Off to India

My adventure started on January 6th as I was dropped off at the train station in Solana Beach for the train to Los Angeles Union Station. Since this was the Sunday after New Year's many of the college students were going back to Santa Barbara, UCLA, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and it was a sold out train. This created some problems for luggage as you had to bring your luggage up the stairs and put it in a secured area. Well of course I had the biggest suitcase and carry ons but I managed as I knew this was only the beginning. After getting up to Union Station I walked the short 5 minutes over to where the bus to LAX was, bought a ticket and waited for about 20 minutes until the bus arrived. The bus took about 25 minutes to get to the airport and I was dropped right at the international Tom Bradley terminal. It only took me about 10 minutes to check in as I had arrived a little early and there was not much of a line. With Emirates I had an 8 hour layover in Dubai so had booked a complimentary night hotel with them. I asked for my voucher and was given my information. You do have to make a reservation ahead of time. I got something to eat and then went to the gate when it opened. I was seated next to a doctor from Los Angeles who was going to India to help with the people. I would highly recommend Emirates as they keep their planes very clean, have a full choice of movies, games, music and their food is very good and plentiful along with the wines and drinks. Needless to say I tried not to drink too much but did not sleep much either. Decided to just watch movies. I arrived in Dubai around 8P and went thru immigrations which took about 45 minutes-- long lines and very slow. After getting thru there I continued on to the front door where the Emirates transfer desk was and I checked in for my transfer to the hotel. After about 10 minutes my bus arrived and I was transferred to the Copthorne Airport Hotel. Here I checked in and was given a meal voucher and a room with an assigned wake up call so I would not miss my 4:40A flight to Delhi.

Up at my wake-up call and down at the lobby by 3A so I could continue my flight to Delhi India. One thing I did learn after returning home DON'T USE YOUR PHONE as they don't have any plans and my short time there to check email both ways was over $300-- needless to say I did get this reduced but learned my lesson. Pay and use their wi-fi!!!
I had already been issued my boarding pass so was able to avoid the check-in. The Dubai airport at this time of the morning was so busy as you would have thought it was the middle of the day. On this next leg from Dubai to Delhi I was able to experience their business class which was really nice-- the beds, the food, and service.



After arrival in Delhi I was met by the
representative from Ventours, our wonderful company that we spend the next 10 days with, and escorted to the beautiful Oberoi Gurgaon in which they say is 15 minutes away but took us almost an hour to get there with traffic.  If you can  imagine 15 lanes of traffic with no lane markers and everybody just going for the same area-- in their cars, busses, tuk tuks, and even the sacred cow on the road.  It was an unbelievable sight.  Over the next few days we got used to it but for the first impression I will never forget it.

Our First Day in India

We arrived at our hotel around 11A safe and sound and I checked in.  I was told that lunch was being served in the restaurant-- so not to miss a meal-- I went to the restaurant threesixtyone which is open all day and has a great view of the water area.  Here is where I met a few of my new travelling companions.

We quickly ate lunch and then were off to discover Old Delhi where again we were greeted with unbelievable traffic.  In fact this time we had to go thru a toll booth and instead of having 10 different toll booths all the people had to get into just 2 lanes to pay.  We started out seeing the Red Fort served as the residences of the Mughal Empires.

 

Then the highlight of our day was "trishawing" through the principal street Chandni Chowk  in which this market was bustling with shops, temples, mosques, goldsmiths, silversmiths but so many cloth markets where people were shopping for materials to make future wedding dresses. 

 



 

We also visited the Raj Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna River which is a memorial

that marks the spot where Ghandi was cremated in 1948.  After a long day we returned to our hotel for a site inspection, cocktails and dinner.  Then a long awaited sleep!!!

 

 

 

Delhi

This morning since we were short of time I decided to try out the room service breakfast.  Needless to say I did have plenty to eat.

We quickly did a site inspection of our beautiful hotel after breakfast this morning. Then we walked over to the Trident, Guargon  which is a beautiful hotel with gardens, reflections pools, etc. Here we were greeted with pastries and hot chocolate.





How would you like this for your view out your window







As we travelled on thru Delhi our next stop was the Qutb mosque which was created by the founder of the slave dynasty. It is completely made of red sandstone and marble and is 73 meters high.

 



 

As we continued on our tour of New Delhi we saw many of the majestic boulevards and grand government buildings, so different from Old Delhi where we were yesterday. We saw the India Gate which stands at one end of the Rajpath and the other end is the official residence of India's President.  This is a complex of buildings which mix the Mughal and Western architectural styles.

Then we stopped at the Tomb of Humayun-- a great example of Mughal architecture.  

 

 



Lunch was next on our agenda and we were treated to a beautiful buffet lunch at the
Oberoi New Delhi  hotel. But before lunch we were given a site inspection and there is a small mall attached to this hotel.  Here we found ourselves in this little deli and saw these beautiful pair of shoes and purse--- this was completely edible and made of chocolate. What a surprise!

Onto lunch for one of the best Indian buffets I had on my trip.  I was learning about Indian food as I dined with the general manager who I found out later was a king. He explained to me the different food and I soon knew that I loved the Indian bread.  It was delicious and I was told it is made with clarified butter. Now I understand why I liked it so much.  However I continued to eat it thru the whole trip.

After our wonderful lunch we continued on but this time we were able to do a little shopping.  We went to this little small mall area and found some fun jewelry, purses and then onto where we had a wonderful time picking out pashminas at Shaw Brothers.  However let me warn you around 3p I became very tired as I was still jet-lagged since this was 1AM (the day before) San Diego time.  Went back to the hotel for a short time before we were treated to dinner and drinks at the home of Vivian and Karen Peres from Ventours.  They live in private gated area in a large high rise  apartment building overlooking a pool and golf course.  The view was spectacular as we were treated to cocktails on their beautiful verandah.  Since they are used to entertaining we had a full staff waiting on us for drinks and a beautiful buffet dinner.  Here we were introduced to the founders of this awesome company who would be hosting us all thru India.

 
We were thrilled to partake in this wonderful event and after talking to Vivian who accompanied us on our trip, found out that they entertain quite frequently-- even during the week.  He had 2 lovely daughters who we all met and enjoyed talking to them about their lives.  Most of the dinners don't even start until 9P or so and you can imagine how tired we were when we left but honored to be a part of this.




Samantha, Vivian (our host), myself, Laura, and Elaine

 

If we look like we are cold let me warn you that this one of the coldest days they had  in Delhi.  Even the schools closed

that day as they have no central heat.   So dress accordingly if you come-- could be cold, could be hot just depends on the time of the year.

 

Off to bed and ready for a new day!!!

Taj Mahal

6:30AM up for breakfast at the 361 Degree Restaurant and out of the hotel by 8A for our drive to Agra. Normally this takes about 3 1/2 hours but traffic was crazy and it took us about 4 hours.
But we did not care as today we were able to travel in style aboard one of the very luxiorious busses.  they wanted us to try this bus-- we even had wi-fi on this.  It was very interesting as we passed thru the little villages and saw more of the life in India.

We arrived at our beautiful Oberoi Hotel-- The Oberoi Amarvilas and like every hotel we entered were always given the red dot which is the  bindi of India. which is a blessed symbol and some think that this prevents against demons or bad luck.

After entering into the hotel, we were invited to their verandah which was our first look at the Taj Mahal.  It was so spectacular and better than any pictures we had seen.

 And then to my beautiful room where I also had an awesome view of the Taj Mahal. 

Notice the beautiful sarongs that the Oberoi staff always wear 

After a short time in the room, we then had lunch at the Bellevue Restaurant in the hotel. Around 2P we left for the Agra Fort which is a World Heritage UNESCO site-- a walled city.

 And now to the Taj Mahal where I had only seen pictures.  This is the most perfect architectural monument ever accomplished.  In memory of his wife, the great Mughal emperor Shah Jehan planned this most extravagant and incomparable built for love. At day's end, the monument appears to change its hue, tinted by the glow of the setting sun.

We walked in and the sight took our breath away and as we continued to walk around the sun was glistening in every angle.  It was amazing-- better than I had ever imagined.  I could not get enough pictures because every angle was better.  Ventours had hired a private photographer to take individual pictures of us with the Taj in the background.

Finally it was time to leave-- and I will always have that memory of the Taj-- something I never did think I would see.  And then the sun started setting and here is what we saw-- another breathtaking moment.

SUN SETTING OVER THE TAJ MAJAL

 Now if you notice they pack all the hours in a day that you can get so we continue on for a little shopping in the Kohinoor, Agra's famous shopping area.  There is emerald necklaces, enamel jewelry, textiles and embroidery. What I really enjoyed was the beautiful marble inlay factories. We learned how they did the marble tables with individual pieces of cut stones.

Look at the concentration he has doing this amazing art:

Can you imagine this on a table and a light beneath to brighten all of these tiles?

Not done yet-- back to the hotel for a site inspection and then cocktails in the Kohinoor suite.  Here we were greeted by a couple who was playing the sitar and bongos.  Lovely views and beautiful music.

Then onto dinner at the Esphahan restaurant where we had the Royal Indian Thali. This is the traditional  Indian meal. It is served at the same time including starters, main-entrees, desserts and beverages.  Thali is a round platter, with small bowls arranged around the rim to serve with food.  In the center is the staple food (bread or rice) piled up.

Enough food-- late at night and still tired from jet-lag I made my way back to my room. Here I found a beautiful ivory framed picture of the group in front of the Taj Mahal given to us by our hosts

Ventours.  Slept very well that night.  

Agra to Ranthambore

Got up early to the sounds of the chanting as they did every morning at 6A in the distance.  Had an early breakfast in the restaurant and took off for Ranthambore in our minibus.  After about 1 1/2 hrs we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri which is the former capital of the Mughal empire.  I loved this guy-- so typical of the Indian men.  If  you notice he has orange hair which we thought was very strange.  The Indian men like to dye their hair and when they do it turns white but in the sun it becomes orange.
Many of the older men still wear moustaches as this denotes masculinity and also part of the caste system.  Many of the younger Indian men do not have facial hair or moustaches.

We continued on to Ranthambore in our minibus.  We did some highway and some small villages.  There weren't too many places to stop and we even had our box lunches on the bus which consisted of sandwiches, chips, fruit and a drink.  Some slept and some enjoyed watching the countryside go by.



People would always hang on and we even saw some that were riding on top of cars or buses



The birds were eating the rice out of the bags--not going to have anything left when he gets home

We travelled thru the desert-land of Rajasthan before arriving in Ranthambore which is known as the tiger sanctuary.  Here we are at the Vanyavilas which is designed as a "jungle Cam' and lies adjacet to the Tiger Reserve.  The resort is set in 19 acres with trees, flora and a large body of water. Our arrival was with 2 large elephants greeting us.

 Our accommodations are in spacious luxury air conditioned tents, beautifully appointed interiors, 

 teak wood flooring, large bathrooms with the claw bathtub and a private deck for sunbathing. They were very large villas.  Walked around the property and joined in on a yoga session that had just begun

 

We enjoyed the pool and the grounds themselves as we were able to relax.  So quiet and peaceful.

Tonight we had a bonfire and enjoyed our cocktails around the bonfire with music. Then retreated into the lounge area wherewe enjoyed a Wildlife presentation by their resident naturalist. Here we learned more about the area and why the tiger is so famous.  After the presentation we had a nice dinner. The night air does get chilly and it was cold as I walked to my tent. I jumped into my bed and found something very warm-- my own personal hot water bottle. 

Jumped in and really slept well!!

 

 

 

  

 

 

Let's Go On Safari

Up early this morning for our game drive.  We had some coffee and then left in the cold for our safari.  they provided us with blankets and hot water bottles so were toasty and warm. Off we went in search of tigers but unfortunately we did not find tigers but plenty of wildlife from monkeys, to birds, deer and beautiful scenery.

 And the perfect Indian with the moustache and the headgear was also on safari

On our way home from safari we took the highway and caught a glimpse of all the women working in the field and as you can see they are in their expensive sarongs. As you can see there is one man-- typical isn't it. Women working in the fields! Same as in Vietnam. 

After about 3 hours we went back to the Villas and were treated to a beautiful breakfast in the Mango Orchard with a flutist.  It was a perfect morning and we were all seated in a round table enjoying the beautiful gardens.

 

 

 After breakfast we were fascinated by the Artist M D Parasher who is a famous Indian wildlife photographer and painter born and brought up in the Ranthambhore.  He showed his talent by taking a piece of newspaper and ink and drew the most amazing tiger eye in front of our eyes.

 

He and his team have painted so many tiger pictures.  He also told us about the tigers in the area.

 

 

We were then shown around this large property and taken to a tower where we could over look the whole valley.  Lunch was served and we were off for our 2nd safari.  This time we were bound to see a tiger!  We drove all around and then saw some deer that were giving the calling that a predator was in the area.  Many of the safari vehicles hung around and sure enough thru the brush out came a tiger.  Later we found out she was the most photographed tiger in the area.  Her name is

"Lady of the Lake".  For once I was in the right place at the right time and I snapped a perfect picture of her.

 

  After seeing the tiger nothing else we saw could have been better.  We had accompolished our goal.  However we did see all kinds of wildlife from sheep, deer, monkeys and birds as we travelled around a beautiful lake.  As dusk begin to arise we headed back to the villas with the good news that we had seen a tiger.  What a difference this makes in your attitude. We cleaned up and met the dear General Manager Ratna who was this young spunky woman-- she was like the Energizer bunny and was everywhere on property at all times. 

 

Of course every night we had something exciting on our bed and guess what we had tonight

 

          

Of course my hot water bottle was waiting for me also. 

What a great day we had today and off to bed anticipating my safari drive in the morning.

Life doesn't get much better than this-- at least I thought. 

Safari Day 2 and onto Jaipur

Up early again, quick coffee and back in our safari vehicle as dawn was starting to break. Grabbed our blankets and hot water bottles and off to the Tiger Reserve hoping to see more tigers.
We enjoyed our safari as the morning is beautiful as the animals start to wake up and the birds are chirping-- but no tiger this morning!!!

Here is a true Indian breakfast with all the different sauces.

Back for breakfast and then before leaving we stopped by a little area where we could watch people make their own textiles. This was a self sustained area in which they had sewing machines and people were making clothes and linens. Also there was a garden area in which many vegetables were grown. The people were so kind there and we bought some Indian handicrafts.    

 

As we left for Jaipur everybody came out to say good-by and they were so genuine-- just like leaving family.

It was about 4 hours to Jaipur but so many interesting things on the roads.  The people are so amazing and just unbelievable what we see.

  Jaipur is a colorful cast of characters-- from painters and potters to artists and antique deals.  Jaipuer is India;s first planned city which has remained unique in two and halp centuries.  Jaipur is the gem capital.  This is Rajasthan where all the colors are so predominant in the dress. 

We arrived at the Oberoi Rajvilas and as we were waling in we looked up to the balcony and saw a man dropping rose petals--  such a great touch for an arrival at one of the most beautiful properties.
We were greeted and then whisked away to our villa in a horse drawn carriage.

This property is located in over thirty acres of beautiful gardens, pools and fountains.  After seeing the room I walked around the property and was so surprised to see tea being served at the pool area.

What an amazing property!!  On the property there is a Shiva Temple located among the lush gardens. Here in this 260 year old temple the Hindu Priest presided over the ceremony and gave us a special blessing.  It was really spiritual.

After our blessing we were introduced to Indian cooking as we had a demonstration on the different spices that they use in their cooking.  It was really interesting and we were given a small pamplet which explained which spices they use
 in their foods.

 

 

What a great day today has been and looking forward to tomorrow!