21.8.2010 von Jean Jacques.

OK, India is a mess. There is no question about that.

No infrastructure at all to start with and it is falling apart.However hard you try not to, you cannot avoid stumbling across the misery which is present everywhere.

On the other hand, the people are great, the food is excellent and if you can retire to a little peace of heaven like a 5 star hotel once in a while, it is a great place.

I was there on business. Not my first trip to India, but my first one in Delhi, which to my mind, is a step up on Mumbai. Despite the fact that there is a clear “Bollywood” influence in Mumbai which can be felt in the scene and going out places.

On business does not mean you always have to work at the weekend, and when in Delhi, one must do the so-called Golden Triangle and visit the town of Agra (where the Taj Mahal is) and the town of Jaipur famous for its old forts and a few other things.

How to get there? Plane is an option of course and probably quicker. Although the distances are around 250 km for each leg, with the state of the roads (I actually would not call them roads and believe a new word should be invented for the succession of pot holes mascarading as an un-identifiable thoroughfare) the expected average speed by car is in the low 50s (and I do not mean miles) . This is however how I decided to do it. At least one can see some of the countryside on the way.

Might as well do it the right way too. So a chauffeur was hired and a Toyota Novali (never heard of them before).

I was hoping to be able to get some sleep on the way, but it is basically impossible. One jumps from one pothole to the other. Once in a while there is a stretch of a few kilometers where one can accelerate to 80km. But that is only theory. You can try but the pre-condition is that you beep your horn all the way to warm all the trucks, who all drive on the fast lane (fast lane makes me laugh) and other vehicles (some of which do not have a name in the english language) that you are coming and wanting to pass.

It works once in a while and you can relax for a few minutes. Again, that is theory, because as a rule you will come up face to face with a cow who is strolling along, completely oblivious to the danger it is exposed to, or lying down in the middle of the road. And of course being India they have absolute priority due to their holy status. Mind you, I do not know what is better, a cow or an elephant…

In any case your progress is very slow, bumpy with non stop braking and accelerating jerks. To top it all, there are 2,500,314 horns (both the Bovidea variety and the ones found on vehicles) blaring out all the time all around you.

All still acceptable, till it starts raining. The usual heavy monsoon downpours. Then you cannot see anything anymore. You cannot slow down as you are already traveling at snail pace and any touch to the break pedal would mean an instant stop.

But eventually you make it. And it is well worth it in the case of the Taj Mahal for instance.

Did I forget to mention the odd camel and the 1.789.111 stray dogs and monkeys as additional hazards on the roads?

You have to go to the Taj very early, sun rise is the best time for the light and before the crowds arrive. They get more than 3 million visitors a year. That raises another question… The entry fee and the fact that those visitors will more than likely spend one or two nights at the hotel means that there is undoubtebly revenues being made. I wonder who pockets it all, because Agra like any other town is crumbling down slowly but surely.

The hotel I was in round the corner was certainly more than pleasant and I could have stayed there a couple of nights.

(Photos to come)

But there are only 2 days at the weekend, so after a bit of souvenir shopping (marble of course and it is heavy but the baggage allowance in business class allows for that), it is back in the car for the 250 back-braking kilometers to Jaipur. Some interesting views, but then again typical, coming out of town.

Late afternnon arrival, another very nice hotel although I would not like to step out of the hotel compound on foot. I did not either.

(Photos to come)

Quite a few things to look at in and around Jaipur and it nice to have a driver who knows his way round and had prepared a little tour for you.

By the way, that  perticular Sunday being the Indian National Day (Independance Day from the British) it is declared as a “dry day”… No alchool to be had. Is that a reaction maybe to the drunken Brits ruling in those days. I wonder…

A moment of panic there. No Gin & Tonic for aperitif? Fortunately that does not really apply to foreigners as long as you are prepared to give your passport number and fill up a form when ordering your drinks. That attracted a few black looks from the locals. I suppose I could have invited them to my table, but my expense account probably would not stretch that much, and believe me there are a lot of people in India.

Will I go back to India? I think the answer is YES of course. So much more to see and experience. Apart from that from a business point of view I am scheduled to go in the second half of October, after the Commonwealth Games. The current saga is worth following. Only 30 or so days to go and it is a mess. Nothing appears to be ready, the town’s - New Delhi - planned face lift is basically just a mud bath. Once again as it appears to be the rule in India, corruption is prevailing. God knows where the money is ending up. The governement is appointing one committee after the other as watchdog to the comitte which was appointed the previous day. At least this is how it appears to me after reading the local press in the past couple of weeks.

Anyway, yes I will go back and this time I am going for cricket. I have rarely seen a nation so devoted to it. Some international matches are scheduled India v Australia, but what I am interested in, is the local league.

All I can say is: Incredible India

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23.2.2010 von Jean Jacques.

At least for most of us here in China. There are of course a couple of friends still enjoying it in the Maldives (this is for you Theodora) or in France (Philippe and co).

I guess it is not too late to wish everyone a Happy New Year of the Tiger…

Like most “expats”, I escaped the mainland for 1 week’s rest in Thailand. Phuket to be precise. Not my first time there of course but always an enjoyable experience. This time no laptop, no disturbance from work. I was really able to relax.

Typical day: Stopping for a cup of coffee on the way to the pool

spend the morning reading under palm trees …

A couple of beers at lunch time with a snack

Back to the pool in the afternoon

Early evening stroll in the sunset…

Find a pleasant little restaurant for a small dinner

early to bed

A real needed break…

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6.12.2009 von Jean Jacques.

Came back yesterday from a week in Singapore. Work of course but the schedule allowed for a little bit of time off.

Stayed at the Shangri La on Orange Grove. Not a bad hotel at all…

Obviously a lot of money around in Singapore judging by the constant stream of super cars …

It is always a bit weird for me to see xmas decorations by almost 30 degrees temperature and it is winter in Singapore. As they say, there are 3 seasons there… Hot, Hotter and Hottest. In any case the town is in full xmas swing…

Made it to the Singapore Flyer which being the largest observation wheel in the world is quite cool…

Quite an impressive construction…

with great views all around…

Next on the list Sentosa Island … with enough time for a couple of rides…

Some good views from there too…

It was also good to be back at Raffles for a couple of Gin and Tonics in the Long bar…

I did some work as well. Promise…

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18.11.2009 von Jean Jacques.

Has a very pleasant weekend in Xiamen. I guess it is the nearest town to Taiwan, which as you might guess is just across the Taiwan straight.

Stayed in a very nice hotel the Wyndham, a newly opened 5 stars with great views.

Just across the road from the hotel there are plenty of ferries. So nothing to stop us getting on one. The big attraction for the Chinese is to go and have a look at Jinmen island which belongs to Taiwan and is only a couple of miles away.

Ventured across the water on Saturday afternoon to Gulangyu  island where many suberb old colonial buildings and historical sites are still standing. There are beautiful trees, some of which are 200+ years old, and gardens as well.
Gulangyu in Pinyin literally means, “Piano Island.” The island was home to a famous music school and contains the world’s largest piano museum.
One great thing about Gulangyu is that it is not very crowded. It also has NO vehicles, save for a few electric golf carts. tourists around.

Relax Sunday morning, followed by lunch and a ride a few kilometers up the coast.

The sign below means “One China One policy” which is obviously aimed at the Taiwanese across the water with powerful binoculars.

Like everything in Xiamen, everything is clean and well kept. Xiamen International Marathon,one of the two leading marathon competition in China  is held on the first Saturday of January every year. There are numerous statues along the road to represent Marathon runners and spectators. Quite impressive and nice.

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8.10.2009 von Jean Jacques.

Moved to Kuta Beach and the Hard Rock Hotel.  Quite a change of scenery and certainly not the quiet spot from the previous days.

Good facilities, loads of music and in the midst of Kuta’s vibrant life.

Full of surfers too.

Anyway, the time always comes when you must leave. The journey back via Kuala Lumpur was as long and boring as the way in.

Must go back there and explore more of the island’s interior…

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7.10.2009 von Jean Jacques.

So another country visited in Asia. I shall have to return to Indonesia though. Such a big place. There are still a few white spots to visit… most of them islands…

Back to Bali. Not exactly the holiday I had expected. Too much stress from work on 1 hand and not the best travel arrangements to get there.

I am usually really pleased with Air Asia, but it was not worth the almost 4 hours drive to Hangzhou airport to catch the flight to Kuala Lumpur. It took almost 12 hours for the trip. Not much of an evening left.

Next day, back to the airport for the 3 hours hop to Bali…

Some nice views on the way and final approach…

Quite a wait at immigration but finally on the way to the hotel

The hotel looked fine at first. I did like the old stones and the way this (I assume old village) was being transformed into rooms…

The swimming pool was quite nice too next to the ocean

The facilities were not up to scratch however. The room was fairly basic and damp. No internet access either except in the reception area and it was no fun spending 5 hours there trying to download my work emails.

The hotel was also in the middle of nowhere and although only a 20 minutes taxi ride into town, it was kind of restrictive.

So a change was needed…

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7.9.2009 von Jean Jacques.

Flew in yesterday morning to Sanya with June Yao Airline, another first for me.

Sanya is the Southern most city in the the Hainanmprovince of China.

Got an upgrade when checking in…
  

and got another one the day after. Got treated to dinner and drinks too by the hotel manager and basically handled like a VIP the whole time by all the staff. Had a great view from the suite…

Superb resort with a maze of swimming pools…

all this by the seaside of course…

As usual, all photos will be on  Facebook soon…

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