Jai Ho

Running from one place to other at the airport in India was something to talk about. Well, why am I starting with the negatives? India was well worth the trip except for few incidents at the airport, or seeing few men peeing on the highway, having few hundred thousand poor people, or shall I say few hundred million people, and taking my lighters when I was checking out! it was a great one. The shopping is brilliant, and people here are well aware of the environment, savings, education, and hard work.  I haven't seen anyone who is laid back, or not fighting for something or the other. I saw coffee shops, but haven't seen people who are just sitting there sipping coffee, gossiping, lingering or watching people passing by! Everybody is busy with something or the other. I am not saying that they are from a different breed! All I am saying is that everyone has a purpose and mostly that purpose is to stay alive amidst a country that is almost a quarter of the world population.

Anyway, the first day I went directly to this place that I heard about and wanted to spend few days enjoying nature and having some spa treatments, what was evident to me is the magnitude of the work that was done amidst the mountains. The person who thought of building that city is to be commended, he is a real visionary! You drive from dusty cities and villages that are really crowded to a heaven on earth, and you don't only see nature, lush greenery, rock formation, water falls, birds with different feathers, you find the best of every country collected in a single photo shoots and planted on hills and near lakes. It was as if someone took a collage and stuck it  next to each other to form a place that compels you to live in, homes that cry your name and call you to spend a period of your time on earth in them. Had they forgotten anything! I don't think so!  the resemblance to Portofino was very evident and the colors of the houses adds to the greenery creating a painting similar to those that are done by Michael Angelo and others like him. The builders converted thousands of kilometers into a natural living space complete with its shops, promenades, lakes, sports facilities, hotels, schools, universities, CBD area, golf courses and whatever else one would need to live, learn, work and play.  Lavasa is a new brand that needs to be exploited, the place does make you feel happy, as it has places and things that are capable of making you forget your worries.

Of course, I wouldn't mind living there myself, but I must find a niche for myself first. A memorable experience Lavasa was, I will see you again for sure.

Mumbai brought back memories of the past, it's 25 years exactly since I visited that city, it was called differently at that time, Bombay, but you still find some shops having the old names on them.  The new part of Mumbai is magnificent, it actually looks like JBR in the new Dubai, except you will see Raksha's and cows in the streets, but is it clean? Yes it is, are the people friendly? Much nicer than what I thought! Is it expensive? Yes it is.  My friend and I went to the old Mumbai, and bought nice stuff from Mohammed Ali road, then drove by Chapatti beach, and passed by Haj Ali mosque. Of course the new bridges and exits had amazingly reduced traffic, as I still remember that we used to be stuck on the roads for hours, not any more. To tell you the truth, if I didn't have to return to work, I would have stayed longer, and munched on that food for another week.

I will come and see you again Mumbai and Lavasa, who knows, there could be some stuff to be explored there.

P.s. The visionary builders of the new city didn't forget the villagers, schools were built for their children to study for free, factories of bamboo crafts were also opened to train some of the villagers so they can earn money and the Eco friendliness is very evident.