Vishakapatnam ---a SMART City

                                  "Let's find some beautiful place to get lost ."


The Vishaka express chugged into the neat and clean station of Vishakhapatnam at 4.20pm. It was on the dot. The station was not over-crowded and we were not pestered by taxi-drivers.  The car took us through well laid out roads lined with perennial plants to the guest-house on Beach Road. Beautifully located, over-looking the Bay of Bengal, we watched the fishing boats sail in with their haul and cargo ships sail out to their destinations. 

The jewel of the East coast, the port of Vizag was set up in 1933 to facilitate the export of manganese ore. It played an important role during the World War II .After independence; the port was further developed to become the second largest port in the country. It is the HQ of the Eastern command of the Indian Navy.  You can reach the city by air, road or train. 

Popularly known as VIZAG

The city has a lot to offer. Sun-drenched beaches which are clean, hill-tops with breath-taking views and artistic temples The best part of the city is the beach road.There are a number of museums and memorials that can be visited. Tour buses, autos and taxis can you around. Take a guide when visi.ting temples.

Places to visit:

The submarine museum:

If you have never been on a submarine this is your chance. INS Kursura is India’s fifth sub-marine commissioned in 1969 and served the country for 31 years. It is one of the few submarine museums in Asia. It’s an eye-opener to the tough life of the sailors inside the submarine. If you are not used to enclosed areas you may suffer from claustrophobia. Entry fee is Rs40. Narration is brief and it will barely take you 30 mins to cover the entire vessel. 

Sub Museum

Kailash Giri

Easily accessible by bus, taxis and autos, there is a cable-car that will take you to the top. The toy train makes a round of the hill. Two massive statues of Shiva and Parvati stand tall and flood-lit at night.

Spare some time for the Telegu Museum at kailash Giri, showcasing the evolution of the Telegu language and history. The rotating pad takes the guests through an excellent 1 hour audio-visual presentation. Rushikonda beach is nearby.

Dolphin’s Nose

It is so called because the hill resembles a dolphin’s nose (or does it look like a whale?) The light house opens at 3pm. The view is amazing and Yarada beach lies at the bottom.

RK Beach Road

There are a lot of monuments along the beach road. The aquarium, the Victory at Sea war memorial and the Helicopter museum are along this road. Wide side-walks enable pedestrians to enjoy the sea and all that the city has to offer. Free Wi-Fi is available along the beach, 1GB per day.

Like most cities in India there are a lot of temples of which we visited the Simhachalam 

Rushikonda Beach

Andhra cuisine is a delightful mix of vegetarian and non-veg items. Proximity to the sea has made sea food a staple diet. Combined with tingling spices it’s a menu not to be missed. Apart from the dosa-idli-sambar breakfast dishes , sweets play an important part on every occasion among which the most popular are Ariselu (rice flour sesame) Junnu (milk pudding)Achappam (rose cookies) Muslim influences has resulted in biryani and halwa finding a place in the list of options.

Andhra cuisine

You will have no regrets visiting the city of Vishakhapatnam. The finest location is along the beach. Shopping areas are close.I bought two saris--- a Mangalgiri and a Gadwal--- from the nearby CMR mall.   Modern, clean, friendly, safe, tech-savvy, helpful....I needed medicines for an upset stomach and couldn’t locate a pharmacy on my GPS. Accurate directions by a gentleman took me to the right place. In fact, the last few meters I was guided by a school-boy. 

The metropolis provides the best without being too expensive. Just dive in and have fun!!!!! 

Orissa--a road trip

Chilka Lake

"Traveling makes you wise and humble."

Our road trip in Orissa began in Bhubaneshwar. We hired a Zoom-car, attached the GPS to the squeezy and took off for Pipli. A small dusty town made famous by its art and craft, a delight for the shopaholics who would like to pick up sun-umbrellas, canopies, totes, shopping bags etc. The streets are lined with stalls selling appliqué work making  the town colourfully delightful.

 The people of Oriya are simple, traditional, and fiercely religious. There is a temple at every bend. Bhubaneshwar is, not surprisingly, called the “the temple city.”  Religiosity consumes a lot of time, energy and money of the ordinary Oriya. Spiritually vibrant Jagganath in Puri is the most revered temple and is visited by 4million people every year, despite the  the lack of a peaceful and religious ambience. Pestering for money and brusque behaviour by the priests are familiar stories narrated by visitors leaving many to wonder why they ever visited the place. However things are changing and efforts are being made to bring about an orderliness. Non-Hindus are not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum.

Applique work at Pipli

We drove to Dhauli from Pipli, the place where Emperor Ashoka gave up warfare after the Battle of Kalinga and embraced Buddhism. Three of his edicts are preserved in a glass-case and a new Asoka pillar has been constructed to commemorate the event. The park and the edict are well maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Shanti Stupa on top of the hill is worth a visit. The adjoining Shiva temple is a little disorganized and can be avoided.

We wove our way to the town of Konark, home of the “Black Pagoda”. The epithet was tagged because the temple appeared black to the sailors out at sea. It was believed a 52 tonne magnet in the temple attracted the ships towards it and  maintained a balance of the 5 temples in the precincts. The temple was plundered and the magnet robbed by the Portuguese. Consequently, the smaller temples crumbled leaving just one damaged temple standing precariously supported by scaffoldings. Representing a chariot of the sun-god driven on 24 wheels it was built by 1200 workers and took 12 years. It was never a practising temple, no offering was ever made and no “mantra” recited. Today it is beautifully maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. There is a foot-path all around the edifice providing a 360 degree view. Restoration work has been going on for the last 15 . It would be wise to take a guide for Rs.150-200.The temple’s architecture and grandeur will unfold when explained by a guide. Stalls line the entrance where you can pick up trinkets and flop- hats for a steal. There are no star  hotels in Konark. It is best to commute from Puri or Bhubaneshwar. We stayed in “Surya Inn” which was not good enough . However it was conveniently located 400 metres from the temple and served our purpose. The Konark museum is worth a visit.  

Sun Temple, Konark

Next morning we drove to Chilka Lake via Puri. Chilka is a lagoon covering 1100sq kms, a huge expanse supposedly the largest brackish water lake in Asia.  Home to over 220 species of local and migratory birds, dolphins and variety of fish providing a life-line to all the fishing villages .We did get to see a lot of birds but few dolphins. A motor boat ride around the lake and islands is serene, interesting and informative. Be wary of guys who try to sell corals and pearls whose value is questionable.

pearls from oysters

The boys will break the oyster-shells and take out a pearl or two but don't be deceived ....they may not be genuine. On the down-side the touts for the boats can make your life miserable. You have to be politely firm with them.

Motor bikers can make you lose your peace of mind therefore drive cautiously. In Puri cows do the work of road dividers. Gushing pilgrims are unmindful of cars cruising around. Traffic policemen are not visible to regulate the flow. Driving is a herculean task. Life goes on without complaint and people appear not to be too unhappy.

We returned to Bhubaneswar on the third day to cover the tribal museum, Udaygiri caves, Lingaraj temple and KIT University which supports 22000 tribal children with free accommodation, food and education. An initiative by Achuyta Samanta it is a noble movement and has gone a long way to uplift the tribal society and curb insurgency. 22% of Orissa’s population belong to different tribes who are poor and down-trodden. The Bonda (the naked tribe) are a dwindling race leaving just about 12000 of them. Tribal art is very attractive. Silver filigree work, patachitra paintings, katki designed fabric and saris can be bought from the innumerable shops in and around the state capital.

Oriya cuisine is subtle in taste and low in calories. Among the sweets Rasabali and steamed chenna poda will take the first prize. Both are delicious. Many dishes are made with mustard be it vegetables or fish. Chakuli pitha is a breakfast dish resembling pancakes made with rice flour. Saaga Moonga (leafy vegetables cooked with lentils are popular. Tangy chutneys are also popular and there are many variations like tomato, oou (elephant apple) raw mango. But an Oriya meal is never complete without dalma, a dish made out of vegetables and lentils. It is offered to the Gods too.

The trip was an eye-opener to the state of Orissa. We just scratched the surface. Much more is yet to be discovered.

Chenapoda....steamed milk cake

                                         

                 

Kolkata--City of Joy

Howrah Station

                              " Kolkata is always dying but it never dies"

 Kolkata is a city where human values are not measured by material wealth but by the warmth, hospitality, cultural and intellectual abilities extended by ”bhadraloks” (gentlemen} It is chaotic, crowded, colourful,crazy and yet there is an orderliness in this madness. If you come once you will promise you’ll never come back again but once you are back home you will yearn to return to the city which stands by the river Hooghly, where the average nominal per capita income is $2000 per year, where you can have lunch for $1 and splash $200 dollars for dinner at a flashy 5 star hotel 

Most things don’t change in Kolkata. Therefore, the obsolete, loss-making trams still run on tracks   built by the British. Its ride through history but you can’t depend on them to reach an appointment, slow and sluggish that they are. The man-drawn rickshaws have stood the test of time no matter how cruel it looks.  Thousands would be thrown into the den of unemployment if they were to be withdrawn. The omnipresent yellow Ambassador-taxis are indispensable .Hindustan Motors factory but the Ambassador lives on in the metropolis. They are always at your beck and call through hail or storm, though some drivers may refuse to turn the metre on or may ask you for Rs10 extra.  “Nahoums” bakery in New Market is still selling its delicious fruit cakes from the same wooded cases that the Jewish owners had set up decades ago. Nobody wants anything to change. That’s the attraction of the place.

                                                     

Kolkata Tram

The British when they reached Kolkata brought not only the Queen’s language but also their baroque and neo-classical architecture, grand and over-powering. The National Library, Writer’s building ,the Grand Hotel, the Museum   remain very British in appearance  It is worth doing a architecture tour of the city which perhaps will take you more than a day.

 The iconic Victoria Memorial which stands imposingly in the centre of the city serves as a tourist attraction, a jogger’s park and picnic spot. However don’t go to any of the touristy places on holidays. It’s a melee.

                                             

Victoria Memorial

Each attraction in Kolkata is wrapped in a story. The old Howrah bridge and the new Vidyasagar Setu represents two eras, two Indias both different yet compatible.  I like the Howrah railway station with its 23 platforms and the big clock( it's not working now) which was built in 1926 by Gent’s of London serving as a prominent meeting point for many.

The Bengali cuisine excites the palate like no other. River or sea fish is an integral part of the menu. The “Rasgolla “and sweet curd is the finale to a hearty meal. Some note-worthy restaurants are Oh Kolkata (10/3Elgin Road) Kasturi (Ballygunge) and Bhojohori Manna (Gariahat)

 Upmarket Park Street hosts a number of good restaurants and a few offer music in the evenings. Go to “Flury’s “for an English breakfast or afternoon tea, “Cha Bar “at Oxford Book Store for a mid-morning cuppa to taste the original Darjeeling or Assam tea while browsing through a book. Dinner could be at “Mocambo “Bar-B-Q” or “Peter Cat”.  Originally the street was through a deer park, hence its name. Officially, it is known as Mother Theresa Sarani.

Plate of Rasgullas

 Kolkata clubs are little islands of British culture. Every member holds very dearly to the customs, mores and etiquette and is more British than the British themselves. The Tollygunge club is the only country club in India more than 220 years old. The Bengal club is famous for its Christmas lunch. Should you get an invite to any of them, don’t miss out. 

Kolkata has provided a home for one and all. Parses, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Chinese and the English have made it their home over the years, each community contributing to its growth. Around 2000 Chinese have their own China Town where Chinese festivals are celebrated. Mother Theresa made it her own and brought joy to many. A visit to her home will complete your trip.  We decided to make it by foot. With GPS data connection poor and human GPS most unreliable (we asked two policemen, three gentlemen, and two shop-keepers for directions) we walked a maze of streets covering 4.9 kms to reach the home ....serene and peaceful.....an island of bliss in this noisy city....it was worth it !!!!But what surprised me was that 7 people didn’t know where it was located....People’s memories are very short unfortunately. Besides the walk was not easy .The sidewalks have been converted to showrooms for tyers and garments leaving us to the mercy of cars that zoomed by.

My love-hate relationship with the city has brought me back an umpteenth number of times and every time I have something new to write home about. 

At Mother's Home

Cherrapunjee.....the rainiest spot on planet Earth

" Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards." V. Nobokov

 With an average annual rainfall of 449.6 inches (yes, you have read it correct) it is the wettest spot on Earth. The drive from Shillong to Cherrapunjee ( also known as Sohra) is breath-takingly beautiful with the fog embracing you and droplets of water drawing out patterns. Dont forget an umbrella which goes without saying . Or better still a raincoat because your umbrella may be swiped away by the strong wind. Yet, during the dry season there is a shortage of water which brings up pertinent questions of water-harvesting. The area is inhabited by the Khasi tribe and they are  a matrilineal society.  If you are an adventurous foodie try Khasi food . Jadoh(mixture of rice and pork)Ja Stem(rice cooked with turmeric powder and sesame)Tungrymbai (fermented soya beans and spices)For this dish dont go by the smell but the taste!Dohneiiong (smoked pork with black sesame seeds) is delicious and comes very close to BBQ pork.
There are many places one could stay but I would weave my way to Jiva Resort for a holistic experience.

Jiva resort

Nature is at its best in this region. Unspoilt and prestine. It's enough to watch the rain come down or listen to the pitter-patter on the tin roofs. Most houses have slanting roofs for the water to drain off. Waterfalls ,big and small, are well fed by the monsoon rains and the springs that abound. Its a lovely place in the amazing state of Meghalaya, North-east India......remote and beautiful!!!

waterfalls

Chocolate Ring Cake with ice-cream and watermelon

"All the world's a birthday cake, so take a piece but not too much." George Harrison.

My grand-daughter, Molly, loves to play Housie –house in her fairly large toy kitchen. She cooks up muffins, sunny –side up eggs, steak and her favourite peanut butter sandwiches with lettuce.  To be a part of her world, I bought a cake mould in the shape of a ring and involved her in the entire process. What fun we both had! The child in me got the upper hand and we became messy together. She picked up culinary terms which would baffle many of her friends I’m sure. But the end product was a delight!!  

So here we go:

Ingredients

100 grams sugar                                                      to decorate: 

100 grams flour                                                       1 brick Ice-cream

100 grams butter                                                      1 cup watermelon balls

4 eggs                                                                       1/3 cup cooking chocolate

30 grams cocoa powder                                           ½ cup cream

1 level tsp. baking powder

Pinch of soda-bicarbonate

Pinch of salt

A few drops of Vanilla essence

Method

1.Grease an 8”ring- cake tin. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and soda bi-carbonate together twice.

2.Beat the sugar and butter. Add the egg yolks and beat into the butter mixture.  Keep it aside.

3.Beat the egg whites till fluffy.  Fold the egg whites into the sugar-butter mixture till smooth.

4.Fold in the flour with the rest of the ingredients raising the ladle high to let in air.

5.Stir in the vanilla essence.

6.Pour into the greased tin and bake for 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven of 180 degrees.

7.Remove and let it cool.

Decorations:

1.Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add cream. Stir till smooth and shiny. (Chocolate ganache) 

2.Pour over cake evenly.

3.Fill the centre of the ring with ice-cream and melon balls.Sprinkle coloured sugar balls all around       to give the final touch.

4. Serves 6 to 8 people.


Note: I love traveling but I enjoy making desserts too.

Russia : land of the onion -domed churches

     "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." St. Augustine

Russia has a distinct character, very original and varied. You have to see it to believe. It is neither European nor Asian. It is Russian. European Russia makes it the biggest country in Europe and the Asian part makes it the largest in Asia. The nation is mysteriously enormous, covering almost 11%of the land mass with 11 time zones, 25 official languages and more than 110 unofficial ones.

We decided to fly into Sheremetyevo last March with apprehensions of what to expect of a country which Churchill described as a “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. We were taken in for a surprise at what we found –the people, the terrain and cuisine were fascinating .We flew Aeroflot where the crew was polite, professional and pretty. It’s a great airline for the price you pay.

March is a good month to visit Moscow. Not very cold, no rains either and fewer ant-like tourist groups. Consequently queues are shorter at the visitor’s counters, buses are less crowded but metros are not. You might miss out on the street food because the food stalls were few and far between. Trees are bare but beautiful and flowers are just about coming out of their hibernation.   

Bare and beautiful

The gentleman from Angel Taxi Agency was on the spot at the dot of time as we came out of the airport foyer. Most amiable, we handed him the address of our hotel neatly written in Russia and he very politely ushered us into the car. It was a strange situation where he understood English but couldn’t speak and we could read the Russian script, Cyrillic, but couldn’t speak except for a smattering of phrases with a strange accent which no Russian could understand. The day was cloudy and a little dreary but, Yuri,   our chauffer, made it the most delightful trip by pointing out landmarks and cracking jokes which he only understood but we laughed along. The grandeur of the baroque buildings left by the Tsarist regimes stood side by side with the Soviet-era blocks, interspersed by malls and a few high-rise buildings. Traffic, like every capital in the world was nothing to write about and you do notice a few jumping lines and taking a turn when you shouldn’t. If you want to see sky-scrappers and all the modern trappings that go with them, go to New Moscow.

Kremlin

Yuri drove us into Nastasyinsky Perulok Street in Tverskoy to our hotel Pushkin. The proximity of the hotel to three metro stations, Trevaskaya, Chekovskaya and Pushkinskaya made it very convenient to for us to reach all corners of Moscow. The Red square and the Kremlin were within walking distance. We were well received by two pretty girls who spoke English and didn’t waste time with inane niceties. Our room was small but convenient, clean and modern. Hot water and ice was available just across the room. The dining space was artistically done up, keeping the writer Pushkin, in mind. The complimentary breakfast was well laid out. The minus point of the hotel was the shower –cubicle which was tiny and would well make it difficult for a fat man to manoeuvre. But would I stay here again? Definitely.

Chicken Kiev at Hotel Pushkin

Armed with a few Russian phrases like”Da”,”Nyet” “Spa-see-ba” we began our march into the land of Lenin, Stalin and Putin . Russians have been storied and parodied as unsmiling, stern-lipped vodka-drinkers but they turned out to be friendly and helpful. Nothing appeared intimidating; there was no cold-sweat seeing the Lubyanka building, HQ of the erstwhile KGB now known as FSB. There are more channels on TV than the propaganda channel. You are not under surveillance as we were made to believe. The only time I did feel uneasy was when burly Russians were trying to sell us tickets outside the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow, at an astronomical price. With a burgeoning middle-class with growing purchasing and a new generation of ambitious youngsters who are keen to learn, Russia has come out of the Cold.  And this I’m talking about is urban Russia (St, Petersburg and Moscow) not the rural areas. Perhaps it would be different.

 More of Russia in my next blog. Yes , I could go on ……

St.Petersburg ....my travelling companion ,Bee

"If you don't know how great this country is, I know someone who does; Russia."Robert Frost


Note: We do not go through any travel agent . All bookings are through the net.......thats the marvel of the Virtual world........

Little Rann of Kutch

Asiatic Wild Ass at the Little Rann 

The Rann is quiet “yet through the silence, something throbs and gleams.”

The best way to reach the Little Rann of Kutch is to fly down to Ahmedabad 's SVP airport and then take a vehicle to your destination. Getting behind the wheels , Bee my travelling partner  took National Highway (NH) 947 and GJ SH 18 from Ahmadabad to Zainabad, a distance of 2hours 20minutes to reach Zainabad Camp run by Desert Coursers. You may book a chauffer -driven taxi  or go for myles-self-driven cars. The Little Rann of Kutch is at the periphery of the great salty-swamp and marks the beginning of the greater Rann. A brackish marshland with a bleak landscape it offers a bio-diversity which is unique to this world . The dry cracked earth and the salt desert makes this region distinctive and inimatable. 

A Kooba..... to spend the night

The resort run by Desert Coursers was started by the descendants of Nawab Zain khan and it is still managed by Dhanraj Mallick ,the son of the present Nawab. A very colourful person, who has seen the world, Mr Mallick can fill you up on all the things that you might want to know. The family is originally from Multan and came to Gujarat before the Mughals. The campus is dotted with “Koobas”, the eco-friendly cottages that gives the area a rural touch. Each Kooba has a bed-room, a dressing area provided with modern amenities and an attached bath-room, a shower and air-conditioning. The food is garden fresh, served hot, offering the local cuisine. In the evening the warm camp-fire and the starry sky above completes your holiday.

a tribal girl in a colourful applique skirt

Tucked into a corner of the country (India), the Little Rann inter-mingles diverse cultures and colours that have beckoned travellers for centuries. There are a number of nomadic and settled tribes in this part of India like the Rabaris, Kolis, Bajanias, Siddis (originally from Abyssinia) whose ethnic ways has added interesting hue to the otherwise austere yet beautiful terrain. You may be tempted to buy their ostentatious jewellery and colourful scarves. The Halari tribe, in particular is known for their appliqué work.

Nilgais

Flamingos

The wildlife tours on camels and jeeps will take you through one of the largest sanctuaries in India measuring 4950sq, km. The prize-winning animal is the Asiatic Wild Ass which is found nowhere else in the world. Chestnut brown in colour with white under-parts it is graceful and as strong as the horse. You may be lucky to see herds of them. The Nilgai, desert fox and a host of birds can be spotted. If you are lucky you will spot the chinkara gazelle (we didn’t). The water bodies around the Rann provide breeding ground and launch pads for migratory birds. Flamingos arrive in hundreds and are a sight to behold. Larks, land grouse, the common stork, nightjars and eagles are other birds that we spotted.

Sunset at Little Rann

The sunset and sunrise on the Rann is a photographer’s delight. With the wind on your face, the cracked earth below you and salt-pans in the distant horizon, there is a romance in the air which is inescapable and cloying. Day trips to the Sun Temple in Modhera and sari –shopping to Patan are to be included.

 A visit to the salt pans where salt is crystallized, gathered and despatched is a learning experience. The challenges and vicissitudes that the workers face make you realise how fortunate you are. The designated tribes  have been doing this work for generations. Their houses are sparse and clean .The people are  strong and optimistic.

In front of a salt mound

Tips: Take the afternoon trip to see the animals. Early morning safaris are to spot the birds. Cover yourself up because the wind can get strong at sun-set. Remember it’s an open land. Have shades and a hat with fasterners or the wind will sweep it away.  The water bottle is essential and of course a good pair of walking shoes .A powerful camera to capture the birds and the beasts for the wild-life buff.     

safari jeep, cracked earth and scattered salt  

"Short travel can be just as impactful and meaningful as long term travel"