monkeys.......

OK.  I really, really don't like monkeys.  I mean, really don't.  They are truly nasty, brutish and short.
However, they have their moments.
We are in Rishikesh, in Uttarkhand, northern India, and the place we were staying has a large expanse of flowers over their outside eating area, and next to the room we had.  Turns out that a local troupe of monkeys love the little bit of nectar in the base of the flowers.  Once a day, later afternoon, they come and pick flowers and chew on the base of the flowers with the nectar.
Not like they're nice about it. They will actually make threatening gestures at people if you try to keep them away from the outside seating areas next to your room, and can be aggressive back at you if you try to chase them away.  Freaking monkeys.
 

Our room on the right, the 'blanket' of flowers on the left.

....and of course, tearing a seat cushion apart for fun.

A touch of a 'Taj'

Near Aurangabad is a 1660AD tomb called Bibi Ka Maqbara, known as the mini-Taj Mahal.  Built by the Mogul Aurangzeb for his first wife.  It certainly resembles the Taj Mahal, but rather than built all in marble it's mostly a kind of plaster.  It's still good for a visit.

First, on the road a few water buffalo strolling by:

An old door feature

The inside ceiling of the dome

The mausoleum below the main floor

Looking toward the ceiling in one of the four recesses

A recess with marble screen

A few pics of the mosque next to the tomb

Anne and another visitor

Trying to get a pic

A Modicum of Mumbai

We've spent a few days in Mumbai, after an exhausting three weeks in Agonda on the beach, and on our way north.  We were really lucky that our stop here coincided with a short stop by our good buddies from Vancouver, Cassandra and Doug.  We got to have a couple of meals & drinks with them, and now we're heading off again in different directions.
Anyway, here are a few pics from around the Collaba area in Mumbai, where we usually stay.

Please click on the pic to embiggen.

Shoe seller just off main road in Collaba

A couple of tailors at their shop off the main Collaba road.

A small fruit & veggie stall.

Fruit and veggies at another stall.

Could work as an exercycle....but no, a sharpening business on
the side of the road.

A poor worker sleeping out of the mid-day heat.

Actually, at Elephanta Island, near Mumbai, a woman slogging through the low tide to dig some edible out of the mud.

A Hit of Hampi

Dave here...
Well, didn't expect that!  A few weeks back when we were in Hampi I ended up sick as a dog for the whole stop (3 days).  Bummer indeed!
Anyway, I did get out for a short wander through Hampi Bazaar (I have been a number of times before), from the temple to the bull.....so here ya go.
These few pics show a narrow window on the place.


Click on the pic to embiggen:

Just really cute!

Walking along ruins with the finished wash.

Between the temple & the bull.........looking through the ruins.

The shaded walkway near Nandi the bull.

Sadhu walking down the shaded corridor.

Nandi!

Selling hot peanuts!

Agonda Sunsets

Although I've shot and posted lots of sunsets over the years from Agonda, here are a few more from the first days back this year with the BC crowd.
Please click on a pic to 'embiggen' and enter Google viewer.

The view from our beach hut at Secret Garden.

Sunset dinner on the beach.