Travel Diary - Nilesh Korgaokar

'Ubiquitous' would be a grave understatement to describe Hinduism and its symbols in Bali. Temples, idols, prayers, symbols, religious offerings, deities and spiritualism are just about everywhere and sprinkle this outpost of Hinduism at every turn of the road or head in what is otherwise the largest Muslim nation in the world. Of course, the manner in which it is practiced here is completely different from India and to experience this difference is why we planned a holiday in Bali earlier this year.

Hinduism is said to have reached Indonesia from India as early as the 4th century AD. Initially it was prevalent pretty much throughout the archipelago and even now some prominent temples dedicated to Shiva can be found on the neighboring island of Java particularly around the city of Yogyakarta (sometimes pronounced with a ‘J’ instead of ‘Y’ – as in Jogjakarta). Along with Buddhism, Hinduism reached its peak around the 14th century before the eastward march of Islam vastly diminished the influence of both religions. Although Hindus now form a little less than 2% of the overall Indonesian population, more than 88% of Bali’s people are said to be Hindu and practice it in a manner that is quintessentially Balinese as we discovered during our holiday.

Along with the smaller neighboring island of Lombok, Bali is usually identified with luxury sea-side holiday resorts and the pleasure-seeking bars and pubs of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak – localities close to Denpasar International Airport. But venture a little deeper into the hinterland of this 6,000 sq km island and there is a whole different world waiting to be experienced. A world of simple, gentle and soft-spoken people with a ready smile on their face; of primary forests that attempt to conceal scenic rice paddy terraces and coffee estates; of small villages each of which proudly maintain their own version of temples and of simple dwellings that, space permitting, have their own miniature temples.

Balinese Hinduism is deeply interwoven with art and ritual, and is less closely preoccupied with scripture, law, and belief. It lacks the traditional Hindu emphasis on cycles of rebirth and reincarnation, but instead is concerned with a myriad of local deities and ancestral spirits. With kebatinan (search for inner self), these deities are thought to be capable of doing good or harm depending upon various factors. Balinese place great emphasis on dramatic and aesthetically satisfying acts of ritual propitiation of these spirits at temple sites scattered throughout villages and in the countryside. Depending upon the time of the year most villages have functions where you can witness dances and shows connected with religious festivals, sometimes performed by professional artists or sometimes by the local school children.

A Balinese temple is called ‘Pura’, and unlike the common towering indoor Indian Temple, it is designed as an open air worship place within enclosed walls, connected with series of intricately decorated gates to reach its compounds. Inside, especially in the smaller temples, one will normally find a temple each for Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the protector) and Shiva (the destroyer). Although there are idols depicting dwarpalaks (gate guardians) at the entrances, curiously the temples themselves do not house any deity as the Balinese believe that gods are formless and omnipresent.

Each of these temples has a more or less fixed membership; every Balinese belongs to a temple by virtue of descent, residence, or some mystical revelation of affiliation. Some temples are associated with the family house compound (also called banjar in Bali); others are associated with rice paddies, and still others with key geographic sites. The temple spires are a common feature with Indian Hindu temples but while the Indian ones are made of stone and tower tens of feet, the Balinese ones are much shorter and are made of thatch from various sources like rice or coconut. These are eye-catching along with their other distinguishing feature - they are in separate tiers and decrease in width and size as the height of the spire increases.

After a brief hop to Yogyakarta to see the temples at Borobudur and Prembanan we based ourselves at a small family-run hotel in the central town of Ubud in the hills almost at the centre of the island. Post breakfast Yogi, our local guide and driver, would pick us up at Monkey Forest road and drive us to the various temples and other sights to return after lunch when we relax by the pool to read. Evenings would be spent walking around and ending with an excellent meal at one of the numerous restaurants in Ubud.

The temples in Bali do not in themselves have any history and most of them have been built and re-built again as they have been periodically destroyed by the earthquakes that sometimes strike this region. Although we saw and visited many temples during our stay, the names that stick in the memory are Pura Tirta Empul, Pura Kehen, Pura Ulun Danu, Pura Tanha Lot and Pura Luhur Ulu Watu.

At Pura Tirta Empul we were fortunate to see pilgrims and worshipers in their hundreds as it was the day after the full moon. We witnessed families, groups and individuals take the ritual dip in the temple pond and then gather to pray with their offerings in fresh clothes – either individually or as a group. The offering – incense sticks, money and flowers – in simple trays made of palm fronds was so similar to those that are sold outside many of our temples. In contrast Pura Kehen was completely bereft of any humans and we enjoyed the solitude amongst the moss covered trees and steps. Pura Tanah Lot and Pura Luhur Ulu Watu are on the coast. While the former is on an island that gets cut off with high tide, the later is located at the edge of an imposing cliff with the sea and the waves forming a spectacular backdrop. At Pura Tanah Lot once again we were able to witness a microcosm of Balinese people in their traditional best as they had turned out to come and worship. Men in their Udeng (headgear), Kamen and Saput (coverings for legs) and women in their kebaya (a transclucent top) and kamen or sarong (for their legs). While some were stuck on the island others were praying, making offerings and just enjoying the outing eating ice creams and Es Teler momo caca the local sweet refreshment with no fixed recipe but essentially containing coconut flesh, coconut gel cubes, palm fruit, condensed milk and crushed ice. The temples of Pura Ulun Danu – one tall and one short – were located on the banks of a picturesque lake and the waters of the lake and the hills around formed a great backdrop.

In between we witnessed the women of the house making their daily offerings outside their homes, farmers praying at the temples in their fields, a group of matriarchs preparing a colorful offering of rice-paste for an upcoming temple function, school children going to school carrying a broom to clean their classroom before classes and that most iconic of Balinese pictures – a procession of women on their way to the nearby temple carrying offerings of Gebogan containing a tower of fruits, vegetables and palm fronds decorations called dulang. One village’s main street was uniformly decorated with temporary bamboo mini-temples – white on one side and yellow on the other – obviously another manifestation of the villagers’ reverence. Bali’s rice paddy terraces at the Pakerisan Valley and in Jatiluwih are UNESCO World Heritage Sites but if you are not able to visit these in the west of the island, many picturesque ones can be seen in and around Ubud while traveling between the temples. If you have kids they will appreciate your taking them for a day to the Bali Safari Park south of the airport where they can see a show featuring orangutans and various birds. A good photo opportunity at the Safari Park is to pose with a baby orangutan.

We spent a week in Bali including a couple of days at Yogyakarta. Basing ourselves at Ubud turned out to be a good decision because of the choice of hotels and its central location with quick accessibility to most of the well-known temples. Of course, there are other hotels, some of them quite up market but the OKAWATI Hotel run by Mrs Okawati and its spacious villa like rooms and tucked away from the main road was more than adequate for us. Yogi’s van was reasonably priced as per the distance done per day and he himself was very knowledgeable about the island. I contacted him over the internet and we agreed on the itinerary and other details before we met at the airport on our arrival. We thoroughly enjoyed our slow paced holiday at Bali and came away completely charmed by its gentle people and their distinctive way of Hindu life. Some day we sincerely hope to return to another part and to a different experience.

Photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/nileshkorgaokar/collections/72157625952726746/

FACT SHEET

Climate and Best Time to Go – Being on the Equator, Bali enjoys a temperate climate throughout the year. Days can be warm and nights cool because of the forests and the insular climate. Australians flood the island during the Christmas and New Year holiday season and so it would be sensible to time your holiday to the Indian holiday season of April-May and Oct-Nov.

Getting There – There are no direct flights from India to Bali. We flew Thai Airways via Bangkok as it provided the quickest and most convenient option. Air Asia may be cheaper but the website warns that Indians may have to apply for a transit visa to transit thru Kuala Lumpur. Compare fares, timings and transit rules using integrators like cleartrip.com, makemytrip.com and yatra.com.

Getting Around – Public transport is almost non-existent and the best option is to hire a van with a driver preferably who will also serve as a guide. Foreigners hire motorcycles and for a younger person this may be a viable option. The need for driver’s license needs to be checked.

Visa Formalities – Visa is on arrival for most nationalities including Indians and can be obtained quickly at the counter at various rates depending upon the duration of the stay. We paid $25 each for a seven-day visa.

Places to Stay – Ranging from the top-end to the budget you will be spoilt for choice. We stayed at Lonely Planet’s Choice in Ubud – The Okawati Hotel. It’s a family run place headed by the very friendly Mrs Okawati and features about 10 very spacious rooms some of which face the small swimming pool. The restaurant overlooks rice paddies where villagers gather snails. Meals other than breakfast have to be pre-ordered. The hotel features Wi-Fi internet that we were able to negotiate for free use.

Places to Eat – Again you will be spoilt for choice of cuisine. Restaurants and bars line the main Monkey Forest Road on both sides with hostesses standing outside trying to entice you in. A meal for two with excellent service will set you back by about Rs 2,000.

Temple Formalities and Attire – Some temples restrict entry only to locals and you may not be allowed entry allowed as a foreigner at all. At other places you would be required to be wear proper attire – Kamen and Saput for men and kamen or sarong for women. Our driver cum guide was carrying an extra pair or two of these pieces of attire for us to get access.

Currency and payment – The conversion rate is 8,800 Indonesian Rupiah to the US dollar which works out to 178 Indonesian Rupiah to the Indian Rupee. You can withdraw cash from most ATM’s and your bank account will be debited according to the day’s prevailing exchange rate. Money changers will also accept US dollars and different rates that are open to negotiations. Most hotels and restaurants accept major credit cards. MasterCard has designated Indonesia as a country that is unsafe to use their cards and on return your card will be replaced.

As the whole world stands at the threshold of what is dubbed to be the ASIAN CENTURY, the biggest of the Asian Tigers looms large as an economic powerhouse. After being closed for almost 30 years this giant nation has suddenly swung open its big red doors. Economists everywhere can cite by rote statistics about the rapid progress that China is making in almost all spheres of development. The glamour of getting more than a glimpse at the mystique behind the Bamboo Curtain that had remained so tightly drawn has proved to be irresistible to men and women of all hues. The West, ever on the lookout for new areas to sell their wares have been investing their dollars in this emerging market in spite of all the pitfalls that a country with no history of capitalist institutions throws up.

But probably the most fortunate beneficiary of this Open Door Policy has been the intrepid traveller with his love for the unexplored, the untrammelled, and the (till recently) forbidden. He has taken full benefit of the “COMRADES, WE MUST INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF TOURISTS!” mantra that Chinese authorities have been silently propagating for the last few years. It was in 1981 that the Chinese suddenly started issuing visas to solo and uninvited travellers through a couple of their embassies overseas, but mainly through various agencies in Hong Kong. Just about anyone who wanted a visa could get one, but since there was no fanfare, news spread slowly by word of mouth. Within a couple of years just about everyone who landed in Hong Kong was going to China. After all, the whole travelling fraternity had been waiting over 30 years to travel in the country unfettered by tour guides.

Though Hong Kong is still the most preferred gateway into the Chinese mainland, I entered Tibet from Nepal and after travelling by road ACROSS THE ROOF OF THE WORLD (hyper link to article on journey through Tibet) made by way in to the Chinese mainland by bus from Lhasa. Before you even contemplate taking this route, I must warn you that it is not for the faint hearted. It was, without doubt, the most horrifying bus journey that I had ever undertaken in my life. The journey consists of about 36-48 hours of non-stop driving across the bleak northern portion of the Tibet Plateau and to add to my woes I was ensconced with a platoon of chain smoking Chinese soldiers. If at any time in the future I suffer from a secondary smoking related disease, I will know, at once, whom to blame. Anyway, I had no choice as that was the cheapest way to get from Lhasa to Northern China; the alternative being to take the twice daily flight to Chengdu costing a whopping $210.

Getting a Visa
No visa is probably cheaper and more easily obtained than the Chinese visa. Just because we fought a border war more than 30 years ago, almost every Indian is under the impression that the Chinese Embassy considers every Indian an enemy of the state. Nothing could be further from the truth. I got mine from the Embassy in Kathmandu without even showing my face to the official. A travel agent did it for me for the price of $3. If you are in a tearing hurry and want it the next day, the price is $10.

Essentials
It would be a tremendous mistake to try and equate a journey into China with any of your sojourns to the likes of Europe or the United States. Whereas it would be difficult, but not impossible, to make yourself understood in these tourist friendly countries, in China it is like going to another planet. You will be a solo traveller amongst a vast sea of people who can neither read nor speak even a single word of English. Tourist Bureau Offices are few and far between, sign postings are in Mandarin, and unless you are fluent in Chinese yourself, it is a most frustrating experience when you can’t convey your needs and get information. Therefore, to make your trip smooth and trouble free it is best to be forewarned and forearmed. My one-stop solution to all travelling problems is to arm myself with the LONELY PLANET - TRAVEL SURVIVAL KIT. I would sincerely advise you to do the same and guard it as you would your passport, tickets and other travel documents because without it you are dead. You cannot find a replacement for love or money once you are in China. Get hold of the latest edition on CHINA that includes HONG KONG and MACAU. The best place to get hold of one would be either at Kathmandu (plenty of second hand book shops there) or in Hong Kong. But if you want to do some reading before embarking, you can get hold of one at MALHOTRA BOOK SHOP, ‘A’ BLOCK, CONNAUGHT PLACE, NEW DELHI. Though the style that Lonely Planet adopts is, at places, sarcastic and sometimes downright derogatory it is replete with details of every essential aspect of travelling alone in a strange country. The most useful are the Phrase Section and the various little maps of major towns that help you navigate. You might even like to add your own common phrases and have them translated into Chinese and romanised Chinese if you meet a local who happens to know English.

Planning
China is a country that initially earned a pretty bad name for itself when it came to the hospitality business. But that was then and this is now - travelling in China has gotten much easier than it used to be. More and more people are learning to speak English, especially those in the travel business. Hotels in major towns do have tour operators who will organise conducted tours, book your tickets and generally try and make your stay comfortable. Even then it is, I think, essential for you to plan your route and finances before you even embark. Apart from the tickets to and from the entry and exit points you should be comfortable in about $30 a day.

Though most people enter and exit through Hong Kong, I would recommend that you enter from one end and exit through the opposite. That way you end up saving the airfare one way. There could be various alternatives. One would be to enter through Nepal into Tibet and then head further north and then east and out of Hong Kong (the route I followed). Another entry point to the Xinjiang province of Northwest China could be either from Pakistan (the Karakoram Highway - out of bounds to Indians) or from Kazakastan. There is a train route from Alma Ata to Urumqi and I would love to travel on that route one day. Of late even Myanmar has offered transit facilities through its territory to Thailand from the Yunan province. Keeping in mind these pieces of information you should plan the general route that you would want to follow. It all depends on whether you are on a longer trip and just passing through China or taking some time off to do a one-off China trip. For Indians I would recommend the route that I followed as it lets us take in Nepal, the Tibet region before you venture into Mainland China.

China’s Provinces
As with states in larger nations, China is divided into its many provinces on a geographic and administrative basis. Due to its vast size and history, China’s provinces each have their own sights and sounds to savour. Tibet, now de-facto a Chinese province, is a treasure house of travel itineraries. It is ethnically different and though has had a turbulent and sometimes violent recent past, is now peaceful enough to visit. Xinjiang, in the Northwest is predominantly Muslim and has more affinity to the other Central Asian States. The ancient Silk Route passed through this province before continuing into the Gansu province and then on to Beijing. Yunan in the Southwest has its own ethnic minorities and with its misty mountains is one of the most beautiful regions of China. Sichuan is famous for the Giant Panda and its delectable cuisine. The mighty Yangtze River also begins its journey to the east from this province and a cruise down it through the famous Three Gorges deserves its own story. The terracotta warriors of Xian, the Great Wall in the Heibei province and the ancient city of Beijing are other sites that need no recounting. The economic boom that is now synonymous with China is visible in almost all large towns but is most prominent in the southern provinces. Shanghai, Guangzhou (formerly Canton) and Shenzhen are some of the cities that have changed beyond recognition. It is said that almost 20% of all constructions cranes for high rise buildings are today located in China! It is hard to believe that where Shenzhen stands today was farmland only 10 years ago. China has even become a decent place for shopping - the department stores, once known for specialising in empty shelves, are now overflowing with consumer goods.

Trains in China
I believe that the hard core traveller always moves with his heart and mind as close to the ground as possible. It is the only way to drink in the various flavours and tastes that a new country offers. Flying is best left to the business traveller. China is one of the few countries that would rival the extensive rail network of India. During the Communist era the railways received the full attention of the government and were rapidly extended to almost all corners of the country. An all out effort to extend it to Lhasa in Tibet from the north was abandoned only after the Swiss, arguably the best tunnel builders in the world, determined that it would not be possible to tunnel through the Kunlun and the Tangula mountain range.

As it exists today, the train is probably the best means of travel in China. It is cheap, fast, clean, efficient, there is no ticket-less travel and reservation is available whenever you want it. There are many classes of coaches from “Hard Seat” to “Soft Sleeper”. On short journeys “Hard Seat” is recommended and on longer journeys you are better off paying the slightly higher fare for a “Hard sleeper” berth. The “Dining Car”, so fondly missed on Indian trains, is a welcome place to have a placid meal while the train meanders through scenic countryside. The only problem is to make yourself understood whilst purchasing a ticket. After a rather long wait in a queue at Golmud for a ticket to Lanzhou, I always used the services of touts. Stand outside the Ticket Concourse and one of them will find you. The Reservation system does not require your name and this makes it quite safe to purchase your ticket from these Samaritans. Just make sure that you have been given the correct ticket by comparing the Chinese characters depicting the destination to the ones in your travel book wherein the names of various places should be given both in English and Chinese. The time, date and train number can be easily read.

To control the vast numbers of people, who travel by train, the Railway authorities adopt very strict rules about access to the platforms and trains. Queues are formed outside the station about half an hour before the train departs and only those with tickets are allowed inside the waiting halls. Then about 15 minutes before the train departs, there is another queue to be allowed on to the platform where the train is standing. Make sure by constant checking with other passengers that you in the right queue at all times as there is no time to rectify mistakes. But all these strict rules ensure clean platforms, trains and comfortable and smooth travel.

Apart from trains, if you are still constrained for time and have the money, China has a plethora of airlines that are now hooked to a national reservation network. Reservation, cancellation and changes are possible from quite a few places now. Buses also ply extensively all over China and because of the vast distances involved, most of them are double decker semi-sleeper coaches. The road network is also one of the most modern and spanking new highways are coming up all over making road travel faster, smoother and cheaper.

Chinese Cuisine
Vastly different to what we have been used to eating in Chinese Restaurants in India, food in China deserves to be mentioned as a special aside. Chinese cooking is justifiably famous, a fine art perfected through the centuries. Quality, availability of ingredients and cooking styles vary by region, but you will almost always find something to suit your tastes. And yes, even in spite of the fact that the Chinese are notorious for eating anything with four legs except the table, it is possible to ask for and be served strictly vegetarian food. Just learn how to say, “I am a vegetarian” (wo chi su) when ordering food. I always did so whenever I thought that I might be served something that I did not like and enjoyed myself on mushrooms, bamboo shoots, sprouts, eggplant and a variety of other vegetarian stuff served with noodles or rice.

If the language barrier proves impassable, the best way to order a meal in a restaurant is to point at something that somebody else already has. Some restaurants are cafeteria style with the Bill of Fare on display and you can just point to what you want. You can adopt the same style when you decide to sample one of the numerous pavement stalls that are cheaper, and adopt a more informal Parisian café style. Outside of fancy hotel restaurants, prices are generally low. But it is always better to be sure of what you are going to pay before you order your dish. Adopt and perfect your own method and sign language early during your journey as this is what you will be doing most of the time in order to avoid going hungry or being overcharged. A few exotic dishes are ridiculously expensive - even if they taste lousy - and you can’t count on the staff to warn you in advance.

My own favourite dishes were Chicken Gang Bao Style (diced chicken served with peanuts and soya sauce), Pork Fried with Rice Crispies ( Pork and Vegetables in a thick sauce poured over chunks of crisp rice in front of you to a sizzling noise) and the various types of kebabs that were served by the Muslims in the north west. Firmly believing that you haven’t really savoured a country until you have tasted their most unique dishes, I did not hesitate to taste Five Step Snake (one bite from it and all you are good enough for is to take five more steps!), sautéed snails, shredded eel, and other repellent ‘exotica’. The Snake was a real rip-off at 100 yuan as I couldn’t tell the difference between it and the capsicum that it was served with.

Chopsticks. You’ll have to master the art of using chopsticks because there is seldom anything else available besides your hands - disposable wooden chopsticks are universally available. Don’t worry about making a mess - every one does. If you want to, raise the bowl right up to you lips and shovel in the rice. Spitting bones on the tablecloth or floor is standard practice. The same chopsticks that you eat with are used for helping yourself to servings from the main course that are dumped in larger bowls on a revolving “lazy lucy” in the centre of the table. The best way to master chopsticks is to be hungry in a place where there are no knives and forks - looking around and trying to ape the locals might help.

The fact that you as a foreigner are a good English speaker sometimes helps you get invited to impromptu meals. Youngsters will not hesitate to stop you on the road and ask you if they can ‘practice’ their English speaking skills if you could spare the time to have meal with them. It happened quite a few times to me in various cities and left with me with a sense of having ‘done my good deed for the day’, not to talk of the free meal thrown in. A word of advice though; it is better to be very specific about what you would like to eat. Otherwise in their enthusiasm your host might order something he thinks is exotic and you will be hard put to refuse.

China as a travel and holiday destination seems to most, to put it rather strongly, a bizarre idea. Especially to those of us who have been content to let our holiday needs be handled by agencies and packaged into “4 days and 3 nights in Goa/Manali/Shimla/…” or “17 days in Europe”. Apart from the fact it straitjackets your freedom, it allows for little creative relaxation and also sometimes prevents you from getting the real feel of the place by isolating you with rigid timings and locations. Travel is as much a discovery about oneself than simply visiting new places and sleeping in different hotel rooms. I strongly feel that the notion of a self-conceptualised holiday needs to be nurtured into our psyche, especially the young. Travel not only teaches you a lot about yourself, it is, I feel, an essential part of growing up. It allows you to see the outside world in an unfettered fashion, awakens a sense of humbleness and lets you make your own decisions. Moreover, China is not very far away, it is different from the West and must be seen before the liberalisation policy changes its face forever.

Conditions for travel may not be the best - but they continue to improve. China is now making a determined effort to modernise and catch up with the West. The size of the task is staggering, and now is a unique opportunity to get some whiff of what the Communists have been doing for the last 45 years. As far as I was concerned the only downside of my month long journey through this fascinating country was I came away with the distinct impression that our politicians have been taking us for a ride for the last more than 50 years.

Come summer and once again this year thousands of pilgrims will head towards the Valley of the Gods or Dev Bhoomi as the Garhwal Himalayas are popularly known locally. Most will visit all the four dhams, or pilgrimage sites, of Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The most famous of these is the seat of Lord Badri Vishal at Badrinath as it is the most accessible of the sites. Only a few of those thousands will go beyond the temple sites to seek and enjoy what lies beyond.

All these famous pilgrim sites, set as they are in the rugged upper mountain reaches, have more than simply religion to offer. Legend has it that the Pandavas, on their journey towards Heaven, passed through the Badrinath valley. The valley has been carved out of the young mountain range by the Alaknanda, a constant companion by the side of the road after its prayag with the more famous Bhagirathi; sometimes close by, and at times frighteningly, yet tantalisingly far below. Beyond the temple site of Badrinath lies the Marcha Tibetan village of Mana where the motorable road comes to an abrupt end. The mythical indications of the Pandavas having crossed over and continued beyond are almost immediately visible if you venture beyond the temple site. High on a hill to the left of the river a ribbon of water suddenly seems to spring out of the hillside. If you do bother to enquire the name of the source, the locals will tell you that the water began to spout from there after Arjun shot a bow into the hill side to quench Draupadi’s thirst. At Mana itself is the junction of the Alaknanda with the Saraswati rivers. It is somewhere here; where exactly, is a mystery; that the Saraswati plunges underground and emerges at the Prayag near Allahabad.

In the village of Mana itself there are a few sites to be seen. One is the life of the villagers who are direct descendants of those who in the good old days maintained a trade route with the Tibetans through the Mana Pass on the border with Tibet; a gruelling three day march beyond. The other is the cave where Rishi Vyas is supposed to have written the Ramayan. The Pandavas probably passed by much before the village must have been established. A little ahead of Mana is the place where they crossed over the Saraswati river. At this point the river is actually a deep gorge with the freezing waters plunging from rock faces smoothened by aeons of polishing. It creates a tremendous roar because of the narrowness of the gorge. A huge boulder as if placed across the river by some powerful being enables the crossing. It is called Bhim Pul and a small temple dedicated to the Vayu Putra can be found immediately on crossing this makeshift bridge.

Up to this point it is relatively easy going and possible for anyone to venture up to. Mythology says that the Pandavas carried on beyond on their journey along the Alaknanda. To follow in their footsteps further on does require some amount of will power and planning. But it is well worth the effort and the relatively short one day trek can be very rewarding both physically and spiritually. Due to the proximity of the border with Tibet, it is better to obtain permission to venture beyond from the local Intelligence Bureau detachment at Mana. It is also better to start early in the day so that it is possible to return by early afternoon. Some form of refreshments and warm clothing is suggested as there is no habitation ahead of Mana. Some initial guidance should be sought for as otherwise it is quite possible to stray on to the track towards Mana Pass along the Saraswati that is used by the Army’s Garhwal SCOUTS on their patrols to that area.

The story goes that the Pandavas never completed their last journey together. Due to their having committed fratricide they are supposed to have perished one by one. Draupadi, they say, was the first to fall on the journey and she is said to have breathed her last just after having crossed the Saraswati. A small temple in her name stands here. There is no one to look after the place, but the site offers a good view of the Alaknanda disappearing below the glacier from where it emerges. Also can be seen the track as it meanders towards the Vasundhara falls where it finally ends. It is a tough 6 km trek up to the base of the water falls the top of which can be seen from here. On a bright clear day, the high altitude sky, starkly blue, with wisps of clouds being blown by the high velocity winds from the snow capped mountain tops, it is a pleasurable journey. One is advised to take it easy, especially if one is not used to walking long distances, as you are now venturing into high altitude area beyond 9,000 ft above sea level. There is no need to balk at the prospect, though, if you take it slow and steady, taking time out as often as required to enjoy the scenery.

The journey ends when you reach the base of the falls, as anything beyond is in the realms of mountaineering. The falls itself is a perpetual source of water from a rocky outcrop that keeps getting blown away by the high winds almost as soon as it starts its downward journey. In late October the area resembles the deep freezer of non-frost-free refrigerator with the sprays of water from the stream having frozen on the rocky surface. The Pandavas are supposed to have bathed here before continuing onwards. At the village of Mana, the Alaknanda valley turns to the north-west and after crossing over some seemingly impregnable ranges continues to the base of the mythical Meru Parbat. It was only Yudhistir and his faithful dog who managed to reach up to here and then ascend to heaven. For the trekker there is no life beyond the Vasundhara and after a rest it is best to begin the walk back to the village of Mana.

The best season to visit Badrinath is in the summer when the plains are burning with heat waves. The shrine opens sometime in the early part of May and this is widely reported in the newspapers. However, if you are planning to venture beyond Mana, then it is best to wait for a month or so and travel in the month of Jun as the snows are still piled up high beyond the temple site. The nearest railhead is Haridwar or Rishikesh and from then onwards it is by road. The rich come in their own cars or hire a taxi. For the hoi polloi it is the buses of the UP Roadways or the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam. One should be prepared for bad weather in the mountains as the rain Gods are very fickle minded in these rarefied areas. What begins as a bright sunny day can suddenly turn cloudy and windy with rain thrown in for good measure. The later part of September and October are highly recommended. The tourist season is over, there is less crowd but most importantly, the weather is more likely to behave itself. The down side is that it is slightly chilly at all times. But the sight of the magnificent Nilkanth peak soaring upwards just behind the temple, the crisp air, the azure blue skies, the silence of the mountains, and the satisfaction of having ventured beyond religion more than make up for the extra time and effort spent.

A PLETHORA OF TOURISTS OF ALL NATIONALITIES – Indian, Tibetan and other foreigners visit the Mt. Kailash-Lake Mansarowar area in Western Tibet. Most visitors are pilgrims with the sole aim of cleansing their souls and attaining some form of higher religious atonement. But the raw beauty of Tibetan landscape, the stark majesty of Mt Kailash, the surreal serenity of Mansarowar coupled with the increasingly relaxed travel regulations in Tibet now attracts the trekker and nature lover in seeking something different, from lands afar. It is not uncommon to see more foreigners than Indians on the “parikrama”, on foot, and even unfurling Buddhist prayer flags at various gompas on the way.

Plenty of people come to this pristine pilgrimage. A lot of them perform the “parikrama”. A lot of them cleanse themselves in the freezing waters of the Mansarowar. Almost all of them return with a sense of having achieved their aim of performing one of the most difficult “yatras” of all. What a lot of them don’t do is to stop and ponder over the adverse effects of their visits and how they could leave the place, fragile as it is, as clean as possible. A lot of them do not get down from their yaks to adore the numerous high altitude flowers that grow above the tree line in all their glorious colours and contours in spite of the harsh conditions. A lot of them are too bored to notice marmots scampering into their burrows at the approach of their group, the jungle fowl who stop chortling to each other out fear of detection or the rabbits who stare nervously from behind the short bushes and hop away, kangaroo like, on being startled.

The Kailash-Mansarowar is located about 150 Km north east of the Indo-Tibet border with western Nepal inside Chinese controlled territory. After they invaded Tibet in the office, the Chinese simply forbid any visitors to the area. I can’t help thinking that it was this single measure that must have given a lease to the wildlife of the area for us to enjoy now. It was only in about 1984 that, as part of their liberalisation policy, they started to allow pilgrims into the area, This provided the impetus to intrepid back packers and others who were by then simply starving for new areas to explore. The rigours of travel in Tibet, the harsh climate, the remoteness all only added to the romance and glamour.

Until recently the only way an Indian could perform the yatra was to form part of a group under the aegis of the Ministry of External affairs between the months of June and September. But now there are a variety of choices as travel agencies in Kathmandu and Lhasa vie with each other and dream of making the trip more fun and easier. Now it is possible to reach Darchen at the base of the sacred mountain in a big 4 wheel drive. Darchen is the place where even the local Tibetans who come to perform the parikrama in their own tents.

One has to be reasonably fit, both mentally and physically, to undertake the journey around the mountain on foot. The locals do it in one day taking about 12-14 hours with their ever revolving prayer wheels. But for others it can involve camping out at least 2 nights and completing it on the third tiring day. When I did the yatra in July this year, I had no idea the place would turn out to be a sanctuary for a variety of flora and fauna. It was only when I began to startle wild rabbits a half hour out of Darchen that I realised what would be in store. A little higher up and the rabbits were replaced by another class of rodents; the marmots with their slow, clumsy, otter like bodies. While resting to catch my breath and battling high altitude sickness, I realised that if I kept quite still these unsuspecting creatures would come quite close whilst foraging for whatever it is that marmots forage. The click and whirr of my first shot startles one of them to rear up for a better pose and a second shot.

It was during another such rest when I had bent over with my hands on my knees to ease the weight of my rucksack that I noticed what the ground had to offer in spite of the chill and frost. Tiny flowers resplendent in their colours, shapes and variety caught my attention. That such beauty could exist at such an altitude almost distracted my attention from the religious aspect of my yatra which was not turning out to be a trek. But then admiring the bounties of nature and doing my bit to preserve it is another way to serve God.

The second day began with an arduous climb to Dolma La at almost 19,000 ft. It was the constant cacophony of wild fowl that kept my mind away from the ache in the lungs and legs though I was now feeling much better otherwise. For a very brief while I was able to spot the fat birds during one of the rests and moments of solitude. Flowers kept changing in their appearance and were really a sight for sore eyes. However, a little short of Dolma La one comes across a sight that really makes eyes sore.

In an act representative of purification pilgrims discard their old clothes after they cross the Dolma La in the opposite direction. The result is a virtual garbage of pile of old clothes, footwear, headgear and other items that, as they degrade, will do no good to the fragile ecology of the area.

The relief on reaching Dolma La is palpable and one must relax there to absorb the atmosphere and the sanctity of the place. If you have the will and energy you can make the ritual three rounds of the prayer flags fluttering in the chilly winds and unfurl one of your own. I would recommend a simple prayer rather than add to any foreign material already there. That way you can do your bit to preserve the area’s environment.

The descent down to you second night out is comparatively easy, passes through a ‘valley of flowers’ and compel you to cross many rivulets, some of which are a result of the melting of the snows of Mt. Kailash. At one time I was walking down a trail that was surrounded on both sides by many gurgling streams and was dotted by a carpet of flowers of all colours. It took all my dexterity to avoid trampling such beauty. Each exquisite flower growing under such trying conditions was probably God’s way of decorating His Abode.

After the parikrama we proceeded to the Mansarowar where I expected to only see various shades of blue and green of the pristine waters of the holy lake. We had reached late in the evening which, in Tibet, is still light enough for good visibility. I was delighted to see a plethora of migration birds and other fauna that were enjoying the serenity of the lake as much as I was. On my jaunt down to the lake I startled a juvenile rabbit who to my utter astonishment tool only a few steps and did not hop away like his other brethren. Obviously he had not seen many humans and thought me his friend. By being very cautious and cooing him to him encouragingly I was able to cajole him into posing for some very close pictures. Prancing about in the freezing waters of the lake were Pintails and other wild ducks. I also encountered a couple of pigeons who had made a home for themselves in an old abandoned gompa right next to the waters.

All these experiences with so much flora and fauna really made my yatra an experience to be treasured. However, I hope the Chinese government realises that unbridled tourism to the area can destroy a sanctuary that has survived for so long at such an altitude. Due to increased liberalisation by the Chinese government people from all over the world are now coming to this area. Also we can expect to see a virtual exodus of tourists to such out of the way areas in the foreseeable future. TIME magazine has forecast the Travel and Tourism will be the Industry of the next century. Travel agencies in Lhasa and Kathmandu provide powerful 4 wheel drives to groups and they drive across Tibet to reach here. On the way they discard beer and wine bottles, aluminium cans, plastic water bottles and wrappers, and other material foreign to the area. There is also an area on the eastern bank of the Mansarowar where pilgrims ritualistically discard clothes.

The area being closed to tourists, because of winter, for most of the year, probably helps it rejuvenate itself. Not being an expert on environment management I cannot make any estimate in this regard nor can I claim to make any specific recommendations to help preserve the area. But the earlier the authorities realise that it is better to pre-empt a disaster than to indulge in expensive disaster management after it has occurred, the better. For one, they should ban sale of beer, wine and water in the area. Water in Tibet is not contaminated. Stream water sterilised by tablets should be able to fulfil the needs of the tourists. Also they can set up some sort of garbage collection centres in places like Darchen where tourists can deposit their garbage for a small token payment.

The authorities should also realise that in the name of religion, as I have described, a lot of pollution is caused. They should educate the people that God is happy with their having come all the way to the area and a simple prayer is enough to appease Him. In the end all I can offer is a prayer of hope that the Abode of Gods remains as beautiful and bountiful for aeons to come.

7,107. That’s the number of islands that form the Philippine archipelago - at high tide. With so many of them it is hardly surprising that this country has some of the most fascinating beaches, island retreats, coral reefs and dive spots in the world and if it’s not obvious, it becomes so quietly clearly as the plane descends towards Manila’s NINOY AQUINO International Airport. I often travel to the country on work, always ask for a window seat and eagerly await the last 30 minutes of the flight hoping for a sunny cloudless sky. What I’m looking for is the visual delight of gazing at some of these outlying islands with their green forest cover, fringed at places with thin slivers of powdery white beaches and the clear blue-green waters of the South China Sea. I have often looked at the small fishing villages that border these islands and envied their luck at having the good fortune of living near such an abundance of nature’s bounty.

The urban chaos that is Metro Manila quickly becomes obvious as soon as your taxi drives out of the terminal. Amongst the hundreds of cars jostling for space on the roads you cannot help but notice a colorful contraption. In India it would go by the term jugaad. However, in this country, it has been turned into a form of popular art that I find extremely fascinating. It takes no explanation, especially to Indians, to deduce what they are for. I’m talking about the Jeepney – the ubiquitous form of public transport in this island nation.

Jeepneys are a way of life, practically everywhere in the Philippines. Although they are mostly found in the larger cities and towns as a means of public transport they also ply from town to town in the ‘provinces’ as rural Philippines is popularly referred to. Although it might appear daunting at first, once you are used to it they become an indispensable and cheap method to move around the country. Destinations are displayed by boards on the windscreen and if you are in doubt you can simply ask. The driver does everything, they go from anywhere to everywhere, stop anywhere to drop and pick passengers and invariably come with a small plastic trash can with the swiveling lid fixed to the floor. Practically everybody speaks good English – a remnant of the American days – and is always willing to help you get around. For fares you simply pay the driver during or after the journey. If you’re right at the back, simply hand over the money to your fellow passenger who will pass it on until it reaches the driver. After a while loose change, if any, does the return journey. Multi-tasking is the key-word for the driver who keeps the currency notes between fingers in his left hand and a plastic box with change riveted to the dash-board. In between navigating the chaotic traffic and roads he will find time to register your destination, take your fare, calculate the change and hand it over back to you. Psychedelically decorated as per the owner’s fancy and named “John Carlos, JESUS, Jason, JOMER, JOSH” or whatever, no two Jeepneys are alike. The answer to the question “How many passengers does a Jeepney sit?” is “One more”! I find them a unique form of popular art akin to the graffiti that you find on walls in New York and London. I cannot think of a parallel in our country.

Although Metro Manila has a throbbing night-life and offers all sorts of entertainment and restaurants especially in the central business district of Makati City, you should take the opportunity to get out of the city preferably over a weekend and enjoy the delights that the provinces have to offer. Hiring a private car is not very expensive if you’re not up to the rigors of public transport and there are destinations galore of all kinds just a few hours drive from Manila. You can visit the hill-town of Tagaytay (ta–gai–tai) with its lake within a volcano crater within another lake and another smaller volcano crater. From there you can carry on towards the coastal province of Batangas at the southern most tip of Luzon – the largest island in the country. If you’re heading out on a Saturday morning it is advisable to start as early as possible. By late morning the south Luzon Expressway is crawling with cars and busses and the 100 km journey to Batangas city can take up to 4 hours.

If you don’t have much time the Batangas province is the best place to find some great dive spots – both for snorkeling and for serious SCUBA diving. Dive Solana and Eagle Point Resort are highly recommended though I have personally only stayed at Eagle Point twice and would rate it as an excellent place. If you have more time and, most importantly, the inclination then the neighboring island of Mindoro across the Verde Island Passage is also another option. The pier in Batangas city is where the ferries for Mindoro depart and although a bit chaotic it’s possible to get a ticket at short notice on any of the ferries leaving for the one of the ports in the Puerto Galera area.

The resorts in and around Puerto Galera are very popular and on weekends the beaches and the hotels just behind them can be packed with people from Manila out to have a good time. However, the water and the beaches are picturesque and amazingly clean even though at all the beaches the resorts have packed themselves with little or no elbow room and with very little space between the high water mark and buildings. The locals seem to take it seriously to keep the waters clean and pristine and the local geography of the coastline is extremely pretty with white beaches, numerous coves and lagoons, and high mountains with an abundance of greenery disappearing into clouds immediately behind the beaches. Lonely Planet recommends Coco Beach Resort as “Author’s Choice” as a place to stay in this area and when I passed by it on a boat ride, it appeared to be more up-market than the rest of the places at Muelle Pier or at White Beach. The resort consists of accommodation in large thatched huts built on the slopes of the hill as it merges with a thin sliver of white beach.

During my last trip in April since I had a long weekend to kill, I decided to take the Jeepney, bus, ferry and then again bus combination to go further south of Mindoro. I had read that a French couple run a private resort on Pandan Island and nearby are some of the best coral reefs in the region. Since I was finding my way around it was late at night by the time I reached the coastal town of Sablayan from where I was lucky to get resort’s last service to the island. It was a moon-less night and during the 20-minute ride by ‘flat-boat’ I could see phosphorus plankton jump out as the outriggers sliced through the water on both sides of the boat.

Pandan brands itself not a luxury resort but as “a place for people who like to spend time in tropical surroundings without cars and television. A place where you are woken up by the singing of colorful birds, where there is only a palm tree between you and the sea and where you may even meet a sea turtle before breakfast.” Most of the island is still covered with primeval forest with two secluded beaches. The resort consists of sixteen clean and simple bungalows, a restaurant, a beach bar and a dive center. The bungalows are all built from native material and care has been taken to create a simple yet comfortable atmosphere. True to style there is no electricity, no fans or air conditioning nor any running fresh water. Except for the dive center all lights are powered by solar panel and fresh water is ferried from Mindoro. Each bathroom has a big barrel of fresh water with a ladle that you can use to clean yourself after a salt-water shower. All the bungalows are elevated and the cleverly designed bamboo floor has gaps that ensure that the floor remains clean even if you walk in with sandy feet. There is a large verandah with a hammock and as soon as you step down from it, you can literally dive into the cool waters of the South China Sea. Around the bungalow and on the beach you can find shells and corals of all shapes and sizes. It’s better to enjoy them as they are and not pick them up to bring home. The bar is well stocked and Sonny, the bar tender has his own recipe of local cocktails in addition to plenty of chilled beer and other drinks. The restaurant serves a blend of Filipino and European cuisine. Tess, the chief cook, combines local dishes and exotic ingredients with European recipes to offer a varied dining experience. Fish often comes directly from the local fisherman on the way home from their fishing trips.

Having snorkeled a couple of times earlier in the Batangas, I decided to upgrade to SCUBA diving at Pandan. The resort’s dive school offers an hour’s “INTRO” dive for about $50 and for another $40 also offers to film it for you. Initially I had some reservations about how much different could it be from snorkeling and whether it was worth it, but once I got the hang of it and learnt to stay down comfortably, I knew how wrong I had been.

The first few minutes were spent getting to know the basics – how to breathe only thru the mouth, what to do if retrieve the mouthpiece if it slips out, negating the pressure on your eardrums and keeping water out of mask. Then began the magical journey or a prolonged stay under water in a totally different environment – the feeling of zero gravity, the ability to twist and turn “mid-air” and be surrounded by the wonders of the deep rather than just look down at them as happens during snorkeling. The high-point of my maiden dive was, of course, swimming in the company of a group of fairly large sea turtles as some of them fed calmly on the sea grass and let scavenger fish clean their shells and underbellies. But that was not to deny the sheer joy of trying to catch little colorful clown fish as they stayed out of reach and hid amongst sea-sponges only to emerge as soon as you withdrew your hand, swimming warily around a large lion-fish as it guarded its den and admiring the seemingly inanimate coral in its myriad colors, shapes and sizes. Sunlight filtering through the surface to the shallow sea-bed made ever changing patterns and added to the surrealism of the experience.

I did not have time to take the day trip to Apo Reef, about an hour’s boat ride from Pandan. Reputed to be amongst the best coral reefs in the region, the resort offers day long dive trips to it leaving early in the morning and returning by late afternoon. For a die-hard and seasoned diver, there are “Live-Aboards”. As the name suggests you live aboard a ship that takes you from place to place and you spend your time diving at different places. Check out the website given the Facts box.

With thousands of islands there are literally thousands of holiday opportunities. Frequent flights and ferries offer great connectivity to most of the attractions. And surprisingly the facilities at the airports and ferry terminals far exceed your expectation of a country that is supposedly lower on the economic scale than our own. During a trip to Cebu I had the opportunity of taking the ‘Jet-Cat’ to the island of Bohol and the chance to see the Philippine TARSIER and the unique geographical phenomenon locally called “Chocolate Hills” Having experienced the wonders that some of these islands have to offer, it is my unrealistic ambition to spend my final days attempting to visit each of the 7,107.

Facts for the Traveler
There no direct flights to the Philippines from India. Thai, Singapore, Malaysian and Cathay Pacific airlines fly to Manila via their respective hubs.

A valid visa is required for entry and can be obtained at the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi (http://www.newdelhipe.com/) or any of their Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata.

Eaglepoint, Mabini, Batangas Province - http://www.eaglepoint.com.ph/
Phones - +63.2.813-3553 or 813-3560 Mobile +63 (0) 917-8544944

Dive Solana, Mabini, Batangas Province - http://www.divesolana.com/
Phones +63.2.8485788 or Mobile +63.917.300.1086

Coco Beach, Puerto Galera - http://www.cocobeach.com/main.shtml

Local Car Hire Companies in Manila – JB Rent a Car +63.2.526.6288, KEI Transport - +63.2.524.6834

Pandan Island, Mindoro - http://www.pandan.com/index.php
Phones – Resort - +63 (0) 9193057821, Manila - +63.2.523.7007 / 525
To get to Pandan Island by air – www.asianspirit.com – from Manila to San Jose and then the resort will pick you up by van. By private seaplane contact http://www.seaplane-philippines.com/

To get to Pandan Island by bus and ferry – get to Batangas pier by bus from Manila and then take the ferry to Abra de Ilog. Check timings with the shipping company +63 (0) 43 7238243. Note that there is no road to Abra de Ilog from the various piers near Puerto Galera. From Abra de Ilog, take one of the air conditioned vans that go direct to Sablayan. You have to be fast to get off the ferry as the vans fill up quite quickly.

Diving in the Philippines - http://www.divephil.com/

Tourism in the Philippines - www.philtourism.com, www.tourism.gov.ph, http://www.happymanila.com/

Jeepney Enthusiasts – For those of you who have either known about the Jeepney and/or have been enthused by the description, here are some websites
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/748d2/ (A Jeepney enthusiast’s webpage describing everything you ever wanted to know about a Jeepney – and then some. Recommended Reading)
http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/transport2.htm
http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/philculture/philippine_articles/manila_amazing_jeepneys.html
http://www.jeepneygang.com/2001/reservations.htm