Around the World

ITC Maurya, New Delhi

2011-09-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Stayed 2 nights at the ITC Maurya on my way in and out of India to London. The first night was in the club tower and on the return in the Maurya suites.

Service is excellent, 5 star Indian standards, including a few lovely touches like a laundry voucher for 2 garments, unlimited free bottled water etc.

The tower room was much smaller than the Maurya suite. But rooms in the tower allow you access to the tower club room. Breakfast is served at the tower club room (which I did not try as I much prefer the unlimited spread at the Pavillion) There's free coffee and tea through the day in the tower club room and free cocktails and snacks for a few hours each evening.

Lift to the rooms in both buildings can only be accessed by a key card.

Eating at the ITC Maurya is expensive for Delhi standards. A simple meal for 2 will cost upwards of Rs3000. Food at Bukhara, West View Grill and Dakshin is excellent, but also very expensive.

The complimentary breakfast buffet at the Pavillion is excellent. There must be over 100 items on the menu. Sadly I could not do full justice to breakfast during either stay because of a 9am and 5am flight.

Toiletries are very good quality of ITC's own brands Fiama Di Wills and a men's range - Aqua.

The Maurya suite has a dressing room and a little corridor and the bedroom itself is twice the size of the tower rooms. Curtains are excellent and allow you to sleep through the day without any sunlight getting in. The pool looked lovely and welcoming, but the bed won the battle as we were exhausted with the hectic travel.

They have a currency exchange counter if you need to convert foreign currency to INR but not the other way around.

Plenty of stores on the ground floor, including a Wills Lifestyle store and another from which you can buy "Kitchens of India" ready to eat food to carry home.

A water heater and a French press with coffee and tea making facilities is provided in each room. There were complimentary brownies and biscuits and fruit in our room each time.

The suite had an ironing board and iron in the closet. Hairdryers too.

Its very close to the airport and that worked well for us on this trip.

Also published on TripAdvisor.com

Club Quarters St. Paul's, London

2011-09-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

We had travelled to London on work and stayed on for the weekend to enjoy more of the city. Club Quarters St Pauls have reduced rates on weekends as it is primarily a business hotel.

The location is excellent. 5 min walk from St Pauls Underground station and 2 min walk from the National rail station. If you don't have much luggage, you can take the picadilly line from the iarport and change for the central line at Holborn. (there are steps to climb, so you won't be able to do it if you have too much luggage)

If you get a room facing the road, you will have a wonderful side view of St Pauls Cathedral. Since this is the financial district, it quietens down by evening and its not too busy or noisy. On Sunday morning, we heard 2 rounds of a half an hour symphony of the church bells. The first around 9am and the 2nd around 11:30am.

There is so much to see around this area and everything is walking distance- Millenium Bridge, Shakespeares globe, Tate modern, Gaugin, London school for boys. There are at least 15 more historical churches within a 15 minute walking radius. We even walked upto Trafalgar and the London eye and back. There's a new mall thats opened up just next door, if you want to shop.

There are plenty of restaurants around this area. Sadly, majority of them aren't open on the weekend. However, the St Paul's restaurant - Cote Brasserie is open 7 days a week and provides good food at good rates. If you want a larger choice and lower rates, step into the Marks & Spencer food store next door. The range is from scones to sushi and they have a wonderful choice of meal packages (large sandwich + dessert + drink for 2 people under 6 pounds)

The biggest advantage of the club quarters are their room sizes. This is the 3rd hotel we have stayed at in London and we found this to have the largest rooms (we took a standard double). There is a large desk in each room which made it easy for us to work with our multiple cameras and laptops. (other hotels, we had to use the bed to spread out our equipment)

Free wifi and wired access in every room. 3 workstations in the club room downstairs with internet that are free to use and a printer to take free printouts - really helpful for boarding passes and online bookings of attractions.

Every floor has a water dispenser serving distilled chilled water and sealed half litre bottles to take away water, even when you leave the hotel.

Every room has a kettle and facilities for brewing tea and coffee. The guest supplies room on every floor, has extra blankets, tea, coffee and other necessities. You just open the closet and take what you need.

The club room also has a coffee machine which brews fresh cappucinos, lattes, espressos and other types of coffee. Magazines and newspapers are available here for reading. The rooms all have a few books on London.

Good quality soap, shampoo, bath gel were provided in each room. Club quarters are designed in a way that makes the traveller self sufficient and least dependent on service staff.

If you book a longer stay, you can request for a fridge and microwave in your room. They supposedly even have studio apartment set ups with a kitchenette, but we didn't get a chance to take a look.

Keycards give access to the lift, so secuirty is very high.

Although check in is supposed to be at 3pm and check out is supposed to be at 12noon, when we checked in at 11:45am our room was already available, so they showed us straight in. We checked out at 9am and used their locker facilities for our luggage. After sightseeing, we came back to the hotel by 4pm. Used the washrooms in the basement, repacked in the club room and had a cup of coffee before our taxi came to pick us up at 5pm.

Room Tip: Ask for a room with a view of St Pauls Cathedral. Since it is in the business district and there is double glass, there's no noise at night, even if you are facing the road. The intermittent 30 min bells symphony will wake you up on Sunday morning though.

Also published on TripAdvisor.com

Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel, London

2011-09-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

We had travelled on work. Conference was at this hotel and hence we had to stay here for the duration.

The hotel is quite close to the airport and there are quite a few free bus services to the hotel. 111, 245, 555 etc. However if you need to get into the city, then you need to take one of these buses to Terminal 3 and then catch the underground or Heathrow express to the city. It took an average of an hour and a half each way.

Rooms were decently sized. bathroom was also a decent size, but the bathtub that you have to climb into, to take a shower was quite high and could be difficult for people with stiff joints or aching legs. There was no handrail in our bathroom and we had to hold on to the shower apparatus to ensure we didn't slip. The flushing system in our room was terrible.

Breakfast was good and had a large spread with eggs to order and waffles, but room service was absoultely terrible. The day we first reached, it was too late to go anywhere. We ordered a medium rare steak - it came well done - too dry, no sauce, no seasoning. Couldn't even take 2 bites out of it. The thai green curry was a sticky mess. Who puts cornflour in thai curry?

This is a huge hotel and has plenty of people needing to use the 4 elevators. But the elevators are so slow. They take about a minute after reaching, for the doors to open on each floor.

Service staff is friendly and helpful. The concierge was very good about booking some tickets for us. They have a tie up with a taxi company if you need to use one.

You have to pay for internet access.

There is a starbucks on the premises which offers better coffee and lite bites, than the hotel restaurant. Water heater is provided in the room with provision for brewing tea or coffee.

There's a store at the gas station opposite from where you can buy crisps, juice, soda and water. (Bottled water in the hotel is very expensive).

If you have to stay here, I recommend a 5 minute walk to the 3 magpies next door for a much better quality meal.

This hotel is ok, if you need to be near the airport. We wouldn't stay here of our own choice.

Also published on TripAdvisor.com

Hotel Russell, London

2011-09-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

We booked this hotel online while searching for something close to the Covent Garden area. This was our first trip to London and it looked like most of the attractions that we wanted to visit in the evenings, were within walking distance from the hotel. We weren't mistaken.

From the airport, the Picadilly line brought us straight to Russell Square station which is not even a 2 minute walk to the hotel. We booked the shopping package which included full breakfast buffet and a 20pound Harrods shopping card.

The building is absolutely beautiful and staff were very helpful. However, being used to hotels in India, South East Asia, USA, Africa and the Middle East, we were horrified when we first looked into the room. It was so tiny! The bathroom was bigger than the bedroom! The bed was pushed into a corner, so when sharing a bed, one person has to literally jump over the other if they need to wake up at night. However, after subsequent hotel stays in Europe, we realised that the room was a fair size for its location.

Location was wonderful. The train station is next door. the Big Bus stop is less than 3 minute walk. We took an Evan Evans tour to Stonehenge and their pick up location was in a hotel opposite the dining room. The British Museum is less than a 7 minute walk. Kings Cross station is about 12 minutes walk. And the walks are wonderful, around these historic buildings and lovely gardens. We were really lucky on our August trip as it was bright weather throughout.

Breakfast buffet had a huge spread of hot and cold items. tea, coffee and toast is served at your seat. The dining hall is very busy, so you need to mind your belongings as you really can't expect the staff to keep an eye with so much going on.

Plenty of restaurants in the area, we discovered a couple of really lovely Italian family run places that served outstanding food until quite late at night (11pm). There are a couple of 24 hour stores around, if you want to pick up crisps and drinks.

We absolutely loved the hotel and the only reason we did not stay here on our September trip was because we wanted to explore another part of the city.

Also published on TripAdvisor.com

Sentrim Nairobi Boulevard Hotel, Nairobi

2010-11-29T01:04:00.001-08:00

There is nothing outstanding about this hotel. Most tour operators we contacted during the planning stage seemed to be pushing this hotel for the night stay in Nairobi (which is inevitable given the time taken to travel to the parks if traveling by road (6 hours or so) and your flight timings )

Its a tiny hotel. Serves buffet breakfasts. Nothing remarkable, nothing outstanding. I'd rate it a 2 or 2.5 on 5. Not very clean but not dirty either. Bathroom doors do not lock. Bathroom windows overlook the common corridor people use to reach other rooms on the floor. Not a very comfortable scenario for taking a bath (The glass is translucent and at head level) or using a washroom

Le Meridien, Jaipur

2010-11-29T00:40:00.000-08:00

The Hotel was absolutely lovely. We stayed in one of the suites with the en suite garden with a swing. The rooms were very comfortable. The bathroom had a jacuzzi with a glass wall between the bathroom and the garden. It was quite difficult for us to leave the room.

My husband was there on work for a conference that was held at the hotel and he said the arrangements were excellent. I had tagged along so I could attend the Jaipur Literature festival (JLF) which was on at the same time and my husband extended his stay.

The JLF was held at Diggi palace in the city and the travel time took us about an hour each morning, so this was inconvenient.

The food was good. We had the buffet breakfasts daily and dinner at one of the restaurants if we were back early enough for dinner.

We quite enjoyed our stay here and will return if we are travelling on work or leisure. But for the JLF, we would prefer to stay somewhere closer to the venue so we can attend all the sessions without having to wake up too early

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, Amboseli

2009-11-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

Amboseli Serena is located in the middle of the Amboseli National Park, so it has deer, zebras and occasionally elephants coming so close to the outdoor seating areas that you could reach out and touch them.

The staff is great, friendly and helpful without being overly intrusive. The food was good. The rooms were very cosy and comfortable. We really enjoyed our stay at the Amboseli Serena.

Siana Springs, Masai Mara

2009-09-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

We absolutely loved our stay at Siana Springs, Intrepids. The staff are all very helpful and efficient. When they ask about how your safari was, they truly are interested in hearing your answer, its not just a rhetorical question.

Although, the accomodation is tented, you do not want for anything. There is a WC cubicle and a shower cubicle with running hot water. We did not have any creepy crawlies inside the tent. And as long as you are conscientious about keeping the tent zipped, you will not have a problem with flying insects either.

Since they generate their own electricity, power is on for a few hours in the morning and in the evening (when you need to be awake and there isn't enough natural light) These hours were enough for us to keep our 3 cameras, 3 cell phones and 1 laptop charged daily (2 plug points in the double room)

Tents cannot be locked, so if you are carrying valuables and want to be carfeul, carry locks for your suitcases, but the place seemed very secure.

Every morning and evening, we relaxed outside our tent watching the bush deer which came right up to the tents, the vervet monkeys, who wait for an opportunity to pounce on the food of an unsuspecting victim, or to get into your tent to search for goodies, the hyrax - which is a cute tiny animal who makes the loudest sound in the middle of the night and the family of 10 Columbus monkeys on the grounds.

The food here was tastier than our other hotels in Kenya on this trip. The packed lunch on our whole day game drive was simple, but tasty. Prices for additional beverages are reasonable. I think it was around 100Kshg for a 1 liter bottle of water. Complimentary tea, coffee and hot chocolate are available throughout the day.

I'd highly recommend the Cultural talk given by the Masai every afternoon between 2:15 and 3:15pm. The masai conducting the talk speak fluent English and can really answer any questions you may have. They have an adventurers club for kids which most of the kids around seemed really happy with. This was the only place, we saw on this trip that made an extra effort to keep kids productively and interestingly occupied.

There is a massage room on site, in case the road is too bumpy and you need to ease your pains gently. Didn't try it so can't comment on how good it is.

The hot water bottles in our bed were an absolutely wonderful and extremely welcome touch at the end of the day.

The only downside is that it is a half an hour drive away from the Masai Mara reserve gate. So if you plan to do 2 game drives (morning, evening) in a day, then you spend 2 hours on a very bumpy road viewing mostly cows and goats.

Retracing Vasco da Gama's footsteps

2006-10-15T03:23:00.000-07:00

Retracing Vasco da Gama's footsteps

The India International Boat Show (IIBS) 2006, being organised by Kerala Tourism, is all set to be unique with history being recreated. Coinciding with the boat show, the tourism department is organising a 'Vasco da Gama Yacht Rally' that will traverse Vasco da Gama's route when he first set foot here, and culminate near the boat show venue in Kochi. According to Kerala minister for tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and tourism director B Suman, a rally comprising 16 yachts, which have set sail from Greece, would anchor off the Bolghatty Island in Kochi when the IIBS 2006 is on.

Billed as India's premier recreational boating and marine equipment show and south Asia's definitive boat show, IIBS 2006 will be kicked off on October 20 at the Le Meridian in Kochi. The three-day event will showcase the latest technology as well as some of the leading names in the marine industry.

Formatted as a business expo, IIBS 2006 will have special segments in leisure boating, marine equipment, marine engines, and navigational and telecommunication aids, Balakrishnan said. Among the 60-odd exhibitors at the show will be global boating brands like Bayliner, Trophy, Feretti, Walker Bay and Regal. These apart, marine equipment market leaders such as Garmin, Lalizas, Plastimo, Vetus and Volvo Penta will showcase their ware.

The Indian participation will be ensured by boatbuilders Praga Marine, Seaspray Aluminium Boats, Hunter marine, Aries Marine and Alcock Ashdown.

The exhibition comprises 550-sq ft of air-conditioned space at the Le Meridien, 7,000-sq ft of product display space and 10 on--the-water displays.

According to Suman, a special spotlight on the traditional boating sector of Kerala will mark IIBS 2006 and a major attraction will be the display of traditional boat-building and fishing equipment. As many as 25 traditional boat builders will put on show their skills at the expo. IIBS 2006, which will extend till October 22, is expected to provide a one-stop platform for exhibitors and 400-plus buyers from India and overseas. The event is also tipped to be a perfect platform for them to meet potential partners, one-to-one meetings and explore growth horizons. As part of IIBS 2006, a seminar on the potential prospects for marine tourism in India will also be organised on October 21.

The show will be inaugurated by tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

For all ye trobeglotters

2006-10-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

There's Simply No Excuse for Being Bored on a Trip

by JOHN HEATON

Published: October 10, 2006

FROM time to time, I hear business travelers complain about how unexciting their trips are. This is nonsense, for the most part. Business travel can be great adventure if you're curious.

Catherine Docter, via John Heaton

John Heaton is an artist, entrepreneur and the host of Quinta Maconda, a 16th-century residence in Antigua, Guatemala.

Maybe I inherited my inquisitiveness. My ancestors' tall ships plied the waters between Connecticut and Shanghai in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Each trip was a perilous and hopeful journey for commerce, and according to them, there was always something interesting along the way.

I've made several trips to Asia to buy antique furniture, and while I'm there I absorb as much of the local culture as possible. I avoid large Western hotels. I go to the local outdoor markets. I buy and wear what the locals wear. I bring my video camera and interview waiters and taxi drivers. I make a point of exploring an area unknown to me.

Some years ago, on my way to Bali, I made a stopover in Biak, in the Indonesia province of Irian Jaya. At the hotel, I spotted a fellow in khakis sitting at the bar, sipping a warm beer.

"Do you speak English?" I asked.

He did. In fact, he had just finished guiding a National Geographic expedition through Irian Jaya and the Moluccas, and was on his way back to Vancouver.

Sensing a golden opportunity, I asked if he would tell me about his journey. "Keep the beers flowing, and I'll fill you in," he replied.

For the next two hours, as we pored over maps, he told me tales of the archipelago and uncontacted tribes. His stories were so compelling that I decided to change my travel plans. For the next two months, I crisscrossed the islands, hardly seeing another white face. The highlight of my trip was being the only outsider to attend the funeral of an important Dani chief. What started as a business trip ended in a real adventure.

Just a month before the Soviet Union disintegrated, I flew to Siberia. Cold and boring, right? Wrong. In Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Buryat Republic, I met up with Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Habsburg archduchess of Austria. She was documenting the Dalai Lama's historic visit and the Buddhist revival in that region.

Near the Mongolian border some of us rented horses and galloped across the steppes. We had a close encounter with authorities and nearly ended up being thrown into jail. But most important, we were witness to a defining moment in the history of the Soviet Union, if not also for Buddhism.

I find that some business travelers are numb to the portals through which they pass, focusing only on the destination. I think they're missing a lot. Something as mundane as an airport stopover can be fascinating. On a flight from Bali to Madras, India, I had a seven-hour wait at Changi International Airport in Singapore. Instead of sitting around like many of the other passengers, I made a room in the airport hotel my temporary headquarters and went exploring. Changi has a fabulous bookstore, a health spa, great restaurants and a permanent orchid show. It became a destination unto itself for me.

That's when it occurred to me that there is no such thing as a boring place. Only boring travelers.

By John Heaton, as told to Christopher Elliott.

Email: elliottc@nytimes.com

Some Must Visit Blogs of fellow travellers

2006-06-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

As you know,
I'm one of the finalists for the travel contest.

Still waiting anxiously for the results, in the meanwhile I browsed some blogs of my fellow Contestants and each one of them has some really interesting work posted. Either travel descriptions or breathtaking photographs.

So here go some links to their blogs, in no particular order.

# I've been a fan of Akshay's work since a long time. I've linked to his photo features on my Whazzupmumbai blog very often.

# Harshad runs his own trekking company & has covered a lot of Shivaji's forts around Bombay and Pune. I don't understand most of the technical specs of cameras that he talks about, but his photographs are BRILLIANT. Some of his pictures of butterflies (if you have ever tried to photograph even one, you will know how difficult it is) are going to be published in books written by naturalists Isaac Kehimkar & Krushnamegh Kunte
Browse through Harshads blogs :
Through His ViewFinder
Trek blogs of his various outings in the Sahyadris and Himalayas, along with photographs

# Sahil's picture on the site, doesn't do him justice. He hardly uses any words on his Blog : Myopic Endeavour preferring his pictures to do the talking. He's a really interesting person & so much fun to talk to.

# Mridula has been travelling & blogging about her travels since over a year. On her blog, she says "For me travel is a form of escape, from my daily routine" I think she has put so eloquently, what we all feel. She is a consistent trekker and her blog has lots of stories, tips & pictures which tell the tale. Wish I could have met her, but that will have to wait till I take a trip to Delhi.

# Altaf has a different take on life ...the way he sees it. He's currently in Kaintholi on a Global Xchange program & living like a local so he has some really interesting stories to tell.

# Sheetal blogs on Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing-wax where she blogs about the happenings in the twin cities of Hyderabad & Secunderabad. My Ex-City

# Divya blogs at Chronicus Skepticus Currently a Visual Merchandiser, who's also been a copywriter, a visualiser (at the same time), a web-designer, an editor, and a (garment) production manager.

# Rahul is the poetic soul among the finalists. Do visit his blog to read some of his original works of fiction.

# Apurv is the current editor of PaGaLGuY.com, a highly popular website most MBA aspirants would be aware of. Read his take on things at What Blog Men!

Gautam & Simona do not have blogs that I know of.

It was fun meeting 8 of the other contestants. (2 from Delhi & 1 came in later that evening) There were some excellent & passionate photographers amongst the group and when Harshad, Sahil, Akshay & Gautham spoke about lenses it was a foreign language to the rest of us. But we did share a lot of interesting stories about unusual places to travel, great photo ops, where & what to eat & a lot of other stuff like that. Most of us met each other for the first time, but we all had fun because of the kindred fellowship of travellers.

We ended with a fun lunch at Kobe's on Hill Road

Now all fingers crossed for the results. May the best man/woman win.

Ok Tata Bye Bye

2006-06-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited.

I've been shortlisted for a travel contest. Which involves travelling
& Blogging. Hardly ever been selected for anything earlier :)

Check out the contest and my profile on
http://www.oktatabyebye.com
http://www.oktatabyebye.com/Krishma.asp
(Yes they have spelt my name wrong in the link, trying to get them to correct it)

The final selection is next week. I'm not sure how they will do it. But have a vague feeling that they may do so based on popularity of the contestant & ability to draw viewers.

Requesting you to please view my profile & drop me a comment, even if its just to say "All the best, Kim" or "Don't think u should go" But please comment.

Hope there's a lot of you looking for something to do on a slow Friday afternoon.

Please, please, pretty please. :)

Kim
http://kimelody.blogspot.com - the XL Blog
http://mbajobsindia.blogspot.com/
http://whazzupmumbai.blogspot.com

Photo Feature on Ratnagiri (Maharashtra)

2006-05-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Who hasn't heard of Ratnagiri ?

Famed for its Alphonso/Hapus Mangoes....

The drive from Mumbai (Bombay) was 8 hours long with a couple of breaks along the way, but the scenery more than made up for the long journey. I hear the train journey has some beautiful views too.

We stayed at the wonderful "Kokanes Kohinoor Samudra Resort"
Located on the Ratnagiri - Pawas Coastal Highway, its away from the city, situated on a cliff, sprawling over 2 kilometres from end-to-end, it has the most brilliant view from every room in the multiple buildings.

The town of Ratnagiri is pretty small & so easy to navigate after driving around in Mumbai.
We first headed towards the Thibaw Palace - which was built for the exiled King & Queen of Burma (now Myanmar) in 1910-11. They lived here until they died. This would be a familiar name for those who have read "Amitav Ghosh's - The Glass Palace"

It has also been partly converted into a museum. The museum is rather pitiful as it has only 4 rooms. One on the ground floor which has some old sculptures salvaged from the Ratnadurg Fort. The 3 rooms on the first floor have some old, badly damaged copper vessels, old photographs and the last room is an attempt to recreate the grandeur of the palace. The sad part of it is that, although the furniture is still solid (being made of Burma Teak) the furnishings are terrible. Synthetic bright curtains drag your attention away from the intricate light fixtures.

These 4 rooms and 2 used for offices are currently the only usable rooms in the palace. there are plans to renovate & strengthen the remaining buildings. Hopefully it will be sensibly done.

A short drive away is the scenic Thibaw Point

Do stop here for some wonderful views and to click some really outstanding pictures.

If you are already hungry, a quick drive away is Hotel Amantran which serves up the most amazing Malvani food. At approximately Rs.65/- for a Non-vegetarian thali, you can't beat the price either. The food is much better than the Mahesh's, Gajalees & Highway Gomatak's. Its that great. And the sea food is absolutely fresh & comes from relatively unpolluted waters.

Then take a slightly longer drive to the Ratnadurg Fort. Start with a visit to the Bhagwati Mandir

On the way to the Fort, if you pass throught the city you will see the Majestic Shivaji on a Rearing Horse.

The Ratnadurg Fort itself has a lot of crags, nooks & corners. There are brilliant views to be seen from certain vantage points. But be careful & look out for crumbling rocks.

You will be able to see the Lighthouse in the distance. If you are so inclined you can even travel upto it.

Another sight is the Ratnagiri Cement Factory and Jetty

If The Indian Freedom Struggle and its fighters interests you, Ratnagiri is the birthplace of both Sri Lokmanya Tilak & Veer Savarkar. Both their houses are within a few feet of each other within the city.

Sri Lokmanya Tilak's Janmasthan has been converted into a museum in his honor. It is open through the day. The house has been preserved as it is. And its a pleasure to walk barefoot on the cowdung smeared natural flooring. His topi & a few clothes are also on display within the museum.

Sri Veer Savarkar's house has been turned into a kind of library which is only open between 4 & 6 pm.

Round up the day with a nice quiet evening on the beach, Ratnagiri is famed as the "Black and White Beaches Some beaches in the area have black sand and the others have white. The tide here is quite reliable and you can bathe in these waters.

There are a lot more temples and other places to explore in Ratnagiri if you are so inclined. you can also make a lot of short excursions to nearby places like Ganapatipule, Pawas, Dapoli, Guhagar, Karde, Murud and Ladghar

I'm desicritic of the day

2006-05-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hey all loyal readers. I'm desicritics "Desicritic Of The Day" today.

Read all my articles on Desicritics.org

Look out for a post on Alibagh & Murud Janjeera some time soon.

A perfect bite...: Harvest Festivals around India

2006-03-15T22:34:00.000-08:00

Rushina, writes some lovely articles about food.

Check out the one about A perfect bite...: Harvest Festivals around India

She has included some easy to prepare recipes too.

Olive Ridley Turtles & Irrawady Dolphins

2006-02-27T04:50:00.000-08:00

I am just back from a short but hectic trip to Rushikulya rookery and Chilika lake in Orissa. Vasant J. Sheth Memorial Foundation, the NGO wihich I work for, has sponsored a Sea Turtle Interpretation Centre at Rushikulya beach, near village Purnabandha in Ganjam district of Orissa. Rushikulya is one of the largest sea turtle rookery in the country apart from Gahirmatha and Devi river mouth in Orissa. Our Foundation supports the efforts of the local conservation group Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee which has been doing excellent work in protecting the sea turtle nests, eggs and hatchlings since many years. Mr. Rabindranath Sahu and other volunteers of this group are instrumental in the protection work.

'WOW' is only expression I had on my face after being witness to the mass nesting (arribada in local language) of Olive Ridley Turtles . All the sunburns I got due to excessive road travelling on a two-wheeler in 42 deg. C was all worth it. From Feb 16th to Feb 24th, more than 1,40,000 Olive Ridleys have layed eggs on the Rushikulya beach. As I stood on the beach at night, turtles came out from the sea, crawling apparently with great efforts, reaching beyond the hightide mark and digging the pits with their flippers to lay a clutch of around 120 eggs. All this in a span of 60-min. The experience of watching these giant 60-kg creatures sitting right next to them was simply awesome. The mornings I spent on motorised dinghi (a small boat) watching the turtles swimming in the sea, occasionally coming up on the surface to breathe and then diving back in to the emerald green waters. The entire episode was right out of a National Geographic film!

I also spent a couple of days in Chilika lake, the largest brackish water lagoon along in the country and a Ramsar Site. Though didn't get enough time for birding, could manage just about two boat rounds in the lake. The round at Satapada was a memorable one since I saw around 7-8 Irrawady Dolphins playfully swimming in the lake, occasionally jumping and blowing air with 'puffff' sound.

The mass hatching will take place sometime in the first week of April 2006. Those who can plan a trip here may do so during this period.

Best wishes,
Kedar Gore
Goregaon (E),
Mumbai

Virapuram - an amazing village of Painted Storks!

2006-02-26T04:48:00.000-08:00

We were on a trip to Lepakshi yesterday (25 February 2006), a little known temple in Andhra Pradesh just along the border of Karnataka. We approached the place from Bangalore-Bellary highway, turned westwards on Hindupur Road after Bagepally, which took us to Lepakshi village and the temple. Total distance from Bangalore is 120 km. It is a beautiful temple complex (Vijayanagara period i.e. 14 to 16 century AD) with sculptures and fresco painting, and also the largest monolithic Nandi bull. Incidently, the Shiva (Virabhadreshawar) temple is dedicated to Jatayu, the legendary bird (perhaps a Vulture) from Ramayan.

As we were turning on Hindupur road after Bagepally, a sculpture at the junction attracted our attention. It is a beautiful sculpture of a Painted Storks pair on a nest with egg / chick. While photogrphing the sculpture, we discovered that it was showing a direction to the village called Virapuram (13km from the junction) which is supposed to have a large colony of Painted Storks. That shifted our attention from our main destination of Lepakshi and we decided to visit this Painted Storks village first. After proceeding for about 3 km, we found another beautiful sculpture of Painted Storks, at the junction directing us to Virapuram. Virapuram village is located at the base of a rocky/bouldary hill range. There are a few waterbodies nearby and we could see large number of Painted Storks flying in the sky. It was not difficult to locate the village and the colonies of Painted Storks. The villagers were very happy to tell us about the Painted Storks and lead us to the groves of T

The entire village landscape is dominated by Painted Storks. They are nesting on almost all trees - big and small. Mainly on Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and Ashwattha (Ficua religiosa) trees. We counted 46 nests on one big Ashwattha tree and 27 nests on one small Tamarind tree. On an average there should be about 40 nests per a big tree, and there are over 30 such trees in the village. Our very rough estimate (on lower side) tells us that there are over 1200 active nests in the village at present. The eggs seem to have been laid in most of the nests and the birds are incubating them. A few birds are still making the nests. The chicks should be out around end March / April. The birds are well habituated of human presence and they seem to be not bothered of anyone. They seem to be confident about their safety in this village.

This was an amazing experience for us. We had never heard about this village of Painted Storks before. This is very similar to Kokarebellur of Pelicans. We wish to know more about this colony and its history/records etc. from the naturalists in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and also from the AP - forest dept.

We do not know who had erected those Painted Storks sculptures. We really appreciate and commend that effort. The sculptures are bigger than life size and they are very beautiful, proportionate, realistic and located at vantage positions. Whosover is the artist, deserves credit for her artistic abilities and also for the love of nature.

Best wishes
Prof. Ulhas Rane
Bangalore

Gaya and Bodhgaya

2005-02-24T04:59:00.000-08:00

A Professor of mine, recently made a road trip to Gaya & Bodhgaya. Read about it here....

Buddham Sharanam ................

Its actually a 3 part article.
1. A trip for Enlightenment
2. Camera, Lights Action
3. After the Intermission

First hand account of the tryst with the fifth (last) Tsunami of 26th. - Chennai

2005-01-06T09:41:00.001-08:00

Live account of Tsunami in Chennai by a Bitsian of 75 batch - Jacob Mani.

6.00a.m: Ziv(my dog) and I set out for the routine stroll to the
beachside at Injambakkam where we now live ; a quiet picture perfect sea facing enclave 500mts.away from the beach.On reaching the road
parallel to the beach barely a 50 mts. away from the shore; we cut
right and proceed along the parallel road from where you can watch
the sun rise.
6.30a.m:The panchayat borewell operator switches on the motor which
feeds the overhead tanks supplying water to the village.There are
loud sparks of a short circuit and I shout at him to put of the motor and rush to inform the local councillor. He sets briskly off on his cycle .Ziv sits down and begins a lazy scratch looking around
for unsuspecting morning amblers who could be the fresh victim of his intimidating pounces. " Little did we realise that at that precise instant, more than 2000kms. away Sumatra was Rocking at no.9.0 and the stage was being set for the catyclismic disaster barely 2 and a half hours away.
6.45a.m: We begin the jerky(Ziv tugging at the chain),uneventful walk back home around 400 meters away. The red sun has risen and there is nothing about the sea that seems unusual.The next half an hour is spent with the kids and Shobha on the "Thinnai"(open balcony)gazing at the sea and wrapping up the small details for the day trip to Pondicherry which is a 2 hour drive along the scenic East Coast Road(ECR).planned for 8.30a.m.
8.40a.m: We set off by taking the ECR road ;barely 100mts from my
place and reach a comfortable speed allowing the greenery on either
sides of the road to slowly seep in.By 9.00a.m we had crossed the
sleeply fishing hamlets of Panayur,and were entering Muttukadu when
Shobha announces that the iron box may be on. Reluctantly we take the next U-Turn and head back home to put off the errant iron before
restarting the trip.
9.20a.m: On entering the road leading to our house we were greeted by the chaotic cries of women and children running helter skelter. Rumours were rife that the electrical lines in the area were exploding, some said the sea was rising and we could sea a seaswell
of men women and children scampering to the main road holding on to
pots, pans, stoves, TV's and whatever could be salvaged. By this time the TV's and radios are announcing that the first Tidal waves had sturck Marina and various parts of the Southern coastal villages and other countries.
9.30 a.m:-10.40a.m: I dig up my binoculars and world band radio and
tune on to the BBC and the local news .The next hour was a time
warp with confused reports pouring on the damage caused by the
Tsunami's in Indonesia, Srilanka , Andamans and other coastal towns.
The AIR Chennai station had managed to rope in certain obsolete
officials from the met depearment who kept giving misguided advice
that the effect was over and the seas were rapidly receding. Coming
from the mouth of so called guardians of the weather domains added to my share of confidence. So I put on my BITS Think!cap and without
much thought about what lay ahead , I decide to survey the sea from
the shore. With the binocs in hand I head for the shore exuding much
confidence fuelled by the encouraging reports on A.I.R ;reassuring
the panic striken people whom I came across that the worst was over .
10.50 a.m: I am at the edge of the sea sitting on a parapet wall
since the waves have crossed the sand bars and along with a few
distraught local fishermen we survey the destruction of several
catamarans and small fishing boats piled on to the edge of the water
logged retaining walls of private beach side properties.I spent a few poignant moments explaining to the few fishermen that the quake in Sumatra while inducing a few high ocean waves was nothing more than a spent force.
THEN IT HAPPENED!
In a flash the sea picked up furry and a huge wall of waves around 2
meters high started to rush in while the last words on assurances
floated away.At 46 I am not much of a runner and a not fully restored
shoulder ,the result of an accident of over ten years flashed across
my mind along with helplessness, and prmitive instincts of survival.I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and 50 meters away was this 5feet ,500meters long wall which demarcates the private section of the beach. Allthe other fishermen were running and I luckily fouund a lamp post some 100meterrs along the wall which propped me to scale the wall and soot for safety.Meanwhile the rushing sea watrer smashed across a few walls and flattened it like a deck of cards while continuing this furious chase around the walls and rushed inland a further 100meters before making an abrupt retreat back to where it had started. I turned around and realised that I was spared and so were all the others who made a run for their lives.
11.00a.m: Back home with Shobha ,the kids and a few villagers.
Totally out of breath I curse the misguided bravado induced by the
ignorance of so called experts from the mets. office on A.I.R.We stay on while the villagers are evacuvating in droves.We hope the worst is over.

1.30 p.m: Jose calls in from Kerala and I give him a seven minute
narrative on the chain of events from my second floor room
overlooking the sea while all appears quiet and calm.However by that
time thousands had perished and lacs uprooted and devastated.There is no power and the charge on the cell phone has run out.

First hand account of the tryst with the fifth (last) Tsunami of 26th.

Traveling by train from Kerala to Bangalore

2005-01-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Written by a friend who was travelling with his wife Sarah and 4 year old son, Matthew. It was so hilarious, I had to put it up on this blog :

Just got back from Kerala yesterday after spending almost 2 weeks there. The weather was great and so was the food at all the various homes of the extended family and the toddy shops. The Anthi Kallu (literally translated Evening Toddy) with Karimeen Pollichathu on New Year night was clearly the high point of the journey. When I boarded the Kanyakumari express at Changanacherry I thought that the trip would not get aymore eventful (including hanging out on the beach with Matthew the night before the Tsunami struck). I was busy trying to stuff all the assorted baggage we'd collected during the trip under seats A1 - 25 and 26 when Sarah let out this muted sort of scream and when I looked up at her face it was as though a spasm of pain contorted her features - perhaps stung by the dart from a blowpipe dipped in some powerful poison only known to some tribes on the Nicobar islands (I think that's from one of Sherlock Holmes stories)

I looked in the direction her contorted face and saw three singlets ('banians' for those of you who may not be used to this word) neatly organised in increasing order of size on the metal rack right below the emergency stop chain. A thought ran through my mind - what uncouth people - Mr R P Singh and Mrs M Singh - not from Punjab more the heartland types (which I determined later from the passenger manifest stuck outside the coach when I got down at the next station - Kottayam - for a breather). It was then that I started noticing that, keeping with the spirit of the Xmas season, every hook and storage space around the facing berths were decorated with little decorative items of cream, green, white and other assorted colours. It took me a few additional CPU cycles to realize that this happy family was not celebrating Christmas on the train but had actually relieved their assorted private parts of restraint from certain repressing items of clothing and had generously used the surrounding hooks, shelves, storage and bottle holders courtesy The Indian Railways to perhaps ventilate these items and make them devoid of moisture, odour and other residuum.

My investigative instincts kicked in and the number of unmentionable undergarments didn't match the number of people they were travelling with. A quick exploratory look around and I figured that that there was a boy of about 10 sleeping in the bunk above and that accounted for 2 more of these items. The last pair was a puzzle till I reached Kottayam and determined from the passenger manifest that there was one more Master Singh who was in deep slumber on bunk number 30 which was a side upper berth. That however still did not solve the mystery of the additional woman's undergarment given that only Mrs Singh was qualified to wear it. My investigative instinct persisted and I had to check out whether such restraining garments actually did restrain. Well Mr Singh seemed to have Johnny under control and Johnny did not show any signs of misbehaving in spite of not being encaged. Mrs Singh however could not keep showing that the airconditioning can have weird effects on the female anatomy clearly indicating that she will not need a Benelli procedure. The wobbly mounds that had been rendered braless were helplessly being tossed around at an unsteady frequency and along an indeterminate path perhaps in consonance with the rocking motion of the train(Heisenberg, Dirac and Schroedinger would perhaps need to have been called in to even begin to pose a solution to this complex problem)

While Sarah and I lived though this ordeal, Matthew was happily playing with his lego blocks on the upper berth. The ony place Sarah and I could look at were directly at each others faces without risking having to see either the restrainers or the restrained. It was when Matt came down to the lower bunk that things almost got a little ugly. He wanted to know and very vocally at that as to why the were no similar decorations on our side of the berth - He was getting this impression that someone had shortchanged him by giving him the less colouful side of the train. Fortunately we managed to distract him with something more interesting (which is not too difficult with Matt). Mrs Singh would once in a while - at indeterminate frequency once gain - get up and feel each one of these in an order I could not put a pattern to, her facial expressions manifesting pleasure at random intervals during this exercise and would then sit down to read the much tattered Bollywood section of the Dainik Jagran.

Indian Railways was kind enough to treat us to an additional 4 hours of hospitality before reaching Bangalore Cantonment. We did notice that the festive spirit waned by morning, the decorations brought down, and Johnny as well as Susan and Sally confined back in their cages. The mystery of the extra woman's undergarment still remains.
Thoma

"Driving in India"

2004-12-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

The Dutch Software Company, BAAN has opened an office in Hyderabad and has been bringing in some of their staff from the Netherlands to work in India. This is an article written about the driving conditions in India by Coen Jeukens, functional Architect for BAAN.

"Driving in India"

For the benefit of people visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I offer a few hints for survival. This is applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer. Indian Road rules broadly operate within the domain of Karma where you do your best and leave the results to your insurance company. So here are the driving hints:

a.. Do we drive on the left or right of the road?
The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left side of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess.

a.. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the intended direction. Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself. Except for a belief in reincarnation, the other drivers are not in any better position.

a.. Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back. Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still, some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.

a.. Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries where we honk to express joy, romance or just bare lust (two brisk blasts). Here, it may be to show your resentment, frustration, or just to mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar.

a.. Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rain waters to recede.

a.. Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience. The roads do not have shoulders, only occasional boulders.

a.. Truck Drivers are the James Bonds of India and are licensed to kill.

a.. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on; usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may end up proving your point posthumously.

a.. During the daytime, trucks are more visible, except that the drivers will never signal. Often you will observe that the cleaner who sits next to the driver, will project his hand and wave hysterically.

a.. Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty and often meeting with success.

I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker" which is two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.

Feastured destination on World 66 - Tallin

2004-12-03T03:57:00.000-08:00

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and since the collapse of the Soviet Union the city has rapidly developed from a small town in a big empire to the biggest town of a small country. The Old Town is a compact maze of cobblestone streets, historical buildings and great views and has a place on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

-> Read more

Smirnoff amateur bartending workshop - Nov 27th / 28th

2004-11-17T07:22:00.000-08:00

Do you keep awake at night thinking of:
- Is shaken better than stirred?
- What's the perfect drink for my next party?
- Is a Martini a drink or a brand?
- Does alcohol freeze?

Then you're in the right place at The Smirnoff Amateur Bartending Master class

We have two workshops in Bangalore on the 27th and 28th of November. The one on the 27th is the Smirnoff Mini Tastemaker Session and the one on the 28th is the Smirnoff Regular Tastemaker Session. Take your pick. Details below or online at www.tulleeho.com/tastemaker

Details:

27th November : Smirnoff Mini Tastemaker Session
Time: 2- 5 pm
Venue: F-Bar, Le Meridien Hotel, 28 Sankey Road
Session taken by: Shatbhi Basu

Charges:

Individual: Rs. 750/-
Group of 4 and more: Rs. 600/- per person
Your fee includes:
· The chance to make and sample upto 5 drinks
· A chance to learn from and interact with India's best beverage trainers
· High tea
· 4 Smirnoff Twist miniatures (Citrus, Vanilla, Orange and Raspberry Vodka
flavoured vodka)
· 3 Monin Bar syrup miniatures
· 1 Smirnoff shot glass
· Handout & Certificate

28th November: Smirnoff Regular Tastemaker Session
Time: 12 - 6 pm
Venue: F-Bar, Le Meridien Hotel, 28 Sankey Road
Session taken by: Shatbhi Basu

Charges:

Individual: Rs. 1250/-
Group of 4 and more: Rs. 1000/- per person

Your fee includes:
·The chance to make and sample upto 10 drinks
·A chance to learn and interact with India's best beverage trainers
·Lunch
·4 Smirnoff Twist miniatures (Citrus, Vanilla, Orange and Raspberry Vodka flavoured vodka)
·1 Smirnoff shot glass
·3 Monin Bar syrup miniatures
·Handout & Certificate

Do the math!
Log on to http://www.tulleeho.com/tastemaker for more details and online registration. Mail us at tulleeho@tulleeho.com if you want any clarifications and give us your phone number also if you want us to call you - else call Vikram in Delhi @ 0 9810108644. Our seats fill up fast, so register at the earliest.

We have also introduced online payment via a secure payment gateway.

Please forward this mail to friends who may be interested. You don't drink alone, so why learn to bartend solo!

Tulleeho!

Vikram Achanta

Sightseeing Trains in India

2004-10-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Palace On Wheels
Delhi-Jaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Sawai Madhopur-Chittaurgarh-Udaipur-Agra
USP : Has and continues to set benchmarks in Luxury travel
Oct - March
$485/day/person (single)
$350/day/person (double)
$285/day/person (triple)
Sep-April
$395/day/person (single)
$295/day/person (double)
$240/day/person (triple)

Deccan Odyssey
Mumbai-Ganapatipule-Ratnagiri-Bhatye
Beach-Sindhudurg-Tarkarli-Sawantwadi-Goa-Pune-Aurangabad-Ajanta
USP : Comprehensive tour of Maharashtra
Oct - March
$485/day/person (single)
$350/day/person (double)
$285/day/person (triple)
Sep-April
$395/day/person (single)
$295/day/person (double)
$240/day/person (triple)

Royal Orient
Delhi-Chittaurgarh-Udaipur-Junagarh-Veraval-Sesangir-Dilwara-Palitana-Ah
medabad-Jaipur
USP: Walk into wildlife
Oct - March
2 berth
$350/day/person (single occupancy)
$200/day/person (sharing)
Sep-April
$263/day

Fairy Queen
Delhi-Alwar-Sariska
USP:Slice of history, Indias oldest train (1855 - oldest locomotive in
the world on a main line) departs from Delhi Cantt on 2nd & 4th Saturday
of every month.
Round Trip package (2 days) costs Rs.10,000. Foreigners must pay equal
amount in Dollars.

Costs include stay, food and travel. Alcoholic drinks extra.

Oh, Kolkata! - By Suhel Seth

2004-10-19T02:44:00.000-07:00

After several years, I spent six nights in Kolkata, which, thankfully
enough, were like spending six nights in heaven after the kind of lives
we lead in the Delhis and Mumbais of the world. There are no pressures
of work; there is almost an embedded fait accompli in people's
demeanour, which many a time suggests that this is the pace we follow,
and bad luck to you if you don't like it. I also had the luxury of
spending these six nights in unbridled comfort at what is certainly the
finest resort hotel in India: the ITC Sonar Bangla. The editor of this
paper, M.J. Akbar, thankfully agrees that the charm of Kolkata has still
not dimmed, which is why the last time he and I were in Kolkata together
we spoiled ourselves at the various impromptu dinners that were held in
our honour.

There is also a certain basket of values that never escapes Kolkata. The
city just doesn't care who you are as long as you, at some time in your
life, have been a part of it. Which is why even the empty barstools at
the Light Horse Bar at Saturday Club tell you tales you may have heard
aeons ago. The butter chicken at Kwality's tastes just as good and thank
god the ever evolving Priya Paul has done nothing to modernise the
cuisine of Flury's which still serves up the best rum cakes and chicken
patties! I went back to some of our theatre haunts and remembered with
great affection the time I spent with Ashoke Viswanathan savouring the
Afghani
chicken at Sutripti or partaking of Bacchus' generosity at Chota
Barrister.

I even drove past the famed Lover's Lane several times just to relive
those moments when we would sneak our girlfriend of the time to play
hooky under a starry sky until the ubiquitous Kolkata sergeant would
show up on his well-preserved Bullet motorcycle. I watched with fondness
the various cricket matches going on in the Maidan and the same Maya Ram
pao bhaji being advertised with gusto. I took an afternoon off and
strolled within the corridors of Jadavpur University and was delighted
to see Tommy Hilfiger stickers outside the SFI office: even the
communists have realised the worth of Tommy.

But has Kolkata really changed? Have the people become smarter in terms
of making the best of every opportunity? I think not. And this is why
Kolkata is still such a special place to be. The only place where a
lunch is incomplete without a Campari; where there is a distinction
between the dining room and the smoking room and where round-collared
T-shirts still find no acceptance in club bars. There is also a certain
panache that Kolkata has with regard to the music you hear. Item girls
and Daler Mehndi have still not replaced Barry Manilow or for that
matter Nat King Cole. There are hundreds who can still recite their
school song and have
preserved their college blazers and not replaced them with some foreign
brands. Where photographs are in photo frames and not in cupboards, so
that you can litter your drawing room with garish vases. It is this
about th e city that makes it so special.

I took long walks in the malls only to witness for myself, first-hand,
the consumerism that has invaded Kolkata and then I thought to myself,
why not. If Kolkata can erect malls and frequent them without forgetting
the Victoria Memorial or the National Library, then more power to its
collective elbows. I smiled when I saw the queue of people trying to
enter the American Centre. In no other city are libraries as crowded as
cinema halls. And that is because Kolkata still has a mind when all
others are busy losing theirs.

Many years ago I was part of a movement called "Concern for Calcutta"
and it delighted me no end to see that Ward 63 was still sprinkled with
the work that CC, as it was known then, was doing. It is perhaps the
only city in the world which has a nature study park in the costliest
real estate of that city. I went to Dalhousie Institute and saw an
impromptu quiz just as I went to CC&FC and saw prompted drinking
happening. The other unique dimension about this city is, if you belong
here, you are never a guest when you return.

The family asks you no questions: it merely expresses unbridled delight
in seeing you back. You can walk into dinners and parties alike; to
cricket matches and merchant's cup soccer matches on the back of your
past. Kolkata doesn't really care about the present or what you are up
to!

The visit was even more special because I staged two shows of our
English play Alipha: and the memories rushed back of a time when I would
be staging a play almost once every three months. The halls as beautiful
and the audience as well-behaved. No one picking up his or her mobile
phone and screaming Advani or Sonia. Just watching what they've come to
watch intently and with the respect it deserves.

Sometimes, only sometimes, I wish we could throw the residents out of
Delhi and replace them with Kolkatans. The purging would mean so much to
all of us. But then when one ponders, one is
Gratified that Kolkata is still a city of remarkable joy. Of prose and
passion. Of poetry and phuchka. Of people and, thankfully, no
prejudices."

----
Thanks to David D'costa for this contribution

Try a cruise through God’s own country. Published 10 October Deccan Chronicle

2004-10-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

Kerala is a much recommended holiday spot, & a Houseboat (Kettuvallam) cruise seemed like an experience worth trying.

Never having spent 24 hours on a boat before, we anxiously asked ‘Experienced’ travelers for feedback. This ranged from “trip of our lives” to “Booooring, once aboard, you are stuck, you can’t even walk out if you want to”. After our holiday, I belong to the “trip of our lives” faction.

Kettuvallams are huge, slow moving, exotic barges designed for sheer leisure trips. Formerly, used to ship rice and spices, a standard boat, can be 100ft long, & hold upto 30 tons. Made of 100’s of fine heavy-duty planks of jack-wood & held together by coir knots (not a single nail is used) this framework is then coated with a caustic black resin extracted from boiled cashew kernels and lasts for generations.

Houseboats are re-worked Kettuvallams, having all modern amenities like western style bathrooms, well equipped kitchens, sun decks and even AC’s in some cases.

So informed, we arrived at Allepy (Venice of the East) where we were introduced to our hosts - 2 boatmen & a cook. Welcomed with fresh coconut water & fruits, we set sail on a blissful journey. We passed through amazing networks of canals, paddy fields, swaying coconut palms, river front houses, coir laden boats & unending shades of green.

We passed through Kuttanad, one of few places in the World where Paddy is grown below sea level, Charava Bhavan – spiritual resort and Vembanad Lake – largest lake in Asia.

The Boat was anchored at noon, overlooking verdant fields. The cook served us a sumptuous lunch with 2 vegetables, sambhar and fish. For dinner, fish was substituted with chicken and for breakfast it was Idiappams with Egg Curry, all prepared onboard. We were told, guests often volunteered to prepare dinner themselves, but we preferred watching him deftly prepare Malyali delicacies.

Boats have to anchor from 7PM to 6AM so locals can cast their fishing nets. We settled down to watch the brilliant hues of sunset, relaxing to gentle lapping of water at the sides, chirping of birds, droning of insects and tantalizing smells wafting from the kitchen. We lit lanterns when darkness fell, rather than use electric lights (solar powered). It gave us the feeling of being the only inhabitants of the planet. The little girl with us, delighted in feeding grains of rice to the fish that swam so close we could have caught them with our bare hands.

In a novel holiday experience, we slept by 9:30 PM and woke at 6:00. Totally relaxed and refreshed, we watched the sun rise over the water. When it started raining on the Lake, the droplets hitting the water surface erupted into little diamonds and we had to agree that Kerala is indeed “God’s Own Country.”

Fact File :
Travel :
Allepy is 2 hours drive from Cochin.
Cruises also originate from Kottayam, Kumarakom, Quilon, Trivandrum, Mallapuram, & Kasargod. It really doesn’t matter where you start or end your cruise from, it’s the unending beauty of the backwaters.
You can spend anywhere from 6 hours to 15 days on a houseboat. Season - October-March
Off Season - April - September

Must Not Miss :
Sunrise and Sunset on the Lake
Bay Island Driftwood museum if alighting at Kumarakom.
Definitely carry Mosquito Repellant for the evenings.

Costs :
Start from 5000 onwards for a single bedroom boat and 6000 onwards for a double bedroom boat per day (approx 22 hours) during off-season. Costs jump by about 2000 during season. Each bedroom has its individual attached bath. Costs include accomodation, welcome drink, 3 meals, tea/coffee. You can either carry your own soft drinks & water and chill it on board or purchase from the chef on board.

Whom to Contact :
For general information - http://www.houseboatskerala.net/ There are more than a 100 houseboats at each location. You can negotiate a good deal at each location if its off-season (monsoons), but if you want to book ahead, you can contact any of the following operators.

Pulickattil Houseboats http://www.pulickattilbackwaters.com/houseboat.htm
Deshadan Operators http://www.deshadan.com/
Soma House Boats http://www.somahouseboats.com/
Marvel Tours http://www.marvelcruise.com/yourcruise.htm
www.keralatraveldesk.com

2004-10-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

Jew Town in Kochi.

2004-10-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

Misty Mountains of Iddukki

2004-10-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

Thekkady. Dont miss the reflection in the placid lake

2004-10-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

Thekkady, Early morning boat ride

2004-10-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

Sunset on backwaters

2004-10-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

Backwaters

2004-10-08T17:34:00.001-07:00

Backwaters

2004-10-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

Life on the waterways

2004-10-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

When the rain started to fall............

2004-10-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Heroine on the Houseboat

2004-10-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

St Andrews Church, Cochin. First Protestant Church in India

2004-10-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

Chinese Fishing Nets

2004-10-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

Chinese Fishing Nets in Fort Cochin

2004-10-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

One of the beautiful sunsets

2004-10-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Kettuvallom of Taj Malabar, Cochin

2004-10-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

Kathakali performance in Fort Cochin

2004-10-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Me n Vaarya at Houseboat in Allepy

2004-10-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

Houseboat in Allepy

Mumbai, India. Mocha backpacker meeting-THE BIG ONE

2004-10-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hey travel bugs,

Our next Mocha Backpacker meeting will be held on the 31st of October and we do hope you have marked that day on your calendar, as otherwise you shall miss one hell of a meeting, especially so, for travelers like us.

Let us put it this way! What is the one thing in the world we never leave home without and it is our ‘bible’….the Lonely Planet.!! And one step better we have the person who actually started it all, the person thanks to whom we have the world literally in our hands, the person who seems to know our country (among many others) better than the natives of that particular place...... TONY WHEELER the co - founder of Lonely Planet.

TONY WHEELER is going to be hanging out with the Mocha Backpackers for an enthralling two hours telling us how the Lonely Planet saga unfolded.

The meeting will be held between 12 to 2p.m at MOCHA CHURCHGATE, and due to the limited capacity we would appreciate you letting us know as soon as possible if you will attend this mother of all meetings for a true traveler.

Awaiting your replies so that we can get the show on the road. please feel free tp call me on 9820027727 should you have any queries.

With regards,

Suchna , yogi and the mocha backpacker team
www.thebackpackerco.com

p.s. a brief on Tony Wheeler is given below:-

Tony Wheeler
When Bill Gates visited Australia, he requested to see two people: the Prime Minister and Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet Publications. Tony wrote his first guidebook Across Asia on the Cheap in 1972 and since then he has written & contributed to over 20 Lonely Planet guides.

Lonely Planet was founded after this first trip and is now one of the world's most successful independent travel publishers, with staff of over 500 and offices in Australia, the USA, UK and France. Lonely Planet now publishes over 650 guides, has over 150 authors, and a three million hits per day Web site. Lonely Planet Australia is the best selling guidebook in Britain.

"When we produced our first guide 28 years ago, we were writing for the way we were travelling. We had no idea how independent travel would grow and what a huge part of the global economy tourism would become." said Tony Wheeler, when accepting the 'Outstanding Contribution to Travel Journalism' award at the Travelex Travel Writer's Awards for 2000. Tony Wheeler has also been awarded The British Guild of Travel Writer's Life-time Achievement Award 2002 and described by The New York Times as 'the most influential man in travel'.

Pudding Club at the Three Ways House hotel. Mickleton, Britain

2004-10-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

Tucked away in picturesque Cotswolds, the small town of Mickleton has worked like a sweet magnet as Britain’s pudding capital for 20 years. Set within the classic England of yesteryears, with rustic limestone buildings, stone villages and winding roads, Cotswolds has been scarcely altered since it was the centre of wool trade in the 14th and 15th centuries. It is this sense of preserving tradition that gave birth to the Pudding Club at the Three Ways House hotel.

From the very basic bread and butter concoction to the somewhat controversial Spotted Dick, the club was an outburst against the slow death of a dessert synonymous with all things English. Something that started off with a small group of pudding fanatics has now grown into a club that boasts of 600 full-time members and thousands of visitors from all over the world. The monthly meetings are heaven for anyone with a sweet tooth with its eat-as-much-as-you-can pudding spreads and occasional recipe swaps.

“It all started in 1985, during the days of a nouvelle cuisine raid on Britain when almost everything was factory-cooked and available in tiny portions. People from the village would gather at the hotel and often complain about the limp, frozen desserts served at the end of a great English meal.

“Instead of moaning about not being able to find the kind of pudding mum made, it was decided that one evening in the month would centre around just traditional puddings and that is where it all began,” recalls Peter Henderson, the chairman of the Pudding Club. From an informal fun evening, the club meetings became more and more regular over the years. The Three Ways House hotel itself has transformed into a pudding paradise with some of its 48 rooms being designed on pudding themes to provide a complete pudding package for visitors.

The club is open to anyone and everyone who loves the traditional English dessert and not just for members, who join by paying an annual fee of £23 and become pudding pals for life with a free pudding in the mail, newsletters and regular discounts. Besides the monthly meetings, the club hosts a Sunday buffet which is most popular with tourists.

It is impossible to mail a pudding overseas so they are compensated with other souvenirs. But basically anyone is welcome to come and join the food fun. We skip the appetiser and start off the evening with the main course followed up by seven traditional types of pudding for every member. It is not easy to get through them all but our record stands at 19 portions of puddings,” says Henderson, who took over the business along with partner Jill Coombe in 1995. He admits to being quite a foodie and loves the part where he has to “help eat the puddings.”

Mark Rowlandson is the head chef who is now an expert in the art of pudding-making. He gives lessons occasionally revealing, from his little red book, recipes passed down from generation to generation. The Sticky Toffee and Syrup Sponge seem to be all-time favourites. He laughs off the huge uproar over the renaming of Spotted Dick as Spotted Richard in some regions.

“We still call it Spotted Dick and it is among the traditional favourites at the Pudding Club. It is a great fun place to be on pudding nights and does get tedious at times but the excitement in the room makes up for it all,” says Rowlandson, who also has summer and winter Pudding Club books to hand out to the baking enthusiasts among the members.

Set in the heart of a region classified as “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” by the British government and in between the little town of Mickleton and Chipping Camden, home to Cotswolds’ famous old Wool Market, and close to Shakespeare’s birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon, the Pudding Club revels in its reputation as temptation island.
“To be able to relish the English pud just as our grandfathers did is truly remarkable. And to think we would have lost this great treat to the new fitness fad and love for all things factory-made. “Our club saved it all from dying away,” says Henderson, whose very own favourite is the Jam Roly Poly

Mangalore - What 2 do ? Where 2 Eat ?

2004-09-30T05:09:00.000-07:00

When a couple of friends decided to visit Mangalore, since Im not around, they ask, where do we get to eat ? what should I see?

Mangalore is a seaside town on the Konkan Coast. It is equally famous for its "Mangalore tiles" and Cashewnuts. Coffee and Pepper come in from nearby estates in coorg and Hassan. Mangalore Port handles a lot of cargo daily. The Mangalore refineries (MRPL)& Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilisers (MCF) have put Mangalore on the Industrial map. At last count, South Canara (of which Mangalore forms a major part) had more colleges than the entire USA. The Manipal Group is famous for its hospitals and forays into education and medicine.

Mangalore used to have pristine beaches until the advent of the ship breaking yard a couple of years ago. The beach attached to the Karnataka Regional Engineering College (KREC) at Suratkal (20 mins drive from mangalore) is one of the cleanest beaches around.

Thanneer bhavi near the port is one of the most easily accessible beaches from the town.

U can visit St Marys island near Malpe on a day trip (or half a day) Its just an island with the stones and mud having formed hexagons in the heat (I don’t know if u can understand what I mean by that) with nothing else on the island, so carry food and water.

In Mangalore :
Mangalore is a very small town. But definitely visit the St aloysius chapel on Light house hill. Its painted like the sistine chapel with frescoes on the walls n ceilings. Even if the main door isnt open the side door will be. ask any of the students who will b hanging around if u r around on a week day.

The managaldevi * Kadri temples with their silver doors are also worth visits.

Regarding where to eat....
Well I cant offer my mom's hospitality to each and everyone of the friends who ask for info on Mangalore. so I suggest the next best thing to home cooked food..... Restaurants that serve home styled cooking.

Best places to eat : Madhuvan's "village" on the road to the airport has these shacks (not 2 b confused with goan shacks which are actually on the beach) and serves amazing sea food. ask for the fresh catch of the day and check prices of the fresh stuff before ordering ((they dont put seasonal fish on the menu and u may b suprised when u c yr bill, they may charge u extra as they will recognise u as a non local unless u speak to them in konkani or tulu, which i presume u wont b able to but as long as u check before ordering u will be fine)

Mangala near Retreat House serves excellent fish curry meals and sea food and manglorean dishes at extremely reasonable rates. In the evenings they also dish out south indian style kebabs. He used to be slightly seedy but has gone in for a lot of renovation. We too pick up fish curries from here when mom doesnt have the time to cook. Pork is good too (not too sure if u eat pig meat, other than mangloreans n goans, not too many people do)

Theres a little kirana shop in the same complex as Jimmys supermarket who sells chilled coconut water/ chilled watermelon juice for 9 bucks a beer mug. Excellent on a hot afternoon and even better with a shot of bacardi white. the guy next door is trying to pile on to the originals business but go to the shop in the jimmys supermarket complex, he's on the left side before u enter.

Mausam near Don Bosco hall is also good for sea food, here definitely have the mussels masala fry. Royal darbar at 'bendore well' for biryani and muslim style cooking. There r a couple of places at thokkotu which r open air, individual shacks, good for sea food, but slightly out of the city. (do remeber city is very small)

Rooster on the YMCA road is good for parcelling Bunt style cooking. Chicken kori kachpu (with coconut - a dry dish) kori rotti and chicken curry. Ask them to add extra coconut milk in your dish, if u cant have very spicy food.

Woodlands is a drive-in thats ideal for breakfast or tea. Have dosas, idlis, goli bajje (mangalore speciality) They do offer meals of the strict brahmin vegetarian variety. The taj mahal cafes around the city are good. Try biscuit rotti (manglorean kachori) if u would like.

If chinese is what ur craving for, go to Hao ming or hao hao.

You have to have ice cream sundaes at either "ideals" or "pabbas". Simply amazing !!!!!

The 5 stars in Mangalore are the "taj Manjarun" and "Moti Mahal" (may b 4 star). Lots of new places have come up too and theres choice for every budget.

Have a good holiday.

Konkan Coast

2004-09-30T05:01:00.000-07:00

Recently Ive had a couple of friends wanting to visit Mangalore some from as far away as Switzerland who plan to do the Konkan coast.

Below is a series of disjointed thoughts, partly in question answer form or no answer following. so ignore the non-existent flow. This here is written for the sole purpose of telling people. "Look up my blog!"

http://www.goamit.com/coastalkarnataka.html
Gives an itinerary of coastal Karnataka. Ask them to mail u complete details.

2) tree top accommodation near Bekal. Did you mean The Green Magic Nature Resort near Vythiri? If yes, do you know any similar tree house acc. somewhere between Mumbai and Cochin?, as the costs of the one in Vythiri is a bit above our budget, although I'd love to stay in this place. If there is no alternative we may anyway stay there.

http://www.bekal.com/

These people offer some accomodation at Bekal. I don’t have their website, u will need to write to them and find out. bekalcruise@hotmail.com
bekalcruise@rediffmail.com
94470 10455
+91 4994 220 445 / 435 / 049
Near Bekal Fort.

We intend to travel as I mention before from Mumbai till Cochin, or if the time does not allow it (we have only 4 weeks), we will go back to Mumbai or Delhi from a town north of Cochin.
>I just visited Cochin. Other than the Fort Cochin area that can be
covered in a day, theres nothing much to c or do in the city. Its
beaches arent the type where u can laze on them for the most part. Also its an industrialised city so not really ideal for a lazy holiday. But when u go to Fort cochin to see the nets. Definitely visit Kashi art café for some excellent cakes and try the freshly caught and fried fish at the shacks around the nets if your stomach is willing.

As we dont have plenty of time, we would like to travel somehow mid-range in meaning of budget. Maybe some stretches with bus/train but also car with driver. We are not going to Goa, but having read and heard about Ganpatipule is a nice beach spot as well as north (as you mentioned) and south (Ullal beach) of Mangalore. Gokarna seems to me allready a traveller hangout with its good but maybe already also bad sides. More inland we are curious about Hampi and Mysore. Maybe you have us some tips/infos on similar typ of spots?

India on Three wheels: rickshaw pilgrimage

2004-09-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

Was reading this story the other day and found it very up;ifting. I have reproduced the author/travellers account on a general message board here below, with a link to his web site if u would like further details

India On Three Wheels.
An auto rickshaw pilgrimage to the heart of India
It had just topped 45 °C, the sun was blazing high above us in a clearblue sky and a hot wind was blowing across the cracked dry plain dryingout my eyeballs so I could barely see the potholes in the road as Idrove. My kidneys felt bruised from the constant pounding of therickshaw and my back, as well as the rest of my body were aching nearlyas much. We were somewhere out in the middle of the desolate UttarPradesh countryside nearly out of gas, with only a liter of waterbetween us and we had not seen a village, mud hut or another individualfor miles. It was times like those that I wondered how I had gottenmyself involved in such an adventure.
Ever since leaving India our first time there my two brothers and I hadpromised each other that one day we would return to the county and dosomething special. As time wore on however, and we began to go ourseparate ways we collectively felt our promise slipping away. Then camethe inspiration we were waiting for. It was sudden and was provoked bynothing more than daydreaming but it was just what we had been waitingfor.
We chose the auto rickshaw because it's the workhorse of the nation, thevehicle that every man, woman and child in India can relate to. We knewits wheels were closer to the ground then the wheels of a bus or therims of a railcar, and it would allow us to easily stop anywhere atanytime. Without doors, shocks, trunk, or any great engine power therickshaw provided the most basic and oddly funky, yet horrendouslyuncomfortable form of transportation possible. And after a personalizedpaint job and solid name, 'Kopidwag,' the great warrior Arjuna's chariotdriven by Lord Shiva in the Indian epic the Bhagavad Gita, our oddballcrew would become the sideshow of the nation.
Kipling once said, 'You don't take the Grand Trunk Road, it takes you.'That is exactly what happened when my two brothers and began to do whathad never been done before, self-drive an auto rickshaw border to borderacross the entire historic Grand Trunk Road of India.
I will say again that the journey had never been done before, but simplybecause it was a stupid one. The trip would be incredibly uncomfortable,time consuming, difficult and above all suicidal. Indian roads arelawless. They are a scary limbo of bad roads, few rules, and worn outvehicles. To drive across India in a big, sturdy vehicle is dangerousenough; to drive across India in a dinky is ridiculous. This explainswhy when we landed in the Bengali capitol of Kolkatta we were receivedwith skepticism, disbelief and awe.
Kolkatta, formerly Calcutta and the world's stronghold of the dying anddestitute, is now a somewhat revitalized city of friendly, welcomingIndians. We landed in March, summer was quickly approaching and the heatand humidity were already becoming uncomfortable; over the course of thetrip heat was to become one of our worst nemesis making us constantlyregret our choice in timing. The weather and the startling humancondition of the country immediately made us second-guess our entireidea. The snarling traffic, choking pollution, beggars, street kids,disease, noise and filth were shocking. Though somehow, somewhere underall the struggle and pain we could feel a sense hope and strength andcheerfulness radiating from all the confusion. We realized from thebeginning that India was still a very rare and special place.
The first month we never even got near the road. It was miles of redtape, mountains of paperwork and endless hassles in the crowded hallwaysand busy offices of the West Bengal government buildings. Rickshaws arecommercial vehicles. They are short haul taxis and mini-uhauls onlyregistered to certain specific areas. Getting permission to buy one anddrive it across the country was a slow, frustrating process. Still,Indians themselves love saying, 'Why not?' and 'In India anything ispossible!' so with our wild idea and our unbending belief in our missionwe soon found the Indians willing to do anything to help us reach ourgoal.
After a month of beauracratic run-around and a million 'why's' and'how's' and 'surely not's!' we eventually obtained the final piece ofspecial permission we needed from the transport minister, and purchasedour rickshaw. On April 1st, 'Fool's Day,' after an anxious sleep and anexciting press conference full of disbelieving reporters we set out from'Mile 0' of the Grand Trunk Road in Kolkatta. Our long struggle towardsthe Pakistan Border on the opposite end of the country had begun. TheGrand Trunk Road, a vestige of the old silk road commissioned by theMoghal King Sher Shah Suri, and it's winding, rugged path across sevenstates of northern India; West Bengal, Bihar, Jarkhand, Uttar Pradesh,Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab, had become a reality.
With thousands of miles to cross, the world's largest democraticelection starting up, and Indian summer just around the corner, we hadadditional obstacles to worry about other than language problems,cultural differences, bandits, disease, poverty, and catatonic roadsfull of suicidal drivers. Over the course of the trip we would learnmuch about patience and self-belief. In a country where westernpriorities loose shape and money and possessions take on a new meaning,where time takes on another form and ideas and emotions sprout likeflowers in a monsoon rain my brothers and I were to be changed forever.
That first day and those initial few miles on the road will stick in mymind forever. I had just read Kipling's book Kim and had a very romanticimage of the Grand Trunk Road; a wide, tree lined thorough-fare full ofhappy locals and meandering traffic, with green fields stretching off toboth sides. These images however, were quickly obliterated from my mindthat first morning. Pinned onto a narrow road by two encroaching rows ofshops the 'highway' was a thin potholed strip of tarmac crammed with allmeans of traffic, humans and animals, everyone weaving and fightingtheir way forward. Fear was the most predominant emotion I felt thatfirst day, fear and disbelief. My brothers and I banded together thoughstruggling for our own bit of space in the ensuing madness and steeredour rickshaw bravely forward.
My brother Chris put it best that first day when he said, 'This trip isgoing to be like eating an Indian curry. We have no idea what will comeout the other end.'
As we became familiar with how to drive the rickshaw and the chaos ofthe roads, the trip quickly got better. The people proved to be aconstant pleasure throughout the trip, changing looks, language andcustoms as we made our way across the country but never changing inhospitality, curiosity or courtesy.
Everywhere along the trip we faced constant discomfort, chaos and beautyin varying degrees wherever we found ourselves. At times the crowdsaround the rickshaw were so thick that it became almost scary,illiterate locals jostling for a look at the three foreigners in apainted rickshaw. We ran out of gas and slept on string beds at roadsidetruck stops where we were plagued by mosquitoes. We dealt with shiftypolice and dodgy shop-keepers, got bouts of wretched diarrhea,sunstroke, heat rash, exhaustion, homesickness, and were scared out ofour wits end by all the near misses we had on the road. Caravans ofspeeding trucks and reckless buses roared past our little rickshawmaking us feel helpless, like a mouse amongst lions. It only reconfirmedthe adage of Indian roads though, where 'might is right' and whererupees rule the road. In a land of a billion plus people we found thatthe curious mobs were going to become an enduring test of patience. Fromtheir viewpoint though, three white guys in a rickshaw, I'd stare too.Yet through all of the crowds, discomfort, and fear the country and thekindness of it's people continued to shine through radiantly.
What started out as a rollicking journey across an extraordinary countryquickly turned into an astonishing religious pilgrimage into six of theworld's greatest faiths. Be it Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain orChristian, with religion being the root of all things to all people inIndia we quickly found ourselves staring into the face of thousands ofyears of history, belief, ritual and energy, and realized that greatfaith and life are synonymous in India, one of the world's mostenigmatic developing countries.
'I don't know what will happen but I know by the end of the trip thatIndia will change me forever.' I said it and I meant it, and in the endit came true. India is reality, the good, the bad and the ugly of life.Pity her, fear her, love her India is a wonder, relentless as themessages handed down over 5000 years in the holy Mahabarata. She issweet as a Kerela mango and bitter as Bengali chutney. Like the courseof war or pregnancy or a great illness India on 3 Wheels was the kind ofwild experience that helps shape a man's character. It reinforced thevalues I already believed in, bestowed new ones, and gave me an insightinto the reality of the world before me, around me and after me. Formore than a millennium wanderers, seers, pilgrims, and kings havetraversed India in search of answers. Most of them came away mystifiedand enlightened by her beauty and power, and when we finally reached thePakistan border after four months, 5000 kilometers and a spot in theIndian Book of Records, so had we.
Note: If u read this far, this piece is written by Jeff Eagar, one ofthe 3 brothers. Find out more on http://www.eagarbros.com Hope this inspires you.

Genting Highlands, Published in Deccan Chronicle, Sunday Chronicle on 15 Aug 2004

2004-08-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

After a whirlwind tour of the Petronas towers, KL tower, Kings palace and a lot of other trekking up and down to see the sites of Kuala Lampur, we decided it was time for some ‘Rest and Recreation. Genting Highlands was the perfect answer to our needs.

An hours drive from Kuala Lampur, it’s a popular weekend destination for the locals too and this is always a good sign. With 2 amusement parks, the world class ‘Casino De Genting’, the ‘Awana Golf and Country Resort’ and numerous hotels to suit every budget, there’s something here for everyone.

The approach into Genting, is via the Skyway cable car from Gohtong Jaya, the longest cable system in SE Asia and the fastest in the world. This 15 min ride covering 4 km, ferries 2000 passengers an hour. It gave us a panoramic view of the green valley below and our first sight of the highlands riddled with hotels and interspersed with roller coasters.

After checking into our rooms, we rushed to the amusement park, a haven for adventure seekers. There are rides to suit every level of risk takers. Our favorites were the Corkscrew which turns you upside down and the coaster which drops you into a water pool at its trough and takes you up again. There are also the more sedate rides for the risk averse.

After the exhilaration of these rides, we wound down at the indoor park which has video games, a space simulator and a 3D dome theatre among others. We purchased memorabilia from the souvenir shops here.

For night entertainment we could choose between the international dinner shows, the disco and the casino. Consensus moved us to the casino where we tried our hand at all the games including blackjack and baccarat. We were lucky enough to leave with more money than we entered with.

The next day we wandered around the ‘Malaysia First World hotel and plaza’ whose lobby is larger than a football field. Someone recommended the horse riding school, but being addicted to the roller coasters, we headed back to the amusement park.

The whole highlands are a maze of escalators and hotels, so it’s quite interesting just to walk around. You never know what you may chance upon: Sweet shops, chairs that massage you, pirates, jugglers or clowns.

There are a lot of Indians living in Malaysia, so don’t be surprised to hear the locals break into Tamil, Telugu or Hindi. Indian food is easily available and the local food tastes familiar. This combines to make Malaysia a good place to take a break.

Fact File :
Travel :
Genting Highlands is 50km away from Kuala Lumpur and can be reached in an hour by road. There are frequent buses that leave every hour from the Puduraya Bus Station. Genting also offers limousines, coaches and helicopter services for charter.

Weather :
At 2,000 meters above sea level, it’s quite cool in the evenings, so do carry a shawl or sweatshirt. Casino entry requires more formal attire than jeans and tees. Take appropriate clothing, unless you want to pay a bomb for a batik shirts.

Must Not Miss :
The Skyway Cable Ride from Gohtong Jaya to the highlands.
The corkscrew ride at the theme park.
The Casino. (Muslims are forbidden from entering, so are children below 18)

Published in Deccan Chronicle, Sunday Chronicle on 15 Aug 2004