Hotel Sunbird Bharatpur

... Karauli. Apparently we got off the state highway and had to use a road that went through the small towns. It wasn't paved so it was really rough, but the trip was shorter than we thought it would be. As we went through one area, Indira stopped to pick up some fruit for us, including this skinny squash-looking thing I still haven't tried. I can still be a squeamish eater on occasion. We arrived at the hotel which ...

... Our feet were tired so we took a rickshaw out while Calvin walked. on his way out, he saw the grey hornbill, one that evaded the rest of us and he's still rubbing that in. Of course, that was his bird of the day! Calvin officially changed the name of the city Bharatapur to Bird-a-pur. In the park we also saw wild dogs, blue bulls, deer, antelope, snakes, wild dogs, turtles, and monkeys (much to Latha's delight!). Carol and Dennis

... The guide was able to point out some really cool stuff; I saw big storks, little owls, an antelope, kingfishers, lizards, Jackal. The park is also home to Cobra, python, hyena, but unfortunately I didnt see any of them. One of the photos here shows a nest which looks like a coocnut. The guide told me about the bird that lived in side, but im so sorry i forgot its name! Anyway, the male bird builds 2 or 3 nests in order to try and impress the ...

... it, except to say that in spite of the numerous images we have all seen, the real thing is something very special. Vernee unexpectedly found herself recalling a description of the Taj that it "floats like an ice palace, a fantastic ship, a magic mosque" from one of Stephen Merrett's letters to his girlfriend Alicia in 1966 (the letters became the radio play, Darling Alicia). In the mausoleum, overwhelmed by the crowds and the chatter, it was easy to just take a cursory look around ...

... to breath! Louise is also feeling sick (though that is food related) and so we head back to the jeeps and leave the others to bird watch!! Just as we get to the jeeps Louise has to rush to the toilets and i fall asleep in the jeep waiting for her. Everyone else returns about an hour later and we all head off to Bharatpur a small village with a Heritage hotel that we are ...

... meant to live with people who practiced different religions and thus learned to respect each one of them. He lived what he preached as witnessed by his marriage to a Christian woman named Mariam who gave birth to his only son, Jehangir. Nothing has changed for Indians since Akbar's time with respect to living in a religious melting pot. While it is true that Hinduism has the largest number of followers in this country, Islam is practiced by large numbers of people in ...

... that my Mother Dearest is the coolest of all time, we were able to get our hands on tickets to see the Taj Mahal at night. For two days on either side of the full moon each month, the Taj is opened for viewing for a limited crowd. It happened that tonight coincided with the Taj Mahotsav Samiti festival, which meant that the typically tight security turned into more security than I've ever seen! After ...

... bekommen. Nachdem gerade eine grosze Nyingmapa-Versammlung ist, ist der Ort voller Moenche und auch sonst kommen Menschen aus aller Welt um zu meditieren, in Retreats zu gehen oder einfach nur um zu schauen. Ich helfe seit einer Woche die Retreatraeume im thailaendischen Kloster vorzubereiten, habe viele interessante Menschen getroffen und bin ab morgen 20 Tage im Retreat. Deshalb ist jetzt einmal Funkstille. http://picasaweb.google.com/laurin.jane s/BodhGaya

... con sollievo poco piů avanti: una ulteriore prova che, malgrado alcune illusioni persistenti, i tempi del liceo sono probabilmente finiti. Vicino al finestrino, alternavo la lettura a lunghi sguardi fuori. C'era pianura a perdita d'occhio, squaciata ogni tanto, in modo secco, da qualche collina rocciosa ed isolata. C'erano anche campi di colza in fiore immensi (in gennaio!) e, disordinatamente, alberi bassi e selvatici. Per un lunghissimo tratto, abbiamo visto le ciminiere ...

... objevili dalsí svět. A sice svět indických sladkostí. Gita je miluje a dopřává si jich do libosti, tak jsme se dnes zivili sladkostmi, coz mě velice vyhovovalo. Jsou absolutně bozské. Kdyz jsem zila v Londýně, o víkendech jsem sem tam jsem servírovala na indických svatbách a pamatuji si, ze jejich zákusky byly vynikající - teď je můzu ochutnávat přímo tady v Indii - mě to ke stěstí stačí :o)) Gita s námi taky prosel ...