Eastern Andhra Pradesh my views The range of Jerdon's Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus (classified as Endangered) defines this Secondary Area. It is a poorly known nocturnal bird, recorded historically from the Penner and Godaveri valleys in Andhra Pradesh (east-central India; see map, p.400) and was assumed extinct (King 1978-1979) until its rediscovery in January 1986. It is found in thin scrub on rocky and undulating ground including disturbed areas where regeneration is affected by grazing and firewood collection (Bhushan 1986a,b, Ali and Ripley 1987). Recent records are from an area of c.2,000km2 around the Lankamalai ranges (near the Penner valley) in southern Andhra Pradesh. Two protected areas, Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary and Sri Venkateswara National Park, have recently been gazetted there, and a third is planned in a nearby area where the courser has been reported (Bhushan 1992).
From Blog: Tropical Wonderland--Cochi to Alleppey "In reality all you're doing is walking barefoot through a toilet.". Excellent! You captured it perfectly. This is one thing India teaches everyone, never ever let your guards off at any level including thinking poetically (-;
Welcome Home! Hi Chris, What a trip. That was really something. I enjoyed reading it. I would be interested to see your comparison of Spain and India. Enjoy Spain. Please try to come into HT some time.
Tom
love your india blogs. i've been dreaming of going and started reading the blogs to live vicariously through adventures such as this. yours are especially amusing, keep them coming!
Holi Day Hi Chris,
I can't believe the festivals they have over there. It seems so crazy. Plus seeing the pictures of elephants and cows on the wall that they worshop...seems so different than here. I would have liked to hear more about the Taj mahal (sp?) But thats ok. the pictures are great.
If the Holi party is that crazy, I can only imagine what it must be like after 1:00!
Brilliant!! Went through all of your posts on Egypt. The "gay" incident really had me in peels of laughter. They are eunuchs or castrated men. :) They can be a little annoying at times. Inescapable in India.
wild white woman Hi Chris,
continue to love reading your blogs... seeing your pics.
ahh finally the Taj mahal!!
and I'm pretty sure that she is in St Louis, on her last semester before graduating, but the Wild White Woman sure looks like Mary Thomas!!!!
Peace and stay safe.
Karen Thomas
Elephant Festival Included your photo in the thread "Festivals around the World". Would u know if the Festival of the Elephants is a yearly celebration? Where and what time of the year?
End to end info about Udaipur I visited Udaipur some time back and when I am reading this piece of writing, incredible, I remember each and everything I did. Great post.
Naveen
http://www.travelspice.com
(An emerging holiday planner in Hyderabad, India)
Travel Adventures Hi Chris, Sounds like you're doing well. I love to read the stories about the sites you see and people you meet. The destinations are all so foreign, but it looks like you have grown quite accustomed to travelling through India. I look forward to seeing pictures of the Himalayas (one destination I have heard of!) Also sounds like you're visiting some really enjoyable places with clean rooms and good food now. If there are alot of tourists, its probably nice. Sounds like you might be ready to get home (just a little). Enjoy the rest of your time there and stay safe.
"It was one of those unfortunate moments where in the mind you are having a poetic evening walking along a beautiful beach with a stunning sunset, feeling the water lap at your ankles and cool breeze alone in an abandoned tropical paradise. In reality all you're doing is walking barefoot through a toilet. After uttering a few expletives and giving the men a disgusted look I put my sandals back on and began the trek back to my hotel."
hahaha. Loved this line.
Knowing Hinduism Hi Chris,
I guess you must be throughly confused with the various answers you get for any question on hinduism. It is true that there is no religion to be called as Hinduism. It is more a set of rules and regulations to be followed and is called as "Sanathana Dharma". This Dharma is very vast and will vary from region to region and takes different forms as you travel across lenght and breadth of India. If someone really wants to know about the religion in totality, they will need to spend time under a Guru and will still remain without answers even after a life time.
So, overall it takes a life to know all the customs and traditions in India and still remain ignorant of lot of things you come across.
But overall, we can say that the Vedas, upanishads and bhagavad Gita would help one to understand the religion. And yeah, to make things simpler for you, I would say we believe in karma and re-birth. Just google for "Understanding Vedas" and you will be amazed by the content.....
I am wanting to learn more about my own religion, but this requires a lot of patience and right guru who would take me under his care....
I was hired 8 weeks ago by Baltimore County Police. Telling you this serves two purposes: 1) I got a job. Hooray. 2) The point you made about the police in Egypt is very intriguing.
I'm glad you seem to be expanding mentally throughout this trip, as is evident in your writing; I was worried your mind would shut down from all of the overwhelming daily events.
Stay Safe.
The School and Egypt Hi Chris,
Sounds like you're doing well. I liked reading about your time at the school. Again, very good writing. Mrs. Large sounds like quite a good person. It must be difficult to take care of so many children under these circumstances. The children look healthy and happy in the pictures.
It must be interesting for you to see the news on Egypt, especially after just leaving there. I think you're right about the causes of this uprising. Media here downplays the role of the current world eceonomic crisis, but that does play a role there, just as you noted, I think. Take care.
Katelyn, etc Hi Chris, I check your blog now and then and am impressed with your adventures and your writing. Just an FYI since you're writing here about Egypt. Katelyn and the other students are being evacuated tomorrow from Alexandria.. arriving DC on Tuesday or Wed. If you haven't read her latest blog entries, they're interesting.
Stay safe... keep writing! Patrice
so happy you are not in Egypt Hi, Sean told me you were travelling and I just had to see if you were in Egypt at the moment. So glad to see that you are not. Your trip sounds amazing!
I am an Indian and really thankful to people like you,who care to do what u r doing,though i am very optimistic about India's future,last few lines were a real heartbreak.When children do not want to join the army of their own country ,there must be something very wrong with the system of education or our society..
14 weeks to go I must say that I am regretful to not have read your blog all along the way, but have "crammed" blogging tonight and am happy to be up to date. Your record of your travels will one day be for you a treasure. No step is really "wrong", I believe you have the right philosophy for life that many of us should adopt! ... which is empty your mind, relax, move slowly. God Bless you Chris as you continue this journey. and blessings to your sister Liana, too! I, along with your mother will continue to pray for your Guardian Angels.
Happy New Year Glad you and Liana were able to hook up. Sounds like a great place and a great experience. I am just a little worried about the effect this trip seems to be having on your eyes. The beard, on the other hand, is looking good.
From New York City Dear Chris,
First - allow me to CONGRATULATE you on your acceptances to Michigan, NYU, Cornell, Penn, and Vanderbilt Law Schools. This is absolutely wonderful news! You are in the drivers seat. I'm not sure I know anyone who has been accepted to so many quality schools. I'm sure you will be offered some $ and will have wonderful choices to make. Everyone is so proud of you and Nana and Papa are looking down at you with all of the happiness in the world. I look forward to hearing from the other schools to which you have applied.
We all missed you and talked about you constantly during Christmas. Going to the Bavarian Inn was sad and fun on many levels. The first time we went there you were 18 months old and so very cute but sick at Christmas. Nana and Papa were healthy and of course Papa was still working.
We all met at your house with Rick's family (I'm sure you know this.) We get such a big laugh out of Rhys. Everything he does is funny. We all had fun together but we missed you. We saw pictures of Rick's new house. It is really going to be nice and we can't wait to see it.
As you know, Tom has been working in Chicago since June, but he was home for 10 days which was great. I have not seen him for more than 3 days since June. It has been a bummer.
Mary is still loving school but she studies all of the time. A lot of her friends did study abroad during the fall and she is happy that they will be back for fall semester.
I have basically had a 2 week vacation which I really needed. I've been on a treadmill since last March when I got a promotion. I was really sleep deprived and I think I have caught up on my sleep. It has been great to relax a little.
Your travel blog is extremely interesting as are your pictures. Few people have an understanding of India that you now have. Maybe you should consider working for the State Department when you finish Law School. I found your analysis of India vs China to be fascinating. I am really bothered by China. It bothers me so much that the US is in debt to a communist country. They have us by the throat. What were we thinking and how did this happen? What a mess.
I look forward to reading more entries from your blog. I apologize for not writing more often.
Love,
Sandy
Strange Re-acquaintance This is your cousin Scott Swinton now living in the SF Bay Area of California. We just got a Christmas letter from your mom (my aunt Jan) and she included your blog address.
Great writing. I look forward to keeping up with your adventures.
Feel free to visit my blog (www.cycling-through.blogspot.com)
God Bless
Tribals Hi
I can understand your thoughts on the tribals living in Orissa and how less privileged they are.
Majority of the Indians dont feel burdened by the thought that they have to improve others life.
They think it is a part of Karma system. Karma theory perfectly explains why kids are born in different circumstances and why people are endowed with different types of skills/possessions/things.
This is in complete contrast to the whiteman's burden, where the so called civilized population thinks that it is their duty to civilise the rest of population. Inreality, this has only resulted in destruction of culture and civilization - think about South American tribes.
So we allow the development / civilization to sink in rather than go to them with a missionary zeal to uplift / modernise them. There are tribes (Lambady or Korwa in Tamil Nadu) which are completely urbanized, but still stick to their tribal way of living. These tribes have been living on the fringes of cities for a long time. But only in the very recent years have they started mixing with the civilized population - that too because they chose it.
You may find my comments to be rude; if yes, I apologise for the same.
Awesome The end-of-the-semester rush allowed me to only glance at your blog until now. All I can say now that I have read through it carefully is WOW! You are getting an amazing education and expanding your world view far beyond anything I could possibly relate to. Your writing is descriptive, thought-provoking, funny, educational, and entertaining. The pictures are fantastic. I'll probably relate some of your descriptions of the pollution and poverty in my Environmental Science classes. I'm anxious to learn more about the places you have visited and to look them up on a map.
We are all very happy for you. It sounds like you are having the experience you had hoped for. I hope your connections with Liana work out. As the Christmas holiday is upon us, know that we are all thinking of you and miss you. But, mostly we are just happy for you and we will look forward to seeing you in the Spring. I look forward to your next entry. Stay safe and healthy!!
Uncle Rick, Natalie, Colin and Rhys
MIKE
non-member comment
Eastern Andhra Pradesh my views
The range of Jerdon's Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus (classified as Endangered) defines this Secondary Area. It is a poorly known nocturnal bird, recorded historically from the Penner and Godaveri valleys in Andhra Pradesh (east-central India; see map, p.400) and was assumed extinct (King 1978-1979) until its rediscovery in January 1986. It is found in thin scrub on rocky and undulating ground including disturbed areas where regeneration is affected by grazing and firewood collection (Bhushan 1986a,b, Ali and Ripley 1987). Recent records are from an area of c.2,000km2 around the Lankamalai ranges (near the Penner valley) in southern Andhra Pradesh. Two protected areas, Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary and Sri Venkateswara National Park, have recently been gazetted there, and a third is planned in a nearby area where the courser has been reported (Bhushan 1992).