Snippets of Darjeeling

I made my maiden voyage into Darjeeling in May 2015 with S and some of her friends who soon became my friends. We left Kolkata in the night by train and reached New Jalpaiguri early in the morning.

You can either book a taxi or take a shared taxi to Darjeeling from NJP. The shared taxi costs around Rs. 200 per person. We received a number of offers for transport at lower rates, each of which turned out to be a scam. They offered to take us to Darjeeling for a lesser amount if we hire their transport service for our travel in and around Darjeeling. A quick calculation suggested that it would be cheaper to take the standard shared taxi and to hire a taxi for travelling  inside Darjeeling once we get there.

The drive up was a beautiful introduction to Darjeeling. We drove through hills, watching the toy train go by. We could not travel in the toy train in this trip because of lack of time. Lack of time was something that I felt multiple times during the trip. Darjeeling is a city that needs to be seen at its own pace, with time to stop, smell, taste and savour it. The next time I go, I will pace myself.

Anyway, I reached Darjeeling around late afternoon and checked into Pineridge Hotel. It is an old colonial building right at Mall Road with big rooms, great view and a haunted feeling. There are big mirrors on the staircases and big balconies on each floor which give the place an eerie feeling in the night. It also has a lovely restaurant called Foodsteps that serves great waffles and pork sausages. If fact, I would recommend a breakfast here over the more commonly known places such as Keventer's and Glenary's.  However, the hotel needs some TLC. In one of the rooms, the carpet was slightly burnt while in the other room, charging points were not working.

Pineridge hotel

Since S had been to Darjeeling before, we took her recommendation and had lunch at Dekeling which is famous for its thukpa. Lightly spiced egg thukpa was perfect for the cold afternoon though their momos were just about okay. Before we left Darjeeling, we found the perfect momos at Kunga, which is next door to Dekeling.

We spent the rest of the day just walking around Mall Road and beyond. Darjeeling was cold, full of clouds and a welcome break from the heat of Bombay. I could feel the clouds walking by us.

Clouds in Darjeeling

As I mentioned earlier, we were short of time in this trip and therefore, hired a taxi to take us around Darjeeling and Ghum in one day. Since we wanted to see the sunrise at Tiger Hill, the day started at 3 a.m. On a clear day, the sunrise at Tiger Hill is stunning and you can see the first rays of sun falling on Kanchenjunga. If you are lucky, you can even see Mount Everest. It was about 4.30 am when we reached Tiger Hill. The crowd and the energy at Tiger Hill was surprising for that time of the day. However, because of the clouds, we got to see glimpses of the sunrise but not much else.

On the way back to Darjeeling, we stopped at the Ghum monastery. It has beautiful paintings on the wall. However, after having seen the lavish Buddhist temples at Bodhgaya since childhood, the monastery failed to make much of an impact at me. The quiet and peace inside the monastery was was destroyed by flashes of cameras and tourists who do not know the concept of keeping quiet in a monastery.

Batasia loop however was a pleasant surprise. Famous for the beautiful view from the toy train, it also has a beautiful park which was in full bloom.

Flowers at Batasia Loop

Darjeeling has a long list of places to visit and things to do. A walk through the tea gardens, view of the city from the rope-way and para-gliding (which we did not do) are some to be mentioned. It was full of clouds which obscured the hills around us but also gave a beautiful feeling of walking through the clouds. Three places that stayed in my memory are the Japanese temple/ pagoda, the Victoria waterfall and the Darjeeling zoo

The Japanese temple/pagoda is beautiful, peaceful and extends its acceptance to everyone. We reached the temple during their prayers and were invited to join them. While I am not a very spiritual person, the energy inside the temple was very calm.

Japanese Pagoda

Victoria waterfall provides a beautiful viewpoint from the top. The walk to the top is fun, especially if you stop at the waterfall to get wet. We did and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rocks under the water were a little slippery but nothing dangerous. Water at the bottom of the waterfall is generally clean though could do with a bit of help. The tourists have been throwing water bottles and other garbage in the water and the water may become very polluted in the next few years. Has anyone wondered why a large number of Indian tourists visit a place because its clean and unpolluted and immediately start polluting it?

Victoria Waterfall

View from the top of Victoria waterfall

The biggest adventure of the day was the Dajreeling zoo. We saw a royal bengal tiger, a bear, a black panther, a jackal, various types of leopards, Himalayan wolves, yaks, snakes, birds and numerous other animals. On the top of the list however is the red panda. These furry, red, cute beings are just perfect to visit on a cold Darjeeling day.

Bear and Red Panda at the Darjeeling zoo

Darjeeling is also a heaven for shopping. Apart from the standard tea and woollens, we saw lovely pieces of art, silk scarves, jewellery or other nick-knacks. S found a beautiful antique snuff-box at throw-away prices (which, if she ever reads this, I am willing to steal or buy any time).

We returned to Kolkata via bus from Siliguri. While waiting for the bus, someone at the stop suddenly screamed "earthquake" and everyone ran outside. I am as yet not sure, if there was an earthquake or not.

P.S.- Never take a bus from Siliguri to Kolkata. When I did, I did not know that instead of the promised 11 hours, it always takes 17 hours to finish the journey. 

Memoirs of Kerala- Part 3 (Varkala and Trivandrum)

We continued our journey through Kerala and reached Varkala one late afternoon. Varkala is a small town with a beautiful beach right next the cliffs.

The first thing we noticed was the heli-pad right in the middle of town (being used as a taxi stand at that moment). The second thing that we noticed was the beach.

We stayed at the Varkala Marine Palace. The hotel has everything going for it. It is located on the cliffs overlooking the beach and has beautiful wooden cottages. The room had a very ethnic and slightly antique feeling to it and had a bed big enough to swim. 

After spending a week in beautiful, but conservative Kerala, Varkala was a bliss. The presence of a lot of foreigners gives it a feel of Goa and freedom. The locales are used to people sitting on the beach and getting in the water. In fact, this was the only beach in Kerala where I felt comfortable getting down to my beach clothes and getting in the water.

The first day however we just walked on the beach since it was already late in the evening. The water is cold and very clean. Small crabs and other sea animals come out to the beach once its cold and we had make sure that we don't step on any, or for that matter, get bitten by a crab. 

We decided to have dinner at Varkala Marine Palace's restaurant and never regretted it. The restaurant is right at the beach, have a lovely view and serve beautifully prepared seafood in local flavours. A cat decided to join us for dinner every day. By the time we headed to the bed, we were fully relaxed and super happy. 

The next day we headed to the busy parts of the cliffs which are dotted with lots of restaurants, shops and hotels. It is like a mini Goa. We tried the food at Clafouti Beach Resort for lunch. While I don't remember the details of the lunch, both Avi and I agreed that I was good.

In the evening, we walked back to the cliffs to watch the sunset. The beauty of the sun setting into the sea has somehow never ceased to amaze me. 

After a week of travelling and running around, we spent our days reading books on the beach, walking on the beach or the cliffs or just eating at the Varkala Marine Palace's restaurant. If you want a peaceful and beautiful place to destress, Varkala would me my first choice. We loved Varkala so much that we extended our stay by a couple of days.

Leaving Varkala late meant that our schedule for Trivandrum was slightly messed. We could not go to the Trivandrum Zoo and a couple of other places because they were closed and decided to enjoy the beaches instead.

We stayed at the Travancore Heritage, a seaside resort with lush greens. Since we were staying on the upper side of the resort, we had to take a lift through coconut trees to get to the beach. Even in the heat of Trivandrum, beach was perfect. The water was clean, blue and the most beautiful that I had ever seen, before Cambodia.

 We spent one evening at the Lighthouse Beach in Kovalam. It is supremely crowded, perhaps due to being the most famous tourist spot in the city. The view from the lighthouse was quite good and so was the sunset. However, the crowd and noise take away from the place.

All in all though, beautiful glimpses of Kerala. We bid adieu to Kerala the next day with some really fond memories.

Memoirs of Kerala- Part 2 (Cochin and Alleppey)

I had left Munnar in 2010 with a promise to come back and made good on it in 2012. Since we had seen some of the hills already, Avi and I chose the beaches and the backwaters this time. We had planned to go to Cochin, Alleppey, Varkala and return via Trivandrum. It was our first holiday since we started working and we were super excited.

We landed in Cochin in a balmy August morning and headed to Cherai beach which is 30 kms from Cochin. The drive from the airport to Cherai was beautiful as we crossed the backwaters and saw fishermen casting their nets.

We were staying at the Cherai beach resort which is perfectly located with the beach on one side and the backwaters on the other. Thus my first introduction to the beautiful Kerala backwaters was sitting on a hammock outside our cottage. We stayed in a fisherman villa, modeled after Kerala style tribal houses. It was a different feeling from a standard hotel room where we stay often enough.

Cherai beach is beautiful, clean and not very touristy. It is a perfect place to spend an evening at after a day of hectic travel. However, Kerala is a conservative state and therefore, unlike Goa, it is not always possible to swim in the beaches.

After relaxing a bit, we chalked out our plan for the next few days in Cochin. One the next day, we headed to Fort Kochi. The promenade makes for a great walk. The Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi are said to be a beautiful sight though I was not very impressed by them. We walked from Fort Kochi to Santa Cruz Basilica and St. Francis church. Santa Cruz Basilica is built in old Portuguese style and is famous for its stain-glass work and paintings.

If you are a history buff, do visit St. Francis church as Vasco Da Gama was buried there for 14 years. It also contains artefacts and relics including candlesticks, banners, chalices etc crafted in European style which give a glimpse into the history of Cochin.

The next day we headed to Athirappilly and Vazhachal waterfalls which are approximately 60 kms from Cochin. Athirappilly waterfall originates from Anamudi mountains from the height of 25 meters. The drive up to the hills is beautiful. It got cooler as we got to closer to the waterfall. After buying the entrance tickets, we walked through the forest to get to the top of the Athirappilly waterfall. We could hear birds on our way to the waterfall and enjoy the fresh air. The waterfall feels massive and the roaring sound appears to call you to nature. The forest is supposed to be great for trekking though we were not geared for it on that day.

A small pathway from the entrance leads to the base of the waterfall where you suddenly get and idea of the height and size of the waterfall. The rocks are uneven and slippery though it is worth getting closer to the waterfall as the sound of water is mesmerising. Due to high current, we did not get into the water though a number of enthusiastic souls did try.

Small restaurants near the waterfalls serve local delicacies such as beef roast and chicken stew. We had a lunch of beef roast and Kerala parathas before heading back to our hotel.

The next day we headed to Alleppey in a cab. Like always, I fell asleep during the drive and woke up only when we arrived. We stayed at Citrus resort which is cut off from the mainland by the backwaters and can be reached by ferries run by the hotel. The resort was beautiful. with open green areas. We watched boathouses pass by and locals catching their daily meal in the backwaters. The next day we took a boat on the backwaters and went through a route of canals, trees and greens.

However, I did not really enjoy Alleppey much. The backwaters are good for a couple of hours but after that it is an endless maze of water. The natural beauty has been destroyed by the developments around the backwaters- for the longest while you see just a series of hotels or houses. The water is also not very clean.

We also visited Alappuzha beach. The water is clean but the beach has no life of its own. It was awfully quite and the scenery was not great either. We walked across to Indian coffee house for some snacks as there are not too many places to eat near the beach. Unlike our experience of the coffee house in Kolkata, this was not very great.

In general, if you are planning a Kerala trip, I would recommend not spending more than one day in Alleppey.

More on Varkala and Trivandrum later!

Memoirs of Kerala- Part 1 (Munnar)

The first time I went to Kerala was in 2010. Having lived in Bangalore for five years and knowing that I will be leaving in a few months for uncharted territories (I was graduating that year and starting work), made it important to see and enjoy all that was there. Hence, the trip to Munnar.

Avi and I took an overnight bus from Bangalore and reached Munnar some time in the morning. The drive after Theni was beautiful as we entered the narrow roads on the hills and could see the tea estates and the waterfalls. Though it was May, it was slightly cold and the joy of being at a hill station was already seeping in. 

We stayed at a small hotel in Devikulam, approximately 5 kms from Munnar town. The decision was initially taken to save money (we were college kids) but turned out to be a great one. While Munnar town is crowded and noisy, Devikulam is a small quiet hill station.

The hotel was located beautifully in the middle of greenery, just off the road, served brilliant Pakoras in the rain and had really bad sound-proofing. We enjoyed the food, the weather, beauty and the noisiness of kids staying at the hotel in the same spirit.

I fell in love with Munnar on my first walk from Devikulam to Munnar city. We did not have a car with us and therefore, decided to walk to the town to find some mode of transport in and around Munnar. The road goes through tea estates and woods. Instead of heading straight to see the tourist spots I decided to walk into the woods. The woods and hills hold wonderful surprises as we found ponds with beautiful views that were not mentioned in any guidebook. We took diversions into the hills and generally spend a good couple of hours covering the small distance. 

We finally ran into an auto rickshaw driver who agreed to take us around for 400 rupees a day. Thus, we started the journey to Mattupetty Dam, Kundala Lake and various hill points.

Mattupetty Dam was beautiful. The water from the lake reflected the green hills and made it a great place for boating. It is famous for being so deep that Indian navy does its diving practice here. We clicked photos to our heart's content, enjoyed the breeze and did some boating.

After the lake, we decided to see the waterfalls around Munnar. Attukal waterfall stood out among them. While it is usually dry during summers, we were lucky as it had been raining for last few days. The passage to the base of waterfall is narrow and allows very few cars to be parked. We walked to the base of the waterfall and sat listening to the sound of water. I have always found it quite invigorating to sit next to water. A small shop nearby was serving tea and Maggi which made my day. We returned to the town in the evening to gorge on everything from beef roast to Spanish omelette. 

We had set aside a day for visiting Eravikulam National Park which is famous for Nilgiri Tahr and the views of Anamudi peak. Private vehicles are not allowed in the park. It uses its own buses to ferry the visitors and queues for the bus can be very long in peak season. The park is often closed between February to April as it is the breeding season for Nilgiri Tahr.

We reached early and spent the day there. Nilgiri Tahrs at this national park are very comfortable with people. We walked with them, played with them and even took photos of their calves. We got to see a wide range of plants, flowers and birds. The national park is also famous for its butterflies but we could not see any at that time. The view of Anamudi is beautiful. It is situated right in the middle of the tourist section of the national park and we drove around the majestic black hill that appeared to be frozen in time.

Munnar and the memories of Munnar never cease to amaze. The tea gardens, the rains, the waterfalls, the hills, hot Maggi while shivering, bright sun-light in the afternoon and above all a quietness strange to a city dweller like me will remain in the memory and be a reason to come back again and again.

A weekend in Mahabaleshwar

Avi and I headed to Mahabaleshwar on a bright sunny morning to celebrate the Easter weekend. We had barely escaped a working weekend and could not have been more excited even though it was almost the end of strawberry season.

Mahabaleshwar is approximately 6 hours from Mumbai and it is advisable to leave early in the morning. I had however enjoyed a few drinks on the previous evening and therefore, we left on Friday morning by 9 am. We took the route through Lonavala and Pune and reached by 3 pm. The weather was surprisingly good - not too hot but bright and sunny.

Where to stay

Mahabaleshwar has a number of small to mid scale hotels and resorts. It is better to stay in the city unless you have transport of your own and are willing to drive to the Mahabaleshwar market for the feel of the city in the night.

We stayed at the Sunny International which is situated in the main market in Mahabaleshwar. The hotel is mid-scale and comfortable. The staff looked a little lost at  our requests regarding the maps of the city and directions but was in general helpful. Their restaurants serve only vegetarian food but they got non-vegetarian food for us from a restaurant called Meghdoot nearby. I would not recommend their gravies though the shawarma turned out to be good.

What to see

Mahabaleshwar is beautiful to drive around and has a number of “points” from where you can see the view of the hills. Not all the points are worth spending a lot of time at. However, a drive to these points and walk around them is quite beautiful usually.

Since half the day had already gone, we decided to drive to Arthur’s seat point and stop at all other points on the way. Arthur’s seat point is supposed to have a great view of Savitri river. However, since it was April, the river was almost dried up. The view of Western Ghat from these points was quite beautiful. The greenery and the birdsongs added to the charm.

We stopped at one of the points for sunset and watched one of the most beautiful sunsets I had seen in a while. Maharashtra's favourite Vada Pavs finished the day for us.

We decided to visit Pratapgad fort the next day. The fort was built by Shivaji and like all Maratha forts, required you to climb lots of stairs. The fort is popular for in the history of India as knight of Bijapur Afzalkhan was defeated and killed by Shivaji at Pratapgad. It is one of the better maintained Shivaji forts, possibly due to still being a private property. It is an interesting piece of architecture as the walls are built in a way that gates of neither the upper fort nor the lower fort can be seen unless you are very close. Our guide informed us that it was a strategic move to mislead the enemy forces.

We also made a pit-stop at the Mapro farm though I did not find it very interesting. However, they serve beautiful strawberry and cream which both Avi and I loved.

Later we drove to Panchagani and stopped at Parsi point and Sydney point- neither having any connection to Parsis or Sydney to the extent I could tell. Both the points overlook Krishna Valley and Dhom Dam and were beautiful. Since we reached closer to the evening, we got the bonus of great wind and nice weather.

We finished the second day with a visit to Venna Lake. It was too crowded to take a boat ride but the sunset was quite beautiful.

What to eat

Mahabaleshwar is famous for strawberries and strawberry and cream is a must have. We also had mulberries, corn patties and bought masala chana from Mahabaleshwar. We also brought back some Mapro strawberry products- our slice of Mahabaleshwar- home though we are yet to try it out.

Beauty of the old world- Angkor Wat

I visited Angkor Wat as a part of my Cambodia trip in 2013. We had just spent a few lovely (and lazy) days in Phnom Penh and were looking forward to seeing one of biggest attractions in the country.

The base town for Angkor Wat is Siem Reap. We stayed in Navutu Dreams Resort & Spa. The resort was beautiful and luxurious. They even provided us with a Tuk Tuk for the duration of our stay. The Tuk Tuk turned out to be a great asset since we realised soon that we could not walk around the Angkor Wat complex and see everything due to its size. Our driver also turned out to be very knowledgeable and agreed to double as a tour guide.  

Angkor Wat is massive, spread over acres of land and Cambodia is hot. We devised a strategy of visiting the temples in the morning (never for sunrise though I hear it is highly recommended) and enjoying our resort during the afternoon.

We bought a 3 days pass for US$ 40 that allowed us to enter any of the Angkor Wat temples for three days during the next week freely. The process is simple and fuss free.

Highlights of Angkor Wat

Since we had only three days, we concentrated on seeing the main attractions - Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, the Bayon, Preah Khan, Banteay Srei and Ta Som. It is not possible to talk about all of them here but I would like to mention some of my favourites.

The complex takes its name from the temple of Angkor Wat. It was built in 12^th century as a Hindu temple though now has some Buddhist symbols as well since the later kings; favouring Buddhism tried converting it into a Buddhist temple. The temple is surrounded by a massive moat for the protection of the temple which also represents the oceans where the world originated. The bas reliefs depict a number of Hindu mythologies, such as churning of the ocean and battle of Kurukshetra. The temple turns golden during sunset which is worth the heat of the day.

Ta Prohm is another 12^th century construction and was built as a Buddhist temple. The outer walls of the temple enclose an area of approximately 600,000 square metres which would have been a large town in 12^th century. However, it fell into disrepair after 12^th century and was lost for centuries. One of the most interesting features of this temple- trees growing out of the ruins- is a result of the neglect. This has now become the symbol of Ta Prohm.

 

Ta Prohm- The forest within the temple

The Bayon was constructed in later 12^th century and has beautiful bas reliefs depicted Khmer life in that era as well as stories from Buddhism. The most prominent feature of this temple is its upper terrace where each tower supports two to four faces of Lokeshvara Bodhisattva.

Tips for first time travellers

• Since Cambodia is a tropical country and at its coolest 35 degrees Celsius, it is better to travel during the mornings and the evenings and avoid stepping out during the afternoons. It is a great idea to carry some water with you at all times.
• While very tourist friendly, Cambodia is a conservative country and you cannot enter some of the temples in shorts, very short skirts or sleeveless tops. Since the heat makes it unbearable sometimes, it would be a good idea to carry a light jacket or shrug to be worn while entering such temples.
•  The Tuk Tuk or taxi drivers know a good deal about the temples. However, it is advisable to hire a guide at least while visiting the main attractions. There is a lot of history in there which we may not have understood without the guide to explain it to us.
• Visit the night-markets in Siem Reap. They are full of local goodies (and smuggled electronics) though you will need to bargain hard. We bought beautiful Jade elephants and cobra wine from the night-markets at throwaway prices.
• There are a number of local artists selling their paintings in the night-markets and in the temple compound. It is worth having a look at the local artists and taking a flavour of Cambodia home.
• Do try local food. We tried Khmer style BBQ frog which is currently my favourite memory of the trip.
  

Gems of Karnataka- Hampi and Jog falls

This has been a long time coming. Hampi and Shimoga were two almost unplanned trips that my friends and I took in college. Hampi is a small town which is located within the historical capital of Vijaynagar empire and is famous of the ruins and Hindu temples.

Hampi was my first ever girls' trip. We took an overnight train from Bangalore and reached Hampi early in the morning. We were not staying for the night and therefore, rushed to see as many places as we could. We hired an auto for the day and relied on the auto driver and wikipedia to guide us to the most important of the monuments.

While there are a lot of monuments scattered all over Hampi, we short-listed and visited the Vittala temple, the Virupaksha temple, the twin sister stones, Nandi shrine, Underground Shiv temple (beautiful but smells of bats and stagnant water), Queen's Bath though this was barely a fraction of the grand city of Hampi.

Ruins of Hampi

The most beautiful of the ruins is the Vittalla temple. The temple houses the famous musical pillars and stone chariot. It is one of the two stone chariots in India- the other one being in Konark. The musical pillars are 56 pillars lined in the temple grounds produce musical sound when tapped gently.

Stone chariot at Vittala temple

The temperature was high and we made multiple pit-stops for soda-pop, a drink made of somewhat cold soda, lemon and salt. As teenagers are prone to, we fooled around the temples, posing for weird photographs, including one of us dancing on a temple platform (we decided that the platform would have been the stage for the temple dancers of the empire to perform on).

Tunghbhandra river runs through the town. We made a stop at the riverside. It felt incredible to put our tired feet in nice, cold water and enjoy some of the breeze. The view was beautiful and we had a lot fun watching elephants bathe.

Soon enough it was the time to eat. I was in charge of making a list of places to visit and Swati had been in charge of deciding the lunch venue. We ended up at the Mango Tree restaurant for a late lunch. It was situated at the riverbank and had a great view. The seating arrangements were quite traditional- cushions and mats of the floor. We had a mix of Indian, continental and Israeli dishes and left feeling happy and content. We did some touristy shopping and left for Bangalore by the evening train.

We did another girls' trip not much later. As always, not much had been planned and we went wherever we could get tickets for, i.e. Shimoga. Jog falls, being the second highest waterfall of India, is the most important tourist destination in Shimoga. We went in summers (wonder now why we had such affection for heat!) and therefore, the waterfall was comparatively dry. We however walked down 1400 steps to the bottom of the hill and enjoyed the cool water and the scenery. The view from this side of the waterfall is awesome and made me wonder what it would be like to see it in monsoons when the waterfall is in its full form.

While the walk down to the hill felt like a breeze, the walk up explained the meaning of the phrase "an uphill battle". Tired from too much activity and excitement and having slipped in the pool at the bottom of the fall a few times, we struggled to get back to the top from where we were supposed to take the bus back to our hotel. It was great to reach the hotel and crash on our beds, anticipating the adventures of the next day.

Next day we headed to to Sakrebailu Elephant camp. We went without much expectations and had an awesome time watching the elephants and bathing them. The staff is very friendly and accomodating. We were giddy like kids when a baby elephant posed for our camera (we thought she was posing anyway). A short trip to the tiger and lion safari completed the day.

P.S.- We did not find great food anywhere in Shimoga but gorged on Mysore Pak it is famous for.

Best of the Western Ghats- Bhandardara

Avi and I had just got our car and wanted to take it out for its first road trip. We had been to Lonavala, Khandala and Goa too many times and wanted to go to a not-so-common place. We decided on Bhandardara which is as yet unspoiled. Lush greens, untouched villages, narrow roads through the hills and Arthur lake made it a perfect weekend getaway.

First, a bit of information on the practical matters. Bhandardara is approximately 4 hours from Mumbai. The last leg of the drive has bad roads but a brilliant view of the hills.

We chose to stay at the MTDC resort. MTDC has the knack of picking out the best location everywhere though usually not much else can be said about their resorts. We were pleasantly surprised by the room which was comfortable and clean and had been recently renovated. Our room had a view of Arthur lake and the hills. The service however had not improved since we last stayed in an MTDC resort. They refused to take our order for snacks at 6.30pm because kitchen closes at 7pm and it takes them half an hour to make pakodas!

Our grievances with MTDC services apart, the trip turned out to be great. Since we had not done much research on the place, we decided to take a guide with us. We started with Wilson dam. The park leading up to Wilson dam is quite unkempt but makes a pleasant picnic spot. The water from the dam falls in the shape of an umbrella which is quite beautiful to watch.

Park near Wilson Dam

After spending some time taking in the scenery from different sides of Wilson dam, we went to Arthur lake for boating. The lake was at the same level as the road and it felt like the force of water was barely being stopped by the gates to the dam. We even spotted some birds around the islands in the lake. We took a motorboat though it retrospect a rowboat would have been a better idea. The noise of the motorboat took away from the serenity of the moment.

Arthur Lake from the boat

Our next stop, Randha falls has been created by Pravara river and is an exceptional sight. It falls from the height of 45 mts and can be heard from a distance. 

Randha Falls

Pravara river also meets a seasonal ravine near the waterfall reminding me of the Gate of the Kings from LOTR. It is probably the most beautiful part of Bhandardara. You can even walk over the hydro power dam created near the waterfall. Our feet were hurting slightly after walking in sun so we dipped our feet in the water and enjoyed the breeze for a while. 

The view of Pravara River near Randha falls

We then headed to the Amriteshwar temple, built in 1100 AD. The temple itself is set on the banks of the lake and has some beautiful carvings. It is a functional Shiv temple and loses some of its charm with people walking in and out to worship. The drive back from the temple to the resort was a beauty with Arthur lake on our right Western Ghats around us and the sunset.

Drive from Amriteshwar Temple

Sunset in Bhandardara

We skipped Mount Kalasubai during this trip. It is the highest peak of Maharashtra and supposed to be a beautiful trek but that is for the next trip.

One week in Scotland

Avi and I made a quick trip to Scotland in July 2014 when I was seconded to London for some time. We arrived in Scotland on a pleasant summer evening and were quickly charmed by the beauty and the quirks of Edinburgh. The narrow streets and old tilting buildings in the old town are a strong reminder of the Diagon Alley. The infamous Scottish weather was kind to us and it did not rain much during our trip. 

We chose to stay in a B&B for the night and headed to the Highlands the next day. Before we left, we enjoyed our first taste of the Scottish cuisine. Black pudding (a dish of pork blood and oatmeal) with goat cheese at a local restaurant was great. Food-wise Scotland turned out to be a land of treasures. During the course of the trip, we also tried square sausages- a Scottish breakfast favourite, beef carpaccio and brilliantly fresh local mussels. Avi tried haggis- a dish made of sheep's offal though I don't think that will enter the list of our favourites.

Our lunch at Ondine in Edinburgh

Anyway, the next day we headed to the Highlands. We had arranged to travel through Rabbie's travel group which turned out to be a great idea. Our driver/guide Ally was interesting, knowledgeable and very humorous. We drove through the hills, stopping at pine forests for walks, waterfalls for a view and some local pubs for a taste of Highland hospitality. Ally added context to various stops with the local legends, including the stories of Clan McGregor and Clan Campbell. 

Forth Bridge on the way out from Edinburgh

A glimpse of the Highlands

Our travel plan included Urquhart castle and Loch Ness. We made more than our fair share of visits to Loch Ness to see Nessie (and the giant eels that the lake is famous for) but that was not to be. The lake itself is the second largest lake in Scotland, nestled in the Highlands. The pebbled beach of the lake makes a beautiful place to walk and to watch the sun set from.

Loch Ness

Loch Ness for Urquhart Castle

No trip to Scotland can be completed without a taste of Scotch and a whisky tour. On the way to Inverness, where we were staying for the night, we did a tour of Tomatin whisky distillery and a tasting. The 12 years old single malt whisky was slightly sweet and went down very smoothly. We chose to buy a 15 years old and an 18 years old single malt, both of which turned out to be good choices. Tomatin's 18 years old single malt has become my favourite whisky though I do not seem to find it in India.

Whisky barrels at Tomatin distillery

On the way back to Edinburgh, we stopped at Caledonian Canal, which connects four major lakes of Scotland, to see the opening of the gates of the canal. It is a tradition from another era and a beautiful sight. 

We spent the next few days in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh castle is an unmissable attraction which provides 360 degrees view of the city and hosts the National War Museum and the Scottish crown jewels. The castle is to Scotland what the Tower of London is to England. The castle stands at the top of an extinct volcano. As you walk in, you are greeted by the statues of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, guarding the history of Scotland. While it is difficult to summarise the entire castle in this post, the National Museum of War, the Great Hall, the Royal Palace and the Crown Jewels were well worth the walk in the heat.

Edinburgh Castle

We also visited St. Giles Cathedral, Princess Street Gardens and Scottish National Gallery. The cobbled Royal Mile pebbled with old Scottish style pubs and taverns makes for a beautiful walk. 

My fascination with all things supernatural also lead to us joining the City of the Dead group on a haunted graveyard tour to the Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery, the Covenantor's Prison and the Black Mausoleum looking for the Mackenzie Poltergeist. We did not see any ghosts except for the one supplied by the tour company at the end of the tour. The ghost caused a guy to hide behind his heavily pregnant wife (much to the amusement of everyone). It was a hilarious end to the trip. The next day, we left Scotland with a smile, and a promise to return soon.