Postcards From Mexico

If you are near Chichen Itza, Tumul or Ek Balam, try to make time for Valladolid. It is a small town with 16th century style buildings. The buildings are tall, flat, colored with huge ceilings and wooden doors. Many of these buildings have now been converted into shops, restaurants and art boutiques. This town has transformed into yet another tourist destination which is quite sad because that takes away the real feel of a place. Still, you will find enough locals around dining at restaurants or relaxing in Francisco Cantón Rosado Park (the main center park) that lies right in the middle of the busiest intersection and also opposite San Servacio o Gervasio Church.

Notice how the building is a bit lopsided

While strolling through the park, heavenly smell of something being baked dragged me to a tiny stall selling fresh Marquesitas. A little man was baking fresh crispy pancakes on a hot, round griddle and filling them up with meat, cheese, fruits, marmalades or chocolate depending on people’s demands. I chose banana, Nutella and walnuts filling. It was amazing.

We did not have enough time to explore much of this little town. We walked around the whole main square, gazing up at the colourful buildings and searching for a good restaurant. Several people guided us to a corner restaurant, done up in a real vintage style, named Las Campanas. We ate there, totally tired from our Chichen Itza and Ik Kil trip, and decided to call it a day when gongs sounded at the Cathedral.

Intending to go back to our resort in Playa Del Carmen, we kept getting lost. Valladolid has numerous tiny lanes, many of which are one way. The GPS device kept getting confused. We reached dead-ends, roamed around in circles and asked people who couldn’t communicate in English. That way, we got to explore the non-touristy portions of the city. These sections of the city would remind you of any old city of India – the same haphazard traffic, small box shaped row houses, cars and motorcycles parked here and there, grocery, shoes and clothes local stores. I would squeal once in a while when an old colourful vintage building would come to sight.

I found out later on that Valladolid also has a few historic buildings and a cenote (meaning, a water cave). It would be a good idea to stay here if you intend to visit Chichen Itza, Ek Balam and Ik Kil. You can visit these places and also explore this little town without having to travel long distances from Cancun or Playa. Strolling or getting lost in pretty lanes of Valladolid in evenings would be such a bliss.

Off… Again

Have I mentioned before? I love airports. They are busy, lively and bring with them excitement of a new, unknown destination that you would be seeing in a few hours. There is an excitement in everything – holding passport and ticket in your hand, pushing the luggage trolley, getting your items checked, getting stamping done on boarding pass.

After coming to USA 4 months ago, this was my first air travel. And this time, I wasn’t alone. I was off on a mini vacation with my husband, At.

Every person, who travels a lot, develops his style. What he does with his wait time on the airport, and how he travels generally, probably reflects his nature. I, for that matter, do have a definite pattern. I finish security check quickly and then roam around the whole shopping area, entering mostly book and souvenir stores to browse (I never buy other stuff but do pick up a book sometimes). By that time, I decide where I want to eat. I pick up my food and coffee and sit by the transparent wall, watching planes land, take off and taxi.

This is what I did this time too. Only, it was fun doing it with a companion.

And so, we board the plane with our Chicken Barbeque sandwiches and my excitement increases.

At had taken a window seat for me, which is what I always too. But unlike usually, I did not get a place above the wing, which was very fortunate. We took off from SJ in a shaky take off and were soon over the city, watching roads and buildings that lay in a very organized fashion. I watched the land below, my forehead pushed against the window, till clouds showed up and I could see nothing.

That’s when I turned to reading books on my tablet.

We reached Houston after a 4 hours flight. The airport was chaotic and crowded – a colorful mix of nationalities and professions. The food court enticed me to different outlets, making it more difficult for me to choose. I went in for Italian ultimately.

A Stromboli and Pizza piece in hand, I was whisked off to the boarding gate. And here comes the best part. I had been fooled. We weren’t going to Galveston, Texas, as At had informed me. We were going to Cancun! A big big surprise for me! I did not know how to react till the plane took off. I was too amazed and touched. At had planned this whole trip as a gift to me.

After this new fact sunk in, I started imagining about all the exciting things that we could be doing in Mexico.

Mexico. Boy!

Berryessa Flea Market, San Jose

I had a very fascinating motion of flea markets when I came here. I had seen pictures on some blogs before and totally loved the idea of a colourful, lively market where one could find interesting finds. And so I was dying to visit one.

I turned out to be lucky. The biggest flea market in San Jose happens to be 5 minutes away from our house. Last Sunday, weather was beautiful – sunny and warm – perfect for a day outing. Yippie!

This flea market is located in a huge space and even though it was pretty crowded at 2 pm, we had no difficulty moving around.

We meandered through broad and narrow lanes of sellers selling everything under the sun – jewellery, clothes, shoes, soaps, electronics, ear phones, kitchenware, cosmetics, bags, baby clothes, toilet cleaners, hats, country clothing, boots, vintage crockery.. phew! It took us a while to sink into the expanse. I was enthralled at the idea of buying handy stuff (like washing brushes and floor mats) at cheap rates.

And yeah, haggling is allowed!

A flea market is like a family outing spot. Because there is something for everyone. There is food, there are toys, there are clothes, there is face painting. And some pretty entertaining sights.

So, everyone is entertained.

This reminded me of the many exhibitions I have seen in Baroda with M. One of the many good things in the flea market is that one can take photographs freely! No one is stopped from taking photographs of the stalls and products, unlike in India.

The most crowded area is the fruits and vegetables section. Basic fruits and veggies to dried spices to exotic fruits to fresh breads – everything found its way into this colourful aisle. We ended up buying some basic veggies, yummy soft cinnamon bread and the most heavenly honey ever. Most fruits and veggies were of the same price as supermarkets but we did find some different variety of fruits that are not available elsewhere. Things like eggs turned out to be much cheaper.

If you become a regular at flea markets or farmer’s markets, you would know what to buy there. Also, it becomes convenient if these markets are close to your place of residence.

I know for sure that I am going to be a regular visitor at this flea market. I didn’t get to explore it fully this time. I am sure there are many treasures yet to be discovered by me.

The Berryessa flea market is open on Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun. For more details, visit their website.

Saaghi House of Kabob, San Jose–Restaurant Review

Sometimes, you stumble upon a place, and don’t have much hope on it but when it turns out to be amazing, you just feel so awesome about yourself. At found out this place via a deal. We had a tough time looking for the place. And after taking several rounds of the dimly lit South Bascom Ave, we eyed Saaghi – House of Kabob at the end of a plain ground, next to a supermarket (Mehrooz Supermarket, if I remember correctly).

The place looked a bit rundown and creepy and I was sure we are just wasting our time.

A thick wooden door opened into the dimly lit restaurant. The place was as lively from inside as shabby from outside. There was a small party of Iranian men on one side of the restaurant, gyrating to live Persian music and occasional karaoke. Surprisingly, I did not find this clamour a bit noisy. I actually enjoyed the music!

A very busy hostess took our order and gave us a complimentary Green Salad (which when topped with their special masala (seasoning) is extremely yummy! Our food took a while to arrive which gave me enough time to dwell on the interiors. The place was embellished with Persian lanterns, paintings and show pieces. Even though the place could do with some upgradation, I enjoyed its aura.

Our appetizer, Kashke Bademjan, arrived with Lavash bread. This mildly flavoured, mashed eggplant was so delightful that I was disappointed when we gulped it down in no time.

For the main course, we ordered Barreh and Joojeh (Lamb and Chicken Kabobs). We liked the lamb more. The lamb was perfectly to our liking.

Our dessert was Faloodeh and Baklava (you cannot not have Baklava if you go to an Irani / Mediterranean / Turkish / Mid Eastern restaurant). The Faloodeh had a light rose flavour and icy creamy Persian ice cream. A delightful serving, again.

This was one of the best meals I have had lately. Everything from the Green Salad to Baklava was fresh and touched our taste buds adequately. I would go to this place to treat myself once in a while.

The quaint place has a homely feel. There was only one stewardess, when we visited, who despite being busy is patient and helpful. The place is comfortable to be at and pleasant to look at.

Give it a try!

PS: Their website offers an unusual explanation of the word ‘Saaghi’.

Saaghi refers to a lady with specific meaning. Saaghi is the Wine-Bearer and pourer. She is mentioned in Persian poetry by many poets such as Omar Khayyam, Hafiz, Rumi, Saadi and many more poets Saaghi is every man’s dream woman. She is beautiful, kind, loving, and always by her man’s side.
She is the one men die for.
She is the one poetry is about.
She is the true love

California Winter

Travelrage is now based in California. I shifted to San Jose some 20 days ago. I have to say goodbye to old architecture, crumbling monuments and welcome the glitter, colour of this sunny state of America. This part of California is cold right now. I was greeted by fallen leaves and red and yellow hues of Autumn. That reminded me how much I loved fall colours.

I ventured out on my own for the first time today. Our neighbourhood is green (and well, red and yellow right now), sparsely populated and very spacious. While I took time to settle down, I looked at the beauty around me and thought, I will capture it one day.

Summing Up 2012

If Divya from Tipsy from the Trip hadn’t have tagged me, I would never have thought of doing a retrospection. Now that the year has ended and most of my exploring and blogging has happened in 2012, I am excited to write about it.

Towards the end of 2011, I moved to Vadodara and life changed. Vadodara, also known as the Cultural Capital of Gujarat, has a rich history and lots of architecture, festivals and the like happening throughout the year. To top it all, I made a wonderful friend, M, who was equally enthusiastic and accompanied me for all silly/risky/vague explorations, most of which turned out to be fruitful. With her, I have seen the best architecture in and near Baroda, had some excellent food, met some great people and did lots of shopping.

I travelled a lot – in India, outside India and within my city. I bought a SLR, experimented more with photography and zeroed down on my niche – old architecture and food.

I have recently moved to the US post marriage and there is no old architecture here to photograph! This is a clean concrete city and I will not get rustic elements here. Let’s see how my blog transforms, going forward.

As of now, here is my 2012 round up.

1. Most beautiful post: Champaner – Date with heritage.

I have not taken better pictures with a Point & Shoot. Champaner deserves more credit and attention that it currently gets.

2. Most popular post: Dhundhiraj Ganpati Temple

This beautiful, historic temple is special. It was my last expedition in Baroda during my last days there. This was a mystery temple which when finally found gave us immense happiness. The temple is hidden from localites and it made me happy to be telling about it to the world. This post also got the maximum comments.

3. Most helpful post: Hazira Maqbara

Many localites don’t know about this grand Mughal structure in Baroda and this post made them aware of it. I hope, more people will now visit and appreciate this beauty!

4. Most controversial post: None yet!

5. A post whose success surprised me: Magic of doors and windows

I wrote this long ago. The photos aren’t great and I didn’t know giving effects back then. People liked the pics a lot!

6. A post that did not get the attention it deserved: Back to you

I thought the photos were pretty cute!

7. A post I am proud of: Tambekar Wada or Sevasi Stepwell?!

Can’t decide!

These are great historic monuments that hardly anyone knows of. I think I did my favourite city proud by visiting, taking good pictures and writing about them so that people get impressed and visit!

2013 is an all new beginning. New country. New climate. New surroundings. Total new style!

And I am so looking forward to bringing my best out in this new year!

Festival Of Lights

Happy Diwali, Folks.

Dhundiraj Ganpati Temple, Vadodara

M and I have our little story linked to this temple (its 160 year old history apart). This temple was a mystery 2 months back. We scoured for it in the whole of Wadi area and MG Road (in rain and wind, in August) but failed to find it. So determined were we to locate it, we drove on the 2 wheeler, totally drenched, on crowded roads one Sunday evening and accepted confusing instructions from locals who had only vaguely heard of it. We stopped our search only when rain threatened to give us flu.

I was convinced the temple doesn’t exist.

Until, a friend, like a stork bringing happy news, informed us that his friend’s father has been a pandit (priest) in that very temple. Both of them led us there last Sunday (which incidentally happened to be my second-last day in Baroda) and very frankly, I had no hopes. I expected a really dilapidated, unimpressive temple.

I was quite wrong. The sight that met my eyes left me speechless (even though I did find the exteriors a bit bland).

This temple is located in the heart of Wadi area. You need to reach there by meandering through narrow housing lanes and I assure you, once is not enough to remember the way.

The upsetting thing is the temple is totally concealed by a high wall, which makes it impossible to picture an important monument inside. No wonder, hardly anyone has ever heard of it. It’s disappointing and worrying that such a gem is hidden from everyone and is not getting the attention, praise, admiration it deserves.

The temple was built by Gopalrao Mairal, a diwan during the regime of Sayaji Rao Gaekwad II. As per a story, he was quite wealthy and close to the King; he had even lent some Crores of rupees to the latter in time of need. Today, the 5^th generation of Mairals are maintaining the temple.

The monument has been built using Gujarati and Marathi architecture. The arches, doors, ceiling and pillar supports are very colourful, blue, yellow, red and green very predominant. A unique combination of wood and marble has been used to build it. A Ganeshji idol, which is flanked by Riddhi and Siddhi (usually not spotted), is placed for worship. Pooja and aarti still happens here 3 times a day.

A strong resemblance can be seen with Tambekar Wada. The jaali work, flowery motifs and excess use of colour is common to both monuments.

We were shown around by current members of Mairal family who stay right there, maintain the temple and perform daily rituals. They were nice people and were happy to have interested visitors as guests.

This is a piece of art. A masterpiece.

Barodians, go and take a look immediately!

Others, DON’T MISS IT if you happen to be in Baroda during daytime.

Why Gujarat Tourism Rocks

While states like Rajasthan, Kerala & Goa have been attracting heaps of tourists since several years, one state has been silently, but warmly, inviting people. Gujarat. Little do people know about Gujjuland’s rich offerings and though most people go running to famous destinations like Jaipur and Shimla for vacations, ardent travellers (even Indians) come here with enough curiosity. Gujarat has spellbinding palaces (many of which have been converted into heritage hotels), tombs, mosques, forts and festivals to boast of.

Before my recent trip to Kerala, I spent time going through Kerala Tourism website and was mighty impressed. I appreciate the importance given by Government on tourism. This is exactly what I felt when I went through Gujarat Tourism website. For a state which does not have tourism as its main earning source, making such a splendid website is a big deal. Snagging Amitabh Bacchan to promote their state is also a big BIG deal.

I absolutely love the Gujarat Tourism logo. It depicts a lion (representing Gir Sanctuary) and a border design boasting of our rich crafts.

The home page has a photo slideshow of various destinations along with a warm welcome note.

Because the state is so diverse and there is so much to see / do here – from monuments to fairs to beaches to palaces, the website has categorized destinations according to areas and categories.

The most interesting section according to me is the heritage hotels section. I did not know that there are some 21 palaces converted into hotels in Gujarat! How I would love to visit them all! I have visited just one of them – House of MG, Ahmedabad – and must say that it is amazing. Everyone who visits Ahmedabad, must dine in this hotel.

In fact, I came to know of many places and monuments only after going through this website. And that’s how my feet took me to the interiors of Baroda to look at hidden monuments.

The importance laid on tourism is also evident from promotions done locally. Regular supplements, in the form of booklets, are given along with popular newspapers. I have read two on Gujarat Handicrafts and Monuments.

In August, Sardar Sarovar Dam was at the peak of its glory and thus frequented by lots of people. Gujarat Tourism put up banners all along the way, exhibiting various destinations. A huge stall was put up where huge photographs were lined up again in different categories – festivals, temples, monuments, forts, etc. A detailed map of the state showed monuments, food and items each town or city was famous for. This was one impressive work. A television showed tourism videos featuring Amitabh Bacchan. I was seeing those videos for the first time and was quite spellbound by them.

It was quite sad than no one was as mesmerized as we were. There were more people getting themselves photographed against the dummy decorative animals than studying the photographs. They must be proud of the kind of promotion and preservation Government is doing for their state’s history.

Abandoned

In an ignored corner of Jambughoda Heritage Resort, are these abandoned structures. Once used as stables, now these blocks are lying unattended. Thankfully, they weren’t full of garbage; just some broken furniture and remains of construction parts.

This area is located right opposite the front of the palace (the parking lot and garden in between them) but no visitors go there, I am sure. Except these.

The only ray of optimism in this unnoticed area is this tiny water body.

I was quite charmed by this spot because lonely, empty spaces appeal to me.