Post-vacation toplines

9 flights, 6 buses, and numerous taxi’s later, I am back in Dubai trying to absorb that over the last 3 weeks I was in 4 different countries.

Goa with 30 family members was a blast that left me emotionally fulfilled and fat. Poker, Balchao prawns, Bollywood dancing, beach, pool and Bloody Mary’s were most part of our itinerary. That was clubbed with the warmth of  uncles, grandmothers and cousins.  Very comforting and unifying. I have the best family for whom I thank my stars everyday. Coming back to Dubai for a night alone after that made me feel lost and void; not the best note to start a holiday on. Luckily I had family in NY who were cushion to that angst as I prepared to head off on my own to Ecuador.

New York is a great city! It’s all so familiar because you’ve seen everything on television-you feel like you’re in a film:  5th Avenue, Hell’s Kitchen, Wall Street, Ground Zero, the Highline, Rockefeller Centre, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, etc. Also managed to meet up with a few travel-writers at the Village including David Farley, Cullen Thomas and Eva Holland; such great guys! It was one of the best evenings I’ve had in a while. They were also the only people who said I’d have a great time in Ecuador without pondering on how dangerous it might be or how mad I was to be going on my own.

Ecuador was a great experience that included history, geography, culture and jungle, tinged with a little bit of altitude sickness, stories of people getting mugged at knife point, and hallucinogenics; all of which I shall write about soon.

All in all, a wonderful trip. Perhaps a bit too far to travel for such little time, but oh well, it’s something.  My backpack was lost by Continental Airlines on the way back from Quito, so I gaily flew back empty handed. Not so gay anymore, I want my stuff!

Post-digestion of trip thoughts and learnings, more will be posted here soon.