2017 - India: Tiger!

Stephen D. Taylor checked in to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
January 11 at 5:16pm · Phoenix, AZ ·

I lived in Phoenix for 14 months during 1996 and 1997. I was asked by some venture capitalists to rehabilitate an ailing insurance premium finance company, NIPF (National Insurance Premium Finance) Company. We financed special lines insurance... hyper luxury cars, expensive sports cars... vehicles, which market, until then, major insurance companies were reluctant to enter.

I brought in six or eight guys to help me. There were a number of good people already there; my predecessor, the company's founder, had been fired by the owners.

We were not successful turning the company around. Growing competition from majors like Progressive, underwriting challenges, and operational complexity arising from having to do business in all states, each having its own rules and regulations, combined to render the turnaround a futile effort.

NIPF wasn't a tiny operation. We were financed via a $50MM trust from Eli Broad's Sun Trust. Broad's man on the spot was Jim Hunt, a former Citibanker, who is now retired living in Jackson Hole.

Eventually, all of the insurance premium finance companies like ours were driven out of business due to majors' penetration into the insurance premium finance space.

Notwithstanding, the Phoenix experience, over all, was a good one for me.

We purchased a three bedroom ranch style house in the Red Mountain Ranch area of Mesa. We debated selling our Abitare condo in Coconut Grove and moving lock stock and barrel... but, I persuaded TIMDT that we shouldn't give up the Miami footprint just yet. At the outset I could see that there was a better than even chance that NIPF wouldn't make it.

So, TIMDT and I, for that period, were commuters. I would go to Miami, weekends, twice a month and she would come to Mesa, weekends, twice a month. Occasionally we'd do a weekend in Park City.

TIMDT and Mwah (sic) got to know "the Valley." We hiked the various ranges during the winter months and marveled at the wonderful, blooming cacti. We found some good Phoenix restaurants and generally had a good time together exploring the area.

Also, midway through my Phoenix tenure, I had a lot of time on my hands. I decided to buy a motorcycle... a long held dream. Arizona is a wonderful place for long range motorcycle touring.

Like a lot of decisions I have made in my life, I bought a motorcycle on impulse. I saw an ad for the new BMW R1100 C cruiser, and just like that went to the BMW motorcycle dealer in nearby Chandler and bought one.

For many start up riders, the obvious choice would be a Harley... but, I was aware that the Harley experience is as much a cultural one as it is a riding one. I was more interested in the bike itself. Also, being somewhat of contrarian anyway, I decided to do something different. BMW.

I had one of the first R1100C's in the valley. On the very day of my purchase, while riding the bike from the Chandler dealer to my home in Mesa, I was stopped by a policeman. He said I didn't come to a full stop at a stop sign. He gave me a warning. But, it was clear that he stopped me because he wanted to look at the bike. After asking all kinds of questions about the motorcycle, he bid me on my way.

I started riding the bike to and from work. One night I left the office late and stopped at a diner for dinner. It was late... after 9:00 PM. There was another bike... a BMW... not the R1100 C... parked in the parking lot.

While I was eating my meal alone, a fellow, medium height, open collar sport shirt, and clunky, blue collar glasses walked over to my table.

"That your bike out there?" he asked. I said yes. "That's not a real BMW motorcycle," he averred. "Where did you get the bike?" he asked. I told him I bought it at the Chandler BMW motorcycle dealer. "Those guys are no good," he said. "If you are going to buy a BMW motorcycle in Arizona, go to Iron Horse Motorcycles in Tucson. Talk to the owner, Marty Cohen."

I don't remember his name, but, he said he was the press operating head for the Phoenix daily, "The Arizona Republic." He said he was a true BMW motorcycle man. He belonged to the local BMW motorcycle riders club.

Arizona Republic (AR) invited me over to his house nearby, to see his bikes - "real" BMW bikes, he said, and riding paraphernalia. It was late... but, he seemed sincere and I wanted to learn, so I accepted his invitation.

AR had a garage full of beemers. A Bumblebee, a PD, and an RT. He had a rack where a half dozen riding suits hung. On a shelf were four or five helmets.

AR invited me to the local BMW Riders club. I went on a couple of weekend rides with the club and met Hugh Butler. Then, I was in my early 50s and he in his mid 60's.

In rural Illinois, Hugh had invented the hydraulic cables used by Caterpillar for their machinery. By the time he had sold his company, circa 1995, his factory employed over 200 people and he was supplying all of Cat's hydraulic hoses. He was a real entrepreneur. An American story

Long having been a suit in the employment of the man, I had never met anyone like Hugh...a man who like Ed, lived by his wits, accountable to no one but himself. We teamed up and over the course of the next six months, rode together the distance of just about every state highway in Arizona. Hugh rode a R800R... not a powerful bike, but good enough given Hugh's 5'6" height and 115 pound weight.

Some time after having met AR, I took his advice and rode my R1200C 70 miles to Tucson to see the Iron Horse Motorcycle dealership and owner Marty Cohen.

I met Cohen on the sales floor. I pointed at a bike that looked like a cross between a pterodactyl and a badger. "What's that,?" I asked. Marty replied that that was an R1100 GS, the "Land Rover" of motorcycles. "It's for off road?" I asked. "Yes," Marty replied. "Off road and on road. A lot of guys don't even take it off road," he said. "They just use it for long distance motorcycle touring."

"I'll take it," I said. Marty paused... looked at me carefully, and said, "how long have you been riding? Are you sure you're ready for something like this?" I was amazed. Was this guy really trying to talk me out of buying the bike?

I bought that GS, kept it for 11 years, and put about 70K miles on it. I rode it over just about every Colorado pass you can name... including the tough ones: Webster, Tin Cup, Engineer. The only two passes I never accomplished were Black Bear and Red Cloud.

From here I could ride a book... but, the message here is that I really started riding motorcycles in Arizona with Hugh. I was hooked.

Also, I started meeting other people like Hugh. Amazing people. Lots of entrepreneurs. Guys who knew how to do stuff. Guys who invented stuff... who could fix stuff. I rode a couple of times with the guy who invented the baseball pitching machine used by the major leagues, minor leagues and colleges. He sold his business for $30 million. The people who bought it ran it into the ground. My friend bought the business back at ten cents on the dollar.

So.... a year in Phoenix. Not a great professional experience... but a life changing jump into a passion that has animated me over the 20 years since.

Stephen D. Taylor checked in to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
January 11 at 10:45pm. Queens, NY.

I lived in New York City twice during my life.

Queens

The first time was for a 15 month period in 1951 and 1952.

Dad was at NYU getting a PhD in Marketing (BYU BS, and Harvard MBA).

We (Dad, Mom, me, and my pre-school brother Dee) lived in a newer apartment complex in Bayside, Queens. I attended the first grade at P.S. 31, Bayside, Queens.

I remember Dad taking me into a store that sold baseball hats. There were three hats to choose from. Giants, Dodgers, and Yankees. I picked a New York Giants hat. The store owner said, "no, you don't want a Giants hat, you want a Yankees hat." I took the Yankees hat. As time moved on in my young life, the Yankees were a better team to follow in any case. Start with the Mantle and Maris race for a home run record in 1961.

Our family visited the Statue of Liberty. I gave a "show and tell" presentation at school about my visit. I was surprised to note that none of the other members of my 1st grade class, made up of native New Yorkers, not interlopers like me, had ever been to the Statue of Liberty. I've run into similar phenomena a lot of times since. I am convinced that if you asked the average Utahn walking down Main Street in Salt Lake City, if he or she had visited Zion Canyon National Park, that nine of ten would say, no. Go to those places (Utah's National Parks) and you'll hear more German, French or Japanese being spoken than English.

PS 31 school kids wore dog tags. There was a fixation about a possible nuclear war with the USSR. Regularly we would do nuclear bomb preparation drills. When a bell sequence rang, we would get under our desks and stay there until an all clear signal rang.

Every morning at school we would stand when our teacher came into the room and, in unison, say: "Good morning, Mrs (so and so). Our greeting to our teacher would be followed by reciting, in unison, the Pledge of Allegiance.

My best friend was Walter Immig. He was Jewish. Our apartments were in the same Bayside complex, so we would play at one another's homes. At Walter's home, Walter's mother would urge us to wrestle on the living room floor. Then, astoundingly as I look back, she would root for me to pound the crap out of her son. I can only suppose that she was trying to toughen Walter up.

Walter had a TV at home. We didn't. We would watch Howdy Doody at Walter's house. Buffalo Bob, Clarabelle yada. There were three TV channels: CBS, ABC, and NBC.

A story from my Dad's memoirs from the period. Dad taught marketing classes at Pace College. He writes that the kids in the class mocked his accent. The problem apparently became so acute that the college Dean had to come into the class and admonish the students. The Dean said to the students, to the effect: "Why are you mocking Professor Taylor's speaking? His accent is exactly the same as those on TV reading the news. It is your accent that is odd. Now get back to work." Apparently the Dean made the point. Dad notes in his memoirs that there were no problems after that.

Dad bought a powder blue, 1952 Dodge which we drove back to Utah after the New York City stint. I remember the new car cost something like $2200.

So... though I am a westerner, a Utahn, by heritage, I like to say that I am a product of the New York City school system.

Westport

Westport, CT is not exactly New York City. But, it is on the fringe of the greater New York City conurbation. And, I commuted from Westport into the city daily, for three years, from 1988 to 1991, to my office at Citibank headquarters, 399 Park Avenue. So.... I count this period as "living in New York City," though, it is not technically true.

I did the commuter routine. After parking the car in the commuter lot, I would take (usually) the 6:00 AM Metro North express train from Westport to Grand Central Station. The commute time was one hour.

From Grand Central Station, I would walk the ten or so blocks uptown, along Park Avenue, to The Brasserie on 53rd street, between Park and Lexington Avenues. There, usually from the same waiter (I can't remember his name), I'd get a corn muffin and a coffee. Over the next thirty minutes or so I'd peruse the New York Times while consuming breakfast. I'd get to my office, across the street, by 7:45 AM. I'd be gone by 5:00 PM to get the Metro North train back to Westport.

I'd go to the office cafeteria for lunch... or skip lunch. Occasionally, I'd go to the Harvard Club for lunch, asking my friend John Metzger, who I had worked with in Australia in the mid-70's, to join me. I enjoyed our Harvard Club lunches. John had a lot of interesting insights into the politics of Citibank of that period. I mostly listened to his observations, which, in hindsight, were spot on. John and I still have a connection on Facebook.

My three year long New York experience at Citibank headquarters was not the greatest professional experience of my life. I had been used to running businesses in Citibank's far flung reaches (Manila, Tokyo, DC, Miami) with a fair degree of autonomy. At New York City headquarters, I had a staff job, a secretary and one assistant. The job, grade wise (ie. pay wise) was a step up from the last position I had held... CEO of Citicorp Savings of FL, and Citi's senior officer in Florida. I was chief credit officer for Citi's US Consumer Banking Group, and, a member of Citi's Credit Policy Committee.

But, I wasn't happy doing staff work... and, perhaps, ill suited to it. Former mentors had left the bank, and the one I was working for was fired and had his job folded into the world of a peer. And, the bank itself was passing through one of its dark periods. This was the time of Citi's operating under a memorandum of understanding with the feds due to its over exposure to real estate and third world debt. It was time, after twenty years working for Citibank, for me to think about leaving.

Stew Leonard was our big weekend deal. Costco seems to have supplanted the Stew Leonard urge these days.

We'd eat at some of the Greek diners up and down US1.

We took weekend excursions... skiing in Vermont... visiting L.L. Bean, in Maine.

My son Jake and I attended a half dozen Yankee games a year. We also went to some football games. We saw the Army Navy game at Giant's stadium in 0 degree temperatures.

I left Citi and New York City in 1991, after working for there for twenty years, to return to Miami and run American Savings of Florida, a publicly traded, troubled thrift.

The timing of my departure from Citi was fortuitous. My accumulated deferred compensation was paid to me in, then, hyper low value Citi stock. The stock provided disproportionate gains in later years when the bank regained it's footing.

Stephen D. Taylor checked in to Heathrow Terminal 5.
January 12 at 9:49am · London, United Kingdom ·

London

I've been to the UK seven or eight times. Two of those visits, each one to London, were for business reasons. Here's a recap of those two visits.

London 1: "Stu" - Reward

Early in 1974, while working, very early in my career, for Citibank in Calcutta, I received a note from Ham Meserve, Citi's India head then based in Bombay. The note from Ham said that his boss, Division Executive Carleton Stewart, based at Citi's New York headquarters, wanted me to stop by Citi's London office when I next visited the US for home leave. "Stu" had been the deciding officer in hiring us (Margaret and me) into the bank in late 1972... and, the decision maker in assigning us to Citibank India after our six month training stint in Beirut, Lebanon.

Stewart, apparently, was happy with the way I was doing my job. He wanted me to have a professional experience that broadened my perspective on opportunities within the bank.

Dutifully, I visited Citi's London office sometime during the summer of 1974. I was hosted by well known and venerated Citi London corporate banking head, Stew Clifford.

At Citi's London office, Stew Clifford had an itinerary prepared that had me visiting two or three of his reports. After, Stew Clifford had me join him for lunch.

For a junior officer working in the far flung reaches of the "Citi empire," the trip buoyed my spirits and made me feel good about the career choice, to join Citi, that I had made.

I might have seen Carleton Stewart (Stu) once after the London trip and thanked him for his setting up the London stop... but, Stu was not long to be an ongoing career mentor. Before my departure from India in late 1974, Stu, himself, had received a change of assignment to (interestingly) London to head Citi's corporate banking operations there. London was, no doubt, a big job... but, it wasn't bigger than the Division Executive job (Middle East, central Asia, and Africa) that Stu was leaving. "Scuttlebutt' in the day was that Stu's career had peaked.

Stu left the bank circa 1976 to take a position as CEO of Riggs Bank in Washington D.C. I never had contact with him again, though I knew two or three Citi officers more senior than myself who continued to stay in touch with him.

After retiring, Stu and his wife Alicia moved to the west coast of Florida. Stu passed away during the early naughts.

Stu and Mwah (sic). Its kind of like one of those "ships passing in the night" stories... except Stu's and my ships briefly stopped in proximity of one another for a brief encounter. The captain of one of the ships passed along some needed stores to the captain of the other ship, and the ships sailed on, never to encounter the other again. But, the receiver captain never forgot the gesture of the giver captain and remained ever grateful for his mid-sea aid.

London 2: Recruiting Trip

Sometime during the first quarter of 1995, while working in my Miami, FL office, I received a call from a female executive recruiter based in London. I was CEO of the publicly traded thrift bank, American Savings of Florida (ASF). At the time of the call, ASF's sale to Charlotte's First Union Corporation had been announced.

The recruiter said that her client was a mid sized UK headquartered bank with a significant footprint in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Would I be interested in exploring such an opportunity? she wondered. I was about to be out of a job after presiding over the successful sale of ASF. "Sure," I said. "I'd like to learn more."

I was invited by the recruiter for an interview in London. The recruiter provided the name of the bank running the search. Standard and Chartered, a multi branch, UK based, geographically dispersed, consumer/commercial banking franchise. The bank was looking for a chief operating officer with experience doing consumer banking in Asia. My "credential" of having worked in Citi's Asian consumer operation as consumer business manager in Japan, 1982-1985, had, I presumed, placed me on the recruiter's list.

A week or so after the call, I traveled to London. My meeting, at Standard and Chartered, was with the recruiter. I was not, then, or later invited to speak to anyone representing the bank. Put this in the "nothing ventured, nothing gained" category.

Shortly after my London visit, a former colleague of mine from Citi Asia, Rana Talwar, was hired for the Standard and Chartered position, which he occupied for six or seven years.

Margaret and I had dinner with Rana and some other Citi alumni at his Delhi home just a year ago.

Above: TIMDT at Taj Hotel. Mumbai, India. 13 January 2017.

Uh.... Can you fix my phone please?

Above: Bishop observes Gateway of India. Mumbai, India. 13 January 2017.

In geologic time, George V, Gandhi, Churchill, and Mountbatten are standing right there with him. Bishop feels their presence.

Above: Bishop and TIMDT with Citibank '60's/70's Indian aristocracy. Dinner at home of Mehli and Saker Mistri. Malabar Hill, Mumbai, India. 13 January 2017.

Front from left: Saker Mistri, Maya Malhotra, Gool Mistri, Margaret Taylor, Roda Ahluwalia. Rear from left: Prumodh Malhotra, Mehli Mistri, Harmohan Ahluwalia, Steve Taylor.

Dinner 13 January 2017, at Mistri's in Mumbai. Citibank India. 60's/70's Indian officer aristocracy.

Prumodh hired Mehli and Harmohan. Gool introduced Prumodh and Maya to one another. Mehli was Steve's first boss (via Ajit Grewal) in professional life. Old times were not forgotten.

Mistris - Mumbai
Ahlualias - London, Mumbai
Malhotras - Chevy Chase, MD, Mumbai
Taylors - Park City, UT

Addendum:


Megumi on right, Marin (oldest granddaughter) on left. Only 3-weeks between them!

Malcolm,
Tokyo, Japan


My three-year-old grandson is enjoying skiing. He does not call it skiing. He calls it going fast.

Hoops,
Pelham, NY

sung to the tune of singing in the rain.

Monk,
Salina, UT


Happy New Year and many blessing to you and your beautiful family. Love the little ones in the snow. They are fearless!

Lianne,
Miami, FL


Nicely written, Steve. For the record, I have read most of your blogs over the last 10 years, and this is among my favorites.

Mrs. Driggs,
Park City, UT


I also enjoyed it very much.

Hoops,
Pelham, NY

Great story Steve…have a great trip.

Do you still see Hugh?

'Cake, Maui, HI

Steve – that was quite a story. Did you trade in the R1100C in Tucson, or did you come back for the GS?

Isetta, Chicago, IL

When we were finished in AZ, I rode the R1100C up to Park City. TIMDT followed behind in the Land Rover.

I must have also ridden the GS up to Park City... though I don't have a specific recollection of that.

My cousin Elvira remembers vividly those dog tags that all the children were required to wear in case of a nuclear attack I lived in the suburbs so we did not have them but we did have an exercise one day when we went home in the middle of the day to our homes as if there had been an an attack. I remember hiding under the stairwells too and under our desks useless, we now know.

Comic Mom, Park City, UT

Hi Steve,

I enjoyed reading this excerpt of your experience in Phoenix. Have you ever thought about writing a book? Or a memoir or sorts about your business experience and motorcycle passion? If you need a ghostwriter or an editor, keep me in mind! It would be a fun project.

Best,

Rachel
Provo, UT

We should talk about your helping with Dad's memoirs.


Pamela and I are flying into Phoenix next Friday to visit her son and family before returning to PC- –they live in the suburb of Gilbert

This is the first I have heard about your living in Phoenix and that you started your motorcycle riding there

Lots of wide open spaces (desert)

Have a great and safe trip.

Montage, Marina del Rey, CA

Thanks Steve—great note. Keep it for your personal history.

Monk, Salina, UT

BSSS,

I was both warmed and gratified by your recounting this experience to us.

You already know that neither skiing nor motorcycling holds out any allure to me personally, but that is not the point.

What was so wonderful about your memoir, was the tale of how you came to discover an activity that gave you – personally – so much pleasure and satisfaction. From the standpoint of the ‘human condition’ the story you shared with us is wonderful. In some ways, it is a useful example of what constitutes ‘the pursuit of happiness.’

It is also indicative of how much “chance” plays a role in almost every step of our lives. Or was it serendipity? Or are they really different?

Live long and prosper J

Jack Aroon, Mahwah, NJ

Great story. Thanks. Did you know that Eli Broad was one of the largest shareholders in Biscayne Federal Savings and Loan that we acquired from FSLIC in January 1985? Amazing all the things Eli Broad was involved in. If I am not mistaken I think that Victor Posner was also involved in that S&L.

Nathans,
Orlando, FL



Good Evening!

I keep reading and hearing about all the snow in Park City ... sure miss skiing real mountains.

Anyway, I loved your memories about Phoenix. While I worked for Ernst & Young, I reported to a partner who lived in Phoenix, so I traveled there frequently (from Cleveland). Even as I had been in Arizona and surrounding country many times in the past, I could so relate to your work ... because that was the same time I was there.

Hope all is well ...

Best wishes,
Music in the Mountains,
Racine, WI


Don't forget our 1982 stop in London after visiting the USSR. You and I went for a walk and passed 10 Downing Street. The Falklands War had recently ended and there was a crowd of Brits outside waiving Union Jacks. Margaret Thatcher came out to greet the crowd. You shook her hand., U

Rudy, Jr. Salt Lake City UT

So pleasant this Sunday morning to read your memoirs...and check out some of your fine vocabulary. Speaking of 'ships in the night'...you moved to Queens when I moved out in 1951. I went to P.S.3 off Queens Blvd. We too did the Pledge and I remember when one year they added the "under God" phrase. Also, the under-the-desk bit.

I bought my first bike because my girlfriend told me she thought it would be so exciting to have a boyfriend who had a bike. Mine was a Kawasaki 4 cylinder 2-stroke, 1975ish living on Long Island. I was early 30's ands would go so fast so quickly it scared the crap out of me...along with the traffic. I dropped it twice - once with girlfriend. No injuries, but got out of bike.

Next bike, a Suzuki 900 police style purchased in new condition from a neighbor in Boynton Bch, FL when I was about 61. Dropped it twice on sand spots...one time, having no choice, I was even able to pick it up myself. Had to sell it for financial reasons.

Finally, you, friend, and Jim and Hank got me into my third, the Beemer, which was everything I wanted in a bike and had great times - never dropped it - kept it until I left PC and sold it. Like skiing east vs. west...biking not for me unless in open country. Wonder if I have another bike in my life.

Best wishes this Sunday morning.

Kat,
Dallas, TX

Above: TIMDT watches ice shaving. Sassoon Dock fish market. 5:00 AM. Mumbai, India. 14 January 2017.

For whatever reason, the fish market itself forbade image taking.

The fishing trawlers delivering the day's catch were low in the water at low tide. Fishermen would put the fish in covered baskets, then, toss the fish up to a man on the dock. All very skilled and smooth. I wonder if they have a "fish toss" competition festival?

Above: Bread delivery by bicycle. Early AM Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Above: Newspaper sorting station. Mumbai, India. Early AM. 14 January 2017.

22 languages. 70MM circulation India wide. China 90MM circulation. Japan (surprisingly) 60MM circulation. High percent aging Japanese read newspapers, don't carry smart phones. Largest circulation English newspaper in the world? "The Times of India." At least according to our guide, Dipika. Newspaper circulation continues high in India. Despite there being 900 million cell phones in the country, only 12% of the cell phones have are "smart" application.

Guide Dipika says most of the people here sorting the papers are illiterate. But, they recognize the different scripts of the different languages so as to enable correct sorting.

Above: Newspaper delivery boy loads his bike. Mumbai, India. 14 January 2017.

Above: Chicken delivery. Crawford Market. Mumbai early AM. 14 January 2017.

Chickens are farmed in Pune, large city 250 km distant. Each truck carries 1500 live chickens.

Above: Man carrying live chickens from Pune. Crawford Market. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Above: Sassoon high school. Mumbai. 14 January 2017. Early AM.

Synagogue behind. All Jewish faculty. Student body 98% Muslim. There are fault lines that sometimes fester, but India makes multiculturalism work better than most. Party in power, BJP, is Hindu
nationalist. To many, BJP's nationalist strain represents a threat to the multiculturalist "calm" experienced under Congress Party rule post a violent partition period in 1948.

Above: Knife sharpener using his bicycle pedal to power sharpening wheel. Byculla Station market. Early morning Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Above: TIMDT and tour guide Dipika. Byculla Station vegetable market. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Above: Hanuman (Hindu monkey god) temple near Byculla Station. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Temple abuts against a mosque. A Catholic cathedral is across the street.
Unlike the west, India is not in spiritual decline. Spiritual symbols pervade in India. As with the marketplace Hanuman Shrine shown here, symbols of religiosity pervade in India. The tone in India is aspirational. Religious belief buttresses culture. A strong culture progresses. India's culture is complex. Her method is chaotic. But, she moves forward. India GDP growth rate is 7%. It's why we come to India every year. She gives us a dose of hope for a better future.

Addendum:

Am I wrong, or have you lost a lot of weight?

Torquemada,
Sandy, UT

I've learned how to capture flattering images.


Hi Steve, You look healthy and great. Have fun on your trip.

LaPsy,
Los Angeles, CA


Enjoy your picto diary!

Big Bad John,
Park City, UT

Above: Breakfast. Mumbai "must eat." Vada Pav. Spice and potato pastry on a roll. Wadala Market. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Reminded me of filling in more typical vegetable samosa.

Drink it with cardamom flavored chai.

Above: TIMDT observes sunrise. Wadala Market. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Above: Flower Market. Wadala. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Above: Mallakhamb. Wadala. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Mallakhamb guru Uday V. Deshpande observes his student in rope suspension. "Mallakhamb is like painting with your body on a palate of air," says guru Deshpande.

According to guru Deshpande, Mallakhamb is a 200 year old discipline. 200 adherents are qualified to teach. The activity has adherents in major US cities, including NYC, and Chicago.

Deshpand is THE certifying guru of the activity. The activity is also performed on teak poles...some seen in the background of the image.

Above: Wadala Cricket Ground. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Wadala Cricket Ground. It's Saturday, after all.

Above: Bishop. Ducati dealership. Bandra. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Above: Bishop 'n Sydney. Ducati dealership. Bandra. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Duc dealer in Mumbai. Sydney, sales guy, says they sell 25 bikes a month. Sydney rides Ducs in Rajesthan, where, he says, you can max out the bike's performance capabilities. Open road and all that. Typical young bike guy. You could meet him at a Duc dealership in SLC, Paris, or LA. He'd fit right in.

Bishop: How did you get the name, "Sydney."

Sydney: My Dad was a field hockey fanatic. India won the gold in field hockey at the Sydney Olympics the year I was born.

Above: Bishop and Joshua Crasto, principal of Grage 52 - The Moto Collective. Bandra. Mumbai. 14 January 2017.

Garage 52 is the premier motorcycle restorer in India. It has been featured in motorcycle writeups all over the world. Joshua also leads motorcycle tours throughout India. Like Sydney, the confident and outgoing Joshua is arch typical of motorcycle guys everywhere.

Above: Willingdon Sports Club. Malabar. Mumbai, India (file image) 14 January 2017.

We joined member friends, and some of their friends, here for a
'pukka' dinner experience.

You can't become a member of this club. Membership is hereditary.

TIMDT felt very privileged to be part of this special experience.
Indian hosts and their guests asked about Trump.

I said I was a supporter. I provided my rationale.

Lost US economic growth is bad for the world as well as the US. Obama was the first president in US history never to preside over a 3% annual GDP growth rate. The rate of real economic growth is the single greatest determinate of both America's strength as a nation and the well-being of the American people. A strong America means a more stable world.

HRC program was more of the same: high taxes, growing federal intrusion into American life.

Trump, as a disruptor to the sclerotic economic policies of Obama and Clinton, had a shot at reviving US economic growth.

Representative, if not comprehensive, comments from dinner guests:

We worry about Trump's character and judgment in an unstable, complex world.

Our politicians are far more corrupt than your politicians.

We watched C-Span cabinet hearings and were impressed with the quality of his appointees.

Addendum:

Have you ever gone to see where they wash clothes ? Glad you're enjoying 😎

Mr. Z3,
Ojai, CA


Love this post. The photos are fascinating and your comments truly capture the heartbeat and pace of Mumbai daily life. Can't wait for what's coming next!

Magnolia,
Miami, FL

Above: Floral arrangement. Lobby. Taj Mahal Hotel. Mumbai. 15 January 2017.

Incredible attention to detail, and evidence of significant labor input, as in this floral piece, pervades the "upper end" of the India art and architectural spectrum.

Above: Mumbai City Museum. Mumbai. 15 January 2017.

Mumbai. Pre 1600. 7 swampy islands inhabited by Koli fishing people... a matriarchal culture which still supplies Mumbai with fish, including "Bombay Duck."

1600. Portuguese trading center.

1650. Over to the Brits as part of dowry of Portuguese princess betrothed to English prince.

1660. Leased by Brits to East India Company for British trading concession.

18th/19th Century. Reclaimed land. Queen Victoria and the thrust of Empire. Architectural boom. Fusion of classical architecture and Indian accent.

Today. World capital. 20MM population.

India rises.

Above: Image in Taj Hotel vitrine.

Ratan Tata greets Barack Obama at his flagship Taj hotel Mumbai in 2015. 15 January 2017.

This Taj was built in 1906 by Ratan' s grandad following a sleight... Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was, as an Indian, denied admittance to a pukka Brit hotel in Bombay.

Today, the scion, Ratan, who until recently headed the company which among many others, owns Land Rover and Jaguar, and the Taj hotel chain, now receives US presidents as guests.

He who laughs last, laughs best. Put another way, "the worm turns."

India rises

Above: Sunrise shots: Gateway of India. Mumbai. 16 January 2017.

Sleep times still not in synch. Up, wide awake at 4:00 AM.

1. School kids at India Gate.

2. Taj Hotel this AM. But, in 2008: Imagine smoke ascending from the right tower. Hotel attacked by Islamic terrorists.

3. India Gate. Sunrise.

4. Buffing up my size 14's. In India most have to work to make ends meet. No millennial snowflakes here. India rising.

Bye bye Mumbai (for now).

Remainder of day in transit to Aurangabad. One hour, east, by air.

Addendum:

Great images tell wonderful stories. So glad you overcame your resistance to photography. You are getting very adept at it, but I missed the photo of the fisherman tossing the baskets of fish up from the boat to the quay.
Isetta. Chicago, IL

Sasson Dock closed to photos. Fish toss will have to remain a mental image.

Above: Pool. Taj Residency Hotel. Aurangabad, Maharashtra. 17 January 2017.

India. the widest spectrum. Peace and serenity inside the hotel compound. Beyond the hotel walls, car horn cacophony and mosque call to prayers.

India rising.

If you put one of these chilies in your mouth... chew it well.. and swallow it, I'll give you $50.00.
Chili plants awaiting "by hand" picking.

On the road to Ajanta from Aurangabad. 17 January 2017.

Above: 6th Century Buddhist temperas inside caves in remarkable state of preservation. TIMDT observes World Heritage site Ajanta cave complex. Spectacular Ajanta... every bit of Lalibela or Petra. 17 January 2017.

Ajanta complex started 2nd century AD. Buddha was born in Ayodha, India, 600 BC. So, 800 years of Buddhism had passed before these 1500 year old temperas were painted in 600 AD.

By the 8th Century AD, a resurgent Hinduism was pushing Buddhism out of India...to China and east Asia.

West Rome was in decline by 600 AD. East Rome became Constantinople, where the Byzantine would rule for 1000 years... only then to be taken out by the Ottomans.

My forebears were barbarians in 600 AD.

When next will the civilization worm turn?

Above: Ajanta cave Buddhist cherub. 17 January 2017.

1500 year old Buddhist cherub tempera on cave ceiling reminds Bishop of his own baby images.

Above: 1500 year old ceiling, tempera depiction of ROMEO colloquium. Predecessor group to LSDM. "Plus ca change..." and all that. — at Ajanta Caves 17 December 2017.

Above: Daulatabad Fort, Aurangabad. Minar (minaret) - AKA: Tower of the Moon. 18 January 2017.

Built 1435. In height, 2nd only to Qtub Minar in Delhi. Delhi Sultan Tughlaq moved his capital here in 1328. He moved his entire populace here...an 1100 km trek. The area had insufficient water supply, so Tughlaq moved everybody back to Delhi a few years later. TIMDT poses under the arch. Back in the early '70's, TIMDT and Mwah ( sic) used to explore Tughlaqbad, Tughlaq's crumbling digs, south of Delhi. Today we "squared the circle."

Above: Ellora Caves. Maharashtra. 18 January 2017
Bishop, mesmerized, stares at Kamera, Jain god of prosperity. As if in a trance, Bishop thought he was looking in the mirror.
Note: Bishop backwards cap cautionary measure to avoid hitting head on low lentils in temple...not a cultural protest.

Above: Ellora Caves. World Heritage site. Maharashtra, India. 18 January 2017.
TIMDT observes Kailasanatha Temple (Hindu), largest stone monolith in the world. Compared to this, intricate ornate, basalt masterpiece, accomplished over 200 years between 700 AD and 900 AD, Lalibela carvers (basalt) were pikers.

Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist cave carvings in close proximity at Ellora, attest to high degree of multicultural tolerance of the period.

Above: School excursion at Kailasanatha Hindu monolith temple. Ellora Caves. Maharashtra. 18 January 2017.

Uniforms.
Order.
Obedience.
No participation trophies.
Segregation of sexes.
Visit to religious site to affirm cultural linkage.
Aspiration. No "snowflake" short cuts.

India rising.

Oh.... and open H1b visa floodgates. Quintuple India quota. — in Ellora.

Above: Mini Taj. Aurangabad, Maharashtra. 18 January 2017.
Fooled ya!

Mini Taj. Poor Man's Taj.

Shah Jehan built the Agra Taj honoring beloved, deceased wife Mumtaz.

His son, Aurangzeb, thought Dad was a spendthrift so he put his dad under "palace arrest" in Agra Fort for remainder of his life.

Aurangzeb's son, Azam Khan, thought Dad should honor his deceased wife like Grandpa did. "Ok," grumbled the stingy Aurangzeb, "But on a budget."

Pathetic, Aurangabad located, mini Taj, half the size of the original, and with very little serious marble work, is the outcome. — at Mini Taj Mahal, Aurangabad.

Above: Motorbikes parked at Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport. Mumbai, India. 18 January 2017.
Motor bikes much more efficient.

Less parking space required.

Much lower manufacturing and fuel carbon footprint.

Far more responsible use of energy in India.

US should immediately embark on a program to eliminate energy wasteful, polluting "cages" and convert all individual and family transport to two wheelers.

We must all do our part, like the Indians, to save the planet.

Note: tire studs can be used for ice and snow.

Above: Fish tank. Taj Santacruz Hotel. Mumbai, India. 19 January 2017.

Above: Courtyard. Rambagh Palace Hotel. Jaipur, India. 19 January 2017.

Above: Outrageous usurpation of space! Rambagh Palace Hotel. Jaipur, India. 20 January 2017.

My one black toiletries bag to TIMDT'S four! Unfair. She always gets her way and I have to give in.

Above: Driver KV stands by fully restored, 1986 Hindustan Ambassador Car. Rambagh Palace Hotel. Jaipur, India. 20 January 2017.

Pronounced: hindustanamBASSadorcar, as if one word.

Travel Scope India's contracted guy here in Jaipur owns it. and provided it for my use this AM.

TIMDT and Mwah (sic) owned a 1972 model Hindustan Ambassador Car (all three words must be pronounced) during our three year stint in India in the early '70's.

TIMDT and Mwah (sic) will never forget our drive in our Hindustan Ambassador Car from Delhi to Nanital (hill station in Himalaya foothills) in 1972. No driver. I was driver. We were hopelessly lost... ended up on a dirt path in a field in rural Haryana. The land owner, a well heeled Sikh, came up, somewhat amazed to see us. He made a minor repair on our car, gave us good directions and sent us on our way. His directions were good. I had the best shower in history at that Nanital hotel that evening. No water saver. Phoebe, 2, was with us.

After a 50 year long production run, making of the Hindustan Ambassador Car (factory tool and die was for the old UK Morris Oxford) ceased just a couple of years ago.

Above; Embossed, brass door handles. Hindustan Ambassador Car restoration. 20 January 2017 Rambagh Palace Hotel. Jaipur, India.

Above (two images) Jaipur Literature Festival. Jaipur, India. 20 January 2017.

Bishop goes to world's largest book festival (by attendance).

American poet, Ann Waldman talks about beat generation poet Alan Ginsburg and writer Jack Kerouac.

Waldman also disses Trump. "US is returning to the Confederacy."

More anti Trump comments:

English playwright Sir David Hare: "It is impossible to satirize Donald Trump because he is self satirized. He always comes as a joker, he says Jews run the world, Jews run the financial system..."

Paul Beatty, 2016 Man Booker recipient: Asked if he was going to watch the inauguration, he replied, " Yeah, I don't know if I'll laugh or cry...I don't know what I'm gonna do...I once realized that when that atomic mushroom cloud is in the sky, I wanna get a good view"

Bishop loved the festival, especially the anti Trump comic relief.

As a lover of books, Bishop (Citibank Florida CEO) was one of the founding organizers of the Miami Book Fair in 1987.

Jaipur festival had great bookstore. Bishop, true to form, bought three books.

There were several thousand people (including numerous students) milling around the festival today. 7 pavilions, each seating 200 or more people, simultaneously housing author presentations.

India rising.

Above: Vijay Singh (left) owner Rajputana Customs, with TIMDT and Abey, our Jaipur handler. Jaipur, India. 20 January 2017.

Pictured bike is work in progress custom Royal Enfield. Vijay started with the basic Bullet 500 cc, thumper motor then designed and specked out the build to be accomplished by his eight artisan employees.

Above: Custom fabricated Damascus steel motorcycle brake handle, with Koftgari silver inlay. Rajputana Customs, Jaipur, India. 20 January 2017.

Part of a custom cruiser built around a new Harley motor.

Rajputana Customs does serious work and has attracted attention from serious motorcycle collectors around the world, including Willy G. Davidson.

Addendum:

Great pictures thanks for sharing

La Psy,
Los Angeles, CA

Steve,
Does your recommendation, below the last photograph, also apply to F-350s?

You can never have too many Ducatis!

AhnRhee, Larkspur, CA

F350 is grandfathered.

Be careful Steve!!
I tried the 'eat-a-chilli for $20' thing on Yuya and the little bugger DID!!!

Malc, Tokyo, Japan

My son challenged his nephew, my grandson, to eat a whole chili from a Chinese dish. He did! And, learned his lesson. He did get $5.00.

Above: Dancers. Lawn, Rambagh Palace Hotel. Jaipur, India. 20 January 2017.

Above: Our protruding room. Rambagh Palace Hotel. Jaipur, Rajesthan. 21 January 2016.

Nice room. Pigeons like it too.

Above: Morning porridge with nuts and raisons. Rambagh Palace Hotel. Jaipur, Rajesthan. 21 January 2017.

Not enough just to dump nuts in a mixed nut bowl. This is India. Make the nuts an artistic creation.

Above: Sunset. Lawn. Rambagh Palace Hotel. Jaipur, Rajesthan. 21 January 2017.

Above: Moti and Sons Jewelry building. Jaipur, Rajesthan. 21 January 2017.

Above: TukTuk with school boys. Jaipur, Rajesthan. 21 January 2017.

Note construction in background. Construction projects are ubiquitous in Indian big cities. India rising. School boys pictured here are India's future architects and construction engineers. Hopefully, the US can lure a few of them with the promise of H1b visas and green cards.

Above: Four riders on a Honda 110 cc motorbike. Jaipur, Rajesthan. 21 January 2017.

Very inexpensive, efficient transportation. Saving the planet? Walking the talk? Shouldn't we, in America, be doing our part? Except... grandfather the F350.

Above: Hindu pilgrim. En route to Sawaimadhopur. 21 January 2017.

Hindu pilgrim places coconut shell at full reach while prone. Pilgrim stands were feet are currently positioned. Pilgrim takes mini steps the length of his foot to reach the coconut shell. Pilgrim picks up coconut shell. Pilgrim goes prone again. Pilgrim repeats procedure until desired pilgrimage destination is reached. Process goes on for miles and miles... days and days....

Above: Camel cart. Sawaimadhopur. 21 January 2017.

Above: Sher Bagh Tent Camp. Sawaimadhopur, Rajesthan. 21 January 2017.

Our access point to Ranthambore National Park and.... "the eye of the tiger."

Addendum:


Wow

Brand,
Ventura, CA

Tigers (and sloth bear and leopard), of course, are what people come to see. And, I was lucky to see all three. But, as these images show, there is a lot else to see at Ranthambore. These images are representative of what I saw.

The Park was teeming with wildlife. Deer... spotted and sambar... were ubiquitous. The tigers, who each, individually, kill once a week, have plenty of food.

TIMDT is not mentioned as a viewer of wildlife!

She came down with a tummy bug in Jaipur. She spent all day of the 22nd and the night of the 22nd in Sawaimanohpur regional hospital getting five drips to rehydrate. She came back to Sherbagh (our tent camp) mid-day on the 23rd, still not feeling up to tackle the fourth (and most successful) of the wildlife viewing safaris.

End of day 23rd, the night before our departure by train to Delhi on the 24th, she was feeling fine.

Above: Mating Jackals. Ranthambore National Park. 22 January 2017.

Salim, my accompanying naturalist, said that in his 26 years working in the park he had never witnessed this scene.

Above: Sambar Deer and Egret. Ranthambore National Park. 23 January 2017.

Perfect example of nature's symbiosis. Egret rides the Sambar's back in the hopes that while walking through the swamp the deer will kick up some tasty frogs.

Above: Spotted Owl. Ranthambore National Park. 22 January 2017.

Above: Mongoose. Ranthambore National Park. 23 January 2017.

This is why its important to hire a naturalist to accompany you into the park. I wouldn't have come close to seeing this animal had not Salim spotted it for me.

Above: Crocodile. Ranthambore National Park. 23 January 2017.

It is important that you never smile at one of these animals.

Addendum:


Beautiful pictures thanks.

LaPsy,
Los Angeles, CA

Note: Five bird images. Not all bird images I took, but representative. My guess is, that if you were a bird watcher, you could come to Ranthambore, see the birds, and be fulfilled... tiger or not.

Above: Common Kingfisher. Ranthambore National Park. 23 January 2017.

Above: Tree Pie. Ranthambore National Park. 23 January 2017.

Related to our Magpies. Behavior similar. Noisy... aggressive. Tree pies will swoop in grab your sandwich right out of your hand.

Above: Snipe. Ranthambore National Park. 23 January 2017.

Salim says this is a rare sighting.

Above: White Breasted Kingfisher. Ranthambore National Park. 23 January 2017.

Above: Black Ibis. Ranthambore National Park. 23 January 2017.

Above: TIGER! My camera shot. Lumix. Leica lens. Zone 4 Ranthambore National Tiger Reserve. 23 January 2016. Rajesthan, India. "Star Male." T-24.

4:45 PM. Jeep headed direction park entrance to make 5:30 "leave the park" deadline. I'm steeling myself, at the end of my fourth and last 3 hour safari tiger search, to an "unsuccessful" visit. Well... the birds were nice! I saw a bunch of crocs. Two jackals mating... it wasn't all a bust.

Then...

Naturalist Salim notices that Sambar deer on left side have their tails up. Its a sign of worry. Salim asks jeep driver to slow. 200 yards distant, by the shores of a lake, we see and hear seven or eight wild boars screaming and running from something.

Then. Look! There he is T-24, walking slowly along the lake shore. Salim, wanting a closer view, instructs driver to reverse and vector to where the believes the tiger is headed.

Doubting Salim's judgement about getting closer to the animal, I say to myself, "well... at least I saw a tiger from a distance. I won't go home empty handed! How does Salim know the tiger is coming to the new spot? Aw... he's not coming. He went another direction!"

Suddenly, after we have been parked for over three minutes on a ridge line above the lake, T 24 appears. He's walking up the ascent to our right.

Voila... these two and many other shots.

Animal walks slowly by, seemingly indifferent to Salim, me and the driver in the jeep. Salim says, tigers born in the reserve become used to the jeeps and don't see them or those in them as a threat. Out of the jeep, however, a human would be very much in danger.

Once in a lifetime animal sighting! Awesome beast! The tiger sighting experience inspires awe... reverence...

Above: TIGER! Bishop and T 24. Ranthambore National Tiger Reserve. Rajesthan, India. 23 January 2017. Image captured by Salim with my Lumix Leica lens camera.

To balance the record, this was not my first tiger sighting in the wild in India. In 1972 Delhi PJ's and Mwah (sic) drove from Delhi to Sariska Tiger Reserve near Alwar. Our sighting was at night, about 9:00 PM. In those days, they tied up a goat and waited for a tiger to come in for the kill. Not very sporting... but, we witnessed the sordid tiger meal.

During the 70's and 80's the Sariska tigers were all poached. For years there were no tigers present. In 2014 the authorities moved 13 tigers from Ranthambore, where there were too many tigers relative to the tigers' requirements for territory, to Sariska. I am told one or two of those tigers died due to illness... but, apparently, the other tigers thrive and there have been several cubs born in the last two years.

Indian authorities seemed to have reversed the tiger extinction trend of the '70's and '80's. There are now 2000 reported tigers in India in 30 or so reserves spread throughout the country. The largest number of tigers, over 100, is in Sundarbands National Park, West Bengal. Because of tall grass, and swampy terrain, tigers there are rarely spotted. Sundarbands is known for man eaters. There have been four villagers killed in the last twenty years. Man eating tigers are not killed. They are shipped off to zoos. Also sent to zoos are crippled tigers or tigers, which, for whatever reason, are not able to fend for themselves in the wild.

Ranthambore is said to be the best place to see a tiger in the wild. The area is semi arid with a lot of open space and visibility potential. I first saw T-24 from over 200 yards away down by a lake. I tried unsuccessfully to capture a telephoto image, but he was so far away I had a hard time getting him in the view finder. I was resigned to the fact that this distant sighting was as close as I would get, until Salim, my hired naturalist, vectored the vehicle to a spot on a hill above the lake some quarter mile from my first sighting, where T 24 five minutes or so later, walked right by us. According to Joseph, major domo of Sher Bagh, our tent camp, less than 50% of visitors to Ranthambore see a tiger. Ie. Despite Ranthambore being best in India for tiger spotting, there is no guarantee you'll see one. I talked to one disgruntled American from Maryland on the night of his second day of safaris. He had been out four times and had seen very little... not to mention a tiger. He said his wife sent him on the trip and that he would never return to India again.

Just 5 minutes after sighting T024, as we were driving towards the exit of Zone 4, we come upon this bear. There are two other vehicles already there. My photo image above on the Samsung phone.

According to Salim, sloth bears are rarely seen at Ranthambore.

Trifecta this afternoon. Tiger, sloth bear (shown here... rare to be seen in park), and leopard. Other images on the Lumix await flash card transfer to computer and upload to FB.

I was preparing to leave Ranthambore empty handed. And now, in this final hour of 12 hours (four outings) of searching, an embarrassment of animal sighting riches. Luck? Serendipity? Karma? Or, maybe my naturalist, Salim's karma?

Above: LEOPARD!. Sited 23 January 2017. Rambathore Tiger Reserve National Park. Rajesthan.
Sited after seeing the tiger and the sloth bear as we were leaving the park, beyond the exit from Zone Four. The siting wasn't a great sighting as the leopard was on a rock at the top of a hill... likely more than 200 yards away. I took this image at 30x with the Lumix. This is why i brought the Lumix... for distant animal sightings. I'm happy with the outcome. An image taken by the Samsung S7 Active, at 8x, would have shown nothing. Since I'm not an "in to it photographer" the Lumix suits me just fine.

You can do an optical zoom and see the animal's spots. Since the sighting was on the common road leaving the park there was a gaggle of other spectators there watching. This completes my trifecta... tiger, sloth bear, and leopard... all seen in the last hour of the last of four safari outings.

We saw two leopards just a year ago at the Sajan owned Jawai Leopard Camp near Udaipur. The best sighting that visit also occurred, unexpectedly, at the very end of our last safari outing.

Serendipity rules.

Above: A gaggle of animal watchers at the leopard sighting. Ranthambore National Tiger Reserve. Rajesthan. 23 January 2017.

Above: Map Ranthambore National Park. Sher Bagh Tent Camp. 24 January 2017.

TIMDT missed the park. But, she's back on her feet ready to go. She was sick on arrival at Sher Bagh Ranthambore hotel/tent camp.

Sher Bagh staff tremendous assistance to TIMDT at time of need.

Sajan properties THE BEST. I've now stayed at three of the four: Jawai Leopard Camp, near Udaipur; Raj Mahal Hotel in Jaipur; and here at Sher Bagh at Ranthambore National Tiger Reserve. All four properties are in Rajesthan.

I've missed The Serai at Jaisalmere, but TIMDT has stayed there. She rates The Serai as the top Sajan property. It must be pretty good considering how good the other three properties are.

SAJAN GROUP. India rising.

TIMDT tummy. Rehydration with drip. Feeling better moment by moment!

Genral Hospital Compudar Sawai0madhopur
Hospital/Clinic · Sawaimadhopur
Margaret Taylor has been here.

Above: TIMDT checked out of here yesterday, 23 January 2017. Good care all around. Five drips.

Above; TIMDT and The Golden Temple Mail from Mumbai to.Amritsar, via our destination, New Delhi. Sawaimadhopur Train Station. Sawaimadhopur, Rajesthan. 24 January 2017

India's great rail system. Largest rail network and company with largest number employees in the world.

And the romance! Pre partition this train was the storied Frontier Mail from Bombay to Lahore.

About six hours from here to Nizamudden Station in New Delhi.

India rising

Above: TIMDT. Coffee Shop. Imperial Hotel. New Delhi, India. 24 January 2017.

She's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Above: TIMDT observes Emily Eden original lithographs. Third Floor. Imperial Hotel. New Delhi, India. 24 January 2017.

We own three original Eden prints, including the one TIMDT is looking at close up.

Royina, Bishop, Ayesha and TIMDT. Altitude Restaurant., Mehar Chand Market, Lodi Colony, New Delhi. 25 January 2017.

Shop No-110, Near Habitat Center, Lodhi Rd, Meharchand Market, Lodi Colony, New Delhi, Delhi 110003

Royina and Ayesha, wife and daughter of Bishop's first boss in professional life (1972 Citibank New Delhi).

Author Royina working on a historical novel based on the lives of her maternal grandparents. Her most recent novel, published in 2015, is "Babur," a raucous rendition of India's first Mogul ruler.

Ayesha is co owner of Altitude Restaurant, along with her sister Misha, as well as the organic farming business in Rajesthan that supplies it's ingredients.

Ayesha is a tiger nut. She has a property near Corbett Park, where she goes regularly to see the tigers. She has a tiger tattoo on her left upper arm. Ayesha and I had a great time exchanging tiger stories, now that I'm a "tiger insider."

Above: Locals watch installation of crash guard on Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle. Mehar Chand Market, Lodi Colony. New Delhi, India. 25 January 2017.

Above: TIMDT totally out of control at Cristina's. Mehar Chand Market. Lodi Colony. New Delhi, India. 25 January 2017.

One can never have too many Cristina blouses.

Above. Dessert. Placed in our Imperial Hotel Room. New Delhi, India. 25 January 2017.

Indian flag cake provided by hotel in honor of Republic Day, tomorrow.

Addendum:


Magnificent pictures...gorgeous tiger...such amazing animals! I, we are in awe as to how close you were able to get to T-24!!! What a memorable experience!

Thank you for thinking of us!

Maui and Pancake
Park City, UT


Glad Margaret is feeling better, when do you return to PC ?

Mr. Z3
Ojai, CA



Good. Pleased to hear it.

Dennis,
Melbourn, Australia



Wow the tiger is the best ! although the bear is cool ;leopard, Steve that is questionable it looks like; well not a leopard ! I enjoyed seeing the Tent's do you remember in Africa one evening when we stayed the tent. I believe I stayed in a room !

Mr. Z3,
Ojai, CA

Morocco.


Thank you so much for your beautiful words Steve.

As I said, while India gives hope to you and the world, Margaret and you and all your friends give hope to us by choosing to travel to our country.

We are fortunate to share our heritage with you.

Warm Regards

Mohan,
TravelScope India,
New Delhi, India


Loved the birds! Do you know how many different species there are there in the park?

Deer Hunter,
Hatch, UT

272 Documented.
http://www.ranthamborenationalpark.com/birds.html.

very exciting thanks Steve.

Brand,
Ventura, CA


Hi Steve

Thanks for sharing this and the other blogs on your wildlife experience. I am glad that you saw this variety of wildlife in Ranthambore. In fact all our National Parks have such diversity of wildlife, plants, trees, insects. And with a good naturalist one can learn so much. Unfortunately India is only being marketed and sold as a destination for the big cats that includes the Tigers and Leopards.

I know of two amazing young naturalists who have made me discover the jungles in such a different light. They make it so interesting that it feels like you are in an open school of zoology, botany, geology all put together. The two boys have written a field guide on the wildlife of Central India which also covers Ranthambore. Travel Scope has sponsored the book by pre-booking a certain number of copies which we plan to give all our clients. Unfortunately the books came after you had already come back from Ranthambore. But if you ever plan to visit the jungles of Central India which I strongly recommend, then this book is going to be a handy guide.

People like Salim make all the difference. Coz most naturalists are driving just from one part of the jungle to the other in the quest to show the Tiger and miss out on these beautiful creatures who make up for our beautiful eco-system.

I am glad that you understand this and have highlighted this in your blog.

Thanks.

Mohan
TravelScope India
New Delhi, India

Taylors are aware of TravelScope affirmative steps to team us up with a top naturalist for Ranthambore. Many thanks. Very satisfied with experience.


Absolutely fantastic! So lucky. We saw only pug marks at Kazirunga. But we ran over a baby leopard (sadly the size of a full grown cat) and were threatened by a rogue Cape buffalo who watched us without moving anything but his head for an hour as we gave him a wide birth. We were then charged by a rhino w a calf but the elephants faced the charge and trumpeted scaring them to a stop. How lucky we were to have had all those experiences thanks to Citibank.

Comic Mom,
Park City, UT

India is not usually thought of by the average tourist as a wild life destination. Yet....

And, yes, Citibank the proximate cause of our life long travel bounty.


May I recommend Disney World. Plenty of animals on the safari ride. A quality experience. Hurry back. The snowfall may taper off enough to go skiing soon. What a winter. Next we'll have talk of spring flooding scenarios.

Peterbilt,
Salt Lake City, UT


Am glad Margaret is feeling better and had good care. I did not see that message when I wrote about the awesome tiger sight.

Awesome conclusion of your Ranthambore visit, and I particularly like that shot of you with the tiger. Beats our climbing 3000ft up a mountain in Bolivia to NOT see the Condors, and climbing back down again. Enjoy the rest of your India trip, and see you soon..

Espresso,
Washington, D.C.

What a co-incidence. Just a few days ago I was watching a David Attenborough documentary on tigers I couldn’t help myself but i had to read Blake’s poem on Tigers

Joe, Sydney, Australia

William Blake. 1757–1827

The Tyger

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat.
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp.
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Hi Steve,(birds)These are great shots. What camera do you use??

Mohan,
TravelScope India
New Delhi, India

Panasonic Lumiix DMC-7540 Leica Lens 30x lens telephoto


Hi Margaret and Steve

Hope you had a safe flight back home.

Below is the you tube link to the recording of the 68th Republic Day Parade that we witnessed live yesterday.

Above: Burj Kalifa in Dubai illuminated as Indian Flag in honor of Republic Day. 25 January 2017.

Above: Vijay, Bishop, TIMDT, Mohan. Republic Day Parade. New Delhi, India. 26 January 2017.

Parade, on Rajpath, India ground zero, is the beating heart of an aspiring nation. Palpable energy radiates all around us...the crowds, the marching regiments, the flyovers...all are charged.

Felt the nascent power of India, also right here on Rajpath, 45 years ago when, under the direction of Captain Kundan Singh (ret.cavalry officer, Indian Army), every other day for over a year, TIMDT and Mwah (sic) rode Indian Army cavalry horses up and down Rajpath, through the dawn mists within earshot of ubiquitous screeching peacocks.

"Maaaake... pat your horses..
One, two three!"

"Maaaake... pat your horses...
One, two three!"

"Maaaake... pat your horses...
One, two, three!"

"TRAAAAAAUGT!
CAAAAANTOR!
GAAAAAALLOP!

Above: Helos dropping rose petals on parade goers. Republic Day Parade. Rajpath, New Delhi, India. 26 January 2017.

Above: Gurkha regiment of Indian Army marching. Republic Day Parade. Rajpath. New Delhi, India. 26 January 2017.

Above: Motorcycle stunt riders. Republic Day Parade. Rajpath. New Delhi, India. 26 January 2017.

Above: Border Control Camel Corps. Indian Army. Republic Day Parade. Rajpath. New Delhi, India. 26 January 2017.

Above: Guns. Big guns. Republic Day Parade. Rajpath. New Delhi, India. 26 January 2017.

Above: "Tableau." (We call them floats). Republic Day Parade. Rajpath. New Delhi, India. 26 January 2017.

Addendum:


Great experience!

The Monk,
Salina, UT


Thank you so much for sending these fabulous pictures...the birds and their colors are extraordinary!!! You captured every fine detail of each bird... beautiful!

Maui,
Park City, UT

Above: British Airways A380. Heathrow Airport. London, UK. 27 January 2018.

This aircraft was to be our connection from London to Dallas after having flown via BA from New Delhi.

I hadn't flown on an A380, so I was looking forward to flying on this one.

It was not meant to be. The A380 shown here had to be taken off line because of a faulty bulkhead in the luggage section.

Our flight was not canceled. BA substituted a 747 aircraft which departed five hours later.

There was no change of seating. We were in 19J and 19K on both flights. We used the same boarding pass. I am perplexed as to how this was possible considering the seeming need to configure seats differently for the two different aircraft.

Above: Sunset over Oklahoma City. British Airways, London to Dallas. 28 January 2017.

Considering the five hour delay in London, I thought we would surely miss our Dallas to SLC flight.

I thought we would likely have to spend the night in Dallas before connecting to SLC the next day. My sense was that American didn't have many flights to and out of SLC.

TIMDT called the Aadvantage desk from Heathrow and they put us on a late AA departure from Dallas to arrive in SLC after midnight.

So... we arrived safely back home early morning of the 29th, six or so hours later than we had anticipated.

All's well that ends well.

Travel Difficulties

Things didn't all go well for TIMDT on the trip, however.


Dehydration

I've written about her dehydration and need to be hospitalized overnight for a series of drips in Sawaimadhopur. She has come out of the ailment nicely and now wonders if the sickness was from a virus as opposed to food poisoning.


ATT

Margaret and I both had problems with our overseas phone service.

We buy voice and data plans when we travel overseas which, within certain usage limits, keep the usage costs fixed.

My phone worked fine for the first day in Mumbai. Next day voice and data stopped working. I called ATT on Margaret's phone, then working, and had to be kicked up two tech levels before the tech found some block on overseas roaming. He removed the block and the phone worked fine for the rest of the trip. Still the resolution of the problem took an hour and a half of my time better used for something else.

TIMDT's phone stopped working in Aurangabad, our second stop in India. She waited to get to the Rambagh Palace Hotel in Jaipur to call in for a fix. After two calls, ATT said the tech on the first call made a mistake in looking for a fix, and the service could not be restored until the phone was within reach of a US signal.

TIMDT's phone problem had something to do with the tech looking to solve TIMDT's phone problem erroneously "sending out a ping" to find Margaret's phone. The search "ping," as it was described, was now going from cell tower to cell tower across the US and the India signal could only be revived when the US ping search was stopped. The US ping loop, according to ATT tech service, could only be stopped when TIMTD's phone was in reach of the US signal. Catch 22.

TIMDT and Mwah use our phones quite a bit to communicate with one another when we are overseas together. This process was disrupted with the immobilization of TIMDT's phone. For example, we had to use other peoples' phones, at their inconvenience, to talk to one another when TIMDT was in the Sawaimadhopur hospital. Also, I went to the literature festival alone in Jaipur. I was unable to contact TIMDT, as I would have done one or two times, while we were separated at that time.

Disappointed with ATT service big time on this trip. Next time... to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Summary of India Trip

I love traveling in India. This trip only confirmed that love further.

India has warts. Multicultural tensions seethe under the service as the BJP Hindu nationalists push the Hindu nationalism envelope. Two thirds of the population still live in villages, mostly at the subsistence level. Bureaucracy, which erstwhile socialist Indians "improved" upon from the Brits, still stultifies.

Yet, there is evidence of forward momentum. India's GDP growth rate is 7%. There are 800 million cell phones in India which provide a platform for on line education, payments facilitation, not to mention the benefit of India having leap frogged the need to install a wire grid. When we lived in India over forty years ago, the wait time for a telephone line was several years. International calls had to be scheduled.

The progress shown in India contrasted with the enormous problems, brings with it a palpable sense of forward energy, chaotic though it may be. Spirituality, which strengthens common cultural bonds, is rife. There are no "snowflakes" in India. Everybody seems to be working to move ahead.

This is in contrast to the depressing feeling one gets from traveling, for example, in Cuba, where totalitarianism constrains the people from attempting to realize their human potential.

All our stops were fabulous. We saw and dined with old friends in Mumbai and New Delhi. I loved the literature festival in Jaipur. The Ellora and Ajanta caves are a must see. Seeing a tiger in the wild and attending the Republic Day Parade were lifetime highlights.

Addendum:


Looks like you are having a great trip. Wish I could have gone on one of your trips but Golf isn't thrilled with India. It is a fascinating place but one needs a strong constitution to go.

Bridge,
Palm Beach, FL


They know how to put on a parade-- I know you were looking forward to this.

Montage, Marina del Rey, CA