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A couple of pre blog statements –

1.  I am married to the best man in the world – case in point, while I was out gallivanting in Agra with my girl Seana, Dar bought us a tree and trimmings and had it all set up when I got back – all because he knows how I love this holiday – if only for the gift wrapping opportunities.  Thanks again babe!

2.  Christmas in India is close to what I imagine Christmas in Florida to be like – it's hot, sunny and no pine trees in the immediate vicinity to speak of. One big difference was all the lights that were already on the streets for a number of other celebrations in addition to Christmas – that felt a little like small town Europe.  It was an interesting mix.

3.  There was plenty of mercantile Christmas spirit with everyone (hindu, christian, muslim) taking advantage of the holiday sales.  Most of our decorations were bought in the muslim area of the city – great deals on Christmas stars and trimmings :)  I loved everyone wishing me Merry Christmas even though I am not christian.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of our 1st Christmas in India.  It was great to be together.  Everyone was well stoked with their gifts.  The day was finished off by the boys watching the TV while Joan and I slept off the great buffet Christmas lunch (yeah, a bit of champagne was had 🙂

Our Tree

Smile

Royal Enfield

What Is It?

I Love Having My Picture Taken

Hummm What Does This Clue Mean?

Twins?

Dar's parents came for Christmas.  After a few days of settling in, we headed to Kabini for a little nature, a bit of safari and to chill. 

Yeah! We're Here

The place was amazing – located right on a lake, the resort was all you could want for quiet and relaxation.  The grounds were stunning and our beautifully appointed cottages had there very own …..wait for it…. private jacuzzi.  Dar and I agree that this is the best place we have stayed in India so far!

Kabini Resort

Lanturns

Morning Reflection

The boat safari we went on was great – misty morning and tons of birds.   What a great way to wake up in the morning  especially since the resort provided masala chai :)  That always makes me happy.

Boat for Safari

Pondering the Lake

Dinner (awesome food) included entertainment (albeit a bit cheesy but good fun nonetheless).

African Fire Dancers?

 The second day, Dar and his dad got up close and personal to the wildlife (well tame
life) with an elephant ride.  This was a highlight for them both. We also did a afternoon jeep safari but it was a little too big of a jeep (a little jarring for those of us in the back) but we still saw some great wildlife – mostly birds and the ever present Langur. The sunset was superb.  It was a great couple of days.

Crane

Sunset on the Lake

Elephant Brakes

Seana and I went to Agra – it was a fantastic trip over two days.  We concentrated on the the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri.  I took the step of hiring a guide this time and it was definitely worth it as he covered a number of things that I did not know.

The Taj was amazing and was worth the second visit as I was able to see more of the Mosque that on my previous visit.  These are my two favorite pictures from the Mosque which show the intricate red sandstone carvings – and yes, I am liking the shots of hallways to the left :).

View from Taj Mosque

Taj Mosque

After the Taj, we went to the Red Fort which was amazing – especially the gilded prison that Shah Jahan was kept in after being overthrown by his son.  The inlay work was as amazing as the Taj and it was fascinating to imagine what it must have been like in it's heyday.

Red Fort Entrance

Fountian

Inlay Detail

Outside Wive's Market

Guilded Prison

View from Palace

Red Sandstone Palace

Fatehpur Sikri was just as amazing….we got there a little late in the day – was about a 1.5 hr ride from Agra, but the Jama Masjid and Akbar's palace complex were worth the trip.  My camera died so unfortunately no photos.

And of course the ubiquitous Kingfisher minus the glycerol capped a great day!  We captivated the entire kitchen staff and a few other tourists with the glycerol removal trick – too bad we didn't video it as it would have made a great post.

I Love Beer

Day two started with masala chai and then back in the car for the 20 minute drive over to Hampi.  We started our day exploring the Pattabhirama Temple, headed to the museum for a bit of orientation (have now learned going to the museum first is a helpful tip), then wandered for the rest of the day around the Royal Center and Anegundi. 

The places we saw were amazing; deepening my appreciation of the culture and history of India.

Pattabhirama Temple Complex

Royal Center Carvings

Pray As You Go Down

Mowing the Lawn

Ramayana in Pictures

Elephant Stables

Lotus Mahal

Stone Chariot at Vittala Temple

What a View!

Carvings in Granite

Seana and I headed up to Hampi to see the 13th century city of Vijayanagar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  After a 8 hour car ride, we ended up in the Hampi Bazaar section of the old city and meandered around for a bit.  Exploring Hemakuta Hill took up the rest of afternoon.  These are shots taken on the hill and surrounding area.

First Shot of Hampi

Boulder Balancing

Colorful Hanuman

Water

Temple

Seana Being Followed

On Hemakuta Hill

One of the things that immediately stuck me was how some of the carvings and the occasional structure had similarities to other cultures (namely Chinese and Mesopotamia) – I am currently looking into influences in this area as I know that there must have been some sort of transfer given the different peoples who traveled through India – fascinating. 

After a miss on the hotel room I had booked for the trip, we decided to stay at place a little outside Hampi – we had visitors – a small family of macaque monkeys right outside our window.  It was a little nerve racking given the thin glass but we eventually closed the drapes on our guests when our dinner arrived….no point in tempting them 🙂

Visitors

So we couldn't get to Kabini or Nagerhole parks while Seana is here so…the next best thing?  A "Luxury Safari" about 15 miles outside of Bangalore at the Bangalore Zoo. 

There were lions, tigers and bears (Everyone say "Oh My" but there were also a few species of native herbavores – yeah, I don't remember what they were.  We viewed all of this from the crowded but comfy confines of a caged bus…good thing too as the animals came right up to the bus.

After the safari, we went into the zoo.  What was so surreal were the monkeys in the cages when they roam freely in about all neighborhoods in Bangalore – INCLUDING the zoo.  They looked particularly depressed – I guess I would too if I was in a cage and my cousins were outside.  While it was good to see the animals, every time I go to a place like this I have mixed feelings as these animals should not be in cages, no matter how large. 

Snacks

Zoo Entrance

Inside Our Bus

Our Caged View of a Tigeress

Hey Boo Boo!

I wanted to put a face with a name.  This is Padma and she helps us out around the house….she is a wonderful woman and we are lucky to have her.

Ms. Padma

Couldn't resist putting this picture up.  Seana and I were out driving around today – went to a couple of temples – and saw this….gotta (ok maybe not) love it.

Cows TATA Style

My good friend Seana is here visiting for a few weeks and I took her to a couple of places today to get a taste of Bangalore.  We went to the gardens first where I took this picture.  I think that this is one of the care taker houses but am not really sure. 

Cottage

We then headed over to the city market.  The city market is a sensory experience – the amount of people, things, sights, smells are mind blogging and oft times a bit overwhelming after about 1.5 hours.  I showed Seana around and she took some amazing pictures – I took one picture of Seana interacting with the kids she had just photographed (I have many other pictures posted on earlier blogs of the market).  The smile on the kids face was priceless – they loved having their picture taken by her.

Seana and Kids

We finished the day with some souvenirs shopping at one of the malls which was such a stark contrast but a nice break from the craziness of the market.

We had a great time but I was glad to be heading home.  We caught a train (same 3 tier sleeper car) from Kanpur to Delhi at 5 am – yes, yes, another 4 am leaving situation – for the 5 hour journey to Delhi where we caught a 5 pm flight home.  There was just enough time in Delhi to see the capital buildings, the India arch, and buy some sweets for folks back in Bangalore.

We got back at about 11 pm and gosh, we missed Bangalore and especially our own bed!