A Tiger Before Breakfast

We have just come back from the spectacular Corbett National Park.

Looking to the foothills of the Himalayas.

Where Prof arranged for two safaris. 

One by jeep...

...which I was not allowed to drive...

...and one by elephant.

Atop our Indian Queen, Rani

We did the elephant safari first, natch.
Setting off before first light (~6:00 am) was achingly beautiful.

View from atop Rani, making our way into the jungle.

We forded a rushing stream of the Kosi River.

The other two elephants in our convoy.

We could really feel the pull of the strong current! 

Rani loved the water and dilly dallied awhile before getting out.

Enjoying the view upstream from Rani's vantage point.

After we left the stream the others in our party veered off to the right, and we to the left.

The only sounds were the early morning birds, calling monkeys,
and Rani's gentle snorts. 

We were riding about 10 feet up in the treetops with the 

chattering red-faced and black-faced monkeys.

Red-faced monkey mum & tot.
I know they are carriers of disease and masters of mischief,
but they are adorable!

The Park is home to four types of deer: 

spotted (chital), Sambar, barking (Munjac), and hog deer.

Beautiful Sambar doe

Chital doe & stag shyly looking the other way.

I love Rudyard Kipling's stories of Mowgli, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,
and the others in The Jungle Book,
 and could just imagine the adventures taking place all around us.

Of course, what every visitor to the Park wants to see is a Bengal tiger.

After pottering around the jungle for awhile
identifying various flora & fauna,

our guide told us that the previous morning he had come across a freshly killed deer.

The culprit was obviously a tiger, but he was nowhere to be found.

We visited the spot where the kill had been discovered.

Finding tiger pugmarks and the evidence of dragged prey.

Pristine print (pugmark) in the centre!

We had managed our expectations of tiger-spotting before embarking on the safari...

but, now we were starting to get excited!

Near the markings, high in a tree,
was a solitary black-faced monkey making very distinct chatterings.
As though he was sending us a message.

The sentry on the look out.

 Rani seemed to understand and plodded on into the bush, 

while our guide explained that he was looking for the tiger.

Now our blood started pumping.

Suddenly, our guide announced in hurried, hushed tones  

that there were rustlings, different than the others,
in the bush ahead.

The movement was coming from right there in the middle!
Look - you can spot him!

Rani moved in a little closer...

and all of a sudden,

with a ferocious R O A R,

which we could feel as much as hear,

the tiger leapt out towards us.

(Into the clearing just to the right edge of the photo.)

He was about 20 feet away,

baring his terrible teeth, 

and growling menacingly

Our guide yelled.

I screamed.

 I had visions of Rani rearing and de-howda-ing us into the tiger's lair.

But, Rani was calm & cool as the morning air.
She circled back slightly, as if to say,
"Okay, okay...just let them take a couple of pictures,
and we'll be off."

Which we did.
Or, the Prof did, once I passed over the camera
with trembling hand.

Our tiger retreated back into the bush...
growling all the while.
Watching until we left.

It turned out that we had been extremely lucky

 as only up to ten percent of visitors actually see a tiger, according to the Rangers. 

Others have told us that it is more rare than that.

Our guide had never been in such a situation,

and immediately relayed the message to the his friends

with great excitement and animation.

The next day at the jeep safari,

we found that everyone had heard of our unique encounter.

A tiger's roar can be heard up to three miles away.

As we were only twenty feet or so from it,

we experienced its full power.

Volume, vibration, and vigor.

There was nothing cute about this cat.

The tiger is huge, at around 500 lbs.

It is powerful.

And it is to be feared.

But, he was so fiercely beautiful.

His colours so rich.

His markings exquisite.

Here's a nice little clip that shows a bit more of this King of the Jungle.

The elephant safari would have been a highlight of our trip to India with tiger or not.

There is no better way to experience the jungle.

We felt the beauty and wonder of nature at such an intimate level.

And felt safe.

Apparently, it was no surprise to Rani that the tiger was there,

as elephants can sense them from 50 feet away.

Peacocks out for a morning stroll.

We returned from the safari cold, wet from the morning dew, but exhilarated.

Exploring The Imperial

The Imperial in New Delhi was built in 1931. Walking in now, you feel a timeless quality that harkens back to colonial times, giving an artistic nod to Art Deco. You can just imagine Nehru, Gandhi, Jinnah, and Mountbatten meeting to discuss Partition.

The resident Jag...sets the tone nicely.

The hotel is home to an enormous number of art and artefacts from the Colonial era...

let's have a look at the place. 

The elegant, fragrant lobby- those are beautiful orchids in that amazing vase.

Here's a closer look at that stunning chandelier.

I love the soothing tones...warm & welcoming

Remember my sight-seeing motto...
Never forget to look up!

And again.

Perhaps a spot of shopping?

Only the best.

I love this grand hotel for the wonderful way it marries the influences of British and Indian design. 

I am in love with the Art Deco lifts!

I'll take you down the long, beautiful corridor, which is filled with sculptures, 

photographs, paintings, and etchings.

There were many tables such as this, displaying bronzes, ceramics, and sculptures.
I love this prancing pony.

Look - it's a friend for Howda and Ananda!

This fellow, groaning under a howdah the size of himself,
is rawther grand, isn't he?

Entering into the dining room

The Buffet set up for lunch.
We sat outside in the covered veranda.

Lunch was wonderful! Wherever we go in India, the hospitality is outstanding: 

here, it was elevated beyond that.

After such a lunch, we went for a turn around the garden.

If you look closely at the lawn,
you'll see the geometric pattern that has been mown.

Just in case we forgot where we were,
there was a woman carrying something on her head.
The next day we saw a woman carrying six bricks on her head!

If you find yourself in Delhi...you must stop by.

Rug Shopping at Dilli Haat

Getting our timing just right

We were so fortunate to visit Dilli Haat in Delhi while the India Weavers Festival was on, 

as we were on the look-out for rugs. 

There were several stalls and almost too many choices.

The market had stalls of all kinds, 

but many were focussing on the arts of textiles during the festival.

Scarves, shawls, stoles, pashminas, and more

We tried not to get distracted,
but it was awfully hard.

Vendors came from all over India.
All very persuasive...must have sent their best salesmen.

Great place to buy spices: singly or blended

While some of the stalls had fixed prices, many of them were open to bargaining. 

Once you get the hang of it, it's quite fun. 

But, we were schooled by an expert: our great friend M.

There are many choices when buying rugs. 

Different designs, materials, and sizes.

We favoured warm reds, geometric over floral or curvilinear,
 classic over modern, silk for the lesser used areas,
and wool for the busier spots.

Although we came prepared
with measurements, preferred colours,
types of design and materials, machine or hand knotted...

the choices were still overwhelming, even when narrowed down...

However, from the moment we saw the silk Turkish-style geometric rug above, we knew.

Buying such a large piece of art has such an impact that it was important we were both involved 

(not always easy with a non-shopper!)

and shared absolute agreement.

Miracles do happen.

And we found a mate to complement "the one" for an adjoining room.

Here they are, all laid out in our flat.

The complement (not true to colour) ...

...to "the one".

We had sagely been advised to not worry too much about all the choices,
but to buy what we loved. 

Good advice, indeed.

We have also been advised to take these home,

and then consider shopping for others.

However, I'm not sure I can wait. 

There's a hand-knotted woollen rug out there for my family room...

and it's going to be awfully fun to find it.

Are you the type to wait,
or like me, and decidedly not?

Textiles: Shawls, Scarves, Pashminas...call them what you will

Beautiful scarves in all hues imaginable, 

in all fabrics and blends possible, 

and in many price points, seem everywhere.

Myriad of shawls at the men's tailor

It's nearly impossible to choose. 

Silk/cotton blends are lovely for warmer temperatures

 and exquisitely rich jewel tones.

Silk & Cotton Blends

Fine woolen shawls with embroidered designs

are beautiful to ease the chill on an autumn evening,

or air-conditioned restaurant.

The warm colours are complemented by subtle stitching.

Scarves and shawls aren't just for the ladies. 

Gents can cozy up with one for watching a late movie.

Soft wool in manly shades

My favourites? 

The pashmina. These are from Kashmir.

Gossamer cashmere so light and fine.

Versatile too. 

Fold up to use as a scarf,

or open out to use as a shawl.

Pashminas with a couple of Silk & Cashmere blends thrown in.

But really, I love them all!

Prepared for all eventualities

Bet you can't choose just one!

We were lucky to stumble upon a Textile fair at Dilli Haat when last in Delhi.

It's where we found our beautiful carpets...more on those soon.

 There were textiles of all sorts from all over India.

We liked the fella from Kashmir best.

I hate to say it, but I'm not done yet.

Mehndi mastery

I have got to know a few of the girls at the Ladies' Centre, 

and they were all very keen to see me with mendhi, 

as they thought it would look striking against my (extremely) pale skin.

Well, I'm up for anything, so here we are!

Here is the artist and her tool...it's a very fine 'paint pen' filled with henna...
you have a choice of colours, but this is the traditional hue.

Mehndi is mostly done on the hands and feet as the skin is palest there.

Err...not a problem anywhere on me.

Getting down to business

I couldn't believe how quickly the pattern was done! 

This is not a traditional design, 

but something that was done on a whim,

as the mood struck.

So like India.

The completed design.

Once completed, the art, which had gone on like a thick paste, 

needed to dry for about half an hour, after which time it could be peeled off.

I was instructed to mix lemon juice and sugar and apply like a poultice. Which I did.

At bedtime, I was to smear vaseline over the design. Which I didn't.

Here's the design the next day.

The lemon syrup and vaseline treatments are intended to prolong the life of the art, 

and by following half of the advice (typical of me, I'm afraid)

I kept the peacock and flowers for about a week.

I'm not sure that mehndi is for me...but then, I don't have a tattoo either (nor ever will).

Just one of those things I prefer on others, I think.

But, it was much admired...and Prof found it quite alluring.