Welcome back

Students returned last night. First day of classes is tomorrow. So today, a storm blew in. At least twelve straight hours of rain and wind and hail and thunder. Quite a display, actually. Here are a few pics from my walk to work.

Spreading International Smile

On the drive up from Dehra Dun to Mussoorie, there are dozens of roadsigns extolling the importance of trees. There are at least three agencies--the Forest Division, the Eco Task Force, and the Indo Tibetan Border Police--that post them. The trouble is, taxi drivers go too fast and most passengers are too queasy on the steep and winding road to catch all of these important messages. So, for the first time ever, one blogger with a lot of time on his hands has gone out of his way to capture every sign--at least every sign that's in English--for your reading pleasure. (Actually, I know for a fact that I missed one sign--it was obscured by trees and shade so I couldn't get it. Let me know if I missed others and I WILL go back and add them.)

And when you go home, tell them that I have greened this blog for their tomorrow.

Thai time

A friend recently learned a lesson about spending too much of one's life photographing events instead of living them. He learned it when he lost his camera. So in Thailand for the past ten days I was determined not to take too many photos. Mostly because I forgot to bring along my battery charger. Anyway, here are some pictures from Bangkok and a nearby island.

Thai longboat. For some reason,
the guide kept saying something about 007.

Chowing down at the Floating Market.

Fruit for sale.

Cobra Show.

Snake venom.

How to catch three snakes.

An artist and his muse.

Happy taxis.

A slice of Mussoorie.

Atlanta Hotel staircase.

Hello Kitty bus.

KB Resort on Koh Chang.

Scooter boy.

Island view.

In too deep.

Long Beach on Koh Chang.

Kai Bae Beach on Koh Chang.

At a temple.

Mother and child.

Koh Chang

Where I'm at ...



Because of a slight travel snafu, I've decided to stay here instead of going to Cambodia. But I guess this isn't a bad place to be for an extra three days.

Away I go

I'm off to Thailand and Cambodia for 12 days for some much-needed R&R. What, you ask, much-needed rest? Haven't you been free since mid-December?

Yup. The life of a teacher is oh so challenging, trying to fill up those many weeks of vacation.

Snow

It actually snowed the other day. I say actually because the past several weeks have been sunny and crisp and somewhat hazy from the pollution down below. Big, fat, sloppy flakes fell and tried to settle but quickly melted. That didn't stop hundreds of tourists from the plains from coming up to get drunk and make snowballs in the slush. I barely got off my couch.

Later, though, I did step out onto the terrace for a shot of the remaining clouds ...


and the sunset the next day ...

Mindrolling

Just outside of Dehra Dun is the relatively new Mindrolling Monastery, located in the largest Tibetan settlement in northern India and home to the largest stupa in the world.

Monks head to afternoon prayer.

A worker keeps the buildings looking new.

The view while circumambulating the monastery.

Visitors are dwarfed by the stupa.

Signs remind visitors (especially couples) that this is a holy place.

Long strands of prayer flags and bells.

This place is absolutely stunning in the sunlight.

Flowers.

A fountain.

A massive statue of the Buddha.

And then my camera battery was exhausted. I'll have to return for more pictures and to go inside the stupa, which I was told later is "the best part."