India in the Time of Coronavirus.

March 7-21, 2020

India- an amazing land of contrasts!  You can enlarge any photo by clicking on it.

Our group of Space Coast yoga friends, led by our friend and meditation teacher Anthony Profeta, arrived in New Delhi after a long flight, and settled into our hotel Gitivesh in New Delhi, India, for a 16 day tour of India followed by eight days in Nepal.  It was just after the Coronavirus first broke out in the US, in Washington State.  Little did we know what was in store for us!

A map of India by Prokerala.com, with out destinations underlined in red.

Our first day we met our host and guide Vikal Bansal, from Culture Holidays India, who whisked us by bus into the swirl of Delhi.  We arrived in central Delhi, and were delighted to take bicycle rickshaw rides through the lanes of Old Delhi as an introduction to life in India.  What a wild, fun and bumpy ride!

Siobhan and I on the rickshaw ride.

                                                     A video clip of the rickshaw ride!
We took a wild rickshaw ride to witness the warren of backstreets, vendors, neighborhoods, and street life of the city.  Siobhan and I rode together and laughed the whole bumpy way!  We got bombed with water, since the holiday of Holi was approaching. It was such fun!  Siobhan and I had a mathematical lapse when paying our poor rickshaw wallah, and felt so guilty! We tried to atone for it throughout the rest of the trip.

The largest mosque in India, the Jama Masjid, built in the symmetrical
Mughal style by Shah Jahan and completed in 1656.

On we went to the Red Fort, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 1630’s. The red sandstone ramparts dominate the landscape for acres, and made a formidable fortification.

The entrance to the Red Fort on a hazy 

Inside the Red Fort, cool marble pavilions built for royalty.

Marble panels inlaid with semiprecious stone, such refinement.

A puppy and young monkey tumbled and played together on the lawn.

 A detail of the beautiful carved stone around a door.
Arabic scriptures surrounded by floral fantasy.

A crystal chandelier inside a lovely vaulted chamber.

We visited the Raj Ghat, the black marble memorial where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. It was situated in a beautiful park surrounded by blooming dahlias.

A place of honor; the black marble ghat where Gandhi was cremated.

On the street we met a snake charmer, and got to interact with his snakes; a boa constrictor and two cobras. I never even considered whether the venom had been milked out of them.  I have my doubts. I held very still!

Dimpel charming a cobra.

A boa constrictor and two cobras!

We visited the Qtub, an enormous tower of red sandstone built in the twelfth century on a site of earlier Hindu monuments.  It was fun to wander amid the ancient columns, all deeply carved in fantastic patterns.

Built in 1192 and 239 feet tall, this tower has been struck by
lightening  and rebuilt more than once!

It has five distinctive segments of construction. This is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Surrounding the Qtub Minar are ruins of Hindu temples which
are even older.  Here is a representation of a god of protection.

Di, Laurie and Jane exploring the Hindu ruins.

On our way back to the hotel we saw the monumental India Gate, commemorating the 70,000 Indian soldiers who died in WWI.

And as we were heading back to the hotel, the sun was setting, and we passed a beautiful temple, where Vikal told us we could witness the beautiful daily ceremony of Aarti.  It as a moving moment for us all.

We caught the air conditioned train to Agra and went on to view the spectacular Taj Mahal.  This is a moment where I looked in wonderment at finding myself in this iconic place.  In high school I had a picture of this lovely monument, cut out from a Life magazine, taped to my bedroom wall.

Jane, Siobhan, Margaret, Laurie and Di having a Wow moment.                                  

The Taj Mahal is geometric, architectural, and artistic perfection.  The minarets are actually tilted outward by five degrees to present a greater appearance of verticality when viewed with the main building. Also, in an earthquake, they would collapse outward instead of onto the Taj itself.  The Arabic inscriptions framing the main arch become wider as they go higher, creating the illusion that they are of uniform size, adjusting for perspective.  Brilliant.

Our whole group. Back; Di, Laurie, Jane, Siobhan and Maggie;
Front; Vanisha, Laura, Anthony and Dimpel.

The crowds were light, and we had great photo ops thanks to Vikal showing us the best places to pose. He also pointed out where the famous Princess Diana bench was.  Laurie and I went to find it, and darted in between the jostling photographers hustling there. Laurie got a shot of Sailor Di on the Princess Di bench. Fun!

Captain Di seated on the famous bench.  

Same bench, different Di. 

Exquisitely carved vaults within a vault.

A marble garden blossoms around the base of the Taj.

Vikal told us that when he was a boy, the Taj was not yet a foreign tourist attraction but a place for local families to picnic and even play soccer inside the building.  He told us how the snowy marble and red-orange carnelian “firestone” inlays glow in the moonlight.

Inlaid carnelian, called “firestone”, and green jade.

We visited the Agra Fort, built of red sandstone, with its beautiful grounds, and the Baby Taj, smaller than the Taj Mahal but with exquisite inlaid designs. Marble lattices provide shade and cool breezes, and one cannot imagine carving such delicate filigree with only hand tools in a slab of solid stone.

We went to the Marble Factory where artisans still inlay semiprecious and precious stones into marble using the same centuries-old techniques.

                                              An artisan shaping semiprecious stones into inlays.

Their marble tables, plaques and platters are true works of art.  It was fascinating to watch them shaping the inlays with hand-powered tools. Sadly, young people find this work too arduous and the techniques may be dying out.

This is perhaps a dying art.

We stopped by a heritage jewelry store, where I had a very close call with a pigeon-blood ruby ring (I actually broke into a sweat trying to resist the suave salesman). They also displayed jeweled treasures created during the British Raj, fantastic embroidered pieces studded with precious and semiprecious stones. A place of wonder.

Black velvet studded with tiny seed pearls and embroidered with actual golden and silver threads. The centers of the
Flowers are all semi-precious stones.  Exquisite.

The elephant is carved of ivory, his caparison and howdah studded with
embroidery and  semiprecious stones, and gold.  Late 19th Century.

We stopped by a tailor shop on the way to our hotel, the luxurious  Jaypee Palace, to be fitted for our white outfits for celebrating Holi the next day. The outfits were delivered for wear in the morning, and after breakfast we went out into the garden to celebrate Holi, the coming of Spring and a time to throw water and bright colored powder on everyone!

Holi Moli!  What fun!

Vikal joins the fun!

We sang, danced, tasted traditional drinks and snacks, and had powder fights til we were colored from top to bottom.  Somehow, most of it washed out!!!

We learned that due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus, the Golden Temple of Amritsar would be closed to foreigners....so our agenda would be adjusted.  Many Indians were wearing surgical masks, as we did when we were in crowds and on trains and planes.  Back to Delhi we drove on our bus, watching the Indian countryside and villages fly by.

Solid waste disposal is a massive issue in India.  On the walls, fresh cow dung
is pressed and drying in the sun to provide fuel for domestic fires.

Arriving Delhi, we were welcomed back at Hotel Jitivesh, and then enjoyed a fine dinner at the fabulous Imperial Hotel in New Delhihotel, built in the Victorian era.  The dining room was filled with art treasures and beautiful murals.

Another fine Sikh temple, closed to foreign visitors due to the virus.

The Silk Road dining room inside the Imperial Hotel.  Lovely.

This hotel is one of the four finest colonial-era hotels in the East.

A terra cotta frieze, sculpted by blind monks in Indonesia.

I had been planning to fly on to Malaysia after this trip, to join Captain Mike on S/Y Romano for sailing.  I learned that Malaysia had closed its borders to incoming flights. I had to book a new outbound flight, and luckily was able to get on the same flight as the rest of the group going home.  No sailing on the East Malaysia Rally, at least for the present...

Nope.  Also cancelled until further notice.

We flew to Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment some 2500 years ago. It is the most holy place for Buddhists worldwide.  We walked to see the Mahabodhi temple as the sun set. We had to leave cell phones behind to enter the ancient temple, which was filled with chanting by Buddhist monks from around the world.  It felt serene and holy, and we watched the dusk gather around the temple.  Soft golden lighting highlighted the simplicity of this stupa, first built by Emperor Ashoka in the third century BC.  The story goes that after a terrible battle,  Ashoka looked out over the thousands of dead and dying on the battlefield and lamented ,“What have I done?!”. After that he embraced Buddhism and built temples and monuments all over India in the places where the Buddha spent time.

Our group in front of the Mahabodhi Temple, built near the bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. 

A monk praying at the MahaBodhi temple.

Photos by Laurie Chalko

Designs and  garlands  made daily from fresh flowers adorn the temple grounds.

In the morning we returned to spend time exploring the temple and grounds, and meditated together. We chatted with visitors from other Asian countries, and left offerings of flowers near the ancient bodhi tree.  It was so peaceful, I could have stayed here all day.

The “Big Buddha”, one of the many Buddhist shrines in Bodh Gaya.

At the Tibetan temple and educational complex, the seat where the Dalai Lama
sits when he comes to teach.

We enjoyed a great vegetarian lunch at the Tibetan
Root Institute retreat center.

Inside the Tibetan Buddhist temple, with intricate Mandalas on the ceilings.

The Nepalese Temple in Bodh Gaya

The Tibetan Temple.  We also visited the Thai Wat and the Japanese Zen temple.

After we were free to explore the small town and the various shops and stalls.
In the morning, under the cooling cover of fog, we drove through the countryside and small villages to Rajgir and Nalanda.

A lady walking toward the road.

A vegetable stall beside the tracks.

A man cleaning his teeth with a neem tree stick.   I tried this. It has many health benefits.

Kids mugging for the camera. 

A good shepherd carrying a newborn lamb as he moves his herd.

At Rajgir,  we were delighted to find wild black-faced monkeys quite accustomed to the presence of people.  Wild monkeys are interesting and clever, but can be quite aggressive.

A wild black faced monkey.

Whilst minding her own business, Laurie got caught in the crossfire of a monkey dispute and was hit with a blob of monkey poo.  Luckily it only got her hat!  We rode a cable lift to the top of the mountain to visit the White Stupa there, and see the Japanese monk who plays a kodo drum 24/7 as part of their veneration.

Haven’t ridden in a ski lift in a long time!

The stupa on the mountaintop at Rajgir, built by Japanese Buddhists.

 We walked down the mountain to visit Vulture’s Peak, where the Buddha and his followers meditated in the shelter of caves during the monsoon season. Many of these caves have been adorned with gold leaf by Thai and Burmese faithful.  It was great to be outdoors and walking, and the fog made it cool and lovely.

A sacred cow befriended Jane, on the steps of Rajgir.

The trail decorated with Tibetan prayer flags, leading to Vultures Peak.

We meditated in the Ananda Cave, lit with candles,
scented with incense, burnished with gold.

Prayer flags are everywhere.

Anthony at Vulture’s Peak.  Here it is said that  a crazed elephant was ready to crush the
Buddha with a rock, but was calmed and transformed by the Buddha’s lovingkindness.

All kinds of food is for sale at the bottom of the hill...fresh produce and fried treats.

Local people enjoying a ride in a pony cart. The pony was
splattered with colored powder during Holi

As we pass in the bus,  watches a man with a richly caparisoned horse.

Ancient Jain caves near Nalanda.

Jains are a branch of Buddhism that try to refrain from killing any living thing!

A panorama of the excavations at Nalanda.

Vikal at Nalanda.  Nalanda, a large and renowned 5th century Buddhist monastery and university.  Much of what is known of this important center was recorded by Chinese monks who came here to study.

We dodged raindrops all afternoon, and sheltered in this
deep doorway from a brief shower.

These ladies in this truck consented to be photographed....

...and enjoyed seeing the pictures I took.       Photo by Laura Cobb.

The holiest city of the Hindu faith is Varanasi, our next stop.  Hindus believe that if you die and are cremated on the ghats beside the holy river Ganges, you are freed from the cycle of rebirth and go straight to Nirvana. The density of humankind here is indescribable, and everywhere were fascinating sights. Naked sadhus walked across a busy traffic circle.  Life and death along the Ganges is there for all to see.

Di, Laurie, Dimpel and Jane setting off on the evening boat tour on the Ganges.

Vikal, Jane, Anthony and Laura.
 Here the Ganges is nearly 110 feet deep, in the dry season!

The temples are all lit with changing colors.  Beautiful.

The main attraction is the Aarti ceremony being celebrated at one of the main Ghats.  Thousands of people attending
on land and on boats.   

Three priests, dressed in gold, standing, are conducting the Aarti ceremony
to the River Ganga, Mother of India.

Dimpel shining during Aarti.

We were welcomed with garlands of marigolds at the Palace on the Ganges, near the river, and we took an amazing evening boat ride down the river to witness the ancient Aarti ceremony, conducted each morning and evening to honor Mother Ganga, the river Ganges.  We had dinner at a luxurious hotel restaurant, the BrijRama Palace, then walked home along the Ghats.

The BrijRama Palace, a restored palace once belonging to a sultan.

One of the many splendid rooms in the BrijRama Palace.

A fun and memorable meal, especially the house specialty, vegetarian Yum Patties.

The atmosphere at night had shifted; only men were about, and it was good for our group to stick together.

A delapidated palace still stands tall on the nighttime bank of the Ganges.

The ghats at night are definitely a ”blokey ” place to be.

In the morning we took a sunrise boat ride upon the Ganges river, then returned to the hotel through the ancient lanes along the Ghats. What amazing glimpses of life we had!

In the morning light the Ghats are teeming with people, even though the crowds are down by 80% because of the virus.

The Hindu faithful bathe and pray in the water of the Ganges.

Ladies have an informally segregated area to bathe.

Cremation fires smoke and flame day and night on the ghats. A modern gas-fired crematorium with the five metal chimneys has been built next to the smoke-blackened temple.  Still, the traditional method of cremation  is preferred.

A post card photo of bodies being prepared for cremation.  It takes about 400 kilos of
firewood to consume a body, according to our guide Alook.

These sewage treatment facilities are painted with the Hindu gods
Shiva, the destroyer, on the left, and Brahma, the creator, on the right.

We disembarked our boat at this cremation Ghat and climbed
the steps past a former stately home, and into the warren of lanes behind.

Firewood is sold for cremations.

Varanasi is dense with unusual things to see.

A vendor of produce and flowers, living hand to mouth in Varanasi.

Formerly grand buildings stand next to modern concrete ones, right next to tenements.

I had worn my garland, and on an overhanding bridge, removed it from my neck and flung it onto the river stream of the Ganges.  A nearby man commented to me, and Vikal translated : “It is good to give the flowers to the River”. I thanked him, and as we walked away he started to sing in a beautiful voice.

                                                         The singing man on the bridge.

 We browsed in the stalls, and attended another Aarti ceremony right near the hotel, where we floated little rafts of flowers and candles on the river, carrying our prayers with them.  Truly, as the Culture Holidays literature says, Varanasi is a place which cannot be described, only experienced.

The priests raising the lighted lamps at Aarti.

Musicians sing and play. Only recently have Brahmin women been allowed
to participate in the ceremony by singing.

A shrine to Shiva on the ghats.  The lingham and yoni on the left (Yoni looks like an anvil,
topped with a hump, the lingam, on it; representing female and male energy).
 These are symbolic of  Shiva.  His friend the Brahma bull is always faithfully
ready to rise when Shiva gives the word.

We visited the nearby ruins of Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, as the rain held off for our visit.  We had many brief, intimate glimpses of village life as the bus passed through villages.

The ruined stupas at Sarnath.

Weaving the ancient way requires two people.

We visited a silk workshop, and saw how weavers used centuries-old techniques to weave exquisite brocades, completing only a few centimeters a day on the most complex patterns.  Amazing.

Near the bus, a man with trained monkeys set this baby on me.
It climbed my leg before I knew it, and started chewing on my mala beads.
Only later did Captain Gilles remind me that monkeys can carry rabies!!

In the evening we walked the short distance from our hotel to the Ganges river,,
to see the Aarti ceremony nearby.

This Aarti ceremony was not so crowded, so we were able  to get near to see it.

Dimpel seeks a blessing after Aarti.

We set little leaf bowls, filled with flowers and a candle, adrift on the river
to carry our prayers.  

Becasue Amritsar with its Golden Temple of the Sikhs had closed due to the pandemic, we went back to Delhi instead. Vikal never missed a beat, and arranged for us to visit the Lotus Temple of the B’Hai faith.  The day we visited was the day it closed due to the pandemic. It is an amazing building even if all we saw was the outside.

The Lotus Temple of the B’Nai Brith.

Rapidly developing news stories continued to roll in as the Covid-19 Coronavirus started to spread exponentially around the world, and we began to strongly consider what hazards and impediments we might yet encounter.  Public places all around us were closing, hotels were checking our temperatures before we entered....the pandemic was getting real.

We continued on to visit the vast Akshardham Temple complex, which in my view was as magnificent as the Taj Mahal, though it was completed in 2005.

Images from the internet of the Shrinarayan Akshardam Temple.

The foundation of the temple is surrounded by life-sized
friezes of elephants carved in red sandstone, accompanied by parables of how elephants
represent virtues we can all incorporate into our lives.  Loyalty,
strength, patience, endurance, loving and supporting our families....

It is built only of red sandstone and Italian marble, with no metal supports or joints, with the most amazing craftsmanship and stonework.  A wonder of the world in my view. Sadly, no photography is allowed, or I would be there still!

We visited the teeming spice market, where we joined the throng on the sidewalks lined with stalls selling bulk spices. We ducked into A. Kumar Trading Co. specialty tea shop to be introduced to some of the finest teas in the world.  We caught a rickshaw back to the bus. What a wild ride!

At the spice market, the most chaotic, crowded, interesting place!

In later afternoon we visited Lodi garden, formerly the estate of the British Viceroy of India. The centerpiece is two Mughal tombs, still impressive and beautiful in the setting sun.  We gathered to meditate in a shady spot, only to be shooed out by the guard, who insisted that no sitting was allowed!  As always, Vikal sorted it our for us.

A Mughal tomb in Lodi Garden.

                                      A pretty girl doing a Bollywood dance for Instragram.

We flew on to Rishikesh, the capital of yoga for thousands of years, and where the Beatles meditated with Maharishi!

A huge statue of Shiva.

A pretty view of Rishikesh, and the Ganges, here clean, milky glacial water.

The menu cover at the Beatles Cafe in Rishikesh.

 It’s a hippy-dippy place, a bit westernized,  but picturesque, clean and safe, and a lot of fun to explore. Anthony gave us an orientation tour, and then we were at liberty.  On the way back to the hotel, I was looking at all the sights and stepped right into the middle of a fresh sacred cow pie. Luckily, there was an outdoor garden tap at the hotel for cleaning my shoe. Gotta watch your step!

Ladies coming through the market to go to Aarti at the temple..

The Three Musketeers.

Laurie, Dimpel and I happily shopped and browsed for much of the day.  In the morning we rode the bus up river to the Jesus Cave, where Jesus was said to have spent time while studying in India.

Trekking down a stone staircase, picking our way along the rocky river bank, we found the cave.... and a guy who had moved in and was talking on his cell phone...!

Jesus? No....a squatter calling his stockbroker.

We spent quiet time along the Ganges river, still milky with glacial melt water, clean and uncontaminated.  We collected holy water and stones, and enjoyed the sounds of nature, then headed back.

The gate to the steps leading down to the Ganges and the Jesus cave.

The white sand of the Ganges sparkles with mica.

Anthony with rainbows.

Spending a quiet time in the Holy Ganges.

We were supposed to go on to trek back to a waterfall, but it was closed due to the virus.  Back at the hotel, a bell captain beamed us with temperature guns and the our Brahmin host met us with surgical mask, sunglasses and cowboy hat.

Our Brahmin host doing his best John Travolta. What a character!

Vikal was constantly checking for updates on closures and transportation changes . The coronoavirus crisis was closing in on us.

The next day we hiked along the river and out of town, to visit the compound where the Beatles and Maharishi spent their days.

A hippy-dippy  car.

A couple of gurus outside the temple.

The brothers getting ready to puff up their second or third pipe full of pot.  Marijuana grows wild in the ditches here!

Interacting with the locals.

 It is now state-owned and part of a tiger reserve.  It, too, was closed due to the virus, but Anthony knew a secret way in so we clambered over a wall and had a good look around.

Inside the Beatles retreat.  The little cottages have  beehive meditation rooms on the roof..

All of a sudden we heard shouting.  We were busted!  Doing the walk of shame, we were escorted to the gate by scolding rangers.  Naughty, but fun!

Busted!  Here are Laura and Anthony being escorted by the ranger,
while I hang back and photograph the bust!
It’s easier to ask forgiveness (or just act dumb), than
to ask permission!  When asked,  I told them I was English.

We wandered the town doing leisurely browsing and shopping, and had a lovely afternoon.  In the evening we spent some leisure time on the banks of the Ganges right below our hotel. Very peaceful.

Relaxing withVikal, Laura and Anthony before sunset on the steps by the Ganges.
 We dipped mala beads and Singing bowls into the water to bless them.

Laurie and Di on the river rocks.

 Over dinner that evening, Vikal announced that India would close it’s airports to all incoming and outgoing flights starting on March 22.  Our outbound flights had been cancelled.  Vikal told us we needed to get back to Delhi ASAP.  Anthony went to work trying to find flights out, but it was not possible to find six seats on the same flights.  The internet and booking systems were completely overwhelmed, and our connections worked slowly and fitfully.  We had a meeting to decide whether to shelter in place at the airport hotel in New Delhi or try to get flights out.  Anthony, Laura and Jane decided to stay and wait for the travel ban to be lifted.  After I got a wide-eyed reality check from my daughters (who have steadfastly supported me on all my crazy adventures so far) I decided to go, along with Laurie and Dimpel.  Vikal meanwhile had organized two cabs for us, and we evacuated the hotel at 10:30 p.m. and drove through the night in the “Cannonball Express” , arriving in New Delhi at about 5:30 a.m.

Two o’clock in the morning, rocketing along in the Cannonball Express.
We were dodging potholes and zipping between loaded gravel trains!

During that ride I spent over an hour making online reservations for the three of us using CheapOAir, only to have them retracted at the last minute.  Miraculously, Jason from CheapOAir in Mumbai called me back and assisted for another hour, finally finding us flights out via Tel Aviv.  THANK YOU, JASON FROM MUMBAI!  I also called the US Embassy to notify them of our circumstances, and that it appeared that some of the American airlines may have been profiteering.  We saw one-way tickets back to the US priced at  $7000 (normally around $795).  I suggested that maybe the Big Man in the White House should tweet the airlines and pressure them to lower the prices....(did I actually say that out loud?!).  A pause, then a quiet giggle on the other end.

We arrived at the Pullman Aiport Hotel in New Delhi and grabbed a few hours sleep, then went to the airport four hours ahead of our flight as Vikal advised.  It was chaos.  We went to check our bags, and the counter agent told us we could not board our flight since we would not be admitted into Israel (unless we were Israelis citizens or diplomats); he even showed me the website he was looking at.  With a sinking feeling, we were directed to another counter to try to get on a flight from Delhi to JFK.  A man was shouting at the agents, getting more and more upset, insisting that he must get on that flight to Tel Aviv.  I told him that we were about to cancel three seats on that flight and then there would be a seat for him.  He calmed down, the desk agents calmed down, and we proceeded to introduce ourselves.  Yuval runs an aviation parts factory in India. Our turn came, and no seats were available on the flight to JFK.  Yuval gave me a peck on the cheek when I assured him I’d text him when our flight was cancelled via CheapOAir.  I was on hold for 45 minutes and never did get thru to cancel.   We started to leave the airport, and the military guard at the door asked us where we were going.  We said, “Back to the hotel, we can’t get a flight out”. He ordered us to go back to the Air India desk. There the pretty, inscrutable agent made several phone calls, and in the end we were permitted to transit in Tel Aviv, using the same tickets we had.  She had called the Israeli embassy to confirm it!

Hurray!   We’ll be boarding our flight after all!

Boarding the plane, we saw Yuval had made it aboard (hurray!), and all the other passengers except us were Israelis returning home.  Mostly dreadlocked, pierced young hippy types, talking and laughing together like birds in a tree.  Yuval explained that all young people, men and women alike, must serve in the military after high school.  They like to go to India to chill out and maybe smoke a little weed when they finish their service. It was a cheerful flight, full of laughter, ukulele music, chatter, and cheering, with clapping and singing when the plane landed. Yuval graciously invited us to visit him in Jerusalem!

Hurray!!!  We’re allowed to transit through Tel Aviv!!!

We cleared thru Tel Aviv’s legendarily tight airport security, the only foreigners in the airport.  We proceeded to our gate, where once again, we were the only goyem on a flight filled with Hasidic Jewish students who were studying in Israel, now heading home to US and Canada.

Hassidim in the airport.

Studious and thin, with glasses and skin that never sees the sun, curled side locks and all dressed in black with Homburg hats, they were a very different group to the cheerful, sociable soldier-hippies on our first flight.

Anthony texted us to let us know that they secured a flight out...via Doha....the last one!  We were happy to know they’d be coming home, too.

Across the ocean, we landed in Dulles, which was like a ghost town, with short security lines and absolutely no questions about our previous location, exposure to Coronavirus, or our health status.  Our ongoing flight from Dulles to Orlando had only ten  passengers.  We rejoiced , and clapped and cheered like the Israelis to finally be landing safely at home.  Laurie had a joyful reunion with her husband Paul, and Dimpel graciously offered me a ride home. My own little nest was only an hour away!!

Many, many thanks to Vikal for his cheerful jokes, grace, knowledge and constant vigilance on our behalf; to the air transportation agents and Culture Holidays India staff who helped us along our way; and to our friend Anthony for organizing this action-packed, fun, and memorable trip.

                                                We practiced silly jumps for Instagram. :)