80 Million At the Ganges

Though I am temporarily back in New York City, I'm still tethered to India in some way; suddenly I notice things, or take interest in things about India or its culture that would have previously not grabbed my interest. Living there has somehow connected my spiritually to this exotic land.  my soul, as I prepare to head back there at the end of the month.

The Magic of Snow

I've been in India for six months, and its been an interesting and enjoyable stay.

The Unexpected Can be The Adventure

On the road to nowhere

Often as a traveler, you stumble onto interesting little mini-adventures when en route to somewhere else. And thus was the case when my friend Jacqueline (who is here in India for a visit) and I decided to go to the Bannerghatta National Park on my motorcycle. We planned on also stopping off at the Bannerghatta Zoo. No problem; I’d set the navigator with the destination and it would talk me there. Well, no....

Four Months of Contradictions

With her pending visit, Jacqueline was asking me "what's it like," in India.  After four months on the ground I still can't answer that question.

The Sound of Diwali

It thundered all around me. As I sat on my terrace watching fireworks light up the sky, more omnipresent was the sound of what could be compared to cannon and musket fire up close and in your ears in the street. This is just a part of Diwali, the celebration of lights.

The Road to MYSORE

I felt tense; my mind racing, my adrenaline flowing. I was being assaulted by the rain as we streaked along the Bangalore-Mysore Highway at speeds up to 100-120 kilometers an hour, swerving in and out of traffic.  Our three motorcycles in a row (with two riders each), only feet apart, trailed the vehicles before us waiting for a crack of opportunity. Then without warning, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, one closely followed by the other shot through the sliver of opening as we raced towards Mysore. Had I lost my mind?  Welcome to yet another India experience.

My Front Row View of Diwali

Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights (deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy.