Author: bloggerpubs

Captain MV Prabhakar is an alumnus of National Defence Academy. He was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1970. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and completed his post graduation at the Collage of Naval Warfare, Mumbai. He participated in the 1971 Indo Pak war and IPKF operations in Sri Lanka in 1989.After retirement from the navy he worked in MACMET Technologies Limited, Bangalore/CAE India developing simulators for the Indian Defence Forces. He is married to Jayanti who is an educationalist. They have a son and daughter and four grandchildren. Pubs is a keen golfer and loves cooking. He also spends time looking after the garden.He is a avid traveler and blogger.

We Travelled to Namibia and Botswana 09 May to 27 May

SandDune 45 at Soussusvlei

Every year, around January the travel bug starts to bite. Our travel guru Kshama has always been telling me to visit Namibia and Botswana.  In right earnest we started the process. It’s better to start researching well in advance and book accommodation at least four months in advance. N and B are hot destinations in more ways than one, for serious wild life enthusiasts. They start congregating from May onwards till August.  

Self, Jai, Sushama with her hubby Jenith made up the “Wild Team”. Jenith was travelling with us for the first time. He was full of enthusiasm and anticipation.

There are many unique aspects about N and B which one does not come across in ordinary travel destinations. The countries are ancient, wild and full of nature. I would call them “God’s Own Countries”. If one is interested in seeing God’s handiwork – this is the destination.

 Namibia

Namibia is the size of three Indian states – Maharashtra, UP and MP put together and about 3 times bigger than the United Kingdom – Namibia is approximately 824,292 sq km. The population of the three Indian states is 390 Million, whereas Namibia stands at 2.6 Million; the second-least densely populated country in the world. The striking mismatch between the area of this land mass and the number of humans residing in it is evident as one travels across the country.

From 1884 to 1919,  Namibia was called – German South West Africa a  German colony. The German influence is still evident. English, Afrikaans and German are widely spoken in addition to many local languages.

After a very long and tiring air travel, we arrived at the capital, Windhoek. A majority of tourists visiting  start their adventure in the capital as it is the main entry point to the country. Situated at 5000 ft above MSL, the city has very favorable weather.

Immediately on arrival we went and hired a 4X4 Toyota Hilux.

Sushama Jai and Jenith with our Toyota Hilux 4×4

The best way to see Namibia is by driving oneself. 4X4 is a must for driving on desert roads and sand dunes. The tarred roads are in excellent condition. One can do 120kmh very comfortably. The secondary roads in the desert are gravel top. It is a road in every sense but the topping is gravel. Here one has to drive carefully and be in total control of the wheel. Skidding sideways is common. After some 490 kms, we reached Sesriem – a desert out post to visit the famous sand dunes of Sossusvlei. We travelled through the Kalahari and finally into the Namib Desert in the South. One can drive for hours without seeing a soul. There are no villages, hamlets, houses or even huts on the way. The entire landscape is arid and devoid of any form of vegetation. It is so dry that one’s throat feels parched just looking out of the window at miles of arid land.

Tarred roads of Namibia – Straight all the way

Dune 45

Winding our way through Namib desert
Windhoek to Sesriem is mostly gravel road

The dunes of the Namib were created by sand being carried on the wind from the coast. The wind in Soussusvlei itself blows from all directions meaning the dunes are known as “star” dunes – as they cause the sand to form a star shape with multiple “arms”. This wind pattern also means that the dunes hardly move. The sand here is five million years old. It is comprised mostly of tiny grains of sand coated in a thin layer of iron oxide, giving the Namib its distinctive red colour. As we stand facing the dune one wonders what life must have been millions of years back. Its most certainly a ‘Primordial Experience’

A fascinating view of endless dunes on either side of road
A bit of much needed shade in the desert
A unforgettable experience climbing Dune 45

The dunes are majestic and visually fascinating. Seeing the dunes close up and climbing on them is a ‘once in a life time experience’. This was followed by visits to Big daddy and Big Mama and Deadvlei Dunes the next morning.

Just a cap full of water attracted scores of Social Beaver bird in the desert
Entire drive from Sesriem to the dunes one sees dunes on either side and we derive in the valley of the ancient river
Oryx species prefer near-desert conditions and can survive without water for long periods. We spotted one on our way back
“Sociable Weaver” bird nest
They are self-made engineers, building the biggest bird nests that house various birds for years.These nests are a form of legacy, as they become a home for many generations.
A different take. The extent of the dunes is mind blogging. It measures 66 km in length from Sesriem to Soussesvlei
Jenith and Sushama almost at the top. At that height the wind force is extremely strong and very fine sand particles hits your skin with force
Bit of rest and a moment of introspection
It is believed that the sossusvlei dunes were formed around five million years ago.
Coloured by iron oxide,sand was washed from the Orange River in the Kalahari towards the sea.
Big Daddy is the tallest dune in the Sossusvlei area.At 325 meters, Big Daddy may be the highest dune in the Sossusvlei area .You can see scores of people climbing the dune
Trip to the dunes was visually a different kind of experience. Travelling all the way from Bangalore was certainly wort every bit.

Soussusvlei is also home to the Sesriem Canyon, a natural gorge carved millions of years ago by the once mighty Tsauchab River.

The canyon’s birth dates back between two and four million years, when continental upheavel resulted in the creation of most of the westward flowing rivers in the Namib Desert region.
Today the Tsauchab River only runs after good rains fall in the nearby Naukluft Mountains . he canyon is up to 30 metres deep at points and is roughly about 1km long.Keen trekkers follow the trail

With an average of 300 days of sunshine annually Namibia is one of the sunniest countries in world. Rains have failed Namibia for the last two years. There is very heavy dependence on ground water.

Due to the low population density, the very low air pollution and the virtually non-existent light pollution Namibia offers ideal conditions to explore the southern night sky.

We stayed at the La Mirage Spa and Resort, an outstanding 5 star facility in the middle of the desert. The people are extremely polite and welcoming. One can easily make out that they are warm hearted and friendly by nature. We felt very much at home talking to them while having sundowners. The resort has a water hole which was lit. It’s common to find jackals, spring bok ( a kind of antelope) and oryx ( also a kind of antelope) after and before sunset, quenching their thirst at the waterhole.

La Mirage Resort and Spa. A very well appointed place. Very close to all the attractions.
View from our first floor window of the surrounding desert
Resorts water hole at a distance. Oryx in the photo. We also sighted Jackals and Ostrich. Zebras also visit the watering hole

The restaurant served dishes made from Kudu, Spring Bok and Oryx meat. Chicken and beef is also available. Jai relied heavily on soups, salad, pasta and pizzas. The chef visited our table every night to enquire what we wanted – especially Jai.

A new and thrilling experience. The right hand starts to pain after holding the accelerator for a long time.
A panoramic view of the desert ride. A coke or fanta and some sandwiches at sunset. A welcome drink after three hours on the Quad

The most ‘hands on’ way to enjoy safari in the Namib Desert is on a quad bike (an ATV). The four wheels of a quad bike are far better suited to the sandy terrain than the two narrow wheels of a motorcycle. Another big advantage of a quad bike is that it is extremely easy to ride. We went on a 10 km Quad ride into the desert and sand dunes, accompanied by a guide. It was a very rare and thrilling experience riding across many dunes and watching incredibly beautiful changing colours of the dunes in the setting sun. We watched the sun set behind the dunes and returned to our resort.

Let Your Children Grow With “Indigrow”


Being in the navy involved frequent transfers and travelling to different places. This resulted in meeting diverse people and exposing ourselves to many cultures, languages and experiences. Looking back, this somewhat gypsy life made our family more cosmopolitan and open minded.  It was indeed a very positive development.

Amidst all this, there was always a burning desire to return to our own roots – this simply meant going for annual holidays to namma Bengaluru. Why was this ‘Salmon Journey’ important?  Bengaluru meant familiarity to us. The visit gave us an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, family, food, culture and much more. Our holidays were extremely therapeutic.

Our children along with their cousins from India and America indulged themselves in varied activities. Some of the activities helped us to relate our own childhood experiences to the next generation. This sub conscious transfer of our lifestyle helped in bonding. Somehow it gave a sense of continuity in life.

The children enacted ‘Tennali Rama’, performed Bhangra dance, indulged in ‘Beladingalu Oota’ (Moonlight dinner on the terrace), Kai Tothu oota (aunts feeding the children one at a time), fancy dress with Indian themes and many more. Sighting monkey and crows on the tree was a regular feature. Watching Madamma milk the cow at the gate was an exhilarating experience, so was taking a bumpy ride in a Bengaluru auto.

As parents, when we take a decision to settle abroad for good – we leave behind a bag full of experiences. Every parent tries to recapture and reconnect with this lost treasure. More importantly they also work overtime to pass on these lovely memories to their children.

Two little girls from India, Bengaluru grew up to be mamas and decided to bring together a series of books, games and stories  to help discover the magic of India for the little ones.

 Visit their site https://indigrowkids.com/pages/our-story to learn more about the products.

Go ahead, make playtime and bedtime a whole lot more fun and a bit more Indian!

We Visited Windermere from 2nd – 5th May

Our next port of call was Windermere, which was a 367 KM drive up North. We departed from Nailsworth after breakfast and hit M5 and M6 to be greeted by an extremely fast moving and disciplined traffic. The fear of getting a ticket loomed large throughout our drive and we navigated carefully observing all the signs and directions. The drive itself is a pleasure as long as we observe the rules and stick to our lane. One thing we learnt was to totally avoid abrupt stops, turns, lane changes and exits.

Mid way, we deviated a little bit to visit my cousin Dr Madhusudan and his gracious wife Jyoti in Cheshire, Macclesfield. Jyoti had prepared a very tasty fusion lunch. Eating good home food felt like… well, being home 🙂
Windermere lake
We reached Bowness-on-Windermerein the late afternoon and checked into our hotel ‘Field House’ overlooking the lake. We selected the place due to its close proximity to the lake and the city centre. Bowness over time has become a very hot tourist destination. Go with the aim of doing nothing and you will enjoy it to the hilt. The heady combination of the pristine lake, the surrounding hills, misty weather and excellent pubs makes you seriously want to linger on for a few months at least. We spent a delightful evening in the ‘Village Inn Bar and Grill ’.  

View from the balcony

Our Neighborhood


Photo Op


Jai all pleased

Quick to follow


Village Inn – for the evening gala

Capturing the moment

Windermere, at 10.5 miles long, one mile wide and 220 feet deep, is the largest natural lake in both the Lake District and in England itself.
We hired a speed boat and went around the lake. The girls enjoyed navigating the boat by themselves. It was a wonderful experience for them. There is no better way to capture the beauty and serenity of the lake and the surroundings.

Captain Sush and her crew

After a lovely ride

Captain taking it easy
Welcoming party

Pink Tabebuya in full bloom


Thereafter we took a leisurely ride in a bus to ‘Dove Cottage’ on the edge of Grasmere in the Lake District. It is best known as the home of the poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy Wordsworth. We spent the better part of the afternoon in the cottage, museum and the village; enjoying history and nature as Wordsworth himself must have experienced it. Thereon we moved to Ambleside just in time to have the much-read-about English high tea – scones with jam and cream, cakes, cucumber sandwiches and of course, tea.


There is something to intrigue people of all ages at Dove Cottage, as the story of the building and its inhabitants comes to life with unusual objects and hidden corners to be discovered.
Inside the house


Number of period costumes are kept in the museum. With a little bit of imagination one can recreate dramatic moments.


Sush and Shubhi on a dramatic overdrive


Nature at its best


On the way to Grasmere

Beautiful town

Glimpse of Ambleside


Fighting the weather prior to ‘High Tea’

The best part of our stay at Field House was the full English breakfast – porridge followed by a three egg omelette, toast with homemade marmalade, bacon, sausages, baked beans and ending up with some excellent tea and coffee. After that, each of us sank into a comfortable chair like a python after a meal.


Bowness main street

In the late afternoon, the weather took a turn for the worse and the temperature plummeted forcing us to seek shelter in a very cute restaurant ‘Mio Mondo ‘. It is an incredibly warm and welcoming café which was packed to the rafters that afternoon..


Market place walk


A great afternoon in Mio Mondo

Windermere gave us the much needed break to just relax, take it easy and enjoy the place. We had no itinerary or a must see, must do list, which suited us just fine.  

We Visited Nailsworth – 29th Apr- 2nd May

We left Kings Williams Cottage around 11AM and after a beautiful drive along the countryside reached Nailsworth around lunch time. Nailsworth is a one horse town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, lying in one of the Stroud Valley in the Cotswold district. It has a population of 6000 people. Nailsworth is reported to be one of the best places to live in Britain.

The Retreat

Being a Sunday most of the restaurants were closed and the town practically deserted. We were lucky to find “Vault” once a bank, now a happening place in town with a live band, excellent wine and great food. We had a delectable lunch – ‘Spatchcocked Chicken’, Nacho style flat bread, Papoutsakia for the veg and finished it with Chocolate Tarte with Baileys and Mascarpone.


The Vault Bar

In UK the cream has been spread evenly throughout the country. Even in the smallest of towns and villages you will find excellent restaurants offering the best of fare. 


We took some time to locate our home for the next three days, “The Retreat”. Once again our choice of Airbnb turned out to be outstanding. The Retreat is located on top of a hill overlooking the Nailsworth Valley and the large expanse of a vineyard. The cottage is extremely well planned with the living room and bedrooms overlooking the valley and providing a breathtaking view of the night sky. The temperature dropped to 2*C with an occasional drizzle and so we stayed indoors enjoying the warm glow of the fireplace.

Amazing View

The huge drawing room 

Totally Relaxed

The house was full of books on wine – the owner was a wine maker

A beautiful cottage, excellent travel mates, wine and music set the tone for the rest of the evening. The red hot embers and the glow of the wood fire made our evening complete.

In the sprawling garden

The gang
Photo op

The next morning we drove to Stratford upon Avon – an extremely pretty town with great atmosphere. It is fascinating to see an 800 year old town preserved so well to this day. Some of the structures bring alive the look and feel of what life must have been during the Shakespearean era. We saw an enactment of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ by two young girls, which was pure entertainment; they acted out the scene where  on the way to Padua, Petruchio  forces Katherine to say that the sun is the moon and that an old man is really a beautiful young maiden. We visited Shakespeare’s birthplace and saw the room where he was born- not in a bed as is done today, but in a birthing chair! Shakespeare’s New Place has an outdoor space that includes a mighty, windblown bronze tree and sculptures of Shakespeare’s desk and chair that you can sit on to take the ultimate literary selfie J the town offers history, architecture, drama and theater under one umbrella.

Stratford Upon Avon Ferris Wheel
Sixteenth Century bridge upon the Avon river

The main street
The famous house
It all started here
Joining the history
Shakespeare’s old house – preserved in excellent condition

English teacher enjoying her moment – Shakespeare Center

My turn

A collection  on the wall

We saw an enactment of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ by two young girls

High Road

The Avon Channel

The Shakespeare Memorial by Lord Ronald Gower. Bronze and stone, with a pedestal designed by Parisian architects, Peigniet and Marnez. 1888. Bancroft Gardens, Stratford-upon-Avon. At each corner of the Memorial, the sculptor has placed a representative Shakespearean character: “Hamlet, Prince Hal, Lady Macbeth and Falstaff. These characters were intended to be emblematic of Shakespeare’s creative versatility: representing Philosophy, Tragedy, History, and Comedy” 
The bronze statue of “The Jester” stands on a stone plinth at the end of Henley Street just a few steps from Shakespeare’s birthplace. “Touchstone” is the character of a jester/fool from the play “As You Like It” by William Shakespeare.

The sculpture has been designed to represent the influence of Shakespeare spreading across the globe.

The entire garden has been designed to celebrate every one of Shakespeare’s works and is decked with sculptures depicting milestone’s in the Bard’s life and his influence on the world.


After visiting these places there are a number of pubs and inns to unwind in. We went to ‘Garric Inn’ – One of the oldest buildings in Stratford, the Inn is a traditional half-timbered building which dates back to the 16th century.

The Garrick Inn is a pub in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, located at 25 High Street

It says it all

Next morning we drove to Painswick often referred to as the ‘Queen of the Cotswolds’. We visited the 15thcentury St Mary’s Parish Church and walked around the beautiful town before heading to Cheltenham. The peaceful drive through the green English countryside is a pleasurable experience. The town is a fabulous mix of period and modern architecture. A walk along the main promenade is a must – flanked by trees on either side, modern shopping arcades and lively restaurants mingling freely with deco art. The girls did a lot of shopping here.


The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary – Painswick

The Hare and the Minotaur Statue in Cheltenham on The Promenade

View on the ride back


We finally settled down to relish some chilled lager and tasty Italian fare in ‘Prezzo’ located on the Promenade. Sitting outside, sipping beer and watching the world go by was very soothing. Incessant rain yanked us away from this exciting town and we headed back to the warm homely atmosphere of ‘The Retreat’. 

Finally the fire

THE BANAJI FAMILY AND THEIR DESCENDANTS – WE VISITED JEJURI – 17 JUN 2018

Mr MN Vasanth Kumar after his retirement undertook a challenging task of compiling the history of our family. Bits and pieces of information about our family were told to us by our parents, aunts and uncles. Somehow in our mind, it remained more of a folk lore than history. His untiring research took him to many places in Karnataka, number of libraries, museums and record offices. In December 2001 a large number of family members gathered at the residence of Mr MS Shankar Rao in 1st block Jayanagar, Bangalore for the book release function. On that auspicious day “THE BANAJI FAMILY AND THEIR DESCENDANTS” was released. The book is an outcome of excellent research work painstakingly carried out by Vasanth over a number of years. The book has chronologically documented the history of the “Banajis”.
Historical records mention about Nagoji Rao who was perhaps the earliest known member of the Banaji family. He was born in “Jejuri”a small temple town some 50 km South East of Pune, Maharashtra. The family of Nagoji Rao migrated to Mysore, Karnataka sometime in the early 1700. They later on became an integral part of history of Karnataka. I am a very proud descendant of this lineage, like many other members of our large family.
Vasanth Kumar who later on changed his name to Vasanth Banaji is responsible for taking us 300 years back in history and connecting us with our ancestors. I am extremely proud to be able to trace my roots back to eight generations. It is an extremely exhilarating experience to be able to trace ones lineage.
To preserve this excellent work of Vasanth and make it available on line for future generations, I entered all the data and notes in https://www.geni.com on 27 Aug 2008. Since then I cherished a very strong desire to visit Jejuri. Visiting Jejuri was a pilgrimage of sorts.
I along with Jayanti went to Pune Khadhakvasla to attend a function in the National Defence Academy. I took this opportunity to visit Jejuri on 17 June 2018.

The Main Temple
The town is known for being the venue of one of the revered temples in the state, known as the Khandobachi Jejuri. We decided to go around the town and visit the temple. The temple, which was constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries by Maloji Raje Bhosale, grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji, currently has only one way to its sanctum sanctorum. Devotees have to climb 400-odd stairs and there is no other route by which vehicles can reach.
After a very daunting climb we reached the temple premises to join thousands of devotees who had come to seek the blessings of the deity. We choose to go through the fast track entrance to avoid extremely long queues. We were ushered in to the sanctum sanctorum, only to be pulled out within a minute of seeing the deity. In that short time I prayed for the well being of all the Banajis.

The wait

Hanuman Idol outside the temple
Huge stone lamp structure

The main entrance
His Idol is typically depicted with four arms, in one of which he holds a Bhandara-patra or the bowl of turmeric powder. Bhandara in Marathi means turmeric. Khandoba is worshipped with turmeric, belfruit-leaves, onions and other vegetables.
The temple premises are covered in a layer of haldi – turmeric powder, giving it a very distinctive and different experience to what we have been used to.  Haldi is very freely thrown on all the devotees, their face and forehead is smeared with haldi and all the idols are soaked in layers of haldi. The air is full of fine haldi particles.


After the visit – all haldi
Jai after visiting the sanctum sanctorum

Visiting Jejuri and the Khandoba temple was extremely satisfying. It took us back some 300 years and I suppose this was the closest we could reach out to our ancestors.

View of the town from the top

Another view
Another temple below the hill.



Bath from 25 to 29 Apr

After a hectic journey from Bangalore to London via Abu Dhabi we landed in Heathrow in the afternoon. We travelled by bus and taxi to reach ‘King William Cottage,’ in Tunley village close to Bath around 6 pm. In spite of our heavy suitcases, the travel was comfortable. Tunley is a small one road village in Camerton, Somerset, near Bath. The houses in Tunley are a post-war age and are made of the traditional Bath stone. Tunley is a typically quiet English village.

Tunley Village
Without any delay we were introduced to the English weather, as the locals say they have three seasons – a cold season, a wet season, and a cold and wet season. The temperature had dropped to 5* C with a slight drizzle and very strong breeze.

King Williams Cottage and Inn

Entrance and the sitout

On a rainy day
Once we entered our cottage, we were overwhelmed with the ambiance of the place. The owner of this Airbnb property had taken immense care to provide   every possible thing necessary to make our stay comfortable. The place was exceedingly clean and tidy, very elegantly decorated and above all warm and homely. The evening was spent in winding down and relaxing. Shubi, ably assisted by the rest, prepared a homely meal. The huge space, total privacy and creature comforts of the cottage set the tone and character of our trip.

Sushama all thrilled
Shubhi busy whipping up a meal
All are pleased with the cottage
On arrival in London we had taken a local SIM, which is very essential during your stay to communicate with each other and especially for the GPS. Without the GPS it is almost impossible to drive around.Bath is an old city known for its Roman built baths dating back to 60 AD. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon. It attracts a very large number of tourists, especially during the months of April to July.

The Circus is a historic street of large townhouses in the city of Bath, Somerset, England, forming a circle with three entrances – 1768

Royal Victoria Park is located in Bath, England. It was opened in 1830 by the 11-year-old Princess Victoria seven years before her ascension to the throne and was the first park to carry her name,

Pulteney Bridge crosses the River Avon in Bath, England. It was completed by 1774, and connected the city with the land of the Pulteney family which they wished to develop.

Pulteney Bridge view – 1774

Eye catching advert
Tourism in UK is extremely well packaged and marketed. Visiting any attraction is quite expensive by our standards. We took a Hop on Hop off tour of the city and spent quality time exploring the Roman Bath and the Jane Austen Centre, situated in an original Georgian townhouse. Here we learnt about the story of Jane’s time in Bath, and the effect that living here had on her and her writing. We walked a lot, taking in the sights and getting a feel of the city. As you walk along Sydney gardens, you can still imagine ladies in their dresses walking demurely down the street, while dashing young men go down the cobbled streets in curricles. The streets still have an old world look and feel to it.

The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey,
 Shubhi back to the future in Jane Austins home

Jai writing with a quill
Wants to be an author ???

Finally the Roman Bath

After an exhausting bath
In the olden days people in England had to pay ‘Window Tax’. The number of windows one had determined the tax one had to pay. As you drive along you cannot fail to notice very old houses with just one or two windows. The numbers of windows also are less at the top of the house as the nursery for the children and the servants’ quarters were situated on the topmost floor.  Queen Victoria visited Bath as an eleven year old.  Someone made a comment that the princess wore a dowdy dress and had thick ankles. Apparently the young princess was so hurt that in all her years as queen she never once returned to Bath. Once whilst passing through Bath by train, she ordered her maid to shut the blinds of her carriage, so that the people of Bath could not see her. One can easily finish seeing Bath in a day. The names of a number of roads and buildings were familiar to the ladies because of Georgette Heyer’s novels. 

Restaurant food is pretty expensive, but the helpings are huge. Two of us would share one dish. It worked out well for us as Sushama and I are non veg and Jai and Shubhi are vegetarians. We had our first ‘Fish and Chips’ here. It sets you back by 12 £. The Haddock was delectable. Beer costs 4 to 5 £ a pint.

Lager Comfort

Our first Fish and Chips
The next morning we drove to Stonehenge. After visiting the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, it was extremely disappointing. However for Sushama and me it was a good drive and we learnt how to deal with the GPS, road signs, weather, traffic and the rest. It took some time to get used to driving in UK. It’s good to have one person as the navigator to help out with the turns, exits, speed limits and directions. Sushama and I took turns at driving and navigation. Jai and Shubhi were very vocal back seat drivers.

Finally ‘Stonehenge’


I don’t know why we are laughing
Extreme Heavy Weight lifting

Brazing the weather

Pre historic dwellings

One to six heave
The last day in Bath was spent driving aimlessly towards Camerton and beyond. We stopped in a few villages to enjoy the country side, the pubs and inns, tasting local cuisine, the market place and the rest.

Typical country side – fascinating


Ice Cream halt by the road side – Village drive

Before entering the pub on Totter Down Lane – Poulton Village
High Five for finding the right pub 
With the lady of the pub – talking history
Cheers in the pub garden
Crown Inn – one of the oldest
We took a beer and lunch break at the ‘Crown Inn’ an extremely old pub in Paulton. Chance favoured us and we landed up in Glastonbury. What a charming, magical, mystical town! Full of colourfully dressed people, tarot card readings, pyramid stones and crystals of all shapes and sizes. The whole town is believed to have been a part of the isle of Avon, King Arthur’s place. It has so much character and it absolutely invites you to explore every nook and cranny to find exciting hidden treasures from incense sticks to various strange apothecary type lotions of a myriad different colours. It was a lucky find, hidden away in the middle of a staid English countryside. If one is familiar with the TV serial ‘Dharma and Greg’, Dharma’s friends and family can be found in Glastonbury. It also hosts one of the biggest open air music festivals each year. ‘Glastonbury Festival’ is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts. In addition to contemporary music, the festival hosts dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, and other arts.
Entrance to Glastenbury – Says it all

A very colourful shop
Next to her favourite colour – Tabebuia rosea
Village Centre
It was a perfect note on which to end our visit to Bath.

Dinners are served very early in pubs, from around 6 to 8 pm and it remains open till 11 PM for drinks. Because of the long drives, the weather and our itinerary we mostly ended up in the cozy comfort of our cottage in the evenings. Single Malt, Vodka and Beer kept us company. Throughout our trip, each time we stayed at an Airbnb, we would visit a general store and stock up on bread, butter, jam, fruits, salads, chicken roast, cheese, eggs, ice-cream and other essentials to support us.

It was one long, endless round of fun.

We Visited UK and Ireland from 25 Apr to 20 May

Some thirty years back, on our way back from Nigeria posting we had visited London. The short stay then, had whetted our appetite for further travel and was keen to visit once again. This time around we decided to spend four weeks exploring the country side, staying in villages and go out of the beaten track. 

At Shakespeare’s Birth Place 

Going that far and spending considerable amount of time and money, it is important to research well and chalk out an itinerary that meets your requirement. As usual, I consulted our dear friend Kshama an avid traveler to help me out. With her vast experience in international travel she was of immense help. She had earlier helped me in planning our trips to Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.


I have repeatedly blogged saying travel companions are the most important element of happy trips. Sushama, Jai and I have travelled together many times and enjoyed to the utmost. Shubhi Mali, a childhood friend of Sushama joined us on this trip. She matched our enthusiasm and spirit of adventure to the ‘T’. They deserve a big salute for this memorable holiday.

My daughter Akhila is also a globe trotter. She had been advising me from a long time to stay in Airbnb. For various reasons Airbnb was not possible in South America. Opting to stay in Airbnb in UK and Ireland was probably the highlight of our trip. We selected properties which were away from the hustle and bustle of cities and big towns. We were fortunate to stay in huge English country homes and cottages. The privacy and the freedom of having the entire cottage to ourselves is a delightful feeling. Airbnb provided us the option to rustle up a healthy meal whenever we felt like not eating out. Hotel accommodation fades in comparison, especially the cramped rooms and various other conditions.

Our Abode near Belfast.  Mourne View Cottage Ballymacoss,  Lisburn 

Airbnb comes with a rider. You need to have a vehicle at your disposal to reach out to any nearby village, town or city to carry on with your trip. We landed in London and travelled by Bus and Taxi to our Airbnb property in Tunley Village close to Bath. Next morning we hired a Scoda Octavia which stayed with us the entire trip in the island. Having your own car makes travelling extremely interesting, comfortable and easy. It gives you the option of going wherever and frees you totally from scheduling and routine.

Combination of Airbnb and your own car is certainly a game changer.

Driving in UK is all about strictly following the rules and regulations, total alertness on the wheel and safety. The vehicle is under constant electronic surveillance. Any deviation can set you back by hundreds of pounds making a deep hole in your pocket. Sushama and I shared the driving. We avoided taking the car to cities as parking is a big problem.

212 Km scenic drive along the Coastal Causeway in Northern Ireland 
Our one month trip took us Bath, Stonehenge, Tunley, Nailsworth, Painswick, Glastonbury, Macclesfield, Stratford, Windermere, Edinburgh, Loch Ness, Inverness, Belfast, Lisburn, Coastal Causeway Route, Portrush, Blessington, Dublin and London and many other places. We travelled a lot and had fun doing things impromptu. Ate a lot of Fish and Chips, Full English Breakfast, English High Tea and drank the best of Lager, Ale, Stout and Single Malts.

Watch this place for more about the places we stayed and visited

Until then it is cheers.

We Visited Bhutan – 23 Sep to 29 Sep 2017

This photograph epitomises what bhutan is all about – Mountains,valleys,Rivers,Winding roads,small villages,Dhongs – et all 

Bhutan invokes an element of mystique and wonderment. The mountains, valleys and innumerable rivers add to the beauty of the landscape. Any visitor is sure to be mesmerized by its tranquility, cleanliness, open spaces, equitable weather and more importantly their friendly people. No doubt it has positioned itself as a sought after tourist destination. It offers tremendous opportunity to tourists who seek adventure, solitude or just plain relaxation. A little more than 209,000 tourists visited Bhutan in 2016.


Bhutan is a small country hidden in the Southern slopes of the Eastern Himalayas, landlocked between Tibet to the North and the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh to the West and South. It has historical links with India from ancient times. Increasing the ‘Happiness Quotient’ is one of the primary objectives of the government. Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government.

Jai, Sushama and I started our journey on a wrong foot. We were offloaded from the aircraft in Bengaluru for carrying a battery charger in our checked in baggage. With great difficulty we managed to board the next flight and catch Delhi – Paro flight on time. The Paro airport is located in a very picturesque valley and presents extremely challenging task to the pilot in maneuvering the aircraft for landing. Impressive Bhutanese architecture surrounds the airfield. In fact the people have struggled hard to maintain their traditional architecture throughout the country. The design blends beautifully with the natural surroundings and presents a very harmonious façade.

Main airport building

A stunning view from the airport

Another view

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.and Jetsun Pema The Queen of Bhutan

After a quick immigration process we met up with Mr Wangchuk our van driver cum English speaking guide. He remained with us for all the seven days, endlessly talking and sharing experiences, information and tidbits about himself and Bhutan. He certainly made our stay very interesting. We drove from Paro to Thimphu stopping at various places to absorb the breathtaking views and for photography.

Outstanding view as we drove to Thimphu

Photo opp

With our driver cum guide Mr Wangchuk

We stayed in the Indian Army messes in Paro and Thimphu. The messes are located at vantage points offering the best views in the town. However we stayed in an excellent hotel ‘Dragon’s Nest Hotel & Spa’ at a distance from Punaka. The property overlooks river “Puna Tsang Chhu” . The hotels in Bhutan are very reasonable while offering excellent service and ambiance.

From our room in Army Mess

In the mess dining hall – ancient relics – i meant the bear

View of the valley below


There is very minimal touristy stuff to do in Bhutan, One can start the visits after breakfast and be back at the hotel or a nice restaurant for some chilled beer and delectable lunch. Druk 500 beer kept us company throughout our stay. Druk is a good beer but slightly on the stronger side. Bhutan cuisine is very unique with abundance of cheese, mushrooms and chilies in their preparations. The chillies are used more as a vegetable than as spice in their cooking.

Sushama at her best

Babesa Village Restaurant

Very happy with vegetarian Bhutanese food

The first evening we visited ‘Babesa Village Restaurant’. Located, 7km outside Thimphu, this charming restaurant offers traditional Bhutanese cuisine in a lovely century-old building. In the beginning, nobody came to take the orders and the people in the restaurant simply stared at us. As time passed, an English speaking lady came across to our table to inform us that the joint was closed to public as they were celebrating a family reunion. When she learnt we had travelled all the way from Bengaluru, she very graciously set up a private table and served us whatever they had prepared for the family. Assisted by old faithful ‘Druk’ we went on to enjoy an excellent Bhutanese cuisine and their remarkable hospitality. The lady looking after us was the manager and trained in ‘Taj Westend’ Bengaluru. Our bill of fare included Ema Dashti, Shakam Paa, Hoentay Momos, Lom and white rice. Some of our meals were at ‘Zone’ restaurant which is very popular with the expats and provides both local and continental cuisine.


Main entrance to the shrine

Great Buddha Dordenma is a gigantic Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the mountains of Bhutan celebrating the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The statue houses over one hundred thousand smaller Buddha statues, each of which, like the Great Buddha Dordenma itself, will be made of bronze and gilded in gold

One of the 108 Apsaras which adorn the platform

Jai and Sushama taking rest

Other Apsaras

After visiting Thimphu and Punaka we headed West to Paro.

Very colourful market place selling traditional wares

Local knitting a sweater


Highpoint of our visit to Bhutan was trekking to the “Tiger’s Nest” monastery located six miles from the city centre. The monastery complex consists of seven temples which is perched on top of a vertical cliff. The trek involves an extremely arduous vertical climb from a base height of 6000 ft to 10600 ft. Most of the way, there are no regular steps or a paved path. It is one long and steep dirt rocky track leading to the top. Just short of the temple there are 800 steps to climb.


To the base

An almost vertical climb

FINALLY

Jai and I decided to use a horse up to the first stage and then trek. Unfortunately, Jai fell of the horse and decided to rest in the restaurant. I continued to trek alone, as Sushama had already gone ahead. Apart from the vertical climb, one has to worry about high altitude sickness. I really do not know what motivated me to undertake this strenuous climb, may be to prove a point that I am physically and mentally strong. Whatever prompted my internal decision making, I completed the trek in six hours. I was totally exhausted yet extremely elated that I could complete this challenge. Getting down is much worse and your knees take a severe beating.


You need to carry some food, water and a strong walking stick to complete the trek. The view from the top is simply exhilarating and pumps in extra amount of adrenalin to reach back. As you sit back and look at the calm and serene face of’ “Lord Buddha”, it envelopes you with inner strength and resolve. 

Trek to Tiger’s nest was indeed a remarkable achievement for me.
There are wonderful opportunities for kayaking and White water rafting. One can choose the degree of difficulty depending upon level of fitness and familiarity with the sport. We did a level 3 Paro to Chhuzom five mile rafting. Must see attraction includes “Great Buddha Dordenma” a gigantic Buddha statue in the mountains outside of Thimpu. Drive to Chele pass is very, visit to Paro Taktsang monastery ends the list.
At the end of seven days we felt relaxed and recouped. Bhutanese are very warm and friendly. They go out of their way to be helpful and courteous.

Beginning of white water rafting

Ended in Paro Dzong which ranks as a high point of Bhutanese architecture.
On the way to Paro – Lyril soap ad with clothes on

A bird in the bush and nothing in hand – Yellow billed Magpie
Rich in agriculture

Chelela Pass at 13200 ft – love drive


If you are looking for a peaceful getaway at very reasonable cost, then Bhutan is definitely the right destination. It offers a different basket of experiences to savor.

Fascinating La Paz and Lima

On our way back from Lake Titicaca and Uyuni we stayed in Hotel  Rosario La Paz – literally an oasis in the middle a chaotic city. La Paz the capital of Bolivia is situated at an altitude of 12,500 ft. The city is very densely populated with hundreds of houses occupying the sloping surface of the valley. Roads are narrow and winding, full of cars and people.

Maze of Lights

The city has developed around a number of hills which surround the valley.  The houses are located on the top of the hill, on its slope and the valley below. To ease the vehicular traffic on the narrow roads which connect various parts of the city, in 2014 the government introduced an extremely imaginative and bold alternative transportation system to carry people up and down – Mi Teleférico (My Cable Car). La Paz is now officially home to both the longest and highest urban cable car network in the world with more than six miles of lines, 11 stations and 74 towers in total. There are three teleférico lines – each named after a colour of the national flag: red, yellow and green – that carry commuters above the traffic in a jiffy.

Unique way of transportation

Apart from the long drive from airport to the hotel in the centre of the valley, we did not venture out much, except for shopping walks in and around the hotel. For some reason the valley reminded me very much of Shillong.


Time and space did not permit to tee off from the second highest Golf course in the world “Golf Club La Paz” at 11,000 ft.

Lima

We visited Lima on three occasions once on our way to the Iquitos and again on the way back. We spent another day on 14 May on our return journey.

Lima is truly a fascinating city. Not many people can recall Lima with ease, at least for us Indians. We are more familiar with cities in America, Europe, Far East etc. Somehow Lima does not strike a chord. Lima the capital of Peru is a bristling metropolis located on the lap of Pacific Ocean. The city is ancient and dates back to 1535. The city is extremely beautiful, clean and the roads are state of the art. Driving around in the city and listening to their FM station ‘Peru Magica’ gave us an opportunity to enjoy everything Lima had to offer. The up market area of Miraflores is located overlooking the ocean. The broad roads run parallel to the beach and the view it offers is simply breathtaking. The entire route is marked with parks, seaside restaurants and shopping arcades. It has all the best Lima has to offer.  We took a bus tour “Lima By Night” which finally ends up in the world famous “ Magic Water Circuit”. The place is home to the most extraordinary show of 13 fountains with lights and laser.  We were enthralled watching the light and fountain show with mesmerizing Peruvian music. The atmosphere is elevating; it brings out the child in you to join the band wagon in getting wet under the fountains and loosing oneself in gay abandon.It was certainly one of our tour highlights.

Fascinating experience

Simply nreathtaking

Felt like watching for ever

We spent the evening in an exclusive restaurant by the sea in Miraflores “La Rosa Nautica”. 

A very pretty restaurant
All Nautica

By  the peer

Bonding

Jai steering the ship
Photo op for Rita

A group op

I had the enviable opportunity of wishing three lovely ladies and travel companions a very happy ‘Mothers day’. It was an extraordinary night by the sea, the waves softly lapping the shore endlessly, pleasant breeze, delectable wine and food.

A lovely rose for a lovely lady

To my dearest wife

Wishing Sushama all the very best on womens day

‘Ceviche’ an official national dish of Peru. Preparation of raw fish marinated in citrus juice. The acid in the fruit “cooks” the fish, giving it a delicate flavor and slightly chewy consistency.


What a way end our tour of South America.