The kohl brimmed eyes smile at me coyly. ”It is the jasmine flavour,” she says by way of introduction . My eyes close as a heady fragrance lulls me to sleep. The distant flicker of the lamp goes slowly out of focus. A lilting melody floats out of nowhere.

“This is the Shrishruka thailam .It treats sinus,” she adds softly. I open my eyes as she pours the oil from a miniature bronze jar onto her palms. Sandhya, my therapist  is a demure young woman whose delicate fingers work magic on my scalp .

Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

I am in  God’s own country , getting a taste of God’s own medicine  at Svaastha, an ayurvedic spa started by Club Mahindra in Ashtamudi. Outside the waters from the lake are gently lashing against the coconut trees as the sun ‘s rays paint silvery hues.

I try not to think. After all massages are about shutting your mind and pampering your body. The fingers soothe every ache and coax the rigid muscles as they move from the head to the neck .I feel the essence of ayurveda inside me – a harmony of mind, body and spirit . I float into semi-consciousness . The wooden bed is soaked with the oil –Pinda thailayam as Sandhya deftly strokes my body, caressing and  fondling it . She suddenly pounds  it and awakens every dormant muscle. Her fingers go deep, the strokes get faster and then she gently lets go .I become limp and let my senses take over .The herbal steam lets my skin glisten as the warmth seeps into my body.

I am in the hands of divine medicine, created by Brahma himself and Dhanvantri,“ That’s Ayurveda, a 4000 year old science, a part of Atharvana veda, created by the gods and preserved by man ,”explains ayurvedic doctor Ratheesh Kumar who hast just  diagnosed that my body is a “pitha-vatha combination.” He  refers  to the bio energies in the human body -  vatha, pitha and kafa .”Vatha is air and ether, pitha is fire and kafa is water and earth. “ he explains as ayurveda is based on these five elements called Panchamahabudhas .”

Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

I step out ,rejuvenated and the beauty is mesmerising .The breeze had just set in clearing the overcast clouds .The coconut trees gently swayed ,touching the backwaters which lashed against them. I stand at the edge of this wide shore and take in the scene , as Dr. Ratheesh joins me , exclaiming.“ This could not have been done by a human.. ..” I look up to see him holding a book on Ayurveda.

“Can you imagine 4000 years ago.. getting all the herbs from various parts of the country and mixing them in the right proportion ? I mean there was no documentation at all ,” adds the doctor about this science of life.
The Ashtamudi lake stretches out in front of my eyes with the coconut trees interrupting the seamless flow. Shades of blue emerge from the waters as I was lost gazing at the colours. It is one of the best kept secrets of Kerala.

The second largest lake after Vembanad and yet , tourism is a recent phenomena here. The Chinese nets lay scattered on the waters as the fishermen are waiting for the night to dawn. Small green islands glisten like emeralds against the blue horizon , some of them home to just three or four families. And their connection to civilisation is only through narrow canals and wooden bridges.

Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

I ask Dr Ratheesh as to why he chose to become an ayurvedic doctor . He laughs, amused .”As children, we used to go only to ayurvedic doctors even for a cold or fever like the way you go to a regular doctor.. its quite common in Kerala .There are universities teaching ayurveda here like allopathy ,” he adds, saying that he graduated from Trivandrum after a five year course.

I wonder how an ancient science like ayurveda has become an exotic treatment, restricted largely to resorts and a few centres.” Thats because tourism thrives on wellness , but ayurveda can even be used for surgery ,” explains the doctor adding that there are nine branches of ayurveda which includes general medicine, surgery, ENT, pediatrics, toxicology, gynecology ,psychiatry, infertility and anti-aging . Reading my mind, the doctor continues,” The basic principle of surgery as we know today was earlier created by Susruta, but after the advent of Jainism and Buddhism , dissection as we understand today was not encouraged.. then of course, western medicine took over..”

I sip cool coconut water and walk around the small herbs garden. My initiation into ayurveda continues .”There is hardly any documentation. Families have preserved the various formulae on palm leaf and hand written manuscripts and they have been handed down every generation. Thats how this science has actually survived across centuries.”

Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

A lone boatman waves out to us . We walk towards the lake as he offers us a ride. The Kallada river empties into the Ashtamudi lake and creates eight branches giving the lake its name. “Its like an octopus with eight hands “ says my boatman Balu describing the lake. We discuss the route. I cross several small islands and go around the Thalababuram bridge . Balu  points to “ seacrows”  as the cormorants  dip their beaks in the waters catching their morning fish . The herons and storks give them company.

The villages make a pretty picture. Colourful houses in yellow, orange and lavender stand out amidst the blue green mosaic.  Life unfolds in these little villages. An old man comfortably reads the morning paper in his boat.Another duo are returning home. A young girl along with her father are rowing their mother to the neighbouring market. A group of villagers are dressed for church as they board the boat. Balu says the boats made of wood from mango trees is very sturdy .He gets animated when we discuss fishing.

Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

“ There are different specialists – for prawns, karimeen, crabs and even the local fish –Kuzhavali.” Balu then delves into the different kinds of nets and techniques used for fishing. However  the rods stand out as the nets are still not  ready . “Fishing happens only in the night madam, the fishermen are sleeping now,” he explains.

The early morning karimeen auction is just over. There is complete silence but for the breeze . The landscape is devoid of people , but for us. I look at the vast expanse of water, the sun’s rays stroking it, the birds and the islands.. Its little wonder why Kerala is called Gods own country. The doctor’s words come back “Svaastha or Ayurveda is a balance of body, mind and spirit ..” Cruising down the Ashtamudi lake, I feel the balance restored inside me.

Pic : Sharath K

Getting there
Kollam or Quilon is the closest town to Ashtamudi as its on the banks of the lake. The lake connects to the Arabian Sea forming an estuary and it can be viewed from the Needakara bridge enroute to the Kollam town. The beach at Kollam and the old lighthouse at Thangasherry are some of the common sightseeing options for tourists. There are very few resorts here, besides the Club Mahindra resort. A few homestays and small private resorts are available . House boats are available at Kollam as well. It is about 70 kms from Trivandrum International airport

It was bright and sunny like daylight when our flight landed at 11:30 pm. We were in Alaska, America’s ‘Last Frontier’ and ‘Land of Midnight Sun’. The sun would set at 1:00 AM and rise at 5:00 AM. The only way to sleep was to close the thick curtains in the room and shut out all light.

We stayed in Anchorage for half a day and then drove to Seward, a sea side town in the Kenai Peninsula. Seward is named after William Seward, the US Secretary of State who campaigned bitterly to purchase Alaska from Russia. United States bought Alaska in 1867 for a pittance of 7.2 million dollars. This translated into approximately 2 cents per acre for almost 600,000 square miles of territory, half the size of India. His purchase was heavily criticized and even called “Seward’s folly” until miners found gold in 1896. Then in 1900 they discovered oil and the rest they say is history.

We stayed in a small Bed & Breakfast inn near the main street in Seward. Tom, the innkeeper was a great host. He told us the story of how he and his wife quit their jobs in Los Angeles, bought a small boat and sailed around the world for 18 months. On the way back to the US, they stopped in Alaska, fell in love with the state and opened this inn. B&B’s are cheaper than regular hotels in Alaska (exactly opposite in the rest of the US) and come with free breakfasts and very interesting hosts.

The biggest attraction in Seward is the Kenai Fjords National Park. Fjords are narrow inlets of sea between steep mountains. The Harding Ice field, a 700 square kilometer has been instrumental in feeding numerous glaciers and carving the cliffs and coastal fjords in this region. This ice field receives over 1000 cm of snowfall every year. Some of the glaciers that stem from this field terminate in the Ocean. The best way to see those glaciers and the fjords is to take a boat cruise. Exit glacier is the only one that can be accessed by a car.

Glaciers of Alaska

There was a choice of a 4 hour and an 8 hour cruise. According to Tom’s description the longer cruise sounded more exotic and fun, so I wanted to go for that. My husband (Saru) thought that was a horrible idea because I have sea sickness. He reminded me of every single time I went on a boat and became nauseous and sick. The informed traveler that I was, I came equipped with a sea-sickness pill called ‘Bonnie’. I completely believed in it. Saru…didn’t and started rehearsing his “I told you so” dance.

I barely opened my eyes the next day and saw the husband, fully dressed, just about to tie his shoe laces. Very casually he said, “I am going on a hike to see bears, you go back to sleep”. He wanted to go alone into the forest to see wildlife! I imagined all kinds of dangerous bear attack scenarios, jumped out of the bed and got ready at a lightning speed. Tom was shocked to see us both ready to go out at 6:00am. He was just done baking peach bread for breakfast. I really wanted to sit and enjoy the bread, but Saru was already outside the door. Tom quickly wrapped the warm bread in a bag and gave it to go.

We went to the trail and started hiking silently (Saru has a theory about my loud mouth and heavy footsteps scaring away wild life). It was a really nice hike in the woods, but we did not see even a single wild animal, save a mouse! We had the bread for our picnic breakfast, took these pictures and returned back.

Alaska

We had a nice full breakfast of pancakes and eggs. Saru reminded me that a big breakfast and a bumpy boat ride was the perfect recipe for throwing up.
We had selected Major Marines for our cruise. There was a naturalist on board the boat. She told us that the bay was very rich in marine life and was a birder’s paradise. In the 4hrs that it took us to reach Aialik Cove, we saw stellar sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, orca whales, a black bear on the mountain, bald eagles, puffins, cormorants and numerous other birds amidst breathtaking scenery and glaciers.

Alaska

The day started out cloudy, but kept getting better and better. We reached Aialik Cove which had the Holgate glacier. This place was simply spectacular. There were little icebergs in water all around making cracking sounds. Water from melting glaciers had formed waterfalls on mountains all around.  As we pulled in closer to the glacier, we noticed that a massive chunk of the ice broke off and fell into the water with a huge thud creating big waves. It almost felt like a loud gunshot and the boat started swaying from the giant waves.  This phenomenon called “calving” occurs when there is instability in the ice.

Glacier Caving In

Icy Ride

Saru would look at me from time to time and ask me ‘Are you ready to puke? He would come up with variations of the same question: Do you want to go to the back of the boat? Do you want a barf bag? Are you ready to feed the whales? I was thinking hard for an intelligent retort to shut him up, but it never came. What did come was much better than a witty comment.

The boat was going into open seas without the protection of mountains. Waters became very choppy and the boat was going up and down. It was very bumpy, but the medicine seemed to be working and I was surprisingly OK. I was looking around and noticed that Saru was missing. I looked all over the place, inside the boat, upstairs and found him after 10 minutes. The sight that greeted me – it was one of those rare sights that you don’t want to miss. I just stood there savoring the moment. It was great! There are very few times in life when you get the perfect poetic justice. I didn’t know if I should have made a run for the camera to capture the moment or run towards Saru and offer help.

Trying really hard to hide my grin, I asked him if he wanted any ginger ale. It is supposed to make you feel better after throwing up!! Saru took one look at me and said “Don’t you dare say anything”. I didn’t, and never had silence been so satisfying. My head was bursting with different ways of telling friends about this incident. “I didn’t throw up, but more importantly, Saru did”. Maybe I should get myself a custom made T-shirt that said “My husband puked in Alaska”. Saru was a little somber for the next one hour. He didn’t eat lunch. I ate everything in sight to celebrate my victory over nausea.

On the way back, the captain took us to a bird colony, a little island literally crawling with birds. There were countless number of white and double crested cormorants and lots of puffins and gulls. Puffins are the cutest birds that can swim/fly in water in a very funny way. They are nicknamed the “clown of the Ocean” and “Sea Parrot” for their distinct beaks. They live in large colonies on cliffs in these islands. On the way back, we had the bluest skies and saw more marine life.

Beautiful!

We came back and told Tom all about our trip and headed to the downtown for dinner. We had seafood pasta and Greek pizza and then went for a stroll along the waterfront area. We watched a great sunset and went home after midnight.

The next day, we started driving to Denali National Park.  On the way, Saru decided that we should write our travelogue. I was driving and dictating while he was typing in the laptop. After some time, Saru screamed STOP. Usually when Saru screams stop, it is because we missed a great photo-op or if there is wildlife on the road. I promptly pulled over. Saru ran out and I followed him all perplexed because, there was nothing there. It was then that I saw Saru lean over the railing and throw up. I could not believe my luck. I mentally redesigned my T-shirt to read “My husband puked in Alaska – Twice!” I asked him if he wanted to take my motion sickness pill. He threatened to disown me if I teased him. He stopped writing the travelogue and here I am many years later, still reliving that joy.

About Gokarna: An ancient beach town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, Gokarna has great religious significance as well. The town has 5 beaches – Gokarna, Kudle, OM, Half Moon and Paradise – in that order and with hills between the beaches. As such, it offers extremely good opportunity for beach treks. None of these beach treks surpass 30 minutes duration and provide exotic views of the sea from the hillocks. World seems to have stopped when you are here – beach hop, lay on the beach, jog, walk, eat at beach cafes, buy, drink, dance, write – do whatever but don’t rush. This is a place that rewards laziness. All these make Gokarna a great two day weekend getaway from Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai and Pune during Oct-Apr.

Each beach in Gokarna is a lazy man’s paradise. Stay and eat at a beach side hack/cafe/hotel/resort. Lie on the  beach – on a bed-sheet with a hat over your face to avoid sun/eye-contact, or with the sun scorching your back. Or, read a book lying on a towel and in your bare minimum. And the best part, wear almost anything that you want (just that you have to wear something) – barmudas with sleepers, Alibaba pants and top, or a skirt of any shape and size.

There are five beaches in Gokarna – Gokarna, Kudle, Om, Half Moon and Paradise, in that order.

Gokarna Beach at Dusk

Gokarna Beach – It lies close to the town and is frequented by locals and tourists alike. The beach is close to the Mahabaleshwar Temple, a very old Lord Shiva temple that has an associated legend as well. At the beach, you can spot families, young and elderly couples, single and group travellers. It goes without saying – several fast food joints and the groundnut/balloon sellers adorn the shoreline. In the vicinity, you will find plenty of hotels, food joints and garments/puja shops. A word of caution here for tourists:  Avoid wearing skimpy clothes in the area. Since the ancient temple is nearby, this part of Gokarna is more of a pilgrim town than a beach town. You wouldn’t want to be an eye-sore for the locals just for your choice of clothes.

Kudle Beach

Kudle Beach – Is mostly frequented by foreigners and is almost a kilometer long, pretty wide as well. This gives you ample space to engage in the usual beach games, bonfires etc. Rocks, and plenty of them, adorn the sea shore. You’d find foreign tourists (mostly, but some Indians as well) staying in the shacks – sleeping, eating, drinking and reading.  I spotted the “Shantaram” being read atleast atleast thrice! King Fish delicacies are very tasty and are reasonably priced, in fact cheaper than most restaurants in Bangalore. The eateries play continental/Israeli music all the time. You could also beach trek from Kudle to Mahabaleshwar Temple.

OM Beach

OM Beach – This beach is around 20 minutes of an auto ride from the Gokarna bus stand. Certainly the best of the five Gokarna beaches, the beach derives its name from the Hindu religious symbol – OM, since its shape resembles that of the symbol. The ‘OM’ shape is pretty evident when you see the beach from the hillocks on the either side. However, the right side gives a better view than the left. Consequently, the picture you take would be mirror image of the OM symbol. The beach is the longest among the five beaches and is frequented by Indian and foreign tourists alike. You can stay at the Namaste Café which overlooks the OM Beach, or at any of the several shacks that are scattered around the beach. There is also the Swaswara resort as well, a hundred odd meters away from Om beach. There are three equidistant rocky patches at the beach. Two things you shouldn’t miss at OM – sitting atop each rock patch and the morning jog.

Half Moon Beach

Half Moon Beach – It’s a tiny beach and can be reached by beach trekking from Om, or by paying INR 200 on a ferry boat. But the ferry ride wouldn’t allow you to spend much time at the beach. The beach has huge rocks as well. There’s a hut and you may as well get some food there. Once here lose yourself and merge with the tranquil surroundings.

Paradise Beach – The fifth and the last beach in the series, and it befits its name. You have to beach trek for about 20 min from Half Moon beach to reach Paradise beach. There are a couple of beach cafes as well.

Tips…
1. Be careful while swimming, as the sea is shallow at some places and there are several cases of death due to drowning reported every year here.
2. As usual, bargain hard with the sellers – beads sellers, clothes and accessories sellers, musical instruments sellers etc.
3. Take mosquito repellent and a bed-sheet with you.
4. Try beach trek – there are at least four options. If you can’t beach trek at all, you can see the beaches on a ferry boat – at INR 200 per head.
5. Take your swimwear with you – there aren’t too many beaches in India where you can wear them without being ogled. So, don’t miss this opportunity.
6. Don’t wear bikini at the Gokarna Beach – this may offend the local people and the police. But you may wear them at the other four beaches.
7. Don’t miss the morning jog at OM beach.

Our first holiday as Club Mahindra members saw us driven by the whisky breath “Gogi” to old Delhi station. We clambered on to a train to Pathankot.

Disembarking the next morning at Pathankot, we were greeted by our driver and made our way through the town’s market, frequently crossing paths with huge military trucks either laden with goods or jawans.

That was followed by a quick breakfast stop at a wayside restaurant where we were greeted by Himesh Reshamiyya’s latest and a group of tourists who entertained us by grooving to his nasal notes. We made a stop at the curious stalagmite temple where water dripping on limestone had created a Shivaling. No photo graphs were allowed so we had to stay content with retaining the visuals in our memory, but quite an amazing experience.

As we neared Dharamshala, a couple of official vehicles whizzed by taking away the Dalai Lama on an official tour, robbing us of the chance to see the Dalai Lama or be in his presence.

Finally after a few hours drive we were at the Club Mahindra Kangra valley resort, just in time for a late lunch. I entered my room and my jaw literally dropped at the magnificent view. The mighty Dhauladhar looked down both kindly and sternly I thought and reminded me of my smallness and mortality; Most humbling feeling. We ended the day by visiting the highest point at Dharamshala and to bask in an astounding view.

The Magnificent Dhauladhar

The next morning we were accompanied by Tampa, our guide as he took us on a 5 hour trek through Dharamshala. We began the tour completely wrapped up in thick padded jackets and by the end, were cursing ourselves for layering ourselves with so many clothes! Tampa was humorous and engaging and we met several Tibetan students readying themselves for their exams. One of them told us how he had crossed the Himalayas on foot!

The best thing about Dharamshala is the constant murmuring and gurgling of little mountain brooks that seem to follow you everywhere! Good Qi I guess according to Feng Shui!

Dharamshala - Source FlickR Deepsan

In the late evening we stopped by at the Bhagsunath temple and dipped our hands into the icy cold waters of the temple tank fed by the melted glaciers of Gangotri.
The next day we mounted an ambitious trek to Bhagsunath falls. Here I came across a strange herb, close cousin to valerian, that has the distinct and unmistakable smell of toe – jam! Young girls and boys sprinted across by me on the steep climb on heeled and fancy shoes while I laboured for breath and stamina in my trusty Reeboks. It was worth it when we reached the summit.

We left the next day for a quick tour of Palampur- Karan’s Singh’s summer palace, Kangra Fort, Andretta, the famous painter Shobha Singh’s residence and finished it with a visit to the Baijnath Temple.

Another day saw us visiting India’s Switzerland Khajjiar, where for the first time I saw Zorbing! Honestly I did not have the guts to try it out after a greasy but hearty meal at the local hotel.

We left Dharamshala and made our way to Wagah where we learnt a lesson in patriotism. But more on that in the next post!

A few memories from a visit to Amritsar more than a year ago.

The temple at Amritsar must be the most peaceful place of worship I have ever been to, and certainly the cleanest. We visited twice during the day and again at night, especially to catch the reflected glow of the temple in the pool…

So, here goes – all that glitters…

At first sight, the temple is everything you imagined it to be – impressive, peaceful and bustling with life at the same time…

People were friendly and everyone we made eye contact with, smiled at us, and my bulky camera evoked a lot of interest.

He first glared at me, and then posed with a smile for my camera…

The temple at night

This is one of my all-time favorite images – it was not unusual to see people sitting by the pool, by the walls, either meditating or in silent prayer – somehow adding to the atmosphere of quiet and calm.

At night, the temple even more beautiful and the sense of peace is stronger…

And in the market outside, this, and many interesting sights…

Off with his foot!

We travel to Bangalore almost once a year if not more. Up to the last year we always thought it was a great idea to catch a low cost flight and reach there in two and a half hours flat. However with the economy being what it is, this time we had to rethink. We usually do our tickets for this trip in advance (after all you can’t just turn up and catch a bus to Bangalore from New Delhi, like we keep doing when we go to the hills). So, around September 2008 when we looked (for a December 2008 trip) the fuel and hence the air ticket prices were quite high.

Entering Bhusawal Station on the way to Delhi, the Karnataka Express Train behind my coach

We decided to book our tickets in Rajdhani Express and brave it out for 36 hours. Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel on a train, it is only that the last time we took a Rajdhani it was so late (fog in the North and rains in the South) that we had cancelled our return tickets and booked a low cost flight instead. Our return tickets this time were in Karnataka Express, AC III both ways. Mercifully there was no side middle berth (which we saw on Mangalore Express) on any of these trains.

So what is your guess? The journey must have been comparable, right? I don’t think so.

The biggest advantage of traveling by the Rajdhani Express to Bangalore, is the time saved (though I wonder what we do with the amount of time we try to keep saving, sometimes it feels it is better to spend that time on rain, rather than in my mundane activities). It takes 36 hours to reach Bangalore by Rajdhani and 42 by Karnataka Express. The tickets of the Rajdhani Express are a bit more expensive but then they serve you meals throughout and that is included in the ticket price.

Now before you read any further (I teach college kids, that is my day job. You can imagine a very teacher like voice saying these lines) it would make a lot of sense to listen to the video first. Listen because there is not much of a video there, the still photograph of the train is all you will see. My elder nephew did all these tricks so that I could upload the MP3 on Youtube which I am told is otherwise not possible. In the video after two minutes you can listen to a small sample of the tunes they keep playing on the public address system of the train.

How do you find the welcome after boarding the Rajdhani Express train? That cacophony continues for a good ten minutes when you board the train and it can send small children into a crying frenzy! They wake you up between 6.00 and 7.00 am in the morning to drink tea! Don’t get me wrong, I live on tea but at 6.00 am I like only one thing and that is sleep!

The sample song that you listened to (what? you have not listen to the soundtrack of the video even now?) they play it at all the hours of day and night. One of the things I am looking forward on a 36 hour journey is to catch up on sleep! It is impossible with the music blaring at all hours at a volume over which I have no control. It might have made sense to play music (for a limited period) in an era when music players were not in every device you could think of! Now if I wish to listen to a song I can with my mobile phone and so can almost everyone that is the target market of the Rajdhani Express. Then they have been playing the same songs since last 20 years or so it feels. We realized this time that there is a person in the pantry whose job is to play the songs. You can request him to play it down but whether he will comply and for how long is any body’s guess.

The sound system is pathetic. It just drives you nuts with the repetitive music in screeching tones at all hours. I wonder if there is someone who likes to listen to it, but then I am sure the Indian Railway is not going to conduct a customer satisfaction survey anytime soon. When I posted a shorter version of this post on my blog one of our friends (yes we know Ranjit) suggested that there is a knob at the side of the speakers through which you can turn the music down. Let me know if you could do this on the train.

Also Rajdhani being an important train the number of ‘official’ looking people is much higher on it than Karnataka Express. So, this time when I tried traveling on the doors* of Rajdhani Express (a first for me) quite promptly I was told that due to the open doors the coach becomes heated as hot air would go in every time someone came out of the AC section. Now had he told me that it was risky to travel at the door I could have got into an argument but what do I do if someone tells me that my foolishness would interfere with others’ comfort? I closed the door and so did another person hanging on the other side. But as soon as those ‘official’ people went ahead, he opened the gate again. So did I but not for long, as I was in no mood to play this game again and again. No such hassles on the Karnataka Express, much less ‘official’ looking people and much more acceptance of traveling at the door.

Now would you blame me if I wish to avoid the Rajdhani Express train the next time around even though if it means sitting for longer in the Karnataka Express but mercifully without a public address system?

However, when I posted my experience of Rajdhani at Indiamike, not too many people seem to mind the music. On the other hand, people have done more outlandish things than just traveling on the door of a train.

*Traveling at the door is very common on Indian train but by no means encouraged by the railway staff.

The very mention of Singapore brings memories of tall skyscrapers, clean roads, efficient administration and above all spectacular Mega malls with a glittering array of international brands for shopping plus of course tourist attractions. Today we see three different sites of Singapore – a reservoir park, a bird park and a museum.

Read the full story

Before the days of motor ways crisscrossing the mountainous landscapes of Himalaya, people relied on their strong feet and travelled long distances by walking. Pilgrims made journeys lasting many months to visit the holy places where the mighty river Ganga originated. Things are much different today, as people buzz from place to place in buses and jeeps.

In his book ‘Sacred Waters’, Stephen Alters tries to get closer to land and nature, taking the Himalayas by feet, travelling to the four holy origins of the Ganga – the char dham.

Alter leaves behind his watch at home deliberately as he sets on the journey and allows the route to unfold at its own pace. He finds his way with the help of villagers as he moves, trying to avoid noisy motor roads and searching for the old abandoned pilgrim trails. With his progress, he describes people, landscapes and culture that unfolds in front of him, always staying close to nature and observing changes created by the modern world.

His description often brings forth the sanctity of nature as he describes the unpeopled forests of Garhwal region, its flora and fauna, hilly landscapes, rivers and lakes. The naturalist in Alter unfolds as he takes the reader along describing his walks along the forests of Moru Oak trees or sightings of verditer flycatchers and barking deers.

Author’s quest in the book is as much spiritual as it is about the contemporary life in Garhwal. Besides writing about his spiritual experiences and moments of blissful feelings in the journey, Alter ensures that he talks about every aspect of the region in the book. Along with Garhwal’s nature and environment, he digs on the history and mythology of each temple he visits, sees cultural and social changes that are brought about by motor roads and attitude of people to change. His description of destruction of the mountains in Tehri for construction of the mighty Tehri dam is touching and depressing, and his talks with activist Sundarlal Bahuguna in Tehri town, informative.

‘Sacred Waters’ is an excellent introduction to the Garhwal region of Indian Himalayas, and his narration is intense and comes from the heart. The book is a good read for audience interested in any aspect of the region, be it culture, journeys, history or environment.

The Old Patagonian Express (1979) is a written account of a journey taken by novelist Paul Theroux. Starting out from his home town in Massachusetts, via Boston and Chicago, Theroux travels by train across the North American plains to Laredo, Texas.

He then crosses the border and takes a train south through Mexico to Veracruz where he meets a woman looking for a her long-lost lover. He then takes the the train south into Guatemala and then El Salvador where he goes to a soccer match and is amazed by the violence. He then flies to Costa Rica where the takes the train to Limon and Puntarenas. He ended his transit of Central America in Panama where takes the short train ride across the isthmus. He then proceeds to Colombia and then over the Andes and finally reaches the cold, bare heart of Patagonia, the small town of Esquel. He endures harsh climates, including the extreme altitude of Peru and the Bolivian Plateau, meets the famous author Jorge Luis Borges in Buenos Aires and is reunited with long lost family in Ecuador.