personal and travels
A photo of us at the Taj Mahal one chilly early morning in December last year. Our tour guide took this photo. It was a wonderful experience. Isn’t it lovely?
Frontier trivia of the day:
There are calligraphies everywhere in the Taj Mahal compounds. As we enter through the gate of the Taj, there is one that says, “O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you.”
Namashtè! I just want to share these photos we took a while back. You see this man, he did not look like a beggar to me, but after all, we were strangers to the place. But our tour guide said that he collected money for the elephants, his elephants, or for the sake of the elephants, whatever it was. It was fine, we really were going for an elephant ride just for experience, which in the end, I found it so much fun. That day he had an elephant with him on the road carrying a load on its back. It was just one of those elephants we always see on the roads. What I like about this picture are his clothes and the silverware he’s carrying, and also his bag. Somehow I felt satisfied being able to capture them.
Frontier trivia of the day:
In India there are a total of 3,400 domesticated elephants owned by different groups, and 23,900 – 32,900 total elephants in the wild (eleaid.com)
I spotted this man weaving a carpet. It was beautiful.
There are many souvenirs to buy, and other products in India that they also export, and one of them are carpets. We stopped by one large store to see their products for sale. Most of that store’s displays were jewelry items, carved products and woven stuff. In one corner of the store I spotted this man weaving a carpet. It was beautiful. Such an intricate handwork, that it is so great seeing what he has woven thus far. Of course he must have very long patience.
Frontier trivia of the day:
The hand-knotted pile carpet probably originated in Central Asia. The importance of carpets in the culture of Turkmenistan is such that the national flag features a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs). (Wikipedia)
This was on our way out from the Taj Mahal. Children selling souvenirs. The girl was selling a pencil. I have had a load of souvenirs that time. It was a great time. It gave me the souvenir of the Taj not just in pictures but in my mind, forever.
Frontier trivia of the day:
Poor children in India begin working at a very young and tender age. Children are often exploited and deprived of their rights in India, and until further measures are taken in the matter of tackling the problem of child labour, many Indian children will continue to live in poverty. (indianchild.com)
It was rough. So rough! I was not expecting that hubby wanted me to ride a camel while we were there in Agra right after our Taj Mahal tour. Of course I grabbed the opportunity, for an experience, that I didn’t mind climbing up the uncomfortable camel’s back. The owner didn’t even put a decent covering there (he was as surprised as I was), but “I’m a cowboy” kumbaga. It was very funny and rough experience. All the people around in the streets were amused and laughing because I am sure my face was showing something funny when the camel started to get up. Camels can run up to 65 km/h (40 mph) in short bursts and sustain speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph), and I mean it. Those long slender legs walk so fast we were a good distance already in less than a minute. We paid 500 rupees for the ride, a rough 2 minute ride.
Frontier trivia of the day:
The kidneys and intestines of a camel are very efficient at retaining water (hence perfect in the desert). Urine comes out as a thick syrup, and their feces are so dry that they can fuel fires. (Wikipedia)
The monsoony afternoon clouds over Juhu beach, Bombay (Mumbai, India). Taken from the hotel we stayed in. It was a good day sky watching from the inside, and also watching thousands of Indians lazying out the afternoon ashore. It was a regular delight for me watching them and sometimes joining them. See the stormy weather did not prevent them from spending the time with their lovers, family and friends playing ball, sitting or sleeping on the sand despite the multitude, or even daring to swim in the grayish waters.
Weekend Snapshot – 32 
One of the street children in India posing for a smile while knocking on the car windows for alms.
