Chennai, Aruku and Dhimsa dancers

Well, Black and White: The golden era of Hindi cinema was all in Hindi but I loved every minute of it - Woman director, of course! Those of you who've known me since when, will know of my love for early Indian cinema and this was a brilliant show - snippets from B&W movies from the 1920s to the 60s, with accompanying monologues by a great actor - tall, bald and big! and four wonderful singers who performed the songs on stage as they were performed in the accompanying film clip. Had to leave just before the end to get my train - just as well - my Hindi was exhausted by then! Joke!

And just because this is India - my banana was intact but in a very squashed state; my train was an hour late and was now going from an entirely different station; and just because it's India there was no announcement, you just enquired why it wasn't listed and they told you to get a rickshaw to the other station - but just because it's India, all is forgiven because where else would there be a stall at the station devoted solely to vedanta literature!

And on to Aruku Valley...Really glad I took the time out to head for the forest retreat at Tyda. On an early morning in the hills I came across this king of the foothills posing close to his tribal settlement - this photo is for Alex and Stuart to show Billy.

The tensions that had been building along wth the humidity, started to fade.

I stayed in an eco-tourist lodge at Tyda which is in the foothills of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and it was a unique and rewarding experience.

I was there on one of the nights when there was Dhimsa dancing by local Aruku tribal women. It was fantastic - very different to any other dance in India; the dancers follow a leader in a semi-circle around the dance ground.

I'm in Vizag now back on the east coast with a late night train to Puri in Orissa - resuming the yatra - after that it's Calcutta and then the cool cool hills of Darjeeling.