India 2011

Yes. I am back in India for my annual pilgrimage. Visiting family and friends. It's New Delhi again. So far I have not really gone anywhere fun. Once my sister comes home for vacation, thats when we will start exploring the city... All over again :)

Well well well... I think I won't have much to write about in this post as really, all I did on this work trip was work and nothing else. I barely saw where the beach was, didn't even get to touch the water! Unbelievable.

One thing I enjoyed however was the Reef Grill at the Juno Beach. So if you get a chance to visit, do stop by. I loved it!

Flight way back was even worse. I had to stay overnight at Atlanta and I promise this time I did not miss any flight! It was all delays.

But the good thing is that I might get to go back. I will keep you posted :-)

Love you all!

Have you ever noticed how when the day doesn't start well, it never gets any better. One after another, things go wrong and you just wish that it gets over soon. Yesterday was one such day for me.

As if missing the flight wasn't enough, the next flight got delayed. First the AC in the plane stopped working. Took some time to get that fixed. Then the weather in Atlanta was terrible and they had declared a ground stop for about two hours. Which in simple words means that no airplanes can land at Atlanta air port during the ground stop. So we sat in the plane for about an hour and a half before the captain decided to have mercy and let us out at the terminal.

I was almost ready to collapse due to hunger. Almost. So at the first opportunity I had, I got myself a sandwich. Which turned out was not a good idea cz it made me sick and I was sooo done for the day! But delay in the first flight obviously means missing the second one. So I had to wait for the next available flight. So long story short, I FINALLY reached West Palm Beach at 1.30 AM. Then baggage claim and car rental took some time. But the day finally ended when I checked into the hotel at 3 AM.

I thanked god that the day was over!

And I missed it again...

Read on for live updates on my quick trip to West Palm Beach, FL!

So just like most of my trips, I challenged myself again and booked a six am flight. And just like all those trips, I missed it. Yes. Once again. And if you have been reading my travel tales regularly, you know how experienced I am in missing and rebooking and rescheduling flights. Never - let me say it again - Never, ever have I paid a rebooking fee or penalty as they call it. And honestly, it's not my negotiation skills. No one has ever asked me to pay - before today. WTH!

So a overly polite elderly guy at Delta counter tells me that it will cost me fifty bucks to change my itinerary. When I denied, he suggested I call Delta customer care to see if they can waive it. Sure enough, after about twenty minutes of hold, the Delta representative tells me that I need to pay $150 penalty for missing my flight plus the difference in the price. What a joke!

Well, going back to the airport and paying fifty dollars seemed like an obvious choice at this point. So I returned to the counter. And at this point, I would like to take a moment and thank god that the elderly guy asked some other guy to re-schedule me :D

Guy: Where are you from?

Sowm: India

Guy: Nice! Where in India?

Sowm: New Delhi

Guy: Are you punjabi?

Sowm: Yes! (Joyed and surprised) I didn't think you would know (He's white)

Guy: Oh, my girl friend is punjabi, so I know

Sowm: That's great! blah blah blah

Guy: Blah Blah Blah

After ten minutes...

Guy: Here you go Ms. Bhardwaj. See you later :) (No mention of money/penalty etc)

Sowm: Thank you soooo much for your help sir. I really appreciate it. (Run!)

Phew!

Well, I learned something new today!

Public announcement...

I know I had stopped posting from India abruptly. Reason - Just too much stuff going on. And also, it's not like I traveled really. So well, I apologize for that and hope that you won't abandon me!! xoxo

Moving on -- some travel coming up later this month -- stay tuned for updates :-)

Catching up with old friends is always great. Yesterday was spent chit chatting with Payal, eating desi snacks and sipping on not so tasty cocktails. On a side note, if you happen to go to Chutney’s – Food is good, drinks are not and some members of the staff might act a little dumb. Also, DO NOT use the bathroom – its filthy gross. Just as simple as that. Ambience is alright if you get to sit on the couch. But of course good conversations can without a doubt make up for all this. Thanks Payal :)

P.S. Beware of kids

Salons in Delhi have hiked up the prices manifold. But is it justified? I say, absolutely not!

Why? Because despite the brand name and sky high prices, the services have not improved at all. So has not the professionalism. Let me quote examples –

Origen: This is one of the high end salons in East Delhi. The price list is fancy and the prices are high. But all the major beauty and health services are available for your disposal. The staff wears a uniform; the interiors are cozy and comfortable. Over all the look and feel is good. But the staff is extremely unprofessional. You might have to wait for up to an hour for the services you have an appointment for. You will hear the staff chit chatting and laughing in the hallways while you wait. And you might want to watch out for inappropriate behavior. All in all a C grade service in a supposedly A grade place – Not recommended.

Kaya Skin Clinic: Calm atmosphere, professional staff and good hospitality. Bright white interiors and tranquil music makes the experience pleasurable. Another striking characteristic was cleanliness. The prices are a little on the higher side, but again, you get what you pay for :) Absolutely Recommended!

On the way home

November 3rd, 2010, 4:55 PM, Munich Germany – I feel extremely tired and sleepy right now after an eight hour long flight. Most of this is caused by spending eight hours in a tiny airplane seat with a front seat passenger who reclined his seat in my lap and having the entertainment system right in my face. Here I am, ready to go home!

I must confess that a quick nap worked like magic. Before I got to the recliner to doze off, I had something else to take care of – an inspection of Munich airport. Since it was only a layover, I was allowed to hang out in only a couple of terminals; G and H to be precise. But I must say that it had enough to keep me entertained for at least a little bit. From the other side of the security check point, I could see the bright neon lights screaming ‘designer stores’. Not just stores actually, gift shops, restaurants, lounges and even a spa. (not that I used ‘em). I already had a list of things that I wanted to do before I board the next flight.

The golden nap was followed by European meal – Panini collo at Aran café. What was interesting was the serving style. When I placed the order, they handed me a little cane plate, on which rested a small glass of water and a huge cup for coffee that had no handle. It was more like a bowl. I felt like a cat drinking out of this one. But the coffee tasted oh-so-well. That preceded the Panini. Now I was up and about to take on the world! While I was enjoying this delicious quick meal, I had a strong urge to write. But there was a slight problem – no laptop, no pen. And I was set to buy one…

A pen. It reminds me of my childhood. I was a lover and a collector of beautiful pens – the ones you don’t see every day. Some expensive, some very expensive. Different kinds and colors. The one with the Chinese nib was my favorite, an ink pen. I miss the marks of fresh blue ink on the paper. It was such a pleasure to see it dry. It was like witnessing my creation mature and leaving its marks. I don’t know where it all went. But the love sill remains. Only the passion has faded away.

With some difficulty I found a store that carried some pens for sale. Very ordinary and cheap looking pens though, such that I would never have thought of using them in most situations. But, I decided to buy one anyway – purple, semi transparent and read ‘Bayers Bavaria’. It also has a scene of a farm on the other side. 4.99 euros for a pen I would have otherwise never bought. But after this purchase, as I walked out the door, I felt like a child again. I had the same feeling of happiness and pride that I did years ago about my Chinese pen. And in no time, I was all set to write this.

Yes this post was written on a paper using a pen – just like old times :)

I cheated...

I must admit that I have not updated this blog with two very sweet trips that I made this year -

1. Denver, CO
2. Exploring Norman/OKC, Tulsa and Dallas

Apologies...

But I promise that I will make up for this by posting about my grand upcoming trip to India :D

Meanwhile, one thing to notice on this blog - Brand new look and feel. Like it?

Vegas!

Day 1 - PB Bar & Grill

New people, old experience i.e. good experience just like every other time. I wonder how people in San Diego are always so friendly and accepting. Thats why I loce each and every single one of my visits there.

Day 2 - Drive to Vegas

It's a straight road. Amidst a vast dry desert is this highway, full of cars driven by enthusiats waiting to hit the oasis a.k.a. Las Vegas and get lost in the sins of the sin city. Honestly, I do not understand why they call it the sin city

. Fun is not sin!

Night was spent walking around experiencing the city of lights, excitement and entertainment. It was like a treasure hunt for a foot long margrita ending at MGM. Casinos, limo rides, mid night hot dogs, lights and people. What happened after that doesn't need to make it to www ;)

Day 3 - Lazy morning, Crazy night

Woke up in a 50th floor hotel room in the middle of the city. I know I have written about my love for downtown stays before. Same experience, very satisfying.

Evening was spent in indulgence - Gambling, Casinos, Food, July 4th fire works, Dressing up, Dancing and having a good time with people I love. Couldn't get better!

This was my trip to Las Vegas, the last one down on my list of Things-to-do-before-I-turn-25!

Special thanks to Asha and Siddharth for the pictures :)

Writing this from home

Norman! Yes, I am already back from my super short trip :) I totally enjoyed KC and wouldn't mind returning. Additional reason is the super short one hour flight... It's like travel time to work (for a lot of people).

What's surprising was that the day I landed in KC, it was dreadfully cold and dark (but of course pretty as I mentioned before). And today, when I left the town, it was bright and sunny, still pretty though.

Things I will remember from this trip:

1. The bell boy from the hotel - Extremely outgoing and funny, sometimes inappropriate, but still a nice fun guy. He told us about all the cool restaurants, their specials, rates, and what to order there as well. Also, drove us to our dinner place and saved our asses from freezing in the cold
2. Cabby who drove us back to the airport – He was a black man, who spoke Arabic and said he wants cash (cz his credit card machine was broken) – we need a Russell Peters joke here
3. The following conversation –
   

Host: Hey Guest-1, How are you?
Guest-1: Hey Host, I am good, thanks. How are you?
Host: Doing good! Hey Guest-2, How are you?
Guest-2: I am good, thanks.
Host: Hey Sowm!
Sowm: I am doing fine, thanks!
W.H.A.T? – Awkward silence...

I don't have anything to write tonight - Just a usual day! Mainly cz I am sleep deprived and over fed. All I want to do is just get in my bed, watch some TV and fall asleep. Will write more tomorrow!

Oh wait, before I hit the sack I must mention that I had my first hibachi dinner (Kobe). Was great!

If you ever get a chance to stay in KC downtown, you will have plenty of great places to eat at around you (Click here for a scratch list).

You can thank me later!

Rolling out of the soft sheets and warm comforter was not easy, but I think the radio alarm helped. Rubbing my eyes, first thing I did this morning was to reach out for the window. I wanted to see how the day dawns on the snow covered city. Waking up in downtown has its own charm for me – I feel like one lucky calm and rested soul amidst a wild hastening world. The sight from my window was good enough to kick start my day. And I topped it with a hearty breakfast. The morning couldn’t have been any better.

By now, I knew I was in Missouri part of Kansas city – which everyone said was prettier than the Kansas part. Little did I know, a fun adventure lied ahead of me. The minute I stepped out of the door, I felt the chilly wind trying to turn me into ice (that being said, it reminds me of the story where anything the guy touched turned to gold lol). Getting out of the bed wasn’t the hardest thing I had to do this morning.

Just for the record – it’s not easy to walk three blocks in direction opposite to the wind’s, on slippery road, in a skirt and high heels! Only my fellow pretty ladies know what I am talking about. For a second I thought I lost my ears.

If nothing more, I at least deserve a silver star for this!

The whole day went by fast. Had lunch at a Mongolian Barbecue (Genghis Kahn)… I don’t understand the concept of this place. They tell you to stack all the ingredients in a bowl and then they grill it for you. Sounds interesting when you first hear it, but don’t different foods have different cooking time? Result: some of the stuff was over cooked. But meh… it was alright!

Later in the evening, I decided to explore downtown. It’s actually pretty neat; plenty of nice restaurants, lounges, taverns, coffee shops, hotels, skyscrapers, and how can I forget the Sprint Center. I made a quick stop at a grocery store. It was pretty neat actually – open salad bar, Gelato, little cheese place etc. I found treasure in that store – gloves! No more frost bites!

I promise I will post pictures soon. For now, here are some off of the World Wide Web :)


For more pictures, click here.

Kansas City - Kansas or Missouri?

Just landed in Kansas City… I am still not sure if it's Kansas or Missouri. It’s been snowing from last 25 hours and the night is dark, snowy and beautiful. On the way from the airport to the hotel, I couldn’t really see much of the city through the frosty windows of the cab. But I liked what I saw. The hotel is right in the heart of downtown, and bonus = it’s Christmas time! The entire place is lit up and there is a huge Christmas tree in the lobby all decked up :)

This place reminds of Peoria; the snowy nights, the hotel stay and the drives from the airport to my room. I had some good times there.

Oh, did I mention the dinner? Damn! I tasted the worst thing on earth – Goat cheese. The menu made it sound so fancy – cashew crusted blah blah blah. First bite and all I could think of was ‘Where the heck can I spit this out?’. But, obviously I had to suck it up! Thank god the entrée I ordered made up for it – Cayenne & Vanilla Brined Chicken yummm

Anyways, it’s time to hit the sack. Nothing like ending a long day wrapped in fresh sheets, falling asleep watching family guy lol…

Good night!

Oklahoma City Airport - Waiting Area

Right now I am at Oklahoma City airport and the flight to Kansas City is delayed by two hours (why am I not surprised?) It’s getting cold outside – icy and windy. just how I like it! You know how Oklahoma is. Kansas City has a weather warning. I should have checked that yesterday before I packed. Too late for that now!

Airports are fun. But they can be really annoying sometimes as well. Like this one is right now for me – There is a kid movie playing here at the gate and the person sitting next to me is talking too loud over the phone. I am sure that’s what people say about me too. There is another person who just came and sat next to me. He smells of cigarette, so bad that I can’t breathe. If I die right now you know what happened. Clearly I have the best seat in the waiting area… NOT!

TIP: Always check the weather before you pack for your trip!

I can't believe my stay at San Diego is over and I am already in Norman. Wow! Time flies... Now I am trying to settle down in Norman and start over. There is not much to see here, but I will make sure that I keep posting on GPS whenever I travel next...

More San Diego for you

Here are some more random pictures from San Diego :)

(View of downtown over highway 163)

(Balboa Park Theater)

(Science Museum, San Diego)

(Balboa Park)

(View from Glider's Port)

(Downtown)

(Kite Festival @ Seaport)

(Hike - Gliders Port)

Pictures courtesy: Mouhammad, Anand

Ten things that made Independence day memorable!

We went on a short trip to Santa Barbara for the July 4th long weekend. Below are the highlights of the trip...

1. ATVs – This was the highlight of the trip. We left early morning to rent All Terrain Vehicles at Pismo Beach. After a quick training session, we rode the ATVs to the sand duney shore by the ocean. It took me some time to get a hang of it, but once I got it.. I had fun riding along the ever changing, uneven sandy terrains
2. Introductions – I got a chance to meet so many new people. It was fun to hang out with such high-spirited, no-drama, friendly people
3. Food – Loved the Mexican food/Perfect Margarita at Pismo Beach. The breakfast at the Budget Café in Lompoc was really good as well. It was just like a home cooked IHOP, but so much better
4. Catching up with Swapna (after a long time) – I finally met Swapna after one year and some months :)
5. Hike – This was practically the first proper hike for me. (I won't count the flat ones I have done before) It was a hot California day. The goal was to reach the hill top cz it's from there you can see the main attraction - the view, as they call it.
6. Wine tasting, and more food – After the hike we reached Solvang. I had a chance to try French Food for the very first time. It was different but good. I ordered a sausage that came with some kind of salad and fried potatoes. Post food, we went for wine tasting. Seven different wines, seven different tastes, seven different ways they were prepared… loved it! Ended up bringing one home…
7. Santa Barbara Downtown – Little but very charming downtown. It's more like a cluster of Spanish low rise buildings – stores, restaurants, some offices. Stopped at Java Jones for coffee, loved the ambiance, and of course the coffee as well :)
8. Fireworks – For the first time ever I got a chance to see Independence day fireworks. And what could be better than watching it from a pier? Good show, good company and what made it even better was the reflections of the fireworks in the water
9. Highway 101 – You will know what I am talking about, if you get a chance to drive on this highway during a pleasant day. You drive on a wide eight lane (I think) highway, which has perfectly blue ocean on one side and hills on the other!
10. Photography – I love taking pictures/getting pictures clicked :P Our group had three DSLRs and a couple of digital cameras for this trip. Result: lots and lots of pictures of all kinds - nature, people, places, things :)

Photography credits: Ram, Kevin and Vinay

Hollywood for you...

Los Angeles (aka LA) is a place you either absolutely love or absolutely hate! High crime rate, traffic crowd; but also beautiful people, huge houses, super cool cars, fashion, and money…

We reached LA around 2o’clock. So we started with lunch at an Indian restaurant - Rajdhani. It was pretty cool… you sit down and they will bring out utensils for you and start serving a million things – aloo tikki, kadhi, dal, mixed vegetable, aloo matar, dhokla, roti, poori, rice, chaaz, aamras, pickle, papad, salad etc. and then you will have a choice of dessert – gulab jamun, kulfi falooda, gajar ka halwa, besan halwa, lauki halwa etc. and I must say, the food you get here is the closet to what you get at home. Loved it!

(Rajdhani @ Arteisa)

(Such a pretty table :) )

(When was the last time you ate in steel utensils?)

(Mall @ Kodak Theater)

We parked at the Kodak theater, went around the mall a little bit and then decided to take a Starline tour. I highly recommend taking a tour, if you ever happen to go to LA. They took us around the ‘Walk of Fame’, the Chinese Theater, the celebrity houses – Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Tom Cruise, Jay Leno, Michael Jackson and other countless famous people. Sunset Boulevard – definitely worth driving around. It would be unfair if I don’t mention that the tour guide was so much fun! He would play music related to the place; giving you a little hint and having you guess what’s next. Like he played Mission Impossible theme track right around when we crossed Tom Cruise’s house and so on…

(Random picture at Hollywood)

(Walk of fame)

(Chinese Theater)

(Just for the Harry Potter lovers... Hand/Footprints of Harry Potter cast)

(Michael Jackson's House - thats all I could get from inside the van. For more click here)

One interesting thing I came to know about the Hollywood Sign – It was an advertisement for a housing development ‘Hollywood Land’. So when it was first put on the hills, it read (no marks for guessing) “Hollywood Land”. Only recently (in seventies I think) they changed it to Hollywood. Then the locals started playing around with the sign… the hippies made it HOLLYWEED and the saints made it HOLIWOOD. That’s when the state took over and decided that it needs surveillance. Also, by now the sign had started falling apart. To erect a new Hollywood sign, with good quality steel, a lot of money was needed. So different actors decided to buy the alphabets, each worth $28,000. So the money raised from that auction was used to erect a new sign with best quality steel.

(The famous Hollywood sign)

It was already dark by the time we returned from the tour. So we decided to get dinner at a (newly opened I guess) Mediterranean restaurant – which by the way sucked.

But our short trip to Hollywood ended there and we started driving back home :-)

TIP: Read a little bit about Sunset Boulevard/Hollywood before you actually visit. It will definitely be more fun to see stuff you know about. No research required… but just a little introduction

What not to order at Coyotes!

(Café Coyote y Cantina, Old Town)

Old town is a cute little stretch in San Diego. It has a lot of history to it (which I will write about when I get a chance to go there again, during daytime).

But what took me to old town a couple of nights ago was – food! They say old town has the best Mexican food to offer. Well, of course may be after Mexico :P which is not more than 20 miles from old town anyways. So I decided to try out the best rated Mexican restaurant there. Café Coyote y Cantina! Oh yeeeeaaaaah!

We reached there and started with a Good Luck Margarita. Take my word for this – it was huge and very tasty. I am usually hard to please when it comes to Margaritas. But I liked this one. Fruity and yummy. Try it blended. I liked the drink so much that the bar of my expectations was raised way high up for food. We started with appetizers. Fajitadilla – super large tortilla stuffed with lots and lots of chicken and vegetables. Sounds delicious? Yes it was :) but it was so big that I was full after 2 slices. Also, the first look at it told me that it was the unhealthiest food I had had in last one year. Oil was dripping in the plate. But of course taste comes at a price!

I was so full that I had no space for the main course. But I didn’t want to leave after a shared appetizer. So we ordered another appetizer. Queso fundido! Mistake! It was served with tortilla. But it was a tub of hard thready cheese and some sausage and capsicum thrown on top. It would be unfair if I don’t mention that the sausage was delicious though! But I just wish there was more of the sausage than cheese. It tasted good but I guess I didn’t place the order right.

I think Fajitadilla is a good size to serve four if you want to have your main entrée. And do not order another appetizer. If you decide on Queso fundido, then it’s good for two. But it should be ordered as the very first thing, and alone.

Don’t let your visit to this awesome place go waste. Ask the server for help and I am sure you will like it! I can’t wait until I go back to old town :)