Holy cow doggie doors, henna and sari's

OMG I am sitting at the shop owner's computer in the basement of his shop at 9:30 pm where I've dropped a fair amount of rupees for some beautiful things. They are wrapping them up as I type and serving me tea. Last nite at a rug shop it was rum...it's a very good strategy. Let's see Rhoda, this is where I found IT!! And Aunt Sandy, if you're watching, I got you a camel!! I've FINALLY only just started shopping this whole trip. After tonite I am done.

Love all your comments. and sorry for the silence..many places lately without internet service for one reason or another. All is safe here in case you heard of blast in Pune. However, one of our fellow travellers was just in that very cafe before joining us on the tour in Delhi. She had been visiting Osho's ashram. So security will prob be a little tighter. Tomorrow is the Taj Mahal but we scrapped the sunrise plan as it is apparently the most crowded time--not because of security concerns but we are trying to avoid crowds as much as poss. I know, good luck at the taj right?. We are going a little later around 9 am. I'm a little forted out. Sort of like when I toured Europe in '88 and got cathedral'd out. So I might skip the red fort altho that seems like blasphemey..

I'm tired and loopy and will jump around...When I last wrote, after my friend Chris and I left the internet cafe, we returned to our ancient digs only to find the big wooden gates shut. Like something out of Chaucer. We hadn't realised there was a curfew. After asking around a young boy pointed out there was this little doggie door for people who came in late...and so we got thru but had been followed up to that point by a holy cow who followed us right thru the doggie door. In our court yard it was just like a manger so we guessed that she was out past her curfew too. This cow was HUGE and the door was about 2 1/2 feet by 3 1/2 feet. There's no stopping a determined holy cow!

On to jodhpur and I can't remember much because Pushkar eclipsed it later...Next to the hotel, another ancient place along a countryside was a small store attached to the home of the most lovely family. My friend Dee and I went to buy water. They invited us in for tea and we became an instant family. ONe of the girls henna'd my right hand while I sipped tea with the other. (It will alst a month) Laura, I was wearing a pair of earrings you once gave me and I wanted her to remember me so I gave them to her. Also, one of the daughters admired the ring Michelle gave me for Christmas a few yrs back and I just gave it to her. You should be pleased, both of you that your gifts to me got extended to some of the most beautiful souls I think I've ever met. Then they invited me back the next morning to play badmitten and stick ball in the open field next door.
Later they wanted to walk me up to a temple on the side of a mountain but they insisted in playing dress up with me--not unlike BTW when Hannah visited me in the Mennonite community and I came home from work to find that she had become Amish...So they hunted for a Sari get-up for the trek, it was too tight but they were determined, began ripping out seams with their teeth and fast flying fingers and before you knew it I was in full garb. They insisted I keep it and I wore it for the next two days, bindi and all.


So far I have been taken in by two families...Michelle, our map is widening...Ok my fellow travellers have discovered my little basement secret and are eager to finally get connected. I better give them some time. Love to you all. Dad!!! So good to see you here! Love to you and Mom.