Miami, Florida

March 13
My knee surgery is on Monday, March 17, so I have continued with exercises that strenghthen my quads. I am looking forward to seeing my son, David, tonight. He is a loving, caring, handsome, creative, intelligent, hardworking young man. He bought a 3 bedroom condo on Venetian Causeway, with a 400 sq ft deck on each side, with spectacular views of the Bay, Downtown, South Beach, Dodge Island, and the Parrot Jungle. He has great taste and is gutting and redoing it. I am very happy for him.
There are other major family news. My son, Max, who lives in Tel Aviv, got engaged to his Israeli girlfriend, Tamar. My exhusband, Harry, got married last month. Ushi, my step daughter, is pregnant with her first child, and my daughter, Ashley, hopes to transfer to the University of Michigan. I am so blessed to have 3 exceptional, good looking, intelligent, hard working, and thoughtful children. My children are my foundation, and my gift. I am honored to be their mother.
I am struggling with getting accepted for new health insurance, which is ironic since I am so healthy. The Health system is broken.
Contemplating about possible job choices. Sent out emails to friends and family for their feedback. I am so lucky to have them in my life.

March 19
I am going to Physical Therapy today, 2 days after my surgery. They started me with leg stretching and lifting exercises at the hospital as soon as I woke up from surgery. I have no pain and am walking without crutches, and the 3 staples in my knee will be taken out on Friday. Amazing! Next stop is at the dentist office for a teeth cleaning. Tommorow I get a a maincure, eyebrow wax, and physical therapy again.
Basing out of my parents home in Miami has forced me to deal with the issues I had with them growing up, understanding how it has affected me, and choosing to respond differently to them and the world around me. This is part of my journey.

March 21

Exercise, massage, haircut. Coctail party tonight, concert with my parents tomorrow night, and visits with friends and family throughout this weekend.

March 27

My daughter, Ashley, is flying to Miami tonight from a New York trip with her girlfriend, to visit me for the weekend. I have missed her so much. After I pick her up from the airport, we will meet David for a late dinner. He is leaving in the morning to fly to a friends wedding. Over the last 2 years, he has attended at least 6 weddings and batchelor parties.

Many of my friends have not seen Ashley since she was a child, and I hope to show her off to who ever is available.

Sunday March 30

It was so good to spend time with my daughter, but 3 days was too short. When I woke up each morning I would just look at her while she was sleeping. I still see her as my baby girl and can't believe she is 19 years old. I am amazed at her beauty, intelligence, maturity, and independence.

Sat April 5

Exercise, have a big brunch, and prepare lunch for my son David. We look at plumbing fixtures and review kitchen layouts. I attend a small 61st birthday dinner party for one of my best firends who I have known for 30 years. Everyone connected well and it was a lot of fun.

Sat April 12

After exercising, I prepare lunch for my son David and I. We spend the afternoon looking at plumbing fixtures and doors for his condo. Dress up to go out with David dancing on South Beach, but after I arrive at his apt., he says he isn't feeling well due to food poisoning he is still recovering from. I hang out with him and go home early. He is such a special young man and I love to spend time with him. Since the Real Estate market is very depressed in Miami, he and my son Max have suggested it is a good time for me to buy a condo. I may look when I return from China at the end of May. Miami is so green and lush with perfect weather much of the winter.

Sunday, April 13

My step daughter, Ushi, is pregnant and in town for her friends bachlorette party. I have only seen her a few times in the last 4 years and am so excited to see her. My family is having a dinner party for her tonight at my sister, Diana'a house. I am preparing and BBQing all the vegetables. My sister, Linda, will also be there with her adorable 15 month old twin boy and girl. I have enjoyed visiting them at least once a week.

Ushi looked fantastic, and we all enjoyed seeing her. She is very close to each of my 3 children, and is staying with my son David at his apartment for 2 nights.

Chennai, (Covelong) India

March 7
Passing through Chennai on my 1 hr drive to Covelong, it appears to be another busy city of 4.2 mil people. Since this is on the Southeast coast of India, it is warm and has lots of vegetation including palm trees, poinciana trees, and bouganvilla. I arrive at Fishermans Cove, a Taj beach resort hotel, with magnificent manicured gardens, large pool, and beautiful clean wide private beach, with warm deep blue waves (picture 5 and 6). At dawn and dusk there are hundreds of crows flying around the tall tree tops where they have their nests.
The sunset here is a different experience since I am on the east coast and the sun is setting behind me. The sky is filled with interesting hues, and feathered orange clouds.

March 8
I go with a guide to see the 7th century hindu religious carvings of Mahabalipuram. The first is carved out of one piece of large granite rock, the second is carved in a small cave, the third a large bas relief of 33 meters long and 16 meters high (picture 1), and the forth was a free standing temple also carved out of one piece of stone by the ocean. We stop by another set of temples carved out of boulders where I take a picutre of visiting students (picture 9). At the last place, I bought an antique bronze goddess of wealth.

I return to the hotel around 1pm, swim, walk on the beach, read and sit by the waves and watch another sunset. There are less then 10 people on the 1 mile of private beach.

March 9
Today is Sunday and the hotel is very busy with many children, their parents and grandparents. All the chaise lounges at the pool are taken, and I am unable to get one. Exercise at fitness center, another great breakfast, sit and walk on the beach, swim, and enjoy another sunset. There are about 10 families on the beach.
The Taj is the only hotel on this beach. At the end of the beach there is a fishing village of 6000 people, 20 minutes walk away. The lifeguard is from the village and explains to me that the hotel gives food and some free education to the village children, in exchange for the villagers refraning from coming on the private hotel beach and not bothering the hotel guests. He will walk with me to the village tommorrow morning at 8am.
This is the end of my India trip and watching the waves I contemplate.

March 10
Leaving the private beach I cross the public beach which is filled with trash. The fishing village (picture 2, 3,7) is divided into 4 sections: Catholic, Hindu, Fisherman, and Muslim. All the children go to the same school (a primary and secondary Catholic school). I take a picture of the female high school students sitting on the ground under a tree taking their final exams (picture 4). Spend the day at the hotel instead of spending the afternoon touring of nothing so special. Leave for the airport at 7:30pm for 2am flt to Miami via Frankfort and Chicago. First Class!

I am finishing reading 'The Age of Turbulence' by Alan Greenspan. He shares his insightful views of the underlying dynamics of the global economies and reveals the policies that must be in place for countries to grow economically and increase the standard and quality of living of their people. As I understand it, the degree of Rule of law and property rights, economic flexibility, free market capitalism (competition) and globalization (free trade) determine the level of economic success. As I am traveling, I read the local newspapers to see what issues seem to be important in the countries I am visiting.

India, Shimla

March 3

I leave my hotel in Delhi for the airport at 5:30 am, and after waiting in a long line with the travel agency representative, I find out that the 1 hr 20 min flight to Shimla is canceled. The travel agent arranges for the driver who brought me to the airport to drive me the 8 hr trip to Shimla. He was supposed to drive his 15 yr old daughter to her important exams today but explains that the 'tourist is king' and he works very hard 6 mo a year and has very little work the other 6 mo when tourists dont visit due to the hot weather.

We cross 4 states, and in Chandigarh, where there is a lot of new road work, a policeman stops us and tells my driver he has to pay a 2500 rupe fine for not paying some tax for carrYing a tourist through his state, and will take us to the police station(for several hours), or if my driver will give him 800 rupes ($20) he will let us go. The drivers only make about 3000 ($75) rupies per month and live on tips (usually between $10 to $25 per day). I am spending between $30 and $40 in tips per day for the driver, guide, and hotel staff.

I see many students of all ages in different school uniforms, taking many forms of transportation to school; taken by adults on motorcycles, tuk tuks, bycycles, and mostly walking on the congested streets. I notice 40 - 50 delivery trucks parked on both sides of the road. I am told that all commercial delivery trucks can only drive through the big cities from 8:00pm to 8am. and wait outside the city until then. As we pass through the capital city, Chandigarh, I see many signs advertising 'property consultants'. I also notice many building supply companies, and builders. I later find out that many of the step farmers with property near Shimla are selling their land to developers, since no more building is allowed in Shimla. The last 2 hrs of my drive is climbing mountains.

My driver drops me at the Oberoi Cecil Hotel about 3:00pm and will drive the 8 hr drive back to Delhi, sleep 4 hrs and then drive 4 hrs to Agra to meet a previously scheduled client. He explains that he works very hard 6 mo a year and has very little work the other 6 mo when tourists dont visit due to the hot weather.

At least 10 staff greet me as I enter this famous spa hotel built in 1880's, and renovated from 1984 to 1997 by Italian owners. Shimla, in northern India near the HYmalaYan mountains, was developed in the 1920's by the British as a vacation spot (picture 4). This hotel has the first heated indoor pool I have had the pleasure of swimming in India. It is a 30 min walk into the center of town (picture 3), and has pedestrian traffic only. It fells like the Aspen of India; located in the mts., everyone is walking, dressed very nice, very clean, restaurants, stores, internet cafes, coffee shops, and great views. It is the first place I have visited in India where I feel safe walking by myself in the pedestrian only area. Many people look at me as I walk because I am an unescorted caucasion woman.

I meet with the travel agent and my guide to plan the hikes for the next few days. Since this was a last minute change in my itinerary due to unrest in Darjeeling, I don't have hiking shoes, so I can't do one of the hikes because there is snow.

March 4

I meet my trekking guide at 9:00am and we take several hikes within a 30 min. drive from Shimla. As we are hiking I ask him about his family and customs. He was born and raised in Shimla, but his parents were both from a Buddist village on the border with Tibet. In his village, brothers marry the same woman! This is because the family owns a small plot of land and a small house, making it difficult to divide the property into pieces for each brother to have his own.
When I ask about the sleeping arrangements, he explains that the brothers work it out. One brother goes to work in the city for 2 months, while another brother takes the heards to pasture for 2-3 months at a time, and another may go work in the city for 2-3 months. This way if the woman gets pregnant, she knows who child it is. Since my guide and his syblings were brought up and still live in Shimla, and went to English schools, they each have their own wives and separate homes. However, sons who leave the village and do not follow the customs are not able to inherit their family land.

My guide is Catholic, Buddist, and Hindu. He explained that when his father came to Shimla he was very poor. His fathers Aunt had married a Chinese Catholic man. She told him that if he became Catholic and sent his chiildren to a Catholic school, his children would be given a free education, food, and uniforms by the church.
March 5

I gave my guide money to buy pens, pencils and paper to give to the students in the villages we hike through (picture 2 and 5). We walk through Shimla as we begin our 4 hr hike, passing many monkeys. Tues and Thurs are monkey feeding days. The goal of the Indian government is to build a road to connect all of the villages to cities by 2020. Many of the 2 foot wide paths we were going to take are being made into roads. My guide explains that this includes several famous mt passes on which he takes tourists trecking. This will mean that trecks that take 7 days, will be reached by jeep in one day, which he sees as ending his business.

On our steep, rocky hike, we pass goats, cows, butterflies, cactus, flowering trees, small farms with their terrace farming, several village schools, and men carrying a load of bricks on their back (picture1).

I return to the hotel after 5 hours of hiking, eat food I kept from breakfast, and spend 6 hrs on the internet catching up on uploading pictures to my blog. I swim for 45 min to loosen up my body and go to sleep.

March 6

I drive 3 hrs to an airport where I can catch a 35 min flt. to Dehli. Today is a Holiday celebrating the God Shiva. The streets are busy with families walking and the woman dresed up in colorful Saris. It is legal to smoke Hash today because God Shiva smoked a lot of hash.

India, Udaipur

India, Udaipur

Feb 28 continued
This area is a dry forest and part of the Aravalis mountian range. There is green and white marble, soap stone, phosphorous, zinc, silver quarries, cement factories, emorald, and onyx.
Udaipur, a prosperous and beautiful city of 500,000 people, is 2700 ft above sea level with 5 large lakes.
I check into the Trident Hilton hotel and stay in the best suite with fantastic views of its many acres of beautiful gardens, and Lake Pichola (picture 4 and 5). This hotel is elegant with green marble floors throughout, and excellent service. I feel guilty spending the money but I was told it was the only available room.
My guide explains to me that in the Sunday newspaper there are 4 - 5 pages of "Matrimonial Alliances" by familiies looking for a bride or grom for their adult children. Each caste has their own columes, with 2- 3 pages of advertizing looking for brides and 2-3 pages looking for grooms. The newspaper is used onlY if an intermediary didn't find a suitable match or due to incompatable horoscopes.
Jan 29
With my guide I visit the City Palace which started being built in 1559 and continued over 300 years with additions by 22 King descendants. Rajasthan is the land of the Kings, with 22 princely states prior to independence in 1948. Each state was named after the king. The Palace has a King side separate from the Queen side. The outside is constructed out of white marble, and limestone, and the inside has limestone mixed with coconut oil which when polished looks like marble. There is colored glass from Persia and China, and hand painted tiles from England and China (picture 1). The inticately carved Ivory, Belgium crystal and Dutch tiles were considered a status symbol. I take a picture (2) of the city from here. We walk through the old city and its colorful markets (picture 3).
I return to the hotel after spending 3 hrs at the internet cafe, and meet a man who grew up in East Germany, lives in Berlin, is a journalist, an accupunturist, and a tour guide with an american group staying at my hotel. We are sitting on a couch in the bar and watch 20 people hanging out who are involved in filming a 3rd sequal disney film called 'Cheeta Girls'. The director started talking to me and invited me to join them. They will stay in this hotel for several months.

Udaipur seems less about survival and more about living and enjoying life then I have seen so far in India

India, Rohet

India, Rohet

India, Rohet

Feb 27

On 5 hr drive to Rohet, we drive through many villages. I notice that I see mostly men on the streets, and much fewer woman. I am told that traditional married woman don't often leave the home, and cover their face with a carf when a man is present. There are stands selling 3 ft high stacks of toasted bread since many homes do not have toasters. I notice that at the food stands people drink from small metal pitchers that have been dipped in a bucket of water by tilting their heads back without touching their lips to the rim. This is often after eating very spicy food.

30 minutes outside Jodhpur, we stop at Via Bishnoi Village Craft, a wholesale store where I find that the goods here are priced 50% less then I paid for them in other cities, including the hand made patchwork and emroidered pieces, and the silk and pashmina products. I have a jacket made out of Royal family wedding skirts with hand stitched silver thread on green silk.

After reaching my hotel, I leave on a jeep safari with another woman who is also traveling alone. We connect and I enjoy her company. I see blue bull Antelopes that have a face of a horse and body of a cow, many deer, and camels. We stop at a Vishna family compound with 4 adobe style structures that are made out of bricks, cow dung, and mud. I bring pencils, pens, and markers to give to the children (picture 4). This sect are strict vegetarians, and protect the enviroment and all animals. We continue on to a Brahman village, where we are offered liquid opium in a welcoming ceremony.

Feb 28

We leave early since the jacket I had made needs some adjustments. On our way to Udaipur, a guide meets me at the Ranakpur Temple, the inticately carved white marble Jain Temple built in the 15th century (picture 1 and 2). The enlightened ones who started Buddism and Jainism where sons of kings, and therefore, these religions survived due to the support they recieved from the kings. Both religions are offshoots of Hinduism and were triggered by the inequality of the caste system in Hinduism, and the manipulation of the rituals and cremonies of the priests.

Jain people are only 1% of the total population of India, but provide 65% of the total income taxes collected by the gov,t and therefore have great political power. This is because they would not engage in agriculture due to their extreme belief in non violence, and their unwillingness to even hurt an insect. Therefore, they were businessmen and have been sucessful for generations. This area is a dry forest and part of the Aravalis mountian range. There is green and white marble, soap stone, phosphorous, zinc, silver quarries, cement factories, emorald, and onyx.

India, Jaisalmer

India, Jaisalmer

Jan 25
On our way to Jaisalmer, the golden city, we stop at 1600 year old Fort Pokaron. It has a sort of museum, with a small hotel with some renovated rooms. This muslim town made me feel like I stepped back in time, with many turban headed men carrying riffles slung over their shoulder. The landscape is changing (no cactus, three kinds of bushy plants) and we are entering the desert.
After a 5 hr drive, we arrive at my hotel outside of town, Fort Rajwara, a very comfortable 8 year old hotel in the style of an old fort. After a brief rest, we drive 1 hour into the desert for a camel ride onto the sand dunes to watch the sunset. On my camel, I pass a couple who I ask to take my picture with my camera and it turns out their daughter goes to My daughters college
(picture 5). How is that for coincidence? I choose a dune overlooking a camel safari camp. The sunset in amazing!
Feb 26
With my guide I visit Garisagra Lake, (picture 4) a 300 year old man made lake which was the water source for this city when it was a major trading center, and silk route with 2000 visitors per day.
The district of Jiasalmer is 60% Muslim and has a total pop of 500,000. Most of the buildings are made of sandstone that has a yellow sheen in the sunlight.
Jiasalmer Fort is 850 years old and has a pop of 3000 living in 620 homes, most of which have been passed from one generation to the next. The Brahman caste, and the Rajput caste of people who service the community, live there. The different castes in Jaisalmer live within their own communities. In fact, many streets have the name of the caste and trade associated with the people who lived there (this system was followed until 70 yrs ago) ; ie, silversmith, carpenter, builder, shoemaker, Braham, etc.
My guide is a Brahman and his home is within the Fort, with his brother's shop on the first floor. I purchase a hand made patchwork quilt made from 50 year old pieces of Muslim village womans costumes (gold metal stitching called Jeri work). I also buy a patchwork purse made from 7 -8 Hindu womens costumes for mY neice. Each caste community has a different material color and stitching design.
We walk through the market and I watch people engaged in the activities of their daily lives. I visit two sandstone buildings that are so intricately carved that they look like wood (picture 1): Natmal Ki Haveli, the previous home of the Prime Minister (picture 3), and Patwah Haveli, a wealthy merchants house (picture 1). Within these homes there are many beautiful textiles, and antiques objects made out of camel bone to purchase.