Sur+fari in Sarqiya or What I did this Eid

The events described in this post took place on Nov 6th , 2011 in  Sharqiya region of Oman. For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'

After taking a dip in the ocean this week, I realized that I had not gotten nearly enough of the ocean.  I was hankering to get back into the water in some way, or just to spend more time in a nautical environment . I could feel my 'island' background calling me to spend more time against the backdrop of rolling waves and frothing whitedaps. As a happy coincidence would have it, I had been invited out to the Sharqiya region of Oman to go on a bit of a 'Surfari' with some friends.  I snapped at the chance to go out with them, and perhaps even learn to surf!

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Sharqiya is one of the parts of Oman that I have yet to visit, and there are a few things there I still want to see before I eventually leave. That being the case, I jumped at the opportunity to head out that way.

We left Muscat on Monday morning by way of the 'inland route to Asylah. We were ultimately headed for one of the few places in Oman that is renowned for surfing, the fabled 'Joe's Point'.

I'll save you the 'blow by blow' account of the trip.  Instead I have decided to put this video.  Made by Baxter Jackson.  This video describes the trip in an artistic mannar combing images words and music. The result: a tour de force synapsis of our Sharqiya excusion.


Enjoy!

Return to the water and ODC Alternatives in Muscat Oman

Photo by : http://www.flickr.com/photos/giveawayboy/503744564/

The events described in this post took place on Nov 6th , 2011 in Muscat, Oman. For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'
So today I got back into the water for a dive. It has been almost a year (the last one was in Jan).  The reason behind my not diving was mostly procrastination of the most general variety.  Though, I have been struggling with the high cost of diving at the dive center I usually use, Oman Dive Center.

I know that there are alternatives to ODC, but it has sort of 'dominated' my mental landscape when it comes to dive centers in Oman.  It has a great location and is very well advertised and marketed.

There were a few recent events that, well, 'broke the camel's back' so to say. First, the price of a two tank dive went up at ODC (now, it's like 50 OR). Also, there was a mass exodus of their divemasters and instructors (never a good sign).  With that in mind I decided to go out on a limb and try one of the other dive centers.  The one I went with was Blue Zone diving. There were some familiar faces on the boat (from the ODC), and it was generally a great dive.

We launched out of the Marina Bander Al Rowder and had a quick 20 minute boat trip to two of the usual dive sites in that area.  The water temperature was about 25 celcius at the surface and 22 at the nadir of the dive (13 meters). The visibility could have been better. The view was obscured a bit my detritus and flotsam in the water.  I believe it could have been the result of an algae bllom that washed into the gulf of Oman. Though, it was still pretty good.

Our first dive was at Mermaid.  nothing too out of the ordinary there.  There was the usual array of Gulf fish.  Truth be told, I was more concentrated on getting accustomed to being underwater again than really seeing anything (I did however cross paths with a rather large honeycomb moray). Toward that end, the dive was a success. 

The second dive was at another local spot called 'Seahorse Haze'.  This was more of  a scenic dive. We saw a sea turtle straight out.  It was about half a meter long, sitting on a batch of soft coral on the bottom. We also spotted a lionfish hanging out in crevice.  I was super stoked to see one, they are by far one of my favorites.  Another highlight was the worlds most giant starfish I had ever scene.  Unlike other starfish, this one was shaped like a perfect nautical star.  It looked like it was drawn by an 'old school' tattoo artist.  And there seemed to be a inordinate amount of clownfish around.  Everywhere I looked there were 'little Nemos' buziing about, darting to and fro.

All and all, not a bad return to the ocean.  So for anyone thinking about trying to find an alternative to ODC, I highly recommend Blue Zone.  It was essentially the same experience for about half the price!

What to do on a Weekend Morning?

The events described in this post took place sometime in late-October , 2011 in Muscat, Oman. For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'

 Just a little 'blurb' here... not anything too substantial, but just throwing this out there. 

So, I am here in Muscat, Settling-in and socially 'acclimatizing' to the new locale.  There is a lot to do here in Muscat, and compared to the other places I've lived it can be a little overwhelming.  Well, sometimes it's good to just chill out and relax. Sit-back and let it all just roll off your shoulders.  So, that's exactly what I did.  Everything will fall into place.  Sometimes you just need to smell the roses and let life catch up to your expectations.  This morning, I went for a walk along the beach.  The weather here in Muscat has turned really nice, and it's not too hot during the day to go for a little stroll.  And that, is precisely what I did.  I meandered leisurely along the beach at Shatti, and reveled in the morning beach-front scene.  :)

The Catwalk in Muscat!

From Splash Fashion Show

The events described in this post took place sometime in late-October , 2011 in Muscat, Oman. For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'


So what did you do this Friday  night(the equivalent of Sunday Arabia)? A question I am not used to being asked. Because, in the places I used to live this was a moot point. There was nothing going on normally during the week.  That is, if Matty Bobatty didn't have a party.  And Saturday was work.  This being the case, it was a really absurd question.  Being an absurd question, I had never really been asked it before.


But now, I really wish someone die ask me just such a question.  Because, I'd have a great answer for them.  I went to a FASHION show! Yes a fashion show, on a Friday! Not only that, but it was at one of the best hotels in Muscat.  A really swanky super-up-scale resort called the Shangi-La. I had a blast! It was a great time.

The show itself was put on by SPLASH, a Middle East modern-fashion house that (as far as I can tell), markets its wares to upwardly-mobile Arabs with money and limited experience in what cool is exactly.  So they tell them.

The Fall line was OK. It didn't knock me out. It wasn't special or awesome. The clothes and styles were, well, derivative.  But that is par-for-for the-course in these parts. The best part was the show itself.  highlights included:

• a lot of eye-candy
• said eye-candy was provocatively dressed
• a 40's inspired dance number by two attractive dancers dressed as stewardesses 
• A DJ that spun pretty great tunes throughout the show
• a interlude duet between the DJ and a live kit-drummer
• the fashions were also displayed by about 40 'average' looking people that won the privalige by lottery

Besides the show itself, the 'reception' was a lot of fun.  It featured a great little 'nosh' buffet, servants trolling the area with trays full of wine, and a dessert installation that had a wonderful assorment of decadent little treats.  The antechamber to the ballroom (where the show itself was held, was filled with some of the very young, up-and-coming Omanis and expat-locals on the scene.  Even though this is not what I'd call 'High-Fashion', it was truly an event which brought out some of Muscat's 'Glitteratti'.  It was definitely very "CIRCUS MAXIMUS' Plenty of people coming out, even on a Friday, to see and be-seen.  But like I said.... What did you do on Friday night?

The events described in this post took place sometime in June, 2011 in Nizwa, Oman. For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'

It is so ironic.  I have always complained that I never really see the Oman everyone seems to talk about.  Here I am living in the Hiterland, and I don't get to actually see the scenic stuff that makes Oman so different from the rest of the Gulf.  I also know that there is many places in the vicinity of where i live that should be in walking distance from my flat that are supposedly really great.

In the last two weeks before leaving Nizwa, I decided to literally explore my backyard.  I mean go into the area behind my flat, away from the market and the rest of the city.


I initally thought that there wasn't much there.  I had been under the impression that the neighborhood stopped a few blocks in.  Presumably at the foot of the mountains behind my house.  Boy, was I wrong!!!

It just so turns out that behind my house starts this community called the Falag Daris.  A falaj is a kind of aquaduct.  It was used by people in the desert to channel water from the mountains for personal use and crops.  There was a great deal there, right behind my house.  A veritable oasis so close to the sprawling nothing of the rest of Nizwa.  Dates, bananas, and all manner of greenery.  Houses surrounded by flowers and plants.  Pools of water that ran off into tributaries to irrigate the crops. You can find more photos here.

The people out there were way different too.  These were the people you hear about when someone talks about Oman. Everyone I met said hello with a big smile, then invited me into their house for tea, No, really they did.  This was the Arab hospitality that I had heard so much about.  It was a far cry from the indifferent tolerance one experiences other places.  Traveling less than a quarter of a mile from my flat was the equivilent to jumping to another universe.

It is a real shame that I only discovered Falaj Daris two weeks before I left Nizwa.  In hindsight, I could have taken my nightly walk through there, instead of trapsing through the souhk every night.  Well, looking behind you is always 20/20.  But, I'm glad I did discover it! It truly is a wonderful place of beauty.  If you are ever in the Nizwa area, I highly recommend taking a stroll through Falag Daris.  It is time well spent!

Wadi Bani Awf (in through the out door)

The events described in this post took place on or about January, 2011 in Nizwa, Oman. For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'

As  discussed in the previous post, the Spring semester of 2011 was unofficially dedicated to trying to 'cross-off' all of the things I wanted to do in the interior.  One off the big things that I still had not yet done was to visit Wadi Bani Awf. 

Wadi Bani Awf, is perhaps the preeminent off-road route in Oman.  It bridges Rustaq with Nizwa. Both places in which I had lived. Though ironically I have never been their. 

Wadi Bani Awf is usually done in one direction. That being, from Rustaq to Nizwa.  However, myself and Jared decided to attempt it from the Nizwa side.



Well, I found out why one generally does it that way. It begins with a 5 kilometer descent into the wadi that is very treacherous. I came to the realization that it is easier to go up a steep slope, then try and go down one.  Especially across rocks and extreme off-road terrain. 

We made it to one of the sections called 'Snake Canyon' before deciding to turn back.  It was  rapidly   becoming dark and that kind of climb is not something you want to do in the dark. 
Exploring Wadi Bani Awf was definitely an experience and I am glad I finally got to visit there.  The view was exquisite.  I highly recommend it to anyone who has a 4X4 and is in the Gulf region. You can find excellent maps and directions to Wadi Bani Awf here:  as well as in the book (insert title here).  Definitely a worth while experience.

...probably for the last time.

The events described in this post took place on or about January, 2011 in Nizwa, Oman. For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'

Well, the new year came, and with it I returned to Oman, on New Year's Eve actually. I spent the transition between 2010 and 2011 in the Bahrain  airport lounge. Which wasn't too bad considering they had put out a a booze selection for about half an hour to allow the guests in the lounge a quick NYE drink.  Of all the places I could have been, I'm sure that I could have done worse.  No new year's eve kiss though.  :(

Upon returning to Oman, I noticed that something had definitely changed.  I felt different somehow.  I think it was because I was staring down the barrel of what was to become my last semester in Nizwa.  I knew I would be leaving. Where I was going to though, well, that hadn't firmly been decided.  As result of this, I started revisiting places that I liked.  Knowing that I would probably never return to them. As well as trying to 'check off' those things I had always meant to do but never gotten around to doing. 

Shortly after the New Year.  Myself and two friends journeyed up to Jebel Shams again.  It was actually two trips.  One on a Thursday and the next the day after.  I thought I had lost something up there on the mountain on the first day. So myself and my friend Jared returned the next day to look for it. 

The second day was really the trip that was worth note.  It was actually a very cool experience, if not a bit harrowing and freaky.

 Upon arriving to the crest of the mountain where one parks and then walks a trail down into the canyon, we were beset on by the local children.  They crowded around Jared's truck and kinda of just gawked at us.  These were no ordinary children. You could tell by looking at them just how shallow the gene-pool is up there.  Millennia of all-too-close conjugal relations with family had produced more-than-slightly irregular fruit.  One of the children, the tallest and apparently the oldest had tried to talk to us.  We couldn't understand him at all.  Partly because of a condition that was similar to turrets.  But instead of random curse words that were interjected sporadically, he broke into a gravelly demon-like voice, intermittently throughout his attempts at communication.  This, coupled with his enormous man-sized hands, swollen, bulbous arm joints  and a very clumsy put together jaw that was slightly too big for the rest of his head, made for a very surreal experience altogether. 

After we had made our way past the group of children and continued down the path towards the entrance of the canyon, we were confronted by a wizened, desiccated husk of an old man.  With nary a half dozen teeth in his head, he crouched on a piece of ancient wood on the floor.  He wore a  filthy robe, and his skin was caked with something that appeared to be baked-on, or that could have been just the condition of his time and sun-worn skin.  In a manner befitting of a horror movie he began to point and shout at us most creepily.  It was very much as if he was shouting a warning at us not to pass.  This made my skin prickle.  I felt as if we were in a some kind of horror movie.  Like an Omani version of the 'HIlls Have Eyes'.  We actually discussed stopping the planned hike and returning some other time.  But, in the end, we manned-up and decided to continue down the trail into the canyon.

After suffering the initial weirdness at the mouth of the trail, we had no problems with the rest of the hike.  The view was spectacular, as always.  We did not, however, find the lost thing we were looking for (months later it turns out it was never truly lost). But we did manage to get a Yoga session in at the end of the trail.  Not bad, despite the trips ominous beginnings. Just goes to show, sometimes you just need to sail through the storm to find nicer weather.  Well, this was probably my last trip to Jebel Shams, and I'm glad I took it.  I wouldn't have time to take another such trip out that way.  There was many other things to do before I left Nizwa

Fall 2011: To everything turn,turn, turn...

The events described in this post took place on or about late Sept. in Muscat, Oman. For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'

Well, first I have to apologize for what will transpire in the coming weeks. Those of you (if any) who actually read my blog will have noticed that the events being posted about are a little 'out of date'. This is because I have not been a good little blogger and have not been faithfully recording events in a timely fashion as they unfold. There has been a bit of a 'lag'. I blame the lack of bandwidth (ie time) of reality. But, I have been doing a lot of 'stuf' and keeping myself busy with lots of 'blogworthy' things. So the apology conferred to this blogs readership is to cover the 'temporal inconsistency' in the following weeks (?). As there has been many notable changes in my life, I will be blogging about the present, as well as trying to 'catch up' with the gone days of 2011. So, please. be patient as we try and achieve this.



Thanks,

The management.

The first thing that is noteworthy is my change in employment. I no longer am employed by the colleges of applied sciences in Nizwa. I now work for the 'Flagship' university in Oman, Sultan Qaboos University. In the short time I have been here, it has already been a total pleasure. The University is just that, with all the facilities and resources one would come to expect from such an institution. Needless to say, it is a drastic improvement over the other locations in which I have previously been employed.



With the change in job, came the necessity to relocate. I now live in Muscat, the capital of Oman. My flat, which is pretty nifty, is located in a section of Muscat called Althaiba (pronounced Azaiba). I'm about a 195 second walk to the beach and pretty central to the city on the shore-side (It's right by the B on the map. It's pretty sweet not having to drive an hour-and-a-half each way to get cheese and coffee. It's a bit of a hike to work (25 min), but i think it's well worth it.


View Larger Map I've been here about a 10 days now, and am still in the 'settling in' period. I have loads to do with my new job and new flat. So, if you all will be so kind as to let me get on with that. And as I stated before, please accept my apologies for the 'temporally displaced' posts that will follow

Spice plantations, Elephants, and Temples

The events described in this post took place on or about Dec 25th-31st, 2010 in Goa, located on the NW side of the sub-continent of India.  For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'



Well now I really know why you should 'strike while the iron is hot'. I can honestly say that 'retro-writing' my blog is getting to be a pain in the but, and the more time elapses between the event and the post makes it all the more annoying and arduous a task. So please forgive me in advance for the brevity of the following posts as I try to catch up to the present.

When we last left hour intrepid adventurers, they were in Goa having a great time. In the midst of having a blast on Baga and Anjuna beach, they journeyed out to Panjim to look at the churches of old Goa...

During that time, our two eager world travellers took a perilous journey from Panjim to Ponda. They delved into the verdant depths of the lush Goan jungle to see what was to be seen. 'What did they find'? you ask. Well, they discovered the origin of the source of all the 'Hullabaloo' about India. It was there in the Sahakari plantation that they discovered... SPICE!!!

We ended up going to a spice-farm in the 'hinterland' of Goa. It was really great to experience the point of origin of all these great spices that I have been cooking with and tasting since arriving here. Learned a lot about spices and nuts as well. Saw a guy climb straight up a coconut tree and play 'Tarzan' about 20 meters in the air jumping from tree to tree. The only thing I really regret was not trying some of the Fenny. Feni is an alcoholic beverage made from either Cahews or Coconut. They had some of this on the plantation, seeing as they grew both of the aforementioned fruit on premises. I also got to fulfill a life-long goal, as well as check something off my bucket list . I RODE AN ELEPHANT!!!! Yes, totally did that!!! This took place right outside the spice plantation. It was completely frightening... but AWESOME. For a brief moment I felt like Hannibal. It was totally too cool. The Elephant was so awesome. Her name was 'Lucky' and she was a very sweet girl. It was one of the things I will remember the rest of life... One of the really great things was that they had the elephants trained to curl their trunks up in a kind of salute. This was really pretty impressive and cool. The handlers have them trained to do it in response to a hand command. This makes for great photo opportunities for the tourist... which I couldn't have been happier about! Great time all around!

On the way out of town, we managed to swing by some hidu temples. They were pretty great. My favorite was one that had a black statue of Hanuman in fromt of it. The people in and around the shrines were really nice as well. I actually left my Iphone in one of the temples by accident. I realized it and ran back inside, they had grabbed it and returned it to me. I was really pleased. Those of you who know how cut-throat India can be in terms of possessions and money can appreciate what I'm saying. But all worked out well in the end. After a great day, we returned back to Baga! A great day-trip indeed!

Panjim & Old Goa

The events described in this post took place on or about Dec 25th-31st, 2010 in Goa, located on the NW side of the sub-continent of India.  For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'

Although known for its famous beaches and bawdy night-life, there is another side to the Indian state of Goa that often goes unreported. Besides being a haven for various counterculters for the last 40+ years there is a a richer, less crazed side to Goa. This can be well seen in the states capitol city of Panjim. Featuring cafes restaurants, cathedrals and a beautiful scenic riverfront view, Panjim is a great place to go for the day.

Panjim is a bit of a hike from the beaches of Baga and Anjuna where we were. It wasn't even that it was terribly far. But, if you are familiar with how transportation can work in the 'developing world', even a short trip can be made much longer. In the end, we took two buses and a cab to arrive in the center of Panjim. We needed to switch at a major hub, which was the most difficult part of the trip. Getting directions in India can be tough. There's something in the culture that prevents people from telling you that they don't know something. It seems to be a shame or a weakness if you ask someone a question that they did not have the answer to. In this case, rather than telling you that they do not know, they will tell The highlights of Panjim are captured in the slide show above. We spent most of the time exploring the Catholic cathedrals and churches. Panjim even has its own saint, who is on display in a glass box (St. Francis Xavier)

The Riverfront view was also great there were some very interesting statues there. My favorite was some famous hypnotist.

So, if you are going to Goa, I highly recommend that you spend at least a day in Panjim and see the sights.

Enjoy!!!

Goa-ing to India for Christmas

The events described in this post took place on or about Dec 25th-31st, 2010 in Goa, located on the NW side of the sub-continent of India.  For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'
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After two days in Bombay, I can say that I was fully strung out. That city and its chaotic, frenetic insanity burned through all my mental resources in a matter of two days. At the end of the second day, I was entirely ready to have the vacation part of my vacation.

We started this journey with plans to go to Goa for Christmas and the New Year. However, we had a lot of difficulties securing the necessary transportation from over in Oman. That being said, we were forced by necessity to adopt a 'play it by ear, and see what happens' strategy.

During the two days in Mumbai, we were smart enough to hire a 'tour-guide'/taxi driver to show us the most important Mumbai sights. During this period he also put us in touch with a travel agent who was able to hook us up with an overnight sleeper-train to Goa on Christmas. So in spite of all the alternate plans we were coming up with, Goa was back on the menu. Not only that, but we leeped on it. Funny, how the original plan managed to figure itself out.

We left from Victoria Terminus in the early-ish evening from Mumbai. I was a little skeptical about this whole sleeper-car/overnight train thing. I had only taken this type of transport in the States and through Europe. I was fairly certain that it wouldn't exactly live up to those kinds of expectations.

The train itself wasn't that bad. The ride was really bumpy, the cabin was more cramped than it would have been in Western countries, there was no food, and the facilities were not 'up-to-snuff'. Outside of those little 'inconveniences' it wasn't too bad. We arrived in Goa at 6 in the morning. Got off the train onto the morning station platform, and met our first friend. A friendly little dog we quickly named 'Christmas'. Then, saying a quick but heartfelt goodbye to Christmas, we took a 'pre-pay' taxi to our hotel 'The Riverside Hotel' in Baga beach.

When we got to the hotel about 20 minutes later, the sun had already risen, and daylight broke upon that part of the subcontinent. Within minutes, the world renowned tropical beach hot-spot sprung to life. Where there were voids and absence, now there were tourists bustling toward the beach or going to find somewhere for breakfast. There were a bunch of orange robed monks walking down the street with there pet elephant. I immediately ran to meet them. This was a huge item on my list... Elephants. I met the huge thing, talked to it, got to pet my first elephant and even got to 'tip' it. Turns out the monks and said elephant were working for a local children's charity and were out on the town to drum-up donations. I happily gave a few dollars. They had already made a part of my 'Indian-Dream' come true. After my meeting the large mammalian quadruped and its handlers we quickly checked in, took care of our toiletries and showers and set off toward the town of Baga.

Bagha is a great big beach resort. You know the type. Bars and restaurants line the streets, there back-end lets out a beautiful stretch of beach replete with sun chairs, vendors and the usual resort-town vagrants. Small shops sell nick-nacks and cultural gifts and oddities, and tourist families pack the streets wandering to-and-fro making the street too packed to negotiate by car or motorbike. That, however, doesn't stop them from trying. After walking around a bit, we stopped into a place for some Christmas dinner and a few drinks. To my surprise they had Absinthe! After convincing the bartender that he should give me the bottle, the sugar tray and a lighter we indulged in the time honored tradition of Absynth. After about three hours, we were so drunk from that horrific stuff that we stumbled into the street and shuffled home. We needed two dinners to recover from that outing and quickly went off to bed to recover. We had a packed day of sun and fun in Goa ahead of us the next morning. The 'Green Fairie' had blessed us with a very good night's sleep.

Nothing says Christmas like mangos and elephants....

The events described in this post took place on or about Dec 23-Dec 29th, 2010 in the sub-continent of India.  For those of you viewing this through Facebook 'Notes', the original post is available on www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com. It will enable you access to photo galleries and other multi-media material which don't transfer into 'Notes'
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So.... It has been a bit since I have posted anything on this blog. One of the down-sides of writing a blog documenting the things you do is having to do stuff to blog about. So, you can infer from this that my life has just been chock-full of the everyday doldrums of life. Unimpressive temporal clutter that was just, well, not worth writing about.

Time dripped steadily, as it does throughout the Fall and into the beginning of the the Arabic Winter-season. The semester came to a close. Due to scheduling problems involving the Sultanate's 40th anniversary we were given a holiday that landed between Christmas and New Years. Sooooo... what to do, where to go.

After juggling a few of the different options around, I decided on India. It's close, relatively cheap and has been on the to-do list since I was a teenager. Ok then, it was decided!

(For those of you who don't know where India is, I have included a map for you below)

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The readers-digest version....

Flew into Mumbai, stayed there for two days in Colaba. Took an overnight train to Goa and spent the next 7 days there....

The first two days were in, as I said Mumbai. Mumbai is an absolute crazy city... I don't think there are proper ways to describe it except to say that it is the most frenetic place I have ever been. India functions by its own organic laws, that are more like general organizational principals of humanity. The glue-and-morter that hold India together are the gossamer threads of humaness. Outside of that it is hard for me to describe it in any other way. If you want to understand it more fully, go there. If you can't visit India, read Shataram. He does an awesome job of distilling and conveying the complex essence of that is the Indian sub-continent.

Above all, India is the most Delicious place I have ever visited. THose of you who know me, know also that I have a 'soft-spot' for Indian food. I eat and try to cook it with some regularity. I had a 'field day' here. Of all the different varieties of Indian cuisine that were available I found that Punjabi food was the biggest hit (my opinion). But there is so much variety and styles of Indian cooking that I have only sampled a small amount of them.

Another thing I really liked about India is the amount of nature that is everywhere. I don't mean the grean-stuff either, I mean animals. There are dogs, cats, birds, and cattle everywhere. Walking through the streets, hanging out on corners, sunning themselves on the asphalt or pavement, lounging on the beach etc. So to have dogs and cows everywhere was a real treat that really brightened up my vacation.
That being said the photo album attached to this post are photos of some of the most popular tourist spots in Mumbai. Included are the Gateway to India, The Taj Mahal Hotel, the gardens overlooking Mumbai, and its glorious bay. So, I hope you like it