museums, biryani, and overall royal treatment

One day after landing in Bangalore, I was in transit again. We had an invite to visit Hyderabad from Preetu's dad, Arkesh uncle, during his visit to the States this past Winter. I said, 'Ok, I'll be there!!'. My little cuz, Indu, decided to join me....and, we were on our way. Indu is to be married in May and about to take her first flight ever. I think she handled it pretty well.

We landed in Hyderabad (nicknamed as The city of Pearls) and were immediately given the red carpet treatment by uncle and his posse. We traversed the streets of Hyderabad in his police vehicle with the siren blowing. I felt like a VIP. You see, Arkesh uncle was pretty high up on the food chain in the Central Reserve Police department. His involvement and ultimate success in some high profile criminal investigations over the years has earned him some well-deserved praise and authority. Well.....we decided to ride his coat tails for a weekend!!!

Indu and I got a nice tour of his new house and settled on the porch with an incredible view of the city. Their location, in Jubilee Hills, was in an oasis among the 'busy-ness' of the city. We had beers, chicken from a real tandoor oven, and great chitter-chatter before falling asleep.

On Saturday morning, we raced out to see the city!! First stop was Charminar, which many call the Arc de Triomphe of the East. It's architecture is pretty unique and symbolizes the Muslim influence within Hyderabad. Next, it was off to shopping.........pearls and bracelets. Renowned for both these articles.....my little cuz took full advantage. She got some great deals courtesy of Arkesh uncle and his connections.

We were also able to meet up with Archana's parents, too. They treated us to a nice lunch at the Kakatiya hotel. We chatted away for a couple hours......learned about all their pending travels. Spain/Portugal, USA......that would be a good blog to follow. They are also completely renovating their 15 year old house. We'll be visiting later in the night...!!

After lunch, we were on our way to Golkonda....one of the more historic sites in Hyderabad. I never realized how far back this area goes. We learned all about the origins, the kings that ruled here, the Mughals.....it was truly an enriching experience. Culminating in a light show narrated by Amitabh Bachan......we left for Jubilee Hills and spent some time with Archana's parents and toured their house. We had a couple drinks in the famous bar.....which is very well done, BTW. After dinner, we crashed. It was a great day....and we were definitely exhausted.

Waking up on Sunday morning, I pledged to myself that we would go running. Arkesh uncle was hyped up and we were on the trail. Dragged Indu along and we got a good sweat going. After that....I was in for a surprise. Arkesh uncle has a personal masseur and we were treated to a one hour oil massage. Yoga and eye exercises followed.....I was truly at peace. We bid adieu to Prakash, Swamy, and the rest of Arkesh uncle's crew that helped make our weekend stay so memorable. Before heading to the airport, we visited the Salar Jung museum and had a tasty Biryani meal. As Indu and I boarded the plane, we reminisced about the weekend and the kind-heartedness of uncle. It is truly nice to have an active host and wonderful story teller to compliment such a nice city. Well...off the Bangalore and prepare for the wedding!!!