Bhopal Trip...

Lots to blog about...lots lots lots...I'm gonna start with my trip to Bhopal...there's more that I've jotted down notes for, and shall follow in a day or two...itching to blog all about everything on my mind!!!

I left for Bhopal on the 24th evening. We should have left earlier in the afternoon, but my dear workoholic father had to work till 4 pm...so we dropped Amma at the airport (she flew coz the drive would be uncomfortable for her) and then continued on our way towards Bhopal. We drove upto Nasik, where we halted for the night...on the way when we passed the ghats we saw a forest fire. Not one that was a hazard, rather one created by the forest department to clear the dry bush in order to prevent hazardous fires!! It was the first time I've seen a fire so I was quite awed by the sight...sadly I didn't fish out my brother's digicam on time and we couldn't get a shot of it!

We went by car coz we couldn't leave Schnapps behind and well...travelling with my Schnapps is entertaining, but very very tiring!! He simply won't sit still..curious about everything...barking at trucks, bikes, cows, goats, fields...clambering all over us to see from this window and that...whoa!!! And the hunt for a hotel which allowed dogs when we stopped for the night at nasik!!! Quite interesting, as I said...we finally got one hotel that said..."Dog will do as long as he keeps his pee out of our carpet"...I didn't know how to react at that statement!!! He attended most ceremonies and stole away all the attention from the "dhula"....hehe....he is a handsome dog after all!!! Even my new 'bhabhi' - Juhi - was enamoured with him!!!

We reached Bhopal the next eveg after having driven the whole day from Nasik onwards except for two short halts for meals - first after Dhule for "brunch" then at Indore for "high tea"....Indore was interesting to pass through, with the education zone road..which my brother compared to the "khau galis"...he said this was "padhai gali"...and then the flock of people from nearby villages who had come for some "mela"...they were all dressed in typical MP clothes, so all these women in sarees with their "pallu"s draped low over their foreheads, and big anklets, nose rings et al...and the HUGE "pagdis" of the men in vibrant colours...the way they commute piled up on tractors, or in matador vans...quite a sight....the drive itself is good...except for the bad roads in Madhya Pradesh and the number of animals I saw on the highways and ghats that had been run over, or the numerous over turned trucks, or the two sickening accident scenes I passed...I won't go into details coz it isn't worth upsetting your stomachs over!!! Its sad that ppl don't drive safely on highways and the narrow steep ghats! The amt of rash driving I've seen ppl do left me rather upset...

The city of Bhopal is awesome...I've been a few time sin my chilhood and last time was when I'd just given my 10th std exams...so like 7 yrs back....it used to be one dry mound of red earth...over the yrs the city has been transformed into a city of beautiful gardens...lots of greenery everywhere, charming bungalows, wide roads...quite a nice place to visit...it also has several lakes which are very very clean and a pleasure to walk ard in the evegs!!! Possibilities of there...you get wonderful Kosa silk, shoes and sandals much cheaper than BOmbay, the "Bhopali batuwas" famous with foreigners that are a work of art....ah well I dint have time unluckily...but did manage to pick up 2 pairs of sandals...LOL!! I could have done more if I had squeezed out more time in between catching up with relatives and attending ceremonies! Next time perhaps? Hehehe...

The stay in Bhopal itself was cool. Literally and metaphorically!! I got to meet all my chachas, chachis, buas and phuphajis...the marriage ceremonies themselves were ok...it was a small and simple marriage...keeping to traditions but not very loud and vulgar...except for the sangeet with the awful punjabi songs and the Baraat bit which I shall never be able digest!!

I sooooo abhorr the bit where you play this loud music on the road, have some poor kids carry lamps on their heads while you dance like idiots on the roads...extremely disgusting and declasse!!! I think the baraat arriving in a fleet of cars in a dignified manner is sooooo much more classy....I'll be damned if my "dhula" arrives in a vulgar display of music and gaudy dance!!! I have such a long list of "Will not happen at my wedding" I wonder if I'll find a guy whose family will bow down to my expectations of a classy, simple wedding!!! *Cross my fingers*

I got back last night...most uncomfortable flight...way too much turbuluence and a very wierd pilot!!! He swayed and kept dipping from one side to the other...I think he must have played alot with toy planes as a child and yesterday he was reminiscing!!! LOL!! Anyways I reached home safely without throwing up as I felt like several times during the flight...very wierd...not once did I feel odd when I was flying with Alitalia...guess thats the only point in their favour!! Hahaha!!!

Guess that's it about Bhopal....now it's back to Mumbai and studies...I have an internal assessment at Af today so I should get up now and revise my vocab and grammar...it's terribly rusty...sigh!!!

Until later, with lots more to add.....have a great day!!!