First evening in Hyderabad

The city of Hyderabad is 560 KM from Bangalore. It’s on a plateau called the Deccan Plateau. Formerly a colony of the Nizam of Hyderabad prior to independence, it was annexed to the Republic of India after independence. The city is more than 400 years old and has some of the most intricate Islam architecture with mosques, tombs etc. spread in and around the city.


Hyderabad is a twin city. Its twin being Secunderabad. They are separated by a lake known as the Hussain Sagar Lake. I live on the Hyderabad side of the lake. Usually it does not make much of a difference except traditionally snoot heads tend to come from Secunderabad (or at lease used to be the case many years ago). Its an unusually mixed city. A mix of modern fly overs and bullock carts on the street. Subsequent posts will tell you more on what I am talking about. Smaller than Bombay, but far nicer in terms of quality of life due to a more slower rate of growth although at the rate its going it may become another Bombay in a few years. Bad traffic, bad roads! But at least great people and great food.

The airport is also located bang in the middle of the city. Today Hyderabad is a bustling metropolis of close to 5 million residents. Information Technology has boomed and lots of jobs are being created in that sector. Hyderabad is very famous for its Biryani. Note its spelt as BIRYANI or BRIYANI or BIRAYANI or some other lame ass way. There are only two types. Lamb/Mutton or Chicken. Its made on coal fire. Its made in pots for community cooking because that's how the muslims eat and it tasks like heaven on earth. That's 4 kilos of excess weight talking.

10 Downing Street


The same evening when I landed my brother-in-law, my sister, cousin and wife decided to hit the town. We went to a very popular pub called 10 Downing Street. Now, get this! Unlike Singapore, pubs in India are very selective in allowing stags (single guys) into a pub. Unlike Singapore where the national ratio of women to men is approximately 2:1, in India its more like 1:1000 or even higher. Hence, arguments, fights are pretty much common over women. Trust me! I know how it used to be. I am sure that is still the same. Guys are still hot heads.


Of course, in a popular joint like 10DS it is a rarity and the bouncers are quite good to yank the fellows away. But then it is also not unusual to see a huge clump of guys dancing on their own because no one finds it odd or unusual.

Pubs like 10DS close at 1:00 AM (12:30 is the last call). Then depending on how much you have greased the local cops, you can open your establishment. And hence Outswinger. It’s a pub with a cricket theme. Waiters dressed in cricket outfits, bartenders like umpires, photographs of cricket legends, paraphernalia etc. It also has a restaurant which is very popular for the 3:00 AM crowd (think Boon Tong Kee chicken rice or Bencoolen roti prata).
It was a very nice night as I met a few more people I had not seen in years. In the end it all worked out fine and I had my first hangover the next day which was a Sunday.

The crowd was very different from what I have seen before. Lots of expatriates now that many multi nationals are setup in the city. Lots of people of dance floor when it was really tough to get people on the floor. Some things never change. For e.g. the service which is top notch. It does not matter if you go to a small hole in the wall wine shop or snack joint or go to a fancy restaurant. They will treat you with respect because you are the customer and hence the king. In pubs, they will not pre-mix drinks for you. When you order rum and coke. You get rum and a small carafe with coke. And a separate ice box. The waiter will ask you how many ice cubes you need and then pour the coke till you say stop. This is done for every drink every time and for everyone. And typically people buy bottles to save the hassle of getting 30 ml and 60 ml drinks every time you need a refill. You will always the waiters hovering around you for assistance. You truly feel like a king. And despite being packed out its brains, you still get the same service. Make sure you tip them well every time because they will not just remember you, but your drinks, likes and dislikes. These pictures were taken at 10DS and it was certainly a fun night. Lots of alcohol, loud music, good DJ and excellent company. Not a bad start for my holidays. And to think I was meant to go for peace and tranquility. I got those too towards the end of my holiday.

So back to Outswinger. We went there met some more people drank some more rum and then went to eat. For some reason during my entire trip in India I was having rum. The most popular rum is the Old Monk XXX. Yep! That's what it is called. In college, we used to buy a 250 Ml bottle with 2 Thumbs Up (Coke was banned from 1977 to 1997), mix them in the bottle and drink like a soft drink. Handy trick to avoid hanging on to a rum bottle. Lots of Bollywood music (Hindi and Telegu music) by the DJ's kept the crowd happy as campers. That was just the first night in Hyderabad.