OK so you think that I am bragging. Well after you vies the following pictures, see if you agree and we can now say that we stayed there. Now I don’t know if they have ever stayed at my house or yours, but Travel and Leisure magazine did a survey and The Oberoi Rajvilas, Japur got the most positive nods! Take a look at these photos and turn green. This was the views of our doorway when we registered. We had a gigantic bedroom with a bathroom that was dream like.
Above is our view in the morning from the front porch and below is our pathway from our front door to the rest of the facility
The property housed an active 260 year old temple to the Hindu god Shiva with its own holy man who chanted after the sun went down and kindly gave the red dot or bindi to all willing to accept. We got ours as well as some “sacred” string wrapped around our wrists, in FSU COLORS
The restaurant was absolutly delightful. We ate on a patio surrounded with gas torches and in which Indian musicians are playing traditional Indian instruments. Our servers were all dressed in magnificant saris and all men worn turbans. The food was filled with tastes pretty unfamilar to western tastes but wonderful.
Swimming pool vs. our bath – tough choice Huh?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Elephanta Island for real this time
Ok, this is about our last full day in Mumbai (Well right now as I am writing, we are in Jaipur - actually Nepal – it was Monday in Jaipur and we ran into e-mailing difficulties. Just to get my head on straight- we flew from Miami on Tuesday afternoon took two flights to the other side of the world and stayed in a wonderful hotel. Perhaps the best one in Mumbai! The same hotel in which President Obama and his entourage will stay when he visits India at the end of October / beginning of November – the COPY-CAT!. Check it out on the internet – The Taj Majal in Mumbai.WOW!!!
Since that first night on which we being so tired, we slept until 1:30 in the afternoon of the following day – THURSDAY! Yeah, that’s what I asked too – where did Wednesday go? - The whole explanation seemed like that old bit by Abbott and Costello - “Who’s on First!” but any how, we first toured Mumbai with the young guides on day #1. Then FRIDAY we went with an adult Indian women to Elephanta Island by boat. It is a tourist site, about 7 to 8 miles from the harbor of Mumbai. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage site. By the way if any one expect me to write about elephants, hold on - since you are wrong! The island has caves filled with massive Hindu religious statutory similar in general design to a natural material bas-relief appearance in that they were hacked out of the natural stone some twelve to fourteen hundred years ago.
Well back to the actual tourist visit +/- 60 minute boat ride on a vessel which didn’t meet any USCG standards except testing how many people could het on board. Once at the island (and after I put my rosaries away) we had to climb up stairway that was not too stable, up to a dock, buy some tickets for a railroad system whose cars were possibly 4 X HO gauge and into which six to eight people were expected to comfortably to sit even if built to seat four! That 5-10 minute ride took us to the base of another Indian means of transportation - climbing up a never ending flight of landings and stairs. Now not being a complainer but climbing up some 125+ steps + landings, really challenged my “No Complaint Mantra Policy.” But there always, well maybe not always, a silver lining! The stairs were bordered on both sides by tables, filled with creative but absolutely un-necessary items to force we,tourist, to remember these challenging stairs or to pick up and get latch on to these items for some unexplainable reason or as I did - to “leaned upon” the tables while climbing up the stairs and raised platforms, I finally and if I say so myself – surprisingly- I made it to the top. The natural rock has been chiseled away and great rooms have been created with columns and statues, which like Michelangelo said, buried in the rock waiting to come out through the hand of the artisan. I will try to attach some pictures which I find to be representative of this wonderful site. Wish me luck!
Since that first night on which we being so tired, we slept until 1:30 in the afternoon of the following day – THURSDAY! Yeah, that’s what I asked too – where did Wednesday go? - The whole explanation seemed like that old bit by Abbott and Costello - “Who’s on First!” but any how, we first toured Mumbai with the young guides on day #1. Then FRIDAY we went with an adult Indian women to Elephanta Island by boat. It is a tourist site, about 7 to 8 miles from the harbor of Mumbai. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage site. By the way if any one expect me to write about elephants, hold on - since you are wrong! The island has caves filled with massive Hindu religious statutory similar in general design to a natural material bas-relief appearance in that they were hacked out of the natural stone some twelve to fourteen hundred years ago.
Well back to the actual tourist visit +/- 60 minute boat ride on a vessel which didn’t meet any USCG standards except testing how many people could het on board. Once at the island (and after I put my rosaries away) we had to climb up stairway that was not too stable, up to a dock, buy some tickets for a railroad system whose cars were possibly 4 X HO gauge and into which six to eight people were expected to comfortably to sit even if built to seat four! That 5-10 minute ride took us to the base of another Indian means of transportation - climbing up a never ending flight of landings and stairs. Now not being a complainer but climbing up some 125+ steps + landings, really challenged my “No Complaint Mantra Policy.” But there always, well maybe not always, a silver lining! The stairs were bordered on both sides by tables, filled with creative but absolutely un-necessary items to force we,tourist, to remember these challenging stairs or to pick up and get latch on to these items for some unexplainable reason or as I did - to “leaned upon” the tables while climbing up the stairs and raised platforms, I finally and if I say so myself – surprisingly- I made it to the top. The natural rock has been chiseled away and great rooms have been created with columns and statues, which like Michelangelo said, buried in the rock waiting to come out through the hand of the artisan. I will try to attach some pictures which I find to be representative of this wonderful site. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Jaipur Second City For Us
By now I hope you realize that I kind of falling for India. It’s OK, so is Lynn! It is not a perfect romance. The fact that lovers are human and not perfect is part of my problem. We just feel more fulfilled or believe that we are than we are as individuals. We are emotionally and physically accepted, we assume that we are better for it or at least feel better.
Both India and I have our foibles. Mine, you already know and I am not confessing to you about any more. India has population, limited employment and therefore poverty and distracting willing to show enhancing colors. Like most levels of appreciated culture, they are not typical, they are unusual. People, who question their worth may seek other camaflagued and seem to want or need to escape from who or what they feel they really are, to a decorated and distracted self. In the States it may be cars, clothes and music, not to mention colognes, designer names on clothing, tummy-tucks, hair transplants, breast enhancement and tattoos. `In India, from a guy who hasn’t yet spent 100 awake hours here yet, it seems that there is an demonstrated cultural intensity, There is “blandness” to look over, around or through the need, be it of the street beggars, the crowds on the streets, in the trains, or the traffic-India had assumed some things as we do when we assume the summer heat, mosquitos and sun burns. They are, have been and will always be, so be it. But as we distract ourselves and others with bathing suits, beach towels and #999 quality sun block, Indian chooses their distractors of intense colorful cotton saris and spicy foods which we might call hot or gaudy– but we’re wrong. Theirs are enriching colors and their food, spice and all are enhancing.It make food a event. Indian convert live from what it may be to what they want it to be, as best they can manage their reality
Take Jaipur, our second city. We flew from Mumbai for about an hour with half of the plane filled with French tourist. That kind of an experience will make you a little less proud of your European roots. Surprisingly, the phrase , “Please keep you seats” does translate well into French. Well Jaipur is called the pink city. Why, because some one more important that me but who I can’t remember thought that PINK was the color everything should be.
By the way, Lynn is the one without the turban. The fellow was our driver and behind them is the city gate. Jaipor was a wild and busy city. Although, it was Sunday after noon Jaipor was hopping. By the way this is the driver who drove to mass at St. Francis. By the way when we drove into the parking lot of St. Francis, the priest was in the parking lot greeting folks Of course even with my newly gained Indian tan, I must have stood out as “whitey”, and the priest came over to me and somewhat apologetically said that the mass was going to be said in the local language of Hindi. Hey if he knew how I have struggled back home understanding, he may not have apologized. Interestingly it was Mission Sunday and I thought how often back home we have thought of these people as the “missions” and yet here they (we) were contributing in the one collection for the missions. – The other missions!
We went shopping later in the after noon and Lynn and I really try to haggle – no we were not to effective but that did not stop us from trying and buying!
Both India and I have our foibles. Mine, you already know and I am not confessing to you about any more. India has population, limited employment and therefore poverty and distracting willing to show enhancing colors. Like most levels of appreciated culture, they are not typical, they are unusual. People, who question their worth may seek other camaflagued and seem to want or need to escape from who or what they feel they really are, to a decorated and distracted self. In the States it may be cars, clothes and music, not to mention colognes, designer names on clothing, tummy-tucks, hair transplants, breast enhancement and tattoos. `In India, from a guy who hasn’t yet spent 100 awake hours here yet, it seems that there is an demonstrated cultural intensity, There is “blandness” to look over, around or through the need, be it of the street beggars, the crowds on the streets, in the trains, or the traffic-India had assumed some things as we do when we assume the summer heat, mosquitos and sun burns. They are, have been and will always be, so be it. But as we distract ourselves and others with bathing suits, beach towels and #999 quality sun block, Indian chooses their distractors of intense colorful cotton saris and spicy foods which we might call hot or gaudy– but we’re wrong. Theirs are enriching colors and their food, spice and all are enhancing.It make food a event. Indian convert live from what it may be to what they want it to be, as best they can manage their reality
Take Jaipur, our second city. We flew from Mumbai for about an hour with half of the plane filled with French tourist. That kind of an experience will make you a little less proud of your European roots. Surprisingly, the phrase , “Please keep you seats” does translate well into French. Well Jaipur is called the pink city. Why, because some one more important that me but who I can’t remember thought that PINK was the color everything should be.
By the way, Lynn is the one without the turban. The fellow was our driver and behind them is the city gate. Jaipor was a wild and busy city. Although, it was Sunday after noon Jaipor was hopping. By the way this is the driver who drove to mass at St. Francis. By the way when we drove into the parking lot of St. Francis, the priest was in the parking lot greeting folks Of course even with my newly gained Indian tan, I must have stood out as “whitey”, and the priest came over to me and somewhat apologetically said that the mass was going to be said in the local language of Hindi. Hey if he knew how I have struggled back home understanding, he may not have apologized. Interestingly it was Mission Sunday and I thought how often back home we have thought of these people as the “missions” and yet here they (we) were contributing in the one collection for the missions. – The other missions!
We went shopping later in the after noon and Lynn and I really try to haggle – no we were not to effective but that did not stop us from trying and buying!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Elephanta Island and other things or Day 2 MUMBAI
With its large and growing population, India has a need for transportation – MASS TRANSPORTATION! Lynn had arranged for us to take a city tour on our first full day in Mumbai. Our two, young and helpful, teenager guides had it all set up and we did it. Walking about this gigantic city would have been impossible but we did a large area near the harbor and I vetoed any greater distances. Mumbai is retail or discount or just plain bargaining. I’m not good at it so to immunize myself I didn’t buy on that trip. Well we walked mostly around the area near our hotel or basically just within walking distance for complainers like me and in a climatic condition which would be only slightly above the heat-humidity ratio of a sausa. Challenging but It was great and strange and enlightening and sad within every twenty five steps.
We were taken to a small building where much of the works of Ghandi were stored. Needless to say he is very respected and should be. The walls were decorated with some impressive Ghandi statement. One caught my eye:
“There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything. I feel it thought I do not see it. That informing power or spirit is God.”
We, at the invitation of our hostesses, stopped for some refreshments and lunch, Eating is some countries and India being one of those causes we of the gentler stomachs of the West to watch what they consume. Some of these dishes do not react well with our epicurean sensitivities and cultured palates, You would thnk after eating hot dogs from a corner vender or day old pizza, we would have toughened up! Nope! Being careful is the rule! And don’t droing the water!!!But we are on vacation and did I mentioned it was a free lunch - TRY IT!
Now we were additionally blessed to have two Co-tourist who although now Canadian were originally Indians. These two women, mother and daughter, were great company, great translators and good deciders of what we should eat and what we shouldn’t. Also then were a kind and laughing for my comments! Great side kicks and friends.
After lunch we were unable to get two cabs so again walking was the method of movement. Now there are more cabs in Mumbai than anyone could imagine but the number of people make a the ratio more favorable to walking. Crossing streets are a challenge. Remember that the US traffic patters are WRONG and BACKWARD! Here, Right is Left and Left is Right. The driver sit towards the center of the road, but gave me the impression that he was routing around in the glove box and the vehicle was going in its own selected direction. Now surprising with the size of the crowds, many being walkers often attempting to cross streets, teeming with speedy traffic more interested in using their horns than their brakes, there are not an ambulance on every corner. We may have been taught to look – Left, Right Left but here that would be a unpublished suicide note. Some dircve gave me the line that here in India there are three things that every drivers needs. Good Brakes, Good Horn and Good Luck!
Bottom line after our walk-run and car jumping, we took a city bus ride. WE and 100,000 others per bus. The buses have open doors and the ceiling is covered with innumerable overhead individual handles – of course that’s another game – Grab-it-if-you-can. Short people are out of luck or at least may be out the open side door if the bus takes a turn. Crowded- no need to comment-a pick pocket’s paradise. Lynn wore a waist belt under her clothes and I had a packet that fit around my neck, hanging down under my shirts over my belly – didn’t add to that slender look for which I was shooting. Following our bus trip, we pilled out or should I say were pushed out by those who seemed to have a place that were going-HOME! We were at the train station. It was late in the after noon. People who come into the city of Mumbai were going home. A sea of faces, each had the facial determination of one of us in 6:00 o’clock “rush”traffic. Again, overhead hand belts and crowded, thank God for Lynn’s lighter complexion or I wouldn’t have know her since there was a great number of people that separated and like us Indian come in a variety of heights. Lynn was one of the few sari-less women. Indian women are beautiful and their choice of color are brilliant. Red, saffron, orange, purple with wood block patterns – you can’t say whichis the prettier or prettiest since you opinion will only last a moment until you see the next lady. Many women wear the red dot on the forehead – the bindi. A sign for a married women, or if men, a faithful and deep believer ! No not in Marriage - in Hinduism. See you in Elephanta Island II
Friday, October 15, 2010
India and Us- Our first day(s)!
Everything has a beginning, and for us Mumbai was ours. Geographically the area was initially made up of seven islands. These seven island are on the western side of India and on what is referred to as the Arabian Sea. Due the nature of different people on different island having different cultures and skills, they were traders. India is commerce. Mumbai still reeks from that skill and talent. It is a big port and a commercial city. Apparently the Portuguese came and recognized its calm and rather deep bay and called the area Bombay (.The Good Bay). India in post colonial times decided to convert its nane from the European choice to Mumbai. Hey, we’re here and impressed beyond my expectations.
First we got the Hotel well after midnight – late for this guy! The airport in Mumbai is somewhat like Miami, in that here are a number of pre-arranged guides or taxi services which display the name of the incoming tourist or traveler. You would think that Valerius would stand-out – well again in India spelling names correctly must call for a master’s degree. Thank God for Lynn,, she spotted our contact/driver and our Name sign rather quickly.. I would have still been standing there.
I’m jumping ahead slightly, Our flight from London to Mumbai was an unusual in that the indian airpline offered an almost mystical business class where passengers were seated just in a separate space from other passengers like a cacoone unit. There were only four individual seats across the entire body of the plane and were situated almost like a chase lounger at a 60 degree angle to the windows or the aisles. Again self contained TV,with a variety of options: Movies, news, music, TV programs, weather and a views of our traveling plane as it was going around the earth with an international map background. Each seat comfortably folded from the seat to a bed or other seating confirmtion. Wide and spacious!! You could email/message between seats – Yeah,, You’re right I never mastered that skill. There were a number of flight attendances.. All of whom introduced themselves, only to have that information shoved into my “What the hell did she say?” FILE. Our crew was all indian and beautiful with pleasant smiles but sometimes hard to understand for this particularly hard of hearing passenger. Their dark eyes and hair and natural skin color and smiling ways sure made the trip more pleasant, even if I didn’t realize the importance of each of their oral messages. We were served champagne, red wines, bottled water and a number of nibbles – none of which I could identify by name or even now describe. Could have been the wine!. We had a meal which was also camaeflaged .by my owe lack of knowledge and unwillingness to ask a se cond time what the different things were. Sorry still am not sure “but Specy-spicy”. and after the initial “Oh my God!” reaction and mouthful or two of red wine – the food or I adjusted. Bottom line, the flight from London to Mumbis was long but very comfortable – no I didn’t get control of this channel changer on this flight either but I did watch to Bolly-Wood Movies and enjoyed them. Love those dance finale!
Back to Mumbia, vehicles here are smaller than in the States. Cost of gas is higher ( I think!)They are equipted with head lights, brakes and squeeling horns – I can vouch that the Horns work! The occassional red light seems more of a neighborhood street light than a control devise. Speed seems to be a necessary and the possession of a lane of traffic is delusional. But we got from the airport to the hotel – The Taj Mahal Place and Tower. No, not the historic or original Taj Mahal but a wonderful runner up, Our room look out on the unending bay and the “Gate to India” built as a moment to the British ( and maybe by them ) recognizing their possession of India before its independence..
NEXT FIRST DAY IN MUMBAI
Ok, so I screwed up, but this is really our first day in Mumbai. We slept until one in the afternoon and only woke up because Lynn saw that we had overslept and were to meet our guides for that day at 1:30 pm. UP dressed and off to something that was acknowledged as our meeting place: The Gate to India. OK, so we didn’t let the good old USA look to sharp when we asked the desk clerk, since we were running late- how far was it to the Gate and did he think we should take a cab? The Gat was physically 200 yards from the hotel and stood in the middle of a paved park outr in front of the hotel.
We met our guides, two young high school/college students and another couple, mother and daughter from Edmonton, Canada. If I had to rank the personalities – Lynn and the other four girls and women ranked GREAT- #1 and I came in second. The mother and daughter were original Indian from the north, Punjab and were traveling India like us although a different itinerary. One of their relatives were getting married on Long Island, NY and they were here getting appropriate Indian wedding clothing/outfits for themselves for the event. By the way, the traditional clothing is still warn often on the street as often a jeans and loose shirts. or blouses. The colors are brilliant and beautiful-filled with sequins and designed. Many wear the bibdi-the red dot on the forehead indicating a married women, a holy/religious man or the third eye of God looking our for the wearer and our at us. Their language (s) is used often but so is English, The pitch of their voices and unfamilar pronounciation makes it challenging to understand their comments on the first try, not to mention my hard of hearing.
Lynn had arranged to use this touring nservice since they offer a Urban vies of Mumbai – WOW! How lucky could one guy be? We met at the Gate and walked although not my favorite means of transportation but it had to be safer than going by honking, red light running taxies. The city is sprawled out. I’m not sure that we have seen 10% of it and mostly the tourist areas, By the way, wakling has it challenged in India, those beeping cars are beeping at folks like me who look in the wrong diorection while crossing from one corner to another – inattentively. No joke, you have to give a 360, not actually knowing where the beeping is coming from – 1) so mush of it and 2)some drivers may cross over an apparently meaningless lane separating line. Bottom line: Eyes open, ears open and my hand was on my rosary as we walked trying to keep up with this healthing group of walker into which I was drafted.
Poverty is a viewable and constant fixture. Tough on my eyes and heart. The only defense is to try and overlook it. The general instructions are to ignore those who beg since individuals become rowdy groups that have needs which the average individual can not fill and may be the cause of violence to the giver. Young beautiful children, mostly boys that are the age of my younger grandchildren, on the unclean side or small and possibly young women holding infants openly beg and approach and grab at you to get your attention. The great number of needy and an individuals limitations , permits the tourist to walk on by ungiving. To the reader: Don’t be harsh until you have been there! It is a divine delemma- one which only He maybe able to satisfy.
First we got the Hotel well after midnight – late for this guy! The airport in Mumbai is somewhat like Miami, in that here are a number of pre-arranged guides or taxi services which display the name of the incoming tourist or traveler. You would think that Valerius would stand-out – well again in India spelling names correctly must call for a master’s degree. Thank God for Lynn,, she spotted our contact/driver and our Name sign rather quickly.. I would have still been standing there.
I’m jumping ahead slightly, Our flight from London to Mumbai was an unusual in that the indian airpline offered an almost mystical business class where passengers were seated just in a separate space from other passengers like a cacoone unit. There were only four individual seats across the entire body of the plane and were situated almost like a chase lounger at a 60 degree angle to the windows or the aisles. Again self contained TV,with a variety of options: Movies, news, music, TV programs, weather and a views of our traveling plane as it was going around the earth with an international map background. Each seat comfortably folded from the seat to a bed or other seating confirmtion. Wide and spacious!! You could email/message between seats – Yeah,, You’re right I never mastered that skill. There were a number of flight attendances.. All of whom introduced themselves, only to have that information shoved into my “What the hell did she say?” FILE. Our crew was all indian and beautiful with pleasant smiles but sometimes hard to understand for this particularly hard of hearing passenger. Their dark eyes and hair and natural skin color and smiling ways sure made the trip more pleasant, even if I didn’t realize the importance of each of their oral messages. We were served champagne, red wines, bottled water and a number of nibbles – none of which I could identify by name or even now describe. Could have been the wine!. We had a meal which was also camaeflaged .by my owe lack of knowledge and unwillingness to ask a se cond time what the different things were. Sorry still am not sure “but Specy-spicy”. and after the initial “Oh my God!” reaction and mouthful or two of red wine – the food or I adjusted. Bottom line, the flight from London to Mumbis was long but very comfortable – no I didn’t get control of this channel changer on this flight either but I did watch to Bolly-Wood Movies and enjoyed them. Love those dance finale!
Back to Mumbia, vehicles here are smaller than in the States. Cost of gas is higher ( I think!)They are equipted with head lights, brakes and squeeling horns – I can vouch that the Horns work! The occassional red light seems more of a neighborhood street light than a control devise. Speed seems to be a necessary and the possession of a lane of traffic is delusional. But we got from the airport to the hotel – The Taj Mahal Place and Tower. No, not the historic or original Taj Mahal but a wonderful runner up, Our room look out on the unending bay and the “Gate to India” built as a moment to the British ( and maybe by them ) recognizing their possession of India before its independence..
NEXT FIRST DAY IN MUMBAI
Ok, so I screwed up, but this is really our first day in Mumbai. We slept until one in the afternoon and only woke up because Lynn saw that we had overslept and were to meet our guides for that day at 1:30 pm. UP dressed and off to something that was acknowledged as our meeting place: The Gate to India. OK, so we didn’t let the good old USA look to sharp when we asked the desk clerk, since we were running late- how far was it to the Gate and did he think we should take a cab? The Gat was physically 200 yards from the hotel and stood in the middle of a paved park outr in front of the hotel.
We met our guides, two young high school/college students and another couple, mother and daughter from Edmonton, Canada. If I had to rank the personalities – Lynn and the other four girls and women ranked GREAT- #1 and I came in second. The mother and daughter were original Indian from the north, Punjab and were traveling India like us although a different itinerary. One of their relatives were getting married on Long Island, NY and they were here getting appropriate Indian wedding clothing/outfits for themselves for the event. By the way, the traditional clothing is still warn often on the street as often a jeans and loose shirts. or blouses. The colors are brilliant and beautiful-filled with sequins and designed. Many wear the bibdi-the red dot on the forehead indicating a married women, a holy/religious man or the third eye of God looking our for the wearer and our at us. Their language (s) is used often but so is English, The pitch of their voices and unfamilar pronounciation makes it challenging to understand their comments on the first try, not to mention my hard of hearing.
Lynn had arranged to use this touring nservice since they offer a Urban vies of Mumbai – WOW! How lucky could one guy be? We met at the Gate and walked although not my favorite means of transportation but it had to be safer than going by honking, red light running taxies. The city is sprawled out. I’m not sure that we have seen 10% of it and mostly the tourist areas, By the way, wakling has it challenged in India, those beeping cars are beeping at folks like me who look in the wrong diorection while crossing from one corner to another – inattentively. No joke, you have to give a 360, not actually knowing where the beeping is coming from – 1) so mush of it and 2)some drivers may cross over an apparently meaningless lane separating line. Bottom line: Eyes open, ears open and my hand was on my rosary as we walked trying to keep up with this healthing group of walker into which I was drafted.
Poverty is a viewable and constant fixture. Tough on my eyes and heart. The only defense is to try and overlook it. The general instructions are to ignore those who beg since individuals become rowdy groups that have needs which the average individual can not fill and may be the cause of violence to the giver. Young beautiful children, mostly boys that are the age of my younger grandchildren, on the unclean side or small and possibly young women holding infants openly beg and approach and grab at you to get your attention. The great number of needy and an individuals limitations , permits the tourist to walk on by ungiving. To the reader: Don’t be harsh until you have been there! It is a divine delemma- one which only He maybe able to satisfy.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Four days and off we go!
Travel is broadening and therefore it has generally been prized by me. I have often looked forward to the going somewhere - to do something - different. Initially those were my feeling about India and certainly about Nepal. Then "Reality" closed in as I read a story in the online Times of India about "men eating" tigers - and it wasn't a commentary about a group of guys, meeting at a local restaurant and showing off odd eating habits, it was about TIGER eating habits! Then I was informed by some "talkative" blogger - that as the door of the air plane opens upon arrival, you will know that you are in India - Oh swell - THE SMELL. Then there are the stories of rowdy gangs of needful kids attempting to create some greater economic parity while forcibly going through your pockets after strongly pulling on your back pack and creating what some might see as a "DISTRACTION while attempting to preserve you LIFE!
Also Lynn tell me about the "walking" tours. WALKING TOURS - I don't even walk "Buddy" - in the morning I give him a flashlight and a neighborhood map while wishing him well! So far its worked! Oh well we will be boarding our plane on Tuesday afternoon - I 'll be the one looking worried and perhaps sobbing. God will be good as He has always been. And I hope that the Blogs reports are interesting and fun! Tom
Also Lynn tell me about the "walking" tours. WALKING TOURS - I don't even walk "Buddy" - in the morning I give him a flashlight and a neighborhood map while wishing him well! So far its worked! Oh well we will be boarding our plane on Tuesday afternoon - I 'll be the one looking worried and perhaps sobbing. God will be good as He has always been. And I hope that the Blogs reports are interesting and fun! Tom
India / Nepal Itinerary Information
OCT. 12TH Tuesday. – LEAVE MIAMI ON COLUMBUS DAY
OCT. 13/16 – MUMBAI
HOTEL: TAJ MAHAL PALACE AND TOWERS
Ph: 022-66653366 / Fax.: 022-56650323/0300
OCT 16/19- (17th – Sunday) JAIPUR
HOTEL: THE OBEROI RAJVILAS
Ph: 0141-2680101 / Fax.: 0141-2680202
OCT 19/21- AGRA
HOTEL: THE OBEROI AMARVILA
Ph: 0562-2231515 / Fax.: 0562-2231516
OCT 21/22- KHAJURAHO
HOTEL: TAJ CHANDELA
Ph: 07686-272355-64 / Fax.: 07686-272365-66
OCT 22/24 ( 24th-Sunday)-VARANASI
HOTEL: TAJ GATEWAY GANGES
Ph: 0542-2503001-19 / Fax.: 05422502724/2501343
OCT 24/28-KATHMANDU
HOTEL: SUMMIT
Ph: 00977-1 5521810 / 5524694
OCT 29/29- KOLKATA
HOTEL: THE OBEROI GRAND
Ph: 0542-2503001-19 / Fax.: 033-22491217
OCT 29/NOV 01 ( 31st – Sunday)– DARJEELING, W. Bengal
HOTEL: GREENBURN TEA ESTATE
Ph: 0091 33 22885630
NOV 01/03 – AMRITSAR
HOTEL: ISTA RESORT AND SPA
Ph: 0183-2708888 / Fax.: 0183-2709999
NOV 03/07 – (7th-Sunday) DEHLI
HOTEL: ELEVEN B&B HOMESTAY
Private home/No Phone or Fax number
Pre-India /Nepal trip- Sarcasm!
I’m already waiting to get Home!
Home again, Home again – Dig – A – Re – Gig!
Home again, Home again to rare beef or Bar-B-Que’d pig!
To fewer wary noises or nose wrinkling smells or scent
Or wondering what the waiter or doorman may have meant?
No more need to step wide and far, not nigh
due to the always present,
never pleasant,
never pleasant,
recently deposited
“holy cow”- pie.
“holy cow”- pie.
Or while attempting to look beyond the many in gross need,
while chasing away each germ ridden fly.
Foods, which we'll gamble to order and eat,
Much of it, unknown but hopefully a tasty treat
But there will be dishes which we'll failed to recognize!
Or have to use "rest rooms”, so called, under effective disguise
Which lack both godlessness or cleanliness
Though needed and would be a pleasant surprise.
But to Siva, to Brahman and Vishnu too
and to our Lord God , I want to say to each of you!
Bless India and Nepal and our old USA
The experiences we will have, there’s something to say.
The experiences we will have, there’s something to say.
May their beauty and people always be great, Sir.
As we'll take home, our full mind’s memories
To meet and re-greet the things that we'll see,
the grand experiences you promise and will probably be.
35 hours til Flight time
Well like any one convicted by fate, I merely have to wait now- there's a "chair"somewhere for me. Hopefully, it is on an American Airline plane bound for India. Tomorrow afternoon +/- 5:00 pm we will leave the United States and fly to London then on to Mumbai. Weather in Mumbai is and probably will be rainy - even though I was told that the Monsoon season was over - well I guess we all must suffer with the ice-less polar bears and face the changing weather patterns. I will finish packing today ( I hope!) Let's see: the house has been secured and the police and our security company have been informed, Mail and newspaper have been stopped, and our pets sitter has been employed, medicines been packaged, cameras tested, lap top functional, books selected and packed. Well then it just brushing my teeth, taking a shower and get going tomorrow afternoon - I get less anxious and more interested - now that I can only assume that it is going to happen - Yeah , like the chair I guess! Matter f time!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Home Sick Already! (Attempted funny but to sarcastic Poem)
I’m already waiting to get Home!
Home again, Home again – Dig – A – Re – Gig!
Home again, Home again to rare beef or Bar-B-Que’d pig!
To fewer wary noises or unfamiliar smells or scent
Or wondering what the waiter or doorman may have meant?
Nor the need to step wide and far, not nigh
due to the always present, never pleasant,
recently deposited “holy cow”- pie.
Or while attempting to look beyond those in gross need,
While shooing away those damned germ ridden gnat or fly.
Foods, which we gambled to order and eat,
Much of it, a unknown but unquestionable tasty treat
But there were dishes which we failed to recognize!
Or “those rest rooms”, so called, in an effective disguise
In which either godlessness or cleanliness
Was needed and would have been a pleasant surprise.
But to Siva, to Brahman and Vishnu too
and to our Lord God , I want to say to you!
Bless India and Nepal and our old USA
With the experiences we had, there’s something to say.
May their beauty and people always be great, Sir.
As we take home, the our full mind’s memories
To meet and re-meet,
the grand experiences you were!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Where and When - India and Nepal!
2010 Itinerary for
India and Nepal
OCT. 12TH Tuesday. – LEAVE MIAMI ON COLUMBUS DAY
OCT. 13/16 – MUMBAI
HOTEL: TAJ MAHAL PALACE AND TOWERS / Ph. 022-66653366
OCT 16/19- (17th – Sunday) JAIPUR
HOTEL: THE OBEROI AMARVILAS / Ph. 0141-2680101
OCT 19/21- AGRA
HOTEL: THE OBEROI RAJ VILA / Ph. 0562-2221515
OCT 21/22- KHAJURAHO
HOTEL: TAJ CHANDELA / Ph. 07686-272355-64
OCT 22/24 ( 24th-Sunday)-VARANASI
HOTEL: TAJ GATEWAY GANGES / Ph. 0542-2503001-19
OCT 24/28-KATHMANDU
HOTEL: SUMMIT / Ph. 00977-5521810 / 5524694
OCT 29/29- KOLKATA
HOTEL: THE OBEROI GTAND / Ph. 033-22492323/22490181
OCT 29/NOV 01 ( 31st – Sunday)– DARJEELING
HOTEL: GREENBURN TEA ESTATE / Ph. 0091-33-22885630
NOV 01/03 – AMRITSAR
HOTEL: ISTA RESORT AND SPA / Ph. 0183-2708888
NOV 03/07 – (7th-Sunday) DEHLI
HOTEL: ELEVEN B&B HOMESTAY
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