A DIFFERENT VIEW - Mini-Series Part 2 - RAJASTHAN

Whether or not you have visited this fascinating sub-continent, India surely conjures many iconic images. 

Who hasn't seen photos of the Taj Mahal? I almost skipped a visit to Agra on the grounds that I didn't need to see a building I was already well acquainted with. Fortunately, I did go and for the first time in my life I was reduced to tears by a building. 

The moral of this story is: if you have an opportunity to visit a world renowned place, just do it!

Anyway, I digress...

I could show you photos of the Taj Mahal and a variety of other famous places and buildings in India, but, in the spirit of this mini-series, I'm going to show you a different view instead.

Sam sand dunes, Thar Desert

I prefer to capture people in my photos, if possible.

Pushkar

Failing that, I'll settle for animals.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

Or a gorgeous sunset.

But people going about their daily lives are always a source of fascination for me.















Although sacred cows are ubiquitous in towns and cities and the locals barely notice them, it's a thrill for the visitor who bumps into one in a narrow street.

Jaisalmer

But people photos are my favourite and if I can only capture a silhouette, then so be it.

Thar Desert

Please leave a comment if you've enjoyed my snapshot of Rajasthan. 

I'll reply when I return from my travels in March.

T IS FOR TIGER : A-Z Challenge

Welcome to Day 20 of the A-Z Blogging Challenge. My theme is:

'Wildlife Encounters'

This is an edited version of a piece of flash fiction I wrote for an online competition. It is loosely based on a real experience:

The tigress sat high on the ridge washing her face. She pricked her ears. The humans were stirring.

‘Hurry, hurry,’ said Ashok.

In the watery-grey dawn his guests bundled into the jeep.

‘Let’s go.’ Ashok threw the vehicle into gear and they were away, bumping along the rutted road at bone-rattling speed. The stinging winter wind snatched at their clothes. 

They slid to a halt at a waterhole. Ashok examined the sandy soil.

‘Look.’ He pointed at fresh pug marks. ‘The tiger was here last night.’

They raced on. A second waterhole yielded more evidence. Spotted deer barked in alarm. Ashok's head snapped up. He shot off in the direction of the barks, bouncing onto a corrugated track. 

Ashok braked. ‘Shh!’

The deer called again. They scanned the ridge with their binoculars and the tigress sat quietly in the impenetrable vegetation.

Ashok wobbled his head. 'Tiger's up there, laying still.'

The jeep wove up a steep track, negotiating fallen rocks, swaying tortuously. Ashok paused to listen for the alarm calls, pinpointing the cat’s position. As they closed in, she languidly rose and melted into the jungle.

My apologies for the quality of the tiger photos... but they were taken on genuine game drives in Rajasthan!

See you on Monday – I’m heading south west. Can you guess where and what the next animal will be?

If you want to blog-hop to the next A-Z Challenge blog, please click HERE