Dec 22, 2012 - New Delhi, India [5]

December 22, 2012 Still no signs of Christmas. It’s great!! I am in Delhi. I arrived yesterday around 2 or 3pm. I found my way to Koral Bagh no problem. I had to ask a few people. I am staying at the same place. I met Manish within minutes. He’s my best friend in India. Great guy. We had chai and talked about the trip. Cara and I are going to his place for dinner. He lives with his Mom. It’s midnight. I laid around most of the day. After, I got up and walked around the market. I found the place where I ate at in 2004. I got sick eating...

Dec 8, 2012 - Closing Thoughts

My third adventure to India has ended. It finished from where it began at the Hotel Saptagiri in, Delhi. I bid India farewell with a finale dinner; a Kingfisher and a curry, a fitting end to a magnificent trip. Once again, in a blitz of two short weeks,I experienced so much. My destinations to Pushkar, Bundi, Chittaurgarh and Amritsar, all exceeded my expectations. More importantly, my journey was rich and memorable with countless number of local folks who genuinely wanted to talk with me or were quick to provide me assistance. And not to...

Nov 25, 2012 - Delhi [4], India

November 25, 2012 It seems like it’s been ages since I wrote. And it’s been. Sometimes writing begins to be a chore. I should be writing. I have the time. The worst thing about not writing every couple of days is that I forget what happened a when it happened I’ll start since Mom left. She sure had a great time. I move hotels. I am now staying at China Town. It’s a good hotel albeit a little rich for me. Rs.1600/night. USD$31. It has WiFi in the room and satellite TV. Waiting for my bike sucks. Actually the first few days after Mom left it...

Nov 24, 2012 - I'm On My Way and....

I'm still savoring yesterday's turkey and buffet of accompaniments....and I remain so very thankful for all that I have; a wonderful wife, family, friends, good health and grand opportunities begin a long list of blessings. My first stop of the morning was at Target. I navigated amongst the many black Friday shoppers and was quick to grab a box of granola bars and make my exit. These are my survival snacks and are essential for those times of craving, when nothing else is available to eat. My American Airlines flight departed CVG on-time...

Nov 8, 2012 - Delhi [3], India

November 7, 2011 I woke up today feeling like shit. I have a cold/lung infection. Probably from sleeping on the cement floor in Agra train station. We started off by going to the Qutb Minar just outside of town. For me this is one of Delhi’s best sites, next to the Ghandi Smriti (Ghandi’s house). The Minar stands 73m high and is 15m in diameter at the base and 2.5 at the top. It was built by Sultan Qutb-ud to commiserate the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. Its construction began in 1193. While this is a magnificent structure I...

Nov 3, 2012 - Delhi for a stopover - no pics, just R&R

An overnighter in Delhi gave us a chance for some R&R before our flight to Colombo. We stayed at a Hotel near Delhi airport to keep things very simple. With a thick blanket of fog layered with smog, apparently typical for this time of year following monsoon, we decided not to venture out just for the sake of venturing out. Instead, we took the opportunity to actually enjoy our accommodation and make the most of the facilities. A quick visit to the gym and a relaxing swim did the trick. We were ready for the next stage of our adventure - Sri...

Oct 16, 2012 - Dehli [2], India

September 15, 2012 On each post I am only allowed to write 32,000 words. I see I have only 3219 words left on my October 12, 13 and 14 postings so I am going to have to start Delhi [2] What did I do today?? Hhhhmmmmm. I walked to Guru Nanak market. Nothing much to do. I did find a blacksmith who I can do some work for me I'm going to have a foot made for Suukye’s side stand. I will weld in on the side stand so that Suukyi can leave her foot print everywhere she goes. She’ll like that. I also bought some joss sticks for puja at night and...

Oct 12, 2012 - Delhi, is there another?

October 12, 2012 I arrived in Delhi at 10:30 pm last night. As promised the driver was there. He’s a cute middle aged man about 55. His name is Sanjay. He is divorced with three kids. Two boys and a girl. He was complaining that the kids were always asking him for money to buy pens, pencils, paper and books for school. I said nothing to that. I really wanted to remind him that the social safety net is your sons and by giving everyone an education you are investing in your retirement. Kinda like an Indian version of RRSP’s. He said he is...

Aug 23, 2012 - Delhi and Agra

Feeling sick with nerves and excitement we get to Heathrow T5 for our 1740 flight to Delhi. Was really horrible saying goodbye to my family but before long we had boarded our flight. After telling the air hostess of this was the start of our travels we got upgraded to first class. After some Champagne, films, getting to level 10 of tetris, having a bed on our flight and a chicken kiev, we had landed in Delhi at 6am. 4.5 hours ahead of the UK. Feeling apprehensive we got in a taxi at the airport lots of Indian men shouting at us to use their...

Jul 22, 2012 - Delhi

7-22 From cool hill stations down to humid, hot plains in 3+ hours. Body adjustments in store again. Sunny most of the way, where did the monsoon season go? Took the metro from Kashmir Gate bus terminal after a quick McD dinner stop and got off at New Dehli train station. Tired and late (it's dark now) we hope a bicycle rickshaw to Ajay's GH where we have reserved a room. A shower and shave and I feel alive again after sweating our way from getting off the bus.:-) India is a land of exceptions I believe. By this I mean, there are certain...

Jun 16, 2012 - Delhi

6-16 Wake up to Hindi morning prayer chants at 5:30 and chai chai guys hawking their brew down the aisles. The young couple who left and cuddled all nite and slept in late were replaced by an older couple who coughed and snored and turned on the light at 4:30am when they couldn't sleep anymore. Train on time into Delhi at 6:30am, platform packed with people, porters, and packaged goods loading & unloading. Indians are so used to crowded places that making our way is really no hassle and street side motor rickshaws are plentiful. Thirty...

Jun 4, 2012 - Dehli, India

Wiki Info New Delhi 6-4 Bon was overjoyed to be on the plane for only one reason, NO MORE HEAD COVER! Her belief that most Iranian women are not free, but merely second class citizens in the male dominated, religious culture of Iran proved mostly correct when perhaps 8o% of the women wore no scarf/head cover upon disembarking in Abu Dhabi. She was actually surprised the % was not higher, but education I think has more to do with it than religious factors. Iran does have a very high %age of women seeking advanced degrees though there are...