Hopalong the Indian grasshopper

Today my grandfather found a grasshopper and it only had one jumping leg. It would not get off my hand. It was like it wanted me as a friend. My grandfather said that it should have a name like Hopalong. When I placed himon the table it looked like he was trying to read my social studies. My grandfather said if he jumped, he would jump in a circle. I did not believe him but it made me laugh. He crawled up my arm when I sat on the couch and I said what are you doing?

Tiger Moon- Safari

Big Beautiful "T24" male Tiger








Vultures fighting over the "left overs"














Sambar Deer







JT And Vijay our guide











Spotted deer







Papa, Mom and I standing on a damn.

Ranthambor Fort

Over 200 steps up to the Fort

Ride to Ranthambor

Camels
New friends

Mustard Fields - with our Driver

Jaipur Sites

Water Palace

Mirrored Room in the Ambor Fort

Wind Palace

Snake Charmer on the street

Jaipur- Amber Fort

Riding Elephant to the Amber Fort.

Jaipur - the PINK City

On Tuesday, after we visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, our driver, Rakesh, drove us to Jaipur and the trip took us about six hours. First, we visited a carpet and textile shop and I watched while a man did block printing on a large piece of cloth, to make a bedspread. Then we went upstairs and my Papa bought some things and the owner, Sudhir, gave me a turban and some typical Indian clothing, a black shirt and pants and a scarf. We then went to our hotel and the next morning, we got up very early, ate breakfast and then went to Amber Fort and we rode an elephant all the way up the side of the mountain to visit the fort. On the trip up the mountain, people who saw me wearing my turban called me Maharajah!
After that, we went back into the city, and my mom bought some bangle bracelets for herself and for her friends. My Papa went into another store to get some things for Rennie, my grandmother. Then my mom wanted to go find my Papa and she accidentally twisted her ankle getting out of the van. We had to go to three or four hotels to get some ice to put on her ankle and soon she will be feeling better.
The reason Jaipur the PINK City is because an old maharajah, who had studied at in England was a friend of Prince Albert and invited him to come see his beautiful city and he had everything painted not a real pink color by kind of a reddish-pink-orange color and they still paint the buildings this color.

Agra- Taj Mahal

We arrived very late, and went to the hotel. The next morning we headed to the Taj Mahal. It was foggy and Taj Mahal means the Crown Palace. The Taj Mahal has 4 pilars, one on each corner. We could not walk inside with shoes. We had to cover them or go bearfooted. Went we went inside, it was like no passages to any other room. In the center of the room, there were two toombs, one for the Mahraja, and one for his second wife, that he built the Taj Mahal for. There are two domes one inside - one outside- our guide said you could fit 200 elephants inside the two dooms. Right after that we left for Jaipur.

Dance party

Pre-Wedding pics

Wedding events

Thursday night I met some new friends, cousins to Pallavi. They live in CA. So Friday night at the dance party we were all dressed up. Lots of men were dressed in India clothing, and I wore a shirt and vest my Papa got me last year in India. During the party, after all the singing was over, we went out on to the dance floor. I made a new friend Iam, and we watched the show. At the end of the show all the men jumped on stage with a big party pack Pepsi, then he shock up the Pepsi and sprayed it all over us. I was screaming Pepsi.

Mom got some henna on her hands Thursday afternoon and more Friday night.

Mom finally got on stage to do her dance with the rest of the Aunts and cousins (ladies). And she danced like crazy. But my grandfather was just sitting down watching and taking movies of us. I think that was boring, we finally got him up for the last dance when Pallavi's brother Gorhav called everyone up. The last song made me dance like crazy. And my class knows how I dance.

First full day in India

Today, we are staying in a hotel called the Essel Towers, and yesterday we landed in Delhi at the airport and went to Sanjiv's house for a very late dinner and came to our rooms at 1:00 in the morning. We were met by Diwan Singh, who works for Sanjiv, and he is now a friend of mine. He called the driver who met us outside the airport and drove us to Gurgaon, where Sanijv and his family live.
When we arrived, there were a lot of people talking and we had to first say h to everybody and there really was a lot of people there. After a while, Sanjiv's wife, Jyotsna, served us dinner. Sanjiv's daughter, Pallavi, the bride, was very excited to see me, because she had met me five years ago when she stayed at my papa and Rennie's cottage at Square Pond. After the party, we went to Essel Tower and we went up to the guest house which had lots of bedrooms, and we had servants in the morning to cook breakfast for us. It was really cold in the morning, because there is no heat in the rooms, and I had to jump back into bed to stay warm.
Even though we went to Sonia and Vikram's house in the morning, after breakfast, with a good driver like my papa said, I got my clothing - a long shirt called a kirta, and pajamas (big fat pants) and a stole to go around my neck, we saw some famous temples and mosques and some giant ball sculptures, and I tried to take pictures, but the car was moving too fast.
After that, we went to Sanjiv's clubhouse and I met the two children of Rahul and Puja, and we played together after lunch. The boy and I tried to play tennis and instead we played pool and it was fun and we almost played a full game. Then my mom came to have me go to the dance rehearsal for the wedding, when some of the cousins were dancing for a special present for the wedding.
At the lunch, my mom got some henna tattoos on her hands and that is a tradition at Indian weddings - when the bride and the other women have another lady put henna on their hands and arms.
Then we had a rest at Sanjiv's house, before even more people came back for a late dinner party and I played with Rahul and Puja's kids and then I met another boy who had a PSP, very much like mine, except his was colored. We ate and the went back to the Essel Towers to go to bed and get up early tomorrow morning for sightseeing in Delhi.
I might bring something back to all of my friends in my class - we are going to do some shopping tomorrow. Don't worry, Sister Karen, I am working on my homework!

Preparing for the Trip

What do you think you'll be wearing?

I think we'll be wearing lots of shirts and t-shirts (MOM- but it isn't that warm this time of year. It is almost as cold as it is here.)
For the Wedding - fat pants. Why do they do that?

I think I'll see a lot of exotic plants and animals. LIKE WHAT? like plants with 20 leaves on one little branch, and an animal that eats ants with a long nose "ant eater". Maybe a white Tiger. Are they endangered? I think so.

WHAT ABOUT THE FLIGHT?
With a 15 hour flight - I'm going to have to eat a lot of airplane food, and after each meal I get a cookie - awesome. I don't know where we are going to stop on the way to India.
(MOM- We are flying from Boston to Newark, NJ - then straight over to New Delhi, India)

One thing - I'm really going to miss is my dog Liberty, but I know I'm going to have fun. I might see other dogs. Dad's staying home with Liberty, so I won't have anyone to westle with, but I'll be OK.

That's all for now - Mom and I have to go pack.