As we were flying into Delhi we added on the capital and a trip to Agra before crossing Rajasthan from east to west. It was my first visit to India, my girlfriend's third. Three weeks of the exotic colours.
Arriving in Delhi was an abrupt initiation. As soon as I stepped outside the arrivals hall everything was in my face. Nothing can prepare you for that first bombardment of every sense. The smells of coriander, spices and burning rubber. The sounds of car horns and shouting; the tugging at your arms. The seas of people and dilapidated vehicles and the dirt and fumes getting in your mouth and up your nose. I was totally overwhelmed.
Delhi is really two cities. Old Delhi, in the north, is the old Muslim capital, with it’s mosques, forts and monuments. The southern area, the imperial city of New Delhi, with grand museums and government buildings, was largely built whilst the British governed India.

Old Delhi is fascinating. The Red Fort, an oasis of calm with it's beautiful gardens and pavilions, is a must. A good way of getting your bearings is to take a cycle rickshaw tour around the old city. For Rs50 — 100 you can wind your way through the pandemonium of Chandi Chowk (the main shopping bazaar), see the awesome Jami Masjid (the great Mosque), and gain an intriguing insight into the lives of the people living within the Old City's maze of streets. I saw holy cows eating the remains of vegetables, men working in tiny, dimly lit workshops, and children fetching samosas and pakoras from vendors who cooked in the street. Except for the telephone wires and cars, life would have been just like this a thousand years ago.

From Delhi we took an evening train to Agra, and found a guest house with it’s own peacock, on a narrow street leading to the Taj’s southern gate. The area, called the Taj Ganj, is full of cheap and friendly places to stay and eat.
The Taj Mahal is the most famous Moghul monument in the world. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. With its beautiful minarets, and fabulous dome, the Taj is a breathtaking place. Get there as near dawn as you can, miss the crowds, and appreciate the incredible beauty of the early morning sun on the white marble walls. A couple of kilometres away, with good views of the Taj, is the huge Agra Fort. There are palaces, gardens and a wealth of other magnificent buildings within its fortifications. It was here that Shah Jaha ended his days — imprisoned by his own son. Jaipur, an overnight train journey from Agra, is the capital of the State of Rajasthan. A city of pink buildings, where camels pull carts along chaotic, crowded streets.

There are a number of palaces worth visiting. The Palace of the Winds gets it’s name because ladies of the royal household would sit at it’s exquisitely carved windows, high above the city, to watch processions below and catch the cool breeze. Across town is the City Palace, an amazing mix of Moghul and Rajasthani architecture. The guides here, all ex-servicemen, with bright red turbans and Rajput moustaches, are an unforgettable image. They're a great photo opportunity, though you’ll need a pocket full of Rupees. In a shady corner I found one sitting alone staring glumly at a US$1 bill, seeing me he turned and asked, "is this good?"
Jaipur, like most of India, is a great place to shop. Many of the shops resemble huge walk-in wardrobes, with a step up from the street. Caroline bought wonderful block printed fabrics, but not before our hosts had removed half their stock from their shelves and spread it about the floor for us to examine.

A good trip from Jaipur is the magnificent fort and palace complex at Amber. The complex sits on top of an imposing ridge, with magnificent views of the surrounding hills and forts. It's a steep, 15 minute, climb to the top, but you can make the ascent in style by hiring an elephant. I chose Utta with her fabulously painted face. Her Mahout (master), a man with only one tooth, told us something of all the elephants we passed, “she is baby elephant”, the next, “elephant not see”.
We took the bus to Pushkar, a Hindu holy town on the edge of a small lake. There are numerous temples and you'll see bathers at the ghats along the lake’s edge. We flew paper kites, or rather Hare, the kite flying champion of Pushkar (and Captain of the first cricket eleven), did. My dubious skills were the subject of much hilarity. Hare would get the kite high in the sky. I would then briefly hold the string while the kite fell out the sky like a dead hawk.

In the far west of the state is Jaisalmer, a jewel of a City out in the Thar Desert. It’s a long journey from Pushkar by bus, but crossing the desert is an exhilarating feeling. We made the trip at night, Caroline and I were both exhausted, but there were lights and vague shapes in the distance, a warm breeze blew in through the window, and we were both content to stare silently into the nothingness.

Jaisalmer is a long way from the other main centres of Rajasthan, but when I saw this extraordinary walled city, it’s golden stonework against the sky, I was filled with a child-like excitement. So it seemed were the local children, as they ran round with big smiles saying, "hello, Engleesh?"

Jaisalmer grew wealthy as a merchant centre on the old overland trading routes and its attractions include the Havelis, traditional grand merchant houses built around shaded courtyard gardens. There are many handicraft shops where you can barter your way to bargains and amazing street stalls, where women in striking red and yellow clothes, dripping with bangles and other pieces of jewellery, sell a dazzling variety of fruits, vegetables and spices. Most visitors saddle up on a camel to take a safari into the desert. Far from barren and lifeless, there is a great deal going on. I couldn't understand all the lights I'd seen, but there are many villages and many people travelling across the desert, either with goats or camels.

The desert around Jaisalmer is rocky, but along the border highway, at a place called Sam, there are magnificent shifting dunes. We sat at Sam watching the sunset and a man lead a camel away west towards the horizon. Watching him I realised that soon I would be going back home, far to the west, but I had met the east, I had been overwhelmed by it, but now I was in love with it.