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India - a journey to me
  • ArtyGirl

India - a journey to me

India - coming face to face with my heritage. Meeting old friends and new. A creative Odessa with a horse or two thrown into the mix. En savoir plus
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  • ArtyGirlIndia - a journey to meVoyageur
    1

    Snakes and Elephants.

    31 janvier 2024, Inde ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    I had the best experience with the rescue elephants at Dera Amer today.

    I made two new friends today. Lakshmi and ‘Colourful Garlands’ Must look up her name. Something Mala, I think. They were gentle, graceful, majestic and could certainly teach me a thing or two about being in the moment. Content just to be together in the shade. Lakshmi complaining only when the unfortunate camel came too close. Also a rescue. Their mahouts encouraging them to eat their greens as a parent consoles a toddler. I could have sat for hours content in their company. Good to share the experience with my guide and driver. Glad they came to meet my new friends. Quite a wrench leaving. On my part anyhow.

    I lie - I made three friends. There was Carlos too. Spying me with his beady eye but content to be petted on his terms only. I guess one doesn’t get up close and personal with a cobra too often!

    Amber Palace beautiful. Again blown away by the scale and majesty of these grand buildings.    En savoir plus

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  • ArtyGirlIndia - a journey to meVoyageur

    Jaipur - it’s all in the detail

    2 février 2024, Inde ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Jaipur - the Pink City. Look closely and you will see so much more. It’s a city of intricate carvings on arches and columns and doorways. If it’s not carved it’s painted. Intricately carved screens for the ladies of the Royal Court and hidden galleries. I bet they had fun out of sight.

    An interesting morning with the Pink City Rickshaw company - a charitable organisation run by women for women. Rickshaws are bumpy and bring you up close - like really close and personal. A sports bra is required.

    Krishna temple very musical lots of singing, dancing, clapping. Anything goes. Mounds of petals in deep orange hues at the flower market. Their perfume heady and rich, to combat the nose of stale eau de yellow water and rotting vegetation mingled with cow. The vendors, predominantly male a touch intimidating.

    A morning sketching in the sunshine and yet more shopping.    En savoir plus

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  • ArtyGirlIndia - a journey to meVoyageur
    2

    A Royal Palace Bhanwar

    5 février 2024, Inde ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    A surreal two days at Bhanwar Villas Palace. The warmest of welcomes from two and four leggeds. Marwari horses have the softest noses and cutest curly ears. Unfortunately they don’t speak English and my Hindi is somewhat limited but we got along just fine in the end.

    The Maharajah and Maharini don’t stand on ceremony. They are an extraordinary couple with incredible vision and foresight combined with a strong passion for India and her people. Amongst other things they have set up sewing cooperative for the women in the villages - (how do they sew on the floor?) He is a keen farmer and lover of nature and has a passion for the Marwari horses. Palomino ones. They have both been involved in politics, with the Maharani holding office of Mayor. ‘A Princess Remembers’ is up there on the reading list. It’s all related. There is so much to learn.

    The family lived in the City Palace until 1932. A sprawling complex of helmet shaped domes intricately carved stonework and richly decorated walls. It is currently being restored - the artists having been trained by their son. Fascinating to watch them at work. It’s a sensitive merging of the old and new. It’s clever leaving sections of the original artwork to contrast and compare.    En savoir plus

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  • ArtyGirlIndia - a journey to meVoyageur
    2

    Chambal powercuts and wildlife

    8 février 2024, Inde ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Sometimes first impressions can be misleading. The two nights at Chambal turned out to be a tonic after initial first impressions and monosyllabic welcome. Good craic with an American group on an extensive wildlife/birding trip. They took me under their wing (pun intended) and the rest is history.

    The Chambal River is unholy which means it is incredibly clean and teaming with wildlife. A boat-trip with twitchers is incredibly relaxing when one isn’t trying to take photos. They clicked away constantly and exclaiming in delight or despair. They could barely contain themselves watching the skimmers - up there on the must see list apparently! They’re pretty birds, fascinating watching them skim the water, beak wide open. Gharials and, crocodiles basking in the sunshine, huge turtles and plenty of bird life but the dolphin remained elusive.

    I wanted to gatecrash the afternoon boat session but went with the original itinerary. Discarded havelis - texture, peeling paint, crumbling bricks and noisy curious children. Stark contrast to the serenity sitting on the banks of the Yamuna River sketching the Bateshwar Temples whilst waiting for the sunset. And how glorious it was when it arrived. Met a lovely couple from Englandshire. She’ll not forget her trip having been bitten by a monkey in Agra! Don’t look at the monkey. Amazing food and great company deep in the heart of rural India. Loved every minute - despite the power cuts.    En savoir plus

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    Fin du voyage
    10 février 2024