Keoladeo National Park

November 17th Entry:

After getting conflicting reports, my sister decided to see the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, for herself.

So, herewith are her musings about the park and her camel trek.

"I spent most of one day at this bird sanctuary...the first half in a bicycle rickshaw with an amateur guide, cum naturalist, who really showed me around the park!

I saw a family of mongoose (so very cute) and seven spotted owlets.

I did see lots of birds (the park is a famous protected bird sanctuary, that boasts over 230 species of birds making it their home during the winter).

There were storks, cranes, ibis, kingfishers, sunbirds, and bee-eaters, to name a few".

 November 19

As dawn breaks over the city, another day....another power outage, or two.

But, life goes on.....

I am very sore this morning from the camel trek....but well worth the trip to the edge of the Thar Desert.

We saw gazelles, or chinkara, and what I think was a dhole(Indian Wild Dog) that looks somewhat like a fox. We also saw doves, bulbuls, vultures, and a couple of hoopoes, with long curved bills and crested heads...sort of punkish!

The sunsets seem to go on forever, here in the desert....and then we get treated to an amazing star show....featuring the Milky Way, shooting stars, and an appearance by a satellite in the night sky.

It was a blissfully quiet night, with only thew crickets to sing us to sleep..well almost!
We could hear music and singing from the distant villages. Apparently, according to our guide, they were celebrating three weddings in a row!


 I fly to Katmandu on the 25th, and then start on the Buddha Trail at Lumbini, Nepal.