India

The Sole Country

Jan — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

Sunday

February 4, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

In 1897, Mark Twain wrote:

"The sole country under the sun that is Endowed with imperishable interest for alien prince And alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, Wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, The one land all men desire to see, and having Seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of The rest of the globe combined."

New Delhi Part I: What is, is

Jan — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

11 February 2007

Dear Family and Friends,
Just recently my friend Siri sent me this note:

Please click the photo for

more images of New Delhi Part I.

India has been interesting. I have to be honest that I don't much like it so far, but I'm trying to wait until the end of my trip to make any judgments. Varanasi is way better than Delhi which I hated and was a nightmare! Hopefully it will just get better.

Yes. I agree. It is easy to "hate" New Delhi. Just as any other frenetic city of 14 million souls, it can be a "nightmare." (Yes,14 million. That's all of New York City and all of the City's suburbs combined. Plus two million more.)

New Delhi Part 2: Happy where I am

Jan — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

New Delhi
India
12 February 2007

Each morning my driver Suresh and I agree on an itinerary.

Please click the photo for more images of New Delhi Part 2.

Suresh negotiates his way through the traffic to a stop at Lakshmi Naravan, an unusual Hindu temple . . . unusual for its tones of yellow and red- brown. Another stop at Rajghat, a beautiful park with a simple square platform of black marble that marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated following his assassination in 1948. A host of schoolchildren smile and wave to me.

Delhi to Agra: Vrindavan, Akbar

Jan — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

The Golden Triangle - First Leg
Agra
Uttar Pradesh
India

13 February 2007

Dear Geometric-philes,

Please click the photo for
more images of Delhi to Agra.

The most popular itinerary for first time visitors to India is The Golden Triangle: Delhi south to Agra, Agra west to Jaipur, and Jaipur northeast to Delhi. On a map of the Indian Subcontinent, this area is barely more than a thumb print or two. Nevertheless, the sights are splendid all along the route.

Agra: The Taj Mahal: Mumtaz Mahal

Jan — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

Agra
Uttar Pradesh
India

14 February 2007

Dear Loved Ones... and Lovers,

Please click the photo for
more images of Agra.

A very, very belated Happy Valentine's Day.

One of my friends in the USA reported that she received chocolate strawberries AND dark chocolate covered blackberries from her husband. What a guy! What love!

But life is not always a bowl of cherries. Or strawberries.

Agra to Fatehpur Sikri: Rush Hour Traffic

Jan — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

Agra
Uttar Pradesh
India

February 16, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

Please click the photo for
more images of Agra to Fatehpur Sikri .

Agra is not just The Taj.
The Taj, as magnificent as it is, is not Agra.

Agra is also Agra -- and there's more to see.

"The Agra Fort was built by Emperor Akbar between 1565 and 1573. (Remember Akbar's Tomb?) Its imposing red sandstone ramparts form a crescent along the river bank encompassing an enormous complex of courtly buildings ranging in style from the early eclecticism of Akbar to the sublime elegance of Shah Jahan."

Bharatpur, Deeg: Birding at The Bagh

Jan — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

Bharatpur, Rajasthan
India

17 February 2007
Dear Friends and Fellow Bird Watchers,

Please click the photo for
more images of Bharatpur, Deeg.

One chilly, shivering evening last week at the open-air rooftop restaurant of my hotel, the Hotel Sri Nanak Continental (don't let the name fool you), smack in the middle of the incessantly beeping - beeping - honking - honking - beeping - honking - beeping - beeping - beeping and barking! automotive parts supply shop district of New Delhi, I met Penny and John, travelers from England who were pleased to sell me their guidebook Special Places To Stay - India.

Nawalgarh: The Haveli and Mundan Sanskar

Jan — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

Nawalgarh
Rajasthan
India

20 February 2007
Dear Family and Friends,

Please click the photo for
more images of Nawalgarh.

"Jan, why India?" "Why now?" Perhaps you are asking these questions. The obvious answers are: "India is close to Thailand." And, "There's no time like the present." True. Very true.

The real truth is that my friends in Mumbai, Paawan and Sushma, invited me to an auspicious family celebration.

Jaipur: The Pink City

Jan — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

Jaipur, Rajasthan
India
23 February, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

Please click the photo for more
images of Jaipur.

Noise and dust pierce the senses. Construction cranes pierce the sky. Jaipur is crowded. Jaipur is "developing."

My gracious hosts at the Govind Niwas Guest House, Admiral and Mrs. Madhvendra Singh recall earlier days when in the evening they would relax on their veranda or in the spacious garden in front of their home.

Jaipur, Amber Fort: It Keeps Getting Better

Jan — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0700

Amber
Rajasthan,
India
23 February 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

Please click the photo for
more images of Jaipur.

It just keeps getting better!

"The magnificent delicate-pink, fort palace of Amber (pronounced Amer), a beautiful, ethereal example of Rajput architecture, rises from a rocky mountainside about 11km north of Jaipur." [*]