Manchester United Club, They Catch them Young!

ManU Baby Wear for Sale at the Manchester United Club, Manchester, UK

They Try to Catch them Young!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Trafford Center, Manchester, UK

Trafford Center, Manchester, UK

Trafford Center is a shopping Mall in Manchester and I have to admit I am not very fond of shopping malls. But this place is so huge and for a first time visitor so colorful that I have clicked pictures every two meters probably.

I was roaming around with my school friend (I met her after 20 years) and she picked up a map of the center. She passed one to me too. As I have said earlier, maps always seem like unsolvable puzzles to me. So, after pretending to master it for a while, I tossed it in a bin. And went back to photography. My friend was so amused with it that she told everyone what I do with maps!

Touch Down at Heathrow

Virgin Atlantic Flight VS 301 from New Delhi Landing at London Heathrow On May 5, 2009

I made this video from a window seat of the flight. It was a Tuesday (on Tuesday many Indians do not eat nonvegetarian food even if they eat it otherwise) and they had run out of vegetarian food and gave me something to eat quite later. Even then I had enjoyed my flight. On the return flight I did not get a window seat. But then I will write a proper post about the flight experience both ways.

Punting at Oxford

I finally managed to go punting at Oxford on my third trip! I had read about it a lot, I had seen people do it but I never dared to try it myself. You are supposed to do it on your own and I did not feel brave enough. When I went through websites this is what I would find-

'Chauffeur' punters are available on request, with a minimum 2 weeks notice.

Punt Boats at Cherwell Boat House, Oxford

So what do you do when you go punting? You take one of these boats and try to steer it with a very long pole. It is possible because the river bed is quite shallow and the pole hits the ground quite easily. There were six of us in the boat. I was the only woman. So while all the men went to fetch the equipment I was assigned to look for boat number 69. It was not too difficult to spot it.

Coming Back after a Punting Session

While we were on the river we could spot a lot of people having a good time. There were four girls who looked to be out there for the first time and they always managed to get stuck on the bank of the river and then were rowing themselves out! They also give you a paddle to row out if you get stuck on the side of the river

The Pro- You Never Know what your Professors are Good at!

We were in safe hands as the professor was a pro at punting. I asked him, "How long have you been doing this?" And he replied with a smile, "Far too long!" When one of our conference college tried to punt, he got us stuck on a bank within no time and then managed to turn the boat the other way round! The pro professor had told us at the beginning, "Oxford and Cambridge row from the opposite ends." So when the boat turned around, we were told by our friend, "Now I am doing the Cambridge style!" We also had to duck many times to avoid the branches as we drifted to a side when one of us was rowing.

The Pro, The Rookie and the Cambridge and Oxford Style Punter (sitting)

I was the last person to try my hand. And one of us refused to try. He was a young academician from Thailand. I was very scared that I would let the pole drop into the river! But I managed to do quite OK. Did not turn the boat around, or stuck it at the bank. But that was more because the professor actively helped me out. And you can see from the picture that I really had a lot of fun trying my hand at punting. I sat down to some clapping from my fellow friends, they must have been really scared when I insisted that I want to try out for sure!

And if I keep academics aside, that is one huge advantage of conference, you get on an organized tour of things that seem to be too difficult to carry out on our own. We did this trip on the Cherwell River which is far away from the center of the city. I was told that most of the tourists do it on the Magdalen River Boathouse.

In the beginning I was asking the professor, "So how do people learn punting?" And pat came the reply, "By falling down in the river!"

Blue Roses at the Trafford Center, Manchester

Blue Roses at the Trafford Center, Manchester, and these are Real

I am back finally and it feels good. I would any day prefer this sweltering hot weather than the perennial cold that is present in UK.

• I saw the Manchester United Stadium
  
• Clicked more than 500 images
  
• Yet only 10 seem to be good
  
• Did manage to go for punting this time, will pick this one up tomorrow
  

Plans for Today!

It is not everyday when my daily plans include visiting Manchester United Stadium. And that too hassle free because my friend's are taking me around.

The days are beautiful and sunny, only the wind at night seems like winters in India rather than summer.

Hi from UK

I am in Manchaster today, catching up with some school friends.

It has been so long without blogging that it feels a little strange writing this.

Will have to catch up with all this once I come back later next week. And to think of it I almost missed this trip due to my passport. I have taken pictures but not tons of it. But then I will still spend a day in London too. So will make up for that!

The Passport Saga

I tried calling a friend from IIT Kanpur days as I needed his help to get my passport. I got his number from another friend. He of course did not pick up my phone, it was an unknown number for him. I had not been in touch with him for past 7 years! I had been calling people left right and center in the hope that someone would help me in getting my passport reissued and he was not even my best hope.

I applied for the renewal of my passport in early March after taking an appointment online. I had relevant supporting documents and they accepted my application after a token protest, which is the hallmark of many a government employees. Still, this was a pleasant experience as I said when I blogged about it earlier.

Then someone managed to get my police verification done. And I thought I was all set to get the passport soon. But that was not to be.

There were many people who tried to help me out. Some said my police verification has not been received and some said that it has been! To cut through all this confusion I decided to use a travel agent. He initially asked for a lot of papers and said he would try. Each day gone by was bringing my proposed travel date to UK even closer. So, I was waiting anxiously to hear from the travel agent on Tuesday when he said with a lot of regret in his voice that it could not be done unless I could get a form signed by a government official verifying my address. My police verification report was stuck somwhere.

The Office Blocks near India Gate, New Delhi

That is when I was making a lot of phone calls. When my friend did not pick up his cell phone I wrote a SMS to him saying who I was. Within two minutes I got a call back. I must have not been making too much sense to him because one of the first things he told me was, "please take out that panic from your voice, your work is done". Then he asked me, "Now tell me what is to be done?" I tried explaining to him about Annexture F, he said he don't know which form this is but he would get it done by tomorrow if I was willing to run around a little! He told me to meet a friend of his in the office blocks in front of India Gate. He would arrange for my entry into those office blocks.

He knew I was very nervous and told me, "if I do not pick up my phone for a while tomorrow please don't panic, I sometimes go out of my room and leave the phone behind." But when I called him the next day, he picked up my phone promptly and coordinated every minute till I got into the room of this lady officer who looked at all the relevant documents and then gave me the letter I wanted. I gave it to the travel agent in the afternoon and got the passport by next day evening.

The moral of the story is that apply in the Tatkal (immideate) scheme if you can get the Annexture F made. That takes out the hassle of police verification. Because when I went to collect the passport in the evening there was a gentleman standing in the line in front of me who had applied for the passport in January and still not got it!

When I was standing in the line to pick up the passport on Thursday evening, the counter did not open till 5.20 pm. The notice above the counter said the distribution time was 5.00 to 5.30 pm. There was a very pretty girl in the line who could not speak (along with a fatherly figure, they were talking in sign language) and almost in tears. The gentleman in front of me went inside the office and came back with the reassuring news that they do not go away without distributing the passports that have been promised that day.

By 5.45 I had mine. Next day 8.00 am I was at the VFS UK and it was so orderly out there. Get your token (I did not had an appointment this time), wait your turn, submit your documents and go back home. I am still keeping my fingers crossed though, after all I was quite optimistic even when I successfully submitted the passport application form.

The biggest surprise in this entire episode was the friend from IIT Kanpur. I mean maybe someone else too would have done the work for me but the speed and consideration he showed to me has left me speechless. I have thanked him many times and he has never failed to tell me that the pleasure is his! And that when we would have talked at IIT only a few times and I was making this call after 7 years of no contact.

I can't name you my blog, but then whenever I will travel for the next ten years and hold that passport in my hands I would ask the folks up above to grant your every cherished wish. Thank you, without your help my passport would still have been stuck in some dark corner of an office.

PS. Why can't the police verification report be scanned and sent online? Would make our lives just a little bit more easier.

And there is a possibility of doing an edited book on the experiences of getting the passport issued in India, I am sure many of us have stories to share!

Leeds, London and Oxford in Pictures

Leeds, London and Oxford in Pictures

10 minutes with Taxi Drivers at Austin- Guest Post by Kalyan Banerjee

I really enjoyed reading Kalyan's experiences with Taxi Drivers in Austin. It is so wonderful to have him as a guest blogger at Travel Tales from India. Enjoy the post.

Kalyan Banerjee has a day job and travels during weekends. You can follow him on Twitter as well.

Talking to strangers is always (well, at least most of the times) an interesting experience when you're travelling alone. More so, when they belong to a different segment of your culture, or better still, a different culture. Now travelling solo need not mean you need to pack your bags and leave for a far away kingdom. It may simply mean morning jog, bus ride to the airport to pick a friend or taking a taxi/auto to work. I do a lot of the third category.

During my short 10 min taxi (or cab) rides at Austin, and back, I've happened to meet a plethora of people - black and white, male and female, Catholic and Muslim (and even Bahai), Moroccon and Iranian. Here's an account my 5 most interesting 10 minute rides with Taxi Drivers at Austin.

Met two Brazilian folks on the same day. The first one said that he watched an Indian show on television last night and was amazed by a few things Indian. The tradition of women applying ‘red powder’ just above the forehead and within the hairs looked fascinating to him. Well, this was the most ‘different’ description of Sindoor I’ve ever come across in my life. He applauded the ‘culture’ of parents supporting the newly wed daughter and her husband. I was baffled by the statement but he backed the statement with his logic – ‘When I married my expenses shot up like anything. New house, more people to support and more responsibilities made me work like crazy. I saw that in India, when a girl gets married her father gives a car, jewellery and quite some cash to the daughter to start a new life’. Beat this logic for the menace called Dowry. He concluded with, ‘I would like to visit India sometime. I heard it is colorful’. Well, I couldn’t agree more.

Brazil # - remember the other Brazilian cabbie not for his comments on India or Indians but for his single remark. It was Saturday and since there was a deadline the following week, a lot of stuff needed attention. Naturally, I was late. Here’s what he said when he picked me up – ‘For the first time in life I'm picking someone at 2 'o clock on Saturday night and that too from office. Its so late now that you can’t even go to Downtown for a drink – everything closes at 2 am. Why is your schedule so crazy? Once, I picked up 2 Chinese guys at 4, but they had flight to catch early.’ Since the real answer was too complicated, I cooked up some garbage as an answer.

Hong Kong- He was a middle aged person whose face indicated some kind of South East Asian connection. The first things he asked, ‘You from India’. On getting an affirmative answer, he started talking about Slumdog Millionaire. Remember, this incident was before the Oscars night, so Slumdog was yet to reach its popularity peak. He continued, ‘Seems Indians like movies too much. The Indian students at the University of Texas, Austin don’t go to watch a game, but go to movies every time they get a chance. On Super Bowl Sunday, I gave a ride to 3 Indians to the theater.’ Well, with 877 feature films released only in the year 2003 alone, Indian Film Industry is the largest in the world (Source: Wikipedia). And with fans who don’t miss a chance even while studying abroad, the volume game makes sense.

America #1– Two Americans were interesting. One was middle aged Joe who asked about my country. On learning that I was from India, he started almost immediately – ‘I heard that yours is a very stable economy. Much stable than ours. Even a couple of years back, people used to come in bunches here to make a decent living. These days opportunities seem to have die down. Even healthcare have become so costly you just can’t afford it. I just hope Obama fixes things and or we’ll go back to the Depression era’. Seemed a paragraph out of any article of a downturn related blog – points out the hardship Joe faces these days. The only breather – gas prices have come down quite a bit from its peak. His rant also tells me the hopes he has with his new President.

America # 2- The second one was older. He told me was well past 66, but he didn’t look a day older than 55. He lived in Houston for two years and then moved to Austin a year back. Doesn’t live with his family, but with fellow few cabbies. It amazed me how an old fellow like that was driving a cab at 1’o clock in the night. Situation must be bad, I guess. I remember him for another reason – he is only Muslim American I’ve met in my Austin

It amazes me how could we (cabbie and me) strike good conversation in such short rides. Each cabbie was spot on in figuring out my nationality and apparently had a viewpoint on India or Indians. This could be due to several reasons. Indians come a lot to Austin and take cabs. Or, there are quite a few Indians in Austin, who either take cabs or drive cabs (I haven't bumped across an Indian cabbie though). Or, India is the flavor of the season at Austin, which doesn’t seem likely despite the Oscars.

Each cabbie helped me understand how India is perceived in several circles. It felt good that almost all of them knew something. I’m yet to meet a cabbie twice but I look forward to meeting each of these cabbies again. I also wonder, whether back at Bangalore, I can have a conversation about the with an auto-wallah. What do you say?

P.S. If you are one of the taxi drivers in this post and you see some differences from the original experience, feel free to drop me a note at aamikalyan@gmail.com

Those Long Walks!

Stranded Ship Boat on Thames Walk, Oxford

I am quite fond of walking and it has landed me in all kind of interesting situations.

Another View on Thames Walk, Oxford

Took my niece to a park which was sufficiently big, and I felt like running after a long time! Did not do it, as I had just stuffed two Paranthans and my niece was of course on the swing trying all kind of stunts. Otherwise, since I left athletics never felt like running again. However, ask me to walk and I am always game for it.

Blues!

David Hockney Gallery at Saltaire, UK

The British Museum London

British Museum London

I took this picture at the British Museum in November 2007. The exhibition 'First Emperor' was at the museum but the entry fee to that particular section was low double digit pounds (was it near 17 or 12, can't remember) and I gave it a miss. Also, I had so little time at London that I have hardly glanced through some of the sections of the museum. And to be honest, after a while I start craving to get outdoors!

Card and Souvenir Shop, Oxford, UK

Card and Souvenir Shop, Oxford, UK

I was playing with Picasa 3 and trying to add water mark to a picture. While doing that I realized this picture in Oxford is something I would like to post on my blog too, the colors are so nice.

What do you say? Is the watermark taking out too much from the picture? I feel I will like to add such a mark to all my pictures.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Christ Church College, Oxford, UK

The Christ Church College, Oxford, UK

I took this photograph at the sunset. There is actually an entrance fee to visit the Christ Church College (but not the Christ Church Meadows) premises in Oxford. But there is a roped off area just in front of the entry gate up to where you can walk and take a peak at this magnificent building. This picture was taken from the roped off area. I immediately looked at the picture on the display of the camera and went wide eyed as the reddish glow was all the more prominent on the smaller camera display screen. The guard in front of the building gave me a smile looking at my wide eyed expression. I am sure he must be watching countless wide eyed tourists like me in the course of the day!

Big Ben and the Parliament House at Night, UK

Big Ben and the Parliament House at Night, UK

I have seen a lot of pictures of the UK Parliament House and the Big Ben on the net and in many of those I would find the bridge featured on the right in this picture. I had completely forgotten its existence and would wonder how did I miss it. I re-looked at my pictures and sure enough, I too had photographed it. Well, it was so wide that I quite forgot that it was here I spent quite some time standing and freezing in the cold weather yet enjoying every minute of it.

Sheldonian Theater, Oxford, UK

In fact, the last year same day I was in Oxford, roaming around the town on a Halloween night. And enjoyed every minute of that too.

Thames Walk, Oxford, UK

Thames Walk (Oxford, UK) Video, It was So Serene

This is a less than a minute duration video but I really like it. It was such a peaceful day and unlike India most of the time I could feel I was alone on this walk and yet always felt safe. The only botheration was because of my own fears. Long stretch of road, river on one side and wild open fields, what more could I ask for? Well, if I be honest I would ask for the Himalayas in the background.

Timbaktu Anyone?

Image from the original article at Gonomad.com

When I saw the title 'Timbaktu: The Blue Man of Sahara' by James Michael Dorsey I must say I was intrigued. I mean how many times did it reasonably occur to you that you can actually go to Timbaktu! The places people manage to visit! I thought I will share the article here too. It makes a very interesting read.

At one point we crest an enormous dune and Mahkmoud tells me to get out and walk down in case he rolls the car. I am about to do so when I realize that would mean I am alone and on foot in the Sahara. I refuse and tell him why. He laughs, and with a loud throaty scream guns the engine sending us hurtling down a 100 foot wave of flowing sand, covering us in the process and forcing me to restart my heart.

Time and again, we "surf" the dunes and I finally learn to relax and trust his expert touch as we careen downhill at various wierd angles.

Remembering the Cold Weather in Oxford

Bus Stop, Harcourt Hill, Oxford

Last year at the end of October, I was waiting for a bus at a stop in Oxford. It was damn cold even during the day but the saving grace is that almost everything is heated and you really do not need heavy woolens indoors. I had gone to the University (not the Oxford) and was waiting for a bus along with a colleague outside. For some reason or the other the bus was taking some time to come and I don't know why I did not had my thick jacket (the one I am wearing in this blog's profile picture, it is a real old one, faded and all, but it is quite warm). Maybe I didn't carry it because I would always get the bus quickly and I did not wish to carry the extra jacket around. I remember I was literally jumping up and down to keep away the cold.

The Warm and Cozy Bus

Thankfully the bus came after a while and I really liked the hot air that would circulate on my feet if I would sit on the left hand side of the bus at the top. Also this time in June I remember one of my British colleague asking me if I found the bus uncomfortable! I asked him if he has ever been to India and been inside a bus? As he has visited India, he immediately got my point. I mean, a heated or air conditioned almost empty bus and uncomfortable??

Little Travel This Year

All Souls College in the Background, Radcliffe Square, Oxford UK

This year I have hardly traveled! June was last when I ventured out to the UK for a short trip and after that nothing! Partly my fault. And now once again Sesha is going to trek and I can't because of all stupid things I fell ill. OK, enough of cribbing. So, my dear readers you are stuck with my old travel accounts, there seems to be nothing on the horizon as of now, travel wise.

OK, why I picked up the picture above. This is from my October-November 2007 trip to UK. At that time I saw this young lady eating something in the beautiful Radcliffe Square and the image remained with me. This time of course I took two of my meals sitting exactly at the same spot! And enjoyed the experience.

When in Rome ... A Few Things that Scare Me!

I have been abroad only a few times and every time for work, I don't think we have the courage (nor do I have a big salary) to spend that kind of money on a vacation. So, I never know when will I manage to land up in a new/foreign country next! That probably keeps the charm alive but I wonder if I traveled abroad often would it ever become routine for me?That reminds me of a friend who was made to travel so much that he told his manager "you are moving me around like a piece of luggage" and he was complaining about being sent to Hawaii again!

So to put the record straight I love to travel a lot and I also like to travel abroad if I get an opportunity even if it is for work. But then there are some aspects of foreign travel that feel so strange!

London Underground

I am so used to the hustle and bustle of the Indian railway stations that when I encounter a platform like the one in the picture above, I used to freak out. I remember waiting for a train in Bologna that would go to Venice. I read the information board and proceeded to the platform at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time only to find it completely deserted. I was so confused that I actually went and rechecked if I was at the correct platform! When the train finally arrived not more than 10 people would have boarded it. So, now when I encounter a scene like the one above I do not get dazed but calmly wait for the train to arrive and it always does.

Tower Bridge, London, UK

Hanging on to the passport is another thing that becomes an obsession with me. I mean even in really beautiful areas (I liked the Tower Bridge area) you hang on to the hand bag that contains the passport with all your might.

Once when I was taking a flight to Amsterdam from New Delhi, I was filling some form and took the passport out to fill the passport number. And then I went to exchange some currency. In the line for currency exchange there was a gentleman ahead of me and the young lad at the counter asked for his passport. A bell went in my head and I immediately realized that I had left my passport at the place where I was filling up my form! I ran back and I had panicked quite badly. I stood at the spot desperately trying to locate my passport but could not find it. Then a kindly voice called, saying "Are you by any chance looking for this?" and he was pointing a finger to the passport that was lying exactly at the same place where I had left it, right in front of my eyes and yet I was unable to see it! Imagine if that happened at a foreign airport!

What Do You Do When You Don't Travel Much?

Walk Near the Church at Saltaire, UK

You of course look at the older travel pictures!

This one was taken in October end last year. At that point of time the view was so fresh in my eyes that I didn't appreciate ithe picture much. But I find it quite soothing now.

PS. It was such a hectic and exhausting week that I hardly found any time to blog. And the comments on the previous posts are unanswered too! But then I have the weekend to catch up.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Harewood Garden Walk, Leeds, UK

Harewood Garden Walk, Leeds, UK

It seems like ages since I walked for 10-12 kilometers and I am missing it.

Entrance to the Central Library Leeds

Entrance to the Central Library Leeds

The Time is Almost Up, About Time I Got a New One!

It has been almost ten years, the passport has to be renewed. While any thought of dealing with the Indian bureaucracy sends a chill down the spine, what is to be done, is to be done. I have been such an infrequent traveler that even after ten years I do not remember my passport number! The Canon has given me company only on the last two UK trips but I just included it in the picture.

The first trip abroad was Singapore, I was still a Ph.D. student and in fact ,when my first paper was accepted I had apply for the passport in a hurry. I got it in time to make the trip. I stayed with people we knew and was always escorted everywhere, so I only negotiated the airports on my own at IGI, Colombo (transit) and Changai.

Then came Athens via Dubai. First trip really alone, meaning I knew no one there and what an adventure it was! It was a culture shock not in terms of how others behaved but how dumb I was!

The third one was to the Netherlands. By now I knew some of the ropes but still Amsterdam is one of those places ...

Then came Italy (by the way all these trips have been related to work, I have never taken a vacation abroad nor do I think we will take one apart from maybe doing the Everest base camp one day) and a trip to Venice. Truly enchanting and also alone! Venice is not the place to go alone.

Then came a four year drought when I was caught in some lousy jobs, a time when there was no research, no travel, only many good students, at least at the last place, and a few even before.

Finally the last two trips to UK with the Canon in hand! The highlight of the first was a trip to Saltaire, UK. And then Oxford and London.

The second one, the most recent one, walking in Oxford has been a pleasure.

That is all, sums up the last 10 years when I used my passport! I hope there are a few more such trips in store for me in future!

The Oxford Story at Gonomad.com

Carfax Tower, Oxford, UK

My Oxford Story is now up at the main Gonomad site. Have a look and tell me how do you find it. Here is a small piece from the article-

Initially, due to my pathetic sense of direction I was quite scared to walk alone but I gradually realized that there are sufficient arrow marks and signposts on the street and whichever road I would take sooner or later an arrow would point me towards the city center and the Carfax Tower again.

I can assure you if I did not get lost in the city chances of anyone else getting lost are really really slim.

The Leeds Corn Exchange

The Leeds Corn Exchange, June 2008

I have been to Leeds twice but the first time I missed visiting the Leeds Corn Exchange. This time Kullukid from Indiamike had kindly volunteered to take me around, I visited this beautiful building. My picture does no justice to it.

Here is an aerial view of the Corn Exchange at Leeds.

Another Blogger writes about the Corn Exchange, Leeds, UK.

I have to do a post on Leeds in Pictures!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Cycles Will Be Removed, A Common Sign In Oxford

Cycles Will Be Removed, A Common Sign In Oxford

Oxford in Pictures

Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, UK

St. Mary's Church, Oxford UK.
The View of the City from the Top is Wonderful

I Just Love Clicking Flowers, Covered Market, Oxford, UK

Radcilffe Square, Oxford, UK

High Street, Oxford, UK

Punts at Magdalen Bridge, Oxford, UK

Christ Church College and Christ Church Meadows, Oxford, UK- In Pictures

A Goose Swan and its Reflection on a Canal Next to Christ Church Meadows, Oxford, UK

The Main Building of the Christ Church College, Oxford, UK. Currently Benazir Bhutto's son is a student here.

Tourists Like Me, Thought They Were Not Afraid of the Ducks/Geese, Christ Church Meadows, Oxford, UK

Geese Family on Walk, Thames River Near Oxford, UK

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford UK. The Dining Hall inside is used the Harry Potter Movies as the Hogwart's Dining Hall. I have not been inside yet (there is an admission fee) but if there is a next time this is on agenda.

The Christ Church Meadows, Oxford, UK. The Walk is Beautiful but now I am yearning for a proper trek.

Automobiles or Walking?

A Small Car Advertising City Sightseeing Tours in Oxford, UK

For me, when it comes to taking a bus tour or walking the choice is very clear. I love walking and I will any day pick up walking (reasonable distance and I consider 20km in one long day quite reasonable particularly on flat terrains) over taking a bus tour.

I have done both in Oxford. The City sightseeing red bus tour is good to get an orientation of the city. The charge is 11.50 pounds and on both my visits it was arranged by my official hosts. It is fun to sit on the top of the bus and take in the city passing by. It even makes for a few good photography angles too. On top of it you can hop off the bus at any point and board the bus later from the same spot. The tickets are valid for 24 hours after all! But when it rains (as it often does) the lower portion of the bus becomes suddenly quite attractive!

The Actual Red Bus, City Sightseeing Bus Tours in Oxford, UK,

But I guess I like walking so much because I am in total control. Oxford is anyway a small city and I can stop any where I wish and click endless pictures! Also all those heavy meals that I tend to eat, walking is the best way to burn them off!

But there is a bigger reason as well. I guess my brain functions only when I am walking and I tend to think earth shattering things only after I have walked at least 10 kilometers and find a flat stone (if unavailable then even a pavement will do) to sit. Sounds strange? But that is how it is with me. Put me on a bus and I will fall asleep, sometimes on the shoulders of the next person too, much to my embarrassment later when I wake up.

Reflection on the River Thames!

Reflection of a Duck on the Thames River, Oxford

It was that time of the year in Oxford, UK (June 2008) when light used to be in abundance and it was easy to catch reflections on the river Thames. I love catching reflections in my photographs.

Also, in the British college curriculum (BBA) there is a heavy emphasis on reflection as a technique of self development. I mean, in one of the courses I teach my students get video recorded while giving mock interviews (among many other things) and they can see the tapes and reflect on what went right and what needs to be changed. Now I as a student never had any such opportunity and made all my mistakes live.

I remember I once appeared in an interview for sports journalism with the Indian Express Group. I was just about to finish my Ph.D. and on a whim I made a CV and sent it across. In the interview I was asked, "Why Sports Journalism now?" And like a fool I said, "Because I wish to take a break." Now when was anyone interested in sponsoring my break? Anyway, I learned my lesson.

At the moment, I do not have to teach and I have some great writing assignments lined up. Academic writing does not comes easily to me, it is lot of hard work, slogging but it is also something that I like a lot. However the resolve to see them through wavering at times! Which would be suicide.

It is time to pause, to reflect. And get things going.

Radcliffe Square- The Most Beautiful Place in Oxford

If you ask me, I consider the Radcliffe Square the most beautiful area in the entire Oxford (OK, whatever I have seen of it). It is right in the center of the town. Walk on the High street towards Magdalen Bridge and take a turn on your left near the St. Mary's Church and there you are!

Radcliffe Camera and the Colleges Surrounding it

It is a small square but walking around it is such a pleasure or just sit on the sidewalks and see others hurrying past!

St. Mary's Church

At one front of the square is the St. Mary's Church. The building is beautiful to watch from the outside but if you want a lot of peace and quiet all you have to do is to get inside (the entrance is free, they charge 3 pounds if you wish climb to the top of St. Mary's Church, which I did this time) climb the stairs and sit in the pew in a corner. Suddenly there is a lot of peace around you disturbed only occasionally by other tourists. I sat inside the church at least twice and it was cool and beautiful.

Gate to All Soul's College

Another very beautiful building in this square is the All Soul's College. Of course, the Christ Church is the most famous college in Oxford and it is very beautiful no doubt but All Soul's is equally stunning to look at!

View of Radcliffe Square from the top of St. Mary's Church

Then of course you can go to the top of St. Mary's Church and admire the uninterrupted view of the city. And then there is Brasenose College also but then I somehow have not clicked a decent picture of it.

Flying Jet Airways vs British Airways from IGI New Delhi to London Heathrow and Back

If you are planning to fly Jet Airways, please check out the log of the parents of Aditya Mohan, an infant who dies on a Brussels New Delhi Flight (added 13/08/2008).

London Heathrow from the Window of Flight 9W 121 from LHR to IGI New Delhi

This time when I went to UK in June 2008 our flight was with the Jet Airways. Last time I went to UK in October 2007 it was with British Airways. So, let me compare the flying experience from Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi to London Heathrow with both Jet Airways and British Airways with India being my home country. The flight from Delhi to London takes 8 hours and all the flights that I took were more or less on time.

Time of Flight, Jet Airways vs BA (Delhi-London-Delhi)- Jet airways flights are more convenient if you are flying out of IGI New Delhi as it is around 2.15 pm in the afternoon vs. 1.00 am at night for British Airways. If you are like me and find it difficult to sleep on planes with Jet you reach London without missing a night's sleep as you reach London at 11.30 at night (summer, Indian time, 6.30 UK time). With BA as you fly out of IGI New Delhi at 1.00 am chances of enjoying either the in-flight entrainment or getting some sleep are low.

The return flight of Jet Airways is at 8.45 pm (British Time) from London Heathrow and arrives at 10.00 am (Indian Time) the next day, so you end up missing sleep and not enjoying in-flight entertainment with Jet. For BA one flight is at around 11.00 am (British Time) that arrives at IGI New Delhi smack in the middle of the night (India Time). Not sure which one is better for coming back.

I was lucky to get all the three seats to myself (so did my four colleagues) at the rear of the Jet Airways flight while coming back from London. So, I did get to lie down and thus attend office on Monday but I was dead tired.

Leg Space, Jet Airways vs BA (Delhi-London-Delhi)- I thought the leg space in the economy on Jet Airways was more rather than BA. But this is an impression (both mine and of my colleagues) and who knows by how much do actual measurements vary. Jet Airways planes are probably new and hence give the feeling of being better maintained than BA. But one has to wait and see how Jet fares as the planes become older.

In-flight Entertainment, Jet Airways vs BA (Delhi-London-Delhi)- Once again my vote goes to Jet Airways. It could be sheerly because I was awake in the afternoon during the IGI New Delhi and London Heathrow Leg and half asleep when I flew BA at night. I could explore Jet Airways entertainment and watched back to back movies, three in all, all Hindi. Managed to catch up with Arth (loosely translated- Essence), Jab (when) We Met and Teesri Manjil (Third Floor). I did watch movies on BA flight too but I was half asleep at that time. While coming back I tried watching Mugal-e-Azam (colored version) on Jet but could not resist the two empty seats next to me and tried to catch up on sleep. On BA return flight I had watched movies and completed two.

Food, Jet Airways vs BA (Delhi-London-Delhi)- Yes, once again I thought Jet Airways was better if you are looking for Indian food. Wine tasted similar on both the flights to my uncultured taste buds. Portions also seem to be same on both. But the flight attendant on BA was much more attentive than Jet Airways.

Check-in, Jet Airways vs BA (Delhi-London-Delhi)- I believe both were equally fast and polite but then I check in really early, when it is not crowded.

In-flight Service, Jet Airways vs BA (Delhi-London-Delhi)- I would say both have same training program! They train their crew to ignore passengers in the economy section. Jet Airways have trained them better than BA, to ignore that is, in my opinion.

I mean, I almost always ask for a second cup of coffee during a flight. And here is how it goes. The crew comes back to collect the empty cups. They will extend their hand to take the cup without giving you an eye contact (always happened on Jet, but not always on BA). The trick is to delay giving them the cup. Then they are forced to look up and I can ask for that second cup of coffee. I know they are rushed but I mean how much time does it take to give a glance to a passenger?

That way, I had a really attentive cabin crew on my London-New Delhi flight on BA. And that added to the experience. On BA they also routinely asked if you would like some more tea or coffee. Smart idea, doesn't cost much and people like me appreciate it a lot, particularly when you are tried and need that brew to open up your eyes properly. And we remember it too. I think BA has a better in-flight service.

Overall, if someone asks my opinion (both the time the tickets were booked by my employers/sponsors so I had no say in deciding the airlines) I would choose to fly Jet Airways because of the afternoon 2.15 flight out of New Delhi. That way, I am less tired when I arrive in a semi-familiar country with a long line at the immigration. But it would be really nice if Jet did not train their crew to ignore passengers in the economy. That brief split second eye contact helps.

Them Doggies on Countryside Walks in UK

The Kings Arms, Sandford Lock

I stumbled upon two very pleasant countryside walks in Oxford. I love walking and these were the kind of walks that just keep going straight, there is very little chance of getting lost, my kind of walks. I will talk about them in detail soon. What I wish to write about today is them doggies. I know Sidhu is a huge fan of dogs and he will view this post very differently.

Imagine walking serenely on a path with the Thames on one side and open fields on the other. You will meet people strolling, cycling or running from time to time. There are flowers to be clicked and admired, in that order. The weather is mild (gave me a mild sunburn later as I was not using any lotion) and all is at peace in the world! Right? Wrong.

It is them doggies. In the countryside, people let their dogs off the leash. And that is a source of unmitigated terror to me! I am really truly afraid of dogs, even the tiny miny ones. So, on this walk when I faltered for the first time, predictably it was when I saw a huge dog let of the leash (Labrador, I deep down know they are harmless). I looked to my right and asked a young lad if it would be alright to walk ahead and if the path leads somewhere? He gave his go ahead. Then he asked me something from afar and cycled around for a while but finally vanished. The dog owner could probably sense my tension and told me they were going for a dip in the river. The dog of course was running towards water without even sparing me a glance and that is the best thing he could do.

Then there was another man throwing a Frisbee to his dog, thankfully in the opposite direction. And of course the dog was quite interested in the game. Again I hurried past. This was the last of the doggies on the Oxford-Sandford walk. Lucky me? Not so soon.

Kennington Bridge, Oxford to Sandford Walk

The day after I did the Oxford Sandford walk, my original plan was to do nothing. That means walking around aimlessly around the accommodation in my lexicon. After wandering for a while I remembered a wooden gate that I gave a miss during my previous visit to Oxford. Not to make the same mistake twice (maybe not really a mistake as in October 2007 the sunset was really early around 4.00 pm and in June really late around 9.00 pm) I walked through the gate. The walk seemed promising till I encountered my nemesis.

On the narrow path there were two ladies on two tall horses with their dog running ahead. Of course he was interested in me and I for sure was not. Not willing to offend anyone, I politely put my small shoulder bag in front of my legs and the intelligent dog understood my gesture. He went his way and I thanked my stars. Too soon, it turned out.

Countryside near Harcourt Hill, Oxford

Can you see the serenity above? I was walking without a care a few minutes later and then heard some footsteps running furiously. I turned back and my heart stopped. There was a dog taller than me (or so I thought) being chased by the dog who had gone away a while ago. I was silently telling my self, "You had it, who the hell asked you to walk alone?" A moment later I realized the tall thing was a deer outracing the dog with an effort that clearly bored him to no end. Did I turn back? No, because as one of my professors aptly remarked that I like to "walk with a vengeance."

Next were two really tiny miny dogs and as they bounded with glee towards me, I said in a croaking voice to their oblivious owners, "Please call them back, I am quite afraid of dogs." There faces contorted with surprise but they did call the dogs back. Was this the end? Did I turn back? Not quite.

I walked ahead for quite sometime and met no dogs. That gave me courage on my way back to venture into a forest like area to my left. I was desperately trying to remember the way full of mild turns. After a few turns I decided if I got lost my colleagues would have no sympathy for me. I turned back and there he was. It had a crooked front leg and a dirty color. The collar round the neck gave me some confidence, I resorted back to my shoulder bag trick but this one took offense and while running away started howling furiously from a safe distance. Heart thudding in mouth, I negotiated my way. He kept barking after my shadow and finally decided I am way too far away to do any more bag tricks.

The end of the country road was almost in sight. There were two ladies on their high horses (literally, no pun intended) again. But these lovely ones had no doggies with them. What sweet ladies. I considered this a good omen and made a dash to safety of my room.

Them doggies!

Purple Rhododendrons

Purple Rhododendrons

I saw these Rhododendrons in Leeds and I had to stand back and take notice. There were two reasons for this. One, I love Himalayan flowers and these Rhododendrons reminded me of the treks I have done. Two, I had never seen a purple one before! I have seen red Rhododendrons, even white and their variations but never purple.

When I shared the pictures with my colleagues, one of them came running to me and told me, "How did you manage to make the Rhododendrons purple? Aren't they red? I have never seen a purple one." Now that is something because he belongs to Uttrakhand and has lived for considerable time in the hills.

But then in Leeds these purple Rhododendrons were growing with glee!

Oh! and VJ shared his pictures of Oxford with me and take my words for it, they are brilliant.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Thames Walk, Oxford to Sandford

The Path, Thames Walk, Oxford to Sandford

In Quest of Pictures at Oxford

Christ Church Meadows on A Rainy June (2008) Afternoon

On this trip to Oxford I would often venture out to walk around the city, Christ Church Meadows and the Thames Path with two cameras in my hand. Three days later I realized that all I was doing was looking at the places through the lens and constantly worrying about the quality of the pictures. After three days my frenzy to take pictures became a bit too much for myself to bear.

Later when I came back from Leeds, and started walking again in Oxford, I would keep the SLR in the small backpack that I carried around. With the point and shoot it was easy taking pictures and less distracting. And it was a pain to take out the SLR, I would make the effort only if something really caught up my fancy. This way I managed to see more.

Thinking that on my next trip, I would try to declare one day camera free! I know easier said than done, but I can hand over the camera to others and just enjoy the views.

View of Oxford City from St. Mary's Chruch- A Video

View of Oxford City from St. Mary's Chruch- A Video

Last time when I was in Oxford, I could not go up the St. Mary's Church. So, this time it was high on my agenda. The church is located right in the city center and the charge this summer for going up was 3 pounds. The timings were 9.00 to 5.00.

As I was traveling to Leeds later in the day, I had a small bag with me. The young lady at the ticket counter kindly offered to keep it for me till I came back. I asked, "But you might be gone when I come back?" She said she would be going by 11.00 and I had plenty of time. It was 10.35 at that time and I told her, "I plan to spend more time up there." She smile, "No worries, my colleague would be here and they would give the bag to you."

So I went up to the top to get those picture postcard snaps that I had seen all around in Oxford shops. No such luck, there was too much light and my wide angle lens was not good enough to capture Radcliffe Camera and All Souls College in one shot. I met another person with an SLR and asked him if he could get both properly in one shot, he also replied in negative. At least I was not alone.

Picture postcards or not, I still had a very good time at the top with wonderful views of the city. And of course I came down around 12.00 in the noon, but the other young lady at the counter gave me my bag and I proceeded to spend more time around Christ Church College and beyond to head later to Leeds.

Note to Self: Next time when you have the urge to tilt the camera remember the vertigo you got by watching this video!

I am Back from UK!

View of Oxford City from Saint Mary's Church

I came back yesterday and was dead tired even though I had all the three seats to myself on the Jet flight and lied down listening to Hindi old songs for a long time, even managed to sleep for a few hours. Today, I managed to upload some of the pictures of Oxford and Leeds.

And I decided to start with 10 dos and don'ts on the next trip to Oxford (if ever!). And to put the record straight my visits have got nothing to do with the University of Oxford-

10. If I ever go in summer again I would try my hand at punting.

09. One day I took a 9.27 bus back to accommodations when there was a bus later at 10.27. Never again, that is a crime. Taking the last bus or almost last bus back should be the motto!

08. Never fall asleep on a train or the bus. I managed to do so while going to Leeds and going back to Heathrow from Oxford and missed all the views. And there were so many flowers to see!

07. Fell asleep on the shoulders of the fellow passenger on the Oxford-Leeds journey. What an embarrassment when you wake up! So never fall asleep on the way.

06. Have colleagues who are expert at shopping. They found a store called Primark where I could afford to shop. Or else 80 rupees to a pound kills any desire to shop.

05. Do not eat pizza at Pizza Hut. A Pizza Hut is a Pizza Hut is a Pizza Hut in any country.

04. Don't gain all the weight (2 Kg) by eating the chocolates. I managed to loose 2 Kg by taking those long walks.

03. Learn to deal with dogs that are let off the leash in the countryside. Or better still get a colleague to accompany you who can deal with dogs effectively and also likes to walk. Tough combination!

02. Meet people when possible. I met Kullukid (from Indiamike) and his wife in Leeds and they showed me around the town. Many thanks to them. And host them when they are in India.

01. Walk more! Travel more. Seriously required.

Hi from Oxford

Right now I am in Oxford and the second time around the places are a bit more easy to find. It is raining cats and dgos and the days go in meetings but I managed to walk around a lot on day 2 and plan to do the same in the remaining of the stay. Will have a lot of pictures to share later. Hope it stops raining soon.

Heading Out Soon!

Self Reflection at Khrupatal

Would be heading out soon for a week in UK, mostly work. But will have a camera in hand too, actually make it two. Wish to buy a new lens but not sure if I will manage to. I need this break. Not the most ideal break but a break nonetheless.

Dream Destinations!

These days I am hardly traveling, so have to make do with day dreaming. I think all of us have some places that we consider as dream destination. Remember Amitabh Bachchan and Doo lafzon ki hai ye kahani (this is a Hindi movie song filmed in Venice)? I was in school when this movie came and since then Venice had been my dream destination. Then in 2003 (there is a loooong gap between my schooling and 2003) I went to Modena, Italy to attend a conference and of course I stole a few hours in Venice. But unfortunately I managed to misplace all my pictures from Venice except for what I have scanned for an old blog post. Maybe, I will go there someday again.

I saw the Doo lafzon ki video again today after many many years and I was wondering what did I see there to fall in love with Venice? I mean they didn't even show the Rialto Bridge in it! And no at 100 Euro I found a Gondola ride way too expensive, so I didn't try it.

The destination I still dream about- Everest Base Camp. Have to head there in the next few years.

Tentative Travel plans for this Summer

The first stop this summer seems to be Oxford in June for about a week, and no the visa god's judgment is yet to be pronounced. Visa gods willing, this time I will try punting, take a walking tour and go on top of the church in Radcliffe Square at Oxford. I will eat at the Noodle Bar again. Before going I will also revisit the Lonely Planet guide and look at Oxford again, it should make some sense this time.

Oxford City

There could be a one day trip to Leeds too. I know it would be damn hectic but this is for work and has to be done. I am not at all sure if I can try and look at anything new in Leeds.

Leeds City Center

But the best part is what I am planning in June. I thought hard where to go after all the suggestions I got on the previous post. But the problem is time. Then I hit upon this idea. I want to take the Shatabdi Express train to the most picturesque spot I can find and it would take just half a day to reach somewhere. Then venture a little further and stay there for a day or two, then take the Shatabdi back. I can think of Kalka Shatabdi and Dehradun Shatabdi but if I am missing on some toher better spot do let me know. What are good spots around Kalka and Dehradun?

Lazy Sunday Photo- The Millennium Bridge (Nicknamed Wibbly Wobbly), London

The Millennium Bridge, London (Also Nicknamed Wibbly Wobbly Bridge)

I crossed the Millennium Bridge (though I didn't know its name while crossing) after roaming around the St. Paul's Cathedral area. In the background one can see the Tate Modern (at that time I didn't know that the entry is free). And as I was reading these lines again, I can see what a well researched traveler I am!

Anyway, it was later on Sunday when I took the cruise on Thames (I like to think of it as a boat ride rather than a cruise) that I came to know that this is the Millennium Bridge. The excellent commentary we had on the boat, we were told "this is the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge, also known as the Millennium Bridge. As soon as it opened it vibrated so bad that it had to be closed down, so we like to call it the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge."

Lazy Sunday Photo- Ice Cream on London Streets

Ice Cream Van- Near Tower Bridge, London

No, no, I didn't even think of eating an ice cream in the November cold in London but I liked the scene. And to put it on record I do not like cold weather and it is cold right now in and around Delhi. I envy people who go about unconcerned in the cold weather and it does not bother them in the least. Like my nephew, he is sitting in two warm shirts, while I have packed myself up, sitting in front of TV waiting for Australian Open Men's final to begin.

The Noodle Bar- Oxford, Gloucester Green

The Noodle Bar, Oxford, Gloucester Green

Noodle Bar turned out to be my favorite eating joint in Oxford. One, the place was not too heavy on the pocket and two, if given a choice, I invariably end up eating Chinese. A few of the dinners and lunches were hosted by the university, so it felt quite strange when one day my colleague asked me what should we have for dinner? I have said this before, I am quite indifferent to food. So, I tried hard to make him decide but he would not budge. We were walking around the city and as I am vegetarian my options are just a little bit limited. I think I looked at every restaurant in the two hour walk as a potential eating place. We had ruled out the Indian fare, as we thought we anyway get a lot of it back home. And some places where ruled out because a single dish would cost more than 20 pounds (don't you think it is a neat idea to display the price list outside the restaurants? I wonder why we often don't do it in India).

After walking round and round I remembered the Noodle Bar near the Gloucester Green bus station. So, we decided to head there. I think almost the entire crowd (the waiting staff and the customers) consisted of students, only we and a few others were the odd people out (read older :).

The Dish with Thick Noodles, Noodle Bar, Oxford

I scanned the menu for vegetarian fare and found a dish with mushrooms (my absolute favorites) and decided to order it. But then the young guy who came to take the order had a bouncer. What kind of noodles would we like Ho Fun, Mai Fun, or Udon? Well, the names definitely sounded Chinese to me. Had to ask him to explain what did they mean! He told us one was really thin noodles, the other really thick noodles and the last something in between. But don't ask me which was which. So we decided to try two types. The portions were huge and I really struggled to finish my stuff. My colleague this day also ordered a veg dish.

Then the next day, we had the same question. Where to go for dinner? And you guessed it, we went to the noodle bar again. And this time we realized that out of the three vegetarian dishes we had already ordered two the previous day! Still, it was fun to have dinner at the Noodle Bar in a typical student environment but where none of the students knew me :)

A Boat Ride on Thames at Night

British Airways London Eye (Sore?)- As Described on the Boat Ride on Thames

I really liked the boat ride I took on Thames on the trip to UK. We all know the pound to rupee exchange rate. You have to give more than 80 rupees to get even one of those pounds. So, spending was not what I was looking forward to in the UK. But then we both have been earning for quite sometime and now I have come to the stage that if I wish, I will really not bother myself over spending in the vicinity of 10 pounds. That is approximately what a boat ride on the Thames cost me (I think it was 6.70 or 7.60 pounds actually).

I took the boat ride from Westminster to the Tower Bridge and back. I decided to come back because I did not wish to negotiate my way from Tower Bridge Underground to Victoria station (remember my sense of direction?).

It definitely was cold that day but not unbearably so. I had no clue what to expect. The night view was great and I was trying very hard to use the SLR on the moving boat (without too much success). The people navigating the boat were the best thing to happen on this ride.

On the ride to the Tower Bridge, the person started (and these are not the exact quotes but paraphrases from memory), "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are not professional tour guides, we work with Thames river authority. Still, if you wish we can offer you a commentary, so those in favor of it please raise your hand." I was quite busy with the camera, so didn't raise my hand. Then came the voice "So, only three to four hands are up, maybe we should not." Hearing this I raised both my hands.

I do not remember all of what they said but some of it was really witty and caustic. Like one of the first things that you can see on this trip is the London eye. So they would say, "Ladies and gentleman, on your right is the British Airways London Eye sore (in a dead serious voice) and if you have not been taken for a ride by the BA till date this your chance to be taken for a ride."

Blurred Picture from the Moving Boat on the Thames

In a similar fashion they would make fun of so many things modern. The bluish building above apparently was referred as a 'blue carbuncle' by someone (did they say Tony Blair?). Our boatman rightly likened it to the pit of a nuclear reactor (OK, OK, I have not seen the pit of a nuclear reactor but I like his analogy better). The things that got a favorable word were monuments like Saint Paul Cathedral or Tower of London.

I remember I changed my position once on the moving boat to try and click a better picture on the other side. I must say the person at the helm had his eyes all they way on me till I settled down again. No, I did no fancy a dip at night in Thames in that cold weather. Still, I was thankful for the concern.

On the way back I heard the same stories again but then I still liked them! Also, this was my last day in UK and I was wondering if it would be four years again till I go abroad? Before this I was in Italy four years back and now that I write this, I realize I have blogged very little about it.

Saltaire- An Article for Gonomad

I was lucky to visit Saltaire, an UNESCO world heritage site on the trip to UK in October 2007. Actually, it was included in the conference program that I attended at Leeds.
I remember I was attending a session (thankfully my talk was over in the morning) when an announcement was made, "The next trip to Saltaire would leave in 10 minutes." My SLR was lying in the hotel room, I only had the smaller camera in my purse.

The Picturesque Street in Front of the Pub 'Don't Tell Titus' at Saltaire

I ran to my hotel (Park Plaza, Leeds, just 2 minuets away from the conference venue but the room was on the 15th floor) in my business suit and formal shoes and ran back to join the group with a few minutes to spare with the SLR.

Another View of Saltaire, UK

This was one of the few visits where I managed to see a place with our guides and I must say they did a wonderful job.

My detailed article about this visit to Saltaire is now up at Gonomad.

Park Plaza Hotel, Leeds- A Review

This time in Leeds, I stayed at the Park Plaza. I initially had no clue what kind of money was available for this trip (remember this was for work) and what kind of hotel could I afford. It was quite close to the trip that I realized that I could manage to stay in a place like Park Plaza. I needed a place for two days and my prime concern was to stay close to my conference venue. So, the Park Plaza served the purpose adequately or so I thought (Will write more about this in another post).

I booked the hotel and then went to Tripadvisor! Not a very intelligent thing to do. The average consumer rating was just three and I was a bit disappointed. But what could be done? The hotel was booked and it cost me on an average 75 pounds per day. The Friday rate was low around 59 pounds but the Saturday rate was quite high, more than 85 pounds.

This trip to UK was after gap of four years. I have often said on this blog that my sense of direction is absolutely pathetic and I find maps full of mystery. So, while the Megabus that I traveled from London Victoria was approaching Leeds, I was quite anxious. It did not help that due to the Friday traffic the journey took six hours instead of four and I was completely jet lagged as I had reached London the same day in the morning.

The Park Plaza, Leeds

It was a blessing that I could see the hotel from the bus itself. That gave me confidence that the place existed! That is how nervous I was, traveling alone after so many years. In fact I remember saying to my colleagues, "Kisne kaha tha mugjhse ye saab karne ko?" (Who had asked me to attend conferences and all, so far away? How will I find Leeds from Heathrow when I can't find Nehru Place from Dhaula Kuan). The good thing was that the hotel was still visible from where the bus dropped me. So, one worry was out of the way, I knew where the hotel was. It was right across the bus stop.

The Room at the Park Plaza, Leeds

Then it was time to get inside the hotel and check-in. The lady at the counter was quite pleasant (quite contrary to what I read on tripadvisor about the customer service at the Park Plaza, Leeds). First she could not understand my name, and I don't blame her. I gave her the print out of my reservation and sure enough she could find it. Then she started explaining that I need to pay some advance in cash or through my card as per hotel policies. I thought I would pay cash. But then I was so tired it was difficult for me to understand what exactly was going on. I told her so, and she said she was so sorry! I finally dished out my credit card and she did some transaction (which was not a transaction but only putting some money on hold). Then I got the room key and the room was on the 15th floor. I liked the room, nothing very fancy but a good clean comfy room, with lots of pillows, and hot water.

So, the first hurdle to the UK trip was over. I could find the Park Plaza under five minutes and could safely check-in. Later I realized that the hotel was 2 minutes from the train station, 2 minutes from the conference venue (but this is another story) and 2 minutes from the Megabus bus stop. The Park Plaza, Leeds is quite conveniently located in the city center. I took only a breakfast in the hotel and no other meal. And one of the staff in that shift was an Indian. Of course, we chatted in Hindi! I stayed only two days (mostly out of doors) and I must say I had a pleasant stay!

Zilch Chances?

Marble Arch, London

I did a post long back in 2006 for some London Hotel Portal and I wrote-

They promise me a good hotel deal if I ever head to London, well chances are absolutely slim, zilch I must say, but it is fun to get such requests.

Kent had left a comment on that post-

I bet you will get there! Lve the blog!

Now here I am, I actually went to UK and London in 2007!

Now if I say chances of going to Ireland are zilch, maybe I will get there eventually?

Oxford City Center- If I Had to Pick One Picture!

Oxford City Center, Oxford, UK

Uber Mensch asked me to do a Meme (don't ask me what they are, I only know tags). From the blog-

Here is the new meme. It is simple, easy and gives no room for whining one usually associates with a meme. All you have to do is select and upload one photo that you have clicked this year that is special to you. Could be anything...aesthetic, technical or personal. Also, put in a short note why it is special.

I picked up the above picture for many reasons. One, I went abroad after 4 long years and it felt nice (all my trips abroad have been for work, we do not holiday abroad). It felt nice to be in a 'foreign' country again. It was a nice feeling that I again have the opportunity to work on the things I like.

I visited Leeds, Oxford and London and I think I enjoyed my stay in Oxford the most. The reason is very simple. Oxford is a very walking friendly city and I love to walk. That is the reason why I picked up the picture above. Reminds me of all the long walks that I took.

Update- I wrote a mail to Uber Mensch saying I did the post and he said the meme is not compete as I have not passed it on. Well, here are five people I pass it on to.

Paul Shoul- Ace photographer from Gonomad, I simply love his pictures. If he does this meme, then it would be really interesting to see which one he picks up.

Arun- Another ace photographer, who doesn't blogs as much as I would like to read him. Let us see what he would come up with.

Dev- The 'pizza man' has worked in/with advertising, let us see if he has time to do this and what picture is dear to him this year.

Anil- Can I miss on one of my favorite travel blogger? He too blogs far less than what I would like to read.

Arun Nair- He was asking about SLRs, so let us see what he likes to capture.

Lazy Sunday Photo- The Big Ben, London

The Big Ben, Westminster, London

The Westminster area was the last place I visited in London. I came out of the train and followed the signs that said 'exit for London Eye.' It was already dark by then. After taking a boat ride on Thames, I headed back to the Westminster train station and then decided to follow the sign 'exit for Westminster.'

The parliament house and the Big Ben were so well lit, I was quite awestruck. I strolled around and took pictures for quite sometime. Being November, I was finding it a bit cold. After a while I didn't know what to do so I just stood and indulged in people watching.

Right next to me a guy was speaking in Hindi (my native tongue) on cell phone and was giving advice on relationships. He was telling his friend (in Hindi) "it is OK whatever relationships she had before marriage but after marriage make it very clear this cannot continue."

A young couple came out of the underground and their jaws dropped in utter amazement at the sight of the area. Then they quickly started clicking pictures. Of course, they had to request others to click themselves all huddled up. This was repeated quite a few number of times with various people (jaw dropping part if they were not a couple). Quite a few requests to take pictures came my way and with a few remarks too, "What a big camera, are you a pro?" Well, the honest answer is I am not. Of course I also asked one couple to take my picture after I had taken theirs.

I really I would have liked to stand there and watch the scene around for a long long time. But by 8.00 pm I was finding the cold too much to handle. So, I crawled back into the underground again to head back to Victoria.

Things I Don't Even Dream Of!

All Souls College, Oxford, UK

Of all the places I visited I liked my stay at the Oxford best. But that account will have to wait for sometime. While I was coming back, I was so tired and exhausted on the flight and yet I could not sleep at all. Also for the first time I had a middle seat. I still love the window seat! And then after the BA flight 143 landed about 10 minutes before time, it had to wait a long time to get a bay.

So, I emerged rather tired way past 2.00 at night. But what surprised me pleasantly was the process of immigration. It used to be chaotic or so I thought. But not this time. I was sharing this experience at Indiamike (IM).

And this is what Nick (the highest poster at IM) said in reply!

There used to be be separate Foreign/Indian queues for immigration, but this time they didn't segregate and everything moved faster. It could be that I picked, as the Captain says, a good arrival time, but the baggage hall seemed quite busy.

(Glad you had a good trip, and that they let you back into your own country ok )

Did you notice the last line? I even put it in bold. Did it ever cross our mind that they may not let you get back to your own country? I never take it for granted that I can enter another country but not being able to enter back in India? I mean the thought never even crossed my mind!

Lazy Sunday Photo- London Underground, Mind the Gap!

Mind the Gap, London Underground, UK

The phrase 'Please Mind the Gap' grew upon me slowly when I used the London Underground and the National Rail for two days. As a station would approach, the announcement system on the train would go crazy, announcing "please mind the gap" again and again. Once or twice it felt OK, then it became amusing. When I went into a souvenir shop later, I saw a mug with the same slogan, "Mind the Gap." Of course, I bought it.

Later, I googled and found this interesting stuff about Mind the Gap on the BBC-

The Recorded Announcement (Male)

The stern, shouting, male voice announcement for 'Mind the Gap' is being phased out. Fortunately, you can download Peter Lodge's 'performance' - and numerous other train announcements - from this Sound File site. As the webmaster of the site says:

His barked orders to cowering passengers continue to ring out in a recording which is already an historical document³.

The Recorded Announcement (Female)

The female voice for the recorded announcement of 'Mind the Gap' is nicknamed 'Sonia' by tube drivers. Why? Because her voice 'gets on yer nerves', they collectively reply.

Apparently 'Sonia' is thought to be a bit too posh in some circles. In recent tests somebody mimicking the voice of Marilyn Monroe proved to be a favourite.

Mind the Gap on the National Rail, Somewhere Between Victoria and Sutton

Pretty Young Things at the Hyde Park, London

Three Young Girls at Hyde Park, London, UK

While I was taking a stroll (with a colleague) at the Hyde Park, caught a glimpse of these three young girls ahead of us. They were speaking a foreign tongue but one could still make out the excitement in their voices. When they went some distance ahead of us, I thought they made a pretty beautiful picture along with the prop on the right and the colors of the park.

And to my complete surprise, the young lady in the middle suddenly stood on her hands and her friends merrily took her pictures. That is what London does to some people!

But We Changed the Clock!

Leeds City Center and the Bus Stop to the Left as Marked by Two Waiting Buses

My first real stop in UK was the city of Leeds where I was presenting a paper at a conference. It was a hectic trip. I landed at Heathrow on a Friday morning and then took a National Express bus to the Victoria Bus Terminus. From there, I took a Megabus to Leeds. Megabuses are definitely low cost but they also have a very small seat. The journey was supposed to be of 4 hours but due to the heavy Friday traffic it took 6 hours to reach Leeds. The next day morning I had a paper to present followed by a visit to Saltaire. Later in the evening was the conference dinner at the Royal Armouries.

So, it became past 11 at night when I came back to my hotel after the day's program on the Saturday. And then I had to take a Megabus to London at 6.15 the next morning. The hotel phone gave an option of stetting the alarm on my own but I could not figure it out. So, I asked the good people at the front desk to give me a wakeup call at 5.00 in the morning. And then after doing the packing, I collapsed to sleep.

I woke up with a start at 5.00 without any wakeup call. The wakeup call never arrived. By 5.45 I checked out and walked for 3 minutes to the bus stop. Being Sunday morning the roads were mostly empty. Only a place by the name of Blue Leopard had some people mingling about it. I could not figure out what it was. People came out of it for a smoke, some kind of employees hanged at the door. Another surprise was that there was activity at this place at the ungodly hour of 6.00 am.

By 6.10 there was still no sign of a bus and I was wondering what is it that I am doing wrong? Is this not the correct bus stop or the timings have changed or what? By 6.20 I was getting desperate. So, I decided to ask the people at the door of the Blue Leopard if they had any clue about the bus.

A young lad told me I was at the correct bus stop and then asked me what time my bus was. I told him it was at 6.15. Then he pointed out to a town clock and said, "But we changed the clock, look it is only 5.20 in the morning. We put it back by an hour this night!" I had of course read about changing of clocks but as nothing like this happens in India, I could never figure out what this meant! Now that I have experienced it, I am not going to forget it in a hurry.

I finally understood why the wakeup call never came. It must have come through an hour later. Also, it was a cold and windy morning and I did not enjoy the prospect of spending an hour at the freezing bus stop. Luckily the train station was just next door and it was covered. So, I went in and waited for an hour there. And of course later when it became 6.10 am again, the bus promptly came. This time it also took the appointed 4 hours to reach London.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Lady Guide at Saltaire, UK

The Charming Lady Guide at Saltaire, UK

The trip to Saltaire, a world heritage site near Leeds was organized by the good people at the conference that I attended. The trip was wonderful and a detailed account would come a little later.

The charming lady in the picture guided our group for the part of the way. Later, we met near the church for cakes and tea/coffee and I managed to chat with her. She said her pictures are already on the web and I told her I too would be putting up one. It is such a pity that I could not catch her name.

While we were standing outside and chatting, it was overcast, windy and cold. Still, very little can keep me indoors. So, I was chatting with her and feeling guilty all the time that I was keeping her out of doors. She said her family long back lived in India and she comes to the South every year.

Later, she held my hands and said, "Oh dear, you are so cold, why on earth are you standing outside?" I told her I love being out of doors but I would certainly not keep her standing in the cold.

And she has not been a resident of Saltaire since birth (as I had assumed) but she has lived in various countries, including the Caribbean and she came to Saltaire just seven years back.

You Can Go Anywhere You Want!

The Parliament House and the Big Ben, Westminster, London

I was standing in the London underground at Westminster (near Big Ben and London Eye). I wanted to go to London Victoria. My sense of direction is absolutely pathetic, I can get lost even in a telephone booth if it has two exits. I had no clue which platform to go or which line to take. I of course had a map of the underground but maps always look like a tough puzzle to me, not yielding any clues about anything.

My best bet is to ask others and I have always benefited from the random kindness of the strangers. I had quickly realized that the people with the green vest (some sort of officials connected with the underground system) were the kindest. So, I approached one and asked "Hi, Can I go to Victoria from here?" I got a big grin and a reply, "You can go anywhere you want!" And then he directed me to the correct platform. I thanked him profusely. I again was told, "The pleasure is all mine!"

I am really grateful to people who give me the directions, because without them, I am dead. And I do hope I will slowly get to go anywhere I want!

Some Pictures from the Recent UK Trip

The Radcliffe Square, Oxford, UK

Finally, I managed to put a little bit of tiredness of the trip behind and upload the pictures from my recent UK trip.

I did had a wonderful time at all the three places that I visited, Leeds, Oxford and London. As this was for work, could not do much justice travel wise to any of them. Still, travel is always good and all my visits abroad has been for work till date. Among all the trips abroad, this one ranks really at the top.

Lazy Sunday Photo- The London Oxford Route

Oxford London Route in Fall 2007

Took this one on a moving bus, from Oxfrod to London. Loved the colors of fall and as there is no fall in the northern India, loved them all the more. And I am not yet home. Tomorrow, I should be back.

Not Yet Home

Fall Colors in London (Picture by a Colleague)

Not home yet but almost at the end of the trip. It was not that cold and yes there has been sun almost on all days. I guess I am getting tired now but in all this has been a wonderful trip. Bigger accounts and more pictures when I come back. And thanks a lot for the comments in the meanwhile.

Would Be Back Soon

Finally it is time to head to UK. Would bring back loads of pictures. And try to be more regular when I come back in the first week of November.

A Trip to UK and a Paper on Agra is on Cards

From the Backside of the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort in the Distance, Agra, India

And before that I have to finish a paper. So, I am mostly like a dead fish these days. Comments go unanswered and I hardly can think of anything to post. The paper is on 'online destination image of Agra' and I have two co-authors. Even in my dreams I think of 'touts' and the Taj.

And then there is a 10 page visa document to be filled, papers to be attached and hotels to be booked. As much as I hate it when the comments go unanswered, it will be like that for a few weeks.

One from Amsterdam

This post is for Quaminante and Cuckoo. Actually, I have talked before about the strange incident at Amsterdam in a previous post. And I am not going to tell you a word more about it, apart from that it has got to do something with a stroll that I took (or did not) around the train station!

Talking about trains, there is this strange custom in the Netherlands about trains (or at least it used to be there in the year 2002). I took a train from Amsterdam to Groningen and I had to change the train at some place in between. Knowing that I was new to the place the train in-charge of the Amsterdam train saw me safely down and pointed out the train I had to catch next.

When I tried boarding the other train, the in-charge of the 'Groningen' train asked me where did I want to go? I found the question strange, I thought the train would go to Groningen, as pointed out earlier to me. Still, who was I to argue in a new place? When I said Groningen, he asked me to board the first coach of the train. A few hours later I reached Groningen safely.

The next day, I was having a lunch with a professor and was telling him something about my train experience when he said, "Of course, you must be finding our trains strange. We keep cutting coaches here and there. The entire train does not go to one destination."

After that whenever I boarded another train in the Netherlands, I made sure to ask which coach was going to my desired destination, and not if the train was going there.

When in Athens ...

A very long time ago, 2001 to be precise, I visited Athens (was attending an academic conference). I did not plan to reminscene about the trip but reading Kent E St. John's post 'Female in Jordon' did the trick. He writes about the expeiences of Shari Caudron's visit to Jordan. You have to read her article. Here is a short quote (it is the most vapid one in the entire article probably).

Afterward, I insist that Adam take a photo. I stand between the four men - two on my right, two on my left, and forgetting everything I've read, place my two American arms behind the backs of the two Jordanians next to me. They tense and scoot sideways. Adam takes the photo. In it, the men and I are standing so far apart we look like a string of paper dolls.

But enough said about how I got the insperation and now back to the actual story I intend to tell, which in some sense is the exact opposite of what Shari experienced. Being new to any culture makes for a good learning experience!

Athens was my second visit abroad. I had been to Singapore before but I stayed with Indian friends and they always escorted me any place I went, right from the moment I set foot, till the time I went back. So, Athens was my first unescorted visit abroad.

For my Athens trip, I thought I had read enough on the internet (an excellent site www.greecetravel.com was the most helpful resource). I knew that taxies would be out of question, because of their high fare and not so fair reputation.

I was also aware that if I exited from gates no 4 or 5 from the airport I could take buses E 94 and E 95 (old information, not aware if it is still true in 2006) into the heart of the city. I took E 95 and it took me to Syntagama Square (charged me 1000 Drachmas, these were the pre Euro days). There I stood blinking, as to what to do next. I had to go to Omonia Square where my hotel was.

Being dog tired, I took a trap... I mean a taxi and sure enough I was charged nearly $ 30 for a 10 minutes ride (15,000 Drachmas), whereas the people at the hotel told me later it should not have been more than 1500. But that is the only time I took a taxi in Athens, rest of it was on foot, by bus or by metro.

So, after finding my hotel, I decided to take a late evening nap and then look for something to eat. Being a vegetarian, finding food in itself becomes a task. I slept for many hours and when I got up it was dark outside.

I inquired the hotel people if they had any dish without meat in it. I was willing to pay the slightly higher price they would charge but they replied in negative. I had to change money too, so I decided to venture out.

As soon as I stepped out of the hotel, I saw three young guys (they didn’t looked stoned or drunk) and I asked them if they knew where could I change money. They said yes. I was waiting for the directions. They told me they are going that way. So, I walk a few steps when they asked something (I have forgotten what, I really have) that made me slightly uneasy and I told them I would find the place myself and I started walking in the opposite direction. I brushed it aside as a one off incident.

The next day, I decided to explore the Acropolis and the Plaka region. I took the metro to reach the Plaka area. I was walking on the sidewalk (I am sure with a lot of awe on my face, a dead giveaway that I am a tourist) trying to locate an exit to the Acropolis. A tall gentleman told me, “I have met you before.” I said “no” in a quiet and sure voice.

500 meter ahead, another gentleman asked, “Are you alright?” Now his question got me really anxious, I wondered if I had torn my dress or what? I asked back, “Why do you ask?” He says, “You are frowning.” And before I could realize what was happening, he held my shoulders, and kissed both my cheeks (now I am from India, where apart from my family and a few very close friends, no one would dare to do such a thing). I stood stunned looking and feeling like a complete fool. He brought me back from my stupor and asked, “Can I buy you a drink?” I recollected my wits and said no. It took me some time to reassure him that I really was fine. I walked in a dazed state for a while, for if anyone had tried to pull the same stunt with me in Delhi, I would surely have slapped the person. Such is the culture out here. But somehow apart from being shocked, I was not offended by that unknown gentleman.

Finally, I got to Plaka and decided to eat something, I was really feeling tired. It was a roadside café with lovely grape vines hanging all around. They had a vegetable and rice dish. I ordered it and tried to take in the atmosphere. A gentleman standing near my table commented on the weather. I said something polite in reply and out of nowhere a conversation started.

Now to my Indian sensibilities it felt rude to keep him standing. He said something like “mind if I take a seat” and I said yes not knowing what else to say. That was my undoing. It took me more than two hours to get rid of his company. After my meal, he volunteered to take me around the Acropolis, which was just a short walk away. I saw the grand monument from a distance and he told me it would be a waste to go inside for the fee they charge. I didn’t get into an argument thinking I would come back later, which never happened. So can you imagine, I get this once in a lifetime kind of a trip to Athens and turn back without seeing the Acropolis at the close quarters.

At some point I told this gentleman, I am married (and I was speaking the truth) and he immediately responded, knowing that I am from India, “So, your parents forced you into marriage!” However much I tried to convince him that I married out of choice to a person after knowing him for four years, he would not listen. Anyway, I somehow said bye to him, and by now I was completely drained. I went back to my hotel room.

I was racking my head as to what was I doing wrong. After all, anything even remotely like this never happened to me back home in India. When something strange happens my first instinct is to blame myself. I know for sure that people consider me quite unapproachable and when among strangers, I can wear a giant size frown that can deter anyone from talking to me. It was of no use in Athens. Then I realized, I was not doing anything wrong and it must be a done thing, a different culture. From the next day, I decided to behave less like a clueless tourist and appear more confident about the things I was doing. I also would ask for directions from people sitting behind a booth! Things became quite manageable after that.

But even now my husband teases me about not seeing the Acropolis and everything else.

Public Transport in India and My Misadventures

I was waiting at a crowded metro station for the train to come. It was hot and sultry, my shirt was sticking to my back. I was dreading the jostle that would follow the arrival of the train. My companion was oblivious; she seemed not to have a care in the world. The crowd did not daunt her the way it got to me. How I envied her!

I hate traveling in crowded public transport in India. So many times, I have picked up a fight. I remember an educated young guy, who was sitting too close for my comfort in a bus, telling me to travel by auto when I objected and asked him to move aside. Another time, I just took a cigarette from a guy’s hand and threw it out of the bus window because he would not stop smoking even after repeated requests. There have been wandering hands (on so many occasions) in my direction and my loud protests, even an occasional pushing away someone rudely and physically. All these scenes were passing through my mind while I was waiting.

Finally, the train arrived and I moved along with my friend to board it. Somehow, we were the first few people to get inside. I was bracing myself to face the crowd as they started pouring in. My jaws dropped up to my knees as I found people, guys actually, tiptoeing around me to get in.

No, I was not dreaming. I was boarding the train in Singapore (it was way back in 1999) and it was my first ever visit abroad. Having experienced only the Indian crowd (which is rowdy in most of the cities, apart from a few exceptions) I expected the same hassles there. My friend had been staying in Singapore for the past three years and thus was totally unconcerned.

How I wish this scene would become true of India in my lifetime, but I have very little hope.

This post is part of the Blank Noise Project's Blog-a-thon 2006

Venice: A Good Experience with the Indian Bureaucracy and a Bad One with a Fellow Indian

Venice has been my dream destination since childhood. But my primary purpose for visitingItaly in the year 2003 was to attend an academic conference in Modena, and not tourism. The trip to Modena was possible because I got sponsorship from the University of Modena, Italy and Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) New Delhi.

During my Ph.D. days I remember (in 2000) I was looking for a grant and one of the professors told us to forget it if I did not know someone high up personally. Those days ICSSR had that kind of an image. But it was my good fortune to meet the then Director General of ICSSR in a conference in New Delhi in 2002. He was giving a talk on the changes implemented in ICSSR. I remembered I asked him during the question-answer session that “Why ICSSR does not have a website (it has one now), when its grant seekers are spread all over the country?” He answered me with patience. I was even then looking for a grant and somehow I approached him after the talk and gathered enough courage to tell him about a paper being accepted and would ICSSR look into it? He said his email is in the handout given to us and I should write to him directly, if need be. I thought it was a typical conference promise and such a senior bureaucrat will not remember my request. But when the time came to apply for the grant, I was so pleasantly surprised that Mr. Bhaskar Chatterji was true to his word. Of course, the conference was good (the best in my area) and I had prior conference and publication records but how many times such things do not carry any weight with the Indian bureaucracy. I would remain eternally grateful to him for handling my application so nicely and they never made me feel like a nobody, seeking a grant.

Flowers in a Window (Modena, Italy)

So, I went to Modena and when I realized Venice was two and a half hours away, I decided to go to Venice (of course, on my own money). But it was to be packed somewhere in my hectic schedule. I arrived in Modena on September 11, 2003 1.30 p.m. Italy time. September 12 was completely devoted to the conference and later in the evening was the conference dinner. September 13, I had my paper presentation and after the lunch the conference was over. On September 14, I was taking a flight back from Bologna at 10.30 a.m.

On September 11, though I was completely jetlagged I decided to visit Venice, so that if I got delayed on 13th due to some reason I would not be going back home without having seen Venice. Now a few of you might think- why not to stay back after the conference instead of this mad rush? Well, my conference organizers (University of Modena) paid my hotel rent. I live in Indiaand earn in Indian rupees and they do not go very far in Euro or dollars.

Venice from a Train Window, Italy

I checked the schedule and took a train to Venice (http://www.trenitalia.com/. The approach toVenice is really beautiful. Suddenly I found that every one in my car was standing up and pulling the windows down (it was non-AC train). That is how the approach to Venice affects people. There was only water as far as I could see and a faint outline of various objects of the city. I was quite awestruck by the view, so much so that I forgot to stand. I could hardly wait to get into the city.

As I got out from the train station and it was raining lightly. Right in front was a fountain and kids were playing near it. Beyond it was a canal, and I started wandering in just any direction that caught my fancy. I started walking on my left and there were a lot of shops selling various glass souvenirs and Venetian masks. The display windows of the mask shops look very curious and eye catching. I had no particular thing in my mind while I started my stroll.

Eye catching Venetian Masks, Italy

There were various boats (water taxies) and gondolas in the canals but I did not try any of those for the simple reason that I knew that gondolas are very expensive and I am very fond of walking. I really liked the atmosphere of the city a lot. I was so tired after my journey from New Delhi to Modena and then to Venice. But the sight of water, houses, churches and bridges large and small cheered me immensely. I went to the famous Rialto Bridge on foot and was barely back in time to catch the train back to Bologna.

On September 13, once again I came back to Venice and this time I rolled the windows down, stood up and watched the sunset as I approached the city. It was raining harder this time (but it stopped after a while) and it was dark as night was falling. I was really hungry and decided to try a colorful restaurant with seating arrangement outside. It was magnificent to sit by the canal and see boats and gondolas moving on the lake.

Then I tried to resume my walk to Rialto but there were very few people and with all those narrow empty roads somehow my courage failed. Instead I took a walk around the areas near the station and Venice looked different at night with all those lights on. I picked a few souvenirs from a shop at the train station.

Gondolas, Venice, Italy

A Quite Place, Canals and Bridges, Venice, Italy

Beautiful Venice, Italy

It was just before 11 p.m. and I decided to proceed to Bologna and spend the time at the airport and it was here that I was in for a shock. When I came to Venice on September 11, there were trains to Bologna from Venice Mestre after 11 p.m. but not on September 13. There are many trains going from Santa Lucia to Mestre. I decided to try my luck there. I reached Mestre around 11 p.m. only to discover that the next available train to Bologna is in the morning at 6.30 a.m. There were many people on the station and just for variety; I decided to spend the night there instead of checking in a hotel.

It was somewhat cold that night at Mestre. I had only a thin woolen sweater, which was pretty adequate for indoors in non-AC surroundings but not for a night at a station. One of the passengers waiting at the station was having a Heineken. After a while he tried to strike a conversation with me. I was not in a mood. He started the conversation in Italian and to put an end to it I said I speak English, which is true.

That was my undoing. He could somehow guess I was from India and so was he. He kept on getting drunk and speaking not very complimentary things loudly in Hindi, which only I could understand. I kept on ignoring him and feeling cold. I took a walk outside and saw many hotels just across the street including a Best Western. I stayed on the station but I would have moved to a hotel if at any point the station were to be deserted. That drunken Indian boarded a train after 2 hours or so. I caught my train at 6.30 in the morning and safely caught my plane back to New Delhi. In the plane, after the lunch I was so fast asleep that when I got up after some 2 hours I could not figure out where I was.

One Tale from Abroad: A Most Unusual Walk through Amsterdam's Red Light District

I traveled to Amsterdam from New Delhi in the summer of 2002. Almost all my foreign trips have been in relation to some academic work. This particular visit was sponsored by the Department of Economics, University of Groningen, as I was appearing in an interview there. Amsterdam, actually, was less of a travel destination and more of a stopover on my way to Groningen.

The landing at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport itself was exciting because I saw windmills from high up. My plan was to travel to Groningen the same day. On making queries, I found out that the first available train was after three and a half hours. Such delays may be inconvenient for many but they are heaven sent for me. It meant three hours in Amsterdam and I decided to venture out.

Taxies are a big no-no for me because of the expense involved and fortunately, I have a penchant for walking. But the problem is that I can get lost even in a telephone booth if it has two exits. To avoid getting lost in a strange city, I decided to explore the areas just next to the station. I followed my instincts and tried to get out of the station on Damrak Street. From what I had read on the Internet, it is the city center and all the regular tourist amenities like cafes, money exchange and so on are located on it. I also had to book a half-day tour of the city to take on my way back from Groningen.

The Dam Square, Amsterdam

What a view greeted me! It was a bright and cool summer day. A light wind was playing on a stream flowing next to the road. But after walking for a while I started feeling confused. The street that I was following was pretty deserted; it did not look like a city center at all. I decided to head back to the station and ask someone for directions. When I asked a gentleman about it, he advised me to get inside the station and exit on the other side. But then he spoke in Urdu all the time, guessing quite correctly that I can understand it. He asked if I was from Bangladesh. I told him I am from India but I understood what he said. Thanking him profusely, I hastily made my exit.

I followed the crowd pouring out of station this time and correctly reached Damrak Street. Again, a canal was flowing right in the middle of the road. I started feeling pleased with my decision to take a walk. Keeping on the right side of the canal, I meandered to the Dam Square and Madam Tussaud’s via open-air cafés and souvenir shops.

I considered going into Madam Tussaud’s but my shoestring budget prevented me from doing so. You see, my hosts at the University of Groningen paid for my hotel and travel fare. On my own, the 17 Euros entrance fee seemed to be a big luxury, which I could not afford. After spending half an hour in the square, soaking in the atmosphere and music, flowing out of various instruments and artists, I decided to walk some more.

Wandering far was out of question as I could easily lose my way. So, I decided to turn back and explore the other side of the canal by crossing a small wooden bridge. I noticed some people sitting on the railing giving me queer glances. It puzzled me; queer glances are more common in India, particularly for a woman walking alone. Even some of the shops had vague signboards. I got confused and decided to head back to the station and later reached Groningen safely.

A Beautiful Bridge on the Canal, Amsterdam

Fast forward to my day in Amsterdam after coming from Groningen. I turn up for the tour and take a seat in the comfortable bus near the central station. The guide explains that in front of us is the post office and the station and on the right side ladies and gentlemen, is the famous red light district and went on to other things! So it was just because of the signs on the shop I was saved a shock. I never knew it was located so conveniently next to the central station! Now I have told you where it is. It gives no indication from the outside as to what it is, so it is possible just to stumble there, as I would have had the shop signs not made me hesitate. Anyone who would like to walk around in cities unfamiliar can end up there! So now my boring tour of two hours in the city and one-hour boat ride (this was interesting) got over I had no clue what to do next! The boat dropped us next to the station around 6.00 in the evening. Now sun goes down in summer in Amsterdam at some crazy hour like way after ten at night (In India it goes down around seven in the evening and even earlier in winter). So I knew it would be day light for quite a few hours.

A Charming Windmill, Amsterdam

I am quite timid by nature but now my curiosity was tickled. I tried going into the red light area, I knew it is a tourist destination and safe but when I started from India it was never on my agenda. I tried walking there but then walked back on the pretext that I want to eat something. Two bananas and a few strawberries later, I headed again but decided to take a stroll in some other direction. I started clicking a few photos and found that roll was jamming. Now for the third time I headed back to the other side of the street to get another roll of film. But by now, I was convinced that I am a chicken and I am hesitating to go into the area. A new film loaded in my camera, I told my self firmly I would go in this time, come what may! And I did.

Central Station in the Forefront and the Much Discussed Area on the Right, Amsterdam

As some of my agitation subsided, I noticed other people walking through, with their cameras and other touristy telltale signs. That gave me courage. I started reading shop sings and while much is not to be repeated here, on offer was every thing from drugs, to massages, shows and much more. But the most prominent sign was ‘NO PHOTOGRAPHS’ on every glass window. Some of the vacant windows advertised contact numbers in case anyone was interested. After ten minutes, I dared to look up in one of the windows where there were sings of life. The lady occupying it looked perfectly comfortable where she was. I lost more of my agitation. I walked on those lanes for a while, proving my courage, to myself, as there was no one else with me to prove it to.

All this while, I still had the track of the direction I had to take to go back to the railway station or so I thought. I took my leave of various things ‘Red’ quickly, and crossed the bridge; only this time it led me to another place. My heartbeat almost stopped but mercifully from that place, too I could see the station, though at a completely different and crooked angle. I understood a new meaning of relief that day, as Amsterdam’s Red Light District was the last place I would like to get lost in. Since then there had been many other places and other walks but never this ‘Red.’