Sue -

I have just been catching up with your travels. I emailed you a few weeks ago to say that, inspired by your example, we booked two weeks in India. Now we are looking back on it, it was an incredible experience.

We started in Delhi, got the train to Agra (Taj Mahal exceeded all expectations), train to Jhansi, four hour drive to Khajuraho (discovered sole rule of the road which is that the heaviest vehicle gets priority). Amazing erotic sculptures. Flew to Varanasi and took the obligatory dawn boat ride. Then, the best bit, met Jen (she emailed you about Juhu beach, she has been working in Mumbai during her gap year). We walked the length of the ghats, travelled by second class sleeper 15 hours to Calcutta (as soon as we arrived I made her trade in our return tickets for AC2), and took a three day boat trip to the Sunderbans, hoping to see tigers. We were the only westerners on the boat trip, and I very quickly had to learn how to eat with my right hand as there were no concessions for Europeans.

The whole trip was unforgettable - my husband and I are still recovering from it! Jen has now gone on to Thailand, but has said she will come home at the end of May as she knows she has to get some money together before going to uni. Her time away has turned her into a mature, confident and capable person, and we now have a relationship of equals rather than mother and daughter, particularly as she had to hold my hand in Calcutta so I did not get lost or run over.

Don't feel you have to reply to this; I am just grateful to you for being my inspiration and convincing me that 51 (had 52nd birthday in Varanasi) is not too old.