Incredible travel post, @litguru. I could almost smell the food, feel the heat of the sun, and smell the salt air of the ocean. That menu looks incredible. Yum!

I have never been to India. My husband went for a relative's wedding (his brother's daughter married someone from India, so they celebrated in both countries), but our kids were very young so I stayed home.

In India beeping is more like a form of communication- a navigation strategy based on echolocation to create a spatial sound-scape of traffic and thus avoid collisions.

Well described! I've been to several countries where this is the case. It creates quite the din in a city center and in a parking garage.

After her routine, the little girl went around from table to table requesting donations. Some patrons gave her money while others did not. I was not keen on supporting this particular performance because I couldn't be certain that the child had not been coerced into it, but how can you deny a little girl a few rupees when you’re stuffing yourself with delicious food and drink?

p.s. Do you know about @pinmapple?

Totally understand that sentiment. I would have been similarly torn. And they know it's very hard to resist someone so young and cute. What will become of her when she is a teenager?