After a very successful trip to England and Scotland, we flew across to Belfast in May 2018. We stayed further down South in Lisburn. Staying away from major cities has its own advantages. To stay in the country is any day better than being cooped up in small apartments in the city. The atmosphere, open fields and the quietness of a village, all add up to giving a sense of escape. In any case some of us travel to escape the humdrum of the cities, the noise, pollution and much more. What I like most is the open space one finds in these parts. Unlike cities, you can actually see beyond the end of your own nose. Later, we drove along the magnificent “Coastal Causeway” to Portrush. We then travelled South again and stayed in Blessington near Dublin.

Each place has something special to attract you. After any trip one aspect remains in your mind and lingers on. When you ponder over this aspect in your own time the reason emerges slowly. Even after three years I cannot forget the warmth and friendliness shown by ordinary people across our travel in Ireland. We found the people spontaneous in their attitude. Their desire to be welcoming and helpful was writ all over. The Irish are a very unpretentious lot.

Our first interaction in Ireland was with a young girl from Hertz Rental at the airport. After all the formalities were over and the car was handed over, she came up to me and said, “Just to remind you, only Euros are accepted here”. She did not stop there. She put her hand into her pocket and pulled out a handful of Euros and gave it to me saying, “You will find this handy till you get to a bank, it’s helpful, especially at tolls”.

When we settled down at “Mourne View Cottage” near Drumlough, Lisburn, a very elderly lady came and said, “Hello there! Paul & Siobhan, the owners of this Airbnb are not keeping well and I have come to welcome you. Here is the welcome basket for you folks. I live just across you. Need any help just let me know.” She sat for a while and told us about the market place in Drumlough, how to get there, the bus timings and other titbits.

In Rushmore, a gentleman went out of his way to find us a parking space. The provision shop owner was most patient with our very long and irritating process of selecting ice-cream cones.

Catharine, our host at the Baltyboy’s Lodge in Blessington, Wicklow was the personification of charm and friendliness. We thoroughly enjoyed being there. We relished her orange marmalade specially made for us to take back to India. She took time off to give me a detailed recipe of her OM. Even today it’s toast butter and a generous spread of her OM at home.

This time around, we had Euros but only in notes. We boarded a bus to Dublin without realising we had to insert coins to pay for the bus fare. We were caught off guard once again. Spontaneously, a lot of fellow passengers offered to pay our fare. They refused to take our euro note in exchange. Finally, the bus driver asked me to pay whatever we had in change.

We decided to have a picnic lunch at the nearby Liffey Lake. We were enjoying  ourselves when a car drove down with two gentlemen. They got down and unloaded a crate full of homing pigeons. They were professional pigeon racers. They were practising for a big race by flying the pigeons to Dublin. They made us so welcome; we had a field day releasing the pigeons. We spent a wonderful afternoon with two strangers. Irish YES!!!!!!   

One morning we visited “Bad Ass Temple Bar “in Crown Alley, Temple Bar Dublin. That morning turned out be the most memorable one of our stay in Ireland. The beer was great, followed by great eats and music, above all the company of happy and boisterous Irish revellers. We learnt that the lead singer had played in Bangalore, India our home town. He dedicated the first song of the day to us. I was wearing a Navy Cap and one elderly gentleman came up to me and asked if I was a “Military Veteran”. I said that I was and a fresh round of partying commenced in right earnest. It was great fun.

Thanks a lot folks – What the feck. In Ireland, it’s always grand!

There are many charming towns and pretty villages spread across Northern Ireland. We visited a small town by the name of Blessington. The town is blessed with a lovely lake where many feathered species have made their home.

After driving for some time we reached our cottage in Wicklow County. “Baltyboy’s Lodge” is a wonderful, large house with a huge garden and a drive way.
We were welcomed warmly by the lady of the house, Catherine. She stays with her husband and five children. Can you imagine looking after the house, garden and five children? Catherine was always busy doing various chores. In spite of being busy she always had a lovely smile. All of us instantly liked her. She was very friendly, helpful and on her toes all the time.

We settled down in the drawing room warming ourselves in front of the homely, wood-burning fire. It felt warm and cosy and made us forget the freezing cold outside.

The door suddenly opened a bit and a lovely reddish brown cat entered the room. It stared at all of us wanting to find out who we were. Just then Catherine entered and introduced us to ‘Leo’.

The cat had become a member of the household some seven years earlier. Leo was very comfortable in the lodge. He had two places where he chose to sleep, lovely food to eat and lots of open space to play in. He always joined the family whenever they watched TV. He did not evince any interest in the programs but he liked to sleep or just lounge around in good company. He often went out to chase birds and squirrels. Sometimes he wandered off and visited the neighbourhood cats. He always returned by sunset and went to sleep in his bed. He looked happy and healthy.

But deep down, he was lonely and longed for the company of another cat. Many moons passed and he still remained alone.

One rainy day he ventured out and went to the barn on the right of the house. Lo and behold! He saw a beautiful black pussycat sitting demurely on a hay stack. At first he thought it was some illusion and refused to believe that a cat had come to the lodge. As he neared, the black cat gave a friendly ‘You look quite sweet’ purr. Leo could not believe his luck and lost no time in introducing himself.

He went closer and said, “Hello there, I am Leo and I live here, who are you?” The cat took some time to answer and very gravely replied, “I am ‘ Black Pearl’ and I am new to this place”. Leo approached her cautiously and gave her a soft tentative rub. They soon became friends and talked endlessly with each other. Pearl told him that she had left the previous owners’ house long ago as they were unpleasant folk. Since then she had been wandering around the countryside, trying to find some place to stay. Leo was moved to tears when he heard that Pearl had spent her nights all alone in the cold, rain and snow. She had rarely eaten any decent food, always rummaging in garbage bins trying to find something to eat. Leo felt extremely guilty and felt very sad for Pearl. Here he was, living in the lodge like a king.

Without batting an eyelid, he turned to Pearl and said, “Why don’t you stay with me in the lodge?” Pearl was so excited she stuttered,” It’s all very well for you to invite me in but what will the house owners say? I am not a pedigree cat like you; I have no papers, no ID and no reference from my previous owner. I am not sure they will take me in”.

Leo was not certain how to proceed and yet he wanted Pearl to stay more than anything in the whole wide world. He thought for a long time and decided to let her stay albeit without the permission of the house owners. He turned to Pearl and said, “Don’t worry about the owner; she is a very fine and considerate woman. I’m sure she will agree to your staying here. At an opportune moment I will ask her and I am very sure she will not refuse me. In the meantime please stay here in this abandoned tree house”. They climbed the tree near the barn and entered the tree house. The tree house was spacious and comfortable. There was a lovely bed with a pillow and a blanket. It had two huge windows to allow the breeze to flow in and the rays of the sun to warm it . It was big enough to house Pearl. The shelter was in fact very cosy. For the first time Pearl had a place of her own and she was happy to be sheltered from the rain and snow. She was so happy and grateful to Leo; she thanked him with a big hug and a kiss.

Leo went inside the lodge knowing that Catherine was away shopping in Blessington.

He quickly gathered some pieces of bread and chicken from the tray kept near the oven and took off. He went to the tree house to feed Pearl.

Catherine on the other hand was exceptionally busy with several guests in the lodge. She had no time to look at Leo or to play with him.

Soon after, the guests left the cottage and Catherine got back to her usual routine. In next to no time, she realised that a lot of food was disappearing from the store and kitchen. She asked all her children if they had taken any food from her storeroom. All of them said they hadn’t.

After a tiring day she was resting in the drawing room watching a TV serial, when she saw Leo stealthily carrying a large piece of meat. She was shocked to see Leo doing this. She decided to get to the bottom of this daylight robbery. She followed Leo from a safe distance to see what he was up to. Outside the tree house on the ledge Catherine could see a black cat waiting for Leo.

She saw both the cats happily devouring the food, having friendly fights, teasing each other and generally having a whale of a time. Leo was so engrossed with Pearl that he failed to notice Catherine. The lady of the house had never seen Leo so active and happy. The cats made an excellent pair and the sight touched her heart.

Finally Leo saw Catherine watching all their antics. Feeling terribly guilty, he hesitantly came down the tree and started to nuzzle her foot. Leo knew what he had done was wrong but felt good that he had made Pearl comfortable, safe and loved.

Leo mustered up all the courage he had and with great hesitation he turned to Catherine and said “Please meet my new friend, Pearl”. I welcomed her to the lodge and gave her a place in the tree house, all on my own. She has nowhere else to go and I have always wanted another cat to play with. Please ma’am, let her stay here with us”.

Catherine thought for a moment and said to herself, “Another cat to look after! Where will I find the time and energy? Soon, they will have many kittens. The lodge will be full of cats. What will the guests say? Some of them don’t even like cats”. She was caught in a big dilemma.”On one hand it will make Leo very happy but on the other hand it will be very hard on me,” she thought.

While all these thoughts were running through her head, she looked down to find Pearl looking up tenderly at her. “Ma’am, I know what’s going through your mind. Please allow me to stay here. I have nowhere else to go, winter is on its way and it will become very difficult to find food and shelter. I promise to stay in the tree house and never enter the lodge”. She continued, “by the way Ma’am, my previous owner had me neutered so you needn’t worry about me having any kittens.”

Catherine was extremely moved. In one magnanimous gesture she bent down and tightly hugged both the cats. She said “Okay Leo, have it your way. Pearl may stay in the tree house. But, there will be no more stealing food from my kitchen. Both of you will be fed outside at the same time. You may play with her as much as you want in the open field, garden and the back yard. You will return to the lodge at sunset and stay in. Pearl will follow all the rules of the cottage and cause no problems to either us or our guests”.

Since then Leo and Pearl have become inseparable and continue to enjoy each other’s company. Leo no longer steals any food and has become a well behaved, happy and mischievous cat. Pearl has kept her promise and always remains outside. She loves her tree house very much.

The club house

We have always travelled out of the country in the months of April-May. Due to Covid, our plans to visit Mexico in 2020 were shelved. Instead we have been taking short trips around Bangalore to beat the humdrum of lockdown. We went to Escape Vineyard in Chikkaballapur and Crepeginger in Koppa, Chikkamagaluru. Any trip out of your home town is always welcome. Travel rejuvenates one’s body and mind, provides an opportunity to bond with the family and enjoy new experiences. This time around we decided to drive down to Kodaikanal – “The Gift of the Forest”. I booked our accommodation at the Kodaikanal Golf Club (KGC). It’s a nine hour drive on excellent roads with stops for breakfast and lunch.

Family Breakfast at Addyar Anand Bhavan

KGC was started way back in 1895, which makes it 126 years old.  Located at an elevation of 7000 ft on an undulating hilly terrain of meadows and forested area. The 18 holes course spread over 100 acres, offers many complex challenges to any golfer. The fairways are broad and surrounded by tall trees. The approach to the green is tricky as the fairways carry steep gradients. I was fortunate to have Murugan as my caddy. With his vast experience as a golfer and caddy, he was able to guide me through the game.

With Murgan

You are not always alone on the golf course. Indian Gaurs are a regular sight on the course and they mostly come in the evenings to graze. A singular of wild boars are very common in this area. The greens are barricaded by heavy nets to prevent gaur and boars from trampling and digging. I was extremely fortunate to encounter a majestic bull gaur one morning near the 14^th hole.

Heavy net on the left

Twins enjoying the golf trips

Beforehand, I had decided to take a buggy. As it turned out, it was a very wise decision. I played 18 holes on all four days of my stay. The game was easy and comfortable. I was able to concentrate more on the game rather than stretch my limited physical prowess. Unlike other city courses, the KGC does not attract many golfers. Normally there may be six to eight golfers on the course at any given time. My grand children joined me every morning for 9 holes. They enjoyed the buggy ride and helping the caddy. I met up with Mr G.S. Mani, the secretary of the club and the superintendent of the course, who was very proud of the fact that KGC is India’s first “organic course” and they have implemented ‘sustainable golf practices’. Less water usage, no chemicals and fertilisers for the greens, organic composting, keeping the local streams drinkable for the gaurs, is the mantra. Few ladies are employed to look after the greens. Each lady looks after two greens. They report at 8 AM and start their work. There is a sense of ownership in the work they do.A very good practice indeed.

Down Hill

Level ground

A city arterial road separates the club house from the course. The club house has an imposing grey stone facade. After the game, one can relax on the lawn looking at the superb view of the golf course. Family and children can take a shot at putting. As you unwind with a glass of chilled beer, a thick layer of fog descends and envelopes the entire area, rendering the atmosphere dreamlike. The club has five well appointed, spacious and clean rooms. History comes alive when you look at various old time photographs of Golf Captains and Presidents which adorn the walls. Anand, the care taker, went out of his way to make our stay comfortable. A sumptuous South Indian breakfast is served daily. One has to order lunch and dinner well in advance. We ate all our lunches in the city. Evenings were spent in leisurely walks on the golf course, sighting gaurs and watching fish swimming in the stream. By around 6.30 in the evening, Anand would have lit the fire in the hearth. There are hardly any visitors to the club. As the sun sets the entire club becomes yours to enjoy. I adored the ensuing peace and quiet. Sitting by the fire side and sipping your favourite elixir is the ultimate experience. Keep the dinner menu simple. Carry your own liquor and pay corkage. Life in the hills starts to slow down by sunset. It rained twice during our stay. The night temperature dips to 12 deg C at night.

View from the club house lawn

Well earned!!!!

Enjoying nature

The family and children went for a customary boat ride in the Kodaikanal Lake. More than the boat ride, I understand the boatman was an interesting old geezer. He talked at length on various topics, ranging from how youngsters take selfies on a boat ride to the ensuing elections and the state of the country at large. He said that often the selfie stick breaks sending the costly cell phones to the bottom. As the boat is moving, many ladies tend to put their hand playfully in the water and so loose fitting rings also meet the same fate. During the lockdown the boatman kept himself fit by swimming in the lake. He also used to dive to recover the goodies. He claimed to have recovered more the ten cell phones, restored them and then had sold them for quite a bit of money. The talkative boatman also had an opinion on India’s growth. He told them three things had grown in India after Independence – its population, politicians and pollution.

Mother and daughter bonding

Ayaan horse riding

Comic interlude

There are a number of restaurants to choose from. After a lot of research, my son in law Anirban who is a food critic came up with this list.

# Muncheez – Rolls, Burgers and Milkshakes

# 10 Degree – Comfort Cafe food

# Altaf’s — Mediterranean fare

# Cloud Street – Pizzas

# Cariappa – Cafe and bakery.

# Kodai Cheese – Cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda, Edam, Fata, Goat cheese and much more

 # Home Stay — We also visited “Dunnottar”, an outstanding ‘home stay’, for lunch. The bungalow dates back to the pre-Independence era. The present owners have restored the building tastefully, combining its old world charm with some contemporary comforts. If one is seeking a comfortable and charming place to have a relaxed stay, one should head for Dunnottar. The caretaker took us around as the owner narrated its history and other details to us over the phone. The home stay is located next to the lake, surrounded by tall trees and forested area. We thoroughly enjoyed a simple mouth-watering South Indian lunch prepared by their cook who has been with them for over three decades

CrepeGinger is a family getaway located near the sleepy village of ‘Bomlapura’, 98km NW of Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka. It’s been a week since we ended our eight days break at CG, but it continues to occupy my mind. I really find it difficult to figure out exactly why we liked this place so much. I have travelled extensively, both abroad and in India, and stayed at excellent properties, but CG somehow is in a class by itself.

Suba and Samar are the proud owners of CG. Suba admitted that she has always liked to spend time amidst nature and greenery. While her childhood years were spent in Chennai, she later moved to Bangalore, Delhi and New York for work. All along, she knew that at some point in her life, she would like to live amidst nature. They started looking around for a property to settle down in and make a new beginning. In their quest to locate the right property, they travelled across Karnataka and Tamilnadu. A friend of theirs suggested that they look up a three-acre property near Bomlapura. They found that it was not a well manicured coffee plantation or a farmland in the traditional sense. It was just a semi wild piece of land with trees and shrubs. Standing there, she felt a wave of positive energy emanating from the place. Some instinct told Suba topick it up. After that, there was no looking back, they decided that was the place and purchased it. She says that they did not think of what was to be done next, how to go about things, where the money would come from or a plethora of such thoughts which would normally have accompanied a random and impulsive act. They went ahead and converted that patch of wilderness into a paradise. That was 2012.

Suba had no previous experience in managing an estate or for that matter in constructing a house. She then devoted her entire time to studying architecture, building, design and interior decoration. She also studied landscaping and arboriculture. Passion and a desire for perfection were the driving force for the next three years. Soon after, she thought of sharing this getaway with other like minded people. That was the genesis of ‘CrepeGinger’ as a Getaway.

She relied totally on local talent and expertise. She says it’s ‘extremely important to carry the immediate community with you’. Unlike many ventures the ‘Getaway’ is a living project requiring support and well-wishers. She invited the entire village for the opening ceremony to appreciate their contribution. This gesture was deeply appreciated and the villagers welcomed her into their midst. During the construction she was staying in a temporary accommodation. One night a very violent storm struck the property, shaking the very foundation of their small cottage. Terrified, she went and spent the night in their neighbour’s hut. The old toothless lady who sheltered her that night continues to work in the getaway doing odd jobs with an unpretentious smile. She calls her Ajji-ma. Recently CG was occupied by a group of boisterous youngsters who disrupted the peaceful night air with raucous noise. Sound travels extremely fast in a forested area. The villagers woke up and were greatly alarmed at the racket. A few of them came immediately to CG to check on Suba. Such is the support and concern they have for CG. Suba is very cautious about admitting people to her property. She says, ‘I like renting the place only to people who love nature, respect the environment and enjoy peace and quiet. This is certainly not a party destination.’

CrepeGinger is a 4000 sq ft bungalow with four large bedrooms with attached bath and a very large drawing room. The ceiling has been kept high which creates a sense of space and keeps the house well ventilated. The drawing room has an inner court yard .The entire set up is elegantly decorated with utilities, objects d’art and matching furnishings. Suba has personally selected each item in the house. The large veranda is supported by tall columns giving it a very colonial and stately appearance. The kitchen, pantry and dining area is located outside the main bungalow. CrepeGinger takes you back to a bygone era.

The day starts with a sumptuous breakfast personally supervised by Suba. While the cook affectionately called ‘Uncle’ is preparing the BF, Suba engages us with anecdotes of CG and life at CrepeGinger, the Getaway. We then retire to the veranda or the gazebo to catch up with a little bit of reading.  Anusha and Pushpa, her able assistants bring steaming Chikkamagaluru decoction coffee to the table. The atmosphere can be totally alien to us city dwellers. Devoid of any external man made sounds, the CG opens your senses to the soft rustling of leaves and the soughing of the wind as it brushes past dried leaves. There are plenty of birds to keep you company, especially the constantly chirping Black Billed Magpie and Warblers.  

You are jolted out of your slumber when Hanumantha the Gardner announces that a table and some chairs have been set up in the nearby stream. To sit in a stream sipping beer and listening to the children playing newly invented games, whilst one is reading a book or just lazing and staring at the bounties of nature, gives one a sense of euphoria.

Lunch is announced. Suba’s carefully chosen menu, treats us to a combination of cuisine from Chettinad, Mangalore, Mysore, Nagaland and Manipur. There is a spread of veg and non veg dishes to choose from. Incidentally the lunch is served on a banana leaf and one is tempted to taste and relish all the fare. Suba is a keen observer. She has specially prepared a paneer dish for one of the children. She experiments a lot. Be it cabbage salad with orange, cauliflower peanut and apple salad or wild berries jam tempered in jaggery the menu provides a much needed variation. Her young daughter Ria often helps her mom. She baked us delectable cakes and fudges. It was very heartening to see a young girl sharing her mother’s passion to the fullest. Truly a remarkable trait.

After a siesta the girls, A and P lay out the evening snack called ‘Thindi’ in Kannada. Each day, Pakodas, Aloo Bondas, Mangalore buns, Bhaji or Bombay pau would be served to whet our appetites.

Children kept themselves busy reading or playing a variety of indoor games, hide and seek, throwing a boomerang, archery and mini golf. We hardly saw them.

Prior to dinner, H sets up a bonfire. We gather around the fire to beat away the chill of winter. There is a lot of reminiscing, dumb charades and staring at the flame and cinders. Only the moon is a witness to all this.

Believe me the whisky tastes much better.

We made it a point to trek across to see the hanging bridge over river ‘Tunga’ and enjoyed a picnic on the river bed.

We were truly impressed with Suba’s passion and the enthusiasm with which she celebrates life in such serene natural surroundings.

The only down side to our trip was that all too soon our holiday was up and we had to get back to Bangalore.

Purshottam Kallupatti Gopalkrishna is a very adorable and at times an enigmatic character. Over a period of time, people around him who were unable to remember or pronounce his long name, had shortened it to ‘P K’. The name suited him.

Having a lot of time on hand due to the Covid lockdown, I called up P K after many years and held a long conversation about ‘yey’ ‘wo’ and all those things. He loves to talk and has the unique ability of narrating incidents and anecdotes with relish.

Pleasantries over, we immediately focused on the situation at hand – the Covid Lockdown (CLD). P K sounded terribly angry and ruffled, which was alien to his nature. I prodded him a little bit and he let the cat out of the bag. In a very low voice he whispered “This damn CLD has made elbow bending very difficult. Added to that I am under constant supervision by the LOH”.
I could well imagine his plight.

To understand P K, it’s essential to go back in time and register some of the land mark events which have sculpted his life.

Many eons ago he was as free as the proverbial bird. The LOH was busy working in an upmarket studio during the day, leaving P K with ample opportunity to fly away and indulge in a bit of tippling in his favourite club, meet other guzzlers, ventilate on subjects on national security and tuck in the choicest of meats. The LOH is a strict vegetarian. Over a period of time, he had instinctively developed the ability to fly back to his nest like a homing pigeon with enough time to sleep off the forenoon of indulgence before the appearance of the LOH. He would be as fresh as a D to welcome the LOH, prepare a cup of hot coffee, enquire about her work and generally indulge in a measure of good husbanding. This Foot Loose and Fancy Free attitude had given him a mischievous smile and a bit of shine to his gleaming skin. He was the object of all envy. He truly led a very balanced life.

All of a sudden his halcyon days ended. The LOH having toiled all her life decided to call it a day and stay at home to take up her wifely duties. This move caught P K completely off guard. His LOH occupying the nest 24/7 was fraught  with danger. Suddenly he felt weak in the knees and started to tremble, beads of sweat started to form on his broad forehead, he became breathless and started to cough. If this had happened today, P K would have been immediately quarantined in a Covid hospital

The following Friday,as P K was soaping himself in the bathroom, the bell rang. It was half past ten and the LOH was engrossed in Agatha Christie’s “Man in the Brown Suit”. The bell rang just at the point where the main character in the mystery Anne, notices a thin man on the platform  reeking of mothballs, lose his balance and get electrocuted on the rails. The bell ringing incessantly totally discomposed the LOH.

P K’s partner in pub hopping – Colonel Philip Doresami from the Madras Regiment also known as Daru for short (a terrible coincidence though) stood pale faced in front of the  LOH. Seeing her at home so unexpectedly, totally unnerved this brave veteran of many battles. He was ushered into the house by the LOH and asked to be seated.
She said “Pleasure to see you after so long. What brings you here?”
Daru was a God fearing Christian, never lied, went to church often, read the Bible regularly and was a bachelor to boot. Being free from any shackles and chains ,which normally entangle the married kind, he was always forthcoming in his talk. Even before the cop, sorry the LOH, intensified the interrogation, Daru spilt the beans. He was an ideal witness for the prosecution. Before long Daru had unburdened himself and divulged a load of volatile and actionable intelligence to the enemy camp. Frequency of visits to the club, duration, choice of elixir, the many indulgences and other gory details.

As I think it’s not ethical to write any more about this episode, I won’t. It’s best left to historians and grave diggers.

During the ensuing period, P K had kept a low profile and worked hard to impress the LOH. Time is a great healer.The LOH mellowed and appeared to be giving a second chance to the injured party.

In the meantime, P K put all the six components of his mental faculties in an overdrive. In his younger days he was well known in the military circles for his ability to strategize.

One morning he decided to accompany the LOH on her weekly visit to the nearby temple. This move surprised her but inwardly it made her as happy as a L. During their walk back, P K suggested that LOH should invite her mother and sister to come and stay with them. The idea was a stroke of genius. The LOH accepted the offer very willingly. LOH, as they say, went overboard looking after her kith and kin. She devoted less and less time in chaperoning P K. This gave him multiple escape options. He was very pleased with himself indeed.

When his benefactors returned to their native place, P K came up with yet another ingenious stratagem. He told the LOH that they were being labelled as unsociable in their community. With a very calm and convincing demeanour, he suggested to the LOH, “Now that you have stopped working, we should mingle a bit and catch up with our friends”. Weekends at the house were filled with the sounds of unadulterated merriment and the unmistakable sound of popping soda bottles. Friends invited them in return and this social ping pong kept P K very contented.

Now you will understand why this CLD has brought poor P K nothing but misery and a yearning for what could’ve been.

It’s very difficult to predict how Covid lockdown has affected individuals. It depends on factors such as age, health, finances, physical fitness, occupation etc. However, one factor which greatly affects any individual is ” I am married and stay with my wife” in which case, The Covid Lockdown takes a totally new “Avatar”.
There is no harm in letting you know a bit about my wife and myself. This will make you understand the nuances of lockdown. In my case, life was very simple. In fact it was a beautiful routine; four times a week, golf. The rest of the time, I had intelligently distributed between reading, TV, cell, phone, gardening, cooking and sleeping. This kind of enviable schedule can happen only if you are on good terms with the LOH (Lady of the House). One has to keep this bubble of happiness very carefully from bursting. The wellbeing of the bubble is dependent on the level of understanding, kindness and benevolence shown by the LOH.

The LOH, on the other hand, led a more engaging and productive life before the lockdown. Being a principal of a very large school for more than a decade followed by consulting job in the same school had established her routine to a T. She would go to the school five days a week as against my four days on the golf course. She left home at half past seven in the morning and returned home at six in the evening. In the ensuing period the school gave her ample opportunity to exert her authority, interact with teachers, staff and children, point out their shortcomings, praise, rebuke, disagree, approve and indulge in a host of mentally and intellectually challenging tasks.

We were practicing Social Distancing much before it became compulsory.

A good sun downer with the LOH followed by a light dinner ended the day most amicably.

We are very fortunate to have an excellent domestic help (DH). Between my golf and LOH’s school, the DH managed the house and the cooking. We played almost no role in the running of the house, except for keeping the store and fridge full.
LOH was left alone to engage her free time in going for health walks, quenching her literal thirst and watching Master Chef without fail. She was very happy and managed to live a well- rounded life. A perfect example of managing the  work-life balance.

Life in this “Never Never Land” came to an abrupt halt on 24 Mar 2020. Golf courses and schools were closed. Lockdown was enforced. Next morning, I got up late and fixed myself a cup of fresh coffee and came to the patio to read the newspaper. Lo and behold, LOH was already in the patio occupying my favourite chair and in possession of the newspaper. This was absolute blasphemy, unthinkable and outrageous. I mustered a lot of courage and expressed my unhappiness by grunting and hee – hawing. All my antics had no effect on the LOH and I had to accept defeat and sulk in silence.

Lockdown had started taking charge.

LOH is a very good cook. However, due to unavoidable circumstances she had distanced herself from the kitchen and mundane activities such as cooking, provisioning and other culinary tasks. Now that circumstances had changed, she dug out the old apron and was battle ready. Throwing caution to the wind, she entered the kitchen and announced ” I will cook lunch”. Hearing this great proclamation, I did a tactical withdrawal and hid myself behind a Wodehouse. In a jiffy, I was bombarded with a barrage of questions. Where are the knives kept, where is atta, jeera, sugar, chilli, where is Pril and so on. My first reaction was to say “This is what happens when you enter the kitchen after a very long time”. Shakespeare came to the rescue and I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and kept mum.

Having exhausted the “WHERE”  part, the LOH now turned her attention to the “WHY”.
Why are ghee and oil in separate places? None of the masalas are in the same place, why are small eat packets kept with aloo? Why are spoons and forks mixed up? On and on and on went the interrogation.

Men are genetically prone to giving quick responses. These days it is called, “Foot in the mouth disease.” It’s been there even before  Corona. Falling prey to this disease, I said “If you know how to cook, all these small issues do not matter. “
OMG, that statement was the last straw. I had deliberately opened “Pandora’s Box”. What happened thereafter was pure massacre.

LOH retorted “If you spend more time at home than on the golf course,the kitchen would be better organized”. I did not see the connection but kept quiet. Once bitten twice shy also helps if cornered in any argument with the LOH. “I am going to reorganize the entire kitchen, change the containers, exchange all old and useless utensils YOU HAVE KEPT!” announced the LOH. In defence I wanted to say,” Darling, why did you wait so long?” But you will agree with me when I say that courage has its limitations.

Life, as I knew it, completely changed. LOH was not happy with the washing machine. It was not obeying her instructions. She was unprepared to tolerate this impertinence on the part of the WM. At the first available opportunity, a technician arrived from Urban Clap and set it right.

New and innovative methods of sweeping and swapping have been introduced. Shoot at sight orders are in force till the floor dries up. A new bucket mop has been ordered from Amazon. A new bathroom mop is also in place. Presently the side board is under attack. I have been tasked with the decision of whether the ceramics should go in the bottom shelf or cleaning items. I am yet to decide on this vexing issue. I am too scared to suggest a total overhaul of her clothes cupboard, which needs her immediate attention. It has reached the stage of ‘ CAUTION – Open at your own risk. Sarees will fall without warning ‘.

An intrinsic desire to take charge is present in all of us to some degree. But in the case of the ‘Teacher Tribe’, it manifests itself into unheard of proportions. The interview starts in a very tame manner. LOH starts an unsolicited question hour “What are you doing?”
” Nothing. I am reading the newspaper”.
” I know. I can see you are reading.(Then why do you ask? ) But you have been at it for one hour. You have nothing else to do. Why don’t you clean your cupboard? It’s a mess.
“Nothing wrong with it.”
At this juncture she changes tack to catch you off guard.
“Why didn’t you clean up the kitchen table after you made breakfast?”
“I cleaned and left a neat kitchen.”
” NO YOU DIDN’T, I had to redo the whole place. If this is your idea of cleanliness, from now on, please don’t cook. (Cool, don’t ask me to make Masala Dosa and BTW, navy teaches all its sons how to clean from cadets’ time onwards. It’s called “Clean ship” and we are very good at it) .

The day turns into evening. After a bit of exercise and a hot bath, we gather in the patio to deliberate on various topics. This is when the old and trusted ‘ Laphroaig’ comes to the rescue. All is forgotten, smiles return and bonhomie is ushered in.

No Covid lockdown can break a relationship of forty odd years.

 Cheers.

I love to watch animals in the wild. Seeing them moving
about without a care in the world is really exhilarating.
Botswana will always remain my favourite wild life
destination. Our trip involved taking a six seater bush flight
from Maun to “Oddballs Camp” in the Okavango Delta.

The aerial view of the river is an entirely different experience.
Sitting in a small aircraft adds to the excitement.

The Oddballs Camp is located deep in the Delta, totally cut
off from civilization, no phones, no electricity, no TV. It’s just
us and wild nature.We stayed in canvas tents by the stream.

We went on safari twice a day but this was a different
experience altogether. We’ve been in a safari jeep a
number of times but this was the first time we were on foot
– with nothing to protect us from any wild animal that might
be lurking around, hidden in the tall grass. Imagine any
animal you met would be looking at you practically face to
face with nothing to protect you but the wisdom and
experience of a tracker and a spotter who accompanied us.

They take you into the sprawling grassy plains teeming with
Elephants, Lions, Zebra, Giraffe, Baboons, Antelope,
Springbok, Kudu, Warthog, Hyena, a variety of birds and
they carry only a long stick to ward off any attacks. They
completely rely on the belief – ‘keep a safe distance from
the animals and all will be fine”. They also add – if by
chance a lion comes uncomfortably close – stare him down.
One need to stand close to each other in order to appear
very big to keep an elephant at bay. Hippos, however, are
the most dangerous of the lot and no distraction will stop
them from chasing you. The villagers normally climb a tree
but when we had our doubts about accomplishing this long-
forgotten childhood skill, they told us to lie down behind a
big fallen tree branch to avoid a Hippo attack. Fortunately
hippos cannot jump. And even more fortunately, we didn’t
have to put it to the test as no hippo came charging!

Evenings in the camp are reminiscent of movies like “Out of
Africa’ and ‘Hatari’. The setting sun, the vast expanse of
never ending grasslands, owls settling down on tree tops,
occasional lightning, dried up trees catching fire, the distant
roar of a lion, loud grunts from the three hippos that were
closeby, all add up to provide an incredible and
unforgettable wild life experience.

On the last night in the camp, we had an early dinner,
packed our luggage and retired. A very strange noise
resembling someone blowing air into a paper bag woke me
up from my deep slumber. Instantly I realised that Jayanti
was also wide awake with a startled, terrified look on her
face. In a very short while it dawned on us that an elephant
was next to the tent. It was so close, the body was touching
the tent and we could hear the elephant tearing down the
bark of a tree, chewing and swallowing, all the while making
these loud wheezing and grunting sounds, unlike anything
we had heard before.
We froze, involuntary sweating, heart pounding and went
absolutely blank, not knowing what to expect next. We lay
down in absolute silence, scarcely breathing, thinking of all
horrific possibilities. Would he tear down the tent, butt, or
just push it down? Would he explore the inside with his
trunk and discover us? Was he able to smell our fear and
anxiety?
There was no way we could contact anyone or raise an
alarm. Jenith and Sushama in the next tent went through
the same ordeal.
We were not prepared for an experience of this kind and for
the first time in our lives we had no recourse.
We held each others’ hands and anxiously waited in total
silence for the pachyderm to leave. It must have been about
forty minutes later (which seemed like aeons at that time)
that the elephant decided to move on. The brief respite that
we were granted, was rudely shattered by a very familiar

noise from the front of the tent. The second experience was
even more frightening as the elephant was making even
more noise, stamping the ground and appearing to be
irritated or agitated for some reason.
In the meantime, one’s mind goes into an overdrive and a
variety of doomsday thoughts enter your mind to make
things even more unbearable.
Again it seemed endless, waiting for the elephant to retreat.
Once normalcy was restored, we went back to sleep only to
be rudely woken up by two resident hippos in a territorial
fight. They had crossed the rivulet and come to the camp
side for the first time in four days.

Even after a year, I get goose pimples whenever I recall the
incident. We were alone and all this happened most
unexpectedly. It was very frightening and we felt totally
helpless in that situation. Of course, looking back on that
night, it was an awesome experience; one that would be
remembered and retold countless times. Each time we
related it, we felt the same shiver down our spine as we
relived the incident.
We can never forget Botswana. Ever.

We left Hobatere Lodge after breakfast and reached Okaukuejo Camp after a very pleasant three and a half hour drive, covering 280 km on a tarred road. The roads are fenced on either side to restrict wildlife entering the roads. The fence is in top condition throughout. It’s very common to see a repair truck attending to a fallen fence. It’s a remarkable effort to keep hundreds of kilometres of highway fenced and maintaining them year round. In addition to the normal driving experiences, these roads offer much more. It’s very common to sight warthogs, Springbok, Wildebeest, Zebra, Ostrich and Giraffe crossing the road or quietly grazing nearby.

Just short of the camp we stopped at a road side shop run by the Himba Tribe. The Himba are a semi- nomadic, pastoral people. Hairstyle and jewellery play a significant role among the Himba, it indicates age and social status within their community.  Himba women cover themselves with Otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butter fat and ochre pigment. The paste protects them from the intense day time sun. It also offers protection from insect and mosquito bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style.

 One of the largest savannah conservation areas in Africa, Etosha National Park is known for its spectacular wildlife: elephant, black and white rhinoceros, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and large herds of springbok, ostrich, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and a multitude of other fascinating species, big and small, interacting in their natural environment. Okaukuejo, located 17km from the southern entrance of the park Anderson Gate was the first, tourist camp to open in the Etosha.

The camp is huge with 125 cottages and 37 camp sites. The accommodation is booked months in advance. It’s better to plan the trip 3 to 4 months in advance. The best viewing is possible from Waterhole Chalet located right in front of the waterhole. The camp has two restaurants to cater for the tourists. I enjoyed having their Ice-cream. There is a utility shop for provisions, liquor and daily necessities. Don’t forget to top up fuel before departing.

Waterhole seating

The waterhole is huge, attracting all the wildlife in the area. The area is covered by electric fence, a ditch and a security perimeter wall. The whole are is lit in the night. Sitting on the edge of the waterhole is very much akin to watching National Geographic documentary at close quarters. There is a constant parade of animals coming to quench their thirst. The beauty of this spectacular view is in numbers. The animals come in hordes and the exhibition continues throughout the day and night. It is a futile exercise to capture the sight and write about it. No amount of writing can do justice to these incredible wildlife congregations. The only one way of enjoying the natures show is to watch it.

Giraffe Parade

Sightings during the self drive

Second Lion on his own

The Big Parade

Our striped friends

The gentler kind

Wildebeest Relaxing

One can go on an organised safari or self drive. We did both. We were very fortunate to sight a pride of lions basking in the sun after a meal. We also sighted a lone lion making his way to a smaller water hole. During our three nights in the camp we were able to sight almost all the wildlife. A jackal visited our chalet every night to keep us company. The have got accustomed to human beings and stray very close. We named her ‘Vendy’.

Our friend Vendy

The next place on our itinerary was Hobatere Lodge, nestled on the banks of the Otjovasandu River in Northern Namibia. The lodge is situated in a concession area of 8,808 hectares. This entire area is in the Damaraland region. The drive from Walvis Bay to the lodge was an extremely tough 600 km desert drive, taking us through some of the most scenic areas of Namibia. We travelled on dusty gravel roads but unlike Sossuvrei, this time we had covered our bags in plastic so they were relatively dust free. We made two other stops before reaching our destination.

We stopped for fuel at Khorixas, a town of 6,000 inhabitants and at Oppi-Koppi-Rest Camp in Kamanjab for lunch. At this resort, we encountered for the first time, the Damara people speaking their well known “click language”. Very distinctive sounds, clicks are articulated in the mouth by a suction mechanism that produces either a sharp popping or smacking sound between the tongue and the roof of the mouth or a sucking sound between the lips (the kiss click) or teeth or at the side of the mouth. One of the reasons attributed to the development of clicks is it helped hunters to communicate with each other during a hunt without attracting the attention of the animals. The sound can be easily mistaken for one of the many natural sounds of the forest.

Hobatere Lodge is located in front of two water holes which attract a variety of wild life through the day and at night. Sighting of animals is purely by chance – one has to be in the right place at the right time. Apparently a lion had killed a young zebra right in front of the lodge just the day before we arrived.

The next day, we were seated in the dining area having breakfast, when we sighted some activity near the water hole.

Despite that, I can say unreservedly that the excitement of a safari, the stillness of the forest and the anticipation of a sighting is worth all the effort.

Hobatere Lodge is located in front of two water holes which attract a variety of wild life through the day and at night. Sighting of animals is purely by chance – one has to be in the right place at the right time. Apparently a lion had killed a young zebra right in front of the lodge just the day before we arrived.

Despite that, I can say unreservedly that the excitement of a safari, the stillness of the forest and the anticipation of a sighting is worth all the effort.

The next day, we were seated in the dining area having breakfast, when we sighted some activity near the water hole. We couldn’t believe our luck when we realized it was a coalition of three Cheetahs! We watched them there for almost half an hour after which we got back to our cold breakfast, both exhilarated and hungry. What an extremely rare sighting!

On our last day we were asked to join an unscheduled safari. After some anxious moments travelling off the road and through the wild bush, we sighted two lionesses peacefully resting; one pregnant and the other sleeping with her paw protectively across the soon-to-be-mum. Watching these wonderful beasts at close quarters is an exhilarating experience. We continued to watch them for a long time before they got up from their afternoon siesta to once again disappear into the bush.

The place is so remote, ice cubes are brought in from Walvis Bay some 600 km away. The lodge is managed very well with trained staff. They are exceptionally polite and friendly. We noticed this behavior everywhere during our stay in Namibia.

The rooms built from mud with thatched roofs are spread apart and located within an area protected by an electric fence. The game viewing area is also covered by electric fence and a deep ditch. We went on three safaris including one night safari.

The lodge is frequented by very serious wild life enthusiasts, which adds to the aura. Here we met a photographer Mr Herbert Siemandel Feldmann who is a specialist converting his own photos into charcoal portraits of wild animals.

One of lovely paintings

Stay in Hobatere was truly remarkable.

Lovely sightings of this graceful animal

We undertook a 320 km journey from Sesriem to Walvis Bay located on the Western sea board of Namibia. The town is extraordinarily clean with a population of 65,000 residents. The most unique aspect of this area is the meeting of two giants – South Atlantic Ocean and the mighty Namib Desert.  One gets to see the wonderful sight of the desert melting into the ocean. The town is also home to hundreds of Flamingos, Pelicans and Damara Terns. Dolphins, Whales and Seals are plenty in this area

We stayed at ’Flaming Boutique Hotel” located across the bay, providing a mesmerizing view of Flamingos and other birds. Sitting in the open lounge or from the room balcony and watching the birds at close quarters is a very delightful experience. I for one have never seen so many of them in one place. We spent the entire afternoon sipping beer and gazing into the ocean

We intentionally broke the journey at Walvis Bay and recoup a bit prior to taking a very arduous journey to Damaraland – our next destination.

Namibian Oysters are known the world over and they tag it ‘Worlds Best”. The fresh, local oysters are best eaten raw, with lemon, pepper or a few drops of Tabasco to truly appreciate their subtle marine flavour. While a classic French oyster takes three years to grow, Namibian oysters can be harvested after just eight months! The cold water of Walvis Bay contains more oxygen and plankton, allowing for super speedy growth. Zenith and self Oyestered the whole time and ended up in a shell.We did not venture out into the sea as it was raining and heavily overcast. We cancelled a boat ride for Whale and Dolphin watching. In any case we had a eye full when we were in Matara in Sri Lanka.

Next morning we drove along the coast to Swakopmund a very pretty German legacy town, enjoying the beauty of sea and sand. The city is very colorful and extremely clean.

We returned early to catch the lovely sight of the Flamingos for the last time. This time around we walked up to the breakwater to watch these majestic birds in close quarters.

While traversing the desert the tank should always be full. Every opportunity should be used to top up. One must take wind shield insurance. Frequently small stones hit the glass, leaving a dent. Always carry enough water and some food for emergency. Never forget to inform the hotel about your destination and also your next hotel about your travel route and ETA. More often than not, one has to drive through the desert without any mode of communication with the outside world for very long stretches. On a positive note – you will immensely enjoy your drive, as there is no traffic and the roads are straight. You may have to turn once or twice in a 300 km journey. Please watch out for the animals crossing the roads – especially warthogs, antelopes and fowl.

Enjoy.