My apologies to you all since the latest blog updates have pretty much said: “Hi, I’m around… but not here and not for you!” This time, I’m off to Jerusalem, Israel for about a week for the mid-year seminar for the Jewish Service Corps fellows. I’ll spend Shabbat with a family friend, and then I’ll be at a hotel Sunday through Wednesday, sitting through meetings and programming. Hopefully, in between, I’ll be able to relax at a coffeeshop and meet up with some friends. Maybe I’ll even be able to update the blog a little more comprehensively!
Here’s a taste of the trip Syd and I took, though:
- Arrived on December 27th, slept through the afternoon, went out to dinner and a lounge at night.
- Spent the next couple of days seeing Bombay: downtown at the Causeway and the Gateway of India and the Taj Hotel, Mani Bhavan (Gandhi’s house in Bombay), Haji Ali (the mosque out on the water), one of the blue synagogues Kinesset Eliyahoo, a little shopping, tasting foods at various restaurants, etc.
- December 30th, we had a 7 a.m. flight to Delhi – but it was delayed for almost six hours because of fog. We finally arrived around 2 p.m. and took a whirlwind car tour of the city: the outside of the Red Fort, Jama Masjid (the biggest mosque in India), India Gate, Parliament, and India’s “White House.”
- December 31st, we woke for a 6 a.m. train to Agra. We toured the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal, ate at Pizza Hut for dinner, had a Costa Coffee for dessert, and took the late train back to Delhi to have tea on the roof of our hotel and watch New Year’s fireworks go off.
- January 1st, we went to the Red Fort in the morning and found it far less impressive than the Agra Fort. We then raced to the train station for our 3:30 p.m. train to Haridwar. Six hours later, our hotel picked us up at the station, and we drove to the resort for a late dinner.
- January 2nd, we went white-water rafting down the Ganga River!
- January 3rd, we went rock climbing and rappelling.
- January 4th, we had Ayurvedic massages and were supposed to take a flight from Dehradun to Delhi and then to Bombay… However, the flight to Delhi was canceled, so we drove six hours to Delhi, slept at the airport, and took an early morning flight back to Bombay.
- January 5th, we shopped and shopped!
- January 6th, Syd had to leave…
Anyway, it was a fantastic trip, and I promise to give many more details (and pictures!) when I next have a chance.
Until then, a belated Happy 2009 to you all…
Bombay Dreams 