As predicted, it has been misty all day in Darjeeling with intermittent showers.
Hmm.
As a result (as you do in holiday resorts), I read a book, played chess (lost every game) and scrabble (won every game) against the computer, bought presents and reflected.
As it's the penultimate day - a few reflections, if you'll indulge me...
India's definitely not your typical holiday destination if you're looking for relaxation. It's too challenging and engaging for that.
In my experience, it has always been:
Dusty - everywhere, all the time;
Friendly - everyone, all the time;
Safe - not felt unsafe/threatened once;
Cheap - most places have been 4x cheaper than what I'd pay in the UK. Most dinners with a large beer have cost about £8;
Different - in all respects;
Shocking - that such poverty means that people have to live in a way that would be regarded as wholly shocking and unacceptable in Europe, but which here is just how it is.
Recommendations - if you're in this part of the world....don't miss:
The Taj Mahal - for it's sheer beauty.
Varanasi - for the incredibleness of the ghats and the silent grandeur of the Ganges.
Kolkata - for it's cultured lifestyle.
What has it shown me?
Buddhism's not for me!
I'm incredibly fortunate with where I am in life, living where I do, with my partner, friends and family and with the skills and talents that I have.
That what's important is to work hard, give as much as you receive and live life to the full.
To have faith and trust that whatever happens - all will be well.
Hoping all is well with you and yours.
Until tomorrow and my last full day here....
Love and hugs. Xx
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Day 24 Part 2 - 10 pictures from my travels across India
Forget the rest - look at the best! 10 pictures from my trip!
1. Monkey Business 1 - on the Road from Delhi to Jaipur
2. A Palace Guard, proudly guarding the City Palace - Jaipur
3. Monkey Business 2 - Black faced monkey, enjoying the sun on Jaipur Fort
4. Rajasthani Sesame oil maker
5. The Thar Desert - Jaisalmer
6. Imran, the Camel Guide and Raja, the Camel
7. Monkey Business 3 at the Monkey Palace on the road to Agra
8.The Ganges at Dawn - Varanasi
9. Sunday afternoon is Washtime in Kolkata
10. Monkey Business 4 - Street Urchins in Kolkata wanting rupees for a cheeky smile!
xxx
Day 24 Part 1 - Darjeeling - Get me out of here!
Greetings Readers,
Thinking with envy about where you are likely to be sitting reading this at the moment - perhaps in the warm office over a coffee break, or at home in a comfy chair with a glass of wine....
Spare a thought for me in a cold, damp, misty, flea-infested hotel....
Oh dear indeed.
On the up side, I have been hugely entertained over dinner both last night and tonight. Last night I was with a young couple from Newcastle, who were off travelling the world and not due back in the UK until December, and tonight - another young couple, both coming to the end of their PhD's in Geology at Zurich University, having been over here for a wedding in Kolkata.
On the downside - it is freezing cold, there is no heating in the hotel rooms (I've just been given my hot water bottle from reception for the night) and hot water is scarce (two morning's I've washed and shaved in cold water), being kept awake at night by barking dogs and the proverbial beeping car horns.
The big sell about Darjeeling is it's location with stupendous views of the Himalayas.
Hmmm.
Two days of mist and haze since I've been here, have meant I've seen nothing - including getting up at 4am (having been awake since 3am anyway from the cacophony of dogs barking) to take a trip to Tiger Hill along with a thousand other tourists to watch the sunrise and turn the Himalayas all peachy.
We got there, saw the sun come up and saw Katchenjunga for all of 2 seconds through the mist. Not quite so peachy!
So today - after travelling up Tiger Hill, I visited a Buddhist monastery, which was not at all what i expected ( and not in a good way), a Tibetan refugee centre, the local zoo and then a tea plantation.
I did make a detour to the Windamere hotel for afternoon tea. It could have been afternoon tea in any large victorian house in the Uk, especially in the Lakes - a little strange experiencing it here. And it has to be said that the Darjeeling tea was superb - and not a tea stain left on the white china!
Assuming tomorrow will be another hazy / misty day, I'm ready to leave.
It's a bit like being up in the lake district, without a car in the pouring rain for three days.
Hey ho.
I did spend time this evening upgrading and editing some pictures of my trip. Following this blog are 10 of the best.
Enjoy.
So looking forward to getting back to Kolkata and civilisation!
See you soon.
xx
Thinking with envy about where you are likely to be sitting reading this at the moment - perhaps in the warm office over a coffee break, or at home in a comfy chair with a glass of wine....
Spare a thought for me in a cold, damp, misty, flea-infested hotel....
Oh dear indeed.
On the up side, I have been hugely entertained over dinner both last night and tonight. Last night I was with a young couple from Newcastle, who were off travelling the world and not due back in the UK until December, and tonight - another young couple, both coming to the end of their PhD's in Geology at Zurich University, having been over here for a wedding in Kolkata.
On the downside - it is freezing cold, there is no heating in the hotel rooms (I've just been given my hot water bottle from reception for the night) and hot water is scarce (two morning's I've washed and shaved in cold water), being kept awake at night by barking dogs and the proverbial beeping car horns.
The big sell about Darjeeling is it's location with stupendous views of the Himalayas.
Hmmm.
Two days of mist and haze since I've been here, have meant I've seen nothing - including getting up at 4am (having been awake since 3am anyway from the cacophony of dogs barking) to take a trip to Tiger Hill along with a thousand other tourists to watch the sunrise and turn the Himalayas all peachy.
We got there, saw the sun come up and saw Katchenjunga for all of 2 seconds through the mist. Not quite so peachy!
So today - after travelling up Tiger Hill, I visited a Buddhist monastery, which was not at all what i expected ( and not in a good way), a Tibetan refugee centre, the local zoo and then a tea plantation.
I did make a detour to the Windamere hotel for afternoon tea. It could have been afternoon tea in any large victorian house in the Uk, especially in the Lakes - a little strange experiencing it here. And it has to be said that the Darjeeling tea was superb - and not a tea stain left on the white china!
Assuming tomorrow will be another hazy / misty day, I'm ready to leave.
It's a bit like being up in the lake district, without a car in the pouring rain for three days.
Hey ho.
I did spend time this evening upgrading and editing some pictures of my trip. Following this blog are 10 of the best.
Enjoy.
So looking forward to getting back to Kolkata and civilisation!
See you soon.
xx
Katchenjunga at dawn - the third highest mountain in the world.
Can you see what I see?
Nepalese tourists in their national dress having a good time at Darjeeling zoo
The Royal Bengal Tiger
What it's all about - the Tea Plantations
Monday, 27 February 2012
Day 23 - Darjeeling
Greetings punters!
So my fourth and final week begins on a train after 10 hours north from Kolkata - sans buffalo - and then a car journey of another 6 hours to reach Darjeeling.
This is Himalaya country. The Brits might have set it up, and the Indians might own it, but it is run by and for the locals - Nepalese / Tibetans. These countries, as well as Bangladesh and Bhutan are no more than 2 hours drive away and so making Darjeeling (2 syllables with a french sounding J) the cross roads in this part of Asia.
Famed for it's tea - the stuff is regarded as the champagne of tea - only 4% of the global tea market, but fetches the highest prices at auction.
Disappointed at the moment - the legendary views (both from my hotel window and from the town) have been obscured by haze. also my expectation of a British style Baden Baden have been crushed. Yes, it could be Ambleside in the Lake district, but the noise and dust etc. makes it most definitely Asian!
Up at 4.30am in the morning (just in case all you thought I did was lay in bed all day) to get the sunrise from Tiger Hill over Everest and the Himalayas.
Haze, mist and cloud permitting.
A bientot.
xx
First Home from Home - Darjeeling supports N5!
Second Home from Home - Darjeeling supports the Lake district!
Local monkey
Darjeeling centre from my hotel room with Katchenjunga in the background
Darjeeling plantation
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Day 22 - Kolkata & a visit to see Mother Teresa
Which women would you put in the top 5 most influential women across the world in the second half of the 20th Century - Oprah? Hillary? Indira? Golda? Margaret Hilda?
Interesting question.
Whatever you may think about her, her politics (vehemently anti-abortion) or her religion, Mother Teresa must rank up there in the top 5 (Good Housekeeping has her third after Oprah and Hillary).
I first read her biography when I was thirteen and it probably added to my desire to read Theology and become a vicar, if I didn't end up being a musician.
Thus the backdrop to my half hour Sunday morning stroll through a quietly frenetic muslim quarter of Kolkata between my hotel and the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, where Mother Teresa lived for more or less 50 years, died and is buried.
It is a completely unassuming place, sitting quietly, almost anonymously between private apartment blocks, beside the noisy 6-lane Bose Road and opposite the Indian government's Finance Office.
On knocking and being allowed entry through a tiny side-street doorway by an even smaller nun, you enter a small courtyard with staircases and rooms heading in all directions.
I had arrived after closing time (12 noon until 3pm is quiet time - I had arrived at 12.05!), but the sisters were happy for me to browse and see her room and the exhibition, before seeing her tomb, and willing to wait until I had finished.
Apart from a handful of nuns going about their daily business, incredibly, there was no one else around - I had the place to myself. And I have to say, it was incredibly humbling and moving. Even now as I type this, I am in tears.
Her room is small (12 feet by 8 feet) with a low table as a bed with a thin mattress and single pillow on it, a wooden desk, a small rough-hewn table and 2 benches, crucifix and bookshelves. From here she led the Order for almost 50 years - the worst room in the place (it's above the kitchen), with no fan.
Her tomb is equally as simple. A single lit candle on top of a polished plain cream marble block with just her name and dates in the centre. Inscribed into the marble above are the words from St. John - "Love one another as I have loved you" and written underneath in fresh, bright orange marigold flowers "Come be my light".
It was an incredibly peaceful place. Awesome in the fact that such an influential person could do so much with and from so few material things. Her driving force and motto were simplicity itself - "Hands to serve and hearts to love."
Truly moving. Truly challenging. Truly inspiring.
xx
Interesting question.
Whatever you may think about her, her politics (vehemently anti-abortion) or her religion, Mother Teresa must rank up there in the top 5 (Good Housekeeping has her third after Oprah and Hillary).
I first read her biography when I was thirteen and it probably added to my desire to read Theology and become a vicar, if I didn't end up being a musician.
Thus the backdrop to my half hour Sunday morning stroll through a quietly frenetic muslim quarter of Kolkata between my hotel and the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, where Mother Teresa lived for more or less 50 years, died and is buried.
It is a completely unassuming place, sitting quietly, almost anonymously between private apartment blocks, beside the noisy 6-lane Bose Road and opposite the Indian government's Finance Office.
On knocking and being allowed entry through a tiny side-street doorway by an even smaller nun, you enter a small courtyard with staircases and rooms heading in all directions.
I had arrived after closing time (12 noon until 3pm is quiet time - I had arrived at 12.05!), but the sisters were happy for me to browse and see her room and the exhibition, before seeing her tomb, and willing to wait until I had finished.
Apart from a handful of nuns going about their daily business, incredibly, there was no one else around - I had the place to myself. And I have to say, it was incredibly humbling and moving. Even now as I type this, I am in tears.
Her room is small (12 feet by 8 feet) with a low table as a bed with a thin mattress and single pillow on it, a wooden desk, a small rough-hewn table and 2 benches, crucifix and bookshelves. From here she led the Order for almost 50 years - the worst room in the place (it's above the kitchen), with no fan.
Her tomb is equally as simple. A single lit candle on top of a polished plain cream marble block with just her name and dates in the centre. Inscribed into the marble above are the words from St. John - "Love one another as I have loved you" and written underneath in fresh, bright orange marigold flowers "Come be my light".
It was an incredibly peaceful place. Awesome in the fact that such an influential person could do so much with and from so few material things. Her driving force and motto were simplicity itself - "Hands to serve and hearts to love."
Truly moving. Truly challenging. Truly inspiring.
xx
Mother Teresa's work and final resting place, Kolkata
Rickshaw puller getting a shave and haircut
Market lad wanting his picture taken!
Sunday afternoon is family bath time!
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Magic moments ...the day that changed my life?
Greetings!
If I was looking for a spiritual moment, or some situation that was meaningful in some way during this trip then today for me was it (so far).
I'll leave the pics to talk about the day. I'll use the space to talk about another small but significant event. So grab a coffee, tea, beer or glass of wine and share.
Preface
a) If you don't already know, when I go for a walk (usually with Julian and friends) and pass a church, we usually go in and I take it as a boyish challenge to unlock the church organ and play it (currently a 75% success rate!).
b) What you probably also should know is that I have emailed 6 schools in Calcutta and Darjeeling, trying to arrange official school visits to no avail. I have called in successfully, on the spur of the moment, to two schools in Jaisalmer and Varanasi....
c) Also, if you don't already know, religion / philosophy, kids, school and education, people, history and music are all important to me (but you knew that already...).
So this afternoon, on visiting St John's Church, the oldest church in Kolkata and the one picked to hold the mausoleum of Job Charnock ( the founder of Calcutta - born in London!), I was looking around the church and could see no mausoleum, so I asked an attendant who called a lad over to take me into the graveyard and show me the mausoleum.
We chatted - he was 16, studying English at school and had exams next week. It then transpired that his school is next door to my hotel (!) and so he gave me the name and number of the principal, so I can call her and arrange a personalised visit on my last day in India!
He showed me Job Charnock's mausoleum as well as the memorial to the people who died in the Black Hole of Calcutta, and then left.
I went to the church for a quiet moment, laughing to myself that I had randomly met a kid who goes to the school next door to my hotel and have a school visit sorted as a result, when a voice behind me says "Did someone explain to you about the picture and the organ?" It was him again!
The picture is of the last supper, by the way, and caused a scandal in it's time. The artist painting local personalities as the disciples, unfortunately depicting the local auctioneer as Judas Iscariot who then subsequently sued the artist for defamation of character.
So I responded that as regards the picture, yes - the organ, no.
"Would you like to play the organ?"
Of course! He goes and asks for the key to the organ, but no-go, and offers me the piano instead.
Hmm. He then explains that the only reason they said no was because they'd like some money.
"50 rupees (75p) OK?", giving him the note. He tries and succeeds.
The organ is ceremoniously opened up and I have a thoroughly enjoyable play for 15 minutes, thanked them all, and tipped the lad.
As I was leaving, out of the blue came a chap from central London who came up and thanked me for the enjoyable music in the church. It ends up that there's a business trip from the Wellcome Foundation in central London to Calcutta and they happened to be in the church at the time.
I know it's not much, but it's the coming together of it all - in the oldest church in Calcutta, in a completely unexpected way that was so special.
Hoping all is well with you.
Love and happiness.
xx
If I was looking for a spiritual moment, or some situation that was meaningful in some way during this trip then today for me was it (so far).
I'll leave the pics to talk about the day. I'll use the space to talk about another small but significant event. So grab a coffee, tea, beer or glass of wine and share.
Preface
a) If you don't already know, when I go for a walk (usually with Julian and friends) and pass a church, we usually go in and I take it as a boyish challenge to unlock the church organ and play it (currently a 75% success rate!).
b) What you probably also should know is that I have emailed 6 schools in Calcutta and Darjeeling, trying to arrange official school visits to no avail. I have called in successfully, on the spur of the moment, to two schools in Jaisalmer and Varanasi....
c) Also, if you don't already know, religion / philosophy, kids, school and education, people, history and music are all important to me (but you knew that already...).
So this afternoon, on visiting St John's Church, the oldest church in Kolkata and the one picked to hold the mausoleum of Job Charnock ( the founder of Calcutta - born in London!), I was looking around the church and could see no mausoleum, so I asked an attendant who called a lad over to take me into the graveyard and show me the mausoleum.
We chatted - he was 16, studying English at school and had exams next week. It then transpired that his school is next door to my hotel (!) and so he gave me the name and number of the principal, so I can call her and arrange a personalised visit on my last day in India!
He showed me Job Charnock's mausoleum as well as the memorial to the people who died in the Black Hole of Calcutta, and then left.
I went to the church for a quiet moment, laughing to myself that I had randomly met a kid who goes to the school next door to my hotel and have a school visit sorted as a result, when a voice behind me says "Did someone explain to you about the picture and the organ?" It was him again!
The picture is of the last supper, by the way, and caused a scandal in it's time. The artist painting local personalities as the disciples, unfortunately depicting the local auctioneer as Judas Iscariot who then subsequently sued the artist for defamation of character.
So I responded that as regards the picture, yes - the organ, no.
"Would you like to play the organ?"
Of course! He goes and asks for the key to the organ, but no-go, and offers me the piano instead.
Hmm. He then explains that the only reason they said no was because they'd like some money.
"50 rupees (75p) OK?", giving him the note. He tries and succeeds.
The organ is ceremoniously opened up and I have a thoroughly enjoyable play for 15 minutes, thanked them all, and tipped the lad.
As I was leaving, out of the blue came a chap from central London who came up and thanked me for the enjoyable music in the church. It ends up that there's a business trip from the Wellcome Foundation in central London to Calcutta and they happened to be in the church at the time.
I know it's not much, but it's the coming together of it all - in the oldest church in Calcutta, in a completely unexpected way that was so special.
Hoping all is well with you.
Love and happiness.
xx
The old Flower Market
Third largest suspension bridge in the world - the Howrah Bridge
Biggest rip-off in the world - The world's largest banyan tree, having had it's trunk removed in 1929.
If you can explain how a tree can be a tree without it's trunk - please let me know.
The oldest church in Kolkata - St. John's
Friday, 24 February 2012
Kolkata - Day 20
Morning all,
Museums, galleries and walking the streets of Kolkata today!
And I have to say, we have a lot to thank the Victorians for.
Have a think about what we live in or use today that was invented, created etc. by them.
I was moved (had a tear in my eye) on two occasions today - both speeches by women.
The first - Queen Victoria's address to the Indian nation on her inauguration as Empress of India. A master class in political writing. The second was by a local writer on the British in Calcutta, writing in the Calcutta museum, that no other city in India profitted so much under British rule while they were in power and no other city paid so high a price when they left.
At their best, both societies have a great entrepeneurial drive, which is what made the East India Company so successful. At their worst, both societies are hugely divided by class and continue to contend with this issue.
Bought some artwork, got chatted up (first time all holiday, I may add - read into that what you will), ate in the equivalent of an Indian Burger King (fantastic! - come on, allow me some time to do cheap and cheerful!) and relaxed - sleeping well and the hotel have been fantastic.
Hope all well in blighty.
xx
Spot the difference - Four images of the establishment - London or Kolkata?
Royalty / aristocracy - The Victoria Memorial
The Church - St. Paul's Cathedral
The Law - The High Courts
Politics - Government House
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