After that, it was back to Jamangar and, for Gavin, back to work. What a fabulous holiday, with lots of photographs and lots of memories to keep with us long after we leave India later in the year.

We are now enjoying (I think!!) weeks and weeks of temperatures of over forty degrees, which will be with us until the monsoon starts, about the third week in June. The Engineers here all work long hours each day and six days a week. On Saturday evenings we all get together for a barbecue and a beer and have quiet and pretty idle days off on Sundays. The ladies enjoy supervising our drivers, houseboys and other maintenance staff!! Getting together every now and then for coffee and a natter and short trips into Jamnagar for a little shopping. Too hot for much else!!

We ended our holiday with a leisurely Sunday lunch time trip up the river from Panaji to Old Goa. We had a lovely lunch, were well looked after by the young staff and serenaded by a couple of young men playing violin and guitar and thought the old boat reminded us of Mississippi river boats!!

The beaches in Goa are quite beautiful, especially the ones away from the main tourist areas which you can enjoy in peace and quiet.

These falls at the National Park are the second highest in the whole of India. A little low on water during our visit as it is over six months since the end of the monsoon. However, still a beautiful sight and worth the trek through the jungle.

In the National Park these monkeys were absolutely ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!

Dudhsagar National Park on the eastern boards of Goa was quite an adventure!

We found this sign in the shrubbery 'Habitat'. But have a feeling that this is not talking about the international chain of home and garden stores!! But it did give us a bit of a chuckle!

Old Goa town is about seven kilometres from Panaji and was obviously a big Portuguese catholic centre at one time, with huge cathedral like churches and huge old convent community buildings. All quite beautiful, but now crumbling and neglected.

We had wanted to try a ride in one of these little put-put tri-cars, but in most parts of India the drivers on the road follow their own rules that we never thought it would be safe enough to risk it. But in Goa we felt things were a little different and so we gave it a go and this wee man and his machine became our driver, guide and taxi for a couple of days as we explored a bit.

Goa was a Portuguese territory until 1961, when it became a fully fledged State of India. Many buildings, much of the religion and many of the customs are inherited from this Portuguese heritage. This is now completely integrated with the Indian part of Goa's heritage.

This is the Panjim Inn in the Old Latin District of Panaji (the State Capital of Goa) where we stayed. A place for travellers rather than a modern hotel holiday complex which could have been anywhere in the world!! This place had friendly staff and such character. A good choice of hotel, the details of which we found in the Lonely Planet for India Book. A series of books no traveller or adventurer should leave home without, wherever they are planning to go.

And then we went to Goa for the second part of our trip.

Our driver, Pappu, introduced us to a number of Indian fruits which we had not tried before. Some we liked and some we did not!! But we tried! On the way back to Delhi we met his son (on the left) and his nephew, on a holiday from school. I have to say that it was the care, thoughtfulness and knowledge of Pappu that was a huge part of our enjoying this trip and getting the most out of this part of our trip.

The red sandstone fort in Agra is another magnificent place to visit. The construction of the fort was started in 1565 and buildings were later added to make it more like a palace by the founders grandson, Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal. It later became Shah Jahan's prison when he was overthrown by his own son. History during this period seems to have been just as complicated in India as it ever was in Europe or elsewhere in the world!!

By the way, the view from the fort to the Taj Mahal was another fabulous site. Our eyes and minds were almost working on overdrive by this time!!

The next outing was to watch these brilliant craftsmen inlaying semi precious stone into marble to make small tables, trays, plates and even great big dining tables. They use mother of pearl, lapis lazuli and cornelian, as well as other colours whose names I cannot remember! Such pains taking work, such tiny pieces and such amazing results. These products are mostly made to order and despatched all over the world. And now two green side tables with a design as shown in the pictures in mother of pearl and cornelian are here in our apartment and will be on their way in due course to a new home in France!!

A small private sitar concert which we were part of in Agra at a place where they were making sitars. Did you know that the bowl of the instrucment is made from dried pumpkin gourds!! Nor did we . . .

This is the mosque to the side of the Taj Mahal.