I've been to India a number of times, most recently in 2008 with Shirley to visit family. It is amazing how much the country has changed since I first started going in 1976. The main purpose of my trips is to see family and that is always the highlight. However, I've always succeeded in getting out to see a few sights so I'm including a few pictures.

India is an absolutely fascinating country on a number of levels. You can walk through cities that have been continuously inhabited for the past 5000 years, experience cultural and linguistic diversity in daily life that goes well beyond anything we're used to in the States, and there are always the natural and manmade wonders. When people think of India's treasures, the Taj Mahal normally comes to mind. However, that's just the beginning. Everywhere you go, there are you'll find temples and other places with great significance that have been in use for so long that the line between history and legend has become too blurred to distinguish the two.

Yes, those snakes on the left are real. Contrary to the popular stereotype, snake charmers are relatively rare in India, and I didn't see any on our 2008 trip. These guys ain't crazy -- they take the venom out of the snakes before bringing them into crowds.

On the right is a night view of the City Palace in Udaipur from our hotel window at the Lake Palace Hotel (which was featured in a James Bond movie and a VISA commercial). As far as I'm concerned, this place sets the standard for how hotels should be.

People say that the United States is a service economy, but I've never understood why. Everything is self service in the US. People shop in huge stores where you can't even find staff, they have to throw out their trash after eating in many restaurants, and when you go someplace like a hotel, you have to reach in your pocket every time someone performs some small service.

In places that offer real service, you pay up in advance or at the end rather than being pestered all the time. On a similar note, Shirley got sick while we were in Udaipur. The doctor came to visit her right in our room and this was regarded as a normal thing to do. Housecalls haven't been the norm in the US for ages.

Since I also observe the general custom of taking pictures of famous things that I've already seen pictures of, here's the Taj Mahal. Incidentally, pictures don't do a very good job of showing how amazing some things actually are. The Taj is absolutely huge and is encrusted with semiprecious stones. As a monument to Shah Jehan's wife, as a work of art, and as an engineering marvel, it's really something to behold.


 

Above and to the right is a picture of Sikri, a town built in the 16th century by Akbar (grandfather of Shah Jehan, the builder of the Taj Mahal) which was designed to be a utopia of sorts. Unfortunately, it was abandoned after 15 years due to a lack of fresh water.

This is what sunset looks like at Kajuraho. Lots of people come a long way to see the erotic sculpture here (which leaves nothing to the imagination), but it's a spectacular place regardless of your views on art or interest in ancient religions.

Below is how Shirley and I looked in traditional Indian dress back in 1998. Aside from looking really sharp, the clothing is amazingly comfortable and practical. Young people like jeans nowadays, but that seems nuts when temperatures go over 100 degrees Farenheit with 98% relative humidity.

The sari that Shirley is wearing in the other picture was probably made using tools and procedures much like what is shown below. Many things in India are still done with manual labor and simple tools, and many things they produce are much better than we make with machines.

 

India contains well over a billion people, but the diversity of wildlife is absolutely mind blowing. You can still see elephants and tigers in the wild. Many of the fish people eat are caught in ponds among houses in major cities, and monkeys are often found in populated areas. It's hard to see such a place and not conclude there's a decent chance humans might be able to survive without totally screwing up the planet.