Belated Happy New Year 2012

Baby tiger track

Hi friends and family,

This blog will be extremely short as I have to get ready to go fly here in just a few minutes.  I realized that, again, it's been awhile since I put anything up here.

Karen and I recently had the privelege to go to Nagpur, India, and do a 3 day tiger safari.  Of course, you always take the chance that you won't see the big cats, but just the experience itself is worth the trip and there is a good chance you will see them.

We didn't this time but made a vow to go back and try again because the experience is just awesome.  This is the morning photo, as the sun comes up, of our little resort by the gate to Tadoba National Park, in Central India.  The first picture above is of baby tigers that they know are there and are watching out for.  We didn't get a chance to see them or mom but it was so exciting to be that close to the wild kitties in their home domain.

We also recently got back from South India, Kerala, where we were able to spend a week with friends and then also tour on one of the backwater boat trips and then drove several hours up in the mountains of South India where they grow tea near Munnar, India.

I will put up a more complete blog here with pictures and more thoughts about our exotic vacations here.  We just feel so priveleged to live where we can take advantage of things that I have only ever read about in National Geographic or some exotic travel book. 

Right now I am on a trip with one of the holiest men in the Hindu religion in India.  Everywhere he goes it attracts crowds. He is one of four Shankaracharya's in India, this one if from South India and is called Swami Jayendra Saraswati.  This stuff is just so out of my field of view and if I had ever even thought I would be doing something like this, I would have told you it was a crazy dream or something.

And, here is a picture with Sushmita Sen, she was miss India and later Miss Universe 1994.  We had her on board for a charter in the middle of December.  Very interesting person and just another example of the people that I get to meet and talk to almost every week, it's something different.

And now I have to close but I will put up another blog with more photos and descriptions here in the very near future.

Karen and I are doing well and looking forward to our next trip to America.



We love you guys,

Dan and Karen