Friday, March 31st, Pokhara, Nepal

Greetings!

Above the Pwewa Lake, in the Sarangkot and Kaskikot hills,  we walked through a village talking to Nepali families.  They showed us milling machines, with which the rice, millet, and maise for the village was processed.  We also met a village jack of all trades, whose skill at creating and fixing everything in the village amazed us all.  He was most proud of a bluetooth-enabled audio speaker system he had fashioned out of a large water bottle.

Back at the Lake, we boarded a small boat to carry us out to a temple in the middle.  A bolt of lightning reminded us that the weather can change quickly, and our captain rowed us back to the crowded dock.  

Our lunch today was at the Dunga Restaurant at Lakeside, and was excellently prepared and served.  We met the chef, and Denny said he spotted him near the table with a big smile on his face.  "I could tell he loved to eat".  We were pleased to see that Gail had joined the clean plate club.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Friday, March 31st, Pokhara, Nepal

Thursday, March 30th, Pokhara, Nepal

Greetings!

Last night, at dinner, our guide (Nabu) asked how many wanted to take the early morning flight to see Mount Everest.  Pat and I were the only ones not enthusiastic.  We later questioned why so blase, and couldn't figure it out.  I was toying with the other options we had (zip-lining, bunjee jumping, para-sailing, etc), but we finally concluded that the combination of another great group adventure, and actually seeing the Himalayas, was too good to miss.

Once in the air, and seated in all the window seats, our flight attendants helped us figure out which peaks were which.  It's too bad that my cell phone telephoto still can't be attached (the company that makes the case it screws into hasn't finished the one that fits onto the newest Google Pixel).  

That left peak with the cloud hanging straight out to the right is Everest.  But we got to see six of the highest ten peaks in the world also.  A majority are in Nepal, with a couple more in Pakistan.  It was a pretty awesome flight, and the flight over here to Pokhara which followed the early morning flight made the rest of the day seem less exciting.   Nabu took us on a tour of our hotel neighborhood (Da Yatra Courtyard), some of the group walked a suspension bridge bigger that the one we crossed in Bhutan, and we visited a museum dedicated to the Gurkha soldiers who have been heroically defending Nepal for 200 years.   

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, March 30th, Pokhara, Nepal.

Wednesday, March 29th, Kathmandu, Nepal

Greetings!

Gregory "had a spell" at breakfast - electrolyte imbalance, I think.  I got him in the room, and plied him with said stuff, and he dropped off to sleep.  The group went across the river to the Patan area (different city).   We walked to the Temple of the Kumari Ghar - the living Goddess  - believed to be a manifestation of the goddess Durga.  The current goddess is a 10-year old, selected at age 5 by Buddhist priests and priestesses.  She serves until her menstruation.  The belief is that Durga visited the King once a tear to grant him his power.  His queen believed he was cheating on her, so Durga said she chose a young girl to inhabit.  Today, no king, so once a year she blesses the Prime Minister.  She must show no emotion, be carried everywhere, wear red and not leave her temple home except to participate in 16 festivals/year.

The group entered the room and got the blessing of a red smudge on their foreheads.  Next door, a previous Goddess resides.  She's 20-ish and speaks excellent English.  She spoke of her transition (to re-learning to walk).  She is studying and hopes to be a flight stewardess, and plays a traditional 21-string instrument.  She has a YouTube channel, and her older brother is her manager.  She has been recruited to join a political party trying to restore the Monarchy and pressure traditional Nepali culture.  Kumari is her title.

Next, we walked to the Patan Darbar Square, a magnificent multi-temple square and 17th century King's Palace (now a lovely museum with copper and brass castings/statuary and wood carvings.  The doors, windows, and surroundings contained elaborate carvings.  There were about five five pagodas 

We also went to a shop selling bowls: seven layers of metal hammered by the full moon(clear sky).  We each experienced a treatment (head or back).  Back at the hotel, Gregory is up and having lunch.  Whew!

At 5pm, we gathered to hear a presentation from, and meet, Maya Sherpa - the first female Nepali to summit Everest and first female Sherpa guide.  She came from a small mountain village farm family, but always dreamed of a bigger life (too many rules for girls).  Started working as a trekking guide (to base camps).  Then, was given a chance to climb and guide.  She's done Everest from both Nepali and China/Tibet sides, the first K2 all-woman Nepali assent of K2, and about a dozen other mountains.  She'd like to climb all the highest mountains (2 left in Nepal, 5 in Pakistan).  Well-spoken English and unassuming.  She married a mountain climber, and has a 10-year old daughter.  We bought her book on the K2 assent (autographed!).  Remarkable day.  We had our welcome dinner at Opium Pesto on a glitzy drag in town.  Tomorrow, we fly to see Everest!

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, March 29th, Kathmandu, Nepal

Tuesday, March 28th, Kathmandu, Nepal

Greetings!

Flight from Varanasi to a wait in the Delhi Airport, to a flight to Kathmandu.  The only thing worth photographing was the sunset on the roof of the hotel in Kathmandu.

To see a couple more photos, click on Tuesday, March 28th, Kathmandu, India

Monday, March 27th, Varanasi, India

Greetings!

Sarnath was the city in 526 BC where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon upon achieving enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.  It's one of the top four pilgrimages, according to Buddha.  Most popular east of India, especially as Islam swept in from the west, the site underwent major restoration in in 19th century.  One of the outstanding statues, which is on display in the nearby museum, is the four-headed lion portrayed on all Indian currency.

The main name of the City (Varanasi) comes from the names of the two Ganges tributaries on whose confluence it sits (Varuna and Assi).  Fronting on the river are Ghats, world renown embankments made in steps of stone where Hindu pilgrims perform ritual ablutions.  There are 84 of them, most of which are used for bathing and the spiritually significant Hindu Puja ceremony, while a few are used for used exclusively for cremation.   

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Monday, March 27th, Varanasi, India 

Sunday, March 26th, Varanasi, India

"Get out of the way, the Americans are coming"  as the five new white SUVs honked their way across northeast India on its newest highway toward Varanasi.  The most adept drivers navigated our way through every form of transportation used for centuries.  One couldn't help but be embarassed, if we weren't too scared of hitting someone to complain.

At the midpoint of the day, we stopped to see how trillions of bricks are made.  In million-brick batches, they are formed, and dried, and fired in smokestack kilns that belch out dark black smoke into the Indian air.  And one by one, they pass through the hands of India's future.

Varanasi (or Benares) is one of the world's oldest continually-inhabited cities.  Mark Twain wrote in 1897 " Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together" 

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Sunday, March 26th, Varanasi, India.

Saturday, March 25th, Lucknow, India

Greetings!

About the same time as our independence (1770's), the English East India Company was becoming the de facto ruler of the area of India that is referred to as the lower Gangetic plain.  Between the Himalayas and the parallel Ganges River lies a fertile area consisting of a couple million years of erosion.  

About the same time, a young ensign in the French military named Claude Martin arrives in India, participates in battles, and climbs the ranks to Major General.  Along the way, he makes friends with, and designs and constructs major buildings in Lucknow for Asaf-ud-Daula (the grandson of the guy who built the Taj Mahal).  He simultaneously holds the titles of Chief of the State Arsenal and Chief Architect of Lucknow.  At the time of his death in 1800, he was the wealthiest Frenchman outside of France.

Today, we visited La Martiniere College, a school for boys which he left as his legacy.  Some of the strangest, yet most functional, architecture in India.  Containing a Chapel, a Mosque, and a Hindu Temple, it has been serving students non-denominationally for 180 years.   It is part of a group of eight colleges in Lyon and Kolkatta founded by Martin.

We next drove to the Bara Imambara, a place where Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who  was killed in Karbala.  The complex includes a Mosque, a great hall, a labyrinth, and a step well.  Construction began in 1780, and it is said that one of Asaf-ud-Daula's objectives was to provide employment for people in the region for almost a decade during the famine.  Ordinary people built during the day, while nobleman tore it down at night.

It reflects the maturation of ornamented Mughal design, one of the last major projects not incorporating any major European elements or the use of iron.  It has no beams supporting the ceiling, and is one of the largest such arched construction projects in the world.  The maze is the only one existing in India, and came about unintentionally to support the weight of the building which is constructed on marsh land.

Finally, we were treated to lunch by a local Nawab (Persian-descended family) for traditional kababs.  The family compound has about forty rooms, purchased by our host's grandfather, split between three sons.   A collector and purveyor of Indian antiques which have appeared in numerous films, our host answered our questions about his family history and culture.

To see all the photos taken today, click on Saturday, March 25th, Lucknow, India.

Friday, March 24th, Lucknow, India

Greetings!

Lucknow is the capital of the largest state in India.  It's only about as big as California, but it has as many people in it as we have in the nation.  We spent most of the day driving across it on the new (and empty) highway.   About every two hours, we stopped at a new large rest stop, complete with great restrooms and groceries/snack shops.  

We were even given a lesson in how the world gets along without toilet paper, but the highlight of the day was clearly the TajLucknow Hotel.  Our lunch there was probably the best of the trip so far, as was the nap afterwards in a luxurious room. 

We took a walk before the group headed out at 4pm, and were very impressed by the garden and pool.  I had plans to do some long backstrokes in it if we returned from our evening activities early enough before dinner.

Girish planned for us to see a local afternoon dance group operating just off one of the very crowded sidestreets, and he led us through a half-mile of barely safe traffic chicken in the heart of the four million residents.  Tutored by a popular instructor, a multi-year after-school program inspires children from 5 to 22 to gain the discipline to perform at an extremely high level.  We were all enthralled at the chance to watch them perform.

Our walk home back through the streets to our hotel was equally informative as it put us once again into the life of Lucknow.  We're amazed at the dexterity of ourselves and the residents as we negotiate movement and interaction.  There is something attractive about the smells, sounds, and feel of a Friday night amidst the pace and depth of a big city in India.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Friday, March 24th, Lucknow, India

Thursday, March 23rd, Agra, India

Greetings!

So today was a combination of Taj Mahal, Sheroes, and the Fort.  The Taj Mahal was just as exciting and overwhelming as you think it must be.  We got there early to avoid the crowds, and had an excellent briefing from Girish.   What a story!  Forty-two acres of garden and Mausoleum, built on the western side of the Yamuna River (they all are in deference to the direction of worship), with the Minarets tipped out two degrees so they'll not fall on the main structure in an earthquake.  Wow!  That - in the mid-1600s.

What becomes clear to those traveling throughout central Asia is that the period from 1100 ad to 1737 AD was dominated by groups foreigners refer to as Mongols, Mogols, Moghals, and Mughals.  The Chinese, Persian, and Ottoman empires coined those terms - all referring to a succession of neighboring leaders from Genghis Kahn to Amir Khan who unified and pacified locals during a 500-year period over the largest conquered land mass in the world.

Shah Jahan, presided over this empire during a 30-year period from 1628 to 1658, and is best known for this structure.  A memorial to his fourth of seven wives, who died giving him 14 children and ever-present advice, it also serves as their tomb and pilgrimage site.  An architectural marvel, it pioneered techniques which were utilized for 200 years.  And i it stunning!

Next, we had tea and snacks at the Sheroes' Cafe, a support enterprise and headquarters for the Chhanv Foundation, run by survivors of acid attacks in India.  The nonprofit center has been providing support services, legal justice, and education in order to bring the issue to public discussion.  We heard personal testimony from staff, and were inspired by their courage.

 

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, March 23rd, Agra, India.

Wednesday, March 22nd, Agra, India

Greetings!

Agra is the home of the Taj Mahal.  It's also in the center of the most populated of India's 28 states - Uttar Pradesh (UPD).  The state is about the size of California, and has as many people as we have in our entire country.  

After a morning in our bus, we settled into our hotel.  Preparing for a visit tomorrow to the Taj, we decided to visit a smaller version of the Taj Mahal this afternoon.  It's the tomb of the grandfather of the guy who built the Taj, and was the first use of white marble in an Indian structure.    The mosaic tiling and incisions are truly amazing.

Afterward, we decided to go to a viewpoint across the river from the Taj Mahal.  As we sat on the stone benches, I wondered what Shah Jahan must have felt as he watched the 11 year construction from the same site of his monumental memorial to his wife Mumtaz Mahal.  Called by UNESCO  "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage",  it is truly magnificent.  Stay tuned to tomorrow's post to see if I can convey its beauty.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, March 22nd, Agra, India.

Tuesday, March 21st, Aagman Camp, India

Greetings!

Today was a traveling day, from Jaipur to Camp Aagman.  We're heading east now, and will soon pass out out Rajasthan.  We're going to stay tonight at a tent camp established by OAT on land owned by a large family in long partnership with our tour.  Tour operators refer to the accommodations as "Glamping", and it's not bad living at that.  Pat mentioned that the bed was the best so far.  The only drawback wre the jackals howls during the night.

On the way here, we visited Abhaneri (an ancient stepwell) built around 800AD.  An inverted pyramid of stairs down into the main water source for the area, it contains some of the most intricate stone carvings.  Our guide pointed out that they are similar to those carved at Ankor Wat in Cambodia five hundred years later, but he thinks of a lesser quality in detail.  

We arrived at the beautiful camp, unloaded our bags, and relaxed prior to a yoga session on the lawn in front of our tents.  Girish, our guide, is an experienced teacher, and led most of the group (we won't identify which 75-year olds watched from the porch of our tent).

Shortly, the group assembled just outside the dining hall and listened to a dance/song campfire presentation from the locals.  At their urging, and after quite a few drinks, we joined in to dance the night away.

To see all of the photos taken Today, click on Tuesday, March 21st, Aagman Camp, India

Monday, March 20th, Rathambore National Park, India

Greetings!

Not far from our hotel is Dhonk, "a social enterprise that is weaving a fabric of change - a change in creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for the tigers neighbors by upskilling them in traditional arts and crafts.  All this by designing an ecosystem aimed at conserving the wildlife and coexisting with nature.  Based out of India's tiger capital - Rathambore - Dhonk ensures that the tiger is an active stakeholder and an integral part of the Dhonk DNA."

We chose our tour company, Overseas Adventure Travels, for a variety of reasons.  One of which is that they support the communities we travel to.  In this area, Kutapura is a primary school in which 100 local children are given free education, uniforms, and a meal.

And some of the retired teachers got to spend time with the students.  Janet reported that she thinks they grasped the geography lesson from the map she drew and the story she told from her childhood school.  Mike reported that they tried to teach him to count in Hindi.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Monday, March 20th, Rathambore National Park, India 

Sunday, March 19th, Rathambore National Park, India

 

Greetings!

The morning sun looks like a sunset around here, primarily because India's air quality is so poor.  But it rained yesterday, and it's much cleaner than usual.  We started early on our way to Rathambore National Park.  We'll spend two nights there in a twenty-year old hotel designed to look like something out of the English colonial times.

Along the way, some of our travelers decided to do some wheat gathering in solidarity with a group of women scythe-cutting on the other side of a fenceline.  Soon, we gathered a crowd, and it turned into a photoshoot, with everyone having a lot of fun taking pictures of each other.  A few minutes later, we admired local wheat truckers' packing acumen, as we came across a roadside scale, and saw the enormous sacks of wheat being delivered from the area.

Several hours later, we arrived at Nahargarth Rathambore, an ivory royal palace which serves as the guest entry point for safaris into the nearby vast national forest.  When asked at the beginning of this tour what travelers wanted most out of the experience, almost all nominated "seeing a tiger".  The anticipation is great today, as we dig out our binoculars, sun tan, mosquito repellent, and prepare our buns for a rugged ride over dusty forest hills in search of one of the 85 tigers claiming these 515 square miles in the Rathambore National Forest.

Climbing aboard local 12-passenger open-air safari vehicles, we traversed the designated zone (A), and came up short for about two hours.  Plenty of deer and peacocks, but little else.  Our guide provided all the history and background information on everything we did see,  and our driver did a magnificent job of barely missing trees, fording ponds, and making it up and down muddy roads.

Finally, we spotted and followed (it was hard to tell who was following whom) a well-known female tiger as she slowly walked (very regally) through the territory.  Eleven safari groups jockeyed around each other vying for the best views, as hundreds of cameras captured thousands of photos.  Over the space of about thirty minutes, we were treated to a very special site.  One all of us will remember the rest of our lives. 

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Sunday, March 19th, Rathambore National Park, India.

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To see all of the photos taken today, click on Sunday, March 19th, Rathambore National Park.

Saturday, March 18th, Jaipur, India

Greetings!

Today, we drove to Jaipur's Amber Fort - Palace.  One of the largest forts in Rajasthan, this UNESCO World Heritage site is a 16th century structure built on four levels out of pink and yellow sandstone and white marble.  In addition to the "mirror palace", the royal residence contains many courtyards which recently provide newlyweds with magnificent backdrops for wedding photos.

The Royals maintained chambers in the complex which featured convex mirrors that warmed the environment, and hanging sprayed latices that allowed wind to cool the inner environment.

On the way back from the royal palace and fort, we saw our second industrial paper-making company.  Salim's Paper, established in 1964. Far larger than the one we saw in Bhutan, it also produced lots of boxes,  and a greater selection of paper greeting cards.

For dinner, we were taken by tuk-tuks to homes throughout the City to spend the evening with families who had agreed to host us.  The young family which hosted us was from the warrior caste, lived in a multi-story apartment with their twin children and parents.  We thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories of our lives and a great meal.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Saturday, March 18th, Jaipur, India.