‘We drank tea in a guest house as the sun rose over Kanchenjunga’

The extraordinary stories of your travels in India were as varied as they were vivid

IN RAIL LIFE

My enduring memories of India are the rail journeys. Whether it was the steam engine huffing and puffing up the Nilgiri mountains or the sleeper train from Mangalore to Chennai, every one was special. Not to say challenging. Navigating the chaos of Mumbai station, attempting to secure the bed roll on the upper bunk or holding on in the latrines as the carriage lurched round corners were just part of the experience. In Ooty we stayed in a Retiring Room: designated dormitories for travellers. Before leaving we wrote in the comments books and weeks later back in the UK received a personal thank-you letter from the station master.

D Coode, Hampshire

ALL SMILES

Our magical trip to India included McLeod Ganj, a suburb of Dharamsala set high in the foothills of the Himalayas and overlooking the beautiful Kangra Valley. This is the home of the Dalai Lama, and we went on a tour of his residence. Moving quietly with a crowd up a broad staircase, we came to a sudden halt. Soldiers came down from the floor above and behind them came the Dalai Lama himself. He paused on the stairs and looked around beaming. It seemed that he singled out each and every one of us with a smile before being escorted away. We were all delighted with this unexpected encounter.

Carolyn Ross, Buckinghamshire

HAIR APPARENT

Five years ago, when I was 82, I visited India. While in the environs of Delhi I visited a large and beautiful park and gardens, enjoying the gentle summer sunshine, the glorious colourful plants and the obvious pleasure of local people, for whom it was a holiday. Slowly I became aware that I was having my photograph taken, at first surreptitiously then more openly. Bemused, I asked my local guide what was going on. He smiled and said, “You see, madam, we Indians dye our hair black. Yours is very, very white.” I enjoyed the idea of the photographers showing their pictures to their families, pointing out the “curiosity of the day”. Sheila Taylor, Cardigan