Picto Diary - 02 January 2016 - Keoladeo Ghana National Park

Above: FeeBee and Drums on bicycle rickshaw. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajastahan, India. 02 January 2015.

Above: Imaging birds. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 02 January 2016.

This a nesting tree for Painted Herons.

Above: FeeBee observes through scope. B1B and Drums look on. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 02 January 2016.

Above: Birds, birds, birds. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.

This bird sanctuary is not to be missed. I've never seen anything like the number and variety of birds any place else. Like Kaziranga, Keoladeo Ghana is a Unesco world heritage park.

Above: Cat gazes. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 02 January 2016.

Above: Bird watchers on obligatory bicycle rickshaws. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 02 January 2016.

Above: Ajay, Viney (our naturalist guide), B1b and python. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 02 January 2015.

B1B makes a movie. After shooting for 30 seconds or so, the python slithered into its hole... making for some excellent snake movement in the video.

Above: Hindustan Ambassador Car. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 02 January 2016.

They still turn a few of these out today. TIMDT and Mwah (sic) owned a light green copy during our three years in India, 1972-1974.

Of late they've been a sign of austerity often being used by politicians eager to convey to the voters their proper use of taxpayer funds.

Above: Cat poses with Indian children. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 02 January 2016.

Cat particularly was often sought out by Indian families to join in a pose. For a few days she resisted this. This time, when the family asked, I told her it would be polite to go pose with the family. Now, her mother fears she will think she's a celebrity.

Above: Drums, TIMDT, Cat, FeeBee, Viney and B1B. Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 02 January 2016.

Addendum:


When I opined "bus" in my earlier casting about for your mode of transportation, I was not thinking of one of those VIP tourist buses (that look like a pretty nice way to go). I was thinking of the local Indian buses, the ones with people hanging out the windows, no air con, and a driver on some kind of drugs. :-) Could not picture you in one of those.

I once took one of those VIP buses in Thailand, and over night one for 12 hours. I thought "Pretty fooking cool, this lounge chair with air con and pretty Thai lady serving drinks and various movies running on the Video screens." Later I learned to be more selective as the Thai bus drivers seem to crash quite often (and flee the scene it they are alive). Once during the night the bus driver walked past to use the toilet and I gave it no thought....until I realized the Thai service girl was driving the bus at 140 KPH in the middle of the night - that'll wake you up LOL

Of all the places I went while in India, my "tops" was Raj....

And when I met the Dali I did not say, "Hello your most holiness," I sang out "Hello Dolly....you're looking swell Dolly...."

Best,

Dr. G
Bogata, Columbia


It was kind of half way in between the two extremes you talk about. Our bus was half size... about 21 seats. We 10 people stretched out a bit taking a double seat for each one. No TVs... no cocktail service. Good window visibility as there is always something to marvel at while riding down an Indian highway. See below.