Live from Uniworld's India and the Sacred Ganges - Feb 6, 2017

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. Agra Fort

 

At the top of the ramp, we waited for a few minutes while some of the group took a bathroom break. We enjoyed the view of Jahangiri Mahal (a fortress within the walls of the fort), built by Akbar the Great. Jahangir's Hauz is a large marble basin in front of this, not well seen in the photo.

 

 

A close up of one of the towers. Nice open air spot for a rest, while watching the tourists go by.

 

 

Chris sporting her Vox Box. Uniworld uses these everywhere so it's easy to hear the tour guide without crowding around. It also lets them speak quietly so that the tourist attractions don't turn into a throng of shouting guides. You can enjoy the view at your own pace, linger for pictures, and not miss the commentary.

 

 

We regrouped and passed through the gate that is pictured in the last post (last picture, at the top of the ramp). This led to an even prettier structure, the Diwan E Aam. This was built a few years later than the first building, by Shah Jahan (Akbar's grandson). It was used as an audience hall.

 

 

Some of the fort is still used by the Indian military. Don't tell them that I took this picture. Maximum zoom.

 

 

Other types were visiting the fort as well. Hope he's not rabid. He looks like he's been on the wrong end of a few scuffles.

 

 

We found a shady spot here to enjoy the surroundings while Rishi talked about the fort some more.

Edited February 27, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. Agra Fort

 

One more shot of Diwan E Aam, before moving on. I loved the colorful dress of the Indian tourists. This group of ladies was lined up for a selfie. I don't know if you can see their facial expressions in this small photo, but they look deadly serious.

 

 

We passed through a gateway, into another courtyard. The view of the Khas Mahal was stunning. It was built by Shah Jahan for his daughters. But wow, the crowds!

 

 

The gardens in the inner courtyard were pretty. You can see a gold-domed tower in the middle of this picture. That is Muthamman Burj, where Shah Jahan was imprisoned at the end of his life...by his own son!

 

 

The interior of Muthamman Burj (also spelled Musamman Burj) is gorgeous, with white marble and inlaid precious stones. And the view of Taj Mahal is supposed to be stunning. But a sad place to be imprisoned, nonetheless. To see the Taj every day, but never visit, must have been heartbreaking.

 

 

Rishi took our picture here. He thought the marble screen was a nice backdrop. I don't look too sick, considering.

 

 

Just between Muthamman Burj and the Khas Mahal, there is a balcony that overlooks the river. In the distance, barely visible in the haze, is the main attraction.

 

 

I had to play around with exposure to get the Taj to even show up in a photo. This shot is purposefully very underexposed (-1.67 eV, for any photo geeks out there). At normal exposure, you can barely see the Taj at all. Hopefully we'll get a better view later!

Edited February 27, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. Agra Fort

 

We left the balcony and stepped inside Khas Mahal. There was some beautiful inlay work here, accented with gold leaf. It's been partly restored to its original glory.

 

 

The alcoves should also have a nice view of the river...

 

 

And of course, the Taj. I still wish there had been less haze.

 

 

The marble fountains in the gardens are not running today. Not sure how often they are running, but it would have been cool in the summer heat.

 

 

One last view of the gardens before we left.

 

 

And more intricate carvings in sandstone.

 

 

It was a little after 1:00 by the time we left the fort and got on the buses for the (hopefully) short ride to our hotel. It had been a very quick visit to the Agra Fort, but enough to get an overview. Time for lunch!

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. Agra

 

About 10 minutes after 1:00, and we were back on the buses to go to our new hotel, the Oberoi Amarvilas. Agra wasn't very picturesque compared to New Delhi. Though it's much smaller in size and population, it gave the impression of being older, dirtier, and more crowded.

 

We passed this golden statue along the way. I thought that our tour guide said it was a memorial to some ruler who finally gained the throne but lived only a day. Despite searching for more information ever since I've returned home, I can't elaborate further. I can't find any other information about the statue.

 

 

We arrived about 1:30 and headed straight to lunch before checking in. It was a nice buffet and I was feeling well enough to eat some food. A shame that I couldn't take full advantage but slower is better. After lunch we checked in and enjoyed the view from our room for a few minutes. Luggage arrived promptly and we got ready for touring.

 

 

A word about luggage. We left our checked bags outside the door this morning in Gurgaon. Label them with your name, and with a color-coded tag that you get from your tour guide (ours was red, for bus #1). The hotel staff collected them and brought them to the buses. When we went to board the bus at Gurgaon, we had to identify our bags to the porters, who then loaded them into our bus. We didn't have to re-identify bags upon arrival; they grabbed them and distributed them to the rooms. Carryon bags stayed with us on the buses, and at lunch.

 

Our tour to Taj Mahal left at 3:00, so we decided to check out the grounds for a few minutes. Nice swimming pool is an understatement! This looks amazing!

 

 

Another overview, looking back at the hotel. Too bad there isn't much time to lounge around. The choices here are excruciating. But no way we're missing the Taj Mahal...

 

 

We headed back to the lobby to pick up our e-tickets to the Taj. Nice chandelier! This place seems even fancier than the Oberoi in Gurgaon. Well, maybe not fancier, but it's a different style. Gurgaon was more contemporary, and this is more old-fashioned elegance (or opulence; take your pick). We really liked the vibe.

 

 

They had printed the tickets out for us, and reminded us that we had to bring our passports along for identification. If we did not show photo ID matching the name on the ticket, at the gate, there would be no entry. So we double checked our names and passport numbers on the ticket.

 

Off we went, through the hotel courtyard.

 

 

They had electric golf carts waiting for us, which held about 8-10 people per cart. Onward to the Taj! This is the one sight that we were most anticipating, so it was exciting to be so close.

Edited February 27, 2017 by jpalbny

[mimmy52]

I always enjoy your trip reviews, JP. Most of what I know about India comes from The Amazing Race and a few books I've read. One thing you haven't mentioned and is obvious every time The Race goes to India is the smell. From your pictures, it looks as though you were always in tourist areas or on a bus. Did you ever notice an odor? I don't mean from spices or cooking.

 

And I'm impressed that you recovered so quickly from a GI bout. I know I would've been one of those who ended up with it much worse.

[Cruise Critic Chris]

Don't want to hijack JP's excellent blog, but here's my review of Ganges Voyager II: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=1217

[jpalbny]

I always enjoy your trip reviews, JP. Most of what I know about India comes from The Amazing Race and a few books I've read. One thing you haven't mentioned and is obvious every time The Race goes to India is the smell. From your pictures, it looks as though you were always in tourist areas or on a bus. Did you ever notice an odor? I don't mean from spices or cooking.

 

Thanks for following along!

 

Absolutely, lots of things to smell here. In Delhi, we smelled more smoke than anything else. Not sure if it was smog (industrial) pollution, or wood fires. It smelled more like wood, but we didn't really see fires like we saw in Madagascar. We really didn't do too much in Agra outside of the touristy areas. Jaipur, not so much either. I don't remember a specific smell to report from there other than the occasional public restroom...

 

We got right up close and personal with all sorts of smelly stuff in the second half of the trip. Much more "interesting" odors there, to be shared in good time... :eek:

 

And I'm impressed that you recovered so quickly from a GI bout. I know I would've been one of those who ended up with it much worse.

 

Better living through chemistry. Do not try this trip without being prepared for GI illness.

 

Others on the trip tried to wait it out. You kind of knew what was going on when someone from your bus stopped showing up for tours for a day or two. I didn't want to miss anything, so I hit the meds early and often. This isn't our first trip to a less-developed country, nor is it my first experience with enterotoxic E. coli, so we knew what to expect. All that schooling had to pay off somehow!

 

Which reminds me, I have to restock my supply of Cipro. Between my own intake, and what I gave away to less-prepared travel companions, I'm fresh out. :D

[jpalbny]

Don't want to hijack JP's excellent blog, but here's my review of Ganges Voyager II: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=1217

 

Great review, Chris. Thanks for providing the link; I've been waiting for it!

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. Taj Mahal by Evening

 

It was a few minutes in the golf carts before we got to the East Gate. Then we waited in line a good 10 minutes or so while the ticket checkers and the security folks dilly-dallied. It was a slow process, but eventually we got in.

 

Here's the view looking back at the East Gate. A few ground rules - no backpacks or other large bags, no tripods, no food (water was OK). Metal detectors. Pat-downs. Bags checked. Are we taking a flight?

 

 

We walked towards the Great Gate (Darwaza-i rauza).

 

 

The view from head-on, before we entered.

 

 

First view of the Taj Mahal, from the archway of the Great Gate. This was designed to frame the dome of the Taj Mahal, without the minarets, and make it look bigger. It's impressive, for sure.

 

 

A full-on view with the minarets, and a bunch of tourists for good measure.

 

 

And of course, the many pools provided ample opportunity to try for that perfect reflection.

 

 

But this is just the beginning. So much more to see here!

[kathy9]

The Taj Mahal!

What a beautiful shot to end this installment with.

Kathy

[ex-Yachtie]

Great posts and pix JP, and a very useful and informative review Chris (Cruise Critic Chris). They have already answered many of the questions I had. There is just one that would help me decide what to pack:

 

In your pix so far JP, the likely Uniworld males that I can see are all wearing long trousers. Chris also says "light pants for tours" and while saying that shorts are the norm on deck (whew!), it's also long pants for men at dinner.

 

I know that knees and temples have to be covered in temples and other holy sites. (We have travelled in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, where a wraparound borrowed from my wife sufficed for my knobbly knees.) But is there any other reason that I shouldn't wear shorts on excursions? While I am comfortable with and even enjoy "dressing up" to suit an occasion, the norm for me otherwise outdoors would be shorts. Although I am grateful to have read Chris' advice about closed shoes. The pair of open sandals that I was going to take will now stay in the wardrobe!

 

I would also be happy to "dress up" to some extent at dinner, if everybody else is doing so. But if I do take shorts for deck and some excursions, wearing shorts at all but the most formal dinners would help my luggage weight. And Uniworld's only comment in the Cruise Companion document is "we require footwear to be worn at all times in the dining room". As I should expect! :)

[eyeu]

cant wait to read about your trip as well as your pics!

thanks..

rick

[jpalbny]

Hi ex-Yachtie, you must be leaving soon! How exciting. I hope I can get some more of the review done to whet your appetite further.

 

We pack light and had zero issues meeting the weight limit. We had one checked bag each, carry-on size (22") and they weighed about 12 kg each. Our carry-on bags were small and we were able to make the 7kg allowance, though they were not weighed at the airport.

 

Key tricks: light pants (think nylon or light cotton). We get most of ours from Eddie Bauer. I brought 3 pairs of shorts, which I did wear on some excursions. No issues if not visiting temples. I also brought a pair of sandals. They are handy on the boat and at the hotels. But definitely wear closed shoes on the tours. Too much mud and worse to step in.

 

Limit shoes. I wore a pair of skechers on the plane, packed sandals and one pair of black slim-profile sneakers. Chris brought similar sneakers plus flats and sandals which were small and light.

 

I brought a few t-shirts and four button-down shirts (thin material) that I wore at dinner. Chris brought a few cotton dresses from Tommy Bahama for dinners.

 

There is laundry in the ship. Relatively cheap. If you're a past cruiser you get one free bag per person on the boat. That was more than enough. Could have packed less.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. Taj Mahal by Evening

 

We found a slightly less crowded part of the gardens for a breath of air, and some leisurely pictures. The sun was getting lower on the horizon already and the light would start changing soon. Rishi set us up for this touristy shot...I thought it would be cheesy, but I ended up liking it!

 

 

 

Two comments. I can't believe that this is a cell phone snapshot. The Galaxy S7 takes really nice pictures! And, on the bench at the bottom of the picture...another couple having their picture taken. They look so serious!

 

The white marble is starting to take on a slightly golden hue as we approach closer. I wish the last minaret was out of its scaffolding, but I have to admit that the three that have been cleaned look beautiful. So I guess the restoration work is worth it. Maybe next year all four will be as beautiful?

 

 

This building is on the right side as you face the Taj. It's called the "answer" (jawab) and balances the mosque which is on the other side. It's debated whether it actually served a purpose, or was built solely for symmetry. It may have been used as a boarding house, we were told.

 

 

We headed towards the left and away from the crowds. This view almost hides the one minaret in scaffolding. The yellow is deepening. Sunset won't be far from now. The screen that you can see is a fence that surrounds a raised platform, upon which the Taj, mosque, and jawab all sit.

 

 

Chris enjoyed the view as well...as this picture shows, it's all she could look at.

 

 

We worked our way back around to the stairs where you can enter the platform where the Taj sits. To ascend the platform, and enter the Taj itself, you have to either remove or cover your shoes. We chose these fashionable booties that the guides provided.

 

 

Off to get a closer look! So far it's pretty impressive, though the crowds are insane.

Edited February 28, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. Taj Mahal by Evening

 

We climbed up on to the platform and got a closer look. I like this view even though not everything fits within the picture frame. The golden color against the deep blue sky was amazing.

 

 

Here is the mosque on the other side - the structure that the "answer" was built to balance. We didn't visit that.

 

 

From here we climbed up to the level of the (false, empty) tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz. The real tombs are in a lower level. Rishi says that you can't visit there because it's a small, enclosed space, and there is poor air circulation, so it isn't conducive to large crowds.

 

Rishi stopped near the entrance to the mausoleum to point out some of the fine pietra dura work. It's truly a work of art. Beautiful colors, intricate designs, and amazing quality. The whole surface is so smooth. You wouldn't know that it's all inlay work from feeling it.

 

 

The mausoleum itself is a mosh pit. Though we were good and obeyed the "no photos" sign, all of the local tourists were taking pictures willy-nilly and crowding around the delicate marble screens which shielded the sarcophagi from the crush of humanity. Despite it being an upper floor with decent-sized doorways and windows, it felt stifling and incredibly crowded.

 

I can't imagine how miserable it would be to try to visit the real tombs in the basement, with this mass of humanity accompanying us. Yikes!

 

We had a quick look at the tomb and headed out when we could escape the mad rush. This view of the river, from the back of the Taj, was idyllic. Only a few feet from the madness, but worlds apart.

 

 

More architecture. When you looked at these small vertical columns, you would swear that they had sharp pointed corners. The zig-zagged strips of colored stone creates the illusion. When you approach closely and touch them, they are smooth and flat. Very impressive visual trickery!

 

 

There are other optical illusions in the Taj as well. The Arabic script running up the walls is carved larger, the further up it goes, so that it all appears the same size when you are at ground level.

 

Here is another shot of the jawab / "answer" as the last direct rays of the setting sun illuminate it. The gold makes the red sandstone and white marble really pop.

 

 

It's time to start heading back towards the exit, unfortunately. The monument closes at sundown.

Edited March 1, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. Taj Mahal by Evening

 

Before we left the platform for the walk back, a close-up of a minaret. The four minarets were purposefully designed to be tilted outward by one or two degrees off vertical. We were told that this was in case of an earthquake; were that to happen, they would fall away from the Taj Mahal structure, rather than towards it, and therefore not damage it.

 

 

The last rays of light on the white marble. Lucky us; this isn't our last sighting.

 

 

A beautiful reflection.

 

 

We walked back towards the Great Gate. It's a very elegant structure in its own right.

 

 

Good night - for now.

 

 

Beautiful sunset colors in the sky outlined the wall of the complex as we exited the gardens, and headed out for the night.

 

 

Now it was time to go back to the hotel for dinner! I'm not sure that my stomach is back to normal just yet, but I'm not feeling too bad. Time for more Cipro. We'll see what transpires.

Edited March 1, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, February 8th. End of a busy day in Agra.

 

As we were leaving the complex, I got this series of pictures. A monkey was running around on the walls.

 

 

I got lucky, and snapped a photo of him in mid-jump.

 

 

An uneventful ride back to the hotel on the golf carts - once we found our driver. I think he was off at a cafe having tea...

 

We weren't too hungry for dinner yet, and I was so tired that I almost fell asleep for the night when we got back at 6:30. We decided to try to stay awake for dinner at the hotel restaurant, at 7:45. It was a nice relaxing meal.

 

We had a warm Thai duck salad starter. This had some spicy heat as well - two chili peppers worth. Chris held her own.

 

 

The server seemed upset that we didn't want to order soup. We were trying to have a smaller meal, but he brought us each a small taste of their mushroom soup anyway. It was very good.

 

 

Then I had Thai green curry shrimp for my main course.

 

 

It was a neat presentation. The rice was wrapped in a thin egg omelet. You can see it on the right side of my plate.

 

Sea bass for Chris.

 

 

No dessert tonight.

 

It was a welcome change from the incredibly spicy Indian food that we both needed. Though I was feeling fairly good, I wasn't quite ready to dive back into the complex, heavier foods tonight.

 

Yes, green curry is spicy, but to my taste buds, it's a "cleaner" less complex spiciness. Hard to explain, but it was what I was craving, and it fit the bill perfectly.

 

Early to bed tonight, as we have an early morning visit to the Taj tomorrow. We'll try to be there for sunrise! We went to bed by 9:30.

 

I woke up briefly around 2:00. My stomach was just fine, though, and I slept ok after that. We were up for good a little after 5:00, eager to get going. Not a bad night's sleep!

Edited March 1, 2017 by jpalbny

[ex-Yachtie]

Many thanks JP. Both my wife and I like to travel as light as you, although that also tends to change when my wife starts shopping for clothes. ;p For our last couple of trips we have shared one 23kg checked case. But not this time. After our Uniworld trip my wife joins new arrivals from back home for another India trip up North, what in summary I'll call a "retreat with Tibetans". Not my scene, so I'll return home alone. :rolleyes:

 

Your suggestions have helped clarify my thinking. And yes, much excitement, we leave in two days. I'll continue to enjoy your posts while on the tour. But why couldn't you have gone on an earlier trip so that we had the full story before we left? :)

[jpalbny]

One note from February 7th

 

Almost forgot the big excitement from the first day!

 

After dinner, we were relaxing in the room, flopped on the couch before bed. I felt something move but assumed I was just tired, and my sense of equilibrium was off.

 

Chris looked at me funny and asked why I was shaking the couch. I replied that I was not doing anything of the sort. The shaking was definitely perceptible and continued for a short time before stopping.

 

Turns out that there had been a decent-sized earthquake in the north! http://indianexpress.com/article/india/5-8-on-richter-quake-rocks-uttarakhand-delhi-4511344/

 

All was fine. Kind of cool in retrospect. I remember the big East Coast earthquake of 2011. I was at work and my window blinds were swaying pretty good then.

 

This didn't feel as intense nor did it last as long, but it didn't take long to figure out what it was.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[jpalbny]

Thursday, February 9th. Morning at the Taj Mahal

 

We were up before dawn, because we had another visit planned to the Taj Mahal today. Double the value on this trip! After shaking the sleepy dust from our eyes, we went to the lobby for coffee at 5:45. Feeling OK but too early to eat, for sure.

 

 

Hemesh (in the butterscotch colored pants) consults with our guides to make sure that all is well. Rishi is (as usual) facing away from us with his hands behind his back.

 

 

We picked up our e-tickets and piled into the electric carts for a short ride to the gates. There was a much smaller queue, but a bit of a wait before we the doors opened and we could enter. Once the line got moving, it was much quicker than yesterday. We hustled through the main gate.

 

 

Just a little pink hue on the white marble this morning. The pink morning hue is more prominent in the summer, we are told. The mist looks really pretty, though.

 

 

Someone looks fresh as a daisy despite the early hour. I'm not really ready for prime time just yet. I know to stay on the other end of the lens.

 

 

In the still morning air, the water is smooth and the reflection is sharp. Great to be back for a second look, before the masses descend.

 

 

Off to storm Diana's bench! Rishi has promised that we'll get good pictures this morning.

[jpalbny]

Thursday, February 9th. Morning at the Taj Mahal

 

Chris posing on Diana's bench. Rishi was true to his word, and anyone in the group who wanted a picture got one.

 

 

I joined Chris on the bench for a lovely picture of the two of us. I'll show this one instead, that I took from the bench. It's much easier on the eyes.

 

 

Just a little more pink hue before the sun rises. It didn't last long.

 

 

A shot of both of us. This was taken just a little beyond the central platform where Diana's bench is located.

 

 

The pink hue lasted only a few minutes. It's already changed to yellow. It is a spectacular sight no matter what the color.

 

 

Here comes the sun! The light is changing by the minute.

 

 

Is it time for breakfast yet? All of this standing in line, and taking pictures, is making me hungry!

Edited March 2, 2017 by jpalbny

[kathy9]

Beautiful pictures....worth getting up early!

 

Kathy

[jpalbny]

kathy9, it was a great visit in the morning. Fewer crowds, and different lighting. I'm glad we had both visits. It took the pressure off to see everything in one visit.

 

ex-Yachtie, safe travels and enjoy! Looking forward to hearing from you during and after the trip to see what you think. Feel free to fill in details if I'm forgetting things. If you see Rishi as a local guide during the first half of the trip, give him our regards (and get in his group if you can).

 

eyeu, great to hear from you as always. Thanks for following along!

[jpalbny]

Thursday, February 9th. Morning at the Taj Mahal

 

One more picture with a great background.

 

 

The birds didn't seem impressed with the view, though. They were too busy searching for breakfast.

 

 

This is a close-up of the door to the mausoleum. We should have made a run for it this morning. Much less crowded now. But this morning visit was just for the views, so we enjoyed them, and resisted the temptation.

 

 

The reddish glow from the rising sun is really pretty on the white marble. Glad we came back for the early view! It was worth the 5AM wake up call.

 

 

A close up of the dome.

 

 

The sun is rising rapidly. Soon the pink will be gone. But it was beautiful while it lasted.

 

 

We headed back to the exit, very happy with the second visit. The first visit had been a little overwhelming due to the crowds, and the excitement. This had a much different vibe. Though we were certainly excited to be there again, we were much more relaxed and didn't feel that we had to rush around to see the "whole thing" again. Plus the colors were beautiful too.

Edited March 2, 2017 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Thursday, February 9th. Morning in Agra

 

After one last look, we exited through a small passageway beside the Great Gate.

 

 

Nice archways in the wall that surrounds the Taj. Rishi set up this picture.

 

 

Rishi was one of the best guides we've ever had, at least with regard to photography. He obviously has been doing this for a long time, and knows where to set up good shots. I will confess that I got the idea for the close-up of Chris' sunglasses, with the Taj reflected in them, from Rishi. Wish I could take credit for it...

 

Goodbye for now.

 

 

Back to the golf carts. It's almost 8:00, and way past time for breakfast!

 

The breakfast buffet at the hotel was nice, and we went directly there upon our return. After that, it was time for a shower.

 

There was an included excursion later this morning, which was a visit to a place where they have a demonstration of the techniques used for marble inlay. This involves carving out a design in the white marble, then shaping semi-precious stones to fit into the design, and finally assembling the finished product. We had initially thought of blowing that off to relax by the swimming pool. It was a tough decision!

 

 

But we decided to go after all. It was impressive work, and of course there was ample shopping opportunity after the demo. Here's a work in progress.

 

 

We picked up a small marble elephant with some inlaid colored stones for 1350 rupees.

 

First caveat: they mark the price up significantly, probably 20%, if you paid in dollars by credit card. So I used one of my 2000 Rupee notes to purchase it at the lower Rupee price. Know the conversion rate! I found that the fastest way to convert (about 67 Rupees to the dollar) was to chop off the last two digits and add 50%. So, 1300 rupees = 13 plus half again, about $20. When they wanted to charge $25, I paid in Rupees. Not every place will gouge the price if you pay in dollars. Some will.

 

Second caveat: immediately after the demo, they bring you to a room with large items such as table tops, wall pieces that can be hung as art, and larger carved animals. The prices there are fairly expensive - think hundreds of dollars. Don't misunderstand - they are beautiful works of art, and if you like them, it's probably worth it. But, when it's time to leave, you exit through a second display room, with all of the cheaper items. That's where we found our elephant. It was made by "students" so it's of lesser quality, and therefore cheaper. Cute enough for display in our home.

 

Back to the hotel to pack up and have lunch. This guy is guarding the entrance as you walk in. I'd love him by our front door.

 

 

Nice buffet again. Plenty to eat. I'm feeling fairly normal again, so unlike yesterday, I could really enjoy it. Note to future travelers: bring meds!

Edited March 2, 2017 by jpalbny