Hello India

My trip to India

In September 2018 I returned to India, the land of my birth. It had been almost 36 years since I had set foot on her soil.

Even though I was born the south, I had a burning desire to see the north again.

I convinced my girlfriend Jane to come along.

We stayed a few days in Delhi, saw the India Gate and Mahatma Gandhi’s final resting place and engaged in a spot of shopping…however, the best was yet to come.

Agra. Our hotel offered uninterrupted views of the Taj Mahal. The eternal monument of love, constructed by Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaj Mahal, literally took my breath away.

Jaipur. We visited the Vedic, an impressive astrological museum built in the 1800’s, strolled around the Hawa Palace and the Amber Fort. Again, I engaged in a spot of shopping and purchased two beautiful carpets.

Udaipur. Udaipur was built around Lake Pichola. Upon arrival we took a boat ride to hotel. The next day we walked the bustling city streets and visited Jagdish Temple, the City Palace and had lunch at a lake side restaurant.

Just to note. In 1983 Hollywood came to Udaipur. Many of the scenes from the Bond film ‘Octopussy’ were shot in Udaipur.

The Monsoon Palace served as the exterior of Kamal Khan's palace, while scenes set at Octopussy's palace were filmed at the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir and Bond stayed the Shiv Niwas Palace. The Lake Palace, set in the middle of the lake, was clearly visible from Bonds hotel room.

The India of today, the smells, the people, the food, the history (British and Moghul) left me with a strong desire to reconnect with the land of my birth…and a greater understanding of why my parents loved her so much. 

Until next time.