Join Pete and Judy on their FIRST World Cruise on the Amsterdam

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Seems like it was a hassle leaving the ship. I do remember the long walk to the fate of the pier. I wonder if lots of people feel like you do and give the feedback to HAL that they might just skip Sri Lanka all together. Not sure why but it looks like that's what has happened to Burma.

The baksheesh culture is alive and well in India. But that's not why he would not let you take you own bag. No Indian that can afford to stay in a hotel would carry their own bag. Just doesn't happen. When we arrive in chennai at our hotel we walk outside and right away, can I get you a car? No , I said, we are going for a walk. The doormen just could not understand why we would do that. No Indian would. We would find that all over the country.

I think we were in that mall as well as we were at the hard rock restaurant. Hope you have enjoy the monuments in Agra. The city is nothing to write home about. Waiting for you report.

 

 

Thanks for your insight about the bags. We are back in Hotel after Delhi tour. Will catch up,on Agra reports tonight ....fly to Dubai tomorrow.

 

Re: Colombo, HAL should offer shuttle to better part of town.....if someone dropped you off in Long Beach port and had you walk somewhere you may not be too impressed with LA

Edited March 25, 2016 by The-Inside-Cabin

[jig]

It is possible that they are not allowed to. Some ports do not allow that. There was a cruise that stopped somewhere in the South Pacific a few years ago. New port. All the drivers were waiting at the gate. Bus after bus pulled in and the drivers realized that all the pax were going to bypass them. The blocked the gate and nothing go out. I believe the pax rebounded and the ship left. An extreme example but to the locals a real issue.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

At the airport ready for flight to Dubai. Will catch up with updates enroute. One report in the can waiting for better wifi

 

Finding writing time is hard on overlands

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited March 26, 2016 by The-Inside-Cabin

[swigso]

Hi John

I have never sail HAL and favour Celebrity as my other half has Asma

and their no smoking on Balconies and the Casino is the reason why.

However we have seen a trip that really appeals to us in the Oosterdam,

She is going into refurb in April, and it seems that the Eurodam, after its recent refurb does not allow Smoking in the Casino.

What is the situation on the ship and is there anyway you could ask the staff

if they know of any changes to the current smoking policy.

My Email is blueinns@msn.com.

Thanks in anticipation and a fantastic real time Blog.

[jig]

My wife has a mild form and what we do is never walk through the casino. Also one side of the aft pool is smoking. There it can get tricky. I have found that the more Europeans on board the more smokers there are. If you want to eat outside in the rear you are limited to one side.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We are at 30000 feet on Emirates....Wifi is $1.00. Amazing...I may post before we land in 2.5 hours.

[jig]

I just saw an ad for them and they say free wifi on board. $1 not bad. Don't forget to take a shower before you get off.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I just saw an ad for them and they say free wifi on board. $1 not bad. Don't forget to take a shower before you get off.

 

 

First 10mb is free. 500mb is $1.00

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 78, Agra, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)

 

Our room in the Hilton Garden Inn was very nice, with good internet and a big shower with a lot of water volume. After getting used to the low flow showers on the ship, the high flow shower in a hotel feels like you are standing under Niagara Falls.

 

We headed down to the $15 breakfast buffet which was excellent. It wasn’t really a breakfast buffet despite looking like a breakfast buffet. The food was all on display in the round silver serving containers, with the lids that lift up, but as soon as you grab a plate and start to look at some of the food, helpful staff will take your plate and insist on dishing up the food for you. There was a “eggs to order station” and I was unable to even speak with the cook myself as you normally do, the helpful waiter insisted on having me tell her what I wanted and she would take care of it. I surrendered to their service and at this point I simply told the waiter what I wanted, as if I was ordering off a menu, returned to my seat and waited. A few minutes later my food arrived and it was very, very good.

 

Today’s plan was to drive to Agra, arrive around 1pm, meet our guide – see the Agra Fort, dinner and then attend the full moon night viewing of the Taj Mahal.

 

A little after 9 am our bus and driver were waiting outside the hotel and we were off entering into the wacky world of New Delhi traffic. Traffic is busy and crazy, as we have come to expect, but in about 20 minutes we are on an expressway where the traffic was very light. The road to Agra is a 3 lane limited access highway all the way but since the speed limit for our class of bus was 60 KPH (37 mph) it was going to take us 4 hours to get there. If we were travelling in a sedan, we could get there in half the time. Motorbikes were going even slower, maybe 30 mph, and they were generally riding on the shoulder.

 

We would often see more than 2 people on a motorbike with 5 being the most we observed: The father was driving the bike with a 5 year old straddling the gas tank, his 3 year old right behind him and Mom behind him sitting sidesaddle while holding an infant. Only the father was wearing a helmet and the tike straddling the gas tank was not even wearing eye protection. At first we would scramble to photograph what we assumed was a rare event. We found out later it was quite common and we would see at least a dozen motor bikes with 5 people on the way to Agra. Small motorcycles are everywhere in Asia and the ability to load them up with a lot of people and cargo never ceases to amaze. India, however, is unique in how many people they can put on a motorbike, as we didn’t see more than 3 people per bike while in Indonesia, Cambodia or Vietnam.

 

 

Whenever we saw a sign prohibiting some activity, we would usually see someone doing exactly that in a few minutes. There was a sign on the highway prohibiting public urination. Well a mile down the road, an intercity bus was parked on the side of the road with 8 men urinating into a ditch. There were rest stops every 20 miles so we didn’t really understand why this was necessary.

 

After 2 hours we stopped at a rest area, which had restrooms, a quick order restaurant and people selling ice cream and snacks. Pretty much what you would expect at any rest area on a limited access highway. There was a small girl dressed in a beautiful costume dancing energetically to the music being played by her father (we learned later). She was quite popular and was doing a pretty good business collecting tips from the tourists.

 

Two hours later we arrive in Agra, which is a bustling city of over 2 million, but without any skyline, It wasn’t obvious that the city was that large when we approached by the expressway. We made a brief stop along the side of the road and our Agra guide, Islam Ahmed, hopped on board. He has been a guide in Agra for over 15 years and we would come to appreciate just how good he was over the next 2 days.

 

Our first stop was the Agra Fort, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site about 1.5 miles northwest of the Taj Mahal. While described as a fort, it is really more of a walled city as it contained many other structures within the large, red exterior walls. The Mughals built this fort around 1573 after 8 years of construction.

 

 

Admission to the fort is 250Rs ($4 USD) but since we bought our Taj Ticket at the same time the total price was 1000Rs ($15 USD) which saved us from waiting in the longer ticket lines at the Taj Mahal.

 

Here at Agra Fort we first encountered the security typical for most of the Indian historical sites. There was always a metal detector, that may or may not be turned on and there wasn’t any effort to have you remove any metal items so you were typically patted down or wanded depending on the site. If the site required more aggressive pat downs, there would be a separate line for women and they would be inspected behind a screen. Cigarettes were normally banned and you were prohibited from even carrying them inside most monuments. Your bag may or may not be inspected, but there is usually a table available for inspection if they are doing them. Cameras are always allowed, but video cameras required paying a 25Rs (50 cents) video fee at some sites. The Taj Mahal has the most restrictions, but more on that later.

 

We spend a little over 2 hours exploring Agra Fort with the help of our guide who accompanied us every step of the way. Our guide, Islam, was also an expert photographer and he knew the best spots to take pictures. He was able to handle multiple cameras with ease. The guides cost about 1500 Rs ($24 USD) per day and are worth every penny. Our guide was arranged thru our Tour Company with the price arranged in advance. Many guides were offering their services on the spot and I don’t have any idea about what they charged. I would recommend getting your guides in advance thru a tour company as they probably know the best ones and the ones that can’t get tour company business are probably the ones hanging around the entrances.

 

We were all surprised that we could see the Taj Mahal so clearly from the Agra Fort. I had this misconception that the Taj Mahal was further outside the city and was hidden from view except when much closer.

 

 

Our guide also knew a few of the workers who took us “behind the scenes” into the Queen’s bath where the ceiling and walls were covered with small mirrors. They turned off the lights and held up candles which created an amazing effect as the small mirrors appeared to dance about as the candle lights shimmered.

 

By now it was 3:45 pm and we headed off for a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant called a Pinch of Spice. This restaurant was chosen by our guide so I am sure he gets a referral fee and the place caters to tourist which is fine by us. Since we are tourists, we like places that cater to tourists. We also have no problem with the guide getting a commission as long as the restaurant is good and the Pinch of Spice was outstanding. We all ordered different items, but when the food arrived, we realized that the amount of food was easily double what we needed. If you go to this restaurant, order a variety of selections to share – you won’t be disappointed. Everything we ordered was outstanding. If you are in a hurry, you should probably go elsewhere, as the entire meal took 90 minutes. Since we weren’t in a hurry we took our time eating and drinking. You could probably go faster but make your schedule known when you enter.

 

If you don’t want to go to a tourist restaurant then you need to research where you want to go in advance. Getting a local recommendation that isn’t influenced by commissions is impossible. If you select your own restaurant, make your choice clear up front to your guide and tour agency.

 

We were staying at the Doubletree Hotel and checked in around 5:30. Once again the hotel was isolated from the street by a massive wall and gate, security guards inspected all the vehicles. We entered the hotel through airport style metal detectors and X-ray machines. Every floor had a security guard roving around constantly.

 

The hotel is less than 2 years old with all suite rooms so it was very modern and comfortable. They advertise that some rooms have a view of the Taj Mahal, our room was one of them, but was fairly distant and as we learned later, the Taj Mahal is not illuminated at night, so after sunset, the Taj Mahal disappears.

 

We were off to do some shopping at 6:30 pm but again we were not specific about what type of shopping we were looking for so we went to a marble “factory” selling very nice items made from marble and then a rug shop which included a demonstration of their rug making technique. A few sales were made in the marble factory and nothing in the rug factory. We did get some complementary beverages and watching their sales pitches is entertaining and oh so predictable, but it was only an hour and the stores were air-conditioned. If you absolutely, positively don’t want to go to places like this, you need to make it clear to the tour company in advance and to your guide. Whether or not this lost commission opportunity affects their pricing is unknown to me. After these two shops we insisted to go to a tourist shop so we could get some post cards, T shirt and other things emblazoned with the image of the Taj Mahal for souvenirs.

 

We were back in our rooms around 8:45 and had a chance to rest and freshen up before our 11:30 pm pickup to see the Taj Mahal during the full moon. The Taj is only open for viewing at night 5 days a month – on the date of the full moon, 2 days before and 2 days after. We didn’t realize untill that evening that the Taj Mahal is not illuminated at night so without a full moon there wouldn’t be much to see.

 

Seeing the Taj Mahal for these night viewings requires purchasing a ticket 24 hours in advance. Tickets for the next evening go on sale at 10am the day before and you can only buy them in person in Agra. So unless you will be in Agra the day before, you really need to have a tour company involved who can arrange for you guide to pick up the tickets and then you will reimburse him when you finally meet. They only have eight 30 minute viewing times each evening with a limit of 50 people per viewing slot. Our viewing time was 12 midnight to 12:30 AM which is the last viewing of the evening.

 

The security for a night viewing is extreme. No video cameras are allowed, no mobile phones are allowed – only cameras – and they mean – only cameras (not the cameras on the iPads). After a short ride from our hotel to the Taj Mahal entry point we entered a small building with x-ray machines and metal detectors. We were advised to leave everything on the bus and we were glad we did, since everything, purses, bags you name it were not allowed and would have to be checked. Once past the metal detectors guards patted us down, having us empty our pockets and to scrutinize everything. There is a long list of banned items and even things not on the list – lipstick – were not allowed. To make it simple – only bring a still camera and leave EVERYTHING else on the bus or back in your room. These restrictions are only for the night viewing, the day time view still has plenty of restrictions, but not as many as the night viewing – lipstick is OK in the daytime. Flags and banners are always banned as I suspect they don’t want people protesting or taking protest pictures on the Taj Mahal Grounds.

 

After we cleared security, we boarded a Taj Mahal Shuttle bus and were transported about ¾ of a mile to the entrance to the Taj Mahal. At this point, the Taj remains hidden by another building called the darwaza which is a monumental structure, built primarily of marble, and is the official entrance to the Taj Mahal which is still 500 meters away on the other side of the reflecting pool. There are dim lights marking our path as well as inside the Main Gate building. After passing thru this Gate we were on the viewing platform facing the Taj Mahal which was almost invisible at this point until they turned off all the lights in the area. To our surprise, the Taj Mahal is not illuminated and the moon appeared behind us over our shoulder and not behind the Taj Mahal.

 

Once the lights are off, and our eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, the Taj Mahal appears more and more prominent under the light of the full moon. It was a little more smoky around Agra than normal because tonight was the evening they burn the bonfires (intended to destroy evil spirits) celebrating the Holi – which is a holiday in India where they celebrate colours and spring.

 

This is not the time to try and figure out how to take night shots with long exposures with your camera. If you plan on doing a night viewing, play with all your settings during a full moon at home to figure out what works best for you. Have your spouse practice being a tripod so you can stabilize your camera on their shoulder for an exposure up to 1 minute or longer. A few people tried a flash to no effect and others tried selfies with equally poor results. There are techniques were you can use a flash followed by a long exposure, but without tripods these are difficult to pull off. Practice your technique at home so you will know what does and doesn’t work with your camera.

 

Judy took a few shots with her steady hand, one of which is shown here:

 

 

Seeing the Taj Mahal under these conditions is eerie as it appears to glow in the distance and is very quiet with only 50 people in the area. After a few minutes taking photos, the crowd grew silent and everyone simply stared at this magnificent building absorbing the majesty of the moment.

 

The lights on the main building were turned back on to signal our time was up. We headed back to the small Taj Mahal busses and were driven back to the security point where we retrieved our checked items (lipsticks) and boarded our own tour bus.

 

At 12:45 am were are back on our bus and by 1 am were back in our rooms. We will meet our driver again at 6AM for our daytime viewing of the Taj Mahal. Time to get some sleep!

 

This was posted on Emirates Airlines 517 en route to Dubai

 

More on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[jig]

I don't think I got any good pics at night. But that's ok. Being there was what it's all about.

 

 

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[newfarmers]

I just saw an ad for them and they say free wifi on board. $1 not bad. Don't forget to take a shower before you get off.

 

We were shown the shower by one of our flight attendants as were getting off the Emirates A380 we flew to Auckland on. If only we could afford first on Emirates! We did enjoy the sit down bar that was available to business and first passengers. Emirates is apparently removing the showers from some of their A380s. Not sure of the reason.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We got to watch the Amsterdam arrive this morning from our room in the Hyatt Regency Dubai....back on the ship this afternoon.

 

[teamflames]

Our driver told us Indians break rules now as part of their psyche to show they are not living under the British with all their rules haha

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 79, Agra, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)

 

When we decided to go to the night viewing, we had no idea what time we would be getting tickets. They could have been anywhere from 8:30 until 12 midnight. While midnight is considered a desirable time, the moon is higher in the sky putting out more light, it wasn’t desirable since we wanted to leave the hotel at 6am the next morning.

 

None of the hotel restaurants opened until 6am so we left before we had a chance to get anything to eat, but when you are on vacation, it never hurts to skip a meal once in a while, plus we were expected to be back in our room by 10 am in time for an early lunch or late breakfast.

 

Agra’s streets were fairly empty at 6am as we left the Doubletree and headed to the Taj Mahal, less than 10 minutes away. Having visited the Taj the night before we were aware of all the restrictions and even though they’re not quite as restrictive during the day we opted to leave most of our stuff in the bus anyway. The biggest difference between night and day are an absolute ban on any bags and mobile phones, while both are permitted during the daytime hours.

 

Once again we arrived at the Eastern Gate Ticket office, which is a small building where they sell tickets. Included in the price of our ticket is a bottle of water and shoe covers we would need to wear when we went inside the Taj Mahal itself. Since we already bought tickets at Fort Agra, we were able to bypass this line and go directly to the counter to get our free water and shoe covers. While touring the Taj Mahal we saw numerous signs directly people with High Value Tickets to go this way or that way – as opposed to people with General Value Tickets. Foreigners are required to purchase a High Value Ticket for 740Rs ($11.22 USD) while Indian citizens can pay a General Value ticket for 20Rs or about 30 cents USD. High Value Ticket Holders get diverted to different lines that are generally shorter and other special preferences.

 

From the ticket office building to the Taj Mahal security entrance is about ½ mile. You can either walk, wait for a free shuttle bus or take a Bicycle Rickshaw for 50 Rs (75 cents USD). We chose to take a Rickshaw simply for the experience and it was much like a Pedi- Cab that you see in various cities in the USA. The Rickshaw dropped us off near the entrance where we went thru the standard Agra monument security check. Since this is the Taj Mahal, they take the inspections more seriously and there is a separate line for men and women, since men can be frisked in public while women are always frisked inside a small tent, out of view, by a female security guard.

 

 

NOTE: The tickets issued for night viewing are printed with your name so you can’t scalp them or let someone else use them. They do check your passport very carefully against the name on your ticket. So don’t forget to print some ID when you go to the night viewing. ID is not required for the daytime viewing as the tickets are not specific to an individual. You can also use the Western Gate or the Southern Gate, but the eastern gate can accommodate larger vehicles and has parking which is why I think most tourists end up using the eastern gate. If you are in a sedan, you may have more options.

 

We arrived at the security entrance around 6:45 am to find the line was about 15 minutes long, it grew even longer as we stood there. But when we left the Taj Mahal around 9:45, the line was non-existent and the Taj Mahal looked about the same as it did at 6:45. Consider waiting until around 8 am or so as I suspect you will avoid the rush and also the picture spots inside will be less crowded. People come early thinking that the sun will rise over the Taj Mahal for a beautiful picture, but the main viewing angle, the reflecting pool, runs North South, so the sun will rise off to the right side regardless.

 

If you don’t have a bag/purse you will be able to skip the secondary screening of people with bags and save 5 to 10 minutes by avoiding this line. Many women didn’t realize they could skip this second line if they didn’t have a bag, so pay attention once you get frisked and walk around the bag/purse inspection line if you don’t have a bag/purse. We did observe two girls with a Portugal flag in their bag being politely ask to return the flag to their car, not sure how they got thru the bag check in the first place.

 

After we passed thru the eastern gate security we walked a couple hundred yards to the main gate building which is quite beautiful in its own right. Up to now we couldn’t see the Taj Mahal as we were too close and it is hidden behind other building. When we finally walked north toward the entrance to the Taj Mahal we were able to see it for the first time thru the opening in the main gate building. At first we could only see the bottom part of the Taj Mahal in the distance, but as we got closer, the complete Taj Mahal comes into view framed by the opening in the Main Gate building. At this point it almost looks like a photograph off in the distance and only when we passed thru the Main Gate Building could we see the complete Taj Mahal, with the morning sun glistening off the familiar dome.

 

 

You can’t help but stare for a few minutes as you absorb the scene you have seen so many times before in photographs. The building is beautiful and serene and creates a sense of wonder as you try to absorb this amazing creation a mere 500 meters away. I have been to many temples, churches and mosques over the years and this is at the top of that list rivalled closely by the interior of St Peters Basilica. We recently toured Angkor Wat and that structure, while impressive, is really not in the same league as the Taj Mahal.

 

 

We would spend the next 3 hours slowly walking to and from this magnificent structure, taking photographs all along the way. It was a little crowded early, but never so crowed you couldn’t wait for a moment to get a clear picture. An hour later it was even less crowded and some of the popular photo spots were almost empty. We were told that it picks up again in the afternoon and around sunset it can be insanely crowded. As the sun won’t set behind the Taj, I don’t think that the lighting would be much different than in the morning when the crowds are much less.

 

As we continued our walk toward the Taj Mahal we stopped for some photos by some local professional who are selling them on speculation, much like they do on the ship. I was a little suspicious at first, but our guide said they were good and wanted no money up front – only after we saw the pictures and then they were only 100 Rs or about $1.50 USD for a 6 x 8. Not a bad price after we have been used to buying them from the photo shop on the ship. I would encourage you to take advantage of them, only if your guide recommends, as the pictures we bought were pretty good. I will post some later when I get back to my scanner on the ship. If they want money up front, avoid them, as the licensed photographers only work on speculation. They will meet you afterwards outside the gate with your pictures – don’t worry – they WILL find you.

 

Our guide knew all the spots to take the classic Taj Mahal Photos, including the one where you appear to be holding the Taj Mahal by the dome. A little corny, but we did it anyway.

 

As we approached the Taj Mahal, we were diverted to the left since we were High Value Ticket holders. We avoided mixing in with locals, not that we would mind, but the people who run the place seem to make sure the “High Value Ticket Holders” are treated differently. This is where you either take off your shoes, as I did, or put on the shoe covers you received back when you bought your ticket. If you lost your cover you can buy another from a man selling them nearby who will also help you take then on and off – the price is either 10Rs or 20Rs.

 

NOTE: You will find it useful to have a handful of 10 and 20 Rs notes to use for small purchases or to give as tips for minor services like having someone help take your shoe covers off.

 

Going inside the Taj requires climbing about 50 steps, not too bad, but be ready. While there are ramps to get around most of the monument, wheel chairs are not allowed onto the Taj Mahal itself. This may change and I am not totally tuned into accessibility requirements, but if this is a requirement for you, make sure you investigate thoroughly in advance.

 

Some people waited to take off their shoes once they reached the top of the steps rather than at the bottom. As we were leaving, were heard a series of thuds as we watched the guards tossing all the shoes over the railing from the top of the stairs onto the lower level 22 feet below.

 

On the way back to the entrance we lingered again at some different view spots for pictures and after 3 hours from when we entered we were back outside the grounds. The photographer who took our pictures inside found our group and we bought all 7 pictures for about $10 USD.

 

We were back in our Hotel shortly and had about 90 minutes to eat breakfast, freshen up and get checked out to meet our driver at 11:30 am to continue our tour with a visit to the Baby Taj and then the Mehtab Bagh (which is a park on the Yamuna River where we could look south and see the Taj from a different perspective.

 

The Baby Taj was built a few years before they started working on the Taj Mahal and only took 6 years as opposed to the 22 years for the Taj. This tomb represents a transition of Mughal architecture where everything was built in red sandstone to the second phase where they used white marble which is best realized with the Taj Mahal. After we saw the Taj Mahal, nothing else really compares despite this being a beautiful building in its own right. We spent about 1 hour wandering thru the tomb and the surrounding grounds.

 

Our final stop before heading back to Delhi would be a park called Mehtab Bagh, which provided different views of the Taj Mahal from the other side of the Yamuna River. Since the Taj is completely symmetrical, the building looks the same, but the background and sun angles are different. I recommend stopping here to complete your Taj Mahal Experience.

 

On our way back to our bus, we noticed a group of 4 young boys playing a game of cricket amidst the dusty fields, scrub brush and tangled trees. There were using a pile of bricks as wickers and were having a wonderful time chasing the ball thru the brush and trees after it was hit. One of the people in our group is still in his twenties so he couldn’t resist asking them if he could take a turn as the batsman and see if he could hit the ball. He managed to nail the first ball sending it soaring into the brush, but the next few pitches were harder and more bouncing making them difficult to hit squarely. It was great fun to watch and have one of us take part in a pickup cricket game . It reminded me of how we would play baseball is strange conditions when growing up in the USA.

 

 

As I mentioned earlier, yesterday was the eve of the Holi Holiday. Today many people were celebrating Holi Day by tossing balloons filled with colored dye, powder and other substances. Road side vendors are selling color filled balloons for this purpose and occasionally we saw a group of people frolicking and tossing color balloons at their friends or passersby’s. If you didn’t want to get colorized, you best stay clear of people who were tossing the colors as anyone in the area was considered fair game. (At first Judy thought it would be fun to join the celebration. She changed her mind when she found out that the colors don’t wash out of clothes and stay on the skin and hair for up to a week)

 

Even though today was a dry day to honor the holiday – no alcohol served – many young men were in a festive mood and managed to get quite drunk. On one occasion we saw them start to fight amongst the selves outside a road side shop. A few minutes later, the local police arrived, carrying some long sticks but we didn’t hang around to see how it ended. The police appeared to be in no mood for playing around and were probably ready to use their long sticks to quickly restore order if necessary.

 

Our drive back to New Delhi was the reverse of our trip down to Agra yesterday. More of the same all the way back, but because of the Holiday, the roads were almost deserted in Delhi and we made great time driving thru the city to our hotel “The Le Meridien” near central New Delhi. If I had to do it over again, I would probably go back to the Hilton Garden Inn in Saket as there was much more going on right outside the hotel. New Delhi is not like Paris where you will want to wander about interesting streets and parks. Unfortunately whenever you venture outside, you will soon be solicited for rides in Tuk Tuk’s, donations, and everything else imaginable, and you will be followed continuously, which doesn’t make you want to spend much time strolling the streets – at least not here. There may be other spots or times when it is OK.

 

We were in our rooms by about 7pm and stayed put getting some rest until the next morning.

 

More on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the great pointers!

[RuthC]

What a day! You must have been exhausted, but that "happy tired" that leaves you falling asleep with a smile on your face.

 

This was a great write-up. Thank you so very much for sharing it with us.

[jig]

You time in Agra seems to have been very busy. But you did get to see a lot. My only thing that I might disagree with you is getting to the taj early. Maybe because we got there in Jan the time of sunrise was earlier so we got to see it change many colors. You now are pretty much at the end of tourist season. I think we went around 10:00PM to the full moon. And we also did it in one day. Looking toward to your report of Delhi. We spent about a week there.

[jig]

I mean the sunrise was latter. And we had a taj view room from the clarks Shiraz as well. Just needed really really good eyes.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

You time in Agra seems to have been very busy. But you did get to see a lot. My only thing that I might disagree with you is getting to the taj early. Maybe because we got there in Jan the time of sunrise was earlier so we got to see it change many colors. You now are pretty much at the end of tourist season. I think we went around 10:00PM to the full moon. And we also did it in one day. Looking toward to your report of Delhi. We spent about a week there.

 

 

 

I agree we should have been their earlier or waited a little later.

[cccole]

Wow, what great reports from India. Sounds like you had an incredible time. I loved the photo of the Taj with the only light being the moon light. It reminded me of a Seurat painting. And also the one of the reflection in the water!!! Just beautiful and the details of your trip were so interesting. Thank you, Cherie

[Jeep61]

Great reporting and we all appreciate your enthusiasm! I concur with the varied colors of the Taj Mahal depending on time of day - we saw it as the mist was rising at sunrise (it was a soft golden color), in full sun and clear skies (it was brilliant white), and as the sun was setting (it was a pink glow) - the different tints of color were all beautiful. I think sunset was the most impressive as we sat watching the western facade - add to that the brilliant colors of the saris walking in front and it was an unforgettable evening.

 

What did you learn about the scaffolds on the minarets? When did they appear and how long will they be there? They were absent when we were there two years ago. Thanks.

[jig]

I noticed that too. Always a shame when that happens. The taj is just such an elegant structure. The slightest thing can take away a lot. But it's still the taj.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Great reporting and we all appreciate your enthusiasm! I concur with the varied colors of the Taj Mahal depending on time of day - we saw it as the mist was rising at sunrise (it was a soft golden color), in full sun and clear skies (it was brilliant white), and as the sun was setting (it was a pink glow) - the different tints of color were all beautiful. I think sunset was the most impressive as we sat watching the western facade - add to that the brilliant colors of the saris walking in front and it was an unforgettable evening.

 

 

 

What did you learn about the scaffolds on the minarets? When did they appear and how long will they be there? They were absent when we were there two years ago. Thanks.

 

 

 

They are cleaning the marble.

 

More here. http://m.firstpost.com/india/facelift-for-taj-mahal-the-monument-gets-a-much-needed-beauty-treatment-2454122.html

Edited March 28, 2016 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 80, New Delhi, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)

 

Not having to start our tour until 9am was a minor luxury in itself. We didn’t get much sleep the night before so we welcomed the opportunity to go to bed a little earlier and not be rushed in the morning.

 

We met with the owner of Let’s Go India, Ramesh Kumar, at 9 am to go over our schedule for the day. We had originally planned to see 10-12 different sites but after our experience in Agra we realized that was unrealistic and we pared the list down to 5 sites topped off by a drive past the President’s House. Unless you are an aficionado of ancient Indian architecture or history, the differences between many cultural sites will be lost on the casual observer. If spending more time here I would look at balancing the visits to temples, tombs and forts with other more contemporary tourist sites, museums and markets. We had 1 day here, enough time to only scratch the surface.

 

Our guide for today was a young man, JHendra Singh (we called him Jeet), who moved here from his hometown some distance away since he is able to work as a guide every day in Delhi while finding work in his hometown was difficult…

 

Throughout the day we would encounter street vendors (selling all different types of trinkets and souvenirs), beggars and Tuk Tuk drivers. They range from being extremely aggressive (starting to follow us into our bus) to mildly persistent. Having a car or driver is essential to provide some refuge as you move from spot to spot. Some parts of the city on our tour were worse than others in this regard. We were hardly there long enough to try to really figure things out, but this is not a city for casual walking unless you get some information in advance about where and when this may be possible without being constantly approached.

 

Jama Masjid was our first stop and is the largest Mosque in Delhi with room to accommodate 25,000 worshipers. In most places, shorts below the knee were acceptable, but here you had to wear a cover/robe unless you were wearing long pants. Women had to wear them as a robe, men wore them as a skirt with the sleeves tied around the waist. They had them available to use free of charge but would accept a small tip (10 Rs). No shoes were allowed and but they had paper slippers you could use if desired. This mosque was built in the same timeframe as the Taj Mahal and has 3 gates, 4 towers and 135 foot tall minarets. There was a sign indicating that you could climb to the top of one of the minarets, but we didn’t investigate any further. Admission was free, but if you wanted to take pictures you had to buy a camera pass for 300 Rs ($5 USD) per camera.

 

After about 1 hour we got back in our bus and headed over to Raj Ghat which is a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. It also marks the spot where he was cremated back in 1948 after he was assassinated. The memorial is small, simple and features an eternal flame. Admission was free, but you had to pay 10Rs is you wanted to check your shoes. There were shelves available if you wanted to leave your shoes at the entrance at your own risk. While we paid the 10Rs we have never heard of anyone getting their shoes stolen at a place like this, but it has probably happened. The memorial is a low, square stone, maybe 12 feet on a side, covered with black marble and features an eternal flame in a glass enclosure at one end. This is a peaceful place, made for reflection and contemplation about what Mahatma Gandhi meant to the Indian people. We spent about 45 minutes wandering around the grounds before heading off to our next stop.

 

We arrived at the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib about 11:45. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is one of the most prominent Sikh houses of worship in Delhi which is actually a compound consisting of several structures including the Gurudwara (main temple with a large golden dome), tall flag pole, Sarovar (holy pond), school and an art gallery. Before we entered the temple we were escorted to a small foreign visitors room where we were required to remove our shoes, including socks, and wear a scarf covering our hair, hats that may also cover your hair were not allowed, you had to wear their special scarf. Once we had our scarves in place and our shoes removed we walked into the temple after first passing thru a small pool of water to clean our feet. We fell into a long line of other visitors and slowly moved into the temple itself where we witnesses a ceremony that seemed to be continuous and never ending. Once we looped around the central ceremony area we exited the temple by a large pond. The water in the pond is said to have healing properties and is taken back to their homes by Sikhs throughout the world. On the other side of the complex was another large building where they would be serving a meal called the Langar. Since we were there around noon we were able to witness the entire process. At first we thought it was some sort of a soup kitchen until we learned that this food is available to all visitors regardless of religion or social status and is considered to be part of the experience when you visit. Volunteers prepare the food in a huge kitchen and then serve it on metal trays to the 500 people waiting in a large room, sitting back to back on long narrow carpets. We were able to walk thru the kitchen and observe them preparing the food and then serving it to the masses.

 

 

Our own lunch was next and our guide suggested the Red Onion which was on the second floor in the Saket area, near the Hilton Garden Inn where we stayed the first night. If I had it to do over again, I would have spent more time planning the day and determine where we would be for lunch and then select the restaurant myself. The Red Onion was OK, but not a place I would have chosen on my own and wasn’t at the same level as the restaurant we had in Agra.

 

NOTE: Whenever we ate as a group on this trip, the restaurant had no difficulty preparing separate checks after we asked.

 

Lunch took about an hour and afterwards we had asked our guide to take us to a tourist shop selling souvenirs. We arrived at a 3 level store which consisted of a variety of independent vendors selling rugs, marble elephants and similar items made in India but not the touristy souvenirs and post cards we were looking for. Unless you specifically desire to shop for rugs, marble or other items like that, I would tell your guide – NO SHOPPING period. If you try and describe a certain type of tourist shop, you will likely end up at a shop like this. We left after 5 minutes. I would suggest going to the airport early where you will find all the post cards, T shirts and other items in the Delhi airport shops you could possibly want.

 

The Qutub Minar Complex was our next stop and we arrived there about 3:15. The Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world (240 feet tall) and was built in 1193 by the Sultan as a victory tower to proclaim his supremacy over vanquished Hindu rulers. You can’t go inside or climb to the top but we enjoyed walking around the grounds and looking at the various other structures in the complex.

 

 

On the way back to our bus we passed by a stand selling limeade, but you couldn’t get them to take away, as it was served in real glass glasses that had to be returned so you had to stand there and drink them on the spot.

 

Our final stop was India Gate which is a memorial to the 90,000 Indian Army soldiers who were killed in WW I, the Northwest Frontier Operations and the 1919 Anglo-Afghan War and it looks very similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Construction was started in 1921 and was completed in 1931 and remains a popular attraction for locals and tourist alike. Unlike the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, you cannot go up to the top and the base is surrounded by a low, black chain fence with Indian sailors standing guard. One of the guards was actively walking about, shooing away tourists who touched the fence or appeared as if they may step over the boundary. Another sailor with a rifle stood still near the entrance to the interior of the gate and functioned as an honor guard. There wasn’t any elaborate changing of the guard ceremony that you may observe at other memorials around the world.

 

The atmosphere around India Gate was similar to what you might find at a small county fair. There were people selling balloons, ice cream, unique Indian street food, post cards and booklets. Small radio controlled kiddie cars were used to give rides to children as the operator walked behind controlling the throttle or maybe steering the entire car. The children were moving the wheel, but we couldn’t tell the if the car was responding to children’s input or if the operator was simply moving the car according to how the kids appeared to be spinning the wheel.

 

 

Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidents House) was nearby and we drove by to take pictures looping around a traffic circle several times until everyone had a chance to see the house several times and take some pictures. This massive house was formerly home to the British Viceroy and has 340 rooms and over 2.5 KM of corridors. Tours are available, but must be made in advance.

 

We were back in our hotel by 5:30 pm. We stayed in our room packing our bags and relaxing for the rest of the evening. Our next event was checkout at noon tomorrow and then off to the airport for our flight to Dubai.

 

Lots more on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[jig]

Would like to know what the 12 sites in one day was. I would have passed on rajghat for the red fort. Hope you at least saw it. I did write about the walking in Delhi. I have never had a problem but my friend got the poop on the shoe treatment. India is a great place to spend weeks traveling in a private car.

Saw my friend pics on fb from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Looking nice. Never been there.

 

 

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