Discovering the Homeland

Waking up on Thursday morning was a pleasant experience.   We went downstairs for a lavish breakfast featuring European, Chinese and Indian breakfast specialties.   I told Roj that this may be my favourite meal we’ve had during our trip so far:   freshly made masala dosa, uppamav, Chinese mixed veg, fresh fruit and freshly made cappachino… heaven! We walked outside the hotel lobby and met Subash, our driver and tourguide.   We had arranged for a full day of Delhi sightseeing and were on our way to our first stop: the Qutab Minar complex.   Qutab Minar Complex: The complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and hosts over 40 different monuments.   It’s actually the most visited complex in India, even ahead of the Taj Mahal.   The most famous monument there is the Qutab Minar, a minaret that is 73 metres high with a spiral staircase going up it.   The first storey was constructed in 1192 and was founded by Qutab-Ud-Din-Aibak and...

We spent our last evening in Dubai packing our belongings and preparing for our flight the next morning.  Roj insisted on having one last swim in the pool at Joyce Chechi’s house where we were staying.  He has really enjoyed having access to a pool to cool off at the end of each evening.  The next morning was an early start with a quick bite to eat and then heading off to the airport.  We need to return our rental car to Budget and brought it to the airport as we were instructed.  This turned into a communication nightmare and took almost 2 hours to actually successfully return the vehicle.  It’s a good thing we were early as we never expected the amount of runaround for this rental (we will never be using Budget Rentals again!). The queue to check-in for our flight was backed up past the rope barriers and into the middle of the airport so we got in line and proceeded to wait to check in.  This took so long t...

During our last full day in Dubai, we decided to do something very touristy and visit the Dubai Miracle Garden attraction for a day of leisure and enjoyment.   This attraction is only 4 years old so it wasn’t around with Roj and his parents lived here.  It spans over 775 000 square feet and has over 50 million flowers and more than 250 million plants.  It seems that Dubai likes holding world records and this is no exception; Miracle Garden is the largest flower garden in the world!  We were amazed at the sheer size of the various characters and buildings made out of plants.  The amount of work and water required to keep this going must be immense.  I was told that since it’s winter in Dubai, not everything is in bloom and that summer looks even more amazing.   In contrast to what we left back home in Canada, the abundance of bright colours and sweet aroma were a welcome addition to our final day in Dubai. ...

Monday morning began with mom and Villyamummy making puri in the kitchen.   A traditional bread made out of flour, water, oil and salt and then fried in oil…. Yummy deliciousness to start the day! We had a lovely breakfast and then went on the road to do some sightseeing.    Our journey began at Khorfakkan beach.    Roj and I took a walk along the waterfront while the rest of the family relaxed in the shade.    The water had a slight shade of green and apparently this happens when the algae oxidizes.    We saw a few fishermen sending their nets out for a catch but didn’t see any fish at that point.   Roj used to come to this beach regularly during his childhood, so it was quite nostalgic for him.  Shortly after the beach we took a long drive and eventually ended up at a little Mosque at the side of the road.  I soon learned the historical significance of this little mosque.  It is ...