Weekend in Amritsar@ Day 1

We are on a two day trip to Amritsar- 5 adults and two small children. The Shatabdi train from Delhi to Amritsar departs on time at 7.20 AM for its 6 hour route. It has been long since I have been on a train journey and a large group always means more fun. And fun we have- switching seats, chatting and passing around an unending supply of snacks.

We reach on schedule and head towards the Carlton Inn and Suites, a newly opened hotel barely 5 minutes from the station. The lobby is pleasant and we are very happy with our rooms. The are large and modern with flat screen TVs and bright framed modern art on the walls.

However, we quickly shower and change as we have to be off to the Wagah Border last by 3.00 PM. Wagah Border, is a border gate between India and Pakistan. Every evening at about 5.00 PM there is a parade and ceremony while taking down the national flag before sunset.

We file into an Innova and pick burgers and Pepsi enroute as lunch. The countryside is a slideshow of green sugarcane fields. Yellow flowers indicate some mustard in between. It takes us an hour to reach the Wagah Border. In the least it is a mayhem of cars, rickshaws, hundreds of people, food stalls, kiosks, men selling the tricolor flags and visors to cash in on the temporarily heightened feeling of nationalism everyone feels when here. Security is tight and one cannot carry any bags- not even camera covers. Stuffing any money we have into pockets, we walk towards the entry gates. The personnel check us and file us towards stand.

There are 2 separate sections- one for the men and one for women. The crowd, even on a weekday is astoundingly large. Atleast a thousand people are here, cheering for India and hooting for Pakistan. “Vande Matram”-the sentry calls out and the crowd roars back. “Hindustan….” he goes and the crowd bellows “zindabaad”. Soon they put on patriotic film music and many come down from the stands to dance away. I have never seen anything like this before. It is a spectacle on a scale of its own. The crowd on Pakistan’s side is much smaller.

There is a parade and both the sides together take away their flags. We have been here since over an hour and the heat is now getting to us. We head back towards the car and the city. Dinner is in order and a friend has recommended Prawah da dhabha. It is a completely vegetarian joint. Be prepared for large portions and dollops of ghee and butter! It is soon time to wrap up the day as we are going to the Golden Temple early next morning.

Washington DC: First Impressions

Work has brought me to Washington DC for about 10 days. Though for most part my stay will be spent in office, I am determined to explore some parts of the city during the one weekend I have here.

My flight lands at the Dulles Airport at 3.00 in the afternoon on schedule. Clearing customs is quick and I am soon on my way to Washington Suites, my home for the week. I am lucky to arrive in good weather, the city having seen massive snowfall and extreme cold just the week before. As of now, it is crispy cool with the sun shining bright in a clear blue sky. The drive downtown is pleasant with lots of greenery around. I can spot the Washington Monument and Capitol from a distance. DC promises to be a pleasant stay; a picturesque city sans crowds and skyscrapers.

A 40 minute drive brings me to Washington Suites, located in the heart of the city. The friendly manager welcomes me with freshly baked cookies and I settle in. The suite is more like a one bedroom apartment, with a separate bedroom, living area and kitchen. All facilities are well equipped. I am glad, as being a vegetarian can limit eating options. Also, since there is no room service I know I will be cooking food occasionally.

Done unpacking, I do not want to sleep until late to prevent the jetlag. I decide to head out for a walk and pick some groceries from Trader’s Joe across the street. My jacket and ear muffs are comfortable for the evening cold and I stroll down the streets, admiring the old fashioned brick houses. Trader’s Joe is a delight as it stocks everything you might possible want in your kitchen- milk products, veggies, snacks, herbs, wines, meals-in-a-box…imagine my surprise when I find prepackaged Indian meals like chole and daal.

Not in favor of pre-packed, I pick up some veggies, bread, pasta and the like. For my dinner menu is some soup, salad and toast. I head back and get cracking. Done with dinner, my eyes are drooping. I hit the pillow knowing well that in about 10 hours time I need to be at work!

Weekend in McLeodganj @Day 1

March 20-23, 2009

Off we go: Sanjay and I finally had a long weekend all to ourselves and we were going to make the most of it! So we booked our tickets on the Volvo to McLeodganj- a place on our travel radar since some time. It is about 20km up the mountains from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh and primarily a Tibetan settlement; filled with monks and foreign students/tourists.

Back to our trip. The Volvo ride was pretty uncomfortable to say the least. The seats are not what one would expect and they played the same movie (Vivah) thrice till it stopped each time at the same point after the hero and heroine go for a picnic during courtship! But once we got off at McLeodganj, we knew the trip was going to worth every song we endured.

We were picked up by the hotel car- we were staying at Udeechee Huts in Naddi, an isolated village, about 20km higher up from McLeodganj. Round and round we went till we reached Udeeche Huts- settled on a mountain top with not much on either side. Our hut room was of OK size and clean. The best part was that we had unobstructed views of the Dhauladhar range. Time seems to stand still at such places. Where happiness means looking at snow capped mountains, grazing horses and rosy cheeked children walking to school. And hot chai certainly adds to the charm!

It was just 8 in the morning and we had the whole day to ourselves. We headed down to McLeodganj-walking down the turning roads and then a short cut through the local school and woods.

Exploring McLeodganj: The best part about the town is that it is walk able. There are two main streets running parallel and a few lanes behind. All you have to do is walk and observe. It is a quaint place filled with character. We headed first to the Tsuglag Khang, the Dalai Lama's temple complex at one end. A simple building, it houses statues and paintings of Buddha. So I went in and chanted the Buddhist prayer I learnt from a friend “nam myoho renge kyo” (indicative meaning being “to devote oneself”). Then I went and turned the prayer wheels, something I always do in a Buddhist temple as I find it reassuring for some reason.

It was almost noon and time for lunch. Mcleodganj is a foodie’s paradise. But what you need to do is explore, explore, explore! We headed off to Jimmy’s Café serving mostly Italian food and sandwiches. It is a cheery looking place with old movie posters and shelves lined with books. I picked up one titled “Tales from Tibet” while Sanjay chose his ever favorite Tin Tin. My vegetarian pizza was thin crust and delicious; Sanjay’s chicken sandwich looked wonderful even to me! We read some more and enjoyed ice teas till the sun came down a bit.

We went again strolling down the streets, first to the prayer wheels at the center. These are red and blue and green versus the plain gold in the temple. They line four walls and off I went to turn them round and round.

The streets are filled with cafes, curios and stalls. You can look around for a long time. There are colorful caps, gloves, scarves, bags, Buddhist key-chains, wheels, singing bowls and stone jewellery. But most of the stuff is expensive. This is because of the large number of foreigners in residence plus the tourist inflow which increases substantially every year. So, we window shopped on the streets and walked till we reached the town’s end- which came pretty soon.

We walked a bit further out of town towards the St. John’s church (constructed in 1852) and the memorial of Lord Elgin, the British Viceroy of India (1862-63) who died while on a tour to McLeodganj. You need to walk down and then take a left. The area befits a black and white Hindi horror movie. Spooky with not a soul in sight; the church stood with its shutters closed with chains. One side were some graves, which we quickly crossed and right behind the memorial. Out of the blue we heard a loud voice from inside the church (this is serious stuff and the absolute truth) and we fled! We slowed our pace once on the main road and then caught an auto (tuk-tuk) up to Naddi.

We were just in time before it started to drizzle and then pour. Sanjay asked Shabhu (the caretaker) if there would be any snowfall and he said there had been none in summer in the last 2 years. It continued to rain and we slept to the sound of raindrops splattering on our roof.

To Thailand: Hua Hin and Bangkok

“ I am going to shop and shop, till I drop”, said me as we checked in at the airport for our flight to Bangkok. My excited look was matched by a thoughtful one by Sanjay. “But we are in Bangkok for 2 days only” said my husband regaining his composure. And so started our trip to Thailand- 7 days in Hua Hin ( a sleepy beach town filled with resorts) and 2 days in Bangkok.

We landed at the Bangkok airport early morning 6.00 AM and were met by the attendant of AKA Resorts, Hua Hin. She led us to a 5 series BMW, our chariot for the 3 hour drive to the resort. These 3 hours flew as we looked out into the scenery, busy Bangkok surburbs slowly replaced by small dhaba style eateries interspersed by large factories and temples every now and then.

AKA resort, Hua Hin: We checked into the resort; our first impression being fabulous. We were looking to just chill, laze and do absolute nothing in the next week and the place seemed perfect. In the middle of rice fields, the resort had large well maintained lawns with open eating areas and a pool. We drove to our villa in a golf-cart. It had a lounge with TV and small bar area, a bedroom, a massage room, two bath areas, a terrace with sunbed and a decent sized pool all to our selves.  :)

We spent the next 3-4 days reading from the library, swimming and taking walks around the area. There are times when you just want to be pampered. AKA fit the bill perfectly. We had picked some groceries on the way to the hotel and had enough to munch during the daytime. I am a vegetarian so my choice was certainly limited.

On the fourth day we decided to head to town.

Mangaldas ni haveli- Ahemdabad

The car drove through old Ahmedabad; a cobweb of streets crammed with shops, kiosks, cows and people. I was headed to Mangaldas ni Haveli- a 200 year old heritage home turned into a restaurant. It was glittering with lights. I entered into a courtyard, complete with a tulsi plant in center. Many doors led to multiple rooms, now converted into kitchens.

The attendants showed me a well tucked into a corner. It is 40 feet deep and collects water from the terrace during rains. A narrow staircase led me to a room which now displays traditional clothes and artifacts for sale. I climb more and come to the eating area. There are both a/c and open seating options. I choose to sit outside-surrounded by grand pillars and painted ceilings. The lanterns and the pleasant breeze add to the charm. They serve Gujarati as well as North Indian food. I opted for the Gujarati platter- bajra roti, a number of vegetable servings, chutneys and kadi and of course srikhand. The food and the surroundings took me back in time. A time when people enjoyed their simple evening meals unhurried under a starlit skies and cool air.

For details visit houseofmg.com

Taj Mahal Palace - Mumbai

This was my first visit to the Taj after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 and I have to admit I could not walk in my usual nonchalant self. This time my eyes saw it as a historical building. I gleaned over coffee table books to learn some more...




The Taj started off as a Green's Hotel at Appollo Bunder. Commissioned by Jamshetji Nusserwanji Tata in the latter half of the 19th century, the hotel has been built in Mughal-Gothic style architecture. It is said that the English engineer W. A. Chambers designed it from back to front. The result of this is that the rooms facing the back of the hotels are better with views of the luxuriant pool and gardens (now under renovation) than those in front which look out to the sea.

The Hotel opened to all in December 1903 with a party in the Ballroom. An equally (or more) grand party was organised when the Hotel completed its 100 years in the same room. The decor and theme was in white and gold. The art and antiques collected over the years was on display and of course the best china used.

The Taj has a long list of distinguished guests. From Sarojini Naidu who apparently stayed here for months on end to the Beatles and Jackie Keneddy and more recently Hillary Clinton. The Hotel however, manages to hold its own treating each guest with lavish attention. I stopped by in the lobby at the Memorial Tree (for those who lost their lives in the attack). The musician at the piano nodded to me and began to play a tune which though soft resonated of cheerfulness. It is this kindness and charm of those attending to guests which stay with you long after you have left.





The coffee table book at my room says- The splendour that is the Taj! I could not agree more.

Grand Kakatiya Hyderabad- A stay at ITC's luxury collection

Dates of stay: May 4-5, 2009

Rating: 4/5

The ITC Grand Kakatiya in Hyderabad is a part of the chain’s luxury collection. Well it is grand no doubt.

It has rooms at three levels- ITC One, Tower Rooms and Club/Executive. I was allocated a room in the hotel’s Eva (women only section). The room is spacious and ITC pampers you with a number of small touches and personal amenities. The best of course is the small aromatherapy kit they provide with roll-on oils for easy sleep and stress relief. A complimentary cup of hot chocolate/milk at night, an extensive pillow menu and a filter coffee maker are the other add-ons.

The bath is equally well equipped. A fantastic idea here is the food tray they have provided which fits onto the tub. Does some wine and cheese with a soak appeals to you my friend? I bet it does!

I decided to lunch at Dakshin- the south Indian restaurant, which was a fantastic meal. Dinner at Kebab’s and Curries was even better. The service outstanding. They could spruce up the menu at the 24*7 coffee shop though. If you have the time and want to enjoy a buffet breakfast/lunch, visit the Mariott at Tank Bund and have a meal at the Okra.

Back to the ITC. The business facilities and service staff are great throughout. I did not get the time to check out the pool or the health club facilities. I did want to take a brisk walk though, but the hotel compound was too small for that! A stay at the ITC is all about being pampered. Enjoy!

Fit for a Nawab- Taj Lucknow

Dates of visit: June 1-2, 2009
Rating: 4/5

Driving from the airport I notice the large dome atop a white building from a distance. As I come closer, the structure seems even grander. Built colonial style, the property is only three storeys high but sprawling. Spread are landscaped gardens with palm(?) trees and a pool shaped like a lotus.

As I enter the lobby, I am struck with the feeling of spaciousness. Tucked into corners are cane chairs with plump cushions, portraits of nawabs, water colors of war scenes and bric-a-brac. I move to the lobby requesting for my room. Of course it is ready and waiting!

Done up in a combination of pastel green and pink it is appealing at once. It has everything for a comfortable stay, yet, the feeling of space follows. Hmmm...I like this place.

But, it is late and dinner is a calling and head to the "Oudhyana" the in-house restaurant serving Awadh cuisine which was nice but not exactly in line with my expectations. Before heading for work the next day, I managed a quick breakfast at its coffee shop. Again; nice but not great.

The Taj Lucknow is a beautiful property and a good choice for a relaxed stay. The staff and the service were great throughout- be it the travel desk, reception or the restaurant. I look forward to my next visit!