29th June
We were intending to bypass Islamabad and start up the Karakoram Highway but the flooding down south meant we had to make enquiries regarding alternative routes. The Tourist Board were very good and phoned Quetta to get an update. The prognosis was not good. The road that is safe for foreigners has been washed away and bridges damaged. The China option is still there but the consensus is that the roads should be okay by the time we reached the area. We will keep in touch with the Quetta PTDC for updates.
Islamabad has a camping ground. The weather has cooled down due to the rain and tonight will be our first night sleeping in the van. We are both looking forward to it. There's 3 other vans in the park, a French, & 2 German plus some motor bikes with Spanish & German riders. It's just like old times swapping info on where we will be going and where they intend travelling to. Picking up the places to stay and where to avoid. Usually the evenings are spent having a chat over a bottle of wine but as this is a dry country we will have to forgo that pleasure. There's an army contingent to guard us here, I wish they would spend more time cleaning the messy kitchen and toilets than spending the day praying and lolling about.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Jhellum, Pakistan
28th June
The India/Pakistan border opens at 10am and we were there not long after that time. Having the vehicle we expected a long delay at both sides. However the Indian side was more involved with the camping details of the van than looking for anything while the bloke on the Paki side was efficient and dealt with the van very quickly. We were driving down the Great Trunk road heading for Lahore 1¾ hours after pulling up at the Indian immigration.
Lahore came as quite a shock. The traffic fumes, mainly from the auto rickshaws, were terrible with a pall of smog over lying the city. We decided to give it a miss and head north towards Islamabad.
It came as a very pleasant surprise to find once again a country that had a few road rules; that indicated before they pulled out to pass, that trucks kept to the left lane unless passing, that drivers looked before pulling out into the traffic, that breakdowns pulled off the road instead of just stopping in the middle of the road, there were no ox carts in the fast lane, that there was a better chance that traffic all flowed the same way where there were dual lanes. We had been told that the Paki drivers would be the worst but at this point haven't found that to be the case. We will see what the next few days bring
Our first hiccup on the trip became apparent when we turned on the tv in the room we are staying to hear of bad floods in Baluchistan, around the Quetta area where we need to go through to get to Iran. It looks bad with bridges washed away and roads destroyed. It's a couple of weeks before we were to be in that area but I doubt things will be repaired completely by then. We will have to find out more at Islamabad tomorrow. And may have to go via China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to get to Iran. That will mean more visas and holdups.
The India/Pakistan border opens at 10am and we were there not long after that time. Having the vehicle we expected a long delay at both sides. However the Indian side was more involved with the camping details of the van than looking for anything while the bloke on the Paki side was efficient and dealt with the van very quickly. We were driving down the Great Trunk road heading for Lahore 1¾ hours after pulling up at the Indian immigration.
Lahore came as quite a shock. The traffic fumes, mainly from the auto rickshaws, were terrible with a pall of smog over lying the city. We decided to give it a miss and head north towards Islamabad.
It came as a very pleasant surprise to find once again a country that had a few road rules; that indicated before they pulled out to pass, that trucks kept to the left lane unless passing, that drivers looked before pulling out into the traffic, that breakdowns pulled off the road instead of just stopping in the middle of the road, there were no ox carts in the fast lane, that there was a better chance that traffic all flowed the same way where there were dual lanes. We had been told that the Paki drivers would be the worst but at this point haven't found that to be the case. We will see what the next few days bring
Our first hiccup on the trip became apparent when we turned on the tv in the room we are staying to hear of bad floods in Baluchistan, around the Quetta area where we need to go through to get to Iran. It looks bad with bridges washed away and roads destroyed. It's a couple of weeks before we were to be in that area but I doubt things will be repaired completely by then. We will have to find out more at Islamabad tomorrow. And may have to go via China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to get to Iran. That will mean more visas and holdups.
Golden Temple & Food
27th June
Travelled 570kms from Jaisalmer on a very good army necessitated road yesterday and today will head to Amritsar and the Golden Temple. I didn't realize the Thar desert was as big. The whole day we travelled through dry arid country populated by camels, outposts and military bases. Suddenly, approaching Punjab State, irrigation starts and the desert is growing corn, millett and other crops. The Punjab is the bread basket of India and it is a pleasant change driving past irrigated greenery with trees lining the road including the ubiquitous eucalypts. They seem to be all over the world.
Maybe a good time to mention the food here in India now that we are almost leaving the country and have suffered no ill effects apart from Joan's 12 hour bout earlier in the month. We have had some delicious meals since we have been here, haven't really become tired of the curries etc as we have our own food in the van for a change and the restaurants seem to have a bigger variety of food than our last trip 6 years ago and definitely more than 31 years ago. The hygiene standards are better and filtered water as well as bottled water means less gut problems. Ordering in a restaurant often means choosing from 30-40 items often it's a case of experimenting which usually has an agreeable result. We met two English girls who had come from Australia, they had been in India for 2weeks and were still living off the food they had brought from Australia, the were too afraid to eat the local gear. We were tucking in to some samosas as they told us. What a shame to miss out on such an integral part of a country.
We've had a couple of glasses of Indian wine but haven't bothered most of the time, the most popular brand of Beer, Kingfisher', contains glycerol and tastes like shit. I have tried the odd other brand but with 8%+ alcohol they pack quite a knockout. Fortunately Fosters is brewed under licence here and has quite a foothold. At 5% they class it as a light beer. Joan finishes off her gin tonight as Pakistan and Iran are dry countries and I think I'll be having my last Fosters as well.
Tomorrow we cross into Pakistan. As the sun was setting we visited the Golden Temple her in Amritsar. The holiest of holies for the Sikh Religion. We remembered visiting it 31 years ago, it's still a very peaceful place and an amazing building. It was a pleasant break from the mayhem outside.
Next blog from Pakistan.
Travelled 570kms from Jaisalmer on a very good army necessitated road yesterday and today will head to Amritsar and the Golden Temple. I didn't realize the Thar desert was as big. The whole day we travelled through dry arid country populated by camels, outposts and military bases. Suddenly, approaching Punjab State, irrigation starts and the desert is growing corn, millett and other crops. The Punjab is the bread basket of India and it is a pleasant change driving past irrigated greenery with trees lining the road including the ubiquitous eucalypts. They seem to be all over the world.
Maybe a good time to mention the food here in India now that we are almost leaving the country and have suffered no ill effects apart from Joan's 12 hour bout earlier in the month. We have had some delicious meals since we have been here, haven't really become tired of the curries etc as we have our own food in the van for a change and the restaurants seem to have a bigger variety of food than our last trip 6 years ago and definitely more than 31 years ago. The hygiene standards are better and filtered water as well as bottled water means less gut problems. Ordering in a restaurant often means choosing from 30-40 items often it's a case of experimenting which usually has an agreeable result. We met two English girls who had come from Australia, they had been in India for 2weeks and were still living off the food they had brought from Australia, the were too afraid to eat the local gear. We were tucking in to some samosas as they told us. What a shame to miss out on such an integral part of a country.
We've had a couple of glasses of Indian wine but haven't bothered most of the time, the most popular brand of Beer, Kingfisher', contains glycerol and tastes like shit. I have tried the odd other brand but with 8%+ alcohol they pack quite a knockout. Fortunately Fosters is brewed under licence here and has quite a foothold. At 5% they class it as a light beer. Joan finishes off her gin tonight as Pakistan and Iran are dry countries and I think I'll be having my last Fosters as well.
Tomorrow we cross into Pakistan. As the sun was setting we visited the Golden Temple her in Amritsar. The holiest of holies for the Sikh Religion. We remembered visiting it 31 years ago, it's still a very peaceful place and an amazing building. It was a pleasant break from the mayhem outside.
Next blog from Pakistan.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Jaisalmer. Rajasthan
25th June
Another frustrating time trying to get ot of a city. This time it was Jodhpur which took us well over an hour and when we did hit the main road it was after cutting cross country over some dicey roads and up a steep incline. I mention this because it was interesting to see how the camel driver's braking system had been devised to slow them down. They were bringing cart loads of sandstone slabs down this steep hill, to stop it getting away on the camel they dragged behind them a further 2-3 pieces of rock on an old tyre thus slowing their momentum.
It was a good road the 280kms to Jaisalmer and it didn't take much to work out why the roads were of such a high standard in this part of the country: the Pakistan border is nearby and as the two countries are not the best of neighbours the road infrastructure has to be good to get the forces to the front in a hurry. Jodhpur had a very large military and air force base which we inadvertently drove through trying to find a palace. Not the place to take photos. Actually, looking at a road map of India/Pakistan it shows a major road system with 100kms of the border the whole length of their respective borders from the Rann of Kutch near the Arabian Sea, right up to Kashmir.
The road went through the Thar Desert for most of the trip. A strong wind was blowing causing windblown sand to cut visibility considerably. There were large sand dunes with scrubby trees growing on them but most of the time the land was flat with the occasional village or hamlet breaking the sameness. Camels almost outnumbered cars on the road and we saw a few small antelope as we drove. Quite an intriguing journey actually.
Later
Spent the day visiting the Maharaja's Palace in the fort complex and an old haveli built by a very rich Jain family a couple of hundred years ago. Jaisalmer was on the main caravan route between the Middle East and Asia for centuries up until the time Bombay Harbour was built and then partition in 1947 sealed its fate. With tension between India & Pakistan increasing in the last 30 odd years it has once more become an important base for the military. The fort is massive with 99 bastions on the outer wall alone.
Interesting to see the hundreds of wind turbines on the horizon to the west of Jaisalmer, Howard carries on about the third world coming to grips with global warning before he will do anything yet many of the hotels we have stayed has rows of solar panels on their roof, 59 at one of the places, energy efficient lights are used everywhere, these wind turbines at Jaisalmer would dwarf the total number in Australia and that is only one group.
The internet here suffers from the wind blown sand, we hope we can send this off tomorrow. We are heading north fairly quickly starting tomorrow and hope to cross into Pakistan in a couple of days.
Another frustrating time trying to get ot of a city. This time it was Jodhpur which took us well over an hour and when we did hit the main road it was after cutting cross country over some dicey roads and up a steep incline. I mention this because it was interesting to see how the camel driver's braking system had been devised to slow them down. They were bringing cart loads of sandstone slabs down this steep hill, to stop it getting away on the camel they dragged behind them a further 2-3 pieces of rock on an old tyre thus slowing their momentum.
It was a good road the 280kms to Jaisalmer and it didn't take much to work out why the roads were of such a high standard in this part of the country: the Pakistan border is nearby and as the two countries are not the best of neighbours the road infrastructure has to be good to get the forces to the front in a hurry. Jodhpur had a very large military and air force base which we inadvertently drove through trying to find a palace. Not the place to take photos. Actually, looking at a road map of India/Pakistan it shows a major road system with 100kms of the border the whole length of their respective borders from the Rann of Kutch near the Arabian Sea, right up to Kashmir.
The road went through the Thar Desert for most of the trip. A strong wind was blowing causing windblown sand to cut visibility considerably. There were large sand dunes with scrubby trees growing on them but most of the time the land was flat with the occasional village or hamlet breaking the sameness. Camels almost outnumbered cars on the road and we saw a few small antelope as we drove. Quite an intriguing journey actually.
Later
Spent the day visiting the Maharaja's Palace in the fort complex and an old haveli built by a very rich Jain family a couple of hundred years ago. Jaisalmer was on the main caravan route between the Middle East and Asia for centuries up until the time Bombay Harbour was built and then partition in 1947 sealed its fate. With tension between India & Pakistan increasing in the last 30 odd years it has once more become an important base for the military. The fort is massive with 99 bastions on the outer wall alone.
Interesting to see the hundreds of wind turbines on the horizon to the west of Jaisalmer, Howard carries on about the third world coming to grips with global warning before he will do anything yet many of the hotels we have stayed has rows of solar panels on their roof, 59 at one of the places, energy efficient lights are used everywhere, these wind turbines at Jaisalmer would dwarf the total number in Australia and that is only one group.
The internet here suffers from the wind blown sand, we hope we can send this off tomorrow. We are heading north fairly quickly starting tomorrow and hope to cross into Pakistan in a couple of days.
Jodhpur & Thoughts on India
Jodhpur
22nd June
Jodhpur is hot! To have a shower of an evening we need to fill a bucket of water from the so called cold tap and let it stand in the A/C room room for a few hours to cool down. Otherwise you would scald yourself. Sightseeing is restricted to the mornings, the afternoon is spent relaxing in our aycee room, as the Indians call air conditioning.
Just to make a point, no, we haven't slept in the van since we started our trip, it has been an impossibility for most of the trip with the heat, the only time it has been cool enough was when Joan was feeling off. However the van has proven invaluable for preparation of non Indian meals whether it's breakfast or lunch. This has given us a break from becoming tired of the local fare and although we love the Indian food eating iddlies and parothas for breakfast becomes a little tedious after a while. The van has travelled on the roads without a problem which cuts back on the time spent at railway stations organising and waiting for trains and also cuts out the need of travelling in some non luxury buses. It has given us the opportunity to visit out of the way places and to vary our route and time structure whenever we chose to.
Our time in India is drawing to a close. After Jaiselmer in the west we will head north fairly quickly and cross into Pakistan about 30th June. Time to let my beard grow and to get the Pakistan & Karakoram Highway LP out and start studying. Sad to leave this place, we always say that India is a country where we could spend 6 months and the trip hasn't changed this. The people are so friendly and helpful to a couple of geriatrics. We have never felt threatened and have to stop ourselves from becoming too lax with security, we just feel that if we were to leave our room or van open nothing would be removed.
There is so much to see that when you look at our route on a map of India it's just a thin line in a vast country. We have visited Delhi, Jaipur and the Taj Mahal on an earlier trip and left it out on purpose but what we have seen is so very memorable. The accommodation we have stayed in is usually excellent and has worked out at an average of under $40 per night.
Maybe it's our attitude that helps make people react the way they do to us. A genuine smile goes such a very long way. But it has to be genuine. It has been mentioned to us by complete strangers whether it's a rickshaw wallah or a bloke in a juice bar just how relaxed we seem to them and how genuine we seem. And that gets them to open up giving you a chance to learn a bit about them and their situation. Motorcyclists leading the way when we have become hopelessly lost in the van. They didn't want or expect money, just to help us out. If I pick someone who can't speak English for directions they find someone who does in an instant. We ended up with 2 key rings as gifts today from the samosa wallah, after spending 60cents on three samosas (see photo), just a spontaneous gift.
It will definitely be hard to leave
22nd June
Jodhpur is hot! To have a shower of an evening we need to fill a bucket of water from the so called cold tap and let it stand in the A/C room room for a few hours to cool down. Otherwise you would scald yourself. Sightseeing is restricted to the mornings, the afternoon is spent relaxing in our aycee room, as the Indians call air conditioning.
Just to make a point, no, we haven't slept in the van since we started our trip, it has been an impossibility for most of the trip with the heat, the only time it has been cool enough was when Joan was feeling off. However the van has proven invaluable for preparation of non Indian meals whether it's breakfast or lunch. This has given us a break from becoming tired of the local fare and although we love the Indian food eating iddlies and parothas for breakfast becomes a little tedious after a while. The van has travelled on the roads without a problem which cuts back on the time spent at railway stations organising and waiting for trains and also cuts out the need of travelling in some non luxury buses. It has given us the opportunity to visit out of the way places and to vary our route and time structure whenever we chose to.
Our time in India is drawing to a close. After Jaiselmer in the west we will head north fairly quickly and cross into Pakistan about 30th June. Time to let my beard grow and to get the Pakistan & Karakoram Highway LP out and start studying. Sad to leave this place, we always say that India is a country where we could spend 6 months and the trip hasn't changed this. The people are so friendly and helpful to a couple of geriatrics. We have never felt threatened and have to stop ourselves from becoming too lax with security, we just feel that if we were to leave our room or van open nothing would be removed.
There is so much to see that when you look at our route on a map of India it's just a thin line in a vast country. We have visited Delhi, Jaipur and the Taj Mahal on an earlier trip and left it out on purpose but what we have seen is so very memorable. The accommodation we have stayed in is usually excellent and has worked out at an average of under $40 per night.
Maybe it's our attitude that helps make people react the way they do to us. A genuine smile goes such a very long way. But it has to be genuine. It has been mentioned to us by complete strangers whether it's a rickshaw wallah or a bloke in a juice bar just how relaxed we seem to them and how genuine we seem. And that gets them to open up giving you a chance to learn a bit about them and their situation. Motorcyclists leading the way when we have become hopelessly lost in the van. They didn't want or expect money, just to help us out. If I pick someone who can't speak English for directions they find someone who does in an instant. We ended up with 2 key rings as gifts today from the samosa wallah, after spending 60cents on three samosas (see photo), just a spontaneous gift.
It will definitely be hard to leave
Friday, June 22, 2007
Pushkar
21st June.We arrived mid afternoon in Pushkar feeling a bit jaded. It was a drive of 320 kms but on what must be one of the best highways in India. Four lanes and quite a good surface. However it had taken is 1½ hours finding our way out of Udaipur which was very frustrating. The signage which can be quite good in the countryside comes to a complete halt once you reach the city's edge. It's a matter of asking, checking the compass, keeping an eye on any deterioration in the road surface which may mean you are on a minor road, and asking again. Pushkar is famous for its Camel Fair that is held later in the year when farmers and tribesmen smarten up their camels and other animals then bring them to Pushkar to buy and sell. It is a conglomeration of colour, dust and smells I believe. Yet it is only a sideline to the main celebration which is the washing away of the Hindu's sins in the sacred lake which is surrounded by the town. There are over 50 ghats on the edge of the lake and to see the masses bathing then lighting candles and setting them afloat must be a spectacular sight. The rains have not reached this area, the lake is low and the large fish in the lake are dying due to lack of oxygen. It's a sad sight but one that happens every year, it appears, before the rains. Pushkar is a very sacred town where alcohol is banned as is non-vegetarian food and even eggs, though I have been offered hash hish as I walk down the main street. There are many hotels here but most are in the budget range and a bit grotty. Those in the mid range that we try to aim for are quite expensive. I think trying to find one that suited put us off a bit and it wasn't until we climbed on to the roof of the hotel and saw just how magical this place was did we appreciate it. It was dusk, the chimes were clanging bringing the people to the temples, the sound of children laughing across the water, the flying foxes were heading off, the surrounding hills were changing colour with the setting sun, the bathing ghats had emptied. Quite moving.Later in Jodhpur.A short drive today across flat semi arid land much of it ploughed waiting for the rains. A very pleasant drive with a good road and few trucks. Rajasthan is off the main north/south routes meaning the traffic is more local. Quite fitting that the owner of the place we are staying is in to polo as that type of pants horse riders where gets its name from this city.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Udaipur. Rajasthan
18th June
At last Rajasthan and time to spend a little longer in a couple of the cities here. Udaipur is quoted in the LP as the most romantic city in the state and the hotel we are in exemplifies that. Scalloped arches everywhere, a balcony overlooking the lake where you see the dobhi wallahs at the washing ghat belting their washing while children shriek as they splash in the water at the swimming ghat next to it. The City Palace is almost opposite while the Lake Palace is just around the corner. Chandeliers made of Belgian Glass hang from the restaurant's ceiling while diners can seat themselves metres from the water where they are cooled off by a gentle breeze and the dripping spray from an air conditioning unit's outlet.
Getting to the hotel was quite a feat as I somehow navigated the van into the old part of the city where the streets became narrower and narrower until even passing a donkey was almost impossible. Meeting a car involved quite intricate manoeuvring. Still no scratches yet. We will spend at least 2 nights here, maybe a third.
19th June
Spent the morning visiting the City Palace, another 'must see' if you are in the area. The hawkers and the pushers are not too bad here at all, actually that as been the case in most of the places we have been to. It is the quiet season at the moment, I think they expect to not be doing that well. Next month the Europeans start arriving for their 6 week break and the Americans for their two. The Antipodeans make it later in the year.
In the following photos the lake is quite prominent, the bloke in the hotel was saying that before 2002 they were having camel and horse rides between our hotel and the washing ghats. That you could drive out to the Lake Palace in a car, the drought was so bad most of the lake had dried up. Hard to imagine that now.
At last Rajasthan and time to spend a little longer in a couple of the cities here. Udaipur is quoted in the LP as the most romantic city in the state and the hotel we are in exemplifies that. Scalloped arches everywhere, a balcony overlooking the lake where you see the dobhi wallahs at the washing ghat belting their washing while children shriek as they splash in the water at the swimming ghat next to it. The City Palace is almost opposite while the Lake Palace is just around the corner. Chandeliers made of Belgian Glass hang from the restaurant's ceiling while diners can seat themselves metres from the water where they are cooled off by a gentle breeze and the dripping spray from an air conditioning unit's outlet.
Getting to the hotel was quite a feat as I somehow navigated the van into the old part of the city where the streets became narrower and narrower until even passing a donkey was almost impossible. Meeting a car involved quite intricate manoeuvring. Still no scratches yet. We will spend at least 2 nights here, maybe a third.
19th June
Spent the morning visiting the City Palace, another 'must see' if you are in the area. The hawkers and the pushers are not too bad here at all, actually that as been the case in most of the places we have been to. It is the quiet season at the moment, I think they expect to not be doing that well. Next month the Europeans start arriving for their 6 week break and the Americans for their two. The Antipodeans make it later in the year.
In the following photos the lake is quite prominent, the bloke in the hotel was saying that before 2002 they were having camel and horse rides between our hotel and the washing ghats. That you could drive out to the Lake Palace in a car, the drought was so bad most of the lake had dried up. Hard to imagine that now.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Thanks
Hi there,
Just a quick post to thank all the people who have emailed or left comments. Will try and reply to the emails etc but in the mean time, just to say we really appreciate the correspondence.
All the best
Gary & Joan
Just a quick post to thank all the people who have emailed or left comments. Will try and reply to the emails etc but in the mean time, just to say we really appreciate the correspondence.
All the best
Gary & Joan
Ajunta Caves & After
14th June.
Difficult to leave the accommodation at Allora Caves as we had a cottages overlooking the caves. The big thing was it was well maintained and very clean. Not so some of the places we have stayed.
The Ajunta Caves were just over 100kms from Allora but built much earlier. These are only Buddhist caves and many are over 2,000 years old. They have less carving but are full of paintings depicting the life and times of Buddha. The artwork of many of them is still striking after all that time. Flash cameras are not permitted inside making it difficult to capture the fine work displayed on the walls. We shared a guide with a couple from Hyderabad we got talking to. I have spoken about the discrepancy between what the Indian nationals pay and foreigners at these sites. The locals pay the equivalent of AU30c while we pay over $8. Still, it lets the locals see part of their history and the $8 to see such places is not excessive.
An Indian Snippet as reported in the latest edition of “India Today”: The Indian Parliament building in Delhi was being invaded by a group of Rhesus Monkeys who stole the food, scattered and tore up important papers and generally caused mayhem. All methods of deterring them proved fruitless until a young bloke offered the services of his Hire-a-Monkey business. His was a different, larger type of animal that scared the living bijeesus out of the Rhesus troublemakers. Did the trick it seems. It could only happen in India.
16th June Ratlam.
Two days of driving with a break this morning to visit the ghost city of Mandu. The driving yesterday was not fun. The road we were on used to be a major route between Delhi & Mumbai but a new dual lane highway has been built further to the west. The surface was patches over patches, the trucks were thick and the driving the worst I think we have seen. We saw 4 accidents including a vehicle going over the side of a high bridge. We did 330kms taking almost 8 hours to cover that distance. I was quite drained at the end of it.
However Mandu was a surprise, we had been told about it at the Ajunta Caves and it was really worth the discomfort. Built on the top of a range of hills its heyday was between the 13th & 15th centuries. Many of the buildings are still in very god shape the most famous of them is the Jahaz Mahal, commonly called the Ship Palace as it looks like a ship's bridge with a lake on either side of it. I believe it used to be the harem. The hotel we stayed overlooked a deep ravine with swirling mist racing up its sides at dusk. It was a haven for the night.
We left Mandu about 11am and travelled to Ratlam where this is being written. A town not in the guide books and, by the antics of the locals, doesn't see many white faces.
Difficult to leave the accommodation at Allora Caves as we had a cottages overlooking the caves. The big thing was it was well maintained and very clean. Not so some of the places we have stayed.
The Ajunta Caves were just over 100kms from Allora but built much earlier. These are only Buddhist caves and many are over 2,000 years old. They have less carving but are full of paintings depicting the life and times of Buddha. The artwork of many of them is still striking after all that time. Flash cameras are not permitted inside making it difficult to capture the fine work displayed on the walls. We shared a guide with a couple from Hyderabad we got talking to. I have spoken about the discrepancy between what the Indian nationals pay and foreigners at these sites. The locals pay the equivalent of AU30c while we pay over $8. Still, it lets the locals see part of their history and the $8 to see such places is not excessive.
An Indian Snippet as reported in the latest edition of “India Today”: The Indian Parliament building in Delhi was being invaded by a group of Rhesus Monkeys who stole the food, scattered and tore up important papers and generally caused mayhem. All methods of deterring them proved fruitless until a young bloke offered the services of his Hire-a-Monkey business. His was a different, larger type of animal that scared the living bijeesus out of the Rhesus troublemakers. Did the trick it seems. It could only happen in India.
16th June Ratlam.
Two days of driving with a break this morning to visit the ghost city of Mandu. The driving yesterday was not fun. The road we were on used to be a major route between Delhi & Mumbai but a new dual lane highway has been built further to the west. The surface was patches over patches, the trucks were thick and the driving the worst I think we have seen. We saw 4 accidents including a vehicle going over the side of a high bridge. We did 330kms taking almost 8 hours to cover that distance. I was quite drained at the end of it.
However Mandu was a surprise, we had been told about it at the Ajunta Caves and it was really worth the discomfort. Built on the top of a range of hills its heyday was between the 13th & 15th centuries. Many of the buildings are still in very god shape the most famous of them is the Jahaz Mahal, commonly called the Ship Palace as it looks like a ship's bridge with a lake on either side of it. I believe it used to be the harem. The hotel we stayed overlooked a deep ravine with swirling mist racing up its sides at dusk. It was a haven for the night.
We left Mandu about 11am and travelled to Ratlam where this is being written. A town not in the guide books and, by the antics of the locals, doesn't see many white faces.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Ellora Caves
13th June.
We left Hampi on the 11th and have travelled about 650kms northwards since then reaching the Ellora Caves yesterday afternoon. Most of the trip was across the quite monotonous Deccan Plain the first day made worse as it was an arterial route between the capital of the IT Industry in India, Bangalore, and the major port of Mumbai. For 300kms it was a continuous row of trucks in both directions travelling at a 60kph maximum. It was very tiring weaving in and out of them. Fortunately the yesterday drive was off that route, not as many trucks by any means.
We spent the most of today at the Ellora Caves, a World Heritage Site made so to preserve the wonderful statues and reliefs in the 30 or so caves. Three religions are represented: Hindu, Buddhism and Jain. All have their different representations of their deities but the one that stands out is the Hindu Kailasa Temple. Twice the size of the Parthenon in Athens it took 7000 labourers over 150 years to quarry it out of solid rock. 200,000 tonnes of rock was removed making the temple the largest monolithic structure in the world. It was all so very impressive.
We left Hampi on the 11th and have travelled about 650kms northwards since then reaching the Ellora Caves yesterday afternoon. Most of the trip was across the quite monotonous Deccan Plain the first day made worse as it was an arterial route between the capital of the IT Industry in India, Bangalore, and the major port of Mumbai. For 300kms it was a continuous row of trucks in both directions travelling at a 60kph maximum. It was very tiring weaving in and out of them. Fortunately the yesterday drive was off that route, not as many trucks by any means.
We spent the most of today at the Ellora Caves, a World Heritage Site made so to preserve the wonderful statues and reliefs in the 30 or so caves. Three religions are represented: Hindu, Buddhism and Jain. All have their different representations of their deities but the one that stands out is the Hindu Kailasa Temple. Twice the size of the Parthenon in Athens it took 7000 labourers over 150 years to quarry it out of solid rock. 200,000 tonnes of rock was removed making the temple the largest monolithic structure in the world. It was all so very impressive.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Not in the Lonely Planet
10th June
Hampi sure is in it and it would be doing it an injustice if it wasn't. We had not heard of Hampi before this trip but it must be one of the highlights I would think.
Covering an area of 45sq kms made up mainly of a surreal landscape of granite boulders the city of Vijayanagar, near Hampi, was one of the major Hindu cities of the time with a population of over 500,000. It was founded in 1336 and reached the summit of its power and influence in the 16th century. Now it is an area of well preserved Hindu temples and excavations showing the city's working life.
The dry air must have treated the place kindly as the reliefs and statuary are so very well preserved. We often baulk at hiring a guide in places like this as I think we get more appreciation of just wondering around with a guide book to help us and do things at or leisure. I am sure I would be given much more info with a guide which I would forget in a day two's time if not earlier.
I doubt we would have gone on the coracle if we had've had a guide. This was quite an experience. Shaped like a cereal bowl and made out of bamboo and sealed canvas it is manoeuvred with a mixture of strokes. I wondered how we were going to get back up the Tungabhadra River against a strong wind but the paddler did it quite quickly
I will upload a few photos, in this instance the best way to show some of the highlights of Hampi.
The day came to a close with a visit to the Dajoli Bear Sanctuary. For a change, this was not in the LP. Everything else seems to be. In fact we wouldn't have known about it if we hadn't read an article in last Sunday's paper. Not far from Hampi I don't think it is visited by many foreigners. It took us a while to get there as there were no signs and not many locals spoke English and the signs that were was not in English. In fact I thought we might be too late to see the action as it was about 5.30 before we reached the viewing platform.
They are Sloth Bears and there's about 110 in the sanctuary as well as hyenas, jackals, wild pig, peacocks and over 90 species of other birds. Binoculars are essential as the bears are usually seen on the other side of a shallow valley, the viewer would be about 400 metres from the action. Their habitat is a continuation of the boulder strewn country near Hampi. A lick is put on a flat rock that attracts the bears as well as other animals. Perhaps not what you would expect in a sanctuary but the argument is that the lick supplies essential minerals for the bears. We saw about 10 of them in the 45 minutes we were there, at the lick but also meandering over the surrounding hillside. Mothers with young ones on their back, two males fighting and just the usual things bears do I guess. We were the only people there apart from 2 rangers and a friend of theirs. The sanctuary staff were so proud of their bears and would quickly point out further animals as they appeared.
It was just one of those days, full on with sightseeing but so rewarding.
Hampi sure is in it and it would be doing it an injustice if it wasn't. We had not heard of Hampi before this trip but it must be one of the highlights I would think.
Covering an area of 45sq kms made up mainly of a surreal landscape of granite boulders the city of Vijayanagar, near Hampi, was one of the major Hindu cities of the time with a population of over 500,000. It was founded in 1336 and reached the summit of its power and influence in the 16th century. Now it is an area of well preserved Hindu temples and excavations showing the city's working life.
The dry air must have treated the place kindly as the reliefs and statuary are so very well preserved. We often baulk at hiring a guide in places like this as I think we get more appreciation of just wondering around with a guide book to help us and do things at or leisure. I am sure I would be given much more info with a guide which I would forget in a day two's time if not earlier.
I doubt we would have gone on the coracle if we had've had a guide. This was quite an experience. Shaped like a cereal bowl and made out of bamboo and sealed canvas it is manoeuvred with a mixture of strokes. I wondered how we were going to get back up the Tungabhadra River against a strong wind but the paddler did it quite quickly
I will upload a few photos, in this instance the best way to show some of the highlights of Hampi.
The day came to a close with a visit to the Dajoli Bear Sanctuary. For a change, this was not in the LP. Everything else seems to be. In fact we wouldn't have known about it if we hadn't read an article in last Sunday's paper. Not far from Hampi I don't think it is visited by many foreigners. It took us a while to get there as there were no signs and not many locals spoke English and the signs that were was not in English. In fact I thought we might be too late to see the action as it was about 5.30 before we reached the viewing platform.
They are Sloth Bears and there's about 110 in the sanctuary as well as hyenas, jackals, wild pig, peacocks and over 90 species of other birds. Binoculars are essential as the bears are usually seen on the other side of a shallow valley, the viewer would be about 400 metres from the action. Their habitat is a continuation of the boulder strewn country near Hampi. A lick is put on a flat rock that attracts the bears as well as other animals. Perhaps not what you would expect in a sanctuary but the argument is that the lick supplies essential minerals for the bears. We saw about 10 of them in the 45 minutes we were there, at the lick but also meandering over the surrounding hillside. Mothers with young ones on their back, two males fighting and just the usual things bears do I guess. We were the only people there apart from 2 rangers and a friend of theirs. The sanctuary staff were so proud of their bears and would quickly point out further animals as they appeared.
It was just one of those days, full on with sightseeing but so rewarding.
National Highway 63
9th June
We left Goa in heavy rain and had to backtrack some 130kms before heading inland. The trip down the coast was uneventful apart from seeing a dirty big bus sliding sideways across the road towards us, luckily I had time to take evasive action. The buses in India so far are built like tanks, if you were ever to hit one I doubt there would be even a scratch on its bodywork.
NH63 leaves the coast and heads inland over the Western Ghats. We were surprised by an excellent surface that meant we could maybe travel the full 430kms to Hampi in the one day. It deteriorated later but we did get there about 6pm. It was a long day's driving, 10 hours on the road in fact.
What we didn't expect on the highway across was the fellow road users. Apart from the 2 & 4 wheelers we had goat herds, flocks of sheep, a string of camels, water buffalo, holy cows contentedly chewing their cud on the road, ox carts, and pigs. Most of them were well behaved on the road under firm control of their keepers, but the holy cows are something different. At least they move slowly but once they make up their minds to cross over to the other side nothing stops them. The driver has to gauge the animal's MPM (metres per minute) and pass either in front or behind it. Of course keeping an eye out for the trucks bearing down on you, air horns blearing and lights flashing. I have never seen one hit and don't know what the consequences would be if you did.
We left Goa in heavy rain and had to backtrack some 130kms before heading inland. The trip down the coast was uneventful apart from seeing a dirty big bus sliding sideways across the road towards us, luckily I had time to take evasive action. The buses in India so far are built like tanks, if you were ever to hit one I doubt there would be even a scratch on its bodywork.
NH63 leaves the coast and heads inland over the Western Ghats. We were surprised by an excellent surface that meant we could maybe travel the full 430kms to Hampi in the one day. It deteriorated later but we did get there about 6pm. It was a long day's driving, 10 hours on the road in fact.
What we didn't expect on the highway across was the fellow road users. Apart from the 2 & 4 wheelers we had goat herds, flocks of sheep, a string of camels, water buffalo, holy cows contentedly chewing their cud on the road, ox carts, and pigs. Most of them were well behaved on the road under firm control of their keepers, but the holy cows are something different. At least they move slowly but once they make up their minds to cross over to the other side nothing stops them. The driver has to gauge the animal's MPM (metres per minute) and pass either in front or behind it. Of course keeping an eye out for the trucks bearing down on you, air horns blearing and lights flashing. I have never seen one hit and don't know what the consequences would be if you did.
A Touch of Portugal
8th June
The rains have started. The night before we left Madikeri we were treated to a ferocious storm that took out the power, soaked the bacony but luckily the amount of rain didn't affect the clay driveway out of the place. I thought for a while I would finally appreciate the AWD of the vehicle.
We wanted to get to the coast and north of Mangalore if we could. That would make the drive to Goa a 6-7 hour drive the next day. It was an uneventful drive apart from a queue of traffic about 2km long at one stage. We expected an accident or roadworks to be the cause, but no, all it was was an intersection where major roads met and the resulting mess not overseen by traffic lights or a cop. The Indians take this type of thing in their stride and we have to as well. The humid heat had come back once we hit the Malabar Coast negating any thought of sleeping in the van. Joan had been sick the night before and was suffering as we drove due to a crook gut and diarrhoea, luckily it didn't last and is much better now .
With the rains came a spate of accidents, we saw three the next day heading to Goa. The first amused us: a truck was on its side with its load of fish sprawlen over the road. They weren't in poly boxes or anything, just loose in the back. Imagine the smell in a few days time. See photo. One of the others was a truck hitting a power pole with the third a motor bike hitting a truck that had manoeuvred to be 90 degree to the road to tip off a load of sand, completely blocking the road. These are the things you have to look out for while you drive. In fact we saw more accidents in that one day than we have all the time we have been here so far.
Goa is great. The Portugese were here centuries before the British and didn't become part of India until the mid 5'0s I think it was. The buildings have that European touch to them and the food is a pleasant change to the Indian fare. Portugese is still spoken and they have at least one TV station broadcast in that language.
We spent yesterday wandering the shops, buying a new memory stick then driving out to Old Goa to visit the myriad churches there and pay our respects to St Francis Xavier's mummified body. They bring it down for public inspection every couple of years but in the mean time you can see it in a glass sided sarcophagus. The Portugese moved from old Goa some time ago to Panjin which is 9kms down river. It's not really a ghost town but doesn't have many houses in the area. I think the churches outnumber the houses and gees, they are massive.
Thirty years ago, whenever we stopped,our van we used to be surrounded by children and villagers who would form a semi circle around us and just stare. That was okay but on the odd occasion, just as we were eating a meal or something you would have one of them summonsing up a dirty big hoick from the bottom of his TB ridden lungs and spitting it out nearby. I remember a hot and harassed pregnant Joan grabbing our shovel at one stop and scattering them in all directions. This time, when we stop, we have now an amused group of adult onlookers wanting to see the van and asking all about it. The windows are usually filthy by peering faces and hands. We went to Miramar beach last night to see the sun set and got talking to a couple of older gentlemen, it came up in the conversation that he had gone to Massey University in Palmerston North, our home town in NZ and had a 'Mother' there, a Mrs Collinson of Collinson & Cunningham, a shop we used to frequent regularly in our childhood where a lunch used to be a special treat. He visited the 93 year old a year or 2 back.
Today we head inland to Hampi, I think about 250kms away.
The rains have started. The night before we left Madikeri we were treated to a ferocious storm that took out the power, soaked the bacony but luckily the amount of rain didn't affect the clay driveway out of the place. I thought for a while I would finally appreciate the AWD of the vehicle.
We wanted to get to the coast and north of Mangalore if we could. That would make the drive to Goa a 6-7 hour drive the next day. It was an uneventful drive apart from a queue of traffic about 2km long at one stage. We expected an accident or roadworks to be the cause, but no, all it was was an intersection where major roads met and the resulting mess not overseen by traffic lights or a cop. The Indians take this type of thing in their stride and we have to as well. The humid heat had come back once we hit the Malabar Coast negating any thought of sleeping in the van. Joan had been sick the night before and was suffering as we drove due to a crook gut and diarrhoea, luckily it didn't last and is much better now .
With the rains came a spate of accidents, we saw three the next day heading to Goa. The first amused us: a truck was on its side with its load of fish sprawlen over the road. They weren't in poly boxes or anything, just loose in the back. Imagine the smell in a few days time. See photo. One of the others was a truck hitting a power pole with the third a motor bike hitting a truck that had manoeuvred to be 90 degree to the road to tip off a load of sand, completely blocking the road. These are the things you have to look out for while you drive. In fact we saw more accidents in that one day than we have all the time we have been here so far.
Goa is great. The Portugese were here centuries before the British and didn't become part of India until the mid 5'0s I think it was. The buildings have that European touch to them and the food is a pleasant change to the Indian fare. Portugese is still spoken and they have at least one TV station broadcast in that language.
We spent yesterday wandering the shops, buying a new memory stick then driving out to Old Goa to visit the myriad churches there and pay our respects to St Francis Xavier's mummified body. They bring it down for public inspection every couple of years but in the mean time you can see it in a glass sided sarcophagus. The Portugese moved from old Goa some time ago to Panjin which is 9kms down river. It's not really a ghost town but doesn't have many houses in the area. I think the churches outnumber the houses and gees, they are massive.
Thirty years ago, whenever we stopped,our van we used to be surrounded by children and villagers who would form a semi circle around us and just stare. That was okay but on the odd occasion, just as we were eating a meal or something you would have one of them summonsing up a dirty big hoick from the bottom of his TB ridden lungs and spitting it out nearby. I remember a hot and harassed pregnant Joan grabbing our shovel at one stop and scattering them in all directions. This time, when we stop, we have now an amused group of adult onlookers wanting to see the van and asking all about it. The windows are usually filthy by peering faces and hands. We went to Miramar beach last night to see the sun set and got talking to a couple of older gentlemen, it came up in the conversation that he had gone to Massey University in Palmerston North, our home town in NZ and had a 'Mother' there, a Mrs Collinson of Collinson & Cunningham, a shop we used to frequent regularly in our childhood where a lunch used to be a special treat. He visited the 93 year old a year or 2 back.
Today we head inland to Hampi, I think about 250kms away.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Joan's Word
HELLO FROM JOAN
Madikeri
5th May
Well I thought it was about time I contributed so you all realised I was still around.
When we stop Gary usually updates the site and by that time I am fully engrossed in a book and the urge to write has gone!
I must admit the first week in hot steamy Chennai coping with the frustrations of getting the van I kept asking myself 'Why am I here?' Being driven by the mad autorickshaw drivers wending their way through heavy traffic which gave no heed to road rules or keeping to lanes I also wonder how Gary was going to drive at all.
However I was sustained by the helpfulness of both the hotel staff and the freighting agents and others who farewelled us like old friends when we left. Mr Babu the manager of the freight realised from Gary's passport that it was Gary's birthday and sent him a SMS message and flowers! I realised they were city people but it was very unexpected! The hotel although only 3 star gave impeccable service, we were too scared to even serve ourselves a 2nd helping at dinner as it was someone's job.
Once we finally had the van cleared it was getting dark and it terrified me that Gary had to drive back 15 km into busy Chennai while we sorted out the insurance for the van. One of the freight staff came in the van to give directions and Gary handled the driving as if he had done it for years, sitting on the horn to clear the bikes and pedestrians on the side of the road and the slow traffic to tell them to move over, slowing down for the numerous speed bumps and pot hole, and getting us there safely! Since then we have had a couple of moments when we have met trucks taking a short cut on the opposite side of the road but we are getting used to it! Some roads are very good but others are very in need of roadwork and you don't really know until you get on them. Consequently my poor back has suffered at times but constant exercises and 2 night stays have rectified things and I'm hoping it will eventually get used to the Indian roads!
Once we were on the road I began to realise why I was doing this, the friendly people leading their so different lives glimpsed by us as we passed through the towns & villages, their culture, temples and colourful dress, especially the women in their beautiful saris. Even though it has been hot up till now it is so interesting and if it gets too much we read in our a/c rooms to refresh. The food is so good everywhere and we seem to feel we have overeaten every meal! It is mango season and they are plentiful which we are also enjoying so much.
Gary may have mentioned that today I had a 2 ½ hour Ayurveda massage by a practitioner recommended by the lodge we are staying in at Madikeri. I was a bit unsure but thought I should try something and thought I was only having a back massage !! When I realised I was having the 'works' I desired to 'go with it' and see what happened but didn't expect that long. As well as a full body massage with Ayurveda oils and technique there was also some sort of head massage to 'clear the brain' and a steam bath (up to the neck enclosed in a cupboard! Gary has a photo but I will have to screen it before publication.
I can't finish without mentioning all the AFD's (Alcohol free days ) we are having. Gary is not too fussed on the beer and I don't even feel like a G&T even though we managed to find some Indian Tonic water. I'm getting worried that I will have to leave my litre bottle of gin at the Pakistan border but there's still 4 weeks to go. Have had 3 glasses of Indian white wine and I'm sure it was less amount than the Australian standard drink varying from $1 to $5.00 a glass. Very drinkable though.
As I sit on the verandah of this beautifully clean and comfortable room which overlooks dried out rice fields but lush coffee cardoman and pepper plantations with a backdrop of tree clad hills it is hard to imagine we really are in India. But not all days are like this. I would like to stay longer here but the rains have started and we must push on.
Thank you all for your emails . I will reply soon. It is so good to know you are thinking of us and have contact from home. Take care.
Joan
Madikeri
5th May
Well I thought it was about time I contributed so you all realised I was still around.
When we stop Gary usually updates the site and by that time I am fully engrossed in a book and the urge to write has gone!
I must admit the first week in hot steamy Chennai coping with the frustrations of getting the van I kept asking myself 'Why am I here?' Being driven by the mad autorickshaw drivers wending their way through heavy traffic which gave no heed to road rules or keeping to lanes I also wonder how Gary was going to drive at all.
However I was sustained by the helpfulness of both the hotel staff and the freighting agents and others who farewelled us like old friends when we left. Mr Babu the manager of the freight realised from Gary's passport that it was Gary's birthday and sent him a SMS message and flowers! I realised they were city people but it was very unexpected! The hotel although only 3 star gave impeccable service, we were too scared to even serve ourselves a 2nd helping at dinner as it was someone's job.
Once we finally had the van cleared it was getting dark and it terrified me that Gary had to drive back 15 km into busy Chennai while we sorted out the insurance for the van. One of the freight staff came in the van to give directions and Gary handled the driving as if he had done it for years, sitting on the horn to clear the bikes and pedestrians on the side of the road and the slow traffic to tell them to move over, slowing down for the numerous speed bumps and pot hole, and getting us there safely! Since then we have had a couple of moments when we have met trucks taking a short cut on the opposite side of the road but we are getting used to it! Some roads are very good but others are very in need of roadwork and you don't really know until you get on them. Consequently my poor back has suffered at times but constant exercises and 2 night stays have rectified things and I'm hoping it will eventually get used to the Indian roads!
Once we were on the road I began to realise why I was doing this, the friendly people leading their so different lives glimpsed by us as we passed through the towns & villages, their culture, temples and colourful dress, especially the women in their beautiful saris. Even though it has been hot up till now it is so interesting and if it gets too much we read in our a/c rooms to refresh. The food is so good everywhere and we seem to feel we have overeaten every meal! It is mango season and they are plentiful which we are also enjoying so much.
Gary may have mentioned that today I had a 2 ½ hour Ayurveda massage by a practitioner recommended by the lodge we are staying in at Madikeri. I was a bit unsure but thought I should try something and thought I was only having a back massage !! When I realised I was having the 'works' I desired to 'go with it' and see what happened but didn't expect that long. As well as a full body massage with Ayurveda oils and technique there was also some sort of head massage to 'clear the brain' and a steam bath (up to the neck enclosed in a cupboard! Gary has a photo but I will have to screen it before publication.
I can't finish without mentioning all the AFD's (Alcohol free days ) we are having. Gary is not too fussed on the beer and I don't even feel like a G&T even though we managed to find some Indian Tonic water. I'm getting worried that I will have to leave my litre bottle of gin at the Pakistan border but there's still 4 weeks to go. Have had 3 glasses of Indian white wine and I'm sure it was less amount than the Australian standard drink varying from $1 to $5.00 a glass. Very drinkable though.
As I sit on the verandah of this beautifully clean and comfortable room which overlooks dried out rice fields but lush coffee cardoman and pepper plantations with a backdrop of tree clad hills it is hard to imagine we really are in India. But not all days are like this. I would like to stay longer here but the rains have started and we must push on.
Thank you all for your emails . I will reply soon. It is so good to know you are thinking of us and have contact from home. Take care.
Joan
R&R in Madikeri
4th June.
Madakeri is only 130kms from Mysore though it took us some 31/2 hrs to get there. The road was good at times but the last 60 kms were pretty rough. The town is high in the Western Ghats with the countryside growing coffee, cardoman and pepper. It's a heavily forested area with plentiful birdlife. The temperature is beautifully cool, we may even need a blanket tonight.
5th June.
Such a beautiful peaceful setting. No horns tooting, mobile phones serenading. Just the birds and wildlife. We are staying at Capitol Village Resort, some 7kms out of Madikeri. The back balcony overlooks dry paddy fields with a forest of coffee, planted timber trees and various spice plants surrounding them. It's nice to have a day off. The last 10 days have been pretty full on with the hassle of the van, the heat, then getting used to driving on these roads, so completely different to what we are used to. To get here and to find a place so idyllic first up is one of the pleasures of travel. We will spend 2 nights here before heading to the Malabar Coast and north to Goa.
The owner of the place, Mr B. Ganesh Aiyanna, visited us this morning and told us of the changes he has seen in the area. Tigers were plentful with one of his labourers being awarded a medal for shooting 30 of them and the wildlife was so prevalent that it was a case of “Heat up the Marsala Mother, I will bag something to go in it!”
Joan has gone to an ayurevedic masseur to help her with her back, we will see the results in the next day or so though she may need more than just the one lot of treatment.
At the essential oil bloke in Mysore the other day we were made aware of one of the dangers travelling in this area. An English bloke, John, came in to buy some oils, in the process of the conversation he showed us where he had been bitten by a dog. Rabies is prevalent here in India with 30,000 dying each year. He had to go to a pharmacy immediately to start the series of injections in the off chance the dog was infected. The incubation period is 30 days. So don't go petting the local dogs.
We are thinking of changing our route a little to bypass Mumbai. After Goa we will head inland to Hampi where there are some famous ruins then keep on the inland route to the Ellora Caves then up to Udaipur in Rajasthan. There as been trouble in Rajasthan the last 2 weeks, it may not have reached the international news but over 20 people have been killed and major roads sealed off. Luckily it seems to have quietened down with the parties having reached some interim agreement.
Madakeri is only 130kms from Mysore though it took us some 31/2 hrs to get there. The road was good at times but the last 60 kms were pretty rough. The town is high in the Western Ghats with the countryside growing coffee, cardoman and pepper. It's a heavily forested area with plentiful birdlife. The temperature is beautifully cool, we may even need a blanket tonight.
5th June.
Such a beautiful peaceful setting. No horns tooting, mobile phones serenading. Just the birds and wildlife. We are staying at Capitol Village Resort, some 7kms out of Madikeri. The back balcony overlooks dry paddy fields with a forest of coffee, planted timber trees and various spice plants surrounding them. It's nice to have a day off. The last 10 days have been pretty full on with the hassle of the van, the heat, then getting used to driving on these roads, so completely different to what we are used to. To get here and to find a place so idyllic first up is one of the pleasures of travel. We will spend 2 nights here before heading to the Malabar Coast and north to Goa.
The owner of the place, Mr B. Ganesh Aiyanna, visited us this morning and told us of the changes he has seen in the area. Tigers were plentful with one of his labourers being awarded a medal for shooting 30 of them and the wildlife was so prevalent that it was a case of “Heat up the Marsala Mother, I will bag something to go in it!”
Joan has gone to an ayurevedic masseur to help her with her back, we will see the results in the next day or so though she may need more than just the one lot of treatment.
At the essential oil bloke in Mysore the other day we were made aware of one of the dangers travelling in this area. An English bloke, John, came in to buy some oils, in the process of the conversation he showed us where he had been bitten by a dog. Rabies is prevalent here in India with 30,000 dying each year. He had to go to a pharmacy immediately to start the series of injections in the off chance the dog was infected. The incubation period is 30 days. So don't go petting the local dogs.
We are thinking of changing our route a little to bypass Mumbai. After Goa we will head inland to Hampi where there are some famous ruins then keep on the inland route to the Ellora Caves then up to Udaipur in Rajasthan. There as been trouble in Rajasthan the last 2 weeks, it may not have reached the international news but over 20 people have been killed and major roads sealed off. Luckily it seems to have quietened down with the parties having reached some interim agreement.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
97,000 or Thereabouts
3rd June
A day off from travelling. Joan's back was bad yesterday when we arrived after 320kms drive and a couple of hours in an auto rickshaw the night before. They are a great way to get around but with the rough roads and speed bumps are a nightmare if you have a crook back.
T
he morning was spent at an ayurvedic practitioner which saw us walking out with all the oils necessary to cure crook backs, wrinkles, mosquito bites, greying hair, low blood pressure and of course the usual libido problems. You won't recognize us when we get back to Bellingen.
The man attraction here of course is the Maharajah of Mysore's Palace. It s an amazing structure built in an Indo-Saracenic style. We spent a good two hours wandering through. The highlight though will be tonight when, for an hour, they light up the palace. All 97,000 light bulbs. This only happens on Sundays.
This break has given is a chance to sort out the van, put away the things we had brought over on the plane etc. The weather is much cooler here, very pleasant change.
Later:
The display didn't disappoint. There may have been a few lights missing but seeing the Maharaja's Palace lit up was an unforgettable spectacle. There is no admission charge and there must have been a few thousand there, 99% locals. It wasn't just the palace but the surrounding w
all and 4 entrance gates.
News of the sudden death of a good friend back in Bellingen hit us both very hard. That's a downside of travelling, not being near when you may be of help.
3rd June
A day off from travelling. Joan's back was bad yesterday when we arrived after 320kms drive and a couple of hours in an auto rickshaw the night before. They are a great way to get around but with the rough roads and speed bumps are a nightmare if you have a crook back.
T
he morning was spent at an ayurvedic practitioner which saw us walking out with all the oils necessary to cure crook backs, wrinkles, mosquito bites, greying hair, low blood pressure and of course the usual libido problems. You won't recognize us when we get back to Bellingen.The man attraction here of course is the Maharajah of Mysore's Palace. It s an amazing structure built in an Indo-Saracenic style. We spent a good two hours wandering through. The highlight though will be tonight when, for an hour, they light up the palace. All 97,000 light bulbs. This only happens on Sundays.
This break has given is a chance to sort out the van, put away the things we had brought over on the plane etc. The weather is much cooler here, very pleasant change.
Later:
The display didn't disappoint. There may have been a few lights missing but seeing the Maharaja's Palace lit up was an unforgettable spectacle. There is no admission charge and there must have been a few thousand there, 99% locals. It wasn't just the palace but the surrounding w
all and 4 entrance gates.News of the sudden death of a good friend back in Bellingen hit us both very hard. That's a downside of travelling, not being near when you may be of help.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)