Breakfast at Jasper's

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

We weren't scheduled to meet the owner until 9:00, so Walt took part of the morning to explore and photograph the streets of Siliguri. I relaxed and packed up again. 

A little after nine, we checked out and met the owner and a colleague of his. They drove us and our backpacks over to the restaurant where we were greeted by some of our waiters from the night before. They were setting things up for the day while making a special place for us to eat. Breakfast was fabulous. They make everything at the restaurant, including some yummy chips. We had omelettes, little veggie sandwiches with the aforementioned chips, stuffed paratha with something I can't remember the name of, and real/good coffee! 

Everything was great, but even better than the food was getting to know our host. He talked about his passion for food and for always wanting to improve or make something new. We learned that every 60km you travel in India, there is a new cuisine. There is also a new language spoken but we learned that elsewhere. When he caters a wedding, he will talk to the bride and groom to figure out their preferences and their culture. He will often serve dishes that originated in their culture but have since disappeared. He also asked us a lot of questions and was a really good listener. When the time came for us to get to the airport, first, he wouldn't let us pay for the meal, and second, offered to drive us over. He said it gave him more time to get to know us. His generosity was overwhelming. 

I also appreciated the way he talked about his wife. He always held her in high regard and praised her in many ways. He also explained the modern process of arranged marriages. Parents will still arrange marriages, but it looks more like setting up their kids. Then they will court/date and decide if they want to marry them. I noticed that marriage and family is a big part of Indian culture. 

We said goodbye at the airport and went inside to check in. It's a small airport so dropping our bags and getting our tickets went quickly. Usually, the security line also goes quickly, especially for me because there have typically only been a few women compared to men. For some reason, today was different. The woman's line was packed (women were cutting) and it was taking forever. As I got close to the front, a flight attendant flagged me down and told me to come to the front of the line because they had just made a last call for our flight! I bypassed a few ladies, grabbed my belongings, and ran through the airport, following the flight attendant to the gate. I joined Walt and we ran outside to board out plane. Fortunately, his line had been short and when he heard the last call, he told the flight attendant where I was. It all worked out. 

Crazy enough, we also ran into our friend from the Himalayan zoo! I couldn't believe the coincidence. 

On our flight to Delhi, we sat beside an Indian man who has actually a U.S. Citizen and has lived on the east coast for over 20 years. Walt and I pestered him with questions almost the entire flight and he was very obliging. It was great to hear the perspective of someone who understands both cultures. 

After a taxi ride to the Hyatt and once we had checked in, we ventured back outside to see Lodi Park. It really surprised us. The park is beautifully maintained and holds several old (ancient) buildings. We explored the buildings and the park and then walked to a nearby restaurant we had read about. It is called Sodabottleopenerwala. This restaurant also surprised us. It was one of the best meals we have had in India. I had a vegetable curry that was tasty but walt's dinner stole the show— a mutton dish with coconut, curry, and spices mixed in rice along with two fried veggie? balls. We ventured on to dessert and tried a coffee cake (with lots of chocolate) and a traditional Persian custard with nutmeg and something else. I don't normally love custard, but once again we were surprised at how much we loved it. 

We took a walk around the surrounding street and alley that had several restaurants and shops before calling our uber to go home. 

I enjoyed a hot shower— the first in about a week. :)