Travel For Two

Surrealism

Posted on May 16th, 2008 by k.
Categories: Asia, Europe, Travel.

Have you ever so abruptly arrived someplace that it takes a little while to believe you’re there? As we’ve been travelling so much for work and pleasure recently, we’ve had limited time to prepare ourselves—in some cases, places we would never have dreamed possible just a few years ago. To be fair, it often doesn’t hit us until after we leave the destination.

Moscow was one of those places for me. As a kid, Russia was always in the news. Sometimes for good things…often times not. To me, it was a place of fun, Disney colored domes and churches, strong hardy people and if describing as a color I’d have to say steel gray to London’s blue green. Granted, that impression has changed a bit since I began working with our brilliant and accomplished Russian client—through her stories and optimism, my impression has gradually adjusted.

After being in Moscow for nearly a week, I now realize that Moscow is more similar than different to the major US cities. Here’s why:

• Most of the city’s colonial and historic development was levelled during duelling administrations. As a result, most building are new (ala 1900’s).
• The people are optimistic and kind. While they aren’t of the American pro-active ‘ how can I help you’ variety, anyone will help you however possible when asked—going out of their way to assist.
• Products. They have many of the same brands that we love in the US. There are certainly new, local players that they will select, but the brand landscape isn’t nearly as dramatically different as I initially dreamed.

If I had failed to notice the written and spoken language differences, I could easily think that I had time travelled to Minneapolis or Detroit in the 1990s.

Click here to see more photos from Moscow

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Welcome to Moscow

Posted on May 15th, 2008 by g.
Categories: Asia, Europe, Travel.

It was shortly past 10 o’clock when we arrived in the Red Square. The dark sky had a blue luster from the sun just below the horizon. As we passed through the Resurrection Gate, the square unfolded in front of us. The majestic old state department store “GUM” on the left. The imposing wall of the Kremlin to the right. And straight ahead the brightly colored illuminated onion domes of St. Basil’s cathedral. We were really in Moscow.

Following a stroll around the square to take it all in, we tried our first sample of Moscow’s cuisine. Expecting it to be similar to the plain Polish cuisine we were pleasantly surprised with a pair of tasty dishes. I had a home roast which consisted of beef, potatoes, onions covered in a creamy sauce served in a small ceramic pot.

Sunday we hit the tourist circuit starting with St. Basil’s cathedral and then the Kremlin. We found it odd that a place representing such political power was dominated by churches and chapels — especially since religion has been illegal for most of the last 100 years. I pondered if that was by design to “distract” the tourist what really goes on there. K suggested that it is by calling on religion that leaders often justify they power. Or perhaps it is just that the churches are the only parts that aren’t “classified”.

Just outside the Kremlin is Alexander Gardens a refreshing and well-enjoyed patch of green among the urban jungle. In the middle of the park an army band played and locals from 7 to 70 gathered around to listen and dance. Observing monuments for World War II reminded us that many of Russia’s brave young men met the same fate as ours defending their country from Nazi Germany. In fact it must have been frightening with the Germans made it to the edge of Moscow before being.

Oddly enough we discovered that sushi and Japanese food are wildly popular in Moscow. Any restaurant worth anything serves sushi. We tried a place near Alexander Gardens for a good dinner. Just as Americans have their own version of Chinese food Muscovites have their own take on sushi — such as dessert sushi. You would never see chocolate sushi in Japan!

While this was a holiday trip for me, it was a business trip for K. So Monday morning we split up as K headed to work and I flew solo as a tourist which was a first. But we both had our own unique experiences getting to know the locals. In our next two posts we’ll each bring you our experience and perspective.

(Also stay tuned for the post on the second half of our trip to Istanbul)

Click here to see additional photos from Moscow.

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Turkish Delights

Posted on May 9th, 2008 by k.
Categories: Asia, Europe, Travel.

An early morning rise and a 3 hour flight, Istanbul greeted us by noon. In most of the cities we visit, taxi drivers speak English. Unfortunately for us, our Turkish cabbie did not. So, our first few miles from the airport will be remembered as our cabbie tried to look in his phrase book to answer a question while jockeying about on the highway. Luckily, we survived and things got better and better from there.

Upon arrival in the Old Town, our friendly cabbie expertly navigated the city’s maze-like streets. Tight turns and seeming deadends turned into bright lanes. Our hotel was quaint. With typical Turkish hospitatlity, we were greeted upon arrival with lemonade and yummy cookies. And the first call to prayer. A voice came over a loud speaker at a nearby mosque announcing it was time to pray. Welcome to Istanbul.

Istanbul’s a beautiful, friendly cultural mecca. It’s home to countless age-old structures that date back to early AD. To them, something from the 1700’s is new. Upon arrival, Hagia Sophia was one of our first stops. This Christian Church turn Mosque is HUGE. It rivals the size of modern sports arenas….the ENTIRE Notre Dame Cathedral could fit inside., and the Statue of Liberty could easily do jumping jacks. Impressive. Especially considering its age. It’s ~1500 years old. Unlike modern sports arenas, it’s constructed of exquisite materials and showcases expert craftsmanship. Especially notable are the many tile mosaics within.

Across the way, the newer Blue Mosque is similiarly awesome. As its name would hint, the interior of the structure is dominated by beautiful blue tile. And, as typical of their distinctive religious architecture, the mosques are surrounded by stone minarettes—originally used as stair wells for the prayer leaders to climb to announce the five daily calls to prayer. Though strikingly beautiful, the structure is built from moder modern materials as its only 400 years old.

Wandering the streets of the Old Town, we also lingered in the spice and household markets, sampled heavenly Baklava and apple tea (though only tourists have the apple tea J) and had an incredible seafood dinner in the City’s cistern (where they used to store the city’s water eons ago). The candlelight cistern was a pleasant treat.

With a short walk down the hill from the old town, we arrived at Gallata Bridge which connects the new and the old towns. Fishermen keep one another company on the bridge as they fish for their dinner. The city’s bright blue Bosphorous is home to countless fish species. And also ferry boats galore J

While one might think that the new town is in stark contrast to the old, it all felt pretty old to us by comparison…beautiful, but cultured and historic. We enjoyed walking the streets of the new district to take in the views, the shops and the busy bustle of locals doing their weekly jaunt. As we explored, we happened upon a cute little café tucked behind a row of businesses. This garden café was the perfect spot for a bit of lunch with a nice view…and aromas as its garden was overwhelmed by the scent of its many lemon blossoms.

While in Istanbul we tried many new culinary delights. Baklava is a specialty and while certainly crave it again. It’s mouth watering good. And the Turkish like their ice cream to have a bit of bounce…they add orchid extract to give it a bit of elasticity. It still melts and tastes the same, it’s just a bit firmer than usual. And quite good over a bit of fresh, warm baklava. And, of course, we tried the local favorite Turkish Delight, a nut paste called Havlas, mezes (Turkish tapas) and bagel rings. All good things.

The Turkish really know how to get the most of life. They appear to have a good work/home balance and value their rest time. Part of the full experience is having a Turkish bath. G and I decided to treat ourselves to this experience…I wish bathing were so much fun everyday! Look for more on the Turkish Bath experience and other Turkish surprises to come…

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Moscow this Weekend?

Posted on May 9th, 2008 by g.
Categories: Asia, Living Abroad - Life in London, Travel.

My guess is that not many people decide to go to Moscow for a week on a whim. And I’m definitely not the whimsical kind of guy, but I decided this Wednesday to go to Moscow this weekend. Considering the paperwork required to make it happen, this isn’t a small decision, plus a I have never purchased major airline tickets within a day of traveling. K is traveling on business and I am going to tag along to avoid the cost of £400 per night hotel rooms. Apparently Moscow is one of the most expensive places in the world.Only a couple of our travels have required a visa, and they haven’t been too difficult to obtain. Russia, however, is a bit more bureaucratic. Before applying for a visa you must have an invitation. Then the invitation and supporting documentation for your trip (flights, hotel, itinerary, etc) must be provided when applying for a visa.

To complicate matters, it was surprisingly difficult to find quality information about the process online. I was a little worried about making mistakes on the form or not having the right payment when visiting the consulate. The information I did find was inconsistent and without credible sources. Even basic information such as how much it cost wasn’t available. The official site is sparse and Google turned up mainly visa services wanting to sell you their service.

As a quick aside - one of the great things about living in London is the ability to get a visa in a day. I just hopped on the tube and pop into the consulate in the morning and picked it up in the afternoon. I can’t imagine trying to get a Russian visa within 24 hours while we were in Raleigh.

I arrived this morning at the Russian Consulate about an hour before they opened and was pleasantly surprised to find that there were only about a dozen people in front of me. Contrast that to the Indian embassy where I arrived at 4am and stood behind about 50 people more insane (or desperate) than I. When 8:30 arrived the line moved forward and we started to file through the full height metal caged turnstile. There were no people to provide direction or welcome. Suddenly the gate stopped. The man two people in front of me in line pushed, but it wouldn’t budge. He turned back to the line and quipped, “I guess we wait.” We waited about 10 minutes before there was a buzz (and perhaps a muffled voice). The gate stated working again and we continued to file through.

The single room inside wasn’t large, but resembled an exquisite 18th century home with decorative molding, tall ceilings, in-laid paintings, and a full height mirror above an ornate fire place. Russian music leaked through the glass of the bank teller style windows. A glimpse behind revealed Russian ladies busily processing piles of paperwork. There was no chaos inside. The front gate handled the crowd control. After checking my paperwork and a few corrections I paid my fee and was on my way — just under 2 hours in all.
So, for anyone looking to get a quick visa from the Russian consulate in London, here are my tips…

First, if you need a no strings invitation, I got mine from this site. For $35 you can get it delivered instantly via email. Makes the whole process seem like a sham, huh?

I downloaded the visa application from rusemblon.org which is in fact the official site for the Russian consulate in London despite their statement that it is not a government site. The russian visa application requires practically a life history including job history, education history, and travel history. The consulate warns that you must use the form on their site, so be cautious if you go it elsewhere.

• be sure to include phone numbers on the application. I got by with only city and state for the addresses but they did want phone numbers. There wasn’t space on the form, so they had me write them in at the bottom.
• leave line 9 (Russian Institution to be visited) blank for tourist visa. I read this tip online and it worked fine.
• arrive an hour ahead. The line was nowhere near as bad as for the India visa but there were about 50 people in line when I left an hour later and only one window inside.
• the fee for a single entry visa I’d £45 and £95 for same day processing. Add £10 for double entry. They only accept cash.
• the sign says handbags are not allowed but everyone took in messenger bags and purses without issue. Anything bigger won’t fit through the gate (with you) anyway.
• you will need to return between 4 and 5 pm to pick up the visa. When I arrived at 4pm, there were 50 people in front of me in line. I got in about 4:45pm.

I’m looking forward to seeing Moscow. We’ll post all about it when we return.
* I wrote this on Wednesday. Needless to say it has been a busy week. Also we’ll post the details of our Istanbul trip up soon.

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Back from Istanbul

Posted on May 6th, 2008 by k.
Categories: Asia, Europe, Travel.

We had a lovely weekend in Istanbul. A bit of sunshine and blue water do to the body good. We’ve just returned, but

For a sneak peak at the photos before full posts follow in the coming days, click here.

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Indian Workethic

Posted on January 18th, 2008 by k.
Categories: Asia, Travel.

My MBA class included an interesting individual who hailed from India. From the country’s elite class, she enjoyed a privileged life. As a daughter of a wealthy business man, she grew up in a home with servants to deliver on her every whim. As a young maiden, her father easily arranged her marriage to a sharp, handsome Indian businessman attracted to her beauty and inheritance.

As a 40-something student in an English MBA programme, her privileged life was stifled. She had to figure things out and do for herself as the exchange rate wouldn’t allow for servants and conveniences. And this change brought with it some growing pains both for her and the rest of the class.

I don’t intend to single her out–she has and would recount the tale in the same way as family ties are respected in India. It’s true that self made millionaires are the most revered in America and that being perceived as a trust fund kid is something to be somewhat ashamed of. But that’s not true elsewhere…old money stands tall in many if not most cultures around the world.

Though I’m sure my impression of the Indian upper class is tainted, with this image (and other upper class encounters) partially fueling our image of the Indian people, I was unsure of what we might find during our venture to India. It makes sense to me now, especially as the work of those at the bottom support those at the top, but the impressive Indian low-level work ethic initially took me by surprise.

One such example of the Indian work ethic can be taken from a brick plant that we passed on our way from Cochin to Munnar. Here, hard-working employees work in the 90+ degree heat to gather soil and water to place in the brick molds. Once molded, the wet bricks are then taken and stacked in the sunlight and heat in order to cure. Once cured, employees then stack the bricks in high towers with openings for the wood fires necessary to fire the bricks. After firing, trucks come to pick up the bricks and they’re off to make homes for the wealthy and other structures. As much of the developed world moves toward service rather than industrial career paths, the manual work ethic in Indian was striking. While not sophisticated and, perhaps, attention to detail appears lower than in most developed economies, India’s people are not afraid to work hard to make ends meet.

Another example may be found within the Tea Plantation communes of Munnar. Employees work long days along steeply sloped hillsides gathering tea leaves for harvest. Rather than mechanically gathering leaves, all trimming and plucking is done by hand–scaling the area’s 24,000 hectares of tea trees every 15 days. Munnar’s temperature is a more livable 70-100 degrees, but the physical labor involved and treacherous inclines make the work dangerous and taxing. As do the 6 day schedule and long days.

And still other examples can be found across the country. From the construction workers in Mumbai digging earth by hand to install central power and water veins in little more than sandals and a workman’s skirt and turban to rice patties worked by hands — it’s apparent that life in India is hard. And my classmate’s lifestyle is not commonplace.

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Athripally - I think I hear elephants?

Posted on January 17th, 2008 by k.
Categories: Asia, Travel.

As, is generally the case, guidebooks tell you what others like to see. But, if you’re looking to see things slightly off the beaten path, you need enough time to explore, or a contact on the ground to make recommendations and to help prioritize possible activities.For our travels about Kerala, Jenny provided that on-the ground, local perspective. And without her help, Athripally would never have made our list. Not listed in either of our guidebooks or online, Athripally forms the gateway to a popular Keralan national park where elephants and tribal people roam free. Our favorite resort of the trip, Rainforest, sits nestled amongst the trees overlooking a nearby waterfall just inside the park’s entrance .

Upon arrival, the staff greet you with fresh coconut juice and allow you to venture onto the grassy overlook with waterfall views in the distance. With check-in details settled, you then file to your well-designed room where all needs are tastefully met without being overdone.

With a couple hours to spare, we made our way to the infinity pool, overlooking the falls. We read our books poolside as we passed the time until our evening nature safari. Since the area is barely developed, there were plenty of birds chirping in the trees and a nice breeze whispering amongst the leaves. Welcome to Athripally–our most relaxing stop in Kerala.

After a couple hours of reading and relaxing by the pool, we were met by our afternoon safari guide. We (he, G & I) piled into the front seat of his jeep and were off. First, we made a rather strange stop at his family’s roadside convenience shop to say hello to his family. His dad graciously offered a popular fried snack and a cup of tea as his young bride made her way to extend her greetings. We’re still a bit baffled by that experience as it’s not an advertised activity on the safari, but after the tour we chalked it up to the proud novice guide wanting to offer an encounter with the locals. It was appreciated, nonetheless. And next, we ventured to see nearby cashew plantations, to touch “touch me nots”–timid plants that wilt immediately when touched only to spring back to life a moment later. And to see the area’s numerous falls up close. While the falls were calm during our visit, the fall monsoon swells the pace to near Niagara scale. As we romped about the rocks near the falls making our way ever closer for that perfect photo opportunity, we were thankful to be visiting during the safe, dry season

The guide stopped along the way to point out vegetation (the spices and such we’ve introduced in previous posts) and native wildlife. Amongst them, a black squirrel, samba deer, civit cat and an owl. Around dusk, we took the 4WD jeep to visit a local tribe. But, while these folks are advertised as “tribal”, we were surprised to see that they were western clothes, buy rice and other supplies in town, tool around the man-made lake in PVC and metal boats and attend school with the local townspeople. The only thing that makes them different, in our eyes, is their choice to live without electricity and running water. But, this doesn’t seem to impressive as many folks in Mumbai seem to be living the same way by necessity without being designated “tribal”.

Regardless, as we visited the tribe a elephant’s nearby trumpet sent us on a boat ride around the like with our guide and the young tribesmen. Our nervous guide kept a lookout for elephant trunks signaling an elephant in the water below. But, to no avail. Though, we did see Samba deer and Bison in the distance.Apparently, the young tribesmen that paddled us about will be matched up to females from one of the other 17 Keralan tribes at age 18. Their brides will be chosen largely due to their age and gene pool at age 15. The match is made remotely without their meeting. The bride and groom meet each other for the first time on their wedding day when a ritual is performed and the bride leaves her family to join her husband’s tribe.

After interacting with the tribespeople, we were back on the hunt for elephants and another passing jeep put us hot on their trail. A family of 10 elephants with 2 babies was 10 minutes’ drive ahead. But, unfortunately, dusk was upon us. By the time we made it to the elephants, the sun had receded and we could merely see the reflection of their single eye with our spot light(you can’t see more than one eye at once), torn bamboo and other vegetation giving signaling their recent ravaging, and hear their nearby tromping and chomping as they ate their weight in bamboo. So close!

Our disappointed guide was reluctant to give up on the hunt. Insisting that we continue. Only after multiple requests from G&I that we begin to make our way back in the pitch black night. We finally arrived at the resort 1.5 hours after the intended return time. Afraid we had missed the gourmet dinner included in our stay, we were relieved to find that they had waited for us. With only 9 rooms on the premises, one missing safari-goer makes a bit difference. So, we had an incredible meal (one of the best on our trip) with the sounds of wildlife in the distance.We had an interesting conversation with one of the members of staff. Apparently, he’s about 22 and is in negotiations with the father of a potential bride. This gentleman was very refined, handsome, speaks perfect English and is quite sharp. We were surprised to hear that he was having some difficulty in negotiations because he works for a private company rather than the government. Through him, we learned that Indians see government jobs as the most lucrative and secure. Very telling for their culture, I think.

Regardless, we were then off for our slumber. The next morning, we woke early in order to fit in another AMAZING meal at the resort before heading off on a hike to the waterfall below. Along the way, I broke my favorite travel sandals (bringing us to a total of 3 clothing casualties for the trip), but a short 15 minute hike brought us to the falls. I abandoned by broken shoes on the bank before we hopped about on the large stones to make our way to the perfect photo opp (despite my lack of make-up). After a few moments, a large group of Indian men with a single little girl in tow made their way to the falls and decided they wanted to be in the photo, as well.After our hike to the falls, we were on our way back to Cochin where we would catch our flight back to London.

Click here to see additional photos from Athripally.

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