Gattina's Saturday Photo Hunting - Vehicles - October 19, 2013

45 Days Left in India!

Gattina chose "vehicles" as her Saturday Photo Hunting topic for today. 
India has all sorts of "interesting" vehicles, some of the four legged
variety so I have, also, enclosed photos of those.

In Jaipur, tourists enjoy riding camels and elephants, although both 

creatures are also work animals, pulling carts, and heavy loads, in addition

to giving visitors an "Indian" experience at transportation.

Of course, auto rickshaws are everywhere, weaving in and out of traffic and

sounding their horns.

These are the Mumbai variety.  Those in Jaipur are often larger and more 

colorful.

The main vehicle for transportation is the motorcycle.  Jaipur, at least, has a

helmet law which seems to be followed much better than in Mumbai.  Often,

however, second passengers and children are not helmeted.   There are quite a

few cars on the road as well but you don't often see vans or large SUVs such 

as we have in the U. S.

Some people still get around via bicycle rickshaws, quite a lot of work,

especially if the poor fellows are transporting someone my size.

I always get a kick out of seeing these little trucks on the road.  Of course,

there are regular semis transporting goods from one part of India to another,

some of them very colorful.

It is amazing that the ladies of India can ride pinion ( side saddle ), in their

long, flowing colorful saris, especially since many of the roads are in disrepair 

and potholes are plentiful.

India's trains are often filled to overflowing with passengers bulging out the 

doors.  While, of course, there are luxury trains like the Orient Express but 

those that transport regular passengers are far from deluxe.

India's vehicles and modes of transportation are as diverse as the country

itself.  With over 1.2 billion people, you can imagine the traffic jams in major

cities!

I am participating in Gattina's

Saturday Photo Hunting

Join us!!

Friday Flash 55 - All Aboard - August 17, 2012

He lies there waiting patiently,

Two can climb aboard, 

But it would seem the camel,

Is being just ignored.

Could be the guard upon his face,

Makes people feel afraid,

That should they choose to ride this steed,

They might need to seek first aid!

A needed day of rest.. perhaps for the very best?

I am participating in Friday Flash 55, the
brainchild of that debonair Mr Know It All,
aka G-Man.  Join this wild bunch.

109 ( Degrees, That Is ) And That's Not Fine! - Saturday, July 7, 1012

Since my arrival in Jaipur on the 23rd of July, the temperature has been steadily
rising.  I am staying in a third floor room above my friend, Bharat Kshatriya's 
home in a nice residential section of the city.  Bharat has two tourism companies,
Unseen Rajasthan Travel and Tours and Unseen India Travel and Tours.  We 
became acquainted as bloggers and, during my last visit to India, he invited me 
to his wedding reception.  The end of January was a most comfortable time to
visit Jaipur.  Unless you have air conditioning, this can be a most difficult time.

The other night, when the thermometer hit 109 degrees, I became somnolent
and dehydrated.  Bharat and his lovely sister, Megha Bhavesh Chhatbar, came
up and, finding me almost unrepsonsive, brought my body temperature down
by wrapping me in ice water towels.  Throughout the night, they constantly
rehydrated me with glucose and electrolytes.  They finally took me to sleep
downstairs in their home which was much cooler, being on the second floor.
If left alone, I would have just slept and not had any water.  I had eaten
hardly anything in days.  My newly purchased smaller size clothing was
hanging on me.   I was weak and listless.

During that week, my computer, along with me, had also crashed.  Bharat
came to the rescue once again.  Amazingly, he had the exact Lenovo as I did
and, earlier, he had moved all my files to the D drive so I really had lost nothing.
He just did a little magic and, in a couple of hours, my computer was good as
new - except my microsoft office program was gone.  I'll have to let my brother,
who works for IBM, know about Bharat's computer choice!

Not a caw from this crow who seemed, also, affected 

by the heat

This "ship of the desert" didn't seem bothered by

the heat but no tourists were out for camel rides!

Just happy to have a feed bag

My friend, Shiju, does not like for me to post pictures of cows or elephants.  He says I

give people the wrong impression of India, that they roam about everywhere.  They do not.

However, in Jaipur, you will see many cows on the streets, wandering freely, belonging to

no one and to everyone.  Most are well fed as scraps are left out for them and animals,

especially cows and monkeys are respected.

Even in Mumbai and Patiala, I saw cows wandering loose.  I wish I could have gotten a

shot of a line of cows perched on a narrow center roadway median in Mumbai!  I love 

the cows and I would like to carry a sack of apples so I can feed them and get some

close up pictures of their faces.  Sorry, Shiju.  Lala would let me do that but he won't

let me get close to a monkey.

My heart goes out to the poor construction workers who must toil in this weather.  

They are often using the most basic equipment and doing back breaking work for

long hours.  I, recently, observed these men for a period of time and thought how

exhausted they must be when they get home in the evening!!

The guy at the top doesn't have such an easy job, either

So, even in this heat, life goes on.  People work, children play and go to school

( though the start was delayed a few days ).  People whiz by on their motorcycles

and I think the helmet law is obeyed better here than in many places - though

how does one get a helmet over a turban?

More of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India - February 4, 2012

I have so many photographs and upload time is very slow.  Also, daily, my
wonderful driver, Lala, picks me up and we are off again, adding to the
photo collection.  My friend and colleague, Virginia Lynch, arrived about
11PM on February 1st so we are ensconced at the Jaipur Ramada where
our conference will take place.  It is a large American hotel, of course,
modern and efficient, good staff - but I am missing my lovely heritage hotel,
the Umaid Mahal.

Yesterday, I picked up the three outfits I had made.  They are beautiful
though I haven't tried them all.  I must do that today since we leave at 8PM
tomorrow night, on a sleeper train, for Patiala in the Punjab.  We will be
guests there at the home of Rakesh Gorea, MD, who is a professor at
Rama Medical College.  He is a forensic pathologist and forensic
odontologist so Virginia and I will benefit greatly from his company.  Of
course, Virginia was in India for six months, in the past, spreading the
word about forensic nursing.

Jaipur has a huge variety of modes of transportation....bicycles, bicycle rick-
shaws, autorickshaws, cars, taxis, motorcycles, camels, camel carts, elephants...
just to name some of them.  It is something to see a camel cart, moving
forward in lines of traffic.  Amazingly, the camels look quite placid midst all the
horns blaring, and traffic whizzing around them.

Bicycle rickshaws on a busy street

Rajasthan is famous for its painted elephants and a huge elephant

festival is held here every year.

A cheerful auto rickshaw

Rajasthan does have a helmet law...people are more compliant here, than in 

Mumbai about wearing them and, often, both passengers on a motorcycle will 

be wearing them.  I am always lecturing, as I pass by, when I see someone

without the chin strap fastened.  Here, as in the rest of India, you may see both 

parents and two children on a bike.  That always makes me so anxious!!

Cows are everywhere, running loose, walking the streets.  They look quite 

healthy and well fed, these sacred beasts.  They forage on garbage, finding 

greens and vegetables and they, also, don't seem bothered by traffic passing.

Most of the time, we pass a random one or two but, sometimes, there are 

herds of them...and that can certainly disrupt traffic.

There are also monkeys here and there.  My driver, Lala, cautioned

me not to get too close to these.  He says they will, sometimes, attack.

Such a cutie!

I didn't find this pig as cute.

There are many beautiful buildings, palaces and arches in the city.  I love 

riding around the old town.  

Band members after a parade

Vendors are everywhere.  You see them setting up shop on carts, blankets laid

out on the street, selling everything from vegetables and fruits to pottery, 

beautiful mirrored Rajasthani umbrellas - all sorts of things    

The Rajasthani dress is different from the saris I've grown used to

seeing in Mumbai.

Little boy who approached my taxi to ask for money

His sister

This is the, Jah Mahal, the water palace that was used by maharajas for their summer retreats

Colorful laundry

Mosque

Beautiful architecture

Jaipur apartment building

Rajasthani umbrellas of beautiful colors