"The only way to save a rhinoceros is to save the environment in which it lives, because there's a mutual dependency between it and millions of other species of both animals and plants." - David Attenborough

  It is fitting to continue our serendipitous journey in India to Assam

 where the greatest population of the Greater One Horned Rhino roams.

Happy World Rhino Day!

Dinner at Bomte's lovely, hospitable home was an example of how real travel should always be.  Getting to know the locals and hear their stories.  

Bomte is well traveled and full of stories.

Upon hearing of our next adventure and where we would be staying, he, of course, knows the manager and encourages us to give him his best regards.

This message was met with an immediate upgrade.

Upon arrival at Diphlu River Lodge...

we immediately hopped into a jeep 

and headed through heavy traffic to Kaziranga National Park...

where our hopes of seeing a rhino...

became a reality so abundant...

we were reevaluating our request to only see the rhinos.  Ha!

But today is their day so there.

"They described a city I didn’t recognize as the place where I had spent the first 20 years of my life. There was no mention of Calcutta’s beautiful buildings and educated middle class, or its history of religious tolerance and its vibrant literary and cultural life. Besides, other Indian cities also have their share of poverty, slums and destitution, as would be expected in a country where a third of the population lives on $1 a day — for example, more than half of Mumbai residents live in slums, far more than in Calcutta. Why were they not equally damned in the eyes of the world?" ~ Chitrita Banerji, NYT

 As the daily breeze of wanderlust mussed my untamed hair (thank you covid),

I finally pulled myself out of this 'new normal' haze 

and declared a hiatus on 2020 bossing me around.

This signage in Kolkata is my declaration to 2020.

No more nuisance from you 2020!

As we flit around preparing for a hurricane predicted to land too close for comfort,

my tardiness in taking a stand is almost as late as the Kentucky Derby and Indy 500.

Hunkering down back home in Texas since March, 

there are audible sighs as I look back on our time in West Bengal.

While Ren Man flew off to nearby Assam for work,

I was left to drag myself away from the comforts of Oberoi Kolkata,

                                                    to explore this "City of Joy".

The Culture Kaleidoscope Photo Tour ...

was the perfect introduction...

to Kolkata, or Calcutta

as it was known formerly as the capital of British India.

  When the name changed in 2001...

street names eventually changed from English, Anglican names...

to those of Indian freedom fighters.

As I meandered throughout...

the "kaleidescope" of faiths...

 are woven...

 basically...

next door...

 to each other...

along with a cultural...

melting pot.

Our early morning stroll...

provided a viewing...

of school transport...

and smells of the neighborhood waking up.

Goat milk is delivered to homes in that large leather bag...

unless of course, you need proof that the milk is fresh.

Yes, this guy will lead his goats to your front door.

As mentioned above, Calcutta does get a bad wrap for its poverty.

Meanwhile, this doesn't seem to bother this city as it resists modernization 

and embraces its cultural richness.  

  Serendipity update:  Bomti has invited us to dinner in his home!

serendipity /ˌsɛr(ə)nˈdɪpɪti/ noun: serendipity; plural noun: serendipities the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. "a fortunate stroke of serendipity"

Ren Man and I had a fabulous opportunity 

to attend a wedding in India...

where we absorbed and fell in love 
with the significance of family involved in each of the celebrations.

Since RenMan needed to be in another region of India the next week,

we hopped on our fave regional airline...

Indigo...

for a relaxing few days at Vivenda Dos Palhacos in Goa.

We hit the jackpot in our lodging choice...

 where we were welcomed home each return...

by Kitten and Gigolo.

Our daylight hours...

were spent... .

meandering...

along pathways...

through the village...

where locals...

were going about... 

their typical weekend... 

with family...

and friends.

This part of Goa... 

is much less touristy...

than the northern area...

so our sunsets were peaceful.

Back at the hotel...

meals are sometimes enjoyed here...

but fortunately, we relished a dinner

 with eleven strangers until 1:30 a.m. 

and just like that our world expanded.

The brother/sister duo behind Vivenda Dos Pallhacos
 have managed to create an environment 
conducive to privacy when wanted and mingling when preferred.
It's a gift really,
to know this and to allow it to happen seemlessly.

It was around this table when our first serendipitous moment arrived.  
As we discussed our next stop of Calcutta (Kolcata),
Simon mentioned a friend who is an art dealer 
and entertains people in his home for dinner.  
After reaching out, we were making plans to dine with Bomti.

Don't you just love it when this happens.