1/28/06: No Pastrami, But a Delicious Delhi Nonetheless

The 5 weary travelers arrived at our hotel oasis, the Oberoi at 2:30 am for a short, but comfy night’s sleep in New Delhi, where Laura was awakened to meet her new roomie. Our perfect day in Delhi began with a few trips to the breakfast buffet. Well nourished, we met our charming and wise guide, former star batsman of the Indian World Cup Champion cricket team (imagine an Indian version of Steve Kerr), Suryaaveer Singh Shktawat AKA Sunny. After a brief trip overview in the hotel lobby, including a few more warnings about bugs and beggars, we hopped on our bus, and embarked on our tour of Old Delhi. After passing forts and ancient walls of the sixth and seventh incarnations of Delhi, the fun began when we mounted our rickshaw cycles for a trip down Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi’s maze of a flea market. This is the India we imagined, a swirling sea of humanity and commerce casually and frantically going about daily business. Weaving in and out of pedestrians, motorbikes, and other reckless rickshaws, we explored auto parts markets (no Fel-Pro gaskets), nut and spice markets (triggering a cacophonous chorus of sneezes), saree superstores, smoky and tempting chola poori stands, and even a wedding accessories lane (where Ronna committed Lizzy to an Indian husband, date TBD).

After our exciting and enchanting ride, we arrived at the Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque. We observed worshipers absorbing the wise preachings of an imam and cleansing their feet, faces, and souls in the courtyard pool, and families enjoying a spiritual outing. The locals took particular delight in our two blond bombshells, Anne and Susie, who stood out even more than our four non-blondes.

Next stop: Humayun’s tomb, dedicated to the 16th C. Mughal emperor, and commissioned by his wife, this sandstone masterpiece was a predecessor of the Taj Majal. The late afternoon sun magnified the splendor of this monument to love, as we circled the edifice, catching glimpses of a shining Sikh temple in the background, and posing for a variety of team photos along the way.

Remarkably enough, the best was yet to come. After freshening up at the Oberoi, we headed to Prabha’s old college chum’s home for dinner. Ajit and his lovely bride Soraj, rivaled our good friends A&P as ideal chef, host, and hostess, where we also enjoyed the company of their brother-in-law Hemand. Ajit spun yarns of two poor, starving IIT students sharing a free Chinese feast and stretching four-rupee pouches of tobacco for a week, where Prabha learned the excellent rolling techniques he demonstrated in the fields of Bhutan four decades later. We shared stories of children, travel, and marriage, like old friends reconnecting after decades apart. Perhaps we met in earlier incarnations, for we truly felt like we were among close friends and family. No doubt, it will be tough to top the hospitality, stories, and home-cooked delights Ajit and Soraj bestowed upon us (we even liked the gulab jaman). We so enjoyed their company that we are trying to rearrange our itinerary next week to meet them for a night out at the Kebab Factory (a restaurant, not an offshoring facility). Unfortunately, our schedule called for an early morning flight to Varanasi, and we were forced to bid an early adieu, before Ajit had a chance to break out the brandy and cognac.

On our bus ride back to the hotel, we paused to reflect on the miraculous three days we’d experienced thus far. And, the fun has just begun. As Susie remarked, “I could go home now, and say I had an incredible and full journey.” We also paused to thank our “real hosts,” trip designers, and close friends, A&P. We miss you dearly, but trust us, your spirits and voices are deeply embedded in our consciousness as we embrace and digest the many faces (and edifices) of India. Dhanyawad and Namashkar.