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!