India, April 16 -- Our Kutch trip, like every first-timer's, was focused on three things: the Great Rann of Kutch, the archaeological site of Dholavira, and rural crafts. And it did all of those. We witnessed a rosy sunrise on the Road to Heaven, crunched salt on the white deserts. We walked through the pages of history at the 5000-year-old Harappan ruins of Dholavira. And we met artisans of centuries-old craft traditions like Ajrakh, bell-making, and Rogan art. Kutch unfolded surprise after surprise. Our host had been right; we could have set aside more time for a longer itinerary; there was much more to discover. So, on our final day, when she offered us a few more choices, we couldn't resist. It could either be the beach, palaces, and ...