Hawaii, has been on the places to travel list for a while now. It would only be a destination that you would visit for any reason you would get! And what better than a wedding on the island? A long journey to get to the island, another few hours’ time difference from California and a total of 15 Hrs 30 min from India. We just kept resetting our watches & Food Cycle and just when our sleep cycles were set in Hawaii, it was time to travel back.
The travel from India ( Mumbai to San Francisco) via Dubai, yes. We flew Emirates and the first surprise we received at the check-in counter, was an upgrade to Business class for the Mumbai- Dubai sector and what a journey. The flat bed and the service were what made Emirates fly better and fly differently. The Dubai airport was silent and quiet with no crowds at the airport, it took us less than 15 minutes to clear immigration, Security and reach the gates. The United States after a decade felt so different yet nothing seemed to have changed. The dollar exchange rate changed a lot, things definitely felt more expensive, fewer staff around at retail stores and in the hospitality sector, The Waymo driverless experience was a highlight of the California stay. Before we knew it, it was time to head to Aloha. The week we were to go there. It was stormy and floods were forecast. A couple of days, and there were no Signs of Rain, only sunshine and sunset around until it poured one night and changed a few more plans. Hawaii – The first reaction is like Thailand, Phuket, a little like the Maldives and a lot like Goa India. But cleaner, Bluer and less crowded with very good seafood & meat. And while we walked and explored the place. Aloha as a state is almost twice as expensive as New York & San Francisco. A little history! In 1810 Kamehameha became Hawaii’s first king. The islands continued to have royal rulers into the 1880s. No wonder the Suite at Royal Hawaiian was named the Kamehameha, a spacious room And a huge balcony to enjoy the sunrises and sunset and occasionally the local cultural show from the balcony itself. The hospitality & the service in the States is something that they need to learn from India.
Did You Know? Hawaii is an island that has 132 islands but only 7 have been inhabited Hawaii the Names comes from the Hawai’i Loa, a legendary figure who is said to have first discovered the islands.
Many beaches are filled with white sand, but other Hawaiian shores are covered with green, red, pink, and even black sand.
Hawaii is the only U.S. state with two official languages: English and Hawaiian.
Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States was born in Honolulu Hawaii
Sugarcane, pineapples, coffee, macadamia nuts, and flowers are all important sources of income for the Aloha’s economy.
Hawaii’s nickname, the Aloha State, is no mystery: Aloha is a Hawaiian way to say hello and goodbye.
No Texting While Crossing Street Looking at your cell phone while crossing a crosswalk is prohibited. If you commit a breach, you will be fined $ 15-99. In addition, crossing at other than the pedestrian crossing is prohibited and punishable by a fine of $ 130 for violations.
Africa and Kenya have always been a fascinating region for me, It has been on the Bucket list for a while! And the reason we have always avoided it is that we were afraid of the “Yellow Fever injection” But since we already got our shots during the Brazil Visa! It was a matter of time, till we would be planning for Kenya! But… A wedding in Kenya! Excited us! And one of the reasons we changed our tickets and plan for Egypt was because of the destination first and second this would be a fun family wedding to attend. In the next 24 hours, we have reworked are plans and are all set for the Indian wedding in Kenya. Kenya is popular for the Masai Mara for its lion & leopard spotting. But, Amboseli National Park, was making news recently for its celebrity Elephant “Craig Super Tusker” who had passed away!
And Amboseli was also our wedding destination. Arriving in Nairobi after a 3 hr flight delay from the airlines, We Were tired but fresh to explore the city, with just about one day in hand here! The city’s roads were beautifully wide and smooth, the Traffic too was one of the worst we had experienced during the peak hours of locals heading home!! The Food we ate was satisfying and yum! Greek food at a Greek restaurant for lunch and Kenyan food ( Beans, Vegetables and Rice) we tasted during dinner. Kenyan! Has like a lot of other countries in the world, an Indian population who has settled there in the early 1900s and an Indian community that meets often!
A couple of things I learnt on my trip besides the fact already known that Kenyan Coffee is one of the best! Kenyan Exports a huge amount of Roses, to Europe & Tea to the United States. This is a little insight into the Kenyan economy. Let’s get back to the Kenyan experience- The Safari I am talking about! The safari set for 5 am, with a hazy sunrise that had shades of purple was an experience of quietness and An Army of elephants walking together, zebras on either side and hyenas chasing, deer flocking together. We enjoyed the safari so much, we headed again for an afternoon one, trying to spot Giraffes and lions/leopards. The afternoon safari… we were lucky to have spotted a couple of giraffes but none of the lions or leopard. The different sounds, the calmness of animals and the early morning of Kilimanjaro mountain before it would play its hide & seek game was one of the highlights of the Kenyan wedding experience. The wedding decor with backdrops of the mountains and simplicity of colours and florals made the whole decoration look beautiful without any OTT emphasis on filling up the space. The grazing table during the cocktail dinner had space utilised well! The Dholki’s during the afternoon mehendi was a vibe that stepped up the whole wedding mood for the coming functions. While we were still soaking in Kenya, we had to leave for another destination…
A few facts on the coffee from Kenya:
Kenyan coffee undergoes a unique doublefermentation process, which sets it apart. After the beans are fermented and washed, they are soaked in fresh water for up to 24 hours and then fermented again to enhance the development of intricate flavours. This process amplifies the coffee’s acidity and brings out bright, fruity notes characteristic of Kenyan coffee
The eight coffee grades are:
AA: Large beans (20 mm) with the highest quality. AB: A mix of A and B grades (6.80 mm). PB (Peaberry): Rare round beans, highly prized. E (Elephant): The largest beans. C: Smaller beans. T: Smallest, thinnest, often faulty. TT: Light beans, typically from “elephants.” MH/ML: Unwashed beans (Mbuni) with lower prices and a sour taste.
Not exactly from the time they have been published until they hit the stores and are ready to witness the books flying off the shelf.
But, from the time they are published until the time, the reader figures this is a book he/she would like to read at a certain time of their life if not now.
Does the book hold the same relevance to the reader it had when it was released in the market?
Some bestsellers no matter when you read them. They still are relevant, They fall in the bracket of classics, classics that become the reference points for other authors and readers to compare that work with the current ones written in a similar style.
But, years later when you recommend them to someone would the book have the same impression and effect on the reader too?
Or would the reader wonder what was special about the book or would have outgrown the subject if they had already experienced something similar in real life or in another, a book that wasn’t necessarily a bestseller but a book worth reading or investing your time in it?
And with social media, content flows all across a range of channels, what happens to books that become the source of content, Does the reader still enjoy reading the book as a whole?
Or do social media opinions play on the minds of the reader to read classics/Bestsellers?
Having travelled by Air, Train and Road the only mode of transportation left to experience was to travel by Sea, The cruise experience, was one of its kind. We were very sceptical about travelling and experiencing the Cruise and the Sea Sickness, How were we going to manage on the ship for so long and how do we go about the whole journey? Fortunately, We bumped into the Man who would make the whole cruise experience seamless and memorable. From the moment we checked in to the cruise, We had surprises waiting to unfold. We had an invite sent for the exclusive meet-up with the team and a few guests who were part of the Heaven Suites. On our first day during the dinner at Manhattan Restaurant, Where the menu changes every day and doesn’t require a reservation, We had a table ready for us. We had meal suggestions from the chef. The meal had seafood dishes,0% Alcohol Wine and Mocktails with Meat and desserts. We had a team who had planned our next few days on the ship including our restaurant reservation for the whole journey. The first Dock at Cannes – Was another experience of priority guests for the tender boat. ( Cannes is a tender port on Cruises, The Ship docks at a distance Before the tenders are released in Slots and on Reservation only. ) We had the priority to get on board the cruise. Cannes, We do it again! A city known for the Film Festival is a beautiful stroll in the Promenade de la Croisette, The Cinematic painting on the walls and the walk through narrow steeped lanes while a red carpet awaits you to walk the steps of an auditorium that overlooks the French Rivera. While that was the glamorous walk on the stage, the walk off to the Marche Forville A weekend food Market was an interesting experience with so many fresh herbs and cheese available to taste, Before we headed to the beach. Back on the Ship, We took a break to explore the ship before we headed to change for Dinner. We explored the Reading Room – The Reading Room had an amazing collection of the new popular bestsellers with a view of the sea. Also a gaming room for ones who like to play chess with their mates. Walking around the bars, We had a photographer doing photo shoots with backdrops and Art being displayed on the sides while we walked.
The next day we visited another port Civitavecchia and it seemed like the hottest day!
The highlight was Naples! We had made a reservation for Michele’s pizza!Rated as The World’s Best Pizza.A 150 years old pizzeria ` Just 4 choices on the menu to choose from and order, Margheritabeing the original. Legend has it, that the Queen ordered and loved the pizza so much! That it was named the Margherita. If you don’t have a reservation? You can take a takeaway from The one-mile-long Queue side of the Restaurant. Braving the rain was worth it here!
And for those who are avid Football fans! Here, is an interesting Trivia. Mardonaa was from Naples, and there is a mural and Fan made space in Naples!
Cagliari, Sardinia though a beautiful town, We hardly had any time here! Spain Palma De Mallorca was the surprise city For us! It was beautiful with a mix of the Middle East, Tangier in Morocco and hints of Europe! The cathedral was beautifully built with the best view of the sea and a sunset worth coming back to! Ibiza! We would have liked to be here overnight to experience the Nightlife, but the day trip! Reminds you a lot about Greece.
Coming back to the cruise!
Each dinner meal was an experience! Right from Indian delicacy Butter Chicken, Samosa and South Indian style Jumbo prawns and indian style Fish that were specially curated for us. The dessert Gajar ka Halwa! Couldn’t have been a better conclusion to our Indian Meal. The French Meal at Le Bistro on the Escape ship was esquite with Jumbo size lobster and nice chunks of Sea Bass! With French onion Soup and herbed butter that was made of snails. The Italian Meal at La Cucina- The pizza was at par with Michele’s we had in Naples! Our Italian meal were with Risotto fungi mushroom truffles, With Amaretto liqueur and limoncello on ice on the sides. For dessert, we had one of the best Panna Cotta till date, Tiramisu It was so good, that We went again the next day to Only have one more slice of tiramisu. Teppanyaki – The Japanese Experience! This was Very good + Entertainment. A table of ten with a total of seven of us and it was a fun interactive dinner for us with tricks while our food was being prepared. Tried a Wasabi Cocktail! And it was a sweet and spicy fusion drink. The Moderno – The Brazilian steakhouse was reliving our Brazil meal again that we had a few months ago! And it was as good as that one! With meats and bread. Cagney Steakhouse: a signature Restaurant that is there is most of the NCL cruises was an American steakhouse experience where we had very good Crab Cakes, Lobsters and calamari! The last but not the least Bayamo was the best seafood dinner meal with very huge size shrimps! And fish! That just melted away! And the birthday Surprise meal with a huge cake was the highlight of Dad’s 60th. They also set up the room to celebrate the birthday to an amazement with chocolates, A spa voucher and a bottle of Wine and champagne!
The ship had a lot of other offerings, the gaming arcade, Table Tennis , Pools, The Mini Golf course, a Jogging track, Water slides for the kids or the kid in You! Rope walking For the adventurous one. For the one’s who like to drink, there are about 15 odd bars to choose your drinks from and many spots you would like to Keep hanging around ,While you enjoy your drink. Many other interactive activities are scheduled throughout the cruise, and you have the freedom to attend or skip them! If you haven’t cruised yet! Now is the perfect time to take control of your cruise Break.
Cruise Route:
Travel to Barcelona
9 Days
Barcelona – Cannes – Livorno- Civitavecchia-Naples- Cagliari-Palma De Mallorca – Ibiza- Barcelona
Mediterranean Cruise…
Port of Call: #barcelona Day 1: #Cannes Day2: #Livorno- #Florence and #Pisa Around the port Day3: Overnight at #Livorno Day4: #Civitavecchia – #Rome is close to this port Day 5: #Naples Day6: #Calgilari Day 7: #Palmademallorca Day 8: #Ibiza Day 9: #Barcelona
Barcelona sightseeing:
Parkguell
Gaudi
sagradafamilia
Casabatlo
Cafes: @nomadcoffee
Food: @tapatapabarcelona
Food:
Churros #patatbravas
Cannes:
Marché Forville -Food Market
Livorno: Cathedrals
Naples: @pizzeriadamichele : Bucket list, Done after a decade!
A K H I L N A N D A 