About Me

Pete and Dot are working at Woodstock School in India. Our website is www.wildies.org.uk where you'll find Pete's music - Christian rock, blues and folk, for the most part, as well as all our India blogs from 2002-2009. We currently blog on http://petewildman.posterous.com.

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2012 (5)
2011 (19)
2010 (29)
2009 (17)
 

Republic Day

A public holiday, so a chance to play arouond with websites and sort out photos. It was a beautiful, warm day, so we took an hour out in the afternoon for our standard afternoon walk - along the Eyebrow path, which passes just above our house, then up past Mount Hermon to the top of the hill. The long version then goes past Char Dukan and down the road to connect with the other end of the Eyebrow. The short version (today) just involves a quick visit to Prakash grocery store and back down the Zig Zag. Enjoy the views.

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Filed under  //  2012January   Video  
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The bazaar in winter

Yesterday, Saturday, we took a walk into the bazaar. It was the first blue-sky day since we returned to Mussoorie last Sunday, and the first day we have stayed warm for the whole time. I have never seen the streets so clean. We walked through to library bazaar, had chai and parantha, and walked back, with a Norwegian couple we met up with. It was their first time and first day in India, and they appreciated the orientation, food and bed we were able to give them, while we enjoyed the company and saw our home through new eyes once again. Today we went to church - cold, but welcoming - and had lunch at Rokeby. Our guests departed for Renuka dn Chandigarh, and we came home to catch up on our sleep and keep trying to get our bbody clocks back on Indian time. 

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Filed under  //  2012January   Video  
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Snorkelling in the Caribbean

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The first of a few posts about our winter holidays. We spent a week in the US Virgin Islands for our daughter Hannah's wedding. Sitting in cold Mussoorie, huddled in front of a bottle gas fire, it seems more than just a week ago.

Filed under  //  2012January   Travel   Video  
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Walking to work again - in the winter

No posts for a long time, but I'm in the mood to start again. I haven't posted about daily life and suchlike for a couple of years, so it might be be fun to revisit the Woodstock experience now we're in our tenth year.

We just got back from vacation (more later). We arrived on Sunday afternoon after a series of four flights from the US Virgin Islands via an overnigfht stop in Liverpool, losing two nights sleep out of three on the way. It was sleeting heavily and freezing cold. We managed to find a lone coolie in the school to get our bags home, then lit a fire, unpacked and got the house straight before we finally crashed. Work next day.

Two days on, and our sleep patterns are still all over the place, but at least there was some sunshine this morning - what a difference that warmth makes!

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Filed under  //  2012January   Video  
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Some holiday snaps

This summer we took our nephew David round Rajasthan. We had a great hotel overlooking the lake at Udaipur, and enjoyed breakfast on the terrace, After that we went up to Mount Abu, a bit of an overlooked place for western travellers, but with some wonderful walks around the outside of the town. 

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Filed under  //  2011August   Photos   Travel  
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Walking to work in the monsoon

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This is what the monsoon is really like!

Filed under  //  2011August   Video  
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A walk in the woods

Some photos from an afternoon climbing in the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia, August 2011.

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Filed under  //  2011August   Photos  
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Langours on Sunday afternoon

On the way down from church we came across this bunch of juveniles, parentless and enjoying it.

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Filed under  //  2011April   Video  
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Quarter break in Rajaji Park and Rishikesh

I have posted hardly anything since we got back from winter holiday. It’s been a very busy time – we’re preparing for our MSA accreditation visit (the OfSted of international schools). So quarter break came at a good time – most of the preparation done, and a chance to relax before we get ready for the visiting team’s arrival next Sunday (3rd April). So we headed off to Rajaji Park and Rishikesh with colleagues Howard and Jill and Jill’s brother and wife. Two nights in a lodge inside the park, with an afternoon safari, and two nights in a guest house near Lakshman Jhula.

The lodge was a new one to us – Wild Brook. Basic, but comfortable enough, and in pretty unspoilt farmland on the edge of the park, with a plethora of birds and almost no noise other than the wildlife. Our safari (the third we’ve done down the years) was good, too. For the first time we caught sight of a couple of elephants, mother and child, down in a wooded ravine. Also mongoose, sambar, cheetal, wild boar and birds including Indian roller, two types of bee-eater, jungle fowl, lots of peacocks and peahens, hawk and kestrel.

On to Rishikesh for two nights, and a visit to Haridwar for the Arti ceremony. Next day up the Ganges to watch the rafting and enjoy the scenery, then a walk around the town to not enjoy the smell and litter. Last day, up the road to Chamba and along the ridge road back to Mussoorie, with a stop to climb Surkhunder Devi in the hot sun, and to eat a meal at the GMVN hotel in Dhanaulti (a favourite stop). And back in time for Sunday tea – crackers and cheese and a recording of the Antiques Road Show. What could be nicer? Well, England not getting obliterated in the cricket World Cup would have added something to the weekend..

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Filed under  //  2011March   Photos   Travel  
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Visas Part Two

Where did we leave it last time? Oh, yes, visas due three days before we left for the US. Except they weren't ready. We hadn't provided the No Objection Certificate from the Indian government. So there we were, on the Thursday, with tickets to fly to the US on the Saturday morning and our passports in the Indian consulate. Of course you can have them back: just fill in this request and it will take 48 hours. That would be Saturday , then. Correct.You are closed on Saturday. Correct. But our flight leaves on Saturday. Not our problem. 

After an agonising wait of a few hours, the passports actually arrived back at the visa agent. We kissed them and were on our way.
So, forward three weeks and we head back to England on an overnight flight from Chicago - flying out in another snow storm after another night with the Van Zees - and back to the visa saga. Except this time it's all easy. We had emailed the No Objection letter from the Indian Government; we flew in to Heathrow, hired a car, deposited our passports and a copy of the letter at the agents in Birmingham (only a couple of hours' wait this time) and - behold! - two days later there they were. Flights rebooked overnight and we're ready to go. Should be back in India by Sunday. Whee! 

Filed under  //  2011February  
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