"The Taj" (as it is commonly called here) is one of the Eight Wonders of the World, and one I have wanted to see since I first saw a picture of it as a young girl. It looks exactly like its pictures – except it is much more massive and grand than I had... Learn More

One of the most eye-popping of the tours was the bicycle-rickshaw ride through parts of Old Delhi – seemingly endless winding rows of 2-to-4 story buildings separated by streets so narrow, no cars can pass. Direct sun shines only for a short  time each day, so it's mostly shadowy and cool. Some of the second... Learn More

Traffic in India warrants a posting all its own. A wise man once said, "If you believe in a Higher Power, and if you have a good relationship with that Higher Power, and if you believe that once you die, you'll experience Nirvana, then go ahead and drive the streets of India." Only the most... Learn More

Having lived in South Africa, I am used to hawkers and beggars. In SA, I developed my own way of addressing them – some of which I learned from the wise guidance of Orlene Bar Chaim. I learned to connect, and not buy; and I would give food, instead of money. One day, I gave... Learn More

I have never thought of myself as being 'strange' … 'weird,' yes … 'strange,' no. In my family, weird was an appellation to be cherished, signifying uniqueness, out of the norm. It was a 'good' thing to be weird. In India, with Bill's white hair and pinky-white skin, and with my red-blond hair and green... Learn More

The day we arrived at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai marked exactly one year since ten separate bombings took place in several parts of Mumbai, including the hotel - killing almost 200 people and wounding over 300. That explained the many police cars and militia surrounding the hotel when we arrived, as well as the airport-like... Learn More