Not what I have, but what I do, is my kingdom. -Thomas Carlyle, historian and essayist (4 Dec 1795-1881)
Dear Patrick and Corrine, I am very sorry we did not manage to meet up for a drink. I hope you enjoy rest of your trip. I have just got over some food poisoning! (Poor restaurant choice I think.) If you have some picture to send that would be great. Best regards, Conrad. PS: the Islay Inn looks interesting
[Bob Altwein Goodbye Europe, Hamburg Airport, Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel It was October 20 and the trip was ending. I had stayed six nights in a hotel. It was a short taxi ride from the airport. Had said good bye to my friends too and now i was here at the terminal way, way too early. Vancouver, nine time zones away, seemed just around the corner.
Hello Elspeth and Conrad! So sorry to hear of your bout of food poisoning, Conrad! Pleased that you seem to be on the mend. Doubly upsetting when on holiday, of course.
Too, too bad we didn't connect at our hotel. I was up until 11:30 pm and didn't hear anyone knocking. Our door made quite a racket just touching it so not sure what happened. Anyway, I gather you enjoyed a drink with Peter and Benjamin. Funnily enough we bumped into them at Fatehpur Sikri yesterday and then at Agra Fort today. They are staying at a different hotel so I won't have a chance to try some of his rum!
We were to visit the Taj Mahal tomorrow, at sunset, but our terrific guide, Rajiv, suggested we go yesterday afternoon as he was worried that with heavy fog, of late, we might miss seeing this world wonder at its best. Turned out to be the right decision as the late afternoon light was more than magical. Hope your experience was the same.
Our room is on the first floor and in the extensive garden right outside our balcony there is a wedding celebration going on, as I scribe. Live music/singing, food tables, sitting areas, everything brightly coloured, and all sorts of amusement-park like games, mainly for children, at small booths set up towards the corner of the grounds closest to us. Lady Darjeeling, (Corinne), is sitting on our balcony, sipping wine and watching as she reads, on her Kobo, from her latest download, Elizabeth George's Just One Evil Act. She's worried about sleeping tonight but since I pinched some earplugs from an earlier hotel she feels she will be fine if celebration goes on all night. I can usually sleep through anything and, in fact, at home, like to fall asleep to the radio.
Shortly after we had checked in yesterday, around 7:00 pm, by the time visit to Taj Mahal was over, I was taking a shower and Corinne received a call from Reception informing us that we were going to have to change rooms as the water to our particular wing was going to be shut off! Bit annoying as we had had a long day and had already unpacked, to a certain extent, even done a bit of laundry. In any event, after I'd finished showering/changing we packed up and then had our baggage taken to new room on a lower floor.
We weren't to upset as these things happen but we discovered, once we'd talked to Peter and Lynne, that the real reason we were moved was due to the fact that we were put into rooms reserved for people attending the wedding. Corinne had noticed, in a program with the name of the wedding couple, writ large upon the cover, a list of the food to be served at the wedding. As well, there were a number of quite attractive food baskets with everything from pomegranates to biscuits on the desk. Peter was famished so he "attacked" one and mentioned this to the chap who came to move his luggage. He assumed this was something the hotel routinely provided for guests and complimented the young man on this service. Before he could check his tongue he blurted out that these baskets were for the wedding guests but that he would see to it that Peter would get another in the new room. Never did but the pieces fell into place!
Furthermore, Corinne had seen other guests moving into rooms across the hall from our room and, as far as we could tell, they were not moved. Once in our new room she noticed preparations for wedding were underway and mentioned to the manager who had overseen our move that she hoped the noise would not keep us up all night. She was still recovering from the cold which prevented her from coming along on the elephant ride and wasn't in the best of moods by this point. A few minutes later a call came from Reception asking if we wanted to move, yet again. By this time she just wanted to have a bite to eat and go to bed so she was quite short with the caller, telling him were quite annoyed that they hadn't just told us the truth. As you might expect, this was denied.
In spite of all the backing and forthing, we enjoyed a few stiff G&Ts and then went for a pleasant meal in one of the restaurants here. Tonight we will have a farewell drink with our driver, Ashok, [In Jodhpur he told us he wanted to treat us to a "party" so on one of the nights there he collected us from the hotel and we parked a short distance away. He served Old Monk rum and Thums Up cola and we had a lovely time chatting to him about his life and family. He is a lovely man and we certainly enjoyed the chance to get to know him a bit better.], before he drives us to a restaurant he recommends. In Jaipur he took us to Spice Court and it was one of the best and least expensive meals, (relative to some of the hotel prices), that we have enjoyed.
Don't have to leave our hotel until 11:30 am tomorrow, [End result of not having to see Taj Mahal at sunrise.], so another, almost "free" day. We can sleep in, something one comes to appreciate after five weeks on the road! Fly to Varanasi for two nights. Will celebrate my 68th birthday there on Sunday, December 6th so should be fun. Then it's Dehli for three nights before flying back home, via Frankfurt, on December 10th. Going to be a tad difficult to re-acclimatize as it will be almost Christmas by then and apparently temperatures have been unseasonably cold already.
Anyway, trust the rest of your holiday goes/went well. You must come and visit us in the Okanagan. Loads of room so please consider staying, Islay Inn was our place in Vancouver so address is not current. We now live in Penticton, BC, and we'll take you wine-tasting. No elephant rides, however! I've included the link below but since I experienced quite a bit of difficulty uploading file, (Connectivity at Samode Haveli was very, very slow and intermittent although we enjoyed our stay immensely.), so not sure about the quality of video. As well, I'm fairly new to YouTube so I might well not be doing some things I need to do. Elephant ride video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl7akh-6x8k
Let me know if you could watch it. Also included a few stills from the end of ride. Fondestos from Lady Dar, just in to top up her glass, to you both. Keep in touch and I trust our paths will cross again, in the not too, too distant future. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Thank you! recognize it all! Photo no 48 is a great shot of your group! Best wishes for rest of travel - and back home, Margareta
Hi Dottore! Glad you liked the group shot! Cora Lee wants to know when you were here. Thanks for best wishes for rest of our travels. Just back from a pretty full day of sightseeing. Baby Taj and Agra Fort, both wonderful, stunning in so many regards. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Maggie, and Peter and Johan. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Monkey business, Amber Fort and Taj Mahal; painting from "Baby Taj", vase composed of five fish; washing bedding in the Yamuna; dairy just around the corner from a little known tomb, in much disrepair. Rajiv took us here to show us the remarkable ceramics which adorn the walls.
Fantastic stories Patricio! You are quite the writer. The camel ride was hilarious, just hearing you talk was enough! Cheers, Aart & Jos
Hello Hawaiians! Glad you liked the camel video! Great good fun. How goes life away from the snow? Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Aarturo, and Jos. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Please come in to Township 7 Vineyards & Winery pick up your November wine club subscription and to sample some of our newly released wines. Hello Township Seven! Will be in to collect our wine after December 10th as we are in India until then! Thanks and Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Patrick, Thanks for your progressive updates of the Indian adventure truly amazing place by the looks of the photos. Alas we have no great news from the land of Oz simply moving steadily towards Christmas and doing the occasional work based things though now Claire is an official board voluntary member of a Community Advisory council for the local health district so she can now use all her past experience to assist delivery of local health programs.
In terms of our travels we are going to take a five week trip to Victoria in our caravan in February and then just local touring for next year, so all good I will watch in amazement your travels as you go to exotic locations. Cheers Greg and Claire
Hi from Kauai......yesterday Aart, Jos joined my brother and I on a hike to the Sleeping Giant in Kauai near Kapaa. Weather was good with great views but it had rained during the night so trail was quite slippery but well worth it....I slipped and sat in some mud so am washing the pants as we speak. Will be here couple of weeks including Ken and Joyce wedding this Sat and back home 16th in time for OF picnic. Cheers, Kilian
This is a message from Al (with a couple additions from me) Hi everyone: Pam sweet-talked me into leading the next Mo hike. Details: Meet at the usual place(s)(at 8:40 in Summerland at the IGA) Depart at 9:00 from Home Hardware in Penticton Drive to Willowbrook, to the trailhead for Rattlesnake Lk Hike straight E to the rock wall of Keogan Turn S, following the cliffs and later W, back to the vehicles Short and easy, 3 hrs max, no racing Coffee somewhere on the way back Note: Please bring a tooney for a donation to the stewardship of the lands we will trample upon.
Patrick, Keep those emails and photos coming. What a fabulous trip you are having. We are experiencing some winter here but right now it is pouring rain which hopefully is snow on the ski hill. We are off to Vancouver on the 13th for Christmas and then back to Terrace for New Year’s. Stacee and Sean go to Edmonton so only Jeff will be around Christmas Day and quite honestly he is pretty tired from trying to sell, sell, sell so it will be a quiet day. We will miss having you and Corinne in Vancouver to visit. Cheers, Dawn
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