Sixty-eight feet long, and about ten feet wide. That’s about the size of an executive jet aircraft. Can you imagine eighteen people living, working and sleeping in so small a space, especially for prolonged periods of time?

Those are the conditions under which the crews in the Clipper Round the World yacht race live while they’re at sea. All of them have paid, or been sponsored to do all or part of this race, even though a complete circumnavigation would cost four times as much as a round the world trip in a cruise liner.

Nevertheless, the race organisers describe it as a race for ‘people like you’. They like to point out that more people have climbed Mount Everest than have sailed around the world, and most of those who have are professionals.

Not that there’s much difference; as yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the founder of the race, points out, the sea makes no distinction between the amateur and the pro.

Little or no sailing experience is called for at the time of application. However training is given both before and during the race and, even when only one leg of the race is completed, everyone will be a seasoned, experienced sailor, able to turn themselves to the many and varied tasks involved.

The boats were designed by English designer Ed Dupont, and built in Shanghai, China. They are all identical, constructed of a layer of balsa wood sandwiched between two layers of glass fibre. They each carry a wardrobe of eleven sails, the selection and setting of which is left to the preference of individual skippers.

Each of the yachts is sponsored by a city, an area or a country, and is crewed by a professional skipper, and people from all walks of life … ‘people like you’, in fact. We met a 27 year old sales assistant and a 45 year old lawyer. All age ranges are covered, from teenagers to septuagenarians.

This year, the race started from Southampton, and before the race, I was privileged to be invited to the naming ceremony for the two Australian boats, the ‘Gold Coast’ and the ‘Geraldton’.

Before the ceremony, sailed in the boats on Southampton Water, to give us some idea of what it would be like, living in such a confined space. Probably the most important skill to be learned is, if you don’t have anything to do, keeping out of the way of anyone who has!

At the naming ceremony, Sir Robin made a short speech, wishing each boat good fortune then both skippers sprayed the bows of their respective boats with champagne. And, that’s the last alcoholic liquor that will be allowed on board for a while … the Clipper Race is strictly ‘dry’!

Muscat Harbour

The main factor that gave Oman its importance is its strategic position right at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Contrary to popular belief, it is not in the Arabian Gulf, but has the Gulf of Oman on one coast, and the Indian Ocean on another. But, entirely cut off from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates, is the Omani enclave of Musandam, from which Oman can control south bank of the Straits of Hormuz, through which pass 20% of the world’s seaborne oil shipments from the countries around the Gulf.

Even before the discovery of oil, the capital and main port, Muscat, was noted for trade, both legal and illegal. Silks and pearls, slaves and spices; all passed through Muscat, especially after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama identified it as an important stop on the trade routes from India to Europe. In 1507, the Portuguese actually took possession of Muscat and its surrounding area, and remained in power for about 150 years until the Omanis, under Sultan bin Saif, wrested it back.

Nizwa Fort

But, the Portuguese didn’t only control Oman. They held much of the West African coast, especially the important trading ports of Mombasa, in present-day Kenya and Zanzibar, in what is now Tanzania. It took Sultan bin Saif, succeeded by his son Saif bin Sultan nearly fifty years to conquer these, thus giving Oman a vast domain, which they held until 1856, when the ruler died, and an argument between his sons caused Oman and its colonies to go their separate ways.

Around the time he ousted the Portuguese, Sultan bin Saif built the Nizwa Fort, on the site of an earlier fortification over an underground spring. Really, it was more in the nature of a fortified palace; there are several such forts in Oman, for it seemed that just about every sheikh or leader of the time felt a need to fortify his home. It’s a hilly country, and sometimes it seems, like some parts of Germany, there’s a castle on every hilltop.

Nizwa Fort

You can even see some of these forts in Muscat itself, as you sail into the harbour. Unlike other Middle Eastern cities, development is more restrained, for the Sultan has ruled that no towers or skyscrapers shall be built. So, many of the old buildings remain … and, rather than reel off a list of them, here’s a video.

Oman

The tale of travel in India for most Indians begins with a train journey. It is the beginning of an adventure, of a romantic escapade or return to grandma’s home after a year’s wait. Like blood vessels, Indian rails criss-cross across the nation carrying people, post and parcels from point A to B. But it would be a sheer understatement to call the railways just mode of transport in this country. For many the train journey is as important as the destination itself sometimes even more.

The Indian Railways has many variations. There are the express trains that connect cities and also the mountain rails travelling on their serpentine tracks. There are the locals that make life easier for big city dwellers and also the passenger trains that have more stops that the compulsory pauses between the words of a telegraph message. All in all the distinct services cover the needs of the entire nation and make train travel an adventure in itself.

Here is a peak into the many adventures that might be revealed in some of the Indian train journeys.

The Locals

The Local trains and metros running in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the public domains where people greet strangers everyday on their way to work and share each other’s life history. For some it is that sacred part of the day when they are compelled to do nothing better than read a book, glance through the newspaper, say their prayers or contemplate in advance the day’s proceedings. The hubbub surrounding them dispels like the white noise giving precious moments of introspection in a hurried life.

For some multitasking working women the local train is also time to shell peas, cut okras or snap the beans for the evening meal. It is a social gathering where the lady sitting next to you does not need to be requested to help you with the peas or hold your daughter’s torn school uniform while you get busy mending the damage.

The local train journeys have their share of drama and action too. Irrespective of class, gender or age people consider it their fundamental right to grab an empty seat as soon as it is available. And this action not just requires physical agility but also verbal ability to nullify other’s claim to the prized seat through various gestures and high decibel utterances. For the mute spectators, some sitting some standing, it is a ritualistic event that changes faces but entertains every day.

The Express

These are the leading actors of the Indian railways. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Maharashtra to Nagaland the countrywide network of express trains is magnanimous. And considering they have to carry the weight of the second most populated country in the world, it is only just to have the world’s second largest railway network for the masses.

Most Indian households make quite elaborate plans when they have to board one of the express trains for a journey. There is the meticulous packing and the detailed food preparation. It is just to say that food is one of the reasons why Indians like traveling in trains so much. It gives an opportunity to munch on the local specialties at every stop via the station food and also relish the packed up meals made lovingly by your wife or mom at home. Some families even have specific journey meals that are especially prepared every time there is a train travel.

Your social skills are put to practice best in these trains. Many Indians believe that the reason why you are sharing your compartment with various other strangers who are travelling to the same destination is because somewhere you are connected and this connection can be sealed best by sharing meals and conversations. The moment you board a train and identify your seat, there will be people staring at you blatantly and asking the first of the series of questions to come, “Till where you are going?” The answer will help them understand many things instantly. Whether you will be a good company till the city they are also travelling to. Whether you will ask them to exchange their lower birth seat with them or whether they can propose the same thing to you. Whether you will make a good friend and be in touch even after the end of the journey. Whether your wife would share the secret of her glowing skin with their wife and much such contemplation.

Many a business deals, public debates, spiritualistic revelations and chance romantic rendezvous have been staged during these train journeys and continue to be the heart and soul of these travels every day. When your co-passenger opens the bundles of home-made goodies for you or when you exchange business cards with a man who was a stranger not an hour ago, you know that the infectious Indian rail travel bug has bitten you too.

The Luxury

Luxury trains are few plying on the Indian tracks but what lacks in quantity surely compensates with quality. The pride of Indian Luxury trains is unquestionably The Palace on Wheels that travels mostly through royal Rajasthan and promises a week long journey that is equally lavish. The Deccan Odyssey, Golden Chariot, Royal Orient are few others that pamper you in style while travelling amidst the beautiful Indian landscape, sometimes through deserts, sometimes through ravine or sometimes past the scenic sea.

Local presence is somewhat less in luxury trains because of the very reason that they are luxury coaches, reserved for the elite and the ones who can afford the royal pampering. But the journey is a good experience for those who want to experience the Indian railways minus the crowd.

Whether it is the luxury trains, the locals or the multi destination choo-chooing express trains, the train journeys in India will always leave you with an experience that you can fathom in India alone.

Image Credit

Flickr creativecommons by James Cridland, Ben Sutherland and Christian Haugen

Albreda

The first Europeans to reach the Gambia River were the Portuguese explorers commissioned by Prince Henry the Navigator to look for a sea passage to India. They didn’t pass up the opportunity to use their new discovery for trade purposes, though. They introduced the ground-nut to the river-banks, and started the export of what was, for many years, to become the main commodity from the area. Slaves.

The end of the slave-trade in the early years of the 19th Century, though, left the Gambia with just the ground-nut as its sole tradeable commodity. So, they’re looking to tourism to give a boost the country’s economy. It could be an uphill job, for there’s not a lot to display on this particular stall. Although very rich in bird life, birds aren’t everyone’s thing, and Gambia isn’t particularly rich in the kind of wildlife for which the rest of Africa is noted.

Then, in 1976, Alex Haley published his novel, Roots. Haley claimed that his book was fiction, but based upon actual events. It tells the story of how his ancestor, a young man named Kunta Kinte, was taken from the village of Juffure in 1767 and transported to America. There has been some controversy about this book; at one time, Haley was even accused of plagiarism of another work.

But, nevertheless, Gambians took advantage of it, and many people liked to take the ‘Roots’ cruise. A modern sea-going cabin cruiser took visitors about 20 nautical miles up-river from Banjul, the capital and visited the former slave station at Albreda, and James Island as well as Juffure.

The Royal Navy took over James Island to use as a base for anti-slavery patrols after England outlawed the trade in 1807. Before that it had been a slave station, changing hands regularly between Portuguese, German, French and English slavers. The fort was badly damaged by an explosion in the powder room; it is said that blue glass beads for trade, stored in a nearby warehouse, were scattered by the blast, and can still be found on the riverbank to this day.

Fort James

These destinations seemed to be an honest attempt at minimum-impact tourism. The boat could only carry about two dozen passengers, so the villages are hardly swamped.

At Albreda, there’s the ruin of a former French slave station, a cannon, bearing the cipher of King George III, for the English held Albreda at one time and the ‘Freedom Flagpole’. When Albreda was under English rule, it is said that liberty was guaranteed to a slave escaping from the French who was able to reach it.

Between the two villages, there was a small museum, ‘The Exhibition on the Slave Trade’ and a ‘tourist market’, consisting of half a dozen souvenir stalls. Apart from these, they’re just two African fishing villages, trying to get on with their own leisurely affairs. Two dozen people, staying for not much longer than a couple of hours, didn’t seem to affect them too much. I had a feeling that, as soon as we left for James Island, it wouldn’t be long before the slight ripples we’d made in this particular peaceful pond were stilled for a while.

We visited the compound of Alex Haley’s distant kinsmen, the Kinte family, to hear from them the story of their common ancestor, Kunta Kinte. Before this, however, the Chief had to be called upon, as the courtesy of the country demands, to ask permission to visit the village.

That’s a good check. Maybe, in a future time, if visitor pressure gets too heavy, and begins to affect the village adversely, the Chief will have the courage and good sense to say ‘no!’ occasionally?

Juffure

Mosaics at the Bardo Museum

When we visited Tunisia, we didn’t stay in Tunis, the capital city. But, we felt that it should be visited, and there were plenty of tours from Souss, where we were staying.

First, they took us to a museum. I thought the last thing I wanted to do in Tunis was to spend time traipsing around a. museum. But, the Musée Bardo is different. It used to be the palace of the Bey, or ruler of Tunisia, until the French occupation in the 19^th Century.

I did think the guide rushed us rather hastily around the few Carthaginian artefacts to be seen, and wondered it the conquering Ancient Romans did such a thorough propaganda job that, even now, modern Tunisians gloss over that period in their history?

But, the museum’s main theme is the best collection of mosaics I’ve ever seen. And, there aren’t just the familiar floor mosaics, there were wall decorations, too. We were allowed to photograph them, too, provided we didn’t use flash … on payment of the customary one dinar for a photographic permit, which we encountered at just about every attraction we visited.

They collected them from all over Tunisia, and the guide told us how to tell them apart. If there’s writing on them, it’s in Roman script on the Roman ones (stands to reason, really!), and in Greek lettering on the few Byzantine ones. Muslim ones are abstract shapes, rather than images of people or animals, for this was against their religion.

By the time we left, I had completely changed my mind about museums. In fact, I thought they might have allowed us more time there.

You can even walk on some of the mosaics

From the Bardo Museum, they took us to where I really wanted to go, Carthage. There’s not a lot there to indicate that it was once the hub of a thriving empire, which even predated the Roman Empire. That was a great pity, for, in History and Latin lessons at school, the Carthaginians were always portrayed as the Bad Guys … or, indeed, one of the most evil bunch of blots ever to walk the earth.

And, if possible, I wanted to get the Carthaginian take on the affairs of the time.

The Carthaginians fought three wars, the Punic Wars, against the Romans, and with each one, they lost a substantial part of their empire. Finally, in the Third Punic War, the Romans took Carthage itself, and completely destroyed it, even sowing the surrounding fields with salt, so nothing would grow there for a considerable time.

The Antonine Baths, Carthage

That’s probably one of the earliest examples of the saying that history is propaganda spread by the winning side!

All that is left of the Carthaginian civilisation is a few meagre, insignificant grave-sites, from which some gold jewellery, now in the Bardo Museum, was recovered.

Eventually, the Romans built their own city there, reasoning that it was a good site for the capital of their new province. And, indeed it was. Looking out over an excellent view of the bay, Carthage is now one of the better suburbs of Tunis … the Presidential Palace is nearby.

But, little remains of the Roman city, too, except for the remains of the Antonine Baths. After the Romans left, the city was sacked, first by the Vandals, then by the Arabs, who took most of the stone to build their mosques and castles, and set up their capital in Kairouan.

Carthage

There are, however, a few Roman sites remaining, and we visited the Antonine Baths. However, we didn’t stay long … it didn’t give much of an impression of ancient Carthage. I mean, would you get much of an impression of a house if you only saw the bathroom?

We rounded off our visit to Tunis with a call at Sidi bou Said, another better suburb of the city. During all of our stay in Tunisia, people kept pointing out where films were made. The English Patient; Star Wars, The Life of Brian … I don’t know if any were ever made at Sidi bou Said … but they ought to be.

Certainly, there were the usual tourist stalls, but they sell a better style of craft-work than those elsewhere. But, we weren’t really here to buy, just wander the streets of pristine whitewashed houses with the woodwork picked out, always in blue. And have a coffee, and take lots of pictures, of course.

Blue and white at Sidi bou Said

I wondered if there was any particular reason for this blue and white colour scheme. I know they originally did it as an act of patriotism in the Dodecanese Islands. Under Turkish rule, they weren’t allowed to fly the Greek flag, so they painted their houses in its colours, instead.

Another place Sidi bou Said made me think of was Portmeirion, in Wales, where they filmed the cult TV series ‘The Prisoner’ … maybe this is what made me think of film sets?

Sidi bou Said

The problem with big world cities like Mumbai is people here are always in want of the sun, free space and the green they so ruefully cut out of their lives to build their industries and urban homes. That is why every small or big opportunity they can get to reconnect with the natural world, they do so with open arms. And thankfully, around Mumbai there are still a handful of places left that have preserved the crisp, fresh smelling scents the way nature intended them to be.

Karnala is one such destination – a weekend getaway from Mumbai rather than a proper holiday spot. It does not have that many nature trails where you can get lost in or that much history buried in its depths which need hours to excavate. But it does have the marvelous distinction of being just an hour away from Mumbai and far far away from maddening crowds, obnoxious odors and soulless skyscrapers.

It is more like a conserved patch of ecosystem miraculously saved from human infestation, thriving on the outskirts of the mega city and giving its dwellers a chance to recognize and feel the glory of nature.

Karnala is situated South of Mumbai about 10 Km from the New Mumbai suburb Panvel. It does present a visible jolt initially to see a beautiful canopy of green so close to the city. As soon as you leave Panvel, in fact, the air starts to feel fresher and soon chirping birds, frolicking squirrels, butterflies, even monkeys are seen swinging from tree to tree and welcoming you to their secret den.

Karnala Bird Santuary

Karnala is a protected habitat and it is thanks to the many birds found here and its distinction of being a bird sanctuary that it has still been able to retain its natural charm. The sanctuary itself is nothing to be intimated about and provides a fantastic way to encourage kids and adults to become acquainted with plants and birds. Although the sanctuary is bisected quite harshly by the Mumbai-Goa highway, it is still a permanent home to around 150 species of birds and 40 more of the migratory kind. The best time to visit this place for bird watching is after October till February, but if you are just happy seeing a bird or two and walking in their neighborhood, you are welcome to do so all the year round.

Mountain Hike

A view that is as stunning as the spread of lush greenery around here is the Karnala Peak. It is crested by a thumb-shaped pinnacle, which is actually a volcanic plug. Many come to Karnala with dreams to conquer this very peak. If you intend to do so too, start as early as possible to save yourself from the afternoon sun.

The slope is not a challenge for the fit. You can quite easily reach the Karnala fort in an hour. This fort is mostly in ruins but has a small temple you can visit. Take time to listen and you are sure to be drawn into the the conversation of screeching langur monkeys or the twittering birds. At the base of the pinnacle awaits the stunning view of the Sahyadri Mountain ranges and the Mumbai harbor.

Thumbs- up

While the mountain trek could be for everyone, the thumbs-up pinnacle should only be reserved for expert climbers. At one side the crest is a straight rock face, but at the other end  there is scope for climbing if you have the necessary gear and the proficiency. But it is achievable and the sheer delight that comes from accomplishing such a feat is reason enough to do it.

Bed and Breakfast

The place has a couple of decent resorts and eating joints. You can also always carry your lunch with you for a picnic meal amidst the shade of the many trees. Do ensure though that you leave the place as clean and green as it was earlier. 

A good idea is to reach the sanctuary in the early hours of the morning, trek, scale the pinnacle, watch birds, eat your packed snack or meal and return by evening. The 12 hours or so that you spend here, might just be the rejuvenating escape you needed to battle it out for the next busy week.

Image Credit Elroy Serrao, Ravi Vaidyanathan & Rajkumar 1220 via wikimedia commons

When we first came to Chennai, several people told us that a visit to Dakshinachitra would be an apt introduction to the art and life of southern Indian states and would help us ‘north Indians’ feel inducted. Time flew by, months passed and finally one Sunday morning we decided to head to the road to Dakshinachitra.

As a definition, “Dakshinachitra” literally means ‘picture of the south’ and every effort has been put in by the makers of this unique exhibition to make it just that. It is a showcase of the art, craft, lifestyle and homes of traditional south Indians.

The southern states of India, namely Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are more often than not clustered together as one group of homogenous species. But if you intent to look beyond the coconut, rice, palm trees, curly hair and burly figures, there arises a distinct flavour and soul of each region and each state. It is this essence of the different southern states of India that Dakshinachitra brings forth. Here too the states are clustered together but they assemble keeping their diversities alive.

Entering the Wonderland

The entrance to Dakshinachitra is like entering a typical south Indian home. There are the archetypal chocolate brown pillars, the thatched roof and the door that effectively restricts the view and thus the imagination of what we may find inside. And unquestionably the inside is well worth hiding because just like Alice’s wonderland once you enter through the door, the world you see is totally different from the world you left behind.

It all begins with the craft shop, the library, the exhibition hall and the restaurant. And while these delights are tempting, it is a wise decision to visit them on the way back so as to give more time to other things in the premises spread over 10 acres of land.

Dakshinachitra is divided into different sections according to the different southern states. There is the Tamil Nadu section, the Kerala section, the Karnataka and the Andhra Pradesh section all connected via maze of brick roads lined with palms trees and other green foliage. These provide shade as well as paint the view of a vivid and green Indian countryside.

Houses and Crafts

Each section has houses, not the miniature version or models, but the actual lived-in ones dating back to 18^th and 19^th century India. You can enter them, visit the different rooms, see the utensils that the residents used, the place they said their prayers, their favourite chair and favourite window to the world. These homes are also a glimpse of the social status of the people living in it and their trade. So while the agriculturist and the merchant of Tamil Nadu have sprawling mansions, the potter’s house or the basket weaver’s mud house represent their lowly means of income and spaces they have in their homes to accommodate their trade and their families.

To give the houses more of a lived in feel and involve the visitors, there are different artisans sitting at strategic points all over the premises. Some can teach you how to make a pot, some show and help you weave a basket out of dried palm leaves, some teach block printing while some others let you buy authentic musical instruments like the Rustic ektara – the Indian crude version of the violin with a single string.

To break the monotonous pattern there are also puppet shows, glass blowing demo, and folk dance classes for the enthusiastic ones. These activities apart from entertaining also are a way to show kids and teach them something of the rich Indian heritage.

Takeaways

As mentioned earlier, Dakshinachitra has a craft shop that is worth a visit because there lies many miracles of Indian handicraft and handloom. From handbags to sarees, upholstery to jewelry, books to book marks, you will find plenty of items stored here that could bring back pleasant memories of the visit. While the trinkets like beautiful carved keyrings, earrings and pens could be grabbed in plenty, there are also some stunning antiques, showpieces and gems that would attract the real collectors of art.

Puppet of Lord Krishna

Apart from this craft shop, there are also the stalls given to different artisans from various parts of the country. These have craftsman from Manipur selling pottery and weavers from Rajasthan selling their colourful garments. There are potters from Bengal displaying the famous terracotta pots and curios and also people of Kashmir showcasing woodwork of the heavenly land of the north in this distant southern land.  

You really do not need a pocket full of money to take some of these artefacts, just ample space in your handbags and suitcases to carry all these delicate artware back home.

Our Experience

What we found in Dakshinachitra is the essence of India that is fast losing itself in the crowd of malls and pizzas. It is a superb weekend gateway when you don’t want to go far and yet leave behind all your everyday troubles. It is an excellent teacher for those of the younger generation who can touch, feel and experience art, craft and architecture that are hundreds of years old and carry forward the beacon a little longer.  It is also a means of livelihood for all the artists who are becoming as endangered as the crafts they make. It is aptly a picture of South India for a tourist who cannot make it to all the southern states but still can feel their individual charm here.

When to go

Dakshinachitra is open all through the year daily from 10.00 am till 6.00 pm except Tuesdays. There are also guest houses within the premises that can be reserved in advance to enhance your experience of a South Indian holiday.

To know more visit Dakshinachitra 

Image Credit sowri, sudhamshu , poobesh via cc/Flickr

Biomes, Eden Project

We’ve been meaning to visit the Eden Project ever since they opened it in 2001. Of course, we knew people who had been there before us, and their descriptions varied from ‘Well, it’s a lot of plants…’ to a lot of high-flown, incomprehensible environmental buzzwords.

But, it’s hard to say what the Project is about in simple English; it’s best to make a visit, and try to work it out for yourself.

The Project started in 1998, as a worked-out, 60-metre-deep china clay pit; probably the most sterile man-made landscape that could be produced. It revolves around three ‘Biomes’. The sides and floor of the former quarry are one of them, the ‘Outdoor Biome’, where plants are grown that can tolerate the Cornish climate.

Inside a biome

The enclosed biomes, within which the climate is controlled, are huge, bubble-shaped structures made of gigantic hexagonal pieces of transparent plastic, in the same way as an insect’s eye, or a honeycomb.

It might be thought that the Eden Project experience could be the same as visiting the tropical house at the zoo, or a hothouse at the Botanical Gardens. It’s true to a certain extent … but the enclosed biomes have been accurately described as the biggest greenhouses in the world!

Although few of the plants shown are really rare, the displays show them off in as nearly a natural surrounding as possible, and explain what they’re used for, and their place in the scheme of things.

All these things come from plants

There are two enclosed biomes, the Humid Tropics biome and the Warm Temperate biome. And, an important building is the Education Centre, for a large part of the Projects work is teaching about the products that come from plants and, even more importantly, how to preserve them as a sustainable resource for future generations.

It's not only about plants!

Since sustainability is one of the Project’s watchwords, they have, naturally, to ‘practice what they preach’, and make as little impact as possible on the local environment. They try to employ people from nearby, and use material from local sources where practicable. And, they try to recycle as much of their rubbish as they can.

High up on the rim stands the reception area where you buy your entrance ticket. Some people think the price is a little excessive, but some of what you pay goes towards the Eden Project’s conservation programmes worldwide.

And, if you’re a UK taxpayer, you can give even more without it costing you anything, because, by some system, our Wicked Tax Baron will refund the taxes they have to pay on your ticket.

You get down to the floor of the pit in one of two ways. You can walk down the zigzag path, through the gardens of the Outdoor Biome. Or, you can ride the Land Train, which will take a dedicated track through the same gardens.

You’ll find representatives of any plants the mild Cornish climate will support. Tea bushes, hemp trees and the ingredients of beer are shown here … and, if you thought that a certain product ‘doesn’t grow on trees’…. you’re probably wrong!

Maybe you’ll have something to eat or drink in the restaurant between the enclosed biomes. If you leave anything, the chances are high that it’ll be recycled. There are no fewer than five bins into which waste can be sorted.

If you visit again, you’ll probably find the Eden Project completely different, especially the outdoor biome, for the displays change with the seasons. If you’re intending a further visit within twelve months, you might consider paying a little extra above your original ticket price for a ‘Passport’, which entitles you to unlimited free entry for a year.

Or, to receive a quarterly magazine, invitations to talks and workshops, and special entry deals at other gardens and museums, you could become a ‘Friend’.

When it’s time to leave, the way out, as at most attractions, leads through the souvenir shop. While many attractive items are on sale, maybe you won’t need a souvenir. You’ll never forget the Eden Project … and you’ll probably want to return at another time of the year.

www.edenproject.com.

Statue in the reception area

The long cotton cloths were wrapped nicely around our heads, covering it and providing a safe resting place for the belt of the plucking basket. Stepping down, into the green carpet like hedges, we began what many around us were already busy doing. Plucking the tender leaves and a bud from the tip of the tea shrub and safely flinging it behind into the depths of the basket. But while my sister-in-law and I merely posed for the cameras, many of our co-workers were already emptying their baskets and with rhythmic dexterity nipping the buds in hundreds to start the journey of the leaf from here to one day becoming a tantalizing cup of a Nilgiri Tea straight from the tea gardens of Ooty.

My sister-in-law and me, busy plucking tea leaves

‘A little England on the rounded tops of the Nilgiri hills’ is how Amitav Ghosh described Ooty in one of his novels. Needless to say this hill town in Tamil Nadu, India delighted the British for many years as a reminiscent of their land in this eastern part of the world.

What the British though found really hard to master was the name of this hill town of southern India. ‘Udhagamandalam’ seemed quite a mouth full as did the later versions of ‘Ootacamund’ or ‘Whadacamund’. After much deliberation and discussions with the Todas, the original land owners of this place, finally the simple and succinct name Ooty was used to describe the beautiful centre point of the Nilgiri ranges.

Today, though Ooty is the name everyone utters when in search for a cool, mist- laden picturesque location with its tea and spice covered hills. Be it the weekend traveller from Bangalore, the dwellers of North India like us who mark a trip to Ooty along with a visit to other southern jewels or the tourist from overseas, keen to see every façade of India, its temples, traffic, and the hill stations dotted along the country map blessed with pleasant climate and made famous by the British since the colonial times. As a result the Ooty of today is less of a priviledged paradise and more of a crowd puller in the true sense of the phrase.

But despite the crowd, Ooty has not lost its touch to soothe your senses the moment you catch a glimpse of this town. And if it is the mountain train journey you choose to reach this destination, the transition from the smog to fog is even more rapid. This train chugs along the ratchet and pinion track giving quick glimpses of the series of piquant mountains or the ghostly pines lining the mist laden roads. It travels the curvaceous mountains, sometimes revealing the deep ravines and sometimes the limitless tea gardens. And when you finally arrive at Ooty, it is then that you realise that the train journey was not a short lived fantasy but a precinct to what is to come.

Courtesy prakhar via cc/Flickr

The town has preserved the colonial era in patches especially in the churches spread around the place and a few old homes. But what is perhaps the most visible reminder of the bygone era is the Ooty lake which was constructed by John Sullivan the first collector of the town in 1824. It is today the entertainment focal point with its boat rides, pony rides and other activities.

For those looking for more adventure than sitting by the lake side, just 10 km away from the main town is the Dodda Betta or Big Mountain,the highest peak of the Nilgiri ranges. It provides glimpse of the unmatched vistas of the nilgiri at a strategic point that joins the eastern and western ghats of India.

Ooty also has some natural wonders of the man-made kind. One of them being the botanical garden, a well laid out exhibition of myriad plants and flowers. The main attraction here is a fossilised tree trunk that is supposed to be 20 million years old. If you are visiting in winter, the rose garden too is something of an experience with scent of multicoloured roses wafting in the air and a spectrum of 1000 and more varieties of the world’s favourite flower in display in all of 10 acres of land.

Seen at the Botanical Garden, Courtesy Swami Stream via cc/Flickr

At other times of the year though, it is not roses but the aroma of tea that may automatically lead you to one of the tea estates spread across the town. Like true connoisseurs of this aromatic beverage you can participate in the ceremony of tea-tasting or you can simply opt to hop in a little patch under the pine trees and pose for a photograph to show off in the urban world probably with a cuppa.

The shops around the town sell the priciest of Nilgiri tea and also aromatic oils, spices and essences. There are also numerous hand made chocolate flavours to pick from as soveiniers or simple treats to enjoy on your way back.

Tea, trees and visual treats, that’s Ooty for you – the queen of hill stations.

Spirit of Migloo

When we’re talking about whales, we tend not to measure them in metres, or even feet and inches. In Britain, the usual unit of measurement is London buses; weight is measured in African elephants … an adult humpback whale weighs as much as eleven elephants.

On ‘Spirit of Migloo’ they have a better idea. The triangular sun-shade above the upper deck is about the size and shape of the tail of the average blue whale. ‘Migloo’ is the name of the only known white humpback whale, which was seen in Australian waters some time ago, and still appears from time to time … in the language of Australia’s indigenous people, it simply means ‘White One’

Watching for whales

‘Spirit of Migloo’ is just one of the boats that set out from Queensland’s Gold Coast to take people out to see the whales. She’s a modern, luxurious catamaran fitted with the latest instrumentation.

www.whalewatchaustralia.com.au

‘But we don’t use radar or sonar’ they said ‘It would disturb the whales too much’

So, they rely on experience and know-how … and, probably, messages from a friendly helicopter pilot … to find them, and so confident are they that they offer a refund in the event of not seeing any. However, they do use audio equipment, so that passengers can hear the whale song.

The boat belongs to ‘Seaworld’, a marine theme park, and you can, if you wish, buy a deeply discounted combination ticket, which allows a cruise and entry to the park. Of course, there are some fairground rides here, and some ‘Disneyfication’ of even the marine-themed attractions. There probably has to be, to get people in and to raise money for their underlying purpose, marine conservation.

We were here to see the Southern Humpback Whale. Every Southern winter, that is, from June to November, they migrate along the eastern coast of Australia from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to their breeding grounds further north, off the coast of tropical Queensland.

Only 20 minutes out, we saw plenty. I was expecting a series of splashes and spouts some distance away, but some of them even got close enough to the boat to enable some really good photos or video to be taken … IF you were quick enough.

We saw whales!

That’s one of the advantages of digital photography. You can take a ‘machine gun’ approach which, admittedly, results in some shots of blank sea, These can easily be discarded, though in a way that wasn’t possible with film … unless you were VERY rich!

I wasn’t so lucky with the video, though; fortunately, my grand-daughter, Ellie, got some good footage I was able to use, and was kind enough to let me incorporate it into my video.

Goodbye!

Whale Watch Australia