It's unbelievable... I went to the shop where I generally buy drinks from.
Was picking up a bottle of Budweiser and just happened to ask the shopkeeper if he has got anything new. He mentioned the word 'Stella'
I asked him again ..."Are you sure it's Stella Artois"? He said yes. I was amazed. This is a famous lager beer from Belgium.
Then I asked him what else does he have. He mentioned that he has got 'Hoegarden'. That stunned me! I asked him to get it out immediately!
Hoegarden is a very famous Belgium beer and it's primary content is wheat unlike typical barley beers. It is spiced with coriander and orange peel. It is kept unfiltered and therefore cloudy in appearance. So its a very unique beer and it comes from the village of Hoegaarden. It has a rich history and has undergone a lot of transitions. Most recently its production was moved out of Hoegarden amidst loud protests, national coverage...After few years, it returned back to the town of Hoegarden with many public cheers
An entire Wikipedia link is devoted to it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoegaarden_(beer)
It was the surprise of Year 2009! I have enjoyed Hoegarden but never ever could get access to it in India! And now it's in Pune
The small pint bottle costs Rs 160 because it was imported (as compared to Rs 55 to Rs 60 for standard beers manufactured in India). But inspite of 3 times the cost, I had no second thoughts in buying the pint bottle and enjoying it on Saturday evening
So the day ended so sweetly!
India has truly arrived and there is no looking back... Pune rocks...It always has and will continue to be the city that evolves constantly. Now I have my own Belgium beer corner in Pune!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A relaxing trip to Bali, Indonesia
Just returned back from a short but very relaxing trip to the island of Bali in Indonesia. With my earlier trip tour getting cancelled, I badly wanted to atleast go on a short break and finally managed to get that.
The island of Bali is very famous among Australians and Europeans. The tourism in Bali got badly hit because of the Bali terrorist bombings. But it is slowly recovering.
I stayed at a luxury resort in front of one of the most famous beaches in Bali at Kuta (where the bombings happened and were targetted at the Western tourists).
So all the evenings were reserved for walks on the beach watching the sun go down or just sitting on the beach.
Hard to do that because you are surrounded by bikini clad European women and beer drinking men with hunky bodies and all sorts of things happening on the beach among men and women. But neverthless it was very very relaxing. It's hard being single in such places and walking around as you get approached by prostitutes, pimps, women wanting to give you massages...
Lot of amateur surfers trying their hands at surfing. The tidal wave was not very strong and hence even amateurs were comfortable surfing.
Bali is strongly Hindu. It follows all the customs of Hindu culture. So there are lots of old temples spread in every corner of Bali dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
I saw statues of Ganesh, stories from Mahabharat and more
Visited some of the famous temples including Tanah lot. My Indonesian guide was explaining all about Bali culture, the belief in Trimurti, Ramayana, Mahabharat. Hindus went to the island around 7th century and Hindu culture spread rapidly
Bali continues to be a romantic place. My guide kept on reminding me that I need to get myself a girlfriend again and bring her to Bali next year OR Marry someone and take her to Bali....
I enjoyed the hotel where I stayed. It was the Hard Rock hotel with plenty of facilities for relaxing(spas, bars, many fine restaurants, largest swimming pool in Bali, sports facilities) and more importantly bang in front of the most popular beach in Bali called Kuta beach. The town of Kuta was commericial with the famous fashion brand shops around, restaurants, bars and more. It was safe...and great to walk around. Out of nowhere suddenly I would bump into an old temple.
So my impressions of Bali (beach, sunsets, beer, honeymooners, bikinis, a lot of sex, Hindu temples, rice fields, culture and simple local people)
Since I have turned vegeterian, there is very little choice. Pork is a stable diet along with rice. So naturally ended up eating mostly continental vegeterian stuff. Ofcourse the popular Indonesian fried rice (Nasi goreng) was enjoyed
Had a lot of beer. Just a lovely time with a glass of Bintang (Indonesia beer) pilsener.
Best moments in Bali...Probably when I was sitting in the Starbucks coffee house in the open air, enjoying coffee and watching women...who were out there to show their bodies and those many moments when I just watched the vast ocean especially when the sun went down creating beautiful coloured sunsets in Bali.
The island of Bali is very famous among Australians and Europeans. The tourism in Bali got badly hit because of the Bali terrorist bombings. But it is slowly recovering.
I stayed at a luxury resort in front of one of the most famous beaches in Bali at Kuta (where the bombings happened and were targetted at the Western tourists).
So all the evenings were reserved for walks on the beach watching the sun go down or just sitting on the beach.
Hard to do that because you are surrounded by bikini clad European women and beer drinking men with hunky bodies and all sorts of things happening on the beach among men and women. But neverthless it was very very relaxing. It's hard being single in such places and walking around as you get approached by prostitutes, pimps, women wanting to give you massages...
Lot of amateur surfers trying their hands at surfing. The tidal wave was not very strong and hence even amateurs were comfortable surfing.
Bali is strongly Hindu. It follows all the customs of Hindu culture. So there are lots of old temples spread in every corner of Bali dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
I saw statues of Ganesh, stories from Mahabharat and more
Visited some of the famous temples including Tanah lot. My Indonesian guide was explaining all about Bali culture, the belief in Trimurti, Ramayana, Mahabharat. Hindus went to the island around 7th century and Hindu culture spread rapidly
Bali continues to be a romantic place. My guide kept on reminding me that I need to get myself a girlfriend again and bring her to Bali next year OR Marry someone and take her to Bali....
I enjoyed the hotel where I stayed. It was the Hard Rock hotel with plenty of facilities for relaxing(spas, bars, many fine restaurants, largest swimming pool in Bali, sports facilities) and more importantly bang in front of the most popular beach in Bali called Kuta beach. The town of Kuta was commericial with the famous fashion brand shops around, restaurants, bars and more. It was safe...and great to walk around. Out of nowhere suddenly I would bump into an old temple.
So my impressions of Bali (beach, sunsets, beer, honeymooners, bikinis, a lot of sex, Hindu temples, rice fields, culture and simple local people)
Since I have turned vegeterian, there is very little choice. Pork is a stable diet along with rice. So naturally ended up eating mostly continental vegeterian stuff. Ofcourse the popular Indonesian fried rice (Nasi goreng) was enjoyed
Had a lot of beer. Just a lovely time with a glass of Bintang (Indonesia beer) pilsener.
Best moments in Bali...Probably when I was sitting in the Starbucks coffee house in the open air, enjoying coffee and watching women...who were out there to show their bodies and those many moments when I just watched the vast ocean especially when the sun went down creating beautiful coloured sunsets in Bali.
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