India 2016

This is the abridged version of our trip. I am more than happy to talk travel and elaborate over a cup of tea anytime. Let's make a date! 
It's a lot to sum up one month in India when we live in LA. Everyone seems to live such a busy lifestyle including myself.. so here it goes...
It sounds so obvious when I say this out loud, "This is my life!" I have this one life to live and I get to spend one month in India! It's a long time coming and it finally happened. I've spent 3 weeks here, come back to work a few days and leave for another week. Never taken a full month off though. A full month in India felt like 6 months. This is a much anticipated trip for Rama and I.
This is where my heritage is from. I had deja vu almost everyday for the first few weeks.  Having a proper cup of tea multiple times of day or night is such a treat. We even get a proper cup served on the train.  Hospitality in India is fantastic. 
This is how we set up our tour.
Land in Mumbai. Booked Byke Hotel before LA departure. Only thing we booked ahead of time. We have an idea of where we are visiting and booked everything in India. 
Downloaded popular local apps for booking hotels, train, and domestic flights. 
Stayed a few days in Colaba. I finally had a masala dosa. A real one! OMG so light and delicious.
Traveled to Delhi to visit an old friend.
Head over to Rishikesh and Haridwar. Took a dip in the Ganga (beautiful, magical, rich, powerful and deep). You get some good cow love here.
We took the train to Agra where we spent our 9 year anniversary at the Taj Mahal. What a majestic place. This inspires us to visit the other wonders of the world. 
Fly to Colcatta for a brief visit while on our way north to Makaibari and Darjeeling. I love the airports. There is a "no announcement" policy where the ticket agents are. Way more personable, streamline, and quiet.
We are traveling near the end of Monsoon season and  have many days of beautiful rain. It's quite a wet trip. More fantastic tea here in the north. The people and lifestyle are completely different. We question if we are still in India. Our neighbors are Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Bangladesh. Everything is different/relaxed from what we experienced so far. We're literally in the clouds. Close to 7000' elevation. Darjeeling is dreamy and romantic in the rain.
Our trip is edited as we fly down to Goa where we spend the week. Rented a Royal Enfield as our transportation. The Portuguese influence lends to yet another completely different experience in this grand country. Beaches, foods have a different flavor and sauce. Tried some real tasty south Indian dishes. My fave. Love the Goan St. Andre Port. Checked out the north beaches and the historic part of Panjim. Waited the rain out at many bars and cafes. And some more cow love. They head to the shores to take in the evening sunset.
Back up to Bombay where we spend the last few days checking out different areas including 100 year old ice cream shop, antiquing, thalis, Ganesh Chaturthi and bargaining.
Finished our trip with a shower and dinner at the JW Marriott which is around the corner from the airport. Ubers work well in Mumbai. 
Til next time India. I know we'll be returning.