We knew we wanted to travel through Viet Nam on this trip, but we weren’t exactly sure how to make the most of five days we had to spend there. Our airline tickets were from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City, but everyone we talked to kept saying “head north, head north!” So, that’s what we did. We bought another flight to Hanoi, spent the night there and then hired a car the next morning to drive us to Ha Long Bay, which we had heard was incredibly beautiful. Three and one half hours later we arrived in the bay and then boarded a wooden hotel boat which would take us out to Cat Ba Island. The boat we were put on turned out to be an overnight cruise for most of the passengers on board – we were just hitching a ride out to Cat Ba Island. What could have been a 45 minute boat ride, turned into a four hour leisurely cruise through the massive limestone islands, with a stop off on one of the island to tour some totally cool caves. It was hot, there was definitely a language challenge, and it was a long day of travel, but we were really glad we had the chance to cruise the bay because it was beautiful. Ha Long Bay is considered one of the many “wonders of the world” and it really deserves the distinction. As you cruise through the dramatic outcroppings of rock and vegetation, you get the feeling that there’s no end to the surroundings.
We arrived on Cat Ba Island and were dropped off at the pier, where we were supposed to call our hotel and have them come pick us up. They forgot to tell us there’s no cell phone service at the pier, so after a little negotiating and bribery, Matt communicated with one of the locals enough to convince him to drive on his motor scooter far enough to get cell reception so he could call us a taxi. About an hour later this little tiny blue car pulls up to the pier and we just all cracked up. By that time, it didn’t matter – we were bound and determined to pile into the car for the 30 minute drive across the island to our hotel! The island is something out of Jurassic Park and we fully expected to see a T-Rex nibbling on some tourists! Cat Ba is a national park and protected by UNESCO and it’s a really unique ecosystem. Needless to say, we were all ready for a swim in the South China Sea, a few beers and some decent food. We were pretty wiped out that night, but really happy to be on the island and in our nice hotel rooms which look out across the sea to some more stunning islands. Matt and I rented a tandem bike and cruised around town one day, but aside from that, we were pretty content to walk on the trails on the island, swim, read and watch movies at night.
The trip back to Hanoi was another exciting adventure, but all in all, we were glad we made the effort (that’s the mild explanation) to get out to the Bay. We were really pleased to be back at the Bro and Sis Hotel in Hanoi where we were greeted like old friends. We cleaned up and headed out for dinner, only to find that the restaurant didn’t take VISA. Matt went in search of an ATM and after about an hour of trying several machines to no avail, he returned to the restaurant. We were cracking up because as we waited in the air conditioned restaurant, Matt was out there negotiating with a local who finally put him on the back of his scooter and drove him around the lake to a working ATM. It was quite comical and after a three day “Comedy of Errors”, we really just had to laugh. Matt returned victorious with cash in hand and the entire restaurant clapped and patted us on the backs as we left! There’s something about being in a place where it doesn’t matter what color your American Express is, or how much money is in your bank account, cash is cash. The great equalizer!
With full bellies and a few glasses of wine in us, we decided to walk for a while before returning to our hotel. We walked the busy streets, horns honking, motor scooters whizzing by, tiny plastic stools and tables set up in front of makeshift restaurants for serving food to the locals, trash piled in the streets, men smoking, kids playing and vendors selling their fruits and vegetables. In moments like this, you can either savor the sights, smells and chaos, or you can repel from it and hurry back to the sanctuary of your hotel room. I think the greatest gift this trip has given me is the ability to just take it all in – smell it, smile at it, feel it, engage it and burn it into the memory of my mind and soul.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Cambodia - Siem Reap and Phnom Penh
Cambodia has been high on my list of places I’ve wanted to travel to for quite some time. From the photos I’d seen, I’d always been intrigued with Angkor Wat and the beauty of the natural environment of Cambodia. We were treated to the most vigorous downpour of monsoon rain as we landed in the Siem Reap airport, but the skies were blue by the time we reached our hotel, which was lovely. Cambodia is a country still recovering from an incredibly painful period of genocide that virtually left no one in the country unscathed. Our tour, guide, Bun Rath, shared with us how he had lost his mother, father, sister and brother during the Khmer Rouge regime. He was very young and remembers very little – just that he grew up without his family. The town of Siem Reap is slow paced, simple, calm and thriving off tourism generated by Angkor Wat. We spent four days touring the surrounding temples (which I had no idea existed!) of Angkor Thom, Preah Khan, Ta Phrom, Banteay Srei, Bayon and the Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace. Of course, the highlight was Angkor Wat which was just beautiful, magical and impressive. I was really taken with Angkor Thom, the temple with the smiling Buddha faces on the towers. You could just feel the happy spirits all around you. Bayon temple was draped with banyon trees that have literally climbed on top of the temple walls and spill down from the wall edges as their roots reach for the ground. It’s quite alien and mysterious. Most of the temples were originally built as Buddhist temples, then at some point, as leadership changed, converted to Hindu temples. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Buddha images and carvings that have been removed and replaced with Hindu Aspara dancers. But, Buddha lives on in Angkor Wat and even though the temple is originally Hindu, you can stop and give offerings to Buddha in a stupa in the middle of the temple. Alex had a really special experience when a sweet, elder Buddhist monk took her hand and invited her to pray with him. He gave her incense and had her kneel with him as he chanted a prayer for her. She placed her offering in the sand in front of Buddha then the monk invited her to sit with him for a while as he read her good fortune and tied a red string bracelet around her wrist as he chanted another prayer of protection and good luck. It was so cool to watch and the two of them have obviously connected before in some other lifetime. Very sweet and moving.
We also took a boat tour out on the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. It was fascinating to observe “life on the lake”. There’s quite a bit of poverty and it was incredible to see how resourceful people can be when they have so little. Families live on small wooden fishing boats, covered with tree branches and palm fronds and most of them sleep in hammocks. They have so little, but we were amazed by how many boat huts were equipped with modern day TV’s! Pretty crazy. Sadly, the lake is used for every part of their daily life – washing, cooking, fishing, and eliminating. Very sad.
We loved the Cambodian people – especially the children. We all noticed how easy it was to catch someone’s eye and get a huge, warm grin from them as they passed you on their motor scooters, or just walking down the streets. The kids are playful and generous and very smart and engaging. It’s a sad reality that so many Cambodian’s are missing limbs due to the millions of landmines that were planted during Pol Pot’s regime, but it doesn’t stop them from playing music, selling books and being productive. It’s pretty inspiring and another reminder of our own good fortune.
We only spent two nights in Phnom Penh, but we managed to get out to the Killing Fields with the Bones Memorial, S-21 which was the high school turned into an interrogation center, the Grand Palace and Independence Memorial. Again, it’s hard to comprehend the senseless killing of approximately 4 million Cambodian men, women and children – and to think it all happened while I was going to the drive-in movies, playing soccer and finishing high school. I read another great book called “When Broken Glass Floats”, by Chanrithy Han, which is the story of a Cambodian girl’s survival of the Khmer Rouge. It’s a really well written account of what the Cambodian people were experiencing during this time. Very sad, but very enlightening.
Cambodia has so much to offer, but I’d have to say, its greatest asset is its people. I’d return to Cambodia just to visit the people.
We also took a boat tour out on the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. It was fascinating to observe “life on the lake”. There’s quite a bit of poverty and it was incredible to see how resourceful people can be when they have so little. Families live on small wooden fishing boats, covered with tree branches and palm fronds and most of them sleep in hammocks. They have so little, but we were amazed by how many boat huts were equipped with modern day TV’s! Pretty crazy. Sadly, the lake is used for every part of their daily life – washing, cooking, fishing, and eliminating. Very sad.
We loved the Cambodian people – especially the children. We all noticed how easy it was to catch someone’s eye and get a huge, warm grin from them as they passed you on their motor scooters, or just walking down the streets. The kids are playful and generous and very smart and engaging. It’s a sad reality that so many Cambodian’s are missing limbs due to the millions of landmines that were planted during Pol Pot’s regime, but it doesn’t stop them from playing music, selling books and being productive. It’s pretty inspiring and another reminder of our own good fortune.
We only spent two nights in Phnom Penh, but we managed to get out to the Killing Fields with the Bones Memorial, S-21 which was the high school turned into an interrogation center, the Grand Palace and Independence Memorial. Again, it’s hard to comprehend the senseless killing of approximately 4 million Cambodian men, women and children – and to think it all happened while I was going to the drive-in movies, playing soccer and finishing high school. I read another great book called “When Broken Glass Floats”, by Chanrithy Han, which is the story of a Cambodian girl’s survival of the Khmer Rouge. It’s a really well written account of what the Cambodian people were experiencing during this time. Very sad, but very enlightening.
Cambodia has so much to offer, but I’d have to say, its greatest asset is its people. I’d return to Cambodia just to visit the people.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Thailand
The moment we landed on the runway in Bangkok, I knew I’d love this city. Our first impression of this metropolis was that of the night skyline and the gorgeous, modern airport. There is definitely truth in the notion that the airport sets the tone for a person’s experience of a city. On our travels, we’ve so far landed in 21 different cities (we have 10 more to go) and I can honestly say… they haven’t all been winners. The airport in Delhi was atrocious (although under construction) and I have to admit, it set a mood that was hard to shake. Anyway, back to Bangkok. We drove to Old Bangkok where we stayed in a ten room guesthouse called the Old Bangkok Inn. The Inn was designed in that fabulous Thai style of teak wood and warm green colors and we loved it! The charming elderly couple that ran the Inn was so incredibly sweet – like all the Thai people we met.
Our first chore in Bangkok was to head to Raja’s Fashions and have some custom suits and shirts made for Matt. He had read about Raja in Men’s Vogue and we knew we had to go see Raja and his son Bobby. We jumped on a river boat, which dropped us in the shopping district, and then we took the Sky Train the rest of the way. We were so impressed with the cleanliness and ease of getting around the city. Raja’s Fashions was a great experience. Matt was very well taken care of by Bobby and his father and he ended up buying three suits, six custom shirts and four ties (all for the cost of one nice suit in the U.S.) We spent the rest of the day shopping at MBK and the Paragon Mall where Matt took Alex to a special Lomography photography exhibit that we just happened to catch on the opening day. The exhibit was definitely the hip place to be and Alex had a blast being part of the scene.
We spent one full day in Bangkok visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Po where the golden, reclining Buddha rests, and Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn). The Grand Palace was one massive jewel box! The entire palace is decorated with tiny pieces of gold, emerald green, cobalt blue, red and yellow tiles. It’s remarkable and we were really taken with the whole complex. The reclining Buddha was another extraordinary site; lying on his side with his head perched in his hand and completely covered in gold, he was very impressive. The Temple of the Dawn is an unusual temple made from broken pieces of porcelain and pottery. It’s more organic then some of the other temples, but also, very striking. Later in the evening, we went out for a completely authentic Thai dinner. They told us “no worry… no hot for you”, which basically meant we left with our tongues intact, but with no taste buds attached!
The only regret we had about Thailand was that we didn’t head far enough south for our three beach days. We decided to go to Hau Hin, in the Gulf of Thailand, and it was quite unimpressive. We ended up staying at a really nice Hilton, on the beach, but it was a little disappointing because we wanted to snorkel and see some blue water. We made the best of it and enjoyed bopping around the town, getting Thai foot massages and pedicures, and eating some good food. Next time, we’ll go to Ko Samui or Phuket.
We headed back to Bangkok for one more fitting at Raja’s, then off to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Bangkok was a great experience – the people are friendly and warm, the city is vibrant, clean and easy to be in, and the Thai culture is beautiful and invites you to come back for another visit.
Our first chore in Bangkok was to head to Raja’s Fashions and have some custom suits and shirts made for Matt. He had read about Raja in Men’s Vogue and we knew we had to go see Raja and his son Bobby. We jumped on a river boat, which dropped us in the shopping district, and then we took the Sky Train the rest of the way. We were so impressed with the cleanliness and ease of getting around the city. Raja’s Fashions was a great experience. Matt was very well taken care of by Bobby and his father and he ended up buying three suits, six custom shirts and four ties (all for the cost of one nice suit in the U.S.) We spent the rest of the day shopping at MBK and the Paragon Mall where Matt took Alex to a special Lomography photography exhibit that we just happened to catch on the opening day. The exhibit was definitely the hip place to be and Alex had a blast being part of the scene.
We spent one full day in Bangkok visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Po where the golden, reclining Buddha rests, and Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn). The Grand Palace was one massive jewel box! The entire palace is decorated with tiny pieces of gold, emerald green, cobalt blue, red and yellow tiles. It’s remarkable and we were really taken with the whole complex. The reclining Buddha was another extraordinary site; lying on his side with his head perched in his hand and completely covered in gold, he was very impressive. The Temple of the Dawn is an unusual temple made from broken pieces of porcelain and pottery. It’s more organic then some of the other temples, but also, very striking. Later in the evening, we went out for a completely authentic Thai dinner. They told us “no worry… no hot for you”, which basically meant we left with our tongues intact, but with no taste buds attached!
The only regret we had about Thailand was that we didn’t head far enough south for our three beach days. We decided to go to Hau Hin, in the Gulf of Thailand, and it was quite unimpressive. We ended up staying at a really nice Hilton, on the beach, but it was a little disappointing because we wanted to snorkel and see some blue water. We made the best of it and enjoyed bopping around the town, getting Thai foot massages and pedicures, and eating some good food. Next time, we’ll go to Ko Samui or Phuket.
We headed back to Bangkok for one more fitting at Raja’s, then off to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Bangkok was a great experience – the people are friendly and warm, the city is vibrant, clean and easy to be in, and the Thai culture is beautiful and invites you to come back for another visit.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal
Eighteen years ago I was planning a solo trip to Nepal, when a handsome, charming man came into my life and lets just say . . . I got a little side tracked. Matt had just returned from his six month travels around the world and he would leave me maps and brochures of Nepal on my desk at work , being the supportive new boyfriend that he was. I never took that trip, but I never doubted that, one day, we'd go to Nepal as a family. So, it was a long time coming, but so worth the wait, and so much fun to share it with Alex, Madeline and Matt.
We stationed ourselves in the Thamel area of Kathmandu, which is where all the trekkers and mountain bikers base themselves before taking off to the Himalayas. We spent eight days at the Kathmandu Guesthouse, a hip little spot with spacious, clean rooms (at $40 per night!) gardens, a small bar, restaurants and plenty of places to hang out and meet other world travelers. Out of all the places we've traveled so far, Kathmandu seemed to attract the most adventurous breed of travelers. We met a couple from Holland who have been riding their bikes around the world for three years. There was Ai from China, who decided to live at the Guesthouse for four months to learn English. A bright light in our Nepal trip was meeting Alex from Toronto, who was working in Bombay, but came to Kathmandu in hopes of renewing her India Visa. Alex is a smart,
beautiful, promising young woman, who celebrated her 23rd birthday at the Guesthouse. The girls were really taken with her - especially our Alex (and even better that they shared the same name). The more people we met, the more our six month travels started sounding like a three-day weekend to the Mystery Spot in Arizona! There are some really courageous people out there in the world and we just soaked in the stories and personalities while we were there.
The monsoon season is well underway in Nepal which meant that every day we had dramatic rain storms that lasted for at least an hour. The day we decided to visit the Monkey Temple, it dumped rain the moment we finished our long climb to the top and we were stranded up there for about an hour. On another day we took a four hour trek through the farm lands outside of Kathmandu and just as we sat down for lunch, the clouds broke loose. We had hiked to 7,200 feet and we had a front row seat of the parading thunder clouds. The forever views of the fertile green terraced mountains, which produce rice, corn and potatoes, completely disappeared in the downpour. The trek was definitely a highlight and left Matt and I with a desire to return to Nepal for a more extensive, long-term trek.
It was very interesting to have been in Nepal, especially Kathmandu, for such a historical moment in Nepal's history. The deposed Nepali king left his palace to begin his life as a civilian in the new republic on Wednesday, June 11th. The media were all over that place and we spoke with some French journalists, our neighbors at the Guesthouse, who shared some grim insight into the future of the Nepalese political situation. The country is in transition and hopefully will fare well through the journey.
We managed to venture out to Durbar Square, Patan (which is where the Temple of 1,000 Buddhas is), Bakhtapur and all over Thamel. The temples and architecture of the old sections of the city are so beautiful. The people are gentle and good-natured and we particulary had fun with the kids in the streets and around the temples. They like to engage you, often to sell you something, but sometimes they just want to laugh with you and be silly. I carried suckers around in my purse and had a lot of fun handing them out to willing takers. I'll never forget one little boy (about five) who took a sucker, smiled and said thanks, then disappeared. About 1/2 hour later, we were leaving in the taxi and the same boy was running along side us, holding his sucker in the air, waving and smiling at me.It's a mental picture I will never forget.
There is so much more to explore in Nepal, but now, it's under my skin, so I know I'll return. Alex was completely taken with Thamel, the glimpse of trekking, and the "culture" of the Guesthouse. She's itching to get back very soon!
I'm reading The Snow Leopard right now and it's a beautifully written account of one man's spiritual, physical and emotional journey as he treks through the Himalayas of Nepal. I don't think I'd ever be that ambitous, but the story is an inspiring one. I think there are many people who travel to Nepal with big dreams and aspirations and you can just feel it in the air when you're there. I feel very blessed to have experienced the wonder of Nepal.
Namaste
We stationed ourselves in the Thamel area of Kathmandu, which is where all the trekkers and mountain bikers base themselves before taking off to the Himalayas. We spent eight days at the Kathmandu Guesthouse, a hip little spot with spacious, clean rooms (at $40 per night!) gardens, a small bar, restaurants and plenty of places to hang out and meet other world travelers. Out of all the places we've traveled so far, Kathmandu seemed to attract the most adventurous breed of travelers. We met a couple from Holland who have been riding their bikes around the world for three years. There was Ai from China, who decided to live at the Guesthouse for four months to learn English. A bright light in our Nepal trip was meeting Alex from Toronto, who was working in Bombay, but came to Kathmandu in hopes of renewing her India Visa. Alex is a smart,
beautiful, promising young woman, who celebrated her 23rd birthday at the Guesthouse. The girls were really taken with her - especially our Alex (and even better that they shared the same name). The more people we met, the more our six month travels started sounding like a three-day weekend to the Mystery Spot in Arizona! There are some really courageous people out there in the world and we just soaked in the stories and personalities while we were there.
The monsoon season is well underway in Nepal which meant that every day we had dramatic rain storms that lasted for at least an hour. The day we decided to visit the Monkey Temple, it dumped rain the moment we finished our long climb to the top and we were stranded up there for about an hour. On another day we took a four hour trek through the farm lands outside of Kathmandu and just as we sat down for lunch, the clouds broke loose. We had hiked to 7,200 feet and we had a front row seat of the parading thunder clouds. The forever views of the fertile green terraced mountains, which produce rice, corn and potatoes, completely disappeared in the downpour. The trek was definitely a highlight and left Matt and I with a desire to return to Nepal for a more extensive, long-term trek.
It was very interesting to have been in Nepal, especially Kathmandu, for such a historical moment in Nepal's history. The deposed Nepali king left his palace to begin his life as a civilian in the new republic on Wednesday, June 11th. The media were all over that place and we spoke with some French journalists, our neighbors at the Guesthouse, who shared some grim insight into the future of the Nepalese political situation. The country is in transition and hopefully will fare well through the journey.
We managed to venture out to Durbar Square, Patan (which is where the Temple of 1,000 Buddhas is), Bakhtapur and all over Thamel. The temples and architecture of the old sections of the city are so beautiful. The people are gentle and good-natured and we particulary had fun with the kids in the streets and around the temples. They like to engage you, often to sell you something, but sometimes they just want to laugh with you and be silly. I carried suckers around in my purse and had a lot of fun handing them out to willing takers. I'll never forget one little boy (about five) who took a sucker, smiled and said thanks, then disappeared. About 1/2 hour later, we were leaving in the taxi and the same boy was running along side us, holding his sucker in the air, waving and smiling at me.It's a mental picture I will never forget.
There is so much more to explore in Nepal, but now, it's under my skin, so I know I'll return. Alex was completely taken with Thamel, the glimpse of trekking, and the "culture" of the Guesthouse. She's itching to get back very soon!
I'm reading The Snow Leopard right now and it's a beautifully written account of one man's spiritual, physical and emotional journey as he treks through the Himalayas of Nepal. I don't think I'd ever be that ambitous, but the story is an inspiring one. I think there are many people who travel to Nepal with big dreams and aspirations and you can just feel it in the air when you're there. I feel very blessed to have experienced the wonder of Nepal.
Namaste
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Delhi, India
When we planned to include India in this trip, we knew going in that we would not be able to give India the time it deserved to really get to know it. Instead of skipping the country altogether, we decided to spend four days in Delhi with the few expectations of seeing the Taj Mahal and visiting the markets. What we experienced in India, we could never have planned for, had we stayed there for a whole month.
The best decision we made was to forego the big hotels and stay at a very small guesthouse tucked away in a neighborhood in the heart of Delhi. The guesthouse, The Thikana, felt just like we were staying in someone’s home. We got in very early in the morning, after a long flight, so we all crashed right away. When we woke up in the late morning, we were greeted in the dining room by the lovely people who run the guesthouse, Sheetal, her mom, Geeta and her cousin Geetu. We sat for a long time and chatted with these amazing women and when we finally left to explore for the afternoon, we couldn’t wait to come “home” to have dinner with our new family! The next three days were more of the same – lots of laughs, sharing stories of travel, family and philosophies on life. The girls were so taken with the three women and declared Geetu their Indian Aunt.
We spent one entire day traveling to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and it was a sensory overload! Driving through that part of India is chaotic, depressing, beautiful, heart wrenching, humorous and filled with the constant honking of car horns. The Taj Mahal was gorgeous and everything you would expect it to be. We also spent a day with a driver who took us around Delhi to Humayun’s Tomb, Qutb-Minar, the Lotus Temple, few really fun markets and the post office! Qutb-Minar was one of my favorite ruins. It’s just gorgeous and serene and I love the Indian and Arab details in the architecture. The markets were fun and I found some really cool paper products and leather sandals that I really love. We went to the post office to mail a package and it was a complete trip to participate in the protocol India’s postal service. You hand your parcel over to a little man who takes it and wraps it in white muslin, then stitches the edges and ends together so the whole package is concealed like a present. Then he finishes off the seams with hot, red wax, seals it, sews in the mailing instructions, and glues another form onto the front of the package. It took about an hour to mail two letters and one package! We have some great stories from post office experiences all over the planet. I definitely have a greater appreciation for the USPS.
We ended our India stay with an incredible Indian dinner at Bukhara in the Mauyra Hotel. The food was absolutely some of the best we’ve ever had. The chicken dishes were incredible and the black lentils are a restaurant specialty. We ate with our hands, which made the meal that much better. We went home to rest, but the party didn’t stop there as Atul, Sheetal’s husband, was waiting for Matt so they could share a scotch and cigar. I’m not exactly sure what time Matt crawled into our room, but he didn’t have to drive, so it didn’t matter!
It was really difficult to say goodbye to our Delhi family and I don’t think they could possibly know how grateful we were to have been so welcomed and cared for in their special home by such a warm family. We vowed to meet again someday and the heart of India was revealed to us in a way we never expected. We will return to India – it draws you in and you want to feel more.
The best decision we made was to forego the big hotels and stay at a very small guesthouse tucked away in a neighborhood in the heart of Delhi. The guesthouse, The Thikana, felt just like we were staying in someone’s home. We got in very early in the morning, after a long flight, so we all crashed right away. When we woke up in the late morning, we were greeted in the dining room by the lovely people who run the guesthouse, Sheetal, her mom, Geeta and her cousin Geetu. We sat for a long time and chatted with these amazing women and when we finally left to explore for the afternoon, we couldn’t wait to come “home” to have dinner with our new family! The next three days were more of the same – lots of laughs, sharing stories of travel, family and philosophies on life. The girls were so taken with the three women and declared Geetu their Indian Aunt.
We spent one entire day traveling to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and it was a sensory overload! Driving through that part of India is chaotic, depressing, beautiful, heart wrenching, humorous and filled with the constant honking of car horns. The Taj Mahal was gorgeous and everything you would expect it to be. We also spent a day with a driver who took us around Delhi to Humayun’s Tomb, Qutb-Minar, the Lotus Temple, few really fun markets and the post office! Qutb-Minar was one of my favorite ruins. It’s just gorgeous and serene and I love the Indian and Arab details in the architecture. The markets were fun and I found some really cool paper products and leather sandals that I really love. We went to the post office to mail a package and it was a complete trip to participate in the protocol India’s postal service. You hand your parcel over to a little man who takes it and wraps it in white muslin, then stitches the edges and ends together so the whole package is concealed like a present. Then he finishes off the seams with hot, red wax, seals it, sews in the mailing instructions, and glues another form onto the front of the package. It took about an hour to mail two letters and one package! We have some great stories from post office experiences all over the planet. I definitely have a greater appreciation for the USPS.
We ended our India stay with an incredible Indian dinner at Bukhara in the Mauyra Hotel. The food was absolutely some of the best we’ve ever had. The chicken dishes were incredible and the black lentils are a restaurant specialty. We ate with our hands, which made the meal that much better. We went home to rest, but the party didn’t stop there as Atul, Sheetal’s husband, was waiting for Matt so they could share a scotch and cigar. I’m not exactly sure what time Matt crawled into our room, but he didn’t have to drive, so it didn’t matter!
It was really difficult to say goodbye to our Delhi family and I don’t think they could possibly know how grateful we were to have been so welcomed and cared for in their special home by such a warm family. We vowed to meet again someday and the heart of India was revealed to us in a way we never expected. We will return to India – it draws you in and you want to feel more.
Dubai
Is it shallow of me to say that my favorite thing about Dubai was the carmel corn we ate at the giant Cineplex in the Emirates Mall while watching Indiana Jones? O.K., then how about this one; we all adored the experience of flying business class from Nairobi to Dubai and Dubai to Delhi on Emirates Airlines. Oh wait, no that’s no good. O.K., here’s one – we were so happy to have a nice condo with a washing machine so we could do all of our wash (I mean every last piece!). Well, you get the drift - there’s not much to love about Dubai except the modern conveniences of Western culture! It is a Middle Eastern phenomenon and a bit of an environmental disaster, but you have to love the entrepreneurial spirit there. The Emirates are all going berserk with development and there’s so much more to come. It was interesting to listen to the conversations of the young people (mostly English and Australian) who have come there to make their fortunes. From the sounds of it, there is plenty of fortune to go around. It’s a feeding frenzy!
We did have fun one night when we drove out to the desert in a four-wheeler and tore up the sand dunes for a few hours. The girls were screaming with laughter as we rolled over the tops of the sand dunes and felt like the whole car would roll over sliding down the side of the dune! It was exhilarating (but not environmentally p.c.!)Then, we all drove to a little desert oasis and had a fabulous Middle Eastern dinner and watched some belly dancing. They had sand-boarding, henna painting, camel riding and various other activities and it was really fun. We wanted to see Dubai for ourselves and I’m really glad we did. The people are absolutely beautiful, especially those in their national dress. Dubai has an amazing skyline, but sadly, you can so little of it through the sand clouds and pollution. It’s a wildly out-of-control place and now, we can say we’ve been there!
We did have fun one night when we drove out to the desert in a four-wheeler and tore up the sand dunes for a few hours. The girls were screaming with laughter as we rolled over the tops of the sand dunes and felt like the whole car would roll over sliding down the side of the dune! It was exhilarating (but not environmentally p.c.!)Then, we all drove to a little desert oasis and had a fabulous Middle Eastern dinner and watched some belly dancing. They had sand-boarding, henna painting, camel riding and various other activities and it was really fun. We wanted to see Dubai for ourselves and I’m really glad we did. The people are absolutely beautiful, especially those in their national dress. Dubai has an amazing skyline, but sadly, you can so little of it through the sand clouds and pollution. It’s a wildly out-of-control place and now, we can say we’ve been there!
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