OldyGoldy

Al khobar is the most forward, most cosmopolitan, most sophisticated place of high fashion, largest Shopping Malls, the best eating joints and the largest number of luxury cars you can find within a km (One evening I counted 5 Hummers near Corniche!)
To top it all, a new beautiful building has come up on Corniche road where all the floors are only for restaurants! Italian, French, English, American, Chinese, Indian, Mexican. All are authentic restaurants of fame in their original countries! Of course the rates are high, meant for real connoisseurs!- No fast foods here!

This is one place where you don’t miss your wine when enjoying your dinner! (Alcohol is banned in Saudi)

Senior Lady Citizen's escapade in wilderness!. 5 cousins, one of them my wife, discovered how to go free once in a while. They just pack up and go to some place of natural beauty away from the husbands, children and grandchildren and household management. They are so serious that one of them did not tell others that she had cancer and postponed her operation so that the trip is not missed and went straight for the opreation next day after her return. My wife booked her ticket to go from Saudi (and from me) just to make it.! These cousins spent their life and career at different parts of India and the world and are now settled in the penioners paradise, Bangalore and decided to enjoy when they can!
And do they enjoy? Just see the photos, at the toursit spot near Nagarhole national park.

Over a period with the school shoot outs and eccentric shoot outs read often in USA, there is a general feeling growing for some control of guns. This opposed by mostly southerners who considers it an irrevocable right. But this poses a psychological and mental dilemma! I saw it 2 times in Southern USA. (For an Indian this may look strange since for us guns are only used by decoits)
I went into one shop in the old town of Williamsburg (kept in the state of 150 years back) to buy some souvenir. The middle aged shop sales lady was talking with someone and continued her grumbling to me. ‘How can the government say that small children should not read books in school where there is some picture of guns, she asked me (as if I was a Southern American!)’ or play around acting like shooting. What else boys are supposed to play! There won’t be anyone left to fight for America!”

She has a genuine worry!

We experienced this in a town called Williamsburg in Virginia. The old town is kept as it was in the Civil war times. The old shops of the tailor, the carpenter and the restaurants are still kept as was and the ladies on old dress of long frilled skirt invite you for visiting their shops. Of course they also smilingly pose for a photograph with you. The old guillotine invites everyone to put their head and you cannot resist.(See the snaps)
But it is while picking up a conversation with some the residents that the difference in the nuances of the cultural variation in US can be observed.

If you want to experience of old ‘cowboy country’ come to Fortworth. You will be in the midst of Cowboy action, on the roads, on the shops, on the restaurants on the beer pubs (The largest Pub in the world is here!) and on top of all, the thrilling “Rodeo show’. If you are visiting USA, you have to be here at least once!

This was the most thrilling place I visited in USA. It was much beyond my the imagination based on pictures and videos. I could not go down for rafting. I have decided to visit USA again even if the only place to visit is the Grand Canyon!

I remember my visit to Winnipeg in 1989 for many 'Firsts'. The strangest thing was that even at 11 PM, it was day with sunlight! I couldn’t imagine this even though I have read and studied about this. I couldn’t sleep! The 2nd was I saw my first I ‘max cinema and third, I learnt from my Belgium friend that we should not trouble passerby asking directions! Coming from India it was another strange way of Europeans! Our way is ‘when there is a tongue why struggle with a map?’ We lost our way many times before reaching a museum!

Skyline Drive is a natural scenic drive, an attraction of Virginia State. It is adjacent to he Appalachian Trail, and across a national park. It has a historic importance what with the longest battle of the American civil war by the famous General Stonewall Jackson. You will be stopped by the deer darting across the road, and the chirping of birds and insects. You can stay for many days in the small motels there with trekking or just looking at the forests, a peaceful interlude in the busy USA tour. We were the rare visitors on that day in October due to the rain and mist! But it had its own charm!

San Francisco was the most lively place we visited! We lived right in the center of San Francisco, at the homely YMCA building. With the ferry trip at the across the Bay, the walks along the streets (Pier 39, Market street) the sights and sounds, the lunches (especially at ), a memorable dinner at the restaurant 'Dosa' with an old Classmate (Pure Indian vegetarian ‘Dosa’ restaurant where we were the only Indian customers, the Chinese town, Russian hill, truly cosmopolitan and freely mixing crowd, and good shopping, we wanted to stay more!

One of the greatest cities with its own hitstory spanning 2 millinem.
I went there 3 times. 1t in 1983, Second in 1994 and 3rd in 2007

Rome was an experience. Whatever you read in classs test books and from some real English teachers, could be seen right in frot of you !
I did have some adventures in Rome. Excellent food. Wonderful people!
After visit to all historical places, we have to sleeep in an improtu bathroom

I made a short stay in Singapore on way to Australia in 1985. Even though it was short, it had a lasting memory in my life! How a thickly populated city can be so clean, with no crime and no poverty.

This is in "GOD's OWN COUNTRY' Kerala, one of the Top 50 Destinations in the world as per National Geography Traveller, Conde Nast traveller etc etc. Fastest Growing tourist destination in India and the World, the Queen of Arabian Sea!
The oldest traders from India to Arab countries from 2000 BC! The oldest dance and drama and martial art forms still performed here. The oldest settlement of Jews, Christians and Muslims in South Asia, the only 100% literate state in South Asia and many more attractions!

This is near my present Work Place, Jubail, Saudi Arabia. It was difficult to find a photo to put since photography at public places was not allowed. Now the rule is relaxed and you can see many photographs of this vast and "majestic' desert land filled with oil!
This place, Half Moon beach is a weekend getaway destination with all modern facilities.

Kuwait is a get away place for us - from Saudi Arabia. Even though not as free as Bahrain, it is a very cultured, high fashion, and rich place. There are great places to go and enjoy. We never got bored in this city!
An out of this world restaurant we went (to see only- we can never afford it). Actually this place is only for privileged people. Somehow we could go inside and what we saw was pure luxury. An old Dhow made by hired old artisans from Kerala, India, wood by wood pieces without any nail in the 1000 yr old tradition taking many many years! It is huge when you go inside! Just have a look in the photos.

It was a childhood wish come true when I visited Paris 1st time in 1985. The Eiffel TOwer, The Elesee palace, the Concode wehre people were guillotined , all came into reality in front of me.

I have taken a photo of World Trade Center, during my short visit in 1989, from near the Jersey City where the Statue of Liberty stands. When the I saw live the bombing of the tallest twin building (I was watching CNN) after the first disbelief, I rememebered the photo I had taken. I have attached it with this. You cant take such a photo anymore!
The spirit of Manhatten is the Spirit of Mumbai (Bombay)-- Business as usual!!

Amsterdam stuck me with the large number of Museums. Of course of van gogh museum is a must see. The place is crazy about paintings, even the hotel I stayed had painting on its walls centuries old! The canals ride, the Tulip flowers, and most free but most strict democracy. (If you are proven to have referred a black as a nigger, you can land up in the Jail).

I went to Vienna becasue it is a well known and historical must see city in Europe. It is a small but nice place with plenty of places to see, especially the wine country!

Germany was the first country I visited in Europe, way back in 1985! I took the opportunity to travel up and down in Europe in with a 'Eurail Pass'.
I learnt many things from Germans. Discipline, Fast Decisions, Brevity (Yes or No!), Business accumen and top of all, quality!

A visit to USA is not complete without a visit to its magnificient Capitol and the Capitol Hill and White House.
We were here in October 2007. The National Mall in front of CAPITOL is a very nice place to walk and sit around, in between breaks from the many museums on both sides of the MALL.

I was in Canada in May 1989. It is a vast country indeed scaresly populated. But great place!. I could see only Toronto and Winnipeg. I missed Niagra Falls and the great Alaska trip!
May be sometime in future. But the toronto tower was a landmark! With that I have 6 great towers under my foot!. Eiffel, Sydney, Toronto, Kutab Minar, Kuwait tower and our own Kingdom tower in Riyadh.

I went there in 1989. My best dinner in life was in Sydney harbour in a ship hotel with my other members of a conferance (All from 5 advanced coutries and I from India with limited Foreign exchange- I had a tough time!) Australia is the place for fun lovers. Not a place for great sophistication. Work, Play, Talk straight, Enjoy life, But be fair. Lot of Indians and Asians. I learnt to throw Boomerang. (I can throw and make it will come back from the end of a football field- surprised?)

South Africa is a special place for Indians. It is a special place for all! This country has a great future. And as a tourist, it is a hot spot.
I went there in 1997. I enjoyed. Great food, great life, great hotels, and the 'Sun City' experience was the best! It was just after the Miss World event held in Sun City. The highest water slide, the artificail earthquake, an artificial beach with high waves, the casino, Wow! Given a chance I will go again!

Switzerland.... There is no other place on earth as a tourist's paradise as this small stretch of land in Europe! My first visit was in 1985. I fell for it! Later I was fortunate to have it as my 2nd home for about 6 years when I worked in a Swiss co. in India.(Buhler AG). I used to visit there many times from 1992 to 1998.
I will write more about my experience there, even though it may be an old story. I intent to go there soon to update my stories!

S-6, KRISTAL TIARA., Bangalore, India. A group of about 40 houses by Kristal Group. A good place. Near a booming new IT corridor of Bangalore. on the sides of the OUTER RING ROAD and Srajapur Rd, with HQ of INTEL, ACCENTURE, CAPGEMINI, WIPRO and MANY IT PARKS.
Looking for a retired life soon here!

We stayed for a week in Phoenix in a suburb, a place named Chandler. Initially we felt it was far away from the main city. But then we found that one of the biggest and most fashionable Mall complexes (Fashion Village) was just walking distance
Chandler ‘Fashion Village’ is spread in a 320 acre area surrounded by streets. Most of the fashion chains in USA have shops here. And most of the famous eating houses. We too went there every evening when we were not touring and tasted USA way of life!