Kalimpong Hotel and Restaurant Reviews

Posted on November 8, 2011 by debbie

Windsongs

We found Windsongs on the internet before we left for India. It looked and sounded interesting, so we contacted them and ended up prebooking the room. The rate was $60 per night for one of the 2 rooms, a bit expensive for India, but although Windsongs has only 2 rooms and a small chalet, it is 5 star quality.

We left Darjeeling and after the long ride arrived in Kalimpong hot and tired. It took a short while for the taxi driver to locate the place but we eventually ended up at the end of the driveway. Windsongs is on mile 8 on the main road into Kalimpong.

We found the lobby and met Subhadra, the owner, registered, and were shown to our room. We entered and OMG! It is clean, in fact it is immaculate, well appointed, the furniture is top quality, it is maintained, something unusual in the far east, it’s quiet, even though it is adjacent to the main road to Kalimpong  and we could not hear any road noise.

Windsongs

Windsongs

Windsongs

The view is to die for, perched on the side of the mountain slope the view is oriented down a long valley overlooking the Teesta River and on a clear morning you can see Mount Kanchenjunga. We thought we had died and gone to heaven.

 

Windsongs - Breakfast View

The older fellow that works as bellhop, server and just about everything else is great. He does not speak much English and we do not speak much Bengali or Hindi so our communication was minimal, but he worked tirelessly and seemed to be totally self motivated.

Subhadra was the perfect host, extremely polite, friendly and truly interested in us and our travels. She is a wealth of information on ‘what to do in Kalimpong’ and everyday things, like how to get around. Subhadra will have dinner made for you if you order it a day in advance. All the ingredients used are fresh and organic, straight from their own nursery and the meal is made to your specifications. We had an Indian dinner that was just great.

Windsongs only drawback is that it is slightly far from town, but then again most of the tourist things are not in the town itself. This is not an issue for those with a sense of adventure. The solution is to jump in a shared cab on the adjacent road and it will zip you into town for 10Rs ($0.25). There are plenty of taxis near the town center that will take you to places like the Dr. Graham’s School.

If you need a break from the intense pace of India, book a few days at the Windsongs.  Even if you are just passing through and get the chance, stay there, you’ll love it and think you are in heaven.

Windsongs - View from our balcony

 Fresh Bite Restaurant

A nondescript stair leads to the second floor and a not too visually appealing restaurant with a handful of tables. We got seated in an alcove that had a nice cross breeze on a very hot day; that was relief in itself. The menu was pretty standard for an Indian restaurant with some American type food to round it out. The staff was very nice and took our order quite quickly. The food was cooked as we waited, always good in places with sketchy refrigeration. Rice and Chili Chicken arrived at the table hot. The meal was tasty and we ate for about 300Rs ($6.00), which was about what we spent at lunch for most of our trip to India.

King Thai Restaurant

Upstairs in the mall adjacent to the shared taxi drop off. It was hard to find. The place is rather ordinary but is decorated to the Thai theme. The overall cleanliness was only OK but the tabletops were very clean. The waiter was very attentive and catered to our needs. We ordered honey chicken, rice and vegetables. The food came to the table piping hot and was very good. The price was average.

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Darjeeling Hotel and Restaurant Reviews

Posted on November 7, 2011 by debbie

Dekeling Hotel

The Dekeling Hotel is a simple hotel and it seems like it is half way between a home stay and a hostel.  The hotel is centrally located and most of the things you would care to do are easily accessible. Our room faced west and we did not have any road noise at all. We also did not hear the dogs barking at night.

Dekeling Hotel with Dekevas Restaurant on Ground Level

The owner is super nice. She manages to spend time with all of the guests as they pass through and is very helpful with her knowledge of the city and surroundings. Her happy disposition is infectious and we left each morning on a positive note after spending time chatting with her. The staff was friendly and pleasant. The front desk staff was very helpful and answered all our questions.  They even loaned us an adapter and pointed us to where we could buy one.

There were two common areas in the hotel and they are a really nice feature. A hotel room can feel somewhat close and the sitting areas give one a place to lounge and read or type on the computer or meet with other travelers and swap tales. There is WIFI in the common area and a computer available for a small charge.

Dekeling Hotel - common area outside our room

Breakfast was hot and filling.  Eggs, toast, tea, oatmeal.  The food is supplied by the kitchen of the restaurant below the hotel, Dekevas.

There was one thing that really bothered us. There was no fire exit from the floor we were on. There is not a chance one could jump and survive from as high as we were and we would have felt much better if there had been an exit.

Dekeling Hotel - Room 7A

We think we ended up in the “hey this is our last room” room (room 7A) and it did have a couple of short comings. There were three windows in the room – the bathroom window which opened to the outside and two windows that faced interiors.  One non bathroom window lead onto an old exit stair that had been built in and in which people resided. We could hear every word they spoke, although we could not understand anything, we did not speak their language. Fortunately, these people went to bed as early as we did, so they did not keep us up. The other window faced one of the common areas.  Because the room is hard to ventilate, it had a dank smell which we managed to minimize by leaving the bathroom window and the entrance door open and let the air blow through for about an hour each day.

Dekeling Hotel - Room 7A

For the three days we were there, our beds did not get made or our towels changed, but this is no different at home so it wasn’t a great problem.

The price ($25 Can) was right so these were minor inconveniences.

We would stay in this hotel again but most likely request a different room. There is a wing that looks to be newer or refurbished – we would try a room in that wing.

 Dekevas Restaurant

We had just arrived in Darjeeling and had not eaten lunch so we were hungry and did not have any idea where to go. We stopped into Dekevas on a whim. It is in the same building as the Dekeling Hotel. It was good choice. The restaurant is very small (10 people) and it would be crowded, but it is quite a pleasant place. The waiter was very nice and since we were the only patrons at the time he was quite attentive. We ordered rice, fried momos, and chili chicken (excellent). The food came to the table hot (freshly made) and really hit the spot. We would definitely eat there again.

Glenary’s

We did not eat in the restaurant proper so I cannot comment on the upstairs section. We did buy pastries and eat breakfast in the coffee shop.

We stopped in the bakery looking for something sweet. The bon-bons we chose were quite dry and they may not have been made on site but instead were massed produced off site and bought for resale.  The baked goods tided us over, but we decided we would not go back to buy more.

The breakfast in the coffee shop was acceptable but very, very slow in coming. The place was not busy yet we waited about 30 mins. for a light breakfast. When it came it was good. The eggs were just as ordered and they had peanut butter (which just happens to be a favorite of Murray’s).  The price was well within the acceptable range.

The view from the tall windows was outstanding.

Hasty Tasty

A great vegetarian restaurant on the mall. We stopped in for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. There is no table service, you order at the front counter and pick up your food when your number is called. The kitchen is visible, the orders come in constantly and the cooking staff work hard and fast to keep up. The restaurant was very busy when we were there, which says alot. The food is all prepared as it is ordered so you can be sure it is fresh, but this does take time. There is a bus person constantly cleaning the tables which keeps the restaurant relatively tidy. We ate pakoras, a huge cheese dosa, and momos. The food is very good and hot, the service is excellent and it is inexpensive. We would definitely eat there again.

The Park Restaurant

The restaurant is easy to find, just down the road from the base of the mall. We walked in and it was reasonably busy, a good sign, the more people the greater the turn over in food. The waiter was very nice and efficient. The food came to our table quite quickly for India. The food was good, although the tandoori chicken was only warm and not hot. The rice was hot. The price was well within the acceptable range. Overall we liked the place and the food.

 Shangrila Restaurant

This more expensive restaurant was just off Chowrasta Square. The furnishings were upscale. The waiter was very attentive and trying hard to be upscale, but he spoke very little English.  The lights kept going off but we were not sure if it was a restaurant issue or an area issue.

We had Chicken Tikka (a tandoori chicken kebob), Singapore Noodles (it said rice noodles on the menu but we think they were wheat) and Naan Bread.  The noodles were hot and spicy.  The Naan was sweet.  This meal was very tasty and we enjoyed it.

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Debbie’s Clothing Comments

Posted on November 5, 2011 by debbie

I learn more and more about the clothing in my suitcase every time we go on a trip. Here are some comments from our trip to India and Bhutan.

I took 2 pair of pants – one linen and one convertible technical. I still maintain linen is much cooler, so those pants were worn almost exclusively in Kolkata and the Andamans where it was very hot. The technical pants were quick dry and that came in handy for when we washed clothing and when we got caught in the rain.  I wore these the whole time we were in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Bhutan. I did find them hot. I did not use them as shorts, but it was good to have that option. If the weather in Bhutan had been rainy and cold, we would have been in trouble with only two pair of pants, especially if they both got wet and did not dry. I would have worn the technical pants during the day (they would have gotten wet) and then worn the linen pants in the evening for supper and hopefully the technical pants would have dried overnight. Fortunately, it only rained once and only for a short period of time.

I took 1 cotton T-shirt, 2 short sleeved wool shirts, 1 long sleeved wool shirt (long underwear actually), 1 long sleeved collared linen shirt and 1 fuzzie. I wore the cotton shirt to travel in initially and in Kolkata and the Andamans.  It handled the heat well. It got very dirty in Kolkata and I should have thrown it out, but I didn’t. In Bhutan, every morning, I started the day in a short sleeved wool shirt, the long sleeved wool shirt and my fuzzie ( it was cool in the hotels and outside).  As the day warmed up, I shed layers down to the short sleeved shirt.  By about 5 pm, it was getting cooler again, so I started putting the layers on again.  I wore one short sleeved wool shirt until it started to smell and then I changed shirts and washed the dirty one.  This system worked extremely well for me.  I felt that the long sleeved linen shirt was too heavy and hot.  I wished that I had brought one of my other lighter weight linen shirts which would have been better for Kolkata.  Plus a shirt like this would have supplied abit more coverage/modesty that the cotton T-shirt.  Next time.

I only wore my long underwear bottoms twice and it was to warm me up before I went to sleep at night.  If it had been colder in Bhutan, though, I would  have been wearing them all the time during the day, so I am glad I had them.

I wore my gortex jacket a handful of times in Bhutan when it was cold, and once when it rained.  Again, if it had been rainy and cold, I would have been wearing it all the time, so it was good to have it along.

I took a toque and a lightweight pair of gloves.  I wore both once, when we got up at 6 am to see the Himalayas. Again, good to have if the weather was cold.

Two bras, four pair of underwear, two pair of light socks and one pair of heavy socks worked well. I rotated the bras, underwear and light socks as they got dirty and got washed and I do not think I would want to go with any less.  The heavy socks came in handy a couple of times for cold feet. I took a very lightweight cotton T-shirt as a sleep shirt and that worked well – it got worn when I was cold and not worn where it was hot. I had a one piece swimsuit which got used in the Andamans. I had a long decorative scarf to wear to hide the bulge my neck safe created under my shirt. I also wore it Indian style to hide the strap of my purse lying across my chest between my boobs. The scarf came in very handy and was versatile – only comment would be to take silk, or a fabric that is not hot.

Pretty much every clothing item in my suitcase got used.  Some were there for insurance against cold and rainy weather and I am glad I had them along. My choices of clothing worked very well and they only item I would change is the long sleeved linen shirt. My learning is complete and logged for our next sojourn.

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Jet Lag

Posted on November 4, 2011 by debbie

It is the start of another bleary eyed day. The last 2 days have been brutal trying to switch our bodily clocks around.

I wake up at 3:30 am starving. I need an afternoon nap, but if I nap I don’t sleep.  I try to stay awake but am falling asleep in my chair at 7:00 pm. Make it stop!

India’s time is 12 hours different from Edmonton and that makes adjusting very difficult.  Some say that flying east is easier on your body than flying west. We started our trip flying east and had little trouble in India, we flew home west and recovering is a big problem.

Melatonin is supposed to help.  It is a natural hormone supplement that helps you fall asleep. I am starting to think that we should be taking this.

Last night I did resort to taking Sleepeeze – a mild sleeping pill obtained off the shelf.  I slept later and longer than the previous nights, and my head isn’t as foggy today as it has been.

It is also said that it takes 1 day to adjust for every time zone crossed.  So we are looking at 12 days to be fully recovered.  It is only day number 4 today, guess we have a few more days to go until we feel like ourselves again.

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Bed Bugs

Posted on November 1, 2011 by debbie

While we were in the Andaman Islands, we got introduced to bed bugs.  Not something that I would wish for. I was the one being bitten, they didn’t seem to like Murray. The bites weren’t numerous, but 3 of the 7 nights I was nibbled on. ICK! ICK! ICK!

We were not convinced that the bites were from bed bugs until we got to Frankfurt and could do some real investigation on the web. Once we were convinced, we then researched what we should do when we got home so as to not infest our house. There are numerous websites that discuss bed bugs and what to do.  There is quite a bit of conflicting information out there. Hot water, dryer heat, freezing, dry cleaning, carbon dioxide – it is all suggested

When we got dropped off, we did not go into the house.  We headed for the garage and put our suitcases, purses/carry on bags and all the clothes we were wearing inside. I (the bashful one) ran into the house buck naked – hopefully none of our neighbours happened to be looking out the window just then.  Murray (the brave one) made me get him a housecoat.

After a visual inspection, we took money and credits cards in the house that night. Left everything else to be dealt with in the morning.

The next morning, we washed all the cotton fabrics in hot water and dried them in a hot dryer .

We visually inspected all the items that had hard surfaces looking for egg clusters.  Found none.  These items then went into the house.

We were left with our “technical” clothing, the shoes and all the bags.  We took wool shirts, nylon pants, fuzzies and gortex jackets.  We were not sure if washing in hot water and drying in a hot dryer would destroy the fabrics.  I talked to my faithful contact at Alberta Health Services and he assured me that 10 minutes of heat would kill any bed bugs or eggs as they cannot tolerate heat.  My contact said that 48 C is the temperature that will kill these critters in seconds (42 C is the temperature of a hot tub’s water). Heat or dry cleaning (chemicals) are the only ways to ensure bed bugs are killed.  Freezing does not kill eggs.  We decided to put the technical clothing in the dryer first and heat them up dry.  Then put them through a hot wash to clean them and then hang to dry, like we always do.  (I figure that even if we end up ruining a few shirts, it is still less costly than to get a bed bug infestation.)

My contact also said to put our bags through the dryer too.  They are fabric bags and will fit in our dryer, so that is the plan. I plan on putting our shoes through the dryer too, if they do not bang around too much.

Murray’s jacket and his courier bag were just washed in hot water and hung to dry, as they would not survive the hot dryer.  I am hoping this is good enough. I bought some cotton/silk material in Bhutan to make a table cloth, and am concerned about throwing it in the dryer, so I may send it to the dry cleaner.

If you are reading this because you have run into these critters, DO NOT take your luggage into your house, put them into the garage and deal with the clothes etc from there. Use either heat (hot hot dryer for 10 minutes) or chemicals (dry cleaning) on all the fabrics to ensure the bugs and the eggs are killed.  Visually inspect all hard surface items for signs of eggs. Of course, please do your own research and do what you are comfortable with.

I think we are handling this bed bug issue properly and my faithful contact agrees that we are doing all the right stuff.  This was not pleasant and I hope we do not encounter bed bugs on any of our future trips.

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A Continuous Journey Home

Posted on October 30, 2011 by debbie

FRIDAY….Turned on the TV in the room, in Port Blair, this morning and found game 6 of the World Series.  We both were sitting on the edge of our seats watching the intense game. The game had just tied up in the bottom of the 10th inning when we had to turn it off and catch our pre-arranged auto rickshaw to the airport.  Still do not know who won the game.

Going through security at the Port Blair airport was extremely slow, especially for the women. The line-up for the men had two scanners and two friskers so Murray and M got through in minutes. T and I were in line for a minimum 30 minutes because there was one scanner and only one frisker in a curtained enclosure.  The guys were starting to wonder what happened to us. We got through and the scanner didn’t like the snub nosed scissors in my bag, so it took another 10 minutes to sort that out.  By then our flight was called and we ended up on the stragglers bus out to the airplane.

Once we arrived in Kolkata, we bid T&M goodbye and safe travels home.  We are going to stay in touch about our next dive destinations as we all agreed we enjoyed diving with each other. We are now sitting in the international terminal, outside the check in area.  We had an expensive but only okay late lunch/early supper in the airport restaurant and will now kill about 7 hours before our flight to Frankfurt.

When we checked in for our Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, the agent was a stickler for weight of carry on bags.  The weight limit for Lufthansa is 8 kgs, whereas Air Canada’s is 10kgs.  We always pack according to Air Canada’s limits.  Well, Murray’s bag weighed in at 10.7 kg, so he would not allow it as carry on.  My bag weighed 9.0 kg which he allowed to squeak through.  So, we ended up checking Murray’s bag.  Note to self – pack to the lightest limit of all airlines being utilized on a trip.

SATURDAY…..We are now in Frankfurt after a long flight and a day walking in Frankfurt. It was almost 1:00 am by the time we boarded our flight, so we fell asleep quickly after takeoff.  We both, surprisingly, sleep not too bad. 10 hours passed rather quickly.

My Dad used to complain about children on flights.  He wanted a separate section of the plane just for children and their parents – preferably sound proof.  I used to get annoyed at him for saying stuff like that, but after our flight, I agree with him.  There was a mother and 2 children, a boy about 8 or 10 and a small boy about 2 – 3, in the line-up for security.    The small boy had a temper tantrum about who knows what, and I just noted it and then tried to ignore the noise.  Well, wouldn’t you know it, but they were sitting right behind us on the plane.  Fortunately, mom and 2 year old moved into the center section and were then a few more feet away from us.  The boy screamed and tantrummed for hours at the start of the flight until he finally fell asleep.   When he woke, he started up again. To cope, we turned up the volume on our headphones.  We think there was something not quite right with the poor guy. But the whole area of the plane sitting near him suffered with the noise.

We got to the Ibis Hotel, in Kelsterbach, too early to check in, so we put our bags in the storage room and headed into Frankfurt.  We both agree that Saturday is a great days to be in Frankfurt.  The populace is out shopping and enjoying life.  We discovered a large street flea market, a huge and popular food market (the Strathcona Farmers Market on steroids) and pedestrian streets teaming with shoppers.  We stopped a few times just to people watch.

Frankfurt Market

We had decided to go to a couple of the museums that are near downtown. Our first stop was the Architecture Museum.  It turned out that admission was free.  Our next stop was the Museum of Modern Art.  It was free too! Frankfurt has a Program from June to November that on the last Saturday of each month, admission to about 15 museums is free.  We just happened to hit the last Saturday in October.  If you are traveling o Frankfurt, keep this in mind as the museums charge anywhere from 7 to 12 Euros.

We were amazed at how many people were still sitting in the outdoor cafes, drinking café, eating lunch, snacking on ice cream.  The temperature was only about 10 C and yet the Frankfurters were enjoying the outdoor scene.

Haagen Das on the Zeil

We stopped for supper at a great little restaurant in Kelsterbach on the way back to the hotel. The Ristorante Pizzeria Dolce Vita is one of several Italian restaurants in Kelsterbach. It was the first one we came to after getting off the train and heading back to the hotel. The pizza was good, the place was slightly classy, (white table clothes, candles and live flowers on the table), and the waiter was super nice. If you are at one of the many airport hotels around the Frankfurt airport Kelsterbach is quite close and this restaurant is worth a try.

We headed back to hotel and once in our room could not keep our eyes open.

SUNDAY…..Last legs of our homeward bound trip today.  Frankfurt – Calgary – Edmonton. See all you Edmonton folks soon.

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India by the Numbers

Posted on October 30, 2011 by debbie

22 dogs in Chowrasta Square, Darjeeling at the same time while we took a break there

98 steps up from street level to our room in the Dekeling Hotel, Darjeeling

Rs 25 for a 2 litre bottle of water (55 cents)

6 horses available for rides in Chowrasta Square

1 mountain type bike and bike rider c/w bike kit seen in Darjeeling

Thousands of jeeps for hire as taxis to various destinations

Rs 150 ($3 CDN) for a Half Tandoori Chicken (smaller in size than in Canada)

Rs 300 ($6 CDN) for lunch or supper for 2 people

Rs 300 ($6 CDN) for breakfast for 2 people (Debbie- chicken patty/baked beans, Mur-scrambled eggs/toast!)

Thousands of saris worn by lovely women in a million different colours

Two dead bodies

Hundreds of street people

½ the population of Canada in one city – Kolkata

1 Traditional Andaman Island boat – a dongee

Hundreds and hundreds of electric colored fish

30+ C degrees every day

1 – 4 m salt water croc spotted (not by us) near Ranaganar Beach on Havelock Island

Rs 9 bus ride across Havelock Island to “one of the best beaches in the world”

4 divers in a group with each Anadaman  Bubbles dive master

2 Debbie sized grouper fish on one dive

4 cows grazing on a concrete median in downtown Port Blair

Rs 25 for a 600 ml bottle of Coke!

 

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Port Blair

Posted on October 29, 2011 by debbie

Up early with the sun, packed, ate crackers and PB for breaky and we were off to the ferry. Had an auto rickshaw pre-booked to take us from the hotel to the ferry – why is it they always show up 15 minutes early?

Enjoyed the ferry ride chatting with a doctor from western India who was on holidays with his family. He gave us a pretty good idea of where to go and what to see in India.

Arrived in Port Blair, found our hotel and headed out for a walking tour of the town.  Port Blair is the biggest city in the Andamans. We found the Cellular Jail near the water.  It was built by the British to imprison Indians that were fighting for independence.  The prison housed about 690 political prisoners. The treatment of prisoners was brutal, which included whippings, there were many many deaths during the time the prison was operational. In 1947 India gained its independence from Britain and the prisoners were released.

Median Cows

During our walk in Port Blair we spotted a number of unique species.  There were Median Cows, Sidewalk Cows, Patio Goats, Garbage Cows, Park Goats and Parking Lot Cows.

Sidewalk Cow

Today is the day that the long journey home begins. We start at the farthest point we traveled to and work our way back home. We have been on Havelock Island for a week and although there is always more to explore, I think we both feel it is OK to leave. Having a short tour of Port Blair is good because we are not likely to return to these islands.

We always return home with mixed feelings.  We have established a travelling rhythm and it would be easy just to keep on going, but there is so much we enjoy at home and it will be good to return and get involved with the things from which we have taken a pause.

 

 

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Last Day on Havelock

Posted on October 29, 2011 by debbie

Today was our last day of diving here on the Andaman Islands.  Both Murray and I are glad that we came here. The diving has been excellent; the area is relatively untouched by both divers and fishermen.  That means there is behemoth sized fish, like the 3 great grandpa groupers we saw today, and a multitude of every fish you could possibly think of.  Anenome fish (Nemo), Angel fish, Squirrel fish, Treveli, Grouper, Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimp, and Clams.  Even a string ray, an oyster, a few juvenile clown fish, and some clown trigger fish.

Diwali started today.  It is festival that is tied to the full moon in the fall. We went to Village 3 to see the action. A temple was set up and people were taking donations and paying respects/praying. There was loud music playing in the typical Indian fashion – volume up at max on tinny speakers (ie. ear damaging). The crowd mingled in anticipation of a dance show that was supposed to start at 8:30. Nothing happened till about 8:45 when two teenagers took that stage and performed a Bollywood type dance.  There are no dance teachers on the island, so the routine was slightly amateurish, but the dancers looked to be having fun.

We chatted with a young Israeli couple on their honeymoon.  We talked about the local diving and about diving in the Red Sea. Murray is now convinced that we should go there.

Firecrackers and fireworks are big during Diwali. Unfortunately, for those of us not used to such loud noises, it sounded like a war zone.  I was jumping every time a firecracker went off.

We bested the rickshaw system on the way home.  Apparently, after 9:00 pm the price jumps from Rs 30 to Rs 50 for the trip down to our hotel.  As we were walking back, we stumbled on 3 Israelis who didn’t want to pay the Rs 50 either and were trying to negotiate with an auto rickshaw driver. So, we all decided that the 5 of us would jump in and each pay Rs 10 for a total of Rs 50. The 3 Israelis and I squeezed in the back and Mur shared the driver’s seat. It was fun, had a chat with one of the Israelis and Mur talked gas prices with the driver.  Everyone was happy!

We finished packing and went to bed.

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Andaman Transport

Posted on October 26, 2011 by murray

Over the last couple of days we have learned a lot about how to get around on Havelock Island. The only mode of transportation commonly mentioned on the internet is the auto rickshaws that ply the main routes looking for fares. There are loads of these little vehicles and they are quite efficient.You can use them to get places easily when you want and to the western world crowd, they are cheap. The prices seemed to be fixed and the drivers won’t bargain. The fares they charge are 30Rs for a ride from the jetty to the market or from the market to Beach 5 area, 50Rs to go from Beach 5 to the jetty and 300Rs return to go to Beach 7 (Radhanager Beach), this will go up to 400Rs after 4pm.

As I said, Debbie and I have been utilizing other modes of travel. Today we had a day off diving and our main goal was to get to Ranhanagar Beach. It is too far to walk so we thought we would spring for an $8 rickshaw ride. Then I thought about using the local bus. We have not been on a bus in India and I was sure it would be worth the ride. We asked at the desk at our hotel and the fellow said buses ran every ½ hour and the fare would be 15RS. Total return would be $1.25 for both Debbie and me. Now $8 does not sound like much for a cab ride but when you get here your perspective changes and you take offense at excessive charges, so local bus it is. On the way to the village to catch the bus we ran into out dive buddies and they too were headed to Beach 7 for the morning. I told them about the local bus and they were intrigued enough to join us. Along comes a third mode of travel that is rather hidden from the tourists. The shared taxi, which in physical form is a minivan, and when I say mini I mean mini, they are not much bigger than my Honda Fit but are in the form of a van and in India they can seat 9 or 10 paying passengers plus the driver. Anyway, we waved down one of these vehicles and they charged us 10Rs ($.25) per person for a ride to the market where we could catch the local bus. These shared cabs also ply the main routes and once you know they exist all you have do is flag one down. They will pick you up and drop you off where you want.
At Village 3 (the market) we stood at the bus stop and within 10 mins the bus arrived, the four of us tourist types loaded and we were off. We were the only tourists on the bus. The ticket man came around and when T went to pay she hand the man 60Rs, 15 for each of us. He handed her back 22 of the rupees and 4 tickets that said 9Rs fare. What a deal, $.25 each, so Debbie and I spent 36Rs return instead of the 300 we had expected to pay, the amount we saved bought our lunch today. If you pay attention and don’t always default to the easiest solution you will soon have saved enough money to extend your trip by a day, do that enough and you can stay an extra week.

The ride was a gas. I don’t know if T & M ride buses much but they headed straight for the back seat. Now, local Indian buses are not in the best of condition, in fact they are not in very good condition at all, I’m sure they would not be allowed on the road in Canada. Coupled with the Indian roads we had quite a trip. It was about as bumpy as our boat rides have been the last 3 days but the bumps were much more abrupt and each bump was magnified because we were 2 meters behind the rear wheels. The ride took about 15 mins and when we rounded the last corner there at the end of the road the most alluring azure sea. When we walked the last 50M of roadway and strode out on to the beach we had in our vision what has been rated as one of the most beautiful beach in the world. I don’t know how close that rating is but it sure is great beach. It is a couple of kms. long and 50M deep with wonderful soft, white sand that extends into the water as far as you can walk. Debbie and I spent 3 hrs. in and out of the water, playing in the waves and just chilling in water so clear you could count the sand grains.

We had other things on the agenda but this laid back island has grabbed us and we decided to put our pressing tasks off until tomorrow.

We have been trying to frequent different restaurants to see what the island has to offer. Last night we thought we would drop into the Café del Mar, at the Barefoot Dive Centre. Had time to spare prior to the 6:30 opening so we walked 25 or 30 mins. from the Emerald Gecko. We arrived and were at a table waiting for the restaurant to open and rushing into the restaurant comes 3 fishermen, M our dive buddy was among them and the was carrying a 20kg traveli. He spent his afternoon of the day off diving pursuing his passion, fishing. He had great success and brought back a big fish for dinner. Part of the trip deal was any fish caught went to the restaurant to use as meals for the patrons but he got 2 free meals, one for T and one for himself. M had a smile ear to ear. It’s funny how even though we had no plans to meet our dive group,we four managed to spend a good part of our off day together. We nabbed a ride in an auto rickshaw on the way back from the restaurant.

It was a good day, a relaxing day, we needed it and using the different modes of transport was a good way of tying our activities together.

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