1
Shanghai

Just learning this new journal app so bear with me as some things aren’t in the order I wanted. Also, this starts rather abrutly since I just discovered this and am on a trial period trying to see how it works

So everybody is on board, LoMo is Lori Moore & Joy is Ramona Smith.

LoMo is an old nickname for Lori, maybe from her early Tucson days (along with her brothers RyMo & EMo — Ryan and Eric) Joy is Ramona’s nickname for 2018, picked as a quality she would like to have more of in her life, instead of negativity. Also it is a reminder of her favorite scripture, John 15:11: “I have come that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

In case you don’t know, LoMo and Joy are daughter and mother traveling companions for this little excursion in southeast Asia. An adventure by itself. However, after 6 weeks together on the island of Iona, Scotland, we decided we couldn’t pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity. Our lives kind of dovetailed at the point: Lori was transitioning from living in Scotland, and Ramona, retired now for 3 years, was still in good health and able to do some travelling that she has long wanted to do. Over 40 years ago, Ramona spent 3 years living and working in Bangladesh for Mennonite Central Committee. Ever since she has wanted to return to India and Southeast Asia to do some more traveling. However, she needed a travel companion. Who better than her world traveling daughter, Lori? Besides traveling in Europe & walking the whole 600 plus miles of the Camino in Spain, three years ago Lori spent 2 months in Calcutta, and over a month in Southeast Asia. As she also was eager to return to this part of the world, she agreed to take on the daunting task of being a travel companion to a 68 year old woman, who for better or worse, happened to be her mother. And so this adventure was hatched!

As plans stand now, if we don’t drive each other crazy, we plan to be on the road for 3 - 6 months. After a week here in Bangkok, we fly to Calcutta where we will be staying in an Airbnb for a month. It may be unusal in most people’s minds, but it is an incredible city to vacation in! More on that later. Then we are not sure: maybe more of India, back to Thailand and up to Chiang Mai, and then maybe Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma. Only time will tell.

So, that’s the background of who we are and how we got here. Now for the adventure!

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Here we are in Bangkok! 0ver 20 hours in the air from Chicago on China Eastern Airlines. in addition, there was the train and subway from Ann Arbor to O’Hare. The train was more than an hour late & it was a crazy, difficult midnight transfer to the Blue Line to even get to O’Hare. That first part of the trip was an 8 hour ordeal I never want to repeat! Lesson # 1: Take a taxi. Better yet just fly to ORD from DTW. We quicky applied our learning in Bangkok and paid $8 for Uber to take us the half hour from the airport to our Airbnb on Silom Road in the heart of the city. The alternative was a train or bus ride which would have taken an hour either way, plus finding and walking to our lodging at 3:00 in the morning. Uber found the place and dropped us right at the door. The subscript of Lesson # 1: Sometimes it is worth it to spend a little more money to get a big payoff. One must be wise, however, in applying lesson #1 or one could go broke quickly. However, in this case, it was certainly worth it. The taxi in Chicago would have been close to $40, but it might have been worth it too — all in retrospect. Counting all the check-in times and times to get through cutoms and immigration, door-to-door from Ypsi to Bangkok lodging took us a grand total of over 34 hours to make the trip!!

It was 3:00 a.m. local time when we checked into our room on Wednesday. Back at home in the Eastern Time Zone it was 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. We were both exhausted — to put it mildly! We set the alarm for 10:00 a.m., but our tired bodies didn’t wake up until 3:30 p.m.— 11 hours after hitting the sack! Discussing it we realize we are very lucky because we are not like many tourists, just on a 2 week vacation. That means we have no pressure to get up and see everything the first day, but can allow our bodies to rest up a little and slowly adjust to jet lag for the next week. It was 4:45 p.m. until we finally left our room. for our “first day” in Bangkok.

The Adventure Begins: On China Eastern Airlines from Chicago to Shanghi to Bangkok. Only $330 one way!

2
Bangkok

Here’s our wonderful little Airbnb in Bangkok.

Very clean and great airconditioning. Flat screen TV, refrigerator, kitchen sink and dishes, lots of closet space and dressser drawers, plus great shower and western bathroom. The bed is Asian, or at least similar to India and Banglasesh — quite hard. However we both slept great and it ended up being quite comfortable. Just like in the UK, there are no washcloths provided and the toilet has a bidet. Toilet paper is mostly used to dry off from the bidet. That TP goes in the wastebasket. Poopy TP is the only paper flushed as the sewers systems here \240are just not able to handle tons of paper. Well, enough of that, other than to say it is important information tourists need to know. All this for $30 a night!

We didn’t hit the streets to explore and get some food until 5:00 p.m., so we were in the midddle of rush hour traffic. Bangkok is a modern city of 8 million, about the size of New York City. Wiki claims there is one vehicle for every 2 people, so traffic is unbelieivable! Motorbikes are crazy1 They are called the cockroaches of Bangkok, meaning they crawl in everywhere. They zoom in and out at very fast speeds, and do not slow down for pedistrians! Plus I saw several going the wrong way on one way streets!

Being quite hungry, we grabbed an “appetizer” of a ham and cheese sandwhich at the 7-11, a couple doors down, where they grill it for you on the spot. Only a dollar for a small sandwhich, but very good. Lori and her friends discovered these typical, drunk person’s late-night snacks 3 years ago in Chiang Mai. We grabbed one last night after check-in as they are open 24 hours/day. There must be a 7-11 on every block in this city!

The booming growth of the last 25 years has brought electricity to most everyone, but here’s what the wiring looks like that keeps the city lit:

We walked around for about 4 hours, hitting up the street vendors for food, looking at all the goods on the street and wandering into a very high class fancy 4 story mall, where we used the restroom.

Here’s my first bowl of noodles and pork soup that also had little dumplings in it. Very spicy and very good! Two dollars for a bowl, which we split between the two of us.

The food stall where we got soup

Here are the thin noodles and little dumplings

A unique “dessert”: Thin pastry, scrambled egg, one sliced banana.

After frying, it is folded up, cut in pieces, and drizzed with sweetened condensed milk. Yummy in our tummies!

3
Wat Pho

Day 2 Bangkok: Close to Perfect!

Day Two started with Jet Lag at its finest! LoMo slept a total of only 3 hours, and I, Joy, had only marginally more sleep with 5 hours. So by 6:15 a.m. on our second day we had hailed an Uber and our day of adventure and near perfection began. We were headed to Wat Pho, a collection of old temples and spires, and the giant and famous Reclining Buddha. .

The temple grounds didn’t open until 8, so we wandered the neighborhood near Wat Pho. Early morning is when the Buddhist monks recieve gifts of food and money in exchange for a blessing. This is high class religious begging, I suppose not much different than in the old days when pastors, priests, and doctors received part of their salaries by donated chickens and milk. We didn’t see any long line of priests like those featured in some tourist literature, but we did see many individual priests out spreading their blessings with a world that can never have too many prayers, no matter what the language or religion.

The rush of traffice and people in Bangkok at 7 in the morning was inbelievable!

Like all big cities, early morning is when all the fresh, bulk produce from the country is brought by trucks and boats to be distributed. \240Tuk-tuks (golf cart like vehichles which sound like motorbikes) and taxis with their trunks loaded full, disturibute the goods to smaller \240markets and shops and restaurants.

Then there were the flowers! \240Very important in this country where offering flowers, along with prayers, to Buddha is part of the ritual, both in private homes, huge temples, and even along the street.

Here’s a \240little statue with flowers placed in the trunk of a huge tree that protrudes into the sidewalk.

At Pho is located in the flower market district so we spent over an hour surrounded by beauty. The area went on for several blocks, including several big indoor warehouses filled with flowers.

Women were plucking tiny little buds off the stalks and filling huge bags to sell to other women who used long needles to make goregous wreaths and other arrangements.

Sacks of flower buds

Some of the little wreaths made from flower buds.

A little altar at the back of one of the warehouses.

At 8:00 a.m. we entered the grounds of Wat Pho.

We had ticket stubs number 1 & 2 and just about had the place to ourselves for the next hour.

The morning was overcast with a light breeze, and perfect for walking, even though it was 80.

I don’t know the history of these spires and temples, although I’m sure Wiki could tell you.

The decorations on the spires appear to be tile and maybe some kinds of plaster.

Whatever it is made of, it took some skilled crafts person, many hours of labor, probably at slave wages, to build these impressive monuments!

Here’s Joy actually being joyful!

Wat Pho has the largest collection of Buddhas in Thailand. Hundreds of them exactly alike.

And amazingly, there were even a few black Buddhas. (Note in this picture and the one above, how each stand that the Buddha sits on is made of intricate plaster and beadwork!)

Wat Pho hosts several large Buddhas.

Shoes off before entering the temple, and tourists must have clothing that covers elbows and knees— meaning no cut-offs and halter tops allowed.

A rare standing Buddha

The most impressive staute was the Reclining Buddha.

Impossible to capture in one photo!

Notice the decoration on the large pillars surrounding the Buddha.

Here’s a close-up of one of the pillars

Standing at the feet of God!

Murals on the walls and ceilings inside all the temples.

Well, the day was young, and we were just getting started, but I’m going to take a break in the saga for now. As I try to get back to sleep, and get my body back to a regular rhythm, you can enjoy this beautiful waterfall that was on the grounds at Wat Pho.

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493 สีลม Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

Massage Heaven: Aaaah!

Massage parlor or spas are everywhere — about half a dozen to a dozen a block. Prices range from $8 - $40. We found a super nice little place where we treated our jet lagged bodies and tired feet \240to an hour full body massage for 10 bucks!

After what Lori called the best massage in her life, we relaxed sipping tea provided by the spa. Joy’s (Ramona’s massusse) was named Joy! Definitely be going back there!

5
Bangkok

More from Wat Pho

Joy at Wat Pho with stone carved Chinese guard who warns off evil spirits. The stone blocks came as ballast on ships trading with China.

LoMo with the Reclining Buddha, who is 150 feet long.

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192 ถนน พระรามที่ 4 Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand

Spent a lovely time in a park near our lodging enjoying the evening.

The Bangkok skyline from Lumphini Park.

Found in the market one of my favorite fruits: lychees! They only grow in a belt from India through China. I thought they did not mature until spring, but there were two vendors who were selling them in the market. Yum! You can buy them canned in Asian/Indian stores in the States, but like all canned fruit, it’s never as good as the fresh. The flesh is close to a grape, only firmer. Taste mild but sweet. Lychee juice is used in drinks, tea, and cocktails.

They look prickly but the bristles are soft.

Just use a knife to slice around the edge and the “skin” peels off easily.

Fairly large, but there is a seed in middle

At least twice as large as a grape, and firmer.

A lychee half with the seed out.

7
Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Siam

Took a little time to get away from the bustle, do a little internet business, and some journaling.

Alphabet Cafe. $5 for 2 coffees and 2 1/2 hours of internet. We basically had the place to ourselves.

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40 Soi Silom 3, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

One of the things we love best is just wandering the streets and markets. So that’s what we spend the days doing.

I think squid, along with prawns, and other seafood.

Making us a raw green papaya salad: shredded papaya, onions, carrots, hot chili peppers, brined crab, green beans, peanuts, tomatoes, \240fish sauce, lime, and some other goodies. Delicious!

The broom sales person. This city is exceptional clean! Streets, sidewalks, parks, outdoor markets even. Haven’t seen a cig butt anywhere!

Jackfruit—the yellow pieces stink and taste like bubblegum. First — and last — time I had it was in Indonesia 40 years ago.

Peeling the jackfruit.

The wires holding the place together!

A liittle boy with his toys and a bag of flowers.

The seamstress

Sweets and treets of all kinds.

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18/1 Soi Silom 3, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

This is a tiny restaurant about 2 doors down from us where we had chicken & noodle curry. Weekday lunch times there are long lines here compared to the other restaurants. Most take it to go — in little plastic bags. I don’t know how the bags don’t melt.

Shared one small bowl for a little over a dollar.

Thin little noodles.

The curry sauce. First stuff that tasted like the Thai curries at home.

This shop sells the northern style Thai curry. In Bangkok they don’t have much sauce on the rice and noodles—more like a stir fry.

Food is fab! We’re eating great & loving it!

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18 Soi Sarasin, Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand

The end of another beautiful day in Bangkok.

Sunday afternoon at Lumpini Park. Loads of people enjoying the day, including paddle boats on the lake.

Music playing with hundreds doing group exercise by dancing. Hundreds of runners too.

We found an empty bench and just sat and talked and relaxed,

6:30—Time to head out for some supper

Fried chicken: 2 drumsticks for $1.25.

Sticky Rice with Mango: Our favorite, and only, nighty dessert.

A layer of cold sticky rice, one whole mango sliced, topped with what I think is thinned sweeten condensed milk.

So yummy! The big box costs $3.25, which we share. Heaven on earth! At the Thai restaurant in Ypsilanti, I pay twice as much for about one-third the size and not near as good.

11
7 Soi Phiphat 2, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

We have a 7-11 half-way down the block from our Airbnb to the main road, and we frequent it just about everyday. There are 7-11’s everywhere! I stood at one intersection and could see 4 at one time! All open 24 hours/day. Our staple for breakfast is one ham and cheese sandwich for $0.90 which they grill on an electric grill on the spot. We share it, each having half, until we can get out on the street for breakfast. We also buy extra water there (33 cents for a liter), toilet paper, shampoo, laundry soap, and some snack foods: nuts, chips, and candy bars (all small sizes). Each are around a dollar. Ice cream is $1-$3 depending on the brand, but we’d rather have mango sticky rice!

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สีลม ซอย 3 Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

An unbelievable, and exciting coincidence: we found Geng, a coffee shop owner, whom Ryan and Lori had made acquaintance with 3 years ago. Our first day here we went to where his shop had been, but it was empty and half demolished. This morning walking around the market that is down our alley we found him! Down a side alley off the main alley! Surely the Spirit was guiding us!

We spent an hour and a half visting with him, and eating and sipping drinks.

Lori and Geng befriended each other on Facebook and email. He speaks fairly good English. Saw pictures on his phone of his mother and their home. He has long term plans to open a restaurant in his home town.

Geng made Lori a special cold coffee he had made her last time. She found out this time he put a shot of Bailey’s in it.

I had some great coffee with sugar. Really, the best coffee I’ve had here. Only $1.50.

Geng’s shop is open weekdays from 7 -2. On weekends he goes home, about 2 hours away. He says he’s really busy until 10. Then some business over the lunch hour.

We bought from a vendor these freshly fried chicken-cheese hot dog rolls for 33 cents each.

Then waited for the hot donuts to be done — only 25 cents. What a wonderful surprise it was to find him! Will go back tomorrow morning for sure! Unfortunately it will be our last day in Bangkok.

Here’s Ryan and Lori with Geng in 2015 at his old shop. Geng said the landlord kicked out all the tenants to build something new. He had been at his new shop for 2 years now.

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610 เจริญนคร 1 Khwaeng Khlong Ton Sai, Khet Khlong San, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10600, Thailand

Bangkok is a wonderful city: clean air, very clean streets, sidewalks, parks. People are polite and quiet, even in the street markets. \240Big shopping malls, plus great street markets. Feel very safe walking around.

Thailand is considered an emerging ecomony. The average income per capita is about $17,000 compared to India which is only $6,600. Only 1.25 % in Thailand live on $3/day, while 58% in India do.

This is the Sheraton hotel, I believe. We have traveled Uber a lot, plus 2 ferries, and the train. Ferries cost $1.50 compared to boat tours that start at $20. Uber usually is $2-$6.

Train station. Very good public transportation system.

The River Center shopping center from a ferry. Extremely high end shops & restaurants! Near Chinatown. All very touristy.

Traffic is horrendous! Few lighted crosswalks. No yielding to pedestrians. You just go for it!

Motor scooters very popular, but amazingly quiet. Drivers wearing yellow vests are for hire at city controlled rates. Haven’t tried yet.

A street sweeper. Notice the large bamboo dustpan over her right shoulder. Garbage trucks pick up all the street market trash during the night.

Near our Airbnb. We are in the financial district: Bangkok’s Wall Street.

Our place is down this side street. No sidewalks, just rain gutters. Watch out!

We have traveled by tuk-tuk only once. More expensive than Uber due to no set price and having to haggle.

Great fun though! They really zip along.

Twice Lori had to show the driver where to go on her iphone map. However it was in English. Taxis & Uber have phones, but not tuk-tuk drivers, or at least this one didn’t.

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403 Soi Silom 5, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

Our favorite spots in Bangkok are the local markets where the locals shop. Just fascinating! This alley is 4 doors down. .

Hours are 7am - 2pm. Then all the carts disappear & the permanent shops pull their doors down.

Our donut place—10 cents a hot donut! Beat’s Dom’s in Ypsi!

Cookies and a lot of other snacks, crunchy and sweet!

Strawberry vendor

Clothing vendor

Shoe stall

Housewares

Makeup

More flower vendors near the Hindu temple

Here’s some pictures from the Amulet Market where people buy tiny to big good luck charms or . . .

Medium Buddha statues, or . . .

Life size and bigger Buddah’s! Literally, probably over a thousand stalls selling this kind of stuff. Coins and other little things too.

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32 Maha Rat Rd, Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand

Ok. Here’s all the good stuff we are eating in addition to our fried chicken and mango sticky rice.

Chicken stir fry: Excellent!

The little place where we ate — down by the river at the Amulet Market.

Next door little restaurant: Rice, with. . .

beef

Cooking it!

The finished product: beef, hard boiled egg & veggies on rice. Lori say, “Perfection!”

Two big pots of boiling duck, the house speciality. This little restaurant is run by the mother-in-law of a friend of Ryan and Lori. The friend runs a Thai restaurant in Seattle and he texted us the info to find this place. Luckily it was only a mile and a half away.

The restaurant

We had noodles and duck—one a soup and one plain.

Lori and friend of the Seattle friend.

Another banana & egg crepe vendor, preparing the skillet for the crepe.

The cooked crepe: Adding the sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate syrup.

The finished product!

More pork & noodles, plus separate broth.

Chopsticks and soups in containers with kids; chili peppers, sugar, peanuts, another chili paste, and fish sauce.

So good!

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Convent Rd - Silom Rd, Khwaeng Silom

Here’s some street market shots. Bangkok is famous for its street food.

At the night market

Sausages on a stick

Fresh peeled fruits in little bags. A no go for us.

More grilled and fried meats on sticks. Very popular, but not kept hot.

Skewers of meat and dumplings

Something that is fried

I think this is a fried cake or corn fried fritter

Raw fruit vendor

We have to be careful what we eat because a lot of the food is cooked ahead of time and not kept hot.

The sidewalk tables where people eat at the night market.

More tables along the street between vendors. This is where we eat most of our meals.

Washing dishes when closing up his lunch stall.

Time to wash the pots and pans!

The lunch crowd down our alley.

They feed thousands!

Hundreds of little stalls & carts. All gone on the weekends!

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18/1 Soi Silom 3, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

Our last day in Bangkok, so here’s some miscellaneous pictures.

Coffee: Said I was giving it up, but haven’t yet. Keng’s great latte! Really the best coffee in town! Small cup for $1.50. Been to 3 other shops including Starbucks which was better than I remembered, but Keng’s was better.

Stopped in a little cafe one day, just to charge our phone — and have coffee and a brownie! As the cup says, “Happy!” Most people here drink ice coffee and iced tea. 80 degrees in the winter. 100 in the summer

Want to live permanently in Thailand?

Ready for the queen’s Tea!

A toliet paper machine at Wat Pho. The toilets were western style and immaculately clean, but you had to spend 3 cents to get the little pink box with 4 sheets of T.P.

Photos and flowers to the king everywhere. This is outside a bank. Twice have heard the national anthem played. It’s a law that everyone must stop & stand still while it is played — and everyone did!

Lottey ticket sellers everywhere. Also near temples because people think the prayers will bring them luck.

One of the very few beggars we saw.

Adapted golf cart cum water delivery man.

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36 Silom Rd, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

As we leave Bangkok for Kolkata, India. I leave you with some shots of the Hindu Temple, and 2 Buddhist temples we just happened into during our walks.

The Hindu temple. One of the few in this Buddhist country.

Praying inside. I wasn’t supposed to be taking pictures.

Floating candles around Buddah

Saying prayers

Candles lit and prayers to the god

Workers putting the decoration on a new Bhuddha statue to look like . . .

This!

Just like hundreds of others— all exactly alike

More and more

Buddhas everywhere!

More prayers, incense, flowers and candles

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Haralal Das St, Entally, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

Kolkata, we are here! And are we ever! I’m totaly overwhelmed, but also excited, about all that is going on and all there is to do in this crowded, bustling city.

(This is the view from my balcony, as are all the pictures this morning. It was dark when we arrived but I’ve been enjoying watching the street wake up.)

Looking one direction from the balcony.

And the other direction

This is the tiny balcony, with clothesline for laundry, but two towels on it for privacy. It was great this morning because nobody knew I was up there taking pictures. It won’t take long though for news to travel that 2 white women are in the neighborhood!

My first impression is that this is a LOUD city, compared to Bangkok. Crows caw incessently outside the windows (one of Lori’s most vivid memories), and horns blow incessently, too! Heard more honking in the first 5 minutes in the Uber car from the airport, than I heard in the week in Bangkok — and that is not an exaggeration! We remarked numerous times a day while in Bangkok about how quiet the city and people were. Only heard a horn once or twice the whole time. And people talk quietly. Sitting in my 4th floor apartment I can hear people yelling, people talking and singing, bells ringing (from rickshaws and bicycles), loud motorcycles, hammering, — and the crows!

The Uber half hour trip was a hoot! Talk about driving with one’s horn! And driving fast and weaving in and out, and almost hitting cars and almost being hit by a bus! I’d forgotten the insanity of driving in this part of the world!

Uber got us to our apartment with no trouble. Amazing that technology is! Also, I realized in Bangkok that with Uber one can wander as one pleases through the markets and not have to worry about getting lost. If I do get lost, I can just call an Uber car! It is SO, SO nice, and really reduces the anxiety when one can’t really read the street signs.

Oh, my very first impression of Kolkata — how could I forget? We walked into the airport terminal — very modern and clean — EXCEPT for the air. It smelled like smoke and the air looked bluish and hazy like there had been a fire— inside the terminal! Three hours later we didn’t notice the smell so bad, but I could look down the terminal to where Lori went to get coffee and cash, and it was still blueish! Welcome to Kolkata, folks! This morning, earlier, it was cloudy and I wondered if we would ever see the sun at all this month, but to my surprise, it is not even 10 yet and the sun is out.

Our Airbnb apartment is on the fourth floor and there is actually a lift (an elevator). We couldn’t get into the building until 5:00 a.m. even though they have a night watchman. Slept from 1:00 - 4:00 in an airport lounge. Ugh! Lori is exhausted and sleeping. I’m exhausted, but hyped, which is how I usually get when I first arrive some place.

Here’s a woman using a stick to move her laundry so it better dries on the clothesline that is on the front porch area.

This family is cooking their breakfast on a little stove behind the black and white railing. They are actually camped on the sidewalk.

Everybody is up and on the move! The blue-green building has lots of families living there it appears.

Don’t know what this guy is hauling on his cart.

I think this guy lives here. Earlier he was sleeping where the white table is in the middle. Then I saw him cooking over a little burner.

Here he is with his pots and cleaning up. It now looks like he may have a food shop or something. Will be fun to find out. Oh, you can see his blankets folded up, back along the wall.

Oh, and we have pigeons too! Defintiely don’t want the door from the balcony to my bedroom open, or I’ll have a bird fly in! \240Signing off for now! \240Back to people watching! \240And need to get Lori up because I’m getting really hungry. . . .

20
Oxford Book Stores

Kolkata Day Two: If I took 100 pictures and 100 videos every day for the month we are here, it would still never capture life in Kolkata. It. Has been a wonderful two days, but my senses feel like I have been here at least two weeks with all we have seen,

Went to a cafeteria for lunch and our first real Indian meal.

We have spent most of our time just walking the streets absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of this crazy, busy city, which by one ranking is the most densely packed urban area in the world with 29,000 per square kilometer.

We are staying only about a block from the MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) Office. Carol and. Gordan Zook, the Country Directors, have invited us for dinner tomorrow.

Joy (which is a much easier name to pronouce and remember than Ramona) served 3 years in Bangladesh as a volunteer with MCC 40 years ago (1973-76) working with MCC on an agricultural and nutition project. This is when she learned to love this part of the world.

We walked today to the Mother House, where Sister Teresa lived and worked.

The Missionaries of Charity have several centers where they still serve the dying and abandoned disabled children. The Mother House is the administrative headquarters.

The main “attraction” is Mother Teresa’s crypt.

Also stopped at The Eighth Day coffee shop.

Lori helped them a little 3 years ago when they were just starting up. She was a “volunteer consultant” sharing with them her expertize as a California barista and shop manager.

They are operated by a Christian group that does good deeds that for security reasons I cannot talk about. They have been very successful and are going to be opening a second cafe in Kolkata.

Lori introduced me to some of the friends she made there and we are getting together with one of them on Sunday.

We have been enjoying different street food — if it is hot or cooked right in front of us.

This is cold puffed rice with a hot chickpea and potato spicy gravy.

It was surprisingly tasty. I didn’t think I would like the puffed rice. Most people eat with their fingers. We ate with a spoon.

We also took a chance with this hard boiled egg and potato curry which wasn’t hot.

We tried several snacks today. This guy was selling hot roasted peanuts and roasted chickpeas. We got a small batch of each to take home.

Here’s some spicy fried chickpea nuggets.

Yummy! They put them in a little bag made from recycled newspapers. Nothing goes to waste here!

For supper, Lori introduced me to what Indians simply call a “roll.” Here’s a spicy “egg roll”. It’s a fried bread (like a burrito) with a spicy scrambled egg inside. You can also have meat and veggies if you want. It was absolutely delicious! Only 50 cents!

And, of course, we’ve had lots of milk tea (dudh cha), unlike the spiced chai that is common in most of India. The dudh cha is as black as coffee before they add lots of sugar and milk. Very sweet and wonderful! Note: This is one of the very few female vendors on the street1

Most serve the cha in tiny clay cups, about 3 cents a cup. The cups are usually just thrown away and one finds broken cups all over the ground. However, one seller wanted the cups back. I’m worried now that they resuse them — but at least the tea is hot. Almost burned myself today because the cup was both hot and very full!

We’ve stopped for tea 4 times because the cups only hold (I’m guessing) about 2-3 ounces each. We usually drink 2 “cups” of tea each tea break.

21
8th Day Cafe & Bakery

I want to share part of the opening paragraph from Lonley Planet’s guidebook on India: “Kolkata (Calcutta) Why Go? India’s second biggest city is a daily festival . . . “

“of human existence , , ,”

“simultaneously noble. . . “

“ and squalid . . .”

“cultured . . .”

and desparate . . .”

“By it’s old spelling, Calcuta readily conjures images of human suffering to most Westerns — although that’s not a complete picture of this 350 year-old metropolis.

“Locally, Kolkata is regarded as India’s intellectual, artisitc and cultural capital. . . .”

“Although poverty is certainly apparent (as in this picture at the corner of our street) . . .

“The self-made middle class drives the city’s core machinery, \240. . .”

“A nascent hipster culture thrives among its millenial residents . . .”

“ . . . Friendlier than India’s other metropolises, this is a city you “feel” \240more than simply visit.”

And to end today’s sensual overload, here’s a sign that made us laugh.

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24, Panditiya Rd, Dover Terrace, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019, India

A visit to Hope International:

Some of the best Indian food yet & at very good prices. Hot puris and potato curry.

Potato stuffed parothas to dip in a yogurt onion sauce

The training class for sewing

Learning to do make-up at the beautician school.

Beautican’s slogan.

Haircut for Ramona

Trimming bangs for Lori. 160 rupees, or $2.50 total for both!

Outside the Hope Cafe and training center.

The Hope store where we bought 2 kurtis (long top) and one pair of baggy pants. About $6 each.

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13A, Entally, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

Our Little Airbnb Apartment: Let me say this about that: This is simple living, Indian style. Definitely not where most Westerners would stay unless you had been to India before. We booked through Airbnb for $400 for the month.

Size wise it is very adequate: 2 separate bedrooms, with a little living, and dining (L-shaped area) and then a small kitchen. The living and dining have some old, but nice, wicker furniture: settee, 2 armchairs and a coffee table, plus a flat screen TV and WiFi, which has been very dependable.

This is the dining area, which has an extra sink in it. There is some nice artwork around the house. There are overhead fans in the bedrooms, living room and dining, and a wall fan in the kitchen.

The kitchen just has a 2 burner gas hotplate and only a trickle of cold water at the sink. We would need to heat water for doing dishes if we were cooking. There are not many dishes or utensils provided, but we do have a nice frig and freezer.

We have 2 bedrooms which are on opposite sides of the apartment and give us nice privacy. The beds are typical Indian beds: meaning a wooden slab, with only a very thin mattress, so they are quite hard. However, we have slept amazing well on them have two little bedside cabinets in my room and an amoire where we can hang clothes.

Lori doesn’t have any dressers or storage in her room, other than a nice table. We were provided only one thin blanket and have been cold at night. The landlord at first replied that it would only be cold for a few more days when we asked about extra blankets. However, it seems now that he may get us some extra blankets. We’ve also had a hassel getting light bulbs replaced because “those lights are for special use only and they get hot.” The “electrician’ was to come at noon today, then 1:00 p.m., then tomorrow. Now he may come on Tuesday. But this is India. Our towels are small and thin. We have to provide our own toilet paper, shampoo and soap. Luckily, pric are relatively cheap. In the U.S. we would expect this to be provided, especially if one were staying for a month, but this is India and we don’t know what to expect.

Off one bedroom is a little balcony where we can watch the happenings on the street, 4 stories below. There is a clothesline out there too where we hang towels. We hang our other laundry inside on hangers because of the soot in the air.

Off the one bedroom is a bathroom, with a western style toilet, sink and shower. However, it is all in a 3 foot by 5 foot open space. Notice the wall mounted hot water tank at the top right of the picture. The shower is the only place we have hot water in the house. The other 3 sinks are all cold wate. We turn the heater off between showers and turn it on a little before we want to shower.

This is the shower area. Because the bathroom is so small, we have to use a squeegee on the floor after the shower or else the floor is wet when we want to use the toilet. The landloard didn’t provide this either trying to tell us Indians didn’t use a squeegee, when in fact they do. So we bought one for less than a dollar at the market 3 blocks away, where there literally were dozens of merchants selling them.

Well, that about sums up our little place, other than the broken window (top and bottom) in the kitchen which is partially patched with cardboard. Luckily this is not mosquito and bug season. We are also trying to get the landlord to fix this. We’re not holding our breath.

Overall, we are fairly satisfied and comfortable with our little Airbnb apartment, despite some of its shortcomings and the problems we’ve had with the owner/landlord. It is in a good location, although the neighborhood is lower working class, and not as nice as some other areas of the city. But we certainly have better accomodations than most people living in this city. All in all, we are quite happy with our home away from home.

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Kolkata Riverfront, Fort William, Hastings, Kolkata, West Bengal 700021, India

Just spent a delightful Sunday evening out with a friend of Lori’s from the Eighth Day Coffee Shop, Sujita, and her frined Neha.

After Sujita got off work, we hopped our first bus and rode it to the end of the line. It was surprisinigly empty.

However, it was one of the bumpiest rides I’ve ever had and I had to hold on the whole 20-30 minutes.

Sujita took us down to a wonderful park along the Hugli river.

It was lovely and quiet, with lots of families out enjoying the balmy evening.

At several ghats (piers) there were people playing music. Below is a group of guys with guitars singing a popular rock song from an Indian movie.

We tried out two new Indian foods. The first one is called Pav Bhaji.

It’s a warm fried hamburger bun that is dipped in a spicy chickpea or lentil mixture.

The other item was a puffed rice mixture with spices.

It comes with a little wooden spoon and is served in a paper funnel made out of newspaper. Both were delicious!

The evening was quite relaxing and we had a lot of fun!

Goofing off

Down by the river

Little boats under the Hugli bridge.

A memorial built to honor James Prinsep, an \240an English scholar. According to Wiki, he was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India.

Neha, Lori, and Sujita

Joy and LoMo (AKA Ramona and Lori)

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52, Maula Ali, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

Loud music has been blasting right outside my window since noon today and I’m not sure whether it will stop before midnight. Today was Vasant Panchami festival marking the onset of spirng on the Hindu calendar. It is also the beginning of Saraswait Puju. Per folklore, Godess Saraswati — the diety of knowlege, music, arts, sciene and technology, was born on this day.

As you can see in the picture above, Sarswati, is currounded by books and a sitar (Indian musical iinstrument).

Yellow flowers adorn this large statue, that is probably 20 feet tall. \240Yellow is the color of the mustard flower and signals spring.

We enjoyed walking around our neighborhood for more than an hour seeing the festivities, decorations, and many statues of the Goddess of Wisdom..

Lots of women were out wearing their special sarees for the day’s celebration. Saw so many gorgeous ones — lots of red and gold.

Here’s Lori with a bunch of kids who were jumping around with sparklers. The boys had been in the street earlier and we had kicked the soccer ball around with them.

This is the big display that was built on the sidewalk directly below our window. Every block or so there is another display and they play the music loud enough for the whole block to hear! Luckily, it’s kind of upbeat music and we enjoy it — only it is VERY loud! \240But the Goddess of Music must have music on her birthday!

Beside the loud music, when you are on the street the smell of the burning incense is overwhelming. (notice the smoke on the left). Oh, plus firecrakcers have been going off since last night. Looks llike I won’t get to sleep very early tonight!

This littler display (about 10 feet tall) is about a half block away. They used winnowing trays for the edges, I suppose indicating prayers for a good growing season. We saw guys building it last night and then around midnight I heard this yelling in the street and went to the balcony to see what was going on. Here about a dozen guys had put the display in the back of a pickup truck and had all piled in around her and were driving through the streets yelling, I assume praises.

Most street corners had some kind of display on them. These are in little permanent boxes/shelters (see below) that have Hindu dieties in them reguarly, but they fix them up special for holy days.

This was a special display with gorgeous fresh flowers all around her.

This one had flashing lights that looked like they were moving.

And this last one had curtains in the background and on the sides, and was as big as a stage in a school auditorium.

Welcome Spring! And Praise to God (and Saraswati) for Knowledge, Music, and the Arts! It is considered good luck for children to learn to write their first words on this day, and schools often have special programs on this day celebrating learning.

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159A, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd, Mullick Bazar, Entally, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

Kolkata: Day Seven, 23 January 2018: Where to start? Today marks the end of our first week in Kolkota. We have had an amazing 7 days here that seems more like 7 weeks.

We have walked about 4 to 5 miles around town every day, through the local markets, down alleys where people live in tiny homes/single rooms and been to New Market, the big shopping area for tourists and the upper class.

We have ridden in rickshaws, and on the city bus, but mostly rely on Uber to maneuver us through this chaotic city.

There is so much sensory input flowing into our bodies: sights, sounds, smells, and the smog! I have taken over  500 photos, plus a few videos. Yet, nothing can capture this city!  (Just like nothing can capture the grandeur of Yosmite National Park).

We are surrounded 360 degrees by Life, with a capital L. Life in all its rawness and all its beauty. Kolkata is nothing but Real Life — life as lived by millions, well, actually make that Billions!

According to Wikki, the subcontinent of India has 1.7 billion people. (Includes Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives, in addition to India.) This area, also known as South Asia, has about one-fourth of the world’s population, that lives on only 3.5% of the world’s land. This means South Asia is BOTH the most populous and the most densely populated area in the world! Today, if you wanted to choose a person who would be the most typical representative of the human race, it would someone from South Asia, not a Chinese person, as it was when I was in grade school (thanks, probably to China’s one-child policy many years ago.

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1/H/5, Janbazar, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

(Continued from previous post).South Asia is populated by a vast array of peoples. Most people in South Asia are classified as Caucasians, which is a classification based on facial features that has nothing to do with skin color. About 70% are of the Indo-Aryan ethnic groups, living primarily in northern Indian, with 25% are of the population being Dravidian, or of native origin, living in southern India. Of course there are multiple subgroups of ethnicity.

India is known as a spiritual and religious land. It has the world’s largest populations of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, who all trace their roots to India.

(The above is a picture of the HIndiu Temple, Kalighat. We went there yesterday but the lines were so long, and people so packed togehter, we decided not to go inside but just wandered aroud the sourvenir stalls where people buy flowers and food to give to the goddess Kali. According to Wikki, Kali is the Goodess of death and time and is often associated with sexuality and violence. However Kali is also considered a storng mother-figure and symbolic of motherly love). But back to the religions of India . . .

India also has the largest population of Muslims in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as over 35 million Christians and 25 million Buddhists. Although more Buddhists live outside of South Asia, Buddha was born in northern India and also attained his enlightenment here too. (This picture is of a wonderful man who allowed us to take his picture adn thenhe took Lori’s on his cell phone.)

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P-210, Strand Bank Rd, Fairley Place, BBD Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal 700001, India

This is really part 3 of the post I started two days ago and never got finished. At look at Life in Calcutta with a capital L. \240Since this is Republic Day (Indian Independence from British Rule), it is all the more appropriate just to share pictures of the the people and Life Lived Out Loud in Kolkata. The city is an amazing place! It has extreme wealth and extreme poverty, which we all know. \240But it is also a place where people are proud, hard-working, creative, ingenious, polite, (although we do get lots of curious stares), caring and filled with joy. We get lots of “hellos” and smiles as we walk around. \240And the children are so curious, playful, and responsive, and full of laughter. Hopefully, these pictures can show you just a little what life is like here.

Down at the market with our friend, Proveena.

Flowers anyone?

Most of the flowers are used as a gift to the dieties at the Hindu temples and in home worhsip centers.

It’s unbelivable how many flowers there are!

Daily shopping at the market since most people don’t have refrigeration at home.

Our favorite fruit vendor at Entally Market. For $2.28, we got 3 oranges, 3 bananas, 2 pomegrantes, and 2 kiwi.

Fresh meat. You can go early to market and watch the animals get slautered. \240No thanks! Did see a street vendor from a distance kill and dress a chicken right at his little stall on the sidewalk.

The housewares sections, specifically kitchenwares.

Potatoes

Cookies and sweets

And of course, chili peppers!

Moving goods is an art form in itself — not to mention a lot of hard work!

A person-pulled rickshaw being used to haul goods.

Huge bundles of vegetables, fruits and flowers departing from the train station headed towards the wholesale markets, where distributors come and buy.

This guy not only has the front of his bicyle loaded down. . . .

He also has the back of the bike piled high with boxes!

There is extreme poverty here, and no matter where one is in the city, there are little homes along the sides of the streets, including places where the homes have taken over the sidewalk.

Here’s some apartment buildings.

And here are some homes near the apartments, but back the alleys.

We’ve walked into two fancy hotels downtown, just to use their bathrooms.

All the hotels have guards and doormen, etc. but they don’t question us because we are white. This is a modern lounge at the Park Hotel.

Well, I have to stop for now as we have a friend coming over for dinner— which is usually eaten at 9 or 10. Next post I’ll have some street scenes and people pictures. This is us today at the Howrah Bridge, after taking the public ferry across — 8cents a ticket! The most fun was that we walked back across the bridge!

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3, Hogg St, New Market Area, Dharmatala, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal 700087, India

A look at life on the streets of Kolkata

One of many sidewalk cooks serving up “street food.” I think this is fried chickpea batter.

Families at the park enjoying The Republic Day holiday.

Rinsing raw rice at a little streetside restaurant

Crossing the Howrah Bridge

Washing clothes & bathing at the public “well” in Kolkata an everflowing water spout.

A sleeping souvenir seller near a Hindu temple

A Muslim woman eating a dinner of fried noodles

Always, always traffic!

The beggars sleeping wherever they can

Dogs sleeping wherever they can — friendly and well fed by everyone it seems. I saw a man open a package of cookies and dump them on the ground for one dog.

Streets decorated for the Hindu festival

Streets still decorated from the Holidays

Kids at play

Enjoying a cup of milk-tea

A shop selling sweets, called sweetmeats.

Enjoying a snack & tea

A parade-demonstration by health care workers against denegue fever

A fruit vendor

Hand pulled rickshaw

Kids coming home from school

Cows & chickens down a side street

The public toilets near the market —quite a smell when walking by

Thousands of little snack sellers — 8 cents a tiny bag

A city that never sleeps! Big time at the market is 6-9 pm. Then home to eat supper.

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24/9 D, Garcha 1st Ln, Dover Terrace, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019, India

Now to share some of the wonderful times we’ve been having with our Indian friends. These are people that Lori met 3 years ago when she lived here for 2 months

We have had the pleasure and honor of being in the homes of 2 Indian families.

Here we are with Elizabeth and her mother. Elizabeth works at 8th Day Coffee Shop and Cafe. Elizabeth and Ronie are Christians.

This is Ronie & Elizabeth’s daughter, Crystal Rosita, who is 5 years old, and Proveena, around 12, a cousin they are raising since her mother died 3 months ago.

We were priveldged to be invited to share a meal of chicken and vegetable curry in their home.

Here’s Elizabeth helping Crystal doing her homework.

The next evening we took an “auto” as they are called here (Tuk-tuks in thailand) and went to another home for prayer and Bible study.

This family is another Christian family, that Ronie & Elizabeth have taken under their wing to help them as a newly married couple who now have a 5 month old baby.

This is their darling baby boy.

This is Ronie’s friend who shared his “witness” of finding Jesus after 7 years of living a sinful life of smoking and drinking and doing bad things as he described it.

Ronie is a very passionate Chrisitan. He and Elizabeth both attended the same Christian high school where they met. He converted from Hinduism; she from Islam. Elizabeth was only recently baptized because at first the elders of her Muslim village would have killed her for converting. However, now her Muslim mother has reconciled with them and cares for the children and cooks for them.

This family was very gracious and served us tea and cookies and a crunchy snack after the sharing was over.

This family lives in an 8’ by 8’ space. They have electricity that supplies light and runs a clock. They have only a one burner gas burner in the corner to cook on, and all their pots and pans are on one rack on the wall.

We read scripture, heard Ronie’s and friend’s testimony, prayed and they sang a beautiful hymn in Hindi.

And everybody played with the baby

Who finally fell asleep (the black dot on the head is to protect the child and bring good health.

Lori kissing the darling “good night.”

Yesterday, Republic Day, we went with Ronie and the girls down to Millennial Park where lots of families were out for a picnic and fun.

The girls rode a hand-powered merry-go-round.

Here the girls are waving at us.

Then Ronie and I joined the girls on the Tilt-a-Whirl. OMG! I almost got whiplash! The rides each cost 20 rupees, or 33 cents per person. Plus it cost 10 rupees each for the admission fee, which is less than a dollar for the family.

The girls enjoyed the spinner, even though it was broken.

And enjoyed climbing on the jungle gym.

Here’s Ronie and Crystal.

Then we walked along the river to the ferry ghat.

For 8 cents each we caught a ride across the river.

This is the type of ferry we were on.

We landed at the foot of Howrah Bridge, that carries about 100,000 vehicles a day.

We also were at the Howrah Train Station, the biggest and busiest in India.

After weaving our way through traffic and people, we made it to the footpath across the bridge.

The bridge carries about 100,000 vehicles a day, compared to the Golden Gate which carries 110,000 a day.

I had no idea one could walk across the bridge, but by some reports about one million people a day walk across - including the 5 of us yesterday! It’s the biggest cantilever bridge in the world.

A little humor during our walk!

On the other side of the bridge was the infamous Flower Market.

Even though this wholesale market is busiest at 6:00 a.m., at 1:30 p.m. it was still packed

And unblievable!

More flowers

More sellers

More varieties than I’ve ever seen!

We finally caught an Uber home after a wonderful day.

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4/1, Anami Sangha, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India

Beautiful people everywhere!

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D C Dey Rd, Tangra, Kolkata, West Bengal 700046, India

I just want to share some more shots of people and street scenes. Although I already shared one of this little boy, he’s worth another photo — besides it’s the only way to get another place marked on my map, since they only record the location of the first picture in a post.

A seller at the Flower Market

Going to the Hindu temple

Lori and a woman (Owner? Wife? Helper?) at our local fried noodle stall

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113D, Tangra, Kolkata, West Bengal 700046, India

Here’s Lori, over near the office of International Justice Mission where we spent an informative and inspiring morning with them, starting with devotions and then talking with the directors and staff. An excellent organization doing excellent work. Lori and Ryan both have friends that are or have worked with IJM.

The other reason I posted this picture (besides to get another pin on my map) is because this shows a great creative way to recycle old 2 liter plastic pop bottles. They are attached to each other & the wall somehow and hold both the plant and the water, thus covering up the ugly concrete side of the building.

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32/1, Danesh Shaikh Ln, B Shalimar Area, Shalimar, Howrah, West Bengal 711103, India

Had a nice day at the Botanical Gardens

A gorgeous day to walk around

Quiet and peaceful, partly because there is a small admission fee.

These are just some girls who came up to us and wanted a picture with us. I guess it is status to have a photo of a foreigner. A number of people, mostly college age males ask, but we always say No. Because it was girls we said Yes.

Lots of families out

Not much in bloom this time of year, but a few flowers supplemented with pots of flowers

Boating fun

Picnicking and playing ball — mostly soccer

Big attraction is the Great Banyan Tree. It is over 250 years old and has the biggest spread in India, if not all of Asia

The tree covers about 4.7 acres. It is very hard to see — and to comprehend.

It has over 3772 ariel roots that reach down to the ground.

An old research building and one of the few gardens with blooming flowers

:)

A great ride home over the Hoogley Bridge

Reminded me slightly of the Mackinaw Bridge with it’s 2 towers

The smog makes a nice sunset

High rise apartments as we exit the bridge

Crisscrossing highways near the bridge

Good night from the city that never sleeps!

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29/1, Bedia Danga 2nd Ln, Nator Park, Kasba, Kolkata, West Bengal 700042, India

Burger You! Best burger joint in Kolkata! Rivals the burgers at Bubba’s in Traverse City!

We got the Texas Burger with onion rings & cheese on the burger and a side of steak fries! Absolutely delicious! Thumbs Up is a Coca-cola product. Tastes just like Coke, but made here in India. Fed the 2 of us for under $5!

The “dining room” he is building. Will seat about 4 people each side. Up til now has been a take out place. U. S. Consulate office orders weekly. With 48 hour notice you can get a steak.

The owner & chef, Mark and his tiny kitchen. He speaks excellent English with a British accent. Raised in Christian home. Traveled in Bangladesh with Salvation Army medical team. Been to Edinburgh. Super nice guy!

Definitely will be going back!

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NS Rd, Fairley Place, BBD Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal 700001, India

Today we went on a walking tour of Kolkata about the British rule of India. It was excellent!

The company, Calcutta Walks is owned by Ifte, a friend of Lori’s from 3 years ago when she was here

He is mentioned in, and praised, by Lonely Planet!

Learned a lot about the 300 year rule of India by the Brits, starting with the East India Trading Company in the 1600’s. Working hand -in -hand with the British government they made millions for the government until the mid 1850’s when they were dissolved & the British government officially ruled India.

Here’s statues atop that red building showing 2 arms of Justice ( in the middle) with the British on the left and the Indians on the right.

A palace of one on the local rulers from early Kolkata days, now occupied by a figurehead governor.

It was fascinating (and disgusting at times) to learn about this era from the Indian perspective.

The original Income tax office building

Statue in the park of a maharajah who cooperated and negotiated between the British and the Indians.

The British version of the events leading up to what became known as the Black Hole of Calcutta.

Unfortunately the church. ( this is StAndrew’s) as in much of history sided with the rich & poweful.

Here is St James. Lovely grounds around it.

Stained glass inside.

A controversial painting of The Last Supper because some figures resembled local political people

I was disgusted at the dozens of commemorative plaques to fallen British military commanders who were killed over the centuries during native uprisings

Here’s a sculpture pitting natives against the British.

I did like this sculpture, though.

In the garden area of the church was this military war memorial.

This is an old building that is being restored.

Used to have beautiful tile work

This is a small lake used for recreational boating in the middle of the old government & business area. It used to be the city reservoirs—for use only for the British.

Starting in 1911-1932 the capital of India was moved from Calcutta to New Delhi for political reasons & there is still friction between the two cities

Kolkata is a City of Firsts in India and much of Asia: first piped hot water in a home (that palace), first escalator (a bank), first elevator ( a hotel) , first cut record for a gramaphone, etc. Still considered the city of art, music, dance, and culture in India.

This is Viceroy Somebody’s chair and a big black safe where gold was kept. This was a meeting room in St. John’s where church & government had joint meetings

A stop for tea and little sandwiches half way through the tour which lasted 3 hours

This is the Royal Bank of India building

A colonial era house on the church property, probably the vicar’s house at one time, or even now.

An early apartment building built by a Jewish business. Unique design because each apartment has windows to catch the breeze.

A downtown scene — in some ways quite different from the part of town we’ve been seeing. In other ways, still Kolkata.

Just a lovely tree by the reservoir.

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188/33/1, Prince Anwar Shah Rd, Jodhpur Park, Kolkata, West Bengal 700045, India

We’ve had 3 really fun days exploring the city. Here’s Lori at a snack vendor.

We’ve taken over 400 pictures in just these 3 days!

So many wonderful people!

Here’s some men enjoying their tea by our favorite tea stall that we frequent daily, often several times.

Here’s a little sweetie who posed for us

along with her mother and baby sibling

Been in the busiest market ever today!

People and traffic on all sides, as people walk on both sides of the road since the sidewalks are too full!

When you cross the street, you just dodge \240the cars since there are almost no crossing signals.

The streets are full of everything and everybody.

People moving everything on their heads and by bicycles with carts

Here’s a hand pulled rickshaw carrying goods

And here’s another one. It’s hard work!

I’m told these guys are some of the poorest of the poor, and many are homeles. What a hard job!

It takes a lot of muscle and stamina to do this job all day long!

Here’s a picture I took soon after we came. This guy was around the corner from our house. Homeless, he just sleeps on the sidewalk under his rickshaw!

Saw goats today, right in the middle of a 4 lane street!

We’d seen goats before down side alleys, but this guy was herding them right down a main highway!

One can see just about anything in the street! Here’s what must be a wholesaler selling buns and bread.

This is a woman selling fruit, with a little tent for her baby.

And here’s a girl sleeping on a wooden platform at the back of her parents’ stall.

Old men watch,

And so do old women

People bathe on the sidewalk

usually though at the public water spigot

Here’s some men filling water bottles at the public “well.”

And then there are the beggars — although not as many as I expected, maybe because we don’t go to the touristy areas.

This poor elder doesn’t really beg, but he does hang out around the market and our tea stall. We’ve bought him tea a couple of times, as do other people. He actually speaks fairly good English and is always polite, giving us the spot on the bench. Today for the first time he was sleeping, just sitting on the bench in the middle of all the chaos. My guess is that he is homeless and usually sleeps on the street.

Many more pictures to share, but it’s past my bedtime. More to come later.

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165, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd, Beniapukur, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

We’ve spent the last two days celebrating with Mennonite Central Committe India 75 years of work and service in India. Since the early 70’s the work has been carried out by nationals with the country directors being the only international staff

Started in 1942 with relief work for Begal famine — a human -caused famine because food was diverted to the Allied military forces.

Gathering inside St. James — maybe 300 people. Started with a big worship service.

Celebration choir. Surprised to see staff use the Worship Book hymnal from the U.S.

About 30 speakers over 2 days — past & present staff, country directors, beneficiaries sharing memories, thanking MCC, and sharing hopes for the future

Were treated to several tribal musical groups of dancers. This group (I think) was from a recipient group where MCC has an irrigation project.

This was a musical -dance drama group from a school MCC supports

Another dance- drama group.

Youth from an HIV health program for you

Below are displays and photos from MCC telling about their work in India.

Started in 1942 with relief work for Begal famine — a human -caused famine because food was diverted to the Allied military forces.

Commerative framed poster with signatures of attendees

Our signatures—right above the blue design

A wonderful celebration and a wonderful organization. They do have fantastic programs which really help many people through their relief, development and peace programs “in the name of Christ.”

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20, BT Rd, Santhi Nagra Colony, Belghoria, Kolkata, West Bengal 700056, India

Had a fabulous, inspiring day visiting a program MCC supports in northern Kolkata

MCC helps pay for the training of peace mediators or counselors who work with the police in protection of women who are abused and battered (and sometimes children) or who abuse, neglect, or abandoned elderly women.

They also have a small training program in tailoring and beauty care to provide income for women

They put together “marriage make-up kits” and use that to get their foot in the door to Muslim women. They are helping fight teen marriage and trafficking by doing “background checks” for girls who are given expensive gifts and promised marriage, but then are sold off after the marriage.

They have a small one room training building where they also have support groups and teach women about their rights. In their first year they have got 90 women with ID badges (trained in rights) and 20 women each trained in tailoring and beautician.

MCC has provided money so they have expanded their peace counselors from one police station to four. There are 5 peace counselors, each with a caseload of 5 or 6, as it often takes up to 3 months to resolve cases, plus they follow up cases for a year. They have about 20 new cases a month.

The Indian woman here is the one trained lawyer who represents the woman in court. If they have to go that far. Most of the cases are hard to prosecute so they work towards solutions with the second step being a letter from the lawyer. That usually brings the man in. The police also help round up the men because it relieves them of having to handle the abuse and abandonment cases which are time consuming and they don’t like.

This is Camille on the right who is the driving, dynamic driving force behind this and several other projects including 3 homes for abused & abandoned kids and two for seniors. She has been working in the community for 30 years. Camille is the person who got the police to buy into the program.

The women at the center treated us royaly. Here I am getting rose petals sprinkled in my hair

Plus they gave us a rose and a homemade card

Then they sang to us and gave us tea and biscuits

While Camille and the lawyer told us about the program

We also got to hear from two different victims who were seeking help. It was truly inspiring!

I’ll just leave you with some pictures of people who were hanging around the police compound wondering what all the white people were doing there!

My prayers go out tonight for the people of Kolkata, the people of India, for Mennonite Central Committee and MCC’s work around the world. I also pray for you, my friends, for me, and for the churches in the U. S. May we be ever thankful for the blessings God has showered us with, and may we find ways to share our love and these blessings with others in our world who need our caring and support.

40
9B, Gobra, Kolkata, West Bengal 700046, India

Can’t believe it has been a week since I’ve posted. We leave Kolkata after a month here on the morning train to Puri, south of here 10 hours along the coast. We will be there 8 days before returning to the City of Joy for a few more days. Have been taking loads of pictures and doing some writing and reflecting about our time here, but mostly have just been experiencing all the sights, sounds, and smells and being in the Now. Here’s a little of what life is like in our neighborhood (mostly).

Last night at a good friend’s house.

A little Hindu shrine that backs into our tea stall.

Lori with the tea stall guys -Rocky and Vicky.

Today at Quest Mall.

Can’t believe they celebrate Valentine’s Day. Anything for a buck — or in this case a ruppee

We go to Spencer’s, a chain grocery with some clothes and housewares, but mostly food and toiletries.

The rest of the stores at the mall are too expensive—mall prices like back home. There are several big malls — we’ve only been to two. Here’s some teens hanging out taking their pictures beside the bridal sarees in the windows.

And then there are poor and homeless street people who beg. This group camps out about 2 blocks north of our tea stall. There are about 20 of them up by that corner.

This is Entally Market where we do 90% of our shopping. It’s 2 blocks from our Airbnb, and a place where only locals shop.

We were told that a number of years ago they cleaned up the market area and kicked the beggars out. It seems to have worked because we find it a nice place to shop.

A pharmacy where we got anti itch cream for our mosquito bites.

Me (Joy —AKA Ramona) having more tea!

Another frequent drinker at the tea stall.

And more men taking their afternoon break. With dinner not til 10, afternoon work & tea breaks are essential! 95% of the customers are men!

Making tea: he boils the tea, milk and sugar back on the stove. Here he is squeezing out the cloth that had the tea leaves in it.

Pouring the tea into little throw away clay cups—about 2 or 3 ounces each, so we drink 2 or 3 cups at 8 cents each

Cars being decorated for a wedding at the corner of the market. Every week there is a wedding. P.S. The flowers are fake.

A produce stand inside Entally Market

Our ATM. There is a guard at the door that lets 2 people at a time come in — one per machine. Suppose it is necessary or there would be theives and beggars everywhere. This is a block and a half away, right across from the MCC office.

More stuff for sale at Entally. This is fancy pottery.

This is the famous sweet shop where we almost daily buy our sweet yogurt and sweet meats. We found long before we found out it is one of 3 branch shops considered the best in the city.

Sweet meats are siimilar, but different, sort of a cross between fudge, soft cookies, and homemade candy. Many different kinds. Yummy! I’ve been trying a different one almost daily. Lori is not a sweet eater, but I have them for my bedtime snack. They cost 10-20 cents a piece.

We eat the sweet curds for breakfast with bran flakes and fruit. It is much thicker and sweeter than any yogurt at home. In the UK it is similar to what they call “cream” but the Indian kind is the best!

Here’s some girls and their dad having lunch after school gets out at 2:00 -2:30. This is spicy chowmein noodles at our little noodle stall right on the street outside the sweet shop.

Here’s some more kids enjoying lunch

Lori and the Noodle Lady — wife, mother, or owner?

The yummy noodles. They are very popular here & served on the street. A lot of Chinese food as the “foreign” food. This only costs 33 cents, but feeds the 2 of us! This is the half order — an overflowing salad plate full. We have it for either lunch or supper.

And here is the chef. He cooks up a bunch ahead of time, then you tell him what you want in it and he fries up your order. We always get egg, no meat..

This is our tailor shop. You can see the back of the store in this picture. It’s a busy shop.

Here are the 3 boys that do the sewing. They’ve made us 1 cotton pants and we dropped off fabric for 3 more pairs. $4.00 to sew. We supply the fabric which costs about $3.00. It’s getting too hot to wear jeans!

Our elevator: two sliding grate doors. We’re on the 4th floor.

It’s a cage big enough maybe for 4 people, but we’ve never had to share despite all the people in this building.

Can I offer anyone a bedtime cup of cha? There’s always room for cha—quite literally! It’s just a sip or two! \240Goodnight! My train is leaving way too early in the morning!

41
New Marine Drive Road, Puri, Odisha 752001, India

Greetings from Puri!

We somewhat surprisingly have landed in tourist paradise.

This is the place where middle and upper class Indians come to vacation.

The atmosphere is very different from Kolkata. \240And “No” we are not riding the camels — primarily because of the way they treat the camels,

This is what I want to do!

There are 3 miles of beach here on the Bay of Bengal.

According to some tourist literature Puri isn’t a good swimming beach.

But that’s not true! This picture doesn’t show it well, but there were hundreds, if not thousands of people swimming today.

The beach might not be as beautiful as in Goa or Kerala, but it is really nice sand in the water and surprisingly warm.

Women just wear their sarees right in the water.

Some wear pants and a top, but even the young ones wore a scarf around their neck— I assume to hide their breasts from showing under their wet shirt. We haven’t decided what we are going to wear, even though we brought our swimming suits.

One truly wonderful thing is the long SMOOTH sidewalk that goes along the beach. Kolkata sidewalks were so rough and hazardous and so full of people we often walked on the streets, although there we had to beware of all the traffic!

Look at this empty road! Unbelievable! There are no taxis here and few private cars. In Kolkata there are one and a half million taxis that comprise 48% of the traffic.

Here the traffic is a little bit of everything, even a camel for some.

Auto rickshaws are the main mode of transport.

We got from the train station across town in about 10 minutes.

There are lots of motorcycles.

Plus vans and some small buses.

Bicycles are used to haul everything

And of course, there are rickshaws (but note how little traffic there is!)

This is a shot of our rickshaw driver today, as we got quite hot walking to a coffee shop.

Here’s a cricket game on the beach, and today we saw a beach volleyball game.

And here’s a little girl enjoying a ride in an electric car - you buy a ticket like a bumper car ride.

It’s just nice to see another side of Indian life — families on vacation enjoying life.

What a wonderful place for people to relax and breathe in some fresh air!

Here’s to a great week ahead!

Nothing like tea on the beach!

42
New Marine Drive Road, Puri, Odisha 752001, India

Sunrise at Puri

And off we go . . .a

Howrah is the busiest train station in India with 450 trains per day and one million passengers.

Lots of people sleeping on the floor waiting for trains — or not.

Amazingly it was quite quiet— maybe because everybody was still half asleep.

Goods of all kinds waiting to be loaded.

Here’s a pallet of eggs.

And here comes the train,

Right on time.

We got tickets for air conditioned chair seats.

Vendors employed by the train come through all day selling stuff. Here’s my morning tea and biscuit. We could have ordered a lunch box with curry but we weren’t sure about how hot it would be, so we brought our own cheese sandwich and some snacks

There were book and newspaper vendors

Here’s the snack chip vendor. Also vendors selling fruit, yogurt, water, and pop.

Here we are, ready to go.

Leaving Kolkata we saw the worst housing we had seen the whole trip.

Despite all we’d seen before, this really got to me. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in one of those hovels.

And like all train tracks around the world there were lots of piles of trash.

The trip gave Lori a chance to see rural India for the first time.

Heading south, we soon started seeing more palm trees — date palm and coconut palm.

Most of the fields were barren for the winter, but there were a couple fields planted to early rice.

And here are fields planted with marigolds, probably headed for the Kolkata flower market.

Waiting for the train to pass.

Love these two men talking to each other.

Here’s a little 10 year old talking to Lori. His family was spending a long weekend in Puri on vacation. He showed her a cute app on his phone where it puts sunglasses, hats and funny things on your face.

Arrival at Puri

Out to the taxi stand. Here they have a booth where the Ticketmaster determines the price and selects your auto rickshaw for you. Very nice system with no haggling.

And off we go . . .

Another Day. Another Adventure!

43
Sea Beach Rd, Puri, Odisha 752001, India

More images from Puri

We spent two lovely hours here enjoying the view and the day!

Wading. \240Very comfortable! Temp in mid-80’s

Started listening to James Martin’s “A Jesuit Guide to (almost) Everything” while enjoying a wonderful sea breeze.

Vendors of all kinds: Yes, that is cotton candy.

A girl selling balloons

A rice and curry seller if you want a meal

The cucumber seller. Indians love peeled cucumbers as a snack.

And best of all the tea seller!

He has clever set-up where he carries an oil burning stove and makes the tea hot right in front of you.

Here you can the burner down in the bottom.

He adds the tea leaves.

Then strains the leaves.

And then pours you your fresh cup of hot tea! Wonderful! We had seconds, of course

Here’s the rest of his little portable kitchen.

The view from the ocean with the expensive hotels along the road. Notice the dogs just lying around — all over the beach.

Indians on vacation.

A curious cute boy — not selling anything! (I didn’t take pictures of all the obnoxious sellers of shells, jewelry, and kids toys!)

On the road to the beach in an auto rickshaw.

Tourists—80% come to visit a very important Hindu temple in town, which non-Hindus are not allowed to enter

On the way to the beach

Cows everywhere!

On the road

On the beach

On the sidewalk

At the dumpsters—on the block we pass going to the beach

The homeless living on the beach

Mother and daughter enjoying the beach.

A food stall washing their dishes on the sidewalk.

The street sweeper. These twig brushes and the sweepers are the backbone of keeping India clean.

Am pretty sure this sweeper is paid by the city tourist board. There were also women on the beach picking up trash.

The purse/bag seller—hundreds of little stalls selling trinkets to the tourists

The bag stall

The workers

The tourists — \240many very fancy sarees!

Another interesting man

Pony ride, anyone?

Chickpea snack with chili peppers etc. we don’t eat the raw or cold stuff.

A little food stall that had a five star rating on Google maps.

We loved it! Had a big bowl of fried noodles and this egg-vegetable sandwich. All for $2.50!

Goodnight, Puri! \240Goodnight all!

44
New Marine Drive Road, Puri, Odisha 752001, India

Another fabulous two days in Puri! This is really retirement! And a vacation from the crazy chaos of Kolkata!

Although there are lots of tourists here, there is still lots of beach where one can have relative peace and privacy — well, as white people we never really have real privacy.

Here’s Lori late yesterday covering up to avoid an obnoxious young man from taking a picture of her. He was the worst ever! Had to really get firm with him. Lots of young men come up and ask Lori for selfie’s with her — never me. They want young white women whose heads they can cut and paste onto naked bodies and show off on Facebook. We’ve had several Indian friends and strangers tell us this.

This is crazy Ramona in a towel — and the jerk in the background. He probably stared at us over 15 minutes, Went out to the surf and pretended to be taking a selfie towards the shore, then came closer to us (after we covered up) and finally spoke to us. We just got up and left. It was getting close to sunset anyway.

Here’s some cool sand art someone made by dripping little balls on sand into a tower.

Indians on holiday.

Enjoying the ocean

Lots of families having fun

Here’s where we usually hang out — up with the umbrella guys and near the vendors - partly because they will drive off the nuisance guys. \240Yesterday we saw them break up two fights on the beach - one between 3 drunk guys and one with a father who didn’t want to pay the umbrella guys — yet the father was fighting when they then tried to reject his measly pay!

This is one of the food sellers, serving rice and curry to the family next to us. Carries everything in 6 big pots.

Here’s 3 “pearl’ and “coral” necklace sellers. Actually the guy in the blue shirt speaks pretty good English and we talked with him 2 hours! He has made a full time living doing this for 20 years. He admitted the jewelry is “fake” but lots of Indian women buy them anyway.

This couple is buying some kind of jewelry, I think braclets.

This is the front of that little noodle shop I told you about last time, that was recommended on Google maps.

And here the chef is fixing up the food.

Some of the many beach dogs watching us have tea! They seldom bark — here or in Kolkata. \240Guess they just get used to people.

Fancy horses pulling 3 carts with cages with musicians playing in them — for a weekend wedding. \240They just parked by the road and people danced in the street and the music blared away all afternoon.

Some of the wedding decorations outside the hotel where the wedding was being hosted.

One of the many decorated big trucks, called lorries (it is a British word)

A colorful scarf covering a motorcycle.

Sweeping outside a shop before it opens in the morning.

One of many overflowing dumpsters before the trash is picked up.

Eggs on a bicycle-cart. These carts are the backbone of the distribution system in Kolkata. \240Really haven’t seen many here

Watch out for the speed bumps — and the cows!

Fishermen straightening out their nets at the end of the day. They fish at night mostly and the catch comes in about 6 or 7 a.m.

This vendor is selling dried, spicy red fish.

Our view from a rickshaw, headed down the main road that runs by the beach.

Another curry and rice vendor. This one has it all tied on this bicycle. Have seen some that even have an umbrella attached to the bike.

A vendor selling some kind of fried breads or pastries. \240Some of the many things we haven’t or can’t eat.

An older bigger man

And a mother and her sleeping baby.

What a sweetie!

Another day is ending

And here is the Sun Goddess, holding the power in her hand, — and all of you and the world in her heart! \240Love from us in Puri, to all of you, wherever in the world you are!

45
Konark Temple Rd, Konark, Odisha 752111, India

Here we are at the Sun Temple. We took a private car for the 40 km, one hour each way from Puri. Cost us $20 for the excursion.

The temple is supposed to be a chariot with these 12 big wheels around it

Amazing how many people were there already. However on the way home I counted over 40 big tour buses of people and about that many mini-bus that hold 12-20 people!

We refused to pay the $10 per person foreigner fee because there really isn’t that much to see. By comparison, Indians pay fifty cents (yes, .50). You can read the history here.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s valuable as an archeological site and is not a place of worship with statues etc.

Still quite important to Hindus though

The temple is supposed to be a chariot with these 12 big wheels around it.

A lot of the temple is just old pillars

The chariot was drawn by 7 horses. I assume this is one of them.

Here I am with a happy man or a laughing god.

We spent our time people watching, which was far more interesting to us.

Some very interesting and beautiful people, including some women with shaved heads and some other religious pilgrims or monks.

And then were a few beggars.

And then there was the woman who wanted a picture with us. Usually we say No, but this time consented.

And last, but never forgotten, were the holy cows roaming around.

Before heading home we found a tea guy.

Outside of West Bengal and Bangladesh, Indians use all kinds of spices in their tea, such as ginger, cardamom, anise and other spices. We still like the plain sweet milk tea the best.

The breakfast puri maker was part of the little restaurant next door.

Breakfast is served at our hotel and we eat 2 or 3 puris every morning with curried chickpeas. \240Sometimes we get an omelet too.

The puris are deep fried, thin and kind of flaky. Time to get back to the hotel to get our free breakfast. Yum!

46
Puri-Konark Marine Dr, Ramachandi, Balukhand, Odisha 752111, India

Now for the really neat part of the trip to Konark — the wild monkeys!

If you look at the map you can see that most of the 40 km to Konark runs through a nature preserve.

We had no idea! It was mostly forest all the way, including some type of pine tree

And then we saw monkeys!

Wild monkeys running right across the road!

It was really awesome!

The trip was worth it just for this!

The preserve is part estuary near the ocean with rivers and lakes and swampy areas.

A beautiful early start to what turned out to be a very interesting day! That story is next.

47
Sea Beach Rd, Puri, Odisha 752001, India

Here’s our little troop of 5 homeless girls.

48
New Marine Drive Road, Puri, Odisha 752001, India

Here’s a toast to a wonderful week at the beach in Puri! One last sweet cup of hot “cha” as we watch the sun set a little after 5 every day.

Love those umbrellas! Anytime after 10 until about 4 we needed them! I really burned my feet by not keeping them in the shade all the time. Riding in the rickshaw didn’t help.

Here’s Lori all wrapped up trying to keep the sun off her neck and forehead.

The water was fantastic! I could have waded all day, except for getting too much sun!

On beaches here people swim in their clothes. Nobody is laying out trying to get a tan!

Everybody trying to cool off!

These kids were loving just having the surf roll over them! Great sandy shore! No rocks and little trash.

These 5 guys were the only people the whole week we saw boggie boarding. Don’t know why this hasn’t caught on here.

Here’s a fellow who came up to show us an octopus he found.

Dead, I presume.

And here’s one of the 6 dead sea turtles we saw. \240They get caught in the fishing nets or hit by the boat motors.

Then the crows and dogs pick at them! Sickening!

This was our lifeguard, meaning they rent you the umbrellas. One chair is 33 cents an hour. He maybe guards people’s stuff but he also helped shoo away nuisance people who bothered us!

This is Sanjay, a good English speaker who befriended us. Claimed he learned English on the beach the last 20 years. Learned interesting things about Indian life and views. He really is prejudiced against Muslims who he thinks are dirty. He is one of the necklace sellers.

Everyday the lifeguards throw out a net to catch their lunch

It’s fascinating watching them pull it in. It takes a lot of work against the waves.

Quite a crowd gathers to watch.

They have to pick out the little fish — look at center left

But they catch enough that everybody gets a big handful to cook up.

This is one of the women that is hired to clean up trash from the beach.

Camel guys ply the beach trying to get riders, which they do—just not us.

The cucumber vendor. He peels and slices in long quarters and puts a spicy salt on them. Delicious and juicy!

This is our favorite sweets seller.

Plus he sells potato samosas that are warm. They are absolutely the best either of us has ever eaten! We’d eat 3-5 at a time. 10 rupees or 33 cents each.

This is one of the many beach tea stalls. They open up for sunrise & a couple hours and then again for sunset and the night market. All of them set up these chairs for sitting, but you have to buy to sit, or pay rent. We always buy, of course!

And we spend the day people watching.

Amazes me all the beautiful sarees the women wear.

Here’s a religious pilgrim dude out begging.

Here’s the fishermen carrying some big nets down the beach

Don’t really know what they were doing.

This was a girl and her parents sitting beside us drinking tea and, off course, she wanted a selfie. Her mom got in their picture. What celebrities we are!

Here we are all wrapped up — not to hide, but because when the sun goes down and it’s windy we get cold!

Hello! The kids are always so friendly. Many want to shake hands when we pass by on the street

What a beach!

What a time!

Goodbye, Puri! We love you!

49
55-57, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd, Maula Ali, Beniapukur, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

Here we are, back in Kolkata for 3 days while we repack and rest up and get ready for our trip to the Taj Mahal.

This is our favorite restaurant, Nawab’s. We eat there frequently. They have the best garlic nan and dal making . It’s a brown-black lentil I never had before, thicker than regular dal. Super good!

When we got off the train decided to take the ferry across the river because the traffic was so awful and Uber was expensive.

Howrah Bridge — cut our Uber bill in half by getting out of the traffic around the train station and bridge, and crossing the river,

The ferries - 33 cents to cross.

The ferry dock

The nightmare & the worse government red tape ever — the Foreign Tourist Office of the Eastern Railway! Took us over 3 hours to buy a train ticket!

They have a primitive computer system but the worse thing is that two people just write everything down in a book for no reason. Til we get out they have our passport numbers , addresses, date of entry with copy of visas and it’s written down 3 times and our signature! Just to buy a train ticket! And the only reason for a paper log is to give somebody a job! Can’t explain it all but it is really stupid!

A steak dinner ( not listed on the menu) with mashed potatoes and peas. 4 bucks for more than I could eat. Cut up the rest and had it boxed and gave to a beggar. Leftovers are not wasted in this city!

50
58B, Entally, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

Just got back from a lovely evening at our friend Sujita’s home.

This is her sister in orange. Sujita is in the back with her mother. Sujita is the one who is traveling to Agra with us. She speaks English, Hindi and Bengali. Her sister does too, but not as fluently.

Sujita’s dad died less than a year ago. Lori met Sujita 3 \240years ago at Eighth Day Coffee Cafe, where she works. Ryan met her too. Her sister is an accountant.

We thought we were going for a quick visit to drop off some stuff we aren’t taking on our trip. But, of course, there were snacks. Coke instead of tea, this non-sweet yellow cake that you dipped in a slightly spicy chutney, the crispy stuff, and the rosagulla.

We got to see photos of their older sister’s wedding in 2009 and hear all about arranged marriages. Love marriages are more common now but still frowned on. Another older sister had a love marriage and her father initially disowned her, but after his stroke reconciled with her. They also have one brother.

To our surprise we were then served supper. Fresh puris with . . .

The best paneer curry ever — it had some really nice spices, usually it is too bland to be good. Also had curried potatoes and rice pudding with raisins and cashews. Yummy! Lori had never had rice pudding here. Later they served some raita that was really different (not with veggies), but really excellent. Maybe made with a bean or corn or wheat stuff—Sujita said is was a yellow flower, but really don’t know what it was. Definitely some yogurt base with something a little sweet. We’ve been eating the raitia with our curries and roti, but they said Indians eat it after meals and that it is supposed to aid in digestion.

51
Great Gate, Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India

Can one ever take too many pictures of the Taj Mahal?

52
Red Fort Rd, PWD, Munda para, Rakabganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India

Visit to Agra Red Fort. Massive and much more beautiful & interesting than I remember from 40 years ago

53
SH 39, Moti Bagh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282006, India

And now for the “Baby Taj”, a forerunner to the Taj Mahal. I had never been there before and it was much more beautiful than expected. Nice gardens and quiet. Spent an hour and a half just relaxing and enjoying the beauty.

54
39-a, Hawa Mahal Rd, J.D.A. Market, Kanwar Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302002, India

Here’s some pictures from our one full day in Jaipur. We loved the Hawa Mahal, the rest, not so much.

One of 365 windows so the royal women could watch the festivals and parades on the street.

55
Satyagraha Marg, Gandhi Smriti, Raj Ghat, New Delhi, Delhi 110006, India

Here’s some shots from our Delhi visit. Were there less than 48 hours but had a wonderful time and super good weather. This first part is from the Ghandi memorial.

56
SPA Service Road, Balmiki Basti, Vikram Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi 110002, India

For those of you who will never get to the Ghandi museum in Delhi here are photos from the exhibits. You can enlarge the pictures to read the captions and quotes. I found it very inspiring and have read a book since then called “Light of India: or Message if Mathatmaji” by M.A. Deshpanande that I picked up at their bookstore for a buck. What a great spiritual soul and loving, wise revolutionary was he. I and the world have so far to go!

The Salt Marching

I

Ghandi’s sandles.

The Salt March

241 mile March to the sea.

Pre-March meeting

The walk begins

“I want world sympathy in this battle of right against might.”

The walking stick used by Ghandi on the Salt Walk.

Ghandi picking up salt at the beach

Making salt

British police arresting people for making salt

Ghandi leads the way to get rid of the classification of the Hindu “untouchables.”

Collecting money for the Untouchables

Declaring a well open for all to use

Ghandi with a man with leporsy

Women in the movement. For his day Ghandi was liberal advocating for equal treatment of women and banning Hindu wives from throwing themselves on their husband’sfuneral pyre, banning purdah for Muslim women etc. He considered them equal partners in marriage but with traditional roles in the home.

Ghandi and the movement for India h homespun the employ the villagers jobless due to Britain’s policies and mechanization.

The blood stained clothes Ghandi was wearing when killed

The funeral procession

Orphans marching in the funeral procession

Photo with Tagore

More images — here he is at prayer — a morning and evening practice with other times in silence and scripture reading

At work

Confronting the powers that be!

One of his many fasts

With Nehru

In London

The train carrying Ghandi’s body ( I think)

The plane spreading his ashes

What a man! Gentle. Loving. Accepting of all faiths. Compassionate friend of the poor. Peaceful nonviolent power in action. A deeply spiritual man who lived in community, owning almost nothing,but who rocked the foundations of the powerful and gave hope to the masses!

57
4278/3, Ansari Rd, Dariya Ganj, New Delhi, Delhi 110002, India

A walk through the Indria Ghandi memorial park. The joke here is that an Indian told me I looked like Indria Ghandi.

So now I am Old Rose and Indria Joy! LOL!

One of my favorite trees

58
Amar Jawan Jyoti Rd, India Gate, New Delhi, Delhi 110001, India

India Gate, Delhi and other Delhi scenes

Some nice fountains

and gardens as part of the big park area around the India Gate.

Snack time. Lots of food sellers, ice cream, cotton candy, balloons, toys. Reminded us of being around the Effiel Tower in Paris. Would have taken more pictures but battery was low.

Fried chickpea balls and fried spinach balls, both rather cold and tasteless. Indians do eat with lettuce and raw onions on top.

Huge, huge fields with literally hundreds of Saturday cricket games going on.

The neon street where our hotel was — near the new railway station. Reminded me of Hong Kong.

Yummy cheap dinner at 9:30 at back alley restaurant recommended by a snack shop owner where we bought water. (The first night we ate in a tourist restaurant that had the absolute worst, most tasteless food we have had in our 7 weeks in India!)

Vegetable pilloa rice, black dal (our absolute favorite kind), mixed vegetable curry and paneer curry!

Dig in! Yummy! Yummy!

Breakfast stand for 2 mornings.

Spicy egg omelet on fried toast. 20 ruppees (only 33 cents)

The proud owner-chef

The little stand

The onlookers

A guy at a sweet shop, boiling down milk and sugar — pouring stuff back and forth

A beggar we bought tea and biscuit for at our breakfast stall

Quite a beautiful old woman. She proceeded down the street stopping in at every shop, office, hotel

Just like her checkered burka

Another great thail— South Indian individual “buffet” that we share

Will really miss this great Indian food!

59
36, Amrita Shergill Marg, Sujan Singh Park, New Delhi, Delhi 110003, India

Lodhi Gardens. One of the nicest public parks I’ve ever been in! It was a perfect evening weather wise.

Wonderful walking ad jogging paths — and very clean

Canals and two lakes

Wonderful spring flowers everywhere! Particularly orange nasturtiums and some other yellow and purple flowers

In the center of the park are three old ruins dating from the 1100’s and 1200’s, including a mosque. Families picnicking, playing soccer, and having fun.

Sujita loves to pose!

We stayed til dark.

60
965, Urdu Bazar Rd, Bazar Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid, Meena Bazaar, Kalan Mehal, Old Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi 110006, India

Old Delhi and the main mosque. A trip down memory lane.

They were going to charge us $5 each as foreigners & we refused. Sujita got in free.

Five minutes later the guy called us over and waved us in free. Nice! Probably had nobody refuse before & he knew Sujita was with us.

Largest mosque in Delhi. During Eid prayers the courtyard holds \24025,000 worshippers.

These are marble prayer “rugs”, 1 1/2 feet x 3 feet wide.

The busiest street in the world — from 40 years ago, we thought. Still is. Many of the pictures in old Delhi I took from down there.

That busy street

Notice this alleyway between the buildings! One small person only!

The wholesale spice market

More from the busiest street in the world!

Beautiful trash!

From the plane over Delhi.

61
Unnamed Road, Dadupura, Fatehpur Sikri, Rajasthan 283110, India

A little backtracking here, as I get caught up with the posting of our travels. Here’s our trip to Fatehpur Sikri, a fort and palace where the grandfather of the builder of the Taj lived. Abandoned as a residence after only 14 years, \240probably due to lack of water. It’s about 40 km from Agra, between Jaipur & Agra.

62
18/163-A, Bansal Nagar, Khairati Tola, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India

Some scenes from our private taxi ride for 4 1/2 hour drive from Jaipur to Agra.

Some small mountains just outside Jaipur, and

an awesome new tunnel that has only been open a few years.

The trip was surprisingly easy as the whole distance was a new 4 lane highway, although not limited access.

Always room for one more! Even at 40-50 mph!

This van is packed with about 10 people and their stuff. The picture doesn’t show how stuffed this vehicle is. Took this while going through the toll booth. Forgot to say that the new highway is a toll road most of the way.

Rural area—semi arid

Known for growing mustard seed , which is pressed into mustard oil

Huge trucks hauling everything

Some grazing goats and cows

Harvesting potatoes

Carrying baskets of potatoes to dump on the big pile (a little hard to see due to the similar colored background)

Women working on road construction—probably carrying dirt in baskets on their heads

This is a town we passed through where they make stone statues and temples

Here are some of the big slabs of stones they use for carving

Just a big fancy house out in the countryside

Lots of motorcycles buzzing by.

How many can we carry on one cycle? This was a family of 5—the mother in the blue sari was holding an infant on her hip!

Two guys with bandanna masks

Look closely — these are big cow dung and straw patties drying along the road. They use them and sell them in the market for cooking fuel.

More patties, these are stacked up in piles

And more . . .

A construction site where men were crushing bricks into gravel.

Wheat is amother crop grown in this area. They have a number of tractors and a few threshers

Here’s some kind of palm leaf drying along the road. Not sure what it is used for.

A sign at the tourist trap shop and restaurant. We did use their nice, clean Western-style restroom which had toilet paper😋

Talk about a big load!

Little tea stall, shops, shops, and restaurants all along the way for the truckers and locals. However many seemed out in the middle of nowhere and I can’t imagine how they all stay in business.

More big tucks - loaded to the gills!

A number of them all painted up, like this one.

The toll road was incredibly busy with huge trucks

This one is hauling the tanks for gas/propane that all the little shops/tea stall use to cook with

Big bags of something. Unbelievable how high they pile the trucks!

Potatoes—the third crop of the area

This truck is filled with women

And tractors too pulling trailers of people and goods

One of a number of brick factories along the way. Their one “industry.”

63
Dashehara Ghat Rd, Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282006, India

Here’s a few more pictures from the Taj. It was so lovely one post just doesn’t do it justice.

There are sound 23 passages from the Koran done is special calligraphy on the Taj. The calligrapher is the only artisan who has signed his work.

Notice not just all the inlaid flowers but also the calligraphy. Just like the minerts, the writing was made bigger at the top so that from the ground it all appears the same size.

The next 4 are Lori’s forbidden photos as you weren’t suppose to have taken pictures inside the Taj of the crypts of Shajahan and Memtaj, his wife.

The guard here is shing a light on the jewels that are embedded in the screen. There are over 42 different KINDS of precious gems used in the decoration.

The mosque beside the Taj. Friday’s the Taj is closed to the public. Worshippers only.

There are matching mosques on each side of the Taj. The one that faces west is a real mosque. The east facing one was used as a guest house.

64
Taj East Gate Rd, Dharmapuri, Paktola, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India

Seems like I never posted pictures from the Taj Nature Walk. I was sure I had, but maybe that was because I spent a lot of time editing the photos. So here they are:

We went here twice: first for sunset and then for sunrise.

This is a fabulous little hidden gem with very few tourists. Both times we pactically had the place to ourselves. Above is the evening view. Below the morning view.

We closed out the place our second evening and in talking with the gatekeeper (who sleeps there) Lori got him to agree to open the gate the next morning at 6:30 for us, when they usually don’t open til 9! What a gal she is!

What a splendid treat it was!

The peacocks roaming wild were a special treat! We saw them both times, but in the morning they were opening their tails and sunning themselves.

So beautiful!

Peace and Beauty!

Afterwards this little coffee shop was the only one open at 8 in this row of tourist shops.

So nice to beat the crowds and in the cool of the day!

The 2 visits there were really special and gave us a different view and experience of the Taj.

65
159A, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd, Mullick Bazar, Entally, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014, India

The time has come to say farewell to Kolkata and India. It has been a wonderful two months. Here’s a toast and a fond farewell to our special places and friends who made our time so great! We will miss you!

Grabbing our last cup of tea before heading to the airport.

Nothing in the world like Bengali dudh cha— milk tea from our favorite tea stall at Entally Market.

Making the tea. They sell a minimum of 800 cups a day.

Lori with brothers Rocky and Vicki. Their dad has owned the stall for over 40 years! Ideal spot on the corner across from the market.

This is Alam, who works at our favorite restaurant next door, saying our farewells.

Here we are next door at Nawab’s, with the crew. Home of the best garlic nan and dal makonhi (black dal). They also make a mean chicken do payasa (with extra onions) curry.

A close-up of the gang. They helped us get rickshaws, return some spoiled curds, etc. because several knew English pretty well.

The upstairs at Nawab’s had six tables where women & families could have privacy — and it was air conditioned.

The nan and dal.

Here’s Lori and Alam at the branch restaurant. They are known for their tandoori meats, but we didn’t eat them because they cook them and hang it up all evening without refrigeration.

Our favorite sweet shop at Entali Market. Daily visits. Yum!

Sweet curds (thick, creamy, and very different from our yogurt) and our (well Joy’s) sweetmeat.

We have Sujita to thank for introducing us to what is now our favorite of the sweetmests: kalakand. Until this LoMo didn’t think she liked sweetmeats because they are so very sweet (like fudge). But she got hooked!

The chowmein noodle stand. Mother and daughter who help out the father. One of the few women sellers.

Here’s papa frying up the goodies: noodles, eggs, onions & spices. This is right outside the sweet shop on the street corner

Making our favorite snack at Nawab’s: the Kati Roll

It’s a flaky paratha bread with eggs onions, chilies and about 3 different sauces. Yummy! The only thing I’ve ever had to ask for fewer onions in. Less than a buck and feeds 2. You can have meat in it if you want, but we didn’t.

The \240Kati roll, or egg roll, was Invented \240in Kolkata in the 90’s.

This little lady sold fruit in the market. She was always so friendly and greeted us even though we never bought anything from her.

And now a thanks to all our friends who made our time so memorable and special, starting with Sujita.

Sujita, her mom and her sister

Batch and his wife

Madhu

Elizabeth and Crystal

Ronnie and the girls

Christian friends at a home prayer meeting with Ronnie

and their sweet boy

Ifte, tour guide extraordinaire!

And Mark, the burger master

Sanjay, the necklace seller and talker, along with our beach guard who protected us in Puri

Our samosa and sweets vendor in Puri

Our Puri cucumber seller

And, of course, our sweet babes in Puri.

Precious and delightful

Beautiful and funny, but very venerable.

Tough and streetwise survivors.

May God provide and protect them all.

And finally the 2 gatekeepers at the MCC Guesthouse where we stayed our last 3 nights.

Sujita and Lori — sad to see our time end.

We shall return — God willing!

We love you, Kolkata!

66
Sileh Khana., City Palace Complex , Jaipur., Gangori Bazaar, J.D.A. Market, Pink City, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302002, India

We’ve \240had such a marvelous 2 months \240in India. We saw a lot and did a lot. We had only one big trip where we \240visited Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi. No tour or tour guides. Made our own arrangements and did just what we wanted. Flew to Delhi. Trai to Jaipur. Private taxi to Agra, and then a regular express bus to Delhi. Had a few hitches, but nothing major. Overall it was a fabulous trip and exceeded our expectations!

Lori did a great job of getting us around with some help from Uber and Sajita, who went with us on our trip to western India.

The highlight of the trip was definitely the Taj Mahal. It was breathtaking for me 40 years ago, and it still is.

What a magnificent place!

Our Airbnb hosts and our auto rickshaw driver said we would be done in an hour or two. But we were not the typical tourist on a one day round trip from Delhi . We stayed almost 6 hours, just soaking in the beauty.

We also twice went on the Taj Nature Walk, where we saw lovely peacocks and,

Of course the Taj. There was another more popular park but when we got to the gate and saw the price and the crowds and the orchard we didn’t go in. The Nature Park was wonderful!

The second most inspiring visit for me was to the Ghandi Memorial and museum. It presented a differnt kind of beauty.

The “Baby Taj” was amazingly beautiful. It was as intricate as the Taj and one could get up close. Few people, quiet and peaceful with lovely gardens around it.

Next best, and surprisingly beautiful place, was the Red Fort in Agra. We went very early in the morning before the crowds when it was cool.

We went there 40 years ago, but I had few memories of it, other than or can see the Taj from the fort.

The place was amazingly beautiful!

This is a special mosque just for the women. There is a wall around it so they could still observe purdah.

Wonderful gardens

Massive towers

The Jaipur day had two main attractions. The Hawa Mahal was by far our favorite and the most fun to explore. A very different place.

In Jaipur we also visited the City Palace. We paid a lot more to go there and didn’t like it as well, except they had these fabulous doors & so we took lots of pictures.

67
Jama Masjid Road, Islam Ganj, Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh 283110, India

Highlights of India: Part 2: Fatehpur Sikri & Delhi. I’ve been enjoying my summary of our time in India, except the review is taking me much longer than anticipated. First, we experienced so much in such a short period of time that I had forgotten half of what we did and saw. Secondly, I hate to admit it, but I have taken over 5000 pictures since I left home! Obviously more than I can ever use in the book/s I’m writing! (Only joking—about the books, not the pictures). So here’s the last of the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur trip. Then there’s my Puri summary & my Kolkata summary. THEN I’ll be ready for our current adventure—Thailand!

Here we are at Fathepor Sikri

Headed towards Agra

Delhi was delightful, although we spent most of the time in parks, other than the Ghandi related stuff, which I have already highlighted.

Gardens around Indria Ghandi memorial

The India Gate

Lodhi Gardens

The Jama Majid , main mosque

And exploring Old Delhi

68
Ramakrishna Mission Welfare Section, Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal 711202, India

Kolkata is not known for it’s big tourist attractions, but there are some interesting things to see.

Belur Math, an important HIndu temple that we didn’t much appreciate,

The Park Street Cemetery

Contains mostly British Graves from the 1700/1800’s

Cool, shaded, quiet in the middle of the city

College Street and the booksellers

The Jewish Synogoy

Old British government buildings

The Boanical Gardens

The Flower Market

Kalighat Temple

Walkway along the River

St James Church

69
Sea Beach Rd, Puri, Odisha 752001, India

This post is not finished. So if you are reading this check back in a couple days as I’m switching to posting about Thailand and will finish this later.

Our week trip to the coast and countryside near Puri was a great look at another facet of India life. Puri is one of the 4 sacred cities for Hindus in India. Non-HIndus aren’t allowed in the most sacred temple. We spent our time at the beach, plus took a one morning trip out to the Sun Temple, driving through a national preserve where we saw wild monkeys.

70
Thanon Gate 6, Khwaeng Sanambin, Khet Don Mueang, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10210, Thailand

Not done with my India summary, but am moving on to Thailand.

Spent 3 days in Bangkok at the same Airbnb, before flying up to Chiang Mai

Here’s some pictures from the Bangkok street food stalls. Bangkok is known as one of the best cities for street food.

Love that green papaya salad!

And fresh fried Chicken. Wings and thighs are 33 cents each

Getting coated in the flour mixture

The frying

The buying

Our little place in Chiang Mai

The lobby where I can have free, bad coffee every morning waiting for Lori

Another part of the lobby—2 sides open to the outdoors. Is a nice place to sit.

The sign on the wall outside our door.

71
Thanon Bumrung Buri, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Wow! Chian Mai is unbelievably different from Kolkata!

Lori out along the moat

View from our balcony

Me on a little bridge that goes over the moat

A wonderful city park about a mile and half away. We walk there all along the moat..

Wonderful flowers at the park

In the park. Jogging / walking trails and exercise equipment & play ground, plus coffee shop.

Riotous colors of spring flowers.

Morning exercise — free, but is from 6-7 a.m. and Sun doesn’t come up til 6:30

This man told us the 4 principles of the exercise—something like tai chi, but different

View from a little pagoda area.

Lori by the little lake

This is a second pond over by the coffee shop.

This is the moat \240with sidewalks on both sides. Is about a 4-5 mile walk around the square of the old city.

We try to walk early in the morning because by 11 it is getting really hot. This is one of the beautiful old trees by the moat.

Here’s s great banyon tree

Close-up

Fountains all around in the middle of the moat. The sidewalks and water are very clean!

Curried noodle soup at a little shop Lori went to 3 years ago. The soup is pronounced Cow Soy — a northern Thai dish.

Spring is starting here with beautiful flowering trees.

Here we are at the world famous pork and rice stall — the Cowboy Hat Girl—notice the placemat. Lori found her 3 years ago and loved her. That was before Anthony Boudain made her famous on one of his videos

Here she is! We’ve been twice in 4 days!

Here they are fixing the pork

Lori’s digging in!

It is delicious! Only $1 for a small plate!

And then we end the evening with Mango Sticky Rice. A small serving for $1.40!

72
Thanon Samlarn Lane 1, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

We are officially in the Land of the Nuddist temples. There are over 40,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand, which to me about one very block. Second only to China, Thailand has the most Buddhists of any country, 64 million, which is 93% of its population.

Lots of gold rrimmedv buildings. The gold is mixed with copper for decoration.this ce

The word wat means temple, but may refer to the whole compound and cluster of buildings. Sutpas are stone structures built over buried Buddhist scriptures. I think the gold one above and the white one below are both called stupas.

This place has a lovely little area for sitting at tables.

Lots of gold trimmed buildings. The gold is a mixed with copper for decoration.

This compound had at least 3 temples, 2 stupas and a monestary.

A worshipper reciting Buddhist chants

Murals on the inside walls of the temple.

A woman meditating/ praying.

Dragons outside. As you walk up the steps. They are from the Chinese, who added them to Buddishm as a symbol of enlightenment Today dragons decorate roofs and gates of temples, both as guardians and to symbolize the dragon's power of clarity.

A row of big prayer bells. The bell symbolizes Buddha's voice. It calls for the protection of heavenly deities. The sound of the bell equals the sound of the Dharma, or the entity or law, which sustains the order of things in the universe

The big gold stupa had 8 big gold elephants around it. Elephants are a symbol of Buddha’s mother. Gray elephants represent the untrained mind but white (or gold) elephant represent mental and spiritual discipline, plus power and strength

73
Thanon Bumrung Buri, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sunrise in Chiang Mai and a walk down to the park

Monks out collecting offerings and food

A lovely time to be along the moat.

Part of the old wall

Man feeding pigeons. They have houses for them and sell feed in the park. Several big plazas full of pigeons.

My breakfast for $1: 2 eggs, 1 toast, dropped real coffee , tea

Closeup of a broken palm leaf

Free Yoga in the park that we are going to start going to at 9 every morning.

A brown variety of pigeon

Pigeon sitting on the bridge. Coffee shop in background.

Little worship center in an alley with shops. Always with flowers. Also fruit, drink bottles or coconut with straw in it and fruits. Sometimes I sense and candles.

These things are everywhere. Same in Bangkok. This one is along the old wall by the moat.

Great Thai ice tea with milk. Big mug only 70 cents at local coffee shop. $2-4 @ tourist coffee shops. We hunt out the cheap, good stuff.

Here’s a plate of shrimp pad Thai for $2. \240Good, not outstanding, but more than I could eat.

A snack of egg rolls for $2 that were very delicious!

These are the regional reps for MCC stationed here in Chiang Mai. They oversee India, Bangladesh, North Korea and 4 more SEAsia countries. Served as Bangladesh country directors previously.

We had dinner with them and then walked to a little stall that served hot, seeet soy milk, and

Fresh little fried dough, like donuts but not sweet.

This is part of the famous Night Market. Just a tourist trap place of cheap crap unfortunately. We stayed 10 minutes and got an Uber out of there!

74
21 Sridonchai Rd, Tambon Chang Khlan, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand

Here’s the little wat at the end of our street that we love.

And some beautiful lotus flowers growing in pond in a small pot. Out of th mud and muck comes the beautiful.$

Along the one side of the veranda. Love the orchids.

They have a metal table and two chairs here. I sit here for meditation.

Lori sits on the lovely and cool tile floor.

One of many laughing Buddha’s at this wat. Also not seen at other wats.

And some beautiful lotus flowers growing in pond in a small pot. Out of th mud and muck comes the beautiful.

We try to come here daily to refresh ourselves.

75
Prapokklao Road Soi 7, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist wars (temples). There is more than one on every block — and that’s only a slight exaggeration. Here are some photos from \240Wat Jetlin which had the weirdest thing we’ve seen at a Wat, followed by pix from 3 other wats. More to come in the future I’m sure. We’ve only got 290+ to go!

The weirdest thing yet — motion sensitive skeleton

Guy praying while the skeleton bobs up and down

Here he is!

Writing on a tile for the temple roof for 33 cent donation

“I have come that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Ramona “Joy” Smith

Another temple

Didn’t go in this complex because you had to pay and we’ve already been to at least 6 others

And another one

76
Jhaban Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

And now for the most important pictures — FOOD, glorious food!

Me with the Cowboy Girl special: pork and rice. E

Fried crispy pork, rice, a sweet sauce, egg, and bowl of broth. Fed 2 for $2.25, plus coffee at $1 each

Yummy pad Thai for $1.50

Wonderful Thai iced tea. Paid $3 (70 bhat) this coffee shop where we sat for an hour and a half to get out of the 95 degree heat!

Here’s a big mug from a local, non A/C place for only 20 bhat

Got some spring rolls for a snack: $2

Great papaya salad

That Tom Yum soup or whatever it is called.

A yummy roasted chicken with great dipping sauce

Breakfast from a vendor at the park: eggomlet with ketchup on rice. Amazingly good! One buck.

For a buck and a quarter, Lori got fried pork with basil on rice.

Breakfast cart at the morning market under the trees.

2 soft boiled eggs and 2 toast with coffee, and tea. All for 39 bhat each ($1.00)

We’ve eaten here 4 times. Getting to be a tradition as it is halfway to the park where exercise is.

Purple rice and veggies — this was great but very expensive— at a Lonley Planet recommended place that was supposed to be Cheap Eats.

Our favorite: khao soi - a northern Thail curry noodle soup. Eat almost daily $1.50 -$2.00 a big bowl.

Lori digging in

Me with the Cowboy Girl special: pork and rice.

Eat this 3 times a week after Lori’s jitsitu class. The sweet sauce with the pickled cabbage is great!

77
Soi Sri Poom 8, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Well, looks like Good Eats is the story of our life in Chiang Mai. Here we are our favorite, and almost daily, lunch spot. Sadly they were closed today, Sunday.

Khao Soi - chicken or pork with noodles and spicy northern Thai curry

A small bowl for $1.33; a large bowl for $2.

This is longan juice. Very nice. Something similar to leeches.

And here’s something I never thought I’d eat —much less like

Grilled pig balls

One bhat a piece — 3 cents for a chewy wonder!

These little machines are our attempt to not use plastic disposal bottles from our hotel. They would give us new free water bottles every day. We can refill a liter for 3 cents — so we do. Lori also makes the coffee shops give us cold drinks in real glasses with no straws. The use of plastic here, with no recycling, is disgusting and unbelievable! The same is true in India,

This is a local laundry mat. They do have enclosed ones, but there are quite a few open air ones along the street.

Some construction work being done at the temple

Young boys way up high

Spring beauty along the street in front of a hotel

These red trucks are popular here. They are public taxis —jeeps that hold 8 to infinity of people for $1 a piece anywhere in the central city. However for the $2 of us Uber is actually cheaper, has A/C and takes us door to door, so we have only used the jeeps once.

78
Sri Poom Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Here’s some random pictures to show you what we’ve been seeing as we walk around this little town. \240Actually Chaing Mai has about 1/2 million people, with one million in the greater metro area. \240However, compared to Bangkok and Kolkata which are both 15 million plus, this place seems small. To be honest, we’ve mostly just been in the city center which is also the tourist area. We are doing a minimum of about 4 miles a day, with 7 miles being the most we’ve walked in one day.

For the first picture of the day, here’s Lori kissing her new boyfriend!

And here’s my new boyfriend! \240Maybe the gods will bless us after all!

Here’s a weird, rather gross, thing in our minds: A Fish spa. You soak your feet in a fish tank and the fish eat the dead skin off! Yuck! \240They are everywhere!

We saw this at the big market last night: Crocdile and Ostrich meat.

And scorpions! I don’t know if anyone really buys this stuff, \240much less eats it, but why would they have it for sale if people don’t buy it? I saw 2 places selling scorpions.

This is a big restaurant in a food court by the big market. Notice all the fish tanks down under the signs. \240They have all kinds of live sea creatures there waiting to cook for you — squid, octopus, crabs, lobsters, calms, you name it, they got it.

This is part of the dining area with all the food stalls around the edges. All kinds of food.

This place was selling what they called Iraqi food — gyros, etc.

Lori got this really delicious chicken gyro. She remembered the place from 3 years ago. I tried some Indian food but it was awful. Nothing like actually being there in Kolkata!

Here’s a woman serving drinks. \240She is making me a glass of the Thai tea with milk.

It was fascinating watching her. She put in 13 different ingredients — a spoonful from every jar you see. \240All I know is sugar and carmel. Will have to look up the recipe. \240It was delicious.

I thought this was funny. \240A concrete (or something) molded statue in front of the massage parlor. This place is massage crazy! \240However to get a governement approved license you only have to go to massage school for 10 days, so these are not really trained people the way we think of in the U.S.

Here’s some of the meats and veggies they have laying out that they will grill for you.

Closeup of mushrooms, eggplant, and other things I have no idea what it is.

Here we are in the food market — not the food court. This is squd, maybe, some kind of seafood.. \240The reason I took the picture was for all the dead flies on the flypaper! \240I hate the seafood section of the market!

More raw fish

Here’s just more meat laying out that they will package up for you to take home.

This is fresh honey that is really gross, not because of the bees on it, but because of the maggots!

Lots of fresh veggies and leaves of all kinds for seasoning.

This is just some interesting stuff that I don’t know what it is.

I think the dark green leaves in the middle are fermented tea leaves used in making tea leaf salad.

Bags of chili peppers to take home,

More interesting stuff for cooking

Several kinds of chillies, tomatoes, limes, etc.

This is just a little shop keeper with cooking oil, buckets, pens and paper — a crazy mix of little things.

Fruits of all kinds — whole and peeled and cut up and then packaged in styrofoam and plastic. \240This country is way ahead of India in food sanitation, but they sure use a lot of plasitc that is not recycled!

Picturesque fresh pineapples.

Multiple kinds of sausage and hard boiled eggs, but they cook the eggs just until they set up. \240That’s the way they serve them as a side with our plate of pork and rice. Packaged in plastic, of course.

Notice here the eggs on a stick, where the stick goes right through the shell.

Fruit sellers. \240Notice all the pre-packaged fruit. \240Bananas are dirt cheap here. Many more varieties. Love the little sweet ones — a bunch of about 8 was only 15 cents.

Here’s flower buds for making tea of all kinds.

Here you can buy a multi-pack with 6 different kinds. \240We love a black tea that just says Thai Mix, and sells at the grocery store and we make our own tea (no sugar) at the hotel.

A woman making flower decorations. \240In India they make them for all the Hindu worship centers and temples. \240In Thailand it is the same, just for Buddhist temples and personal worship centers.

Here’s a series of little shrines that are just out along the roadside/sidewalk in front of businesses and homes.

This one was unique in that it was made of wood.

Inside were all these little figurines, which actually a number of the shrines do have a few. \240This one had a lot — sort of like a doll house with extra little things.

A fancy one near a hotel or business.

After awhile they all begin to look the same, but for awhile I had a fascination and was going to see how many different ones I could take pictures of.

This may have been in a garden at one of the temples.

Here’s something I found interesting: A print shop, like my brother Tim’s, and the employees are tearing off the plastic part of the sign that is not needed so you can read the letters. \240I learned to do that for Tim when I was helping him out for awhile. It was just interesting because this is one of those businesses that just rolls up the metal “garage door” in the day time, and there’s the shop and they put their table and move goods right out to the sidewalk. In other words, no door to the front of the business. \240And no air-conditioning!

Well, Lori’s at her Brazilian jiu-jitsu class, and the sun is setting, so I’m going to get ready to go out for dinner and the evening. This last week it has been in the 90’s. One day the heat index was 103! That why we get up by 6 and like the Thais, we walk and do our business and sightseeing until about 11. Then except for lunch nothing much happens, and the markets and shops shut down, til about 5, with many places not opening til 6 or 7. \240However most places are open until midnight for shopping, eating, massage, and, of course, drinking. And 7-11s are open 24/7 and on every block! \240

Good evening from Chiang Mai!

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Suk Kasame Rd, Tambon Su Thep, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Greetings from hot, hot, very hot Chiang Mai! Into our second week in the mid90’s, with the low in the 70’s.Ugh! We must adopt a Thai lifestyle. Up early. Do nothing except stay indoors from 12 til after 5 and then out in the evening again.

Here we are at a Top Ten Local Restaurant that specializes in barbecue chicken and steak with dipping sauces. It’s fabulous! Also great green papaya salad.

A yummy tea leaf salad at a Burmese restaurant and a spicy beef salad which they recommended. It was good, but the tea leaf salad was amazing.

And now for Anthony’s Bourdain’s Cowgirl Lady and her now famous, thanks to Anthony, pork and rice. She even has a little restaurant now. This is the stall at the night market.

This is an incredibly busy place.

First the pork

And the hard boiled eggs

Chopping up the pork

Notice all the styrofoam boxes for take away orders.

Serving the pork

Making another pot of rice. Notice the huge bag he is getting the rice from.. No small operation!

Stirring the rice pot with his hand

Starting the burner

Dishing up the rice from the other pot

Here is the seating area. All her customers only. Lori said this wasn’t here 3 years ago.

There are guys who seat you and take your order and your money

Digging in! With a friend from Lori’s jujitsu class.

Dishwashing time: the garbage cans are filling up!

The food is so yummy! We eat here 3-4 times a week. $1.30 a plate and it fills us up!

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Soi Sriwichai, Tambon Su Thep, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

What a wonderful Easter Sunday we had, spending it hiking up to a Wat (temple) half way up the mountain. It’s name is Wat Pra Lad, nicknamed The Hidden Temple, because it is set back in the forest away from the hoards of tourists who go up to the big, more sacred, wat complex at the top of the hill by bus and Jeep loads on the road.

This was another woode, opened sided temple where we sat and did our meditation and prayers. They had some nice wooden arm chairs we could sit in.!

The trail is 1.8 miles with a 562 footn gain in elevation. It is a rocky and packed mud path.

Average grade is 7%, with a maximum grade of 21%. We did the hike in about 50 minutes. \240The area is quite wonderful with banana plants, bamboo and jungle type trees

Here’s a little footbridge

And here they built steps over a giant fallen tree

Lori headed under the bamboo tunnel. Actually the trail was quite pleasant with shade most of the way.

The wat complex has 4 temples, an ancient stupa, and maybe a dozen other buildings where a few monks live.

Wat Pha Lat, which translates to “Monastery at the Sloping Rock”, is serene compared to the big temple at the top of the mountain. After the rainy season the rocks are covered by a waterfall. Only a very small trickle now.

Orriginally, Wat Pha Lat was a resting place for monks during their pilgrimage to the larger temple atop the hill, but after the road was built in 1935, its primary use shifted to a meditation site for monks.

The first temple was built in 1355, after King Kuena’s white elephant died and he \240ordered construction of temples where it took breaks to rest on its way up the mountain.

Thus there are elephant statues and

Other elephant motifs around.

And lots of other idols and statues and little meditation centers.

Here’s one of the two main temples — a wooden one with thatched roof and open sides

This was another wooden, open-sided temple where we sat and did our meditation and prayers. They had some nice wooden arm chairs we could sit in. It was a lovely quiet time.

Just liked this cute funny guy. Have no idea why or what he represents.

Big, tall bamboo clumps shading the area

Time for a selfie!

Another interesting old statue — one of a pair at the entrance from the parking lot. Hard to appreciate the scale. Maybe 15-20 feet.

I loved this one because she is female and because she was decorated with fancy necklaces and belts. More than life-size.

Get a look at all the fancy belts on her!

Lovely spring flowers blooming

This is a lovely feathery plant growing on the hillside

A small little temple and statue. The whole thing is maybe 5 feet high.

Another bush-tree with lovely flowers

This is a pagoda and statues where we sat and had cold drinks (coffee and tea) and played gin. Those statues are about 10 feet tall.

Those sinful cards in a sacred place! Lori ginned me — as usual!

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3/4 Phra Pok Klao Rd Soi 4, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand

Well this entry got all out of order due to this stupid program and the way it edits. I have spent more than an hour trying to fix it and am giving up even though it is not fixed. Sorry! You’ll get the idea.

Learning to live in the Here and Now and to find The Divine in everyone and everything, including myself. Discovered this wooden marker with saying at one of the way (temples) we visited.

Here’s Lori at another wat with some Wisdom she likes.

I am fascinated by all the statues and decorations at the wats. I’ve been trying to educate myself on all the symbols & why certain animals statues are included but it seems EVERYTHING has a meaning in Buddhism. So following is a little of what I have learned.

Elephants: physical and mental strength, but especially mental strength, as in a disciplined mind.

Lots of little laughing, smiling, singing, child-like statues. I think representing happiness and prosperity.

Colors: Red is life force, fire and warmth and represents Buddha and sacred things.

Gold represents sun and fire

Guess these warrior figures are temple guards.

The Laughing Buddha, also known as the Fat, Smiling or Happy Buddha. Reprints happiness, contentment and wealth. The bead necklace represents pearls of wisdom.

I like the few statues of females that are at the temples, but I don’t know who or what they represent.

Here are the monks lining up in the morning collecting gifts of food and money.

This group is a bunch of very young boys in training

The monks wear saffron robes to indicate humility and separation from the material world since this color was/is the color of prisoners. Also represents the earth and stability and grounded nature.

These pictures of people praying and giving offerings are from the morning market where we eat breakfast at a little table by the side of the street. \240We just sit, eat, and watch.

There are at least a dozen monks there receiving offerings and giving blessings.

This monk is tying a string bracelet around her wrist as some kind of blessing or reminder. The different colors mean different things.

Below are some more pictures from the little wat where we go for meditation. It is small, simple, and quiet. Not a tourist spot.

The horse represents energy and effort to follow the practices and also wind and air that bring life into the body

See no evil, hear no evil, Speak no evil,

More little children or Happy Buddahs. Don’t really know.

Dragons at the entrance represent Protection for the temple. \240Also true of lions.

Here’s some of the many Buddhas. They say the statue of Buddha is to remind people of the teachings and that people are to pray to thank Buddha for the wisdom. I just don’t understand why there are so many Buddha states everywhere. Dozens, hundreds, and on and on.

The Buddhas below are from wats in . They are not in temples for worship but are in additional buildings surrounding the main worship temple.

I don’t get the point of all this, especially when the Buddha statues are all the same.

Here are the worship centers, I guess that is what they are called, meaning a place where people go and pray and make offerings, as opposed to just statutes in the garden and around the grounds. However most compounds have several temples in them of various sizes and one could pray at any, or all, of them.

Lots of flowers, incense, candles, decorations, and small statues around the big statues.

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175 Ratchapakhinai Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Spring is in full bloom here. Many wonderful flowers and flowering trees that we are enjoying even though we don’t know the names of them.

I think, or assumed, these below were lotus plants as they were at a temple, y

A type of iris along the moat.

Other spring beauties around temples and around town.

There are a lot of these wonderful yellow blooming years.

Such long graceful blooms

Here’s a street of more than a dozen pink trees across from the park.

Below is a close-up of how beautiful they are.

Below is the street we walk down from our hotel to the temple where we meditate. You can’t see it from a distance but the whole street is lined with blooming plants as the next 7 pictures show.

Here’s a few pictures taken just two hours ago on our morning walk around the moat.

This is a big blooming tree that is so beautiful!

The lilies in the moat are starting to bloom.

I am learning that water lilies are different from the lotus, which is an important symbol in Bhuddism. These in the moat are lilies.

I think, or assumed, these below were lotus plants as they were at a temple,

In Buddhism the lotus is known to be associated with purity, spiritual awakening and faithfulness. The flower is considered pure as it is able to emerge from murky waters in the morning and be perfectly clean.

The reason I love the lotus, other than its natural beauty, is because of the lotus in Bangladesh and it’s symbolism to me: Out of the muck comes the flower.”

According to somebody on the web, The lotus flower is one of the most ancient and deepest symbols of our planet. It is meaningful not just to Buddhist, but also to Hindus and to the ancient Egyptians, who associated it with the sun and rebirth. The lotus flower grows in muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. Untouched by the impurity, lotus symbolizes the purity of mind and heart. \240The different colors of Lotus mean different things. The pink lotus is considered the supreme lotus that represents Buddha. Red is associated with thwart and compassion. The white is associated with spiritual awakening perfection.. \240. \240. \240And so ends our little tour of spring beauties and a side trip into Buddhism and the lotus.

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Thanon Si Don Chai, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand

I wanted to share a few more photos from the little wat, Wat Puak Chang, where we have been going almost daily for meditation and prayer.

Lori just sits on the floor.

I usually sit on a chair at a little table here on the side

Surrounded and looking at this.

There are a few candles or lamps lit at the alters. However the alters themselves are kind of ugly here, but then we don’t really go there to look at the alters.

This place is also unique in the use of the hanging lanterns \240and banners throughout the temple,

and in the garden area and courtyard between the temples.

This is a new big hanging lantern they just put up.

A female goddess in the garden area, flanked by statues of Ganesh, the son of Shiva, the head Hindu God.

One is playing a drum and the other a sitar.

I don’t understand it all. Ghandi considered Buddhism to be a special category of Hinduism. I don’t know what religious scholars think. I do know some of the temples have some mixing of the gods.

This is a shot of the little temple with the green floor across the courtyard. The monks live in the upstairs on the right.

Many little statues and variations of the Laughing Buddha.

Here’s several of these child-like monks.

And some more!

This is the second little temple

Today we went there because 3 young monks (boys) were mopping the floor in the other temple

There is a lovely fish pond adjacent to this space

Beautiful plants, lots of statues, and

big fish! So peaceful!

Here’s a few bonsai trees. They have about 8 of them grouped together.

This is the outside of the temple with the aqua floor and white pillars.

I love the little monk in glasses

These singing monks line the entrance driveway.

Here’s one of about 6 big bells that hang on the other side of the driveway.

Put this in because this is the lotus bud all closed up for the night ( like I told about in my previous post). All the big pots with lilies in the garden had their buds closed this afternoon. We usually go in the morning when the buds are open (and when I took those other photos)

Lastly, here’s Lori with the little cat at the Wat.

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Soi Sri Poom 8, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Here’s a few odds and ends and comments I have as we leave Thailand. First are the lovely Thai people we will miss. Everyone is so friendly and polite.

Here we are with the crew at ou daily lunch spot where we had Khoa Soi (noodles and meat soup). Puri is on the left. she runs the place and takes most of the order & money and serves also. She has a degree from Mississippi. Her sister, Pum, is on the right. She is the main cook and knows some English. In the middle is Dang who serves and washes dishes

Here it is! May have posted before. The soup. Has mostly soft noodles with crispy on top, with pickled cabbage and raw onion to add in. Lori always got pork and Joy got chicken! They knew what we wanted without ordering after a few days.

And this is the longan juice we got daily. Related to the lychee. When investigating the longan I found out that what I bought in Bangkok and said was a lychee was another cousin in the family: rambutan.

Here’s Lori with our breakfast lady, Lake. She is 65 and runs her breakfast stand from 7-11 a.m. daily. Then packs it all up in a cart until the next day.

Here’s our breakfast: soft boiled eggs, toast, hot Thai tea made with sweetened condensed milk. The other tea is automatically given free: it’s a Chinese tea with no sugar meant to clean the pallete.

And here’s Joy with our massage therapists: May on the left is our favorite. She knows really good English. Ann on the right is also great. We only got 3 massages in the 3 weeks, getting our last one this morning before leaving for the airport. Under $15 for 90 minutes full body massage!

85
Kotchasarn Rd, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand

Well, we had to board the plane to Loas so I never got my odds and ends finished on Chiang Mai. So here goes!

This post is dedicated to the humble, hard working people who make the cities and towns of Asia livablel: the street sweepers and sanitation workers .

And this is the new symbol for Chiang Mai, and frankly, Thailand: the wonderful handmade broom! This symbol should be on every tourist brochure with a bumper sticker on every car because it is the foundation of everything that is great about this place!

Chiang Mai is the cleanest city of a million I have ever been in. And frankly Bangkok is the cleanest city of 15 million I have ever been in! \240And it’s not just because we spent the previous two months in Kolkata and India — although that does make the contrast starker.

I think Thailand is so clean for two reasons: first, it seems to be a cultural value to have everything beautiful and clean. Secondly their big tourist industry relies on having everything clean and beautiful.

This picture was taken just yesterday here in Luang Prabang, Laos, and it too is exceptionally clean due probably to the same two factors.

Every morning on our walks we see the street cleaners out working.

It was amazing seeing the gutters and sidewalks being swept every morning. Mostly they sweep up leaves and deed flowers and plant materials that come off all the trees.

Walking around the moat was 4 miles and we would see maybe one or two plastic bottles or other trash . The Thais simple do n ot litter, period! And we walked that \240moat route and around town for 3 weeks and we just didn’t see litter! Despite the town being full of tourists! Everyone just keeps the town clean!

Side streets are clean

Residential areas are clean

Temple areas are clean

Little parks are clean

The big parks are clean!

Most amazing is how clean the street market areas are,

Everybody keeps their own area clean.

Here they are cleaning the moat by fishing out any trash and the big leaves with a net.

Here are two guys with a net but they also have a truck with a big pump that does something — cleans he water somehow. They have a lot riding on the tourist industry and they make sure everything is spic and span around that moat. Almost daily we would see the truck out doing something.

This is morning market plaza — always clean.

This public plaza is swept by the crew that does the streets. Everything clean and ready for the tourists and locals who come feed the pigeons. In the evenings live music is performed and programs are held here, so it is swept daily.

Here are the carts holding the frames for night market stalls that will be set up, but notice how clean the sidewalks are for the stalls.

Here’s an outdoor laundry mat — kept very clean.

This is all in contrast to India, where we spent 6 weeks in Kolkata, plus 2 more traveling in India, where trash is a big problem and unfortunately littering is normal.

Yes, they do have street sweepers who go out every morning. This is inKolkata near the market place.

They fill their little carts with trash and then take them to a place where basically they dump it in a garbage truck. I saw them twice doing this at a garbage station, but I was unable to get a photo of it since we were in a taxi. Not sure who pays these guys but someone does and they do important work because their aren’t big garbage trucks out, like there are in Bangkok.

Here’s what piles up at the corner, where everybody throw trash — and men pee. This was a block from where we stayed in Kolkata and we walked past this every day on the way to the market and the main street. In Bangkok people did pile stuff at the corner, but it was in garbage bags and the garbage trucks came every night and picked it up.

Here’s a street gutter with toxic car fluid in Kolkata.

This was a street sweeper at a tourist spot near the Taj, so they do make an attempt to keep public tourist areas clean.

And here’s the beach cleaner at Puri, India. Again the tourist areas aren’t bad.

However, trash disposal is real problem in urban areas in India. This was from the train leaving Kolkata.

Here’s a big pile on a side street in Delhi

This was from the train from Delhi to Jidpir . It was the worse trash I have ever seen!!!! \240It was like that for a hundred miles or more south of Delhi, even in the rural areas. Trash just gets dump by the tracks and blowing trash just accumulates in the area.

Just had to put this in: a man peeing on the beach in Puri. Peeing and littering in India is just part of the culture. You would never ever see this in Thailand, and I don’t think Laos either.

86
Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos

Here we are in Luang Prabang, Laos — a tropical paradise surrounded by mountains with the mighty Mekong River flowing through it! Love it here! After 72 hours ready to move here! A real small town feel after Kolkata and Bangkok which each have 15 million in their metro areas and Chiang Mai which is a metro area of one million. Now we are down to 70,000, but we can see terraced farm plots across the river, and the traffic here is mostly motorbikes with jeeps and vans. Very walkable place! More to come.

The French colonial influence: pan au chocolate and good coffee!

Here’s where we are staying for 28 nights

Lori’s pointing to our window while standing on the river sidewalk.

This is the view from our window. The roofs are not beautiful, but the view of the hills and a little view of the river is nice, as well as the breezes.

87
Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos

A sunset boat ride on the Mekong. The guy offered us a great deal as business is low in the off-season.

We had a private one hour sunset cruise on this little boat, which holds 12. So wonderful!

Little walkway to the floating dock

Our boat is a little boat between the 2 bigger ones.

Run by a little motor.

Nice breeze that was very cooling in the 90 degree heat!

This is the life!

Amka, the owner, has been operating this boat for 9 years. Learned English from tourists. Speaks pretty well.

88
Luang Prabang

Our fabulous, beautiful trip to the waterfall today. We took an A/C van out with 6 other people instead of riding in the back of an open-aired tuk-tuk. It is about half hour outside of town. Only $6 each including admission fee!

Here we are at the fifth of five levels, at the base of this fabulous waterfall that has at least 10 major drops — depends on what \240you call a separate drop.

Looking downstream to the next lower waterfall

There are 3 levels where they allow swimming, with changing rooms at 2 of the levels.

Here’s Lori wading in.

And a little kid splashing her.

My bathing beauty! On a beautiful day, in a beautiful spot, and such a beautiful woman!

So cooling!

Lots of little minnows

Now Mamma shows you how it’s done!

So refreshing!

In the middle it is too deep to stand.

Getting out. A rocky bottom with tree roots at the edges

Joy rejoicing in the beauty of Now!

Now for a little rest

Aaahhhh!

What a day this has been! What a rare mood I’m in!

Some gorgeous flowers in the woods

Beauty beyond description!

Fab tree!

A special tree where the thorns are made by insects.

Just neat vines

A bear rescue center

A final snack of grilled banana with fresh coconut in the middle

89
Nam Pho, Luang Prabang, Laos

The early bird gets the worm—in this case a wonderful, totally chance encounter and interaction with some elephants.

Lori with her new best friend, Mon, the elephant.

And here’s Joy warming up to touching.

And then Lori got her first, and last ever, elephant ride.

She took only about six seps and Lori was terrified, To be fair, Lori was sitting on her, and leaning, bareback.

A lover’s 😘

Lori had so much fun! Mon was so gentle and not even tied down.

This was one of two big ones and he/she was chained on one leg

The reason we got to see them was we were out walking along our river path about 6:45 a.m. and the elephants were being fed at this little “park” or green space before getting dressed for the Elephant Parade which kicked off the Loa New Year’s Celebration for this long weekend.

Love her! So impressive!

Here’s the little park and the elephants eating the last of the bamboo.

They gave me a bunch of small bananas to feed one at a time. The elephant uses the nostrils and snout sort of like fingers to grab.

And here’s Lori feeding bananas

What an experience!

Mon is holding bamboo “husks” in the cradle of her trunk. Don’t think there was much good stuff left.

Here’s a guy cleaning off the elephant with a leafy branch broom before getting them dressed.

Putting on the throw and head covering. Advertising on the throw, of course, for their sponsorship.

Lori got to help put on Mon’s ankle bands

They just tie on.

Nobody happier than these two girls!

Almost parade time

The fancy lead elephant

Closeup of feet, nails, and anklets.

Move ‘em out!

We walked with them about 6 blocks to where the parade was to start

This guy is just feeding bananas, not getting hurt

Here’s the lead guy heading to the starting line

A selfie with Mon walking by

Lori just continued walking along beside Mon.

Here’s two boys walking with the baby elephant

The official parade was pretty boring — just the 9 elephants and these boys in red uniforms

Real small town feel. Anybody could walk on the road and go up and pet the elephants

And that was our day! However I’m going to make another post because I have so many great photos and it truly was a memorable. experience!

90
Kitsalat Rd, Luang Prabang, Laos

Since it is 8:00 p.m. and still 💯 degrees outside with a heat index of 108, I thought I might as well make another post sitting in the air conditioning. Highest today was 101, with heat index of 113!

Guess it’s a great time to have a water festival. Loa New Year has a custom of bringing the Bhudda statues out of the temple, if they can, and washing them to symbolize spiritual cleansing and a fresh start \240Then they dump and spray water on everybody else the next 3 days.

Here’s two little sweeties that live next to our guesthouse.

They didn’t get me wet but they were sure cute and having fun with their little water guns.

Mostly it’s kids who have the big water blasters that get people wet.

But you also see bigger kids, adults, and tourists throwing water.

People use hoses and throw buckets of water.

Here comes the Water Brigrade!

They warn people to put your phone in a plastic bag or don’t bring anything you don’t want wet.

Here’s what we had for lunch: Believe it or not, this is under a covered walk-way (tin roof). \240And it’s hot and smoky in there!

They cook over these coal (mostly) and wood stoves here, not propane or gas like in Thailand and India. \240Every morning it is smoky and we can smell the smoke coming through our wooden shutters! \240I don’t know how these folks can cook over these fires all day long! They are HOT!

Here’s a bowl of half chicken, and half pork.

And a bowl of sticky rice.

Delicious! Total cost for 2: $5.40, with a second helping of chicken.

Then to cool off we went and got our first yogurt smoothie: mango and pineapple. Yum!

However, they sweetened it, like they do EVERYTHING in Southeast Asia, and India, with sweetened condensed milk! \240 Cost: $1.80.

Here’s the Queen/s of the festival, I think. \240They had a beauty contest (we didn’t go), so I assume these were the winners as they were sitting at a traffic circle in the middle of a blocked off road near the start of the parade and everybody was taking their picture.

Balloons, anyone?

Here’s a little girl making flower and leaf decorations that people buy and take to the temple and place before the Bhudda.

This is another seller who had all these little leaf baskets with different items in it, for presentation to Buddha

There’s rice, fruit, flowers, candles, (lower center white) and believe it or not, a cigarette (upper right)! Thought it was pretty funny! \240Bhudda (or the monks) want a smoke?

This elderly woman hand makes these dolls (the white things on her lap.)

Here’s the doll I bought, with a baby on her back. \240 She asked for $2.50. We gave her $3.00. Most of the “handicrafts” are just machine made, except for one’s at the Fair Trade Shops who have Hilltribe “one-of-a kind” creations which are lovely, but which I can’t afford. \240So I guess this was my way of supporting a local handicraft. \240The granddaughter had tried to sell me one last week, but I had no money with me. And she hasn’t been at the market since, so I was really happy to find her today! And to meet the grandma who actually makes the doll!

91
Kingkitsarath Rd, Luang Prabang, Laos

This town is crazy with the New Year celebration! \240Here’s a few more water dousing pictures and some other odds and ends.

On this morning’s walk. (We are now regularly walking 4-6 miles a day, but have to get out early to beat the heat!) This is the Nam Khan River which flows into the Mekong here at Luang Prabang.

Today there were lots of pickups with kids in them throwing buckets of water at each other

The main streets were blocked off to make a pedestrian mall and filled with people with their big bazooka water guns,

Always time for a selfie.

There were “gangs’ along the street where they would soak anybody walking in the middle of the street, and the spray could even hit the far side sidewalk

This guy had a hose hooked up for spraying people

Serious business here. \240Look out 007!

Now for some market pictures: Fresh meat, anyone?

Special on pigs feet, and I believe, pig intestines

This is some kind of insect/bee/wasp for sale. She had about 6 small bowls for sale and then a bowl the size of a big mixing bowl. Ick!

Lots of snails and other water creatures

This is a guy roasting whole ducks, head and all.

Live chickens for sale by this woman

This woman is selling bread/buns and candy and cookies and a few other things.

Can’t live without chilies!

Green chilies, mushrooms and papayas.

Fresh eggs — no preservatives, etc. Pure organic.

The morning market, about 2 shops down from our alley to this alley.

Bad picture from the van. But I thought the big Spider-Man dolls were funny!

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Nam Pho, Luang Prabang, Laos

I was very fascinated by the elephants. Their skin is very tough and rough, nothing soft. Here are some closeups

The trunk

The face

The end of the trunk, with the nostrils that also function as fingers, meaning the elephant can use some kind of suction to hold things and sort of pinch them with the nostrils.

The hindquarter

The leg and toenails

The ear

The tail is very strong and tough

The end of the tail is very hard bristles.

93
Sisavangvong Road, Luang Prabang, Laos

The Loa people sure know how to party. Three full days of partying with 3 parades, plus more alms offerings and ceremonies today even though the holiday is officially over. But water guns rule! And buckets and hoses! And then one huge thunderstorm last evening that last almost two hours! But it is down to 80 today!

The festival queen and her court

On the peacock float — the one and only float

Offerings for Buddha were a big part of the parade.

Bamboo rhythm band

Traditional dress

Water jugs for washing Buddah at temple — maybe

The drum section

Rambo is ready!

So is little Rambo

No water fights during the parade

But afterwards, beware!

A whole washtub!

Buckets and hoses to reload!

Free for all!

Main market street with “water gang”

Ready to go present the offerings. (She’s standing in front of a poster. Those are not real monks.)

Women in their fancy traditional dresses with gold baskets for offerings

A couple posing before the sign before entering the temple

Tables selling baskets and offerings

Monks getting their offerings

A small secondary temple on the complex grounds

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Kingkitsarath Rd, Luang Prabang, Laos

Some odds and \240ends

Somehow I missed it that Laos was a Communist country.

The Loa flag

A sign on a cafe door

The ants go marching!

Interesting bug

Pretty, colonial style guesthouses along the river

No idea what tree this is

Close-up

Another guesthouse

Man cutting bamboo with hatchet

Then splitting it

Bought 2 little bags from this lady for a total of $3

Weekend jet ski races — something new

Also featured these hang \240gliders (with motors) for entertainment

Watching from our regular riverside hangout. They cleared this land for the event (have before, during, and after pictures)

Big spider in web — visible from sidewalk passing by

Close-up: Body was larger than my hand!

Tick ticky — eat those mosquitoes!

An extra picture from the waterfall trip!

Beer delivery time at our cafe

Pile it up!

Here’s a picture from our first day in Luang Prabang and our first time at our cafe enjoying a view of the Mekong.

Then here comes the very with a tractor on it.

It gets off the ferry and starts moving dirt!

He has a dozer blade in front

And what I call a tiller on back

And he spends the whole day totally clearing that land

And so it goes

The next day he comes back to level it — sort off. So now they can picnic, watch jet skis and play soccer. I preferred it natural.

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Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos

The view from our favorite cafe spot, where we spend a lot of time sipping coffee, playing Gin, and talking.

The view up and down the Mekong River.

This is my new ring and braclets: simple aluminum. However, they are made from bomb fragments by the peaceBomb project — taking weapons of destruction and turning it into something beautiful, while helping communities become self-sufficient and raising money to reclaim land that still has unexploded bombs on it.

They were selling these in the night market for under $2 each. \240Also chopsticks, spoons, key rings, earrings, bottle openers. \240Gave me a paper telling about the project. You can buy fancy, expensive stuff online at Amazon, etc. but for $30 - $400. They tell about the project. A Swiss NGO, Helvetia, put forth money in 2009 and joined with Laos government (Article 22) and RISE (Rural Income through Sustainable Energy). Wish I had a suitcase and several hundred dollars extra to buy a bunch of their simple, but meaningful stuff and bring back home. The US dropped over 250 MILLION bombs on Laos: \240that amounts to 1 plane load of bombs every 8 minutes; 24/7 for NINE YEARS! \240 \240That is 7 bombs for every person in Laos! \240More bombs than were dropped in ALL of Europe during World War 2! And what has the U.S. government done about it!

Here’s something from the web about it: \240UXOs means Unexploaded Ordinances:

There are now close to 78 million unexploded bomblets littering rice fields, villages, school grounds, roads and other populated areas in Laos, hindering development and poverty reduction. More than 34,000 people have been killed or injured by cluster munitions since the bombing ceased in 1973, with close to 300 new casualties in Laos every year. About 40 percent of the accidents result in death and 60 percent of the victims are children. At this time, less than 1 percent of the UXOs have been cleared.

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Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos

So here we are in beautiful, peaceful Luang Prabang, Laos, enjoying the river and eating our hearts out!

Sipping lime water— like lemonade, it’s sweet

A dollar a glass — so refreshing!

The beautiful Mekong where we sit and eat every day.

This is the little Bakery Cafe where we spend a lot of time. Small family business. Really nice people and super good food and big servings. Wife unfortunately has cancer. Flying to Thailand for follow up treatment which hasn’t been very successful.

Lori’s breakfast sandwich

Joy’s breakfast of two scrambled eggs with onions and mushrooms

Panang green curry — we have it with rice almost every day. About $4, but it feeds two. Super yummy! Has chicken, peas, beans, eggplant, potatoes, onions and sometimes baby corn

Our go-to lunch: the best Caesar salad either of us has ever had anywhere!!! Lots of chicken, bacon, cheese and dressing!

View from the street of the cafe

Here’s the other side. About 8 -10 steps down and hangs out towards river. Has super western bathroom.

The menu on the street — everybody has it. Nice cause you know the selections and prices

Here’s a pot of hot lemon grass water/tea for Joy and a yummy fruit smoothie for Lori. \240This is the life!

Market a block up the street

Really into donuts here! Lots of sellers

I like these little fried balls with seasame seeds with something crumbly and sweet inside

Meats, bags of spicy sauce to take home

Fruits galore

Fried bananas

Famous for their sausage.

Kabobs and meat

Take home cartons all laid out and ready to go — but not kept hot. They just sit there in the heat for hours! Don’t get. True every place we have been

Corn on the cob with all the meats on sticks including fish and seafoods

Rice

Spiced peanuts and cashews

Spiced peas

Fried sweet potatoes and fried banana chips that are salted

Meat strips at at restaurant drying in the sun

At the night market buffet. One plateful is $2

All cooked ahead of time but he will fry it up altogether in a wok to make it hot.

Muffins and sweet breads — oh, yum!

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Sisavangvong Road, Luang Prabang, Laos

A few people shots. Guess I need to get out there and take some photos.

School kids sweeping the entrance way before school starts

Monks cleaning up street across from where we are staying

Riverside cafe where you eat on floor cushions on a mat put on the sidewalk

Child monk/student gathering morning donations from the sidewalk cafes along the river

Sweet babe!

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Kingkitsarath Rd, Luang Prabang, Laos

Too hot to do anything today! Heat index is 99 but there is NO BREEZE! Hate to admit it that I left the cafe early about 3 because I just couldn’t stand it anymore and I went back to the guesthouse for the rest of the day just to be in A/C. \240These first pictures were ones I took two days ago on my afternoon walk, the day after we had a big storm and the view of the mountains was clear. This is the Nam Kham River which flows into the much bigger Mekong here in Luanag Prabang.

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Luang Prabang
100
Luang Prabang

A trip to the papermaking village. Walked over 8 miles that day. This is just on the outskirts of town. Definitely not a tourist part of town.

The pulp is from the mulberry tree.

Laying on leaves and flowers which just float

They make these paper lanterns too ( above), along with notebooks, cards, etc.

All done. Ready to dry.

Below is one of the dried papers

Hand painting some of the papers

Cutting and folding the paper

A crazy truck with a big barbecue grill in the back

Here’s the other side of the grill with the meat

Had a bowl of noodle -beef soup at a little restaurant

Here it is with sweet chili sauce

The table beside us that held spices, etc. PLUS a sticky paper to catch flies!

A kid with a rooster — dinner?

Frying up donuts

Draining the donut by laying on a coconut

A country store

A county home

Picking mangoes

The green mangoes

Greetings and Peace to you!

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Sisavangvong Road, Luang Prabang, Laos

Up the big hill in town: 329 steps to a big stupa, with probably 50 Buddha statures along the way. Beautiful views of town from both sides and both rivers. Great sunset!

102
Kingkitsarath Rd, Luang Prabang, Laos

We love Luang Prabang BUT one thing we really dislike and that bothers us is all the smoke from the coal and wood fires.

This cooking fire is in the building right below our window and every morning by 6 he is cooking. The smoke gets in between our wooden shutters and I have to put my head under the blanket or we get up and get out walking because it is so annoying!

This lady is about 4 doors up on our street

All 3 of these fires were going before we passed at 9 and they burn through the lunch hour.

There were 3 stalls just in half a block one direction. More the other way down the street

The enemy: bags of coal at a shop

These are two types of little barbecue stoves you can buy In the market

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Ban Mano Rd, Luang Prabang, Laos
104
Sisavangvong Road, Luang Prabang, Laos

The Night Market — a block and a half from where we were staying

Making coconut cakes

Main Street before the Night Market set-up.

Setting up

A shop in a cart

Bombs for peace— jewelry, key rings, bottle openers, spoons made from old aluminum bomb fragments.

Villagers trying to support themselves by turning “swaords into plowshares.”

Bought some pillow covers from this lady