The Magic in the sky

This is not about any place or any specific destination. It's an experience that as a traveler I had to share with everyone. And I am sure many would agree to the same.

I hate taking early morning flights. I mean the ones which have the departure time of 5am / 5.30am. This means waking up at 3am and reach airport by 4am latest. What surprises me is how crowded the airports are even at that time; specially airports of metro cities. And if that happens to be the " Season" then you had it. I am talking about the school holidays or any festival. You must report by 3am for a 5am flight because by the time you complete all the check in formalities and clear security, your flight is announced!

As my luck would have it, in most of the early morning flights I would end up in an aisle seat or middle seat. Very rarely I would get a window seat. Even if I did, I confess, I only slept. Yeah, not even waiting for the take off, I would close my eyes and happily doze off.

Just few days back I and husband had to take a flight at 5.30am. This time we got an window and a  middle seat. We were going home for a family function and I was super excited. My excitement kept me awake and aren't I glad for that. It's the magic the unfold in the sky just before the sun gets ready to rise is awesome. Its an ethereal sight to behold. My husband would always talk about the importance of "magic hours" in his profession. I never fully understood that. But that day when I saw the sky turned magical, I realized what he meant.

 
 

 
 This happens everyday. Hundreds enjoy that moment everyday too. But my "concrete city dweller" of a soul misses it. If you ask me, it was a very humbling experience for me. The whole sky erupts with colours of joy as it gets ready to welcome the sun heralding a new day. A new beginning and new hope. May we all always fly towards the sunshine.

And yeah; this sure makes up for the effort of getting up at insane hours to catch such early morning flights.

 

 

On Tiger Trail

  “Bhaiyya Kitna time lagega Swai Madhopur tak?” ( Brother, how long will it take to reach Sawai Madhopur?) We asked the passenger next to us. We, I and my husband P, were on the way to Ranthambhore National Park in a Rajasthan Roadways bus. He replied “ 3 hours” . “ WHAT…oh no no, we have our afternoon safari booked and the pick up is at 2.15pm. We must reach by 1 pm anyhow at least to check in.” I turned to P and blurted “All because of your Rawat ki Kachori, we will miss our safari” Before the bus became our drawing room (our battle ground at home!); the alarmed bus conductor intervened. He said “ Don’t worry, we will not stop at every turning and the driver is very good. You will reach on time.” We decided to believe him and depend on our luck. The Rajasthan Roadways bus driver and the conductor did not disappoint and when we got down at the Sawai Madhopur Bus stand the clock struck 1 pm.

 

It was a spur of the moment decision and a SOS call to Biju our friend who works in a travel company in Delhi, we were on our way to Ranthambhore National Park for a short weekend trip. That Saturday, because of the runway closure at Mumbai Airport the flight was rescheduled to 4.30am from the usual 5.55am. It was still slightly dark when we landed in Jaipur airport at 6.00am.

 

Since it was early we decided to go to the city and take a Rajasthan roadways bus to Sawai Madhopur, the nearest town of Ranthambhore. P suggested to have the famous “ Rawat ki Kachori” for breakfast before getting into the bus. The Rawat sweets shop is located very near to the bus stand. It was indeed something not be to be missed. But in all these, we came to know that the only bus to Sawai Madhopur left early in the morning. The guys at the bus stand suggested us to take a bus to Tonk and change to another one to Sawai Madhopur from there. Ranthambhore National park is approx 180 km from Jaipur city. However due to the road conditions, the Roadways bus option would have taken 4-5hours. The other option was to hire a cab. Actually the airport is already on the Tonk road around 16km out of Jaipur city. Since we came to the city, we decided to go ahead with the roadways option.

 

It was fun crossing all those small towns and villages. We started from Jaipur bus stand at 7.30am and we reached Tonk by 11am. We got a bus to Sawai Madhopur almost instantly. We were booked in Ranthambhore Regency. We dumped our bags in the room and headed straight to the restaurant for lunch. The Safari canter came exactly at 2.15 and there were 6 guests from our hotel on it. In Ranthambhore there are 2 options for safari. Either by gypsy or by canter. Since ours was a last minute decision we could not get a gypsy safari. A canter accommodates 20 people whereas a gypsy is for 6 people. Every vehicle is allotted a specific zone inside the park for a particular day. On each vehicle there is a naturalist besides the driver. At the entrance of the park, we had to show our identity cards. You have no option but to go with the allotted vehicle and to the allotted zone. Each vehicle works on roster maintained by the national park authorities. We entered zone 3 on that day. 20 minutes into the safari we came to know of the presence of a tigress nearby. There were many vehicles at the spot. We could barely see the stripes lying on ground. The tigress was fast asleep. Our naturalist suggested that we should wait for sometime and as the sun goes down she will get up and we would get to see her. At times the naturalist and the driver made such type of pact to save fuel. But since it was a rare opportunity most of us agreed. However some people insisted on going inside the jungle till the sun sets. So we did and when we came back she was gone! We returned to the hotel disappointed at the missed opportunity.

 

Ranthambhore was once the gaming park for the Maharajas of Jaipur. However in 1973 when Project Tiger was started it got enlisted as one of the nine Tiger Reserves. Later in 1980, an area of 275 sq km from within the Tiger Reserve was declared the Ranthambhore National park.The Park is one of the best national parks in the country to spot a tiger. In fact it is said that the tigers of Ranthambhore are the most photographed in the world with “Machli”, the tigress being the most famous one.There are villages surrounding the National park. With the problem of poaching and deforestation, the number of tigers dwindled and the age old man-animal conflict increased. But the park doesn’t have only tigers. It is home to a number of other animals like sloth bear, crocodiles, deers, macaques, leopards and more than 270 species of birds.

On a hilltop overlooking the park is the Ranthambhore Fort built in the 10h Century by Chauhan rulers. Because of its strategic location, the fort was one of the most difficult to invade. For years the brave Rajputs fought against invaders. Later the fort went into the hands of Mughals and it is believed that Mughal Emperor Akbar stayed here sometimes between 1558-59.  Now the ruins house a Ganesha temple which is thronged by devotees all over the country. Apart from the Ganesha temple there are ruins of other temples, mosques and other palaces. Most of all it’s the breath taking view of the park that the fort offers is worth the effort of trekking uphill to the fort. One should keep a full day for the fort. We couldn’t go as we didn’t have time!

Next day early morning we were picked up for the morning safari. This time we had a more vocal and a strict naturalist named Shiva. He made it very clear to questions of possible “citing” that the park is not only about tigers and if one ran after the tiger he would miss a lot of things. No one can guarantee a view of the tiger. We were allotted zone 2. We went very deep into the jungle. When we were returning suddenly Shiva signaled the vehicle to stop. There she was! The big cat was sitting in the shade in her full regalia, T17 also called “Sundari”. Since ours was the last vehicle left inside the park and official safari time was almost over, we could not wait for long. But that glimpse was enough to make us gone through a lot of emotions. Happy that we could see the majestic big cat; wonder at the royal air it exuded, sad that we do not know how to value this beautiful national animal of India.

 

 

How to reach::

By Air: Jaipur, about 4 hrs drive, is the nearest airport. Usual bus services are available between Jaipur and Ranthambore.

By Rail: Sawai Madhopur is the adjoining Railhead. Different trains connection Sawai Madhopur to cities as Jaipur and Delhi are available.

By Road: Sawai Madhopur is the nearby township from Ranthambore which is well linked to Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.

 

A Fragrance to remember

It was a sudden decision like many of our trips and we decided on Kochi; Fort Kochi to be precise. Kerala in Monsoon; officially "off season". Got out tickets booked, applied for a day's off and reached the airport. A quick search in the ever dependable tripadvisor showed so many options of bed and breakfast in Fort Kochi. We zeroed upon Walton's homestay. There was something about the place which clicked. Yes even in the small screen of the phone. P made a call to the place to check availability and also to ask was it ok if we took a pre paid taxi from airport to Fort Kochi. A very cordial but firm voice said, rooms were available and advised us to opt for the AC bus from Airport to Fort Kochi rather than paying Rs.800 to the taxi.The voice also informed that since he didn't have commission paying policy to autowalas and cabbies, they would not know his place. If you ask us honestly, that made us confident of our choice as it showed the owners faith on what he offers to his visitors.
We landed in Kochi at 1pm. There it was, the AC bus waiting to carry passengers to Fort Kochi through the city of Ernakulam. Fare - Rs.70 per head.The bus takes about an hour to reach Fort Kochi from Kochi International airport which is about 45 KM. The Bus dropped us at the Kochi bus stand which is merely 5minutes walking distance from Princess Street.It is on Princess Street, Walton's homestay is located.
At the reception we were greeted by the man behind the voice we spoke in the morning ; Mr. Walton himself. He assured us that he was giving us the best room. Out of the 9 rooms, only 2 - 3 rooms were occupied as it was not the Tourist season.We got a room on ground floor which opened directly to a very well kept garden. Because of the rains, everything around was green and fresh. We entered the room and a very striking and sweet aroma of Lemon grass welcomed us. It was such a pleasant surprise! In our previous experiences, we had been to Inn or hotel rooms with all sorts of smells; mostly the strong room freshner and sometimes even the damp smell of carpets and walls.The room's flooring was wooden and the house keeper informed that they used Lemon grass oil while mopping the floor to keep the mosquitoes at bay.The room was big, airy and very very well kept. We stayed there for 3 nights. Every day they would clean with the same oil.
The town of Fort Kochi was under Portuguese, Dutch and British rule in different points of time. The whole town still has the remnants all over. We decided to discover the city on foot.Heard that during tourist period, one can hire bicycles too. One day we went to see the Jew Town and Mattancherry palace. Mattancherry palace or the Dutch palace. The Dutch palace was originally built by the Portuguese and was gifted to ruler of Kerala. Later it fell into the hands of the Dutch and they revamped it. The walls inside the palace are adorned by some superb murals. in the Jew town, there is the Jewish Synagogue which is now considered to be the oldest among all the synagogues in the commonwealth of nations.

Chinese Fishing Nets

We never wanted to hurry and go everywhere the tourism brochure mentions just to strike off the place. We walked, sat in the cafes, sat by the beach,enjoyed the fishing sessions in the evenings and mornings. After 3 wonderful days, we took the bus to airport again.

It remains one of our memorable trips. That sweet aroma of Lemon grass still lingers whenever we remember this lovely little unplanned trip. Some memories are forever. This is one of them.

Kurseong

Everybody advised us against this. In fact we ourselves were not very sure. After all, “hills in rains” --- not a very good combination for travel. But when the travel bug stirs there’s no stopping. Thus we let go off our apprehensions and worries about rain, landslide and most importantly no Kanchenjunga views as they show in postcards! So after much speculation, research and about 15 days of googling everyday for any news of landslides or road blocks, we reached Kurseong.

“Kurson rip” in Lepcha, Kurseong is known to be the land of White Orchids. This tiny school town is often overlooked by tourists as a mere stopover on the way to Darjeeling, the more famous and preferred hill station in North Bengal. That was one of the reasons of us choosing Kurseong because we wanted to avoid the crowds and roam about on our own at our own pace. Kurseong has several schools and on the day of our arrival it was the last day before they closed for the summer (read monsoon) holidays. So this place was full too; with parents reaching to take their children home.

We chose Kurseong Tourist Lodge run by West Bengal Tourism to stay. The Lodge is a little away from the main town. It is on the main highway towards Darjeeling. Even though we had requested for a Deluxe room with a private balcony, as renovation work was going on we got a regular room. Not that we complained. The room was airy and clean. The windows offered superb mountain views. As it was monsoon, we missed the much coveted Kanchenjunga views. Otherwise from the windows of the room, the lobby and even the restaurant of the Tourist lodge, one gets lovely views of the Kanchenjunga on a clear day. Also the added bonus is that the restaurant at the Tourist Lodge serves excellent momos!

The star attraction of this little town is of course the Toy Train or the Darjeeling Himalayan Train which runs between Darjeeling town and Kurseong. The train leaves Darjeeling every morning at 10am. It reaches Kurseong by 2pm and again goes back to Darjeeling at 3pm. We didn’t have the chance to board the train because of time constraints. But then one cannot miss the railway tracks running alongside the roads through the small towns right from Siliguri till Darjeeling. The scenery must have been spectacular in some bygone era. But now it is marred by the concrete structures growing all over the hills and the ever growing vehicular crowd.

The town has some excellent walks around. The one quite popular is Eagle’s Crag which is approximately 3kms return. For those out of practice like us; this walk can be really tough at some point. At the highest point of Eagle’s crag there is a watch tower which offers fantastic views of the mountains around. When we reached the point, the clouds presented a spectacular “hide and seek show“ with the mountains.

Eagle's crag

This little town of Kurseong is surrounded by some very famous tea gardens. The legendary Makaibari Tea Estate is just 3 km from the town. Anyone visiting Kurseong should never miss an opportunity to visit the aromatic factory of this renowned tea estate. We met Mr. Chetri sitting in the outside retail counter for Makaibari Tea. He very warmly welcomed us and showed around the factory. But to our luck it was hardly 10 - 15mins and hoot went the bell for lunch! All the machines stopped, the ladies working inside the factory went out carrying their lunch boxes and water bottles. We came out and sat for sometime with Mr. Chetri at the retail counter outside. One can pick up small packets of famous Darjeeling tea straight from the retail outlet of the equally famous Makaibari Tea Estate. From “First Flush” to “Silver Tip” there are different varieties of tea available at the outlet.

Kurseong is the home for some vey famous schools. 2 of them are Victoria Boys and Dowhill Girls. Both the schools still retain some of the old glory of the British era in their buildings and surroundings.  There is a Deer park at the Dow Hill area; but it is very rare to catch a glimpse of the shy animal. Urban development and deforestation has taken a toll on this deer park. The forest department has prohibited to enter into the forest.

The Forest Near Dowhill School

Kurseong the small beautiful hamlet has now grown into a bigger town. We left Kurseong with one hope ;the growing traffic and concrete buildings must not destroy the essence of this place!

A quiet sojourn at Vasundhara Resort - Vayalar

I love Kerala and never get tired of going back again and again. As luck would have it, all my 3 trips to Kerala, I have only been to Cochin. Twice to Fort Cochin next to the sea and in my last and third visit, I stayed right at the backwaters but still away from the touristy hustle and bustle.I stayed at Vasundhara, Sarovar Premiere a beautiful resort at Vayalar in Alleppey district.

Located around 63 km away from the Cochin Airport, it takes about an hour and half to reach the resort. The resort also has the option for taking the guests by motor boat through the backwaters from a point. I would recommend this to anyone planning to stay at Vasundhara. The first glimpse of the resort from the motorboat is a sight to behold. Nestled amidst coconut grooves, the resort has managed a perfect blend between traditional Kerala homes with all modern amenities. What strike me most as a guest at the resort is the amount of waterbodies around. This sure gives a sense of serenity and calmness.

The lobby of the resort is designed like a Traditional Kerala temple. There are 2 big lamp stands outside and inside the lobby. The Lobby has rows of the headgear or Nettipattam worn by Elephants during any temple festival.The murals on the walls give the glimpse of the villagers waiting to greet the Tuskers in their full decor during a temple festival.

The main wing offers very spacious rooms with balconies overlooking the rest of the resort, including the swimming pool and the backwaters.

The Resort room my room in the Main Wing

They have a Heritage Wing which has rooms housed in a hundred year old Kovilakam ( Prince's Palace) and a Nalukettu ( traditional Kerala home). In this wing, though the rooms are much smaller in comparison to the main wing, one can enjoy the slice of history inside these quarters. One is welcomed to the Kovilakam by a Tulsi plant right in the outside courtyard / garden just like most traditional Hindu households of the country.

Apart from that, they have some floating cottages which offer the most luxurious experience in the resort. Each of the rooms in the floating cottage have private Jacuzzi overlooking the backwaters. For honeymooners, these rooms offer the finest experience with complete privacy in the resort.

There is a Chayakada which is a Tea Shop. Chayakada plays a very important role Kerala. This is the place to gather and discuss over cups and cups of Tea,various topics from politics to a news of the neighborhood.

Chayakada

The Chayakada at Vasundhara opens in the evening for 2 hours and resort guests can enjoy a cup of chai with snacks while the sun slowly sets across this part of the great Vambanad lake.

The Resort can organise a trip visit to a local Toddy Shop on a charge. This is a not to be missed experience in Kerala. Like Chaya Kadas, Toddy Shops are also an integral part of Kerala. Toddy is a mildly alcoholic drink produced from Date palms and Coconut palms. It is served with lot of local Kerala spicy dishes like crab fry, fish fry, Kadala curry etc. However the main dish which is served along with a glass of Toddy is tapioca with red fish curry. All foods are super spicy and very tasty. Well, if someone is not used to so much spices, he/she will surely find them hot!

Glasses of Toddy with the spicy dishes. 

The city centers of Cochin or Alleppey are slightly far off from the resort. One would need a vehicle to reach these places. But donot let that deter you from choosing to spend a night here. I suggest once you are done with your Kerala itinerary, on your way back home from Cochin, spend a day here. Get yourself pampered at the Spa, enjoy the cool breeze in the evening as the sun sets beyond the backwaters and the delicious spread the Chef Abhijeet and his team prepare every time. I am sure this will rejuvenate you to get back to your daily life again once you are back at your base till the time you plan your next trip!

Jaipur Postcards

       What does one say about a place, that is considered the flagship state of India's Tourism. What do I say about Rajasthan, specifically Jaipur?
        My recent trip to Jaipur, was also a walk down the memory lane. The first time I stepped into this vibrant Pink City of India, it was 1991. The memories are imprinted in an album. I donot remember much of that trip; but for the grand trip to Raj Mandir to watch not the film but the majestic theatre. That was much before PVRs and Cinemaxes. The film we saw was "Saudagaar" ( which has the famous song ILU ILU)
Here I have tried relooking at some monuments that I vaguely remember visiting.

HAWA MAHAL : This is THE symbol of Jaipur.Every postcard, every travel itinerary features Hawa Mahal. I remember vaguely going up the levels and looking down to the busy street below through one of the small Jharoka or window. You bet, I did that this time too. Well who doesnt?

 Hawa Mahal

CITY PALACE : This royal residence of Jaipur royalty is a museum now. But greater part of it, is still the royal residence. Located in the heart of Jaipur city, this is a must visit to have a glimpse of the bygone days.The Chandra Mahal inside City Palace has many intricately carved doors. One of which is Pea Cock gate which represent the Autumn.

                                   

                                             PeaCock gate                

JAL MAHAL : The mesmerising Jal Mahal Or the Water Palace is situated right in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. I so wanted to see this palace in its full glory in night lights. Missed opportunity which means another trip to Jaipur.

Jal Mahal

AMBER / AMER FORT : Amer was actually the capital of Rajputs before Jaipur became more prominent.This is now UNESCO World Heritage site. This huge palace has four different parts and each has a  separate entrance. Once you enter the big courtyard, there lies an impressive gate called Ganesh Pol which is the entrance to the private palaces of the Maharajas. The gate itself is a sight to behold and admire.

Ganesh Pol inside Amer Fort

SOUND and LIGHT SHOW AT AMER : I suggest everyone visiting Jaipur must spend one evening enjoying this spectacular Sound and Light show at Amer Fort. This show narrates the history of Amer mixing folklore and music with superb play of lights at the majestic fort. . Relive the bygone era when this whole fort comes alive with this amazing show. It's an experience not to be missed.

Sound and Light Show at Amer

             Hope to be back soon.