TRAVEL THE WORLD - JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

These photos were taken in 2007 from an auto-rickshaw as we drove in the rain through Jodhpur's Old City. These small merchants with their tiny shops are the mainstay of India's retail sector. They are threatened by the emergence of large western retail chains which so far the government has not allowed in any substantial numbers. Small retailers are a drag on the efficiency of India's economy, so perhaps it's only a matter of time...

TRAVEL THE WORLD - DIU, INDIA

Diu, which we visited in 2007, is an island on the southernmost tip of Gujarat, connected by a causeway to the mainland. A former Portuguese colony, it has many traditional houses and several churches which have survived from the colonial period. The island has scenic coastal landscapes and nice beaches, at this point almost untouched by tourism. These ladies are interesting. Don't you wish you could hear what they are gossiping about?

INDIA VACATION 2007

DIU SCHOOLGIRLS AND CITY MARKET DAY

Diu is a small island on the southernmost tip of Gujarat. It is connected by a causeway to the mainland. A Portuguese colony until 1961, Diu is now part of India.

The island, almost untouched by tourism, has rugged coastal landscapes and unspoilt beaches.

Diu, like the state of Gujarat itself, is one of the more prosperous parts of India, as you can see from the charming well-dressed schoolgirls pictured above.

The women in the second photo were selling vegetables on market day in the main town of the island.