Queenstown: A picture of adventure

For a remote town in lovely, pristine New Zealand Queenstown is sure a busy little place. It was here – billed by tourism booklets as the ‘adventure capital of the world’ – that I tried my hand at bungee jumping. To tell the truth, as the cords were being tied to my feet I couldn’t help feeling my heart stop near my throat. Sue went off into peals of laughter watching my semi-blanched face. Did I make it finally? I am happy to report that I did. Of course, Sue managed to jump more gracefully than I did off the Kawarau Bridge, the world’s first commercial bungee-jumping site.

Just walking about in the town was proving to be an eye-soothener. There were blue lakes, snow-capped mountains and green trees whichever way we turned. The air smelt delicious as we moved with our backpacks towards the Winnie Bagoes Gourmet Pizza Bar in the Mall. We were pleasantly surprised by the interiors- a massive bar, billiards tables, a cheerful fireplace and comfy chairs. Not like a pizza place at all, in a sense. The pizzas are thinly-crusted with a variety of toppings. I liked my mini Italian pizza while Sue raved about her smoked-chicken served with Brie and cranberry sauce.

One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Bob’s Peak on the cableway Skyline Gondola. Suspended atop the breathtaking beauty Lake Wakatipu we thought nothing could be better and then we beheld the Remarkable’ peaks. The blue-green mountains with their vanilla toppings were too riveting to the eye to be dismissed lightly.

Although we were tired out we still managed to make our way to one of the world’s best luxury hotels, hotel Novotel Gardens – on foot enjoying the scenery on the way. Close to some beautiful local gardens and well-manicured lawns, it is one of the most picturesque hotels in town. We were lucky enough to get a room on the ground floor with a walking trail right outside the door. The next morning we took a walk on the trail. That itself was an adventure in itself.

The place has my strongest recommendation

Christmas Island: Close to heaven

Christmas Island is one place where nature colludes with the elements to create magic. Neither Sue nor I had beheld before such a variety of birds in all the colors imaginable under the sun. We saw a mind-boggling range of imperial pigeons, silver bosuns, emerald doves and thrushes that we found ourselves breathless and agape at the same time.

Flying in from Perth we stayed at this lovely place called the Captain’s Last Resort which is one of the best lake spa resort. Staring down from the balcony we saw schools of exotic fish in the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean.

Sue’s alarm clock woke me up early the next morning. She was still asleep when I went out into the balcony to soak in the refreshing morning air. Not a soul was in sight, but the birds were up and about chirping overhead in the trees. I saw a seagull flying out into the ocean and disappearing. I resolved to visit one of the many beaches on this island with Sue. In the little kitchenette I prepared a hot cup of lemon tea for myself. Sue had woken up in the meantime and was making enquiries about renting a four-wheeled drive at the Christmas Island Tourism Association.

An hour later we drove down to the remotest part of the island- Dolly Beach. Its sandy softness and thick rainforest were a sheer visual extravagance. Swaying coconut palms and live marine turtles made our day. The area also has a fresh water spring, which makes it a favorite with picnickers. On our way back we came across a tour group from Sydney enthusiastically diving into the azure ocean waters.

Christmas Island is not a shopper’s haven; reason enough for its limpid beauty. Opposite the Christmas Island Visitor Centre we came across this small grocery shop where we bought bread and tea leaves. We also espied a supermarket opposite but we didn’t go in.
That evening we had coffee as we listened to the waves of the Indian Ocean lapping at the shores of the Flying Fish Cove. It was the closest to heaven as we could get.

Mussoorie: Of greenery and sunset

“You know, I don’t feel very self-conscious here,” Sue was saying as we made our way towards Kulri in Mussoorie. I could appreciate that. In India she had been at the receiving end of (often unsought-for) male attention. My olive skin and dark eyes, on the other hand, had kept me ‘safe’. In Mussoorie she no longer felt like an ‘alien’, there being so many foreigners. We were dragging our luggage up to a bed and breakfast joint called All Seasons recommended and booked by a friend from India.

The main town was a disappointment; especially after the drive up from Dehradun, the valley-town of the new-born north Indian state of Uttarakhand. Too much traffic, dirt, smells of cow dung and tourists from the Indian capital Delhi. And yet it was all quaintly unique, so rustic although Mussoorie was developed by the British into a hill station.

All Seasons is an unpretentious guest house cheek-by-jowl to a couple of swanky five star hotels. Yet it manages to hold its own thanks to its cozy, homely interiors and warm staff. Run by ‘Winkie’, a turbaned Sikh gentleman, it is the acme of hospitality. He gave Sue and me the best room with a huge king-sized bed, bath, walk-in closet, TV, fridge, and Wi-Fi access. My favorite feature, however, was the balcony overlooking the hills?

The guest house doesn’t provide lunch so we decided to eat Thai and Chinese food at The Tavern which was close by. The egg noodles that Sue ordered were pretty nice but I loved my Thai chicken curry and iced tea.

That afternoon we booked a taxi to take us to Kempty Falls, so named by the Brits thanks to their love for tea. ‘the word Kempty’ happens to be a corruption of ‘Camp Tea’, a 19th century colonial tradition. Kempty, frankly, was a disappointment with the water having thinned and the trash. The drive back to All Seasons was far more entrancing. But nothing to beat the sun spreading its orange resplendence while slipping behind the mountains- a sight that caused us to down our teacups in the evening.

Samarkand: Sandy splendor

Walking about in Samarkand in our hats and after having downed several glasses of water the summer heat was, frankly, beginning to get to us. This Uzbek city is beautiful, no doubt, but because of its locale in the desert it gets unimaginably hot here. Thankfully, the city is literally littered with tea-houses. Escaping into one to obtain relief from the merciless sun was not at all difficult, thankfully.

Both Sue and I voted Registan (in Urdu the word means desert) as among the most impressive squares we had come across during our travels. This 15th century structure is also home to three madrasas or educational institutions hailed for their lovely architecture. We later visited the Rukhobod Mausoleum which is rumored to house a hair of Prophet Mohammad.

We also went to see Samarkand University and, once again, fell in love with the architecture. Surrounded by green lawns, the leafy glades and benches offer respite from the fierce sun. There exists a park in the south west end of the university dedicated to musician, poet, and painter of Timur’s time. There are also quite a few good restaurants close by. What deterred us from going in were the high prices.

We made our way back to the one of the best luxury hotels, Hotel Zarina which Sheena, our travel agent, had so kindly booked for us. On the way, we passed Registan once again and couldn’t help marveling at its beauty yet again. Both Sue and I quickly whipped out our cameras.

Making our way towards Zarina we stopped short opposite this rather gorgeous place called ‘Lyabi Gor’. With pleasant interiors the restaurant is pretty clean. We sat at a table and ordered the famous Uzbek green tea to be followed by chicken shaslik and stuffed peppers. The service was prompt and the staff quite courteous and pleasant. I would recommend the place any day.

Aswan: Truly Egyptian

Before flying to Aswan the only thing I had known about the city was its famous dam, I now ashamed to admit. Once there I felt as though I was part of one of Rider Haggard’s novels. Turning to Sue on Elephantine Island I said, “I feel like Ayesha (of ‘She’),” and walked with an exaggerated swagger. The winding streets and alleyway, the chocolate-faced urchins scurrying about, the gigantesque boulders resembling elephants next to the Nile, and ruins of the Khnum temple left us quite out of breath.

Staring out towards the turquoise Nile River I was reminded of yet another classic, Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Nile’. Would Sue and I meet with an exotic adventure on a boat, I wondered. As long as we didn’t get murdered, I thought wryly. “A penny for your thoughts!” Sue ribbed me with her elbow, “Hey! How about getting on to that felucca?” Feluccas are sailboats where the sails are made of canvas.

”Why are you staring at me so hard?” she asked, regarding my expression. Had she read my mind, I couldn’t help wondering. The two young boys who were manning the boat managed to steer it well. The breeze from the Nile fanned our faces and hair and we stared out contentedly at the sun setting fire to the Nile waters before disappearing behind the desert. A sight of breathtaking beauty!

We docked in at the Essa Island in the center of the Nile. Going by our watches it was 7.30 pm. Not yet dinner time but our tummies were rumbling. Moreover, we had heard about a great Nubian restaurant. We ordered Egyptian bread with chicken curry amidst loud music which we attacked with relish. Sue later ordered grilled fish cooked in conjunction with a local herb called ‘zaatar’. Feeling rather full I sampled a little. Quite nice.

We got back to our one of the world’s best hotels rather late accompanied by other tourists staying there. We felt sorry to leave Aswan the next day.

Oslo: Great in Every Way

“Wow!” exclaimed Sue. We were staring at the summit of one of the best luxury hotels, Radisson SAS Oslo Plaza practically in the midst of the city. I knew that it had a nice bar all the way up to the top but desisted from going up. Firstly, it was too early in the day for a drink and secondly, it was too expensive. Thirdly, there were other places I wanted to visit. Places like Vigeland Park containing the works of one of the country’s greatest sculptors Gustav Vigeland.

Santo Domingo: The oldest in the new world

Even before plans regarding a trip to the capital of Dominican Republic got underway there was advice galore. Most friends and well-wishers told us that this was where we would be able to locate the ‘most ancient in a contemporary world’, including the oldest street, the oldest building – well, not exactly – the oldest chapel, and the oldest cathedral in the world. By the time we landed in Santo Domingo we were well-informed about the erratic traffic, fake jewel purveyors, etc.

God bless Sheena, our travel agent, who’d booked us at the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel, one of the best spa hotels and Casino with its jaw-dropping backdrop. Shaded by tall swaying palm trees it overlooks a lovely beach. The bilingual staff of the hotel is also most helpful and friendly.

Our first visit was to the Columbus Lighthouse or the Faro a Colon. The place is enormous and walking about tired us out quite a bit. One American tourist informed us that the view from the top of the light house is absolutely gorgeous. We could only take him for his word because we didn’t get to climb to the summit. We also learnt that Christopher Columbus lies buried here.

And how could we miss seeing the oldest cathedral in the Americas? The founding stone of this holy shrine was laid by Columbus’ son, Diego Columbus. Stepping inside the enormous vault one got a sense of a redoubtable colonial past. I was also reminded of the pirates who stormed the place in the 1500s to plunder all the precious artifacts and artworks and couldn’t help shivering. Some of the artworks they left behind cannot fail to impress, however.

All this made us hungry. Our watches said four pm local time, a little too early for tea and too late for lunch. Yet our stomachs were growling. So we got into our rented car and made our way to El Conusco, a favorite eating joint with tourists. I enjoyed the chicken salad and yams. Sue found the spaghetti really delicious. A must visit and highly recommended.