India March 2010...my favorites

The trip to India in March was amazing...I have been diligently working on editing the photos (between weddings) and nearly 5 months later I can finally say I have done it! Out of a couple hundred images, I managed to select these 20 as being favorites...or at least significant enough to include here.

The shot above is my favorite. The book that I made uses this image on the cover: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1574415 or go here to see all of the photos in a gallery: http://erikasidor.zenfolio.com/p230637723
The small alleys that go between residential buildings in Udaipur don't see much sun. The buildings are several stories, and the alleys are so skinny, that not much light reaches to the street. So I smiled when I saw this bright, painted decoration on a front step...it almost glows.
Udaipur is in the desert state of Rajasthan. The annual monsoons have not come for about 5 years, and the lakes are drying up. The bridge between Hanuman Ghat and Lal Ghat straddles the tiniest bit of remaining water. The cows walk across the lake bed, eating grass that grows there in the moist depressions.
I was fascinated by the lightbulbs hanging from a vendors corrugated roof. They were trying to grow plants in them. In the end, you can't really see the plants, but I love the juxtaposition of suspended bulbs, roofing, lightposts, and framework.
These two boys were conferring about something as I waited for a quote on a plane or train ticket. In the end I had to take busses...all other options were sold out, and I had to get back to Delhi FAST.
The view from my guest house...Dream Heaven. My room was essentially on ground level, and to get to the restaurant you went up about 4 or 5 flights of very skinny, curvy, steep stairs. However, the food was great, the guesthouse owner very dynamic, and the room was affordable. Funny, thing, though...I paid 250 rupees a night to stay there for month of March. I emailed them the other day to reserve a room for October's visit, and they quoted me 1,000 rupees. I realize that different seasons will demand higher prices, but I wrote back to ask why. They dropped the price to 300 rupees. I'm good with that!
I have no idea what was going on between these three, but I love the moment.
One night I went to Erika and Claire's for dinner...we went up to the roof to sit and talk. It was that magical time of day when the light was just incredible. I felt a wee bit rude, but I started taking photos of the rooftop immediately (instead of being polite and sitting down) and this image is one of the best. I knew the second I took it that it was going to be one of my favorites.

The casual combination of tiny child tending to some domestic chore, and cow just hanging out in front of the house, with all of those shoes...I like it.
A little door in a big door. I want to go thru the little door.
I sat in this spot, at the bottom of the stairway between train platforms, for about 7 hours. I had managed to lug all of my bags there, it was sweltering, I was hungry, I needed to pee, I had just a little bit of warm water in a bottle, and I had to sit there with my bags (actually I sat ON my bags) for those 7 hours waiting for my train to Udaipur. I didn't have the energy to drag everything back across the station to find a bathroom, or get food or water. It was the worst catch 22 ever.
This was in Pushkar. This entryway winds between a couple of buildings to take you to the holy lake. I like the layering of the buildings, and the tiles on the ground.
For 3 weeks, I volunteered at Animal Aid, outside of Udaipur. This is Keegan, another volunteer, holding a couple of puppies.
The fact that elephants are a normal part of traffic in India is so cool. This elephant had just worked the 4 hour tourist shift at the Amber Palace in Jaipur, and was headed home for the day.
Devils horns.
Prayer and poop. Cow patties are made and dried for fuel. I dunno, I just like it. It makes me smile.
Colorful clothes. At home, I wear dark blues, black, and brown. Over there, they wear such colorful clothing. It's really amazing. Nothing is dull.
Desert. Not exactly sure where I was...matters not.
Another photo from that 7 hours of waiting at the Delhi train station. Everyone else waits, too. Just not for 7 hours. BAD planning on my part!
Strings of flags in Udaipur. I have no idea what they mean (if anything) but I like them. Unlike OUR country, flags are not strung up like this for car dealerships or grand openings of chain stores. :) They just...are.