India is a new country for us.
The day started off in Penang. A nice breakfast in the hotel started the day, and a short walk in the morning through the streets of “heritage Penang” followed. Then we faced the taxi game in Penang. The taxi at the hotel wanted RM 42. We could not come to an agreement, so we walked to the Tune hotel taxi stand and got a price that we wanted.
Arrived at the airport early, and checked in with no problems. Then we went outside the airport for a cup of coffee. Inside it was only McDonalds…. Eventually we went through security into the domestic area of the terminal and began our wait. The flight was delayed and no updates were given. The plane arrived an hour late, but we boarded quickly and were off to KL. 50 minutes later we deplaned (an interesting verb) and went to pick up our luggage. After a bit, it arrived, but my piece was somewhat damaged….it will make it through the trip. Check in for the international portion of the flight day followed. Try as I might, I managed to join the longest line (behind two Indian gentlemen shipping 40” TV sets to New Delhi). The bags got checked and we waited to go through security. One we decided to enter the “secure zone” it was like going through Ikea, with multiple levels of retail each prohibiting you from returning to the previous level. AirAsia is a marketing organization….constantly trying to upsell you.
The plane boarded on time. We had a smooth flight and arrived on time in New Delhi. Like elsewhere in the world, arriving early is a mixed blessing. We waited until the official arrival time for the ground crew to appear. Indira Ghandi Terminal 3 is brand new….just for the Commonwealth Games. 7 people movers later we arrived at immigration. It was a swift process as was picking up our luggage. Snehal was there to greet us along with her driver and car. Then it was off to Gurgaon, a technology suburb of New Delhi. You have probably spoken to one of the many people filling the streets as third shift for the help desk folk came to work. It was on to her home, an large two floor flat of a new building.
Oct. 8th.
In the morning it was off to Agra. Even a great car could not hide the condition of the roads…(under construction). We were taken aback by driving down the wrong side of a divided highway. After 20 km or so we joined the main highway between New Delhi and Agra. On the highway we saw: horses, cows, and camels. Arriving in Agra we started by reversing for about 1km on a 4 lane urban highway. It all ended in a wonderful place the ITC Taj Mahal hotel. A quiet oasis in the midst of the city…there were birds chirping in the surrounding trees.
Mr. Shwarma was our guide. He was a spry 81 years old with 55 years of guide experience.
We spent the afternoon at the Red Fort. The fort was the home of the Mogul emperors in Agra. We saw the women’s quarters, the Jahangiri Mahal. There are many technological features built into the various palaces: water cooled air conditioning, fountains powered by gravity feed water supplies, and the extensive use of mirrors to reflect light throughout the room. Two thirds of the grounds of the Red Fort are still an active military complex.
Oct. 9
Today it was off to see the Taj Mahal. Liz and I started by riding in a horse drawn cart to the Taj. We were supposed to return by the horse cart but released it because it would have been cruel to have them haul us up the gentle slope back to the hotel 2 km away.
We joined up with our host (who travelled by car) and entered the Taj Mahal. Here is where having a great guide makes interpretation of the facility easy to understand.
We learned of the geometric layout of the various buildings, and how geometrical/architectural tricks were paid on our eyes. That being said, no pictures, no movies, or documentaries you may have seen can prepare you for the sheer beauty of the building and grounds.
It is a monument of love from the Mongol Emperor for the death of his wife during childbirth (14th child). As in many Indian monuments, it contains a mixture of Hindu and Islamic architectural features….particularly noticeable in the shape of the arches and in the marble inlay work. After 2 hours of marveling in the beauty of the building, and grounds we returned to our hotel.Before leaving Agra we went to a showroom for marble inlay work. Marble is literally carved by hand, as using any equipment, hammers, saws or other devices could cause the marble to crack, or shatter. Matched to the carving of the marble is the grinding of semi-precious stones to fit the shape of the pattern. In the showroom we saw (but did not purchase) side table piece of inlay marble work selling for over $17,000. It was the product of several years of labor.
We returned to Gurgaon in the afternoon, stopping only for a light lunch at a roadside café. Near the apartment we stopped to purchase a SIM card for our cell phone. We needed copies of my passport and visa, two passport photos and signed references from two Indian nationals (references were checked prior to activation of the phone several hours later). With the transaction complete we needed to wait almost 3 hours (and several phone calls) for the phone to work.
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