2-5-20 AGRA—BHARATPUR, INDIA: Early the next morning we were headed back to the river but on the other side away from the Taj to see it in the morning light through the mist and smog. The mornings are very misty, fog plus smog, but later in the day the fog is gone. Some of the mornings were in the thirties, warming up to seventy in the afternoon and then cooling off quickly after sundown. This site was a garden, Mehtab Bagh, created by Shah Jahan, which is now being restored. We were there to see the Taj in the mist.
Down to the river.
There's a river below the Taj and a lot of water birds and waders.
We did get a great look at this White-throated Kingfisher.
...and this Hoopoe.
Back on the road to Bharatpur and Keoladeo National Park, the trip was similar to yesterday’s drive. Our van driver handled the traffic chaos with total competence, gently easing us over a thousand speed bumps. There were frequent toll booths, I’m not sure why.
Things we saw on the road, at different times included, donkey carts, horse carts, camel wagons, a bus so full that people were sitting on top of it, sheep, goats, camels, elephants, cows on the highway. On the highway there is somewhat better road discipline, but when there is a highway jam, people will turn around and drive the wrong way—like going north on the south bound side of the NJ Turnpike—usually on the shoulder, but will use some of the road to pass while going in the wrong direction. People walk on the highway median and cross the highway on foot, cows are on the median and can cross the road at any time. People might park on the highway to shop at a roadside kiosk.
In the suburbs there are many new high-rise apartment building and office parks between the crush of the city centers and the open agricultural zones.
The first peafowl we saw were a good distance from the highway in a field under a tree. The pix were bad. Later on we saw dozens and dozens more.
Laxmi Niwas Palace was a come-down from the other hotels, poor WiFi, occasional hot water, mediocre restaurant, but OK for one night.
The hotel had nice dahlias and resident peafowl.
The Keoladeo National Park was originally, 250 years ago, a hunting preserve for princes. It is 11 sq. miles in area some dry shrub and forest, and mostly a huge, man made wetland. Primarily it’s a bird sanctuary, 370 species, but also inhabited by deer, jackals, small cats, antelopes, boars and lots of cows. We arrived in the mid-afternoon for our first visit after we checked in at Laxmi Niwas Palace, another oasis from the city street chaos. The tour is by bicycle rickshaw with frequent dismounts for bird and other pix. We met our new guide, whose name is lost to history, but who was very good with birds. We had left Harry in Agra.
Park entrance where we got the rickshaws.
Big rack.
Deer and birds.
Who knew the cow was a swamp animal.
Mr. and Ms. Antelope.
Coots galore.
Baby boa.
Sunset as we headed out of the park.
Preening peacock. He was on the ground under the shrubs walking with a buddy, but when we stopped to look, he hopped up on that branch, slowly turning from side-to-side while I took many pix.
I got pix of many birds that I had not seen before and missed a few pix of others. they will be in the bird post later.
Down to the river.
There's a river below the Taj and a lot of water birds and waders.
We did get a great look at this White-throated Kingfisher.
...and this Hoopoe.
Back on the road to Bharatpur and Keoladeo National Park, the trip was similar to yesterday’s drive. Our van driver handled the traffic chaos with total competence, gently easing us over a thousand speed bumps. There were frequent toll booths, I’m not sure why.
Things we saw on the road, at different times included, donkey carts, horse carts, camel wagons, a bus so full that people were sitting on top of it, sheep, goats, camels, elephants, cows on the highway. On the highway there is somewhat better road discipline, but when there is a highway jam, people will turn around and drive the wrong way—like going north on the south bound side of the NJ Turnpike—usually on the shoulder, but will use some of the road to pass while going in the wrong direction. People walk on the highway median and cross the highway on foot, cows are on the median and can cross the road at any time. People might park on the highway to shop at a roadside kiosk.
In the suburbs there are many new high-rise apartment building and office parks between the crush of the city centers and the open agricultural zones.
The first peafowl we saw were a good distance from the highway in a field under a tree. The pix were bad. Later on we saw dozens and dozens more.
Laxmi Niwas Palace was a come-down from the other hotels, poor WiFi, occasional hot water, mediocre restaurant, but OK for one night.
The hotel had nice dahlias and resident peafowl.
The Keoladeo National Park was originally, 250 years ago, a hunting preserve for princes. It is 11 sq. miles in area some dry shrub and forest, and mostly a huge, man made wetland. Primarily it’s a bird sanctuary, 370 species, but also inhabited by deer, jackals, small cats, antelopes, boars and lots of cows. We arrived in the mid-afternoon for our first visit after we checked in at Laxmi Niwas Palace, another oasis from the city street chaos. The tour is by bicycle rickshaw with frequent dismounts for bird and other pix. We met our new guide, whose name is lost to history, but who was very good with birds. We had left Harry in Agra.
Park entrance where we got the rickshaws.
Big rack.
Deer and birds.
Who knew the cow was a swamp animal.
Mr. and Ms. Antelope.
Coots galore.
Baby boa.
Sunset as we headed out of the park.
Preening peacock. He was on the ground under the shrubs walking with a buddy, but when we stopped to look, he hopped up on that branch, slowly turning from side-to-side while I took many pix.
I got pix of many birds that I had not seen before and missed a few pix of others. they will be in the bird post later.
At the hotel we had the dinner buffet.
No comments:
Post a Comment