Bob Travel

I’ve been visiting the small Village Hauz Khas of New Delhi, once a month to give it’s residence tree conservation tips. From one of the many New Delhi Four Star Hotels where I stay, I organize, via the Internet, group meetings through the leaders of the community. How I’ve managed to get a good showing of people, is I’ve managed to convince them that Hauz Khas is the lungs of New Delhi.

I picked Hauz Khaz, because one day, I was driving out of Hauz Khas village towards the Jaganath Temple, a regular trip I take, and I saw women crawling through the fence with firewood. Another time, I saw a group of kids, each with a bundle of twigs on their heads. This concerned me so much, I did something about it. I’ve been educating the locals that this little green patch of the deer park can not sustain the ever growing demand of it’s people and the scavenging population of the poor. Entering the forest by night to cut down young trees, leave it, then come back after a few days to pick it up when it has dried is how the poor deal with their cooking needs.

What I’ve done, is not only help them obtain other inexpensive cooking devices, ones that use kerosene, or the new solar cookers, but I’ve also educated them about ecology issues, how to limit their needs, and how if they continue with their normal practices of deforestation, then they are taking away the lungs of New Delhi. I educate them about the importance of trees, not only in our community, but for our planet. I also, at the same time, give them knowledge about their locale indigenous trees, like the Shisham, the Chinese Tallow Tree and the medicinal Neem.

Every month, I have been amazed with just how many, even though they struggle with their poverty, just how they really do care about their surroundings and want to do something to help preserve it.

We took a leisure trip to India. While in New Delhi the Capital of India, someone told us to check out Goa before we leave India. We were told that Goa is the ‘chill’ capital of India. So, my husband and I managed to book a room at a Goa Resort Spa for a few nights before we headed back to the States.

We noticed that Goa draws many Indians for there Casinos alone. But we checked out the beach to spend our days, being all laid back and unwinding from the previous partying we did at the fabulous chill lounges and clubs. We were fortunate enough that we were in Goa during a non rainy season and a non heat season, perfect really. We thought it would be ideal to take a guided tour through Goa. We were mesmerized by the old architecture which was predominantly Portuguese. Apparently, Goa was founded originally by Portuguese, but now has a Goan rule and culture. But besides the Portuguese architecture, we got to see famous churches, temples and a waterfall. The tour included a lunch were we got to taste the local cuisine. I had the Goan fish curry and rice, scrumptious. I will have to make this dish back home, it was so savory and delightful.

One tour we took, on our last day in Goa, was to the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. A wildlife paradise and a sanctuary for Leopards, Elephants, India Bison and Deer. The birds alone were spectacular. All the animals were easily spotted. I especially liked the elephants, such magnificent mammals. My husband liked the elephant ride, he wanted to travel like that from this point on. Fortunately for me, his legs couldn’t take riding the elephant for longer than an hour.

We will definitely have to come back to Goa, a few nights here we could tell we barely scratched the surface of this phantasmal resort city. Like frolicking with the dolphins!

Business travel from India to Thailand got a boost last week when Cathay Pacific airlines began non-stop flights to New Delhi from Bangkok. This will be a boon for Indian business travelers as well as for hotels in Bangkok Thailand and other Thai businesses that cater to tourists.

The airline, based in Hong Kong, began flights on the new route on March 28, 2009. They are offering numerous promotional discounts to encourage travelers to take advantage of the new route. Currently three other airlines offer similiar flights, but they have a smaller load factor than the 85 percent that Cathay Pacific is showing on forward bookings.

New Delhi is the prime air hub in India and is one of the country’s most frequented destinations. Thailand has become a premiere destination for Indian business as well as for leisure travels. Thailand is also growing as a wedding destination for Indian brides and the airline hopes to capitalize on that market as well.