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INDIA


Through the Lens: Tips for Photographing Iconic Landmarks Creatively
It’s easy to copy a classic photo—but harder, and more fun, to find your own take. Here’s how I approached three of the world’s most photographed landmarks with fresh eyes.

Rand Blimes


The Realities of Travel and Poverty in India
The center of every India city is packed with energy . . . and people Introduction: A Hard Truth on the Road Before we came to India,...

Rand Blimes


Dear Diary: Travel Fatigue in New Delhi
A series of diary entries from the final days of a six-month journey through India. Fatigued, overheated, and dreaming of bacon, our narrator chronicles the end of the road with dry wit and a heart still full of love for India.

Rand Blimes


Visiting the Wagah Border Closing: Surreal Spectacle at the India-Pakistan Divide
At the India–Pakistan border near Amritsar, soldiers strut, flags fall, and the crowd roars. The Wagah border ceremony is part dance-off, part military ritual, and all surreal. What’s meant to stir national pride left me more contemplative than triumphant—because travel sometimes shows us how borders divide as much as they define.

Rand Blimes


Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for Visiting Amritsar
Visiting Amritsar is not for the faint of heart—but it is unforgettable. From searing heat to spiritual depth, here are the practical (and personal) tips we wish we’d known before arriving in Punjab’s most intense city.

Rand Blimes


Turtuk, India: A Remote Karakoram Village Too Beautiful to Be Real”
Looking for the most beautiful village in the Himalayas? Turtuk, India is a remote, green oasis in the Karakoram Mountains—equal parts paradise and mystery. Read about our unforgettable journey to one of the last open villages near the India–Pakistan border.

Rand Blimes


Getting from Pangong Lake to Turtuk: the Landslide Didn't Bring Us Down
We were hours into the remote drive from Pangong Lake to Turtuk when traffic just… stopped. A landslide had blocked the Shyok River road—possibly for hours, maybe overnight. But what started as frustration quickly turned into one of those surreal, unforgettable travel moments: glacial rivers, bubbling tea fires, and two dozen strangers riding our van like a mountain parade float. Because sometimes, the delay is the story.

Rand Blimes


The Terrors of Travel and a Trip of Goats: Visiting Pangong Lake in Ladakh
Want to find your zen? Try riding shotgun on a Himalayan cliff road to Pangong Lake. You’ll breathe deeply, pray loudly, and maybe meet a herd of baby goats. This is travel in Ladakh at its wildest.

Rand Blimes


Road Trip from Leh to Lamayuru: Gompas, Goats, and the Guitar Solo That Broke the Sky
We followed the Indus River northwest, stopping at silent gompas and sleeping in a homestay beneath jagged peaks. Because travel—and also Pink Floyd.

Rand Blimes


A Day trip from Leh: Monks, Mountains, and My Moral Flexibility
Before we hit the high-altitude passes, we took a one-day road trip south of Leh to get a taste of Ladakh’s monasteries, scenery, and surprisingly flaky snow.

Rand Blimes


What to Know About Ladakh Before You Go
Before you visit Ladakh’s monasteries, take a moment to understand the spiritual roots, the political borders, and the people who live between them.

Rand Blimes


Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for Visiting Leh
Leh might sit at the top of the world, but visiting it doesn’t have to leave you gasping. Here’s how we did it—cold nights, fixed taxi rates, and all.

Rand Blimes


Staying in a Houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar
I dreamed of staying in a houseboat on Dal Lake for years. It delivered everything I imagined—plus one of the worst meals I’ve ever had. Totally worth it.

Rand Blimes


Is It Safe to Travel in Kashmir?
When we traveled to Kashmir, tensions were high and headlines were grim. What we found was kindness, beauty, and a deeper understanding of what “safe” really means.

Rand Blimes


Through the Lens: Varanasi Street Photography Tips
Shooting in Varanasi is like trying to compose a symphony in the middle of a parade. This Through the Lens post shows how five photos—each zoomed, framed, and simplified—capture quiet power in India’s loudest city.

Rand Blimes


Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for Visiting Varanasi
A guide to Varanasi, India’s sacred and chaotic masterpiece—complete with a sunrise boat ride, cremation ghats, lassi breaks, and one heavy-hitting river.

Rand Blimes


A Confession at the Gates: Tips for Photographing the Taj Mahal
In a morally questionable sprint through the gates of the Taj Mahal, I left my family behind to chase the holy grail of travel photography: a crowd-free shot of India’s most iconic monument. This is my confession. And yes, the photos were worth it.

Rand Blimes


Celebrating Holi in Rishikesh: A Travel Break, a Color Fight, and a Bit of Beatles Vibe
Rishikesh turned out to be the perfect place for a family-friendly Holi: yoga, river sunsets, Beatles nostalgia, and a whole lot of color. Here’s how it went.

Rand Blimes


Traveling in Rajasthan: A Surprising Trip through Chaos without Crisis
We spent a month traveling in Rajasthan, India, with our family—visiting Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Jaipur. No scams. No disasters. Just camels, forts, thalis, and rooftop dinners under the desert stars. A journey that was almost suspiciously smooth.

Rand Blimes


Why You Need to Visit the Ellora Caves: The Best and Worst of India
Ellora isn’t just a collection of ancient caves—it’s a monument to human ambition, religious diversity, and spiritual artistry. In this post, we visit the Ellora Caves in India, where staggering beauty and harsh realities meet. Come for the hand-carved temples, stay for the existential whiplash.

Rand Blimes


Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for Visiting Palolem, India
Tired, dusty, and mildly marinated in sweat, we arrived at Palolem Beach and found paradise. This nuts and bolts guide offers practical tips, funny stories, and serious vindaloo recommendations from our sun-drenched week in one of Goa’s most charming beach escapes.

Rand Blimes


Riding the Train in India: How the Tracks Can Take You All Over . . . If You Can Buy the Tickets
Booking train tickets in India almost broke me. But riding those trains across the country—through AC classes, sleeper bunks, and samosa-stuffed compartments—was one of the best travel experiences of my life. Here’s what it’s like to navigate India’s railway madness as a family of five.

Rand Blimes


Visiting Kochi, India: How Travel Can Really Choke You Up (Human Edition)
While staying at a small homestay in Kochi, India, we met Linda. She wasn’t just our host—she became a part of our journey, offering kindness, connection, and a glimpse into the emotional depth that sometimes finds you when you least expect it. This is the human side of travel.

Rand Blimes


Visiting Kochi, India: How Travel Can Really Choke You Up (Apocalypse Edition)
Kochi challenged our lungs and won our hearts. In a city where the streets are cleaner than most of India but the air turns to ash by dawn, we found humor, irony, and unexpected beauty.

Rand Blimes


Cruising the Kerala Backwaters: Laziness as Coping
What do you do in the Kerala backwaters? Absolutely nothing—and that’s the point. We boarded a houseboat in Alleppey, floated past palm trees and pigeon-pecked laundry, and mastered the noble art of stillness.

Rand Blimes


Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for Visiting Madurai, India: Where a Bathroom Briefly Made My Wife Famous
A family travel guide to Madurai, India—temples, chaos, dosa, rooftop views, and a surprising brush with fame. Because travel.

Rand Blimes


Arriving in Madurai, or How India Got Our Groove Back
From bureaucracy to breathtaking temples, our arrival in Madurai reminded us why we travel. One night in India, and we found our travel smile again.

Rand Blimes
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