India Beach Paradise - Goa

Coming soon...

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Goa in Google Photos (also links from below).

Trip to the Middle East - Dubai

Coming soon...

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Dubai in Google Photos (also links from below).

My Beach Birthday Present - Maldives

Coming soon...

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Maldives in Google Photos (also links from below).

Above the World, Literally - Ladakh

Coming soon...

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Ladakh in Google Photos (also links from below). 

Bollywood Music Sampler

The Bollywood beats in India rock the radio stations, commercials, and ringtones. They might take some getting used to, but have some really catchy beats. Here are some of my current favorites from recent Bollywood movies:

"Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai" from Woh Lameh

"Juddai" from Jannat

"Khuda Jaane" from Bachna Ae Haseeno

French India?! - Pondicherry

After being in Hyderabad during the week for the annual optimization summit, about half the team took off to Tamil Nadu to check out Pondicherry, a former French colony in south India. Famous for its beaches, French architecture, and natural beauty, we were all geared up for a relaxing weekend before returning back to Delhi.

We rented two cars and had Divya and Taru zip us around. After gathering the entire group in Chennai, we took the East Coast Road down to Pondicherry, similar to Highway 1 in the US. Pondicherry is gorgeous and one of the best parts about it was how close everything was. We took shelter at the Ginger Hotel on one side of town and got to see the beach and Aurobindo Ashram in the French part of town. It's really interesting to see the contrast between the French, cobblestone part of town and the more Indian side of town.

On our way back to Chennai to get back on Sunday, we stopped in Mahabalipuram, which is known for its beaches and temples. The laid-back way of life and swaying palm trees were things we didn't necessarily want to leave on Sunday, but said goodbye to the heat and sunshine of Tamil Nadu to return for work on Monday.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Pondicherry in Google Photos (also links from below).

After being in Hyderabad during the week for the annual optimization summit, about half the team took off to Tamil Nadu to check out Pondicherry, a former French colony in south India. Famous for its beaches, French architecture, and natural beauty, we were all geared up for a relaxing weekend before returning back to Delhi.

We rented two cars and had Divya and Taru zip us around. After gathering the entire group in Chennai, we took the East Coast Road down to Pondicherry, similar to Highway 1 in the US. Pondicherry is gorgeous and one of the best parts about it was how close everything was. We took shelter at the Ginger Hotel on one side of town and got to see the beach and Aurobindo Ashram in the French part of town. It's really interesting to see the contrast between the French, cobblestone part of town and the more Indian side of town.

On our way back to Chennai to get back on Sunday, we stopped in Mahabalipuram, which is known for its beaches and temples. The laid-back way of life and swaying palm trees were things we didn't necessarily want to leave on Sunday, but said goodbye to the heat and sunshine of Tamil Nadu to return for work on Monday.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Pondicherry in Google Photos (also links from below).

Let the Games Begin - Beijing 2008

Who's excited? The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games just started today (8/8/08 at 8:08pm). India doesn't have the same kind of obsession that I feel is fairly common in the US. Maybe because their two most popular sports have no Indian representation this year - cricket because they don't have it in the Olympics and field hockey because the Indian team failed to qualify this time around.

Luckily we have pretty good coverage on Indian TV and are also able to access the online channels online thanks to work. I'm excited to see some good races in the pool and lots of records fall. I don't know what it is about the Olympics, but I'm a total sucker for watching hours and hours of coverage (regardless of the sport) and getting *really* fired up with a new sense of patriotism.

In Dharamsala, I saw posters all over the place protesting the Games based on the humanitarian issues in Tibet and the human rights violations. I definitely acknowledge and understand there are a lot of issues that could be worked out, but in the true spirit of the Olympics, it's time for some of the greatest athletic feats in the next few years.

The Outer Himalaya - Nainital

Time for more hill stations. This time it was another road trip to Nainital in Uttarakhand with Mollie, Eric, and Alex all from Hyderabad. We left work on Friday early and set off on our 8 hour car ride with Manbir. We were in for quite the ride - our radio didn't work and had to be fixed in Delhi and then we faced some of the worst roads I've come across in all of India - I felt like we were driving on another planet at times.

Eventually we made it and checked into the Belvedere Palace late at night. Despite some mixed reviews from the crowd, it was actually a nice place and had a good view overlooking the Nainital Lake. We woke up and took a cable car to the Snow Point to see the mountains and look for a short hike. Unsuccessful, we came back and decided to drive to Land's End. We haggled for some horses to take us to three view points and about five minutes into it all, the heavy monsoonal rain decided it was time to get wet. We took refuge in a cafe with some chai and made our way from place to place, seeing some of the most beautiful white clouds ever.

We had dinner and drinks at the Naini Retreat, a great hotel with good food and hookah. The next day we did some more sightseeing to other lake towns (Saattal and Bhutal) before again starting on the 8 hour drive back to Delhi. Apparently the main highway was closed so we had to take a serious detour around 80km on rural roads alongside raw sewage and through some pretty shady areas.

Nonetheless, Nainital was literally a breath of fresh air - away from the crowds and summer tourists, we got to see some great scenary, meet some cool people, and eat some good food. The lakes in Uttarakhand are gorgeous and apparently used to be much bigger before a series of landslides which quicky shrank their size. The road trips from Delhi are a lot of fun, and always present an interesting adventure...not to mention the car games.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Nainital in Google Photos (also links from below).

Tibet away from Tibet - Dharamsala (McLeod)

My college buddy from Carleton, Hudson, is doing some legal/humanitarian work with Tiebetan refugees in Upper Dharamsala (aka McLeod Ganj of MLG), so I decided this week was as good a time as any to see this beautiful Tibetan refuge and home to the Dalai Lama. I was definitely looking forward to escapting the heat and pollution of Delhi, and I was definitely treated to quite a bit.

After arriving on Friday afternoon while Hudson was still at work, I took a little hike by myself to the Bhagsu waterfall, which was really nice. Later that night we had the standard Tibetan fare with a side of momos. McLeod Ganj is largely comprised of Tibetans with monks and nuns everywhere, it feels very un-India.

We took to the trail the next day and hikes for a solid 5 hours up to Triund, where Hudson said there were some caves we could sleep. To our dismay, we found a father, his two sons, and their entire heard of goat were inhabiting the cave for the summer and after some broken Hindi conversation, were led to two other caves which were wet, filled with animal waste, and old bottles of liquor. We opted to stay in a guest house - no electricity of enclosed rooms, just a tin roof over our heads and some blankets. Before nightfall, however, we hiked to the Triund glacier which was awesome.

The next morning, we woke up at dawn and made our way back down to Dharamsala to relax, have some lunch, and walk around the Dalai Lama's temple and residence. McLeod is an amazingly green and laid-back place and a great weekend getaway from Delhi...

That is until the only daily flight back to Delhi gets cancelled because of bad weather. I immediately took the bus station to grab the luxury bus back to Delhi, an overnight leaving around 9pm. I made myself comfortable in the small town of Kangra, passing about 5 hour before my bus departed. One flat tire, waiting to fix the spare, and the three hour detour later, we were on the road and arrived into Delhi a couple hours late. Had a chance to stop back at the guest house and shower before work, but had no idea what kind of adventure I was getting myself into.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Dharamsala in Google Photos (also links from below).

Holy City on the Ganga - Banaras (Varanasi)

Varanasi (also known as Banaras) is one of the holiest cities in the world. In the bordering state of Uttar Pradesh, it's located alongside the Ganga River - much further downstream than in Rishikesh. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains come from near and far to this city for its religious importance and power of the river.

Megan, Heather and I decided to take the overnight train on the way there and opt to fly back one-way. The train ride was quite pleasant, since we dished out for the first-class sleeper cars. My four bed (two bunk) compartment was only me, so I should have been able to get some decent sleep. We arrived early in the morning and checked-in right away at the Taj Hotel.

While in Varanasi, we were to Sarnath, the location of one of Buddha's first teachings. It was expansive grounds near Deer Park, home to some of the oldest stupas in the region as well as the Sarnath Archeological Museum, where we smuggled in our cell phones and cameras despite a very persistent security guard.

In the afternoon we headed to the Ganga River to see the ghats along the rive, and met up with one of our co-worker's in-laws. They took us around to see some sari and scarf stores and again guided us back to the Ganga River for an evening ceremony. It was a full day - we covered a lot of ground and the next day flew back to Delhi. Megan and I decided to treat ourselves to sushi at Wasabi by Morimoto.

Blog photos - Here's a link to my photos of Varanasi in Google Photos (also links below).

Where the Hell is Matt?

See all cross-cultural barriers come down - this is really awesome.

It gives me chills every time...and the song "Praan" is also great.


Here's the original website.

Green, Temples, & a Monsoon - Orchha & Khajuraho

Madya Pradesh is a massive province in India, not particularly known for many tourist attractions, with exceptions such as Khajuraho and Orchha. Bill was in India for a couple weeks for work and Louise and I decided to take him on a quick weekend trip to MP. Khajuraho is known for its erotic temples, Orchha for its beautiful temples and architecture and location along the Betwa River.

We took the train from Delhi on Friday after work and stayed at a less than spectacular Jhansi Hotel - it was listed as a "splurge" in one of my guides, but our room had no windows, AC made the room smell like gasoline, our water heater started to leak on the toilet, and the garden turned out to be a piece of grass. All in all, it wasn't so bad and made for lots of laughs.

The next day we left for Khajuraho to see the temples, but not before some Dosa and other snacks from the Madras Cafe - yum. We toured the temples for a couple hours and even had dinner in a treehouse watching the sound and light show. On our drive back we encoutered the heaviest monsoon I've experienced - visibility must have been two feet. In a few hours we were back in Orchha and arrived at our hotel, Sheesh Mahal. It was truly a palace and one of the best finds in India in my opinion.

The next day we explored Orchha, devoid of tourists, wandered through wedding processions, and got caught once again in heavy downpours. We boarded the trusty Shatabdi Express back to Delhi and before we knew it were back home. Orchha is a gorgeous place, and the neighboring Khajuraho blends sexuality with religion in some of the region's oldest temples.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Khajuraho and Orchha in Google Photos (also links from below).

British Raj's Summer Capital - Shimla

The "Adventure Club" at work organized a weekend trip to Shimla in the state of Himanchal Pradesh. It was once the summer capital of the British Raj - there are a lot of hill stations both in North and South India which become hotspots during the warm summer months. Shimla is commonly referred to as the "Queen of the Hills" because of its historical importance with the British.

Our trip was pegged to be six-hours each way in a bus, and was going to include trekking, rocking climbing, river crossing, etc. As with everything in India, plans changed quite quickly. Instead of leaving right after work on Friday, we decided as a group to leave Friday night around 9:30pm so that we could sleep en route. We didn't end up taking a bus because there weren't enough people, so we packed into our Toyota Innovas (similar to minivans) and tried to get some shut eye for the trip that actually took 12 hours - a driver kept getting lost, we took frequent breaks, it was foggy and raining, etc.

Eventually we made it and it was pouring cats and dogs. Our camp site, however, was beautiful. The rain finally stopped and we did get the chance to go on a decent hike, come back for dinner, and have a nice bon fire. The next morning, we did a "valley crossing", made our way into the town of Shimla, before setting off once again on a 12-hour journey back to Delhi.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Shimla in Google Photos (also links from the slide show below).

The Pink City - Jaipur

It was time for another road trip. This time, Megan, Louise, Cindy, Mollie, and I took to the Pink City in Rajasthan - Jaipur. There has been an interesting past month or so in Jaipur with the terrorist bombings and Gujjar protests paralyzing the transportation networks in Rajasthan, but everything seems to have cleared and I think everyone was in the mood for an easy weekend trip.

It takes about 4 hours to drive to Jaipur. We rocked the site seeing on Saturday seeing several forts, a stop at the lassiwalla for an awesome sweet lassi, and the Johari Bazaar for some shoping. Jaipur has a really interesting past which is not as easily illustrated in most Indian cities. The walls of

the Amer Fort are massive, and althoug not to the scale of the Great Wall of China, still a true sight. After dropping some money in the market and our lassi, we decided to head to Choki Dhani, the theme park like tourist attraction with elephant rides, authentic Rajisthani food, henna, and magicians. It was actually really nice and let us see all kinds of shows and performances.

Devender realizing that we ran out of gas!

Of course no trip is complete without at least some sort of adventure. We were heading back to Gurgaon on Sunday night, and Mollie was scheduled to take a flight out of Jaipur to Hyderabad. Shortly after dropping her off and making out way to the highway, she called with the news that her flight was cancelled and it was not going to be possible to get into Hyderabad that night. We turned around, picked her up, and decided it'd be best for her to return to Delhi with us and grab a flight the next day.

Little did we know, we were running on fumes in the Toyota Innova. One minute were passing through really interesting parts of Jaipur with mixes of animals (monkeys, dogs, cows, goats...you name it, we saw it) and naked children, the next minute we're on the open road with Devender realizing we were out of gas! The engine died and he couldn't restart the car. The video above is the moment when we couldn't control the laugher and the car was coming to a stand still. Luckily, our Jaipur tourguide, Raghu, came to the rescue and towed the car with a Jeep and a metal string that looked about as thick as a hanger. We made it back about 6 hours later, but surely had moments to keep us on our toes.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Jaipur in Google Photos (also links from the slide show below).

Momos and a Side of Green - Nepal

It was time for a last minute adventure in Nepal, complete with monsoons, propeller planes, strikes, riots, beautifully green forests, and the hidden Himalaya. Scott, Lane, Dave, Naraen, and I flew into Kathmandu from Delhi for an extended weekend trip. Despite its proximity to India, Nepalis very much hold their identities very far from Indians and subsequently have struck a nice balance with an easygoing demeanor and way of life which differs significantly from Indians.

We arrived the first day early in the morning around 8:30am, and after checking in at our wonderful hotel (Le Meridien Gokarna) immediately took to the streets. The Buddhist culture is prominent throughout the city with many gorgeous stupas. We started out at Swayambhunath and make our way to Thamel for some momos, shopping, and walking. Dave lived in Nepal two years ago, so we made an impromptu visit to his old host family which gave Lane and I a better taste into Nepali life and just how nice and sincere they are. The family he stayed with works on a number of different philanthropic efforts including an orphanage and local school.

The next day, Scott and Naraen arrived on the same we had the day before. The adventure began as we hit a huge roadblock only minutes from the airport. Our driver started to ask people on the street what was happening, but it didn't at all become clear until a police van arrived with 10 men jumping out with automatic weapons and tear gas. Apparently a cab driver was stabbed to death and a small riot and crowd ensued. We took a steep grade detour and eventually made our way to the airport to meet Naraen and Scott and fly to Pokhara.

Pokhara is west of Kathmandu and built alongside Phewa Lake, with Anapurna in the backgrounnd (although we never got to see Anapurna because it was too cloudy). We wandered around some and rented scooters/motorbikes to explore. We drove up to the World Peace Temple - a decent hike consisting of lots and lots of stairs. However, we were rewarded with great views of the entire valley. When we drove back to return our bikes, we got caught in some issues with a shopkeeper trying to blame me for "crashing" my scooter and causing damage. Leave it up to five guys with four digital cameras - we had photos of the scooters before we left showing the damage, but the shopkeeper was just too stubborn

Putting that all behind us the next day, we immediately headed to the Pokhara airport to catch a flight into Kathmandu. We must have sat for nearly two hours in the Yeti Airlines small business office. The employees must have thought we were crazy - we shared a lot of laughs. We finally made our way back into Kathmandu in the late afternoon, checked in once again at Le Meridien and relaxed with some beers in the pool and Swedish massages.

The next morning, we awoke to find that a transportation strike was going on which paralyzed the entire city as all bus, cab, and rickshaw drivers were demanding higher wages. We finagled a ride with our previous Meridien driver and headed to Bahktapur. It was "renovated" by the Germans some time ago, but was filled with intricate wood work and the type of architecture you might easily find in Europe. The slight drizzle throughout the day made things pretty cool as we bargained and explored the narrow streets. Cutting things a little close by then, we headed back into Kathmandu to catch out flight back to Delhi.

It was a really exciting weekend - somewhat unpredictable. Gorgeous. Green. Great.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Nepal in Google Photos (also links from the slide show below).


Travel Notes

- Le Meridien, Kathmandu: Luxury hotel nestled in the Gokarna Forest, complete with its own spa, swimming pool, and 18-hole golf course; free yoga classes every morning, awesome massages, and nice restaurant selection
- Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple): Great panoramic views of the Kathmandu valley, beautifully classic stupa perched atop a hill, 200/- admission fee
- Yeti Airlines: Fun way to fly (earplugs included!)
- Yeti Guest House, Pokhara (yetiguesthouse@hotmail.com): Great place tucked away alongside the main drag in Pokhara. Staff here is extraordinarily nice, rooms are dirt cheap (US$8/night)
- Bhaktapur: Only 20 from Kathmandu, a great place to ramble around, lots of history, clay, trinkets, and momos

Great Indian Boomtowns

The New York Times the topic of Indian growth with images of Gurgaon slums, in an article called "Inside Gate, India's Good Life; Outside, the Slums" (thanks Lisa, NY Times' #1 Reader). Definitely an interesting read highlighting something that Indian society, myself included, tends to pass up without an eye. It's highlighting the difference in the classes, but also the caste system which comes so naturally here. It's really strange seeing large slums and shacks alongside our office building, for example, but something which not only common but almost expected.

I think Gurgaon magnifies a part of the world unlike I have ever seen it before - an ultra-wealthy upper class emerging alongside a lower class which survives on less than 50 cents (US) per day. Top consulting firms, internet giants, powerful NGOs, governmental organizations, luxury apartments, and country clubs all call Gurgaon home. With every new building or mall, so too comes acres and acres of slums which are guarded by steel sheets and plastic tarps. It's truly day and night, separated only by a single gate, but that gate is so much more than pieces of metal wielded together.

IPL, Pool, Expats, & Bars - Mumbai

A luxurious weekend in Mumbai/Bombay was planned when I first arrived in India, celebrating the much anticipated IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket finals. We had wanted to get tickets to the match for India's sporting event of the year. The entire expat crowd from Gurgaon and Hyderabad transcended onto The Taj Palace and Towers, located in the neighborhood of Colaba, alongside the Gateway of India. We were all looking forward to spending some relaxing hours alongside The Taj's swimming pool, exploring the Mumbai nightlife, and eating to our heart's content.

To our surprise, three of the four IPL teams were actually staying at our hotel - Delhi Daredevils, Rajisthan Royals, and the Mohali Kings. Semi-finals were on Friday and Saturday, with the finals on Sunday night. When Louise and I first arrived to check-in, there was a mob scene of press and little children trying to get autographs of the country's most famous cricket stars. Throughout the weekend, our lobby was periodically filled with video cameras and Indians wanting to catch of glimpse of their favorite players.

Although we didn't get to see any IPL cricket, we got in a small ferry ride to the Elephanta caves and got to see Colaba. After lounging at the huge swimming pool for hours, we ate at one of Mumbai's best north Indian restaurants, Khyber's, and proceeded to dance the night away at some local bars and clubs. The late night crew closed down the Polly Esther's club a block from our hotel, before Mollie ordered three grilled cheese and ham sandwiches. That's pretty much the weekend in a nutshell.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Mumbai in Google Photos (also links from the slide show below).


Travel Notes
-The Taj Palace and Towers: 5-star luxury hotel, reasonable prices, amazing swimming pool, steps from the Gateway of India, sushi, shopping, and people watching to match-Olive Bar and Kitchen: Sunday brunch extravaganza, under $40 for free flowing drinks, all-you-can eat cheese, meat, pasta, grilled prawns, desserts, and more-Khyber Restaurant: Although North Indian food (outside of North India), very reasonable food, has a great decor-Leopold Cafe: On Colaba Causeway, simple, warm and stuffy (in a good way), perfect stop for a quick bite, beer tower, some drinks, and a large crowd

The Times We Live In - Housebound

In the developing world, you never know what is going to happen. Although India usually isn't making the headlines for major upheavals or social unrest, it just so happens that this week we're caught in the middle of an interesting dispute. The Gujjar, an ethnic group and caste in India, are currently demanding "Scheduled Tribe" (ST) status from the government in order to have protected land throughout the country. As their demands are not being met, they are taking action with a number of protests. These protests mostly consist of blocking major highways, and this is spreading into the National Capital Region (NCR) here in Delhi since yesterday. Incidents between police and protestors have left more than 40 dead up until this point.

That being said, everyone from the office was sent home early yesterday as a precautionary measure and to make sure no one would get stranded at the office if the traffic and/or violence spread. We were again sent home early today, and the office will be closed tomorrow due to the Gujjar's threats to protest in and around Delhi tomorrow.

Everyone is safe and sound, staying put in their homes. The threat is not so serious that many people are threatened, but again these are the times we're living and we don't really know what to expect. For the most part it's just roadblocks and paralysis of transportation which is creating headaches throughout the region.

If you're interested in learning more about the current situation, check out Google News. Here's one brief article on Gujjar tension - Gujjar agitation: Capital on alert.

Pilgrims to the Holy City - Amritsar

The pilgrimage to the Holy City of Amritsar in the state of Punjab became our little aventure this past weekend. Mollie flew up from Hyderabad to accompany both Louise and I on the Shatabdi Express train out of New Delhi. Amritsar is known best for its Golden Temple, which attracts Sikhs from all over India and the world. Although our pilgrimage was for different reasons, we traveled alongside many people coming to the temple for religious reasons and to gain a better understanding of the Sikh past. Amritsar is a beautiful place with many temples, and a great theatrical/cultural experience can be had at the Pakistan-India Wagah border.

Our journey started on the Shatabdi Express, one of the nicer express trains in all of India. I'd say that half of our ticket went to food costs, well not that much, but it seemed like every 10 minutes they'd come around with another course of food. Arriving in Amritsar late at night, the three of us made our way to a hotel which was recommended by others. After a failed attempt to get some food at the hotel restaurant, we immediately took to the streets to find something to fill our stomachs. We came across Crystal's, serving Indian and Chinese food. We ordered veggie chow mein - two gelatos and five minutes later, two huge plastic bags full of noodes came out of the kitchen. We emptied the bags onto plates we got in the hotel lobby and there before us was enough food to feed an army. It was awesome.

Amritsar is an amazing city. Tucked up against the Pakistani border, there is a different feeling and mix of cultures with Punjab and India. The sites in town are amazing, of course highlighted by the Golden Temple. Pilgrims from all over come to bathe in its waters (for men only), pray, and see the temple where so many things have happened. Mollie and I saw almost every temple in town and had a good time eating a lot and some shopping (Louise wasn't feeling well for most of the weekend and got to know the hotel room very, very well). All in all, a spiritual, mystifying, educational, hot, and exciting weekend in Amritsar.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Amritsar in Google Photos (also links from the slide show below).

"God's Own Country" - Kerala

Kerala is one of India's great gems. Famous for its culture, spices, beaches, and backwaters, it's tucked alongside the Arabian Sea in India's southwest. One of the most prosperous states in the country, there is a green everywhere - some of the most beautiful scenes I've seen in India were in Kerala. Interestingly enough, Kerala is one of the few places in India that was never under British rule. This trip was a quick weekend excursion (like most of them) with some of the Hyderabad folks - John, Mollie, and Julia.

We met up in the Kochin airport and made our way to the beautiful Cherai Beach Resort. Nestled in between the Arabian Sea and backwaters, it was gorgeous. Playing around in the beach and relaxing with a Kingfisher were some of the highlights, along with slowing down the pace of life. The beach was jam packed at sunset and we were splashing around in the water as the sun set over the ocean. The next morning, Mollie, Julia, and I went to get ayurvedic massages - quite the interesting massage. The photo here is what is displayed on the hotel's website to advertise (read: not me), but you get the picture. It's a type of massage that uses a lot of oil and quick movement - I'll spare you the details since, but Kerala is known for it's ayurvedic medicine and massage, especially during the monsoon season apparently. We had decided the night before that we wanted to stay on the a houseboat the second night, so we took to Alleppey to board our houseboat right after our massages.

The houseboat was amazing. Gliding through the canals and lush backdrop was so relaxing, but at the same time energizing. We went towards Kollam and were treated to some great Keralan food and even tiger prawns (which we bought live from some riverside merchant). The houseboat docked for sleeping, but we covered quite a bit of ground and even went for a little swim in the backwaters. One of the houseboat crew kept asking us "You experience?" after I asked if it was safe to swim in the water. Mollie and I took down the lifesaver donuts from the dock and as we took the plunge, he asked John "Umm...are they experience?". I think he thought we were going to drown, but we made it out alright and were treated with our tiger prawns fresh off the grill.

We made our way back to the dock the next morning and took a car to explore Fort Cochin. They still use the tried and trusted Chinese fishing nets there, and it was cool to see 10 men 'reel' in the net, even if there were only three small fish. We made a quick dash to the Kochin airport afterwards to head to Hyderabad. The airport scene turned out to be one of those chaotic situations where the line through security which zig-zagged many times, collapsed in an instant and become a massive crowd of over 100 people trying to wedge themselves through a small door. Despite this small scene, I understand why Kerala refers to itself as "God's own Country".

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Kerala in Google Photos (also links from the slide show below).

Roadtrip and Rafting - Rishikesh

Essel Towers went on a road trip this weekend up north to Rishikesh. Known for its whitewater rafting, beautiful mountains, Ganges river, and yoga ashrams, we were ready to escape Delhi for some peace and quiet. First things first, a five hour car ride together in the equivalent of a minivan. Megan, Heather, Elliot, Louise, and I revisited our youth playing car games and switching iPods for the perfect tunes. We made our way into Rishikesh in the evening and got all of our plans ready for our upcoming rafting trip the next day.

Fast forward 12 hours - after swimming in the pool, wandering into town to buy some assorted items, we waited for pickup at the top of our hotel's huge hill. About 20 miscommunications and 20 kilometers on windy roads later, we were without a raft and without the Ganges. Apparently we had been literally chasing our own raft, when they might have just been 2km behind us. We're not really sure, but we drove up and down the river (backwards then forwards then backwards again), and got to know our car very well.

Defeated, we chowed down at the Choti Walla restaurant across from our hotel and got a good laugh out of Louise's cheese mashed potatoes and Elliot's mac & cheese. Who orders mashed potatoes and mac & cheese at an Indian restaurant? Well apparently Elliot and Louise do. We lined up another rafting trip for the following morning, early at 7am. Luckily, our ride was there the next morning and we went 26km up the river for our Marine Drive launching site. The Ganges was awesome - rapids were probably Class 2+/3-, and it was really beautiful. We all got to swim and float downstream for awhile, and even do some 'cliff diving'. Thank you Rishikesh.

Blog Photos - Here's a link to my photos of Rishikesh in Google Photos (also links from the slide show below).

Venice in India? - Udaipur

Known to some as the Venice of India, Louise and I decided to make the weekend trip to Udaipur in Rajasthan (the neighboring state of Haryana). Udaipur is most famous for its lakes, especially the Lake Palace which is a hotel which seems to float on water in the middle of the lake. It was also where the James Bond 'Octopussy' movie was shot, so people often go there to see the scene and have weddings in the same courtyards used to film the movie.

A Scorching Fairytale - Agra

This weekend was the time head to Agra before the weather gets too uncomfortable with the onset of summer. A couple people from work, Nemo and Henna, helped Louise and I plan a day trip out of Gurgaon to see the infamous Taj Mahal and some other sights in the Uttar Pradesh state (neighbors Haryana where I live). Of course I was really anxious to finally see in person what I had always thought of as a fairytale. The forecast was looking warm and those rays were hot - highs above 105° F.

We set out early for our four hour trip to Agra bright and early. About an hour into the trip, everyone's stomach started to rumble and we decided to stop along the way for a much needed Vada Coconut Masala Dosa (highly recommended). We scarfed down a dosa each, plus another one to share between the four of us. Content as little kids in a candy store, we continued on our journey and stopped first in Sikandra to see Akbar's Tomb. This is the resting place of the father of the ruler who created the Taj Mahal, or so I'm told. Beautiful red stone and gardens make way to Akbar's tomb. There weren't too many foreign tourists here in Sikandra, more of the Indian tourists coming to see a great ruler's tomb. The significance of this place is much more than I would ever be able to understand, but it is very important to Indians throughout the entire country.


Through the nightmarish traffic of Agra (read: driving on the wrong side of the road and just slipping by oncoming semis), we eventually made our way to the Taj Mahal. You cannot be dropped off at the entrance to the Taj, but instead at a parking lot about 1.5 kilometers from the main gate. That being said, it's a circus of cycle rickshaws, autoricksaws, horse drawn carriages, and camel drawn carts competing to bring you to the main gate. We opted for the camel and were brought through crowds of other tourists and people trying to sell trinkets of every sort (mostly leather whips actually). We made our way into the the grounds and all the hassle was definitely worth the wait. Walking through the arched entry, you see the white, glistening Taj Mahal in all its beauty. It's surreal. Whenever I had seen the Taj in photos, I always wondered how it could look so "fake" and why the weather was literally always perfect.

In any case, we took in the Taj for awhile in the main entry before we decided to put on a little show for Indian tourists (aka taking silly, crazy photos). People seemed pretty amused, but we continued on for the main reason we were here. You are able to get up close and personal with the mammoth white marble structure and go inside to see the tomb for the lady this Taj Mahal was built (along with her husband, the one who commissioned the work). It's actually a really interesting story, as he was imprisoned by his own son for running up unnecessary finances (essentially) and watched the completion of his majestic Taj Mahal from his prison cell. Every aspect of the Taj Mahal, architecturally-speaking, is really so magnificent. Apparently they also thought this in the 17th century, having brought in only the best craftsmen to work on the Taj, but later cutting off all of their thumbs/hands so as to prevent any replication of the beauty. Also because the air pollution is so bad, researchers and scientists are saying the marble, originally stark white, is becoming yellow. They are considering "encasing" the entire Taj Mahal with some sort of glass case. I hope they will be able to find some sort of alternative to encasing the beauty.

After moseying around the grounds for some time, we decided that it was time to head out. Fatehpur Sikri is another site fairly close the the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, which was once the capital to the Mughal Empire. The site is kind of a tourist trap full of aggressive touts, but we were able to get some peace and explore this fort/mosque. There is a nice view looking out onto the plains from the front gate. As the call to prayer started playing over the speakers at the mosque, we decided to was time to get on the road and head back to Gurgaon/Delhi.

I'm no history buff, but seeing these kinds of monuments beyond their architectural beauty and trying to understand them for historical significance is difficult sometimes, but just the sheer magnitude of these sites really puts things into perspective.

Here's a link to my photos of Agra and Uttar Pradesh in Google Photos/Picasa Web Albums (also links from below slide show).

One Week in India

It's been a week since I first arrived in India, and oddly I feel fairly settled both at work and at home. I had been hearing a lot about the "oppressive" heat in Delhi during the spring and summer months, but have found it to be very tolerable so far (check back in a month and I think I'll be singing a different song). My initial impression of Delhi/Gurgaon was that it is a bustling controlled chaos. There is always something going on and it's very much true that there you'll be lucky to find yourself in your own space with peace and quiet.

Coming into Gurgaon from Delhi's airport, I immediately noticed the stark contrast between the 

ultra-modern office buildings alongside squatter neighborhoods. On the highway, I pulled out my camera because this development surprised me and low and behold the photo I took from the highway was actually our office building! Here's a photo at left. Driving down the streets you see Mercedes, cows, scooters with entire families aboard, cycle rickshaws, walkers, and everything in between. Again, it's this kind of controlled chaos going on - Gurgaon is super crazy with construction everywhere, bad traffic, and just lots of people in general.

I'm staying at an apartment with some other co-workers and it's a lot of fun and really comfortable. It's about 10 minutes drive to the office in the morning and usually around 15 minutes on the way home. Luckily, Gurgaon is only 8km from Delhi...you'd think it would be a hop and skip away. Traffic usually won't allow that, but the longest it has taken me to get anywhere in Delhi has been 45 minutes (crossing my fingers it stays that way).

The first day I arrived, I met up with Megan and some of her friends at a market called Dillihat. There were tons of sarees, other textiles, jewelry, and supposedly really good food in the food court which looked like a concrete park. We opted to head to a pretty swanky Indian restaurant called Punjabi By Nature in Visant Vihar (a neighborhood in Delhi). We had a nice Indian feast complete with dhal, naan, spicey mushrooms, tikka masala, and more. This was definitely a nice culinary introduction to the country and made my taste buds super happy.

I spent the rest of the week becoming acclimated to the office and my new team here in Gurgaon. The office is very young (I'd put the average age well below 25), extremely kind, and generally easygoing. Trying to learn everyone's name is the most difficult part of it all. Not only is it difficult to pronounce a name when I see it on paper, I also have to match it to the person's face (pointing out the obvious here). I've been trying all kinds of new Indian food in the office cafe and again just trying to meet a lot of people. Each night after work we come home to a cooked Indian meal which is always great and something I very much look forward to.

It's only been a week, but again I feel very calm and settled in already. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I suppose that means I can better concentrate on work. I'm also getting really excited about exploring more of Delhi, and India in general. Delhi seems to be a great launching pad to reach many of India's great travel destinations by both rail and air.

First Thing's First - Taiwan

Chicken pie, hot springs, pearl tea, Mandarin, green, and bustling. These are some of the things that come to mind thinking about Taiwan. Before heading to India, I decided to take a small detour in Taiwan for about six days. I had never been there before, but had heard lots of great things and figured this was as good as time as any to make a quick stop in Taipei. Of course, many think of Taiwan as a mix between the urban centers of China and Hong Kong, but Taiwan is really different from any of those larger cities.

After bathing in my own sweat and getting a ride from a random person I met asking for directions, I made my way into a nice little hostel in Taipei. I spent quite some time in Taipei wandering around, and made the visit to our office in Taipei 101 (arguably the tallest inhabited building in the world to date). Other stops in the city included the Shilin night market, in all its splendor. We're talking lanes and alleys filled with different shops, from puppy and pet stalls to carnival-like games, ear candle stations, and everything in between. Thanks to a very modern (and super cheap) metro system, I was able to cover a lot of ground and get into some very interesting neighborhoods. Ximen, a modern commercial neighborhood similar to Mong Kok in Hong Kong, was one of my favorites. Just the sheer buzz and total commercialism in the place made for lots to do, and of course eat.

I knew that I wanted to relax and get some time to clear my mind before heading to India, so I set out on a little journey southward to Tainan, the oldest city in Taiwan. A great pedestrian city, but also a great jumping off point to some great places including the Southern Island Highway, and one of Taiwan's most scenic and quiet hot springs. It's a long story, but getting to that hot springs ended up being close to impossible so I took in the city and made my way back to Taipei the next evening.

I managed to be center stage at the Beitou hot springs, which are accessible by the metro system in Taipei, by being yelled at over a loud speaker in front of about 100 people. Apparently there are some very strict rules about using hot springs, such as no wading - it's either completely in down to your chest or completely out. After realizing that all eyes were on me, I put two and two together and got out of the pool. I also didn't realize that the seven or so pools were organized based on temperature (the highest one on the hill was closest to the source and as a result the hottest and least crowded, so foolishly I tried to enter this one first and cried like a little baby).

I was able to use this knowledge heading to Jiaosi the next day, which is a beautiful two-hour train ride from Taipei on the east side of the island. We're talking some great hot springs here, that supposedly had just been visited by Taiwan's highest and most important political figures. I spent several hours in the public hot springs, probably the best $2 I spent in Taiwan. It was great...so relaxing, and I even found a hotel for the night that pulled their water from the hot spring as well.

Taiwan is an amazing mix of urban jungle and lush green countryside with something always going on. Floating in for a few days and seeing a lot of the comforts I'm used to (aka the Patagonia store in downtown Taipei), is something that I'll hopefully be able to grow on in the near future. I also realized that I really need to sit down some day and learn some more Mandarin. Sometimes I feel like a chicken with my head chopped off.

Here's a link to my photos of Taiwan in Google Photos/Picasa Web Albums (also links from slide show below).

A Brief Blog Introduction - Gurgaon

Looks like cabin fever finally got the best of me in San Francisco. It's now just two days until I take off on my six-month journey to India. Yikes. My new home during this time will be in Gurgaon, located just outside of Delhi in the northern part of the India. I know this is going to be a great adventure, but I'll admit I'm little nervous. Ask me anything about India, Gurgaon, or my work, and I probably won't know where to start.

What I do know is that Gurgaon has boomed during the past decade thanks to its economic success and has a population of nearly 300,000, give or take a hundred thousand depending on your source. The quick economic growth has come with some headaches in that the city's infrastructure (new roads, public transportation, etc.) haven't kept up with the pace of growth. Gurgaon is, however, home to some glitzy commercial centers, aka malls, and I believe may even be home to India's largest mall (this is through the grapevine, yet to be confirmed). Let's just say that Gurgaon is really booming.

Want to know what the heck I'm talking about? Here's an article that was published recently in the New York Times about India's fast-paced growth and need for energy. There are some good photos of Gurgaon which give you at least some idea of what I mean. You can check out the article here (click the name): "Thirsting for Energy in India's Boomtowns and Beyond".

Check out Wikipedia for the complete article on Gurgaon.

I'm definitely excited to be in the thick of this part of India that is quickly growing, power outages and all.

I'm hoping to document as much as possible in this blog.
Stay tuned for more...