Travels with Faith
I always wanted to travel and spent a few years backpacking around Europe and Asia working on the way but then for many years, apart from family holidays in Europe, I didn't really do any travelling -- now the time has come to hit the road again -- not quite -- money not as plentiful as would have liked but still ... once or twice a year, barring world wars, ecological disasters and the end of the world as we know it, I will be adding to this travel blog with at least my annual holiday, and from time to time, something a little more ambitious. graphix2go
Travel Blog Posts
March 7th 2010
Feb. 27 -- we went up to the snowline this morning. We didn't know what to expect as we were told to buy blankets and warm clothes. All the way up there are shops renting ski suits, equipment and boots, even fur coats, with salesmen calling out that it is "compulsory" to hire ski clothes or we wouldn't be allowed into the site. We withstood the pressure and arrived at the Solang Valley Ski Resort to blazing sunshine and blue skies. There were many Indian families enjoying themselves. The site offered all the usual entertainments -- mule and yak rides, ski mobiles, ski lessons, paragliding, etc. The ski lift wasn't in operation so the season must be over. We took a long walk on a side road through a winter wonderland -- and not cold at ... read more
Happy Holi -- Festival of Colors, Feb. 28
Published: March 6th 2010Asia » India » Himachal Pradesh » Manali
March 6th 2010
(Also March 1st -- in Delhi and other places there were big parties, missed that, saw it on TV) We set out today driving to Naggar for a nice view and maybe on to a Tibetan monastery. Along the way we saw many children with color on their faces, all very excited, running in the streets, spraying color on each other, often just dumping the whole packet of color over the "victim's" head. Of course our driver had explained everything to us ... ha, ha, ha. As we drove along the car was hit by barrages of color fired by small groups of children that would leap out from behind buildings and ambush the car. The kids were having the best time, laughing and giggling, free to spray colors everywhere and on everybody. At first we ... read more
March 6th 2010
Now we are spending the night in a small town on the way to Manali. We were supposed to spend the night in Chandigarh in the Punjab, but we got there at 1 in the afternoon and didn't want to stay. It is a modern city, still on the plains, that has been laid out by a Swiss architect so has good town planning, wide roads, etc. and is probably very nice to live in but not so interesting for a tourist with the whole day in front of him. In spite of that, there were big squatter camps on the way out of town. As it was the time the school children go home for lunch, the area was crowded with well-groomed students, all in their school uniforms, holding hands and laughing as they made ... read more
March 3rd 2010
We spent our last day in Allepey being taken around by a nice rickshaw driver. He wasn't pushy, he didn't talk too much, he didn't charge high prices and I'm ashamed to say I didn't catch his name and at the end was too embarrassed to ask. He took us to a very colorful, impressive temple. The whole temple was covered in portrayals of the Gods. We had quite a long visit as there was a lot to see. In the afternoon the rickshaw driver arranged a boat for us. We took a 2 hour trip up the backwaters and across the lake. It had comfortable seats and shade and it was a very pleasant experience -- but somehow it seemed much longer and it was enough for us. We saw all our neighbors from the ... read more
March 3rd 2010
The night fell and it was lovely and quiet and cool and we were just getting ready to move inside and go to sleep when the big houseboat parked next to us turned on their generator so that the fat, old, Europeans could have AC while they slept (btw, the fat, old, Europeans were probably about as fat and old as us -- but we're not Europeans). So we had the throbbing of the generator and petrol fumes all night long - thought about complaining -- but to whom exactly? Anyway, I am happy to say that last night there were no houseboats parked overnight here -- and all was quiet and good. I managed to upload photos to the travel blog for Udaipur and Kochi but there were 3 power failures in the 3 hours ... read more
March 3rd 2010
We got to our hotel in Allepey which is just gorgeous -- we are staying in a bungalow right next to the water. We have an open air bathroom where you can look up at the coconut trees and just after we arrived a brown bird with bright blue wings came and sat a while on a branch close by. there is a canoe stop just near our cottage and we can sit on our patio and watch the river traffic go by. In the evening, there are workers and school children returning home, some with their bicycles -- all being ferried across the water -- no engine -- silently gliding past. There is no traffic noise, just the sounds of people living by the water, crickets and birds. The green of the tea plantations has ... read more
February 23rd 2010
Kumily is a small town, existing mostly because of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to about 1,000 wild elephants and about 40 tigers. The climate is very pleasant and it is surrounded by jungle and tea and spice plantations. The following are notes from my diary when I was despairing of ever finding a fast computer and was reduced to scribbling in my notebook: Have been out on the balconey from 6 -- can't see much -- lots of bird song. At 6.30 thick mist rolls in obscuring everything. 10 minutes later it rolls out. At about 7 the sun starts to light the tops of the trees and the clouds recede. Many birds. I like it here. I want to stay 3 or 4 days. More birds -- different shapes and sizes -- can't really see ... read more
February 17th 2010
I just remembered the little goat that followed us home in Kochi -- some cities have monkeys, some lots of cows, some squirrels, and Kochi has goats -- cute, little, white ones. Used for milk, I think. Anyway, one night on the way home, we had stayed a bit too late in the "bar" and walked home through completely deserted streets when suddenly we saw a little goat standing in the middle of the road, bleating it's cute little goat bleat and seemed to be lost. So we spoke to her and from that moment on she followed us and when we came to the hotel she followed us right through the front door and would have came up the stairs with us if the night watch man didn't shoo her away. So we took a ... read more
February 17th 2010
We flew into Kochi after a nice flight from New Delhi -- impressed with the domestic airport and the efficiency. Really it has been quite easy to get from point A to point B on this trip -- everything on time, all in reasonable condition, staff efficient and pleasant -- but still, in India, it is never really easy -- it is, after all, India. So after getting to Kochi we have slowed the pace. Also because we are in the tropics now and it is really hot. Kochi was a nice little town but just too hot for us to do much during the day. Like most Indian towns, it is dead at night. Anyway, one day we did have a bit of a walk around and came back exhausted and didn't leave the room ... read more
February 17th 2010
Hi, I think I finally found an internet cafe that has a fast connection, plus I am not jammed into a hot, little cubicle trying to write something with sweat running into my eyes. We have been in small towns and we can't really use the internet -- it is tooo slow and we don't have the patience -- or time, somehow -- we are too busy. Anyway, I will write a few entries and then even try to upload some photos -- but first I will write something -- the trouble with not writing when you are experiencing these things is that you don't really remember the little things that make it fun, you just tend to remember the dry facts -- not very interesting -- and without photos, this could be really deadly. Anyway, ... read more
Tot: 0.089s; Tpl: 0.005s; cc: 10; qc: 88; dbt: 0.0574s; 1; s:notus w:www (50.28.61.183); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.8mb
