INTOXICATING INDIA - Mumbai, Jaipur, Agra, India Apr 2016

  
INTOXICATING INDIA

Mumbai, Jaipur, Agra, India  April 2016

An all-too-typical scene 

Bucket list--check!

Our return to India was a brief 10 days but filled with memorable moments. Simone had only a couple months left at Ascend International School in Mumbai and we loved sharing time in India with her again. And Eileen also loved the rooftop pool just outside Simone's luxurious apartment, paid for by the school. India remains a complicated place. Extremes of wealth and poverty live side by side. It is dirty, polluted, culturally rich and wonderful in its depth of experience. Everyone, no matter their place in society, dresses with bold colors and style.

True Sheroes

Monkey love

We arrived in Agra a day after Prince William and Kate were there to sit on the same bench at the Taj Mahal that William's mother, Princess Diana, did 24 years before. 

We were at a homestay a short walk away and were fortunate to be there in the morning when the monkeys were playing in the pools. We spent a second day in Agra. There isn’t much there besides the Red Fort which was a bit of a disappointment. 

On our way back we asked the tuk tuk driver to stop at the Sheroes Restaurant. It's operated by women who were victims of acid attacks.They would normally be hidden away since they are so disfigured. These women are so brave and now proud to be in a supportive place. They took our order, served a wonderful meal with an unexpected grace. It was a sobering moment to share time with them and brought hope that their visibility would help stop these hideous acts. 

But will she remember us?

Our next stop was Jaipur, known as the "Pink City" due to the color of the limestone used in its buildings. Our tuk tuk driver took us to an elephant village north of the city. We spent a couple hours with this gentle giant, painted designs on her and finished with a ride around the village. It was a special time and we were told she would remember us even many years later. We probably won't be testing that one.

It's always tea time in India.

More dal, please

On the way back the tuk tuk ran out of gas requiring us to push it to a nearby gas station. Near the end of the very long ride the driver and his brother invited us to their nephew’s wedding. Unfortunately, Eileen was suffering from food poisoning and we sadly had to refuse the invitation. 

Our time in India finished with a long weekend with Simone. We returned to the fantastic thali restaurant we had enjoyed on our previous trip. So many amazing flavors and they keep serving you until you just can’t fit anymore.