Did you know that in 2006, more tourists visited Qutb Minar than the Taj Mahal? Though lesser-known to foreign tourists, Qutb Minar contains the tallest brick minaret in the world, and wields a hypnotic power, particularly on a misty Delhi day like the one when our India teacher tour visited.
Qutb Minar reaches 239 feet towards the sky, and was completed in 1368 AD. It is part of the multi-building Qutb Complex, with ancient buildings [...Read More!]
I have a new favorite building! When our India tour leader declared that we were headed for the “Little Taj Mahal” in Delhi, it was clear we were in for something astounding. However, not one of us was prepared for the caramel-colored confection that soon burst into sight.
Behold, stunning Humayun’s Tomb!
Humayun’s Tomb was completed in 1572 C.E. and was commissioned by Bega Begum, the first wife of Mughal Emperor Humayun to [...Read More!]
“TWO HUNDRED RUPEES?!” our India tour guide, Manu, gasped. “That’s WAY too much, David!”
“Sheesh,” mumbled my brother as we walked out of the Gandhi Memorial in New Delhi. “Three and a half dollars isn’t a terrible price to stroke one of those fancy snakes, especially since the guy said the fangs were removed. Anyway, I bargained him down from 1,000 rupees.”
“Next time,” Manu instructed my little brother, “Pay only 20 or 50 rupees– [...Read More!]
When you think “Rhode Island,” do you think “international flair?” Well, I didn’t either… until our recent Newport trip brought the worldly elements of the city into glorious focus! Leap along with me to see.
Newport is famous for its unbelievably opulent cliff-side mansions. One of our favorites was Marble House, pictured above, which is a 50-room mansion built by the Vanderbilt family in 1892 that features 500,000 cubic feet of marble. [...Read More!]
You’ve likely heard of New Delhi, India, but what about OLD Delhi? Our India teacher tour spent part of our second day touring Old Delhi. By the first minute, we’d breathlessly declared, “Old Delhi has the best sights in India so far!” Check out these photos to see why.
But first, what exactly is “Old Delhi?” Old Delhi, originally called Shahjahanabad, was formally walled in by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan starting in [...Read More!]
I am a half Jewish, half Christian gal who spent Christmas at the largest Islamic mosque in India. And it was beautiful!
Though I love gathering with family during the winter holidays in America, I’ve never been obsessed with gifts. How freeing, then, to spend December 25 in a country where just 2.3% of the population is Christian, and holiday consumerism isn’t ubiquitous!
T’was the morning of Christmas and the second day of [...Read More!]
“You will like the Sikh temple we’re about to visit,” our guide, Manu, explained after our intense first hours in New Delhi, India. “Gurudwara Bangla Sahib has a great vibe to it.”
We perked up. Our teacher tour needed a good vibe after the hectic sights of India we’d gulped in all day. “Just one thing,” Manu cautioned. “You must remove your shoes for the remainder of the visit.”
We yanked off our shoes [...Read More!]
I am back from India, it was great, and I’m exhausted!
Over the next few weeks, I shall chronologically unfold all that happened in our India adventure, so let us kick it off with the first element: our 12 hour layover in London between Boston and Delhi.
What the heck is the best thing to do for 12 daytime hours after a 5 hour red-eye flight from Boston? Easy. Here are your instructions, [...Read More!]
There are several secrets to quality New England travel. As you may have seen from my first article about Western Massachusetts travel, my husband, two zany cousins and I have been putting in the research so you can merely sit back and follow our suggestions. It’s been hard work, I tell you! (Burp.)
First, research bike paths in the region of New England that interests you. Triangulate a bike path close to a [...Read More!]
Remember how one secret to a happy relationship is to take exciting weekend trips? Let’s add to that: Make your relationships even more thrilling by including hilarious and brilliant family members in your travel plans! Ensure that all parties involved enjoy hiking and making dramatic poses in pictures. And eat a lot.
So it was that my husband Colin and I drove three hours on an October Friday evening from Boston to [...Read More!]