Adventures with Fred and Carolyn
I woke this morning in the Jaipur New Hotel to the eerie sound of the lslamic call to prayer still a bit shaken from last night. The Jaipur station is more modern than its counterpart in Ahmedabad. For one thing it’s inside a building whereas the Ahmedabad station is mostly outside in the open air. … Continue reading “India – Jaipur New Gate”
All aboard! I boarded the train to Jaipur and we started rolling right on time. My train originated in Ahmedabad so it was stationary for 1/2 hour before taking off. That time was a blessing as it gave me time to untangle the chaos and locate my car. First food service started 5 minutes into … Continue reading “India – Train from Ahmedabad to Jaipur”
I checked out of the Treebo Paradise this morning. I’ve stayed in worse places for sure but good riddance was top of mind. As the sun rose I noticed something new. The large tree across the street was being swarmed by a group of about 20 long tailed Langur monkeys. One of them left the … Continue reading “India – Ahmedabad”
We left Vadodara early morning for a relaxed couple hour drive to Ahmedabad. I’d arranged for a room at the Treebo Maher in Ahmedabad and our plan was to go straight there get settled in and go out again to explore the town. It was great having our own driver and car. Thanks Shubhangi and … Continue reading “India – Vadodara To Ahmedabad”
Carolyn and I took a day trip from Vadodra to visit the relatively new Statue of Unity. I’m glad we did. The statue is impressive and bills itself as the largest statue in the world but the best part for me were the visitors. They were almost all Indians from various parts of the country … Continue reading “India – Statue of Unity”
We are profoundly grateful that our friend, Vishu G has invited us to share in his wedding to the lovely Shubhangi, in her home city of Vadodara, in the Guraji state in northwest India. The bride’s family home was festooned with sunshades and decor in white and the orange of the best orange sherbet with … Continue reading “Our First Indian Wedding”
Rolling back to our time in Russia…Now for a bit of history. My fuzzy recollection was that the Decembrists were early Russian revolutionaries. What I’d forgotten was how early. (I was never good at memorizing dates.) Their strike for change was in 1825, nearly a century before the violent revolutionary times beginning in 1917. This … Continue reading “The Decembrists and Their Impact on Irkutsk”
We’re in the lovely valley, full of rich herby, floral scent, alert for a sighting. Surrounded by steep hillsides, softened with eons of extremes, it’s green and, due to the lack of trees, the views are endless. We squinted and strained to see two small groups of Takhi. These horses are the only truly wild … Continue reading “We See Takhi Wild Horses in Hustai National Park”