Adventures with Julia

11/22/11    This post sent from The Hermitage in Neeleshwar.  In the last post I made the images smaller hoping they would be easier for you to deal with or enlarge if you wished.  Am not sure it worked, so have gone back to the regular size I was using before.  If any of you have an opinion about the image sizes, please let me know.  Thanks, Julia

On November 16, we left Teju and Aurangabad and flew to Bangalore in south central India.  Here we were met by our next driver, Mani, who spoke just manageable English.  We had modified our program so we could visit the Grover Winery about 35km north of the city in a well to do area called Nandi Hills.  Unfortunately Mani got lost, having never been there, and it took much longer than we planned.  Finally, we did find the place, had an interesting tour of the winery, visited one of the vineyards, tasted 4 of the six wines Grover makes and purchased a bottle of Le Reserve for the next evening.   We also met Karishma, Karan Grover’s niece, who manages the winery for the Grover family and had a pleasant visit with her.  The trip back to town took almost 2 hours due to commute traffic.  Mani dropped us off at the Oberoi for the night.  We were so happy to be in a very nice, spacious and quiet suite that we ordered room service, and did not leave the room until breakfast the next morning.

Having spent our city tour visiting the winery, we had a very abbreviated tour of Bangalore as Mani drove by the highlights on our way out of the city.  Our guide for the day was Joseph, a christian.  (We have now had just about every religion represented by our guides except a Buddhism and Islam.  Maybe that will happen yet.)  Joseph talked very fast as we passed the points of interest and we swiveled our heads to keep up with his “on the left” and now “on the right” banter.  We learned that Bangalore has 8 million residents and is growing very fast as people crowd in looking for jobs in the IT field.  This is the city where the majority of Call Centers are based.  When you hear an Indian voice answering your tech questions, they are probably located in Bangalore.  We undoubtedly missed a few nice sights, but we were glad to get away from the overcrowded city.

St Philomena's Catholic Church in Mysore

The road to Mysore was not too bad and we were able to nap for part of the 140km, three hour ride.  The scenery was mostly level to gently rolling with fields of rice, cotton, tumeric and vegetables.  Our first stop in town was St Philomena’s Catholic Church built in 1930 and one of the largest churches in India.  It was interesting for its lovely stained glass windows, and its centrally accessed crypt, on which walls were listed hundreds of donors, most with Portuguese names–although I did not find mine.  Said a few prayers and then headed for Mysore’s huge, fairy-tale palace, which is very elegant with its strong European influences.

Mysore's fairy-tale palace

It is the third palace to be built on the site as the first two, both made of wood, burnt down.  The current palace was commissioned by a Maharani Queen of the Wodeyar Dynasty in 1897.  The architect was Henry Irwin, an Englishman, who designed it in the Indo-Saracenic style and had it constructed so it would be fireproof with steel rather than wood.  Completed in 1912, it is more interesting than many palaces we have seen due to the Indian Marahaja’s use of space and the grandness of the rooms.  The public meeting hall, which is open sided and colonnaded and where the maharaja hosted audiences while seated on a solid gold throne, is uniquely decorated with inlaid marble.   Most spectacular, was the peacock wedding room with peacock stained glass covering the ceiling, a mosaic floor laid out in peacock designs and peacock colors and designs painted on the walls and columns.  Each floor had different marble or granite, each ceiling was painted in different colors and styles and some rooms had ornately carved teak ceilings.  There were three solid silver, ornately carved doors and everywhere there were paintings of Wodeyar royalty.  Part of the palace is still occupied by the former Wodeyar Maharaja.  The grounds were large but basic, except that they added a sense of depth and grandeur.    We were pleased to spot a beautiful pair of White-backed Vultures flying around one of the domes.  Even got a decent photo of one in flight.  Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside the palace.  All I have to show you is the outside.

Political rally we saw in Mysore

Then Mani dropped us off at our downtown hotel, the Metropole and Joseph took the bus back to Bangalore.  From now on we have only Mani to guide as well as drive us.   The hotel was listed in our itinerary as “charming”.  We have come to understand that “charming” is used when the place is less than great.  However, it was fine for a night.  After dinner in the courtyard, we went for a walk around the neighborhood and came upon a political rally in the making.  We did not understand totally, but did get that the marchers were against some law the government was trying to get passed.  They were all wearing orange neck scarves and carrying torches.  We watched them chant, wave their torches and walk around the corner and down the street.

Incense, perfume and oil vendor in Mysore

Having not yet ridden in a tuktuk, we decided it was time.   We hired one of the yellow and black three wheeled taxi’s and road around the market area, which was crowded with people even at 9pm.  Mysore is known for its incense, perfume, oils, soaps, woven silks.  Our driver insisted on stopping at one of the stalls and took us around back and into a small shop full of many smells.  The proprietor tried to interest us in incense, but switched to perfume when we said we were allergic to incense and switched again to mosquito repellant oil when he learned we did not like perfume either.  He wanted 4400 rupees (about $22) for a small bottle of repellant.  When I told him I could buy more than that at home for a few bucks, he lowered his price and tried to convince me his product was better since it did not have any chemicals.   We managed to get out of the place with a couple of photos and none of his products.  Our tuktuk driver was not too happy about that, but drove us back to the hotel, thankfully.  Had he left us on the street, we would have been totally lost.  It occurs to me that I have not mentioned the exchange rate for rupees.  It has fluxuated between 45 and 50 rupees to the dollar during the month we have been in India.

Rode side scene outside Mysore

Mani picked us up in the morning, November 18, and drove us west for 2  1/2 bumpy hours to Nagarhole National Park and our next home, the Orange County Resort.  The terrain gradually became more hilly and vegetation increased in size until we were in dense hardwood forests of teak, sandalwood, rose wood, bamboo and other species.  We passed a dam, built in 1974, that created a lake of the river that flows through three contiguous parks and provides a water source for animals and a viewing place for people.  Originally the hunting retreat of the Mysore Maharajas, Nagarhole is now part of the 640 square kilometer Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.   The moist climate in the area supports a dense tropical forest with a 100 foot high canopy.

View of lake from Orange County Resort, Nagarhole

Orange County Resort was on the bank of the lake on the far side from the Reserve.  Quite a pleasant resort, it had extensive grassy grounds and stone paths to each guest hut.  Ours had a very small, enclosed pool with jacuzzi jets and cold water.  Somehow it was not very inviting and we never used it or the large vanishing edge public pool.  The temperature was most comfortable, but not warm enough to make us want to get wet.  When we were not on safari we were content to read and nap.

Being greeted at the Orange County Resort

Although at the resort only two nights, we went on four safaris–two by boat and two by truck.  The first afternoon we did a boat safari directly from the hotel dock.

Elephant drinking from lake at Nagarhole NP

The boat ride was so nice because there was no dust or bumps, but the soothing experience of being on water. Plus we saw a number of interesting birds as well as herds of white-spoted deer, several Sambar, large mohagony colored deer, wild boar, wild chickens, monkeys and several elephants.

White-spotted deer in Nagarhole Nat. Park

The next day we had two game drives in a large truck with 17 tourists, a driver and a naturalist.  Way too many people for our taste, but the game resorts have been told by the park management to reduce the number of vehicles in the park, so….more people in fewer trucks.

Kingfisher, Nagarhole National Park

Up at 5 and out at 5:30am, we motored across the lake to the waiting truck and then drove a few very bumpy klicks to the park.  We started off seeing some interesting birds like the Crested Hawk Eagle, a Brahminy Kite, a White-breasted Kingfisher.  We saw  a few Stripped-necked Mongoose, many deer, some Sambar, a Crested Serpant Eagle, a Red-wattled Lapwing, a Plum-headed Parakeet and creatures I can’t remember.  Late in the drive we came upon a wounded deer hiding in the river by a dense bank of bamboo.  The top of its head was bleeding and it looked very frightened.  We stopped and watched.  Soon a wild dog showed up pacing up and down the river bank, but unable to get through the bamboo or into the river to capture the deer.  The dog was a large healthy male.  Alone, he would have a hard time killing the deer, but no other dogs appeared.  It was a very special sight to witness and I could have sat there all day waiting to see what would happen.  However, the naturalist said our time in the park was over and we had to drive off, leaving the deer in the water and the dog trying to figure how to get it.

Our afternoon drive was, on the other hand, a complete bust.  Saw very few birds or animals and wished we had stayed in camp instead.  It has not been long since the monsoon season and the grass and shrubs are still to green and lush to allow for good visibility.  We should come during January and February if we want to see more animals, especially tigers and other predators.

Our last outing was by boat the following morning.  Out at 6:30am, the boat driver made a bee line for the far shore.  Apparently there had been a sighting of a leopard near the lake and we went to check it out.  Lucky us.  There was a large, young male laying down and licking himself about 100 feet from the edge of the lake.  We watched him until he got bored and walked into the brush.  The naturalist figured he must have had a large kill a couple of days ago and was still hanging around feeding on it.  He certainly looked sated.  After that we saw our first Indian bison, known as Guar, one large tusked elephant we had seen on the first boat drive and a crocadile sunning itself on a sand bar.  It did not matter.  We were all pleased to have seen the spotted cat and were satisfied.

Typical road traffic near the national parks

At 10am on November 20, Mani picked us up for our long ride to the Hermitage in Neeleshwar.  Although the distance was only 200 kilometers, the roads were so bad that it took 8 hours to make the trip.  The first two  and a half hours were spent getting around the lake and through the Biosphere.  Only then did we head northwest toward the Arabian Sea.  We crossed a mountain range called the Western Ghats.  If it wasn’t so hard on our bodies, the road conditions might have been laughable.  Where they were roughest, there were also animals and pedestrians complicating forward mobility.  When the roads were smooth with little traffic and we might have made good time, there were hellacious speed bumps–6 in a row, about 5 feet apart every 1-2 kilometers.  Although the roads went back and forth between being horrible and almost good, the scenery was spectacular.

Field of tumeric, rural south-central India

The fields of sugar cane, rice, tumuric, other spices and vegetables gave way to banana and coconut plantations and then to dense tropical forests as we climbed into the mountains.  At elevations near the top of the mountain passes we saw tea plantations.  Once we dropped down the western slopes we saw many rubber plantations, each tree prepped to give its elixor.  We could not go more than a few kilometers without encountering another village.  People were living everywhere.

Typical traffic scene in rural India

Somewhere in the middle of the mountains we crossed out of the state of Karnataka and into Kerala.  Almost immediately we could see changes–the houses became bigger and better, properties were well kept and tidy, and there were more Muslims.  Kerala is wealthier than other states and is 40% muslim according to Mani.  Then we began to notice orange flags with the hammer and cycle on them.  Russian communist flags.  Mani said there is a large contingent of communists in Kerala…..we found them.  Truck loads were all headed for a meeting somewhere.  We did not follow.  As it was Sunday, many stores were shuttered, there were no markets and few big trucks.  There were, however, many local busses once we reached the bottom slopes of the mountains.  We played leap frog with a few–passing them when they stopped for passengers and then being passed when they got rolling.  They, unlike Mani, had no concern for the many pot holes.

Among the things Mark noticed all through India have been the vehicles.  Mostly there are Toyotas, Suzukis, TATAs, Mahindra Jeeps,Hondas and old Ambassadors.  Now and then a few Chevys and Fords.  Only in the major cities like Mumbai and Bangalore did we see a few BMW’s, MB’s and one Rolls Royce.

Buying snacks in Mananthavady enroute to Neeleshwar

Unfortunately, we did not have time to take photos along the trip.  We stopped only 3 times to pee and buy snacks.  In one village Mark bought a mango drink and several small bags of chips for only 70 cents.  Of course, there were no tourist in that town.

Mark looking at me on our veranda; pool and Arabian Sea behind him

Finally, just as the sun set, we saw the Arabian Sea, but it was after dark before we pulled into The Hermitage.  We were all glad to have the drive safely finished.  The welcome was subdued as the hour was so late, but we could see immediately that we would be happy with the surrounding for this, our three night beach and backwater holiday…a pause from all the going and doing.

We did not even change for dinner.  Had fish at the Hermitage’s beach restaurant with sand under our feet and the sea crashing just out of sight.  We found our hut near the swimming pool, picked up the flower petals that had been sprinkled on our bed and crashed with no wake up call.  The next day was ours to spend as we wished.  We did just that—-walked on the beach, read, swam, blogged, had spa treatments, ate salads for lunch, read, swam, had another spa treatment and blogged some more.  Great day.  Rather weak sunset, but had another good dinner at the beach restaurant–delicious scampi Indian style.