Main > Photo Gallery > Trips > New Delhi Page 1
|
|
|
India? Again?
Yes, my long-awaited audit of our Indian subsidiary finally came around, after being postponed. I just can't believe it's been 9 years since I went to India, and now I'll be here twice in the same year. What's cool is the difference in the experience. Usually, I'm flying in economy with the chickens, staying with relatives, bringing my own bathroom tissue, and showering with a bucket of water. Instead, I'll be flying Business class, staying in a nice hotel, eating at 5-star hotels, and sightseeing on the weekends.
Sounds like a good trip to me. :)
Okay, now the fun part. While I'm in India, I'm updating this site, in person, from October 31st through November 19th 2004, so if you're reading this page in that timeframe, you're experiencing my trip about as "live" as I can make it. Every meal, every sightseeing trip, and every time my coworker Alex gets arrested. Enjoy!
I've recently fine-tuned this Trip page, trying to keep the wild, out-of-control rambling to a minimum. How? I've changed the formatting a bit, rewrote blurbs, and added pictures from my team members. Regarding pictures, I couldn't have done this alone -- Thanks to Regina, Mary, and Bhawana for sharing their pictures as well. Each of you gets a gold star next to your name!
[Legal notice: All names are fictional, and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidence. All gold stars were impersonated.]
A Passage to India |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
There is much to say about travelling Business class. I don't do it often, but boy, what an experience. I have to say that flying in economy takes forever. This time around, the flight time really flew by. What also helps? You don't just sit around before your flight, but you're passing the time in comfortable furniture @ an airline lounge, with free food and drinks. The flight can't be beat -- personal viewing screens, courteous service, good food. Oh, and don't forget open bar on the flight the entire time. Hello, alcoholism! |
All the food Alex brought. Like there's no food in
India?
|
Regina, Frankfurt, and unlimited Gummi Bears. Any questions?
|
Me, being a geek, working on my site in the Lufthansa
Business Class lounge @ the Frankfurt airport
|
Here are the loudest, most obnoxious Americans in Frankfurt right..... now
|
Heh heh, German
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
|||
|
Alex is hungry (Regina wouldn't share her Gummi Bears)
|
Foliage!
|
Even more foliage!
|
|||
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Finally at the hotel: Bhawana & Miranda
|
Wow, what a hotel entrance
|
The front of the hotel lobby
|
Hey, my room is all so European and cool
|
Nice!
|
Sunday was just a breakfast, and hitting the nearby DT and Metropolitan malls. Lunch at a very exotic locale..... TGI Friday's. Sigh, what tourists.
Sunday night, we had dinner at the Indian restaurant at the Hyatt Regency we almost stayed at. Good food, but took forever. Well, no one said Indian service was very good. Hmm, please don't give that tidbit of information to the companies outsourcing here. I don't want to bring down the entire Indian economy.
Anyway, the rest of the week was spent learning about the subsidiary, information-gathering, and yada-yada other audit stuff.
And to end the first week, we took a 2-day roadtrip to Agra over the weekend. Busy week!
Sunday |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
On our 1st day, we checked out the malls, and went to
dinner at the Hyatt.
|
The DT Mall in Gurgaon. Basically, small, but full of
Indians
|
Sunday lunch @ TGI Friday's: Miranda, Jorge, Regina
|
Bhawana & Alex "The Flex" Anello
|
Immense fountain pool in our hotel
|
On the way to the swimming pool. Nice!
|
;) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dinner at Hyatt restaurant Aangan
|
|||||
Monday |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
Just our 1st day in the office. Pizza Hut lunch, and dinner
at our hotel
|
Indian rush hour
|
The city streets
|
Cool architecture. Lots of foreign companies have stakes
here now
|
Our building
|
Another view
|
Tuesday |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
Lunch at the China Club (authentic Chinese cuisine!) For dinner, we were supposed to go out for a Turkish Food & Dance Festival, but the event was booked up, and the hotel was a 90 minute drive. Hmmm, at 9pm, better luck later this week. We went out for Thai instead at the Oberoi Hotel.
|
All the big companies in our complex
|
Lunch @ China Club
|
A different shot
|
Regina & Alex perusing the menu
|
Mahika & Sonali came to lunch with us
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Miranda & Bhawana
|
Dear Boss, we're working hard!
|
We took a 45-min taxi ride for Thai food
|
Cool ceremonial mask
|
Regina, your pad thai is bigger than your head!
|
|
;) |
|||||
|
Turns out, Cobra Commander was hiding incognito, hanging
out with our taxi driver
|
|||||
Wednesday & Thursday |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
After an especially grueling day, almost everyone needed to unwind. Everyone, except Wayne, took a ride out to the Hyatt Regency for dinner at the Italian restaurant, and drinks at the Hyatt Polo Lounge. Thursday was a long day (got out of the office by 9pm), so we just decided the logistics for our Agra trip this weekend over a quick dinner at our hotel. |
Uh, you know what would be nice? Knowing how to spell
|
Drinks at the Hyatt Polo Lounge on Wednesday: Don't
I look relaxed?
|
How the hell do they get a chocolate bar inside Mary's
croissant? Sorry, I meant "qua-sau".
|
Ah, fine dining in the cafeteria for lunch.....Domino's
pizza
|
Ah, who cares? We're hungry!
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
|||
|
We don't know what kind of insect it was, but do you
see how big it is? (that's Jorge's foot)
|
Here it is up close and personal. Hey, everything's
bigger in India
|
I believe in good service, but don't you think this
is a bit much for my laundered underwear?
|
|||
Friday |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
Hey, a cow in the left lane
|
Mary taking in the sights of Gurgaon
|
Lunch at the Metropolitan Mall
|
That's right, lunch at the mall. We know fine dining
|
The view from our conference room
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Hmm, snack time!
|
Your resident I.S. auditor (and onsite tech support
for the dweebs)
|
Work? Bah! What's the news on
joelipe.com? |
Oh Alex, so pretty
|
Bad! Bad!
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Hey Chirag, check it out!
|
Italian dinner at the Radisson
|
Hmm, thirsty?
|
Jorge & Alex joined the singers for an impromptu
karaoke session
|
Yeah, we didn't believe it either. Must be a Kodak moment
|
|
Saturday & Sunday |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
Finally, the long wait was over. We left for our two-day road trip to Agra. Off to see Akbar's Tomb, the Taj Mahal, and Fatehpur Sikri. We never did get to see the Red Fort, because we ran out of time. Still, a fun trip. BTW, the Taj Mahal is stunning. |
Our minibus, which we got to know very well
|
Jorge & Mary
|
[front-back] Bhawana, Miranda, Regina
|
Some fort in Delhi, but it looked interesting
|
Hmmm, traffic. This slowed us a down a bit
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
I hate the roads in India
|
Mosque or temple on the way to Agra
|
Hey, real toll booths! Too bad they ain't open yet
|
The tomb of Akbar, the 3rd Mughal emperor
|
Main entrance
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Nice grounds
|
The actual tomb
|
||||
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
|
You can see where the work is being restored
|
Down to.... the tomb! [no pictures allowed]
|
|||
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Our hotel in Agra for the weekend
|
Regina is.... a little tired
|
Bhawana is still in high spirits
|
Wayne & Mary
|
More of the hotel
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
My balcony...
|
where the jungle is just outside
|
The outside buildings before reaching the Taj Mahal
|
Within this structure...
|
||
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Is a door....
|
Where the Taj Mahal awaits!
|
My jaw dropped, and my eyes watered up
|
Talk about beautiful. Hey, what's that building behind
me?
|
Mosque on the property used regularly
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Same mosque
|
Check out the ornate work
|
You can see just how big it really is
|
I liked this view a lot
|
The marble facade inlaid with actual gemstones
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Look at the detail handcarved into the marble facade
|
[l-r] Miranda, Mary, Wayne, Alex, me, Bhawana, Regina,
Jorge
|
Bowling on a Saturday night in Agra
|
Here I'm posing at the Taj Mahal again
|
How exciting!
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
On the way to Fatehpur Sikri
|
A little description on Fatehpur Sikri
|
CAD walking through the Fatehpur Sikri courtyard
|
"We're walking, we're walking..."
|
||
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Where they played Parcheesi a very long time ago
|
Pretty ornate, don't you think?
|
Look at the detail in the wall carvings
|
I love the architecture
|
Oooooh, aaaaah
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
|
Guess who this is, surrounded by the Indian military?
|
Why, it's former British prime minister John Major!
|
Mary, Regina, Jorge
|
There's a joke in here somewhere, but I can't put my
finger on it
|
|
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
;) |
|
|
Nice arch
|
One of the my favorite shots
|
Indian street market
|
Didn't know what it is, but kinda cool, I think
|
McDonald's in India. Why bother?
|
|
;) |
|||||
|
Stuck on a minibus + boredom, add some cheesewiz = fun
|
|||||
Don't forget Page 2.