INDIA - DAY ONE AND TWO

In India we booked separately from the Semester at Sea sponsored trips on the advice of friends, Ken and Louise Ross. Actually Ken suggested that we ask for his cabin that he and Louise had occupied for the Spring 2010 Semester at Sea voyage. This was the best advice. I asked 3 different people for cabin no. 5025. AND low and behold we got it. Anyhow, Ken also advised us to book our tours in India with Incentive Destinations, a company owned and operated by Anup Nair. So, we did and it was fabulous.

On docking in Chennai, India on 22 October we were off for 5 wonderful days in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

There is so much going on aboard the ship that there is hardly and free time.

             Yoga demonstration in Union the morning we arrived in Chennai

             Welcoming committee in Chennai – picture taken from Deck 6

We did not arrive in Delhi until late. There was a most unusual storm that delayed our flight and many trees and branches were downed. Anyhow, Anup and his wife, Raga, were waiting to take us to dinner. The sad thing is that we were so enthralled with Anup and Raga that we forgot to take pictures over dinner. Raga is stunning.

                        On arrival in Delhi with our welcoming leis

The next morning we met our guide, Raj, and went to the old part of Delhi and the first stop was the Red Fort, Shah Jehan’s elegant citadel in red sandstone.

                                     Grace and Raj at the Red Fort

Grace and I took a cycle rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of the Old City. Raj was behind us in another rickshaw.

                              Start of journey through the old city

                              Sights in the narrow streets of old Delhi

                 One of the zillion shops along our route in old Delhi

A street scene along the route when there was a lull in the traffic, which was unusual. Mostly we were stopped waiting for the traffic to clear.

We ended up at the Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque), which was also built by Shah Jehan. It is India’s largest mosque.

                                Grace and Raj at the Jama Masjid

                                   Grace inside the Jama Masjid

From there we went to Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial.

                                        Mahatma Gandhi memorial

Somewhere along the way Grace found this plumeria tree.

                                      Grace loved this plumeria tree

We had a nice dinner at the Have More restaurant and Raj joined us. We were able to see first-hand the normal way of eating. Raj ate without a fork or knife or any implement, with his hands. No pictures.

INDIA – NEW DELHI

This is the modern part of the city and includes government buildings – the President’s House, the North and South Blocks, the government offices and the Parliament House. We really liked the fence in front of one of the buildings, but we can’t remember which one it was.

          Note the iron work and the elephants on the columns of the fence

                   Monkeys in front of one of the government buildings

We went to see the Tomb of Humanyun, a red sandstone and white marble which the precursor to the Taj Mahal. Then to the Qutab Minar, a Tower of Victory, built in the 12th century by Qutbuddin Aibak. Near the Tower of Victory is the Iron Pillar, which dates back to the 4th century. The pillar has puzzled scientists as the iron has not rusted all these centuries.

                                                 Iron Pillar

                                 Qutab Minar, the Tower of Victory

As info - it takes about 10 minutes on this ship to upload and place pictures in the text.  That is why we are so behind in posting our blog.  And there is so much going on here on the ship.  Plus many times there are too many users involved on the Internet and we can't sign on.  Very frustrating.

Next post will be Day 3 in India.