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India Spice Tour 2023

февраля - марта 2023
Tour with Herbie through Northern India Читать далее
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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    День 2

    Beginning ...

    21 февраля 2023 г., Малайзия ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    We're doing another Spice Tour with cousin Herbie and Liz. This time in Northern India. Can you believe the last one was 3 years ago? Thanks, Covid.
    Last time we started off by selling our house the day before we left. This preparation should have been much more relaxing.
    For some reason our Queensland friends think Tasmania can only be visited in February. So we had Kevin and Wendy for 2 lots of 2 days in early Feb, then Robyn (special guest) for a few days right up until departure on the 20th. It was great having them and there were many laughs.
    To make absolutely sure of making the international flight from Sydney we stayed with Wayne and Jill in North Curl Curl for 2 nights before departure. So: flight from Launceston into Sydney, then airport train to Circular Quay then a very scenic trip down the harbour to Manly. Lots of yachts racing in the Monday evening twilight race.
    No Indian food for the last couple of days in Sydney so we had barbecues in the evenings. Highlights of the stay were a swim in the surf at Dee Why and some time fixing the suitcase that Virgin baggage handlers had bent. Couldn't use the extending handle properly, so Wayne and Tony 'repaired' it.
    Wayne kindly drove us to the airport for our departure.
    Singapore Air to Singapore then to Kolkata (ex Calcutta).    Читать далее

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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    День 3

    Kolkata

    22 февраля 2023 г., Вьетнам ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    Flights were ok. Only a bit over 7 hours to Singapore then 3 and a half hours to Kolkata. A few hours in Singapore. Enough for a return visit to Harry's Bar.
    Seamless entry into India. Tonight and tomorrow night we stay at the Oberoi Grand Hotel. We get to bed at about 1:30am, which is 7am where we came from. Looking forward to a good night's sleep.
    Sunny day in the morning; bit muted due to the haze (kind word for 'air pollution'- all of the trees, statues and buildings are cloaked in black dust.) Breakfast is fabulous. Tony had his long-awaited masala dosa. Staff couldn't do enough for us.
    Into the bus, too early. We meet Melanie our local guide. She's good fun. First stop is "the symbol of Kolkata - Howrah Bridge" (these quotes will be from our unusually-worded itinerary). Then a couple of fascinating walks. I can't do better than the itinerary here. "The area around Howrah Bridge is the house of two major places - Malik Ghat and a colourful flower market." Ghats are a series of steps leading down to a body of water or wharf, such as a bathing or cremation place along the banks of a river. See photos. Then we went to "Kumartuli the alley of the potters where gods and goddesses are born in the skilled hands of mud sculptors who are in the profession for several generations." They create statues from straw, which is then covered with mud.
    Next we bussed to the oldest part of the city where we entered the Jain Temple Complex which boasts four ornate temples. The followers were ultra vegans; they never ate garlic, onion or other root vegetables, because they believed it killed the plant.
    Lunch (delicious) back at our hotel then an early afternoon visit to the Motherhouse, Mother Teresa's home and now the centre of her Missionaries of Charity. It was a sparsely furnished house, in keeping with her ethos.
    Walking through the markets and driving in the bus showed us that Kolkata is somewhat busier and louder than Tasmania. The horn is an essential part of driving here. Kolkata contains around 15 million people.    Читать далее

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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    День 4

    Kolkata 2

    23 февраля 2023 г., Австралия ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    FindPenguins only allows 10 photos per post. You can't summarise Kolkata in only 10 photos. Sometimes we will get an extra post to fit in the absolutely essential photos.

    Moving along ...
    For dinner tonight we walk the short distance to the house of Bomti, a local art dealer who also hosts dinners for tourists. It is a large apartment in an ornate colonial building. For us it was a memorable experience, with sensational, local cuisine, based on his mother's recipes. The apartment is like a gallery, featuring works by famous Indian arts and many promising young local artists.Читать далее

  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    3
    День 5

    Varanasi

    24 февраля 2023 г., Австралия ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Flight to Varanasi this morning. Varanasi is “the city chosen by Lord Shiva”, and is one of the world’s oldest, continually inhabited cities and one of the holiest in India. So it is a rough equivalent to Mecca. Hindus try to visit at least once in their lifetime. Lots of pilgrims were evident during our visit. It is located on the Ganges River (of course). Correct name is the Ganga River. Population about 1½ million. Tony doesn’t like the security for these internal flights. Worse than international. Fortunately only one more flight back to Delhi towards the end of the tour. It is about 700km NW from Kolkata (1hr 15 min).
    At the airport we meet the big orange bus which will be our companion/’home’ for almost the rest of the tour. We also meet Manoj 2, our local guide. He’s very neat, religious, precise and very patriotic about his city. Fortunately he is easily understood and does crack a few jokes. Straight from the airport to Om Villas for lunch (shouldn’t have eaten the noodles on the flight). Om Villas is a tent city comprising glamping structures. Very new. Delicious lunch.
    Thence to the Taj Ganges (it’s a hotel), where we hope to relax for 3 nights. Not now, however. Quick break then off to the main part of town. After battling through the market area for a while we are shovelled aboard a fleet of bicycle rickshaws. This was FUN. [Link to video: https://youtu.be/W0hHRZ9ra28 You'll have to select then copy then paste it into a browser. Apologies, but I can't see how FindPenguins handles links.] Traffic in all directions, busy busy busy.
    The rickshaws took us to the top of the ghats (remember, steps). People and boats galore. We embark. There is a bit of fun after pushing out into the stream. The starting handle doesn’t grip. Eventually they source another and we chug off. We have a couple of musicians who serenade us with some traditional and fusion Indian music. Then with the other thousand or so boats we watch the ceremony Ganga Aarti (prayer). “Pilgrims come to the Ganges here to wash away sins in the sacred waters, to cremate their loved ones, or simply to die here, hoping for liberation from the cycle of rebirth” (Lonely Planet). We travel past the open cremation fires which burn 24/7. Lots of people dying in India so cremation removes the necessity for large cemeteries. We cruise along the shore quite a way, then alight for our bus. Very exciting dash along the road among the traffic to the bus.
    Back for dinner at the hotel. Bit tired as our bodies are still thinking 5½ hours ahead. Hope to get control soon.    Читать далее

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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    День 6

    Varanasi 2

    25 февраля 2023 г., Австралия

    We start too early and drive to Sarnath which is one of the 4 most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations in the world. This site is also significant because it is the place where Buddha gave his first sermon. Buddah was actually a skinny guy, built more like Ghandi than the big-bellied buddhas we see. “Came from in China” said Manoj 2. Buddhists make up about 1% of India’s population. The site is big and open with the main feature being a huge stupa. Lots of schoolkids and a few religious groups. It is a quiet, enjoyable and pleasant break from the chaos of Varanassi.
    Then a silk factory where we see a couple of guys operating their Jacquard-controlled foot powered hand looms. Silk weaving is typically done within the home and it takes about 3 days to make a scarf, 10 to 20 days to make a large shawl. Most weavers are Muslims. Power looms are now contributing to the decline in traditional weavers. Then upstairs to the hard sell which bears an uncanny resemblance to the carpet emporiums we have visited in other countries. Much more pleasant on the hard selling though. Some of the ladies ‘take one for the team’. Lunch is a delicious vegetarian thali at Shree Shivay restaurant. Lots of little bowls which kept being refilled with the tasty delights as fast as we ate.
    On the way back to the hotel, we noticed a small truck with a body wrapped in gold cloth, surrounded by presumably family members. They were on their way to the Ghats for a cremation. Time now for a welcome rest then dinner. Most didn’t linger.    Читать далее

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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    1
    День 7

    Varanasi 3

    26 февраля 2023 г., Австралия ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Early departure again today to visit the Ghats. Another boat trip. Very similar boat, with the addition of chairs and a sunshade. In the mornings lots of people bathe in the holy Ganga waters. Each Ghat is named and some are for men and others women. There is a large number of people cleaning up, which surprised us. The girls wearing smart blue and white outfits are school students. They volunteer school by school on Sundays. The volunteer men wear khaki and white uniforms. Tony wasn’t paying attention to Manoj 2 when he explained where they come from. We cruise slowly along the whole Varanasi waterfront, alighting to see the cremation fires up close (no photos). We also visit a square with a distant view of the Thai temple.
    Back into the boat we settle in for the long ride down to Ramnagar Fort. Ashore, it’s a sandy walk followed by a typical crowded market walk to get to the fort. Lots of bloodthirsty historical weapons inside. Glad we didn’t live in the 18th and 19th centuries.
    After lunch at the hotel, T and U decided to get some cash. Google maps found an ATM not far away so we walked there. Not quite the relaxed level stroll one could imagine, but we found it, operated it and pocketed our cash. Next task was to buy some tonic water to dilute our gin which Tony had thoughtfully bought in Singapore. As it is Sunday most potential shops were shut. For some reason there were lots of car-oriented places open. Oh well. 1 out of 2. Hotel room service can supply the tonic, but where’s the challenge in that?
    Out to dinner to a large function centre. We have tables outside near the pool. 1 beer and 1 glass of wine each on the house. The beer is a longneck of Kingfisher. The wine is ok. We are entertained by a 4-piece musical ensemble with a young dancer. She’s good; very lively. [Link to dancing video: https://youtu.be/fHxh-9WwKdQ]. Her mother was sitting next to the stage watching every move. The food didn’t match the setting. Driving day tomorrow to Lucknow.    Читать далее

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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    2
    День 8

    Varanasi to Lucknow

    27 февраля 2023 г., Вьетнам

    Quite a long drive today. 336km, 5hr 10min. Bus is comfortable. We stop at a service station. Fuel cheaper than at home. Nowhere for lunch on the way, so finally in Lucknow we stop at a space age mall right near our next hotel. 7th floor skylounge (see view from rooftop bar). Manoj organises lunch. Then into the Taj Mahal hotel. Almost as grand as the name. In the early evening we meet our local guide, Naran, tall bespectacled and earnest . He takes us on a walking tour [https://youtu.be/8H4cFOtrksw] of Lucknow’s ancient alleyways and local markets all of which are teeming with people. An incredible sight and experience. We learnt about Chikan [Not food; it’s fabric embroidery (see pic)]. The fabric is block printed with blue ink, then the fabric is taken to the village women for embroidery. After that the cloth is washed and the blue ink disappears and all that is left is a beautifully hand-embroidered fabric. Interest heightened when the food stalls began to appear. [https://youtu.be/3EJCRCKfGuM]. Tonight we have a tuktuk parade back to the bus [https://youtu.be/qtLe6HxhgEg], to get the excitement up. Dinner at the hotel.Читать далее

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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    11
    День 9

    Lucknow 2

    28 февраля 2023 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We first visit The Residency, scene of the historic Siege of Lucknow. “The siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defence of the British Residency within the city of Lucknow from rebel sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British East India Company's Army) during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was then abandoned.” (Thanks, Wikipedia) The siege lasted about 5 months. Overwhelming British forces finally secured control in March, 1858.
    The site is large with well-kept gardens, lots of trees, nicely preserved buildings and in the museum there is plenty of memorabilia of those times.
    Next we visited Bara Imambara, a large monument consisting of several impressive buildings.
    Nearby we saw another monument, Chota Imambara. Not so large but with lovely architecture, gardens and water features. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a shop selling chikan products. Russell and some of the ladies did some astute shopping.
    This afternoon Tony, with the help of Google Maps, decided to restart the search for tonic water. He found a number of ‘convenience stores’ and chose the closest which involved the fewest road crossings. Result: a pleasant and varied walk for over an hour, finding some quite nice areas, some even green. About 5 different shops. Nothing approaching tonic water. Why is it impossible to buy Indian Tonic Water in India? Ursula was much smarter – she went to the very well-equipped hotel gym.    Читать далее

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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    112
    День 10

    Lucknow 3

    1 марта 2023 г., Индия

    Drove to Ayodhya. About 150km. About 3 hours. Ayodhya is the birthplace of the Hindu god Lord Rama. Main feature is the Hindu temple, which is under construction. Completion due in Jan 2024. It will be amazing if they finish on time, but it is based on a political promise so could happen as there is an election due. The building looks pretty messy at the moment. No photos allowed.
    The whole site has been disputed land for hundreds of years. In 2010 the High Court ruled that the site be split equally between Muslims, Hindus and the God Rama himself, the third claimant. This judgement has been appealed. Previously on the site of the new temple there was a Moslem mosque, but the Hindus rioted in 2002 and destroyed it.
    To get there, we are put into tuktuks as no buses can get into the narrow streets. Security nightmare. “Please give me your passports” says Sandeep, our local guide. Chorus of dissent. NONE of us had brought them. We do have digital copies on our phones. The guard diligently used his phone to photograph the phone pictures. For the first 5 of us. Then he got sick of it, (and someone suggested that wasn’t working either) and in we all went.
    There are long heaving queues. These people are pilgrims. They are so enthusiastic as this is a holy place and they are not prepared to wait, so will pray at the temporary temple. Shudder to think how many there will be when the temple is finished. We bypassed the queues, but all had to be frisked.
    The models of the new temple look superb. The starting blockworks less so.
    There are lots of monkeys around, adding to the general confusion.
    We escaped then rode our tuktuks to another temple. Just a quick look here.
    Then we boarded the bus through the town to the banks of the Sarayu River. It feeds into the Ganges and is wide (and a bit cleaner). We were taken in 2 boats on a cruise around the area. There are lots of boats and lots of people washing and splashing. There are lovely waterside gardens. The highlight was a big brawl that broke out on the shore soon after we landed. Lots of sticks and bashing. All done by slapping. No closed fists. Peter photographed one woman holding a man back from joining in. Police finally broke it up.
    A little girl tried to tempt us with a live snake in a basket. Do we stroke it, eat it, or photograph it?
    Later we enjoyed a really tasty lunch in Makhan-Malai restaurant. The toilets out in the back yard featured monkeys and frisky cows.
    The drive home only took 2½ hours. This provided quality siesta time after the filling lunch.
    T & U went for an evening passeggiata. This area has pavements upon which one can mostly walk in comfort.    Читать далее

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  • ПутешественникIndia Spice Tour 2023
    День 11

    Lucknow to Gwalior

    2 марта 2023 г., Малайзия ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Today we leave early - 8am. No cooked breakfast as we are too early; had to slum it with fruit, toast, coffee and pastries. Bussing to Gwalior. 341km 5hr 57min (Google maps, see later). We settle in to the trip, admiring the Lucknow scenery. Lucknow has lots of brand new industrial/computing related development. It is like Bengaluru (or Bangalore), which we saw on the previous trip. First excitement is our comfort stop after 2 hours. T & U manage to buy masala chai, which also provides some useful change. The notes delivered by the ATM were too large for general use. 500 Rupees. The chai costs 30 rupees each (bit less than $1.20 total).
    The road is really good. A multi-lane expressway. Should get there much sooner than expected. But: the bus is limited to 80Km/H AND we meet a roadblock. Accident. Road jammed solidly. The navigation team decides to turn around. Remember we are on a 3-lane divided road. We drive back to the last exit. IN THE SLIP LANE GOING THE WRONG WAY. (see pic). At the toll exit gate there is a very slow queue. News comes that the accident is cleared. We do ANOTHER dodgy u-turn (they’re all dodgy in a big bus). Head back along the expressway where we were. Small signs of the accident.
    Another comfort stop after another 2 hours featuring plants we think are marijuana, and a very friendly puppy. Drive. Drive. Interesting and productive looking agriculture on a much smaller scale than at home. Usually wheat or mustard seed crops.
    While crossing the state border between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Manoj told us about Phoolan Devi, Bandit Queen. She was born in 1963, so relatively recently. Very poor and of low caste. She was very strong-minded and when young she got into serious trouble for injuring her uncle with a thrown stone. He was trying to force her family from their land and was cutting down a productive tree. She was repeatedly sexually abused and was forcibly married at age 11 to a much older relative. She rejected him and ran away. Then she was abducted by outlaws. The leader liked her and raped her repeatedly. She hated him, but formed a relationship with the deputy. He killed the leader so he and Phoolan became head of the outlaws. She allegedly killed all the men who had abused her. Then assisted the outlaws in their Robin Hood like lifestyle. They robbed higher caste villages and held up trains and road vehicles. She was wanted by the authorities. Negotiated with them and surrendered in 1983. Terms of her negotiation were no death penalty for anyone from her gang, freehold land for her family with their goat and cow, government job for her brother. She was imprisoned for over 10 years (although the negotiated terms stipulated a maximum of 8 years). Was never tried. Finally the charges were dismissed in 1994. She became a member of parliament in 1996 and campaigned strongly for women’s rights and for justice for people of lower castes. She was one of about 3 illiterate members of parliament. She was assassinated at age 37 in 1999. Phew! They made a movie (which she hated) called Bandit Queen which did well at Cannes.
    Manoj conjured a very nice lunch stop from the wilderness. At the strikingly modern looking Hotel DaaWat.
    We arrived at our 17th century renovated small hotel at around 6pm. Whole drive had taken about 10 hours. High tea was waiting for us on the shaded lawn. Lovely setting. Very thoughtful after the long drive.
    Surprise before dinner. No tonic water available from room service. Nor beer. “We do not serve alcohol.” Won’t do us any harm. Watch this space.    Читать далее

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