http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Gaya-Rajesh/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Gaya Rajesh en-us Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:19:17 +0000 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:19:17 +0000 Every time I travel to a new place the spirit of adventure and discovery heightens my energy level. I was awake by 630 am and shoved everyone in the car by 7 am. Montreal is so close to Albany take less than 3 hours to get there yet we never took the initiative to visit. But this year I was determined to go there as I was craving for Europe and this was the next best thing. We reached Montrea http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Quebec/Montreal/blog-409920.html Our Honeymoon in Seychelles Islands located in the Indian Ocean was the ultimate romantic trip of our lives. We flew Air Seychelles from Bombay airport with a stopover in Mauritius and arrived in Victoria the exotic capital of the island Mahe. We took a cab to our hotel The Coral Strand where we were staying for a week. Coral Strand Hotel is nestled in the Beau Vallon Bay the most famous bea http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Seychelles/Mah-/blog-397304.html Our darling little baby girl Megna was born on June 14th 2005. We were very happy parents enjoying her sweet little face chubby little fingers and cuddly little body. But we somehow felt that we needed a break from parenthood not that we spent sleepless nights each day. We just felt that we needed some time to ourselves like a mini honeymoon. So we planned a trip to Quebec City during the Labor http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Quebec/Quebec-City/blog-396821.html We boarded the train to Edinburgh at 615 am from Kings Cross station. The day was very muggy and the weather a wintry mix. The view from the train of Scottish scenery the sea and tiny little Scottish houses was beautiful. The minute we landed in Edinburgh it was sprinkling there was a gale and it was bitter cold. We decided to take the hop on hop off bus tour and boarded the quirky looking bu http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-396819.html Rajesh found the best deal to London in British Airways. Air hotel for 400 a person. It was an offer we couldnrsquot resist and with kids out of the way in India we decided to go for it. We both are normally nontouristy people hate hopping on and off tourist attractions. But London was an exception. London is a great city and definitely a place to see all the important landmarks of history http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-396818.html My dream was to study in California. Irsquove always loved the sunny beaches and palm trees and star struck at Hollywoodrsquos glitz and glamour. I had gotten admission at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco but one month before heading west I changed my mind as being away from Rajesh for too long seemed like a heart breaking venture and instead ended up in the SUNY Albany MBA prog http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/blog-394966.html Toronto has always been a favorite city of mine. I was visiting the city for the 3rd time. The modern downtown with the high rise condos never failed to amaze me and this time there were few more added to the pile. We left Thursday evening at 5 pm and by 11 pm we were driving past the familiar university dr Gerrard st and Yonge st towards Bay st. where Lavanya Rajeshrsquos sister stayed in http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Ontario/Toronto/blog-394963.html We left Albany around 6 am driving over to Newport Rhode Island. The drive took about 3.5 hours including a breakfast stop in one of the rest areas. As we neared the Atlantic Ocean the views were spectacular. We reached Newport and parked our car in the Long Wharf area and roamed around the historic downtown for a while. Itrsquos a quaint little town with lots of inns and pubs very historic http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Rhode-Island/Providence/blog-394962.html Day 6 TuesdayToday was Obamarsquos inauguration day as the 44th president of the United States and the streets were full of tourists and locals wearing Tshirts with Obama slogans. By the time we were ready and out the inauguration was over in Washington DC because of the 5 hour time difference. If we were in NY watching the ceremony would have been a priority. But we were not at all drawn t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-370683.html Day 5 MondayHanauma bay was recommended to us as the best place to do snorkeling and also to see a large variety of marine life. So that was the first on our agenda for the day. This time I was determined to snorkel as we were nearing the end of our vacation. We took Kalanianaole highway another scenic route and entered Hanauma bay parked our car and learnt that they limited the number of vis http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-370681.html Day 4 SundayA local friend that we made during our customary night walks on Waikiki beach recommended us to try out breakfast at Sarentorsquos top of the Waikiki Ilikai beach hotel and he gave us free invitations for Sunday breakfast that was otherwise not available as the restaurant is open normally only for dinner. The ride up in the glass elevator to this restaurant was an event in itself http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-370679.html Day 3 SaturdayRajesh had spotted a Hawaiian breakfast place called Perry Smorgyrsquos and he wanted to check it out for breakfast. So we went there and they served a breakfast buffet set amidst Hawaiian surroundings with tropical plants fish ponds etc. The ambience was superb and so was breakfast.We needed more beach time to whet our oceanic appetite and so we headed out to Kamehameha highway http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-370678.html Day 2 FridaySlept well and woke up refreshed and very hungry. So we headed out to Dennyrsquos for a big breakfast of omelettes toast and hash browns and fresh pineapple juice. With a full stomach we set out to do our first adventure for the day A drive to the North shore to see sharks hump back whales and dolphins in the deep blue Pacific Ocean. I love the Pacific more than the Atlantic. A http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-370677.html Day 1 ThursdayJust when I felt the sight of another snow flake would make me scream and another icy winter storm would make me curse we were all set to go on our much anticipated vacation to Hawaii for a week of sun nrsquo sand. Hooray Our flight was from Newark and we reached Honolulu Oahu on Thursday morning. We took our rental car and headed out to our hotel Sheraton Princess Kaiulan http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-370676.html Spanish girl was going to Vaduz the capital of Liechenstein. I wished I could elope with her. But instead went with Rajesh to Zurich HB. The TGV from Zurich to Paris left at 702 am and dropped us in Paris Est station 4.5 hours later. It was a speed train and we traveled first class. I could feel the speed only when another train zoomed by the window within seconds at the speed of lightening. As http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/Albany/blog-294972.html Zurich HB station was filled with gigantic lifesize blowups of Switzerlandrsquos soccer players. It reminded me of the fanfare at Indian cricket matches. Spanish girl decided to ride with us on the train to Fribourg and get down at Berne. The train stopped at Berne the capital of Switzerland and Spanish girl got out while we gazed out into the city as the train scurried past. Berne was cramm http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/South-West/Fribourg/blog-294970.html Rajesh woke me up at 7 am banging on my door and startling the other girls in my room who asked me if he was my boyfriend. He was showered and ready and gave me a half hour to meet him for breakfast in the dining room. I was so hungry that I ate everything they had for breakfast and even drank 2 cappuccinos. Thank god it was free else it would have been another ripoff RV was picking us up in f http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Lucerne/blog-294966.html Everything about Switzerland went wrong right from the beginning In Swiss I wanted to visit Geneva and Interlaken and ride the glacier express. But Rajesh was bent on hanging out with his college buddy in Zurich and staying with him for 3 days that I had to give in. Couple of days before our departure the friendrsquos kid got chicken pox. I put my foot down and insisted on booking a hotel. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-East/Z-rich/blog-294965.html We had seen some of Europersquos best cities chateaus castles museums ruins churches parks and neighborhoods. It was time now to see the countryside. I figured what better country to sample the countryside as beautiful Austria When I think of Austria the first thing that comes to my mind is ldquoThe Sound of Musicrdquo set in Salzburg and the picturesque countryside beyond.A fantast http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/Lower-Austria/Wachau/blog-294962.html As the Eurorail got closer to Vienna I looked out the window and noticed that the sky was grey and muggy a symbol of upcoming rain. Our coupe mates Arnold and Naomi invited us to their house if it rained too hard and we had nothing to do. We hoped it wouldnrsquot rain thanked them for the invitation and took down their address and phone number. It was their daughter Asiarsquos 3rd birthday http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/Vienna-State/Vienna/blog-294959.html