Author Archives: pitkinsaroundtheworld

The Maldives … Hudhuranfushi …

Thu, 15th November – Thu, 29th November: Hudhuranfushi, Maldives

We leave Sri Lanka behind us at 3.30 am this morning (yawn!) and have yet another good flight; this time with Sri Lankan Airways. After a 1 1/2 hour flight we arrive at Male, the islands’ capital, and are soon ushered to the jetty to await our connecting speedboat to the island of Hudhuranfushi.

The speedboat ride takes us about 1/2 hour and I think the ‘captain’ of this small vessel delights in bumping his guests across the waves! We finally arrive at our island at 11.30am to pure sun, sea and sand. It really is amazing and we can’t wait to investigate this little bit of paradise. We have been to many lovely places during our lives but never a place like this.

Our room is not ready until 1.00pm and, after completing the necessary paperwork, we start to have a look around. It is whilst doing this that we notice a promotion for an upgrade to the Ocean Villas for a limited time only. We take a buggy ride out to the Ocean Villas to have a look around and it’s a ‘done deal’ – we sign on the dotted line straight away. They are awesome and something we have not experienced before and we grin from ear to ear as we retrieve our ‘all inclusive’ bands and proceed to lunch whilst our room is cleaned 🙂

Overlooking the reef, Ocean Villa 820 comes complete with Butler, WiFi, Breakfast Room, Bar and buggy transport to and from the mainland where the Sunset Restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner for the Ocean Villa guests, is located. Mr and Mrs Pitkin are in their element and are very much excited about their first three nights in this beautiful place, lol.

On the island are the Beach Villas, Garden Villas and standard accommodation (basic but ideal for surfers). The beach is made up of the most beautiful white sand with tropical vegetation adorning the edges. The island has exclusive Ocean Villa Restaurants, a spa, a main restaurant, various bars, a swimming pool bar and sporting facilities including water sports and diving venues.

Days 1-3: Thu, 15th Nov – Sat, 17th Nov: Ocean Villa, Room 820 …
Our first three days are spent in the seclusion of the Ocean Villa, enjoying the ambiance of this place out on the water; from snorkelling off our deck to romantic dinners/breakfasts in the restaurants set aside exclusively for Ocean Villa guests. On our first morning, we decide to attempt our first snorkel experience by swimming over to the island; our objective was to swim over and back again and access the Villa up the steps to our deck!! However, on crossing we venture onto the island to explore. Before you know it, we enjoy an afternoon meeting other guests in the swimming pool bar!!!!! It’s so nice that the time flies and it’s not long before I am feeling the effects of the sun and need to head back. However, as we had snorkelled across from our Villa, we soon learn that we are unable to return that way as the tide has now gone out. After cutting ourselves on the coral in our attempt to do so, we shamefully wade backwards through the sea to the beach and return via the bridge a little worse for wear. We have learnt a big lesson today 😦 and can only laugh about it much later but, at the time it did not seem funny as we were burnt, cut, did untold damage to the coral (shamefully 😦 ) and had to ask the Butler to let us into the Villa.

Days 4-12: Sun, 18th Nov – Thu, 29th Nov: Beach Villa, Room 189 ..
We had a great time up in the Ocean Villa (and of course the exclusivity it offered lol) and the 18th saw our move to the Beach Villa. Again, this was great in itself but we now have to pay for our wifi and ‘slum’ it with the majority of the island’s guests in the main restaurant, pmsl!!!!!!! On the plus side, as the name suggests, it’s right on the beach … we just step out our front door and the beach and sea are our front yard … it’s blissful and I, personally, love it.

We continue to spend our days snorkelling the different areas of the reef and encounter many many types of colourful fish, black tipped reef sharks, eels, rays and the coral is abundant with life – we are in awe of it all as we experience this wonderment for the very first time 🙂 In the evenings, we meet for dinner and lounge around in the bars either watching the entertainment or sharing a drink or two with the various folk that we’ve met.

As the days go by, we start to think about what trips / activities we would like to participate in and Neil decides he’d like to take a refresher dive at the PADI Centre here and I decide to take the Open Water Diving Course. However, I am unable to do so as I need a doctor to confirm that it’s okay for me to dive as I admitted that I have to use an inhaler once in a blue moon. Very frustrated but hey ho, that’s life!

Wed, 21st Nov: The arrival of Mr and Mrs Wilde … and ‘Mum’ …
Neil goes off to his refresher dive today at the House Reef (35min / 19 mtrs) and Mr and Mrs Wilde arrive later EEEEEKKKK! so I try to spend some time catching up with the blog, and I think my body welcomes a bit of time out of the heat and sunshine – never happy are we??????

Carina, John and Karen safely arrive and it’s lovely to see some familiar faces. A big hug via Carina from Dad tugs at the heart strings and is gratefully received. After they have completed the necessary paperwork, we spend the next few hours with them drinking and having a right good catch up 🙂

As dusk falls we decide that its time they should get to their rooms … but we stop again at the beach bar on the way, ‘cos we can’ !!!! They finally make it to their rooms at 6.30pm, lol, and are well impressed – we are all on the same stretch of beach which is great and meet up for dinner and a very entertaining evening is had. The Wildes seem to have brought a bunch of nutters with them, pmsl, and it turns out to be our latest and best evening yet as we ‘people watch’ the floor show that unfolds before us – ssssooooooo funnnnnyyyyyyy!

Neil presents me with some good news as we retire this evening. He so enjoyed his refresher dive today that he wishes he could have shared it with me. Somebody recommended that he contact our Doctor’s surgery to enquire whether they could complete the form required which will allow me to do the PADI course. Low and behold they only completed the form and faxed it back today … happy days; I will enrol in the morning and hopefully we can do a dive together before we leave here. Neil never ceases to amaze me … happy dayzzzzz 😀

Thu, 22nd Nov: Neil’s first diving trip …
9.00am sees Neil arrive for his first dive (40 mins / 20 mtrs) from a boat which takes him out to Kani Corner. It is also his EANx Dive which he has been recommended to do. This uses enriched air which is more beneficial when diving and, in addition, Neil will do the necessary studying required to get this certification. I join the divers on the boat and watch as they prepare for their dive … Neil does really well but is a little nervous but soon overcomes this when his new friend, a lovely guy called Philip, helps him out in setting up his equipment. He soon looks like a pro as he gets his gear on at the dive site and jumps overboard.

Before we leave the Dive Point, I complete the paperwork necessary to start my course tomorrow and, inwardly excited but outwardly nervous, I arrange to meet the instructor at 9.00am armed with water and a towel!

Neil and John enjoy some snorkelling before we all head off for lunch followed by a quick tour to the surfer’s end of the island. Us girls head off to do our own thing as Neil and John enjoy exploring another snorkelling site. It’s so tranquil here and all you have to think about is what to do next … …

Conscious of the fact that we have only one week left here now, and 3/4 mornings will be taken up by my PADI Course – we are already aware that this part of our journey is nearly over 😦

Fri, 23rd Nov: Karen’s Birthday … day 1 of my PADI Course … Neil’s ‘Deep Dive’
I take my first theory dive at the Jetty followed by my first Open Water Dive at the House Reef (bottom time 30 mins / 12 mtrs) and I loved it. I felt like a kid in a candy shop as I saw eagle rays, a black tip reef shark, moray eels and beautiful coloured fish, much brighter and larger than those seen whilst snorkelling. There are too many to be able to name but Muaz pointed out Oriental Sweet Lips and Blue Striped Snappers. Muaz also touched plants and coral where they would react to his touch by either retracting or changing colour. This dive really opened up a whole new world to me.

Whilst on the island, Neil is keen to progress his diving skills and today he completes his first Deep Training Dive. The boat takes him out to Palm Reef where his bottom time is 30 mins at 28 metres.

We meet up with the Wildes later that evening to celebrate Karen’s birthday … it is a lovely evening which I am sure she enjoyed. Afra, our waiter, did a great job in decorating our table for dinner and Karen really appreciated it.

Sat, 24th Nov: Studying, Studying, Studying … well, trying to …
The day is spent chilling, reading (studying) and completing my ‘exam’. This sounds awful when you’re supposed to be on your holidays but it was the most tranquil setting in which to learn!

Sun, 25th Nov: PADI DAY 2 …
Following my second theory dive at the Jettty, my Open Water Dive 2 again takes place on the House Reef (47 mins / 12 mtrs). Muaz says he never tires of diving the same places as each time it is so different and I experience this today. I am rewarded with many great sightings including the green turtle (a.maz.ing), anemones, fish – clown, lion, banner, fuseliers, scorpion, and a christmas tree worm.

Neil’s diving takes him out to a reef called the Colosseum today (bottom time 42 mins / 25 mtrs) aptly named for obvious reasons and, again he says the underwater scenery is stunning.

Mon, 26th Nov: PADI Final Day … and Enriched Air Nitrox Qualification (EANx) …
Theory 3 Dive at the Jetty precedes today’s Open Water Dive 3 at the House Reef (35 mins / 18 mtrs) and rewards me with sights of the green turtle, workes bilk turtles, lion fish, honeycombed moray eel and parrot fish.

Neil’s diving today takes him out to Manta Point (bottom time 39 mins / 25 mtrs). Manta Point is a famous cleaning station where huge Mantas, up to 20m in diameter, often come to be cleaned by the hundreds of fish swimming on the reef. However, despite the dive and the area being superb no Manta was to be found during his time there today.

Tue, 27th Nov:
my ‘Graduation Dive’ & EANxQualification … and, oh yeh, that Fashion Show; pmsl …

My Open Water Dive 4 and EANx dive takes place with Neil as well – our first dive together today and its awesome. We take the boat out to the Aquarium – aptly named as you feel as though you are literally a part of an actual aquarium! It’s absolutely stunning and very special as my first dive out at sea 😀 I buddy up with Muaz, my instructor, and Neil buddies up with Phil. Muaz guides us around the reef and we are rewarded with an abundance of colourful, spectacular aquatic life including two white tipped reef shark, moray eels, turtles, rays, fish (including Nemo, yay!) plants and coral.

Neil’s dive took him to 22 mtrs and I was only allowed to go to 18 mtrs – our bottom time was 51 mins. FAB! A fitting end to a fantastic holiday leaving us prepared to venture the diving opportunities in the future. We’ve both achieved so much here and in a beautiful location … Great Barrier Reef here we come 😀

Sitting in the bar that afternoon, Neil and I are ‘talked’ into taking part in a fashion show for one of the local shops. We pick our outfits and need to be back to get ready later that evening. We walk away wondering what we have let ourselves in for … … alcohol obviously plays its part; lol.

What an hilarious evening we have 😀 Firstly, we join the gang for a surprise dinner together for Kelly and Jay as they got engaged last night!!!!!! Afra does himself proud and decorates the table beautifully. Kelly and Jay are surprised by the gesture and we think they are pleased to have somebody to celebrate with until they get home 😀

The bar is packed for the entertainment and Neil and I, along with other guests, proceed to change and prepare. Neil and I plan our routine – we are to walk up the catwalk, occasionally stopping to pose (yeh baby!), plant our hats on some poor person, pick them up and carry on to the final line up!!!!! Well, that’s the plan anyway and we ‘rehearse’ as much as we can in the short time we have. AND, in Theresa style that all goes out of the window when the music starts and its our turn … pmsl … an adrenalin rush takes over and I do my own thing, dragging my Nemo under my arm !!!!! I can’t even see where Neil is and the cheering just spurs me on; lol lol lol !!!!! Carina is in charge of the camera and is our official photographer – I’ll let the pics speak for themselves.

After all the fun and frolics, we come away with two gift certificates – YAY! I get an individual first place and we come second in the couples competition. However, the couple that win hand us their gift certificate – they did an awesome Gangnam Style dance and say they have already had the trip which they have won. How lovely – we are high as kites as we change and head back to the ‘gang’ (Michelle n Philip; Kelly n Jay; Carina, John n Karen) for the remainder of the evening – and, to top it off Kelly n Jay got engaged!!!!!!!!

Wed, 28th Nov: Gift Voucher 1 – Massage 🙂 …
The first thing we do today is pack our belongings in readiness for tomorrow’s onward journey. We then relax for our last day here … catching up with a certain few people and staff to give thanks (and tips!). We also take advantage of the massage voucher – Neil opting for an ‘all over’ and I try a Shiatsu. Again, Neil relaxes sooo much he falls asleep, something I just can’t do no matter how relaxed I get.

Thu, 29th Nov: Gift Voucher 2; Lover’s Boat Ride on the Dhondi … and from Paradise to Perth (via Bangkok) …
It’s going to be a long day – we have to check out at mid-day for our flight at 5.00 pm and leave the island at 1.30pm. We take our Dhondi Ride around the island before getting our luggage together and waiting in reception until our time comes to leave.

Our remaining friends on the island, old and new, sit with us whilst we await our departure 😦 and it’s an emotional one – I, for one, will never get used to them!!!!! However, we are soon on the speedboat (in the rain – we seem to have left the island at exactly the right time, lol) making our way back to Male.

Goodbye Maldives … hope to see you again in the future!

Nuwara Eliya to Yala National Park Tour Extension …

Splendours of Sri Lanka … The Tour …

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Sri Lanka ‘a small island of magic and mystery’ and we fell in love with it. Set in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is the the teardrop of the Indian Ocean. Rich in beauty and heritage, a unique feature of Sri Lanka is that within a few hours of travelling you get to experience delightful geographical contrast. From tropical beaches, to breathtaking hill country, through beautiful plains and lush green forests, our journey through Sri Lanka is one of pleasant change and remarkable scenery.

Sun, 4th November – Mon, 5th November: Mount Lavinia Hotel, Sri Lanka
Our last two days of chilling before preparing for our 10 day tour are spent at Mount Lavinia. Overlooking the Indian Ocean, just outside Colombo, the Mount Lavinia Hotel is built around the colonial mansion of a former British Governor and is popular for colourful Sri Lankan weddings. In our short stay here we witness a wedding and a graduation – both of which look very grand affairs. Facilities include an outdoor pool, gym spa and a selection of bars and restaurants. The hotel also boasts a lovely sandy beach which our Ocean View Room overlooks.

Tue, 6th November – 11th November: Splendours of Sri Lanka Tour (Aitken Spence)
Our guide/driver, Fernando picks us up at 8.00am on Tuesday morning and, like our tour in India, it proves to be just as hectic.

Day 1: Colombo to the Cultural Triangle via Pinnawala (Heritance Kandalama)
We leave Colombo for the 5 hour drive towards the area known as the Cultural Triangle. En route we have the most amazing experience at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
Established in 1975, the orphanage commenced with seven orphans and today some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their grandchildren born in the same location. The original objective of establishing the orphanage inclined more towards tourism, but it soon became a conservation and educational centre. With the help of local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawala started a scientific captive-breeding programme for elephants. The free movement of the herd enhanced the chances for respective individuals of both sexes to get together and mate. The nearby river played a dominant role in this regard, and in 1984, the first baby of Pinnawala was born. The success story of Pinnawala has drawn the attention of scientists from all over the world. The members of the Pinnawala herd which is now over 80 have been filmed and photographed thousands of times by professionals and we witness a film crew filming one particular elephant in the river whilst we are there.

In the orphanage, we are literally standing amongst the herd of elephants and are able to hose down and bottle feed baby elephants – BIG BABIES !!!!! The elephant is the most adorable and amicable animal given it’s huge size. We are amazed at being part of them and it is a really surreal few hours.

There are a couple of new arrivals (one at four months old and the other at six months old) and they are so cute … they were found stuck in wells and we are fortunate that they are here for us to see. For all its glory though there is a sad side to the orphanage as we see a 70 year old bull who is blind 😦 on hearing his story, it saddened us to know that he was shot for his tusks. It wasn’t a clean shot so he survived, tusks intact, but was left blind as a result – and is living out his years in the care of the orphanage. Another elephant had the bottom of her leg blown off by a land mine and it was heart wrenching to see her manage on three legs. But manage she does and I suppose she is lucky to be living at the orphanage.

We hung around for ‘bath time’ and were so glad that we did. The route to the river was out of the Orphanage, across the road and through an avenue of shop stalls … and then there it was !!!! We headed off and secured a great position in the restaurant overlooking the river and waited. It wasn’t a long wait … and we were rewarded with the great sight of the herd of elephants just sauntering down the street and into the river. This was just another experience which couldn’t be described – you just have to experience it for yourself. Even Neil said that it had to be up there as one of the best experiences of his life and I have to agree.

The icing on the cake is an absolutely incredible hotel, embedded in the rock in the Sri Lankan jungle – bloody brilliant!!!!!!! and we learn that we are here for three nights. This unique property is designed to blend effortlessly into the surrounding jungle, this striking property has a wonderful location on the edge of Lake Kandalama. OMG what a fabulous place – the hotel is nestled into the hillside and is at one with the vegetation and the wildlife. As we escorted to our room I am warned by the receptionist that ‘Madam, this hotel is in the jungle so there will be insects’ pmsl. We are inundated with monkeys, ghekkos, squirrels all of which frequent our balcony on the 7th floor. Also on our floor are two honeycombs covered with thousands of wasps. The swimming pool here blends in with the lake at the front of the hotel and, from a distance, the hotel is camouflaged.

Day 2: Polonnaruwa and Minneriya (Heritance Kandalama)
We visit Polonnaruwa, a Mediaeval Capital City and now a World Heritage site, which was the second capital city of Sri Lanka built in the 11th and 12th centuries. When, early in the 11th Century AD, Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka’s first capital founded in about the 4th Century BC) suffered one of the worst of its Indian invasions, Polonnaruwa, then fortified with three concentric walls and beautified with many parks and gardens, became the next seat of rule. The city itself has many ancient shrines and is well known for the unique irrigation complex known as the sea of Parakrama – so vast was its scale.

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The ruins of the Royal Palace include the Gal Viharaya where four splendid statues of the Buddha in Upright, Sedentary and Recumbent postures carved out of rock, as well as the Audience Hall, Lotus Bath, statue of King Parakramabahu, and the Parakrama Samudraya – a lake built by the king. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic.
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In Minneriya we do a safari of the Minneriya National Park by jeep. The extent of the Minneriya National Park is about 8889 hectares. There are wet-lands in this National Park which have international importance. Wild elephant, various amphibians, local and immigrant bird species are plenty – about 160 species of birds, 9 amphibians, 25 reptile species, 26 fish species and more than 78 butterfly species – all can be found in this area. There are bamboo trees which are rare in other parks and wild elephants can been seen conveniently. The significant feature here is that these wild elephants can be seen very close up.

Our first 'safari' and we had an absolutely wonderful time 🙂 and took great delight in all the life here and the highlight was watching a stand off between two young elephant bulls. It was very entertaining and we were glad of the driver's expertise in driving us out of their way as they charged each other.

Day 3: Sigiriya (Heritance Kandalama)
Sigiriya, The Lion Rock, with a stunning 5th Century rock fortress citadel built by a fugitive king in the sky acclaimed as the 8th wonder of the world. Other marvels include the mirror wall, lion stairway, water gardens and glowing colourful frescoes. Our exercise of the day was to climb this incredible 5th Century Sigiriya Rock Fortress, which is a World Heritage site – a palace built by King Kashyapa (477-495AD). To witness this amazing place and the sheer magnitude of the the work entailed in its construction into this rock was mind blowing. The 'Lion Rock' is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. As in India, the remains are a testament to the time these palaces were constructed and we can only wander at the workmanship of that age. After a lengthy climb, we arrive at the world-renowned frescoes of the 'Heavenly Maidens' of Sigiriya, painted in earth pigments on plaster and which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. Once at the top of the rock, we are rewarded by spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and can see just how impressive the water gardens and rock frescoes are.

During the afternoon, we do the 'tourist thing' and take an elephant ride. As wonderful an experience this was I do struggle to ignore the the chains limiting his strides as he takes us for our ride and we both hope one day our travels will take us somewhere where this isn't the case. Saying that though, this elephant seemed quite happy and his 'carer' – they only form a relationship with one – was kind and you could see the devotion he bestowed on this great animal.

Day 4: Cultural Triangle to Kandy (Earl's Regency Hotel)
En route to Kandy, we visit Dambulla Rock Temple, renowned for its stunning cave paintings and statues. Another great climb takes us up to what is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples and we can see why. Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. Here we find the famous rock temple dating back to the first century BC which sheltered the king during his 14 years of exile. The view from the rock is magnificent and 350ft above is a series of five caves turned into shrines with over 2000 sq metres of painted walls and ceilings – this makes it the largest area of paintings in the world! The first cave holds a recumbent image of the Buddha 47ft long carved out of the rock amidst no less than 150 life size statues of Gods while the ceiling is covered with frescoes that depict the traditions and history of the Sinhalese people. Built by King Walagambahu in the first century BC it is now a world heritage site. Again, awesome construction given the time and lack of machinery available in those days.

In the afternoon we make our way to the next hotel via a spice garden in Matale and a Gem Museum. At the spice garden we see different spices for which Sri Lanka is famous for and learn how they are grown and processed into a range of herbal remedy and potions. It is quite interesting and, following a massage with some of the oils (very nice thank you) we are inevitably taken into the shop 😦 for 'no pressure' selling. Yeh right!

The Gem Museum is also very interesting, and we learn all the aspects of mining the gems and tour through the factory to see the process from design to production. Beautiful unique creations are created here and they really are magnificent. Again, we are finally taken through the showroom and go through the motions of looking around admiring everything knowing we will not be buying anything. The staff look ever hopeful and use their subtle sales techniques; if only they knew, lol. The owner had a very nice car though … …

Finally, we arrive at another beautiful hotel (thank you Aitken Spence) and have time to swim and relax before being picked up again in the evening. This time we are off to see a cultural show which amuses us very much. Dances of Sri Lanka was performed by The Kandy Lake Club Dance Ensemble. Some can dance and some seem to struggle, and others are so enthusiastic it makes us laugh. All in all it was a good evening in the equivalent of a UK Working Men's Club and the outfits were very colourful.

Day 5: Kandy (Earl's Regency Hotel)
An 8.30am start takes us to the beautiful Peradeniya Botanical Garden which was built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala King and was expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers. It was nice to be out of the car and walking around in the fresh air (not climbing!!!!!) and we were enthralled by the mass of fruit bats with their antics and squealing.

On our way back the hotel, we park up in the city of Kandy – The Charming Hill Capital, nestled amidst low hills and looped by the Mahaweli River. It is here that we visit the shrine of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. Another elaborate temple built in honour of the remaining 'tooth' of the original Buddha and we are astonished by the amount of people passing through and / or worshipping.

We walk through the city back to the car park – Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a World Heritage Site. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive here. Once in the car we drive around the Kandy lake built by the last Sinhala King, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798. Kandy is a town full of bazaars, arts and crafts centres.

Day 6: Kandy to Nuwara Eliya (Heritance Tea Factory)
Nuwara Eliya because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery, is Sri Lankas most popular hill resort and is the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country producing a significant share of the world's best tea. Sri Lanka's highest mountain, Pidurutalagala (8282 feet) is also located here as is one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in South Asia.

The British explorer Samuel Baker, famous for discovering the source of the Nile, whilst convalescing here was determined to make it as he called it ' a little English village in the hills '. He set about importing Hereford Cowes and planting vegetables and fruits. As we travelled up the hill, it certainly felt like home.

In Nuwara Eliya, we visit a tea plantation and have a very interesting insight into the production of a selection of teas. The plantation is huge and, nestled amongst the many hectares of tea bushes, is the factory where we witness the tea making process in action. It really is informative and we drink a cup of tea as it should be drunk; no sugar, no milk and extraordinarily as it may sound, if you find the tea strength to suit your palate, it is very nice indeed.

We continue to climb the scenic, winding roads up to Kandapola where we reach our peaceful hilltop hotel, the Heritance Tea Factory where we relax and enjoy the stunning mountain scenery. It is a beautiful old building and we learn that it used to be a working tea factory once upon a time. They still produce organic tea for the hotel in a very small factory in the grounds here. There is machinery, records and pictures which conjur up an image of how it all functioned in its heyday. Our bedrooms were originally the lofts where the leaves of the tea bush were left to dry – they are now dried on a huge machine with an industrial fan.

After relaxing with a few beers and a couple of games of pool we treat ourselves to a massage (swedish for him and warm stones for me). We have a lovely meal before retiring to bed well and truly shattered.

This part of our tour has been, dare we say it again (!) amazing. We love Sri Lanka. Fernando was the most knowledgeable person we have ever met – he was able to answer all of our queries and, believe me, we had many. He was very humorous and passionate about the history of this land of his.

Tomorrow Fernando takes us to Yala. SAFARI TIME … EEEEEKKKK … We cannot wait!

Chilling in Goa … Chennai …

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Chilling in Goa … Chennai …

Sun, 21st – Tue, 23rd October – Cicade de Goa Beach Resort, Vainguinim Beach
Just what the doctor ordered – a very chilled out zone to while away a couple of days, enjoy the sunshine, and plan our trips / accommodation in South and North Goa. It is a lovely place but is out of the way of the main drag for us – we like to be able to walk out of the hotel and meander about. This hotel is a resort which in itself is really beautiful but any more than a few days would result in cabin fever for us, lol.

It’s not long before Neil ‘knows everybody’ and does what he does best – organises a few games including footy on the beach! lol.

We do have a brilliant time here and, in particular, the bar and Portuguese Restaurant were memorable.

A huge thank you must go to Fiona, who helped us with planning the next 10 days of our journey …

Wed, 24th – Fri, 26th October – Hotel Calangute Towers
A base from which to explore North Goa.
After being in Goa for a few days already we know that it is still quite early on in the season and this is quite evident as we hit Calangute and Baga. Whilst most places are operating, painting and building is still going on.
We arrive at mid-day and go straight out to explore the BEACHES (Calangute and Baga) and don’t arrive back until after 10.00pm!!!!!! This is more like it for us – there is a hive of activity in this busy area.
The Front of House Manager insists on supplying a taxi down to the beach. It is a holiday here at the moment and many of the locals are on a break and hitting the beaches – what an experience this is!!!! Lol !!!!
We hit Calangute first, and the locals are all at the edge of the sea – not anywhere else – the men appear to have just stripped down to their boxer shorts and the women are fully clothed as they mess about in the sea! All very bizarre to an outsider 🙂
Grown men bury themselves in the sand or just roll about in it, some are holding hands whilst others look like they are watching a pornographic movie as they ogle the western bikini clad women😜. They do it so openly – it’s all very strange – and even ‘take’ pics of mates with these women in the background.

We continue to walk up the beach and see a little place where we have decided we will plonk ourselves tomorrow – ‘The Chalston’ – all the necessities of a lazy day i.e. sunbeds, bar, restaurant. Before long we hit Baga Beach where we rest at Brittos for a drink and something to eat. It’s great, chilling in the sunshine looking out to sea … bliss! We people watch – oh yeh and, as you can see from the pics, cow watch … cows on the beaches … only in India!

There are loads of people lining the shore and it really is a beautiful beach. However, they are a messy lot and unfortunately, litter collects in many areas – such a shame. This does not detract from the weather though and the sea and sand!!!!
We make our way back down the length of Baga and Calangute beaches and finish up at a bar to the entrance of the beach where we have a drink and watch a most gorgeous sunset – OMG, it is stunning. It’s dark now and the locals still stream onto the beach! A huge amount only come out later – we found this out at our previous hotel – nobody all day and then, wham, out they all come after sunset, weird!

We make our way back through the busy streets to our hotel – it’s a hive of activity and we enjoy dipping in and out of the food stalls taking in the sounds and smells as we go … we purchase a few bits and pieces on the way home which is our tea. I fight the urge to shop at Top Shop and we are soon sitting in the bar next to our hotel for a nightcap.

We have had a great day and return the next day to The Chalston on the beach where we just laze the day away … criminal 😝
We watch the sunset again, although it is a little cloudy on the horizon so it’s not as spectacular as yesterday’s, before taking a walk back down the beach for our tea at Souza Lobo … NOM NOM NOM. Knackered and sweaty, we walk directly back to our hotel for a right good shower to freshen up and take ourselves off to bed – it’s been such a hard day, pmsl 😃

We take off after breakfast the next day to find some travel agents with a view to taking part in a trip today. However, armed with NO camera, sunscreen, repellent or swimwear, we end up walking on and before you know it, have made our own trip for the day. This day’s exploring takes us through the streets of Calangute to the beach of Candolim. This is a better beach in that it is cleaner and less busy. We walk the length of it, taking in some beverages along the way – got to as it’s so hot, lol. Any excuse, right!!!!! One particular spot is entertaining when an Indian family (a mum, dad, teenage boy, young girl, a toddler and a babe in arms) stroll up outside and we think ‘begging’ again 😦
However, we are surprised as they begin to set up some contraption and we wonder what’s going to happen. What they have done is set up, within minutes, a tightrope some six foot in the air, upon which the young girl performs for about ten minutes. They thoroughly deserve the money that they collect as it was quite a good act.

Totally unplanned, we walk on to the end of Candolim Beach onto Sinquerim Beach and are rewarded at the end by a beautiful resort which we discover is a Taj Hotel, Vivanta by Taj – Fort Aguada. Via security we are allowed to enter, wander around this stunning place with spectacular views and stop for a couple of cocktails before moving on.
As we are right by Fort Aguada, the remains of a Portuguese Fort and it’s lighthouse, we arrange a taxi up there for 100IR – and then back to the centre of Candolim for 150IR where we sit and while the last few hours of daylight away. Who needs a Tour Operator!!!!!!
We plan a raucous night at Tito’s tonight but once we are back at the hotel and freshen up, the day is over for me – I quickly fall asleep, much to Neil’s disappointment – I guess I had one ‘Monk’ too many today, lol.

Sat, 27th – Mon, 29th October – Hacienda de Goa, Anjuna, North Goa
We found this place on Trip Advisor and, wow, it is everything they say and so much more!
It is a jewel in the crown – an oasis in the desert!!!!!! Another welcome stay after the hustle and bustle that is India’s streets. We meet Thomas and Susan, the proprietors, who are very warm and welcoming. As we begin unpacking in what we are already thinking is a lovely room, Susan knocks our door and offers us an upgrade. How exciting – the next room is as stunning but is a suite with a balcony overlooking the splendid countryside – it is so peaceful and relaxing here and we settle in by rushing to the pool area.

It’s Saturday night and we get a taxi back into Baga for the night – North Goa’s equivalent of Broad Street. We hit Titos Lounge for food before strolling along the bars and people watching. It’s mayhem and madness and extremely lively! Guess you can party anywhere in the world … but it is so much better in the warm air on the beach 🙂
On Sunday we hire a moped for the day – 250IR (less than three quid!) – and we take off to explore this ‘hippy’ area of North Goa.
Once we relax into the open road and the traffic, we find ourselves venturing into as many nooks and crannies as only a two wheeler can! The moped enables us to get down to the smallest of dirt tracks of which there are many. We stay on the coastal paths and journey to the beaches (Anjuna, Little Vagator, Vagator and Ozran) and, yes you got it, the local hostelries (San Franciscos, Curlies, Janet and Johns; to name a few) … dipping into the sea for a swim as we go. We also come across many nice places to stay in the hillside overlooking the beaches – some to remember for the future.

Time is against us before we know it and, as we don’t really want to be riding these lanes in the dark (6pm ‘ish), we are back having cut short our planned journey further North. However, we have had yet another good and interesting day and, as dusty as it has been, this is all forgotten as we divebomb the pool on our return. We have a meal at the restaurant here and, being the only ones in the restaurant, we are able to spend some time with Lenny (Manager) and his staff – it’s not long before they are playing ‘Pass the Pigs’ with us.

Monday, our last full day here, sees us chilling around the pool area and making the most of this place – we really don’t move very far from here and even eat here all day long!!!!!!! It really is a most tranquil place … a blissful last day in North Goa.

Tue, 30th October – Thu, 1st November – Leon Hide Out Guest House, Bogmalo, South Goa
Well, we arrive in Bogmalo – a steep hill descends into a small beach area and we find our little hideaway for the next few days. It’s like something off Robinson Crusoe here – our accommodation is quite literally next to the beach and there’s no escaping the sound of the waves lapping the shore. Francis and Lorraina greet us and then we venture out into the street that is Bogmalo!
Our first stop is at the end of the beach at Coconut ……… where Lorraina has recommended we go for breakfast tomorrow. Behind here, a little away from the beach, is Coconut Beach Resort, just another quaint place we come across tucked away which we can add to our list. Again, this reiterates just how easy it is to come across the most beautiful places just by turning up and having a wander around.
As we sit here, a group of local lads start turning up on the beach and draw up a footy pitch there – we learn that they meet every day at 3.30pm to play a game. Neil is keen to play and they are very welcoming. He does himself proud and scores a couple of goals and his team wins. The following day whilst sunbathing, they come and ‘call for him’ lol – they must have been impressed 🙂
On Wednesday, we take a hike back up the steep hill to the local ATM which is located next to the Indian Naval Aviation Museum – we stop up here for an hour or so to take a look around. There is much information to digest here and the old planes and helicopters on display are impressive. A bargain at 20IR each – 25p !
Dinner that night is at Seagulls, one of the only places we can access wifi down here. The owner is very welcoming and there is a great atmosphere as it becomes full. We have a great meal and catch up with our emails and of course face time 🙂 It’s surprising how easy it is, when you are 5 1/2 hours ahead of home, to stay out late just catching up with folks – and it’s 3am before we stroll across the road to our room.
Thursday, 1st November – Lauren’s 20th Birthday!!!!! – we are a little worse for wear this morning AND we have a moped waiting for us which we have hired for the day. After a breakfast to line our stomachs we head off in the direction of Colve Beach …………………. It starts to rain quite heavily as we arrive – the first rain we have seen in 7 weeks! – so we take cover at Kentuckies for a bite to eat and lots of water. We have a laugh during the afternoon as we travel across Margao, Ponda ………… ducking and diving through the traffic, cows, pigs, dogs and the public !!!! It certainly is the way to get about although not in the rain but we do have a good time. Sometimes we think just how mad we are.
Back Bogmalo at 5.30pm and we feel worse than we did when we got up this morning so a lie down is the order of the day. We head back to Seagulls for the wifi so that we can catch up with Lauren on her birthday. However, there is a blackout and the area is running on generators and we are gutted to learn that we may not get to make contact with her. After about an hour, things are back up and running and we have a window of opportunity to call and we are grateful – it means a lot to us and Lauren. Despite us not being there, it seems that she’s had a ‘birthday week’ and is enjoying herself – I for one will miss not being with the family when they meet up tonight for her birthday.
We say goodbye and head back to Leon Hide Out for an early ‘last’ night and the electricity cuts out again. There’s not a lot we can do so it’s a good job we’re heading straight to bed – tomorrow we’re off again … …

Fri, 2nd November – Sat, 3rd November – The Park Inn, Chennai (formerly Madras)

Kathmandu … and our Trek in the Himalayas …

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Thu, 4th October – Kathmandu, Nepal (Hotel Manang, Thamel)
A great flight transported us safely to Kathmandu. The end of the flight was quite stunning as we flew through the dense clouds looking at the snowy mountain peaks as they poked through.
We were greeted by Kumar, rep at Private Expeditions, with the customary welcome of flower garlands. The drive to the hotel was a busy one, although not on the scale of what we’ve been used to of late. The Hotel Manang is a quaint place and we discover it is a Trekkers’ paradise – it’s been a while since we have been in the company of so many westerners!
We unpack and freshen up before finding the bar for refreshments and sustenance 🙂
We then catch up with our nearest and dearest to let them know of our safe arrival and catch up with news from home. Wifi is free here, as is the use of the computer in the lobby – we find this uplifting and are already realising that in the higher rated hotels everything is charged for! What is consistent though is the level of service – staff are so polite, friendly and courteous – some establishments back home could learn a lot here.

Fri, 5th October – free time in Thamel, Kathmandu
Kumar brings one of our guides to meet us this morning. He is a very friendly, happy chappy and we warm to him straight away. He informs us that flights to Lukla are hit and miss at the moment due to the foggy weather – in extreme cases a helicopter may be used but this would have to be agreed by the group due to the extra cost. Our group is made up of two guys, another couple and us. He will be back to meet us again tomorrow to do an equipment check and briefing.
Neil is very excited now and cannot wait to get started. I, however, am starting to feel very nervous but the guide laughs and tells me that in a few days time I will wonder why I didn’t do this years ago … And I think I believe him 😱😁😨
We take off to explore Kathmandu and are pleasantly surprised. Unlike any of the places we’ve been to recently, it is stress free and there is no pressure to buy buy buy! Despite the dust and exhaust fumes, it is a pleasant walk around – the streets, whilst cramped, are clean and generally calmer. It is a medley of bazaars, trekking and trip outlets. The market place is colourful and vibrant. The clothes outlets are great here – we could spend some money here if we were going straight home! Already, we are thinking that we’d have liked more time here as the trips from here sound amazing.

Neil needs a haircut and we come across a ‘salon’, a room off the main road no bigger than our kitchen in Meander Close, lol. The clippers come out and we soon realise that they have seen better days – they keep stopping and only an application of oil or a good whack get them going again. We laugh as this is the scenario for a good half hour and, after much patience on the part of the hairdresser, it is over and she has done a great job! Well, we think it is all over but no, it isn’t. Neil is ushered to the basin for a face/head wash and a neck massage all for 300NR (£2.15) – he has enjoyed it too much I think as says he might need his hair cutting again tomorrow, pmsl.

We amble around a little more before refreshments are required and find a lovely place to stop. We meet another couple, Sue and Graham from New Zealand, and stay to chat for a good while – we are already meeting some great people on our travels and people are eager to share experiences – it’s great😀 and we add another contact to our list for our future travels.
A Rickshaw ride back to the hotel is a big mistake – there is a protest march and travel here comes to a standstill at the crossroads. Even people walking have to climb through empty Rickshaws to move on! Only the young, very mischievous and cheeky driver make the time pass interestingly.

Sat, 6th October – free time in Thamel, Kathmandu
We lounge about today and spend time blogging, picking up last minute medication and trying to sort stuff out – banking, Loz’s birthday, accommodation in Goa – as we will not be able to do so over the next couple of weeks.
We meet with our guide tonight and the rest of our group. There are four other guys – RJ and Johnson (Canada), Etienne (North Devon), Jim (Ireland), me and Neil. So with 2 male guides and 3 male sherpas, I guess I am in the minority here!!!!! We are briefed about the trip and I am happy that nobody else has done this sort of thing before and even more happy that we are instructed to walk slowly but safely 😊
After our equipment check, the group arrange to meet for dinner which was a good idea as we got to know each other a little better. Here’s to 9.30am tomorrow and the start of this BIG adventure.

Sun, 7th October: Flight to Lukla – Trek to Phakding (2656m)
The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla takes 45 minutes and is an adventure in itself with great views of the Everest region (from the left of the plane) and ending with a hair-raising landing on a steep mountain runway. We start our trek by heading up the Dudh Koshi Valley on a well-marked trail to Phakding and stay overnight at a teahouse.

We were apprehensive this morning about our flight to Lukla, me more so than Neil I think. However, after waiting at Nepal airport for a good couple of hours before flights were classed as safe to go, we were huddled on this little plane (OMG) and, believe it or not had a great flight through the mountains into the tiny, and I mean tiny, airport that was Lukla @ 2860m.

We gather up our belongings and file into a local ‘restaurant’ and do lunch before descending 2600m to Phakding for our first night’s stay. We encounter many scenes along the way including a brother and sister who accompanied us on their way home from school. They were beautiful and, despite the language barrier, we managed a good ‘conversation’. We also encounter our first suspension bridge – a taste of things to come! Due to the flight delay, the last hour of the trek is by torchlight – scary stuff but we make it! We are very impressed with the accommodation as it’s not like the ‘tea houses’ we expected but cosy bedrooms with a communal area – and fire 😊 – we have a good first night. As I get my sleeping bag out and my silk liner, I think of home as I see for the first time the message embroidered on it by my very nearest and dearest friend; “LEAP AND THE NET WILL APPEAR” followed by lots of love; this alone warms me immensely. Thank you Angela, I love you too 😘

Mon, 8th October: Trek to Namche (3450m)
From Phakding, we cross and re-cross the river on high suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park. We then take a steep hike to Namche. The weather is clear and we get our first glimpse of Mt Everest. Namche is the main trading village in the Khumbu and we enjoy a coffee and amazing brownies here!

Yesterday took its toll on the eldest member of the group, Jim, and we are told he wants to turn back and head home – it is completely the right decision for him and Dorchi accompanies him back to Lukla Airport.
A 7.30am breakfast and 8.00am start begin today’s trek. Neil and I arrive in Namche at 4.00pm (!) – one hour after the boys. It is a steep steep steep climb to Namche today – the boys, Etienne, RJ and Johnson lead up front whilst Neil and I hold up the behind accompanied valiantly and patiently by Pimba. Three suspension bridges later and I am not buckling at the knees but am still holding on to Neil. What an accomplishment – my fear will not stop me … … … Neil is my rock today, ensuring my pace is slow, and we continue in that vein.

We meet lots of lovely like minded people on the way and the ‘chats’ really spur us on. The locals are welcoming and the children fascinated by us. We are still walking at school home time and many children pass by us – most interested in the bears we are carrying on the back of our rucksacks. A glorious day enables us to get our first view of Mount Everest in all her glory. What an overwhelming moment this was – to see it with the naked eye!
Once at our Teahouse – Hotel Hill Ten – we enjoy a hot shower (the last one available for a while, according to a couple who are on their way down) and join the world of Trekkers in the communal room for our tea.
After dinner, we learn that our Guide Pimba becomes Doctor Pimba to ensure that we are healthy and doing ok. He takes readings of our pulse and of our blood oxygen level and completes a questionnaire; how are you feeling? have you had a headache? are you eating ok? do you feel tired? have you had any dizziness? did you sleep well the previous night? is your appetite ok? Our answers accumulate points on his chart which, if we reach level 7, is an indication of whether we are showing signs of altitude sickness. There are warning signs all over the place about this serious life threatening condition and we are reminded of this as, when we meet another couple this evening on their way down, they tell us of a body being airlifted out of Gorak Shep (5140m above us). Apparently, the person had just fell asleep (coma) and that was it – a very stark reminder to be careful and listen to your body !!!!!!!!

Tue, 9th October: Acclimatisation day in Namche Bazaar (3450m)
Namche is tucked away between two ridges and has lots of lodges, tea shops and souvenir shops. It is a great place to spend a day acclimatizing before heading off towards Tengboche.

A cloudy, cold day welcomed us as we got up this morning and prepared for our 300m acclimatisation ascent. This was tough going as it was just a steep climb – remembering the mantra, slowly and safely 😳 Again I hold up the rear with Pimba steadfastly at my side. Neil is golden as always looking out for me and later tells me that he too is grateful for my frequent stops. There are many people ascending today and we all yoyo past each other in between spurts of climbing and resting.

Although it is cloudy, the view of the surrounding scenery is pretty spectacular. Once at the top we have our next glimpse of Mount Everest as she poked through the clouds. Sitting there we get cold pretty quickly and soon sleet begins to fall.

Once we descend back into Namche (3 1/2 hours later) we take lunch and the afternoon is free to chill out. As the boys go down into the village to explore, I have a bit of Theresa time – a hot shower!!!!!! Lol! It’s sooooo cold now and the down jackets are out 😁 . We look forward to meeting up in the communal room with the fire for our ‘group tea’, a few games of cards, a catch up and bed – we have two solid days of trekking ahead of us before our next acclimatisation day. OUCH!

Wed, 10th October: Trek to Tengboche (3867m)
From Namche, the trail contours on to the side of the valley, high above the Dudh Koshi. We get great views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Passing by several villages and numerous tea shops, we descend steeply to a bridge over the river at Phunki Tenga. The village is an ideal stopover for lunch. Here we rest before making the steep climb to Tengboche, famous for its legendary monastery, the largest in the Khumbu.

Waking up this morning with heartburn Neil picked up some medicine for me in Namche before we started the long trek to Tengboche. I couldn’t eat much of my breakfast so wasn’t fuelled up properly for the day ahead. After 2 1/2 hours we stopped for lunch in Phungi Thanga before the really steep 2 hour climb to Tengboche. It was here at the start of this climb that I started to feel worse and the climb, with many many rest breaks, took its toll over the 2 1/2 hours it took to complete.
It was extremely rewarding as, when we finally reached the top and walked into Tengboche, we faced a magnificent view of Mount Everest and Lhotse (the 5th highest mountain in the world at 8516m). It was here that we saw the famous Tengboche Monastery in all its glory.

As our planned hotel was fully booked we walked an additional 20 minutes downhill through a forest to our accommodation, The Rivendell Hotel in the village of Deboche. Again, stunning views of Everest and Lhotse. As stunning as it was I was unable to enjoy this part of our journey as by now I was just so exhausted – my heartburn had increased so much that it was too uncomfortable to eat. I ‘lost’ the night here and became very emotional. In fact I did myself no favours by worrying myself silly about it – I had to take a valium tablet to calm myself down and get a good night’s sleep. It was so bad that Neil tells me he was already thinking we would be turning back the next morning.

Thu, 11th October: Trek to Dingboche (4410m)
Again we wake up to clear blue skies and incredible views of the sun shining across the top of Mount Everest and Lhotse. It was a 7.30am start to today’s 6 hour walk to Dingboche. In view of the fact that tomorrow was another rest day we thought we’d try and push on with a view to me recovering there. However, after a great start to the trek, we stopped for lunch which for me was disastrous. Despite my stomach lurching at the thought of eating I really tried to and immediately felt acid indigestion and heartburn. The second half of today’s trek was very difficult – I collapsed on the hillside and was sick – this took what little energy I had left. We finally arrived in Dingboche (4410m) at 2.30pm and I collapsed on my bed! When I got up I was violently sick – by now I knew I was beaten 😦

Fri, 12th October: Acclimatisation day in Dingboche (4410m)
A day for rest and acclimatisation. We also have an opportunity to wander up the valley to look at the Tshola Tsho lake and the perpendicular walls of Cholatse and Tawache. Our guide will take us up onto the ridge overlooking Dingboche for the view of the Imja Valley and the incredible south face of Lhotse.

Being too exhausted I decided not to do the acclimatisation walk and instead just rested all day. We had a little breakfast and sat in the sun and enjoyed the views of the surrounding mountains and the village itself. Late in the afternoon we decided that we could no longer continue upwards and made the decision to start heading down in the morning. That night however, I was able to enjoy a little food and the company of other Trekkers in the communal room where we played cards.

Sat, 13th October – trek back to Tengboche (3860m)
2 days short of Base Camp, we have no choice but to start our descent back to Lukla 😞. It is a very emotional and sad day as we have come so far. We decide to start our journey back via Pheriche where I can see a doctor. In doing so, he gives me a clean bill of health as far as altitude sickness is concerned and I have no symptoms of HACE or HAPE which is great news. What he does say is that my illness is symptomatic of a peptic ulcer and confirms that our decision to go down is the right one as l am too weak to finish the last couple of days trekking. He prescribes me medication that will stop my stomach producing acid enabling me to eat and get stronger.
The descent today goes really well and whilst we were only planning to walk the short distance to Pangboche, we actually make it back to Tengboche 6 hours later – with much reflection along the way. There is a great bakery here and we treat ourselves to a latte and a piece of chocolate cake and they were great!
We are in good spirits as we unpack for the night and head down to a bakery here and enjoy a latte and a piece of chocolate cake – what luxury at this height! On the way back Neil sees the locals playing football – not one to miss out, he ends up playing, one white guy with a load of Buddhist Monks and Sherpas, pmsl. After tea we played cards with Dorche and Dukes and became friendly with a Canadian couple, Nadia and Chad. We were feeling the most relaxed we had been in days.
Since leaving Kathmandu, this was the first opportunity we had to charge Neil’s phone and get a signal. Those of you who know me well will know that I am a big believer in fate so imagine our concern when the one and only message to come through is from Lauren asking us to call as she had some bad news! My dearest, lovely Uncle Tommy had unexpectedly passed away this morning …. may he rest in peace xxxxx Having descended already meant I was in contact with my family which, in hindsight, I am so grateful for.

Sun, 14th October: trek back to Namche Bazar (3440m)
After a heavy night we awoke and asked the boys (Dorchi and Dukes) if it was possible to have ‘breakfast’ at the Bakery. This was okay and we had latte, with a chocolate croissant for me and chocolate doughnut for Neil – NOM NOM!
We were on our way by 8.30am and it really was a relaxing trek – the boys were keeping an eye on us but stayed back most of the time. This meant the trek was a very personal one for us and we thoroughly enjoyed this as it was very intimate.

At Phungi Thanga, the boys stopped for lunch but we weren’t ready so we casually strolled on – they would have no problem catching up with us anyway!
After 1/2 hour we sat on a rock outside somebody’s home to catch our breath and eat some chocolate. Well, we just weren’t prepared for what happened next – a little boy appeared and watched Neil as he opened up a toblerone. As Neil offered him a piece, the whole family appeared from nowhere, lol. This was a very humorous time – the kids LOVED the chocolate and were very intrigued by my videoing them on my iPad and, before long were heading over to me to see what I was doing! I played the video back to them and they were soooo delighted at seeing themselves. This was really refreshing and made us chuckle – it was a priceless moment.

We stopped for refreshments at Kyangjuma and sat there for 1/2 hour enjoying the sunshine. Dorchi appeared and whiled away the time with a drink with us before we moved on. After another couple of hours, having been accosted by a group of Yaks who came a little too close for comfort, we reached the familiarity of Namche Bazar where we stay for two nights.

After catching up with folks back home, we ventured into the village (we didn’t have time on the way up) and discovered the Liquid Bar – a bar showing movies of mountain escapades. We caught the end of Into the Void and took a group back at 7.30pm to watch the 1996 IMAX film of the Everest climb, share a couple of beers before heading back up to bed.

Mon, 15th October: relaxing in Namche Bazar (3440m)
We have a lazy day today – 9.00am brekkie followed by a blog update and cards with the boys. After lunch we head back down to the village to the Liquid Bar with our new friends again to see the National Geographic’s film, Everest – oh yeh and a couple of beers! This was very intriguing and educational for me and Neil just lapped it up, loving it as he does ☺
Following this, Neil and I headed for the cafe for a famous Illy Coffee. However, we opt for a latte and a hot chocolate, with two chocolate muffins – these were delicious, a real treat up here! For anybody visiting in the future this is a must place to visit. We bump into Dorchi and Dukes on our way back and the boys opt for a game of pool whilst I go back to Hotel HillTen one last time to start to pack.

Tue, 16th October – descend to Phakding
After a great couple of days in Namche – which we were able to appreciate it a little more this time as it was so relaxed and we did not have to rush off anywhere – we started our trek down to Phakding. We had a really good trek today – the weather was great and the scenery much more lush which I don’t think we appreciated how much as we passed through the first time. We were very comfortable with Dorchi and Dukes by now and were like a group of friends joking about, playing music and generally enjoying each others company. We stopped at Munjo for lunch and, once finished, relaxed for 1/2 hour in the sunshine and taking in the ambiance of the area around us. We arrived at Sunrise Lodge, right on the river in the lower region of the Himalayas. Again, since we arrived here on the first night of our trek in the dark, we were able to fully appreciate this place. It really is very pleasant – another place like so many here where you could just forget everything and while away the hours. Having walked for 6 hours today in this beautiful environment and encountered many yaks, trekkers and suspension bridges, we are in good spirits and ready for our tea when we arrive. We plan an early night as we feel tired following a great trek!

Wed, 17th October: trek to Lukla
Again, we had a great trek – this time, back to Luckla. We arrived early afternoon and the boys arrived later on having caught up with us. Their pics of base camp and the summit of Khala Pattar were very impressive – they did so well. We ate together and enjoyed a few ‘happy hour’ drinks and some games of pool before finally heading back for our last night with our porters. We stayed up a while longer playing killer on the pool table with them before saying our goodbyes.

Thu, 18th October: Lukla Airport – flight back to Kathmandu (Tenki Hotel)
Great flight !!!!!!! Apparently we’ve been fortunate enough to have had two brilliant flights here. We are told that they can normally be quite hair raising!

We arrive at our hotel and freshen up to meet the group for dinner. We choose the New Orleans Bar (as we’ve been here twice already!) and they don’t let us down 🙂
We then ‘chill out’ with RJ and Johnson in a bar with live music before heading back to the hotel for bed – a great evening to end our trek.

Fri, 19th and Sat, 20th October – Kathmandu (Kantipur Temple Hotel – a Heritage Property)
We spend our last two days in Kathmandu just relaxing in this beautiful hotel and the surrounding area, milling around the streets, once again taking in the ambiance of the area before we have to leave.

Sun, 21st October – leave Kathmandu for Goa
Pimba collects us, RJ and Johnson for our journey to the airport. After dropping us off he presents us with beautiful prayer scarves which we receive gratefully. It is emotional as we say goodbye to him – he really is a great guy – but we have discussed our return trip with him … watch this space …

Udaipur … an Anniversary Treat …

Delhi … Agra … Karauli … Jaipur … Delhi

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Golden Northern Triangle Tour … And a selection of the 901 pics!!!!!!!!

This week we are embarking on our 7 day tour of Delhi … Agra … Karauli … Jaipur … Delhi

Sun 23rd September – New Delhi, Pooja Palace Hotel
Today, we leave the magical Taj Lake Palace Hotel. Whilst sitting in reception, quietly reflecting on our visit, Prateet brings us gifts as a momento of our stay here – and we are grateful.
All the rest and relaxation of the last few days disappears on our arrival at the airport in New Delhi when we take our first taxi ride across the City!!!!! Hair-raising doesn’t cover it. We hold on for dear life – even N was worried. The bags are on the roof and, as we go around each and every island on what seems like two wheels, we have visions of peering out of the rear window to find our belongings strewn all over the road! However, we eventually make it to the hotel, catch up with folks back home to say we’ve arrived safely (pmsl) and prepare for the tour we are joining tomorrow.

Mon, 24th September – New Delhi, Pooja Palace Hotel
We attend our mid-day meeting and meet our Group Leader, Bhupinder Singh and the rest of our group – John & Leonie, Deb & Steve, Elana, Jenny, Tiffany & Kate. We kickstart the adventure by delving into Delhi’s chaotic medley of bazaars, temples, mosques and colonial buildings. On route to our first temple – the Red Temple (Muslim and the largest in Delhi), we weave through a maze of cars, rickhaws and bullock carts and experience fast paced city life – London doesn’t even touch this 🙂

We then walk to a Sikh Temple and participate in prayer which was a very funky affair with three musicians playing. It was being filmed and we were informed that this goes out live every day across the tv network. We take a tour of the rooms at the back where they cook and feed 22-25000 people a day, no matter what creed, colour or religion! Amazing and very humbling!

As we walk back we once again experience the noisy, busy streets … many people, like a huge ants’ nest, constantly moving … you must move or get left behind! Nothing stands still for long. This country just buzzes with life from every corner!

Once back at the hotel we prepare our rucksacks for the next few days travel and fall into bed for a 5.00 am start.

Tue, 25th September – Agra, Pushp Villa
We let the ‘train take the strain’ to journey to Agra, a former Mughal Capital that is home to some of the Country’s most iconic landmarks – we discover the halls of the Red Fort -the largest fort in Asia, it’s mosques, chambers and gardens during the morning and in the afternoon admire the Taj Mahal’s intricate carvings.

Our mode of transport around the City is by Rick Shaw stopping first at the Red Fort. This is a beautiful place full of history. The buildings, as we are going to learn over the next few days, are quite unique for their time. In addition to beauty, they are fully equipped with air con, heating, lighting and audio! The cavity in the walls was filled with either cold or hot water to cool or warm the room accordingly – the steam or cold air would come out through the ornate grills lining the rooms. The rooms were built to allow as much cool breeze as possible throughout the Fort. Windows and ornate grills provided lighting and rooms were built with tall domed ceilings to allow for audio. This really would have been a splendid residence in it’s day and you can conjure up beautiful images of life here. It’s here that we get our first views of the Taj Mahal in the distance.

In this tourist area we are accosted by street sellers – they appear from everywhere! N is far better than I am at dealing with these people but, despite trying to obey Bhupy’s instructions not to engage, before you know it he is buying a book on the Taj Mahal for 100 IR. Once through security, we are faced with the marble beauty that is the Taj Mahal. Again, we have no words – it is overwhelming. At first we stand in awe and digest that we are actually here.

Taj, aptly called a Dream in Marble is situated on the right banks of the Yamuna River. Taj Mahal, the most beautiful building in the world is made of white marble in the loving memory of the then Empress of India – named Arjumand Bano Begum. Born on 6th April 1591, she was Persian in blood and very beautiful. Her father, Khwaja Abul Hasan (brother of Noor Jahan, Prime Minister of Jahangir’s Court, arranged for her education in a royal manner and she developed in all her qualities and merits of a royal family. She attracted the attention of Prince Khurram and they fell in love. Shahjahan and Mumtaz Mahal were inseparable lovers and, after giving birth to their 14th child she became seriously ill. It is said that at the time of her death, Mumtaz Mahal expressed her last wish to the Royal Emperor Shahjahan that he build a beautiful and incomparable monument over her grave as a token of their worldly inseparable love.

After her death Mumtaz Mahal was given a temporary burial (amanat) at Zainabad on 15th June 1631. It wasn’t until December 1631 that her body was sent to Agra and was again buried temporarily in the north west corner of the garden on the bank of the River Yamuna. It was here that the Emperor announced a memorial to be built for his dear wife and invited designs from famous architects of the world. So many designs were put before the Emperor but ultimately the design of Ustad Isa Afandi of Turkey was selected and the construction of the Taj was started.

We leave this place as the sun starts to set and the building takes on a rose coloured tinge. Once back at the hotel, the group met on the rooftop terrace for food and drink and a lovely couple of hours were spent getting to know each other better and reflecting on our first day. A lovely end to an amazing day.

Wed, 26th September – Karauli, Bhanwar Vilas Palace(a heritage property)
A 7.30 am start takes us to Karauli. En route, we visit the red limestone Mughal Kingdom in Fatehpur Sikri, a perfectly preserved ghost town. Although the mosque here remains active, the village is abandoned. Sarajan Singh, builder of the Red Fort, Agra, also built this place – taking 12 years to construct, he lived in it for only 40 before he abandoned it. He no longer needed it and had proved himself in his architecture.

In the grounds of the Red Fort is a monument to the elephant owned by Sarajan Singh and which was used in acts of ‘capital punishment’. The convict was tied to a rock (still visible today) and the alcohol fuelled elephant was released and would stamp on the person until he was dead! At the mosque here is a marble temple, tomb of Salim Chasti, and legend has it that you can make a wish here (tying a piece of string to the grill as you do so) and, should it come true, you must come back, take your string and dispose of it in the river.

Outside there are lots of street vendors who are very persistent. We are learning to ignore them but I for one feel really impolite, especially to the children. Anyway, N comes away with a travel chess set.

It is 4 hours by bus to Karauli and we view a myriad of life as we travel along … there is an abundance of life here in India and people work so hard for seemingly so little. However, there is much colour here and mostly happiness. The sacred cow has right of way here amongst the constant horns of the lorries, buses (packed with people), rick shaws and bikes. There are animals everywhere … camels, horses and elephants being used for labour … pigs, dogs cows that line the streets … buffalo being moved around … monkeys on rooftops There is also an abundance of retailers at the side of the roads … and the houses are full to the brim with families.

Now in the countryside, we arrive at Bhanwar Vilas Palace, a member of Indian Heritage Hotels Association and India’s Royal Legacy, just to check into our rooms before heading off through the village, and see how he current of life bubbles along in rural India. We walk through the old and new town to the 600 year old Karauli City Palace, built in the 14th century by the royal family. The City Palace is a treasure trove of architecture, stone carvings, gorgeous jali work, glass inlay work, classic paintings with ornamented stucco work and frescoes. The Palace also has an old Temple of Shri Madan Mohanji, the deity of Lord Krishna, worshipped by millions of followers from Rajasthan and the rest of India. It is now in the hands of the Temple Trust since the royal family could not afford the upkeep nor did they wish to damage the property in order to modernise it. This was quite a unique visit to a City Palace in that we were escorted through every nook and cranny here and nowhere was roped off – we went everywhere! It was very splendid how these people lived – everything was in the Palaces i.e: in-house parliament and house of commons, areas for dancing and entertainment, many bedrooms for the many many wives, ornate grills behind which the women viewed everything, gardens, playrooms. Throughout there is evidence of both Hindu and Muslim religions.
We were guided higher and higher to more rooms until eventually we came out on top of the building and the views of Karauli were amazing as the sun sets.
The Temple here is still in use today and we join a prayer service. This is more like a party celebration – there is much singing, dancing and it is very colourful. The service lasts 10-15 minutes and locals come everyday, some more than once a day.
Our walk back through Karauli was at 6pm in the dark and once again it is a pleasant experience – not reliant on the tourist industry here we are not harassed by people begging or selling. The streets are lined with local craftsmen and it is busy with vehicles and animals along the way. It seems that the locals are more interested in us as we walk by, the children especially.

Thu, 27th September – Jaipur, Hotel Khandwa Haveli (a heritage property)
A 7.00 am buffet breakfast starts our day and we get on the minibus (for another 4 hours!) at 7.30 am to make our way to Jaipur, the pink city. En route we call into Bhupy’s mother in law’s house for a cup of tea and a biscuit. Here we meet his wife and son, Hunny (a real cutie at 2 1/2 years old). Their hospitality is great and Hunny is very astounded by our visit. It wasn’t long before news of our visit spread to neighbours who began filing past the house to see ‘these westerners’. Photos were taken and good wishes exchanged before be moved on.

As in other areas of India, Jaipur has an Old and New City. In 1727, Maharajah Jai Singh commenced building a new capital south of Amber and named it Jaipur – City of Victory. It was one of the very first planned cities and was once enclosed within fortified walls 20ft high and guarded by 7 gates. Designed by a Bengali engineer, Vidyadhar Bhatta Charya, it took 6 years to build the main Palaces and roads and was surrounded by high walls and 7 gates. It is 9km sq which is in accordance with ancient Hindu architecture called Shilpa Shastra, symbolising the nine divisions of the universe through nine rectangle sectors called Chaukris. The city complex in the middle is symbolic of Mt Meru.

Jaipur is also known as the Pink City. This is a traditional colour of welcome and was used in 1853 by Maharaja Man Singh II in honour of the visit of Prince Albert, Prince of Wales, to Rajasthan. The capital of Rajasthan, surrounded by the Aravalli range of hills, Jaipur is situated in the heart of the Thar Desert.

Once in Jaipur, we can see why the City’s pink sandstone streets make this city a colourful destination. The impressive Amber Fort and Amber Palace are next on our tour – a complex started by Raja Man Singh, a noted Rajput General in Akbar’s army in 1600. 28 kings have ruled here in 6 centuries.

Fri, 28th September – Jaipur, Hotel Khandwa Haveli (a heritage property)
FREE Day 🙂
We meet with group at 9.00 am so that Bhupi can escort us all down to City Palace, whilst showing us places of interest along the way including where to take lunch. We pair up with John and Leonie and decide to take ourselves on a relaxing tour of Jaipur’s City Palace and the Observatory (Jantar Mantar).

The Palace was home to the rulers of Jaipur since the first half of the 18th Century. The current Maharaja still lives in part of the 1500 room complex. It contains a fine collection of buildings and museums, a blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture. The Textile and Costume, the Armory Museum and the Art Gallery are particularly impressive. The ‘Palace of the Winds’ forms part of the east wall of the City Palace complex. The elaborately carved facade enabled the purdah ladies in the zenana to watch the goings on in the street below without being seen.

The palace, like others before is beautifully created, but here it is coloured pink which is quite pretty to see. Again, there is evidence of stunning architecture and of the affluence of the royal family’s residence at the time.

The observatory, one of 5 constructed by Maharajah Jai Singh II who had a fascination for maths and science, was built between 1728 and 1734. It contains 17 astrological instruments each of which serves a particular function. It was quite something to behold and it’s quite amazing how, at that time, these instruments were constructed.

An Auto Rickshaw or Tuk Tuk as they are locally known, was the chosen transport for our journey to Jaigarth Fort, ‘Victory Fort’, a steep 30min drive from Amber. Once used as a treasury of the Kachwahas it is still believed that some of the royal treasure is buried within its walls. One of the few surviving cannon foundries is here as can the 50 ton Jaivana Cannon, cast in 1720, the largest wheels cannon in the world. Despite its size the cannon has never been fired. Nor has the Fort been penetrated as its defence systems and location meant that enemies never dare enter it. This is very clear to see, indeed how it would have been constructed is amazing! Rising above everything in the surrounding area, there are amazing views of the stunning scenery (Aravalli range of hills), Jaipur and it’s fortified walls as well as Amber Fort and Palace. Beautiful!

Sat, 29th September – back at Pooja Palace Hotel
Said to be the most beautiful cinema in Asia, the group decided to take in a Bollywood movie at Raj Mandir Cinema, Jaipur. It is actually like our theatres back in the UK but there is no denying that it is really pretty. We watched Barfi, a slapstick romantic comedy without subtitles(!) which was very easy to follow and most enjoyable. This was an experience with audience participation.

A 4 hour train journey took us back to New Delhi in the company of 120 schoolgirls who had been out on a day trip themselves. They were very chatty and quite taken in by us westerners and took plenty of photos of us! It took us an age to get out of the traffic at the station and everybody was shattered on our arrival at Pooja Palace at 11.00 pm. We said our goodbyes and made our way wearily to bed. We really didn’t envy those in the group with early starts to their onward travel!

Sun, 30th September – Thu, 4th October – Maidens Hotel, Old Delhi
After the regime of the tour, we had a lazy morning and headed off to our next destination, Maidens Hotel in Old Delhi. Imagine our delight at checking into this stunning place – our suite was a welcome change as was the outdoor swimming pool 🙂 needless to say we just couldn’t wait to jump straight in and we did just that. We also lazed around on Monday and planned a day out for Tuesday.

Tue, 2nd October – Having hired a driver for the day (8hrs for 2500 IR) set off with our packed lunches at 9.00 am and visited the following sites:-

Red Fort (Lal Quila) – a masterpiece of architecture situated in Old Delhi. Situated opposite Jama Masjid – Delhi’s biggest mosque, the fort built in 1638 is enclosed within red sandstone walls, from which it derives its name. Its walls rise 33m above Old Delhi and serves as a reminder of the magnificent power and pomp of the Mughal emperors. The main gate, Lahore Gate, is one of the emotional and symbolic points of the modern Indian nation and attracts a major crowd on each Independence Day. As you enter the fort compound, you pass through the vaulted arcade of Chatta Chowk, a bazaar selling tourist trinkets. Inside is a treasure trove of buildings, including the Drum House, the Hall of Public Audiences, the white marble building of Private Audiences, the Pearl Mosque, Royal Baths and Palace of Colour. The Red Fort also houses the famous archaeological museum.

Qutab Minar – Immediately after the defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu Kingdom, Qutb-ud-Din Aibak laid the foundation of this world famous Minar in 1193. He only succeeded in raising the first storey – the remaining storeys being completed by his successors. A soaring stone tower of victory, 72 metres high, it has 5 distinct storeys each with a projecting balcony and is ornamented by bands of inscriptions. Made of red sandstone and marble, the base of the Minar is 15m in diameter and the top just 2.5m in diameter, an amazing piece of work. Some believe that the Minar was erected as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the Muslim rule in India.
At its base is Quwwat-ul Islam Mosque, constructed in 1197 it was the first mosque to be built in India. Even though in ruins, this is one of the most magnificent structures in the world. The main mosque comprises of an inner and outer courtyard, decorated with shafts and surrounded by pillars. Most of the shafts are from the 27 Hindu temples which were plundered to construct the mosque and an inscription over its eastern gate provocatively informs that it was built with material obtained from demolishing them. It is therefore not surprising that the Muslim mosque has typical Hindu ornamentation. The Iron Pillar, one of Dehli’s most curious antiques, is a 7m high iron pillar (4th Century) which stands prominently in the courtyard of the mosque.

Humayan’s Tomb – This magnificent garden tomb is the first substantial example of Mughal architecture in India characterised by high arches and a double dome. Built in 1565, nine years after the death of Humayun, by his senior widow Hamida Begam, inside the walled enclosure are the most notable features of the garden squares (chaharbagh) with pathways and water channels. Centrally located is the well proportioned mausoleum and the design represents the first ‘tomb in a garden’ complex in India. There are several graves of Mughal rulers located inside the walled enclosure and from here in 1857 Lieutenant Hudson had captured the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II.

Swaminarayan Akshardham – This temple epitomises 10,000 years of Indian Culture in all its breath taking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. Built in only 5 years it showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind. A culmination of colossal devotional efforts of 11,000 artisans and thousands of volunteers and is heralded by the Guinness World Record as the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple and the complex was inaugurated on 6th November 2005.
In the evening there is a musical fountain show that depicts the cycle of birth, life and death as described in India philosophy.
This place was quite beautiful – every piece of stone was sculpted. Despite the breathtaking architecture we had already witnessed in India, this young place was high up on our list for it’s workmanship. It really astounded us.

During the day we also took a ‘drive by’ of :-
Parliament House – this circular colonnaded building has housed the Indian Parliament since 1947. Designed by Sir Herbert Baker, it was in this building that the Constituent Assembly sat for 3 years to prepare the Constitution of free India.
President House – current home of the President. It is a national holiday today and many locals were visiting the area. There was also a small regiment visiting today and they were extremely enamoured with us, lol. We were taking photos of the buildings and they were asking to take pictures of us – bizarre but funny!
India Gate – a war memorial arch, was built in honour of 90,000 Indian Soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. Below it burns the Amar Javan Jyoti, the eternal flame intribute to all martyred soldiers of India.
Lotus Temple –

HAPPY DAYZZZ …. 100IR = £1.15 🙂

The Pitkins Hit … Doha …

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Following months and months of planning and preparation and, after an emotional few days prior to the start of our journey, we left the UK during the early hours of Thursday, 13th September 2012, and headed for the first stop on our around the world trip!

We arrived in Doha, Qatar at teatime on 13/09/2012 and were greeted by an excitable nephew AKA Richard Shaw. An airport Limo was the means of transport to the Shaw Household where we were greeted by the lovely Laura and their two gorgeous boys Cooper and Zach and a heartwarming home cooked chilli NOM NOM.

Friday, 14/9 – RELAXATION was the order of the day and we spent the morning at the Villa by the pool. This was a welcome treat as we just had not stopped still for the previous months! A speedboat trip around the coast at Katara Beach with Richard and Cooper provided the excitement for the afternoon followed by take out BBQ Chicken from Al Tazaj.

Pitkins Around The World

Keeping you informed of our adventure …

Author Archives: pitkinsaroundtheworld

The Maldives … Hudhuranfushi …

Nuwara Eliya to Yala National Park Tour Extension …

Splendours of Sri Lanka … The Tour …

Chilling in Goa … Chennai …

Kathmandu … and our Trek in the Himalayas …

Udaipur … an Anniversary Treat …

Delhi … Agra … Karauli … Jaipur … Delhi

The Pitkins Hit … Doha …