Today, I'm hosting a guest instead of doing my own post. Please welcome, my friend and fellow author, J. L. Greger.
Do you wish you could travel to exotic spots? Is the Taj Mahal one of the places you dream of seeing? I realize many of us during the pandemic would be thrilled to travel safely even to Peoria, Illinois. But let's focus now on travel to real tourist spots.
I admit the Taj Mahal was breathtaking as it appeared among the mists rising from the Yamuna River at sunrise. However, as the sun rose I also saw and smelled the polluted Yamuna River. Indian politicians have described it as an "open sewer."
My other problem with the Taj Mahal was the crowds. Think of the crowds leaving the stadium of a Big Ten school after a football game. I saw the Taj Mahal during the Diwali (a Hindu festival) holidays several years ago with more than twenty thousand people. I hate the suffocating feeling of being pushed along by crowds, especially in warm humid weather.
Now comes the surprising part of my wish to see the Taj Mahal.
The best part of visiting famous sites
in India wasn't the sites but the school children at the sites. The children
were in groups
of fifty to three hundred. Each clump of children were identifiable by their
clothes, particularly the girl's uniforms. For example, one group of several
hundred girls wore leggings with long jumpers almost to their knees in shades
of green. Although all the groups were noisy when they left their buses. They
were quiet and organized and with the smallest in front and the tallest at the
back of the group by the time they reached the entrance to the sites. When I
made the mistake of saying hello to one particularly cute little girl in a pink
uniform, I was swamped by children taking my picture and asking questions.
My advice is if you aren't an experienced traveler, skip an expensive trip to India and read DIRTY HOLY WATER, a romantic mystery with realistic depictions of India—good and bad. If you're not into India, you'll still enjoy this mystery in which it's difficult to distinguish villains from victims.
Maybe during this holiday season and the rest of the pandemic,
many of us should wish to be more helpful to those less fortunate than
ourselves. For example, many children desperately need on line tutors. Local teachers
and school districts could put you in contact with one of these children.
Patients in hospitals are often not allowed visitors now, and they're lonely
and scared. Volunteer offices at many hospital will accept handmade (knit,
crocheted, sewn) baby blankets and afghans. these offices can also describe how
to construct care packets that can be given to incoming patients. Homeless
shelters and food banks need volunteers and contributions.
DIRTY HOLY WATER (paperback or ebook) is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0960028587
Bio: J.L. Greger is a biology professor and research administrator from the University of Wisconsin-Madison turned novelist. She has consulted on scientific issues worldwide and loves to travel. Thus, she likes to include both science and her travel experiences in her thriller/mystery novels in the Science Traveler series. Award-winning books in the series include: The Flu Is Coming, Murder: A Way to Lose Weight, Malignancy, Riddled with Clues, and A Pound of Flesh, Sorta. Learn more at: http://www.jlgreger.com
4 comments:
Thank you to Marilyn and the other mystery writers who share this blog. Happy Holidays
This is a most intriguing book--and a good way to visit India.
This sounds so interesting, I think mostly because it's so different from the same ol' same ol'. The title is intriguing and the plot different. Very interesting. Love the book cover. Thank you.
Thanks for the comments. Did you notice I put a picture of me in front of the Taj Mahal? I hoped it would add authenticity to my comments on India.
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