Adventures with Julia

October 4, 2019

The entrance gate to our Bandhavgarh Resort

Mark’s opened our comments for this part of our adventure:  “Our wake up was at 4:30 in order to drive away from camp by 5:15.  We have a park permit that allowed us entry at 5:45, 15 minutes before the other cars are allowed in at 6am.  We arrive around 5:35 and drive to the front of the line of cars, just in time for our driver/guide to fill out the required paperwork.  Our park spotter has joined us and we are off on our epic tiger hunting adventure.”

Harsh, our driver/guide in Bandhavgarh National park

Our driver/guide was a tall, good looking man named Harsh, which means Happy in Hindi.  The previous evening, he gave us an orientation about the park and what to expect.  The core of the park is 700 square km and the buffer zone that surrounds the park is 820 square km.  However, only 175 square km are open to the public.  We are confined to 25% of the park.  There are 60 adult tigers living in the park along with about 40 cubs.

Because of our special permit, the park is open to us from 5:45 and we can go on any roads in the 25%.  All other vehicles must wait until 6am to get into the park and are assigned specific roads they can travel.  We had paid dearly for this permit and were glad to have a chance to see tigers before a crowd appeared.  Today, only 20 vehicles are allowed into the park each day.   The last time we were here, 2011,  there was no limit on the number of vehicles and we remembered never seeing a tiger because we could not get through the crowd.  

 I hated the early rise, but was glad when we actually spotted our first tiger on the first morning.  We were alone with the adult male when he stepped out of the undergrowth and onto the road.  He was glorious to us, having traveled so far to see him.  And on our first game drive at that.  Harsh, our driver/guide had heard the warning calls of the monkeys and stopped our vehicle where he thought the tiger might be.  He was right on.  Casually, the tiger walked out of the undergrowth and by a tree, stopped and slowly marked it.  Then he proceeded across the road and pooped in the grass.  Having finished his business, he walked into the brush and out of sight.  Other vehicles joined us, but we had the best view point.  

Harsh thought the tiger would walk through the forest to the road on the other side of the woods, so we headed there, followed by a number of other vehicles.  Sure enough, we heard the warning calls again and the same tiger emerged where Harsh expected.  He did not hang around this time, but walked directly across the road again and out of sight.  My fear of not seeing a tiger on this trip evaporated.  We were both happy campers.  With several more game drives ahead, we relaxed and enjoyed the rest of what the park had to offer.

We saw many Rhesus/Macaque and Gray Langur monkeys.  Rhesus are tan with fat faces and short tails; used in lab experiments and not very good looking.  Langur monkeys are whitish with black faces and very long tails and much more appealing to watch. 

There were also many herds of spotted deer, who were very skittish and shy and hard to photograph.  Otherwise there was the occasional wild boar, water buffalo, Golden Jaeckel, Ruddy mongooses, an Indian Muntjac barking deer, and an Indian elephant with its mahout.   Lots and lots of peacocks.  They have all lost their tail feathers due to the monsoon rains, which just ended.  Gradually new feathers will grow back.  Some of the birds we got a good look at included: Serpent Eagles, Indian Rollers, White-throated Kingfishers and a Crested Hawk Eagle. 

This image does not do the view I had justice. But it was the only shot we got.

On our afternoon game drive, which started at 2pm and went until 6, we were lucky enough to spot another tiger.  This time we were all alone with him for over half an hour, as the other vehicle are not allowed into the park until 3pm.  He was laying down in the shade in a small water course.  Our spotter, Manjeet, saw him first.  We would not have seen him at all, due to the dense foliage.  As it was we had a full view of his face for some of the time and he starred directly at us for quite awhile.  I was thrilled.  Eventually other cars arrived and gradually the tiger pulled back and out of view.  We finally drove way and left the other vehicles to try to find him, but he had melted into the forest.  

That evening we were served dinner under a huge, old Mauha Kothi tree, for which the resort named.  It was a pleasant setting.  So far, the weather has been pleasant in the morning and evening and hot and sticky in the sun in the middle of the day.  The game drives were ok as long as we parked in the shade or were moving.  Our house/bungalow was causing us some problems as we could not get the hot water to work and the AC was intermittent.  The camp was nearly full, so we decided to manage.  The staff was very attentive in helping us solve our problem.  We moved accommodations after two days.  The second bungalow was identical, but further away from the main lodge building.

October 5, 2019

Getting to and from our lodging and the park was like running a gauntlet.  In the morning cows and dogs lounged all over the road as the surface was warm. 

In the afternoon, children play in the road and adults carry bundles on their heads as walking is easier on the paved surface.  There are no sidewalks anywhere in India that we have seen, except in the big cities.  All vehicle drivers, including ours, honk their horns incessantly to make an opening for themselves.  After awhile, one becomes immune  to the honking and it is not as effective as it would be if drivers were more judicious about it.  Harsh told us the driving age is 18, but there is no test and people ignore the law.  Kids drive as soon as they can.  Some looked to be in their young teens.  Cows are no longer allowed in the large cities, thankfully, but there are no animal laws for the countryside or villages.  

Back in the park at 5:45am, Harsh and Manjeet told us more, as we drove along, about the tigers we had seen the day before.  The first tiger we saw twice in the morning was named Bamera’s Son.  He was born in 2011 and is in his prime.  The tiger we saw in the afternoon was named Mahaman and was born in 2012.  All the tigers have been named and dated as to their birth and death, when known.  

A large spider in its web. I could get close enough with the iPhone.  Something to do while waiting for tigers to appear.

I began to notice the forest more, now that we have seen a couple of tigers, and learned that many small trees are satinwood, which have acacia-like leaves and grow to about 30 feet.  There are millions of bamboo trees that block out much of our view of animals, and Sal trees, which are tall and dominate the park.  There are also ebony and crocodile bark trees, which are less frequent.  As this is the end of the monsoon season, the forest is still very green and dense.  In the summer months, the bamboo and grasses brown out and viewing is much improved.  However, the temperature becomes exceedingly hot, humid and unbearable.  As you look at the various photos, notice the vegetation.  There are open meadows as well as forested areas.

Shortly after our breakfast break, which we took at a required group location with other vehicles, we departed ahead of the other vehicles planning to quit and go home.  However, almost immediately, we came upon a tiger just getting up from a water hole.  We had a wonderful view of him, with no other vehicles, for several minutes as he ambled around near our vehicle and finally walked up the road and into the bush.  This was our best sighting yet and our third in three game drives.  Here is a selection of shots in order.  It is the best I could do with my i-phone and no video.  Such good luck for us.  We headed back to camp to enjoy the resort before going out again in the late afternoon.  On the way, we saw more of the same animals and birds as the day before.  

After lunch we went swimming in the resort’s pleasant pool and chatted with other Indian guests.  Aside from a German couple and several Indian families, we were the only foreigners.

That afternoon’s game drive was our only bust.  Harsh shared with us that the park came into existence in 1968 when the government took the property from the Maharaja, whose family had used it at their private game reserve for centuries.  In 1994, the park became a tiger reserve.  No animals have been imported except bison, which are in a part of the park off limits to tourists.  

We tried very hard to get good photos of spotted deer, but were not very successful.  Mark’s long camera lens had broken after our first game drive and my i-phone was virtually useless for anything more than a few feet away.  The spotted deer are know as Chital in India.  It is a Sanskrit word from which the name Cheetah is also derived.  

Harsh gave us his opinion about Modi.  He thinks he is too pro Hindi in his approach to governance.  He prefers that the country remain secular and accommodate all religions.  He is also not happy to have his tax money paying for the Indian army to be fighting an unnecessary war in Kashmir.  He thinks Kashmir-Jammu should new divided between Pakistan and India, fighting should stop and peace should reign.  Here Here!!!!

Dinner that night was under another tree deep into the woods.  Every meal has been good.  The chef is very attentive in finding out our preferences in food and serving what we request.  And why he prepares is quite good.

October 6, 2019

At 8am we were at a tiger cub sighting.  Three 1 1/5 year old cubs had been seen in this spot the day before so we arrived ahead of the pack and waited.  We finally saw two of them asleep under dense bamboo.  They were very hard to see, unfortunately.  We sat with them a couple of hours waiting for them to move. 

Gave up and went to a nearby designated breakfast location.  Ate quickly and returned to the cub sighting.  While gone, the cubs had move a few hundred feet and parked under more bamboo.  All the other vehicles had moved off for their breakfast and we were able to get into a reasonable position about 45 feet from one of the cubs, who was sound asleep.  We watched him for about three hours, how patient is that?

This is what Harsh was able to get with his camera. It is about what I saw with my binoculars.

With the binoculars, I saw him twitch his tail, wriggle his ears, lift his head and swat bugs, but never get up.  Finally, we gave up at 1:30 and drove back to camp.  Along the way we spotted a Grey Hornbill in a tree and a Sambar deer, partially hidden behind a tree.  

We did not go back in the afternoon.  Dinner was at the swimming pool that evening.  Fun to change locations each evening.

October 7, 2019

Departure day.  We do not have the special permit, but Mark decided to go out anyway, while I decided to work on the blog.  Mark made the correct choice.  He had the best sighting of the week. 

And got some really nice images as the tiger was close to the vehicle.  So, like you, I could only look at the photos.  Shortly after the sighting Mark returned about 10:30,  we had lunch, packed up and departed at 1:30 for the Jabalpur airport.  Using Mark’s count, he had seen a tiger 5 out of 6 game drives.  That was an excellent ratio, considering we had experienced 0 for 4 in 2011 and other complained about not seeing any either.

A surprising image Mark took that I had not even known existed was of this 35 foot sandstone carving of Lord Vishnu reclining on the seven-hooded serpent Sheshnaag.  It was made from a single piece of stone in the 10th century AD and is a classic example of the unique monuments of Bandhavgarh, a for that existed many centuries before there was a park.

A sandstone carving of Lord Vishnu resting on a serpent. Part of the ancient fort that belonged to a maharaja of long ago.

The 3 hour drive to the airport was uneventful, if you don’t count the cows, kids and people we encountered on the road  and the two villages markets we drove through.   Only stopped to catch one last Durga Puja in a small village.  Otherwise, I would have loved to walk through the two  markets we passed, if there had been time.  They were both feasts for the eyes.

At the airport, a mother sat next to us to feed her 3 month old baby.  She asked me to help her open the formula, so I asked her about bottle vs breast feeding.  She said most Indian mothers breast feet for the first year.  She had to stop after 45 days because she has a full time job in Dubai.  She and her husband were flying back to work there, after having spent some time with their families in Jabalpur.  

The flight to Kolkata was only a couple of hours and after a short drive we were at our airport accommodations, Swissotel, and in bed by 10:30.  

October 8, 2019

We have the whole day at the Swissotel.  We work on our last post—my writing and Mark’s photos and go for a walk in the neighborhood shopping mall.  It is the final day of the Durga Puja—the day the statues are carried to the river and ceremoniously drowned in the water, hopefully to melt there and float away.  Unfortunately, there is too much paint, fabric and jewelry for everything to melt.  The river must be a mess. 

Went for a walk around the block and, of course, ran into a cow, almost literally.  Nice way to end our trip.  We are homeward bound.  Tonight we  fly from Kolkata to Singapore and then on to SFO.  Closing thoughts will come when I can put them together.  It has been an incredible experience.  One we will not soon forget.

Many blessings to all of our followers,

Julia and Mark

September 28, 2019

This morning we drove west into the desert-like mountains of Ladakh, the region that includes Leh. Part of why the region is so desolate is that precipitation is only 2-4 inches of rain per year.  We had expected to hike in the area, but the terrain is so uninviting that we declined.  We did pass by the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus Rivers, where some natural greenery survives. Local villages we passed had many poplar and willow trees planted. The government provides the saplings if the villagers agree to do the planting.  Once established, the trees need little water and provide shade, construction material and visual relief.

Confluence of the Zanskar(green) and Indus Rivers.

Interesting color changes in the rock wall. A village and the Indus are in the background.

Passing through a village that has planted a lot of trees.

We crossed several bridges. All of them were covered in prayer flags.Bridges and passes are the “approved” place to display flags.

A scene of Alchi as we enter the village. It was loaded with stupas.

While driving through the desolate scenery toward our destination, a village called Alchi, we talked about conditions in India.  Ashim believes that approximately 50% of the population lives BPL (below the poverty line).  His definition for BPL is about $4/person/day in income.  That is a huge number of people, given that the population is 1.3 billion.  To assist with so much poverty and reduce corruption, the government, under Modi, has instituted a program that requires each person to open a personal bank account.  A $20 billion subsidy goes directly into their accounts, bypassing any middlemen, who used to siphon off 80% of the subsidy.  It is very enpowering for each person to have their own account, especially women.  Another successful Modi program was to build 110 million toilets, mostly installed in peoples homes, benefitting close to 500 million people.  Previously those people were using nature.  They did not even have outhouses.  He also appealed to affluent Indians to give up their subsidized cooking gas connection and reallocated that gas to poor people.  The result was that close to 20 million people actually gave up their subsidized connections and now pay full price.  Meanwhile many poor people received connections and gas and stopped using wood and dung for fuel.  Modi also stimulated a leap in infrastructure by increasing the number of miles of road being built from 5 miles a day to 20 mile a day, thereby employing many people and improving the infrastructure as well, especially in rural areas.  Railways are now being improved as well.  On the other hand, Economic growth is slowing from 7% in 2018 to 5% now.  Unemployment is increasing. Currently the figure is 16% according to the government .

The path through the village to the river

An ancient Apricot tree. Amazingly knarled and still alive.

THe path lead us by this round stupa and another old square one.

Passing by old stupas

A completely different kind of stupa. It is inside this box.

Getting closer to the river.

The Nimoo-Bazgo Power Station is the only Indian dam on the Indus River

The craft market at the end of the summer season.

A local vendor makes friends with me.

Part of the small Alchi Monastery

Looking up a stupa at the ceiling and walls surrounding it. Many buddha paintings.

My favorite close up of this elderly jewelry vendor.

By then we had reached Alchi, parked the car in this popular Indian retreat, and gone for a walk down to the Indus River, passing by many old and unusual stupas, large, old apricot trees and stacks of harvested wheat and barley.  We put our fingers in the water and in no time declared that the water was much colder than Lake Tahoe in winter.  We continued walking to the only Indian dam on the Indus River.  It provides hydropower to the whole Ladakh valley.  Slowly, we returned to Alchi, passing through a craft and tchotchke market and next to the small, Alchi Monastery.  We did not go in, but later I was sorry we had not.  It was very small and charming from the outside.  Ashim and Karma suggested a restaurant for lunch so we stopped.  The food turned out to be good, but took forever to be prepared and Karma’s meal never came at all.  We all thought that was a bit weird.  There was no explanation and no apology.  Later Ashim, told us Indians do not apologize, or bother to say hello or good bye, or thank you and they commonly cut in line and act as if nothing was amiss.  The niceties we take for granted are not part of their culture.  However, don’t sit on the floor with your feet pointing at anyone.  That is a big affront.  For me that was a problem as I cannot sit cross legged, so one foot or the other has to be out.  Back in the car we headed for Leh.  The drive was about an hour and a half on good roads with the scenery changing only slightly.  

The Pashmina store owner discusses the price of shawls with me.

The street curb is lined with women selling vegetables.

She allowed me to take her photo, somewhat tentatively, until I showed her the image. Then her friends on the street were happy for me to take their photos

She gave me a broad smile.

This elderly lady admitted she did not need to work because her children take care of her, but she likes to be out with people so she works anyway.

A side street with small shops.

Karma and his aunt

Karma’s uncle

Karma’s sister. They are all Tibetan refugees.

This gentleman gave me a nice smile.

Karma grabbed me and the old man and insisted on this photo

Caught on the fly, this Muslim gave me a quick smile.

In Leh we walked first to the Chemist shop to buy Excedrin and Pepto Bismo.  Could not get the brand products, but received generics with the active ingredients we needed.  From there we went directly to the Pashmina Palace, where we had previously priced shawls.  We negotiated with the owner of the store and received slightly more than a 20% discount.  No great deal for sure, but probably paid a fair price. We walked around a bit more and chatted with locals.  Karma helped me with the translation as the local language is Ladakhi and even Ashim could not speak it.  Karma walked us to his sister’s clothing stall and his Aunt and Uncle’s shoe stall nearby.  We chatted with them in English, but not long as their businesses were really hopping.  Meeting and chatting with locals was my favorite part of the day.  

Back at our tent, we relaxed a bit, had dinner and went to bed.  The end of another long day.

September 29, 2019

Having told Ashim and Karma that we had had enough of monasteries and palaces, they nevertheless convinced us we should see at least this one more—the Stok Palace. 

A gold Buddha on the way to Stok Palace

The Stok Palace

Entrance to Stok Palace.

Climbing up the many steps

THe view from the top of the hill and the bottom of the Palace proper.

Another view of Stok Palace. The royal family occupies the 2nd and 3rd floors.

Photos of Nehru and Mahatma Ghandi when they were young.

A hand made printer for the pages of the Kogyur manuscript.

THe main reader while we were watching.

A monk taking a break from reading the Kaybur manuscript.

Each package contained a volume of the manuscript.

The chorten or stupa the king had made iin memory of his mother. Notice the face in the stupa.

Leaving the Stok Palace.

A member of the royal family watches us curiously.

We finally agreed and this last morning we were out at 9am to visit the palace, which was about 15 miles away, but took much longer than expected to reach as the road was closed and we had to walk half a mile on fresh asphalt.  That was no problem, except the bottom of our shoes were full of tar and rocks by the time we got to the palace. 

A panorama of Stok Palace.

The palace had been lived in by the royal family since the 50’s and been maintained better than other palaces.  The second and third floors were for the family and off limits to us.  However, the top floor contained a family museum that we were able to visit.  It contained some clothing, jewelry, and photographs of the family and historic figures including Nehru and Indira Ghandi.  One item that caught my eye was a family stupa made in honor of the king’s mother that occupied a small room by itself.  I found it charming that it looked a bit like a face.  Under the stupa or chorten, as it was called, was a document explaining the meaning.  Stupas, is the same as “chorten”, and they are seen everywhere in Ladakh—the entrance to villages, crossroads, waypoints, and landmarks.  They may be interpreted as support for worship, for religious merit, for protection from evil, or as memorials.  The small chorten I photographed in the palace was built by the king in memory of his mother.   

Ashim and Karma were right.  The Stok Palace was the most interesting one we visited and I am glad we did not miss it.  

THe monks reading the Kogyur text aloud.

While we were wandering around the palace, 80 monks were taking turns reading the 108 volumes of the Kagyur, a long, Mahayama book about Buddhist rituals written during the 11th and 12th centuries in Tibet. The first copy arrived in India in the 16th century and this royal family happened to have a copy of all the volumes.  The purpose of the reading of the Kagyur was to mourn the death of the king’s daughter, who had died two months earlier at the age of 29 from congenital birth defects.  At the current rate of reading of the volumes, daily from 8am to 5pm, it will  take 5 days to read the whole set.  Ashim, Karma, Mark and I had tea on the patio of the Palace.  While there, a young member of the royal family walked the family balcony looking down at us, so I captured her image.  It must feel a bit like living in a glass bowl.  

Back across the asphalt and into the car, we made it to camp by noon and invited Ashim and Karma into the reception room to chat.  

Karma told us about his aspirations to live in the US.  His girlfriend’s parents live in NYC and have become citizens.  They too were Tibetan refugees.  He would like to marry his girlfriend, study western medicine in the US and become a US citizen.  HIs desires pulled at my heart strings.  His grand uncle was bombed in a house in Tibet by the Chinese during the 1959-64 fighting.  His grandfather was shot by the Chinese army and his father was poisoned at the age of 57 by the Chinese when he went to Tibet to visit his relatives.  Karma still has many relatives in Tibet that he will never see because they cannot leave and he is afraid he will be killed if he goes there.  He has good reason.  

From Ashim, we learned a completely different set of information.  He explained that Mahayama Buddhism is a more ritualistic form of Buddhism, which developed in the mountains of the Himalaya in countries like Tibet and Bhutan, where ritualism became very important.  Both the red and yellow hat buddhists are Mahayama.  Ashim’s opinion is that it is easier to perform rituals than to meditate, which is the preferred practice of the Himayana  Buddhists, who are confined to the plains in such places as Kolkata, Varanasi and Delhi.

A wedding dance with turquoise stones on the wedding hood.

The costumes are quite lovely

Imagine getting married with this elaborate headwear.

The band was very good

Nice shoes and foot work

Ashim could have talked for ages, but I needed a break and I am sure you do too.  They left mid afternoon and Mark and I finally had some time to ourselves.  That evening the Camp provided an entertainment for us guests, including 21 Australians who had moved in the day before.  The performance was pleasant, the BBQ appetizers were quite nice and we were happy to eat dinner quickly and get to our room.  

September 30, 2019

One last image of Ladakh in glorious sunshine.

Travel day.  Left Camp at 7am.  Flew out of Leh at 9:15am.  Arrived Delhi 10:30am.  Departed Delhi at 1:50pm.  Arrived Kolkata 4pm.  Picked up at 4:30 pm for ride to hotel, which took over an hour, due to commute traffic and a rain burst.  Finally arrived in our hotel room shortly after 6pm.  Most happy to order room service and eat recognizable food.  Bed in short order.   Tomorrow we begin sightseeing in Kolkata.  

September 24, 2019

I mentioned our last Pakistani stop at the Shalomar Gardens, but did not provide any photos.  So here they are including our last photo with Shifa.

The entrance to Shalomar Garden

An unusual flower. Can any one of you identify it for me?

An ancient tree in the garden.

Shah Jahan sat on the small platform watching ladies dancing on the platform in the water with all the fountains working. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Overlooking euphorbia plants.

Our last photo with Shifa.

Picking up where I left off on the 24th with our new guide, Ashim, we arrived at our hotel in Amritsar having received an ear full about Sikhism.  Apparently there is a large percentage of Sikhs in Punjab State where Amritsar is located.   Lahore is also in Punjab.  Pakistanis call it a province rather than a state.  Before independence in 1947,  Punjab was a united region in India.  Even now many things are the same.  The people look, dress and eat the same.  The cities look the same and traffic is just as crazy and congested. The politics, however, are different and the two countries are at odds with each other and get very possessive about their cricket teams.  Good idea to stay away from the India-Pakistan cricket matches.

Fortunately for us, passing out of Pakistan and into India was very smooth.  We departed Pakistan at noon and were in India by 1pm.  Several check points, but no big deal and many smiles along the way.  Nothing like getting out of China.

We were in the hotel from lunch time until Ashim picked us up to go to the Golden Temple at 5:30 to see the sunset.  In the meantime, a 6.2 earthquake struck a small town between Islamabad and Lahore, where we had just been.  I was on the 6th floor and the building shook pretty vigorously.  By the time I was contemplating walking down the stairs, the quaking stopped.  Then sirens started up and a voice telling us to leave the building.  The sirens were more disturbing than the earthquake.  Just then Mark called me from outside after he was evacuated from the 3rd floor where he was getting a pedicure, dark blue toe nails this time.  We discussed the situation and agreed I would  stay put. Thankfully, the sirens stopped about then.  There were no aftershocks in Amritsar.  Later we learned that 19 people died, many were injured and there was a lot of damage to roads and buildings.

Masses of people walking toward the temple.  Notice how modern the buildings are and how nicely dressed the ladies.

At 5:30 we headed for the Sikh Golden Temple. It turns out the Sikhs are hard working, smart and have done very well for themselves economically.  Many of them are quite wealthy.  It should be no surprise that the temple is covered in 22 carat gold that is 3-4 mil thick everywhere, including the inside of the temple.  Many Sikhs live in Punjab to be near the temple and spend a great deal of time there.

Pano of Sunset on the Gold Temple.  It was more of a fade than a set.

Ashim gave us a good bit of information about Sikhs that I will try to condense here.  There are three offshoots of Hinduism: Jainism, which got started in 1500BC; Buddhism, which began about 500BC; and Sikhism, which came into being around the 15th century.  The founder of Sikhism was Guru Namak Dev.  He opposed idol worship and the inequality of the caste system.  He wanted to reform Hinduism, but his followers eventually started a new religion.  They developed 5 main symbols: 1.  Do not cut any hair on the body.  God gave it so one should keep it.  2. Keep a small wooden comb in or near the hair so one can keep it groomed.  3.  Were a metallic bracelet on the right wrist.  4.  Carry a dagger or sword close in case a weapon is needed.  5. Keep string handy so one can tie up their loose underwear.  Very few of these symbols are practiced today, except the bracelet, which is easy to wear.  Today only 2% of the Indian sub-continent is made up of Sikhs. 75% of the population is Hindu and 14-15% is Muslim.  Small pockets of Sikhs exist around the world including our own Sikh community in the Yuba City/Marysville area.

Slowly the lights come up on the temple as the sunlight fades.  The gold domed building at the right is where the Sikh holy book is kept at night.  It is treated like a living person, with a bed, blankets and lots of attention.  In the temple during the daytime, it is read from out loud all day.

Back to the temple.  It was built in 1589 by the 5th Sikh Guru.  We went to see it by sunset, but the sunset was a slow fade and barely noticeable.  The place was crowded with people walking around the temple and just hanging out.  Head covering was required of everyone and we complied.  As the sun faded, electric lighting slowly came up and eventually the temple glistened in the light.  It also made lovely reflections in the man made pond.

Filling distribution pails with yogurt curry or dal or vegetable stew.

Ladeling out portions to people. You must finish what is on your plate, but you may have as much as you want.

People sitting on the floor eating. There are several halls that each handle a couple hundred at a time.

When one room is full, another room is started. When a room is finished, everyone leaves and the clean up crew make the room ready for the another group.

Ashim explained that one of the ways the Sikhs try to eliminate the caste system is to feed people from a place of equality rather than out of hunger.  So hundreds of volunteers prepare, make, serve and clean up for thousands of others all economic levels to eat, no questions asked.  Sometimes 30,000 people will be fed in a day, every day.  The day we were there it looked more like 10,000 were being fed. That was still a lot of service.  We watched the whole process with friendly people acknowledging us wherever we looked.  It was an amazing experience.

The reflection at night

A group of tourists pose for my camera.

Facing the temple after leaving the dining halls.

Our last view of the temple.

By 8pm we had had enough and went back to our hotel for food we hoped we could eat without getting sick.  Comfort food was in order.  We each had pasta with aglio olio sauce.

September 22, 2019

This morning Shifa had a treat for us in the form of his nephew, Muhammad Nawaz.  He is the head of the technology section for the Aga Khan Cultural Services as well as Procurement, which means he is currently in charge of the renovations of the Lehore Fort and procuring the necessary equipment to make the renovations successful and expedient. The major donors he currently works with include the Embassies of Norway and Germany, and the government of Punjab.  The AK Development Network is worth $800 million, so he is well fixed to continue the restoration of the fort.

Original entrance to the Walled CIty of Lehore

The street immediately after passing through the entrance gate.

Another street view. No cars here.

We start our tour with Nawaz walking through the Old Walled city of Lehore.  The town dates back to 1000 BC, but the oldest existing buildings go back to 1555-6.  Then the British came and rebuilt the city in 1856.  Soon after passing under the entrance gate, we arrive at the Shahi Hammam, which dates back to 1635.  At that time it had 21 baths.  It is believed that the baths fell into disuse during the decline of the Mughal empire in the 18th century.  The building was used for many unrelated purposes for many years.  Eventually conservation efforts took place.  In 1991, the beautiful wall paintings were rediscovered under layers of paint.

The art was uncovered in 1991.

Fortunately the art had been preserved with many years of wall paint over it.

A sample of the art up close.

Can you find the face in the painting?

Angels over the arch.

In 2015 the underground workings were discovered and uncovered.

A cut away section of the spa where water and heat flowed through under the marble floors.

In 2013-15 the Aga Kahn Cultural Services, with the help of others, including Nawaz, the secrets of the Hammam were revealed including the original system for heating the building and the water for bathing.  With much advanced technology, the manner in which water was circulated in the building was also made clear.  The art and architecture were Persian, but the technology was Roman.  There were cold and hot baths as well as steam rooms.   Today we can get an understanding of the workings of the baths, both above ground where customers enjoyed the benefits, as well as below ground level where the water was heated and directed throughout the system.

A narrow street with many gas meters

The streets are get even narrower.

I stand elbow to elbow in the narrowest street.

Continuing our walk through the old city, we passed through the narrowest streets and neighborhoods and learned 25 residences have been restored by the Aga Kahn Cultural Service teams.  I am beginning to think Aga Kahn is everywhere.

The family looking down from their first floor walk up. They invited me up.

The old mother.

Sweet granddaughter

The younger grandson.

The sister with no children is doing the cooking.

The other daughter with her three children.

The whole family. There is no man around, but Shifa thinks there is one working somewhere.

The older grandson takes me back down the stairs.to the street.

I saw a family poking their heads out of an upstairs window and asked if I could come up.  Surprisingly, they said yes, so I went up a very narrow set of stairs to their one room space and encountered six people including a very old lady who did not get off her bed, two adult sisters and three children.  In the corner was a gas burner heating a pressure cooker with some kind of stew in it.  We tried unsuccessfully to communicate, but smiled a lot.  I took several photos, said good bye and left.

Entering the Wazir Kahn Mosque

The front of the mosque and its minaret.

The whole family gathers for a photo with us.

A joyful scene inside the mosque.

A description of the mosque.

In just a few steps, we were through the narrow streets and into an open market and courtyard, which contained the Wazir Khan Mosque, dating from 1634.  The mosque was finished in 1641 by the same man who built the Hammam.   The art work in both places is exquisite.

After visiting Old Town, the Hammam and the mosque, we stopped at an upscale restaurant and had a very nice lunch of dishes selected by Shifa and Nawaz.

THe exterior fort walls are on the left and the unprepared “painted wall” is on the right.

Work being done on a section of the wall.

Skliled workers work as quickly as possible.

Making replacement tiles .

Tedious hand work is required.

Removing and replacing the structure as they go.

A completed section.

Next up was the Lehore Fort.  We soon experienced Nawaz’s clout, when our car moved through barriers as if they did not exist.  He gives a nod or a smile and every gate opens for us until we are well inside the fort and have a great parking place.  Nawaz lead us up a hill to the top of a building where no tourists are allowed so we could see the results of the work his team of skilled craftsmen are doing and what is yet to be done.  There is a total of 200K square meters of inside exterior fort walls.  The outside exterior walls were built by Sikhs in 1566-80 and the total area of the fort is 49.5 acres.  Shah Jahan, who also built the Taj Mahal, built 80% of the buildings in the fort.

Nawaz pointed out the finished section of the  “picture wall” of the fort. 350 feet has been restored of the 1600 feet long picture wall.  We see the section being worked on currently and the long section yet to be done.  He has equipment that takes exact measurements and drawings of the pieces of art that remains on the walls and reconstructs what was there when the wall was new.  If the art cannot be correctly identified, they leave it blank rather than guess as this is meant to be a restoration, not a recreation.  He showed us examples of frescos as well as mosaic art.

A fresco in the mosque

A complete tile mosaic

Nawaz shows us his teams survey equipment, a Total Station.

A tiles mosaic needing repairs. The Total Station works great for this purpose.

After viewing the painted walls, we walked around the inside of the fort along with all the many other Pakistani tourists.  We visited the Badshahi  Mosque built by Mohguls in 1673-74 and the House of Mirrors built by Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal in the Hazuri Gardens of the fort.  We had fun with the mirrors and enjoyed the detailed marble friezes.

Crowds approach the Badshahi Mosque

The Badshahi Mosque at sunset

Shaking hands with a lovely bride.

THe bride’s hands are beautifully henna’d.

Prayertime inside the mosque.

Two Pakistanis who like the USA

The House of Mirrors built for Mumtaz Mahal. She died giving birth to her 14th child and never saw this place.

The entrance to the House of Mirrors

A closeup of the glass mirrors

Afamily enjoys looking through a marble frieze

A close up of a frieze.

Me in the mirror

Mark in the mirror too.

Lovely detail of the band of a column.

Mark connects with a rare Christian family.

We head for the gate.

I follow the couple out

The gate is just ahead.

Outside the gate, the traffic is crazy with motorcycles.

Finally, we leave the fort and had an hour break at the hotel from 5:30 to 6:30.  We managed a short dip in the pool for the first time since we left home.  Then Shifa and Nawaz took us shopping for Pakistani outfits for me.  We visited three different shops and purchased three different outfits.  Prices were most reasonable.  It was a bit weird having three men tag along on a shopping spree, but they were helpful and seemed to get into the process.  In the end I could have skipped the last outfit, but the boys seemed so certain I should buy it that I did.  No photos on this adventure.  At 9pm, we quit and went to a buffet restaurant so we could eat quickly.  We are finding that Pakistanis like buffet meals in general.  They are similar to our buffet places at home.

September 20, 2019

The population of Pakistan is 208 million and the country is almost twice the size of California, which has 40 million people.  Given that the snow-capped peaks are uninhabitable, the useable land is much closer in size to California, so you can begin to imagine how close together the Pakistanis live, especially in the flat, arable southern half of the country.  Pakistan is able to provide all its own food needs as well as iron, copper and salt.  The country exports mango’s, dried fruits, rice, cotton, medical equipment, rugs and textiles.  Necessary imports include: gasoline, vehicles, airplanes, industrial products, plastics and  technology.   Islamabad, compared to the lightly populated north, seemed very dense, even at only 1 million people.

At 9:30am, Shifa introduced us to our personal guide for the day, another Ishmaili schoolmate of his named Mueez, who is a PhD professor of archeology and history at the University of Islamabad.  We drove to the historic site of Taxila where several Buddhist monasteries once existed between 600BC and 600AD.  It was on a crossroads of trade.  Even Alexander the Great came here in 327BC and stayed for 6 months.  His effect on the local was long lasting as he brought Hellenism and Greek influences to art.  The first century sculptures of Buddha give him the facility  of Apolo and include Greek draped fabric.  Art developed into a mix of Greek, Central Asian and Indian Cithian.

Remember that you can enlarge any image by couple clicking on it.

A casket store along road to museum.

A family poses for us in front of the museum.

The professor and mark in front of a copy of the Stupa.

Buddha with the face of Apollo

Greek clothing on Buddha .

Another Greek looking Buddha,

An asian Buddha.

Head of King of India 180-170BC in mint condition.

One of three remaining stupas from about 250BC.

Mark standing on the stupa. The stone construction reveals the stupa’s age

Remains of monks cells.

A small stupa inside a cell indicates it was for a monk who died while meditating in his cell.

Layers of rock construction. The bottom is rubble. Later generations show improving construction techniques from the 2nd century AD through the 5th.

The Greek Temple, Jandial

Remains of a Greek column.

Remains of plaster from original construction.

After Alexander came King Ashoka Mouria, who killed many people to expand his empire.  However, he felt remorse at having killed so many and decided to become a monk.  In 270BC, he became the first king to embrace Buddhism.  He wrote 14 edicts in 3 scripts plus many languages.  As a result many people learned about Buddhism and converted.  The most important edicts were:  1) Stop the killing of animals; 2) Provide hospitals for animals as well as people; 3) Establish monasteries for teaching and preaching.  His edicts reached Rome and he was pleased he had made a major conquest without fighting. He established stupas for the placement of relics of Buddha’s body.  Originally there were 8 body parts and 8 stupas.  From those he went on to establish 75,000 stupas during his lifetime.  Now there are only 3 intact, of which one is at Taxila.

Today there are no monasteries or monks and only 100 Buddhist families live in Pakistan.  Between 500-600AD the Huns invaded Pakistan and demolished the monasteries.  Hinduism took hold in the 7th-9th centuries.  In 1001AD a Muslim leader, Mahmud, invaded Peshawar and defeated the Hindu leader, Jaipal.  This was the beginning of Islam in this area.  By the 7th century, Islam had reached Iran and by the 8th century, Afghanistan was Islamic too.

After looking through the museum, which Mueez has made much more interesting for us, we drove to two different sites in Taxila.  It was too hot to spend any more time outdoors.  The first stop was Dharmarajika Monastery, where we saw the remains of the stupa King Ashoka built circa 270BC.   It consisted of a large mound made of stone and dirt, surrounded by monk cells and smaller square stupas, which were to honor deceased monks.

The second stop was the Jandial Temple, built on the site where Alexander supposedly sacrificed a horse.  The temple was built in 200BC.  It is Greek in style including columns.

After departing Taxila, we drove into Rawalpindi, the twin city to Islamabad, only much older.  On the way to a restaurant at the Pearl Intercontinental Hotel, we drove by a Catholic church, St Paul’s.  That was a nice surprise.  Apparently, according to the stats, 3.6% of the population is Christian and Hindu.

St Paul’s Catholic Church, Rawalpindi.  Sure caught my eye.  Would like to have visited it.

Rawalpindi, at 2.11 million people, is more than twice the population of Islamabad and more than twice as busy.  After lunch we spent the afternoon walking through the old town bazaar, chatting with people and taking photos.  The afternoon was a lot of fun.  We bought more fake ruby stones, ie glass, and mixed it up with people.  Observed the old architecture and crazy wiring, the Hindu temple at a distance, shopped for lingerie, and other adventures.  At the end of the afternoon we took a wild rickshaw ride through and out of the bazaar. Whew!

Searching for the perfect stones.

The gemstone vendor.

Making a sale.

Miscellaneous grains.

A fake flower seller.

Another lady purchasing something.

A future buyer.

Want a rooster for food or a fight?

Taking a snackbreak.

A kitchen pot vendor-steel and aluminum.

THis lady looks like the drapery on the wall.

A colorful girl in a colorful store.

Mother and her children on purpose.

Do you have a bra that will fit me?

What size bra do you need, lady?

An old building with contemporary wiring.

A pretty women walks by.

Kids eating Pakistani ice cream cones.

Grilled corn for sale.

A very old entrance.

This looks like the Good Will bin. Can she find what she needs?

Another shopper gives me a nice look.

These girls wanted a photo with Mark and tried out their English on him.

Two colorful outfits on Pakistani ladies.

Spare tires for sale.

Who is it that did not want her photo taken? Strange sight.

Riding in a rickshaw with an underage driver was a bit scary.

School kids hoofing it home..

Catching a rickshaw ride home.

Took a quick break in our room to clean up before going to visit the Faisal Mosque, the  14th largest in the world, holding 74 thousand people. It was built between 1976 and 1986 by King Faisal, who spent 120 million on the facility and was assassinated by his brother before it’s completion.  It was interesting to see the mosque at night all lit up.  There were many people walking around and children running and screaming everywhere in the courtyard.

Faisal Mosque at night.

The wall for ablutions.

Approach to the entrance of the mosque.

A view of the inside of the mosque.

The courtyard in front of the mosque

Another courtyard view.

We were not allowed into the mosque so we hung out for awhile, then went to dinner back at the hotel.

September 17, 2019

Here is the map I have intended to send for days.  Finally, Shifa was able to get it downloaded.  It goes with the last couple of posts, so you will have to refer back to previous days to match the places with the adventures.  I hope you find this helpful.

Map of Pakistan from Gilgit to Islamabad.  The green line is our path.  On the 19th we drive from Khapulu back to Skardu and fly to Islamabad in the lower left corner of the map.

On the morning of the 17th, we had another leisurely breakfast in the dining room at the Shigar Fort.  I was recovered from the tourista and Mark’s leg is returning to normal. For the first time since this trip began, we had some rain and wind and felt cold enough to eat indoors.  At 9am, Shifa and Mark went to the tailor’s to see if Mark’s Shalwar Kamiz was ready.  It was, it fit well and it cost a total of 600 rupees or $4 plus 1800 rupees or $12 for the fabric.

Mark and Shifa in their Shalwar Kimiz’s in the queens sitting room at the Khapalu Palace.

What a deal.  He now has an impressive outfit to wear to dinner parties for less than $20.  He couldn’t leave the tailor’s place without giving the tailor a tip for his time and quality. There is a photo of the tailor in the last post.  We learned that he had polio, but we never saw him walk.  We only know he had a pleasant personality and was happy for the work.

Back at the fort, we checked out and began our next long drive to Khapalu.  It was ever so much easier than the drive through Deosai National Park.  The roads were paved almost all the way and the trip took only 4 hours.  We started by following the Indus River for a good distance until it was intercepted by the Shyok River.  After crossing the Indus, which had grown huge by then, we followed the Shyok River, which was no small rover itself.

THe confluence of the Indus and the Shyok Rivers. We followed the Shyok up river to the right.

Stopped at a check point we captured these truck passengers trying to keep dry and warm. They looked miserable. I wondered how far they had to travel.

We had to stop to let these trucks go by.

This truck looked attractive, but took up a lot of the roadway.

What a scene. Two tricks facing off . Somebody had to give. Finally, the tanker backed up until there was a wide spot in the road.

Shifa had promised to keep the trip as short a possible, so we made very few stops.  One of them was in a village he told us was Suni and that many of the people were of the very strict Wahabi sect.  They may not want women or girls to be seen in public or educated, or photographed.   They believe in Shuria law.  Suni men can generally be identified by their beards.  Long scraggly beards and no mustache often means the man is Wahabi.  We saw a few as we passed through the village, but we had to stop when we saw a public primary school full of girls let out for the day.  I made the mistake of trying to take photos.  All the girls scattered and I got nothing.  This was one of those cases when it would have been better to have a live experience rather than a photo memory.  The good news is that now Wahabi Suni’s in this region are also willing to allow girls to be educated.

The girls screamed and alerted the ones behind them when they saw my camera.

Then the scattered as fast as possible.

For those who had no place to run, they covered their faces and looked away. They all looked pretty in their national public school uniforms.

THe girls school looked to be in good condition.

This sign on the school wall struck me odd for a young girls school. And what has China got to do with anything.

Driving down the road we encountered a forest of poplar trees that had been planted in perfect rows along the road and were very attractive.   Khajullah stopped to let me capture the scene.

Poplars along the road.

We made one more brief stop at a craft center.  The place was supposedly under construction but could have been in a state of collapse as well.  We saw 2 women weaving fabric in very unpleasant conditions.  The manager told us they do it to make money for their families. One woman’s husband is disabled and she has two children and him and herself to feed.  The display space was dark and dirty and the products nearly impossible to examine.  Nothing to do, sadly, except leave.

THe 2 story messy construction site where ladies came to make crafts.

One lady making what looked like a blanket with an interesting pattern in it.

THe other lady was adding a very intricate detail to her weaving. It was very appealing with many different colors.

We reached the Serena Khapalu Palace around 2:30.  Shifa stuck to his 4 hour time line for which I was grateful.  At the palace we were given a choice of rooms and after seeing the royal digs, we were most happy to take a less-than-royal room. The royal rooms were old, dark and considerably less comfortable.

A young lady welcomes us into Khapalu Palace.

The Khalalu Palace built in 1840.

The courtyard in front of the Palace was used for parties, festivals and sporting events.

Entrance to the royal chambers

The raja’s bedroom

The meeting room of the Raja

The queen’s bedroom.

The queens sitting room.

The royal kitchen.

The newer room we took has a large balcony.

The palace was built in 1840 as a residence and was not used for defense.  Only three Raja’s lived there before the Khapalu kingdom was abolished in 1973 and the province go Gilgit Baltistan was nationalized.  The last kingdom to fail occurred one year later when Hunza collapsed and the kingdom system was abolished.  The Palace was restored between 2005 and 2010 with the Aga Khan Cultural Service providing expertise and the Government of Norway providing the necessary funds.

The scenery is more mountainous at Khapalu than at Shigar, and very lovely, bot it does not the lush green vegetation, and roaring river that I loved at the Shigar Fort.  The rain stopped about an hour after we left Shigar, and the mountains everywhere had a dusting of snow on them.  Rain at 9,000 means snow at 15,000 and above.

After settling into our room, we had a delicious bowl of local soup with home made noodles and spices served on our terrace and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine.  Fortunately, we had a new menu to consider for dinner ands had one of our better Pakistani meals that night.