Posted by Catherine

We were up early for breakfast and prepared for another 6 hour bus ride.

Before we left Jaipur we said goodbye to one of our group members, Verena from Austria who was heading further south and not coming to Delhi with us.

Driving out of the city everyone was going about their day. Imagine navigating a busy roundabout with this “vehicle”. Now that takes a lot of nerve!

The road to Delhi was in fairly decent shape and time went by quickly. We realized this was the last we would see of the Indian countryside.

In this part of India camels and small horses appear to have replaced elephants & water buffaloes as the most basic level of transport. It was not uncommon to see drivers calmly crossing through 6 lanes of traffic at major intersections.

While we were driving Manu explained to the group that Delhi is it’s own state and New Delhi is the capital city but everyone calls it Delhi.

We saw these tiny buff coloured birds in remarkable nests at the place where we stopped for lunch. Google says they are called Baya Weaver birds.

Delhi is unbelievably massive, home to 17 million people. We drove in some very heavy traffic and came to wide boulevards, parks and large government buildings.

The fountain roundabout at the center of government secretariat area was a very photogenic place but unfortunately it was far too busy for us to get out & walk around.

We drove by the India Gate that was built between 1921-1931 as a memorial to the 70,000 Indian soldIers who died in WWI.

Delhi had a very different feel from anywhere we have been before, more affluent, modern and cleaner – at least in this part of town.

Photo below: a Hanuman temple at a busy roundabout in Delhi

The bus dropped us off close to the tour hotel. It was our turn to say goodbye to the rest of the group.

Photo below of our group taken the day before at the fort in Jaipur

We were so very lucky to have had such compatible travel companions and fantastic C.E.O. – Chief Experience Officer in Manu Rao (wearing sunglasses in the photo below)

We had used Wally’s travel points to book into an upscale hotel before we leave India. This will give us a quiet couple of days to rest and recoup before the long flight back home.

We took an Uber to the Hyatt Regency which is located pretty close to the airport. We walked into the lobby and felt like we had been transported to a different planet. With over 500 guest rooms it’s absolutely stunning.

Hot water – lots of it, soft sheets and towels, snacks including fresh fruit and veg that we haven’t eaten in a month. To quote my dad – we felt like we had died and gone to heaven! Such privileged lives we lead!

We will rest up until our flight home on Sunday night! Wally’s sinuses are still giving him grief because of the poor air quality so I don’t think we will be going too far.

Amber Fort, Jaipur and on to Delhi

We savoured breakfast at the charming Jaipur Inn which had a cozy, homey feel to it with colourful linens, a pretty courtyard and comfortable cafe.

While we were eating breakfast two female peacocks spent some time hanging out on the apartment building balcony railings overlooking our dining area.

We got back on the bus and headed out to see the Amer or Amber Fort. Not knowing what to expect, we were blown away by the sweeping scale of the complex set high on the hills.

It is surrounded by a large wall rolling over approximately 18 kilometers of the surrounding hills in ways that were very reminiscent of the Great Wall of China.

We were loaded into jeeps for the trek to the entrance of the palace.

There are several elephants working to ferry tourists up and down the narrow roads. G Adventures and other tour groups have stopped offering elephant rides on their trips as it is seen as a form of animal cruelty. Over time the elephants can develop spinal problems from carrying around too much weight. There are also concerns about mistreatment of the animals.

All of the elephants had painted faces and trunks so it was quite a captivating sight. It was good to see that each elephant was only carrying two people at a time and moving very slowly. They all disappeared around lunch time so we hoped they were getting well fed and having a rest.

One of the rulers in Rajasthan had over 10,000 elephants in his army. The poor beasts had their tusks cut off and replaced with iron spikes, were force fed opium and wine and then sent out into battle. It sounds like that may have inspired the gruesome battle scenes in The Lord of the Rings movies!

We had a tour guide take us around the palace and show us various courtyards, living quarters, meeting halls and areas for entertainment.

The current palace was built in the 1600’s expanding on the fortress that had been there for about 600 years beforehand. The king had 12 ranis or queens and 350 mistresses, not just at the palace but scattered around the kingdom.

The women were kept in purdah (seclusion) and could only see the outside world from behind stone screens cut into the walls.

Each woman had her own quarters and servants. The principle queens wore such heavy jewelry and clothing that they were wheeled around the palace in wheelchairs which ran on carpets in narrow corridors. Cotton covered the wheels so as to not damage the carpets.

One of the main attractions is the Hall of Mirrors which held thousands of tiny mirrors lining the walls and ceilings.

The detailing is very intricate.

Beautiful gardens were seen in the courtyards.

Dodging all the hawkers who were extremely persistent, we returned to our bus and traveled to the old city. The fellow.below was not at all aggressive. He played his music for donations & did not say a word to the passing crowds. We were happy to put some rupees in his basket. Maybe he should try to work a cobra into his performance. It certainly would keep people from trying to make change in his cash basket 🙂

On the way back into the city Manu stopped at a scenic spot for photo op of the Water Palace

and some refreshments. Our fellow traveler Hannes (from Germany) & Catherine enjoy some fresh coconut water)

Next Manu took us to a workshop to see gemstones being cut and polished.

I managed to coax Catherine to purchase a few items from their store.

Our next stop was a textile demonstration of wood block printing. Our travel companion Verena volunteered to help out with the printing demonstration.

The end result, after 5 different blocks & colours were applied. Verena was able to keep the sample as a small souvenir.

Both places had shops attached, served us chai tea and were most anxious for us to support the local economy again. We have done so much supporting of the local economy that we had to buy another duffel bag.

So many beautiful fabrics, so little time!

Manu took us on a walk through the old markets which was sensory overload!

Walking past this display of peppers literally took our breath away.

On a more subtle note, we stopped at a tea & spice shop & bought some masala chai tea mix to take home.

This shop also had an ample supply of jumbo cinnamon sticks! How about mulled Christmas cider 🙀

We got back to the hotel for a brief rest and went out at 6:00pm to Raj Mandir cinema, a famous Art Deco movie theatre that seats about 1,200 people- which was an experience in and of itself. We were very lucky to be able to get tickets to see the premiere of an Indian movie.

We had hoped to see a classic Bollywood movie with romance, singing and dancing but the movie was called Robot 2.0, starring Rajinikanth, one of the biggest names in the Bollywood film industry – the equivalent in North America to Tom Cruise.

Excitement in the lobby was palpable and when the doors opened, a huge cheer went up from the patrons and continued as everyone filed in to their assigned seats.

We couldn’t understand much of the dialogue although there were lots of English words and phrases but we could sure tell everyone’s adoration of the stars of the film.

There were waves of cheers, laughter and hoots from the audience which gave us a sense of what was going on. It was great fun to be there! It was a science fiction story but we finally got to see some singing and dancing at the very end. Who knew robots could dance?!

Happy to return to our little room at the Inn!

Posted by Catherine & Wally. See if you can guess which parts we each wrote 🙂

The original plan was to be at the Taj Mahal for sunrise but Manu found out that it was going to be foggy at that time in the morning. Between that and our hotel mix up, he decided that we would plan to arrive at the Taj Mahal around 9:00 am.

We checked out of the hotel and boarded the bus for the 20 minute ride to the Taj complex. We transferred to a smaller electric bus to take us to the entrance gates. In an effort to keep the white marble monument clean, no diesel vehicles are permitted beyond a certain point. We had been warned ahead of time to not bring anything with us except sunglasses and money belts. There are large signs telling people what not to bring – no food, drinks, hand sanitizer, lotions, lipstick, sharp objects, markers of any kind, books, flashlights, weapons, camera tripods, drones and megaphones. The security system is similar to an airport!

There were huge crowds of people but it was very efficient and orderly. The area is so massive that the crowds dissipated quickly and it was surprisingly quiet given the thousands of people who were there. The Taj Mahal gets 7 – 8 million visitors a year!

We entered via the east gate which is magnificent and the Taj Mahal lay ahead of us.

Photo below: the entrance gates to the Taj Mahal gardens & grounds

A thin mist hung in the air which didn’t diminish how impressive it was. Our tour guide told us where to stand to get the best pictures and then gave us a brief story about how it came to be built. It is basically a mausoleum built by the king for his wife Mumtaz who died giving birth to their 14th child. On her death bed she requested three things of her beloved husband – to look after the children, to not remarry and to build a monument to their enduring love for each other.

There was a competition to select a design for the tomb and an architect from Persia was chosen. More than 20,000 men laboured non-stop for 22 years to complete the building, which was finished in 1652. It took two months to transport each piece of rough cut marble from Lahore in present day Pakistan to the building site where it was cut to size and polished. Precious and semi precious stones were ground up and placed in the mosaic designs. No paint was used anywhere.

The building is perfectly symmetrical. The four minarets on each corner are deliberately built with 3 degree tilt outwards so that in case of an earthquake they would fall away from the main building.

The king had a massive mosque built on the north side of the Taj Mahal and to maintain the symmetrical balance, an identical building constructed on the south side that once served as a guest house.

Four waterways meet in the middle of the front courtyard, representing the water, milk, honey and wine of heaven.

The king’s plan was to build a black marble mausoleum for himself but one of his sons didn’t want the king spending his inheritance so he had him locked up for the last 8 years of his life. The king was buried alongside his wife in the Taj Mahal. The area where the tombs are located is surprisingly small but the lines flowed smoothly and respectfully. No photos are permitted inside. We had the VIP ticket which included booties for our shoes but barefoot is also an option.

Royalty would enter through the east gate while regular folks came through a separate entrance to marvel at this architectural masterpiece. The complex is closed on Fridays except for people who wish to attend the mosque, which is how it’s been for the last four centuries.

Back on the bus, we headed out of town for Jaipur, about 6 hours away. Shortly after we left the Taj Mahal, we stopped at a Costa Coffee shop, which is an Indian version of Starbucks where Wally discovered a charming new friend!

We stopped for lunch at a beautiful restaurant in the middle of nowhere with tents set up and a very good buffet! Certainly the best road side restaurant we’ve been to! The local fly-ins also enjoyed the shade under the dining tents.

The entire road from Agra to Jaipur was in excellent shape with many portions of it four lanes divided by a median overflowing with red bougainvillea.

The highway often had older modes of transport.

Some of the trucks were very festive!

The birds liked the fact that the cargo compartment was leaking a bit at the toll booths. As the trucks moved slowly forward the birds simply walked on top of the wheel – not wanting to miss an easy, free lunch!

And some trucks were “body optional”!

It’s mind boggling that they are even allowed on the highway 🙀

They must be en route to a body-fabricating shop. Even the old timer trucks are repurposed!

Nothing goes to waste around here! No need to lift the hood to check the engine oil on this one!

As we got closer to Jaipur, dozens of stone cutting and carving businesses lined the highway.

These places lined both sides of the highway for several kilometers!

Another enterprise was the drying of cow patties which would be used as fuel – the original fuel cell that has stood the test of time!

We pulled into Jaipur at dusk, around 5:30 pm. We could still see some of the city walls which were painted pink in the late 1800’s to welcome the Prince of Wales on his visit to the Amber Fort.

Photo below- Shiva temple on the outskirts or Jaipur

Manu informed us that to make amends for the hotel mix up in Agra, G Adventures was going to treat us to a special dinner and cultural show that featured Rajasthani folk dancing. It was a lovely evening set in a former grand home which is now a hotel with a beautiful outdoor buffet in the garden. We weren’t expecting any compensation for the slight inconvenience of having a “sub-par” hotel as Manu called it but again he managed to pull numerous strings for us!

The cultural show featured a small group of singers and dancers in colourful folk costumes. In earlier times, small troops of gypsy people like these would make their living by traveling around the various kingdoms entertaining people. Now it’s mostly for tourists. They performed several dances including one with large brass pots and candles on their heads.

Another young woman kept adding pots on top of her head until she was balancing 6 of them! These large brass pots would have originally been used to carry water.

Everyone really enjoyed the evening. Cath was especially delighted to see some dancing and was happy that the styles she studied did not involve any brass pots on her head.

Back “home” to our really nice, very well maintained boutique hotel with copious amounts of hot water!

Posted by Catherine

We enjoyed a quiet breakfast at the hotel, enhanced by Masala chai.

Perhaps I will be redecorate the bedroom so that I can continue to be treated as a Rani or Queen. Maybe someone (Wally) will bring me the “Hello to the Queen” dessert!

We walked out to view the Batwa River from behind the hotel.

They have a lovely pool at the hotel but it was pretty cold so I decided to not get in, even though I do have my bathing costume with me.

On arrival in Orchha, Manu had said we were supposed to be in tents but had been upgraded to hotel rooms. Tents? Are you kidding? After 16 hours on the train? We had envisioned sleeping on the ground after erecting a two person tent by ourselves, hopefully without killing each other.

We checked out the tents this morning and were pleasantly surprised by the layout. Glamping might not have been so bad as each unit had a double bed, a tv and a private bathroom. And what a view in the morning!

We loaded up into auto rickshaws again to visit the paper making factory which supports local tribal women.

The factory grounds were spotless. We had the same guide as last night who explained the process to us. The group collects cotton scraps from clothing factories then cleans, chops, pulps and presses it into paper.

Once the paper is pressed into sheets by various machines it is hung to dry.

The different grades of paper are made into products such as journals, notepaper & decorative items. We had an opportunity to shop in their display area.

Back into the auto rickshaws, we were whisked off for our cooking class in a local home, led by a lovely young woman named Rajni. She was assisted by her niece.

What a menu! Masala chai, eggplant curry, potato and pea curry, rice with peas, fresh guava chutney, fried mixed lentils and two kinds of bread from the same dough – chapatis and poori. There were also pappadum crackers to start.

Our tour companion Anja assisted with the cooking while the rest of us wrote down the recipes. It probably won’t taste nearly as good at home but we will give it a try!

Rajni did all of this cooking on a 2 burner propane stove sitting on the floor. She has been doing these demonstrations for 12 years and is the official G Adventures cooking lady. Lucky us! We were happy to support this local enterprise! It was probably the best meal we have eaten so far on the trip as everything was so fresh and tasty.

Full and happy, we returned to the hotel to wait for the trip to the train station in Jhansi at 4:00 pm to catch the 6:30 pm train to Agra. We again sang the praises of Manu who organized the porters, got us our tickets, navigated the railway station and found the right platform for us.

The train was surprisingly modern and comfortable and a light dinner was served.

We arrived in Agra around 9:00 pm. A bit of a shock after quiet little Orchha (pop. 10,000) to be in a city of 1.5 million people. There was a more aggressive atmosphere as the porters were arguing with each other about who would carry our bags and the beggars outside were shouting at each other over who would get to us first. We were happy to get on the waiting bus.

Well, happy until we got to the hotel around 10:00 pm and discovered that the hotel had messed up the reservation and there were no rooms available for us. To top it off, there was a doctor’s convention in the city and everything was booked up! Poor Manu! He kept his cool though and after about an hour on the phone he managed to find us a hotel not too far away.

Everyone in the group was tired but no one got upset or angry, we just waited patiently for The Fixer to pull some strings and solve the problem as we knew he would. Manu apologized profusely for the quality of the hotel which was pretty worn out and not too clean but we were all sooooo glad to have a bed! We were certain there were no doctors staying there! A comedown from Orchha but we were sure that the people sleeping outside on the sidewalks at the train station would have thought it palatial!

If this is Monday, it must be Orchha…

Following our bleary eyed arrival around 10:30 am we were able to check into our hotel rooms, grab a shower and have lunch at the hotel restaurant. Feeling human again, we explored the grounds of the hotel and then had a rest.

At 3:00 pm we met up with a local tour guide to visit Orchha. We walked over to the monuments behind the hotel.

Absolutely stunning architecture from the 1500’s.

The area we visited used to be the cremation grounds for royalty and the buildings are called cenotaphs as memorials for the departed.

Perched atop several of the spires were huge nests of vultures, which are revered creatures here for their role in the environment. This particular species was on the endangered list a few years ago but has made a comeback. We thought they were statues until they moved!

Also circling the tops of the buildings were flocks of large green parakeets. Very magical!

The grounds had beautiful gardens with roses and canna lilies and were very clean and uncluttered, which enhanced our appreciation.

We left the cenotaphs and walked over to the Raj Mahal, one of the royal palaces also from the 1500’s.

The main gates had large spikes on it to deter attacks from elephants during times of war. Poor elephants!

Several of the interior buildings had beautiful paintings on the ceilings, which would have been duplicated on the rugs of the palace.

In other rooms there were paintings on the ceilings that depicted stories of the lives of the Hindu gods.

There were also large pools for water which would have been scented with rose and jasmine petals to provide fragrance to the royal court and keep the buildings cool.

One of the courtyards featured a large dance platform from earlier times.

Carvings of elephants encircled the guest courtyard, 108 of them as it is an auspicious number, trunks down in welcome for visitors.

We were able to climb up to higher levels to watch the sunset. More stone steps – just can’t get away from them – but wonderful views! I stayed on the ground and enjoyed everyone’s photos.

We paused for a snack and wondered what this last item on the dessert menu could be. We opted for a less extravagant ice cream dessert.

We then walked over to the large Hindu temple for the evening prayer service or aarti.

Photo below – another palace on the hillside just above the Hindu temple

We left early to go back to the hotel as the lack of sleep on the train was catching up with us. An auto rickshaw back to the hotel was seamlessly arranged by Manu, bless him.