I feel somewhat that I am in a spelling bee and may be eliminated from the tournament at any moment. I will try to sum up the past few days since we left Udaipur and I’ve learned several new Indian names that I pray I won’t misspell any of them!

Our last night in Udaipur was a sensory delight! Mr. PRS Oberoi, Chairman & Chief Executive Office of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, hosted a wonderful dinner on a patio overlooking the lake. Dancers and musicians reminded us of the unique and historic that one thinks of when we conjure up India in our minds. Once again, although I swore I couldn’t eat another bite, I enjoyed a culinary feast! We then walked down to a terrace that overlooked the lake and were asked to turn around to face the hotel to experience an incredible fireworks display!

The next morning we flew to Jodhpur, capital of Rajisthan and were guests of the Maharaja of Jodhpur at Umaid Bhawan Palace, his private residence, part of which is now a 5 star hotel! Umaid Bhawan is the largest active residential palace in the world. And, yes, for you enquiring minds, Jodhpur is the home of the original jodhpur pants!

Later in the afternoon we flew from Jodhpur to Mumbai (Bombay). What an amazing sea of humanity and great mix of cosmopolitan meets Victorian, Jain, Sikkh, Hindu, Moslem, etc! We stayed at the Taj Palace and Tower across the street from the famed Gateway of India. Our room was in the original “Palace” section which is more historic than the tower building. I fell in love with Bombay (It’s only been called Mumbai for 7 years and many residents still call the city Bombay). It is vibrant, a heady mix of old and new, a huge economic and banking center in one part and, not too far away, the famous “Public Laundry.” We were guests of Nathanial Waring, President of Cox & Kings USA, at a wonderful restaurant, Indigo, a chic wine bar/urban cuisine establishment owned by a former New Yorker!

Our final evening in Mumbai was quite an event! We were treated to a form of Indian dance, song, and storytelling that was like an operatic ballet done in traditional Indian costume using traditional Indian instruments. Afterwards, all of us (in traditional Indian garb) had a gala dinner accompanied by live “contemporary” music. I put the word “contemporary” in quotes because the music was what Dan Acroyd used to sing and play on SNL when he was doing a spoof of a Holiday Inn-type lounge act. And, you know what? The music worked! It absolutely fit in and became one more endearing memory of Incredible India.

 More to come…