Confusion in Mumbai

So my simple task for today was to book a hotel for Joe and I in Mumbai, India for our overnight layover from EWR to KTM. After doing some searches and asking some friends from India, we settled on the Hyatt Regency Mumbai right near the BOM International Airport. There were some cheaper options, but it seemed safer to spend a few more bucks and stick with the Hyatt. The rate was pretty much the same on all the travel sites, I usually use Expedia but decided to use Priceline due to lower fees. After the checkout process the address shown for the hotel looked odd, so I googled it and found this other location and freaked out! I thought I booked the wrong hotel!! I immediately called Priceline and they said the reservation was non-refundable, even after asking to speak to a supervisor...F Priceline...never use them. Then I called the Hyatt in the US, and they tried to help, but said that Priceline pre-purchases the rooms and they could not do anything. So I fire up Skype (on my new netbook) and speak to the very helpful folks in Mumbai at the Hyatt Regency. Sure enough my reservation was for the proper hotel; there are only 2 Hyatts in Mumbai...the Regency and the Grand. It seems there is another address is lists under which google maps shows being near downtown Mumbai and also if you search for Hyatt Regency in Mumbai you get 2 locations....hence the confusion. But we are all good!!

Wear your rubbers!

It has been snowing here in Hoboken (NY/NJ), since yesterday morning. We got dumped on. Commuting to Manhattan today was a joy.   Since most of the sidewalks were not cleared, many people were walking the streets. There was huge amounts of slush at intersections, so without the proper foot gear, you were getting some cold and wet feet. Right now I am sitting on the NY/NJ Path train heading back to Hoboken, and I am seated across from a dude, that definitely ruined his leather work shoes (I tried to sneak a pic with my phone, doesn’t quite capture the sadness). Lucky for me, and my recent ‘gearing up’ my Vasque Breeze GTX’s waterproof hiking boots allowed me to saunter to and from work like a Sherpa. Joe and I have been wearing our hiking boots most days to ‘break them in’ for the big trek. I picked these bad boys up at EMS in Soho, NYC.

On another front, the camera I have been eyeing; the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 has its next gen coming out in March. The DMC-TS2, which is more rugged and freeze proof (jackpot) and 14.1 MP (you can never have enough megapixels). It retails for $399. Joe is also scoping a 2010 Olympus camera scheduled for a March release, wonder if that’s when all the new cameras come out. In time for St Paddy’s I suppose.

Gadgets and Gear

Shopping for gear is a huge, and exciting, part of this type of trip. In 2008 when I went to Egypt, I used an old (heavy) Dell Inspiron laptop to bring with me for blogging. In 2010 I am kicking it up (or down) a notch and going with this little lightweight bad ass. I love this little machine, blogging from it right now. Great battery life (over 10 hours),and zippy enough for basic needs. I am thinking of getting a new camera, as I still have the same 5 MP Canon I had for Egypt (which takes great pics). My buddy Joe Thomas got this Luminex, which I really like. Waterproof, shockproof, 12 MP, HD Video, Leica lens, and it’s Orange! I will have to see how is South Africa pictures come out. I still have some more gear to get. Probably try to wrap that up this weekend. Good thing I remembered I need to bring my universal plug adapter with me, that I bough for Egypt.

 

Our Trekking Company Selection

When we had to choose a company to use for the trek, I turned to good old Trip Advisor to see what types of reviews people left for various companies. These guys, seemed to be rated pretty well; they are a local Nepal based company. Nepal based companies are generally less expensive than USA based ones. We have been able to communicate with them (Pradip) via email without much trouble. Here is the Trip Advisor review and the company web site; Mountain Monarch They also offered travel dates hat worked with our personal schedules. They will be meeting us at Kathmandu airport when we arrive.