A Very Auspicious Survey

Leaving Goa, we tried negotiating with the hotel manager to receive a reduced hotel rate. Laying out our complaints (bathing in dirty water, no electricity, no TV (cable was out), and overall filth), we were ushered into the manager's office for a more private conversation. Understanding our points, we received a reduced rate of 1500 rs. per night, down from 1748 rs. However, adding in the 750 we paid for the ride from the airport, everything evened out. If the hotel wasn't that expensive (US$20) I wouldn't have minded the lack of clean water and electricity. But for about US$40 per night, I didn't think it was too much to ask.

As a sign of good intentions, the manager offered us a free ride back to the airport on their bus that would leave at noon (it was now 11:30am) and our flight left at 2pm. Deciding to take his offer, we waited around. Going to the bus at 11:50am, we were greeted by a foul smelling bus, with no air conditioning and inoperable windows. It was also clear that we would not be leaving on time, as we were waiting for more people to arrive at the bus. I went to the manager twice saying we needed to leave in order not to miss our flight. Finally when Jeremy went to complain, the manager gave us an SUV to use, and put a family of four in there with us. At least this meant we made it safely and quickly to the airport and boarded our flight.

With no available direct flight to Chennai, we boarded a Jet Airways plane to Bangalore - while the plane wasn't anything special, the service was good and we received a hot snack that was large enough to be a meal for us. In Bangalore, we boarded a Spice Jet plane (spicy everyday fares), which was rather disorganized, but left on time.

Kate greeted us at the airport, and she and her boyfriend Jason (who also works at the US Consulate) took us out for a lovely dinner on top of very nice hotel with an amazing view of Chennai.

Ironically, Chennai is known as the Detroit of South Asia, because of the large automobile manufacturing base located here. Approximately 40% of all India's autos are manufactured in Chennai. A lot of US jobs have also been outsourced to this location.

The following day Kate and Jason took us to Mahabalipuram, a beautiful town just south of Chennai. We were taken to the following sites, all of which were really beautiful:

• The Shore Temple: A temple off the Bay of Bengal. In 2004, an earthquake led to the removal of sand deposits on additional structures that had once been hidden.
• Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots): Five structures, each carved out of a whole piece of rock.

We also went to a mock-village where we were supposed to see representations of different cultures across India, and examples of their crafts. Unfortunately, most of the exhibits seemed to be closed. I did manage to buy some handmade Indian bangles, and have mehndi applied to my left hand. We tried stopping at a crocodile farm on the way back to Chennai, but they were closed on Mondays.

We stayed in that evening, and ate a nice home cooked meal (made by their maid), and played Taboo, which was highly entertaining.

The following day, Kate took us to a couple sites in Chennai:

• Kapaleeshwarar Temple: A beautiful South Indian temple
• San Thome Basilica (St. Thomas Basilica): Where the apostle Thomas is buried, and one of three sites in the world where a Catholic church is erected over a tomb.

We also went to few stores. I managed to buy a pair of Indian shoes, and searched in vain for a shirt to wear. We also picked up a Goa-Trance record and some Indian dance club music. After Jason got off work, we met up with some of their consulate friends at a Middle Eastern restaurant for some good food.

Kate and Jason have been great hosts. For starters, Kate's apartment is amazing. A two level place, with marble floors, about 5 bedrooms and 3 or 4 bathrooms, a gorgeous kitchen, washer/dryer in-unit, and all the amenities you could ask for - she's living like a queen. Her place makes for a good escape from the outside world. We have also heard many stories of their daily jobs. Both of them interview Indians in order to issue visas. Needless to say, while the job itself is boring, they have funny stories of the responses to questions they get. Both of them think that we should not worry about India taking over the world anytime soon. They'd first need to get their act together, and Kate and Jason think that is not going to happen in our lifetime.

Jeremy has also been perfecting his head-bob. For those unfamiliar with Indian non-verbal communication, Indians will bob their head side-to-side when talking - most of the time it is a sign of understanding and often affirmation, although the bob has subtleties to it.

While most of India and its culture are very different from the States, there are a couple items that really stick out and can be rather entertaining, one of which is the ubiquitous comment card. Everywhere we go (restaurants, bars, hotels, etc) we always receive surveys - and usually not just once, but many times. Kate and Jason believe it is India's attempt to become more Westernized, but they also say that nothing is ever done with the actual comments.

They tell this one story of a friend of theirs who had what was supposed to be a relaxing eye treatment, and it turned out to be very painful. He proceeded to provide negative feedback on the survey, and was told that he could not write that on the survey - that he had to change his comments. He then tore the survey up in front of them and everyone gasped as if he were killing a baby.

But we indulge everyone at the places we go and fill out their multiple surveys with candid feedback.

We've really enjoyed Chennai. Despite what the guide books say (not much to see, not too developed), we think Chennai is the cleanest and most orderly city, respective to the places we've been in India.

Today we will be doing laundry and miscellaneous errands, before heading off to Singapore tomorrow. Every year Singapore has a big sale (shopping is a national pastime) - fortunately we will be there during it.

We will try to upload our pictures to-date, and will let you know of the corresponding link.

Why are we here?

Leaving our gorgeous hotel in Mumbai, we hopped on our 3rd flight to Goa. Possibly the worst flight we've ever taken, we were surrounded by unpleasant body odor, screaming children, and no air conditioning for most of the flight. At one point a neighboring passenger began arguing with a flight attendant. True to Indian customer service, the flight attendant began arguing back with the passenger. Go Air, the airline we traveled on, will be receiving my feedback.

We had previously arranged with the hotel, Phoenix Park Inn, to be picked up at the airport for 750 rupees. We easily found a gentleman holding our name card. He quickly got the tiny car for us, but told us there was another passenger we were traveling with. This other passenger turned out to be a family of three. A signal of things to come on this trip? Squeezing into the backseat, we set out for the hour drive to our hotel.

As we drove up to the hotel, Jeremy's mood took a turn for the worse. 3 star hotel? I think not. Down some dirt road, we were led to our hotel room. It was night and day compared to where we just came from. Not expecting luxury, were were expecting simplicity and cleanliness. More like sparse and dirty.

Calming Jeremy down, we headed to an internet cafe to explore other options. Unfortunately the fancy hotels we had looked at previously, were now all booked. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, we thought. Already quite late, we walked up and down the main road to find a place to eat. We went to a place recommended by our guide book - the man inside said they were closed for the off season. In fact, we would come to find that many of the establishments were closed for the off season. Sigh. Finding a place open near the hotel, we ate there. Enjoying quite a good meal, including Pepsis and King Fisher beer, our meal price came to 260 rupees - not bad. Unfortunately my fear of spiders kicked in, as I saw many hanging above our heads.

Back in the hotel we were ready to shower and head to bed. While Jeremy was in the shower, the electricity went out - I wondered if it was because I had the air conditioning AND the TV on at the same time (too much to ask, I know). Fortunately the episode only lasted a few seconds. Making my way to my backpack, I found the flashlight I brought with me (I'd make a good boy scout). Unfortunately, the next episode happened while I was in the shower, and it lasted much longer. That night, the electricity went out about 6 or 7 times.

The following day we headed to Candolim beach, about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. Hoping the day would be better than the previous day, we were confronted with closed beach shacks (which would normally house food/drinks during the peak season) and a fair amount of trash on the beach. Just off the coast of Candolim, in the Arabian sea, is the MV River Princess. A few years ago, the currents were so strong, the Princess (a freight liner) became embedded in the sand. An argument began between the city and state governments, along with the ship owners, as to who should be responsible for its removal. Just a few months ago, the government finally allocated money to have the Princess removed.

We continued walking down the beach, coming to Sinquerim beach where the Taj Fort Aguada and Taj Holiday Village hotels are located. Based on what we saw from the Beach, the Taj hotels did not look that great, and, even though our hotel is a dump, we were glad we did not spend more money on either of the Taj properties in Candolim. With more life there, we found a few shacks open for business. Stopping to grab lunch and drinks on the beach, we enjoyed the sand and water (although too stinky to go in). While Candolim and Sinquerim are okay beaches, they are not worth a stop in Goa.

Back at our hotel, we contended with no water or dirty water for a good portion of the night. They are also doing construction in our building (incessant banging), so the stairs (no elevator) are filthy and everything in our hotel room is coated with a nice layer of dust. Grabbing take-out from a nearby restaurant (the one we visited the previous night), we ate and drank in our air conditioned hotel room.

Today is our last day in Goa (thankfully!). The question as to why we are here comes up frequently, as the hotel and beach are not that great. We plan on posting our reviews of the hotel on as many travel sites as possible, and also contacting Orbitz where we booked our travel and letting them know this is not 3 star quality - 2 star at best. That said, we've managed to enjoy ourselves, have eaten good and inexpensive food, and have seen a little more of the local "island" life by being here in the off season.

Tomorrow we head to Chennai (Madras) where my friend Kate lives. I met Kate in b-school. Instead of going corporate, she decided to join the Foreign Service, and is stationed in Chennai interviewing Indians interested in going to the US for work. Looking forward to a clean house, doing some laundry, and more dosas, we'll be happy to leave Goa.

How Something Built in the Name of Love can Make Someone so Angry

As explained in an earlier post, our schedule of events was screwed up, forcing us to make a quick day trip to the Taj Mahal. We left Jaipur early in the morning for Agra, making one stop at an exorcism temple, which put us behind schedule. We didn't arrive into Agra until close to 2pm, at which time we ate lunch - at this point we are eating dosas at least once a day.

Unfortunately, India is not known for its customer service, so complaining to the travel agent wouldn't have done us any good. We were left with the option of taking a public bus or hiring a car/driver, which we were told would cost 5000 rupees. It was also too expensive to change flights, and no convenient flight times were available.

Upon arriving at the hotel the rest of our group was staying at in Agra, we spoke with the onsite travel agent who was able to help us arrange a car/driver for than the previously quoted price - we were told by many Indians that the bus was not a safe option for us. We then left our group and headed to the Taj Mahal with our own car/driver. Entering at the Main Gate, the frustration began.

Jeremy was followed for 200 meters by someone "offering" their tour guide services. Starting at 500 rupees, he finally left us alone when J said no to 50 rupees. While I continue strolling (especially since I'm not bothered as much), Jeremy's frustration grew and he started to speed walk. Purchasing our exhorbantly priced tickets (a few years ago they were 20 rupees, but now priced at 750 for foreigners in a failing attempt to help curb pollution at the Taj), we proceeded into our male/female security lines. Finally reaching the front, dodging touts along the way, we were turned away because of our iPods and Clif Bars. After spouting a few vulgarities and placing them in a locker, we headed back into line. We finally made it through, but not before someone attempted to pick Jeremy's pockets while in line. At this point Jeremy's anger had peaked.

Fighting through the crowds to reach the Taj, our moods lifted as we came into view of the grand Taj. Really quite stunning and remarkable, we entered the building which serves as a masoleum for Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, for whom it was built. Since there isn't much to see on the inside, we took a break and sat on a bench enjoying the stunning view the Taj offers. We were able to see a little of how the sun affects the colors of the Taj, changing from white to a deeper yellow. In its presence, it is understandable why the Taj is considered a wonder of the world - taking a mere 20 years to build, and thousands of workers (whose fingers were then chopped off so they could not recreate the building elsewhere), it was well worth the trip.

Standing out in a homogenous population, two sets of groups requested to have their pictures taken with us - one group consisted of about 4 or 5 different men, who sat in the middle of us on the bench taking pictures - they looked as if they were cropping Jeremy out of the pictures.

Passing the rest of our group on our way out, we headed back along the path that had fostered the anger. Hopping back in to our car around 6:15pm, we made our way back to Jaipur. Unfortunately, our adventures were only half over...

Pink City

We arrived in Jaipur mid-day, ate lunch, and checked in to our hotel - the Holiday Inn. Jaipur is known as the Pink City because all of the buildings are washed with a pink paint. Much less chaotic than Delhi, we set out in the afternoon to all of the street shopping to look for Indian goodies. Unlike the US, India is all about the bargaining, much to my dismay. Fortunately, our friend Ash, who is Indian, was our negotiator for everything we purchased. Unlike what we were taught in b-school, our aim was to not make the pie bigger.

After many tiring hours of shopping, I walked away with a couple handmade purses, two shawls, two decorative pillowcases, all for the low low price of 900 rupees. The biggest triumph was one shawl initially priced at 1250 rupees - I bought it for 350. (45 rupees per $1). At the last store we went to, the shop owner knew about 5 different languages - we knew we were in trouble. Athought we were still able to bargain, the prices were not quite as good.

The next we day, we went to the following attractions:

• Amber Fort
• Observatory
• Palace of Winds
• City Palace

We also went to a government store where the prices are fixed - no bargaining - which was nice. Before heading here, our "tour guide" took us to some very expensive shops where he received a payment for simply taking us there, and would receive a commission if we purchased anything. The guide books say this is common practice for tour guides as well as taxi drivers.

We also did some shopping at the City Palace, where Jeremy and I purchased some nice original art of Indian miniature paintings, famous in this area.

We're about to head to our next destination in India, where there will be more cyber cafes - more to come.

Jesus, Electrical Fire, and Neverland

Meeting up with Jeremy, and our friends Dave and Chrissy, we left Detroit for Amsterdam (and then on to Delhi) on the 15th. Apart from screaming children, we had an interesting bunch of people on our first flight. With Jeremy sitting on the aisle, he saw a man in his seat with his hand on another man's heart who was kneeling beside him, and a woman standing over the kneeling man with her hands on his shoulders. Jeremy's first thought was - is someone having a heart-attack? I then heard exclamations of "Jesus!" again and again. It turns out there was a group of people headed on a missionary trip to Tanzania. Interesting.

Towards the end of our 2 hour layover in Amsterdam, we waited in line to go through security at our gate, waited in another line to get into the waiting area, and then waited to get in line to board the plane. Talk about practicality. A short time before boarding, we were very loudly shooshed by a lanky Dutch male flight attendant. Listening to the announcement, we were told there was an electrical fire on the plane that had happened moments ago. Annoyed with someone's incompetence, we were lucky enough to get a 777 within about 1.5 hours. Going through the check-in process again at a new gate, we were welcomed by a nice and relatively empty plane. I became teary-eyed watching "Finding Neverland" while Jeremy slept like a baby beside me.

Arriving in Delhi around 1:30am on the 17th, our friend Ash and a driver picked all of us up from the airport. And so begins the India adventures...

Let the Adventures Begin...

Today's the day we've been waiting for, for a few months now. We've researched, made spreadsheets, shopped, been vaccinated, spent lots of money, researched some more, and shopped even more. If we're not ready now, we never will be. Although it's hard to imagine that we'll be in India in about 24 hours.

Jeremy has already headed out, flying from DC to Detroit. I'll be meeting up with him in a few hours. It's a good thing I'm already in Michigan, as I had to do some last minute shopping for him (somebody forgot to pack their swim suit :) I refrained from purchasing anything with too much of a pattern - it was hard, but I did it.

We've treated our clothes with mosquito repellent, started taking our malarone tablets, and spent hours on the phone finishing some last minute hotel bookings. I have taken a break to do my nails (just b/c we're backpacking doesn't mean I can't be put together :) and will look at some more hotel options, before heading to the airport myself

See you in India.

Travel Advisory: Buzzkill

When we went to the health clinic for our vaccinations, we were provided with a 30+ page packet on the countries we are visiting. Bored in Minneapolis, I'm finally going through everything. Taken from the US government, this report goes into detail about all the health concerns, crime, transportation, terrorism, and general concerns that may affect a traveler.

For example....in Cambodia, it is inadvisable to travel by train, boat, motorcycle, moto-taxis, and cyclos. So I guess it will be walking and bicycling for us. It is advisable to travel by air, but at the same time they say there are concerns with the safety and maintenance standards of the aircrafts. In Singapore, homosexuality isn't just disliked, it's actually illegal and "offenders" may be convicted. In Vietnam, "Traffic...is chaotic...Horns are used constantly, often with no apparent reason."

Fortunately we are aware of the common dangers and have a fair amount of common sense, so I'm confident we'll be just fine. I'm just curious who will get sick first - me or Jeremy.


What would an advisory, printed in another country, say about the United States?

Why would you want Malaria?

"Why would you want Malaria?" the US customs agent asked us as we drove back into the US from Canada. We explained that we in fact did NOT want malaria, which is why we drove across the border to buy cheap prescription malarone (an expensive malaria-prevention drug).

Our day began heading to Windsor, Ontario, Canada in search of cheap prescription drugs. If bus loads of senior citizens could do it, so could we. Unsure of the legality of it all, we figured we only had time to lose. Entry into Canada was easy enough (even if the border patrol asked if Jeremy always spoke for me :) Our first stop was Shopper's Drug Mart. No luck. They said the doctor must be licensed to operate in Ontario.

Our second stop was Southbridge Drug Store, a small pharmacy located in a medical strip mall. The friendly Chinese man at the counter eagerly took our prescriptions and quickly engaged us in conversation regarding the Natural History Museum located on the University of Michigan's campus, where his children enjoyed perusing the dinosaur bones. Within a matter of minutes he had us signing a document saying their doctor could co-sign for the prescription (thereby allowing us to legally obtain the prescription in Canada). In less time than it takes to get a prescription filled in the US, we had our bottles of malaria medication and were paying 1/5 of the US price. We were all set, and it only took 30 minutes of being in Canada....or so we thought...

Startled by the ridiculously low price, I compared the active ingredients of our prescription with what was given to us - and it did not match. Confronting our friendly pharmacist, he apologized for the mistake, and quickly began correcting it. Unfortunately, we needed a total of 80 malarone pills - and they only had 24 in stock. Able to order more, he would not have the additional amount until 4:30pm. It was 11:30am.

Forced to spend the entire day in Windsor, we were determined to be productive. If you have never been to Windsor, don't bother. I am from Michigan, and with Windsor just across the border, both those in Canada and Michigan don't believe Windsor is anything to brag about it - it's like a poor man's Detroit. There are a lot of motels/hotels, tire stores, drug stores, doctors' offices, and that's about it.

We stopped at a Columbia outlet store. Jeremy struggled with his crunchiness...next for him, a Jerry Garcia t-shirt and hacky-sack. Going to some very hot places, it made sense for him to purchase a pair of sandals, much to his dismay. From there we explored Windsor's "China-town" block for lunch. Only three more hours left to kill....

After lunch, the most awful thing happened...we entered a Wal-Mart. For those who don't know, I'm headed to Target to work at their headquarters, and combined with my general dislike of the retail chain, I felt blasphemous entering the retailer. But we were given few options (damn you Windsor!). After purchasing an outlet adapter kit, we sat in the car for 1/2 an hour. Only 2 more hours....

We wandered around Windsor, went to a Tim Horton's, and finally back to our pharmacy. The pills came, and we saved about $50 (was it worth the day in Windsor?). Finally, back to the good ol' US of A. Declaring our prescriptions at the border, we encountered little resistance, much to our relief.

Armed with our malaria meds, we are all set with pills - we just hope they do the job so we can enjoy the trip...