Hero on a Honda

As an adult, I knew I would have to visit India, the place of my birth. My father was a British Indian Army Officer and my mother, the daughter of a soldier, was brought to India when she was 20 months old. She left India in 1947, married and with her two children, making a hurried exit before the partition of India.

I have always felt I had India in my blood. My first breath, sound, taste, touch, and sight were of India. In March 2012, in my 67th year, I set off on a return journey, not as a tourist, but as an observer of India as a prodigal son. I wanted to immerse myself in the culture. What I found was a country and a people with which I felt completely at home. I basked in the inclusivity and generosity I received. I saw a country on the brink of great change as it collides with the 21st century.


Hero on a Honda is a collection of observations and an informal account of my adventures in Rajasthan and Gujarat.