Home again

I have returned from the magnificent country of India bringing with me many memories and experiences, but mostly a greater understanding for the country and its remarkable people. Will I return to India? Absolutely!

Varanasi

We were able to witness the evening blessing of the Ganges (Ganga) River. Here a group of priests pray with a family along the banks of the river.


A priest during the nightly ritual of the blessing of the river.


Early morning on the Ganges River.


A fire being built along the river for daily cremations.


A Priest blessing the river in an early morning ritual.


Liz and Dean enjoying a rickshaw ride.

Mr. Puneet Dan

We had the great fortune in meeting Mr. Puneet Dan and having him as our guide for the second half of our journey. Puneet has the enviable gift of making the temples, monuments and palaces breathe in life as he describes the times of their creation and the people who lived during those times. His gift to us is his passion for the Taj Mahal. During his description, the cold stone mausoleum seemed to shine with warmth from its creator and occupants. Puneet is truly a rare and gifted tour guide and he became a very special part of our enjoyment of this magnificent country.

Puneet and traveling companions, Liz and Dean.

One more tiger photo

I thought I would not post any more tiger photos but I am so pleased to have seen four tigers at one spotting that I had to share this. This mother and three almost grown cubs were the first tigers I saw. In the 23 years our guide had been seeing tigers, he had never seen more than three at one time so we felt very special. Due to the evening darkness, the photo is a little grainy so please do enlarge to enjoy.

A magical evening

We journeyed to Gwalior on December 3 and stayed in a place of dreams - a palace. It is the Usha Kiran Palace. It is now a Taj hotel in Gwailor and offered us an opportunity to live our dreams. We were given the Sun Suite and the Moon Suite (be sure to request them when staying here) on the third floor, the top of the hotel. The wonderful thing is that they are the only accommodations on the entire third floor. In addition to those rooms, there is a terrace that could accommodate 300 people (pictured below). Since this is all private, the hotel, run by the exceptional Mr. Vikrant Jharia, offered to have dinner presented on the terrace. The chef created a menu just for us that night. We were a party of four, the wait staff was a party of three. This evening, a dinner on the private terrace of a palace, was more magical than even Mr. Walt Disney himself could have created. I have mentioned before how this country offers so much more than I ever anticipated and last night at Usha Kiran Palace was another such experience.

The Table is set.

Our guide, Mr. Puneet Dan on the left, and Liz and Dean Ramus, traveling companions.

Light on the Taj Mahal

These two pictures were taken as the colors of the Taj Mahal changed. They are taken from the same place, same angle.

Taj and Agra

This is the mental image most people have India - the Taj Mahal. I will only post two of the hundreds of photos I have. This is the expected "Taj Mahal with reflection".


The people on the Taj will give perspective of the size.

Ladies "hanging out the laundry" in Agra.

A street scene of controlled chaos.

In The Movies

I was fortunate enough to see these three cubs, almost fully grown, playing by a lake. The two jumping at each other are like scenes I have seen on Animal Planet but thought I would never see in person. The third tiger cast a very nice reflection in the water. Please click on the photo to enlarge it for full enjoyment of the moment.

Tigers and more

This is my very first tiger late one afternoon.

This is a sneaky tiger.

Notice the size of the paw!


For those of you who would like to see more than tigers

Tiger Teaser

I have many more tiger photos and tiger tales to tell. This is just a sample with more to follow.

Travel becomes a Journey

On Wednesday we left Jaipur via car to travel to Ranthambore for tiger viewing. This was a four hour trip through the countryside of India. Quickly this trip became a journey of experiences with the people of India. Our guide (Micato is known to have the best guides in any area) opened doors along the way that gave us a brief but everlasting touch with some of the people as our paths crossed. This was a gift we could have never had without Hem Singh. Our first encounter was a farmhouse that had been painted so beautifully by the wife. Hem Singh spoke with the couple about us taking a few photos of their home. We not only had the photos of the house but of the couple, their children, livestock and way of life. During the very short visit, they insisted we stay for tea, which due to time factors we had to decline.

Our next endearing encounter was a school for children, both boys and girls. Hem Singh spoke with the headmaster and we were able to witness their opening ceremony of the day including singing their national anthem. Then we were invited into the classrooms for photos. The headmaster ordered tea for us to share with him but, again due to time restraints, we declined.

These moments, forever embedded into memory and heart, is the true essence of travel. Travel should become a journey of self, not moving from point to point.

This is a photo of the husband and their house.

This is the couple and the decorated portion of the house.

These are the two daughters.


This is the school yard with the young girls.

A boy in the school yard.

Boys after the opening ceremony in the school yard.

Inside one of the classrooms, girls on one side, boys on the other.

Jaipur - palaces to farmhouses

This is the entrance of a small summer palace about one hour from Jaipur. A great 'get-away' palace. Yes, that is a man on the right side of the doorway, click on the photo to see him better.

This room is designed to reflect light as you can see on the left. My flash is reflected in the many mirrors that cover the walls. This was to make one candle appear as one hundred candles.

We passed many farmhouses like this one. Made of mud with a straw roof but surrounded by acres of their land that they farmed.

Please click on photo of "Our Guide" to enlarge so you can see his red shoes.

Our Guide - Mr. Hem Singh

Our guide, the man in the photo, Mr. Hem Singh, is known as 'the most photographed guide in India". The ladies with him are not part of our group, just a few among many who wish to be photographed with him. Other guides come just to greet him and guides-in-training will bow to touch his feet. Hem Singh is an amazing man, a fantastic guide and a wealth of information.

Street Scenes - No Architecture

A cow in the streets of Jaipur.


A Painted elephant in the streets.


An open air vegetable market.


Elephants in the courtyard of a palace.


Another painted elephant in the streets.

We have added camels

I arrived Jaipur, India yesterday. The flight was 29 minutes, on time and served lunch! The streets, like in Delhi, are full of people, cars, cows, elephants and to add a twist, camels. The annual Pushkar camel festival - attended by 200,000 people, ended yesterday and many people have come to Jaipur. This is also the time of weddings. Yesterday evening grooms on lavishly decorated horses, elephants and in cars were making their way through the streets to the wedding ceremonies. Brightly outfitted small orchestras were in the streets, awaiting their entrance to the wedding place. Bright lights adorned the outside areas and greeted the guests - many times 500 people and more - as the festivities were to begin. My dinner last night was a feast served outdoors with wonderful torches surrounding the gardens. I dined on, first, a Thai seasoned peanut broth with crab wontons followed by butter poached prawns and ended with a wonderfully rich chocolate torte. Have no fear that I am returning with a great loss of weight. For those who know me, you are familiar with my love for Africa and its people. I have always found the people to be warm, open and giving. India, though, exudes a graciousness I have never experienced before. The kindness and gentleness of its people is beyond anything I have witnessed anywhere else, and to find it, generally everywhere, is a great mark of how truly genuine it is. Micato Safaris (I won't give the telephone number, you must call me) has produced an amazing trip and the name, Micato, is so well respected here that a feeling of calm and comfort envelopes this entire experience. I have had many great supporters in friends - John, Gaston, Marti, Cathy, Deb to name a few - who have encouraged me to experience this destination and I must thank them all, for this is undoubtedly a very remarkable and endearing destination.

Some archictecture of Delhi

This is "Humayun's Tomb" built in the 16th century and stood as the original idea for the Taj Mahal.

This is the largest mosque in India, built in 1655 by Shaj Sehan


The Red Fort was built in 1618

You can see the Persian influence in the work of the Red Fort.

Delhi - 24 November 2007

Delhi is a city that is vibrant, alive, exciting and most of all fascinating. The streets are filled with people, cars, buses, bicycles, scooters, rickshaws, cows and elephants. The colors of the city are blazing. The above picture was taken while I was enjoying a rickshaw ride through some of the narrow streets of Old Delhi. The parks and green space are astounding considering 15 million people live in Old and New Delhi. I have been amazed at this city and my first touch with India. India, so far, is so much more than I ever expected. John Hill has for years encouraged me to visit this wonderful country and, as of today, I am certainly happy to be here.

Map of India

Itinerary for our Micato trip

The itinerary that is planned for this trip is:

22 November 2007 - Leave Hendersonville, NC to New York for non-stop flight to Delhi, India.

23 November - Arrive Delhi at 9:25pm and transfer to the Oberoi Hotel for the night.

24 November - The morning will be to tour the Red Fort (built in 1628) and a rickshaw ride. Afternoon will consist of a tour of Humayen's Tomb (the basis for the Taj Mahal) andQutab Minar, India's tallest stone tower at 234 feet.

25 November - Fly to Jaipur, the Pink City. Overnight at the Oberoi Rajvilas.

26 November - Visiting the Amber Fort

27 November - Visiting Samode

28 November - Drive to Ranthambore National Park, the hunting reserve for the Maharaja of Jaipur, now a game sanctuary. Overnight at the Oberoi Vanyavilas.

29 November - Tiger Safari

30 November - Tiger Safari

01 December - Train and drive to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. Overnight at the Oberoi Amarvilas.

02 December - early morning and evening visits to the Taj Mahal.

03 December - Train to Gwalior. Overnight at the Usha Kiran Palace.

04 December - Transfer to Khajuraho and visit the Orchha Palace. Overnight at the Taj Chandela Hotel.

05 December - Visit the Eastern and Western Temples

06 December - Fly to Varanasi for a visit to the Ganga River. Overnight at the Taj Ganges Hotel.

07 December - Sunrise visit to the "ghats" at the River. That afternoon fly to Delhi for night flight back to the US.