Tue Nov 18 Ahmedabad
This day seemed destined to be difficult. Mike had to take a bus back to Baroda, pick up the camera, and return. Carol had lined up a morning Ahmedabad Heritage Association tour for herself. Both of us left the hotel at 725.
Carol was headed in the right direction: up Relief St. to the start point at Swaminarayan Temple. A small wrong turn landed her at an exquisite Jain temple with sensuous carvings. She got her bearings and reached the large Hindu temple a few minutes after the introductory part of the tour began.
Before the walk (which turned out to cost the International Guest price of 100 R) there was an informative documentary. The audience consisted of 6 tourists of various nationalities and about 30 local architecture students. Carol opted to join the students, which meant that both tours would be conducted in English.
We walked the walled city of Ahmedabad; specifically several "pols" (micro-neighborhoods consisting of a street with houses on both sides and entry gates.) The guide pointed out traditional communal bird feeders, a 100+ year sewer system, and old-fashioned street lamps. There were Hindu and Jain temples; the latter extended several floors below street level. Much of the construction had layers of wood in it. This was intended to provide a buffer in the event of a major earthquake, such as the one that hit Ahmedabad in 2001. The pols remained unscathed.
The Jumma (Friday) Mosque at the end was unusual: an Islamic building constructed in 1424 by Hindu and Jain artisans. They originally added many naturalistic depictions of lotuses, vines, and other nature symbols not shown in Moslem art. The story is that Ahmed Shah accepted many of these motifs in a spirit of ecumenical unity.
After the guide [excellent in all ways] doffed his sandals during the first temple visit, Carol noticed that he had 6 toes on one foot. She kept on thinking about that for the rest of the walk.
After the tour ended, headed afterward toward Madhavi's office building. After a few false turns, she found it - this morning in the middle of a roaring produce market. Up one story - no Madhavi. So back to the hotel around 1200 to veg. A rewarding morning.
Mike headed off to the ST station near Astodia Gate for his return to Baroda. After walking about 5 minutes, he realized from the position of the sun, that he was walking west when he should be walking southeasterly. So back to the beginning, and then some careful walking according to the map. Still 1 km took more than 35 min to Astodia Gate, and then another 10 min to find the place to buy the tickets. On the bus at 825 and off.
This was the regular bus (105 R), not the AC Volvo bus (195 R). The principal differences were: (1) that it was apx 20 min slower, and (2) it let Mike off apx 200 m closer to the SapphireRegency.
So at 1035, Mike was walking to the hotel. They fetched the camera. He thanked them, and took a 20 R auto-rickshaw to the slightly farther terminal. Mike had 10 min to buy a ticket, get some water, and a large Fanta orange, and get on the 1100 Volvo AC bus. The bus got in to the Astodia terminal at apx 1240. A 40 R auto-rickshaw, and he was back at the hotel.
The last picture Mike had taken was of the standard plate of onions and limes served at almost all restaurants. We mocked the onions. The onions took revenge and caused Mike to misplace the camera. NEVER "dis" the onions!
We were back together at 1300. Our goals were to eat lunch and visit the highly-rated Calico Museum for their 1445 (or 1500) afternoon tour. We walked down Relief Rd, saw no restaurants, and so turned one block over into an intensely Muslim neighborhood. We came to an eatery with the most wonderful looking chicken leg quarters cooking away on the outdoor grill, and many (male) customers inside. We thought we ordered chicken, rice, and some of the mutton dish, and headed upstairs to the family section, where women and mixed groups eat. The upstairs was also full of customers. What we eventually got was a generous piece of the chicken, a plate of veg rice, and some bread. It was plenty, since Mike was on his second day of immodium pills and was not at 100%. The meal was very tasty, and the total was only 156 R ($2.60).
Back down on the street. It was after 1400, so we hailed an auto-rickshaw, and for 80 R and interminable traffic, we were at the Calico Museum. We glimpsed inside the grounds, with strutting peacocks and a garden setting.
Surprise! The tour is limited 10 and it had been booked solid for about 3 days. What limited access to a must-see sight! We waited to make sure everyone who had booked showed up. While waiting, we were talking to a Brit couple who had this tourism business down to a science. Mike mentioned the immodium. Her reaction: If there is any question at all, take some Cipro. So Mike popped a Cipro pill (and was feeling better by nightfall). When all the slots filled, we had nothing better to do than take a bus back downtown.
We hopped into our hotel room and decompressed. Then over to a nearby internet cafe. The guidebook said the Relief Cyber Cafe was across the street from Relief Cinema, which has been torn down.
There we posted a number of days. Finally, trying to find dinner, we were unable to locate anything listed in the guidebook. We ate something hardly memorable, except for the fact that while we were eating, the waiter came and took the bread we had been given off the table. Hey! There are always so many waiters, table boys, cleaners, etc., that they ready to pounce if you neglect a plate.
Around the corner was New Lucky Restaurant, which featured shakes and juice. Carol ordered a kesar pista milk shake and Mike a papaya shake. Finally, something great. Back to the room, where we wrote for a while and then to bed.
A day of more misses than hits.
This day seemed destined to be difficult. Mike had to take a bus back to Baroda, pick up the camera, and return. Carol had lined up a morning Ahmedabad Heritage Association tour for herself. Both of us left the hotel at 725.
Carol was headed in the right direction: up Relief St. to the start point at Swaminarayan Temple. A small wrong turn landed her at an exquisite Jain temple with sensuous carvings. She got her bearings and reached the large Hindu temple a few minutes after the introductory part of the tour began.
Before the walk (which turned out to cost the International Guest price of 100 R) there was an informative documentary. The audience consisted of 6 tourists of various nationalities and about 30 local architecture students. Carol opted to join the students, which meant that both tours would be conducted in English.
We walked the walled city of Ahmedabad; specifically several "pols" (micro-neighborhoods consisting of a street with houses on both sides and entry gates.) The guide pointed out traditional communal bird feeders, a 100+ year sewer system, and old-fashioned street lamps. There were Hindu and Jain temples; the latter extended several floors below street level. Much of the construction had layers of wood in it. This was intended to provide a buffer in the event of a major earthquake, such as the one that hit Ahmedabad in 2001. The pols remained unscathed.
The Jumma (Friday) Mosque at the end was unusual: an Islamic building constructed in 1424 by Hindu and Jain artisans. They originally added many naturalistic depictions of lotuses, vines, and other nature symbols not shown in Moslem art. The story is that Ahmed Shah accepted many of these motifs in a spirit of ecumenical unity.
After the guide [excellent in all ways] doffed his sandals during the first temple visit, Carol noticed that he had 6 toes on one foot. She kept on thinking about that for the rest of the walk.
After the tour ended, headed afterward toward Madhavi's office building. After a few false turns, she found it - this morning in the middle of a roaring produce market. Up one story - no Madhavi. So back to the hotel around 1200 to veg. A rewarding morning.
Mike headed off to the ST station near Astodia Gate for his return to Baroda. After walking about 5 minutes, he realized from the position of the sun, that he was walking west when he should be walking southeasterly. So back to the beginning, and then some careful walking according to the map. Still 1 km took more than 35 min to Astodia Gate, and then another 10 min to find the place to buy the tickets. On the bus at 825 and off.
This was the regular bus (105 R), not the AC Volvo bus (195 R). The principal differences were: (1) that it was apx 20 min slower, and (2) it let Mike off apx 200 m closer to the SapphireRegency.
So at 1035, Mike was walking to the hotel. They fetched the camera. He thanked them, and took a 20 R auto-rickshaw to the slightly farther terminal. Mike had 10 min to buy a ticket, get some water, and a large Fanta orange, and get on the 1100 Volvo AC bus. The bus got in to the Astodia terminal at apx 1240. A 40 R auto-rickshaw, and he was back at the hotel.
The last picture Mike had taken was of the standard plate of onions and limes served at almost all restaurants. We mocked the onions. The onions took revenge and caused Mike to misplace the camera. NEVER "dis" the onions!
We were back together at 1300. Our goals were to eat lunch and visit the highly-rated Calico Museum for their 1445 (or 1500) afternoon tour. We walked down Relief Rd, saw no restaurants, and so turned one block over into an intensely Muslim neighborhood. We came to an eatery with the most wonderful looking chicken leg quarters cooking away on the outdoor grill, and many (male) customers inside. We thought we ordered chicken, rice, and some of the mutton dish, and headed upstairs to the family section, where women and mixed groups eat. The upstairs was also full of customers. What we eventually got was a generous piece of the chicken, a plate of veg rice, and some bread. It was plenty, since Mike was on his second day of immodium pills and was not at 100%. The meal was very tasty, and the total was only 156 R ($2.60).
Back down on the street. It was after 1400, so we hailed an auto-rickshaw, and for 80 R and interminable traffic, we were at the Calico Museum. We glimpsed inside the grounds, with strutting peacocks and a garden setting.
Surprise! The tour is limited 10 and it had been booked solid for about 3 days. What limited access to a must-see sight! We waited to make sure everyone who had booked showed up. While waiting, we were talking to a Brit couple who had this tourism business down to a science. Mike mentioned the immodium. Her reaction: If there is any question at all, take some Cipro. So Mike popped a Cipro pill (and was feeling better by nightfall). When all the slots filled, we had nothing better to do than take a bus back downtown.
We hopped into our hotel room and decompressed. Then over to a nearby internet cafe. The guidebook said the Relief Cyber Cafe was across the street from Relief Cinema, which has been torn down.
There we posted a number of days. Finally, trying to find dinner, we were unable to locate anything listed in the guidebook. We ate something hardly memorable, except for the fact that while we were eating, the waiter came and took the bread we had been given off the table. Hey! There are always so many waiters, table boys, cleaners, etc., that they ready to pounce if you neglect a plate.
Around the corner was New Lucky Restaurant, which featured shakes and juice. Carol ordered a kesar pista milk shake and Mike a papaya shake. Finally, something great. Back to the room, where we wrote for a while and then to bed.
A day of more misses than hits.
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