Recruitment has Started at both Hotels - Vizag and Jaipur

Hello everyone, Recruitment has started at both hotels.

If anyone is interested in working for either hotel, please send your updated CV/resume to my email address: llauland@gmail.com

Thanks

Lloyd

A Unique Find .....and how I won a $100 from Parker!

Not much has changed......even though time and distance has separated us for months.....some things never change...

While at the Zip Line Adventure, our instructors pointed out a spot on the horizon that was the site of a step well that was built in the 18th century......as the history was told to us, bad times had come to Neemrana.......a severe drought had caused all of the village the leave and the small city was destined to become a ghost town......but the fort became useful once again and at the urging of the followers a huge bawdi was built to store water.

The step well that Preston and I discovered at Tugluqabad Fort was impressive, and I thought that it would be interesting to show Parker and Linda what a "step well" was all about. So at the conclusion of our adventure, I asked Ramesh to make a turn so that we could find it.........this is the part of the story where after some time of driving on the road, we could not find the landmarks that were pointed out to us......and of course, Parker had to place a bet that I had instructed Ramesh to go in the wrong direction. This was a sign that Parker was becoming bored and I was beginning to wonder if the visit was even going to be worthwhile. After all, the step well that Preston and I found at Tugluqabad, though impressive, was after all just a hole in the ground.

After proving Parker wrong,and winning my $100 bet, the car was parked and out we hopped. We began walking towards a very simple wall and came upon one of the most magnificent civil construction projects that I had ever witnessed......this step well was beautiful.

This Bawdi descends 9 stories, at 20 feet each.....180 feet below the surface of the land.....125 steps to the bottom.....Parker and Preston took off right away and got as far as their noses would let them......according to Parker, the smell of bat guano stopped he and Preston in their tracks....no water.....according to Parker..

Meanwhile, I was snapping photographs from above and Linda became the object of curiosity of some of the village boys....asking in broken English all sorts of questions. All were courteous of course...and it earned them some candy from inside the car.

We vowed to return to Neemrana one day......it was a romantic place for sure.....and I want to spend some additional time exploring this magnificent step well....there is certainly more here to discover.

It's all about Parker!

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Word's cannot describe how much we are all enjoying having Parker around.....a complete family once again for a short time.

Well he has had a series of "FIRST'S"......on this trip,

including the all important Tuk Tuk Ride......we took it to the market one lazy Sunday when the temperature reached a cool 115 degrees.....it was on this trip in the Tuk Tuk to Sarogini Market that he also learned the art of negotiation......where the vendor started out wanting to sell us a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses for 1200 INR ($24).....and we finally paid 150 INR ($3).....only to learn that I could have paid 50 INR ($1) just a few steps away!

And then there was the visit to Qutub Minar.......one of my favorite places here in Delhi......

Humayan's Tomb was a must.....here Parker scaled a wall to a high point.....and then we snuck into an area on top of the roof of this old mosque.....and I caught him in the shadows.

Then there was this picture...taken at Rockman's Beer Island.....after his first flat tire on the way back from Neemrana Fort, in 118 degree weather, we were all craving an adult beverage.

And then there was the famous kissing of the camel!

Parker.......we are enjoying you being with us......this blog entry is ALL about You!

Ramesh's Birthday......# 32 !!!!!

May 27th was Ramesh's Birthday.......yes...it has been some time back now, and the blog entry is just making its debut. I am typically about 1 week behind....I wish i could find the time to blog once a day, but that simply isn't possible.

I am not sure if everyone realizes this, the second most dangerous place to drive in the world is India......this statistic popped up early in the research we did on India before moving. Linda knew that they only way the family would be safe was to ask for a driver....and the company was very nice to provide one for us......although it may seem like a luxury to any reader in the US, it is simply a MUST HAVE here in India.

Ramesh has been with me since I arrived.....October 1st 2008.....he picked me up at the airport as a professional driver working for a rental car service......I knew right away he was the man for the job....the guy that was going to keep my family and I safe while we are here in India.

How special is Ramesh.....considering that he left a job that he has worked for 12 years to come and work for our family says a great deal about him.....One of my earliest blog entries featured Ramesh.....

He may drive for us.....but he is truly much more....he translates, he troubleshoots, he gives advice, he runs errands, he is a GPS system,he is a historian, he is a tour guide to us and friends, he knows everyone, he is resourceful he has a great sense of humor (picks on Preston alot), he is a Zip Line participant and he basically fills ANY GAP for us when we are in need. He has become part of our family.

Linda has had more compliments about Ramesh than she has had about me!

For his birthday we had one of his favorite meals......we invited his friend Surrender and Surrender's wife Renu and their son Naman!

Parker was here to help us celebrate.....and Hiralal joined the dinner as well.

Linda personally baked him a cake and had purchased some of those trick candles that keep re lighting after they have been blown out. It was fun watching both Ramesh and Naman when they kept lighting back up on their own.

We learned a little about birthdays in India.....it was explained to us that birthdays are significant when a person is much younger, but as they age, there are not any formal parties like we have in the States....no ice cream..no birthday cake....no candles.....no birthday cards.

One of our friends, Cristy, gave Ramesh the nickname...James Bond! He is good....there is no doubt about it.

He certainly is more to us than a driver.......and not because of all of the miscellaneous tasks he performs......he has really been a blessing to us while on this adventure......we all think he is the best!

Happy Birthday Ramesh.......and best wishes for many, many, many, more!

The pictures did not come out too well......but here they are and a few bonus pictures.

Soaring In India - A Zip Line Adventure

Parker's visit to India, combined with Preston being out of school, has provided us with the opportunity to do a bit more exploring outside of Delhi.

Last weekend we made a visit to Neemrana Fort for a cultural experience combined with something to get your adrenaline pumping!

Neemrana Fort-Palace was built in the year 1494.....and in the mid - 80's, renovations began to convert the fort into a heritage hotel property. The owners began renting only 15 rooms, but over the past twenty years, renovations have now expanded their inventory to 55 all very unique guestrooms.

Neemrana Fort-Palace now boasts all of the modern amenities one might expect at a 5 Star hotel; spa, health club, swimming pool, conference center, zip line, restaurants......did I just type "zip line"?

Yes.....Neemrana's newest amenity is a 5 stage Zip Line Adventure Course, that at present time,can claim that it has the longest zip line run in Southeast Asia.

Fun for all in the family.....including Ramesh our driver.

After a short trek up the slope of the Aravalli Range formation that the Fort is built on, we settled in for a brief instructional session......and then the fun began.

The most difficult part for the majority of us was the trek up the mountain.....or what seemed like a mountain! After that, it was all downhill.......by zip line....

It was great fun for all of us......and something not to miss!

Enjoy!

Neemrana Fort - 1494 A.D.

If I was able to combine my love of history, architecture and my profession, my dream would be to own a place like Neemrana Fort....or something similar....

Hotels like these are known throughout India as "Heritage Hotels", and most of them are found in Rajastan.

Old forts like Neemrana have been turned into some of the most beautiful hotels that I have ever visited. Neemrana falls somewhere in between authentic and restored.......it is certainly not Rambagh Palace! It is quaint, charming, romantic, rustic, .....a "work in progress" that began in 1986......

Here is the story:

Neemrana became the third capital of the descendants of Prithviraj Chauhan III, who was killed in battle by Mohammad Ghori in 1192 AD. This picturesque site was chosen by Raja Rajdeo and Neemrana derived its name from a brave local chieftain Nimola Meo, who when defeated by the Chauhans, pleaded that his name be given to his lost kingdom.

Built in 1494 and having gone through various stages of ownership, it is still alive and well some 500+ years later.

Something drastic in my life would have to change in order for a dream such a Neemrana, or any of the other hundreds of places like it, come into my possession.....so that I could undertake the restoration of a place so steeped in history and be able to share it with guests who would appreciate it.

This has certainly become a "favorite" of mine.....and in the meantime, I will come back one day, rent a room with Linda, and sit on one of the balconies overlooking the two billion year old Aravali hills.....and dream!

Parker's "MUTUAL of OMAHA'S" Wild Kingdom Moment

When I was growing up, there was a television show called Wild Kingdom that was sponsored by an Insurance Company called Mutual of Omaha.....each week there would be a feature about animals in their native habitat.....it was educational as well as entertaining. The narrator was a grandfatherly looking gentleman with snow white hair and a mustache.....and a voice to match his looks. There would always be a guy in starched khaki shorts and a matching shirt dealing with the animals......I always thought that guy was very cool.

In an earlier Blog Posting, I mentioned that I had to take Preston to the area of Delhi that Ramesh took me too to witness my first monkeys in India......well, we have been here for 5 months and it took a visit from Parker for me to make that statement a reality.

You see, Parker has been wanting a "pet" monkey for some time, so I thought I would help bring him a little closer to his wish....without following through with the ownership part.

So here he is everyone.....Parker in his Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom moment......feeding the wild monkeys in New Delhi India.

By the way, the banana's were courtesy of Ramesh....you can see the fruit vendor sitting in the middle of the woods selling fruit....for people to feed the monkeys! Very resourceful businessmen.....they know where to sell, and he had no competition.