Holy hell. What a 12 hrs & it’s only just started. Landed in Delhi around 8:30pm. Customs & Immigration ok. We were met by our guide (Soogie) who took us to “The Colonel’s Retreat”. More of a homestay than a hotel. We were given our “Enchanting Tours” notes/vouchers/itinerary then bed by 2300. Best part – got hold of a bottle of Bundy at Singapore so managed a Rum & Coke.
1st Full day in India.
Up again at 0430 to be picked up & taken to railway station for trip to Gwalior. OMG. Hotel cook had prepared ‘breaky’ for us – 4 dried cheese sandwiches, 2 bananas & 2 banana cake. Then on the train more food to fill us up . Rough as guts but that’s part of the adventure. Cup of tea was good (despite ‘creamer’). Add brown bread, marmalade, more bananas, corn flakes (with hot ‘milk’) & who knows what else. Just when I thought they’d finished comes the main course! “Sorry. Too full”. We’re in the top class carriage. Glad we’re not in economy. Grotty. Guys in black uniforms called “Meals on Wheels” work as hosties do on a plane rolling up the aisle with trolley loads of food then rubbish pick up. It’s going to be an interesting 3 wks.
We arrived at Gwalior and the Enchanting rep (by company title, not that he enchanted me) was waiting for us. He led us to our awaiting car but fighting through a typical Indian crowd isn’t easy on a walking stick with 3 bags over your back. Fortunately it was a short trip to our hotel, The Usha Kiran Palace and what a palace it is. It was actually a Maharajah’s residence and heads of state have stayed here. Our ‘room’ is actually 4 rooms totalling by my estimate to be over 100 sq mtrs. We have a lobby (this is our room lobby not the hotel reception lobby), a dressing room, a bathroom and the main room that is about 7 mtrs X 9 mtrs containing a huge 4 poster bed with canopy, a leather chaise lounge, a 3 pce lounge, a study table, TV, and assorted other bits and pieces AND WE LOVE IT!
As our guide has suggested we take no break and head straight to the famous Gwalior Fort. Whoa! You are kidding me! This place is a massive structure that sits high above Gwalior on top of a mountain. I cannot begin to describe this wonderful UNESCO listed place so just enjoy the pictures.
We returned to our ‘Palace’ for lunch then at 3pm we headed to the current Maharaja’s palace and museum. Again I can really only let the pictures talk for me. We learned so much and our guide was tremendous. He is a local man who passionately loves his hometown and knows his history thoroughly. After our tour of the museum we headed back to the relative comfort of the hotel’s pool. My pedometer tells me we hobbled 7.74kms today. Did I mention today hit a balmy 43 degrees? A spot of tea then we flaked out after an extremely intensive 40 plus hours.
Cheers
Garry & Shane.
Ah ha!
43 degrees in the Outback around a campfire will suit me fine, thanks.