The India-Trip Penalty

Vacations to India from America have a pretty high fixed-cost that significantly eats into the time that can 'actually' count as vacation. Here's the composition of this 'penalty':

• Average flying time to get to India, if you don't need a connecting flight at the destination, is 18-22 hours each way depending on where you fly from, the route and layovers. Assuming the actual flight time is an optimistic 20 hours, let's add the 3 hours that it takes to head out to the airport/check-in/security/etc each way, and another 2 hours to clear immigration/customs/etc each way. So, the time to get to and from the vacation is 50 hours.

• When you fly half way around the world, it's hard not to get jet-lagged. Optimistically, you've got to account for at least a half day (a very optimistic assumption) wasted on both ends of the trip. So you have another 24 hours spent jet-lagged.

• A special perk of visiting India is the high probability that you'll fall ill. Over the years, I've noticed my immunity to the Indian environment (food, water, air, etc) fade. This is true for most people I know who have lived outside of India for > 5 years. During each trip, it's very likely that you'll catch a stomach flu, get food poisoning, a fever, or generally fall sick. If you're lucky, it takes a day of complete rest and another half day of extreme caution to get back on track. So that's another 36 hours of lost vacation right there.

• Packing for a trip back from India isn't like packing for a quick flight to San Diego. A good deal of your last day is usually spent planning to pack, and then packing, and then re-packing to make sure your bags are all within weight limits. For those who don't live in metro areas, there's the additional time of travelling to metro areas. So let's throw in another 6 hours for all this.

So the total penalty of a trip to India is, roughly, 116 hours (a little under 5 days). Regardless of how long your vacation is, you're likely to incur this penalty, give-or-take a few hours. Heck, I would consider a 5-day trip within the US, or even a quick 5-day trip to Mexico, to be a decent vacation in itself.

It's pretty amazing to think that for many, the penalty of a vacation to visit friends and family is a whole other vacation. It's no wonder that most people who go to India need/want at least 3 weeks for the vacation to be worth it, and even then they feel gypped (rightly so?).

This also puts into perspective things that you otherwise might not think about. How much would you pay to avoid a 6-hour layover in Amsterdam en-route to India? Would a business-class ticket be worth the time it helps you shave off with airport formalities, jet-lag and worrying about luggage limits?

Off the Grid - Food, Diving, Love and Cholera in Paradise

Bula! We recently took a trip to the Fiji Islands, and I took this opportunity to go completely off the grid - no cellphone, no computer, no TV, no newspapers. I was afraid I wouldn't last the week and succumb to withdrawal symptoms, but I decided I would give it my best shot. Not happy with just being off the grid, I decided to bring a book with me. If I read it, it would be the first book I would read in almost 4 years. I had heard great things about Love in the Time of Cholera and it was a genre of books I hadn't ever attempted to read before, so I figured it would be ideal. As luck would have it, the King Country public library in Bellevue (a most excellent library, by the way) had the book available to check out.

Well, turns out that the world does continue to turn even if I don't read the news, write some code, catch up on blogs and scan Facebook.

It was a great week full of excellent scuba diving, phenomenal tropical foods and magnificent living in resorts bathed in luxury and relaxation. We spent a few days at Outrigger on the Lagoon near Sigatoka on the main island, Viti Levu. It was larger than I would've preferred, but our plan here was to primarily relax and explore some of the surrounding villages/towns and interact with local Fijians and experience Fijian culture. We did 2 dives at Beqa Lagoon, but saved the majority of our diving for the latter half of our trip, which was near the more renowned dive sites. Instead, we spent a day relaxing at the resort and enjoying a local bar and another exploring some not-so-touristed surrounding. We got invited to dinner at a local family's house (our taxi driver, who happened to be a 4th generation Fijian Indian), and it was a humbling experience. Our hosts were a warm-hearted family who lived in a modest home in a tiny village who served us lovingly prepared Fijian dishes. The fish lovo, made with a snapper that was caught the previous night, and vegetable curry made with Taro root and star fruit, were delicious.

At the end of this part of the trip, I was done reading about a third of my book, and I hadn't felt the urge to get wired in at all, although internet access was readily available. I read by the pool, on the beach and in the lounge - the book was more interesting than I had imagined, and written in a style that was very refreshing.

Our next stop was the Namale Resort & Spa, home to the Sexiest Villas in the South Pacific. I knew the resort was good and I had lofty expectations for the price I had paid, but it exceeded my every expectation. From the warm welcome to the teary send-off, I could not have imagined a better way celebrate love. We spent the mornings diving, after having devoured a scrumptious breakfast. We were lucky enough to dive Chimneys and Grand Central at the Namena Barrier Reef on our last day of diving. I cannot imagine a better dive site than Chimneys anywhere in the world. It was magical - I think I could dive Chimneys every day for a year and still be amazed after every dive. After diving, we would partake of the phenomenal 3-course lunch served at a location of our choice (beach, deck, bure... anywhere we felt like eating) and spend the afternoon lazing on the beach, in the spa or indulging in more water activites (snorkel, water ski, etc). After that, some more R&R and drinks to whet the appetite for the gastronomical extravaganza that was dinner, accompanied by island cocktails or wine pairings and the Kava Boys. Every day, we were made to feel special with several personal touches by the staff at the resort - they really treated us like family. If there is paradise, Namale was pretty darn close to what I'd like it to be.

My reading progressed surprisingly well, and I found myself carrying my book to the beach, to the spa and to the outdoor jacuzzi. Save for about a 100 pages in the middle, I was enthralled by the story and the writing. I completed the book at the airport lounge prior to departure, and it had lived up to it's hype. It was Gabriel Marquez' ode to the myriad forms of love - spurned love, unrequited love, illicit love, love at first sight, true love, love that grows and fades over time and love that cannot really be classified. I got lucky with this book - I couldn't have picked a more appropriate book for the occasion. The fact it was a literary masterpiece didn't hurt either.

Anyways, all good things end, and so did our week in paradise. I hope one day to return to this lap of luxury in the midst of the friendliest people in the world. Until then, it's back to regularly scheduled programming.

Notes from a Week in Paris

I just got back from a lovely week in Paris with my wife - it was a rejuvenating and much required holiday for both of us. Work has been crazy, for her especially. Paris was wonderful and more than lived up to my expectations. We rented a tiny little studio in Le Marais (~120 sq ft, fully equipped including a washer - extremely efficient use of space!) Spending the entire week gave us enough time to explore sights, sounds and tastes of Paris without too much of a rush.

There are lots of books and blogs about visiting Paris and things to do/see. We used a bunch of resources - advice from friends, Lonely Planet's excellent iPhone app, the very insightful Secrets of Paris website with lots of tips on what to see and do and Paris By Train for everything related to using Paris' excellent rail network. However, there were some things I hadn't read about or was surprised by:

1. Cafés, brasseries and boulangeries/patisseries often have different prices for take away (emporter), eating inside (sallé) and terrace dining. Most cafés/brasseries offer set menus (Formulae) and chef's recommendations which change daily (menu and price). They are almost always much more cost effective than ordering a-la-carté.
   
   
2. The French are very proper. You greet business owners when you enter their store/café and thank/greet them before you leave. Sprawling across lush, green lawns in the several Parisian parks (Jardins) or putting your feet up on empty train seats is frowned upon. You sit in chairs provided in the Jardins and sit up straight in trains.
   
   
3. Freshly squeezed orange juice (jus d'orange pressé) is extremely popular. You'll find orange juice machines pretty much everywhere (including Starbucks), but it's best to find a green-grocer/fruit vendor and get a half-litre jar of fresh squeezed juice each morning. Fruit vendors are everywhere.
   
   
4. By default, coffee means espresso. A cappuccino/café-au-lait at most Cafés is expensive (between 4-8 EUR) and isn't that great (for a Seattlelite, at least). A mocha at Starbucks is EUR 4.50. Little créperies or street cafés have better deals for coffee that tastes identical (1-2 EUR). Or, hit up a McCafé. A 'mocha' is called a 'chocochino' and isn't commonly available.
   
   
5. Sit-down créperies are totally not worth the price/experience. Get a crépe from a street vendor/corner shop and sit in a park or a street bench. The more exotic crépes (savory & sweet) are only available in nicer establishments, obviously.
   
   
6. Wine/liquor is available in grocery stores (supermachés). Supermachés open around 8:30am and shut around 8:30pm. You are expected to bag your own groceries. For late-night grocery runs, there's usually a little-store-that-sells-most-things every few blocks which stays open late (2am)
   
   
7. Bars have later Happy Hours than in the US. Happy Hour generally runs from 6pm to 9-10pm. Folks eat dinner late (most restaurants stay open until 11pm).
   
   
8. Time is specified using 24 hour notation. "What time do you shut?" is answered with "23 hours". Most people don't understand am/pm.
   
   
9. Take binoculars to fully appreciate the amazing art/architecture details.
   
   
10. Use the 'Vélib' shared bike service. Vélib stations are everywhere, the roads and drivers are biker-friendly and it is the cheapest and most convenient way to get between locations in the city. Buy a map-book that has streets sorted by districts (arrondissements) and also has metro/Vélib stations marked.
    
    
11. It is not common for crémeries/gelaterias to offer tastes.
    
    
12. On the metro, or just walking around, you'll see a significant number of people going home (presumably) with one or more fresh baguettes from the bakery. For some reason almost all of these people are men. Join the crowd - fresh baguettes are the only way to go. Bread is baked fresh twice a day (if not continuously).
    
    
13. When you pay cash, check the change you get back. Parisians are either terrible at math or prone to short-changing customers. I routinely got back incorrect change, on average twice a day.
    
    
14. Before you go to a specific place (café, boulangerie, museum, grocery store, monument) on a Saturday/Sunday/Monday check before you head out. Almost every establishment is closed on at least one or more of these days.
    
    
15. Strange, English speaking 'beggar women' holding hand-written post cards will randomly approach you at monuments/museums and ask "Speak English?". I didn't quite figure out what the scam was (I never answered "Yes") but this is most certainly some sort of scam.
    
    
16. Comté tastes awesome, and is the most popular cheese. Camembert is a close second. Get cheese fresh from your neighborhood fromagerie.
    
    
17. If you decide to cook at home, chances are good that you'll find an Italian store nearby selling freshly prepared pastas and raviolis that you can cook at home, in addition to a large number of other Italian foods (including freshly prepared Tiramisu).