Hyderabad - Here I Come!

I have not neglected my picture-a-day for you promise!  This past week I have had limited internet access so I will catch up on blogging this weekend.  In order to live up to my promise, I took over 200 pictures the last 5 days and now I have to narrow them down because I'm sure that you do not want to see them all.  Or maybe you do? The next few posts will be long and filled with lots of pictures.  I will eventually take this excerpt out and change the title so then it'll all make sense. 



Monday afternoon I left for Hyderabad, India (about an hour flight) to meet up with Dr. Nelson whom I work with in Chicago.  Once a year he visits the Nelson-Curnyn Free Eye Clinic in Jangaon, a small village about 2 hours outside of Hyderabad.  Everyone stayed at the Best Western Amrutha Castle in the city for a night before driving to Jangaon for the next few days.  I was probably overly excited for this trip, not only because of the chance to see the clinic and help but also because I booked my flight for a day later so that I could go sightsee on my own.  If I was flying to Hyderabad, I wanted to see the city too.  As soon as I got off the plane, I was already impressed by the airport.  It looked brand new....and I found out they finished it about 2 years ago.  Being in that airport made me think I had left India.  <---That's how nice it was.

I went to get a taxi to the hotel and they were going to charge me 1300 Rs which is about $26 for an hour drive into the city.  I'm too cheap for that and thought there had to be another way to get into the city.  Just outside they had large signs for the AeroExpress, a bus that runs into the city.  Luckily, it went right by the hotel and it only costs 175 Rs.  How's that for a bargain?  I know what most of you are thinking...a bus in India?  It wasn't like that.  The AeroExpress was pretty darn nice for India - basically a coach bus with a few luggage racks and it wasn't crammed full (a huge plus as most buses here are packed with standing room/hanging off the side of the bus room only).  

Since I got in early evening, I didn't have time to go explore the area before dark so you just get pictures from the hotel.  That is the best picture I could get since there are small shops and stands right outside the entrance therefore blocking my view of the castle.  The entire hotel had a medieval theme to it.  Even the doors....

Yep - built as a castle

Sir Galahad was a Knight at King Arthurs Round Table and one of three achievers of the Holy Grail.  Also the illegitimate son of Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic.

President George W. Bush stayed there in 2006.  They framed a thank you letter from the White House and it's displayed at the counter.  I'm sure it'll be up there forever....

From the 5th Floor looking down to the lobby.