Hello from The Rose City!

We moved! Yet again! And even with all the craziness associated with a cross country move all the way from the east coast to the west - new beginnings are always welcome!

Portland is a beautiful city, no doubt about that. We have been here for a week now and all these cedar and pine trees with hilly terrain everywhere and the balmy breeze with the bright sunshine (did I say sunshine - well yes - we are still to witness the characteristic gloomy weather of Portland!) remind me of my hometown in Uttaranachal India - similar topography and climate BUT no comparison in terms of infrastructure, resources and comfort - that is a :) and a :(. 

We have not yet settled into a routine - the cooking, eating, sleeping schedules, especially for the little one, are all over the place. And we are still to call a place home - temporary acco is just that - temporary. But, what we have managed in just about a week's stay is visit to two landmarks - the Oregon zoo which is supposed to be one of the best in the country (though we were not very impressed - on a weekend afternoon there were lots of people and hardly any animals - M ofcourse was elated to spot elephants, gifaafe (giraffe for her), hippo, monkeys and lots of birds). The other place is called Mt. Tabor - an extinct volcano - a fun place with a playground and hiking trails. 

It looks like we will have lots of options for recreation and within reasonable driving distances!

So far so good, I say. Let's see how this fairs out!

Towards greener pastures!

And I mean "greener" pastures more literally than anything else.

If you have been following me on my blog, you do not need a recap of all the trillion times I have cribbed about our stay in the desert. Well, here's an important lesson: if you crib hard enough and long enough, looks like god does intervene! 

We have moved across the country - all the way from Arizona to Virginia. And inspite of the obvious downside of a move: the distance, the packing, the organizing, apartment hunting, re-settling down, etc. etc., guess what, I am not complaining. At any given point of the day, the temperatures are atleast 20 degrees lower. There are no blast furnaces burning on your face when you open the door and the sun stays well withing its limits. Not to, ofcourse, mention the pleasant green everywhere. 

We are far from settling down just now, but I thought it is never too early to announce the closure of the desert diaries; greener pages should start soon :D. 

And hence we bid adieu to August on a cool note! 

[Image source: Google Images]

NYC: Up, Close, and Personal

A red eye flight from Phoenix ensured we woke up in the morning to the city that never sleeps – Wading through the jam-packed gates of JFK, and trying to steal a keen look at the price list for boot polishing (10 USD for a deluxe one, just in case you are interested), we hopped onto the air train and reached the local subway station.

While we were buying our metro cards, I thought I was transported back to a local UP roadways bus adda (bust station) in India – a very old, cheesy bollywood number was playing in one of the trillion small shops owned by Indians in NYC (I even noted down the lyrics, click here for the song :P)

The ride in the local metro to our hotel in downtown Manhattan was as we had been forewarned – At 6:30 AM, people were out there already in commute - as we approached our destination we were crammed to a one-leg room space – so it was actually delightful to ascend the stinky and dirty subway pass and “arise” to the heart of the big apple. Yes, New York sub way stations, streets and roads are not only always crowded but very very filthy. Another thing, I must warn you – be it the airport or any tourist attraction – NYC is the city with the dirtiest toilets. Sorry, for the gory details, but you need to know this, don’t you?

And then commenced, what my husband quite endearingly (;)) refers to as tourist hell. Armed with a long laundry list of must-do’s, New York City Passes and a hop on – hop off bus tour package, I dragged Vish mercilessly for three days around the city from 7:30 AM to 11:00 PM, till, according to him, we ran out of all the hell holes). Aah, the satisfaction of having EVERYTHING on my list checked off! What all was on my list? Just search for Things to Do in NYC, and pretty much everything that pops up in the results was there – tadaah :D!!!

Here are the highlights of our NYC experience…

The Manhattan skyline is gorgeous from any view – you don’t have to go to Empire State and Rockefeller - we did both and did not find it worth the money, the long queues and the airport-like security). Instead, you HAVE to walk down the Brooklyn Bridge and get the most awesome views of the Manhattan Bridge and the skyline – this along with a night tour of Brooklyn via the Manhattan Bridge is a MUST.

The Statue of Liberty is a must-do. Many will tell you it’s overrated but you have to take the ferry around the island and see this French gift first-hand – and up-close.

The neon and the glamour of Times Square is quite a disappointment - apparently the most visited place in the world is just an overly crowded space with skyscrapers all around you – take a walk around – the Broadway theater district is so culturally rich – catch a musical there. The Bryant Park with its beer garden, small shops and a lot of food options is a much more enjoyable and cozy place to relax and soak the city in. 

The financial district, complete with the raging bull, NYSE and the Occupy Wall Street protests was an interesting experience too. 

All those top honchos in tuxedos walking out at lunch time and eating from the zillions of street food stalls gives you a fascinating insight into the life of a New Yorker – Being vegetarians we could not indulge wholeheartedly in the street food revelry all around us – however, we did binge on the so many kinds of pretzels, falafels – and American pizzas! 

The gourmet scene is the best ever – what with all the little worlds that have come together – little India, little Italy, little China, little Korea, little Africa – this is NYC for you – a potpourri of countries, cultures, peoples and even religions. 

Apparently, every religion in this world is practiced in New York City – you have hindu temples, gurudwaras, mosques, synagogues, churches, Buddhist temples among many others.

What you definitely need to do in the city is, leave the concrete, wax and the up-scale snobbish neighborhoods behind, and head straight to Central Park – a man-made park but a wonder in every right – This two and a half mile majestic garden in the heart of the city cannot disappoint you. We spent a few hours every single day that we were in New York strolling here. With the fall colors thrown in, this was the most enjoyable and breathtaking part of our trip.

I could go on and on, but would rather stop on this scenic note, BUT the next time you are planning a trip to NYC, you know who to contact :D.

Sleepless (:D) in Seattle

(P.S. Don't snicker at the done to death, highly 'filmy' title - humor me pls :))

Spent a weekend at the emerald city of Seattle. A very welcomed change from the tough, arid topography of Arizona. As the plane descended over Seattle, the sight of green pines and cedars across the low lying hills made a picturesque sight.

In keeping with its notorious reputation of being cold and wet, we were greeted by light rains at 9 degrees (C). All through the two days, the clouds bullied the sun into submission, every time it peeked in, daring to play hide and seek. It is no surprise then that the Twilight series is set in the state of Washington (Forks). Though Forks did not form a part of our short itinerary, I was constantly in the look out for speeding (good looking) vampires and the likes, much to my disappointment...

We did the standard touristy stuff - the famous Space Needle, Seattle Center, Downtown, Pike Market, Experience Music Project (Paul Allen's museum), the waterfront, and ofcourse the tourists-must-do duck ride - which takes you on land and on water, with the guide giving you a lot of information on the history and geography of the place. 

The Lake Union boasts of a number of boat houses and floating houses that could cost you anything above a million dollars, if you wished to buy. Any one leaving an inheritance behind, please remember me and this wish of mine. Would love to have a beautifully done up boathouse, with elegant furniture - wake up in the morning to the gentle lapping of the water - bliss! One of my dream holiday homes :P.

A non-caffeine person like me showed little delight at the first ever Starbucks. Infact, I find it embarrassing to enter a Starbucks - not a person to enjoy coffees or teas or lattes, I end up ordering a hot chocolate, which shows up on their kids' menu :(. But if you are a coffee person, Seattle would be heaven for you - there's a Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee and Tully's outlet almost everywhere!

What made our trip even more scenic and memorable was the changing color of leaves thanks to the onset of fall (my love for the fall eulogized here).

Here are some pics from the city...

Aerial view of Seattle downtown 

Seattle harbor 

At the Experience Music Project (the image is 90 degrees inverted) 

The Space Needle

The Pike Market

The lovely autumn hues

The boathouses you would want to buy me

Fremont bridge as viewed from the Seattle waterfront 

The Desert Beckons...

Relocated to Phoenix/Arizona for the time being. Wrote a bit about the desert experience in my post here. However, visiting a place as a tourist and trying to make it a home involve two very very different perspectives, is what I have come to learn in the last couple of days...

Though the weariness of the unfairly long journey from India to the far west and the eternal battle with jet lag continue to make my days hazy still, I have begun to get a general sense of what I am going to like about this place and what not...

What is definitely a thumbs up...

The proximity to so many tourist destinations - doable drives, one-day trips, weekend getaways - I see them all coming. Even though I have had an overdose of California, the neighboring states of Colorado, Nevada and Utah seem very inviting - Arizona itself boasts of the many canyons, hiking strips and what else to do with 12 months of sunshine!

And what is going to be a constant "cribbing" point...

12 months of sunshine - searingly hot summers and luke warm winters :(. If you have known me well enough or have been following this blog long enough, you know I am not a Vitamin D person. But oh well! The consolation factor is thankfully there is no oppressive humidity. The atmosphere is rather dry, which works well with me - not taking into consideration the constant dusting I will have to do around the house. (I had forgotten the word "dusting" when we stayed in Chicago - one never heard of "dust" in an American city, no? :D)

...So much for the first impressions, let's see how we fare now....

The Wild Wild West

Yeah, it's been long - but guess what - I have been busy, but this time, busy holidaying :). Holidaying in the far far west - the desert state of Arizona.
And here I come only to share with you the striking aspects of my vacation so far!

The summer months - May onwards - are dry and hot and when I say hot, I don't mean the pleasant English summer but the dry, dehydrating heat - If you are from Delhi or around and have experienced the months from April to August, you know exactly what I am talking about. Add to that the direct sun that is in your face for almost 15 hours a day - 7 days a week!
The skies are usually bright and clear with the occasional clouds over the distant southwestern mountain ranged that make for a breathtaking sight especially at sunsets.


What is also awe-inspiring are the huge cacti - tall and stately - they almost form the state emblem of AZ!


I have been in and around the cities of Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe and Chandler, and the best touristy thing that we did was a visit to Rawhide - an old time western town complete with cowboys, bounty hunters, and guns!


A promising fun package, Rawhide is the closest you can get to the authentic rustic and adventurous life in the 1880's. And here's their theme song for you to get the precise feel I wish to convey :)...



For more details on the attractions, see rawhide.com. And if you are anywhere around, you sure don't want to give this one a miss!

"...
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them doggies movin' Rawhide!
..."

Sun, Sand and Sea

(Aside: The coincidental alliteration in the last two post titles is unintentional, though I think it makes for interesting captions :).)

This post is an ode (yet again :p) to the much hyped and self-advertised, though well deserved, holiday in California recently.

I have realized that I can never get enough of the sand and the sea (the sun can wait); though, ideally, my allegiance should lie with the hills considering my ancestry is rooted in the Kumaon hills of Uttaranchal. I think I was a born non-conformist :D.

I do not doubt the majestic grandeur of the Himalayan ranges – awe-inspiring, heavenly. And I’d dare not compare it with the blue of the luscious oceanic waters. But the fact of the matter remains that I love the sea and would rather spend a vacation at the beach than the hills.

(Wonder if this had anything to do with my falling in love with a South Indian living in a beach city *wink*).

I can spend a lifetime gazing at the waves – how, at the horizon, waves form a huge, all-devouring monster only to come crashing down at the coast – how the timid waves also make their way through the mayhem to reach the shore – how all the waves recede leaving shells behind while keeping the marine secrets to themselves.

The infinite and eternal quality of the ocean is exalting and intimidating in the same breath. I don’t know if I am secure at the shingle or am losing out on so much that’s happening somewhere in the mystic waters. My life – all these years – where do they stand in contrast to the might of the blue abundance? A drop in the ocean, they say; what worth is nothing but a drop?

It is in the pelagic solitude that I have found both - greatly soothing peace and the deepest of turbulence within.

Leaving you with some images (and emotions, if you can find them) that I have captured at the various “sun-sand-sea” vacations…

(P.S. The only flip side of such a vacation is the awful tan we Indians get – While the rest of the world turns pretty shades of pink and peach, we become brown and black – Am at present under the influence of a reasonably strong sun tan and am doing my best to get rid of it. Will try doing a post if and when I am successful and pass on the tips and tricks!)

Phuket easily qualifies as the best beach holiday destination I have ever had. The colors so rich, the sun so warm, the sand so magnificent. I have a soft corner for white sands.

In India, no better haven for those smitten by the waters than Goa. Mumbai is hardly okay. Chennai is dirty. I have heard the Andamans, Trivandrum and Kerela are beautiful – these are still on my must-see!

California beaches are a lot of fun.

A dockyard at the shore makes a picturesque sight too!

The sea at its sinister best…I am sold to the concept of piers…

Undeniably, the best moments at the beach are the sunrises and the sunsets.

The rich hues pacify the frayed nerves and rejuvenate the senses dulled by the monotony of everyday life.

There’s a long list of places I must go to satiate the water person in me (though I must admit I am not a water sports person – so no snorkeling etc for me) – Hawaii, Miami, Andamans...

Which ones make it to your list?

The Sin City

Las Vegas has been on my list of must dos since a long time now, so when finally Vish and I got down to making the trip, I was super kicked!

Road trips are always fun in the US thanks to the wonderful infrastructure that provides for basic amenities that human beings would require on a travel – food and restrooms!

As we left balmy coastal California for one of largest deserts – Mojave in California, and of course Nevada itself - the change in scenery was prominent. The elegant palm trees gave way to stunted shrubs, cacti and prickles, as I learnt, white cotton wool over a blue spread covering the barren mountains also make a picturesque site.

After a 5 hour drive, the fabulous city of Vegas welcomed us. There was an unmistakable sense of excitement and abandoned gaiety (no pun intended) in the air. So I was at THE Entertainment Capital of the World – true to its word, the sin city offers everything it promises – glamour, glitz, gaming, fine dining and a truly high end shopping experience.

The Venetian is undoubtedly the classiest and the most happening (and Vish will add the most expensive :)) hotel I have ever stayed at. Everything about the hotel was awe-inspiring – beautifully done up scaffolding, the Grand Canal, the Gondola, Madame Tussauds, casinos – It took us a couple of hours just here!

I will not get into details of what the attractions at The Strip are – just about everything is available on the Internet and trust me when I say that all what they show in the movies – The Hangover, What happens in Vegas, and the many others IS absolutely true :D.

Vegas is, in many ways, the embodiment of what the big American dream means to most outsiders – fast money, instant gratification, an oasis in the middle of a desert, convenient morality, enabling anonymity – the chimera of the Midas touch.

It also, at multiple levels, exposes the shallowness of a whole civilization of people that most of us – across the world – represent. Short lived relationships, compromised solutions to problems we don’t even try to understand, complicated sensibilities, the rat race to own it all, the enchantment of the blinding neon lights fading into obliviousness in the reality of the day, the urge to risk it all in a gamble and the obsession to not let go, the irony of doing whatever it takes to get inside a limo and then rolling up the darkened window to avoid recognition.

We have learnt societal and political diplomacy – aren’t, so very often, our smiles and polite nothings as fake as the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty that adorn the Las Vegas boulevard?