Hotel Review: BirdHouse in Dehradun

The Easter weekend (March 21-24) of 2008 saw me staying at a small family owned property in Dehradun, the capital of the Himalayan state of Uttrakhand. The city itself located in a valley, it turned out to be an ideal getaway for a spring weekend at what turned out to be an good choice of accommodation.

To view images of the Birdhouse on Flickr, click here. This will also enable you to better visualize what is given below:

Here is a review of the Birdhouse. Like every review, there can never be a consensus amongst all those in a position to do so. Here is my take:

Overall Kunzum Rating: **** (out of a max 5 stars) Read more

Flower Market in Delhi at dawn

If you are up even before dawn in Delhi, you may want to go for a run along the city’s many green belts. Or you could pay a visit to India’s biggest wholesale flower market in Connaught Place, the main commercial and shopping district in the centre of the capital of the country.

First question: Why early morning? Because it is a temporary market that comes alive at 4 am and disappears by 9 am. Traders display their offerings during this time when retailers and decorators, and some customers who want flowers for their personal use, come to stock up for their own customers. Hundreds of traders set up shop every day of the year, all temporary, to do an annual business over $100 million (unofficial estimates). A permanent market to the east of Delhi is currently being planned. But the market may remain primarily a morning one as trade customers need to attend to their respective businesses during the day.

To view the pictures on Flickr, click here. Read more