Groombridge

I’ve been procrastinating writing up trip reports for the past half year or so, but will try to get caught up in the coming weeks with reports on Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Abu Dhabi’s Qasr al Sarab, and FS Chiang Mai, FS Tented Camp, and FS Langkawi.

Encouraged by terrific reports from Ericka and others, we went to India for our first time in Oct/Nov 2010. I’d of course heard many reports about how challenging it can be to travel in India, but staying at the raft of superb Oberoi, Taj, and Aman resorts resulted in a seamless experience, so proficient are the management teams at handling all arrangements.

And two other sources of help made this an even more amazing journey than it would have been otherwise:
1) booking through my Virtuoso agent, who got us more favorable rates than were on the resorts’ websites and enabled us to get superb upgrades at every one of the resorts, and
2) being a Gallivanter’s Guide subscriber, which resulted in Ms. Middlehurst stepping in to help us at one point when we weren’t receiving responses from a resort she had recommended—and from the moment of her intervention, we were treated like royalty, showered with gifts and additional care and consideration at the properties she’d contacted on our behalf.

So I’ll provide a quick summary, and then for anyone who wants the details, specific posts on each of the hotels.

Ranked in order of preference:

1. Oberoi Udaivilas (Udaipur): 10 out of 10.
2. Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace (Jodhpur): 10 out of 10.
3. Oberoi Amarvilas (Agra): 9 out of 10.
4. Amanbagh (Ajabgarh): 9 out of 10.
5. Aman New Delhi: 9 out of 10.
6. Taj Lake Palace: 7 out of 10.
7. Aman-i-Khas: 7 out of 10.

To translate that ranking into prose: most of the places we stayed were truly world class, simply incredible experiences that delivered on virtually all levels—design, service, spa treatments, excursions. I would eagerly stay at any of them again, with the exception of the Lake Palace and Aman-i-khas, which were still positive experiences, although significantly inferior to the others.

The one consistent disappointment across the hotels was the food, which was not consistently superb at any of the properties, and was outright terrible at Aman-i-khas. That said, none of us took precautions to avoid Delhi belly, other than only eating our meals at the hotels, and no one in our party of five ever got sick.

If I were to do it again, here is what I think would be the ideal itinerary for one’s first trip to India:

Fly into New Delhi.

2 nights at Aman New Delhi, arranging in advance for several of their bespoke experiences of New Delhi. They have the most terrific in-room hotel guide I have ever seen, with pen-and-ink illustrations of the half dozen experiences they can provide their guests—from roof-top dinners to walks through off-the-beaten-path archaeological sites. Ask them to send you a PDF in advance so that you can pick how you’d like them to curate your experience.

Then, have Aman book you on the daily 6 am express train to Agra, which is by far the best way to get to Agra. (We tried the road for our return trip and it was the low point of our time in India, an incredibly grueling and horrific journey.)

1-2 nights at Oberoi Amarvilas (depending on how interested you are in seeing other Mughal sites beyond the Taj Mahal). But their pool experience is such a nice one that I simply loved spending mornings and dusk at Mughal sites with afternoons alongside their perfectly of-the-place sunken pool garden. Regardless of how long you stay there, you’ll want to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise, which was a much better experience than seeing it at dusk when it is swarmed with tourists.

Arrange for Amanbagh to pick you up at Oberoi Amarvilas and drive you to Amanbagh. This is a terrific way to get to Amanbagh, much faster than being driven from Delhi or flying to Jaipur and being driven from there. The road from Agra to Amanbagh is very good for most of the way, and if you leave in the early morning, you can make it in under three hours.

3 nights at Amanbagh (which provides you with an experience of India at its most remarkable, so untouristed and authentic, and you can blend relaxation with easy excursions in the surrounding areas).

Then, have Aman drive you to the Jaipur airport (a 90-minute drive) for an easy 1-hour flight to either Udaipur or Jodhpur, for 2-3 nights at either the Oberoi Udaivilas or the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, either of which would make for an incredible final stop. (Or, if you have time, do both).

Details about each hotel/resort in the following posts--

Groombridge

I’m not sure I could define the difference between kitsch and homage, but the Oberoi group certainly can, as they have assiduously avoided the pastiche of Mughal architecture that seems to pervade so many other hotels, yet everywhere you look at the Oberoi Amarvilas, you see tribute paid to the rich architectural heritage of the surroundings—and that to me was even more remarkable than the much vaunted views of the Taj from the public areas and guest rooms’ balconies.

So upon returning from touring Agra Fort, you recognize upon crossing the fountain-checkered entrance court that the design is a reflection of one of the courtyards you saw at the Fort, but thanks to Oberoi, you get to see what it would have looked like when operational, with water burbling from each marble column, whereas at Agra Fort you were looking at non-functioning remains. Or when you return from touring the astounding Fatehpur Sikri, you recognize that the lighting surrounding the sunken swimming pool is an echo of the candle-in-niche theme of that abandoned royal palace.

Despite how tempted we were by Ericka’s review of one of the top suites, we decided to save our splurge for suites at the other resorts, and booked the entry-level rooms here. Our Virtuoso booking enabled a one-category upgrade to rooms with balconies facing the Taj. As in the public areas, the quality of detail even in these fairly standard rectangular rooms made them a real pleasure: inlaid wood furnishings, splashes of turquoise silk, etc. The bathrooms would benefit from upgrading the showerheads and fixtures—the only aspect of the hotel that didn’t feel absolutely pristine and perfect.

There’s a very decent fitness center and spa, but we were too tired, so early in our trip, to use either of them.

For breakfast, included in our rate via Virtuouso, there's a very large buffet, plus a la carte menu items. We ordered lunch poolside each day (one lunch complimentary through Virtuoso), and split our dinners between the two restaurants, one Continental (the same room as breakfast), and the other Indian, open only for dinner. The Indian restaurant was disappointing, but otherwise the quality of the food here was very high.

Almost everyone only spends one night, but I’d really encourage two, so that you can take time to soak up the whole experience. At dusk, there is of course the view of the Taj from the balconies, but between you and the Taj, the call to prayer echoes, and pigeon-trainers stand on their rooftops like maestros waving sticks to direct the synchronized flying of their flocks—a really amazing activity that I’ve never seen anywhere else and is apparently a centuries-old hobby/sport that only persists now in a few areas.

Following arrival on the early morning express train, you’ll reach the hotel by 9:30 am. Since you’ll have missed the chance to see the Taj before it’s mobbed, you might want to spend the morning at another site, perhaps the Fort or the Mughal tomb of Itamad-ud-Daulah. Afternoon poolside is a wonderful experience—so exquisite are the surroundings, and the pool service so proficient.

You’ll want to see the Taj at sunrise, taking advantage of the hotel’s proximity to the entrance and the golf carts that whisk you there. Depending on your appetite for more Mughal remains (and I have to say, I was completely smitten by them—I couldn’t get enough) you can divide the day between more pool time and a trip out to Fatehpur Sikri (my favorite of all the sights), and then spend a second night at the Amarvilas, or leave for your next destination if the Taj was really all you wanted to do in Agra.

One final note about Agra: everywhere else we went in India after Agra was a step up in cleanliness – other than the Mughal sights, Agra is an absolute pit, corroding before your very eyes. So brace yourself for that—you’ll find yourself grateful for the chance to re-enter the Amarvilas each time you leave.

Kagehitokiri

great stuff, especially excursions and logistics ^

wow ^^

Groombridge

Arriving at the Oberoi Udaivilas by night was the most jaw-dropping hotel arrival experience I had ever had. (I’d yet to experience the arrival at FS Tented Camp…) Upon exiting the vehicle, you enter a world of torchlit courtyards, candelit domes, onyx pools, and gold leaf, and cobalt alcoves. It’s all so fantastic that it is just one hair short of Disney . . . but the quality of the craftsmanship and its roots in Mewari vernacular make this a place of absolutely transcendent beauty, the highest quality build of any of the properties we experienced in India.

We’d booked the lake view rooms that open onto the semi-private moat-like pool that surrounds the resort, but thanks to Virtuoso were upgraded to suites with private pools. I did take a look at one of the original rooms we’d booked, and while they are nice, they are not especially spacious, and are not as beautifully furnished as the suites, which really are impeccably furnished and designed, worth the extra spend if necessary.

As at the Oberoi Amarvilas, everywhere you look there’s some amazing tribute to design features of the royal architecture of Udaipur—floral designs made of inlaid reflective metal just as you see decorating the local palace, and sun motifs derived from the ruling family’s insignia. I found myself wanting to explore and wander through the covered walkways, the lush grounds, the courtyards and galleries and domed chambers—it just goes on and on, with fountains here, a swimming pool there, with peacocks frequently the only inhabitants in sight.

Our favorite area was the pool deck at the spa, where you have tremendous views across Lake Pichola to the (ungainly white block that is the) Lake Palace, and much more impressive, the City Palace rising up above the water. On the ground floor of the spa building, there’s an adequate, if not especially large or impressive, fitness center.

Service was perfect throughout—from meals to housekeeping to the pool.

We arranged a guide through the concierge for sightseeing in Udaipur, which was quite easily the cleanest, least touristy, and most enjoyable of any of the major Indian cities we visited. Even so, the atmosphere of the Oberoi Udaivilas is so otherworldly and unique, so unprecedented, that I wanted to spend most of my time there—whether in the incredible comfort and quality of the suite, the privacy of its decent-sized pool, or the aesthetic dazzle of the public areas.

Groombridge

Arriving at the Lake Palace by boat, I found myself straining to conjure up any sort of satisfaction with the look of the place. Poor Taj—it’s hard to know what they could actually do to fix the problem they’ve inherited. The original Lake Palace of the 18th and 19th centuries, with its fanciful and ornate pavilions and turrets (which you can see in prints on display in the hotel) has been almost completely subsumed by an incredibly insensitive 20th century cruise-ship architecture, such that the entire island is now covered by the hotel, which looks like a white, concrete block sitting on the water. You can spot a few sections of the original palace, but mostly, the exterior is just flat, white surface area with porthole-like windows. But as you step off the boat and walk toward the front entrance, and rose petals rain down upon you, your hope for some sort of romantic idyll re-awakens.

And that dichotomy—between what Taj has inherited and their efforts to upgrade that inheritance through superior service and amenities—is what I experienced over and over again during my short stay there. In other words, I had a really mixed experience.

The public areas of the Lake Palace were a major disappointment. There’s a bit of original palace architecture here and there in the public spaces—tilework in the bar, for example—but by and large, you’ve got ugly green floor tiles, or outdoor courtyards paved in what appears to be concrete, so that you feel, even inside the property, that you’re walking around the deck of a three-star cruise ship. At night, the lighting is especially insensitive to any sense of atmosphere or beauty.

A tatty and small pool area has been tucked into a back corner of the property, surrounded by rubber floor mats, alongside a negligible fitness room. Even the uniforms of the staff appeared somewhat tired and inelegant.

But then, there is the Khush Mahal Suite, and once we had escaped from the cruise ship feel of the courtyard into the room itself, we had an entirely different experience. While much of the hotel is devoid of atmosphere, the Khush Mahal Suite has it in spades. As one of the historic accommodations, the former boudoir of a royal wife, it is one of the most gorgeous hotel rooms in the world, with a floor made up of red and white marble lozenges, and colored glass in the windows that turn your room into a kaleidoscope in the morning as the sun reflects off the surrounding waters and onto the ceiling, walls, and floor of the suite. The bathroom is very spacious, with a beautiful tub.

Service was quite good throughout, if a bit overzealous at times, our butler calling us despite a do-not-disturb sign on the door to ask us when we’d be leaving the room so he could leave a gift for us. Nice thought, but I’d prefer not to be disturbed when the sign is on the door.

Food was very good, particularly dinner in the rooftop restaurant Bhairo, where the views of the floodlit City Palace across the lake are unbeatable.

I also really liked the small but pretty spa. They also have a boat that they use as a sort of spa-on-water, but we didn’t see anyone using it.

So I can recommend, unequivocally, the Khush Mahal Suite, and if you plan to spend much of your time there, you will likely be pleased with your stay, as you will be during dinner on the roof or when in the spa—so that’s all considerable. But the inconsistency in the atmosphere and aesthetics of the hotel, overall, make it a less satisfying experience than truly great hotels provide, and one that I won’t plan to re-experience.

zigzag

Thanks so much for all the details. Love Udaivilas and was lucky to be there when Char and Henry and Floyd Gray where the GM's there. Shopping was a pleasure and so was the city of Udaipur so easy to get around. Looking forward to the rest of your reports on the hotels.

Groombridge

Umaid Bhawan Palace is the sort of place where you want to bring friends and family who deserve to be wowed, because it’s just an astounding experience from start to finish, one of the very best I’ve ever had. After one dinner, a friend turned to me and said, “And I thought no one could top Aman for creating unique experiences.”

The pictures of the palace make it clear why this is such a unique place—from sipping a welcome drink beneath the impossibly high rotunda, or swimming in the chilly subterranean, Art Deco-tiled pool (chilly out of necessity to preserve the historic wall murals), I kept thinking, “It’s hard to believe that this place is even real—that it exists, much less that it is a hotel and one of such incredibly high quality.”

One of the best meals in India was our dinner high up on the rooftop in the “Sunset Pavilion” restaurant. Ask in particular if you can reserve one of the tables that are situated within the cupolas, because they are especially atmospheric, bedecked with a multitude of candles.

But nothing can compare to the dazzle of their “Baradari Dinner,” which is expensive, but is worth every rupee. When the time for your dinner arrives, you are guided onto the terrace overlooking the lawns and gardens, at which point fireworks are set off, and two Rajasthani dancing boys shimmy down the steps in front of you along a candle-lit pathway to the white marble dining pavilion, beautifully decorated with marigolds and candles. Throughout the dinner, there are exceptional performances by Rajasthani dancers and singers. You return to your room, blissed out, to find a framed photograph awaiting. It’s such a special evening.

We had booked Royal Suite #508, the “Viceroy Suite,” which was recommended by the GM as one of the suites with the most historic character. It consisted of an extremely large sitting room, with 25-foot ceilings and Edwardian wooden cabinetry—so large, though, that it felt slightly under-furnished. The bedroom area was much smaller, almost cramped, with a small bathroom that combined tub and shower awkwardly, such that water leaked everywhere. We asked to look at other suites, and were much more impressed with Royal Suite #204, which is actually the GM's favorite of all the Royal Suites. It has much more Art Deco character than the Edwardian Viceroy Suite, and while not as colossal or grand, it felt more comfortably designed and laid out, with a much nicer bathroom. Given the historic fabric of the building, there is a huge difference in rooms even within the same price category. (Incidentally, we asked how often the Maharani and Maharaja suites get booked. The Maharani Suite gets booked about once a month, and the Maharaja Suite slightly less frequently. We toured both of them, and were duly impressed by the historic character of their Art Deco interiors, and by the astounding amount of space that both comprise. But I preferred Royal Suite #204 to either of them, because it is so new and well designed.)

The treatments we had in the Jiva Grande Spa were superb—the best massage I had all year.

And there are so many places to soak up the redolence of past grandeur: the billiard room; the Risala restaurant, with its formal décor; the gardens and lawns. There’s a good fitness center and yoga studio in an outlying building alongside the tennis courts.

If there’s one area where Taj underwhelms me, it’s their swimming pools. They’ve installed a swimming pool discretely in the back corner of the property, and the pool service is solid (even consisting of a pigeon wallah who walks back and forth, periodically, with a green flag emblazoned with a hawk that keeps the pigeons away). But there’s nothing especially pleasing about the aesthetics of the pool—it’s quite uninspired, although at least it doesn’t have the rubber matting that surrounded the Taj Lake Palace pool. (Looking at the photos of the pool at the new Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, it appears similarly unimpressive.)

But this is nitpicking. Umaid Bhawan Palace is nothing short of astounding—an incredible building, beautifully maintained, and providing an experience that is absolutely its own, unique and profound. I really cannot wait to find an opportunity to go back.

As a hint: you might want to time your visit to coincide with Diwali, the Festival of Lights, because the GM creates an incredible experience for his guests to celebrate.

Groombridge

When we arrived at Amanbagh, its consistent good taste exposed minor infelicities in the other places we’d stayed.

Every other resort had greeted us by dotting our foreheads with a red paste bindi—something we’d marginally appreciated at first, but that also felt a bit forced and clichéd. But at Amanbagh, no dotting of the forehead; instead, a welcome hymn was sung and a bracelet tied around our wrists. And the simplicity and elegance of the staff uniforms, and the saffron saris in particular, suddenly made it seem as if the staff’s uniforms at every other place had been fussy and garish in comparison.

But the most overwhelming impression upon leaving the rough road to Ajabgarh to pass through the gates of Amanbagh is: “How is it possible to create such luxury in a place with absolutely no infrastructure to support tourism of any sort, let alone luxury travel?” I’ve felt that at the best of Aman resorts—at Amankora in Bhutan in particular—this ability Aman has to conjure up the most luxurious of travel experiences in the most unlikely of places.

Because Ajabgarh is definitely off the beaten path of travelers in India. It’s a challenge to get there. But the opportunity to interact with people, villages, and sites that have the authenticity and warmth and generosity of those in this area was in many ways the highlight of our trip to India, and I feel absolute gratitude to Aman for having created this sort of experience.

We arrived in the transition between General Managers, with Robin and Manav just leaving for Aman New Delhi, and Tim Weiland from Amanjena recently having arrived.

A quick tangent regarding Marrakech. I asked Tim what he thought about the new luxury properties opening there, and here is his take on them:
- Mandarin Oriental Marrakech: pure kitsch, nothing good to say about it
- Four Seasons Marrakech: making incredibly rapid progress, and will be very, very nice, particularly for families
- Royal Mansour: unbelievably gorgeous, with a huge budget to ensure the best of every piece of stemware, cutlery, furnishings. Utterly amazing.

Perhaps because of the change in management, the excursions and experiences provided by Amanbagh were just slightly less special than has been my experience at other Aman resorts—the timing was off so we missed sunset on the sunset tour, for example, and they weren’t able to arrange any of the sort of special experience dinners that are one of the highlights of a stay at an Aman resort—instead, they set up dinner on their roof for us, which is not something I would recommend, as it’s not substantively different than simply eating downstairs in their restaurant, and you have to pay a hefty set-up fee.

And while I suppose I’m in the minority on this, I’m not crazy about the design and décor of the accommodations, which look a bit tacky and dated to me. We stayed in Terrace Havelis, which have some strange features, including little tiny balconies with doors that are almost too small to go through. After the craftsmanship of the Oberoi hotels, and the historic grandeur of Umaid Bhawan, these accommodations were less impressive to me, and of lower quality in materials and craft.

So those are the minor negatives. But again, experiencing rural India – as made possible by Amanbagh -- was the highlight of our trip. The morning walk to neighboring villages was a superb outing, giving us the opportunity to interact with the locals and see their daily lives. And Amanbagh has a sort of understated elegance, beauty, and generosity that made it an absolute pleasure. Given that such a high percentage of Indians live in rural communities, and that over the course of the next few decades much of rural India will move to cities, it felt really valuable to be able to experience the India of Amanbagh.

For other excursions, we visited the ruins of Bhangarh, and another day went to the ruined Jain temple of Neelkanth and then had breakfast in a skiff on a nearby lake. Neither sight was especially impressive, but the chance to travel through rural India and to interact with local villagers at each sight provided a really worthwhile experience.

The food was of very high quality, and the pool is every bit as beautiful as it looks in the pictures.

Groombridge

After having had a very disappointing stay at Aman’s other tented camp, the bedraggled and poorly maintained Amanwana, I was apprehensive about Aman-i-Khas. Thankfully, Aman-i-khas was a better experience than Amanwana, but it had the opposite problem. Whereas Amanwana’s accommodations were unacceptably tired and worn, Aman-i-Khas’s tents are in superb condition, very stylishly designed by Gathy. By day, they are filled with a warm, soft light that makes them a pleasure to inhabit. There is apparently a heating system, too, but somehow not sufficient to warm them in the morning, so they were quite chilly once we emerged from the covers.

I really appreciate the all-inclusive laundry—such a nice perk.

But whereas Amanwana partially atoned for the poor accommodations through impeccable service and good food, Aman-i-Khas had uneven service and the worst food I have ever had at an Aman resort.

At Aman-i-Khas, we frequently had to ask for things that in other Amans have been anticipated. No staff ever seemed to come to the small pool area, so we had to go find someone from whom to request drinks, and even then had to wait for quite a while for service. Our batman/butler was uneven—very responsive at times, less so at others.

There’s a mandatory daily food supplement that must be paid, and for each meal there were typically two options. They say that if you are not happy with the options you can request something else and they will make it if they have it, but it felt like those were just words they were trained to say, and when we did express desire for other options, the staff seemed flummoxed and uncertain how to proceed. I mean, if every lodge in Bhutan is able to conjure up a separate menu with multiple options for each meal, I would expect Aman-I-Khas, which is much less isolated than Amankora, to be able to do a much better job with its food. A chicken entrée we ordered was absolutely inedible, the chicken so tough and coarse that none of us were able even to chew it.

The resort looks quite different from the photos online—the woodlands have grown up within the resort since it was opened, and when I mentioned that to the GM, he said that he’d been trying to get Aman to post updated pictures on their website, since it’s much more lush than it appears.

And we did enjoy the game drives in Ranthambore Park, which was very beautiful. No tiger sightings (we did two drives), so that was a slight disappointment, but none of us were especially fixated on that, and we did enjoy being in such a beautiful natural environment.

So I’d rank this on the low end of the Aman resorts I’ve experienced—a step above Amanwana, ultimately, but not a place to which I’d ever return.

Groombridge

I had heard other reports about the uneven quality of the hardware at the new-ish Aman New Delhi—that corners had been cut by the contractors and that it showed. So I was slightly nervous, but willing to trust the Aman brand.

I’m glad I did, because I really loved the guest rooms, and saw no evidence or indication of any compromises in quality there. The much ballyhooed plunge pools in each room were actually the only part that didn’t really appeal to me, positioned as they are looking out onto the entrance of the hotel. (The hotel is in an L shape, with all of the Aman guest rooms facing out over the entrance.)

But setting aside those non-essential plunge pools, the rooms themselves are terrific, with sliding wooden panels that turn the room into a dark and quiet haven by night. These are very masculine rooms, with all the dark wood and chocolate-colored upholstery, and the lighting options are excellent, giving all sorts of possibilities.

As I mentioned in the summary, the in-room hotel guides are the best I’ve ever seen, with terrific, bespoke excursions and experiences.

Within the hotel itself, there’s been an evolution since the initial opening, with some re-thinking of the public areas in the Lodhi building, eliminating one of the restaurants there, and using it occasionally as meeting space.

The spa treatments we had were excellent, across the board, and the spa treatment rooms beautiful. The spa facilities themselves—steam room, pools, relaxation room, etc. were the one part of the hotel where I did notice problems with the construction—cracks in the ceilings, and other signs of poor quality in the build.

The fitness center is one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen in a hotel, large with a wide array of excellent equipment. The outdoor pool is curious—very impressive in its length and design, but at least during the time of year when we were there, almost entirely in shade for all of the day. Squash courts and tennis courts run alongside it.

The food at the Aman Restaurant was superb – the most consistently good food of any of the hotels on this trip.

And I just enjoyed the whole ethos and spirit of an Aman resort transferred so smoothly into a city hotel: no signing of any bills at all, everything just being accurately added to your bill with never the need to worry or fuss; nightly turndown gifts redolent of the culture.

I’m eager to return—I really, really liked the rooms as well as the overall experience of the Aman New Delhi.

Ericka

Great trip report Groombridge. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Some of those rooftop dinners sound divine.

I'm sorry to hear about Aman-i-Khas....was Mr. G still the GM at the time of your stay? Also, Mr. Ericka is sitting over my shoulder mentioning that if you did not have a good batman that could certainly affect your whole experience.

I wonder why you can't do chatri dinners at Amanbagh anymore? Last I heard you could at least do drinks out there.

Kagehitokiri

(dinner)

http://littlecreamlife.littlecreambo...an-junkie.html
(drinks - pic included, click to enlarge)

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blueline7

Absolutely incredible trip report. Epic. An instant classic. What more can one add to such a comprehensive report on travel to these destinations? Other than perhaps photographs, which I missed, despite the fact that the prose did a superb job of conjuring up images in one's head.

Thank you so much. Your report is priceless. I particularly appreciate it because I can tell that your perspective and taste is one that I would share and I think many others here would as well. This is a reason that Tripadvisor is next to useless for many of us....Credibility....

RichardInSF

Agree with Blue above, these are splendid reviews and I feel I can really trust them should I be going to the area. Thanks!

umbrella007

Adding my praise as well. You write such descriptive reports that it truly paints a picture in the mind's eye, and causes me to dream of future trips. Your reports always find themselves in my bookmark folder. (Ericka's too, naturally.)

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.