Good Bye India

Just published the trek write up, so this is the 2nd post for today.

Craig wrote in an earlier post that this whole trip of ours did not feel like a vacation at all. We have usually had quite a bit of time, and no set agenda until we arrived in Bhutan. There, and here, we came with a goal of doing certain treks, for which we hired guides.

Link to 4 more India pictures
Taj Mahal pictures
Agra Red Fort pictures


In India we worked with Namgial, who arranged everything for us - from the moment we arrived in Delhi, until he sends a taxi to take us back to the airport. We have been driven around, have had guides almost the entire time, have stayed in very nice hotels except during the trek, and in general, we have needed to do nothing but decide which sites to be taken to. It has been a new experience, as we never stay in hotels, or eat at expensive restaurants in them. The breakfast buffet at the Radisson in Agra was amazing in its variety, and multitude of options. We naturally ate enough to last us until dinner.

Namgial gave us a flat price which included everything, and all his logistics have worked perfectly. Compared to Bhutan, India is a bargain. I am very happy we didn’t try to be independent (read cheap) here, though - the country is much poorer than I had realized, and I have enjoyed feeling safe, and having a local contact we trust should something not work out.

We flew out of Leh in the very early morning, and had beautiful views of the Himalaya. A driver met us at the airport, and drove us to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located.
Boston’s infamous traffic is a model of sanity, compared with traffic in Delhi. At one point I counted 4 marked lanes going in our direction, but the drivers decided there should be 6 lanes. In between the tightly squeezed cars,  motorcyclists, rickshaws, tuk-tuks, an occasional cow, pedestrians and probably others, maneuvered around. Many cars had dents, and hopefully few people get injured, as traffic barely moves.

The drive to Agra took 4+ hrs. The Taj Mahal is beautiful, and Craig might write a post on this, and the nearby Red Fort from the 16th century we also visited.

The country side between Delhi and Agra is totally flat, and we saw farmers working in the heat (107F today, 42C), in their dusty and hazy fields. Thanks to Namgial, we had a nice Toyota van, with AC.


We have both very much enjoyed the food in India! It is MUCH better, than at Indian restaurants at home. They prepare veggies so many different ways, and Craig said he would turn vegetarian if I learned to cook like they do here. They use a variety of spices, and very rarely did I find the dishes too salty, which usually is the case at home. Craig was much less impressed with their meat dishes.

For a Northern European (Finns are not true Scandinavians), who are used to some 3 feet of personal space..., popular sights in India are difficult. Throngs of people everywhere, and when you try to give someone room to move, you get shoved from all sides by those behind you.

Craig had a picture of 2/3 of the sisters

But I got over my bad attitude when 3 adorable young sisters, and then their parents, wanted their pictures taken with us foreigners at the Red Fort. I wish I had taken a picture of them. The girls were approx. 9-15 years old, polite, well spoken, friendly, and their Mom also got excited after the girls had the nerve to approach us. It seemed their Dad, somewhat reluctantly, had his picture taken with us when the family told him to pose.
After all the pictures we have taken of locals in the past several months, we were more than happy to oblige. And we definitely were surprised we were such a sight! Later, another teenage girl also shyly asked us to pose.

Am writing this on the way back from Agra, and tomorrow evening we leave for Cape Town. On the 20th, we fly to Namibia. Am expecting limited internet there again, and once we return to Cape Town, we will be busy socializing much of the time. Hopefully we’ll be able to publish the India posts before we arrive in Africa. The following one might be awhile.