Saturday, 15 August 2009
Thursday, 6 August 2009
The white nights of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg which is an hours flight from Moscow, gets its largest share of tourists from end of May till mid- July when people gather there to enjoy the romantic white nights on the banks of Neva river. The sun hardly hides behind the horizon. You cannot spot even the most brightest star in the sky.
It is an amazing experience. Most people prefer to have an afternoon nap to enjoy the endless day which actually turns into a white night. The streets especially Nevesky Prospect is crowded with people. The restaurants juggle hard to give a good service late into the wee hours and the pubs jam packed with tourists gulping down mugs of beer in smoke-filled bars.
The most interesting sight was the public park in front of our hotel.It was past two in the night and groups of women sat on the benches chatting away while in another corner youngsters were partying away. A man well into his sixties found it the ideal time to exercise while some kids cycling away singing a song .... I had never seen so much of life oozing out on the street at that unearthly hour.
Apart from the white nights, St. Petersburg is one of the must see cities of the world. It looks more of a European city than Russian. Its embankments remind you of Paris and its many canals of Amsterdam. The countless bridges over the canals and also its proximity to the sea, bring alive a picture of Venice. Also the well maintained lush green parks in summer remind you of London.
The European and Russian traditions have merged so well and created a culture that is so typical of St. Petersburg. Peter the Great, the great Czar ruler of Russia, assimilated a lot of Dutch and German things into the culture of St. Petersburg. And all the grandeur and opulence of the past still stands aloft in the form of palaces, cathedrals, forts and museums.
The State Hermitage museum is one must see places. It has a collection put together over the course of two centuries. There are over three million exhibits. No wonder even after spending almost eight hours, I managed to see only two floors. And the que for buying tickets takes a minimum of one hour.
Another must see places in the outskirts of St. Petersburg is the Tsarskoye Selo- the palace set in a picturesque land. The long que and the high priced ticket is worth because one gets to see the eigth wonder of the world- the Amber room. I was just blinded by the opulence and the warmth of the various tones of this stone with some therepeutical qualities. No words to describe -only seeing is believing.
While you are so busy sightseeing, hopping from one place to the other, remember to take care of your personel belongings. Peterburg has earned a reputation for petty crimes and the obvious target are the tourists. Avoid travelling by metro because it is here that the gangs operate.
For all those who plan to visit St. Petersburg - must have atleast five days to enjoy the city and a few places in its outskirts. Also it is worthwhile to go in early July because you get bright sunny days along with the white nights. I was lucky to have sunshine all the days considering the fact that St. Petersburg has sunshine only 25 days in a year.
It is an amazing experience. Most people prefer to have an afternoon nap to enjoy the endless day which actually turns into a white night. The streets especially Nevesky Prospect is crowded with people. The restaurants juggle hard to give a good service late into the wee hours and the pubs jam packed with tourists gulping down mugs of beer in smoke-filled bars.
The most interesting sight was the public park in front of our hotel.It was past two in the night and groups of women sat on the benches chatting away while in another corner youngsters were partying away. A man well into his sixties found it the ideal time to exercise while some kids cycling away singing a song .... I had never seen so much of life oozing out on the street at that unearthly hour.
Apart from the white nights, St. Petersburg is one of the must see cities of the world. It looks more of a European city than Russian. Its embankments remind you of Paris and its many canals of Amsterdam. The countless bridges over the canals and also its proximity to the sea, bring alive a picture of Venice. Also the well maintained lush green parks in summer remind you of London.
The European and Russian traditions have merged so well and created a culture that is so typical of St. Petersburg. Peter the Great, the great Czar ruler of Russia, assimilated a lot of Dutch and German things into the culture of St. Petersburg. And all the grandeur and opulence of the past still stands aloft in the form of palaces, cathedrals, forts and museums.
The State Hermitage museum is one must see places. It has a collection put together over the course of two centuries. There are over three million exhibits. No wonder even after spending almost eight hours, I managed to see only two floors. And the que for buying tickets takes a minimum of one hour.
Another must see places in the outskirts of St. Petersburg is the Tsarskoye Selo- the palace set in a picturesque land. The long que and the high priced ticket is worth because one gets to see the eigth wonder of the world- the Amber room. I was just blinded by the opulence and the warmth of the various tones of this stone with some therepeutical qualities. No words to describe -only seeing is believing.
While you are so busy sightseeing, hopping from one place to the other, remember to take care of your personel belongings. Peterburg has earned a reputation for petty crimes and the obvious target are the tourists. Avoid travelling by metro because it is here that the gangs operate.
For all those who plan to visit St. Petersburg - must have atleast five days to enjoy the city and a few places in its outskirts. Also it is worthwhile to go in early July because you get bright sunny days along with the white nights. I was lucky to have sunshine all the days considering the fact that St. Petersburg has sunshine only 25 days in a year.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Images from Moscow
check out the rest of the Windows Live™. More than mail–Windows Live™ goes way beyond your inbox. More than messages
Images from Moscow
check out the rest of the Windows Live™. More than mail–Windows Live™ goes way beyond your inbox. More than messages
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Made in China in China
Be it London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Barcelona or Russia, the Made in China tag is inevitable in most department stores and supermarkets. But the Made in China tag in China has its own charm and attraction.
I was in Beijing this week. Like any other tourist here, shopping was on my itinerary. The Silk Market and the Ya Show Market are a virtual mecca for tourists.Language is no problem here. The sales girls here speak just enough English to do persuasive sale. This was the first time I heard sales girls greeting me with a namaste. (since last two three years I had seen dozens of Indian tourists here)This explained me well the need for learning Hindi.
All tourists know well in advance that bargaining is the key to shopping in these two markets. I asked the price for a handbag. The girl at the counter promptly said 600 Yuan. (6.76 Yuan to a dollar) It is too expensive I said. "Your price," said the girl. I told her not more than 60 Yuan and began to walk away from the shop.She came out and holding my arm dragged me to her shop.Then the bargaining started when she put the amount on the calculator. From 600 Yuan to 300 Yuan to 180 Yuan and finally she stuck to 100 Yuan. I did not budge from my price of 60 Yuan. At last she gave in and packed the Chanel bag for me.
These markets are very popular with the expats for buying branded clothes, bags and shoes. They are such good copies of the brands that it is sometimes difficult to believe they are mere fakes.Puma, Nike, Addidas shoes..... they have it all lined up. All for around $7 after a bargain.Three pairs of Nike sports socks for a mere 5 Yuan. (Not even a dollar) Dont get put away by the exhorbitant prices quoted by the girls here. A few hours of shopping here is defintely exhausting because of haggling. But the patience pays off.
I was in Beijing this week. Like any other tourist here, shopping was on my itinerary. The Silk Market and the Ya Show Market are a virtual mecca for tourists.Language is no problem here. The sales girls here speak just enough English to do persuasive sale. This was the first time I heard sales girls greeting me with a namaste. (since last two three years I had seen dozens of Indian tourists here)This explained me well the need for learning Hindi.
All tourists know well in advance that bargaining is the key to shopping in these two markets. I asked the price for a handbag. The girl at the counter promptly said 600 Yuan. (6.76 Yuan to a dollar) It is too expensive I said. "Your price," said the girl. I told her not more than 60 Yuan and began to walk away from the shop.She came out and holding my arm dragged me to her shop.Then the bargaining started when she put the amount on the calculator. From 600 Yuan to 300 Yuan to 180 Yuan and finally she stuck to 100 Yuan. I did not budge from my price of 60 Yuan. At last she gave in and packed the Chanel bag for me.
These markets are very popular with the expats for buying branded clothes, bags and shoes. They are such good copies of the brands that it is sometimes difficult to believe they are mere fakes.Puma, Nike, Addidas shoes..... they have it all lined up. All for around $7 after a bargain.Three pairs of Nike sports socks for a mere 5 Yuan. (Not even a dollar) Dont get put away by the exhorbitant prices quoted by the girls here. A few hours of shopping here is defintely exhausting because of haggling. But the patience pays off.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Cheap But Real Chic
I was in London last month doing the usual bit of shopping on Oxford Street. It is so crowded with tourists all over that the Londeners shudder to shop on that street. But a trip to London is not complete without shopping here. It has some of the choicest and classy stores. And in midst of these stores and jostling crowd what my eyes could not miss were the brown paper shopping bags labelled with "Primark." Rows of shoppers carried these bags full of clothes. After every few metres or so I could see these brown bags hung across both hands of shoppers. I just followed the bag trail without having to ask "where is Primark?"
There I was at Primarks flagship Oxford Street store bustling with shoppers. I had never seen so many people actually buying. The fitting rooms were so crammed that some people tried on clothes in front of the mirrors on the store floor. It seemed the shoppers had seized the store and the salesmen (nowhere to be seen) gone on hiding. The cash counters for payment about a dozen of them on each floor had atleast 30 persons in each row. While I had my eyes on the clothes, I had no guts to que up for the cash payment. Thus I left my shopping basket on the floor in disgust.
The slogan at Primark seems buy it cheap but buy chic. What makes this store different and customers interested is a keen eye for fashion trends. Some even call it Pradamark in honor of its acute fashion sense. The hot styles for clothes,shoes and bags are on the shelves here at a great speed. What you see in the show windows of some great fashion names, shoppers snap up here for as low as 15 pounds or $24. Tank tops for $1.60 is cheaper here than a bottle of mineral water in the kiosks on the streets of London. But a lot of eyebrows are raised about its quality. Our guide in the tourist bus pointed out at the store saying "you can buy very fashionable clothes here but not spend money washing them coz they will not last that long."
That was in a lighter vein. In reality, in these hard times and recession, Primark is bringing high fashion on the street. People dont mind queing up for hours. It pays to keep up appearances.
There I was at Primarks flagship Oxford Street store bustling with shoppers. I had never seen so many people actually buying. The fitting rooms were so crammed that some people tried on clothes in front of the mirrors on the store floor. It seemed the shoppers had seized the store and the salesmen (nowhere to be seen) gone on hiding. The cash counters for payment about a dozen of them on each floor had atleast 30 persons in each row. While I had my eyes on the clothes, I had no guts to que up for the cash payment. Thus I left my shopping basket on the floor in disgust.
The slogan at Primark seems buy it cheap but buy chic. What makes this store different and customers interested is a keen eye for fashion trends. Some even call it Pradamark in honor of its acute fashion sense. The hot styles for clothes,shoes and bags are on the shelves here at a great speed. What you see in the show windows of some great fashion names, shoppers snap up here for as low as 15 pounds or $24. Tank tops for $1.60 is cheaper here than a bottle of mineral water in the kiosks on the streets of London. But a lot of eyebrows are raised about its quality. Our guide in the tourist bus pointed out at the store saying "you can buy very fashionable clothes here but not spend money washing them coz they will not last that long."
That was in a lighter vein. In reality, in these hard times and recession, Primark is bringing high fashion on the street. People dont mind queing up for hours. It pays to keep up appearances.
Monday, 18 May 2009
Indian Food in London
If you are In London what you can enjoy most is the Indian food in any nook and corner. From samosas,bhajiyas, kebabs sold at almost all vending shops at the underground train stations to wayside snack shops, one can take a bite well into wee hours . They are opened very early in the morning when busy Londoners with no time for breakfast, grab a bite or two. Then very late at night when most restaurants have closed, some kebab shops are opened with a full array of Indian curries, roti and nan. Most of them are very strategically located next to the tube stations. It is a common site to see tired corporates with ruffled looks eager to take home food from such shops which are providing service with a smile even at unearthly hours.
Then in supermarkets, you cannot miss the sight of the Indian food section. They are well stocked with basmati rice in different qualities, dals, garam masala, spices, rajama, bottled ready to cook masala mix, dried masala mixes...A little away in the frozen section there is umpteen variety of ready to serve and eat chicken murgh masala, balti chicken, koftas, roghan josh, nans of three four kinds,paranthas, rotis, dal, paneer matar and some vegetables for the vegetarians.Considering the servings and price-it is a good pick. The taste- very close to authentic restaurant food and somethings remind you of home.
The big supermarket chains like Marks and Spencer Food and Sainsburys are really maintaining a high quality. I bought a pack of chicken tikka with pilau rice from Marks and Spencer and had no regrets. While I heated it in the microwave, I quickly went through the labels printed on its packet. It said it had no artificial colours, preservatives or flavourings. Plus it gave the break-up count of the calories, sugar, fat,saturated fat and salt. What more it also gave the nutrition count. The labels also give allergy information. Before you satisfy your taste buds-get enlightened about the food you put into your stomach!
Away from the hustle bustle and run of the mill food dispensed in supermarkets is Bombay Brasserie an Indian restaurant in a very posh area of London. To be sure of getting a table it is best to do reservations and that is what we did. When you enter it, you are struck by the old world charm of the Maharajas. The regal decor is spread out over a huge area. Everything here is in style, the crockery the menu and what more you are served in great style. It was the first time that I could not find the ever so popular butter chicken on the menu of an Indian restaurant abroad. Instead they take great pride in serving Indian food differently. The kheer was with a dash of green apple. Eating it first with the eyes -that is what I did. So beautifully presented and served. Presentations apart the food was really good.
Oh I can write and write about the good Indian food in London. No wonder it was rated as number one in one of the surveys in London. Sure enough, it is satisfying the taste buds of the "Goras."
Then in supermarkets, you cannot miss the sight of the Indian food section. They are well stocked with basmati rice in different qualities, dals, garam masala, spices, rajama, bottled ready to cook masala mix, dried masala mixes...A little away in the frozen section there is umpteen variety of ready to serve and eat chicken murgh masala, balti chicken, koftas, roghan josh, nans of three four kinds,paranthas, rotis, dal, paneer matar and some vegetables for the vegetarians.Considering the servings and price-it is a good pick. The taste- very close to authentic restaurant food and somethings remind you of home.
The big supermarket chains like Marks and Spencer Food and Sainsburys are really maintaining a high quality. I bought a pack of chicken tikka with pilau rice from Marks and Spencer and had no regrets. While I heated it in the microwave, I quickly went through the labels printed on its packet. It said it had no artificial colours, preservatives or flavourings. Plus it gave the break-up count of the calories, sugar, fat,saturated fat and salt. What more it also gave the nutrition count. The labels also give allergy information. Before you satisfy your taste buds-get enlightened about the food you put into your stomach!
Away from the hustle bustle and run of the mill food dispensed in supermarkets is Bombay Brasserie an Indian restaurant in a very posh area of London. To be sure of getting a table it is best to do reservations and that is what we did. When you enter it, you are struck by the old world charm of the Maharajas. The regal decor is spread out over a huge area. Everything here is in style, the crockery the menu and what more you are served in great style. It was the first time that I could not find the ever so popular butter chicken on the menu of an Indian restaurant abroad. Instead they take great pride in serving Indian food differently. The kheer was with a dash of green apple. Eating it first with the eyes -that is what I did. So beautifully presented and served. Presentations apart the food was really good.
Oh I can write and write about the good Indian food in London. No wonder it was rated as number one in one of the surveys in London. Sure enough, it is satisfying the taste buds of the "Goras."
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Air travel- a nightmare now
I was travelling from London to Mongolia with a stopover in Moscow for four hours. The usual baggage allowance of 20 kilos was given for the check in bag and another 10 kilo for the cabin bag. But as it always happens when you fly back from a shopping haven like London , you are bound to have excess baggage. Most of my previous night , I had spent weighing my baggage on the bathroom scale, making my son Aneesh stand on it holding the bag. Poor boy he was tired of standing on and off the scale. Instead of spending last few hours of my stay in London with him, I was busy balancing the weighing act of the two bags. All my last minute shopping was peeping and oozing out of the bag.
I reached the Heathrow airport knowing very well I had an excess of 12 kilos in the bags. When "the moment " came to put the bag on the check in counter weighing scale , I was just praying God that they let it go. But the lady at the counter though soft in looks was tough and followed the Aerofloat rules. She even made me weigh my cabin bag which in my 26 years of air travel, no airline had done it. She declared it was 12 kilos excess.I was panicked but Aneesh who came to see me off maintained his cool. Farsightedly he had carried a shoulder bag. So there we sat with our bags open on the floor and trying hard to juggle the weight. We pushed in anything looking and feeling heavy in the bag Aneesh had brought. Left only the clothes in the check in bag and knick knacks in the cabin bag. The weight had shifted into the shoulder bag and it was almost bursting out of the seems. I was sad to leave behind my choicest shopping stuff but Aneesh reassured he would Fedex them to me.
After all that weight juggling and going through the rough security measures including taking off your shoes, jacket, belts, bangles and wallet and putting through the x-ray, I was finally gasping on my window seat inside the aircraft. My mouth was choked with dryness. Oh how I longed for a drink. But by now the seat belt fasten sign was on. The air hostess was ready to do the emergency landing demonstration while the aircraft had taken off. So for the next 30 minutes there was no hope of getting even a glass of water.
While we were flying above the clouds leaving below the beautiful green London landscape , my thoughts were still with my baggage. I had booked it all the way to Mongolia. I was hoping that it should not be left behind in Moscow and reach intact to its final destination.
We reached Moscow in about three and a half hours. From here I had to take another Aerfloat flight to Mongolia. I had full four hours at the Moscow airport. But the experience at the airport was bitter. The Russian staff was rude. During the physical security check the passengers were being examined very roughly. A Japanese lady softly whispered in my ear, "I feel like a prisoner here". She had somewhat echoed my feelings. I had not seen a single polite Russian official. Rather they looked at us suspiciously.
After being released from what seemed a captive zone, I came out to the waiting lounge. I wanted to buy water. But most vendors refused as I did not have roubles. They refused to exchange water for my dollars. Only the big shop was accepting dollars. But at what price- a small bottle of sprite for $4 and a tuna sandwich for $11. Their duty free shops had no buyers . Moscow airport has earned the reputation of being one of the costliest.
Now back to the baggage saga. From Moscow to Mongolia the flight was nine long hours. It became somewhat uncomfortable with a priest from Finland sitting next to me and ready to preach at every given moment. Finally the aircraft landed smoothly in Mongolia. The baggage had reached too. But to my utter dismay and shock the lock had been broken open. Inside there were tell tale signs of being frisked and tampered with. A few things missing too.
The journey from London was over but the baggage saga is not yet finished. It has opened a new chapter. The next paart is to register my anguish over the damaged bag and fight for the rightful compensation from Aerofloat.
I reached the Heathrow airport knowing very well I had an excess of 12 kilos in the bags. When "the moment " came to put the bag on the check in counter weighing scale , I was just praying God that they let it go. But the lady at the counter though soft in looks was tough and followed the Aerofloat rules. She even made me weigh my cabin bag which in my 26 years of air travel, no airline had done it. She declared it was 12 kilos excess.I was panicked but Aneesh who came to see me off maintained his cool. Farsightedly he had carried a shoulder bag. So there we sat with our bags open on the floor and trying hard to juggle the weight. We pushed in anything looking and feeling heavy in the bag Aneesh had brought. Left only the clothes in the check in bag and knick knacks in the cabin bag. The weight had shifted into the shoulder bag and it was almost bursting out of the seems. I was sad to leave behind my choicest shopping stuff but Aneesh reassured he would Fedex them to me.
After all that weight juggling and going through the rough security measures including taking off your shoes, jacket, belts, bangles and wallet and putting through the x-ray, I was finally gasping on my window seat inside the aircraft. My mouth was choked with dryness. Oh how I longed for a drink. But by now the seat belt fasten sign was on. The air hostess was ready to do the emergency landing demonstration while the aircraft had taken off. So for the next 30 minutes there was no hope of getting even a glass of water.
While we were flying above the clouds leaving below the beautiful green London landscape , my thoughts were still with my baggage. I had booked it all the way to Mongolia. I was hoping that it should not be left behind in Moscow and reach intact to its final destination.
We reached Moscow in about three and a half hours. From here I had to take another Aerfloat flight to Mongolia. I had full four hours at the Moscow airport. But the experience at the airport was bitter. The Russian staff was rude. During the physical security check the passengers were being examined very roughly. A Japanese lady softly whispered in my ear, "I feel like a prisoner here". She had somewhat echoed my feelings. I had not seen a single polite Russian official. Rather they looked at us suspiciously.
After being released from what seemed a captive zone, I came out to the waiting lounge. I wanted to buy water. But most vendors refused as I did not have roubles. They refused to exchange water for my dollars. Only the big shop was accepting dollars. But at what price- a small bottle of sprite for $4 and a tuna sandwich for $11. Their duty free shops had no buyers . Moscow airport has earned the reputation of being one of the costliest.
Now back to the baggage saga. From Moscow to Mongolia the flight was nine long hours. It became somewhat uncomfortable with a priest from Finland sitting next to me and ready to preach at every given moment. Finally the aircraft landed smoothly in Mongolia. The baggage had reached too. But to my utter dismay and shock the lock had been broken open. Inside there were tell tale signs of being frisked and tampered with. A few things missing too.
The journey from London was over but the baggage saga is not yet finished. It has opened a new chapter. The next paart is to register my anguish over the damaged bag and fight for the rightful compensation from Aerofloat.
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