India, Sri Lanka, Bali Western Australia 2019
Holi in India
When starting out on a big trip one has to assume that all the parts are lined up like dominos...poised... ready to fall on each other at the right moment...a series of little changes .....set off alarm bells in my head...different flight number ..different seat ....delayed departure .....one bag decided to stay in Seattle rather than join me on my flight........ arrived in Male Maldives a mere 36 hours after leaving home...tedious 7 hr layover didn’t help....staggered off the plane and lurched onto a water taxi that deposited me at the wharf in town…..30 ft water taxis were 3 deep at the dock.....so you have to gallop across 3 or 4 rocking boats bows to achieve land...hoping you and your luggage don’t end up in the water.
Male is a bustling city...motorcycles are plentiful and EVERYWHERE!! They ignore crosswalks which makes attempting to cross a challenge...locals don’t seem to hesitate or even look ..they simply step off the curb and into the street ....no one even notices when a motorcycle misses them by inches. 5am call to prayer is the way to wake up...sounded wonderful....unfortunately they have paved paradise and put up high rise buildings...too bad that the huge and lovely banyan and rhododendron trees are few and far between...1600 islands in the Maldives the majority are uninhabited.
Reluctant baggage finally showed up and off we went to embark on the ship....seems that the tenders that were supposed to take us and all the luggage we not up to snuff so they decided the luggage would go on the tender and the people would go in the Zodiacs....hummmm .....Zodiacs aren’t my favorite mode of transportation but swimming seemed to be the only other option so in I went .....finally underway...heading north towards our first stop of Uligamu.
Rough seas left a few people feeling quite ill overnight...happily I was fine...learning that it was impossible to try sleep on your side ...and making a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night was a real challenge
After a snorkel briefing that left me EVEN more reluctant to get in the water...collected all my gear...then happily watch the group go out to snorkel off the platform
Set sail for Cochin India....ANOTHER night off rough seas....will be glad to be in port for a couple of days.
Arrived in Cochin in late afternoon...after a short ferry ride across the harbor .....did a walk around Old Cochin with its markets and harbor...one moment you can smell incense burning the next moment it’s burning trash.....followed by plumeria or patchouli....sights, sounds and smells like no where else....so much to see.....colorful chaos .....visited the church where Vasco De Gama was buried....a lot of the staff are naturalist/birders etc..so much fun to have them point out butterflies, birds etc....except for the ornithologist that got very excited after spotting an Unusual species of rat...he promptly put on his head lamp and went crashing through the bushes to hopefully see more
We all jumped into tuk-tuks to go to dinner....a fabulous Indian meal….lots of local dishes...some VERY spicy...outside overlooking the harbor..heavenly
Even more heavenly....had a wonderful nights sleep...no rocking and rolling since we are docked in the harbor...happy days!!!!
A quick note we had a 1/2 hour time change between Maldives and India...never heard of an 1/2 time change....makes sense since Maldives are literally in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
Into bus/coaches for long drive to the Backwaters....amazing area of rivers and canals...rice patties cover the countryside.......rice boats (that are in fact houseboats) drift along...they have woven /thatched roofs and are all unique and quite charming.....the locals apparently like to stay in the canals while us tourist tend to want to visit the largest lake in the Kerala province, Vembanad. This area had a 100 year flood last summer ...some of the effects still quite obvious ...over a million people were displaced.
I made the mistake of sitting in the front seat of the bus on the return trip....imagine a 2 lane road that is reality a 4 lane road with VERY a large shoulders......lanes may be defined but are absolutely ignored....... if you want to pass someone...hit the horn then drift into the middle section ...yes the one with the white line at the center...usually the biggest vehicle takes precedence ...but there is a fair amount of the game of chicken involved...do you give way or carry on....had to cover my eyes several times....pedestrians are not looked upon any differently than a car or truck ....also the man driving the motorcycle may be wearing a helmet but his wife and children are not...everyone seems to somehow understand that everyone else will miss them...this crazy fluid dance is more like watching the tide come in
Lakshadweep Islands belong to India...so many Indian officials are traveling with us......I was tying very hard not to anticipate the mode of transportation to get from the ship to Tinnakara Island...needless to say the dreaded Zodiacs were being launched...it is announced that it is a 4-5 mile ride to the islands....WHAT???.....I take a deep breath looking around at the 2 children as well as the octogenarians who are queuing up to go and put on my life jacket and get in the Zodiac ...of coarse the launching area is moving ...the ship is moving ....the Zodiacs are moving...I somehow manage to take my seat without incident and off we go...midway .there is some discussion between the various Zodiacs and our “pilot” boat as to the best way in....bobbing and rolling we wait whilst a better coarse is decided upon...finally we race off ….passing what appeared to be 2 perfectly lovely islands...happily we did see a group of about 25 turtles....the water is incredibly clear turquoise blue...arrive at the beach...quite a nice spot to spend an afternoon....VERY choppy going back and the Zodiac I am in seems to have a slow leak so the bow keeps folding up towards us.....the only thing that kept me from sobbing was the thought of a LARGE glass of wine...what a way to spend my birthday....LOL
Today’s island is Suheli...completely uninhabited....absolutely spectacular white sand beach ..sparkling blue water.....palm trees gently swaying.....Robinson Caruso would have been thrilled....the dreaded Zodiac ride was only 20 minutes and we were going to have a BBQ on the beach for lunch....perfect and lovely.......unfortunately the ride back was dreadful...huge swells ..water coming over the bow...needless the say disembarking was a nightmare...landing dock would be 10 feet above us then level..then dropping down several feet...timing was crucial....I will admit I was a little shaken when I finally made it back on board....am seriously wondering if I will be able to get off tomorrow for the final island.....truly I HATE the ocean....I might be able to warm up to it if it would just stopping moving!!!!!
The expedition crew are amazing and fearless .....and I think they must be from another planet...they are totally at ease and comfortable standing and steering the Zodiacs ….bobbing dipping and at one with the ocean....who are these people?
4—Decided to forego the last Zodiac trip to island of Cheriyum...hear the ride wasn’t bad and beach was great...still glad I didn’t have to be face to face with the Zodiac again.
Arrived in the Indian port of Vizhinjam......unfortunately the captain decided that the docking facilities weren’t adequate so we were moored just outside the harbor and the dreaded Zodiacs were unloaded...inner harbor packed with colorful fishing boats...buses took us into the the capital city...viewed the Padmanabhaswamy temple..only Hindus are allowed inside ...the area in front of the temple is teeming with locals …..visitors…...peddlers…..tiny stands selling religious items...visited the horse palace, Kuthiramlika, 122 smiling horses decorate the outside of this 80 room palace...carved wooden ceilings...amazing and intricate wood work everywhere...beautiful rooms overlooking hidden courtyards..royal family still owns and maintains the palace....wander through the maze of local markets...selling everything from vegetables to flower garlands..pots pans...baskets..pottery...apparently the trend is towards newer more modern markets...hard to imagine that the local market might become a thing of the past especially in this part of the world. Attended a Kathakali dance performance...elaborate costumes....3 hours for makeup....dance very stylized...only men are allowed to do the dance...driving back to the ship the ornithologist spots a group of flying foxes...aka giant fruit bats...does this fellow ever see anything normal or pretty?.....back to the ship where the Captain announces that the passage between India and Sri Lanka is expecting very rough seas with heavy winds....people are tossing down seasick pills like children eating candy from a piñata....ROLLING HEAVING LURCHING with occasional loud thumps that would shake the entire ship.... ..the crew called it lumpy.....can’t see out my window this morning since the water is running down the outside ....might be a while before I book another cruise
Arrive in Galle Sri Lanka...what a charming quaint little town surrounded by large former Portuguese/Dutch/English fort....wandered the streets...much cleaner and calmer than India....this town was hit hard by the 2014 tsunami.....a terrific Indian seafood dinner on the beach. Left Galle and headed to the Marissa trench...saw 40+ whales breaching and their spouts plus a group of dolphins.....very fun the watch people running side to side as the whales were spotted....all the marine biologists were over the moon.....full day of sailing today but at least the weather is better and seas somewhat calmer.....Trincomalee is the next stop
Apparently we headed into a strong current all night...would explain the rolling ..pitching and generally massive movement of the ship all night...arrive in port..jump on the coaches and head into the country side...lovely ...pastoral...lots of rice grown in the area...saw egrets..storks…..tons of birds...arrive Sirigiriya….a huge religious and cultural destination...unfortunately it was a Sunday...a holiday AND a full moon tonight...so many people waiting to scale this huge rock outcropping ....that coupled with a miscommunication with our guide and other group...I didn’t get to the very top but 3/4 of the way...too many people..too many metal stairs that are hanging off the side of the rock face...had a wonderful Sri Lankan lunch at a nearby hotel...on the way back to the ship saw a young WILD elephant on the side of the road...very exciting ....tomorrow another full day at sea....will be very glad to be back on land once more....head to Bali very early Tuesday am....
Final day on ship was thankfully calmer in the Bay of Bengal...disembarking was as chaotic as only the Indians can make it....papers….papers and more papers...5 passport inspections in a period of 15 minutes ...then almost got chewed up on the escalator juggling 2 rolling bags and a carry on...but happily located my car to hotel...spent the afternoon sightseeing with 2 couples from the ship...temples..churches...museums...rested at hotel for the remainder of the afternoon..prepping for midnight flight to Bali
Flying into Kuala Lumpur..sky barely lighter than the water....clusters of lights in a sea of black...andromeda’s spiraling ...giving hints of the shapes of the islands below…..gigantic airport....arrive Denpasar...almost 2 hour drive to the hotel....after leaving the city…...tiny roads meandering through villages....flags and 20 ft slender bamboo poles line the streets..imagine an upside down J….gently bobbing in the breeze....decorated with woven decorations and a small basket like cage at eye level..rice patties..jungle...temples...shrines......certain districts have collectives of artisans...wood carving ..stone carving...paintings...furniture makers....makes me what to redo my house ....amazing hotel in old Balinese style..on the side of a small river gorge...jungle competing with flowers...frangipani.....bougainvillea.....hibiscus .....orchids fill giant pots covered with moss....all the stairs (of which there are 100’s) have a large marigold on each step...the public areas have plumerias on stairs...over the top in regards to flowers.....walk ways wend in and around the property...some stepping stones through water....wooden walkways.....at night stairs that are dimly lighted...potential hazards abound....gorgeous...will have try and whip up some enthusiasm to go explore.
Next morning I ventured into town before the heat of the day....high humidity...explored the busy streets and alley ways no wider than 3 feet..visited the palace....after a wonderful seafood lunch overlooking the pool decided to climb into one of the large round chairs on the deck above the river...waterfall directly across from me...perfect....without warning the skies opened and it was an absolute deluge...scooted back under the cover as far as I could.....raining so hard that I am worried about my IPad getting wet...pulled the giant seat cushion over my head and waited...finally....the rain stopped....I am soaking wet..IPad now under my shirt ....sprint up the 6 flights of stairs but feel more like a salmon heading upstream since the water is running down the stairway..and head for a shower ...last day here...so.arrange for a driver to take me to The Tegenungan waterfall.....100’s of stairs to get down to river...waterfall is gorgeous...butterflies are everywhere...birdsong fills the air....it is a little unnerving to see the people coming back up...young and not so young...everyone sweating and gasping for air...steep climb......quick stop to visit Pura Goa Gajah temple....GIANT banyan trees.....ponds filled with water lilies...green ...lush..vines hanging from trees.....entered the temple...SO much incense in the air one can barely breath...people exit coughing.....Pura Gunjung Kwai temple ...massive carved stupas on rock face…...rice patties dot the terraces…...water pipes placed in top patties....gravity used to water the lower levels...small river with stone bridges...the entire effect breathtaking...of coarse 100’s of more stairs...add 100% humidity and you could imagine what I felt like as I staggered back up to the top...restful afternoon and massage...depart Bali very early tomorrow.....next stop Australia
5—Arrived in Perth...suddenly back to warm and dry climate...feels more Mediterranean....very clean and quiet after the chaos of India...people all very welcoming and friendly....eucalyptus trees.....palm trees...bougainvillea and all the crazy Australian trees and shrubs i.e. something called a black butt.....rivers....estuaries….birds galore...ibis....egrets….cormorants…..honey eaters...kookaburra...PARROTS and COCKATOOS ..some of the birds make a sound similar to a weird car alarm..some make a sound like a baby being strangled....I am not kidding...wondering if sleep will be possible....... hit the ground running…..quick nap and shower then attended Australia Day party at may friends home.....very interesting mix of artists.....professors.....belly dancer...photographers...and 3 wonderfully interesting sisters that were all over 6 ft tall.....lovely walking/biking path just across the street from the house...it goes for miles along the river...huge dog parks...everyone biking or walking......lovely view of the city.....so nice to be able to walk without dripping sweat after 2 minutes...since it was still a holiday here…..we drove through city center…..very modern…..wonderful parks are everywhere...visited the Botanical Gardens.....every neighborhood has a large green space......charming Victorian style homes interspersed amongst large more modern homes...this must have been a paradise (like California in the 30’s)....we went to see the film “At Eternity’s Gate” at the university...the film was being shown outside in the huge grove of Norfolk Pines...beautiful setting.....everyone picnicking ....perhaps 3/4 of the way through the film I see this huge spider dangling from one of the trees right in front of the screen...all I can wonder is does the spider have friends that are all parachuting down on the heads of all us unsuspecting film goers....
Drive 3 hrs south to the town of Margaret River...GORGEOUS scenery...traffic more like Interstate 90 on a slow morning...kangaroos everywhere...even a mother with a Joey in her pouch...plumerias...honeysuckle…..jacaranda…..orchids....gigantic eucalyptus trees....ferns that are 6-8 ft tall.....very forested...spectacular beaches that go for miles and miles..beautiful white sand...saw lots of stingrays ....people were actually in the water petting them.....late in the afternoon stopped by several vineyards...beautifully landscaped gardens...roses were abundant ......easy to imagine that you could be in desert version of Italy or France wine country
Drove a short way out of town along the river to a small waterfall...stunning homes scattered throughout the forest...if they call this the bush in this part of Australia - I am in love with it.....looks like heaven to me...saw a Splendid Fairy Wren...bright indigo blue...think Lazuli bunting but all different shades of blue...had a quiet day poking around galleries and shops.....sitting on the veranda having a glass of wine when Bill says he’s discovered a new (for him) restaurant in town...fellow from the NYT has written about it..all the reviews are gushing...we call for res and they say come in 5 mins or in 3 hrs..we literally jump up gulping wine and off we go...the restaurant is Japanese and TOTALLY amazing....7 courses..all with 5 or 6 tiny bites of perfection...beautifully presented......honestly the best meal I have had the pleasure of consuming in quiet some time
There is an older couple from Belfast staying at the same B&B...the fellow had the best line.....we were talking about how long it took to drive to a nearby town and he said “If you don’t go into every hole in the hedge, it’s about 45 minutes.” LOL ..the Irish have a way with words.....
Back in Perth.....Visited the home of an artist named Ian de Souza....what a charming eclectic home....old box car on one side...massive table on a track like you would find in a mine...sides of the house are huge sliding screens....art everywhere...he has painted the back of the china cabinets, part of the glass entry way..and tossed in some stained glass...so creative.....bougainvillea cascading over the archway to the courtyard ...had a lovely lunch...since he is from Malaysia....the 100 degrees didn’t seem to bother him much...I was trying very hard not to sweat onto my plate.
Went into the city for dinner and took the ferry back across the river...the city was so beautiful at night..reflections...ideal temperature..honestly doesn’t get much better than this...final day was spent in Fremantle...utterly charming town...the old territorial style architecture is wonderful....really reminds me of the ironworks on the balconies in the French Quarter in New Orleans.....verandas...huge gum trees with gleaming white bark.....Western Roselle parrots darting through the branches...tiny courtyards with a restaurant or coffee house tucked under a grape arbor or hibiscus tree..loads of galleries and it is all on the waterfront..the bustling port is very close...strolled through the farmers markets...buying local honey..enjoying the sights and sounds....had a coffee at a great old fashioned coffee house on the Main Street..so interesting watching the world go by....I will reluctantly say goodbye to Western Australia...it was beautiful....fly out tonite to return to India
6—Another overnight flight...arrived back in Chennai.....after orderly and law abiding Australia...Chennai is like a slap in the face...overwhelming...a tsunami of disorder..... I love it...spent the afternoon reorganizing my 2 large bags ..paring down to 2 carryons...figured the train station was no place for a large rolling bag.....unsure of boarding procedures etc....driver dropped me off...NO words can describe the scene....carts filed with large bags of rice competing with families with children....golf carts blaring horns and hoping to part the crowd enough to maneuver through the throng of people..this being Sunday ..supposedly the crowds weren’t as bad as a week day...could have fooled me....loud speaker BLARING...after a somewhat bewildering orientation.....I managed to locate information office ...determined what platform my train was on and waited...I was THE ONLY white person in the entire station...literally...many people staring..still I asked several people about my train and was able to determine which car was mine....have a compartment with 3 other people....a young woman and a fellow from Singapore..both are mechanical engineers and a young train engineer ...my haven for the next 6 hours.....we pass a huge lake and I go to the entrance of the car to take a picture..the fellow standing there opens the outside door so I get get a better shot.....ARE YOU KIDDING?....imagine anywhere else in the world where they would open a door on a moving train.....trying to sip water since I imagine the Bio toilets are going to be something of a nightmare........used a good portion of my disinfecting wipes…..even managed to use the toilet on a MOVING train..with out touching any surfaces...no small feat....arrive in Dindigul...no one to meet me on platform...a lovely couple that were disembarking with me and spoke good English suggested I go to main entrance..this place looks like the worst Mexican town you have ever seen...starting to wonder if this place was a good choice.......still no driver...anxiety level inching up....needless to say it’s also about 90 degrees...the couple reappears and their driver calls my driver...my driver is 5 minutes away.....by the time the couple load all their luggage and their adult daughter and 2 grandchildren and all their luggage in a couple of Tuktuks...I am still waiting...another call to my driver...suddenly he is there....thank goodness....but for the compassion and kindness of strangers I might still be sitting in an Indian train station....1+ hour ride to hotel.....pass through banana groves...and rice patties....small farms dot the landscape...when we are some ways out of town and can see several mountain ranges..my driver waves towards some and says we are going to the top....sure we are I am thinking HA HA....think about the road to Pine Creek trail only it’s 20 miles long ..AND that the road is literally 10 feet wide...trucks...buses cars….motorcycles...everyone seems to know to the inch where their vehicle starts and ends....jaw dropping vistas...huge rock faces..mountains similar to Sedona or Southern California ....monkeys sit along side the road.....large squirrels (that look like miniature raccoons) jumping from tree to tree.....anxiety level receding....finally we arrive ...much cooler up here .....spectacular property...Rajakkad Estate, beautiful building in the style of old Kerala...wooden lintels at each doorway....wood carvings along the walls....several courtyards ....flowers everywhere.......hidden rooms and spaces that need to be explored...everything open...sublime.....pondering if gauze curtain will keep the monkeys out......have 2 large boulders as steps from my room to large garden..I leap into the day......2 couples from the UK......1 French couple and 1 couple from Boston...think we are all feeling terribly intrepid for finding this place....wake up to bird song.....so many different voices ....laid there just listening....breakfast is served in the garden...birds all around...mountains on the horizon.....several of us go on a 7 mile stroll this morning...Sudham is the fellow in charge and he has an exceptional eye for birds....monkeys..butterflies ...through the jungle we trek...coffee ,banana and pepper plantations....climbing up and up....around a corner and suddenly we have panoramic view of the valley below......apparently last year a very bad cyclone hit this area.......many downed trees and of coarse downed power lines that we stumble across in the middle of the jungle....back for lunch and siesta then go for afternoon walk through lower plantation...I don’t think I could be happier......paradise flycatchers...scarlet minivet...orioles...an eagle.....a black faced monkey and her baby.....huge butterflies ....flowers of every color you can think of...at night you can hear squirrels and chipmunks cavorting along the tile roof....often you hear a loud shot/report from across the valley......fireworks are set off to keep the monkeys out of the banana plantations ...repeat for 5 days....bliss.....did find a 3 inch leech in the bathroom sink...had to grab one of the houseboys to dispose of it ...YUCK....train back into Chennai is almost any hour late....so hot that I thought I might melt ...I get on the train FINALLY ...collapsing into the air conditioning ...the little fellow that is in charge of the car tells me I have an upper “bunk” ..I tell him there is not a chance in the world that I am climbing up into that dark hole for 7 hours...luckily the conductor agreed with me and I was able to enjoy the view from a reasonably clean window...fly out tonite at 3:00 AM....not happy to be returning to the frozen north temperature wise...but will be very happy to see to sleep in my own bed
