Luke and Jill in Hong Kong: India and some random HK photos

I had heard some pretty awful stories about India (mainly about poverty/cleanliness issues), so I was a little nervous before heading to Hyderabad for a few days. I was there for work, and didn't get to see much, but after completing my journey I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by a couple of things.

The Good:
-The food was awesome. It was spicy and it seemed like almost everything had curry in it, but I love curry so I was happy. I also learned that food from the various regions of India is very different. We ate a lot of Biryani (a rice dish) which was delicious. I didn't have the opportunity to eat any meals with my hands, but next time I'm there that's going to be on my list. I am also extremely happy that I didn't catch "Delhi Belly" which is India's version of Montezuma's Revenge.

-The people were very nice and courteous. Not that I was expecting them to be rude or anything, but I did notice that everyone was genuinely nice and very pleasant to talk to. Granted I was in a hotel the whole time...and it is people's job to be hospitable...but regardless the people were great.

-My trip to the Taj Falaknuma Palace for a tour and dinner was incredible. Learn more about the palace here. Myself and a couple of colleagues took a trip to the palace and for dinner the chef actually surprised us with a customized menu. There were a lot of courses and I don't remember exactly everything we ate, but it was amazing. Here are a few pics from the palace:

This is right outside the front of the palace. The three of us actually rode the horse-drawn carriage from the very front entrance. So romantic.

Entryway

The Nizam - it was his palace

Our tour guide claimed that this is the longest single dining room table in the world. It seats 101 people. We didn't get to eat at this table...

Just another day at the office for the Nizam and his rifle. Tigers never stood a chance. This was obviously before Tigers become endangered...but it's a pretty awesome shot...I mean I am all for conservation but doing the Captain Morgan pose on a pile of fearsome beasts that you've just bagged is primo-badass. Most Interesting Man in the World-level stuff.

The Bad:

-India is dirty. Now I am basing this observation on the limited time I spent going to and from the airport from the hotel, but most of what I saw was pretty filthy. Trash is everywhere. Another thing that was a bit of a shock was on at least 7 different occasions I saw a guy just peeing in broad daylight on the side of the road. Don't mind me...just taking a piss. I have heard that a lot of India is like what I saw, which is sad. And there is definitely a lot of poverty...which is always tough to see. These are two fairly big issues, but I am glad that I was able to look past that stuff and still enjoy myself.

-The way people drive in India is crazy. The rules are there are no rules. Lanes do not exist, and I have never heard so many car horns in my life. It's just a chaotic mess. Coming back from the palace one of my colleagues made me sit in the front seat because the drive there gave her so much anxiety. I don't think I could drive there....seriously a nightmare.

All in all I would say it was a good trip. I didn't get sick, and actually got to learn a little more about India in my brief time there. I told Jill I would go back to India, but if we do I want to get a guide of some kind that knows their way around. I have a feeling that going there and trying to find our way around by ourselves would be stressful...

Switching gears a bit, here are just some random photos of Hong Kong that I've taken over the past couple of weeks. I'm trying to learn more about our camera. I think I am getting a little bit better....not much though. Enjoy.