chicken, choodis and charminar

This entry has been a long overdue. Too much work and almost zero inspiration to write has plagued me for a while, and yesterday after watching India win the World Cup i couldnt help but feel all prepped up to write :)
YAAAAAY! INDIAAA MERI JAAN!

So...I'd always wanted to go see hyderabad and the fact that i now have Mrudula around me just made it all the more important for me to go see that place once. So this time when she went home I tagged along with her. The journey started with a back breaking, bladder full but no place to pee bus ride. Nevertheless, once off the bus, and the sight of Paradise Biryani Centre suddenly gave me the touristy feeling.Now my tour guide for this journey (read: mrudula reddy, pronounced as: mroo-doo-laa or drama queen or firang :P ), who knew the place a little more than I did, was just THE perfect company to have for the trip. What was comical was that she looked so non-hyderabadi/ non-telegu speaking that every time she started haggling with the autowalas in telegu i could see them make a OMG!!-she-speaks-this-language face.

We reached her house and i remember making a mental note to myself of having a similar door to my house when I have one.Also her room has the same purple colour for walls as mine, her mom is as reproofing of her dressing/choice of clothes, as mine. A dosa breakfast and some girly squeaking around about what to wear happened.Next we pray at the temple beside her building and wheeeeeeee... off to tour hyderabad!

First stop Salarjung.

Awesome place with lots to see ( now isnt that obvious!) but what i do take back with me is the sight of the veiled rebecca. A stone so intricate that u feel like the veil on her face is reall muslin cloth...now that's an incredible piece of work.
We then hit jooti bazar and footwear being my fetish u really can imagine my delight! < adds a squeak her for extra effect>
A sumptuous butter chicken lunch, some pearl jewellery and random choodi shopping happened. Every cart on the street was so colourful. I epecially liked the ones which sold glass bangles.EVERY COLOUR BANGLES!! Charminar seemed so quite and peaceful, an absolute misfit to the hustling-bustling bazaar surroundings. There were people everywhere and it was soo crowded.But then it seemed so like the picure in my head of hyderabad.
That night I was introduced to the Great South Indian dinner. It includes copious amounts of rice to be eaten with dal, rasam, fried karelas, each separately.Then some portions of fish and to top it off there is more rice, this time with curd.

The next day we went to the Birla mandir. The temple was built out of white marble stone, overlooking the nagarjuna sagar. It was breathtakingly beautiful and more importantly peaceful.

Now,with God on our side we hopped off to the lumbini park. Here is where insanity happened. There was a pretty stone with smileys carved on it!! And the car ride guy JUST cudnt handle mrudula and me sitting in the same car. every single time one of us hopped onto the car and waited for the other to do the same he pushed the car ahead saying we would enjoy it better if we went alone!

Next a boat ride to the buddha statue cum photo shoot of sorts happened. Then I felt like making Mrudula play monkey and made her hang on trees while capturing it on the cam. Kulfi and basundi and some more hyderabadi chicken.
I met her dad. and he seemed like the nicest uncle id ever met. He was so friendly and kept talking to me and also saw all our crazy photographs . And aunty was the sweetest, most adorable doting mother iv come across. They made my stay in Hyderabad absolutely unforgettable.
Another bus journey to nagpur and we hit home part 2 fighting a hyderabad hangover and a scooty that just refuses to start, and lots of stories to tell people around coz we figured that what happens in hyderabad need not stay in hyderabad.