nimaj

between jodhpur and udaipur, we stayed in the village of nimaj, in a tented camp overlooking a lake and a bird sanctuary. it was very relaxing after the bustle of the cities. the food was rustic, the rooms were comfortable, they had dogs - what else does one need?

two village women.

the one full day we spent there began with a tour of the village itself, and then in the evening we took a walk through the bird sanctuary. the village was pretty quiet; the highlight of the visit was the school and then the pottery demonstration. apparently, there once were three potters in the village; now there is only one, and none of his five children plan on taking over the business once he retires. with the cheap availability of plastic and metal containers, there's not a lot of need for earthenware water pots. i suppose one can find something philosophical or nostalgic to say about this, but is it better to have local potters or engineers? it depends on whether you're the one who has to be the potter or not.

kids at morning prayers; and kids in the classroom.
the potter at work.

in the evening, we took a walk through the bird sanctuary, led by the camp owner and his dogs. normally, i'm not big on nature photography, but it was rewarding when the birds stayed still long enough to be captured. 

this last one is not a bird.