JLF

This visit, I am struck by Jaipur’s cleanliness: no litter on the streets, fastidiously clean washrooms – there’s even soap! In the Delhi airport, I noticed signs promoting a “Green India” (solar power, environmental protection) with “Banega Swacch” on all the food waste and recycling bins. At JLF, these signs are displayed all around the grounds. Turns … Read more

Alexander McCall Smith on writing: “Many people think, “I have a book in me.’ With advanced imagery, they can see the book and tell you what kind it is – fiction, autobiography…” Ferdinand Mount, author of Tears of the Raja: “I hadn’t thought of my family as mass murdererers. In fact, I thought they were rather … Read more

Opening dinner last night at the exquisite Rambaugh Palace. Music, intelligent conbersation and superb cuisine. My delightful dining companions, Louis Mountain and Andrew Duff. Andy is a Fellow of the (British) Royal Geological Society and last year published Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom, an acclaimed history of the kingdom’s last days, complete with a love … Read more

We arrived in Jaipur yesterday afternoon – about 8 hours late.  Ground fog and prop planes are not an ideal flying combination. After dropping off bags at our hotel, we rushed over to Diggi Palace to check in with our peeps and check out the venue.  We were greeted by Gair dancers practicing their routine … Read more