Majestic Manali

Alex and the Himalayas

The Manu Allaya Resort is named after the original name of Manali. Legend has it that the god, Manu, rescued an ark after a huge flood and brought it to rest in the valley between the Himalayas (does the story sound familiar?). The area was originally called Manu Allaya and eventually the name transformed to Manali. The myth still seeps into the mountain culture today, and whether you believe it or not, you can tell by looking around that Manali is a beautiful, majestic place.

We enjoyed a full breakfast at an outdoor table of the resort's “Cafe Jardin” and sipped some perfectly brewed black tea. Our favorite item on every breakfast menu seems to be toast with butter and jam, but they also served omelets-to-order and chicken sausage (Alex took 8 pieces!). The temperature in town was perfect—not to hot and not to cool. We wore shorts and carried light jackets—that we only really needed if we were planning to sit in the shade. We met K-Singh at 9:00am and were not really sure what the day held for us.

A few minutes down the road, we detoured to a small area called Vashisht. It was the closest market area to our hotel and K-Singh mentioned a temple that was at the top of the road. Little did he know that we would end up spending the greater part of our two days in Manali in this little village. We walked up the winding road and passed the shops lining the streets. The Himalayan Extreme Center seemed welcoming, so we stopped in to see what sort of “Extreme Adventures” they offered. The man at the desk was obviously foreign to India and spoke with a French accent (we later discovered he was Swiss). He gave us a map of the valley and pointed out all of the local hot spots. He also told us about “Canonying”--it sounded fun but we weren't sure of our plans so we held off in our decision.

Waterfall in Vasisht

Following his suggestion, we continued to walk past the temple at the end of the village, and wound our way through the backstreets. We passed cows and locals who were gathered for laundry day at the town spigot. Continuing, the path started to weave its way through the pine forest. Some villagers who were taking their cows on a little stroll (to where I don't know!) passed us as we stopped to admire the beautiful mountain view. The path rose and led us by a few local guest houses with cheap rooms but amazing ambiance. Eventually, the trail opened and we looked up to find water cascading its way down a sever in the mountain. The sound of rushing water filled the air and we breathed in the pine-scented fresh mountain air.

As we continued to make our way closer to the base, we noticed two people practicing yoga on the flat beach near the falls-what a harmonious place to meditate! We quietly joined them, took off our shoes, and climbed onto the boulder to get a better view. We sat and basked in the peaceful environment and soaked in the sun that felt warm (not hot) against our skin. We decided to make our way back into town when we were interrupted by a rowdy group of Indian tourists—who EACH requested a picture with us—we decided being a celebrity would be exhausting!

Rooftop Cafe

Back to the main market, the menu for a rooftop cafe caught our eyes and we alighted to a perch above town where we could overlook the activity below, yet enjoy some privacy from above. We ordered a beer and some “Finger Chips” for a nice snack and made conversation with Jonathan. He was an Englishman around our age and was rounding out his second extended trip (6 month) to India. He spent several weeks in Rishikesh, the yoga capital of India, where he studying yoga and tantra and was planning to use his new skills to become a masseur when he finally went home. We enjoyed hearing of his travels and his insight on India and life over a delicious cup of sweetened black tea.

Eventually, we bid farewell and meandered our way back down the street. We made a pit stop back at the Himalayan Extreme Center to book a Canyoning trip the next day. Originally, the Rhotang Pass was in the itinerary. Apparently, it offers amazing views of several snow capped mountains coming together. After talking to several people who said the traffic was some of the worst in India (and when an Indian says the traffic is bad—it must be REALLY bad), we decided to forgo a frustrating day in the car and enjoy a day in the natural areas around town instead.

When we got back to the car, we asked K-Singh to take us to “Old Manali” and 30 minutes later we were finally dropped off at the bridge. The traffic was awful, as cars attempted to make one way streets into three-lane roads and were unsuccessful. Finally, we were out of the madness and making our way up another winding market street. We decided to push directly for the Manu temple at the top and then leisure our way back down. Perched with his jewelry outside the temple area, we met a man who was originally from the Canary Islands, but said he enjoyed travelling around the world to experience the countries and share his hand made jewelry. Alex and I bought a few bracelets and continued to stroll back towards the bridge. We stopped in the Lazy Dog cafe for a snack, a clod drink and some Sheesha—oh and there was free Wi-Fi for paying customers. We relaxed and enjoyed getting a quick update on Facebook and making a few quick Skype calls—though it was 6:30am EST.

Manali in the evening

Finally, we poked into a few more shops then found K-Singh and went back to Manu Allaya to relax for the rest of the evening. We showered up and again found a spot on the balcony to overlook to snow capped mountains. We eventually made our way to dinner, where we listened to the live bad playing Indian music. The dish of the night was Chinese noodles-to-order and Alex and I couldn't get enough! We again enjoyed some buttered nan—Iwatched as they prepared the dough and delicately placed it in the oven. We finished the evening in the "Library Bar" reviewing a coffee table book of the top 100 world wonders--of course the Taj was on the list.

All suited up and ready to go

On Wednesday, we rose early to put on our bathing suits and prepared to spend a day in the water. Again, we headed to the breakfast area where the overly-hospitable staff helped us prepare a fine meal of black tea, porridge and toast. We met K-Singh, who was still confused that we weren't going to the Rhotang Pass, and headed to the Himalayan Extreme Adventure Center. A beautiful Swiss Mountain dog, Pasha, greeted us. He did not leave Franc's side throughout the whole day.

Franc packed some gear and we began our trek up the steep sides of the mountain. Traversing back and forth, Pasha led us to the top where we sat above our first obstacle and were instructed to gear up in our wet-suits. We were joined by a group of six Israelis who were traveling India for a few months, and were happy to find out that they brought their cameras--because we hadn't! Once everyone had squeezed into their gear and strapped into their harnesses, Franc demonstrated the proper method of Canyoning. It is basically like repelling: you attach to a harness, lean back, and walk your way down a waterfall. If you slip, or don't feel like walking, you can just sit own on your butt-guard and slide down to the bottom.

Making my way down

Alex volunteered to go first, and I watched as he disappeared of the rock ledge and into the waterfall below. I went next and confidently made by way across the stream to strap in, then leaned back and walked down a few feet. Once I made it half-way, a whistle indicated I should switch positions and slide to the bottom. It was refreshing to feel the cold water rush over me until I safely landed with two feet in the base of the falls and unhooked for the next person.

The eight of us, Franc, Pasha and an assistant spent six hours repelling through the falls and slowly making our way back down to the town. It was both a relaxing and exhilarating experience as we would take turns at navigating the falls and then wait for everyone to follow suit. We enjoyed the company of Franc and the crew from Israel as we heard stories about the medicinal plant the grows abundant in the valley. At the end of our journey, we bid farewell to our new friends and found a cafe to relax and enjoy a snack. We noticed that, unlike Shimla, there seemed to be many foreign travellers, but we still didn't seem to fit in with the crowd who all seemed to have dread-locked hair or don classic hippie gear.

Eventually, we made our way back to Manu Allaya where we had an appointment with the spa. Alex and I had been looking forward to getting a massage for two days and finally were able to unwind and relax with the soft music and melt under the aromatic oils that were rubbed into our skin. We basked in our comfort, knowing that there was a full day of driving ahead, and sat stem room to let the oil soak into our sunburned skin. A final night of the wonderful feast at Manu Allaya and we headed back to catch some zzz's.

Thursday morning we packed the car and bid adieu to our lovely mountain escape. The windows were open as the cool then warm then hot breeze brought the dust through the car--but somehow it just fit the experience. The car is actually pretty comfortable and over the nine hours I was able to finish my book while still taking in the scenery.

We finally made it to Chandighar, where the Lemontree Resort put us through more security than I see at the airport! The hotel was only a few months old, and the fresh smelling and immaculate room definitely showed it. We donned our bathing suits and went straight to the rooftop to enjoy the pool and wonderful view of....the construction site next door and slums in the distance. We ate a quick bite and turned in for the evening.

Alex in the Rock Garden

The next morning, we prepared to head back to Gurgaon, but made a few pit stops in Chandighar along the way. The Rock Garden is one of the city's biggest attractions, outside the amazing green and clean city itself. It was a vision of a local artist, who uses recycled ceramics, metals, bangles building materials and more to build a labyrinth of sculptures and waterfalls. Every door seemed to be child-sized as we squeezed our way through admiring the artwork. It was hot and we were outside, so we made another quick stop at the famous Chandighar rose garden before retreating to the A/C of the car and instructing K-Singh to "Take us home!" I blogged for a while as the car bumped along the road. Alex and I reflected on the amazing sights and relaxing time we spent on our little Indian adventure.

We are looking forward to doing a little bit of sightseeing tomorrow in Delhi--then back home for a steak, or a hamburger, or both!

More pics here!

Giddy up, Shimla!

Giddy Up Kufri! 

I returned to the apartment on Friday at 4am IST and had a few hours to eat dinner, pack up my room, and get ready for a week-long road trip. We said good bye to the apartment and the others as we scrambled to get everything together by 6am. After a few days of nervous email exchanges and phone calls to our travel agency, we were happy when our diver called and said he was running a little behind. Since we weren't ready yet, we didn't mind the few extra minutes to prep—we were just glad to hear he was on his way.

K-Singh greeted us in the parking lot of Essel towers, put our over-packed bags in his car and invited us to hop in for the ride. Our little Tata Indigo is just the right size for a road trip in India and we started to spread out for the long trip ahead. We were excited to find seat belts in the backseat and K. Singh was a calculated driver. I know I have mentioned my feelings towards driving in India many times before, but it really does impress me. Our driver takes travelers on these mountain roads several times a year and drives for 8-10 hours at a time with hardly a break. K Singh was not the slowest on the road and not the fastest—and he passed with caution. We were pleased.

Since we were still not adjusted to the time, we curled up and passed out in the backseat. The car went from highway speeds on open roads, to barely a crawl when “diversions” took us onto the market avenues. People, cows and stalled cars were minor obstacles in the way as we began to climb the mountain terrain into the Himelayean hills.

We finally reached Shimla at 4:00pm IST and weaved our way past the hotels, busy stalls and car repair stands. Everything was built on the cliff ledge of the road and was impressively engineered on the edge. Not quite sure I would trust my car on one of the cliff side parking lots. There was some slight confusion when we realized our hotel was actually on the outskirts of the city—but based on the description of Shimla from Matt, Piyush and Sudeep—that was a good thing. We honked as we whipped through the wooded mountain roads and finally found the Marigold Resort and Cottages.

Walking the gardens at Marigold.

We were greeted warmly by half of the hotel staff and escorted to our cottage room—along a patio overlooking the valley. It was a perfect escape and the best part was that it was extremely quiet—no honking sounds! The hotel was...cute. It looked like there had been a recent attempt to upgrade the rooms but some slight finishing touches missed the mark. We were extremely pleased to be out of the car and have an amazing view. We showered in the wonderfully hot rain shower and felt refreshed for the evening. We took a walk around the property and enjoyed the beautiful gardens and fresh mountain air.

After a game of ??? with the concierge, we decided to go to dinner—a buffet of Indian food. Alex was introduced to buttered nan and became instantly obsessed. We chowed down on spicy dal, paneer and rice before filling to the brim and making our way back to the cottage where we passed out.

K-Singh and me enjoying the view.

Sunday morning we awoke to explore Shimla. K. Singh drove us to Kufri, where the man in the parking lot persuaded us to pay Rs760 for a horse ride to the top, an extra ride to the highest peak of Fugu and a return trip to the lot. Since we weren't given much choice, we saddled up for an exciting ride. Hundreds of horses were crowding the road, waiting to bring people to the top of the mountain. We slowly made our way through the mud and rocky pathway to the top of Kufri—where there was literally an amusement park in the Himeleyas. We avoided the go-kart track and instead explored the top of the mountain and the temple.

There were hundreds of tourists, but unlike other places I have been during my trip, Alex and I were the only ones that were not Indian. We got a taste of what it was like to be a celebrity as we could feel the stares on our backs as we passed by and watched as people tried to sneakily take our pictures. We were even asked to be in “snaps” with people or hold their baby for a picture.

Top of Kufri

We hopped back on the horse and left the crowded trails from the parking lot for a 1.5 hour trail ride through the tiered gardens to the highest peak in the area. We slowly made our way past a small village and admired the farms overlooking the scenic mountains. We finally reached Fagu and climbed to the top just as it began to rain. Luckily, it was over in just a few minutes and we made our way back down the mountain, all the way to K. Singh patiently waiting for us to return.

We again carved our way along the steep mountain roads to the main area of Shimla. K-Singh dropped us off at the highest place that cars can go. From here we waited in line to board a series of lifts that would take us to Scandal Square and the main area in town. We were on a mission to visit the Jahku temple before it was too dark to drive home, and this required us to move quickly up the mountain path that lead us there. Per the advice of Javed and the tour books, we rented sticks for Rs20 and made our way into monkey territory to visit the money temple. Many of the little guys were hanging out along the trail and we made sure to use our sticks as warnings, walk quickly and avoid eye contact. For the most part, they were lazily relaxing along the way, keeping an eye out for anyone that might have food that could be snatched.

The monkey god.

I finally made my way to the top as Alex encouraged me to get it in gear and we were standing at the base of a towering orange statue of the monkey god and several little buddies running around. We watched as one unsuspecting tourist had his glasses snatched from his face. The monkey thief chewed on them for a little while before realizing they were not that exciting and tossing them across the square. I decided to keep my eyes peels, my camera close an my walking stick ready.

We were happy to make our way back down the mountain and sipped on a cold Pepsi as we strolled through the Shimla Mall Street. After a long day, we were ready to meet back with K.Singh and make the drive back to the Marigold. Just as we entered the cottage, the thunder began and the pitter patter of evening rain helped us relax from our long day.

We woke up early this morning and ordered an American breakfast of toast a porridge to the room. K. Singh wanted to get on the road early and we soon realized that Shimla had quite a bit of traffic on a Monday morning. Finally, we made it out of the town, but weren't really moving much faster as we twisted along the mountain roads next to other tourists and painted trucks. It took 10 hours before we saw the snow capped mountains and entered the Manali hill station. We were psyched to pull up to the Manu Allaya resort, sitting serenely above the hustle of lower Manali and offering a gorgeous view of the mountain top.

We enjoyed a gin and tonic cocktail before a delicious buffet dinner. Alex was ecstatic to see make-your-own pasta on the menu and was thrilled to have something non-Indian. I was just excited to eat some grilled chicken. We found out they have Internet—though an extremely slow connection—so I decided to update the blog before I forget anything.

We have a big 2 days in Manali ahead of us then back to the States! More pics here.

Phir Milenge

AJ and Me at the office.

My last week in Gurgaon came and went so quickly, just like the entire eight week stay. Alex worked from the apartment while I went to the office. We ordered food from Puni every night (and had to wake Anil to use the microwave upstairs as ours was broken) On Tuesday, Alex came to Cyber City for dinner and I got to introduce him to the office. I was fun showing him what my daily routine was like and I introduced him to Costa Coffee.

On Thursday, Erin, Alex and I woke up early 12:00pm IST [2:30am EST] and asked Anil to take us to Delhi. His mom owns a boutique in a popular shopping area and we wanted to look around. All of the jewelry was beautiful! There were trays and trays of sparkling rings, necklaces, earrings and more. The three of us went a little wild and ended up with some amazing souvenirs. FabIndia was right next door so we decided to check it out. It is like the Urban Outfitters of India and there were 3 floors of Indian clothing and jewelery. I bought a few Indian spices and a blouse for my Saree—just in time.

Saree

When I got to the office I went to the bathroom to try my hand at wrapping a saree. I bought one in Jaipur and wanted to wear it before I left India—seeing that I had 2 days left in the office, I decided to wear it to work. Apparently I didn't do a very good job because Prachi started cracking up as soon as she saw me. She whisked me back to the bathroom and the attendant pulled 4 pins from her purse and created a scene while expertly wrapping me up. Apparently you are supposed to wear a special skirt underneath so getting it to stay up was a tough task but they eventually work it out and I waddled my way around the rest of the day. I have a whole new appreciation for the women who wear them all the time—taking the bus, walking in the market, carrying their kids. Its so beautiful but it felt like I was going to unravel in any moment.

Nitin and me--ballers!

Before I knew it, Friday had arrived. I barely had the chance to sleep the night before because I had started packing and I knew it was going to be a long day of farewells. I finalized a few things at work and went around to say “Phir Milenge” [See you again] to everyone. I am so glad to have had the chance to meet and spend time with my colleagues and now friends in India. I know we will continue to work together in one way I will “see everyone again” when I log into spark and email on Monday, but I do hope to stay in touch and maybe make it back again someday.

The day wrapped up and the “newbies” pulled me into the training room. They surprised me with a delicious cake and a going away gift—a painting of an Indian wedding processional. They described that the seated bride was carried away by the groom and others and that the picture was actually of a farewell—how fitting and touching. I will really miss these guys and know that in a few weeks the are going to be independent product consultants and great assets to Cvent.

What an awesome eight weeks.

See more pics here.

The Calm before the Storm

Taj Mahal

I know it has only been a few days since my last post, but I want to get back in the routine because I have a feeling that it is going to get crazy here over the next 2 weeks! Alex arrived at midnight IST on Friday. I took a few hours off work to meet him at the airport. Luckily, his first flight to Frankfurt and connecting flight to Delhi were right on time and he soared through customs. Suresh and I spotted him through the windows of the Costa Coffee in the international arrivals terminal and signaled him to meet us outside. We went back to the apartment and got him all settled and showered.

The apartment-mates were hanging out and celebrating the last few hours of Jasmin and Dave's time in India. Alex got to meet the group and a few other Cventers and started to enjoy the life of Essel Towers. He was pretty tired, so we called it a night around 6am.

The alarm went off at 11am and I immediately ordered some breakfast in bed. Alex got his first taste of Puni's tea and omelets. We had planned to go into Delhi for part of the day--but plans were spoiled when I ended up falling back asleep after breakfast. Alex let me sleep because I was still recovering from being sick and he relished the chance to read up on India in his tour book. When we finally stirred, we made a snacks run to the convenience store and made plans with Erin to go for dinner in Delhi.

Amour Rooftop in Hauz Khas

We decided on Amour, a rooftop cafe in Hauz Khas village that has a wood burning grill and a lounge overlooking the park. The three of us made our way to a table and were just about to enjoy the beautiful evening when massive drops of rain started falling. We quickly gathered our things and ran inside to wait it out a few minutes. When we requested to continue our evening on the roof--the waiters agreed--with hesitation and "at our own risk". We upgraded to a better view and continued to order wood-oven pizza, a salad and crepes.

The wind started picking up again and the heat lightning was streaking the sky. Just as we were considering the possibility of moving inside, a huge gust of wind knocked my drink straight off the table--and it was still full! We quickly gathered our items and took solace inside to finish up. It finally seemed to clear up, so we went back in search of Suresh to take us to our final stop of the night.

A "retro" band was playing at the Blue Frog club in Delhi, so we met up with Prachi, Ana, Kamal, Chris and Patrick for some grooving and dancing. The band was a blast and the venue was perfect. In addition to the bars and band inside, there was a patio and rooftop area outside--plenty of space to explore. We had a blast singing along to the music and dancing with the group. It was the perfect Saturday night out in Delhi--my last one!

Sparing 45 minutes to refresh, Alex and I arrived home with just enough time to switch gears and join our driver to make the journey to the Taj. Unfortunately, the expressway that will allow you to get from Delhi to Agra in an hour and thirty minutes is set to be inaugurated in late June--so we were stuck with the current route leading us through all of the villages along the way.

Alex was introduced to driving in India at the max. Per usual, there were no seat belts and our driver seemed to enjoy playing out his own "Fast and Furious" situations. He would be speeding along at 120km/hr and maneuver his way through the tightest gaps he could find. Alex soon realized that our plans for sleep were completely washed away, as it was too terrifying to close an eye. It was worth sacrificing some sleep to ehlp keep our driver awake--there wasn't even a radio to do the trick.

Taj Mahal reflection

In a relatively speedy 3.5 hours, we arrived at the west gate of the Taj and were immediately bombarded with people asking if we wanted a guide or a Taj Mahal snow globe. We kept our heads down and sternly pushed our way ahead until we got to the ticket counter. One particularly aggressive, yet friendly guide, offered his services and we decided, "why not?". He came in handy as I went through security and the guard searching my bag refused to let Mini Mimi enter. I don't know what is so threatening about an adorable paper cartoon doll...but it was not allowed and my lack of sleep and clear sentiment allowed tears to come to my eyes. Never fear, Adil was there. He offered to leave her outside the gate in a safe place where we could retrieve her later--and he was worth every rupee at that moment.



Adil toured us around and told us about the history of the "Crown Palace" and the architecture. In addtion to his facts about the Taj he seemed to really enjoy photography--and looked the part too! He directed us to every imaginable photo spot, asked us to pose and crouched around until he got the perfect shot. Even though it was barely 9am as we were leaving, the heat was rising and we were glad that we made it an early morning! We thanked Adil for his tour and got back into a bike rickshaw (that the diver pushed uphill!) to make our way to the parking lot.



Alex at the Agra Fort

We made our way to the nearby Agra Fort. This is the protection turned palace that held the man who built the Taj Mahal a prisoner from himself for the final 8 years of his life. It is a beautiful combination of red sandstone and marble. There are amazing views of the Taj in the distance. Alex and I explored the grounds for an hour before we were ready to get on our way. The morning could not have gone smoother--we left at 4:15amIST and had thoroughly explored Agra's two greatest attractions by 11:30am IST. Unfortunately, the second half of the trip was a little...bumpy.



Alex and our driver at the "Baby Taj"



We drove circles around Agra looking for a restaurant that had been recommended to us. We could not find it and Alex and I eventually decided that we were content with our snacks anyway--we just wanted to go home! Our driver made a "quick stop for a picture" at the "Baby Taj"--a place of worship honoring a guru that passed away last month. We were pleasantly greeted by the staff, and before we knew what was happening, we were being escorted in and around the temple, across the street to the sacred cow sanctuary and through the village to the guru's dining area for food (thanks, but no thanks). Our quick pit stop turned into much more--and while the hospitality was appreciated--all we wanted to do with our lack of sleep was go home! After kindly excusing ourselves, we thanked our tour guide and hit the road.



Sacred Cow



Not 20kms further down the road did the sky open up and start pouring rain. The water was collecting on the highway and our driver pushed onward to make good time. Unfortunately, he took a wrong turn and we found ourselves on a cobblestone road, in the slums, in the rain. There is not a sketchier place that I have been--and while all the kids were adorable as they played in the rainshowers--the only thing that could have been worse was darkness.

Luckily, he was fiannly able to figure out where he made the wrong turn and we were back to Gurgaon and headed immediately to the shower. Heat, sunscreen, dirt and cow manure don't sit well on long car rides. We relaxed with the roommates and ordered a (spicy) butter chicken, chopati and fried rice dinner from Puni.

It is now a few hours in to Alex's birthday and we are trying to wait for a better hour to go to sleep. A busy first weekend, but I think it turned out to be a wonderful welcome to India for Alex. I cant believe that next week is my last in the office!

Click here for more pictures--including the Alex+Catelyn photoshoot at the Taj!