1.
January 8th: Travel from Cherry Hill to Philadelphia to Chicago to Delhi to the Lemon Tree Hotel, East Delhi Mall, Kaushambi
Our Pictures of travel, the hotel, and the
mall are here.
Hotel
Web site
Where we had a cultueral misadventure at the Lemon Tree. We learned that in India, no one wants to deliver bad news to a customer. (But all was resolved by our second visit a few days later.)
2.
January 11th: Visit to Delhi's Swaminaran
Akshardham
No pictures due to India's security requirements.
Pictures from the web are
here.
Link to Swaminaran
Akshardham description is here.
Where a wonderful guide finally enabled us to make sense of Hindu beliefs and culture.
3
We visit India Gate (Arch) and pass the seat of government.
Our pictures
While the students were honored to take their pictures with us, it was really us honored to meet these wonderful people.
4
We are permitted to visit
Judah Hyan Hall Synagogue
even though the members are away.
5
The drive from Delhi to Agra
Our pictures
Progress, fresh
vegetables,
poverty, a rising middle class,
new cars and
old auto-rickshaws,
horns, horns, loudness,
lots & lots
of motorcycles,
well dressed students are everywhere,
bill
boards for colleges are everywhere.
6
We overnight in Agra at the beautiful
Taj Gateway
Hotel
The Taj only claims "5 stars"?
7
We visit the Taj Mahal
Our pictures. Taj Mahal on Wikipedia
Surreal. A monument to lost love. We are taught about "Pietra Dura," or the art of using precious and semi-precious stones inlaid to make intricate art of many types. I
8
With a better appreciation of the Taj's art, we visit a store for a
demonstration and purchase art of our own.
Our pictures
Explanation of Pietra Dura in Wikipedia
9
It didn't suck to be the king.
10
11
The noise and
travel and stimulation start to
wear Leon down.
12
It wasn't just
a hotel with the name "palace." It turned out to
be a real palace converted to a 5-star hotel.
Another wonderful
Taj property.
13
January 13th: We visit Jaipur City Palace.
More examples of why it didn't suck to be the king.
14
If I saw this place in a movie, I would dismiss it as fiction so weird as not to be believable.
15
We receive a demonstration on
jewelry manufacture
at
Ram Chainani's
Jewels & Gem Palace in Jaipur.
These artists work harder in a year than I will in my lifetime. I am in awe of their work ethic.
16
Wonderful food.
Wonderful
staff.
Not
so wonderful rest rooms.
17
OK. OK.
I get it now.
It didn't suck to be the king.
18
Overnight in Jaipur.
(Sorry no pictures here)
19
January 14th: We visit
"Ganesham
Textile & Handicraft."
Top quality cloth, clothes, and accessories for far less than available in America.
20
Billboards
every few feet reinforce the message:
GO TO COLLEGE NOW.
21
Overnight back at the at the Lemon Tree
(No
pictures)
22
January 15th: Fly Delhi to Chennai.
Arrive
at Murana International Hotel.
Indian airlines all seem better than all US domestic carriers.
The whole population seems to be standing in line for the latest Bollywood premier.
23
His friends welcome us
to the
family.
24
A very friendly cabbie takes us touring...
From
the hotel to the beach
More old-and-new paradoxes.
24a
The
Beach at Chennai
(where "bathing
in the sea is
dangerous & illegal")
But the population
has fun anyway.
24b
Our pictures: The
Catholic church at the beach
Description
from the web:
Annai_Vailankanni_Shrine_
in_Besant_Nagar_at_Chennai
24c
We need to find some pictures.
Too
hard to explain.
25
Where sitting
down
while the music is playing
is just not accepted.
26
"Only"
400 people?
What do you mean "only" 400 people.
It
was the largest wedding I've ever attended.
27
Every bit as nice as a Taj property.
28
January 17th:
Chennai to Mumbai to GOA
Less noise on the
road.
Nobody even slows down
at "STOP" signs.
29
January 17th:
Arrive at
Taj Vivante Holiday Village
in GOA
Arrive completely drained.
Taj
sets a new standard for
a romanctic getaway.
30
Pinch me.
Is this for real?
31
Things just keep getting better.
32
January 18th:
GOA Taj Vivante Holiday Village
We meet a dozen
Kashmiri merchants
and learn much about both
India and Kashmir.
33
January 19th: Taj Vivante Holiday Village
Do we have to go home?
34
No pictures coming home:
(About 28 hours door-to-door):
a. GOA Drive to GOA airport
b. GOA to Bangalore
c. Bangalore to Delhi
c. Delhi to Chicago
d. Chicago to Philadelphia
e. Philadelphia to Cherry Hill
Followed by five days of disorientation and readjustment.