Neighborhood walking...

A while ago D and I went with some friends to explore the neighborhood of Shapurjat (just near Siri Fort Auditorium). I had been before to visit a few shops, but it seems in the past year or so the neighborhood has had many new shops open. And, on one Sunday not long ago, the shops got together to throw a sort of block party. It was well organized with maps of the winding streets, camel rides and snacks. It was a fun visit...even if we had been to the neighborhood before, it was fun to have a new perspective. And on this Sunday, ours was from the perspective of the kids. They had the maps and led the way!

If you're in Delhi, go explore Shapurjat!

Ranthambhore...safaris

Through the Rajasthani wildlife website, I was able to sign us up for two safaris. There are two options, jeep with up to 6 people or canter with up to 20. I wanted us to take the jeep. Since I planned this weekend away a bit late, I was only able to find two safari timings for our weekend--one at 6am and one the following day at 2pm. Our first safari was in zone 3, which was a bit confusing since the website did not list the zones by number but by name. We had a good guide who explained trees, plants, told us about the park and pointed out the animals. We saw lots of deer, antelope, a couple of gazelles, a few mongoose and many birds and monkeys. We did not see a tiger, but there was a leopard way up on the side of the cliff reclining in the shade. Unfortunately, my zoom was not good enough to get a good shot of it, but with the boys' binoculars we were able to see it. Our second safari was in zone 7. Both the zone and the guide were very disappointing. We only saw a handful of deer. But, overall, we loved being outside in the fresh air and sunshine, looking at all the animals.

Early morning risers ready for safari:

Our first sighting, a spotted deer:

 Lovely grasslands:

Indian antelope:

Good times:

Gazelle:

Monkeys, they were giving a warning alarm but we never saw a tiger:

My favorite, kingfisher:

Wide open space:

Ready for safari #2:

Love these red-flowered trees:

Another antelope, they are as big as horses:

Nice view:

Cows bathing:

Lots of rocky paths:

Ranthambhore...first impressions

We spent a long weekend visiting Ranthambhore National Park. It is known for its tigers. We took the train there...getting there is half the fun. And, were pleasantly surprised by our beautiful hotel and some other things we saw along the way.

Boys on the train, never a dull moment looking out the window:

Arriving at Sawai Modapur, funny passenger on the platform:

Our hotel:

Painting and enjoying the view:

Pool time:

Namaste and a happy breakfast boy:

About town, traffic jam, 

huge pigs,

and camel carts:

We loved our hotel (nahargarh). My photos do not do it justice.