Ganges Voyager & Kolkata

 Friday, February 9  / Arrive Kolkata, Ganges Voyager

We arrived in Kolkata and were transferred to the Ganges Voyager, our cruise ship home for the next 6 days. Our trip along the Hooglie River (part of the Ganges in West Bengal/NE India) was the unexpected highlight of the tour. Our room was at the bow with an extensive view of the river. The ship provided great dining, a good selection of wine (good basic wine included with meals) and the staff were very helpful. We enjoyed cultural entertainment, tours of local villages and sites and the interaction with our fellow travelers.
  
Our voyage began with a short ride from the pier to the Ganges Voyager. After getting settled into our rooms we had a performance of Baul folk music before dinner. 

The Bauls are mystic minstrels living in rural Bangladesh and West Bengal. Their music reflects influences of Hindu movements and Sufi music. They sing to the accompaniment of the ektara (a one-stringed instrument), a dotara (a two--stringed instrument, and a drum called dubki. Their philosphy emphasizes  the importance of a person’s physical body as the place where God resides and they are admired for this freedom from convention as well as their music and poetry. Their devotional songs can be traced back to 15C.

Saturday, February 10 / Kalna

The first stop in our E-rickshaw visit to Kalna was a Shiva Temple complex, The temple structure consists of a combination of two concentric circles with seventy-four small temples dedicated to Shiva in the outer circle and thirty-four more in the inner circle. The walls of the temples depict episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, ancient stories of the Hindu mythology.  

The highest concentration of temples in Kalna are inside the Rajbari temple complex in the heart of the city. The Pratapeswar Temple came first. It is a good example of the 19C rekha deul (sanctuary) with a curvilinear sikhara (tower) and single arched entrance. It is decorated with rich terracotta ornamentation. 

Next was the Rasmancha, a roofless brick structure that stands nearby. The outer section features 24 gateways, while the inner section has 8 gateways. 

The Rupeswar temple, well worn but elaborately decorated with terracotta was built in the mid 1765 by Maharaja Trilok Chandra. 

The Lalji Temple is the oldest in group, built by Braja Kishori Devi, the wife of Maharaja Jagat Ram in 1739. 

The Krishna Chandraji Temple is a magnificent brick temple constructed in 1751-55 AD. It makes a very impressive back-drop to the site.

Shiva MandirTemple: mosque of concentric circles with a collection of figures adorning the roof.

Finally we visited the Vijay Vaidyanath Temple, a brick temple with its facade decorated with variety of details in terracotta. 

On our return to the Ganges Voyager we passed through a colorful market with the typical vegetables, fish, …, as well as bread making. We also noted some bamboo staging, We first saw this 30 years ago in Thailand but it seems to have been replaced with metal staging there.

Sailing towards Matiari we had locals waving to us from the shore and a peek at the Hari Krishna temple in Mayapur. Meanwhile on-board many of the group participated in the Henna Tattoo Session in the Lounge. Having henna tattoos is a typical Indian wedding tradition. They last about 5 days. We discovered that both Bill and a fellow passenger bought shirts of the same fabric while in Delhi, so they had to model them (see bottom right).

That afternoon, as we traveled on to Matiari, Professor Duane talked about "The  Mughal vs. British, view of the landscape". The take away from this was twofold.  The Brits were in India (and other "colonies") as business people looking for short term profit closing their eyes to any damage that might cause. On the other hand the Mughals considered the area their forever home and took care of it with an eye to the future.

That evening we had one of our a la carte meals where the Chef showed his prowess. We chose a fine Indian Rāsā cabernet sauvignon from Sula to accompany it. As a reminder, Sula was founded by a Stanford grad.

Sunday, February 11 / Matiari, Khushbagh

This is a busy day with stops in Matiari and Khushbagh. We were off to an early start (6:30) for Matiari, a village where more than half the residents are involved in brass work. The early start is  that the brass workers can avoid the heat of midday.

We docked near a ferry crossing and on our way to the metal works we past some brightly decorated doors, as well as, some festival preparations including paper mache characters. 

The metal work involves melting, shaping, polishing and selling metal cups, plates and other small items.

After lunch there was a demonstration on how to put on Saris and Turbans. Bill volunteered to model for the turban. As you can see the Turban and Sari fabric were quite long. Saris are 9 meters and a traditional Pagh (turban) can be as much as 6 meters long.

As we continued our journey upstream, our chef gave a talk on Indian Cuisine & Spices.

We arrived at the delightful village of Khushbagh. Here we visited the Mogul-style garden cemetery of the Nawabs of Bengal, including the tomb of Siraj-Ud-Daulah, the last Nawab of Bengal, who was defeated by the British East India Company at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. His tomb is tended daily by a woman who feels she is the reincarnation of his first wife.

We walked to the tomb which is popular with the locals. While we walked most of them rode (apparently to demonstrate that they can afford it). They seemed as interested in seeing and interacting with us strange foreigners as we were with them. 

At the end of the tour there were treats waiting for us. Puffed rice salad and tea/chai in a clay disposable cup called a kulhar or a shikora. It is a traditional handleless pottery cup that is typically undecorated and unglazed. Kulhars are meant to be disposed of after one use.

Back on the Ganges Voyager we enjoyed a cultural dance program on the Sundeck. Later, thinking we were ordering two glasses of sparkling wine we accidentally bought two bottles. They were good and with a little help from friends they were consumed with dinner.

Monday, February 12 /  Baranagar Murshidabad

The big attraction in Baranagar seemed to be us. The young people (and likely the older ones) wanted us to take their pictures or to take photos of us. Aside from that...

We walked through the little village to an area with several small temples, passing several matching temples and cute little bouncing goats along the way.

The pious and charitable Rani Bhavani of Natore passed the later days of her life (mid 1700s) life in this village and built the Bhavanisvar Temple. It is dedicated to shiva and is apparently remarkable for its height and unusual style. It is an octagonal structure with a domed interior and a corridor with a sloping roof. In many places it still retains the original plaster ornamentation.

The four Char Bangla Temples enclosing a small courtyard were also built by Rani Bhavani. Each temple has 3 arched openings and 3 richly decorated siva-lingas (Symbols representing the 5 aspects of the Lord Shiva). The delicate brickwork of their facades are some of the best ornamental brickwork of Bengal.  The decorative themes vary and are drawn mainly from the Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

We moved on to Murshidabad for an E-rickshaw tour.

The Katra Masjid is a former caravanserai, mosque and the tomb of Nawab Murshid Quli Khan. It is one of the largest caravanserais in India. It was built during the 18th century, when the early modern Bengal Subah was a major hub of trade in Eurasia. The most striking feature of the structure are the two large corner towers having loopholes for musketry (see tower below, top left).

Hazarduari Palace was built in the early nineteenth century by architect Duncan Macleod, under the reign of Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah of Bengal. If you have a thing for doors this place has 1000 (Hazar means "thousand" and Duari means "the one with doors" ). Apparently only 900 are real and 100 are fake. (Or maybe only 100 are real. The story varies and we didn't have time to count.) The Hazarduari complex includes a Madina mosque, a Nizam Imambaara, a clock tower, and ... Usually, Indian palaces are named after their rulers. 

The massive three-storied rectangular building spreads 424 feet long and 200 feet broad, with main gates large enough to allow an elephant with a howdah, or carriage, to pass through.

Back on board, we had a presentation on Yoga & Ayurveda (the traditional Hindu system of medicine), by Anuska, the Yoga instructor. 

 

Tuesday, February 13 / Mayapur

Sailing Towards Mayapur our professor presented an intriguing concept: the Legal Personhood for the Ganges. 

• This is a real thing. The Ganges is being considered for personhood.
• Note: A "legal person" is recognized by law as such, not because they are human, but because they posses fundamental rights and duties; "legal things", on the other hand, have no rights at all.
• If granted personhood, the Ganges could have rights to protect its waters and boundaries.

This was followed by a Cooking Demonstration in the Dining Room, including more or spices and making corn stuffed "raviolis" for our afternoon snack.

Mayapur is home to the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Yes, that would be the home to the Hare Krishnas. Mayapur was chosen because "Lord Chaitanya, who is Krishna Himself in a golden form, appeared in Mayapur a little over five hundred years ago with the mission to "flood the world with the highest love of God, a love rarely revealed."

I know, it is hard to imagine willingly going here, but the temple and grounds are magnificent and large enough to host the 10's of thousands of devotees that visit annually. It was truly interesting, aside from the couple acolytes who attached themselves to our group anxious to share their stories.

The evening BBQ on the Sundeck was quite savory. Later there was a candle floating ceremony on the river and the next day we were sailing toward Bandel and Chandernagore, then onto Kolkata, for our last night on board. One couple had attended a wedding in Delhi prior to joining the tour. Their hosts provided them with suitable clothing which they modeled for us. 

Wednesday, February 14 / Bandel, Chandernagore

The Hooghly Imambara, in Bandel, is a Shia Muslim congregation hall and mosque. The construction was started by Muhammad Mohsin in 1841 and completed in 1861. The clock tower is located between the twin towers. The Southern Tower is for men while the Northern Tower is for women. 

Along our walk we encountered locals in colorful dress and a variety of food and snacks to buy.

The day was a combined holiday, Basant Panchami and Valentines Day. 

 

Basant Panchami is a Hindu festival, celebrated during Spring usually in February honoring the Goddess Saraswati (the goddess of knowledge, music, and learning.) Schools, colleges, and other educational institutes celebrate this day throughout India. 

And it was Valentines Day. Current day tradition has it that young Indian couples, especially in urban cities, typically celebrate Valentine's Day by dressing up to their very best, gifting each other balloons and chocolates, and spending time together in public parks, cinemas and restaurants, or going to Valentine's Day-themed parties. 

Being a school holiday due to the sacred holiday, folks were out in full force and  nearly everyone was dressed to the nines. People watching was way more interesting than the visit to Chandernagore College.

Chandernagore changed hands a number of times. The French bought the land from the then Nawab of Bengal, Ibrahim Khan and established a French colony in 1673. The British moved in from 1793 to 1816. It was returned to France until 1950 when it was included in independent India. During the early French presence Chandernagore became a larger trading centre than Calcutta. Its importance fell after being captured by the British East India Company in the Battle of Chandernagore 1757.

We actually visited a Christian church, the Sacred Heart Catholic church in Chandernagore. At the Chandernagore College we noted an interesting a sculpture recognizing some escape (but not sure of the details) and a colorful sculpture of a charioteer, (missing) chariot and horses. As we walked back to the Ship we passed a ferry loaded with new arrivals.

The evening program began with crew Introductions and was followed by a swirling Cultural Dance Program on the Sundeck. It was cool to see how many were involved in taking care of us. Our guides, the navigation crew, the cooks, the yoga instructor, the cleaning crew, the floor hosts and cabin maintenance team.

Thursday, February 15 / Kolkata

We arrived at the Kolkata Flower Market a bit late and did not see the market in full bloom. The remaining indications were that it could be quite impressive.

We stopped at the Victoria Memorial Hall, a large marble monument dedicated to Queen Victoria, the Empress of India (1876-1901). An impressive building. We had a nice stroll around the grounds and reflecting pools. Returning to The Ganges Voyager we passed a colorful shrine and some decorated horse carriages waiting to be hired by a wedding party. Once onboard, we observed a group trying to place an offering in the river. The idea is to get it out over the tide flats and and then unstuck so that it floats down the river.

After lunch we completed our packing and we were on our way home at 4:30 (with about 12 other fellow travelers). We were delayed getting out of Kolkata but it made little difference because we had a 4-5 hour layover in Delhi before our flight to London.

Friday, February 16 / In the air...

Two flights later (including a 4 hour layover in Heathrow) we arrived in Mexico City around 7:30 PM. We got through customs and immigration in record time (no waiting) but had to wait for the other couple who were sharing our shuttle.

Saturday, February 17 / San Miguel de Allende

 We arrived in San Miguel a little after 1AM. Phew. Because our house guest for the Writers Conference, Molly Ringwald, was arriving around noon. So glad to have a few hours to assure the house was in shape.

Delhi, Jaipur and in between

Thursday February 1 / Rickshaw ride, Jama Masid Mosque

We started the day with an orientation reception to meet our fellow travelers. There were roughly 30 of us. An interesting change of pace from our usual private tours. Sharing guides with others took getting use to. But having companions to share touring and especially spare time with was great. Especially this group. Everyone was interesting and stimulating conversationalists.

Following the reception was our first lecture by Professor Tim Duane titled "Water, Climate Change and the Monsoon". Much of what you might expect but regarding India the key point is that they depend on the Monsoon, especially from an agricultural perspective, BUT the Monsoon is no longer dependable.

Then we were off to lunch at Machan Restaurant. One of many decent buffets. Indian food does lend itself to buffets but we still prefer a la carte.

Next up, a tour of the Old City. Along the way we passed the India Gate, a war memorial and the Red Fort. The Red Fort, made of red sandstone was built for Shah Jahān, a noted patron of Islamic architecture whose most famous work is the Taj Mahal. It was originally red and white, Shah Jahān's favorite colors. Large parts of Red Fort are used by the Indian Army today. 

Note: Our cute facecloth friends greeted us daily on the return to our room.

We took pedal rickshaws for a tour of the old city. Aside from the excitement of being peddled though busy streets, passing through the wedding shop district, with shops loaded with colorful dresses and wedding accessories, was impressive. 

Our rickshaw tour took us to the Jama Masid mosque, India's largest mosque. Built in 1650-1656 for Shah Jahān, its open courtyard can accommodate 25,000 worshippers. 

It is apparently one of the most sacred mosques in India. For other mosques we needed to take off our shoes or wear "temple socks" to cover them. We are familiar with taking off hats and covering shoulders & knees in churches in Europe but for the Jama Masid, in addition to all that, ladies all needed to wear a cover-up. Lord forbid, no make that Allah forbids, that someone notice that ladies have legs!

Friday February 2 / Qutb Minar Mosque, Gandhi Smriti, Humayan's Tomb

Up and out early on a foggy morning for a tour of the Qutb Minar Mosque complex with its tall elaborately carved minaret. It was difficult to capture the minaret in the fog. The foundation of the minaret was laid in 1192 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first Sultan and first Muslim ruler of Delhi, for use of the Muezzin to call the faithful to prayer. It was completed in its current form in 1368. Qutb Minar is the tallest masonry tower in India, measuring nearly 240' high. 

Then on to Gandhi Smriti where Gandhi was assassinated. It is now a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. Displays represent his life in different media including words, photos, graphics, and dioramas. We learned that Gandhi effectively used the ideas of peaceful, passive resistance while spearheading statewide campaigns to eradicate poverty, promote women's rights, establish religious and ethnic unity, and abolish the evils of the caste system and contributed a significant part in liberating India from foreign dominance. 

A path of footsteps commemorate the last steps Ghandi ever took. 

As a sidebar we had numerous animal sightings. The presence of cattle wandering the streets, monkey hanging out observing life, and impressive birds are everyday occurrences. Below: A macaque, Rose-ringed parakeet, and a Black Kite spotted in Delhi.  A steer pulling a wagon on the way to Agra. Chipmunks in Agra Fort. Cattle relaxing in a median strip on the way to Sawar Madhopur (Ranthambore NP).

And more cattle throughout our tour. Top left clockwise Barangar, Kalna, Sawar Madhopur, on the road to Jaipur, Matiari, and Sawar Madhopur.

We had to pass by Rashtrapati Bhavan Government Offices and President's official home. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Modi was on the move and traffic was blocked off on every route he might possibly take. It was a slow drive. 

For background: the president is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Only the president can declare war or conclude peace, on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers headed by the prime minister. The prime minister heads the government and controls the selection of members of the Union Council of Ministers, as well as allocation of posts to members within the government.

Humayan was the second Mughal ruler of India. He ruled from 1530 to 1540 and again from 1555 to 1556. Humayan's Tomb represents the earliest existing example of the Mughal scheme of the Garden Tomb, with causeways and channels. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. In todays vernacular, it is the center of a large urban park. 

We returned to the hotel for our second Talk: History and Culture of Delhi.

For dinner we returned to the Captain's Cellar (We learned it was a new concept for the hotel and only recently opened. Good timing on our part.) We chose a Chablis based on our friend's recommendation. It went well with Salmon Rösti (Flaked salmon, crisp potato, sour cream) and Patatas Bravas with pimento cream.

Saturday February 3 / To Agra, Sunset at Taj Mahal

Photos taken on the way to Agra (CW): Sunrise in Delhi. Stacks of bricks drying. An impressively large Buddha. The decorated wall of the highway in Delhi...one of many freshly decorated to impress visitors to the G20 meeting. Carriages prepared for rental to wedding parties. 

The Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel is located near and has views of the Taj. Hotel is only a short golf card ride away from the Taj.

The Taj was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahān in 1631 in memory of his third and most favorite wife, in fact a soul-mate, Mumtaz Mahal who was a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in a campaign to crush a rebellion after giving birth to their 13th!!! child.

We had a "sunset" visit to the Taj Mahal. It actually closes at sunset so we left shortly before. But it was pretty hazy and there wasn't much of a sunset anyway. 

 

The first view of the Taj  as you walk through the gate is quite magical. Everything is symmetric. To the left is a red mosque. To the right is a matching red structure, but it is only a copy of the real mosque. 

We returned for the sunrise visit. It opens at sunrise. There were fewer visitors and it was easier to get shots without people in them (except that one couple below.)  There were also many "guides" willing to show you the best shots with with reflections and such (for a small fee). 

The tricky thing is to get shots that properly show the details and how it all works together. Hence here are some separate shots of the details.

There was an interesting view of the Taj complex from our hotel room. Note the symmetry.

Sunday February 4 / Agra Fort, Shish-Mahal

Agra Fort served as the main residence of the rulers of the Mughal dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. The 94 acre fort can be more accurately described as a walled city.

A love story that led to the creation of the Shish Mahal aka Palace of Mirrors. According to folklore, Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahān's adored wife, wished to float in the stars as she had seen in her dreams. To make her desire come true, Shah Jahān had the Palace of Mirrors built for her in Lahore. The pavilion is in the form of a semi-octagon, and consists of apartments with gilded cupolas and intricately decorated wit  stone marquetry (pietra dura) and convex glass with a mirror mosaic (ayina kari) with thousands of small mirrors. The decorative features also include stucco tracery (munabat kari) and carved marble screens with geometrical and tendril designs.

Lunch was another buffet, this time at Riao Restaurant (actually served at our tables). It came with entertainment, two dancers that after their performance encouraged the group to join them. That is our tour leader Morgan joining the ladies.Shish-Mahal

The tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah is a Mughal mausoleum in Agra. Often described as a "jewel box", and sometimes called the "Bachcha Taj" or the "Baby Taj". It is often regarded as a draft of the Taj Mahal.

We also stopped at Akbar International, a marble-inlay workshop. The Artisans demonstrate their art as honed nearly 4C ago on the Taj Mahal. There are many objects, including a model of the Taj, available to admire or purchase.

For a change we ordered Italian for dinner (Sun-dried tomato pesto risotto, Spinach and lamb ragout pappardelle) with a nice Indian wine (The Source Cabernet Sauvignon) from Sula. All quite yummy.

Monday February 5 / Fateh Sikri, Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge

Enroute to Ranthambore National Park we stopped at Fateh Sikri. Fatehpur Sikri was founded to commemorate a battle victory in 1527. Babur established  a garden and a water palace. His grandson Akbar moved the court from Agra to Siri to be near the Sufi Saint Chisti who lived in a nearby cavern. Sikri was the first planned city of the mughals with planned open spaces and an efficient system of drainage and water-supply. Akbar moved to the Punjab in 1585, owing to political reasons, and Sikri was practically deserted by the Mughals.

Along the way we also passed colorful trucks and lots of tractors which seem to be used on the road more than in fields.

We continued on to Ranthambore NP for a chance to see tigers. 

We were staying at Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge a former British compound near Ranthambore NP, a tiger preserve. The locks on the hotel doors were rather novel. The owl was on our neighbors' door. Ours was a camel. We assumed there would be other animals, but in fact all the others were camels. Moral of story: Don't draw conclusions on a sample of 2. 

Some other observations around the locality: Music at the traffic circle. When the bus gets full just get on the roof. Milk delivery by motor bike.

Tuesday February 6 / Ranthambore NP

Ranthambore National Park is one of the biggest and most renowned national parks in Northern India. The park is located in southeastern Rajasthan. Once considered as one of the famous and former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, today the Ranthambore National Park is a major wildlife tourist attraction.

We had three tours of the National Park scheduled, two mornings (cold) and one afternoon (pleasant). We saw a variety of animals, deer, birds, monkeys, a crocodile but no tigers. The ride through the park was very bumpy and everyones' pedometer apps said we all totally blew away our goals just sitting.  For instance: Activity 1035 (goal 510), Exercise 168 (goal 30). Estimated steps 22866, distance 16.95 km, flights of stairs129). Pretty good for sitting in a bus / tour vehicle.

Wednesday February 7 - OIberoi Raj Villas - Jaipur

We took a pass on the morning tour (It was still cold, still a rough ride, still no tigers and less wildlife than day before). But we got to sleep in!  And enjoyed some cute waffles for breakfast.

India has a population of close to 3000 Royal Bengal Tigers which is approximately 75% of the world's tiger population. Royal Bengal tigers are among the largest of all tiger subspecies. They can measure up to 10' in length and weigh up to 500 pounds or more for males. And this is what we dreamed of seeing:

After the (non) tour we had a talk by Professor Sangeeta Sharma on The Status of Women in India. The statistics suggest there has been significant progress but in the end the story isn't that different than in most countries. There is opportunity but there are many limiting factors. 

We soon headed off to Jaipur.  We passed the usual colorful trucks, cattle in and along the road, and an appealing market stand along the way.

The OIberoi Raj Villas rates as The Hotel of the trip. The rooms are spacious room and comfy. We had two patios, one equipped with a large sunbed. We had two peahens as visitors. There were two fine restaurants and spectacular enormous grounds overseen by a flock of peahens and peacocks. We chose to eat at Surya Mahal Restaurant. The Grover Cab Shiraz worked well with the gnocchi and pasta. The Raj Mahal is known for it's fine Rajastani food, but we gave it a pass.

Thursday February 8 / Amber Fort, City Palace, Observatory

Amer / Amber Fort with 12km of walls around the palace and along the hillsides. It is constructed of red sandstone and marble and it overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main source of water for the Amer Palace.

The opulent palace is laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard. It consists of the "Hall of Public Audience", the  "Hall of Private Audience", the Sheesh Mahal / "Hall of Mirrors" (see below) and the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over a water cascade within the palace. 

Partially under water, Jal Mahal (meaning "Water Palace") is in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city, The history of Jal Mahal is unknown (by whom or when it was constructed). However, it is widely accepted that Jal Mahal was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh as a hunting lodge for his duck shooting excursions.

Another photo stop was at the Palace of the Winds, aka The Hawa Mahal. Completed in 1799 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's one of India's most recognizable buildings. Inside are large chambers with different colored marbles, inlaid panels and gildings. Entry is through a large imperial door that leads to a fountain-laden courtyard, enclosed by double-storied buildings. And each floor has a temple. We saw only the outside.

The City Palace Complex was conceived and built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. A beautiful fusion of Mughal and Rajput architecture, the palace is still home to the last ruling royal family which lives in a private section of the palace. 

"Jantar Mantar" means "instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens". The Jantar Mantar Observatory is a collection of 19 astronomical instruments. It features the world's largest stone sundial and is one of the world's most accurate pre-modern observatories. It was built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur. It reflects eighteenth-century efforts to improve understanding of planetary and other cosmic movements.The primary purpose of the observatory was to compile astronomical tables, and to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets. 

The group then went shopping. Pat and Bill to Gems Paradise. Bill needed to replace his wedding ring which was lost in Thailand. He found an elegant replacement ring (gold with a small square diamond) for Bill. Pat found some gorgeous sapphire earrings.

Later, the Indian Ocean sea bass and Souk-style baked aubergine went very well with the sparkling wine at Surya Mahal Restaurant (at the hotel).