HawaiiFlyerDC8

I love your reports!

HMPS

SFO777 Good Delhi photos. That rickshaw ride was something eh ? looks like you may have been in a cycle rickshaw or maybe even a pedicab ? Wish you had the auto rickshaw ride in the traffic laden Delhi street. Probably the Princess would have uttered a few words thay you didn't know she had in her
vocabulary
I am sending you a PM with two phone numbers in BOM where I will be on Wednesday. Although I know you know how to go about anywhere in the world and have the finest travel helpers with you.
T

ironmanjt

The way Mrs SFO kept saying yes to things, it looks like she really warmed up to the experience! You better be careful, who knows what she might be up for next!

Madone59

SFO777 I was reading ahead on your website and expect a thorough review of the airport Pizza Hut. I saw that photo and though...FT Needs a laughing so hard I'm crying emoji NOW!!!!!

SFO777

Not by myself, since I've visited most of this places before. But there is no reason that a solo traveler wouldn't enjoy the trip.

Thank you so much HawaiiFlyerDC8.

Thanks very much HMPS. It was indeed a cycle rickshaw. And I'm pretty sure that I've most of her vocabulary at one time or another.

Thank you ironmanjt. I think I'm safe in assuming that she's not going to want to visit a lot of the places you've been.

LOL. Thanks very much Madone59. She has advised me that that's the last Pizza Hut meal she'll be trying.

ysolde

The Rambagh Palace looks amazing!!!!!

flatlander

The same way they do them on the ground, I assume: the potatoes are sliced into chips, usually par-boiled or otherwise partly cooked, then coated and somewhat impregnated with oil.

Then when they are baked, they cook in the oil in them and end up similar to deep fried (crispy deep fried) chips. Many people in the UK eat this sort of chip at home, rather than have a deep fat dryer.

They're usually lower in fat than deep fried chips.

HMPS

SFO777 Wonderful review of the Rambaugh Palace. Feel like going back, just for that dinner ! I have been here seven weeks eating my wau thru such variety yet want that thali you were served, albeit vegetarian.

AI has a lot to work on . It has a new Mng. Director who is supposed to be a no nonsense guy and has started giving it some shape . We hope he succeeds.

Waiting for your Mumbai report and Princesse's verdict.
I also leave tomorrow to a cold Chicago morning. A Lowly Business class on EY.

Oh well when I grow up I will retrace your steps.

daron4000

SFO777 great start to the TR as always. We stayed at the Rambagh Palace and Oberoi in Mumbai last summer so looking forward to your take on the two hotels.

Was wondering if you have any thoughts on the Etihad 77W vs. 787 First Class hard product? I always assumed the 787 with the new First Suite would be the no brainer choice, but from your report it's hard to notice any big differences. In fact the seat looks noticeably narrower than the one on the 77W, which is surprising since the 787 fuselage is a similar width to the A340 and I have never noticed a difference in pictures of the width of the FC seat on Etihad's 77W and A346. So, if you had the choice (assuming no apartments), would you continue to choose the 787 from IAD or would you go with the 77W from one of Etihad's other US gateways?

Billiken

Great report and pics, as always.


BTW: First sign of any gin/tonic was in DEL?
PDB from DEN was a bloody mary?
SFO777 mellowing in the thin CO altitudes?

SFO777

Delhi - Day 2


Fortunately, day 2 was much better as we stayed cleared of any Old Delhi masses.
The view from our window, alternating between "Smoke" or "Fog" on my weather app.



First stop: breakfast from the buffet.















And then more dishes that our wonderful waiter Gautam keep bringing out for us to sample.





Fortunately, the weather improved as we headed out for our first stop this morning, the Qutb Minar complex. This fascinating site includes the first mosque in India - The Quwwat-Ul-Islam, which dates back to 1199.

































Couple posing for pre-wedding pics.











And then some shopping. A Kashmir cooperative type store selling wonderful multi-family owned scarves (pashmina). carpets and jewelry. Our personable sales person Kazim. With some coaching from our guide Punam, I haggled for a lovely scarf for Mrs. SFO.













After shopping, we headed to Humayun's Tomb, one of the earliest examples of Mughal architecture.













The design of the Taj Mahal is based on this stucture.





















The Oberoi is only a short 5 minute drive from Humayun's Tomb. Back in time for the elaborate lunch buffet.









Back to our room to rest up before our fun 90 minute cooking demonstration with Chef Ishant and Chef Pivin.









Marinating our Paneer.





And River Sole.







Our Dal Tadka, a lentil dish.



Preparing the Palak Paneer.



And the Murgh tikka makhani (chicken).



Everything was wonderful, just wished we hadn't eaten lunch 3 hours earlier.



Then over to the Tandoori ovens.



When Chef is cooking the paneer and sole.











And the result, OMG. Both were amazing.





What a great experience, which apparently Warren Buffet and Bill Gates had on a recent visit.

SFO777

Thanks ysolde. Indeed, it was outstanding.

Thanks so much HMPS. That Rambagh dinner was amazing. AI definitely needs help. Jet was much better.

Thank you daron4000. Both hotels were excellent, although the Oberoi is just another very nice city hotel. Rambagh is a one of a kind. I actually preferred the 77W over the 787. More spacious suites. Strange that the 787 windows seats are so small.

Yeah, playing the booze field.
Thanks Billiken.

bwiadca

I like the shot of Air India B787

SFO777

Air India
Delhi to Jaipur


Saturday was getaway day and Mrs. SFO is happy to be leaving Delhi. "Can we go home today?" LOL.
With a noon pick-up, we had plenty of time this morning to relax and catch up on the latest political news back home.







And then our experience first with Air India. Meh, not an auspicious start as I tried to check in online but the woefully challenged airindia.in was not having any part of this today. 45 minutes of mostly heavy traffic including street kids begging/knocking on car windows at most traffic lights, we arrived at DEL Terminal 3.







Where our Peirce & Leslie greeter accompanied us into the terminal and to the counter.











To the Air India counter where a pleasant agent checked us in, issued our boarding passes and invitation the the Air India Lounge.





Then an Air India escort (not sure whether he was an AI employee or just an entrepreneurial independent contractor) took us to security where we endured the most thorough non-body cavity search is a long time. OK, these guys seem seriously.



They also like to stamp your boarding passes using lots of ink, which takes a long time to dry.



Inside security, we headed for the Air India Lounge.







Reasonably comfortable seating area.





But with a selection of food offerings that didn't look very appetizing.















I left Mrs. SFO and headed off to explore other options.



The Plaza Premium Lounge looked much nicer.





But I kept on going to the food court.







Went back to retrieve Mrs. SFO and we opted for Pizza Hut. LOL.







Then off to the gate, passing an American Express Lounge which I didn't have time to visit.













Delhi to Jaipur
Air India 491
A319
2:25p-3:15p
February 20, 2016
Seats 2AC

Strange boarding process... as in no announcement. Agent just opened the gate door and people started to queue.







OK, this is one old plane. Isn't helped by some of the worst livery colours in the industry.





No need to keep the screen clean as apparently the audio/video system no longer works.



Pre departure offerings of juice or water.



And magazines.



Although the DEL-JAI flight is all of 30 minutes, AI serves a hot meal in Business Class. I wasn't really hungry but took one for the photo op.



Looks like a vegetarian Paneer wrap.



Cheese sandwich.



The cake I tried... tasted like a heavy carrot cake.



After I'd told Mrs. SFO that Jaipur was much more attractive than Delhi, we landed at the not so attractive side of the airport. Mercifully, we pulled into Gate 13 and a jet bridge, where a half dozen AI staffers greeted the plane and specifically some notable and his wife in 1AC. Turns out he was a former Air Force General, now a government Minister. Not the most friendly person as he elbowed his way past me to get his bags over the first row on Economy.









OK, we definitely take security seriously in India.

wrp96

Never thought I'd see Mrs SFO777 and Pizza Hut in the same review much less picture. All sorts of firsts this trip.