HJCHRISTIANS.nl presents

WebLog India 2010. Working 7000+ km from home…

Browsing Posts tagged Sightseeing

English
Here are some images of my last round of Pune!

Nederlands
Hier zijn enkele afbeeldingen van mijn laatste route door Pune!


The week pass by quickly. It is now the 6th week past and it is Eastern. In the Netherlands we have Eastern Monday off, but in India we have Good Friday as a public holiday. A nice long weekend.

I did not have any plans for the weekend and started the Friday easy going. I took my time for breakfast, sports and started gathering some stuff for the journey home. Every now and then I would watch a movie (HBO and Star Movies broadcast movies nonstop) and I would blog a bit. But I did not want the whole weekend to be like this so I took my phone and called some people to learn their weekend plans.

The Saturday started early. I got up, did sports and had breakfast. At 10:00 am the chauffeur was there and I was on my way to get Sanket. Together we went to Koregaon Park, Lane 7 for some souvenirs on a suggestion of the driver. He is well aware on the places for tourism and the more expensive neighborhoods. They often get a commission if they bring customers to the shop. Smart business.

Some information about Koregaon Park: Koregaon Park is known for several reasons. On is tourism and since recently (February 13th 2010) the bombing of the famous German bakery. After this explosion in which people have died and got wounded extra security is placed at Koregaon Park. Now you will find many blockades, bunkers and military people. The German baker is covered with a structure and cloths. This is one of the reasons were as the security in India has risen as described in previous posts.

Back to my story of the Saturday. After successful shopping Sanket and I go to M.G.Road. Here we meet Vaibhav. The three of us continue the day and do some more shopping for souvenirs to remind me of my adventures in India. At the end of M.G.Road we find Moledina Road were we enter the restaurant ‘Rama Krishna’ for lunch.

After a good but also a bit spicy lunch we leave round 02:00 pm for some sightseeing:

  • Lal Mahal (next to Shaniwar wada).
    We arrive at the site, but it is closed. Sanket tells a bit about the history about how the Mongols ruled and how a warrior defeated the Mongol king by cutting five of his fingers from his hand. The fingers are still in Lal Mahal.
  • To get to Saras Baug we drive through the old center of Pune were we find Srimanth Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir (Mandir = temple). I have already seen it before while driving, but now we take the time to go inside. The temple is made of marble and from the inside silver and gold. During the festivals the statue will contain actual gold which also increases security of the temple. The temple has a second floor which is made of colored glass. From this floor you can look down in the temple.
    Srimanth Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir
  • Next we go to Saras Baug (Talyatla Ganpati)
    This temple used to stand within a small lake which also translates in the name. The name means “Ganpati in the lake”. The lake is now dry and they made a park round with a pond round the temple.
    We were there for some time to get out of the sun. Our next goal would not have much shade and we needed to climb a mountain which we did not want to do in the heat of the sun.
    Saras Baug Saras Baug
  • On the way to the next temple we stopped at a small road shop serving sugar cane drinks. The beverage is created by pressing the juice out of sugar canes without any supplements.
    Sugar Press Sugar juice Sugar drink
  • After the sugar drink we went to the start of the mountain. Here we start our climb of round 200 steps to the temple of Parvati Darshan on Parvati hill. Parvati is a Hindu goddess.
    Stairs Walking up Temple
  • Besides the temple there is a small museum named Peshwa. We see a bit of history of Shaniwar wada, coins of India, weapons and more.
    Museum
  • On this same mountain there is a small place for foods and drinks. The guys take some tea and I get some coffee. The coffee is hot milk with a bit of coffee powder. We stay here a while and watch the view and take some food. The dish is called Bhel puri which is served on a paper and you eat with your hands. It is kind of puffed rice with unions, herbs, chili and other ingredients. Very nice to share a snack like this :P .
    Food

 
After this we went home. Once home I wanted the check, but there were more costs than expected. In these settings it is uncomfortable to not know the language. After some discussion and some help of Peter via phone it works out and I get the proper amount on the bill.

Once inside I only want to sleep. It was a fun day, but all impressions and heat have taken its toll :) . Sanket and Vaibhav, thanks for a nice day!

English
Some images of my trip with Vaibhav Gorde to his native place at his family country side.

Nederlands
Enkele afbeeldingen van mijn reis met Vaibhav Gorde naar zijn familie landschap.


Today March 14th 2010 Vaibhav Gorde and I will go on a journey outside of Pune to see the countryside. Vaibhav has some relatives in a place called Ghodegaon. His relatives have a Mango farm in that neighborhood and a house in the village.

A short introduction.
I have known Vaibhav Gorde for about 2,5 to 3 years and we have extensively throughout this period. Till my arrival to India I have not had the pleasure of meeting Vaibhav. Excited and joyful I looked forward to meeting him face-to-face.
Our relation has extended to more than just colleagues. You could say there is a friendship created. When I notified Vaibhav about my trip to India we made the agreement to hang out together. For this Vaibhav had setup a nice road trip.

    As precise as Vaibhav can be he had a detailed plan all ready to go:

  • Pune
    • 07:00 am; A cab will pick me up from Magarpatta city;
    • 08:00 am; Pickup Vaibhav with the cab in Aundh (area in Pune);
  • Dehu
    • 09:30 am; expected arrival in Dehu;
    • 10:15 am; expected departure from Dehu to Bhimanshankar;
    • In Dehu we have visited the following sites:
      • The st Tukaram Gatha Mandir temple. This temple is not very known amongst travelers, but this will change in the future in my opinion. The temple is being created by the people from the village since 1995 and is still under construction. The temple finds it’s origin in the Abhanga-Gatha written by Tukaram Maharaj. According to legends Tukaram Maharaj put his Abhanga-Gatha into the river Indrayani. After 18 days without food and drinks the Gatha came floating back to Tukaram Maharaj on the spot where the temple now stands. The pages from the Abhanga-Gatha are carved in the marble wings of the temple and counts pages. More information about the temple can be found on the website http://www.gathamandir.com/ which (at time of this blog post) is under construction.
        st Tukaram Gatha Mandir - Ingang st Tukaram Gatha Mandir - Tukaram Maharaj st Tukaram Gatha Mandir - Script
        From left to right: st Tukaram Gatha Mandir – Entrance; Tukaram Maharaj; The Abhanga-Gatha
        * Click on the images for full size
      • After this temple we went to a mountain close to the village where there is also a small temple called Shreeskhetra Bhandara Dongar. This temple does not have any special meaning as far as I know, but our visit there was also for the great view from the mountain top.
        Shreeskhetra Bhandara Dongar The view Vaibhav Gorde
        From left to right: Shreeskhetra Bhandara Dongar – The temple; The view; Vaibhav Gorde
        * Click on the images for full size
      • there was a third temple before or after lunch… check with Vaibhav
  • Ghodegaon
    • 12:15 pm; brief halt at Ghodegaon for lunch with only local dishes;
    • 01:15 pm; expected departure time to Bhimashankar;
  • Bhimanshankar
    • 03:00 pm; arrival in Bhimashankar;
    • 04:00 pm; expected departure from Bhimashankar;
    • In Bhimashankar we have visited the following sites:
      • Besides Bhimashankar there is the Bhimashankar tempel, but we did not visit that actual temple. Bhimashankar consists out of some sort of market where the car is parked and you can get anything to eat. After this marketplace you can choose a path left or right. We turned left and went down the hill to the village Bhimashankar were also an older temple exists. People travel from far distances to visit this place. It is one of the 12 most important temples of India.
        Bhimashankar
        Temple in Bhimashankar
        * Click on the images for full size
      • If we also did go right we would have seen the Bhimashankar temple, but after climbing up from the village to the market we did not bother going down again :) ;
      • On the way back to Ghodegaon I had requested the driver to pull over at one of the higher points to take some pictures of the dam and valley. Very impressive!
        Dam Dal
        From left to right: Dam; Valley
        * Click on the images for full size
  • Ghodegaon
    • 05:30 pm; expected arrival time on the family farm of Vaibhav his relatives between Bhimashankar and Ghodegaon;
      On the farm I have met some relatives and workers. I was received with great hospitality, some fresh fruits and a tour.
      After some time the guys had so much fun I was also invited to come over to the house in the village. As Ghodegaon is on the way back and we were on or before schedule we did not mind. After some nice driving skills from the cab driver through the narrow streets we stopped at an alley. This is where the family was living. I was invited in for some tea and cookies. Strangely the hosts moved to the kitchen were the women were making tea. I requested if everybody would join in the living room so I could meet them also. Apparently they were a bit afraid, but perhaps they did also enjoy the visit. I did enjoy the fact I have now seen a traditional house from the inside and meeting the relatives.
    • 06:30 pm; back to Pune, but due to the fact we were on schedule we could make an extra stop at a winery. Also 2 of the relatives went with us. We had a very nice time;
  •  

Round 10:00 pm I received home and could use the sleep. It was a very nice day and the upcoming week will be busy again.

Time flies when having fun. This is a fact. It has already been 4 weeks since I arrived in Pune, India. In that short time I have gained much experiences and impressions. To give a summary of all these impressions is a difficult task.

Only in Pune there are 7,2 to 7,3 million people. All of them living their own live in their own fashion. This is also why I cannot compare or make general statements about the people. I just take everything in and enjoy my observations.

Some of the nice moments of this past period:

Once again a big story, but compared to all the experiences I have gained this is just a small portion. See you on the next update!


Traffic
The traffic is an experience which I will carry forever. It seems like one big Ant pile and the use of the horn will never be banished. Without the horn the people will not know how to deal with traffic. Despite all the high volume of traffic I do not see many accidents. Maybe this is because the speeds are less than back home or it is because of the horn :)

What I do notice are the smaller “stupid” accidents. It may happen that somebody drives by and just falls down with the bike… Loss of balance.

My biggest shock was the moment at the parking garage of Accenture. The customer and we visited one of the Accenture towers and were about to exit the car. I had just told some of my traffic experiences with the customer and how some people use high speeds in small areas… When opening my door a bike drove by with a lady on the back. The door flew out of my hands and the lady flew through the air landing in between the parked motorcycles. Crash… With the shock still in our legs we continued with the tour. I think the lady (who could walk again after taking some breath) will have experienced some difficulties after.

My finest moment in traffic was will driving the bike (Pulsar) of Safdar by myself. I drove from Magarpatta city to MG Road and back in the evening. What a rush! Now I am missing my own bike. Can we ship it to India? :P

Food
The food here is different than home. Many herbs and people are mostly vegetarians’. To be a vegetarian means no meat, chicken, eggs, fish, etc. There are no degrees like back in the Netherlands.

The non-vegetarian meals are always chicken or fish. Also the chicken is prepared differently, so don’t expect some chicken-filet or something.

I also notice that the spicy meals are always combined with something sweet as desert. And with sweet I mean sweet.

After a big meal it is common to go to a small stand (shop) to get some Paan. This consist of herbs in a leave which is there in the taste of sweet or tobacco. The last one is not to my liking :) .

Ending this part with the observation that many foods are prepared by frying it. So many stands with big pans filled with hot oil which is then used for almost anything. From fried vegetables (broccoli for instance) to dough (kind of like the Dutch ‘oliebollen’) to chicken, etc.

People
One of the things I enjoy most are the people around me, but also the common people on the streets with all the diversity.

My colleagues are so friendly and will do everything to make my stay as comfortable as possible. This is not something I am used to and have had difficulties for the first two weeks with this situation. The intentions were so honest and sincere that I pulled it together and after showing them I could manage in this different world it became a great understanding.

One of the nicest comments I have received from my colleagues is that I am a fully integrated Indian. I pickup fast and learn more every day. I have found my rhythm in the second week, eating their foods and integrated in the team (also outside my own team).

The people at the apartment complex have come to know me and now even stop on the roads to say hello. Security of Magarpatta city knows me (no, I am behaving myself ;) ) and also the people at the Gym approach me often.

The people of India are so very curious and so now and then I will be approached by unknown people. One of the most remarkable questions I have received: “what is similar to your country (the Netherlands) and ours (India)?”. The differences are everywhere, but this question had my puzzled.
Besides this they will ask just about anything once they have the courage to.

In general I find the people kind and joint as one. A good example is the Festival Holi in which even the guys hug and dance like nothing I have seen before. The people truly celebrate as one and enjoy it as one.

Sports
After submitting to ABS sports in Magarpatta city I have really found my rhythm. I get so much energy from sports and a daily purpose/goal.

Just about every day I got the request to give a kickboxing training (I had mentioned during my submission that I exercise kickboxing). When I had agreed to give a course last Thursday it got canceled due to a double booking of the facility. No training, but the questions are still coming. So perhaps in the near future a second chance. Fun and exciting at the same time.

Sightseeing
In the past four weeks I have seen many objects. The updates in this blog show the details and a full view on my experiences. I am not mentioning this a second time, but it is impressive to say the least!
Yes I do need to update all messages still… I am writing as fast as possible ;)

Customer visit
The client visit of Michelle and Bart together with Eddie have made a lasting impression on me. It was special to talk Dutch again in this country and making jokes in my own style.

When I left to India I had the idea I was making my own individual journey and facing my personal challenges. I did not have any regret or missed feelings of home till the departure of their visit. After their departure I felt left behind or more alone then before their visit. I was surprised about these feelings.
Don’t be alarmed, I found my rhythm and challenges again right after, but it did leave a lasting impression.

During the visit we have seen many things of which normally we would not take the time for. We had much one on one contact between the customer and the team members. Some nice diners in which people spoke openly about their experiences. The relation has grown to a new level not only on a business level, but we truly connected. There is a stronger relation now than before which is no longer only established via email or phone. A true advice for all who are involved with outsourcing!

English
Here are some images of the trip in Pune!

Nederlands
Hier zijn enkele afbeeldingen van het bezoek aan Pune!


Saturday 06-03-2010

  • Balagi Temple (religion: Ketkavde)
  • Snakepark Katrag
  • Raja dinkar kelkar museum
  • Shiniwarwade
  • Pataleshvara Cave Temple
  • Botanical Gardens
  • Shinde Chhatri (also known as umbrella)

 

English
Here are some images of the visit from our client in India, Pune!

Nederlands
Hier zijn enkele afbeeldingen van het bezoek van de klant aan India, Pune!


The visit of the customer had started on Sunday with a surprise visit of Safdar and I in Mumbai, but the official business started only on Tuesday. On request of the customer the week schedule was setup with lot of space to improvise, for activities and other business which could occur. This way we could all benifit optimal from the visit, schedule and improvisations. This brought a nice relaxed and a constructive etmosphere.

A small summary of the week:

Tuesday
For me the days started as previous weeks. A nice excersice, a good shower, some breakfast and then off to work. At first tensions were there in the office for some. The week was not suppose to be about high management talk and management meetings, but individual members were requested to prepare, present and initiate actions on diverent topics. Just before arrival of the customer some people requested last inputs on the topics. At that time the customer arrived and received a warm welcome.

The day started with introductions, some meetings, a real Indian lunch and the first team pictures were made. After a busy day full of impressions for the customer and the team we closed up at 06:00 pm. The customer left for the hotel.
Welkom met traditie Welkom met traditie Welkom heten klant Team intro

Due to project related commitments I stay in office for several hours.

Wednesday
A day full of nice activities. The customer arrives at 09:00 am and the take some time to pickup some work from the Netherlands. We also take our time for project engagements and return to the customer round 10:00. We leave for a second building of Accenture in Pune.

Remarkably I discussed during this drive my traffic observations. When we arrived at the parking garage and we wanted to exit I was shocked with what happened then. Just while I was opening my door a motorcycle drove by very vast with a girl on the back. We were driving a Toyota Innova which is quite big. While the motorcycle drove by the cardoor got ripped out of my hand and the firl was flying through the air. She landed between the parked motorcycles. The driver fell down with his motorcycle. Total chaos at that time.

The people remain calm, but I was in a bit of a shock. Several peopleassisted the girl and after 10 minutes she slowly rizes. Somewhat unstable she stumbles to the elivator and we start our tour. I think she will have had quite some difficulties and breuzes for some days.

Dispite the incident the customer had a good impression of the capabilities of Accenture and it was a fun tour.

Round 11:00 am we return to Tower 5 were we get our stuff and together with Manasi and Rupali we go for some sights in Pune.

  • We first go to my apartment so I can change and drop my belongings. Also I show them how I am currently living in this environment;
  • We drive to the hotel of Michelle, Bart and Eddie so they can also change and drop their belongings. A very impressive hotel Le Meridian Hotel!;
  • Because we already lost some time due to our pit stops we decide to go for lunch. We go to hotel … where Manasi orders typical Indian dishes. Nice!;
    Lunch
  • After a couple of pitstops we leave for Ghandi Memorial which is officially known as Aga Khan Palace.
    Some history: Sultan Mohammed Shah, Aga Khan III, got the palace constructed in the year 1892. The aim behind the construction of the Aga Khan Palace was to provide employment to the people of the nearby areas, who were hit by famine. Prince Karim El Husseni, Aga Khan IV, donated the palace to India in 1969, in the honor of Gandhiji and his philosophy. Aga Khan Palace is also known as Gandhi National Memorial because of its close association with Mahatma Gandhi.
    Aga Khan Palace Discussions Foto shoot :P Foto shoot again :P
  • After some nice pictures and a quick view of the museum we go to Snake Park Katrag (also known as Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park). Once arrived ot seems the place is closed on Wednesday. A pitty but nothing to do about it.
  • To improvise for the next site we look across Snake Park were we see a moutain on which two temples are there. The first temple is where you enter (which is highest on the moutain). The temple is called Katraj Jain temple. The second temple seems part of the first, but it is situated a bit lower and is called Pavapuri Jain temple. Here we make sime pictures via a small fotoshoot. “Smile at the camera” :D ;
    Foto Bart
  • Na het bezoek aan de tempel gaan we naar het centrum van oude Pune. Hier zijn nauwe straatjes en veel winkels. We gaan hierheen om souvenirs te kopen en een Sari voor Michelle.
  • Nog even wat snoepgoed inslaan en we zijn klaar met winkelen.

 
Na dit alles hebben we een geweldig diner met het hele team in SIGRI aan Dhole Patil Road. Het feest duurde lang en was een geweldige afsluiting van de dag. Nadat ik Michelle, Bart, Eddie en Peter met de taxi thuis had gebracht kwam ik rond 01:30 thuis aan. Een lange dag, maar zeer voldaan.
Food Food Food Food

Donderdag
De donderdag even geen sport. Na een lange dag en korte nacht heb ik even een uurtje langer geslapen. Lekker ;) ! Vandaag staat niet veel bijzonders op het agenda. We nemen afscheid van Eddie aangezien die nog enkele andere verplichtingen heeft in Nederland.
In de avond gaan Michelle en Bart met mij mee uit eten in restaurant Deccan Harvest midden in Magarpatta city. Hier genieten we van een hele hete maaltijd (sisseling plate) van noodles en wat kip.
We kletsen over de diverse ervaringen en kijken even terug op de week. Wat een ervaring!

Vrijdag
Vrijdag begint lekker. Weer even een zware training, een goed ontbijt en op naar kantoor. Hier stel ik Michelle en Bart voor aan Vaibhav. Wij hebben met zijn vieren lang samen gewerkt en zo hebben we even onze ervaringen kunnen delen. Erg leuk.
Zo rond 12:00 starten we met het opnemen van filmpjes voor de mensen in Nederland welke op kantoor zitten. Een leuke manier van contact leggen aangezien ook deze mensen nooit fysiek of visueel contact hebben gehad.
Aan het einde van de dag nemen Michelle en Bart afscheid van de teamleden. Wij informeren ze dat wij nog even gaan eten in restaurant Deccan Harvest en dat iedereen welkom is mochten ze dat willen.
Eenmaal aan het diner stromen de teamleden binnen en hebben we onverwachts een geweldig feestje!

Zo rond 22:00 gaan Michelle en Bart met mij mee om zich even op te frissen en daar staat ook de taxi te wachten.

Michelle en Bart, bedankt voor jullie bezoek! Het was een gezellige week.

English
Here are some images of the trip in Mumbai!

Nederlands
Hier zijn enkele afbeeldingen van het bezoek aan Mumbai!