York-ers

TLDR; York is quaint, historic, picture pretty and laid-back. Wealth of stuff to see, clustered in a small area. Chocolate hub - home of KitKat. Spend at least 2 days.

---

York was a brief weekend trip from London, to close off an eventful year.

Located about 200 miles north of London, it is one of the most tourist-ed cities in the UK.

The LNER train line got us there in a comfortable 2.5 hrs from Kings Cross.

The historic town center has remained structurally unchanged for thousands of years since it was laid out by the Vikings and the Romans before them. It's picture perfect. Even on a post Christmas bleak wintery day, the town was crowded and the shops bustling with activity.

Highlights:

A. The tour of the Chocolate museum. A well spent hour covering the history of chocolate and York's part in it. Did not realise till date that York is the home of KitKat. And Polo. And a lot of other chocolate brands that we take for granted.

B. The Shambles. The narrow streets may once have been used by butchers to sell their wares, but today they are bustling with Harry Potter trivia. A real world Diagon Alley with potions and wand shops. 

C. A walk along the walls of the city. A walk around the longest standing walls in the UK is a good perambulation around the historic areas. And great fun for the kids.

A week in Berlin

We spent the last week of October this year in Berlin. This was M's first international vacation, and we wanted to do a week of slow travel. We had heard a lot about Berlin from friends, about how modern and kid-friendly the city was, and so the choice.

The top three highlights of our trip were:

a. The Berlin Zoo: M loved it. While the zoo is a fairly small area relative to Indian zoos, the collection is quite diverse. The giraffe's, the chimps, gorillas and rhino's were particular hits. It was also pretty great that one can get very close to the animals, due to the glass-based cages rather than the traditional metallic ones. A big hit with kids.

b. The Reichstag building; The refurbished glass dome structure is beautiful. By far one of the best monuments we have ever been to. Provides a panoramic view of Berlin. We reached near sundown and the views were spectacular. M slept through half of the visit, till we reached about the top, and then woke up to start bawling; so we had to beat a hasty exit. A must visit in Berlin.

c. Potsdam - A short 15 min ride from Berlin, this historic and quaint town with cobbled streets was a gem. The Sanssouci palace is rather impressive and the multitude of cafe's cook up a rather yummy fare. Took us about a day to cover, but one could easily spend more time here.

Other things we loved - the Brandenburg gate (one can't spend enough time staring at Irene and all the history she has presided over), the Museum Island (one of the most impressive museum quarters anywhere), the Alexanderplatz station area (one can spend an entire day people watching here), Gendarmenmarket square (and the chocolateers nearby to binge at), the Wall (the paintings, and the Trabi museums around), and of course the Sunday market at Maueurpark (what a festive atmosphere!).

When we headed to Berlin, we received advice that perhaps a week in Berlin was too much time spent. With a toddler in tow, nothing could be further from the truth. One needs a week to cover a small town, let alone a city the scale of Berlin.

Berlin has an incredible variety of things to see and do. For vegetarians, the vegan restaurants offer a great solace and of course, the waffles, stollen and chocolates everywhere are a gourmet's delight. It also helps that Berlin is so incredibly kid friendly - people everywhere lend a helping hand and a kind word, and there are enough things to do to keep the little energies occupied.

Boston, pretty Boston

There are a couple of things that stand out about Boston.

First, the University atmosphere. Guess this is because the city has so many schools. It feels as if the whole city is a large campus. And so it is beautifully welcoming even to the value conscious traveler. There are cycle paths everywhere. Food is great and affordable. Almost all around have an intellectual streak.

Second, the History. Being one of the oldest cities in the US, it has a wealth of history and culture. Very unlike a lot of other US towns I have visited in the past. So for a culture buff, there is a wealth of things to see and do. 

Third, it is very walkable city. Now this is one of the things I used to find disconcerting about the US, coming from Asia. Most other US towns I have been to are so vast and widespread that driving around becomes a necessity. In Boston, one day I started from the MIT campus in Cambridge on a morning walk, and began walking around aimlessly looking at interesting landmarks. Before I knew it I was in downtown Boston, amidst the historic landmarks, tall skyscrapers, and pretty markets and piers. 

For a traveler from India, I would consider it akin to a Pune, that isin't too far from the bustling metropolis of Mumbai (that is more akin to NY).

A summer in Stuttgart

Situated in the Baden Württemberg region of Germany, Stuttgart is a neat and efficient city. Well spread out, but reachable by the rather impressive array of public transport options, the city has quite a bit to offer to the occasional visitor.

When I landed in Stuttgart, it seemed like a smaller variant of Frankfurt, which I had been to before. However, after being here for some time, I would say it is quite different.

For one, Stuttgart has an impressive array of art and design aspects to look at. From street art to the Kunst museum, art and decor seems to form an integral part of culture here.

Second, is its automotive heritage. The Mercedez and Porsche museums are not only a celebration of a history of car making, but also provide a vivid depiction of the historical and cultural context of Stuttgart, Germany and the World that was, in the evolution of the automobile. To autolovers, this is a virtual mecca.

Third, people here are rather easy going. The German obsession with precision, structure and quality is of course seen everywhere, but there is fun and culture mixed in everyday life as well. There is street performances and art to see everywhere, and watering holes around town are quite vibrant.

Fourth is the fact that Stuttgart provides and easy access the not just the rest of the beautiful Baden Württemberg region with its Black Forests, but also Alsatian France, Switzerland, and the Bavarian region. Strasbourg, Zurich and Munich (and for that matter even Paris, due to the TGV) are at most 3 hours away. In fact, the Baden Württemberg rail pass provides rather cheap access all around the region, including all the way to Basel, and almost to Strasbourg.

The city also forms part of the wine growing region, and even has vineyards within the town!

One additional fun experience is that of being driven around in the wide variety of local Merc taxis. I particularly remember an S-class one which had auto adjusting seats that would variably clamp my left and right sides as the car veered around corners. Freaked me initially, but was good fun later.

Travel date: July 2014

Memories of a European winter

This past year end, we took a holiday in Europe, with a stop-over in Dubai. For posterity's sake, here is a brief jot-down of our memories.

Dubai
The place which impressed us the most in our entire itinerary was Dubai. It is impressive to see a city as advanced as the west in infrastructure and services, while providing all the cultural benefits of the east.

We spent a night wandering around the 'Global Village', a cornucopia of shops showcasing wares from multiple countries. The Turkish pavilion was particularly impressive with its shops of colorful lamps and sweet baklavas. The Turkish baked potato - a large stuffed potato dish with a variety of vegetables and spices - was a particularly memorable eat. Yemeni spices were another interesting find. Despite the venue receiving millions of visitors, the spot clean surroundings (and spic and span loos!) were a welcome difference after landing from India.

The Palm Jumeirah area and the Atlantis hotel were pretty interesting to wander around, the underwater aquarium being a worthy watch. The Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa were great to window-shop the wealth of luxury items being showcased from around the world. The climb up to the viewing gallery of the world's tallest building and the view from the top was breathtaking, as were the singing fountains.

Frankfurt
Frankfurt was cold, and quite close to the freezing point when we landed. As we got off the Westbahnoff station, what caught our eye was the Saravana Bhavan right up front. Hungry as we were from the long flight, we quickly gulped a dosa and an idly before starting our wandering around town.

Frankfurt's Maine river has an nice walkway around it and we spent some time walking around. It was freezing Christmas eve, and a gulp of mulled wine helped warm us up. The Frankfurt Christmas market (supposedly one of the oldest around) was in flow as we were around, and we had a great time sampling the
chocolates, crepes, pretzels and wines. Another day, we took a walk down towards the University area and sampled some of the quaint markets around.

Prague
We took the train to Prague, leaving Frankfurt in the middle of the night. Running around the station in the middle of the freezing night, across empty platforms to catch a train that stopped for a few minutes, and fumbling with confusing German labeling to find our coach, will always be a memory.

We stayed at the cozy Aparthotel City 5, with its charming and warm hostess, Kristina. Recommend anyone visiting Prague to try out the place - we for sure will.

Prague for us was the most memorable European city from the trip. Its cobbled, medieval streets with baroque architectural buildings. Its exotic castles and churches. Its incredibly thick hot chocolates, hot wines, crepes and sweet tredelnik. Its beautiful paintings. Its town square with the unbelievably beautiful Christmas market. Wow.

Another reason that we liked Prague so much was its affordability. Items in some of the supermarkets were cheaper than India!

Vienna
Vienna seemed refined and business-like, after Prague. We liked the Schonbrunn Palace the best. The tour of the palace is amongst the best organized walks I have ever seen. Wonder why we can't replicate these in India.

Rome
Our first impression of the city was unfortunately formed by the Termini railway station where we landed up first. The station reminded us of Mumbai's Dadar station at it's peak hours - not only for the crowds, but also in its rather dirty upkeep. Sad.

We had come to Rome with the intention of gorging on the best of Italian pizzas and pastas. It was after our first meal that we realized how different true Italian food is against we are used to in India. The lack of spice (and the look a waiter gave us when we asked for additional oregano and chilli flakes), made us realize how different was the reality. The only Italian food item which we really enjoyed was gelato.

Now the positives.

The Vatican and the Sistine chapel (despite having waiting lines like Tirupati back home), were mind-blowing in their grandeur and beauty. The Colloseum, the Capitol hill, the Palantine hill and the Pantheon are incredible visits - the experience of seeing the history of thousands of years in such grandeur - few things can match the experience.

Overall, Rome requires at least a week of time, a lot of energy and a large budget to do justice to.

Paris
Highlights of the city:
- The Eiffel when it shines at night
- The Notre Dame cathedral and its environs
- The Collections of the Louvre: the tablet with the Hammurabi code, the sculptures and paintings of the masters, the digital Nintendo-enabled walkthrough
- The Sienne river

People often have grandiose views of this city. To us, however, Prague was probably more romantic and prettier. Maybe we didn't spend enough time to sample all it had to offer. Maybe we didn't visit the right places. Maybe it was just the tiny hotel room that cost a bomb. Whatever the reason, it just didn't cut it.

---
This was a trip we had planned for many years. Ultimately, while we always wanted to do a summer visit, we ended up with a winter trip. Our experiences were influenced by the icy weather and the Christmas and New Year celebrations at various places. We didn't realize we would find Prague so impressive, and find ourselves so let down by Paris. Dubai's development was eye-opening. All said, this trip will remain one of our most memorable getaways ever.

Interesting things about Norway

1. Its expensive ! A half litre water bottle costs the equivalent of $10.

2. There are almost no English newspapers, but people speak English everywhere .

3. Architecture and design have a huge presence. Some of Oslo's new buildings are quite funky.

4. Doors have no consistent opening style. Some open inwards, some outwards, and some automatically so. One can never tell till one is nearby though.

5. People are quite humble in general. Jante's law is culturally valued. Though people can get quite aggressive in meetings.

6. There are surprisingly few Asians around. The least I have seen in any country so far.

7. People don't seem to greet strangers or make eye contact normally. Very different from the US.

8. People are very physically active. Everyone is jogging, cycling or hiking around.

9. Most taxis in Oslo are Mercs. Beats Singapore in their number.

10. None of the big hotel chains - The Hilton's, Sheraton's or Marriott's have a visible presence here. But there are quite a few good Nordic ones - Thon, Nordic choice, Scandic.

Hasseraghatta and Kuteeram - A weekend near Bangalore

There was a birthday to celebrate, and we had the weekend  to ourselves. Thanks to a very benevolent sister we had bookings at the Kuteeram at Hasseraghatta. We had heard positive reviews about it before, but largely about the Nityagram dance village opposite which it is located. 

Hasseraghatta is a small village / township approximately 18-20 kms to the outskirts of Bangalore, approximately an hour's drive from the city center. The area was originally known for a large man-made reservoir, which used to have a prominent yatch club, but now the reservoir is completely dry. Nityagram is a dance-village and school established by the famous Odissi Dancer Protima Gauri in the early 1990's, and boasts of a famous dancing ensemble and celebrity visitors.

The drive to the location is quite a maze, but we had an easier time due to the mapmyindia navigator device with us. The Taj Kuteeram is an offbeat hotel with 15-20 rooms modeled after the vintage houses of Karnataka. The rooms are spacious and well-maintained, but in a rustic village setting with gardens and trees all around. The hotel's restaurant is  centrally located overseeing a fountain and a small stream of water, with ducks bounding about. The food is pretty good, but the downside is that one has to chose from a preset menu. Besides that, there are a few games that one can play, learn pottery and see a magic show or two. 

The Kuteeram is a great getaway from town, particularly on a weekend, and if one wants to do nothing but relax and enjoy the peace. We loved it because of the quiet and calm of the location, after a stressful week at work. But more activity-seeking individuals, and in particular kids may not find it as much fun. Yet, it is a great weekend getaway to consider from Bangalore, and is often available at a value price.

A weekend in Mysore

The Mysore Palace - at night

Mysore is Karnataka's second largest city, and is situated at a distance of 120 odd kilometres from Bangalore. Known for its beautiful gardens and its gorgeous Palace, the erstwhile capital city of the Wodeyars is bustling with historical treasures too. That besides, it also forms a stopping point to tourists visiting the National Parks of Bandipur and Nagarhole. Given the long weekend, we decided to do a quick drive to explore the city and its environs. 

The drive to Mysore took us a little over 3 hours, largely because of the Metro construction work going on along Mysore Road inside city limits. Once on the highway though, it was a breezy drive. 

Our first stop was the Mysore Palace. The palace is an old monument, documenting the life, times and objects of the Kings of Mysore. Wierdly though, cameras are not allowed to be taken into the Palace and so is any footwear. From 7 to 8 pm each night, the Palace has a beautiful sound and light show highlighting the life and times of the Mysore state. Sadly, this show is set in Kannada, leaving all out of state and out of country visitors scratching their heads. However the show culminates with a fully lit palace, decked up with a million lights, making it worthy for everyone around.

Nagarhole

The next day, we did an early morning drive to Nagarhole, or the Rajiv Gandhi National Park as it is called, located at a distance of ~100 kms from Mysore. The Safari runs between 6-9 AM in the mornings, so we had an early start and covered the distance in about 2 hours. In January, Nagarhole is brown-green, with the trees having just about shed their leaves and new shoots on the way. The Safari ran for about an hour, and we saw a few elephants and lots of deer, but could not chance a glance at the elusive tiger for which Nagarhole is famous. 

Iruppu Falls

The Iruppu falls or the Lakshmanatirtha falls was our next port of call. Located 15 kms away from Nagarhole, the route runs along the scenic coffee plantations and is a worthy drive. The falls are located at a 100-odd steps of a climb up in the Bramhagiri range and have a quite a bit of water in January. Its a popular pilgrimage spot too with lots of people taking a shower in the falls and visiting the Rama temple nearby.

Enroute back, we decided to spend a few hours at the Jaganmohana Palace, which hosts an Art Gallery we had heard much about. The exhibit was quite impressive in the breadth and nature of the paintings  - the originals of Ravi Varma, Haldenkar, Tagore, and Roerich amongst others. However, the state of neglect with which these are maintained is quite sad, with dust everywhere, and holes and tears on the paintings and artifacts (wonder why a plastic/glass cover could not at least be put up). Yet, this is a worthy visit for all art lovers out there.

Overall, Mysore is an interesting city and a worthy weekend getaway. Close to Bangalore, yet much quieter, and with a lot of culture and tradition. Some of its elements could be maintained better, but a city to explore nevertheless.

For those who intend to follow our trail:

a. Do try to take the outer-ring road / Nice road to get out of the city. Despite being longer, given all the construction going on Mysore road, its a much faster way.

b. One of Mysore's most common scams is of auto/horse-cart drivers telling you that a certain monument or museum opens one or two hours later than the present time, and offering to take you to a convenient shopping destination till then, from which of course they receive a commission. Quite shameful to see this happening, but seems like a common enough occurance to which we were almost subjected twice, till we realized the game.

c. We stayed at the Mango suites at Jayalakshmipuram, and would recommend it to others. With pricing usually in the range of a Ginger, it offers spacious, clean rooms and a comfortable bed. Plus its located in a convenient area.

d. The Mysore Palace opens from 8.30 AM in the morning till 6 PM everyday. The Art Gallery opens from 8.30 AM to 5 PM each day. Nagarhole is open between 6AM and 6PM each day. Let nobody tell you otherwise, particularly the auto-drivers.

Bali, serene Bali

If there is one thing that can must be pointed of Bali, it is its serenity. The feeling of peace and calmness that one experiences on the island matches the most laid-back areas of Goa. Time seems to run at a slower pace. The beauty, the tradition and the calm demeanor of people around makes one slow down and take a breather.

We landed in Bali after a hectic and tiring series of days. The flight from Chennai was rather uneventful, except for a sleepy break at the KL Airport where we struggled to find vegetarian food and had to finally settle for pizza and popcorns. The Ngurah Rai International Airport at Denpasar, Bali seemed a bit dated, and under renovation (mildly reminiscent of the Ninoy Aquino Airport at Manila, in the same brick mold). While the queues were long, the airport staff seemed efficient and quickly passed us through. 

The cab-driver seemed glad to see us, saying that Bali was the last Hindu area in Indonesia and it was great to find Indians with whom they had a shared culture. Enroute to the hotel was also a massive statue depicting the war scene between Ghatotkacha and Karna during the Mahabharatha, bigger than we had seen anywhere in India.

Bali Mahabharatha scene (source: Vivek Pandit)

Nusa Dua was our first port of call. Nusa Dua is a clustered set of resorts in the southern end of Bali which usually holds conventions and conference. The area may seem a bit plasticky to those seeking culture, but we were glad to check into a comfortable bed after a strenuous trip. 

The Nusa Dua hotel and convention center (yes, named after the area), is a beautifully decorated, yet slightly dated hotel in the center of Nusa Dua. The rooms are large and beautiful, and look onto beautiful gardens and pools that face the sea. The weather was a bit balmy and reminded us of Goa. The hotel has a beautiful white sandy beach, with waters that are sometimes green-blue, and often crystal clear. All hotels in Nusa Dua share a walking path that runs along the beach, and one can quickly hop between hotels to sample the best of restaurants around. Bali also has amongst the widest range of fruits I have seen in any country (baring the Philippines, of course). 

We had got an international drivers permit to drive around the island, and on the very first day managed to hire a car. In retrospect, it was one of the best moves we ever made. Petrol on the island is cheap, the roads are well laid, and traffic is relatively coherent and sparse (relative to India, of course. Westerners have a different notion altogether). In addition, cars are a right-hand drive, quite like India.

Further North of the airport is the big backpacker hangout of Kuta, a bustling market-place that is very alike Kathmandu's Thamel or Bangkok's Khao San. Shops sell items from every part of the planet and the mulling backpacker crowd seems to talk every language out there. North of Kuta is the upmarket Seminyak, with its bevy of luxury hotels (including the Oberoi and the Anantara), where apparently the who's-who of the world stay when they come visiting.

Ulun Batur Temple

The city of Denpasar reminded us of the towns of Kerala, with sloping ornate roofs, criss-cross roads, and its smattering of gardens. The Bali Museum situated in town is small, but a worthy visit to understand Balinese culture in greater detail.

After a couple of days in Nusa Dua, we moved to Ubud, made famous in "Eat, Pray, Love". Ubud is one of the prettiest places I have been to. The culture, the markets, the verdant greenery of the rice-fields, the spas, and the bustling back-packer crowds make it an great experience for an idle walk around. An interesting part of the Ubud is the Monkey forest, where gazillions of monkeys abound. Most travellers love feeding the monkeys and playing with them, and it makes a fun watch, except when some of the simians start bounding after you!

During our stay in Ubud, we decided to take a chance and drive up to Lovina, near the northern-most tip of the island. The guy who we hired the car from, had said that the Lovina was "very very far", but we decided to take a chance, since at just under a hundred kilometers it didn't seem much. The drive took us a total of 3 hours from Ubud, and was quite memorable cutting across the Kintamani mountains with their verdant chill, and giving us a chance to visit the famous lake temple of Ulun Danu Batur. Interestingly, outside the temple of Ulun Batur was a painter, one of whose paintings was of Shah Rukh Khan !

The weather in Lovina was balmy and a bit sultry - reminding me of Mumbai. The beach, however, was nothing special - covered with stones and quite a bit of dirt - similar to the Chowpatty. As we walked along the beach, a couple of fishermen sitting nearby turned around, and noticing we were Indians, started singing "Kuch kuch hota hai" (!) with a Balinese twinge, making it a memorable visit. 

Another memorable trip was a visit to the temple of Ulu Watu, with its famous Hanuman Kecak and Fire Dance, depicting Hanuman's visit to Lanka and the burning of the tail & island. The actor playing 'Hanuman' was funny, jumping around all over the arena and in-between the audiences, and the crescendo rendition of the 'chak-chak'-ing monkey actors created an intensely theatrical, emotional feel.

Ulu Watu Hanuman Kecak Dance

For Indians visiting Bali: Given the cultural similarity, Indians will associate well with the shared culture and legends (the Ramayana is widely popular, and so is Shah Rukh Khan ;-D). Vegetarian food is available widely. In addition, there is much to learn from the way Balinese people have inter-vowen and maintained their traditional culture in every part of their lifestyle - from the architecture, their music, to their daily food.

(For the record, we visited Bali late last year. I have finally managed to complete this post, after having sat down to write multiple times in parts)

Ranganathittu Ho!

Ranganthittu is a bird sanctuary located nearly 120 kms from Bangalore on the Mysore road, just off Srirangapatna. It's a day's drive from Bangalore and we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather to do a quick dekko.

We started from Bangalore around 7am with plans to reach the sanctuary by around 9-10. We took the Mysore road (State Highway #17) passing through Kengeri, Channapatna and Maddur. Surprisingly, we hit heavy traffic before RVCE, with all the Metro construction around which slowed us quite a bit. By the time we found the high road again near Kengeri, it was nearly 9.

Channapatna toy

We stopped for breakfast at Kamat near Ramanagara around 10. The buffet spread was awesome, with a wide range of regional delicacies that left us satiated, yet drowsy. The Jackfruit modaka and the Moode idli were outstanding! After buying a few colorful Channapatna toys (wooden ones for which it is famous), we headed out towards Mandya.

The turn after Srirangapatna towards the sanctuary was surprisingly unmarked. Thankfully with the iPhone navigators we had, we were able to find our way across the inner roads towards the sanctuary.

The sanctuary itself is incredibly verdant and well maintained. It has beautifully manicured lawns up front and the walk-ways are well paved. The main area of the sanctuary is a small lake (estuary?) of the Cauvery river, with a walk-way around it.

Ranganthittu stork

A large number of birds inhabit the islands on the lake - herons, egrets, painted storks - of varied colors and sizes, and are a worthy watch even to a un-ornithologist (for lack of a better word). The standard trip is a group short boating trip, though one can organized customized longer group-tours as well. Beware of the water though, for it has crocodiles in it, and we found 2-3 sized ones calmly swimming about (the guard assured us that the crocs were clearly fish and bird-eatarians and left humans alone).

Overall it was a worthy visit. The access one has to the birds is one of the closest I have had in any of the bird sanctuaries in India, literally a feet away at times. Plus the green surroundings and the calm waters make a worthy boating experience.

For those who follow: 1. The best times to visit are from February to May. 2. Make sure you try out the Kamat's lunch enroute from Bangalore. 3. The turn-off after Srirangapatna to Ranganthittu is unmarked, so do be on the lookout to avoid missing it. 4. Tickets at the entrance of the sanctuary include a boating trip (so do not book it again inside, as we did and realized late). 5. Do take a binocular or a telephoto lens for your camera for a great photo-opportunity.

Kausani, in Himalayan view

Kausani Range View

For most travel lovers from Delhi, a trip to the hills is a favorite weekend getaway. A long break at the year end offered us the perfect timeout. Nainital was our original intent, but Kausani came much recommended from colleagues.

We started off on a wintery thursday morning, with dense fog covering quite a bit out of the route out of Delhi. The traffic was sparse. We crossed Ghaziabad and Garmukteshwar rapidly and reached Moradabad by late morning.

Going from past experience, we decided to take the Kaladhungi route to Nainital, as it was quite scenic and well paved the last time I drove. Little did I know that the road was being paved, and came across the worst road I have ever seen. Over a period of 3hrs we covered approximately 10 kms, bumping over stone of every size and type - the poor car received many a beating.

The climb from Kaladhungi to Nainital was quite scenic though, with coniferous forests covering the route. We reached Nainital around late lunchtime and quickly checked into our hotel near the lake. Nainital has quite a few narrow winding climbs, and despite all my driving experience, landed a bad gash to the car that I badly regret.

Nainital was cold. Freezing cold. The mall road was lit up, but few tourists sauntered around the streets. We quickly made our way across the market, looking to buy a few souveniers. A friend had asked for some wax creations. We were surprised to learn that wax is a major produce of the region, with exquisite wax creations unlike anything we've seen anywhere before.

Next day, we got off to a late brunch, savoring the steaming hot maggi, bread pakodas and steaming tea served around the lake. A walk around the lake added to the sense of joi de vivre.

The standard road to Kausani from Nainital goes via Almora, but a recent landslide had made the route untenable. So we took the alternative longer route, via Ranikhet.

Ranikhet is an active cantonment town, with well paved roads and a beautiful view of the Nanda Devi range. The drive from Ranikhet to Kausani feels like a drive to nowhere, with winding narrow roads that cut across river valleys and sleepy village hamlets. Yet no doubt beautifully scenic.

We landed in Kausani after a 4 hour ride, only to realize that the hotel we had booked, advertised as an “eco-hut”, was just about that. A small hut. With a painfully long winding climb. And under construction.

Anashakti Ashram

All hotels seemed choc-a-block for New Years, but thankfully we found one with vacancy. Krishna Mountain View is a charming 3/4 star hotel with a brilliant view of the Himalayas, situated right next to the Anashakti Ashram. The Ashram was the abode of Gandhiji, when he wrote his treatise on the Anashakti yoga. A statue of his still stands in the Ashram, and is a major tourist spot in Kausani.

Next morning we did a quick hike up the mountain path bordering the hotel to reach a forest covered temple, that provided a sunny view of clear blue skies, cottony clouds, lush green trees, and brown mud tracks.

Kausani has a pretty shawl factory, where shawls are still made by hand. An old weaver patiently showed us the process explaining the warp and weft of the fabric. We were humbled by the amount of effort he put into each shawl, with each thread woven with great care.

Baijnath temples

We also made a quick trip to the Baijnath temple, stopping over at the tea gardens briefly enroute. The architecture of the temples resemble those in Puri and those in the South. The temples are eons old, said to have been built by the Pandavas, in honour of Lord Shiva.

After a good two day stay in Kausani, we decided to head back, taking the Ranikhet-Kathgodam route back. This route was clearly more scenic than the climb, with the road taking a circuitous mountain path, along the Corbett sanctuary. The road from Kathgodam to Moradabad is badly maintained, but not as abysmal as the route through Kaladhungi.

For those who plan to follow: Avoid the Kaladhungi route to Nainital. If going to Kausani, the Kathgodam route is the best bet. Kausani is a worthy visit if seeking peace and quiet, but it ain't no party place with just a few shops to keep busy. Krishna Mountain View is a great hotel, but may be a bit pricey - budget travellers may want to consider staying at the Ashram itself which seems well maintained. Finally, a navigation device like the MapMyIndia navigator we had is an invaluable asset to navigate the poorly mapped roads of the hills. God speed!

Landing up in lansdowne

Lansdowne is a small hill-station, situated at a distance of around 250 kms from Delhi. Named after an erstwhile British Viceroy of India, it is the home town of the Garhwal Rifles regiment of the Indian military, and is a well maintained, quiet and beautiful cantonment town. It also happens to be the closest 'hill-station' from Delhi.

A friend's visit and enough weekend enthusiasm got us moving early on an April Saturday morning. Despite limited morning traffic, reaching Meerut (some 70 kms from Delhi) took us over 2 hours.

Meerut is a dusty, yet vibrant and colorful town. A perfect spot to click those 'A day in the life of India' pictures. We quickly crossed the town and headed towards Mawana. Famous for its sugar, 'cane fields and mango orchards lined the route. Verdant green, and at this time of the year, blooming with mango flowers.The route from Mawana heads towards Najibabad and Bijnor, and is surprisingly well laid and maintained. 

A few kilometers outside of Mirapur, the road splits into two - with the one for Bijnor heading to the right. Busy with small talk and soaking in the beauty of those beautiful orchards, we missed the turn and headed straight to Muzzafarnagar. Nearing the town's vicinity, we realized our folly and with some Google Maps help, speedily headed back to track.

Drive up from Koratdwar was nice and breezy. Nice winding mountain roads, beautiful pine trees and meadows all around, and with hardly any traffic.

Oak Grove Inn, where we had booked our stay, lies on the Pauri-Lansdowne route, and required a slight detour to reach. This was the day of the World Cup Final match, with India and Sri Lanka battling it out, and we had reached just in time for the start.

The Inn, run by a retired Army Colonel (Col. Rawat) and his wife, is a beautiful, cozy, homely and neat bed-and-breakfast stay, situated a few kilometers outside the boundaries of Lansdowne, overlooking a beautiful valley. The Col. and his wife were great hosts, and went beyond their way to organize our stay. Gave me explicit directions on every part of the drive from Delhi to Lansdowne, and called me up twice enroute to enquire on my direction. While at the place too, they went out of their way to ensure things were up to the market. The closest one can get to feeling homely, away from home.

After settling in, we took a break during Sri Lanka's slog overs to go around town. 

The town is well maintained, with the army's discipline well exhibited. Small parks, winding clean roads, military presence all abound. Few attractions exist: a well laid-out museum on the Garwhal Rifles, a couple of view-points, and a lake (that could very well be a ditch).

What's distinctive is the quietness. Unlike most hill stations in India, there is little commercial activity. Few people walking around in gay abandon, and hardly any families with kaw-kawing children, that are wont at every other hill-station. It's almost un-Indian in this general lack of population / activity, and the cleanliness. The winding tree-lined roads make a great walking destination too.   

The evening, of course, was devoted to watching the match. And what a fine contest it turned out to be!

Overall, Lansdowne is a great place for a quiet weekend getaway from Delhi. Just don't land up there expecting to shop and party. However, it's just THE place to stretch your legs and detox away from Delhi's dust.

For those who seek to follow the trail: The drive takes 6+ hours, depending on the traffic, and your familiarity  with the route. After Meerut, follow NH-119 to Mawana, Bijnor, Najibabad and Kotdwar. The real traffic choke-point is Modinagar/Meerut, the rest of the drive, particularly after Mawana, is a drivers delight. Enroute, shortly after Mirapur, remember to take the right turn at a restaurant called 'Monty Millions' to head to Bijnor. Oak Grove is a great place to stay. Alternatively, the GVMN guest house at Tiffin Top is a picturesque location.

Of salad days in Srinagar and lingering summers in Leh

| pagudhi moondru (part III) of the kashmir varalaaru...

Leh, a city set amidst the vast barreness of the Ladakh plateau, besides the meandering Indus river; a city filled with tourists from all over the planet, with Tibetan handicrafts and culture all around, and nice smiling people. The most backpacker-ish destination I've seen in India - milling with European, American and Asian crowd - almost reminded me of Thailand.

The Leh palace, a beautiful multi-tiered, though dilapidated, structure overlooking the city, with a further steep climb up to the Namgyal gompa. The Hemis monastery, with its stunning views of the city, its environs and the airport.

The Khardung La, the world's highest motorable pass, covered in snow even during summer. The sweet kashmiri-ladakhi kahwah. The yellow mustard flowers adjoining meandering rivers.

The Nubra valley. The ride along the river bed enroute to Siachen. The tall monasteries in the middle of nowhere. With smiling, red and yellow covered, monk kids. So intensely quiet. Why do people live here? So far away, yet so happy?

A camel ride on bactrian double humped camels on white sand-dunes at 10,000 ft, beneath the snow covered mountains. Meeting school kids from the US doing social service and backpacking women from the Netherlands, in the middle of nowhere. The long discussions and debates late into the night, on life, universe and everything, beneath the star studded lucid night sky.

The Chang La, the world's third highest motorable pass. Its smiling Indian soldiers who serve free kahwah and biscuits to the worn-out traveller. The ride along meandering dry river beds to the Pangong Tso. The sighting of the Himalayan marmot.

The Pangong Tso, the world's highest freshwater lake (why is everything the world's highest in something here?). Crystal blue and hued in myriad colors as the sun passes by. Incredibly quiet, and icy cold. The hot maggi served to the parched throat by the restaurant beside the lake.

Leh is a place at peace. Despite its bustle, it has an omnipresent feeling of eternal peace, that permeates everyone who passes. May be its the people, maybe it is its isolation and barren beauty, maybe its the monasteries. Om Mane Padme Hum.

Of salad days in Srinagar and lingering summers in Leh

| part II of the kashmir chronicles ...

The bus to Leh takes a slow, winding (and sputtering) route to Kargil, along the banks of the Indus river. I met a couple of American backpackers on the bus with whom I was to share much a friendship later, a couple of Indian travellers with whom I was to share much a smile, a triad of Portugese with whom I was to share hardly a nod, and the bus driver and its conductor who became my guide on the long ride.

Now I have this zest for photography, nothing serious, but a whimsical fancy that comes to the fore everytime I travel. Early into the ride, not content with getting an aisle seat, I managed to secure a place right next to the driver, that gave me an expansive front view of the route. The seat also bought me the cameraderie of the driver and his chummies, who spent the ride explaining the intricacies of the way.

The road to Leh snakes its way up the hill via Sonmarg, up the Zoji La pass and downwards on to Kargil. The route is dry and barren, but with a stunning scenery of exotic grey-brown and enormous mountains and the blue indus river snaking beneath. At many a section along the route, it seems the road is exposed to firing from across the border, something the driver took great glee in pointing out to us grave-faced folk (but of course, these are peaceful times). And at many a point along the route, are memorial stones of Indian soldiers who have laid down their lives in the multiple wars that the two nations have fought.

Enroute Kargil, is the infamous town of Drass, epicenter of the Kargil war that took place a decade back. Today, the town is yet another small township, with a small teashop, a quiet police station and an exquisite J&K tourism board indicating that the town is the 'second coldest inhabited place in the world' - bloddy hot in summer though, I must admit. Outside Drass, and enroute the town of Kargil are military memorials to the decade old war (yes, it occured exactly a decade before - 1999 was the year).

The Kargil township itself is a narrow, though bustling, market intersection with a bunch of shops and houses crowding the hillside. This was our night halt. Interestingly, the place has quite a few decent hotels, cybercafes and restaurants serving everything from Mughlai to Chinese cuisine and playing old Hindi songs.

Early in the morning at 4 am, vary of my keylong morning dog-chase last year, I made my way, with trepidation, in the darkness to the bus. Thankfully, Kargil had quite a few early birds, up to catch buses, none of whom were dogs.

And what a roar the Indus makes in the quietness of the morning twilight!

It was another day's journey to Leh, a day through dry mountainous passes, through 21S-curved roads, along the edge of tall gorges, with exquisitely shaped mountain ranges colored in red, green, blue and yellow!, through a monasteric Ladakhi landscape and along the omnipresent Indus river. The apricots were sweet, the weather hot, the driver amusing, the company interesting and the ride, unforgetful.

This is a ride people must undertake, if only to realize that beauty exists even in the dry barreness of mountains and in the craziest, remotest of places. As I was to realize later, Ladakh would remind me of this over and over again.

...

Of salad days in Srinagar and lingering summers in Leh

It was a spur of the moment choice that I decided to hoist my bags and head out to the Kashmir valley. I had a week's alloted vacation, no particular destination in mind and was nursing a loathful grudge against a certain visa officer who chose not to stamp my passport in gay abandon.

The flight to Srinagar took but a passing hour; the cab ride to town with a cowboyish driver, almost half. A hotel on the banks of the Dal Lake, lay roomed beneath a temple hill.

Srinagar seemed so different from other Indian cities. Inherently pretty, the charm of a place still apathetic to the passage of time. The Dal Lake with its innumerous shikaras and multitude of boats, yet so peacefully quiet. The kahwah tea, with its cinnamon, cardomom and saffron scents, that I so fell in love with. The Mughal gardens, so serenly beautiful, wistfully reminiscent of a bygone era. The Shankaracharya hill with its all-encompassing views. The warm kashmiri people - never else across the country have I seen such care and affection for a wandering traveler. And finally, a choking military and police presence, a lingering tension in the air and in words, a smoldering war zone feel to an otherwise incredibly beautiful place.

And yet, Srinagar seemed so similar to other Indian cities. People crib about ineffective politicians. Autos and guesthouses fleece you, unless you bargain. People dump garbage everywhere on the street. People love watching hindi soaps on TV all the time. And all buses belong to the last century.

In such a bus I made the trip to Gulmarg (and later to Leh). Gulmarg is a small hill-station, some 50 odd kilometers from Srinagar. The slouching bullock-cart of a bus sputtered its way to Gulmarg over a leisurely 4 hour period. Slow enough, for us to savor the white-daisy studded green meadows and the tall deodar trees covering the route.

Gulmarg has a two stage Gondola that goes all the way up to the snowline and to the edge of the Line of Control of India. The top was all snow, even in the summer heat. The LOC, an unseen border between two nations, with military huts on either side. The first Gondola stage is in fact, more pretty than the second, with lush green, horse grazed meadows and tall verdant deodar trees beneath the snowy mountainous peaks, as if out picked out of a pretty painting. Stood I, staring there, for many an hour.

... part I of the kashmir chronicles |

Human, human, burning bright...

At Bharatpur, near Mathura, is the Kaladeo Ghana bird sanctuary. Near Alwar, is the famous Sariska wildlife sanctuary. Both are located at an approximate 200 kilometers from Delhi and are good weekend destinations. Taking advantage of a long weekend, we decide to check out both.

The drive to Bharatpur along the NH2 is pretty much peaceful because of the good roads (except for a small stretch before Bharatpur that's getting relaid) and takes around 4 hours. Now, Bharatpur lacks enough decent accommodation for a tourist season and one must reserve well in advance. We discovered this to our folly when landed in Bharatpur late at night only to be told all the rooms were taken. After some cajoling we got ourselves into a govt guest house that was not clearly worth the money.

Early morning saw us queuing up at the sanctuary gate, trying to get ourselves to the services of a rickshaw to ferry us around. 20 rickshaws, carrying 2 each, to service a 1000 tourists who land up in a day. So imagine the odds of getting one. Luckily, and likely since we were one of the early 'birds', we chanced on two untaken rickshaws. That saved the day for us.

The sanctuary is spread over a huge acreage and requires around 3-4 hours at least (by rickshaw) to do justice to. The rickshaw men are clearly erudite guides, dispensing detailed info on birds of every variety around. As a comparison to Vedanthangal (near Chennai, which I've been to) the sanctuary is clearly more vast and has greater diversity.

For people going to Bharatpur: reserve accomodation before you land up (the RTDC one inside the sanctuary is great if you manage to get it), get there as early as possible at the entrance (the park opens at around 6 am) and try to get the earliest rickshaws. A lot of headache could be avoided if one manages to arrange good cycles to use at the sanctuary (as we saw a couple of foreign tourists do).

The route from Bharatpur to Sariska takes about 4-5 hours and is paved with potholes. The route broadly runs to Deeg and onto Alwar before reaching Sariska. Since we couldn't manage to reserve accommodation in Sariska, we decided to stay the night at Alwar - which in retrospect turned out to be a good decision.

Alwar is a beautiful, well planned town, very alike Jaipur and endowed with a beautiful looking fort on a hill and a lake. Its also just a hour's drive away from Sariska. We hit out early morning to Sariska and chanced upon some beautiful barasingha deer on the road.

It is a testament to the abysmally inadequate tourism infrastructure in our country that a sanctuary with thousands of visitors a day has less than 20 jeeps at its disposal, so that one needs to stand in line at 6-7am braving cold, hoping to be alloted one. Luckily, we managed this as well.

Sariska has recently transplanted two tigers (three more are on the way, as it seems) but spotting them is an exercise in impossibility. What one can see are large numbers of deer (sambar and nilgai), peacock, wild boars and an occasional jackal. But the anticipation of catching sight of a tiger seems to have brought so many people to the sanctuary that, while open, there are clearly more humans inside the sanctuary than wild animals. I bet the animals go "Human, human, burning bright..."

Besides the hunt for the unseen tiger, the jungle track off-roading is quite an experience and the kankanwadi fort has quite a beautiful setting (though with a back breaking approach road).

In sum, Sariska is worthy of a weekend trip. But more tigers and jeeps would greatly help. And so would better accommodation options. Finally, the latest news is that the the road from Alwar to Gurgaon is being relaid - if so, its better to take that, NH8 is way too crowded with heavy traffic.

Vegetable Pad Thai

Thailand is a beautiful country, so culturally similar to India, yet as economically developed as a lot of the west. And Bangkok is an impressive city - incredible flyovers, malls with wares from all over the world, gorgeous temples, a beautiful meandering river and smiling people all over. What's also nice is the harmonious mix of cultures and religions - the Thai, the Chinese, the Indian, the western, the Buddhist, the Hindu, the Muslim,... - in expressions all over the city. Most of the city is explorable on foot (with periodic hops onto the bts, the metro, the ferries and the tuk-tuks) particularly the old town which hosts the magnificent Wats.

So one day, I paraded into this crowded Thai diner, which specializes in sea food, and asked for a vegetable Pad Thai. Pure vegetarian, I emphasized. (Don't ask why, I have these streaks). The withering look I got from the waitress said it all. Then, in a typical Thai fashion, she laughed, and said something (which I later figured was mai-pen-rai or 'its ok' in Thai), and got me a bowl of tastiest noodles I've ever had. In memoriam, I title this post, the Vegetable Pad Thai.

It's a blue jay in Toronto

Toronto has quite a Chicago-esque feel to it - with tall skyscrapers and stone paved roads, it even has a nice waterfront without as much wind-chill.

In all, the place feels so much like the US, yet seems much more multi-cultural in practice. For one, I've never found so much and varied vegetarian food anywhere in the US and seen so many people of Asian origin milling around (but then, I haven't been to NY).

Downtown Toronto is quite pretty, with its Victorian style buildings blending into skyscraper-covered modernity. The Royal Ontario Museum is certainly huge and its coverage of Europe and Africa (and I must mention, the dinosaurs) is certainly the most comprehensive I've ever seen in a museum. Yet, it has so much to cover, that it would do well to learn some didactic skills from the Fields Museum. The Bata shoe museum, is yet another interesting place to visit and showcases the origin of shoes and shoe types from all over the world - quite a learning experience.

The Niagara falls is quite close, a 2 hour drive away. It's certainly the most awesome falls I've ever seen - when you're down its base in the ferry and you look up at the millions of gallons of water pouring down from such heights, its just awesome.

The CN Tower is yet another interesting place - one of the world's tallest structures and has a revolving restaurant atop. Now, the lift in Express Towers in Mumbai used to block my ears as it went up 20 odd floors; in the CN lift I could hardly feel anything and would not have known I'd gone up a few thousand feet had I not had glass around. The view atop, if course, magnificient.

And the weather, for now, is pretty much great in summer. The winter though, I hear is only for the locals.

(Blue Jays is the local baseball team)

Of golden temples and snow covered summer peaks

and ... I must add, jingoism, rickety bus rides and eternal peace.

Amritsar: A dusty little town with an old world charm, its crowded streets lined with age old buildings, its colorful markets that seem to have stood still in a byegone era, the mouth-watering food; The Golden Temple - so peaceful, so quiet, so beautiful; Wagah border - a interesting display of well orchestrated jingoism, a spectacle of marches and crowd chants, from both sides.

Dharamsala: A rickety eight hour bus ride away from Amritsar, along broken meandering roads in a suspensionless bus; the first view of the snow-capped peaks blowing away all fatigue, the twisting roads of Mcleodganj; the Tibetan monks, their temples and protests; yet a place of all pervading peace; Triund - a worthy 2-3 hr trek up the hills, a hailstorm covering the land with white, a meadow out of the sound of music, all beneath the beautiful peaks.

Memoirs of my travel through two interesting towns, just the essence.

Sauntering around Surajkund

The Surajkund Mela is an annual handicrafts and arts fair, organized by Haryana Tourism at the town of Surajkund, a short distance from South Delhi. It spans the first fortnight of February and showcases work of artists from all over India and some overseas.

Taking advantage of a beautiful wintry Sunday afternoon, I landed up at the place. Seemed well organized and with lots of parking space - enough considering there were so many people around to make it look as if all of Delhi had checked in.

The fair presents an impressive collection of crafts and arts from all over India - ranging from Rajasthani paintings to Manipoori bamboo art and from Tanjore paintings to Kashimri Pashima shawls. The whole place wore a carnival atmosphere with performances of ethnic dances at every corner. What added to the fun was that visitors seemed so eager to participate in doing a jig along with the traditional folk.

There was also a food court that doled out culinary mish-mash from all over the country - perfect for a chilly Sunday afternoon meal. Surprisingly, it was so neat that I did not find a single piece of garbage around.

In sum, its a worthy visit. Perfect if you want to pickup assorted handicraft from all over the country at a decent price (it certainly wasn't as pricy as some of those handicraft emporiums at CP). More than anything else, the carnival atmosphere and ethnic dances performances make it worthy of a wintry weekend afternoon.

To get there: Surajkund is located at a short distance, south of the Tughlakhabad fort. One needs to turn off the Mehrauli-Badarpur road, immediately at the fort or at the next and head for a few kilometres along a meandering hilly road to hit the town. There are signboards everywhere leading to the fair. Badapur, which is usually a crowded and dusty industrial area, was surprisingly clear this Sunday - the weekend seems a good time to visit.