Long flight, crying babies, and existential questions about why I ever leave my house. That’s all I remember from our sojourn from SFO to DUB. The flight itself was, shockingly, not too bad—decent legroom, food that didn’t taste like cardboard, and wine that was just about drinkable. Usually, we play it safe and order the “special” Hindu Vegetarian meal, but this time, we threw caution to the wind and took whatever the airline gods bestowed upon us. Miraculously, both the vegetarian and chicken dishes were hot and tasty. कोई शक नहीं, we survived.
Dublin Airport is a bit of a trip—less airport, more underground tube station with its maze of cozy, interwoven tunnels. We barely had time to blink before we were whisked off to Gate #333, and before we knew it, we were in a twin-engine propeller plane puttering towards Edinburgh.
Figure 1: Transported back from our plane to EDI
And then, just as we landed—पाह!—a rainbow. Talk about a फिल्मी welcome. Since it was drizzling (as expected in Scotland), I abandoned my usual कंजूसी and ordered an Uber XL instead of faffing about with public transport.
Figure 2: The Castle Up The Hill!
In a mere 25 minutes, we reached Castle Apartments, where a super-friendly lad at reception gave us the lowdown on the city. True to its name, the place had an absolutely smashing view of Edinburgh Castle, making us feel just a tad royal.
Figure 3: Our cozy digs!
After a quick siesta and freshen-up, we set out to explore and eat, in no particular order. With the rainbow still lingering, we strolled towards the Royal Mile. My first impression? Haw, the wind! Not a gentle breeze, mind you—this was the kind of wind that makes you reconsider your life choices.
Figure 4: The rainbow following us!
As we wandered, we passed an army of souvenir shops and restaurants, each one looking like a perfectly crafted tourist trap. Finally, we gave in and chose Dishoom, the famous Indian restaurant in Edinburgh. We were not the only ones though—there was a one-hour wait on a Saturday. This almost made us cancel our plan, but then I valiantly volunteered to stand in the queue while Vanya and Nidhi did some window shopping (you can see where this is going).
Figure 5: Permit Room at Dishoom!
Soon after the girls left, I was handed a complimentary half-cutting of hot and delicious peppermint tea in a classic Indian ढाबा-style glass.
Figure 6: Sober vs Fun Choices!
Just as I started enjoying my tea, I was invited to wait in the “Permit Room”, the restaurant’s basement bar. The restaurant’s theme is unmistakably Mumbai-esque, and as if to drive the point home, the song playing in the background was: Raat Baaki, Baat Baaki… 🎶 Meanwhile, Scottish folks and tourists alike were enthusiastically partaking in both the extensive alcoholic and sober menus. The dark, dusky ambiance was electric, fun, and trendy!
Figure 7: Newspaper Menu
Soon, the girls returned from their “window shopping,” which, unsurprisingly, included buying jewelry. We were finally seated, and our server enthusiastically explained the “newspaper-styled menu.” We went with fried okra, पाव भाजी, ruby chicken, 24-hour slow-cooked दाल मखनी, garlic नान, and रूमाली रोटी. Everything was served in steel plates and utensils, giving it a homely touch. The food was medium spicy, melted in our mouths, and came with three delightful chutneys that paired perfectly with the fried okra. We topped off our feast with a hot, flavorful मसाला चाय—because no proper Indian meal is complete without chai.
Figure 8: Finger Licking Meal!
The walk back to the hotel was around half a mile through gusty winds. While we had been enjoying our meal, it had rained, and our wee little rainbow had vanished into the Scottish night.
Thus ended our first day of the Scotland vacay—full stomachs, lighter wallets, and the wind reminding us who’s boss.