P E R S O N A L M O M E M T S enchantingtravels.com/blog 48 After 30 years of thinking, reading, watching films and documentaries about India, Robyn Restel, from Nevada, USA, finally took a leap of faith and visited India in 2018. I’m 70 and though I had travelled to 25 other countries solo, India held a fascination to me but I hadn’t the courage to go on my own. After months of research and dreaming, I came across Enchanting Travels. My worries were over and the adventure I’d fantasized about was actually coming to fruition. The Taj Mahal was one of the main reasons I wanted to visit India. It was so much more than I ever dreamt it would be. Generally, I’m not a person who goes to excess, but as a treat I wanted to stay where I had a balcony that overlooked the Taj Mahal, so I treated myself to a stay at The Oberoi Amarvilas. I was treated like a queen. There were seven people waiting to greet me upon arrival at the hotel, offering me refreshing beverages served on a silver tray and adorning me with marigolds. Two young ladies showed me to my room. I looked at the doors to the balcony and there, in all of its majesty was the Taj Mahal. Tears burst from my eyes at the sight, my heart swelled, and it felt like every cell in my body was tingling. I’ve never had a feeling like it in all of my life. One of the gals, Aaina, invited me to step out. I could hardly believe my eyes. It looked as if the stunning white marble wonder was just on the other side of the most fabulous garden and pool area I’d ever seen. While hundreds of thoughts went through my mind, I was grateful to be there and to be treated with such luxury. I sat for quite a while on the balcony just taking in the view and marvelling at my good fortune. At dusk, I heard a single voice chanting. It was soon joined by many voices, as if to put the city to sleep.. It was a soothing melodious sound and will always be clearly present in my memory. GUEST TRAVELOGUE I was just going to bed when the telephone rang. It was Aaina who asked sweetly if she might come up to my room for a moment. She arrived moments later and handed me a package saying it was for me to wear when I visited the Taj Mahal. Enclosed was a beautiful teal blue sari with a gold brocade and four stunningly decorated bracelets to match. “It’s my gift to you Madam”. Naturally, I was astounded at her generosity and thanked her again and again. The next morning before my local guide Tarun came to pick me up for my sunrise visit, Aaina was there to dress me in my sari. She pinned, turned, folded and tucked me until I was wrapped perfectly. Nothing can prepare you for the breathless astonishment at viewing the Taj Mahal in person as it glows in the soft light of the sunrise. When you see the marble up close there are thousands of flowers and vines carved into very large slabs of marble. Tarun explained that if the craftsmen made an errant chip in any way, they would scrap the whole slab and begin again. There are actually semi-precious stones inlaid into the marble, which means the craftsmen would need to carve an exact space, then cut the stones to fit exactly into the space. No adhesive of any kind, it had to fit snug. Everywhere you look you see the same kind of workmanship. We walked to the reflecting pond and waited a surprisingly short time for our turn to take a picture unobstructed by the other visitors. Tarun knew the exact spot to get the best image. After marvelling and taking in the view, Tarun invited me to sit on a bench, and began to regale me with the astonishing story of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. His detailed, emotion-filled story held me spellbound. He spoke as if they were people he personally knew and loved. Mumtaz was always by Shah Jahan’s side, no matter the danger or circumstance. As she was giving birth to the last of their nine children at a battle camp, complications arose and knowing she was going to die she asked if he would forget her. Shah told her that no one in the world would ever forget her. At that, my tears flowed again, and I could see tears in Tarun’s eyes too. His promise was kept in the Taj Mahal. No one ever will forget her. I was stopped by several ladies, locals and visitors alike, and told that I was beautiful. It was the first time I’d ever been told that in earnest. I had a feeling of warmth and excitement the entire time. Tarun told me that Aaina had dressed me like a royal. Reflecting on my time in India, I can still feel an all-encompassing warmth for the places I visited, but more than that, my heart is filled with memories of the goodness of the people. Though I’ve travelled to many places, none of them compare even slightly to India. Enchanting Travels afforded me the single most exhilarating experience of my life. RECOMMENDED ROUTE India’s Diversity Discovered (21 days) Delhi (3 nights) Agra (1) Jaipur (3) Deogarh (1) Udaipur (2) Mumbai (2) Cochin (2) Alleppey (3) Alleppey Houseboat (1) Munnar (2) Cochin (1) Best time to go: SEP to MAR From $ 4,905 / person TALK TO OUR EXPERT Anita Sahi anita@enchantingtravels.com Heritage Landscape Relaxation GO SLOW 49