Hindus make a pilgramage to the Ganges to bathe in its waters at sunrise and offer prayer. Once cleansed at the Ghats they will then worship in one of the seven temples built beside the river. Cremations continue 24/7 and…
Varanasi, the Holy Hindu City Of The Ganges
Before departing for Varanasi Cheryl , myself, and some others in our group treated ourselves to Kairali Ayurvedic massages. This is a special technique from southern India that utilized various hot oils and herbs dripped, pounded, a technique called Polti,…
Khajuraho-The ancient Holy City that Serves as the Spiritual Center of Kama Sutra. WARNING This Blog is Rated NC-17!
Khajuraho was the home of the Chandela Dynasty in the 9th and 10th century and was never discovered by marauding Mughal armies. Each King built a temple during his reign and 85 in total have been recorded. Of that 25…
On the Road to Khajuraho
We began this morning with a train ride from Agra to Jhansi. We then re-boarded our bus for the trip to Khajuraho. In addition to the 1.5 billion people, the traffic congestion, and the ever present cows and bulls on…
Agra Fort, Cooking Class and Making Pietra Dura
The Agra Fort built by the Mughal, Akbar in 1565 was expanded over the years from a military fortress to a lavish Imperial Palace with over 500 buildings. Remember that India was the heart of the trade routes from the…
Sunrise at the Taj Mahal. It Doesn’t Get better Than This!
The only words to describe the Taj Mahal is “WOW.” This is without a doubt the most beautiful building in the world. Built in the 1600’s by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife, it took 22 years with…
Onward to Agra, the Home of The Taj Mahal
On our way we stopped at a fascinating Step Well, The Abhaneri, created in the ninth century to collect water for the Raja and his subjects. It is 13 stories deep. It was lined with numerous temples of which many…
I’d Walk a Mile For a Camel, or Visa-Versa.
We traveled today to our next stop, The Dera Village Retreat. On the way we stopped at a local school, and again traveled the back roads through small townships. Once at our destination we relaxed with a game of Cricket,…
Ranthambhone Day #2 Banyon Trees, Birds, and Barrels of Monkeys
Day Two in Ranthambhone was without tiger encounters. There are only 51 tigers in this park and about 3500 in all of India due to hunting and poaching. This has been markedly decreased in the past years due to tighter…
We’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail!
Our first Afternoon in Ranthambhone Tiger Preserve was a great success. Almost immediately we came upon a female Bengal tiger and her 3 cubs. They had just killed a deer and were enjoying their meal (you can see that in…