Monday, May 09, 2016

Pictures of My Travels: Qutub Minar, Delhi

I visited the Qutub Minar for the first time since I was a child, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.



Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Pictures of My Travels: Goa

This will be cliched. Just lots of beach shots.

Okay the first one is of the resort where we stayed, and the next three are from our bike rides.











Monday, May 02, 2016

A bulleted list of stuff that happened on my travels

Some of the things that happened to me while I was traveling (all from the last few weeks, except one old story), in no specific order:

  • A Rottweiler puppy bit me (no blood, but she got hold of my leg and it was difficult to get her to let go. She was so cute, too.)
  • A woman sitting near me on the flight walked off with my bag. I had to walk out of the plane and across the airport and find the airline desk and then see her walking past and very politely ask her to check her bag.
  • (She barely apologised, but I got my bag back on my own and felt like a fucking hero.)
  • A beer bottle fell on the dance floor and cut my toe.
  • I went back to my seat and my friend asked me to put my foot up on a chair and I hailed our waiter -- who had been extremely friendly all night and politely laughed when I knocked over glasses and my friends asked him to get me a disposable glass next time -- and the waiter promptly removed the cushion from another chair, placed the chair by me, and asked me to move my foot.
  • (Yes, I was bleeding.)
  • (My other friend got the hostess and she bound me up and I was fine.)
  • (It didn't hurt much, but it was an experience to be bleeding all over a restaurant.)
  • (It was better than the time my elbows were stinging and bleeding a bit on a flight because my then-boyfriend, who was dropping me off at the airport, and I had a minor bike accident but I was late for my flight and didn't have time to do anything to my wounds. The flight attendant - this was Indian Airlines, back when - got me one. single. Bandaid.)
  • I met an old bschool friend one night and we reminisced about old times. I brought up one of my best friends from those days and mentioned that he seemed busy and hadn't responded to my message; I'd have liked to have met him on this trip.
  • Next day, I ran into him at the airport.
  • I visited a friend who had just moved into a new house and I locked myself into the bathroom and couldn't get out until her little boy shouted instructions at me.
  • I had a weird, unpleasant experience when I took a Uber to go from Gurgaon to Delhi. The cab driver drove badly and illegally to avoid the toll, asked me to lie for him, and when we were caught and I sat in the sweltering heat in the car because one of the intimidating-looking men threatening the driver had taken the keys, I finally pressed Uber's emergency button and walked out. He then followed me and tried to get me to come back, threatened me, and then called me on my phone. Thankfully, the Uber customer service person who called in a few minutes (that's emergency response for you!) was polite and apologetic, and it was the middle of the day, but I was still stranded on the highway on a very hot morning till I finally managed to hail a passing cab. Oh and the Guy was informed that I was in an emergency and understandably freaked out until he could finally reach me. Fun times. (Everyone move to Mumbai, we have lovely black-and-yellow cabs with polite drivers.)
  • My colleague and I were at the Qutub Minar exclaiming over the architecture and eagerly taking pictures. Two different security guards came up to us to give us photography advice. My old Delhi lessons in being rude and snotty came in handy. (I said "thank you" to one with my hand up, signalling "stay away". He got it.)
  • I got on the Shatabdi Express at 6 - in the morning! - after being up partying all night and was clumsier than usual, so I spilled tea on the man sitting next to me dressed in white collar work clothes. Then I said "Fuck" loudly. Among all the vacationing families with young children.
  • My friend and I were at a pub in Delhi and he was encouraging me to talk to strangers and then decided to teach me how and we played dumb charades with these young women for half an hour and it was lots of fun.
  • Basically I have cool friends and I need to travel more.