India: Sights Uncovered - Travel With Tessa

By Tessa Ingel

India- Land of maharajah’s palaces, forts, ancient customs, insane traffic, tropical forests, and tranquil waterways. It can be chaotic, hot, sticky and congested; tranquil, cool, fragrant and rejuvenating. It awakens all one’s senses. Travel with me to uncover this amazing country’s many facets, which intertwine to create an unforgettable tapestry, and for a taste of India, try out my collection of India inspired recipes at the end of each chapter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tessa Ingel
• Release date: Jul 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370393909

Tessa Ingel

Welcome to Sights Uncovered. I hope that you will travel with me regularly to uncover wonderful sights around the world. When we travel every day is a new adventure; around every corner lies a new sight; every encounter with the local people enriches us; every meal is a delight, and sometimes a challenge to the palate and the digestive system. When traveling I feel so present, so in the moment, so alive. I look forward to sharing the magic of travel with each of you. Andiamo! Vamonos! Allons-y! Yalla! Laat ons loop! Lass uns gehen! Chalie Chalate Hain! Vamos! Yuko! Let's Go! Happy Travels. Tessa.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Delhi

The chaos, colors, smells, and sounds of India are there to greet us on arrival at Mumbai International airport. After a year of planning, pouring over maps, reading, researching, emailing hotels and drivers, we are finally here!

Although I love the process of putting our trips together – it’s at least one quarter of the enjoyment of the ultimate experience – I’m always a little apprehensive that I’ve overlooked important, relevant details, until that moment when our feet hit the ground and we immerse ourselves in the joy of discovery. From that moment on, we just go with the flow.

The sheer size of India and its vastly varying climate zones, topography, attractions, distances, and cultures, made the planning process both daunting and challenging at times, but always fascinating and exciting.

We had heard so many people’s opinions of India and no one was neutral. They all had strong opinions from: The most amazing destination we have ever visited. To: It’s noisy, overcrowded, full of beggars, smelly, stinky and the ROADS! Why would you choose to go there? We had been flying and deprived of sleep for two days and a night, having flown from Johannesburg South Africa to Dubai – where we had a four hour layover – before continuing on to Mumbai and another four hour layover, followed by a relatively short domestic flight to Delhi.

As the fourth most populated city in the world with a population of thirteen million, Mumbai – which is the commercial capital of the country – handles a mind boggling volume of traffic going through its airports on a daily basis.

After enduring endless scan lines, security checks, and bus rides, we finally reached the domestic terminal, which lifted our spirits. It’s airy, modern, efficient and clean. We settled down to a light breakfast and steaming hot cups of cappuccino then browsed the stores and excellent bookshop.

Jet Airways was efficient and on time. The service on board the flight superior to anything we experience these days on some domestic flights at home. We were met at Delhi’s modern, clean, easy to navigate, airport by a representative from the Master Guesthouse and a driver. Being Sunday, traffic was light, so we were treated to a gentle introduction to the famous Indian roads. We sat back, relaxed, and took in the sights of Delhi unfolding all around us. To our surprise, the city has wide tree lined boulevards and extensive shady parks. British colonial architecture mixes with charming distinctly Indian architecture, skyscrapers, government buildings, hotels and modern office buildings. The pollution, however, hangs like a thick blanket in the air. Even inside the car, it seemed to stick in our throats, eyes and noses, and one’s hair instantly acquires the texture of straw.

Turning off the wide streets into a charming quiet neighborhood, we wound through a spider's web of narrow, leafy, one-way streets and arrived at the Master Guesthouse. Inside the warm, rich gleaming wood interior of the house, we were greeted by our gracious host Avnish, who ushered us into the dining room where hot strong tea and biscuits (cookies) were served.

For me, tea is akin to a medicinal remedy. I was raised by a mother, who when tired or faced with a difficult situation, would say: Let’s first sit down and have a cup of tea. Like her, a good cup of hot strong milk tea served in a china cup – with a couple of biscuits (cookies) – revives and restores me instantly.

Over tea, we found out that Avnish, like Stan, is a chartered accountant by profession. He had worked in finances for several large Indian hotel chains, and when we met he was hosting a weekly radio program, which dealt with the stock market and the economy. He also runs a unique and much raved about 'Hidden Delhi Tour' for guests.

I had pictured Ushi – Anish’s wife – to be a middle-aged, portly, smiling grandmotherly lady. Instead, a petite, delicate, elegant young woman, who is the mother of three teenagers, arrived while we were having tea and introduced herself as Ushi – the person I had been corresponding with for the past nine months. She is clearly the heart and soul of the guesthouse. Her personal special touches and flair are evident everywhere. One instantly feels a certain aura about her, which is no wonder, as we came to find out that she is a highly regarded and accomplished Reiki healer – not only in India but internationally. Within the guesthouse, she caters to her guests every need and request with quiet authority, charm, and efficiency. Her staff of five is trained so that the Guest House runs like a well-oiled machine. They are on the ball, attentive and unobtrusive. No five-star hotels could compete with the welcoming warmth, the care, and the experience of staying with this highly sophisticated, educated and down to earth couple. Staying with them was an incredible way to be introduced to India.

Our room with bathroom en suite sat on the top floor of the house. Our large wooden double doors opened onto a terrace filled with green leafy plants and flowering planters. Rattan lounging chairs covered with comfy colorful cushions, a coffee table, rocking chair (which was to become my favorite spot to relax with a cup of tea) and armchairs, created a charming outdoor living area.

Breakfast and other meal requests were written down on a pad of paper and left on the sideboard outside the dining room. One simply noted ones choices from a menu, the time and place one preferred one’s meal to be served and it arrived like clockwork. Stan and I ate breakfast on our outdoor patio and dinner either in our suite or with other guests in the dining room.

On our first day in India, I awoke feeling very weak, fatigued and nauseated, and my knees ached. Just climbing the small flight of stairs up to our room was excruciating. Avnish had put together a morning tour for us, which he calls: ‘The Soft Landing – Discover Delhi Tour,’ so off I went to explore in spite of my weakened state. The tour turned out to be a great introduction to the city. We set out with our driver making two brief stops. The first at India Gate – built to commemorate those who gave their lives during the First World War – and the second, the heavily guarded Presidential residence. Then it was on to Humayun’s Tomb, which was built for the second Mughal emperor by his Persian born, senior wife.

This beautiful, serene garden tomb, facing a large reflecting pool, was constructed with a mixture of rich red sandstone and cool white marble. Close to it, surrounded by a low carved wall, sits the ISA KHAN TOMB and mosque, built in the sixteenth century twenty years prior to Humayun’s Tomb. Octagonal in shape and adorned with canopies, glazed tiles, tall archways, and lattice work, – it’s less imposing than Humayun’s Tomb but has a quiet grace and elegance to it. The entire compound and its surrounding gardens emanated a peace and serenity that encouraged us not only to explore but to linger and soak up the atmosphere. By noon, hordes of tourists – mainly Indian – were pouring through the gates to visit the tombs. So on day one, we learned a valuable lesson: in India if one would like to visit any of the places of interest when there is virtually no one else around, plan to get there when the gates open – which is usually between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. – and leave by noon. According to our guide, the locals generally don’t get going until around 11:30 a.m.

On to Dilli Haat, a permanent, open-air art, and crafts market, which has a charming rural atmosphere and feel to it. Here, little stalls jammed side-by-side offer authentic crafts of good quality, at reasonable prices, from all over India. Bargaining is acceptable of course and even expected. The array of merchandise is endless: from handmade dhurrie rugs to pashminas, silver jewelry, ayurvedic body oils and soaps, herbal medicinal remedies, clothing, fabrics, and beautiful handmade leather bound journals. Before making our purchases, we rested our weary feet, and enjoyed ice cold beer shandies and samosas in the cool shade of a canopied café, while watching the parade of people go by.

Invigorated by the infusion of beer and hot, spicy, samosas, we switched to shopping mode. I made my first purchase of several Kameez – the long, cool, cotton Indian blouses, which I lived in throughout the next two months; a handmade leather-bound diary, which in the USA is not half as beautiful and costs five times the price; and a pashmina, that is like a delicate puff of baby powder, yet warm and extremely versatile. I was to get a lot of use out of it, both as a scarf - to liven up an outfit - and to keep me warm as a shawl, on the cool desert nights we were soon to experience in Rajasthan.

Our final stop was lunch at a restaurant on Pandara Road, where we had our first truly Indian meal of succulent tandoori chicken; paneer cheese and spinach; and a curried vegetable dish; all served with hot, freshly baked naan.

Back at Master Guesthouse, I crawled the steps up to our room, showered and fell into bed. Stan decided it was a perfect opportunity to experience Ushi’s Reiki skills and went in search of her. The only thing I remember is her standing over me and explaining the process. I closed my eyes, awoke eight hours later - still lying in the same position- disoriented in time and space, and asked Stan: Where is Ushi? Then fell back into a deep peaceful sleep.

I don’t know what magic her Reiki skills worked on me, but at 5:15 a.m. the next morning I was up and dressed feeling like my old self again, no sign of pain or nausea, ready to greet our guide and driver from Luxe India.

Luxe India was the tour company I had contacted to arrange two segments of our journey through India: A trip to Agra, and a tour of Mumbai at the very end of our stay. Their service was impeccable. Their representative had visited us the previous day at the Master Guest House and spent a half hour reviewing our itineraries. We were presented with a fully charged paid for cell phone, programmed with the business and mobile phone numbers of five of their company’s representatives in India.

We departed for the Delhi train station in the cool darkness of the early morning, when the streets and wide boulevards were still deserted. Then suddenly GRIDLOCK! Cars locked together higgledy piggeldy, motorbikes, bicycles, animals, vendors, beggars, not a speck of roadway asphalt visible, and zero movement.

To our relief, our guide asked if we would mind walking the half block to the station. We gladly agreed. Clearly, it was our only and best option. In no time at all, we were in the main lobby of the station filled with sleeping bodies, and a line to reach the platform that wound around the block. With a half hour until the departure of our train to Agra, our guide sussed out the situation and approached a uniformed guard at the head of the line. For the first time