Day 2 - Rise and shine

Last night I went to bed around 10:00pm and woke up at 9:00am. I can't remember the last time I got 11 hours sleep ... maybe college (25 years ago). Of course my nose can only resist the aroma of Lakshmi's cooking for so long as I cruised into the dining room and found before me a plate of poories khurma, coffee and a glass of fresh guava juice. Fantastic! Afterwards their nine year old daughter Sindu showed me photos of Manohar and Lakshmi's families. We will be joining them at a festival this next Friday in Manohar's home village. I'm beginning to believe that living in India is just one big festival within a festival! If your town is not having a festival then there is probably one close by that is.

Day 1 - Blast Off

Manohar and I arrived in Hyderabad late last night around 4:00am. We stayed up visiting and eating a great breakfast of dosa with a spicy peanut chutney prepared by Manohar's wife Lakshmi until around 7:00am when the jet lag finally kicked in and I fell asleep with a full belly and a comfortable bed. You couldn't ask for a better host than Manohar and his family.

Of course we slept in late and took it slow and easy the first day after the flight. Manohar brought me to his offices on Jubilee Hill overlooking Hyderabad. You couldn't ask for a better view. It felt more like an Italian Villa with four stories and large balconies on each level. The weather was cool as it rained earlier and we opened the windows and doorways to let a gentle breeze through the office. After meeting the employees and drinking some Indian Chi Tea, Manohar and I left the office by foot getting a better feel for the area as we walked the block. He insisted on leaving my cell phone behind which I thought was sort of odd but after we were half way around the block I found out why ... Manohar had already arranged an appointment at a really nice massage/spa called "The Fifth Element". I had a VERY relaxing 90 minute massage and came back to the office feeling like a wet noodle. It officially cured my jet lag! Time to head back to the apartment and eat some good Indian food. As I type this blog Manohar is preparing my agenda for the next 10 days. I can only imagine. Until tomorrow ...