From India that is. I went to all three of our outsourced partners (Mumbai, New Dehli, and Bangalore) with my programme coordinator (Quality Lass) for about 10 days. Actually got to do a bit of sightseeing to the Taj Mahal this time. And no horrific GI tract misery either. We had a really great time and ate some incredible food. If you ever find yourself staying here, I can heartily recommend the non-veg prixe fixe menu at their Indian restaurant (we sat at the table at the end of the red bowls). All the local guys with us thought it was one of the best meals they'd ever had in their homeland.
The weather was very agreeable too: Mumbai hot (38 degrees C); Delhi warm and smoggy (28C); Bangalore perfect (26C). The ride out to Agra (where the Taj is) is about 500 km roundtrip from Delhi ~ which we did in one day, leaving the hotel at 6am. Mind you, as we were visiting call centres supporting the UK (5.5 hours behind India time), we were not leaving the office until around 10 or 11pm, and getting back from dinner circa 1am. Our driver was ex-military (actually had bullet fragments in his leg from an injury sustained in Kashmir) and drove as though we were being shelled. Fast and erratic (in other words like every other Indian driver).
On the way I saw everything one associates with the sub-continent countryside: women in colourful saris with enormous clay jugs on their heads, people relieving themselves in fields, camels pulling carts, overloaded buses and trucks, lush vegetation, dry dusty villages, naked children and cows wandering anywhere they please. We also saw a few things you might not expect: shopping malls, military convoys, fast food and roadside liquor joints.
By the way, the Taj is everything you've ever heard about it: massive beyond all scale and breathtakingly beautiful. Also interesting was that a good 70% of the visitors appeared to be local. Maybe due in part to the visit incentive: it cost Indian citizens 20 rupees (about €0.30) and 750 rupees (about €12.50) for foreigners. Regardless, the visit was more than worth the 9 hours of driving roundtrip.
The gallery linked above will be expanded soon with the pics taken by Quality Lass.
Tonight PK and I are off to 007's house for Flip's birthday. A cocktail affair: I'm bringing Russian and Belgian beers as insurance...
Slainte.
