Hyderabed - May 18 - 21, 2012
On Friday May 18 we had to use the side gate to leave school due to the immense crowds at the Government Botanical Gardens 116th Annual Flower Show. The traffic in Ooty was horrific, to say the least. The school was virtually in lock-down mode as we could not use the main gate which shares the drive with the GBG. The taxi picked us up at the Glenrock Road gate and then drove down the Kotagiri road to Coimbatore airport. In 2 and 1/2 hours we arrived at our first destination only to find the flight was delayed 80 minutes. This delay was caused by the late arrival of our plane. We had "snack" food for supper both before and after clearing airport security!
The flight from Coimbatore to Hyderabad was just over an hour. We arrived in 34 C temperatures and quickly got a pre-paid A/C taxi to take us to the Golconda Hotel in Hyderabad. This was to be our home for the next 3 days. The A/C worked well and we enjoyed the comforts of both the hotel and our taxis!
At 9:00 AM Saturday our guide/driver met us and we started our whirlwind your of Hyderabad. The first stop was the beautiful white marble Birla Mandir Temple. Cameras were not permitted in the temple area and so there are few photos. The temple is on many different levels and we started our stair walking for the weekend. There were many spectacular views from the various levels as we ascended and descended the steps! One great view is overlooking the Hussain Sagar Lake.
As we were driving to the Salarjung Museum we passed the Mecca Masjid mosque and enjoyed the view of its domes. Once at the Salarjung we had to surrender our camera. No photos here!
Then it was on to H.E.H. The Nizam's Museum and again no cameras were permitted inside the building. As the temperature was 43 C we really made the most of our time in the museums which were either air-conditioned or at least had forced ventilation. We did have to stop to refuel with salty potato chips and Limca (lime drink). We did manage to see the "Veiled Madonna", and the two-faced statue. The two-faced statue is carved in such a way that from the front you see a man and if you look at the reflection in the mirror you see a woman. The Nizam Museum was quite simple after the Salarjung. The Nizam also contains the world's longest wardrobe cupboard with space for 365 outfits!
We then moved on to the Chowmohalla Palace. This was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was considered to be the cultural highlight of Hyderabad. The palace showcases 19 Belgian glass chandeliers as well as a 1912 Rolls- Silver Cloud with 356 miles on its odometer. It has been used on special occasions!
We enjoyed a relaxing swim in the shaded hotel pool and sat in the shade in 43 C weather! It was back in to our A/C room and we ate in the hotel's main dining room that evening. During the meal we were treated to local India musicians and enjoyed their music.
We started out at 9:00 AM on Sunday morning and went straight to the Golconda Fort. Gigi managed to climb all the way to the top! The construction of the fort is such that there is no open gateway visible from a distance. There is a curtain wall built outside the wall of the fortress. One enters the fortress by entering the area between the two walls. There was not sufficient space for a battering ram or similar divide to be used to break down the gate.The tombs of Sultan Quli Qutub Shah were next on the list. We were certainly "famous people" as we were continually being asked if people could have their photo taken with us! The acoustics of the tombs allowed one person to stand in a corner and call out and be heard by the entire assembly.
Before going on to the elephant tree we did stop at "Temptations" for a morning milkshake. That is a story in itself! More retail therapy was in order before going back to the hotel for a late lunch and chilling in our A/C room before a dip in the pool and dinner.
At 9:00 AM Saturday our guide/driver met us and we started our whirlwind your of Hyderabad. The first stop was the beautiful white marble Birla Mandir Temple. Cameras were not permitted in the temple area and so there are few photos. The temple is on many different levels and we started our stair walking for the weekend. There were many spectacular views from the various levels as we ascended and descended the steps! One great view is overlooking the Hussain Sagar Lake.
As we were driving to the Salarjung Museum we passed the Mecca Masjid mosque and enjoyed the view of its domes. Once at the Salarjung we had to surrender our camera. No photos here!
Then it was on to H.E.H. The Nizam's Museum and again no cameras were permitted inside the building. As the temperature was 43 C we really made the most of our time in the museums which were either air-conditioned or at least had forced ventilation. We did have to stop to refuel with salty potato chips and Limca (lime drink). We did manage to see the "Veiled Madonna", and the two-faced statue. The two-faced statue is carved in such a way that from the front you see a man and if you look at the reflection in the mirror you see a woman. The Nizam Museum was quite simple after the Salarjung. The Nizam also contains the world's longest wardrobe cupboard with space for 365 outfits!
We then moved on to the Chowmohalla Palace. This was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was considered to be the cultural highlight of Hyderabad. The palace showcases 19 Belgian glass chandeliers as well as a 1912 Rolls- Silver Cloud with 356 miles on its odometer. It has been used on special occasions!
Along the way we stopped at the Charminar, the 4 turreted monument in the centre of town. We also saw the Hyderabad university with its Hindu pillars on one level, its Moslem pillars on a second level and the main doorway which resembles the main door to a Christian cathedral which was quite impressive.
Hyderabad biryani was on the lunch menu before going to the Andhra Pradesh State Museum and Gardens. We did see an Egyptian mummy and we were also permitted to take our camera, for a fee! There were some interesting artifacts. Then it was time for some retail therapy before a drive around Hussain Sagar Lake and back to the hotel.We enjoyed a relaxing swim in the shaded hotel pool and sat in the shade in 43 C weather! It was back in to our A/C room and we ate in the hotel's main dining room that evening. During the meal we were treated to local India musicians and enjoyed their music.
We started out at 9:00 AM on Sunday morning and went straight to the Golconda Fort. Gigi managed to climb all the way to the top! The construction of the fort is such that there is no open gateway visible from a distance. There is a curtain wall built outside the wall of the fortress. One enters the fortress by entering the area between the two walls. There was not sufficient space for a battering ram or similar divide to be used to break down the gate.The tombs of Sultan Quli Qutub Shah were next on the list. We were certainly "famous people" as we were continually being asked if people could have their photo taken with us! The acoustics of the tombs allowed one person to stand in a corner and call out and be heard by the entire assembly.
Before going on to the elephant tree we did stop at "Temptations" for a morning milkshake. That is a story in itself! More retail therapy was in order before going back to the hotel for a late lunch and chilling in our A/C room before a dip in the pool and dinner.
posted by Bill at
4:58 AM
1 Comments:
Did that closet with space for 365 outfits give Mom any ideas ;) Love the picture in the fabric shop!
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