Visit to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Bali

November 2013

Thailand and Cambodia had been the dream countries we had been hearing about for so long and what we were able to see did not disappoint us. Fortunately the plane hops were quite short and we were often able to fly in and continue with a full day of our touring. We had landed in the Suvarnabhumi airport, the name speaks for itself. The land was formerly known as Siam, the “land of smiles”.

We had a very “interesting” guide in Thailand, more about his antics later. He now told us that Bangkok had the longest name for a city (even registered with the Guinness book of records!) He repeated it several times, but there was no way of getting it! The ancient capital of Thailand however, was Ayutthaya. With Ramayana being so popular in this part of the world, the name did not surprise us. He enlightened us to the fact that the ancient civilization was very advanced and after seeing some of the palaces and temples, we had no doubts. There were over 400 Buddhist temples in and around Bangkok as it was believed that one must build a temple to achieve nirvana. On the way to lunch from the airport, we squeezed in a visit to a temple with a huge gold Buddha, 700 years old. The Buddha had been moved many times, sometimes camouflaged with a clay covering, but was now in its full glory, solid, shiny gold and about 14 foot tall. It weighed 5 1/2 tons and the purity of the gold was 96.5%.The temple structure itself, though on a main road was with several levels like a Birla mandir.

It was known as the Sukhothai Traimit golden Buddha. Duly impressed we left and were very happy to quench our thirst with some tender coconut water on the pavement, just like India, but infinitely sweeter.

We were scheduled to have our big re-union in Bangkok where a large group of our friends from US were meeting us. It was a joyous get together at lunch at a restaurant where the food and cleanliness was below par but no one seemed to mind. We were now about 35 in our group. We had our temporary residence at the Amari Watergate five star hotel and considering we were to spend a few days there, it was quite comfortable. The morning breakfast spread was particularly impressive with several south and north Indian delicacies like idli/sambar/chutni, cholle/puri etc.

Ayutthaya World Heritage Center

Our first sight seeing foray was hugely impressive, being the summer palace of the former king, now open for viewing as a museum. It was painted yellow and red, having been built by the Chinese in the bygone days. It was well preserved, including the furniture in the rooms. A viewing tower also provided great views and photo ops. The gardens with fountains and flowers were breathtaking. Our Kodak moment came when we were asked to wear a colorful sarong to step inside one of the residences. Everyone looked and felt so good! In sharp contrast, the next stop was some ruins of Sukhothai, beautiful brick structures from the 1700s and now a World Heritage site. It is also referred to as Ayutthaya, a previous capital.

A Buddha head that had been lodged in the roots of a tree also attracted our attention. The place had an aura about it and we were told that even now, monks are initiated there. There was a big stone Buddha seated serenely on a raised platform surrounded by pillars. Some of the buildings were leaning over, but still standing their ground. Our guide Jo Jo entertained us with facts and also his pronunciation of certain words were hilarious. For instance, he often told us that the “chopping” (shopping) in Thailand was great, the “toulists” like to eat “lice” (rice), there was a lot of “ugliculture” and a few other words that are truly X-rated and cannot be repeated here! OK, one little one, the bricks are held together with “semen” (cement!) He often talked about gems and pronounced it as “james”. Imagine our surprise when he took us to a tailor shop called James Tailors! We pretty much spent several hours there while some of the men in our group were being measured for tailor- made suits and shirts. Jo Jo also told us that when something is extreme, like the price of an item, the locals say Baaa Maaa! By the end of our stay we had plenty of occasions to say Baaa Maaa! We also complimented our guide and told him he was like Tom Cruise or Shalook Khan! He was very sporting about our teasing him with his accent. But he was like royalty always starting his sentence with his name, “Jo Jo now tell you about …..!”

Visit to Royal Palace Museum and Gardens
On our first full day of sight-seeing, we were treated to a local Thai lunch, visited another temple with a huge golden Buddha made of bronze and covered in gold leaf. Those who had missed the tender coconut now went for it and our way back we saw an artifacts museum and people taking rides on some decorated elephants. We saw the royal palace and attached to it was another temple.

The day concluded with an unforgettable night city cruise and dinner on the Chau Praya river. The sights of the lighted buildings by night was rapturous. The surprise arranged by our tour operator was a completely Indian food dinner with several authentic dishes and desert. Other Indian groups were on board too. The icing on the cake was literally icing on the cake with my birthday being celebrated on board the ship with live rendering of happy birthday by a music group. Later on the bus, Shantha took over the mike and sang for me a song that she had composed on the spot in “shuddha” Tamil! What an honor! Thank you so much, Shantha! One of my best birthdays in recent years, to be in such an exotic place with some of my very best friends and being surprised with so much! Priceless!
The next day after we had done justice to the excellent hybrid breakfast of continental and Indian food, we were ready for one of the best days of the trip! It was an amazing, exciting, memorable day, our one regret was that we could have spent more time on each of those sights! But the little we saw will stay with us for the rest of our lives, we have pictures to prove it! One of the highlights was the Floating Market. Here the customers are taken in dozens of high powered motor boats accommodating about 6 people each and the shops are alongside the canal displaying their colorful wares like clothes, curios, etc. Then there were the brave souls in the paddle boats selling only hats, fruits or coconuts!

The Floating Market
We managed to buy a few items, but it was sheer fun just to soak in the color, the hustle-bustle, the excitement of the moment and the traffic on the canals. Ah, it was good to be alive! There was only joy all around reflected on the faces of these innocent people trying to make a few bucks with their items for sale.
Next stop – Tiger Temple or monastery to be more exact, after a long drive through some lush countryside. The drive through Kanchanaburi province was pleasant, we were told jasmine rice and sugarcane was cultivated here. I had seen a program on the tigers in this unbelievable place on TV before and a few friends who had alerted me to the fact that it was “not to be missed”. Being an animal lover and not really afraid, I had decided to pet the tigers while a few others were kind enough to let me be the “bakra” (sacrificial lamb)! But when we got there, everybody was gung- ho about touching the huge beasts and being photographed with them. It was simply amazing.

At the Tiger Monastary

One is lucky to see a tiger in one’s lifetime outside of a zoo (or the Life of Pi!) But to see dozens roaming in an open area only chained to a post and being touched by hoards of tourists was like a strange dream. We all loved it. Apparently they are rescued tigers being cared for by monks and have not known the life of survival in a wild jungle since they were cubs. They were well fed and not interested in sampling humans, we supposed, and everyone followed the strict instructions of the volunteers working there from all parts of the world. Oh yes, the visit was well worth the drive out of Bangkok and when my other friends see the pictures, their eyes really pop out! We could pet a sleeping baby tiger and also watch a monk take a full grown tiger for a walk on a chain accompanied by tourists walking alongside!

Bridge on the River Kwai

On our return we stopped to see the famous Bridge on the River Kwai. Earlier we had stopped for a local cuisine lunch. The movie, we were told had been picturized in Sri Lanka, but this was the beautiful historic spot and we could freely walk on the re-built bridge. After that we hit traffic and it seemed to take double the time to get back to town. We had been booked for the dinner show of Siam Niramit and when we got there we realized it was a unique show. We did miss the pre-show where we could have met the artistes, but fortunately missed only a little bit of the real show. It was truly fantastic. Hundreds of beautifully costumed people danced and acted to the live music and exotic themes of heaven and hell and flying fairies! More artistes and some on elephants invaded the aisles and thrilled us. Suddenly there was a canal on the stage with real water and cute things happened on it like boats, ducks and lotuses. There was thunder and lightening, and goats on the stage! It was enchanting and we were sorry when it ended. The stage itself is world class and recognized as one of the marvels of the world. The dinner was kindly served to us after the conclusion of the show as we had missed it earlier. Thus ended another fabulous day of unique experiences.

The last day in Thailand was also fun filled. We saw more Buddha temples. If you have seen one, you have seen them all is a theory that does not work here! Each was fabulous, different and admirable. The maintenance of the temples is amazing. The courtyard, the outside “pagodas” and the inner sanctum are all shimmering with precious gems and gold work. Many temples had rows of seated Buddhas in the outer areas. Two of the most impressive temples we saw this day was the Emerald Buddha (on the grounds of one of the royal palaces) and the Reclining Buddha. The Emerald Buddha (or Jade Buddha) was very small by comparison, but it was placed on a very tall, gorgeous pedestal with intricate gold filigree and stone work.

As for the Reclining Buddha, at the temple of Wat Po (which was itself gorgeous) wow, the Buddha was of mammoth proportions! We entered the hall and could view each gold covered portion only through a section of the huge hall. It is 170 years old and around 50 feet long. How they built and housed it is an architectural wonder. We lingered to admire the lovely work on the head with its ringlets, the serene face resting on one arm, the long, long body and finally the feet adorned with mother of pearl. Here was one place where we were in silence without being requested, simply awed by it all! Upon exiting, we too participated in getting local change and dropping a coin in each of the 50 or so pots located for the purpose of charity, probably to help the monks.

 

We then attended an interesting elephant show where the animals were well decorated and men riding them demonstrated their skills, including war games and soccer. It was followed by a alligator show where dangerous tricks were performed by men who put their heads or hands inside the open jaws of the dangerous beasts. We had dinner at Palki restaurant and were delighted by the rasam and curds provided. I lose track, but on another evening we attended a dinner and a somewhat less impressive cultural show, dances based on the Ramayana. The sheer number of tourists occupying the huge hall spoke for the popularity of Thailand and its culture.
Thus we passed four days chock full of wondrous sights and prepared to pack up and leave for Siem Reap, the town closest to the Ankor Wat and other ancient ruins of Cambodia.

Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Bali

November 2013

It is hard to believe that we were out there in the Far East for over three weeks and are back to our routines now. Ruminating on the experience, everything is like a dream, an exotic dream. We definitely need to re-live some of those moments, the highlights and the moments of misery, so that they are permanently etched in our memories and when we look at our pictures (we took a lot of them!) we will be able to recall more clearly, the wonderful trip we all took together.

Looking back, it is amazing the amount of flights we caught, the hours we spent on planes and the fact that we had only one delay (a long one that tilted the scales!) on the way to Bali. So, like pros we all met at Newark. Many of us had already done this twice before, so it was a friendly airport re-union. We knew exactly what to do, where to go, how to get our afternoon coffee! We were a bit disappointed to learn that Lakshmi had to jettison some of her snacks to conform to the weight limitations, but consoled ourselves saying that the others would have brought enough treats!

Cu Chi Tunnels

We arrived at Ho Chi Minh city airport with a brief stop at Hong Kong. It was late at night and we knew an earlier group of ours from JFK had already arrived. We met them the next morning. We woke up after a brief sleep, perhaps too excited to be tired. Our first day of sight -seeing had been scheduled for the Cu Chi tunnels. This was our first hand exposure to the war that was fought decades ago between the Viet Cong and the US. The Viet Cong were at that time reputed to be guerilla war experts and the tunnels, over 200 km long in various directions, gave a glimpse of their intelligence and craftiness! One had to admire the way the tunnels were dug and camouflaged. First of all the openings were so narrow, when asked to try to get in, we were afraid we would get stuck in them, given our middle-age spread! They were covered with grass, some mounds with vents helped the air in and cooking vapors out. Dogs used by the enemy were thrown off by scents of chilli and garlic deliberately put there. Whole families lived down there and carried on their routines. Meanwhile cleverly laid traps above ground got the enemy and instilled a deep fear in their hearts.

A quick tour of the city followed and we were quite thrilled to spot a Mariamman temple. Our driver was kind enough to allow us a darshanam. A board gave us the facts, it had been built in late 19C and rebuilt in 1950. Mariamman is an aspect of Parvathy, it said. It was quite like a south Indian temple with a gopuram and sannadhis, but with oriental touches like ceramic vases and elephants. It was touching to see local Vietnamese coming in for silent dedicated worship and their lighting of bunches of agarbatti sticks. We had also stopped at a place called handicrafts by the handicapped which made some beautiful paintings and weavings. They demonstrated the growth of the silk worm which died a natural death before its cocoon was used for weaving, they said. Had to admire the quality of work and the dedication of the handicapped. First taste of shopping and we were hooked. Lots of silk scarves and some shirts were bought and packed into bags

 
Next on the agenda was our flight to Danang/Hoi An which was smooth. As we drove to our hotel by bus, we could see several sea front properties owned by golf pros like Jack Nickles. Some had developed beautiful golf courses near the ocean. We were taken to an Indian restaurant, Ganesh, for dinner. We stayed at a beautiful seaside resort, several miles from the city, but wild weather took over at night. We woke up the next morning planning to walk on the beach, but instead had to view the palms swaying in the wind and waves crashing to the shore, from our balconies.

A Ride on the Dragon Boat but in the rain

This day was possibly an unforgettable one! We explored the quaint riverside town of Hoi An by foot. Not a single one of us had spent so much time in pouring rain since our childhood, we concurred. Were we glad we had brought our waterproof jackets and umbrellas as instructed! We still had to buy the “one dolla, one dolla” thin plastic raincoats in various colors, that were mostly good for only one use! The locals seem to take the weather in stride. We were taken on the Japanese pedestrian bridge built centuries ago which also had a Vietnamese Buddha shrine. We visited several old, old homes, reminiscent of our south Indian homes with a central utility area or the decorated Rajasthani havelis. As they were made of teak wood, they survived the onslaught of floods several times. The people demonstrated ingenious means of hoisting up good furniture and knick knacks to higher levels of their home when floods hit.

We visited our first full fledged Buddhist temple. It was serene and beautiful. We were impressed with the incense sticks which were in the form of huge coils hung from the ceiling and whoever wished to could light them in memory of their ancestors, sending up a wish or a message to them.

One of the early disappointments was the fact that we could not go up to the Hai Van Pass and view the scenery on as the rain was relentless. Our bus had to take a different route and a tunnel and we drove into Hue, another riverside town. At the hotel some of our group discovered that they had soaking wet suitcases due to the rain and bus ride and had to get laundry done on an emergency basis. Must mention that our bus ride had gone fast with a group of us singing every film song in memory. That’s the fun of travelling with friends, one can be free and enjoy the company. The only tense moments we had was when the flood level was really high and many roads were closed. Lucky we made it to our hotel, thanks to the skillful driver and guide.

Our next day started with a ride on the Perfume river (named for fragrant flowers that grows in it) in a dragon boat. Our guide entertained us with the story of how the emperor at that time had been guided by a celestial being on where to locate his palace according to guidelines of Feng Shui. She told him to light an incense stick and walk around with it; when it burned out, the spot where he was would be good for his palace. He later built the Thien Mu pagoda and garden to honor her as she was never seen again. We saw the beautiful garden and pagoda, all in the rain.

But an attempted visit to a palace based on the style of the Forbidden city, had to be cancelled and we turned back with soaking wet sneakers as the rain and resulting flowing water on the paths was too much. It was disappointing as we missed a big chunk of the sightseeing. Some of us were the target of the raincoat sellers as we were looking pretty much tattered by then! We did hit upon the hotel for lots of plastic laundry bags and tons of napkins to dry our shoes. Must say they were nice to put up with us as we had already checked out earlier! On arrival in Hanoi after a short flight, we also got a taste of local food at dinner and a beautiful water puppet show. This was unique and entertaining and we enjoyed it very much. As for the local food, no comments from me, but others seem to have enjoyed it!

Hello, Ha Long Bay! Goodbye wet, wet, clothes, sneakers, etc. From here on the sun shone down on us and the powers that be, smiled. We were welcomed on board with drums and an impromptu dance by the staff and our own group! The sandstone rock formation, the locals say, are a part of the descending dragon, Vietnam itself being the parts of the mythical creature. We were delighted to find the cruise ship to be really nice with beautiful rooms and wood floors and a super friendly staff on the sunny deck. It was not too big.

They had a spread of good food for us including delicious soups and Indian dishes. None of their meals disappointed. The boat sailed short distances smoothly through the inlets and we could see up close the rare and beautiful limestone formations at almost touching distance. We were taken in a smaller boat to see a floating market (they use a rope and basket to deliver the goods, mostly beer, and collect the money!) and some caves within the formations which we were to explore the next day. Oh what a break it was after the hectic 6-7-8 AM  schedules.

Halong Bay Cavern Visit

The cavern visit was amazing too. Huge!! The ceilings were super high and the locals had singled out rock formations like a turtle which is a good luck sign.

Convenient steps were carved to walk around. Among the high stalagmites and stalactites, we were able to discern some of our own designs, including a Radha-Krishna formation. The next morning a boat ride to a “secret” lagoon through a cave like opening in the rock further brought thrills and a sense of “shristi” of the higher power, evident everywhere in the world.
We had a cooking demonstration of spring rolls on deck which even our husbands were willing to participate in.

Enjoyable cruise at Ha Long Bay

My zen moment was when we were invited to attend a Tai Chi class at the break of dawn on the open upper deck. Though the moves were not that simple, the mind quieted down to a meditative state in the setting of Ha Long Bay and its beautiful sunrise and left the cares of the world far behind. Should have stayed a few more days to reflect on the Vietnamese philosophy that all is nothing and nothing is all. Deep!
This reverie would not be complete without an observation on the Vietnamese people. They are so humble, smiling and friendly. There is hospitality and goodwill everywhere. Most of them were young too, something about the war killing many of the older citizens. The girls were so slim and pretty with lovely features. Small wonder as they subsist on the local cuisine which consists of a lot of watery dishes and absolutely no deserts except fruits! There was no animosity by the people of North or South Vietnam for each other. They consider themselves one and are not at all fazed by political beliefs. Maybe the season was not right, maybe it was the rain and fog, but Vietnam did disappoint a little by way of scenic sights. We had expected miles of terraced rice fields of the greenest hue with peasants in conical hats working and waving to us, but alas, we could only see this in paintings they had made.

Laos: Serene scenery, Cave of Buddhas

Next destination – Luang Prabang in Laos. After a very short flight we found to our delight that the airport was also very close to our hotel. We had food at the only Indian restaurant called Nazim. Turned out that the owners were south Indian Muslims settled in Laos for many years. They provided us with some delectable meals including “vetral kuzhambu”! The popular brand of beer here is Beer Lao – very convenient if you are ordering beer in Hindi, for as everyone knows, “lao” means bring!  Bring beer!  The highlight of the next morning tour was a visit to the Royal Palace, now a museum. It was actually built by the French in 1903 as a gift. Beautiful red Japanese glass enamel work adorned the walls. It also had a room of life-like paintings by a French lady artist depicting the life and times of the monarchs in the hey days. With change in regimes, the last emperor, it is said, was taken away with his sons and never heard from again. The prince’s coronation never took place, the throne still stands a silent witness, as if waiting for the event to happen. The Prabang Buddha housed in the museum came from Sri Lanka and a new temple is now under construction on the premises to house it. Gifts from all over the world including some nice carvings from India are displayed and one “out of the world” gift, a moon rock from President Nixon!.
We were fortunate to see Xieng Thong, the city of Gods, the only original temple built in 1560 that was untouched by wars. So many beautiful Buddhas, housed in lovely small temples, some in standing, sitting or reclining poses. The lovely sweeping architecture of Laos where the roof almost touches the ground was very noticeable here. Also a ratha to transport the main Buddha in the days of yore. We next climbed Phousi hill (believe it or not 329 steep steps!) to see another shrine, aerial view of the city of Luang Prabang and a beautiful view of the Mekong river.
Highlight of the trip was a visit to the the cave of the 2,000 Buddhas. It was a long ride to the river and we took a boat to cross it. But the scenery was spectacular, the river surrounded by mountains and fog at the confluence of the Mekong and the Hu rivers. The cave was amazing too. As soon as we climbed up the steep steps to the natural formation of the caves, our senses were assailed by Buddhas in every size, shape and color, most of them small. It seems one king had brought a Buddha to the cave and now many of the locals do the same when they visit.

We got a taste of local food as well as culture at the dinner show that evening. All through the region Ramayana is very popular and this was briefly depicted by three young girls in Laotian attire, swaying to gentle live music. The food was light with plenty of vegetables. The night market nearby was wonderful too with hundreds of local vendors and all locally made knick knacks. One of the best shopping on our entire trip. As we bade goodbye to Laos the next morning, we saw young monks waiting for alms along the route.

All males go through the experience of being a monk, the duration is up to them. What a wonderful way of teaching humility and spirituality,  something that will stay with them for a lifetime.

 

August 2012

Having had a very satisfactory safari we braved the long flight to Cape Town, proceeding from Nairobi to Johannesburg and thereafter catching the connecting flight. At the O.R. Tambo airport in Johannesburg, which is a very large hub, we had the intimidating experience of taking all our checked- in luggage via an escalator as we had to change airlines. Although the carts are equipped to do this, it was nevertheless scary and made us wonder why the airport was not better organized. We had a wait, but time passed pleasantly as we were in very good company.

Table Top Mountain

Since we had departed very early from Nairobi, we reached Cape Town by mid afternoon around 4 p.m. and since we had already cleared immigration and customs at Johannesburg, we were out fast and met our guide. It was a beautiful day and our guide alerted us to the fact that the next day would be drab and rainy which may cancel the outing to Table Mountain. He gave us the choice of doing the visit right away, straight from the airport! We were all in fairly good shape, so we said yes and drove the half hour to the base of the mountain. Along the way we got a beautiful glimpse of Cape Town, sprawled on the slopes of the mountains, reaching out to the aqua blue sea, sparkling in the sunlight like a gem.

What a contrast Cape Town is to all that we saw so far on the sparse Masai Mara plains! Here it is a so cosmopolitan and advanced, the big city life, affluence and urban conveniences. Yet, it is not overpopulated. Sure, some of the group was making enquiries as to how much it would cost to buy a house there. Maybe when you visit next, you may have a host! The other thing is that Cape Town is very mountainous and picturesque so we could not get enough of staring out of the windows of the comfortable couch. We went up the ski lift to a height of about 4,000 feet and could get spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, the Lions Head and the Twelve Apostle mountains. There were people braving the climb on foot but these had to be very experienced as the mountain was sheer with smooth rocks. Table mountain is very flat for a long stretch and this we could view from the air when our plane was landing and also later, when we were out at sea visiting one of the islands.

Botanical Gardens

We completed the visit and headed for our well deserved rest at Hotel Protea. King Protea is the national flower and we could later see a sample in the botanical garden. It was a comfortable hotel and we had the luxury of staying in the same room for three nights and having our food at the nearby Jewel of India restaurant among others arranged for us. After five Indian restaurant meals in Cape Town, we were all ready for pizza or pasta! Later at Victoria wharf nearby, the main attraction was the Out of Africa children’s clothing store which entertained the grandmothers for quite a while.

The next morning we drove along the sea viewing some homes costing multi-millions rands, the local currency. We had been scheduled to take a boat ride to view Seal Island from Hout Bay. After a choppy but fairly short boat ride we approached some rocks inhabited by hundreds of seals of all sizes. Back on land, our eagerly anticipated destination now was the Cape of Good Hope and the southern tip of Africa. The drive itself was pleasant as we passed through miles of protected land where habitation by people has been prevented by declaring it as a national park. This added to the serenity of the surroundings of scenic land dotted with wild flowering bushes. We were also shown crosses set up by ancient mariners like Vasco da Gama as navigational beacons, painted white on one side, black on the other The weather, as predicted was grey with light rain and wind. It was fine in the coach, but once we reached the Cape of Good Hope, the wind was strong enough to almost blow one off the feet, especially at the elevation we were taken to by the winch rail. Nevertheless, it was a big thrill to view the choppy sea in front of us and the land narrowing down to several premonitories, as they are geographically known. It was pristine and untouched and not at all hard to imagine the ships of bygone days buffeted by the rough seas, yearning to land safely and the thrill felt by the seamen who had travelled for months, kept afloat by their sense of adventure.

Famous Cape of Good Hope

We were soon ushered into the small exhibit that showed details of the map of the southernmost tip of the great African continent. Cape of Good Hope was the south western tip, Cape Agulhas was the ultimate southern tip, although the first name is what most of the world reads about. In fact travelers from Spain in search of other continents were often in doubt as to when they had actually rounded the tip! There is a bay named False Bay along the Atlantic coast, because it misled sailors into believing that they had reached. We saw details of ships that had bravely sailed but never made it to their destination because of the rough seas and rocky coasts. The Indian Ocean influences were much milder and brought in warmer currents, we learnt, but that was on the eastern side of the continent. We viewed the Atlantic ocean side. Our driver was kind enough to drive us all the way down to the ocean where there is a sign that says “The Cape of Good Hope” and every one of us took pictures next to it! To be able to see the shape of the land narrow down as it does on a map was an unforgettable experience. Similar to viewing the confluence of waters at Cape Comerin in India.

After a tasty and homely lunch at another Indian restaurant ( I think it was Bhandari’s), with generous servings of yogurt, we proceeded to view some African penguins on a small beach. These were small and cute waddling around, some nesting in the surrounding bushes. We also covered the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens when the weather was nicer the following day. Though very few flowers were in season, we could see some large specimens of Bird of Paradise flowers and the manicured lawns and shrubs against the beautiful backdrop of the mountains. It was a pleasant stroll and some were even able to spot some of the famous Protea flowers. Rest of us saw it at a florist’s!

The next day was pretty much dedicated to our trip to Robben Island, the famous place where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 17 years! He spent many more years at other prisons. The boat trip itself was adventurous as we found the sea to be extremely choppy and those sitting on the wooden benches were sliding from side to side. Though the sides of the large boat were low, the waves never splashed in. After a good 45 minutes we sighted a very pretty island and our boat headed for its wharf. We were met by several group leaders who escorted us inside and our guide was a former inmate, a political prisoner. He told us that from 1962 political prisoners were imprisoned there, prior to that people with mental problems were sent away to this island. Currently it is just a heritage sight and there are no prisoners. We saw Mandela’s spartan cell, small with its basic items, we were allowed to go inside. We were shown isolation cells used as punishment for some, group housing cells and the quadrangle where they were taken out for short periods each day. Mandela wrote a book titled Long Walk to Freedom. Empty cement bags were used as writing material. He is now 94 years old and has returned to the village of his birth, 2-3 hrs. away from Port Elizabeth. We also heard about ingenious ways in which the inmates communicated with each other. Our guide told us that the prisoners had to do hard labor at the nearby limestone quarry. Mandela returned later 14 times, the last time being in 2004. The island itself is beautiful, with great views of Table Mountain and surroundings of Cape Town on our return boat ride.

All too soon it was time to bid adieu to Cape Town. Yes, we did see the Malay quarter where the houses are painted in bright colors like yellow, green, blue, magenta and red. It appears that the imported labor could not read or write, not even numbers, so they had each house painted differently in order to identify them. Till today this happy tradition is followed.

We were on a flight back to Johannesburg the next morning, making a connection for Livingston airport, Victoria Falls. This airport was really tiny, reminiscent of some of those in India in small towns. I am sure our entire group will agree that Victoria Falls was the best stop of our southern Africa tour, relaxation wise. We had two full days and two nights at a beautiful resort, the Zambezi Sun Hotel. The rooms were great, the grounds beautiful and conducive to walking around. Right in the middle surrounded by a gorgeous turquoise blue swimming pool was the bar and snack shop that was amazing. As lunch was not provided to us, we were quite happy to buy pizza and veggie wraps and pina coladas which were delicious. The breakfasts and dinners they provided was sumptuous as well (notably the African eggplant curry). An added bonus was the nearby Victoria falls and a row of shops very reasonably priced, selling local arts and crafts. Everything was at walking distance, we actually had free time to relax and enjoy the ambiance!

The falls itself was a bit of let down as it appears that the water levels were low for this time of year before the rains. Normally it is referred to as “the smoke that thunders”. The hydro electric project also diverts some of the water for its own use. Nevertheless the walks were very scenic and our guide took us to the other side over the falls where we could go all the way down to the river before it took its plunge. He also drove us to the bridge separating Zambia from Zimbabwe where adventurous sports like bungee jumping was available (what, us try it? No way, too old for that!!). It was scary enough just viewing the apparatus! One from our group did take a helicopter ride and captured the aerial view of the river, delta and the falls. On the final morning before our departure, we had time to discover the Zambezi river flowing briskly by at walking distance from our rooms at one end of the hotel.

The other highlight of the Zambia visit and my personal top favorite was the leisurely sunset cruise down the Zambezi river on a charming ship, a 70 ft. catamaran named the African Queen, on the afternoon of the second day. It was reminiscent of the splendor of the British Raj with comfy cushiony rattan chairs facing the river on either side and a well stocked bar and snack area in the middle. The staff was friendly as always in Africa and served us free drinks and tasty tid-bits like mini samosas and pizza bites, freshly made! We could freely walk around as well. It was the cruise itself and the gorgeous sunset that made it unforgettable. As our boat slowly ambled down the clean, wide river, all we could see for miles along the edge of the river was greenery and sandy banks, not a hutment in sight, not even a small boy with a stick, waving to us! But true to the African habitat, we soon began to see animals frolicking in the water and coming down for a drink to the river edge. Kamakshi rightly called it the “Cruise Safari”! How fortunate we were to see almost at arm’s length, hippos, elephants and all sorts of birds. Soon our boat reached a bend in the river and it widened out hugely and we slowed down to watch the beautiful red orb that was the sun, sink into the placid waters. That scene is etched in our memories, probably for eternity, the peace and tranquility of that moment making it soooo perfect!

Reluctantly we said goodbye to Victoria Falls and the Zambezi Sun resort after the leisurely breakfast and stroll was over and proceeded to the small airport to catch our flight back to Johannesburg. This time we were not in transit, we actually went into the city and our rooms were at the unique Peermont Mondior Hotel, attached to the mall and casino known as the Emperor’s Palace. Though we were not enticed into the casinos, we did find the ambiance interesting with a beautiful night sky effect of the ceilings with simulated clouds and stars. Our Indian restaurant, the Taste of Mumbai was also located within walking distance inside this area.

Gandhi Square, Gold mine viewing
The next morning was our last day of the entire Africa trip but our flight was only late at night. After breakfast, we went in the coach for a city tour. We saw the Mahatma Gandhi square where there is a statue of Gandhiji depicting his young years as a lawyer in Johannesburg. Then we headed for Gold Reef city where we were taken down a gold mine shaft by a utility elevator to view the scene below. Though the mine is not financially viable any more, it is used to show tourists the conditions down below. The entire mine goes over 10,500 feet into the bowels of the earth, but even the 800 feet into its cold depths made it a unique experience. We walked inside the long dark tunnels and we were protected from any falling debris by our hard helmets.

Back at the airport, we splurged on a delectable dinner of squash or tomato soup with fresh baked bread and vegetables and mentally got prepared for our long journey home. Though what we had was a mere glimpse of Africa, it was unforgettable and we were really fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience it.

August 2012

We finally made it to the Dark Continent as Africa is sometimes known and much to our surprise, it did not live up to its name. In fact the places we visited were full of marvel and delight and the sights, sounds and sheer hospitality of the people and places made it one unforgettable and aa-maa-zing trip! Thanks to Lakshmi Travels for the excellent arrangements, cheers to the fantastic company that was put together and more important, thanks to the powers that be that we all had safe journeys and got back in good health.

We are being told by a lot of people that we were really lucky to be able to view at close quarters all the big five animals that we did in their own habitat. That we were able to do this without fear of attack or injury is what nature in Africa is all about. As long as we did not infuriate the animals, they were content to go about their routine and it was quite funny and slightly insulting how they totally ignored us and did not even cast a glance in our direction!

Graceful Gazelles, Safari Jeeps

So lets start from the beginning to keep the records straight. Thirty-five of us landed in Nairobi converging from various locations in the US and one from India. The cleanliness of the city was impressive and though we did not spend much time there, the Intercontinental Hotel had a good ambiance. After breakfast the next day we were introduced to our safari jeeps accommodating 6-7 people each, where we were to spend most of our waking hours as we drove from location to location to cover the various game reserves and natural parks. The first part of the drive was pleasant enough as we stopped to view the Great Rift Valley. It was also our first introduction to gift stores and makeshift bathrooms, both of intense attraction to the ladies! More about the gift shops later.

The rift valley was a huge stretch of land with fairly dense vegetation, but we were told that there were no resident animals there. Our viewpoint was at an elevation of about 6,000 feet. So we continued on and were expected to arrive for a late lunch at the David Livingstone Lodge in Maasai Mara. This reserve was also the place where we hoped to see most of the animals, in fact one side of the Serengeti plains. The big surprise came when we hit the bumpy and rocky roads that have not been improved in a long while. The reason we were told was either they wanted to preserve the ecosystem by not making the ride too comfortable or due to graft the money allotted was not put to good use. Anyway we all held on as the six jeeps bounced around making slow progress. The scenery was monotonous too and we only perked up when the first batch of gazelles were spotted close to the road. Then all our woes were forgotten as we just gazed in wonder at nature at its best.

The David Livingstone lodge was rustic and beautiful and set the tone for the entire trip. Its main attraction was the huge gazebo right in the center housing a bar but also overlooking the Mara river as it made a U turn right at the junction of the hotel. A few yards away in the water was the beautiful sight of dozens of hippos frolicking in the waters, mothers, babies, big ones all making delightful grunts, similar to husbands snoring at night! We stood riveted watching until we were escorted to our eco rooms that had no TV or phone and were also told that power conservation was in effect for some of the day and night hours. But who cared, as long we could watch the hippos. To add to the excitement, we also had some baboons and one gazelle wandering on the premises the next day. We got to stay two nights and totally enjoyed the experience.

That afternoon was our first game viewing experience on the plains of the Maasai Mara and it was truly unforgettable. The flatness of the land there dotted with few shrubs and clumps of vegetation here and there where the animals took shelter, the Acacia trees framing the horizon and the occasional group of animals, made it all surreal and beautiful. But we got used to it fast enough and became adept at spotting animals. Our jeep drivers knew exactly where to find them. The gazelles, wildebeests (also known as gnu) and zebras were no surprise, they were everywhere. But the thrill came when we spotted the first giraffes. They were in a group of 4-5 and their elegant and leisurely stride towards us made us hold our breaths! What beautiful creatures they were, enjoying their own habitat. Next it was time for the thrills. We spotted a leopard and all the jeeps converged. In fact our vehicles between it and a group of gazelles might even have prevented a kill! He or she was magnificent with a stiff curved tail and he traversed the plains in all majesty. Second only to the king of beasts, the lion! Soon our guide pointed out three or four lionesses crouched in the grass, blending into the golden haze. Shortly thereafter, they rose up as the evening advanced and in a surround formation they approached a herd of prey, crouched again, in no hurry to make the pounce. We left them to their activity and returned to the lodge, just lingering to stare in awe at the beautiful sunset on the stark plains. On the way back we spotted other species like the huge ostrich and and some warthogs (wild boars).

 

All the lodges provided us with excellent food, one even going so far as to make a soup like rasam. We wasted no time in demanding an encore and kept the chefs (some Indian) busy! The breakfast was always sumptuous with so many items, hot and cold, most of us overate. We sampled the deserts and commented that they did not know how to make sweets! Lunch was promptly served at the next destination as was an early dinner. Those of us who had trepidations about the food actually came back with weight gain!  Oh well, that’s what vacations are for!

The next day’s outing was special because we were taken to view the wildebeest migration. A smaller group enjoyed a optional balloon ride across the plains and came back with great excitement about the experience. We have all seen it on the nature channels on TV, but nothing could prepare us for the reality. The wildebeest walk single file and if one starts running, they all do at great speed. They crossed the path in front of our jeep and held us up much to our glee. However, at the river, due to the sheer volume of jeeps blocking the way, they had all gathered and were waiting for the opportune time to cross. So were the alligators and vultures waiting for them to make the move. We saw some wildebeests that had drowned in the stampede as well. It was a real life viewing of the nature channel.

We saw a pair of snoozing lions and some impalas. They are slightly different from the gazelles, they do not have the black stripe on their bodies, just a black M on their rear ends. Our next destination was Naivasha lodge via Narok and it was a beautiful 5 hour drive. Roads were still bumpy but improved as we went along. Now the landscape turned to wheat and maize fields, all done with European assistance we were told. Apparently the Chinese assisted in road building. All along the population was very sparse with indigenous Maasai people keeping to themselves within their village compounds. Earlier some members of our group had visited a Maasai village and were welcomed and entertained by the folks. We were told that it is the women who build the huts. The men spend most of the time tending to the sheep and cows which are used for milk and meat. Maasai stick to their tradition and clothes and have a regimen for young men coming of age.

Our destination was the Naivasha Sopa Lodge, undisputebly one of the most beautiful lodges of our entire stay. After grabbing a quick (though elaborately set up) lunch that included Indian dishes, we wandered out into the breathtaking yard. Acres of manicured grassy fields with a beautiful gazebo in the middle (destination wedding anyone?) Along the periphery there were woods and animals like various kinds of deer wandered in and out. As we stood there, three fully grown giraffes came ambling out from behind the residential areas and walked purposefully toward the front of the lodge. We were a captive audience that tried our utmost to get pictures taken with them, but they would not stop for us! The swimming pool area, the flowering bushes, everything added to the charm, we only wished we had more time to spend there.

Within a short while we were off to view the wildlife of the Nakuru National Park. It was one of the rare rainy days of our trip, but it added a foggy beauty to the surroundings in the park which was a good distance drive from Naivasha. We saw the elusive Rhino from a distance, actually three of them in a group. The highlight was the viewing of the hundreds of pelicans and flamingos, edging the lake in brilliant whites and pinks. The path prevented us from getting any closer and we had to be content with taking pics from a long way off. Then it was time for the long drive back to Naivasha lodge.

All too soon the next morning (sticking to the AM 5-6-7 schedule of wake up, breakfast and departure) we were on our way to Amboseli park at viewing distance from Mt. Kilimanjaro. The famous peak was covered by clouds but we got assurances from the staff that it would be clear the next morning, which it was. After a quick lunch and some pictures with a tall, good looking and smiley Maasai warrior outfitted in his regalia, we had some time off to enjoy our beautifully outfitted luxury “huts”. The next morning we were off again to view the game on the marshes at the Amboseli National Park. We finally got to see a lot of elephants at close quarters. It was an awe inspiring experience to see these gigantic beasts with gorgeous tusks that were so gentle and nurturing of their young ones. All against the backdrop of the impressive mountains. We could capture on camera quite a few babies accompanying their parents. They walked so close to us, crossed our jeep’s path, yet showed no animosity or ill will. We were also lucky to view a pair of leopards at close range and our guide pointed out that the female was very pregnant and that is what slowed down the pair.

True to the promise, we had a field day the next morning taking pictures with the backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It had been only a name we had heard in our childhood, but here it was with a symmetrical shape and snow peaked brilliance with the sun’s rays rendering a golden touch. I love mountains, they have so much character and just by “being there” they inspire countless humans to view, climb and conquer. They truly strengthen us. I had the same feeling when I viewed Mt. McKinley in Alaska. No wonder Mt. Everest excites and invites so many from all over the world. Now we had completed our Kenya part of the safari and were getting ready to cross the border into Tanzania.

The border crossing at Namanga was easy but we had to transfer our luggage to a new jeep since it was another country. After this we drove to the town of Arusha with its clock tower depicting the center of Africa (north to south) and had our lunch there. We then drove through the Lake Manyara area and mostly viewed baboons and birds along the alkaline lake. We spotted the blue monkey and the great Kingfisher and a lot of silver chipped hornbills but the wildlife was sparse by comparison. Arriving at the Lake Manyara hotel, we found spectacular views of the lake and comfy lounging chairs on their beautiful grounds. We were happy to rest for the afternoon and get ready for the big visit to the Ngorongoro crater the following day.

On our drive to Ngorongoro the next morning, our guide informed us that it was the topmost in the list of collapsed craters caused by volcanic eruptions (there are seven in the world) for its ecosystem. Technically it is a “caldera” or cauldron. Its top is at a height of over 2,000 ft. and had an area of about 20 square kilometers at is base. There was evidence of black ash there too. At first there seemed to be few animals and we were shown the grand gazelle and the Cory Bastard which at 40 pounds is the heaviest flying bird in the world. Then we saw a golden jackal chasing a rabbit. We were told there were three lion prides that stay and hunt in specific areas but were we going to see any lions that day?  Yes, bigtime!

Our jeep driver suddenly spotted what seemed to be a blackish rock out in the tall grass which he said was a male lion. So far we had only seen females and to have the opportunity to view the male in all his majesty and grandeur sent chills down our spine. We trained our binoculars and could now discern the mane of the lion that was relaxing, fully stretched out. Suddenly adding to the excitement, our guide said, “wait, there is a female too, they have just mated and are resting!” Wow!! How he knew all this was a big mystery, but sure enough a female lifted her head to look around. We waited a little longer. As if on cue, they got up and started striding slowly across the plains of the crater heading back to their pride and a recent kill. Unforgettable sight, the fully grown male and his mate crossing in front of our jeeps and totally ignoring the fact that so many vehicles and people had zeroed in on them from different parts of the world! Of course all the jeeps followed slowly and silently and in the far distance we could see other lions of the pride surrounding their kill on that sunny leisurely morning!

We next stopped by a beautiful blue lake in the crater with hippos lounging in the water and a wonderful large tree framing the shores. From here we could spot another pride of lions on the hill nearby. Soon it was time to say goodbye and go to our new lodge, the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge built at the edge of the crater and with a fabulous view. Through its telescopes, we could additionally spot a group of elephants as well.

This lodge was our last stayover in the wilderness and we re-crossed the border and headed to Nairobi’s Eka hotel near the airport. Some of the adventurers made arrangements to return home while the rest prepared for their South Africa and Zambia visits.

A word about food, water, shopping and people. The people we met, our drivers, the staff at the hotel and airports were very warm and friendly and sincerely worked to please. Never cold or scheming. On our drives through the countryside, we barely saw people except for a few Maasai boys herding their flocks. The lodges were truly one of a kind, gems, furnished wonderfully and so hospitable. Many had joint owners of Indian origin, we heard. Some were outfitted with huge Rajasthani antiquities.
At the stores along the drive that were overstocked with indigenous crafts and carvings (how refreshing, nothing made in China!) the people seemed very unwilling to bargain and did not label the price on their goods either. That made it hard for us. The Amboseli lodge store run by Maasai women was the most reasonable. Popular items of purchase were carved animals in wood, salad forks, bowls and of course, jewelry. We had no problems with food. Sumptuous western breakfasts and Indian type of dishes, soups and salads for lunch and dinner vegetarian items were abundant. The African eggplant in particular was mouth-watering! Water was the other issue. While in the interior, tap water was not safe to drink and none was provided with meals. We had to make do with the meager daily supply from safari tour drivers or the hotels. There were very few stores or none near the lodges. Bathrooms along the way were spartan, but kept clean.

So that marked the end of our adventures in Kenya and Tanzania, an unforgettable holiday, one we would repeat in a heartbeat, given the chance! Perhaps linger more in the beautiful lodges and absorb the sights and sounds of Africa. Right now, we are very content!

Photos courtesy of Dr. Nagarjun Yerra from our group and our own collection

 Visit to Turkey & Israel,  Part 2

November 2011

Our touring continued on from Turkey to Israel after a long but pleasant stopover at Istanbul airport, again the ladies making up for any shopping they might have missed at the Grand bazaar. All for the best, because we found Israel to be hardly conducive to shopping.
After a short flight we landed in Tel Aviv where to our pleasant surprise, we did not have to pay for the visa, being American citizens. Having heard that Israeli security is very tight, we expected to be searched and questioned, but neither happened. We were met at the airport and since the evening was still young, we were taken for a viewing of the old city of Jaffa on the Mediterranean shore from a high point. It is really a part of Tel Aviv we were told, but in 1948 most of the Arabs fled depleting the population and Tel Aviv was rebuilt. Now there are specific areas where Arab Muslims, Jews and Catholics reside. The sunset was beautiful and we savored the moment. After all, how many times were we going to be lucky enough to see the sun sinking into the Mediterranean sea in a glorious burst of pink and red?
Frankly, many of us did not know what to expect from a sight-seeing tour of Israel. Our focus had been on the Turkey portion of it and we did have a lot of fun and excitement there, each day outdoing the previous one in the amazing sights presented before us. But Israel from the first moment, was a deeply spiritual experience. We are Hindus, our psyche is open to understanding that God is one and to have the chance to experience the land of the One who is accepted as the son of God by a huge part of the population the world over, was really special. In fact we found similarities between Christ and Krishna. For example, Krishna escaped death when he was a baby by being spirited far away from his place of birth where Kamsa had ordered every male child under two years to be killed mercilessly. Similarly, Christ and his parents fled to Egypt for several years to escape the death threat for all babies under two decreed by King Herod who was threatened by the announced arrival of the Messiah.

Aerial View of Old Jerusalem

Our first full day in the holy city of Jerusalem (how lucky were we, when so many long to tread on that holy ground?) began with a spectacular view from the Mount of Olives. The whole city was spread out below us with several domes of churches and mosques visible all around. We could see the walled city of Old Jerusalem, the actual gates, referred to as the Golden gate through which Jesus had walked through. Though these two arches are now bricked in and closed, we would later walk through another gate very close by. In the foreground we could see many graves marked by full size stone covers similar to the Egyptian sarcophaguses’, also referred to as bone boxes. The reason, we were told was that when resurrection happened as promised in the Bible, those nearest would be the first to enjoy that privilege!
We walked for over three hours, following the path known as Via Dolorosa, the path of grief, tracing the tragic events that happened in the life of Jesus leading to his crucifixion. The first church along the path shaped as a teardrop, the Dominick Flevit church. Here it is said He wept, knowing the fate of Jerusalem. Then down the steep, slopey road to the Garden of Gethsemane where we viewed olive trees hundreds of years old.   

Our next important stop was the viewing of the miniature outdoor model of the old city of Jerusalem, replicated to show how it was in the days of Jesus. The entire walled city was beautiful to see with amazing scale models of everything. Near it was the museum of the Dead Sea scrolls. Apparently, these scrolls were unearthed not too long ago by a shepherd who went looking for a lost goat. They were found in a cave near the Dead Sea, placed in jars. Eleven jars with scrolls written in Hebrew describe the austere life of the Essins, a group of monastic people as they lived 1900 years ago. They are now exhibited underground in a climate controlled white dome-like structure.

No visit to Israel would be complete without a visit to the Yad Vashem, the museum that recaptures the Holocaust, the extermination of 6 million Jewish people. Hitler, it is told, won the confidence of the people with promises to improve the economy but once he came to power, he wanted to crush all those that he considered to be of inferior race with vengeance. He took over lands of other nations, humiliated its people and built the infamous concentration camps where thousands of people were killed in groups. The exhibit has many, many rooms of authentic photographs with detailed captions, recordings, movie clips and the testimonials of those who escaped from the persecution. It is a visit that will be always etched in our memory and our heart ached for the innocents that were killed or needlessly separated from their loved ones.
After lunch we left Jerusalem and headed north to Haifa. Though it was a rainy day, it cleared up just enough for us to get a panoramic view of the Baha’i temple gardens descending in steep terraces, beautifully maintained by volunteers, almost all the way down to the sea.

The slippery conditions prevented us from climbing down, but the view as worthwhile. We then proceeded to drive to Mt. Carmel. Set on top of a hill, we got a wonderful view of the entire countryside. Here a small chapel commemorates the clash between the forces of good and evil and the natural victory of good. Names that were heard a long time ago like Elijah, Jezebel and Baal figured in the clash that finally established the supremacy of the Lord.
We reached Nazareth and concluded our day’s travel. The next day our tour began early with a visit to the Basilica of Annunciation. Simply put, here was the beautiful church where an angel (Archangel Gabriel) came down to Mary, a sensitive and noble woman, who played a great role in the life of Jesus, besides giving birth to him. The angel “announced” that she would have a baby who would be born to her, Virgin Mary, of an immaculate conception. This baby would be the Messiah or Son of God and would change the way man lived and prayed. Fearful for the safety of the baby, Mary and Joseph travelled all the way to Bethlehem to give birth. At a later date, when Jesus was a young man, they returned to the Nazareth region and it was here that Jesus gave his sermons and collected a band of followers. He performed some miracles too, reluctantly but out of necessity.
The gardens and flowers surrounding the church on the Mount of Beatitude were so nice, we lingered outside and wished we had more time to just relax. This was the original place where the Sermon on the Mount was given by Christ. Eight blessings are mentioned and the church too is re-built in an octagonal shape. The qualities he spoke about were justice, prudence, fortitude, charity, faith, temperance and hope, the seven riches that man should seek.
We viewed the beautiful church commissioned to be re-built by Italy. Italian marble and mosaic was used but it was built by Israeli craftsmen. The high conical dome was shaped like a flower. One unforgettable feature was the exhibits of Madonna – the holy mother, with the child in her arms. So many countries had sent their own versions, replicas from famous churches and our group was particularly fascinated by the Velankanni church from Tamil Nadu, India, that had sent the beautiful statue of Mary draped in a white sari and a crown upon her head and the baby Jesus too with a little crown.
To tell you the truth, we saw so many churches in Nazareth that it is now a whirl in our memories, even with notes taken. Capernaum and Cana were names that stayed with us, associated with the life of Jesus.. To mention the most notable, we did see the two where miracles were performed.

At one where a wedding was taking place and the hosts ran out of wine, Jesus was requested to help and he converted 6 huge casks of water into wine, with just one sip of water. In the second miracle, there were the multiplication of loaves of bread and fish till all were fed. This is depicted by an ancient mosaic of two fish with a loaf in between. The Church of Beatitudes where He gave his Sermon on the Mount. Understand that these churches are in the best of condition being constantly maintained and re-built in case of catastrophe but preserving the original purpose. Lastly, by the sea of Galilee, we viewed a church dedicated to St. Peter and we also saw the “home” where He lived with his parents as a guest of Peter, in Capernaum. In this humble home, the disciples would gather. He handed over his leadership to Peter just by saying “tend to my sheep”. It is well preserved with a glass ceiling and over it a church is built. We enjoyed the few moments where we walked down to the sea and sat on rocks by its edge.
Last but not the least, we viewed an ancient and huge synagogue and next to it an excavated Jewish village. Much like our Hindu temples, when a synagogue is built 1000s of coins are buried in its foundation and that is how the later generations knew that it was a synagogue during its excavation.

Cruise on Sea of Galilee

One of the highlights of our visit to Israel was an hour long ride on the Sea of Galilee in a wooden boat, the replica of a fishing boat used in olden times. Ours was called King David. Though called a sea, Galilee is actually a fresh water lake fed by the Jordan river. Our group had exclusive use of the boat and got a rousing welcome with the playing of the Indian national anthem.

The sun came out and brightened our cruise and we also got a taste of Israeli dance when the crew demonstrated for us and actually made us dance on the deck! All around us was the unspoiled countryside and it was very easy to imagine how it might have been thousands of years ago in the time of Jesus and his disciples. We had driven past the Village of Magdala named for Mary Magdalene, a friend and follower of Jesus and from the boat we got a view of the Golan Heights.   All too soon the trip came to an end.  After we had our dinner at an outdoor restaurant on the pier we took our bus  back to Ben Gurion airport at Tel Aviv. We used up our remaining shekels buying Turkish delights and chocolates before we boarded our flight.

October 2011

Visit to Turkey and Israel Part 1

Our tour of Turkey and Israel started off from Kamakshi Venkatraman’s driveway in New Jersey around 1 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. She had kindly arranged for a nice van that took us smoothly to Kennedy Airport for our Delta flight. Kamakshi continued to be the leader, as upon our arrival 10 hours later at Istanbul airport, we were welcomed with a sign that said “Kamakshi Group”. After that Kamakshi’s name became well known all over Istanbul! We were greeted with a map and small blue “evil eye” charm on a rope that gave us good protection on our tour.   We were immediately impressed with Istanbul. The people were friendly, the roads were clean, the traffic manageable and above all there was shopping at every corner with bargaining allowed! The ladies had a field day shopping for gifts and saffron.

Our first lunch was at the Indian restaurant called Dubb (no one could quite figure out what it meant). It seemed to be run by locals with an Indian chef. We braved the narrow steps to the top level where we had exclusive seating in the small room. Surprisingly, the food was really good, homely daal, cauliflower sabji, mattar panneer and very good yogurt. We enjoyed it, little did we know that we would have the same menu for the next two meals! Anyway, we were always quite hungry after the sight-seeing and did justice to all the meals. Luckily on the last day we were happy to see some spinach and other dishes and said goodbye to Indian food for the rest of the trip!

Bosphorus River Cruise, Whirling Dervish Show

After lunch, we were taken for a cruise on the Bosphorus River. This was preceded by a small adventure when three of us got separated from the group for about 10 minutes and missed the cruise. Fortunately we were found wandering not too far away. Since there was time for the next cruise we proceeded to the friendly Spice Market and after initial shock of the saffron prices, managed to buy some Iranian saffron, considered the best, at a price that was still high, but lower than the first quote. The cruise itself was quite pleasant, though the weather had turned cold and damp with occasional drizzle. This is the winding water straight that separates Europe and Asia. In fact even Istanbul is separated into two halves, the Asian part and the European part. All around we saw old homes, buildings and bridges and in the distances the minarets and domes of mosques. If any mosque has more than one minaret, it would have to have been commissioned by royalty or a leader, we were told. The river Bosporus flows into the sea of Marmara.

The evening program included the witnessing of the Whirling Dervish Sema dance. We had high hopes for this having had a glimpse in the movie Jodha Akbar. We soon found out that A.R. Rahman’s music and their choreography had a big role to play in the movie! The real Sema dance is done by trained professionals (the original ones had to train for several years and live a life of austerity we learned later) which made it quite monotonous and repetitive. Though the theatre was circular with the floor in the middle and seats all around, the dullness of the music and dance plus our jet lag made some of us nod off and by and large we were not happy with the money we had spent for the show and would have preferred some other form of Turkish dance.

Spice Market, Famous Mosques

Our stay at the Mosaic hotel was comfortable and the breakfast quite a spread. Turkish people seem to like a lot of variety right from the usual cereal, toast and jam to salad vegetables, olives, even stuffed pita in the morning. Our adventurous group tried it all. Our morning program included a visit to the Byzantine Hippodrome, now a open long courtyard with some obelisks which commemorated dates from history, and a snake sculpture. In the days gone by, horses raced around the marble structures. Next, the Blue Mosque with a very high main dome which was 109 feet and lined with beautiful blue Iznik tiles inside and supported by huge “elephant legs”. It is a working mosque built in the 17th C and based on the lines of the San Sofia church nearby which was first converted to a mosque. Several smaller domes gave it a majestic look. It took seven years to build. Known by the historical names of Byzantium and Constantinople in the eras gone by, the city of Istanbul was impressive with old and new edifices and walls everywhere. The day ended with a visit to the covered Grand Bazaar which really lived up to its name with 22 gates and about 4,000 small shops fully stocked with ceramics, fabrics knick knacks and gifts. Lucky we did not get lost here! Our group made many purchases, small and large, of shawls, scarves and ceramics. The Turkish Lira (TL) converted to a little more than a US dollar, so it stretched further.
Continue reading “Turkey … So Exotic!” →

Travelling around the world, soaking in the sights and sounds and meeting people has proved to be more exciting than we first thought possible. To write about our memories along with some beautiful pictures and saving them for posterity is the icing on the cake.

My heartfelt thanks to all my travel companions, especially Lakshmi Visweswaran who arranged every trip so beautifully.  Without your company there would have been no fun or camaraderie!

To my dear children, Shalini and her husband Kurt,  Ravi and his wife Tina, my beautiful grandchildren Roshan and Anisha, thanks so much for your encouragement and comments.  My sister Malathi who read every article eagerly, my brother Shekar and all my other readers, I owe you a huge debt of gratitude. Our family pets who cannot be left out!   And of course my husband, Shankar!