This sounds like it was a wonderful trip with great people. I'm glad all of you had such a good time. I loved the pictures. Tom.

Love all the new pix and those 4 stunning outfits! So glad you all are together on one bus for the post cruise trip!

Editing to say Eugene, I like your tropical suit, too!

Sadly we left the ship at 7 AM and many of Ngaire's group were off for a drive through early morning Mumbai traffic to the domestic airport. I think I must be one of those people that will never get used to seeing beautiful old buildings falling into decay - but Mumbai is also growing and the skyline is full of many new skyscrapers, especially along the water. Such contrasts. Arrived at the airport and waited at least an hour outside the terminal for Regent to get our boarding passes. And yes, it was warm and sticky. It's India!
Then we began our trip to gate A1. I truly don't remember how many security checks were required but India makes the US airports seem like a stroll through a shopping mall compared to their system.. When I arrived at the actual security, scan your baggage facility, I went to the wrong line. Here there is one line for women and 4-5 others for the men. A sign would have been helpful, but eventually some one pointed out the error of my ways and I reluctantly followed the customs of the country and went through with the other women. My artificial knees didn't seem to concern the uniformed guards but I had about 4 question regarding the TAJ pin I was wearing. Should have taken it off but the guard seem truly interested. And it took her attention away from the few liquids I was hoping to get through. We weren't finished with passport and departure checks but the long wait was finally over.
Arrived in Jaipur around noon, bus ride to the Marriott, room keys distributed and we were off to visit the Pink City. I found it to be another interesting city with many older and beautiful moments and buildings and thoroughly enjoyed our time in this palace. I will let Andi or Eugene describe everything we saw, but I thought it was worth the long day it took to arrive here. And was thrilled to be able to purchase an out of print book written by the last maharani of Jaipur. And of course I couldn't get back on the bus without another puppet/marionette purchase. Someone stop me - please! I'm out of control.
Tomorrow - a 5.5 hour drive to Agra. And finally on Saturday at sunrise - at last, the beautiful Taj.

Oh Betty, I can just imagine what you're writing about. I remember almost missing our flight to Agra waiting for the cattle to cross a busy highway early in the morning. They walked in the middle of the highway at rush hour and came to a complete STOP. It seems as if they stood there forever and the driver had not a concern in the world.

Enjoy your trip to Agra. I know what a special trip this has been for you and all on TAJ.

Posting for Andi:

thanks so much

the pic a few postings above, in the upper left corner, of the woman looking out from the corner--so poignant but fierce

The Taj was wonderful. Everyone should come to view. It's beyond description AND we have a great group photo.
Time for breakfast and a 4 hour drive to Delhi. It's been everything I hoped it would be.

Sounds like a wonderful trip to Jaipur and the Taj. Back here on the ship we're carrying on... Be happy you're doing the post cruise Taj trip. The people who visited the Taj before this cruise were delayed about three hours getting to the ship, then all 480 of them arrived at the same time around 5pm. Talk about chaos! We were supposed to leave the port at 6, but finally got off around 9 pm after everyone got checked in and all the luggage got onboard. Fortunately we have two wonderful sea days now and things are getting back to normal. We really miss all our friends from the previous segment, but Betty and Al are on now, so we're not all alone. We had our first pirate drill yesterday before the lifeboat drill--we had to learn what to do if we get attacked by pirates. Let's hope that doesn't happen . We're looking forward to getting to Dubai and having tea at the Burj. And believe it or not, the internet has finally improved. The ship is still full, but they tell us it's because now we're getting the signal from a different (and obviously better) satellite.

Pirate Drill??? Now that is scary Peggy. Hope you continue to have a great time and tea at the Burj sounds special.

We are home after a long slug. Our flight out of Chicago left 5 hours late. First we had a maintenance issue that took 3 hours; then we boarded, only to sit at the gate 2 more hours while we waited for someone to come load the valet checked bags and then we had to wait to be de-iced since there were snowflakes in the air. Those seats on the regional jets that AA uses between Albuquerque and Chicago are just the worst.

The pilot apologized profusely for the poor service we received from AA - I am writing a letter.

Looking forward to seeing pix from the TAJ extension!

Leslie, we got 5000 miles each deposited in our ff accounts from AA due to the delay in DFW when the computer crashed. We were delayed about 5 hrs.

AA was really hammered this week - first that computer crash, then bad weather on Wednesday and Thursday in Chicago caused a lot of delays and cancellations. When we landed Thursday afternoon from our flight from London they had shut down a runway due to the wind so we circled for awhile. We stayed at the Hilton at OHare to break up the trip and the wind was howling all night.

But there is no excuse for the ramp guys not to load the valet bags for an hour or so despite repeated calls from the pilot. The de-icer was there right away but had to leave since they couldn't close up the plane and then when they did it took forever for them to come back.

There were myriad delays and cancellations in addition to our flight on Friday - lots of maintenance delays on those old regional jets.

Hi all,

Things have been hectic, but it was worth it. We made it to the Taj Mahal yesterday morning. We're in Delhi now. Many of our fellow travelers left last night or early this morning. Our flight is shortly and we have the room until 4 PM. Our transfer to the airport leaves at PM. We plan to chill out today and take advantage of the beautiful amenities at this hotel--the Taj Palace--including the pool, which we see from our room.

Regent has handles the post cruise to the Taj terrifically, especially when you remember that they had about 500 people going from the ship, involving three cities with multiple hotels to handle the large numbers. Our guide for the three days in Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi, Anil was fantastic--one of the best we've ever encountered. If anyone is going to Northern India, Ngaire will have his contact information.

We just had breakfast with Ngaire and Ken; they're off later this morning for the flights to Mumbai and later Hyderabad. Ralph joined as. He is leaving about the same time we are tonight. June left in the wee hours this morning with Ken and Sheila Simpson for flights to Down Under and NZ.

We're finishing up some reallocation of luggage contents as some of our luggage was transported directly from the Voyager to Delhi, while other luggage went with us on the post-cruise. The successful logistics of all this have been impressive (I hope that I don't hex us). We understand that some returning home are being affected by the Lufthansa strike.

This has been one of the best cruises and overall trips ever.

Time to put our swim suits on.

-----------------------------

Eugene (and Gail)

Don't forget our insect repellant while your in the line to get into the Taj before it opens in the morning at sunrise, which was 5:53 AM yesterday. We had very nice weather there at that time and have been very lucky throughout "weather wise ."




Photo by Ken H

Leslie - it could be worse. Lufthansa has called a strike for tomorrow and their offices are only open Monday-Friday. And naturally they will be closed tomorrow due to the strike. And there is rioting at the Gateway to India monument (India Gate). And the Regent rep can't seem to find out any information. He doesn't even believe the flights are cancelled! But I am very grateful to be using Regent Air. The other 2 passengers on my flight are using United miles. Hopefully the three of us can get on the same flight. If not..............I've traveled alone for many years. Just another story to tell at a cocktail party. I would prefer this had occurred in a different country but here I am. It's a lovely hotel and thankfully the only store is quite expensive so no more retailing for me!
Editing to add - all alternative flights are full so I have no idea what will happen. Will check again with the Regent rep when I go down for lunch.

Betty, if you end up stuck in India, you should look up the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in Jaipur, they might have rooms until you can get a flight home.

Marc - I am in Delhi.

Then order pastrami on rye.

Maybe they have a chain; maybe the Best Exotic Daisy Hotel in Delhi.

Good news I think. This concierge deserves a raise. He finally got a Lufthansa agent for me. Supposedly I am on the same flights - only one day later. Took 1 hour to get it accomplished. The other people in the same boat on same flight were disconnected. So they are trying again. Forgot to ask about airline paying for another night in this hotel but will deal with that later.
Marc - now I can groan and smile at your puns!

Good news for you Betty! Another reason to consider Regent air. I bet the TAJ isn't a bad place to have to spend one more day.

Flights in the US will be disrupted this week by the upcoming forced furloughs for air traffic controllers. Hope you all make it back before the delays begin. Always something.

The latest - I have a room booked for tomorrow for late checkout (10:30 PM) Flight still at 2:35 AM. 2 women get out tomorrow on Air France through CDG. Thankfully I won't have to get lost in that place again and the other couple (Ngaire's clients) can't get out until Wednesday. Lufthansa won't reimburse us for the room since the strike is due to political unrest.
At least I am going to get airline miles for tomorrow's stay since it is on my dime.
I am keeping my son updated and having him call Clay. Clay doesn't need to be climbing our stairs every few hours to check on the latest.
This hotel is something else. Because I asked for the Imodium at the front desk a butler has brought me a banana and some cheese to help my stomach. Sure think it was nice of them to do it.
And oh joy - traffic delays at home? Didn't know that. Just trying to keep up with the demonstrations, etc here. I am non stop from Frankfurt to Houston so maybe we can leave on time.
Thank goodness I loved this trip.

Good Luck Betty! It is times like this that you're happy you are using Regent air (something we rarely do). Love your good positive attitude !

Betty, I really admire you handling all that on your own. Those of us who usually don't travel solo get spoiled and forget how difficult the problems can be when you are on your own.

I am so glad you all had such a wonderful trip. Marc and I so wanted to do this, but just couldn't be gone that long at this point. I loved reading the sea mail and must admit that I got really jealous when I saw the pic of Eugene and Gail at the Taj. I know I will feel the same way when I see the group pic too! Still so happy it was a great cruise for all of you.

We're home. Walked through the door about an hour ago.
Good flight & no problems (always a good thing!)

Sorry to hear about the pending strike. BUT, I know Betty will be ok at the Taj. What a wonderful hotel. The staff could not do enough for you. I bet each of us has a story of how someone on the staff did something special.

Perhaps the best trip ever. Great people, great ship, great ports, great post-cruise, great people and great people.

Doug

It's now Monday morning here. Just checked and my flight is showing as leaving early tomorrow morning. Haven't turned on the TV to see the status of the riots and demonstrations - BUT I will not be leaving the hotel to check it out for myself. After seeing a large group of men beat on a car full of men with bats while driving here from Agra, I know where to stay. This gorgeous hotel with a top notch staff. Will only post if something changes or when I arrive home. Thanks for all the kind words.

Congruatulations Betty - I would be a quivering mess hiding in a wardrobe if I'd had to go through what you have. Lee

I'm back!
The Lufthansa site shows my flight as still being scheduled but when I try to check in it says that flight has also been canceled. If you call the phone # given they hang up on you. I have turned it all over to the concierge. And have sent out some laundry from my sweaty days of walking around India. Who knows how long I will be here and how much this is going to cost. At this point I am totally on my own dime.
These hotel people are the best I have ever seen. No orange juice for breakfast because oranges are out of season. Only fresh squeezed will do. Tomato juice - they would be happy to "make" some for me. Not necessary - I'll have the papaya. Sweet or unsweetened? I think they also had to make that.
Oh. and one of the butlers told me the rioting is over - but I think the wisest thing to do is to stay put and not check it out for myself.
Still agree with Doug. It's been great!

betty ,

the pizza is good and so is the honey chicken at the 24 hour cafe place hang in there you will get home soon lh owes you big time get some extra miles or something for the hassle

did you see the big do on the other side of the pool last night the regent guy said it was an engagement party

Yes, saw it and heard it. I kept waiting for a groom dressed in white to come across the lawn riding on the white horse. Now I know why it never happened. It looked like one fine party.
I think I am out of luck for any perks. Regent says it's Lufthansa's responsibility, Lufthansa says it is mine since it is due to political unrest and the internet says it's a union issue. I will probably send a bill to Lufthansa just to see what happens. That is, once I get home or better yet, get them to answer their phone.

Just a quick story on Doug's comment about how great the service is at the Taj and how they do special things. I ordered room service for dinner as the included buffet didn't have any Indian food to my liking. I was so thrilled to see butter chicken (my absolute favorite) on the room service menu, so I ordered with some rice and buttered naan. When they brought it to me, the Executive Chef for In-Room Dining came too and introduced himself to me and gave me his business card. Definitely a first for me!!

I'm also continuing my adventures and am in Kathmandu, Nepal right now. It's raining and in the 60's and quite chilly! I'll be here for a few days before I head down to Dubai.

We arrived home safely yesterday afternoon. It was a very long day considering we were up at 3:30am for the Taj Mahal but all went well. Thinking of you Betty and hope you make it home safely. Andrea enjoy your trip to Nepal and Dubai.

Betty, you have insurance and can claim your expenses due to this problem be sure to keep your receipts. Glad you got your flight home figured out.

Sad to say goodbye to everyone in New Delhi but the good thing was that in most cases we have plans to travel together again so it was just “see you soon” instead of goodbye.

I really enjoyed the land trip from Mumbai to New Delhi. Regent did a great job logistically and having our own bus and a fabulous guide made it really much better. Hotels were good and the company was terrific. Most enjoyed the Indian food but of course this was not my cup of tea. All the hotels have good western restaurants and facing yet another Indian buffet the last night eight of us went to the western restaurant. I was SO happy with Norwegian salmon and fresh vegetables.

Ker and Downey (who I use for any land programs) wanted me to visit Hyderabad and the Taj Falaknuma Palace. I was not that keen on this idea feeling that after being away for over a month I would be ready to go home. However, they always seem to come up with the most magical places so in the end we decided to do this ---- WHAT AN EXPERIENCE.

FALAKNUMA PALACE – Hyderabad, India
A little of the background.
The Nizam VI (another name for King) lived here from 1895 to 1911 and then it was used as a guest house for monarchs, heads of state. In 1995 the family leased the Palace to the Taj and the hotel group worked on the property for ten years before the Palace was ready to start taking guests two years ago.

The experience!
We arrived at the front gates and passed some stables and stopped at the wonderful entry way. Waiting for us was one of the original carriages belonging to the Nizam pulled by a beautiful white horse. We went a short distance by carriage arriving at the magnificent palace on top of the hill. We were greeted by the Manager, offered two really cold towels and refreshments. Then we followed a beautifully costumed man with a staff held high with a large gold top (probably the crest of the family) into the Palace just as it had been done originally.

We walked into large a frescoed entry way and behind this was a huge area with a massive staircase. Stunning wood work and antique furniture everywhere you looked. We were escorted to our room immediately. It is a fantastic room polished wood floors, huge with an entry way, living area, large bedroom and stunning bathroom and ice cold air conditioning. They handled the check in issues in our own room which was very nice and very quick. Somehow our bags made it before we did! The whole bathroom is so unique, a huge bathtub with bath oil, bath salts and a giant candle for the right ambiance, all the toiletries in a draw in gold cans, huge shower, a wow experience.

Within a short time we left the room go on a Palace tour led by an historian and when we opened our door a beautiful decoration was at our door made of rose and flower petals. How they did that so fast is beyond me!

The Palace, in one word breathtaking! I have been fortunate to have visited many of the greatest palaces in the world this is my favorite and it was my home for two days. Only those staying here can go upstairs to the most stunning family rooms. The dining room seats 101 people and the room itself is so beautiful. I have seen so many crystal chandeliers but these were so different. More contemporary with star shaped prisms. The interior is a mixture of art deco, Chinese and European styles. The historian said everything in the palace was made to order. The floors and ceilings are completely unique designs. There is nothing Indian at all except the portraits of the royal family that lived here. I could sit in these rooms for hours there is so much to see here and it is all at your disposal to visit when you feel like it. They do have people around but they do not bother you as you browse through the stunning rooms.

Peacocks on the grounds, a stunning swimming pool and huge outdoor courtyard leading to the two restaurants, one is Italian and one is Indian. There is a huge deck there as well that captures the cool breezes and a stunning view of Hyderabad at night it looks like a fairyland below. If you chose you can eat on the deck. Our dinner was excellent and reasonable for such a stunning hotel. We had broccoli soup, I had a great thin bread pizza and Ken had lasagna. They came with a special fig starter and the servings were huge particularly the soup that was delicious but a huge bowl. Total bill about $50.00 for the two of us and we should have just ordered one course. Service beyond belief all delightful young Indian men with big smiles and good English. On returning to our room we were presented with a beautiful desert tray, a chocolate leaf wih the Taj name, truffles little cakes and figs.

Breakfast was an experience I will never forget. To start you hear this flute music when you leave the room. It is played in the courtyard by one man to welcome the morning. No buffets here at all. A large menu with everything you can think of for breakfast. We both ordered egg benedict choices with pork sausage, fresh squeezed orange juice and I got a passion fruit belini. First comes the Champagne, one must have that with breakfast, shortly followed by dark and white bread croissants that are so light and delicious really special. Then a stunning large exotic fruit plate that was beautifully presented and each fruit was the peak of ripeness. This was followed by a three layer plate presentation of all types of pastries that was just for us – each table got their own tower of indulgence. By now we were so tempted with the quality of everything we just HAD to try things – we were already full. Then the real order of eggs arrived with three huge sausages each, yummy potato wedges, and about 8 pieces of wheat toast. Roll me out of the restaurant.

We went on our tour with a great guide whose REAL NAME is John Wilson! His children are Gideon and Joshua. I asked and yes he is a Christian. The Fort here and the Burial tombs are really worth seeing. They have a bazaar with FIXED prices. I loved that not all that hassle and better merchandise as well. We only stayed out three hours as we wanted to catch up on work, enjoy the hotel and relax a little.

When we returned to the room there were sleep blinders with a little note (enjoy your afternoon nap) Kens shoes had been cleaned and were in lovely little shoe bags, refreshed fruit, again at the peak of ripeness. I never want to leave!

Anyone that is coming to India NEEDS to visit this place it is a remarkable and unforgettable experience, expensive for sure but worth it for the memories. Ken will post a few pictures later today but it may not be possible to capture the magnificence of this wonderful palace.

Wow, Ngaire - that sounds amazing - we are definitely putting it on the itinerary list for the future.

Andrea - what a treat to have the chef come to your room! Boy, you really are the energizer bunny to continue on your travels - while you're in the "neighborhood" see if you can arrange a trip to Bhutan - that is a truly magical country.

Glad everyone is arriving home safe and sound - hopefully you too, Betty!

Now that I have Internet....I never posted the rest of the trip...Here is our day in Mumbai. More on post trip (wonderful) later.


We had now traveled 875 miles up the west coast of India from Cochin. We had been told about the masses of humanity awaiting us in Mumbai. We only had one day in Mumbai, which is a limitation of cruising in that you only get a taste of a place. I was expecting a sea of people and a horror of mankind. We decided to take a full day tour of this key city in order to fully gain a grasp of what folks were talking about. 

The first aspect of this city that alerted me that I was in for an awakening was the architecture. It was not as I imagined and it would be the beginning of new surprises for me. I expected slums.

I was immediately struck by Old Bombay's gorgeous 18th and early 19th century Gothic and Victorian architecture that could have come directly from Cambridge or Oxford, known as “Bombay Gothic.” in fact, Mumbai is one of the most characteristically Victorian cities in the world, displaying its British past in all its glory. What's interesting, though, is that it is combined with German gables, Dutch roofs and Indian arches. The most magnificent of these buildings was the railway terminus and the state and college buildings lining the tree lined  greens wereas stately as any I have seen in London. The gorgeous Taj Mahal hotel was exquisite and housed Gucci and a Morumoto restaurant.

Mixed in with this Bombay Gothic is the second largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world, second only to Miami. In contrast to Miami, they are not colored in the striking  blues, pinks, greens and yellows but are dingy and tired looking. Art Deco in India (and especially in Mumbai) evolved into a unique style that came to be called Deco-Saracenic. Essentially, it was a combination of the Islamic and the Hindu architectural styles. The main features were the construction of domes, arches, spires, stained glasses and minarets. The interiors have Victorian influences while the exterior was Indian. Deco details touch every architectural aspect – lamps, flooring, wood panelling, lifts, railings and grills, mouldings, cornices, verandas and balconies, bronze and stainless steel fittings, brackets, etched glass and ornamental sculptures. Many of these buildings overlooked sandy beaches not unlike what you'd find in Miami.

So far, not the slums I expected.

We were then given a walking tour through the Portuguese area. This enclave was hidden behind a typical old city area comprised of old apartment buildings and shops not unlike what you'd find in lower Manhattan, perhaps in Chinatown. It was definitely not upscale, but not any different than what would expect from a large city. Laundry hung from the windows, fruit and vegetable stalls lined the streets.  Khotachiwadi, a historic area of Mumbai, is invisible to all but those who know exactly where it is or are determined to find it. We followed our tour guide across busy streets into a hidden alley way. Inside, we were well-rewarded: Khotachiwadi is a colorful, quiet and quirky world, a maze of crumbling 19th-century wooden bungalows and chawls (communal living quarters typical in Mumbai) painted in bright colors, with latticed windows, overhanging balconies and winding wooden staircases.

We were taken of a tour of designer James Pereira’s beautifully preserved home. Mr. Pereira himself is a storehouse of information about the Khotachiwadi community. His family was originally from Portugal and intermarried with East Indian Christans. The wadi is believed to have sprung up around 1840 and plots of land  were sold to the growing group of East Indian Christians. Many originally lovely 2000 sq. foot homes are now falling apart. Because of rental laws, landlords are not allowed to raise rents or force out tenants and tentantsbcan sub lease in perpetuity. Many of the rents are as low as $3 per month. Khotachiwadi sits on prime land in one of the most expensive areas of Mumbai, and property developers have been eyeing it for many years now. So, landlords are refusing to fix up their properties, allowing them to be comdemned and torn down, making way for tall modern skyscrapers in this eclave. It was declared a Mumbai Heritage Precinct in 1995 as part of a serious conservation effort across the city but it seems like a losing battle. If a building is torn down, the resident gets a shiny, new 2000 square foot apartment in the new building...a win win for the developer, landlord and resident. 

Our visit to Khotachiwadi wasn't all seriousness, talking only about architecture and the situation of real estate, We took time out for refreshments and trying on saris...I felt sorry for the guys who were looking increasingly bored.

Again, back to my day of surprises about this poverty stricken city. A 100-square-meter luxury residence in Mumbai costs about $1.14 million, or 308 times the average annual income in India. Prime-location home prices in Mumbai averaged $11,400 a square meter, while India’s per-capita purchasing power was $3,700. 

Economists are explaining that there are big differences in wealth levels in an  emerging market like India compared to the developed world, which is part of the course for economic development. In the first phase of growth some people make big fortunes and bit takes time for this to trickle down as the middle class develop and generate their own wealth.

Mumbai is even the home to the world's largest and most expensive home: a 27-story skyscraper in downtown Mumbai with a cost nearing $2 billion. It is 550 feet high with 400,000 square feet of interior space. Atop six stories of parking lots, the living quarters begin at a lobby with nine elevators.

All this wealth is integrated with the poverty of shantytowns, which are not segregated from these enormously wealthy areas. They can walk out their doors and be faced with India's poverty at their doorstep. There are no truly segregated areas in Mumbai...no gated communities that separate the masses.  All exist, so to speak, shoulder to shoulder, though there is a strong cast system. 

We were struck by the number of poor living on the streets, especially the women and children. The pretty little girls between age 5 to 10 are already hardened to the street and begging. Wenoticed that they were backed by well dressed men in their late twenties on cell phones. When a child received money, she would hand the money to her "pimp." as I sat ack in the bus and watched, this man gave the children certain hand signals as to who to target. One child would do cartwheels to divert, while another child would target the wealthy tourist by selling trinkets as they were leaving a restaurant, bus or hotel. One of our traveling companions asked one of these little girls how she learned English so well...answer "from trying to sell pocketbooks to English ladies." While the Indians we passed on the streets and the bus waved at us with smiling faces, Doug and I couldn't help but notice the sad, hard look on most of the women's faces. Theirs was not an easy life and it appeared that the women carried the burden in the lower class systems.

Regent showed us the good part of Mumbai. We really never saw the underbelly. We did not get to see Dharavi, the large Mumbai shantytown, with a population of over 1 million.  Dharavi has severe problems with public health, due to the scarcity of toilet facilities, with only one toilet per 1,440 residents.

One thing that struck us throughout India, though, was the filth caused by litter. Regent couldn't hide that from us. Bangkok, Cambodia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka were impeccably clean. India was not. I asked our guide what was the problem and he said "Indians for the most part do not care. Residents seem to have stopped using local toilets provided and leave their waste on the sea front instead, dirtying the area. The place also has plastic bags, cloth and newspapers, whichno one picks up. Rains disrupt some clean up efforts by the city. City workers only take garbage from the bin and ignore other trash. There is little movement to supply shopkeepers and slum dwellers with boxes to throw their garbage in and clear them twice a day, and penalize litter bugs and educate people about the actual problems caused if hygiene is not maintained. ‘Fight the Filth’ is a new campaign which encourages the youth to participate as it is believed folks have become too used to the filth just being everywhere.

Perhaps our most interesting stop was to watch and learn about the Mumbai Dabbahwalas.  A dabbawala (box person) is a person in India, most commonly found in the city of Mumbai, who is employed in a unique service industry whose primary business is collecting freshly cooked food in lunch boxes from the residences of the office workers (mostly in the suburbs), delivering it to their respective workplaces and returning the empty boxes back to the customer's residence by using various modes of transport.

It is actually a highly specialized service in Mumbai which is over a century old and has become integral to the cultural life of this city. The concept of the dabbawala originated when India was under British rule. Many British people who came to the colony did not like the local food, so a service was set up to bring lunch to these people in their workplace straight from their home.

Mumbai is a very densely populated city of millions with huge flows of traffic. Because of this, lengthy commutes to workplaces are common, with many workers traveling by train.  Instead of going home for lunch or paying for a meal and eating out every day in a café, many office workers have a cooked meal sent either from their home, or sometimes from a caterer who essentially cooks and delivers the meal in lunch boxes and then have the empty lunch boxes collected and re-sent the same day. This is usually done for a monthly fee of about $10. The meal is cooked in the morning and sent in lunch boxes carried by dabbawalas, who have a complex association and hierarchy across the city.

A collecting dabbawala, usually on bicycle, collects dabbas either from a worker's home or from the dabba makers. As many of the carriers are illiterate, the dabbas have some sort of distinguishing mark on them, such as a colour or group of symbols. The dabbawala then takes them to a designated sorting place, where he and other collecting dabbawalas sort (and sometimes bundle) the lunch boxes into groups. The grouped boxes are put in the coaches of trains, with markings to identify the destination of the box (usually there is a designated car for the boxes). The markings include the railway station to unload the boxes and the building address where the box has to be delivered.  At each station, boxes are handed over to a local dabbawala, who delivers them. The empty boxes are collected after lunch or the next day and sent back to the respective houses.

Although the service remains essentially low-tech, with the delivery men as the prime movers, the dabbawalas have started to embrace technology, and now allow tanuj wadhi for delivery through SMS. An on-line poll on the web site ensures that customer feedback is given pride of place. The success of the system depends on teamwork and time management. Such is the dedication and commitment of the barely literate and barefoot delivery men (there are only a few delivery women) who form links in the extensive delivery chain, that there is no system of documentation at all. A simple colour-coding system doubles as an ID system for the destination and recipient.. 

The service is almost always uninterrupted, even on the days of severe weather such as monsoons. The local dabbawalas and population know each other well, and often form bonds of trust. Dabbawalas are generally well accustomed to the local areas they cater to, and use shortcuts and other low profile routes to deliver their goods on time. Occasionally, people communicate between home and work by putting messages inside the boxes; however, with the rise of instant communication such as SMS and instant messaging, this trend is vanishing.

Each dabbawala, regardless of role, gets paid about $160 per month. In 1998, Forbes Magazine found its reliability to be that of a six sigma standard. This implies that the Dabbawalas make less than one mistake in every 6 million deliveries, despite most of the delivery staff being illiterate.

Our last stop was the Mani Bhavan (Gandhi Museum). The Mani Bhavan is where Mahatma Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1934. The three-story home is now a Gandhi Museum that preserves the spirit of the man who put his nation before himself. The house belonged to a friend of Ghandi's. Whenever Ghandi was in Mumbai between 1917 to 1934, Gandhi stayed here. It was here in November 1921 that Gandhi conducted a four-day fast in order to restore peace to the city. On the terrace, a bronze plaque marks the site of the tent in which Gandhi was arrested in January 1932. He also used to sleep and say his prayers on this terrace. Inside the house is a library of Gandhi-related works as well as displays of photographs, posters, slogans, and person letters that document and explain Gandhi's life.

This was an extremely full and varied day for us and merely touched on a very complex city.


Andrea 


Sent from my iPad

Ngaire, all I can say is "Oh My God"...When I give this info to Ray I know he will want to return again to India....He loves it there. How's this itinerary:

Mumbai (stay at the The Oberoi Mumbai), Hyderabad (Le Taj Falaknuma), Agra (The Oberoi Amarvilas), Jaipur (The Fairmont), Jodhpur (Raas Haveli) and Delhi (The Leela Palace).
Got this from Trip Advisor, not too shabby.

Happy to hear you had a wonderful adventure once again.

Can't wait to see ken's pictures.

More Photos:


Camels being herded along a highway.


The Red Fort in Agra, India.


June at the Taj Mahal.


The Taj Group at the Taj Mahal.


Indians like to have their photo taken.


Mother & Daughter.

Finally - leaving hotel for the airport in 3 hours. Hotel personnel will walk me to the check-in counter. I assume everyone else had this same service. Still many hours to Houston but let the journey begin.
And Pat, I don't know anything about hotels in India but if you return you should consider the Taj Palace in Delhi. I have never had such personnel service in my life and it had nothing to with being a Regent guest. These people are simply the best. Many have sent me personal notes of farewell. Absolutely amazing.

The Taj Falaknuma Palace - Hyderabad, India.


The front of the Taj in Hyderabad.








Our Room.

Link to more photos on SmugMug:
http://ngaire.smugmug.com/INDIA/India-Properties/Taj-Falaknuma-Hyderabad/29041843_zTGpjK

home 3am this morning. No problems, just a lot of flying. This trip was well worth the hours on planes. the Taj certainly lived up to our expectations. Poor Betty. You are a real traveler. If it had to happen sounds like you were in the best hotel to help you out. Miss all the Taj people. Know we will see most of you in the future. Back to the real world and digging through 1 month of mail and papers.

Yeah! I'm in the Lufthansa lounge. Baby steps.
I could probably manage to live in that palace in Hyderabad but I would have to move it back to Texas! I bet those canyon aren't even illegal in Texas. It definitely is one gorgeous place.

Good for you, Betty. Hope you don't now face any issues with the slow down due to sequestering