TravellerAtLarge

THE CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK..No Boda Boda...see www.nobodaboda.com give an indication of what portends...

2012-02-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

Hobin Hunting in Arunachal and Other Journeys on theNortheast Frontier .

Conducting American VIPs to India’s EasternExtremities, Manipur and Nagaland .

Travels and Travails in Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh;

Encounters with Nature, Eccentric Travelers, and Others . . . . . . . .

Each Man to His Own: A Question of Survival—and Odd Women

Trapped with Three American Ladies from Texas

Escaping the Talons of a Lammergeier, the Bearded Vulture; No Escape from Chang , Mountain Barley Brew

Two Narrow Escapes for a Young Lady, in Kashmir’s Wilds

7c (vi) Th e Alpine Lakes Trek in Kashmir–and One Big

Mountain Th understorm Th at Became Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

A Cat’s Nine Lives on Himalayan Roads and Other Incidents. 79

a Encounters Over the Zoji La . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

7c (vii) b No Brakes and Blind Man’s Bluff , on the Banihal Pass. . . 83

7c (vii) c Blue Tents and Tin Tanks in the High Himalaya . . . . . . . 85

7c (vii) d Stok—Th e Royal Palace, and the Village of Ladakh . . . . . 86

7c (vii) e 1,800 Kilometers on an Italian Vespa From New

Delhi to Kashmir and Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

7d Adventures in the Garhwal Himalaya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

7d (i) Lost in the Garhwal While Heading to the Source of the

Ganges in Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

7d (ii) Quirky Englishmen and Again, the Source of the Ganges . . . . 94

7d (iii) More on Language: A Foreign Journey; I Make a

Language Gaff e with a Young British Lady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

7e Rats! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

SEEN BY TRAVELLERS..WILD SIGNS

2011-10-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

Airline ticket office, Copenhagen :

WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

In a Bangkok temple :
IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER A WOMAN, EVEN A FOREIGNER, IF DRESSED AS A MAN.

Cocktail lounge , Norway :
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.

Doctors office, Rome :
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.

Dry cleaners, Bangkok :
DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS.

In a Nairobi restaurant :
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.

On the main road to Mombasa, leaving Nairobi :
TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.

On a poster at Kencom :
ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO WE CAN HELP.

In a City restaurant :
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS.

In a cemetery :
PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES.

Tokyo hotel's rules and regulations :
GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED.

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant :
OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR.

In a Tokyo bar :
SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES WITH NUTS.

Hotel , Yugoslavia :
THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH PLEASURE IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID.

Hotel , Japan :
YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery :
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY.

A sign posted in Germany 's Black Forest :
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN ON OUR BLACK FOREST CAMPING SITE THAT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT SEX, FOR INSTANCE, MEN AND WOMEN, LIVE TOGETHER IN ONE TENT UNLESS THEY ARE MARRIED WITH EACH OTHER FOR THIS PURPOSE.

Hotel, Zurich :
BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPRIETY OF ENTERTAINING GUESTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX IN THE BEDROOM, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE LOBBY BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE.

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand :
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?

A laundry in Rome :
LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME.

Breathless in Bhutan

2011-10-22T01:48:00.000-07:00

Readers may like to see the three albums on Bhutan land of the Thunder Dragon on FB..TigerPaw Adventures

This incredible country left an indelible impression on me in more ways than one. While the album images speak for themselves more or less,...my physical experience for no fault of my host country became akin in terms of physicality and labor , to the cleaning of the Augean Stables by Hercules.

I made my first error when I decided to try he rail and road combination out of India. Having booked the return journey by Druk Air, Bhutan's national airline from Paro to New Delhi, I felt seeing the road through that remote corner of India nearinto Bhutan would be an education (!) which it certainy turned out to be in the most unpalatable fashion. I had been all around this specific area but never actually on this road.

The North East Express is a train of national importance serving the north east of India and linking it to the Capital. I had to board the infamous train from the newest and most far flung station(Anand Vihar) serving the Capital. We crossed into the state of Bihar and all around was a sea of water. Looking upto the ends of the horizon and seeing the immense "water world", one would never think of India having a shortage of water...if only one had the technology to transport these immense volumes across India's land mass towards the western desert. At approximately 3 pm the train came to a grinding halt. And stayed put for 12 hours. Sourrounded in water the train electronic signals were under water outside "Mughalsarai" a major train junction. The second class air conditioned train in which I was ( and amongst the best, after the first class air conditioned) soon became a living hell. The toilets were grossly filthy, their latches sharp and rusted enough to kill a passenger from tetanus. The rain water flooded the inside of the compartment. When I asked for the complaint book, the assistant collector grovellingly asked "why sir, what has happened?". I said there is rain water inside the compartment. He quickly said" but sir, it is raining outside!" I insisted and the grand ceremony of writing a written complaint and receiving a duplicate was embarked upon and completed.

At midnight all passengers were asleep barring me and a vibrant and energetic young man in the field of education. We tried using our phone contacts to get the nubers of the the railways at Mughalserai.All attempts failed. I decided to wake the ticket collector who was sleeping rather comfortably. He said he didnt have a numer for Mughal Serai but only for Agra. I said "call them". He said" my phone doesnt have a signal". I said " here's mine, and it does!" In the meatime we saw four other trains whizzing past as they were on an obvious priority. The ticket collector spoke to control in Agra and got a non comittal reply as the entire area was flooded.

I took the phone back, passed the number onto my contacts in Delhi and then e both began calling the number. Finally the train budged...I reached at 9 pm instead of 7 am. I got a taxi and the taxi man and his cohorts clambered all over me. Where do you wish to go sir? " Bhutan Gate", I said. 300 rupees sir. In the fatigued state, I thought this was a good deal. Lets go! ..As I calmbered into the jeep, someone said "where did you say you wanted to go? " Bhutan Gate, I answered again. " "Bhutan Gate! that is a180 km and a 3 hour journey! that is 3000 not 300! Having settled for Rs 2500 we proceeded. The driver and I soon regretted having set out. The journey was 4 hours, and of this, 3 hours were through craters a foot to 2 feet deep. The road had become rippled and wavy due to the poor materiels and overladen trucks..communist West Bengal at its best. The driver kept muttering " I came here two years ago...had I known I would never have come!" The pitch dark, dense jungle for much of the way knowing the forests were inhabited by wild elephant made it that much more tense. Of course there was another scenic and pleasant forest road but that was even more dense and doubly dangerous on account of pachyderms and other unknowns.

I kept in contact with my Bhutanese guide who came to meet me at the border. He and his driver had been waiting since midday...I finally met him at 4 am and crashed into a heavenly Bhutanese hotel. State of the art fittings had been used..but placed poorly in some cases..Anyway the excellent springs of the bed invited me..for an hour my head and ears continued swaying with the continued momentum of the awful road journey.

After breakfast at 9, I prepared for the next leg..a six hour mountain road journey ever rising upto the capital Thimpu. The road was excellent and the best of India;s workmanship was seen. The Indian Army had built a tremendous road, with fantastic bridges..But the mountains spare no man..and there were some gruelling sections of land slides to negotiate.

I finally reached Thimpu. The next day we embarked on trek. Wonderful vistas, wonderful field staff accompanied us. But there was a bit of inexperience and I was a bit toooo fatigued to notice after the four hour walk, the outer fly touching the inner. The result was an iced over inside ceiling the next morning. The combined effect of all of these did their damage especially after the next day which entailed an uphill climb of 7 hours from 10,000 ft (app 3200 m) to 14,500 (app 7,200 m) .Carrying a not so light day pack and I was done for after five months of faffing around without much physical activity.

And then the nighmare began. I could barely breathe and was wracked by coughing so violent that my stomach was sore..as if it had been repeatedly punched.I needed to be helped around constantly .To do al this and yet take decisions for the team became more demanding than ever. The young guide's decision making needed much help and pushing. The shorter route was the to go back on the pass we came from. But the vertical to get to its top was impossible for the horse. And I could not move on my own and the team had no way to feery me on a stretcher etc..

I had to then do a two day walk in one going out the scheduled way. It became an eleven hour marathon to get down to the road head by nightfall.Of these eleven hours six were on a small mountain pony..a great little mare ..provided with poor tack and untrained leading hands. Had I not been a horseman in my own capacity, I would never ever have survived that day.

The saddle on the horse as a small wooden saddle such as s used in mountains in Asia. There were no stirrups so I had to devise a primitive rope loop stirrup.The breastplate served as a stopping rein because there was ony one open rein which was used by the man leading the pony.A horse or pony generally picks the right or best route 98% of the time. But on occasion it picks entirely the wrong one. There were moments when there was a forked path..the lead man would not look back to guide the pony onto he rigt one with the result that the pony ended up taking me on a sheer cliff face with a thousand foot or more drop to the edge. In my delirium I had to admonish the pony man and ask him to keep his wits about him. Again when going past narrow, rocky defiles the same thing happened and I almost twsited my ankles on numerous occasions.When one went up an incline I had to rise up in the stirrups (as a considerate rider does to aid the horse) at which time the iron hoop of the saddle would catch my stomach, already bruised from hours of coughing.

We reached camp and after a short break I left my party and carried on to complete the next leg in order to reach the road head. I was party carried by one parter who commented " you must have carried me in a past life, sir, which is why I must carry you now". This was too hard to bear...as his shoulder and the bounce, knocked the already depleted wind, from my lungs. I then let myself be lugged down the slippery and rocky mountain into thick jungle,by two men..the sheer pace of their momentum, and gravity rushing me off my feet, sweat pouring down my body, inspite of most of the effort being on the part of my helpers... The endless trek down the mountain ended in the pitch dark..and my relief car came to extricte me to the hospital.The Doctor at the Emergency said, " heart fine, blood pressure, fine, chest ..a slight infection....

After thinking the worst ..pulmonary oedema is a dangerous and unpleasant condition, I had escaped this, but the slight "chest infection", had played utter havoc with my physiogonomy.

Bhutan is an unusual country and does not permit mountaineering on account of the mountains being sacred. I guess I had not appeased the Gods this time on the Dag Lang Lake Trek-The Trek of a Thousand Lakes.! Even so, I enjoyed Thimpu thoroughly, inspite of being exhausted from the experience. The Tsecho Festival and dances, which occured just before the Royal Wedding..was captivating as was all else about Butan, Land of The Thunder Dragon.

For your trip to Bhutan..write to TigerPaw Adventures

More on Pushkar

2011-10-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your comments..you may like to visit www.horsebackholidays.com and see the Pushkar Link there.

Pushkar

2011-10-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

The full moon in November will indicate the date for the holy dip at the revered Pushkar Fair.. The Horse Safari to Pushkar is a classic travel experience.Write to find out more...

BREATHLESS IN BHUTAN

2011-10-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

The visual vibrancy of Bhutan takes your breath away..see album on Facebook group Tiger Paw Adventures.

A few things make Bhutan unusual as a traveller's destination which is a highly mountainous country.

For one, unlike all its neighbours which feature the Himalaya and other mountain ranges it does not permit actual mountaineering expeditions as mountains in Bhutan are considered spiritual and living entities deserving of sanctity. Thus the active Buddhism lifestyle on display makes Bhutan a calm and relaxed destination to travel in.

Of course, as with other similiar destinations caught in the crossroads of the ancient and the modern, Bhutan too has its share of problems. However, this brings me to the second aspect, of what distinguishes Bhutan from at least India, its biggest friendly neighbour. The hand of the Monarch-King of Bhutan, who has long since stepped back to let a democratic council of ministers govern the country, can be seen in the orderly and civicly efficient manner the cities of Thimpu and its satellites are managed. The cleanliness is exemplary and the mighty state of India has much to learn from its little neighbour in this regard.Yes there may be something totalitarian when one sees each shop sign of the same size and colour scheme, but this view is quickly corrected when one thinks of the haphazard signages in Indian towns.

Inspite of this civic efficiency, Bhutanese complain of modern waste and garbage. To me they are oblivious of the mountains of filth and toxic waste their big neighbour is drowning in..and it is a good sign indeed to see that they are already concerned..

The third unusual aspect of Bhutan is the fact that its defence is under a direct umbrella handed to India and that unlike Nepal, Bhutan harbours no elements of resentment from its big brother and has enjoyed cordial relations with its southern neighbour for all of its modern history at least..and more importantly, there is no element of pushiness from India. The Chinese on the other had have already ired the Bhutanese according to my guide, for having encroached on their northern territories.

The last feature that stands out to my mind, is that inspite of being a largely tourist destination, with numerous western agencies functioning here, there are fundamentals lacking from the perspective of skills on the hospitality industry and their application to Bhutan's needs. However , this is for another time and place. For now, I must leave it at this, "Bhutan takes the modern traveller to great heights, and truly will take your breath away!"

Hurricane Irene misses her date with West Palm Beach..and homeward bound

2011-09-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well inspite of occasional smatterings of rain and dark cumulus nimbus clouds..Irene dropped her date with us on West Palm and moved up the east coast...I wont dwell on her antics there..

For myself I boarded the long long long flight home..Over the previous days I fiddled with a variety of combinations with my luggage which had followed the biblical missive " thou shalt go forth and multiply"!

I had bought an amazing computer bag from Mountain Coop in Vancouver..besides the quality..its unique feature was that it doubled up as a mountain back pack! I was therefore able to put my old and new computers into one computer bag and put this in the new pack...and therefore I could carry the air bag as carry on..in addition to the personal item (the laptops). But my dark secret unbenkown to the airlines was that there were 2 laptops..and the airbag was a couple of inches too high or long or wide (I forget which dimension) and was way way way too heavy..felt like 20 kilos to my straining arms)

Before this I was prepared to pay the extra 200 dollars and check the bag in as a third item of checked in baggage.

At the last minute I said to myself "let me try my luck".

The lady at the airline was swift and fast..and I showed her my two carry ons..to which she did not object in anyway.and mercifully there was no strict weigh in of my suitcases. My wife had done the smart thing by buying very light suitcases which unlike others, hardly weighed anuthing.and so I went to the departure lounge. There I struggled because there were no trolleys at the West Palm inside lounges, and I came up to my gate after being weighed down on the long walk, to see the forbidding gadget -the frame for measuring and holding all carry on bags..and I knew they would not pass muster.

Not being one who likes being ticked off, I again asked the desk lady about my bag..she gave them the once over and said "you should'nt have a problem sir".

But I knew I would be able to lift the wretched bag up onto the overhead rack!

Then came the call..."since the flight is full and the aircraft small , all passengers who would like to check in any of their carry on bags to their final destination may do so now at no extra cost"!. I jumped at the offer.
I then saw the departure attendant, a tall six foot bloke struggle with the weight and thought, now Im going to be slapped $200 bucks.. but..the bag was tagged straight to New Delhi and waited for me with my two suitcases..which had also been a few pounds overweight.

In Vancouver I had had a problem with Delta while trying to upgrade my seat. I was willing to pay the extra $ 120 for the economy comfort seat. However the long waits on the phone and other confusion meant that I lost the conversations mid way. I had to make two more calls . In the process my card got debited 3 times by Delta!..and I did not get the seat! because the conversation was not conclusive on account of que delays!
When I tried to call the final time, my card had not enough balance and the seat did not show as available!
When I called my card company they said the card has been debited 3 times and you will have to wait for them to refund the money.

Delta then said it would take 3-5 days to refund the money..but no seat could be allocated until I gave a fresh card. With the month end being on, and my newly transferred credits to my card requiring another couple of days to be reflected, I was neither here nor there!

I finally told the very professional reservation agent that I was not happy and wished to speak to someone else. She said I will transfer you but they will tell you the same thing (you have to wait or submit a fresh card)
But my peristence paid off. The customer agent in Cincinnati to whom I explained that Delta not being able to provide me the desired seat was no fault of mine, said I will hold the seat for you, said" Sir, I will hold the seat for you and you can pay before boarding on the 29th".

Well on the 29th when I was on the Atlanta to Amsterdam section, I was pleasantly surprised to see I had already been issued a boarding pass from West Palm for guess what? Seat 11 C! without being asked to pay for it!

After the five hour wait at Schipol in Amsterdam..I again boarded and was again pleasantly surprised when the flight supervisor came up quietly to me and said "Mr Singh, as a member of Flying Blue, we would like to allocate a seat upfront", and so seat 9 F became mine for the long flight to New Delhi.

The KLM flight which partners with Delta was very good indeed and the staff most pleasant.
But the flight from West Palm Beach to Atlanta, to Amsterdam, to New Delhi was long and I was happy to be back on terra firma with no bags lost or misplaced.

Border Crossings-Canada to the USA

2011-08-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

After having arrived 3 hrs ahead for my 'international flight' to the US departing at 6 am..they decided to announce a five hour delay..a sense of chaos pervaded as I had two onward connections before arriving at my destination-West Palm Beach in Florida..scheduled for 1030 pm.

Adam from Fresno met the signboard with a loud wail. He was booked via Continental and me via United at they were both in a merger.operating the same fight.

We banded together to fight the airlines.With no staff at the counters yet we decided to share resources and feedback.He called Continental and me United...I called the toll free numbers and the half hour wait at 3 am was worthwhile for the United operative offered me a 730 flt straight to Houston were after a 3 hours wait I could connect the same original flt to West Palm.

I had been asked to check in at the Continental desk. A young girl who announced she was new to the job sweetly took my booking in hand. She was rudely interrupted by her manager, a young hot headed man who said "take him off" we are oversold . I realised that this was a dire situation! I brusquely told him that I had been give a computer number by his partner airline and he could not toss me out; and I was not budging.I loudly said I didnt see his name plate on and I wanted to speak to his supervisor. He shouted back" I am the supervisor". I said " I want to see "your supervisor". He snatched up my passport and stomped to the United Airlines desk where I followed angrily. The United manager told him she could not cancel my reservation, as it was the central desk which had reissued me a ticket.By this time the sweet young girl apologised to me for the inconvenience, and having already ticketed me couldn't cancel the booking. And so the angry young man issued me my baggage tags at all. I later went and shook hands with him and he looked very sheepish and sorry. I said "you must be in a very difficult situation'.The trouble, as the young lass explained was because the merger had taken place in the US,but not yet in Canada, and that United kept overbooking!

Then customs and Immigration. Not having been to the US for 10 years I supposed my profile looked odd. Asked to go for a "secondary examination", I stood before a young agent who was firm and professional but polite. The wait was long and his scrutiny on screen painstaking. He asked me what took me to Florida..I said "to spend time with a polo buddy". "You play polo?". Yes.and is there any other business in the US? Well Im writing a book to be put out in the US. What kind of book? I pulled out the rough sample..showed him the polo and other pics...

Much checking and typing ad retyping and other id etc etc.he looked up as he was typing and reaffired.." so it is a book on polo?" I said " on travel and polo". He typed something in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He said "thank you Mr Singh", you are good to go. I walked out. Two officers stood. "What are you doing here did someome kick you out? Get the officer to walk you out". I walked back in..another officer said, "please come this way Mr Singh, here is the sacred door'.
I saw the two faces of US Immigration..and went on my way.

Here in Palm Beach my friends are observing Ramadan so the only meal and drink of the day is after sundown. Being good friends and knowing how difficult I find it to fast I dont like making too much of a fuss..a few provisions from the store and dinner with the family..makes it workable.

The polo farms, horses , estates et al are top knotch and world class..big and grand American style..
On the farm the family mucks in t keep the farm and horses in tip top shape.

I asked my hosts..should not the sky darken with clouds if the hurricane is immient?
No no..there won't be a cloud in the sky as all the moisture gets sucked up by the hurricane.
It will hit suddenly. Everyone is having a discussion as to " horses in or horses out"..etc etc.

I have packed my bags to batten down the hatches..

Well the sky has just darkened and there is rain..
Now we shall see...
until the next transmission from hurricane coasts in West Palm Beach..near the Everglades..

The Hare Krishna Festival of India and other events in Vancouver

2011-08-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well my sojourn in the greater Vancouver area (covering, Delta, White Rock, Surrey, downtown Vancouver which in turn includes such places as English Bay and Stanley Park) is coming to an end .
Over the 13th-15th August there are numerous festivals put out by the Indian community and of course the Indian community also participates in other fun comunity parades and festivals . One had an open air tractor trailer which had seats for a full band playing merrily away.

The Indian Festivals take place over the 13th and 14th aug and on the 15th is the flag hoisting at the Indian consulate.

I showcased my upcoming book (see www.nobodaboda.com) and tours (see www.tigerpawadventures.com) at the HareKrishna Iskon Festival. It was set up in beautiful Stanley Park, by the sea, and small and compact and well organised by the tireless volunteers.
There was a great deal of interest and I was impressed particularly by some of the younger visitors who were very well travelled and had very insightful questions. Besides the trinkets, apparel, food and such there were numerous stalls on yoga, meditation, spirituality and such. The ISKON group performed wonderful Indian classical dance, theatre and song to entertain all.

ISKON also served free food to huge public lineups ..quite commendable..

I a not sure how many knew or know, that the 14th aug (day of the festival) is actually Sri Aurobindo's Birthday. And that he was declared the most dangerous man in India by the British, and fought for Indian independence long years before Gandhi. That he was considered the reincarnation of Krishna on earth during his time..when in sadhna with "the Mother' in Auroville.

The other festivals were by the Punjabi community which included one called Geda Baba...da..
I received alot of interest in India and India bound trips..and plan to be a regular at the Iskon Festival.

I spent the weekend with friends in a wonderful location in Vancouver near Van Dousen gardens. These wonderful gardens about 40 years old, were the venue for an excellent musical festival. We took our chairs, hampers of food and set up along with the many others perhaps close to 2000 and watched the terrific pianist and base, dru combine from Cuba and then another group from Copenhagen...but the summer has been cruelly short in Vancouver this year...and so the beautiful people are out in force roller blading, biking, sailing, and so on.. as fall looms around the horizon...

I head now to Palm Beach Forida..and then wing home to New Delhi before embarking on the DagLang La Lake Trek in Bhutan...stay tuned!

The Great Canadian Summer Part 2

2011-07-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Great Canadian summer continueth...well being Canadian it is typically a pleasant admixture of sun and rain. Pleasant even when it is raining because I know the Sub Continent is either baking or flooding and with 95% humidity!

Well one of the great experiences as I mentioned in my last post was sea Kayaking with Howard Zatwarinski and Jeanne Zimmerman -kayak.bc.ca.

The other...has been a visit to Vancouver Island. Not an island you would get bored on if you were stranded on one..even with people you know!..Crossing the ferry (BC Ferries runs an excellent service of ships doing the shuttle) from Twassen, you reach Swarz Bay after a run of an hour and forty five minutes. The seat of Government, Victoria is where you then arrive. Victoria used to also have the Canadian Naval base and academy. The bases have shifted east since that is the more strategic I guess.

Victoria has streets named after SubContinental names...Sutlej (one of the five rivers of the land of five rivers -Punjab- punj- 5 and "ab- river" ) was one and the other, Trincomalee...where the English fought and overtook the native princes of Travancore (I think), in Southern India..or was it Tippu Sultan? Gotta check..and if you know it off the tip o yer fingers..let me know..eh? (Eh..is typical Canadian..)

Lush and verdant, slow and quaint, Vancouver Island has beautiful hamlets and inlets typical of the maritime culture...there are quite a few folk in the business of horses for kids to learn, therapy work and such.The mural artist Susanne Pink (who painted the leopard and fish mural on spashram rivermountain's liodge (see
http://www.spashram.info/ and http://www.rivermountain.in/ ) lives here . Her parents have built a beautiful heritage home replete with carvings of the Haida nation (one of the key ethnic groups indigenous to the region). Her sister Lis teaches riding and also therapy via miniature horses which seem to have some Falabella and some Shetland pony.....Liz was also a gold medallist who had represented Canadian overseas...

Mill Bay, Cowichan and other places are idyllic and the recreational boat and yacht community here is strong.

Like everywhere else, the Pink family laments the change brought on by big development.
Even so, the wilderness around homesteads is significant and wild rabbit, deer, bird life and the occasion bear will be seen..

I also met a healer..Karen Whitehouse. An accomplished reiki and sacro cranial healer she had helped many and I decided to undergo her treatment..She obviously wove a great spell for I was soon in the deepest of slumbers and felt the twists and pains sorted when I got back to my feet!

When I came back to the mainland..the computer techie said " they are sorta different out there are they not"... ? He had the impression of a laid back lot..
Thi was not far wrong but to me they were good people..who loved the outdoors and were all very hard working..But there was much more of the Island I was to discover...but that will keep for another Canadian summer..

All at SEA! a Great Canadian Summer Experience

2011-07-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Howard Zatwarinski...Ive known Howard and Jeannie (Zimmerman) for 16 years and so am able to spell their last names ! run Natural West Coast Adventures (nwca.in) and have been running sea kayaking training and trips in the Pacific waters off Vancouver's sea side suburban resort of White Rock (near Crescent Beach).
One of the great experiences available to just about anyone ...venturing out into the big blue waters is a special experience..the American Bald eagle, the Cormorant both enjoy (I think!) fishing here..or I wonder if it it gets mundane for them? but provide humankind a grand spectacle.. crabs and jelly fish can be seen through the clear waters at low tide..

On a sunny day everyone is on the water or just off it..flat boards, tune inners, dinghies, yachts, motor boats, and other saild boats are all out there. Kids will even float on a log and one bloke wa trying to row his boat with a birch brach (!)

I had come back to White Rock after a decade away from Canada having brought my 8 year old (who a local Senior and musican named "Sunshine" for her smile..and she loved it and took to the kayak like a fish to water ..and did not tire during the two hour journey..I am aching still...!

Howard is now starting kayak fishing tours and quoted a foreign visitor as saying " do people know just how lucky they are to have access to such quality waters?"..Fortunately not!

NWCA gives you orientation , safety gear and kayaks with great stability and even a land lubber like me managed to stay afloat and keep balance for two! The Kayaks have a rudder worked by a left foot and right foot paddle and one can take one the mighty ocean (when calm!) pretty well for the most part.

See some pics on FB groups TigerPaw Adventures...and contact www.kayak.bc.ca which is Howard's NWCA website

Alaksa's Inside Passage

2011-07-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Soon after returning from Goa, I took the family off the Canada from where we boarded the cruise ship Celebrity. Close to a 1000 staff for the 2000 guests, round the clock dining and enternainment (almost)..with something for all ages.. However, I did not like being trapped on ship faced with a choice of eating plenty, or spending cash for shopping!

But I was in paradise when we went whale watching in a large motor boat. The breaches (groups) or pods or whale and their antics were incredible to watch..Nature at her best..the water spouts and the sounds they made..
were a sight to behold..my 8 year old was impressed finally. The sea otters then came before the ship and they cavorted non stop in the water..their antics too were childlike and cute to watch..the whales just majestic.

In Junneau we boarded helicopters and flew low over the vast waters and glacier summits...like the boat, the chopper too was driven by a woman..all excellent at their jobs..photos on facebook...soon..Im still swaying after 7 days at sea even though Ive stepped off my boat!
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Amritsar,Kashmir, Goa

2011-07-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

After Mcleodganj we drove down to Amritsar, city of the Golden Temple. For all the crush and chaos of Amritsar and other towns in the Punjab, the Harmandir (God's house) was an island of beauty...many of our group were overwhelmed by the experience inspite of standing in the heat and que.
The free kitchen besides th Golden Temple was another special experience.In Amritsar we stayed at Mrs Bhandari's Guest House. Set in the quiet of the cantonement, visitors did not want to leave the quiet surrounds and lawns. Mrs Bhandari is actually a Parsee, that rare Indian community and served the most delicious and wholesome food of the entire trip. A spinster who spend some of her time in Germany each year, she speaks fluent German putting our guests at ease. The 1940's architechture and fittings are still maintained. I loved it.

From Amritsar we drove up to the hills of Jammu. I was returning after 25 years! I had done this journey 27 years ago as well, by Vespa scooter! all of 900 kms.. In Jammu I was able to peel off to meet a friend of old from Kashmir days..Lali Broca..he and his family had to flee the Vale of Kashmir after the militants ousted minorities the Hindus and Sikhs. It is an injustice that the Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus), the older community of Kashmir (before it was converted to Islam) were still refugees and could not come back to Kashmir valley.
But then every other community in India has faced the same sort of injustice! Christian refugees in Orissa, Muslims targetted in Gujrat and Sikhs lynched in northern India. For every example of how communal harmony should be displayed, India has a corollary on how to negate it.Whoever thought 1947 was the last such..was sorely and surely mistaken.

Kashmir: flying from fortress Jammu to Fortress Srinagar was another experience. It was nevertheless great to come back to the Vale of Kashmir..Kashmir is good in small doses ..But barely a foreign tourist in sight apart from our Germans. Indian and local tourists abounded. What was noticeable was the courtesy of Indian defence personell. Somethings hadnt changed however and the local CID staff a Kashmiri wanted his ounce of blood money for processing our exit forms from the airport!

I connected with Omar Nedou..again an old friend..he now runs the Nedou hotel in Gulmarg..a vintage piece of old..his Srinagar property is now a garrison for the Police. Omar was playing golf until past sundown everyday...

And then GOA. in a single day we flew from north to the south in a 17 hour journey. Goa was lush, wet, monsoonal..but not before allowing us to walk the length of the long quiet beach, and enjoy wading into the waves....and washed by a cool sea breeze as well...

the quiet villages, magnificent churches and old houses. and the laid back folk, had now.made Goa my national favourite..you will see TigerPaws operating here dynamically now..!

McLeodGanj

2011-06-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

Our first destination was McLeodganj.."Ganj" is a typical north India (Uttar Pradesh) Raj era term for locality..
and named after the British officer who discovered this once idyllic spot. It was part of a British officer's characteristic in the early19th and 20th centuries to "go beyond" the known territories and discover and name..

Today though the quietitude is sharply torn by the sound of cars and bikes raring past the very narrow and limited streets of McLeodGanj (2 streets in all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
The nearby city below is Dharamshala, now famous as the highest cricket ground in India(official) ...
I have not heard of Richard Gere coming here recently..to meet His Holiness The Dalai Lama..The Tibetan community is well established and structured...and its various institutions provide an excellent cultural insight.
In the adjoining hotel I saw young ladies dancing and singing to Tibetan song and rythm..one more strand in India's multiethnic weave....

From The Mountains To The Sea..An Indian Traverse

2011-06-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

We have just completed a quite incredible journey actually! The miracle of the modern jet engine playing a significant role.

For the last few years we have been taking elderly German clientele (it is the elderly who are now young enough, and wealthy enough to make such journeys something unthinkable in earlier years.

The journey began with a second (and most fortituous) audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his mountain fastness (the security amidst tranquility) is incredible, in McLeodGanj. Ganj is a typical Indian word signifying "locality", and the British Officer of the Raj is immortalised after his discovery of this "hill station".
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Over the next few days and weeks I will aim to lend you vicarious pleasure ..and also give an update on the way you should explore the places we visited....Happy hunting IJ IJ SINGH

follow me also on TWITTER at ij_himself and FB on Inder Jit Singh or TigerPaw Adventures