see the colored cities of Jodhpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan first, we decided to head north and then make our way clockwise around the country. The 17-hr overnight train ride from Mumbai to Jodhpur was comfortable in our two-berth ...

January 3, 2018 – Day 67 & Jan 4-6

Dubai to Mumbai – 1928 km (air) & 38540 Fit Bit steps We were very fortunate to be able to spend a few days in Mumbai with Brian and Anne. We so appreciated being introduced to their friends and colleagues who graciously welcomed us and included us in invitations. In addition to meeting some wonderful people and ...

December 31, 2017 – Day 66 & Jan 1-2, 2018

To Dubai – 2537 km (air, calculated as continuing eastward from Cyprus) & 34617 Fit Bit steps Our travels eastwards began again when we flew to Dubai from Paris to visit our nephew, David, and his family, and Lois’ brother Brian and sister-in-law, Anne, who were spending Christmas with their children and grandchildren. Changing planes in Beirut, ...