Category: Travel

The Road Trip Down South

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Life down under, Travel

I am having a hot cup of tea while typing this trip down. We suppose to arrive at 4:30pm today, but the flight was delayed  due to strong winds in Auckland. The airplane almost touched the ground then took off again due to gusts of wind, then the plane circled around Auckland city through thick clouds and strong turbulence, we finally touched down at 5:30pm and the whole cabin clapped happily for the safe landing. Isabella was fantastic throughout the flight, she didn’t get grumpy, happily sat on my lap through the bumpy ride. I took it from her behaviour that fear is something we learnt through life, she is fearless because the world is brand new to her and she is learning everything for the first time.

Magnus told me he had driven 1500 K on this trip. We flew to Queenstown and drove to Wanaka on the first day, spent two night at this cute three bedroom house by the lake. The weather was cloudy and we had drizzly rain on our 2nd day. Lichen, Magnus and I had Korean food in Wanaka on the 1st night, it was surprisingly delicious. Especially the sizzling octopus Lichen ordered which was super fresh and tasty. We walked along the lake for 3 hours and the rest of time just took it easy at the house.

The 2nd stop was Lake Tekapo. This accommodation was the most expensive one on the trip. The place is well furnished, it even had a toy box. Isabella was excited about the toys  for 20 mins, then her attention as usual moved on to the “forbidden” objects: shoes, plastic boxes, tissue papers and electrical cables. My parents wanted to do the star gazing tour, but it was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.  During the day, we visited Mt Cook national park, the peak of Mt Cook was hidden behind the clouds. The view is spectacular, everything seem to be floating behind the misty clouds. We had an hour walk before the rain started. Isabella was very excited on these nature walks, she may become a keen outdoor adventurer.

The third place on this trip is Dunedin. We almost did not include this stop if not because of our friends Liz and Lyra. We met Liz and Lyra about 5 or 6 years ago in Auckland. They moved down to Dunedin a couple of years ago due to Liz’s job at Otago Polytec. Dunedin is the biggest surprise to Magnus and me. We visited Sandfly Bay, it was the first bright sunny day on our trip. We carried Isabella down the steep sandy beach and saw the fur seals lazying around.  The water is deep green, it is different from the colours up north. The landscape and the beach seem much wilder and more majestic comparing to the beaches near Auckland. My parents walked around town in the evening, they enjoyed the architects of the city. It has more characters than the building in Auckland city. The most interesting places we have been to on this trip for me is the Larnarch Castle, the place is filled with stories and scandles. When I walked through all the different rooms, I can’t help but to imagine the days when it was being built and the nights those people spent there.

The final two days we stayed on this farm suited along the Catlins. There was no Wifi and phone coverage at the accommodation. The panorama view of the water was stunning from the house. Isabella slept through the 1st night, it was great for Magnus and I. However, we were counting on her to wake us up in the middle of the night so we can see the stars, so we got our 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep but we missed out on seeing the night sky. We also visited the Nugget point, Kaka point, McLean waterfalls, Slope point and Curio Bay. The food were great at the Point Cafe and also the Whistling frog cafe. We were impressed by the fresh local food, and the simple yet delicious dishes served at these far away places. What amazed me the most along the Catlins is probably the petrified forests some 180 million years old at Curio Bay. I keep saying to myself I meant nothing when I stood on these petrified forests site. One thing I should have done is taking a photo of 11 months old Isabella sitting on this site, that would be quite a contrast of the ancient and the new.

 

Myanmar – Inle Lake

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Travel

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We landed at Heiho airport and found our own driver to the boat jetty . Normally the trip take about 1 hr 15 mins , we got there in 40 mins . The car is old with no sit belt .The driver took us to his friend’s tour company Sons of Inle . We got a good deal with US $69 we get transfer to and from hotel plus the full day boat tour. Our boat driver is really young and looked like a pirate . We were really happy with the experience. They seem to be a bunch of young guys trying to do business together . The boat isn’t fancy even the life jackets looked really old compare to the other boats we saw on the way . But every place we went the locals know our driver well .

The lake is stunning . Our room overlooks the water . In the early morning and late evening we can hear music played from the near by temple . Everyday at 4am the local fishermen do their sermon . I really enjoyed listening to the music floating across the lake . We also visited the local weaving workshop. It’s the only place in the world use lotus to weave fabrics . These fabrics are sold from US $20 to $700 . Takes two weeks to produce one scarf . The fabric itself looks nothing special but consider the amount of work put into it plus the spiritual meaning of lotus in Buddhism make it all very special .

We also visited this place with over 1000 temples and it is full of souvenirs shops . Locals get their photos taken expecting a small donation as well . We exercised our bargain skills and got a few gifts for friends back home . I was quite pleased with a gold coloured wooden fish which I bought from this pregnant lady who was holding her young child. Hope the money get to help a little with her expecting another little one.

I came across two really annoying incidents with big tour groups on this trip .Once was this French woman who is about to hop on her bus at the first hotel we stayed , she noticed some local cleaners were scrubbing concrete floors . So she and the other travel companions pulled out their cameras aiming at them . Suddenly these poor cleaners were surrounded by them and being taken pictures . This French woman kept asking them to scrub harder, one of the cleaner jokingly asked her to do it herself. Although it all seems to be good humour, I think it’s really disrespectful towards the locals.

Another incident was when we were about to board our plane , two American ladies around late fifties cut right in front of us said “Excuse me” then trying to go through the gate as well . The airport staff told them it’s not their flight , they walked away. I wonder who said as long as saying excuse me you can just jump the queue ? They probably got too used to the first class service .
My point is I think big tour groups sometime lack of the culture sensitivity . Human beings when act as a pack can sometime easily feel superior towards others

Our flight from Inle to Yangong is delayed due to heavy fog . Sitting at the airport with lots of European tourists . I can hardly find any local tourists.

Now the fog is easing up we may get to fly out soon . Last night will spend in Yangong .

1st Dec 2013 written at Heiho airport

Myanmar – Bagan

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Travel

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Landed in Yangong. But after spending four hours waiting for the next connection flight we realised it will take another 2 hrs to get to Bagan . All because the travel consultant decided to change our airline from KBG to Air Bagan . Only half way in the air we learnt that it takes two stops on the way to reach Bagan . So a one hour trip extended to two hours . At the second stop the plane had to fill some petrol. We didn’t get off the aircraft instead sitting in the dark and asked to unfasten our seat belt . The underlying meaning is that if there is an explosion you have a chance to run off the plane . Since it’s already dark outside the technician had some torches to help them with lighting while filling the tank . I felt anxious about flying after a very bumpy flight from Akl to Wellington in the ghastly wind a while ago. Have to say I didn’t enjoy the airbus service with the quick landing and take-off , getting people on and off the flight . They did a good job to ensure our bags reach the correct destination despite the chaos at the arrival gate. Before boarding we were all given this sticker to put on your clothes, it indicates which airline you are . Magnus thinks the flight attendants are quite attractive looking which I totally agree . They also serve super sweet juice and soft drinks on the flight except drinking water . Service was not bad overall.

We finally landed at Bagan around 7pm . The first thing once we picked up our luggage was to pay the US $15 per head entrance fee to help with the conservation work of the temples . There are about five staff at the desk keep asking us the same question such as where we from. Our driver took us to our accommodation . We spent about $35 NZ dollar for dinner at the hotel and it’s definitely not cheap considering the type of food we had . That was the last time we had dinner there .

The next day we biked around the new Bagan area . A local young man stopped us and told us about the sand paintings drawn by his father . After a bit of haggling we bought a small piece with 7000 chit . Later on when we went to the temples turned out to be many many more people who were selling the identical paintings also “done” by their parents or grand parents . The village we come across on the bike trip are really poor . People lived in a very simple hut with grass made roof which is pretty much all they own .

We paid US $1 for a 750 ml bottle of drinking water at the hotel room . This is quite a contrast comparing to a normal meal should cost around 500 chit that’s less than 50 cent according to Lonely Planet. I’m normally not so calculating on holidays but in the first few days I did feel like we are just silly tourists who just pay whatever and nothing seem to go to the locals who are really in need of some money .

Part of this in my view is contributed by the big tour groups from Europe , US and Japan . The tour groups get off the bus have little or no interaction with the locals and since the packaged tour is probably covered for most costs they don’t mind paying a bit more on small things like over priced water and beer etc …

We hired a car for US $20 to see the famous Bagan sunset. There is no words to describe the magnificent view . its definitely something to remember for a life time . There are over 4000 temples built in the area . When we arrived at the temple we had to climb up to the patio to get the best view . It’s amusing but also a bit sad to see some late arriving buses honking at the flock of cows . The cows moved so slowly and the sun is setting lower and lower without waiting for the bus to get to the temple. We humans can be so selfish,  just because we want to get somewhere we will rush and push whatever is blocking our way.

On the way back we asked the driver for recommendation on places for dinner . He said a few resort type restaurants. When my partner asked which one he personally would go he could not answer, I felt a bit bad because I think eating out is probably a luxury for the locals .Finally we did manage to find a really nice local restaurant which served very good Myanmar curries and noodles . We told the waiter no nuts on the salad , I guess there was a misunderstanding coz the salad arrived with  with lots of peanuts mixed . So for food allergy people the language barrier could be a bit risky when it comes to order your meal .

The next day we hired the same driver to Mt Popa. It’s about 1.5 hours drive from the hotel . The temple is built on the top of a mountain . Took about half an hour steep hill climb . Along the way there are cleaners asking for donation because they wipe away the monkey poos. We also need to pay the donation for shoe keeping . Basically every little thing is expected with a donation .

Along the way there are many statues of Nat who are the spiritual gods in Myanmar religion . We didn’t hire the guide to explain what they are for. In the end the whole experience is like watching a foreign film without subtitles . It was worth the trip though . The monkeys we met along the way was quite entertaining too .

I was getting grumpy of being treated like a tourist the whole trip, so I decided to pick a local restaurant for lunch instead of the resort type where the driver wanted to take us . Turns out the place I picked had no price on the menu and the lady just charged us whatever price off her head . We asked for Myanmar curry she walked to somewhere next door got the food for us. Not even cooked from their own kitchen which was a bit weird . The food was not good and we felt a bit stomach upsets afterwards . So my effort of trying NOT to be a tourist back fired on us .

Nov 29th 2013 written at Inle Lake

Road trip through Tamil Nadu – Part 3

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Travel

The last stop on our road trip is the famous Ramanathaswamy temple. We left Kayakumari at 730 am. After 7 hrs on the road in dusts and heat we arrived Ramswaram . The myth is that Hindu God lord Rama built a bridge across the sea to Lanka in order to rescue his wife Shiva from the evil king Ravana. The place is the closest point to reach Sri Lanka.

I have to say the outside environment of this temple is quite poor. On the way we saw the Pandam bridge which is quite impressive and would be a very scenery train ride.

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outside of the temple

The visit to Ramswaram was very humble and unforgettable. For some strange reason I didn’t see the sign saying non Hindus are not allowed in the centre of the temple. I went along with Neeraja and Sita. Inside the temple this girl about age 14 approached me with a big smile said hello to me. Later on when we bumped into each other again, she was leaving with her family. She came up to me once again with a big smile said goodbye. Throughout the trip strangers showed so much kindness to me, most of them would smile and get out of their way to help me.

The most memorable  part of my temple visit was sitting down at the the entrance of the center shrine with Neeraja and Sita. The priests received our names and prayers, he walked right inside the room brought our offerings to the god Shiva.  Neeraja said she prayed for my marriage and my brother find a good job. The priest brought a garland from the inside of the temple to me and put around my neck. I felt really  humble and had tears in my eye. It was definitely  a special moment for me to be accepted and treated as the same. When we walked out, the goat and cows outside the temple came to me start eating my garland. I decided to leave the flower to the goat, it needs the flower more than I do.

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the hungry goat

To end my road trip I would like to dedicate a few lines to our driver Murugesan. He is a very kind soul had the best smile. He has two children and been driving for Neeraja for 15 years. He owns a rickshaw and that is how he makes a living. This trip he borrowed the car from his friend and gave up family time during Diwali came with us on this trip. I felt quite sorry that he had to sleep in the vehicle throughout the trip. When I asked him where he would sleep at the night, he pointed a sofa in the hotel reception . I felt quite sorry for him, coz in NZ the driver will get lots of rests and good accommodation when the are on tour. In India, life is hard , people are seem to at ease with not having much or if any comfort. He never complained about anything on this trip and looked after the three female passengers very well. He loved action movies, when we passed this road where his favorite action movie had a scene there, he asked if I could pls take a photo of him and the vehicle to bluetooth him the image. He looked really happy on the picture, I sincerely hope he has a good life, his children get good education and luck is always on his side when he is on the road. God bless him.

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Murugesan
I would never get to experience all this without the puppeteer group and the lovely Neeraja and Sita. They took such good care of me and made sure I experience different aspects of this amazing country to the fullest.

Road trip through Tamil Nadu – Part 2

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Travel

We left Madurai at 9 am and arrived in Kenyakumari , the southernmost tip of India at 2pm.we found a hotel right by the sea. It had an amazing view out from the balcony. We were going to check in a holiday resort, but I insisted we check out a few options listed in LP before we settle . It was a good decision, we found the best hotel looking out to the ocean with a good rate.

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The view from our hotel balcony looking out to Vivekananda Rock

We had a delicious lunch at the hotel, I had fish curry it was so yummy and a whole lot better than the meals we had on this trip. I was feeling in much better spirit after had some good food. There were two German tourists sitting next to us and it was really cool to hear Sita conversing with them in German. I think those two German tourists were surprised a lady dresses in traditional sari can speak their lauguage with such elegance and fluency, I was really proud . After lunch we took the ferry to see this memorial, which name I can’t recall. It’s on a little island where this Tamil poet meditaed on a rock. He is also a spiritual teacher and enlightened lots of people. I need to find his famous speech in Chicago to understand the significance of this place.

(Later on I found out from Wikipedia : The Thiruvalluvar Statue is a 133 feet (40.6 m) tall stone sculpture of the Tamil poet and saint Tiruvalluvar, author of the Thirukkural. It was opened on January 1, 2000 (Millennium) and is located atop a small island near the town of Kanyakumari, where two seas and an ocean meet; the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean . source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiruvalluvar_Statue )

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the statue

The ferry ride was less than 5 mins we all had to wear this orange life jacket. I asked people to take picture of me at the memorial place, the common problem is that most people can capture me but not the surroundings, so many pictures with me in it could end up being taken in my backyard. Surprisingly our driver take some good pictures, one of few best shots of me were taken by him.

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Neeraja, Sita and me in our life jackets

When I was walking around alone at the memorial (as it happens I always walk a lot faster than my travel companions and ended up on my own) I was also asked by a group of 10 guys to join them for a picture, they were friendly and harmless . The thing is when I’m at a spiritual place, I think people I met there are with good intention. I’m always on guard when I’m alone, but when at temples etc, most people will act kindly towards one another. You just got to follow your intuition.

We watched a beautiful sunset at the tip of the most southern point of India. It was a beach packed with tourists and families. The problem is that the place stank, soon I realized there are poos in the rocks where I had my sunset photo taken. It was quite disgusting and once again proved the saying that India is never as good or bad as it seems. You just have to laugh at the situation and accept it is what it is. Nevertheless it was very special to end the day at the place where three oceans meet, the Arabian sea, Indian ocean and the West Bengal.

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The sunset at the southernmost tip of India

After the sunset Neeraja and Sita went to the Devi Kanya Kumari temple , I had dinner alone and rested in the hotel. I went out got some masala chai and chatted with a couple from Europe. They have been to Kerala and confirmed my decision was right about not staying overnight on the houseboat. It was crowded and full of other tourists on the boat. Kerala is my next stop. My feeling towards Kerala is half half. One side I really look forward to it and think it might be the highlight of my trip, on the other end it’s the most  expensive part of the trip if it didn’t turn out well, I will be quite disappointed. Anyway no need to speculate, nothing is in my control. Try to enjoy and take India as it comes.

The next morning three of us woke up at 5am sit on the balcony and waiting for the sun to rise from the horizon. I will always cherish and remember that moment, in the early morning hearing the morning prayers and chants coming from the catholic church and the temples …