Visit to Sicily and Italy Part 1     

 September 2017

Our group with Lakshmi Travels has covered many, many destinations.   Each place surprised, delighted, educated and entertained us, but none more than Italy.   It had a combination of all the adventurous elements plus pure pleasure like fabulous views,  pizza, cappuccinos and gelato!   Yes, we made good use of it all!   From the awe-inspiring cathedrals housed in sun drenched piazzas to the true blue oceans, from nature at its worst like Mt. Etna to the ancient ruins that told their own stories from the past, it was all a riotous run through time and space and now we are back, left to figure out what it was all about!  Two packed weeks of a well researched itinerary put together by Lakshmi for us exclusively!  Let me tell you, looking at your photos will not help much as every town had a gate, a cathedral and a piazza, as Shankar put it, a  GCP!   The only way to make sense is to take it from day one and try to relive our own special memories.

This time we were 28 people in our group, some old friends and a few new.   Coming from different directions, we met in Rome and caught our connecting flight to Palermo.   When we were picked up at the airport in a very large, luxurious bus with a friendly driver, we were happy to discover that we would be travelling in the same vehicle all through up to Rome, even crossing to the mainland on a ferry which would carry the bus.   We made it our second home for the next  two weeks, almost!  Palermo is an important city in Sicily.   We had  plans to visit several places in Sicily including the famous volcano, Mt. Etna.

 In Palermo

Our tour manager was Mr. Anil Edwin  who stayed with us throughout and the local guide in Palermo, Roberta.   She introduced us to the city by saying that the piazza in the Roman style was from 1874 and the main opera house was one of the biggest and best in the world. The city also got its name having a big port (pan-ormos).   It is a town set in the plains, surrounded by hills.   It has two main cathedrals.  She alerted us to the fact that the architecture style here is Norman combined with Arabian as Muslim talent also went into the design.  In the 9^th to 11^th centuries, there were 300 mosques in Palermo which were later changed to churches, some retaining vestiges of their heritage.   The two major structures actually compete with each other – one built by the Archbishop and a later more elaborate one in nearby Monreale by the king, who only accepted the supremacy of Jesus and not other Church authorities.  Located on a higher elevation and built over 20 years, inside it is decorated with 24 ct. gold and colored marble and shows subtle traces of Al Hambra Islamic art.  Virgin Mary holding the child and also a portrait of Jesus and painted wood ceilings are its hallmarks.   Later we checked out the other cathedral, simpler but with a huge organ and miracles depicted on its walls, stories from the Old Testament, including Noah’s Arc.

The guide briefly alluded to the Mafia as she gave our tour.   From what we could figure out, it had started as a group to help people from injustice but had evolved in a different direction.  As we drove through town,  the sharp eyed ones on the bus caught sight of a “Rasalakshmi Saree store” that led to a lively discussion of who the owners might be and indeed who shopped there!  We headed back to the hotel for free time and a few made it in time to take the Opera House  inside tour, it was fairly close to the hotel.   The rest, jet lagged,  rested, then headed out to get the first of the fabulous cappuccinos nearby.   We also walked over to check the view of some marble statues by night, quite a rare sight.

Views along the drive

Marsala was our next destination the following day.  It was a small town with a population of 85,000 and made famous by its gate entrance facing the sea from which Garibaldi came from Southern Italy and unified Sicily.  Besides the decorative gate, there was a lovely garden and museum with ficus trees .  Garibaldi’s memorabilia as well pictures of the soldiers who came with him were inside. We could also view some ancient Greek costumes.  We had a unique lunch with pasta in a creamy pistachio sauce and a very large plate of fried vegetables and rolls.   More on the food later, but suffice to say that the three or four leisurely courses at lunch each day set us back couple of hours on our sight seeing throughout Sicily!

Greek Ruins at Agrigento

We drove through the stark countryside (it had been a very dry rainless summer everywhere in Sicily and Italy) and yet the crops were thriving, mostly olives and grapes used for wine.  Our itinerary was mostly near the coastline as we drove around the island of Sicily and the frequent glimpses of the blue seas coupled with the delightfully sunny weather was a real treat. We were heading for the Greek ruins of Agrigento, known as the Valley of Temples dated between 510 and 430 BC.        They did not disappoint.   Even from a distance we could see the magnificent ruins situated on a small hilltop.   Located adjacent to each other, the first one we saw was the temple of Zeus and Hera, brother and sister from Greek mythology who married each other.  This edifice was not very well preserved,  though huge.  Engineers had declared it to be a marvel of mathematics and symmetry. Only men were allowed inside the temple in the Greek period and animal sacrifice was common.

As we walked along after getting a sneak peak of the town below and the ocean in the distance, we could see what our guide described as areas where coffins had been lodged on the walls where sometimes whole families were “buried”.   Some even had a view having portions that had broken down, “a coffin with a view” as our guide joked.  It was a long walk in the hot sun, but totally worth it!   Especially the Temple of Concorde that was intact with minimal damage – in the glow of the late afternoon, it stood majestic and impressive, a testimony to the engineering skills of its ancient builders.  Some structures, such as this one,  were later used as Churches and were restored in later centuries. Not any more, in fact no one could go inside.

Wholesome Food, Delicious Cannolis

That night at our hotel, we were served eggplant parmigiana, but to the delight of vegans and those looking for low calories, it had no bread or cheese!   Red sauce was also rare in these parts of Sicily.  The cannoli we had somewhere for desert were so delicate and scrumptious, we threw caution to the winds and just ate it all!  Such authentic, wholesome food.   Eggplant was the star of the show everywhere as our group was all vegetarian!

Siracusa

The drive over every mile of Italy was so scenic, full of new sights around every bend, gently rolling hills, neatly laid out  vineyards, now covered in plastic to prevent birds from nibbling the almost ready- to- harvest grapes.  However, as in many other places we have visited previously, the human population seems to be limited to cities.   In the countryside, we could barely see adults, leave alone children or animals.   Anytime someone sighted a human, there was much excitement on our bus.  At our next destination, Siracusa, lunch was at an old restaurant with character.   Wine casks and bottles lined the walls.   We were served salad and spaghetti, topped off with local grapes.   Gave us a chance to go out and taste the gelato in the market place in so many flavors.  It was amazing how the standard of gelato in all of Sicily and Italy was consistently high  though the price varied.   Pistachio was by far the top flavor with our group, with variations of chocolate or hazelnut coming in second!

Then we took a walking tour of the town and were shown a cathedral that was converted from a Greek temple with art work by a famous artist.  I think this town was Siracusa,  quite magnificent with its squares and cathedrals.  The entire square was so huge, stretching over a vast area, it was a pleasure to just be there on that sun- drenched day,  quintessential Italy!

Mt. Etna, Famous Volcano

We stayed at the luxurious Hilton Naxos Giardini  hotel in Taormina and were happy with the lobby and rooms.   Located in the  Taormina Riviera area, it was on the beach and we did make some brief visits to walk along the water, but the sand was so coarse and full of pebbles!   In the evening, we sat by the deserted pool enjoying the ambiance, taking pictures and generally making the most of the free time and company.  Early next morning we left for Mt. Etna, one of the highlights of the Sicily visit.   It was about a two hour ride up the mountain with hairpin bends.   But the drivers here are so good, we had no moments of fear.   After the bus dropped us off at 6,200 ft. elevation, it was the usual wait for the rest rooms.   Believe it or not, this restaurant had only one with a line that snaked out for miles.  That set us back almost an hour and prevented us from taking the tour of the immediately located dormant volcano.   We were haphazardly moved into lines that took us to the cable car ride reaching 8,200 ft.  Our group got split up!  Other countries should learn tourist organization from the US.   We also spent our spare change in Italy by often paying for rest rooms that charged a Euro or 50 cents  in many places.

Mt. Etna did not disappoint.   The cable car (unfortunately with tinted windows) took us close to miles of solidified black lava.   For some reason the authorities were constantly smoothing out these rocks with earth moving equipment.   On reaching the top, we took 4 x 4 bus rides to a higher elevation of 9,600 ft. and walked up the incline toward a secondary crater.   It was super windy on top with grit blowing in our faces.   The slopes were slippery as well.   In the interest of safety, I did not make it to the rim of the volcano though some in our group did.  But what we saw was unique and one of a kind experience.

From a distance we had seen the lovely  tranquil views and we also saw this aspect of nature that has been very destructive in the past.   The active volcano had spewed less than a year ago and in 2001 the big eruption had destroyed the cable  lift chairs and many structures nearby.   Still it was a popular tourist destination, an experience to be remembered.  We had our lunch right there. Next, as we drove on, must confess some of us were lazy to avail of the opportunity to walk down to the ancient stadium as the afternoon sun was beating down too.   It was reported later to be beautiful with view of Mt Etna and the ocean in the distance. Even now it is used by the local people for concerts.   Indulged in some little shopping for souvenirs instead and tasted the lovely fresh squeezed orange juice of the region.

After a somewhat tense day, we had ample time to relax over dinner at the hotel.     We decided to have an exclusive ladies table and let down our inhibitions and giggled like schoolgirls!   One interested Italian waiter, also gauging our mood, light-heartedly teased some of the ladies and we in turn used the chance to totally rag the chosen ones, but it was all in fun and well taken!  Italians are not one for delicacy, the waiter grabbed our plates and threw the bread down on the tablecloths (all with a smile) so he could serve the next course.   Another observation, in Italy you have to literally beg for a bread plate, butter or olive oil!  As for crushed red pepper, we got smart and bought our own!  Thanks Saroja, for supplying the whole group!  I could even bring some home.  We loved the moon shaped small plates that took up less room and fitted in with our large plates.

Taormina Ocean Views

Taormina was the last stay- over on our tour of Sicily before we had the exciting ride on a boat that transferred our bus itself across the straight of Messina!  So we had gone all around Sicily, covered the main attractions, seen the Tyrrhenian Sea on the North, Mediterranean to the West and South, and the Ionian sea on the East!  On to Reggio Calabria on the mainland of Italy, the southernmost tip of the boot toe shape of Italy!  While our bus was left on the lower level along with other vehicles, we went up on the open decks and enjoyed the beautiful views and the robust sea breeze.  The ride was not very long and soon we boarded our bus and drove right out.  If we had been impressed by Sicily, the mainland of Italy far surpassed it and as we drove and covered the miles, all the way to Rome and some of us further to Siena, Florence and Pisa, we just marveled at how much was packed away by way of beauty and variety in this small country, and we did not even see everything that could be seen!

Visit to China, Tibet and Japan

Stark Tibet scenery

Before the Climb

September/October 2016

An Adventure Getting there!

It is midnight.   My husband and I are stranded at a small town China airport.  No one speaks English.   Slowly the crowd is dispersing.   He goes inside the airport again to enquire while I am standing alone out there with four suitcases.   It did not hit me then, but it may have been a situation with scary consequences.   I had full faith in Chinese people.  In fact the young man sitting with us on the plane had been nice enough to let us borrow his phone as we did not have a local one.  But their police?  Maybe not!   Especially when I did not know a word of the language.

Anyway, the story that had started to spin out at Shanghai did end on a happy note and we were able to visit Lhasa after all.  But the starting had the signs of safe travel all gone wrong due to a small error.   We had completed the China part of our long travels in the Far East and were excited to go to Tibet.   Reaching Shanghai airport after breakfast, I found that during check- in I was rejected because my name, first name, had been spelt wrong on the visa list held by our group leader.   I had wondered at a young age why my name had so many “a’s” in it!   So some kind Chinese visa person decided to leave out one! Unfortunately, it did not match my passport.   The last name was fine, the passport number was fine on the list, but not my first name.  I had made it through other local flights with the same spelling on my boarding card, but when it came to Tibet, it was another story!  Everyone else checked in, our group leader used every last resource to convince the airport authorities but to no avail.   She herself had to run at the last minute to catch the flight and escort the rest of the group while me and my husband (so kind of him to stay with me!) were left behind.  Of course she had left us in the able hands of the local Chinese guide.   She got in touch with her superiors, took us back to the hotel, got us back our old room and got busy on the phone trying to straighten out the problem.

In a very short while we were headed back to the airport, armed with a new visa list, got upgraded seats and headed for Chengdu to get our connecting flight to Lhasa.  At Chengdu Thomas Cook had again arranged for a local agent to meet us and take care of us.  Got on board the 2 hour flight to Lhasa:  we were almost about to land, the weather seemed fine, but suddenly the announcement came that the plane was returning to Chengdu!  That’s when we were at a loss as to what to do.   They announced some gate number to wait for a bus that would take us to a hotel, but failed to mention that it was on a different level.  We barely understood!  Eventually it was all God’s grace that Shankar found some English speaking seminar attendees who had just landed, they took him to an airline official who, though not so conversant in English, understood the situation.   Imagine this, he personally took us and our luggage in his car to the hotel 15 mins away as all the buses had left.   We reached at 1 a.m. got a free room, caught the bus again at 4 a.m. and came back to the airport.   All  this time the other passengers had a nonchalant attitude, like they did this every other week!   Turns out the air base at Lhasa is also used by the army and their exercises get priority.  They did run two full planes and we got our seats.   What an adventure!  When it comes to Tibet, the Chinese authorities are extremely strict.   Every visitor must travel with a recognized group with valid visa and the name spelt correctly!

Since we made our second flight in the morning instead of night, we got excellent views of the snow clad mountain peaks and even took some pictures from the plane window.   Of course we had to keep our fingers crossed till we were safely out of the airport and in our tour van!    When we got to Lhasa we  joined our group straight for sight-seeing!   They were lucky to have a day to acclimatize, but we did okay.   The high altitude medicine we were  taking, seemed to work well and we were able to handle the steep climbs on day one.   We did get a very warm welcome from the rest of the group who were waiting outside our first destination, Potala Palace.

The Fabulous Potala Palace

The long drive into town from the airport had given us a glimpse of the stark beauty of the region.  We were surrounded by mountains on all sides with sparse vegetation.  Just rocky peaks, not much of a population or farming activity around.   The small town of Lhasa itself, in contrast, was lively and colorful.   The amount of religious activity going on here is amazing.   One would think that everything would be suppressed!   But no, it is in full swing.   In fact basically all we saw was Buddhist temples and monasteries.  The crowning glory of course is the Potala Palace.  It is worth going to Lhasa just to see this wonder.

  Since the dawn of the 7^th Century, this had been the winter residence  of the Dalai Lamas as well as the royalty of the area.   In 1959 all this came to an end when China took it over as its autonomous region and the present Dalai Lama fled to India and sought asylum.  In the past, part of the palace had been handed over for religious activities as expansion continued over the centuries.   It is a gorgeous red, white and yellow huge building complex, perched on a high stony hill, the Red Mountain,  in  the center of Lhasa.  The altitude was stated to be 3,700 meters. The climb was quite steep but slowly most of us were able to make it up the steps and ramps.   All along we got a grand view of the town below.  Inside the building itself it was amazing, many parts of it preserved over the centuries.  We had to negotiate small steep steps with low ceilings and uneven floors.   No photography was allowed inside.   We actually saw the room where the present Dalai Lama prayed and slept, his private quarters. As we walked the marked route, we saw many beautiful gold and other precious stone encrusted Buddhas and statues of spiritual leaders, scrolls, historical documents all well preserved, sculptures of jade, objects of gold and silver.   It was a veritable museum which we covered in silence and reverence.

After the Climb

View of Square below

We had more sight seeing scheduled that day.  We checked out Barkhor Street, surrounding the Jokhang temple.  All this was reminiscent of India, crowded, small shops, but clean streets.   The spiritual aspect was evident, we saw some people doing an offering by circumambulating a temple with “shashtanga namaskarams” (full length prostrations).   The only difference here as compared to India was that they had small wooden pads in their hands so as not to get scratched.   I have heard this kind of offering being done even around Kailash mountain by the  local people.    Our guide told us that  the Chinese government take-over had alleviated poverty to some extent.  Previously only monasteries provided education to the poor, but now children can get free schooling and even go to mainland China for further education.  They learn both Tibetan language and Mandarin.  Vegetables are grown in the greenhouses.  They beat the cold in rural areas by housing  animals in the lower level as they produce natural heat!   Solar heaters are popular  here in Lhasa also to warm up water and even cook rice.  Still, the winters must be rough on the people.

  After a nice dinner at a Tibetan/Indian restaurant, we went to our hotel for some well deserved rest.   The hotel was a big surprise with emphasis on the word BIG!   It was huge.   Newly built, it is next to a conference center.   In fact we needed ten extra minutes just to leave our rooms, cross the huge lobby and reach our bus outside.   It had great modern fittings, fabulous floors and ceilings and even a hot tub in the room, not to mention a built in- heater which would probably be very nice in the cold months, but served us for drying washed clothes!   This is the Inter Continental hotel of Lhasa.

Local Animals and Cute Children and Mo Mos!

The next day was more leisurely. We visited the a small monastery in the nearby mountain range,  not too far from where we stayed.   It was so very relaxing to walk around and see children women and dogs all around and giving us friendly poses for pictures.  We even saw two yaks!   Yak fat is used for burning lamps in temples and no doubt used in the cuisine as well.   Set amidst the mountains, it was a picture of serenity.  Everything was natural, including the bathroom, cleansed by a running mountain stream!  It was our group leader, Ameeta”s  birthday and we celebrated by lighting candles in the monastery and singing Om Jai Jagadisha Hare.  She loves animals and had her fill of puppies and kittens who were being fed like royalty by the monks.   Later we had lunch at a five star hotel restaurant and one of our popular co-travelers, Urmila, insisted on paying  for the cake we had ordered and among other things we tasted some well made vegetarian mo-mos or dim sums or in more familiar terms, dumplings!  Other highlights were tomato soup, rice with saffron and vegetables, sautéed veggies like corn and cauliflower and French fries!  Quite a feast!

Finally we were taken to see old world Tibet in the center of town, a huge complex with temples,  parks and a  town square.   We walked around a lot, entering several small temples, admiring the golden wheel of dharma with a deer on either side.  The legend is that when Shakya Muni gave his discourses, even deer would come and sit. We were surprised to see many Indian goddesses like Sarasvati and Parvati being venerated along with Buddhas.  Saw a couple in their wedding finery!   The area provided us with some local shopping, like good luck charms.   The lovely red Chinese lanterns added to the festive atmosphere.    The shopkeepers were nice, often selling imported items from neighboring countries and quite willing to satisfy our urge to bargain!

Lovely temples and a Grand hotel

Later at dinner at the hotel, we were served local cuisine that would take getting used to, we exchanged e-mails and took more pictures.   Some of the group was going back, other new travelers were joining us in Japan.    But we had forged unforgettable memories with each other and the magical land of Tibet, so high, so far away and a place that had only existed in imagination for us,  till now.

Visit to China, Tibet and Japan

Sep/Oct 2016

Saying goodbye to the memorable Longmen Caves, we turned our attention to the next destination, Xian, or rather focused on getting on and off another fast train!   Upon reaching our destination our first visit was to the Wild Goose pavilion.  Do you recall that there are some Buddhists that are not vegetarian?   Well, the legend here corroborates that.   There was a time when a Hinayana Buddhist sect was starving and desperate for food.   A group of geese was flying overhead and one goose fell down dead near the monks.   They took it as a sign that it was all right to eat meat and the tradition was thus started.

Our local guide told us that the Wild Goose pavilion with its old style beauty was also a very popular tourist attraction in Xian after the Terracotta warriors.  The tall pagoda which we viewed lighted up at night as well as during the day, was quite imposing.     Nearby a garden featuring two camels sculpted out of the plants and some kite sellers also attracted us.   The town itself was of great historical significance with its 14 dynasties, Qing to Qin we were told.   China had been very fragmented before the intelligent emperors unified it, starting with the first one who was  Qin Shi Huang.  Among the great practices initiated were that of currency, measurement, script and seals and the Great Wall was also started during this time.  His tomb took 37 years to build.  In ancient China, the afterlife was equally important.  It was camouflaged as a hillock.   Later jeweler, jade, concubines and guards were all found buried with him!  Terra Cotta warriors stood guard near his tomb. I had ventured a guess in my mind that the soldiers were to fool invaders, but no! For his afterlife, he wished to have an army that was indestructible, maybe not real men, but created warriors.

Terracotta Warriors

The visit to the site of the Terra Cotta warriors was unforgettable.   None of us (except maybe those who googled ahead) were prepared for the magnitude of the excavations nor its preserved forms.   Due to the Cultural Revolution, this secret lay buried although a few soldiers had been discovered and many knew that a huge cache was waiting to be unearthed.  Thanks to some well diggers and curious journalists it was found as late as the mid 1970s and finally the government took over and oversaw the excavations and preservations.   Today there are several pits, the first two worth spending time at.  Here, from an elevated platform that goes all around the huge dug out enclosed area, one can see larger than life sized warriors, depicting soldiers from all over China.  In authentic costumes and hair style of the period, they were of clay, with some wood or metal weapons, several ranks of officers.  Thousands of them, the very first pit with 6,000.   They were not randomly dumped, but re-arranged in battle formations, rows upon rows.

It was an eerie feeling to see so many soldiers that were not real.  What’s more, there were horses and chariots as well.  Although three pits were open, the first was the most impressive. We later saw a movie on the discovery and visited a museum.  Over 2,000 years old, this discovery is one of the greatest archeological finds of huge proportions.   It was figured out that the warrior parts like head and torso, tunic, arms and legs were made of clay separately, then assembled and fired in a kiln.  Then they were painted, but unfortunately the paint has faded, prompting the authorities to have their storage indoors as the sunlight was causing more damage.   As in many other attractions all over China,  the government has done an equally magnificent job of building up the entire tourist attraction in a pleasing and convenient manner.

Yangtze River Cruise

That done, we caught a short flight to Chongqing. This city is stated to have the third highest population in the world!   It was fondly known as the “hot pot” with its foggy and humid  weather.  We were scheduled  to make our  way to the Yangtze River Cruise.   After the hectic travels, this was to be our few days of rest and relaxation, lazily floating down the famed Yangtze river and enjoying the food, ambiance and entertainment of the cruise ship.   Getting there was another story as we had to drag our full luggage down alleys and even steps to get to the dock.  Granted the ship was small in comparison to the mega cruise ships of the world and the arrival and room allocation period was  a bit of a squeeze, but we finally settled in our rooms.   Though the ship was old, the hospitality was good and they did their best to provide us with palatable vegetarian food, even one or two Indian dishes.   Of course some amount of jealousy existed when a group from India had brought their own chef and ate daal and roti and exotic dishes every day!   But our tour manager strictly warned us not to hob nob with them in the dining room and hope for a taste!

The river itself with its famous history was interesting to us. The valley is referred to as the “great granary” of China with its waters coming from the snow melt of high peaks, lesser only than the Himalayan ranges.   Boat traffic on the river which flows nearly 400 miles to Shanghai is high and we got to see the varied interesting vessels.   Actually the river is known in different sections by other names, only the last section known as Yangtze.   Among the rivers of the world, it ranks as the third longest after the Nile and the Amazon, traversing about 396 miles.  The building of the dam had dislocated many families, but the Government  took care of the relocation and provided them with  jobs and housing.  Most of them were illiterate farmers and had few complaints on being moved.  It took 17 years from 1990 to 2009 to complete.  Twenty more dams have been planned on other rivers.  By the way, Chinese currency notes have drawings of famous tourist spots,  including the dam.

Among the many absorbing sights in the seven gorges, we found it fascinating that there were vertical and horizontal coffins hanging from the cliffs.   How they stayed there is a mystery, some wedged in the rocks.   But it was a practice for important people to be “ buried “ on the cliffs so they could be closer to heaven.  When the dam was built, some coffins had to be moved, as were living people!  The passing scenery was very pastoral and pleasant, but again no children, animals, farmers or people were in sight.  Saw the Goddess Peak.  Some of the gorges, there were 6 or 7 altogether, were deemed dangerous as the current was swift and rocks were covered by a volume of water.

We thoroughly enjoyed the lazy time socializing as well as having the privacy of our balconies, catching up on reading, browsing.   Every evening  we were entertained by the young staff on board, including our own waiter,  who proved to be so talented in the local arts.  They had plays, operas and fashion shows, even passengers were invited to participate.  The staff also presented some experts on Tai Chi, Acupuncture and intricate snuff bottle painting.   They gave us interesting and enlightening talks and demonstrations, some even found the treatment beneficial.  The ship’s photographer followed us everywhere eliciting smiles from us and was well rewarded when we all chose to buy several laminated candid camera pictures.   Some day trips had been lined up when the ship docked occasionally.  Before that, a word of warning to travelers.   In China, several of us lost fair amount of cash , including this writer!   Our educated guess was that it was stolen by the airlines as we were innocent enough to believe that it would be safe in our suitcases!   But between the X-rays that reveal everything and the TSA locks made to be opened, the money flew away!   Three other people lost cash, they believe either in the hotel, flight or even the cruise ship.   But the blame lay only with us for not being more careful and keeping cash and valuables within hands reach at all times.

We went on two of the trips planned by our cruise.   One was a short bus ride and the other a medium  trek.  Both were enjoyable as the weather was so pleasant.  The first was in the ancient town of Fengjie on the north bank of the river above the Qutang Gorge.  We travelled by coach to the White Emperor city, an ancient temple complex, dating back to 25 AD.   It is steeped in the legend of a Han Dynasty official who turned rebel and called himself the “white emperor”.   The beautiful gateways with ornate painted carvings and legendary lions guarding the gates, it was surely a taste of the ancient history as we ambled through the  narrow hallways and admired the statues within,  recreating scenes of yore.   I think the second outing was to the Fengdu ghost city with its exciting trek through the market place, traversing the shaky wooden bridge and finally coming up to the tower pagoda.   It was well populated for a ghost city!  The legends are all part of the Chinese folklore.  Now the names are a bit fuzzy, but our pictures make us recall the places!   The view from the great height was spectacular, a photographer’s paradise!   We got a good view of the river with our cruise ship moored.  Along the way we viewed carved gateways, some of which had been actually moved for the dam project but restored authentically.  There was opportunity for shopping as well.

The Three Gorges Dam, Guilin

Finally, the Three Gorges Dam located near Sandouping, Yiling .   Before we alighted to view it by bus, we were actually a part of the exciting dam “locks” .   Smoothly and slowly the level of the water was adjusted to carry our ship and a few others to the other side.   This was done overnight but we could see from our balconies how the action took place in the narrow area.  The dam was built with the view to producing electricity, increase the shipping capacity of the river, reduce the potential for floods downstream with its flood water storage capabilities.   It is the largest project of its kind in the world and China has well demonstrated its capabilities.  The dam is at a height of 185 meters and capable of producing 22,500 MW of power.  China is planning several more dams on its many rivers often prone to flooding.  We had a pleasant time in the area, of course ending up in the gift shop and picking up some more souvenirs.

After a short plane hop our next destination was Guilin, a river boat ride had been scheduled to view the beautiful limestone formations.   Bill Clinton had visited this town was one of its claims to fame!   It is also a village which gives longevity due to its humidity and relief from arthritis.  The scene was very reminiscent of the Ha Long Bay in northern Viet Nam that our group had previously visited on another tour.  The hills were covered with short foliage that did not obstruct the shape of the formations.  Our time permitted us only a brief cruise down the Li River (our slight flight delay contributed to the shortage of time).  There are hundreds of miles of lakes connected by rivers and unique natural formations, we were told.  It was indeed a beautiful and peaceful sight.   The boat was small, it was all ours, the weather a bit cloudy and we enjoyed the offering of nature in a mellow mood.  A small boat pulled up with an old fisherman who had a horizontal pole with two cormorant birds tied on each end.   They were his aids for fishing  we were told, he took any big catch from the birds but allowed them to eat the small ones.   Poor birds!   They did make good photo ops for the men to pose with!

Lovely Ladies on the boat

Unique rock formations at Guilin

Later everyone got a bit playful and we went to the upper deck of the boat and took nice group pictures and joked around with each other, creating good memories. On the horizon were towering mountains but here near the river there were small, pointy formations, green and pleasant to the view.   The other attraction of the area was the marketplace of Yangshuo with marble streets, over a thousand years old.   We did some souvenir shopping here.

Shanghai, a modern town

On to Shanghai!   What a contrast, from the rural hills of Guilin!   Here was a city to be admired and savored!   We got great accommodation right downtown, with superb views of the iconic buildings.  Shanghai, once a small fishing village has now rightfully earned nicknames such as Paris of the East, Paradise of Adventure and the Magic City!  We really could not take our eyes away from the brightly lit up buildings the night we arrived, especially the Oriental Pearl tower, I believe it is used for tele-communications, with its gorgeous pink and pearl-like  jewelled lights.  The Shanghai tower was a combination of Chinese architecture  with the genius of the designer of the Burj Khalifa of Dubai.  The next day in glorious sunshine we went to view and  go up  the iconic Jin Mao tower.  With its glass skywalk (not too scary!), height of 1,380 feet and a grand view from the top, it was very impressive.  Each building had its shape, an egg beater, a bottle opener and the Shanghai tower really looked like a roll of newspaper!  The number 8 which is high good luck for the Chinese, played heavily here with Jinmao tower having 88 floors and 8 steel columns.   Among other offices, the tower houses a Grand Hyatt hotel.   In the day time Shanghai had much greenery, was deemed a safe city with space for sports like volleyball and badminton.  In the vicinity of the city there were 15 metro lines with AC.

We had seen a lot in China, our day culminated with a fabulous acrobatic show which did not disappoint.   The performers were highly talented and coordinated expertly using props like bicycles and ropes and great juggling.  All that remained to be seen was Suchow, a 2,500 year old garden city that even Marco Polo had visited in the 13^th C.   It was a very long  drive to get there and  the weather was gloomy and the gardens bare.  It was one small disappointment in the itinerary.  The man made narrow canal was quite interesting with wedding pictures being taken on the shores.  We went for a short ride and returned to our bus.

Chengdu, The Panda Reserve

At this point on our return to Shanghai, we had to part ways with a few of our fellow travelers.   Some were travelling to Tibet, others back home and a few to another mountain resort.   We did have one other stop in China before heading for Japan.  That was after Tibet – the panda town of Chengdu!  It would be appropriate to cover that here as well.   Our group was so very lucky.   At the panda reserve, unlike a zoo, the adorable big bears were allowed to wander around large enclosures and we could freely view them.   The best part was when it was feeding time and about six or seven pandas came out all at once and sat amidst the food, some on the bamboo shoots and thoroughly enjoyed their lunch and friendly banter with each other.   That five minute video of these gentle giants lounging around at lunchtime was the best of the whole tour!   We also got to view red pandas, more like foxes with bushy striped tails and saw a movie.  Baby pandas were also there, so it was a complete package as far as we were concerned. Excellent work is being done here for preserving the species.  The walk amidst the beautiful bamboo gardens with small scenic bridges added to the feeling that yes, we were indeed in China! Not to mention the satisfying shopping at AP Market which had the imitation of every handbag, well made and at amazing prices!   It was a shoppers paradise and we all indulged!

Visit to China, Tibet and Japan

Part 1

Sep/Oct 2016

Our visit to China, Tibet and Japan concluding with a tour of Hong Kong lasted exactly one month!   People asked me how we were ever going to live out of suitcases and move from place to place for that long!   We ourselves were wondering about this. But the visit went off almost seamlessly and we enjoyed every moment!   The “almost” will be reserved for the adventure we had prior to landing in Tibet which will be shared later.   But thanks to the superb arrangements by Lakshmi Travels, we had a wonderful time.

Normally I like to give a somewhat detailed description of all that we saw, but to do so this time would almost result in a book!   So in the interest of holding the reader’s interest, I have to reluctantly keep it brief, highlighting only the anecdotes that will make it more personal for my fellow travelers and readers.   Suffice here to say that China was amazing in many ways.   I had been turning a cold shoulder toward this magnificent country, thinking that all it had was a wall and a great square.   But I was soooo wrong!   The places, the people, the discipline, all impressed our whole group deeply.   As we made our way through the country seeing destinations that were not always visited by the average tourist, our amazement grew and looking back at the pictures we took, we can only conclude that it is definitely a “bucket list” country to see.  And guess what?  We did not have to reset our watches, the time difference was exactly 12 hours from EST.

Forbidden City

A huge cauldron

As has been commonly done before, our wonderful group converged from various parts of the US and met at our final starting point of Beijing.   Our smaller group from Newark travelled via Hong Kong.  Made sense as we returned home after visiting Hong Kong.   The journey was long, but Cathay Pacific was a wonderful airline to travel on.   As it was not peak rush either, we could spread out a little and did not feel packed in like sheep!  Eventually we arrived in Beijing and were met by a local English speaking Chinese guide as well as our super efficient Tour Guide, Amita Suvarna from Thomas Cook.   She stayed with us all the way including our Tibet tour and returned with us to Shanghai.    Our Chinese guide, (usually local guides met us in each town, they were all friendly and well informed) gave us a glimpse of what young people have to deal with in China.   Housing affordability in cities was very difficult, to own a car license plate one had to enter a lottery and even with marriage, it was a matter of “no money, no honey!”   We had dinner at the local Taj Indian restaurant and were pleasantly surprised to find some South Indian items like sambar and rasam, no doubt ordered for our group!

One happy group on a boat!

After a nice breakfast at the beautiful hotel we stayed at (definitely these luxury hotels, four stars and above, eased the pinpricks of travel!) we were ready for our first big day of sightseeing.   It was Beijing’s best.  The weather co-operated, providing us with sunshine and warmth, though it was fall.  The Forbidden City was the first stop.  In the olden days circa 1406-1420 when it was built, only the royals were allowed to reside here and the city was forbidden to commoners, other than those who served.  It is one of the largest wooden structures to be built anywhere in the world.  In the reign of the Ming dynasty, it was the seat of power for 24 emperors over the course of 491 years.  Official business was carried out in its huge courtyards and buildings.  The yellow and red colors, meticulously maintained,  had eye appeal while the courtyards beyond endless courtyards provided as with good exercise and the sights kept us wonderstruck and entertained.   The inner courts included former residences of royalty and commoners serving the Emperors.   As each one was allowed to have up to 3,000 wives or concubines, the population housed within was high.    However no one lives here now and parts have been converted to a museum containing beautiful artifacts, but we did not have the time to see this.  We did catch views of thrones in cordoned off rooms and could have an idea of the opulence of that era.  Among the impressive sights were the Gate of the Heavenly Purity and layer after layer of buildings, gates and squares.   The entire area was spotless, not a single store or vendor in sight.   Just walking through all the gates, climbing each higher level and ultimately being rewarded with a grand view of the surrounding mountains was exercise as well as entertainment for the morning!

Tian’an Men Square

Next the iconic Tian’an Men Square (this is the official spelling!).  Probably the largest in the world, it has a central commemorative monument.  We were told about a 100,000 people can fit here.  This was the historical place where protest was voiced but immediately silenced in the distant past.   We walked around, admiring the symmetry of the gardens with splashes of color, the buildings around and  appreciating the statues of the common men and women of the people’s republic  at one end.  The Gate of Heavenly Peace of the Forbidden City was at the other end.   The next day as we headed for the Great Wall, all traffic came to a halt near the Tian’an Men Square —  there was the ceremonial changing of guards and groups of working people and children in school uniform, had taken time out to pay homage.

At the Great Wall of China

A steep climb

The Great Wall of China 

The Great Wall of China!    This is what most people go to China to see and experience and I have heard this is visible even from outer space.   Snaking over the hilly terrain for over five thousand  miles, even a small section is a stupendous sight.  The first section was built as far back as 221 BC and many dynasties continued to build it for protection. Around Beijing there are many locations to view and climb the wall and we were taken to a spot that was not the easiest, it appeared.   Perhaps the tour gave us credit for our fitness level!  It was known as the Juyongguan pass section.   Many of us were able to do the steep climb for part of the way and a few, notably those from Canada, went much further up and only returned in the interest of time!  Our tour leader rewarded each of us with a medal souvenir with date and name inscribed.   Being a world icon, maintenance work is constantly done on the wall.

Our Group at the Great Wall

The same day we took in the Summer Palace gardens.   The palace itself was not open to the public but we had a pleasant walk around part of the huge lake near it.  On the way back to our hotel, a detour was made to give a view of the “Bird’s nest” structure that became the focus of the Olympics that China had hosted in the not so distant past.    We also had the opportunity to have great seats and witness the lush and beautiful Golden Mask Dynasty show during our brief stay in Beijing.

Bullet Train, Shaolin Monastery

Having heard a lot about bullet trains, we were excited to board one for Zhengzhou the next morning.   But no one had told us that people bring minimum luggage!   With our full sized suitcase and one bulging carry on, it was quite a miracle that we made it on and off that speedy train.   Our men (husbands) were amazing in packing in all the luggage in the small area provided and in the overhead shelf.   Further the conductor created more space by having seats face each other and sliding smaller bags between the rows.   The train was so sleek and its (other) passengers so disciplined.   Our group of course created the initial excitement of loud comments, exchange of snacks and general commotion (this is what Indians do that makes us so unique!)   Once we settled down to some degree of order, we noticed how quiet the train was, how imperceptible the super speeds upwards of 300 km per hour and how quiet and orderly the local Chinese were!  It was a great experience and we also heard that a bullet train will soon be part of the travel routine in India!

The Shaolin temple in a beautiful mountain setting of the Shaohi mountains was a lovely rural escape after the city sojourn in Beijing.   This was the birthplace of Kung Fu and even today thousands of young boys, dressed in various colored uniforms get trained in the martial art.   Some even reside there for the course.   The complex was so huge, it was divided into several parts that we had to use their transport system to get from one area to another.   The monks also cooked us a fabulous Chinese vegetarian meal.   Incidentally, most Buddhist monks are vegetarians.   One small branch of monks, due to non availability of food had to turn to meat and that tradition has continued.   The lunch was delicious, course upon course of fresh and lightly cooked vegetables and rice.   The eggplant was so good, almost like our own South Indian curry,  that we had to place a repeat order!  We consumed every delectable bite.

The temple itself was in several levels and individual halls set on the mountain slopes.   Originally built in 1928, it was burnt in a fire and rebuilt in the 1980s.   Many original parts remained, including the topmost hall where Kung Fu was born.   The original floors, still with dimples and pits caused by the hours of practice remains as a silent witness over the decades.   Here we heard so many beautiful Buddhist legends.   The Shakya Muni (Buddha is often referred to in this way in China) who was born in India could walk and talk as a baby and  when he took little steps, a lotus appeared for each step!   We too walked on the seven stone lotus flowers on the ground for good luck.  We put our hand into the mouth of the turtle with a dragon head to get rich!  We heard there are usually three depicted Buddhas, including a Medicine Buddha and we found this in many temples.  We saw a room which was an age old library.   But the most beautiful legend was that of the Standing In Snow, Prevailing,  pavilion.  This involved an a monk named Damu of Indian origin.  He had many students but he did not share his deepest secrets with all.   He had one devoted student who wished to learn everything from him.   After serving for nine years, he approached his guru, but was turned back.  He was told something like he would be taught only when the snow turned red!  So one day, the student stood out in the snow and cut off his left arm till he bled on the white snow.  The master was so touched that he immediately taught him everything and and to this day only the right hand is used to salute the seniors.  His name was Kui Koh.

We then watched with wonder and a little amusement a Kung Fu demonstration when one of our own group, Dr. Ram, volunteered to participate and was declared the most sporting volunteer.  Congrats Ram!  Our comfortable couch then took us to Louyang for our overnight stay.   How lucky we were to get a glimpse of rural China and the old world monastery where young minds and bodies are still being shaped to combat the effects of the fast pace of the modern world where  children are mostly glued to their electronic “screens”.   Tradition that is handed over to the next generation for safe keeping!

Fabulous Longman Caves, Gifts from Across the Globe

Our next day of sightseeing unfolded many more wondrous sights and legends.  All along we were also blessed with gorgeous sunny, warm weather.   The gods smiled on us!  This day we visited the world heritage Longmen Caves and then the White Horse temple.   The  grottos left us speechless.   There are estimated to be over a thousand caves, small and big.  Most of us have never seen such beautiful, extensive or huge carvings of Buddha and his disciples right on the mountainside, one cave after another.   Carved right out of the limestone cliffs, the heritage of many dynasties, they are surprisingly well preserved.   We had to climb steps to get to some of the carvings but many could be viewed from ground level as well.  Only photos can somewhat give a clue as to the magnitude of the edifices, but certainly we were all wonderstruck.  The Buddhas had peaceful and beautiful expressions, some we were told, deliberately made to look feminine.  Very reminiscent of Ajanta and Ellora caves which also feature Buddha a lot.  Later we crossed a bridge and enjoyed the panoramic view from the other side.

The White Horse temple, also from ancient times, started with a dream by an emperor.  When he attempted to fulfill this, he met two Indian monks from Afghanistan who were invited to China and they travelled on two white horses.  The temple was then built depicting Shakya Muni, (another name for Buddha) his disciples, Bodhisattvas and Arahants.   The Laughing or Smiling Buddha which is the Buddha of the future, is also included at most monasteries and Buddhist temples.  The art work of hollow clay statues is also a special technique of this area.   Impressed as we were by the artistry of bygone days, we were in for another pleasant surprise from modern days – the huge complex had many temples gifted by different countries, including India.   The Buddhist temple from Thailand, resplendent in gold and enamel was gorgeous as were some of the other temples.   From India was an elegant  Stupa style architecture, similar to ones found in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh that some of us had seen.   Each had its own courtyard and garden complex, one could spend an entire day there soaking in the peace and quiet ambiance.

Terracotta Warriors, Yangtze River Cruise

 Our next big destination was the yet again famous Terracotta warriors of Xian and our fabulous Yangtze River Cruise.  But let”s take a breather here and continue in our next installment.   There is only so much that can sink in within one write-up!   Throughout China we loved the simple scenery be it agricultural fields or mountains shrouded in clouds.   However the rustic homes that had been the mainstay for centuries have now been replaced with multitudes of very high apartment buildings looking quite incongruous in the pastoral scenery!  Some are used for relocations and others simply to generate rent, which we were told were very high, especially in towns. Many looked unoccupied.   The land is always owned by the government and a 75 year lease is on even ownership abodes.  After the given period expires, no one is sure what may happen.

Vegetarian Food in China

We must comment on the food!  First of all, the Indian restaurants are doing amazing jobs, springing up in the remotest little towns!   The food is delicious!  Perhaps the group tourist stream keeps them in business.  As for Chinese food, that was good too.    But it took some practice to get used to the serving method!   We each got plates a little bigger than a saucer with a soup bowl.   The vegetables, deliciously sautéed, arrived in batches.   The soup was usually watery!  The rice came at the end!  We had to beg for extra salt and chilly powder, given our Indian palates.   The chutney and puliogare powders we had taken were also greatly utilized.   Soon we learned the tricks and our tour manager arranged for the condiments and rice to be provided in the first round!   We survived and to our great delight and surprise, none of the eateries had any lingering smell of seafood and all was very neat and good.   Thanks to our travel agents for taking us to such good places, for providing us with superb tour managers like Amita in China and Aditi in Japan. Also for providing us with bottles of water.   The hotels did too, so we were always plentifully supplied and never had to buy any.  

Visit to NZ, Fiji and Australia  Part 3 

April 2015

Just the final leg of the journey remained now and we were very refreshed after a couple of days in Fiji.   At the airport, however, Fiji airlines gave us a hard time.   Trying to fit in the hand baggage into a seemingly tiny box was a skill that has to be learned.   Even if the dimensions are perfect, the wheels did tend to get stuck.   Forget about overloaded bags, people had to literally dump clothing in the garbage to conform.

We headed for Melbourne first and our drive from the airport to the hotel was not that impressive.   However, the city showed its real character on the following day when  we were taken to view some of its famous landmarks.   We indeed had a full day of sight-seeing planned and all of it was very exciting.  We checked out from outside the imposing Parliament House, the financial district and were able to go into the bluestone cathedral of the St. Patrick’s church.   As with many other churches all over the world that were built several centuries ago and well preserved, we were impressed with the  beauty and serenity inside the edifice.  The next stop was Pitroy Gardens which was unique by way of the pathways converging in the shape of the Union Jack.   Captain Cook, that world traveler was also immortalized with his re-assembled cottage on view, some locals dressed in authentic period costumes adding to the charm.

MCI Tour

Melbourne Cricket Club

The star of the show of course was the Melbourne Cricket Club, the famous MCC.    If you can believe that a non-sports enthusiast like me could be highly impressed, it has to be something!   As for the husbands who had been waiting to savor this visit, there was no disappointment.   We had a detailed tour and possibly saw every inch of the huge space, with a most enthusiastic guide, all dressed up in a striped blazer!  Okay, some hard facts – there is a 20 year wait for the club membership and the yearly charges around $650 we were told.   Many privileges go with membership including use of the enclosed viewing  galleries where no doubt white gloved waiters serve dainty sandwiches!  The audience capacity is 100,000 and believe it or not, every year the pitch which rests on a concrete slab with several inches of mud under it, is physically removed by a flat bed truck and stored.   This is so that other users of the arena do not ruin it with rough sports.   To keep the grass green on the other side where the sun does not quite reach,  special lamps are used!   And if you wonder why the Australians are so good, their practice areas are complete with every convenience and technology, even imitating the pitch of world players.   Promising young players of school age are given opportunities to practice in indoor areas at the MCC.   Our group spent quite a bit of time inspecting the names and statistics engraved on the World Cup boards, savoring all the Indian names.

So much so, we could only pass by the Rod Laver arena where the Australian Open is played.  It comprises of 22 tennis courts we were told.   We were driven to see the beautiful park and monument of the Shrine of Remembrance honoring all those who died in various wars.   Hundreds of beautiful medals on colorful ribbons were displayed in glass cases along with other memorabilia.   We had been Down Under for so long and still not seen a koala or kangaroo up close and that desire was fulfilled finally when we visited the Koala conservation center where we viewed the cuddly animals perched on tree tops in their natural habitat.    We could film them as they slowly walked up and down the branches.   Slow yes, but considering they sleep 18 hours a day, we were lucky to see any movement!  They do look a little funny with no tails, as such.  Wallabies, somewhat related to kangaroos  and similar looking, were also there  behind a simple fence and we could see and appreciate their hops.  This was a good place to pick up some stuffed animal souvenirs and contribute to the conservation center at the same time and we all did.   We had also opted to view some tiny penguins and found out that after a long drive to the Philip Island beach, we had to sit quietly on the bleachers for over an hour.  We were told the penguins came home after dark when danger from predators was less.  While we expected about a thousand  to waddle out of the ocean (on some days the statistic was for 1,400), on that specific day we may have seen a few hundred in small groups of about 10-20. A bit disappointing!  No photography was allowed either!  However, on our  way out as we walked over the wooden boardwalks, the little ones were below us, chirping and making their way to their own nests in the sand dune burrows.  The diminutive penguins, less than a foot tall,  were cute and inquisitive, not afraid to stop and stare at us as we did at them.

Animals unique to Australia — Koala, Kangaroo, Kookaburra, Dingos,  

The next morning we were refreshed and ready for another adventure, which of course (what else is new?) involved a long bus ride!   But this time the scenery along the Great Ocean Road was breathtaking at every bend and honestly I can give my opinion that I will remember Australia not by its Great Barrier Reef, but by the spectacular sandstone formations along this coast and the famous Twelve Apostles. It is not to be missed! We were told by our driver/ guide that the road itself was built by soldiers.   The rocky coastline, the picturesque seaside towns and the true blue sea, not turquoise, gave us a different flavor of Australia.  With a stop for a simple lunch and a little browsing at a seaside small town store for snacks, we were ready to move onwards.   Soon we were at the rock formations., overlooking the sea and the “apostles”.   These are natural rock formations, actually the sea has created them by whittling away the soft stone.   Reminded one of the twelve apostle peaks in Cape Town.   Only eight remain now in Australia, others having collapsed into the sea.   So this is a sight that may not last forever.   We were lucky to have seen them, they were very inspiring.  From our vantage point, it was fascinating to see the layers of rock and the ocean darting in and out, playing with the cliff along the coast, sculpting with a mind of its own.   We walked around a bit, admiring this fascinating feature.  They had cute names too, like “salt and pepper” and did look like giant shakers.

Rock Formations – Salt & Pepper

Spectacular Formations in the Ocean, Helicopter Ride views

A short drive brought us to the Port Campbell National Park area where,  to our delight we found that there was a helicopter ride for a reasonable rate.   Everyone opted to go and it was also one of the best decisions we made.   The ride, though only about 10 mins gave us a totally different perspective.  We were taken out to the sea and could view the etched stone edifices along the coast.   It was beautiful!  We then made a smooth landing after passing over some green meadows and sheep.  Our only regret was that having driven all that distance, we could only spend a short time there.  We even missed walking down to the beach and viewing some of the formations up close due to time constraints.  Port Campbell is certainly worth a stay over.

Cairns was the next destination which was but a short flight away.   Having reached, we went straight to the Kuranda rain forest area and up the steep mountain in the sky rail.   The view was spectacular and the rain forest mountain very impressive with its flora and fauna and rare plants.   We were even allowed to make stops to walk around and view the waterfalls.   We had expected a demo of aborigine skills like throwing a boomerang, but at our destination all we found was a  gift shop.   The aborigines are to be found only in the interior of Australia.  Our hotel was facing a very large lake with ample walkways along it and we were able to exercise our legs and enjoy the bird action taking place!

The Great Barrier Reef

Now the Great Barrier Reef  may be listed as the only living structure visible from the moon but what we saw (or were shown) seemed fairly tame.   Though none from our group did scuba diving, many did take the semi submerged submarine ride and all of us the glass bottom boat ride after taking a stomach churning speedboat ride to an island and reaching the “edge of the continental shelf”, we could only view very little of the exotic corals or sea life.   I mean there was plenty of coral formations, only not that colorful or impressive, pretty similar to what we had seen before in Fiji or say, Aruba.   Later at the Sydney aquarium we saw samples of the real deal and said to ourselves, “oh, that’s what it must have been like or must still be on some parts of the ocean floor.”    In the evening we drove over to the Cairns night market and did some precious stone and silver jewelry shopping.   Very nice kiosks, set up like an indoor flea market.   The Indian dinners continued to follow us in every town,  actually we should not be complaining but be thankful that we did not have to experiment tasting local vegetarian fare which may  have been hardly palatable.   Indian restaurants both in NZ and Australia were well above standard, providing predictable, but tasty food.

Sydney, a beautiful city, the famed Opera House

Sydney was our last stop of the Australian tour and provided plenty of activity.   It is a beautiful city and the Darling Harbor area which houses the Opera House has everything from a wax museum to a full fledged zoo and aquarium.  We started our stay with a showboat dinner cruise which gave beautiful views of the Harbor Bridge, Opera House and night skyline.   We also had great entertainment on board, including a Bollywood number performed by their locals!  After a restful night, we woke up to a perfect morning for viewing the sights.  Starting with The Rocks area which gave us views of the bridge and opera house across the water, ideal for pictures.  We were taken up the Sydney Tower, a very tall structure giving us panoramic views.   However, the activities at the Darling harbor were extremely rushed and as everything closed at 6 p.m most of us could do only two out of three activities and had to skip either the wax museum or the aquarium.   The animal exhibits in the Wildlife World zoo we all loved, being able to see many unique natives like koalas, wallabies and kangaroos and birds unique to the region like the Kookaburra.   Some in our group could even feed or pet the kangaroos.

The Opera House itself was nothing short of amazing, its history and story of how it was built even more so.  It was designed by a Danish architect, Jorn Utzon,  but due to the vicissitudes of fortunes, he worked on it off and on and was not in charge at the end and  never able to see the completed project.  In 1955 there was a worldwide competition to select the architect.   His “sublime masterpiece” was viewed by many as a white elephant that could never be successfully built.  But suffice to say, after 350,00 man hours and over ten years in the making, built at a cost of $102 million Australian currency,  it was finally inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth in 1973.  By this time Utzon had resigned and refused to come back, though invited and he was awarded a gold medal.    Looking beautiful like the wings of a sail or the petals of a white lotus, only a close look can reveal its multitude of secrets, like the triple glazed off- white ceramic tiles coating its wings which came from Sweden, its lovely glass windows from France.   The inside did not disappoint either.   There are so many beautiful auditoriums allowing several shows to go on at the same time, a royal purple carpet lining its foyers.  The wood floors and walls in some of the halls provide awe inspiring acoustics we were told.  It is built to last, huge, a modern day wonder and using Danish simplicity and clean lines. This is the 40^th anniversary of its completion – check out 40 interesting facts about it on the internet. Definitely worth seeing in person.

A bumpy bus ride

Fun on the sand dunes

Port Stephens and Sand Dunes

To give us a break from city sights, we were scheduled for a bus trip to Port Stephens.   On the way we saw some interesting specimens of snakes, small alligators and even tarantulas  at the Reptile Park.  For the first time we saw some Dingoes which really looked like friendly dogs with their wagging tails.   Our run with good weather seemed to be nearing an end and light rain followed us on and off.  The next morning after a lunch on board a large boat, we were taken for a dolphin sighting ride.   We did see a few that seemed to be trained to follow the boat, but not too many otherwise!  Next morning we only got a glimpse of the sand dune adventure in Stockton promised to us,  due to rain.   We were taken to one of the largest moving sand dune beaches in the world over 32 km long and 2.5 km at its widest.  The clean sand, constantly shifting, had been sculpted into huge mountains.   Youngsters were actually enjoying sandboarding.    The ride in the 4 x 4 vehicles was heart stopping too as it climbed over the steep dunes.  We spent a few moments by the ocean as well, braving stiff winds.

Back in Sydney we did our last minute shopping of candied ginger (delicious!), chocolates and believe it or not, tomato soup packets which had been a light and  tasty treat when we played truant from our Indian dinner!   The weather was turning worse (heaviest rain in a decade) and at the airport we found our flight had been cancelled but thankfully we were transferred to a Qantas flight!   The service on it was great and after some inconvenience at LA where we had to drag our baggage to another terminal along the sidewalks, book on another connecting flight, we finally made it back home.   Now, looking back, it all seems like a dream, but so is every experience in life after a lapse of time.   Sweet Dreams!

Visit to NZ, Fiji and Australia, April 2015

Part 2

          Back to Auckland by bus and after a refreshing night’s sleep, we were ready for the next leg of our adventure.   We reached the airport early and let our guide assist us in the strict rules of baggage check in.   We did have a few anxious moments when we found that our group leader Lakshmi had inadvertently booked her flight for a wrong date.   Luckily a few seats were available for the short hop to our destination and after some anxious wait time, it was all done to our satisfaction.

Dunedin, Baldwin Street, steepest in the world

It was a short flight to Dunedin and just half an hour to drive into town.  It is a town with a Scottish background and the third largest city in New Zealand. For all that it was  low key and quiet.    As at other airports, we found that the tourist buses here are not that big at all.   In fact there is always a trailer for the luggage and the driver has to be really smart in fitting in all the luggage.   Some smaller  pieces had to be stored inside the bus.    The driver, Mark was the total opposite of our North island driver and was very quiet.   But he stayed with us the entire the trip and we went everywhere by bus – proved to be a very helpful and accommodative gentleman.   Some of us enjoyed the peace and quiet while others were having withdrawal symptoms after hearing the other driver talk non-stop!   We found Dunedin to be a student town too.

Baldwin St. At Dunedin, steepest in the world!

Our first stop was the steepest road in the world, we were told, the Baldwin street.   Standing at the base, we could view the entire road going up at a very steep angle.   The adventurous one did the climb (thankfully there were steps and partial railings on the side, otherwise we would have surely tumbled!)   The view from the top was just great, we also got a free stress test for our hearts and could feel proud that we did it.   After that we settled in for our long drive to Queensland with  a stop along the way to see a produce shed and to enjoy the lovely rose garden behind it.    The south island scenery was already different, but we were to experience its ruggedness the next day.   We enjoyed an Indian dinner again, the items were similar but tasty and proceeded for our night at the hotel.   Hotels in NZ were quite good, although the free Wi Fi they promised often did not work or we had to be in the lobby to avail of it.  Sometimes it was best to pay and get better service.

Rugged Scenery of South New Zealand and Milford Sound

We proceeded to Milford Sound the next morning.   It was a four hour ride and with plans to return the same day, we were a bit apprehensive.   But the rugged and beautiful scenery along the way as well as the jokes and laughter and music melted away the hours.   It is so important to go with good company, otherwise it could be drudgery to travel long distances by road.   The lakes along the way stretched literally for miles, the mountains had a dry but stark beauty.   We stopped for a group picture in a totally desolate area with mountains in the background.  We also stopped for a little trek to view a “mirror lake”. Very little of the alpine meadows of the north island were visible in this area.   There were sheep grazing on cultivated grass with elaborate watering systems and on our return we stopped to take pictures of the grazing sheep that were found by the hundreds in the enclosed meadows.  We made another stop to view the famous Lake Te Anau and wandered into the town for a bit.

Sheep sheep everywhere but wool so expensive!

Milford Sound itself was worth the visit, we reached around 1 p.m. and just made it to the departing ship.   It was large with several viewing levels and made its way slowly amidst the towering cliffs.  For a change we had non-Indian food on board.   We enjoyed some waterfalls and some seals dozing in the sun on huge rocks.  The weather was cloud and sun, but pleasant, although bright sunshine would have been nicer, but with Fiordland National Park being one of the wettest places in the world, we were lucky we were not in a deluge!  The bus ride back was full of marvel, great cloud formations against the backdrop of the towering sharp peaks.

Bungee Jumping and Bob’s Peak

The next day was a relatively light schedule.   After breakfast we headed for a nearby bridge from which bungee jumping seemed to be a popular event.   Just one or two of our group had the inclination to try the daredevil sport, but they too had to defer due to lack of time.  The fear inducing jump and the zipline  was fun to watch, though, from the safety of solid earth!  From there we took a fairly short bus ride to go up to Bob’s Peak up a mountain of great height about 1,500 ft. in a ski lift gondola.    The view from the top was what New Zealand was all about.   Majestic peaks all around and down below, the blue crystal clear water of the Lake Wakatipu, spreading for 77 kms, a total of a staggering 290 square miles stretching endlessly,  broken here and there by an emerald green island.   It was a captivating sight, but we were forced to look away when we were told to enjoy the buffet lunch.   Wow, was that a sight too!   Right from the mouth-watering corn soup (it was very hard to move to the next course!) to the salads and pastas that seemed endless, it was just great after all the Indian food we had been served day in and day out.   The deserts did not disappoint either!   There was a total  overload of cakes, pies, puddings and fresh Crème Broule for which there was a high demand.

Bob’s Peak

Selfie on Trail

Adventure on the Trail going down

When our appetites were satisfied to the utmost, we finally wandered outside to take in more of the view and explore the Ben Lomond Reserve.  The gondola ride had been pretty steep, but now there was talk in our group about taking a trek down the trails to our bus.   The adventurous ones minimized the effort involved and set off right away.   Few of us got tempted a bit later when we went to inspect the trail, it seemed well laid out and oh so scenic!   Why not?   So we set out.  It was basically fine with smooth downhill paths and spectacular views around every bend.  We just had to avoid  the speed bikers whose path crossed ours every now and then.   But the downside was that instructions on the trail were bad whenever we came to a branch and both parties ended up getting lost for about 30-45 minutes.   With no cell phones to communicate, we did have some anxious moments, but it all ended well and we were all re-united soon.  The walk was well worth it, young people go to New Zealand just to trek the countryside, while we just eat and sit in a bus!   Oh well, we could boast that something  is better than nothing!

Puzzling World

We did a little bit of shopping that evening and our group leader, Lakshmi finally said enough is enough with the mattar paneer and she was able to change the menu to poori-alu and khichdi at the Tandoor.   We sure enjoyed that meal!  The next day we were back on the bus, fully packed as we were heading for Twizel.  On our itinerary, Puzzling World had been listed and we were wondering if this might be too childish.  But it was simple fun.   We were in rooms where the sloping floors did tricks on our balance, felt like Alice in Wonderland with the low ceilings and tiny windows and lots of laser images that entertained us.   After a nice cup of coffee we proceeded outside where we had fun taking pictures with a tower that seemed ready to fall off its base.

Watch me!

  The rest of the day’s drive included a viewing of a glacier at Mt. Cook which was landlocked, not near any ocean and wine tasting. And while our bus filled up with gas, we were dropped off near a small age old Church of the Good Shepherd with its sheep dog monument.   It was very serene with a lake nearby and we walked around peeping in through its windows as it was closed.  Our Twizel hotel was old but the hospitality was good and they went out of the way to serve us good home cooked meals.   We even made time to visit a local supermarket and buy chocolate, chips  and other goodies.  However, the night adventure of trying to view the “Southern Lights” or Australia Borealis was a fizzle out and there were a couple of wise ones who skipped this outing and got caught up on their sleep!

Christchurch and on to Fiji

On to Christchurch, the last major city in the southern island.  This is the city that was hit by a major earthquake and some churches are still in the broken condition, just as a reminder of the catastrophe and a cardboard church was temporarily housing the devout.   In contrast, we had a very pleasant ride of punting on the Avon River.   It was  very British and the meticulously maintained botanical gardens around the river afforded us a soothing respite from all the bus travel.   The last leg of the journey was our flight back to Auckland and overnight stay near the airport and the next morning early flight brought us to sunny Fiji!

Tropical Paradise — Fiji!

Our morning flight landed uneventfully in Nadi, pronounced by the locals as Naandi, which is supposed to mean low tide.   Among the locals settled here, many are of Indian origin and still speak Hindi in the homes.   The British brought them over centuries ago when they found the local island  people to be of a lethargic nature.   Now many have advanced to own their business.  Fiji is comprised of 333 islands.  Initially we were told cannibalism was practiced but with advent of missionaries, this was put to an end.  Now Fiji people are rated as among the happiest in the world.  Communal living is common with a chief controlling a village and he was allowed many wives to preserve his dynasty.  We were taken to view a model community and it was very neat and well kept and the government also provides a lot of support.

Fruit Orchards and Hindu Temple

From the start Fiji was appealing as it was not overbuilt like, say, Bali is.  Everywhere there are fruit orchards and the hospitality of the people is amazing.  We had the exclusive privilege of viewing a private fruit orchard at the top of a hill and this belonged to Rosey, the wife of a prominent personality.  The weather is ideal for easy cultivation of fruits like papaya, bread fruit, watermelon and pineapple.  Besides that, sugar, gold and black pearls are the specialty of the region.   Talking of famous, Raymond Burr of American TV fame, had owned and cultivated an exotic orchid garden and later gifted it to the locals.   It is at the foot of the mountain described as the Sleeping Giant whose huge reclining  shape can be easily identified as we travelled back and forth.   We saw a local vegetable market, tasted tender coconut and fruits.  We also had the opportunity to visit the full fledged Subramania temple and got dressed in salwar kameez for the occasion!

Tivua Island and Kayaking

The three days in Fiji recharged our batteries.  Though the beach near our resort was not ideal with sharp rocks and full of shells,  the rooms were large old world style  with sit -out verandas.  We got to visit Tivua (Treasure Island) on a cruise boat and spend  the entire day there on lounging chairs on the soft white sands and turquoise blue waters.  No surprise the men fell into sound sleep right on the sands!   We had a chance to try kayaking too near the shore.   The island was so small we could walk around it in about 15 mins along the beach, leading us to conjecture how those marooned on small islands must feel.  We were also taken to see the coral and exotic fish in a glass bottom boat.   All  our meals were at the resort and they did their best to provide us with tasty vegetarian fare like exotic papaya salads, soups and root vegetables, some Indian dishes and  delectable vanilla ice cream!   They sent us on our way to Australia with a touching farewell show and song specially composed for us.   Very warm people indeed.

 New Zealand, Fiji & Australia

                          Part 1                             April 2015

Our visit to New Zealand and Australia was in my book, almost the “last frontier” as we can claim to have at least set foot on most of the other habituated continents like Asia, Africa, the Americas.   This would probably be our last major trip although we did foresee smaller trips in the future.   It proved to be our longest one yet, 24 days including travel.   How did we survive?   Easy!   We are pros now although our hearts were skipping beats at every airport check in.   They are really strict with weight and hand baggage size on that end of the world.   Every other country looks good now!

The first stop, with our now famous Lakshmi group tours, was Auckland in New Zealand.   Of course to get there we had to travel to LA, thankfully they checked in our luggage all the way!   At the LA airport it was another joyous re-union of our group of about 20 that had zeroed in from different locations in the US.  We were all excited to continue with our travels and the long 14 hour flight did not seem so daunting after all.   As it turned out, we were able to sleep a fair amount and reach Auckland, NZ in a okay condition.

The “fun” part of clearing customs in NZ, we had already been strictly warned, was that they would not tolerate any food that would jeopardize their flora and fauna.   The dire consequences were also heavy fines if all offensive food was not declared or thrown out in the bins provided.  Still, a few brave souls (like us) did not want to compromise on our Janaki snacks of murukkus and decided to take a chance and declare them, although we were practically trembling.   Lucky for us we got an officer of Indian origin who knew what murukku was.   Turns out they are more particular about honey, fruits, grains, nuts, plants etc.   It was well worth the risk, the murukkus were gold!

After some amount of waiting, we were greeted by David, our tour guide who was unique in many ways.   Foremost, he had an attitude about people of Indian origin and had many pre-conceived notions.   He talked non-stop on all our drives, but was well informed.  As it was morning, our drive through Auckland was nice.   It is the largest city in NZ and its financial capital.   We were introduced from a distance to its numerous dormant volcanoes which had the potential to wipe out the city.  The city and its environs had four seasons – sometimes on the same day!   Due to the delay in our pick up we were treated to a hot Indian breakfast of poories and other items at the Indian Express and we were now ready for the tour as our hotel check- in was later.

Auckland, Mt. Eden and Viaduct Harbor

Kia Ora! Welcome!!  The weather in northern NZ  in early fall when we reached there was perfect, cool and crisp with ample sunshine.   Our tour began with a visit to Mount Eden, a very picturesque area that also had a caldera or crater, sacred to the indigenous Maoris.  As some bones may still be there from the past, people were not allowed to climb into the grassy large crater that was once a volcano.  We did climb to the top of the adjoining mount to view the commemorative obelisk and enjoy the spectacular view of the city and the ocean, reminiscent of Cape Town.  Among others, the Sky Tower stood out, one of the tallest structures in the eastern hemisphere.

Next we drove to Viaduct Harbor and Queens street and were taken in by the sight of some very large metal serrated wheels that were once a part of a giant dredger.   The final stop on our first day was a grassy open air memorial known as the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial on a lovely location with date trees overlooking the ocean again.

After a leisurely evening at the hotel located centrally we did justice to yet another Indian meal (lunch was provided too!) and retired for a well deserved catch up sleep after our long plane travel.

 Hamilton Gardens, Rotorua Geo-thermal area and Agrodome

We were already on the move the next morning packing a smaller bag to visit the Rotorua area, full of natural wonders.   En route by bus as we drove through the lush green countryside, we found out that over 70% of the population were dairy farmers.  Each cow generally gave ample milk and sheep were sheared twice a year.  Talking about the scenic countryside, it looked like one endless golf course, emerald green, grass kept low by the grazing animals and the small undulating hills enhancing the natural beauty.  Since we had already seen some of the scheduled sights the previous day, we had time to visit Hamilton Gardens.   Though it was called a Maori garden (indigenous people to New Zealand), it was more of an international sight.   We saw well laid out flower beds with their beauty enhanced by architecture of various countries.  There was a lovely Japanese area with Bonsai trees and a traditional bridge, a British maze and a serene Char Bagh Indian contribution with arched Mogul edifices.

Huka Falls, Agrodome

By special request of our photo expert member, we also went the extra distance to see Huka falls.   The water gushed at high force through the valley, though not from any great height.   To some it was a bit of let down, but to me it just meant seeing more of the lush alpine meadows along the drive and enjoying the very quiet countryside.  We also saw the sunset on the very large Lake Taupo and ended the day with having dinner, finding our hotel and once again sinking into sleep.

On to the famed Rotorua area.   The name denotes two lakes in Maori and it was a unique geo- thermal region.  Though the hotel was okay it had a beautiful glassed dining area with lovely views of the lake nearby.   The weather that had co-operated so far turned cloudy with sprinkles as we headed for the Agrodome.   Here we were treated to an exciting display of the farm skills of New Zealanders.   The stars that took to the indoor stage were —  farm animals!  They were well trained to occupy the pedestal space designated for them.   All varieties of sheep were displayed, over a dozen.   Later some sheep dogs came in to show how they herded and also very nimbly climbed up on the backs of the sheep much to the delight of the audience, which incidentally filled up the entire huge Agrodome, mostly people of Far Eastern descent.   Since I had expressed my desire to one day work on a farm in NZ, my friends pushed me on to the stage when they called for volunteers to milk a cow.   I did try (not so easy as the cow, huge though it was, gave a thin trickle only).  Others went up to feed baby sheep with bottles of milk and pet them.  Expert shearing of a helpless looking sheep was the crowning glory though the ladies felt sorry for it!

Petting goats and alpacas

Lush Kiwi fruits

The rest of the morning was pleasantly spent in watching some herding dogs do their work outside and going on a long ride on a long tractor!   We got down here and there to pet and feed some sheep, admire the glorious scenery, see alpacas, taste the famous Manuka honey which appears to be a mix of different types of local honey and kiwi fruit and sells for an exorbitant price;  we also tasted kiwi juice or kiwi wine and generally had a good time.   We saw some lovely kiwi orchards with fruits hanging by the dozens on low trees.

Pohutu Geyser

The next big attraction was the Te Puia Thermal Reserve.  Here everything was contained within a short distance.   We could see the bubbling mud pool and the “Pohutu Geyser” which sprouted on cue at the expected time.   The height it maintained for several minutes caused much excitement among the onlookers and lent itself to many photo ops.   We got a glimpse of the elusive Kiwi bird in a very dark and quiet enclosure.   Turns out that Kiwis are nocturnal birds and quite rare as well.   Here we were thinking that they would be as common as the Kiwis on our Indian shoe polish tins and we would see them walking around everywhere like chickens!  Wrong!  That was probably the only kiwi we kind of saw in the dim light in all of New Zealand!

Pohutu Geyser in Rotarua

The Maori Cultural show was the last of the day’s events before we had dinner and it did not disappoint with the backdrop of their elaborate architecture.   The outfits were very authentic and the dancers very athletic and even caused some fear with their demeanor, as was the purpose in ancient times.  One of our own group, Murali, was invited to the stage and must say he did a great job in joining in step with the dancers.   A word about the food we had so far.   We were mostly taken to a chain of restaurants known as Little India where they used the age old recipes of the owner’s grandmother, Premjit Kaur Gill.   The food was pretty amazing and the extra pounds some of us gained is testimonial to the fact that we did justice to it!   Never mind the fact that by the end of the whole tour, we were so tired of seeing paneer in one form or the other (vegetables except potato and spinach never made it to the table!)   The ice cream was delectable too, mostly creamy vanilla from the rich milk produced by the local cows.   We heard that in both NZ and Australia, Indian cuisine had become so popular that even locals flocked to these restaurants.

Unique Glow Worm Caves

The next morning was ideal for some quiet time and a walk in the drizzle along the lake front where we could view some beautiful black swans with their baby chicks.  We had our drive back to Auckland but on the way made a stop at another famous tourist attraction, the Waitomo glowworm caves.   Here in a semi dark cavern, our boat silently glided through an underground grotto.   On the ceiling was a canopy of thousands of twinkling lights, each spot a glow worm larva. Putting out lines of  sticky substance like a spider, they attract other insects and feed.  Unique indeed!   We have not seen this sight anywhere else and along with the unusual source of light we also enjoyed the meditative silence and marveled at the “shristi” of the Lord in creating so much variety in nature.  We rode back by bus enjoying our own music on the I-Pad magnified by a small portable speaker (this time we were self sufficient, not dependent on the bus driver’s equipment or mood for playing our music!), also enjoying the unsullied green meadows, not too many people in sight, just more sheep and grass everywhere.

Serene scenery

Shankar at the Huka Falls

Some random facts:  New Zealand still brings in 40,000 immigrants yearly.  Students who have completed the required years of study can even bring their parents. The single important marker in the Maori people’s DNA is Taiwanese.   Livestock farming is the main occupation of the people.  Each cow gives 8 liters of milk per day, but exported milk is probably cheaper than that available in NZ where cost of daily use items are quite expensive.  Though there is wool, wool everywhere, go into a showroom and the cost of wool items is sky high (Peru, we sure missed you for the wool shopping!)  Sorry, New Zealand we could not do much to improve your economy by way of shopping! Whitakers is the famous local brand of chocolate to try! Comes in all flavors including Kiwi fruit, but nothing beats the plain milk chocolate.  Also the ice cream was so rich, but this we found out  after we went to Fiji!

October 2014

At Machu Picchu

Well laid out village

We woke up bright and early the next morning to another gorgeous day of mild temps and bright sunshine. We now had to pack a smaller bag as we would be taking a train from Ollantaytambo and there were luggage restrictions. Once again we sat in the square in front of the hotel. Some adventurous shoppers also found a somewhat fancy boutique nearby selling quality alpaca wool items and did some preliminary browsing. Later on our whole group did a lot of shopping and got a good discount there. Soon our comfortable bus pulled up for our half day of travel.

Different and unique was our first stop. We saw how the travel lodges of the ancient Incas were and frankly, not bad at all! In those days the entourage, often with royalty, travelled for days by paths through jungles and a overnight rest area would have been welcome for all of them. At Tambomachai (tambo meaning rest area and machai was caves) we saw on the face of the mountain, niches and caves carved out for people to spend the night, of course the royalty enjoying better spaces. Right there was a natural spring waterfall, cleverly directed through carved holes in the rocks for the refreshment of the travelers. The Incas believed that even different forms of water had its own sex – a waterfall was male, while the ocean was female, so our guide Angel informed us! Surrounded by the great Andes mountains, it was a serene and perfect place that any traveler would appreciate an overnight stop under the canopy of stars.

We had loved the alpaca animals briefly, now we got a chance to view them at close quarters and learn more about them. At Awanacancha they were fenced in open pens and we could also feed them a kind of grass. They do come in various shapes, sizes and colors and of course, names. According to their chart the Camelids as they are known range from llamas at one end all the way to the two hump camels with several species in between. The locals knew exactly how the quality of the wool would be in each variety of alpaca. “Baby alpaca” referred to the first cut of wool that was in a way virgin wool, like olive oil! The exhibit also included indigenous people demonstrating how the wool was died naturally (even one type of bug produced a deep red color) and woven into intricate designs. We saw a mind boggling display of potatoes of various size, variety and hues. It is a major crop of Peru. Attached to the farm was a high end showroom selling top quality goods by indigenous talents.

Sacred Valley of the Incas
We drove down to the Sacred Valley. From a vantage point high on the mountains we saw the beautiful agricultural land with river Urubamba snaking through it. It is one of the rare rivers in the world, flowing from south to north, finally joining the Amazon river, we were told. No wonder the Incas made it their home, so fertile, beautiful and bountiful. Next stop – Pisac market! This place could beat any US flea market in its variety. We first saw how silver is crafted into beautiful jewelry blended in with natural colored minerals. Known as Mother Earth or “Pacha Mama”, the pendent was the ladies’ favorite. Almost everyone got a large pendent in silver with concentric circles in beautiful colors like deep blue, green or terracotta red. However, the prices back at Cusco beat out the Pisac market rates! Still, a few good buys like children’s sweaters, place mats and scarves were made. Our lunch was in a lovely “hacienda” type of open air restaurant surrounded by large swatches of colorful bougainvillea flowering bushes and beautiful gardens with the mountains in the distance. The food was okay, they did make a lot of effort to provide vegetarian items.

Next stop, fairly nearby, was the famous Ollantaytambo, a place where an Inca king Ollantay stayed, legend says. The town too is known by this name as is the Inca structure, presumed to be a temple or a fort. Here we saw huge terraces rising up endlessly to the sky. Perhaps there was a sun temple at the top, it was certainly a place where Incas lived and produced crops, for they had storage granneries on a different mountain nearby. We could only climb to a short distance, some adventurous ones in our group were willing but only a few and in the interest of time, we had to leave. However, our guide did tell us a romantic story associated with the fort, the love that ended in tragedy between Pachakutec’s general and the daughter of the king. We also viewed the water temple where Inca rituals were performed for fertility of fields. Corn was the main crop and chicha, a corn based alcohol, was consumed as also used in rituals where it was first offered to the earth.
We loved our overnight hotel stay. The location was gorgeous, greenery all around, lovely flower beds meticulously maintained. Our one complaint was that we had to trek up three to four levels of steps to reach our rooms! But we did have incentive to come down to the lobby because some indigenous artifacts were sold in “sidewalk sales” at very reasonable prices. The scarves bought here made fabulous gifts once we came back home and thanks to our group the women made substantial sales. We also enjoyed the sights of alpacas grazing on the property and just beyond the fence was a row of local children looking for small handouts. We were served dinner and breakfast at the same hotel.

All too soon we had to leave for the train station the next morning. The Vista dome train lived up to its name. So comfortable with a table between four seats and gorgeous views all around. All along the route the river Urubamba flowed along with us, sometimes as a narrow stream, at other times whitewater rapids tumbling over large boulders. The majestic peaks of the Andes never failed to take our breath away, some even with snow caps. Along the way we could see smaller Inca structures on the mountainside. The backpackers tackling the famed four day trek to Machu Picchu were visible here and there and we were pointed out the 81 km. marker which is the start of the trek along with a pedestrian bridge crossing the river. Soon we were served snacks and the journey was pleasantly completed in a short couple of hours.

Our destination, Aguas Calientes, (hot springs) at the foot of the mountains was fascinating too. The only transportation allowed here are the buses going up the mountain to Machu Picchu. We were staying at one of the best eco lodge hotels, the Inkaterra, in the midst of the cloud forest. This group is doing great work in conservation of the Andean bear and other species in the vicinity. Even before we got our lovely eco-friendly rooms, we all signed up for the nature walk later in the afternoon. Here we could see miniature species of orchids growing in the thick undergrowth. To be sure we saw a lot of exotic plants but what drew our attention was the hummingbirds that constantly hovered over the sweet water feeders. We were as fascinated by them as they were by the sweet treat! Our walk concluded with a view of the Sacred Rock wall with Inca carvings and an aeriel view of the Urubamba river. We were soon ready for dinner at the nearby restaurant, right in the middle of the railway tracks!

Machu Picchu at last!
The final culmination of the trip was in sight and we got a good night’s rest. As the reservation for the visit to Machu Picchu ruins is filled up weeks ahead (only 1500 visitors are allowed per day), we were to make only one trip and had to make the most of it. No one was complaining about waking up really early and finishing breakfast by 6 a.m. One of us in the excitement of the visit, did leave behind the camera bag in the room and had to run back and miss the first bus! The good news was that buses were plying every 10 minutes. The ride uphill was only about 25 minutes with expert drivers negotiating hairpin bends. With the clouds coming down low, the view was partially covered with each turn revealing breathtaking heights! Soon we were at the entrance, our group assembling and full of anticipation.

Testimonials to the quality of the structures at the entrance praised the quality, none less than the civil engineering society of the US! On entering the gate the sight that greeted us was beyond expectations. As someone in our group said, “Wow would be an understatement”. We just walked in a few yards and stopped to stare. All around us were steep, wide terraces, green everywhere and very even leading our gaze to the guard houses way up. The space was huge with simple stone structures broken only by beautiful patches of grass. What gave majesty to the location were the mountain peaks everywhere, the Andes in their full glory. Granted that the Incas must have built the place with blood, sweat and tears, but how glorious was their reward to have a dwelling so heavenly, close to the gods they worshipped.
The stories told about the discovery of Machu Picchu in 1911 by American anthropologist Hiram Bingham were of course challenged by the Peruvian authorities who said that the mountains of Machu Picchu (old mountain) and Huayna Picchu (young mountain) had been mapped and named in the late 1800s. Story goes that the whole establishment had been abandoned by the Incas for reasons unknown and had been overgrown by nature. With a 8 year old for a guide, Bingham braved many dangers to reach Machu Picchu and unravel its marvels little by little. Untouched by the invaders, the culture of the Incas is pristine here. Credit goes for presenting it to the modern world to Yale University and National Geographic society for funding cleanup expeditions. Now the government of Peru is doing an excellent job of maintaining and managing. What struck us the most was that there were no railings or guards to spoil the beauty, everyone was just careful and it worked!

Fascinating views

Terrace Gardening

We spent about 5 hours, escorted by our guide, Angel. He pointed out the difference in the types of stones used and how they were always more polished and finished when it was for the purpose of making buildings of worship. The trapezoid windows narrow at the top and wider below, the trademark of the Incas, was visible especially in their Temple of Three Windows. Another courtyard had shallow stone bowls that caught rain water and probably reflected the sun, moon or stars. Everything was of course conjecture because the Incas did not leave behind anything in writing for the world to understand their culture. We climbed up a small hill in the center to get spectacular views. We saw the famous sun temple designed to receive the rays with precision, the temple of the condor facing east, as they believed that condors transported the souls to a higher world. The wings of the condor were two chiseled rocks behind it, part of the rock formations!

As it is said for many spots of beauty and grandeur in the world, it would take days to explore and discover the intricate secrets. Unfortunately we had no such luxury afforded to us. Soon it was time to do the final ascent to the natural viewing gallery which gives the iconic layout of the Machu Picchu ruins so often used in brochures and books that lures tourists. Again, the view was amazing, unbelievable and beautiful. All we could do was to take our pictures and then take a few moments to drink it all in and hope our memories would take us back to that precious nano second where the world stands still, we forget our cares and we enjoy as nature and man’s amazing skill takes over our mind. Thank you Incas, for calling out to us and giving us such an unforgettable experience.

As we exited, Angel made sure we all got our passports stamped with a nice Machu Picchu proof of visit stamp! After lunching at the sanctuary lodge just outside the gates, we were on our way back and boarding the train to Cusco. There was just a little bit of time to explore the rows and rows of stores selling local wares. Again, so refreshing that nothing was marked “made in China!”. We enjoyed the Vistadome, the train with the windows all around, spotting several snow clad mountain peaks. Back to our same hotel and the next morning was reserved for a walking tour of the city of Cusco. We were quite used to the altitude by now and walked with ease along the cobble stoned streets where centuries ago, King Pachacutec was probably carried in ceremonious procession! We spotted a coffee store and purchased roasted seeds and powder to take back home.

Last minute shopping proved to be a bonanza for the boutique near our hotel. One of the ladies of our group proved to be a consummate bargainer and we all enjoyed the bounties of good quality and lower prices! I am sure we all expect to use our alpacas well and bequeath them to the next generation! They are ultra soft and warm too. We said our goodbye to Angel and others and caught our flight back to Lima, spent a few hours at the airport and the overnight ride brought most of us back home. Others had longer flights with connections. However, no complaints as the trip had been truly amazing. It was just seven days, but packed with new sights, sounds, tastes and above all the visit to a world heritage sight that only a few in the world are destined to enjoy! That too in the company of our dear friends. Priceless!

October 2014

Machu Picchu had been on everyone’s “must see” list so when the opportunity came up through Lakshmi’s tour suggestion, we all jumped at the chance, dropped everything else and made preparations for our trip in the month of October 2014. 

Departing from Newark airport was very convenient and better yet was the direct flight. The seven plus hours did not seem to be much of a drag (especially for us seasoned India travelers). However, for me, the surprise was that we were heading directly South, not West! Somehow, I had imagined Lima to be south of the California area, but you can literally draw a straight line down from NY to Lima. That’s why the time difference was only one hour due to daylight savings in our area and we did not have any jet lag either while going or coming.

Upon arrival that night, we were met by a friendly agent. However, the immigration department was not very accurate in its work. Some of the group had to go back in to have the wrong date stamp corrected on their papers. This also resulted in the misplacement of two passports during the bus ride, causing minor panic upon arrival at the hotel. The agent acted with alacrity and had the bus come back and soon found the missing items. Very impressive! This totally restored our appetites and we were ready for the packed food from the local Indian restaurant, kept warm and ready for us. We took it to our rooms and really enjoyed the neatly packed items.

Touring Lima

After a good night’s rest in our spacious rooms, we were ready to explore and were greeted by a friendly guide and sunshine breaking in through the fog. Go any time of the year to Lima, you will not get rain! We were told that due to the meeting of cold and warm currents over the Pacific Ocean, the precipitation is very little, perhaps 3 inches in the year. The temps were always between 60 and 90 degrees F. We had no complaints about this, in fact we marvelled at the fact as we drove along in our bus that the Miraflores area we saw was green and lush and well maintained with flowers. Our guide made us laugh when she said that it was very hard to buy an umbrella here in Lima. Most cars had no wipers and the roofs were flat and there were hardly any insects. The sidewalks were wide, there were even free public stationary bikes for people to exercise and enjoy the morning hustle bustle of the streets. The only requirement was that each user had to vote in the elections, this is how they cleverly caught the dodgers! The locals cannot use a passport or even a bank account without proof of voting.

Our first stop was right near the beach, the Lover’s Park on a high cliff. The view of the Pacific ocean was breathtaking. Once we were done taking pictures, the next thing to attract our attention was a really unusual sculpture! Now we understood why this was Lover’s Park. The sculpture was tastefully done of a couple lying entwined in each other’s arms. It was fun for our couples to take pictures with it, but the award went to a local couple that tried to replicate the pose on the grass. That takes guts! Next viewing of interest was a huge adobe light colored brick structure that
had been recognized much later as an Inca site of worship. As it had been covered with mud, Huaca Pucllana was just presumed to be a hill at first. Some signs of human sacrifice in the bygone eras had also been detected. We drove through neighborhoods where homes were painted in bright colors to compensate for the cloudiness. When Chinese labor came to work there, rice became very popular referred to as Chifa. Earthquakes were common, the one in 1794 destroyed 92 per cent of the city. Now rules apply for better construction and often bamboo is used to reinforce structures as it was done in olden times.

We concluded our day tour with a visit to the beautiful Cathedral with high ceilings and beautiful statues of Mother Mary and infant Jesus. A service was in progress. Then we moved on to the Santa Domingo Dominican monastery. The art work and ceiling works were stunning. One unexpected treat as we were walking as part of the city tour, was a beautiful parade. Not only was there a lively band, but men, women and children were dressed in traditional finery in the same groups of colors and swaying in tune to the music. It was a pleasure to have our pictures taken with them. We also saw women wearing purple dresses to celebrate a holy holiday. Dinner was repeated at Minar, the same Indian restaurant that had provided packed food. It was good, though better the previous day, and it was the last meal with Indian food till our return to the US!

At a park in Lima

Streets of Lima

We caught the local morning flight to Cusco, a short distance from Lima. We had been skeptical about the weather as the official summer was over and showers were common everywhere. But luck was with us! It had been raining in Cusco, but we had obviously brought the sun with us from NY/NJ. We were met at the airport by our tour guide, Angel. He proved to be our “angel” and stayed with us throughout our tour to Machu Picchu till our return flight to Lima. After a quick light lunch of soup or tasty wraps at the hotel and a brief rest, we were ready to see the sights around Cusco. We headed by bus to a higher elevation of over 12,000 feet. At first we seemed to be doing okay with the high elevation and all of us tried the coca tea provided by the hotel. But as the day wore on, tiredness hit us.

In Lima

A Procession

Ancient Site and Cute Alpacas

Our first stop was Sacsahuaman (popularly referred to by tourists as “sexy woman”) but a totally innocent archaeological site, dating back to the early 15th century. As we approached the green meadows and the stone structures of the Incas, many of us were charmed by our first glimpse of alpacas grazing in the distance. These are adorable animals, like a cross between a sheep and a llama in white and other browns or blacks. Their wool is soft and commonly used for several types of winter clothing. More on our shopping sprees later, where ever we went we heard “100 per cent baby alpaca”, whether it cost $10 or $100! Final conclusion, only the real baby alpaca animals were 100 per cent pure! The park was our first exposure to the skills of the Incas in building huge walls with very big smooth stones, without the use of mortar. Whether it was used as a fort or a temple was not established. We saw groups of locally dressed Inca tribal people also on a sight seeing tour. It appears that the government encourages them to visit their heritage areas. In the distance, on top of a hill, a large white Christ was visible from several areas along our drive.

After this we had a pleasurable interlude posing for Kodak moments with locally dressed indigenous people with their alpacas. We could touch and pet these gentle animals and carry their babies. The ladies made their living by charging a few sols, their local currency, about a third of a US dollar for taking pics with them.

As we drove around, we noticed that the small huts and homes all had a cross and bulls on the roof. This was a mix of Incan and Spanish culture. Earlier, Incas had llamas, but the bulls were a sign of fertility for the Spanish. Puka Pukara was the next stop, translated to mean a red fort. We climbed the short way to the top and saw the flat observation area. Also nearby was Q’enqo where we walked into an intricate but partially open cave system that was a temple as well as an alter for sacrifices and perhaps for mummifications, as figured out by the Spanish. In general Incas were short in stature, but they built steps where they needed to reach higher areas. The niches carved out in the rocky walls perhaps served to display their icons or idols.

Our day had been long, but we had more to see. We headed to the famous Inca Sun temple, the Qorikancha. Here we found out that the Spanish used the foundations of the Inca structures but destroyed the rest and built their own churches of worship, in this case it was the Church of Santa Domingo. Soon we learned to identify the slightly inclined Inca base walls and the flawless setting of even stones as we walked the town of Cusco. Inti was another name for sun and this could well have been the most important place of worship for the Incas according to historians. The angle where the sun entered was scientifically calculated and built. It is said the walls and floors were once covered with sheets of gold. However the gold was all given away to the Spanish in ransom to spare the lives of some of the Inca kings.

Church paintings with various cultures

The Incas so far were amazing, but credit for fabulous paintings and breath-catching sculptures and huge works of art, some gold painted, has to be given to the early Spanish as well. The Church which is part of the Sun temple is a great example of this. They used the labor of the Incas who were so innocent, had never heard of an angel, but had to paint them! The Incas also sneaked in many important aspects of their own culture, making grapes look like corn, the angels had condor wings! Gold leaf work and beautiful colors derived from natural plants and minerals have stood the test of time till this day! The end result is truly remarkable and one could spend hours examining all this.

We took in a quick look at the central square of Cusco, with a promise to see more upon our return from Machu Picchu. Cusco had been the first taste of great things to come and did not disappoint. We were also very happy with the guide we had been assigned. Angel was knowledgeable, helpful, cheerful and very easy to understand and get along with. Everyone was comfortable with him and we looked forward to a great visit in his company to Machu Picchu and other marvelous sights along the way. The rest of the trip lived up to our expectations and more, the weather did not disappoint either. Outside the hotel in the large stone lined square, as we waited for our bus, we were entertained by hawkers selling silver trinkets and we found the people to be warm and friendly. Soon with some meaningful bargaining, quick purchases were made and everyone was happy.  At eco lodges everywhere beautiful gardens and exotic flowers welcomed us!