Mallorca has one of the finest and longest reputations for stylish island luxury in the contemporary world.  As the capital of the Balearics, it not only offers the gorgeous climate and amazing beaches that draw so many people here year after year, it also has a splendid reputation as a cultural mecca.  It has its share of home-grown artists whose imaginations are sparked by the area’s natural wonder and fascinating people, and it also attracts artists looking for a place that has all the culture of a metropolis, but none of the hustle and bustle of a mainland city.  It’s a place that quite naturally takes to luxury.  Mallorca hotels are a world apart.  With pure Spanish style and international flair, they keep the guests happy.

We’ve selected our hotels based on their excellent standards for hospitality, offering a level of service that invites you to relax and enjoy the way your soul will start to feel refreshed.  After a little rest, you’ll be ready to take a spa treatment, or enjoy a fantastic meal, offering just a taste of the amazing dishes that are available here.  Perhaps you’ll want to see some of the city life.  The celebrities and the tragically hip will all make their way to the clubs and discos to dance all night to the latest techno music, and this is a wonderful way to get to know Mallorca, but there are many options besides this.  For the literary crowd, and it’s substantial here in this city that attracts artists from all over, one of the brightest spots is the Café Antiquari.

In the tradition of European cafés, this is a place where you can grab a quick espresso between stops, but it’s also a place where you can hole up for the day, checking e-mail or writing your new masterpiece.  And it goes on all night, too.  There’s a full selection of beer and wine, along with a menu that features tasty French morsels, in the style of the French owners.  Café Antiquari also offers live music in the basement, as well as showing local and international artist’s works in the upstairs gallery.  It’s a fantastic place to go to disappear, or to find new friends, and one of many exciting possibilities for your adventures here.

I am thinking about getting a 2 person hot tubs installed on my balcony. I think this will be the best size for the place I have for a hut tub to be placed. I live in a second floor condo and have a great balcony and nice view across a park. This balcony could fit a smaller hot tub, a two person hot tub is about the biggest I could go there for size and weight. It has been a while that I have been thinking and dreaming about getting a hot tub installed and with some research and investigation I found no reason not to move ahead with getting a hot tub. The major consideration was going to be size at first, I didn’t realize how compact some models are and now that that issue has been worked out all I need to do is figure out if I will go with a permanently installed hot tub or get a portable hot tub. There are benefits to both and cons to both as well. The expense and logistics of running the plumbing and wiring may end up dictating I go with a portable variety. I will have to get a contractor in to give me an estimate as to how much that will be. Once I get the information I will know if I will go with a portable hot tub or a permanently installed one.

Either way I am looking forward to being able to relax in my own private hot tub. At the end of a long day getting into the hot water and letting the water from the jets message my aching tense muscles. It sounding too good to be true. But in fact it looks like it will become a reality in the not to distant future.

Delhi is one of the liveliest cities in the world, and certainly one of the main cultural and economic centers.  It is the second largest city in all of India in terms of population, and is a fantastic gateway into this complex and ever-changing country.  It has been continually inhabited since the 6th century BC, and as such serves as a wonderful place to visit for those with a taste for history.  It is also one of the world’s great spiritual centers, and attracts visitors from India and the rest of the world like a powerful magnet.  Because it is so accustomed to guests, it has some great traditions of hospitality, and for 4 star hotels, Delhi has plenty of sumptuous accommodations to offer.  Of these, we’ve selected some of the finest to take the guesswork out of it for you, and offer you a wide selection with something that will suit everyone’s taste.

The hotels offer luxury and splendor, with a style that is entirely local, but with a keen eye for international tastes.  After a rest in our magnificently decorated rooms, you’ll be ready for a dazzling meal and then go out and have your very own Delhi adventure.  There are many opportunities for distraction here, with amazing offerings that will please guests of all ages.  Delhi has everything a tourist could ask for, and for adventure, people watching alone can take up vast amounts of a day and still make it seem worthwhile.  Museums and temples and shopping are certainly wonderful things for any itinerary.  For nightlife, there are splendid restaurants featuring a wide variety of food from all of India’s regions, as well as luscious tastes from international and fusion cooking.

After a hearty meal, if you’re interested in the club scene here, you’re in luck.  It’s hopping like mad, and with djs like DJ Niel, you’re also in very deft hands.  He plays all sorts of beats from all over the map, but his specialties seem particularly suited for a retro kind of evening.  Whatever the night’s selections might be, DJ Niel will give you a sensational taste of some of the finest grooves in Delhi, and it’s an excellent way to jump into the cultural scene here.

Goa has attracted travelers for centuries, but the past few decades have been particularly buzzing.  There are many things to recommend Goa, with its gorgeous biodiversity, and amazing beaches that are legendary.  The city is large enough to have many distinct cultures, and small enough to maintain a laid back pace and sensibility.  The night life is extraordinary, and the city becomes the stuff of legends.  Here is where the attitudes of life by the beach start to really shine, and this is why in Goa, spa resorts are so fantastic.  We’ve selected the cream of the crop, so that you’ll get to stay in lodgings that are as sumptuous and pleasantly surprising as the place is.

In the 60s and 70s, Goa was an absolute magnet for global youth culture.  Young people from all over were coming here to visit, looking for spiritual enlightenment and a bit of fun on the beach.  Some of these travelers stayed, and some went back home and bragged about the paradise they’d discovered.  In those days, there was a heady mix of individuals engaged in intense explorations into personal discovery and art.  In the art department, the visual relics of the time are the paintings that continue to influence the new generation of artists.  The sonic relics were the origins of Goa trance.

The music came from a range of influences from artists of multiple cultural backgrounds, but a lot of the musical from came from European-descended musicians trying to create their version of the local music, and then adding electronic beats.  The form has evolved immensely from that time, and today is a global phenomenon.  With this history, it’s interesting to hear the beats played by the locals, and DJ Joel is a local to look out for.  He’s very well-traveled with his music, but his mastery of the rhythms are usually demonstrated in Goa.  It’s fortunate for us.  The eclectic blend of trance, house, and retro is addictive, luring the crowds into a spectacular bliss that starts to get to the heartbeat of Goa after dark.

When looking into and researching a possible new career move I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. There are so many things out there to do. Thinking in terms of what will last, what’s up and coming, what is ressesion proof, etc are all considerations.

Time to mov on from my current position, I have learned what I want to know and really am not interested in going any further so I  need to move on to something else.

I’m not happy being in one place all the time nor do I prefer to be inside all the time. A day broken up with working at a desk and getting out and about a little would be perfect, a variety of tasks and places to perform the tasks. It is great I know I need a change but the worst thing is not knowing what the change should be. Doing some Internet research I took several career pathing questionnaires. You know the kind where they ask you to answer a bunch of questions like what do you prefer, to be inside or out side, are you an early morning person or an afternoon or night person etc. etc. Really not sure how many I completed, some were short 10 or so questions and others in the neighborhood of 50 or 60 and more questions. One theme that kept coming up was real estate and property management. I like being out doors, I like interacting with a lot of different people, I like coordinating logistics. I did some more research and came across Transglobe property management sounds like a possible opportunity to look into. poking around more I see other things that might be of interest and have looked into this and that for the past week. Keep coming back to real estate and property management so I began to follow Transglobe property management on Facebook and see what they are about and get a feel for the culture of the company.

Thirty nine years ago, on the first day of November, one hundred twenty seven people entered a marathon.  Only fifty five of those people managed to run 26 miles and 285 yards, to be exact, and cross the finish line.  1970 marks the first New York City Marathon, a course that looped many times throughout Central Park.  Today the race has grown and attracts some of the finest and well trained athletes in the world.  Each year more than ninety thousand people apply to run the marathon, and many are turned away as the limit of the race is just thirty eight thousand.

World class runners who meet the requirement of a set qualifying time, those whom have been denied participation for three years in a row, or those running for a charity program are bumped to the top of the list.  For everyone else it is the luck of the draw, literally.  Participants gain entry through a random drawing lottery.  The reasons many travel to the city, stay in the five star New York hotels, eat some pasta, and wake up early to run, are varied.   Many runners choose to stay in the Gramercy Park Hotel.

For some, it is the thrill.  The atmosphere that day is filled with the energy and the adoration of the many people, tourists and residents alike, who drop what they are doing and come out to cheer the runners on.  To take place in the marathon is big, it is one way, that for one day, someone can become part of the history of this greatest of American cities.  Nowadays, the course does not just wind through Central Park, but leads one through each of the 5 boroughs.  It is now the largest marathon in all the world, and to be part of that, is as stated, to be part of an historical event.

For others, the serious runners, take part as this marathon is part of a series, called the World Marathon Majors.  Other marathons included in the series are the marathons held in Boston, Chicago, London and Berlin.  And in the years when they occur, the Olympic Games and the World Championships are included.  There are just two winners of the World Marathon majors, one male and one female.  And these two split at the end a prize of one million dollars.  There are many reasons for one to visit New York in November, and the Marathon is one of those reasons.

We wondered about ancient history in Menorca and got a snoot full. Checking out ancient sites wherever we go is one of our favorite things to do. We found out about the Cala Morell, a necropolis dating back to the second century, a tad older than the hotels Menorca has and made a plan for it. It sits on the north coast of the island and there is a beach there, which was good because my gal Carla is a big beach goer and love the beach. Turns out the caves were hand made, man made and served as a cemetery. Talayotic monuments are made of stone and apparently these caves are considered Talayotic. Carla told me this, the wonders of the Internet. She had the jump on me as I could not connect with a wi-fi signal while we were in our room, but she had a new computer and could. So we went to the caves, very beautifully carved in a stone age kind of way and she says, “Oh yes, obviously Talayotic structure, wouldn’t you agree?” “Oh, yes, um certainly,” I said, very Talayotical, in a cave like way.” This went on for some time, it was a good thing we were not near anyone. Anyway, we loved the rough floors, uneven and carved, and one imagines prayers and offerings made here over the millennium. We wished we could go back in time to see what they did, and how. That’s how we feel each time we go to an ancients site, like the Coliseum in Rome, or the Acropolis, we wished so much to be able to travel back in time. But, we are int the present, and it was time to get some tapas and leave the cave.

I didn’t really think I needed warm clothes for my weeks stay in Ibiza during November, but, I guess, it’s apparently true about walking around in November the weather is fantastic! It really never got cold and I was told, even if it did, it didn’t last long. So, I was glad I packed light, because as soon as I step out of my room at one of the best hotels Ibiza has for tourist such as myself, I plan to do some shopping. Shopping for club clothes, because I plan to hit all the the clubs Ibiza can throw at me, beach clothes, because I plan to bake out all the alcohol I drank the night before clubbing on the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen.

After shopping, clubbing and beaching, I plan to get a taste of the locals, I’m a sucker for wanting to know how the locals like living where they live. I’ve been known to just walk right up to a person in a cafe or coffee shop and ask if I can join them, because I’d like to interview them for my travel blog. I’ve only run into one person who thought I was absolutely nuts and told me to leave his presence. I think he was having a bad day. That was the only one who refuse, everyone else felt privileged that I consider to interview them for my travel blog. It’s the best way to find out the best things about the place I’m visiting. Sometimes, I’m fortunate to be bugging someone who can give me great deals on shopping or can get me in for free at a popular club. One time, back in India, I picked this great looking Indian guy to sit down next to and interview; he ended up being my boyfriend for quite a few years. See, I know who I picking to interview. I’m not all the naive.

Phuket is not only the largest island of Thailand, it has also become one of its most popular tourist destinations. Tourism on the island has grown a great deal in recent decades and has become one of its primary economic resources. The natural beauty of the island and also much of the cultural heritage and interesting landmarks and icons, makes it an ideal vacation or holiday experience. One of the more popular beach areas on Phuket is the long and wide Patong Beach. The views here are spectacular, and there are many opportunities for various water sports and beach fun. It is also conveniently located to more than one luxury Phuket resort, which makes accessing this beach extremely accessible.

Patong Beach exists on the western coast of this beautiful island. It also refers to the adjoining town, which is also extremely popular with tourists. Tourism on the island, and on the western coast of it saw its largest boom in activity in the late 1980s when numerous resorts were built and tourist specific businesses were established. In addition to the incredible beach, Patong has become extremely famous for its incredible nightlife. The nightlife activity is primarily focused along two major areas, the Paradise Complex, and also along Bangla Road. So, tourists who are not interested in the incredible offerings of the area’s nightlife, may chose different sections of the city and beach to enjoy their evenings.

In addition to Patong Beach, the island of Phuket has numerous other tourist attraction centers as well as additional fabulous beaches. The Kata Beach, Kata Noi Beach and the Karon Beach are other popular beaches that are located further south of the Patong Beach. As with most of these popular tourist centers, there are great opportunities for fabulous dining experiences as well as major shopping centers. The shopping is also recognized as being accessible and inexpensive in these and certain other areas.

When it comes to luxury hotels, Chicago has style. Enjoying a reputation as one of the most exciting cities in the U.S., with a vibrant scene that supports both business and culture, Chicago has a fair share of visitors every year.  The lodgings here are plentiful, and there is something to please everyone’s taste.  For the luxury hotel market, for those who want the best that the industry can offer, we’ve made the choices easy.  Carefully selecting only those hotels that consistently meet extremely high standards of excellence, we’ve insured you that quality here won’t be compromised at any cost.  Our hotels are selected not only for their excellence in service and comfort, but also in their uncanny and extremely individual styles.  We have something splendid to offer you here, so you can rest without a care, and spend your energies enjoying this fabulous city.

Chicago has a fascinating history, and there are plenty of tours and opportunities for sight-seeing that will be educational and entertaining for the entire family.  There is an endless array of attractions and events here, day or night, and you’re sure to find a host of choices for yourself when you’re here.  Chicago’s reputation as a leading city for art and culture is certainly well-founded, with some of the most innovative artists of the 20th century living and/or working here at one time or another.  The level and quality of activity has not dwindled in the current century, and there is evidence to suggest that the work coming from the Second City in the next few years will help point the direction for the new generation of artists.  With visionaries like Lynn Book leaving a legacy of work here, it’s a future that’s in good hands.

She has worked in a variety of media, including dance, theatre, performance art, and music, and has inspired students in Chicago, New York, Winston-Salem, and Austria.  Her work and teaching cross boundaries and borders, looking to the past for clues about the future.  Apparently, she finds plenty of clues to work with, as her work is considered to be visionary and innovative.  Her formative years as a teacher were spent at Chicago’s School of the Art Institute.  Here, Lynn Book was one of the leaders in the field during the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties.  Traces of her influence are still found here, as the remnants of this intensely creative time refuse to rest.

There are plenty of fantastic things that draw people to Hong Kong.  Hotel accommodations are some of the finest in the world, situated as they are in one of the most stylish places.  We have carefully selected these hotels for their high standards of excellence in design and comfort.  Service here is also extremely exemplary, with a staff that is both friendly and very knowledgeable about the complexities of Hong Kong.  There is a splendid blend of old world hospitality with new world features and amenities, that will put you in the heart of class and luxury, without sacrificing convenience.  This will ensure you that your comfort is our primary concern, so that you can feel a sense of rejuvenation that will leave you ready to enjoy the pleasures of Hong Kong.

This is an urban center that has a vibrant heartbeat, living on the cusp of new developments in culture and technology.  It is a heady mix of cultures and styles, and offers something wonderful for visitors of all ages.  There are sight-seeing tours, people watching, museums and galleries, and all kinds of live performance.  With a steady supply of shows, as well as a dizzying array of local events, festivals, and celebrations, Hong Kong is a spectator’s heaven.  For pure spectacle in art, with a large dose of content, there is no one working in the contemporary scene quite like Danny Yung.

Danny Yung has a remarkable career as a theatre director in Hong Kong, and produces some of its most visually-stunning works.  His Book of Ghosts at last year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival was one of the most anticipated new works, and it did not disappoint.  Utilizing a fantastic and diverse ensemble of performers, all masters of their craft, this was an investigation into the nature of ghosts through theatre and dance.  Like most of his works, it was both stunning as well as philosophically complex, offering something for general audiences as well as for the most jaded theater-goer.  Danny Yung was born in Shanghai and grew up in Hong Kong.  He has lived and worked internationally as a multi-disciplinary artists, and is one of Hong Kong’s treasures.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been under increased scrutiny, while at the same time practicing at an increased level of enforcement.  This is the same case for other such organizations throughout the world such as the anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and anti-terrorist financing agencies.  All of these organizations are working harder than ever in the effort to combat and control corruption, for the harder they work, the harder the criminals work.

Corrupt politicians, business CEOs, and foreign officials are becoming increasingly wiser to the ways of the investigators and are ever coming with with more devious, more intelligent thought out ways in which to commit the crimes they intend to commit.  This is in part due to just howsuccessful these agencies have been in the years following the terrorist activities surrounding and leading up to 9/11.  So it is incredibly important for the businesses and corporations, as well as the financial institutions and the governments of the world, to be diligent, and ensure that all those they work with, work for, and supervise over follow the laws and remain in compliance with the work demanding of them by theFCPA.

Should they be concerned if they are in compliance, they may hire a third party to come in and objectively assess their policies and procedures and determine whether or not those are effective in the first place, and if they are that they are being followed and enforced.   This is known as a field audit, and they will dig deep into the program, do a risk assessment, and create a plan based on what they consider to be areas of high or potential risk, in regards to possible FCPA violations. This is important because should a company be brought into a court of law, the “I did not know” defense will be tossed out the window.  It is each company, or country’sresponsibility to understand the policies and the laws, and to become informed about them if they do not.

There are very few places on the planet where one can find the history to give weight to a heritage hotel.  India has several of these, being one of the cradle’s of the human race, with cities that have been continually inhabited for over twenty centuries.  Our heritage hotels have the weight of history along with the conveniences of modern living, where guests will find all the comforts of any luxury hotel, but with differences that are really essential.  Individual character, of course, is one of the most important qualities here, and there’s no question that our hotels are unique and carefully maintained.  There is an element of timelessness here, to allow our guests the opportunity to lose themselves in the moment.  Relaxation is central here, so that you may really enjoy the many splendid things India has to offer.

There are a multitude of cultures and languages here, and their co-existence today means a unique blend of world views that manifest themselves in art practice.  Visual arts have the classicism of antiquity and all the various strains of contemporary art schools to inform them, making for a vibrant visual culture.  Performing arts are no different, and one can see some of the oldest forms of theatre on the planet in this country.  Simultaneously, there are theatre groups who are extremely modern, offering the latest in experimental performance techniques and technologies.  All of these are on display at the Prithvi Theatre Festival .  The Prithvi Theatre, based in the suburbs of Bombay, was started in 1944 by the famous film actor Prithviraj Kapoor.  His son, Shashi, also an actor, fell in love with Jennifer Kendal, an actress with a neighboring theatre, Shakespeareana.

They joined forces in marriage, and also in theatre, and set up the current Prithvi Theatre in a trust under Kapoor’s name.  This theatre is based in presenting emotionally-driven contemporary and classical works, emanating the psychological realism that Kapoor was famous for.  The Prithvi Theatre festival is a celebration of theatre through public performances, with different themes for every year.  Some years are limited to Bombay presentations, and other years they invite theatres from all over to participate.  This is an excellent opportunity to sample national culture, and to entertain the whole family.

As a kid I had a large coin collection. The coins came from all over the world. Many of them my grandfather brought home from his travels. Before I was born my grandfather was traveling to Europe on business’s on a regular basis. This was in the times of propeller planes bumping their was across the Atlantic low enough to see the white caps on the ocean. These coins came in many shapes, sizes and materials. Some of the coins had writing on the edges. I though that was very interesting since all the coins I had seen to date were smooth on the edge or had ridges. I particularly remember a large coin from Greece with the Greek script adorned the edge. A short distance from my Barcelona Spain Hotel was an exhibit of old European coins. Greek and Roman coins with the faces of Caesars and emperors. Napoleonic era coins depicting and commemorating events. Coins of gold, silver, copper, bronze and other metals. I recall having a bunch of European coins struck in aluminium. These were so light weight and strange to me. It wasn’t until years latter I learned these coins were struck post World War II during high inflationary post war Europe when the countries could not afford to mint coins in precious metals. Coins have existed for centuries and currency for thousands of years. Some of the earliest coins are beads used as trade for goods and services for more than 10,000 years. My coin collection taught me a lot about the world. Geography as I learned where in the world the coin came from. History as the faces adorning the coins would change in some countries and through commemorative coins. Economies ups and downs as the coins changed in size and materials used.

Regulatory compliance,  in the United States, just means simply that a company and its employees are following through with the regulations and the laws that govern what is good, and ethical business practice.  In some cases these are just guidelines, in other cases they are laws that are subject to civil or criminal prosecution.  One way in which the president or the CEO of a company keeps track of this is thought the collection of data, specifically termed “compliance data”.

This refers to all the data, the books, the records of transactions, that could be used during an investigation, with the purpose of either confirming that corruption or scandal has taken place, or used to confirm that it has not, that the company was following all the rules or laws that they were responsible for following.  It gives relevance to either the government or the judicial system that will validate completeness and consistency.  Compliance.

During the 1990′s, the United States was experiencing a boom in the economy.  And then, what came to symbolize greed and excess in the corporate world happened, the Enron Scandal of 2001.  For six years running, 1996 through 2001, the Enron Corporation was sited in “America’s Most Innovative Company” list created by the Fortune magazine.  And not long after the list was published, in December of 2001, the Enron Corporation filed bankruptcy.  This was one of the United States’ largest filings for bankruptcy in United States history.  This demise of the company was the result of the failure for them to disclose certain information, for failing to be transparent and honest in their business practices.

Employees had taken part in falsifying the profit reports, in using methods of accounting that did not follow regulatory compliance procedures.   On both sides, internal and external, the profits that had been disguised for so many years had gone unnoticed, or unsuspected.  The management team of Enron had managed to take down their own company, and then left with millions of dollars in their pockets.  The regular employees however were not as lucky, as many of them fell into financial ruin as a result.  This resulted in many in the business community of the U.S. being a bit shaken up, and new laws were created so it would become more difficult for this to happen in the future.

There are a lot of questions regarding these stones. Rightfully so, there is much confusion due to different names used in marketing and misrepresentations and misunderstandings about the stones. To begin with and hopefully not add too much to the confusion, there are two types of jade. I learned this while examining some artisan jewelry at a 5 star New York hotels. Nephrite and jadeite, for centuries jadeite and nephrite were thought to be the same stones. With more modern techniques of examination the differences between the two stones were identified. Thus splitting the stones into these two categories. Both stones are available in a bunch of similar colors from off or grayish whites to grey greens to greens, browns and red browns. Jadeite jade is also found in emerald green or imperial jade and pale purples.  These last two colors considered most desirable and the most expensive types of jade. In general the stronger and richer colors of these stones are found in jadeite form of the stone and creamier tones of the stone in the nephrite form of the stone. Only jadite is found in precious gem stone quality.Telling the difference between the two stones can be difficult. Jadeite is a bit harder than nephrite. This cannot be easily determined, looking or touching do not help. A gemstone-testing device can be useful, however if this is not available for you to use, knowing the stones origin can be a clue. Jadeite has been found in Burma, Canada, China, Japan, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Siberia and the United States. Nephrite has been found in Australia, China, Brazil, Canada, Zimbabwe, Alaska and Poland. The confusion between these stones will continue to exist as new marketing names are invented. My advice when buying jade, gain as much knowledge as you can, work with a trusted dealer and don’t pay more than you feel the stones are worth to you.

Beth loves penguins so when in Melbourne we had to go to Philip Island for the Penguin Parade. This is after we had spent the day at the Melbourne Zoo, because if there is anything Beth liked more than penguins it is elephants. Elephants and penguins. Her room in Rochester, New York is wall papered with a jungle print, she has penguin figures, statues, and posters, elephant trash cans with big gaping maws for trash, elephant t shirts, she is just awash in it. Beth is seven. Convincing her to go to Australia was at first difficult, she would miss Christmas, but once we told her about these possibilities, she was happy to sit in the plane for the long flight, doodling her favorite animals (we know which ones) positively atwitter with delight as we saw the Penguin Parade. We got there in the late afternoon, and Philip Island already had folks ready to see the return of the fairy penguins from a day of foraging at sea. the crowd murmured as the first of the penguins emerged in the surf, and skipped along one after another on the sand. It really was a sight and Beth was beside herself with joy. We were two hours from Melbourne here, and pleased Beth got us to come out for her.

As we returned to the city, we thought the luxury hotels Melbourne offers should be named after the penguins and the elephants. These were Asian elephants which once were widespread and now becoming endangered. Beth told us that the ears of elephants help to keep the animals cool. She said this as we watched the magnificent beasts being fed by the zoo staff. They ate enormous amounts (the elephants, and maybe the staff too). Well, Beth was thrilled with this, and we were too.

Udaipur is part of the Indus Valley, one of the cradles of civilization, dating back five thousand years. And as I stood at a little chapati stall, it looked to me the samosa the character in the grimy once white T shirt took from his smoking black wok was at least that old. It was like some sort of calcified shard from antiquity, hard aschert and about as tasty. The cook in grimy shirt just waggled his head and headed back out to the throbbing streets of Jaipur n search of good eats. Auto rickshaws blew past me, a cow bleated it way down the street, a sea of traffic confronted me and I wondered if I could make the traffic part the way it will in Rome if you just walk out in a small break int he traffic and they all slow down for you on the way to the Colosseum.  I doubt that would work here. But that was OK as it forced me to find the Gujarti restaurant just down the way, a vegetarian joint which I came back to several times during my stay in a hotel in Udaipur.

Still smarting from my blackened wok experience (I was generally a good judge of a restaurant form the outside and the general vibe, but not that time. Perhaps I was too hungry) and cautiously ordered what turned out to be a typical Thali plate of lentils, the ever present and wonderfully fragrant Basmati rice, and vegetables curried including I think eggplant and cauliflower in a kind of nut sauce. Pure heaven. I felt so much better after this light nutritious meal I walked out on a cloud of happiness, turning back to remember where the place was. Just then I saw old greasy T shirt, the cook from the other  place, walk in and sit down to order himself a plate. Looks like he could not stand his own food.