Headed for home....farewell India!

Thursday 4th October: Delhi to Singapore

The last breakfast proved a challenge for all as we tried to have all of the best of the food here: more smoked salmon, perfectly cooked eggs, stuffed paratha, a last masala chai, and warm danish pastries just about finished us off!

With much packing of bags and sorting out of purchases we checked out… or rather we all checked in to one room for the day as we were heading for the first leg of the flights home in the evening. But before we left there were a few remaining activities and a last traditional lunch to consume.

Firstly we went to see Neeta’s company which she set up with a friend Nina. They have vast experience and an obsession with producing textiles and homewares of the finest quality. Their range of superbly embroidered and beaded cushions, bags and homewares were overwhelming. As we sat and discussed women in business in India and the evolution of their business with them, I could see everyone’s eyes roaming around the room taking in the beautiful handcrafted homewares they produce.

They are not interested in mass production but focus on using both traditional and contemporary patterns in their products.

Their craftsmen work in a range of settings and produce the designs and fabrics which are then converted into the cushions, bags etc that we saw. A very inspiring story of commitment to an ideal.

Then it was onwards to Cyber Hub, an example of the contemporary Indian workplace. Huge multi-storey buildings filled with offices and businesses towered above us as we strolled along the array of restaurants below, developed to feed the thousands of workers.  We had to go through a security gate on entering the precinct which we found interesting, and every worker has to do the same every day.

Food from every corner of the world was available, but we had to have a last Indian lunch. As usual it consisted of about 6 small starters followed by an array of delicious curries and hot Naan bread to mop them up with. 

Rachna knew we had developed a taste for gulab jamon for dessert, so she made sure it was on offer, but we also tasted honey bee for the first time. We had seen these delicate fried dough shapes being deep fried in the market but hadn’t tasted them before. Crisp and sweet and dipped in a creamy nutty yoghurt, they were a big hit.

To top it all off, a set of small wooden drawers appeared on the table. Each drawer contains a different mouth freshener. Crystallised ginger and mango were included. We had chewed fennel seeds and sugar lumps before, but the best choice here was fennel seeds coated in brightly coloured sugar - delicious. 

Whilst the others returned to the Hotel for some last swims and showers, Rachna took Jan and I for a quick shop to the Top Bazaar super supermarket in the enormous Ambience Mall. It was a hoot and we came back with some last-minute purchases: saris for a goddaughter, multiple pairs of bright coloured leggings, boxes of Indian sweets and other treasures.

 

A last G&T (as we hadn’t quite used all of our duty-free gin) and then it was on to the bus and many farewells to Ash and the Hotel staff.

We had left plenty of time for the bus trip to the Airport but really it was only 15 minutes away……..well, that is when the traffic is actually moving! In one part of the road there are 16 lanes in each direction to try and get the Delhi traffic moving but alas, it doesn’t always work!

Who'd want to be a traffic person in this traffic? Not me!!!

Our bus had to traverse quite a few lanes as you can see, and squeeze into the left hand lane across at least 8 lanes of traffic, much to the fury of some car drivers who whacked the bus and yelled at the driver. The bus driver's assistant got out of the bus and had a rather heated exchange with a furious car driver. We had to restrain Marianne from joining him and saying a few words too! 

A 15 minute trip took 45 minutes but we managed to get to the Airport on time, and with the necessary passports and luggage, and finally caught our flight headed for home.

You sad to be going correspondent

Dianne