capture the maine idea

2019 means it’s time to bring back traditional blogging, right?! I’m hoping that someone, somewhere, somehow, finds value in my upcoming series on random destinations from the past couple of years.

I’m starting with some highlights from the wonderful state of MAINE. I drove up from Boston with my partner for memorial day, and we had an absolutely delightful weekend.

our first stop on the way up was Portland, which is not the state capital. after checking into an unexpectedly sumptuous room at Percy Inn, we wandered around the Old Port for a VERY long time. the weather was gorgeous, so I didn’t mind. we ended up at the Porthole, a restaurant that turns into an outdoor live music scene, right on the water, on balmy weekend evenings. great spot to enjoy a spiked seltzer or Bud Latte.

we continued to stroll in search of food… every restaurant was packed for the holiday. my boss had recommended her brother’s Eventide and Honey Paw restaurants, but we didn’t pull the trigger on reservations (but you definitely should!) we ended up in a random alley, spotted another couple’s dinner spread, and sat down for a seafood feast at Street & Co. I don’t remember what we ate but there was a lot of warm bread and a fig with a garlic flower (the purple thing!)

the next morning, we walked around the farmers’ market before hitting up a Holy Donut (must-do). not sure what flavors we got, but it was amazing. perfect fuel to hit the road to Acadia National Park.

we opted to stay at Thornhedge Inn in Bar Harbor (no, I did not know it’s haunted 🙃). frankly, most of the b&b’s in town looked gorgeous. we got a great room on the top floor, and after a brief nap, we headed out to explore town. highlights included ice cream from Mount Desert Island (super unique flavors) and a sunset harbor cruise (don’t remember which company…)

we headed out early, but not that early, the next morning to hike Acadia. after extensive online research, we decided to first do Beehive Loop Trail. it’s a challenging hike, involving some vertical climbing and in-rock metal steps, but it was so worth it for us. if you’re looking for a more accessible experience, the park has wonderful flat pathways and is gorgeous to drive through!

view from the top of Beehive

somewhere along Beehive Loop

at sea level

in closing, a few notes on food. the breakfast menu at Thornhedge was SERIOUSLY exceptional. the innkeeper has an entertaining life story and experience, and it comes through in his food (and breakfast conversation!) on our way home, we stopped in Portsmouth, NH and ended up eating the most outstanding Nepalese rack of lamb at Durbar Square. that’s all.

omelette physics magic

lamb and other loveliness

delhi dispatch

Here I am, at IGI Airport T3 for the 4th time this month, having been successfully ripped off one last time, albeit to a lesser degree than my hotel would have liked. It feels like an appropriate way to end my 10-day sojourn in this colorful, hot, bustling, smelly, wonderful country. 

Let’s get the low point out of the way: Hotel Airport Land in Mahipalpur, the district across from the airport that’s teeming with cheap accommodations for those in transit. I booked one night at this place after extensive research. It had decent reviews and at 800 Rs a night (plus tax), how could I say no? SHOULD’VE SAID NO. Though the room itself was as advertised, nothing else was, most importantly the wifi (which worked for maybe 30 minutes total) and the “free” airport shuttle. They tried to charge me 400 Rs for pick-up, and another 300 for drop-off… Needless to say, big no-no’s for me, and any sensible traveler who wants to get what they paid for. You’re much better off with a prepaid taxi from the airport (~200 Rs) or the Airport Express metro to Aerocity. 

Note: after demanding a refund for subpar service (and being denied said refund because I “already checked in”), they got me on the phone with the hotel owner, who offered to drive me to the airport himself. He later reneged on his offer which is really about as rude as it gets. 

The rest of Delhi treated me quite well. When I first flew in, I stayed at my favorite Smyle Inn in Paharganj. Clean rooms with fast wifi and good breakfast, all at a reasonable 940 Rs for a single room. Since I landed in the middle of the night, I also arranged for a taxi pickup which was a bargain 540 Rs through the hotel. Others charge 1.5-2 times that amount. 

I also had a spa day at the end of my time in India and hit up Monsoon Spa/Salon. They’re all over Delhi and provide great services at budget prices (by Western standards). They do it all, from nails to hair to massages to threading. Not sure what their specialty is but I was very happy with my mani/pedi and eyebrow threading, all of which cost me about $15 USD. And I got to experience men doing my nails! Unheard of where I’m from. 

I had already seen most of Delhi on my last trip, so if you want more sightseeing details, check out this post. As always, be aware of tourist scams and tricky rickshaw drivers – like the ones that MAKE you go shopping in the hopes of earning some commission. 

Trying to get out of Delhi like I did? Trains are, in my opinion, the best way to go. Cheap and reliable, they can get you there faster than a car since Indian roads are often in terrible condition. Planes are a necessity if you’re going further, as I did to Trivandrum, but I try to avoid long-distance buses at all costs. Even the deluxe luxury ones will make your whole body cramp when you’re stuck in there, bumping around for hours on end. 

Interested in yogic travels? Stay tuned for my next post – I’ll be writing about my time in Rishikesh and at the Sivananda Ashram in Neyyar Dam!