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bunvoyage17

@bunvoyage17@mastodon.social

Sean and Ruchika - on vacation since September 17, 2014 💍 ❤️

A couple from #USA and #India posting our adventures!

Met in #Delhi, lived in #Toronto, currently based in #Chicago.

A few hashtags about us!

#travel #vegetarian #vegan #food #cafe #coffee #indian #urbanexploration #city #citylife #art #nature #adventure #boardgames

Profile: Photo of us at the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon, USA taken in July 2023.

Header: Sunset in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India from March 2023.

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bunvoyage17, to chicago
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We have had a really busy week and we have not had a chance to post much this week. Here is a moment of taking much needed break on one of our last warm days in Chicago with some South Indian Filter Coffee.

bunvoyage17, to chicago
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Ragamala! An all-night festival of Hindustani and Carnatic Indian classical music held at the Chicago Cultural Center. We only stayed for one session but we got to see Gaurav Mazumdar on sitar and Amit Kavthekar on tabla. They were students of the great Ravi Shankar and Zakir Husain respectively.

1/4

Performers on stage at Ragamala

bunvoyage17,
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The event takes place at the Chicago Cultural Center, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Originally the main branch of the Chicago Public Library, it is made of marble with rich, intricate mosaics and windows designed by Tiffany and Company. It serves as the city’s main reception hall and a very popular arts hub.

2/4

A mosaic tile quote at the Chicago Cultural Center. The quote by John Milton reads "A good book is the precious life blood of a master spirit embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond."
The original logo of the Chicago Public Library in mosaic tile.
A close up detail of a mosaic flower in marble.

bunvoyage17,
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A sample of the performance with the gorgeous dome above!

3/4

A video of the performance we saw at the Chicago Cultural Center. The video show the dome of the main hall.

bunvoyage17,
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And one more sample. Even though it is short, just watch the performer's hands.

We had a great time - and even encountered a few people we met last year.

Note: this thread is a cleaned-up repost of a thread that was made a bit poorly on a phone.

4/4

Performer at Ragamala.

bunvoyage17, to nature
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Another joyful day simply being in the park, being present and aware of nature: squirrels running and eating nuts, leaves changing colors, flowers swaying with the wind and dancing in the sun. No wonder fall is our favorite weather!

Wishing y’all Happy Fall 🍁🍁🍁

Another joyful day simply being in the park, being present and aware of nature: squirrels running and eating nuts, leaves changing colors, flowers swaying with the wind and dancing in the sun. No wonder fall is our favorite weather!

bunvoyage17, to chicago
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Went for a walk yesterday and we swear that this was not here three weeks ago!

Can anyone identify the flower?

A close up of the flowers at the top of the bush.

bunvoyage17, to india
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Dilli Ki Barish!

One last gift from Delhi before we head back to Chicago ❤️

@mastindia
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A sudden downpour in front of our family's house in Delhi.

bunvoyage17,
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@mastindia @mastoindians

And nothing says barish better than pakoda!

Ruchika standing in the rain under a pink umbrella in a teal kurti.

bunvoyage17, to india
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Playing "Jaipur"... in Jaipur! 😂

And no, @seanbala did not bring the game just to play it there....

bunvoyage17, to delhi
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Back in for our last week. Dilliwale with their first love: Chole Bhature ❤️

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bunvoyage17, to india
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And now, some snacks and street foods in Jaipur! The first place we went to was Rawat Misthan Bhandar for Piyaz Kachori and Chili Pakora. It was raining lightly when we arrived and we wanted something a bit lighter. The place was packed with lots of people buying sweets and modaks for Ganesha Chaturthi. @seanbala is not the biggest fan of kachori but even he liked them.

1/4

Sweets behind a glass countertop. Most of the sweets are conical modaks for Ganesha Chaturthi.
A wide shot of Rawat Misthan Bhandar. There are dozens of people standing around eating and ordering at the counter.

bunvoyage17,
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Second stop is Gulab Ji Chai Walla. Nestled in an alleyway, the stand basically serves chai, bread, and a few basic sandwiches. The chai was great. Perfect for a rainy day.

2/4

A very large crowd having chai. People are sitting on plastic stools, with a few under large umbrellas. Painted on the brick wall behind everyone is the logo for India's 75th Anniversary.
Sean enjoying his chai in a clay khulad.
Ruchika's mother enjoying a much needed chai after a long day of travel.

bunvoyage17,
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And we liked it so much we went the next day... 😂

3/4

Three glasses of tea (two in glass and one in a khulad) sitting in holes in a metal table. There is a paper plate with simple bread and butter and a nearly finished samosa.
Food board with different options written in Hindi. There is a man behind attempting to finish his snack instead of getting his photo taken.

bunvoyage17,
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Finally, before we left the city, we decided to get a lassi from Lassiwalla at MI Road. There were three different ones in a line next to eaachother. How to know the real one? 1) the fake ones try to entice you to stop while the real one says nothing and 2) see which one has more khulads in its bin.

Food has been great but we are looking forward to ghar ka khanna (home food) now 🤗

4/4

Ruchika and her mother with big khulads of lassi with big smiles. Notice Ruchika had a slight lassi moustache.

bunvoyage17, to india
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@dohappybelove doing a quick sketch and painting yesterday at our hotel after breakfast. One of her favorite things to do!

🤗

An ink and watercolor sketch of the same Rajasthani canopy in a small cloth bound sketch book. It is being held up by Ruchika next to the subject in the distance.

bunvoyage17, to india
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Best way to start a road trip with family! Dhabas can be great but you have to know which ones are the real ones. Our driver said you know by noticing where all the taxi vehicles are parked (in India, yellow plates indicate commercial vehicles).

Paranthas with lots of white butter with chai 🤗

An Aloo Piyaz Parantha with way too much white butter.
Family selfie with chai and coffee after Paranthas.
Chai in a thick clear glass on a wooden table.

bunvoyage17, to india
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A few days after arriving, we took a trip to Khan Market. Khan Market in Central Delhi is a tiny area of boutique shops, restaurants, and bars. It is one of a handful of places that you'll see a lot of expats in Delhi. It is considered India's most expensive retail market (in terms of real estate cost). We sometimes feel a little silly but we have many, many fond memories of Khan and we had to go. A few highlights from the visit:

1/

The crowded inner lanes of Khan Market from another direction.

bunvoyage17,
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Our first stop was Sodabottleopenerwalla - a loving, playful homage to the Parsi cafes of Mumbai. The Parsis are a Zoroastrian community that came to India in the 16th century. Centered mainly in Mumbai, this small community has punched well above its weight. One business that many of them started were cafes the feature unique Indian and Iranian dishes.

As you can see from the sign, the restaurant has a unique sense of humor.

2/

Chalk drawing of Rustom Sodabottleopenerwala, the mascot of the restaurant.
The stairs up to the restaurant.

bunvoyage17,
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We had a strong Irani chai, a Bombay Sandwich (in @seanbala's opinion, one of the greatest culinary gifts to mankind) and a raspberry soda.

An Irani Chai is like a normal Indian chai but made much stronger.

The Bombay Sandwich is a thick grilled vegetable sandwich with very thinly sliced beets, potatoes, cucumbers, and tomatoes, all sprinkled with a big helping of cheese. Difficult to make, impossible not to eat!

3/

Ruchika also having an Irani chai. You can see more of the unique decoration of the restaurant.
A very cool looking raspberry soda with a sprig of mint and a paper straw with a purple stripe.
A very beautiful Bombay sandwich on a metal plate topped with fries.

bunvoyage17, (edited )
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Our next stop is one of of the best places in Delhi - Fakir Chand Bookstore. This is a very, very special place and we could probably do a dozen posts on it. The store was started originally in Peshawar and moved to Delhi after partition. It is small, crowded with no discernable organization system. The owner of the shop is the third-generation of the family to own it. You could get lost here!

4/5

@bookstodon

bunvoyage17, to india
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We went to AMA Cafe in Majnuka Tila on Monday to celebrate @seanbala's birthday. We actually went the day before with @dohappybelove's mother and liked it so much, we decided to go back. When we first visited, we thought it was very small. Turned out that what we saw was only about about 20% of the whole cafe on three floors! Good food and a quick game of "The Fox in the Forest"

1/2

The card game The Fox in the Forest in a plastic bag on a wooden table.
Ruchika having some pizza and coffee.

bunvoyage17,
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@seanbala @dohappybelove

And here are some photos from our first trip on Sunday!

2/2

Second floor of AMA Cafe. Many of the people are students from Delhi University.
Outdoor area of the cafe where people can smoke and go to the washroom.
Sean, Ruchika, and Ruchika's mother in front of the Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Majnuka Tila, Delhi.

bunvoyage17, to india
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After spending time at a mall in South Delhi, we went to Hauz Khas for a drink. It is is NOT our typical place - a slightly desperate cluster of dive bars, cafes, and restaurants but nestled within a beautiful forest with a lake and ruins. All of seats with good views inside were full, so we took a chance on the roof. We watched the sunset with sangria and veg pakora - one of the best evenings we've had in a long time!

The view from the balcony overlooking the lake.
A very delicious looking bowl of vegetable pakora with two equally good bowls of green and sweet chutney. Both are flanked by two wine glasses of sangria.

bunvoyage17, to vegetarian
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One of the things that @seanbala has been dreaming about all year is getting a good bowl of Khow Suey.

We went to "Burma Burma," an entirely Burmese restaurant in Saket Select City Walk in South Delhi.

The bowl was consumed very quickly!

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