The reality-check point

An excerpt from an almost chance conversation with our hostel staff in Berlin yesterday.

"Thanks for the dinner recommendation, it was good to eat local food on our last night here." I said to her as we entered the hostel.

"No worries. Where are you headed next?" she asked.

"Oh, actually, this is the last night of our trip, and we're headed back home tomorrow." I replied.

"Where are you from?" she asked.

"Goa, in India. Have you heard of it?"  I returned her question.

"Of course. I was there last year, and I loved it. How lucky for you - you're from Goa!"

"Yes, I guess. Although, we don't live there anymore and only return every year to visit our families." At that point, I wasn't sure if I was replying to her or silently asking a question of myself. 

"Are you happy that your trip is over?" she enquired casually.

"Hmmm, that's a good question. I have mixed feelings really. I'm quite exhausted from the constant travel over the past few months, but also happy to be home soon. The best part is that I have no regrets."

"That's wonderful. I guess you can now sit back and think what this trip really meant for you." she smiled.

A casual, offhand remark suddenly made me realize I'd been living a dream for the past few months, and reality was just around the corner. 

Once I had made the difficult decision to take time off from work, my time had simply been spent planning the trip, talking about it, shopping for it; every moment during the trip took me further into the dream, devoid of reality and the burden that it shoulders. If I ever lived for myself, this was it. 

But just like that, the bubble was going to be burst. And it begged a few questions. Will I miss being on the road? Am I ready for a routine again? Did the time off really help, or are there more questions now? Hmmm, it's a long way back home; not too bad a time to ponder over it.

The quest for weird statues in Prague

Prague in autumn is like a postcard coming to life! Besides sipping all the delicious hot drinks - there is a vast choice for the curious drinker (hot chocolate, hot mulled wine called svarak, hot honey wine called medovina and hot apple juice),  a rather thrilling thing to is to go on an eerie statue hunt. Yes, may not appeal to the usual tourists but definately much fun if you want to be off the beaten track. And Prague, is a city that is mystifying and unknown to the common traveler (a history enthusiast like me knew so little ); statue-hunting just further adds to the mysterious charm of this city.

Some of these statues we bumped into when least expected, some of them we went hunting for the very last mile. Many of them were by the controversial Czech sculptor David Černý. 

1. Kafka riding a headless man - yes, it is the same author Franz Kakfa, we heard of in school. I didn't know he was of Czech origin till now. Kafka was a troubled person and had a particularly complex relationship with his father. This statue, located in the Jewish ghetto, depicts his coming to terms with himself and being victorious over a man who seems to be his father ( it is Kafka's being that now presides over the man). The statue is strategically placed facing three different religious temples - the Roman Catholic church, the Protestant church and the Jewish synagogue in the old town.

2. Peeing men - This was just so weird. Why would we want statues peeing over a Czech map? I do not understand this but the sight is weirdly fascinating. The bottom of the men actually move in all directions so that they can pee all over. Weird again! The statues are located in the Kafka museum and are by David Cerny.

3. Gigantic faceless babies - They have the cutest bums but take a closer look at them and you know why they are unintentionally weird. They are faceless. And gigantic. Another David Cerny for you. Located near the Museum Kampa.

4. Ghost of the mountains - While visiting the famous Prague castle, we heard about a lesser known tunnel road that could take you into the palace. Down a muddy road that leads to the Jeleni Prikov or deer moat tunnel and into the beautiful area lined with trees now turned yellow and orange, is this statue that seems so out of place. This is the statue of the mountain ghost. 

5. Upside down horse - We were wandering around looking for restaurants in Wenceslas Square, inside Lucerna Pasaz on Vodickova, when this statue stood smack in front, making us forget our hunger and stare at it in what could be described as intrigue! This is Mr Wencelas hanging on an upside down horse. Again, I learn this statue is another Cerny.

6. Ghost of Don Giovanni - Outside the Mozart school of music, Don Giovanni's ghost sits. Come here at night and feel the spookiness.

 7. Hanging Freud - A statue that I'm sure most people would miss, and we would have too if not for our prior knowledge, is a man handing on one hand. Supposedly, it is Sigmund Freud pondering whether to hold on or let go, fighting his fear of death or could be Freud challenging status quo. The status is very disturbing in an otherwise quiet area of Huskova street in the old quarter. Yes, yet another David Cerny weird classic. 

8. Human-car - A car for human legs as tires located in the German embassy complex in Vlassaka. We couldn't enter the embassy, but in our quest for the statue search, we maaged to get a sneak peek from the park right behind the embassy. It is an old German car called Trabant car depicted here and is a tribute by Cerny to the East Germans.

9. Victims of communism - We stumbled upon these intriguing statues. There are seven bronze figures descending a flight of stairs. The statues appear more "decayed" the further away they are from you - losing limbs and their bodies breaking open. It symbolises how political prisoners were affected by Communism.

10. Babies crawling on an ugly tower - we were told by our guide that the Prague TV tower is the rated many times as the ugliest tower in the world. We saw it from a distance but didn't end up going up there. It has baby statues crawling over it. A picture from the web here. We missed it this time, but weird crawling babies may be a reason to revisit Prague!

They dance atop the Glockenspiel

The Big Ben in London is among the first ones that comes to mind when you're asked about bell and clock towers. Heck, if you're from Mumbai, probably the Rajabai Clock Tower tops that list. But does the Glockenspiel in Munich even ring a bell, pun intended?

It certainly didn't for us when we landed in Munich, all set for the Oktoberfest and the rivers of beer that flow their course. And it probably would have remained that way if we hadn't done our customary walking tour of the city. Beer purists may scoff at us but, as we took a day off from Oktoberfest, we reminded ourselves that we were travellers first, and beerholics later. 

After a quick round of introductions, our tour guide pointed at the building right next to our meeting point and asked us to pay attention. And then, just like that, the magic started. Right on the hour at 11 am, it chimed and the stationary figures started to move. As the crowd watched in wonder and amusement alike, a couple of stories were enacted from the 16th century. The first was a story of the marriage of the local duke, complete with a fight amongst two knights on horseback, which of course the Bavarian knight won. The second was a dance performed to symbolize the victory over the plague. After around 10 minutes, a golden bird chirped thrice and ended the spectacle to massive applause from the spellbound audience.

Theatricality aside, the spectacle was really amusing and ensured our walking tour started on a great note. Munich isn't only about the Oktoberfest; when you're there, make sure you do not miss this interesting performance.

The big list of lists

Our backpacking trip across Europe has seen us visit several monuments, parks and other attractions. In hindsight, some could have been skipped, while, given more time, others could easily have been on the list. As our trip progresses over the next two months, we'll update this list in chronological order, not one of preference though. Hopefully, the ones we miss will be reason enough to go back someday.

Museums

• Anne Frank Huis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Musee du Louvre, Paris, France
• Museo Nacional de Prado, Madrid, Spain

Places of Worship

• Begijnhof, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Le Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre, Paris, France
• Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France
• Le Mont St Michel, Normandy, France
• Temple de Debod, Madrid, Spain
• Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, Belem, Lisbon, Portugal
• La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

Places of Residence

• Le Chateau de Chenonceaux, Loire Valley, France
• Palacio Real de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
• Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
• Palacio Nacional da Pena, Sintra, Portugal 
• Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra, Portugal
• Real Alcazar, Seville, Spain
• Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Parks and Gardens

• Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, France
• Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France
• Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid, Spain
• Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain

Markets

• Mercado San Miguel, Madrid, Spain
• El Rastro, Madrid, Spain
• Mercado Central, Cadiz, Spain
• Mercat de La Bouqeria, Barcelona, Spain

Interesting Monuments

• La Tour Eiffel, Paris, France
• Torre de Belem, Sintra, Portugal

Major Avenues, Boulevards and Squares

• Dam Square, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Champs Elysees, Paris, France
• Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
• Avenida de Liberdedad, Lisbon, Portugal
• Plaza Espana, Seville, Spain
• La Rambla, Barcelona, Spain

Flamenco at Las Tablas

A flamenco performance was high on our list the moment we stepped into Madrid and, after some quick research on travel forums, decided on Las Tablas near Plaza de Espana. We had dinner leisurely near the Opera metro before the show, and chose the €27 show plus drink option instead. Las Tablas has a small, intimate setting, and was quite perfect for our first flamenco experience. And thanks to our prior reservation, we got good seats when we arrived. 

A throaty singer kickstarted the show, and there was another solo guitar performance before the flamenco actually started. We had an inkling of what to expect, but the electric performance by Lucia de Miguel and Jesus Fernandez blew us away. Both performers had their own unique styles, and captivated the audience with energetic yet graceful moves. Throughout the performance, the performers elicited encouragement from the audience, who in turn were more than glad to oblige. The show went on for just over an hour, and was well worth the money we'd spent. 

Step up to the streets

Street performances are not an uncommon sight around the world these days. Every town, every performance has its own quirks and, more often than not, you'll find yourself clapping your hands and tapping your feet to the wonderful sounds of music. Just as we were crossing Plaza Mayor into the streets of La Latina today, we saw a group of women put on a simple yet foot-tapping performance. We were enthralled for a good half-hour and, though we didn't capture their entire performance, the smiles on their beautiful faces shows just how much they enjoyed that dance.

Chocolate con churros...a sweet sweet sin

Chocolateria San Gines, a cafe close to the Iglesia de San Gines church in central Madrid (and happily just around the corner from our hotel in Calle Arenal), has been serving chocolate con churros since 1894. If you are in Madrid even for a day, do not miss out on this amazing hot chocolate and deep friend dough combination. It has been highly recommended on almost all travel forums, and for good reason.

Sobrino de Botin - the oldest restaurant in the world

On our walking tour of Madrid, we came across Restaurante Sobrino de Botin, located on calle Cuchilleros just behind Plaza Mayor. Europe has its fair share of nice-looking restaurants, and we would have walked right passed this one if it weren't for our tour guide. She made us stop and look at the certificate proudly displayed on their window - "the oldest restaurant in the world", as certified by the Guinness World Records. Of course, that instantly made it a photo opportunity! 

Sobrino de Botin was established in 1725, and is famous for their specialty of cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig). Apparently, it is also mentioned in one of Ernest Hemingway's novels The Sun Also Rises, but I haven't gotten around to verifying that just yet. We didn't get to dine at Botin on this trip, but have added it to our long list of reasons to visit Europe again.

The liqueur we never had...

El oso y el madrono - the bear and the strawberry tree - is an ubiquitous symbol in Madrid. You see it everywhere - city crests, public transport infrastructure, buildings, pavements, man-hole covers, just about everywhere really. The fruit of this tree is distilled into madrono, a sweet liqueur, which interestingly is as difficult to find in Madrid as it is easy to spot the madrono tree itself. 

On our walking tour of Madrid, our tour guide explained the significance of this liqueur, and brought us to a place where the liqueur is most popular. Sadly for us though, in true Spanish holiday fervor, this place had closed shop for the period of August, and the owners had gone far away from the maddening crowd. Madrono liqueur is served in edible chocolate glasses here, and together they make sure your sugar levels aren't dropping anytime soon. We did look for the liqueur in several places around Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor over the next few days, but were mostly just greeted by looks of surprise by Madrilenos, many of whom had heard about the liqueur for the first time from us! Madrid wasn't really my favorite Spanish city on this visit, but perhaps this gives me a reason to come back some day - unfinished business as they say.

Le Mont St Michel : 50 shades of grandiose!

The Mont St Michel in Normandy is sheer grandiose, remarkably grey and sits imposing on a tidal island. The pictures don't do justice to the actual sight. It's is a reaction of such awe and admiration once you get the first view of the ancient monastery dedicated to the archangel Saint Michel, which was built before the year 1000.

The tides create a palette of different shades of blue and brown that complement with the grey of this Gallo-Roman structure.

The Mont visit is very well-organised - a guided map with information you receive along with your ticket as well as free bus from the public transport terminal/car park that takes you up close to the Mont. It's about ten minutes ride or you could choose to walk it for about 40 minutes. We took the ride after a  train journey from Paris to Rennes (2.5 hours) and a Keolis bus from Rennes to the Mont (1 hour).

The abbey, which is the highlight of the Mont is striking in the architecture of its cloister. The cloister, with its arches and cool ambience is the first thing I remember when I recollect the visit. The other highlights of the abbey  are the church, the vaults, the monk's ossuary (burial space, which was converted to prison cells during the wars, the crypt, and the monk's refectory (dining room), and the almonry (where alms were distributed). Also, the small village with its winding streets lined with restaurants around the abbey is fascinating.

This has been my first visit to a Christian monastery and a fascinating one for sure.

The cloister

Les jardins

I remember reading about Jardins des Tuileries and Jardin du Luxembourg in my French textbooks. Visiting both these gardens has been a pleasant experience. Infact, I have realised now that visiting a garden and watching locals and tourists while grabbing a bite and relaxing your feet after a lot of sightseeing, is a great thing to do. The gardens, especially in Paris were a visual delight, not just for their beauty but also for the various experiences you could have there - free shows, locals playing a game of chess, children playing with boats, music in the background from one of the many street musicians, pet dogs and their masters enjoying the sun and book lovers, writers and painters doing their thing. It's nice to sit and watch sometimes.

Shakespeare and company

My best find in Paris would have to be this cute bookstore aptly titled "Shakespeare and company". Bookstores fascinate me most times, but this one in particular delighted me. Books I had never seen before on display, books in not only in French but also in English were a huge draw. But it wasn't just about the books, it was the warmth you felt inside, the excitement of titles and authors, the way the bookstore looked, the sayings outside, the really old lady browsing so engrossed, the way the books were arranged, it felt so welcoming. I picked up an Ernest Hemingway book on his life in Paris, the bookstore was part of the cover, and Hemingway mentions this bookstore in one of his chapters which I got to know only now, that I'm reading the book. The book is called "Paris est une fete", in French, and its English title is "A moveable feast". Few days in Paris and I can understand why Hemingway would have called Paris a moveable feast - the city is a celebration, full of life in the form of art, music, food, wine, books, language, and love and it stayed with him wherever he went in the world.

Iamsterdam

Bikes, babes and beer
Gay pride and cheer
Truffles, canals, windmills
Iamsterdam this feels

Want to lose your sanity for a day? Fly Air India

The day started with a hopeful wish - hope Air India does not screw us again. And it ended with a determined pledge - never again will we fly with them. In between was just a humble lesson in losing and finding our sanity.

After a great start to our break with Bali, our spirits were high and we were looking forward to our Euro trip. We left for the airport fairly on time, and completed the formalities with enough time to spare. We were going to miss Singapore kopi dearly in the next few months, so we stopped at Killiney to whet our kopi-desire. When we reached the boarding gate, it was a relief to see the incoming Air India flight already there. We smiled, little knowing that would be the last one for the day.

Boarding for Frankfurt started, and everyone got seated quickly for takeoff. And then we waited for the ATC clearance. And waited. And waited some more. After an hour past the original departure time, we finally took off. We were to have a fairly short transit (an hour and half) at Delhi, but had been assured by Air India customer service executives before booking the tickets that it was an Air India connection, and we had nothing to worry about. That was the first in a series of lies we were to hear from them. Still, the delay got us concerned and we approached the cabin crew about our situation. They assured us that our situation was quite normal and that the connecting flight would wait for us. In fact, just before landing, they even got back to us with a confirmation from the ground staff that the aircraft was indeed waiting for us. That was the second lie, and said with the conviction and calm of trained liars.

Upon arrival, we realized we weren't the only ones in this situation. There were several others going to Frankfurt, a few to London and Paris, and one to Chicago. All brought together by Air India to witness their flight management finesse and i-care-a-damn-about-you attitude first hand. We were taken to the international transfers area, where the team lead gathered us and said "Your flight has left. I'm going to put you on the next one, same time tomorrow". No one saw it coming, and it was evident from our faces. Several were going home after a long time, with loved ones waiting eagerly, and could just not believe the utterly apathetic attitude of the ground staff. Our angry queries were just met by "This is not new, it happens to everyone. We can't do anything about it" responses. As infuriating as it was, we tried to keep calm and looked for the best and quickest way out. At no point did it ever feel that anyone really cared about our plight - the ground staff were busy chatting among themselves even as weary travelers waited to hear from them.  To make matters worse, as we were in the transit area, there was no easy internet connectivity, no phone facility, no food or drinks around, and it was very difficult to make alternate plans without knowing the options. It was very evident that the Air India staff just wanted to take the easy way out - the most emblematic of this attitude was their "manager" who, with a phone constantly to his ears, had a typical loudmouthed bureaucratic that we've come to detest, and sadly only found in India.

After a lot of pushing and a few choice words, we finally got ourselves on a late evening Delhi - Abu Dhabi - Frankfurt connection. What was a direct flight turned into a one-stop journey. Or did it? None of the staff bothered to point out that the flight path actually included a halt at Bahrain enroute to Abu Dhabi. Neither did our boarding passes give us any hint. It only became evident when we boarded the plane, and the announcement stated Bahrain as the next destination. This conveniently ignored fact caused a fellow passenger to get up in arms, and caused another half hour delay in the process. Security had to be brought in, and even though the passenger may have overreacted, he was not in the wrong. We were equally appalled, but just didn't have the energy to put up another fight. And so we held on to our sanity. The Air India personnel seemed to be enjoying this whole debacle - after putting us through this, they alloted the worst possible seats on the airplane to our fellow passengers. 

After an hour halt in Bahrain, we took off for Abu Dhabi, to continue on a Etihad connection. This was probably the best thing to happen after all the madness. The Etihad customer service was very helpful; in fact, once they heard our plight, they offered an excellent meal voucher and internet access to keep us occupied while we waited for our flight. Of course, Air India wasn't done with us though. While we had dinner, Etihad personnel approached us stating that Air India never really confirmed our tickets on the Etihad connection, and they would try their best to accommodate us. Luckily, they did have just enough seats to get us all on the same flight. We had come to expect this, and though we had some nervous moments, this did not really surprise us anymore. I've had bad experiences with United airlines and some others before, but this is really the worst of them all. It is really shameful that our premier national airline is such a pathetic mess, and our tax money is just getting flushed down the drain (and probably lining somebody's pockets). 

If you've had the patience to read through this, here's the simple conclusion - if you value your safety and sanity, do not ever take an Air India flight. They do not deserve to fly.

Shamin and the chocolate factory

Say "chocolate" ever so softly and Shamin's interest will instantly be piqued. Unsurprisingly then, a chocolate factory in Bali was very high on her bucket list. And one that has received accolades for being the world's largest commercial structure built sustainably of bamboo would probably have figured on most lists.

After several days of walking in and around the main streets of Ubud, we decided to rent a motorbike and explore the areas outside Ubud. The chocolate factory is owned by Big Tree Farms, an enterprise set up by an American living in Bali for the past 15 years, and is located about 10km southwest of Ubud in the village of Sibang. There aren't any signboards leading you here, but you can travel towards Denpasar, and ask the locals first for Sibang and then the chocolate factory. 

Balinese cooking class

Since I've started enjoying to cook, I have a curious bug to know the ingredients of the dishes I try and learn to cook them. Also, food is a key aspect of any culture, and to understand the culture better, you need to understand its cuisine as well. That led me to sign up for a Balinese cooking class. Mandar was a good sport and followed suit. 

Snakefruits

Bumi Bali restaurant and cooking school is where we enrolled for a half-day program. They picked us up from our homestay at 8.45 am and we headed along with the other participants to the traditional market.

Our chef was called Nyoman, a lively Balinese who has been cooking for 15 years. Nyoman walked us through the fish market, the fruits, vegetables and roots, palm sugar variants, and finally the Balinese spice mixture and different sauces. I was tempted to buy the local ingredients especially the lesser and greater galangal powder, and would have if not for our long travel. The two types of galangals, along with ginger and turmeric are the four main roots used in Balinese cooking. What was interesting was the use of turmeric in the root form, unlike Indian food where we typically use it in powder form. One of the fruits that was new to me was the snakefruit. It has a snake skin texture and colour thus gets its name. I wonder why jackfruit, breadfruit, passionfruit have been named so.

After the educational market visit, it was time to get our hands dirty. We were back at the school eager to see how the different produce and spices came together. An apron on, and a recipe book in hand for us to make notes, the class commenced.

Satay lilit

Our first item was the basic spice mixture or base gede, similar to a paste (something like "vatap" in Goan food); using roots, whole spices, shallots, garlic and fish sauce. This was followed by "sayur urab", the vegetables with grated fresh coconut. This is a typical accompaniment to most dishes in Indonesian food. Next, was the big dish - the chicken curry or the opor ayam. It was a fragrant and fairly easy recipe once you had you base gede ready. While the chicken was being cooked, we tried the fancy Balinese satay lilit. This was the fun recipe. We had to roll minced meat around lemongrass and wood sticks and getting the technique right wasn't easy. Nevertheless, lots of fun. The final recipe was fried bananas, which were served with a slice of orange and some palm sugar. We gobbled the food instantly. Time well spent. 

O'er vales and hills

"I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills"

Walking in Ubud area with its enchanting discoveries, peaceful setting, pleasant weather and godly aura is a pleasure so intense, that could inspire a lesser soul to follow Wordsworth's footsteps.

We decided to do one of the Lonely Planet suggested walking trails of the Sayan valley and Ayung river. We set out at 7.15 am after a hearty breakfast of fruits and egg toast. As we walked along Ubud centre, we witnessed the Saturday street market - first unexpected discovery. The streets were buzzing akin to any local market street. Coconuts, especially orange ones and roosters were omnipresent.

We walked over the Djampuan (It still retains the Dutch spelling of "dj" for "ch") bridge to enter Penestanan, which is the artists' village of Ubud. Even if one wasn't aware of that, the graffiti and the art shops are suggestive.

I was fascinated by one particular art shop which said "Danger! ART". I spotted the artist and waved him the "good job" hand signal. After our dive training, hand signals have become second language.

Just as we climbed uphill into the village, the rain God showered his blessing. After a small bargain, I managed to get a poncho from the only shop on that road, which was damn neat. We walked a few blocks further and Mandar realized this water resistant jacket wasn't that resistant at all. So he went back the shop to get a poncho, while I waited by a shop that looked like a taxi hire-cum-shop-cum-homestay. I got chatting with the middle-aged man who was fascinated with my Indian origin. Another reason to visit Bali - Indians are fancied here, especially if you are a Hindu you get additional brownie points. The reason being, in a Muslim dominated country, Bali is the only Hindu area, and Hindu tourists are rare.

Breakfast at Praety's

Have you ever had a fruit plate that looked like a floral mountain with snow covered peak? Well, Praety went the extra mile to do just that. We stayed our first night in Ubud at her homestay. Not only is the family humble and helpful, they make the best breakfast on Jalan Sukma. Along with fruits, we had banana pancake (made with fresh palm sugar) and vegetable omelette. Truly sumptuous!

The property is traditional and beautiful. The Lord Ganesha idol in the compound further enhances the peace quotient. Our room was small, yet clean and furnished with wood carved interiors. There was no availability; which eventually turned out to be a boon for us, since Puri Asri 2 where we are staying presently is paradise found.

Praety Homestay

Doggone it!

For a place that is renowned for taking great care of everyone, it is disheartening to see scores of rabid-looking dogs in the city. I didn't take notice at first, but when they were at every corner in Ubud, I realized there must be bigger issues at play here. 

From what little I have read on this issue so far (notably here), it does seem to be a systemic problem. Money, neglect, religious beliefs and lack of education have created a dangerous concoction for the once-affable canines. Several non-profit organizations have sprung up in Ubud and other parts of Bali, and are genuinely making a difference. It's easy to point at a problem and discuss it at length, but it's really hard being part of the solution. I hope to visit at least one such NPO during the remainder of our stay here, and contribute to their efforts in a small way.   

Roosters go bananas

Saw this sight on our early morning walk to the Ubud market today; the picture says it all.