THE EVERDAWNING

Asirgarh looking south

2005-10-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Siblings

2005-10-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

this is in Taj Gang, blocks from the Tag Mahal...I first saw the youngest brother and tried for his photo but he said no...I walked by again on my return to the hotel, and his brother was thrilled for a pic...soon the others arrived, and as prompted by their dad, a "ready for school" photo shoot ensued...of course I'll be sending copies...

here's her family...

Girls

2005-10-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

this girl was sitting on the street below my hotel window...she smiled up as I leaned out to watch the day begin...I descended to take her photo ...she was elegant and sweet...soon her siblings arrived...I will be sending them all copies as their father shared his address...

this little girl poked her head into our rickshaw begging for food...both Jav and I were stunned by her beauty the photo fails to capture...the pic was actually taken several hours after we first saw her...we told the driver to return to the busy intersection in hopes she might still be there...we were lucky...

Dawn, Dusk, and Dinner

2005-10-15T03:08:00.000-07:00

Two for Shame

2005-10-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

not our proudest moments
Jav gets lost his first morning in Delhi...went for a morning run in the labyrinth of Pahargang...no money, no i.d., without the name of our hotel, wearing only running shoes and shorts..."I'll be back in an hour" turned into three...I went searching a couple of times, finally to conclude I had to call the U.S. Embassy to report him missing...as I entered our hotel to begin the process, there he was...stunned and silent...I can only imagine the pain the last four hour entailed...the first day in India is the hardest...but add the stress of being totally lost in the situation of urban Delhi...ooof...

there's me...an overnight train ride of some twelve hours plus...without a reservation, and so no place to sleep...I took the hallway after a state policeman demonstrated the way...he's pictured behind...I won't mention the specific filth that is tracked on the ground beneath me...I won't call it sleep because my lizard brain was sensing the diseases creeping into my skin...glad Jav decided to save the moment...glad I've decided to share it...

Golden Temple

2005-10-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

we visited several different temples of varioius denominations, and this was both the most welcoming and the most calming...it felt truly a place of contemplation and rejuvination...as well, the community seemed strong in its unity... we are pictured because it felt we did belong during our visit...

Learning the Indian Style

2005-10-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

Javier is taught how to wrap the cotton in traditional fashion from a local in Benares. We met on the main market as the man stared at Jav's earlier attempt bemused and clearly wanting to fix the problem. He later took us to an ashram of a local saint (Jav could tell you his name), and then to a silk factory where I spent too much rupees on beautiful hand woven scarves. Such is the way in India...

Three on the Ganga

2005-10-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Dashboard Shrine

2005-10-11T01:37:00.000-07:00

The bus to Asirgarh, a god and marigolds leading the way. The front seat free.

2005-10-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

This man works for five dollars a day,
in the rain, smog, heat, hungry, cold
but his smiles seemed easy
for how many years and how many miles
I wonder has he smiled
in the rain, smog, heat, hungry, cold
five dollars a day
smiling in a strangers lens.

Two Favorites...

2005-10-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

This was in Taj Gang in Agra, late in the evening, in an area few tourists ventured... the boy was cooking bread, and happy to have the camera ...
This was in Benares, on the Ganga...although cliche and no doubt not an Indian, the cliche works... and he seems focused somewhere legit...

The Pushkar

2005-10-09T01:13:00.000-07:00

once again, Pushkar was the mellowest part of the trip; the place is magic; felt it in my bones within hours of arrival. Sonu (pictured) greeted us at Shriya Rest House; great kid, great hotel, run by a very kind family; the father invited us to his home for tea, one of the few genuine hospitable times; stay there if you ever go, and you should, it's a place that will awaken...
we climbed the hill overlooking the lake; i gave the kid a ride Lincoln style, as he was crying exhausted half way up a long steep climb; the descenders shouted "Jai Mata Di!" which I believe was "Power of God" or such, to motivate our ascent... a wonderful day...

Linc's first photo

2005-10-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

Although I'm the subject, this had to be posted...my son took his first picture yesterday...held the SD400 and pressed the shutter (mom helped as a stabilizer)...he's a tiger...

Survivor

2005-10-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

come to think of it, this was on the road to Asirgarh too...fiesty old woman who was telling everyone one how they were to make her life easier...and it seemed she deserved it, or this approach was the means to her survival...she had no idea I was taking her pic, at least I think, but she looked right into the lens once without a care...although slightly soft focus, she deserves a post...

Asirgarh express

2005-10-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

Another pic from India...took this one on the bus from beautiful Kandwha to majestic Asirgarh...the woman knew she was being photo'd, although I was trying to be sneaky...I love her beauty glowing brighter knowing she was the subject...

compadre jav on the road india style...

2005-10-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

jav and i somewhere in india...jaipur, actually...at the palace...little did the princess know we had slept on floors just days hence...and this was the cleanest we'd been in days--or rather the entire trip...

friendship is a matter of trust, tolerance, and truth...

Jaipur

2005-09-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

somewhere in india...actually jaipur...many dusty roads and crowded cars across the continent...the golden temple...kalanaur...back to delhi, then agra with the taj, agra fort, akbar's tomb... now in jaipur, sitting in our funky hotel post amber fort...wish the photos could be downloaded now but can't risk the deletions...for another time...

if you haven't been to india, come quick...no need for lsd or such...life here will open your heart and mind in ways impossible back home...

it's time for me to rest before dinner and a trek through old town...maybe a gift for my lady...maybe just let it happen...

travelling with Jav has been good...our friendship is solid...respect continues to grow...

i miss my baby...and my baby...

the first rising...

2005-08-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

the blog begins...off to india in a few days...hopefully will be able to add images during the trip...if not...will do after....but at the least will add words when the www is accessable...

shooting on canon g5 and sd400...

travel with jav...

missing L, M...

working for the future.