Riding in a tuk-tuk in New Delhi.  Visible in the left mirror, me taking a picture with my red camera; on the right, one of my friends takes in the scenery. 

Hello all!

AT last, the thrilling conclusion to this three-part, Indian adventure!

So far, we've marveled at the ever-beautiful Taj Mahal, fixed tires on dusty roads, and ascended to a Maharaja's fort on elephant's back.

At this point in the trip, we were all having a hard time imagining just what else could be in store for us as we traveled to the nation's capital, New Delhi...

 

On the road, again

Never a dull moment:  two colorfully-dressed women catch a ride on a jeep... and can you spot the woman working in the field?

While transits between cities can sometimes be tedious, the landscape between Jaipur and Delhi never ceases to offer up beautiful and interesting scenes...

 

Welcome to New Delhi!

Hundreds and hundreds of cars, seemingly coming out of nowhere, wait in crazy long lines to pay their way into the capital.  

Arriving in Delhi was an unforgettable experience.  While we'd pretty much always been surrounded by people, the traffic at the toll plaza into Delhi was still an overwhelming sight--and that's coming from a native New Yorker!  

 

Sights and sounds 

Beauty and Silence:  The Lotus Temple

Left:  The Lotus Temple up close, with it's reflecting pool;  Top Right:  Two families take in the sunlight on the steps facing the temple and pool;  Bottom Right:  A woman adjusts her sari as she exits the Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple is one of New Delhi's most famous sights.  Completed in 1986, the building--actually a Baha'i House of Worship--attracts an estimated 4.5 million visitors a year!  It's architecture is based on the lotus, India's national flower.

Three of us decided to make our way up to the temple, in what would prove to be one of the most interesting experiences of the trip.  Entering the building, we were confronted with total and complete silence.

Silence?  In India?  The contrast was surprising, to say the least!

Other Delhi Scenes...

A passerby find himself accidentally in front of my lens in Old Delhi, also known as Shahjahanabad.  Built by Shah Jahan (the man who commissioned the Taj Mahal), Old Delhi is home to many small shops and a large spice market, where you can find just about every delicious flavor Indian cooking has to offer.

Left:  An exhibition showcasing the life and achievements of Mahatma Gandhi, written using both Devanagari (the written system used for Hindi) and English.  The comprehensive display is located in the gardens of his last residence--which, sadly, was also the place of his assassination on January 30, 1947.

Right:  The colorful Laxminarayan Hindu Temple, inaugurated by Gandhi in 1939 in honor of Lakshmi, Hindu goddess of wealth, and her consort Narayana (the Sanskrit name for Vishnu).  No cameras (or shoes!) allowed inside.

The tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun is one of Delhi's most famous attractions.  The beautifully crafted main structure and its surrounding complex--a UNESCO World Heritage site built in 1547--contain around 150 graves of ruling family members.

 

Tastes and Aromas:  Sugar and Spice, and Everything Nice

Here's something I forgot to mention-- I developed a very fat personality in India.  I'm talking capital F to the A to the T.

But it wasn't my fault!  (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Simply put, Indian food is too delicious!  So what little self control I had built upon in previous months just fell to pieces in front of these amazing dishes: 

Savory...

Paneer Tikka at Khan Cha Cha, a hip, reasonably-priced eatery located at Khan Market, New Delhi.  Just order and pay, then grab your ticket and (im)patiently wait for your delicious order to be up!  

Cutlet, mango punch, whole wheat toast and butter on the train...on the train!

Delicious tandoori chicken, a veggie curry, and naan bread at a bar/restaurant near our hotel.

Lachha Tokri--I don't remember exactly what's in it, but it was super good!

 

Different nuts and spices being sold in Old Delhi... and, being American, we just couldn't resist India's answer to the Big Mac.  Since beef is banned in India, we were able to try this unique chicken "Maharaja Burger" at McDonald's, seasoned with Indian spices!

...and Sweet!

Gulab Jamun--this is something like fried doughnut holes soaked in a fragrant rose-infused honey syrup

 

Assorted sweets and goodies, topped with some sort of edible metallic-looking icing. On the right, kulfi!  Kulfi is a type of really thick and creamy ice cream--this one tasted like coconut and vanilla!

This is what really became my obsession:  Ras Malai!!!

Is that orange-flavored ice cream?  Nope--try saffron (yes, saffron!) ice cream with pistachios, probably one of the most delicious treats of the entire trip!

Snacks for everyone!  A rhesus macaque nibbles some peanuts on a sidewalk in Old Delhi.

 

Reluctantly, Time to Head Home

Sunset, January 27th, 2012, New Delhi = time for us to head on out!

All too quickly, it was time to head to the airport for our flight back:  back to Beijing, back to work, and back to our "regular" lives (as regular as life gets in China, anyway!).

It was a little bit sad to leave, but we knew we brought with us once-in-a-lifetime memories that we will carry for a long time.

This Golden Triangle tour through Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi is really the perfect introduction for first-timers to India--from the breathtaking Taj Mahal, to the romantic, ochre landscapes of Rajasthan, and the hustle and bustle of the capital, New Delhi, we got to see it all.  Still, India is so huge and so varied that it seems like a place that you just need to keep coming back to in order to truly appreciate and understand it.

So as for my travels to India, I guess it's "namaste" for now... 

 

...but, like Mr. Schwarzenegger, I'll be back!

Want to start your discovery of the Indian Subcontinent?  E-mail us at booking@red.travel and we'll get you on your way!

 

<3<3  Hello all, and Happy Valentine's Day! 

As nice as it can be, there's something about February 14th that can feel a lot more like April 15th, America's dreaded yearly tax deadline.  I have known many friends (usually my guy friends) to completely forget about Valentine's Day, then break out in a cold sweat over what they could possibly organize at the last minute!

For those of you in a similar position out there, not to worry.

Red.Travel would like to propose a definitely decadent, ridiculously romantic getaway idea, right here in Beijing!:  spending a night at one of Beijing's most luxurious hotels, the Aman Resort at the Summer Palace.

What better gift than to escape together to a place where visitors to the Empress Dowager Cixi would patiently await their turn for an audience?

And the best part?  This 2-day, 1-night package is available until the end of March.

So, no need to rush!  When both of your schedules free up, plan a nice mini-break at the summer retreat of China's royal families past.

To learn more about this trip (and to see some more beautiful pictures of the resort), please see the Aman Resort Summer Palace Getaway on our website, Red.Travel.

And whatever you do, wherever you are, have a wonderful Valentine's Day! <3<3<3

So where were we?

Ah yes, the second leg of India's famous 'Golden Triangle' circuit:  to Jaipur!

Roadside Adventures

So my six intrepid friends and I found ourselves hitting the road, driving about 5 hours from Agra to Jaipur.  But clearly, what road trip adventure would be complete without a little touch of drama?  Right into our second hour of driving, we hear a faint popping sound and pull over to the side of the road--thanks to a nail the size of a #2 pencil, we had a flat tire!

The boys help our driver out.....while the girls investigate the nearby mustard fields

Thanks to the flat, though, we did get to make some new friends--all of which just stopped at the strange sight of 7 foreigners stranded in the middle of nowhere!

Finally, to Jaipur!

After some lunch--and, believe it or not, yet another flat tire--we finally arrived in Jaipur, the capital of India's desert state of Rajasthan.  The weather, already beautiful, shifted to new shades of gorgeous:  nothing but clear, blue skies and temps of up to 25 degrees Celsius.. in January!

(Meanwhile, it's like -3 right now in Beijing.. pfff!)

A major Jaipur highlight:  The Amer Fort (or Amber Fort)

 View from the back of an elephant.

Top left: A woman carries water as she walks along Maota Lake.  Top right:  A view of the main courtyard.  Bottom:  One of the most stylish cleaning ladies I've ever seen, sweeping the sandstone.

The eye-poppingly beautiful Amber Fort, built in 1592 and used as the home of the Rajput Maharajas, is one of Jaipur's most popular tourist destinations--and rightfully so!  A short (nonetheless exhilarating) elephant ride brings visitors up the mountain to a fortress of red sandstone and marble.  Not only is the entire structure is meticulously maintained, but the views of surrounding mountains and valleys are simply breathtaking.

Hanging out in Jaipur

Left:  We had the chance to visit with a local family, where we learned how to cook an Indian meal, make chai tea, and (properly) wrap a sari.

Right:  We also went to see a Bollywood blockbuster, Don 2 (in Hindi!), in a beautiful movie theater that would put any Megabox to shame!

Who wants a midnight snack?  Trying some sweet "paan" at a street stall, dipped in chocolate and filled with rose preserves, coconut, saffron, and a maraschino cherry.

Now for some healthy living:  A morning yoga class in an ashram, followed by some raw, super organic beet and carrot juice.

The roof of the Sarang Palace Hotel, Jaipur... with Orion's Belt making a cameo appearance in the upper left corner.

So the sun eventually set on our time in Jaipur... Check back here soon for the exciting conclusion to this three-part travel tale!

In the meantime, if these pictures are just TOO cool and you can't take it anymore, feel free to check out this India Tour of Ancient Civilization on our Red.Travel website so you can see it all for yourself!

Namaste :)

Welcome back, and Happy Year of the Dragon!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

For this year's Chinese New Year break, I decided to head down to China's largest neighbor, and the second most populous nation in the world:  India!

Let's face it:  With about 1.2 billion inhabitants, 1200 dialects, and 22 official regional languages, India can seem a bit overwhelming to a first-time traveler.  (You can check out some cool and interesting facts about India here.)

Having never been to India ourselves, my friends and I were a little intimidated to say the least!  So much to see, and only one week of free time--what would be the best way to experience our first glimpse of India?

Finally, we all agreed to explore India's so-called Golden Triangle--that is, the three northern cities of New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur.  These three cities--located in three different states of northern India--offer a great introduction to Indian culture, and can be explored within a one-week period.

Our first destination?  Agra, the home of the world-famous Taj Mahal and capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh: 

Shah Jahan commissioned this stunning mausoleum for his favorite wife who died in childbirth, as proof of his eternal love for her. 

Left:  I'm not photogenic, but couldn't resist a picture in front of the Taj!

Right:  A guard patrols the entrance to the Taj complex, making sure no part of the area is touched by the sole of a shoe (socks or booties required!)

Another stunning structure in Agra, the Agra Fort, now partly serves as a barracks for military personnel.

Left:  A view of Shah Jahan's former residence in the fort.

Right:  Two of my very stylish friends soak in the fort's beautiful architechture.

Outside of the visits, we also enjoyed lots of down time to soak in the local vibe.  Here, for example, we grab some local breakfast with our Agra guide--a delicious combination of spicy and sweet flavors that would become a part of our daily life in India.

On the way out of Agra, here we are at the Fatehpur Sikri, just 40 km away.  The now-deserted 16th century city that--for only a brief 14 years--served as the capital of the Mughal Empire was abandoned due to extreme lack of water!

 

After all of this, we were only about 36 hours into our journey!  Now it was time to leave Agra, the first point of our exciting Golden Triangle tour.

Our next destination?  Jaipur, the 'Pink City'!  

Check back in for Part Two, the next installment of our incredible Indian adventure!

...

Like what you see so far?  Check out our India Tour of Civilization and make some new memories of your own! 

 

Warren Buffett's playful side comes out to...well, play!

Yes, you've read that correctly.  Apparently America's most famous investor and philanthropist, multi-billionaire Warren Buffett, will make a a guest appearance on China's #1 most watched television event, the yearly Chinese New Year's Eve Gala program on CCTV.

While he won't be there in person (that we know of), the gala will feature a prerecorded video of Mr. Buffett singing and playing the guitar (no joke) to help ring in the Year of the Dragon.

Says one of the broadcast's production executives, Wang Pingjiu, "We all know that Buffett is good at investment, but few knew he also did well in singing." [Xinhuanet]

Couldn't have said it better, Mr. Wang.  If it keeps on like this, it looks like 2012 will be a very interesting year indeed!

[note to self:  business acuity + mad singing skills = billionaire livin'! ]