This week we had the BBQ to anticipate, thus not needing a lunch in our backpacks. I started the day with my fishcake bunwich breakfast, although another hiker forgot hers at home in the fridge – always a worry of mine. A couple of us shared our snacks with her so she wouldn’t be starving. She did notice lack of energy on our hike. So few people signed up for the B version of the planned walks that the A version was divided into A, slow A, and slower A, plus the C group that walked part way around Lake Kananaskis. I started with the slow A group, but they weren’t tolerating stoppages for photos or breathing. So I let the last person in that group know that I was hanging back for the slower A ... read more

With the advent of July the bus leaves ay 7:30, prompting me to bring breakfast to eat on the bus – salmon cakes in a bun with lettuce spears and a banana. The bus was almost full with 47 participants. Our destination was Kananaskis. Eight of us chose the “C” option, a short walk up to the lake. The other options had 1500 ft in elevation change – too much for me, I think. The initial steep uphill was to the campground (no cars, wilderness permit required for camping). The footing was packed dirt with loose and embedded stones, possibly indicating forestry vehicle access. We all agreed to walk further beside the river into a beautiful valley affording a 360-degree view of mountain peaks, little snow. After not long we encountered a serious stream tumbling across ... read more

You might remember this passage from 2012 January 16 when I bought my saris. A year later, I finished the sari curtains and celebrated with a tea party. “Thus we came to Kanchipuram, home of the best silk weavers and best sari collections. Along the street for about a kilometre or more were open-fronted shops spilling colourful saris and fabrics for men’s clothes. Vendors flapped open the tightly folded cloths for customers to examine. Ranks of parked motorbikes (or two-wheelers as they are called here) hemmed in customers and vendors alike. “Our stop brought us to an indoor store. On the nearest counter were heaps of silk scarves. I asked immediately about the saris and was ushered over to another counter. Before leaving Calgary I had used paint-tint-cards from Home Depot as samples to decide on ... read more

Today the first part of our tour was on the bus, trying to see the historic buildings from British times through the windows. The sun was almost always in the wrong position to take photos, and we could only see bits of the buildings. Frustrating, even though our guide was knowledgeable and interesting in how she introduced the sites and their architecture. Most significant was the last cast-iron buildingin Mumbai – the hotel that refused entry to the “original” Mr Tata, Mumbai businessman, because he was Indian. He got his revenge by opening the Taj Mahal Palace, open to all. Six rupees per room then. Our first stop was at a Jain temple. This one was quite new, with part still under construction. A few weeks ago the historic temple was closed to tourists, because a ... read more

Our guide, Cesar, is a lively, experienced guide who speaks excellent English; he obvious has Portuguese mix in his features. He says that Goans are not unhappy with their 450 years of colonial status, but they are glad to be free (since 1961 following an invasion by the Indian army). He is passionate about his Goan identity, and later in the day he waxed long about Indian politics and corruption, plus how the Russians are spoiling the tours industry by dressing and behaving inappropriately. This gravely insulted V__, who was born and lived in Russia. However, apparently some Russians do come for cheap all-inclusives, and they drink and eat too much. They have usually made their money from oil and drugs. Our tour started with two large adjacent churches: Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral. (Bom is ... read more