India snapshot (#7)

A meditating monkey on a wall of Amber Fort, heedless of the surrounding crowd…

India snapshot (#6)

Still in snapshot mode, with the view of the procession of elephants carrying tourists up to the magnificent Amber (or Amer) Fort, north of Jaipur. (Getting there in early morning allowed us to avoid the press of visitors and to enjoy the place even more!)

India snapshot (#5)

Another obvious candidate for a snapshot, the iconic Palace of the Winds or Hawa Mahal (हवा महल), Jaipur, in its morning glory before the crowds appeared.

India snapshot (#4)

Although the visit of the Ranthambore National Park felt too much like a tourist trap, with dozens of jeeps and trucks criss-crossing the dirt roads at a density such that it is surprising they ever see tigers!, it was quite informative to observe the reactions (and plain colonial attitudes) of our fellow jeep passengers:

- (To me) Could you sit in the middle? I had the middle seat on the previous trip and I could not see a thing.

- (To the driver, after crossing a cattle herd) Now that we have seen these cows, could we please move somewhere where we can see some wild animals? Is this still the National Park? We are supposed to spend the visit in the National Park!

- (To the driver, as we were visibly heading back) Sir, we have paid till 10:30, there remains one hour, could we go somewhere else in the park and look for some wild animals? We should be given another chance to see tigers…

नया साल मुबारक