Tag: Travel

Journey to the end of the World- 53 degrees south

The journey to the edge of the world sure sounds ominous but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. The journey that took me right to the southern most region of the world was fairly uneventful but the sheer excitement of touching a southern latitude was sufficient fodder for the travel bug within me. Hard to say if I am bitten by that travel bug or contaminated with it. The past few months would seem to suggest the latter.

Anyway, for those geographically inclined, given the North and south poles are at 90 degree latitude and as far as the northern hemisphere goes, you could go almost upto 85 degree on land . South is different, vastly different and by the time you are around 55 degrees there is no land between that latitude (southern tip of the American continent) and the Antarctica peninsula. And imagine my delight to know the Hotel I stayed in Punta Arenas (one of the three most southern cities in the world) was right next door to the old post office. This is the place where Robert Falco Scott, the British Naval officer sent off 400 letters to several people announcing he was back safe after discovering the Antarctic peninsula. That was in 1904. Several years later in 1911 he lost the race to the South Pole to the Norwegian, Roald Amundsen and the journey ended with his death. I am told they were not all that prepared and even their sled dogs couldn’t take it.

What am I doing here? Punta Arenas is the city right by the Magellan Strait. He was Ferdinand Magellan almost the first person to circumvent the globe and its been 500 years since he found that route that connects the Atlantic to the Pacific. The town is all his for sure; and when you consider the intrepid explorers that chose this path to go to lands unknown, traversing the angry seas and this one did prove that the earth was not flat; contrary to popular belief at that time. That must have been quite a voyage. Originally from Portugal, he managed to upset his masters so much so that they pressed criminal charges against him. He somehow managed to get to Spain where the King was magnanimous enough to sponsor his trip to discover the elusive passage to Asia. The year is 1518- After a route starting from Lisbon and heading south along the west coast of Africa the ships head west towards Brazil and Argentina. Between countless spells of intrigue, treachery, betrayal and other such shenanigans they find the strait. What a momentous occasion it must been and hardly did he know he’d have towns, streets, GPS and even the small penguins named after him. I know a few people that we can have weasels named after them. So after he crosses over to the pacific side him and his entourage get to Philippines to their way to Malacca which was supposed to be their eventual destination. Magellan gets into a scuffle with one of the local tribes and gets killed and with him his ambition of being the first person to circumnavigate ethe globe lies 50 feet deep in the Pacific. His second in command, Juan Sebastian Elcano manages to reach Spain three years after they set sail. The year is 1521.

The gateway to the Torres del Paine national park is on a route that heads north from Punta Arenas towards the city of Puerto Natales. The trip to the Torres del Paine is just over 90 mins from there and once you’re in that region, you could be on the moon. Secluded and majestic in its appearance its all about the blues. Blue skies, blue waters, blue hued glaciers and Paine actually means blue. Chile and Argentina are so co-joined here and you could literally be on the Argentine side in less than an hour.

Its home to the largest count of the Puma. Puma- What a cat – sits on top of the food chain here and he’s got plenty of Guanacos to feed on. Guanacos, part of the camel family are wild and love being in a herd. The Puma is a loner, he is more of a cat than a lion. He doesn’t roar, he meows and loves to eat, sleep , rest and repeat (Some of you may be able to relate to him and it certainly sounds like me on a weekend!)

I was fortunate enough to get sightings of the Puma and a herd of Guanacos and the picture perfect landscapes of the region are as close as you’d get to see unpolluted , virgin surroundings untouched by civilization. Sight of a broken piece of an iceberg made the day even better.

Missed seeing the Magellanic penguins- The penguins migrate to the Isla Magdalena , close to Punta Arenas starting in Sep. They usually hang out around the Atlantic and make the two month journey to get to the place for breeding. Interestingly they do this journey every year and create quite a ruckus on the island. Perhaps later this year, these penguins get the opportunity to see me. Much like the gorillas in Rwanda.

Some fun facts & FAQs-

  1. Penguins may walk funny they are monogamous and stay loyal to their partner their entire life
  2. No- They don’t serve Penguin soup at restaurants there
  3. You cannot adopt a Puma. They bite and they are highly carnivorous
  4. Pumas are not considered an emotional support animal and the airlines do not allow them to travel on your flight.
  5. Guanacos are fast runners but usually end up on the Puma’s dinner plate because simply put, Pumas run faster.
  6. The entire Patagonia has less Spanish speakers than Miami
  7. The wind velocity at the Magellan Strait is enough to carry you away to unknown destinations

Travel tips-

Fly to Puerto Natales directly from Santiago, Chile if you are in for the Torres. If you want to be part of Magellan’s city, you’d better fly into Punta Arenas. You could always do a multi city trip. And the Bus Sur that run between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales on the Ruta de final de mundo (Route to the end of the world) are absolutely the best way to get around.

Murakoze Rwanda- Journey to the land of a thousand hills and a million smiles

My own piece on my mission to Africa- Opinions are my own, mostly facts and any resemblances to goats, people are purely intentional.

The Bridge that launched a million smiles!

The bridge the mission and instances of my own ineptitude!

Embarking upon the mission was a mix of nervousness and excitement and in spite of several discussions with my predecessors I had that lurking fear of heading into the unknown. Wikipedia, You Tube, first hand accounts do not prepare you well enough, you can watch, you can read, you can talk but unless you get your own boots on the ground its hard to experience the feeling of being in Central Africa.

And being a bit wary, the first flag was when the visa I had applied for came back within 48 hours and with an error wherein they had listed my birthplace as Turkey. Little did I know I looked like a Turk (which to me was a compliment!) ; however a simple one line email fixed that. The Rwandan embassy came back to me less than 24 hours later and corrected it and issued me a visa that was accurate. What made it even better was their use of the valediction– “Welcome to the land of a thousand Hills and a million Smiles”. That was that one boost I needed to look forward to my adventure.

The desire to do something different, be part of something that enables a few smiles is what most of us aspire for. And you don’t need to jump on a plane and travel halfway around the world to do that; you could do it in your neighborhood. But what prompted the Rwandan mission was to make a difference to people that are starved of the basics in life, people with real problems, people with real challenges. Not people who complain about the heat and humidity or the fact that their network speed sucks.

There we are- A team of 15 from different locations around the globe working with Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) to help build a 140M Cable suspension bridge in the Nyanza Province of Rwanda. A place south east of the capital city, Kigali and million miles away from the comforts of home.  B2P is essentially a Denver based NGO that work with developing nations and corporate partners all over the world to make the world a better place by building bridges in rural areas. Here’s the link to their website

Homepage

The funding was almost in place and the thanks to several colleagues and friends, we were able to raise up $60K in just about 3 weeks. Kindness and generosity ain’t dead. The prep work consisted of grabbing everything that may have some use – Getting vaccinated for almost everything but Rabies and yellow fever. After copious reading and research, I found yellow fever shots are not needed for Rwanda and rabies- well that was just way too expensive and I made a mental note not to pet the gorillas or for that matter any mammals when I got there. If I had a compulsive desire to pet a goat in the village I would gladly ask one of my vaccinated co-workers to do it on my behalf!

Visa check, cell phone check, vaccination check, camp mattress check, pillows check, personal safety gear check and of course sun cream. It had only taken me 27 years to realize all skins burn, yellow, white, black and brown- and its not just a White privilege!

After a long haul flight from Houston to Istanbul and then on to Kigali- That was a journey and a half. What I noticed is the detour flights takes heading into Africa since Sudan was a no-fly zone and I couldn’t wait to get my feet on terra firma. Fortunately better sense prevailed and I had decided on getting there a day early- Acclimatize and getting to spend a day in Kigali. What did strike me on my way in to the hotel was the unlittered clean streets . Just a surprise considering every third world country I have been to , garbage is sort like a trademark. I later found out two very interesting facts. One Rwanda banned use of plastic bags in 2009 and every fourth Saturday at the end of each month, they ban all vehicular traffic for 3 hours and every citizen gets going and helps keep the streets clean. Umuganda is a national holiday in Rwanda taking place on the last Saturday of every month for mandatory nationwide community work from 08:00 to 11:00. Participation in umuganda is required by law, and failure to participate can result in a fine. The program was most recently re-established in 2009, and has resulted in a notable improvement in the cleanliness of Rwanda. That is just awe inspiring and so unexpected but explains a lot.

Rwanda has quite a troubled past and those of us that were old enough to follow world events in the early 90s, the genocide was a highly dark chapter in their history. While it all culminated in three months in 1994, where over a million Tutsis were systematically killed by the Hutus in an incredible spate of violence. Practically families, neighbors and friends turned against each other in an orgy of murder that has thoroughly traumatized society. This chapter of Rwandan history is still green and quite an emotional one and one of the drivers I spoke to in detail opened up to me on the horrors and the aftermath of it all. You are best advised not to broach this rather sensitive saga with the locals. I did get an opportunity to visit the Genocide museum in Kigali, which in itself was a gut wrenching, emotionally draining experience. A must visit if you happen to be there.

Heading to the town of Ruhango and settling in to our accommodations- A shock a surprise but took me about 2 hours to get accustomed to the basics of nature. It was like being in a dorm- Three to five people to a room and a small matter of sharing a communal bathroom; one between the 22 of us including the Bechtel team, the B2P staff and the like. Using the term “shower” is an exaggeration, I’d better use ablution facilities to represent the water filled bucket and the squatter’s toilet. Basic but gives you a perspective of what the local community accepts it as a norm. The sleeping quarters where you start to get used to all the moans, groans and snores which I would christen as the “morbid symphony of Ruhango”

Use of common greetings in Kinyarwanda struck quite a note with the locals and helped “bridge” any apprehensions felt initially. The terms “Mwaramutse” (good morning), “Mwiriwe” (good afternoon”), “Murakoze” (Thank you) were the most popular ones. At work it was a slightly different tone with cries of “Hagarara” (Stop), “Yego” (Ok) and “Tugende” (Lets go) and that reverberated all day long.

An endearing experience will always be the screams and cries of children that would chase our vehicle through the small hamlets as we commuted to the bridge site. Cries of “umunyamahango” (Foreigner) and “Goo-doo morning” would echo is my head for years to come. And when the kids came over watching the build and some of them venturing out to make friends with us with was just the elixir we needed to keep going. For some of the team, this was highly entertaining and novel but from those that have been to or grew up in impoverished regions, this is just how life is.

The bridge itself- All I can say is the teaming with the local community was a refreshingly amazing experience. The level of collaboration, being in the ditches with them working under the searingly hot equatorial sun was something I had not experienced before. It was hard manual toil and you had to hydrate yourself constantly and not to forget to apply copious amounts of sun lotion and definitely not a walk in the park. That’s something I have to emphasize – Its pure hard work and while it would all seem glamorous on the surface and “cool”, it’s a testimony to the efforts of the crew on the ground and the backroom staff that made this endeavor possible.

And a note on my own skills (or lack of it!)- For a person that had glued his own knees to the floor while installing floor tiles, I am rather proud to come off unscathed. My ineptitude with handling small tools is legendary and I only wish the poor villagers and my co-workers in the Nyanza province did not have to see me monkeying around with impact wrenches, grinders and even a pair of pliers! If Neil Armstrong said that small step was a giant leap for mankind, using an impact wrench to tighten a small bolt was nothing short of spectacular! An Indian in Africa may not be big news, but an Indian trying to wrestle with a grinder on his own without any adult supervision is folklore! And hey who better to make fun of me than me, right! As they say, it all worked out in the end and I am back with all my fingers and toes intact.

At the end of the two week period, we could look back with a sense of accomplishment and be proud of what we had done. Built a bridge that would link the communities together. Built some friendships, built a legacy and in my best German accent I could say “I’ll be baack”

The larger team had a mixbag of characters – From the sublime to the ridiculous, from the protected to weathered professionals, from strategists to wannabees. It takes all kinds to make this work. And one thing of note- People took to drinking warm Primus beer at the accommodations like a duck to water not because they loved it but because it was better than the other option.

And how could I ever miss our partners in crime- The goats. Of course the goats that seem to rule the roost in the valleys of Ruhango. With deep regret and sympathy I must mention we had to procure four of these hoofers to provide a feast to the local craft in form of a barbeque lunch. They were carefully procured, tested , butchered and grilled and apparently they were a hit with everyone, well not everyone so its with mixed feelings I say this with no bias- One person’s sorrow may be another one’s feast.

Cannot say I have regrets- It would have been nice to get a day off and go off see the big 5 at the Akeygera National reserve but they will always be around and we will always be back. Small price to pay for the rewards.  Well, the gorillas would just have to wait to get their sighting of Ashok!

Murakoze Rwanda – You are definitely a cherished memory and you did walk the talk- The land of a thousand hills and a million smiles!

Mountains, valleys, glaciers and the mule- Tour de Mont Blanc 2022

The vision of mountains, glaciers, din of the cow bells and the lush green meadows with rather posh sounding names conjure images of a commercial for Swiss chocolates , fancy watches and appears to be pure bliss. These are the attributes that spells “Alps” and while watching it firmly ensconced on your couches its only adds to the allure, hiking the terrain around the Mont Blanc, the peak of the Alps is a step that takes you even closer to realizing and feeling that dream- Up, close and personal.

We had been planning to undertake this 7 day hike around Mont Blanc- popularly known as Tour de Mont Blanc (TMB); it’s a hike in the Alps doing either a clockwise or a counter clockwise circuit that takes you across a challenging terrain traversing numerous mountain passes, peaks, valleys, meadows and glaciers. This takes you through the French, Swiss and Italian Alps and for a semi-skilled hiker like me, completing the circuit may be as close as I can get to landing on the moon. The sheer magnificence of the Alps can leave you feeling over whelmed but what comes with it is a massive sense of accomplishment.

Embarking on this journey, I was not that prepared having been living in flat Ontario past few years. My only training consisted of the F45 HIIT (High intensity Interval training) that I have been doing past few months and surely that helped. With that as my prep, I landed in the picturesque town of Chamonix (which hosted the first winter Olympics back in 1924), via Lisbon and Geneva. The journey now begins as we make our way to the hamlet of Le Tour, France.

The group had a total of 14 people plus the guide and our favorite companion for the next 7 days, Picasso, the mule. Each of us would carry our day packs – With water, rain jackets, small nibbles, plastic utensils while Picasso would carry 7 kilos (15 lbs) per person and some lunch. The rest of the group were clearly far more skillful than I- having done other strenuous hikes so it was going to be either attempting to match their pace or carry on at a more pedestrian pace. By Day 3 I realized, this was not a race and the winner was not going to be getting any sort of discount. That strategy also afforded me to pace myself nicely while taking breaks and take pictures that would create memories of a life time. I am no snail but I am not one to run circles around others either.

Day 1- With all the enthusiasm I could muster, the trek from Le Tour to Col de Balme started out in open sunny climes and while we ascended upto 1000 m (3000+ ft), the second half of the climb took the wind out of my sails. This was where we made our first border crossing into Switzerland and had the first sighting of Mont Blanc.  So lunch at 7,200 ft before descending in the second half the day. Not too bad and just when I thought the day was over when arriving at the Village of Trient, we were told we had another 200m (600 ft) of climb to do before we got to our first refuge. The refuge- Well, it was a smallish room that slept 4 and we always knew we had do a quad on one of the 6 nights, so got that of the way . Common showers and again not too bad. The food consisted of a decent 3 course meal with cold beer. The meals and accommodations were part of the tour fees but you’re on your own for beers.

Day 2- It had rained quite hard overnight so the trek today was upto the area of Le Bovine through steep switchbacks. The second half of the trek led us through open Alpine meadows where the cow bells only became louder. The descent was steep and over rough rocky terrain and never seemed to end. Arrived at the pretty town of Campex du lac before getting on a bus to get to La Fouly. The refuge was slightly better today with a fondue dinner awaiting us

This is when the realization stuck that I have to do this for 5 more days so the mental aspect had to be re-adjusted and had to hit that reset button. This meant I would walk more leisurely, not try to compete with the experts and go at a pace that made the hike fun, as opposed to a chore. This worked wonders and I started to see the landscapes and savor the ambiance more clearly. The bonus of this strategy was those several interesting conversations with other hikers who were either doing solo back packing or self guided tours.

Day 3- My favorite day- Through pretty Swiss hamlets, views of the glaciers before getting to an elevation of 8,300 ft which was the crossing over to Italy. This is when the greeting to other hikers start to change from Bonjour to Buon Giorno! Made our way to the Elena refuge, which was one of the better accommodations. Again the 3 course meal did not disappoint. The beer especially felt special.

Day 4- Had to hike on flat streets before picking up the trail and that was not fun. Its almost like you are itching to get to a climb and lugging a backpack on winding streets can play trick with the head. The second half of the hike was so rewarding that I walked slower than usual to take in the panoramic views of Mont Blanc which seemed to get closer and closer as I hiked. Ended the day at the Bartone Refuge where you had to slip in coins to get hot water flowing to get your shower. Not bad considering the options. The toughness of Day 5 was all I had in mind and had to try to compartmentalize different phases to help get to sleep

Day 5- A two hour downhill hike to a jewel in the Alps, the town of Courmayeur was not bad at all, but going around town during the brief stop over, figured some of us could take the cable car and knock off 500m especially the climb did not look too attractive and monotony screamed. After spending an hour in town, joined the rest of the group and then found we had to hike up for several hours before the break for lunch. True to form, I did not let my mind play tricks and decided to test myself on a climb after lunch. And to my sheer surprise I was able to hike fast and even found time for a 20 min nap on the slopes before others joined up. The hike to the Elisabetta refuge consisted of- beautiful meadows, flat dirt roads followed by a 45 minute ascent which spelt pretty much the tank being empty by the time I made it. The accommodations were quite ordinary; common showers, filthy restrooms and disappointing food. At least I had a bed; may have been sticky but I had my meat sheet.

Day 6- Not a bad day at all. Got upto Col De la Seigne and caught a museum on the way . This strip is on the Italian French border and had constructed a garrison during the second World War. The descend was okay and after lunging in the sun for lunch, took the scenic route to get to the town of Le Champeaux. While the rest of the group had taken the more pedestrian path up the highway, a few of us decided to take the dirt trail and that had us circumventing a broken off piece of a glacier and it was all so worth it. The digs were definitely the best- The room, the beer, the food and helped me prepare well for the long day that lay ahead. This would be the last night and all I needed was a surge of energy to get me through the last day.

Day 7- Started off with a massive climb of over 1100m (3300+ ft) upto Col du Bonhomme, then the promise of finishing up the rest of the journey in under 3 hours including treading carefully over a packed ice river . And it was done. Done at 2.50 pm local time in the tiny hamlet of Notre Dame de la Gorge.

Had hiked over 70 miles, 210,000 steps and average ascends of 800m (2500 ft) and 1000m (3000 ft) descends per day. More than the numbers the massive sense of finishing up without bursting a lung or making a fool of myself seemed to sound better.

What to do?

  1. Prepare for the hike and build some sort of endurance, either by doing day hikes or at least working out your cardio at the gym
  2. Invest in some good hiking boots, decent 30L back pack, hiking poles. Do not skim off by looking for cheap deals when it comes to personal equipment.
  3. See if you want to do a guided tour or a self guided tour through an agency. We used Cairn Adventures which worked out quite well. It would have been even better if our guide spoke fluent English. As nice as she was and as much as much as she tried to tell us about the trail, flora and the fauna, having her speak in English rather than French would have been a bonus. In fact we had signed up for an English speaking guide so I felt that was a slight let down.
  4. Keep yourself fully hydrated as much as you can
  5. Carry a good sun screen. Yes Brown skins also burn
  6. Carry sun hat. Baseball caps may look cool, but they leave several parts exposed.

What not to do-

  1. Do not treat this as a race. Its not the Tour de France. This could be once in a lifetime thing so make the best out of it. Destination is good but the journey is so much better
  2. Do not guzzle too many beers during the stops. A couple is probably okay and definitely do not imbibe any liquor. Not good. Wait until you are done on Day 7
  3. Do not carry too many things in the 7 kilo pack that the mule carries. Recirc your hiking clothes and go light with evening wear. You are on a hike not a cruise.

Following the achievement we spent a week in Europe and felt first hand what the heat wave is all about. Between Milan, the French Riviera and Portugal, even I was burnt to a crisp. Not wanting to say much but I will leave you with this- Do not ever rent a car in Europe if you can help it. There are plenty of transport to go around. You just don’t get the SUV’s and if you get a car where you stop for gas every 100 kilometers, your moods and your diatribes may not be printable.

Fire Water & Ice- The Arctic journey in Iceland

The end of summer was just about the perfect time to get into Iceland. With the pandemic having parked us all within the confines of home and WFH, travel was at first a luxury but for a globe trotter it became a necessity.

Picking Iceland was easy. I had been there before for a brief bit and always dreamt of taking a comprehensive tour so it was what we embarked on. From doing a comprehensive research of things to do before and during the trip to actually embarking on this Arctic adventure it was all quite an adventure. It wasn’t backpacking, it wasn’t taking tours and it wasn’t about going there to click photographs of the magnificent landscape, but it was about driving around the ring road of Iceland anti-clockwise moving always, stopping for hikes while taking in those spectacular images of fire, water and ice. I’d call this a “Carpacking” adventure.

The route shown above plus the Snaefellsnes peninsula on the west

So check out all those travel pre-reqs-

Get your COVID testing done 72 hours before you arrive- PCR or Antigen, either will do. Remember to pre register on the Iceland government website to get a bar code before you get on the plane (travel.covid.is). Also make sure to carry your vaccination certs. And lastly book your COVID test appointment on the same website and schedule it such a way that you can have that done 72 hours prior to your scheduled arrival. Costs 50 Euros for a PCR and 30 euros for the Antogen test. One more thing, carry your own booze and water bottles. Iceland is wonderful but you don’t want to be found short of these commodities while on your trip.

We found the best way to follow our ambitious route was rent a car from the Keflavik airport. The off we go. We had to cover so much ground. And also while the distances are miniscule compared to North American standard, speed limits are low and fines are very punitive. You could be driving at 90 kmph before you suddenly realize the speed limit is down to 70 before getting down to 30.

Day 1– Straight from the airport heading east along the south coast- The Golden circle that had the Thingvellir National park, The Geysir (The Strokkur was especially a miniature version of Old faithful but erupted almost every 4-5 minutes accompanied by the ooohs and aahs). Next was the awesomely spectacular Gullfoss. Then the trip on Route 35 to the Kerid Crater. Spent the night in Selfoss- An uplifting town of 8000 right by the river.

Thingvellir- Home of the continental tectonic plates

Day 2– Long day. Headed along the south cost on Route 1 making our way south east. So much to do, so much to hike so much to cover. Seljalandsfoss (Where you could actually hike up and behind the falls). There are two other falls in the vicinity and one of the falls is hidden inside a cave. Feels like a dream. Next stop was Skogafoss where the climb upto the top was a great cardio workout followed by another hike two other falls. And just when we thought we had our workout for trhe day, driving along the south coast we took a left to check out the Sólheimajökull glacier . Well the walk turned out be an amazing hike, where the volcanic rocks dust the icebergs giving it an eerie look. A must do. What we did next , well we shouldn’t have. A flat monotonous walk from the car park to see the DC plane wreck (2 miles one way) by the ocean. Avoid this if you have other things to do. But before we went down to Hofn (stop over for trhe night), we had to go see that treacherous sinister looking Reynisfjara. Having been there before and experienced the sneaky waves, do not turn your back to the water for too long. Its enthralling! Wanted to do the glacier lagoon and the Diamond beach but just ran out of time and it was almost 10.00 when we settled in for the night in Hofn. Hofn is a small fishing village facing the Ocean on the south east.

Day 3– Headed back east on Route 1 to get to The Glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach. While it added 100 miles to the trip, it was worth every mile. The Vatnajökull glacier occupies 10% of Iceland and as ice chunks breakaway flowing it to the Ocean. The lagoon had these mini icebergs floating accompanied by some prancing seals. Just across is the Diamond Beach where the ocean carves these icebergs into magnificent ice sculptures and when the sun shines upon these, these truly look like diamonds. Then the journey took us along the eastern fjords, with a small town at the mouth of every fjord. Its all on route 1 and our drive took us to the North. Diamond Circle as its known that has the Dettifoss (very silty, angry waterfall) and the Godofoss (Awe inspiring Waterfall of the Gods where statues of Viking Gods were thrown in when Christianity pervaded the country in the 12th century. Interspersed between these falls was the geothermal fields that has everything you could dream of- Bubbling mud pools, steaming mini volcanoes, mini geysers and the place smells strongly of a high school chemistry lab with all that suphurous gases. The night was spent in the second largest city , Akureyri, a town of 18000, right on the Eyjafjörður fjord. Loved the city and even the clouds cleared enabling us to go on a night adventure to chase the Aurora Borealis. It was perfect timing, away from the city lights and watching the spectacle of the green show in the sky. This was just truly fortuitous.

Day 4– In case it wasn’t mentioned before, the gas stations with their kiosks – N1 and Olis are life savers. Great Cappucinos, good eats and well, gas is expensive (almost $7 per gallon). So this day was about driving west from Akureyi to the Snaefelles peninsula. Stop overs at Hvaamstangi to catch the seals but lucked out and saw a whale too in the bay. This country keeps getting better. And entering the peninsula on Route 54, it was just another ooh-aah drive. The town of Grundarfjörður was the gateway to one of the most symmetrical and gorgeous mountain with a waterfall in the forefront- Kirkjufell. A must do. Then driving along the peninsula visiting the old black church in the hamlet of Búðir before taking it “easy” at the Langaholt. So much had been accomplished.

Day 5– This was the day of the west cost along Route 1. From the peninsula to Reyjavik for the COVID test. Good stops on the way with the Goudberg cliffs (free standing basalt rocks), Borganes (picturesque and good place to get gas) then heading down to Arkanes and catch the lighthouses before getting into the capital Reykjavik. Plenty to do, not least the Hallgrímskirkja church situated at the top of the hill overlooking the pretty downtown strewn with cafes, shops and bars. The COVID test was a breeze and I could only marvel at the efficiency of the lab. It was a conveyor belt and got my test results within 6 hours!

Day 6– This was the day when we got to hike up 1000 feet to be at the site of the active volcano, Fagradalsfjall. This volcano that hadn’t erupted in 800 years started to spew lava and the rivers of fire flowed in 2021. When we went up there , the lava wasn’t flowing but what we saw was awe inspiring. The blackened frozen lava from 6 days ago and the view of the crater from across the valley stood up on the peak. Dreams can become real. After this hike, the blue lagoon reckoned that was quite touristy and then the anti-climactic lunch at the Fridheimar greenhouse tomato farm. I’d say just okay but good for the novelty.

Day 7– Departure day. Good duty free at Keflavik . Iceland- I may be back- yet again!

A journey of need- Germany & Poland

My journey through turbulence of WW2 and the cold war- Germany/Poland

Europe- Germany- Poland just saying these in the same sentence seems like someone’s about to embark upon a tale of World War II. And that’s what exactly I did- heading on a trail that took me from the end of the World War 1 to the end of the cold war.

The trip culminated in decades of reading, watching , vicariously living that era in Desutcheland and eastern Europe. It was a childlike delights being able to see, touch and feel the streets, the buildings, the landmarks and being able to sense it in person. While the journey evoked a massive amount of sadness within me as I felt the evil doings of the Nazis and how one human could possibly do things to another.

My days in Berlin took me to the famous glass dome of the Reichstag- The German parliament building where the plenary chambers were completely wiped out in the fire of 1933, months after the Nazis came to power. It wasn’t used during the third Reich and in fact it did not open up for operations until 1999. With its slogan “Dem Deutschen Volken” and some graffiti made by the marauding Red Army in 1945, it’s a symbol, a monument of unified Germany overlooking the Brandenburg Gate. (Tip- Please make reservation online a few weeks prior to the visit. While its free, it fills up quick.)

The Brandenberg Gate is that absolute symbol of the end of the Cold war, the wall collapse and of course the stage for the third Reich powerful parades. As a reference the gate was in the neutral zone of the Berlin Wall. The Reichstag was on the west side of Berlin. As I stood there, it took me all but a few moments to get transported to that era when the place was cold, surrounded by barbed wire, an inner wall and then looking into west Berlin. Parisian Platz is an absolute joy to be in shouldered by the famous Hotel Aldon, where Hitler infamously made the Czech leader wait an eternity before deigning to meet him and then screaming at him causing the Czech to faint.

TIP- Public transport was one of the best I have ever been, The Berlin Welkom card for zones BC enables you to unlimited travel on the trams, buses, S-Bahn and the U-Bahn.

The pedestrian crossing signs in the east Berlin side has that guy in a hat and its different from the signs West Berlin. The guy in the hat was how it was during the East Germany (DDR times). Its endearing!

I walked over to checkpoint Charlie- Site of many a spy novel and thrillers. Its almost overwhelming to be standing there again letting the mind work its magic. The walk on Wilhelmstrasse then the turn into Zimmestrasse and Niederkirchnerstrasse is to feel the grim silence of the cold war. A short walk from there takes you to the memorial of the Jews which again takes you to some heart wrenching stories from people that perished from the holocaust.

The second day for me in Berlin was a travel through the darkness of the Topography of Terror museum which stands on grounds of the SS and Gestapo headquarters and it truly shakes you up when you walk around reading about the horrors inflicted upon the Jews, Sinti and Roma gypsies and the homosexuals, mentally challenged and the site plans were finalized for the “Final Solution”. There was this great exhibit on the Warsaw uprising that brought a stark reality to the travails of Poland and how Warsaw was razed to the ground inspite of the brave underground Poles that resisted the Wehrmacht.

Then this amazing thing Germans have done is to preserve several of these memories of extreme horror; a means to acknowledge the crimes but mostly to make future generations aware of how dark that era was. My journey took me to one of the main concrete bunkers built near the Alhalter station, famous for harboring several thousands of German civilians during the Allied bombings in 1945.

And as I started my day I decided to hop over to the East side gallery- where a good section of the Berlin wall is intact and has enabled graffiti artists to express the cold war and freedom in many forms. Then a visit to the Cecilienhof palace in nearby Potsdam, where the Big 3- UK, US and Soviets signed the Potsdam Agreement that set the course for post war Germany and Poland. It was just surreal being in the exact same room where Churchill/Attlee, Truman and Stalin sat in July 1945 and signed off on the agreement. The palace grounds are a pure joy to wander around and the town of Potsdam is just charming. On the way back from Potsdam, I had go and feel for myself the infamous Gleis 17 (Platform 17) at Berlin Grunewald station where thousands of Jews were transported by rail to the infamous death camps east- Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec and other. Makes you shiver in fright, as I stood at the desolate abandoned platform.

 

The next day took me to me one of the earlier concentration camps, just outside Berlin that housed political prisoners and barracks that were later used by the Soviets- Sachsenhausen. Its hard to explain the emotions as you go through the prison cells, wait, close your eyes and feel the morose ambiance.

The journey across the border from Berlin Lichtenberg to Krakow, Poland was shrouded in thought and sadness making my way to the death and I chose to take the rail. While the medieval of Krakow was a happy place to partake in the local Polish cuisine – A mouth watering recipe of the Polish summer hunter’s stew consisting of Kielbasa pork and cabbage followed by a delicious serving of pirogis. A visit to the 13th century Wieliczka Salt Mine was more of a distraction but was an enriching experience nonetheless. (Tip- Do not attempt to do the Salt mine and Auschwitz-Birkenau the same day. The Polish Zloty goes a long way and stands at 4 to $1 USD. Use Uber liberally in Krakow).

The last day in Europe was all about Auschwitz and Auschwitz-II (Birkenau)- A very emotional experience and from the time you enter the camp gate with that sinister sign “Arbeit macht frei” meaning “Work will set you free” makes you shiver.  A sign that symbolizes persecution, horror and death. The tour takes you into the camp barracks built by slave prisoner, the horrid living conditions and that prisoner hierarchy that had the Jews at the absolute bottom. Unspeakable emotions envelop you as you walk into the infamous Barrack # 11, the place of torture, execution style killings and a short walk away from the basement that served as the first Gas chamber. The very mention of the gas chambers and Zyklon B crystals is nerve wracking as you start to imagine thousands of women and children being told they’re being led to the showers for a thorough rinse. Mass murder, crimes against humanity, deep anger builds up. The short journey to Birkenau that has that evil symbol of the camp gate seen from the offloading ramp of the rail carriages. Where thousands and thousands of Jew and others were offloaded and led to their deaths; hard to even pen down the grisly experience.

HOW CAN HUMANS DO THIS TO ONE ANOTHER? EVEN BESTIALITY DOESN’T BEGIN TO EXPLAIN THIS!. RIP

A journey through a sliver of the Bible

 A passage through a sliver of the Bible-

Israel – As a first timer, its been a revelation and teaches why I should not listen to the media and other know-alls. Beautiful country and for a population of just over 8 million, the young country but biblical land has so much to offer. If not for the searing temperatures, it could just have been anywhere when you are in Tel Aviv. Then you turn south and go to the ancient port city of Jaffa (or Yafo, as its called), you start the time travel to times of Abraham.

A history of building, invasions, carnage, then the rebuild, development, time and again proves just how resilient the folks are. Tel Aviv is just barely 100, while Jerusalem is well over 4000 years old. Tel Aviv is just like any other modern city and still yearns to grow with its subway under construction and skyscrapers dotting the horizon. For an avid hiker, it’s a dream come true since everything in the city that is worth visiting can be covered on foot while savoring the ambience of the outdoor cafes.

An overwhelming experience to walk through the Biblical history in Jerusalem has to be the highlight. The east part of Jerusalem (Jeru for City and Shalom for Peace) was founded by King David (Of the David vs Goliath fame). The temple mount stands in the middle of the walled city which by the way has just over 40,000 denizens, Armenians, Jews, Muslims and Christians; A perfect harmony of cultures in this microcosm. The city is divided into these four quarters and underneath it all, lies the pathway over which Jesus was crucified and walked to his final destination. I got to see the place where he died, the place where he was anointed and the monument over his tomb. That is truly awe-inspiring.

Another sub highlight is the famous Wailing wall, that used to be a retaining wall of the temple structure. As you turn left of the wall, you see the minaret of the mosque that was built by the Muslim conquestors on the 7th century. The Al-Aqsa mosque also stands proud in the temple courtyard. Everyone from King David, Babylonians, Romans, Muslims, Ottomans, the British, The Jordanians and now the state of Israel has had something to do with this Biblical city.

Then the drive from 3000 m above sea level to 400 m below sea level passing through yet another slice of history and political turmoil, The West Bank to the Dead Sea. The Dead sea, where absolutely no life exists. Wading through it feels like wading through a barrel of oil, such viscosity made worse by the sulphates, bromides , chlorides and other mineral salts that keep it saturated. You could see Jordan on the other side of the Sea and its no picnic being at the beach here except to make sure you could actually float on water.

Visitors and Tourists- Just make sure you pick a cooler time to visit Israel if you can but if you are a sun worshipper, then by all means go for it any time. The Mediterranean beaches are just gorgeous and super lively.

One thing for sure – Never else have I seen a people with a more fierce national pride than the Israelis. They all go to public schools until they are 18, at which point all boys and girls have to compulsorily serve a 2-3 year stint in the military. There is a deep sense of belonging that exudes pride and patriotism.

 

 

South Africa- Izwe imilingo

I have been meaning to write for a few days now. Now after finally having overcome the jet lag between Australia and South Africa, its good to be alive again. Coming to South Africa although for a short stint; I see this as an opportunity to see more of the world. Additionally some experience in the Aluminium smelter business is enriching.

This country is indeed interesting. Since the end of apartheid, it seems the country has exploded into chaos. While taking a drive around the countryside, the fields and meadows resemble India in so many ways. You see people walking along the road in the middle of wilderness, stark poverty evident everywhere. While this country is not a classic 3rd world country, it is more like a two and half! We have been asked by security experts not to be complacent or travel alone. Crime is quite prevalent and Johannesburg, the largest city is pretty overwhelming for first timers.

My next door neighbour at the apartment block is a South African of Indian origin. He was telling me how his forefathers travelled across the Indian Ocean in 1861 from India to work on the sugar cane plantations outside Durban.

 

Working 6 days a week leaves only Sunday to explore. Last Sunday 3 of us (Myself, a Canadian, a New Zealander) managed a trip to visit a Zulu village, where the Zulus still live as did way back at the turn of the 20th century. Very interesting to see how they go about their lives (I have attached a picture of me with a Zulu chief)

Few more weekends we plan to go see a crocodile farm and go on an African safari.

 

 

Another interesting day trip: Driving by the African savannah and entering the St Lucia estuary. This place is at the southern end of the Mozambiquan coastal plain and is classified as a World Heritage site (Inaugurated by Nelson Mandela “Madiba”) in 1995. Taking a boat on the river you can see the water is full of hippos and crocodiles. Lazing around in the sun, hanging out in water, these are abound. I was just over 200 k’s from the South African borders of Swaziland and Mozambique.

 

A little fact I found out that Nelson Mandela actually married the Mozambique strongman, Samora Machel’s widow. The lady has the unique distinction of being the first lady twice!

 

Tourism is the only industry that thrives here while locals make their livelihood on the cane and pineapple plantations. Poverty is very visible but for a person who grew up in India, its not all that shocking.

Europeans come to African not only to watch the big game but some of them have been known to indulge in game hunting. Game hunting primarily refers to hunting of the Big five (African elephant, Lion, Leaopard, Cape Buffalo and the White Rhino). Game hunting packages cost as much as $25,000 for a 12 day  trip.

 

While there is plenty of game to watch, I am not sure if some of the power hungry corrupt African dictators are not more dangerous. When you look north from South Africa, Zimbabwe (Mugabe) and the chronically tribal warfare infested countries of Burundi. Rwanda, Angola stand out. And with Western hired guns to add fuel to the fire, Africa continues to sustain its sobriquet of the “Dark Continent”.

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Talking to an Indian South African guy, he tells me how bad it was pre 1994 during the days of Apartheid. No right to vote, not allowed to enter white neighborhoods, running scared of the white man, eating in different sections in the same restaurant..Terrible..Wonder why they think its okay to treat a person of a darker color differently. Bloody shame!

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Just three weeks in this country and while my travels have not been extensive, the time still allows to get a fairly good perception of lifestyle and dynamics in the current South African society. I have had the opportunity to speak with several people from varying nationalities. Many non South Africans, primarily Europeans and Australians see the society and culture as backward and third- worldy. No surprises here, since over 90% of the populations consisting of native blacks and coloured were repressed for a prolonged period. Just lifting the restrictions and ending apartheid does not lead to the native development automatically. This seems like it is a process and may take a generation and a half. Meantime the economic situation amongst the previously underprivileged populace continues to worsen.

It used to an enforced segregation until 1994 and now almost two decades later, its more of a natural self segregation. So much so, that illiteracy and prevalent crimes have come to be associated with the blacks. And its conveniently forgotten that it is the minority who created this situation in the first place. This is an unfortunate stigma many South Africans will carry for the rest of their lives.

 

The repeatedly flashing pictures of people living in shanty towns on a bare subsistence are extremely visible throughout the country. The native folk are extremely friendly and take pride in what they do and graciously accept any kind of tips. The same is to be said of the White minority; nowhere do the common white people appear to be dictators or the despots they were made to be. The common folks have been fairly friendly to us foreigners ,I would say, more so than the Australians. So at a grass roots level, the true citizens are as integrated but cultural and economic differences do make it appear that society is stratified.

 

The leadership could be doing a lot more than soaking in corruption and polygamy. The basic tenet of leading by example is surely absent. The continuing paucity of power and the consequences faced by the government in terms of rioters and power line tappers does not look to be improving anytime soon. The presence of hired guns like ourselves is noticeable in almost all industries. Power, Aluminium smelting and other such core industries have a plethora of expatriate experts while the local talent is almost invisible. These expatriates could do a lot better by actually training the locals rather than earning a few quick rands and complaining about the lack of initiative on part of the local populace. The leadership may well treat this as a chronic problem and these issue be addressed before South Africa goes the way of its other fellow African nations.

 

The visit to the Umfolozi game reserve would be considered as a once in a lifetime opportunity. The massive 500 hectare wild life reserve opened up in 1895 to create a reserve for the great white southern Rhinoceros. The white hunters had been shooting them for game for several years and it took them a few years to realize the fun and games will cause the white rhinos to be extinct. This necessitated opening of the game reserve; subsequently followed by introduction of major wild life into the park. And one thing that surprised me immensely was the fact that the animals are not fed. They are in open country and are wild animals, pure and simple. Therefore they have to hunt their own food and survive the jungle and be part of the food chain.

Seeing these glorious animals in their natural splendour is an unbeatable sight, unparalled in its grace and memory. Soaking up the knowledge and nuances of many of animal behaviours was an added bonus.

We were fortunate enough to view the Elephant, the White Rhino, the Cape Buffalo, Giraffes, antelopes and zebras at close proximity.

 

Alaska- The land beyond

Travelogue, Alaska

Alaska is not in the US, it certainly doesn’t appear to be. It’s not even in this part of world. Its a million miles away from it all. When a state twice the size of Texas and with a population of just fewer than 700,000 is way up there, it’s hard to fathom what’s in there. What’s there is the sheer beauty and magnificence of nature. When you think of a painted landscape of flowing rivers, mountains, cascades, trails, that is in essence the microcosm of Alaska.

Reality strikes however when you fly into Fairbanks, the second largest city in Alaska and that reeks of being fairly ordinary and I overheard people calling it a crummy town. While that may be true, an ugly pit stop is hardly a deterrent to what lies to the north, south, east and west. Of all the wilderness area designated in America, over 60% lies in Alaska. Eskimos and the native Alaskans, the Athabascans still live off the land. Strewn in many remote outposts across the state, they do enjoy many of the benefits that the state has to offer. But when I met a few of them in Fairbanks, they didn’t exactly come off as people enjoying life. Far from it. May be these are the citizens who chose to leave the wilderness and chose the urban life. The whites I came across are the ones who came over for a brief stint from the upper northern states and never left.

The impressive thing is the attitude on how the locals perceive their state as a natural reserve and they are fiercely proud of what they have. They thrive in the winters too when temperatures dip 50- 6- F below zero. Dog mushing, sleds are the order of the season. How some of them live off the land and when we hear politicians bickering about taking guns away from people, I came away from Alaska thinking why would be paint everyone with the same brush and basically take away means of livelihood for these folks who hunt during the summer to provide for winter.

Wild life of course abounds and it would not be uncommon at all to see a big moose crossing the highways, big guys for sure and I am told, the best option is to run when confronted. And grizzly bears thrive in the lands here and finding their ways to eat the wild berries they are visible too. Denali looks like a safe haven for these guys and looking at how NPS maintains the reserve, there is hardly any doubt they will be disturbed. Speaking of the environment, there is a whole peninsula designated by the National Petroleum Service as a reserve. So this is the land many are after. Seemingly this will provide enough oil for generations and make us fully self-sufficient instead of dealing with not-so friendly nations. Drill! Drill! Drill! is the call from many quarters. I was convinced of this before but when you get to feel the fragile Tundra you may change your minds. Just inches below the surface, you actually feel the presence of perm-frost, a think sheet of ice even in the summer. Guess what happens when you start drilling, not only the obvious melting of the frost but imagine the species of flora and fauna it helps sustain. It’s a resort for sure for oil, but a last one at that. Prudhoe Bay, off the Arctic coast in the North West is where they discovered copious amounts of oil in 1968. BP and Exxon promptly got the license to build the 799 mile pipeline from the Bay all the way down to Valdez (Remember Exxon Valdez spill, 1989?). This sustains the state and the way the 140 deg oil is insulated from even getting close to the frigid ground is well kept. It’s a wonderful example of nature co-existing with mankind.

A trip up there may sound fairly touristy but if you bothered to go a little deeper, it may well change your prejudice and may be even some ill-conceived perceptions.