It’s hard to pick a favorite location, but Puntarenas would definitely be high up there on my list.
Malo had told us to expect rain when we moved from the Caribbean to the Pacific Coast. Boy, were we delighted that he was so very wrong about the weather. Both days were perfect; not too hot, and just enough sunshine to quickly dry us off after our water activities.
For the drive to Puntarenas, I sat in the front seat. It was truly amazing how much the roads had changed since our first visit in 2007.
Typical 2007 road 2025 Highway
I was even happier to be here when I checked my driveway on the ring camera.
This is where I amThis is where I’m heading
I texted my snow plow guy, who will make sure my driveway is clear by the time I return home. At that point, I may even be ready for some cold weather.
I used to think that traveling by bus would be tedious. That was before, when I had a mind that was partially closed. Now I am able to appreciate how surprisingly wonderful some stops can be. For example, on this bathroom break, we saw an iguana, macaws, and bats.
My photoPhil’s photoI witnessed the circle of life in el baño stall.
Malo changed our itinerary, moving Friday’s boat ride on the Tarcoles River to Wednesday afternoon so that we could maximize the probability that we would see birds. And we sure did!
An unexpected bonus? we didn’t need to be on the bus till 9 AM on Friday morning to return to San Jose.
These are just a few of the birds along our “jungle cruise”. Mike and I took the very same cruise in 2007, which is when I took this photo with my Panasonic LUMIX.
At one time or another, we spotted most of the 60 birds pictured in the guide we were given. How very lucky were we! Of course, Malo had a lot to do with our “luck”. The reason he modified our itinerary was to choose a time when the tides were at the optimum level for viewing wildlife.
Phil and Malo took great photos so Iwas able to gaze at the birds thru my binoculars, knowing that one, or both of them, would capture the moment.
My cell phonePhil’s camera
It’s pretty clear why I preferred their photos to mine, although I DO like this video that I took.
Jolene, Marianne and Lee Fah
But wait…there’s more! Our second day in this heaven on earth was jam packed with adventures.
We started by rowing our outrigger canoes to Limoncito Beach,
where we were able to splash around in the warm water, snorkel and enjoy lunch on the pristine beach
Our guides provided EVERYTHING! Lunch, chairs, snorkeling equipment, noodles. They even took photos of each of us.
After we returned to Agujas Beach, Malo took us to the local bar, where he treated us to Chiliguaro, a local concoction consisting of moonshine, chilies and sugar cane. Did we like it? Well, you be the judge.
But wait…there is still more!
After fortifying ourselves with what could pass as a gin and something that slightly resembled tonic,
Marianne and I got the bright idea to walk (stumble) to Playa Blanca. We were soon joined by Cindy and Edwin, who were usually up for anything. Luckily the shuttle stopped to pick us up before we got to the steep part.
Esther, Cindy and MarianneEdwin, our translator, comedian, and overall great guy! Photo by my buddy, Marianne.
While on the beach, we were entertained by the capuchin monkeys. I wasn’t fast enough to get a video of one while he was stealing food. Man, they are FAST!
The shuttle stops running at 5, so we decided to grab the 4:30 one, to be able to make a final stop before heading to dinner. That’s where we found Mike and Jo-Lynne,
who responded to Edwin’s many personal and pretty hilarious questions about their relationship. The 6 of us going on the post trip to Tortuguero will definitely miss the 7 that will be returning home at the end of the main trip tomorrow.
Up until day 7 and 8, we had been incredibly lucky. Although it rained periodically, it seemed to happen only when we were on the bus, in a restaurant, or back in the hotel. Until La Fortuna. That was where our fortunes changed.
It was impossible to see the Arenal Volcano during our morning hike,
but I took pictures when Mike, Augusta and I were here in February of 2007. Back then, it was quite active. We were even able to see the bright red lava flows at night from our hotel room.
When we walked in the National Park, it was raining so hard, even my underwear was soaked, despite wearing a rain jacket. These days, if it’s not fun, I ain’t doing it, so halfway through the hike, 5 of us returned to the bus.
Marianne got creative. She took a black plastic shopping bag and with Edwin’s help, made holes in the sides so she could stick her arms through to keep her red jacket dry.
Those of us who chose to forgo the hike DID get to see Lake Arenal from the bus as we were leaving the park. Sorta.
Here’s the 2007 view.
Some brave souls decided to go zip lining despite the rain. Having ziplined twice before, I opted to return to the hotel. Had I known about the Tarzan swing, I might have made a different decision. But probably not.
Les, on the zip line.
Marianne, channeling her inner Tarzan. Jane??
Costa Rica has micro climates, so although it was pouring a few miles away, it wasn’t raining at our hotel. I walked the grounds, where I discovered multiple private hot tubs. Oh, to be with that special someone on a sunny day!
On our second day in La Fortuna, we cruised the Rio Frio, to search for wildlife.
I briefly regretted not bringing my camera, but I was very grateful for my binoculars.
Even with binoculars, it was NOT easy to spot the wildlife.
Were you able to find the “Jesus Christ” lizard in the first photo? For the second photo, I used my phone’s zoom, which is clearly not as powerful as my camera’s.
Why Jesus Christ lizard? Because the basilisk lizard (official name) looks as if he can walk (run) across water.
Check out the difference in quality of these monkey photos. The first was taken with a phone, (by one of the other travelers); the second is from the 2007 trip with my Panasonic LUMIX, way before cellphones had cameras.
Our guide posted photos of the birds we saw in WhatsApp. Of all the birds we observed, the kingfisher was my favorite.
Before our cruise ended, we made it to the Costa Rica/ Nicaragua border, where Malo took this photo of our wonderful group.
My very favorite highlight of our time in La Fortuna was our dinner at Selva Rustica. Raul, our bus driver, offered to take us to and from the restaurant, which was a very good thing because it was raining heavily ALL evening.
We all agreed that this was the best meal of the entire trip, so far. Sorry, Malo. From now on, we are going with Raul’s restaurant recommendations. Although we each ordered something different, we were all very happy with our choices. My grilled tuna atop vegetables and potatoes was heavenly.
Have you ever had a flaming margarita? With a blue Jell-O shot in the bottom of the glass? Neither had I. This was definitely a video worthy experience. Thanks to Phil for capturing the moment.
As you can see from the map, we are traveling throughout Costa Rica during OAT’s Pura Vida tour.
This means we need to move from one place to another every two days.
On day 5, we departed from Sarapiqui after lunch, which gave us time in the morning to visit Tirimbina, and walk across its quarter mile suspension bridge over the Sarapiqui River.
TWICE. Over and back.
I have to tell you, the shaking and swaying reminded me of car rides during my childhood. Even without all the smoke from my parents’ cigarettes, that continual motion almost made me feel carsick! But was I glad I did it? Hell yes.
After our stroll, we had free time until lunch, so I plopped myself in the “bird” area to enjoy the wildlife.
This gray cowled wood rail was HUGE, and unafraid. He stared right at me in between bites of papaya. He was probably thinking “ if she even tries to bother me, I’ll just peck her eyes out”.
Were you impressed that I knew the name of the bird? Don’t be. I sent that photo to Malo, who identified it for me.
During lunch, we were all grateful to be under the roof watching the torrential rainfall. How lucky were we that we weren’t rafting during the downpour. Yes, I know we were already soaked, but at least the sun was out, so we had a warm respite between rapids.
Our lodge in Sarapiqui was full of signs, but this one was my favorite:
Our next hotel, in Aguas Zarcas, had multiple pools, supposedly at different temperatures, but they all felt lukewarm to me. Still, it sure was pretty at night.
On day 6, Malo led us on an optional tour of the property, where the non-Florida natives were thrilled to watch this heron check out a potential tilapia breakfast. He looked like a human, staring into a lobster tank, trying to choose one for dinner.
This was a very educational walk. We learned that bats sleep rolled up in leaves like this one. How did Malo know? The bat makes three holes in the leaves— all in a row.
During our stay in Aguas Zarcas, we made two trips to the local grocery store—the first was on the way to the hotel, where I stocked up on wine. Hey, who knows if I’ll have another opportunity?
I know my friend Anthony is probably horrified by my choices. My criteria? It had to have a screw top. It’s times like this that I’m grateful for my unsophisticated palate.
Fortunately, we made a return trip to the grocery store the next day to buy ingredients for our home visit.
By then, I had washed my hair with the only option provided by the hotel. Let me assure you, the outcome was NOT attractive, so I was glad to have the chance to buy real shampoo.
One of OAT’S distinguishing features is the home visit, where we visit with a family, share a meal, and sometimes help prepare it. This was one of those times.
I opted for salad duty where I’m pleased to report I excelled at chopping lettuce.
As a bonus, our host’s daughter Natasha danced for us, with son Damien performing the role of DJ and boom box operator.
We ended our visit with a group photo.
Our hostess and family posing with us
Our final event was dinner in town, at a karaoke place. Sadly, the words never appeared on the screen, so we were unable to sing along.
Cynthia, Marianne, Lester, Randy, Cindy, Esther. Where was Edwin?Me, Jo-Lynne, Mike, Joleen, Lee Fa, Phil. photo by Randy
Because dinners were not served together, and the food took a looong time to arrive, we all got a free drink. My friend Phil and I got to choose another drink because we were served last and didn’t get the barbecue ribs we had ordered. My margarita was delicious, as was the small drink we all received.
After “before dinner wine” (happy hour back at our hotel), a half a bottle of beer, a frozen mango margarita and the little “mystery” drink, I was feeling absolutely NO pain.
Jo-Lynne and I were ready to “party hearty”, but the rest of the group wanted to go to bed, so we were saved from embarrassing ourselves. At least so far. We still have another 10 days.
Remember how everyone tells new moms “once you see your new baby, you forget all about the pain of childbirth”? Yeah, well for me, THAT never happened — which is one of the reasons Greg is my only child.
The pain of getting to a trip, now THAT’S a different story. Once I arrive at my destination, any flight challenges — delays, cancelled flights, jet lag—all those “minor inconveniences” are instantly forgotten. (Thank you, Joann)
Our first day in Sarapiqui was picture perfect. The accommodations were a bit rustic, but comfortable, wildlife was abundant, and the location was ideal. I was able to walk to the nearby Sarapiqui River, which was FAR calmer than upstream, giving me a false picture of what our raft trip was going to be like.
Not too bad, right?
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Our morning began at 6AM with birdwatching and listening.
It made me regret that I hadn’t brought my camera, because a cell phone just doesn’t do it—unless, of course, you are as prepared as our guide, Malo was.
After breakfast, we were ready to start our rafting adventure. We expected to get wet, so I stored my cell phone with the change of clothes I brought. Not a problem, because the rafting company had photographers stationed along the river.
At the start of our trip, the water was moving fast, but the “rapids” certainly looked manageable.
That quickly changed! The following photos were taken by the rafting company from their vantage point on dry land.
Yes, we were on that raft. Here’s proof.
We were quite pleased with ourselves that we had made it thru. What we DIDN’T know was there were many, many more rapids before our journey ended.
Across from me is 83 year old Esther, who was a trooper, smiling even though during our 1.5 hour journey, she almost fell into the river.
Her daughter Cindy is in front of me. We had quite a rhythm going, even after our helmets smashed together during our transit thru one of the rapids.
Although you can’t tell from the above photo, we were all completely soaked. We are smiling because we knew that dry clothes were waiting for us.
That was quite enough adventure for me, so I spent the afternoon hanging out by the pool, with Randy and Cindy, instead of touring a pineapple plantation.
This will give you and idea of what our second day in Sarapiqui will be like.
On to two days in Chachagua, where Malo tells us we will be able to enjoy the hot springs.
Remember when I said yesterday’s travel challenges were a minor inconvenience? Well, my new friend, Betty, experienced a MAJOR inconvenience. Last night she fell, broke her right wrist, is having surgery today, and has to return home tomorrow. It’s unfortunate for her, very sad for me, because I liked her instantly.
MY luck began to change as soon as I arrived in San Jose. I was able to join the group for the 3 PM tour of the National Theater because Alex, my wonderful taxi driver, was able to calculate how long it would take to bring me to the hotel (in bumper to bumper traffic), allow me to check in and drop my bags in my room, and drive me to the theater. I arrived 3 minutes before the theater tour started.
If anyone is ever in San Jose, and needs a driver, here’s Alex’s contact info.
Alex’s phone number. I highly recommend him!
Along the way, Alex pointed out interesting buildings. He also confirmed my memory of San Jose as being a city without high risers. These skyscrapers were all built within the last 8-10 years.
Our group is super friendly and welcoming. THEY all had to learn ONE name, but I had to learn 13. Yes, originally our group numbered 15, but one person canceled before the tour started, But I digress. Back to the Theater tour.
Our National Theater guide explained that this statue was originally on the roof of the theater, but was brought inside to protect it from the ravages of weather, which was causing the marble to become discolored.
The top floor houses this salon, where the rich and famous hung out after enjoying the evening’s production. It isn’t obvious from the photos, but the marble on this interior statue is pristine and glowing.
The National Theater was built in the 1800’s when Costa Rica was rolling in coffee profits. Back then, rich coffee growers sent their offspring to be educated in Europe. When their children returned, they brought with them memories of the art and culture they had experienced. These memories culminated in the creation of the National Theater.
Our second day began with a tour of a small coffee finca (farm). To be honest, after staying at the Colombian coffee plantation for three nights, I wasn’t as interested in the production aspect, so instead I took photos. Here’s a shot of two members of my group picking beans
Mike and Jo-Lynne
Edwin was born in El Salvador, but grew up in LA. Because Malo was up most of the night helping Betty, Edwin stepped in and translated for us.
Edwin is on the right. This is an “antique” piece of equipment
We are lucky to have Edwin with us. He and his wife, Cindy are much younger than the typical OAT traveler. That’s because Cindy’s mom, Esther, invited them to accompany her.
After lunch at the finca,
we headed to Sarapiqui, which gave us the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Costa Rican countryside. It is impossible to capture the grandeur of our drive, but that didn’t stop me from trying.
Supposedly, it was a three hour drive, with a couple of stops, but the time went by very quickly.
One of our stops was for a photo op by a waterfall.
This one’s for YOU, Jean.
I’ll end with a video of our other stop where we enjoyed sampling Agua Dulce while we watched the birds.
It’s a beautiful morning in Managua, Nicaragua. What, you don’t see Managua on the map atop this post? That’s because some of the best laid plans often go astray. (Like some women I know).
Normally when I do a group tour, I go in a day early to allow time for things to go wrong. Not this time, which pretty much guaranteed that everything that could go wrong, did.
I kept channeling my friend Joann, who I met on my recent India trip, by repeating “ it’s just a minor inconvenience”. I said that a lot!
The minor inconveniences started with an hour and a half delay at Newark airport because of electrical problems. Then, we were unable to land in San Jose because of poor visibility. After circling long enough to necessitate refueling, we flew to Managua and sat on the plane hoping for a break in the weather in San Jose. We waited long enough for the flight crew to surpass their maximum working hours, and no other crew was available, so the flight was canceled.
The crew handed out immigration paperwork that had to be completed, plus a list of hotels with phone numbers, but no other information. I tried to do my own search, for hotels near the airport, but the internet wasn’t working. ( I wasn’t the only one with cell phone challenges!) when my phone wouldn’t work, a very kind man sitting behind me handed me his phone, already dialed to the Hyatt, and he told me they had available rooms.
Because the plane was full, I had gate checked my bag in Newark. It was my act of kindness for the day. BIG mistake. I suspect the luggage handlers translated “priority” to mean “grab me last”. And they did.
Although The Best Western was across the street from the terminal, United didn’t put it on the list or provide its phone numbers, so instead I took a taxi to the Hyatt, which was about 20 minutes away. Before we left , we were told repeatedly to arrive at the airport 3 hours before our 10 AM flight.
One of the positive aspects of having sleep problems is my body has figured out how to get by on much less sleep. By the time we (yes, “we” because by then I had a companion. Little Kayla was looking lost, so I invited her to hop into my cab), it was 2 AM local time, 3 AM my body time when I finally got to bed. I awoke at 6 AM, just in time to enjoy the included breakfast.
Upon arriving at the airport I discovered our flight was delayed until 12:20. No one was at the United desk, so I found myself a seat, and reminded myself things could have been far, far worse. Noise canceling headset with music loaded onto my phone drowned out the screaming kid and allowed me to mentally transport myself to my happy place.
No, this is definitely NOT my “happy place”. Don’t worry, no one will be getting a gift from here!
I’ll miss the first day of the trip, including the welcome lunch and a tour of the National Theater because I won’t arrive into San Jose until a little after 1 PM. That is, if everything goes according to plan, which it hasn’t so far.
Luckily, I’ve been to Costa Rica twice before this trip. The first time was in February, 2007, with Mike and my friend Augusta. We traveled with Elderhostel, which is now known as Road Scholar. I’ll be trodding over familiar ground – in 2007, we started in San Jose, then visited Poas, Sarapiqui, La Fortuna and Arenal. It will be interesting to see the impact time has had on the areas I’m revisiting. Of course, that’s assuming that I REMEMBER what it was like in 2007, which is a pretty big assumption indeed.
Poas Volcano from 2007 visit
The second time was in January of 2010, which is when Mike, Greg and I cruised through the Panama Canal with Oceania. We only were in Puntarenas for one day, so we hired a guide who took us for a walk through a forest, then we went zip lining. That first platform was REALLY far away and I will admit to being terrified that I would get stuck midway, and have to rely on my upper body strength to pull myself the rest of the way. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, because back then my upper body strength was non-existent.
Practicing zip liningOn my way. I was NOT moving slowlySuccess! I couldn’t even SEE the landing zone.
This itinerary includes zip lining, horseback riding and rafting. Although not specifically mentioned in the itinerary, I’m assuming we will have a chance to take advantage of the hot springs near the volcanoes. I’ll admit, if I was missing one of these activities, I’d be thoroughly bummed.
August thru October is traditionally the “rainy season”, with November being the transition month leading to December’s dryer weather. ThIs year’s 10 day weather report is predicting rain almost every day. Perhaps the rain will be gentle, cooling us off when the temperature soars into the 80’s. We shall see.
Time to see if anyone is at the United desk.
Next post will probably be from Sarapiqui. And yes, despite all the minor inconveniences, I still feel pretty damn lucky to be on this trip!
Our trip ended with a three night stay in Mumbai, which up until 1995 was known as Bombay, the name the Portuguese gave it.
I always thought that Mumbai was the Indian pronunciation of Bombay. Shows what I know. In fact, the city was named for the Goddess Mumba Devi, whose image appears on the wall of Victoria Station.
Here are some other photos of Mumbai’s beautiful train station.
Victoria StationDetail on roof
Our stay is at another Oberoi, and to tell the truth, I’ve gotten extremely spoiled. Although certainly more than adequate, this room isn’t over the top breathtaking, like the other hotels in the chain. It DID, however, have an amazing outdoor bar, from which we could watch the sun set over the ocean.
With Gloria, Sue and our fantastic trip leader, Jennifer
I hope that this blog helps dispel any preconceived notions about India. Yes, it can be crowded and dirty, and the traffic is CRAZY!
Our local guide (whose name I have forgotten) said that to drive in India you need three things:
“A good horn, good brakes and good luck”
India is also pretty damn magnificent. I am so very grateful that I was able to experience its wonder and grandeur. Take a look at how Mumbai’s airport puts many American airports to shame.
During our stay, we had a delicious lunch at the Taj hotel, which was one of the locations where the 2008 terrorist attack occurred.
The “new” Taj Hotel has a memorial in its lobby. Beside the waterfall are carved the names of everyone who lost their life at the Taj during the attack.
Our lunch was on the top floor of the new Taj, from which I was able to take this photo of the Arch (known as the Gateway of India) that was constructed for King George (whatever number he was—maybe George 5?) and Queen Mary’s visit.
Our boat ride to Elephanta Island gave us a a different view of the arch, plus the old and new Taj hotels.
Initially, what is now Mumbai was comprised of 7 islands, until the East India Company took possession, and decided to fill in the water between the islands, thus creating what has become today’s city. During our tour, our local guide pointed out areas that had been reclaimed from the sea.
Other interesting sights included the Dhobi Ghat, where laundry is done in the open air. Our guide told us the water is only changed at the end of the day. Yikes! These days, many Indians have washers and dryers, so commercial enterprises are the ghat’s chief customers. I suspect that the Oberoi’s linens are NOT laundered here.
Other sights included Jeff, Tom and Whitney all trying their hand at cricket.
Head of a BuddhaOur local guide showing a “sky” burialBombay high court mercy statueJust in case this cat is a reincarnated relative, it’s fed.
Some of the pews in St Thomas Cathedral were adorned with metal plaques identifying famous butts that were placed upon them, such as Mother Theresa and King George & Queen Mary. Guest preachers, however did not get similar recognition. But they certainly SHOULD have.
One of the most fun activities was feeding the “good luck” cow. Supposedly Indians who did so, would be guaranteed good luck. Their next stop was to the nearby stock exchange.
OUR next stop was to this jazzed up Starbucks, where we tried our luck at finding a clean bathroom. We were successful, so maybe feeding the cow does work.
My final stop for the day was to watch the dabba wallahs decode which lunchbox gets delivered where. As you can see from the photo of one code, it is quite an elaborate system.
We asked why workers don’t simply take their lunchboxes with them when they leave for work.
The reason is the husband leaves work before his wife has cooked his lunch. It isn’t ready until around 10:30, which is when the dabba wallah picks it up. It gets delivered to the office before 1 PM. The dabba wallah returns later to bring the lunchbox back to the wife, arriving many hours before her husband returns home from work. That allows her to clean it so it is ready for the next day.
After lunch, most of the group visited the Dharavi slum. When in Nairobi during the summer of 2024, I had visited the Kibara Slum, which was a glorious experience, one that would have been difficult to replicate, in my opinion. I’ve also stayed in some rather humble lodgings while working on global volunteer projects. What I haven’t done is stay at many five star resorts, so I returned to the hotel to enjoy its rooftop pool.
Everyone who visited came back impressed by the work ethic of the residents of Dharavi.
I mentioned Elephanta Island earlier in this post. Only seven of us chose to spend our last morning in Mumbai visiting this temple dedicated to Shiva.
Although it looked like the temple was constructed in an existing cave, that was not the case. The temple was carved out of a huge block of basalt, working from the top down, and the outside in. The columns that you see in the photo above are purely decorative. They are not needed to support the temple. Check out the ceiling and floor of the temple.
The 10 members of our group that chose to forgo the excursion did so because they were concerned about making it up the 126 steps to the temple.
For about $35, you could make the trip the way royalty did in the past, by hiring four men to carry you in one of these chairs.
Good thing Allison is slim, because Tom depleted his cash buying a beautiful ring for his lovely wife earlier in the trip. Being creative, Tom came up with an alternative method.
Others were turned off by the thought of a one hour boat ride each way, preferring instead to shop. In India, there is always an abundance of shopping opportunities, some for articles whose purpose was a mystery, at least to me.
The train took us to from our boat to the start of the climb.
As with the other cities in the north, trash was everywhere. Despite the signs on receptacles exhorting people to “use me”, people obviously preferred to drop their garbage on the beaches where it was carried into the ocean.
I found the boat ride delightful, mainly because Joann and I chatted the entire way, which made the one hour journey whip by.
Tom, Allison, Jim, Sherrie, me, Joann and Don
Our guide did a terrific job explaining the meaning of the wall panels. We learned, for example, that before they were married, Pavarti was always depicted on Shiva’s right. After they wed, she moved to his left. Why? Our guide told us it was because Shiva kept his wallet on his left side. “No money, no honey”. Later she told us being on the left side made Pavarti closer to Shiva’s heart.
So can you tell who is married and who is still dating? Remember the photo is a mirror image. Hmmm, Joann is on MY left. In the photo atop this post’s heading, she got it right
The photo below is of the wall panel showing the combination of male and female aspects of Shiva. If I had been viewing this panel on my own, I never would have gotten the significance. On the photo’s right, the top hand of Shiva is holding a mirror, which symbolizes beauty and is the emblem for Pavarti. On the photo’s left you can see Shiva’s hand resting on his trusty steed, Nandi the bull. There was a whole lot more that our guide told us, but the jet lag induced brain fog has caused me to forget what it was.
Our farewell dinner produced mixed emotions for me. I was sad to say goodbye to my new friends, but I was also happy to have spent the past two and a half weeks enjoying their company. What a magical group!
I couldn’t fit everyone at the big table into one photo, so I took two from different vantage points. Clearly the waiter did a better job than I.
If I have the time and the energy before I depart on my next trip, I’ll talk about our experience flying from Delhi. It was an adventure! Fortunately I got to share it with Joann and Don, which made it memorable, and almost fun.
Next trip is to Costa Rica, with OAT, in the beginning of December.
Name changes confuse me. I find myself slipping and saying Bombay instead of Mumbai. Even after spending time in Southern India, I’m not sure whether I should be saying Cochin or Kochi. I heard both. Maybe it doesn’t matter.
What DOES matter is the dramatic contrast between northern and Southern India! In the north, horn honking is encouraged. MANY of the vehicles we passed had signs like the one below on the back of their vehicles.
In southern India it was blissfully quiet. Although traffic wasn’t AS bad as it as in the north, there still were some interesting moments. Just no horn honking.
The south is so CLEAN! In the north, people drop their trash wherever—in the street, along highways, in parks, on lawns, inside buildings. It’s EVERYWHERE.
In the state of Kerala, they have either mastered the art of trash collection, or their residents actually CARE about their cities, or it truly IS God’s Country. Take your pick.
Although the itinerary showed us spending four days in Kerala, our first day was spent almost entirely traveling from Udaipur to Kochi, including a stop in Bangalore to change planes, and grab some airport food for lunch. Colonel Sanders has made his way to India, but I discovered that Starbucks offered fantastic sandwiches—better than we get in the USA, and probably cheaper. ( I still haven’t quite mastered exchange rate math). Good thing I ate because our flight was delayed, and we didn’t get to our hotel in Kochi until almost 6:30 PM.
What was great was that Tauck got us rooms with access to the club room. What was not so great was that the club room closed at 7 PM. Despite that, I managed to consume two glasses of white wine and sufficient food to make dinner unnecessary. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re highly motivated.
This is the only American hotel we are frequenting during our trip— a Hyatt Regency overlooking the bay leading out to the Arabian Sea.
The curtains open automatically when you enter your room. I never bothered to learn how to close them, because I loved the magnificent view.
Of course, if you get tired of watching the river flow, you can always turn your head to look at the window into the bathroom. I wasn’t sharing a room, but those who were could watch their roommate do whatever they needed to do in the bathroom, without leaving the comfort of their bed.
Our second, and final day in Kochi, we were treated to a cooking demonstration by a woman who was discovered by The NY Times several years ago. Check out how her home is equipped, with tv screens, so you can watch while you theoretically master her technique. I imagine that before The NY Times discovered her, her kitchen looked very different.
In addition to her cooking commentary, Nimmy shared details about her marriage, including the fight she had with her husband that morning. She was QUITE entertaining!
Sue, me, Joann, Nimmy, Gloria and Don
Next up was a tour of a palace, synagogue and church, plus an opportunity to shop a bit.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride back, just in time to catch this spectacular sunset by the fishing nets.
Because we had a reasonable departure time (9AM the next morning), Gloria, Sue and I decided to try the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel.
Our final two days in the south were spent at the Kumarakom Resort. We drove about 2.5 hours to get to the houseboats that took us the final three hours of our journey.
Although we didn’t STAY on the houseboat, we certainly COULD have. Take a look at this luxurious bedroom. Instead, our houseboat experience included a delicious lunch on board.
Jennifer, our trip leader was on the second houseboat, but somehow she managed to convince the crew to pick up speed. It felt like we were on the Amazing Race. When her boat passed us, we decided that she and Whitney had complementary strengths that would have undoubtedly made them a winning team!
The Kumarakom resort was exactly what I needed at this point in the trip. I thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to slow down and completely relax for two days.
Once again, I had a magnificent room. But this time it was adjacent to what was called a meandering pool. I could meander across the way to visit with fellow travelers, so I did.
I loved the outdoor bathroom with the open air shower. I’d had one in Nepal and one in Colombia when traveling with OAT, so was used to showering in the open air.
Both nights, we were treated to outdoor cultural shows before dinner. This lovely young lady did a traditional dance,
The young men demonstrated martial arts, kicking and twirling swords and spears at each other. One segment of the show reminded me of majorettes performing in one of those old talent shows ( was it Ted Mack’s amateur hour?) See what you think.
Before the performances began, we got to drink wine and watch the sky change colors.
Pretty magnificent, wouldn’t you say?
On our last day, our group visited two villages alongside the river, waving to villagers along the way.
The experience was similar to what OAT calls “A Day in the Life”, where we visited two farming families, viewed their home and were invited to participate in activities. Gloria climbed for coconuts,
Was he getting ready to “goose” her?
Susie made coir rope from coconut fiber
Some of us got to play “dress up”
Pam and Jeff were dressed as a farming couple, Pat, Bill and I were getting married. Hey, back in the day, men could have multiple wives. At least Pat and I get along well!
Only three days left on the trip, all of which will be spent in Mumbai/Bombay, before our long flight home.
Just when I thought “this trip couldn’t POSSIBLY get any better”, it does!
Our hotel, the Oberoi Rajvillas is even more magnificent than the Leela Palace in Delhi. How is that even possible? Well, check out my room.
That’s nothing. The bathroom is even more spectacular.
I was the only woman who chose to return to the hotel rather than shop for jewelry during our free afternoon.
Display at our hotel—a bit too ornate for me
Why? So I’d have time to take a bath and use the pool.
Although it LOOKS like a maharajah’s palace, the Oberoi Rajvillas is actually a luxury hotel that was built to resemble a palace.
The Rambagh Palace, where we had dinner, was the REAL deal. Built in 1835, it became the principal residence of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and his wife, Maharani Gayatri Devi. After India became independent in 1947, the Maharaja converted Rambagh Palace into India’s first luxury “palace hotel”.
Check out how we were greeted and escorted in for dinner.
As one might expect, dinner was incredible. The wine flowed freely, so freely that when Jennifer asked for a volunteer to dance with the professionals, I rose to the occasion, thinking other members of the group would join in. They didn’t. Instead my friend Bill, took this video.
This style of dancing is called Kathak and it is extremely difficult to follow, because the foot stomping pattern changes unexpectedly. I gave up trying and instead decided to go “free style”. At least my travel companions were amused.
Jaipur was noisy, crowded, chaotic and beautiful.
Crossing the street was even more hair raising than crossing in Hanoi, because in Vietnam the streets are not as wide.
I’ll confess to being challenged to find just a few photos of the many incredible things we experienced. This is my attempt to give a feel for the wonder of Jaipur without posting so many photos that your eyes roll back into your head.
Before our dinner at the Rambagh Palace, we took a jeep to the Amber Fort.
Every time we went over a bump, Jeff and I hit our heads on the jeep’s ceiling. We were glad it was made of cloth instead of metal!
On our way, we visited this water source.
The Amber Fort is a popular site for wedding photos. This was actually a “practice shoot” pre-wedding, to make sure the real thing turns out perfectly.
The “fort” contains a gorgeous garden with fountains.
Check out the mirrored designs on the fort’s walls.
You could get a panoramic view of Jaipur from the fort.
We toured the Jantar Mantar Observatory and the City Palace Museum on our second day in Jaipur. The photo atop this post is of the throne room in the palace.
Our lunch at the Raj Palace was extraordinary. My only regret was that I didn’t know the names of these wonderful dishes so that I could order them again.
We ended the evening by visiting the 18th-century Shiva temple, where this group photo was taken.
Normally, when I travel I arrive a day before the tour begins, but not THIS time. I figured I wasn’t changing time zones, so no jet lag to overcome, and with the short flight, I would arrive in the early afternoon. What could possibly go wrong? Well, I knew I didn’t have to worry about snowstorms closing the airport, but I completely forgot about thunderstorms and possible flooding. Oh yeah, I also forgot about airline strikes.
I don’t know whether it was the strike or the weather that got my flight canceled, but I was VERY grateful that United notified me the night before I was due to depart. That gave me enough time to notify my driver, rebook my flight from home and best of all, I avoided hanging out at the airport for hours, desperately hoping that the planes would fly again sometime soon.
Actually, the delay worked out for me, because on my recent trip to Massachusetts, my friend Jean and I inadvertently picked up each other’s credit cards. Although Jean attempted to overnight my card, the post office only CHARGED her for 1 day delivery–it actually took TWO days, so I was at home when my card finally arrived.
The header of this post is the map for the main trip. I am now on the pre-trip, which originally comprised three nights in Quebec City (now 2 for me), then Montreal for 2 nights. Whether the flight attendants’ strike will be settled by the time we are due to fly to Halifax is anybody’s guess. That’s why I’m glad I’m on a tour. I don’t have to figure anything out. That’s the trip leader’s job.
There are eight of us on the pre-trip, so finding alternative modes of transportation should be a lot easier than making sure the 30 main trip participants are able to get into Halifax.
But enough about the future—let’s focus on the present.
Our welcome dinner took place in the Hotel Clarendon, where we enjoyed singing along with the accordion player.
The morning of my one full day in Quebec City was spent the touring the parliament building, which was architecturally interesting. I loved the stained glass archway.
This corridor linking the old and new buildings synthesized art, music, architecture and technology . As people walked through the corridor, music played and flashing lights changed color.
Laurie, our trip leader took our first group shot outside of the parliament building.
I had heard so much about poutine, I decided to try it for lunch at the Fairmont Hotel. What is poutine, you ask? Well, you take French fries, dump some kind of brown sauce all over them, then top with cheese curds and bacon bits. After a few forkfuls, I’d had enough, so I offered the rest to my travel buddies. They shared my side dish AND my lack of enthusiasm for this “delicacy”.
After lunch we were on our own, so I took advantage of the perfect weather to explore the city, walking atop the city walls. It took me a while to figure out how to get up there. Hint: There are steps along the city gates.
The view of the St Lawrence River was spectacular.
Instead of railings, we had signs.
Because we were here in the weekend, there were lots of street musicians and entertainers.
My assessment: Quebec City is lovely in the summer, and a great place to visit, but once is enough for me.
Destination NOW 