Day 8 - On the 8th day we rested

We were all spent after our trip to Agra and the Taj Mahal. Mike and I had crammed as much into the first 7 days of our trip that we had forgotten to slow down and rest. Well, thankfully Monday was a US holiday, Memorial Day. We got up late and then went to the pool for a dip and sip!

We checked out and made our way to the Indira Ghandi Airport - we were going home.

Our trip to Delhi was so memorable! Great friends, great sites! The travel bug has bitten me very hard and I can't wait for my next adventure.

Until then, I have one more week (4 days) in India. We have plans each night including dinner with my team leads, seeing The Hangover II in an Indian movie theater, dinner with new friends and possibly paint ball. I will make sure that I have done everything possible in my visit here. It has already exceeded all my expectations. This is a trip I will NEVER forget. I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to take it. And to think I had avoided coming to India for years. I was an idiot. :)

Namaste

Day 7 - Monkeys & Monuments

After so very little sleep, the day we were traveling to see the Taj Mahal had arrived. I easily awoke at 5 am, giddy with excitement. We had ordered boxed breakfasts that were delivered at 5:30. I was ready to go by 6 am. I was the only one! I had to wake Mike up (luckily his room was across the hall and I didn't have to go far). I had to text Schick several times. And once the three of us were in the lobby with no sign of Kevin, Schick went up to wake him up. Apparently, Kevin had a really good time at the bar after we left. I believe he was still drunk when he made it down to the lobby.

We began our 4-5 hour journey. It felt like Delhi went on forever - it never felt like we actually left the city. The boys slept most of the way. I did not. I was in the back seat of the mini-van and felt every single bump in the road - and there are a lot of bumps in Indian roads.

About half way through our journey to Agra, we had to stop so our driver could pay taxes. While he was away, many locals with monkeys on leashes came up to our car. One of the monkey's leaped at our car, attaching itself to our window. Shortly after that, one of the owners tried to open the Kevin's car door, screaming 'Pictures. Money. Pictures. Money'. He was extremely aggressive and continued to try to get into the car. Kevin fought him off but it was a scary experience. Apparently, this happens to everyone at this spot. Our friend Nick had a similar experience when he and his father made the journey. I found out later, it's likely that I was the instigator. As you can see, when the monkey was latched onto my window, I took a picture. I guess the guy wanted me to pay for that picture. Oh well. No harm, no foul.

During the trip, we passed a lot of interesting sites, including several temples, an ashram with a giant physical representation of the Guru and many truck stops and bogodas.

Finally, we arrived in Agra and shortly after we got our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal in the distance. We met up with our guide Ishard Ali, where we left the comfort of our private car with driver and were thrust into chaos. Fortunately, being a white blonde continued to have its benefits. As we made our way through the crowds, it was as if I had put a spell on all of the Indians - they would stare and part letting us through rather easily (at least that was the case as we made our way onto the grounds of the Taj Mahal).

We entered through 1 of 4 gates onto the grounds. Everything at the Taj Mahal is perfectly symmetrical (all but one thing which I'll comment about later). At this point, we all were dripping with sweat and I was shaking with excitement.

As you look at this picture, notice the small domes above the arch. There are 11 on this side and 11 on the other side, representing the 22 years it took to build the Taj Mahal.

As we stepped through the gate, I couldn't believe my eyes. There it was. I had dreamed of this moment for years and here I was - gazing upon one of the Wonders of the World. I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't a dream.

I am so thankful we had a guide. He told us the entire story of the building of the Taj Mahal, which I'm going to try to summarize here for you. As we sat gazing at this glorious monument of love, I found myself crying with joy and heartache. It was such a moving moment - one I will never forget.

The Taj Mahal was built by one of the Mughal Emperors after the death of his favorite wife. He was married three times, but only one of his wives was his most favorite. She became pregnant 14 times, birthing only 6 live babies. During her 14th and last pregnancy, she became gravely ill. She sent for her husband, at which time she asked him to promise her three things.

1) Build a the most beautiful monument in her memory and the memory of their love
2) Never marry again
3) Take good care of their children

After a long time in mourning, the Emperor began to design and then build the Taj Mahal. It took 22 years, 212 artisans, 20,000 people and $14M in 1632 (imagine how much that converts to in modern currency).

During the building of the white Taj Mahal for his wife, he broke ground across the river on the black Taj Mahal for himself. He chose to make it black to reflect his incredible grief in losing his wife. Unfortunately, the black Taj Mahal wasn't built - only the foundation can be seen across the river.

Why, you ask? Because the Emperor's third child was an evil man. First, he killed his two older brothers so he could be Emperor. Then he imprisoned his father because he didn't want to spend money on the black Taj Mahal. Fortunately for the senior Emperor, from his place in the Red Fort where he was imprisoned for 7 years, he could see the Taj Mahal, the final resting place of his love. He gazed upon it everyday waiting for the day when he would rejoin his wife and be buried next to her in the magnificent monument.

I had mentioned that everything on the grounds of the Taj Mahal is symmetrical - everything but one thing. Since the Taj Mahal was built as the mausoleum for his wife, she is buried in the center of the dome. Because the black Taj Mahal was never finished, the Emperor was buried slightly to the side of his wife in the Taj Mahal.

Here are a few more pictures of this magnificent monument to love.

We left the Taj Mahal and ventured to a marble factory where the descendants of the original Taj Mahal artisans continue to create works of marble using the same techniques. It was amazing to see how they used simple tools to make the most beautiful work. I almost bought a marble table with flowers made of 'fire sapphires'. Unfortunately, the price was too steep for me and I will be leaving India without it. :(

We then went to a jewelry store to see examples of the Star of India. It just happens that the Star of India is my lucky gem (that and Blue Sapphire). After a lot of bardering, I purchased a gorgeous pendant with a Star of India - the designer threw in a chain for it (wink, wink). It is now my 'go to' necklace - I love it!

Our last stop before lunch/dinner was our guide's shop where Mike and I purchased a few more souvenirs. Our guide was a lovely man and really improved the quality of our tour of Agra. We then headed to a restaurant called Quality Restaurant. It wasn't that high quality. One thing on their menu was Chicken Wrists. Yuck! Turns out that's just what they call chicken wings.

As the day progressed, Kevin became less drunk and more hungover. By the time we reached the restaurant, he was so far gone that he fell asleep while the three of us ate. It was humorous because all the other patrons were staring at him and laughing, all while we sat there eating.

Finally, we began our journey home. All each of us wanted was a shower, meal and bed. Schick, Mike and I went had dinner in one of the hotel restaurants, blue ginger. We had wine, starters and dessert. It was a perfect ending to an amazing day! Thank you and a big hug for Schick, Mike and Kevin for sharing this memory with me. I will NEVER forget it!

Namaste

Day 6 Part 2 - Lap of Luxury

As I mentioned, after our full day of site seeing and shopping, we were all exhausted and just wanted to sit by the pool and sip cocktails. Since it was over 100 degrees, we decided to skip the pool and go straight for the cocktails. Luckily, the hotel bar, The Blue Bar, has an incredible outdoor lounge, complete with large bed sized couches.

Kevin commandeered a section right in the middle where the four of us lounged for the next 7 hours. We enjoyed specialty drinks during happy hour with names like Asian Smash (my favorite), Belgravia, and Blazing Saddles. Luckily we like each other and the conversation flowed easily as we lounged under the fans and basked in the glow of the sunset.

As it got darker, the bar got busier. It turns out that this bar/club was voted the best new hot spot in Delhi and it was clear by the growing number of young Indians in the club and the very long line of people trying to get in. As with pretty much everywhere we go, we were the only white people there and I was the only blonde. Every time I got up to use the restroom, it was like the parting of the red sea as I made my way. I realized that this is what it feels to be a minority - people staring at you all the time. Fortunately, my experience as a minority has been a good one - people give deference to me/us. It's not like most minorities, where people are watching them because they are afraid of the unknown. In our case, people want to see us, talk to us and strangely take pictures with or of us. It is a strange but not unpleasant feeling.

As the night progressed, Kevin made friends with a local guy who then introduced Kev to his sisters - Bromance and Romance all in one! One of the sisters lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, both Kev and I are from Michigan - such a small world. Kevin decided to stay longer when Schick, Mike and I decided we needed to go to sleep. Our driver was picking us up at 6 am for our trip to Agra and the Taj Mahal. We left the bar at 1 a.m. - another late night with little sleep.

Namaste

Day 6 Part 1 - Gummed by a Cobra

Did I mention that we were staying at a beautiful hotel in Delhi? Here are a few shots of my room. Talk about posh!

After a few short hours of sleep, we were all ready for a full day of site seeing in Delhi. We started our day at 11 am when our driver picked us up. There were a few destinations we had in mind, he had some additional ideas. Overall, the day was packed. We were all really excited - especially Schick!

Stop 1: Parliament Buildings

Delhi is the capital of India. The government buildings were absolutely stunning. All in red brick and decorated with elaborate stone carvings and wrought iron designs. From the main Parliament building you can see down to the India Gate (it reminds me of the Mall in Washington DC). 

Stop 2: India Gate

Each large International city has to have it's own arch. Delhi is no different. This arch is in the memory of soldiers fighting in mid-twentieth century. It is a huge monument with a smaller cupola on the grounds with it. All around the arch, there were people of all ages trying to sell their wares. Mike really wanted to buy a helicopter toy for his son Miles but opening your wallet in a crowd like that is just asking for trouble. 

As we were walking back to our car, a man to the left of Mike and I opened a rice cooker and much to my displeasure there was a small Cobra. Mike didn't notice until the Cobra launched at his ankle at which time Mike began cursing the likes I've never seen before. We continued on and the man followed us. Kevin had always wanted to hold a Cobra and since these Cobras are de-fanged when they are captured, he decided there was no time like the present. Schick and I watched from a good distance of about 20 feet while Mike took video. 

Stop 3: Humayun Tomb

This was a stop that we hadn't planned on making but N Singh suggested it. We were all pleasantly surprised by the grounds of this tomb. The tomb was built in memory of Mughal Emperor Humayun by his wife. There are several buildings on the grounds, including the main tomb and a tomb for the architect. While we were atop the Emperor's tomb, Schick almost died. Along the edges of the top platform, there are drainage trenches. Mike stepped into one, lost his balance and almost went over the edge - the drop would have been over 20 feet onto solid stone. Thankfully he caught himself; and thankfully I wasn't watching when it happened. The rest of the day, I was afraid of every step I took (and Schick took). 

Stop 4: Raj Ghat
Raj Ghat is a gorgeous park in the heart of Delhi where Mahatma Ghandi's remains have been laid to rest. People from all over the country make a pilgrimage to this park to visit the grave of the 'Father of India'. There were people from each of the different states - noticeable through their diverse dress and appearance.

Stop 5: Lunch

We stopped into another Havmor (it's a known entity) for lunch. Before we dined, we gave our driver money for lunch and released him to have his own meal.

Stop 6: High-end Market

Our driver must have thought we were high-rollers, after all we were staying at the Taj Palace and had a private driver for the entire weekend, so he took us to a high-end market selling hand woven rugs, gold, etc. Everything was out of our price range so we asked him to take us to a more reasonably priced market.

Stop 7: Delhi Haat - Local Market / Bizarre

Eureka! We found what we were looking for. A sprawling market with just about anything a foreigner would want. Kevin and I bought some scarves (I'm helping him shop for the woman in his family), Schick bought some tapestries, and I bought a bunch of beautiful gifts for my team in Florida. 

Stop 8: Home

By 6 pm, we were all exhausted and just wanted to sit by the pool and sip some cocktails. Look at this - could you blame us after all? :)

More to come in Part 2 . . . .

Day 5 Part 2 - Journey to Delhi

This weekend, we planned a trip to Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal. We flew from Vadodara to Delhi. When we arrived at the Vadodara Airport, Mike and I tried to get our tickets but were told we needed to go inside to get them. When we tried to go inside, the guards said we needed to get them outside before entering. We returned to the ticket window and were finally granted 'proof of ticket' not the actual tickets. We were granted entrance into the airport at which time our bags were checked by security and then we were given our tickets. The whole escapade was slightly frustrating but manageable.

We were in and we met up with Schick and Kevin. Unfortunately our flight was delayed - several times - so we had a lot of extra time to pass.

The flight from Vadodara to Delhi is short, just over 1 hour. We arrived in Delhi after midnight and were greeted by our driver for the weekend N Singh. He was a small mad, wearing what looked like a boat/ship captain uniform, complete with captain cap (that's him in the back of the van).

We made our way passed a significant amount of construction - which is a great sign of a budding economy. We were amazed as we drove through Delhi - the infrastructure was rather robust. Another sign of growth and development.

We arrived at our hotel - a 5 star hotel, The Taj Palace, owned by TATA, the parent company of TCS. The lobby was beautiful, the service was impeccable and the rooms, well there are no words to describe the luxury.

We all gathered in Kevin's room to enjoy the complimentary bottle of wine provided by the hotel. We had a very long day but were wide awake and wanted to continue to enjoy each other's company in such a grand location.

Kevin gave us a quick look at what he would be wearing this weekend. I guess he wants to make sure he can eat anything and everything he wants to. :)

Finally, at around 3:30 am, we decided we needed to eat and ordered room service from my room, overlooking one of the most beautiful pools I've seen.

We all retired at about 4:30 a.m. looking forward to the next day of our adventure - a full day of site seeing in Delhi. Schick was looking forward to a night in a more comfortable bed - it was difficult to get him off of mine. :)

Namaste

Day 5 Part 1 - Baroda Site Seeing & Shopping

Nielsen has a wonderful tradition of giving it's associates a half day the Friday before a holiday weekend, in this case Memorial Day weekend. Therefore, Mike and I got the opportunity to see some of the sites around Baroda and do a little shopping (you know me, I will never turn down a shopping spree.)


We began our tour at the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara. Built in 1890 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. It was known to be the largest private dwelling in the nineteenth century - four times the size of Buckingham Palace. It houses a great armory tracing the history of great wars and battles fought by the very courageous Indian soldiers. There are mosaic floors, stained glass windows, intricate wood carvings, marble reliefs and bronze statues everywhere. It is a beautiful example of Indian extravagance! 

There is also a championship quality golf course on the property of this Palace. There were some golfers on the course. I'm sure Mike would have preferred to have grabbed some clubs rather than going shopping. However, it was nearly 100 degrees F with near 100% humidity - maybe the air conditioned mall was more appealing in the end.


I forgot to mention that one of our favorite associates, Komal Shah, came along with us. She is a wonderful woman, very intelligent and so very sweet. We were glad she escorted us as she could help us translate when necessary. 


We decided to grab a bite to eat at a local favorite restaurant called Havmor. There Komal introduced us to some new traditional Gujarat starters and meals. One was a cool gravy (i.e. thick soup) made of lentils and spices. Unfortunately, Mike wasn't able to partake as he is allergic to lentils. I can't say I've ever heard of that allergy. Leave it to Mike to have a strange one. ;) One of the new flavors I tried was Lassi - it is a sweet drink made of yogurt. It was delicious! Komal described one of the starters as made from "wooden floor" - or that was what Mike thought she said. She actually said "wheat flour". Come on Mike!


After lunch it was time to shop - YAY! There are two fairly large, very Western shopping malls across from each other. Perfect!! We looked into many shops with traditional Indian clothing. We finally stopped into a shop called Biba where I made a purchase of a few traditional Indian outfits in the most beautiful colors. I look forward to wearing them back home - of course I'll have to Westernize them a bit and wear with Jeans or leggings. Even Mike made a purchase but that is a surprise since it's for his lovely wife. ;)

At the next mall, I bought some shoes (shocking right?) and some gifts for my beautiful friends back home. As we were waiting for our driver we saw a few interesting things that I wanted to share. The first was the ice delivery truck. It was an open air electric rickshaw. The ice was handed from the rickshaw to the outdoor shaved ice stand - and I mean that literally.

The second was an ambassador car - the oldest of the cars in Baroda. 

Mike and I returned to the hotel to prepare for our journey to Delhi. We watched The Hangover on HBO while packing and resting. It was bizarre watching an American movie while in India. So many contradictions while we have been here.


Day 5 Part 2 will describe our journey to Delhi....