A journey that was... Australia!!!

It was the uncertainty about the trip that built up the excitement for all different possible matches we could attend in Melbourne and Sydney. We had booked our tickets for some of the league matches months ago but it was the visa process that caused some delays. As luck would have it, we got our Australian visa on 12^th of March and we promptly booked our tickets the same night. It was sad we had to cancel our NZ plans as there wasn’t enough time for it, and we did not have any match tickets for quarter/semi-finals in NZ L But hey, Australia was on!! And we would watch India vs Bangladesh quarter-finals and if India wins this, India in semifinals.

Suman and I left for the United terminal in SFO, afternoon of the 15^th, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a very modern/clean/neatly upgraded terminal. We flew to LA and our flight from LA to Melbourne was at 10.30 pm. A very short flight of 15 hours J I just hoped I could bend time to breeze through the next 15 hours, as I am very, very scared of flights. There was mild turbulence throughout, enough to spook me. But all of that tension went away as we landed in Melbourne on the morning of 17^th. We checked in to Crown Metropol, a very upscale hotel in the heart of Melbourne downtown. Suman was working throughout this trip, so there was very little time he could spend with me on weekdays L

First day in Melbourne (17^th March): We ordered room service and realized very quickly that it was a very bad idea. Food was very expensive, not to mention tasteless. So we went walking around to find a store to buy some necessary fruits, water etc. It was a windy/cloudy/rainy day but it didn’t bother us that much. We found a store called Woolworths and bought some necessary items and then walked back. Suman had to go to the Convention Center, very close by, for the rest of the day and I stayed back. Watched latest episodes of Adaalat while I fell asleep! Dinney was low key, sandwiches and fruits.

Second day in Melbourne (18^th March): After Suman left for work, I ventured out on my own for a couple of hours enjoying the scenery, Yarra river, everything in general. Suman’s colleague Eric and his wife Jamie had arrived on this day, and we caught up with them during lunch on the banks of Yarra J An Italian place, food was not that good but the atmosphere was J On my way back I saw a travel agency called Mad Travel(or sth similar) and I went in to find out if I could book something for Saturday (the only free day Suman would have in Melbourne). The most popular one was the Great Ocean Road tour with 12 Apostles. So I ended up booking it for Saturday J I walked back to our room and got ready for dinner. As I walked back to the river banks, there was a big screen in the public area showing SA-SL quarter-finals. Jamie and I walked there for quite a bit waiting for Eric and Suman. We had light dinner followed by yummy Gelato! That was it for the day J

Third day in Melbourne (19^th March): This was the biggest day here! Suman had a big presentation, until 12 noon and then we had the India-Bangladesh QF’s later in the day. Suman woke up very early and left at about 7.30 am for work. I met Jamie by the banks at 9.00 am and then we walked until 11.30 am on Flinders/Collins/Clarendon in order to find some blank posters/sharpies etc . in order to prepare for the game. I had thought of my caption when I woke up. I prepared the placards and after Suman got back, we had a very light meal and then headed off to MCG, a dream for me! We arrived 1 hour early and were able to see the likes of Ganguly, Dravid, Harsha etc. up close and some of the players too J It was a great atmosphere, add to it the Indian food, a perfect day at MCG J After the match, we walked back to our hotel, which was about 3-4 km away and the streets were filled with people, not just because of the match, but from shows/bars etc. There were manic Indians yelling India India as they crossed us! We might as well have been in Hyderabad.

Fourth day in Melbourne (20^th of March) : We were tired from all the walking and excitement the previous day, but Suman had to go to work again L I started walking around a bit late in the day. The moment I stepped out, my slipper broke. There I was, walking in downtown Melbourne, slippers in my hands, looking for a shoe-store J A first time experience!  After being led and misled to a few stores finally found one store which had exactly 1 pair of heels in my size. Devoid of choice, I ended up paying 65$ for something that I wasn’t even sure I liked. Then I went to the store, bought some fruits and a subway sandwich on the way back to our room. Rest of the day was spent in the room, watching a very interesting Aus-Pak match. How I wished Pak to win L Dinner was takeaway from an Indian restaurant, decent but not that great.

Fifth day in Melbourne (21^st of March): We were to report at the bus stop at 10.55 am and we did. We then went on a 12 hour tour of some of the most beautiful attraction in this part of the country. We first drove by the lighthouse, a very slippery hike, especially with my heels, but I did make it J Then we stopped by the Memorial Arch. Our lunch was at Koala café, where we saw a koala and then some very friendly parrots who would eat off your hand! Finally I got one parrot to sit on my hand and eat the bird feed. It just felt amazing! Again a first time experience! Then we went to Gibson’s steps, by then it got very windy/chilly and our final stop was the 12 Apostles. As tens of people gathered around to watch the beautiful sunset, Suman and I silently watched the red ball of fire slowly glide away into the ocean. Then we had long drive back. We reached our room around midnight and packed our belongings as we had an early flight next morning.

First day in Sydney (22^nd of March): As we left Melbourne, with many beautiful memories, I looked forward to Sydney, where we would meet friends and family and then of course, there was the big India-Aus semi-finals. Our cousin Pavan picked us from the airport and we drove to his place in Blacktown, where we were greeted by his lovely wife Sahiti, their super-cute daughter Dhriti and Pavan’s parents, who were visiting. We had a very yummy Indian lunch, it was so good we ate till we couldn’t eat anymore J Later we played table tennis in their backyard. Had loads of fun! Then my under graduate friends arrived, Gayatri and SIreesha, who I was meeting after 16+ years. We were making some mirchi bajji’s then ;) We drove to Gayatri’s place for some girl-talk J We had some much to talk about that the hour or two that we spent together felt so less. Some other time it had to be L Pavan then dropped us at our hotel, Sheraton on the Park, in downtown Sydney. The receptionist hinted that the players might be staying in our hotel and that I might be able to see them in the gym. I was soo excited!!

Second day in Sydney (23^rd of March): In the hope that I would meet at least some of the Indian team members, I went to the gym at 6.00 am and was working out until 8. Saw no one L After breakfast at the Sheraton club, I came back to the room only to fall asleep for the next 6 hours. Suman had to work. He was back when I woke up at 3.00 pm. We then walked to the Opera House, saw the Harbor Bridge, Botanical Gardens and then came back to our room. Got ready for dinner and then walked to Darling Harbor to this really nice Indian place called Zaaffran. It was such a beautiful experience with the surroundings, water and of course food J

Third day in Sydney (24^th of March): I went to the gym again, hoping to see “someone”, only to be disappointed L After breakfast, we walked again to Opera house and back. It was raining rest of the day, so couldn’t step out. Suman was busy working. We had ordered room service as we watched NZ beat SA in the first semi-final, a very thrilling on at that.

Fourth day in Sydney (25^th of March): By now, I had given up of meeting the players at the gym. After breakfast, Suman had to go to a meeting, 1 hour away from the city. And I started walking to Darling Harbor, my favorite part of the city so far. I wasn’t going to leave Australia without seeing a kangaroo! But in the same harbor area there was this world’s biggest IMAX screen too! Tough decisions J I first walked to the zoo, wasn’t sure if I wanted to go in alone. Then I walked back to the IMAX theater and bought a ticket for 3D version of Insurgent at 4.00 pm; ticket price 33.5$ L I had almost three and a half hours to kill and then decided to go to the zoo. Wildlife, as it was called, ended up a very well kept private zoo with a wide variety of animals. After seeing some small sized reptiles, butterflies etc. I wandered in to the Kangaroo walk about and saw some parrots and Kangaroos walking around freely. It was so beautiful. Then there was the 5.5 m long Crocodile Rex talk, and this being one of his feeding days, was able to see firsthand how crocodiles ate. Another first time experience! Then it was time for Koala talk and after that it was Kangaroo talk. The kangaroos weren’t feeling very hospitable that day, so the lady cancelled the talk. But however, I stood there and while I was speaking to her, one kangaroo wandered to us, and I was able to feed it some potatoes and carrots! Yet another first time experience!! Sydney, I am in love with you! Then came the wildest part of my day, the Outback encounter. After the show ended, we could pay 20$ to hold a baby python and take a picture with it. This is when I met my new friend Tanja J She was also equally excited to hold the python. So after this life altering experience, Tanja and I walked to the gift-store, bought some pictures and I asked her if she would join me to the movie and she said YES!! There we were, sitting in the IMAX theater, for the best movie experience ever. It felt as if I was part of the movie. An amazing experience and I had made a new friend, Tanja J Minutes after she left, Suman walked to the theater and we went to Zaaffran again for dinner. A very nice experience, I could never get bored of it.

Fifth day in Sydney (26^th of March): It was the Ind-Aus semi finals and Matta, Gopi and KV had landed in Sydney for the game. Excitement was building up, one could just sense it. We went early to the stadium. I joined one of the crowds with an NDTV reporter and was yelling for India. Everywhere eyes could see, it was blue. People playing music/drums and dancing, it was electric. We met our friends briefly before the match and then went to our seats. It was very sunny outside and our seats were in the sun. I will not go into the details of the match, as I am very unlikely for forget this experience. All I can say is that it was THE place to be, especially for ~12 overs each innings when India played really well. We were there until the end. Hadn’t come this far to leave our team mid-way! After walking and talking to Matta, Gopi and KV for about an hour, it was time to walk again. Another 3-4 km. Suman and I talked as we walked, as usual, but there was something amiss, we had lost L We reached our room and started packing for our journey back the next day. How I hoped India would win and we would postpone our return trip and go to MCG to watch the finals! Alas, that did not happen L A sad end to an otherwise beautiful and memorable trip.

First day back in SFO (27^th of March) : We went to the airport and while we were at the gate, it suddenly dawned on me that India lost and how empty I felt at that moment. Couldn’t stop tears in my eyes for a few minutes. I knew it was just a game, but we could have done better. Suman, in his usual supportive/cheerful manner, then came up with something that cracked me up J It was one of the pictures that we took previous night, me trying to catch hold of a trophy (statue), but it was too high for me. He then posted on my fb page saying #CouldntQuiteReachItToGetItBack . True! Then I felt a lot better! Then it was 13 hour flight back to SFO. Everything felt new and different, as if I had forgotten where I used to live. The past 11 days have taken me on a great journey and now it is time to get back to normal life!

Day 7 in Hawaii - Kauai

I woke up to the sound of roosters crowing. We were warned about roosters entering our room if we hadn’t locked them, but we didn’t take it very seriously.  But it was time we did! It was still raining on the outside as we could hear heavy showers. Once we stepped out of our room for check-out, it was a very pleasant sight that surprised us. All around was some very pleasant greeneryJ Good start to our day indeed!

We started driving towards the Hindu Monastery in Kapa’a and ran into beautiful nature like never before. We stopped to watch over Opaeka’s Waterfalls and then headed to the temple. It was a beautiful Shiva temple and some meditation inside was very peaceful. We drove to an Indian restaurant ‘Shivalik’ and literally hogged there. After some delicious coffee-to-go, we started driving towards the northern most tip of Kauai.

It was sight after sight, beauty after beauty, I just don’t know where to start and where to end and the heart was filled with joy. We came across some beautiful caves, a mountain shaped like Kingkong sleeping, lighthouse, a bird sanctuary and beaches of course. Not to mention, roosters everywhere J. Once we touched the northern-tip, after which there wasn’t any road, we headed back. We crossed Lihue and headed to Poipu where we were staying. It was the same mesmerizing beauty that kept us captivated all through this island. Our destination for the day was the Koa Kea Hotel, rated #1 in Kauai by tripadvisor and I must say that it does indeed live up to it’s expectations. The staff were so pleasant and friendly and the service has been nothing but excellent so farJ

As for Kauai, I think if God were a gardener, this is how her  garden would look likeJ Aloha .. until we meet again..

Day 6 in Hawaii - Maui to Kauai

We woke up to the now familiar voice of Hanu baby's ‘Da daa’ and spent the first half of the day at leisure. Once we checked out we headed to Kaanapali. Spent some time at Whaler’s Village and it was time for us to part with Hanu, Dimpu & Susheel.

They drove us back to the airport where we would head to Kauai. My heart felt a bit heavy as I bid good bye to Dimpu as our whole family time felt so short L Didn’t enjoy this day too much now.

Back in the flight, we saw a hurricane 70 miles away and encountered turbulence en-route. It was raining heavily when we landed in Lihue. God! I really didn’t enjoy this day. I had hoped for a sunny vacation and Kauai was supposed to be the most beautiful island, and here we were stuck in a thunder storm.

Suman had booked a convertible here as well and we picked Sebring. We were staying for one night at a hotel close to the airport (as we were landing late) and would then head to another one where we would stay for 4 nights. We had to drive through some deserted and shady areas to finally find our hotel. We had no idea what surrounded us. It was a tiny room that we had checked into and once we put on the TV, we saw a flash flood warning for next couple of days. Just when we thought the day couldn’t get any worse. 

This was easily the worst day of my trip so far.. 

Day 5 in Hawaii - Maui

We had an early start. All of us had to report at the harbor at 7.00 am for our snorkeling cruise scheduled at 7.30.  Our boat was called QuikSilver. We had breatfast on board and their plain chocolate cake was YUMMY!! Few minutes into our cruise we spotted a whale flip-flopping in water far away. The whale season just began in Hawaii and we were very lucky to spot oneJ

Our first stop was at Turtle Town which we assumed was flooded with turtles (otherwise why would they name it so). Anyways, we wanted to be the last ones to get off the boat as we didn’t want to cause any obstruction to other passengers with our new-to-snorkeling skills. Dimpu started out first and then I followed. She was off the boat but initially I couldn’t let go of the boat. We were in middle of the ocean with a flotation aid and a boogey board!! Was that going to be enough??? After one of the crew members assured me that I would never drown with my flotation aid, I mustered up the courage to let go.

When I put my face into water, I ended up swallowing some salt water. This kept happening for some 15 minutes when I realized that I had to block my snorkel with my mouth to let in any water. Once I figured that out, there was no looking back!! I drifted away on my own and the sights I beheld at the bottom of the ocean 20-35 feet below were simply amazing. Once my head was in water, I felt a peaceful silence and was part of a whole new world that I knew existed, but had never experienced. I saw a lazy turtle at the bottom of the ocean with its head out but it was in no mood to show off. That was the only one I could spot while I was snorkeling. I did see some amazing fish and corals and before I knew it was time to go to our next stop.

Now that I swam in the ocean once (albeit with flotation aid), I was all excited and raring for our next snorkel stop; the Molokini crater, which is supposed to be one of  the best snorkeling spots in Hawaii. This time I was the first one to get off our boat and the last to return J. Oh Ocean, I love thee!! Now this place had some wonderful variety of fish and living corals. It was once again so peaceful and beautiful down there, I could just spend hours looking. Damn, why didn’t I ever do this before? And more damn, why didn’t I ever learn how to swim? (well, I had gone for a 2 week swim class 7-8 years ago, but never actually learnt how to swim L, so that doesn’t count :P ). I promised myself that I would seriously learn swimming once I get back to San Jose. Back in Kihei, we watched sunset by the beach and had our thanksgiving dinner at a nice Mexican place and that was it for the day..

Day 4 in Hawaii - Maui

We woke up to the sweet sound of Hanu calling ‘Da daa’ downstairs. . Suman and I headed for the much talked about ‘Road trip to Hana’. It was very sunny and warm outside so we didn’t lower the top until we got to the shaded areas on the road. We stopped at ‘Garden of Eden’ and took some beautiful pictures of the beach/valley/hills and saw some ducks and peacocks as well. We had the most expensive coconut water ever (6!  *&^*^$#@) Why is coconut so expensive in a land where it is found in abundance I do not understand L And to think I used to complain that Rs.20 was a lot for a coconut. I shall never complain about this in India ever again.

Continuing our journey to Hana, we saw glimpses of some waterfalls and more greenery and some beach views and finally the village of Hana arrived!! But there was nothing specific about this place that I liked. Why were we here again? This is when Suman went all philosophical and said ‘It is all about the journey and not about the destination’. Amen to that! We made a U-turn and started retracing our drive back to Kihei. This is when I started feeling a bit queasy and the winding roads and single lane bridges didn’t help either. As a diversion, Suman and I started singing out loud, as the songs played on his iPhone. Songs like ‘Emosanal Atyachaar’ actually helped :P  But to me this was perhaps one of the most-hyped road trips. Enjoyed it, but expected much more.

Back in our resort, we went for a mai-tai pool party. I guess we were late as there were no more mai-tais left L We had a good time in the pool. Hanu had the best time, he was super excited in waterJ  Suman and I tried to swim but both of us were very bad at it (but learnt enough to float for the snorkeling trip planned for the next day). Another day.. another time may be.. We then ordered some pizza and sides from Pizza Hut and that was one very spicy pizza that I ever had in the US. We slept early as we geared up for a very long/exciting day ahead.