It’s been quite a mixed day. I managed to take my mum and a carer out for a drive around the locality today. I don’t think that she gets out much, although I think sometimes her carers take her for a little walk.

The festival of Ganesh, the God of Wisdom and Remover of all Obstacles begins tomorrow. It’s very big here in Maharashtra and people are busying themselves decorating a place in their homes on which they will place a brightly-painted clay effigy of Ganesh for the few days of a festival before processing through the streets to immerse him in the nearest river, or the sea.

I had hoped to bring you a picture of one of these Ganeshas but this hotel is a little too sophisticated for that malarky, so it would seem. Instead here’s a photo of the decorated stand at Dignity Resort and a photo taken of some flower garlands in the crowded market, THROUGH WHICH WE DROVE WITH MY MUM, this morning. You know those atmospheric shots in films about India of markets thronged with people oblivious to the traffic that wishes to pass but cannot bring itself to mow them down? That was us in Neral this morning.

I’ve noticed a little pond by the Dignity resort entrance that seems to be home to some beautiful white cranes. I ventured out to photograph them this morning but of course they weren’t there. I found these delightful creatures instead. (I did have my telephoto lens on me today.) I need to look them up to find out what they are.

So, back to Mumbai. And I finally managed to be ready to take a snap of a temple by the expressway with the largest Hanuman I’ve ever seen. India can be quirky like that:

It was raining quite heavily, hence the blurring.

So back then to Mumbai and a gym and a decent shower.

I tend to rate hotels on the quality of their shower experiences and the Leela Hotel where I’m staying now has possibly the most fantastic shower I’ve ever come across. It’s the double heads, you see. I’m not joking, after my workout I just stood there in utter bliss not wanting to leave. I half expected Daniel Craig to appear through the steam and, well you know.

The long journey home tomorrow. I wasn’t really looking forward to this trip – there’s so much to do at home and stuff I’ve let slip – but it’s been a good trip and I’ve been struck with how much the people at Dignity really seem to care for my mum.

See you on the other side. It is not lost on me that all I have to do is step on a plane. I don’t have to risk violence, starvation and painful death for weeks to get there. I’ll be thinking of those poor refugees over whom, perhaps, I’ll fly.