The drive took about an hour and a half, maybe more since we stopped somewhere for lunch. Along the way Waze reported numerous traffic jams; that should have been the first clue. The roads should have been clear all the way- this is the stretch of no man's land between the airport and the city we're talking about.
The second clue was when we turned into the resort and saw cars lining up at the drop off/pick up point and the people that swarmed around the place like ants. It was the school holidays, so I saw all these high schoolers in their little packs hanging around the lobby. And families. With babies. Or extended families and their twice-removed aunt. Basically there was a lot of people in the lobby and there were no fans. We sat there on the lobby floor sweating and running low on battery because I was busy playing Wind Runner while my mom and aunt went to check in.
I even brought Danbo and took a picture, which was supposedly meant to convey the intense boredom and unease at waiting with the clever play of lights and reflective surfaces.
We weren't the only ones. Like I said, the crowd was incredible. Families sat around; kids were engrossed with their iPads and iPhones and PSPs, mothers waited impatiently with haggard faces, older kids on their phones talking and gesturing with a hard line to their mouths as though they were much older than they're supposed to be. They all looked like they either really, really needed a vacation, or they just had a shitty one. Family vacations aren't supposed to suck. If they do then it's time to really look over your family chemistry.
In the end it turned out that there were some communication problems and there was no reservation for us. So we had a good laugh about it and turned back. It was like a one-day trip in a car.
We got home in time to jump into the pool. I whined about being fat for a good while but forgot about it as I splashed water around like a beached whale with my uncle and his family in the crowded pool. After a while my mom and sister appeared; my sister in swimwear, ready to jump in as well (with much persuasion from us) and my mom in casual clothing, refusing to join us. She's not fond of swimming.
After swimming we went for a fabulous dinner of great Indian food. I've seen Sagar restaurant many times as I travel home but never thought of eating there. I'm glad we did.
The exterior of the place was rather grand in a subtle sort of way; with surprisingly witty elements of a glass walkway. The moment you opened the door pretty much the smell of India assaults you. My sister who has spent a considerable amount of time in India said the smell was very authentic and then "I can't wait to try the food." This is a good sign. I love indian food.
We ordered simple, typical dishes. Curried mutton, cauliflower, tandoori chicken, briyani rice, mashed up spinach, naans. The food was fantastic. 5/5 for everything except the other sort of chicken (which isn't really in the picture) but the tandoori chicken made up for its mediocracy. (The other chicken wasn't bad, but next to the variety of brilliance it didn't shine.) We even had a second serving of tandoori chicken, and the second serving was even better.
The atmosphere was great, the service was great, the food was great. Company, even better.
I'd like to say, at the end of it all, that really it's the company that makes the difference. Even the most mundane of things, like going to the bank or buying groceries can be just a little more fun with the right people around. And I'm blessed to be surrounded by the best of the lot.
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