Indonesia - Part 2: Ubud

The second stop of our Indonesia trip was D’s choice. So we all know how Eat,Pray Love put Ubud on the global map. Somehow unlike the rest of the world, it didn't catch my fancy. Well at least up until I got there. Just an hour into this little bustling town and I was in love.  I could totally understand why Elizabeth Gilbert loved it. Ubud is one of those places that reminds you that the world can wait , while you disappear into your own bubble.

Ubud is a little town filled with tiny cafes, curio shops and busy markets.  D and me spent many hours exercising our non existent bargaining skills in the many markets. These visits ensured we were returning to India with much heavier bags.

One of the best things about our stay at Ubud was our home stay. Not only was it a bargain, the couple who run it were so warm and friendly. Which we soon discovered was a common trait among the people of this town. Literally everyone here greets you with a warm smile or wants to chat up. Our room was massive and overlooked this little courtyard which led into rice fields.  Would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Ubud.

D had signed us for a cycling expedition, which was one of the highlights of our trip. The group that organized this took us for a lovely breakfast overlooking a lake and volcano. After which we  visited the world famous Kopi Luwak Coffee. Which is made of well erm cat poo. Well kinda. Soon after this interesting coffee experience we got on our bikes and off we went zipping through tiny villages. The  excursion guides took us to a traditional Balinese home, a wood work factory and finally some rice fields.  

The last time I touched a cycle was twenty years ago. So naturally I was not sure if I could do it. But am so glad I got over my apprehension and did this. Cycling through brilliant green rice fields on a quiet afternoon was nothing short of bliss. With the wind in my hair, I could almost hear the soundtrack of "Chariots of fire" in my head. I was dog tired at the end of it. But it was worth every minute.

When the time came for us to pack and leave we made a note to definitely come back to this lovable tiny town.

Indonesia – Part 1 : Mt Bromo & Ijen Crater

When I was in class two, we had an English lesson on the destruction of Pompei with the volcanic eruption of Mt Vesuvius. Quite a morbid story to be teaching a six year old. None the less I was totally taken in.  I saw volcanoes as these sleepy monsters who come to life and breathed bright orange fire. Somewhere at the back of mind I had made up my mind to visit a volcano some day.

Fast forward twenty four years.

Last year the Grecian , the diva and me had finally frozen on Indonesia for our December holiday.  The three of us decided to pick one destination of our choice. No we were not influenced by Zindagi na milege dobara! My obvious choice was the volcano rich East Java.

I soon learnt that getting from Bangalore to East Java was no easy task. After three flights, one bus ride, one jeep ride and 20 hours later, we reached our destination – Probolingo. After a few hours of shut eye ,our chirpy driver gave us our wake up call at 4.00 A.M and off we went to watch the sunrise at Mt Bromo. Surprisingly we were the only international tourists at the venue. I guess East Java is not as popular as other islands such as Bali. Which is quite a shame.

Anyway I digress. After waiting for a while in the cold the sun finally rose , which was met with thunderous applause by the locals. The diva and I were quite amused with the rather warm welcome the sun got. 

Sunrise at Mt Bromo

It was quite a pretty sight and worth the wait in the cold. The volcanic craters seems arise magically from the mist bathed in soft pink and orange light. Luckily for us we got talking to an Indonesian couple who asked us to join them in exploring the place. We then drove right around to climb the mount and get a view of the actual crater.  While we took a short break, I decided to try out some hot soup from a cart vendor. This was no ordinary soup. It was heaven in a bowl! I later discovered this hot broth like soup with dumplings is called Miso. MOST.AMAZING.SOUP.EVER.

Volcanic Crater

After breakfast we took a horse (pony) ride to base of the mount. I was getting on a horse after like a billion years and held onto my pony and the pony man (?) for my dear life. After climbing what felt like 5 billion steps to get to the top most level of the crater, we were finally there. It was truly amazing to be peering into the crater of a volcano. It looked like a giant bowl of steaming orange soup. Yes I was clearly still hung-over on my amazing soup.

Relaxing at the Savannah

Our next stop was the savannah. This was one of the places recommended by the Indonesian couple and it was truly lovely.  Lying there,  I realized I had not experienced this much silence and vast open spaces in a long long time.  We lazed around here for a bit before heading for our final destination for the day.

The whispering sands were our final and next stop. I heard several different versions of how this place earned that name. The most popular reasons seems be that it was named after a movie that was shot there. This place was a vast massive gigantic sea of black sand with the mountains in the background.

Flower seller at whispering sands

No one visits a such vast open space and not holler out names in hope of an echo. So that is what we all did. And boy the response echos were little haunting and creepy. Almost like hidden mystery creatures were calling out my name from beyond the mountains. Yes apparently my imagination is a bit over active.

Day # 2 Ijen crater

The next day we had decided to visit the Ijen crater.  The ijen crater is home to a massive lake of sulphuric acid. To get to this crater we had to do a to a  backbreaking ,hopefully calorie burning hike. The hike took us about two hours. The climb was a bit slippery and the cold weather just made it tougher. Of course none of this seemed to matter to the miners.  Each of them carried about 80 – 100 kg of sulphur on their shoulders.  I must add they pranced around like ballerinas oblivious to the slippery and steep slopes.

Ijen Crater

Again here the two hour climb was totally worth the break-taking view that awaited us. The crater is filled with a brilliant blue acid. Grey and white rocks framed this lake and there was mist all over the place.

Despite the strong chemically stench on and off, it was the perfect place to just sit and relax.  A steep stony path led right down to the lake, which we decided to skip.  The miners were pretty friendly and chatty. Some of them even offer to escort you down to the lake and inside the mines.

Miners at Ijen

With that we were done with our East Java tour and took a ferry to Bali. Unlike Bali which is far more developed , East Java is not popular with tourists. Which is good in a way. But also sad that so many people don’t realize how beautiful this island is too.

Coming up next – Indonesia part two – Ubud, Bali

2012

I may be giving my blog the step motherly treatment but I couldn't stay away from doing my traditional year end post.
2012 started slow. Content would have been a good description. And suddenly I was forced to make decisions. Decisions that I didn't like and decisions that could have long term implications. Though at that moment I cursed all my stars and hated the world. Looking back now am grateful for that chaos which woke me up from slumber and pushed me towards better things. A little jolt now and then apparently does no one any any harm.
Mid year saw me take a new job. New roles new environment and new people. And the whole rigamarole of adjustment. As with many things moving to a new job made me appreciate little things I left behind. I missed my crazy colleagues who made Monday mornings bearable. Which I never appreciated when I was on the job.

Travel wise the year was good I can say. I got to visit my friend's quaint cocoa estate in Nilambur. The perfect weekend getaway. In August I visited the United States after four years. I never thought I would say this but I missed that place. And no, not just the malls. That multi faceted country continues to amuse and amaze me.
I had to do a blink and miss me trip to Sri Lanka. Something I hope to recitify in 2013. And finally in December I visited the amazing Indonesian islands. A separate post coming up on that.
2012 was  not too eventful but definitely not one of my best years. For the first time in my life I had  serious regrets and wished I could have stayed back in 2011. But then like Adele says mistakes and regrets are memories made. Happy new year people. Bring it on 2013!

A Mid Summer Wedding

When my cousin did a last minute announcement about his wedding in Colombo,  I was  partially panicky and excited. Panicky coz I realized I would hardly get a day between my Boston and Colombo trip resulting in my displaying my hyperactive best. My friends and family can vouch that my hyperactive self is best avoided. But I was also excited as this would be the first Buddhist wedding I would attend.

Finally after my customary travel related drama I was in my beloved Colombo. Again travel related drama and me have had a thirty year steady relationship, so I was sort of prepared for it. Having landed just one day before the wedding, I didn’t have much to do. But to my pleasant surprise I discovered that Buddhist weddings are short, simple and sweet.  Thereby, bringing down the usual pre-wedding chaos by a significant amount.

The sister and I decided to go all Sri Lankan and wear the traditional Kandyan saree.  This involved a complex saree tying process and about forty pins. Thereby ensure I couldn’t breathe or move but I did feel rather fancy. So I guess it was worth it.

The main part of the wedding is an entourage of Kandyan dancers, drummers and conch blowers escorting the bride and groom in individually. This ceremony is done with the dancers performing the traditional dance while singing the customary wedding songs.  I totally loved this part. Most of the meaning of the songs were lost on me and my rudimentary Sinhala. But I guestimated they were welcoming the bride and groom.

This was followed by the main poruwa ceremony. Which was a relatively short ceremony which included the couple’s fingers being tied together with string, exchanging of gifts between the families and all elders blessing the couple.  It also involved a lot of falling at a lot of feet. My heart went out to the bride who I could see was struggling to fall at people s feet in all her bridal finery. And in about half an hour ta-da! They were married. If only all weddings were this quick!

This was followed by cake…

And champagne…

And a huge spread of food and more champagne and a lot of dancing. Did I mention I love Sri Lankan weddings?

Under the Krabi Sky

Its unfair. How can one country have it all? Picture postcard beaches, amazing food and arguably the world’s best malls? And if that country is Thailand, when it beckons you just catch the next AirAsia flight and go. My last trip to this beautiful place was a whirlwind of palaces and malls. So when my friends suggested a week long relaxed beach holiday, I jumped at the chance.

When my travel research experts (D and N) zeroed in on three places for our holiday, I was expecting all three to be alike. I mean how different can three beach destinations in the same vicinity be? Oh boy was I wrong or what.

Koh Lanta – The Serene One
Have you met one of those people (most probably a woman in her thirties) who perpetually has a serene and calm aura? Lives life at her own pace and has a “the world can wait” attitude. If I had to describe this beautiful island, that would be it.
Koh Lanta is relatively unknown to mainstream tourists and I hope it remains that way. The sleepy island which is home to white sandy beaches and light blue waters is the perfect getaway from the hustle bustle of city life. We spent two and half relaxed days in this little haven when time does stand still.



On day one, we decided to do the touristy island hopping tour. The day long boat tour took us to four islands. It was during this trip that I discovered the awesomeness that was snorkeling. After some initial hiccups I got a hang of it and loved every bit of it. You float around soaking in the visual delight of watching fish of every possible color glide past you and the only thing you can hear is your own breathing. I wish I was good enough a writer to describe what a fantastic experience that was.Its amazing to think that under that serene blue surface, lies a whole different world.

After two stops for snorkeling, our third stop during the island tour was the emerald cave. I recommend this natural wonder to anyone who visits Thailand. The emerald cave is a hidden beach inside one of the rock formations in the middle of the ocean. It was apparently a favorite hideout for pirates back in the day. Our tour operator had all of us line up and hold on the life-jacket in front of while we swam through the narrow passage to get to the hidden beach. Which worked really well for non swimming claustrophobic beings (aka me). And our final stop was on this quaintlittle island for lunch. Unfortunately blogger does not seem to support my panorama pictures. So I have to make do with the regular ones.




Koi Phi Phi – The Chirpy One
If Ko Lanta had a calming effect on us, Koi Phi Phi woke us up with a jolt. This little bustling island reminds me of a bubbly girl next door. After a couple of relaxing days we hopped over to Koi Phi Phi which was actually just our stop over for our overnight camping trip at Maya Bay. We had half a day to kill and decided to make the most of it. Half the island is filled with beach-side pubs while the other half is filled with cobbled streets lined with little cafes and shops selling absolutely anything. Unlike the previous island, even the waters were more vibrant turquoise here. Something that struck me was how all islands are a riot of blues and greens but yet so uniquely picturesque in its own way.
We decided to check out the Phi Phi view point accessible only via a six hundred steep stairway trek. Which actually felt like 62,879 steps if you ask me. The long strenuous trek was a reality check on how terribly unfit we were, but the view from the top made everything totally worth it.



By afternoon we took the boat to Maya Bay for our overnight camping on the beach. I think that one crazy night spent there deserves a post of its own, so I will save my rambling for the next post.


Phuket – The Glitzy One
With its endless night clubs, high end malls and restaurants, Phuket was a far cry from our other destinations. Phuket was all about glitz, glamour and sadly sleaze. The rampant child prostitution in every nook of this city was a reminder that everything beautiful can also have an ugly side.
To be honest, we didn’t get to do too many beach-side activities here. In other words...we saw a mall, fell in love and lived happily ever after. Ahhhh those shoes and bags *dreamy eyes *. Unfortunately we had to learn the hard way that shopping at the malls was surprisingly more reasonable that road side shopping.

This post would be incomplete without mentioning the awesomely fantastic yummylicious food we had. It would be no exaggeration to say we finished all the Phad Thai and Green Curry in that country.

After two days in Phuket, our week long holiday drew to a close. We got back to India a little heavier both in terms of baggage and other wise, but happy none the less.




Travel means different things to different people. For some its an adrenaline rush while for some its just a break from routine. It makes people happy, ecstatic or just keeps some entertained. But I have come to realize that for me its much more than that. Travel for me is contentment.

And in Paradise I am

For the first time I have a guest post on my blog. Inaugurating affairs is my good old friend the "Bourbon Legend". He is many things - engineer , entertainer and Thalapakattu Briyani lover. But most of all a constant reminder that life is not meant to be taken seriously!
- Wanderlust

I sit with my head between my legs on the steps. The sun bores down and every time I blink, it seems my lids are too hot for my eyes. There is a pigeon on the ledge in front of me, eating vomit that is thankfully not mine, while another pigeon tries in vain to get up behind it and do the deed. It seems an apt metaphor for my life. Sweat continues to pour out of my body in a steady stream, while the fluids involved around the whole breathing part of me congealed further.

Class was going to be a bitch today

The attendant announces that it is time, longer and louder than he has any right to. And the great seething mass of dull young minds make their way to wherever they should be. I myself can’t face such a challenge right now, and head downstairs for a sly smoke.

I go to the basement and sit in my car, taking a moment to collect myself and light one up. Maybe it is the darkness or the steady flow of airconditioner exhaust, but right then, surrounded as I am by stale air and an intermittently blinking tubelight, I feel a moment of almost Zen like tranquality. It is no hard task for me just to lay my head on the wheel, and close my eyes forever.

My cell phone rings, an angry attendant signalling the end of registration rants on. I make my way back to the sunshine. Thankfully it has quieted down. I peer out, and make my way down the hall to sweet sweet freedom.

“L !” comes a harsh grating voice.

I turn slowly, doomed.

“Yes Mr V?”

“Shouldn’t you be in class young man?”

Young man. I want to scoff, he was only 5 years older than me.

“I am…just on my way.” I said turning around.

“I'll meet you in my office after the class”

“I look forward to it already.” I fake a laugh and side step to safety before he can say another word.

I find the hateful door and open it. The room of course is filled with un-drawable blinds which let too much light in through windows that face the sun full on. All beams seem to converge on my desk. Taking a deep breath, I stride in and face the music, noting with bad humour today’s lesson plan.


“Ok class” I say, returning the sun's glare with one of my own “Today's topic - Coordinate Geometry.”

Between August and November

Between August and November I have

Shifted cities and realized a city is its people.
Gotten back to working after a year's break and realized its not too bad.
Finished my first level of French and suprised myself by truly enjoying studying.
Missed Madras. Missed Colombo. Missed Home.
Been glad that I will still continue to talk to some people no matter what.
Repeated mistakes.
Had more midnight coffees than I have ever had.
Finally moved to an apartment of my own.
Pondered deeply if the bus 331A really does exist.
Been super grateful that no matter where you are, some friends are just a gchat buzz away.