September 20th,12.35 am: As the wheels of the plane finally hit the ground...I looked at my colleague in joyous disbelief...We had finally come back home (It seemed impossible 24 hours ago...when we were re-arranging luggage at San Francisco airport...and then carting super heavy bags to the farthest Gate there!)
Delhi is brilliant! The air smells awesome...like always :) ... I was seeing my family after 3 whole months! The roads of Delhi are beautiful! The entire trip felt like a distant dream all of a sudden...To think just a week ago I was galavanting on the streets of SFO...
September 13th, 11:00 am: The 9 of us finally got up and got ready to visit the city I'd heard so much about! It wasn't easy...being Sunday and all...but it was my last weekedn in Salinas, and I couldn't go back without going to San Francisco!
So off we went...and 2 hours of a sleepy car drive later...we finally reached the city. The streets of San Francisco are gorgeous...they remind you off a giant roller coaster! You go up a slope...till you reach a peak of sorts...and then just when you think you've reached the end of the earth (there are blind spots in the roads...when you reach a particular point...you can't see anything ahead of you! It's like you are purposely driving off a cliff!)...a steep downward drive begins...it was brilliant!!
So we climbed over mountains...drove past some very weird looking lounges (they had names like "Black Magic Voodoo Lounge")...and reached the famous Golden Gate Bridge!
The bridge is red ofcourse...and an architectural wonder if I ever saw one! We actually walked across the entire bridge! Never in my dreams had I thought I'd be doing something like that! The wind is so strong that you literally have to push against it to go forward! It was awesome!
That wasn't all! Next we ended up in what can only be described as paradise on earth...The Ghirardelli Square...Located at the Fisherman's Wharf...It is home to the bestest chocolates ever! (No offense to Lindt...I love you too :D ) ...So there we were ...standing before MOUNDS of chocolates of every kind...sampling their new caramel chocolates...feasting our eyes on GIANT chocolate slabs...and to commemorate the egyptian artifacts exhibition that was in town...they had chocolate pyramids and King Tutankhamuns!!!! It was a classic case of Egypt meeting Willie Wonka!
It was too late in the evening to check out much of anything else...so we got bundled into a massive SUV...and went home singing a mix of hindi songs..and Hollywood classics! Speaking of Hollywood...
September 5th, 10:00 am: My cousin and her husband picked me up from my hotel in Salinas...and off we were on a 350 mile ride to LA! Never thought that was going to happen...what with the severe cash crunch that I was facing! But there I was...speeding past the giant sand dune-like hills...going to a city I had heard so much about!! Enroute we stopped over at Santa Barbara...my mum used to love watching the soap that went by the same name... and the city/town was adorable!
Finally reached the LA county where my other cousin lived...just to find her card covered with ashes (the forest fires had just begun to get under control)...it was a perfect little neighbourhood...where I met my perfect little niece for the first time! She had just turned 6!!
The next day...we all went to Santa Monica to meet my other aunt...the beach was GORGEOUS...it was all sand 'n' sun...and gorgeous people having loads of fun! After 2 and a half months of continental-ish food...I finally got to eat chaat and Indian stuff here! Just loved it all!!!
That wasn't all...what had begun as an awesome day...turned into fantasy as I made my first trip to Hollywood! It was unreal! There were people in costumes all over the place...the white letters stood out on the hill...the Kodak Theater looked forlorn minus all the stars and glitter...the streets had an air of celebration about them in general...and then there was the Star walk and cemented hand and foot impressions...I almost lost it when I saw Matt Damon's signature...never had I thought I'd ever be this star struck!!! Also saw Madame Tussauds wax museum!
On the way back we went to a place that was right out of the fairytales! Tiny cottages lined both sides of the road...holiday makers walked around at a slow easy pace...the giant windmill overlooked it all...it was Solvang...a tiny Dutch establishment in the middle of no-where! Just like the 17 mile pebble beach drive...
August 28th, 10:00 am: It was my first trip outside Salinas on the west coast...We went to a town called Monterey...and drove on further to what looked like an isolated stretch...It was the Pebble Beach...17 mile drive...with 24 tourist sites...including some gorgeous beaches! It was a dreamy affair as always...with mansions being built into mountain sides...like they had always been there...the gorgeous blue pacific ocean on one side...and red 'n' green vegetation covered hills on the other. These were cold beaches...and we practically froze when we went into the watre...but it was so totally worth it!!! They were 17 miles of bliss...you feel closest to God when you see a natural wonder so beautiful!!
Speaking of natural wonders...the Rockies are a different class altogether!
August 19th, 11:30 pm: I had been up since 4 in the morning to catch my flight from Buffalo to Salinas...as a result...instead of sticking my nose to the window in the place and taking in the scenery...I had slept through most of the trip...thankfully woke up about half an hour before landing...and stuck my nose to the window...expecting the luscious green of the forests and blue of the rivers in US...got a total shock! The terrain was rising up...there were scattered mountains...almost like scars in the earth...and sand covered peaks...that looked like snow from up in the sky! The only thought that came in my mind was that I didn't want to crash there ever! After a while, when I finally got used to it...I started finding it pretty (just another example of my very fickle nature)...it was a totally other side of nature than I had been witnessing earlier...but it was a powerful image none the less!
And finally came San Francisco...The landing is gorgeous! You feel like you are about to land in water itself...when suddenly the air strip appears out of no where!
September 20th, 3:00 am: Having unpacked..and settled in completely...I smiled as I thought of the days gone by...Loved it then...and love being back home even more after so long!!!
