Last Day

Greetings: Today is my last day in India and I have some time to kill before my plane leaves. Some final thoughts and feelings of this trip................I'm glad I came. It seems like just yesterday that I was laying on my bed with a bad case of Delhi Belly and planning to cut this stupid adventure short and go home. That was 55 days ago and I'm glad I stayed. Back in the 70's I read a quote from Socrates, he said 'know thyself', I took those words to heart and have made a feeble attempt to follow that advice ever since. If one really wants to know one's self, traveling solo in a foreign country will do it. I have seen my strengths and weaknesses come in my face full force. Strength in my empathy, but weak in my shyness and susceptibility to guilt. These forces are constantly playing off each other to make a rich time, day in and day out.
I have also come to appreciate the country, as a people. Yesterday was Republic Day, the biggest national holiday. It celebrates the forming of the constitution, not quite Independence but close. It was the 60th anniversary of that break from British Law that they celebrated. At that time this country was so poor that the average yearly income was less than 1$ a year. I have talked to several men who's monthly income is between 40$ and 70$ per month. They can raise a family on this amount, they work 80 hour weeks to do it but they do it. The British left this country a mess, in 1943 over 10 million people starved to death just because of poor management and total lack of compassion.
I also Appreciate Gandhi much more now. How he pulled all 400 million citizens, of vast diversities, together it was an extraordinary feat.
The desk manager is huffing about my time on the computer so I'll sign off for now...............See you all soon.

NAMASTE

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More Photo

Painted Storks Only in India

Another Painted Stork

Female Antelope

Bird Heaven

Now I'm here at Keolado National Park, about a 4hr car ride south of Delhi. I'm working my way back, as my plane leaves in about 3 days. This is place is know as birder's heaven, and now I know why. It makes Greylodge look like a city park. There are 370 species of birds making

this National Park, winter's home. I spent the better part of two days in the park. I rented a bicycle for 50 rupees and had the hotel pack me a lunch. I just wandered around watching the birds, the only slight bummer was that the binoculars that I had sucked, but just sitting and watching a Painted Stork preen or step lightly through the marshy waters searching for food is a thrill. On the second day, after eating lunch, I laid down and went to sleep, waking in the full sun of early afternoon I remembered that the Pythons of the park like to lie in the sun also. Bee line to bike.................... During the rule of the Maharajahs and later the British, this was a duck hunting lodge. They have a painted monument outside the old Lodge with the names of the distinguished guests and the number of guns in the party, also listed is the number of birds killed. In Nov. 1938 the Viceroy came with 39 guns and shot 4,289 birds in one morning. Kinda blows your mind, eh?

At the Taj

What can I say, the Taj Mahal is an architectural wonder. They say that one should arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds, so I walked from my dingey hotel through the deserted alleys of Agra to the East gate. The Muslum morning prayers being brodcast over loud speakers, there was no doubt, I was a long way from home. I could see the Taj from the rooftop restaurant at my hotel, so I was looking forward to seeing the famous landmark. The gate opened at 6:45 am, the security at the Taj is very strict so I had to check my flashlight, pocket-knife and statue of Vishnu at the reception gate. Once through the gate I walked the 100 meters or so and turned to face the front of the Mausoleum. My heart dropped, as I walked toward it I couldn't help saying 'holy-shit', holy-shit', It is just so damn big and beautiful. That's the first thing that overwhelms you when you see it, it's size and beauty. But the cynic within creeps forward and asks 'what is the point?'

The story goes that the King's wife, after giving birth to her 14th child, died. Before she died she requested of him to build her a Mausoleum to her memory. She probably got the idea for a Mausoleum because her grandmother, sorry I can't remember the names, had a her husband, the King, agree to build her father a Mausoleum. She made that request as part of an agreement to marry him, (the king) because he had killed her husband so he could marry her. That building is known as the baby Taj. One of the ironies of the whole tale is that after the Taj was completed, the King began construction of a second Mausoleum across the river. This one would be for himself and constructed of black marble, there were plans to link the two with and ivory bridge. The only problem was that the King's fourth son wanted to be King. Through political wrangling, the murder of his three older brothers, and the imprisonment of his father, the King, the black Taj was never completed. Too costly said the young prince. I did go see the remains of the foundation.

I didn't post any photos of the detailed carvings or the thousands of designs carved into the marble then inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones. These stones actually sparkle when the sun hits directly.

Even though the city of Agra sucks I'm glad I saw this fabulous building.

Forgot to post in opposite order, I went to Agra first then Keolado.

post tiger

Greetings Obamaites } } } } } } As I write this we must just be hours after the transfer of Government power. Her in India, all the people want to talk about is our new president, and do I think he will be strong in his dealings with Pakistan. The Indians are very angry with the Pakistanis. They have been attacked 4 times and they are about fed up with their neighbors actions. You must remember that until the mid-forties Pakistan and India were just India. It is like if the south had separated from the u.s. in 1860 and then sent terrorists across the border to kill New Yorkers, they are racially the same people, which makes it that much more charged. But enough of politics....................................... So when we last met I was on my way to another safari to try and spot a Tiger. This is what happened....................... We were on the afternoon safari 2:30 to 5:30 only. We had been out for about 2hrs with nothing but Spotted Deer and other mundane wildlife when the driver stopped to pee,(it must be noted that we passengers are not allowed to step one foot out of the jeep at any time) so he goes behind a big rock when the guide hears the alarm bark of a Barking Deer (I think I told you that the monkeys also will give a warning cry, very distinct, when a tiger is in the neighborhood) the driver comes sprinting out from behind the rock jumps into the jeep and we speed toward the sound of the bark, about 500 yards over the crest of a hill. Up ahead is another jeep with all the passengers standing and pointing up the hill. We pull in front of the other jeep and there about 50' away is a 300lb female Bengal Tiger slowly walking. She stops and turns, like cats and dogs do,she makes a half circle and lies down. She laid there on the side of the hill just staring at us and flipping her tail then she licked her paw and rubbed her face. After about 2 minutes she stood and walked into the brush and we never saw her again. The overwhelming impression is that of elegance and grace, every movement was just beyond words in beauty and grace. That's it, there is no other word for it,beauty and grace, it is one of the highlights of my life. She is the first in the series of the four photos above. The next day we went on a fourth safari and saw a Tiger named "B-2", B-2 is the worlds most famous Tiger only because most photos of Bengal Tigers that we see in magazines and on calenders and such are of B-2. The story of B-2 is interesting. His father was the largest Tiger in the park for many years and was named "Charger" because he would charge the jeeps and scare the tourists to death. The park staff donated money, to purchase a marble monument in honor of "Charger". Charger had three sons B1,2and 3. Only B-2 is left in the park, he is the largest of the three and weighs about 600 lbs, he is 15 years old and you can tell by the way he walks and the color of his coat that he is old. B-2 is the next photo down. The last two photos are of a mating couple that just happened to choose the area near the park entrance for their mating rituals and calls. At night they do, what courting Tigers do, just outside my hotel room window as my bungalow room was on the park boundary.................. So all in all I got to see 6 Bengal Tigers in the wild. More on the wild part when I get home to explain further because I need to move my hands and make the appropriate sounds for you to fully appreciate the scene.

Today I am in Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. I took an overnight train from Umaria and somewhere along the 14 hour trip someone stole two of my cameras. We were just talking about such matters at the Yogi ashram, about our attachment to things and memories and how it takes us from the here and now. All well and good but it's still a bummer. Tomorrow I visit the Taj then out of the big city and on to another park....................

Eagle in Gum Tree

Namaste Earthlings>>>>> I'm here in Bandogah (sp) National Park. The scene here is so laid back that I just want to stay and read my books on the veranda of my room for another week. But I only planned for four days. Yesterday I entered the park, the park is heavily restricted, you can only enter in a jeep and you must be accompanied by a park guide. The main attraction for me is the possibility of seeing a Bengal Tiger. Well I did see a ass end of a sleeping Bengal Tiger. (For some reason I cannot upload photos onto the blog. I keep trying, using different techniques but nothing works.) So because I only saw the butt of a Tiger I went back this morning, but today was a Tiger bust, although I did see a Slothbear, Eagle, Spotted Deer, Samsa Deer, Barking Deer, countless birds, including a kingfisher and a hornbill. So the I-Ching says, perseverance furthers, so I'm going back this afternoon. Also, there are Langur Monkeys in the park, these monkeys have a relationship with the deer and they act as an alarm against an approaching Tiger. So this morning the guide heard an alarm call from the monkeys and we assume that the Tiger is on the hill (napping now) and will come down this afternoon to water. We will wait, and hopefully, we will see. This park was first used during the Mogul rule of India as a hunting grounds for the King and his court. The geology and fauna are dramatic at every turn, an elevated jungle, with lots of Teak, Mangrove and Gum trees, plus hundreds that I don't know the names of. Oh, and there is Bamboo.

Yes I rode the Elephant to view the Tiger. She is asleep and about 3-4 years old. Because I am running out of time I am only sending a couple of photos. I need to get back to my room and rest for the afternoon hunt. The morning Safari starts at 5:30am. The title of the post, 'Eagle in Gum Tree' comes from a stop we made yesterday, here in the jungles of India, resting on the bar of the jeep looking at an Eagle through my 600 rupee (12$) binoculars, the sounds of the Hornbill echoing over the meadow, how wonderful is life, how lucky am I.

leaving kahajauro

This is my final day in the city of Kahajauro. I won't be to sorry to leave. It is a nice place and I have met some great people but the level of hassle that one gets when in town just ruins all the positive. I went to a lecture/light show last night that gave a detailed history of the temples. I have a much better appreciation for them than I did after just walking through them. The sense of balance and geometry are really mind blowing......................Back at the ashram, the Yogi and I are getting along much better. He is kind of a radical thinker, in that his Yoga lectures are anti-god, anti-religion, anti-pretty much everything except the power of yourself. Non attachment is a major theme of the lectures. He also emphasizes giving and that it should be a major part of one's life.....................................Well the Internet capabilities here are poor, I'm trying to send some photos with this post but it is not working.....................I'm headed to a National Park tomorrow, the town there is even smaller than here so I don't know about Internet..................I'll post when I can.
The Terrible Tout