The Real India?

We spent three nights in Delhi and filled our time with a walk around the old city and a great night out.  Plus one intended work day and one unintended sick/work day.  Driving in from Agra, I was amazed at the amount of construction south of Delhi.  I think this area is called NOIDA.  Less surprising by now was the half hour bathroom and car wash break our driver took at a highway rest stop after we replied “no” when he asked if we wanted to stop.

As we neared our hotel on Main Bazaar in Paharganj, our driver said “this is a very bad place.”  It is tourist central and the touts are quite unpleasant, but I think he exaggerated a bit.  Plus we had internal hallways and didn’t hear our neighbors shitting at all, so it was a marked improvement from Agra.

Yes, those are severed heads

After dropping our bags, we got quoted many inflated auto-rickshaw fares to the old city but at last found an older gentlemen willing to charge us merely double what a local would probably pay.  Jokes were included free of charge.  He asked if we were married and then if I was happy (maybe it was Jenni’s Agra-induced scowl?), to which of course I replied “yes.”  Then he expressed skepticism and told the tale of an Indian arranged marriage and how the woman leaves her family which can be emotional.  So on the wedding day the groom asks the bride why she is crying, and she replies “I cry only today but you will cry the rest of your life.”

Karim Roll

Jama Masjid

He dropped us a short walk from Karim’s, the legendary kebab etc. spot tucked away in an alley near Jama Masjid (which I think translates as great mosque, hence the same name here as in Agra and I presume elsewhere).  They were out of some items and we figured the leg of lamb might be a bit much for two, so we each got a Karim Roll.  It was pricey given how small it was, but maybe that’s because it’s made with lamb, and anyway it was delicious.

Prayer hall at Jama Masjid

After our late lunch we walked around inside the walls of Jama Masjid which is the largest mosque in India.  It is lovely and affords nice views.  I’m told you can climb up one of the towers for really good views, but we got ushered out for the afternoon prayer time and decided not to stick around until it reopened.

The old city is crazy busy and lively and I would definitely spend at least half a day wandering around here.  We didn’t really do enough else in Delhi for me to opine, but my understanding is that New Delhi can be a tad plain and Old Delhi is where the action is.  The usual jumble of alleys and markets and fruit stands and tons of traffic.  We shared a tasty and jumbo pomegranate on the street.  There were more women and families here than many of the places we’ve been.

Pomegranate

We walked a long way down Chandni Chowk and grabbed delicious sweets from Chaina Ram, which ended up being dinner.  It was dark and we weren’t quite sure how far the walk home would be, so after several attempts we settled on our first cycle-rickshaw of the trip.  He took us through the hardware section, and the metal back of the bike provides at least some protection from the madness around.

Chaina Ram

I’m glad we tried it, but the seat is so uncomfortable and you feel guilty watching the dude struggle mightily.  To ascend the hill over the train tracks he just got off and walked the bike.  I blame all the paratha.

Saturday we considered hitting a coffee shop but ended up doing work all day in the room.  When it was time to go we tried both online cab companies mentioned in my guidebook in hopes of avoiding haggling with a taxi in our touristy area.  Instead of a ride, we got a malfunctioning website, a 15 minute phone call and then a text saying sorry actually there is no car coming from you.  Not to worry, our hotel called a car.  Does the driver know exactly where we want to go?  Don’t worry, you’ll just tell him.  Oh he doesn’t speak English, but I’m sure you’ll sort it out.  I’d say perhaps 10% of the time we get in a car the driver actually takes us directly to where we want to go.  Good stuff.

Chandni Chowk Hectic

Chandni Chowk Madness

Then the night got much, much better.  Jenni’s friend from Cornell, Aashica, lives in Delhi and we met her and Adi for dinner at Smokey’s in Greater Kailash II.  The food was great, but much more important the company was even better.  It was comforting to be with friends in the kind of place we’d probably frequent if we lived in Delhi.  The kind of place with a beet and goat cheese salad and a lamb and bacon burger.

It’s funny how I always think of the “real [country X, but I’ll just refer to India for this purpose]” as the part of the country that likely bears least semblance to my (former) life in the US.  I think most people have this tendency but I’ll take the bullet here.  I fully understand the notion that the way the overwhelming majority of the Indian population lives could be called the real India, and that generally it is more interesting to enjoy the contrasts when exploring another country.  But if you are a banker or lawyer or doctor or anyone else in a top income bracket in the US, you probably still feel like your life in the US reflects the real US.  Of course few in the US live the way most Indians do, so I appreciate it is a somewhat different concept.

But it does seem a bit silly for me to have the mindset that passing time in the manner I likely would if I lived here means I am forsaking the real India and substituting some misrepresentation of it.  One could even argue I’m doing just the opposite.  If you can afford a car, insurance and petrol, then you can hire a 24/7 driver for maybe $200-300/month.  So I bet most of you reading this would have a private driver if you lived in India.

Enough sounding off.  The night was awesome.  Aash and Adi hosted us through the hours of darkness and gave us an experience we never could have had on our own.  From Smokey’s we went to some hotel/bar complex (I don’t know the name but I think it was at/near Hotel Samrat in Chanakyapuri) and grabbed a scotch from a half-closed spot, and then went to another side of the area where the doorman ushered us in past multiple closed doors into some after hours back room with Russian girls dancing and further cocktails.  We were dropped back home around 4 am.

And then back to the real India :).  Jenni was sick all the next day (and more) so we never left our room.  At least our hotel had room service and the pizza and butter chicken were pretty good.  On Monday the situation nearly came to a head.  Our Air India flight to Varanasi was delayed 3 hours due to fog but we went to the airport on time anyway because who knows what might happen.  And as it happens the Delhi airport is super nice and is a much more pleasant place to hang out than our $35 hotel room.  We killed time and then I tried to withdraw cash from a Citibank ATM as we walked to our gate to board.  I went through all the steps, input the amount and hit enter, and then the power died and the whole machine went blank.  WTF?!?!?  So we didn’t know whether it was about to turn back on and dispense my cash to some lucky traveler or if Citibank would try to deduct the amount from my account regardless.  And of course we couldn’t sort this out with anyone so we just had to leave to board the flight.  Then we boarded but they had switched aircraft so we had a seat assignment that didn’t exist.  Things got tense and tempers were narrowly maintained, but alas we made it safely to Varanasi.

Practical Info

Transportation: Our drive from Agra took 3.5 hours on the toll road and with light traffic in Agra since it was a Friday and the Taj was closed, and it cost Rs 3,000.  Our auto-rickshaw from Paharganj to Karim’s cost Rs 100.  A car from our hotel to dinner in Greater Kailash II was Rs 500, same as our trip to the airport.

Delhi has a metro that is supposed to be reasonably good.

Accommodation: We stayed at Hotel Hari Piorko in Paharganj, fairly near the old city as well as Connaught Place.  Definitely a touristy area.  For $35/night in a big city, I thought it was pretty good.  Delhi has tons of lodging options.  A friend suggested staying somewhere in south Delhi, which is nicer and I think has more open space.  Several years back my family stayed at Master Guesthouse and thought it was great.  And as I write this from Varanasi, I wish we had stayed in more homestay-type properties while in India.  It is hard to overstate the value of an honest and knowledgeable local to assist you.

Food: Karim’s is legendary.  We visited the original location across from Jama Masjid, which actually occupies four spaces next to each other sharing a kitchen.  I think there are now other locations around Delhi.  Perhaps you should go for lunch at a more normal time, because around 3 pm they were out of several items.  The Karim Roll cost Rs 125.

Our one real night out in Delhi began at Smokey’s in Greater Kailash II.  This is a proper Western-style fun restaurant.  As I can’t think of a better comparison right now, I’ll say Houston’s look but a little hipper and a lot livelier.  You can get burgers and wings and cocktails and wine etc.  I thought it was very good.  But beware, we sat down to dinner upstairs at 9:40 pm and soon the music was so loud it was difficult to converse.  The bar area was lively and fun, and cocktail pours were legit.  They played Material Girl and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

Activities: My guidebook says foreigners have to pay Rs 300 to visit the Jama Masjid but we just walked in.  Note that it closes in the afternoon for about half an hour for prayer, and thus we got booted after about 15 minutes.  No shorts.  You can carry your shoes inside.  It has some nice views over the old city and Red Fort, which is one of the top attractions.

Had we done more, we might have visited Humayun’s Tomb, walked around the Rajpath, perhaps Connaught Place and more.  There are a number of museums in Delhi.  One thing I was bummed to miss is strolling around Hauz Khas, which Anish suggested (and Aash and Adi agreed).  This is a bohemian neighborhood with cafes, galleries and restaurants.

January 3-6, 2014 (Friday-Monday)

Great Sights, Crappy City

If you come to India, chances are very high that you will visit Agra.  The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous attractions in the world, and deservedly so.  There is also Agra Fort plus a couple smaller local sights, and Fatehpur Sikri is about an hour away.

By all means, do come to Agra.  But get out quickly, or stay at one of the nicer hotels outside the Taj Ganj area.

I think 15 nights of independent travel in India and some marginal accommodation started to catch up with us, because the “h” word was uttered quite a few times during our stay in Agra.  If I had to summarize my non-sightseeing impression of this place, I would say Night of the Living Dead with zombies coming at me from obscured positions.  Other than that, it was awesome.

Fatehpur Sikri

We arrived on New Year’s Eve and wandered around the alleys briefly, peeping some camels and a rat and endless touts.  Where are you going?  Um, I don’t know, but do you want my social security number, too?

We considered one of the rooftop buffets/parties but it was way colder than we realized (in the 40s, so do not pay extra for an air conditioned room this time of year!) and they didn’t look so great.  Instead we had delicious shahi paneer and an amazing banana lassi at Shankara Vegis restaurant, where we would end up spending most of our non-sightseeing time in Agra.

Home in Agra

It was a sensationally undignified close to a momentous 2013 for us.  The highlight was that our room had a TV, and I found Predator.  Things deteriorated quickly though when I heard our neighbors grunting and dropping turds in the middle of the night since our lovely hotel room has a bathroom with a large square near the ceiling open to the next bathroom.  I would’ve complained to the manager, but by now I know it wouldn’t have done any good.  Like when you show up and the WiFi is out of service, there is no apology or recompense.

Agra traffic

The Chowk-i-Jilo-Khana

You are probably thinking what the #$@ am I doing staying in places like this?  And I am wondering that, too!  I think for most of the rest of the trip we’ll find better places.  We also could afford to spend more, but we set a budget and we’re trying to stick to it.  So it would be nice to make a few bucks while we travel and expand the expense-side guilt free.  If you have any consulting gigs let me know!

In line for the Taj

The Chowk-i-Jilo-Khana

Details on the Taj

Line when we left

New Year’s Day was quite a lot better as we visited the Taj Mahal.  We woke early and were in line for the open.  Apparently the weather is frequently foggy this time of year, and we encountered some of that.  Travelers we met in Mumbai said they couldn’t even see the Taj until around 11 am.  We could see it fine the whole time, it just wasn’t sunny.  Hence all the flat light photos.  Nonetheless, it was definitely worthwhile to arrive first thing in the morning because it was not crowded and many times more visitors were there when we left around 10:15 am.

Back towards the Chowk-i-Jilo-Khana

After clearing security we emerged into the Chowk-i-Jilo Khana which itself leads to the stunning main entrance to the gardens and Taj.  Once through the gateway you see the Taj at the end of the gardens, and if you come before the fountains start (around 10 am when we visited) and at the right time of year (?) you should see its reflection in the waterways.  Magnificent from afar, one does not appreciate the scale nor detail until much closer.  It really is an exquisite monument.

We admired it a while and then visited the onsite museum for several minutes.  Nearby is a tree loaded with lovely green birds with long tails.  The sun never did emerge and we left a few hours later.

Do you know about gulab jamun?  It is so freakin good.  It is basically a fried ball of dough soaked in rose water syrup.  We had one with our thali lunch at…Shankara Vegis.

Then we hit Agra Fort for a couple hours.  It features gorgeous carving and inlay work and some views of the Taj and river, plus a few more green birds.  At both the Taj and the Fort, Indian tourists greatly outnumbered foreigners.

Agra Fort entrance

From the Fort, we took a rickshaw across the river for sunset views of the Taj.  Good call, Kenny.  Ask to be taken to Mehtab Bagh, but you do not need to pay to enter the gardens if you just want to enjoy the view.  Instead, walk right past that entrance and down to the river.  The only discernible difference I noticed was that the free view comes without eye-level barbed wire.

This is a great vantage point not only for the view but the relative calm and silence.  You see thousands of tourists marching like ants around the mausoleum, but hear only birds and music.  Perhaps the water level was unusually low for our visit as we did not see the reflection that Kenny mentioned.

I also enjoyed the calmer and friendlier feel to this side of the river.  Much more peaceful, and of course additional goats wearing sweaters.

Guarding closely

View from across river

Instead of massive log-droppings and grunts, Thursday we were woken by some man incessantly making a karate kid “haayyaaaa” sound followed by loud banging.  I thought of Miyagi, of course, then Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam.

The sun came out and we enjoyed marvelous views of the Taj during breakfast on hotel Kamal’s rooftop.  And we saw more monkeys.  And an Indian man working on his roof who ran inside when he saw the monkeys running along the rooftops his way and shrieking.

Most people here seem fazed by nothing, but this man was terrified.  Which made us uneasy about these aggressive monkeys all around.  We escaped unscathed.  Oh, and Jenni named baby monkeys “bonkeys.”  That makes so much more sense than wasting two syllables.

Fatehpur Sikri

In the afternoon we drove about an hour to Fatehpur Sikri, the former imperial capital (briefly) of the Mughal emperor Akbar.  As our cabbie from the airport said, seat belts are not allowed in Agra.  We think he meant required, but the effect is the same.

Someone still believes!

Fatehpur Sikri

It is funny how often drivers do things like stop on the way to pick up a personal item, or just get out of the car to use the bathroom without saying a word.  And today’s guy sucked just like our Sri Lanka driver.  More on his dishonesty in Practical Info.

Fatehpur Sikri, though, was quite lovely.  The palace has some alluring sandstone buildings with splendid carvings.  Apparently Akbar was religiously tolerant but he sounds like quite a dirty bird.  Rumor has it he used to play pachisi in the courtyard with slave girls in costumes for live pieces.  And his harem was legendary.  We’re talking Wilt numbers.  He had a super wide bed raised about 7 feet off the ground with no attached stairs, i.e. his servants had to bring the stairs as necessary.  Yeah.

The palace contains three different areas, one each for his Turkish wife, his Christian wife (?) and the Hindu wife who bore his first child as prophesied by Sheikh Salim Chishti, which sheikh got a white marble tomb inside the Jama Masjid that we visited right after the palace.  Jenni beamed with Turkish pride at the fact that such wife did not care about a big house but got the finest carvings, gems and art work.

The Jama Masjid (mosque) might have been even more impressive than the palace.  We initially entered the square a different way, but the Buland Darwaza (great gate) is breathtaking.  The square itself is bustling with activity.  The prayer hall facing Mecca has its own grand gateway and Sheik Salim’s white tomb marks a brilliant contrast against its sandstone surroundings.

Inside the tomb there is a steady stream of visitors making wishes and tying cloth around the lattice marble screen window.  Check out the insane bee clusters on the gateway ceiling in one of the photos below.

We were hustled a while by this adorable kid who said he spoke five languages, and his introductory Francais, Deutsch and Espanol were solid.  Another of those kids who might be a star in the US, as I mentioned in my Mumbai post.

Back in Taj Ganj we had dinner at Joney’s but I was hit with something like a 24-hour virus so I could barely eat and spent the rest of the night shivering.  And we watched Wild Things 2 which only made it worse.

Practical Info

Transportation: A pre-paid taxi from the airport cost Rs 400 but it could be 600 depending on your destination.  A rickshaw from Taj Ganj to Agra Fort cost Rs 100.  From Agra Fort to Mehtab Bagh and back to Taj Ganj we paid Rs 250 in a rickshaw.  Our return trip by car to Fatehpur Sikri cost Rs 1100.

Accommodation: We stayed at Hotel Siddhartha near the West Gate of the Taj Mahal.  It is conveniently located for Taj visits and some of the cheap food options on Chowk Kagzi, and at least slightly removed from the noise and hassle of Chowk Kagzi.  I could almost have recommended it as a budget option, but hearing so clearly your neighbor shitting is an offense I cannot forgive.

There are a bunch of other budget options in the Taj Ganj area and some nicer places outside.  Being in Taj Ganj was not a fraction as appealing as I thought it would be, so if you can afford it I would probably stay elsewhere.  Unless there is some home stay with excellent reviews.  If you stay in Taj Ganj, I cannot speak to any other qualities but Kamal’s rooftop has amazing views of the Taj.  While many multiples of our budget on this trip, I hear the Oberoi Amarvilas is worth a splurge.

Food: A number of the restaurants recommended in my guidebook are outside Taj Ganj, and it was generally just not that nice around Agra and dealing with the touts was unpleasant so we did not venture out.  Shankara Vegis on Chowk Kagzi was tasty and cozy with nice owners and reasonably good WiFi.  We also ate at Joney’s one night and it is very cheap and good, but I was sick that night so I can’t fully judge it.  Jenni didn’t love the malai kafta which is one of their signature dishes, but the banana and honey paratha was mighty tasty.  We had breakfast at The Stuff Maker atop Kamal (hotel) and the food was OK but the views of the Taj are stupendous.  The best rooftop views we saw.

Sights: The Taj Mahal opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, I believe.  It is CLOSED ON FRIDAYS.  Someone told us it opened at 6 am, so we showed up around 6:40 am but in fact they didn’t let in anyone until sunrise.  Perhaps it is the ticket window that opens at 6 am.  Foreigners pay Rs 750 and you get a 0.5 liter water bottle and some shoe covers to use when in/around the actual mausoleum.  Keep your ticket stub as it will give you a Rs 50 discount on admission to Agra Fort the same day, and I think some other same-day sights/discounts.  There are separate lines for men and women and for Indians and foreigners.  They will pat you down and search bags, but the rules for what you can bring were not clear to me.  We were told that neither phones nor guidebooks are allowed, but we saw plenty of each.  I did see someone forced to get rid of their cigarettes and lighter to enter.  The museum opens at 9 am.

Agra Fort is the second most famous attraction in the area.  We spent a couple hours there and I recommend you do the same.  Admission is Rs 300, or 250 with a same-day Taj ticket stub.  There is a sound and light show after sunset.

Fatehpur Sikri is about an hour’s drive from Agra.  Beware the guide scam.  Our driver brought us to a parking lot where guides produced official department of tourism I.D. cards and insisted we must pay Rs 600 for a guide and that cars are not allowed any farther etc.  In fact, official guides are available at the entrance to the palace (we used the Diwan-i-Am entrance) for Rs 250 and cars are allowed to continue a little farther.  It is true that cars are not allowed to drive up to the entrance, so you can either walk from the car park as we did or take a CNG bus for Rs 5/each.  If you walk, either retrace and take the paved road up or continue down the same road and opposite the UPTDC Gulistan Tourist Complex turn right up a dirt path.  Entry tickets cost Rs 260.  Visiting the Jama Masjid is free though you are expected to tip the shoe guard and can expect pitches on buying cloth and flowers for an offering at the Tomb of Islam Khan.

December 31, 2013 – Jaunary 3, 2014 (Tuesday-Friday)

Intoxicating, Infuriating, Inimical, Inimitable India

India holds well-earned legendary status among the world’s travelers.  It is an extraordinary place, but I am now going to commence a little public venting and a small call to action.  Nearly everything I have posted so far covers the details of our experience in each location and attempts to offer helpful information should you visit.  I want to write a little about our more personal experience and what life on the road has been like, at least in India.  I feel guilty complaining about anything when I know many think I am living a dream.  But since I am not yet a famous blogger with hordes of followers, there’s a good chance that if you’re reading this it’s because you know and care about me.  And thus you probably want to know how I’m really doing.  Which is: very well, but a little beaten down by this country!  So then I guess this post will be partly about India and partly about our life on the road…and I feel some run-on sentences coming.

There really is no place like India.  I heard that for so many years and always questioned the hype, but having now visited twice and spent a cumulative 25+ days here, I can opine with at least some degree of authority.

Some say India is more a continent than a country.  The diversity of landscapes may have peers, but I don’t think the energy and intensity do.  Or maybe there is a peer for India on a number of elements, but it’s the combination of all that is present in India that sets it so far apart.

For all its glory, India can be a truly maddening place.  I find myself thinking often about the distinction between an experience you are glad to have had and an experience that you actually enjoy.  My preliminary conclusion for this trip to India (and we still have four nights in Varanasi) is that it has been filled with specific experiences I have actually enjoyed, but the overall experience is one I will be glad to have had.

Let me be clear about a couple key points that might distinguish my current trip with one you may take.  First and foremost is budget and independence.  We have stayed in a few places for $20-30/night and only our hotel in Mumbai reached triple digits.  When we visited for our honeymoon, we had a private guide and driver and stayed in 5-star properties.  This was a very different experience.  Another extremely important point is that you will probably visit India on a stand alone vacation, which is an entirely different animal because you focus only on enjoying your brief time here.

We, on the other hand, are blogging, planning the next parts of our trip and dealing with the vagaries of life.  Like when you can’t keep your old insurance plan due to the Affordable Care Act and log on to find your premium has nearly doubled and you have no way of paying it without making a phone call to the US.  Which isn’t perfectly easy due to time changes, WiFi that works a small percentage of the time and SIM cards that apparently are roaming in every state other than where you bought them.  And you can’t just walk into a store and buy a new SIM card because you have to fill out forms and submit passport and visa copies then wait several hours or more.  And the higher roaming rates actually matter when you figure you’ll sit on hold for an hour trying to speak with someone at the insurance company.

So while “down time” in a country where it’s most needed should be filled with relaxation, for us it’s often filled with stress and frustration that nothing works as it should and WiFi cuts in and out.  In fact, just getting anything done is harder and takes more time.  Last week I had to add a “payee” to my online bank account, but I can’t receive a call or text on my US mobile which is how they always validate the action.  So that leads to an online chat session (which sometimes gets disconnected) and takes half an hour.  Most of this isn’t that big a deal on its own, but when over and over there are obstructions to accomplishing simple tasks, it becomes frustrating.  And at times infuriating.

Which leads me to a theme: it is hard for someone who usually feels very capable and in control to feel helpless.  When you can’t really communicate due to the language barrier and your taxi stops at Mumbai’s international airport and then you find out you’re at the wrong place but nobody is really sure and your taxi already left and the taxis and rickshaws pulling up refuse to turn on the meter and want to charge us the same amount to drive 15 minutes to the domestic “airport” as we paid for the hour+ drive from our hotel to the airport…then you finally get in a rickshaw with two backpacks and rolling duffels hoping your knee doesn’t stick out the side since there is zero margin for error and that driver doesn’t really know where he’s going and then the security guards at the domestic airport ask for tickets but we don’t have a printer so I only have e-tickets and then he takes my iPhone and walks away with it and tries to tell our driver that we actually are supposed to be at the international airport but fortunately our driver doesn’t go there and drops us at what eventually turns out to be the right place…and then it becomes clear that what they call two “airports” we would call two “terminals”, albeit really far apart, which explains some of the confusion I had when using airport codes to look into this before…anyway, while all that is happening you wonder if you’re going to make your flight and you can’t communicate and you feel helpless.  It kind of sucks.

Then there is the whole “just part of the experience” topic.  This tagline should be applied often, but I think it also can be overused to justify dishonest behavior that should be frowned upon and not tolerated.  I would say that the power going out when you’re in the middle of doing something is part of the experience.  Or having touts call to you when you walk past their storefront.  Or getting quoted obviously inflated prices constantly because you’re a tourist.  There is a market, and either someone will provide it cheaper or I don’t really need it, or I have to pay the market price at that time.  Fine, I get it.  That doesn’t mean I enjoy it, but I can accept it.

But I draw the line at blatant dishonesty and behavior that is simply rude.  Explaining this away as part of the culture or the experience perpetuates activities that do not help a country, tourism industry or culture in the long run.  It’s acceptable for a driver to take me to a restaurant that pays him a commission if I can’t specifically request a different restaurant of my choosing.  But it’s not OK to obviously collude with the restaurant to charge me more than what the menu says and bring me things I didn’t ask for, then use the language barrier to bullshit your way through why the bill is correct (which for the record happened in Sri Lanka, not India).  It’s not OK to grab me as I walk by, or to cut off my wife to better position yourself to continue to harass me.  And it’s not OK when I pay for transport to a sight for you to take me to a parking area with scamming guides who share commission with you instead of just taking me to the right place.

This behavior should be condemned, and frankly when fellow countrymen see it happening they should intervene.  I would like to think if I were in the US and heard somebody trying to scam a traveler that I would help them, either immediately or at least right after if I were concerned about the confrontation.  But in India this behavior seems so ingrained and such a part of the culture that the assistance almost never happens.  Obviously I don’t mean this is the case for Indians as a whole, but those in and around the tourism industry certainly seem to abide by it.

I keep thinking, as well, about the broken windows theory that Malcolm Gladwell discusses in The Tipping Point.  It’s been a while since I read it, but I believe he talks about William Bratton implementing this criminological philosophy as police commissioner in New York.  If you don’t know it you can read all about it elsewhere, but the basic concept is that removing the petty crime and indicia of lawlessness or vandalism etc. ends up having a major impact on reducing overall crime and improving well-being.

I understand how difficult it will be to implement this in India for countless reasons.  But the way you see people litter with such little apparent regard for its impact is sad.  And a thousand other things that might contribute to better quality of life.

India is endowed with truly phenomenal assets.  It has natural beauty and history that few countries can compare with.  The food is great.  The culture and accessibility and breadth of religions I believe are incomparable.  The US has religious diversity, but it’s not as though you witness it on a daily basis or feel like it’s a prominent part of your experience unless you make it so for yourself.  Here you see Jain and Hindu and other temples and mosques and constant prayers and processions and festivals.

Of course India is exceedingly diverse, so as I wrote in earlier posts the south was much more mellow and relaxing than the rest of our trip has been.  If I write that India is like life on speed, clearly it only seems that way in some areas.  Not on the backwaters, in fact just the opposite.  Not in Munnar, and probably not in many other areas.

India is often described as an assault on the senses, and I fully agree.  Jenni summarizes it nicely in her Madurai post: “sights (colors, people, animals, things everywhere), sounds (essentially continuous honking along with the myriad of other city noises you hear), smells (yeah, lots of those… by the time you realize you smell sweet flowers and think to inhale deeply, it’s been replaced by some other foul smell and you regret taking that deep breath), touch (lots of people and stuff, not so much space), and tastes (obviously you know by now from reading my blog that I love me some paratha, and India has a hell of a lot to offer in the culinary department).”

I’ve been baffled by the “market” and thought process of some of the drivers and others with whom we interact.  It seems hard to find the middle ground between a total rip-off and full fairness.  I expected negotiation to be more effective.  Like in the Mumbai airport example above, when the driver quotes Rs 350 and I counter at Rs 100, that ends it.  The guy who ends up taking us got paid Rs 75.  Is the first driver so confident that another tourist he can hoodwink will come by in the next 30 minutes that it’s not even worth it for him to take me for Rs 200?  It is a personality trait of mine that I get hugely upset at things that make no sense to me.  India is not gentle on my head that way.

It has distressed me that I’ve adjusted my habits in a way I didn’t aspire to.  I am so tired of the misleading info and touts that I sometimes refrain from asking a question, even if it might lead to interesting conversation or enhanced knowledge.  I do this because often I don’t trust the response any more, and because I strongly suspect it will just lead to a sales-push or other self-serving answer.  Me: What are your favorite places to go?  Him: Yes I can take you there what time should I pick you up do you have a pen so I can give you my number is that your friend or your wife…

Our honeymoon was fantastic, though at times I felt like I was missing out on the “real India” experience while we were cocooned in a fancy hotel and always accompanied by a guide.  On this trip I wish we had a bit more of that!  Perhaps the appealing middle ground to me would be staying at some nicer hotels (even if not top of the line and/or not every night), more assistance with the transport and some guided days, while still allowing some time for exploration and the sensation of uncertainty and wonder that is intoxicating in moderate doses but exhausting in excess.

Some assert that the more high-end trip is always better.  Others argue the point of travel is to immerse yourself in the culture and live like the majority of locals do, and that high-end travel can be antithetical to these goals.  There is no right answer.  And I think the relative merits and enhanced comfort that comes with spending more varies depending on location.  But after the amount and degree of frustration we’ve experienced so far in India (which I’ve obviously covered only a fraction of in detail), if you can afford it then I’d opt for more luxury and comfort!  And I don’t recall thinking this mattered much in Thailand or Cambodia, for example.  I’m eager to see how I feel about the budget/luxury/independent/guided balance in Thailand, Laos and elsewhere.

So, there, I said it.  I have prided myself always on my ability to adapt and my comfort with traveling.  It is hard to admit it has been challenging, but that’s the truth.  I am tired of nothing ever working right and constant harassment.  I am excited for Varanasi, and I fully expect to return to India many more times.  Just hopefully with some combo of a bigger budget, (more) local friends or an acceptance that I won’t try to complete any tasks like blog posts or bill paying.  Right now, I am so ready for 8 nights on the beaches of Thailand!

Whatever its name, it’s big

Mumbai (or Bombay, depending on who you ask) is huge, both in terms of population and area.  It could overpower you, at least if you try to cover a broad section of its geography.  There are some interesting sights and countless nice restaurants and nooks for quietude.  The weather was great with warm days and cool nights, like Los Angeles.

This was our first time in a really big Indian city, and we actually found it less overwhelming than some of the smaller cities.  I think this is because it has that rhythm of a major metropolis with nice, more Western escape zones and the anonymity that comes with being two of 20 million.  I felt safe here, and our friends in Delhi opined that Mumbai is a good bit safer than Delhi.

Times of India building near V.T.

Highlights included Chowpatty Beach on a Sunday afternoon, wandering some alleys off the Colaba Causeway and the Dharavi slum tour.

We got our first taste of trying to cross a Mumbai street while walking to a delicious dinner at Khyber on Friday night.  It is not easy.  There are multiple lanes of traffic in each direction and green seems to mean go while red is maybe I’ll go or maybe I’ll stop.  But if I tell you that’d be cheating.  It can help to follow a local whose body doesn’t display obvious motor vehicle-inflicted damage.

Horniman Circle

So crossing the street is challenging, but then you might find a nice, wide sidewalk with only humans using it.  A major change from somewhere like Madurai or Agra.  And again this felt less challenging to me, perhaps because I am more accustomed to busy streets and aggressive drivers (a la New York) than to dodging mopeds, touts, cows, goats, monkeys and piles of feces.

Saturday we had our first masala dosas for breakfast and a cappuccino!  On the list of things I miss, good (and usually iced) coffee features prominently.  We wandered around and passed a little park with Ghandi’s statue before realizing we took a circuitous path to end up back at the Oval Maidan, quite near our hotel.

Cutting grass manually

Ghandi and Jenni

The Oval Maidan is a large green space surrounded by 19th century Gothic buildings on one side and 1930s Art Deco on the other.  There were several cricket games being played and some of the teams had uniforms.  By luck we stumbled upon the Jewish synagogue and I snapped a shot of this gorgeous robin’s egg blue structure before being told that no photos are allowed.

Synagogue

After a generally peaceful stroll we arrived at the Gateway of India and thrust ourselves into its madness.  It is beautiful but so crowded and hectic, and I did not want to buy a photo of us printed on the spot nor an enormous balloon.

Then we continued to Colaba Causeway which was slightly calmer and decided to eat lunch at Olympia Coffee House.  It is an Irani cafe where the waiters all don Peshawari caps and only men are allowed on the ground floor with the mezzanine for women and their families.

Gateway of India

Gateway of India

Taj

Olympia

We split a “mutton masala spicy” and this was our only meal of the trip so far where the heat made me pull back towards the end.  I’ve been impressed with Jenni’s consumption strength.  They brought fennel seeds with the bill, which is common here.  We were only the white folks in a packed place; it must not be in Lonely Planet.  And with a generous tip it cost $4.

We continued south and wandered east onto some side streets (near the “Pasta” lanes, if you’re looking) with no other tourists but plenty of fruits, veggies and goats.  Then we crossed back west to a slum by the ocean with an intense fish smell and much harsher odors by the bathrooms.  Real strong stuff.

There are a lot of government and administrative buildings and generally a stronger security presence than I anticipated.  One of my least favorite things is the abundance of stands with a rifle propped facing outwards near head level.  But I guess everything works flawlessly in India so what could possibly go wrong?

Slums and satellites

Dinner was our first real break from local ethnic cuisine and half a night out.  We had a corner window table at Pizza by the Bay with great views of Marine Drive and the Queen’s Necklace.  After this we had drinks at Dome on the roof of the Intercontinental hotel around the corner.

A little girl selling flowers relentlessly pitched us the whole way.  Some of the kids hawking here are so cute and personable.  If they were in the US they might be child stars, or at least have the most profitable lemonade stand on the block…instead of hustling for their next meal.

Happy Jenni at Dome

To enter the Intercontinental you get the metal detector wand scan.  It is a pretty swanky place and the roof bar was very nice with great views, albeit about $20/drink.  Oh, when you see that Oban single malt for only $13, don’t get excited.  That’s for a 30ml pour, so double it for a drink you’d accept in the US.  It felt nice to have a taste of our former lives hanging out with fancy people.

Sunday we walked around the Fort area and markets but you should do so on a different day because a lot of it was closed.  There were so many people sleeping on the street or some kind of stand today, I think more than usual because it was Sunday.  It was fun watching kids play cricket in the streets.

Mumbai is probably India’s most cosmopolitan city and there is some real wealth here.  It is fascinating to see some of this alongside cows on the road and guys sharpening knives with a bicycle-powered wheel.

Waiting for her fax

The post office occupies an impressive building just by Victoria Terminus (now called Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus but most still refer to it as Victoria or V.T.), a beautiful and lively structure.  You can’t enter the main part of the station as you typically would in Europe, but it’s worth seeing.  Plus you can grab an Indian guava with chili salt.

V.T.

Post office

Inside V.T.

Indian guava

V,T,

Crawford Market was a shadow of its regular self but we found some spicy cashews and candied fennel and there were still lots of puppies, birds, fruits, veggies and men sleeping.  As I write this from Delhi, those spicy cashews are the chief suspect in the moderate stomach problem case.

We walked a long way and had a hard time finding a cab, so we were quite pleased to reach Marine Drive and catch the sea breeze.  A little bit farther and we hit the sand at Chowpatty Beach.

Mosque

Hospital beyond the tracks

What a great scene on a Sunday afternoon!  The area is known for street food and snacks, we were wusses and just got some ice cream bars.  There is a small section on the south end with permanent F&B structures and then a big beach packed with families and people grilling up corn and making Indian snacks.  Guys rent little mats (and get pretty territorial with each other) and others have these pimped out big-wheels for kids that play electronic music.

I had a delicious channa bhatura for dinner at Cream Centre across the street.  It’s like a puffed up piece of fried dough that you puncture and then eat with a spicy mixture of chickpeas, potatoes and onions.  My meal came with a view of the Chowpatty crowds and lots of guys looking in through the window to watch cricket on the restaurant wall’s HDTV.

A block or two down is Bachelorr’s, famous for its fresh fruit juices and creams.  We got chocolate milkshakes because that always sounds right, but they were so-so and I’d go for the fruit drinks.  Speaking of drinks, when you walk around Mumbai all day, it is hard to figure out the right balance of staying hydrated but not having to pee.  Because good luck finding a bathroom that’s not the sidewalk.

Monday we met our Reality Tours & Travel guide at the Churchgate station for the ride up to Dharavi.  They were pretty alarmist about how hard it would be to get off the train at the right stop, but it was easier than the New York subway (though more on this in Practical Info).  The slum tour was very neat and I recommend doing one.  They strongly request you do not take any pictures once the tour begins, so the ones I have included are from their own library (which you can access after taking the tour).

Train ride there

Near the tour start

Pottery

This is one of many slums in Mumbai, but perhaps the most famous due to its size and Slumdog Millionaire.  There is a heavy industry section and a residential section where they also have enterprises making things like soap, leather, pottery and papadum.  The heavy industry section is dedicated largely to recycling, mostly plastic with some aluminum.  The working conditions are pretty rough with some closed spaces and toxic gases.  The population density is astronomical.

Dharavi functions like its own city.  There are schools and some stores and an economy estimated at several hundred million dollars.  It is estimated that 1,500 people might share one public toilet.  I haven’t researched it extensively and the workings are complex, so I won’t try to get into all the details of life in the slums and the “law”  and controversy surrounding them and forcible eviction that takes place from time to time etc.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers won the National Book Award and I mention it on my Books post.  It takes place in a different slum but the tales of corruption are so mind-boggling and heinous.  Our tour makes an effort to focus on the happiness of the residents.  It is true that we saw a lot of kids smiling and in general the feel was not of desperation and horror but rather contentedness. My guess is the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  That the lives of most are not as dreadful as the main characters of Katherine Boo’s book but that there is extensive crime and corruption that Reality Tours omits from the story.

Interestingly, Reality Tours is itself quite the operation.  There must have been 30+ people in small groups that day, and the tour operates every day.  They give 80% of the profits to their sister-NGO…but I wonder what even 20% of those profits amounts to?!  I don’t mean to suggest they’re doing anything wrong, but it’s an interesting new business.  I actually just came upon this article from yesterday, quite timely.

We met some nice fellow travelers, including an Aussie couple on a six-week trip with three young kids.  Nice to get a little inspiration in advance 🙂

We stopped by the Dhobi Ghat on the way home.  The one we visited in Kochi offered a more up-close view and was more quaint, but this was another interesting juxtaposition of an old tradition in the middle of a mega-city with big buildings in the background.

Dhobi Ghat

Dhobi Ghat

Trishna is a famous seafood restaurant and dinner that night was a moderate splurge.  It was good but I can’t say I was blown away.  I was more excited to find this Indian kid wearing a “that’s what she said” t-shirt.

Crab and squid

Kesar Pista Kulfi

Getting to the airport on Tuesday was a bit of a fiasco but alas we made it with plenty of time for our flight to Agra.  And I got some more inspiration for a planned post on some of the things that make India incredible yet also infuriating!

Practical Info

Transportation: A prepaid taxi from the airport to our hotel in Churchgate cost Rs 480.  If you take the Sea Link bridge, the toll is an additional Rs 55.  Traffic is usually bad, so plan for 60-90 minutes.  To return to the airport, our hotel called a taxi and insisted he use the meter so the trip was less than Rs 400.

We walked around much of the city and this may suffice for Colaba, Fort, Marine Drive, etc.  But not if you want to visit areas further afield.  Taxis and auto-rickshaws are reluctant to use the meter, but your hotel or a guide may be able to convince them.  The amounts are pretty small so it hardly matters, but e.g. we paid Rs 100 to go the same distance as a trip four times as far would have cost on the meter.

Our only experience with the train was the day we did the Dharavi slum tour, when we met the guide inside Churchgate station and he purchased return tickets.  Since we traveled counter to the daily commute (i.e. we were heading north around 9:30 am when most commuters were coming from the north to Churchgate and surrounding areas), the train was not that crowded and it was pretty simple.  Same for our ride back on the train from the Dhobi Ghat to Churchgate.  And since Churchgate is the end of the line, it removes some of the stress that would be present if the train were crowded and you tried to enter or exit during the handful of seconds the train rests at the platform.

Make sure you know which airport you need.  I won’t get into the details here, but we had an unpleasant experience sorting out where to go for our departing flight to Agra.

Accommodation: Many tourists stay in the Colaba area (this is where the famous Taj Mahal Palace hotel and Gateway of India sight are located, among others), and this seemed like a fine option.  We stayed at Hotel Astoria in Churchgate.  The room was spacious with good AC for just over $100/night.  Breakfast with fresh omelets was included.  WiFi is available free in the lobby but in the room you pay Rs 107/215 for 12/24 hours, and this is per device.

The location was very good.  One long block from Marine Drive, right at an entrance to Churchgate train station, a 10 minute walk to the Fort area, etc.  The Intercontinental and its popular Dome rooftop bar are a five minute walk.  I do not know where Churchgate ends and Nariman Point begins, but the Oberoi is also in this general area.

Activities: We spent a couple days just wandering Colaba, Fort and some markets.  We did not realize that the Mangaldas cloth market and Zaveri Bazaar jewelry markets are closed on Sunday, and I think Crawford Market was a fraction of its normal self.

Chowpatty Beach on Sunday afternoon was a highlight, covered above.  We also thought our Dharavi slum tour with Reality Tours and Travel was a neat experience, covered above.  This cost Rs 750 each (or Rs 700 if you meet there instead of at Churchgate).  Reality offers slightly different versions of this tour as well as market, street food and other tours.  Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (still referred to by most as Victoria Terminus or V.T.) is worth a visit for its beautiful building, though you cannot enter the main area as you would in a typical European train station.

I might not go far out of my way, but if you are nearby then viewing the Mahalakshmi Dhobi Ghat is kind of neat.  I think you can descend and get closer to the action, but most seem to observe from the road bridge above.

Some popular activities we missed include visiting the island tomb of Haji Ali, and Elephanta Island.

Food: We had some good meals in Mumbai.  I’ll cover the dinners first…

Khyber (Fort) is somewhat romantic with marble floors and rough wooden beams, and our mutton rara was excellent.  I was offended by Rs 315 for plain rice, but enjoyed my cocktail and the waiters speak English well.  BEWARE: many nicer restaurants do not include taxes in the prices shown on the menu, and these can add up to 25% without even including a tip.  Also, if you want to drink non-Indian wine, be prepared to pay 5x mark ups.  We saw a bottle of Yellowtail on more than one menu priced around $50.  Someone should import two-buck Chuck and sell it for $25.

Pizza by the Bay (Churchgate/Marine Drive) serves quite good pizza (certainly by Indian standards) and has other Italian and American standards.  Our corner window table on a Saturday night included a lovely breeze and Queen’s Necklace views.

Creamy Centre (Chowpatty Beach) is clean and bright and one of those places with a touristy feel but mostly Indian clientele.  My channa bhatura was very filling and delicious.  It is a chain with other locations in India and even one in Dubai.  After we got milkshakes at Bachelorr’s a couple blocks south.  These were nothing special, perhaps the fruit juices for which it is more famous are better.

Trishna (Fort) is a legendary seafood restaurant that filled up quickly after we sat at 7:45 pm on a Monday.  We split a large portion of the signature butter pepper garlic crab (out of the shell) as well as squid with chili and garlic and some garlic naan.  I used a chit for Jenni to forego paratha as the bread of choice.  The kesar pista kulfi dessert is like a cross between regular and astronaut ice cream and comes as a disc cut into triangles.  Minimal points for atmosphere.  The meal was very good, though frankly if you put a lot of butter and garlic on just about anything it’s tasty.

We really had only one proper lunch, as Sunday we snacked on spicy cashews at Crawford Market before some ice cream at Chowpatty and an early dinner, and Monday was a late margarita pizza at Markiv’s (a clean and corporate type place with mediocre pizza) next to our hotel.  But that one proper lunch at Olympia Coffee House was a highlight, which I covered above.  It cost Rs 250 with a generous tip.

Drink: We have been going out very little on this trip, but did enjoy a brief reminder of the high life at Dome (Intercontinental, Marine Drive) on Saturday night.  Aer at The Four Seasons is well-reviewed.  I believe there are some pubs and of course hotel bars in Colaba, and I read that many of the hipper/edgier venues are north of the main tourist neighborhoods.  Time Out covers Mumbai and might be a good resource.

December 27-31, 2013 (Friday-Tuesday)

Cambodia (old notes)

For some years before I started a blog, I took notes on trips.  Sometimes friends ask for these notes to help with trip planning.  To organize everything in one place, I’m adding my old trip notes to my blog.  These were written shorthand and probably not too enjoyable to read but hopefully useful to plan a trip.

I do not have access while traveling to my old photos, but I think through the link below you can see Jenni’s Facebook album from this trip even if you do not have a Facebook account.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.832103361035.2478054.414086&type=1&l=a00c0128e7

We spent a week in Cambodia over Thanksgiving 2010, visiting Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.  It was a phenomenal trip.  So much so that I cannot but wonder whether Cambodia is that terrific or was there an element of this being one of those trips that just clicks…as I discussed in my Sri Lanka post.  But now that I’ve reread all my notes, I think Cambodia is just awesome.

11/19-21

Airport in PP small but very smooth, easy visa ($20) etc. Take 4 pm flight to Siem Reap on turbo prop, about 40 minutes.

Met at airport by driver with V12 Benz (which ended up being about the nicest car we saw the whole trip, only two seats in the back), usually charge but hotel got us free because had told me could send car to pick us up in Phnom Penh then said no because of boat festival.

Terrasse des Elephants Hotel is nice. Room is $65 and has sitting area where first enter with a day-bed type thing, big balcony off to the right that connects to back staircase which could take to the pool or dining area, to the left is bed with mosquito net and then beyond that a step or two up with a cool carved fountain and on either side a shower and a sink, rooftop edgeless pool. Right at old market and pub street etc.

After a swim, we saw fireworks from the roof, then we ate dinner at Khmer Kitchen across from old market. J had Khmer Curry with pumpkin and tofu and I had amok with fish. That, big water and two Angkor beers for $10.

Then walked down to river where boat festival going on. Awesome. Tons of people, band on a stage, almost walked into a little boy peeing. Saw cars with long wooden boats on the roof, like 8 ft hanging over the car on each side. Then just walked around a bit more before returning. Area is great, lots of alleys with bars and restaurants. Very happening. Weather is hot and humid but not super oppressive.

11/22

Breakfast at hotel around 7:30. Pancakes with homemade pineapple jam and honey, eggs with hash brown and grilled tomato, delish coffee, fresh oj, dragon fruit. Then met our guide thai and driver yan ($30 and $40 for day because went farther away) and drove to Angkor entrance and bought 3 of 7 day passes for $40 each. Crowded. Drove through villages and past temples. Houses mainly on stilts for water and to keep out snakes, scorpions, etc. Saw people making palm sugar, water buffalo, cows, etc.

Got to Kbal Splean maybe around 10 and walked about 1.5 km on trail through light jungle. Quite a few others around. J with flip flops, oops. It’s the River of 1000 Lingas which is the phallic symbol. To represent water flowing off mtn (like Mt Meru), all is Hindu, holy water. Hike not too tough but rocks etc so tough for oldies, lots of butterflies. Saw a cave, waterfall, some sanskrit writing on the rocks. At start a bunch of puppies and kids and peeps trying to sell t-shirts and scarves and books. A little pushy but not too bad and rather sweet.

Drove maybe 15 minutes back to Banteay Srei, saw water buffalo in water and taking mud bath. Ox cart. Road is two lanes, pretty wide and nice. Driving not too crazy.

Banteay Srei is temple with very intricate carvings, lots of Hindu mythology representations. Surrounded by a little moat. Saw big chameleon and a snake winding through the stones. Big trees all around. Sampled some fresh jack fruit.  After walk through area with stalls selling things and then lunch. J got fried noodles with veggies and egg and I got fried pork with garlic and pepper (as in tons of both, green peppercorns on the vine). Cans of lychee and soursop. Finished lunch about 1:45.

See a lot of people with medical masks. Still are Khmer Rouge around but I guess nobody fights. But guide said in the 90s it was still dangerous.

After lunch stopped where making palm sugar which sell in little brown discs, yummy. Make by boiling palm juice in wok type thing over little oven made of cow dung, clay, rice stalk…burning wood. Said 80% of country perhaps still cooks with wood. Where got sugar also grow bananas, tamarind, mango, lime. There’s poverty but not much hunger it seems because have lots of rice, fish, fruit etc. Maybe more in Phnom Penh .

Our car has driver on right side even though country drives on right side.

Next up was Banteay Samre. Legend is that it’s the farmer’s temple because was a king who loved sweet cucumbers and he gave the farmer a spear to protect his farm if anyone but the king tried to take cukes. Then one day the king wanted to test him so he went and farmer didn’t recognize him so killed him at once and then buried king under his house. And tradition is if they don’t know who is king then have elephant walk around and whomever elephant kneels before is the king. So elephant went to farmer’s house and knelt and everyone thought he was kneeling for the farmer but really was paying respects to the king.

We liked this temple, not so crowded.

Then went to Pre Rup, has 5 towers, much higher than others we saw. Big and steep stairs. From top nice views, green all around. Can see in distance one of towers of Angkor Wat.

Next was Banteay Kdei which is Buddhist temple. Not restored as well as others.  Long day, glad we got car with A/C for today.

Back to hotel around 5:15. Volleyball is popular here. Our hotel great but room has shower that’s just elevated by the fountain in the room, so wouldn’t be good to share other than with s/o!

Swam again, pool is one of those flush with ground, looks nice. There are rooms on pool/roof level. I had an ABC Stout, 8% alc and tasty. Then signed up for cooking class at Le Tigre de Papier and had dinner Angkor Palm. Sat outside on sidewalk, comfy wicker chairs. J got sambor curry with chicken and a Tiger beer, I had 7 plate sampler with a Beer Lao. Both lagers, solid. Then some sweet banana dessert that came with my meal and then we got ice cream at Blue Pumpkin (jackfruit with coconut/pistachio). Walked down Pub Street and over by food market and then across Sivatha St to Angkor night market. Couple places saw groups playing music that said mine victims. Night market has jewelry, t-shirts, carvings, etc. Fish foot and regular massages all over.

Exhausted, back to hotel around 8:40. Shorts with short sleeves at night and still hot.

11/23

Woke before 6 am and went to roof for sunrise but already had risen. Then walked through old market and saw food vendors setting up. Cutting meat, chickens, fish, fruit, etc. And a few places that serve food. Crossed river and walked around, went into tour office to inquire about getting to Phnom Penh and heard over 300 people died in Phnom Penh . Called J’s rents and found out it was a stampede from the boat festival. Lucky we planned trip in this order and smart we didn’t change it once knew about the festival. Walked around a bit more, that side of river is less touristy. Then back to hotel around 7:30 for breakfast. American again but also French toast instead of pancakes, which was delish. And really good coffee. We both agree we like this part of the world. Exotic feel, cheap, people seem peaceful and very deferential. Yesterday our guide sat in the front seat and had his seat so far forward to maximize J’s leg room, even though she didn’t need it.

Hotel dining area has that Indochina colonial feel.

Guide said our hotel used to be a nightclub/karaoke.

Today we’re taking a cooking class at Le Tigre de Papier ($12/p) at 10 am, which is in the alley.

About 8 in our class, teacher was Jenni. Started with walk through the market to show us things. J made mango salad then chicken curry, I made banana flower salad and Samlor Kteas (pork, coconut milk, winter melon, pineapple, broth, tamarind liquid, lemongrass paste which think had lemongrass, turmeric, lime kaffir leaves, red chili). A little tough to understand teacher but was fun and good value. Then sticky rice with mango for dessert. Ended around 1:30 pm.

There are lizards everywhere here. After lunch went to pool and got crappy piña coladas and read.

Afternoon went to Bodia Spa which is on side street near Blue Pumpkin. Got 90 min aromatherapy massages in one “room” with little wall type thing in between. $38 each is very steep for Cambodia , but place was nice and worth it. Nicer than eg Touch in BH where 60 min is $57 and you have to tip.

Then walked around a bit more and back to hotel to shower. Oh, after lunch also went to book store with illegit but cheap. I bought Kitchen Confidential and also The Lonely Planet Story for $11.

Had a glass of wine in room then went outside and got fried noodles with beef from street cart right in front of hotel. Bought water (about 50-60c for 1.5 litres) and looked for some pancakes without luck. Ate noodles in room, $1 fed us both dinner. Siem Reap definitely has some backpacker vibe but perhaps not quite as much as I expected, which makes sense given it’s a world famous cultural attraction. Not the same vibe as Thailand , at least in the islands or Khao San Rd.

11/24

Woke around 5:15 and got tuk tuk to Angkor Wat, arrived around 6:30. Beautiful weather on ride, ticket station empty where Monday was packed. Main entrance is on West so sun rises behind temple. Pretty clouds reflecting in the moat. Very crowded right inside gate but walked through and over to East entrance where not crowded and pretty. Saw some cows by the moat. Romped around for a while, went up steep wood steps to upper level once opened (think 8 am). Nice views. Scaffolding in many places which a bit of a bummer but oh well. Also saw tons of monkeys playing on East side of temple, very fun. Around 9:30 had breakie at Matthieu next to Chez Sophaea outside the temple (think Mathieu and Chez Sophaea are same). Great scrambled eggs, baguettes with jams and butter, latte and espresso. Peaceful spot, pricier than most but very civilized meal. Kenny just texted me that Thursday has been declared National Day of Mourning so we’ll see what that means.

Our tuk tuk driver is Naro (?), $13 for the day, didn’t bargain at all.

After late breakie we drove through Angkor Thom to Ta Prohm. The jungle temple, was fairly crowded but neat and liked it with trees growing all in and around. Feels more natural though is maintained whereas hear Beng Melea (sp?) farther away is more truly wild. Then around 12:15 went to Bayon (54 faces) and walked around a while. Hot and not ideal light but also less crowded than usual. Then walked back along rd to Bauphon and Elephant Terrace etc and got ice cream before meeting our driver. More restoration work and closed areas than I expected, in general. J was bummed 😉 she didn’t get to ride an elephant because have em in morning at Bayon but we kept on to Ta Prohm and when returned…

People use bikes and mopeds for a lot, eg sell sunglasses out of big case attached to back or grill food on a built in. Back to hotel around 2:30 pm.

Went to internet cafe around corner from our place. Good connection for $.75/hr. A number of work peeps, Cubell, Sharath, Cheech emailed to check in after stampede (reports now say 378 dead). Then went across street to Cafe Central which is open air (big windows with plantation shutters, kind of colonial vibe with the potted plants and wicker chairs) caddy corner from old market on Northwest. Got mango daiquiris and margarita pizza. Western menu with some local as well, slightly more expensive than some but seems nice. The pizza was ok, sweet potato pakora (like fritter with corn etc) with mint dip I loved. Around here, not that many Americans. Lots of Europeans and Asians and of course quite a few tour buses.

Back to hotel and washed a few clothes then up to pool where I read and J napped. Really nice on roof in evening when cooler and lights on. J slept a while and I read, back in room.

Dinner at Socheata on market. More authentic, J got fried noodles with beef and a jackfruit shake, and I got khmer chicken (with palm sugar), quite tasty. But also got green papaya salad which was awful. Think has some kind of fermented paste or something which to me tastes rotten. And reminds that on Monday at start of 1000 lingas hike our guide had me taste some liquid from a cut branch which was like sour glue tasting. Guess it’s supposed to help ease pain…hopefully more than it causes in the mouth. Later for us tonight, finished dinner around (gasp) 9:30.

There are other parts to Siem Reap we didn’t see, we really just did temples and stayed around old market area except a brief foray across the river yesterday morning. Didn’t do FCC or Hotel de la Paix or National Museum or any bars or restaurants on airport rd…

11/25

Breakie at hotel then check out and get in car with our driver, $85 to Phnom Penh with stop at Kompong Plukh to see flooded forest. Drove about 1 hour, nice to see more of Siem Reap and countryside. Driver used to work for UN and NGOs, think as…driver. KP about 6 km off rd, dirt with villagers around and a little market etc. Then stop at station and paid $20/each for entrance and boat tour on long wooden boat that has maybe 24 seats on wooden benches, two rows of 6 doubles. Just us and car and boat driver on our boat, each seems to depart with only a few tourists…not efficient but guess more full employment. Boat driver is orphan, maybe 16 years old and think paid about $85/month by government and boats til about 1 pm then goes to school. Driver says men get married usually 25 and up, women 17 and up. Often live with her family a few years to save money. He says KP is much better and less crowded than Chong Kneas floating village. He said no mosquitoes on lake now, only at night. Hope he’s right!

On drive to KP also pass turnoffs for the Roluos temples I think.

No mosquitoes confirmed. KP very cool and unique experience. Boat through narrow low tree-lined water lane maybe 20 minutes and then pass government buildings and then get to village, with wooden houses raised maybe 20 ft above water. Lots of kids. People live here to fish. Also saw some pigs in little floating pens, a couple little wooden dug outs with fruit. You pass a monastery on the way too, which is on land. Could get onto smaller boat without motor and go more inside the trees but we didn’t. Get out to open lake and just chill for a bit. Could swim but I was afraid of sickness. Then returned to land around 11:30 am. Funny how everyone is always hustling, but in pretty mellow way. Like our driver telling us can do Phnom Penh in one day and then one day go to Kep and islands and he could drive us and cheaper than if arrange through hotel…something about 35%.

KP has some other tourists but quite few, does not at all feel crowded or touristy.

Always fascinating to see a way of life without materiality. Really all you need is food and water, so if you can get that you just hang out and do odds and ends. And hope you don’t need much in the way of healthcare. See some hospitals and clinics around. Think guide first day said government provides care for everyone up to 15.

Boat has fine looking life jackets but nobody uses. Not a ton but of course see trash in water, and driver throws in his cigarette after a few puffs.

Saw a wedding at market by KP and then many more on the drive. Says they last 2.5 days. Real aggressive driver, no margin for error. And again wheel on right side (another Camry from Japan ). Road to Phnom Penh in pretty good shape. Speed limit 90kmh, sometime he goes about 100-110.

Our Monday tour guide asked a lot about how many lanes we have on our highways. And he laughed a lot at things we wouldn’t necessarily laugh at. And of course they’re amazed at the money we have. The top tax rate, hard to fathom someone can make $250k in a year. Seemed to have a negative view of Obama of late.

Lunch today at some place on the way. Looks like tourist stop but at same time pretty bare bones. Like big place with lots of big tree tabletops and stools but authentic menu and lunch with two sodas was $6 and bathrooms have hole in the ground.

Everywhere takes $ and quotes in $ but often give small change in riel and use interchangeably at 4000 riel per $…think now official exchange rate is about 4050. But at ATMs I’ve tried/used they only dispense $, so you can’t arb for the extra 1.25% 😉 Outside more populous areas and even some within you can buy petrol in plastic or whiskey type bottles.

Almost everyone seems looks healthy, at least where we’ve been very little evidence of war, and nobody is fat nor looks malnourished.

Pass through Kampong Thom which looks like decent sized city/town. River runs through.

At lunch J had fried noodles with veggies and I had spicy soup with fish. So so, fish had bones. I got spicy but was easily tolerated. Chili sauce generally hasn’t been that hot either. Either light for tourists or food not THAT spicy here or a bit of both.

Every Lexus SUV I’ve seen has big Lexus writing and logo on driver side. And some (all?) Land Cruisers as well. Not much military or police presence that I’ve noted. And granted we stayed in touristy areas pretty much and never out past 9:30 but Siem Reap felt very safe.

J noticed some houses are very plain looking with weathered wood but had brightly colored staircase.

Lots of monasteries in the country.

I’ve been reading Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know about/by Ranulph Fiennes, crazy badass explorer/endurance guy. J reading law school outline and Let the Great World Spin. She read I Don’t Remember Anything already, didn’t love it.

Most signs are in English and Khmer (Sanskrit derived I think).

Drive is pretty long, arrived at Blue Lime hotel in Phnom Penh around 5:15 pm, would say at least 5+ hours of driving. Phnom Penh is a real city. Bustling, a little intense.

Saw one KFC in Siem Reap and nothing else. Blue Lime is hip, little bit of Viceroy feel to me. Off alley near National Museum, lobby with couple couches and free computers then walk through pool area (infinity edge, like last place) with several little cabana types and our Room was 21 (last was 201) which is good sized with king bed and private plunge pool in back. $75/nite, but tomorrow we have to switch rooms. Took a dip and left around 6 pm, walked toward riverfront, got some eye drops in pharmacy and went to FCC for drink and ended up getting dinner. Happy hour 5-7, got Mai Tai and Passion fruit drink and strawberry mojito and Angkor Sunset, and 3 small plates. All in $22, pretty good, not amazing. Good spot, on corner on river with 2nd floor (as everywhere, what we call 3rd floor) bar and tables and open air and then rooftop terrace. Lots of white peeps there. After dinner walked a few blocks up riverfront then came back and turned in at Amanjaya. At next corner was spot called Derk Wang which had great looking beef bbq out front. Headed back to room and got home about 8:30. Still warm but nice breeze and a little cooler than Siem Reap. Phnom Penh seems cool, lots of activity, lots of street food. Nice big riverfront area with little park between street and river.

Were planning to do Friends for dinner and passed on walk home (right near hotel) and was closed so guess good decision.

Been taking 4-6 pepto/day and so far, knock wood, no stomach problems.

Rooms here are pretty spacious, concrete bed and grey tile floor. Funny because much more modern looking and has old tube TV where last place had Sony flat screen (maybe 37″ or so) with DVD player.

11/26

Woke around 6:45, ate included breakie out by pool. Coffee, passion fruit juice, bread with jam, scrambled eggs, fruit (banana, pineapple, watermelon, mango). Had to switch to a smaller room (#5, on 2nd floor) so ate then packed up and left bags in room and took tuk tuk to Russian market. Walked around a while, bought some t-shirts and J a top and wicker stuff and little lights to hang, and I got a $3 digi watch. Market has lots of clothes and scarves/throws, prepared and raw food, jewelry, auto/gardening/mechanical stuff. Stayed til about 11:30 then to Tuol Sleng (S-21), the genocide museum. In old high school right in city, pretty depressing. Spent about an hour then same tuk tuk back to hotel. $10 for the roundtrip.

Each place has outlets that take a regular plug. Saw some big houses, of course in middle of all and behind big gates.

Balance must be great because lots sit sideways on the back of mopeds. And sometimes see 3 or 4 peeps on a moped, some kids. Very non-aggressive or confrontational culture as far as I can tell.

Tried to go to Friends for lunch but sign says closed Nov 19-29. Bummer! Then were gonna go to where saw bbq last night but think they grill/roast all day and then serve at night. So walked back to river front and ate at Anjali, with seats side by side right on edge of sidewalk so can watch traffic and river. J got seafood fried rice didn’t like much, I got pan fried fish with kampot pepper and herbs and fries, liked it a lot. Also got shakes and my ice coffee were tasty. Maybe a little cooler / less humid here than in Siem Reap.

Saw a couple gay bars in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, good to see it’s tolerated at least somewhat, not sure extent.

Have barbers on side of street, think cut is about $1.25. And guy had a trimmer device but instead of electric power it’s connected to scissors handle looking things and he just opens and closes scissors over and over!

Toyota seems to dominate car market here, lots of Lexus, Land Cruiser, Camry, some Corolla and RAV4, think one sports car looking thing we saw was like a MR2.

Far bank of river has some truly enormous billboards.

After lunch walked and saw Wat Onaloum (sp?) but can’t go inside, then to National Museum . $3 entrance, liked it. History on country and Angkor , lots of old statues and carvings, lots of bronze and sandstone. Nice courtyard area. Then back to hotel to swim. Refreshing and sat in cabana but mosquitoes. Bites starting to add up. Each night until now our bed had netting around so am a little worried for these next two nights. From museum I wrote: Someone should make a movie about The Reamker, Indian story.

BlackBerry data hasn’t worked whole trip, phone and text work. Saw weekly newspaper at lunch, has listing of activities including music and art and pilates etc. Probably neat to be expat place like this.

Went to Chow/Quay on the river front for 7 Eleven at 7 pm (on Friday? only). Hotel, looks cool. Great rooftop with chill lounge DJ and chairs and tables etc and great cocktail menu. Happy hour so grapefruit basil martinis for $2.75! Dinner menu as well but didn’t eat here. And weather is great.

Talking about how mellow a culture. Serious city but never beef between tuk tuk drivers over customer, and no road rage at all. At most you see someone look at another driver as pass, but no cursing or gesturing or even muttering under breath. Not much begging. Lots of peeps trying to sell you stuff or give you ride but minimal begging.

Country blessed with almost no natural disasters. Minimal monsoon I think and not really anything else. GDP per capita isn’t necessarily a good measure of quality of life since only measures commercial transactions. If you grow fruit and catch fish and collect rain water and have no disasters or violence, your income and GDP contribution might be zero but your life aint so bad. Granted we saw areas close to lake and rivers and I’m sure some in countryside are “poorer” and in city it’s tougher life, but…think may also be an element of after Khmer Rouge peeps stick together and are so averse to conflict so…

Dinner at Van’s in old Indochina Bank building, just off the river. Fairly empty, nice space. Had smoked duck breast and scallops with passion fruit to start, then duck ravioli in sauce and boneless pork shank. Not bad, not blown away at all but pretty good. About $100 all in with bottle of Cotes du Rhone and water. Took tuk tuk here for $3, could probably bargain more and in general than we did.

After dinner went to Riverhouse Lounge. Fair number of bars etc right there. RL was two stories, paper said hip hop but more like top 40. Kind of cheesy yet young and attractive crowd. Were there about 5-10 minutes at 11:15. Many tables with bottles, all black label. Tuk tuk so easy to get when need one, standard rate around town seems to be $3. Hotel location seems really good, most places on/around river front are quite close.

11/27

Didn’t sleep so well, dogs howling and noise etc. Woke around 7:45, at breakie I had fried eggs. Coffee has been good everywhere. Took tuk tuk to Wat Phnom, the buddhist temple on a little hill paid $1 each to go in but seemed like if you came from different side it was free?? Nice decorations inside. Some monkeys around. J devastated that no elephants there that day, guess he was hurt. Then walked past US embassy and to Raffles hotel le royal. Nice place, cute cafe and shops, think elephant bar supposed to be nice place for happy hour. Right next to National Library which is closed on weekends, and across from biz school that’s in conjunction with Malaysian school. Walked South along Monivong past train station and tall Canadia building, then to Psar Thmei, the central market. Has big dome and then many arms shooting off, kind of more of the same. We bought quick dry shirts, scarf, table runner, bed decoration, t-shirt gifts. Got a coconut to drink, surprised how much liquid inside. Then walked over to Sorya shopping centre, a 7-8 story mall. Walked through Lucky supermarket, quite nice. Have these packaged meals to cook with meat, veggies, seasoning etc, for about $1.90. One store we went into (BS Fashion, haha) was not at all cheap. Then got ice cream cones at Swenson’s in the mall, solid if pricey for Cambodia. Can sit down and they’ll take your order. J got macadamia, I got this vanilla with pb thing and blueberry cobbler.  Then walked down St 63 several blocks, saw Dept of Plastic Arts and Handicrafts, and went East back towards river on St 240.

Some nice little shops, thought about lunch at Freebird (bar with Western menu) but went to The Shop which is great little cafe/bakery etc. Almost like an Urthh Cafe, but better. Seemed to be spot for either tourists or expats or both. Attractive crowd. J got baked brie sammy, I got roast pumpkin and goat cheese salad. Finished up about 2:15.

Really enjoying Phnom Penh , very much has the third world big city feel but manageable and pretty safe feeling and some hip spots / oases.

Went into some more nice stores…housewares, beads, women’s clothes. At corner of St 19 (?) is Red Apron wine shop and bar and then Rubies wine bar as well. Walked down to Royal Palace but didn’t go in, and tuk tuk guy tried to get us to go to some orphanage but we didn’t because unsure of truth and he said it was 20 minutes each way and tired etc. Walked back to hotel up St 178 and got home at 3:40…drained.  Pool.

Earlier today walking we passed used car dealer, prices crazy! Was like $40k+ for a 2004 Lexus SUV. Think an ’09 Camry was about $32k. Went out around 6 pm, grabbed some chicken on a skewer by hotel. Crappy part of wing, cost $.25 and not worth that. Then went into clothes store but didn’t buy anything and then finally the holy grail of Derk Wang bbq! On the same street as Friends but a little North, on a corner. Have cow roasting all day. I got small plate of meat, they serve it with sauces…one is like bbq, one like a lemon pepper with lime juice, another has lemongrass and chilis and lime juice…latter two they put together at the table. We each got a bottle of Angkor beer. They also serve cow innards, braised ox penis, and other things…we refrained. Solid.

Love how no stop signs or lights at all but a few major intersections, yet everyone just gets through. Quote of trip is definitely “hello, tuk tuk”.

Took one to Equinox on St 278 by St 51 (cool little area with bars, shops etc.). Close to Independence Monument . Right across from Elsewhere Bar where have big expat party think first friday of the month. Looks like cool spot with a couple pools and little beds/lounges jutting into them.

Equinox is 3 stories, we sat at bar on 2nd level which is open air and got pizza margarita and mojitos and then a bunch of Angkor drafts. Mekong Pirates is this reggae/funk band with almost a bit of Israeli sound and they went on around 8:30. Maybe 10 or so mainly white dudes and a Cambodian (?) female singer (but some guys sing too), music is in French. Lots of peeps there, seemed to be expats and maybe longer-stay backpackers. Great band and great vibe. Were a couple little kids there with parents, noted how you’d never see that in US but do see it abroad sometimes. Then went up on 3rd floor roof, beautiful night.

Around maybe 10 or 10 :30 walked across street and up to top level (3rd/4th floor) of Top Banana guesthouse and hung out at the bar. That was mainly longer stay backpackers, had bartender Todd from Albany who was very nice. We talked for a while with this guy from Seattle . Really fun. They had happy chocolate truffles on the menu but had run out, and when we left around 11:30 we had tuk tuk driver take us to river front to check out Happy Pizza, and everything was DEAD. FCC maybe was open, but every place else was closed, streets were pretty much abandoned, we were shocked since it was not even midnight on a Saturday. Not sure if most places just shut down early or if there was some effect from the stampede earlier in the week. Guy at our hotel desk suggested was the latter.

11/28

Nobody seems to tip, but I’ve generally been leaving change and maybe touch more at times.

Recalling our driver from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh when telling us about baby pigs we saw said that people buy them and “sponsor” them while they grow up before going to market. Sponsor, to become bacon…haha.

At breakie met a couple from CO (he grew up in Studio City, live Colorado Springs with place in Breckenridge), here a couple days before meeting up with small group for photo safari in Siem Reap then Myanmar.

Asia Life magazine seems good, helpful listing of events etc. That’s how we heard of the Mekong Pirates show last night.

After breakie went to Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Pay $6.25 to enter, need to cover knees and shoulders. Pretty crowded. Nice buildings and architecture, not incredible but worth doing. Finished around 10, I bought the shirt I’d tried on last night (looks like button down with pullover, all one piece, $16) and back to hotel to shower and pack. It’s hot today.

Brought raincoat and zip off pants and pull over, aside from plane ride never wore anything but shorts and short sleeves.

Cab to airport was $10, takes maybe half hour. Ate sandwiches after security. Drinks there expensive, and have to pay $25 departure tax each.

 

Seattle (old notes)

For some years before I started a blog, I took notes on trips.  Sometimes friends ask for these notes to help with trip planning.  To organize everything in one place, I’m adding my old trip notes to my blog.  These were written shorthand and probably not too enjoyable to read but hopefully useful to plan a trip.

I do not have access while traveling to my old photos, but I think through the link below you can see Jenni’s Facebook album from this trip even if you do not have a Facebook account.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.779966219285.2396349.414086&type=1&l=3a7bd49431

We visited Seatlle July 1-5, 2010 and had a great time.  The weather wasn’t so good but the food was outstanding, and Olympic National Park was beautiful.

7/1 – arrive around 9 pm, maybe 15-20 min drive in to city, no traffic; check in to Hotel Andra, then had drink each and split lamb carpaccio at Dahlia Lounge across way, was delish.

7/2 – went to pike place around 8:30 am then had brunch at cafe campagne which was pretty good and then we went back to the market.  After, we went to the Seattle Art Museum which was pretty cool with Cobain exhibit and some sculpture and Warhol exhibit…not a lot of big name artists that I saw.  Left there maybe 1:30 pm or so and walked down to pioneer square and to Salumi (Mario Batali’s family place) with 30 min wait but worth it…we split grilled copa with fontina and hot peppers and agrumi salami which has cardamom.  Then we walked to little park with waterfall in it and back through Pioneer Square and to Purple Café and wine bar where we each got a flight of WA white wines which were not very good ( purple has high ceiling, great menu) then W for drinks and then Zoe for dinner. Was very solid, lots of food and two drinks each (no dessert) for $128 all in. Walked few blocks back through Belltown and seems cool.

7/3 – woke about 6:30 and got to ferry about 7:15 got sandwiches and coffee there, plenty of time for 7:55 ferry to Bainbridge. Cold. 35 min ride then drive across island and over to 101 to Olympic National Park. Go to hurricane ridge about 17 miles in from hwy. Cloudy but clear at times. At top we parked the car around 5200′ and see lots of snow covered mtns across valley. Beautiful. Hike hurricane hill 1.6 miles each way and about 650’ gain. Saw little birds, black tail deer, marmot, goat, black bear in distance, chipmunks. Very pretty spot, chilly but fine when working. Drove back down and headed west again on 101 few minutes to lunch at kokopelli in port angeles . Had Dungeness crab (seems to be from here, crossed Dungeness river) club sandwiches with fries. Drove 101W another 20-30 minutes to lake crescent but pressed for time seemed so just couple pics then about 2+ hour drive back to Bainbridge. Olympic park and peninsula very green and reminiscent to me of Maine or Vermont and of course much lusher than SoCal. Got on 5:30 pm ferry back to Seattle (was about $14 while morning was $21) and nice and sunny but still cold on deck. Water kind of brown, see lots of jellies in the ocean.  That night we had a 8:30 reservation at Crush restaurant in Madison Valley .  I heard about it b/c believe Jason Wilson is the chef and he won a James Beard award.  We got the 6 course tasting menu with paired wines.

Salmon roe with bacon whipped creme fraiche with parsnip base and maple syrup; hamachi crudo with meyer lemon and mint; tagliatelle with morels, peas, truffle and parm; sparkling loire; Italian pinot grigio; chardonnay; salmon with peas etc oregon dundee hills pinot; split foie with cherries and almond financier with muscat; orange and yeast sorbet palate cleanse; cabernet with short rib; port for me and mousse with peanut and some ice cream and j had pinot gris and blueberry thing with mascarpone ice cream. So full and tired!

In Madison Valley area, pretty hilly around there. Reminds of Cambridge . Crush in a little house with wood floors, enter and there’s host stand and some stairs and to right is bar with about 8 seats and open kitchen and a few tables or to left is little room with big window and seating for about 16. J and I had four top, she on bench side and I in a low plastic mod white chair. Service quite good and food great. All in was $394 and about 2.5 hours. Planned to go out but too full and tired.  Excellent meal and worth it.

7/4 – Slept in and drove down and over West Seattle bridge to Salty’s on Alki Beach . Big place and way crowded. All you can eat brunch with crab legs, shrimp, oysters, omelets, mac n cheese, smoked salmon hash, chocolate fountain, waffles, dessert, bloody mary bar, etc. $40++ each. Awesome. Big windows with views of bay and city. Stuffed we drove up to Green Lake . No traffic ever and get around quickly and parking easy. Walked 2.8 miles round lake with lots of peeps and dogs and bikes etc and little pitch n putt course. Drove back to hotel.

Relax in room then down to lobby for comfy chairs in front of window looking on 4th ave with NY times. Hip but cozy lobby with good music. Got glasses of wine. Then ate at Lola which is another Tom Douglas spot in our hotel. Greek, had few apps. Tasty. The man has great menus. Took carafes of house red up to our room and watched fireworks on TV. Yeah, it’s true. Seattle almost canceled all due to budget but had biz sponsor I guess and only did em on Lake Union .

7/5 – morning went back to pike place and pastries and lattes at le panier. Jenni bought a little purse thing for phone etc while biking. We got dungeness crab rolls to go and clam chowder to split at pike place chowder. The chowder was great, the crab rolls OK (too much bread). Walked up 1st Ave to Broad and then went to experience music project at seattle center. Pretty cool, had hendrix exhibit and room where hear artists etc talk and then mary wilson of the supremes dress display and section with lots of rooms where can play instruments etc. Then walked up queen anne rd (fairly steep hill) and over on highland to kerry park with views of city and ate our crab rolls. Weather overcast again so see downtown and bay but never saw mt rainier at all. The area at queen anne and mercer had some cool looking shops/bars and 1st ave in Belltown has a bunch of bars and food etc.

Hotel location was great, think you want to be around there and pike place. Lobby nice and restaurant good, guess worth the $ but of course could go cheaper. Food in city was great..

On plane ride home saw Mt Rainier and several snow capped mtns to the West. Didn’t realize so many. Also interesting how in Olympic there are so many snow capped mtns and even on our hike there was snow in several places on the trail, at just 5500′ or so elevation and in July. Off our trail there were some long hikes with several thousand verts down then back up but some hard to do because of snow.

Temple and Thali

Madurai is an ancient south Indian city whose main attraction is the massive and bustling Meenakshi temple.  We drove here from Munnar to spend a day and a half and two nights.  If you are considering staying longer, please reconsider.  The temple is remarkable but otherwise the city has little to commend it.  Except for the thali lunch at Aarathy.

Temple from Chentoor roof

Check out the temple gopuras (towers) from a distance for some perspective and then the up close shots to appreciate the detail of each gopura.

We stayed at Hotel Padmam which sports a fine location but I don’t recommend it.  We had to ask twice to get toilet paper, soap and towels (at all, not like refills or anything), and if you want a top sheet walk down the street and buy one for a few bucks.  There is no WiFi in the room and the manager told us it takes 40 minutes to complete the 15 minute trip to the airport and charged us Rs 450 (paid to him not the driver, who he probably paid half that at most) which is nearly the same as the hour and a half journey from the Mumbai airport to our Mumbai hotel costs.  Even for $23/night I expected more.  Like a bathroom that didn’t smell like vomit.  We decided this is slightly below the accommodation level we’re aiming for.

How adorable is that girl?!

Selling jewelry outside the temple

Lunch at Emperor on the roof of Hotel Chentoor was so-so but there is a nice view of the temple gopuras.  Afterwards we walked around the temple to enjoy up-close views and the constant buzz of activity encircling this holy site.  There are women selling jewelry, busy food stands, kids asking for pens and carts packed with dates and large blocks of some jelly-like substance.

Bollywood posters and auto-rickshaws

In this area you will be approached repeatedly by men suggesting you can go to the top of some building for a view and do not need to buy anything.

While clearly a commission pitch, we figured we had nothing to lose.  So we entered The Museum Company on the west side of the temple, marched straight to the top and then had a peaceful view where Miya offered us some tea with cardamom and cinnamon.

Inside the store

Depth of gopuras

Store roof

He proffered a long view of business, i.e. it didn’t matter if we bought anything but we could come back someday or tell our friends.  He was soft-spoken and true to his word, granting us leave with minimal earful.  Our true story of “sorry, you have lovely stuff but we have no room in our luggage and no home” has convinced many.

The rooftop rest was welcome.  Our first nine days in India were uber relaxing and Madurai marked a sharp contrast.  This is the kind of place you need to pay attention or you’ll get hit by a moped or goat.  Jenni was carrying a water bottle that took a moto-handlebar beating.  Nobody covers their mouth to cough and we saw multiple men urinating on the side of the road.

And the noise.  Constant.  Auto-rickshaw motors, horns, the rhythmic hand-pumping of water, chanting, negotiation.  If I were a music producer I think I would spend a little time in India for inspiration.

Surprisingly another calm corner in Madurai was this little vegetable alleyway which also had some birds located by the southeast corner of the square where our hotel sits.  We ate dinner at Dhivya Mahal where my aloo mutter masala was quite tasty.  Guess what Jenni got?  Paratha!

View of old water tank from our room

Making then lighting the candles

Thursday we visited the temple.  It took some effort to figure out the rules and setup (more in Practical Info but NOTE only mobile phone cameras are allowed inside, so if you can tell a difference in the photos that’s why), but alas we entered and the sensorial stimulation did not disappoint.  Aside from the prodigious and intricate gopuras, inside the temple there are vivid paintings, statues of deities, carved columns, tiered candle stands and a whole mess of humanity.  Offerings here, clink-clanking of donated change there, folks prostrating themselves or whispering in the ear of stone creatures.  Only Hindus are allowed in to the shrines, and these all had very long lines.

One section is dedicated to an art museum from where we viewed an elephant in the area between the inner and outer temple walls.  The elephant was trained to extend his trunk and take money, then tap the giver on the noggin and pass the cash back to its master.

On our way out we rested in the shade a bit and I lay down gazing up at clouds drifting over a gopura, listening to Indian music and watching the birds circle.  It is always nice to find moments of serenity amidst the madness.  A little boy walking past pointed at Jenni and laughed, then his mother told him to go say hello.  Which opened the floodgate and soon she had a little greeting line.

By the way, unrelated to Madurai but while I’m writing this Jenni just got a message from an Indian friend she studied with in Melbourne.  He recommends the kite festival in Ahmedabad in mid-January.  We will be in Thailand or Laos but…

Counting/sorting the money

After visiting the temple we were hungry, and more so after a long search for Aarathy.  When you approach on the side street and it looks like a dump, do not be alarmed.  Push onward, for the reward is a superb, all you can eat thali veg lunch.  Our man doles out the rice then ghee-ifies it with some powder and liquid butter.  Plus there are ten different bowls of yumminess, papadum, etc.  All for Rs 100.

Thali!!

Madurai is on the south India itinerary of many well-known tour companies.  If you visit alone, my advice is spend one day, do not stay at Hotel Padmam and do have lunch at Aarathy.

Practical Info

Accommodation: We stayed at Hotel Padmam which I pretty much covered above.  It seems the city is somewhat divided between the old town south of the river where the temple and action are, and the less exciting but likely nicer area north of the river.  I believe there are a couple nicer hotels there, and since being in the action in Madurai isn’t that great and you really just need to visit the temple, you might want to stay in one of those nicer hotels.

Temple: Modest dress is required.  Full pants for men, no hats.  You cannot wear shoes but can check them for free at each entrance.  There is an outside wall where you would check shoes, etc. and then you can enter the space in between for free.  To enter the actual temple, foreigners have to pay Rs 100.  You may not bring a camera inside.  However, you can bring a mobile phone inside, and for Rs 50 you can take pictures with your phone.  This all seems odd and is contrary to what I had thought, so you might double check for yourself even though we asked several people.  When you see the really long line of Indians waiting to enter the temple, walk around it, pay the Rs 100 and walk right in.  Unless you are Hindu, then maybe that line is where the shrine line begins.

Shopping: We went to the roof at The Museum Company at #26, West Chitrai Street, Ph: 0452 2346043, fortroyalmadurai@yahoo.com and our man was Gowhar aka Miya.  I cannot speak to the quality of the product nor how it compares to other stores, but it appeared to have nice wooden art and jewelry.  And he said we could leave our footwear there when we visited the temple.

December 25-27, 2013 (Wednesday-Friday)

Tea with Celine Dion

After Kerala’s backwaters we headed east for the hill country.  Munnar is set in the mountains surrounded by waterfalls and tea and cardamom plantations with cool, fresh air.  It was most pleasant and turned out to be a perfect place to spend Christmas in India.

Little temple

Two way road?

Munnar is a small town in Kerala, though the surrounding area is generally all referred to as Munnar.  After nearly five hours of driving from the backwaters, much of it rather jarring, we checked into Casa del Fauno, our home for the next four nights.  I have included pictures below and details on the property in the Practical Info section.

Casa del Fauno

Entrance

Eating on the side patio

Lovely setting

Sidebar: near Kochi there was a cop going up to every driver with a little brown box and asking them to blow into it.  Random, low-tech breathalyzer, at 9:15 am.

As I write this we have already visited Madurai and I am now in Mumbai, thus confirming how comparatively relaxing were our first nine nights in India!  In Munnar, we did two half-day activities and spent the rest of the time reading (I finished 4-Hour Workweek and put a nice dent in The Kite Runner), writing, mellowing out and listening to Christmas carols.

Picturesque

Sunday morning we were picked up by a jeep for a half-day tour up to the Kolukkumalai tea estate.  The scenery was gorgeous but the ride was brutal.  Bring Advil, and I think Jenni would advise doubling up on bras.  We rode in a Mahindra, Land-Cruiser style jeep up into the mountains on some path that was a mix of dirt and large stones.  You could not drive this route without a jeep or truck.

Planted in 1902!

Our driver was from the area and knew everybody.  While most conversations I have observed seem to take three times as long as I’d expect, with our man it was the opposite.  He would just quickly shout things out at pretty much every person we passed.  And he LOVED the camera.  He would offer to take a picture of us and then take five more of our surroundings, fidgeting always with the zoom.  He was about making things happen, and I liked him.

Driver loved these shots

Jenni and the jeep

After climbing more than an hour, we arrived at a ridge with views across the cloud-covered valleys below.  It looked like we were in an airplane, or Jurassic Park.  Just beyond here is the aptly named Echo Point.  The simple pleasure of a great echo is ageless.

Another two way road?

Echo Point

Jenni and Clair Huxtable

We passed by a few women working the tea plantation seated on the roadside for a food break, and they pointed out a couple nilgiri tahr at the top of the hill above us.  The nilgiri tahr is a rare mountain goat found in these parts (see more in Practical Info, below).  A sprinkling of back damage and touch of sore bum later, and we arrived at the tea factory.

Nilgiri tahr

Kolukkumalai claims the title of the highest organic tea estate in the world.  We took a tour of the small factory where the process still involves much manual work supplementing English-built machines dating back 50-100+ years.  Converting tea leaves to tea is a seven-step process.  I won’t bore you with all the details, but these steps are withering, rolling, sieving, fermenting (oxidation), drying, fibre extraction and grading.  The withering takes place in long troughs upstairs where hot and cool air blows the leaves alternatively, after which they are fed into chutes and the remaining steps occur downstairs.

Withering

The air blowers

Rolling

Sieving

On the way home we stopped for lunch for our umpteenth paratha (I’m sure you’ll read “paratha” many more times) and a little curry sauce.  This cost Rs 75 for two!

Kitchen

Putting a curse on me?

The tea estate

The whole tour we did not see any other white folks.  Munnar is a popular destination for middle class Indians looking to escape the heat and enjoy the hills.

Drying

Fiber extraction

Grading

Smelling

On the way out

After we returned it came up that Jenni and I had each taken a liking to this song but hadn’t said anything because we didn’t think the other would understand.  Jenni did a little internet sleuthing and found a link.  Kind of corny but so soothing…enjoy!  Jenni was ecstatic playing this over and over that afternoon.

That night we made new friends (a man from Thrivandrum living in Beijing, and two of his friends) and a group of locals regaled us with Christmas carols, Indian style.  I knew that Kerala had more Christians than most of the country, but I did not appreciate the extent.  On our backwaters boats were pictures of Jesus, ditto the jeep’s mirror ornament and we have seen many churches.  Casa del Fauno constructed a manger for Christmas Eve.

We also heard “So This is Christmas” by Celine Dion the first few times on Casa’s stereo.  Casa had maybe eight different holiday songs that they kept playing, but none more so than Celine.

Monday we walked the cardamom plantation with Anoop, the kind and soft-spoken property manager.  Cardamom grows in bunches of plants which themselves produce bunches of pods close to the ground.  After harvest the pods are dried before being sold at wholesale.  The property and surrounding area also include bananas, mangos, coconuts, hibiscus, jackfruit, coffee and several flowers.  It is most lush and beautiful.

At last the pink neon is camo

Cardamom

Cardamom seeds

The drier

Cardamom flower

While on the tour we also saw their lily-graced reservoir, Anoop pointed out a recent elephant footprint that was about the size of four basketballs, and we met some ladies breaking for food who were so warm and friendly.

Anoop told us the workers get paid Rs 250/day plus food, accommodation and school for the children.

So good I had to use it again

We continued down the road and passed a man with his goats speaking on his mobile.  Then we left the pavement and crossed a hillside with ancient pygmy rock houses before ascending some steep rocks to reconnect with a different road.

A handful of smiling kids and kittens later, we returned to the Casa and later enjoyed a perfect sunset over the hills.

Sheer joy

I enjoyed the food at our hotel and fell in love with this spicy pickled mango sauce.  Also, there was an endless supply of crisp papadums each lunch and dinner.

Tuesday we relaxed and had a bottle of mediocre Four Seasons shiraz before/with our Christmas Eve dinner.  We met a fun family from England and the mood was jovial with a warm fire (wood and a coconut shell towards the end) and many fireworks.  One of the staff threw those loud poppers until the whole bag was gone.  Jenni had the honor of cutting the fruit cake, and the stars were excellent.

He subbed in after Jenni did the hard work

But the highlight was definitely good ole Celine.  After Anoop had played So This is Christmas twice in the span of three or four songs, we eyed him going back to fiddle with the stereo.  I gave Jenni the fist clenched, elbow tucked “yessssss!!!!!” sign and he saw me, then proceeded to play Celine again.  Caught red-handed he came over and smiled and said sheepishly “I like this song very much.”  It was adorable and we had perhaps our best laugh of the trip.

We departed on Christmas and the staff insisted on taking pictures with us.  The drive down to Madurai was beautiful and spirited, on a rough mountain road with many hairpin turns and areas where landslides had covered half the road with rock or simply made half the road disappear.  Plus, an elephant crossing sign.

Hairy road

Munnar was beautiful, lush and relaxing.  Often I had to remind myself I was in India.  If you are looking for a stereotypical Indian cultural experience this is probably not the place, but to see a calm and peaceful side of this amazing country it is a good choice.

Practical Info

Transport: From our backwaters stay a bit south of Kochi, it took four hours by car to reach the town of Munnar and another 45 minutes to Casa del Fauno.  We paid Rs 3,400.  The last 1/3+ of the drive is on winding and often rough roads.  There are buses to Munnar but I do not think a train, and you will need private transportation to get around the area.  As all over India, your hotel or guesthouse can likely arrange tours and local and onward transport.  If given the option, it might be worth having your destination arrange the transport as that increases the likelihood your driver can find the place.

Accommodation: Your first key decision is whether to stay in the town of Munnar or the surrounding areas.  Munnar itself did not appear particularly charming but may have more budget options and offer a convenient base for exploration.  If you want more attractive environs, I recommend staying outside of Munnar.

We stayed at Casa del Fauno which is about 25 km beyond Munnar (coming from Kochi), closer to the town of Chinnakanal.  It was a (modest) splurge as we wanted a comfortable, peaceful environment for the holiday.  Casa del Fauno is a restored bungalow on the Peak Gardens cardamom plantation.  There are three rooms in the main house and some cottages just downhill.  The main house is lovely and cozy with nice hardwood floors and high wood ceilings and a wood-burning fireplace.  It felt like being in a friend’s home.  Our first three nights we stayed in the Deluxe Room in the main house which was spacious and opened to a common patio overlooking the small lawn and valley and mountains beyond.  This had already been booked for our fourth night and we were promised the Elegant Room also in the house but instead (for the same price) we got the honeymoon bungalow.  This was similar to our Deluxe Room but slightly larger, more private and with a large terrace overlooking the hills.  WiFi is only available in the main house, and may only work effectively in the Deluxe Room which is next to the router.  Breakfast is included and freshly made tea or coffee is available throughout the day.  Tasty Keralan lunch is served for Rs 250 and dinner costs Rs 500.  If you want alcohol you need to request it in advance and someone will go to the store to purchase it.  Casa del Fauno does not take credit cards.

We also considered staying at Windermere Estate, Anearangal Camp at Suryanelli, Siena Village and British County (run by the Tourist Desk with offices in Kochi).  Siena Village is well-reviewed though we passed the property and it is more in a town vs. Casa del Fauno which was really set in the forest.  Nearby our hotel are The Wind and Spice Tree.  Our driver also mentioned Club Mahindra.  Stanley Wilson (tour operator out of Kochi who booked our backwaters trip) runs a 3 day / 2 night tour for Rs 11,000 that might be a good option if you want to be efficient and economical with your time.

Activities: Popular activities include tea and spice plantation visits, the tea museum in town, scenic tours (e.g. to Top Station), trekking and visiting one or more of the region’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.  The famed Neelakurunji plant grows on the mountainside here and flowers once every 12 years.  My book says that late 2018 is the next bloom.

Our jeep tour to Kolukkumalai cost Rs 1700.  We had the jeep to ourselves and it could have seated more, though I do not know if the price would differ.  We had to pay Rs 100 for a road maintenance fee on the way, and one can only imagine what the “roads” would be like without maintenance.  At Kolukkumalai, it costs Rs 100 each to tour the factory.

Eravikulam National Park is considered the place to see the nilgiri tahr.  Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is also in the area.  We read and heard that Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary may be disappointing.  Attukad Waterfalls look impressive, though I think pictures you will see were probably taken in the rainy season.

Books

One of the many enjoyable aspects of long-term travel is I get to read a lot more…for pleasure.  I am starting a new post that I will update periodically to list the books that I have read (or am reading) since our journey began.  Note that many of these authors have corresponding blogs where you can get a taste for the concept without buying/reading a whole book.  And if you have suggestions for books you think I would enjoy, please do let me know!
The Lean Startup – a very popular book relevant for both new entrepreneurs and established companies launching new products, among others…as the title suggests, the goal is to figure out if your business is viable and if so start and grow it without betting the farm…advocates practices like continual testing of assumptions, metrics that are both measurable (of course) but also meaningful, etc.

Investment Biker – older book by Jim Rogers, partner of George Soros at the Quantum Fund with legendary returns…as Amazon says, it is “the fascinating story of his 1990 investing trip around the world by motorcycle, with many tidbits of hard-headed advice for investing in foreign markets.” while not infallible, he is quite prescient and it is a good read.
Delivering Happiness – the Zappos story, a book about building the best customer service business and having fun in the process.  Tony offers some neat ideas for managing employees and creating the right culture.  I enjoyed it a lot and many of his philosophies align with my own.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers – book about the Mumbai slums.  Bill Gates said, “It reads like a novel by Dickens, but is a real-life depiction of the challenges hundreds of millions of people face every day in urban slums. It’s also a reminder of the humanity that connects us all.”  The tales of corruption are truly horrifying.

Business Stripped Bare – Richard Branson book about how he got started with Virgin and his relentless focus on brand.  If you do not define your brand, someone else will.

Long Walk to Freedom – Nelson Mandela’s autobiography.  His patience, tolerance, sacrifice and humility are quite the inspiration.

The 4-Hour Workweek – another very popular book, Tim aims not only to inspire you to examine your professional and personal lives but he gives step by step instructions for freeing your time and generating income.  At first I was lukewarm because it seemed like another book heavy on philosophy (which I don’t really need since I already made the decision!), but then Tim proceeds to offer a wealth of resources for starting businesses and using outsourcing both professionally and personally.

The Kite Runner – per Amazon, Khaled Hosseini offers “an educational and eye-opening account of a country’s political turmoil–in this case, Afghanistan–while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over.”  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and great fiction is just what Madurai called for.  I think I particularly like historical fiction for the simultaneous escape/repose and learning.

Going Home!

We left White Sands National Monument and passed the sharp, dramatic Organ Mountains.  In this area the traffic lights are all horizontal, I guess due to the wind?

Tucson is backed by nice mountains and here we saw our first In-N-Out since leaving California nearly three months ago.  Despite the temptation, we held out for our traditional coming home meal.  La Quinta hotel in Phoenix was a splurge that even had internal hallways!

Friday was the last day of the trip and the excitement was palpable.  Will we make it all the way back with no accidents or traffic tickets?!  In Phoenix we saw our first signs for Los Angeles, confirming the final stretch.  Jenni did a great job deejaying several California-themed songs…of course starting with Biggie’s Going Back to Cali and followed by tunes like Phantom Planet’s California, California Love by 2Pac, Hotel California, etc.

Much of the drive between Phoenix and Palm Springs is very pretty, and south of the 10 near Tonopah is a nice mountain.  I have driven to the Palm Springs area many times but never approached from this direction.  We descended quite a hill down to Indio.

We made it back to Los Angeles at 1 pm, having driven just under 12k miles.  And it was literally 75 and sunny.  We closed with a bottle of Moët, just as we began our first night camping at San Simeon.  For some fun stats summarizing our three-month road trip, see the post here that we wrote at that time.

November 8, 2013 (Friday)