51 Shades of Pink …
Inside Terminal 3 at the Indira Gandhi Airport. Terminal 3 just serves two airlines – IndiGo and Spicejet. We were flying IndiGo.
Now, I already know what half you lot out there are thinking but you’re wrong! I shall come to that shortly. Firstly, to today’s adventures. We arose early (06:00 hours) in order to ablute and be on parade for an 07:00 hours departure to Indira Gandhi airport (did you know she wasn’t actually a Gandhi? She was, in fact Indira Nehru and it is rumoured here that she only married Feroze Gandhi to get the name despite him having no relationship whatsoever to Mahatma Gandhi!). We were met in the hotel lobby by a guide and a new driver (ours was already on his way to Jaipur) who took us directly to the airport where our guide took us inside (once we had cleared the first level of security) and printed our boarding cards on a self service machine because he had already checked us in online. We then went through the next level of security to the baggage scanners. Here we emptied our bags of virtually everything and watched them disappear off on a conveyor belt whilst we went and joined the queue for ‘Males’ for our next security check. When we eventually reached the front of the queue we were called forward to stand on a wooden box. There we had to empty all of our pockets and be patted down in a rather intimate and public manner before finally being able to go off in the hope of reuniting with our bags. Security is taken very seriously here!
How disappointing – KFC and Pizza Hut with Costa Coffee just around the corner!
Having cleared security we went off for a walk around the airport to see what was there. Mostly the shops were international brands – United Colours of Beneton, Hamleys, etc., but I have to be honest that we were both a little disappointed when we saw the food hall. KFC and Pizza Hut … and just around the corner, Costa Coffee (which costs a lot even in India!)! We did learn yesterday in Delhi that MacDonalds had opened up quite a number of stores in India but that the majority had shut down as people realised just how unhealthy they are and how bland American food is! There is not a MacDonalds at Indira Gandhi Airport! As we were still relatively early, we had a little time to wait before we boarded our flight. Captain Clarke was a little peckish and so went off to procure a Chicken Tikka Sandwich and a glass of badam milk (all before 08:30!) and, just before he arrived back I noticed that the gate had opened (more security) and that the first bus of passengers had already left. Captain Clarke rushed down his sandwich and the majority of his glass of badam milk and we made our way through the last set of security (there was security before we reached the gates too) and onto a bus out to the aircraft. The flight was a few minutes late departing but the scheduled 50 minute flight only took 25 minutes – apparently they were closing the runway at Jaipur at 10:00 to do some works on it and wouldn’t re-open until after 17:00, so all flights had to be got in on time or early … and they were!
The back entrance to the Sujan Rahmahal Palace!
Our driver from Delhi was there to meet us, along with another guide to get us to our hotel. Juswant, our driver, had left Delhi at about the same time as we did and driven down to Jaipur with our cases as the airline has a low weight limit. Why we didn’t drive down with him, I am not sure! We then transferred to our latest hotel, the Suján Rajmajhal Palace. Apparently it featured my favourite film of all time the ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, although we are not sure that either of us remember that! When we arrived we were met by Prashdan who is our host, who told us that we had been upgraded from our ‘Palace Room’ to the Kennedy Suite. Oh my word, what an upgrade! The hotel has three Royal Suites, the Mountbatten Suite, the Queen Elizabeth II Suite (she stayed here with Prince Philip in 1961) and the Kennedy Suite where it is reported that Jackie Kennedy stayed for three months whilst she wrote a book about her life. There is also a Princess of Wales ‘Palace Suite’ named after Princess Diana who stayed here when she went to the Taj Mahal to have that photograph taken, and a Prince of Wales ‘Palace Suite’ named after Prince Charles who regularly stays here during the Polo season. (Royal Suites are slightly larger than Palace Suites!)
Our lounge area and our dining area beyond!
Now, I have to be honest and say that I have no idea why we have been upgraded, but we have and I’m asking no questions! As you enter our suite, you find yourself in the lounge area which has a writing desk, a sofa and two arm chairs, an ornate coffee table and two side tables. This leads to our private dining area which has a round table suitable for four people. Off the lounge area is a sort of lobby area with wardrobes, places for cases and a bathroom leading off it. Then, through a set of double doors one enters the bedroom which is complete with a large king sized bed, a sofa, two arm chairs, a coffee table, another writing table and enough space to swing a donkey! It really is a stunning suite and a real shame we are only here for three nights but we’ll make the most of it. The staff here (it seems like hundreds of them) can’t do enough for us and we really are being treated like royals! There are more photos of our suite in the photo gallery below which I think is going to have to become a common feature because I am taking far too many photographs!
Can there be anywhere else in the world that is such an assault on the senses? Those who know the country of old just go about their business. But nothing can prepare the uninitiated for this riot of noise and color.
Having settled into our suite, the hour was still early. It was about 11:30 and too late for breakfast and too early for lunch so we decided to take a trip into the old city of Jaipur. There will be far more to come about Jaipur (known as the pink city) in the coming days when we do a bit of sight seeing. Suffice to say, you may now have guessed the association of the 51 Shades of Pink – it is actually the name of one of the four restaurants in our hotel (of 13 rooms!) and reflects the differing shades of pink of the old city of Jaipur. So, Prashdan offered us the use of a hotel car for the afternoon, but we suspected that involved real money and we were being a bit tight so he got us an ‘Uber’ instead! The Uber duly arrived and transported us to the old city of Jaipur, just inside the city walls in one of the many market streets. There is a line in the ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ that is said by Judi Dench’s character, Evelyn Greenslade, “Can there be anywhere else in the world that is such an assault on the senses? Those who know the country of old just go about their business. But nothing can prepare the uninitiated for this riot of noise and color.”. How right she is! And, of course, the film is both set and filmed in Jaipur! But, she isn’t just right, she’s describing it perfectly – India is an assault on the senses, but in the most wonderful, exciting, exotic way! Walking through the streets of Jaipur trying desperately not to get knocked down by a passing motorbike, Tuk Tuk, e-Rickshaw or thundering truck, it is just brilliant! The noise of the constant horns, the cows in the street, the goad nonchalantly eating a roti, from where one dare not ask, the colours of the fabrics and the smells of the street foods … and sometimes the sewers – it all just makes one feel alive and good!
Captain Clarke at feeding time!
Captain Clarke and I decided to pause our strolling (actually we strolled for five miles, but that’s a different issue!) for a spot of lunch. Now, neither of us were that hungry and, since we are meeting Captain Clarke’s parents this evening for dinner because they too are on holiday in India right now and just happen to be in Jaipur today, we didn’t want to overdo it. Our hotel had mentioned a restaurant called the LMB (no idea what that stands for, but what of it) which, when we found it didn’t look all that appetising from the outside. We went in, however, and discovered that it was also 100% vegetarian which I wasn’t sure appealed to me as a confirmed meat eater. We were standing in what seemed like a sort of snack place but couldn’t really work out what to do or how to order. There was a restaurant to one side but I was a little apprehensive about going into the restaurant and ending up with a huge meal that I couldn’t possibly eat. Captain Clarke wanted to go into the restaurant though, so we did.
Wow! That food was worth smiling about! Stunning!
What a meal it was! We ordered only three dishes; Daal Makhani, Kadai Paneer and Vegetable Kofta along with a plain naan bread and a roti. Frankly, it was unbelievable! It was some of the best Indian food I have ever eaten. The daal was exquisite creamy, hot, sour, lentally (is that a word?) and delicious. The paneer was tomato, spicy, slightly sharp and full of flavour and the vegetable kofta was mashed potato stuffed with spicy vegetables in a gravy that was earthy, deep and scrumptious! Now it has been suggested by good friends who are currently in Sri Lanka that it is possible that an India gene could get passed down to a white person making them a White Indian. If that is the case for me, I am jolly proud to be a White Indian! I don’t know how anyone can live without the beauty of Indian food cooked well and without appreciating the colours, the smells, the people, the beauty of this fabulous country! Anyway, if such people exist, let them, I am happy to appreciate it along with Captain Clarke and a few others (plus the 1.2 billion or so that are lucky enough to call this home!). Having finished lunch we walked a little more around the streets of Old Jaipur before finally succumbing to the heat and hailing a Tuk Tuk to take us back to our hotel. He wasn’t allowed to enter the hotel grounds (standards!) but dropped us outside and we walked up the long drive to the hotel. Those who look at the photographs will understand that the photo of the drive is over two thirds along it! And thus, another day is complete. I must dash now, get a shower and get ready to meet Captain Clarke’s parents … it is RudyMenTerry!
Recent Comments