The Golden Triangle

Classic Taj Picture

It's Sunday (and Mother's Day at that) and I find myself again reminiscing over another fantastic week in India. Per usual, it was a busy week with a lot of changes. Prachi is being evaluated to go live and the new group hit the floor for their first calls--and all are doing so well! There is lots of work to be done, but I really enjoy everyone that I have been working with--so it makes the days and weeks go by so quickly! I can't believe I am already half-way through my trip!

The "Golden Triangle" is one of India's most popular tourism circuits. It is made up with Delhi at the top and Jaipur and Agra forming a triangle of amazing cities with beautiful attractions. We did all three--in one week!

Delhi

Wednesday Night (or should I say Thursday Morning) after work, Javed and Shaun invited us to experience the sunrise while site seeing in Delhi. Erin and I could not say no, so we piled into Shaun's car and drove in to the city. At 4am, it was a quick trip that would have taken hours had it been during a peak time of the day. We had open roads ahead of us as we made our way to the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. This beautiful Sikh place of worship was beautifully lit against the dark sky. As we approached the main courtyard, we heard the chantings of the priests inside and drums were beating as they rhythmically shared passages from their holy text.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Before entering, we removed our shoes and donned head covers. The marble courtyard felt smooth against our bare feet as we explored the exterior and sat peacefully by the pond. A man approached us with an offering of food and Erin and I almost declined before the boys told us it was extremely disrespectful to do so. Instead, we held out our palms and accepted the warm, sweet meal he provided. It was Karah Prasad (a mix of butter, sugar and semolina) a blessed offering that is provided to all visitors of the grounds and was absolutely delicious. We explored the temple inside and out and watched the sky lighten the backdrop of the white building as we left to continue our journey.

Shaun, Erin and Me at India Gate

After leaving the temple, we drove as close as we could get to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the massive presidential residence in the area of Delhi that could be equivalent to our own "National Mall". Though we could only see the tip of the main palace's dome peeking above the entry way, we could see the magnificent complex. Directly opposite the palace, the India Gate serves as a war memorial to fallen soldiers. We explored the area and the surrounding gardens--it was beautiful in the barely-morning light

We drove by a few other sites, including the railroad park and the American embassy, before making our way back to Gurgaon for a five-star buffet breakfast. I am sure you are sick of me talking about the India time warp, but in this case I was glad to be having breakfast for dinner because it was delicious. Shaun dropped us off at the apartment at 8am IST (10:30pm ET) so we could get plenty of rest for the remainder of the week.

Click here for more photos of our Delhi Drive.



Agra

The group at the Taj Mahal

We set ourselves up for another fast-paced weekend when we decided to leave as soon as the shift ended on Friday for a journey around the Golden Triangle--starting with Agra. Caitlyn, Brendan, Jasmin, Dave, Erin and I filled every seat in Suresh's van and got out of Gurgaon pretty close to schedule. Most of the crew passed out, but I realized quickly that someone needed to stay awake, as Suresh was feeling a little sleepy and the Indian roads are not easy to manage with heavy eye-lids. Again, I was in awe as we made the 250km trek. The decorated trucks, people alongside the roadways, miles and miles of roadside stands and cows crossing the street with no care at all left for pretty exciting scenery to take-in along the way. You can really tell how populated India is--there was no point on the trip where you didn't see someone standing, working, sitting or doing their business on the side of the road and it was always bustling.

I was 8:30IST when we made it to Agra and we could see the silhouette of the Taj Mahal in the distance as we approached. It was still early in the morning, but as soon as the sun came out it was HOT and we were immediately sweating. Suresh dropped us off in the nearest parking lot possible, which was still a few kilometers from the entrance. Naturally, we hopped in a camel cart and hired a guide, Wasia, to take us around. He told us the history of the site and pointed out important elements in the structure. Additionally, he served as a great photographer and we were able to get a few group shots. We dragged our bootied feet around the mausoleum complex until we finally broke down to the heat and after being harassed by souvenir hawkers, we decided to continue on our journey. We came, we saw, we conquered--in 2hours time.

Jaipur

Kids on the road to Jaipur

It seemed like Suresh was able to rest up a bit, so I felt comfortable resting my eyes during the second 250km of our trip. We made good time until we came across a terribly designed intersection at a railroad crossing and were stuck for 40 mins until the mess was cleared. We made some friends in the meantime and exchanged some granola bars for bags of cool water and adorable pictures. When we finally got moving, we bumped and jostled our way to Chokhi Dhani, an Authentic Rajastani village and resort. After an Aarti & Tikka welcome (they blessed us each with a bindhi--the red dot on your forehead), we were almost turned away as only three of the six of us had our passports with us and it was required for entry. After only a few moments of panic, we were able to contact our friends back home in Delhi, who emailed us pictures. Needless to say we were exhausted and ready for a shower.

Dancing at Chokhi Dhani

After freshening up in the "royal cottage" decorated in true Rajastani style, we met for dinner and drinks at the restaurant. All of us were starving and were disappointed to hear that we could only order appetizers until 7:30. It didn't stall us a bit, and we made a full dinner of Samosas, noodles and crispy papadum. Afterwards, we walked to the villae where a crowd of locals and travellers enjoyed the fair. There were stalls with handmade crafts, carnival style games, elephant rides and dancers. We explored for a little while, watched a "magic show" and pet the baby cows before heading back to the resort for a drink and a cozy bed.

Suresh's Van

This morning, we packed up our things and asked Suresh to drive us around Jaipur. He took us past the sunken palace and drove us though the famous "Pink city". We shopped around for a bit at the jewel capital of India, until unfortunately, Erin's debit card was retained by the ATM machine--so we decided to continue our trip to the Amber Fort--situated high above Jaipur. We explored the walled city and even saw a monkey before calling it a day and cramming in the car to make the journey home.

"Pink City"

We were all sweating and there was almost no circulation, but somehow we managed to get past it and doze for most of the way home. After being on the road for so long, we decided to shower up and head to the Westin for a nice Italian dinner. When we came home, Erin and I made our final reservations for Thailand--Bangkok and Pattaya for Memorial Day 2012!

We came home and called our Mother's to say hello and wish them a happy Mother's Day from afar. There is a busy week ahead and I cant believe my time here is offically half complete! So much to do, with so little time!!

Click here for more photos of Agra and Jaipur.