travelbytes

India rediscovered: The untouched Andamans

2012-01-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

Aperson gets used to being alone but break it just for a day and you have to getused to it again, all over from the beginning ~ R Bach

Isolated, untouched and far from themadding crowd…the beaches is where we spent our max time, clearly looking toescape the world- couldn’t have asked for a better haven. Beach view villas,sun shimmering off the waters, coconut trees swaying in the breeze. An eternallove affair with nature, where harmony was alive in larger than life size.

Laid back, not partying (other than some few spontaneous one’s we chancedupon) Andaman n Nicobars are a world class eco friendly destination. Spreadacross 500 some islands dotted like a pearl neckpiece in the Bay of Bengal,showing off hilly green topography, crystal clear water and silvery sandbeaches. Our flight reached us to Port Blair a cosmopolitan harbor town, where,we snorkeled and spotted coral reefs of Wandoor. The magic of nature is soalive and dancing in this part of the world, that it lures you, to comediscover it more.

It rained throughthe first half of our trip, but the rest of the days we had glorious sunshinefrom 530am onwards. I don’t have the faintest clue why people say one must notwatch the sun setting, ever, but here, in Andaman if you miss it, it’s likemissing natures sublime miracle.

The sun sets red andheavy, in a perfect blazing circle, dropping in slo-mo into the waters, the skycolours are so indescribable and spectacular! Glorious nature. And once thepyrotechnics get over, the stars came out one by one, the sky becomes diamondcrusted shimmer. Such a must visit destination for the weary soul to bond withnature, once again.

I generally try to keep my distance fromthe usual touristy locales to avoid the hustling. So, true to form, our seafare was pre booked and we didn't see no jostle to buy our tickets tomake our way to Havelock from Port Blair. The boat ride had optionsof air conditionedpush back seats or sitting in the open deck allowing the sea breeze to embraceus completely. The waters of Bay of Bengal are a deep deep indigo, a color oneseldom associates with ocean waters and India. Infact the waters very often turnedturquoise as we moved closer to the islands. Our appetite for the beach and theswimming ahead certainly whetted, if the weather Gods didn’t play temperamental...

Once at Havelock we made our way to Beach5 ( by some quirky Brit identification system, all beaches in this part arenumbered!) – and that was the beginning of an idyllic travel through Godsnature. Picture postcard perfect locales. The waters stayed low (mostly), onecould walk in quite a bit, crystal clear, allowed you to gaze right upto yourfeet below. It was heavenly to swim in such calm waters. We treaded water,lazed and gazed around at the coconut, palm fringed beach- wondrous experience.

One of those sunfilled mornings, I put myself to some use, saw the first light creeping in thesky, everything looked ethereal n silent. Not a soul stirred in sight. Thebeach, the sands, the waterline at the horizon everything had a washed up look.I sat there with my notebook and my camera on one such washed up rock allowingthe water to lap at my feet gently, didn’t take a single picture, didn’t writea single word. It all happened inside the mind and heart and soul. I have nowords to describe the sheer magic of that moment. Tinged copper water, bathedevery part of the isle golden, can never forget it. There onwards dawned peacewith myself, totally calm, without any war inside my head.

Beach#7 has been described by many as 1 ofthe most beautiful beaches on earth, there is no doubt on that, it takes yourbreath away. We walked on soft white sand along side the mangroves, found aspot in the shade of the palms to sit down for the day with loungers and sundeck chairs some distance away, if we wanted to be among the other guests onthe beach. And all we did often was sit in quiet and take it all in. Just be.The water here has many shades- the white of the surf, its green at the shallowend, turquoise a lil further up and majestic indigo at the deep end. Never seensuch colours before in nature. Beach 7 (Coral Island) is dotted with mangroves(some call them the jungles) providing sylvan surroundings forthe adventurous traveler to spot the deer, peacock and many varietyof exotic birds.

Breakfast was always late and more oftenthan not on the beach, nursing a fragile head, but that never stopped us fromwashing down bottomless brunches, with bunkam banter, countless sangriapitchers... 2012 reflected many promises

Days merged into each other, with bettertime spent on the sands and water. Evenings spent at a local pub with aneclectic crowd of varying nationalities. We had hired a bike, were free to moveabout at our own pace andfree will, through country roads tarred and non tarred. The landscape wasdotted with thatched roof homes, cattle in the front yard, fields of greensmelling of soil n grains in the sun with rains having washed it the previousnight. The hay for the cattle pitched up like a mound, small ponds with waterlilies, locals on mopeds n bicylces traversing long journeys. Cliché it mayseem, but all these clichés came alive for me - lost in a different forever

One day I ventured into the high seas withthe local fishermen in their country boat fitted with a diesel engine. Barringthe fumes from the engine which are not quite conducive to existence, and theboat feeling like a paper boat on the waters rocking and lurching roughly, itwas some experience; when the engine was cut off, and the boat swayed gently inthe deep waters, while they threw their fishing nets to capture the days catch.

A word on the threatened tribesof Andaman, the Jarawa. These tribes migrated from Africa and todaywe have several hundred thousand Indian settlers living on the islands. Theprincipal threat to the Jarawa’s existence comes from encroachment onto theirland, which was sparked by the building of a highway through their forest inthe 1970s. The road brings settlers, poachers and loggers into the heart oftheir land.

This encroachment risks exposing theJarawa to diseases to which they have no immunity, and creating a dependency onoutsiders. Poachers steal the game the Jarawa rely on, and there are reports ofsexual exploitation of Jarawa women. Unfortunately Tourism is also a threat tothe Jarawa, with tour operators driving tourists along the road through thereserve every day in the hope of ‘spotting’ members of the tribe. Despiteprohibitions, tourists often stop to make contact with the Jarawa. When willIndia learn its lessons? These are an integral parts of our DNA, we need tosafeguard and protect such tribes, and not use them for exhibiting merelybecause the tourists have the muscle power of money.

A word of caution to all those who depend hugely on their connectivity. Theislands are not very conducive to mobile phone connectivity. The network alwaysplayed havoc no matter which auto roaming operator one chose, so for calls thebest and most reliable solution would be the STD booth or the hotelphones.

My ask ... soak it in, when at Andaman,but, allow it to remain, untouched for generations to know the magic of naturehere.

Colours of India- blue Jodhpur

2011-07-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

Making our way from the highway to the hotel, we soon realized that Jodhpur is a dirty, dusty and noisy city. On reaching our hotel, Jodhpur signaled, royalty and resplendence. A pluralism am well familiar with.

The Mehrangar Fort, clearly is the main attraction in Jodhpur. Masses of red sandstone used in construction in the hey days, transported via donkey drawn carts, not human labour (as was in building the pyramids of Egypt and the TajMahal in Agra). To minimize human effort, yet achieving precision, the blocks of sandstone were fixed, using a remarkable technique of placing ice between the blocks. The ice melted, the blocks were moved or turned into position and interlocked with each other, so that there was no need for a binding material, such as cement. What do you call this method? Sheer Genius!

We climbed to the top of the fort and whoa! the entire expanse below was blue in colour – awesomeness. It is thought that Brahmins – members of the priestly class – first took to coloring their houses blue (indigo?) to signify their domicile and to set them apart from the rest of the population. In addition they did the house doors in pink, and shutters in green. It’s like walking through a painting:) However, soon, the rest of Jodhpurs population followed suit and coloured their homes blue too. History does not tell us which brave non-Brahmin was the first to do it, yet it happened and since that day the people of Jodhpur have steadfastly maintained this tradition.

The fort is stunning. Within the fort there are little temples and museums. We walked around the area getting lost in the labyrinth of climbing alleyways and twisting side streets, catching glimpses of everyday life. Even stopped at a local chai shop to have fruit bun maska and adrak wali chai, given coffee is alien to this land:)

Did you know Jodhpur is the land of cotton? A variety of handmade fabrics, quilts, bandhini, leheriya to spulrge on. In addition every hue, shade,colour bangles you can imagine. And jootis so many in colour and design- everything vied for the purse.

What marred Jodhpur for us, were the narrow streets of old town filled with dirt, dust and garbage that cluttered every inch of the way. Crowded lanes too narrow for even a small car. Wiser to hail an autorickshaw here. Cows, excreta, human unhygienic’s, all left us gasping for oxygen!

The silver lining literally -:) seeing a small shop hand craft ornamental silver elephants. A couple of men would take scraps of silver, and thru the handmade assembly line, turn the scraps of silver into beautiful jeweled elephants. I watched this thru the confines of my car and lost track of time, waiting for the driver to get back from his meeting with a relative with whom he had to exchange some goods.

Jodhpur has numerous ‘pols’(large gates) - Loha pol, Jai pol, Chand pol - The walls close to these gates have battle scars created by cannon balls. On one of the gates are a set of numerous small handprints which belonged to the wives of one of the Rajput leaders who was killed in battle. So many stories to dig out, so many anecdotes to narrate...

Jaswant Thada, is the traditional cremation grounds of the Jodhpur royal families. Sheer beauty in marble. The main memorial is built to resemble a temple. Its walls are made of intricately carved sheets of marble. The marble slabs have been polished till they have become extremely thin and translucent. This makes the monument glow from within when the sunrays fall on its surface

On speaking to a couple of foreigners, I realized the locals, were jostling for income. By conning tourists into submission to get henna (mehndi) for their hands, by selling them pre-packed stuff like a bed-sheet - which they later realized was torn and scruffy (when they returned to their rooms), By pre-reserving one kind of room online, at one rate, and on arrival of the tourists, downgrading them to another, on the pretext that the hotel is full due to priority wedding bookings or some such lameness. This short changing cannot be good for Jodhpur in the long run.

Some big differences between Maximum city and Jodhpur: non-existent skyline, easygoing attitude of the people, rickshaws don't have meters! Enjoy the colours of Jodhpur, albeit, with a wee bit of grimace, get Blue'd:P

A foodie’s dream: Surat

2011-07-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Before I launch into the dna of this city (which may really boil down to food) the one thing that will always stand out for me about Surat - is the warmth and simplicity of its people. Ask for directions or simply ask for a clarification on some Gujju word, the Surati’s will happily make the time to pause and explain - a novel Indian experience this has been compared to the bustling aggressive metropolises’ of a diversity called India.

Surat is prominently known for its textile market equally as also for "Bunder-e-Khubsurat” (a beautiful harbor) and of-course equally for being India’s largest diamond market. Prosperity thrives in Surat. The average Gujju is a hardworking, earnest guy who is hungry for more and wears his heart on his sleeve and works tirelessly.

What Surat lacks in heritage places and natural sights, it makes up for, in its business and industries (oil, energy, steel, petrochemicals), it is a city with peace and maximum prosperity. NaMo has every reason to be proud of his state (Surat very recently was voted the cleanest city). Other state chiefs indeed must learn a couple of lessons very soon from Surat!

Surat’s amazing road infrastructure of flyovers and bridges puts a city like Bombay to shame. A small airport where only one flight lands in the morning and one takes off by evening, may foolishly make you believe, is a sleepy town; Far from it. Surat has the heart and mind of an astute businessman who knows how to be ambitious and also knows how to relax and enjoy life. It’s so incorrect for Surat to be dubbed a tier two city!

If keen on seeing places of interest- there is Dandi, where India’s struggle for independence began with Gandhiji and the Salt Satyagraha. There is Hajira and Tithal showing off their beautiful beach resorts surrounded by the Arabian Sea. Gopipura is a small village famous for its Jain temples. And the Winchester Museum if you dig ancient collector items.

And now of cos food:) - Surat has been a memorable experience. In the backlanes of Muslim-dominated Zampa Bazar, stands a proud home , where Fatima Bibi stretches and stretches a flubber-like ball of maida, incredibly soft after four hours of kneading, until it covers the 15 ft by 12 ft space like a sheet of thin muslin. When the pastry dries, it is cut into 12-inch squares, combined with mawa (reduced milk), and baked. The result is: sagla bagla mithai, sweet but not cloying, and magically delicate.

This single family of bakers, headed by Fatima's husband, Mohammed Khalid Rafat, bakes for a community it does not belong to — the Dawoodi Bohras. No wedding is complete without sagla bagla, which travels to them wherever they live. Laughs Mohammedbhai: "We've made this 105-year-old recipe public. But nobody else can make it, it's hard work." As we leave his home, clutching mithai boxes he will not let us pay for, he nudges us into another room. Another flaky confection, I think. I find myself face to face, instead, with the wine reds, emerald greens and lapis blues of his antique glass collection—lovingly picked up, piece by piece, from the bazaar. Envious!

With seven out of ten diamonds in the world cut and polished in Surat, can we really leave without sighting The Rock? We find ourselves in a huge bungalow, chatting with Uncle,nephew, niece team, on the top floor running their diamond empire. A collection so vast, the mind boggles.

The soul of Surat has to be its mouthwatering food - Surati’s are crazy foodies. Surat is essentially a vegetarian place. Here reside people who do not even consume eggs and then, there are the Jains, who do not consume anything with onions and garlic in it. There are very few restaurants offering non vegetarian food.
For all you non veg food readers I assure you the food here is so delicious you will not miss no non veg one bit, I promise you.

You have the regular fare from Bombay(buttery paranthas, pani puri, chaats, pav bhaji etc) but what I’d recommend is skip the regular fare and discover the local cuisine!

The yummy silk Khaman, the delectable ice Gola, the variety of Handvos, Locho, rasawala Khaman, the ‘sweets’: smooth Ghari, Laaris, Ghooghras(hand made plain flour dumplings deep fried in ghee with minced milk mawa, embellished with dried fruit and nuts, with a hint of cardamom) O! and not to forget the ‘Nastas’: crispy Fafda’s, crunchy Jalebis, freshly baked Naankhatais, butter Khaaris, Cholafali, Khakras and Theplas -- I can wager a bet no one will be able to select a teeny weeny portion and say “bas/enough” to one dish. Surat entices you to overeat!

A unique thing about Surats eating style - people flock to eat out of home. So much so they pack a picnic hamper on a Saturday, Sunday evening, come to a side walk haunt, spread their mats and sheets and eat together in a big group. Very flower power generation-isq ;) This is some experience - sitting on the wide footpath, under the shiny lights of surrounding malls with cars zipping past. This is a strict don’t-miss if you are visiting Surat. Tho must confess I didn’t do this. (would I have? Hmmm not sure:)

Just a word more, before I sign off, a word about driving into Surat on NH8 - A nightmare! The highway is under expansion, is reduced to 2 lanes. It took us forever to reach Surat despite us breaking free at many spots! Added to our woes were the poor (really bad!) drivers almost all from GJ, all along the Highway! NaMo, Can you please instill a sense of good driving in your citizens as a favour to mankind?:)

Uniquely Sweden: random thoughts that stir the memory

2011-07-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

Swedes carry really, (really!) large shopping bags. First time I saw it, I cracked up

There are sooo many women with baby carriages. Out on the streets, it looks like...a NASCAR race of baby carriages:) The café exteriors, look like stadium parking lots for these carriages:)

The road rules are not for bucking as we realized. We had to cough up 300 (Kroners) for a speeding ticket, roughly a $40-43 - bummer!! Lesson learnt! But am glad we bucked the law by a HUGE margin heheee

We saw daylight till 10pm, this is the land of midnight sun after all

#LeRouge, a restaurant and bar, we visited was like stepping into French fin-de-diecle. Classic French and Italian menus, where tradition is more important than trendiness. No Swedish minimalism at this bar!

Bought a beautiful silver dolphin from the beach side silver shop. Somehow reminded me of Goa:)

Saw some uniquely talented street side performances. Sipping a coffee at the bay filled with sleek yachts, boats - watching these performances by the roadside-Life:)

In Sweden the right of way is for Dogs, Cows and Cycles first:)

Swedish women don't change their surnames when they get married.

Side-streets and kerbsides are filled with flowers in bloom, almost feel like they are there by design!

One big downside, people push you in the malls and even the cafés and don’t apologize!

Besides blonds and bikes, Sweden is known for great wine. And also for fresh ginger orange marmalade's, great coffee and cheeses, croissants…I got back some of these goodies..:)

Village in Sweden

2011-06-22T01:07:00.001-07:00

Old Town, Sweden

2011-05-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

Old Town is the original Stockholm. It is the oldest part of Stockholm, also called GamlaStan. A place filled with stunning views, picturesque streets and historical sites. A place where you won't tire of your camera or your abilities as a photographer.

On this island Stockholm began – and never changed. Medieval streets and buildings create an atmosphere where time stands still. Transforms and becomes almost fairy-tale like at night. All sightseeing trips of Sweden start right here in Old Town:)

This is a living museum of old Swedish life and culture that used to be. Some of the buildings have always stood where they do today, others were carefully taken down, moved to their current location in today’s Stockholm, and reconstructed exactly as they had stood in Old Town. The result is an authentic old Swedish town center.

Almost all the buildings are used, as shops, coffee houses, etc. There must be a gazillion cafes all along Sweden, but more concentrated in Old Town. Many buildings and shops are occupied by people continuing traditional Swedish crafts and occupations. We found people strolling around in old costumes, more than happy to be stopped and asked about the town and life in "the old days" - this is a place in a million! A place to fall in love with:)

We visited an old schoolhouse, just as it was shutting, but the lady insisted we come in. She then proceeded to give us a complete guided tour, explaining how people were taught, what they were taught, how in fact some of the brighter pupils then had to teach younger ones. We must have delayed her for quite some time but she didn't mind at all.

There are a lot of unique things to see when visiting the Old Town. Set up during the 1300 century, today there are about 3000 people living in the old city. During the summer the neighborhood is invaded by tourists that wants to enjoy the special atmosphere that only Stockholm's Old Town can provide. We were happy to be amongst this potpourri of people from all over the world at this time.

After some point we deviated from the tourist flow and walked the outlines of the medieval alleys. Sweden was a political power to be reckoned with in 1700 & 1800 century and its medieval charm today which is so cool, but back then most definitely was'nt. Inside, there still occasionally exist ancient vaults, and if you stop at Café Sten Sture in the middle of GamlaStan, like us, you can sip a yummy latte under them gorgeous facades:)

There is much to shop in Old Town, from furniture, jewelry, to browse the roads lined with artisan’s shops and cafés, be drawn into art, toys, Nautica, pottery, maps, to, printed things on souvenirs like mugs, key chains etc- clearly aimed at the tourists

We also visited a cathedral, Storkyrkan (the Big church) where crown princess Victoria married her Daniel last summer. The church was first built in medieval times, and has continuously been altered and rebuilt up to the present day. We took our time to listen to an organ concert in the majestic surroundings, admired the wooden sculpture of St George rescuing the maiden in distress, and also paid a visit to the souvenir shop with lots of “fair trade”-marked handicraft.

A tip: if you want to really experience history close on, and feel a pleasant frisson of horror at the stories of people who once lived, loved, committed crimes and possibly became ghosts to haunt castles and back streets alike – prolly you should sign up for an evening tour that offer horror stories that are guaranteed!:)

Swish Sweden

2011-05-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Swedes are gorgeous looking people. The fashion is ‘stand out’, the jeans tight and the tattoos, common. Chic and hip is how they turn out on the streets to walk their dog or on way to office. Swedes are über-attractive and what makes this sooo cool is their attitude – so calm and relaxed!

Stockholm is clearly (one of) the world’s most dynamic, creative and exciting contemporary urban scenes – leads in urban trends, which is very evident when visiting any furniture store or even a regular corner retail outlet, displaying a remarkable trendy taste. Not surprising the largest Ikea exists right here!

I was charmed by Stockholm, a very affectionate city. Equally very private! There were couples wandering everywhere, but didn't catch any smooching in the middle of the path (contrasting it to Paris). Swedes are shy and that’s what makes them even more adorable. They are shy of talking to strangers, shy of starting a conversation, shy if flirted with and shy of any public display of affection :)

It was very comforting to see Stockholm packed with children and young families. What stood out also was how involved the young fathers are with their kids. Apparently, Sweden is one of the best places to be a woman because of its extremely balanced women’s rights and opportunities. The Govt has instated what’s called, ‘The Daddy Quota”. This says that couples who have a baby must take a combined 450 days of paternity/maternity leave. Pretty cool, eh?:)

There is a richness of music alternatives that baffles, shocks and amazes you. Sweden loves its traditional music, as much as it does the rock and jazz! We had a super cool time in Gotland watching folk theater surrounded by a huge medieval market. It was fun seeing people dressed in medieval outfits, picturing the medieval mindset and time frame of damsels, merchants, war horses and knights in shining armor.

Sweden is a happy nation today. You can’t help but feel happy for Sweden, finally, her people have grabbed the brass ring for themselves. It’s their turn and it’s long overdue. Sweden lost nearly a million people to the United State in the 19th century. Will she lose many more??? Perhaps a few but it’s a good country now and one that values its resources in all senses of the word. Falling in love with Sweden is easy:)

Nawabi city or the Pearl City – Hyderabad

2011-04-26T00:21:00.000-07:00

Hyderabad is a city of confluences. Modern flyovers/bridges cris-cross elegantly to settle amicably with ancient places of interest. One spot/scene stands out in this city for me - the Hussain Sagar lake with the gigantic Buddha in the center of water. Looks equally gorgeous by sunrise as it does by sunset when night falls. I have always unconsciously deciphered my hotel address from this iconic Buddha lake

Ninety percent of my visits to Hyderabad have been related to work and hence the prominent impressions I carry are that of glass chrome buildings, hi tech malls, whooshing past as I drive with my nose buried in my BB not noticing the noise and buzz, signaling a robust business growth

The bustling markets of Hyderabad overwhelm me. Like everywhere else in India, the bazaars are teeming with people and sellers - buyers looking to negotiate a good deal while the sellers use their best skills i.e. the art of persuasion! You feel guilty if you don’t buy and move on

When going shopping or window gazing, make sure you have enough time on your hands to enjoy the bargains of the market place be it silk, bangles, pearls or shoes. I have always been in a rush and hence have never done any justice to shopping in Hyderabad

Charminar has the famed Mecca masjid, one of the oldest and largest monument in the world, many centuries old

The Golconda Fort, used to be a strong large fortress, built at the site of the famous diamond mines of Golconda. Today it shows off an amazing acoustics system that allows the sound of a hand-clap to be heard right at its citadel 200 feet high

The Salar Jung Museum displays more than 35,000 exhibits, considered one of the biggest and richest collections in the world

I had always heard Dad speak about Hyderabad’s Nawabi culture. I quite never did put it together, till the multiple visits when I interacted with the locals and business communities, understood the nuances of the way of life in Hyderabad. The city prides itself in high culture, where the legendary etiquette (adab and tehzeeb) are indeed, even today, a way of life. The welcoming nature and the inherent simplicity of its people charm you straight away

Life in Hyderabad is graceful and slow-paced. It is the land where Urdu language dominated (besides Lucknow), rhythms were created on the 'tabla' and melody was born from the 'sitar'. The shayrana (poetry) and khushmizaji ( jovial nature) emanated from the rich tradition of wholesomeness sought from food

In the olden days Nawabi also meant the lifestyle of the rich and famous with an ear for music and the good things of life. Which encompassed the Kothas (large houses), the mehfils (group of men) and the tawaifs (dancing girls)

Nawabi food: As a vegetarian I hope I do justice in describing the delectable ‘Nawabi’ cuisine that adds such a unique character to the city. There are two kinds of experiences to be had in this city of Nawabs. The charm of the best street food you will ever find and the sophistication of a well served, royal 5 course meal in a top dog hotel that you savour and remember for always

The senses titillate while the taste buds dance to local ‘panipuri' in the Chowk area. The gheee idlis served by the babai, melt in your mouth accompanied with the delicious chutney that makes you unabashedly ask for more in Srinagar Colony

The flavours are borne from the usual 'zeera'(cumin seeds) 'hing' (asafoetida), 'pudina' (mint), lemon but the taste buds don’t stop demanding more. The floating kebab aromas to the much talked and discussed Hyderabadi ghost Biryani, ask a non vegetarian how (s)he feels about it- you will see him/her roll their eyes heavenwards as words don’t do justice to the food variety and tastes available in the city of pearls.

If it had not been my work, I don't think I would have ever discovered this city or appreciated the smaller nuances that make Hyderabad warm and special.

Grand Prix at Sepang, Malaysia

2011-04-12T02:44:00.000-07:00

Putting aside the glamour that is associated with F1 being the richest sport in the world, Formula One exposes itself to be the embodiment of all things that define a competitive sport at the very limits of Man’s capabilities. Whether it’s the painstakingly disciplined level of fitness the 22 drivers have to maintain, or the commitment of 100's of people who labour all year round to design, build and maintain a set of monstrously fast cars that represent the absolute cutting edge of technology – it all comes together to form a spectacular season of ultimate sport.

This was my 3rd Live race. And a tad disappointing too. The Sepang stadium was not fully packed, the weather gods threatened rain but nothing beyond a few drops of drizzle, and most importantly a race not like many F1 races I have seen before!
So many pit stops for tyre changes?!? Baffling!

There were lots of individual battles, some surprises but overall disappointment for me. Two happy moments I took away from Sundays race was Felipe’s brilliantly fought lead at T4, T5 finally giving way to Webber at T6. More often than not Felipe loses his rightful spot in the sun because Alonso is the favored child of Ferrari. More aggressive, more steely, more competitive!

And the other moment - the fierce battle between Alonso and Hamilton. Actually any head to head becomes delicious because of the much acclaimed public warring of the past, between these two. Credit to Lewis who kept his lead. Alonso was all over Lewis’s backside, finally Alonso’s front wing touched Lewis’s back tyres, knocking off the front fender from Alonso;s car which forced him to pit, thereby losing a could-be podium… :(

I was so so disappointed with Ferrari’s performance - no Prancing Horse once again on the podium :( !! Since I can remember I have been a fan of the Ferrari, I thrilled and loved the races till 2009 when Ferrari dominated every circuit in the season, with a vice like grip, unshakeable was its dominance! But since 2009 ( Schumi's retirement) the races have fast started losing its charm for me, I don’t see Ferrari cars making it often to the podium!

Ok - back to Sepang, yet another horrific moment is etched in the memory. When I saw Vitaly drive off the circuit into the gravel with the steering wheel full of buttons and controls that had come off in his hands!! Imagine his feelings coming to rest alongside a signage showing '150 meters' to the next turn; bitter and ironical.

The good news (or bad?) from the Malaysian government communique is that, they are yet to decide whether to keep hosting the annual Grand Prix's at Sepang beyond 2015. PM Najib said he was happy with Sunday’s bigger crowd than usual – more than 100,000 – and sounded optimistic about the future. So we will know, in time I guess…

'Overall': what makes these races special - besides the fact that it is such a specialized sport ( don’t be mistaken – this isn’t a motor sport where cars simply go round and round in a circuit) - F1 makes the most of every competitive factor; from the characteristics of a track designed to challenge drivers’ and cars’ technical capacity and endurance, to the outwitting of rivals in race strategy or wheel-to-wheel in overtaking.

Also the fact that this sport is hugely (perhaps the only one) which is truly international, in every definition of the word “international”!! Drivers, work with engineers and technicians from varying cultural backgrounds. Life is dependent on language, trust and respect. And they all seem to thrive on it:) Now only if our daily world could learn from this – we as a globe would live more peacefully and harmoniously with each other

Here is wishing Ferrari better luck in Shanghai, hope to see a spectacular Live race in Noida Delhi in Oct 2011 of the GP, this season!

Bombay Bangalore highway driving- dream fulfilled

2011-03-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Driving 9hours of a 13hr journey because the road was divided, and because it had a proper 4 lane driving path was fulfilling! A highway lined with bursting red, pink, pale yellow, white flowers - all along the 13hour stretch! Beautiful.

But all is not well.

Years ago people were mindful of other drivers and were respectful of highway etiquette which is very sadly lacking in today’s driving scenario! If you are in a vehicle that cannot drive at a speed meant to be on the right side of the road, then you have no business driving on the right side. Period! People stick to the right side of the road, drive slow, stay adamantly stuck to the right side even if you flash your headlights or honk(considered bad road manners)! Such thick skinned, arrogant attitude amazed us all through are onwards and return journey! Such lack of civility and road ethics… I don’t get it honestly; this thick skinned attitude was a bit puzzling and a bit scary. Because if they don’t know the basics what are they doing driving on highways?!?

The Pune expressway as always feels like the runway (given the chaos of traffic in Bombay), but wait till you hit the Karnataka highway! Pure makhaan – the car glides on the roads effortlessly- what a pleasure driving on these roads

Straight, straight straight touching the horizon, undulating up and down in parts, the highway roads in India have never been such a pleasure before

I was so full of pride to see and realize the beauty of NH4! Wow somewhere someone in the Govt machinery is working (atleast construction of highways proves that!)

The closer one moves towards Bangalore the highway topography changes a bit – the 4 way divided highway becomes elevated and includes underpasses and service roads for the entire length on both sides of the highway. So if one is searching for a petrol pump or is looking for a washroom break- its best to stick to the left side of the road to detect a road break to get off the highway onto the narrow road below

We witnessed many pockets where cattle breeders were generally parked on the median resting, pondering…with their legs stretched out on the highway road- don’t stick too close to the median while driving…

A few words of advice:

There are way too many trucks (as expected) plying these highways. The reason to be sharp and careful (especially if driving in the wee hours of the night)is, A LOT OF THESE trucks do not have rear light or brake light. So you maybe speeding and before you know it you may kiss the back of a black truck that was camouflaged because of the night:( be CAREFUL

Keep ready money for the multitude toll plazas that come all along the journey, it’s not good to hold up traffic for lack of exact change

For those who love Ferrari and the races, do determine speed by the car you drive, the age of tyres and how well you can handle speed.

We witnessed some bad crashes on NH4, helped put an immediate perspective on our own driving speeds and skills. Sad reminders though. Road routes are not about how soon you get there, but whether you do! Driving on highways is really about staying alert while enjoying the ride.

Safe driving!

Jaisalmer: Sun, sand, silence... sandstone

2011-03-08T23:29:00.001-08:00

Its all about Soul, Joy

Knowing the sun will rise

And a new day will dawn

The land of raw energy:

Jaisalmer

The Living Museum, Jaisalmer

2011-02-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

A city so exotic. Unusual

Located very close to the Thar Desert and about 100km away from the Pakistan border

Dominated by the Jaisalmer Fort. A fort that is alive with shops, hotels, havelis, roads, animals inside the fort area.

I could write so much about the many things we saw and did in Jaisalmer but would like to limit my focus on the tearing need for sensitivity towards Jaisalmer Fort.

Tourists can indeed stay inside the Fort itself. However, eco-conscious tourists might want to consider staying outside the Fort to avoid putting additional pressure on the Fort's ancient sewage system (3 of the 99 bastions have already crumbled because of water seepage into the foundations). In the past year, there have been hotels and residents inside the Fort taking initiatives to help with restoration to avoid displacement of the locals. Visitors may want to check with the local hotels inside the Fort and ask what they are doing to contribute towards the Forts preservation. This could lead to greater efforts through awareness and action.

This Fort is the only Fort in the world in use, Carcassonne being the only other one I know of, which is witnessing many problems. While in earlier times, water used in the Fort had to be carried in buckets; the introduction of taps has changed the blueprint of this magnificent Fort, causing the structure to start sinking. Being made of sand, water is literally washing away its foundations; an issue that will be quite difficult to tackle in the times to come, if not addressed on an immediate basis.

If you travel next time to Jaisalmer, pls do your bit. Stay conscious to the needs of the locals. Love the sights and sounds of Jaisalmer; for the city will ensure you leave your heart behind:) Its honey colored golden stone will cast an eternal spell around you. You will wish to carry it back home in your travel bag.

It’s a gorgeous city, in need of much nurturing. Treat it with love and respect, as many many more centuries of civilizations, must indeed enjoy the raw energy called Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

Animals of the Desert- Jaisalmer

2011-02-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

Egypt, beyond the Nile, pyramids and Cleopatra!

2011-02-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

I remember the great excitement when I landed in Cairo the first time. Foreign land, in an unfamiliar airport, yet bubbling with unbridled excitement knowing I was in the land of the most ancient civilization ready to discover history for the first time in my life (despite having a double passport book)!

The airport was not glitzy but my God the city certainly looked snazzy! Flyovers crisscrossing zanily a la New Yorkesque, people buzzing busily on the streets, traffic zooming in all directions and the ride to the hotel saw me absorb all the sights and sounds in gulps!

Egyptians pay a lot of attention to traffic laws...and I understand why, better now- because of the much dreaded police (worst symbol of the tyranny of the Regime) who are autocratic, wilful and powerful.

Cabbies crazily and stubbornly don’t move their hands off the horns, as they weave in & out of traffic. The people who ride in public buses instinctively know when to jump out of harm’s way and onto the streets. The buses always overloaded with people, with barely any standing room, sway from side to side making their way on a busy road. I felt completely at home. These scenes are just the same in India:) Egypt to this extent was not another world...but sure, another culture with codes of their own which one definitely respected.

Culturally, Egypt is a Muslim country. Even in the big cities (Cairo,Giza,Luxor, Alexandria) a woman should have a male companion with her when on the street. Ladies should have shoulders and upper arms covered, closed neck top, skirt below the knees, pants are ok, but ought to be loose. Modesty is the key word. I respected their culture and adhered to the codes.

As hot as Egypt is, the warmest things I saw were the smiles of the children – sometimes I so wish for a world made of only children. We would have no corruption nor politics

Love crosses cultural lines! Talking to Egyptians in a universal language (signs and symbols) was a wonderful experience. Walking through shopping streets I observed them as warm, loving parents with their children in the parks and malls. Speaking with foreigners I saw them flirt, guide, direct and converse intelligently. Cultural differences indeed vanish when people care! A positive environment is all that is needed.

The Nile River was just across the street from us, we took a cruise on the Nile. It is much larger than I had ever imagined. We met many young people who were out on a date, or accompanying their college/school for a picnic. Singing popular Egyptian songs set to rhythmic foot tapping beats ( a la Bollywood). As modern Egyptians lived their lives in a busy bustle, I also saw many people still living as they did many years ago. Fishing on the Nile for a livelihood (a la Kerala), washing off stream (a la Varanasi). Images of diverse India would flash past the mind, so often.

Did you know Egyptian influence is huge on French cuisine? Yep! An important influence of Egyptian cooking is the use of wine to soften meats and also to change the feel of vegetables. Many people think that it is part of French cuisine but actually wine has been in use by Egyptians in their cooking for many centuries. Bamya is a dish consisting of okra and meat which is made into stew. Though this is unique to the Egyptians, one can find this in French cuisine too. And omg the sweets/mithais of Egypt are to die for, those who have not read my older post < I have dedicated a post exclusively to Egyptian sweets (http://meetravels.blogspot.com/2008/12/have-food-will-travel.html)

The Cairo Museum: my first impressions of the beautiful landscaped gardens, an oasis of peace. And on the inside I do remember the mummies amongst a lot of other ancient treasures. Rooms full of mummies. And believe me, once you have seen one mummy, they all look alike:) But yesterday when I saw the museum on fire, my blood curdled and I wanted to shout and scream and run to save the museum! I felt sad for why would these pro- Mubarak protesters want to damage their own treasures? They have treasures that we don't have. Their history goes back into the sands of time...the times of the Pharaohs, the times of the ruling Queens, the time of Moses, the time when Joseph & Mary fled with young Jesus...Why would they want to destroy something that is their own? Do they even understand and respect their history?:(

Its surreal to see the unrest in Egypt. While I know and understand that the present day inhabitants of Egypt are not the indigenous people, I still feel a kindred spirit and very at home in Egypt. Many even thought I belonged to Egypt and spoke to me in Arabic! Regardless, whether they knew I was an Indian or a tourist I could see they generally wanted me to enjoy my stay in their country.

Fast forward to the unrest I see on TV, sure we are seeing one of the rarest of things -- a moment when the people lose their fear of the State, when, as the Chinese say, “the mandate of heaven has fallen” and it is only a matter of time before the old regime must yield. Revolutions are great fun during their early days. (Despite the violence, there is an extraordinary exhilaration to them) Then food runs short, there is disorder, travel is disrupted, the economy grinds to a halt, and there is a longing for a return to a sense of order.

It is one thing for the people of a country to reject a leader. It is another thing entirely for a foreign nation to invade, particularly under false pretenses. The USA has been meddling in Egyptian business by supporting Mubarak for 30+years. Suddenly pushing him to acknowledge the will of his people is meddling? To be honest, I think that Egyptians probably understand more about freedom and democracy than Americans do, since it has been Egyptians who have been suffering under a dictatorship and right now it is Egyptians who are fighting and dying in the streets for their freedom
It blows my mind that USA gets away by saying Egyptians only know Sharia Law and Theocracy. Umm, no, Egypt has been under a secular dictatorship. They know nothing except US-backed secular tyranny. Still, the fact that they are fighting valiantly for freedom and democracy gives me hope that they will indeed get their freedom and will cherish it. They will come to value it more than most Americans, I’m guessing.
Unlike other nations in the region, Egyptians are not aggressive; Cairo’s foreign policy itself is built on the very fact that its diplomats are often at the forefront of goodwill missions, engaged in peace conferences or acting as mediators in long-standing conflicts.

And finally on a very personal note: When I came back home to India I saw a sign that captured the source of my "energy" during my Egyptian adventure. The sign said, "What you are is God's gift to you. What you do with your life is your gift to God!" For me, Egypt was an environment for imbibing, learning, discovering. I am immensely proud of that. Cross cultures do touch lives in amazing, positive ways! I hope and pray for peace to once again bring sunshine to the Egyptian lives soon.

The warmth of Jodhpur

2011-01-28T03:59:00.000-08:00

Bishnoi (Rajasthan India)

2011-01-18T03:06:00.000-08:00

If I had gone back to the Thar desert with a production / filming crew then I’d probably have stayed in a real village and unearthed genuine gems. Not to say Bishnoi is not a real village, they try very hard to portray the real life in a hamlet. But because this particular village was so focused on tourism I missed the earthiness. Am glad the other 39Bishnoi villages in India go about their daily lives without attracting the tourists! I was so not impressed by the number of tourists that were loitering about in this village as if strolling in their very own backyard. I was glad I was here just for the day.

The huts are a piece of art. Beautifully decorated with hand drawings on the exterior walls, old kitchen utensils hung over the clay oven fireplace adding another dimension of yore. Clean and nicely spread out, the walkabout had me reflecting over the shyness I witnessed from the women living inside the huts. They rarely stepped out in front of strangers, would curiously peek thru their fairy sized windows. I attempted to talk to them, they’d giggle and hide behind the clay walls but never afforded me answer.

In 1730 CE, 363 women had their heads cut off as the first "tree huggers" in recorded history. Bishnoi means the number 29 in Hindi, referring to the 29 principles by which their caste as farmers ethically conducts itself. Two of the rules require that each caste member is compelled to care for trees; the other is that they care for all animals. In 1730 the then Maharaja Abhay Singh, ruler of Jodhpur sent out his woodsmen to cut down trees to feed the palace fires. They arrived on Bishnoi lands with the intent on cutting down their trees. One by one the women of the village sat at the foot of a tree and wrapped her body and arms around the tree trunks. When the Maharaja was informed of this he instructed his troops to cut off their heads if they did not get out of the way; hence the massacre. The first head to roll was that of Amrita Devi; her martyrdom set the example for the remaining 362 women who were to die that day.

Only afterwards, apparently in a fit of guilt, did the Maharaja apologize and decree that forevermore trees on Bishnoi lands would remain safe. I goggled this for better understanding and I was glad to see that the Bishnoi sacrifice of the past is remembered and has become a part of a modern day movement to protect trees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipko_movement).

Bishnoi is the one place where opium is legit. The ritual of making opium tea is a practice of the community that goes back a thousand years. It is used on ceremonial occasions and maybe a little in the morning and evening. Opium use is against the law in India; but in yet another of our wonderful contradictions, an exception is made for a number of castes in Rajasthan where tradition trumps law. I happily had a little of this elixir and understand its addiction.

As part of the Bishnoi safari, we also visited a local potter who learned his skills as the hereditary function of his caste. He explained that all his forefathers were potters as would be his son. The pottery is still done in the traditional way. Clay is thrown onto a 100 kg wheel which is pivoted at the center and spun, using a stick, to a high speed. The weight of the wheel maintains the momentum required to turn several pieces from a single large piece of clay. I was privileged to be invited by them to try my hand at the wheel and was thrilled to bits that my first attempt turned out rather well or perhaps it was beginners luck:) I was so enamored by my own creation and can appreciate how Dali or Bresson would have felt with their creations!

On reaching the hotel I carefully wrapped this pot to ensure its safe journey homewards. The bubble burst when I opened the packet on reaching home and saw the shattered pieces of mud lying inside the wrappings. Damn Jet airways!

Christmas sweets and cakes

2010-12-28T07:37:00.001-08:00

Christmas in Malaysia

2010-12-28T06:45:00.000-08:00

Madurai, India - Meenakshi Temple

2010-11-12T02:50:00.000-08:00

Madurai is a temple town, with scores of temples. But the only one for me was the Meenakshi temple. A significant temple, not merely for its sheer architectural magnificence, but also for the fact that my parents were so inspired by this gorgeous colorful abode of the Goddess Meenakshi (Parvati), they decided to name their first born after her

Meenakshi also means the eye of a fish which is beautiful indeed. But a vegetarian like me would never understand the true potential of this meaning:)

This spectacular temple Meenakshi is adorned with gopurams (dome like structures), huge gateways of space, pillared hallways and a Sanctum Sanctorum. The etching on stone within, the mastery of art and craft on its exterior leaves one breathless, wondering how on earth this marvel was created.

The surface is a pulsating mass of masonry, covered all over with figures of deities, their incarnations and semi-divine characters freely drawn and painted from the inexhaustible treasure-house of Hindu mythology. I could stand and stare for hours together absorbing the various tales. Or happily shoot pictures day after day for the innumerable discoveries the artistry of the temple affords.

The divine marriage of Goddess Meenakshi is the most important festival celebrated in the month of April/May every year for 12days. This wedding festival of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwar, for the onlooker is a feast of reverence and inspiration.

Since dawn the garland-makers get supremely busy, busloads of pilgrims roll in with their faces dusted with tamarind powder to keep cool, the hot morning certainly requires one to dig in ones heels and not lose one’s own cool.

At about 9.55am, the conch's are blown announcing the wedding inside the vast temple, to a guest list running into 1000’s of people. The temple courtyard is a vibrant sea of silk and cotton saris and garlanded hair with jasmine. Bare-chested men wave huge peacock fans, picking their way through the seated throng. The proceedings are shown on cctv’s in the courtyard while an ear-splitting commentary in Tamil details, at maximum volume, the history, myths and miracles of the day's events.

The stage is set, the deities arrive and at the most crucial moment the cctv konks out. A noisy response from the crowd quickly restores vision just as the priest ties the mangalsutra around the idol of the goddess and the celestial marriage is "consummated" behind a silken sheet. The women, orange strings at the ready, knot them around their necks, fervently wishing for marital happiness and peaceful homes during the coming year.

I feel hugely blessed to have witnessed this celestial wedding, and feel equally blessed knowing the Goddess is showering her blessings every second on her namesake:)

A sea side town Mahabalipuram - South India

2010-10-20T23:43:00.001-07:00

The city of Mahabalipuram is famous for its seashore which has an interesting group of ancient rock temples displaying the Dravidian style of architecture. The shore temples give a more ancient look and feel, older than they actually are, perhaps because of the wear and tear caused by the sea and brine.

This coastal town - is hot, humid round the year, but a treat to the eyes, mind and the shopper in you. If you are looking for a great photography expedition this is the place to get picture perfect shots. The shopper in you can revel in the multitude carvings and statutes. The main road is dotted with tiny tiny shops in a long row on either side of the road offering antiques in wood, stone and clay. Some pieces I came upon were truly heart stopping stunning! And indeed bought some too. Splendid sculptures. Beautiful statues made of granite stones. Handicrafts made of soapstone, sea-shell articles and jewelry to pine for. One needs time to explore, mull and decide on what one must buy. Time was a luxury I did not have this trip unfortunately.

It was during the rule of the Pallavas, many poets, dramatists, artists, artisans, scholars and saints emerged making the Pallavas the pioneers of new styles both in art and architecture. These creative energies reside to date in this small temple town especially when you see the multitude paintings on sale.

The spectacular beach of Mahabalipuram attracts thousands of tourists all through the year. The beach forever is crowded and packed with families literally lined shoulder to shoulder along the shores in their daily clothes as they wait for the water to rush up their legs while others escape the waves only to return for another bout. Either way, there is no end to the laughter as the sun sets and the ebb and flow draws nearer, it takes with it the memories of those who had enjoyed it as they part ways. There are other things to do while in Mahabs - a crocodile farm, snake venom extracting center, a school of art and sculpture, the annual dance festival among the many attractions for the tourists and travelers alongside the beach. Not surprising hence why tourists flock to Mahabs.

I was equally amazed to discover this place being a popular dating destination for many lovebirds. Most of them were in their private world of love and passion in corners, behind the rocks, in the trenches, and inside the caves declaring their undying commitment for each other. One such couple even approached me to take a picture of theirs on their mobile camera phone-while they melted into each others eyes.

The combination of beach and rocks AND the awesome monolithic structures makes Mahabalipuram very special. A day is simply not enough to explore this historical site. A return journey hence becomes a must. Mahabalipuram is barely an hour from Chennai, very very doable .

Haridwar, India - Gateway to the abode of Gods

2010-10-10T02:08:00.000-07:00

The topmost memories from Haridwar are of food and food smells. Small dinky places that dish up some delicious tasty food. The fare – simple and non fussy. “Heavenly food’ is an ingestible experience after all. I admit food took on a new meaning in this town of priests and saints and holiness and piety. Aloo poori, dal katchori-chutney, hot samosas-channa, bhatti ki roti with saag and achaar, aloo paranthas and dahi, hot jalaebis made in ghee, kheer-maal pooa dipped in sugar syrup-crispy and soft, hot pakoras of potato and cottage cheese - the feast was endless. Not once did any of us suffer from any tummy trouble. We gorged happily

There is much to do if you like to look at temples and tramp through the extensive alleys, checking out a mass of trinkets in Haridwar. For us the summer heat was unbearable so trudging out time was really mornings and evenings and afternoon time was for lazing, chatting, napping, reading and ipodding.

Haridwar is a mixture of religious pilgrims and industry. We met some people from Holland who were helping to set up a lathe machine at one of the factories. They had interesting stories to narrate of some of the places they had visited in India and how they attracted locals who wanted to buy dollars from them or sell gaanja or charas to them. They found the Hindi movies good time pass and enjoyed the local chai at the small shops

We stayed at a dharamshala –which was clean, hygienic and very hospitable. Dad used to donate money towards this place’s upkeep over the years so we decided to go check and trace this dharamshala and see for ourselves if the money donated was being put to good use. It was gratifying to see the place being run like clockwork – very welcoming to pilgrims from all over the country, providing clean comfortable rooms and facilities. We were very impressed by this very upscale dharamshala in white marble that shone and sparkled in the sunlight, where service was always with a smile and people had the time to chat and narrate interesting stories of the holy Ganga or of other visitors and their experiences. No food is allowed within the premises here, as a result keeps the 4 legged monkeys at bay

We also meet a pandit in Haridwar who owned archives of revelations in these large, leather bound books with pages and pages of Sanskrit script. The archives dated back to the 17th Century (thereabouts) and every time a member of our clan visited this pandit an entry was always made. Events such as births and deaths are also marked in these records. We too were requested by this saintly man to make some remarks - Dad obliged, in his brilliant handwriting. As a result we all too, are now, part of this documentation, recorded for posterity.

Evenings would see us at Har-ki-Pauri ghat - a transformed landscape from daytime- into this - magical spiritual experience – all set for the Ganga aarti. This experience cannot be missed under no circumstances. Haridwar visit would be a waste if Ganga aarti is not participated in. The feeling of being part of the aarti being performed, the chants, the temple bells, the dark river waters amidst which are little lit lamps surrounded by flowers floating gently in its wake, the hymns and the collective crowds all pulsating in one energy revering the goddess Ganges – all of this, is an enchanting experience of sound and colour. Breathtaking. Makes one marvel at our rich tradition and culture all over again.

Har Ki Pauri is believed to be the exit point of the Ganges from the mountains and entry into the plains. Also known as the Brahm Kund, this ghat was built by King Vikramaditya in memory of his brother Brithari who often meditated on the banks of the river Ganga. History records an imprint of Lord Vishnu’s foot on one of the stones present on the ghat, which is indicative of the name.

At Haridwar, the mighty daughter of the mountains becomes the mother of the land – Ganga Ma

Glorious drive: The Sahyadri roads

2010-08-30T03:04:00.000-07:00

Bombay Nasik Highway

Here we are, on an absolutely gorgeous monsoon morning in our pride of possession the 4x4 Black beast (beauteous tho I admit) armed with Coffee Bean take aways thinking about absolutely nothing, music streaming from the radio adding to the light happy feeling. Wonder what triggers the brain to become obsessed about some certain songs, you can’t stop humming it, or thinking about it, or playing it or singing it.

Just yesterday I got soaked to the skin standing under a tree, watching the rain fall for a while. After my initial bothered state I actually felt very nice. Standing there and observing the world slow down. With so much digging happening in the city I saw some workmen duck into the dug pit, open their classic black umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain water. I stood there under a large peepal tree amused by how different people react to a typical ‘Under A Mumbai Sky’ shower. It felt strangely magical and very unique. And there was music streaming from a nearby chai shop reminding me once again of how closely woven is an Indians relationship with the cinemas

OK back to this highway journey: through the flat plains, the ghats and the mountains. When the monsoon rain lashes the open highways, it has a kind of fresh and fragrant beauty that makes you wish that you had been a poet and not some lowly blogger. In the rains, the roads and the ghats burst into myriad shades of green that can be glimpsed through gray and white clouds that drift through the valley. As the clouds and the mist clear just long enough for you to catch a glimpse of a dense green paradise the wind whips more rain that stings your face, in this case the Black beast’s body.

Bombay, its trains, its traffic choked roads, the muck- all vanishes and you know you are probably as close to heaven as you'll ever get to in this life.

The drive is beautiful. Once you cross Bombay make your way through small towns and villages you start anticipating a treat. The road is bordered by rice fields on either side and then sugarcane ahead, occasionally a brisk brook runs parallel to the road you are driving along, to suddenly vanish and give way to lush green that begs to be captured in the mind. Red tiled traditional homes are visible through the bamboo thickets. It is the kind of drive that prompts you to go easy on the accelerator and drink it all in with your eyes and soul. We switched off the ac, rolled down those windows, and let the sights and the crisp fresh air work their magic on our senses. Till the rains lashed at us again

The wind velocity in the peaceful valleys here is an unforgettable experience. The far stretching mountain view is unique and the treescape outstanding. I read somewhere there is a semicircular spot overlooking the mountains offering a fascinating sight of a coin defying the law of gravity by swirling upward when flung into the air, because of high wind velocity. Puzzling? But true am told.

There's no need to ask for directions to Shirdi. The road from Bombay goes straight into the Ghats. Just at the base of the Ghats is a beautiful inn called Midtown Café- we always stop there to have hot breakfast (idlis /kande pohe). This sets us up for the journey ahead.

After the road takes an upward gradient and the rice fields gradually make way for the hills and ravines on either side, above the treetops you catch the first glimpse of the mountains and the waterfalls. The aerial view of the landscape below gets even more stunning. Before you know it, you are already abreast the first waterfall and the first crowd of revelers soaking up all the water they can. We did a complete 180 degree turn inside the car to capture the scenery but it had swooshed past too quickly. The waterfalls cascade down on the road itself. Many people stop their car to get out, soak for a bit and then make their way to the edge of the road to see the water disappearing down into the deep valley below. The dangerous part is there are some who think this highway is a picnic spot - so they open a couple of beers and then leave the cans / bottles strewn around:(

A gust of wind brings thick rolling clouds into the valley and all around you. For the next 10-15 minutes it is as dark as early evening. Visibility is reduced to a few feet. The wind eventually carries the clouds away till once again we can see the green forests in the valleys and the mountain peaks. In the distance you see a new batch of clouds entering the valley to soon envelop you with more rain. On a good day, the highway plays this kind of a game over and over and you never tire of it.

From an environment perspective these topographies and its jungles, waterfalls, the green carpet on either sides of the highway provide the excitement of adventure. The well preserved forest and plains form our jungle wealth where a variety of birds and animals flourish in peace and security. Experiencing nature in its full glory, appreciating what we have today is a joy, let’s ensure we safe guard it and leave it intact for generations ahead. The great outdoors showed us the wonders of nature to take back memories of awe, magic, purity, even fear as nature is so over whelming when it shrouds you in its mist when you cannot see much beyond. You know then, what fury nature can cause, if havoc is what it intends. Let’s respect what we have. And maintain Harmony.

PS: Today's incessant rains made it urgent for me, to write this post. Am sorry I have no pics, the camera got rained out, and must be given for servicing

Simla a summer retreat hill station

2010-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Up in the mountains city
Rudy complexioned people
Crisp fresh cherry apples
Snow. Cold
Smoky breath because of the cold
Heaters and fire places
Monkey caps

I had all these romantic visions of Simla - and my learning started immediately on entering Simla –Impressive! The road starts to hug the mountain side and houses appear nestled far above and below the road. The traffic was terrible - it seems like there's only one main road for vehicles in and out. I soon discovered people call it ‘Shimla’ – they indeed are all rosy pinked cheeked people here- the children look delightful with their chubby red cheeks and one is very tempted to go up close and feel those rudy cheeks of the lil children on the street

Mall road in Shimla is "maal" road and is the so-called fashion street of Shimla. Everybody hangs out here- and I mean everybody. It’s a crowded street for shoppers, sellers, tourists, locals, lovers, grandparents and all. A happy buzzing place this main street of this colonial town. Mind you all this I am witnessing from afar. I have yet to venture into the crowds and am not sure am in Simla for that. The novelty of Simla's layout still excites me - the main area, a pedestrian-only road full of shops and eateries, is about 10 floors higher than the vehicle access to the city, connected by many lifts, stairways and steep lane-ways

The place we stayed in was an Oberoi property – Cecil, looked humble from the outside but is a haven inside. All wood and classy. The interiors echo of the Raj with modern day refinement – I instantly fell in love with this gorgeous place which was to be home for the next week.

This property dates back to 1884, so there is much history and stories to soak here which I did partake in most delightfully. The other great attraction for me was the delightful indoor heated swimming pool, steam and sauna facilities, fitness center and the spa. The stay got very promising indeed.

One late evening we went for a drive around Simla and landed at the Wildflower Hotel, one of the other grand Oberoi hotels. The hotel is perched on a hill with a lovely view, the hotel itself looked a bit like a Swiss chalet. We had a brief tour of the ground floor, including the massive child-size gingerbread house, and had hot chocolate and muffins in the warm lobby.

Besides soaking in the gorgeous Himalayas from the room, we went horse riding, played in the snow and got all mucky, walked in the ‘maal’ and shopped for curios. Also went to the ‘lakaddi market’ to see some beautiful hand crafted precious things. Overall preferred to stay in and around the hotel during the day and stepped out late at night when the world was sleeping to walk the streets in quiet; absorbing the peace surrounding us. My only ‘want’ was I wish we had come to Shimla in off peak season – summer sees plane loads of tourists thronging here for the cooler climes - it's easy to see why it's a popular place for everyone - the cool, refreshing air. And for us it was the clean, car-less streets that were good for a change. But perhaps the next trip will be better planned.

Chandigarh: A Garden? Or a junk house?

2010-07-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

As we drove into this planned city (by architect Le Corbusier) I looked for the aha moment knowing it was the 1st planned city in the country et al. That feeling eluded me. My first impressions were army, cantonment, green, wide roads, lack of traffic, clean, lots of trees, lots of big cars (hmmm capitalist city). As we drove further inwards into the city we realized ‘planned’ was a bit confusing! Localities and markets looked identical! And everybody asked for a sector number-I mean is that enough to find an address?!

To be fair to Chandigarh the traffic is disciplined, nobody jumps lights or parks at zebra crossings. The city has many parks, rose gardens, (the University itself has one) the famous rock garden, lakes, making quality of life distinctly a cut above the rest of the country. Wow I wonder aloud ‘is this Hamara Bharat mahan’ Why does Bombay suck so:(

Talking about the famous(?) rock gardens many consider it to be a marvel, a great work of art, very well designed and fits into the surroundings of "the best planned city in India". I must admit that I was at sea in my lack of appreciation - I was stunned at the rubbish they call art! Agreed modern art is beyond me, it has many expressions most of which I do not understand, the rock garden certainly falls in that criteria – it was a concrete monstrosity, a park made up of debris with the mandatory water fall. Such a deflation for such high expectations! Wham went the aha moment!

My summary of this planned city- it lacks soul! Nothing stood out for me. No no I’d be lying the air is fresh, one sees a cleaner environment, sexy roads to drive on, no rush or peak hour, buzzing sector 22, inadequate (good or bad?) public transport, BUT it still lacks soul! I simply could not connect with Chandigarh! Thank God for the extended family I visited, it took the edge off the bite for me. Good food, family gossip, met the cousins etc – 2days were enough time spent to get back on the road on way to Delhi!

How do I feel about Kashmir

2010-07-09T03:09:00.000-07:00

My mum and Dad went for their honeymoon to Kashmir- I see those pictures often and wish for one day when I can safely visit Kashmir and experience its pristine world. And feel the magic called Kashmir for myself

As a school going girl I remember a Kashmiri gentleman visiting us 3-4months in a year, every year, (being peak winter months in Kashmir) to sell things uniquely Kashmiri- we’d love to rummage through the colorful warm shawls, stoles, ornate jewelry boxes in paper-mâché, mufflers, shoes, embroidered bed spreads, and what not! We used to love speaking with him for his genteelness and unique Hindi accent- he was full of warmth despite walking for hours in the sun trying to make a sale happen. The only thing he would ever ask for was a cold glass of water when he’d reach our doorstep- and then on drinking the water he would regale us with stories about the people of Kashmir, the shikaras, the Dal lake, the children, the weather - his janat

And today his vatan Kashmir is simmering for the nth time. With curfew imposed in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Sopore, the angry stone-pelters are in stand off mode, even in hiding till the army retracts. Tourism is slipping and sliding, children’s education and examinations are indefinitely postponed.

For how long one wonders will the valley take this beating, this abuse, this injustice? Is it the fault of the people in the valley that they are Muslims? Or the fault of those who are Hindu Brahmins and still surviving? The question that begs an answer is what will it take and when we will see peace return to the valley? When will that state truly return to becoming a paradise on earth again?

It is not “peace” that ordinary people want; they stress they want a “resolution” to the Kashmir question. They want development and jobs, yes, but they also want a political solution. These are not mutually exclusive. Sitting far removed from Kashmir’s existential problems I wonder why have we since decades now, not resolved Kashmir? Does it suit the many governments of India to allow the pot boiler to simmer? Who are the interested parties that are benefiting the most by dragging this dispute for ever and this long?

The power struggle is beating the local Kashmiri further into his/her grave. They are mired in problems of everyday existence and to top it a political, social and cultural binder that has shackled them so badly they do not know any way out other than rebellion and open confrontations. What is the issue behind Kashmir’s pot boiler? Maybe I am being naive -but to me it is an issue of weak or no governance. As long as individual coffers are getting filled, as long as individual motivations are being accomplished, nobody cares for what happens to the locals there.

I honestly don’t give a rats ass about what Nehru agreed to at Partition time or what Jinnah did or the divisionsit Brits did! What is the current Government in India doing to resolve Kashmir TODAY? Bring out the army? Will peace be restored thus? What are the long term goals and what is the strategy to achieve it for Kashmir?

Do the people of Kashmir have a forum to air their grievances? Do they have a mechanism to address their problems? Maybe if there were enough college or university debates, youth bodies that could influence, National harmony makers from varied streams of life from Bombay, Delhi, Aurangabad or Jaisalmer who could interact with the Kashmiris and bring about an osmosis - we may still have a chance to restore peace and harmony back in the state

Kashmir is a proud state. Lets not break its back to such a state that we cripple it forever. That it can never stand on its 2 feet again. We living outside Kashmir want to feel as proud about our cities as Kashmiris do about Kashmir. I miss my Kashmiri friend from childhood - I miss his easy warmth, his open welcoming smile, his undying spirit which I see reflected in a zillion of us too- weather beaten hands and feet that never stop for tiredness but only to greet a customer or help pick up another’s basket to put it on the head and walk on towards the next sale. I sincerely want to see peace and equanimity restored to Kashmir. I wish Kashmir safety and wellness soon.

We all have the travel bug in us

2010-06-09T01:57:00.000-07:00

Last night at a fascinating dinner do (defined by food) I got branded the person with the travel bug! Amidst ex-colleagues, bosses and a few friends they traded many a remark in good humour about my frequent travel breaks. I wasn't sure if they were complaining, or envious or plain unhappy about it. And then I reasoned did it matter?!:)

Mulling over 'the travel bug' remark this morning, the light rains helped resolve it nicely for me. What is the travel bug? Dont we all have it?

For the past few months I’ve been working on serious stuff, high voltage stuff - taken up all attention and energy and in turn has left me pining for some break time. Every time I see a plane take off…I am a wee bit nostalgic of those travelers on board who are onto a journey of sorts. I can’t help but wish I were on that plane heading to a new destination for new discoveries. Its like I have an inbuilt 'auto button' which trips every time the heart and mind demand time out.

My mum would say to me the travel bug is most present in me because I have moles on my feet and calf! Hence there will be lots of travel in my destiny:) Simplified? Guess the truth is one needs to crave discoveries and exploration and always be hungry to know and feel more. There is a world out there I want to know. I have this deep desire to travel to destinations unknown (even if it were to a remote small town outside my city - I would be as excited- as I would if I were traveling to Ibiza) - What is this longing for unknown and new destinations? Why does my pulse start to race when I think about autumn in the States, or the way the sun sparkles on the great mountains in Bhutan or the sense of history hanging over the Pyramids in Egypt? If I could, I would pack my bags this instant and jump on a plane headed anywhere but here for the sheer pleasure of getting a new stamp in my passport. O the thrill of something awaiting ahead, races through me. Or perhaps it’s the break from everyday discipline of life that has me transformed to top gear.

Kevin Costner said something very profound in the movie Rumor Has It - “Life has to be a little nuts sometimes. Otherwise it's just a bunch of Thursdays strung together.” I want to be able to travel to distances far and near, explore and discover, feel joyous and alive with new knowledge, new feelings, new discoveries, new interpretations - so that every time I look back I won’t be looking back on a collection of Thursdays, but on memories made in faraway places.

This post has been selected by Blogadda's Tangy Tues's

2010-05-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you Blogadda for featuring my blog!:)

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Mawlynnong and Cherrapunjee: Fascinating Root bridges

2010-05-18T00:19:00.000-07:00

Within 2 ½ hours we made our way to Mawlynnong - touted as the cleanest village in Asia, on the border of Bangladesh. Of course you notice –how impeccably clean – the village is. The cement pathways and bamboo bins are common and justify the truth that Mawlynnong indeed is India’s and Asia’s cleanest village. Honestly it didn’t feel like a village at all -more like a park with flowers! They even had a bamboo cottage on top of a tree to offer a ‘view’ of Bangladesh from afar. This was my second experience of a border town with a neighboring country! We were warned not to stray close to the border area as it could be risky

We tasted local fruits here - Meghalaya has abundant flora fauna and the fruits were naturally nectar like - large red grapes, pineapples, sweet oranges, sweet blue berries - all very yummy. Some of the locals we met spoke fluent English - our driver informed us that people in this village were all literate and had a high awareness about environment. Sweet place.

Our next halt in the day was Cherrapunjee, the ever present mist continued to waft across this town making us feel like we were passing through dream like vistas. Dominated by colours green (ravines, forests) and white (the mist, the clouds, the waterfalls) – It is touted as the ‘wettest place on earth’. Soon the mist gave way to a sunny hot day with no cloud cover whatsoever! No rain either. Btw the reason Cherra receives so much rain is because the rain laden clouds travel unhindered for 100’s of kilometers before they crash into the Khasi hills. The topography (funnel like shape) captures the rain and keeps Meghalaya so lush! The sad part is once the rain water is captured- it needs to find the earth eventually –so the waters move into the stupendous looking plains of Bangladesh below - which is why we hear of floods in Bangla-land often.

The day was getting warmer, equipped with good walking shoes we had a 7-8km walk ahead. Steep steps looked daunting and I nearly turned away not sure if I would ever be able to climb back on return. With some nudging and motivation from others and even in parts had to go barefoot on the slippery granite places – I overcame my inhibition and (as much as I hate walking) with much anticipation moved ahead- almost as if something were calling out to me. Full of excitement not knowing what lay ahead, I walked onwards, sweat trickling down the forehead and back, legs quivering with the climb up and down, we heard the water from a nearby river, heart beats accelerated! Sure enough a little distance ahead stood the first of many living root bridges that dotted a hamlet deep inside the forest.

Since their discovery in the Cherrapunjee region, Living Root Bridges seem to have become quite an attraction. What a mechanism to cross a stream flowing beneath. Fichus or rubber trees are planted on both the banks, as their roots grow, they are entwined around bamboos to shape them up like a bridge. It is a very slow process taking hundred years or more but the end result is an amazingly sturdy bridge.

We were abuzz and borderline ecstatic when we saw this mammoth Living Roots Bridge. A 200 year old rubber tree whose roots had been trained to grow across the stream -gushing water underneath the bridge - as I gingerly walked over it, testing its strength!! The roots hold strong in a glorious organic network. What an experience! There are plenty of root tree bridges in this part of the world. We even saw the 'double deck' living root bridge that is unique (the only known double decker in the world - another record for India).

A tip for those who may venture into these parts at some point: Remember, there are people living here in the forests. If they can climb up and down those steps, cross the waters on this living roots bridge so can you...enjoy it, respect it and love it!

Impossibly green and alive - Meghalaya

2010-05-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

The beauty of Meghalaya lies in its rolling mists in the valley, the undulating rivers, waterfalls, sparkling mountain streams, emerald green lakes, precipitous ravines, the massive hills, the vast expanse of skies, the deep forests – all of natures elements surrounded us, shielding us from the crazy urban jungle we had escaped from

Meghalaya is overwhelmingly beautiful, where everything is impossibly green and alive. Another thing that fascinated me were these giant group of trees standing together majestically at many places we drove past. These are called – law kyntangs- dedicated to forest spirits, along-with several monoliths (our resort had many too) that supposedly serve as memorials – are symbols of good energy.

Added to this natural magic is the culture of the state contributed by the Khasis who are a matriarchal tribe. They can be identified by their beautiful smiles and the cloth tied over their left shoulder called - jainsem- covers them from head to toe, in a graceful sweep.

With their infants tied on their backs, covered by the checkered cloth, mother and child look like a single entity. The women are independent and always busy. Drying clothes, caring for children, working around the agriculture produce, running business and shops – they are the bread earners for their families.

Lest I forget , the Khasi women do not like being photographed - they are an extremely private people. I always requested for a picture – and only some would oblige.

Gambling. You thought it is a vice? Think again - its legal in Meghalaya! And how novel is their gambling! Promoting a sport and motivating the archer! Wow! Lottery by archery - dozens of archers form an arc and shoot at a haystack for 4 exact minutes. The number of arrows is counted and the last 2 digits are announced. Bets are placed daily on what the day’s number may be. One could bet as little as 1buck which could earn 8bucks in turn, if you are a good guesser. There is no upper limit so bets can go as high as the individual demands. We placed moderate bets for the thrill and infectious banter, on the last day, but did not hit no jack pot

Days were merging and gliding into an amorphous state of time – we lost sight of the calendar, nearly missed the date of our flight as we were badly mixed up on the days and dates! Sometimes it felt like my o-my-God have we over estimated the time we need to spend here, and sometimes it felt we had very little time and needed to extract every bit from this vacation:)

Meghalaya: The home of clouds-for endless delights

2010-05-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

We were excited and nervous about Ri Kynjai: the resort where we were booked for the next many days. (a) We didn’t know anyone who had been to this resort or even the state of Meghalaya! (barring one colleague who absolutely loved Meghalaya) (b) Were very nervous about the service and expectations at the resort if the online reviews were anything to go by. On the other hand we were very excited and looking forward to being far away from the city chaos, in mysterious Meghalaya which is also known as Scotland of India – in the lap of cool climes.

Ri Kynjai, the resort which was to be our home away from home, was delightful! Serenity by the Lake - ‘idyllic’. Once we were shown into our cottage we were left alone to enjoy our haven! Ensconced in the beautiful large cottage, sitting out in the spacious balcony overlooking the lake Umiam (also known as Bara Paani) – watching clouds gather, I wished for rains. As if on cue a light rainfall seeped through gently from the clouds at first, soon the sky darkened, and serious unabashed rains took over the evening. We were happy to be bound indoors, enjoying the glorious new experience- the feeling is indescribable –almost spiritual – a peace, calm and stillness had taken over.

BY nightfall we stepped out for dinner to a rain drenched earth. Windows rolled down, moon light in the sky, the air cold, crisp and refreshing! With anticipation we headed towards Centre Point Cloud 9 (central market area of Shillong)

To our delight the 60year old maverick musician Lou Majaw (who is to Meghalaya what Madonna is to America) was in the house and that evening cannot ever be wiped out of our memories. What energy! Not for nothing is Shillong known as the rock capital of the country. Many International and homegrown bands perform here and we now understand why : )

Over the next many days we experienced delightful places. Lady Hydari Park was pretty, Ward Lake was blooming with vivacious colorful flowers, we even spent some time sitting on the well manicured gardens and sipping coffee. Joyous! Cannot remember the last time I must have sat in a park like this in Mumbai- hang on do we even have such parks in Mumbai?!:)

The Elephant Falls were touted as one of ‘the sights’ in Meghalaya! We reached there to realize they were small trickles flowing through ridges, but marketed well by Meghalay- after all tourism makes the world go round! We folks living a tired life in the urban jungles are never mindful or ever appreciative of our natural surroundings. Its people living away from the humdrum of city life who take delight even in the smallest waterfalls ( this was’nt like an ‘o-my god-sight’) they have amidst themselves – but it is most definitely was a tourist spot! Small streams accumulate at the pinnacle of the hill and come trickling down the terrain to rebound again, only to cover a short distance and once again leap into a daunting gorge. It is a natural pandemonium that one witnesses – and the joyous part for me was the surrounding basin sheltered by the sky like green vegetation providing a perfect backdrop to this enchanting picnic spot.

One of the other disappointing views which was touted hugely by the locals was at Lire Kor – a beautiful winding long drive to reach the highest point of Shillong. One gets practically the whole view of Shillong city from here. It was a dump a far as I was concerned. Filled with tourists, buses, cabs etc- if you are looking for serene alone time then please stop short of this touted view. Because the view from many parts of this drive- affords one the whole of Shillong city- panoramic, pretty, nestled in the mountains-minus the crowds.

Shillong the city was a slight surprise by day time. A hill town, with narrow winding roads meeting big city with its buses, choked traffic and teeming office goers. We were delightfully surprised to realize it is a big centre for education (boasts of IIT & IIM) –but the traffic jams are so so so not pleasant! There is no way of avoiding the jams as there is just one road to cut thru to go in and out of the city.

Evenings would see us soaking in the golden sky from our perched balcony above the Umiam lake - bird calls resounded in the natural amphitheatre while butterflies fluttered here and there. We’d be transported to Alice in wonder land; completely lost in our own world once again.

One post is simply not enough to speak on Meghalaya- so the next one coming up soon I promise.

Rhino Country - Kaziranga

2010-05-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

From Darjeeling early morning 345am drove to Bagdodra and boarded a flight to Guwahati 830am and were en route to Kaziranga by road thereon. The onwards drive was like a thriller movie, clutching the edge of our seats, we were a mass of jangled nerves free wheeling down the highway at break neck speed. We even had a couple of near misses with stray dogs and hens and a cow. Nobody drives peacefully here- I mean where is the fire?! And if this was not enough to scream the car driver kept receiving calls from some persistent boss of his till finally we barred him to answer his mobile, which made him very upset with us. He drove even more faster now! But talking on the mobile and driving through winding ghats was non negotiable. We reached the national park by 430pm, ate some food and explored the park by jeep – in the evening safari. We were safe and secure (in one piece) in Rhino country!

Once inside the reserve we had a good up close look at the Indian one horned rhinos growing healthily in numbers here. Poaching tho continues to be a problem as rhino horn is much sought after in the far east of India, where organized gangs go to great lengths to try and kill for loot.

Our safari driver educated us on the rhino – when a rhino opens its mouth wide enough- it can fit a 4 foot tall child inside! These are aggressive ill tempered towards humans and before the start of the safari we were sensitized to jungle etiquette! The rhinos teeth are 20inches tall! And they use it for tearing apart the enemy; In the distance far away from where we were parked on a lonely trail, we could see a couple of rhinos roaring and lunging at each other- to understand from our safari driver- that was a battle amongst the kin for food- they had a new kill which they needed to divide amongst themselves.

Exhausted from the long journey of the morning we camped the night at Dhansiri Eco owned by Gautam Saikia, the wildlife film maker. His place is in the midst of nowhere (especially by night) - complete wilderness! Solitude took on a new meaning in these surroundings. Moonlit sky and stars, not a vehicle or house in sight, a clear quiet night, with night creatures whirring and nothing much else! Fatigue gave way to dreamless sleep.

The next morning safari we saw a variety of wildlife - wild buffalo, magnificent swamp deer, hog deer, wild boar, hollock gibbon even langurs. No luck with the tigers- we were told not to expect any sightings either as they reside deep in the center of this jungle. We all joked a tiger could always turn up wherever we are – and mentally I did a quick knock on wood, crossed my fingers and had a side chat with God and told him I was joking! :)

This morning experience was one that will live with us forever. We had opted to go via the nearby reserve Nameri National Park and it is here we had a a close shave with a herd of elephants. And to think I was praying to be saved from the tiger! The herd was barely few feet away from our jeep- snorting and blowing lose dust around themselves- having sensed us. Not only were they warning us of their presence, they were fiercely protective of their little baby elephants whom they immediately drew to their inner circle so that they wouldn’t wander away. The safari driver hissed under his breathe to hold still- we all stopped breathing! After an eye to eye battle the gigantic elephants must have realized our knees were knocking and we were about to collapse with fear, they moved past us allowing a rush of air to our lungs!

Back at the Eco camp bound by the misty blue hills of Barail and Karbi Anglong to the south, it was relaxation time – time to mull over the force of nature and the raw power of animals in the wild.

Getting high - Darjeeling

2010-04-26T01:14:00.001-07:00

I awoke to light streaming on my face through a heavily tinted car. On drawing the windows down I realized what a stunning drive this was! Crisp cool morning air that steals all remaining sleep, passing through flat rice fields, teak and tea plantations the road starts to climb into the foothills of the Himalaya. The thickly forested land was originally acquired by the British who introduced tea growing to this awesome scenic land and eventually Darjeeling developed into a hill station.

Darjeeling ( from Dorje Ling - The place of the Thunderbolt ) sits pretty with the gigantic Himalayas; a typical hill station, displaying interconnected steep stairways, trails to walk on, Gothic architecture, home to many Tibetans in exile. There is a large and thriving Buddhist community along with the predominant population of Nepalese descendants, Lepchas and refugee Tibetans – all of them sporting smiles brighter than the sun. I felt so poor compared to them. And shamed. Such happiness with so little.

Given we had a very short time here in Darjeeling, we tried to pack in lots. But could not venture to its outer limits -the Shangri-la called Sikkim. These places will always be there and will be kept for a future journey for us to enjoy fully. This trip was a flirtatious tryst with time. Soaking in the splendid views - balm for the city tired spirit.

Some of the world’s best teas are produced here in the East. I was privileged to see quality teas of which one was priced at Rs.55k /kg! Now that was definitely some select picking. The food was typical Tibetan - we munched into soup noodles 'thukpa' and steamed dumplings 'momos'. The only thing I could not bring myself to have was the 'yak butter coffee' - I pined for the very least, an Udipi coffee.

Higher altitude Darjeeling offered a wonderful Himalayan panorama. Mountain views surrounded me with Kanchenjunga at 8580m towering on the horizon. We visited 2 tea gardens, the Dali Monastery, the seat of the Drukchen Rimpoche ( head lama of the Drukpa Kaygu sect) which had a huge Buddha Statue and offered stunning views of the rolling hills. Of course the camera worked over time here. And this visit certainly took me back to the time I was in Bhutan amidst pure untouched nature

Despite not being a mountain person – being high in the hills and mountains brought with it tranquility, balance and a sense of calm. Or perhaps it was the influence of all those deep red robed monks and monasteries:)

Calcutta -City of joy revisited

2010-04-20T05:02:00.000-07:00

Calcutta evokes memories of English breakfast, club culture, gentlemanly people, good food and of course Mishti doi - the unfailing delight.

I was a tad sad to see a decrepit airport which must have seen better days am sure. It felt like the airport belonged to another era- caught in a time wrap. Last I knew Calcutta was still a bustling metropolis of India so why was its airport so not in tune with the times?

Our welcome and adios for this trip began and ended with Kolkata- we went on to Darjeeling, Kaziranga, Meghalaya-Sillong, its interiors and back to Calcutta. The imprint of colonization and the ensuing western culture is most overtly seen in the East of India. From building exteriors to museums and colonial homes to the way people dress on weekdays and Sundays – very charming.

In Kolkatta (todays name for Calcutta) the joy for me was the food! I discovered puchkas and jhaal muri outside Victoria which were very different from the pani puri and bhel puri of Bombay. Took me a while to appreciate the unique taste as it has a generous helping of mustard oil which is alien to me. Had phenomenal breakfast one morning at Balwants dhaba next to a gurudwara- the most amazing katchoris (stuffed dal small pooris) with aloo sabzi which were mind blowing awesome! Tea was served in earthen small pots –kulhads. Just for the unique experience this is a must visit place. We also visited the old coffee house on College street- my god it was a world from a past era - you gotta be there to experience it! We had a fantafabulous lunch in Bhojohori Manna and I could have gone to heaven right away! The raw mango pulp juice I had there along with a unique ice cream made from the first molasses of sugarcane - awesome! As you can tell- it was a non ending feast of delightful food journey there! How can I miss mentioning Flury’s. A sweet, clean, good food institution (over 100years old) – we packed stuff from there and brought back to Bombay and gorged on it. Despite the huge fire that engulfed the old Flury’s building it was up and running within 24hours of that horrid day

One sight that left me half smiling and half sad- we were waiting in traffic for the lights to turn green. At the same lights, scores of people all bundled behind a rope with a young man in uniform (traffic related) shrilled his whistle ordering them to cross the road by dropping that rope – humanity surged forward as if in a race! Parallely an announcement over the loudspeaker instructed them when the lights turned amber - “dooooon't crooossss the roooaaaddddd…” the rest I couldn’t catch as we had moved on

The high point in this Calcutta trip was the game we got to see between my favourite KKR team and next favorite DC team in an electrifying huge stadium of Eden Gardens. It is no news how Dada is revered here in Calcutta, but omg only if you are present in Eden do you know how big a God he is here! I absolutely think he was our best captain and had to go thru unnecessary tests all his life proving his worth! What a match it turned out to be! An edge of the seat game which KKR won – no articulation of those emotions in the stadium can do justice to the community feeling and sharing of joy and happiness when Dada Ganguly won the game! With adrenalin pumping, Calcutta dancing on the streets with joy after this brilliant victory, we made our way into the jam packed streets singing Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo as we made tracks into the night happy with a satisfying day behind and knowing the sunrise ahead would be amidst the monks and monasteries of the Darjeeling hills awaiting our arrival:)

Agra-ca-dabra

2010-03-15T02:22:00.000-07:00

Magical vision?

The Taj Mahal is more than magical. Words fail me in describing this wondrous, awe inspiring, beautiful, sensitively crafted iconic structure. It pulls the heart strings to soften, the hard edges of daily existence to fade away. Replacing the void with a bright warm glow of tenderness and love that shows one the immense possibilities of eternity and forever.

It’s no wonder that the famous and magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The magnificent mausoleum was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Researchers have us believe that the emperor was on his spiritual journey and looked to replicate Gods kingdom on earth. The well scaped gardens are the passage to paradise (the mausoleum) to meet with the Almighty and become his. There is much proof to this Scientology behind why the emperor inscribed the critical chapters from the Koran. All speaking of a release to the ultimate haven, the Paradise.

The Emperor intended to create a mirror image of the Taj in black marble as his resting place after death, across the river Yamuna, exactly across the Taj Mahal building but for inexplicable reasons the project did not see the light of day. Many archeologists are digging up the exact same area to find signs on why how and what this building never came up...

Contemplation, they say, is what one must do when in such places. I took in the hot summer afternoon slowly and without complaining. There were loads of touts trying to be our tour guide but we wanted to be left alone to discover the Taj Mahal by ourselves. We ambled along the water edges capturing still frames of glorious angle of this iconic monument. Both from inside and outside and also from the road on way and on return journey to the hotel. Folklore has it that the ceilings of this great marvel were decorated with precious gems and diamonds once upon a time. And the precious peacock throne on which the Emperor used to hold the courts proceedings which was bejeweled with thousands of valuables, today sits in the British Queens looted treasures from India. I can only imagine how exquisite it would have been in its glorious years…

For a moment there in pitch darkness inside the mausoleum. A guide was demonstrating to a batch of tourists how the gems in the ceiling would glitter and wink back during the times of prosperity - he requested everyone to switch off their torches and lighters etc and then in complete darkness he lit a strike- and asked everyone to look upwards to the ceiling. There were a thousand glittering lights dancing on the ceiling reflecting how gorgeous it must have been when adorned with precious gems and stones in a yester year. Wow that was a sight that the camera simply could not capture:(

Once on the outside again we hopped crazily trying to save our burning feet from the scorching marble on which the sun beat mercilessly. Read voraciously much that was inscribed on tablets all around about the Emperor and his Begum. Photographed extensively till my camera ran out of power. Not only did our visit to the Taj Mahal sensitize us to the era under the gaze but it also brought alive the romance and love and passion felt by 2 mortals to create an immortal chapter for themselves for many centuries to comes.

Some do’s and don’ts: Don’t wear your best pair of shoes when visiting the Taj, one has to remove them afar and walk the large distances bare foot. We lost our shoes. Try to get an honest guide who can walk you through the history without exaggeration. There are many good guides. Of course if you are adventurous enough you must discover the Taj for yourself. No eatables are allowed in- make sure you declare your camera and get the right passes for entry. Hang lose, absorb all.

The Taj Mahal is breathtaking

Wai, Satara - Maharashtra

2010-02-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

A fabulous highway, good people for company, a few halts - made this lovely 5 hour drive to Wai a beautiful memorable one. Villages and towns whizzed past giving way to rolling Sahyadris; gigantic and gentle at the same time. I effortlessly soaked in all the eye could behold

Upon reaching Wai I gathered from the village folks that Vishal Bhardwaj, Prakash Jha, Ashutosh G and many Marathi movie makers have shot lots of films in Wai - Kaminaay, Ishqiya, Omkara, Swades, Gangaajal, Mrityudand, Maqbool to name some.

In fact the day we were in Wai there were 4 shoots happening all within a short distance from each other. There was Salman Khan shooting for his film, Star One was shooting a soap there, our ad was being shot and some promo films for One were being shot. Clearly given the picturesque locale, simple hospitality, reachable distance from Bombay, all, make it a great location for Bollywood and the Ad fraternity to shoot here. Everyone comes to Wai, falls in love with the great outdoors as a location, stay for a day or many long weeks or months and come back again for more - addictive Wai indeed:)

The villagers clearly have seen many celebrities come and go – they have many tales to tell if you lend them a patient ear, they proudly preen about meeting Shah Rukh Khan (Swades), Vivek Oberoi (Omkara), Sushmita Sen ( they say she smokes much), Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi to name some. They treated us like stars and I was worried if this was some means of extraction- only to realize soon they are genuinely helpful and caring.

For me Wai spelt simplicity. Not lazy or laid back, allowed one to love it and in turn Wai loved one back. It’s a gentleman’s village. Humble, helpful, and all they sought in return was appreciation. The most memorable thing of Wai for me was the good strawberry's I ate there – sweet and juicy – never got such kind in Bombay ever

The downside was that Wai doesn’t boast of any decent overnight stay places. While film units usually stay at Mahabaleshwar or Panchgani and drive down to Wai for shooting, we were camped in Wai for the first day, before we moved base to Satara. Not much to write home about the rooms or service in Wai.

Satara on the other hand wears its prosperity with pride. The 4 lane highway drive is a dream- a very international standard highway, (was tempting to fly on such roads) sugarcane crop provides the greens amidst giant lolling light brown mountains, thousands of windmills atop flat table land mountains that spin gently effortlessly creating energy in rhythm. In fact Satara has the distinction of having the largest windmill farm in Asia! The twisting mountain roads were fabulous too. Infact in one place when I looked back from the car- the scene was straight out of a picturesque story book- rolling roadways climbing and undulating with the mountains- with not a soul in sight! How I wish I had my camera in hand to freeze frame that shot! Sigh - regret:(

Some Satara villagers recommended that we ride to Sajjangad, close to Thosghar. Sajjangad is a small fort where Guru Ramdas Swami, the spiritual leader of the Mahratta Warrior Shivaji, lived. And we did. The weather was cool. We spent crazed hours working to ensure we used maximum daylight, then close to sunset went trigger happy on my own camera gasping and marveling once again at the Windmills and the awesome scenery surrounding us.

It was pack up time, armed with a camera full of pictures, we drove to the centre of the village to grab a bite, and soon hit the highway to head back to Pune first. The mountain countryside view on both sides of the road was once again raw, hard and breath-taking. It was now time to pay attention to the driver and keep him engaged in a conversation for the next 5 hours to get home safe and sound in the dark hours of the night.

What gadgets do you carry when traveling?

2010-01-13T00:09:00.001-08:00

In my light traveling mode I often imagine myself zooming off to travel with not much beyond the basic clothing and a piece of flint:)

But in reality when traveling we do pack in lot of gadgets. From iPods to noise-canceling headphones, digital cameras to GPS trackers, they take up space, can consume electricity and distract us from actually enjoying the trip. Things that will keep us safe if left to our own means we can keep ourselves entertained and usefully occupied.

Some gadgets that are a 'must carry' when traveling:

A multi tool holder- knife/corckscrew /pliers

A spare lock

An adapter plug for all devices: laptop, camera charger, cellphone charger, ipod... Its a pain to carry multiple cables all the time.

A handy first-aid travel kit. Must haves: bandages, painkillers essential tools for dealing with the bumps, scrapes, safety pins, duct tape, sting relief wipes, moisturizing wipes, alka seltzers...

A notebook and pen, you never know when the urge to write or make notes may strike

Tip:How do you fit a month’s worth of clothes into a 22-inch carry-on? By sucking the air out with vacuum packing bags. While you’re at it, it never hurts to bring along a half-dozen Ziploc-style bags, too:).

Of course, your ideal gadget list will also depend on what kind of a traveler you are. Hikers and campers may want headlamps instead of flashlights, or hand-crank radios instead of battery-powered, while urbanites may see little use for a first-aid kit. Go ahead and pick your gadget companions sensibly to pack along in the bag:)

Stressful travel stories

2009-12-22T03:14:00.000-08:00

The combination of horrible weather, backlog of cancelled flights, unexpected storms, heavy rains, politicians, technical snags anything can kick up a storm of logistical nightmares for a traveler.

Two such incidences: Thanks to some heavy heavy rains in Delhi two years ago, I was stuck spending more time than originally planned in that city. I was there so long, my friends dad beat me at cards, I dined on left overs, sat in a traffic snarl in a horridly smelly damp rented car for over 4 hours, missed my flight, waited an eternity at the airport till finally the boarding was announced.

Before my plane took off (on time) and everyone was jostling about in the aisle finding space to throw their cabin bags, seats, etc. a middle-aged guy asked if I minded swapping seats so he could sit with his family. Typically I don’t entertain such requests ever, but for reasons unknown to me I agreed to swap seats. No sooner did I plop down in the window seat, than this 400-pounder comes barreling down the aisle and beelines for the middle seat, adjacent to mine. Now, I really do understand the plight of the larger-bodied among us, but at a certain point, you have to stop and say to yourself "I no longer fit on a single airplane seat and no amount of wishful thinking will make it otherwise!." This guy? not so much. He squeezes in between the seats and flops down on top of me. Literally, on top of me - like pulls up the armrest and sits with one engorged ass cheek on my lap. Not only that, but for the next 5 minutes (yes, I let this go on for 5 minutes) he stares daggers down the front of my sweater!!

Finally I caught the eye of a steward and immediately requested for a more "comfortable seat" and the fat guy lost it at my request! He started screaming about how fat people are villianized and how he paid as much as I did for a seat, on and on. Finally, once he calmed down, I told him that's fine but I was really more concerned about the fact that he was rude and stared at me without blinking which I found very offensive.

I wish it ended there but no my troubles weren’t over yet. I was moved to a seat across the aisle from this rude fat guy and he spent the next 2 hours intensely glaring at me – Now tell me can bad luck really be badder than this?:)

This next incidence happened almost a year ago.

It was supposed to be an 11 hour transit in Brussels en-route home. The shuttle got me inside the airport. Upon arriving inside the terminal I lugged my cabin baggage up and down the entire length and breadth of the airport many times over, I even picked up 3 more carry bags from duty free. As if my current load was not enough! I still had 10 hours to board my flight home. I trudged towards the business lounge and found a comfortable perch for myself. Had a snack, washed it down with a drink, my flight was many many many hours away, it felt like time had gone still. I doodled on my sketch pad, wrote a few para’s of my observations, walked towards an automated kiosk to check if I should/could have stepped out of the airport into the city for a short sight seeing trip, that’s when I realized that not only was my flight no more 9hours away but had been canceled due to bad weather!

Courtesy a co-passenger knocking a glass of water down on my foot, that had me duck for cover and to find my equilibrium back I stared at a nearby cctv for eons together, without seeing anything. And then toink! It registered! It was snowing hard outside and I had not the foggiest clue till now! , and I learned my flight to home was canceled! It was now some time in the evening, and I was hungry. I was stuck at the airport, the food and closed in smells of the airport lounge were making me nauseous, I needed to walk some and breathe natural air. I walked out of the lounge back into the airport lobby – all shops had a deserted look, there were very few people inside the terminal; all the restaurants and sandwich bars were located beyond security, in the gate areas. I could not pass security now, as my flight was canceled, so I was stuck.

All flights to and from the airport were canceled, and the airport essentially closed. I would not be able to fly out until the next day, at least. By this time, all the hotel rooms had been booked, so I was stuck sleeping in my puffy winter coat back inside the lounge. I spent a few hours aimlessly browsing my computer as I contemplated my fate. I wandered around a forlorn looking airport, carrying my heavy bags. By now I had tasted all the foods and ice creams on offer and gained unnecessary calories. Almost time to have boarded my scheduled flight, which now was canceled, I ambled over to yet another corner in this premium, to myself lounge, and made myself comfortable on a large leather sofa. Soon I was snuggled into a crouch and drifting to sleep, when a Sheraton staff gently awoke me and said the brightest words ever. “We have a room for you- you can rest there till your flight is announced” – and I allowed this lady to shepherd me to a king sized bed with snuggly pillows for the best night of sleep I had ever had. I awoke refreshed and happy the next morning, ready to board my plane. Sadly, that flight remained canceled for another 15hours. And finally I was scheduled on a new flight. A woman ahead of me bitched shrilly that she had been waiting for three hours or so after her flight was canceled. I calmly informed her that I had been stuck at the airport for over 38 hours, and she mercifully shut up.

Finally, I boarded my flight home arrived late 2 nights later than my scheduled arrival, exhausted and cranky. I still had papers to work on, and I had gotten nothing done during my extended stay at the airport. I waited for a long time at baggage claim, only to discover that my luggage had been lost, and would be delivered to our home. It arrived two days later.
Maybe you have stories that make mine look timid. So tell me about yours.

Airplane Seat-Mate from Hell! Rate for your worst nightmare.

2009-12-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

Who is that someone you hope NOT to sit with on your next flight!

I know- it's hard, but select only one:-)

Gujju land- Ahmdavad

2009-11-23T00:51:00.001-08:00

Ahmedabad is located on the banks of river Sabarmati, reflecting a rich mix of Hindu and Jain temples along with the finest Islamic monuments. The carved wooden houses are wonderful. At one chowk, we saw Persian, Maratha, British and Islamic style houses - 4 cultures in one area!

Sabarmati river often dries up in the summer, leaving only a small stream of water as was evident even in November. The air had started to get nippy in the mornings and evenings, go a little beyond Ahmedabad and you can feel the cool air surround you during the day- as was the case when we went to Ambaji in the mountains

The steady expansion of the Rann of Kutch threatens further desertification of the city area and much of the state. Except for the small hills of Thaltej-Jodhpur Tekra, the city sits in an almost flat area. Fabulous roads, great infrastructure, one can see prosperity in the city and what fabulous national highways. A driver’s pleasure to be on such roads.

You can feast on Muslim delights in a state with common belief everything is vegetarian other than the Hindu militancy which is not so vegetarian.
We went to Manek Chowk’s khau galli and also the biggest gold markets where daily millions of rupees and tons of gold change hands. One can see bricks of 5 kg gold here in the evening! Manek chowk’s standout product of khau galli was a grilled pineapple sandwich with cheese and pineapple topping- very popular with the locals.

The Law Garden Khau galli was a bit of a let down, as was the great Rajwadu which is nothing short of a rip off! Bad food, crappy service, in the name of royal ambiance they sell empty dark, badly lit, space!

Shopping was fun in the city -Surprisingly I found stores such as Bandhej and Fab India to have far more variety and stock than the stores in Bombay.
I loved the genteel nature of people there. The aam aadmi didn’t display no signs of overt chalupana (shrewdness) , perhaps the opposite actually - a tad naïve and innocent they were. A very endearing quality and I hope they retain this in their culture.

So where does the aggression in politics stem from I wonder? Religion you think?
It’s a captivating city that touches ones heart! Wish I had more time to get to know more people. Who knows maybe we will return to Ahmdavad during Sankranti for more feverish partying with friends

An underground palace in Ahmedabad - Adalaj step well

2009-11-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

This site touched me emotionally- for its architecture, for its many stories of intrigue and drama, for the wonderful foresight that was available to the people centuries ago and so on.

Why have we forgotten the good old methods of conservation of water in modern times!! Today water is fast deplenishing, and no one seems bothered about saving this vital resource so long as your home and office taps spew and gush water. Ask those people who have seen water shortages, ask the people living in rain starved villages and you realize the importance or the lack of safe drinking water and its lack of availability

The Adalaj step is an architectural marvel steeped in history that I did not have the foggiest about. This is an intricately carved well that descends seven floors downwards into the earth (very different from the wells we have seen in our life time) Infact the lower you climb the temperature drops to surround you with cool air inside this giant well. Built entirely of sandstone, one can enter this step-well from three sides – the octagonal landings have carved colonnades and intricately carved niches. Openings in the ceilings above the landing have been provided to allow light and air to enter the well. Natural air conditioning! Each landing has wide space suggesting that people, especially travelers, rested here while on their journeys – to quench their thirst with the cool waters before resuming their journeys. Glorious yesteryears indeed! As we walked about exploring the architecture, marveling at the steps carved out of stone ( the steps are made of slabs of stones that inter lock into each other), discovering the various levels to this inner side of the well – the view captured by my camera got even more joyous. The many questions surrounding this beautiful discovery got answered on coming back home by my friends and their family elders who have lived in Ahmedabad for a very long time.

History has it that Rana Veer Singh ruled the area around Adalaj. He started the construction of the step-well, which he wanted to be the most beautiful one around. Unfortunately he was killed in battle by Mohammed Begda, who coveted the widowed queen, Rani Ruba. Mohammed Begda proposed marriage to the Rani. The Queen agreed on one condition; that he complete the 7-storeyed step–well at Adalaj first.

Complete it he did in 1499–and he came back to the queen with his proposal. The next day, Rani Ruba flung herself into the water and drowned.

One of the well kept secrets of some of the step wells was that it also had hidden doors and chambers that led royal people, specially the queens to escape from being captured. They would simply fall into the well and pretend to be drowned but in reality, they would open hidden chambers and escape elsewhere . Wonder if Rani Ruba survived the plunge and escaped to live?

I walked around the exquisitely carved chambers, slightly perturbed. What about the 3 graves that were found near the well? It is believed that when Mohammed Begda asked the artisans if it were possible to build another step-well like the one at Adalaj they replied in the affirmative. This proved to be their undoing and they were instantly put to death. Shah Jahan-esqe isn’t it? Perhaps that is why the Adalaj step-well stands unrivaled till today. Beauty, romance and tragedy – well, every well has a story to tell!

On a more logical note- I wish our Government or Private public partnerships could look at reinventing such models to capture water for multi-purposes, while being earth friendly and non intrusive to not cause any further imbalances in our climate.

I hope this post renews the zest in us, similar to what our ancestors felt, to ensure deliverance (water relief for the weary sun burnt traveler) without any wastage's ( collection and restorage points)

Pondicherry

2009-09-07T02:15:00.000-07:00

The name “Pondicherry” is a Westernized version of the Tamil “puducherry” meaning “small hamlet

This city is divided into French and Tamil localities with both sections displaying architectural details peculiar to each culture. In the French Town, the streets are lined by imposing colonial buildings with stately gates and huge compound walls. The facades are usually painted cream or light pink. In the Tamil Town, houses are typically painted green, blue and brown and have large, expansive verandahs ideal for a quick chat with passers by or even to be used as an impromptu guest room for unexpected travelers

Our travel to Pondicherry revolved around the Aurobindo Ashram, the Auroville, a nearby corner street for water or snacks replenishment, and the local diner - café which we frequented often for lunch and dinner. This diner place was called Le Club that retains much of that old world grandeur even today. Am not sure if it is a new place built to look like from olden times, or a genuinely olden place. The restaurant tastefully lights up at night in the garden of the old French villa. Located on Dumas Street very close to where we were staying it had some very authentic French food that had us returning regularly.

Auroville was the other place we found ourselves gravitating towards - conceived as a utopian city where people of different nationalities from all over the world could live in harmony. Around 1900 people, most of them non Indians live here in communes. During the inauguration of this community, soil from 124 countries was poured into an urn symbolizing the oneness of humanity. One can buy beautiful hand crafted arts in here. From perfumed candles, to hand made chappals, to necklaces, exotic silver ware, lamps, ceramic pottery and hand made paper, to antiques from Tamilnad and Kerala- this place became another destination for us to visit regularly during our stay there with the hope of shopping real ‘finds’ here

Although not in the same league as Goa, Pondicherry has its share of small, uncrowded beaches. The small promenade by evening finds many strollers largely tourists , taking in the salty sea breeze. The beach is relatively free of mankind, rather rocky and unsafe for swimming.

The impressive French architecture living alongside Indian culture in harmony is a prime example of how everybody gets along in this tiny town. The serenity and relative quiet of Pondicherry is worth having a sample of – don’t go there expecting action, else you will be disappointed.

The Golden Temple Amritsar.

2009-08-27T05:08:00.001-07:00

I distinctly recall our car was not allowed to drive through the barricades, the driver furiously negotiating with the cops, we waiting patiently inside the car knowing it will all sort out and eventually we did drive through to reach The Golden Temple

It was a very hot and humid day. Amidst much noise and so many people and the bustle of the narrow street, my head had begun to call out for help! I drove past the site of Jallianvala Baug and my heart felt for all those that died here.

With these emotions churning within I stepped out of the car covered my head as tradition demanded and entered Shri Harmandir Sahib/The Golden Temple. We first stopped to leave behind our shoes in safe keeping. And then walked on the hot marble to climb down the steps towards the Sarovar.

Everything suddenly stopped.

The only sound I could hear was the religious songs being sung in the temple. I was immediately overwhelmed by what I saw and felt. The nearest thing I can describe was a feeling of calm quietude descending on me. A coming home kind of feeling. I felt like I was meant to be there. I walked around struggling to ensure my chunni stayed atop my head, trying to absorb as many views as I could of this magnificent place. There has to be something in it. My senses couldn’t comprehend it but my soul could.

A holy place packed to capacity with the weekend crowd. We did our parikrama of the sarovar (water pond in the center) twice over – to a feeling of satisfaction.

The white marble we walked on was burning hot reminding me of how in the old days people may have had to walk over coals to seek atonement. With an utter feeling of a high, when the prasad of kada got handed out I was simply felt blessed. The Golden Temple. This place was all that I had heard about and more.

Large, bustling with activity, crowded! Yet everything had a sense of peace and calm. The shabad kirtan had a soothing effect and after pausing to take in the beauty of the Harmandir Sahib, we joined the queue to enter the inner sanctorum. I am always pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness and discipline exhibited at Sikh gurudwaras. The marble flooring was spotlessly clean and irrespective of the size of the crowd nobody pushes or tries to get ahead – quite unlike some of the temples that I have visited. I was quite impressed with the intricate carvings and detail on the walls and with the fact that everybody tries to do some seva (selfless service) here.

I had initially planned to taste the famous langar but the humid weather and the morning breakfast made me pass it this once, but will give it a try another time.

Darbar Sahib also called The Golden Temple or Temple of God is culturally the most significant place of worship of the Sikhs & one of the oldest Sikh Gurudwaras located in Amritsar which was established by Guru Ram Das the 4th guru of the Sikhs

In here nobody goes away hungry. For pilgrims and the poor, there's the divine langar. For the souls seeking more there is indeed more. And for the tourists and the locals, there's the ubiquitous dhaba

I find myself ill equipped to close this post, deep inside me I know I will definitely return to The Golden Temple soon.

Wagah Border.

2009-08-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

I had heard a lot about the retreat ceremony at the Atari-Wagah border, some 28 kms from Amritsar, the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan.

While we did our best to reach before time and just about made it on time, we had not factored in the weekend crowd and just about managed to squeeze into a crowded stand which only had a partial view of the gates. The mood was soon set by a large group of school girls dancing to Hindi film patriotic songs. Some foreigners too jumped in with much dancing and waving of arms and legs. It was a great setting – the evening sunset, a few Indian flags in the crowd, smartly turned out BSF soldiers who looked so tall like the Pathans of Afghanisthan and amidst a lot of patriotic sloganeering – I couldn't help but feel very proud as an Indian, proud as never before.

Be prepared for an assault on the senses. We were surrounded by smelly wet perspiration soaked Mango People who despite the mad mad rush allowed us some room to stand without being felt over! People were on a high here, suddenly it seemed that all standing in the Indian side of the balconies were feeling a tremendous rush of pride and honour in being there watching and participating in the retreat. I was keen to get started on some ‘forever etched in memory kinda shots’ with my camera, but trying to find a comfortable spot, balance myself, not tip over and yet not come in the way of someone else, was a gigantic task! We pushed through the crowd and managed to reach as close we could to the balcony railing. I could see the other side of the border – the Pakistani Rangers in their black Pathani suits and a quiet audience that sat very orderly in the audience galleries on the other side of the border.

The ceremony started with some smart drill and marching by the BSF. The jawans kicking their heels incredibly high and putting on a show of mock face-off with the Pak rangers, much to the delight of the crowd. A white line that came along with the partition in 1947 by the British demarcates the border between India and Pakistan about a yard apart. The soldiers drill with pounding long strides on the grounds as the two iron gates are shut with a final handshake. The ceremony invokes nostalgia among the visitors and offers something that one cannot afford to miss as a short excursion from Amritsar.

After a while I found myself being repulsed by this show as I found it to be too threatening in stance and too combative and confrontationalist! All this fervour was drummed and beaten up by an orchestraor (DJ if you wish) who signaled the crowds to cheer and boo according to his commands! My initial feeling of patriotism gave way to a feeling of sadness, a feeling of being let down. Perhaps because I have always had the highest regard for our army. So when they do these public theatres like at the Wagah border it felt so staged! The entire ceremony became repetitive and farfetched.

I had had enough of the hot humid weather and the milling crowd and the harsh sun and I just wanted to get back to the air conditioned comfort of the hotel room. But there was no way out from the jam packed stands, so we waited some more and finally all of us just decided to make our way despite the milling crowds who magically allowed us a path out, we left before the ceremony was completed. As I walked back to the parking after the ceremony I could not help wondering about what the soldiers would do once the crowds had melted away. Would some of them casually saunter off across the border and share a drink with their counterparts? Or, perhaps share some jokes with each other on the way the crowds behaved today vis a vis the previous weekend. What if the border had actually been drawn a few more kms north. Wouldn’t some of the soldiers guarding the frontier, be probably guarding it from the other side? What choice does an individual have in choosing his Nationality?

Playing glutton in the land of milk and ghee -Amritsar

2009-08-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was told by friends that often the locals prefer to send out for food rather than cook in their kitchens, now I know why:) The food is not only hot and tasty, its also fresh and clean. Despite my fears of the water they served to drink and the watery chutney and the not so fresh looking diced onions given as accompaniment with the kulchas not once did I suffer any tummy problems.

I have never eaten kulchas like this ever before in my life! Crunchy, tasty, mouth watering, so yummy that I could not desist from having more than I should have had! The Amritsari kulcha I devoured with relish, its for those who may not know much about a kuclcha- a flaky crisp white flour bread stuffed with potatoes, spiced onions chilly and pepper, jeera and anardana on the inside and roasted in generous dollops of butter to give that crunch. This kinda kulcha cannot be found anywhere beyond Amritsar I swear to you . A tiny ramshackle place in a side street off the main road dished up this tasty meal which I ate with tasty chole (albeit a bit watery) and green chutney which I washed down with a brass tumbler full of cool lassi. It was no over exaggeration that the best bread is available on the streets of Amritsar

This journey of food exploration from the streets of Amritsar certainly made me believe all I had heard thus far about how tasty food is in this city! Amritsaris do indeed dish up the most flavoursome and fragrant of food at the humblest of prices At dinner time I ordered straightforward simple food and given how ravenous I was, I downed most of it but must acknowledge that Lonely Planet probably is not the best judge of good north Indian food

At first glance Amritsar belies of prosperity, wealth and a certain influx of internationalism. The more I looked around and observed the more I detected a certain humbleness, a quality that many who were selling would not compromise on, a certain respect allowed to the women despite the hot bloodedness of the males from these parts of north India or the over crowded streets where congestion word was probably discovered.

My observations - chaos is not a bad thing, am sure there is definite method to any madness. However does chaos have to mean mess? Chaotic traffic? Dilapidated buildings? Guess the Govt doesn’t care but do we stop caring? Our cities look equally bad so not once am I passing any judgment here- all I am seeking is some of us need to wake up and stop accepting this degeneration quietly . We live in a sorry state and we shouldn’t be. We need to change things – we need to reflect care for things, we need to demand better things for ourselves from ourselves. And not allow it to get from bad to worse. And this observation is true for most of pilgrim cities I have visited in India

All too soon, it was time to head back home, while I was keen to get back to Pooch I also wished I had some extra time in hand to stop and buy Amritsari papads and Pinni’s and gur halwa for family and friends. I sat a tad wistful in the plane that it was all over too soon, but promised myself I would come back here with family and take in the sounds and smells and everything Amritsari slowly and joyfully and savour it. I remember seeing this little kulfi shop, the name of which I cannot recollect. I wanted to stop and sample its wares but could not, I know their malai kulfi is to die for! I wanted to have the Paneer pakoras and the kachauris and the desi ghee jalebis and the phirni and the bhaturas and the ma ki dal and the aam papar - all of this the next trip for sure! I know the patiala suits are gorgeous and awaiting me for the next trip. This is the land of senses alright- creamy yet textured, I promise to get back to this wonderful land soon

Ale or Lager? Delhi has come a long way baby!

2009-05-27T03:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend in Delhi was not just a rich sports filled day with Monte Carlo becoming a good hunting ground for the prancing horse (Ferrari yes!) who finally made it to a 3rd on the podium closely followed by Massa at 4, but also the T20 finals between Hyderabad and Bangalore giving enough respite to what could have been an otherwise tension filled evening between old rivals Delhi and Bombay were they to come face to face in this seasons IPL.

I found myself in Delhi's cool(!) Sports Bar enjoying the race with friends amidst lively conversation. And soon after the race we moved to a Bavarian beer bar where we were joined by more friends given the popularity of IPL and the finals. This place promised very fresh beer…and the music blasting from within was enough to set us all on our feet!

And so pitcher after pitcher, the evening had begun in true earnest. The beer was indeed fresh. Retaining the original taste from the tap right till the serving mug reached the halfway mark. Unlike the bottled or canned beer which loses much of its original character. There’s this issue of varying temperatures and a host of other factors like the quantity produced and the way in which it is transported etc. so is my guess. Which is why the bar was thronging with ex-pats and Indians alike all rubbing shoulders and exchanging smiles with strangers as the beer went down smoothly and the music was electric! And by now Kumble’s men had restricted Gillys boys for inside 150!

The evening was setting firmly in place for all of us, amidst loud chatter, food plates being passed around, with difficulty being able to hear ones own voice forget hearing the others we still were chatting with one another and communicating with the giant screens pushing the adrenalin even higher ball after ball , and all this was taken farenhites further with the romance of beer ... at that a fresh one right at the source:)

There was lots to experience - endless variety of brews made from just four ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast. One could choose from a selection of draft beers (made from rice or wheat or germ flour) or even a glass of ale or lager or dark beer or wine or mixed drink of your choice We were nicely settled at a vantage point to view the screen and the game, and the taste of pumped up music and the microbreweries, craft beer or brewpubs all added the right dosage of magic to an evening which was anyways glorious given the high of betting on the right team or the right score or the right batsman! Nothing can replace a great live performance – and we all loved the great show that Gillys boys put up in the second innings!

From the frosty mug to the dark long-necked glass different folks were enjoying the most tasteful journey of this sunset yellow or dark brewed indulgence. But naturally, it occurs to me, to popularize a new concept such as fresh beer brew the beerbar management rightly combined cricket frenzy with the merriment of beer. It generated a lot of buzz in this outsourcing and software hub, dotted by malls and shopping plazas.

Kumbles men crumbled, the DJ went many notches louder on his music rack, the beer was smooth and quite tasty. The calorie content, I’m told, was lower than bottled beer. The ambience was great. The friends were a riot to be with. What else could one ask for after the grunge of a work filled week?

I love Paris

2009-05-22T04:06:00.000-07:00

I will try and recollect my first images of Paris here, because those images vary to a very large extent, now that I have been a regular to Paris.

Paris is a pretty small city compared to many other European capitals. The Govt had mooted an idea of extending its boundaries to the suburbs in order to make a “Greater Paris” area, aka London, but this seems to be stuck in the pipeline despite President Sarkozy taking this on himself and making it a priority!

We reached Paris on a warm sunny day. The trees were alive with new leaves, people were seated on sidewalk cafes chatting amicably, and drinking in outdoor terraces – window gazing and ambling lazily on the streets – it’s easy to love spring in Paris. I absolutely love this city. A thriving megapolis Paris also has many hidden treasures. We discovered this cute little village like lane where we strolled along under blossoming trees and a canal cris-crossing at intervals never once being cut off by any vehicular traffic. Now that is never possible in a Bombay:)

The slight nip in the air saw the evenings receive light showers. That made it comfortable if you are snug in a jacket to walk about with pleasure. I was warned well in advance that I was not likely to find any food (veg) to my liking, so I was so well prepared to last out on bread and cheese that when I stumbled on eateries I was so gloriously delighted to find great tasting veg food! Minus the French onion soup though!

On a wintry afternoon I discovered the crepes guy making hot crepes that melted in the mouth with maple syrup – o so so so yum! Meethinks the French spend more time eating compared to any other country including Italy. Not surprising, giving the gourmet foods on display and the glorious cheeses and wines! But the one thing that stood out for me was the formal attitude of the waiters and waitress in the patisseries and cafes and lounges and restobars. I've never come across one with an attitude that could be described as remotely 'casual'. Always propah, always formal stiff and starched- a sunny smile could do wonders in the winter chill am sure:)

I was also warned about the rude French folks who would neither be helpful nor polite. And of course that they wouldn’t speak English no matter what! And once again I was so pleasantly surprised. They spoke English, they were courteous, charming and above all very helpful. Wonder why the Parisians have earned themselves such a -ve brand equity.

Anyway moving to what is an absolute must in case you are visiting for the very first time, take in this gorgeous city at face value. It is indeed the land of romance and love – and you will find young and old smooching, hugging, holding hands, in a tight clinch anywhere and everywhere. Lovely isn’t it!:)

Ok coming to the sites and sounds- of course the Eiffel Tower, is a must see, this colossal landmark, although initially hated by many Parisians, is now a famous symbol of French civic pride. It looks beautiful at night when lit

Notre Dame Cathedral, this famous cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture (12th century marvel), stands on the Île de la Cité is the symbolic heart of the city.

Luxembourg Gardens, are a beautiful 25 hectares green oasis on Paris’s fashionable left bank showing off many statues, fountains and flowers, it is one of the most popular destinations for relaxation.

Louvre Palace-Museum, home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. The Louvre is more than simply the largest museum in the world. The stones of the building are a collective symbol of French identity. It has an unparalleled collection of items covering the full spectrum of art through the ages of 800 years of history. There is much to see here, please wear sensible shoes for the immense lengths you will be walking here.

Arc de Triomphe, This world-famous landmark structure has served ever since the days of Napoleon as a symbol of victory for triumphant French troops returning home.

Pantheon, this ancient church is the resting place for many of France's greatest heroes.

If you like some expensive entertainment, the Lido on the Champs Elysées is a good choice. We went to the show Bonheur, which is still playing. I guess you can compare it with the Moulin Rouge, but it's better actually.

I've been to both and the Lido is more glamorous and there are more dancers. You really can't compare the show - it's just different. In the Lido the stage moves all the time. They have great dancers, clothing, light, water and even a real horse in their show.

It costs a lot of money, but for the Lido is more worth it than the Moulin Rouge.

And once you have done all these- make sure you eat in the sidewalk cafes, sip wine in the evenings at restobars, lounge about in some cozy cafes and bars, explore the cuisine and try your hand at new foods, get yourself going on the Parisian culture of etiquette and fine living:)

Its always au revoir for Paris for me – goodbye till we meet again:)

Window seat blues

2009-05-12T02:22:00.000-07:00

Do you carry your fave soft toy or fave jeans or fave perfumes when you travel? Well I have always carried my music for any unforeseen circumstances that may arise. My collection is a rather eclectic one, those who know me disregard my playlist and those who don’t, find new music they’d like to know more on.

Thank God for music portability in today’s age. As am not sure how I would have passed my most idyllic moments on a beach or walking in the greens! Music is not just a passing fancy with me, but has been a constant companion during my travels and bedtime. I have to date lost 3 i-pods in transit due to tiredness and sleepiness, but that does not deter me from buying the 4th i-pod or a scandisk as a back up to ensure I have music at all times when traveling.

I remember traveling on a holiday from Bangalore during early days on a scanty budget. Accompanied by a bag loaded with treasured cassettes, I found myself on a bus heading to Goa. I realized if I am not listening to music (I was never big on boy bands but always heavy on rock!! Floyd, Muddy waters, Doors!) the journey (bus drive) would become torturous and unending misery for me. And that’s dangerous as I can so easily spoil my fellow travelers joy! Left alone to myself with my music and my window seat I was happy to take in the sights and sounds of the beautiful coastal drive.

Many a conversations during travel have begun with music. Learning from a fellow traveler on jazz and its origins, to playing my music in shacks in Goa because the shack owner is running low on ‘rock music’, helps befriends strangers and start easy friendly conversations on holidays. Many a times I have voluntarily shared music on my travels. And sometime when lyrics are translated for my benefit (because I don’t understand the language) it does not deter me from appreciating the pain in the music. Blues can embrace and envelop you because of a common understood message.

Essentially music goes wherever I go. It maybe the naughty voice of Sunidhi Chauhan or the dancing vocals of Shakin Stevens or Shakira, or the calming voice of A R Rahman or the vibrant rhythms of Buddha Bar, Jamiroquai or Enigma –music always comes in handy on travel, and helps me relate to people, especially when I am miles away from home

Paharganj with a purpose!

2009-04-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

The reason we traveled many kilometers to Paharganj was for the famous Sitaram choley-bhaturey. Soft and delicious, it sure is the enemy of one's arteries but so yummy for the taste buds:) The bhatureys are one of a kind, stuffed with lightly salted paneer and aromatic greens, the authentic north Indian choley is topped and garnished with carrot pickle and green chutney and chopped onions - delectable! And my God is it heavy and filling – keeps you away from any other food all day long! My brother insists that ever since he has had the chholey-bhaturey at Sitaram's, there is no other place in India that compares and I grudgingly agree with him . Sitaram also serves khattae aloo (potato gravy) which is too sour for me but is an equal hit with his patrons! A tiny non descript place in the middle of a narrow 2 way street called chunagali which is invariably always caught in traffic snarls, you got to be single minded and focused when heading to Sitarams!

On a full stomach, and all of a sudden sleepy eyes I trudge out of Sitarams, shielding myself from the harsh sun, and come out to the end of this street into a flea market of sorts. Very similar in look and feel to Goa minus the beaches! Similar kind of stuff on sale. Similar kind of grunge on the street. Similar beckoning of shopkeepers thinking us to be foreigners to come and check the wares. And the similarity ends there.

Paharganj was delightful for me, as I discovered, its delight, on foot. Dhaaba and European restaurants nestle in this quaint street next to each other, Jalebee’s and Lassi’s are a hungry mans pick-me-up, fashion street kinda clothing and street side shoes shops are dime a dozen, and even many more souvenir shops, tiny as they seem, once you step in, are like a long non ending corridor of more things to be discovered within!

The people selling in these shops have a friendly demeanor ( starkly in contrast to the aggression of Delhi). The inner streets of this old world called Paharganj are unique, charming, mystical and happy. Many of the shops in there sell one category of goods, like silver jewelry or wire screens or beads and necklaces, or old antique pieces or shoes- reflecting decades and decades of traditional cultural Indianess.

This market boasts of 2 types of clientele, the locals and hordes of foreign visitors. The foreigners needs and requirements, help sprout, travel agencies-coffee houses-backpacker hotels and stylish fusion restaurants, which make them a lot more profitable:)

Paharganj allows you to devour the local moods rather happily. One thing is sure: A Street devoted to a particular product can almost overnight turn into the home of trendy restaurants. On one short block, I walked past a Conti bar, a Mediterranean restaurant, a patisserie and two upscale coffee houses. This mood of Delhi was most definitely a new exploration for me.

On the other hand on day 2 when I walked the streets of Paharganj really ravenous, I came across single-item restaurants, places where you perch on low stools and for very little have a sumptuous snacks – katchori, samosa, malai lassi, noodles, plain coffee, brun maska pao!! May not be a large variety to chose from, but delectable, economical, Indian and fresh!

The streets are teeming with foreigners of various hues and purposes, many of them looked like they did not belong to the present, and many who looked bright and vivacious searching a good bargain! I loved the easy pace as I shopped with glee and found myself much trivia and trinkets as souvenirs for friends back home.

Paharganj is hectic! All day a rush hour of traffic, people, complete with cows and stray dogs aimlessly roaming the streets and laying down where they please. Incense smoke and delicious food scent the air. This place is friendly and welcoming. The surrounding buildings are rather forlorn looking and ruptured, every street corner has a small cosy cafe – guess the basic needs of a traveler do get fulfilled with these:)

Some foreigners have come here in search of religion, some others in search of yoga and some are merely vacationing!

Paharganj almost feels like is caught in a time warp! It's an oasis of old culture in Delhi, a still-beautiful city of colonial villas, gardens and lakes that nonetheless is dotted with new high-rise projects, with massive lung space and is now getting transformed into suburban malls too. Some of it is exactly like it was when some old timers recall Paharganj of the yore, and some rue the loss of the old Paharganj that was tree lined and fantastic and sacred. A 100ft tall Hanuman keeps an eye on all that transpires here so beware all!:)

I found Paharganj to be forward and cheeky like our new age India.

Chandini Chowk- Timeless Lure

2009-04-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

A man holds up a fake chandelier the size of 40feet, and that is the entrance to Bhagirath Palace known for its unique down to earth prices for exotic lampshades. A nearby lane showcases a variety of electronics, locks, phones, rotating fans etc; if you are indeed looking for a steal this is the market to visit!

Anyone who walks these crowded streets opposite Jama Masjid in Old Delhi could be forgiven for doing a double take. On the right side of the road is this gigantic monumental pride of India the Red Fort, and on the left side is this manic, crowded, teeming with boundless energy in its tiny streets and shops offering bargain deals.

Here you see aam janta rubbing shoulders with the sophisticates, realism & practicality rubbing shoulders with urbane energy. All hunting for great bargains. I even saw a shop displaying stacks of paper money – fake dollars, euros and rupees—to attract customers:)

Just before Chandini Chowk we passed by a street named Daryaganj , where most items for sale on this block, were either ‘seconds’ or stolen. It was indeed a Sunday flea market that had families with limited spending power come out in hordes to shop.

Walk down the traditional street of CC, and the smell of food (samosas, kachoris, bhatura channa and jalebis) overwhelms the exhaust fumes from the car and motorbike traffic jockeying for space with the rickshaws and the ubiquitous human driven bicycle taxis. All cursing each other with the harsh sun beating down the weary traveler and the shopper alike.

These quaint streets didn't even consist of streets in the initial times, but were more a collection of little communities, separated from each other by gates and bamboo hedges, according to the book "Old Delhi -- Streets of Chandini Chowk". Over time urbanization and development have given rise to many road blockades and one way streets or no way street as the case maybe, to avoid humans being trampled. Humans jostle with each other, with non existent pavements and black smoke laden traffic, to find some space to exist!

From streets devoted to grains, bottles, charcoal, paint, to todays streets – that sell herbs, dry fruits, antique silver and gold to fancy clothing and wedding attire, to silk and paintings and statues and glassware, you will find everything you need here, provided you have the patience for crowds and no fuss attitude.

Enterprising merchants have started repairing and selling computers in here. The car driver educated us on the advantages of trading old laptops for new machines in this street! I did see a young man bring in his aging IBM ThinkPad where one of the screen's hinges had snapped in half. He was asked to leave behind his Thinkpad for 4 days as the shopkeeper had to wait for parts to arrive, but the deal was struck for a mere Rs 200/- So much for laptops being too expensive to be repaired!

Chandini Chowks popularity has soared once again with movies being themed around this locale & fashionistas making it trendy to visit. The real estate has soared in value here. The shop owners who live above their stores wouldn't consider any other sort of life. They like the ease of stepping out on the street buying whatever they need, talking with friends over walls, and hate the concept of shifting out of here into apartments in other localities as that would mean no meeting neighbors for days together!

The flip side to this pride of community is when you glance upwards you tend to see a lot of loosely hung cables which looked alarming, reflecting utter neglect and callousness. Thickly congested roads and intense traffic pollution could not be conducive to health. To my mind this is indeed a heavy price to pay for a flourishing business.

What would I wish for to change in this bustling street? Actually, not much. Chandini Chowk derives its character from the myriad things sold, the myriad diversity of people and languages that merge here…I only wish for an enchanting body of water surrounded by trees and featuring some quiet and peace. This should allow the weary shopper and the traveler alike some lung space, to catch ones breath and resume the feverish journey with gusto again.

Have a good trip ahead!

2009-04-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

How do you describe the feeling that you get before traveling? The much anticipation, the much excitement, the waiting to get that ride to the destination, the things one will do when one reaches the destination…all of this adds much zing and happiness because one is looking ahead, a clean canvas that will eventually get splashed with vibrant energetic colours. You will get to paint your art. Liberating isn’t it?

But if the journey ahead is full of dread, anguish, sadness, non stop tears, pain, memories, even this experience leaves one anxious, wishing the journey would be long over and done with, because one is looking ahead at a canvas that is already painted and waiting for you to be picked up. You will not be allowed to choose your art here.

What a marked difference when purposes of travels can be so different, right? Leisure travel, holiday, meeting friends and relatives, meeting loved ones, work travel all have a note of positivism and good excitement associated with it. Travel when it is to do with a heavy heart- loss of a dear one, moving cities after marriage, being unwell, air sickness and a long haul ahead, all these have a baggage of sadness, loss, a vacuum of sorts that leads to no purpose, the unfamiliar , hence the dread and unhappiness.

Life is a journey people say. I sincerely wish all of you a journey of discovery and exploration always, whatever be the purpose.

Budget airline charges

2009-03-29T08:08:00.001-07:00

An Irish budget airline Ryanair has said it is considering charging passengers for using the toilet while flying.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary told the BBC that the Dublin-based carrier was looking at maybe installing a "coin slot on the toilet door".

Ryanair aims to offer low basic ticket prices, and then charge extra for items such as checking in at the airport or for additional luggage.

Bon Voyage. Courtesy FM:)

Princely Jaisalmer

2009-03-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

Imagine a bustling, alive, castle-like habitat, on a gorgeous yellow hill, surrounded and encapsulated in its own world? It’s beautiful, magical, enthralling - Rising from the heart of the Thar Desert like a golden mirage - the city of Jaisalmer. One with nature, harmonious in its blending, so complete in its dwelling and narration, enchanting in its tales and folklore - it took my breath away.

At times I was an out an out tourist there gawking at the colours, the marvel of the havelis and the ghagra cholis and the silver jewelry; at times I felt at home with the generosity of the people treating me so kindly to their hearth and reflecting such warm hearts when sharing their bajra rotis and green chilies and ghee for dinner under the open skies of their thatched roof home courtyards; and there were times I felt like the fairy princess so at peace with the magic of this land that I felt I was living in the fairy tales of Arabian lands. Jaisalmer weaves an undeniable magic on the traveler with its simplicity, mystic and magical way of life.

I was there on a film shoot and spent a beautiful 11days in the desert land surrounded by the army of India (incidentally we were shooting with them) - a hospitable warm kind hearted world of people who with equal ease could take apart any enemy threatening their world. We lived in this once upon a time gigantic palace turned hotel today with remnants of the palatial days with beautiful linen and 4 poster beds, large rooms that engulfed me with its high ceilings and cold walls.
On the first morning here, I walked out keeping an eye on the tall fort visible from everywhere in town, and found its gates without having to ask anyone while on a recce. The Fort is a town by itself packed with people and life. It has roof top restaurants that serve world cuisines, art shops that sell wares of the state, locals playing musical instruments everywhere especially little children with such adeptness and ease that had me transfixed and rooted to the spot, mesmerized and transported into another magical world. And boy can they sing! They are gifted with vocal chords so deep and beautiful; they create magic with their songs. Moved by the melody of their music, I bought a lot of local music and even a local musical instrument.

The fortress is an impressive structure. The thick fort walls built on a tall mound are visible from far away. Jaisalmer is a remote land that is unlikely to come in an enemy's path, but king Rawal Jaisal was cautious enough to build something infallible. Sadly today, it is not well looked after and with the pillage and nature causing its own havoc part of this fortress has crumbled and people say more likely to be eroded. A pity. These forts need to be preserved as part of our heritage for an eternity I should think!

Right outside the fort, is Patwon Ki Haveli, an edifice that stands taller than the Royal Palace in the fort. A magnificent structure that is resplendent in yesteryears royalty and magnificence of art- it is breathtaking. A photographer’s delight.

And the next day we moved like a caravan into the deserts. I was spell bound. Rolling sand dunes, Picture perfect settings. Cool breeze lifting the sand ever so slightly. Could nature be so beautiful? So artistic? So pure so magnificent, so… I was at a loss of words. I felt Jaisalmer in every pore of my being. I felt the fine sand under my feet, the dunes were absorbed by my senses as if I was starved for Gods creation, the blue feathery skies, the yellow rolling sand dunes, the camels with their brightly coloured turbaned owners riding them into the horizon- all made Jaisalmer so very eternal for me.

The sights en route the next 10days captivated me so completely, they are part of my most treasured memories. The sea of yellow shimmering sands ,herds of cattle and sheep roaming around purposelessly ,the children trotting off to school, while their mothers dressed in the most gorgeous colours of clothing prepare their afternoon meal on a dung-fire. Underneath the star-studded sky, you feel the cool desert breeze and wonder about life in the untamed countryside of this fascinating desert.

The proud local tribes--- Bishnois, Bhils, shepherds, potters, weavers etc in their natural surroundings. The various varieties of desert wildlife-the bluebulls, gazelles, foxes, peacocks, partridges - a trip to this land of exotic ethnicity, the soil of the maharajas and the valiant Rajputs is guaranteed to leave an indelible impression in life forever. From the sand dunes to the massive forts, Jaisalmer,Rajasthan is a land of magical fantasies that remain a lifetime memory within the heart of a traveler for sure.

My best friends dream wedding on the beach!

2009-02-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

Beach weddings are only for beach 'bums' said a friend who wasn’t invited to the wedding. So I listened, smiled inwardly and contained my excitement with much difficulty to not hurt her feelings any further.

I arrived at this resort which was located right on the beach of Fisherman’s cove, dropped my bags merrily and hurriedly changed into my tanning attire ready to hit the beach. All my friends were, as expected, on the beach in a fun happy mood, lazing about - I was just in time for some cold fizz and a sumptuous lunch on the beach. Over the days I discovered the look and feel of the wedding was a mix of Egyptian and Latino moods and ofcourse Indian rituals:)

And soon I was told how the next few days were to unfold- seemed like a long party ahead:) My arrival day ended with an all night party where the invitees were just friends. It was one of those non stop night of dancing with my feet not tiring at all.

By the time we hit our rooms it was 8am the next morning, after a superbly luxurious breakfast. I crashed out nearly all day- woke up at 4pm with the sun mocking at me for my tanning plans were soon fading and I quickly changed into beach clothes and met the family and friends again who were also coming awake my time to begin the mehendi ceremony. Sitting on the beach under these beautiful white sun umbrellas on deck chairs which were strewn with summery flowers, diet cokes and beer for company, this private beach was only for the wedding couple and their friends. The glorious sunset, Punjabi mehendi songs played loud against the crashing of the waves on the shore, shimmering twinkling lights on the beach were lit as evening sky gave way to darkening clouds and the mood became merrier with many coming alive to dancing to Indian steps and songs and the party was alive and once again rocking.

I would easily qualify this wedding to be a huge class act on a beach, with so much fun and joy thrown in because of this unique venue. The great outdoors and at that a beach made all the difference. I didn’t see no frayed nerves, no frowns no relatives hassled, everything progressed smoothly and happily and everyone indulged in fun and laughter.

The mehendi ceremony gave way to an elegant evening with the glam quotient climbing notches higher as there were guests who came from the film industry and the theater and tv world. We once again had a blast on the beach with nobody really hanging out in the shamianas but everybody kicking off their high heels to dance on the sand as the music wattage kept climbing higher into the night.

If you are ever attending a beach wedding let me quickly throw in a word of advise- it doesn’t matter what shoes you wear -attractive 6inches tall, stilettos, clumps or whatever- eventually you have to give up on your shoes as the sand or the red carpet is simply not conducive to them – you are better off in flats or platforms:)

While I know they are not very attractive, I'd rather have my comfort and be happy than be slipping and sliding awkwardly in between the wedding and the reception when everyone is taking pictures – you don’t want to be caught in a clumsy mode on camera:) - I saw so many heels sink into the sand !! Bleh!

Us girlfriends finally caught our breath and huddled around a campfire by night and simply sipped wine and soaked in the night sky and stars and the love we felt for each other. Soon we knew – the next day- our friend was going to be the Mrs:)

We were all up bright and early the next day- set to help each other, furiously getting ready for the big affair, all of us looking our prettiest, and we 5 friends walked down from the hotel to the beach layout done up so very beautifully for the wedding rituals. It was so breath taking. The wedding ceremony took about 45 mins, it felt so very different despite the same rituals when conducted in a ballroom of a 5 star hotel. Soon the wedding ceremony was over and the party was on in earnest again. Much mingling and exchange of phone numbers and promises to stay in touch – this wedding was for someone like me who absolutely hates attending formal weddings, a blast of happiness, fun and frolic! This wedding on the beach lent itself to easy informality, and never compromised on the full formal ceremony. There was more than enough space for all guests to be comfortable, and the beach was within easy reach from the hotel, accessible for a quick dash for a phone call or change of shoes, the ambiance was exotic and unique with the lone flutist playing live in the background. I am still smiling…

Dadar Flower Market

2009-01-15T23:09:00.000-08:00

If you are up even before dawn in Bombay, you may want to do something different for change. Skip the jog for one morning in the sparse green belts and head out to THE flower market. If you pay a visit to Bombay’s flower market in Dadar, you will soon realize besides the riot of colours and freshness of petals and dew how much money you land up paying for a nicely packaged bouquet of flowers viz a vis flowers brought straight off the road and creatively packaged yourself!:)

This phul market in Dadar is a temporary market that comes alive at 4 am and disappears by 9 am. Traders display their offerings during this time when retailers and decorators, and some customers who want flowers for their personal use, come to stock up for their own customers. There are times I've seen the municipality officials arriving with those large ugly grey vans and the street vendors fleeing with their wares and flowers.

There are flowers everywhere. Marigolds heaped on tarpaulins on the ground and sold by weight, champa in tiny baskets and sold by the number and delicately wrapped in broad leaves, the dazzling orchids and gardenias, as well as the colour co-ordinated gajras of mesmerizing blooms, the cacophony of the sellers and buyers screaming and jostling all contributes to a spectacular audio visual symphony. It is a unique delightful experience for the brave hearted.

The accompanying smiles on the flower sellers faces early morning lingers in the mind. From the woman sitting cross-legged on the ground weaving busily, to the young men weighing the flowers, the older gentleman convincing you to buy the garlands, to the young lady with matted hair selling fragrant lotuses - they all have beaming smiles on their faces.

They probably wakeup very, very early in the morning to be here to sell the flowers (we got there around 7:30 am). Their sales probably determined what they ate for dinner, or if they went hungry. I would cringe whenever I would hear someone bargain for a few rupees. Many a times it appeared, that their whole life belongings were right there in that little jholi by their feet, yet their grace and joy with the world, came through loud and clear. A lovely experience - this market.

North India winters

2009-01-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

In Punjab its cold and brrrrr at this time of the year. Very cold.

Open fields. Sarson in full bloom and o boy! It is a sight for sore urban eyes. A town that is bursting at its seams , the bullock cart and the sedan both jostling for space on the same over crowded market road, the havelis almost touching its neighbors walls on its 3 sides. The warm sun trickling into the courtyard in the center of the haveli and the charpais being laid out to sun ourselves. Hot paranthas being served with a tall glass of warm milk and ghee, breakfast and conversations and the entire extended family together over a weekend. Can be heart warming and so very different from my daily city life.

Days later drive into Delhi , struggling with the onslaught of city population and urbanization. Smell of food, and CO2 emissions mixing together to cause nausea. Not withstanding the onslaught, making our way to the tiny lanes of old Delhi to eat Dalebe’s hot ghee soaked jalebis. And Lohrilals aloo rasewala and kulchas. No place for the driver to park the car, so double park it brazenly and invite him to eat along. Or better still have him served in the car while we stand amongst the many others rubbing shoulders with all socio economic classes to get the soul food.

Making our way past Janpath (my mums maternal home), I cant help but reflect on the summer days in Delhi when we used to sleep under the open skies in the garden lawns. We were in class 6, 7, and 8 then. There was no light, sound or other pollution at that time. By 10pm we would be done with dinner and all would move to the well laid out khatayis beckoning us in the gardens. I remember initially as a city slicker I was way too afraid to sleep in the open lawns as my cousin would have my back up with stories of she devils living on those trees that looked down on me as I lay on the cot in the open air. Eyes squeezed tightly shut, having moved my cot closer to mum n dads, I would slowly feel my lids becoming heavy with sleep .The universe was there to comprehend in all it's fairy tale glory. The stars and the moon would create a magical world for us glistening at arms length. I would search for the rabbit inside the moon and spot it without fail every night as I’d lie on the cot in the garden by night.

In those days we would travel as a big family from Bombay by train to Delhi and the journey in itself was a huge holiday. Packed with food and chocolates and water flasks and tea thermos’s. The added zing to the journey was the many stations where the train would stop we'd alight and then jump back on promptly in case the train started and left us behind! And of course my parents delight drinking tea in those beautiful kulhads at some railway stations en route to Delhi, my mum buying Surahi’s by the dozen because she was fascinated with these earthen wares for drinking water that tasted like straight from earth- pure and clean and then lugging it back to Bombay! Simplicity had a different meaning then:)

Well you know you are in Bandra when

2009-01-02T01:18:00.000-08:00

--When you are stuck in a jam simply because a vehicle ahead wants to take a U-turn in a galli so narrow, even Adnan Sami would think twice before walking in.

-- When no matter how cold or warm and the traffic snarl up a little beyond Elco market is cramping your ankles, a lady is manning the traffic junction so effortlessly that if you ever try to hoodwink her, her whistle will surely deafen you or partially maim you

--When a 5 rupee brun maska is simply renamed ‘bagel’ and sold for 175 rupees.

-- When you see a random biker clearing the road at bandstand at 2am because Sallu wants to ride his Hayabusa without landing up in court

-- You are standing outside Crepe Station, but feel you have arrived at Baga beach

-- When 2 or more consecutive gallis you want to drive through are either one way or no-entry

-- When the birdy dance music reaches your ears you know a wedding is taking place and the spirits are high in St Josephs cathedral hall or Stanisluaz school.

-- When Bob can mend any of those gorgeous old designer jeans of mine and have me fit back into them, voila!

--When Andoras or Hearsch's are running full house on rum balls and plum cake and mutton patty;s and mince pies & merry songs are jostling for decibel levels with the jam packed bodies in a tiny 5 x 5 space of the bakeries

--When the shoes and the bags and accessory shops are spilling over and the road traffic is reduced to a one lane on the main roads!

Sigh,Bandra! Am not sure, am happy out of it:) or sad out of it:)

Have food, will travel: Egypt

2008-12-16T05:41:00.001-08:00

Of course travel entails physical movement from one place to another. But some of the most experiential ways to travel is of course the culinary travel, one of my most favourite ways to see and smell and experience the new cultures.

Egypt was a delight of a discovery if the cuisine appeals to the palate, like it did for me. Egyptian cuisine consists of the local culinary traditions of Egypt and makes great use of vegetables and sprouts of many kinds. Probably because of the rich Nile delta that produces large quantities of high quality crops.
Bread forms the backbone of Egyptian cuisine, consumed by all classes is largely accompanied with beans. Bread was central to all food in Egypt, just as much as the roti or rice is as a staple to India. Infact an interesting anecdote was narrated to me about breads in Egypt – more than an occasional fight has broken out over bread, leading to fear of bread riots in Egypt. So yep bread is serious business there. Very central to food consumption

The one dish that caught my fancy so totally in Egypt was Kushari made of lentils, rice, macaroni, chickpeas and tomato sauce and yummy fried crisp onion shavings as toppings to add the right crunch to a tasty wholesome meal. For a vegetarian this dish is full of goodness and nutrition, tasty and has a delicate flavour, very close to home grown food for me:)The other favourite of mine was and is the fresh herbs mixed with spicy tomato salad (almost like the salsa) which is stuffed in aubergines and then baked or deep fried in butter. Lip smacking yummy! Mulukhiyya is another popular green soup made of finely chopped leaves, coriander and fried garlic that gives it the bite needed for the locals to feel the food. I find the garlic to be over powering and hence not one of m most favoured among the many dishes I absolutely loved there.

While I was there and did not partake in the non veg fare I could see that non veg food is a way of life there just as much as eating fresh vegetables is. In many nations I have seen people slant one way or another but in Egypt the Egyptians eat in a balanced manner, the kebabs and the koftas are accompanied with a healthy helping of veggies and salads that make for wholesome food.

The other dishes that blew me away so completely - the famous rice dish! It’s a dish where spicy rice is stuffed into vegetables like bell peppers. Absolutely divine and melts in the mouth experience. Then it can also be prepared with rice and tomatoes which in turn is rolled in grapevine leaves and is unmistakably tangy in taste. The same preparation had a variation - can be made in cabbage leaves if you cant deal with the tanginess of the grapevine leaves (I prefer the cabbage leaves) – I found this dish delectable. It is time consuming labour of love, but the ultimate result is a craft and precision that allows for a gastronomic delight.

If you think India is delight for the sweet toothed,think again, India has competition! I went into a pretty similar halwai shop (like our very own Chappan Bhog or Ghasitaram) and the result was I brought back kilos and kilos of fabulous sweets from Egypt into India through customs! The deserts are to absolutely die for! Their pastries and puddings dripping in honey, soft and gentle, tatse that makes you want to over indulge and give 2 hoots about calory intake! Mahallabiya is the Egyptian version of Indian kheer (milk pudding) , Asbusa is like a lovely flaky cookie to have with a good cup of coffee, Asabi gullash has lots of nuts, spices and syrup , these are little finger food snacks and is …yum. Baklava is made in ghee and is horrifically rich, sinful, divine and demands a second helping! As you can tell the food in Egypt is wide varied and something you fall in love with very easily. Basbousa another favourite of mine - a semolina cake coconut based (and to think of it I am not really too fond of Indian coconut based sweets but loved this Egyptian sweet!) with almond, vanilla, rosewater. The true test of good food is when a vegetarian like me endorses that food:)

If I don’t stop writing right away, I will be adding more weight to myself just thinking about all this food. So! My closing thoughts … while all that you have heard of Egypt about its mysticism and what not is true but the real Egypt lies in the food - give me my last morsel from Egypt and I will reach jannat!

Stories in motion, at Airports

2008-11-11T01:03:00.000-08:00

So what do you do, when you have time on your hands after reaching the airport, as defined by the travel agent or the airline, many hours in advance? Or if you are an anxious passenger and like to be well on time, then how do you use your idle time, effectively at airports? Ever wonder what happens to those couplea hours you have, before boarding an international flight? Everybody says we’ll keep busy; there is enough to do around duty free’s! But how much can you really do around duty frees? :)

After walking the entire length of the airport and peering into suped up shop windows, maybe even buying a few things you don’t need, with feet finally saying enough is enough, how do you still keep yourself entertained given you are much time away from boarding yet?:)

This pre flight time has always been a time, of much work for me. I wander around. I enjoy a good cappuccino amongst a world of strangers. I observe the hustle bustle and chaos and orderliness around me. And make mental notes of cultures and people and behaviors and law. Most importantly I allow the trip highlights to rotate in my mind and etch the good memories forever with a flourish while seemingly, aimlessly walking about the terminal.

This once, time flew by once again, and I actually chided myself for not figuring my boarding gate, before wandering around the airport. I saw a young toddler taking her first few baby steps on the walking elevator. The near fall and then the fine delicate balance to stay standing – was a joy reflected in the child’s eyes and mirrored in her mum’s eyes. The child was zapped, felt weird, there was confusion on the child's face, and then finally it exploded into a 300amp gurgle and a 200watt dimpled smile. Then there was this young 19-20yr old back packer sitting on the airport floor despite many empty seats all around, painting her nails and drying them at an arms length with a small motorized fan which looked most incongruous with her grunge look. This young girl sat in her cargo's and gators cross legged n the floor, most unaware of the ripple she was causing amongst curious fliers coming closer to their boarding gate. A litle distance ahead, as I wandered further, a young couple were walking on the walking elevator facing each other. They were so absorbed into each other, not worried about the scowls given to them by harried co- passengers who had come to a grinding halt behind them. They stood across the elevator with their hands on each other effectively blocking the path for the others. Many people started queuing up on the right side of the elevator which should have been open to them to hurry past. But this couple was so intent on each other none of the queuing up world behind, disturbed their reverie, and then once they were off the walking elevator, the rest of the queued up public hurried past from either sides of this couple. It is rightly said that the world waits and looks on, when love is in the air:)

Watching people say goodbye is most difficult for me. I saw a military family bidding adieu to their young handsome son. They all looked smiling, strong and confident. But as the Marine moved into the deeper recess of the airport I saw the family from the coffee shop where I was perched, they were white, nervous and worried for him. I could see their thoughts- they knew he was off to a tough job full of dangers. My heart reached out to them and I sent a silent prayer to God to keep this young soldier safe and happy for his family.

Emotions are on full display at airports. Happy scenes have to be balanced with sad goodbyes. Life evens out. And you walk matter of factly into your craft, looking to arrive at your next destination, the perfect disguise falls in place again.
Such an exciting world we live in. With as many interesting people partaking in our lives without them or us realizing this. People want to talk, especially when they are traveling alone. That’s how I pick up human behaviour. Watching silently. Making mental notes. Tucking it away for future reference. Everyone has a story and it is all being unfolded right in front of us.

Land of ready smiles and incredible contrasts - Malaysia!

2008-11-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

Landing into Sarawak one can’t help but notice the abundance of beautiful not seen before birds, flowers, and even pepper, cocoa, palm oil, timber which are aplenty all over Malaysia. If I had to describe Sarawak in one word I would say - verdant green. Sabah and Sarawak are located on the island of Borneo. Kuching where we stayed is the capital of Sarawak, one of the most charming towns I have seen. It has beautiful colonial buildings elegantly merging with gracious modern architecture, a bit like Pondicherry or Panjim if you will. Its wide ethnic communities give Sarawak the character and its uniqueness – they are a very tolerant and diverse communities living together here. Islam is the official religion; however Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism all pervade and are respected. English is the spoken language and hence as a tourist one always feels connected. Sarawak is known for its multitude caves and museums of which I saw none, because my agenda was always clear. Beach bum and no more

And of course there was this cultural village where the ethnic folks lived and sold their wares. One got to see lifestyles, handicrafts, clothes, music, games, arts of many different cultures. Plus there was this fantastic restaurant which we went to a couplea times – great ambiance and personalized service. And of course without fail there had to be a handicraft shop to splurge on – so if I had to buy souvenirs and memories here’s where I’d go. I didn’t buy anything from there as on my multitude visits to M’sia before, I’d done enough and more crafts shopping.

Sabah on the other hand has sanctuaries, mountain climbing and lush surroundings which if you are a nature lover - can be a great elixir for you (I am a water body). Mount Kinabalu is the pride of Sabah. It lures climbers to peak the 4000m scale and many trekkers do this with joy. There is also a thermal – pool here that gives Japanese kind of hot spring bath but in open air. Quaint and cute:)

The beaches are lined by palms and are mercifully not populated, one odd person you may chance upon if you really look! Gives you the privacy, the quiet serenity and uplifting calm you seek. Totally my kinda place. Though I wish there were some arrangements for food nearby. Yes I remembered Goa oft. My friends went diving into Sipadan island nearby and they were gung-ho about the colourful tropical fish and corals in its crystal clear waters.

Genting was not my cuppa tea (which I don’t drink at all!) If you got spare cash to lose and if you want to relive your childhood, then I guess this is your kinda place. The rides at the amusement park were a sham compared to my childhood days- so thanks but no thanks, you go to Genting if you pretty much have nothing to do. Though if it were left to me, I’d probably stay in my hotel room and watch some trashy B-grade soap than go to Genting which was o-so-not- happening. It’s like going to a picnic spot in Bombay imagine a visit to Goregaon Aarey Milk Colony or some such place…

So if you are headed to Malaysia then I would recommend less time in KL, no time at all in Genting and a must see for Sabah and Sarawak. These are virgin places, full of folklore and stuff to discover, touristy to some extent but – breathtaking nature which you hardly get to see and feel and imbibe if you are a city dweller like me. Smiling land of people blessed by nature!

Malacca – a Malaysian Gem!

2008-10-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

The action that is drummed up at night time here in sleepy Malacca made me wonder, could Malacca be the small town, that everybody told me about?! There is entertainment galore here…clubs, pubs, discos, casinos you name it. We sang till the wee hours of the morning in some karaoke lounge, then hung around in some Irish pub and had a perfectly pleasant time. After a high adrenalin evening when the tummy demanded food, we headed to Jonker street. During day time this street sells wares from antiques to bargain buys for the eternal hungry shopper. By night on weekends, after 7pm, this street shuts to traffic and transforms to a long stretch of eating places with variety and buzz for the foodie. By moonlight you see people thronging to this street for a night out, of food and merry. There is this Portuguese square right in the middle of a buzzing area which impromptu has live bands strumming their stuff, and before you know it, a large crowd gathers for free entertainment. The crowds sway to the hip hop or rock beats of the bands music with beer in one hand and a cigar/cigarette and watnot in the other.

We rented a car from KL and drove down to Malacca. There were umpteen signboards to direct us on the way but despite that many a times we wandered off:) Traffic within Malacca is easy but because there are many one way streets it tends to get a wee bit challenging but fun. We were not dependent on any local transportation to get us back at night and for just that we were glad to be public-transport-free.

Malaccan food has spices and coconut milk plus everything is non veg, so veggies pls be warned, go prepared to either starve or be wise and carry some stuff that can keep you alive there! I was wise to carry a food hamper from the hotel so my dinner was veggie sandwiches while on the street tapping my feet listening to the rock band and eating away a mouthful every now and then. Every food item there has fish, or fish oil, or coconut milk in it, and that makes the few veg dishes too, not palatable for me.

We visited the tiny island of Upeh in Malacca. Folklore has it that it used to be a stop for pirates looking to hide from the law during old times. There are a lot of water sports on offer here but I took none as all of them or well nearly all of them, are available in Goa! The other interesting tit bit I heard was that the rarest of sea turtle species come to this island between March and June to nest – so during this time this place attracts many peering eyes who come here to catch a glimpse of such rare sea turtles (Hawksbills). I hope Mr RN Tata is listening.

A beautiful spot full of rustic charm has much character in look and feel, it’s conveniently located from KL, and everything is actually within walking distance in this tiny town. The trishaws were cute but we never took a ride in one, we even skipped the river cruise as there was a longish queue for tickets. The people of Malacca are very friendly and meethinks that’s what keeps the tourists welcomed here.

English beat that is London

2008-09-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Aha! It so happened that I had an entire day free ahead of me before my flight from Heathrow at 915pm. A Sunday at that. And in London, not a very favourite city with me because of the weather which is so extreme or dreary

Faced with 2 choices – laze around in the hotel, paying minimal extra for late check out. Or make the most of the day by being outdoors and enjoying London. Of course I chose the later. It was a glorious sunny day, bright and cheerful, light fluffy clouds flitted lightly and the world beckoned.

I had a light breakfast of fruit and cereal, and decided in my mind that while I am going to spend time here in the city it will be haute and not massy. So, Tita picked me from the hotel at 10am, my baggage was nicely locked in the boot of her car, and we were now hands free, baggage free.

Tita’s surprise for me was the appointment she had taken in advance, she knew the marketing head of this fantastic spa in Mandarin Hotel, Hyde Park, so we headed straight for a snappy consultation and I was ready for the Life-dance routine that the spa offered.

Jane, the therapist assigned to me, informed me that the Life-dance ritual was based on Ayurveda but was modified to get the most out of one session. I confessed to overwork and exhaustion and sound sleep and was led to this heavenly smelling room which was obviously made with Rip Van Winkle in mind. The soothing colours, the fragrant candles, the gentle lamp lights and the soft bed with flowers strewn all around made me sleepy instantly. A combine of hot stones and soothing milk cleansers massaged with gentle strokes did me in for the next couple of hours. I was asleep for over two hours and when I finally surfaced they got me invigorating honey blended coconut water with mint, refreshing!

One of the nicest things of wrapping up at the Mandarin was being right in the middle of the shopping district. The sales were on, Jimmy Choos caught my fancy so I strolled in looking for something simple and stunning, but did not get my feet size. All sizes surprisingly were for large feet. So along the road was Harrods, where we made our next stop and here I bought a couple of beautiful gifts for family and a lovely red tote for Tita who was happy with my thank you We walked out armed with bags in tow, and headed in to Gerard Darrel for a beautiful cream silver trench, my favourite piece from this trip.

We then headed to a café and slurped my way through a lovely soup and salad and a huge gelato sundae, and then walked a mile to shed it off. Having rested and having consumed high energy stuff, the day came to a close and we made our way to Heathrow I felt a twinge of sadness (UK is not my favourite destination) for a beautiful day had come to a close. Purse and heart lighter, I stepped into my flight, watched a movie, ate some short eats and slipped into my i-pod dreaming of home and my own bed on landing:)

Bon Apetit in China

2008-09-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

I thought being a vegetarian, this country - China, was not my cup of tea. So am putting what I saw there, to test with you guys. Duck's tongue. Pregnant frogs eggs. Snakes. Imagine any bird, animal, sea fish... and you have it on the table!! I was part of many sit down dinners and I know I looked bad not touching the food, not one morsel, but no wild horses could have made me either:( - the chef would feel bad and not understand why I wasn't eating, but I couldn't:( , all I know is in the 3 odd weeks I was there I survived- barely - on cheese, some breads and ice creams. And I was so missing home. If ever I go back to China I am carrying a truckload of food with me and I don't care what people say!

Beijing – a fascinating rush

2008-08-17T03:51:00.000-07:00

What I saw in Beijing testifies the city’s power as the nerve center of the country. The Tienanmen Square is buzzing with security, No cars are allowed to park close to the historic buildings. The capital city has more security, barriers and policemen than normal Chinese people, I think. The mama mia factor when you see the Tienanmen Square, despite the effort and the long walk are unreplicatable! It's bigger than life.

Tienanmen Square is the world’s largest public square (the size of 90 football fields); it still reverberates with the ghosts of recent history. The vast inner city of 24 emperors for almost 500 years, is China’s most impressive treasure house. Only occasionally an emperor would venture out, And no one was allowed in without permission.

The Forbidden City is located in the center of Beijing and is surrounded by a chessboard of roads, including five 'ring roads', which circle the city center in concentric circles. I liken this to Delhi for some obvious reasons. Roads lined with trees that create beautiful facades and avenues. All buildings of national heritage or government offices bearing the national flag. Zany cars with sirens that go off suddenly in the middle of the road signaling vip movement.

Cameras track everybody. They follow you in the foyer of an office building, they trace you to the landing you get off, tracks you inside the floor visiting people. The cameras are not subtle. They are un-missable, making no bones of the fact that they are watching one and all.

Beijing also has some unique shopping areas. My friends took me to this mammoth horizontal (one storied) building that boasted of fake branded goods. From I-pods to steam irons to clippers to beaded ornaments to hi-phone to chinese arts and crafts to fake Nikes and Adidas’s to all imaginable designs in jeans - the list is endless. And there were takers. The parking lot was full. People were making a beeline into this market because soon it was going to be closing time and the trader/shopkeeper doesn’t want your business if it is past his shutting down time! I walked away from this market with tiny ceramic Chinese figurines which I distributed amongst my office colleagues. Crafted beautifully. Looked authentic. Were lil china men smiling and fishing.

The Kunming lake at the Summer Palace is another bewitching huge site a complete must for a tourist like me. Such scenic beauty, such calm waters, history in every nook and cranny. Ornately decorative architecture from both inside and outside. There are dragon boats and marble boats used for cruising on this lake. Even these boats have a history which the Chinese are not too fond of speaking. I discovered that the Marble boat which is moored at one side of the lake was built from money that was allocated from some other purpose. Very India like, I said to myself most amusedly. Corruption is not spoken about openly here. But exists in equal gigantic proportions.

China is a land of overt discipline and subjugation, a land where people may question the authorities in their mind but never openly or ever in rebellion. It is regimented and authoritarian. Maybe that’s why the billion plus nation can produce world goods at a pace no one can match? Works for this country I guess

Watching your every move - Singapore

2008-08-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

This island city, in olden days, was managed by the East India Company. In its marshy heydays it was a trading outpost. And over the past decades Singapore has transformed itself to a plan. As a result today you see this tiny land, flourishing in prosperity and success. It’s a curious blend of ancient and modern sights. At first glance it’s the modern that meets the eye. Gleaming, shiny, tall almost scraping the sky, buildings. And then you see these tall structures dominating the diminutive squat Hindu and Chinese temples in the interiors of this land.

Am not a big fan of Singapore. In fact quite the contrary. However there is one thing that I wish we in India could emulate. And that is their strict no nonsense laws! Generally, the laws are strict and it is because of those stringencies, why Singapore has risen to a World class city status. There are always pros and cons to the strictness for sure. No arguing that.

Singaporeans don't mind the strict laws one bit. Big brother is always watching you in Sing. You can't see them. But you know they're there. Undercover. Watching. Scanning the crowd. That's why the locals are very careful.

Chewing gum is not a sin in Sing, but taking gum into the country in large amount is illegal and the person can be sent to jail. Try going nude or topless when sunbathing, even if in your own back yard. It is forbidden. Jay walking maybe the favourite past time in India, try doing that in Sing. And watch the undercover guys swoop down on you. There are many reminders - posters are put up at eye level everywhere - you cant miss it, telling you what you should do, and if not done, how much you will be fined if you break the rules. That is the reason why Singapore is called "the fine city"

The government in Sing has obviously discovered that the only way to keep the small country clean, safe and manage it efficiently, is by, enforcing some strict rules. A densely-populated city like Sing has thrived to prosperity because of its regulations in all aspects of life which in turn has helped them maintain high health standards, low crime rate, and intolerance for corruption. They have a disciplined work-force and a credible judiciary and police systems to ensure a high level of law and order. Orchard street the most famous shopping street has many plainclothesmen hidden in the crowd. Some 400 plainclothes officers from the government's National Environment Agency. Their job: to pick out those who let things slip out of their hands.

Such an approach has made Sing high on the list, as one of the most livable cities in the world, to attract both tourism and investment. Only with strict laws and efficient govt administration have they managed to maintain high stability in the political, social and economic stratas. It is seen as being one of the very safe and orderly countries by many. There is virtually no crime; no corruption and you are safe even when walking alone at night. Unless you happen to be unlucky and be in some crowded area where pickpockets thrive.

Chennai

2008-07-29T02:46:00.000-07:00

Chennai a land of large things. Huge, larger than life, cut outs of politicians and kitschy film posters both staring from great heights at the commoner. The film stars have a special place in peoples hearts probably equal to God. People pronounce an extra `a' with all words ( well almost) where none is required. Can you imagine how my name would be pronounced if they could with an extra “A” ?:)

Chennai has perpetual water shortages since I can remember, and old wars with neighboring states over rivers and boundaries.

The jasmine flower is seen in almost every hairdo of the Chennai dweller, its smell bewitching and enticing. You see this flower in heaps at every street corner. Chennai is about filter kapi connoisseurs who will just as easily indulge in a cup of cappuccino at one of the thriving coffee lounges.

Chennai Mahabalipuram still has ancient fishing villages ( akin to Chimbai of Bandra) and these share the same space as the new age sedans and the nike-clad joggers. Chennai is quaint, bemusing and demands affection in return for an array of unexpected sights,sounds and flavours.

Then there is Saravana Bhavana
This was recommended by SimpleVinni to me. It is a hugely renowned food chain (its like finding an ATM my colleague from Chennai said) and I had no clue of it. Saravana Bhavan was started in 1982 by a grocery merchant Mr Rajagopalan who decided to cater food on a small scale. Maybe he is responsible afterall for the culture of eating out, in an otherwise conservative Chennai

The food here is hot and hygienic. The place is clean but with zero ambience. The menu was very interesting. I was tempted to over order, more than I could eat. I got a superb cuppa of the best filter coffee I’ve had in a while. Service is not very good. The people who serve there thought I was a foreigner and so kept staring at me, and spoke to a colleague of mine in Tamil to ask if I wanted a Coke Light or a normal Coke. They were astute to know that I would not drink open water.

The manager proudly proclaimed to me, their claim to fame was consistency in food quality. Something our cricket team certainly cannot claim

Australia -Whitewash

2008-07-17T04:18:00.001-07:00

Here's something that has never been seen before and given that I saw the Climate Crisis movie once again, just a few days ago, this was worrying - so its up for everyone's benefit, thanks to a friend who forwarded this alarming mail

Suddenly the shoreline north of Sydney were transformed into a Cappuccino Coast. Foam swallowed an entire beach and half & the nearby buildings, in a freak display of nature at Yamba in New South Wales

One minute a group of teenage surfers were waiting to catch a wave, the next they were swallowed up in a giant bubble bath. The foam was so light that they could puff it out of their hands and watch it float away.

Scientists explain that the foam is created by impurities in the ocean, such as salts, chemicals, dead plants, decomposed fish and excretions from seaweed. All are churned up together by powerful currents which cause the water to form bubbles. These bubbles stick to each other as they are carried below the surface by the current towards the shore. As a wave starts to form on the surface, the motion of the water causes the bubbles to swirl upwards and, massed together, they become foam.

Sigh...

2008-07-08T01:52:00.000-07:00

Straight road
Gentle curves
Breathless view
Long tunnels
Stone bridges
Highway clouds
Bodiless trucks
Toll plaza
Lake at Khopoli
Valley and hills
Fog and rain
Six lane highway with a lane shoulder on either side
The Mumbai Pune expressway lacks the Indian road chaos; almost feel one with the wind. Makes me want roads like that in Bombay – just the roads, where I can drive for 10feet and not find a single ditch, crater, pothole. Possible you think?

Visions of earth

2008-07-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

I am definitely putting this on my 'must visit' ever expanding list! This is courtesy NatGeo!

Shodo Shima, Japan: Huddled for warmth, the macaques press their bodies into a vast ball of fur. The monkeys’ relaxed social hierarchy allows high - and low – ranking individuals to share the same tight space.

O! Calcutta

2008-06-28T10:14:00.001-07:00

A city with warm memories. Supe food. Warmer people. Mishti language Bengali! New roads. Old traffic jams. Cops being bribed. Near accidents. Misti doi. Yum yum yum. Graceful old ladies. Rich Marwaris. Old world. Yellow Ambassadors. Spewing black bursts from the exhaust pipe. Glorious monuments.Delayed flights. Delayed further. And further. No sight of take off.

JLT

2008-06-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

A quick word for those who are reading this, do pls read my second blog when you find it convenient, and tell me what you think of it

www.quip-pro-quo.blogspot.com

Since I have time on my hand for another few days before I go back to the "working" life, I decided to have more fun with blogging:-)

I hope, I will be able to blog frequently!

Bhutan- The last Shangri-la

2008-06-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

The king is revered here. The GNP takes a rear seat.
National happiness is of prime importance. India possibly can take a few lessons from its neighboring country.

This country is a delight for people - who love walking.
Paro - the beautiful city of colour and joy. This city’s numerous legends coaxed me to take on yet another flight of steps. Peace envelops regardless of the altitude sickness that hit me, 18000ft above sea level! There is an energy that gave me the oxygen burst to trek uphill at my own pace even puffing and panting. The purity of the mountains edges one closer to the top, above the valley. To Taktshang Monastery, also known as the Tigers Nest, from where the view felt sacred!

The clouds at times played spoilsport and hid the majestic view from the eyes. And on other days the clouds honoured me, by showing off the gigantic snow capped Himalayas, Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga which rose above beautiful Paro. We went to Paro to witness the colourful festival that started at dawn. Pitch dark, cold - brrr, priests in orange robes busily chanting. The sunrise in Paro, most spectacular - molten gold bursting in the sky. Lighting life. The sun was very welcome as the morning mountain cold had me shivering despite the many layers of clothing. By 9am the sun had risen high, and the heat had started pinching my skin! When you are high up in the mountains the sun is closer hence, and can get very hot! One by one I shed the layers on me; where did the cold disappear, I wondered a bit wistfully?!

At tea break, I lean against the car and look around this deep valley, forestation everywhere. I hear a growl. I froze. My first thoughts – will this beast kill this beauty!?! The driver came to my rescue and shushed the animal a distance away. This animal was a cross between a goat and a cow. Wearing socks! So I thought then! I think while he was grazing he was equally stunned to come across me, and I froze seeing him appear from nowhere so close to me! Later I was told this was the national animal for Bhutan- the takin, a gentle beast.

I came across an interesting folklore around this animal, once in the 15th century the Lama Drupka was visiting Bhutan, when his devotees gathered around him, urged him to show a miracle. He demanded that he first be served a whole cow and a goat for lunch. After eating he was satisfied, he took the goat’s head and stuck it onto the bones of the cow. And then he snapped his fingers and commanded the strange mix up beast to rise up and graze on the mountain side, thus was born the Takin.

Bhutan is a hidden treasure waiting to unfold to the world; Indians don’t need a passport to visit this country. A definite ‘must visit’ for those who are bit by the wander lust!

Varanasi – a reality check

2008-06-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Varanasi (Benares) gets its name from Varuna (Var) river and 80 (assi) ghats – hence Varanasi. Why is Benares such a venerated immortal city I wondered on my journey there, very keen to discover more. It’s the combination of Kashi the holy city, Ganga the celestial river and Shiva the supreme God that makes Benares such an attractive sought after destination.

The ghats are beautiful and the most striking of them 80 ghats is the Dasarwamedh ghat. By early evening the ghats come alive and are buzzing with people from all walks of life. Shopping. Conversing. Praying. Donating. Singing. Meditating.

Approaching 7.30pm, thousands of devotees gather on the steps of the ghats, offering flowers and prayers and singing in devotion to the river Ganges. The priests in their orange robes set against a glowing sunset, add reverence and anticipation, as the Aarti is about to begin.

The priests (5of them) start by praying to the river Ganges and then is followed by thousands of lit lamps floated on the river. The priests begin the hymns and the aarti takes on a reverential hue. With the sun having gone down, it’s the flames of the aarti that are most mystical yet real, that light up the ghat steps and the river waters, announcing to all that the one source of life is being revered and given the highest status man can give.
This image is going to my grave with me; it was so beautiful, so true.

The long sweep of the ghats by dawn was equally fascinating, there aren’t too many people around at dawn and for the second time in Benares I felt the calm n quite which was pure. I saw many devotees performing rituals, worshipping the river Ganges and praying to it. Benares before sunrise is another world altogether! Charming. Peaceful. Devotional.

Another day, by a rowing boat, we saw all the 80 ghats. Idyllic. The calm balmy waters, made me feel like I was at peace with myself. On one Ghat they burn dead bodies and I was warned about this before I reached Benares. We saw it from our boat and strangely for the first time I did not feel any fear and calmly accepted what I saw. The significance of people wanting to die in Varanasi is that they reach heaven and attain moksh soon after. Hence it is seen as many Hindus’ last wish.

We crossed the river onto the other side and saw a village on the other side,
We were free floating in the middle of the river, soaking in the quietude, the peace, the stillness, the calm of a river which is felt to be pure and of a city which is holy.

Another day. And we made our way to temple of God Shiv, Vishwanath.
Our friend from the hotel who accompanied us, had prepared us for the tour ahead, so we stayed focused on our prayers and ignored all other elements such as the pundits and their askance for more.

He narrated how the Muslims had plundered and razed this Vishwanath temple to the ground zillion of years ago, and how they had left a small little portion of the wall intact for the Hindus to realize how potently powerful they were.
The story has it that they constructed a mosque on top of the destroyed temple.
Someone had said to me that religion is the biggest vote bank for politicians in our country – sadly for us, this narration was the biggest live example:- (

It is said that Shiv’s first original “ling” was discovered here in Benares and the temple was built for this reason alone. The Vishwanth Temple.

This trip to Benares taught me some patience and tolerance, a higher need for calm and quiet. Did I feel transformed, did I come back to feel more spiritual? Am not sure cause as humans we don’t change overnight, we allow experiences and images to soak into us and if they have made a deep impact on us, we slowly adapt to them. Definitely a reality check.

Holy madness that is...Benares

2008-06-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Call it Kashi, Varanasi or Benares all these names are the key to after life. This is believed to be the greatest ‘tirth’ or the crossing over from earth to heaven, for a Hindu. Benares is the oldest living city in the world and one has to leave behind one’s city attitude to take in this holy madness

No frowning or irritation allowed- get rid of your city attitude, I had to constantly remind myself so as to not ‘lose it’

The (a)incessant honking, every nano second by scooters, rickshaws, bikes, cars, jeeps, buses makes one feel Bombay is a veritable haven on not just the road transport mechanism but also on noise pollution it is probably the most silent city in India. (b)The splash of ‘paan’ on the streets and walls because they don’t chew their paans there, they keep it in the mouth for 2 hours or more, and relish the juices that collect and then, splash it outward when the mouth is full. (c) The manner in which every outsider is seen to be a total ignoramus and ‘educated’ about the Ganges is masha-allah too endearing. (d) The filth, the beggars, the touts, the greedy pundits, and the general madness many times had me see sawing between being amazed and wanting to run home (e) the humungous population in this tiny area of the ghats was difficult to deal with despite having lived in this country for years!!

Nothing prepares you for Benares honestly, I had read up a lot, asked friends more, and more, but the live experience is so very different from hearsay and second hand impressions, I almost feel Varanasi is a ‘concentrated’ India with all its colour and chaos. I think am still reeling with the onslaught on my senses, and in order to make some sense of all the jumbled up thoughts about Benares in my head, I need to step back a bit.

Concluding on Russia

2008-06-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

Olga and Illina accompanied me to the Bolshoi theatre because I threw a fit one evening as it occured to me that I had yet to see Moscow by day! So in crumpled day clothes I very sheepishly stepped out of the car towards the Bolshoi theatre as if anticipating drumbeats and music to welcome me :-)

Bolshoi means ‘large’, ‘grand’, it was intended for opera and ballet originally, as these were considered nobler than drama. With excitement bubbling in me, I looked around me in awe:-)

The exterior of this building was magnificent resplendent with grandeur, a great example of fabulous Russian architecture. The interiors were breath taking and bold too. This building now, is state owned and I found out by reading some granite slabs in there, that it had a turbulent history to it. Apparently the first owner of this Imperial building not only became bankrupt & penniless, the entire building was gutted by a fire forcing the State govt to take over the reins, and reinstate its lost glory

Happily I entered this magnificient theatre looking for a stupendous experience… and The Swan Lake delivered it! I was lucky to have 2 local friends with me, who gave me a thorough understanding of what was to unfold which is why I enjoyed it much. It is worth doing some research before a show to enjoy the details and to have a memorable evening out. I still have the tab of the ticket to Bolshoi, kept with me, as if to remind myself that I saw a bit of history too:-)sitting up there in the dress circle with those binocs to get a closer glimpse of each and every move of the dancers- O twas magical!

At interval break I got speaking to some local theatre personnel and felt that, with its reconstruction and past glory set in place, the Russians are now hopeful that the Bolshoi will be back at the centre of world stage. I certainly wish them well!

...more on Russia

2008-06-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

St Petersburg, one of the most fantastic cities I have seen, cool, picturesque, impressive architecture, I dont know anybody who doesnt like this city:-)

We walked into our hotel, one of the finest the city had to boast of, and surprise - as one enters the doorway- I was surrounded by a hundred (atleast) gambling machines in combination with those blinking lights. Everyday this casino beckons the gamblers from all around the world as it works round the clock, and as you'd expect pretty women and smart looking men hang out in such places as they were hanging out here this afternoon

For a minute thr I sincerely thought the driver had got us to a wrong place, I kept turning at him looking askance - are you sure we are at the right place?! And at the end of this very large casino area we come to a very small inconspicuous reception area, as if trying to almost, not exist! There were few people standing thr with their passports for check in, and within minutes I was shown to my room, efficiency personified

A lovely room, with a view of the Neva river with trees lining the both sides of the river, getting sprayed gently by white fluffy snow, and, despite the snow I could see joggers in full track pants running by the side of the river.

The first day passed in a haze with meetings and more mtgs. The second day early morning I came down for breakfast to the cafe restaurant to find not too many people there. So I guess I was happy sitting in one of those brightly lit windows with sun streaming in and making the cafe look warm golden yellow- the sun was most welcome after a hard day of snow! I found a table that had a wonderful view :-)

A couple tables away was another guest waiting for his breakfast.

After looking at the menu which I couldn’t read a word of, I asked the steward there to help me understand what was for breakfast. And he couldn’t speak a word of English so I asked for a cup of coffee and walked to the buffet area to check what was on offer

You got to believe this- about 40 odd platters with not a single vegetarian offering, not even cheese! :-( You got to believe this honest! I came back very despondent to my table and sat there heavily, wondering where will I get food here for the next week

Soon the Unilever client was at my table and with glee serving himself breakfast!:-) While I waited patiently hoping someone will ask me what I would like - "maybe a hot crisp aloo parantha with a tall glass of mango milkshake?!" - there is no harm in dreaming, right?

And now my eyes fell upon the table where the other guest was sitting, and by now he had a large, very large portion of a leg? Horse rib? or smthg? In front of him digging into it, like he had not seen food in years. Hungrily!

That did it for me, I asked for another cup of coffee and my breakfast was done, I had absolutely no desire for breakfast no more :-), not even mums aloo parantha!

It was time to get away from this hotel towards some english speaking folks and maybe some cookies during the meeting. O yes, the meeting was sounding promising and I was looking forward to the meeting now:-) On the way to the office I was overwhelmed by the dimensions of the buildings I saw, absolutely fabulous!

Russia, with love

2008-06-03T09:56:00.001-07:00

So, this trip, it was to be Moscow, Ekaterinberg and St Petersburg

Ekat is a small town with not too many top notch hotels to stay in, largely populated with middle class or lower class
(Economically speaking), with very warm hearted people, and not too many choices to spoil one!

If you are looking to be spoilt, then you need to get to Moscow, and see how the rich and famous and the infamous live:-) I had heard about the mafia there and in this trip I saw and interacted with one too

I felt that while the Russians liked me cos I was from the land of Mithun Chakraborty and Raj Kapoor, there is this undeniable distrust of foreigners. They don’t open up easily, they need to spend a good amount of time tracking you, to know you are trustworthy

Luckily for me given the folks I had to deal with had seen me around a couple of trips, twas a wee bit easier to bond with them.
My faithful driver Sergey could not utter more than a "yes", "no", 'sorry' & "thank you" in English, could still communicate with me and reach me the right places uncannily!
He was a thorough gentleman, who during work trips, would point out things of historic value to me and that’s how I saw the Red Aquare and the Kremlin:-)and discovered Moscow by day

One evening the boys decided they had to go clubbing and no amount of me pleading out, got me off the hook, so I had to tag along with this male group to the clubs

We started by getting to some posh club the second night there in Moscow. While the locals had to grin and were waved in, I was whisked through a dimly lit corridor where I had to submit my passport through a dark slit window, and then suddenly the thick doors closed behind me, then through some mic/speakers I was told to walk through the next set of automated steel doors with bullet proof glass, and wait. And then suddenly some air whooshed and my passport landed with a thud at another dark window - not a single person right thru this process interacted with me, was a bit scary and in my head I was thinking all weird thoughts, that Jodie Foster movie, where somebody puts some dope into her bag and how she is caught and put behind bars in Bangkok (Bangkok Hilton?) and how no matter how she pleaded not guilty nobody gave a rats ass for
her! While I was standing there looking blindly around me, wondering where is my passport, where the hell have I landed myself in when the steel doors opened and 2 leather clad drop dead gorgeous looking blondes came my way with my passport! I was bemused, and stoopidly relieved

They now escort me through another set of doors into this fabulous bar area where the pole dancers are doing their number and the guys are busy looking! As I reached towards them, they got busy telling me about this club, the owner and the guests at the club that night. Apparently this was a club owned by one top notch mafia man
in Moscow, backed by some politician. And here comes this leather clad 6'5" tall man to greet us and is introduced to us as Tony!
Tony waves amd guides us to a table which has a full view of the podium where the dancers are teasing the men, and I look around bemused

Now the guys are busy with their drinks and the women and I am wondering what I am doing in this place, when my phn rings and I dart to the quietest corner of this room and away from all that tease! Call over and when I get back to join the group, to see some of the women who have perched atop few of these guys. ha-ha

I decide to amble around -Tony gracefully has one of the hostesses accompany me to 'show me around', so I move away from this central bar room and into a area that can be best described as a vast courtyard but beautifully lit and very gracefully done up

We walk into one room and my guided tour has begun, the hostess opens the lace curtains and signals me through - wo! A threesome!

Flushed in the cheeks I walk out , she walks ahead of me into another room, gay men had their act going on here in this room and there was a crowd gathered in that room watching them. And the next room had slave girls and slave boys, and the next room had a full fledged orgy! And soon I couldn’t stomach this anymore, I excused myself, I have no idea how I got outside the club at 2am! It was snowing hard and I called Sergey who promptly brought the car around and dropped me back to the hotel! Merci gnite and the safe haven of my room finally!

I wasn’t afraid of where I was, I was repulsed to see this cold display of sex and flesh. I was hugely embarrassed to be with male clients; maybe it would have been different if I had gone to this club with friends. I don' know ( still wondering!):-)

That night was put down to "another experience". A
4 wheel drive bullet proof Mercedes had picked us up, only to realize early in the evening that it was sent by Tony the mafia dude, everything that looks sexy is far far from being sexy up
close!:-)

Garden of Eden

2008-05-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

We all have our favourite teams in the Premiere League right? Well I had been rooting for Kol Knight Riders since day 1. Reason 1- Dada, Reason 2- SRK, Reason 3- my fave city.

So here we are - the setting- Kolkatta. A match between the Kol Knight Riders (KKL) and Kings XI Punjab. The result has to be a no brainer right? It has to be advantage most definitely, for Dada and his men...

Well, if you were sitting amongst the mammoth crowd there, you wouldn’t be so sure till the last ball was bowled! Tension in the pit of stomach, the match result right up chasing the wire, the game swinging sometimes the Knight Riders way and more often than not Kings XI way!

Glorious Eden Garden packed to capacity, with over a lakh plus people, all rooting for Dada and his team of valiant Knights. What an evening it was. Large screens covering the ground, the hoi polloi and the masses of Kolkatta rubbed shoulders with each other, all reveling in this mammoth party zone, the night sky was beautiful and clear, the air was expectant with tension and drama.

A day & night game, the public willing the Knight Riders to go for it,
Eden Garden, with its floodlit huge night lamps was picture perfect, the deafening roar of humans mixed with drumbeats and stereo sound; made for a mind-blowing wonderful atmosphere. Am a total convert to this T20 format - what an absolute experience watching this game LIVE

Dada had a competitive total to chase, and a wicket that he and his men were familiar with. But the second innings didn’t go the scripted way!

Wickets toppled, runs were not scrambling on the score-board, the strangled muffled sounds of a 1 lakh plus crowd in the stadium was close to suffocated silence, shuffling restless feet, willing the Knight Riders to ride the storm.

And Umar Gul takes strike, and whoosh! Did he make the crowds start to breathe again? His first six off the first ball he faced, had the crowds on their feet with elation as if they had won:-), the next six off the second ball had the voice box of this 1 lakh crowd, restored:-) There was palpable tension now. Then came Dada with his fabulous six as if to say "nothing comes in my way to victory, I swear!":-)

This saw the Knight Riders turn the heat on, and get a fabulous, inspirational win, that helped restore battered pride. I promise you, nothing compares! The Premiere League is here to stay:-)

And of course having accidentally eavesdropped into a high octane debate happening around where we were seated- so vehemently some agreed and disagreed to " IPL wants to mix sex with cricket", another said "so what’s wrong with it", another said " they will make cricket more juicier than Bollywood if they do that" speaking of the cheerleaders. Infact one individual also remarked that " native Indian men are sex starved. When they come to US for a short visit, first thing they do is go for ‘escorts’ and call girls. It gave IPL a clear idea how to sell these western cheerleaders and make some more money”. And soon the game had started and all eyes were trained on the pitch:-)

Well, not withstanding this sex and cricket debate, what a sensational victory that was in the Garden of Eden:-) Folklore will be made of this Sunday game and the creators were none other than Dada and his golden men!

Goa and Music

2008-05-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

There is a palpable excitement I feel, when I land in Goa, almost instantaneously, expecting something magical to happen.

The cab that takes us to our hotel has lovely konkani music playing as if to signal the party is on! He played traditonal songs, folk music, right through our 45min ride to the hotel- mwaah, lovely!

As we enter our hotel there is lovely local music streaming through the doors!I think music flows through the blood of every Goan. I later understood that, in schools, music is encouraged whether it be singing, playing an instrument or creating beats.

Goans love for music can be heard round the clock, not only in the houses but at social occasions. The talented goan musicians dish out popular Indian and western hits and not forgetting the show stopping, foot stomping goan manddos which get goans of all ages up on the dance floor.

Goan music merges Indian and Western traditions, and the Mando is a treat to hear. Starting with a sad beat, gradually it ends on a faster beat known as 'Dulpods'. Based on the Latin American tune, Mando is sung by girls and boys in chorus or sometimes one line of the song one after the other. Beckons one to move:), just as we did on the boat, on the river Mandovi.

At lunch time in the hotel coffee shop we met some fellow holidaymakers who let us know that Roger Waters was playing LIVE the same evening. My God Pink Floyd , well not entirely, but nonetheless Pink Floyd legacy in the flesh!

We made our way that evening to see Roger Waters, a rock concert like I've never seen before. An unforgettable night , probably one of my favourtite rock shows amongst the ones I have seen all over the world. All credit goes to the fact that it happened in Goa:-), the people, the swaying, no smashing bodies or puking adults, the production of the event, roger waters himself, the open spaces, near the water front, all of it cast a spell on me, marvellous:-)!

I went to the flea markets by day and another by night, and o boy! I was surrounded by trance, hip hop, psychedelic beats, with many shop keepers selling mp3's and so many locally composed cd's, that I was quite baffled by it all and not sure which one I wanted to buy, because truly, any music in Goa, sounds pretty awesome!

Finally all this gave way to my kinda day - I slump in a shack by beachside, find myself a super vantage deck to worship the sun, request for the music to be louder from inside the shack, and it all merged so well with the sounds of wind, surf and voices- Goa- ah! Where time passes slowly and the music keeps you company:-)

Speaking of a capital city

2008-05-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along & tries to make peace.
The first two get together and beat him up.

What’s this hoopla about Goa?

2008-05-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

I was in Class 5 when I first went to Goa with my extended family, and some recollections of that trip:

We checked into this govt hostel for Rs 20/- a night and my uncle was nowhere to be found, when I went looking for him, (he had the keys to my baggage) I found my old uncle smoking! He was an absolute non-smoker, never seen him smoke before! And now in Goa he was transformed! :-) Wow that was amazing!

Next day at Vagator beach –my brother in law is most happy being on the beach. Reason? Not the surf and the sand but the nude sunbathing bodies. And for a naïve 5th standard student like me this was most embarrassing:-)

Evening dawns- everyone is chilled, like never before, the city seems to have taken away this family’s inhibitions and worries. My older coz sister offers me a glass of beer mixed with fanta! “You are on a holiday, go ahead and drink- we will not tell your mum!” And omg the first sip and I was ready to throw up, it was horrible! I went behind the bushes and chucked it all down and they were most happy thinking I had guzzled it all – looking at me furtively from behind their glasses at night, “is she tottering yet”!:-)

Another evening and this north Indian family (excluding me), went berserk on sea food, it was the yummiest meal for them, this vegetarian had the most feeble weak dal and rice:-)

And I can go on and on about these foolish escapades and the many susegado’s, the thonged men, the drinking binges, the beautiful days of non ending conversations, music and parties, betting and casinos, unique pottery that stole my heart, 3 of us girlfriends traveling by a scooter /bike, the sea, the palm trees, the relaxed atmosphere, Tiracol estuary, all of this brings a smile to mah face;-)

My love affair with Goa started then, since I was in 5th stdJ My Dad could never understand what appealed to me about this ganja hashish smoking old port! For him it was just a place to do business, for me it was a place to relax, unwind and be anonymous, relax like one can never, in ones own town, wear or don’t wear any clothes and nobody there really cares, it is and has always been a place to “just be” for me:-)

So you see this hoopla about Goa is a very personal thing, you gotta seriously love your freedom and yourself to want to be in Goa!! Indulge and be free, that’s what Goa has been always for me:-)

Benares is Varanasi

2008-05-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine nudged me to watch this brilliant docu on NatGeo or was it BBC, on, Varanasi. Not a romanticised version of this religious city, nor a drubbled to the ground version of dirt and grime and pollution in the Ganges river, but a very matter of fact narration with as many aspects as could capture of a city where people celeberate birth and death with equal piouty

I was simply captivated! I absolutely have to see this holy city myself- not as much from a spiritual point of view but from a discovery context. I want to see the waters in the day and by night, I want to hear the temple bells and see the magical aarti's by evening, feel the civilization and live, breathe on the steps of Ganges. To hopefully, get a small glimpse, into the soul of this most mystical city of India

Here I come Varanasi- next month definitely, as the wanderlust has now bitten bad, for this "must visit", on my list of travels:-)

Aamchi Mumbai!

2008-05-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Its May in India! Traditionally a hot month all over the country. Irrespective of where you maybe, Goa beachside or high altitude Bangalore, or in aamchi Mumbai, the heat is a killer!

Then again maybe its my intolerance of the heat that makes me feel absurdly bothered! Today travelling from Santacruz to Andheri to Chembur and then back to Bandra, simply had me in a tizzy! Despite a beautifully strong aircon in the car, the effort it takes to cross the road to go to Alpha and then on return to wait for the car to come out of the parking - the sun beats down unrelentingly and I can feel the sweat beads start to form on my forehead! If this is not enough the human traffic on the roads is another story altogether! Given thr is'nt enough covered parking in the city, the car often has to be left parked right under the sun, as a result by the time you come back to the car, you are sitting in a ultra hot oven!

Once inside Alpha the aircon is just for namesake, because the door is perpetually being opened every second, the number of people inside the store is phenomenal- how can the aircon possibly keep pace with this churn?!

Gosh, when will May give way to the monsoon clouds I see forming every evening in the skies? When will the rains cool down this parched city? When will the cart pulling man heave a cool sigh of releif. When will the scattered thin green in the city learn to shrug off the dust n grime and breathe and grow again?

Need rescue and respite from this Mumbai heat soon!

Kelanajaya Starbucks it is!

2008-04-25T00:47:00.001-07:00

Days on end I would wake up at noon or thereafter, and laze much after and then rouse myself to take a shower n meet the world outside. Such luxury I have not known before:-)

So slowly now that I had started to come awake, my tummy would ask for some food! Taxi! And a hop skip n jump I am at Starbucks! A yummy s/w, a double espresso, the newspaper to catch up on the city gossip and the background ambient sounds of the barristas cheerful voices thanking patrons or welcoming them, always kept me feeling safe and secure, as if at home. This lazy feeling continued, with a bluberry muffin to keep company and yet another coffee latte!:-)

By then its a couplea hours gone, am having a scintillating conversation with some locals or some westerners, and after a while its time for shopping:-)

Recharge!

2008-04-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Taking a break - What this really means in our parents language is, no work, no laptops or blackberry's, no calls or text msgs (ok,maybe a few), no worry lines, no "thinking"!

In my world too it would mean the same, but alas, can we stay away from our gadgets? No ways, God forbid if that happens we will be cold turkeying, thinking why has the phone not rang yet or imagining it ring when it is in power off mode, or why is the red light not blinking on the BB why is the world so slow and not working!?!

What are we? Slaves to our work?:-) I think in a way we are, right?!:-)

On one of our holidays we friends decided to put the world behind us, and simply be. Which meant we kept our phones off as soon as we landed in the resort and switched it on only when we were at the departure terminal 4 days later. Otherwise the phone was used just once a night daily to call home and check all's well

It was beautiful to not be disturbed at all, sleep, eat, enjoy life, without any intrusions of any kind especially the kinds we have so got used to:-)

I hope that we will take such breaks ever so often , does a world of good for the soul.

Aborigines in Oz

2008-04-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

They say one does'nt get the whole picture of Australia, till one makes an effort to get to know some about the aborigines culture

This post is anecdotal, as I heard many friends living in Oz speak about the aborigines

The word 'aboriginal' means the first, or earliest known. These are natives or old inhabtants, not invaders or new dwellers. Australia may well be the home of the first people of the world. The aborigines have a special affinity with the land they live on as they believe their food comes from what is avialble locally and naturally. There are stories too about how they used to draw water - they drained dew and obtained water from certain trees and roots. They were known to even dig and squeeze out frogs, which store water in their body

Australian Aboriginal society has the longest continuous cultural history in the world - dating back to the last ice age - and despite concerted efforts to stamp it out, it's still very much alive.

Aborigines migrated from somewhere in Asia atleast 30,000years ago and have some unifying links back with their roots.Among these are strong spiritual beliefs that tie them to their land, a tribal culture of storytelling and art, a difficult colonial history ... these would sound familiar, very familiar, to an Asian, even today

The Australian PM very recently has apologized to the aborigines for having taken their land and relegated them to the deep interiors. I wonder if they will get speacial previleges and status in Australia ever?

The Great Barrier Reef

2008-04-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

The Great Barrier Reef has been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal Australians have been living in the area from at least 40,000 years ago,and Torres Strait Islanders since about 10,000 years ago. For these 70 or so clan groups, the reef is also an important part of their culture and spirituality. More on this, in my next post.

Larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing visible from space, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world. The 2000km conglomeration of colourful coral stretches along the Queensland seaboard makes for some of the most spectacular diving landscape imaginable.

Due to its diversity in sealife , warm clear waters and its accessibility the reef became our haven for snorkelling and scuba diving for the next couple of days,it was a pure getaway for us city dwellers, a super break away from the hustle bustle of life in the city.

This Island we stayed in was largely natural - a sweep of caster sugar sands that is home to turtles and birds. This tiny coral cay is both part of the Great Barrier Reef and surrounded by it, its pristine waters host to an unimaginable variety of marine life including coral and fish.

This island allowed access to the pristine reef and beach environments including rare turtle and bird breeding grounds. We were able to enjoy exceptional snorkelling, bird watching, island and reef walks and all we did was simply relaxed within the peaceful natural setting, enjoying the stunning views.

This Island we stayed in, called Wilson, had comfortable designer-inspired tented accommodations on six permanent tent sites and is packaged with pre and post accommodation at Heron Island as a complete 5-night escape. The remote coral cay is located 8 nautical miles from Heron Island (Approximately 40 minutes by boat).

We were drawn to this island as the city life had eroded a lot from us, and we literally wanted a back to nature break. This break allowed us pristine nature, seclusion and the freedom from modern-day living. To my mind W Island is the Great Barrier Reef as nature intended.

Lolling in peace

2008-03-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was remembering one of my most peaceful holidays- yes peaceful. This one I was not looking for action at all- wanted some quite and solitude.

A relatively unknown off the beaten path old haveli called Kanota offered me a serene environment with stunning nature images and delectable food that could well have come from my home kitchen! Everything there was catered to pamper to our senses when all we went there for,was, time to relax

Kaliya or Kalu as his master calls him, needs to talk urgently, but the fervent wag of his tail is lost upon me. His constant chasing the white furry Billiya ( Bilo) is his favourite past -time, he tries to climb roofs and trees like Bilo but realizes its not his forte, then he chases the birds and attempts to fly/leap like them, and this has me cracking up with mirth, wanted to hug him and tell him he's not a loser at all, but just different from them:-)

I spent my days lying around in the sun, reading, sleeping, eating , watching Toofan the fluffy 4 legged who deludes himself to be a cat or a bird, looking upon nature and realizing how far we are from this magic, living in urban dwellings, so far away from peace and harmony.

Have you had such a calm peaceful holiday yet?:-)

Silicon Valley, Bangalore, India

2008-03-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

Bangalore - always blessed with a pleasant climate, beautiful parks, canopied avenues, and a rich cultural heritage with a cosmopolitan touch.

A city ahead of its times, Bangalore heralded the Information Technology revolution way back in the 1980s. It has earned its spot in the international arena with landmark progress in IT, bio-technology, garment manufacturing, industrial development, real estate, health, higher education and hospitality.

Silicon city has now started to see growth pangs which are painful. A 15min distance to cover 2 yrs ago now can take an hour many times. The weather that this IT city is to be used to, is fast vanishing , leaving in its wake dry scratchy heat!

Construction work seems to be in progress everywhere you look and that to my mind is contributing to the heat island effect in this garden city

Despite all this downslide Bangalore is very close to my heart. This city was my first home away from home. I was lucky to have made some precious friends there, grew professionally, got myself a lovely home, hung out at my fave places, and most importantly I found my independance there

I sincerely wish Bangalore finds a solution to all its problems soon

Hop on a hot air ballon in Cambodia, Siem Reap

2008-02-20T02:07:00.000-08:00

The joys of ballooning! Standing unharnessed in the wicker basket, flying and swaying gently with the wind, almost makes me believe it to be like the planquins of the gods:-)

This ride takes me back to Jaipur and the hot air balloon there, going up reaching the skies early morning and near sunset- magical, so adventourous!

However getting into a balloon for a ride or getting off it, is not as easy as getting into a bus, or tying a seatbelt in an aircraft, The 6500m balloon needs to be inflated with not hot air cannons that spew air but with an inflator fan!

There are no ladders to climb into the ballon when inflated and looking gigantic- you simply hop on into the basket which also stores lpg gas cylinders that pump air into the hot air balloon during the flight,

I was so captivated with this balloon and the skies and the ride I forgot I had my camera for clickling photos with me! Passing over pvt pools, and castles and heritage sites, with people below all reduced to a mere speck! I eventually went trigger happy.

An expereince worth having I promise:-)

Inquisition at Kabini Jungle Resort

2008-02-16T16:24:00.000-08:00

The evening sun slid down in the horizon as we stood silently with the jeep’s engine off, watching a baby elephant stand right in the middle of our path in the jungle!

Within touching distance under the headlights of the jeep we were completely struck by the beauty of nature and how this baby looked so lost

Barely had few seconds elapsed, when the roar of a heard of elephants echoed all around us, dust was swirling with much snorting and stumping! The driver switched off the jeep lights afraid the elephants would attack us all; we were now surrounded by darkness, our eyes adjusting slowly to the natural night-light

The baby elephant was now surrounded by a giant heard of elephants who came threateningly close to our jeeps with their trunks up, making angry noises. The message was clear ‘it is our land”.

This heard stood in our path for an eternity I had forgotten my camera, and wondered in my head several times what if they attacked our open jeep? The driver had no weapon on him- we were unarmed and miraculously alive after such a thrilling episode of our lives! In the time the elephants glared and snorted at us angrily standing barely 6 feet away I felt afraid with this raw power of animals, felt meek in front of this giant sized animal, felt humbled by natures magic of such diversity and yet so similar to a mother protecting her child in my world,

The 20 odd herd of elephants decided to move onwards to their home in the night and the driver visibly shaken – he has been driving this jeep for the last 20years and had never felt so threatened he said to us later - we slowly brought the engine alive, put the headlights back on and made our way with stealth back to the jungle resort lights

Ibiza in Bentota

2008-02-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Surfing is an art, a sport, perhaps even a small science, but in Sri Lanka, Bentota it is simple fun, provided you are in luck. The waters are clean and the beaches prettily shaded with palms, but at times the sea gets rough. It is the same beach that saw 10 feet high waves during tsunami, but you’d never figure that looking at the plush hotels and resorts lining the coast.

Many friends got themselves a surfing instructor and that added a sense of adventure to the holiday there. Otherwise this town is a bland resort town teeming with rich Europeans in fragrant corridors

Colombo is comparable to Marine Drive in Bombay. A walk on this promenade is a perfect way to sample a local hangout, if you were stretched for time like I was. It is bustling with candyfloss sellers, street food vendors, hundreds of couples holding umbrellas intact in the face of the sea winds, children frolicking in the water and families out for a fun evening. This is also a city that incorporates the finer things in life such as art, exhibitions, dance, and drama and not to forget great food for non-vegetarians.

Sri Lankans are happy people, humble and tanned. To be on the move in local transport here means you have to ride in a deep red auto rickshaw to feel the Sinhalese power.
There are Tata buses too and the funny vehicles dragged by generator -run engines. There is no better way to interact with locals than to board their local vehicles

And if you are a veggie like me- hunt hard and far for a veg. restaurant besides your own hotel resort. Best luck!

Travel Woes

2008-01-09T21:54:00.000-08:00

I travel atleast 2-3 days of a week, and sometimes its not a fun thing. First of all one has to work within allocated budget that is provided by office and really waste much time in researching every city to be able to come up wth something half decent and comfortable! You have to get to a 4 or 5 star hotel to find the near comfort of ones home and this means not 5 star service but good "living space". Then comes the woe of checking in- as soon as I reach a city I get to work and only look to check in late evening when work is behind me - there have been times where the hotel has given up on me because I did not surface at 12pm noon for my room reservation, hence they assumed I was not coming! Then starts the renegotiation all over again on the availability of a room, wasting time at the reservations desk, watching people pass you by, when all you want is a hot shower!

The other beauty about living in a hotel is the toiletries. Once you get used to one brand of soaps, moisturizers, shampoo, body wash and then you change your hotel in another city to another chain of hotel you've had it! I carry my toiletries kit always with me and no matter if it is an upper class chain of hotels or not, I simply dont use their kits nomore! My skin desrves better.

O yes, have you noticed how the rooms are so well AC'd that the windows never open? I dont much care really because at night I simply need my sleep - all else can wait.
The hotels, do their best to stock well on different types of pillows, beds etc so am not conmplainting when I stay with Sheraton - they do look after needs. I cant help but mention some hotels that have bad acoustics insulation - where when one door of another room shuts or open you feel it is your room and somebody unknown has entered! Scarryyy at night!

I have to proclaim loud and clear here I love coming back home :-)