January 6, 2024 - Saturday - Delhi to Agra
This morning is our last late breakfast before boarding Riviera on Monday. We had our large suitcases in the hall outside our room at 7:00. They were being picked up for transfer by train to the ship. We would see them next when we arrived at our stateroom on Riviera.
We got to the conference room where our early breakfast was set up at 7:15. The dining room was not available to us. There was one man seated at a table for 8. We asked to join him and he happily said yes. He was Juan and his wife was Maria. She was getting her food and soon joined us. We had a delightful conversation. They are from Miami where they both immigrated with their families from Cuba as children soon after it became apparent that Castro would be rising to power in the early 1960’s. Their families lost everything and made new lives in America.
Juan’s father was trained in audio and had been a successful architect in Cuba. No one would hire him in that capacity in the US, so he took his audio experience to the film industry. He eventually became famous for dubbing movies and TV shows in Spanish. Juan studied industrial engineering in college but went to work for the Federal Reserve Bank branch in Miami. He started in the mail room and worked his way up to president. He retired from that position a few years ago. Maria was a human resources professional. She spent 25 years at Royal Caribbean Cruise Line where she became the VP of Human Resources. She was actively involved in negotiating industry-wide employee rights for employees in the industry. When she retired she started a successful real estate business in Miami. She and her son run the business. Juan is active as a member of boards of directors for some banks in Miami.
We had a delightful time at breakfast. It was inspiring to hear their stories of success. We all agreed that the spirit of hard work, commitment, and loyalty seems lacking in today’s workforce. After agreeing that this breakfast was no match for yesterday’s we parted to get our carry-on bags and board the coaches for our four-hour journey to Agra.
The lobby scene was chaotic. This was our first exposure to the Indian sense of organization. There was none. 131 people were to board 5 buses, but no one had told us which bus we were assigned to. The 5 guides who would be our escorts for the next 3 days roamed through the crowd asking for names and letting us know if we were on their bus number. Gradually the crowd thinned, but there were still 20 of us left. Several of us had been seeking out guides only to be told that we were not on their bus. At last, we learned that we were on bus number 2, and we proceeded to board.
The adventure begins. As we left the hotel we merged into traffic and the early morning fog so prevalent at this time of year. While walking, one could see far enough ahead to feel safe. That also worked for the slow pace of rush hour traffic. We had a slow tour of the city of Delhi before getting on the tollway to Agra.
Once out of the city, while on a coach traveling at 50 miles per hour, it was no longer comforting as the fog outside the city was denser. This was especially true since all traffic was using their flashers. Approaching the toll booths was a real challenge because vehicles would change lanes jockeying for position right up to the booths. The honking of horns was an essential part of this process. In fact, honking horns were a part of all driving, everywhere.
We survived all of this and after the appropriate time for mercy stops, we were in our room in the Courtyard by Marriott Agra. Our lunch was here at the Marriott. It consisted of an Indian buffet that was quite good. A short time after settling in Alice and I joined a tour to see and learn about tufted embroidery art. This art form Is done completely with colored threads of different weights and textures. A 3D effect is created by building up the area to be raised by using plain cotton thread to raise the surface and then finishing the object with the silk threads. The end result is framed artworks of various sizes and subject matter. They are stunning displays of a vanishing art. Sadly, we were not allowed to photograph the works. Viewing them has created a lasting memory that words do not do justice to.
While this was what Alice and I wanted to see, we had been told that this place also created artistic jewelry. So, after a viewing of the embroidery gallery, we were all ushered upstairs to the jewelry showroom. Clearly, this is the purpose of this stop. There was jewelry that would appeal to anyone. Almost. Alice and I admired the selection but we were not ready to invest in anything yet. We had three more weeks to find OUR something special.
This tour ended and we returned to the hotel. Another group had gone to a carpet demonstration. They were just returning as well. After a quick visit to our rooms, we reconvened in the ballroom for a program of traditional Indian dance. A couple in traditional costumes danced for us for 45 minutes. Their recorded music was very good and their explanations and execution were excellent.
After enjoying this program we went directly to bed. Tomorrow we must get up at 4:00 AM.
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