I have 3 critical points to make here.
1. November is definitely the time to take your summer holidays. While I spent most of July and August in the sweltering (ahem) rain of London my colleauges were off in the South of France, or at their lake cabins on the coast of Norway, or a few for good measure, in the grand ol' USA. As they say someone needed to "hold down the fort" so I opted to stay tucked in at my desk (and the Olympic Park) over the summer and instead make a cheeky getaway from the 9th -21st November. Coming back to two days in the London office and then a week in Oslo, followed by 1 day in the office and then another week in Oslo, I am not surprised at how quickly Santa and all of that palaver has snuck up on me. Just one more week in the office and I get to have another few weeks off. November is definitely the new black.
2. Delhi Belly / Non shmelly belly. The stats all say, "50-70% of all people travelling in India will have stomach problems within the first two weeks". In addition to this frightening statistic, I had half a dozen people warn me of what was to come. So much so that my pulmonary doctor I see for my asthma was so traumatised by a trip he'd taken last year he insisted that along with a refill prescription of my inhaler he give me two mega doses of ciproflaxin. I wasn't allowed to leave his office without it. It would have been a bit comical if he wasn't so convinced I'd need it. Little did everyone know how OCD I'd be about everything I ate on this trip. (Note: I was going to write how anal I was about cleanliness but that just doesn't seem right here).
Clearly I avoided all of the shadier food options put forth to me but I also lived with an antibacterial gel in my pocket. Add to the mix about 50 individually wrapped Wet Ones perpetually floating around the bottom of my bag - any time there was an even quasi chance that something unsantised was coming near my mouth - I whipped out the antibacterial gel /wipes. I did get a couple of funny looks wiping down the outside of the coke can and straw, but hey ho - I had 12 days of spicy, rich, glorious food and all along had a stomach of steel to match.
3. I love Indian food. Just how much was an epiphany to me. In particular the heavy, fried, creamy and buttery food of Northern India. No salady stuff washed in water allowed, see my Number 2 (no pun intended) point above. It's definitely not something I could have 3 meals a day for weeks on end but for most of our trip it was to-die-for and consumed with my (sanitised) hands scooping up gorgeous curries with even more delectable Indian rotis and parathas.
1. November is definitely the time to take your summer holidays. While I spent most of July and August in the sweltering (ahem) rain of London my colleauges were off in the South of France, or at their lake cabins on the coast of Norway, or a few for good measure, in the grand ol' USA. As they say someone needed to "hold down the fort" so I opted to stay tucked in at my desk (and the Olympic Park) over the summer and instead make a cheeky getaway from the 9th -21st November. Coming back to two days in the London office and then a week in Oslo, followed by 1 day in the office and then another week in Oslo, I am not surprised at how quickly Santa and all of that palaver has snuck up on me. Just one more week in the office and I get to have another few weeks off. November is definitely the new black.
2. Delhi Belly / Non shmelly belly. The stats all say, "50-70% of all people travelling in India will have stomach problems within the first two weeks". In addition to this frightening statistic, I had half a dozen people warn me of what was to come. So much so that my pulmonary doctor I see for my asthma was so traumatised by a trip he'd taken last year he insisted that along with a refill prescription of my inhaler he give me two mega doses of ciproflaxin. I wasn't allowed to leave his office without it. It would have been a bit comical if he wasn't so convinced I'd need it. Little did everyone know how OCD I'd be about everything I ate on this trip. (Note: I was going to write how anal I was about cleanliness but that just doesn't seem right here).
Clearly I avoided all of the shadier food options put forth to me but I also lived with an antibacterial gel in my pocket. Add to the mix about 50 individually wrapped Wet Ones perpetually floating around the bottom of my bag - any time there was an even quasi chance that something unsantised was coming near my mouth - I whipped out the antibacterial gel /wipes. I did get a couple of funny looks wiping down the outside of the coke can and straw, but hey ho - I had 12 days of spicy, rich, glorious food and all along had a stomach of steel to match.
3. I love Indian food. Just how much was an epiphany to me. In particular the heavy, fried, creamy and buttery food of Northern India. No salady stuff washed in water allowed, see my Number 2 (no pun intended) point above. It's definitely not something I could have 3 meals a day for weeks on end but for most of our trip it was to-die-for and consumed with my (sanitised) hands scooping up gorgeous curries with even more delectable Indian rotis and parathas.
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| Tandoori Aloo (Potato barrels, stuffed with nuts & house spices) |
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| One of many buttery delicious breads (some spicy and stuffed, this one just with mint) |
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| The "best chai in Jaipur" NOTE: TWO Wet Ones used on the glass (I saw the milk boiling) |
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| No clue what everything was called, but gorgeous aubergine curry at our boutique Jaipur hotel, The Farm |
