One advantage of having a dodgy internet connection (hopefully to be fixed soon) is the time it frees up for other things which for me this week has involved a lot of sitting in my garden in the sun with a morning coffee or afternoon tea and reading Robyn Davidson’s – Desert Places, an account of her travels with camels and people in Rajasthan.
I found the book on my shelves, slightly the worse for wear, having been loaned to me some years ago on my return from travelling in India. Now I am going back (and in case you’re wondering I will be returning the book too.) The difference is this time I go back as a writer with my notebook in hand and I can’t tell you how exciting a prospect that is. And I will definitely be sending 
postcards from India and pictures back via this blog.
In the meantime I find I’m entranced by the book and even more by the life of Robyn Davidson: her resilience, bravery, humour, the sheer guts and romance of her life (great combination), her unconventional glamour… But Desert Places is not a book for the faint-hearted, the realities are very different from the romantic images one might expect of sand-dunes and sunsets. At times the story is brutal but still Davidson’s writing is full of images and words I want to steal, and also for me, it’s redolent with the anticipation of re-visiting this fascinating part of the world.
Nice new design. Looking forward to reading your postcards from India. w.
Thanks Wendy. A