In Chiang Mai - June 11 2011

Everything relating to the wedding was custom-made. So was the breakfast – the 44 culinary specialists flown in from India took care of the palate of those invited and present. Had I not been conscious of being in Thailand I would not have believed that the Dosa, chutneys and sambar served for breakfast was made there. They were delicious and naturally, I could not stop with one or two or even three! The poha, the Bhatura and chole and everything else was so Indian in taste that one felt firmly ‘seated’ in India.

The first half of the day was reserved for local sightseeing. The Hawaiian Party and the Citrus lunch at the Shangri-La Hotel were sacrificed to flavour the local culture and history. I took the free transportation that had been arranged for the guests. First on the agenda was the Bhubing Palace, the winter residence of the Royals in Chiang Mai (usually between January and March), built in 1961. The Palace is set in a salubrious environment where the weather is different from that in the city, which is only 20 kms away. The Doi Suthep and Doi Pui mountains keep the Palace air nippy and misty. The entire area of the Palace grounds is a healthy walk; battery operated golf carts are another option. The log cabins, the rose and fern gardens, the water reservoir (where there is a musical fountain called ‘The Fountain of Celestial Water of People’ which comes to life by dancing fountains moving in sync to musical compositions by the king and beautifully laid out flower beds), the Palace itself and the biggest bamboo in the world are all sights to savour at leisure. Thai food and fruits can be sampled in shops in the Palace Grounds.

6 kms down from the Palace, at the foot of the Doi Suthep Mountain, is the Khruba Siwichai Monument. The revered monk was instrumental in inducing the local people to build the road up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in 1935. The Wat located 3000 feet above MSL is perhaps the most important landmark in Chiang Mai and is a ‘must visit’ for those who come to the province. The Wat can be approached either by the 300 step Naga stairway or by an elevator (it is a misnomer to call it a cable car – it is an enclosed, inclined elevator). It is recommended to go up to the Wat in the elevator and walk down the Naga stairway to experience both the accesses. The golden pagoda of the temple contains holy relics of the Buddha. The temple also offers an interesting collection of Lanna art and architecture and can offer lovely views of the city views if the day is clear. Perhaps due to its importance in the tourist circuit the temple is full of self proclaimed professional photographers. A few children had set up dance and music shows for donation, which was a pleasant diversion for tourists visiting the temple.

While exiting the stairway of the Wat I was besieged by vendors selling paintings and handicrafts. The workmanship of the handicrafts is of a high quality, I noticed. On the way to the car park I came to the ‘Jade and Orchid Factory.” While admiring the jade pieces and a magnificent wood sculpture called ‘serpentine’ I was invited to visit the factory by a pleasant young girl. I told her that my interests only lay in quenching my curiosity and not in purchasing. She took me around and showed me different types and quality of jade and how the craftsmen work on the rough pieces to create unique works of art for buyers from all over the world. In between admiring the local handicrafts and the jade I bought two skewers of grilled sausages for lunch. They tasted yummy, though I did not check what the filling was. I was attracted to a vendor selling gems. He took a ruby and cut a glass piece into two. But what attracted me the most was the ‘Burmese crystal’ that was white but radiated a bright blue. I could not muster enough courage to strike a deal – they were at a good bargain – suspecting that the gems would not be originals.

The next stop was at the Three Kings Monument, which is right in front of the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre. The Monument commemorates the alliance forged between the three northern Thai-Lao kings Phaya Ngam Meuang of Phayao, Phaya Mengrai of Chiang Mai and Phaya Khun Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai in the founding of Chiang Mai. The bronze statues of the three kings are seen proudly wearing 14th-century royal garb. The Monument marks one of the city’s spiritual centres and has become a shrine to local residents, who regularly leave offerings of flowers, incense and candles at the bronze feet in return for blessings from the powerful spirits of the three kings. A huge tent had been erected in front of the Monument for dancing and festivities. Young and old were seen shaking a leg to local instrumental music to seek blessings.

The Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre offers a kaleidoscopic primer on Chiang Mai history and culture. The Centre is located in a building of vintage architecture where the royal hall once stood. The beauty of this post-colonial building, Chiang Mai’s former Provincial Hall, is best appreciated from the second floor.

What I could see wherever I went were the smiling locals – no wonder Chiang Mai is known as the ‘Land of Smiles’ - clean roads, disciplined driving, greenery and flowers everywhere. The tuk tuks and taxis never collared you; they were extremely polite in soliciting a fare. Some naughtily announced a visit to ‘Thai massage’ parlours. However, I headed for the ‘Le Best’ once again for another round of neck, shoulders, leg and foot massage at 180 THB. The one hour goes by so quickly that I was tempted to ask for another hour of the same treatment! I reluctantly dragged myself off after the customary cup of Green Tea.

The Sagai and Tilak were listed to be at 7 pm. Wiser from the experience of the previous day I knew that the program would not start in time. But, habits are not easy to change. I landed up at the Shangri-La a bit after the appointed time and waited for the functions to start with a cup of coffee. The Lanna Ballroom had been done up exquisitely and a stage had been specially got up for the wedding related events and the RDB band (flown in from UK) and the VJs. The sagai and tilak ceremonies finally started at a half past eight. By that time I had made a few friends and occupied a table with some starters and a Single Malt. I was fascinated by the company of two sisters who had come from Bangalore. I admired their happy go lucky attitude, warmth and friendliness. The younger of the two works in the Administrative section of the Narayana Hridalaya and is almost exclusively in charge of their charitable activities and CSR. The two of them, in their Kancheepuram sarees enjoyed the programs to the hilt and were always there when the situation called for a few shakes of the legs and hips!!

The Sagai and Tilak were done within a half hour. The family members then occupied the stage with some skits and dances to ‘warn’ Shweta and Ankit of what they are in for. The MCs tried their best to drum up crowd enthusiasm, but it fell a bit short. The RDB was a bit too loud for my musical sensibilities. But it did get the crowd swinging finally. The food was in plenty – Amritsari, Jaipuri, Japanese, Continental, etc., etc. I left for my hotel close to midnight when I felt that the sounds emanating from the speakers would still my heart and the food would choke my gullet.

Bangalore-Bangkok-Chiang Mai - June 10 2011

The in-flight announcements about the impending landing and arrival requirements at Bangkok woke me up. There was no time for a bed coffee. With summer timing in force the time difference between India and Bangkok is 2 hours. The new Suvarnabhumi International Airport is not very exciting. It is a large facility no doubt with live orchids and quite a bit of greenery within the airport.  However, one does not get the feeling of it being special. On disembarking from the flight I headed for the ‘On Arrival Visa’ section.  A ‘morning walk’, albeit on travelators deposited me at a desk peopled by a couple of cheerful youngsters. Upon ascertaining that the visa would have to be paid for in local currency I submitted myself for a complete rip off at the airport currency changers. The premium is as high as 50% for exchanging Indian currency. After that was done what ensued was a horrendous wait of over two hours for issue of the visa. Wherever you are bound for in Thailand one has to obtain visa and immigration clearance in Bangkok. I soon realised that the delay was caused by a combination of less counters, lack of documentation and understanding by the arriving passengers. The Fast Track counter did brisk business, where one has to pay 20% more than the 1000 THB for the normal counters. I was short of the local currency and I had time on my hands; so I decided to wait it out. The queues had only Indians, in groups and otherwise. What irks you the most is the ‘Indianness’ of wanting to be the first in the queue even when you have arrived late. And, such attitude is not the preserve of brash youngsters, even senior citizens display this – is it because they feel that there is so much more to be done and there is not that much time left for it to be done in! After a patience and energy sapping wait of over two hours I presented myself before a young lady officer of the Thai Immigration. I presented all the documents required and waited for the necessary stampings on the passport. Instead the Officer passed me on to another as she was stumped and we could not communicate clearly with each other. Fortunately, I got my visa done soon with immigration clearance.

Another long trek took me to the transfer counter for Chiang Mai. I was in for a major panic when I discovered the loss of my travel kit with foreign exchange after the security check in. I ran out of the security enclosure in complete panic. Fortunately, the immigration officer stopped me and handed over the pouch; I had left it at her counter on the way for security check after completing the immigration formalities. With the anxiety of the loss and the relief of retrieval behind me I waited another couple of hours for the flight to Chiang Mai.

The flight was a short hop of over an hour – the distance from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is nearly 800 kms by road. Chiang Mai looked absolutely gorgeous from the air – a green valley surrounded by mountains.  Large tracts of agricultural farms, virtually manicured and geometrically laid out, was a visual treat.  Later I could connect the visual pictures of these farms with the lovely fruits and vegetables I consumed and the brilliant array of flowers that were so much part of the venues of the three days of various ceremonies connected with the wedding. High rise buildings were not part of the landscape – the city grows horizontally rather than vertically. The majority of houses have terracotta tiled sloping roofs and the blocks are well arranged. The misty mountains lend their magic to the city. While collecting the baggage i noticed a team that welcomed wedding guests at the airport.  Spectrum Events was in charge of all the arrangements for transport, accommodation, venue preparation, etc. They were very efficient at the airport, assisted by a group from Bellary. I was assigned a room at the Le Meridien and a transport allocated to take me there. The Hotel was just about 20 minutes from the airport. Another team comprising of Modi’s employees and Spectrum handled everything from specially erected booths that made the guests instantly comfortable.

After checking in and unpacking I was eager to schedule the next three days. I took the assistance of the Spectrum team at the Hotel. They drew up a two day schedule to visit the places I had shortlisted from the bits and pieces I picked up from the Internet. The beauty of the schedule was that I could cover the places I intended to visit and yet attend all the wedding related events; the entertainment related events had to be carefully chosen from. I sought the advice of the Spectrum team to go for a Thai massage before the evening program at the Shangri-La Hotel. With a naughty smile and a wink one of them asked me what kind of massage I wanted to go for. They seemed relieved when I told them that I had the traditional one in mind. They suggested a few places, but I had to get some local currency first. The poor rate offered for the INR came as a bit of a shock; against the official rate of 0.67, what was on offer was just 0.58. The USD was better treated and hence I exchanged that for the Thai Baht.

Just around the corner from Le Meridien is the ‘Le Best’ massage parlour. There was a long list of services advertised by the parlour. They had a promotion offer of foot, leg, neck and shoulder massage for 180 THB. I decided to try that out and walked in to a hall where a few customers were being massaged and many chairs were empty. A lady was assigned to me and I was asked to sit on a chair where my feet were thoroughly washed first. Then over the next one hour I was given an excellent massage that relaxed the ‘tough’ muscles and prompted me to decide on the same routine for the next three days too. It was then time to get back and get dressed for the ‘Thai Carnival’ and the many programs (including gaming and games of chances) that had been arranged from 7 pm at the Shangri-La Hotel. Before I left for the program I asked at the special counter where I could procure a local sim card from. Immediately I was given one with 105 THB worth of calls on it! All that would be necessary for the guests while in Thailand had been factored in.

I felt a bit guilty when I walked in to the Hotel at 7.15 pm, as it was a quarter hour later than what the invite mentioned. There was still a fairly large gathering at the High Tea counters and none to be seen near the Poolside, where the first function was to be held. I had completely forgotten the fact that the Indian Standard Time would be sacrosanct, even in Thailand, I walked around some and then decided to partake of the High Tea. There was a small offering of Thai eats while the Indian foods were predominant and all foods were vegetarian. The chat counter worked overtime.

A massive dose of rain ruined the most fascinating arrangements done in the open air. There was a fair amount of discussion on whether the program should be conducted inside the Hotel, more so because the Met Department forecast a 40% chance of further rain. However, by 9 pm it was decided to start the program at the Poolside. When I walked to the venue I found a man dressed like an entertainer. When I asked him what his repertoire was he told me that he could capture a silhouette merely by a few cuts of a scissor on a piece of paper. I asked if I was too complex a subject to start his evening! What he achieved in a few moments was nothing short of astounding. After he had finished, a lady who was passing by made a few positive comments and I could not resist asking if the comments were directed at me or the artist. I suppose she did not mean it at all when she said it was meant for both!

The program finally kicked off with the ‘Thai Carnival’ that showcased Chiang Mai handicrafts and the Lanna foods. The guests were asked to choose whatever handicrafts they liked as a souvenir. The perfumed flower candles, perfumed flower soap in a wooded dish, hand-painted wood pulp umbrella, hand-painted fan, coconut tree leaf hat, jasmine garland and handmade stone and gem jewellery were all on display. The candle making and the painting of fans and umbrellas attracted the attention of most of the guests. Another artist specialised in caricatures and I got mine done in the woven hat. The Lanna food spread was a stunning array of the most incredible vegetable preparations. I started with the delicious sugarcane juice and worked my way up noodles, rice, sattays, various dips and grills. I gorged on every fruit that was in sight. The Dragon Fruit was a discovery.

With the stomach looked after I settled down to the happenings at the Poolside. The couple looked absolutely stunning as they were brought into public view in a boat rowed by a traditionally dressed Thai oarsman. The floating of candles in the pool followed, which was meant to wish the couple. The music, the singing and the juggling acts all complemented the lovely evening. Personally I was disappointed by the two MCs. Through it all I had a couple of drinks and my head began to swim – a combination of exhaustion and the heady festivities. After a helping of a local recipe of the most delectable coconut soufflé, the fireworks and the display of gas powered air borne lanterns I decided to call it a day. The Le Meridien is a short walk from the Shangri-La Hotel. On the way I sampled a few things on offer in the ‘Night Bazaar’, which was listed as a ‘must see’ in the Chiang Mai itinerary. The wood carvings and the ceramic work of Chiang Mai are famous. I short listed a few items to buy when I have the time to bargain. Back in the room I found a huge hamper of eats and beverages; no effort had been spared to take care of the guests.

A Destination Wedding – 9 June 2011

If you had asked me ten days back when I would be contemplating my next trip abroad I would have laughed in your face with incredulity. Alas, mere mortals we that do not know what the new dawn holds for us! A telephone call on 31^st May set such an unusual string of events in motion that I am right now waiting for the gate to open for the red eye Thai flight to Bangkok, en route to Chiang Mai.

The call was from SK Modi, the Proprietor/CMD of BIOP, a leading iron ore export firm based in Bellary. Modi is exceptionally gifted in making friends and keeping them. I had made his initial acquaintance in September 2003 when I was posted in Hubli, then recently established as the headquarters of South Western Railway. That was the beginning of the iron ore export boom with China picking up anything even vaguely resembling iron ore to meet its commitments to build state-of-the-art infrastructure for the 2008 Olympics. South Western Railway was the star on the horizon with more than 10,000 rake indents pending for loading iron ore at various stations in its jurisdiction. Mine owners started amassing wealth beyond their wildest dreams, but few honestly accepted it. Modi was an exception. He used to narrate his early days of struggle when nobody wanted iron ore fines and mine owners were at the mercy of the consumers. He constantly thanked the Almighty for the riches that came his way. He used his extra finances to indulge in his passion for cars, tourism related foreign travel and experimenting with electronic technology.

Over a period of time we became family friends and I remember speaking to him on a few occasions even after I moved to Cochin after taking leave of the Railways. Thus, it was only natural that I announced my relocation to Toranagallu with JSW Steel as soon as I moved in there. He was abroad – not unusual. The next time I called him was to book a Maruti car at his Bellary dealership. He was abroad then too; he arranged to get the booking done.  He called up on 31^st May to invite me to his daughter’s Mehendi ceremony in Bellary on the 2^nd June. I apologised to him for I was travelling on duty to Chennai and Bangalore on the 1^st and hence, would not be able to attend the function. He insisted that I drop in to his office on the way to the Guntakal railway station. I could not refuse that.

In his office Modi told me of his plans to celebrate the Mehendi in a humungous AC tent with dancers from Brazil and Russia! The program he detailed to me for the wedding in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was nothing short of extracts from fairy tale books I had read in my childhood. He must have fathomed the desire in my heart to attend the wedding, going by the widening chasm between the two sets of teeth. He had made arrangements to house 800 guests in Le Meridien and Shangrila Hotels in Chang Mai. Group booking in flights to Bangalore to Chiang Mai via Bangkok was also done. He offered air tickets and accommodation to attend the wedding. It was too good to believe. And, as luck would have it, I had my passport with me for Modi to arrange visa. Thus, in less than half an hour, the Thai trip for a ‘Destination Wedding’ was given shape to. The final requirement was the permission of my boss to take leave (it was easier than I expected).

By the time I returned from the visits to Chennai and Bangalore all except the visa was done, which I was to obtain on arrival in Bangkok. The wedding invitation card is by itself a piece of art.  The invitation contained programs for three days in Chiang Mai.  Besides, it also had a travel kit which did not leave anything to be ‘found out’. It even had baggage tags and ribbons for easy identification of the group baggage. The ‘Travel Guidelines’ listed every little matter that was needed to be known and acted upon, including the amount of foreign exchange that must be on the person arriving in Thailand and the weather conditions likely to be encountered.. The wedding itinerary of Ankit and Swetha did not leave a minute for any activity outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Chiang Mai. I had downloaded information on places to be seen in Chiang Mai. If I am to attend all the programs I will not have any time for it till the 13^th. So be it. Attending the wedding and all its programs is the prime purpose of the visit.

Over the past two days I was more concerned with what I should pack for the trip and mentally trying to picture the likely gathering for the special functions. This can put a lot of pressure on the sartorial choices. In the end I discovered I had little choice for I had only to carry what I would fit into. Weight gain over the past three months in Toranagallu pared down choices to the bare minimum. The next issue was to arrange transport to the Bangalore International Airport. Here again, I was in luck. A Siemens engineer was being ferried to the airport this afternoon. I shamelessly tagged along.

The flight was scheduled to leave a half hour after midnight. Such flights are absolute ‘sleep slayers’. I reached the airport well in time to be told that the flight is delayed by an hour. After a dinner of Pizza I had over three hours to kill. I sauntered around all the Duty Free shops and even picked up a bottle each of Lagavulin and JW Double Black – only to be told that it may not be permitted into Thailand with immigration and customs clearance slated in Bangkok. I let go of the ‘liquid desires’ for I did not want to take the chance that could possibly sink me by more than $100. Rest of the time I spent watching late night news and working a tad on the laptop. The flight was full and it pulled out a few minutes to 2am from the parking bay. A most fortuitous journey was underway.

Some time into the flight – think it was 3 am IST – I was woken up for dinner; had a full meal over a gin and tonic! A strong cup of coffee set me up for a couple of hours of sleep.

Arrival in Bangalore and onwards to Toranagallu – 3rd May 2011

I slept so soundly on the flight that the passenger on the adjacent seat was ‘polite’ enough to give me unsolicited feedback about my snoring as soon as I awoke upon hearing the Pilot announcing his intentions to land in Bangalore.  I suppressed my sarcastic repartee and started worrying about the quantum of duty I would have to pay for the TV and the harassment I would face from Customs.  I should not have worried.  I approached a Customs Officer on duty and identified myself as a ‘superannuated’ government officer.  I was taken in by the politeness and the speed with which I was ‘cleared’.  While paying the minimum duty I ‘forgot’ to pick up my entitled duty free booze.  I had mentally marked to pick up a couple of bottles of Lagavulin.  An opportunity lost but money saved!!

Emirates had the chauffer driven car drop me at my friend’s place, where I freshened up.  I left soon, against saner advice, so as to attend office. However, my purpose was defeated as I almost drove into medians and off the road a few times due to jet lag.  I felt so sleepy at one stage that I decided to park in a fuel station and sleep a while.  When I woke up an hour later I was ravenous.  Fortunately, I soon discovered a Kamat restaurant and ate as if I had been fasting the previous 48 hours.  I took to the road without haste for I knew that I would not be able to attend office.  When I passed through the gates of the JSW township I thanked Him for the wonderful trip and for bringing me back safe and sound.

Finaly, a few Swahili words of everyday use for you: Lipa – Pay, Kwanza – first, Dawa – medicine, Duka – shop, Safari – travel, Hatari – danger, Njema – safe, Kinyozi – barber shop, Nyama – beef, Vali – rice, Mahindi – maize, Yai – egg, Mkate – bread, Gari – car, Dereva – driver, Barabara – road, Mke – wife, Mti – tree, Nyota – star, Moja – one, Mbili – two, Tatu – three, Simu – mobile, Basceli – bicycle, Choo– toilet.

So friends, Karibu Tena – Welcome Again.  I hope to do a more ‘organised’ trip to Tanzania, sooner rather than later.

Dubai to Bangalore – 2nd May 2011

I was free the whole day to explore the newer delights of the city.  That meant only one place –the Burj Khalifa, the tallest man made structure in the world today.  Quite interestingly, none of my friends I met in Dubai had been to the giant building that looked from afar like a taller Petronas Towers of Kuala Lumpur rooted on a single limb.  I got a drop to the Dubai Mall complex that stands at the foot of the giant tower.  The complex around the Burj Khalifa is awe inspiring.  The Dubai Mall, The Address, etc are classic styles in architecture and landscaping.  The Dubai Mall is a city in itself.

Walking into the Dubai Mall you feel dwarfed by the giant ceilinged structure and the experience.  Fashion houses and swanky stores ensure that the Mall has everything that good money can buy; it has everything you could desire, it has thrill, magic, romance and movies.  The Dubai Mall is the world's largest shopping mall going by the area and sixth largest by leasable area. It is part of the 20-billion-dollar Burj Khalifa complex and includes 1,200 shops.  The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo in the Dubai Mall has been acknowledged as the single largest acrylic in the world – it holds one of the largest tanks in the world at 51m x 20m x 11m and featuring the world’s largest viewing panel at 32.8m wide and 8.3m high. It holds 10 million litres of water and has more than 33,000 living animals including over 400 sharks and rays.  Dubai Aquarium's 270-degree acrylic walkthrough tunnel makes for incredible close-encounter experiences with some of the most fascinating underwater animals on the planet. A special 'lunar-cyclic' lighting system changes the ambience of the tank depending on the time of day.

The Dubai ice rink is another fascination in the Dubai Mall.   It is a multi-purpose venue which uses refrigeration plant technology – this ensures that the consistency of the ice-bed is maintained at all times - and has developed an Olympic-sized attraction. The Ice Rink has a capacity of seating 2000 guests with world class multimedia facilities including a giant LED screen.  This top class facility offers the best to train future generation of ice skating champs for which over 1,800 pairs of skates have been imported to fit children and adults of all ages and sizes.

Burj Khalifa was known as Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration.  At 828 metres, it is currently the tallest man made structure in the world.  Construction lasted over five years and the building officially opened on 4 January 2010 and is part of the 490-acre flagship development called Downtown Dubai.  The cost of the project has been given out as $1.5 billion.  The project's completion coincided with the global recession and Dubai was almost subsumed by its debt from ambitious projects and the Dubai government sought multibillion dollar bailouts from Abu Dhabi. At the opening ceremony, the tower was renamed Burj Khalifa. 

I was disappointed that I could not make a trip up the Burj Khalifa.  While a previous day booking costs 100 Dhs same day entrance costs 400 Dhs.  I did not perceive the experience to be of such premium value.  Hence, after drinking in the sights from the outside I set out to explore the Metro.  I bought a NoL (Road Transport Authority) card for 20 Dhs and was told that I could perform RTA bus and rail journeys for 14 Dhs, after which I could recharge the card.  I found the Metro very popular with commuters, visitors and shoppers.  The Metro links the happening places of Dubai and has good interfaces with RTA bus routes to link the rest.  This is the cheapest way to travel around in Dubai and is efficient too.

With the heat was getting to me a bit I had to get to the Hotel to cool off before setting off for the airport.  I went to the Panasonic showroom at the Fish roundabout and picked up the 42” TV which was on offer with a Blue Ray DVD.  With the packaging I was a bit shaky as to whether the Airline would permit it as check-in baggage.  The next stop was the Carrefour store in the Diera City Centre.  A couple of hours and many $ spends later I reached the Hotel and flopped, completely exhausted by the heat.  The Airline arranged pick up for the airport and I was assured by Nancy, the Emirates customer service agent at the airport, that the TV would pass muster as check-in baggage.  The first hurdle crossed I engaged two baggage clerks to take my baggage to the check-in counter.  The lady at the counter, with extreme politeness, told me that I have 19 kgs of excess baggage for which I would have to pay 1080 Dhs.  The baggage clerks cleverly pulled out a bag from among those I had planned to check in and said that two pieces of hand baggage are permitted in Business Class.  With one bag taken out I did not have to pay for excess baggage and only due to the alacrity of the baggage clerks.  I showed my appreciation of the timely assistance with a handsome tip.  All anticipated hurdles crossed it was time to it the lounge with a vengeance.  The food in the lounge was excellent and the drinks plentiful.  I helped myself to both in sufficient quantity and told the flight attendant on board not to disturb me till the aircraft lands in Bangalore.  I avoided all the in-flight hospitality and slept soundly on the flight.

In Dubai – 1st May 2011

Normally an early riser, the late night kept me in bed till 8 am.  The hotel has an interesting arrangement for breakfast.  The voucher for breakfast at the hotel reception costs only 40 Dhs against the 50 Dhs charged in the restaurant.  The spread was mouth-watering but the mouth could not take as much as it should have.  The waiters were mostly youngsters from Kannur.

After breakfast I decided to catch up with a few friends in Dubai and had to travel to Jebel Ali Free Zone.  The route to Jebel Ali was not as crowded as it used to be in the past when I made trips to Jebel Ali during my days with DP World.  Nostalgia welled up.  It was once said that the National Bird of Dubai is ‘Crane’ for Dubai used to deploy the most number of cranes per sq km during the boom time.  With recession having taken its toll and projects having been scaled down the roads and work sites seemed free and empty.  The commissioning of the Metro must have also added to weaning traffic off the roads, which is indeed remarkable.

After meeting up with friends I decided to scout for an appropriate TV to buy.  I was given to understand that certain brands cost half of what it does in India.  Even factoring in the duty it makes sense to cart one home from Dubai.   I had set my mind on a Sony and visited Sharaf DG in Festival City to buy one.  Once I walked into the TV section of the showroom I was totally lost and confused.  Every brand had its own merits and some of them came with bundled freebies.  Despite the vast selection I decided to go with the Sony.  The youngster handling customers in the TV section brightly told me that they would deliver and install the TV in two days.  When I said I have a flight to catch the next day he told me that I would not be able to get the model of Sony I had zeroed in on anywhere in Dubai within 48 hours.  So my challenge was to like one that could be bought to accompany me on the flight to Bangalore in the next 24 hours.  The next choice was an LG – again out of stock.  Then I settled for a Panasonic 42” that would give me a Blue Ray DVD free with it for 2499 Dhs.  While it was out of stock in Sharaf DG I was told that the Panasonic showroom near the Fish Roundabout would be able to service my requirement.  Thus, having finalized the TV to be bought I went to the IKEA showroom to scout for anything interesting for the new flat in Cochin.  I picked up some and was ready to leave when Binu (Mathew Zacharia) arrived at the store to pick me up.  Binu is Chitra’s brother, about who I had written in my blog of 2^nd October 2010.  Binu and I grew up together as neighbors for many years. We were the smart kids on the block during our times and have had our share of fun under the sun including many hours of ‘gulley’ cricket.  Binu is a top executive with the Kanoo group in Dubai and we share a lot in common, much of which I would not like to commit to a blog.  Suffice to say that I enjoy his company and that of Meena, Binu’s wife, who is the quintessential teacher that loves to be engaged in the development of the GenNext.  Binu is passionate about movies, cricket and football – he continues a family tradition.  He has downloaded nearly 450 movies in Blue Ray format from many sites and stored them on a 1 TB external hard disk.  The clarity of the playback is awesome.  I have requested him to copy the same for me too.  Even if I am not able to delight in viewing all of them the thought of having the collection is in itself a delight.  After a few pleasant hours in their company I insisted on taking a Metro ride back to the Hotel.

When the Metro was in the planning stage and later on when it was being built I got to see many artists’ impressions of the stations.  They were to have rivaled the Moscow Metro in grandeur.  The recession seems to have scaled back the grandeur for the Metro is very functionally designed and maintained.As in the West and in the Far East, the Metro is easy to use in Dubai and well mapped out for the debutant.

Dar-es-Salaam to Dubai – 30th April 2011

Having fallen behind on the updation of the blog I spent the whole morning translating the aide memoire into readable format.  In the meanwhile, I also got confirmation of my flight to Dubai.  The timing of the flight is such that one could not have utilised any part of the day more productively than what I had planned to do.  While waiting for Irfan and Omar to join me I scrolled some of the tourist attractions in Dar on the web and came across the mention of Mwenge carvers and tinga-tinga paintings. The description was such that I wished to see the art, if not buy some if affordable, if time permitted. As soon as Irfan and Omar came in I asked if it would be possible to visit the places where I could appreciate the carvings and the paintings. Omar, as is his wont, immediately jumped up and said, “Let’s go.”  He assured Irfan and me that we had enough time to visit the places, have lunch, come back to the hotel to check out and be in time for the flight at the airport.  It took time to get a taxi, despite it being a Saturday. The roads are relatively free during the weekends. However, after a while we got stuck in serpentine queues and traffic jams. Omar’s incredible knowledge of the lanes and bylanes and the taxi driver’s skill saved the moment.  We reached a small market place where the carvings and paintings are arranged in numerous shops.  Handicraft and wood carvings are some of the major attractions of Tanzania's tourism industry. The Makonde community who originally hail from the southern part of Tanzania is among those that have made it possible to showcase the carvings. Handcrafts and carvings are sold in some other places in the country but Makonde Village Market in Mwenge Dar es Salaam is supposed to be the best among all.The Makonde village market does a lot besides just the art of selling, final touches on carvings like decorating, smoothing and polishing work are done at the village market yard. The art work comes from places like Mtwara, Bagamoyo, Chanika and Kimanzichana. The carvings are incredible. The exquisite art in ebony made me spend more time than I would have otherwise.  I have heard that ebony is the most difficult wood to work on because it is the hardest wood of all. That makes the carvings all the more valuable.  The detail and the translation of skill to wood were awesome.  I wanted to buy all I could lay my hands on. But, ebony is heavy and I picked up just two pairs of wall hangings.  Bargaining is heavy. I paid Tshs 50,000 against the 75,000 asked for.  With some more time I may have been able to bring the price down some more. But then, art is art and the money paid goes to sustain the artists.

The tinga-tinga paintings are named after the person who started the ‘trend/school of painting’.  Edward Tingatinga began painting in Tanzania around 1968. He employed low cost materials such as masonite and bicycle paint and almost immediately attracted the attention of tourists. The paintings of African life are colorful, childlike and almost surreal. When Tingatinga died in 1972 his style had become so popular that it had started a wide movement of imitators and followers. Due to paucity of time I could not sample many and hence left the purchase for the next visit!!

I thanked my lucky stars that I left the Mwenge market tearing way from the lure of the tingatinga paintings.  The traffic jam had become worse.  Again a combination of Omar’s knowledge of the bylanes and the driver’s skill behind the wheel took us to the hotel in good time. Lunch was forgotten. I checked out in good time, but not before learning that they do not accept USD currency of vintage prior to 2001 in Tanzania.  The traffic to the airport seemed to get worse every 100 meters.  I started mentally preparing to stay another day in Dar.  At a couple of junctions we could not move for over 20 minutes. Omar assured me that it could be worse!  He confirmed from the Emirates counter at the airport that the counter will be open till a half hour before departure.  Sweat and exasperation all the way.  I finally made it to the airport with 45 minutes to spare for the flight.  I did not have much time to thank Omar and Irfan for making my stay in Tanzania memorable.

I checked in and was given a lounge card.  I hogged all I could in the airport lounge for I was famished and had expended a lot of anxious energy in the humungous traffic jam to the airport.  Accompanying the shorts eats and the single malt (!) was the traditional Tanzanian smile and graciousness. I boarded the flight to Dubai hoping that I will be able to come back to Tanzania for an elaborate tour of the tourist spots.  The friendliness and the smiles of the Tanzanian people remained etched in my mind long after the visit was over.

I spent the time of the flight watching two movies, Guzzarish and Pokkiri Raja.  I enjoyed the poignant Hindi movie with a power packed performance by HritikRoshan.  The latter was a slap stick Malayalam flick that had some laughs but was mostly forgettable. I did not have a visa for the stay in Dubai.  Hence, I had to check into a hotel to obtain a transit visa.  The process seemed to take forever, especially since I was extremely tired from the flight.  Finally, I checked into the Floris Grand at 3.30 am!  However, the counter at the airport had got me a good deal at the hotel - $257n for two days plus visa.  I did not wait to change clothes; saw the bed and hit it hard.