Final Thoughts on our India Trip

 I have decided to finish our India by Rail Expedition blog with one final entry to wrap it all up. This is for several reasons, time is getting limited before my hip replacement surgery, I am still recovering from a bought of Delhi Belly (stomach bug), and the task of editing so many many photos. I will let you all know when I get them posted. (They are all up at https://soggymoosephoto.smugmug.com/ )



 

 

 

This was a trip which a 1000 words can not explain. It was sensory and spiritual overload for me. The smells of the spices in the markets, the magnificent temples and forts. An amazing Astrological sun dial, accurate to within seconds. Our guide there gave me a quick astrological reading which was pretty darn accurate. 



The biggest experience I am taking away from this journey is the People of India. There is a kind warm spirit there that I can not put to words. 

Our time on the Palace on Wheels was an amazing experience. Opulence is an understatement and the service was superb. 



The National Geographic Expert on this trip was Jonathan Kingston. A traveler, amazing photographer more than willing share his time earned expertise. Our local guide was Rajeev Solomon Who did an amazing job of keeping us on track and doing so much behind the scenes to ensure our experiences. 

Sadly, I must report that this style of National Geographic Expedition might be going by the wayside after  2026. I am seeing this as I search for trips in 2027. It seems there will be no Nat Geo expert along to enhance the experience. I sincerely hope this is not the case. 



Jonathan wrote an amazing heartfelt wrap-up to this journey. My words can not come close to expressing his sentiments. I leave you with his inspiring words, 



 

 

 

Jonathan’s wrap up

Just ten days ago we left the place we are now returning. Closing the circle of our trip. Delhi the land of mogul emperors and twisted alleyways awash in the scent of spice markets and alive with the sound of touts selling their wares. Delhi the seat of power to the largest democracy in the world.

We wound our way next to the city bathed in Pink. Pink walls, pink light at sunset… Jaipur and the resplendent Leela Palace where we could contemplate what it would be like to have more than 20 minutes to swim in our private villa pools. We explored frenetic marketplaces and amber forts, and sun clocks so accurate you could set your Swiss watch to them. 

We boarded the cheerful palace on wheels - our opulent imperial litter - and headed west - further into the desert. Crossing into the land of the Maharajas and Maharanas and awoke the next morning at on one of their historic hunting grounds now remade as a Ranthambore national park where we learned the glory of panthera Tigris Tigris and how to gracefully navigate a 400 mm lens under the shoulders and over the heads of our companions on the jeep cantor that gave free chiropractic adjustments to those lucky enough to be seated in the rear. 

Deeper west we explored the soaring ramparts of Chittor Fort, watching Langur monkeys sitting as if in meditation atop ancient temple spires. A fort that was conquered thrice leading to the creation - through a holy man’s vision - of the city of Udaipur. And what a vision Udaipur was - her graceful white palaces floating over lake Pichola as if suspended on a silver cloud by the angles. 

Jaislamer led us deeper into the desert. To a crossroads of the Silk Road. The intricately carved sandstone walls of her dusty streets sometimes distracting us from the land mines left by mother cow - who is most definitely on the payroll of the shoe cleaners standing by with their brush kits and soap water bottles. 

And who can forget dining on the dunes just 35 miles from the Pakistan border?  With camels sitting like monks in a trance to the music that cascaded down the sand as we dined under the stars. 

The Blue city was next with its fort so large it required an elevator to reach the summit.  And homes so blue they blended into the cobalt desert sky. 

Then with a snap of India’s time-warping-fingers we departed our happy train. Our gold plated dinner plates and smiling cabin captains waving goodbye in Bharatpur to be transported into the world of Keoladeo Ghana National park. With birds so plentiful it was a veritable visual bird soup in the waters of her lake. 

Then in the blink of an eye we found ourselves back in the land of the Moguls in the city of the Taj Mahal. A testament to heartbreak and love. Of the riches of a dynasty invested forever into marble and semi precious stonework of the world’s most beautiful building. 

And so, like the tapestries in Koohinor jewelers museum, the tapestry of India unfolded before us, around us, enveloping every sense, to the maximum capacity it could absorb. 11 on the scale of 10. 

Can you believe all this happened in just ten days?  Every journey is a discovery, but I’ve found that every journey in India brings a deeper level of reflection. In the quiet moments, between the frenetic spaces. Perhaps because my senses are snapped out of their pleasing certainties and forced to refocus on new subject matter. 

Can you believe this all happened in just ten days?

For me travel is transformative. I think Aldous Huxley summed it up well when he wrote the following… "So the journey is over and I am back again.... richer by much experience and poorer by many exploded convictions, many perished certainties. For convictions and certainties are too often the concomitants of ignorance... I set out on my travels knowing, or thinking I knew, how men should live, how to be governed, how educated, what they should believe...
I had my views on every activity of life... Now, on my return, I find myself without any of these pleasing certainties.....

The better you understand the significance of any question, the the more difficult it becomes to answer it. Those who attach a high importance to their own opinions should stay at home. When one is traveling, convictions are mislaid as easily as spectacles, but unlike spectacles, they are not easily replaced."
 
Experiencing the open hearts of the many kind and gracious hosts we have met here in India - the lesson I will take with me from this journey is something that German philosopher Hermann Lons so eloquently put into words when he said - 

The most important piece of luggage is and remains a joyful heart.  

So beautifully captured in every smile and head bobble and namaste throughout our journey. 

So it’s with a joyful heart I return home carrying a little bit of the spirit of India, a little bit of her wisdom and a entire extra checked bag full of her treasures I had not anticipated acquiring

Namaste. God bless your journey wherever it takes you next. And remember always that the most important piece of luggage is and remains a joyful heart.

Jonathan Kingston February 2026. 

I can not match these words. 

Namaste to all. 

 

ON THE ROAD TO JAIPUR:

 ON THE ROAD TO JAIPUR:

 

 


We were up early and traveling by bus from Delhi to Jaipur. This is a 5-6 hour drive and traffic was only bad when in the cities. 

Arriving in Jaipur we went directly to our hotel for the night. We arrived at the The Leela Palace had an other great lunch. We had a small bit of free time then a photo lecture, and the off to the center go Jaipur. 

We made a couple of stops to observe the markets and their bustle. We did see the Palace of the Winds. We also did a walkabout of the market area.  

Jaipur in Rajasthan:

Jaipuris the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, renowned for its historic and royal heritage. The city is known as the "Pink City" because its historic center was painted a distinctive terracotta pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales, and this color is now preserved by law.


History:

Founded by royalty: Jaipur was founded on November 18, 1727, by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amer, after whom the city is named.

 
Planned city: It was one of the first planned cities of modern India, with its grid-like urban plan designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. The layout follows the principles of ancient Indian architecture (Vastu Shastra).

 
A center for trade: Jaipur served as the capital of Jaipur State during the British colonial period and flourished as a center for commerce and the arts. 

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds): A stunning five-story palace built in 1799, its unique and iconic honeycomb facade features 953 small windows. It was designed to allow royal ladies to observe street festivals without being seen. 

 

 

TIME TO START WITH THE GROUP HERE IN DELHI:

 TIME TO START WITH THE GROUP HERE IN DELHI: 

 

 



Today we are starting our group tour with National Geographic, India by Rail Photography Expedition. 

Today after breakfast we will meet up for a briefing and then out to explore Delhi. 

Our first stop was Jama Masjid.

This great mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It was begun in 1644 and ended up being the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort.

The highly decorative mosque has three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble. Female tavelers can hire robes at the northern gate. This may be the only time you get to dress like a local without feeling like an outsider so make the most of it.
The Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa, commonly known as the Jama Masjid, in Old Delhi area of Delhi, is one of the largest mosques in India. Its builder was the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, between 1644 and 1656, and it was inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari.

Next we took a bicycle rickshaw bike (note it was an E-Bike, thus I did not feel too bad for the operator) to Khari Baoli Market. This market, located in Old Delhi near the Red Fort, is Asia's largest and oldest wholesale spice market, operating since 1650. This bustling, 400-year-old market offers a vast array of spices, herbs, nuts, and dry fruits. It is open daily (except Sunday) from 11 AM to 7 AM, offering an intense sensory experience. 

The rickshaw ride there and walking about was sensory overload. The smell of spices, the noise of the crowded market, and the people working and going about their daily life. This experience was total sensory overload. 



Chandni Chowk Market

The Chandni Chowk (meaning Moonlight Square) is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi. Located close to the Old Delhi rail station, the Mughal-era Red Fort  is located at the eastern fringes of Chandni Chowk. It was built in 1650 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and designed by his daughter, Jahanara . The street spanning the market was historically divided by canals, engineered to reflect moonlight. These canals have since been closed, leaving behind a transformed urban landscape. It remains one of India's largest markets. 


Next we made our way to a very nice restaurant where we had lunch. All sorts of Indian food was to be had and all very good. I very much liked the Butter Chicken. Both Lynn and I liked a toasted spinach leaf with topped with a flavorful cheese and yogurt. We overheard it being called India Pizza. 

After Lunch we went to The Ghandi House. Known as the Gandhi Smrito or Birla House. Here is where Gandhi lived his last 144 days till his assignation. Memories of my reading about him came flooding back. Seeing where he laid in state, his bed and his spinning wheel. The path to the location of where he was assassinated is marked with footsteps showing his last steps on earth, that January 30, 1948.

As I said, I was moved by seeing his spinning wheel. The Spinning Wheel (charkh) was a crucial, symbolic tool used by Mahatma Gandhi to promote self-reliance, rural economy, and non-violent resistance against British rule (Swaraj). By encouraging the daily spinning of Khadi (hand-spun cloth), he promoted the boycott of British goods and advocated for the dignity of manual labor, turning the charkha into an icon of India's independence movement. 

Our next and final stop was the Lodi Gardens. A return visit for us.  

Lodi Gardens is a city park situated in New Delhi. Spread over 90 acres, it contains Muhammad Shah's tomb, the tomb of Sikandar Lodi, the Shisha Gumbad and the Bara Gumbad. These monuments date from the late Delhi Sultanate, during the Sayyid dynasty and Lodi dynasty.

The garden houses significant tombs, including those of Mohammed Shah and Sikandar Lodi. In 1936, during British colonial rule, Lady Willingdon redesigned the area as a landscaped setting for these ancient monuments, initially naming it Lady Willingdon Park. Post-independence in 1947, it was renamed Lodhi Garden.

We made some images of plants, birds and tombs. 

Back to our hotel for a quick freshen up, We had a lecture, cocktails appetizers and a dinner buffet of Indian delights. 

Back to the room for some quick packing, battery charging, cleaning camera etc etc, BAGS OUT AT 0630, then a long bus ride to Jaipur.  

PHOTO DUMP AS TO. TIRED TO SORT ETC