There is a bird here that sounds like a cat meowing! I finally saw one yesterday, but still don't know the name of it. It is a large bird with a long bill; black with white & brown.
I went to Hanuman Ghat yesterday, my old stomping ground, and was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who greeted me with a "so glad to see you back". It gave me that warm & fuzzy feeling of coming home after being away a long time. The hotel I stayed in when I first arrived is under new management and insisted on showing me a room. It was large with a nice view, bath, AC, my very own tiny hot water heater, and they will put a flat screen on the wall - all for 100 rupees less than I am paying here. There is everything you need in that area; good restaurants, small stores, local vegies & fruit, Himanshu's shop, and most importantly, friends! The streets were unbelievably clean, no cow poop everywhere, clean swept, and it is much closer to town. Walking back, an elephant strolled past me on the street...I love India!
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| Himanshu & Dinesh Cooking | |
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his morning as I walked to my favorite chai stand with Toulouse, five, skinny Jain priests walked in front of me; three completely naked, one with a diaper-looking cloth on, and one with a shawl...all righty then! They believe covering the body is unnecessary...to each his own. Most of the population here is Hindu, with a sprinkling of Buddhists, and the temples are numerous. These were the first Jain priests I have seen. There is a day trip from here to Ranakpur, where there is a famous Jain temple. It contains 1,444 columns, each exquisitely carved with different scenes and very elaborate. I still need to go see it; perhaps when my friends visit this winter we can go. I hear it is a "must see" for this area.
