Up early and repacking, to reduce the number of bags we were going to each carry with us to one… not an easy task, when one does not know exactly what will be required, but each of us succeeded, at least to some degree.
One final breakfast, but this time, I took the coach ride down to the motel where the others had been staying. We met and headed to the rooftop dining area, enjoyed laughter and omelets and toast and loaded the coach for our trip into Delhi. We wanted to get on the road by 9:15, and actually pulled out of the parking lot of the motel at 9:16. THIS was going to be an auspicious day!
We headed east, towards the town of Sohna, and then continued on to Gurgaon, where once again, I feel each of us was rather astounded to witness the incredible level of construction of high-rise condominium projects, one after another, for quite some distance. I have learned since that trip that due to the arrival of multi-national corporations, including automotive manufacturers, automotive parts manufacturers and others, the need to provide upscale housing has increased exponentially,
As we neared Delhi, the traffic was heavier, slower, grinding to a standstill. At one point, we were more or less parked on the direct flight landing pattern for the airport! Every two or three minutes, a jumbo jet would roar above our heads as it headed to land.
We had all anticipated being able to meet our friend, Roy Wise, who had been hospitalized with a minor stroke, but along the way, I received a telephone call from Sanjiv, who told me the physician in charge of Roy’s case would not allow him to leave the hospital, even for a few hours. We continued on to Hi-Points Expeditions, Sanjiv’s office, where we were met by Vijay and Bahne, Sanjiv’s two assistants, as well as Pallavi, his daughter. For me it was a family reunion, since I had not seen Pallavi for nearly a year.
We settled our accounts at the office and then proceeded to the Red Fort, where we would tour. The Red Fort was also constructed under Shajahan – the builder of the Taj Mahal. The massive structure, once standing as a fortress against enemies, serves now as a tourist attraction, as well as the location from which the Prime Minister delivers his annual “State of the Union” address. Even though we were on a rather tight schedule, we were all impressed with the fort and what it must have taken to even conceive of it, let alone carrying out the actual construction.
From the Red Fort, we exited and were met by six men, each of whom was a bicycle rickshaw driver. We boarded our new mode of transportation, and ventured out into traffic. Into the market areas, where one can purchase just about anything. Although there are defined areas for silver, silks, tires, padlocks, poultry, bicycles, etc., it also seemed as if these items were all available in stalls, located side by side in the bazaar. We pushed forward to the gate to one of the largest Muslim mosques, and climbed the dozens of steps to the entrance, where we removed our shoes and paid our entry fee. Literally thousands of the faithful had come for prayers, from the oldest to infants, people had come to pray, or just to meditate. We had time to take some photos, and then moved on to where we were going to have lunch – a traditional South Indian meal.
The restaurant was one where I had eaten in the past, and each of us enjoyed the different tastes and level of spice.
Following lunch, we then drove to Dilli Haat – a market established by the government, where crafts people from all over India are able to bring their products and set up stalls for a few weeks, only to be replaced by others after their term had elapsed. Each of us was able to find fabrics, or clothing items, toys, jewelry, pashminas, works of art, in a rather abbreviated amount of time allotted to us. We gathered at the gate at about 5:15, to be driven to the train station for our next adventure – first class accommodations on the overnight train to Udaipur.
Of the members of the Team, I was the only one who had experienced a train ride in India, to say nothing of an overnight train ride. Our First Class accommodations were not what any of the others had expected – each compartment containing six bunks. Each bunk being supplied with a blanket, two sheets and a pillow. Basic does not even come close to describing what would be our “home” for the next twelve hours. It was our hope that although we had been assigned to two different compartments, we would be able to remain together in one. The train pulled out, the conductor came through several times and we were on our way. When left at the station, we had been given packed “lunch” – a term which we need to redefine, one we find our Webster’s Collegiate Dictionaries!
Others had boarded the train, and one family had been divided into two compartments, but we were able to convey our desire to remain together, thereby giving them the same opportunity. Jo was incredulous why we had our packed “lunches”, while these folks were enjoying Kentucky Fried Chicken. She even considered trading one of her breakfast bars for two French Fries or a scoop of the Colonel’s famous gravy! One of the children was a little boy, who was five years old – the same age as my grandson. He was very cute and full of energy, although very well behaved. ”Dinner” concluded, it was time for lights out and an attempt to get some sleep, being rocked back and forth as we moved along the tracks to our next destination. Everything was relatively quiet, until we stopped at Koda – a town along the route. This was at about 2:30 a.m. and quite a number of new passengers boarded the train. I looked out our window to watch as vendors began to open their stalls for pastries and tea. Several people were sleeping on the platforms. When the train began to move again, there was a good deal of commotion in our compartment. I had left the compartment to use the toilet facilities, only to return to find my pillow had gone missing and a total stranger had moved to the bunk above mine! Our entire group was now wide-awake and Joan said someone had come and taken her extra pillow. We solved the mystery, realizing that since we were only five in a compartment that slept six, each of us may have taken liberties with the extra bed linens and pillows. I guess the conductor thought I was de-boarding, so he took my pillow, gave it to the man upstairs, and then when he saw me return, inquiring about the whereabouts of my pillow, simply reached beneath Joan’s head, and removed the extra pillow and passed it across to my bunk! We got a lot of laughs about this, and tried to settle back to sleep, for another five hours. I had great trouble falling back to sleep, and especially so when I noticed at each subsequent stop that we seemed to start up again, but going the opposite direction we had been going when we arrived at these stops. A bit puzzling and unsettling in one’s state of slumber, but I had to trust the train was on the right course.
We arrived in Udaipur and were met by Shakti Singh, a subcontractor from Hi-Points, and were taken to our hotel – the Rajputana. We had breakfast and then were brought to our rooms. The contrast between our First Class train accommodations and those of this Four-Star Hotel were remarkable, to say the very least! Fashioned after some of the oldest fortresses in Rajasthan, with towers and tents, we all felt perhaps the stark surroundings of the previous twelve hours had been worth it.
We were introduced to Uma, a gentleman who would serve as our guide for the day in Udaipur, and we began to explore this beautiful city. The City Palace was magnificent, and although there are several palaces all beside one another, appearing to be connected, some of them are occupied by the royal family, while others have been converted into hotels. These overlook the lake below, where there is yet another palace on an island in the middle of the lake. We would later take a boat ride to another small palace, on another island. This one is currently available for private parties and small weddings, and was the site of the scene in the movie Octopussy, the James Bond thriller, where Roger Moore wrestled with alligators.
Since lunch was included with our hotel, we returned there, ate and then left for the afternoon of more touring. We visited a school of find painting, where artists follow the traditions of painting with brushes, some of which have only one camel hair! We visited public gardens where the fountains were quite beautiful. We visited a shop where traditional block printing is practiced, as well as the sale of nearly every type of clothing or fabric. Uma had to leave us, as he was attending a wedding for eighteen couples that evening – one groom being a cousin.
Dinner that evening was out in the garden area of the Rajputana Hotel, complete with musical and dancing entertainment. Up again, bright and early for breakfast and then a rather long Sunday drive to our next destination.
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