I haven’t been here long enough – next time I’ll shoot for another week or two. It was a lovely day after last night’s rain. One of my new friends brought me a string of jasmine – as I had mentioned that I like to keep fresh flowers at my office back home. Another friend took me to lunch at a gorgeous hotel (the Oberoi) – where the gardens were just spectacular. The day before I had also had a great lunch with some of the guys from R&D at a seafood place owned by an Indian movie star. This place has definitely made an impression on me – and I shall miss the wonderful people that work here (until I return, of course). There were so many loose-ends to wrap up that I was unable to leave until about 9pm. Tomorrow is a big day. I head to Delhi and use that city as a base from which to explore the northeastern part of the country. Everyone warns that I must be very careful – that Delhi is a city of hard and difficult people. I’m up for the challenge. I’ll have a private driver the entire time, so we’ll manage the crowds as a team.
Weekend plans: I’ll land in Delhi on Friday afternoon. After checking in at the hotel, I’ll go back out into the city and shop. This is strategic timing in case I need extra time to plan shipping, etc. On Saturday morning we leave bright and early for Agra, home of the Seventh Wonder of the World – the Taj Mahal. It’s a three-hour drive to Agra, but everyone says it’s worth it and that the Taj is indescribable. I shall do my best of Saturday night to let you guys know how beautiful it was… On Sunday I’ll be taking a quick round-trip flight to Jaipur – known as “The Pink City” because of all the pink marble used to build the palaces. It’s a very traditional Indian city, with many palaces and forts. I hope to buy a rug in Jaipur, as the markets here are well known throughout the country. The flight is only about 35-40 minutes – so taking a $125 round-trip flight is certainly smarter than going by car (which takes 6hrs each way). Then on Monday I’ll sightsee around Delhi (the Red Fort, India Gate, Mahatma Gandhi Park) until it’s time to go the airport. My flight isn’t until midnight – but I understand I should leave around 8-ish to clear everything prior to my 15hr flight to Chicago. Yes – the direct flight from Delhi to Chicago is a 15hr trek. And this, folks, is where I will get some much-needed catch-up sleep.
So – a big adventure of a weekend awaits. I’ll post as often as I can. Looking forward to the journey…