Shirley and I went to India in the summer of 1998 to visit family. It was amazing how much the country had changed since I'd last been there in 1977. The main purpose of the trip was to see family and that was definitely the highlight. Having said that, we did have plenty of opportunities to see the sights so I'm including a few pictures.
Yes, those snakes are real. Contrary to the popular stereotype, snake charmers are relatively rare in India. These guys ain't crazy -- they take the venom out of the snakes before bringing them into crowds.
Below is a night view of the City Palace in Udaipur from our hotel window at the Lake Palace Hotel (which has been 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. Most stuff 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 a picture of Shirley and me in traditional Indian dress. Aside from looking really sharp, the clothing is amazingly comfortable and practical
The sari that Shirley is wearing in the other picture was probably made using tools and procedures much like what is shown below...
