IWFS DELHI AGRA JAIPUR FEBRUARY MARCH 2017 - DAY EIGHT AND EPILOGUE

View from Jaipur Hilton

IWFS Delhi, Agra and Jaipur Day Eight - Monday 6th March 2017 - drive to New Delhi Airport and home

Not much to say here. Packed ahead of breakfast, same deal as the day before, checked out at reception, bags got loaded into the car at 9am for an uneventful five hour (make that six with lunch) drive to the airport. More chit chat with driver, passed the time, had a forgettable chapati and dhall lunch at some roadside air conditioned place on the way.  The aim was to get there ahead of the expected jam that would kick in around 4pm which would apparently add another two hours to the drive time. Which I could quite believe. The advice of our friends to fly everywhere came to mind at this point. So it goes. In the unlikely event that there will be a next time, this is what will be done. 

Boy trying to sell pots at a toll booth

The downside is that one spends an inordinate amount of time sitting around and waiting for check in gates to open. And there is not much to see and do at New Delhi airport. There are some hotels in the Aerocity complex, but then the hassle of getting the bags onto a cab to get there and then to get back in time for the flight - couldn't be arsed. So we parked near a coffee stand and shared a sandwich of something and idled the time. I walked around the Hall a few times just to exercise. Couple of shops, two Elephant statues that lorded over all, loads of people of all colours and backgrounds. 

Eventually the gate opened, all got checked in (no memory) through and onto the plane (no memory) flight and landing at KLIA (no memory) and into the KLIA Limo and home (no memory). 

EPILOGUE

Camels also got... 

India (well, the Golden Triangle of New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur) is hot, dusty and demanding, and I pity anyone having to live there in the squalor and dilapidated conditions we saw in the towns outside of (and sometimes inside of) the cities we visited or passed through on the bus or in the car. The roads and traffic seem to demand constant attention, though perhaps this is something that one can acclimate to since there were was only one minor accident I saw throughout all the hours on the roads. The constant blaring of horns to either tell people you were near or to remind them to get out of the way was headache inducing - noise pollution at its absolute worst. The congestion is desperate, though traffic somehow seemed to keep moving albeit at a dreadfully slow pace - rarely was there an absolute stop. 

The corner shop

I think it was the cows that got to me. Taking their own sweet time to cross or amble along the middle of the road in search of a mosquito free space seemed….  inconsiderate. I know that the cow is holy and that the middle of the road is the best place to sit so that mosquitoes are prevented from getting there due to the pollution generated by all the millions of cars. But it somehow seemed to summarize one of the prevalent attitudes of many of the nation. We are happy to sit on our arse and be free of mosquitoes and be worshipped. And we will beg. And people will give to us. Yes and thank you. Hmmm....

Let's MOOOOOOOO-ve it ladies!!

The frequent and seemingly random changes of rules I got hit with at some occasions also rankled - limits on payment in cash at the Leela, can't take in cameras to the President's House, can't have your walking chair (oh, maybe you can) - annoying and irritating. Incredible India? More like Incredibly Irrititating India…

Our lunch destination

And the poverty is…   wrenching. Families parked together at the roadsides and traffic lights, hands outstretched for any scraps that might be dropped from any white skin visitor who is clearly light years distant in terms of wealth and income. Though in contrast there were signs of enterprise and survival in this harsh and unforgiving roadside environment. I remember on the ride back to the airport, one (he must have been) eight year old at a toll gate in the blazing sun going from truck to truck trying to sell clay fired pots. There seems to be an occasional grit in the people, that no matter how poor, somehow they will make something out of what they have. Though the easy way is to beg from the massively wealthy visitor who is clearly light years away in terms of wealth and income. 

So that was India. Been there, done it, got the t-shirt and the photos, no desire to return if the rest of India is the same (I am assured it is not - the South is much more relaxed, doing the House Boats in Kerala). Having been there, when you come back there are some things you take so much for granted at home that get thrown into complete relief. For me, it was so good to be able to clean teeth with tap water and not have see the darn cows in the middle of the road and no horns blaring - despite the occasional road rage from the Mat Bikers, in comparison to India, driving in Malaysia is a breeze.

Inside lunch - bread and dhall as I recall, maybe some chicken...

It was also nice to come home to some Char Siew Rice - the tastes of the world are wonderful but there ain't no food like the soul food. If anything, that is what all these overseas jollies reinforce time and again. Treasure the local delight but your belly always knows where its spiritual home is. Cheers!!

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The Road to Delhi

The  Elephants at New Delhi Airport

Namaste!! 

IWFS DELHI AGRA JAIPUR FEBRUARY MARCH 2017 - DAY SEVEN

Hawa Mahal Jaipur

IWFS Delhi, Agra and Jaipur Day Seven - Sunday 5th March 2017 - Tour of Jaipur

Up and packed and down for a hugely decent breakfast of breads, curries, thosai, fruits and yoghurt and coffee at the buffet. Lenglui tried an omelette which got good praise. Service was swift and friendly in a large and airily cool ambience. Surprisingly and unexpectedly pleasant. 

The car was bang on time and swiftly drove us to our main destination for the day, the Amber Fort. 

Wikipedia: Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan in Northern India. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amer after whom the city is named. As of 2011, the city has a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known as the Pink City of India. It is located 280 km (174 miles) from the Indian capital New Delhi. Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in India and forms a part of the west Golden Triangle tourist circuit along with Delhi and Agra (240 km, 149 mi).  Jaipur is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Jantar Mantar and the Amer Fort.

Lenglui and the Amber Fort

We figured to do the Amber (or Amer - the names seem to be used interchangeably) Fort since it seemed to be the must see and do thing so off we drove northwards through the bustle and heat of a Sunday morning. The Fort could be seen in the distance so we stopped for a photo opp before diving headfirst into a maelstrom of traffic looking to either park or escape. The driver took us up some backlane looking road that went uphill and suddenly arrived at a back door entrance with very few people. He negotiated the entrance rate, took our money and paid and said "see you back here at noon". Fair enough - nowhere to park so he would presumably go find some shady area and chat with his mates. 

Temple near the Amber Fort Gate

Wikipedia: Amer Fort is located in Amer, Rajasthan, a town with an area of 4 square kilometres located 11 kilometres from Jaipur. Located high on a hill, it is the principal tourist attraction in Jaipur. The town of Amer was originally built by Meenas, and later it was ruled by Raja Man Singh I(December 21, 1550 – July 6, 1614). Amer Fort is known for its artistic Hindu style elements. With its large ramparts and series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main source of water for the Amer Palace.

Wikipedia: Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the attractive, opulent palace is laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard. It consists of the Diwan-i-Aam, or "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-i-Khas, or "Hall of Private Audience", the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), or Jai Mandir, and the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over a water cascade within the palace. Hence, the Amer Fort is also popularly known as the Amer Palace. The palace was the residence of the Rajput Maharajas and their families. 

Lenglui survives elephant charge

Wikipedia: This palace, along with Jaigarh Fort, is located immediately above on the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of the same Aravalli range of hills. The palace and Jaigarh Fort are considered one complex, as the two are connected by a subterranean passage. This passage was meant as an escape route in times of war to enable the royal family members and others in the Amer Fort to shift to the more redoubtable Jaigarh Fort. Annual tourist visitation to the Amer Palace was reported by the Superintendent of the Department of Archaeology and Museums as 5000 visitors a day, with 1.4 million visitors during 2007. At the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2013, Amer Fort, along with five other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan. 

View from Amber Fort Gate

The Fort proved surprisingly delightful, with lots of visual diversions and crowds of people all seeking shade or escape from the people trying to sell fridge magnets, hats, or elephant rides. Richard failed to escape and bought himself a bush hat. Lenglui and I were suitably prepared and had brought our own headgear. And my portable umbrella proved most welcome as a screen against the merciless rays of the sun. It was pretty brutal. The sunblock was praised a few times on this day. Lots of buildings filled with ornate tilings or intricate stonework, and startlingly bright - the sunglasses never got taken off for pretty much all of the time here. My main memory is of Lenglui looking to get a closer photo of one of the elephants and needing to move smartly to avoid one who had unexpectedly been turned toward her by the mahout. I think she got the photo. Lenglui was also taking lots of photos of ladies wearing the sari. Some of the colours were indeed stunning. Have to see if I can source some of them for inclusion here.

Inside the Amber Fort

  

 

Richard enjoying lunch

We got back to our rendezvous and driver and a few last minute fridge magnet sellers. We ambled downhill to where the car was parked and headed off back toward town. On the way, we stopped at a lakeside area in which a hotel had been planted for photos and lunch at a small eatery that had been mentioned in one of the books and which driver also recommended as pretty good. Both turned out to be correct. The beer was ice cold and we downed three between us ahead of the lunch and three more during. Garlic naan and vegetable curry and beer and some ice cream to finish off - simple and perfect and just right.

Back into town for an aborted visit to a market (deemed too hot) though one scarf shop was found and defiled by Lenglui. I snagged some more t-shirts. Then back in the car for a whistle stop around the main sights of Jaipur town - City Palace, Hawa Mahal were the main photo opps. Then back to the hotel at about 4pm for Richard to pack and get driven to Agra airport to meet his flight home in Delhi. He originally was going to get the train back to Delhi but apparently could not get a seat and, fearful of not making connections, decided to fly. Fair enough. 

Hotel in the Lake

Seems he also was unsure as to whether the local ATM would give him money, so I passed him some rupee just in case his fears would not prove unfounded. As it was, the ATM behaved to expectations and he left the rupee in an envelope at the desk for me. 

Lenglui and friend

We were pretty pooped by this time so decided to order room service. Think I had a lamb burger or something. The St Francis Zinfandel drank beautifully. A most relaxing evening and perfect way to end the trip. 

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Amber Fort Lake

More inside the Amber Fort

Inside Amber Fort Jaipur

Hotel on the Lake (nearly booked this one but opted for Hilton)

Jaipur Market entrance - I think...

City Palace

Sikh Temple Jaipur

IWFS DELHI AGRA JAIPUR FEBRUARY MARCH 2017 - DAY SIX

IWFS Delhi Agra and Jaipur Day Six

Saturday 4th March 2017 - Drive to Jaipur

Can't seem to find any photos for this day. Remember taking some, though also recall they were pretty naff. Maybe they got binned. So it goes. Maybe they will show.

Having packed the night before, rose quite early to a bright sunshine day. Lenglui and I would be spending quite a few hours in a car driving to Jaipur with new friend Richard who would join and share the costs. Car had been organised by new friend and tour organiser Arun Varma - well recommended if you find yourself in Delhi or Agra and in need of tours being organised 

(arunallways@gmail.com, arun@allwaystravels.com, mobile +91-99100-23342, office +91-11-45666999)

We lugged the cases to breakfast and parked them near reception. Got some nonsense email purportedly from Paypal about password change which generated a massive panic and me trying unsuccessfully to call Singapore to block it. It looked totally genuine, phone and all,  though I could not access the email from which it came. Ultimately turned out to be a phish scam. Bloody good one though. Cost a damn fortune in phone calls, though. Hope the bastard emailer's next shit is a fucking durian. 

The organisers had kindly arranged for framed photos of shots taken at the Taj Mahal to be given to all the members, which was most thoughtful. Thought it seems there was one ingrate who had decided that the photo was not a nice one and consequently determined not to take it. So, closing an eye to the weight, I souvenired it for the homeward trip as a gift for someone. 

We said our farewells to friends who were going back to Delhi and onwards. Found organiser Arun talking to our driver and settled with him in cash (we needed to unload some of the rupee). Bags got loaded and then off for a five hour drive to Jaipur which went pleasantly fast thanks to Richard being a good storyteller and talking about his travels and life. Also our driver was quite a talker and knowledgeable about Delhi and Agra and Jaipur and the roads between them. Lunch was halfway at the appropriately named Halfway Hotel which was a wooden style cafeteria with chairs and tables, a fridge for drinks and a cashier and toilet area. Food was more bread, though I seem to recall we had snagged some of the lunch boxes from the bus and scoffed them with a cup of instant powder coffee. There was a shop attached which was pretty grim and expensive and which we left undefiled by not buying anything. Then it was back in the car for the last stretch to Jaipur.

The day was bright and the roads were dusty from the fine orange misty grit that got churned up by the cars. Occasional massive trucks coming at you from the wrong side of the road caused occasional panic attacks, but they seemed to turn off way before any smash. And the cows - young, old, crotchety, dumb - and mostly in the middle of the road between oncoming traffic on both sides. Our driver told us the reason for this was that the cows have learned they do not get bitten by mosquitoes when they are between two way traffic. The mozzies cannot get to them because of the dust and air turmoil. Maybe the moo is not so dumb…

It was about three pm when we reached Jaipur. We seemed to have bypassed the central part and heading south. I was trying to follow a map in the guidebook that pinpointed our destination, the Jaipur Hilton. The roads were much longer than they looked on the map. Eventually we got to the hotel (which looked like a fortress of concrete and walls) and unloaded the bags through the hotel scanner and through to reception. Our driver advised that he would go get something to eat and come back later and help us "do" Jaipur by night. Swiftly through reception, got the wifi password, and up to the room to shower off the long drive. 

Pleasant enough room, though can't remember much about it now. Had a view over the back part of the town - pretty low rise as I recall. Working town.

We figured to have something to eat before Jaipur By Night so as not to have to stop somewhere that perhaps might be a bit dodgy, so we went to the bar and ordered beer and pizza and some sandwich thing and scoffed down the bar chips and pretzels. Very pleasant bar area, though service could have been better - the barman seemed to have wandered off when I needed a refill and one of his colleagues eventually came to my aid and rescue.

Our driver arrived and it was off into the urban jungle of Jaipur. Got a few stories from him on the way which were interesting at the time but now lost in their mists. He drove us to a scarf shop which was pretty poor quality and a bit overpriced compared to the friend in Delhi. We bought some T-Shirts to be sociable but not as big a spend as I think our driver had hoped. Then it was a drive through the streets where we came across a wedding - all noise and bangs and the bride on a white horse being led by the groom. We also stopped at a place to buy some Chana Chow, recommended by driver who said he was buying for his son. They proved very tasty - good fire with low salt. We bought up various types to pass as souvenir giveaways to friends back in KL. Jaipur by night is pretty dark but hugely alive with humanity and cars. Again, the intensity of it all eventually got to me and I was glad when we got back to the hotel and the silence of the TV. Sleep came quickly. 

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IWFS DELHI AGRA JAIPUR FEBRUARY MARCH 2017 - PRE DAY ONE

IWFS DELHI AGRA FEBRUARY MARCH 2017 - PRE DAY ONE 

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26TH 2017

Can't remember anything about the KLIA end - half a memory of some young gangly hungry looking Chinese driver with a shedful of tattoos on the neck and arms eventually getting us to the airport - he looked shattered at 3pm in the afternoon. But we got there safe enough despite him needing a pitstop to refuel on a couple of Red Bulls. Our flight was at 7pm and landing in Delhi just before 10pm. I cannot now remember anything about the check in nor the flight there or back - not a thing. Has flying now got so routine?  I guess so. 

Oh wait - the food. Yes. Now I remember. We were in the cattle class back left of the plane and I opted for the vegetarian rather than the meat dish and it was delightful! Firm chapati, and excellent dhal. Well tasty. 

We landed at New Delhi - the airport looked clean and bright and ultimately quite a long wheel to immigration and bags. The nightmare about scrabbling to save two clean pages in the nearly passport was dissipated by a single chop from the officer on duty. Phew and bastard to the website for putting me through nonsense grief and stress. 

Out into the bright that was Delhi airport. I saw a man holding a sign for our hotel and naturally went to him. He had no record of us on his list so off he went to check and instructed us to sit for a while. I got a coffee to help break some of the big notes I was carrying and sat in the slightly over warm cafe. The server spoke English - good sign. Think we also grabbed a sandwich, figuring it would be a bit late for food by the time we would get to the hotel. Lenglui is smart like that. 

Lots of people milling about as they do in airport walkways. Lots of men on their handphones, presumably checking for their pickups. After about what felt like thirty minutes, our man came back and scuttled us to a big ass black Mercedes which whisked us to the Leela Gurgaeon in about fifteen minutes. Arriving at the place, it was massive - long sucker of a driveway which we had to drive along and return back. We would later discover it was attached to a shopping complex which became our destination for the morrow. 

The reception was magnificent - all big and bigass and marble and flower displays and wide walkways. Getting checked in took a little time - they had the reservation but there was no apparent connection to the IWFS group. Not to worry - Credit Card solve everything and we were swiftly in our room. Big ass again - lots of black marble, deep sunken bath, TV that spoke English - and sockets to charge up the phones and devices. Done. Plugged in and TV on and pretty much a straight eight hours. Excellent. Pre Day done. 

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Food Adventures January to July 2017 - February

Prior to the two month sojourn around Wales, France and Sicily across August through to mid October, I had been a bit taken up with a project that took me away from the food and wine writing (and the songwriting and recording) but I then got a bit of a breather to try and reflect over where the Lengui and I had eaten over the previous couple of months (well, seven actually). So I figured rather than try to document them individually, better to just load them all into a single narrative and see how it looked. So this is a full-ish listing of where, when, and with whom we ate and drank over this period. Some are barely one liners, others have a bit more detail. Whatever, it made for a more than usually long read so it got broken down into months for ease of, er, digestion. Not sure if it will prove useful, but when taken in total it does represent quite a litany of gluttony. Phoooooooo....

Feb 1st Marco Polo Loh Sang with the House of Pork

This is a group who loves to eat the Pork in all its forms and glory. A great need was felt to ring in the Year of the Rooster with the Siew Yoke and Suckling Pig. And other porky delights. Chinese restaurants around New Year time traditionally see the quality dip due to staff going back to home towns. Didn't see it here. Whatever, the quality of the company and the booze will always compensate.

Inside Bonfire

Feb 2nd Soleil with UK Foodie Friends
Posted separately - click here to see>>

Feb 9th Bonfire Opening

The Chef daughter of one of Lenglui's Mah Johngg kaki opened this place. Is a kind of Australian theme with big meats and yabbie bugs and grills to the fore. Good tucker. The mashed potato gratin was magnificent. They charge corkage. Service and glassware is good. Can't remember being stunned by the food, but was not underwhelmed either. Good for families - Starling Mall seems to draw a younger crowd anyway. Given its outskirts location, it has taken off very well; the times we have been there it has been buzzing (see below). Worth a visit, not sure I would return - prefer to go to more porky places. 

(NB another sibling operates the Red Bean Bag in Publika whilst another does the Yellow Brick Road in Damansara. The food genes are clearly strong in this family).

Bonfire from outside - quite a pleasant stroll

Rustic Bread and Salad

Photos of the Barramundi Snapper and the remains of the roasts - lamb, steak and chicken, all of which were well tasty. Can't format the captions for some reason...

The Baron's Barolo...

and my Bordeaux

Feb 11th - The Kiwi's Birthday
Got instructed to be at some out of the way place in Taipan USJ to celebrate the Kiwi's Beatle Birthday ("When I'm 64") and quite a repast it would prove to be. Seems he is a regular here and chef and team went out of their way to prepare some excellent continental style dishes. Can't remember much about it, except we went back to his place for more booze and party. Seem to remember getting hypnotised byTibetan Throat Singing. Or was it snoring? Very nasal. Have to dig out the name of the restaurant.

Well tasty stewy meaty...  something

Prawns in Black Rice - well yum

Roll of Honour

Left: Doc Wine with the Wine Daddy     Right: Doc Wine and his Squeeze

Feb 15th Tang Room - Chinese restaurant Starling Mall with the Birthday gang

Came here on a recommendation that the food was very good. Well, and maybe - didn't do it for me. Forgettable and bland. We got a room to ourselves but it was still massive noisy from a party doing the Yam Seng all night in the main room. Fair glassware, no corkage, forgettable food. I also lost my car park ticket which didn't help the mood; the presence of the wineless Comedian also didn't help. Perhaps I should give it another shot. Found a half decent CdP at RM104 from the wine store downstairs next to the very well stocked and airy Village Grocer Supermarket which proved somewhat light yet sleek. Also the Oyster Bay at RM78 which we socked away for our Marco evenings - belter with the Four Seasons starters. Toilet was outside and a hike along the Mall to the end. 

Entrance - pretty grand, no?

The Four - or perhaps Five - Seasons starter

Soon Hock Fish - must have been okay

Looks like a Pork rib - looks good, yes?

Steamed buns dessert...

which are also clearly wearable :)

Feb 16th Kame Sushi Atria with IWFS

The new second outlet buried deep somewhere in Petaling Jaya, 30 of us enjoyed fizz and excellent wines with chef's Omakase. Can't remember much about the food. Some felt a bit disappointed at the sizes of some of the dishes. I also felt hungry at the end of it all. I seem to recall someone opened a bottle of gold flake sake which was apparently a pure rarity. Someone else opened more champagne. Pretty boozy night. 

Very tight space for the troops, felt massively cramped. Toilet was outside and around the corner, had to fight to get both out and back into the restaurant and the seat. Lots of laughter, not sure would return in such a big group. 

Menu

Appetizer - Sugar Tomato (Fruits Tomato from Japan)

Sashimi - Oyster Sashimi with salt and Sudachi (Japanese Lime), Hirame (Flounder) Sashimi with Ponzu Vinegar

Grilled Dish - Grilled Sawara (Spanish Mackarel) with Special Sauce

Simmered Dish - Simmered Radish with grilled Monkfish Liver

Sushi (8 pcs & Half Roll) - Tuna Belly, Yellow Tail, Sweet Shrimp, Squid, Salmon Roe, Ginger Flower, Eggplant, Turnip, Tuna Roll

Miso Soup

Fruits from Japan

Lenglui x 3 at Kame Sushi

Sugar Tomato

Luretta Fizz to start - tasty and good value

Oyster Sashimi - yum

Sashimi with Ponzu vinegar 

Grilled Sawara - Spanish Mackerel

Wine from Japan - crisp and tasty

Hello Chef Kame!

At the bar

Simmered Radish and Monkfish Liver

Waiting for Sushi

Coming, coming!!

Et voilas!!

Feb 18th Marco Pig Nick with Gan family

Ah, the Marco Pig Nick…  whenever Lenglui tells friends about this, they all want to come and try. So naturally we have to be there with them. The usual menu, the usual mumbles of "ho seck" as the Pig Soup gets slurped, lots of "cheers" to fine champagne and Cloudy Bay SB. Some half decent wines on show tonight, can't remember what they were. Lot of talk about what to see in India given an upcoming visit there by myself and lenglui. The advice was to fly everywhere. Which in retrospect was good. The India roads would prove mental.

Feb 23rd Checkers Boys Night

I have been coming here for over twenty years. Owner and chef Mr Tan started out mastering the art of pizzas and quickly moved to pork. His pork ribs are magnificent and still the standard - juicy, tender, and big. His accompanying mustard salsa is heaven. On this night we shared starters and ribs and a knuckle or three with big ass Reds and a couple of standard start-the-night NZ SBs. Boys Nights tend to be…  boyish, I suppose. Quite civilised, little swearing, mostly swapping news about IMDB and Pink Diamonds. Or is it Sapphires? 

Feb 25th Chambers Steak KL Hilton
Chambers has proven consistent in its quality and cooking of decent prime steak. We figured that we would not get any good meat in India so figured to satisfy the tastebuds ahead. We decided to try the Porterhouse to share and brought an Alion 2011 for the occasion. Should have stuck with the Ribeye - the T-Bone felt a bit firm on the night. The Alion 2011 was delightful, all silk and power. Lovely. 

Some of the Cakes available at KL Hilton - amazing detail and colours

Lenglui in RockChick pose

The T-Bone - good but not quite great

Feb 26th to March 2nd - IWFS in India

This was a six day event which probably needs more than a few lines. Did New Delhi (four nights), Agra (two nights), and Jaipur (two nights). Very intensive. And intense. Traffic was madness. Spent half the trip on a bus or in a car. Some great hotels and restaurants and food and wine pairings. And the Taj Mahal seared the memory and the soul. But such a mass of seething humanity, and most of it insanely poor. Never again. Senses feel they have been assaulted enough for one lifetime.