We left our little island of conscience drivers who always allow you to merge, who expect you to do the same for them, and who always blink their flashers in appreciation, for the land of obligatory honking, lane-free roads, and jumbled motorbikes, cars, three-wheel miniature trucks (tuk-tuks), and rickshaws.
Along the way, we made a pit stop at the airport in Shanghai, China - what a shock! Everyone from restaurant staff to flight attendants to security guards were brusk and did not seem to want to serve you in the slightest. While the China Airlines meals were nothing to write home about, our local steamed veggies and celery chicken pot stickers in the airport terminal were tasty!
After nine hours of tossing and turning on a hot aircraft, we safely arrived in India. Everyone was so joyful! As we gathered our bags and looked through the crowds of smiling locals, we came across a grinning Sikh gentleman in a bright blue turban with a sign welcoming Anna Kristen Gadoury. The only time I’d ever had a sign with my name on it was the warm welcome I’d received from my in-laws when I visited Rhode Island for the first time. How neat it was to have our own driver to escort us around India, there and waiting with a welcome sign!
Bal, our driver, dropped us off at our boutique hotel, the Shanti Home, in the wee hours of the morning. There were so many staff members to help make our stay comfortable. Our bags were brought to our room while we had a glass of fresh juice at the front desk, where the concierge was waiting to help us with any details of our trip that we may not have solidified. He made copies of the itinerary we made for Bal, showed us around the hotel, and told us about the amenities. Oh, are there ever amenities! Cooking classes, personal yoga classes, couples’ massages - we’ve found our heaven!
We caught a few hours of rest, showered, and headed up to our rooftop breakfast. Multi-colored bunting blew in the breeze and the haze parted to a view over New Delhi. Several staff members welcomed us and came by to bring frothy lattes, fresh juices, sweet milk, lassi, samosas, toast, crepes, and eggs. It was not your typical Holiday Inn complementary breakfast of cereal, stale hot buns, and congealed sausage gravy! It was by far the most wonderful complementary spread of freshly made breakfast items I’d ever had - they could have easily charged an arm and a leg for it! It certainly started our day on a great note.
Bal was cheerfully waiting on us as we stepped out of the hotel, ready to take us to Old Delhi. Our first stop was the Jama Masjid, Old Delhi’s central mosque. It loomed over us, seemingly on a pedestal at the edge of the Chandni Chowk and Khari Baoli markets. We climbed the stairs and left our shoes at the outskirts of the mosque. We walked barefoot atop the dusty red sandstone that made up the courtyard, built to hold 25,000 people in prayer. It was such a treat to be able to enter the mosque - I did not have the same opportunity in Israel. Here, I was allowed, as long as I robed up!
After we finished admiring the marble prayer stations and the reflecting pond, we made our way back to Bal, who had arranged for us to have a ride in a rickshaw through the Chandni Chowk and Khari Baoli markets where we could buy spices, and drive by shops selling wedding saris, pashinas, silver and gold. The traffic was crazy! Bikers argued with one another in Hindi as they got stuck on each other’s bike spokes. Cars almost lost mirrors and people weaved in and out of traffic. Beggars and pick pockets abounded and drivers considered it their duty to lend protection.
We spent two hours bouncing through the streets, taking in all that we could of the sights, sounds, and smells of the market on our rickshaw. Then, we hopped back in our car and saw the Dehli Gate and Red Fort (Lal Quila) from a distance, and visited the Raj Ghat (Ghandi Memorial) and Humayun's Tomb, the precursor to the Taj Mahal.
Tired and hungry, we made it back just in the nick of time for our culinary class. Chef Arun was such a joy! Full of smiles and eager to please, he taught each step of making our four course supper and made it look as simple as making buttermilk biscuits! Succulent spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and red chili made our Chicken Curry, Palak Paneer, Aloo Parantha, Pea Pulao, and Mixed Vegetables divine. At my request, he also gave us his personal recipe for masala chai and had us sip it as we cooked. We could not have had more fun! This culinary course may just be the highlight of our trip! 
Just when our day just couldn’t seem to get any better, we sat down to sample our culinary fare under the stars on the rooftop. Candles twinkled and the echo of Punjabi music lightly floated on the breeze. Our supper was superb. To top it off, we ended the evening with a couples’ massage and retired early, ready to embark upon tomorrow’s adventures.
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Mema N.