Whirlwind
It has been a whirlwind around here lately - mostly work related. I cannot remember the last time I posted - I fear it may have been a week ago.
So lets see....I have mostly been working until I fall over to be completely honest with spots of being taken somewhere to dinner here and there. The exception to this was a fabulous day on Tuesday where a van was rented for us and we were taken all around Hyderabad (see pics on the Flickr account).
It was an awesome and exhausting day. We were full out site-seeing for 12 hours!
We started that day at the Peddamma Temple which was just amazing! The colors, the sites! Ran into some accidental tourism. There was a special festival for a new idol which was being installed at the temple which we got to see. Very cool! There were camera crews and everything. We have gotten used to people asking to have our picture taken while we are out (less Westerners here then I thought there would be) so we were not surprised when it happened at at them temple. Well apparently that was for the paper! We got our picture in the paper! The blurb was something about the initiation being so important that foreigners even came! Heee!!
From there we went to the very famous Salarjung museum which I was told was a MUST SEE while I was here. I agree - it was a huge and fabulous museum. We were not allowed to take any pictures so that is missing from the my photo journal. There were school children all around and the place was huge. To really see the whole thing would take days.
After that it was off to Charminar again because two of the people who came later then us had not seen it yet. We went off bangle shopping while the others went to see Charminar. The traffic, people, sites and smells have to be experienced. It is so hard to communicate what it all feels like.
Once we were done there we headed off to Golconda Fort. This is a huge for in the area where several kings, sheikhs and sultans lived over the years. I was not expecting it to be as cool as it was. It was 362 stairs UP to the top of the fort but our guide was kind and stopped quite often to tell us things about the fort...timed such that we could catch our breath. ;> The fort contained a mosque AND a hindu temple. Very cool...the hindu temple is still in use. The size of the fort was amazing and our guide was fantastic telling us about the history of the fort and what happened there.
So, happy and very pleased with ourselves we headed off to our last stop for the evening - the Birla Mandir temple. On the way we were driving down the road when a camel passed us! Yes a camel was being ridden down the main road! Ha! Awesome! We have seen cows and bulls in the road but this was the first camel siting.
We arrived at the Birla Mandir temple and were told that no pictures of it were allowed. This was very sad because I would have loved to share pictures of this extremely beautiful temple with you. Through the wonders of the internet I did find one or two pics:
This has to be one of my favorite places in Hyderabad! The entire temple (and it is huge) is completely built of white marble. If you have never walked barefoot on marble I have to tell you that I highly recommend it. It was up on a hill and it was dark by the time we went there and the views were stunning, the temple was cool and soothing and really just perfect. I could have stayed there for a very very long time. Our guides Gayatre and Jagan were fantastic (they are also co-workers of mine) and explained things regarding the religon and what was done and not done. It is a beautiful religon. It was the perfect end to a fantastic day.
Wednesday I worked but Linda got to go off to a Buddist temple with EM and her neice and then met a co-worker at his house where his wife did henna on their hands and feet. She had a great time (pics on flickr - she used my camera ;>). Thursday I was stuck at the office again but she went to see Film City which is like the Hyderabad version of Universal Studios. She said it was fun - they saw some shoes and went through an indian version of "its a small world". That should explain some of the pictures I have not had a chance to comment on my flickr account :> They then went to another local temple and it was good.
Friday was an office day and so was Saturday. I have been getting a lot of work done which has been great and getting to work closely with people while I am here so that has been very good. I should be working right now instead of writing this post but I just needed to catch up! We went out to a fantastic restaurant last night...I still have not gotten used to how late they eat here. We are often just finishing dinner around 10pm or so! Saturday I had a bout with homesickness. It is about time to go home.
Today we went to Srini's brothers house and spent the day with Jagan, his wife, his mother and father. It was surprisingly relaxed and we had a really good time. I got to wear the very nice Chudidar I purchased when I first arrived. It is a pants suit that is amazingly comfortable while being beautiful at the same time. Next time I come here I am bringing an empty suitcase and buying a new wardrobe of them :> We came home in the late afternoon - I took a 40 minute nap and here I am trying to motivate myself to work. It is currently around 8pm here. I am waiting until a decent hour to try to call my sister.
This week is going to be crazy so I might not be able to post again till I get home. Tomorrow is a very busy day at work followed by a dinner out with everyone since it is our LAST NIGHT in Hyderabad! Hard to believe! Then Tuesday is a crazy morning at the office trying to get last minute stuff done, lunch with some exes at the company and then we will be whisked off to the airport to catch or flight to Delhi!
Wednesday we are off to see the TAJ MAHAL!! WOO HOO!! I am soooo psyched! That will be an all day affair. The company has an office there so they have arranged a car and hotel and all that. We will be going with one of the regional VPs and his family so I am looking forward to that.
Thursday is a whirlwind site seeing day of Delhi with some shopping I am sure ;> but not too much shopping since that night we head back to the airport to go home! I am in the weird travel place where it is hard to imagine being home again even though I know I want to be there.
I have to say - I will miss the weather and the wonderful treatment we have had here. OK I better stop typing because this is going to fill everyone's entire page!
Just wanted to share what I have been up to! I will keep posting pics as I can!!!
So lets see....I have mostly been working until I fall over to be completely honest with spots of being taken somewhere to dinner here and there. The exception to this was a fabulous day on Tuesday where a van was rented for us and we were taken all around Hyderabad (see pics on the Flickr account).
It was an awesome and exhausting day. We were full out site-seeing for 12 hours!
We started that day at the Peddamma Temple which was just amazing! The colors, the sites! Ran into some accidental tourism. There was a special festival for a new idol which was being installed at the temple which we got to see. Very cool! There were camera crews and everything. We have gotten used to people asking to have our picture taken while we are out (less Westerners here then I thought there would be) so we were not surprised when it happened at at them temple. Well apparently that was for the paper! We got our picture in the paper! The blurb was something about the initiation being so important that foreigners even came! Heee!!
From there we went to the very famous Salarjung museum which I was told was a MUST SEE while I was here. I agree - it was a huge and fabulous museum. We were not allowed to take any pictures so that is missing from the my photo journal. There were school children all around and the place was huge. To really see the whole thing would take days.
After that it was off to Charminar again because two of the people who came later then us had not seen it yet. We went off bangle shopping while the others went to see Charminar. The traffic, people, sites and smells have to be experienced. It is so hard to communicate what it all feels like.
Once we were done there we headed off to Golconda Fort. This is a huge for in the area where several kings, sheikhs and sultans lived over the years. I was not expecting it to be as cool as it was. It was 362 stairs UP to the top of the fort but our guide was kind and stopped quite often to tell us things about the fort...timed such that we could catch our breath. ;> The fort contained a mosque AND a hindu temple. Very cool...the hindu temple is still in use. The size of the fort was amazing and our guide was fantastic telling us about the history of the fort and what happened there.
So, happy and very pleased with ourselves we headed off to our last stop for the evening - the Birla Mandir temple. On the way we were driving down the road when a camel passed us! Yes a camel was being ridden down the main road! Ha! Awesome! We have seen cows and bulls in the road but this was the first camel siting.
We arrived at the Birla Mandir temple and were told that no pictures of it were allowed. This was very sad because I would have loved to share pictures of this extremely beautiful temple with you. Through the wonders of the internet I did find one or two pics:
This has to be one of my favorite places in Hyderabad! The entire temple (and it is huge) is completely built of white marble. If you have never walked barefoot on marble I have to tell you that I highly recommend it. It was up on a hill and it was dark by the time we went there and the views were stunning, the temple was cool and soothing and really just perfect. I could have stayed there for a very very long time. Our guides Gayatre and Jagan were fantastic (they are also co-workers of mine) and explained things regarding the religon and what was done and not done. It is a beautiful religon. It was the perfect end to a fantastic day.
Wednesday I worked but Linda got to go off to a Buddist temple with EM and her neice and then met a co-worker at his house where his wife did henna on their hands and feet. She had a great time (pics on flickr - she used my camera ;>). Thursday I was stuck at the office again but she went to see Film City which is like the Hyderabad version of Universal Studios. She said it was fun - they saw some shoes and went through an indian version of "its a small world". That should explain some of the pictures I have not had a chance to comment on my flickr account :> They then went to another local temple and it was good.
Friday was an office day and so was Saturday. I have been getting a lot of work done which has been great and getting to work closely with people while I am here so that has been very good. I should be working right now instead of writing this post but I just needed to catch up! We went out to a fantastic restaurant last night...I still have not gotten used to how late they eat here. We are often just finishing dinner around 10pm or so! Saturday I had a bout with homesickness. It is about time to go home.
Today we went to Srini's brothers house and spent the day with Jagan, his wife, his mother and father. It was surprisingly relaxed and we had a really good time. I got to wear the very nice Chudidar I purchased when I first arrived. It is a pants suit that is amazingly comfortable while being beautiful at the same time. Next time I come here I am bringing an empty suitcase and buying a new wardrobe of them :> We came home in the late afternoon - I took a 40 minute nap and here I am trying to motivate myself to work. It is currently around 8pm here. I am waiting until a decent hour to try to call my sister.
This week is going to be crazy so I might not be able to post again till I get home. Tomorrow is a very busy day at work followed by a dinner out with everyone since it is our LAST NIGHT in Hyderabad! Hard to believe! Then Tuesday is a crazy morning at the office trying to get last minute stuff done, lunch with some exes at the company and then we will be whisked off to the airport to catch or flight to Delhi!
Wednesday we are off to see the TAJ MAHAL!! WOO HOO!! I am soooo psyched! That will be an all day affair. The company has an office there so they have arranged a car and hotel and all that. We will be going with one of the regional VPs and his family so I am looking forward to that.
Thursday is a whirlwind site seeing day of Delhi with some shopping I am sure ;> but not too much shopping since that night we head back to the airport to go home! I am in the weird travel place where it is hard to imagine being home again even though I know I want to be there.
I have to say - I will miss the weather and the wonderful treatment we have had here. OK I better stop typing because this is going to fill everyone's entire page!
Just wanted to share what I have been up to! I will keep posting pics as I can!!!