This week I snuck in a quick visit to Hyderabad India on a business trip.
I stayed at the Westin in the Mindspace area which is a great hotel with great service. the fascinating thing is how many people, restaurants, businesses, etc. all get excited about the Christmas holiday and festivities. The funny thing is that most people really do not exchange gifts here during the holiday, they just like the decorations and atmosphere.
Here is what you need to be prepared for: even if you land at midnight, it will take you 1.5 hours to get to the city. If you land in the middle of the day, it will be much worse. It can be as bad as 2.5 hours each way. Plan for it!
Of course, I had to go running every morning while I was here. It was interesting to explore early in the morning as I had never stayed in this part of town previously.
I have to admit the morning winter weather is a delight for runners and the pollution is far less compared to cities like Bangalore.
The amount of construction in the high tech sector is mind blowing. There are no clear trails, sidewalks or roads without debris, wires or other obstacles. I would definitely say that it is equivalent of a pacific northwest trail run!
Dogs are everywhere and most are quite skittish. But, every now and then, you have to be careful as some really like to bark and chase after you from time to time.
Yes, the food is spicy here in Hyderabad, so you have to be careful if you are not native. But every now and then you can find something different that is international in flavor, but still has the local fusion/spiciness that is unique to this region. You have to love the name of this one!
Previously, I was able to visit the old fort in Hyderabad which a great way to spend the afternoon if you get a little break or afternoon free. I believe it is called Golconda Fort. Very historic site and also popular with locals as well as tourists.
Great views and not a strenuous hike that would prevent many from visiting. It is not any easy places to park so it is best to get a driver that drop you off and pick you up when finished. It is very crowded on holidays and weekends (as expected).
OK – time to fly out and head north to Bangalore which has a lot of interesting history which you can see in my recent post as well. Tonight, we are taking a late night flight on SpiceJet which is a little different low cost airline that tries to capture your attention in different ways! 😉
Headed now to Bangalore. I am not sure if this is the planned refreshments on this short flight or not 😜 If interested in more of my travels in India, check out my extensive tour of Northern India as well as a trip to Bangalore recently.
Running around the world is always fun. Some of my other favorite spots:
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