Bewitching Bali

BEWITCHING BALI!

Sun, sand, surf, rain and the lovely greens……that is Bali, a small island in the country of Indonesia which can aptly be called one of its most beautiful islands. Some sources say it is a part of the Indian Ocean while others claim it to be a part of the Pacific Ocean. Well whichever ocean it is a part of, there is one fact which is undeniable and that is BALI IS STUNNING!

Since we can be referred to as water babies, as the three of us are madly in love with the beaches, whenever there’s a holiday plan, our first thought always goes to the sea. Keeping in sync with this thought, this time it had to be Bali. Bali was long due for us but something or the other was always coming in the way and this time too it was the eruption of Mt. Agung, which was sending us into a tizzy and making us contemplate on our decision. Yet, we decided to take a risk, and today, as I sit down to write this article, I’m so glad we ignored the unnecessary media hype and went on with our holiday. 

27^th December 2017 – We left for the airport in the evening and flew out a couple of hours later.

   Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali

28^th December 2017- Welcome to Bali!!! The joy of landing in Bali cannot be explained. We were so happy to have finally made it to Bali. We exchanged some money for local currency and then came out of the airport to look for a taxi and there, the fooling started. All sorts of taxi drivers kept coming to us, quoting a huge amount of money to take us to our hotel, which was barely 8 km away. We booked an Uber cab and were continuously mocked at by the local taxi mafia that uber would not come to the airport as its banned and we would be stranded. Irritated by the smirks of the local taxi mafia, we decided to walk out a bit and look for an alternative arrangement. Meanwhile, our uber cabbie was in constant touch with us over Whatsapp but language barrier was proving to be a problem. Eventually we walked out a little and took the help of a local to call the cabbie and ask him to come to that location. That kind man did so and voila! Our taxi was there within no time!

Just when we thought, our little ordeal was over, we were in for a shock. We had quite often heard that traffic in that area is maddening but we weren’t prepared for a three-hour journey to cover a distance of JUST 8 kms. Phew!!! We were completely drained out with hunger and tiredness by the time we reached our hotel in Legian. We checked into our cute little property and decided to take a dip in the pool while eating from the poolside hotel restaurant. After some relaxation, we headed to explore the area, which was buzzing with activity. Cafes, bars, massage parlours and shops selling touristy stuff flanked the roads. It was a wonderful sight. We strolled around the area, had a sumptuous dinner and hit bed.

29^th December 2017- This was the day we had reserved for visiting the world-famous sites of Bali – The Tanah Lot Temple and the Uluwatu Temple. 

After an early breakfast at the hotel, our cabbie picked us up and drove us to the Tanah Lot temple, which is known for its enchanting seaside setting. It’s a beautiful ancient Hindu shrine, perched on a tiny hillock with crashing waves. It is famous for its picturesque sunset and is a photographer’s delight as one can watch the sun melt over the horizon. We of course had two places to choose for our sunset and so after a day visit to Tanah Lot, made our way to the famous Uluwatu Temple. The drive was again way longer than it should have been due to the messy traffic. 

Uluwatu temple is a sacred Hindu cliff-top temple blessed by panoramic view of the Indian Ocean, dramatic Kecak Dance and romantic sunset in the south part of Bali. It is one of the nine directional temples of Bali meant to protect it from evil. The temple is perched at a staggeringly steep cliff as tall as 70m over the roaring Indian Ocean waves.  An important thing to note is that nobody can enter this place without wearing a sarong/lungi. You can pick up your purple lungis for free from a designated spot and then drop them back when you return from the temple tour. 

After a casual stroll around the temple complex, we bought our tickets for the Kecak dance, which is a short depiction of Ramayana. The setting sun and the crowded amphitheater present a perfect setting for the performance which is marked by no background music or conversation but just by the rhythmic chorus sung by 70 men who breathlessly keep taking out sounds while the actors perform mutely. It is amazing to see how the 70 men go on chanting without taking any break for over an hour of the performance! 

                                                                                           

                 Tanah Lot                                           Uluwatu Temple

 

As the show ended, we headed for our waiting taxi as we now wanted to head to Jimbaran beach for a lavish dinner! Navigating our way through the crowds, we reached JBS (Jimbaran Bay Seafood Club). It’s a perfect beach restaurant where you can have loads of seafood while a band of musicians go from table to table, asking people their nationalities and trying to sing a song in their language. We were delighted to hear them sing “Tum paas aaye, yun muskuraaye”. 

It was a lovely way to end a rather exhausting day!

 

Exotic dinner and music at Jimbaran Bay Seafood Club

Tanah Lot entry: 60 thousand rupiah (IDR) per person

Uluwatu temple entry: 30 thousand rupiah (IDR) per person

Kecak/Fire dance entry: 1 hundred thousand/1 lakh rupiah (IDR) per person

30^th December- A day for some local shopping and walking around as the previous day had been pretty exhausting. We walked around the lanes of Legian and Kuta area buying some souvenirs and soaking in the local sights. Krisna Oleh Oleh Khas a nice place to buy souvenirs. We then had some lunch and then went to the hotel to take some rest. After an hour we decided to walk around the beach. The Kuta-Legian-Double Six beaches are all interconnected and one can easily start walking from one and reach the other. 

The waves in this area of Bali are good for surfing and they rise high enough for a surfer’s delight. One can spot many surfers enjoying themselves in this area. However, what disappointed us immensely was these beaches were extremely dirty with filth everywhere. That was rather an unpleasant sight. Having dinner at a beachside restaurant, we headed back to the hotel.

         Legian Beach

31^st December- The last day of the year 2017!!! The day was cloudy and the weather prediction stated non-stop rain from 1700 hrs onwards. We decided to hit the beach so that we could take one dip in the sea for the last time in the year 2017 but as soon as we entered the waters, it started raining heavily. Nevertheless, we braved the rain for some time and splashed around but were soon annoyed with the garbage that was coming floating to us, so decided to move out. Our hotel was just about five minutes-walk from the beach, so we walked up to the hotel, took a warm bath and spent the rest of the day, munching on snacks and having lunch in the beautiful balcony of our room. It kept raining and we were just hoping that the rain should stop and not ruin our New Year’s Eve in Bali.  At 1800 hours the rain was reduced to a drizzle and it finally ended. We rejoiced and got ready to spend the last evening of the year in high spirits!

As soon as we were out of the hotel, we were in for a pleasant surprise. The entire coastline was brightened up with fireworks going up non-stop and illuminating the night sky. We walked all along the coastline, enjoying the fireworks while grooving to the music of the street side bars and cafes, all bustling with activity! After about half an hour of walk, we arrived at Double Six beach. This was the place we had chosen to bring in the New Year 2018. 

The mad party scene

We were welcomed at the beach party of the B9B café. The sight was a musical riot! There was some awesome music with people dancing and drinking. The party fever was running high. We had a couple of drinks, swayed to the music, had dinner and then as the clock struck 12, the entire area was in a trance! Fireworks, lanterns, music, joyous people…..it seemed to be the most beautiful way to ring in the new year!!!

1^st Jan 2018- The first day of the New Year and we were all set to leave Legian for our next destination, Ubud. As it was a bright and beautiful morning, we went to the beach before heading to Ubud to sip some cool coconut water! I must say, it was the best coconut water I ever had in life, sweet, refreshing and the quantity, well, more than the double of what we get in India!

We travelled on the busy roads towards Ubud and again it took way more time than it should have. The saving grace was lunch at a family run restaurant where I entered the kitchen and got food made as per my taste buds. For the seafood lovers, the squid/Calamari/Cumi cumi was a soul stirring food.  Ubud is a quaint little area, which gives you the feeling of a hill station. The place is dotted with cute cafes, which are an absolute marvel. Since we reached late, we just had enough time for some evening photography, some shopping and a lavish dinner at The Legend Café. 

The architecture of Ubud is stunning and it can rightfully be called the cultural capital of Bali. 

Rice field outside our hotel                The Legend Cafe

2^nd Jan 2018- The next morning, we set out early for the famous rice terraces as we wanted to avoid the flocking crowds and the locals troubling you for donation while totally ruining your experience. Hailing from the hills, the rice terraces seemed quite normal to me but people find them to be quite spectacular so I shouldn’t be saying much about that. We didn’t take much time, climbing the terraces and then coming down. As we sat in the cab, our cabbie suggested taking us to Uma Pakel. This place has large swings, suspended from large coconut trees and the experience is definitely thrilling! Our son loved the swinging and added one more thrill to his big running list!

        Rice Terrace, Ubud                                  Swings at Uma Pakel

Another attraction of this place is the coffee and tea sampling. You need to buy a cup of coffee to be able to sample 15 assorted flavors of tea and coffee. This experience is highly recommended as it tantalizes your taste buds and leaves you yearning for more. The highlight is the cup of coffee you order. It is none other than the famous LUWAK coffee made from the droppings of Asian Palm Civet. It is the most expensive coffee of the world.  Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee, is coffee that includes part-digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by the Asian Palm Civet. Producers of the coffee beans argue that the process improves the coffee by two mechanisms- selection and digestion.

     Tea and Coffee samplers

Cost of a cup of Luwak coffee- 50 thousand IDR

Swinging charges- 1 hundred 50 thousand IDR

The next stop was the sacred monkey forest of Ubud. It is a beautiful forest cum temple, which is home to hordes of grey long-tailed Macaques. The entire complex is flooded with loads of friendly monkeys/macaques who will climb upon your head or back and still not hurt you. Feed them with bananas that are sold all over inside the complex and they will be happy to come to you. The sculptures all around the forest are covered with a layer of beautiful green moss, rendering the area the look of an archaeological site. 

Once out from this place, we were terribly hungry and so went to a picturesque restaurant set amidst paddy fields – Bebek Tebasari Restaurant.  The food was an eye candy and the complimentary drink shots and beetroot wafers added to the charm of the place.

                 

        

           Monkey Forest          Your very own rice bowl                                                     

Tummies full and hearts contented, we headed to the Bali Bird Park as the bird lover, my husband, Ashish, had to be there at any cost!

The entry ticket was a little over-priced but once inside the place, we did not regret it a bit. I can easily say that it’s the best bird park I have ever been to. No other place has given us the opportunity to have such an up-close and personal rendezvous with these exotic birds from all over the world!!! These colourful beauties just sit around so relaxed even though there are numerous people around them. They are a pleasure to watch and they pose merrily for you. A number of bird shows take place and our son, Ansh, volunteered for these shows. The most awesome experience was having the Brahminy Kite swooping down on Ansh’s head to pick up its prey, which had been placed there!

We had various bird comfortably perched on our arms and head while we happily and excitedly posed for pictures. 

Ashish, the photographer, couldn’t contain his excitement on getting to click such breathtakingly beautiful birds!

Bali Bird Park

The super contented day ended with some dinner at The Paon Café in Ubud. For desserts, we went to Tuckies, a cozy coconut place, which has some wonderful coconut desserts to offer. 

Monkey Forest ticket- 50000 IDR Per Person

Bird Park Ticket – 385,000 IDR Per Person

3^rd Jan- After a cultural bonanza in Ubud, we drove to Candidassa on the 3^rd. For the first time, traffic did not bother us and we reached our destination well in time. This property exceeded our expectations in every manner for it was located at the beach with a tiny stretch of absolutely virginal beach completely at its disposal, a sea side restaurant with waves crashing against its walls, a garden dotted with cottages and coconut trees and a pool facing the expanse of the sea with ships anchored at a distance! My words definitely cannot do justice to the magnanimity of that place. Its beauty is indescribable. 

Our lovely resort in Candidassa

Candidassa isn’t a happening place at all but I would call our stay at Candidassa, the best leg of our holiday. We spent the rest of the day lapping in the sea and the pool. 

4^th Jan- The day started with a walk along the beach, lazing on the sun beds, taking a dip in the pool and having a hearty meal. 

We had heard a lot about the Pasir Putih Beach, also known as the virgin beach, so even though we didn’t want to leave the property and go anywhere yet we decided to go for a short visit. This beach is beautiful but is a long drive inside from the main road and then is plagued by mafia, which asks you for an entry fee. My husband demanded an ID card, which they of course didn’t have as they were operating illegally in that area, fleecing unsuspecting tourists, so he had a slight altercation with the man but eventually we walked across to the beach. Since it was already late in the evening and also drizzling, we decided to go back early and then again enjoy the scenic beauty from our resort. 

The day ended as prettily as it had started.

5^th Jan-  Our delightful stay at Candidassa came to an end as we moved to our last destination in Bali – Sanur! 

The drive from Candidassa to Sanur was also smooth and wasn’t plagued with traffic. We checked into our hotel, which was located right in the busy Sindhu area of Sanur. The hotel owner welcomed us warmly.  After a little chit chat with him, we walked to Sindhu beach to grab some lunch. The best street food was available there at ‘Amphibia Warung’. The boys chose their fish, squid and prawns and ate a hearty meal only to return in the evening to dine on some fish, crab and octopus!

 

The amazing variety is enough to set any seafood lover drooling!

6^th Jan- We had set this day aside for the world-famous Balinese massage. First, we pampered ourselves with some warm-stone-massage. The bliss one experiences while getting this massage is certainly out of this world! After getting our muscles flexed it was time for some yummy pizza at Segara, the seaside restaurant and bar, which is a community run restaurant, the proceeds of which go to the welfare of Sanur area. The pizzas were freshly done and we relished them while it rained heavily all the time. After lunch, we bonded over a game of darts and pool at the restaurant itself. 

The Sindhu night market is also quite famous. It has about 15 food carts placed in an area, which provide superb local food at very cheap prices. It is quite a hit with the tourists and so while the boys ate at the ‘Wicked Parrot café’, I saved my appetite for some local fare. The Indonesian Omelette is indeed superb and there’s an old man, who sells fried fritters/pakodas of various fruits and veggies which his wife fries sitting on the side. The tiny donuts she makes just melt in your mouth. Yummy!!! And then the fresh fruit juices…..this place is highly recommended.

7^th Jan – Tattoo Day!!! Finally, the day had come, when my hubby and me planned to get inked for the third time. A souvenir of Bali on our body.  Kadek Tattoo was our choice and it turned out to be a wise decision as he is an amazing artist with a very good speed and precision. His work is highly recommended.

  Kadek at work

8^th Jan – Time to head back home.

As they say all good things must come to an end, so did our Bali holiday. From the beaches of Bali, it was now time to freeze back home. With winters at peak, a holiday in Bali proved to be a perfect getaway.

Points to remember :-

1.      Try being there to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The entire stretch from Kuta Beach to Double Six Beach a abuzz with excitement.

2.      Keep in mind that traffic gets really bad, so plan your day accordingly. Do not plan too many things for one day as a very short distance can take hours at times.

3.      Taxi unions there do not let Uber cabs run. Even if you manage to book a cab via uber, your cabbie will ask you to cancel it once he arrives and try negotiating a deal with you. Since you don’t have much of a choice, you end up paying them, although you should not forget to bargain.

4.      If you’re just a couple traveling without kids, or a bunch of friends, then you can hop around on scooties easily available on rent after producing your driver’s license.

5.      Seafood is priced heavenly, way cheaper than Goa, so seafood lovers can really indulge themselves.

6.      Bintang beer is the most widely available beer there. Don’t miss it if you’re a beer lover.

7.      The same water bottle is priced differently in various stores. Circle K (open 24 hours) gives you the cheapest.

8.      Bali has many 24 hours departmental stores so you will never go hungry no matter what time of the night it is.

9.      Kuta/Legian/Seminyak area is the most crowded area and hence the dirty beaches but don’t get disheartened. The other side of the island has some amazingly beautiful beaches.

10.  Hotel accommodation isn’t very expensive, so don’t worry about burning a hole in your pocket.

Mother's Day- It's nauseating me now!!!

Motherhood is a forever love story. Her love is a treasure that never gets over, it's like a natural resource that never depletes. A mother's love is constant, it does not rise and fall like the tides. She loves you when you're nobody to the world and she loves you when the whole world rejoices at your success. Ups and downs, joys and sorrows, failures and success........nothing in our life is an constant as the love of our mother. 

Motherhood is the most beautiful thing that happens in a woman's life. The natural trait of a mother is unselfishness. Once a woman becomes a mother, she automatically gets attuned to prioritising that one person in her life before herself always, she is no more the centre of her own universe and relinquishes that position to her child. For a woman, motherhood is a great honour and privilege. 

We all know this, right! So why am I telling you this, all over again???

Well, as a matter of fact, I'm sickened at the hardcore marketing of this beautiful emotion these days and that's what's compelled me to write down my thoughts. 

All through the last week, the TV, internet, print media, the schools, everyone has been throwing 'Mother's Day' right into my face and I tell you, it's almost got me nauseating. I mean why! Why do we need one day to acknowledge our love and gratitude for our mothers? Aren't we thankful to our mothers throughout the year or for that matter till the moment we breathe our last? Every single moment we live, we love our mother and seriously, I don't need one day to tell her that I love her.

Philosophers here might argue that it's strange how I can be against 'Mother's Day'. Well I'm not but at the same time, I'm opposed to the idea of celebrating our mother's love only on one specific day. Just as her love for us never diminishes, so shouldn't our thankfulness get over after one day. 

Not calling your mother for days and days, ignoring her when she's right there in front of you cause you are busy and then suddenly one day, flashing pictures of yours with her over FB & Insta just because everyone is doing.....C'mon! You can do better than that. 

How about trying to take out a few minutes everyday or in two or three days just to let her hear your voice? It's that simple. She doesn't need billboards declaring your love for her. Small little gestures now and then on a regular basis are big enough for her to get her day made. 

So all you people out there, just one request.....I know you love your mother immensely but please let this emotion be expressed every single day. Do not fall into the trap of this 'one day' thing. She deserves much more than this. 

A letter to my son

                   A letter to my son on the occasion of Ahoi Ashtami

Dear Ansh,

Years ago, my darling, when I was pregnant and you were on the way, I started a new thing, and that was fasting on the auspicious festival of Ahoi Ashtami. Though I was advised to eat and drink something through the day, I decided to keep a ‘nirjal vrat’ for you my love. Not that it was healthy or advisable but I felt a strong urge to do something which I had never done for anyone ever. (Karwa-Chauth was different since I’d seen your dad and you were not yet born) My heart was flooding with love for the invisible life within me.

Just like any new mum-to-be, my heart was fluttering with joy at fasting for the well-being of the little life that lay kicking inside me. I decided that very day, to love you and protect you from all that is harmful. Just like a tigress fiercely protects her young one, I was all determined to be your protector and guide.

Once again, this festival is here, and it is for the 15^th time that I’ll be fasting for you. Over the years I’ve seen you blossom from a little cherub to a young adult. It’s great to see you grow but given a choice, I would love to time travel with you to the past and celebrate your childish innocence once again! Not sure whether you would want to do that though. Anyways, just as this day is approaching, a lot of thoughts are flooding my mind. Since talking to you these days is proving to be a little difficult, I thought, I might as well pen down my thoughts.

I know that life’s not really shaping the way we all would have wanted it to. You have different expectations from life, and we are still a little old school but still at the end of the day, like any doting parents, we just wish well for you.

So here are some pointers I’d like to share with you. Do take out some of your precious time to read them.

1.     Set your priorities right – I know this is quite a debatable one given that you have a different set of priorities but I still thought I should let you know, that you need to think over it again.

2.     Limit your time on your gadgets – Say whatever you want to, but you really need to cut down time on those gadgets.

3.     Spend some quality time with us – I know what you’re going to say. You’ll say that we don’t have that time for you but my dear, quality time can be anywhere, anytime. While having food, while driving, while hitting bed…..just about any time.

4.     Make more friends – As much as we would like to have you all for ourselves yet we can’t be the only people in your life forever. You’d need a set of friends on whom you can depend, those with whom you can share your secrets, those with whom you can experience something new…maybe whacky!

5.     Laugh more often – This house and our lives get brightened up with your laughter, so laugh my child, we love to have our home reverberate with your candid laughter.

6.     Have fun in life- Though this might appear a contradictory statement in light of the priority thing I wrote above yet that and this are two completely different things. Enjoy life as this time will never come again. Live every moment of it.

7.     Be true to yourself – Now this one is very important. Even though you are my baby and you’re mine in flesh and blood yet no one understands a person as much as he himself does. So, son, stay true to yourself at all times because when you think you are deceiving someone, it is actually no one but you yourself, whom you are deceiving.

8.     Love yourself – This one definitely is the most important cause if you do not love yourself you will never be able to love anyone. Accept yourself with your goodness and vices. Brace your evil with love and you will be able to transform it magically to goodness. You my love, have the power to shape your life into anything you want to and if you’ll truly love yourself then you will be proud of your architecture one day.

Looks like this is it for now. I’m sure you’ll call this nagging but believe me, it’s not. It’s just my love poured out into the form of a letter. 

I may not be the best mother but I’m trying my best.

I love you sweetheart. God bless you.

Lots of love,

Your doting maa

BULLYING

BULLYING

Your child comes back from school, you stand there waiting with a smile on your face and loving welcoming words…….you expect an equally warm response but what you get is an irritable, irascible child who is in no mood to exchange loving words with you. You feel shattered, start wondering what is it that you have done to upset your child, fret about it and eventually end up distraught!

Does this sound familiar? Could you visualise the scene or are you the one who has recently started facing this? Well, if you did, don’t think you are alone. There are countless parents who are facing this situation on a daily basis and the root cause of this could be completely different from what you are thinking.

In today’s fast paced world, the way children lead their lives, has completely transformed. We as parents give them whatever their heart desires, take them on exotic holidays, dine in expensive restaurants and are happy to assume that life is hunky dory for our child. Delve a little deeper and you might be able to figure out that your child, though superficially seems happy, is actually unhappy. Try finding out, and what unfolds, might be something you could have never imagined in your wildest dreams….your child is a victim of bullying!!!

You might not want to believe in it at first, maybe get into a state of denial. Why! My child is an academic achiever, he excels in every activity, how could he possibly get bullied? Well the sad truth is, a lot many children face this problem and it has only gone worse with the digitalization of the world.

FOUR REASONS WHY CHILDREN ARE BULLIED:

·        Being academically bright – I know many of you will gasp in disbelief at this but believe it or not, the academic achievers are more often than not, targets of bullying. Since they seem to be standing out from the crowd and get the attention of everyone, they are eyed as a potential threat by the bullies of the class. The bullies don’t want the attention to shift from them onto such children so they try to wreck the confidence of these children and quite often are successful at that.

So, if you have noticed a dramatic fall in the grades of your super achiever child, you might want to check this out.

·        Being an introvert – We all know that extroverts find life simple as they can speak up whatever they want and whenever they want. However, life for an introvert is not that easy. They mostly like to keep to themselves, and thus end up becoming socially awkward. Enter the bullies…who are on the lookout for a timid child who wouldn’t have the courage to report any wrong being done against her/him.

·        Physical appearance -Yes, my folks! This one is high on the probability chart! Haven’t we all had either a plump or an extremely skinny child in the class, someone with thick rimmed glasses, someone with a lisp or someone with an uncharacteristically different voice? Do we remember the labels they all got and were stuck with them throughout school? I, for instance can clearly recall how the plump girls would be referred to as moti bhains, the thin girls as sookhi dandi, the ones with spectacles as chasmish and so on….the list is endless.

The students poking fun at these students might consider it as harmless fun but they forget that what is fun for them is tearing someone apart. Students are unable to cope with this trauma and start having a low self-esteem which further propels bullying as they start appearing as weaklings who will not put up a fight and voila! The bullies have their crowning glory!

·        Being academically weak -While we just mentioned being academically bright as one reason, ironically, students who are academically weak or have a learning disability are often sneered at too. The moment they falter while reading a lesson in class, there’s a wave of jeers and titters. Such children are called ‘dim witted’, ‘dull’, ‘donkey’ and what not. This leaves a permanent scar on their lives.

Once we know our child is being bullied, the natural question that arises is, how can we as parents stop it. Let’s explore some ways:

1.     Assure your child that she/he is not alone in this problem and you are with her/him. Children always look up to their parents for help and this should be taken care of.

2.     Affirm that it is not their fault- Children who are bullied often start believing that somehow it is their own fault that they are being bullied. Ensure that you positively counsel your child so that he does not hold herself/himself responsible for being bullied.

3.     Teach your child ways and means in which she/he can confront the bully. You could teach your child to be firm in his replies and pretend to be unaffected. Phrases like, “You can keep saying what you feel like”, “Suit yourself”, “I really don’t care what you say” and walking away from the scene can go a long way in defusing the situation.

4.     Finally, if nothing seems to work, it is imperative on your part as a parent to bring this to the notice of the school authorities.

As mentioned earlier, bullying is becoming more rampant with the advancement in technology. What was limited to physical or verbal bullying earlier has now taken the ugly form of emotional bullying. Cyber bullying is on the rise. Children are being trolled on the internet and the situation is only going from bad to worse.

Bullying is not normal behaviour. No child, irrespective of any factor, deserves to be bullied. Bullying is totally unacceptable and there should be no irresolution or hesitation in addressing it.

Julley Leh Ladakh!

                                              Julley! Leh Ladakh

Planning or No planning -

Heading to a quiet hill station as soon as our summer vacations would begin, was on the top of our minds. We kept shortlisting places, deciding upon itineraries, planning our available dates and a lot of other stuff but as the time drew closer, we were just not being able to zero in on some place. North-East was going to get affected by monsoon, the airfare to Leh was skyrocketing, the route to Binsar-Munsyari was plagued by bad roads, Sirmaur was coming out to be quite a long drive etc. The biggest drawback was that we were looking for solitude and all we were getting to hear was gory tales of traffic jam en-route all hill stations. To go to every off beat destination, one had to compulsorily navigate through those same roads and getting stuck in traffic and spending hours cribbing on roads was definitely not our idea of a holiday. So when we had almost given up the thought of going on any sort of holiday, a sudden flash of thought crossed our minds. We realized that we should make one last effort cause we don’t want to be the ones who fail to decide upon anything and then just as the holidays are about to get over, become desperate to go just anywhere so as not to be left out of the holiday mood.

Late at night, we sat down to check out the airfare for Leh and surprisingly the airfare had dipped down to almost half of what was two months ago. It still was pretty high but certainly not in the unreasonable sector. Our spirits got lifted as this was like a silver lining in the dark cloud and since we had planned for the Leh trip earlier, we had our itinerary and list of taxi drivers intact. That was the initiation of our trip.

Early next morning, we woke up, started calling up taxi drivers, finalized on one, discussed our itinerary with him, fixed up the price and then booked our flights to Leh for the very next morning.

With only one day in hand, we set down to make suitable arrangements for flying out for our holiday. The excitement was surging and all focus was on making our holiday perfect.

Our first stint with Leh -

The day finally arrived, and we reached the airport in time. The flight was smooth and soon we were witnessing snow-covered peaks beneath the sheet of white clouds. As soon as we landed we started worrying as our phones were not getting any signals but on moving out of the airport, much to our relief, our host, Mr. Sonam Angchok was there to receive us.

He drove us to his home which in in Gompa Village of Leh. It turned out to be a beautiful cottage in a serene locality with a brook flowing nearby. We were shown to the first floor of the wooden house, which had sunlight streaming in from the large glass windows. It was warm and welcoming. The upper floor had a day room cum dining room and two bedrooms for us to use. As the oxygen level drops drastically due to a sudden increase in the altitude, it is advisable to stay indoors for at least 24 hours for acclimatization. We did just the same - ate, slept and sat in the day room through the day. At night sleep overtook us and we hit the bed early. The weather of Leh makes one feel too sleepy and so we slept like a log, waking up straight the next morning and still feeling groggy.

Day 2 – After the mandatory acclimatization, we decided the venture out for some local sightseeing. After a scrumptious breakfast, we set out for Sangam, which is the converging point of two rivers, Zanskaar and Indus.

On the way to Sangam, there is a magnetic hill. It is surprising to see the effect that hill has on the vehicle. One can put the car in neutral and the car moves uphill on its own, albeit at a slow speed but the effect is worth experiencing.

We then headed towards Sangam view-point. It is always wonderful to see waters of two different colours merging into one. The colour wasn’t still quite green owing to the first waters of melting snow. After the initial batch of snow melts, the water becomes clearer and more beautiful.

Our next stop was the Army museum. Just outside the museum, they have created an adventure zone for children and young adults. From the Burma Bridge, flying fox, rope climbing, net walking to crawling inside a tiny tunnel, the place offers a basic sneak peak into the tough training of the army folks. Much to our adoration, Ansh, performed each task meticulously. The museum houses arte facts and photographs of major incidents, the Indo-China and Kargil war memorials, and weapons seized from our opponents. It is spine chilling to read letters of soldiers from both sides of the border. The museum has a hall of fame, which makes people proud of their Army men.

As Leh was observing some local puja that day, the entire market was closed till 1300 hrs. After the visit to these places, we were famished and were looking forward to having some delicious food. We strolled around in the vicinity till shops started opening and we hit the Lamayuru Café. Wanting to taste 3 different dishes, we ordered for Tibetan Thupka, Israeli Lafa and Pad Thai Noodles. While the thupka could have been spicier, the other two dishes turned out to be super delicious. We rotated food and ate to our hearts content topping it up with “Hello to the Queen” dessert. The best part was that unlike other tourist places, food wasn’t insanely priced here.

Now it was time to buy some little souvenirs so we walked into the Tibetan refugee market and bought some little things. The rest of the market was also similar and had attractive colourful objects on display. Our next stop was the Leh Palace, almost in ruins but still worth a visit to see how modestly the royals of Leh lived and how with so much difficulty they must have constructed the palace so long ago.

We then went to the Shanti Stupa, located on a hill and the atmosphere there was absolutely serene.

The day winded up with dinner cooked by our lovely host.

Day 3- Trip to Nubra Valley

Since it was to be a round trip the same day, we started early morning at 6. We were advised to carry gloves, caps and jackets as it would be cold on the way. This was the day when we would be at Khardung La – The world’s highest motorable road at a height of 18,460ft. The feeling of being at such a place gave us an instant high. We reached Khardungla top at 8, and even during peak summers, the temperature at the top was freezing. We clicked a few quick pictures and jumped into the cab to avoid being frozen.

The road further was in bad shape and was an extremely bumpy ride. Kudos to the drivers who navigate such roads everyday! However traumatic the drive was, it was made enjoyable by the snow-capped mountains on either side of the road. The view was enigmatic!

After a 5 hours drive, we reached Hunder.

The landscape changed completely!!! From snow covered mountains to sand dunes – it was in complete contrast!

Hunder is famous for its sand dunes and its small population of double humped or Bactrian camels from Mongolia. We were looking forward to see these rare creatures and wanting to ride them. The camels were definitely worth looking at. They looked so vastly different from the regular ones we see. These camels had fur on their body and looked as if they had long beards.

We selected the camels with the most evident double humps and went for a short safari.

As Ladakh is the land of monasteries, one cannot avoid these beautiful and peaceful monasteries which are present in almost every village. Keeping that in mind, our next stop was Diskit Monastery. The main attraction of this monastery is a huge figure of Lord Buddha painted aesthetically in myriad colours and placed out in the open so that it can be seen from quite a distance. We were completely enamored by the beauty of the statue!

It was time to head back to Leh as one needs to cross the police check post of North Pullu within a certain time frame, else they won’t allow you to do so. Since we hadn’t eaten anything as such, we stopped at a roadside stall for some chowmein and maggi (the staple diet when in hills). On the way we spotted loads of female yaks grazing in the scanty fields. By the time, we crossed the checkpost of North Pullu, it had started snowing. Ansh was thrilled to see fresh flakes of snow falling on him and rolled down the window to be able to get a proper feel. We stepped down from the cab for a short while and savored the pleasure of soft cottony snow falling on us. It was still not very late in the evening but we decided to get back to our cozy homestay and were welcomed back by our host with some hot tea and milk. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and drinking the beauty of the nature that the window view offered us from our day room. The day again wrapped up with some piping hot food served lovingly by our host.

Day 4 – The mesmerizing Pangong Lake

Pangong Lake has its own History. It is a huge lake almost like a sea, spanning kilometers and kilometers and is shared by India and China. Earlier India had a major portion of the lake but during the Indo-China war of 1962, China captured a large area of the lake.

This day was reserved for a visit to this famous lake along with a night stay by the lake. We started at 7 in the morning and in about 3 hours, reached at Changa-La peak. This peak is at a height of 17,688ft. It was covered in snow and fresh snow was falling, to the delight of the tourists. The beauty of the snowflakes falling on us and the feeling it rendered, is indescribable. We hopped back into the cab to head further but the pleasure we had experienced a short while ago, turned into disappointment as we got stuck in a traffic jam for about an hour and a half. Since it was snowing, the roads were getting slippery and some inexperienced drivers were facing difficulty in driving through the area. This made the road get stuck with vehicles. It was however noteworthy that none of the drivers were losing their cool and were patiently waiting for the road to get cleared.

Once cleared, the drive to Pangong Lake was engaging. One couldn’t hold back emotions while passing through the gorgeous landscape. From the scenic snow covered mountains, to the colourful mineral laden mountains, to loose mud or rocky-mountains, every turn on the road had something beautiful to offer to the eyes.

We stopped to have some lunch, which comprised of soup, thupka and aloo paratha. We were so hungry that we quickly lapped up whatever came in front of us. At around 2:30, we reached Pangong Lake. We were stupefied by the magnanimity of the lake!

The lake is of a beautiful greenish-blue colour and is a visual treat for the onlooker. Very few people knew about this lake until the movie, 3 Idiots, shot its finale sequence by this lake and then many other movies followed suit. The entry point of the lake was filled with tourists, people with yaks for posing, Kareena Kapoor scooter and the famous 3 Idiots stool. This was an eyesore in the serenity of the place so we avoided the place and moved further down the lake. At a certain point, many tents were clustered and we decided to stay at the one closest to the lake.

By then the wind had picked up quite strongly and its was getting extremely difficult to stay outdoors. The tent owner told us that it is an everyday phenomenon. The wind blows strongly every evening. This was a setback for us as we had come to drink in the beauty of the lake but drinking even a sip of water was proving to be impossible. It was dull inside the tents and so we were left with no choice but the brave the winds and walk along the lake. We were soon left gasping for breath in the bitter cold accompanied by biting winds and had to rush indoors. This was a mood spoiler and by night we were regretting our decision of spending the night at such a place as it seemed more of a punishment than a holiday. We had an early dinner and retired to bed, only to be woken up by the sound of some Bollywood music being played outside. A young couple had lighted a small fire and was sitting there enjoying the music. They insisted upon us joining them and we eventually gave in after some reluctance. We had an entertaining conversation with them and at midnight, parted ways.

The next morning, we were to leave for another lake called Tso Moriri lake, but the hardships of this place dampened our spirits. We were struggling to survive in the bitter cold of this place. The water running from the taps was like direct molten ice and we couldn’t take it anymore. Also the road to Tso Moriri was in bad shape so we decided to cancel our visit to Tso Moriri and head back to Leh instead.

The next morning, we woke up and informed our driver about our change in plan and he happily agreed to bring us back to Leh. On our way back, we visited the “Druk White Lotus School” popularly known as Rancho School (after Amir Khan’s character in 3 Idiots). We also visited the stunning Thiksey Monastery, which has an amazing character and feel. The sounds of the chants emanating from the monastery left us spellbound.

Then we stopped for some lunch in Leh Market. This time we ate at the German Bakery and the food was decently good here as well with some lip smacking bakery delights. We then headed back to our comfort zone in Leh, our lovely homestay. This place made us feel really comfortable and relaxed. Owing to our tiredness, we again had an early dinner and retired to bed.

Day 5- Total relaxation!

This was the first day of our holiday when we didn’t have any plans for the day. That meant we could wake up late, laze in bed and do whatever we felt like. At 8:30, we had a fulfilling breakfast and then spent the rest of the morning admiring the snow covered mountains in the distance, listening to the sound of the brook flowing nearby and basking in the sun, which streamed in through the large glass paneled windows of our day room.  Sometimes just doing nothing gives you immense pleasure. With no signals in the phone, no wi-fi and no household work to finish, this was a day of total relaxation.

The only time we felt the need to go out was when our stomachs started growling in hunger for lunch.

Points to note:

1.     Since Leh Ladakh shares its border with Pakistan, China and even Afghanistan, prepaid mobile phones do not work here. Only Airtel and BSNL postpaid services offer some connectivity although some areas like Pangong Lake still do not get any coverage. So no phone and data network.

2.     The oxygen level is quite low and lungs do not perform to full capacity, so it is extremely important to be physically fit and then to acclimatize yourself for a minimum of 24 hours before you start exploring the place. Diamox is a medicine,which gives relief from altitude sickness symptoms. You can get your oxygen level checked at the tourist information center in Leh market.

3.     The roads are in a pretty bad shape with long stretches of kuchcha road. So brace yourself for a bumpy ride and make sure your driver is experienced.

4.     There are many avalanche prone areas mid-way, so heed the warning signs and don’t insist on stopping at such places for pictures no matter however tempting those snow-white mountains appear.

5.     Carry suitable winter clothing as in all probability you will experience spine chilling cold.

6.     Taxi Union rates are fixed and you might find them quite high but there is generally no bargaining. If you are lucky, your driver might offer you a 5-10% discount.

7.     People in Leh are still not corrupt and are quite hospitable.

Recommended driver –

Mr. Sonam Angchok (an ex-army guy). He is a mature and experienced driver and navigates the tough terrain with ease.

Contact Numbers – 9419347945, 9622361980

Recommended stay –

If you are looking for a simple and quiet place, then Mr. Sonam’s homestay is definitely worth a shot. His wife (a school teacher),is a wonderful host and cooks tasty food, serving it with even more love. Though the cottage is at a distance from the main market but if solitude is what you want, then this is the place to be.