Travel Story Book

Chandipur

admin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:34:04 +0000

Chandipur is around 250Km from Kolkata and 16Km from Balasore, the nearest town. One of the many beaches that dot the coast of Bay of Bengal in Orissa, Chandipur is now a popular tourist destination. It also shot into limelight with the Indian Missile Testing center being set up at Chandipur.

The beach at Chandipur

The trip to Chandipur was an impromptu trip – we just decided to go there all of a sudden. Actually after the trek to Gomukh & Tapovan was canceled and then the trip to Rishi valley had to be adjourned because of the severe cyclone Aila hitting West Bengal, I was just yearning to take a break – anywhere. As I had not been to Chandipur before, I decided to explore the beach of Chandipur for a few days and take a welcome break from work. Being just 3-4 hours from Kolkata, not much pre-planning was required. Purchased the train tickets (did not feel like driving), booked the OTDC hotels and we were ready to go.

Oh, the sea is not dry!!

Well, don’t be surprised by the above statement!! Many had discouraged me from going to Chandipur, as for most of the day, its a beach without any water. So, imagine our surprise when at first sight we found that there was water till the shoreline. We reached OTDC Panthaniwas, our hotel for the next 2 days, after a 30 minute auto-rickshaw ride from Balasore station. After check-in, no time was wasted and within a few minutes hit the sea. Surprisingly, the sea was very shallow. Even at full tide, the water was only upto my waist. And we could walk far, far away into the sea at waist deep water. You can walk on and on, till you feel fatigued, but the water will hardly rise above your waist. Really unique!!

Crabs & Prawns

After a 2 hour swim, I had to drag my daughter out of the water as my stomach was rumbling with hunger.

The shallow sea at Chandipur

And why not? One of the main attractions of any sea side trip for me is the sea food – giant crabs and prawns. One of my favorite destinations for sea food is Sankarpur, and I was eager to try them out at Chandipur. Unfortunately, they were good, but a little below expectation. The prawns were not as big as they were expected to be! The same could be said for the crabs and the curry for both of them were so similar, it was not much fun.

The water has disappeared!!

Dark monsoon clouds engulf the sky

The evening stroll on the sea beach had a surprise in store – the water had disappeared!! The sea bed was dry and people were walking all over it. This was an unique experience. Aheli, my daughter and myself started walking towards the distant water – and it turned out to be an endless walk. After walking for about a kilometer and a half, we gave up. No matter how much we walked, the water seemed to recede further and further away.

After that, the rest of the evening was spent in strolling on the beach, have dab(green coconut) and jhalmuri and tea.

Morning Walk

A journey to a place does not have a sense of completion unless I walk around the area. So at six in the morning, I was on the beach again, but this time to walk along the beach. To make life uncomfortable, the sun was up and it was getting hotter, the sea was dry and it was humid. Luckily one could walk along the beach for quite a distance. It was too early for the tourists to get up from bed and the beach was desolate except for a few workers who were working on an adjacent construction. I love walking, specially in desolate areas.

Red Spots on the Sea

Red crabs on the sea at Chandipur

After walking for some time, I noticed red spots on the sea bed. After observing carefully, similar red spots could be noticed on the beach also. What are these? Well, they were colonies of red crabs. Chandipur is the home of horse-shoe crabs (a sign board says so). Thousands and thousands of crabs were on the sea bed and the beach. What a sight!!

Violet shells

For the first time I also saw violet colored shells – quite unique. My daughter went on collecting them until her hand and my pockets were full. Its a ritual when we go the sea – collect shells, clean them up, bring them home carefully so that they do not break and then forget about them!!

Trip to Budhabalanga

Budhabalanga is the confluence of the Budhabalanga river and the Bay of Bengal and 5Km from Chandipur. It was one trip that I wanted to do, but could not. An auto-rickshaw had been booked, but it did not turn up. And when it did, it refused to go as it had another passenger for a longer trip (and more money). This was the last day at Chandipur and after a morning swim we would be headed for Panchalingeswar. The planned morning swim turned out to be an afternoon dip in hot water as the tide timing was 12:30 PM. We walked nearly a Km to dip in the hot water and then return back to our hotel for another delicious ‘chingrir malai curry’. Any Japanese would have said ‘Oishi’!!

Bhedaghat

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:08:39 +0000

Bhedaghat is just 33 Km from Jabalpur and is ideal for a day trip from the city. We reached Bhedaghat continuing on our trip from Kanha & Bhandhavgarh. It was the final destination of our trip before we board the train for Howrah from Jabalpur.
As we reached Bhedaghat in the evening, there was not much scope of going anywhere. The Marble Rocks are just adjacent to the MPT hotel where we were staying. Night boating on the Narmada can be done only on full moon night and four days before and after it. As full moon was not nearby, the whole area would soon be plunged in darkness immediately after sunset. We took an auto to Dhuadhar Falls. But after reaching there, my daughter started complaining of stomach pain and we had to come back after a glimpse of the falls from a distance.

Marble Rocks

The next morning after a quick breakfast we visited the Marble Rocks. Early morning and tourists were few. Shopkeepers selling decorative items of stones and soft marbles were setting up their shops and getting ready for the day. A boat ride on the waters of the Narmada through the Marble Rocks is a must-do activity at Bhedaghat. As hardly any tourists were there we abandoned the idea of going on a shared boat and instead decided to reserve a boat. The roof cover of the boat was quickly drawn overhead, the red carpets on the floor rolled out and we were ready to board our vessel – a big boat, three persons on a boat that can accommodate at least twenty!! And for three of us, there were two persons rowing, one person controlling the boat sitting at the hull, one guide and another two attendants!!

Charm of a guided tour

Guided tour on Narmada

I cannot think of visiting Indian tourist sites without a ‘guide’. Many may wonder why, but to me the guides add a different dimension to the tour. Their narrations of history, which may be mostly incorrect, helps in transforming you to the historical period. Our tour of Marble Rocks was no exception. We came to know of the length, breadth, height, depth and all possible facts about the rocks. He came out with a big list of Indian movies that have been filmed there, occasionally spiced up with dialogues from those films. Enchanting!! The way they can capture the interest of the audience.

Extending the ride

Even before we realized, it was time to go back. But we want a longer boat ride!! Its possible, but at a cost – well exactly double. We decided to carry on – there is no point in not doing the entire length of the ride. It was a good decision – as the rocks along the shore became higher and higher. The stretch looked beautiful – vertical white marble cliffs along both the shores of the Narmada. By this time I was seated at the front of the boat, with my legs dangling out over the waters. We went as far as we could – till mini Dhuadhar falls. The mini Dhuadhar falls is a local name given to a small waterfall, that is created from the main Dhuadhar falls. 45 minutes over, it was time to return back to the jetty.

Strange means to earn money

While returning to the jetty, we noticed some local boys jumping(diving) in the waters from the top of the vertical cliffs whose height would be around 50 ft. They were shouting something which we could not understand and were jumping in the water. The guide informed that they do this feat on request from the visitors in the boats for Rs. 20. Surely a strange way to earn money.

Back at the jetty, we had a final glance at Marble Rocks and proceeded towards Dhuadhar Falls – about 1 Km away and 5 minute journey by auto.

Kanha & Bandhavgarh

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:40:15 +0000

Kanha

A grand welcome

‘I have seen five deers’ – My daughter triumphantly announced as soon as I came out of the reception of Baghira Log Huts at Kisli after completion of checking-in formalities. ‘Deer? From the hotel? You must be joking’. She surely was joking!! As soon as we moved in our room, we saw not five but maybe fifteen of them outside our room. Have you seen a beauty pageant of deers? That is what gradually unfolded in front – pristine beauties strutted from one side to the other in front of us. A few peacocks joined them occasionally. What a place to stay!! And what a welcome!!!
After a long journey to Kisli, Kanha we were late for the evening safari. If only the train was not late by an hour! A quick stroll around the hotel ensured that even it had something even for those who did not want to go for safaris. A decent amount of wildlife viewing could be done sitting here. Deers, monkeys and peacocks roam inside the hotel premises or around the virtual periphery of the hotel all the time. A small watering hole within attracts a lot of animals – recently a group of bisons have been visiting it in the evenings almost regularly. In the early hours of the night the deep roar of an animal was heard for around 5 mins. Is it the tiger? Need to confirm it the next morning…

The Jungle Safari

Peacock

In the meantime, while enjoying the surroundings, arrangements were done for the safari the next morning. The jeep will come at 5:45 AM and we would be sharing it another group staying in the same hotel. The morning was exceptionally cold and left us shivering and wearing not only one but a couple of shirts. I had no idea that it would be this cold and we were caught unawares without any warm clothing. Within a few minutes of entering the Kisli gate, we were on one of the dirt tracks. Our guide said that there were fresh bear foot marks on the ground – most probably a bear was nearby. For us, there could not have been a better start. We were tense and silent and within a minute a big sloth bear was viewed – some distance away under a mahua tree, busy relishing the fruits of the mahua tree. Barely had we seen enough of the bear, the guide signaled us to move on. He could hear the alarm calls of deer, indicating that a tiger could be in the vicinity. Our jeep moved on and about 50m ahead, we were stopped by the vehicle in front of us. A leopard had run beside their car, crossed the road and raced into the forest!!! Wow, that’s luck!!
We had a very rich experience for the remaining part of the safari. We saw herds of bison (gaur), barasingha deer, sambar deer and of course spotted deer. Its the default at Kanha – with around 21,000 of them. A tiger was spotted just around 30m off the road. It was resting in the shade beside a small pool of water. We waited for about an hour for it to make any movement, but it just lazily remained there, enjoying the water and the shade. The evening safari was equally enjoyable, although the duration was less.

Tigress

Another two safaris the next day – we saw wild boar, barking deer, the barasingha from very near and a variety of birds. With the nearing of the mating season, the guides taught us the difference between the alarm call and mating call of the spotted deer. We were lucky to see two tigers and a leopard on this day. Both the tigers that we were able to view had been tracked by the elephants and a short elephant ride was required to go near the tigers. The first one hid itself among the long and dry grasses, but the second tiger was sitting just a couple of feet away from us. It remained calm and was not at all bothered by the elephants moving in its vicinity. Seeing the tiger from a distance of 2 ft was quite an experience.

Sunset

A leopard was viewed in the evening – perched on top of a tree trunk. I felt the need of a good zoom lens, something which I did not have. And I felt jealous of the people around me who were carrying lenses like machine guns and capturing the leopard as if sitting 1ft away. Again a patient wait for an hour for it to move was futile – as it decided to maintain status quo, at least till we left. Our wait was not in vain – we were rewarded by a beautiful sunset with the sky flaring up in shades of red. A big herd of bisons had visited the watering hole adjacent to our hotel, but when we returned from the safari, only two of them were still there.
After spending three wonderful nights at Kisli, it was time to move towards Bandhavgarh. There are two Nature Trails from the Khatia gate – one 3 Km and another 8 Km. I had planned to do the 8Km trail on the morning of our departure. Unfortunately the car which was supposed to come in the early hours of the morning arrived late and we could not go to Khatia, which was 3.5 Km from Baghira Log Huts. May be next time….

Annual Flower Show, Agri Horticulture Gardens (2009)

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:07:45 +0000

‘Whenever you see color, think of us’ – ran the punchline of an advertisement by a paint company. A visit to the annual flower exhibitions leaves me wondering about this claim. The variety of colors on display is not easy to replicate, whatever be the means adopted to do so.
Though the mercury has stopped dipping below the normal spring temperatures and woolens are gradually becoming confined to the cupboards and the nip in the air is no longer being felt, winter still remains the time for fairs and festivities in Kolkata. Book fair, Industrial fair, Handicrafts fair……. Dover Lane Musical Conference and performance by numerous other masters of Indian music……. Theater festival by Nandikar……. Dog Shows…… Vintage Car Rally….. Flower Shows…… are some of the happenings during the winter months. Flower Shows are a regular feature of Kolkata during winter and quite a few are held regularly. This years Flower Show at Agri Horticulture Society was held between 5th February – 8th February.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

I first went there on a Saturday evening. Past the shops selling gardening equipments and plants of all varieties, as soon as I entered the main fair ground, I was greeted by a burst of colors. Everytime I go to a flower show, the colors of nature have a mesmerizing effect on me. How can God create so many colors in nature? And how many colors are there that we do not know about – hidden in some remote corner of the earth…. maybe a nameless flower growing in some remote forest… Name any color and there were flowers of that color displayed at the show.
Dalias, roses and chrysanthemums were there in various sizes and colors – size that you cannot imagine a flower to be of, colors that you cannot visualize even in your dreams.

There was a large collection of cactus from Kalingpong. For the first time, I saw such a wide variety of blooming orchids in Kolkata. The flower shows that I had visited earlier rarely had any orchids. In fact, I came to know of the wide variety of blooming orchids only when I visited a display of orchids at the New York Botanical Gardens in 2007. I was pleasantly surprised to find so many blooming orchids in the show. I hope this collection will increase in the coming years.

We moved on towards the annual flowers – one possibly cannot imagine the variety of flowers and their colors. By this time, it was getting dark and I was not interested in taking photographs in neon lights – the true colors of the flowers can never be captured. My daughter Aheli insisted that we come back the next day one more and in broad daylight so that we can continue with our photography session.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

The next day we arrived there earlier than the previous day, but not as early as we had expected. We headed straight for the area where roses were displayed. Roses were there in all colors and shapes. There were some shades of yellow and orange that were unique and I had not seen them earlier. Next we moved to the annual flowers. This was a huge area and it seemed that a colorful carpet has been laid over the garden grounds. By this time it was getting dark and we moved towards the bonsai plants. Again, what a collection!! It needs to be seen to be believed.

Being the last day, many of the orchids and cactus from Kalingpong were on sale now. Prizes were being distributed at the main dias. Kalyani Municipality won a large number of prizes, though I am not see if they received the maximum. We had a brief visit to the Ikebana showcase before leaving the exhibition.

Qutub Minar Complex

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:24:21 +0000

Delhi has been the ground of historical events since the first century – maybe earlier. Empires have been built and destroyed here. It has been the target of invaders coming from the north-western part of the continent and has borne the burnt of these invaders across the centuries. As a result, Delhi is scattered with historical monuments that speak out the stories of the ancient times.

Qutub Minar against the Alia Minar

On the way to Kumayun, we had almost the full day at our disposal before boarding Ranikhet Express for Haldwani. The plan was to visit Red Fort and the Qutb Complex, but due to Daserra celebrations a few days later, Red Fort was closed to public. This is what we were informed by the hotel – but was not exactly sure about the truth of this piece of information. As time was limited, we headed for the Qutub Minar complex by an auto-rickshaw. The driver charged Rs 400 for the round trip – he would cover the Qutub Minar and the Lotus Temple.

There’s more than the Qutb Minar!!

History has always been my weak point. This was proven once more – when I saw that the Qutb Complex had not only the Qutb Minar, but other structures and ruins.
The unfinished Alia Minar, the Alia Darwaza and the ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was fascinating. The Qutb Minar, which itself looks so mundane from far, surprisingly has carvings from the Quaran and other designs on its walls. There is an iron pillar which was erected by King Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. The walls of the Alia Darwaza were occupied by green parrots which flew around the building.

A look at the history of Qutb Minar

The Qutub Complex, is an array of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India, the most famous of which is the Qutub Minar and is one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. Built in 1193 AD, it had been inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan. It initially housed a complex of twenty-seven ancient Jain temples which were destroyed & their material used in the construction of the Qutub complex by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty, and his successor Iltutmish and further By Firoz Shah Tughlak on the ruins of Lal Kot and Qila-Rai-Pithora (Prithivraj Chauhan’s city). The complex was added to by many subsequent rulers, including Iltutmish and Ala ud din Khilji as well as the British.

Qutub Minar

The most famous monument situated in the complex is the Qutub Minar; other important constructions in the complex are the Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, the Alai Gate, the Alai Minar and the Iron pillar, surrounded by Jain temple ruins.
Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world, and an important example of Indo-Islamic Architecture. It is 72.5 metres (239 ft) high. The diameter of the base is 14.3 metres wide while the top floor measures 2.7 metres in diameter. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with surrounding buildings and monuments.

Alia Darwaza

Alia Darwaza in the Qutub Minar Complex

The Alai Darwaza (Alai Gate) is the main gateway in the complex. The gateway was built by the first Khilji sultan of Delhi, Ala-ud-din Khilji. The domed gateway is decorated with red sandstone and inlaid marble decorations, latticed stone screens and showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkish artisans who worked on it. It was built in 1311 AD.

Alia Minar

Alia Minar in the Qutub Minar Complex

Ala-ud-din Khilji started building the Alai Minar, which was conceived to be two times higher than Qutb Minar. The construction was abandoned, however, after the completion of the 24.5 meter high first storey; soon after death of Ala-ud-din. The first story of the Alai Minar still stands today.
It is considered to be one of the most important buildings built in the sultanate period. With its pointed arches, it adds grace to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque to which it served as an entrance.

Iron Pillar

The Iron Pillar is one of the world’s foremost metallurgical curiosities. The pillar is almost seven metres high and weigs more than six tonnes. It was erected by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375–414 CE). It is the only piece of the Jain temple remaining, which stood there before being destroyed by Qutb-ud-din Aibak. A fence was erected around the pillar due to the popularity of a tradition that considered it good luck if you could stand with your back to the pillar and make your hands meet behind it.

Halong Bay

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:13:05 +0000

Arrival at Hanoi

I was in Hanoi with two of my colleagues, Brijes and Goutam for official work. When our schedule provided us with a free weekend, the obvious destination for the weekend was Halong Bay. We did not have much information about what was in store for us, but few facts about Halong Bay were attractive. That it was located in the seas and we had the option to spend the night on a boat in the middle of the seas was strong enough reason for myself, Brijes and Goutam to go ahead with our trip.
Initially we scouted around the Hoem Kiem area for a reliable tour operator and get an idea about the cost of the trip. The price variation ($30 – $200) for a 2 day trip was enough to confuse us. Also, being the peak tourist season, the operators that looked reliable to us were sold out for the weekend. So, without going into any complications, we arranged for the tour through the hotel travel desk. The price was an affordable $57/person.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Journey Started
We were picked up from our hotel early in the morning at around 8 AM in a mini van. The van was full as expected.

Jetty at Halong Bay

Our guide for the trip was a gentleman named Kong – who worked full time as a travel guide. He knew three languages other than Vietnamese and worked with the European tourists.

On the way
Within half an hour we were outside the city limits and the road went through green farmlands. It was a welcome break from the crowded streets of central Hanoi. Men with their traditional big straw hats were working on the farms. Past a number of small Vietnamese towns, it was break time after around 2 hours of travel. We stopped in a big shop on the highway which sold traditional Vietnamese handicrafts. Some of them were really good and the price was tempting. Specially paintings made by thread weaving – something unique and really wonderful.

At Halong Bay
At last we reached Halong Bay at around 11:30 AM. The reception area was quite big and organized. In fact it was comparable to any other international tourist spot. For the first time, we realized that it was a famous tourist destination among the Europeans.

The Junk in which we sailed

It was crowded and we had to wait for another 30 minutes while our guide Kong went to buy the tickets. In the meantime we purchased some water and a cap with Vietnam written on it in red. Later on, when I was trekking in Nepal, one of the hotel attendants one day fearfully asked me ‘Are you a communist?’ Later I realized that he had seen the hat lying on the table and thus the question.

After a short wait, we followed our guide Kong towards our junk. It was quite a long walk, going across other junks that were lined up one behind the other through there narrow alleys and dodging other people who were returning back from their trips. Our junk was a small one, with two rooms at deck level and another two rooms above it. Apart from we three, our only companion on board was a Spanish couple.

Halong Bay

After a welcome drink (which was the only free drink on board), the junk set sail. We passed different types of junks on the way – big, small, fancy…. One of the attendants brought out her ware of pearl ornaments and after some failed attempts to sell them, tucked them away and started to prepare lunch. Lunch was delicious – salad, prawns, chicken and prawn. By this time, the our view of horizon was being obstructed by small hillocks at a distance. As we moved near them, we forgot lunch and were on the deck with our cameras. It was wonderful! Limestone islets were scattered all over the surface of the sea. Some were small single rock islets, some were big islands. Some were green, others barren with the rock surface exposed. The place looked out of the world.

Inside Sung Sot
We were proceeding towards the Sung Sot cave, which was one of the biggest caves at Halong Bay. It was quite a steep climb from the jetty to the entrance of Sung Sot cave, but as we went up the view became better and better.

Inside Sung Sot

The jetty below with the limestone islets at a distance and the junks scattered across the water, some with colorful sails, made a wonderful view. The inside of the cave was a different world. It was huge, and I think 5000 people can be easily accommodated inside it. There were limestone formations all around the cave. What struck us was the artificial lightning provided inside the cave. It somehow took away a lot of the beauty of the cave – the yellow and green colored lights somehow did not go well with the ambiance of the cave. Still, at the end of it, it was amazing! It seemed to be the ideal set of Indiana Jones movies. Was any part of the movie filmed here? We spent quite a long time in the cave.

Phantoms home
It was time to leave to the next place. Well, we had no idea that the next activity would be kayaking. Kayaking and us? Without any experience? No, problem – assured Kong. So it was Kong and Goutam in one kayak and Brijes and me in another. After some initial problems, we were all set, cruising smoothly along the the waters of the South China Sea in our kayak. We were at the level of water and everything seemed so different. Free to go anywhere we like, we went towards an isolated islet some distance away. There was an area which was surrounded by the limestone pillars and water in the center. There was a very narrow, apparently hidden entrance to this area. Once inside, we could feel the silence all around. Totally insulated from the external world, there was absolute silence. Could this be the home of Phantom, our childhood comic hero? We floated in the waters for how long we don’t know – until the silence was broken by the sudden shattering sound of a motor boat. Why did they have to discover the place and come here???
As it was getting darker, we started back on our return journey. On our way back, we saw the perfect sunset: orange kayaks all around, two big junks with bright yellow sails and the orange sun just above the water level and viewed through the sails. What could be better? And I did not have my camera to capture it as Kong had suggested that I leave my camera as it could get wet.
By this time, it was getting dark and our junk moved away from Sung Sot cave. All the junks
anchored around an area of the bay. After another delicious dinner, it was time to relax on the deck of the boat under the open sky.

Counting the stars

Night halt for a junk

How many stars have you seen in the sky? Hundreds….thousands… I could never imagine that so many stars could be seen in the night sky – the number of stars were countless. Brijes started explaining the individual starts and constellations in the sky. The lone deck light was irritating – as it blurred the view of the stars. Everytime we switched it off, the captain of the junk came and switched it on, saying it was required by them to have the light.
After a few on-off attempts, we gave in to his request. Other bigger junks nearby had turned into party lounges with the sound of music and singing filling the air. We were on the deck till late night, enjoying the calmness and quietness of the night before retiring to bed. The sound of the generators were also contrary to the ambiance, but most of them were gradually switched off and boats started sharing among them.