Winged desert rats
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under photography
The one in the middle is clearly giving me the stink eye
In honor of my upcoming trip to the desert state of Rajasthan, here are 2004-era pigeons from a royal courtyard in Jaipur. Though we tend to think of pigeons as diseased garbage birds, in Islam (and even in some secular segments of India) they are respected or even lucky.
Tags: culture, desert, india, photography, pigeon, rajasthan, religion, tourism, wildlife
Good morning, Darjeeling
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under photography
Tiger Hill at 6:36 a.m.
Dozens of Indian tourists come up here to see the sunrise; the cars start arriving by 4 a.m. when it’s still pitch black. People are cheering by the time the sun rises above the eastern hills. On a good day, it lights up Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain.
When we were there, the mountain was a little shy. See below. Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: darjeeling, india, photography, sunrise, tiger hill, tourism
Graff love
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under photography
Ahh young stupid lovers...
Humayun’s Tomb, a 16th-century edifice built with a wife’s grand love for her emperor husband, becomes a canvas for the fleeting passions of innocent hearts.
Tags: delhi, graffiti, humayun, humayun's tomb, india, kids, love, photography, tourism, valentine's day
The djinns of Delhi
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under photography
A classic Delhi facade takes you back in time, if only for a moment
Delhi is filled with old monuments — ghosts and shades of the past — tucked amid the modern hustle and bustle. I’ve been living here for months now and am still noticing new ones. The buildings, sometimes well-preserved as World Heritage Sites, sometimes tucked in neat gardens, sometimes all but ignored, are a reminder of how old this city is.
Most historians agree that there have been at least seven previous Delhis built here before. The British rebuilt and reengineered the eighth. I argue that the current renovations brought on by the Commonwealth Games, and middle-class wealth in general, should be considered Delhi IX.
Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: city of djinns, commonwealth games, delhi, history, humayun, india, photography, tourism, william dalrymple
Allegedly there were crocodiles in the pools
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under photography
Little Andaman, India
I said allegedly. The “Beware Crocodiles” signs were enough to keep me from a swim and a shower.
Tags: andaman and nicobar, conservation, environment, india, island, little andaman, photography, tourism, travel, waterfall, wildlife
A year-in-review
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under notes, photography
2009 kinda kicked ass
This past year pretty much rocked. And the New Year came in fine manner. No kisses, but a bonfire amid the palm trees (above), new friends, lobster, a decent cigar (thanks, C!), champagne and even the Harry Connick, Jr., band playing Auld Lang Syne at midnight (never leave home without the iPod).
I meant to post this sooner, but here’s a little look back at my new life (as chronicled on this blog):
Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: andaman and nicobar, antananarivo, beach, beer, circumcision, conservation, delhi, diving, drought, economy, emerging nations, environment, festival, fishing, food, ft dauphin, gear, havelock, health, hiv, holiday, india, island, journalism, kenya, kibera, kisumu, lemur, maasai mara, madagascar, market, motorcycle, multimedia, mumbai, nairobi, party, photography, port blair, poverty, preparation, shenanigans, shopping, thailand, tourism, travel, wildlife
I may be ’stuck’ in southeast Asia
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under notes
Anyone contemplating a visit in the next year should probably pay attention. There has been an official hiccup in visa rules, meaning I may need to leave the country for longer than planned this spring.
Essentially, after it was revealed that alleged terrorist conspirator David Headley had stayed in India long-term on a tourist visa, the Indian government has cracked down. Under previous rules, with the five-year tourist visa I currently hold, I could stay in the country for up to six months at a time and leave even for one day to “reset” my visa clock. Hence, my week booked in Thailand beginning March 31.
However, under the new rules, I have to leave for at least two months. This means that instead of returning to India from Thailand, and heading to Sikkim to teach English at a volunteer-supported school, I would be “stuck” in Thailand. And the Thai tourist visa is typically valid for 30 days, meaning I would need to move somewhere else.
Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: beach, holiday, india, island, ministry of home affairs, oci, overseas citizen of india, preparation, shenanigans, stupidity, thailand, tourism, travel, visa
