Departures and Arrivals...
Today (which in technical terms, is Wednesday) started like any other day, really. Got up early. Fed the dog. Made Will his school lunch (and don’t think I wasn’t celebrating every single moment of that being my last until after the Holiday Break). Gordie had always planned to drive us to the airport and gave William the opportunity to miss school and come along for the ride. Whether he was boycotting the idea of me leaving all together….or simply that he put a higher priority on seeing his best pals at school (a concept that I have long come to terms with), he opted to go to school. I knew the second I got in the car that I wasn’t going to be able to do this drop off without crying. The questions was: just how ugly the cry was going to be. Luckily, William didn’t allow for a drawn out “goodbye”. He didn’t even make eye contact. I knew he was sad. But he gave me this very purposeful hug, told me not to go and then ran in to school. All business, that one.
Almost on cue - I started to cry. Real tears. Which I’m sure threw our security team at the boys school for a real loop. It’s usually the kids who are crying at drop off…not the parents. At least not most of the time.
As Murphys Law would perfectly dictate, we left for the airport at 8:30am for a 12:30pm flight because we were worried about traffic being awful. Of course, it wasn’t. We made record time. This put us inside of the International Terminal at O’Hare Airport - fully checked in - at exactly 10:00am. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a glass of wine at 10:00am on a Wednesday morning. But, you know, we were sitting in the Lounge…with 2+ hours to kill….and it was there….so….I went for it. Just a little something to take the edge off.
Our flight boarded on time and was - quite honestly - one of the most wonderful flight experiences I have ever had. The flight crew was incredible and made sure we were fed and in bed at all the appropriate moments throughout the first 14 hour leg. PJ was a total champ, given that this was the longest he has ever been on an airplane.
I spent most of my hours watching my new Netflix obsession: Schitt’s Creek. I mean, where have I been all this time? The fact that this show has existed for so many seasons without me knowing of its existence is close to criminal. I also downloaded the documentary on the Fyre Festival and the story of Billy McFarland that was totally fascinating and totally mind blowing in ways I can’t even describe. Maybe it’s because I consider myself an “event planner” by trade, or because I am continually mesmerized by the world of social media “influencers” (a term I use lightly)…but this had me glued from start to finish. A true study in greed, ego and human behavior that should be watched by all. But - I digress.
Our descent into Delhi took us over some absolutely stunning scenery - mostly featuring the Hindu Kush Mountains, a range that essentially serves as the border between India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. We were told that the mountains have a historical significance in both India as well as China. The Hindu Kush Range was a major center of Buddhism and is also believed to have been the passageway during the invasions of the India subcontinent region where the Taliban and Al Qaeda grew their base. It is also where most believe the growth of modern era warfare in Afghanistan began.
We landed in Delhi in the early afternoon hours on Thursday and had a quick transfer (2 hours) to the flight that would finally take us into Mumbai, our “final” destination for the day. The Mumbai airport is pretty amazing architecturally. It felt a little bit like we landed a plane next to a shopping mall that just happened to have Immigration and Customs Agents and a Baggage Claim. High end retail and restaurants in bright and bold neon colors stretched for what seemed like blocks. After we grabbed our bags, we were greeted by a lovely gentleman from the Golden Eagle Tour Group (which is the train we will be traveling on) who got us on board our shuttle to our “home base” for the next two nights: The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
I’m not sure exactly how to describe the drive from the airport to the Hotel. The sheer volume of cars, buses, mini cabs, scooters and other transport was almost overwhelming. There is no doubt that “lane discipline” is clearly not a thing here. I couldn’t believe the amount of times that a bus or car was so close to our shuttle that I was certain we were done for. I couldn’t count the amount of times I shut my eyes because a scooter flew by us at warp speed weaving in and out of traffic, avoiding pedestrians and everything else…with no less than two - sometimes three - passengers attached to it. There wasn’t a whole lot of driver courtesy to go around and the rules of the road didn’t seem to be a priority. In retrospect, I wish I would have recorded the entire stretch so that Gordie could see that - here in Mumbai - I would have actually been considered a cautious driver.
We spent the better part of the next hour weaving through traffic that probably would have been a 20 minute trip otherwise. The silver lining of this delay allowed us to really settle into our first glimpse of nightlife in Mumbai. What repeated itself block after block and mile after mile were the sheer amount of people just out relaxing in the streets. Sitting along the water talking. Sitting on a street curb eating and laughing. Teenagers walking through the streets in equal parts texting on their cell phones and trying to avoid getting run over by an errant scooter. Old women walking together. A mother and her two daughters carrying a basket of laundry. A twenty-something getting his hair cut at literally the world’s smallest barber shop I’ve ever seen. Three men riding in the back of a gigantic laundry truck and hanging on for dear life as the driver weaved between three lanes of traffic. Probably just wanted his day to be over like everybody else.
This is the type of stuff that you study…that you intently watch…that you wonder about…when you are not in your familiar place and not in control of what happens next. When you don’t know where you are going to or when you’re going to get there. You just kind of hope you do. Preferably, alive.
You Learn.
You Study.
People…Places…and Every Day Life.
I feel like I’ve already gone too long here, so I will save my thoughts about this gem of a Hotel that we have the privilege of calling home for the next few days - The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Mostly because its rich history, its fabulous Art and Architecture and what I can only describe as the most beautiful Starbucks I have ever seen would have had me typing for a few more hours and - selfishly - it’s 2am, I’ve had too much wine and we are waking in exactly 4 hours for a tour to Elephanta Island that will also be part of the next post.
What I will say is this: we arrived to the Hotel at almost the exact moment that a large group of wedding guests were arriving for a wedding ceremony and celebration. To say that the people watching and the exquisite clothing, jewelry and cultural beauty of these guests rivals anything that had ever been captured on any red carpet would be an understatement. Were it not for the fact that I was wearing the exact same clothing for the past 18 hours, had a backpack and gym shoes on and not one ounce of makeup…I would probably still be sitting in the Lobby admiring the incredible beauty of this culture. Beyond stunningly gorgeous. .
I’ll (finally) wrap up with my thoughts around a gift that we were presented upon checking into the Hotel tonight that really felt like the perfect way to end a long, exhausting (two) day(s) of travel….and an upcoming two weeks of amazing adventures ahead.
This is called the Tulsi Mala. Otherwise referred to as “The Holy Basil Garland”. Here is its history::
Tulsi means “the incomparable One”. Tulsi is Divinity. It has a very distinguished appearance, aroma and flavor. In Indian culture it is believed to:
Give ritual purity and ward off evil.
Cure diseases related to throat, according to the ancient Indian Science of Ayurveda
Purify the Body
Give Peace of mind and reduce stress
The Tulsi garland can be worn on the neck or tied in around the fist. The benefits of the leaves of Tulsi is well proven., and owing to its spiritual and physical healing power., the touch of the Tulsi wood acts as a rejuvenator for the stressed mind and bring the spiritual self of a person closer to god.
Above all, wearing the Tulsi Garland is supposed to bring good luck and fortune to the devoted wearer. Tulsi clears the aura, and its subtle aroma fills the heart with the sensation of the divine.
And - with that - I go to bed feeling perhaps just a little better mentally, physically and spiritually. And…grateful to experience another new day tomorrow.
