Infinity pool

This resort had a beautiful infinity pool where we spent the majority of our time. It was very hot, but it was amazing tohang out and do nothing all day. 

Sunset on Lake Kumarokom

Nick and I chillin out on our own private boat (with Jessie and Margaret) wathcing the sunset. 

Day on the Cricket Field

As I mentioned previously, cricket is the favorite past time in India. At any you can find children and adults playing cricket in the fields, the streets, parking lots, and parks.

So, I decided to should try out this sport that consumes every male and female in this country. We had a cricket outing for everyone in our office. As you can see, I had a little bit of trouble making contact with the ball.

And, in true American style, when I did finally connect, I through the bat to run back and forth. If you don't follow cricket, then you won't know that you are supposed to run with your bat between two bases. Everyone had a good laugh at my expense.

Hanuman's Temple

This is Hanuman's temple, and is one of the main reasons that I will be definitely returning to Hampi, along with the amazing rock climbing that is there.

Hanuman is a Hindu god that takes the form of a monkey. According to the Ramayana, he was born atop this mountain. People now make pilgrammages and climb the 600+ steps to reach this holy temple.

Pool Side!

Think your swimming pool is deep. Imagine how deep this was when it was full. Also, notice the old diving board. According to our tour guide, this king could pull off a triple lux with a half twist.

Ancient Water Structure

This is the grounds for the kings palace in Hampi. He was clearly loaded! This guy had an amazing swimming pool that was fed by this very elaborate stone work used to carry water.

Watchtowers

Remember in Lord of the Rings when they light fires on all the watchtowers on the mountains to warn of attacks. Well, it turns out those really exist. Here is one ancient watchtower that is still standing on the top of a large rock outcropping. We were able to see 10-20 of these throughout our trip. They are strategically placed all over the city, and outside the city as you travel away.

Along the watchtower

Salim and I on top of the watchtower. We couldn't go up initially because of the scary dog that was sleeping on the stairs.

Do you like elephants?

This queen clearly did. Just outside the queen's house, which by the way men (including her husband) were not allowed to visit without explicit permission from her, sits the elephant stables. There are 9 stalls for each of her elephants. They are each 30-40 feet tall, and must be at least 100 square feet.

Little Mountain Oasis

After hiking up a few hundred feet, you come to a small hill station that no one seems to inhabit for some reason. However, you can see the ancient water system they had set up to get water up to this level.

Hampi Temple

Our trip to Hampi was absolutely amazing. It has many ruins from the 14th century. The town is built on a huge plateau that is surrounded by millions and millions of gigantic boulders. If you'd like to read more about the town, you can at:
http://hinduism.about.com/cs/history/a/aa112303a.htm

River Town

Here is a typical small village on the side of a small creek or river. People are going about their daily routine of washing clothes, bathing, and bringing water to their homes.

Train Trip

Amazing! On the train, they leave the doors wide open even while travelling at speeds of up to 50 MPH. You could literally walk right out the door at any time. It was glorious to be able to soak in the fresh air on the long 12 hour train ride.

Small village on the way to Hampi

We took a train to a small city called Hampi. On the way, we passes through hundreds of small little villages. Even far from any city, you will see people all the time working in fields and with livestock.

Chinese Fishing Nets in Kochi

Jessie, Margaret, and I standing beside the Chinese fishing nets at sunset in Cochin. 

Speedboat Taxi?

Nick and I on the speedboat Taxi that took us from our hotel, The Taj Resort, in Kochi to the Kumarokom Lake Resort.

Grafton street, the major market place in Dublin, is busy on my first Saturday morning.

Here is Sathy and I visiting the Brazen Head pub. We posted a 10 Rupee note with our names on it along with everyone else.

Sathy is currently living in Dublin and we spent an entire day exploring the city. Here we are visiting the Jameson factory.

Trinity college is one of the oldest Universities, and contains the oldest book in the world called the Book of Kells.

Street view near our amazing hotel, the Merrion.

I never thought I'd see Budweiser out shine a Guinness.

Ian and I heard so much about the sport of Hurling, so we decided to attend the Kilkenny Vs Galway semi-final match. This is the most brutal sport I've ever seen. Men literally run around with oversized hockey sticks hitting a baseball down the field. While, at the same time, anything goes including full tackles.

A few shots of the match.

After the amazing win of Galway, everyone decided to rush the field.

Why not, everyone else is doing it.

O'Connell Street. This is where the famous uprising happened at the post office. In this picture, you can also see the high flying spire, which apparently no one in Dublin really likes.

The first glimpse of the Mecca

Enough said...

There is an entire section dedicated to barrell making at the brewery and was by far one of the most interesting exhibits.

A view from the top of the Guinness Storehouse of the Dublin Skyline. It is stippled with cranes as it is one of the fastest growing cities, and will be the most expensive city inthe world within a few words.

Leaving the holy grail.

A traditional irish band at the Porterhouse Brewery in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. I bought the CD from this band they were so good.

Merrion Square is a beautiful park right outside of our hotel.

Thailand

Hi Everyone,

See, I am making a concerted effort to be a better blogger. The photos below represent the trip Saamra, Shadie, Kirit, and I took to Thailand. We spent 5 days between the two islands of Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan. The photos below are in chronological order more of less starting at the bottom. So, please start looking through and work your way back up to this paragraph.

We started out in Koh Samui on Aug 12. We spent our first two full days on that island relaxing, spending time in the spa, and on the beach. We decided to take it easy because we had all been working long hours prior to the trip. But, once we arrive in Koh Pha Ngan, we decided to go all out. This beach of Haad Rin didn't even get started until midnight. We stayed out till at least 3am every night, and some nights till 5. We then slept in every morning and explored the city, hung out on the beach, and went shopping.

My only complaint was that it was too short. Thailand is amazing and I suggest everyone visit. The food was amazing as well. We ate phenomenal Thai dishes as well as great seafood, such as soft shell crab.

Taking an auto rickshaw through Bangkok. Let me tell you about pollution. Nothing in the US even comes close.