Seaside.

Dec 23 10
I am happy to report that we are out of Mumbai and are enjoying a pleasant stay in Jamnagar (in Gujarat), the town known worldwide for its "Bandhani" style textile work. Bandhani, as many of you textile folks know, is that tie-dye style with the very teeny-tiny dots, which form elaborate, intricate patterns on the cottons and silk saris. To make all of the "ties," on one sari, takes a woman 15-30 days, "depending on how much chai she drinks," say the locals. :) The Jamnagar region produces very bright, vivid color pieces, wheras that Katch region (north of here, where we're going later) does the same work with darker, thicker wool pieces (giving it much more of a "tribal look," worn by the Rabari and Jat tribes I believe which are nomadic.

We have met a great guide here at Hotel President, who took us out to the bird sanctuary on the coast last evening, as well as the coral reefs today, so we saw pelicans, storks, snake birds, flamingoes, etc etc etc feeding themselves on the plentiful fish swimming in both the salt and fresh water ponds. I also held a few octopi and starfish today, and a puffer fish! Fun fun and good places to spend the sunset. Mustak is from Katch and knows a great deal about the local tribes too, so I have been picking his brain a bit about joining up with a tribe if I come back another year. Would be great to travel the desert and see how their life works...

The man is knocking on my little window as he is closing is internet cafe now... on to Rajkot and Junagadh tomorrow by bus. (only 4 hrs total)

Love to you,
Mand