Scenes from an Indian wedding, Brooklyn's first solar-powered block party, and our top ten green living tips.

If you are having trouble viewing this e-mail, please click on this link. To ensure you receive your National Geographic e-mails, please add ngs@newsletters.nationalgeographic.com to your address book now. October 10, 2007 PHOTO GALLERY 1. Scenes from an Indian Wedding Literally tied to her groom, an Indian bride is comforted by her father over the shock of leaving her family home to begin a new life with her husband's family. "This was part of the vidai, the ritual goodbye of the girl to her parents," says Daisann McLane, who wrote about the wedding in Traveler's October issue. "Sejal suddenly embraced her mother and began to sob so hard that I imagined I felt the ground shaking. It was so personal an ache, yet so universal. I wanted to look away but could not." Click here to follow this young Indian couple through their traditional wedding, from the engagement at Udaipur's Lake Pichola to the bride's mehendi ritual, with Steve McCurry's photo gallery. TRIP PLANNER 2. India Itinerary—Maharajas, marble temples, tigers The magical and mythical allure of India is undeniable, but it's scale, chaos, and 22 indigenous languages can make it sometimes hard to navigate. Use our in-depth guides to navigate this, at times, overwhelming subcontinent. Head to Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed park famous for being one of the last refuges of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, and stay at the eco-conscious Wild Grass Resort. Or brave Mumbai's frenzied streets for the action- and aroma-packed Crawford Market. The market sells fruits, vegetables, meats, live animals, flowers, and spices. Housed in a huge colonial Gothic-style building, the market is also a tourist stop for the frieze at the entrance's exterior, designed by Rudyard Kipling's father, Lockwood Kipling. For more insiders' India, click go here. THE REAL DEAL 3. 12-Day New Zealand Excursion with Airfare from $2,699 Book this 12-day Gate 1 Travel trip to New Zealand by October 26 and receive an additional savings of $390 per person. Package includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Auckland, flights within New Zealand, nine nights in first-class accommodations, daily breakfast, and one lunch. Featured are two nights each in Auckland and Christchurch, one night in both Dunedin and Te Anau, and three nights in Queenstown. City tours of Christchurch and Auckland plus a cruise on the Milford Sound are included, as are the services of a tour manager. Tours booked after October 26 begin at $3,089, and depart through April 2008. For more information go online or call 800 682 3333. SMART TRAVELER 4. Conquer Europe By Train A far cry from America's overpriced train travel, Europe is best navigated from the rail. The trains are typically frequent, fast, and on time. When choosing between air and rail, keep this in mind. Budget intra-European airlines may beat out trains in price, but be sure to factor in the cost of travel to the airport, taxes, and fees. Trains are roomier, giving travelers the opportunity to move around. On shorter routes, they're competitive (in terms of time) with airplanes. Also, train travelers are spared the trek to the often out-of-the-way airports used by budget airlines and the need for hours-early arrival at check-in. For more on Euro train trips, click here. INTELLIGENT TRAVEL 5. Brooklyn's Solar-Powered Block Party All IT needed to hear to inspire an outing to Brooklyn's Habana Outpost, New York's first solar-powered restaurant, can be summed up with these incredible words: bicycle-powered blender. The scene at Habana Outpost is like the best block party you've ever attended, but a whole lot greener and without your dorky neighbor attempting the electric slide. From noon to 6 p.m., servers and customers take turns peddling the power behind slushy smoothies and cocktails. Chef Oscar Teco serves up tasty grilled corn (rubbed with mayo, cotija cheese, chile powder, and served with a lime wedge) and inexpensive Cuban nosh from inside a bright red truck outdoors. Best of all, a rowdy blend of locals mingles in the colorful outdoor garden, a courtyard lined with recycled-plastic picnic benches and below huge solar panels. For more on Habana Outpost or to read more from Traveler's blog, click here. 1. Stem the flow 2. Step up to the line 3. Grow your own 4. Give back to the earth 5. Treat it like it grows on trees 6. Log off and shut down 7. Borrowing benefits 8. Pack it in 9. Become a passenger 10. Money talks Buy True Green: 100 Everyday Ways You Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet from National Geographic Books.     "There was an overwhelming amount of garbage, more than I had ever seen or imagined. We found some unusual things, among them a bowling ball and some bowling pins in one area. We also found some messages-in-bottles, which were always fun....We also discovered how buoyant refrigerators were." —Chad Pregracke, From the Bottom Up: One Man's Crusade to Clean America's Rivers Buy this book from National Geographic Books. OUR SPONSORS You Drive! Volkswagen Touareg in Moab Off-road guided tour, seasoned staff and first rate accommodations. Driving adventure of a lifetime! Travel Pink, Travel Oahu Discover how select Oahu partners are joining in a program–Travel Pink, Travel Oahu–an initiative designed to benefit the Hawaii Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Comfort Inn-Bedding Comfort Inn® by Choice Hotels® always offers a warm welcome. And with our new, upgraded bedding, you'll feel even more at home. The party is shaping up! Be part of Québec City's 400th anniversary celebrations, beginning in the first days of January 2008. Visit myquebec2008.com for the schedule of events. Plan now to join the excitement! To unsubscribe from all future National Geographic e-mails, click here. View our privacy policy. You received this editorial/commercial e-newsletter from National Geographic because the information for your account indicates that National Geographic may contact you via e-mail. To be removed from this distribution, please click on the link above or send your request to National Geographic; Attn: E-newsletter Program; 1145 17th Street N.W.; Washington, D.C. 20036-4688. Copyright © 2007 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.