Just outside of Kathmandu there is an ancient city called Bhaktapur, with beautiful erotic wood carvings and exquisite art. This was our first stop in Kathmandu Valley. The wood carvings on the facades of the buildings were amazing. Not only because of their detail but because they have withstood the test of time. The city was founded in the 12th Century by King Dev Malla. "From time immemorial it lay on the trade route between Tibet/China and India. This position on the main caravan route made the town rich and prosperous: each autumn the traders from Tibet came with sheep ("cha [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our friend Ira who lives in Nepal took us out on the town and then dancing. Ira is Sagar's girlfriend. We enjoyed dinner at Tamas Restaurant and went dancing at Insomnia. On Saturday night we met Ira's family and she cooked us a traditional vegetarian Nepalese dinner. Yum. She is fun, beautiful, and she cooks. Its easy to see why Sagar loves this girl so much. People work on Sundays in Nepal, so Saturday night is their Sunday night. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Loved this place. Living in Delhi, some days you feel insignificant in a city of 20 million people. You begin to get a little cynical because someone is always trying to sell you something or get the better of you. Kathmandu didn't feel so impersonal. Maybe because there were not as many hungry people and peddlers approaching you. You could settle down a little and let down your shield. Our friend Ira who lives in Nepal, took us for a walk in the Thamel area on the evening of our arrival. The Thamel area has many skinny streets with charming shops [View Full Entry]

---

---

Sas Bahu. 1100 AD. Pashupatinath. Hindu Cremation. "At Nagda in Rajasthan are the remains of the Sahasra Bahu temples of the 9th & 10th century AD, dedicated to Vishnu. The temples are now in partial ruins but one can still marvel at their original splendour, the artisanry and the perfect geometry that must have been the hallmark of that era!" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahasra_Bahu_Temples Sadly, our tour guide said that since Sas Bahu is not protected by the Indian Government, this 1100 AD temple is periodically pillaged by poachers with parts of the structure (chipped out) and [View Full Entry]

---

---

Kim had enough of the car so she decided to seek entertainment locally while Kathleen, Jennifer and I headed out to see Ranakpur. In a trip that included one stunner after another, this had to be the single biggest stunner encountered while traveling with my sisters. "The renowned Jain temple at Ranakpur is dedicated to Adinatha. Light colored marble has been used for the construction of this grand temple which occupies an area of approximately 60 x 62 meters. The temple, with its distinctive domes, shikhara, turrets and cupolas rises majestically from the slope of a hill. Over 1444 m [View Full Entry]

---

---

Lake Palace. Jen and Kath gave us a date night. So Kim and I went to dinner on the lake! The Lake Palace is right in the middle of the lake in front of the City Palace. See down one blog! [View Full Entry]

---

---

Upaipur was ruled by the same family for 1300 years without forceful invasion from Islam or the British. For that reason, you will see some of the most preserved temples and traditions. "Standing on the east bank of lake Pichola, is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559 A.D. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic views of "Jag Niwas" (the world wide famous Lake palace hotel), Jag Mandir on one side and on the other the city of Udaipur. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate - the Tripolia, built in 1725. The way now [View Full Entry]

---

---

"Jaipur is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur. Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber. By 2003, after only 276 years, the population had reached approximately 2.7 million. Built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone, the city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six quarters separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central [View Full Entry]

---

---

Kathleen Kerwin heard about the Tiger Safari in India so off we went in search of Tigers. "Ranthambore is a national park and tiger reserve in the Rajasthan state of western India. It is located in Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan, about 130 km from Jaipur, which is also the nearest airport. The nearest town and railway station is at Sawai Madhopur, 11 km away. The park lies at the edge of a plateau, and is bounded to the north by the Banas River and to the south by the Chambal River. There are several lakes in the park. It [View Full Entry]

---

---

Dan's sisters Kathleen and Jennifer are visiting. Kathleen is visiting from London and Jennifer is visiting from California. On Saturday we visited the Lotus Temple, Jantar Mantar, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Delhi Sikh Temple, and Gandhi's place of cremation. Here are more details. Medical tests have confirmed that the entire family is missing the chromosome that governs "reasonable behavior." This family roams about the planet exhibiting unusual and socially suspect behavior. Lotus Temple, "According to Bahá'í teachings, religious history has unfolded through a series of God's messenger [View Full Entry]

---

---