Delhi, India

When we planned to include India in this trip, we knew going in that we would not be able to give India the time it deserved to really get to know it. Instead of skipping the country altogether, we decided to spend four days in Delhi with the few expectations of seeing the Taj Mahal and visiting the markets. What we experienced in India, we could never have planned for, had we stayed there for a whole month.

The best decision we made was to forego the big hotels and stay at a very small guesthouse tucked away in a neighborhood in the heart of Delhi. The guesthouse, The Thikana, felt just like we were staying in someone’s home. We got in very early in the morning, after a long flight, so we all crashed right away. When we woke up in the late morning, we were greeted in the dining room by the lovely people who run the guesthouse, Sheetal, her mom, Geeta and her cousin Geetu. We sat for a long time and chatted with these amazing women and when we finally left to explore for the afternoon, we couldn’t wait to come “home” to have dinner with our new family! The next three days were more of the same – lots of laughs, sharing stories of travel, family and philosophies on life. The girls were so taken with the three women and declared Geetu their Indian Aunt.

We spent one entire day traveling to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and it was a sensory overload! Driving through that part of India is chaotic, depressing, beautiful, heart wrenching, humorous and filled with the constant honking of car horns. The Taj Mahal was gorgeous and everything you would expect it to be. We also spent a day with a driver who took us around Delhi to Humayun’s Tomb, Qutb-Minar, the Lotus Temple, few really fun markets and the post office! Qutb-Minar was one of my favorite ruins. It’s just gorgeous and serene and I love the Indian and Arab details in the architecture. The markets were fun and I found some really cool paper products and leather sandals that I really love. We went to the post office to mail a package and it was a complete trip to participate in the protocol India’s postal service. You hand your parcel over to a little man who takes it and wraps it in white muslin, then stitches the edges and ends together so the whole package is concealed like a present. Then he finishes off the seams with hot, red wax, seals it, sews in the mailing instructions, and glues another form onto the front of the package. It took about an hour to mail two letters and one package! We have some great stories from post office experiences all over the planet. I definitely have a greater appreciation for the USPS.

We ended our India stay with an incredible Indian dinner at Bukhara in the Mauyra Hotel. The food was absolutely some of the best we’ve ever had. The chicken dishes were incredible and the black lentils are a restaurant specialty. We ate with our hands, which made the meal that much better. We went home to rest, but the party didn’t stop there as Atul, Sheetal’s husband, was waiting for Matt so they could share a scotch and cigar. I’m not exactly sure what time Matt crawled into our room, but he didn’t have to drive, so it didn’t matter!

It was really difficult to say goodbye to our Delhi family and I don’t think they could possibly know how grateful we were to have been so welcomed and cared for in their special home by such a warm family. We vowed to meet again someday and the heart of India was revealed to us in a way we never expected. We will return to India – it draws you in and you want to feel more.