While driving to the driving range this morning I noticed that my dashboard indicated it was 7 degrees outside. I made sure to layer my clothing prior to leaving the house. I met Nick in the parking lot and he asked if I would prefer to have our lesson in the dome or outside. The sun was shining and where we would be hitting balls from was somewhat out of the wind. I opted for outside and it turned out to be the right decision.
While I have hit many balls indoors during the course of this winter, no simulator or dome provides the visual feedback of being able to watch the trajectory of your ball as it leaves the club face.
I had mentioned to Nick that my driver was definitely not my best friend and as such we worked on improving that aspect of my game. I explained to Nick that my last practice session produced drives with a low trajectory and unwanted hooks and slices. Nick explained that my driver swing will be different than my iron swing....and that this is very common on the PGA Tour. Nick suggested that perhaps my hip slide was happening to quickly resulting in the bottom of the swing arc being pushed forward. He suggested that I try dumping my angles early on the way down which immediately produced a higher ball flight.
I was pleased with the results of this morning's lesson and could of played almost every shot if they had been made on the course. Eliminating far right and left drives will be the biggest boost to my game this year. If I am not always having to scramble out of woods and other assorted nastiness I will shoot lower scores.
We did spend some time on the practice green and he taught me how to properly read greens. He suggested a method that I had never heard of or read about and it has me wanting to spend some time on the green to work with these ideas.
While I think that it is to early to suggest that my driver is now my friend, it certainly is now an acquaintance.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Golf Dome Practice
Well it seems that the weatherman was off with respect to the temperature today. 3 degrees C. was to chilly to practice in the backyard.
Clayton called and said that him and his son Aiden were planning to go the Dome to hit balls and asked if I would be interested in doing the same. Well......of course I was into that.
The dome was busy and obtaining two mats side by side on the bottom deck was next to impossible. We elected to go upstairs and as it turns out it has much better lighting for using the video camera.
I worked on trying to keep my right shoulder moving through the downswing...as Nick had pointed out that I was stalling with the shoulder turn while my wrists released early. This is robbing my shots of potential power as it appears on video that my club face is moving the quickest before it gets to the golf ball. While it seems easy enough to get right I am finding it difficult to correct.
Today was my first time using the Swinkey and I set the two rods on either side of the ball pointing right of my target. The visual slot that this created really assisted me with the driver. When I keep the club head moving on the same path after ball contact it tends to send the ball out on a straight path. Nick suggested moving the ball further ahead in my stance when hitting the driver and by doing both of these things, I felt like I was hitting the ball hard.
I have to keep practicing hard because Aiden is definitely an up and comer.
Clayton called and said that him and his son Aiden were planning to go the Dome to hit balls and asked if I would be interested in doing the same. Well......of course I was into that.
The dome was busy and obtaining two mats side by side on the bottom deck was next to impossible. We elected to go upstairs and as it turns out it has much better lighting for using the video camera.
I worked on trying to keep my right shoulder moving through the downswing...as Nick had pointed out that I was stalling with the shoulder turn while my wrists released early. This is robbing my shots of potential power as it appears on video that my club face is moving the quickest before it gets to the golf ball. While it seems easy enough to get right I am finding it difficult to correct.
Today was my first time using the Swinkey and I set the two rods on either side of the ball pointing right of my target. The visual slot that this created really assisted me with the driver. When I keep the club head moving on the same path after ball contact it tends to send the ball out on a straight path. Nick suggested moving the ball further ahead in my stance when hitting the driver and by doing both of these things, I felt like I was hitting the ball hard.
I have to keep practicing hard because Aiden is definitely an up and comer.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Golfing Outside
I have been taking golf lessons since the end of November 2010 on a weekly basis. While I missed February due to the India trip, it was good to get back to swinging the clubs. My intent is to blog about golf this year. I think it will be a good way to keep track of my practice, my rounds, and serve as a reminder of what I need to focus my practice efforts on.
During my golf lesson this week my coach Nick Starchuk told me that he spent a couple of hours hitting balls outside at Oakville Family Golf on Thursday and suggested that if the weather is good next week that perhaps we can move outside.
While hitting balls in the golf domes and simulators is certainly great for practicing, they really do not compare to hitting balls at an outdoor range. There is something to be said for having the sun shining on your face while you watch your ball flight.
I am optimistic that this is going to be a very good golf season. I am feeling comfortable with the new swing that Nick and I having been working on. While it is far from perfect, and I have to keep working on my downswing shoulder turn, I know that I will be more consistent and will be hitting shorter irons into the greens.
The forecast for tomorrow is sunny and 7 degrees so I plan on moving my mat and net from the garage to the backyard. While outside I can take advantage of using the Casio camera's slow motion mode....and work hard to keep the shoulders moving and eliminate the early wrist chop.
During my golf lesson this week my coach Nick Starchuk told me that he spent a couple of hours hitting balls outside at Oakville Family Golf on Thursday and suggested that if the weather is good next week that perhaps we can move outside.
While hitting balls in the golf domes and simulators is certainly great for practicing, they really do not compare to hitting balls at an outdoor range. There is something to be said for having the sun shining on your face while you watch your ball flight.
I am optimistic that this is going to be a very good golf season. I am feeling comfortable with the new swing that Nick and I having been working on. While it is far from perfect, and I have to keep working on my downswing shoulder turn, I know that I will be more consistent and will be hitting shorter irons into the greens.
The forecast for tomorrow is sunny and 7 degrees so I plan on moving my mat and net from the garage to the backyard. While outside I can take advantage of using the Casio camera's slow motion mode....and work hard to keep the shoulders moving and eliminate the early wrist chop.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
India...Love it or Hate it
I decided to wait a week before writing this post.
Well after a marathon 40 hours in planes and airports we finally made it home. Travis and Derek weren't home when we arrived. The dogs were doing back flips they were so happy to see us.
The house was in relatively good shape...no damage other than a broken coffee pot that "broke by itself."
I thought I would provide some final thoughts and observations regarding India and our trip.
- We are fortunate to live where we do
- The cities suck and the villages rock
- Driving in city traffic is an experience that I will not soon forget
- We can live and be very content with much less than we currently possess
- The food was delicious
- Indians have an odd way of moving there head when you are conversing with them...it is side to side movement instead of up and down (yes) or shake (no) movement
- The south of India is cleaner than the north
- You are stared at constantly
- The country lacks golf courses
- Bartering is a way of life
- The people for the most part are very friendly and while I always felt somewhat on guard I never felt threatened
- If you are a vegetarian....go to India...you will feel at home
- Air travel is much less expensive
We really enjoyed this vacation, however, I can't see us visiting India again when there are so many other countries that we haven't been to.
Thanks for all of your emails, comments, and messages they pushed me to write on the days when I didn't feel like writing. Thanks to my business partners, Mike and Rob. I appreciate the extra work that you did that allowed me to travel! Finally, thanks to Sue who agreed to travel to the other side of the world and live out of a backpack for a month....you are a trooper.
पढ़ने के लिए धन्यवाद. शांति और सभी के लिए समृद्धि
Paṛhanē kē li'ē dhan'yavāda. Śānti aura sabhī kē li'ē samr̥d'dhi
Well after a marathon 40 hours in planes and airports we finally made it home. Travis and Derek weren't home when we arrived. The dogs were doing back flips they were so happy to see us.
The house was in relatively good shape...no damage other than a broken coffee pot that "broke by itself."
I thought I would provide some final thoughts and observations regarding India and our trip.
- We are fortunate to live where we do
- The cities suck and the villages rock
- Driving in city traffic is an experience that I will not soon forget
- We can live and be very content with much less than we currently possess
- The food was delicious
- Indians have an odd way of moving there head when you are conversing with them...it is side to side movement instead of up and down (yes) or shake (no) movement
- The south of India is cleaner than the north
- You are stared at constantly
- The country lacks golf courses
- Bartering is a way of life
- The people for the most part are very friendly and while I always felt somewhat on guard I never felt threatened
- If you are a vegetarian....go to India...you will feel at home
- Air travel is much less expensive
We really enjoyed this vacation, however, I can't see us visiting India again when there are so many other countries that we haven't been to.
Thanks for all of your emails, comments, and messages they pushed me to write on the days when I didn't feel like writing. Thanks to my business partners, Mike and Rob. I appreciate the extra work that you did that allowed me to travel! Finally, thanks to Sue who agreed to travel to the other side of the world and live out of a backpack for a month....you are a trooper.
पढ़ने के लिए धन्यवाद. शांति और सभी के लिए समृद्धि
Paṛhanē kē li'ē dhan'yavāda. Śānti aura sabhī kē li'ē samr̥d'dhi
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Homeward Bound
Yesterday we spent the day swimming and sitting on the beach speaking with other tourists. There were others that we didn't speak with because the situation didn't present itself. I am disappointed that I didn't speak with the "nice lady." Do you ever repeatedly see the same person while you are on holidays and give that person a pet name to describe them to your traveling partner? We do that quite a bit. The "nice lady" we saw three days in a row, however, she was never quite close enough to engage in conversation. She appeared to be by herself, I never saw her speak with anyone, and she was always smiling. At around 4:00 pm every afternoon the "tea lady" would come down to the beach with her stainless steel container of chai tea. I would always buy a cup each for Sue and I and we noticed the "nice lady" would happily buy a cup. After finishing her tea she would fill the empty paper cup with what was left in her water bottle and search out the beach dogs to give them a drink. Sue figures that the "nice lady" has all of her chakras in perfect harmony.....whatever that means. I think that she is just downright happy to be sitting on a beautiful beach enjoyed perfect weather and not freezing her ass off going to work.
We are currently sitting in the Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi at a coffee shop in the arrivals section. They won't let us into departures as it is more than 5 hours until our scheduled departure.
This morning we had a cab drive us to Trivandrum to catch our flights to Mumbai and then onto Delhi. I don't think that I have mentioned the level of security in previous posts. The security at the airports here makes the security in North America look like the cub scouts are in charge. Every passenger is subjected to an entrance way scanner as well as being scanned with a hand unit and then frisked.
We just debated taking a picture of the truck at the end of the departure road that was fully outfitted with a wide selection of fire power...I ended up snapping one from far away through a pane of glass so as not to annoy them.
We have just over 6 hours until our plane leaves. Unfortunately, we have head wind going home so our return non stop flight turns into a 15.5 hour extravaganza.
This will be my last post from India. I do plan to make one more post after I get home to kind of wrap up this trip and write some final thoughts and observations.
I should have bought some sleeping pills from the Chemist.....
We are currently sitting in the Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi at a coffee shop in the arrivals section. They won't let us into departures as it is more than 5 hours until our scheduled departure.
This morning we had a cab drive us to Trivandrum to catch our flights to Mumbai and then onto Delhi. I don't think that I have mentioned the level of security in previous posts. The security at the airports here makes the security in North America look like the cub scouts are in charge. Every passenger is subjected to an entrance way scanner as well as being scanned with a hand unit and then frisked.
We just debated taking a picture of the truck at the end of the departure road that was fully outfitted with a wide selection of fire power...I ended up snapping one from far away through a pane of glass so as not to annoy them.
We have just over 6 hours until our plane leaves. Unfortunately, we have head wind going home so our return non stop flight turns into a 15.5 hour extravaganza.
This will be my last post from India. I do plan to make one more post after I get home to kind of wrap up this trip and write some final thoughts and observations.
I should have bought some sleeping pills from the Chemist.....
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Catch a Wave During the Dog Days of India
Breakfast at La Exotica Home Stay was similar to the breakfasts that have been served at all of the home stays. An egg fried into a round flat omelette, along with toast and milk coffee. We have decided that tomorrow we will try one of the places at the top of the cliff.
The waves today were large and I spent a good amount of time swimming and body surfing. I am sure that I ingested my yearly quota of sodium in just one day. The pack of wild dogs on the beach kept us entertained. Watching how they interacted, and how people reacted to them was very interesting. Two of them decided to hunker down beneath our beach chairs for an afternoon snooze in some shade. (I'm sounding like Caesar Millan)
Today we met 13 people that we have met during our travels in other cities. It was good to catch up with them and trade stories of what has happened since we last saw each other. Some like us are coming to the end of their adventure while others still have months left to explore other parts of India. It is amazing how many people are dedicating 6 months to travel....and these people are not retired. That being said if you don't spend a lot of time in the big cities like Delhi or Mumbai you can live here much much cheaper than you can at home.
I have included below a short video from the cliff that I took while searching for a good cup of coffee. I have actually drank more tea here than coffee as it tends to taste much better than the coffee.
Two more sleeps then a whole whack of airport and plane time.
The waves today were large and I spent a good amount of time swimming and body surfing. I am sure that I ingested my yearly quota of sodium in just one day. The pack of wild dogs on the beach kept us entertained. Watching how they interacted, and how people reacted to them was very interesting. Two of them decided to hunker down beneath our beach chairs for an afternoon snooze in some shade. (I'm sounding like Caesar Millan)
Today we met 13 people that we have met during our travels in other cities. It was good to catch up with them and trade stories of what has happened since we last saw each other. Some like us are coming to the end of their adventure while others still have months left to explore other parts of India. It is amazing how many people are dedicating 6 months to travel....and these people are not retired. That being said if you don't spend a lot of time in the big cities like Delhi or Mumbai you can live here much much cheaper than you can at home.
I have included below a short video from the cliff that I took while searching for a good cup of coffee. I have actually drank more tea here than coffee as it tends to taste much better than the coffee.
Two more sleeps then a whole whack of airport and plane time.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hanging at the Cliff
After breakfast we packed our gear to leave for Varkala Beach. The fairy to the boat jetty was not scheduled to depart for more than an hour so we hired a canoe to take us across the channel. The thought of all our gear spilling into the water if we tipped concerned me but as it turns out we made it across without incident.
The taxi driver brought us south to this beach area. We have checked into a home stay that was recommended to us and we are now setup in a ground floor room with a view of the Arabian Sea.
As the posts were piling up we made our way to the first WiFi spot we found. We settled into a travel agency that sold internet time. We met a woman who we had breakfast with back in Fort Kochi. She informed us that we were in her travel agency and we spoke for some time about doing business in India.
Varkala Beach is at the bottom of a cliff and there are steep steps leading down to the beach every three hundred yards. On top of the cliff is what I have named the "gauntlet" where vendors try to coax you into their shops or restaurants. Before heading down to the beach we stopped in at the Kerala Coffee Shop and enjoyed a banana shake.
After going for a swim we walked back to our room to seek out shade. The sun is punishingly hot and we found it difficult to sit on the beach. While I haven't checked a map, we must be getting close to the equator.
As sunset approached we made our way back to the cliff to watch the sun drop into the sea. After the sun goes down the restaurants place the fresh seafood that they are offering for dinner. They lay the fish on tables in front of their restaurants and pack them with ice. They have an abundance to choose from and Sue opted for red snapper cooked in a banana leaf which she raved about while I settled on chicken tika.
We have decided that this will be our last stop in our north to south trip along India's west coast. We are about 40 km from the nearest airport and I have booked a flight back to Delhi for early Thursday morning.
It is 8:25 am and our hosts advised us that they will serve breakfast at 8:30 am so I should get ready. We continue to hope everyone is doing well at home and that Barry and Kim drive safely on their motorcycle trip down in the southern States.
The taxi driver brought us south to this beach area. We have checked into a home stay that was recommended to us and we are now setup in a ground floor room with a view of the Arabian Sea.
As the posts were piling up we made our way to the first WiFi spot we found. We settled into a travel agency that sold internet time. We met a woman who we had breakfast with back in Fort Kochi. She informed us that we were in her travel agency and we spoke for some time about doing business in India.
Varkala Beach is at the bottom of a cliff and there are steep steps leading down to the beach every three hundred yards. On top of the cliff is what I have named the "gauntlet" where vendors try to coax you into their shops or restaurants. Before heading down to the beach we stopped in at the Kerala Coffee Shop and enjoyed a banana shake.
After going for a swim we walked back to our room to seek out shade. The sun is punishingly hot and we found it difficult to sit on the beach. While I haven't checked a map, we must be getting close to the equator.
As sunset approached we made our way back to the cliff to watch the sun drop into the sea. After the sun goes down the restaurants place the fresh seafood that they are offering for dinner. They lay the fish on tables in front of their restaurants and pack them with ice. They have an abundance to choose from and Sue opted for red snapper cooked in a banana leaf which she raved about while I settled on chicken tika.
We have decided that this will be our last stop in our north to south trip along India's west coast. We are about 40 km from the nearest airport and I have booked a flight back to Delhi for early Thursday morning.
It is 8:25 am and our hosts advised us that they will serve breakfast at 8:30 am so I should get ready. We continue to hope everyone is doing well at home and that Barry and Kim drive safely on their motorcycle trip down in the southern States.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Easy Breezy
I awoke to the sounds from the Hindu temple across the lake. I opened the windows last night to take advantage of the breeze and to listen to the sound of the waves kissing the shore. I glanced toward the window and caught the Israeli girl strolling by and taking a peak. Good Morning!
We quickly decided that we wouldn't leave today but instead catch up on some reading and enjoy watching the boats navigate around "our" peninsula. The constant wind makes the heat quite bearable. The following video give you an idea of the area where we are staying. There is a large sculpture that seves as a lighthouse on the property. (I'm guessing implants)
Yesterday afternoon we walked to the boat jetty which is very close and took the fairy to Kollam. WiFi is not very common here and I managed to upload only one post before the owner of the Internet connection noticed my signal thievery and shut it down. We took a tuk tuk to a Lonely Planet recommended restaurant, however, they had a limited menu until their regular dinner service started. As we hadn't had lunch we decided to stay and have a quick meal.
Kollam itself does not appear to be much different than other cities in India. Lots of vehicles, people, and animals confined within a relatively small area. Walking was tough and I quickly decided that we would be safer in a tuk tuk. I was happy to board the fairy to get back to our little oasis.
A few years back I read Jon Krakauer's books, Into Thin Air and Into the Wild. While reading my current book I was reminded of a letter that Chris McCandless wrote to a friend that was documented in Into Thin Air.
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence their is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
Peace......out.
We quickly decided that we wouldn't leave today but instead catch up on some reading and enjoy watching the boats navigate around "our" peninsula. The constant wind makes the heat quite bearable. The following video give you an idea of the area where we are staying. There is a large sculpture that seves as a lighthouse on the property. (I'm guessing implants)
Yesterday afternoon we walked to the boat jetty which is very close and took the fairy to Kollam. WiFi is not very common here and I managed to upload only one post before the owner of the Internet connection noticed my signal thievery and shut it down. We took a tuk tuk to a Lonely Planet recommended restaurant, however, they had a limited menu until their regular dinner service started. As we hadn't had lunch we decided to stay and have a quick meal.
Kollam itself does not appear to be much different than other cities in India. Lots of vehicles, people, and animals confined within a relatively small area. Walking was tough and I quickly decided that we would be safer in a tuk tuk. I was happy to board the fairy to get back to our little oasis.
A few years back I read Jon Krakauer's books, Into Thin Air and Into the Wild. While reading my current book I was reminded of a letter that Chris McCandless wrote to a friend that was documented in Into Thin Air.
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence their is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
Peace......out.
God's Own Country
It turns out that it is a Hindu festival and the music from across the lake was blasted through speakers starting at 5:00 am. I have received contradictory information as to how long this lasts but it is somewhere between 5 and 10 days. At 6:30 I knew there would be no more sleeping and wondered out to the front deck. The cook was somewhat surprised to see me so early and hurried off to make coffee.
At 7:00 sharp the engine was started and we were once again on our way. It was nice watching the sunrise as the fishing boats were busy pulling in their nets. After a couple of cups of coffee we were served a breakfast of eggs and toast.
Prior to leaving Alleppey I arranged a home stay about two km before the city of Kollam. The captain pulled up against a peninsula and announced that we had arrived. The house we are staying in is surrounded by water on three sides with a collection of cashew nut trees and palms. Our room has large picture windows on two sides affording us great views of the lake. Our deck has lounge chairs and tables along with hammocks. The village that we are in is small with very modest dwellings. It is very evident that they don't often get visitors as both the children and adults were very curious about us. As we are out of pens, I asked one of the children to come to the shop with me to pick out a "sweet". After he picked what he wanted I cleared out the rest of the shop keepers inventory to give to children along the remainder of our walk.
The motto for the state of Kerala is, "Gods Own Country" and sitting here writing I understand why. I could grow old here....
At 7:00 sharp the engine was started and we were once again on our way. It was nice watching the sunrise as the fishing boats were busy pulling in their nets. After a couple of cups of coffee we were served a breakfast of eggs and toast.
Prior to leaving Alleppey I arranged a home stay about two km before the city of Kollam. The captain pulled up against a peninsula and announced that we had arrived. The house we are staying in is surrounded by water on three sides with a collection of cashew nut trees and palms. Our room has large picture windows on two sides affording us great views of the lake. Our deck has lounge chairs and tables along with hammocks. The village that we are in is small with very modest dwellings. It is very evident that they don't often get visitors as both the children and adults were very curious about us. As we are out of pens, I asked one of the children to come to the shop with me to pick out a "sweet". After he picked what he wanted I cleared out the rest of the shop keepers inventory to give to children along the remainder of our walk.
The motto for the state of Kerala is, "Gods Own Country" and sitting here writing I understand why. I could grow old here....
Rolling on the River
We boarded the boat just after 11:00 am and Captain Britos introduced himself to us and his crew. There was a total of three crew members, the captain, a deck hand and a cook. The total length of the boat was just over 15 meters and was equipped with a single Leyland diesel engine. The covered front of the boat had a table and chairs for eating and relaxing along with side seating curving in towards the bow. Heading towards the stern there was our cabin, the crews cabin and finally the galley at the back.
With us settled the engine was started and we set off. The scenery was stunning. Our journey took us through a series of rivers canals and open lakes. At times we would see the Arabian Sea on the other side of a narrow strip of land. We passed many small villages as we cruised. Children would run down to the water to wave and yell, "one pen please". We are now officially out of writing instruments. Women washed the clothes at the side of the river, whipping the clothes against rocks to beat them clean.
The food was fantastic and plentiful consisting of fish, chicken and an assortment of vegetable dishes and rice for lunch and dinner. We pulled up to the side of the river at one point and the captain told us that they had to gather dinner for themselves. They jumped into the water and starting diving under to collect clams. I took the opportunity to jump in for a swim to cool off and then spent some time talking with a couple of children.
As the sun began to set we pulled in to a village on the shore of a lake and tied off for the night. Sue and I hopped off the boat and walked into the village. We have found that when we are in villages the adults stare at us and don't seem to be very welcoming until you smile at them and wave and then that is when you get the love.
Almost all the men in the state of Kerala wear what is best described as a rectangular table cloth around the lower half of their bodies kind of like a skirt. They are worn long and when it gets really hot they fold it up into a shorter version. I was asking the crew about them and they spoke about the benefits of wearing them in this climate. So...the captain and myself went for a walk into town in search of "longkee" for me. I had a choice of various colours and fabrics and decided on a lovely blue striped pattern. I haven't worn it so you can't be calling me a big girl just yet.
After dinner the guys fired up the sattelite tv and we watched Bangladesh beat Ireland. After the game we listened to Kerala music and we all tapped and drummed on chairs along with the music.
What a great day...certainly one of the highlights of our trip thus far.
With us settled the engine was started and we set off. The scenery was stunning. Our journey took us through a series of rivers canals and open lakes. At times we would see the Arabian Sea on the other side of a narrow strip of land. We passed many small villages as we cruised. Children would run down to the water to wave and yell, "one pen please". We are now officially out of writing instruments. Women washed the clothes at the side of the river, whipping the clothes against rocks to beat them clean.
The food was fantastic and plentiful consisting of fish, chicken and an assortment of vegetable dishes and rice for lunch and dinner. We pulled up to the side of the river at one point and the captain told us that they had to gather dinner for themselves. They jumped into the water and starting diving under to collect clams. I took the opportunity to jump in for a swim to cool off and then spent some time talking with a couple of children.
As the sun began to set we pulled in to a village on the shore of a lake and tied off for the night. Sue and I hopped off the boat and walked into the village. We have found that when we are in villages the adults stare at us and don't seem to be very welcoming until you smile at them and wave and then that is when you get the love.
Almost all the men in the state of Kerala wear what is best described as a rectangular table cloth around the lower half of their bodies kind of like a skirt. They are worn long and when it gets really hot they fold it up into a shorter version. I was asking the crew about them and they spoke about the benefits of wearing them in this climate. So...the captain and myself went for a walk into town in search of "longkee" for me. I had a choice of various colours and fabrics and decided on a lovely blue striped pattern. I haven't worn it so you can't be calling me a big girl just yet.
After dinner the guys fired up the sattelite tv and we watched Bangladesh beat Ireland. After the game we listened to Kerala music and we all tapped and drummed on chairs along with the music.
What a great day...certainly one of the highlights of our trip thus far.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Car, Buses, Tuk Tuks and Foot
Today was a travel day and after 7 hours we are 200 km from where we started in the city or town of Alappuzha (aka Alleppey ). We were in the "Super Fast" bus and in case you forgot they had it painted on the side. Whatever they pay these bus drivers it isn't enough. They drive so fast down mountain roads passing other vehicles. They get so close to the edge with nothing between the side of the road and an enormous drop. I'm happy we don't have to make a return trip.
We had no accommodations booked when we arrived, so we walked towards a Home Stay sign that I spotted. There was no vacancy, however, the next one had a room available.
As it turns out this place is a 100 year old heritage house with 5 guest rooms. We have a covered front porch with a table and chairs where I am currently sitting writing this post. It is priced very reasonably at $18.00 per night including breakfast and taxes. After staying in a few of these home stays now I have to say that I much prefer them over hotel rooms. You get way more room with easy access to the outdoors. The owners try very hard to please and are a great resource for local information.
I have hired a converted rice barge to take us south to Kollam leaving tomorrow morning. It will take about 24 hours to get to our destination via the Kerala back waters.
From our guide book, "The Backwaters of Kerala are a maze of lagoons criss-crossed with rivers, shallow pools and canals, all separated from the sea by a narrow strip of sand banks. Backwaters are present throughout the state but Alappuzha and Kottayam are most notable in this regard."
Other than the crew, Sue and I have the boat to ourselves. It should be very cool. No WiFi here and probably none on the boat so I will post up when I can.
All Aboard......
We had no accommodations booked when we arrived, so we walked towards a Home Stay sign that I spotted. There was no vacancy, however, the next one had a room available.
As it turns out this place is a 100 year old heritage house with 5 guest rooms. We have a covered front porch with a table and chairs where I am currently sitting writing this post. It is priced very reasonably at $18.00 per night including breakfast and taxes. After staying in a few of these home stays now I have to say that I much prefer them over hotel rooms. You get way more room with easy access to the outdoors. The owners try very hard to please and are a great resource for local information.
I have hired a converted rice barge to take us south to Kollam leaving tomorrow morning. It will take about 24 hours to get to our destination via the Kerala back waters.
From our guide book, "The Backwaters of Kerala are a maze of lagoons criss-crossed with rivers, shallow pools and canals, all separated from the sea by a narrow strip of sand banks. Backwaters are present throughout the state but Alappuzha and Kottayam are most notable in this regard."
Other than the crew, Sue and I have the boat to ourselves. It should be very cool. No WiFi here and probably none on the boat so I will post up when I can.
All Aboard......
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Waterfalls and Diggin Ditches
After breakfast our host was kind enough to drive us to meet the bus that was taking us to the wildlife reserve. The bus departed a little late because the driver felt the need to wash the outside of it before we left.....a clean ride!
I was amazed at how far the tea plantations extend...miles and miles. When we eventually drove out of the plantations we were in mountains and forests. The driver was good and stopped along the way so that we could take pictures of the scenery.
We stopped at a waterfall and paid our 5 rupee admission. It was a pretty sad waterfalls...may be it gets better during the monsoon??? The Indian men seemed to really enjoy themselves. They stripped down to their underwear for some male bonding time.
We stopped for lunch in a small village and were joined by a woman from Paris, France and a guy from Belgium. We ordered fish, rice, chicken, naan, and assorted other things also arrived that I am not really sure what they were. In case you are curious, the bill for the 4 of us ended up being 6 bucks. Being the big spender that I am....I picked up the tab :-)
We ran into a road crew that was busy digging ditches at the side of the road. They were quite eager to take a break to smile and look at us. Where is one of those "ditch witch" machines when you need one.
At the sanctuary we went on a trek that took us to the tops of various large hills. The scenery was nice and it was relaxing at the top while looking down. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife, a couple of monkeys, some deer, and a few lizards.
We are heading out tomorrow and hope to get to Alappuzha by bus.
At this point I don't know when I will be able to post...but I will when I can.
I was amazed at how far the tea plantations extend...miles and miles. When we eventually drove out of the plantations we were in mountains and forests. The driver was good and stopped along the way so that we could take pictures of the scenery.
We stopped at a waterfall and paid our 5 rupee admission. It was a pretty sad waterfalls...may be it gets better during the monsoon??? The Indian men seemed to really enjoy themselves. They stripped down to their underwear for some male bonding time.
We stopped for lunch in a small village and were joined by a woman from Paris, France and a guy from Belgium. We ordered fish, rice, chicken, naan, and assorted other things also arrived that I am not really sure what they were. In case you are curious, the bill for the 4 of us ended up being 6 bucks. Being the big spender that I am....I picked up the tab :-)
We ran into a road crew that was busy digging ditches at the side of the road. They were quite eager to take a break to smile and look at us. Where is one of those "ditch witch" machines when you need one.
At the sanctuary we went on a trek that took us to the tops of various large hills. The scenery was nice and it was relaxing at the top while looking down. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife, a couple of monkeys, some deer, and a few lizards.
We are heading out tomorrow and hope to get to Alappuzha by bus.
At this point I don't know when I will be able to post...but I will when I can.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tea for Two
Our hosts, Mya and Radeesh prepared breakfast this morning which consisted of eggs and toast along with tea or coffee. Joining us was Sue and Paul who are here from Alaska for a yoga retreat.
We took a local bus down to Munnar and walked through the market. We stopped to purchase some locally grown cashews and home made chocolate. This town is much more laid back than others we have visited. The vendors don't call out or hassle you in any way. Although we did see a demonstration march....i really have no idea what they were protesting or promoting. Their flags looked different than the communist party that we saw chanting yesterday.
We made our way to the Kerala Tourist Office and booked a tour to a wildlife sanctuary for tomorrow.
We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant and enjoyed a typical Kerala meal called Thalis. It is basically rice served on a stainless steel tray which is surrounded by small stainless steel cups with various ingredients and sauces.
We made a stop at the local tea museum and saw how tea is made. Various machines on a conveyor type system process the tea leaves. It was explained to us that they only use the top two leaves to make green tea and the very expensive white tea is derived from the sprout on the top of the plant.
After returning to our neighbourhood we went for a hike into the tea plantation behind the house we are staying in. We were having such a nice walk until the clouds opened up leaving us totally soaked.
Nanna.....I am happy to hear that you are out of the hospital and will be going to have your eyes fixed. Take care and get better quickly.....we love you.
We took a local bus down to Munnar and walked through the market. We stopped to purchase some locally grown cashews and home made chocolate. This town is much more laid back than others we have visited. The vendors don't call out or hassle you in any way. Although we did see a demonstration march....i really have no idea what they were protesting or promoting. Their flags looked different than the communist party that we saw chanting yesterday.
We made our way to the Kerala Tourist Office and booked a tour to a wildlife sanctuary for tomorrow.
We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant and enjoyed a typical Kerala meal called Thalis. It is basically rice served on a stainless steel tray which is surrounded by small stainless steel cups with various ingredients and sauces.
We made a stop at the local tea museum and saw how tea is made. Various machines on a conveyor type system process the tea leaves. It was explained to us that they only use the top two leaves to make green tea and the very expensive white tea is derived from the sprout on the top of the plant.
After returning to our neighbourhood we went for a hike into the tea plantation behind the house we are staying in. We were having such a nice walk until the clouds opened up leaving us totally soaked.
Nanna.....I am happy to hear that you are out of the hospital and will be going to have your eyes fixed. Take care and get better quickly.....we love you.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Our Kind of India
We have made it to Munnar and it is hard to believe that we are only 150 km from Fort Kochi. We are now over 6000 feet above sea level. (that's why it took 5 hours to get here) The road up here was fairly narrow consisting of many back to back hairpin turns. Our taxi driver felt the need to pass anything that was in front of us...much of the time overtaking vehicles blindly while blasting his horn. Considering we did make it alive, the $65.00 including tax seemed very reasonable.
We are in the Eastern Ghats mountain range. The temperature here is a much more reasonable 25 degrees without the humidity. We are surrounded by tea plantations, trees, and mountains.
We are staying at another "home stay". It is the equivalent of what we would call a bed and breakfast. It is a very large beautiful house! If I was to guess, I would estimate that it is 10,000 sq. ft. All of the floors and stairs are granite. There is an abundance of windows and a smart looking garden. Our 2nd floor room is very large with two balconies.
After getting settled, we went for a walk through the small village and had some great interaction with the locals. School had just finished and the children were very keen to talk with us, trying their best with the limited English that they know. It was great fun!
The very first clouds that we have seen since being in India brought a heavy rain storm. We walked about 1 km to the nearest place for some dinner arriving soaked. Sue enjoyed her spinach and cheese dish, while I was less than thrilled with my rice dish.....whatever... as Mike would say, "I'm going to eat again tomorrow".
We are looking forward to what tomorrow has in store.
We are in the Eastern Ghats mountain range. The temperature here is a much more reasonable 25 degrees without the humidity. We are surrounded by tea plantations, trees, and mountains.
We are staying at another "home stay". It is the equivalent of what we would call a bed and breakfast. It is a very large beautiful house! If I was to guess, I would estimate that it is 10,000 sq. ft. All of the floors and stairs are granite. There is an abundance of windows and a smart looking garden. Our 2nd floor room is very large with two balconies.
After getting settled, we went for a walk through the small village and had some great interaction with the locals. School had just finished and the children were very keen to talk with us, trying their best with the limited English that they know. It was great fun!
The very first clouds that we have seen since being in India brought a heavy rain storm. We walked about 1 km to the nearest place for some dinner arriving soaked. Sue enjoyed her spinach and cheese dish, while I was less than thrilled with my rice dish.....whatever... as Mike would say, "I'm going to eat again tomorrow".
We are looking forward to what tomorrow has in store.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Australian Consul and a Real Cool Dude
After breakfast we made our way over to the Open Hand Cafe. It's a great little spot with good coffee. We were almost finished when in strolled Sue and Johnathon. A conversation was started and we spent the entire day with them. Sue was originally born in Australia, while Johnathon hails from the USA. Johnathon has spent very little if any of his adult life in the States and has lived in countries throughout southeast Asia. They are currently living in Sri Lanka where Sue is Australian Consul for Sri Lanka and Johnathon is the spouse. (He's got a great gig!)
We had a great day strolling the harbour and watching the Chinese fishing nets working. I did have the opportunity to assist in pulling up the nets. This is the only place that these type of nets exist outside of China.
There are very few places in this city that you can purchase liquor. We did find a place and Johnathon explained the rules of cricket to me as it was playing on the screen. The World Cup is currently being contested here in India. When we left, India was giving Bangladesh a serious beating. You could have a long nap, wakeup, and not have missed very much considering these shortened games still last a full day.
The weather has been blistering hot, and I have had no choice but to wear long pants during daytime hours due to the bad burns. Thanks for all the comments it is nice to read them. If only there was a department type store to purchase products that you can trust.
While I knew this was going to be a tough trip, I underestimated how difficult it would be.
It is hard to find everyday kind of things that you need. There is the constant worry about having enough bottled water. Not that is hard to find, you just have to make sure that you always have stock.
I have struggled with Internet at the hotel the last couple of days...it didn't seem to like the IPad. I do have some videos to load, and I will edit this post after I get them up on YouTube.
We are leaving for Munnar tomorrow morning. It is a 4 hour drive from here into a more hilly region inland.
I have no idea of Internet availability there so I will continue to write and post when I can.
We hope everyone is well and are thinking of Nanna in the hospital.
We had a great day strolling the harbour and watching the Chinese fishing nets working. I did have the opportunity to assist in pulling up the nets. This is the only place that these type of nets exist outside of China.
There are very few places in this city that you can purchase liquor. We did find a place and Johnathon explained the rules of cricket to me as it was playing on the screen. The World Cup is currently being contested here in India. When we left, India was giving Bangladesh a serious beating. You could have a long nap, wakeup, and not have missed very much considering these shortened games still last a full day.
The weather has been blistering hot, and I have had no choice but to wear long pants during daytime hours due to the bad burns. Thanks for all the comments it is nice to read them. If only there was a department type store to purchase products that you can trust.
While I knew this was going to be a tough trip, I underestimated how difficult it would be.
It is hard to find everyday kind of things that you need. There is the constant worry about having enough bottled water. Not that is hard to find, you just have to make sure that you always have stock.
I have struggled with Internet at the hotel the last couple of days...it didn't seem to like the IPad. I do have some videos to load, and I will edit this post after I get them up on YouTube.
We are leaving for Munnar tomorrow morning. It is a 4 hour drive from here into a more hilly region inland.
I have no idea of Internet availability there so I will continue to write and post when I can.
We hope everyone is well and are thinking of Nanna in the hospital.
Coffee and Friends
We arrived in Fort Cochin located in the state of Kerala early this afternoon. The humidity level is certainly higher than any of cities that we have already visited. After settling into our room we decided to go for a walk. We didn't make it far before we found a small cafe that boasted of having various types of coffee and sandwiches. As I have previously posted, real coffee in Goa was very hard to come by.
I ordered a large Americano with milk along with a clubhouse sandwich. Sue decided on a cup of lemon tea and a veggie sandwich. The beverages and the food was great and we finally met someone from North America. Gabriel is from New York city and is traveling India for 6 weeks. We traded stories of our trips so far, along with touching on politics and education. He is a school teacher who has taught in various places throughout the world. We ended up staying in the coffee shop chatting much longer than we had planned.
After wishing each other safe travels we cruised our new hood. While the rickshaw drivers are mildly aggressive, they are certainly nothing that we can't handle. We have found in the past when we are getting pestered badly, we start talking in a language that we make up as we go along. This typically makes them back off as they soon realize we can't communicate with them. We reserve this tactic for the worst of times.
Our plan is to go out tomorrow and tour the sites....I hope to get some videos to post.
I ordered a large Americano with milk along with a clubhouse sandwich. Sue decided on a cup of lemon tea and a veggie sandwich. The beverages and the food was great and we finally met someone from North America. Gabriel is from New York city and is traveling India for 6 weeks. We traded stories of our trips so far, along with touching on politics and education. He is a school teacher who has taught in various places throughout the world. We ended up staying in the coffee shop chatting much longer than we had planned.
After wishing each other safe travels we cruised our new hood. While the rickshaw drivers are mildly aggressive, they are certainly nothing that we can't handle. We have found in the past when we are getting pestered badly, we start talking in a language that we make up as we go along. This typically makes them back off as they soon realize we can't communicate with them. We reserve this tactic for the worst of times.
Our plan is to go out tomorrow and tour the sites....I hope to get some videos to post.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Beach Dinner.....Burnt Skin
As we watched the last of the the sun dip down beneath the horizon of the sea our waitress brought a candle to our table on the beach. The last of the sun worshippers were packing their towels. The Indian children were out in full force finishing their impromptu games of soccer and cricket. It's the perfect time of day. The sand was still warm beneath our bare feet and we were ready for a nice beach dinner.
Our dinner arrived and Sue immediately regretted not requesting the head of the fish be removed prior to cooking. She enjoyed it even with the big guy staring back at her.
The wind off the sea was starting to blow hard....the tide was coming in. We walked back along the sand for about 1 kilometer until we found the path that would lead us back to the hotel.
I once again changed stores to purchase suntan lotion. I opted for SPF 60 of a different brand again. No luck. It is also counterfeit. I have resolved myself to the fact that I have to plan my walking based on the time of day and if there are shadows to walk in.
We are starting to pack our gear as we will be leaving tomorrow morning. Our flights take us from Goa to Bangalore and then on to Kerala. I have emailed ahead and we are expecting a driver to meet us at the airport.
I have included a short video below of the hotel that we have stayed at here in Goa. While we will be sad to leave, I have to find real suntan lotion. I am also open to suggestions for the best way to relieve sunburn.
Rob (glowing red)
Our dinner arrived and Sue immediately regretted not requesting the head of the fish be removed prior to cooking. She enjoyed it even with the big guy staring back at her.
The wind off the sea was starting to blow hard....the tide was coming in. We walked back along the sand for about 1 kilometer until we found the path that would lead us back to the hotel.
I once again changed stores to purchase suntan lotion. I opted for SPF 60 of a different brand again. No luck. It is also counterfeit. I have resolved myself to the fact that I have to plan my walking based on the time of day and if there are shadows to walk in.
We are starting to pack our gear as we will be leaving tomorrow morning. Our flights take us from Goa to Bangalore and then on to Kerala. I have emailed ahead and we are expecting a driver to meet us at the airport.
I have included a short video below of the hotel that we have stayed at here in Goa. While we will be sad to leave, I have to find real suntan lotion. I am also open to suggestions for the best way to relieve sunburn.
Rob (glowing red)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Upgrades and Sticky Rice
On the way to breakfast I stopped in to break down a Rs. 1000 note to hundreds so that I would have smaller bills for tipping. The manager at the desk said, "Mr. Robert, would it be possible to have a meeting with Madame and yourself after breakfast?". I of course agreed and we met with him after finishing our eggs.
It turns out he wanted some feedback on what they were doing wrong and right at the hotel. We are not really complainers and realize that we are not staying at a 5 star resort. We mentioned that his staff do a great job and anything that we have requested has been taken care of promptly. There were a couple of small things that we mentioned that they could improve on for the benefit of all guests. He thanked us for taking the time to meet with him and stated that for the next three nights he would like to upgrade us to a suite........perfect!
We went back to our room and when we finished our "we just got upgraded to a suite happy dance" we packed all our gear so they could switch us over during the day.
At the beach we went back to the Cafe Roma beach shack. Anthony, the owner of the shack cooked us up some wicked chicken biriyani. I commented that it was the best I ever had and asked how he makes the rice so perfect without sticking (like mine always does)and he invited me into the kitchen for a cooking lesson. What great fun!
Random ThoughtI wish someone would rent me a sand wedge and a dozen golf balls.
Room Upgrade....free
Chicken Biriayani....$2.00
Cooking Lesson....free
The memories of today....priceless
Enjoy your day, we are thinking of you all!
It turns out he wanted some feedback on what they were doing wrong and right at the hotel. We are not really complainers and realize that we are not staying at a 5 star resort. We mentioned that his staff do a great job and anything that we have requested has been taken care of promptly. There were a couple of small things that we mentioned that they could improve on for the benefit of all guests. He thanked us for taking the time to meet with him and stated that for the next three nights he would like to upgrade us to a suite........perfect!
We went back to our room and when we finished our "we just got upgraded to a suite happy dance" we packed all our gear so they could switch us over during the day.
At the beach we went back to the Cafe Roma beach shack. Anthony, the owner of the shack cooked us up some wicked chicken biriyani. I commented that it was the best I ever had and asked how he makes the rice so perfect without sticking (like mine always does)and he invited me into the kitchen for a cooking lesson. What great fun!
Random ThoughtI wish someone would rent me a sand wedge and a dozen golf balls.
Room Upgrade....free
Chicken Biriayani....$2.00
Cooking Lesson....free
The memories of today....priceless
Enjoy your day, we are thinking of you all!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Knock Offs
When you see a name brand watch or golf clubs very cheap you have to assume that they are knockoffs. If you decide to purchase one of these items you accept the fact that they will most likely not perform the same or last as long as the real product. I never dreamed that there is knockoff suntan lotion.
Unfortunately there is and I got burned....literally. I always buy SPF 30 and have never burned while using it. Yesterday morning I purchased a tube of Banana Boat Sport 30 and applied it generously. I waited under the cabana for about 30 minutes before going into the sun. Wow....did I get fried and I really didn't spend much time in the direct sunlight. I checked the tube this morning and noticed that there is no expiration date or lot number stamped anywhere on it.
This morning at breakfast I was speaking with U.K. Matt and he saw my legs and commented on the burn. He said that he also got burnt and mentioned that if he uses suntan lotion he never gets burnt because he has a darker complexion...but he bought some Banana Boat from the store close by and got fried...we checked his container and it was similar to the one I purchased and had no expiration date or lot number.
It's a mean world out here kids and we have to be careful.
Unfortunately there is and I got burned....literally. I always buy SPF 30 and have never burned while using it. Yesterday morning I purchased a tube of Banana Boat Sport 30 and applied it generously. I waited under the cabana for about 30 minutes before going into the sun. Wow....did I get fried and I really didn't spend much time in the direct sunlight. I checked the tube this morning and noticed that there is no expiration date or lot number stamped anywhere on it.
This morning at breakfast I was speaking with U.K. Matt and he saw my legs and commented on the burn. He said that he also got burnt and mentioned that if he uses suntan lotion he never gets burnt because he has a darker complexion...but he bought some Banana Boat from the store close by and got fried...we checked his container and it was similar to the one I purchased and had no expiration date or lot number.
It's a mean world out here kids and we have to be careful.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Lucky Prizes and Arranged Marriages
After breakfast while heading to the beach we were stopped by Waseem who gave us "valuable" potential prize tickets. I opened mine and won a free beer, while Sue ended up with the possibility of winning one of the "grand prizes" and at the very least a free case of beer. Sue who is always very skeptical of this kind of thing could not resist the lure of a free case of beer.
Conveniently a cab just happened to show up and we took the ride to Baga beach about 5 minutes up the road. After filling in a registration form we were told that there were no English speaking presenters and we were given a case of beer and a taxi slip back to our hotel. No harm, no foul.
In the late afternoon we met Asheem and Mishka who I had met a couple of days earlier. We sat on the beach had some snacks and drinks while watching the sunset. They were recently married (arranged) and this was one of the many topics that we discussed. In their culture things are slowly changing and instead of the parents making the arrangements a service takes care of arranging the marriage based on their profiles. The brides parents then make an offer to the potential groom as to what they will give him to marry their daughter. (insert your own jokes here)
We had a late dinner at Golden Eye bar and grill enjoying the king prawn curry and rice.
It's now time for a shower, some aloe Vera cream and bed. Enjoy your morning everyone.
Conveniently a cab just happened to show up and we took the ride to Baga beach about 5 minutes up the road. After filling in a registration form we were told that there were no English speaking presenters and we were given a case of beer and a taxi slip back to our hotel. No harm, no foul.
In the late afternoon we met Asheem and Mishka who I had met a couple of days earlier. We sat on the beach had some snacks and drinks while watching the sunset. They were recently married (arranged) and this was one of the many topics that we discussed. In their culture things are slowly changing and instead of the parents making the arrangements a service takes care of arranging the marriage based on their profiles. The brides parents then make an offer to the potential groom as to what they will give him to marry their daughter. (insert your own jokes here)
We had a late dinner at Golden Eye bar and grill enjoying the king prawn curry and rice.
It's now time for a shower, some aloe Vera cream and bed. Enjoy your morning everyone.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Post Edit
I finally have a good Internet connection so I added some videos to the Taj Mahal post. My buddy Clayton had asked me to take a video of us walking up to the Taj and I couldn't resist adding the second one I shot from the hotel balcony. I would suggest clicking on the enlarge arrows when the video starts to watch them as full screen videos. Enjoy!
Goa is Great
I woke up this morning feeling better than I have been the last couple of days and have started eating again. If someone was to put whatever it is that I had into pill form and sold them as a weight loss supplement they could make some cash. Sue's ankle also seems to be getting a little bit better every day.
I went for a walk very early this morning in search of someone that does laundry. I met a lovely lady named Presci who runs a small laundry business. She washed all of our clothes, dried and folded them for us for Rs. 250. ($6.00). All the guide books and people that you talk to state that you have to haggle prices for everything you buy India. At times I just can't do it.....6 bucks is way more than fair and happily paid her asking price.
After breakfast we made our way to the beach. Along the beach are many "beach shacks" that serve food and drinks. The understanding is that you can use their beach beds and cabanas for the day at no charge and in return you purchase your food and beverages from that shack. The weather is absolutely perfect....about 32 degrees with a nice breeze blowing off the Arabian Sea.
We met Brian and Maureen from Edinburgh, Scotland and we all had lunch together.
Brian is very chatty guy and I really enjoyed our conversation. Brian said that he has always hated his teeth and is getting porcelain crowns on all of them while here in Goa. It is costing him the equivalent of $2000.00. His mission is to look like George Hamilton and has instructed the dentist to make them the caps as white as possible. He has worked hard to get the George Hamilton tan....in fact he is the darkest Scot I have ever met.
We ate dinner at the Kingstork Restaurant....fresh Red Snapper grilled to perfection with rice and veggies.
All in all it was a great day...far removed from the disgusting streets of the cities that we have been to.
I went for a walk very early this morning in search of someone that does laundry. I met a lovely lady named Presci who runs a small laundry business. She washed all of our clothes, dried and folded them for us for Rs. 250. ($6.00). All the guide books and people that you talk to state that you have to haggle prices for everything you buy India. At times I just can't do it.....6 bucks is way more than fair and happily paid her asking price.
After breakfast we made our way to the beach. Along the beach are many "beach shacks" that serve food and drinks. The understanding is that you can use their beach beds and cabanas for the day at no charge and in return you purchase your food and beverages from that shack. The weather is absolutely perfect....about 32 degrees with a nice breeze blowing off the Arabian Sea.
We met Brian and Maureen from Edinburgh, Scotland and we all had lunch together.
Brian is very chatty guy and I really enjoyed our conversation. Brian said that he has always hated his teeth and is getting porcelain crowns on all of them while here in Goa. It is costing him the equivalent of $2000.00. His mission is to look like George Hamilton and has instructed the dentist to make them the caps as white as possible. He has worked hard to get the George Hamilton tan....in fact he is the darkest Scot I have ever met.
We ate dinner at the Kingstork Restaurant....fresh Red Snapper grilled to perfection with rice and veggies.
All in all it was a great day...far removed from the disgusting streets of the cities that we have been to.
Safe In Goa
We flew to Goa this morning via Bangalore and have settled into the hotel we will be staying in for the next week. We arrived around 4:00 pm and took a walk to the beach. We didn't stay at the beach for long as I am feeling weak....eating no food for a couple of days does that to you I guess.
During the taxi ride from the airport we noticed immediately that Goa is a much cleaner place compared to the cities we have visited on this trip.
The plan for tomorrow is to rent a couple of beach chairs and hang out at the beach for the day.
During the taxi ride from the airport we noticed immediately that Goa is a much cleaner place compared to the cities we have visited on this trip.
The plan for tomorrow is to rent a couple of beach chairs and hang out at the beach for the day.
Safe In Goa
We flew to Goa this morning via Bangalore and have settled into the hotel we will be staying in for the next week. We arrived around 4:00 pm and took a walk to the beach. We didn't stay at the beach for long as I am feeling weak....eating no food for a couple of days does that to you I guess.
During the taxi ride from the airport we noticed immediately that Goa is a much cleaner place compared to the cities we have visited on this trip.
The plan for tomorrow is to rent a couple of beach chairs and hang out at the beach for the day.
During the taxi ride from the airport we noticed immediately that Goa is a much cleaner place compared to the cities we have visited on this trip.
The plan for tomorrow is to rent a couple of beach chairs and hang out at the beach for the day.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Delhi Belly
I am a hurting unit. I believe it was last night's dinner that caused me to spend the night in the washroom. We opted to skip our tours in Jaipur that were scheduled for today and made the 6 hour trip back to Delhi. It is unfrackin believable that a 200 km trip takes 6 hours to complete with no stops while driving on a "National Highway".
We leave tomorrow morning for Goa. It will be nice to get some beach time. My body feels like it was hit by a truck.
We leave tomorrow morning for Goa. It will be nice to get some beach time. My body feels like it was hit by a truck.
Rambling
After a rough night at the Hotel Taj Heritage (Nadine...it didn't have a day spa) we drove about 50 km to a world heritage site.
Fatehpur Sikri was built by the 3rd Mughal Emperor and pre-dates the Taj Mahal. It took 14 years to build almost entirely out of sandstone. This emperor had 3 wives. One was Muslim, one was Hindu, and the 3rd Christian. The story about him traveling around praying at various places of worship in hopes of having one of the wives bear him a child is somewhat long and drawn out so I won't bore you with the details. Long story short he did end up with a son and built this incredible place to house his wives and son. I totally enjoyed touring the various palaces and buildings while learning how this extremely wealthy emperor lived.
Our next stop was Jaipur. It took about 4 hours to reach our hotel and our driver suggested that we call it a day. (I don't think he is feeling well).
During the drive there was plenty of time to reflect on how lucky we are as Canadians. We live in nice houses, have plenty of food to eat, healthcare and elementary schooling is provided at no cost. While we all complain about the high taxes we pay....the alternative is the way Indians live. We don't have to daily scoop up cow shit, form them into large pancakes and dry them on the roof of our houses to obtain a fuel source.
Approximately 30% of the children don't go to school. They are beautiful little people with grubby hands and feet and always have a big smile. They are quick to wave to us and run over to say hello.
I was sitting on the hotel balcony last night and watched a shoeless boy with tattered clothing who was around 12 years old steal a piece of fruit from a vending cart. He was hit with a stick and dropped the fruit. He didn't see the vendor pick up the fruit and spent the next few minutes frantically searching for it in the dirt at the side of the road.
We are regularly asked to pose for pictures with people. The first time this happened we were walking into the Red Fort. I noticed a teenager trying to sneak pictures and videos of Sue and I. I smiled and gave him a "thumbs up". His father came over with his hand extended and asked if he could take pictures of us with his family. They took turns posing with us and he explained that they were from Kashmir and were on holidays.
When we checked into our hotel this afternoon the front desk attendant asked for our passports. When he saw them he commented, "Canada is a great country".
Everyone of these people that we meet would gladly pay a percentage of their earnings to enjoy the type of lifestyle that we at times take for granted.
Oh Canada!
Fatehpur Sikri was built by the 3rd Mughal Emperor and pre-dates the Taj Mahal. It took 14 years to build almost entirely out of sandstone. This emperor had 3 wives. One was Muslim, one was Hindu, and the 3rd Christian. The story about him traveling around praying at various places of worship in hopes of having one of the wives bear him a child is somewhat long and drawn out so I won't bore you with the details. Long story short he did end up with a son and built this incredible place to house his wives and son. I totally enjoyed touring the various palaces and buildings while learning how this extremely wealthy emperor lived.
Our next stop was Jaipur. It took about 4 hours to reach our hotel and our driver suggested that we call it a day. (I don't think he is feeling well).
During the drive there was plenty of time to reflect on how lucky we are as Canadians. We live in nice houses, have plenty of food to eat, healthcare and elementary schooling is provided at no cost. While we all complain about the high taxes we pay....the alternative is the way Indians live. We don't have to daily scoop up cow shit, form them into large pancakes and dry them on the roof of our houses to obtain a fuel source.
Approximately 30% of the children don't go to school. They are beautiful little people with grubby hands and feet and always have a big smile. They are quick to wave to us and run over to say hello.
I was sitting on the hotel balcony last night and watched a shoeless boy with tattered clothing who was around 12 years old steal a piece of fruit from a vending cart. He was hit with a stick and dropped the fruit. He didn't see the vendor pick up the fruit and spent the next few minutes frantically searching for it in the dirt at the side of the road.
We are regularly asked to pose for pictures with people. The first time this happened we were walking into the Red Fort. I noticed a teenager trying to sneak pictures and videos of Sue and I. I smiled and gave him a "thumbs up". His father came over with his hand extended and asked if he could take pictures of us with his family. They took turns posing with us and he explained that they were from Kashmir and were on holidays.
When we checked into our hotel this afternoon the front desk attendant asked for our passports. When he saw them he commented, "Canada is a great country".
Everyone of these people that we meet would gladly pay a percentage of their earnings to enjoy the type of lifestyle that we at times take for granted.
Oh Canada!
Taj Mahal
What a beautiful day it was! Our driver (Gil) picked us up this morning and we made a 4 hour drive to the city of Agra. We checked in at Hotel Taj Heritage, washed up after the long drive and made our way to the Taj Mahal.
Our guide for the day lives very close to the Taj Mahal. His grandfather, father, brothers, and cousins are / were guides. For this particular place, we were very happy to have a guide. He helped clear away the countless number of touts during the 1 km walk from the entrance to the main west gate. We came away from our tour with lots of information that we wouldn't have known if we had of gone in on our own.
The Taj is awe inspiring. It took 22 years to build and it is perfectly symmetrical. After visiting I now understand why it is one of the 7 wonders of the world.
Sue's ankle was bothering her so we opted not to visit Fort Agra and instead spent the remainder of the day catching some rays on the hotel's 2nd floor balcony. We had some laughs watching the street chaos and enjoyed dinner in the hotel.
There is no internet here, so I will post this from Jaipur if possible.
Our guide for the day lives very close to the Taj Mahal. His grandfather, father, brothers, and cousins are / were guides. For this particular place, we were very happy to have a guide. He helped clear away the countless number of touts during the 1 km walk from the entrance to the main west gate. We came away from our tour with lots of information that we wouldn't have known if we had of gone in on our own.
The Taj is awe inspiring. It took 22 years to build and it is perfectly symmetrical. After visiting I now understand why it is one of the 7 wonders of the world.
Sue's ankle was bothering her so we opted not to visit Fort Agra and instead spent the remainder of the day catching some rays on the hotel's 2nd floor balcony. We had some laughs watching the street chaos and enjoyed dinner in the hotel.
There is no internet here, so I will post this from Jaipur if possible.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Time
"Tired of lying in the sunshine Staying home to watch the rain You are young and life is long And there is time to kill today"
Rather than making the long walk to the subway, we decided (It was actually my decision) to hire an auto rickshaw to drive us. He weaved through the traffic managing to avoid all of the obstacles. Timing is everything! It cost a few rupees but we did save time.
"It feels like the first time".
We spent the day visiting very old, historically significant building structures. Qutb Minar and the various mosques, tombs, grave sites, and assorted structures surrounding the Minar were built almost 1000 years ago. The area surrounded by a large stone fence feels like a sanctuary compared to the chaos of Delhi streets. You hear birds sing, and watch grey chipmunks play like they have all the time in the world.
"A long long time ago"
The iron pillar which is situated in the middle of what once was the courtyard, still stands tall and rust free which is amazing considering it was made in the 4th century. The inscription which is still legible and has been translated into various languages was carved into structural blocks in 1903 for visitors to enjoy reading. Time has certainly treated the pillar well.
"If I could save time in a bottle"
We got back in the area of our hotel in time for afternoon coffee. We tried a new coffee shop today. (The Coffee Bean). It certainly was a lot hipper than our regular spot. Great music, cool atmosphere, strong coffee....we enjoyed our time there.
"Time is on my side"
We are leaving Delhi tomorrow morning. Time? 8:00 a.m. We are heading for Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. At this time we don't know where we will be staying and as such do not know if we will have WiFi access. I will continue to write for the blog and do my best to post in a timely fashion.
Timed out....
Rather than making the long walk to the subway, we decided (It was actually my decision) to hire an auto rickshaw to drive us. He weaved through the traffic managing to avoid all of the obstacles. Timing is everything! It cost a few rupees but we did save time.
"It feels like the first time".
We spent the day visiting very old, historically significant building structures. Qutb Minar and the various mosques, tombs, grave sites, and assorted structures surrounding the Minar were built almost 1000 years ago. The area surrounded by a large stone fence feels like a sanctuary compared to the chaos of Delhi streets. You hear birds sing, and watch grey chipmunks play like they have all the time in the world.
"A long long time ago"
The iron pillar which is situated in the middle of what once was the courtyard, still stands tall and rust free which is amazing considering it was made in the 4th century. The inscription which is still legible and has been translated into various languages was carved into structural blocks in 1903 for visitors to enjoy reading. Time has certainly treated the pillar well.
"If I could save time in a bottle"
We got back in the area of our hotel in time for afternoon coffee. We tried a new coffee shop today. (The Coffee Bean). It certainly was a lot hipper than our regular spot. Great music, cool atmosphere, strong coffee....we enjoyed our time there.
"Time is on my side"
We are leaving Delhi tomorrow morning. Time? 8:00 a.m. We are heading for Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. At this time we don't know where we will be staying and as such do not know if we will have WiFi access. I will continue to write for the blog and do my best to post in a timely fashion.
Timed out....
Sunday, February 6, 2011
A Day in Delhi
You've gotta love jet lag. We woke up every hour and at 5:30 am decided we were good to go. We ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then headed out, eager to find our way to the subway. Similar to Bangkok, Delhi is far from being a pedestrian friendly city. You are constantly dodging potholes, downed electrical wires, dog shit, human urine, rickshaws, auto rickshaws, cars, trucks, and people who want to be your "friend". Sue is convinced that even with all of these obstacles, walking is still safer than being in a vehicle on the road. Me? I don't think so.
The Delhi Metro was approximately a one mile walk from our hotel and as we got such an early start it wasn't very busy. The more subways that you experience, the more you see that the TTC could use improvements. It is clean, efficient, automated, and very inexpensive. But I guess the money the local government saves by doing absolutely nothing at street level, allows them to spend more beneath the streets.
We made our way to Red Fort. This is an incredible place. The fort was completed in 1648 and served as home to the emperor and his successors until 1857. The wall around the fort is made of sandstone, has a total length of over 2 kms and is 98 feet tall in places. Very cool!
After touring the fort we were back out on the streets. Some things make you shake your head. I saw two animal ambulances today. Their job is to be on the lookout for stray dogs that are injured. Meanwhile, we walked past dozens of people who are suffering. We are sure that one of the guys we walked past was dead. Hmmmmm......good for the dogs!
I took this video walking down a quiet lane way in an attempt to stay out of the line of fire.
When we got back in our neighborhood we sat down for a coffee at our new favourite coffee shop. How embarrassing is it that we are calling it our coffee shop and we have only
been here two days?
We ate dinner at Punjabi Grill. Who knew black lentils could taste so good???
Have a great day!
The Delhi Metro was approximately a one mile walk from our hotel and as we got such an early start it wasn't very busy. The more subways that you experience, the more you see that the TTC could use improvements. It is clean, efficient, automated, and very inexpensive. But I guess the money the local government saves by doing absolutely nothing at street level, allows them to spend more beneath the streets.
We made our way to Red Fort. This is an incredible place. The fort was completed in 1648 and served as home to the emperor and his successors until 1857. The wall around the fort is made of sandstone, has a total length of over 2 kms and is 98 feet tall in places. Very cool!
After touring the fort we were back out on the streets. Some things make you shake your head. I saw two animal ambulances today. Their job is to be on the lookout for stray dogs that are injured. Meanwhile, we walked past dozens of people who are suffering. We are sure that one of the guys we walked past was dead. Hmmmmm......good for the dogs!
I took this video walking down a quiet lane way in an attempt to stay out of the line of fire.
When we got back in our neighborhood we sat down for a coffee at our new favourite coffee shop. How embarrassing is it that we are calling it our coffee shop and we have only
been here two days?
We ate dinner at Punjabi Grill. Who knew black lentils could taste so good???
Have a great day!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
We Made It!!
It is Saturday morning at 4:45 am Toronto time and we are in our hotel. Words cannot describe the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel. The amount of "near misses" was just incredible. Our driver decided the traffic was just so busy he would use the sidewalk. The replacement of car horns must be a booming business here. He didn't stop blowing it.
Right now the thought of exploring the streets by foot seems daunting. People were pointing at us as we passed them in the cab. Even though it is only 3:15 in the afternoon here....we have to get some sleep.
Talk to you soon....zzzzzzz
Right now the thought of exploring the streets by foot seems daunting. People were pointing at us as we passed them in the cab. Even though it is only 3:15 in the afternoon here....we have to get some sleep.
Talk to you soon....zzzzzzz
Now This is a Plane Ride
We left Toronto at approximately 11:00 am and it is now 7:13 pm Toronto time. Everyone in the plane is starting to become restless. The little babies who have been relatively quiet for the first 8 hours of the flight are now starting to fuss. At this point I am having difficulty accepting the fact that we still have another 6 hours in this plane. The seat feels hard, the aisles are clogged with people, the washrooms are a disaster but on the bright side the flight attendant just brought us a lovely cucumber and cheese sandwich.
I wish I could sleep........
I wish I could sleep........
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Ankle Update
It has been two weeks since Sue hurt her ankle, and she finally decided that she would see a doctor. It turns out that it wasn’t a sprain but instead a varicose vein that ruptured inside her leg and the resulting blood pooled around her ankle. She now has a compression sock to wear and her body should absorb the blood over time.
The doctor suggested that she walk the aisles of the plane frequently during the 14 hour flight.
I am nervous about the trip….while I do feel organized, and have done quite a bit of research, it is the unknown that has me feeling on edge.
We have our bags out and will pack them tomorrow night. We are not bringing any checked luggage….Sue is taking her trusty red backpack that meets carry on guidelines, while I will once again be taking the Air Boss.
The Onebag.com website has once again provided valuable information for our trip. I have the packing list printed, and will start checking off items as they get packed.
I will try to post here regularly during our trip. Much of it will depend on being able to access a WiFi connection. I am taking an Ipad with me….it doesn’t take much room in the bag, however, right now I feel the drawback will be typing using the on screen keyboard. I guess I will get used to it.
Next stop…..New Delhi, India
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Getting Close
Well....we are less than 3 weeks away from departure and still have not finalized our travel plans. We are now considering making a trek to Munnar which is a mountanous region of India. We also have to secure a flight back to Delhi to catch our return flight home.
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