Adventures in Travel & Dining: India

BY RICHARD STEARNS

What makes the perfect travel experience? A weekend getaway? A “Bucket List” European destination? Or Asia? A country or city that you always wanted to visit? Rome (Love pasta, right?)? Somewhere you can “slip into” that’s comfortable, a more like home experience that you love? After all, we know that travel can be difficult.

My advice is… Get out of that Comfort Zone! Try a country or a destination that you would never consider going to. Perhaps, a trip down the Nile River in Egypt. Or an adventure that starts in the headwaters of the Amazon to see the native white dolphins. It could become the experience of a lifetime… sealed in your memory and worth more than a hundred photo albums.

Well, that’s exactly what I did. One day I saw an advertisement for Pan Am One (now I’m dating myself). Book a trip on an around the world flight with stops in destinations that were “far away” both in distance and culture. Who would go on a flight like that? India was the fourth stop on this flight. I didn’t like spicy food (What is curry, anyway?) Oh yeah, they had a building called the Taj Mahal, I think. I thought to myself, “Why not? If I don’t like it, I can leave on the next flight.” Exotic thoughts of magic carpets, palaces and maybe an elephant ride passed through my mind as I contemplated my trip.

As I arrived in New Delhi and walked out of the airport there was bedlam everywhere. The noise was deafening as I saw throngs of people shouting, taxis waiting, tuk-tuks trying to snag fares and vendors selling food and souvenirs to everyone who walked by. It was beyond anything I had ever experienced.

A nice-looking man approached me and said in perfect English, “Where are you going?” I looked for the paper with my reservation on it, but he just started loading my bags into his vehicle – a tuk-tuk. It had no windows; no air conditioning and it was very hot. Suddenly I was off into this strange new world. The driver wore a turban, a huge grin and a walrus-type mustache. I’ll never forget it as he turned his head back to look at me and said, “Sir, welcome to India.”

Richard at the Taj Mahal

When we arrived at the hotel it seemed like an oasis. It was calm, cool and familiar (American) After all, it was a Hilton and it should be. As I went to the registration desk, I was handed a cool fruit drink. So nice. I requested a room WITH air conditioning. They told me that my room was, indeed, air-conditioned. However, due to the EXTREME heat wave that they were currently experiencing (115 degrees plus) the electricity would be shut off from 1-4pm, or longer each day. “What?”, I exclaimed in total astonishment. My shirt was already soaked from my tuk-tuk ride. That afternoon was spent in a very hot, humid and uncomfortable room with no power. My thoughts were, “What have I done?”

The hotel arranged a car (please make sure it’s air-conditioned) and an English-speaking driver. With a little research, I planned my week in India. The “Golden Triangle” of New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra sounded perfect. That famous building we have all heard about in India (The Taj Mahal) was in Agra.

The next morning my guide was waiting for me in the lobby. The first thing he said to me was that I was wearing the wrong type of shirt for the time of year (no wonder I was feeling so warm). With a slight change to our itinerary, he drove me to a custom shirt tailor. The tailor showed me fabric made of super thin linen. He took my measurements and when I asked him how long it would take to make the shirts, he told me he would have them delivered to my hotel by lunchtime. I was a bit skeptical but when we returned to the hotel for lunch, they were at the front desk waiting for me. With all that service they cost about $8.00 each.

Indian woman in colorful Sari

After a nice western lunch at the hotel, I wasn’t brave enough to try the Indian cuisine quite yet, we once again headed out to see some the sights. Being in an air-conditioned car was far preferable than sitting in a hot hotel room with no power. My guide took me to Raj Ghat, the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. After we left, he then drove down the Grand Boulevard, built by the British, past the President’s House and Parliament. It became increasingly obvious that India is credibly the only country with the largest and most diverse mixture of races. Sacred cows wandered the side streets and avenues with no restrictions. I looked in awe as I observed a spellbinding country where people of disparate communities and religions live together in oneness. It is a land of bright and beautiful colors.

India’s cultural history has been derived by absorbing the customs, traditions and rituals from both invaders and immigrants over the centuries. It has been the birthplace of many religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. The culture of India was also heavily influenced by invasions from the Arabs, Turkey and Persia.

The next morning we left at dawn. Driving out of the city we saw various groups of women. All of them were dressed in brilliantly colored saris. Many carried containers of various shapes and sizes on their heads, filled with different items to sell. They were walking towards the center of the city where they would sell their wares before returning home.

Rambagh Palace

Our next stop was Jaipur. Often called the Jewel of India, Jaipur is nestled in the grooved hills of the Aravalli Range. This charming city is known for its forts, colorful gardens, huge palaces, hustling bazaars and splendid heritage. The city was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh. It is also called The Pink City because all the buildings in the old section of the city have a pink hue to them.

Our first stop was the Rambagh Palace. It had recently been partially turned into a guest hotel and it was going to be our home for the next couple of days while we explored this fascinating city.

Rambagh Palace was built in 1835. It has stepped gracefully through many royal transitions. It was once the home of the Queen Victoria’s favorite handmaiden, then a Royal Guest House. It was also a Hunting Lodge and eventually became the home of the Maharaja Sawai Mam Singh and his wife the Maharani Gayatri Devi.

As we entered the grounds you could see that it has retained its elaborate splendor. It is extravagantly decorated with hand-carved marble latticework, sandstone balustrades and cupolas. “Magnificent” is an understatement and it is only one of the five palaces the Maharaja inherited as a child.
“This is the hotel?”, I asked the driver as we pulled up to the front doors of the building. “Yes, sir, it is,” he answered. “Only recently, the Maharaja opened a few suites to guests, and you are one of the first.”

I gave myself a quick pinch as I stared out the window at the glorious building before me. I was sure I was dreaming.

After getting settled in it was almost dinnertime. I went down to the guest dining room. It was a small elegant room with a long table draped in iridescent silk. A group of six musicians arrived and started to play. I asked the waiter about the main course. He told me that the menu for the evening would be Butter Chicken Curry (See Recipe). “Curry?”, I asked. “Yes, sir,” he replied. “Well,” I thought, “When in Rome…..” As it turned out the food was absolutely amazing and to this day, I just love curry!!

Rambagh Palace

After dinner, I went for a sunset stroll through the Moghul Garden with beautiful manicured flowers and bushes. Strolling peacocks wandered about strutting their plumage. My trip was becoming more exciting by the hour. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen the next day.

I woke up the next morning ready for my next adventure. After a full English Breakfast and a wonderfully restful night in the “Royal Palace” of a “Living Maharaja,” my expectations were high.

The first destination of the morning was the Amber Fort, built in 1592. Located on a high mountaintop the only practical way to access it was on the back of an elephant (A REAL elephant). Once I had climbed into the wooden saddle and the elephant started moving up the mountainous road, we were followed by three musicians playing Indian music. It was just surreal.

Once inside, we were shown rooms where rubies, emeralds and diamonds used to decorate the ceilings. When the Persians raided India they removed the gemstones along with much of India’s wealth and transported it all back to their home country. Included among these stolen treasures was the Peacock Throne which is still in Iran to this day.

Peacock Throne

A part of the architecture were small shallow “canals” that ran through the marble floors into every room in the fort. These waterways were designed to flow throughout with perfumed water.

We were able to return to the “Palace” in time for tea. Sitting on the lawn in front of the terrace were two men, each with a basket. As they played their flutes a cobra poked its head out of the basket and started to sway with the music. Oh my, if Mama could see me now. I HATE snakes!! Nevertheless, the performance was fascinating even though I was left scratching my head wondering how they did it.

Snake Charmer

As I was finishing and getting ready to leave an elderly gentleman approached me. He was dressed in white and had a white turban. He welcomed me and asked if I was enjoying my stay.

“Yes, I love it here!”, I replied.

“He then asked me, “Would you like to see the Palace Clock Collection?”

Palace Dining Room

I followed him down a hallway to a set of locked doors, elegantly carved. He pulled out some keys and unlocked them. He pushed open the doors and turned on the lights. The room was huge and elegant beyond anything I had seen so far. The chandeliers were wrapped with soft linens. The entire room was filled with hundreds of antique clocks. Some were made with gold. Others were encrusted with rubies, diamonds and emeralds. This man went on to explain that most of the clocks were gifts. I just kept looking at all the wonderful and exotic clocks that were on shelves, tables and every flat surface in the room. He led me out of the room and locked the doors once again. As he turned the key in the lock, he asked me if I would like to see the Polo Practice. After the treasures I had just observed, I, of course, agreed immediately.

As I was escorted to the far end of the palace expecting to see some polo ponies, I glanced outside and saw three women trimming the massive lawn. They were down on their knees and they were using scissors to cut the grass. Lawn care has been taken to a new level here. I remember as a kid I had to mow the lawn with a push lawnmower. I’ll never complain about that again.

Elephant Polo

We eventually arrived and in front of me were six colorfully painted elephants waiting for their trainers. Once they were mounted, they would begin the polo match.

“We hold Elephant Polo games several times a year,” he told me as he left us to watch this amazing game in utter fascination. It is something I will never forget.

After the game, I stopped by the front desk to ask them to thank my impromptu guide.

“I don’t know his name, but he was an elderly gentleman, dressed in all white.”, I said to the clerk.

The clerk nodded his head and said, “I will thank the Maharaja for you.”

“Huh?”, I responded in shock. “The Maharaja of Jaipur?”

“Yes, sir. That was him.”

I recently told my dear friend Elaine Newton about my meeting the Maharaja in India. She said, “Oh, you met Bubbles.” And I said Bubbles? She said, “yes, his nickname was Bubbles. We met him at his home in London. He was a polo player for the British team. And he loved Wayne’s music!” It’s a small world!!

My final destination was the famed city of Agra, located on the banks of the River Yamuna. Many of you will know this city as it was the inspiration for the Disney movie, Aladdin. It is also home to the Taj Mahal, arguably the most famous landmark in the entire subcontinent.

The Taj Mahal has been nicknamed the “Crown Jewel of India.” It is one of the seven wonders of the world. It was commissioned in 1632 and completed in 1653 by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, as the tomb for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is set in formal gardens and is bounded on the sides by a crenelated wall. 20,000 workers spent 22 years constructing this magnificent building. The white marble was of the best quality and came from Makrana, Rajasthan. There are 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones throughout and they were all imported from, China, Punjab, Afghanistan, Tibet and Arabia.

Often called the “Teardrop on the cheek of time” my guide took me on a boat trip across the river to view the Taj Mahal by moonlight from the Royal Garden. It was unforgettable.

The Maharaja of Jaipur

The last stop was the Agra Fort, a World Heritage site that you simply can’t miss while you’re in Agra. It played a very important part in the “Sign of the Four,” the second published Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

It is built of red sandstone and is still used by the Indian military to this day. The fort was first mentioned in 1080 AD and was renovated in 1573. It took eight years and 4,000 workers to complete the renovation.

Now, since my return from that fabulous trip, I love curry. In fact, I love Indian food, period. Shopping in India was a WOW!! And while I still don’t enjoy water polo, Elephant Polo is simply MAGIC!!

I have come to believe that travel has the power to change us as we connect with different cultures, people, places and experiences. From the iconic to the unexpected, we need to get away from the guidebooks and explore.

In our next issue: Don’t miss a trip down the Nile in Egypt.