stuff

In an attempt to cheer myself up this morning, was trying to remember a few interesting things/sights I’ve seen/observed over the last one month:

1) On Dusshera, pavements (whatever crumbling bits are available) in Hyderabad are swamped with marigold flowers. The vendors sell them by the kilo during the festive season, since people deck their houses and their vehicles with it. Looks like molten lava along the streets.

2) Watching a pretzel being made - looks remarkably easy and fresh warm ones taste yummy.

3) Saw plenty of natural wonders during my recent trip to the States:

a. Natural Bridge Caverns – preserved formations almost 200 ft below ground level of natural limestone formations – stalagmites, stalactites, curtains, chandeliers, even fried eggs – in the photos I took they look like leftover goo from horror movies, so no illustration with this. But google zindabad…
b. Dinosaur footprints preserved by a river bed. And even better footprints of a carnivorous dinosaur tracking and attacking a huge herbi one have been preserved. Can almost picture the action sequence – a 13 ton toothy one trying to bring down a 30 ton humongous one! Outskirts of Dallas.
c. And of course one of Earth’s 7 natural wonders – the spectacular, totally humbling (drumroll) Grand Canyon. Takes one’s breath away – for good, if you lean over precipices too far – that’s why my bro-in-law was holding on to my waist belt while I was being the intrepid (read idiot) photographer!
d. Saw what a Joshua tree looked like. U2 fans will know it from an album cover, but then I’m not one, so I got to see the real stuff instead, nyah nyah! In fact I got to see a 900 year old Joshua Tree FOREST.
e. Performers of Cirque De Soleil. Am categorizing them as natural wonders, well…because I wanna - they were jaw-droppingly good.

4) A shop full of things that change color when exposed to UV rays. Right from designs on T-shirts to key chains, to nail polish, watches, slippers and even cultured pearls. And they don’t change into just one color, they even have options there. This is a shop right outside the Alamo in San Antonio. Yes, I learnt what history is behind the phrase “Remember the Alamo” too!

5) Amazing sculptures at a cliff side restaurant near Austin – Lake Tavern (did I get that name right?), called the Oasis. Had burnt down when lightening struck and they’ve reopened it. Popular stop, good food, lovely view of the lake off the edge of the cliff. Very animated looking sculptures, placed seemingly casually, but blend in so naturally with the surroundings that a lot of thought must have gone into it. Giraffes reaching out to eat leaves from a tree, kids playing on a tree branch, even a skeleton wearing sunglasses floating in a bathtub in the pool!

6) Halloween decorations outside people’s homes – from neon cobwebs to the usual scary pumpkins to Count Dracula’s at entrances! Even more fun are the shops selling these.

7) Gamblers at Las Vegas, can be amazingly superstitious. As if mathematical probability can be tweaked ever so slightly more in your favor.

8) You can do plenty in Las Vegas (on The Strip), and not even touch a slot machine.

9) Godiva Ice cream bars – dark chocolate covering a white choc filling with raspberry swirl inside. Mmmmmm!
(Yeah yeah, I know….try as I might I can’t not mention food!!)

10) Downtown Dallas, the Art Street, has a hedge next to the pavement, they’ve put speakers in the ground, concealed of course with lovely music. Good place to wait, or just sit and read maybe! Innovative idea I thought. Gives a peaceful feeling while the rush hour traffic goes by.

11) A sign painted on one of the barricades on the roads here– “On the event of Gandhi Jayanti, MCH dedicates 150 toilets for your convenience” – gee thanks. Any more volunteers, in whose sacrifice rest of the population gets more loos?