Back home in the USA!

Just a quick post to let everyone know we are back home safely. It appears we left India just by the skin of our teeth before the bombs in Mumbai; our flight left 11:30 PM Tuesday - 4 hours before the attacks (we arrived in the US 4:30 AM on Wednesday). We were not in Mumbai at all actually, but I'm sure Delhi would still be chaotic getting around and getting out if we were still there. We were staying in Connaught Circle area of Delhi, where the September bombings occured, so Delhi is typically on high alert, with security at all tourist hotels.

Allot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving today for sure... and overwhelming to come back home and be hit with the stark differences of our lives in our comfortable home, and knowing many people we saw don't even have more than 1-2 room small house without running water. Very sad situation that 34% of India's population, and more than 50% of Nepal's population live in real poverty.

Tomorrow we should have more time to post pictures from Jaipur and Delhi, and perhaps some additional photo's to recap the entire trip.

Winding down.....

We are now in Delhi on our last night (Mon, Nov. 24). Sorry we have'nt posted and no pics right now. Both hotels in Jaipur and Delhi cost $3 for 30 min of internet and the cafe we found (25 cents for 30 min) had no USB hookup.
We will post from home on Wed with Jaipur and Delhi pics and perhaps some trip recap. We have some video of Nepal and India we could not upload plus almost 3000 pics to sift through and share some.

B and A
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Agra / Taj Mahal

The highlight of anyone's India trip... the Taj Mahal. Went this morning for sunrise, although it was cloudy so not quite the colors notable but still amazing and some great pics too.

The bench I'm sitting on is the same one Princess Dianna sat on when she visited the Taj and there was a famous picture of her taken here. You have to stand in line to sit here take you picture and get up.

We stopped at a fort in Orccha yesterday on the way, but pics are cloudy, and will show when we get home. But, thought I'd throw in one last picture... 5 people on a motorcycle! Seriously, you can't see but the woman in the orange saree is holding a baby!

Traveling to Jaipur tomorrow... I'm sure there will be many more roadside colorful pictures to take... many others to show when we are home of some crazy Indian roads! Taking pictures from the car is quite fun!

In Khajuraho...

First, I have to tell you about the long trip to Khajuraho, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Since flights are unreliable, and we were on a tight schedule, they didn't have us fly, but we took the train from Varanasi (nice, 2nd class tickets). We met a very nice older couple on the train, a doctor whose son and daughter both live in the US and we had very good conversations with him about politics (US and India!) as well as the unfortunate povery levels in India, and the garbage situation. He says that there just is not any formal / regular system of handling garbage, because even though tax money is collected the services do not get to the people. Very sad. Then he asked about Obama winning, with excitement. And, just to mention, he is like the 100th person we have met who has been excited to talk to us about Obama winninge ! From the Brits, Germans, Aussies we met on the trail on Nov. 5th who very excitingly told us about his victory, to the Sherpa woman with the Obama 2008 pin on her traditional sherpa dress (not kidding)... it seems the world is excited for America's changes and hopes to be "friends" with America again. Just needed to share these observations of the world's view with you...

Back to the travels... Khajuraho is another World Heritage site dating from the 10th and 11th Chandela dynasty ruled over India (before the Mughals). It was in the jungle and virtually undiscovered until about 1838 when found by the British. Note all the detailed carvings... look closely... yes some of the figures are doing what you think they are! Khajuraho is sometimes called a "kama sutra in stone" with some figures "loving each other" (as our guide said).

Brian barely made it through seeing a few temples and had to go back to the hotel though... stomach wasn't feeling well and he saw the doctor at the hotel and got some meds to make him keep down his food! Anyway, he is better now and made it through the long drive from Khajuraho to Agra yesterday...

will post pics from our drive to Agra and in Agra next...

Catching up with pics...

Here are some pictures from Varanasi... bathers along the ghats of the Ganges River; a sadhu (religious devotee); Ganges river dance ceremony (called ganga aarti) performed nightly at one of the main ghats.

Next, will post pics from Khajuraho.

Across India

We,re about halfway through our 6 to 7 hour train ride across the middle of India. I think we' re someplace near Allahabad by now. Don't worry, we're not sharing the car with any livestock. Pretty comfortable considering. Mostly seen farmland along the way. Ran out of time to post pics of Varanase. Will post some when we can.

B
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Pics from Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Crossing the river in a jeep to Chitwan, and Brian next to an elephant.