Weekend In Ahmedabad - Part II

The next day, i.e. on Friday, the 25th of July, we were all up by 9 making plans for the day. Sakhi had prepared breakfast for all of us-- some dish called "rosti" made of grated potato and cheese, and when Chirag added that she keeps experimenting on guinea pigs like them, I was a little hesitant to taste that thing! I said my prayers before I could take a bite, and it turned out to be so YUM that I took another helping of it!! :)

We got ready and first went to Isha's school for a PTA meeting. I set my foot into a school after ages and suddenly, I started feeling like I was so old! Toddlers ran past me playing amongst themselves, and I could see a couple of ladies in their late twenties hurrying up to make it in time for the meeting, and oddly, I felt like I had missed out on my years back then.. it was a strange, strange feeling.

Anyway, once it got over we went to my first "sight-seeing" spot - "Adalaj Step Well"

Frankly, when I looked at it, I thought it was a piece of crap, all I could see was a temple and a few pillars jutting out but I trusted Sakhi enough to know she wouldn't take me some place just for the heck of it and kept mum. And I'm glad I did! As we stepped inside, I just kept on looking in awe ! The place is a marvel !! The step well is actually 60 feet down ( 7 storeys below), they've made steps to climb up and down, and carved all over. The carvings were so intricate and so beautiful, each a different one...we didn't keep our camera in one second! We then headed for lunch at Havmor and I spotted a camel on the way!! I don't get to see many of them here; my excitement puzzled Sakhi :D

Lunch was delicious : Karaari Rumali Roti and Cholle Bature followed by Sweet Lassi and Cold Coffee. I fell in love with that Karaari Rumali Roti,it was crispy with ghee and masala in it; my mouth waters each time I look at this snap!

Post lunch we went to IIM-A

One of my friends Nissim studies there, I was supposed to meet him and he had offered to take us around the campus- both the old and the new. The campus was nothing like I had imagined it to be, it was even more beautiful ! I have seen nothing so serene and heavenly. I felt like I had come to a whole new country :D It's full of trees, and he said we had come at a good time, it had just rained and made the place a lot more greener!:) The classrooms and the dorms are huge (everything is huge basically), and there are huge circular openings on each building for the light to come in. The library is amazing. And there's a 132 feet gallery connecting the old campus to the new one.The new campus is just like the old one, except that the in the old one, the buildings have a natural aura because of the bricks that have been kept unplastered or painted, while in the new one, the buildings have a sleek grey (concrete) look. The circular windows are also relatively small in the new one. We had a cup of tea in their canteen "TANSTAAFL" which stands for "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch", one of their professors came up with the name! :D

Next, we went to Law Garden for some shopping. They have legal stalls lined up there for the tourists. It's worth visiting even if you don't really want to shop. The place is vibrant with colours and mirrors reflecting the lights of these stalls! There was a huge variety of chaniya cholis, dupattas, embroidered hand bags, mobile pouches, junk jewellery, bangles. I bought 2 hand bags, one with "Kutchi work" on it, a small purse, a dupatta for mom and 6 embroidered mobile pouches for my dear ones!

We then stopped for dinner at Swati's, this time Sakhi ordered for me. She wanted me to taste typical Gujarati food and so, we had khichu and dal-dhokli. I liked khichu!

It was time to go back home and start packing again. I was to leave the next day (Sunday, the 26th of July). I felt like waiting a day longer but didn't really have a choice there.

Sakhi came to see me off the next day, I gave her a big hug and boarded the train (Gujarat Express) at 7 am.

My journey back home wasn't good at all. I enjoyed an hour with Kayan who just kept staring and smiling

at me but soon, the compartment was occupied by too many people with no sense of hygiene at all ! I tried my level best to ignore them; my novel and my cellphone (Twitter) kept me company all throughout, even managed to catch a few winks and soon it was 4pm.. The train halted at Dadar station; It was pouring...classic Bombay! ;)