Layover in Amsterdam highlights:
-Actually really good congee
-“fresh mint tea” = hot water with mint plant dunked in & a truffle on the side -Amsterdam bread co will live in my head foreverThis restaurant had different bays with different couch/table layouts and this one was by far the coolest! It was set up like an old school bedroom.
Taj Mahal more then lived up to its status as a world wonder. The stone and marble art are so detailed and perfect and a micro level, and then it was repeated across a massive building. Micro art done at scale is wild. So so pretty.
Fresh vegetables and cotton candy.
Another stunning building in the same town as Taj Mahal. Both are tombs built by royalty for their family. This one was much smaller and emptier, but had stone work that rivaled the Taj Mahal.
Wild peacock on the roof!!
An ultra authentic Indian experience…riding the train intercity. There are too many train classes sto keep track of, but we were in 2nd class A/C. The train station was admittedly super chaotic, It certainly checked the box of taking me out of my comfort zone, and for that I was grateful.
The most amazing airbnb. A 7th generation heritage home that felt like stepping back 200 years while still being really elegant. The hosts were so kind and helpful with every request we had
Mehendi (henna) ceremony!! First time getting henna, it was super impressive to watch the artists come up with designs in the moment.
The wedding venue is absolutely stunning. A team of ~50 workers constructed this entire setup just for one of the events (sangeet)
Sangeet night!! Lots of family and friends practice and perform dances on stage in front of the wedding. The group dance I was apart of got ended up going first. It was a gorgeous evening with a lot of fun dances
The haldi (turmeric) ceremony is when all the guests and family put turmeric and flowers on the bride and groom. This was a super fun event with live performances and dancing and incredible decorations.
Wedding night! The final event
We sadly didn’t see any tigers but we did see lots of other interesting animals like spotted deer, antelope, owls, peacocks and lemurs!
Butter chicken and dal Makhni in the us have been forever ruined for me… this place was unreal
The art district of Delhi was so peaceful and had a completely different vibe than old Delhi
Stumbled upon a writers convention in Lodi district that had live music and artists sharing cultural stories!! Super cool
One of my favorite parts of Delhi. A massive park with a ~600 yo monument in the middle that is free for all to roam around in/on. People were playing sports, reading, running and hanging out
A Delhi music school in the same building as Taashi’s aunts fabric warehouse. She’s been a designer for 20+ years and supplies to a major Indian brand. Her fabrics and designs were gorgeous
Taxis in Delhi have to get a CNG tank instead of petroleum, so they fill up with a totally separate system.
Taashis house really feels like home. The food, the decor and the hospitality were unmatched