Cruising in the Akaroa Harbor

We spent the day in the water with the Hector Dolphins.  The Hectors are the rarest dolphins in the world, they are smaller and have rounded dorsal fins.  Like most dolphins, they were extremely curious and playful – and came out and spent an hour with our boat and some other divers – checking us out.  We were in the Akaroa harbor – a shallow and rich expanse of water that was formed when the crater of the volcano got flooded by sea water.  And it was a sunny, beautiful day.  And we had a great time.  If you are ever in Christchurch, this is a definite recommendation, unique geology with a wonderful history and close to get to.

Children-Friendly Vacations

We find New Zealand as a perfect destination for our kids.  First, the country is amazingly child-friendly.  Locals are laid back and friendly, there is an abundance of parks, animals and activities for the children.  In addition it is safe (no poisonous insect bites, no vaccines or other medical preparation needed).  Flights are simple from the West Coast - non stop that leaves in the night and arrives first thing in the morning, so if you tire your kids out before boarding, they are out for the duration when not hooked on to the in-seat tv/games.  And the jet lag – very much unlike traveling to Singapore or Mumbai – is manageable, for us it’s the next day and three hours back so routines aren’t thrown off terribly.  Finally, we do lots of farm stays, so the kids get an amazing exposure to something that they aren’t likely to find in the SFO Bay Area.

Sunset on the Arabian Sea

If the US is bottoming out, India still has a ways to go. There are complex and insufficient regulations, low to no transparency, a denial-oriented mindset, and no previous experiences with market crashes. October saw $24B in fx come out of India (from some $300B in reserves), the $ became as expensive as Rs 50 (up from 43 a month ago), and the commercial paper markets froze completely. The central bank has kicked in and helped bring the $ down to Rs 47 and expanded money supply to help with liquidity. But mutual fund redemptions will follow the hedge funds, and more money will trickle out before the end of the year, meanwhile lower borrowing rates from the government and decreased CRRs haven't made much of a dent in the commercial paper market. Still, one hopes its relative insularity will provide India the soft landing it deserves.

This photo is taken looking west into the Arabian Sea in Juhu, Mumbai.

India Restaurants

I was in India this week.  Had a few great meals.  Mahesh Lunch Home on Juhu Tara Road in Mumbai has the best Lobster Curry I have ever had.  Next to it the JWM’s main restaurant concocts interesting Indian fusion dishes (like the masala pasta dishes in the photograph here), though I passed, on account of the more authentic choice in the Mahesh nearby.  The Raj Pavilion at the Windsor Manor in Bangalore has fantastic Dosas, which I did repeat.  And the China House at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai has the only Peking Duck I have ever had in India.  In a nutshell food is great; the service though is still a substandard value for money – the waiters are right on top of you and desperate to help with spooning the food from dish to plate, yet totally clueless about the ingredients, preparation or the origin of the foods.