Putter & Muse

Airplane Husbands

2011-10-02T07:18:00.001+05:30

I've been commuting back and forth to Phoenix for the better part of two years now, usually on a Tuesday through Thursday pattern and always on Southwest. When you have that much of a habit, you start to notice similarities in your fellow passengers, the crew, the take-off and landing routine, the in-flight security schpeel, etc. There have been signs that I fly too much. Like, for instance, I know that my orange suitcase will fit end-to-end in bins three through X, while my red one will fit that way into any of the bins, allowing me to sit closer to the front. I also know that the clutch seats are windows and aisles from row three through the emergency exit rows, because those middles aren't close enough to the front to entice people to take them, and most will pass them up in the hopes of a window or aisle (or some bin space) in the back. It's also probably a sign that most of the TSA agents in OAK and PHX look familiar by now and some of them know me well enough to comment, "you come through here a lot, don't you?" Or perhaps it's the fact that I can assume the position in the creepy body scanners in about five seconds flat, and get out and on my way in under 30 - if I had a dime for every time a TSA agent had said, "you fly a lot, don't you?," I would be rich.

All of this has been true for the past nine to ten months, but the surest sign that I've overdosed on air miles has come over the summer. For months, I flew back and forth, sometimes with the same people, but never frequently enough to really know who they were. There was the Indian guy who worked for Intel who always had a construction-cone orange suitcase, and the always-rushed, super-serious, duffel-bag-wielding businessman with a slight pompadour, and the kind-of wooly guy with a neck pillow and good Bose headphones. But this summer, these guys began having names. I mean, when someone you've been on the same route with for months sits in your row finally, you can't pretend like you've never seen them before, right? So, it turns out that the serious guy is Jeff, a father of two who works in Phoenix Tuesday through Thursday because he and his wife tried to move permanently, and couldn't sell their house in the Bay Area so they had to move back. He's probably that serious because he's trying to make it home in time to put his kids to bed after being away for three days. And the wooly guy is David, a tango and music aficionado who also works from Phoenix three days a week, and is one of the few people on the plane who out-ranks me in frequent flier miles and gets a lower-numbered A-group boarding pass.

These two, in particular, have sort-of become my airplane husbands, or if not that, then my airplane family. Jeff and I have an unspoken agreement that if I get on first and get a window, he takes the aisle and generally makes the middle look occupied. We chat for a bit and then he reads his book and I sleep, and when we get to Phoenix, he always takes my suitcase down for me and sets it in the aisle-way. Yes, he knows which one it is, red or orange. David always chats with me in line about how my week was and what the weekend plans are. This week he recommended the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, and complimented me on my "superbly coordinated" blouse, sweater and green sandals. It's moments like these that reinforce for me that people are fundamentally kind, generous and interesting. I appreciate the solicitousness and care, and the general bonhomie of a fellow traveler.

To Jeff, David and all the folks who have been with me through repeated cycles of wheels up and tarmac down: safe travels, be well, and many thanks for having my back and making one of the world's longest commutes much more pleasurable.

Idyllic LA

2011-09-19T13:13:00.001+05:30

Sometimes I feel like my soul has a muscle-memory for Los Angeles. As if, by failing to pay close attention and keep defenses up, I could get lured into the rat race that birthed my parents and thereby lose my way back home to the cool, rolling hills of Northern California. It is precisely because LA has its charms that I have hardened my heart against her wiles, insisting I felt more at home just about anywhere else, including Delhi, half a world away. Going to school at Berkeley has put me in close proximity to several die-hard Angelenos, and after a lot of kibitzing and regional trash talking, one of them finally called my bluff and offered to put the city's money where her mouth is. Armed with an "I'll never live south of Monterey" chip on my shoulder, I headed out to La La Land for the Labor Day weekend.

After a quick SJC to BUR flight, I found myself quickly ensconced in a lovely, loaned Hollywood studio, right in the shadow of the Capitol Records building. For dinner, we headed to Yamashiro's for sushi and sake. We sat in a lovely garden courtyard, but the restaurant itself has commanding views over Hollywood and Downtown LA that are to die for - well worth a return visit. I've learned that life in LA doesn't wind down early, so after dinner, we headed out to a late showing of The Help at a very posh theater in Hollywood (supposedly the highest-grossing in the country - likely due to the $16 tickets) and then wound down our evening listening to music and shooting the breeze until 3am. Not a bad start to the weekend.

On Saturday we headed to Runyon Canyon to hike with the fit and fit-to-be-seen. The views over the city were beautiful. I'll never get used to not being able to see blue ocean nor completely clear sky, but you can't deny that the weather and sites are pretty spectacular. Brunch is, as always, the best meal ever, so we headed to Bottega Louie for an amazing meal of clam pizza, eggs scrambled with burrata, salad and mimosas, topped off by truly spectacular french macaroons - the salted caramel and Earl Grey are to die for. Replete with brunchy-goodness, we rounded Saturday afternoon out with a little homework and a nap, before heading out to dinner and drinks at The Federal Bar in Noho. Another great day - score two for the LA team.

Sunday dawned as beautifully as her predecessor, so we drove along the beach to Malibu and wound our way up to the Getty Villa to take in the sights. After a yummy lunch on the deck, we meandered through the museum, taking in the Roman artefacts and the lovely garden, and then topped it off with iced coffees and a tete-a-tete in the outdoor amphitheater. In the evening, we headed to the heart of Hollywood and the Kodak theater to see Cirque du Soleil's newest production, Iris. It was hands down my favorite Cirque show, maybe my favorite theater production, to-date. Phenomenal.

The best part of Labor Day weekend is the bonus Monday and we put it to good use. What would a trip to LA be without a visit to the Magic Kingdom? I hadn't been in years, but with Park Hopper passes in our hot little hands and a Starbuck's breakfast under our belts, we hit Main Street with a vengeance. What's a winning recipe for a a great day at Disneyland? Read it and weep, my friends...

Fast Pass Indiana Jones
Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
Ride Indiana Jones
Ride the Jungle Cruise
Fast Pass Splash Mountain
Fast Pass Big Thunder Mountain Railway
Make lunch reservations at the BBQ place behind Big Thunder Mountain
Ride the Tea Cups (and deflect your partner's attempts to make you puke)
Have an amazing BBQ lunch (so, so good and with live Country music to boot - shoot y'all...)
Ride Big Thunder Mountain
Ride Splash Mountain
Fast Pass Space Mountain
(Jazz hands down Main St. and across the plaza to California Adventure - you cannot walk through Disneyland without wanting to treat it like a stage!)
Fast Pass Soaring Over California
Re-fuel with a slushy and ride California Screamin'
Ride the swing carousel
Ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (and try not to crush your seat mate's hand in a panic)
(Head back to Disneyland to cash in the Space Mountain Fast Pass)
Kill the time until Space Mountain riding Buzz Light Year's Astro Blasters. Have so much fun you run around to the front of the line and go again, trying to beat your score.
Ride Space Mountain
Ride the Matterhorn
Ride It's a Small World
(Jazz hands back to CA Adventure)
Ride Soaring Over California (A-mazing!)
Realize you could make one more run on California Screamin' and make a dash for it - last ride of the day.
Get dinner, drinks, and rest those tired feet in Downtown Disney before heading home. Oh, and don't forget where you parked....Perfect, perfect day.

Tuesday morning came around more quickly than I wanted it to, but I have no right to complain. What a great weekend! I will always be a NorCal girl at heart, but LA staked out a claim on my loyalty and affection that I won't readily disavow in the future. I will have to work hard to top my LA friends' superb suggestions and program of activities, but I'll do my best to represent my part of the state as admirably when they come up North.

East Bay Treats for LA Guys

2011-08-31T10:33:00.004+05:30

Some of my nearest and dearest buddies are occasional coast-flippers. For those who are bold enough to cross the Northern / Southern California boundary with verve, we proffer an incentive: the best eats in the East Bay, bar none. At least four of my favorite foodies would concur, but feel free to go local and 'ejumicate' me.

View East Bay Treats in a larger map

Every day is "Friday!" in Kauai

2011-07-13T21:16:00.015+05:30

There's no place like Hanalei, Kauai for getting away from it all. Peter, Jaime, Lauren and I spent ten days celebrating Lauren and Peter's MBA graduation, new career opportunities for Jaime, and partying in anticipation of new jobs starting later in July. It was great to see the Montgomery and Parks familys, and generally get some R&R away from the busy world of work and school.

Fun things we did:

Ziplining! with Kauai Backcountry Adventures
Hiking to Hanakapiai, Ho'opi'i Falls, and almost to the Alakai Swamp (darn that mud)
Kayaking up the Hanalei River with Kayak Kauai - Lauren and I learned we don't have very good rhythm
The Smith Family Luau - lots of fun with 500 of our closest friends ;)
Sunset pu'pus on the beach x 2
Pink floaties with dual cup-holders, roadie cocktails, and Lauren in the best Aloha get-up ever
Snorkeling at Tunnels
Tidepooling at Secret Beach

Yummy eats:

Duane's Ono Char Burger - a must for post-flight lunching, but don't be in a rush
Hukilau Lanai - our first night of vacation, after airport pick-ups
Duke's barefoot bar for a yummy lunch and drinks straight out of a pineapple
Tropical Taco and BYO beers for a casual lunch in Hanalei
Kauai Grill at the St. Regis - our fancy night out
Pau Hana Pizza in Kilauea - my favorite lunch of the trip; smoked Ono pizza...SO good
Waimea Brewing Company for an all-appetizer dinner, hoo-aah!
Olympic Cafe in Kapa'a - a full bar and a lunch of humungous proportions, everything a hiker could want
Kountry Kitchen in Kapa'a for top-tier, greasy spoon breakfast; our goodbye to paradise

The beginnings of an unofficial soundtrack:

Sung by the mixing spoon brigade, in a kitchen or Charger near you...

Friday, Steven Colbert & Jimmy Fallon
Nightswimming, REM (for pu'pus at the beach)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, IZ
Just a Dream, Nelly
Stay, Sugarland
Forever In Blue Jeans, Neal Diamond
America F*ck Yeah
Music of the Night, Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford (because Lauren knows all the words, dammit...)
If I Were A Boy, Beyonce (because Peter loves man-hating divas)

Firenze, la Fior di Italia

2010-12-20T18:39:00.000+05:30

Bistec a la Fiorentina

Memory has begun to fade, but I'll do my best to do justice to lovely Florence. After a very pleasant Eurail trip from Rome, we arrived in Florence and walked through the center of town to our hotel, Hotel Monna Lisa. This lovely little boutique hotel is really more like staying in a well-to-do family's townhome than a proper hotel. It's a calm oasis in the middle of Florence with furnishings that are unique and shabbily genteel, and a lovely atrium in the breakfast room with a view to the back garden. Florence was my favorite city in Italy on my first trip, and this jaunt only confirmed my preference. I love Florence. The cobbled streets, choc-a-block with chic shops, art gallerys, churches and museums are a pleasure to stroll through and the myriad food options are all amazing. I could spend endless afternoons wending my way around. This trip, we got more of an inside scoop from Mom and Dad's neighbor, Amy, who was studying abroad while we were there. She introduced us to two of the best gelaterias in Florence, Carapina and Grom, which were so good that we made sure to go at least once a day while we were there. I highly, highly recommend the crema di vin santo at Carapina, but everything was excellent. For dinner, Amy took us to Il Gatto e La Volpe for excellent pizza, pasta and some of the best house made balsamic vinegar ever - if you go, definitely try to pack some home, it's amazing. Another night, we took a bus to the residential part of Florence and had one of the biggest steaks I've ever seen - the waitress brought it out for Dad and I to approve before we ate it. You have to love bistec a la fiorentina - more meat than an American can handle! I took Mom and Dad for the prerequisite trip to the top of the Duomo, where we had beautiful views out over the city. The one-armed-bandit photo I took of me and Mom is one of my favorite from the trip.

Mom and me, from the Duomo

The Uffizi Gallery remains one of my favorite spots in the world. If I could curl up in a chair with a good book in the gallery overlooking the Arno, with it's lovely whitewashed ceiling and delicate hand-painted detailing, surrounded by Boticellis and the watery sunlight streaming through windows that have begun to weep with age, I might be happy forever. It has to be one of the world's most impressive collections of art, but it's also just a beautiful space in the world, and oddly cozy in its own way. From the Uffizi, we took a stroll through the Piazza della Signorina and made a stop at Rivoire for the famous hot chocolate -- possibly the best in the world, if you ask me. Our art tour of Florence ended with Michelangelo's spectacular David. The statue always makes me wonder about the boy who inspired it and the sculptor who was so fascinated by him; David and his Goliath seem the lesser subjects of the work.

You cannot leave Florence without some retail therapy, so we tried on gloves in every color of the rainbow in the leather market, bought chocolates for Dad, lovely ruffled opera gloves and a python clutch for me, and introduced Mom to the wonders of Missoni scarves. A return trip to Bartolucci secured wooden music boxes for Niels, Cordi, and Ronin, plus a fair bit of entertainment for all of us 'adults' as we wandered through the shop testing them all out. There are endless joys behind the tiny shop doors and through the alleyways of Florence. Rome was charming and not to be missed, but if you have one stop to make in Italy, perhaps in all of Europe, make it Florence - you will never regret it.

Rome, if you want to...

2010-12-15T10:20:00.012+05:30

After a summer filled with PSA scans and surgeries, bad boyfriends and yucky prerequisites, the Mackh family was ready for a break. We decided the eschew our normal, lovely Thanksgiving for a vacation abroad. Mom almost didn't let us go because she was sure that my MBA-stressed brain couldn't handle it, but we did all right. I decided that Italy was the most digestible, and Rome and Venice were still on my list of places that I need to see, and soon. I also thought my history-buff dad would LOVE Florence and all the glories of ancient Rome, so off we went.

I was so pleasantly surprised by Rome. I feel as though with the Vatican at its heart, Rome has a tendency from the outside to seem immense, as though its reach is endless and one would become lost there. While the city does have modern-day sprawl to it, the heart of it operates like a bustling village. I suppose it helped that we were there in the shoulder-season, but really Rome was lovely, welcoming, and easy to meander through. Our first day, we didn't make it much farther than a late lunch and the Piazza del Popolo before jet-lag won, but it was still great fun. And we had this amazing torta di ricotta with dark chocolate shavings on top that, in itself, was worth the price of the flight. We got a little lost in the park, as we wended our way back to the hotel, but who's complaining? The moon was full and the storm clouds made the perfect Gothic backdrop - very Ides of March, heavy with foreshadowing (don't worry, we made it home).

On our second day, we tackled the Vatican, which was beautiful. Work never quite goes away, so I was madly text messaging my peer from the top of St. Peter's, which must be sacrilege, but I made it out, so perhaps all is forgiven. The Sistine Chapel, is swathed in low-light loveliness and hushed whispers. It is hard to imagine the years it took to perfect each gesture and symbol in the intertwined figures. Surfeit with art, we wandered back through Rome to the Piazza Navona and had a late, late snack in a cafe there. About halfway through the meal, a Chaplin-style clown set up shop in the center of the piazza, making fun of all comers. He was hilarious and soon had the whole crowd rolling with laughter. It was idyllic, and so not the way that Americans spend their evenings...just lovely. After our snack, we wandered through the Pantheon, which has been a temple to so many faiths, and listened to musicians playing in the piazza outside. I could truly live in a city with this type of culture. After the obligatory coin toss and wishes and the lovely Trevi Fountain, we ate dinner at Colline Emiliane, near our hotel and the Piazza Barberini. Everything was excellent, but the show stopper was my dessert: torta di ricotta, laced with amarena cherries, and crowned with a crumbly top...seriously one of the best desserts of my life; I must try to figure out how they made it.

Day three was all about Ancient Rome. We walked from our hotel to the Victor Emmanuel memorial, with it's amazing views of the city, and then went on to Colosseum. It did rain on us a bit, but the interplay of the storm clouds, shot through with the occasional rays of sunlight, did tremendous things for the ruins. It is amazing to think of the culture (and mayhem) that emanated from this tiny locus of Roman life. After Ancient Ro

me, we wandered through Trastevere on a somewhat fruitless search for restaurant that one of my friends recommended, and listened to part of the Mass in Italian in the local church. After a long walk back to our neighborhood, we had a yummy dinner at a local family restaurant and crashed early in preparation for our train to Florence in the morning. All in all, I really loved Rome and would go back again in a heartbeat. The people, history, and food were all amazing. We had an absolutely lovely time.

A Moment In Time

2010-10-03T21:24:00.006+05:30

Dimple sent around this email today, and aside from being a total crack-up, it made me think about how fleeting pop culture is. I wonder if I'll remember in 10 years what all of this stuff means and what the 'early' Facebook culture was like. Will "Facebook official" still be a way to define a relationship? Will I still be considering the politics of "un-friending" someone? Maybe yes, maybe no. But, either way, it's such a phenomenon of who we are today, whether you're in your thirties, like me, or in your teens, or whether you're in your sixties like my aunt and my mom, who've now joined up - it's worth remembering...

If Facebook Existed Years Ago...

Do This In Remembrance of Me

2009-12-20T22:56:00.005+05:30

The holidays are upon us again, and with all the lovely parties, planning, and family events come swirls of memories. I have been thinking a lot about my friend Jody, who passed away last year in Nepal. I am in Tahoe again, staying with Jody's friends Bill and Teresa, and skiing the slopes of Squaw that she loved. For me, this place and these people will always bring Jody's spirit to life, and it is so nice to feel her presence here. Jody had many wonderful qualities for which she should be remembered, her love of people and animals, her generous spirit, her sense of adventure, her creativity, and one of the best places to do it is here. I decided that this is the year that I will learn to ski properly. There is a cabin to go to every weekend, new boots, new skis. As I point ski tips down the mountain, I'm sending much love Jody's way. Hopefully, before the end of the season, I'll make her proud.

This is one of my favorite songs about missing someone, sung by one of the a capella groups from Stanford.

French Idyll

2009-12-07T00:35:00.007+05:30

In November, I had the privilege of attending my friends Ally and Alexis' wedding in France. For me, it was the opening act on a week-long business trip to the UK, and what a stroke of luck to be able to combine business with pleasure and be present for Ally's wedding.

I left San Francisco on Thursday at midday, and roughly 24 hours and 5 airports later, found myself in Lyon getting picked up by Alexis' mom and her friend Bernard, just in time to make it to the rehearsal dinner on Friday. The wedding was held in Alexis' hometown, which is about halfway between Lyon and Grenoble, France. I had been to Lyon before on a prior trip, but hadn't been out into the countryside, so it was lovely to go skimming along through the fall foliage and pastureland, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, and just soak it all in. We met up with the bride and groom at the church, which is just down the street from Alexis' family home. The church itself was lovely, made of stone with beautiful stained glass. I would call the style French gothic, but that's probably chronologically incorrect. The overall effect was beautiful and timeless. Just the perfect setting for a modern fairytale wedding. After the rehearsal, it was off to a lovely dinner at the local country club, which opened up just for Ally and Alexis' families and those of us few friends who made the trek from the US. Replete with a tasty ham dinner, good wine and conversation, we headed back to Domaine St. Chepy, the chateau that hosted the guests and would be the site for the reception, and hit the hay in preparation for a busy wedding day to come.

The day of the wedding dawned with storm clounds shot through by sun rays. I suppose it would have been more convenient to have had bright sunshine, but the combination of newly-washed greenery, fall colors in the trees, and the sun glinting off raindrops was quite beautiful in its own right. We spent the morning bustling about with preparations, hair-dos and makeup, primping and pressing collars, and taking pictures. It was fun to be a bit player in it all and I hope I earned my keep as Ally's Girl Friday for the day. Ally looked beauteous in a strapless gown with lace overlay. I know that she was stressed getting ready, but it all came together and soon enough we were off to the church for the ceremony.

The wedding itself was beautiful and went off without a hitch. We had to jump a few rain puddles on our way in and out, but the ceremony was lovely, with many friends and family in attendance to celebrate Ally and Alexis wedding. We headed back to Domaine St. Chepy for the cocktail hour and reception. Apparently, in France, not everyone goes to the reception and it's common to invite your broader circle of friends just for cocktails and hors d' oeuvres. There were tasty snacks and plenty of champagne to go around for a couple of hours before the reception started in earnest.

The reception started with a conga line. You have to hand it to the French. They bring the party with them when they come. As Ally and Alexis entered the reception hall, everyone was on their feet, clapping, dancing and yes, conga-ing their backsides off. It was so much fun, and so great to see their marriage begin with such joy. We had a truly lovely dinner, complete with a cheese course of divine fromage. (I decided, when I grow up, I'm going to run away to the French countryside and become a cheese-maker). The wedding cake was a croque en bouche, profiteroles filled with cream, stacked in a tower and spun round with caramelized sugar - delicious. Alexis band played, Ally made a toast in French, and Alexi's mom threw a hip and beat me out in the game of musical chairs for single ladies. We were up dancing and drinking until well after 3am, crowing the night with the pot de chambre, a French wedding tradition where the bride and groom, and wedding guest still standing, are made to drink champagne and party leftovers from a communal bowl. It was a little gross, but most definitely a required right of passage. I headed for bed shortly after and left the wedding party to close the night down. So much fun....

The next day, we all sleepily had coffee and croissants before packing up and heading out. Alexis' mom threw a lunch at her house, so we all gathered there before heading off to the airport. For me, it was off to London and a day of work at our office there, before heading up to Leeds for a site visit. The airport shuffle to get there was impressive, but it was all worthwhile. What a lovely, lovely wedding.

My Favorite Delhi Restaurants - Big & Small

2009-07-07T22:50:00.006+05:30

Roomate brunch at the Oberoi

From time to time, people ask me for restaurant recommendations in Delhi and the NCR. Delhi is an amazingly cosmopolitan city and, as a result, the food is fabulous. Here is a list of my favorites. If you find your way to Delhi, be sure to check some of them out. They range from 5-star hotels to roadside stands, but all of them are road-tested by me. Yum! It makes me hungry and nostalgic just thinking about it.

Alex & Austin at Karim's with the Tandoori Raan (leg of lamb)

Re-Entry Is a Little Bumpy Sometimes

2009-06-15T21:07:00.004+05:30

For those of you who don't know, I'm baaaack!

I've been home now for almost exactly two weeks. It has been wonderful to see family and friends, to get settled into my house again, cuddle my pets, and enjoy my sunny-but-not-scorching home town. I suppose most things have gone well. I am happy to be back, and at least work-wise, so glad that everything worked out; I was beginning to get desperate. But, on the flip side, I do miss my Indian family, a ton.

I left my old HP laptop with the boys at the house, so Aarif checks in with me daily on gTalk. Manik took his tip money and bought a cell phone, so even he calls me from time to time. Sometimes the modern world is amazingly small, and it's both wonderful and creepy to be able to keep such close contact with them. People from the office ping me occasionally, when they're online late at night, so it's easy to stay in touch that way, and every now and again, I talk on the phone with Devindar.

Everyone has a different reaction when they leave home, and visiting India always makes it's own unique impression. I think most people are eager to leave the chaos and beauty of India, because it's overwhelming to many of us who weren't brought up in that type of culture. For me, it's the opposite. More than anything, since I've been back, I have this nagging fear that I'll lose what I learned in India, my Hindi will slip, my taste for the fiery spices will wane, my ability to understand (somewhat) and integrate into Indian culture will evaporate. I feel, sometimes, as if exiled. I think India somehow helped me develop another sense, an intuition or awareness that I'm desperate to hold on to. Or, perhaps it's the relationships with friends, colleagues...Somehow, I managed to feel that I belonged there, and I miss that. I seem to get particularly nostalgic on Sundays. Yesterday, I was running errands and shopping when I should have been unpacking boxes, and I found myself missing Devindar and having him along with me for the Delhi version of this Sunday ritual. I called him, just to say 'hi' and catch up on all of the news and notes from Gurgaon. The same thing happened last Sunday - maybe it always will.

My first week back at work, I ran into a colleague in the cafe who had also spent over a year in India. She asked me if I was glad to be back to American food and commented that she didn't think she'd had Indian food in the three plus years since she'd been back. While I understand the sentiment, that is not how I feel. Afraid that I might at some point, I went searching for a good Indian grocer and bought a full range of masalas, chili and cumin powder, green cardamom, dosa mix, my favorite Indian cookies "Nice Time", and some plaintain chips. A culinary cultural transfusion, performed right here in Sunnyvale. Now, I just have to use them; wish me luck.

You often hear Indians being nostalgic about their homeland, or pining for tastes and flavors that you can only get in India. That always seemed somewhat odd to me, or over-the-top, because especially in the polyglot Bay Area, we have almost everything. Now, though, I think I understand a little. It's not a rational thing. It's not that you can't get garam masala, or chicken tikka, or even alphonsus mangos. It's not that you won't hear Hindi spoken or meet Indians. It's the fear that you'll forget. Forget the tastes, the flavors, the smells, the history, the chaos, and the embraces of your family and friends. So, my American family will have to forgive me if I'm reluctant to stamp the Indian dust from my shoes, if the most natural response to a question still comes out as "ha," and if Sunday evenings make me a little sad from time to time.

The World According to US

2009-05-26T09:53:00.003+05:30

The graphic above has been making the rounds with my peers here in India. While it's mildly insulting, it also reflects some truisms about Americans and their world view. Certainly, this is how we, and our egos, look from the vantage point of the second and third worlds and their burgeoning markets. I particularly like the characterization of Canada as "uninhabited." We discount, criminalize, and marginalize a lot of the world that we either don't understand or don't have time for. Not that we're alone in this. My colleague who sent this to me commented that she'd love to do one of these from India's perspective. I suggested that she just change the labels and have a little fun, since she's very witty. Her rejoinder was that she'd have to start from scratch because certainly the Indian subcontinent wasn't large enough, relative to the other countries, to reflect the local point of view.

If there's one thing that the past year-and-a-half has taught me, it's not to discount the nooks and crannies and huge-ass continents of the world that I haven't seen. It doesn't take but one visit to Khajuraho, Amer, Chiang Mai, Darjeeling or Ladakh, to put you in awe of the world's natural wonders and myriad cultures in all their complexity. I cannot imagine my life now without having seen some of these things, but save for this opportunity to live and work in India, it's very likely that I never would have laid eyes on much of what I've seen. It's amazing how single decision points can shape you as a person. I hope that I remember to never stop exploring, and that I instill this wanderlust in my family someday. We must truly be citizens of the world; no one of us exists in isolation. The sooner everyone figures this out, the better off we'll be.

Bangkok - A Whole Lotta Wat!

2009-05-21T17:22:00.009+05:30

I learned never, ever take Shannon on a late night flight. Pumpkin needs her beauty sleep and did NOT enjoy the 3 hour flight and choppy sleep we got at the airport and on board the plane. Fortunately, we arrived at the lovely VIE Hotel and were able to immediately check in, clean up and get some rest. Which we promptly did, sleeping until 1pm or so. Shannon swears she tried to wake me multiple times, and it's all my fault, but I argue she was sleep-deprived and under-motivated when it came to getting me out of bed. In any case, the extra half day I tried to get us by taking the red eye more or less got frittered away in our spacious, ultra-modern, and ultra-cool hotel room. Anyway.... sometimes you just can't fight these things; in the interest of domestic happiness, we took a much-needed pit stop and had a really yummy Thai lunch.

Kind-of refreshed and ready, we headed out to hit the first of many, many Wats, or Buddhist temples. Our first stop was Wat Pho, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This was one of my favorite temples that we saw on our trip. The Buddha is very impressive and the decorative arts on the temple are amazingly beautiful, but it was these things in combination with what Shannon and I ended up referring to as "temple+party" that really made the place come alive. For some reason, the courtyard of the Wat was chock-a-block with food stalls, places to make offerings and buy incense, and monks chanting and singing. Because the trappings of Thai Buddhism are quite ornate, colorful and shiny, the overall effect is one of a carnival. It was great fun. A place of worship like that would make you want to come every day.

After bowing to Buddha's mother-of-pearl toes, we made our way to Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn. Situated on the riverbank, Wat Arun gives you a spectacular view of the city skyline and the traffic on the river...if you're willing to climb the super-steep steps to the top. I thought of Mom, because all of the temples are covered with ornate mosaic work, some in colored mirrors, some in porcelain flowers and figures - it's a pique assiette paradise! I took lots of pictures to inspire my favorite mosaic artist. I almost wished she was there, but not quite...Bangkok might just be the hottest city I've visited to date. By the time Shans and I climbed to the top of Wat Arun, we were literally watering, and the fun continued throughout our time in Thailand. I'll definitely go back, but if I do, it will be wintertime.

Hot and sapped by our brief adventures into the wat-age, Shans and I headed for air conditioning. Bangkok has a number of huge shopping malls and entertainment complexes where people hang out in air-conditioned bliss. We discovered MBK, and found our home away from home in Bangkok. Their food court is huge and operates on this coupon system that makes it pretty easy to get amazing Thai food for super-cheap. We gorged on green papaya salad, pad thai, and a few new delicacies like hoy tod, mussels cooked in a scrambled egg mixture with chili-garlic sauce...mmmm, mmm, good. MBK is also knock-off paradise, so Shans and I got our fill of fake Nars, MAC, Ed Hardy and Burberry, as well as some ultra-cool Thai t-shirts for Dad. And to top it all off....they had Starbuck's! Does it get any better?

On day two, we headed to the Royal Palace compound and were immediately transported into the set of The King and I. The temples and palace buildings are amazingly beautiful and shiny. I don't know how much of the work is original anymore, as the buildings must take almost constant maintenance, but they're still beautiful. Shannon was most chagrined because there's also a dress code, and somehow neither her capris, nor her cute-little-top made the chastity cut. Thus, she enjoyed our tour in two extra layers of men's shirt and sarong - not exactly the stylish figure she's used to cutting - double thumbs down from the Shan-doggy.

Our second stop was the Jim Thompson House museum. An expat silk magnate who popularized the Thai silk industry, Thompson was also a collector of Thai architectural pieces and household goods. After his mysterious disappearance in 1967 (foul play suspected), Thompson's house was turned into a museum, to compliment his very popular eponymous silk stores all over Thailand. The tour of the house and gardens was interesting and a nice respite from the crowded city outside. After the museum, we walked to MBK to cool off and complete our shopping, before heading back to VIE and hitting the pool + cocktails. Now perhaps we lack imagination, or perhaps the heat was a legitimate excuse, but Shannon and I were of one mind when it came to evening plans, and room service won out over the hassle, heat and bother of going back out into the city. We had a very nice meal with a bottle of wine, and hit the sack early, in preparation for our morning departure to Ko Phi Phi, by way of Phuket.

Green Elixir

2009-05-17T12:02:00.003+05:30

Green chutney might just be the world's greatest condiment. Mixed with yoghurt and tamarind sauce, it forms the perfect trifecta for any fried food. On its own, it compliments just about anything, grilled meat, paratha, paneer, you name it. The champion of sauces, in all it's glory:

Green Chutney

100 grams fresh Coriander leaves (cilantro)

1 tsp chopped ginger

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 green chilis

1 tsp lemon juice

25 grams of fresh mint

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

1/2 onion

1/2 tomato

Salt to taste

Mix and grind all ingredients in a food processor or grinder. If liquid is needed, water or plain yoghurt can be added. Puree and serve.

At Home in Kolkata

2009-05-17T09:01:00.007+05:30

After Darjeeling and Sikkim, Shannon and I headed to Kolkata. I had been wanting to see India's Eastern-most metropolis, in all it's teeming glory, and it just so happened that one of my friends from work, Debdutta, was going to be home for Bengali New Year, so we decided to make a visit of it.

Shans and I had had about enough of the B-grade hotel action (of course), so we upgraded to the Oberoi in Kolkata, also because it was on some sort of wicked sale at hotels.com and was only costing $130/nt for all of it's 5-star glory. Arriving there was a balm to my soul, truly. Beautiful pool, lovely room, great room service, and fabulously attentive staff. The Oberoi hotel is one of those places where you can get anything you need, promptly and with style - internet access, courier service for the sarees I bought, an amazing spa. What more could two girls want?

On our first full day, Debdutta picked us up and took us to the Victoria Memorial. The building and park are beautiful and they had a nice exhibit (with AC!) that gave the history of the city.

Afterwards, we headed to the India Museum, only to find it closed the day before the New Year. Darn it. We'll just have to shop.

We grabbed a quick Bengali lunch and hit the saree shops looking for something for Shannon. Poor Debdutta was so patient. But, we were successful! Shannon got a beautiful Bengali woven silk saree, turquoise and iridescent violet with an openwork flower design woven in pale gold. Very pretty. I, on the other hand, chose a tussar silk saree, with a traditional design in vibrant turquoise and red. Not because I need another saree, oh no. Because it was on sale :). Kolkata is also famous for its woven cottons, so Debdutta took us to the weavers' shop that her mom buys all of her cotton sarees from. These are much more affordable than the silk sarees, running the equivalent of $12 to $25 USD. I bought a few for mom to use as yardage, and 2 for me to maybe someday wear. They are so beautiful. I have to admit that all of the patterns and colors bring out a very greedy side of me. Just the experience of being in the shop and unwrapping all of these unassuming little bundles only to find amazing, bold prints inside, was pretty spectacular. Shannon and Debdutta got bored long before I did, but lucky for me they're good friends and very patient. Hot, steamy and tuckered out from our day of shopping, we retreated to "the Obs" and let Debdutta finally go home. We are indebted in so many ways for the tour guide services and the company.

The following day was the Bengali New Year. Debdutta's parents were kind enough to invite Shannon and I over for lunch and to meet the family. Debdutta picked us up at midday and wisked us off to her house, which lies on a street carrying the family name. Debdutta's father is very involved in state politics, having once been a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Bengal. Now, he organizes for his party and helps select the candidates that will run for major positions in the government. Thus, it was a rare occasion for him to be home to meet us.

It was lovely to meet Debdutta's family. Her mom made us an amazing lunch: aloo poshto - potatoes in poppyseed curry, huge prawns, fish, Bengali dal - which is sweeter than North-Indian dal, mishti doi - yoghurt sweetened with brown sugar, and rasgullah for dessert. Needless to say, it was amazing. Since we were the guests and the youngsters, we ate first, and then chit-chatted in Debdutta's room until her parents finished their lunch. Bengali New Year is an auspicious day to buy gold for Bengali's, so after lunch, we went with Debdutta to look for some gold jhumki, bell-shaped, traditional gold earrings. We found some beautiful ones that Debdutta went back and got with her mom later in the day. Too much fun. After saying goodbye and many, many thanks to Debdutta, Shans and I headed back to the Oberoi to pack up and hit the spa. Our flight to Bangkok was at 2am, so we dithered around at the Oberoi for massages and dinner, before heading to the airport around 11. Bye bye Hindustan, hello Thailand!

There IS Butter in Butter Chicken

2009-05-07T11:48:00.009+05:30

Murg Makhani. I think of it as the heartstone of Northern Indian cuisine. If you're non-veg, of course. I couldn't leave India without having Abdul show me how to make it. I'm not sure I'll be able to replicate it at home, but I'll make a valiant effort.

****

Butter Chicken

for 3 people

Marinade:

150 grams of curd (plain yogurt)

Red chili powder

Haldi powder (tumeric)

Garam masala powder

Dhania powder (coriander)

Chat masala

1 tsp Mustard oil

Salt to taste

1 T Ginger garlic paste

Hang the curt to filter out the water and add all of the spices and other ingredients. Mix 200 grams boneless chicken into the marinade and hold in the refridgerator for 2 hours. Heat oven to 200 C and bake the chicken for 30 minutes. Cut chicken into pieces.

Gravy:

First step: Onion puree

3 Onions

Cut the onion into thin slices and fry until brown. Puree using a food processor.

Second step: Tomato puree (with kaju broken and magaj)

5 tomatoes
2 tsp broken cashew nut
1 tsp magaj (musk melon seeds)

Puree the tomato, cashews, and magaj. I've seen Abdul mix these ingredients in a blender either before or after cooking them. Also, the musk melon seeds are not required, according to Abdul and Preeti. However, if you use all cashews, they tend to be a little sweet. Since the nuts function as a thickening agent, you can use an alternate, less sweet nut. We were thinking that pine nuts or sunflower seeds might work.

Third Step: Assemble & Cook Gravy

1 T ginger garlic paste
1 T refined oil
1 T butter
100 grams milk
Cream for garnish
All Indian spices
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

Take a pan and add oil. Add 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Add garlic ginger paste and sautee until brown. Add mixture from Step 2 (tomato puree). Sautee for 10 minutes. Add 'all Indian spices' and the brown onion puree and cook well for 5 minutes. Add the milk and butter, chicken pieces, and salt to tast. Garnish with cream and fresh coriander leaves and serve.

Up Toward Mountains Higher

2009-05-05T23:59:00.006+05:30

Princess Shannon has returned to India. I (sorta accidentally) decided to give her a taste of life as I know it for the first part of her trip. Darjeeling and Sikkim were two of the few places on my A list that I hadn't been to yet, so I roped Shannon into tagging along. In discussing these plans with my colleagues in Hyderabad, I miraculously acquired another 5 people: Gina, plus Kate and Angela; Anup, plus his friend Apu. It made for a nice-sized group to go and explore the wonders of India's northeastern provinces, and it definitely gave Shans a taste of what life as an expat has been like.

We flew to Badogra, which is the closest airport to both Darjeeling and Sikkim, and met up with a driver to take us up into the mountains. As per the Indian norm, it was not without problems. First our hotel was taken over by some visiting dignitary, so at the last minute, we were notified we'd be staying somewhere else. Then, once we got there, our driver somehow managed to be standing outside this very tiny airport for the better part of an hour and still miss the crowd of 5 occidentals and 2 NRIs clustered at the entrance. My expectation of and tolerance for these road bumps has increased mightily over the past year and a half. I think, in many ways, this is a gift of patience that India has given me. Forever more, I will roll with the punches just a little bit better, plan alternatives just a little more thoroughly, and know when I should insist that much more firmly.

Darjeeling was our first stop. Perched at the top of a series of very windy roads into the mountain, it offers mist-covered views of the tea plantations and unbelievably beautiful glimpses of the Himalayan peaks, especially Kanchenjunga. The ride up the mountain, though a little windy for those in the group who were on their first Indian road trip, was fairly uneventful. We climbed through the lowlands, up into the tree line, passing temples and prayer flags hung through the trees, eventually driving alongside the famous toy train as it chugged its way up the mountain. Amongst all of this peace and beauty, Shannon took a moment to wave at some kids by the side of the road. Normally, this type of gesture is greeted with smiles and shy waves back, but this time, oh no.... One of the little boys, probably about 7 or 8 years old, stepped into the road behind our car and proceeded to thrust his hips at Shannon, miming that he was stroking himself. Oh yeah, a little Darjeeling porn on our way up the mountain....super funny. We all about died laughing. Even the Indians amongst us said they'd never seen a kid do that in India. See the beauty that Western cultures bring to the Eastern world?

While I don't think that the Viceroy Hotel should have been the same price as our original booking at the Elgin, it was completely serviceable. Clean, neat, very helpful staff and a great location on the main mall. In Northern India, the proximity to Tibet means you'll find at least two things in all of these Himalayan towns - monks and momos. For our first dinner in Darjeeling, we decided to go in search of the latter and had an amazing meal of momos and thukpa at Kunga Restaurant, a Tibetan joint on the main road in Darjeeling. We then wandered into town for the cheapest drinks ever at a local bar. A weekend away in one of India's hill stations forces you to slow down a bit, enjoy the company of those you're with, appreciate nature and the much-cooler air, soak of the spirituality of its holy places, and just do everything at a much more leisurely pace. It is good for the soul.

For our second day in Darjeeling, we headed out to see the sights and eventually to search for the local speciality - tea, of course! We visited the Japanese peace stupa for some impromptu drumming practice and gorgeous views of both the stupa and the mountains in the distance. Darjeeling, like Leh has a heavy Tibetan influence, so we were able to visit one of the local monasteries; Shannon worked on spinning the prayer wheels and Anup got down with the people, the monk people, that is. We then moved on to the Darjeeling Zoo and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute - highlights were the whomping leopard sex, which I heard but missed seeing, and the sherpa practicum going on in the courtyard at the Institute, which I also managed to just miss, being absorbed in all of the tales of men lost to Everest over the years. Gina assures me that both the sex and the sherpas were spectacular.

After our animal adventures, we spent a significant amount of time and joke material trying to find this restaurant called the "Hot Stimulating Cafe," which apparently exists, but we definitely could not find. In the meantime, we headed out to the tea plantations and the Tibetan Refugee Center. I think many of us, being native or imported Californians, were thinking that tea plantations would follow the wine-tasting model, but au contrare. We definitely got an up-close-and-personal view of the tea bushes, which look rather like boxwood, but there was no 'tasting room' to be had. The refugee center wasn't as spectacular as the Norbulingka Institute in Dharamsala, but we managed to amuse ourselves watching the little kids play, and Anup even found a pick-up game of basketball - again, one with the people. We hit The Elgin, where we were supposed to be staying, for high tea and had a very nice respite, along with our first taste of true Darjeeling tea. Inspired, we headed back to the main road in Darjeeling to Nathmull's, and spent the better part of an hour sniffing and sampling white, black and green teas. Apparently, one doesn't go to the tea, but rather has the tea brought to one. . . ah hah.

We hit the hay pretty early that night; matter of fact, Shannon didn't even rally for dinner. At 4:30am, we were headed for Tiger Hill to catch the sun rising over the Himalayas. There was much discussion as to whether the whole party would make it out at that ungodly hour or not, but we did. Out, and all the way up to the top of the hill. . . . the very foggy, prayer-flag-swathed, and overcrowded hill. As a native of Aptos, the fog made me feel right at home, but it wasn't so good for seeing the mountain range. Our conversation went something like this:

Apu: Look! There's the mountain range

(all of us squint in the direction he's pointing)

Anup: Dude, those are just clouds.

Apu: Triangular clouds?

Me: Well, maybe I see the mountains. . . maybe. . . Yeah, I think I do!

Apu: (to Anup) See?!

Me: . . . Or maybe I don't. . . ?

And so on, and so forth. . . .

In the end, even with photo-enhancing software, I got nothing, not even triangular clouds. I finally resorted to buying photos that were being sold from mornings where you could actually see the mountains. And, of course, the day before was much better, supposedly. But, hey - who can complain too much about an early-morning chai call with good company? We would have been bummed if we hadn't tried. After breakfast back at the Viceroy, our little party had to break up as Gina, Kate, and Angela headed back down the mountain and home to Hyderabad, and Apu, Anup, Shannon and I continued on to Sikkim.

The drive to Sikkim was beautiful. I have come to love the Himalayan foothills for all of their fog and greenery, and for the degree to which they feel like home. We saw a tourism poster for Sikkim that said "the Switzerland of the East," and that's a pretty fair description. Steep mountains with stepped fields cascade into gorges filled with tumbling rapids. In the lowlands, it is hot; up higher, it is misty and cool. All of the architecture is steeply vertical, made to shed the elements. Shannon and I only had a very brief day 24 hours or so in Sikkim, but it was still enough to get a taste of this lovely Indian state. Highlights include:

Getting a passport stamp, even though this is still India (?!)
The hotel hook-up from Apu's friend, that ended up being a definitely B-grade option
Gambling in Sikkim's first-ever casino for Shannon's birthday (and losing...wahhhh!)
The human traffic lights (seriously?)
The boys and their 'over-under' madness and preferring to sleep on the loveseat rather than together
The beautiful pedestrian mall in front of our hotel that my friend William's dad helped to design
Buying Dad a Nepali hat in the market, and taking a picture of how to wear it
Visiting Rumtek monastery
Shannon almost wetting herself on the way down the mountain - when will that girl learn that in India, it is unwise to drink multiple liters of water on road trips?

And then we're back in Badogra, and headed off to Kolkata!

Channeling Rosa Parks in Hampi

2009-05-04T17:06:00.001+05:30

At the end of March, I went to Hyderabad for work and decided to make another attempt at going to Hampi (the last time, it was flooded). Gina agreed to go with me, so on Friday night, we hopped an overnight train and headed south. We had second-class AC sleeper tickets, so the berths were pretty nice and there was a very nice older Muslim couple who traveled with us and were very sweet. They thankfully helped us tell the porter to wake us up in Hospet, so that we didn't keep going onward with the train. This boiled down to us getting woken up and hustled out onto the platform at about 5:15am, but still, better than the alternative. We caught a rickshaw and headed into the town of Hampi, still at dark o'clock. Although he asked us which side of the river we were staying on, the rickshaw driver elected not to drop us there. Apparently, it was easier to put us on the more populated side, but that was a pretty big bummer for us as we arrived a little before 6am and the ferry to our hotel didn't start running until 7. Even though it was early for the restaurants too, we decided to go and wait at The Mango Tree until they opened. We woke up the whole place once we got there; about ten people who work at the restaurant were sleeping on cots and mats in the courtyard. They were very generous in welcoming us in and making us chai while they got the restaurant up and running. I consequently loved the place. Chai and hot breakfast before you're even supposed to be open - that is the way to my heart.

After breakfast, it was late enough to go back to the ferry and catch a ride across the river. The river itself doesn't look big enough to require a boat, but it just barely is - especially with luggage. We wound our way up the bank and through the sugarcane fields to our hotel, only to find out that they didn't have the AC room that we booked. Since only one or two hotels in all of Hampi have AC, I was willing to compromise on a room with a fan and a non-working AC unit, and the hope that the manager would lower the rate to non-AC for us. We got cleaned up, dumped our stuff and headed back across the river to see the temples in town.

Have I mentioned yet that Hampi was hot? Like really, very, very, hot. Like watering-all-the-time hot. Consequently, our tour of the ruins was a bit laborious. We spent most of the afternoon going to two of the three main temple groups in town. We had a very nice vegetarian buffet lunch at one of the state tourist hotels and wrapped up our sightseeing about 3pm. At this point, we started to get a glimmer of an idea. First, it was hotter than schmuck. Second, we had seen all of the most-famous monuments and weren't sure if there was much more worth seeing. Third, if we took a night bus or train on Saturday night, we'd be back in Hyderabad in time for Sunday brunch with Jen on her last day, and a massage at Tangerine. Hmmmm.....

I'm sure it's no surprise that we elected to go for an overnight AC bus to get home faster. We were able to get the last two AC reserved seats, and so thought we were all set to head home. I really should have known better, I mean really. Traveling in India pretty much defines Murphy's Law on a regular basis, but I still make the mistake sometimes of expecting something different. When we got back to our hotel we checked out and offered to pay the AC rate for the room. Not only did they refuse to lower the rate, they also refused to acknowledge that there ever were posted AC rates, even though there was a defunct air conditioner in our room. In the end, I didn't have time to argue. I reversed the charges, after way too long on hold with both Make My Trip and Capital One, and we went on our merry way. We hit Mango Tree up for one last meal, and then headed into town to catch our bus.

And this is where the fun really begins.... In hindsight, we decided what happened was that they overbooked the AC section of the bus and basically picked on the two foreigners as the most likely to be easy to screw over. In any case, we go to get on the bus and the guy trys to walk us into the non-AC section of the bus. We protest. He insists we have non-AC tickets. By comparing prices with a few other folks, we become sure that we paid for AC reserved. Gina sits down in the AC section and refuses to move (go Gina!). I contemplate getting off the bus to call the travel agent, as the man insists I should. Gina says no dice - they might leave without us. So, we sit down and refuse to move, Rosa Parks-style. The two bus dudes yell at us a bunch and then try to 'refund' the difference in the ticket price so that we'll move. We say 'no way' offer that to one of the other passengers and see if they take it. Sure enough, they don't even bother because nobody would. Then they try to get us to move to a full sleeper bus, supposedly Hyderabad bound as well. Gina says, bad idea, who knows where it's really going. So we refuse to budge again. Bottom line - it worked. At least to get us as far as Hyderabad. We didn't sleep all that well - I kept thinking we'd get thrown off the bus at some point and the "AC" was intermittent. But, we got to Hyderabad. We ended up being the last ones on the bus, so rather than doing the last stop in Hi-Tech City like they were supposed to, they pulled off at a random intersection and told us to get off the bus and take an auto rickshaw. In the melee that ensued, I left my Blackberry on the bus, so between all of the irritation and the lost equipment, I think the lying, thieving bus wallahs got the better of us. After a half dozen aborted auto rickshaw negotiations, we finally got one to drop us across the street from the company apartments at Jayabheri. Whew.

Brunch at Novotel and a massage at Tangerine did a lot to soothe my jangled nerves. I had another saga trying to get my flight changed because for some odd reason, Kingfisher decided not to take any international credit cards, save Amex, that day. I actually had to call my daddy and borrow his credit card for a fifteen dollar charge, if you can believe it. However, in the end it all worked out and we got home safe and sound and were mildly soothed by our relaxing Sunday afternoon.

The sum-up on Hampi: Don't go in anything that approximates a Spring or Summer month - Winter is where it's at. Take the train both ways. No lying, cheating, bus wallahs. The ruins are beautiful, but they're fairly weathered. Unless you really, really love hippi backpacker towns, you might want to spend your India travel time elsewhere. I'm glad I went; I would have wondered otherwise. And, Gina is a great travel buddy - I never would have channeled Rosa Parks on my own without her.

Cookin' With Abdul

2009-05-03T23:06:00.008+05:30

Before I came to India, my biggest exposure to Indian food had been going to Indian buffet with Marilyn and Nader. Since most of these buffet's don't really spend time on labeling the food accurately, nine times out of ten, I had no idea what I was eating. Consequently, my entire experience of Indian food was a nameless but tasty assault on the senses, limited to the Walnut Creek and Concord Indian diaspora. Adjusting to the onslaught of spices was surprisingly easy, with occasional re-sets of the palate at Sunday brunch. I've come to love the food and I know I would miss it terribly and be crushed if I could replicate some of the dishes. Consequently, I've asked Abdul, our cook, to teach me to make some of my favorites. He loves an audience and has been very generous in sharing both his kitchen and his recipes. Here's the first in what I hope will be a series -- Baigan Bharta, or as Aarif likes to call it "Megan Bharta."

****

Baigan Bharta

for 5 people

500 gm baigan (eggplant)

1 T chopped garlic

1 chopped onion

1 chopped in tomato

1 chopped green chili

1 T garlic-ginger paste (see separate instructions)

100 gm chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

100 gm curd (plain yogurt)

vegetable oil

"All Indian spices" = garam masala powder, tumeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, dry Fenugreek leaves, whole cumin

Salt to taste

Cut the eggplant in half and fry until cooked well, then blanch the skin, [peel] and finely chop the meat. As an alternate to frying the eggplant, you can also cook or roast the eggplant in the oven, and then to proceed to peel and chop. Mix the plain yogurt into the chopped eggplant and set aside.

Take a pan and add 1 teaspoon whole cumin, chopped garlic, chopped green chili. Sautee mixture in oil until brown. Add the onion and sautee until brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, sautee 2 minutes and add chopped tomato. Cook well for 5 minutes and add the eggplant mixture. Add all Indian spices [approximately 1/2 tsp each] and garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Sautee 15 minutes until cooked very well.

Notes:

This mixture can sit for some time after it's prepared. I've seen Abdul strain it through a fine sieve to drain off excess oil before he serves it. Although he doesn't mention it in the recipe, Abdul usually adds the same amount of salt as the other spices, so ~1/2 tsp. This is generally a side dish, served with fresh chapati or roti.

****

Garlic Ginger Paste

200 gm fresh ginger

200 gm fresh garlic

Peel the ginger and garlic and cut both into small pieces. Add a little bit of water and blend in a grinder or food processor. The end result should be a thick paste, which can be kept in a covered dish in the refrigerator.

Rishikesh, Part Deaux - Some things are even better the second time

2009-04-27T22:46:00.004+05:30

I am woefully behind now (officially) on my blog. Please bear with me as I update, because the last 6 weeks have been fraught with travel...and, the stories are good, so it should be worth the wait, I hope!

. . .

After Holi, we planned a trip to Rishikesh as the Q1 expats' swan song in India. For me and Austin, it was the second go 'round, but for the others, it was all new. I am SO glad that we signed on for the do-over. We ended up with a good-sized group, nine of us, with guest appearances by Anupam from Hyderabad and Arjun, our visa-seeking roommate. Austin did a fabulous job of planning (of course) and booked us with a really great rafting company, called DNA. They took us on a 36km run down the Ganges with both Class IV and Class III rapids. It was super fun. The company was fantastic, the rapids were challenging, but we didn't flip the boat and everyone had a great time. Mission accomplished. And... I got a repeat on my beloved "burrotos" and "quesandillas" at the Ganga Guest House restaurant. True Bliss - quasi-Mexican food in India is not to be taken lightly; it must be savored and appreciated, which is exactly what we did. On Sunday, on our way home, half of us stopped in Haridwar to see the Hindu temples and part of the nightly puja ceremony. The temples were extravagant - beautiful and a little terrifying, with lots of bloody dioramas and gorgeous mosaics. The puja, even the little we saw of it, was pretty tremendous too. Thousands of the faithful, bathing in the Ganges, leaf boats full of flowers, incense and candles to be floated on the river, and a hundred different ceremonies being conducted at once. Just another quiet evening in Haridwar.

This is one of the few trips in India that I've done twice, but that's because it's well worth it. I love the cold water and warm sun in Rishikesh. The rapids are so much fun. This time, the water was aqua-blue since the snow hadn't yet started to melt, and doing the longer rafting run was awesome. I loved seeing the ceremony in Haridwar as well; it feels like a privilege to be able to participate in someone else's faith so directly and without any qualification. And, there were lots of funny stories this time too... you have to love road trips - constant stand-up fodder, truly: Gina declaring me the best bed-buddy ever (mainly because I sleep like a log) and the subsequent torrent of naughty jokes from both Gina and Anupam; Devindar stopping at 2am on a bridge over the Ganges and handing me a 2 rupee coin to toss into the river and "pray for a good husband, and quick;" finding beers in a dry town and having drinks with our guides, Eddie and Buphi; the mysterious monkey-chasing incident that left Devindar with three chipped teeth and a lead foot all the way home; and Sherry leaving her t-shirt and bra in the car, only to be returned by the very sheepish drivers weeks later, and with many giggles. Ahh, India.

And, I must end with a shout-out to the Travel Dream Team - my roommates and colleagues are some of the best co-adventurers a girl could ask for. Any time you have a trip planned and need another, give me a shout.

Holi Warriors

2009-03-29T10:50:00.002+05:30

March 11th was a holiday for those of us in Delhi, to celebrate the Hindu festival of colors, Holi. Holi goes on for a day or two - even the weekend before, Devindar and I got water-balooned in old Delhi, and you'd see people here and there smeared with vibrant colors. But, the big to-do was the morning of the 11th. This year, there were more expats and friends around, so we had a little mixer at Essel, with all of the staff and us participating. Smearing your friends and family with colors is a form of well-wishing for the upcoming year; supposedly the colors were once ayurvedic powders, meant to foster good health. Everyone at Essel was well and truly in the mood. Devindar got me good with the colors, or gulal, the night before when he dropped me off, and then in the morning, everyone was up and at 'em fairly early, smearing each other with the colored powder. We took the party outside and it quickly became a water fight, complete with squirt guns, buckets, and a hose. It was a blast! So much fun. The whole neighborhood was out and about and having a good time. It made me realize that there are just some underlying truisms to human celebrations worldwide. The Holi party we had resonated strongly with the egg dyeing, water fights and egg tosses held on Montgomery and Mackh lawns over the past 30 or more years. It's spring, and Muslims, Christians, and Hindus alike are celebrating the themes of renewal, growth and the end of winter. We topped our morning off with homemade samosas from Abdul, very special lassis, and a good long nap. I had no complaints...ah, spring!

The Blessed Event

2009-03-22T01:18:00.003+05:30

After much anticipation and planning, Taru's wedding weekend was finally here. This is the first Indian wedding that I feel I've truly seen from it's beginnings to the beautiful end. I observed the early stages of courtship, the engagement, the buying of the trousseau, the logistics and in-laws, and wedding gifts... all of it culminating in festivities the weekend of February 28th.

Carla and Sherry flew up from Hyderabad for the occasion, and Neeta needed a ride, so all four of us girls piled into the Optra with Devindar and headed for Rohtak on Friday afternoon. The first event was the sangeet, which is part mehndi party and part bachelorette. We got to Taru's house just before the start time, and ended up staying there to get ready. The house was packed with family and friends, including all of my Nehas, Divya, Saloni, Neharika, and many more. It was really fun to primp and prep and have tea together, while Taru bummed around in her grubs, shedding mehndi flakes in her wake. We danced and had our mehndi done, and then belatedly realized we couldn't eat with the henna drying on our hands. So the boys fed us our dinner - can you believe it? Gender roles are so complex in India. On the one hand, you may have fewer freedoms; on the other, you're treated by those who know you with a gentleness that is disarming.

Tuckered out by our ladies' evening (plus a few boys, of course), we headed back to the Faculty Club where Taru's family had reserved us rooms, and sacked out. In the morning, we had a breakfast of radish parathas and headed back to Taru's house for the Tel ceremony, where Taru's uncles came to formally present gifts to her mother, and her female relatives performed ritual blessings with chutney, herbs, tumeric and yogurt. After Taru was blessed and washed, the four of us girls excused ourselves as additional guests began to trickle in for the wedding. We headed to the main market to pick up last-minute doo-dads for the wedding - bindis for me and Neeta, jhumkas (bell-shaped earrings) to go with my lehenga, a jewelry set to top off Carla's outfit, and earrings all around. Before we knew it, it was time to go back to the Faculty Club and get ready for the wedding. Neeta and I arrived to no hot water, so we were delayed even beyond the normal Mackh timeline. We were supposed to be at the wedding at 8pm, and I eventually rolled in about 9:30pm. But, it was ok, because the groom didn't arrive until about 11pm, so the whole evening went off at a leisurely pace.

Taru looked like a princess in her lehenga, all red, gold, and rhinestone loveliness. Everyone from work was duded up to the nines and looked amazing in their party wear. I was much more petted than I deserved for my lehenga, which I've decided is not much better at hiding the chubs than a sari - perhaps worse. But, it does stay in place a lot better. After greeting the bride, we waited for the baraat (groom's party) to arrive, had chaat and took lots of pictures. The baraat arrived in style, with fireworks, a Punjabi band, and lots of drunken dancing. Karun was escorted to the stage and Taru came to meet him in all her glory. There shortly followed what I like to call attack-garlanding, as both Taru and Karun collared each other with garlands of jasmine and carnations. Then there were pictures...lots and lots of pictures. With the bharat arriving after 11 and the subsequent picture-fest, the actual wedding ceremony did not get underway until one or two am. We sat in chairs around the stage and listened to the pundit reciting the ritual prayers, sipping coffee and munching jalebes. The party didn't wind down, nor did Taru and Karun get dinner, until about 3:30am (nuts!). Everyone headed home tired and replete with wedding happiness.

I so enjoyed this wedding. It was wonderful to see Taru and Karun begin their lives together, and to see all of the hopes and worries come to happy conclusion. Taru's family treated us with incredible hospitality, and it was so much fun to spend time with all the folks on my team outside of work - I am going to miss them all terribly.

Kidnapped! or Valentine's Day at Devindar's

2009-03-22T00:30:00.000+05:30

Still recovering from the parental invasion, I didn't get much planned for Valentine's Day. I made a half-hearted attempt to organize my usual single-ladies dinner, but the early return of Taru's Prince Charming, plus general apathy from the rest of the crew, left me with not much planned.

As per the usual Saturday routine, Devindar and I set out for a solid day of puttering. There was a big craft mela (fair) on, so we went and explored that. I got some lovely patchwork pillows and a funky backpack which I love. We bartered over a traditional painting of Radha Krishna, made holy by a layer of cow dung beneath the paint. I couldn't quite get the artist down to a price that was reasonable, but I ended up buying it after all, a few weeks later - holy cow.

Now, I don't know if it was just serendipity, or if Devindar was just trying to save me from a solitary Valentine's Day, but he ended up inviting me over to his house for his niece, Pari's birthday party. I was definitely not at my best and tried to beg off, but he insisted he was kidnapping me and taking me home for the party. Although it was a little awkward, Devindar's family couldn't have been more lovely to me. Dinner was exceptional, and I was able to meet Manju, Devindar's wife, and Shubham, his son, as well as his brother, Ajit, sister-in-law, Pinky, and their daughter, the birthday girl - Pari. Being a guest in an Indian home is to be overwhelmed with welcome. I'm still not comfortable with being the 'honorable guest,' but I was honored, indeed.

The Golden Triange - a lopsided version

2009-03-21T22:15:00.003+05:30

After my jaunt to Hyderabad and a successful foray into the Punjab for the parents, we reunited and headed for the mother of all Indian tourist attractions, the Taj Mahal. We wrassled a bit with a flat tire on the way, but were soon headed for Agra to see Akbar's tomb at Sikandra, Agra Fort, and the Taj. As always, I loved Sikandra with it's rosy palate of red sandstone with marble inlays. I know it's sacrilege, but I prefer it to the Taj's pearly whites any day. Besides being beautiful, it's far less crowded and more peaceful with its lovely deer park and faintly crumbling gateways.

Agra fort was a pleasant surprise, more imposing than its Delhi cousin and in far better shape. It was a beautiful day to wander through the sandstone halls, explore Shah Jahan's marble prison, and gaze upon the Taj from afar. We did the whole fort in less than an hour, but it was still wonderful to see.

And now, on to the Taj.... It is beautiful, of course. And crowded. And, like most things in India, subjects you to a bit of sensory overload. First warm sandstone and then cool marble beneath your feet. Tracing the lilies etched in relieve around the mausoleum. Seeking seams in the seamless piedra dura, and marveling at the love and what must have been obsession, that inspired the building. Finally, watching birds wheel in the fading light above white minarets, and the sinking sun turning dust motes rosy over the Yamuna.

We had a lovely dinner and headed on to Gwalior. It makes for a long day, but I've come to believe that Agra doesn't merit an overnight. Our hotel in Gwalior was lovely - Usha Kiran Palace. Part of the ruling family's estate, it still sits next to the ancestral family home and the Scindia Palace museum. We had a good sleep in and a lovely breakfast buffet the next morning before rambling about the museum for a few hours and checking out Gwalior Fort in all it's blue-tiled loveliness. The Usha Kiran treated us well. Rooms were palacial and the spa was wonderful. Mom and Dad and I all had massages, which were great, and then we followed it up with a belated birthday dinner for me at the hotel. The staff were so sweet - they whipped up an impromptu birthday cake and sang to me. Just lovely - the Taj experience is not to be beaten in the hotel world.

The following day, we headed for Jaipur, by way of Fatepur Sikri. Although the abandoned city is beautiful, it has the most persistent hawkers and touts of anywhere I've been in India. Dad and Paul each succumbed to the wares available, but on the whole I think they enjoyed themselves. After a four-hour drive to Jaipur, we had a nice dinner at Niro's and checked in to the Narain Niwas Palace, which I love. In the morning, we headed for Amer to see the palace. This is the first time that I've been there early enough to catch the elephants - apparently, they're not allowed to do more than a handful of trips each day, so once all the laps are done, there are no more elephants to be had. The elephants carry you from the courtyard at the bottom of the hill, up to the palace gates - I've never had a more regal ride, and I think Mom, Dad, Paul and Mary loved it. So worth going early. After Amer, we had to go to the obligatory rug shop with our "free" guide. Paul and Mary got a very nice rug, which should have made his day, but I have the strong sense he felt he had still lost out on some commission in the long haul. Devindar and I dropped the 'rents at City Palace and went fabric shopping for Mom, as well as buying my long-sought Ganesh t-shirt. Then, it was back in the car to head to Delhi, so that Mom and Dad could catch their flight out that night.

It's amazing how quickly two weeks can go. It was a tremendous amount of planning, but so great to have my family here. I wish Mom had liked it better, but I think she was only so open to India from the beginning, and getting sick didn't improve things much. Dad seemed to really like playing shutterbug and geeking out on the history - I really need to take him to Europe. He would go nuts over Italy, in particular. Paul and Mary, the veteran travelers among us, seemed to have had a great time. And I was supremely grateful to have them along to referee the three musketeers.

It's all in a cave - Ellora & Ajanta

2009-03-11T23:31:00.004+05:30

So, post saving problems, here's my complete re-write of this post. You'll forgive me if I'm not as enthused about it the second time around....

We arrived in Aurangabad on Monday evening and headed for our hotel, Lemon Tree. I was pretty jazzed that I'd found a place that was within Paul's $60/night budget and seemed like it would be nice. When we got there, I was even more pleasantly surprised. The hotel was brand new and had just opened a few months before. We had big, lovely rooms, complete with all of the amenities, a great restaurant, and very friendly staff. They even left a towel elephant, complete with flower decorations, on my bed each morning.

After a good night's sleep, we rallied fairly early for the 3 hour drive to Ajanta to see the cave temples. Once we'd passed the tourist village crucible and made it through the bus line, all was good. We clambered up a long set of stairs and into the valley where the caves are carved from the cliff walls. Paul rode in in style, maharaja style, that is - on the backs of some very determined chair porters. Many co-workers had told me that the Ajanta caves were beyond repair and no longer worth seeing, but that is definitely not the case. Given how old they are, an amazing amount of the original paint is still extant. In any case, it was well worth it to see the grandeur of the stone chamers and to feel the polished stone of the sanctuaries beneath your feet. We puttered around the caves for a few hours and headed back to Aurangabad for a thali dinner. Mom, Dad and Mary weren't too sure about it; Paul claimed he liked it. In either case, their reactions made me realize how much my palate has changed over the past year.

On our second and final day in Aurangabad, which was my birthday, we headed outside of town to Ellora, home to Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples. The temples range from very roughly hewn alcoves of rock, to triple-layered temples carved deep into the rock face - just amazing. There was a Buddhist tour group chanting in one of the caves as we passed through; I caught a bit of it on video:

After Ellora, we went exploring in the Mughal fort nearby. The battlements are some of the most elaborate that I've seen, comprising multiple gates, bridges and a moat. The grounds aren't in very good repair, but it's still possible to see how impressive the fort must once have been, with it's towering minaret and layers of defenses.

Finally, just before leaving, we headed to the 'mini Taj,' or Bibi Ka Maqbara. Built for Aurangzeb's wife at her death, it's a 2/3 scale model of the actual Taj Mahal. There were several big school groups there and we were quickly rivaling the mini Taj for their attention. I've never been in so many school pictures in a single day! Tuckered out by our stardom and cave-hopping, we headed for the airport to catch the evening flight out - Mom, Dad, Paul and Mary back to Delhi and Amritsar; me to Hyderabad for a conference. Phase one of the Parental Invasion - completed!

And so it begins...In the backwaters of Alleppey

2009-03-11T09:12:00.005+05:30

Paul and Mary, Mom and Dad, arrived in India on January 30th and 31st, respectively. After much planning and plotting on my part, we were about to embark on what I fondly referred to as the "parental invasion."

Since Paul and Mary are fairly seasoned third world travelers, I didn't pull any punches on getting them acclimated to India post-haste. For their first day, and while we were waiting for Mom and Dad to arrive from San Fancisco, Devindar took them into Old Delhi, to see Lal Quila and the Jama Masjid. He also innovated on my program a bit and took them to see Akshardham, a Hindu temple in North Delhi that even I haven't made my way to yet. Paul and Mary arrived back at the guest house tuckered out, but already madly in love with India - just the way we wanted it.

That night, I did another 1am airport run with Devindar and picked up Mom and Dad from the airport. After a few hours of sleep, I sent them back out on the town with Devindar, this time to see Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar, and to make a run to Aggarwal Lassiwalla - yum! For dinner that night, most of my team met us for dinner at Pind Balluchi and we introduced the 'Rents to punjabi cuisine. It was so much fun to have my two worlds converge a bit. I've some to love all of the personalities on my team; they are unfailingly supportive, generous and interested in you as a person. Mom, Dad, Paul and Mary fit right in and had a blast.

On Saturday morning, we rallied fairly early to head for Cochin, Kerala. Despite the best of intentions, our flight was delayed (of course) and we arrived in Fort Cochin pretty late in the day, with not much time to sightsee. While I think we short-changed it a bit, I still feel as though we got a taste of Fort Cochin and Keralan culture. We attended a kathakali dance performance and had a lovely dinner in Fort Cochin, before heading home to put the jet-lagged crew to bed.

Sunday saw the dawn of a lovely day - bright and sunny. We drove out to Kumarakom to meet our houseboat and were on board by midday. It was fun to finally meet Kence, from EcoTours Kerala - he's quite the character and many Googlers have had their negotiating adventures with him. But, the man runs a good houseboat. The crew took great care of us and made amazing meals throughout our overnight cruise.

I think a cruise through the backwaters is a cure for all ills. There is nothing to do but lean back and watch the water lilies and rice paddies flow by. Life around you all seems idyllic, though I'm sure it's not completely so. I found myself thinking how great it would be to buy a bungalow by the canal and forget about the outside world for a while - a la Gaugin in the South Pacific. A girl can dream, right?

Paul and Mary were in their element and loving every minute. I think Dad too, was pretty swept away by the place. We listened to good music, ate the wonderful food and generally let the world go by. Mom, unfortunately, was nursing Delhi belly in silence, so it took me a while to get her properly medicated and cheerful. But, a boat cruise was probably about the best place we could have been, with nothing to do but relax and hang out.

We returned to Fort Cochin midday on Monday, had a nice lunch and headed out on a flight to Aurangabad and the next leg of our trip - the caves at Ellora and Ajanta.

Brahmin Blue and Golden Lace

2009-02-22T09:03:00.008+05:30

A few weeks ago, I planned a trip to Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, along with four friends from work - Jen, Carla, Jon, and Sherry. It was a little crazy planning this junket, along with Mom, Dad, Paul & Mary's trip the upcoming week, but it was well worth it. I have been meaning to get to these two last bastions of Rajasthan, and just hadn't gotten around to making the journey.

We set off on Friday evening - Sleeper Class from Delhi to Jodhpur. I was freaked out that the train ride wouldn't be comfortable, since Sleeper Class is the least expensive ticket you can get for an overnight berth. Even though the rest of the group had been in India less than a month, they rolled with it, and it all worked out just fine in the end. Our biggest challenge was sleeping through the stereophonic snoring from the husband and wife pair who were our berth-mates. Add to the list of Sleeper Class essentials - earplugs and a beanie.

Jodhpur is a quiet little town, just busy enough to be considered bustling, but not so big and chaotic that it exhausts you in the first five minutes. It's known as the Blue City, for the homes in the old quarter which are painted a frosty, cornflower blue, known as "brahmin blue" for the high-caste intellectual families that used to occupy that part of the city. The skyline is dominated by Mehranghar Fort, which boasts the only audio tour I've seen in India. We also visited the Jaswant Thada, which was the family cenotaph of the maharaja. Most Hindus consider these cremation sites both sacred and dirty, but they are unrelentingly beautiful. The white marble, with arching blue sky and puffy white clouds overhead, makes quite the vista. On the way into the fort, there are red sati marks, handprints of the maharaja's widows as they left the palace for the last time to throw themselves on their husband's funeral pyre. I cannot imagine the amount of commitment and devotion that would have enabled women to do that. It makes me angry and deeply respectful at the same time.

We toured the local sites in Jodhpur and had a great stay at Pal Haveli, before saddling up for the 5 hour drive to Jaisalmer on Sunday. Our objective was to arrive in time to catch a camel ride and see the sunset over the Sam desert, which, thanks to our driver Mr. Singh, we did. We saddled up on five camels with a set of really unlikely names, ranging from Michael Jackson (mine) to Bubbles. Just at the fringes of the desert, the dunes we clambered over were not extensive, but they were beautiful. There were quite a few Indian tourists clumped together on the highest dunes to watch the sun settle into a dull orange glow below the horizon, which always makes me feel better; it's far worse when we arrive somewhere that's crawling with Americans or European - not because they're so horrible, but because it always makes me feel like I suffer from a stunning lack of originality. In any case, we celebrated the sunset with a camel race back to camp, which brings new meaning to the phrase "slap-happy" but was really fun, regardless.

Back in Jaisalmer, we had a nice dinner at our hotel, Nachana Haveli, and were treated to a Rajasthani puppet show by a man with a 6 meter moustache, which he kept wrapped around his ears, believe it or not...cool or creepy - you be the judge. We hit the hay early, tired out from lots of drive time and our camel-safari shenanigans. The haveli was lovely - nicely restored with quaint, stone-block rooms and canopied beds, and a lovely fountain in the courtyard. Sometimes hertiage hotels are a mixed blessing, but this one was pretty much all blessings and a great place to stay outside of the fort area.

On Monday, we got up as early as we could (nine-ish) and headed to Jaisalmer Fort and to see some of the famous havelis in town. After unrelenting red sandstone in Delhi, Agra and much of Rajasthan, Jaisalmer presents a complete shift in palette. The lovely rich red is replaced with a crystalline golden stone that makes the whole place look as though it were someone's sandcastle. The buildings and temples within the fort walls are some of the most intricately carved work that I've seen in India. We were fortunate to have a local Brahmin man as our guide and, being a resident of the fort himself, he gave us a great overview of the various cultures and religions that are still housed within the walls. After exploring the fort, we allowed ourselves to be lured by his sales pitch and went with him to his shop to buy some authentic Rajasthani patchwork. I'm sure we taken, somewhat, but I don't think we got taken too badly. And, it was a fun experience in any case. It's amazing to see modern businesses housed within these buildings that are hundreds of years old.

We topped off our visit to Jaisalmer with a stop at the only government-approved bhang shop. Carla's friend from Hyderabad asked her to pick up four "liquor-filled" cookies -- imagine her surprise when I told her that the cookies were herbal in nature! But, with the cookies and an authorization certificate in hand, we were soon on our way back to Jodhpur to grab dinner and catch our train back to Delhi. By this time, we were sure that we were Sleeper Class pros. Besides, how could we do much worse than the stereophonic snoring from the outward bound journey? Oh ho ho... but you should never underestimate India's ability to top itself. Our train ride back went fine and everyone made it, and everone even slept. However, we were serenaded by the most robust chorus of snoreers that I can only call it a cacphony. They were in our compartment, to either side and down the car from us. A great lesson in mind over matter and a really funny way to end a great trip to Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. My one regret is that we didn't get to see the Jain temples that are just off the driving route between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. It was on the program, but got lost somewhere between the mad dash to the camels and the mad dash back to the train. Oh well - I have to leave some of the low hanging fruit, or what will I see the next time I come back?

The Wedding Wrap

2009-01-23T00:46:00.000+05:30

Marriage season has begun, and let's just say that I am going to have to get a lot better at wrapping a sari. Veni, one of the girls on my team, and her fiancee, Suhel tied the knot last Sunday, to much fanfare, photo-taking, and bell-ringing. Theirs was the first in a pretty busy wedding season for my team. We have no less than four couples getting married this month and next. My Indian-couture-related stress has skyrocketed, but it is so much fun to be included in these family events. I am honored, truly.

My maiden sari voyage was ruled a qualified success by the ladies. I apparently need to work on my pleats some an the tightness of the wrap, but not too bad for a foreigner on a first outing. In typical Mackh fashion, I was running horribly late, and so only had time for 2 false starts before I had to pin it all up and just go with it. Sari's are surprisingly comfortable and warm. I have a lot of work to do before I make it look as elegant as it should, but I'm motivated to try, for sure.

Veni was a beautiful bride in a traditional lehenga and Punjabi wedding trim. We stayed through the first few hours of ceremonies and dinner, but the actual formalities did not occur until the wee hours of the morning. This type of wedding is more a marathon than a sprint, and not for the faint-hearted. Veni and Suhel seemed to take it all in stride, which I'm sure bodes well for the future. It was an honor to be included - "Shadee mubharak ho!"

Missing Jody

2009-01-08T01:05:00.004+05:30

One of the saddest things about the holidays for me, was that I found out one of my colleagues and roommates, Jody Stiely, passed away a few days after Christmas. Our expat family is a small one, and I have been so blessed in the amazing people who I've had the opportunity to live with and travel with over the past year. Even among them, Jody was a bright light.

Bubbly, adventurous, full of ideas, energy, and creativity, Jody had a way of filling the space around her with excitement and fun. At the same time, she was incredibly intuitive and thoughtful, and always looked out for her buddies, in every sense. I simply cannot believe that someone so alive is now gone. I know I, and many others who loved her, will carry a piece of her with us forever and we'll be the better for it.

We tromped through the warren of old Delhi to buy stones for a jeweler friend and nosh on chicken Noorjahani at Karim's. We picked out pillows in Lagpat Nagar that we loved, and Danny hated, of course. We tried on sarees and salwar suits and strings of pearls. We clambered over the kamasutra-carved temples of Khajuraho, and wended our way through the palace and cenotaphs at Orchha. Jody saved all of her food on the train and in restaurants and embarrassed the heck out of me by passing it out to whomever she thought needed it, both because we stuck out like a sore thumb and because I knew she was right. She patted cows and cuddled puppies, and hugged people that maybe she shouldn't have, but again, she was probably right. I was looking forward to so many more adventures with Jody, that I can't help but feel bereft. My heart goes out to her family and friends, to Danny, her boyfriend, and to those of you who missed out on meeting her.

Jody, wherever this greatest adventure takes you, I wish you peace and am sending my love.

Home, And Back, And Home, And Back for the Holidays

2009-01-08T00:29:00.002+05:30

So, I've been a pretty sorry blogger for the most part of fourth quarter. Life has been crazy at work as we have been implementing several new projects, and I am supporting one of my colleague's team while she is out on maternity leave. I love it, but I have definitely reached critical mass this quarter, which has made for minimal time to blog.

I was home for Thanksgiving, traveling via Chicago to our Ann Arbor office to work for a few days, and then heading out to California for Thanksgiving week at home, before coming back to India. Then, it was three weeks of hustle and bustle to finish the quarter and Christmas shopping in India, before hopping a plane on the 23rd to make it home for Christmas.

It was wonderful to see family and friends, though it is phenomenal how fast two weeks goes by. I spent New Year's up at Tahoe with Lauren, Shannon, and Sheena and had a great time snow plowing down the mountain for a few days. Now I'm back in Hindustan and missing everyone, at the same time I'm happy to be what now feels like "home."

Some fleeting observations and things I discovered in the back and forth... forgive me if it's drivel:

Starbuck's and a Cinnabon within 30 minutes of landing mean America to me
I've been away too long when Meredith has grown so much that she looks like Grace to me (sorry Pete and Ann!)... Between that and banging her head on the ceiling when she was a baby, I think I've blown my honorary auntie status for life!
Marilyn is a beautiful pregnant person and I can't wait to meet the baby boy who will have arrived by the time I get home
Niels might just about be the cutest thing in the whole wide world, but why should I be surprised, when I love his parents so much?
Life has moved on in the year I've been gone, but not as much as one might think
...And I'm reminded, once again, to "count my blessings..."

Pushkar: A 'Very Special' Place

2008-12-11T20:44:00.004+05:30

A few weeks ago, Austin, Oscar, and I headed out for a roadtrip to Pushkar, which is south of Delhi in Rajasthan. Pushkar is a holy city in the Hindu faith and is most characterized by it's small but lovely lake and ghats where pilgrims go to bathe in the waters. It's also famous for hosting Asia's largest camel and cattle fair, which was going on while we were there.

I think that Pushkar was a big hit with all of us. Despite being a fairly major tourist destination both for Hindu pilgrims and for Western tourists, it's charming and essentially is a very small town. We rolled in late at night and had to call to hotel for a motorcycle escort who guided us through the wending streets to our little hotel by the shores of the lake. The hotel was bare bones, but clean enough and not too bad given the number of people in town. We had a rooftop restaurant with a nice view over the lake and town, and were within walking distance of everything.

On Saturday, we rolled out of bed, had breakfast and went to see the cattle fair. Let's just say that there were a lot of camels in Pushkar. And, most of them were being led around by the nose by leathery Rajasthani men with fabulous turbans. Austin and Devindar sampled camel's milk ice cream and we did some shopping along the main thoroughfare. Austin and Oscar were over that pretty quickly and soon said they'd meet me and Devindar later at the Pink Floyd Cafe. I of course proceeded to amuse myself shopping for a couple of hours, and by the time we caught up with the boys, they were happy as clams, each with a 'very special' lassi under their belts and feeling no pain. Needless to say, our afternoon proceeded at a langourous pace from that point forward. I was hopped up on antibiotics and figured that adding substance abuse to my list of sins was probably not wise, so I got a spectator's seat for the duration. The skies over Pushkar boast some of the best stars I've seen in India. We ate dinner and played cards, watching the sun bury itself in the hills until we were sitting under a sparkling canopy.

On Sunday, the boys couldn't resist the pull of Pink Floyd and its tasty treats, so after breakfast, we detoured to the cafe for more lassi before we hit the road. The crowds of people coming off of the main ghat were so thick that we had trouble pushing our way through. I'm still not sure where the flood of people came from or went to, but for a few minutes we were awash in humanity - so very India.

Done with Pushkar, we decided to hit Ajmer before leaving the area. I have to say now that it was my idea, and probably a bad one. Ajmer has a famous Sufi shrine that was a pilgrimage destination in the Mughal era. The complex of temples and shrines is supposed to be impressive and worth seeing, but it was not to be. The security ladies there are serious. I apparently had so much contraband in my purse (makeup, an umbrella, etc.) that they would not even consider allowing me in the gates. Unfortunately, they weren' terribly verbal types, so I discovered this when they bear-hugged me and dragged me out. Luckily, a quick flash of good sense came before my self-preservation instincts caused me to start using self-defense moves to extricate myself. For some unknown reason, the only Hindi word that I could remember was "stop," which I settled for screaming at the top of my lungs. Ugly, but effective. The whole thing rattled me pretty badly and I'm no much of an Ajmer fan as a result. But, it was a good reminder the feigning blythe ignorance doesn't always work in these situations.

The rest of our trip home was pretty uneventful, especially after that. All told, Pushkar was a big hit with the boys, and I myself am a fan. In the end, it seems like an oasis, with it's tiny jewel of a lake and star-ladened skies. If you have the opportunity to go, you must. Take a good book, go to the lake and perform a puja for your heart's desire, or stake out a seat in a rooftop cafe - Life could get a heck of a lot worse.

Taru's Engaged!

2008-11-02T19:45:00.007+05:30

Taru, my friend and colleague, got engaged in Rohtak, Haryana on Sunday. Austin and I headed out fairly early from Delhi, all decked out in our India gear - kurta pyjama for Austin; salwar kameez for me. The banquet was intimate, with just family and close friends in attendance to witness the ring ceremony and exchange of gifts between the families. Taru looked beautimous in a hot pink saree; Karun was handsome in a grey suit and lilac shirt. It was an honor to be included with their family and friends on such an auspicious occasion. Mubarak ho.

Paradise, By Way of Dubai

2008-11-02T18:54:00.002+05:30

Oscar, Heather and I took advantage of the long Diwali weekend to head out of India for the sandy beaches, sunshine, and tourquoise waters of the Maldives. Since we booked everything the week of, our choices of travel times and prices were limited, but we didn't let that put a damper on things. We ended up flying Emirates, via Dubai, and so were able to acquire two sets of passport stamps in one four-day weekend.

In the Maldives, we stayed at Chaaya Island Dhonveli, and enjoyed our all-inclusive little butts off. There was truly nothing to do but 'eat, drink, and be merry' . . . Oh yeah. And sunbathe. We all read a bunch; Oscar developed a gym habit; Heather went surfing with a bunch of Australians, and I went snorkeling in the lagoon. Very relaxing and much needed in the midst of start-of-quarter, performance-review madness. I saw several sting rays and two of what I think were moray eels. In addition there were tons of trigger fish, angel fish, butterfly fish, and at least three kinds of blowfish, one of which was about three feet long and wearing and awesome set of camouflage. The other remarkable wildlife were the bats - not just nocturnal, we saw them out and about during the day much more often than we saw birds, and I'm pretty sure we also saw them fishing. Very cool. There were also tons of hermit crabs of all sizes. On our first day there, Oscar and I were escorted through the bar by a hermit crab about the size of my fist. Almost every time I went to pick up a shell, it would scuttle away into the underbrush.

After three days of swimming around the atoll, three buffets a day, and cocktails at sunset, we were forced to head back to the real world. On our way home, we had a seven hour layover in Dubai, so we headed out of the airport and decided to poke around in the Mall of the Emirates. We found ourselves a seat at the bottom of the ski run in the Kempinzki's Sezzam restaurant and I ponied up to a glass of Shiraz and the biggest (200 g), baddest burger that I have had in months. Fantastico. After puttering through the mall for an hour or so, we headed back to the airport to catch our flight to Delhi. I soothed my nostalgia for home with a Starbuck's run...mmmm, decaf Caramel Machiato with soy milk. Yum, yum, yum. A

Arriving in Delhi at 3am bites the big one, no matter which way you cut it, but we were able to get home, get some rest and, well, Oscar and I made it into work by 9am or so. None too shabby.

Tantra and Temple Dust

2008-10-13T21:47:00.006+05:30

This weekend, Oscar, Jody and I headed out for Orchha and Khajuraho to see the temple carvings and get away from it all a bit. The rest of the Essel Towers posse went on prior trips, so I was fortunate to find two fairly new folks who wanted to go with me. We took an evening train from Delhi's Nizamuddin station to Jhansi, and then headed into Orchha in a cab. Our hotel turned out to be pretty nice, even though it wasn't the room in the palace that we were hoping for (seriously). Since there were three of us, I booked the Heritage Suite at the Betwa Retreat, which ended up being a Mughal-style bungalow with a couple of rooms and a marble bathroom - none too shabby. After a dinner of butter chicken, naan and Sand Piper beer (believe it or not, there's something other than Kingfisher in India?!), we hit the sack to get some sleep for our big trip to Khajuraho in the morning.

On Saturday, our "roll out of bed early" plans fell a bit flat, but we rallied and were on the road by around eleven. Manoj, our driver from the night before, was our guide for the four-hour road trip to Khajuraho to see the temple carvings. Khajuraho is most famous for it's 11th century Jain and Hindu temples with erotic carvings. Of the original 85 temples, only 23 remain, but they're glorious. The overall effect is not so much erotic as intricate, though many of the carvings drew as much warmth from their subject matter as they did from the setting sun. We were fortunate to see the temples in the last three hours of daylight, which made the golden stones glow. There were a few tour groups of Europeans, and several Indian families, but on the whole, the temples were pleasantly underpopulated. Jody, Oscar and I sat on the plinth of one of the temples and watched the sunset over the Western temple group - absolutely amazing. After the sun went down, Jody and I did some touristy shopping while Oscar tried not to get his pockets picked by the nine-year-olds hanging around the plaza. For dinner, we headed to Mediterraneo and had pizza, red wine and apple pie a la mode in their rooftop restaurant, which was so good - even the cricket that took a nose dive down my shirt didn't put a damper on things. After dinner, while Oscar and Jody went in search of an apertif, I had a very interesting tri-lingual conversation with some of the local guys who were studying to be government guides; trying to make my brain switch over into Spanish without mixing in any Hindi or English was pretty tricky, but it made for an interesting discussion. Armed with mango juice and a bit of vodka, we started on the four-hour trip back to Orchha. Open container laws, what open container laws? After one drink, I realized that I was outclassed in the beverage department and stuck to dj-ing with my iPod and portable speakers. Our ride home was pretty fun, but not uneventful. We got no less than two flat tires and finally had to stop to get both tires repaired at one of those Punjabi truck stops that are scattered along the highways in India. We rolled into Orchha at about 1am and hit the hay, some of us harder than others.

Sunday morning came bright and early, but we didn't see it until about 9am. After breakfast and lots of beverages - tea for some of us, water for others - we packed up our bags and set off to see Orchha. Home of the Bundela kings, Orchha like Khajuraho, dates from the 11th century or so. The town is quite small and mostly devoted to small shops that cater to tourists, but it is settled at the feet to two large palaces, a group of cenotaphs, and several stately temples. Given that we had a half day, we probably didn't do Orchha justice, but we still saw a lot. We started by climbing the cenotaphs for a view out over the river. After wending our way up and down teeny, winding staircases for a while, we headed back into town to see the Raj Mahal and Jengahir Palace. All were amazing. The palaces were like a child's fantasy fort come to life and without a safety harness. You can climb in, around, over, under, across and through a warren of royal apartments, hammams, and audience halls. In typical India fashion, it's user beware. We traipsed across scaffolding and eventually found ourselves edging along the battlements to sit in a cupola on the exterior walls. Throughout the palaces, there are fragments of azure, lapis and deep tourquoise tile work, and delicately carved balconies with screens that go just past your head so that the ladies of the palace could look out on the town, unobserved. Everything is simultaneously in a state of decline and undergoing repairs, but the beauty of the buildings is striking.

After literally climbing all over the palace for an hour or more, we stopped into the restaurant at the Sheesh Mahal hotel, which is located in a wing of Jengahir palace. This is where Austin, Mollie, et. al. stayed in Orchha, and where I'd tried to get us a room to no avail. Jody went and inspected the rooms and declared them to be the equal of our room at Betwa Retreat, but no more, so I guess it all came out all right in the end. By the time we finished lunch, and Jody had fed the mamma dog with a litter of puppies outside, it was time to head for Jhansi to catch our train. Manoj got us there safely and we even had a spare half hour to check out Jhansi fort, before we caught the Shatabdi back to Delhi.

I loved Khajuraho and Orchha. I highly recommend going, if ever you have the chance. I found myself sitting on the ramparts of this 11th century palace, looking out over the river and scattered temples with the wind eddying around me, and thinking, "I love India." I cannot imagine having missed this opportunity. Had I not come here for work, I probably never would have figured out how to get to India, and just think what I would have missed. Amazing.

Lattes & Singing Bowls

2008-09-16T23:03:00.003+05:30

A week or so ago, Heather and I took a quick trip to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. Dharamsala is the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, as well as being a hill station perched in the Himalayan foothills. We flew up mid-afternoon on Friday and landed at Kangra airport, which is in the valley below Dharamsala. Kangra was in the midst of a lazy summer afternoon, but as we wended our way up the mountain to Dharamsala, the fog laced cool fingers through the trees and coaxed the temperature down a bit. Himachal Pradesh has made me feel right at home each time I've visited. It's the home of morning fog, cool evenings, crisp apples and woodsmoke, which are all the more disconcerting for being found just beyond the sweltering plains around Delhi.

The Tibetan government resides in McLeod Ganj, which is aerie to Dharamsala's peak, and high enough to have it's own micro-climate. We stayed at Chonor House, which overlooks the Dalai Lama's temple and residence. Chonor House is the top of the line in Dharamsala - it is very nice, but that fact argues for the whole scale having shifted a bit. The hotel is run by the Norbulinka Institute, which is chartered with safeguarding and sustaining Tibetan culture. There are beautiful Tibetan woodwork, applique, and paintings scattered throughout the hotel and each room has a particular theme. The hotel shop and a store in town sell the beautiful clothes and handicrafts produced at the Institute; Heather got some lovely things and I was sorely tempted, but stuck to a silver ring and a book about Norbulinka.

Once we stowed our gear at Chonor House, we wandered into town to grab an early dinner and see what McLeod Ganj was all about. The town itself is quite small, just 2-3 km of road wrapped around the hillside. We walked to what appeared to be the end of the line, and then turned back to have dinner at J.J.I. Restaurant. Apparently, it was one of the proprietors' birthdays and the staff, consisting of 4-5 members of a Tibetan boy-band, had been drinking all afternoon. Needless to say, I don't really want to know what went into our food before we got it and things were a little shaky on the way to the table. Probably the best response is to just say that the thentuk (Tibetan noodles) and hot honey ginger lemon tea tasted great and didn't make us sick - though we were on the lookout for trouble.

On our second day in Dharamsala, we met up with the brother of a Tibetan doctor that Heather's aunt works with. He was supposed to be a great English-speaker, married with kids, and very handsome...I think we hit 1 for three - not married, English a leetle bit shaky. Kaldup met us midday at our hotel and treated us to a cup of tea at his apartment. While we were chatting, it started to rain cats and dogs outside. We hung out for a while waiting for it to pass before deciding to go boldly forth and strike out for the Dalai Lama's temple. Kaldup took us on a path through the back alleys of his neighborhood that landed us smartly at the temple gates. Along the way, the deluge continued until I had water running over the tops of my feet - no, Mom, no leptospirosis so far.

The Dalai Lama's temple complex has a small but evocative museum covering the Tibetan exodus and all that the Chinese have done to eradicate Tibetan culture. You begin to understand Richard Gere's passion for the subject, however incredible the vessel. I kept thinking, "someone needs to stand up for these people...why hasn't someone done something." As a country that prides ourselves on resistance of the oppressor and fervently carries the standard of democracy, I think we may be missing a golden opportunity. The temple itself is very simple, and very well attended. Most of the community seems to come here for morning prayers, which made the people watching along Temple Road pretty spectacular over our lovely lattes. I have to pause here and give a huge shout-out to Coffee Talk on Temple Road - best latte in India, hands down. Heather and I were in heaven. And the breakfast of omelettes and Tibetan toast was amazing too. We liked it so much we ate there twice... yum, yum, yum. After we finished touring the temple complex, the rain had slackened off a bit, allowing us to make it back to Chonor House and part ways with Kaldup without getting inundated. After a cup of tea, a snack and an afternoon nap, we headed into town to do some serious singing-bowl shopping...whooo-aahhh. We also ducked in to Jimmy's Italian Restaurant for a good dinner and a local jam session, which was a fantastic way to end the day. I highly recommend it. The only regrettable part of the day was hearing about the Delhi bomb blasts over dinner, and the mad scramble of text messaging and calls to make sure that everyone on our teams was ok. We fell asleep to Blackberry vibrations as people checked in on one another - all present and accounted for, thank God.

On Sunday, our last day in Dharamsala, we headed down to the Norbulinka Institute itself with Kaldup, our local volunteer tour guide. The Institute was beautiful; the temple there has some of the nicest paintings I've seen, and it was nice to be able to see the work the organization is doing to preserve Tibetan culture. After the Institute, we visited a modern Tibetan temple down the road, complete with monk dormitories and light-up lotus lamps. Back up the mountain to McLeod Ganj, another latte and some cake, and we were on the road again. Wings up over Dharamsala and the Kangra valley....

Safe and Sound

2008-09-13T21:52:00.003+05:30

This evening five bomb blasts went off in Delhi killing at least 10 people. They were placed in crowded public places with the clear intent to harm as many people as possible. They were placed in locations that I regularly go. If there ever was an illusion of safety here, it's pretty thin today.

Heather and I are safe and sound in Dharamsala, or MacLeod Ganj specifically, just down the street from the Dalai Llama's house. We've been madly text messaging people at home in Delhi and have managed to confirm that our roommates, drivers and most of our teams are safe as well. Please keep your fingers crossed that this remains the case.

'Nothing But Blue Skies...'

2008-09-11T23:03:00.005+05:30

For Labor Day weekend, six of us headed out to lovely Leh, Ladakh for a restful vacation in the Himalayas. Mollie and David flew up from Hyderabad; Heather, Austin and I represented the Gurgaon crew, and Austin's friend Jenni joined us from the States.

When you fly into Leh, you arrive at an air force base. There are two flights every morning between Delhi and Leh, and that's about it in terms of ingress and egress. Leh is in a high valley which is bordered on all sides by steep mountain ranges. As you come in, the plane banks sharply into the scoop of the valley, tracing a wingtip toward the sweep of the Indus river. Our first day in Leh, we mainly stayed in town and visited sites nearby: Leh Palace, Stok Palace, Shanti Stupa, a temple and the main bazar. Because the elevation is so high, it's not considered wise to do much on your first day, and we definitely were huffing and puffing a bit climbing steps.

Leh has a distinctly different feel from the rest of India that I've seen. It is very arid with huge snow-capped mountains surrounding small villages, monasteries and towns. The aesthetic is much more East Asian in terms of style and color pallette, and the people have features more similar to Tibetan or Chinese people. Weather-wise, Leh is considerably cooler than what we're used to in Delhi. Even in early September, we were somewhat bundled up in the evenings and early mornings. For me, it felt more like home. Even the flowers in the gardens are the same ones we would grow at home - bright, bolting, zinnias, dahlias, cosmos, and marigolds peeked out of yards everywhere we went. I had the sense the crisp Fall frost would soon put an end to the abounding color, but it was lovely to behold while we were there.

On our second day, we got up at the crack of dawn to drive out to the Nubra Valley. About four hours by car from Leh, Nubra is a hub for trekking, camel safaris, and generally communing with nature. We decided to just do a day trip, but another group from our office went and stayed in the valley itself for a day or two. It's hard to imagine what that might be like to do that - Nubra seems really remote after the hustle and bustle of Delhi. The drive itself is beautiful, crossing the 'world's highest motorable pass,' and wending its way down into the valley. It was so bizarre, after months of warmth, to find ourselves in a snow storm. The high, puffy white clouds, set in azure blue skies over dun-colored peaks scattered with snow, created a vista unlike any I've seen - truly amazing. The drive was also punctuated by a bit of humor, from my traveling companions of course, but also from the signs placed by the local road authority - some excerpts for your reading pleasure:

Don't gossip, let him drive
Be gentle on my curve
I'm curvaceous, go slow
After whisky, driving risky
Better Mr. Late, than late Mr.

In Nubra, we took a brief (45 minute) camel safari that was supposed to drop us off at Deskit monastery and instead left us in sand dunes about 2 km away. The camels were bactrian or two-humped camels and very furry. My camel did NOT like his hump touched, and since they were all tied together on short leads, there were a lot of near misses as one camel would tend to tinkle on the foot of the trailing camel's passenger. It may not sound like much fun, but it was. After the safari, we grumpily hoofing it through the dunes to our car and continued on to the the monastery at Diskit. The monks here were friendly and let us come in and observe their midday meal, which smelled great. I can hardly imagine such a solitary life, but the beauty of the surroundings and the solitude do tend to put one in a contemplative mood. We lunched on thukpa and momos in Diskit town and were back on the road back to Leh by mid-afternoon. When we got back to Hotel Lasermo, we were pretty pooped and late-afternoon naps were in order. I hunkered down with my book and a pot of chai until the posse was ready for dinner. Thanks to the Canadian contingent (David), our choice of dinner establishment was made via Canadian rochambeau - instead of rock/paper/scissors, it's cowboy/bear/damsel. We had a good dinner at Summer Harvest and then went early to bed to prepare for another early morning the following day.

On day 3, we set out for Pangong lake around 7am, again with our trusty driver Sonam and the hotel's Scorpio. We drove into the mountains for an hour or so, but near the main pass to cross out of the valley in which Leh sits, we were stymied by snow. Now me, I was ready to skip the lake when the road turned white and we were able to make snowballs at a roadside pit stop. Everyone else, however, was ready to go on, but that didn't last long. Near the top of the pass, the paved road ended and the snow was slick enough that the car was fishtailing a bit - not an amusing experience with no guardrails and hundred-foot drops to one side. We actually left the driver to turn the car around and walked back down to the paved road - "the better part of valour is discretion." In the end, I think the re-route made us better off. Rather than another 4+ hours driving in either direction to see the lake, we stopped at two of the major monasteries, Chemde and Thiksey, on the Leh-Manali road, and had lunch at the Chambra Hotel, which had a lovely garden with picnic tables for us to eat at. The monasteries were beautiful - with very elaborate Buddist paintings and statuary. I wouldn't have wanted to miss that.

All too quickly, our Leh adventure was coming to an end. We ran our last few errands - Ladakhi hats and Kashmiri honey for me - and headed to Dreamland Restaurant for dinner. We were joking that our restaurant choices got incrementally better with each meal, with Summer Harvest, Chambra Hotel, and Dreamland being the three best. After a game of gin over ginger honey lemon tea, we were early to bed so that we could get up bright and early for our 6:50am flight back to Delhi. All in all, I loved Leh. It was really different, and consequently a good break from the rest of India. Since it's snowbound for most of the year, I was glad that we were able to squeeze in this trip before winter sets in for good. I also have to give a shout-out to my traveling companions - Mollie, Heather, Austin, David, and Jenni might be one of the best road-trip posses ever - good humor, jumping and 'Evita' photos, bush-peeing expertise, rocking out to ipod speakers in the car - what more can you ask for?

The Nehas Do Pondicherry

2008-09-04T23:00:00.003+05:30

A few weeks ago, my team hosted a conference in Hyderabad, and most of the folks flew down from Gurgaon to attend. Austin and I had been talking about going to Pondicherry, since it's a farily short hop to the south and east. Before we knew it, we had 10 traveling companions signed on for a road trip, including all three Nehas from my team - Neha A, Neha S, and Neha T.

From Hyderabad, you have to travel to Chennai (Madras) and then continue on to Pondicherry via bus or car down the East Coast Road. Our orignal plan was to take an overnight bus to Chennai, and 9 of the folks did that; from Chennai to Pondy, we planned to rent cars and drive. However, we weren't able to get enough bus tickets for the whole team (darn it), so Austin and me, and the two drivers, Taru and Divya, flew at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning to Chennai to pick up the cars and meet the bus. We went through some shenanigans to find the rental car company, get gas, and find the bus station, only to find out that 'The Nehas' and their traveling companions were somewhere in downtown Chennai. I need to stop here and pay homage to Google Maps and my Indian Blackberry. The cell-tower triangulation on Google Maps was good enough (pinpointing our location within 3 meters for most of the trip) that I was able to navigate us through Chennai and on to Pondicherry, just by using Google Maps on my Blackberry.

Once we had the whole crew assembled and brunched, we were on the road again, headed for Pondicherry. The East Coast Road is phenomenally good, by Indian standards, so the trip went fairly smoothly. We rolled into Pondy in the late afternoon, and after checking into our hotel, headed for the promenade along the beach. Pondicherry is famous for two things - being the last French colony in India, and being home to the Utopian community of Auroville. It also happens to be right on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, with beaches nearby. In Pondy itself, the beach is rocky, so it's more for taking in the view than soaking up the sun. After shopping around town and getting blessed by Lakshmi, the temple elephant, we headed to Rendezvous for some of the French cuisine that Pondy is famous for. In the end, my traveling companions stuck with the Indian food, but I had a lovely Chicken Cordon Bleu and was pretty happy with life in general.

Our trip was short and sweet, so on Sunday at midday, we had to head back for Chennai. After cafe au lait and croissants for breakfast at Le Cafe on the beach, we packed up our things and headed for Mahabalipurum, which is a beach town about 1 hour south of Chennai. Mahabs, as it's known, has actual sand beaches and the most lookey-lous I have seen anywhere in India. We went to the public beach to spend an hour or so enjoying the surf and sand. The lighter skin of my traveling companions apparently was tremendously exotic to the Tamil locals, and it didn't help that all of the girls were frolicking in the waves. I learned this trip that people on the beach in India swim in their clothes, not in swimsuits. The only time that I'd been to the beach here, prior to Mahabs was in Goa where, apparently, the strong expat influence has changed the beach culture to be more Western in style.

After everyone on the team went swimming in their clothes, we found a resort where folks could clean up and headed for a late lunch. Unfortunately, we miscalculated time a bit and ended up having to take the food to go and leadfoot it out of town to get everyone back to Chennai in time for their flights. We screeched to a halt in front of the Chennai airport and 10 girls and 2 guys poured out of the car, racing for check-in. We were just in the nick of time. The Nehas and posse made their flight by minutes, and Austin and I cruised into our flight just 30 minutes later. Whew! I would like to go back to Pondicherry sometime and do less of a speed round, but I'm really glad that I got to go, and it was fun to see the town with my team. Vive la France!

The Vagaries of Indian Travel

2008-08-16T10:27:00.006+05:30

I knew the day before Indian Independence Day was probably not a good day to go anywhere when they decided to close our whole office an hour and a half early because of traffic caused by extra border checks. Then, to top it off, the monsoon rain that has been noticeably missing from Delhi skies decided to arrive with a vengance. By the time we left the office at 4pm, the water was lapping over the curbs and creeping toward the lobby of our building. Only the fearless squeegee boys beating it back prevented our building from becoming like a canal home in Venice.

Austin and I made a run for the cab, hoping that Devindar would be able to pull it up to the curb, but no dice. Wearing sandals, and with Mom's warnings about leptospirosis fresh in my head, I very quickly realized that I had no choice but to shuck off my shoes and wade through it all to the car. Once we were safely ensconced in the cab, it took us more than 45 minutes to creep our way around the corner and one exit down the freeway to Essel Towers. We had already decided that to get to the airport for our 8:40pm flight to Hyderabad, we should leave the house at 5:40 - that's right, three hours in advance, when the airport is maybe a 20 minute drive away. By the time we had packed up, grabbed a snack and reassembled at the curb, the water in Essel itself was more than a foot deep. We surfed Lake Essel successfully and wormed our way into the solid jam of traffic outside on MG road.

All in all, it took us more than two hours just to reach the offramp for Indira Ghandi International. As we're sitting at a standstill with exactly one hour until our flight and 3 km of standing traffic in front of us, Devindar suggested that we make a run for it, so that's what we did. Devindar hoisted my wheelie on his back, Austin and I grabbed our backpacks and bags, and we hoofed our way through mud puddles and traffic, about two thirds of the way to the airport, before hailing an incoming cab and chumming a ride the rest of the way. And...we made it! Devindar is, as always, my personal hero. Poor guy, it's his birthday and he's puddle-jumping with my overstuffed suitcase on his back, and all with a smile on his face. Austin and I washed our feet in the bathrooms and were 'Flying the Good times' in no time at all.

With what we thought was the biggest hurdle behind us, we settled into Hyderabad for Thursday night and Friday, and got ready to go to Hampi for the weekend. Mari and Lindsay, two colleagues coming in for a conference, joined us for a Chinese dinner before we headed out to catch our overnight train for Hampi. But au contrare, mon frer... it was not to be. We get to the train station and, 'so sorry, but your train car is not here and all trains to Hampi have been canceled.' Apparently, as we found out later, the river in Hampi has flooded, so the railroad siding is impassable, our hotel is closed....you get the picture. Thankfully, we figured this all out after unsuccessfully trying to jump on an overnight bus and before hiring a car to drive us to Hampi. This is the second time that my travel plans in India have been a total wipeout, and I'm over being shocked by it. Here's hoping that next weekend's trip to Pondicherry goes more smoothly. I think India is deepening my faith in serendipity. Yeah Hampi would have been nice to see, but swamped Hampi and a cramped overnight train - not so great. Instead, I'm off to have a 200 rupee massage, courtesy of my employer, get my toes done, and have some blouses made at the local tailor. Tomorrow, it will be sleep in, gym it and have a champagne brunch. Can I complain - I mean really?

'There, But For The Grace of God...'

2008-08-07T11:35:00.006+05:30

A fire broke out on an overnight train traveling from Hyderabad through the state of Andhra Pradesh this past weekend. Two colleagues from our Hyderabad office are missing and feared to be dead. The speed and brutality with which life can be snuffed out here are breathtaking. I thank God for my country with its hundreds of seemingly-fussy laws intended to protect consumer safety. Anyone of us may die tomorrow and accidents happen everywhere, but I feel relatively assured that when my days end, it shall not be in trying to pry the steel bars from the windows of a burning train car.

Please take a moment to wish Hari, Roshni and their families well. In a country that believes so deeply in karma, any good wishes can only help. I sincerely hope that we'll see their safe return, but failing that, I hope that they are together and at peace.

My Name's 'High' and Yours is 'Maintenance'

2008-08-04T08:38:00.005+05:30

This past weekend, Heather and I headed out to Shimla, which lies in Himachal Pradesh on the slopes of the Himalyas. Shimla is what's known as a 'hill station' and was the favorite summer get-away during the British Raj. It has been known as the 'Queen of Hill Stations' and is much-favored for it's cool, crisp weather and British architecture. There are several ways to reach Shimla, of which an express train from Delhi and a connecting toy train from Kalka is probably the best. However, with only a two-day junket as a possibility, we ended up deciding to drive up on Friday night after work. And so the adventure begins....

The drive up from Delhi was fairly uneventful until we reached the Himalyan foothills and started the climb up to Shimla. Though we had the usual Indian road trip fun along the way: a bike-full of Indian stud-muffins blowing us kisses, the Indian Oil restroom in Kalka with the most prolific and vibrantly-colored collection of bugs I have ever seen (I'm to a point now where I see this as a plus in a bathroom, as long as none of them crawl on me), and near-death experiences every 3 to 5 kms. Once we left Kalka and paid our HP states taxes, the road increased its pitch to a stunning degree. I have to say that, in general, HP made me feel right at home - winding roads a-la Highway 17, blue-green conifers with mist hanging amongst their branches, roadside stands with piles of crisp apples, and wonder-of-wonders - true blue skies with puffy white clouds. On our way up, the majority of the journey was in pitch darkness. We passed the time singing along to my iPod's 'Music to Drive Home By' playlist. You have to love Devindar - he speaks only some English, but that didn't stop him from contributing back-up vocals to 'Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.' That always makes me smile. The road was super-duper winding, which for me was absorbed and buffered by the velvety blackness around us. Devindar, however, was not so lucky. Poor guy got carsick. Twice. I've told him I think this might be a bit of a liability for someone in his profession, but he assures me that, as a flatlander, he is rarely bothered by this. I've prescribed ginger candies and no more long road trips with 'Meather' - we'll see if that cures him.

We rolled into the Oberoi Cecil in Shimla at about 1 am, only to find that, despite being 30% occupied, they'd given us the 'best' room, without a view and hovering only two floors over the road. Ugh. The room itself, in true Oberoi fashion, was very nice, so I made one attempt at an upgrade with the guy who showed us to our room, and once rebuffed, settled down to brush my teeth and use the facilities. Heather prowled around the room, miffed at the poor service and inflexibility of an Oberoi staff and eventually decided to object for sport. Admittedly, they showed a chink in their armor when the night manager called me, post valet piss-off, and asked if we needed anything, could she 'send the chef to our room,' etc. Knowing her adversary was back on her heels a bit, Heather went in for the kill - 'We expect a better room...,' 'I'm sure that you can do better,...' --- Needless to say, due to my fearless companion's indomitable spirit, we were quickly ensconced in a top-floor room with a view out over the valley. That's us - 'High' and 'Maintenance.'

The next day, we made good use of that room and slept in until about 10 am, before rolling downstairs for a very nice buffet breakfast. The dining room at 'The Obs,' as Heather calls it, looks directly into the tree tops, so we ate our breakfast surrounded by mists and lovely filtered light. And they had warm croissants with strawberry jam. Life just doesn't get much better than that. After breakfast, we got cleaned up and rolled out to meet Devindar. Our initial objective was Mall Rd. for shopping and sightseeing, but Devindar suggested that we go to the HP state museum that was just up the hill from where we were staying. We scaled a small mountain to get there and discovered a small but charming bungalow of artifacts, paintings and coins. On the way back down, we encountered the kind of cluster... you can only find in India. A delivery truck had tried to pass a parked car without enough space, and now about 10 people were conferring on how best to rectify the situation. Since the entire road was blocked, we climbed over the railing and goose-stepped along the edge until we could get back on solid ground. Ahhh, India.

Post-museum, we debated a wide variety of options and finally settled on driving to Kulfri, which is apparently a skiing spot during the winters. In typical fashion, insert several traffic jams, one or two wrong turns, and much debate before we arrive at our location. Kulfri turned out to be an absolute mill of people and ponies. Absent snow, Kulfri is apparently where folks go to traipse into the wilderness on horseback. By the time we got to this point, Heather was having no part of a pony ride, or a Yak ride, which seemed the more-appealing option to me. On a side note, real yaks - gorgeous. You've never seen such a silky mop of hair on an animal. I wish I could have gotten pictures, but in the interest of domestic tranquility, we went on our merry way. On our way back to Shimla, we attempted to get into the Oberoi's Wildflower Hall for a drink and snacks and were somewhat politely and very soundly rebuffed. Let me take a minute here to say that, I don't care how ritzy a hotel is or how posh their usual clientèle, I have NO respect for an institution in the hospitality industry that doesn't actually exude any welcome whatsoever. If their reception of us is any indication, I would never, ever spend money at Wildflower Hall, and I would think twice before choosing an Oberoi again - the saving grace being Ms. Priyanka Singh's late-night room upgrade and gracious care of us at The Cecil. Take a Taj hotel any day.

Thoroughly disgruntled by now, we headed back to Shimla to attempt Mall Rd. On the way there, we stopped at the Radisson, which a colleague at work had told me was famous for their trout, which is caught in local streams. Again, no room at the inn - they're all booked for dinner. But, huzzah! Their bar is open. And, their super-friendly and accommodating staff go the extra mile to whip us up a couple of trout dinners. So, along about 5:30pm on a Saturday night in Shimla, Heather and I ponied up to a basket of fries, two cocktails, and the best trout I have ever had. Replete and much happier, we shared a warm brownie and brightened our outlook on the day considerably.

Mall Rd. was chaos. The incline to get to the summit is steep enough that there is a paid lift that you take to get up there. Once at the top, there's a nice overlook, with a big Christian church. There were tons of Indians on holiday, complete with cotton candy, looky-lous, and drunken boys. But, on the whole, mostly harmless fun. Heather and I picked up some nice shawls and a few woolen caps that are typical of HP. I must pause here to admit that I have a reputation in India that has grown to somewhat terrifying degrees. We were walking along Mall Rd., and this guy that looks somewhat familiar approaches Devindar and says that he knows me. I do a double-take and realize that it's the cousin of my shawl guy at Dilli Haat, Mansoor. Super small world. And of course. we go to his stall and buy a couple of things. Now, if this were the first time this had happened, I wouldn't be so sheepish, but it's not. Last time I was at Dilli Haat, I was helping one of our visitors negotiate for some traditional paintings only to realize that the guy was the same vendor that Shannon, Lauren and I met in Udaipur. And he recognized me! Good gawd. 'She Who Shops A Lot' for sure.

Tuckered out from our long day bumming around Shimla (I know, we're hopeless wusses), Heather and I headed home and went early to bed. Our Sunday was pretty great, to a point at least. We got up, went to the gym, swam in the lovely Oberoi indoor pool, and then headed back for more lovely breakfast, which we then topped off with massages. Mmm, mmm, good. Relaxed, replete, and smelling pretty good, we packed up our things and headed back to Delhi with Devindar, and proceeded to re-knot most of the muscles that had been unwound during the massage. Let's just say that HP's winding roads are better cloaked in darkness. The up-close-and-personal viewpoint that we got on the way downhill in bright daylight didn't do much for our charming natures. Even I, with unshakable faith in Devindar, was a little spooked by the process of wending our way around all of those curves. It goes something like this: every third car is a large Punjabi truck, and we simply can't wait behind one of those, can we? So, as you approach the hairpin turn, you honk, pull alongside the truck, and then drive directly in front of it at the apex of the curve. Needless to say, if anyone is coming the other way and doesn't harken to the honking, you're toast. With each iteration of this process, Heather is increasingly displeased. I am holding on for dear life and enjoying the fresh air. Mostly. But, you can't fault the results. After watching Devindar (and all the other cars and buses on the road) repeat this process over 100 times, we sailed unscathed into Kalka and were back on flat land. The rest of our trip was fairly uneventful. We stopped for dinner at Gulshan dhaba, which is a super-famous roadside stand/restaurant, and had dal makhni, naan, and palak paneer. Heather got put off of her food by the super-chauvanist stare fest emanating our way from the table behind us, so our visit was short and to the point. We were quickly back in the saddle again and headed for the NCR (National Capitol Region), and another destination crossed off of my list. Shimla is like a little bit of northern CA hidden away in India. If I get homesick, you might just find me making the climb again to get a crisp apple and feel the cool fog curl itself around me.

Jaipur Road Trip

2008-08-01T21:52:00.003+05:30

In June, right before coming home for 4th of July and our management conference, I went to Jaipur for the third time with Austin, Mollie, Louise, and Cindy who was visiting from Mountain View. After driving down from Gurgaon on a Friday night, we landed, softly, at Le Meridien Jaipur. I swear their web site outright lies and says they're in downtown Jaipur, which is not the case. However, thanks to Austin's Starwood membership, we were quickly ensconced in two of the plushest suites I've seen in India. Since we had Devindar with us, being outside of town wasn't too big of a deal either, so it all worked out in the end.

On Saturday morning, we rolled out of bed around nine, had our breakfast and headed for Amer. I had been there before, in February, with Heba, Heather, and Pallavi, but this time we were more at our leisure with the whole weekend in front of us. I discovered that there was a fort that we'd completely missed the first time - Naigargh Fort, which was beautiful. Amer Palace and Jaigargh Fort were beautiful, as they were the first time. Austin, Mollie and Louise insisted on going up on the battlements at Jaigargh Fort and copying the pose that I used in my photo for our web site at work. It looks pretty funny now that it's uploaded, especially because Austin reports to me and his picture and mine show up on the same pages. After puttering around Amer most of the day with our guide, Ragu, we made the obligatory stop at one of the tourist markets that is wildly overpriced. We made a quick trip of it, but it was cool to see them making the Jaipuri woodblock prints, and hand knotting silk and wool carpets. We made a quick pit stop at Le Meridien and then headed for downtown Jaipur to do some shopping at the main bazaar. I was on a mission to get a Rajasthani tie-dye saree, and although Mollie and I waded through a sea of beautiful silk, I didn't quite find the right one, at the right price. I did get some lovely hand-worked silver earrings, which Devindar was sure weren't real, but I have which I have on good authority ARE real - I'll let you all be the judge when I get home. Anyway, few people have the shopping stamina that I have, so we were fairly quickly on our way to Choki Dhani for dinner. Choki Dhani was a bit nuts. I guess the good news is that it was mostly Indians in this mock Rajasthani village, but with the liberal interpretation of standing in line, the somewhat muddy grounds, and the sheer number of people, it was pretty chaotic. The few other Westerners that were there were escorted around looking waif-like. After having a traditional meal, which we ate entirely with our hands, we went to get mendhi done. By this time we were hot and fairly well tuckered out, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed for the night.

On Sunday, we decided to see downtown Jaipur. Since I had been to the City Palace before, Devindar dropped me off to do some shopping while the other folks headed off to sightsee. I bought a bunch of Rajasthani parasols for the Montgomery girls and me. It was great fun picking them out from the bundles and bundles in the shop. At one point, I had a whole room full of vibrant parasols spread out at my feet. So fun. Devindar helped me negotiate, so I got a good deal too - what a team! After our shoppping, we picked up the other four and headed to the Gaitore Cenotaphs to do our last bit of siteseeing. The cenotaphs are where Jaipur's rulers were cremated in the last two centuries. The site itself is set outside of the city on the way to Amer. All of the structures are elaborately carved out of white marble and quite beautiful. The overall effect is pristine, but Devindar and Ragu told us that it's traditional for Hindus to bathe after going to such a place, literally to wash the death and bad karma from their bodies. From my perspective, it seems a lovely and quiet place of remembrance. After Gaitore, we set off for Niro's to have a late lunch and gird our loins for the trip back to Delhi.

And then the real adventure began....

So, after dinner, we drove through Jaipur to drop Mollie off at the airport so that she can fly to Hyderabad and then we headed back towards Amer to catch the Jaipur-Delhi highway. We got about 10 minutes away from the airport before Mollie finally reaches Devindar on his phone (Austin's was on silent - nice) and tells us that her flight has been canceled. We do a 180 and pick her up to bring her back to Delhi with us. We're on the road again and then outside of Amer, I suddenly hear a very quiet "oh shit" from Devindar, and the car rolls to a stop. Austin, ever the intrepid photographer, caught them moment on video:

Luckily, Devindar was able to call in a favor from our guide, Ragu, and he showed up within a half hour in a Jeep, and proceeded to tow us by wiring the bumpers of the two cars together. If it sounds flimsy, it was. All of us, save Devindar, hopped into the Jeep, and watched Devindar do the cab-driver equivalent of the 'walk of shame,' steering and breaking the Innova as it was being towed. Now, I'm not sure exactly why this was a better option than having Ragu bring a container of gas, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. Whooeee, did we give Devindar a lot of crap - all the way home and then some. But the fun wasn't over, no sireee Bob. We got back on the road again, only to find ourselves at the back of a huge traffic jam as we neared the boarder. Devindar assessed the line of trucks and cars as a minimum 45 minute or more wait and, as we approached a break in the median, threw on his hazards and pulled onto the wrong side of the freeway. As I was sitting in the front passenger seat, I got a birdseye view of the action and very quickly began to see my life flash before me in the headlights of the oncoming cars. The crazy thing it, this apparently didn't phase oncoming traffic at all. They did honk at us, but generally, everyone stayed well out of our way for the 1-2 kilometers we traveled until we could pull back in line ahead of the jam. I sincerely hope that Devindar never, ever does that again, but I can't fault the effectiveness of the methodology. This one goes down in the books as the road trip to end all road trips. I think I'm ok for a while without another dose.

Things I brought back from home

2008-07-26T12:05:00.005+05:30

There are those that say we are what we eat. Some say you can know a person by their iPod playlists. You could make an argument that what I buy is fairly revelatory of who I am. So, make what you will of this short, but oh-so-sweet list. In no particular order:

Kraft Mac N' Cheese
Herdez Tomatillo Salsa
Reduced Fat Skippy
Mariage Freres tea
Pesto sauce
4 Seed Compagnon from Kelly's French Bakery
Couscous
Hot Tamales
Ghirardelli dark chocolates
Marini's salt water taffy
Tide with color-safe bleach
Dryer sheets
Hand sanitizer
Cotton t-shirts and skirts
Clippy hangers
My iPod mini, completing my iPod family in India (iPhone, Shuffle, Mini, and me)
Shoes and iPod speakers for Austin
Gifts for my driver's family & candy for the guys at the house

Toes South Down the Ganges

2008-07-21T21:26:00.003+05:30

Fresh off of the Tin Amigos tour, I decided to hit the road with my roommates. With the hot weather in full swing, we headed for Rishikesh to do some white water rafting at the gateway of the Himalayas, and perhaps to experience yoga at one of the bjillion ashrams lining the Ganges. Louise, Austin, Heather, Elliot (a short-term visitor from Mountain View), and I headed out on Friday afternoon with Amit, Heather's driver. Train is probably the best way to get to Rishikesh, but with five of us and erratic train timings, we decided to go for the comfort of a mini-van and a driver we knew. It took us about 7 hours, but we arrived on Friday night to clear, cool air, a starry sky, and a rustic, but nice place to stay - the Ganga Beach Resort. After announcing our intention to go rafting in the morning (which the staff promised we could), we hit the sack.

The next morning, we slept in and rolled out in time to make breakfast. When we went up to the front desk to formalize our rafting arrangements, things started to get a little dodgy. What had been sure-fire rafting reservations became vague possibilities. Then we started a three way dance of disaster between me, the booking agent in Delhi (who we also asked to reserve the raft), and the hotel. In the end, we got it settled - 2pm at the entrance of the hotel, a raft and van would be waiting. We headed into Rishikesh to check out a few of the sights and get oriented, before meeting our guide for the afternoon rafting trip.

When 2pm rolled around, we headed back to the hotel, but no raft awaited. We hung out for 20 minutes or so, and decided that maybe we needed to check a little further down the road. What ensued was the wildest goose chase I have ever been on. With cell phone connectivity only possible every 5 km or so, we proceeded down the road based on instructions from our ever-helpful hotel staff. We end up going to the farthest town on the rafting route, trying to contact the person that the hotel referred us to, getting nowhere, of course. Then, we get told to back-track to the next-to-last launch location, where a 'yellow raft' will be waiting for us. We careen madly down the road to the aforementioned launching spot, only to be told that our boat left just 5 minutes before we got there. At this point, it's close to 4pm - our whole day has been shot, waiting for rafting, driving toward rafting, and then yup, you got it - literally 'missing the boat.' Needless to say, we're p-i-s-s-e-d. India 2, Expats 0.

After drowning our woes in the hotel pool, which was pretty green, but had plenty of chlorine to compensate, we headed into Rishikesh to try and find a good place for dinner. We chose Chotiwala, which is pretty famous and supposedly a good bet for Indian food. For those of us who stuck to the house specialties, we did fairly well. For Elliot and Louise, who are not lovers of Indian food, the Continental choices were less fortunate. In fact, Elliot's macaroni and cheese and Louise's cheese and onion mashed potatoes were so indistinguishable that the waiter couldn't even tell them apart to deliver them correctly. Nonetheless, we rebounded with aplomb, and even found another rafting company to take us river-rafting the following morning.

On Sunday, we got up bright and early and headed (along with two random Indian guys and our guide) to the Marine Drive launch site. It took some time to get the boat blown up, gear on and safety briefing complete, but in fairly short order, we were drifting down the river, enjoying the sunshine. The rapids on the river have names like "Roller Coaster" and live up to their billing. Some of the waves we went through were well over our heads and doused everyone in the boat. But, our guide seemed more than capable and, while we got some solid thrills, we never came close to flipping the boat, which was definitely a possibility. When we came through the last large rapid, the river widened and slowed to a meandering pace. Our guide encouraged us to roll out of the boat and float downriver in our life vests. The water was cool, and that close to the Himalayas, fairly clean. I laid back and let the Ganges carry me along - not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning at all. At the last bend in the river before you reach Rishikesh, a rock promontory overhangs a deep pool. Every boat on the river was pulled up so that eager rafters could take the plunge. It was scarier than it looked, but lots of fun; the life vests make you pop up like an oversized cork, but even still, it seems like it takes forever to get back to the surface. Back in the boat again, we wended our way around the last few bends of the river and were deposited, soaking wet, on the steps below our hotel. We made our soggy way upstairs to get cleaned up and check out. India 2, Expats 1 - rafting mission accomplished.

As a parting shot, we decided to have lunch in Rishikesh before heading back to Delhi. At the base of one of the footbridges which cross the Ganges, we found a little grass shack with a river view and... Mexican food! That's right folks, I ponied up to the table for a 'burroto' and my first taste of Mexican food in 5 months. And, to top it off, they served the best cold coffee (like a coffee milkshake) that I've had in India - mounds of icy, coffee-flavored loveliness, literally spilling over the edges of a chilled stein. Whooeeeee....was it good! Score one for the good guys - India 2, Expats 1, Lonely Planet 1 - for the Mexican food, and we'll call the weekend a success.

Tin Amigos - Ranthambore and Tigers!

2008-06-17T22:36:00.006+05:30

The distance from Jaipur to Ranthambore isn't great, but it takes forever and a day to get there over some of the worst roads I've seen in India. You're lulled into complacency by the fact that most of the way there, the road is wide and well-paved. But then, you get to a point, literally a fork in the road, where things begin to deteriorate, rapidly. The last few kilometers to Ranthambore are pretty rough, I think because they are working on improving the road. We were driving on a bi-level gravel bed that will eventually be a road, along with every kind of traffic that you can imagine - water buffalo, camel carts, trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians, and then some.

Despite a loooong drive, we arrived safe and sound at Dev Vilas just in time for lunch. The hotel was a pleasant surprise. Located just outside of the park entrance, it provided great access to Ranthambore, and the rooms were some of the largest that I've stayed in, in India. Although the accommodations were simple, everything was very clean, the staff was nice and the food was good. They have a small, but nice, swimming pool, and there's even a resident elephant that was part of the owner's mother's dowry.

We kicked off our stay with an afternoon safari, and finally, yes finally, saw.....TIGERS! We were really lucky and got a good guide and a good draw for a zone within the park. As compared to Corbett, Ranthambore is smaller in acreage and more densely populated with wildlife. They've also created some man-made watering holes near the jeep tracks, so your chances of seeing the tigers are better. At first, we spotted two tigers at a distance in some brush. We watched them for a while, but when they didn't seem inclined to move out into the heat of the day, we continued on into the park. However, on the way back we passed through the same area and this time the tigers had moved to the watering hole and were much closer. The pair that we saw were a brother and sister, about two years old, so not mature, but still very big cats. We hung out for quite some time, just watching them bathe and play with one another. The tigers are graceful, in the manner of a highly-trained athlete or prize fighter, and they're fascinating to watch. It's as if my tabby cat, Teddy, just got blown up to jumbo size - you have this odd urge to pet them, because they seem just like big kittens, at the same time that you realize you're observing a finely honed killing machine. It's eerie, and it definitely makes you understand how those stupid people who get too close to the animals at the zoo, or in nature parks, end up in such predicaments.

We were pretty thrilled with our safari and made our way back to the hotel on a high. We were really lucky as well, for although it seemed like tiger sightings were there for the taking, it had actually been over three days since any of the guests at Dev Vilas had sighted a tiger. The staff looked absolutely relieved that we'd had success. We spent our evening with a swim and cocktails under the stars, and concluded it with a lovely dinner in the dining room. We hit the sack pretty early so that we could be up and at 'em bright and early for our 6am safari.

On day two, we didn't have as much luck - no Tigers. We explored a different zone of the park, high on a ridge overlooking the area we'd been through the prior day. It was beautiful, and we again saw lots of wildlife - parrots, spotted deer, peacocks, and a golden oriole. I enjoy the safaris, but when they're not fruitful, you get tired of just looking so hard. I almost didn't believe it when we did see tigers, since it was my 5th try or so. However, all of the eye strain was worth it in the end, and despite the fact that we didn't see tigers the second day, the trip was definitely a success - whew! I felt somewhat redeemed as a tour guide, given all of the issues we had with the first leg of the Tin Amigos extravaganza. After our safari, we got cleaned up and had lunch, and then headed back to Jaipur for dinner and some turbo sight-seeing at the City Palace. Shannon and Kevin were ready to hit the road, but Lauren and I still managed a speed round of shopping that yielded silk dupattas for me and Mom, and a silk bed cover set for Lauren. Devindar, prince among drivers, was helping us negotiate to get the best prices. The coverlet seller was driving a hard bargain, and Lauren wasn't sure if Devindar was making any headway, in his polite way, so she stepped in and offered a new price of 2200 Rs. Little did she know that Devindar had already locked in a price of 1800 Rs. Devindar kind of shook his head and got a good giggle out of it, but moral of the story is - let Devindar do his thing, no matter how antagonistic or unproductive the negotiations appear to be.

With our Rajasthani road trip coming to a close, we headed back to Delhi and the bubble of home. The next day, I went back to work and the Tin Amigos headed to Amritsar for night-viewing of the Golden Temple and the show at the Wagah Border. On Friday, Devindar took Kevin, the girls, and a shopping list and ran errands in Delhi all day. I joined them for one last Indian dinner at Balluchi, and the we were off to bed. Eight AM, the Tin Amigos depart Delhi, leaving an exhausted and very-happy me, and a just-plain-exhausted Devindar in their wake.

Three cheers for friends who'll travel halfway around the world to see you - huzzah, huzzah, huzzah!

3 Amigos - Ranthambore

Tin Amigos - Agra

2008-06-14T08:00:00.004+05:30

After one night's sleep in my Gurgaon bubble, we were on the road again, bright and early. This time we headed south to Agra, then on to Jaipur and Ranthambore - a proper Rajasthani road trip, complete with a mini-van and my ever-patient driver, Devindar.

Our first stop of the trip was Agra, about four hours south of Delhi. Agra is a paradise of Mughal architecture. I had heard from friends that it wasn't a very pleasant city, but I found myself liking it. Surprisingly green, the streets are lined with trees, and though there's the normal chaos of any Indian city, it seems to essentially be a normal, mid-sized town. We started off at Sikandra, with Akbar's Tomb. I hadn't even heard of the tomb before, but I truly loved it, and though it may be sacrilege, I actually preferred Sikandra to the Taj. It was largely empty, save a few lovebirds hanging out in the arcades around the tomb, and the colors are the deep, rusty red that is so common in Mughali architecture, as well as creamy whites and bold blue and gold. It's just beautiful, and you can go down into the crypt to the grave site itself. When we were there, one of the attendants was chanting prayers to show off the booming acoustics of the room. It's amazing to think the monument itself is well over four hundred years old, and yet still enjoys significant numbers of visitors and a degree of deference that is often not shown to more modern heroes.

After Sikandra, we headed to the main event, the Taj Mahal. To try and minimize the impact of pollution on the Taj, no fuel vehicles are allowed within a certain radius of the gardens and buildings. What this boils down to is that you have to pay a ridiculous fee for an electric golf cart or a camel cart to take you the last 200 yards to the Taj. But, it's still peanuts in the grand scheme of things, so we quickly got over it. Having left Delhi at 6:30am, we arrived at the Taj in the heat of the day. Even still, it was chock-a-block with Indian tourists, and everyone clambering over one another to get the perfect picture. We joined in the melee and took our turn taking pictures. The Taj is lovely. It's somehow smaller than I expected, but every bit as beautiful as it is storied to be. I imagine that Shah Jahan envisioned it as a serene place, but that's not true in the peak of tourist hours. When I go back, I would either like to try to get one of the special full-moon tickets, or go at dawn or dusk, when the air is cooler and the gardens more empty. After wandering through the gardens and inside the mausoleum with our guide, we were pretty beat. The Indian sun drains you quickly, and we very soon sought the shade of one of the arcades surrounding the garden, and admired the Taj again from afar.

Post-Taj, our guide took us to a shop where he claimed the very descendants of those who built the Taj continue to work. We saw a nice demonstration of how piedra dura, the precious stone-inlaid marble in the Taj, is made and then were expected to buy samples at truly exorbidant prices. I quickly made my escape, grateful for the edification, and for escapting with my wallet. We headed out of Agra on the Agra-Jaipur road, with Jaipur as our final destination for the evening. Along the way, we stopped briefly at Fatehpur Sikri, a city that the Mughals built and then abandoned after just 13 years. The city still stands, almost in its entirety, and the mosque is an active place of worship for both tourist and locals. Although it's beautiful, especially in the late evening light, there are more vendors, touts, and hangers-on per square inch in Fatehpur Sikri than anywhere else I've been in India. And, they do not leave you alone. Needless to say, it got old really fast. I was glad that we stopped, but even more glad to get on the road again.

Another four or five hours and we were safely ensconced in the Hotel Narain Niwas Palace in Jaipur. A former maharajah's palace, now turned Heritage Hotel, the Narain Niwas occupies a whole city block in downtown Jaipur. Though it could have been cheaper, and perhaps more posh, I really loved the garden restaurant, the quaint buildings, and the very accommodating staff. We had a good night's rest, and an ample breakfast before heading out to Ranthambore, by way of Lassiwalla, best lassi shop in Jaipur.

Tin Amigos - Udaipur

2008-06-05T21:59:00.002+05:30

Udaipur is built on the banks of several lakes in northeastern Rajasthan, just a short hop from Delhi. Tiny streets wind through crumbling Rajput palaces down to the lakeshore, and the town is chock-a-block with artists' galleries. Thanks to the many expats who went before me, I had a great recommendation for a place to stay. Now, bear in mind that Udaipur is home to what is ostensibly the best hotel in the world, the Oberoi Udaivilas. But, I resisted temptation and was super-glad that I did. Instead, we stayed at the much smaller and wonderfully charming Udai Kothi. This was one of my best hotel experiences in India - the staff are great, the restaurant has really good food, the view is amazing, and the price is right.

We rolled into town on Friday afternoon and proceeded to have a very low-key two days. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was how great the rooftop restaurant was at Udai Kothi. After getting settled, we wandered upstairs to find a charming oasis right on the roof of our hotel, complete with a beautiful view of Lake Pichola and sittar players. The ambiance alone would have made it a fantastic find, but in addition, the Udai Kothi is home to the best ever cheese naan - I still haven't found it's equal, and trust me, I've been looking hard since we left - and really good Butter Chicken. So yummy!

We started our second day observing the troupe of monkeys that were cavorting through the garden of the hotel. Unfortunately, Delhi Belly claimed its second victim of the trip, and Lauren stayed in bed for the day. Shannon, Kevin and I made our way to the City Palace and spent a few hours going through the buildings, and enjoying the view over the city. On the way back to our hotel, we went through a few of the art galleries and Shannon and I negotiated for a traditional painting that depicts Lake Pichola and the Lake Palace. I'm pretty sure I got taken for a ride in terms of the price, but oh well. Converted to USD, it was still really affordable, and much as I hated to admit it, I did pick out one that was clearly better quality. That evening, we made a feeble run at creativity and ended up going right back to our lovely rooftop. This time, we got smart and reserved the cupola table with a mirrored ceiling which overlooks the lake. You could not imagine a more idyllic or romantic spot to have dinner. Just beautiful.

On our last morning in Udaipur, we had a nice breakfast at the hotel and then grabbed our cab to the airport. We budgeted time to visit the Monsoon Palace, Sajjangarh, which sits on a mountain overlooking Udaipur. When we got there, the palace was completely empty, so we had a leisurely stroll around the building and grounds, and watched a family of monkeys bask in the sun by a well. We wound our way down the mountain with plenty of time to spare and made a stop at a craft village called Shilpgram. The place was definitely touristy, but we had a nice guide who showed us buildings and handicrafts that were representative of Rajasthani tribal culture. And, Lauren got to pet a camel (and didn't get spit on), so we were good to go. A quick jaunt to the airport and we were rapidly bumping our way through some turbulence on our way back to Delhi - phase one of the journey complete.

Tin Amigos - Mumbai!

2008-05-20T20:07:00.004+05:30

Mumbai was a great place to recover from our crushed Kerala expectations. We flew "The Good Times" and arrived on a lovely Tuesday morning. After some cranky cabbie negotiations, we were soon our our way to the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers. I think I've been forever spoiled. When you start with one of the best hotels in town, how do you ever downgrade? Our rooms were on the 17th floor, overlooking the Gateway of India and the harbor - just beautiful.

We spent the afternoon wandering the Colaba Causeway and having a few beers and some snacks at Leopold's (Shantaram fans will recognize the famous bar from the novel). It's smaller than it seems in the book, but definitely a local expat hang-out and a great place to while away your afternoon. We even strolled through Sassoon docks where the fishing boats come in. This is high on my list of things that I would NOT have been doing without Kevin along, and it may have been the most odoriferous mile in Mumbai, but the waterfront was still pretty, with brightly colored boats and trucks pulling up with their loads of fish.

I have to pause here and say that, although this is probably not technically true, I felt as hot as I have ever been in my life in Mumbai. It's just steamy; you can't step outside without immediately feeling like a dim sum bun. We would practically dive through the revolving doors at the Taj each time we got back. Thankfully, the Taj has a great pool, so we were able to cool down every evening before tackling the trek to dinner. Our first night, we ate in the Taj at Wasabi by Morimoto, which is owned by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. The night we ate there, Chef Morimoto himself was in residence, supervising the making of our sushi. It's the first time that I've seen someone star-struck by a chef. We tried to get Kevin to ask for a photo, or "snap" as they say here, but our shy guy was having none of it.

Our second day in Mumbai was spent over breakfast buffet and on a ferry ride to Elephanta Island to see the cave temples. Being out on the water was a nice break from the closeness of the city. I think I lost half the water in my body on the way up to the cave temples, but they were beautiful (and cool) once we got there. It definitely whetted my appetite to go and see the cave temples at Ellora and Ajanta, which are UNESCO sites and supposedly phenomenal. By the time we got back to the Taj, we had our first travel casualty...Kevin got sick and was down for the count (about 24 hours). Do you still call it Delhi Belly in Mumbai? Shannon, Lauren and I entertained ourselves with dinner at Indigo in Colaba, and by a solid day of massages and sunning ourselves by the pool - life is rough all over.

We rounded out our Mumbai experience with dinner at Bademiya, a hoppin' street cafe in Colaba, and an evening of bootleg Bollywood in our hotel room. Little did I know that Shannon would sucker for the melodrama, action, and hot bods that is Bollywood - I've created an addict. With Kevin slowly rejoining the living, we packed up and headed for Udaipur, and the next leg of the adventure.

3 Amigos - Mumbai

The Tin Amigos

2008-05-07T22:20:00.002+05:30

I've had my first visitors from home! Mad props to Kevin, Lauren and Shannon for trekking halfway around the world to see little ol' me. It was so great to have familiar faces around (and jokes, and harrassment). I took a week and a half off of work and we set out to see a fair chunk of India. This is the first of several installments of the Adventures of the Tin Amigos (3 amigos).

Kevin, Lauren and Shannon arrived on Sunday the 13th of April. Their first 48 hours in India were typical in that nothing happened exactly as it was planned to happen, and I had my first real face-to-face encounter with the vagaries of Indian travel. Their first day, we rented and rode an elephant, spent 5 hours at champagne brunch, made three trips to the airport to try and find their lost luggage, and went clothes (and bikini) shopping, in anticipation that their luggage wouldn't arrive (which it didn't).

The next morning, with four wardrobes cobbled together from my closet, the Janpath mini-market, and Ambiance Mall, we showed up at the New Delhi domestic terminal to catch our plane to Cochin for beach-going and houseboating. Here's something of the conversation I had as I tried to check us in for our flight:
Jet Airways dude: "Ma'am, you've missed your flight; it left two hours early..."
Me: "Umm....It's 6:30 am and no one notified us that the flight time changed...?"
Jet Airways dude: "Go see the woman at the first desk and she will assist you."
(I explain the situation to Jet Airways woman #1, she passes me to Jet Airways woman #2)
Jet Airways woman #2: "Ma'am, the Cochin airport has been closed and your flight has been cancelled."
Me: "Oh, ok. When will the airport re-open?" (I'm thinking 2-3 hours here)
Jet Airways woman #2: "Ma'am, it will be closed for at least 2 or 3 months."

Our first well-laid plan bites the dust - BIG time. No Kerala for the Tin Amigos. We retreated to the guesthouse to regroup and plan. After some discussion, we booked the best hotel in Mumbai and made a plane reservation on Kingfisher airlines (yes, it's a beer and an airline - 'Flying the Good times') to go a day early, extending our stay to three nights. We then headed off to sightsee in Delhi - Humayun's tomb, Qutub Minar, a little shopping at Dilli Haat and Punjabi By Nature for dinner. Kevin and Lauren fell asleep sitting up as we drive home from dinner - T-r-o-o-p-e-r-s. The next day, Tuesday, we hop a mid-morning flight to Mumbai without incident, and without Tin Amigos' luggage - Yay Kingfisher! We love the Good Times! Boo British Airways baggage handling and American Airlines flight delays. And, yes Mom, I really do have enough clothes for four people.

Ending Radio Silence

2008-05-01T11:11:00.002+05:30

So, if you read my blog semi-frequently, you've probably been wondering if I fell off of the face of the earth, or finally met my maker in an autorickshaw, or went AWOL somewhere deep in the Indian hinterland. None of these in fact occurred, but my best creative efforts have been a bit stunted by about five rounds of Delhi Belly. The only blog titles I could think of ran along the lines of, "Sick and Tired, of Being Sick and Tired," and who wants to read that? But, I'm getting back on the blogging bandwagon, and for those of you who like my ramblings, more content is coming soon to a theater near you. In short, in the past 6-8 weeks, I've:

earned myself the nickname "Petri" and developed an intimate understanding of the Indian antibiotic spectrum
explored three new cities (Mumbai, Udaipur, and Agra) and miles of countryside in between - I love a Rajasthani road trip!
hosted three friends from the US for a two-week, whirlwind tour of India
seen TIGERS!
had at least 3 boozy brunches
ridden an elephant (again)
bought enough kurti and chapals (sandals) to open my own store (as per our house staff - "Dad, did you tip them off - are they going to start calling me 'Imelda' too?...")
ridden the Delhi Metro - the most fun a girl can have for 6 rupees
and much, much more...

And so, I promise to get busy blogging very soon, and as you can see from the above, there's lots to talk about!

Go, Go, Goa!

2008-03-21T09:04:00.005+05:30

Being this far from home, one has a tendency to cleave to one's countrymen. So, when Geoff, one of the ex-pats from Hyderabad put out an invitation to go to Goa for the weekend, quite a troupe was rallied. I spend the last 10 days working from our office in Hyderabad, which put me even closer to Goa, so I decided to go along for the ride.

We flew to Goa on Friday night, headed for the town of Anjuna. From the airport, Anjuna is about an hour's drive outside of town, along the coast. Even the drive itself is beautiful. Stark white churches, remnants of the Portuguese influence in the area, stand out against the dark green of palm trees. The weather and flora are noticeably more tropical - there are plumeria trees, hibiscus bushes, and coconut palms. We arrived in Anjuna just past sunset and headed into town for dinner at the Oasis German bakery and cafe. In the end, there was a crew of about eleven of us for the weekend, with nothing on our agenda but beach, sun, sand, and having a good time.

On Saturday, we rented scooters and headed down to Anjuna beach for the day. The beach is a long strand of sand, cut into crescents by black rocks and wave breaks. At the edge of the sand, one little grass shack after another offers snacks, drinks, or bungalows for weary beach goers. We ambled our way to the end of the beach and parked ourselves in front of the "Happy Hours." Ronnie, Kelsey, Scott, and Geoff quickly joined up with some local kids playing soccer on the beach. Heather let herself be convinced to get a massage on the beach, and me, I sipped my fresh coconut juice and delved into Passage to India.

We stayed on the beach until sunset, enjoying the warm water and sunshine and then headed back to our hotel to get cleaned up. Heather and I walked to Ingo's Saturday Night Market. Getting there was a little scary - the roads are d-a-r-k in Goa. But, we arrived safely and without too many detours. In general, Goa is chock-a-block with Westerners, and Ingo's is a mecca for that crowd. There are food stalls for French, Italian, German, and Indian food, live music and tons of great stuff to buy. Heather had an avocado sandwich that mysteriously didn't have any avocados. I had a thin crust cheese pizza which was fantastic. Mmm mmm good. The price of goods, unfortunately, is also toward the tourist palate - definitely not local rates. However, there was still good stuff to be had and I was just glad that I now know the difference between a good price and a bad one. Heather and I bought some cleverly-designed backpacks from an Australian woman, I got a pair of gold yak-leather flip flops, and three necklaces made of sunset-colored chunky glass beads. Heather bought some fun skirts and a very cool pair of sandals. Replete with shopping satisfaction, we headed back to the hotel to rinse off and steam in our room. A very good day.

On Sunday morning, we were on Heather time and consequently got up early. It was beautiful out, so we headed back to Oasis for a breakfast of cheese omelettes and banana lassi, and then tooled around Anjuna and Mapusa on our scooter. Mad props to Ms. Heather for taking on the driver's role. I decided to stick to back-of-the-scooter driving. Goa traffic is awesome - we came around a bend on the scooter to find ourselves dodging about seven Yaks of varying sizes - Mooove over!

After our scooter tour, we met up with the entire crew back at Anjuna beach as they finished a late breakfast. We staked out a few beach umbrellas and settled down to enjoy our last few hours in Goa. Unlike the previous day, we had lots of company. There were quite a few little girls selling jewelry, offering to do mehndi, and generally wanting to chat with the foreigners. We succumbed to the offer of mehndi. The guys started it, oddly enough, with ethnic arm bands, and a huge dragon. Several of us girls were quick to follow with more traditional floral designs on our hands. The mehndi in Goa is black in color, whereas traditional mehndi is done with the reddish natural henna. Before I leave India, I'd like to try getting proper mehndi, but this was a great way to spend an afternoon on the beach.

Tanned and tired, we piled into a jeep for the ride back to the airport. Heather and Scott headed out to Delhi, and I went back to Hyderabad with the group from there. Goa was great fun - I think it will very shortly be unbearably hot, but we really enjoyed the beach and having a lazy weekend.

Charming Chandigarh

2008-03-16T23:10:00.007+05:30

My lovely traveling companion was dying to get out of Delhi, so we headed to Chandigarh for the weekend of March 8th and 9th. We weren't entirely sure what there is to see in Chandigarh, save that the city is based on a Utopian design by a Frenchman named Le Corbusier, and Nek Chand's rock garden came highly recommended by my friend, Jim Blanke.

We caught an early Saturday morning Shatabdi Express train from New Delhi station to Chandigarh, rolling into town at about 11am or so. We didn't know it before we bought train tickets, but there was a big cricket tournament being played that weekend, and so most of the hotels were sold out. We made reservations at a small local hotel, but the locals that we talked to were dubious at best about its quality. So, mission no. 1, upon arrival, was to charm our way into the Taj.

Chandigarh is a planned community and was laid out on a grid, so they actually have traffic lights and a semblance of order on the streets. Thus, our autorickshaw ride into town from the station was less hair-raising than usual. We had the driver drop us across the street from the Taj, so as not to mess up our entrance into the hallowed halls. Upon inquiring about a room, we were informed that there were none. However, once we clarified that our spot on the waitlist was for 1 room, not two, oh and yes we work for Google, oh and yes there's a hotel full of cricket players that might not be opposed to two women checking in....and suddenly we found ourselves with a very nice room, and semi-VIP status. Let's just say that Megan loves living the Taj style in India, for reasons that will become manifest throughout this short history.

Well-settled and well-heeled, we headed into town for lunch. The lunch special was simple, but good, and we had nothing less than a wait staff of 10 serving just Heather and I. After lunch, we wandered through downtown Chandigarh a bit and did some shopping. Heather had forgotten her sunglasses, so we bought some very stylin' RayBans as back-ups --- tres chic. Chandigarh's street are almost eerily quiet, if you're used to India's usual, only slightly controlled chaos. It really wierded me out, I have to say. I've adopted the herd mentality enough to feel slightly bereft when I'm not hemmed in by bodies - this is probably pure survival instinct, but still, it's weird to notice the change in oneself. We were done with downtown Chandigarh pretty quickly and decided to head out to Nek Chand's famous rock garden.

The rock garden is a found-art-lover's paradise. Nek Chand was a public works employee who began collecting found objects and recycled building materials. With these, he built a labyrinthine garden, full of sculptures, mosaics, and water features. The closest thing I've ever seen to this is Parc Guell in Barcelona, but even that doesn't quite capture it. Nek Chand's work doesn't have the bold colors or polish of Gaudi's work, but it does have a very lovable, lived-in quality. When we were there, tons of Indian families were wandering through the maze of paths, tunnels, and buildings. Around each corner, something different surprises you. There are beautiful waterfalls and whimsical statues. Of course, being India, nothing is in perfect condition, but still it's quite a lot of fun. We wended our way through the various sections until we reached a center concourse that was filled with carnival games and music. There was a long arcade, hung with adult-sized swings, and a white camel providing gamboling rides through the courtyard. We availed ourselves of both. And can I just say - riding a camel is great! It's awkward, more than a little uncomfortable, slightly smelly, and just a whole hell of a lot of fun. For 80 INR, we trotted in a lazy loop, with one guy leading the camel and another one chasing us with my camera. We were giggling hard throughout, as we thumped along on the camel's back. It was one of those moments where we were just like, "screw it - we're going to be a spectacle anyway, so why not make it worth everyone's while to stare?" I should pause to note here that the single-most photographed object in the rock garden that day was Heather. She was stopped no less than 6 times for various enthusiastic Indians to take pictures with her. This is not the first time that it's happened, but it was certainly the most it's happened in any one place. I was thankful for being not-so-blond, and maybe not as cute, because I didn't get bugged in the slightest, and other than hanging around to make sure Heather didn't get molested, was able to truly enjoy the rock garden independently.

Hot, tired, and our sightseeing obligations met for the day, we decided to head back to the Taj to go for a swim in their lovely pool and get cleaned up for dinner. However, Heather decided that she hadn't had enough adventure for the day and elected to round out our Indian transportation portfolio with a bicycle rickshaw ride, her argument being that if you're going to ride in India's flimsiest form of transportation, Chandigarh, with at least some traffic rules being obeyed, is the place to do it. Oh yeah. The poor guy taking us weighed less than Heather, I think, but he was up to the task and in little or no time, we found ourselves back at the Taj. Not sure I'll repeat that experience, but it was fun and a pretty peaceful way to coast through Chandigarh.

We ended our day with a swim in the Taj's lovely pool. Luckily, I had the foresight (and the faith) to remind Heather to bring her swimsuit, so when the opportunity presented itself, we were ready. After a short swim, we got cleaned up and had a very nice dinner at the hotel's Indian restaurant. Murgh Malai is mmm, mmm, good. Our intention was to progress to a couple of drinks at the hotel bar, but we ended up being too pooped to pop, and headed to bed rather early.

On Sunday, we weighed our options - had we missed something eventful in Chandigarh? Did we have a moral responsibility to get out and sightsee some more? In the end, the draw of a nice cold pool and a complimentary bottle of wine won the day. We checked out of our room, set up shop poolside and had the place to ourselves. The day was going pretty well, with a chilled sauvignon blanc from Sula Vineyards to compliment our naan and tandoori chicken, a nice breeze and a wide open pool. But it was about to get so much better....

The cricket players came down for their workout, mid-afternoon. We were very shortly introduced to the majority of the Ahmedabad Rockets and a smattering of the Chandigarh Lions. Both teams are part of the recently-inaugurated Indian Cricket League (ICL), a professional cricket league that's drawing players from all over the world. It was great fun and they were all quite nice, and mostly serious about their workout, though not immune to some flirtatious networking, which was good. Who knows, maybe we'll get to see a match sometime? Heather and I were enjoying ourselves so much that we stayed a leeetle bit too long at the pool and nearly missed our train back to Delhi. We literally stepped off of the platform right as the train began to move, and tucked into our seats just in time. Whew! Our trip to Chandigarh was short and sweet, but oh so much fun.

Here Kitty, Kitty...

2008-03-02T10:28:00.007+05:30

Last weekend I had the opportunity to tag along with my Irish housemates, James and Tim, and head out to Corbett National Park. Corbett is most famous as a tiger preserve, and according to a recent edition of India Times, has the highest remaining population of Royal Bengal Tigers in India. Given the elusive nature of the striped beastie, I set my sights a little lower and was just looking forward to a weekend outside of the city and the possibility of an elephant safari.

The jumping off point for Corbett is Ramnagar, which is about 250km from Delhi. Although there is an overnight train, we decided to take a car in order to maximize our time in the park. The drive can take anywhere from 5 to 8 hours, depending upon traffic. We were fortunate to get Divendar, the most trustworthy of drivers, to take us there and back. Even so, the drive up was pretty nerve-wracking, once it got dark. Most of the roads are two lanes, with no dividers, and due to the heavy (and slow) truck traffic, there is a lot of passing going on, in both directions. As best as I can tell, whomever flicks their headlights first and takes off, gets the right of way, but I'm sure you can appreciate the potential flaws in this system. Tim had the front seat on the way up and steadfastly refused to take that seat on the way back. Me, I employed the same strategy I use for scary movies - just watched it all through my fingers. I have complete faith in Divendar, so it wasn't too bad and we made it home safe and sound, with nary a scratch on us. Though, I will say that, somewhere along the way, Divendar learned how to say "holy shit," in both American and Irish voicing.

Our adventures continued once we got into Ramnagar. Tim had made reservations at what Lonely Planet called "the best hotel in town." 1) NOT true. 2) Said hotel required all of our passports and visas, and Tim only had a photocopy. Despite a shouting match, the hotel manager wouldn't budge, and we headed down the road to the Hotel Corbett Kingdom, which in addition to being infinitely cleaner, having rooms with two beds, and no large hairy spiders, also would take the reservation with just the passport and visa numbers. Tim was pretty bitter about the whole thing, but I was convinced that we were far better off. After a good night's rest and a leisurely breakfast of aloo parata, chai, and porridge, we headed over to the park office to arrange for a driver to take us into the park. Only certain drivers are authorized to drive in Corbett, so we had sent Divendar back to Delhi. In short order, we finalized arrangements and were heading out in an open jeep. It was so nice to be out of the city on a sunny day, that alone may have made the trip worth it.

Our first night inside the park, we stayed at Gairal camp, right on the banks of the Ramganga river. The accommodations were pretty basic and the bathroom approaching scary, but it was perfectly adequate - it reminded me a little of sixth-grade science camp. We got settled into our room and enjoyed a pot of hot chai, before heading out on our first jeep safari. Over the course of the next few hours we saw spotted deer, barking deer, monkeys, a woodpecker, a jungle fowl, partridges, and a fishing eagle. We even came close to seeing a tiger, waiting with a pack of jeeps at the side of the road in total silence for 20 minutes, before giving up and heading back to camp. Throughout the park, thick underbrush comes right up to the road, so it's difficult to spot tigers. You have to listen for the monkeys and birds giving warning calls, and then wait in the hopes that the tiger will cross the proverbial road. Still hopeful, we tucked into a simple but delicious dinner back at camp, and after a bit of bs and storytelling under the stars, headed to bed early so that we could be up and at em' for a 6am safari.

We started our Sunday morning with steaming cups of chai and a dawn safari. I love being woken up by someone with a pot of hot chai; it really can't be beat, and seems a huge luxury out in the middle of a wilderness. The woods of Corbett are misty in the mornings, and you have the sense that you might find a tiger around just the next bend in the road, but still we had no luck. After several hours touring through the park, we headed back to Gairal for a late breakfast of egg sandwiches, referred to as "toast omelette," and more chai. We packed up our things and headed out for Dhikala camp, which is the hub of activity inside the park. Accommodations here were a big improvement from Gairal - 24 hour power, constant hot water, and clean bathrooms. Our hutment overlooked the grass lands at the edge of the Ramganga reservoir. From the edge of the yard, you have a birds-eye view of the river, and all of the wildlife that come to its banks. We spent a fair bit of time sunning ourselves in the yard and watching the animals come and go on the plain below us. We were able to arrange for an elephant safari that afternoon, so I was pretty excited.

The mahout took us down the bank of the river and out into the grasslands. We saw a bunch more deer, a kingfisher, a black crane, and some huge colorful birds that I couldn't identify. Still no tigers. The grass and weeds were literally 'as high as an elephant's eye' and you quickly realize that you are trespassing on the tigers' good graces. We moseyed along at the elephants' rambling pace through wallows that clearly contained the remains of a tigers' recent kills. Fresh tiger paw prints, or pug marks, were scattered along the river banks. All auspicious signs, but still no tigers. Back at camp, we had another good dinner and headed to bed early again to be up at 6am. This time, our morning jeep safari took us out into the grasslands around Dhikala, where the tigers hunt. Our guide from Dhikala seemed to have a much better sense of where to go and how to approach the safari. We spent a fair bit of time at the edge of the forest, peering through the mists to catch the tigers as they left the forest to hunt the deer that abound in the grasslands. We were oh so patient, but still no luck. You kind-of have to enjoy it for the rest of the experience. The tigers may or may not join the party, but the mornings are beautiful in Corbett. The sun rises orange through the mist, and the woods are filled with birds. We saw more peacocks and deer, and tons of tiger tracks. Toward the end of the safari, we got really lucky and caught a glimpse of a 'tusker' along side the road. These male elephants are supposedly fairly rare in the park - our guide claimed that there are only 25 total in Corbett. Somehow, our guide managed to perfectly position our jeep and get rid of two other jeeps while we waited for the elephant to come out of the brush. He complied by wandering across the road and hanging out for a bit. Again, you realize that you remain in the park on the animals' good graces. The elephant easily outweighed the jeep with all of us in it, and there was a moment where he clearly seemed to be saying 'are you messin' with me?' Luckily, he decided that the snacks alongside the road were more interesting than us tourists, and busied himself with munching, rather than charging.

Back at Dhikala, we had a hearty breakfast of masala omelette, fresh chapati, poha, and chai, and proceeded to enjoy the sunshine in the yard for a couple of hours before we had to checkout. There was still some hope that we'd see a tiger on the way out of the park. The drive from Dhikala to Ramnagar takes over two hours. Along the way, Mahmud, our driver, did his best, but still no tigers. We were oh so close. . . One of the supply truck drivers on his way into Dhikala stopped and told Mahmud that he'd just seen a pair of tigers at one of the river crossings just ahead of us. We hurried up to get there and camped out for a while, but weren't able to spot the tigers ourselves. Darn it - so close. I will have to go back again and see if I have better luck. With or without tigers, it was a good experience and really nice to have a weekend away from it all - no cell phones, no TV, electronics of any kind. And, because I was silly and left my book at home, lots of contemplative time. We met Divendar in Ramnagar and he lead-footed us back to Delhi. The drive was far less scary in the daytime, but even still there were some close calls. Because we drove through the countryside around Ramnagar in the dark, I didn't really get a chance to appreciate it until the drive home on Monday. For the first 50kms or so back to Delhi, we drove through fields and fields of mustard; the waves of golden flowers made me fell like I was back at home. It is so strange to be halfway around the world and find the same flowers and plants that we have at home. It makes for a beautiful drive. As we approached Delhi, we blew a tire. Divendar did a great job of changing the flat quickly, but even so, we attracted a crowd. At first it was three or four kids, and it very quickly became a bunch of 20 or more people, 'helping,' chattering, and offering advice. The traffic into Delhi was horrible, so we were later than we'd hoped getting back, but even with that, it was good to be home.

Corbett - Feb

Princess for a Day, Delhi-Style

2008-02-17T19:06:00.006+05:30

So, today was the type of day that little girls dream about. I'm not sure, save preparing for a wedding, that two women of any age could have more fun. Really, my whole weekend has been this way. Please forgive me if I sound tremendously spoiled...

On Saturday, Heather still had guests in town, so we each did our own thing for most of the day. This was actually the first time that I ventured into Delhi without someone else with me. The day started on the right foot because I was able to negotiate using my favorite driver, Divendar; he usually drives James, and James was in Darjeeling. We set off at the civilized hour of 11am to do some shopping. I was on the hunt for some 'traditional' clothes to wear to a wedding that I may be going to in Kathmandu in two weeks. I started off at Santushti, a very posh shopping village in the Diplomatic Enclave in Delhi. I didn't find much in the way of wedding options - I'm chubbier than I should be now anyway, and to boot, most Indian outfits have very small sleeves and tight necklines. Of course, it's not like me to head home empty handed, and I did find several kurtas that I liked a lot. The bad side of shopping at Santushti is that all of the prices are fixed, and fixed at wealthy foreigner rates. The upside is that they have some beautiful things.

After poking around in the shops for an hour or two, I headed for The Garden Restaurant at Lodhi Gardens. I had a great meal outside in the garden, on my own, private, canopied divan. The restaurant is pricey for Delhi standards, but I'm sure we'll be back. It's a lovely setting, with red lanterns hanging from huge trees, and lovely shaded tables. They have a very nice continental menu, also, which is a refreshing change every once in a while. On Lonely Planet's recommendation, I had the Lamb Moroccan, which was excellent, along with a salad and a nice glass of red wine. I was planning on stopping there, but then the waitress brought the dessert tray. Now, I need to take a moment here to explain that I have not been suffering food-wise. I am really liking Indian food in its tremendous variety, and save one bout of food poisoning, the local diet and I have been getting along quite well. That said, I had a moment on Saturday that was reminiscent of Day 25+ on Survivor, when they show the semi-starved contestants mugs of beer, a pizza, or a hamburger and give them the chance to earn the food as a reward.... There, on the dessert tray in all of their chocolaty goodness, were brownies. "Do you have cold milk?" I asked. The waitress gave me a look that indicated that I was clearly crazy, but said that, yes, they did have cold milk. And so, I couldn't resist. Just when I don't think I'm homesick, I am undone. Cold milk and warm brownies a la mode....it tasted like home to me and it was worth every calorie. I rounded out my afternoon by meeting up with Heather in Khan Market and helping her pick out some lovely duds by a local Indian designer. We then headed home. Divendar took such good care of us - I love that man. We were practicing Hindi in the car, using the flash cards that I had made, and he got SO excited. Hindi, when delivered by a native speaker, sounds a lot like a verbal waterfall. It's very lyrical and beautiful, but somewhat overwhelming. Needless to say, all three of us were giggling most of the way home. Divendar was so tickled, he even called one of his friends so that she could listen to us stumble through what little Hindi we know over the phone. We sailed into Essel and were treated to a 'light' Indian dinner cooked by our very own Abdul. Sometimes simple is best... paneer, aloo gobhi (potatoes and cauliflower), chapati, and salad --- the keys to Heather and Megan's hearts.

Sunday morning, we rallied around 10:30 with brunch and a visit to the main Sikh temple in Delhi as our primary objectives. Since we were fairly early for brunch, we decided to stop off in a sari shop that one of Heather's friends recommended to us. From this point on, my day was a lot like the shopping montage in Pretty Woman - for those of you who know me well, you'll know this was pure bliss. Heather and I spent a solid two hours sipping chai and being swathed in some of the most beautiful silk fabric you have ever seen. Teal and peacock, sterling silver, crimson and petal pink - there was something for everyone. I think the sari guys (yes, it's all men in the shops) thought we were a bit nuts because we eschewed the spangled chiffon and georgette numbers that are so popular in northern India, and insisted on seeing the woven silk saris that are more typical of southern India. Heather selected a sari that is silvery grey with gold embroidery, like sunshine peeking around storm clouds. It sets off her blond hair perfectly. Heather claims she's never going to wear her sari at home, but she supposes it's worth it for the use we'll get out of it here. I think she's nuts. Fabric that beautiful on a lovely woman is never going to go out of style - no matter what. For myself, I picked out two saris and a salwar kameez. I know, I know...too decadent...but one was too gorgeous be passed up, one was too good a deal to turn down, and the salwar kameez is just more practical to wear, not to mention being done in my two most favorite colors. So, that's my justification and I'm sticking to it.

The first sari I bought is an iridescent, petal pink with gold embroidery. It is a lightweight, gauzy silk that will be perfect for warm weather. Each sari comes as a length of embroidered fabric, with the end-most piece intended to be made into a blouse that is worn underneath the remainder of the fabric. We discovered in trying on multitudes of options, that a sari with some patterning throughout is more interesting. The ends of the saris, which drape over your shoulder, are the most intricately embroidered. The second sari is a deep turquoise blue with a magenta border and gold embroidery. There are golden floral swirls embroidered on the blue field and a thick gold border that runs through the magenta. It is gorgeous. I'm sure that I don't carry it off as well as an Indian would, or someone more svelte, but it is so beautiful that I just decided to treat myself. Everyone deserves to feel like a princess, now and again, and you can be sure that any time I drape that sari, I am going to feel like a million bucks.

After the big sari decisions were made, we headed upstairs to see the salwar kameez. Heather picked out a princess-seamed ecru and gold ensemble. Mine is teal, antique gold, and crimson. The tailor came and measured us to fit the salwar kameez pieces, and to sew the blouse and petticoat which go under the saris. My pink sari will have a sweetheart neckline on the blouse; the turquoise and magenta number will have a magenta blouse with a simple rounded neck. After a hefty deposit, exchange of business cards and much goodwill, we were on our way - blissed out on shopping and ready for brunch.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but Heather and I are on a best-of-Delhi Sunday brunch tour. We've tried the Shangri-La (which was beautiful but is also where we got sick), the Oberoi (which was so good, Heather went two weekends in a row), and now we decided to try the Imperial. All of the brunches that we've tried have been fantastic, and easily rival the best brunches I've had in the US. The Shangri-La was notable for its free-pour Veuve Clicquot; the Oberoi for its free-pour Moet and frangipan tart; but the Imperial was the best yet. We rolled up a gravel drive and were greeted by a turbaned door man. Gorgeous flower arrangements punctuated each arch and doorway, and the moment we entered the lobby, we were awash in the lilting scent of jasmine. At the restaurant, 1911, we were ushered to our table on the patio by a fleet of perfectly solicitous staff. Today was a beautiful day in Delhi - 70 degrees with sunshine and a light breeze; it really could not have been more perfect. Crab salad, seared ahi, caprese salad, prosciutto, steamed scallops, and salmon-wrapped artichokes started us off. They were followed by paneer tikka, tandoori prawns, tandoori naan, and tandoori chicken, in all it's glory. Tandoori naan is bread cooked on the inside walls of a clay oven; we watched the chef deftly hook the bread before it fell into the coals and tuck it into a white-linen-lined basket for our immediate, buttery enjoyment. At just this point in our gourmet sojourn, Heather discovered the seared-to-order foie gras, subsequent to which, I discovered that Indian mango chutney is God's gift to foie gras. Last, but definitely not least, dessert - miniature éclairs topped with dark chocolate and gold leaf, creme brulee served perfectly in an eggshell, lovely chocolate truffles, strawberry tartlets, and hazelnut millefeuille, and for Heather, lots of stinky cheese. I must not, must not, become used to this, because it will end very abruptly, come October.

We hung around the lobby of the Imperial, smelling the jasmine for as long as we could, and then got picked up by our driver, Amit, and headed for the Sikh temple, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. Bangla Sahib is like a smaller version of the Golden Temple complex. It is not so scrupulously maintained, but it is also clearly seeing heavy use as a daily place of worship. I find Sikh temples to be very welcoming and peaceful, even when crowded. The routine here is similar to in Amritsar - remove your shoes, wash your feet, cover your head, take a promenade around the sacred pool, sit in the temple and enjoy the chanting. I imagine that the experience will not be as calming when summer sun is making the white marble glaringly hot, but in February it is very pleasant. I am so thankful for how welcoming the Sikhs are; we are extended the same courtesy as any other visitor, more in some cases, even though we stick out like a sore thumb. Heather was a little frustrated that we're still getting the 'what country are you from?' bit, but I don't ever really expect to blend in completely. I am appreciative of being made welcome and at peace with not quite fitting in.

Surfeit with happiness, good food and peace, we rolled out for Gurgaon. Heather and I are the sole occupants of the guest house this weekend, so dinner was made to order. Biryani, butter chicken, chapati and salad. The perfect end to the perfect day.

Best Day Ever

The Decaying Grandeur of Lovely Jaipur

2008-02-11T22:41:00.000+05:30

Heather has a plan. We're going to Jaipur to do re-con and get the lay of the land...oh, and to shop.

We took off from Gurgaon after work on Friday and caught a bus to Jaipur. We actually got on the bus in Gurgaon, which was super convenient, but a little scary. Apparently, there is an alcohol shop just next to the bus stop, so the normal 'let's stare at the white girls' routine was a little more pronounced than normal. However, we were blessed in that Heba and Pallavi, one of the girls from the office, were also headed to Jaipur, so we looked out for one another and had a local to help negotiate all of the details. The bus ride to Jaipur takes 5 hours, but is pretty comfortable; the bus is similar to a charter bus in the US, if a little dirtier. We mostly listened to music, watched episodes of Weeds on Heather's iPod, and snoozed our way into town at about 1am. Once we were in Jaipur, Heather and I headed to our hotel, the Umaid Bahwan. It looks pretty nice from the website, but was mostly just ok. But, for one night, or really just one morning, I wasn't complaining too much. Probably the funniest part is that we had these elaborate canopied beds that turned out to be a thin pad on wood slats,which was about 3-4 inches too short for yours truly. Luckily, I perfected sleeping on the bias a long time ago, so it was all good.

Saturday morning, we slept in a bit and then grabbed continental breakfast at the rooftop restaurant of our hotel. It was a beautiful day in Jaipur. Blue skies, warm sunshine and a nice breeze. I am to the point now where I marvel at truly blue skies. Gurgaon is a city of perpetual murk - I'm not sure if it's dust, exhaust, smoke, or just a lovely amalgam of the three, but it almost never lets up. Mostly, I kid myself that it's cool, downy tufts of Aptos fog, but I really know better so, the bright blue skies of Rajasthan were a joy to wake up to.

We grabbed an autorickshaw piloted by the valiant Manzoor and headed into town. I have to give this man an international shout out. When he initiated negotiations for taking us into town, Heather told him that we didn't want to pay more than 20 Rs. Manzoor, prince among men, immediately informed us that it shouldn't cost more than 10 Rs., and proceeded to ferry us into town for the same. At first, we were sure that we'd just bought a ticket around the block, and thank God he had the grace to only rip us off for 10 Rs. vs. the 20 that we offered, but no. . . it was a 'fur piece' as they say, a good 10 minute ride into town, which Manzoor embellished with color commentary on the local sights and what we should visit on our holiday in Jaipur. We have his card, and we'll be back, and may Manzoor have the best of fortunes until we meet again. He deserves it.

We began our day at City Palace, where the king of Jaipur still lives. The guards here are the biggest hams on 7 continents, and turning a good profit on it too. For two chicks who are morally opposed to paying for photos, we sure ended up with a lot of them. One gentleman insisted he didn't want a tip, but was a 'collector' of coins - I presented him with a Maine quarter and was rewarded with many photo ops. Cheesy, but fun. The textiles museum in City Palace has some beautiful things; it's not very big, but the exhibit is memorable; the colors and all of the hand embroidery are phenomenal, even after centuries.

After City Palace, Miss Pallavi and Miss Heba picked us up with the family driver and whisked us off to see Amer Palace and Jaigarh Fort. High in the hills above the new and old cities of Jaipur, these buildings are aging gracefully, especially given the centuries of almost perpetual use. I don't know how to describe it, but I loved this eagle's nest, perched high above the hubbub of the modern city. There is something clean and windswept in the air here, and yet it seems like history is lingering in the dust motes and sunbeams. It is easy to see how it once must have been, how these Rajasthani kings must have surveyed the horizon, masters of their domain, and large households of women and retainers lived out their lives almost entirely enclosed within these lush gardens and intricately decorated walls.

Traffic in Jaipur is the best I've seen so far. The car, human, motorcycle and rickshaw flood is broken by camels and elephants. After visiting Amer, we dodged these fellow travelers and headed back into town for a late lunch at Niro's. Even though they were mostly closed to get ready for dinner, they let us in and took good care of us - Heather's favorite palak paneer was in its best bright-green form, and we complimented it with lal maans, which is a traditional Rajasthani dish. We topped it off with lassi for dessert. Across the street from Niro's is Lassiwalla, which is renowned in Jaipur for having the best lassi in town. I made the mistake of not getting one and just having a sip of Heather's; it was amazing. They pour the lassi into an unfired clay cup - the original biodegradable to-go cup - and it's a race to see who can suck up the lassi the fastest, you or the clay cup. Rest assured that when and if I return to Jaipur, I will be making a beeline for Lassiwalla. Mmm mmm good.

Replete with sightseeing, Indian food, and lassi, we are prepared to power-shop. Now mind you, it's probably 6pm and we have to catch a 7:30pm bus. And the traffic is horrid. And yet, we shop. We drive back across town to some shops that Pallavi thinks will be good and commence with a speed round. Believe it or not, I'm still in the cultural groove and not really feeling the shopping, but Heather and Heba both negotiate some deals. We are entranced enough that we didn't quite allow enough time to get back to the bus station and are very soon madly whizzing around Jaipur trying to find the last bus stop in town so that we can catch the bus before it actually leaves town for Delhi. Thanks to fantastic navigational skills on the part of Pallavi, which included calling in favors from several friends and getting directions from her grandmother, we are safely delivered to the bus stop with time to spare. Heather and I pack into the bus, leaving Pallavi and Heba to enjoy the balance of their weekend without managerial interference, and hunker down for the 5-hour return trip to Delhi. Despite the departure stress, it was 24+ hours well spent. If I go back, I think I'll do Jaipur at a more reasonable pace, but I would definitely like to go back - it's too beautiful not to.

Jaipur - Feb

Adventures in Old Delhi

2008-02-06T22:28:00.000+05:30

This last weekend was a close-to-home weekend. The Essel Posse was split to the four winds, with James lounging in luxury at the number one hotel in the world (The Oberoi, Udaipur), Scott and Heba on a tiger safari (they saw two), and me, Tim and Heather in Delhi. On Saturday, Heather and I decided to tackle a couple of things on our to-do lists: 1) Go shopping with Kapil, our house manager and 2) check out the sights in Old Delhi. This made for quite the interesting day - really, almost more adventure than a girl needs to have, but still a lot of fun....

Part One: Marketing in Gurgaon

So, since our spoiled selves usually travel by cab, we assumed our house staff did the same. Decidedly not. When we asked to go marketing with Kapil, it involved walking out to the corner and hailing a public autorickshaw. The price is right - 5 Rs. vs. 50 Rs. - but the experience, well it's priceless. Let's just say that the direct impact the air here has on your respiratory system is evident as soon as you blow your nose. And, rattling (or should I say careening?) along with 10 other people in a three-wheeled cart with canvas sides is something that can't quite be described to the uninitiated.

The market our guys shop at is not that different from the mercados you see in Mexico, but if I'm being honest, I think it's a bit dirtier. Also, because all manners of transport share the same path, foot, motorcycle, rickshaws, cars, carts, etc., it's quite congested. We went to the produce section and searched for sweet potatoes which Heather promises to cook. We also went to a dry-goods store and bought some almonds and walnuts to snack on. Kapil took us inside one of the shops and bought us Indian sweets: milk cake and a few different types of what I think were burfi - candies made from ground nutmeats, sugar, and reduced milk. All very sweet, but with my love of marzipan, right up my alley. Heather and I were also super proud of ourselves for learning to cross the streets without getting killed (think 2+ 'lanes' each way). Probably the most difficult part of the trip, other than the total chaos of the streets, was watching the tiny kids begging in the market. This wasn't the first place we'd seen people begging, but somehow people here seemed to be in even more dire straits and a lot of the kids appeared to be alone. In order to keep their coins from being stolen, several of the kids had peed in their buckets. You want to help, but it's hard to know how to have a positive impact. We've been told that giving money is a bad idea because most of the kids won't be allowed to keep it, and as soon as you give anything away, you get swarmed. There's a volunteer group at work that Heather and I are both getting involved in, so hopefully that's a step in the right direction.

Part Two: Lal Quila (The Red Fort)

After restorative grilled cheese sandwiches back at Essel Towers, Heather and I headed out to Old Delhi to see The Red Fort. I guess the hour we spent in the government office in Gurgaon worked, because we were able to buy Indian tickets with our residence permits. Aside from the fees we saved, the best part about this was getting "but these are Indian tickets..." at each gate we went through. Heather was so emboldened by this success that she told one of the cheeky boys who asked us where we were from that she is native to Gurgaon. Needless to say, they didn't quite believe us, but I'm convinced that with a little Hindi under our belts, we'll be leaving them guessing soon enough.

Lal Quila was the seat of Mughal power in Delhi during the reign of Shah Jahan. Although it's fairly run down now, due to neglect and the impacts of British occupation, you can still see many of the original pavilions that housed the royal court. The buildings are just beautiful and designed to impress visitors. You can imagine what they must have looked like, hung with velvet canopies and strewn with silk and wool rugs. There was a canal that ran through the royal apartments, from the Shah's private rooms to the hammam where the court ladies bathed. According to history, the water was scented with attar of roses - I can only imagine what it must have been like to live there. Within the walls of the fort, there is also a shopping gallery that was maintained for the ladies of the court, Chatta Chowk. 'When in Rome...,' so of course Heather and I went shopping! Heather bought a stunning tourquoise and red stone Tibetan collar, and I bought a filigree necklace carved from bone. I have to give my companion mad props - she is becoming quite the negotiator, though we're still getting taken by Indian standards. Guess we'll have to practice more.

After thoroughly exploring Lal Quila, we headed into Old Delhi to see what we could see. The shopping outside the fort, on Chadni Chowk, is supposed to be good, but the chaos and congestion on the streets was a bit much after a long day. We headed for Karim's, a famous local tandoori restaurant. On the way to dinner, we stumbled across a shoe store which carried curly-toed Punjabi slippers. Heather negotiated a pair for herself down to 'half price' and, miracle of miracles, they happened to have a pair that fit me too - pretty nifty. We celebrated Heather's negotiating success over tandoori chicken, palak paneer, butter chicken, and a pile of naan. So good, and all yours for 542 rupees. After sightseeing, shopping and stuffing ourselves, we were tuckered out, so we called Dhanjay and headed back to Gurgaon.

Lal Quila

Beating Retreat . . . On A Camel?

2008-01-31T18:26:00.000+05:30

On Monday, we were fortunate enough to get "VIP" passes to Beating Retreat, which is one of the closing ceremonies for Republic Day in India. The bands for each of the three branches of the military service, Army, Navy, and Air Force, get together and put on a show, each one trying to out-do the others. The ceremony was quite the spectacle, though rather thinly attended, which surprised us. Apparently George Clooney was in the crowd and in the cheap seats, like us, but we didn't see him...quel dommage. I was sure that he was in Delhi just to celebrate my birthday, but perhaps not....

The Indian military did a bang-up job on the great band-off. There were three full brass marching bands and a huge group of bagpipers, complete with plaid uniforms. From a distance, it looked much like something you would see in the states, however, touches of the exotic definitely shone through - the camels lining the ramparts of the government buildings, leopard skins thrown over the shoulder of the drum corps, and regional costumes integrated with the marching band uniforms. On the whole, very impressive. I think my favorite part was when all three bands lined up together and played. Halfway through the tune, the conductor lowered the volume of the marching bands, and directed someone playing a carillon from the twin campaniles of the Indian government buildings. Just beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the Stanford Hymn, and I found myself humming "from the foothills to the Bay. . . ," as we left the performance. The finale was pretty good too - they lit up all of the government buildings as Heather said, "like Tivoli gardens." I said, "or like the Disneyland Electrical Parade," at which point she informed me that Disneyland's light show is based on Tivoli Gardens. "Ooohhhh. . . ."

'The Pool of the Nectar of Immortality'

2008-01-28T22:57:00.000+05:30

This past weekend, the Essel Towers posse (Heba, Heather, Tim, James, and me), headed to Amritsar, which is in northern India, in the state of Punjab. Amritsar is the center of the Sikh faith, and home of several significant religious and historical sites, including the Golden Temple and the Jallianwala Bagh memorial park.

Heather and I splurged and stayed at the Ranjit Svaasa hotel, which I highly recommend. It's US prices per night, but is lovely, restful and calm, all of which we were in much need of.

To get to Amritsar, we took the Shatabti Express train from Delhi Station to Amritsar. The train ride was a pretty cool experience - we got to see a fair bit of the northern Indian countryside. They fed us three times, so we literally rolled into Amritsar station. The only slightly questionable part were the speedy little cucarachas that came out when we had our meals. Luckily, none of them decided to disembark at Amritsar along with us. Coming back, we were only able to get a flight, which was also an experience. The Amritsar Airport looks as though it has been thoroughly bombed, but in fact, it's just under construction. Some highlights:

The list of forbidden items
The subsequent, lengthy list, of persons exempt from following those rules (Prime Minister, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, various Ministers, etc.)
The nameless name tags, which somehow play into security proceedings? (Think paper and elastic address tags that are usually at the check-in counter, sans any information...very odd)
Heather's bag being disemboweled, all in search of a less than 10 ounce bottle of Oil of Olay, while my 32 ounce bottle of water went undiscovered
The bus that drove us from the terminal in a very tight (less than 30ft. in diameter) circle, in order to drop us on the tarmac in front of our airplane
The sign for "Turkmenistan Air" side by side with "Uzbekistan Air" (Really. Heather has a picture)

But I digress....

Have I mentioned that I love the Golden Temple? Hands down, one of the most beautiful and welcoming places of worship that I have ever visited. I think that just the colors even appealed to me - all turquoise, white and gold, interspersed with bright flashes of color from saris and turbans. The Sikhs have a particular cobalt blue fabric that they use for some of the men's turbans. I'm not sure of the significance, but it's a beautiful color, especially when paired with bright-gold kurtas. I think my favorite moment of the trip was when we were waiting in line to go into the Golden Temple and the crowd began singing the hymns softly with the cantor inside the temple. Just gorgeous. The temple itself is very 'come one come all.' People are free to sit inside and listen to the music, view the holy book, read scripture, etc. We sat for a while, listening to the music, before heading out to receive our blessed sweet, which was similar to a dense, sweetened rice porridge. Despite the number of people and tourists, there is deep reverence here. Many people prostrated themselves as they arrived on the banks of the sacred pool, or reached down to touch the threshold before crossing into the temple. Out of respect, it is required that you go barefoot and cover your head in the temple complex. They have pools of clean water that you walk through to wash your feet, prior to entry. Very surreal - I quite frankly didn't think I'd go barefoot anywhere in India, but it all worked out ok.

After visiting the Temple and the very gory Sikh museum, we had Punjabi food for lunch. My mushroom tikka masala was fabulous! Our next objective was to attend the border-closing ceremony at the Pakistani-Indian border, known as the Wagah Border. Apparently, in an attempt to foster good relations between the two countries, a very elaborate ceremony has been devised for the opening and closing of the border each day. Because we were there on Indian Republic Day, the crowd was pretty fired up. The ceremony is like a cross between a step show, a pep rally, and a military parade. There is much goose-stepping and some of the best high-kicks I've seen outside of Radio City Music Hall. The Indian soldiers are clearly picked for their height - each of the border guards was well over 6' tall, and crowned with a high, fan-shaped red hat, to boot. Just by virtue of being female and foreign, Heather and I were christened "VIPs" and escorted to front-and-center seats at the rally. Oh, and did I mention our conveyance to get to this auspicious event? We paid Rs. 100 per person to be crammed into an SUV with 11 other people and ride for 30 minutes or so to Wagah. Very interesting.

Back in Amritsar, we had Kingfishers at a somewhat shady local bar called the "Bottoms Up" and then headed to a restaurant called The Green Zone in a brand, spanking new hotel called the Khyber Continental. Dinner was excellent, and the hotel was so nice that Heba, James and Tim decided to upgrade from their somewhat less auspicious accommodations downtown. It wasn't quite as quaint as the Ranjit Svaasa, but by all accounts very nice and clean - altogether a solid option if you're visiting Amritsar.

On Sunday, everyone had a lazy day and slept in. Heather had a massage at the Ranjit Svaasa that was, shall we say, interesting. I'll let you read her blog once she gets it posted. After everyone rallied, we headed to Jallianwala Bagh to view the memorial. It was such a nice day that everyone was lounging on the grass and enjoying the sunshine. There were little kids flying kites, which must be a regular pastime, as the trees were littered with colorful kites gone astray. More Punjabi food and I discovered fruit beer, which tastes a lot like Martinelli's, then it's jump in an autorickshaw and head back to the hotel to catch a cab to the airport. I rode in several autorickshaws this weekend. Little by little, our barriers are breaking down. The next step is bicycle rickshaws, and then maybe scooters. After seeing the myriad types of conveyances on Indian roads, the autorickshaws begin to look downright safe, if not reputable. I don't think I'd want to try it at Gurgaon speeds, but for a smaller town such as Amritsar, it was de rigeur. The glories of the Amritsar airport, I have already described above. The whole weekend was quite the experience, but so much fun and well worth it. If ever you are in India, you must visit Amritsar. Heather and I joked that James and Tim are our India traveling training wheels - both guys are very well traveled, as is Heba, and as much as it kills my feminist heart to say so, it's just damn nice to have dudes around when you're traveling in the hinterlands. By the time you all come to visit, we'll have completed the re-con and be ready to lead the charge ourselves.

That's probably more than enough from me. I'll post again soon about our Monday evening adventures at Beating Retreat. My Amritsar photos (ad nauseum) can be found here:

Amritsar - 1/25-1/27/08

Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb

2008-01-23T12:16:00.001+05:30

On Sunday, Heather and I repented for our shopping spree by doing some sightseeing in Delhi. Delhi is really a lovely city in many ways. There are long tree-lined streets and beautiful monuments and cultural sites right in the city proper. After working out at our very nice gym in Gurgaon, we set out to see two of the most notable sites, Qutub Minar, which is a mosque and minaret, and Humayun's Tomb.

At Qutub Minar, we were approached by a guide who offered to show us around the site for 200 Rupees (~$5). We decided this was a pretty good deal, and proceeded to have very enjoyable tour with A.G., who claimed to have been trained as an archaeologist. The complex consists of the minaret, a mosque and madrasah (Muslim school). The purpose for the minaret is much speculated upon. Our guide asserted that the tower was in fact used as a large sundial with 24 crenelated sides, each representing one of the 24 hours in a day. The monuments are an interesting mix of Muslim and Hindu artistry, being as it is a Muslim mosque, built by Hindu workers, and made from the pieces of Jain temples that had stood on the site previously. The carvings on the buildings are beautiful to look at, all done in red sandstone blocks and marble. There are bright green parrots nesting in the walls of the buildings, providing a startling contrast to the russet tones everywhere else. Apparently, Qutub Minar is the second most popular tourist destination for Indians, after the Taj Mahal, so there were lots of people walking the grounds and taking pictures. Still, it was quite peaceful, even with all of the hubbub; I would highly recommend going if you're ever in Delhi.

After our leisurely stroll through Qutub Minar, we set out for Humayun's tomb, which is also in Delhi. We must have serendipitously hit a lull in the crows, for the complex was not crowded when we arrived, nor throughout our visit. As we were leaving, however, four huge bus loads of Asian tourists rolled up, and the grounds were very quickly crowded. The buildings themselves are the attraction here, as well as the lovely gardens and waterways. Each structure is surprisingly empty. The characteristic red and white tomb, which you'll see in the pictures, is nearly empty inside, save three or four family sarcophagi. It seemed to me like a place that should have been lived in, or at least visited, for it is lovely. Heather and I were commenting that it would be nice to come back with a blanket and book, and read in the garden. Here again, there were chartreuse parrots swooping amongst the domes of the tomb and nesting in the walls. Waterways and a reflecting pool lead up to each of the main entrances, with delicate fountains casting droplets into the reflection of the sky - truly peaceful.

Sunday evening began setting in, and we were tuckered out. We headed to Connaught Place with the idea that we would do some shopping. However, the shops were mostly closed because of the day, so we just strolled around and eventually stopped in the N-block to have dinner at Banana Leaf, which offers South Indian food. We had to ask the waiter to define most of what was on the menu, but it was fun to try new things. We ordered dhosa, uthappam, and one other dish that I don't recall the name of, and topped it off with sweet-salt Lassi. Replete with fried goodness, we headed for home, only to get a guilt trip from our cook, Abdul, for delaying dinner with our flatmates - enter more snacks, just to compensate for our tardiness, of course.

All in all, a fun and fairly productive Sunday; definitely an enjoyable way to kick off our week. The roomies are planning a get-away for the weekend to Amritsar, which is the seat of the Sikh faith, so I should have many adventures to report shortly. Even with a concierge to help us in the office, just making reservations for Indian trains, hotels and flights is an adventure in and of itself. This weekend is Ms. Heather's birthday, so it's nice to have something to look forward to, for all of us. I am so lucky to have other ex-pats to spend time with, especially those who are so entertaining and such great conversationalists.

Humayun's Tomb

Qutub Minar

She Who Shops A Lot

2008-01-21T10:43:00.000+05:30

On Saturday, Heba, Heather and I had a lazy morning. Heba slept in and Heather and I bummed around in PJs, getting the apartment set up, etc. For breakfast, Abdul made us Masala omelets, which are like an egg crepe with onion, tomato and peppers baked into the egg. We also had toast, fruit and cardamom chai. The chai here so far seems to come in three varieties - Masala, cardamom, and ginger. All are good, though I might have a slight preference for the cardamom.

Well rested and fed, we headed for Delhi with our driver Dhananjay and a list of good shopping spots from the folks in the office. Our first stop was Dilli Haat, which is a handicraft market in Delhi with tons of stalls that were chock-a-block with shawls, stoles, kurtas, shoes, bedspreads and more. Bargaining here is expected and so, with Heba's help, I refreshed the skill set that I initially acquired in Mexico's mercados, with fairly good results. I am now the proud owner of a pashmina scarf, a wool stole, a silk and wool stole, and a huge wool shawl. The textiles here are so beautiful that it's hard not to get greedy. All of the above cost me less than $40, so I think we did alright on the bargaining. Heba and Heather also bought lovely shawls and Heather found a very nice, modern-looking kurta. There were a few moments of panic as we got ready to leave Dilli Haat because we couldn't find our driver. Three cell phones were working full time, all to no effect. Luckily, he had parked nearby and we were able to walk to and find the cab, complete with somnolent cabbie, and accompanied by much giggling from the parking attendant.

After Dilli Haat, we headed to Khan Market, which is sort of like a double-decker, double-wide strip mall in Delhi. We had a late lunch at Chonas, which was quite good. Despite the opportunity to have 'continental' food, we ended up going with Indian. Heather and I ordered the rather generically-labeled 'chicken masala roll,' but it ended up being really yummy - spicy chicken and vegetables, rolled in a large, thin naan bread, with a creamy chutney (possibly sour cream and cilantro) sauce for dipping. We topped it off with a strawberry milkshake (Heather), salty lemonade (Heba), and a mango smoothie (me). Refreshed after our snack, we were off to tackle the warren of Khan market. Probably my favorite spot was Fabindia, which is sort of like a large, Indian-influenced Crate and Barrel, that also sells traditional Indian clothes. I bought a medium-length kurta, which is usually worn over traditional pants, but in Google Gurgaon chic is most often seen with jeans and flats. I also bought some very nice Indian wrapping paper at the stationery store, to replace the newsprint that was used to line my closets at the apartment.

Once we'd made a few passes through Khan Market, we were tuckered out and ready for a cocktail. We headed for a restaurant that we thought was called 'Olive,' and ended up at 'Olive Beach,' which is attached to the Hotel Diplomat. Since the bar looked lovely, we decided to stay where we landed. We were ushered into a very tastefully decorated bar with whitewashed walls, turquoise accent pillows, crackled antique silver mirrors and silvery buckets of white gladiolas. I had a cocktail called a Passionata that was a mixture with basil and some sort of passionfruit with black seeds - similar to what in Mexico is called a maracuya। It was very tasty. We also had a foie gras appetizer and a mushroom and prosciutto pizza, which were fabulous. We headed home and watched a very little bit of one of my DVDs before all three of us were sacked out. Definitely a decadent day, even by US standards, but so much fun to hang out with the girls and enjoy a bit of the culture.

Hello, My Name is मेगन

2008-01-18T11:33:00.001+05:30

Thursday night we went into Delhi to run errands and have dinner. Our little posse includes me, Heather, and Heba from Mountain View, and James and Tim from Dublin. It has been great fun to spend some time with folks from other parts of the organization, and to have other people to hang out with. The traffic into Delhi is horrible during rush hour, so we had plenty of time to chat. Our cab driver deserves a medal for getting us there and back in one piece. But, it definitely makes for an interesting spectator sport!

We went to Connaught Place to get a camera for one of the housemates and then headed over to the Hotel InterContinental for dinner at Baluchi. The doormen at the Intercontinental were the most impressive I've seen - tall gentlemen with deep red, traditional suits, complete with turban, plume and topped off with very proud handlebar mustaches. Their "Welcome, Madame," resonates in booming tones over the lobby, with no indication that they're put off by our very casual, Western attire. It's probably gauche to go to the InterContinental in jeans and flats, but that's how we ex-pats roll ;).

Dinner was great। Baluchi is an Indian restaurant with nightly traditional music, consisting of a chanteuse accompanied by gentlemen with tom-toms and a sitar। While we have been eating very well at Google and at home, the food here was a step above. Indian food is often heavily spiced and sauced, but here you could still taste the vegetables and the flavors were very delicate. The Palak Paneer, which is spinach with Indian cheese curds, was bright green vs. the usual dark, combat green, and it tasted fantastic. We also had lovely chicken in tomato sauce and "baby lamb" (according to the menu). One does feel a bit brutish, eating baby lamb, but it was very good. James also introduced us to Kashmiri Naan, which is a buttery flat bread with pieces of dried apricots and other fruit on top - so good. We rolled home around midnight and headed straight for bed. Our cab driver stuck with us the whole time - makes for a very long day for him, but he seemed glad to do it. I suppose it's a good way to make some extra money.

Things at home are normalizing a bit. The housing coordinator very graciously provided an Indian hair dryer, so I was able to dry my hair this morning - woohoo! Heather has requested house plants (for both of us) and soft Kleenex (for me). I already asked for and got yogurt (best defense is a good offense, in sports and in fending off Delhi Belly). I fear I am becoming a horrible princess, but some of these small things make all the difference, especially when you're living in a very nice marble-floored echo chamber (I'll post pictures soon). I think my jet lag is pretty much over - I'm sleeping through the night on the new hours now, so hopefully we're moving on.

Today, I learned how to spell my name in Hindi (मेगान). We have a long way to go with the rest of the language, but it's a start for sure. We're hoping to get a Hindi instructor set up shortly, and possibly someone to teach yoga at our apartment as well.

This weekend, Heather, Heba and I are planning to explore Delhi and shop a bit. I managed to bring a ton of stuff and leave out some key things, so I'll try to fill in the gaps with local goods. The main thing is that it's still quite cool here in the evenings and I didn't bring a lot of sweaters, so I'm hoping to find a nice wool shawl - they have lovely ones here, so I'm sure that we'll find something.

The Indian Adventure Begins. . .

2008-01-15T21:15:00.000+05:30

My colleague, Heather, and I left San Francisco on Sunday evening around 9:50pm. We had an early dose of European flair from the lovely flight attendants of Lufthansa. A great sushi dinner at Ebisu in the airport + some generic Ambian (?) meant that my flight to Munich was quite pleasant. I slept 7 out of 10 hours of the flight!

We were in Munich just long enough to catch some Apfel Streudel (for me) and a beer (for Heather), before jumping on our flight to Delhi, also with Lufthansa. This time, the sleeping pills did not quite trick my body into sleeping the full flight, but still I caught a few winks (and a Bollywood flick) before we touched down. From the air, Delhi is already quite different from home. The horizon is as blue as an ocean, though I suppose it's from smog, and the earth is a rust red, quilted over with a patchwork of green fields, mirrored rivers, and the sharp points of smoke stacks.

Fortunate girls, we were met at the airport by a fellow ex-pat, and so were eased rather gently into the Gurgaon experience. Our guest house is Essel 201, and just across the hall in 202, we have four other colleagues in residence. For the six of us, there are six, live-in house staff, all men. We're already learning the intricacies of cross-cultural communication, but so far so good. After quick showers, a breakfast of cut fruit and chai, plus partial unpacking, we headed into Google's Gurgaon office, which is quite nice. We had lunch with a few of the managers that we will be working with and headed to 'NHO' (that's New Hire Orientation) to meet the other folks who are new to the office this week. Over the next few weeks, I'll get re-trained on ad approvals and emails, Gurgaon-style, all of which will be a good refresher.

The traffic in India is as eclectic as it has been billed to be. Our sightings for today alone include brahmas, a heard of donkeys, hogs, mopeds, buses, cars, rickshaws, auto rickshaws, and highway pedestrians. If you try to watch it all, you get serious sensory overload. This YouTube post gives you a taste of what Gurgaon is like:

We just had a great Indian dinner, made by our cook, Abdul. My vow to diet is going to be sorely challenged here, as fried bread, curries and all sorts of lovely gravies over rice seem to be the order of the day. And, the chai is wonderful. I am trying to get an initial post out, because there is so much that is new and different here, but I'm fading fast since I've essentially been up all night by West Coast standards.

As a parting shot, here are a few key learnings from my first day in Gurgaon:
1. When the menu says 'mutton', that might mean goat - even in the Google canteen.
2. Goat is yummy!
3. There are delicious fruit that I have never tasted. I had my first chickoo today.
4. Pointing out that there's no hot water is a sure-fire way to get a blow-by-blow explanation on how to operate a faucet.
5. Much like the Europeans, Indians don't seem to believe in large cups. Ergo, all coffee cups in the office are the size of an espresso shot.
6. Hairdryers use a whole lotta voltage.
7. My new haircut CAN air dry - who woulda thunk it?

Dreaming of Maui

2007-08-19T02:52:00.000+05:30

Maui is perhaps the best blend of beaches, nightlife and outdoor fun that you can find in the Hawaiian islands. Guaranteed to be relaxing and sun-soaked, a vacation in Maui is the perfect cure for the woes of the working world. If you have a choice, go in the shoulder seasons of Fall and Spring. Winter can be great as well, as there are fantastic opportunities to see Humpback Whales in the channel between Maui, Lanai and Molokai.

Maui Must-Sees/Do's/Eats:

Snorkeling: The snorkeling company that I like the best is Trilogy (www.sailtrilogy.com). They do a variety of trips. I've been on the one to Molokini and Turtle Town two or three times and the Lanai trip once. They leave from the harbor near the isthmus of the island or from Kaanapali beach. I think the options are better leaving from the harbor, but it depends on where you're staying and how much the convenience of leaving from Kaanapali matters, since most trips leave at 6 or 7 am. I've also been on trips with other operators (Pride of Maui). All were good, but I feel like Trilogy is more of a botique experience. They run slightly smaller trips. They really do greet you with homemade cinnamon rolls (supposedly Mom's receipe). Their boats are generally large catamarans, so you usually get to sail in at least one direction, which is fantastic. And, they make pretty darn good BBQ off of the back of a boat. If you like to snorkel, the Molokini/Turtle Town trip is probably the most time in the water. If you wouldn't go to Lanai otherwise and you don't care as much about time in the water, the Lanai trip includes snorkeling and a van tour of Lanai. The snorkeling we did on that trip was on a pinnacle reef, so you had to swim across some deep water from the boat to the reef. That gives me the willies a little bit, but you're totally safe the whole time. They keep a lifeguard in the water at all times. During the trip from Maui to Lanai a whole school of dolphins came up around the boat and we were able to go out on the nets of the catamaran to see them. They will come up to the surface if you whistle - way, way cool.
Makawao: An original Hawaiian cowboy (paniolo) town, Makawao is great for a lunch stop and shopping around. They have cute boutiques, a good coffee shop, and a glass-blowing shop (Hot Island Glass, www.hotislandglass.com) that makes fabulous glass fish and jellyfish. There's also a gallery in town that makes Koa wood frames that are pretty affordably (David Warren Gallery?), so if you get any prints in standard sizes or plan to frame any of your Maui photos, I would pick up a couple of their frames. Koa is super precious and hard to find outside of the islands - very lustrous golden wood.
Hali'imaile General Store: Probably my favorite restaurant on the island, or at least in the top 3. They make a fabulous crab cake benedict, but everything is fantastic. Do not miss. You can hit it on the way to Makawao, as it's between the Haleakala Hwy and Makawao, or on your way up or down Haleakala. http://www.bevgannonrestaurants.com/haliimaile/haliimaile.html
Haleakala: You can do all sorts of crazy bike trips down the volcano, and the big to-do is to get up there for sunrise. It's worth going, but it may not be worth getting up that early and/or biking down the crater. The visitor's center is interesting, so I would recommend going, but you'll have to decide if you want to get up early enough for sunrise. Also, it really is cold up there, even at midday, so be sure to take layers.
Paia: Paia is a little hippie town on the way to Hana. I like going there to shop around and hang out. It's actually one of my favorite places on Maui, partly because it's less glitzy and uber-touristy. The country road between Makawao and Paia is beautiful. If I had a billion dollars, I'd own a house on that road, looking down over Paia to the ocean.
Mama's Fish House: At the edge of Paia as you head toward Hana, Mama's is a great place for a nice dinner and sunset cocktails. They have their own beach and the food is great. One of my top 2 favorite Maui restaurants
Charley's: Charley's is a fantastic breakfast spot on the edge of Paia's downtown strip as you head out to Hana. They also have dinner, drinks and frequently, a live band. I believe that Willie Nelson is a part owner of the bar and sometimes comes in for jam sessions, but I couldn't confirm that online. This is definitely worth a stop if you're in Paia. It's very casual and the food is great. 142 Hana Hwy, Paia, HI 96779. (808) 579-9453. http://www.charleyspaia.com/
Saeng's Thai Food: My favorite Thai place, probably ever. Fantastic green curry and fried bananas with coconut ice cream for dessert. 2119 West Vineyard, Wailuku.
Old Lahaina Luau: This is my favorite luau. It may be a little bit expensive, but it's better than any of the hotel luaus that I've been to and I think it's well worth it. The luau is presented more like an ethnic dance performance, vs. just touristy kitsch. If you go to one Hawaiian cultural event, thish should probably be it.
Kimo's: A great place for sunset drinks and dinner. Their deck hangs out over the water in Lahania. They make my favorite pina colada, worldwide, and they have a great version of mud pie.
The Plantation House: This is a more formal dinner option, but lovely. It would be great for a special occasion meal. Located above the Kapalua golf course, they have a great view. I had a filet wrapped in bacon with bernaise sauce there a few years ago that was seriously the best I've ever had. www.theplantationhouse.com
Lahaina Art Night: On Friday nights, all of the galleries in Lahaina host an Art Night and open house. It can be crowded in the summer months, but it's still fun to wander through all of the galleries and just be out and about in town.
Hula Grill: Located along Kaanapali beach, my favorite part of the Hula Grill is their barefoot bar. The outside tables are set in sand, so it's a great place to bury your toes and settle in with some lunch and a cool, fruity beverage. www.hulagrill.com
Lappert's Ice Cream: Best coconut ice cream ever! There are also lots of additional local flavors, I just happen to be partial to coconut. There are several locations in Lahaina and Kihei.
Hike Maui: If you want to have a more outdoorsy component of your vacation, Hike Maui does a really good job. We went on an all-day hike with one of their naturalists and had a great time. I recommend the one that goes along a stream and ends at a waterfall where you can swim. The guide even had us use awapuhi flowers for natural shampoo and we got to see ancient taro patches that were built into the banks of the stream.
Hana: The road to Hana is very famous for its twists and turns. Though it's touristy, it's worth doing. You may want to consider staggering your start time to avoid being stuck in a long line of cars. You can get an audio guide at one of the last gas station in town before you leave Wailuku - there's a stand in the parking lot. It's a little cheesy, but you get a lot more information that way, so I'd recommend it. Once you get to Hana, there's a nice black sand beach and park where you can go swimming and have a picnic. If you're feeling adventurous, Charles Lindbergh's grave is about 8 miles beyond Hana. The road is even more twisty, but it's a quiet spot - sort of feels like you're at the end of the world. http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/sites/charles_lindberghs_grave.html. I haven't been myself, but I've heard that the Seven Sacred Pools are a great spot for swimming, so if you go all the way to Hana, you may want to check it out. http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/sites/seven_sacred_pools.html
Napili Bay Beach: Napili can get crowded sometimes because it's a very safe beach for kids, but it's a fun place to sunbathe and loll around for the afternoon. On my last trip to Maui, Shannon and I took fins and snorkel gear to Napili and had an AMAZING time snorkeling - who knew so many fish were lurking around my toes? This is now my favorite beach on Maui. http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/beaches/NapiliBayBeach.htm
Ho'okipa Beach Park: Ho'okipa Beach Park is just outside of Paia on the Hana Highway. It is definitely more of a locals hangout, so you should be respectful of that if you go. Most notable are the numerous windsurfers that dot the waves in the afternoon when the surf and wind are high. There aren't many swimming spots, but if you want to bask in the sun and watch the windsurfers, Ho'okipa is entertaining and accessible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho'okipa

Souvenirs:

Wal-Mart: Believe it or not, Wal-Mart is a great place for souvenirs in Hawaii. Check the t-shirts in the men's department ($5-$10) and the souvenir section, which has tons of Island Hertiage products. The food section also usually has great prices on macadamia nuts, candy and coffee. 101 Pakaula St, Kahului, HI 96732, (808) 871-7820.
Costco: Costco can also be a good souvenir shop, if you have a membership. They carry Kona coffee in bulk, Hawaiian seat covers for your car, and a variety of Hawaiian foods and candy. 540 Haleakala Hwy, Kahului, HI 96732, (808) 871-8693.
ABC Stores: Scattered throughout Kaanapali and Lahaina, these variety stores are good for cheap souvenirs, postcards, beach snacks and supplies.

Ok, that's probably more than enough. Check out the map.

Meanderings in Barcelona

2007-07-23T12:32:00.000+05:30

Barcelona made me realize that there is a universal poetry to seaside towns. The same crisp breeze, great seafood, and boardwalk charm that mean home to me in California, abound in Barcelona. To be half a world away and find yourself right at home is beguiling, and that makes Barcelona an idyllic vacation spot.

A map with all of the sites mentioned in this post can be found here.

Must-Sees

Fundació Joan Miró: I am not necessarily a Miró fan under normal circumstances, but you can’t help but be beguiled by huge splashes of playful colors in the airy space of this modern museum. The audio tour is great and well worth the additional fee, as it adds a lot to the museum experience.

Parc Guell: Gaudi’s whimsical park shouldn’t be missed. We were there on a sunny and mild February day. Locals and tourists alike were sunning themselves on the mosaic benches that make this spot famous. You can grab snacks and sandwiches on the sandy plaza and browse through iridescent tile arcades. Just lovely. Don’t forget to check out Casa Gaudi while you’re at the Parc.

Casa Batllo: Perhaps the lesser known of the Gaudí properties, Casa Batllo was one of my favorite sites in Barcelona. You can really see how innovative and ingenious Gaudí’s approach to making space livable was. The house tour and audio guide are great – this is a must as far as I’m concerned.

La Sagrada Familia: Gaudí’s famous unfinished symphony is just that – unfinished. The stained glass and bones of the structure are beautiful, but it is still most-definitely incomplete. You can go up into the spires of the church, but we were not patient enough to wait in a line that was over an hour long in the middle of February. Well worth seeing, but the lean and mean version may be enough.

La Rambla: Busy into the wee hours of the night, La Rambla is a stroller’s paradise. During the day, there are street performers, artists, stalls full of flowers, newstands and a whole block full of pet stores to tempt the passerby. In the evening, it’s a great place to grab a bite to eat or a cup of coffee. It does tend to get a little rowdy. We stayed right on La Rambla, which was great in February, but might have been a bit crowded and loud in peak season.

La Boqueria: Every kind of meat, produce, spice or sweet under the Spanish sun can be found in La Boqueria. When we were there, each stall was decorated for Lent, so the market was full of pirates, hula girls, and even Smurfs! We took home smoked paprika, chocolates, and ham made from pigs fed only on acorns. Muy sabroso!

Museu Picasso: The lines were long and the collection lovely. It’s definitely worth going, but be prepared to be patient to get in.

Catalan National Museum: Located in Montjuic, the Palau Nacional is worth seeing just for the architecture and the view of the city. The collections are heavy on medieval religious art, but are quite beautiful.

Tarantos: If you want to get a taste of Flamenco while you’re in Barcelona, Tarantos is a great place to do it. There are three shows a night, but if you pay for the first or second show, you’re allowed to stay through to the end. The entrance fee is reasonable to begin with (~6 Euro), but at 3 for 1, it’s an outstanding deal. We sipped cocktails and enjoyed a fabulous performance. In the last show of the evening, family and friends of the troupe joined them on stage for an informal dance-off – fantastic!

Too Yummy to Miss

Caelum: This was one of my favorite places in Barcelona; we actually went for a late afternoon snack on two separate occasions because it was so good the first time. The café sells sweets, teas, and aperitifs all made by Spanish nuns. The staff was very nice and the ambiance can’t be beat. The upstairs is a warmly lit café, filled with tables for two, while the downstairs cellar is filled with cozy, candlelit nooks. You can make your selections from sideboards loaded with sweets of every type. I liked the ‘yemas,’ mazapanes, and rompope. c/de la Palla 8, Barri Gotic

Maoz: The best falafel ever! Warm pita bread with fresh falafel that you can stuff with every kind of pickle, curried garbanzos, and fresh vegetables, and then top it off using the squirt bottles of tahini sauce and yogurt. For about 3.5 Euros, you get a great meal. My only caution is that one a day is probably enough. There is a branch on La Rambla, as well as on C de Ferran.

Can Majo: We had a fabulous lunch at Can Majo in Barceloneta. The restaurant was full of business people and families enjoying a leisurely meal of seafood over sparkling bottles of cava. Famous for Barcelona's noodle-based version of paella, fideúa, Can Majo provided one of our best meals in Barcelona. c/Almirall Aixada 23, La Barceloneta.

La Crema Canela: In a pedestrian walkway at the top of Plaça Reial, La Crema Canela is a lovely, warmly lit restaurant. We had a great and affordable dinner there. I ordered a steak with mixed greens and shaved pecorino or manchego on top – fabulous! Just be cautious about watching your belongings if you sit at the outside tables. Although Plaça Reial is very safe for the most part, there are a few folks looking for handouts. An inside table would completely negate the need to worry, and either way, we were fine and the meal was well worth it.

Vildsvin: We wandered in ‘off the guidebook’ and had late-night tapas at Vildsvin. Chic but comfortable, with rows of cozy tables, it’s easy to have a light bite or a full meal. The cava and oysters were fabulous and the service was good. I would definitely go back

Cappucino!: This is a chain of small coffee shops throughout Barcelona. There was one across the street from our hotel, which happy discovery was made even better when we realized that a) they’re open until 2am and b) they’ll make you a cappuccino with Bailey’s in a to-go cup – fights jet lag and ensures sweet dreams.

Sonoma Is Calling

2006-09-28T01:10:00.001+05:30

For all of Napa’s fame and much-feted wines, it can’t compel me the way that Sonoma does. Casual, welcoming, and much less pretentious, Sonoma welcomes you with great, affordable wines, beautiful scenery, friendly people, and fabulous food.

Russian River Wineries:

Belvedere – Belvedere is one of the best picnic spots in all of wine country. A small winery, they’ve invested time and care into a lovely deck and native plants garden. There’s several picnic areas clustered around the tasting room, with fountains and an aqueduct wending its way through the grounds. Belvedere also offers live Jazz on some Saturdays during the summer. Their wines are good; I especially like the Riesling, and you can buy chilled bottles to enjoy with your picnic. http://www.belvederewinery.com/
Korbel – I love the champagne, so this is a big hit. Tasting is free, but technically limited to four tastes. They have really nice grounds and a tour that I haven't had time to take before. They carry a much wider variety of Korbel champagnes than you can usually find in the store. My favorite is Korbel Sec, which is their last dinner champagne before you get to a dessert champagne. They also have a deck where you can eat and a nice deli. It's very pretty and worth the drive. http://www.korbel.com/
Hop Kiln - Free tasting. Very casual setting in an old barn, with a picnic area outside with a duck pond. They offer chocolate to taste with their port and have several good reds and whites. Their ‘Thousand Flowers’ is especially tasty. Hop Kiln is always a fun place to stop. http://www.hopkilnwinery.com/
Rabbit Ridge - on the road between Hop Kiln and Healdsburg, this winery specializes in reds and does a very good job. One of the best things is that they have great case specials on a regular basis, which make their low-to-mid-range reds very doable for everyday family wine that can also double as a bottle you would take to a party. I like the Dolcetto and Nebbiolo especially, but their other reds are good too. http://www.rabbitridgewinery.com/healdsburg.html

Sonoma & Healdsburg Wineries

Ledson - This winery is in a fabulous noveau-Gothic home with very nice grounds. They have a picnic area and a good deli. They have a good selection of wines; we enjoyed all of the varieties that we bought. The staff is very courteous and the $5 tasting fee goes toward any bottle that you buy. http://www.ledson.com/
La Crema – Located in downtown Healdsburg, La Crema is a little more formal tasting environment. However, the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable and the wines are excellent. The chardonnay is good and not your run-of-the-mill oaky, CA variety. I really liked (and bought) the Los Carneros Pinot Noir. The day we were there, they had hosted a wine club event and there were fabulous cheeses set out to enjoy with your tasting, as well as a sample of the pinot grapes. http://www.lacrema.com
Ravenswood – Just northeast of the town of Sonoma, Ravenswood has a nice, fairly large tasting room and a patio overlooking their vineyards. The wines were good and affordable, and the staff was friendly even though we were tasting in the last half hour they were open. My one complaint is that they were busy and service was a little slow, but hey, the tasting is free, so we can’t complain. http://www.ravenswood-wine.com

Places to eat:

Dry Creek Kitchen - In Healdsburg, this restaurant is wonderful. It's a little posh, but they specialize in local ingredients. There are lots of nice touches, like soup between courses and petit fours with your check. If you go early, you can go pretty casual. http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com/home.php
El Dorado Kitchen – Located on the corner of Sonoma’s town square in the El Dorado Hotel, EDK is a casually elegant dining experience. I had a lobster risotto that was fabulous, desserts were excellent, and they had very interesting and tasty cocktails. I highly recommend it. http://www.eldoradosonoma.com/kitchen.htm
The Girl and the Fig – Just opposite EDK in downtown Sonoma, The Girl and the Fig is warm and inviting. The service is friendly and casual, and the menu has great dishes made with local ingredients. Portions were large and everything was very good. They have a nice bar area and cozy patio seating in the back. http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/html-sonoma/index.html
Cafe de la Haye -- It's a small place just off of Sonoma’s town square and is associated with a gallery. They do a great and very affordable brunch. http://www.sterba.com/sonoma/lahaye/
On the way back to the Bay Area, there are several restaurants that I like:

Guaymas – Located on the waterfront in Tiburon, Guaymas has one of the best views of the San Francisco skyline. Their food is upscale Mexican and very good. I love the Camarones Rellenos, tamales and grilled seafood. You can also ride the ferry directly between Guaymas and San Francisco. http://www.guaymas.com/
Poggio – Nice California - Italian on the main street in Sausaltio. Lovely, spacious dining room and very tasty food. http://www.poggiotrattoria.com/
Margaritaville – Mexican food right on the marina in Sausalito. Casual, but pretty good. And, they have deck seating if the weather is nice.

Spoil Me

The Sonoma Mission Inn is a place I could run away from home to. Located in the town of Sonoma and tucked away behind some rather unassuming buildings, the Mission Inn offers one of the best spa retreats I’ve experienced. Staff members are welcoming and friendly, rooms are large and spacious, and the grounds are gorgeous. We were greeted with Gloria Ferrer champagne; there’s evening wine and cheese tasting, as well as an outdoor wood fire for all guests to enjoy. The spa is set up so that you can enjoy most of your experience with your entire party, or enjoy your treatment in solitude. http://www.fairmont.com/sonoma

In Another Life, I lived in Napa

2006-09-09T05:00:00.001+05:30

Whether it's golden mustard fields in February, the heat of midsummer, or the harvest's first crush, there are few places in California as beautiful as Napa. The food is as wonderful as the celebrated wines, and the valley itself is lovely enough to put you into a daydreaming mood. There are many, many places to try -- the suggestions below are simply a few personal favorites. Enjoy!

West Side Wineries:

V. Sattui - this winery is near Rutherford on the west side of the valley. Their tastings are free and they have a good deli and picnic area. Their wines are not the most elegant, but there are many that I like and they're generous with their tastings. I especially like their dessert wines and Rieslings. http://www.vsattui.com/
Niebaum-Coppala - This is Francis Ford Coppola's winery and was formerly the Inglenook winery, I believe. They charge for their tastings, but you get to keep the glass, which is etched with their crest. The grounds are nice and they have some fun memorabilia from Coppola's movies. I also really like their stone-ground mustards in the gift shop. http://www.niebaum-coppola.com/site.php
Peju-Province - This winery is just north of Yountville on the west side. They have a really good French Columbard called "Carnival" that my whole family likes. Depending upon how busy they are, they do a pretty good job with their tastings and will sometimes give you chocolate with the reds or allow you to see the barrel room. I think that tastings are $5. Also important to note - Peju is one of the few wineries that offers tastings until 6pm daily. http://www.peju.com/

East Side (Stag's Leap) Wineries

Rombauer - this is on the northeast side of the Napa Valley. Their tastings are free and they have fabulous Chardonnay and several excellent Zins. I reallly like their wine - it would be worth it to pay for the tasting, but you don't have to. It's also run by the family who wrote Joy of Cooking. Their materials say that you have to make an appointment; you can easily call and do so, but I've also never had any problem just showing up on a weekend to taste. They don't check for reservations. http://www.rombauervineyards.com/
Duckhorn - Tastings are a little pricey at $10 for three wines, or $15 for five. However, the pours are more like a wine flight than a tasting, and they're served in a very nice setting -- seated tables with gourmet crackers, high ceilings, and a view over the vineyard. The winery is housed in a restored farmhouse and is more like visiting a lovely private home. Duckhorn is most famous for its Merlot, which was served at the Clinton White House, but all of the wines we tasted were good. In addition, Duckhorn generally pours wines that are $50/bottle and up, making the tasting fees even more reasonable. http://www.duckhornvineyards.com/
Mumm - Mumm is a little more on the commercial side, but still a fun place to taste. Their champagne is very drinkable and affordable, and you can taste uncommon varieties at the winery that aren't readily available in grocery stores. I particulary liked the Cuvee M Red. They have a lovely patio area with seated tasting tables and a nice view out over the valley. Hourly tours are also available, should the mood strike you. http://mummnapa.com/

Places to eat:

Mustards - on the Bay Area top 100 list year after year, but casual enough that you can go in jeans for lunch or dinner. They have the best lemon-lime pie that I have ever tasted and I have never had a bad meal here. It's eclectic California cuisine with fresh, local ingredients. Very yummy and probably my most consistent favorite in Napa.
Rutherford Grill - Right near the turn-off for Niebaum, this is a leather-booth and woodsmoke kind of place that specializes in good steaks and BBQ, but like most good Bay Area restaurants does a good job with fish and salads, etc. Good for lunch or casual but very good dinner. They also have patio seating.
The California Culinary Academy - I have only eaten here once, but I had one of the best pasta dishes ever - silk handkerchief pasta with wild mushrooms - yum! Also they make fabulous Bellini's with real peach puree. They have a tasting menu prepared by the students. The menu is not very big and portions are modest but the food is always interesting and the setting is really nice. CIA also has a fun gift shop for cooking junkies.
Tra Vigne – Courtyard seating and lovely Italian meals made with local ingredients are the hallmarks of Tra Vigne. The proximity to downtown St. Helena is also nice for whiling away an afternoon or summer evening.
Pino Blanc – Pricey, but elegant French bistro fair is offered here. The inside is lovely, though they don’t make use of Napa’s lovely outdoor setting and views. The meal we had here was good, but somewhat expensive. I would go to the other restaurants on this list first.

Places to shop:

Napa Premium Outlets – Exit at First Street in Napa. Highlights are Coach, Nine West, BCBG, Max Studio, Kenneth Cole, Ann Taylor and Barney’s (which is unique in Northern CA). www.premiumoutlets.com/napa/
Downtown St. Helena – There are quite a few nice boutiques in downtown St. Helena. It’s a great place to stop and putter for a while or have a quick bite to eat.

Winery Maps: http://www.napavintners.com

Ode to Dim Sum

2006-09-02T03:44:00.000+05:30

Oh little dumplings, soft and round
Custard, taro or char siu bao

Steaming gently in carts, on plates

Eagerly the table waits

Crispy, salty, suddenly sweet

Always, always too much to eat

Foreign scents, exotic sights

Rouse my tastebuds to ecstatic heights

Oh my, shu mai

Good grief, gin doi

What restraint I must employ

For sooner or later, I anticipate

They'll have to tally what I ate

Favorite Bay Area Dim Sum Restaurants:

Restaurant Peony, 388 9th St # 288, Oakland, (510) 286-8866
Koi Palace, Serramonte Plaza, Daly City, www.koipalace.com
Ton Kiang, 5821 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, www.tonkiang.net
Mayflower Seafood Restaurant, 6255 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, (415) 387-8338
Tin’s Tea House, 1829 Mount Diablo Blvd, Walnut Creek, CA, (925) 287-8288

The Low-Down On Paris

2006-09-01T23:54:00.000+05:30

(notes from a trip in 2003)

Transportation: I definitely recommend the Paris Metro and RER trains. You can get daily or multi-day passes (Paris Visite) that are unlimited rides. The Metro is by-and-large safe, easy to use, and fast, and the network covers the whole city, the airports and Versailles.

"Must-See's":

· The Louvre -- do NOT miss the hallway leading up to the Mona Lisa itself. It is primarily religious art, but the colors are beautiful; that whole floor of the Louvre was my favorite -- it includes Winged Victory and several Botticellis. Expect to spend most of a day in the Louvre; I would go early in your trip, before you're tired of museums.

--> The Louvre has a couple of cafes on the balcony of the second or third floor. We ate outside at the one that's more of a restaurant; it would be on the left as you face the front of the Louvre. Lunch was good and the view is great; it would be a fun place even for a snack.

· The Musee d' Orsay: This museum has all of the Impressionist works in it, among other things. It is fabulous; I have pictures with me and my favorite Van Goghs, Renoirs and Monets - amazing. I would allow 3-4 hours at least.

· Tour Eiffel: We went to see the Eiffel Tower at night, ~9-11pm, and that was a great time to go. We got to see the sun set over Paris, and it was less crowded than during the day. It is breezy, but the day we were there it had been hot, so it was nice at night.

· Versailles: This is a day-trip. The train ride is ~45 minutes from Paris. There are 2 main tours of the palace, the King and Dauphin's Apartments, and the Queen's Apartments. When you get there, get in the shortest line and see that one first. Once you've purchased your ticket and seen the first exhibit, you can skip to the front of the line and go in a separate entrance for the second exhibit; it saves a lot of time. There are also vast gardens with the palace. We didn't have time to go, but they are supposed to be lovely. There is a tram that you can take to the main buildings in the garden.

· Notre Dame: This doesn't take long, but it is a beautiful cathedral. We did it on our first day, while we were still energetic, so we climbed all the way up the bell towers to the top. If you're up to it, the view is lovely and you get to see the bell and the gargoyles up close.

--> After you're done at Notre Dame, you can cross from Ille de la Cite to the Ille de St. Louis. Right where the bridge hits and to the right, there is a cafe that supposedly serves the best ice cream in Paris (Berthillion is the brand, I think). We ate there and it was yummy! I had Honey Nougat, I think, and it was wonderful.

· There are some "quaint" neighborhoods in Paris that you shouldn't miss as well; I liked them the best.

o Monmartre: (Made famous by the Moulin Rouge) The church at the top of the hill here is Sacre Coeur, which is beautiful. While we were there, the Nuns were singing; very lovely. As you face the church, to the left and around the corner, there is a square called "Place du Terte". It was one of my favorite spots in Paris. It is a good place to go to have an early dinner and people-watch. Also, there is a large number of street-artists, with water colors, etc. for sale. It is a bit touristy, but in the nicest way. The artists tend to leave around 5-6 pm; it may be later in the Summer. I would recommend La Mere Catherine as a restaurant; I liked their French Onion soup and Goat Cheese salad - desserts were also good.

o Le Marais (pronounced Ma-Ray): Originally the Jewish neighborhood, I thought this area had the best and most-unique shopping, along Rue de Rosiers and the surrounding streets is the best. There is a beautiful square called "Place des Vosges" that has art galleries, restaurants and the Victor Hugo museum. It is worth it to spend an afternoon wandering here and then go to dinner; do not miss it.

--> If you like tea AT ALL, or if you just like the food that goes with tea, do NOT miss Mariage Freres, #30 Rue de Bourg. I had sampled their tea in the States, but it is difficult to find. The experience of going to their tea shop was a lot of fun. I highly recommend their Croque Monsieur (fancy French-style cheese sandwich, but theirs has smoked salmon!), scones, and their Apricot tart. Their teas are wonderful; my favorite is called Pleine Lune, but they have hundreds of types. It is the oldest tea company in France. The tea house is open from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm daily.

o The Latin Quarter and Saint Germain are also worth visiting, but we spent less time there, so I do not have as many ideas for you.