The Icon

We had plenty of exercise yesterday with a 5 hour hike to the most celebrated location in the country. Mythology says that centuries ago the Guru Rinpoche flew from the east of the country on a tiger's back, landed and stayed at a cave in these rocks. He frightened all the evil spirits away and it became a sacred place where this temple was built and named Tiger's Nest.

You get used to stories like these after a while but there's no doubt about it being a most spectacular location and it was by far the busiest place we have visited.
If you have any interest in Bhutan we suggest you come sooner rather than later, the modern world is fast catching up here. Roads are being widened all over the place, construction of homes, offices and  hotels is booming (mostly built by Indian men and women). WIFI is everywhere, mobile phone service goes right to the tops of the mountains and there are at least 50 TV Channels (again from India) with Bollywood, Premier League, HBO, CNN and American sitcoms, to name a few.
One priceless moment was in a temple where a young monk was sitting cross legged in front of his little table, manuscripts laid out, he looked quite dedicated but on closer inspection we could see he was actually on his iphone.

The Positives: Stunning scenery, historical sites, friendly (shy) people, few tourists, good weather, no hawkers, all the modern communications, inexpensive.
Other observations.
Modest hotels, little to do in the evening, poor lighting, basic food which is the same everywhere, some roads are poor, dogs (sleep all day bark all night), more litter than there should be.

A view of the Himalayas from Chelela Dantak on our drive today to Haa.

There isn't much in Haa, it was very isolated until recently but it's a nice drive. The views and a picnic overlooking the mountains made it worth the trip. It's been great, a week was enough and it's time to go home. Where next? We don't know.

Punakha

Yesterday's 4 hour drive through mountainous terrain was only 70 kilometers with some short stops bringing us to the former capital Punakha. Bhutan is one of the world's poorest countries but it feels different to India. There are still some tin shacks and mud huts but also many houses in much better condition and the road side is cleaner. There are no hawkers or haggling on prices (some people like it, personally I think it's a bore).
All the houses are decorated with hand painted protruding window frames and more, like this one with a phallus for fertility which is common, and other symbols asking for prosperity, long life and happiness.

The hotels are very modest 2 to 3 star and the food simple but good and mostly vegetarian which suits us. Lots of chillies is a good way to keep the stomach from acting up and so far so good in that department. Fresh corn cooked on an open fire by the roadside was a treat.
Today's outing entailed a drive out to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyai Chorten (pay attention there will be a test at the end!). It was an hour hike to the temple.

The view of the snaking Mo (mother) River through the valleys below was the highlight of the day and the walk up through the terraced rice and wheat fields where the farmers were thrashing grain, the horses and cows grazing and the ringing bells of the prayer wheels was an idyllic country scene.

The temples are elaborately decorated inside (photography not allowed once you remove your shoes) with finely painted wood carvings, elaborate murals, multicolored flags and banners and of course any number of Buddhas. It is very difficult to keep up with all their names, the Tantric Masters and the mythology behind it all so we just admire the beauty and take in a little at a time. If you have ever seen pictures of Bhutan you have probably seen this one, the Punakha Dzong with it's cantilevered bridge, the original 1637 fortress and temple of the city.    

Tomorrow we will return through Thimphu into the Haa Valley, said to be the most scenic in the country, if it is better than today it must be very special

From Hindustan to Bhutan

                              From the flatlands to the mountains
                              From Hinduism to Buddhism
                              From pollution to fresh air
                              From mayhem to tranquility

Bhutan is landlocked between China and India and was isolated until 50 years ago when the first road was built. Consequently tourism is in its infancy with only 100,000 visitors per year, which makes quite a change from the masses we encountered in India.
The capital Thimphu seems to house most of the museums, government administration buildings including the Tashichho Dzong fortress and military headquarters. The Royal Family is very progressive and they continue to put a lot of effort and funding into infrastructure, education, folk heritage preservation and conservation.
The tagline for all is not the measure of GDP but GNH, Gross National Happiness which is taught in schools, where daily meditation and the playing of soothing traditional music is encouraged.
A short way out of town and clearly visible up on the mountain a new Buddha has been constructed. The complex is not yet complete but the $20 million statue, one of the world's largest, is in place.

The National Textile Museum houses a beautiful collection of clothing and tapestries with a weaving school attached. The detail in some of these hand loomed pieces, which can take 3 years to complete, is extraordinary.
A Royal weaver at work:

The National Animal is a Takin, a rather odd looking creature with the head, horns and hair of a goat but the body of a cow, it roams the eastern Himalayas.

The National Sport is archery but a different version to the Olympic Games. The field is very long at 130 metres and the target is a small white board with painted rings about the size of a dinner plate, there is an earth mound stacked with hay as a backdrop. The archers line up at each end and chant encouragement to their team mates at the opposite end. They then crouch down with their heads next to the target, the arrow is shot from a bamboo bow, god knows how they see it, and they duck or jump out of the way when it arrives!! Apparently there are occasional injuries.
If the arrow hits the target the whole team lines up between the flags, then they sing and do a little dance not dissimilar to RunDMC and Steven Tyler in 'Walk this Way'.

Note the traditional dress or gho which wraps around the body down to the knee, tied at the waist with folded white cuffs on the sleeves, underneath it they wear a leotard and long socks.
A very entertaining day all around.

Sunrise

We were in the queue at 6am for the Taj Mahal at sunrise. This monument hosts up to 35,000 visitors per day but by good fortune and because our guide was 'on the case' we were the first people in the Mausoleum and were alone there for ten minutes, it was a special moment. The interior is as beautiful inside as the exterior is impressive with so much finely detailed inlay in semi precious stones and black onyx.
There are 3 World Heritage sites within a few miles of Agra and the Red Fort is also very impressive containing 3 palaces, 2 built of red sandstone and the third of marble.

The views from here down the river to the Taj Mahal are stunning but the stench from the moat below is shocking, it reeks of sewage and is so thick all the rubbish floats on top, Unesco should do something because with the millions in entry fees taken by the government there's no excuse for it. Perhaps I'll write a letter!
The drive to Delhi was relaxing for a change as it is a 6 lane tollroad and it is deserted so driving was easy. The well tended farms and brick factories were an improvement on most of what we saw in Rajasthan and were a prelude to Delhi, a very green, orderly and clean city by comparison to all the others. We did not have a lot of time but were able to fit in a few hours touring, the highlight of which was the tomb of Humayun, another WH site built in the Islamic style with an octagonal central core, said to be the model for the Taj Mahal, as it was constructed 400 years earlier.

  
After a night at The Imperial hotel and a great dinner in The Spice Route we took the noon flight to Paro, the only international airport in Bhutan. It is nestled in a valley surrounded by steep mountains so the approach into the landing strip was interesting with at least 2 turns in either direction. We had been advised to sit on the left side as we travelled along the Himalayas and fortunately we got a good view of Mt. Everest with no surrounding cloud, the peak on the left in this photo.

The Amber Fort and more

This citadel was built in 1592 by Man Singh on the remains of an 11th century fort and was the home of the Maharajas until 1727 when the new Jaipur was laid out, the first planned urban city in India. It sits high on a hill and can be approached on foot or by riding an elephant, if you are prepared to queue.

Designed to have cooling winds from the lake float through the carved screens, Turkish baths, toilets and gardens it was a most comfortable place to be. Twelve individual apartments were built within to house the Maharaja's wives, cleverly arranged so that he could enter any one of them undetected. There are some beautiful frescoes but the standout feature is the Hall of Mirrors, so named because of the thousands of small mirrors used in the decoration, seen here one small section:

In the evening we went on an elephant safari outside the city on a private estate. We were expecting it to be a typical touristy outing but the ride at sunset was tranquil and was followed by drinks by the fire and some of the best Indian food we have eaten, a nice surprise.

Today's ride to Agra included a stop at Fatehpur Sikri, built by Mughal Akbar in 1571 as the new capital of the state of Uttah Pradesh. It was abandoned after 12 years due to a severe drought and the treasures were plundered but the Hindu Islamic architecture and the red sandstone, a change from marble, make a visit worthwhile. The Debating Chamber:

 
And so on to Agra, grubby even by Indian standards. This is the land of contrasts as we have seen many times as we have left our magnificent palace hotels to confront piles of rubbish outside the front gates and join the heaving masses in the streets. But this has to be the starkest of all; driving through the mayhem of the roughest areas we have seen, then walking past the hawkers and pickpockets to get through the gates to see this, the jewel of them all.

Jaipur

Yesterday was a travel day from Jodhpur to Jaipur, starting on the back roads but eventually getting onto the main central Highway 8, a dangerous place to be. It is 3 lanes and highway code says slow traffic stays left but the Indians do exactly the opposite. They have a history of weaving so perhaps that is carried into the driving habits.

You are as likely to see a camel cart as you are a truck in any of the lanes, often there will be vehicles coming the wrong way on the hard shoulder. We saw one car stopped in the fast lane, the man was unloading luggage for 3 women to climb the barrier and cross the highway on the other side! Often there are patches of tarmac missing with no warning signs or multiple speed bumps approaching a junction. We saw 3 cars completely smashed and a tanker truck lying on it's side in the ditch. Driving at night is not recommended.

We made it to the Rambagh Palace Hotel in one piece, ready for cocktails.
Today's excursion focused on the City Palace, an unusual combination of palace complex and observatory. Maharaja Jai Singh was a world renowned astrologer and astronomer and he built a complex of sundials including the largest in the world, accurate to 2 seconds. Here you can see it at 11 o'clock in the morning, the shadow precise.

In another section of the complex is a separate structure called the Palace of Winds, built to satisfy the ladies of the time when they were not allowed to appear in public. From this building they could get away from the 'drudgery' of palace life and look out over the streets at daily life and at the same time be protected from view by the screens which are so prominent in Mughal architecture. Naturally there was a pecking order so there were five floors, the highest nobility used the top floor and so on down. Jaipur is called the Pink City but most of the buildings are more brown than pink.

Jodhpur

The extent of the Umaid Bhawan Palace is so great that I cannot get it all into one frame, and the opulent interiors are also difficult to capture. If you wish to see more, google images under the name, it is quite a place to stay.
Jodhpur is bigger and more interesting than Udaipur and has 2 main attractions: the first is the former palace and fort of Mehrangarh which is now a museum housing a number of collections of Maharaja memorabilia. The Royal Family moved from there to where we are staying in 1943.
These 2 structures dominate the city in both size and elevation.

Jodhpur is also known as the Blue City as many of the houses are painted that colour to keep them cool in summer when temperatures reach 50 degrees.

Just below the Fort and within the old city walls is the second attraction, the solid marble crematorium Jaswant Thada reserved for the Maharajas, it is beautiful.

The city and surrounding areas are well known for their crafts, furniture, dhurrie rugs and textiles. The bazaar is a colorful collection of spices, fruits and vegetables, metalwork etc and buyers come from around the globe to shop here. We found this warehouse, a cooperative which employs 8,500 people in the surrounding villages and contains 8 floors of textiles like this one.

Ranakpur

Our 3 nights at the Taj Lake Palace were very special, could it get any better? I neglected to mention that the area around Lake Pichola was the backdrop for a number of scenes from Octopussy (Roger Moore as Bond). Naturally the film is on the hotel tv 24/7 and it is so corny it is hilarious. From the Jag Mandir Palace opposite to the Monsoon Palace on the hill and Vijay Amritraj riding a super tuk tuk through the streets of Udaipur we had a good laugh, with added significance of course.
Next stop was the fortress hotel of Devi Garh at Delwara where the imposing facade of a bygone era soars above the village below providing a stark contrast to the contemporary interiors. After a heritage tour of the fort we had a camel ride and a walk through the village where the 3 temples of the Jains, Hindus and Muslims are side by side. The shops and artisans open directly into the street, be careful of the cow dung and flying cricket balls! Pottery the old fashioned way, no motors, just a stone wheel set spinning on an axis and the pot is finished before the wheel stops.

First stop this morning was the Jain Temple at Ranakpur. From what we can gather the Jains were a breakaway sect of Hinduism with a more capitalistic approach, as they are now the richest group in India. This temple built of solid marble, 1444 carved pillars in total was constructed in the 15th century. It lies in the Arivali Hills virtually in the middle of nowhere and all the marble came by camel from Udaipur, at least a 2 hour drive away by car. No wonder it took 73 years to complete!

This afternoon entailed a 4 hour drive through rural India. It is dusty, it is extremely filthy and very poor but is also colorful with the ladies in saris, the men in their pink, red and saffron turbans and all the trucks and buses elaborately decorated. Most of the journey was more like a modern game of 'chicken' as the road is in theory 2 lanes but in reality the tarmac is only wide enough for one vehicle, so it is head to head until somebody finally moves over. The only exception to the rule is that everyone must give way to the cows, of which there are many. Remarkably we did not see any accidents but the death toll was still high as we saw 4 dogs and 1 cow dead in the road.
We arrived in Jodhpur in time for sunset from the Umaid Bhawan Palace, home of the Maharaja, Gaj Singh, where we will stay 2 nights. What a sight it is. The lobby:

The Contrasts of Mumbai

We could not imagine 2 more contrasting places than Dubai and Mumbai, although the names are similar they differ in just about every other way. Dubai is the epitome of modernity, everything is new and pristine, it is generally clean, orderly and well maintained.
Mumbai is chaotic, noisy, quite smelly and sadly much of it is crumbling. The buildings all look old, partly due to being neglected but also due to a climate which is often very humid, and four months of monsoon.
Yet to Indians it is the modern city, growing rapidly as everyone comes here for the better opportunities it offers, it is both very rich and very poor. The slums are extensive and even the 'expensive' real estate can look quite ordinary.
Nevertheless we enjoyed our day tour, cricket is being played in every patch of grass or concrete: on the sidewalk next to the highway, in the outdoor laundry, in the rubbish heaps of the slums and even at the cricket grounds!
Most notable was the visit to the home of Mahatma Gandhi, although he did not own the house this room was permanently reserved for him and from here he printed his papers and would speak to the crowds from the balcony.

Our first experience of 'proper' Indian food was Thali: pulses, lentils and vegetables served in individual bowls with various sauces and chutneys on one big platter, scooped up with an assortment of light breads followed by the rice. Superb, and all these years we thought we knew a good Indian!




Some colonial buildings still look good and the train station is a World Heritage Site.

In the evening we took a short flight to Udaipur for the start of the palace tour and the night time arrival by boat at The Taj Lake Palace was a grand way to start. The lanterns and candles illuminated the jetty and created an alluring atmosphere from the windows of the hotel. This marble palace, previously known as Jag Niwas was the summer home of the King until one of his guests suggested he convert it into a hotel, it was Jackie Kennedy! In daylight it appears to float on the surface of the lake and is the focal point from the old city.

The interior is sumptuous, we have lost count of the number of staff and the atmosphere is one of total peace and tranquility. Today's visit was across the lake to the City Palace, now a museum, for a closer look at the lifestyle of the Maharanas, but there will be more on that another time.






One of the courtyards at Taj Lake Palace. Until the next post, NAMASTE.

Dubai

Our first impression of Dubai was the expanse of it all, it is like Texas in that everything is bigger. If there is a master plan for this Emirate it certainly expects to be massive in time. The airport is huge, the highways through the city are 8 lanes in each direction and there are huge plots in the desert which contain nothing at the moment but the advertising signs are already erected boasting of yet another golf course, shopping complex and housing development to come.

This is old Dubai on the creek, where the dhows still off load cargo by hand. It is hard to imagine that 30 years ago the strip of coastline just a mile from this souk was nothing but sand. Now it is virtually solid concrete and tarmac for probably 20 miles. No expense has been spared in building the most modern shopping malls, chrome, steel and glass high rise buildings, fountains, gardens, golf courses and even an indoor ski slope.

This is Dubai Marina taken from the Crescent, a boulevard which circles the extremities of The Palm. It is not downtown but merely one neighbourhood of the city linked to the main business district and airport by an elevated train system and the highway network.
Dubai is an exciting, happening place. It has many similarities to Miami: glitzy and extravagant, containing every brand of luxury car, jewelry and fashion on the planet. Food is very good, wine prices are extortionate. However, it is also a place of extreme waste and clearly at this point in time there is little concern for the consumption of oil, recycling or food availability, people here are clearly living it up.

Glorious summer

Such a lot has happened since the last post from Miami in April. As the nomads had travelled many miles over the last 18 months we had decided to spend the summer around the UK in what turned out to be an inspired decision. The weather this year was glorious, as some have said: "summer like it used to be".
There is so much to see and do in the British Isles and we took full advantage with short trips to North Wales, Scotland, Jersey and France. The time is usually spent playing golf, hiking and visiting various gardens and homes of The National Trust.
One of the advantages of reaching retirement age (there's a fine line between retirement and unemployment in our case) is that some of our friends are in the same situation and so we have some kindred spirits to 'play' with.
The MacLeods have recently invested in some boat share and kindly invited us to spend a week on their Bavaria 42 in western Greece. Sailing from Lefkas marina we traversed the Ionian Sea stopping in Meganisi, Kalamos and Kastos for the mandatory evening visits to the taverna. The winds were generally light but we did have 2 days of decent wind for sailing but quite frankly whether one is under sail, swimming or testing the retsina, who cares? It's all good fun.


Kastos Harbour

It is the year for 60th birthdays in our family and we took the opportunity to visit Ashley in Jersey for 3 days in mid August to celebrate mine. Astra came over from Bermuda and we enjoyed fantastic sunshine, golf and sightseeing together.

Having already walked in Snowdonia and played golf in North Wales with The Cooksons we embarked on a longer expedition to Western Scotland. We drove north to take the ferry from Ardrossan to Campbeltown (Machrihanish)and on to Isla (The Machrie) then back to Arran (Shiskine) mixing golf and walking. The itinerary had to be altered somewhat so the 60 knot winds would not affect the sailings but golf days were calm, the scenery is spectacular.
The ferry to Isla.



We returned to Bermuda in October and were again fortunate to be able to spend time with both of our daughters for two weeks. Astra is still working in insurance and Ashley took a break from cooking to have a well earned holiday. There are many friends to catch up with and we managed to see them all, play some golf and celebrate Ashley's birthday. In fact it was a dual celebration because on the same day the results of my checkup came back and it appears that I am cancer free. My thanks to everyone for the concern and support shown over the last few months and in particular the love from my three ladies,I sometimes think it was worse for them than for me.
So far it has been an extraordinary year but it's not over yet.
Tomorrow night we leave for India and Bhutan via Dubai from where we will try to keep you updated. October is our favourite month in Bermuda, here's one reason why: