Meet and Greet

On Sunday Margaret and I held an informational party for our guests so they could get to know one another, and we could talk about the upcoming trip.  It was a wonderful afternoon with beautiful weather so that we could enjoy being out on our back porch.  Thanks to my husband, Gerard, who acted as host, serving and cleaning up.  There was plenty of food, surprising people who thought they were just coming to a meeting.  What surprised me was that many of them seemed unfamiliar with basic Indian appetizers of samosa and pakora.  They were pleased to try Indian food and find that they liked it and it was not too spicy, a fear that many share.  We reviewed our up to the minute itinerary and the general information included in our India Journey with Grace tote bags.
As of this writing, everyone has their visa.  Now we can concentrate on  confirming some of the details that will further separate our journey from those of other tour companies.
On another note, I met a young man in yoga this morning who teaches Hindi and Sanskrit.  Perhaps I can squeeze in a few lessons before departure.

The Visa Blues

Guests for the 2013 journey have had an incredibly difficult time getting their Indian Visas. The problems are of many dimensions, all of which overlap.  First, there have been changes to the Visa Application forms themselves.  The new instructions include separate forms for three types of visas.  But it is only by reviewing all three that you can get the complete instructions.  So one must constantly refer back and forth to get the complete instructions.  Secondly, the Indian Embassy has changed the company that processes all visa applications.  They are overwhelmed and seemingly unable to process everything in a timely manner, especially since the applications frequently contain errors and/or omissions.  Communication from and to the company is difficult at best.
The good news for our travelers is that they have all received their visas, and all passports have been returned.
Our advice?  Carefully review your application.  Make an extra copy for yourself. retain extra copies of your pictures. Don't forget to include a return envelope. Make an appointment to submit your application in person, if at all possible.  And submit your application as early as possible before your trip.

Yoga

Yoga, which means union, is an integral part of daily life in India.  This tradition dates back thousands of years and over time has grown many branches or styles of practice.  Our guests this year will be treated to a yoga workshop which will explain the development of yoga and its role and practice in daily life. Some of our guests may already be very familiar with yoga, but none have ever experienced it under the guidance of a yogi in the beautiful setting of Lodi Gardens.  This unique opportunity will be enjoyed and remembered by novice and experienced practitioners.  

Sixteen Travelers

We are very excited to host fourteen people on our Journey to India this year.  Counting us, that makes 16; a larger group than we had anticipated.
We depart on October 11th and there is much to do before we get on the plane.  This Sunday we will host most of our fellow travelers at a meet and greet party at my house. It will be a chance for folks to meet one another before we go, for us to answer questions and reiterate suggestions.  Many in the group have had and continue to have difficulties with new visa requirements and procedures and that will surely be a topic of discussion.  Suggested reading for the event is "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry.  We keep fine tuning our itinerary and will share it on Sunday.  I expect it will be the highlight of the afternoon except, of course, for the food.  And the company.