Favorites, Shocks, Surprises, etc.

Updated 7/24/2009

Best Experiences
Afternoon Tea at the Burj-al-Arab
Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai
Spending Diwali with Rutvik’s family (rangoli drawings on floor, pooja worship ritual, special foods, meeting the family)
Having a cook / chauffeur / laundry person / yoga instructor… someone to wait on our every move
Seeing Russell Peters Live with Rushin and Kaddu
Romantic shikara ride around Kodai Lake
Watching Barack Obama win the US Presidential Election in Periyar
Chilling for the day on a houseboat in the Kerala backwaters
Getting certified in massage in Ko Pha Ngan
Beach parties on the Thai islands, especially the Full Moon Party on Ko Pha Ngan... drinking from buckets, firedancers, hookah, the ocean, cool people
Scuba diving in the Gulf of Thailand off Ko Tao (Rutvik)
Having drinks brought to us in coconuts while lying on the pristine Kata Beach
Seeing schools of colored fish swim right up to the shore in Phuket
Petting a baby tiger at the Phuket Fantasea show
Going into a cave with inner tube and flashlight in Vang Vieng
Waterslide into the Nam Song River in Vang Vieng
Seeing the ruins of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom near Siem Reap
Learning to cook delicious Cambodian food at a local restaurant in Siem Reap
"Fish massage" (where little fish ate dead skin off our feet) in the Night Market in Siem Reap
Doing hand claps and reading to kids at NACA Orphanage in Phnom Penh
Shooting an AK-47 outside Phnom Penh (Rutvik)
Taking a mud bath and soaking in hot mineral springs in Nha Trang
Watching President Barack Obama take the oath of office on CNN Asia in Nha Trang
Riding an ostrich on an island off Nha Trang (Kelli)
Being in Ho Chi Minh City for Tet
Riding motorcycles through the mountains with Easy Riders in Dalat
Watching Rutvik try very hard to maintain his poise when learning that he got accepted by Berkeley and that we'll be moving to California in August!
Making delicious Thai dishes at cooking schools in Chiang Mai
Ziplining and Abseiling through the jungle in Chiang Mai
Jumping off a 165 foot high bungy crane in Chiang Mai
Riding an elephant through the river in Chiang Mai
Participating in the weeklong festivities of Anish's wedding in Ahmedabad
The Indian movie theatre experience (national anthem, samosas and other delicious food delivered to your seat, intermission)
Celebrating Valentine's Day in Bombay with a chocolate massage, dinner at a revolving restaurant overlooking the city, followed by a Chocolate Avalanche at Mocha, our fave cafe
Dousing people with all sorts of colors and water balloons at Holi
Introducing our families in Bombay and spending two weeks touring Rajasthan with Kelli's mom and bro
Camping in luxury tents by ourselves complete with a specially prepared dinner in a gazebo under the stars
Tiger safari in Ranthambhore National Park (despite not seeing any tigers)
Simple elegance of the Taj Mahal
Winning $200 two separate nights playing blackjack at Casino Goa
Getting to live among the very happy, open-minded, spiritual people in Dharamsala
Cooking classes in various locales (Cambodian, Thai, Indian, Tibetan), including the best in Bombay with Rutvik's mom
One month intensive yoga course with amazing instructors, interesting co-students, and a lot of thought-provoking discussion topics
Tutoring two Tibetan girls in English
Learning a bit of belly dancing and participating in a women's tantra Shakti group (Kelli)
Doing some really heartfelt meditation exercises with a really beautiful group of people from around the world
Visiting with an ayurvedic doctor about our doshas and body constitution
Having a delicious free meal cooked and served by volunteers at the Golden Temple among thousands of other visitors
Watching the one-upsmanship of the India-Pakistan border closing ceremony (and dancing on the border to Indian patriotic music!)
Celebrating Rutvik's birthday with family at Flamboyante in Bombay
Visiting wineries (esp. Fairview) in beautiful South Africa wine country
Shark cage diving in Hermanus
Ostrich riding part deux in Oudtshoorn
Spur of the moment bush hike to some remote waterfalls in Storms River
Rutvik jumping off the Bloukrans Bridge, tallest bungy in the world
Visiting the local Bulugha School and enjoying the home cooked meals at Bucc's
Very off the cuff tour of Xhosa Village near Coffee Bay
Staying at Bulungula eco-village way off the beaten path - the 4x4 ride in the dark to get there, compost potties, rocket showers, organic food, cool people, etc.
Visiting a township in Durban with a local guide who grew up there
Being greeted and treated like absolute royalty by Bashir Bhai and his family in Dar es Salaam
Seeing Mount Kilimanjaro ABOVE the clouds
The dreamlike "Lion King moments" on Safari #1 through Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorogoro Crater in Tanzania, especially the two lions on "Pride Rock"
The dreamlike "Lion King moments" on Safari #2 through Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru in Kenya
Biking/hiking into the gorge at Hell's Gate National Park

Memorable Experiences
Tour of Dharavi slum - most locals haven’t even been (India)
Cramming ourselves into the standing room only local buses, backpacks and all (India and Thailand)
Leaving biscuits on the bed before going out and coming back to cockroaches (India)
Visiting Amma’s and Osho’s ashrams (India)
Seeing all of the fully clothed (saris, collared shirts, and all!) people at the beach (India)
Negotiating at the mall (Thailand)
People flocking to the Bangkok Royal Grounds to pay their respects to the King's late sister (Thailand)
Being in Bangkok at the start of the major political protest (Thailand)
Waking up to the news of the terrorist attacks in Mumbau (Thailand)
"Thai accident" on our way to the Half Moon Party in Ko Pha Ngan (Thailand)
Taking pictures with Santa and winning 40 baht ($1) at a random casino in Burma (Myanmar)
Christmas in a Buddhist country, including midnight mass, brunch, and lots of Santa costumes (Thailand)
Watching the lady boys perform at the Simon Cabaret (Thailand)
Being able to pay in three currencies - Lao kip, Thai baht, and USD - at the mall (Laos)
Walking between markers denoting demined areas at the Plain of Jars (Laos)
Seeing the many amputees as a result of UXOs and land mines left over from the Vietnam War (Laos and Cambodia)
Getting USD (with no option to get local currency) out of the ATM (Cambodia)
Paying in USD and getting change back in local "riel" currency (Cambodia)
Seeing the mass graves and mugshots of genocide victims in Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Interviewing for UC Berkeley in Saigon (Vietnam)
Sharing a room with some surprise roommates, including a bat that flew in around 3 am, some rats, and assorted insects (Vietnam)
Sledding down white sand dunes overlooking a lake (Vietnam)
A taxi meter miraculously showing 7 times our expected fare for a short cab ride and the driver cutting it in half as soon as we said we pulled out our cell phone to call the cab company (Vietnam)
Mixed feelings from the War Remnants Museum (Vietnam)
Rolling down the hill strapped in a giant zorb ball (Thailand)
Visiting a village of the Karen Long Neck hill tribe where women wear a crazy number of metallic rings around their necks and knees to enhance their beauty (Thailand)
Having a rat run across our feet while walking to the bars (Thailand)
Rutvik's parents forcing him to climb 2 hours up Jainism's holiest mountain without a bathroom while he was the sickest Kelli has seen him so that Kelli could officially become Jain per tradition (India)
Trying to learn a choreographed dance to "Dil Dance Maare Re" (AKA White White Face) for Rushin and Kaddu's wedding (India)
Working outside the US and having a "routine life" for a time in Bombay while consulting for The Clinic (India)
Seeing Slumdog Millionaire with a nearly entirely non-Indian audience in Bombay and having been to many of the places in the movie (India)
People watching among the massive crowd of Indians on Juhu Beach in Bombay on a Sunday evening (India)
Winning an office golf set in the lucky draw at a play with Rutvik's parents in Bombay (India)
Kelli's realization that she was not the only one with pink highlights in her hair after Holi - the light haired dogs and cows were dyed too! (India)
Watching Kelli jump around while waiting for her family to arrive at the Bombay airport (India)
Watching hundreds of washermen beating the dirt out of clothes at Dhobi Ghat (India)
Standing on the railing of a median to watch dabbawallas load people's lunches on both sides (India)
Misunderstanding with an Indian woman at Chokhi Dhani when we asked her to take a picture of us and she very proudly posed for a pic with Kelli's mom instead (India)
Being turned away at the gate of The Oberoi hotel because the restaurant was "full" only to make a reservation by phone a block away and getting allowed in to a nearly empty restaurant (India)
Dipping our feet in the Holy Ganges River in Rishikesh (India)
Rutvik being mistaken for a tour guide at the Jama Masjid and the Beatle's ashram in Rishikesh (India)
Running all over town to get Rutvik's South Africa visa and yellow fever vaccine (India)
Waking up to a screaming match at 5 am in our hostel in Cape Town (South Africa)
Biking around the Cape of Good Hope in the pouring rain (South Africa)
Waking up in the night to a thief in our hostel room and Kelli's shoes stolen (South Africa)
Story of the woman getting stuck in the Tunnel of Love at Cango Caves (South Africa)
Longest bike ride ever to visit Mama Tofu's Xhosa village (South Africa)
Visiting the "sangoma" (herbalist) in his village hut, where he had a rat, two snakes, and a piece of bacon hanging from the ceiling (South Africa)
Witnessing a purse snatcher get severely beaten on the streets of Durban by a huge crowd of regular people as well as cops, with people dancing and cheering for "street justice" (South Africa)
Sleeping in the hostel owners' daughter's room so that we could take advantage of the heating pad (South Africa)
Sleeping under mozzie nets (Africa)
Realizing that we had spent the night in a rent by the hour place our first night in Nairobi (Kenya)
Frustration of negotiating for a safari with touts on the streets in Nairobi (Kenya)

“Near Death” Experiences
Watching Diwali fireworks on Marine Drive
Getting eaten alive by mosquitoes at Amma’s ashram
Driving anywhere in Bombay
Driving 120 mph without a seatbelt on the expressway to Pune
Stopping on the side of the Pune expressway to dig out seatbelt
Dodging buses on a one lane highway going up a mountain on the way to Kodaikanal
Taking the Kerala public buses
Riding a motorbike all over Ko Samui with Rutvik at the wheel
Catamaran ride from Ko Tao to Chumporn
Rickety bridges in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia
Crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh City, especially on Tet
Trekking down slippery rocks to Elephant Waterfall in worn out flip-flops in Dalat
Kelli and her mom's nightmarish rickshaw ride through Udaipur (see related blog entry)
No windshield wipers in the pouring rain on our drive from Rishikesh to Haridwar
Bus ride down mountain from Dharamsala toward Amritsar (see related blog entry)
Being too close for comfort to the Sikh riots over the killing of one of their high priests in Vienna (and Kelli being the only foreinger around)
A group of guys running up to us in Cape Town, patting our pockets, and asking "Ya got anything in there for me?!"
Drinking sorghum beer out of milk cartons at the local shabeen in South Africa
Johannesburg
Kelli getting her brows waxed at an upscale salon in Nairobi... since when has bleeding been involved?!

Activities We've Tried
Abseiling
Bamboo rafting
Biking
Bungy jumping
Camel riding
Camping
Cave tubing
Caving
Cooking
Crocodile watching
Cruising on a houseboat
Dolphin watching
Elephant riding
Horse riding
Kayaking
Massage
Meditation
Mud bathing
Ostrich riding
Ox cart riding
Riding a motorcycle
Salsa dancing
Sand sledding
Scuba diving
Shooting an AK-47
Snorkeling
Trekking
Tubing
Whitewater rafting
Yoga
Ziplining
Zorbing

Best Foods – India
Indian breads (especially the soft, stretchy ones like roomali, kulcha, and paratha)
McDonald’s veggie burgers
“Borbon” biscuits, with tea (India)
Paneer anything
Mint and coconut chutneys
Gobi Manchurian
Pav bhaji
Masala chai
Thalis (from all over)
Daal in all forms
Chaat (pani puri, dahi batata puri, sev puri, raj kachori, etc.)
Raita
Veg biryani
Kitchidi
Upma, dosas, and uttapum
Sabudana
Alfonso mangoes
Sizzlers
Indo-Chinese in general
Anything made by R’s mom or Ganesh, their cook
Lonavala fudge

Best Foods - Southeast Asia
All types of curry (panang, massaman, red, green) with tofu and vegetables (Thailand)
Veggie burgers - in the many forms you find them here (Thailand)
Som Tam (papaya salad) (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia)
Sticky rice (Laos)
Lao-style BBQ (Laos)
Amok (Cambodia)
Khmer Curry (Cambodia)
Nem (Khmer style spring rolls) (Cambodia)
Bubble Tea (Cambodia and Vietnam)
Pho (Noodle soup) (Vietnam)
Khao Soi (Chiang Mai noodles) (Thailand)
Fresh fruit salad with mueseli and yogurt (Thailand)

Best Food - Africa
Bunny chow (South Africa)
African curry (South Africa)
Butternut squash soup (South Africa)
Ngeru curry (Kenya)
Githeri (Kenya)

Worst Food
Tofu Laap (Laos)
Shakshuka (Thailand)
Most Tibetan food except momos (India)

Best Street Food
Samosas (India)
Frankies (India)
Kulfi (Indian style ice cream) (India)
Paneer rolls (India)
Coconut water (India and Thailand)
Noodle stands (Thailand and Laos)
Mango and sticky rice (Thailand)
Fresh fruit stands - mango, chickoo, guava, papaya, pineapple, coconut (India, Thailand, Laos)
Fruit shakes, especially mango and coconut (Thailand and Laos)
Pancakes and crepes (Thailand and Laos)
Falafel (Thailand)
Golas (India)
Indian style grilled sandwiches (India)
Jalebi (India)
Bhagsu cake (India)
Banofee pie (India)
"Mix" (Zanzibar)

Best Restaurants
Kanzaman (Dubai)
Maratha Sheraton (Bombay)
McDonalds, regrettably (Bombay)
The Club, by invite only (Bombay)
Greens Love Shore (Allepey, India)
Mavalli Tiffin Room (Bangalore, India)
Aromas of China (Bangalore, India)
Cafe Ethos (Bangkok, Thailand) ---nevermind!!
Noodle stand outside Jaya Guesthouse (Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand)
Green Peace Restaurant (Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand)
La Matta Italian Restaurant (Ko Tao, Thailand)
House of Fruit Shakes (Vientiane, Laos)
Lao Lao Garden (Luang Prabang, Laos)
Khmer Kitchen (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
Le Tigre de Papier (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
Gon Cafe (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Godmother Restaurant (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Ratana's Kitchen (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
Aroon Rai (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
Mocha (Bombay, India)
Cream Centre (Bombay, India)
Not Just Jazz by the Bay (Bombay, India)
The Pizzeria (Bombay, India)
Swati Snacks (Bombay, India)
Sardar Pav Bhaji (Bombay, India)
Chokhi Dhani (Jaipur, India)
Zorba the Buddha (Agra, India)
Deoraj Coffee Shop (Rishikesh, India)
Halidram's (Delhi, India)
Souza Loubo (Goa, India)
Blue Tao (Goa, India)
The Plantain Leaf (Goa, India)
Munches (Goa, India)
Cafe Ri Korean Restaurant (McLeod-Ganj, India)
Lung Ta Japanese Restaurant (McLeod-Ganj, India)
Carpe Diem (McLeod-Ganj, India)
German Bakery (Bhagsu, India)
Unity Bistro (Bhagsu, India)
Munchies (Bhagsu, India)
Mama Africa (Cape Town, South Africa)
Buccaneers - home cooked meals (Chintsa, South Africa)
Coffee Shack - home cooked meals (Coffee Bay, South Africa)
Moyo (Durban, South Africa)
Antithi (Nairobi, Kenya)
Java House (Nairobi, Kenya)
Kenya Comfort Hotel (Nairobi, Kenya)

Worst Restaurants
Thai restaurant next to Crystal Dive Resort (Ko Tao, Thailand)
Outdoor Thai Restaurant (Phuket, Thailand)
Okay Guesthouse (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
Garden Bar (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
Hotel 13 (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Snow Lion Tibetan Restaurant (McLeod-Ganj, India)
Gayki Vegetarian Restaurant (McLeod-Ganj, India)
Peace Cafe (McLeod-Ganj, India)

Best Places for a Chill Drink
Café Leopold (Bombay)
Wink at Taj (Bombay)
Dome at Intercontinental (Bombay)
Khao Sarn Center (Bangkok)
Streetside vendors on Khao San Road (Bangkok)
Ark Bar on Chaweng beach (Ko Samui)
Beach bars and bucket stands on Haad Rin beach (Ko Pha Ngan)
Riverside cafes along the Mekong (Vientiane and Luang Prabang)
Riverside bars with slides and flying foxes on the Nam Song (Vang Vieng)
Phoudindaeng Organic Farm (Vang Vieng)
Lao Lao Garden (Luang Prabang)
Pub Street bars (Siem Reap)
Bubble T (Siem Reap)
Random beach shacks (Goa)
Mama Africa (Cape Town)
Around the bonfire at Tube n Axe (Storms River)
Mercury Bar (Zanzibar)

Best Places to Party
Khao San Road, Bangkok
Haad Rin Beach, Ko Pha Ngan
Bangla Road, Patong Beach, Phuket
Vang Vieng, Laos
Baga Beach, Goa

Things that Impressed Us
Architecture (Dubai)
Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai (Dubai)
Efficiency of public transport (India)
Number of schools in Kerala (not true anywhere else in India)
Detecting problems in internal organs through foot reflexology (Thailand)
Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom (Cambodia)
How many motorbikes they can fit on a single block in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
How many people they can fit on a single motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
Tourism infrastructure (Thailand)
Rutvik's dad's plan for developing The Clinic (India)
Efficiency of the dabbawallas and dhobis (India)
Beautiful simplicity of the Taj Mahal (India)
Our yoga teachers Monika and Manu (India)
The lack of animosity at the India-Pakistan border (India)
Watching Rutvik's foot go from scaly to baby butt smooth (India)
Our realization of how true to life the Lion King is (Tanzania / Kenya)

Things that Irritate Us
Hacking of phlegm and spitting tobacco (India)
The Indian philosophy on queues (India)
Lack of street signs (India)
EVERYONE answering their cell phone at the movie theater and TALKING in the theater!! (India)
Foreigners paying 10 to 20 times higher admissions prices compared to locals (India)
Refusal to use taxi-meter, especially after specifically waiting in a line for a metered-taxi for 30 minutes!! (Thailand)
People telling us attractions are closed when they are not, hoping to sell us a ridiculously expensive tour (Thailand)
Monopoly pricing for internet, tours, taxi rides, etc. (Haad Rin beach on Ko Pha Ngan)
Negotiating for transportation anywhere on the Thai islands (Thailand)
US bombing of Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam War (Laos and Cambodia)
Continued use of cluster bombs in today's wars (which leaves unexploded ordinance and kills people for decades after the war)
People saying "Hey lady, you wanna buy this or that?!" (Cambodia)
All the motorbikes using the sidewalks in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
Motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) (not a typo)
How people just say "No" and don't even try if they don't understand you (Vietnam)
How people just don't care if someone tries to scam you (it's just the way things are attitude) (Vietnam)
Lingering anti-Americanism (Vietnam)
How the price changes after you order but you have to pay it anyway (Vietnam)
Idea that foreigners can afford to pay exorbitant amounts of money (All countries)
Nobody says thank you or apologizes even for significant mistakes (Southeast Asia)
How they don't turn on the reading lights in overnight buses, even when it's dark at 7pm (Southeast Asia)
Lack of change available and non-acceptance of torn bills (India)
Lack of sidewalks (India)
General lack of understanding of what a "thick shake" is (India)

Things We’ve Taken for Granted
Hot water
Consistent electricity
Drinking tap water
Ice at restaurants
Soap in public bathrooms
Toilet paper
Western toilets
Having clean clothes
Diet Coke
Not having mosquito bites
Watching college football on a Saturday
Personal space
Being able to use a credit card
Availability of contact lens solution, body wash, ladies razors, and non-whitening moisturizer!!
The customer is always right
US sizes of toiletries, food, etc.
Living in a country without land mines or UXOs
Being able to complain if service is crappy
Being able to trust the police and the legal system
Being able to eat raw veggies and salad without fear of future repercussions
Variety of English movies in cinemas
Not having to sleep under a mosquito net
Feeling pretty at ease walking around the city with purses, shopping bags, etc.
Driving without major risk of getting car jacked
Society that is not forced to rely on street justice

Most Useful Items Packed
Flashlight
Sleeping bag
Jungle Juice mosquito repellant
Hand sanitizer
Soap
Toilet paper
Food pushed on us by Rutvik’s mom
Lonely Planet

Biggest Culture Shocks and Surprises about India
ALL the people!!!
ALL the mosquitoes!!!
Bowing to get money --- from so many people I’ve never even met before!
All the vegetarian restaurants
Everything is cash based (credit cards are extremely rare because Indians don’t like to pay taxes)
How absolutely warm and welcoming the people are
Neverending stares
Nobody letting us pay for anything
Getting gifts delivered to the house by people we’ve never even met

Spa Treatments Tried
Swedish oil massage
Thai massage
Ayurvedic herb massage
Body scrub
Foot scrub
Foot reflexology massage
Shirodhara
Nasia
Eyebrow and lip threading

Animals We Have Lived Amongst (by approx frequency)
Flies
Cows
Dogs
Mosquitoes
Monkeys
Camels
Donkeys
Horses
Elephants
Pigs
Goats
Sheep
Rats
Bullocks
Peacocks
Warthogs
Huge spiders
Scorpion