Travel Review: India Trip, Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Taj Mahal, Amber Fort, Silk Weaver Experience, 2-Week Tour

There was so much that was enjoyable, that to narrow down is not easy. I would say primarily the guides were really spectacular in bringing to life this country so different and huge and hard to grasp. We has two  really outstanding guides in Agra who showed us the Taj Mahal was wonderful-- he was really good at taking photographs and helped us capture the amazing beauty of the place-- his plan was to have us be the first in the tomb for the day so we could hear the special wind that moans in sorrow for the two buried here. We did indeed do that and it was an overwhelmingly special moment-- My husband and I both shed some tears, contemplating the extraordinarily beauty ,of one mans desire to memorialize his wife. We got to see the exquisite inlay work inside the tomb, carnelian which is a translucent semi precious stone, lit up with a flashlight to show its full beauty.
Then our guide in Varanasi was so interesting, this was our last stop on our tour and by this time we had managed to have  even more questions and things to ask, he answered them with such an interesting  perspective it was like having a conversation with an old friend. He took us for the best thali lunch of our trip and told us how scared he was as a young boy to come to the Ganges and see all the cremations. We also went to the silk weavers of Varanasi, to see how this ancient and skillful art is still carried out. I felt so sad to see him go .
The hotels we stayed at also made our stay , we really enjoyed the hotel in Delhi , we enjoyed talking to the woman who owed the place and had her lovely dinner at the hotel after a whirlwind day in Delhi. The hotel in Jaipur ,was probably the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in . It too, was  owned by a family with a long history in the town , turned into a hotel so they could continue to also live in the property. Such intricate courtyards and a huge room ,complete with a dressing area and a sitting room area.
Our driver deserves a huge mention too-- he was such a good driver , believe me I would never want to drive in India, the motorcyles , the tuk-tuks ,the cows ,the bicycles ,the people crossing the road ---wow to my eyes a kind of craziness that somehow all worked. He was always there to pick us up after a trip to see the sights of the different cities , he drove us between the different cites ,on some quite long rides and was so helpful and wonderful.
Other things that deserve a mention. The guide in Delhi took us to a wonderful place in the old city of Delhi for a high tea that was really good. The night we spent celebrating Diwali in Jaipur ,with a local family was an outstanding experience. The safari to try and sight a tiger was great ,to be out in the wild early in the morning with another wonderful guide was so interesting , he knew all the animals. The guide that took up to the Amber Fort and the city Palace was great too-- we went up to the roof of the palace and got to really see the city. I didn't want to ride the elephants up to the fort ,so later we went to a sanctuary and got to know an elephant and wash her trunk and go on a walk and have dinner outside. The workshop we did ,with a miniature painter in his small studio right opposite a huge Hindu temple in the old city of Udaipur was wonderful too.As was the tour of the city and another great lunch -- best fish curry ever, plus the boat ride and the view of all the beautiful white marble buildings from the lake.