OFF TO INDIA: MIGHTY LONG AIRPLANE RIDE-
Well it is gonna be a mighty long day or two getting there. I was lucky and got us a very good business class airfare for this trip. We will fly from Denver to Frankfurt then Frankfurt to Delhi. Total travel time will be about 24 hours if all goes well. Lounge access will be very welcome.
We are scheduled to arrive at 0130 and will prob crash big time when we get to our hotel.
BUT OF COURSE A CURRY IS IN ORDER
Then we start to adjust to the new time zone. There will be a 12 hour time difference in our time back home.
The checking in took a bit longer as all the documents had to be checked. We got all checked in and off to the UAL lounge. As usual for us, we are early enough for breakfast (the cranberry porridge is very much to my liking) and now they are changing over to lunch.
Our Flights to New Delhi went well and the meals and service were excellent.
We arrived in New Delhi and made our way through immigration. The eVisa system worked well, the lines were much shorter and moved faster. I would highly suggest one should make sure to have a printed copy of your visa to further expedite the process. (We did).
Baggage claim was where we hit a small bump. Our bags took about one and a half hours to hit the baggage carousel. We had an arranged a transfer to our hotel and the driver was about to give up on us as he was sending text messages.
I did stop at an airport ATM to get a bit of cash. But eventually we got gathered up and were on the way to our hotel, the Taj Palace.
At the hotel we received a Bindi and a neckless. A bindi is a red dot placed above ones brow in the center of the forehead.
Around 3000 BC, the rishi-muni (ancient seers of Hinduism) wrote the Vedas, in which they described the existence of areas of concentrated energy called the chakras. There are seven main chakras that run along the center of the body, and the sixth one (called the ajna chakra, the “brow chakra” or “third eye chakra”) occurs exactly where the bindi is placed.
In Sanskrit, ajna translates as “command” or “perceive,” and is considered the eye of intuition and intellect. According to the Vedas, when something is seen in the mind’s eye or in a dream, it is also seen by ajna. Thus, the bindi’s purpose is to enhance the powers of this chakra, specifically by facilitating one’s ability to access their inner wisdom or guru, allowing them to see the world and interpret things in a truthful, unbiased manner as well as forsake their ego and rid their false labels.
Hindu tradition holds that all people have a third inner eye. The two physical eyes are used for seeing the external world, while the third focuses inward toward God. As such, the red dot signifies piety as well as serving as a constant reminder to keep God at the center of one’s thoughts.
The bindi can be found in Hinduism and Buddhism, it is composed of sandalwood, turmeric and ash. A pinch of vermilion powder is applied with a ring-finger to make a dot.
In our room, we simply crash with an alarm set for 0900 so we can get some breakfast.
The breakfast buffet is very very extensive with many items of which I have no clue as to what they are.
Back to the room and we again crash for a few more hours. Time to do our laundry and we need to explore our lodging a bit more.
We did explore our hotel and made a dining reservation for Monday night.
A VERY NICE BUFFET WITH SO MANY OFFERINGS
Inside The Orient Express
I thought the oil and vinegar carafe was kewl
There are several very nice restaurants here in this hotel all offering various styles of cuisines.
One restaurant here is the Orient Express. Themed around the legendary train that travels across Europe, the award-winning Orient Express restaurant serves quintessential European cuisine in a compartment resembling its famous namesake. Hors d’oeuvres, entrées, sorbets and desserts are inspired by the countries through which the train travels.
I was intrigued by this venue from reading about the hotel. As we were walking about and reading the menu one of the servers asked if we wanted to see the venue as they were currently closed. But of course we did. The minute we walked into this restaurant I was sold and wanted to make sure we experienced this dining location. We made a reservation for Monday night.
We then continued our walkabout the property checking out the garden and pool area.
The Captains Kitchen was having Pizza Night ( 20 or more pizzas on the menu) and we decided to give it a go. The portion was perfect for us and the pizza very good. Not what we are accustomed to but very very good. I had a Kingfisher Beer.
After dinner back to the room and finish this entry as we are ready to sleep.
Thanks for sharing and following along. Tomorrow we will head out to do some exploring.
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