Memories of Indian highlights

Fatehpur Sikri built in 1569, is a gem of a palace.  It glows a burnt red in the full sun of the day and heat radiates off the walls.  This breathtaking palace is intricately designed with beautiful sandstone carvings, patterns and text covering many surfaces.  Really impressive was the fact that the buildings although being a great age had all been designed to get as much natural light as possible, and to let a cooling breeze through.  Despite the burning 40 degrees of the day the shady interiors of the buildings provided some welcome respite from the oppressive heat. 

Fatehpur Sikri

We had arrived mid morning and took a tour, moving from one shady bit to another.  The palace had space for wives, concubines, entertainment and punishment.  It took 8 years to complete but was only inhabited for 15 years or so, as the natural world fought back from these early pioneers of building, and despite building a reservoir, three years of drought meant the palace had to be abandoned.

 

The palace provides outstanding views of the surrounding area, and although not as famous as its other contemporaries stands out as a peaceful and calm retreat.  Gone were the crowds we had experienced in Delhi, the Amber Fort and the Taj Mahal, instead few people milled around at a much more restful pace.  The only real work being done by a man with a broom, fighting a never ending battle against wind and sand.

This visit was a complete contrast to the time spent at the Taj.  We had been there the day before, getting there relatively early by 8am or so.  Of course this is one Indian site that all would recognise and it was slightly surreal to be standing in front of such an iconic building.  The entrance itself is impressive enough, a huge red sandstone archway, adorned with marble and onyx, and passages of the Koran.  Then you see the awesome spectacle of the Taj itself.

Our group was allocated an 'official' photographer and in many respects this added to the memories of the place, not necessarily the photos themselves but the amusement their creation caused.  We were made to pose in all sort of places and positions, fabulously staged shots of reclining, gazing and admiring the view.  Some of my particular favourites include the hands in the 'Namaste' position and of course the almost compulsory shot of looking like you were picking up the Taj in your hand.  There must be millions of versions of this shot in cameras all round the world.

Despite the 'disneyfication' of the photo shoot, the mausoleum itself truly is spectacular.  Gleaming white marble, intricate carvings and symmetry.  Even the gardens were a model of perfection, nothing out of place.  Inside the Taj the temperature falls and the place is filled with the echoes of hundreds of pilgrims to this place.

Stepping out the back the terrace runs the length of the building and the cool marble shaded by the building was providing a perfect spot for sitting.  Large family groups were gathering, each choosing a comfortable spot to rest and make the most of their time.  Ladies in beautiful colourful saris, men in their long sleeve shirts and holy men in burnt orange robes united in the privilege of the visit and the wearing of elasticated cotton shoe covers.    

 

 

 

Later in the evening we drove through a small village settlement and down a dust track road.  All sorts of vehicles were parked up either side, people all getting out and walking one way.  We had all come to the other side of the river to see the Taj from a different angle and to see it glow in the final light of the setting sun.  Unfortunately this was a particularly hazing evening and although a small glow was seen it wasn't the one on the pictures the hawkers were trying to flog on the way back to the bus.  I wasn't too disappointed, how could you be.

 

Two contrasting sites, two amazing views of India, both definitely stops on anyone's itinerary.

 

Travels in Syria

It's several years since I was in Syria, but the images that are filling TV screens at the moment brought back memories, unfortunately not for the right reasons.  Looking through grainy photos and reading travel journals from that time filled my head with stories of adventures and happy times.  My overwhelming memory of Syria is that it was a really welcoming place once we had got through the border.  Many people talked to us, guides were knowledgeable and keen to share stories of places they loved and people in markets and restaurants laughed at our attempts to communicate.

Damascus Souk

Our first stop was in Damascus, we were camping outside the city but got a mini bus into the centre of this bustling place.  Exiting the bus was an assault on the senses, and wandering around was like being hit with so many smells, sights and sounds that it was hard to keep up.  It was also hot, very hot.  We wandered around the Souk, it was a massive place selling all sorts of weird and wonderful things, spices, fabrics, tea making paraphernalia and what seemed like today's special, Stuffed Eagles.   Light rays shone through holes in the roof apparently a legacy of when the Syrian overran the French, today they added a glow in the haze.  Rejecting the stuffed Eagles we made our way to the city's main mosque, one of the most important sites in Islam and splendid in its decoration.

We drove to the ancient city Palmyra, located in the desert.  Again we were supposed to be camping but the wind got up and instead we found ourselves welcomed into the garage /home we luckily came across.  There was a huge Bedouin style tent in the grounds, complete with colourful rugs and cushions to lounge on and weirdly for such a desert location there was also a pool.  The evening was spent with music, hot tea and conversation that continued into the dark of the night.

Palmyra

The next day we explore the Greco Roman ruins of Palmyra.  The sand coloured ruins suddenly appeared on the horizon, something solid in this landscape of moving sand.  An landscape of ancient ruins, a temple, many columns and some engravings.  There were even some remnants of frescos from when the Christians has had control of the temple.  Opposite a road of columns stood the remains of shops and bath houses.  An amphitheatre also remains although some restoration had taken place here.  You could wander freely around and with few other people there you could begin to imagine past splendours.   

Crac des Chevaliers came next.  And for me the highlight of the trip.  I love castles and this is a damn fine one.  Its huge and sits atop of a hill overlooking the ruins of Palmyra below in the valley.  The views from and towards the castle are both spectacular.  Inside there are the remains of lots of rooms, all added at different periods of time and even the remains of a huge table, once rumoured to be table of the Knights of the round table fame.   There's towers to climbs and tunnels to explore.  The best part was that you could go anywhere you like, there was only 10 or so people about so of course games of hide and seek were a necessary part of the day.  Once we tired of that we all climbed to the top of the tallest tower and sat on the vast walls with our legs hanging over the edge, the drop below us falling away into the side of the valley and just sat in silence admiring the view and thinking about how lucky we were to be here.

We explored other towns on this trip but they are for another time.  For now the memories of that great trip remain with me and I just hope one day soon others will get the chance to go and see this beautiful and fascinating country for themselves.

 

Abergavenny food festival - delicious

Everyone loves a good food festival, it's the perfect opportunity to graze and not feel bad about it, tempting treats come from all directions and samples galore pull you in.  One of the best is the Abergavenny food festival usually taking towards the end of September just when people have that into Autumn feeling and its starting to get cooler, this is one event that gets you back outside for that final splurge of sunshine.

The setting is perfect, even without the food festival  Abergavenny is the quintessential market town, enough services to feel bustling but small enough to have that personnel feel, as if you are always going to bump into at least one person you know.  And surrounding the town, the three peaks of the Blorenge, the Sugarloaf and the Skirrid provide awesome views to anyone willing to take on the challenge of walking to the tops.

If lucky, the rain will stay off and bring out the crowds.  The main street becomes full of pop up stalls each offering a variety of wares, the local shops join in too with tables spilling onto the street.  This year was a riot of colour as red and white stripped canvas roofs covered the stalls, helium balloon sellers paced up and down, their balloons glimmering in the sun, and the beautiful hats of Alison Todd's window display adding to the rainbow.

Alison Todd Creations

As well as this other areas set up around the town, the Brewery yard is often the first port of call.  Many cheeses, pies and tasty beverages await here, and having sampled and brought your fill you can choose one of the many stalls offering lunch/dinner treats.  One of the best offering this year was Meat and Greek, making freshly cooked Souvlaki, grilling on hot coals and served in pita with salads and sauces.

Meat and Greek

The Market Hall usually home of Abergavenny's popular Tuesday market is transformed into   the food stage.  This is the place to check out the local fresh talented chefs as well as a few more famous faces.  Whilst watching on the big screen you can enjoy a local beer and be brought cooked samples directly from the stage.  It's even fun to watch people watching, taking notes  for that one time when they will try and recreate what they saw.  If nothing else it's a good place to sit and get some energy back for more intense grazing.

The rest of the market hall is full of stalls, chocolate and homemade pastries seemed to be particularly big at this year's event, but local yogurts, butchery and artisan breads also put in a fine appearance.  The most popular stall as always was the Chase gin and vodka stand.  Little tasters drew big crowds and many left with bags full, Elderflower and Rhubarb being my tipple of choice.

Other must visit locations include the Priory area.  A must for all seafood lovers.  Soft shell crabs, oysters and calamari as well as traditional fish and chips filled the air with delicious smells.  Many a choice the only difficult decision being what to have a which of the wines on offer to have with it.

 

The castle grounds are also transformed.  A stage for live music and debate and yet more food stall.  This area is especially great at night when crowds party into the night listening to live bands the back drop of the castle proving an atmospheric setting.  One Saturday night this is also the location of a large fireworks display that can be seen all over town.

 

One final mention must go to the Mushroom man.  A man that makes mushrooms out of wood.  Who knows what for but hey why not? he is very popular and after all everyone should make room for the whimsical.

There only two things I can add.  Firstly - if you can make it to the festival stay the weekend and try out some of the local bars and restaurants.  The Farmers arms does a fine pint, and Pizzorante makes the best Italian food I have eaten in the UK.  Make sure you have the garlic bread!  

And secondly this one's for the organisers, next year can you persuade the stall owners to have small sample dishes for a pound or two? after all with so much to choose from and only 2 lunchs and dinners to fit it all it, it's a difficult choice to reject some things that look so delicious.  Cheaper smaller samples are definitely the way forward.

Come next year, I'll see you there!  

 

 

Relaxing on Roatan Island, Honduras

Roatan Island at approximately 33 miles long and 4 miles wide is the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands.  Located in the Caribbean Sea this tropical island is only an hour boat ride from the mainland, or a short flight from Houston.  However unlike other more famous Caribbean Islands this is only just started to be discovered by tourists.  True, backpackers have known about this secret waiting to be explored for decades, but now's the time to go before everyone else hears about it.

Getting the boat to Roatan

And what a treat, bath water warm crystal blue waters and white sandy beaches are on offer, and there's no fighting for space for your umbrella, indeed you could even have whole stretches to yourself.  One of the best beaches on the Island is located at the South West tip at West Bay, a huge curve of sand lined with beach bars and restaurants and several dive centres.  It's possible to hire snorkelling gear and swim from the shore to see vast coral gardens, large brain coral, fan coral and many other species just a few metres under the surface.  If you don't fancy the 10 minute swim out, there are numerous men with boats just waiting to take you.  For $35 for three people, for two hours, snorkelling gear included, we were able to get a little further out, where the coral was even more vibrant and had not been damaged by careless feet.

West Bay

Divers have know about this spot for years, indeed its one of the best value places in the world to learn to dive.  And the reason for this is that Roatan just happens to be located on the Mesoamerican Barrier reef, the largest in the Caribbean Sea and second largest barrier reef in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef.  Being a snorkeler not a diver I hoped I wouldn't miss out, but I needn't have worried, just a short 5 minute boat ride from the shore shoals of fish can be seen close to the surface.  In fact the water is so clear that the visibility is excellent, you can even wave at the divers several metres below.

We were warned to pick our visiting day to West Bay carefully as once a week, a cruise ship arrive and disgorges a few thousand people for a couple of hours.  Spend, eat, drink, swim and then just a fast as they arrived they disappear.  This is great for the people who live and work on the island, but for the rest of us were glad they weren't going to spoil the isolated paradise for longer.

West End

We stayed in West End, just round the coast from West Bay, but with a quieter laid back feel.  It reminded me of some of the coastal towns in Vietnam and Thailand before they were 'discovered'.  This place is still really only for budget travellers, but with plenty of variable quality accommodation to choose from there's no need to suffer in a hot dorm room in tropical heat.  There's just one 'main street' which runs parallel to the beach and this is where all the action takes place.  There's a few supermarkets and many souvenir shops, all selling the same kind of things, great price hammocks and the 'uniform' clothes and beads of the 'backpacker'.

There's also the cafe bars serving banana pancakes for breakfast and chilled beer for the rest of the day, as well as numerous good quality and reasonably priced restaurants.  One deserving a special mention is Creole's Rotisserie Chicken, packed with locals and tourist alike every evening, you can smell it before you arrive.  Plastic tables and chairs overflow from the main restaurant as everyone crams in to sample the roast chicken, and salads.  Later in the evening the bars come alive with music, from expected stereotypical reggae tunes to the 'Blue Marlins' karaoke night.

 

Could you spend the week here? go on then.  Even longer and you could explore the rest of the Bay Islands.  Just Ssshhh, don't tell everyone.

Roatan from the air

 

Brighton - because you're never too old for the Carousel

The best thing about that strange thing we call the 'Bank holiday' is that it comes around every year on the last weekend of August.  Three glorious non work days to look forward to, and of course for every British person worth their namesake a trip to the seaside.  It doesn't matter which one you choose, traditional fishing villages, large stretchy of sandy beaches, or one of the more traditional resorts, they all have a lot to give.

My favourite on a Bank holiday is the old fashioned resort, where you are guaranteed to see that most traditional of sights, people walking around in shorts no matter what the weather is throwing at them.  We are British and we are at the seaside.  Alongside this of course are the buckets and spades, ice-cream, fish and chips and if you are really lucky a pier with amusements.

This weekends' choice was Brighton.  Of course more upmarket than most, this happening city on the south coast is always bustling whatever time of year you visit.  Yesterday it was packed with people trying to make the most of the long weekend.  The trick is to arrive fairly early and park along the promenade, then you can join the hundreds of others milling about by the seashore, stroll along to one of the UK's best piers, or if you like head into town and get lost amongst the quaint shops and cafes of 'The Lanes'.

 

First stop is always for coffee, recommended is the Bandstand Cafe, below the Victorian bandstand, a friendly place with a great view.  From there a bracing walk along the promenade taking in the somewhat eerie view of the old pier, its last limbs rusting just of the shore.  There's also new boutique shops fighting for space alongside ice cream parlours, pubs, bars and fish and chip cafes.  In the middle of this, work is on going on what's going to be the i360° a 360° high rise viewing platform which claims to be the world's first vertical cable car, when finished the views should be amazing.

For lunch 'Pho' is always a winner.  Tasty Vietnamese food offerings just off the main promenade.  Follow this with some retail therapy in some of the many individual boutiques scattered in 'The Lanes', a drink in 'The Fortune of War' or if like me you prefer some seaside fun it's a race to the pier.

 

I love it, it's a strange mixture of tack and dated pleasure.  Opened in 1899 you can still image how it used to be when people dressed up for the Bank holiday and took a steam train to the coast.  And besides who can resist a place called the 'Palace of Fun' arcade!  It's a colourful display of neon and a cacophony of sound, as millions of bulbs light up fruit machines, horse racing machines, virtual games and everyones childhood favourite, the 2 pence machines.  Mix this in with chiming and ringing, bells, the dropping of coins and other various noises and you have the sensation of the pier. 

 

If all this gets too much there's always the rides and games on the outside.  The tin can shy, the shooting and the horse racing where Minions in all shapes and sizes seem to be the prizes of the day with people seemingly pouring money into these games to pick up one of those pesky Minions even when, when they get home they have no idea what they will do with it.  A sense of achievement however to all the winners.

I reject rides meant to scare the hell out of you, the Turbo coaster, the Crazy mouse and the Air race, I even reject the Wild river and the Horror Hotel, all of which seem to be providing endless amounts of pleasure for many.  Instead I head to the one ride I always go on.  Its' beautiful decoration, colour, mirrors and splendour drawing me in.  And as I choose my horse, I listen to the traditional organ music and wait to start twirling and reflect you are never too old for the Carousel.  

Hanging out in Antigua, Guatemala

The first thing you can't help but notice in this small Guatemalan city is that its surrounded by 3 vast volcanoes, looming like giants over the town below.  The second thing you notice are the rows of neat coloured houses and other buildings laid out like a grid pattern, letting cooler air funnel through narrow passages and providing much needed shade on at least one half of the street in this low rise city. 

Buildings of various shades of yellows and orange glow warm in the sunshine and seem to invite you in.  The whole city itself was very inviting.  As my first stop in Central America this was proving to be a good start.

Grabbing a map, I followed the cobbled streets through an archway with clock and arrived in the main plaza.  Here first stop was one of the many coffee shops for breakfast and to watch the activity in the square.  Market traders were setting out their wares on trestle tables, a colourful mix of bright fabrics, jewellery, flowers, and various fruits and vegetables. It was a  Sunday morning but the place was filling up fast, many people spilling out of the cathedral and numerous churches scattered amongst the city.

The city itself was founded in the early 16th century and is now protected due to its historic value and appears on the UN's world heritage list.  Wandering around its easy to see why.  The city itself was partially destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1773 and much abandoned by the local people.  This has meant that many of the original architecture and buildings still stand.  Although people re-inhabited the city and rebuilt some of the key buildings the atmosphere has been maintained.  Many of the original churches were not rebuilt and now these partially destroyed buildings add to the atmosphere and cry out for exploration.

It's easy to walk around this city, despite a dodgy map and the intense heat of the day.  There are loads of places to stop, lots of inviting cafes and bars, many with their own shady courtyards or roof top terraces.  The food was good, simple local dishes, steaks, quesadillas and various other Mexican type offerings to go along with the local beer.  What was also nice was the lack of tourists, there were some but the place wasn't overrun.  Walking away from the main plaza, the crowds are quickly left behind.  

I got a tuk-tuk up to El Cerro de la Cruz, just a few minutes' drive out and up outside the city itself.  From here there is a breathtaking view of the city spread out below and a great view of two of the volcanoes that dominate the skyline.  Living this close to these dormant volcanoes although potentially dangerous has given life to the city itself, the surrounding fertile land supporting the cities inhabitants.  Whilst taking in the view one of the volcanoes gives off a few puffs of smoke and reminds me of how close we are in this living landscape. 

Volcano boarding on Cerro Negro, Nicaragua- is the way up better than down?

I'd seen it on the TV before I left home.  Ed and Dara had made a programme about travelling through Central America, they made it look good.  One of the things that stood out, was their visit in Nicaragua to Cerro Negro, a still active but dormant volcano where you can go volcano boarding.  So I thought as I were here I would check it out.

Cerro Negro

I joined a small group of friendly people all prepared to throw themselves down the side of a volcano for fun.  The journey to the volcano passed through fields and volcanic plains as we left the appealing city of Leon and headed toward the ridge of volcanoes located only 40 minutes away.  Helpfully our guide asked the driver to stop so we could take a good picture of the volcano from the bottom and so he could point out the tracks of other sliders.  It looked very steep, and nervous chatter from the group clearly meant I wasn't the only one who was now reconsidering what they had let themselves in for.

The volcano stands out from the others in this area as its black.  Black volcanic lava has created a near perfect cone shape, with a hollow crater in one side and finer black sand and grit on the other.  The edge of the last lava flow stops abruptly at the base of the volcano, clearly seen where black rubble gives way to green scrub.

After stopping to register that we were climbing the volcano in the observation hut we pulled into the car park and got ready to climb.  The boards are pieces of plywood with a piece of thick rope to hang on to and a piece of metal attached underneath to make you slide faster.  The best way to carry them up to the start point was horizontally between your back and the rucksack of jump suit, gloves and goggles needed.  Slightly uncomfortable but not impossible. 

Group photos done we started the climb.  Circling round the back of the crater at first climbing over steep piles of rocks and at times struggling to keep our footing.  Half way up, the climb got easier as the gradient smoothed out and the path became more gravelly.  Despite the heat of the afternoon, there was a cooling breeze, and a couple of places to rest in the shade and admire the view.  This is what made the whole experience worthwhile.  Vast volcanic grasslands spread out below, the light of the afternoon sun spreading a warm glow across the whole area.  And the best part, no sign at all of humans, no buildings, villages or towns.  Just space for as far as the eye could see.

At the top we dumped our bags and boards and finished the climb to the top and rim of the crater.  The volcano gave off gas constantly, reminding us we were standing on an active time bomb!  The views from here if possible were even more spectacular, 360 degree vistas.  Volcanoes in the chain formed a line in front of us, the refreshed green landscape of trees and natural scrub blending with the sky which appeared huge.  And in the distance a glimpse of Leon, a city that sometimes gets covered in ash as the landscape around them lets off steam.  It all felt like such a privilege to be here and share this view with just a few others.

But we could put it off no longer.  It was time to slide.  Large yellow and green jumpsuits were provided which didn't really fit anyone but promised to stop us getting scratched on the way down.  A briefing followed, sit down on board, slide, feet down it you want to slow down.  That was it, short and to the point.  The sense of anticipation grew, then it was my turn, as I waited for the wave meaning it was safe to go I felt positive about this, gloves on, goggles down and I was off.  At first it's exhilarating, then the speed kicks in and you start to think about what you're doing.  Half way down I started to come off the board, I got grounded and stopped, the front of the board dug in the gravel.  Managing to get going again, all thoughts now were of just getting to the bottom as quick as possible.  I picked up speed, despite feet down I wasn't slowing.  Gravel flew at my goggles, and my leg, scratching it like sandpaper.  Aghhh, I wanted to scream, although I couldn't as we had been told to keep our mouths shut in case gravel flew in!  Then the end came and in a far less glamorous end than start I was flung off.  Ouch.

Others came down with interesting degrees of success, one thing in common being the dirty black faces and white goggle marks and sand in places there shouldn't be sand.  But we had all survived and hobbled back to the bus with various injuries, for water melon and beer!

Stopping once again at the volcano monitoring station to sign out we were treated to one last amazing spectacle.  A platform into the trees opened up to a now dark sky, not tainted by light pollution but stars beautifully clear, constellations like the song, diamonds in the sky.  This place it seemed just kept on giving.

Check out the YouTube link below to see a footage shot by some lovely Americas who took on this challenge with me.  Thanks guys. 

https://youtu.be/D-05Je92YaQ