Arrived at the Emblem yesterday to find Madeline looking cheerful and well rested, after a long flight from Victoria, followed by a city tour of Delhi, including that rather noisy chaotic Chandni Chowk region of old town! To boot, she was released from hospital barely a week ago, having endured a painful bout with a kidney stone issue … I marvel at her stamina …. What a trooper!! Our friendship dates back almost forty years, albeit, most of it from a distance … Madeline et al have lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for the better part of the last few decades … So it is just awesome to be here in India together … A first “girls’ trip” for us, after all these years …..

After a rather early and ungodly wake-up knock of 5:00 am from Madeline, we hit the road to Agra to explore that mighty tomb and ode to love, Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal …. We also worked the rather impressive Mughals Red Fort into the day … ready to crash early and catch our flight tomorrow for Rishikesh and our silent yoga meditation retreat ….. Ooommmmm