Taj Mahal...part 3
yep...it now only allows 10 per post (I know I have more on some posts) ...
The photo with the restraunt "Diva" is an online friend that I didn't realize until just last week lived in Delhi...so I was able to meet in person! Her name is Ritu, and she fed me the best 2 meals I have had in India! Thank you Ritu! She is
owner/chef of Diva's and 7 other cafe's in the city.
Long overdue update!
Ok, I know...but you all know me...and I really do hate to write!
But, in my own defense...I have been working 100+ hours a week! So not much time to do anything else.
Then I got real sick for close to a week. Not good, but thankfully they talked me into letting them call a Dr., he ended up coming to the hotel to see me 3 times; lots of drugs and finally got better by end of last week.
I came real close to calling the airlines to come home I was so sick and miserable... and can you beleive - they don't have chicken noodle soup (or even know what it is) OR chamomille tea!
Anyways...the good news is I am better - and I was able to go up to northern India, to Delhi and Agra. Which is where the Taj Mahal is, along with many other historical places. I will have to figure out and remember what they all are. But in the mean time, I am going to post some of the photo's I took.
The first set of pictures though are going to be from a company sponsored party that I went to. They set it up like a village in N. India (forget the name). They had authentic food, dance, and everyone from the region also dressed in traditional clothes from the area. Everyone there were Datamatics employees.
*****And best news of all.....I leave and come home in 2 days!!!!!****
Sightseeing trip around South Mumbai
Sunday I got to spend the whole day with one of the Datamatics employee's (who took his only day off to spend with me)!
It was great to see a whole different view than I have seen so far...between hotel and office.
The traffic actually wasn't quite as bad. They do have a highway system to some extent that the traffic generally keeps moving. But it was also under construction in places and the driving is still pretty crazy.
I am going to post pictures now, but will have to come back and add the descriptions. Some I know I don't remember exactly what or where they were taken!
I did get to visit a couple of beaches along the Arabian Sea, which flows into the Indian Ocean. Mumbai's layout is similar to the Puget Sound and made me feel a little like home...but then also made me miss home a little more at times. I got to put my feet in the water...so now I have had my feet in 3 oceans! And, even though the beach was the cleanest beach they have, hardly even a little rock laying around (and no seaweed or anything like that)...I stumbled upon 2 seashells!
First we went to a history museum and it had the complete history of India from ancient times to the present. I got a few pictures taken before I was informed...no photo's allowed!
Then will be:
- this is a Hindu Temple that was just on the way
- beach photo's (don't remember name of this beach)
- Buddah Temple acroos the water way
- Photo's in the History Museum
- Chowpatty Beach, with me in water
- no photo's but went to the official Tea Center of India...and got some tea to bring home.
- A bunch of old buildings that include the Univeristy, Capitol, Congress buildings of the state, Central train station)
- Freedom Fountain
- Taj Mahal Hotel (both old and new - side by side)
- Gateway of India (across street from Taj Mahal hotels). This is where all incoming boats arrived since the discovery of India, and trading ships) It is still a major port area, and also you will see some Navy boats.
- Boat ride to Elephanta Island. Took about an hour each way, was a great ride and got to see yet another view of the city.
- Once on the island, we took a little train ride up to where the steps start. There are 120+ stairs to get to the monuments. By the time we got there, we ran out of time. But I was able to get some cool stuff to bring home!
- What was scarey, is that they had guys that had these freakin' chairs with poles attached and for a fee...they would carry you up the stairs! I chose not to go for that ride...
- They even had wild monkey's hanging out in the trees.
While in my journey's though I really wasn't able to find much in the way of souveneirs! Most of anything I saw...wasn't any better than dollar store crap! And it seems that everyone sells all the same crap/
I'll just have venture out some more to find some cool stuff to bring home.
Hope you enjoy the pictures! I had fun taking them.
Love and miss everyone....can't wait to get home!!!!!!
PS
OK...it's almost 1am....and this blogger is pissin' me off! Half the time I upload the pictures, it isn't loading them; the other half it loads - it is only like a thumbnail and big gray box!
I will continue tomorrow...plus it puts them in the wrong order from what I am uploading...ugh!
owner/chef of Diva's and 7 other cafe's in the city.
