New Year Travel

 

New Year Travel: 

January 1, 2022

            The new year started with our drive to LA. around 11 am Lall on the wheel three of us (Shobha and myself).  Arriving  at Valencia, Southern California we stopped by Hiru and Anju’s  house to collect Mala’s things. We were served with food like  paratha and fried rice by Anju Mala’s mom. We enjoyed seeing them after few months and also Komal their eldest daughter drove to her parents house just to meet us. It was sweet gesture of her. We drove towards North Hollywood but on the way we had to stop by Gul’s place to have dinner as Priya and Sandeep with Samir were also coming. Gul’s decoration of his house is superb and classy. Their swimming pool with Buddha’s statue nearby really energized us spiritually. Their dog Lily was quite big compared to last time I saw her, She was very welcoming and friendly. After dinner we went to spend the night at our (Lall’s) apartment in North Hollywood. Morning by 8 am we were out and did some shopping for use during the trip  and then later reached Hari’s place around  9am. They had a friend with his dog as guest.They have their own two dogs. Rhea went to airport to drop her boy friend and she came back while we were there. She showed us their three horses. Her professional hobby is horse riding. She herself is specialized in animal care in her college..  

Rhea and her horses

 

Night view of Las Vegas 

night view of Las Vegas

      We drove to Las Vegas and got rooms at Chealshi building of the Cosmopolitan hotel on 45th floor. It was an overwhelming view of Vegas specially at night from our floor. Luckily we got the room because of my son in law’s status at Marriott. Next morning I wanted to try at the slot machine and surprisingly  I won some money at a slot machine for cents. Out of 20 dollars I won 47 dollars after many ups and downs and then I stopped playing, After cashing out from the cashier I headed toward my room. When Shobha finished her facial at the spa, she called me and I was impatient to tell her about my win.

gambling at casino at Vegas

Shobha hiking

sunset

after watching sunset

       After one night .at Vegas. on 3rd January we left for Death Valley national park where we stayed at the Ranch of the tourism department. De   ath Valley has three distinct features  

          1) hottest on earth 134 degree F 57 centigrade on July 10, 1913. 

          2),Driest US national park

          3)Bad Water Basin 282 ft below sea level. It has the lowest elevation in North America.     

           Local inhabitants/tribes are Timbisha Shoshone people. 

Maximum visitation time is usually from February to mid April. October and January are lowest number of visitors 

           Evening time we went to see sunset, and next day to another place for sun rise reflecting lights on the rocks of different colors. On 4th morning I stayed at my room  while Lall and Shobha went for hiking. By 10.30 they called me to come out and as they plan to see the sand dunes. I got down and joined them and after seeing the sand dunes we went to have lunch at Toll Road restaurant. There we had a very delicious lunch/sandwich. Evening we went to see sunset at another location but by the time we reached  there sun just set and we missed it by five minutes            

            Another interesting program was the talk given by one of the staffs at night 7 pm about the stars .and milky way.  After the car park we had to walk in the dark along the way lighted with dim red light.  As Shobha saw me wandering she had to hold my hand till we reached the destination. We were supposed to get used to the dark so that we could  watch the stars on the clear sky. It was vast open sky with a view of the stars in all the directions. She explained about the names of the stars as a part of the Greek legendary. 

1/5/22

              We were supposed to leave Ranch by 8 am and hence I woke up by 6 and took shower after having tea. Shobha and Lall had gone for a walk while I was taking shower and hence could not hear their call. I responded afterwards and they were coming to the room to have bread and butter with tea before we got ready to leave. By 8 am we left the Ranch and drove toward Baker’s Field. Wanted to have food at Punjabi Dhaba but it was closed for one week as they had been too busy all those years. So we looked for another place for lunch and got food from a Japanese restaurant. Ordering take out mine was chicken with rice and I enjoyed my food specially rica as we had not been having rice for the last two three days. We reached home around 4.30 pm. Shobha  had  made khichri for dinner and really enjoyed it. I did my laundry as I had time.

colorful hillocks 

colorful hillocks

Sun rise

reflections of sun light on the rocks

Lall and Shobha hiking

Sand dunes

sun set.

Unexpected Guest

 Unexpected Guests

A Christmas card from Jan  usually comes every year. But this year seems a bit different. Our common friend Pangila from Nagaland is no longer here in USA as she had to return to her home town Dimapur, Nagaland in India. Jan and I  were not so close from the beginning, except that we happened to meet at our common friend Pangila’s place.  Since Pangila had gone back to Nagaland after the death of her only son. Jan somehow misses our common friend as much as I do. For Pangila, her son had left enough money and hence she could get a plot of land and built her own house in Dimapur a town in Nagaland. Her wish  to bury her son’s ashes next to her own is going to be fulfilled now. 

 It was more than three years Pangila  had left USA and for the first time Jan contacted me. She invited me to come and have lunch with her at her house at American Canyon near Napa valley. I was a bit surprised that i was invited to her place for lunch.There was no possibility of my driving to her place in American Canyon near Napa Valley since I stopped driving on freeways for the last few years.  Then she suggested that they could come to my place and meet me. Since they planned to be at my place by 11 am on Saturday, the 18th of December. I let her know that I was going to make North Indian breakfast type Gobi Paratha (Crushed cauliflower wrapped in tortilla). They were quite happy to try dishes other than their Naga type dishes. 

. On Saturday Jan and her husband Vik came around 11.30 am. I had already made half cooked and kept for cooking again just before serving. When they arrived in time.I was happy to see them after nearly three years. She had in her hand poinsettia plant and then her husband a packet. Once inside the house she handed over the packet to me which turned out to be a beautiful blanket. I thanked them and after some time I asked if they are ready to have food  Yes they were ready. I turned on gas and started  heating the parathas to be fully cooked. Both readily sat down on the dining chairs waiting for my parathas.  Along with the paratha I already made some raita (made with yogurt onions, coriander salt and red chili) and also ketchup at the side for the potato chops. I was quite happy to note that she  wanted to take some paratha to her home. Later I packed four parathas for her. She was happy to get some of the ghost chill I had from my plant at the back yard. I also had two small ghost chilli plants in a pot which she took with her. Also gifted to her a woolen beanie and a scarf which were crocheted by me. 

During the conversation I came to know her husband did his PHD in Archeology from UC Berkeley  His wife Jan did in education and leadership. She is working for a pre school at Oakland. Vik during PhD program he had digging done in Dimapur, there he found some potteries of ancient Kachhari tribe kingdom which were dated around 1400 AD..  While talking  publishing books he had already published one but he planned to publish about north eastern region of India's civilization. 

After sometime tea was served and they left with happy memories.

After few days Jan called wanted to know how Potato chops were made. I sent her the recipe and she said her chops came out good. Photos below were taken on 12/18/21

Jan and Jamuna

Jamuna with jan's gifts on the table

Jamuna, Vik Nuenu, wife Jan