Inspiring Arts by the Bay - Esplanade Theatre

Lovingly called the Durian, it also has a mall attached to it. The entire atmosphere is cozy and inviting. Paintings adorn the walls as you make your way into the theatres. Quaint cafes brewing coffee invite you at every step. Unique shops of art-stuff and bric-a-brac entice you. Aromas waft out from delectable cake shops.

Budding artisans display their works

Contemporary art abounds in Singapore

Since it was the week of Kala-Utsavam, meaning Indian Festival of Arts, we were excited to head out there early, to catch a few free shows too, before settling in to watch Agam. There were amateur bands performing, like Kolaveri Jamz and Sound Check. Sound Check were crooning on the same stage as Agam did, four years ago. It is a good omen for them, I must say, for Agam have risen to great heights since we heard them last, in the very same outdoor stage!

Soundcheck, keep going!

The Marina Bay forms the backdrop of the outdoor stage of the Esplanade

  I loved Agam four years ago, when they performed for free, at Kala-Utsavam, at the beautiful outdoor stage with the shimmering Marina Bay waters as backdrop. The atmosphere ethereal, they made us croon with them, took us along lilting melodies in languages ranging from Sanskrit to Hindi to Malayalam too. The audience echoed in perfect sync.

Agam ka aagaman

Time flew, so did they, back to Singapore this November, this time we paid for the tickets and felt every penny paid, worth it. At the tres grande Esplanade Concert Hall, Agam arrived to much cheering and started off without a word, on their first number invoking Lord Ganapati in typical Indian tradition. They mesmerised us yet again. 

    Invoking the blessings of the Elephant God

Progressive metallic mingles with Carnatic vocal as front-man Harish S belts out classical song after song in his baritone, inimitable style, all set to leave his footprints in the ranks of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Hariharan and other Greats. That unique is his singing. Equally gifted are his buddies at the electric guitars, piano and drums. 

After the concert, we stood patiently in a line to meet and greet them. They patiently spoke to each of us fans and signed autographs. What humility! Hope you keep together the band and the attitude. Go Agam!

We meet again Paris!

I can't tell you how much I love you Paris. Not because I don't know French, I do, un peu. During my various visits, I have seen that you have aged beautifully, you do not differentiate based on skin colour, you walk along with me when I ask for directions, you warm towards me when I speak broken French. You have been my employer, as Alstom, whom I shall fondly remember, forever.

And, as a family, this was the first time I visited you. After living in Singapore, I felt that your metros need renovation no doubt. They have aged since I last visited you about a decade ago. 

We checked into our pleasantly priced Fraser Suites at my old haunt, La Defense. Memories, memories. I spared no effort in taking my dear ones to the places I roamed alone so long ago... looking back so fondly at the beautiful but lonely evenings of roaming the Quatre Temps Mall alone, hunting for deals to take back home in Delhi. 

Soon after checking in, we boarded the bus to La tour Eiffel. The husband and I climbed the tower many years ago, but this time we sufficed with a hundred pictures, in front of a fully lit up tower.

The view soon as we got off the bus!

Then was the march down the Uber-regal Champs Elysees. Couldn't resist shopping for souvenirs at some corner shops and Arcades des Champs Elysees. A gown from Morgan cost me Euro 80. Haven't worn it in six months...the Dinner and Dine got postponed...

It's not expensive to shop in Paris, if you know where to shop. Since I was familiar with La Defense, we shopped till we dropped at C&A, Sephora and other shops where it was raining deals. The teen and I are obsessed with HnM and we don't spare a round wherever we find it in the world, Rome, Hongkong, etc!

Modern art work around La Defense

After so many trips to Paris, we realised that the Arc de Triumph and the Grande Arche of La Defense are actually in a line! 

Two days of Disneyland left us with a sparkle in our eyes. It was the twenty-fifth anniversary and we had great fun at the rides, and the spectacular shows. After Universal Studios, Singapore, where we are used to Express passes to avoid the lines, it was disappointing that Disney doesn't provide any Express pass options. Many popular rides were announcing closures, and that too after standing in the queue for several minutes. We took train passes for three days, to use it mainly on our visits to Disneyland, station Chessy. 

Disney Magic

We had just one day to roam the mighty Louvre. Couldn't decide which of the never-ending Salles to enter! We did the Egyptian, Asian, African, Roman/European and a few more. While the family was happy to literally run through the mighty and gigantic art works and sculptures, I tried to read up whatever I could in this endless labyrinth of antiquities. Saw the Mona Lisa all over again, frankly wondering how the other exotic paintings of Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, etc got left behind... each a Masterpiece, what else could a non-artist like me say! 

Endless displays, each a masterpiece 

We saw gilt-edged furniture, chandeliers, beds, mantels, mantelpieces, candelabra at Napolean's ultra-regal Apartments, with our feet aching but eyes sparkling. 

Napolean's Dining hall

Even a simple bus ride entitles you to drink in the beauty of Paris

We bade good-bye to Paris without a boat ride on the serene Seine, but something tells me we'll be back ... je reviendrai, belle Paris.

A festival, A cruise and A waterfall - Lucerne!

 Eurorail to all Indians brings to mind the Yash Chopra movies. We took TrenItalia from Rome to Milano, Milano to Art Goldau and from there, Lucerne, Switzerland! We moved trains from Milano to Art Goldau in exactly five minutes, all seats in First class.

 A short bus ride took us to our tiny Hotel by Lake Lucerne. Nothing much to say about the Hotel itself, no "belle views" since a high wall blocked any possible view of Lake Lucerne. It was clean though, with just one unforgettably rude overseer.

The streets downtown were crowded with party goers. Stages were erected at very short distances with beautiful rock music blaring out. We even met our old neighbours there. As usual, we began hunting around for vegetarian food and found people queuing up for wraps. But ew! The 'chefs' handing out the wraps were profusely sweating, wiping it with their hands, happily handed over the wraps to the waiting customers who said nothing...yes we too had the same wraps hoping ours were cleaner. 

Winding, fairytale roads of Lucerne below cloudy hills...paradise!

We then moved to the beautiful Kapellbrücke chapel bridge for a walk and some pictures of this ancient covered foot-bridge on the river Reuss. Shopped for a few souvenirs, had food at an Indian restaurant and retired with a sigh.

The next day was our day trip to the amazing Mt Titlis, which I have blogged about already. 
Day 3 was when we took a train to Interlaken. Scene after breathtaking scene rolled past us as we sat comfortably in our First Class seats. We had some delicious soups and pasta at the Pantry car too. Whether to explore Lake Thun to the west or Lake Brienz to the East was a question. It got resolved when the concierge said the boat to Lake Brienz left in two minutes. We managed to get in just as the gang plank was about to lift off.

Wonder who lived in this castle overlooking Lake Brienz...

A friendly, handsome Captain greeted us and ushered us to the top floor since we had First Class tickets. With the cool breeze in the afternoon refreshing us, we stared in silence at the green mountains and the lucid waters around us. A canteen inside the cruise served us hot chocolate and finger fries, so we never wanted to leave the boat for small stopovers and pictures. It was evening by the time we docked. Even the restless kids never asked for their devices, so awed were they by nature at her best.

A waterfall gushes into Lake Brienz

Words don't do justice to Switzerland's pristine beauty. On Day Four we took the train to Rhine Falls. 
The captain of the small boat we took to hover around the foot of the Fall, said that the River Rhine is 1253 km long from Switzerland to the Netherlands. I shuddered a little as the boat chugged too close to the Falls, but reminded myself that it was just a few metres tall. We headed to see the sculpture of the 'Dying Lion' after a tasty lunch. 

Men may come and men may go, but you go on forever Mighty Rhine....

May no lion suffer as thee...

The world's most mournful monument is how Mark Twain describes the sculpture of the dying lion at Löwenstrasse. Set in solid stone, the wounded lion was sculpted to commemorate Swiss soldiers who were killed during the French Revolution. It is set in a beautiful park with lofty old trees, and beneath the sculpture embedded in rocks, is a small pond, all befitting the grace and majesty of the animal. 

It soon started to drizzle and we took our umbrellas and headed to the 'Old Souvenir Shop'. Sure enough, a friendly old man patiently showed us the cuckoo clocks of Black Forest, which I ticked off from my wish-list! We got one that cost us € 196. But its not a purchase you get to make every day! We took a few pictures atop the many steps of a chapel next to the shop. Had a very expensive but simple and tasty Indian dinner at Kanchi. The staff was gracious too. We retired early that night, since we had a train to catch the next day, to make our way to Paris via Basel! 

Watch out for Paris.... will take you there soon ....!

WHY BUY SO MUCH ?

Just read a story about a disciple asking the Buddha for a new bedsheet. Upon being asked, he said he used the old sheet to make window curtains, the curtains to make napkins, the napkins were used to make mops, the mops being in tatters were used to make wicks for oil-lamps! 
Whew! That was actually a trip down memory lane. Why? Our older generation actually has used old saris to make curtains. I have made Indian dresses out of old saris too. We have seen our elders buying vegetables using cloth bags sewn from old clothes. Now why have we become so obsessed with showing off our buying capabilities ? I wonder if we were better off with less spending power just a few decades ago. 

• There was no need to shout out to our elders to use less plastic, because they anyway did. 
• Plastic tiffin boxes have replaced the old steel and brass-lined lunch-boxes. 
• We never had to worry about plastics or colours leeching into our foods.
• Plastic disposables have replaced the beautiful plates and bowls made of leaves.
• Siblings now hardly wear hand-me-downs because of changing fashions.
• We never bothered about evening wear, gym wear, night wear, party wear, office wear, just our uniforms and a few clothes so carefully bought for our birthdays, New Years day and Diwali.
• Replace the word clothes with shoes - how many ever heard of sports shoes, dress shoes, beach-sandals, etc? Nah, in my childhood, it was a pair of shoes for school and a pair of sandals for everywhere else.

Do you agree friends? What's your idea to buy less and save the earth?

To all my aquaphobic friends...

Yes, Mysore had standard swimming pools in those 80s...

Mother enrolled me for swimming lessons in CFTRI campus when I was all of ten. In Mysore, looking back, its amazing that we had this swimming pool complete with a diving board. From 4 ft it went deep till 10 ft! Gopal Uncle taught me to float and beat my legs too. All of this in water four feet deep. The pool was crowded but nobody minded. Everybody took a shower before entering too.

The trouble and anxiety started when he asked me to swim free style in 6 ft deep water. I heard that a friend started to swim in the six-foot section of the pool, but retreated to the four-foot section. I followed her. After that, Gopal Uncle stopped bothering about me.

Mother was busy with her full-time job as a scientist and a player of Table tennis too. She never checked what my progress was, and neither did I have the good sense to let her know. After some arguments, I quit at the age of eleven, while most of my other friends had learnt to swim. A nasty classmate even remarked to my friend that I would just "stand in a corner and practise leg-beating," I wonder if she knows I know and still remember.

Mysore to Delhi..

Time passed, I left my childhood and adolescence in Mysore, got married and moved to Delhi. We moved into our own apartment, with a pool! A rarity in 2005. Still no progress. Indian women think a hundred times before entering water, I've observed. In the five years we stayed in our lovely apartment , I would have entered the water five times.

Delhi to Singapore...

We moved to a luxury condominium in Singapore in 2013. There came Coach Nic in my life. She swam like a fish, she taught me graceful strokes but alas, couldn't get rid of my anxiety in water. Try as I might, I could not exhale and inhale without my feet going down! "You are almost there" she never stopped saying, bless her. She had the patience of a Buddha with me.

That was three years ago. We moved to another beautiful condo on the same street four months ago. I asked friends in my new condominium to practice strokes with me and was surprised to know what fears lay hidden in their minds! " What if I get water in my mouth", "what if I slip" and so on, made me feel like a pro at swimming....Was glad to know that my misery had company.

A new coach was also hired, a few months back, since there was a group of friends who wanted to start swimming. That was for one hour only. One by one, they dropped out stating they would first overcome their fear of water, with the help of their kids, husband, etc. No amount of pleading and encouraging helped.

Breakthrough of sorts...

Last month I pushed myself into the pool. This itself was a major break-through because I always looked for company to enter water. The only progress was that I made new friends, equally phobic. Well, I didn't give up, went two days ago. It was a blessing that there was no one to chat with, because I introspected every mistake of mine, armed with a gamut of theory on swimming and breathing.

And voila......!

This morning too, I went for practice, but without much gusto...Lo and Behold! I finished my first full breadth (not a length but what the heck, its a beginning!) without pausing. Hmm? Was that a dream? Did I really exhale in water and inhale with my neck out? Then my second... The breathing was laboured but I finished six rounds!

WHAT? Yes!! I can say I swam today!  And if I could do it, so could you!

Ascent to the Crown - Mt Titlis

 The Iphone in our little room in Lucerne says its 11:39 pm, but even with my eyes drooping, the mind is playing out the exhilarating day I had, riding up 3000 meters by the majestic gondola, admiring Mt Titlis, the crown of Switzerland. Heaven on earth.

The people here are beautiful and friendly, maybe it is the beautiful nature they are surrounded by. It is heartening how they have done a lot to preserve what Mother nature has bestowed on them. Every tree cut is to be compensated for, the lady-guide said on the mike, in the huge, silent, luxurious coach, as she took us from Lucerne to Engelberg.

From there began the literal ascent to the ice capped peak, Mt Titlis. ‘’Do not look down’’, my friend warned me over Whatsapp. For me, who has a fear for high thrill adventures and flights, I must say it was not half as scary. Our cable car gently ascended the mountains. Breath-taking scenes of the mountains passed us, first decked in green gold. We glided past the grazing cows with their tinkling cow bells, then the green gave way to dark rockland patched with pristine snow. The dark and white patches very much looked like their cows.

The cows didn't give a moo while we climbed.....

Not unlike a Yash Chopra movie still.....

            Higher and higher the cable cars sailed, first thousand, then two thousand….and while I held my breath, 2500 m, no more green trees, only white, shining ice. I did wince when the clouds engulfed our car at 3000 m. I thanked God that the cable cars needn’t "see" anything to do what they were doing! Phew! Landed safely at 3000m of white heaven, with the Alps in clear view.

patches of snow on the rocks pretty much like the hide of the cows below

You will catch your breath as clouds blind you in your cable car...

But just as I was recovering my breath, the family dragged me onto the ice-flyer. It stopped mid-way, maybe to let the stiff wind pass. I peeped down to see that the mountains below were just 10-15 feet away… and was relieved to be back after a five minute stint on this vehicle. Was relieved that the ice-tubing section was closed... but wait, I still have to climb over the hanging bridge, again engulfed in clouds. As the bridge shook violently with so many climbers, I hung on to its sides, not able to see through the clouds, exactly how deep the cliff below was.

The bridge hanging mid-air, mid-snow...

Our legs dangling as we ride the Ice-flyer...the snow fifteen feet below

            After these real-life, high-thrill rides, with the best beauty I have experienced, I was least excited to see the cut-outs of SRK and Kajol in her jazzy green clothes at the entrance to the tourist centre there.

            Since the whole of Switzerland is so popular with Indians, we even got an Indian buffet, nearly Indian, and my fussy 9 year old actually ate a bite or two. We bought palak-paneer without the paneer (imagine that in cheese country), lentils and rice. At the appointed time, we scurried to the rotary gondola, which descended gracefully with almost a hundred excited tourists. In the lower stations, we changed into individual cable cars and again heard the gentle tinkling of the cows, the cows still didn’t care a hoot. Down on the ground finally, the mind still enticed by the beauty just witnessed and grateful for the safe trip, we packed samosas and idli at the Indian restaurant there, though I questioned the manager why his staff are not wearing gloves to pick food….no answer. The bus left soon after a few more pictures and a sip of ginger tea. Later the bus crew realised that a family was left back! Hope they have reached back safely… wish the crew called out attendance, a sure-shot way to make sure all are in. 

       The only news to mar this exhilaration was the family who fell hundreds of feet to their death, when the cable car that carried them in Gulmarg, Kashmir, fell due to trees falling on the cable! A basic mistake… how come the trees weren’t cleared around the cableways…

Sawasdee Ka Thailand

New Zealand was what we were looking at, while planning this past summer vacation. When we saw the low temperatures of South Island, we changed our mind to warmer climates. Oh but its gonna rain in June! was what we discussed and so, finally we booked our flights for a ten day outing in Thailand.
My idea of a holiday in Phuket would not have been just to idle in Club M. Phuket instead of sightseeing. But in order to keep the kids happy, we booked two interconnecting rooms in beautiful Club Med, on the Kata beach.

The resort is said to cater to multinational cultures. But we could sense the under-currents when the 'GO's or Gentle Officers of the resort quickly slid to escort guests of their own nationalities/ skin tones...!
Four nights of all sports you could imagine, fun, food and round-the-clock drinks. The kids were escorted to clubs of their own age groups. Stage performances every night. A spectacular performance by our kids too, after practice of just a few hours. Rip roaring laughter with cross-dressed males on stage were the highlights.

The Kata beach was just across the road. With a drink in hand, you could head out for a lazy hour or two on the many chaise-lounges lining the beach. If you are okay with the afternoon sun, head out for the many water-sport activities of the resort. A disheartening thing I noticed was a small drain trickling dirty water quietly into the sea, in a far away corner of the beach, not very noticeable...


Time to leave to the next and best part of the holiday - Bangkok! We had wondered what to do for six days in Bangkok but with the teen madly after shopping, we could have spent a few more days here. Conrad furnished us a beautiful two-bedroom suite. We prepared our own dinner in the kitchenette  on many nights. That is, on those nights when we had not eaten a yum Thai meal outside.

The malls were close by in swanky Sukhumvit. Siam Paragon, MBK malls were huge and glittering. Had an altercation with a cheating cab driver and the moment he said he would not charge by the meter, we got off, allowing him to swear vehemently. Siam Square was also close by to our residence. Bought a pair of ultra-comfy sandals from Isetan.

The Sea World was better than any underwater sea-life we have seen in the world! Bigger and better than we had expected! A must see, with a trip behind the scenes too, you can even admire the sea life from the other side of the display!

But Asiatique was by far the best hang out for me. A good choice of food and clothes. A long dress and a short one at just S$12 was too surprising. A man jumped the queue while we were buying a snack. Upon telling him so, he arrogantly said he did not understand.

The Asiatique had such fun sculptures and more...

We could not make it to the Chatuchak weekend market, mainly due to paucity of time. We had to do the most popular attractions - the Emerald Budhha with the Grand Palace, the Reclining Buddha, the ride on the Chao Phraya River, phew...the temperature was not soaring but the sun had a way of sapping out all moisture from the body, while we toured around the majestic Grand Palace.

The opulence of the Grand Palace is only to be seen to be believed

The show-stealer? The super glittery spectacular, Siam Niramit show. Thailand being infamous for some adult stuff, we were in for a pleasant surprise when we entered a village themed pavilion. Greeted by statues of elephants, we took a ride in their artificial canals in real boats. We tasted Thai delicacies, vegetarian ones of course. They stopped feeding the guests, just after the first bite though!  Some had coconut milk and some had mango. But these things were just the prelude. There was even a traditional dance before the actual show.
The Grand finale was full of Gods, Apsaras, elephants in gold costumes, Kings and queens decked in all splendour, and the lighting made it surreal. The show was over by 10 if I recollect. Money and time well spent!

Scenes from Ramayana the great Epic, painted on the temple walls

Our flight back was in the late afternoon. Since I did not want to regret it, I quickly slipped into the mall attached to our Hotel and got a one hour massage done.

Churning of the ocean beautifully brought to life at the Suvarnabhumi Airport

You are so close to Singapore,  I wanna come back for your spas and your foods Bangkok!

Foodventures of the veggie kind

Amazing how vegetarians manage to remain vegetarians all over the world. Fifteen years ago, a boss of mine, a staunch vegetarian, on his visit abroad, said he ate potatoes and fruit all through. Times have changed, I must say at the cost of sounding cliched. 

When we landed here a couple of years ago, we never ventured into the Food courts, imagining everything to be non-vegetarian. Everywhere we went, we hunted for Indian food. Not anymore. We now enjoy experimenting with local vegetarian delights in the Food courts.

Popiah in the making

It is with a twinge of regret that I recall the good time I had at Katong Mall, when Tweety attended her ballet class for two and a half years. Only in the last few weeks did I venture into their Food court. I discovered the strangely delightful combination of spice and sweet, in the local Popaiah.
Ultra thin crepe is the closest definition of popiah skin I can think of. She spread sweet soya sauce on it, then garlic pieces, vegetables, coriander leaves, chilly, rolled it , cut it and served it. Bought a glass of freshly crushed sugarcane juice to go along. Heaven.

     The next week I bought the same filling, filled in a crispy bite sized cup. Equally good.

Popiah filling in a crispy cup

Spring roll, sesame sprinkled sweet fritter, Pau

Another adventure was at the Mall of Buona Vista, again waiting for Tweety at her ballet rehearsal. Though there was an Indian food stall at the Food court here, I tried out the veg spring roll. The Pau was akin to the steamed Modaks of India, Kadubu of Karnataka, only round like a ball. The fillings are varied, I have tried Lotus paste filling, Red bean filling, crushed Peanut  and Kaya filling, all sweet. The sesame fritter looking so tempting had sweet crushed peanut inside. This almost filled me up, so I could have none of the Indian food we ordered!

Indian food in a Food court

Clever displays of art food  - this was outside a Japanese joint

How can we leave out Thai food, more popular among Indians? Our favourite order is the vegetarian Pineapple fried rice. After ordering it a number of times, I assumed my waiter would understand my veggie needs, and was shocked when we got me Pineapple fried rice, but with shrimp nicely cuddled in it...he was courteous enough to exchange it of course, though I wonder when I will start tasting seafood, supposed to be healthy and tasty...

Tofu, cashew and rice - at Basil Restaurant

I already have blogged on Thai food before. Our other favourites are fried Taro with cashew, with a tantalising flavour of sweet and hot, mushroom soup and Mango salad. Oh and desserts too are on the healthier side. We order sticky rice with coconut milk and Thai mango, very little sugar added. We once ordered a plate of roasted peanuts, sweet potato and coconut ice cream. So different, so yum, the name I forget, but blogged elsewhere, do take a look at the older posts!!

PS - We once attended a Steam boat party hosted by our Singaporean friends. They had a steaming pot of vegetables for us vegetarians. When we asked what spices they added, they said to savour its natural flavour. That stuck with me, and now I try to add less of my Garam Masala, trying to retain the original flavour of the fresh vegetables...what say?

Gold Coast Day 9 : The Great Barrier Reef

Islands in the sea (stream)...That is what we are...

No one in between...How can we be wrong...

Sail away with me...To another world...

                                                 - Kenny Rogers

The small Cessna plane looked like a rich kid's toy. It being my first flight in a private plane, I apprehensively surveyed the engineering of the aircraft, stopping short of asking the pilot (he was in shorts!!) how many engines the plane had. The chassis was full of rivets that held the aluminium in place. Hmm tight enough I thought. A Chinese family flew with us. They were friendly, the two kids said a warm Hello to Tweety, the ladies did not speak English so we kept throwing smiles at each other, while the men chatted. We were given a breakfast kit of nutty health bars, juice and I don't remember what else. We flew over the Pacific for about an hour. My fear of flying in all things small were laid to rest, when we looked down at the emerald sea, even whales popping in and out, and finally came to view the tiny Lady Elliot Island where we were to spend the day.

                                 

    Lady Elliot Island got its name after a Governor who visited here, is what our guide said.  The island was formed by coral deposits, since corals grow only up to the level of the low tides. This island is the nearest place you can get to, if you want to explore the GREAT BARRIER REEF! A World Heritage, no point in going to Australia and returning without a look at this incredible Reef. 

The stars we could reach were NOT just star fish on the beach!

We were given thermal diving suits to wear, sticks and  Crocs to wade in the water as a friendly staff took us to explore the Reef. The wind gave us a chill even in the thermal suits. We saw a lot of Sea cucumbers, blue Starfish, and corals in the clear rippling waters.

Teeming with life...falling short of words

Time for snorkelling...Brrr...venturing in the winter sun...as we sailed farther away from the island, it became a Whale spotting trip when we saw the omnipresent Humpback whales cavorting in the waters. One went right under our glass-bottomed boat, sending cheers through the guests on board! Finally, since the waters were a little choppy, only A managed to catch sight of pretty marine fishes in his snorkelling gear, which was why we took the boat in the first place.

Mark my words..this could be a new Coral Island in the making!

When we came back to the island, lunch time was up, so they cooked us a fresh batch of snacks - veggie burgers with delicious patties, a whole heap of potato fries and even ice cream I think...if only our guides would keep notice of time, we could have had proper lunch before the resort closed its kitchen...Oh its a small matter though, compared to the mightiness and the awesomeness of the Reef...
 We rushed through our meal, changed and sat in an even smaller aircraft, since apparently the one in which we flew in, was required for a bigger group. High above the seas, A wrote on Facebook that we are safe and sound....why did he even think otherwise???
Even after writing an entire post, I feel that only one word describes this island, this Reef....Indescribable. Sigh!

This was the last highlight of our Great Gold Coast Holiday!!! Ciao Australia.

Gold Coast Day 8 : Boojerahla Gwongorella at the Hinterlands

Time...keeps flowing like a river...

To the sea...till its gone forever...gone for evermore

                                                      - The Alan Parsons Project

Boojerahla - charming, Gwongorella - Dancing waters, in Aboriginal language. A number of tour operators take you on half day trips to the serene forest side of Queensland, away from the busy Gold Coast. The friendly driver cum guide was right on time to pick us up from Meriton Broadbeach. We settled comfortably in the heated Chartered Bus as he drove us smoothly out of Gold Coast into Springbrook Mountain. The first stop was at the Natural Bridge. It gets its name since the water fall cuts through a basalt cave with its sheer force, and when you see it you realize why its called a natural bridge...Sunlight peeped through the otherwise dark cave, and it looked like a picture out of a calendar. We missed the glow worms though. Said to be protected, you can get a glimpse of glow worms here at night.

Water still continues to cut through the cave

                We had a forest walk at the Gondwana Rainforests, where we saw very attractive looking poisonous leaves and berries, which the guide warned us not to touch. The lofty trees, like the Antarctic Beech trees and Eucalyptus were swaying in the howling winter winds, birds chirped as we went exploring on the wooden walk ways, clutching our jackets and scarves close. The toilets were Eco-friendly too. Some of the trees were more than a thousand years old. And as if these views were not good enough, we stopped at a great view point called The best of all Lookouts! Indeed, it was a great view of the ancient plateau, now a preserved site, to salvage whatever is left of Australia's forestation. 

Looking out from the Best of all Lookouts

Australia's own Grand Canyon?

        All through the commentary, our humorous guide reminded us of the scones and tea we would be having at one of the cafes in Springbrook. We finally did. A batch of hot scones with fresh cream, and the aroma of fresh hot coffee was most refreshing in the cold late afternoon, and we made our way back. With a sigh we got out of the comfortable coach, as the guide told us "This is your captain speaking, you have landed at your hotel, hope to fly again with you..."

Gold Coast Day 6, 7 : Chills and thrills

When you have 7-Day Passes for Movie World, Sea World and Wet n Wild Water parks, you try to revisit them to get your money's worth. We did it too. The water at Wet n Wild is heated I understand, but what happens when you get out of the ride, dripping wet on a winter day? I ventured not, the sporty types of the family did, and came back bravely in an hour's time, but with teeth chattering...so we had a lunch of the usual veggie burgers, fries and drink, and headed back to Movie World, for a repeat of our favourite rides and for some final shopping, a Batman towel, a Batman water-bottle, a Tweety towel and a huge black Movie World umbrella.

A Wet n Wild ride

I tried this one

This wet ride looks safer

After the experience with the whales in a tiny vessel, I was rid of all fear of riding the waves in tiny boats, and enjoyed every bit of the Extreme Jet boating. The wind ripped through our hair as we zipped through the water close to 80 kmph,  suddenly applying the brakes to add to the thrill...It was over in a half hour though, so we headed to Surfer's Paradise beach, salt in our hair and water on our shoes. 

        En route, the sets of Pirates of the Carribean...!!!

Can't see me but I am on this Extreme Jet boat, honest...

It was still daylight, we had Idlis at an Indian restaurant there, and strolled along the now familiar shopping street with Cotton-On, Lovisa and other popular shops. There is an array of kiosks selling rare and even strange merchandise closer to the beach. Trinkets, bags, crystal ware apart, there were shops selling sludge, crocodile leather bags (genuine?), head wrap, reptile shows, nameplates, and then some more... The kids got a pack or two of erasable sketch pens, some sludge and other such knick-knacks.

There was an Elvis whose singing I narrowly missed. There was this man painted in silver, seemingly sitting on nothing all day, not moving an inch. The moment my coin clinked in his bowl he shook hands and posed for a photo. That was his livelihood. 

Do you know his trick of sitting on nothing? Think I do...

Gold Coast Day 5: Crocs and Cassowaries

Doting attendants fed Eucalyptus leaves to koalas when we entered the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Started by Alex Griffiths in 1947 to keep the lorikeets fed, this Park has become a most loved Wildlife Sanctuary of Queensland.

We boarded a small train that took us around the park. Just in time for the Croc Show. Huge reptiles they were, jumping high up to sink their teeth into the chunks of meat shown to them by the trainers. Then we queued for a photo session with a baby croc!

 There was a board that said : (Some) Crocodiles do not eat for six months straight in a year, but the question is, "which six months?"

    Jog your memory about these remarkable reptilians. Their symbiotic habit - letting birds get right inside their mouth so the bird gets bits of food and the crocs get their teeth cleaned. And that their teeth regrow throughout their life. And the lore about crocodiles weeping for their victims! Hope all people give up their greed for crocodile meat and crocodile hide and conserve these reptilian wonders...

Fun in the winter sun...

There was a Bird show where magnificent flying creatures like lorikeets, kookaburras, kites, macaws, wedge-tailed eagles and pelicans were among the main cast, anchored by youngsters with a great sense of humour. It was commendable, their efforts to save many of these endangered species. 

Birds of many feathers flock here together

Time to watch the world's most dangerous bird, the Cassowary, from a safe platform. She was having her favorite food, fruits, rather fruit salad. Cassowaries are said to be very helpful in dispersal of seeds that they ejest. But resist the temptation to show your admiration of their shiny feathers, they can claw you, although only one case of human fatality is known so far. So it was a bit of a relief to know that this particular one was quite friendly with her caretaker and recognized her!

Hey I can kill....not just with my looks!!

 The one activity which kids would enjoy the most would be feeding the kangaroos. The emus too were strutting around. The kangaroo feed was a special food that looked like thick bits of noodles, sorry I don't know what they were made of...It was a delight to watch them leap on their hind legs, some of the mothers with babies in their pouches, stuff we had only read of before...

That must be the Alpha male feeding off Tweety;s hands

 It wasn't until the closure of the park that we reluctantly left the kangaroos to feed by themselves. It was Thursday, so the Malls and eating places were open till 9 pm! We made the most of it, making a beeline for K Mart, Target, and for some Pide, some chicken rice at the Food courts!

Gold Coast Day3 : Whale of a time

One of the best things of holidaying in Gold Coast in the Winters is the cool weather. The other thing is Whale watching. 

The Humpback whales make their annual journey from the colder waters this side of the world to the warmer Antarctica, for breeding purposes. These majestic creatures are known to be playful and their breaching and water-slapping are a treat to watch. 

                We boarded the Mahi Mahi along with a small group of people and cruised past houses of the rich and famous, along the river Nerang. It seemed all fine and smooth, and I wondered why the crew had warned us of choppy waters that day. Only when we hit the sea water did I realize what they meant. I am the only non-swimmer in the family. The rest of them ran to the viewing platform to watch the huge waves lapping against our boat. While I sat and prayed on the deck down, wondering why they never gave us the life-jacket beforehand, and what the point was, of having them on board, in case we never had time to wear them....and I asked a fellow whale-watcher, "Is it normal? The boat tossing thus?"

A wet-blanket watches as the last speck of land disappears from her sight

And nothing but the sea and sea marvels surround her

"I don't know...I wouldn't be here if it were not". I froze when he said "I dunno" but the second part gave me a bit of a relief. Still I watched in alarm from the lower deck as the boat rocked and rolled from one side to another, watched as the last speck of land disappeared and the ocean turned a darker shade of blue every passing minute.

         As all the other sporty sorts shrieked in delight at the first spotting of dolphins almost smiling at us, I felt an inkling of pleasure too. And then emerged the magical creatures, spraying mists of ocean water, now breaching, now clapping...

Here they come, with their tails towering high above the ocean waters

I'll huff and puff to bring your boat down? (Gulp!)

Then emerged one more, then a pair dancing in reckless abandon, ooh one more at direction 1 o' clock, look at this one at 3 o clock, and the Oohing and Aahing of the group, combined with "Hmm can we go back now?" by my fearful mind, what an experience of fear mingled with excitement! 

    The knowledgeable crew explained how the whale population had dwindled until Whaling was declared illegal in Australian waters in the 1960s. The poor whales were hunted for their blubber and meat without a care till then...

We had a bite of biscuits with hot tea in the cold evening, with wind blowing through our hair, a wondrous two hour trip lasted in our minds forever...What a relief when we finally sighted land...

Unforgettable Humpbacks! May your tribe increase!