Hyderabad

Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006--Bidar to Hyderabad

Hyderabad is very conjested. It took forever to get into town after reaching the edge of the city. Out on the edge are many new apartment buildings and buildings for hi-tech industries. This is one of the top 2-3 cities in India for the American companies that have out-sourced their IT business.

I had trouble getting a hotel. I stopped at a place that I had seen on the Internet for 550 rupees and that one of my travel website correspondents had told me would be about 500 rupees. Well, when they saw me they immediately wanted 800. The place didn't look nice enough to be more than 400, so I walked away without even looking at a room. I went around the corner to a place that is new and looks much like the places where I have been staying for 250-600 rupees. The first thing out of his mouth when I asked how much a room for one person would be was, "What country are you from?" That told me he was going to give an inflated price, and he did: 1500 rupees! I walked from there to the Abids section of town which my guidebook says is the center of the budget hotels for backpackers. I went to one I had selected from the guidebook and got a room for 495 rupees, but I didn't really like the room. It was dark and depressing, and the TV was too small too far from the bed. I was tired, however, and just wanted a place for the night at a decent rate.

I walked back to a restaurant I had passed on the way to the hotel and ordered what I saw another diner having. It was a steamed mound of meal (cornmeal?) with vgetables in it. It reminded me of mofongo (spelling?) from Puerto Rico without the seafood inside it. It was tasty. I should have ordered a second one, since it was rather small, but I didn't because it was already about 3 p.m. and I knew I would eat dinner within 4-5 hours.

I broke down and did something that I seldom do in the U.S. I went to McDonald's for dinner. I was just craving anything that was different from what I have been eating. They have no beef on the menu, so I ordered a value meal with a grilled chicken burger. Then I ordered a second grilled chicken burger, since they were so small--only about 3 inches in diameter (a little bigger than a Krystal's burger, but only about half the size of a normal U.S. burger). I got all that (including the medium fries and medium drink that came with the value meal) for 90 rupees--$1.93. The grilled chicken burger was interesting. The patty was thin and orangish in color. It had a spicy green sauce, tomato, and onion inside the bun with it. I wolfed it all down and was sorry that the medium drink was so small!

I don't feel well tonight. I'm very tired. The trip to town with all the traffic was stressful. So was trying to follow our path through the city on my guidebook map so I could get off at the right spot without going all the way to the bus station. Add to that the hotels trying to take advantage of the "rich" American and the fact that I actually considered just leaving town if hotel rooms were going to be so expensive, and it exhausted me. In addition to feeling tired, there is a slight flu-like ache in the bones. Hope I will be okay after a night of sleep.

Friday, Nov. 24, 2006--Hyderabad

I switched to another hotel this morning. I found an alternative place just about 4 blocks from where I am staying. The room is a little brighter. And the price is only 60% of what I was paying. It's still not what I would prefer, but it is better.

I walked to the Old Quarter of town. My guidebook map is so poor that I got lost on my way and crossed a bridge that was 3 bridges away from where I intended to be. But it was easy to ask for help and head the right direction.

I stopped at a local Arabic restaurant for lunch and had mutton masala. It was chunks of mutton (without bones, thank goodness, since mutton here often is not without them) in a spicy green sauce. I ate it with a piece of roti bread (like a big, round flour tortilla). It was nice and different from what I have been having and really filled me up.

I finally found the center of the Old Quarter. It, like areas in the last two cities I visited, had a very Middle Eastern feel. Almost all the people there are Muslims. And the architecture of the buildings is very Islamic in general with pointed arches, geometric stone grillwork, etc. I saw the Charminar (the "gate" of Hyderabad--a large arch in the middle of the roadway done in Islamic-style and providing a high viewpoint for looking over the city), a couple of old mosques, an old hospital, the court buildings, etc. There's a lot of character in the area.

It's now late in the afternoon and I will return to my hotel and relax. I have communicated with some people here via my travel sites, so I hope to hear from 1-2 of them while I am in town. One in particular, Dominic, a computer company professional, and I have communicated a lot.