prayer flags

Bhutan spring festival, Paro and young Buddhists with toy guns

school in varanasi

rickshaw

rickshaw

Varanasi

Varanasi is an amazing place. Incredible mix of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists--and the occasional Catholic church.  Overwhelmed by the sights, the smells and the layers of sounds. The main strip down to the river is like Times Square times ten, plus a few cows, rickshaws, ascetics. A zenith of faith and filth-- Extreme in it's celebrations of life and death. 

Ganges

animals in odd places

many monks at sarnath

more jodhpur....

Jodhpur

village near Devi Garh

Devi Garh and surrounding landscapes

We are at Devi Garh Palace. Amazing place to stay. It's in Rajasthan--I would call it the Tuscany of India. Beautiful. Rolling hills, fields of wheat and mustard.  An old palace, converted into a 

hotel with touches of modern design. Spectacular.  The air is very clean, unlike most of the cities here. This area has an abundance of natural resources: marble, fertile soil. Went for a bike ride through surrounding villages.--An eye opener.  People very nice--farming community: sugar cane, wheat, coriander. But, you can see the effects of malnutrition in their faces, teeth. Took a bunch of photos. The kids all love to see themselves on the digital camera.  Rode through a herd of goats, past an archaic, working mill, then through the main town: Jain temple, narrow streets and a lot of cow shit. Saw the ultimate in "four way stops": Hindi temple, Mosque, Buddhist Temple--and a five star resort--situated on one town square.

Taj Mahal

Truly amazing site: ranks right up there with the great wall of China. Incredible mix of people, colors, images. Spectacular fusion of Hindi and Islamic architecture.  Here, a cheesy "daily show backdrop" photo and additional snapshots.