Squirrels, Turbans, and Petrified Bell Captains

Spending the day at the Claridges hotel turned out to be an astonishingly necessary component of my transformation. The entirety of the attentive hotel staff was welcomingly formal and always addressed me as Mrs. Callan, or Madam.

After breakfast, since I had a brand new camera, I thought I might learn how to use it before the Spiritual Yoga Pilgrimage began, with the intention of gaining proficiency to be as efficient as possible while touring. I decided to start by taking pictures of the hotel.

Walking out the front of the hotel, the Bell Captains, exquisitely uniformed and perfectly groomed, hurriedly opening the doors for me, and each met me with a an exchange of “Namaste” and a smile.

I strolled through the Indian sunlit kempt garden, which was a paradise inside the fortress of the hotel property. Sequestered from the bustling streets of Delhi, the sounds beyond this magical place filled my imagination with wonder.

“Paradise Found”

After capturing a few pictures of the front of the hotel and garden, I noticed some squirrels darting around the lawn. I do not know why this surprised me, but this was something I had not even expected to encounter in India. Of course, I was hoping to see tigers and camels, but was delighted at these playful little critters. Somehow, they made me feel at home.

Naturally, I decided to take pictures of them. However, they were quick and were not accustomed to posing for pictures. I thought “Ah-ha! An excellent opportunity to learn how to work the different speeds and zoom on my camera.”

Moving about the garden, like a cat in the Serengeti, finding my way behind chairs, hiding under tables, and crouching in the shadows of the palm and exotic trees, and out from the light of the Indian Sun. Aside from a few hotel staff, the garden was unto me. Using the 25X zoom on my camera, at about 30 feet away, brimming with pride as I captured shots of these elusive little guys.

“Nopaji”

The northern palm squirrel (Funambulus pennantii) also called the five-striped palm squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. Some authorities recognize two subspecies, F. p. pennantii and F. p. argentescens. It is a semi-arboreal species found in tropical and subtropical dry deciduous forest and many other rural and urban habitats. It is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of “least concern.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_palm_squirrel

Instantly my bravado faded, into what in the past would have been embarrassment, but now surfing the wonderful wave of transformation, was pure amusement. Feeling a pause in the air, as if suddenly nobody was breathing, and the world came to a halt. I looked up from under the table and noticed about 5 or 6 of these magnificently dressed Bell Captains, frozen like statues and staring at me. Their mouths agape, surrounded by their thick black handlebar mustaches, some with impeccably manicured beards, tucked into their colorful turbans.

It was as if they had no clue as to what they were witnessing, but even more puzzling, did not know how to or if they should react! My giggling was beyond my control. I mean the look on their faces! Priceless. The Bell Captains resumed assisting arriving quests, and I, resuming taking pictures of the squirrels.

Then it hit me! I thought, “I am less than 12 hours in this country, I have a gym manager hovering over my workouts, and now I’ve petrified the Bell Captains. Holy Cow! What is next?”

Keep reading to find out what happened to India.

Namaste –

Kathleen