Travel Notes for the first-time traveler between India and USA

This document has some useful notes for the first-time traveler between India and the US (specificailly from BLR to SEA on British Airways). Pls note that this doc was last updated in May/2007.

I wrote this document originally 10+ years ago, and have updated it over the past few years.

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Good Indian Restaurants in Surrey/Vancouver/Abbotsford, BC

We have visited Vancouver, BC numerous times over the past 20+ years. Among other things, we like the Surrey & Vancouver area for its good Indian restaurants. Here are a few of our favorites (and some recommended by our friends) - updated in 2025. If you have been to Surrey many times & want to try a different place - Abbotsford, BC has some good number of restaurants & eateries (not as many as Surrey though). Driving time from Seattle to Abbotsford is almost the same as driving to Surrey. Here's a list for Abbotsford .

Review: WatchIndia.tv set top box

Options to watch Indian TV channels used to be somewhat limited in the US (especially for regional-language channels). Sometime ago I came across http://www.watchindia.tv/ , but never had a chance to try it out. Finally, I decided to give it a try & ordered their set-top box (I got the newer version with HDMI output & WiFi support). My experience so far has been pretty good... The device is slightly larger than the size of a wireless-router Setup of the device was pretty easy. It came pre-configured to log-in with my watchIndia account Video/audio quality is reasonably good (I use a wired ethernet connection). The video quality reminds me of an average quality SD channel (or a video-cassette). The picture does have some pixelation, but I found it to be tolerable. Check out the pictures below. The overall UI has some constraints, but it is not horrible (the UI does have some latency, but it's not too bad) The remote is OK; most of the buttons don't seem to be fu...

Visit Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks!

If you are planning a trip to the Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and the Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), below are some suggestions & tips. Best time to visit. July & August are the most popular months to visit YNP & GTNP. Second half of August is the ideal time frame, IMO. This is when the summer crowds reduce (since schools would have started in many parts of the US) and the weather is still pleasant. Drive vs Fly : Driving is a potential option if you are located in one of the nearby US states. Driving vs flying is a personal choice. Account for the fact that there's a good amount of driving even after you reach the YNP/GTNP. Best airports to fly into : If your goal is to minimize driving, consider flying into Jackson (or Idaho Falls) and flying out of Bozeman (or vice versa). If cost is a priority, consider flying round trip to Bozeman or to Idaho Falls. Ideal locations to stay : ...

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