Today we have been home for one week and a day. I feel more rested and Bob seems to be recovering from his ordeal. I am sorting out pictures and will put some final ones for the trip up soon. As you can imagine, I took thousands. My friens Kay is here from Belize and is showing me some photoshop tips. I have my computer and office back in shape and will be at the school intermittantly for the next few weeks. I am looking forward to getting this year off to a good start. I also want to get my images sorted and taking care of for a show this winter.
I'm happy to be back but invite you to keep up with the situation in Kashmir and Northern India. There have been some big events in the last week that appear to be very dangerous for the India people.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
We're in the desert now.
The pictures I posted tonight are a blur of where we've been for the last five or six days. Agra and the Taj Mahal were good. The building is wonderful, white, and honestly one of the finest buildings built. I have some great detail shots that I will share with all of you when we get home. When we were driving to Agra from Delhi I saw a huge elephant taking up one whole lane moving slowly toward Agra. It had a bunch of green plants on its head and a rider. I didn't get a picture but will never forget my first glimp of a huge elephant moving along with trucks, cars and buses on its way to a festival or a wedding. The elephant pic posted that Bob and I are so happy to be riding was taken today at the fort toward the bottom of the pictures. That fort is in Jodhpur and is Mehrangarh Fort. The pictures following are of the Taj in Agra and if you look behind the Banners cup you will see the Taj sticking up from the buildings. This picture was taken from our hotel and is as close as I could get the Banners cup. They check all bags at the Taj for anything that could be used as an explosive or igniting tool.
After Agra we went to Jaipur. That's where the huge viewing building is. The building is only a few feet deep and was built so that the Mugal's wives and other ladies could view parades and street life without being seen. It's all very mysterious.
Today we entered the desert area which is quit different from the other areas where we've been. There are camels everywhere. The one that I'm riding at the end of the pics has a kushy job playing host to the tourists where most are hitched to carts and take their place along with carts, rickshaws, cars, and buses. They are amazing to see-huge-look just like the pictures. I like the desert area. It's hot but not humid. Most of the tourists don't make it here so it feels like we have the place to ourselves. We are only 60 miles from Pakastan and have been reassured that there are no Talaban here, only a few Alkida(?) cells. So there's nothing to worry about. There's lots more India Armed Forces here but nothing like Kashmir or they're not as visible.
Tomorrow we go to Udaipur, another desert place, for two nights then we're on a plane for home. We will see some Jain temples tomorrow before we get to Udaipur.
I'll be happy to see everyone and miss all of you. I want you to tell Chester that I haven't made him an orphan and Jazz too. Hello mom and Carla and Caralie and Dee too. I'll call from New York to set up someone who will meet us. I hope to get another post off before we leave. And will work on updating the calendar and map tonight.
After Agra we went to Jaipur. That's where the huge viewing building is. The building is only a few feet deep and was built so that the Mugal's wives and other ladies could view parades and street life without being seen. It's all very mysterious.
Today we entered the desert area which is quit different from the other areas where we've been. There are camels everywhere. The one that I'm riding at the end of the pics has a kushy job playing host to the tourists where most are hitched to carts and take their place along with carts, rickshaws, cars, and buses. They are amazing to see-huge-look just like the pictures. I like the desert area. It's hot but not humid. Most of the tourists don't make it here so it feels like we have the place to ourselves. We are only 60 miles from Pakastan and have been reassured that there are no Talaban here, only a few Alkida(?) cells. So there's nothing to worry about. There's lots more India Armed Forces here but nothing like Kashmir or they're not as visible.
Tomorrow we go to Udaipur, another desert place, for two nights then we're on a plane for home. We will see some Jain temples tomorrow before we get to Udaipur.
I'll be happy to see everyone and miss all of you. I want you to tell Chester that I haven't made him an orphan and Jazz too. Hello mom and Carla and Caralie and Dee too. I'll call from New York to set up someone who will meet us. I hope to get another post off before we leave. And will work on updating the calendar and map tonight.
Bob has his say!!!!!
We're on top of the mountain inside the Amber fort. Thousands of steps to climb. Miles of high, red walls. In many ways it's more interisting than the Taj. Carrie discovers a snake charmer in one of the passages and insists on sitting down beside him and playing his flute . The snake rears up out of the basket and eyes her from a distance of about 18 inches. "Oh, don't worry," the guide whispers in my ear. "They've pulled out its fangs.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
We leave tomorrow for Agra.
We have spent the last three nights and will leave by car for Agra tomorrow morning at nine a.m. The first picture you see is the lobby of the TAJ which is the hotel where we are staying. It's really first class with even a butler if we need one. I can't imagine a butler steaming Bob's shirt. Can you!!!!!!!
The other pictures are of a site seeing excursion where we when to the Red Fort, which was the last Mogul's huge living place. He was kicked out of it in the 1857 uprising by the British. I'm told we will see more Forts in the future but this one is the one that Darrimple writes about in The Last Mongul. We also went to Humayun's Tomb. I didn't put a wide shot of the actual tomb but I had read that at least 100 moguls were buried in the tomb along with Humayun, so I nosed around and found only one that wasn't locked. That is the single vault in a side chamber which I posted below. It was very simple and had no name that I could find on it.
We also visited the old part of the city, which is right outside the Red Fort, and I got many photos that you will see when I get home. The men riding bikes are at the beginning of the Old City and the women at the bottom are praying at Jami Masjid, the largest mosque in India.
The streets were really narrow and filled with foot traffic, bikes, and rickshaws. I saw some goats tied up in the middle of it all and various smells mingled as we made our way through it all. We founf a Jain temple in the middle of it all that is one thousand years old. It is still in use and we toured it while people were meditating and doing various other ceremonies. They are an interesting religion where they wear masks across their mouths so they won't harm even a bug if it were to fly in their month. They'd go crazy in Louisiana. I couldn't take pictures but their web site has pics at www.indfy.com/delhi/olddelhi/Delhi Picture Gallery .
It seems like a different world here from Kashmir. I know there are lots of soldiers here but not anything like north. If any of you have found the places on the sat map that I've mentioned, you'll know that the land mass is not that large. Within Kashmir and ladakh there are 750,000 India soldiers, several thousand "national guard, and throw in some, what equals our Special Forces, and you can see why I mentioned soldiers so much when I was there. It's so absorbing when you're there and once we got to Delhi, just one hour plane ride, there isn't any news. I know there are still things happening in Jumu because they are the one's who lost out on the Shrine Board deal. Oh, well!!!!!
I want to thank the Shah family for being so nice to Bob and me while we were in Kashmir. Hang in there for the next report.
Agra-Jaipur-Jodhpur-Udaipur-Delhi-Home
BOB HAS HIS SAY:
Fine hotel. Fresh roses in the bathroom every day. A new toothbrush also. Due to a booking problem we ended up in the security suite next to the presidential suite. They took out the cameras and sound spy gear just for us. You can sit in bed and open and close the curtains by remote. All things provided, and if you happen to feel unloved or unwanted there are at least 1500 neatly groomed and gloved people standing around to make you feel loved and wanted. They turn down the beds each night and scatter orchids. The staff know your name by the second day. After bumping around Kashmir, this does seem a bit more comfortable. He feels much better.-CC
The other pictures are of a site seeing excursion where we when to the Red Fort, which was the last Mogul's huge living place. He was kicked out of it in the 1857 uprising by the British. I'm told we will see more Forts in the future but this one is the one that Darrimple writes about in The Last Mongul. We also went to Humayun's Tomb. I didn't put a wide shot of the actual tomb but I had read that at least 100 moguls were buried in the tomb along with Humayun, so I nosed around and found only one that wasn't locked. That is the single vault in a side chamber which I posted below. It was very simple and had no name that I could find on it.
We also visited the old part of the city, which is right outside the Red Fort, and I got many photos that you will see when I get home. The men riding bikes are at the beginning of the Old City and the women at the bottom are praying at Jami Masjid, the largest mosque in India.
The streets were really narrow and filled with foot traffic, bikes, and rickshaws. I saw some goats tied up in the middle of it all and various smells mingled as we made our way through it all. We founf a Jain temple in the middle of it all that is one thousand years old. It is still in use and we toured it while people were meditating and doing various other ceremonies. They are an interesting religion where they wear masks across their mouths so they won't harm even a bug if it were to fly in their month. They'd go crazy in Louisiana. I couldn't take pictures but their web site has pics at www.indfy.com/delhi/olddelhi/Delhi Picture Gallery .
It seems like a different world here from Kashmir. I know there are lots of soldiers here but not anything like north. If any of you have found the places on the sat map that I've mentioned, you'll know that the land mass is not that large. Within Kashmir and ladakh there are 750,000 India soldiers, several thousand "national guard, and throw in some, what equals our Special Forces, and you can see why I mentioned soldiers so much when I was there. It's so absorbing when you're there and once we got to Delhi, just one hour plane ride, there isn't any news. I know there are still things happening in Jumu because they are the one's who lost out on the Shrine Board deal. Oh, well!!!!!
I want to thank the Shah family for being so nice to Bob and me while we were in Kashmir. Hang in there for the next report.
Agra-Jaipur-Jodhpur-Udaipur-Delhi-Home
BOB HAS HIS SAY:
Fine hotel. Fresh roses in the bathroom every day. A new toothbrush also. Due to a booking problem we ended up in the security suite next to the presidential suite. They took out the cameras and sound spy gear just for us. You can sit in bed and open and close the curtains by remote. All things provided, and if you happen to feel unloved or unwanted there are at least 1500 neatly groomed and gloved people standing around to make you feel loved and wanted. They turn down the beds each night and scatter orchids. The staff know your name by the second day. After bumping around Kashmir, this does seem a bit more comfortable. He feels much better.-CC
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Last night in Kashmir-Tomorrow Delhi
We will leave by plane for Delhi tomorrow afternoon and we are both looking forward to a good hotel with air conditioning. The rest of the trip will be very hot so we will be very careful and give you a boring rundown of every sweaty moment. I will get into the calander as soon as I have time so you will have a better idea where we are going and what we will doing on a daily basis. Judy, Carla will be forwarding an e-mail from me, so be on the lookout. I will post more pics when we get to Delhi where we will be for four nights. I hope the hotel has wireless in the room.
The political situation here in Kashmir is quiet but in places near Pakistan there are still problems and probably always will be. If you want to read more about the Kashmir situation go to www.greaterkashmir.com This is the newspaper we get everyday.
Bob is feeling much better and sends greetings to all.
The political situation here in Kashmir is quiet but in places near Pakistan there are still problems and probably always will be. If you want to read more about the Kashmir situation go to www.greaterkashmir.com This is the newspaper we get everyday.
Bob is feeling much better and sends greetings to all.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Troubles end here!
The troubles have ended here when it was announced that the land transfer would not go through. All shops are open here and business is going as usual. The problems are now in Jummu where the population came out on the other end of the land deal. I think riots are still going on there.
Actually, all of these cities are very close together if you are flying. The roads are bad and very crowded so it takes a long time and many bumps to get between cities. When you are looking at the sat map look up close to Pakastan. Keep blowing up (bad choice of words) the map and you will be able to see the beautiful lake that is about a block away from us. Look for Srinagar. This afternoon we will go on one of those boats that I put up earlier. Bob has been wearing the bottom of his outfit but haven't gotten him to put the other part on. Perhaps tomorrow. I'll close now and tell you that I'm looking forward to getting to Delhi. We will be staying at the Taj Mon Singh, which is suposed to be one of the best hotels in the country. Bob and I are ready for some easy times. The picture of the soldiers and military trucks was taken when we came from the airport and the curfew was still on. If you notice, there are no other cars on the road and many military.
Here's Bob:
Feeling much improved. It's hot here. All the long stories will have to wait until there is time to tell them
Actually, all of these cities are very close together if you are flying. The roads are bad and very crowded so it takes a long time and many bumps to get between cities. When you are looking at the sat map look up close to Pakastan. Keep blowing up (bad choice of words) the map and you will be able to see the beautiful lake that is about a block away from us. Look for Srinagar. This afternoon we will go on one of those boats that I put up earlier. Bob has been wearing the bottom of his outfit but haven't gotten him to put the other part on. Perhaps tomorrow. I'll close now and tell you that I'm looking forward to getting to Delhi. We will be staying at the Taj Mon Singh, which is suposed to be one of the best hotels in the country. Bob and I are ready for some easy times. The picture of the soldiers and military trucks was taken when we came from the airport and the curfew was still on. If you notice, there are no other cars on the road and many military.
Here's Bob:
Feeling much improved. It's hot here. All the long stories will have to wait until there is time to tell them
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Bob has his say. Yes, he really is alive!!!
They say I turned white and couldn't move. So once again I get carried out. Nothing like a quarter-mile ride in a wheel chair across the runway and under the roaring engine of an Airbus. Once they got me on the plane and the cabin air on, I perked up, and by the time we got back here. I was up and moving. Altitude sickness no fun. Will have to continue my adventure on the horse later. Here are some pictures carry took up on top. Some are from a monastery, some from a market.
Carrie adds: The guys here at the internet cafe already have five films up on You Tube. Look under Shrine Board to view the videos. They got some good stuff. I hope to update the calander and map when I get a faster connection. We'll be staying in a wonderful hotel in Delhi for four nights then on to Agra for two nights then to Rajasthan for five nights in three cities. It's going to be really hot but we can handle it. We'll be careful and I'll take a lot of pictures. Hello to everyone and we'll have a picture viewing party when we get home.
Carrie adds: The guys here at the internet cafe already have five films up on You Tube. Look under Shrine Board to view the videos. They got some good stuff. I hope to update the calander and map when I get a faster connection. We'll be staying in a wonderful hotel in Delhi for four nights then on to Agra for two nights then to Rajasthan for five nights in three cities. It's going to be really hot but we can handle it. We'll be careful and I'll take a lot of pictures. Hello to everyone and we'll have a picture viewing party when we get home.
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