11 March 2013 Varkala, India

Long walk this morning, this time northwards away from the cliffs. I am walking on a brick and clay/sand path alongside the shore. It is mostly rock sea defences, with occasional beaches, mostly small, with fishing boats resting on the sand.

Then a beautiful deserted mosque, right next to the shore, isolated from any community.

Further along there are several small villages. I guess these are the homes of fishing families, owners of the boats and numerous nets.

As I walk back along the path, my view of the distant cliffs reveals just how precarious the shops and restaurants along the top are.

Later, on the way to the beach, south along the cliff-top path, I take a few photos from the edge. 

The cliffs are tertiary sedimentary formations which are a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat Kerala coastline. Known as the Varkala Formation and declared a geological monument by the government, they are unfortunately falling into the sea.

Here is a view from the back of the beach.

Plenty of sun and some white cloud while I am on the beach this afternoon. The sea is like a warm bath.

My evening meal by the sea is butter masala with chicken, the thick tomato and onion sauce is delicious, the chunks of chicken tender and tasty.

All the Best to you all, John

10 march 2013 Varkala, India

Breakfast by the sea, a quiet morning reading Ian Rankin, a walk along the cliff-top to the beach. The north end of the beach is where tourists and locals relax and play on the golden sand and in the sea. There are powerful waves and a strong undertow, Stanley had been right to warn me off going out too far. They lose swimmers every year here, despite beach ‘police’ who constantly blow whistles and wave furiously at people who stray too far from the shore. They are fully dressed in a proper uniform with no lifeguard equipment other than a sunshade and a chair so obviously have no intention of rescuing anybody. However their whistles are very loud and insistent.

I spend a very pleasant afternoon on this beach. It is Sunday and a lot of local youths are having a great time climbing on each other to make towers and running and splashing in the sea. All good fun, happy atmosphere.

The south end of the beach is used by Indians to scatter the ashes of their cremated dead relatives into the sea. Devotees believe that the strong religious properties of the water will extend to the souls of the departed. They don’t seem to mind us potentially swimming in their ashes.

Early evening I take a walk up the back street behind the holiday villas, very quiet with a few local people going about their business. The supermarket is about 10 ft. square, I buy water.

This evening I attend the Kerala Food Festival incorporating the Indian Classical Dance Festival in the garden of The Bohemian Masala. It’s Indian food of course, buffet style, so I help myself to a little of everything and find a table with a good, if distant, view of the stage. The setting is lovely, towering palm trees, flowering bushes and subtle lighting. I enjoy the Indian music as much as the dancing. Two ladies and a young man give solo performances, then a boy and a girl join the man in a coordinated display, all danced beautifully and rhythmically in time with the music.

A very pleasant day, good night all.

9 March 2013 I hear the sea

My final breakfast with Jasmin (until the next time) then a last minute search online to find somewhere to stay in Varkala.

At the train station, I am intrigued to see hundreds of people leap off the platform in front of my very long train as it slows down. Not mass suicide, just the locals getting ready to climb aboard from the trackside, before the train stops, to get the best seats.

The 4 hour 176K train journey is enjoyable as we sweep southward through the Kerala countryside. Ticket cost 75p. The train is packed with mostly Indians, and orderly, with the usual numerous sellers of coffee, chi and various hot foods plying their trade up and down the central aisle. I chat with the Indian guy sat next to me, but his accented English is worse than mine.

Arrive Varkala 5.55pm, met by Woodhouse Beach Resort manager at 6, in my room at 6.10.

It is a shed by the sea.They call it a cottage, we would say chalet. I love it. Clean with it’s own shower room and big comfortable bed, it is 10 metres from the sea. The nearby outside restaurant is 0 metres from the sea. It is perched on a pile of rocks, sea defences, and over-looked by tall swaying palm trees that lean precariously toward and over the sea. Coconuts could fall in your soup here.

After eating accompanied by crashing waves, I take a long walk along the cliff-top coastal path. Restaurants and shops on the left, sheer drop to the sea and beach on the right.

As I settle down for my first night’s sleep, I can hear the sea.

Goodnight all.

8 March 2013 Kochi, India

Today starts with a Tuk-tuk ride through Fort Kochi to the Main Boat Jetty. The three wheeled tuk-tuk is bumpy, fast and weaving through the traffic and pedestrians, but I feel safe because it has a roll-bar.

At the ticket counter, there are separate windows and queues for men and ladies. I think this may be because ladies have a higher status in the Royal family and this has trickled down to having their own queue for ferry tickets. It also ensures that the habitual pushing in and jostling in queues here does not result in unseemly and inappropriate shoving around of the men.

The ferry to Ernakulam takes about 20 minutes and costs two and half ruperts, about 3p. But it is worth it. The Marine Drive promenade is a wide walkway along the waters’ edge of this larger island. It is a popular hangout and meeting place for the local populace and there is lots of interesting stuff going on here!

It is Ladies Arts Week. They have attached a 100 metre long plain white banner to the wall for the ladies to do their art-work. Some striking stuff already done and more being added as I walk by. These ladies are painting a tree.

Then to Broadway. No musicals and not broad, but a must for anyone visiting Kochi. A bustling narrow street packed with tiny shops selling everything.

A myriad of side streets, alleyways, passageways, street markets  and covered markets, selling anything and everything, you could walk around here all day and not see it all.

Some of the shops with tiny frontages go back 50 metres, with the narrowest of passages down the middle packed with the shop’s particular products on the floor, walls and ceiling.

If there is any pot you need for your kitchen, this shop has it in every shape and size.

There is acres, sorry hectares, of fruit, veg. and spice markets, retail and wholesale, mostly tucked away behind the main shopping street. They are quiet at this time of day, it is afternoon and most market purchases are made early mornings.

I’ve walked miles so now it’s back to Jasmin’s for dinner.

All the Best, John

7 March 2013 Kochi, India

Early start today, a hair-raising 80 minutes through rush-hour Kochi in an ancient packed mini-bus driven like a bat out of hell by Tommy Cooper on speed with no second gear. The twelve of us arrive at the Malabar Coast of Kerala where a chain of lagoons have been adopted and named by the tourist industry here as The Backwaters of Kochi. Shaken but not stirred we climb into our punt, a large one with comfortable wicker chairs and a roof. We have hot sunshine today so shade from the roof is much appreciated.

This is not our boat. The Backwaters are beautiful, serene and quiet. There are (almost) no motor driven boats. The local population live in small villages, harvest fish and shellfish from the waterways, collect coconuts, mangos and other useful stuff from the totally uncultivated land areas, and work in cooperative cottage industries. There is peace and tranquillity here. The two punters move us at such a slow pace I occasionally wonder if we are moving at all. Agonisingly slow for some of the group, fresh from their time-driven city lives where every minute must be productively utilised. Not too slow for me though. I absorb the calmness of the place, take a few photos of waterways and birds, and doze contentedly.

This is a (water) snake catcher. We also see cormorants, crows, an egret and an iguana. We visit two cottage industries. The first buys shells from fisherman after the mussels have been taken out for eating.

The shells are mixed with coal dust, burnt in a kiln, then mixed with water which triggers a chemical process to produce calcium hydroxide in powder form.

It is used as whitewash, natural fertiliser and for medical purposes.

We are also shown rope-making from the hairy bits of coconuts. The skilled manual process, using very basic machinery that twists the wispy material, makes a very strong cord that is sold in local markets.

Back at our starting point we climb out of the boat for the last time and embark on the even hairier return minibus journey. Same driver but with the added hindrance of thousands of schoolchildren wandering the roads on their way home. Scary.

All the Best to everyone, John

6 March 2013 Kochi, India

Hello and Best Wishes for 2013 to you all.

Kochi day 1

So now I am in the city of Kochi (=Cochin) in the state of Kerala, SW India. The Queen of the Arabian Sea, it is famous for it’s huge natural harbour through which it became the centre of the world spice trade for hundreds of years.

I am staying in the Jasmin Homestay Villa. Jasmin is a lovely lady and an excellent cook. A wonderful evening meal, rice with breaded prawns, cabbage, beetroot and some tasty orange stuff. Luckily it’s guest Kate’s birthday so cake afterwards too.  Yummy.

This is not my room, or even where i am staying. Just an interesting old house.

Today I walk around the old historical area known as Fort Kochi. No fort here, but I find a cannon. Just the one.

And Chinese fishing nets, big ones on fixed bamboo frames at the end of a pier. They lower the net into the water and raise it when they think there are fish in it. They catch two tiddlers as I watch them.

Inland are narrow streets with lots of small shops and wholesalers all mixed together. Spices and tea dominate, but general traders too. Looks like it hasn’t changed for centuries. 

This is the debtors’ prison.

Next I visit the Mattancherry Palace also known as the Dutch Palace, built by the Portuguese to placate the local Raja after invading his kingdom, later refurbished and renamed by the Dutch after they took over. (All this, of course, before the British added Cochin to their Empire.) 5 rupee = 6p entry. Amazing 17 century Hindu murals on the internal walls, 1000 sq ft of them.

Lots of Catholic churches here. There is also a Jewish area with an ancient synagogue which I pay another 6p to have a look inside.  This community traces it’s history back to one of the enclaves established by Jews here in India, and all over the then-known world, after the Romans chased them out of Palestine. The Hindu Royal Family of Kochi, who can verify their bloodline back to the 16th century, were welcoming to all faiths, including Muslims from Arabia who were invited to spread their message here by one 19th century Raja.

Stanley Wilson is Jasmin’s husband. He runs his own tour company in Kochi and is helping me organise my time here. I think I struck lucky.

More tomorrow, bye for now, John

21 January 2013 Amazing sweet and sour

21 January 2013 Amazing sweet and sour The biggest chinese meal ever, a dozen huge pieces of battered pork, loads of vegetables, gallons of bright red sauce and a massive plate-full of egg fried rice. Wonderful. Guess where, here in a small village in Spanish Tenerife. Amazing. Hot and sunny here, the wind has dropped today to a pleasant breeze, perfect this morning.

All the Best to you all, John

Christmas 2012 with the Grandchildren

Christmas 2012 with the Grandchildren

 

Had Jo, Philip and Faye with Leon, Harry and Grace and Jill & Gary at Rivendell for Boxing day. It was a present opening maelstrom with paper, presents and children flying everywhere. I think there is a certain age range when Christmas is a magical and amazing time and I think I have reached it.

Happy New Year to you all, I hope to be blogging some more travels soon.

PS here is Leon today with my glasses, pizza and chicken pox

Chiang Mai 2

Chiang Mai 2.......Well I have been two more times to the Thai night club with its rock bands, great evenings, one joined in with a group of Thai revellers, the second met four French guys, all singing and dancing to the amazing music.

Chiang Mai has 79 temples. The city was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai. In 1558, Chiang Mai began over 200 years under Burmese control. It was retaken by Thai King Taksin in 1774. Today's Chiang Mai is the economic and cultural capital of the north of Thailand, retaining a great deal of its charm within its ancient walls. The centre has a one kilometre square moat and city wall, surrounding a rich complex of narrow lanes and paths, old houses, tiny shops and a Wat around every corner. I have visited three Temples so far. Wat Pa Pao is the first Thai Yai (an ethnic group originating in the Shan States of Burma) temple in Chiang Mai built in 1883. The temple is described as the finest example of the rich cultural heritage of Shan people. Probably because of their remoteness and their high demographic presence, the Shans in northern Thailand are confident, culturally secure, and very sure of their place in the scheme of things. Like the central Thais they are devout Buddhists, and their flourishing temples, reminiscent of Burma and of Shan State, have long excited the curiosity of visitors to Chiang Mai. But Wat Pa Pao is surrounded by classrooms and is full of Shan children, some studying, some watching rehearsals for a music and dancing performance, some just playing. We make an offering to the monk in residence who kindly blesses us, then watch a little of the rehearsals. This is certainly a living Temple.

Just up the road is Wat Chiang Yuen. It is an ancient temple with an octogan shape monastery in the Burmese style, enshrining a Burmese style Buddha image. Wat Chiang Yuan is where every King had to pay homage to the Buddha image in order to gain good fortune in life. It is an impressive building with an impressive gold Buddha half lit in an otherwise dark temple. Incongruously around the outside is a line of stone animals, elephant, rabbit, dog, tiger etc., a delight for visiting children I would think.

The third temple is Wat Chedi Luang, or Wat Chotikaram. It is located right in the middle of the city and completed in 1481. It is an impressive high stone structure, the steps on four sides guarded by scary dragons. Had a look at the nearby Three Kings Monument. King Mengrai, King ramkamhaeng of Sukothai and King Ngam Muang of Payao worked together to lay out the city of Chiang Mai. The sculpture has become an iconic image representing the city and its history.

Chiang Mai 1

Chiang Mai 1 Have to tell you, last night, amazing, taken to Thai night club, 400 raving Thais, Thai rock band brilliant, saw only 2 other Europeans. Tables and benches, good food from basic Thai menu, beer 2 GBP for big bottle, everybody up dancing and singing between the tables, extatic cheering at the start of every new song, fantastic atmosphere, never experienced anything like it. 400 people having a GREAT time. Brilliant.

Myanmar days 11 & 12

Myanmar days 11 & 12, this morning we visit Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, an ancient timber building.

Inside a monk is sitting in front of the main Buddha image, chanting continually, they work in relays to maintain the 24 hour monologue, their beds are in the corridor so that they are near at hand for their next shift, dedication in the extreme. The inside of the four outer walls of the monastery contain hundreds of small alcoves, each containing a Buddha donated by a follower.

This is another example of the massive investment of individuals' time, effort and money in their Buddhist faith over the last 1000 years throughout Myanmar, and indeed throughout South East Asia. Buddha is central and intrinsic to the daily lives of His active followers who make up the vast majority of people in this part of the world. Now we fly to Yangon (Rangoon) and board our bus. We stop outside the home of Aung San Suu Kyi, The Lady who is leading the struggle for democracy in Myanmar.

Lunch is traditional Burmese fare in a locals caf., excellent as always.

Then 2 hours wandering around the main market in the city. On the ground floor the tightly packed tiny stalls are selling everything you can think of to thousands of locals and tourists. On the first floor there are no tourists when I go up to have a look, here there are hundreds of tiny workshops with thousands of craftsmen and ladies packed in. They are making all sorts of things, clothes, jewelry, metalwork, all the stuff they are selling downstairs. I think not a sweatshop because the workers are well dressed and look happy, but undoubtedly concentrated work for long hours, days, weeks and years for these people. Back on the street, I take a picture of roasted grasshoppers but decide not to sample one.

We have our farewell group evening meal in a French restaurant. I don't know why the tour company chooses a French restaurant. It is Nouveau Cuisine. Looks good and very tasty but not enough of it for me. Back at the hotel, a porter takes our final group photo.

The next morning after a hearty breakfast, we say our farewells and prepare for our flights. It's a slightly weird feeling that after 12 days together, these 13 people will by tonight be scattered all over the world. I fly to Chiang Mai where Englishman from Torquay Jim (who lives here) meets me at the airport and we go for fish and chips in a caf. run by a Northumbrian guy. It's a funny old world. Take care you all, John

Myanmar day 10

Myanmar day 10 starts on the banks of Inle Lake, sitting on the side of the main waterway through the town with thousands of local families. We are waiting for the festival to start, we happen to be here on exactly the right day for it but have no idea what it is. So we sit there as the bank steadily fills up with town and village people from all around this huge lake. Some lay mats on the ground for picnics and create small shrines with Buddha surrounded by flowers, drinks and food for Him. The children are excited, the atmosphere is filled with anticipation of the festival to come. Then a VERY LONG narrow boat comes into view along the waterway, over 40 leg-rowers each side, another 20 on platforms in the middle dancing and singing, 100 people in identical green outfits, an amazing sight as it passes us. Then another in yellow tunics, then another in blue, and another in brown and more and more, I guess about 50 of these incredibly colourful singing dancing boatloads, each representing a village or community around the lake, all propelled by leg-rowers. The rowers hold an ordinary oar using one leg for power and one hand to control it and stroke through the water in unison. A fantastic sight seeing these boats pass one after another towards the town. The last boat, even bigger, has a huge Buddha draped in gold in the middle, very impressive. Then everybody gets up and moves toward the town centre, it is packed with people trying to get a view of the waterway through the buildings along its edge. Then two boats side by side race by, it is a race and they are traveling at speed with everyone cheering and clapping, I am standing near the finish line so see the winners celebrate their victory, fantastic atmosphere, great stuff. Then more races and finishes, some close some not, one losing boat has shipped so much water it sinks on the finish line, a big ooooh from the crowd. I am loving this town and its festival. We go to a very basic local coffee shop for a welcome fix of nescafe, then onto our own boats again for a journey across the lake to Nga Hpe Chaung Monastery, a huge timber building housing dozens of ancient Shan Buddhas, all protected by its community of Monks. Back in the boats now in waterways that fan out from the lake, we pass through villages built on stilts inhabited by the local Intha people, some are fishing in small boats using the same leg-rowing method. Lunch is in a lakeside restaurant, italian pizza and pasta can you believe! then to Inpawkhone, a whole village of weaving workshops, timber buildings on stilts like all the others, ancient looms, beautiful fabrics created the traditional way. Lastly a cheroot factory, ladies rolling home grown tobacco in leaves to make the traditional Burmese cigars, some of the group try them and say very nice to smoke. A long boat-ride in the dark across a very black lake with no moon back to our hotel. Then an evening meal in a chinese restaurant opposite the hotel, wonderful soup, why can't we have soup like this at home? Another great day, All the Best, John

Myanmar days 8 & 9

Myanmar days 8 & 9 are trekking days. We drive 2 hours from the remote town of Kalaw on bumpy barely drivable narrow roads to the even more remote and totally rural Baw Hnin Gone village where we abandon our 1940s necessarily tiny bus to commence our two day 14k trek. On Shan Plateau, at about 1100 metres above sea level, we walk through impressively maintained fields growing an incredible range of crops, we cross dried up rivers and small gorges, and we trudge through small copses of unrecognisable trees. Then we are hiking up up up the side of a massive rocky outcrop followed by down down down a narrow ledge along one side of a heavily wooded gorge to the end of our trek at Inle Lake. This is a wonderful experience, I'm loving it. En route, we pass and talk with people working in the fields; a man ploughing a single furrow with an ox at about 50 metres an hour; 3 small boys driving and riding 3 oxen across a field; a man and woman herding about 20 cattle along a track; a group of women cleaning crops of weeds. Half way we stop to spend the night at a monastery. An impressive teak building housing the Abbot and 10 novice monks. These are kids, about 9 to 12 years old. They pray to Buddha, do lots of chanting, and study together in a side room. They are moving around us normally if a little warily as we organise ourselves and have our evening meal in the huge main room. We sleep on the floor under mosquito nets in the same room under the watchful eyes of Buddha, the men together in one group near Buddha, the women in two separate groups further away. (Throughout Myanmar, women are not allowed to get as close to Him as the men.) The monks sleep right under His image. The monks start their days chanting at 5am so we get up soon after and have breakfast at 6 before recommencing our trek at 7am. I will always remember the experience of spending this night in the monastery. (But I will try to forget the toilets). During the the trek, we stop at small villages for lunches and coffee breaks, the local people are welcoming and delighted to see us. They are especially pleased when we show them the photos we take, especially those of the children. Inle Lake is huge, 1328 metres above sea level. We transfer by narrow motor boats to our hotel, about an hour scudding along waterways and across the main lake, sitting 4 in line in very comfortable seats, amazing scenery and perfectly relaxing after the hours of walking. Two great days. Best wishes to you all, John

Myanmar day 7

Myanmar day 7 starts with 5.45am breakfast then 7am flight to Heho. The bus that meets us is necessarily small to take us on a very slow bumpy ride deep into rural Shan State. But the agricultural land here is much better organised than around Mandalay and Bagan. The fields are clean and clearly delineated, growing a wide range of crops. The earth is bright red, identical to the soil and cliffs in South Devon. We see growing ginger, tangerines, maize, mustard, bananas, tea, cheroot, shallots, onions, mangos, wheat, various pulses, the yellow flowers of sesame, and of course rice. We stop to say hello to a group working in the fields, they are picking and stripping maize. Another stop is to talk to some ladies in the road collecting donations for a nearby new monastery under construction. Also here a man is washing his ox in the lake. Next a village and we stop at the school; the kids all run away from us but I get a good photo of some playing football and some braver souls who eventually venture nearer. Some of these children are novice monks who are released from their monastery to attend school. Lunch is in a lakeside restaurant, brown bean and red pea soup followed by pork, chicken and fish curries, delicious. Then a parasol workshop, very small and basic but beautiful end products which several of our group buy. Then something amazing. A cave. The Pindaya Natural Cave. It is actually a series of large caves with man-made pathways through the complex and it is PACKED with buddhas, 9000 of them, all sizes, many 2m high, going way up into the cave roofs. This is Shwe U Min pagoda it is an incredible place. We overnight in the small market town of Kalaw where we have dinner in a VERY local caf.. Best Wishes to you all, John