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Jaipur

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After seeing the tiger on 6/11, we got back on the bus for a 6-hour drive to Jaipur, home to many grand palaces and forts. We arrived late and had a very late dinner at a traditional Rajasthani restaurant. The food was very spicy and definitely distinct from other regions of India. One of the specialties of the region is Lal Mans (lamb in spicy red gravy), which translates to “red meat.” My favorite dish was a large sphere of ground lamb surrounded by dough. The meat was tender and spiced deliciously; the spicy red gravy served on the side was great too. In general I have enjoyed North Indian food more than this type of Rajasthani cuisine, but I am glad I got to try this delicious dish. On 6/12, we started the day by visiting the Amber Fort, a large fortress built in the late 16 th century. We drove to the base of the hill on which the fort sits then rode elephants up the hill to begin the tour! The elephant ride was great—Rose and I had an older elephant so we were moving more ...
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Korite

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Korite is the end-of-Ramadan holiday, the first day of not fasting. The start and end of Ramadan are determined by the lunar calendar. The fasting begins as soon as the moon is visible after the new moon (1-2 days, depending on the clouds and the timing of the moon rising). The fasting ends in the same manner: as soon as the moon shows itself again after being absent from the night sky, the fasting ends. After the new moon at the end of Ramadan, if people in the village see the moon on Tuesday night, for example, Korite will be on Wednesday. If the moon is not visible on Tuesday, we search for it again on Wednesday night. If it is seen on Wednesday, Korite will be on Thursday. Such are holidays here: the date is still uncertain the night before a holiday might take place. Imagine if we knew in the US that Thanksgiving would be in late November this year but didn't know whether it would be the 22nd or 23rd or maybe even the 24th. It could be a Saturday, a Sunday, etc. We clearly pl...
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Bergamo and Lake Como (June 30 - July 5)

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We set off on the 30th to Bergamo, saving a few Euro on accident by booking a bus for the final leg from Brescia to Bergamo rather than a more comfortable train.  At the bus station in Bergamo, we met my friend Federico, a student in Milan who was an exchange student at Garfield last year.  He hung out with us in the afternoon and told us a little about the region.  We had a traditional lunch--polenta--at his recommendation.  By itself, polenta is bland, but cooked with two cheeses it was really good.  We visited the fortress at the top of the hill in Bergamo and walked a few minutes down the hill to a vista at the walls that surround the upper city.  We also visited two large churches in the main square which were really ornate and beautiful.  Federico gave me some insight into a few aspects of the churches, including a side room displaying artifacts worn by Pope John Paul II as he was carried to his canonization.  We watched the World Cup game a...
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