h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We dined at a place that offered belly dancing. Later we heard folk music at a Turku bar.

After a long string of meager continental breakfasts, I was relieved to find something a bit different when I woke up the next morning: Borek [cheese and spinach in puff pastry]
and Turkish coffee, served with baklavah

Some light sightseeing followed, after which we snacked on lahmacun [thin bread] topped with minced meat, salad, and lemon juice.

Lunch had to be on the early side, as we hade a plane to catch, so we nibbled on Pide [boat-shaped flatbread], topped with cheese and kofte [balls of ground lamb]

Then we hurried to the airport for a six-hour flight to Mumbai. Riccardo said goodbye, and we were introduced to Salil, who would be our guide through the bustling streets of that metropolis.

"Prepare yourself for the heat," Salil warned Scribbles and me when we reached the airport in Mumbai. He wasn't kidding! It was well into the 90s Fahrenheit, and was expected to be that hot or hotter for the rest of the week.

"There are numerous places you could visit," Salil explained. "Maybe the best place to start would be Gateway of India, a stone arch built for George the Fifth in 1911. But first, let's try a buffet restaurant, so you can taste the rich diversity of India."

I wasn't especially daring, mostly trying things that sounded vaguely familiar, like moong dal kichdi, chicken tikka, and keema pav. Many were quite hot, so I ended up drinking a lot of bottled water.

On the way to and from the Gateway, we saw bits of the city. "What are we doing tomorrow?" I asked Salil.

"Tomorrow you are to ride the elephant," he said solemnly. "I have a very special elephant picked out for you!"

but the thought of 'balls of ground lamb' made me cringe and lose my appetite

Not that kind of balls, Pierce.

I doubt that your appetite will stay lost for long.

I think I have had kofte only once but as a kebab.

[Amy P]

I like Middle Eastern food, from what I've had of it. I made a delicious tagine the other day, served with rice. I added extra ginger, which gave it a nice tingle.

The first time I ever had baklava I couldn't believe how delicious it was, nor how long it had taken for me to discover it. The second time I had it was at a Greek restaurant called "Aegean Fare."

Hummous is also really tasty, especially when you dip strips of zucchini into it.