Campuchia – Travel to the land of “Beauty behind the RUINS”

As I spoke to him I realized that Cambodia (Campuchia) is a place of ruins yet a powerful place that leaves an everlasting impression on a traveler’s psyche. As he spoke it felt like he lived those moments again. As the plane hit the soil of Cambodia from Thailand; he checked into the Two Dragon Guest House at Siem Reap.

Day 2: Beng Melea: 

Beng Melea - Ruins

It is located at a distance of 68km from Siem Reap. A place that captures the heart of a true explorer; “beauty lies in ruins and I discovered it here”, is what he has to say about this place. The temple is amidst Mother Nature and is completely consumed by foliages and rubble.It is blissful to see the trees fighting with each other to guard the beauty of this place. There are several beautiful carvings, piles of finely chiseled stones and Apsara care-takers in the temple.  As he justified the $5 at Beng Melea, his next destination – “The War Museum” gave him a shout.

War Museum:  has a unique collection of arms used during the Cambodia – Vietnam War. He says that it is disheartening to see what human kind has done to that place. The place allows visitors to see arms including war tanks, explosives, missiles and land mines. He also says that some of these war machines have even seen action in World War II.  An amazing day with a deadly combination of war and peace finally came to an end after a sumptuous dinner Lok Lak (Cambodia’s local delicacy) at the guest house.

Day 3: Angkor Wat:

Waking up early in the morning to visit a splendid and the largest religious monument in the world was an amazing feeling by itself. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu after breaking the Shaiva tradition by the Khmer king Suryavarman. He says that the temple unveils the history of Cambodia and is a photographer’s paradise. The temple is situated in front of a water body which captures the reflection of the temple. One common thing he spotted in both the temples was the statues of lions and a five headed serpent as guards of the temple. This temple is admired for its magnificent architecture based on the Hindu mythology and is the state temple. He says he can never forget the chilled palm juice sold for 1$ outside the temple which quenched his thirst.

Day 4: Quad Biking:
Today was another adventurous day calling him; he says this was completely his thing which he enjoyed to the fullest. The trail was amidst a farmland and he says that he took multiple laps as there were not many people. The cost is 65$ and the guides click photographs and e-mails it to us. After the amazing work-out he headed to explore the pub street and the old market before he hit the bed that evening.

Day 5: Bayon:

Another celebrated Khmer temple built by a Buddhist king located at 27km from Siem Reap. There are cluster of temples and the key attraction of this place are the smiling stone faces on many towers. With the sweltering sun right on top, completely exhausted he says that he stood wondered how these stones stood smiling. He says that there are multiple temples with different architecture and is a place worth exploring.

Day 6: Kabl Spean:

A pure blend of serenity and adventure is Kabl Spean, located to the northeast of Siem Reap. He says that the sight of water body there is a true healer as he headed towards the Landmine museum.  A private museum owned by a person called Aki Ra, he has been specially trained by the Germans to diffuse the landmines. Aki Ra used the traditional way of demining and has disarmed a lot of these mines alone and has helped a lot of people in Cambodia.  As he spoke he says that every single day has been a combination of agony and ecstasy.

Day 7: Shopping day; he went around buying souvenirs for his loved ones. Durian fruit candies are must to include in the shopping list he adds. His next destination was the capital city; Phnom Penh. He says the bus from Siem Reap to the capital city is a luxury in itself. It is an overnight journey and Phnom Penh is located at a distance of 319.9 km from Siem reap. The buses are AC sleeper coaches with an in-built toilet facility and Wi-Fi connection.

Day 8: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Monument of Cambodia welcomes the visitors to reveal the horror side of it. A school building that had turned into Security Prison and now a museum. He says he had chill running down the spine as he read the clauses of punishment hanging on the wall at the entrance.

Another bitter truth awaited him at the beautiful Choeung Ek Monument of Cambodia. It is marked by a Buddhist Stupa now which then had thousands of graves. It is also called as the Killing Field. Multiple lists of people hung on the wall depicting the cruelty of mankind.

Day 9: Filling his heart with extremes, generous people who have survived the most difficult times, beauty in ruins, under-developed country with an amazing bus facility; he says that this place left him stunned.  With a lot of memories, a couple of new friends and a life-time experience dreamer signed- off from Cambodia.

•   Number of days travelled: 9 days and 10 nights
•   Climate : Generally humid
•   Currency : US$ (widely accepted) , Cambodian Riel
•   Language : Khmer / English (very less)
•   Mode of travel: Flight (International), Bus and tuk-tuk – In Cambodia
•   Places to eat: Cambodian Barbeque restaurant / Indian restaurants - on Pub Street/ Food Street at Siem Reap
•   Famous delicacy: Amok / Lok – Lak / Mondulkiri - strong coffee / Sugarcane Juice with orange / Palm Juice
•   Other Attractions:  Phare Circus / Apsara dance show (dance form of Cambodia) / Phnom Kulen
•  Do’s:

1. ·         English has to be spoken really slow
2. ·         Can visit schools and distribute books and pens to kids

Don’ts 

1.   Do not encourage kids with money or do not buy anything from them
2.   Do not buy the Buddha monuments as the government has made it illegal
3.   Do not part from your belongings – safety is a concern at times 

“Kumaraparvata “– Trekker’s Paradise

Every time I narrate my travel story to Brunda I take a trip back in time and relive those moments. This time it is Kumaraparvata; the most tedious but the most breath-taking trekking trail. I felt like the mountains are calling me and I could not wait anymore to embrace them and listen to their melody.

Kumaraparvata is the highest peak in Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Western Ghats. The peak is 1,712 meters tall and is a trekker’s paradise. Located a distance of 256 km from Bangalore this peak is a dream trekking trail for a lot of hiking enthusiasts.

Saturday morning seemed amazing as I got down at the bus stand of Kukke Subramanya, pleasant weather with cool breeze from the land hitting my face as I opened my eyes to catch a glimpse of the magnificent sight of the two mesmerizing twin peaks; Kumaraparvata and Sheshaparvata. The peaks are located behind the main shrine of Lord Subramanya; the climb is a blend of an exciting activity with a great touch of divinity to it.

The day started with a morning walk till the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary; an entry to the trekking trail of approximately 13.5 km (one side). The first path of 2.5 km is through the thick jungles of Pushpagiri and the walk is moderately difficult. The forest was lush green; I felt like I was in deep conversation with the nature as the wind whispered through the trees creating a melody; the rustling of leaves as I walked through the track combined with the chirping of lovely birds in the background. As I bid good-bye to the first trail; I had another 1.5km to walk till I reached my first pit-stop after a muscle cramp.  This trail becomes difficult during summer season due to blazing sun and may also result in dehydration.

After an hour of rigorous walk I reached the first pit-stop; Bhattara mane; a small cottage which provides food and shelter to the trekkers. Pre-booking can be done for food and accommodation. It was 12:30 pm in the afternoon when I stopped by for a quick lunch served at Bhattara Mane. I felt a little exhausted and decided to rest a while before I started my journey towards the next pit-stop; Kallu Mantapa located at a distance of approximately 3kms from Bhattara Mane with a forest range office in between where camping space is provided.

Kallu Mantapa serves as a landmark and has a couple of view points and a water body at the foot of it.  The trail from Bhattara mane to Kallu Mantapa is moderate and it approximately takes about 40-45 minutes to reach there. The surface is flat and neat and looks ideal for camping but it is now strictly prohibited by the Forest department and I had to walk back to my tent to rest on that night. The day ended with a lot of calories being burnt and some photographs.

As I slept peacefully, I could still hear footsteps of night trekkers going towards the main peak. Night-trekking during summer and winter seasons may be safe but certainly not a recommended one during monsoon. As the day dawned, I started my journey towards Kumaraparvata from the camping site. I still had another 19km stretch waiting before I reached the top of Kumaraparvata.

Before the Kumaraparvata, it is Sheshaparvata we will reach and the trail between Kallu Mantapa and Sheshaparvata is the most dangerous and difficult one with loose rocks throughout the trail that makes anyone skip their heart-beat.  It almost took a couple of hours for me to reach on top and every single step I took seemed worthwhile as I looked around the lovely peak.  I guess this place is a living example of the quote, “Most difficult paths lead to the most beautiful destinations”.  I waited there for a while and filled my heart with the beauty till the brim and started my journey. As I started walking towards the final destination, I spotted a deviation that is approximately at a distance of 1km from Sheshaparvata and I think that was the most beautiful deviation of the entire trekking.

A beautiful and untouched path into the jungle unfolded as I started to walk. The whole jungle looked like a beautiful color palette of different tints of green and shades of earthy brown tones mixed in harmony with an instinctive soothing smell of the jungle. I was almost 3kms inside an unknown trail until I decided back to reach my original destination which had increased by another 4kms. The path from foot of Sheshaparvata to the top of Kumaraparvata is difficult and it approximately takes 45 minutes to reach. I rested for a while and as I climbed down the peak; every cell of mine was rejuvenated. I boarded the bus and I don’t realize how I fell asleep until I was woken up at Bangalore city.

Dreamer signing off from Kumaraparvata!

• Number of days trekked: 2
• Trekking trails: Moderately difficult to very Difficult
• Things to carry: Water bottles / Camping tent / Torch / Snacks / Sleeping mat
•   Mode of transport: Bus / Train
•   Food / Accommodation / Guide available at : Bhattara Mane
• Trekking fee : 75 INR – Camera charges : 100 INR

Ride to the Ghost Town - “Dhanushkodi”

It is fun when Brunda chuckles as I narrate my travel experiences to her; she says that, my body may be confined to a space but my mind wanders to seek knowledge from Universe all the time and I second that.

Dhanushkodi, a beautiful name that always called me for a visit; the thought of it enthralled the rider in me and I started off. Hot summer days and riding straight 620 km is certainly not an easy task but I was excited. I started my journey on Friday at 4:30 AM and reached Salem at 9 AM. I stopped by a nearby shack grabbed a quick breakfast and started the ride again smiling at the scorching sun. My next pit-stop was Namakkal, a city famous for Lord Narasimha and Lord Anjaneya temple.

I rested at Namakkal for some time and the only way to beat the heat was keep myself hydrated with lot of water and fresh fruit juices on my way.  My stomach growled with hunger but the Thalappakatti Biriyani from Dindigul was just 122 km away and I could not wait anymore to relish my taste buds.

I reached Dindigul at sharp 1:30 PM and the Biriyani from Thalappakatti restaurant was soul-filling and mind-blowing. The history of the Biriyani dated back to 1957 and the hotel was started by a man who realized the uniqueness of his wife’s Biriyani recipe.  This Biriyani is cooked using a special blend of spices and goat meat which is fed on tender-grass in a village called Kannivadi combined with typical short-grain rice unlike the Basmati rice. As I savored every grain of it; the old saying, “When I am eating I am deaf and dumb”, lingered in my ears.

I started from Dindigul at 3:30 PM and reached Madurai which is approximately at a distance of 50 KM. The Goddess Meenakshi temple at Madurai is bliss to eyes; the carvings in the temple and the sanctum sanctorum of the temple are grandeur and lot of devotees comes to the shrine to seek blessings of goddess Meenakshi. My accommodation was arranged at Ramanathapuram which is at a distance of 100km from Madurai.

I reached Ramanathapuram at 5 PM in the evening and halted that night, my body ached but my heart was at the brim of contentment; day 2 awaited me as my bed embraced and pulled me into dreamland.  

Day 2: After grabbing a quick breakfast from the nearby shack I started my journey from Ramanathapuram to Rameshwaram which is approximately at a distance of 60 km.  I had to cross the Pamban Bridge and I felt heebie-jeebies all over my body. This is a railway bridge on the Palk Strait that connects the city of Rameshwaram to mainland India. The sight of the bridge with train passing by and the turquoise green water on either sides is an astounding view in itself The bridge bifurcated with one line running towards Rameshwaram and the other terminated at Dhanushkodi until the cyclone of 1964 cyclone. This was a beautiful stretch of my ride and I reached Rameshwaram at 1 PM.

Rameshwaram: The city of pilgrims, a glorious temple of Ramanathaswamy attracts a lot of devotees. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.  After a visit to the temple I walked out to find a restaurant to quench my thirst and satiate my hunger. There are many vegetarian restaurants around but a sea-food shack caught my eyes. 

Now it was Dhanushkodi that beckoned me, situated to the south-east of Pamban. The road leading to this place gets narrower and it gives us a feeling of riding in the water amidst the sea.  It was once a big township until the cyclone in 1964 consumed the entire city with just four survivors. A passenger train with 110 people that ran from Pamban Bridge to this place also got drowned in the sea. The city was beyond restoration and the ruins are still preserved as people evacuated calling it a ghost-town.

It is believed that Lord Rama had built a bridge between Lanka and the Mainland called Rama Sethu and had destroyed it with the end of his bow post winning the war. The Kodhanada Rama temple stands as a landmark signifying the journey of Rama to Sri-Lanka. Pilgrims come to Dhanushkodi for a sacred bath as the amalgamation of Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean is considered sacred.

It was almost 7 PM and there were almost nobody to be seen. It was just me and my lovely bike under the beautiful starlit sky, with the cold breeze from the sea hitting my body it would not be wrong if I call it a Paradise. I seemed lost in thoughts when the traveler in me alarmed me. My small hotel room in Ramanathapuram welcomed me again before I started my journey back to Bangalore at 4:30 AM the next day. Dreamer signing off from Dhanushkodi as another place calls me.

        Number of days travelled: 3

       Means of transport: Bullet (Royal Enfield)

Story Of Himalayas - 1

 Heading towards the ever gorgeous Himalayas for the second time was a great thing and the adrenaline rush in me this time was a little higher than the last time. Yes, this time I was riding along with a friend of mine and the responsibility of being a guide was immense.

A 16 day trip to the magical Himalayas was an extravaganza in itself. The iternary was all set and we started off our journey from Bangalore to Himalayas. Reached Delhi in the afternoon and hopped into a bus to Manali which is at a distance of 513 km from Delhi.

Boarding the bus to Manali had set the excitement in us for the next coming days on the road. Spending that night in the bus made me realize the pain of waiting I must say. We reached Manali at 8 am next day where our bikes awaited us. We had decided to rest in Manali for a day, before we started the grand journey towards our destination but the market and the scenic view around the place was certainly irresistible and we took a tour around the place before we hit the bed.

Day 3: Manali to Keylong

Getting accustomed to the weather was a great challenge but the riding kept us going. Our first pit-stop was Koksar, a small village which is at an approximate distance of 63 km from Manali. The most beautiful and the coldest village in the entire Spiti valley made me long for a hot cup of coffee but we had to settle for a plate of Chowmein as it was almost lunch time and we really starved for some food.

Filling the heart and soul with the mesmerizing beauty and also satiating our hunger was a great relief before we started our ride again towards our destination. Riding non-stop for another 40km on the uneven roads with rocks is certainly not an easy task but that is what makes you a great rider. It takes almost 4 hours to ride through these roads; we stopped at the Tandi petrol station to get some petrol. Everyone who crosses this junction has to get the petrol filled here else the next station is only at Leh and you can now imagine the importance of this petrol station.

Started back towards Keylong at around 4 PM from Tandi and we were excited on meeting our km target as per the schedule and this made us look forward for the coming days with utmost excitement. Every time I took a turn on those roads, I was only reminded by one thing, “I am the most curvaceous thing in the whole world; feel me but do not try to hug me”.

Keylong is at a distance of 30km from Tandi and with the serene vistas surrounding you, every inch of the land and every bit of the sky is a heaven amidst the elegant Himalayas. Savoring the yummy mutton momos and mutton soup, it was no less than an abode of angels.

Day 4: Keylong to Tsokar

Getting kissed by the early morning sun, we stopped at Gispa; another small town where you find a lot of shacks that offers hot and yummy parathas to the travelers and started our journey towards Tsokar.

We had to cross through Zing Zing Bar, Pang and Merro to reach Tsokar. On the way to Tsokar we were greeted by the beautiful lake Tsarap Chu with the mesmerizing snow-scape of the Himalayan beauty. The long ride of 240 Km was exhausting and nothing else was as delightful as the thick plush blanket and the cozy bedroom.

Day 5: Tsokar to Leh

The day towards Leh started with bread toasts and parathas and a non-stop ride till Meyru was breath-taking. Stopped at Meyru to catch the first glimpse of the Indus valley and rode towards Leh with a lunch-break at one of the dhabas in Upshi. Riding through the gorge from Upshi to Leh is an experience in itself, the narrower the roads the tedious and exciting the ride gets and yes, finally we got Leh’d at 4:30 PM and the story continues in the next episode.

Dreamer signing off from Leh!

Story of Himalayas - 2

Waking up early morning to the melody of the wind sung by Himalayas in the city of Leh was just too mystical. We stayed back in Leh and went around a few places like the Santi Stupa, Thikse monastery and Rancho’s school. It was day eight of our mission and I must say that it was really draining at times but being in the lap of Himalayas was soothing enough for us to continue our journey.

Rancho’s school: Originally called as Druk White Lotus School, which is now popularly known as Rancho’s school after the movie 3 idiots. This is one of the attractions at Leh; the school got renovated after the heavy floods in the year 2010 and now stands as one of the best attractions at Leh. As I walked around the school, memories of the movie 3 idiots just flashed and it’s nice to know that this school imbibes the tradition and culture of Ladakh in their students.

Leh Market

Visiting the Leh market was worthwhile; delicious apricots and leh-berries, pashmina silk, woolen goods, souvenirs and a lot of things can be bought from this place.

Our next destination was the astounding Pangong Lake and riding through the dusty roads at some places were really challenging. It was day 6 and we had to cross the third highest pass, the Changla pass which is an avalanche prone area and gets risky during the winter season.

The distance from Leh to Pangong Lake is approximately 140 km and it took us straight 8 hours of riding. After we had the inland permission at Sakti, we headed straight to Pangong Lake after a satisfying meal at Tangtse on the Pangong Lake Road.

Pangong Lake locally called Pangong Tso, one of the most serene places; with the turquoise blue crystal clear water, black and brown pebbles and your own mirror image is magical. We spent an entire day at Pangong Lake and there are tent and home stay facilities available. It is good to book them in advance and the costs are a little on the higher side in comparison to the other places. With the cold breeze hitting my face, millions of stars shining in the sky; we spent the night in Pangong dreamland.

Day 8:

After spending time peacefully at the paradise Pangong, we rode back to Leh as our next destination beckoned us. The Nubra Valley, which is at a distance of 130 km from Leh. This is one of the high altitude cold deserts of the Tibetan Plateau. Crossing the highest motorable path Kardungla brought heebie-jeebies to me; you get to see a lot of tourists and riders at this place and taking a lot of photographs at the board which says, “Highest motorable pass”. Himalayas revealing her true beauty in different shades and hues is beyond fathom. As we filled our heart and soul with the amazing virgin beauty of Himalayas, we reached the Nubra Valley at 4pm. We visited the Diskit monastery which houses the golden statue of Buddha and as the sun rays hit the crown it calls for an amazing click.

Hunder Sand dunes: As you stand on the paths of Nubra valley, the view on either sides of this place is a heavenly treat. To the left, you will get to see the Hundra sand dunes and to the right are the mountain ranges and that’s a feast to the pair of eyes.

As we explored the Nubra valley, we called of our day with an amazing camel ride and escaped into our abodes, The Grand Nubra.

As you all wait for the next write-up, I shall dive back into my memory treasure.

Dreamer signing off from Nubra valley!

Story Of Himalayas - 3

Day 10: Leh to Lamayuru

After the amazing night spent in the hotel, we now had to cover a distance of 110km on the NH1 that connects between Leh to Srinagar; of all the roads we travelled this was the most amazing one and as the needle on the speedometer hit 100, I was destined to kiss the ground. As I fell down I realized that I had killed a dog and every incidence has a lesson to learn. I understood that, to reach Himalayas we need to have patience and not speed. She will embrace you with all her warmth only if you respect her. The locals and got off the vehicles and began their holy prayers in front of the dog’s body for a smooth transition of its soul to the nether world.

Memories irked me as we rode to the magnetic hill. This is one attraction where every rider would certainly stop by and park their vehicles in neutral and rejoice when the vehicle would move all by itself without any acceleration.

110 km was a little tiring however, once we reached Lamayuru, the mesmerizing Himalayas took away all the exertion as we stood in front of her. Resembling a beautiful bride adorned with the gold ornaments all set to cast a magic on her groom, this is a view not to be missed.  Staying at the hotel Moon Land was equivalent to being right on top of the moon; with the setting sun on the right and the wind creating the striation on the mountains, the lands below resemble the craters on the moon. We could not ask for anything more; with the shield of the divine monastery right behind us, we spent the night at this magical place of Lamayuru.

Day 11:

With the beautiful landscape filled in the heart and dreams; the day dawned and we got ready to start towards Kargil, “The land of Unsung Heroes”.  Located at a distance of 102 km, the emotions inside me got immense remembering the land where we were going to. Visiting the banks of memory treasures and recollecting the days of the Kargil war, we kept riding. Roads to Kargil are similar to NH1; just for the river Suru that flows in the Zojila residency, Zojila Pass. Residency of Zojila is a three star hotel and a cozy place for all hookah lovers. Our stay was soothing but our journey to Drass next day almost drifted me to a different world altogether.

Day 12: Kargil to Srinagar

Last day of our riding had arrived, our fascinating journey had almost come and here were in the War memorial at Drass which is at a distance of 50km. The wide gates on either sides swing open calling everyone to embrace with love. As our unsung heroes sleep peacefully on the ground which was once guarded by them, this place also has a museum and a small canteen which serves the best samosas for travelers at nominal cost. Paying tribute to the heroes, we started our journey towards Srinagar. On the way back, having kids innocent kids as your pillion adds more joy to my travel memorandum.

Sonmarg: With the heavy traffic and the dusty roads, ride to Sonmarg wasn’t all that easy. Sonmarg has sledging and rafting and lakeside camping as well for adventure lovers. We reached Srinagar in the evening and pampered ourselves in a boat-house on the effervescent Dal Lake. The cost per night is 2500 INR/- which was inclusive of dinner, and breakfast for the next morning. We used Shikaras to move in and out of the lake and a visit to the floating market is worthwhile. A swim in this fresh water lake and a visit to Nishath and Chashm hi Shahi gardens brought all my cells to life again before we hit the bed reliving those amazing moments spent for the last 11 days.

It was out time to bid good-bye to our companions; our mechanic and our guide Wan gal and Gurmit; we had reached the airport and our 12 days journey are to be remembered for years to come by.

Dreamer signing off from Himalayas!