The Oberoi Hotels of India

Over the years and miles of travel, we have stayed in some very nice hotels. Of course Hampton Inn is a favorite for one or two night stays and is certainly not a five star. The Oberoi Hotels that Uniworld put us in for our Ganges adventure were no Hampton Inns.

The first one in New Delhi was impressive from the pick up at the airport to walking into the lobby and then our room. We arrived a few days earlier than the Uniworld tour was to begin so that we could adjust to the time and rest from the 22 hours of travel. The room we booked included a pickup at the airport and as soon as we exited immigration and customs, we saw our name on a sign. The man holding the sign would be our driver and he pointed to us to show another young man that we were the Robbins.

That hotel representative led us out of the fray, took the time to wait as we got some money at the ATM and then led us through a busy terminal and arrivals area to find the driver who was ready to handle our suitcases. He tucked them into the trunk of the  black Mercedes and once we were seated, set a tray between us with cool washcloths and cold bottles water. The Mercedes even had its own WiFi which Bob hooked into to check mail, etc., as we drove. Me? I was fascinated by the streets and the sights we were passing and yes, saw my first cows.

Our check in was smooth. The room was absolutely spacious with a huge bathroom that included a tub and a shower and as some friends of ours would be delighted to know, a ToTo, a toilet that helps you get really clean after—well, you know.

The main restaurant was wonderful. The special restaurants, a bit pricey. The Passterie we found was a delightful place for coffee and light fare.

The concierge was cordial and helpful in arranging whatever we wanted to do as long as we didn’t want to walk. As we were told, this is not a “walking” city. It was the first we realized how careful all of those involved in our tour would be to insulate us.

The grounds were not expansive but there was a nice pool area as well as a courtyard with a calming pool/fountain. You didn’t want to stay out to long in the heat anyway. There was also a beautiful spa that we didn’t find until later.

We received the kind of care and attention that you would get on a luxury cruise line, perhaps better. If you read my earlier post, you’ll remember that when the laundry came back, there was a rose on top of the package.

Our next Oberoi Hotel was in Agra. This one was a bit of a surprise as we drove through a rather poor section of town and suddenly turned into the gates of the hotel to find a beautiful building and grounds. There would not be much time to explore the grounds as we were only there overnight, long enough to see the Taj Mahal at sunset and then again at sunrise. But when the door opened to our spacious room, the window took up most of the opposite wall and looked over a garden surrounding the pool and in the distance, the Taj itself. Awesome!

Again, the food offered in the restaurant was amazing. The service, unbelievable.

On to Jaipur. We arrived at this Oberoi at dusk and were amazed at all the birds making noise. It sounded like starlings but I’m not sure what kind they were. They were all in the trees. The layout of this complex was quite different from the other two. Rooms are in clusters throughout the campus. We walked quite a ways before our guide opened the door to ours. The good news he said was that we were right across from where the evening’s special Uniworld dinner was to be held.

This room was every bit as spacious and maybe more so than the others. We would have two nights here so I quickly put a bag of laundry together. With the heat and humidity you couldn’t wear your clothes more than a day (sometimes a few hours). The rule at each hotel was, have your laundry in by 7 am and it would be returned by 7 pm. Sure enough, it was, but this time without a rose. Oh well, the clothes were perfect.

This hotel advertised that it was also a bird sanctuary of sorts and yes, there were several peacocks roaming around and perching in odd places. We caught sight of a parrot in flight also.

Because the grounds were so expansive, there was a courtesy golf cart that would pick you up if you desired a ride to the main building that housed the restaurant. All you needed to do was call.

Lovely breakfast buffet. Wonderful dinner. Read my post on Jaipur that tells of our nice evening.

I know hotels are only rated up to five stars but they need to up the level of excellence with another star. These hotels were spectacular and I will cherish the opportunity we had to enjoy them.

Visiting Rah Ghat and Humayan's Tomb

 Raj Ghat is the place where Gandhi is memorialized. According to our guide, his ashes are not here but scattered all over India according to his wishes. 

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was popularly known as Mahatma (Great Soul) Gandhi. He was born in 1869 and was assassinated in Delhi in 1948. After his initial education in India he studied bar-at-law in England. He went to South Africa in 1893 and became a civil rights activist fighting what he called the "deep disease of colour predjudice" before coming back to India. He donned the modest and more traditional Indian dress and fought peacefully against unjust laws and for the independence of India which didn't happen until 1947. He is called Father of the Nation.

As you walk toward the main part of the memorial, there are plaques mounted in stone that contain many of his sayings. One I particularly enjoyed was "Do not listen to rumor but if you do, do not believe it."

There are several approaches to the memorial. As we neared we were given the option of walking straight through at ground level or taking the gentle ramps that gave you an overview. If the route you chose was at ground level, you needed to remove your shoes. The ramps are what everyone chose and we started up.

At the top, you could look down into the large grassy square garden area that had a raised black marble platform in the middle adorned with marigolds and supporting an everlasting flame in the center. It was simple and peaceful and even though it was not actually a burial site, it certainly was an appropriate memorial to a man of peace.

On our way back to the bus, we passed by a stature of Gandhi. At the base was another profound statement of his, "Be the change you wish to see."

The temperature was climbing. It didn't seem to be terribly humid but it certainly was hot and even though there was a smoggy haze, the heat comes through- unlike clouds that offer shade and cooler temperatures.

Our next stop was Humayan's Tomb. Along the way we passed the India Gate. An archway similar to the Arc in Paris, it is 42 meters high (about 126 feet) and commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting the British in WWI. 

When we arrived at Humayan's Tomb, the heat struck me immediately but thankfully there was a bit of relief with some shade trees along the walk. Humayan was a Mughal emperor. The tomb was built in 1570 and is notable for being the first garden tomb and also the architectural inspiration for the Taj Mahal.

There are several surrounding tombs, one which had beautiful blue tile design along the base of the dome. We climbed several steps into Humayan's tomb and were left to explore on our own. I need to emphasize that our guide did quite a bit of explanation along the walkway, stopping at places for more information but with the heat, I couldn't stand that long to listen and sought out a bench to rest on.

Inside the tomb was rather plain compared to the intricate design on the outside. There were several sarcophaguses in various wings and center but, feeling the heat again, I chose to let Bob (who, by the way, loves the warmer temps) wander as I found a step to sit on. That's where the fun began for me.

A lady smiled broadly at me. She was dressed in a bright red sari or Indian garb and gestured to a spot next to me. I smiled and nodded. She sat down. Right next to me. I mean right next to me. We westerners aren't as comfortable without our personal space. 

When her teenage daughter gestured with a phone camera pointed at us, I got the idea. They wanted a picture with the white lady. We had been told that this would happen so I happily obliged. I even handed my phone to the daughter who took a picture for me. After all, teens know how to handle the technology so well.

Eventually everyone in their group joined in and took pictures. When Bob came back they took more with him and thrilled at trying on his hat. Don't know why they would be fascinated with the dorky bucket hat. *smile*

Traffic going back to the hotel was a bit heavy so we arrived with just enough time to have lunch and get ready to go again. We had signed on for an afternoon tour. I was beginning to wonder if that had been a good choice. The heat was sure to be worse in the afternoon. I could only hope I would survive it.

The Rickshaw Ride Through Old Delhi

Tuesday began our first day of touring with Uniworld. There were two large buses for only 38 of us. We were asked to split into two groups. With only 19 or 20 on a bus, there was plenty of seating. The front seat was open so we took it. As we started out, our guide, Yogi (name is much longer but he shortened it for us) said “this brave couple is in the OMG seat” because we had such a good view of the traffic and the maneuvers drivers and motorcyclists were making. He said those who sat there often exclaimed "Oh My God! It was fascinating. We were quiet.

One short beep of a horn means one thing, two beeps another and if someone lays on the horn you’d better move over or be aware of another vehicle making a delicate but very fast maneuver. While there were lots of horns I didn’t see a lot of road rage like we see at home. 

It is a bit overwhelming to try to absorb everything you are seeing as you ride past so many buildings. Many of them were government buildings as we drove through the New Delhi portion of the city. We passed by the Red Fort which was the main residence of the Mughal emperors. Its construction dates back to the mid 17th century.  

The city, while called New Delhi is actually made up of the new and old. Once in Old Delhi, you can truly see the difference. Narrow streets and more motorcycles than cars. Soon we were stopping by a bus that was parked to create a sort of stand for rickshaws. They were all lined up and ready to receive us.

We were first off the bus and walked down the line a bit until one of the drivers motioned us to his bicycle powered rickshaw. We were settled in and told to put a foot on a metal support in front of us. “That is seat belt,” Hassan, our driver said with a grin. We had already been warned to be sure to keep our hands and heads inside by our guide and to hold tight to our phones or cameras. You didn’t want to drop them and have them run over.

We had a bit of heavy traffic to get through first on the main road before we turned off onto a narrow street. Let me tell you, there were a few breathtaking moments. If I can get the video uploaded either now or later, you might see what I mean. I am amazed at how close vehicles of all sorts come to each other and don’t collide. It obvious in the fact that most cars have no dents or scrapes on them.

Wires hung like spaghetti tossed in the air and draped where they fell. Interspersed among the thinner black lines were thick yellow cables. I asked if they were all electrical or some telephone and I think, if I understood him, they were all electrical. I cannot imagine trying to trace a problem through all that. Maybe they just string another line.

We were in a market area that was just getting ready to open shops. Lots of motorcycles, handcarts and some bicycles loaded, and I do mean loaded, with huge bundles of goods headed for the various shops. Some of the fresh vegetable and fruit stands were already open. I love the way these stands display their produce so neatly.

The market area was organized by type of product. We passed by the wedding stores that were displaying bright colored decorations for ceremonies. Wedding season was coming soon and happens this time of year after the Diwali festival of lights celebration in October.

Another section was full of little shops selling beautiful saris or sarees as the signs said. We even passed one that Hassan said was a discount store. It had a line out into the street with people waiting to get in for the best choice and price.

Still further on was a used car parts area. There were displays of tires and hubcaps and other such mechanical needs.

It was a very bumpy ride. Hassan kept us moving for the most part, stopping on occasion to be sure the other drivers were behind us. I assumed he was married since at one point he mentioned, “happy wife, happy life.” Sometimes it was difficult to understand what he was trying to tell us. For the most part the people we had engaged in conversation spoke English well enough to be understood but we were in a moving rickshaw, dodging other small vehicles and bumps and rocky pavement and the cacophony of noise didn't help.

The ride was about an hour. At least it seemed that way. Finally back at the rickshaw stand again. We tipped Hassan and thanked him. It had been quite an experience. When we boarded the bus again, the lady who was in rickshaw next to us as we started was helped up. We discovered she was 87 and I believe traveling on her own. When we were first seated in the rickshaws, she had scraped her knee badly. The driver took a dirty greasy rag and was going to dab the wound with it. I quickly interceded and offered one of the wet wipes I had with me along with a tissue. (The wet wipes are actually Water Wipes I had bought for the trip. They came in handy throughout the day.) We offered her our seat so she didn’t have to walk back through the bus and they could tend to her knee with the first aid kit. Sweet lady.

On the bus, everyone settled in for our ride amidst the traffic and beeping horns to the next stop, the Ghandi Memorial. 

Don't Blame The Chicken

Plumaria trees add a sweet aroma around 
the pool area at the Oberoi.

 So the spicey chicken at the Boshaun restaurant meal the night before I suddenly realized was not to blame for Bob's malaise when I joined him in his misery. Despite our flu shots before we came, I'm guessing the two of us found a 24 hour bug, the kind that hits you like a truck and zaps your energy. We lost a whole day to it and still feel exhausted. Thank goodness we came a few days early.

Before I got sick, I made another trip to the Patisserie, by myself since Bob was not up to eating. I hade a really nice bagel with egg, fries and a cup of tea. This time I remembered to take some pictures. We both really like the little place and will surely revisit it again.

You might say we lost a day just sleeping but gradually we managed to let food back into our lives being careful to stay away from anything spicey lest it react badly. I guess we will pass on the new restaurant the hotel offers called the Dhilli. It is an Indian specialty restaurant and we'll stick with the 360 where we have more mild choices for our diet right now.

The plan to have a four hour tour with a hotel car is also something we will pass on. Our tour with Uniworld will begin tomorrow morning early. It will be a long day with a tour in the morning and another in the afternoon so we are saving our strength for it. Two seventy-somethings need to take things a little slower. 

We are excited to get to meet the others who will join our group of river cruisers. Some of them are already here according to the Uniworld FaceBook page and others I'm sure are arriving by day's end. 

Since I have some down time, I used it to look up a few things I was curious about. When we get up each morning it is always foggy or smoggy and as we look out our fifth floor window, you can see it settle into the trees. It goes away a bit but in the several days we've been here, I've never glimpsed blue sky. I searched online for the air quality for New Delhi. It wasn't encouraging. Here's what I found:

Delhi, India's air quality is currently unhealthy for sensitive groups. Some say the city's toxic skies are similar to another Asian capital that was once known for smog so thick it could hide skyscrapers. Factors that contribute to Delhi's poor air quality include crop stubble burning and Diwali celebrations. Air pollution in India is estimated to kill about 2 million people annually making it the fifth leading cause of death in the country.

I'm guessing the Asian capital they refer to is Beijing which is the only other place we experienced this and it was definitely much worse. We sat in a plane on the airport tarmac for two hours waiting for a slight break in the smog in order to take off. There was such a small window that they would not let us disembark lest we miss the opportunity to take off.  I am interested to see if it is like this in the other places we will visit in India.

The other research I did was on Diwali which takes place during part of our visit to India. It is the Hindu festival of lights and symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Fires are lit, fireworks shot off and many celebrants lighting candles and lanterns. I'm sure when it arrives, our river cruise guides will explain more to us. 

So, I sit for now with my computer on my lap looking out the window at a still hazy sky with birds sailing about, some which are large enough to be eagles, and await our first meeting to receive our welcome packet and schedule for tomorrow. I'm ready to get this adventure started.

Enjoying The Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi

 Leave it to Bob to explore and find places we didn't know were there. Just inside the entrance to the hotel was a corridor off to the left where there were a couple of very upscale shops. How he found the next place is beyond me because he had to get in an elevator that took you one floor down. I don't think there was any other way to get there (except some steps I saw later). One floor down were more shops some meeting rooms and the Patisserie. 

It is a delight. Lots of tempting sweet pastries and a small menu of sandwiches, salads and beverages including shakes. He had already decided on a BLT hoagie but I wasn't sure if it would be large enough to share so I ordered a salad that looked interesting. The salad came first. Not much lettuce, lots of chick peas, roasted broccoli, cherry tomatoes, quinoa, and grilled pineapple. One bite of the pineapple and I realized why they called it the Detox salad. I have never had spicy pineapple but that was enough to have my lips tingling and my mouth burning. The mustard dressing that came with it cut the heat some but I didn't trust eating too much. Bob's BLT was good with a nice bread that was dotted with olives and cherry tomatoes. 

 After a short nap (I never nap at home so I must have been tired), we decided to go out and sit by the pool a bit. Bob put on his bathing suit but never got past his knees in the water. The pool area is much like the pool area on a cruise ship. An attendant took us to two loungers, laid towels across the chairs and then someone came with a tray of water, a dish of cold grapes, two cold washcloths and two small bottles of sunscreen. (My dermatologist will be so happy to hear that.) 

The attendant also explained the large balls that are hanging from the posts around the pool. They keep the birds away, he said, all but the big ones, the eagles. Sure enough a little while later a large brown eagle landed at one end took a few sips of water and flew off again. I don't think I've ever been that close to an eagle outside of a zoo.

We wiled away the afternoon in the shade next to the pool and then got ready for dinner. On the rooftop is a bar/lounge and a Chinese restaurant, the Baoshuan. Our reservations were made for seven, the time the restaurant opens. We will have to get used to eating later than usual since most places (and I believe our riverboat cruise as well) will not serve until then.

The Baoshuan is a beautiful restaurant. Long pants required for the men. Most people were dressed in resort casual. The menu is quite extensive including dim sum both steamed and fried, many Asian dishes, soups, salads and of course desserts. We ordered a dim sum sample appetizer that came with two steamed and one fried dumpling. Very good! The entrees we ordered were crispy noodles and chicken for me and chicken Szechuan for Bob. At home, rice would accompany the meal so when she asked if we wanted fried rice or steamed, Bob opted for fried rice and I said I would pass. I figured the noodles were enough. We didn't realize until later that the fried rice was another entree.

When Bob tried his Szechuan, he realized it was spicey. The menu hadn't said so but it was enough to burn the mouth and tingle the lips. He should have stopped and just helped me eat mine but he continued on. My noodles and chicken were very good and not spicey at all. There was really more to eat than we could finish and still have dessert. I had my eye on the lychee with honey lime sauce. Bob got some ice cream and I hoped it would help the spicey after effects of his entree.

After dinner we stopped at the concierge desk and arranged for a four hour tour of several places that we knew we would not see with Uniworld. Once that was done, we went on up to retire for the night. But one of us would not have a very good night. The Szchuan spicey chicken did Bob in. On my way to breakfast I stopped and cancelled our tour for the day. 

We've heard it said that a lot of tourists get the "Delhi belly". I think this was more the Chinese food than anything. Note to selves: be sure to ask if there is spice in the dish when you order. 

The question was, what would the rest of the day hold? 

New Delhi--The Lodi Garden

 As I write this, it is still Friday at home but Saturday here. It will take a while to get used to the time difference. We slept well our first night in a wonderfully comfortable bed but still feel a bit jet lagged. I woke at 2:30 am and tried desperately to go back to sleep but couldn't. Naps will be in order.

The restaurant, 360, for breakfast is amazing. It is part special order and part buffet. There was quite a menu of egg dishes, waffles, pancakes, and of course Indian dishes. We passed on the local breakfast choices as we're not quite ready to attempt the spices yet. Bob had delicious eggs Benedict and I opted for a fluffy omelet. Our buffet trip (trips for Bob) included lots of fresh fruit, a few amazing pastries and a piece of toast. Coffee was a bit on the espresso side but we discovered that we can order French press in the future. Still, it was good coffee and I hoped it would help wake me up a bit. 

We didn't feel up to all that I had planned for the day but were ready to do some walking so we choose one of the two activities on my list, the Lodi Garden. A stop at the concierge desk for advice on how to get there gave us several options. He didn't advocate walking to the Garden which was not terribly far away but he said that walking paths from here to there were not good. I wouldn't have ventured that anyway seeing how the traffic was the night before. His suggestion was either a taxi or a hotel car. We opted for the hotel car which was $6 USD each way. We knew how nice that was.

Our driver took us to the Garden entrance which was only about five minutes away and we found much less traffic on the roads from the night before. It was a pleasant short ride and he said to call the concierge for our return trip about fifteen minutes before we wanted to leave. 

Knowing we had to make a phone call and not having a map of the garden, I turned on my data roaming (We always keep it off unless we need to use the AT&T International plan for calls. They charge by the day when activated.). I dropped a pin at the place where the garden entrance was and we were on our way.

It was a pleasant morning but you could feel the warmth beginning. Lots of shady paths and not a whole lot of people. Many dogs lying about but no cows. The garden did not have a lot of flowers in bloom but the greenery was amazing. For a place that gets little rain I was surprised by the abundance of trees and bushes. 

There are several preserved historical structures in the garden. Some were tombs built to honor men of the past and there was one that was said to be part of a monastery. I took many pictures and managed to catch a parakeet and a long tailed chipmunk but alas when I went to download them from my camera, I found that my computer would not recognize my camera for some reason. I should have made sure it was working before we left home. With apologies to my son, I will blame Microsoft for some update that probably changed something that I can't find yet. I will have to rely on my phone for pictures for the rest of the trip. I snagged the couple that Bob took.

We walked the trails and explored the buildings and marveled at the couples with their photographers who were setting up very nice shots of them against the old ruins. Some were in fancy garb and a couple were obviously weddings that were being photographed. 

The temperature was climbing and we were getting very warm by the time we closed in on the place where we would meet our driver. They responded a few minutes later with a text that gave us the driver's name and license plate number and ten minutes later he was there with a nice cool car and cool washcloths and water for us on the ride back. He also told us that he could show us places that our Uniworld tour would not go if we booked a hotel car. He said they charged by the hour and, if we calculated right, it worked out to about $12 USD/hour. It sounded good. We said we'd consider it.

Lunch was in order upon our return and Bob had managed to wander around enough to find the perfect spot. Ah, yes, The Patisserie. 

India--The Adventure Begins

 The Uber arrived at nine in the morning to take us to the airport and begin our long day of travel. Check in went well at the American Airlines counter. We could not check in online I assume because of their need to check that we had our passports and our e-visas all in order. TSA was quite busy even at the pre-check line but the line moved quickly and soon we were wandering the concourses of CLE Hopkins. AA does not have a lounge there so we walked a little over a mile to get some exercise.

Bob had splurged on Business Class seats for our trip since the flight from JFK to New Delhi would be fifteen hours. A short flight to JFK and we were ready to wile away seven hours before the next flight. This time there was a lounge, a flagship lounge, that we qualified for with our tickets. It was huge and had several small buffets of foods. The important thing was that there was a television room (actually several places) where we could watch the all important ALCS game. We were amongst a few NYY fans though and unfortunately we couldn't stay for the really exciting part of the game where we pulled ahead and won. My grandson texted me later the blow by blow description of the last innings of play.

Our cubicles in business class were next to each other in the middle of the plane. The meals were absolutely wonderful compared to the usual airplane food and served on real china with silverware. They fed us several times throughout the flight. The buttons took a little figuring out but I finally got the seat to stretch and recline and I curled up inside a comfy comforter and laid my head on a nice pillow and eventually fell asleep. Sleep was intermittent however as we had several periods of turbulence. All in all though, I'm spoiled now. 

We arrived a bit early in New Delhi. Maybe the turbulence helped. It was around eight in the evening local time. The airline had passed out our immigration form on the plane so that was all filled in but we found a sign that said first time visitors to India needed to to some sort of bio-check in. There were machines set up for us to scan our passports and then have our hands scanned and picture taken. Some of the machines weren't working quite right but we found one that did and just about the time we were cleared, a gentleman from the airport came up and asked our age. "You don't need this," he said, "you can proceed." Sometimes old age pays off but by then Bob was determined to finish what we started so we did and then moved on.

Immigration lines were sorted by citizens, foreign passports and then foreigners with e-visas. Thankfully the CLE check in had told us to get our e-visas printed out in NY since we only had them on our phones. The line for the e-visas was much shorter than all the rest and it didn't take too long before we were cleared for entry. The printout, I think, made it a smoother process.

The luggage arrived about the same time we did in baggage claim and we breathed a sigh of relief. It's always good to see the luggage arrive at your destination along with you. We went through the custom line which was busy scanning lots of boxes many people were bringing into the country. Mostly citizens who had made purchases in other countries I believe.

Just as we walked through the sliding doors into the main part of the airport, a man in a white uniform held a sign with our name on it and smiled when we approached. He nodded to another man in a darker uniform who introduced himself as a greeter from Hotel Oberoi and he led us out and around to the driver who would take us to the hotel. A brief stop at an ATM and we followed him out of the airport to the pick up zone. Our first taste of India's traffic. Thankfully, he guided us through what would have been very confusing and a little scary as drivers did not always give much way to pedestrians. 

The driver seated us in the nice black Mercedes and loaded our luggage in the trunk. He came around with a tray of cold bottled water and two packages that held cold wash cloths. So refreshing after the impact of 85 degree weather and a bit of a walk to get to the car.

The traffic reminded me of Beijing. Lots of cars mixed with motorcycles. Not a lot of bicycles though and a few sightings of cows along the side of the road. There was some kind of method of flashing your headlights and honking your horn as you weave through three lanes of traffic where cars are inches apart. Our driver gave me confidence though as he seemed to seamlessly move through the traffic. 

At the hotel, we passed through gate security that checked the trunk and then our bags were screened at the entrance and we passed through metal detectors and were guided by an assistant named Sheldon (and yes, he knew the reference to the TV Sheldon). He had our key cards in hand and asked if we minded a traditional greeting. A lady stood with a plate covered in rose petals with a candle in the middle. She waved the plate in a circle in front of us wishing us good health and then gave us each a lei of marigolds which are associated with the sun, passion, wealth and happiness. 

Our room is beautiful. Huge. One of the nicest we have ever had. And of course, to Bob's delight, everything in the room is accessed by an IPad. Blinds raise and lower, lights turn off and on and even the TV works through it.  After brushing our teeth using the bottled water to rinse, we managed to sleep a bit more even though the time difference is nine and a half hours ahead of home. I have no explanation for the extra half hour.

We have two days to get over jet lag and travel fatigue before our Uniworld Cruise Adventure begins and maybe even explore a bit on our own. Starting with some breakfast in the 360 restaurant that caters to worldwide tastes.