I love Mark Twain's comment, quoted at the Incredible India presentation at The World Travel Market in London, November 2016.
What is incredible about India? Everybody knows about the Taj Mahal, which is a Moslem mausoleum to the wife lost after numerous childbirths, all elegant patterns and curves but no pictures. Contrast this with the wonderful Hindu temples, covered with figurines, including the amazing erotic carvings at Khajurao.
India also has most of the sites connected with Buddha.
Hotels and Miriam Margolyes
At the Incredible India presentation we heard from ministers and the actress Miriam Margolyes, who featured in the film about the Marigold Hotel. Miriam spoke about the warmth of the people. Of course, actresses are all about people and how they relate to each other. Miriam, like many of the ministers, is not tall, and when I stood at the back of the hall it was easy to hear her well projected, resounding voice, but harder to see, so I wished that she and the other VIP speakers had stood up to address us.
Miriam is a distant relative of mine, through a common ancestor, and we had corresponded and hoped to meet previously but she moved from England to Australia and back and I was off to Singapore and we never made a meeting. So it was a delightful surprise to meet her at last.
Hotels In India
India is known for its hotels, many being converted palaces, others designed to resemble palaces. I have stayed at a couple of the older ones, one at Jaipur. I insisted on stopping just for a look and walk around to visit another modern six star hotel on the road from to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. (A day trip can be taken to see the Taj Mahal, but it is said to be best at dawn and sunset, so staying overnight is recommended.)
Kerala and Tamil Nadu
I have been to Delhi, known for its gold sellers' quarter. My favourite seaside city is now called Mumbai, although the old name Bombay, from the Portuguese, sums up its attraction for tourist, meaning Beautiful Bay. My first trip to India I translated French into English at a lawyers' conference. It was back in the 1970s, the days of the typewriter, and I remember being the only female typist in a room of male secretaries, who all jumped to their feet when I walked into the typing room.
As an author and English teacher, on my next trip to India I hope to visit Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which have the highest literacy rates. They are also in the south, which will be a contrast of food. Instead of meat curries favoured by Muslims, and Hindus, in the north, there will be more vegetarian food, favoured by Hindus, and Muslims, in the south.
(If you are in London, England, you will find 'Indian' restaurants everywhere. The oldest ones, such as Veeraswamy, near Piccadilly, date back to the days before Pakistan separated. In London centre there are even chains serving spicier food. We have lots of Tandoori and Balti restaurants in the suburbs. In Hatch End (Euston line to Watford) you will find Coriander, which serves meat. In Rayners Lane (Piccadilly and Metropolitan line) you will find several vegetarian restaurants and sweet shops, even a giant grocery store, JB, at North Harrow, for sacks of rice and loose vegetables with names I have to look up in a dictionary on my phone. (For pictures see my previous posts.)
Over in Singapore, Little India has restaurants serving fish head curry on banana leaves. (For pictures of restaurants in London and Singapore see my previous posts.) For details of Buddha, pearls and flowers
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
