news&views Summer 2019 | Page 34

The incredible Taj Mahal Incredible India Dee MacPherson | Article and Photographs “Incredible India!” that is the tourism slogan ... and it delivers! We saw only a small bit of the country on our three-week journey, but what we saw and experienced whetted our appetites for more. We travelled from Edmonton to Delhi, via Toronto. The trip is long (an understatement!), the longest leg taking about fourteen hours. Our route in India took us through Rajasthan and into Uttar Pradesh, two states in the northwest of the country. While planning our independent travel, I had been quite keen on having a quintessential India experience by taking the train to our various destinations. I was, however, convinced by my travelling companion that a private driver would let us make better use of our limited time and afford us greater flexibility. What a great decision! Nek, our driver, made navigating this busy, crowded, often overwhelming country seem relatively easy! He skillfully navigated the urban and rural roads, took us to interesting restaurants, provided us with lots of valuable information, and was an absolute asset to our India experience. Although the mantra of all Indian drivers is, “Good Horn, Good Brakes, Good Luck,” Nek was an expert driver, and despite the chaos of the roads, he kept us safe. The cost was not prohibitive when shared between two couples and it certainly afforded us opportunities we would not otherwise Photos truly do not do it justice. 34 | arta.net