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 ...

... it here. I took minimal pictures but the differences between the architectural designs of Hindu, Muslim, and Persian were interesting. From there, we were dropped off in the middle of the town market and we had lunch - thali again. I had lassi (papaya) for the first time and it was good. The owner of the hotel/restaurant was very accommodating and opened his rooms for us so we could use the facilities (toilet paper came in handy). He ...

... 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 ...

... in asia. The mosque itself was extraordinarily detailed and the people very friendly. Within the courtyard of the Mosque is a very beautiful mausoleum for Salim Chisti, akbar's sufi priest and Built into the Liwans (aisles) around the courtyard are several buildings containing other muslim tombs. Elsewhere the towns children, now used to the cabal of tourists, were right *****. ciaociao

... 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 ...

... books and/or surf the web like the wi-fi connection is their oxygen tank, surely have read him or about him (yes, Craig and Gregg, I am talking about you guys :). For those like me who had only heard of him recently or who had never heard the name before, here's the summary of his philosophy, which I bumped into while browsing books at a wonderful library in the northeastern city of Kolkata (the old name is Calcutta) a couple of weeks after visiting Fatehpur Sikri ...

Sowohl Weihnachten als auch Semester waren dieses Jahr erwartungsgemaesz etwas unueblich. Der heilige Abend war unheilig aber sehr nett in Kathmandu. Wir waren 15 Leute aus aller Welt, es gab Risotto, Piroggi, Lemon Chicken, Bricadeiro (wie auch immer das geschrieben wird, eine brazilianische Sueszigkeit) und Gluehwein und danach waren wir in Kathmandu fort. Geographischer Sprung nach Dubai: nach langer Vorfreude lande ich tatsaechlich in Dubai und werde von ...

... giunto. Ma torniamo a noi. Con Lenka continuavamo a camminare verso la fermata dell'autobus. Dopo, ad occhio e croce, 1,5 chilometri da Fathepur Sikri, di strada pianeggiante e sporadicamente ombreggiata, ho fermato un autobus locale - un carretto tirato da un ronzino bianco e magro. Spiego all' "autista" che dobbiamo andare alla fermata dell'autobus per Jaipur. "Lontano", mi fa lui, "almeno un chilometro". "OK", gli dico, e faccio per salire. Ma Lenka, che era andata pi ...