Gateway Hotel Surat

4 hour train ride to Surat was quite pleasant and on time -good start.
I was concerned Ash would not enjoy our time in the village and planed only to spend a couple of nights there. Last time I visited their idea of a fun day is to visit family members houses and drink tea – not quite the adventure we had planned. As we had not booked train tickets for our onward journey my family were very insistent we spend at least a week there, we agreed on ...

... Dad, son (23) and daughter (27) and we had a great conversation about Indian families, American families, trying to explain the difference between Alaskans and Americans, politics, presidents, corruption, education, paying for college, lifestyles -- man, just what I have been craving! The daughter talked non-stop and it was a blast :D I have to laugh though -- I can't tell whether her biggest concern was that my berth was the top one (bolted in just fine ...

... the team and guides retired to the Trupti Restaurant for a nice, leisurely lunch. Frank, Jeffrey, and I had dined there with the crime reporter from the television station we'd visited two days before and were nearly salivating for the delicious dish, Veg 65, which we'd tried. I noticed during the meal that every member of the team had reverted to using forks for eating... the newness of eating solely with our ...

From Frank: The two-and-a-half hour road trip from Bharuch to Surat was the kind where you notice every single minute, as well as the chaotic onslought of traffic from every single direction. Funny enough, after only a week here, once we're in the perceived safety of a taxi or service car, the traffic seems about as harrowing as a "Charles in Charge" rerun. Maybe not that bad. Our last day in Bharuch was just what the doctor (not necessarily Dr. Volk ...

The Joys of Riding ... 150 km into a trip from Daman, travelling north to Champaner (site of a Hindu Temple) my bike siezed. We stopped (we had no choice) on the side of the road, and parked up in the shade of a tree, under which a little Indian man was chilling, as they all tend to do in the midday sun. We struggeled to get the bike started, as it wouldn't even kick. I felt the bike loosing power over the previous 20 km, and though it ...

Four families comprising of 6 children and 8 adults started our trip to Kumaon region by August Kranti Rajdhani Exp from Surat to N. Delhi. We had already booked a 16 seater from Delhi, which was waiting for us at the ND station. We immediately stated for Nainital. It took nearly 7.5 hrs for reaching at Nainital. KMVN has 3 nice accommodation in Nainital.

... the ceiling to ring to let the god know that you've arrived i s'pose. The offerings are handed over at a counter inside the door which in turn are placed on or around the god. Then theres a biit of prying to be done and then monetary donations are made if you want, and handwritten receipts given. Something different to this temple from others and that is that there is a food hall set up and open to the needy and not so needy ...

... day I headed down to the town centre to watch the celebration. All the school were there and some adults all waving around the Indian flag. There were speeches made by both school children and adults some in English but most in Gujarati. I also got to meet a 'freedom fighter' who must at least been 90 odd. India gained its independence on ...

... the price (std practice in India) and his reply was my friendship would be enough! From the gym I popped in to see "Kashiram the Dokra man" and bought some balfi and dokra to take back for breakfast. Once breakfast was down me I was rerady to hit the city and caught a ride with Viral Shah on the backof his motor-cycle. Viral is a wholesaler of Ayurvedic (ancient science of herbal medicine and healing) products. Once in the city he showed me his office and handed me a jar ...

Just when I sorted a system to keep mozzie free during my sleep, I encountered a new enemy - ants! Tiny sure, but they have a nasty little bite on them and my bed is crawling with them. yeah!, a good time to move on and caught the next train out of town and headed up to Navsari leaving the state of Maharastra behind me and into Gujarat. Having just mastered 1-10, yes and no, hello and goodbye in Hindi I discovered that in Gujarat they speak Gujarati (makes ...