Category: Two Families Combine
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Day 29-30: Mumbai: Our final days in India
For our last few days in Mumbai, we were able to return to our first hotel in Mumbai (and my favorite breakfast buffet). We were lucky to even get a room on our return because the hotel was full. The Indian political opposition had united in a coalition whose initials…
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Day 28: Last day in Goa
Our return flight to Mumbai was not until late afternoon, so the adults gave the kids a long time for a final splash in the hotel pool. Then we loaded up the mini-van and drove to downtown Panaji. We parked near the main square named Praca Da Igreja (Church Square),…
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Day 27: Goa, Day III (Palolem Beach)
When Kingston was at University in Mumbai, he several times joined a group of friends for a getaway to Goa, some of whom would drive their scooters the 14 hours to Goa. Kingston would take the train and rent a scooter in Panaji for the two hour drive to Palolem…
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Day 26: Goa, Day II
Our hotel was on Candolim Beach aong the Arabian Sea, just north of Fort Aguada and on the opposite side of the Mandovi River from Panaji, the capital of Goa (and the last former Portuguese capital). Our day would end in Panaji, but first we stopped at another ancient fort…
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Day 25: Goa, Day I
By the time we awoke at our beach hotel, Kingston’s sister and her family had arrived by train. And since the hotel had a pool, the very first thing the kids wanted to do after breakfast (on the veranda atop the hotel with great views of the Indian Ocean) was…
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Day 24: The flight to Goa
Lena’s friends had encouraged her to consider Goa as a destination for our trip to India. I noticed that Goa was a 13 hour road trip from Mumbai. Even by air, it was an hour drive from the closest airport. So Goa was placed on the back burner for planning…
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Day 23: Last Day in Jaipur
The Pink City was our favorite destination In North India, not just because of the planned city within those ancient walls, but the food, the Heritage Hotel and the vibe of the city. We had some time during our last day in Jaipur before our flight back to Mumbai, so…
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Day 22, Part II: Our Last Evening in North India
While traveling in South India, most of our hotels included both a breakfast and a dinner buffet with the room. So we had labels to explain what we was displayed on the buffet. I still had to ask Kingston questions about many of the dishes but at least I could…
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Day 22: Part I: the Religious Cities
Lena and Dawn decided they needed a rest day after 21 days of “Kingston travel.” Lena had resisted visiting Hindu, Muslim or Christian religious sites, but Dawn and I have often remarked to each other that many of our European trips have centered around visits to Catholic cathedrals, because we…
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Day 21: Jaipur Day II, Part II: the Pink City
On our return trip to Jaipur, we took a route along the Man Sagar Lake that borders Jaipur. In the center of the lake is a Rajput palace that was originally built in 1699, the Jal Mahal or “Water Palace.” The building and the lake were later renovated and significantly…