The Lockdown Diaries Part 6: Take Me 2 The World is synonymous to Experiences

Uma and I have had an interesting couple of weeks. You see, we both love sharing our culture and experiences while learning from the others. That way, we are teachers, as well as learners.

When our best friend Wendy asked Uma to organise a South Indian style Valaikappu (baby shower) for a mutual friend, she was over the moon. She immediately connected with other mutual friends, planned every detail with them and coordinated all arrangements. On Saturday the 4th July, the celebration turned out to be such a joyous occasion for all. Uma was at hand to explain the rituals to our Kiwi friends Wendy and Sally. She also had the opportunity to learn the Kiwi way of celebrating baby shower through Sally. 

For me, it was a bit different. I was asked by Dana Taylor from IPU New Zealand, a tertiary institution in Palmerston North, if I can deliver a guest lecture for a group of Tourism students. What a great time for the students of Tourism to hear from a practitioner under the current COVID-19 climate!  I gladly accepted the invitation, since I have a longstanding relationship with IPU - I have been personally running New Zealand tours for their visiting International student groups.

I spoke about where it all began for us at Take Me 2 The World, where we are now surviving COVID-19 and what is our strategy for the path forward. When the Coronavirus disaster stuck without warning, we needed a lifeboat immediately. We used all possible resources under our command - the Government wage subsidy, MBIE funded COVID-19 Business Continuity Planning business coaching, Tourism New Zealand funded strategy consultation with KPMG, attending Industry webinars keeping us abreast of developments, participating actively in formal & informal support groups and finally keeping ourselves physically & mentally well.

Then I spoke about our next step, which is to look at surviving until the borders open. Here is where we exercised our imagination and creativity to design our "Slice of the World in New Zealand" series tours. We created these tours for discerning travellers who want to indulge in unique and authentic International cultural experience by making the entire trip stress-free and without the need to leave New Zealand. Before we talk about our strategy for the post-COVID world, let us take a quick look at some of these tours.

A Slice of India in Queenstown is a tour for active and curious travellers, who want to have enriched cultural experience enjoyed as a group of likeminded people. Our guests join Uma and Nats in Queenstown to intimately understand the scintillating millennia-old Indian culture. They would learn to cook Indian food with Uma. She would be their main chef preparing a delicious Indian dinner at The Rees boutique luxury Hotel. They then participate in the Bollywood dance class, shaking their legs at the party. While they are busy having a time of their lives, they enjoy the best of both worlds with some top activities that Queenstown has to offer.  

For the discerning traveller who wants to indulge in authentic cultural experiences, the Slice of Latin America in Queenstown tour is a perfect fit. We have taken care of minute details of the tour to make it stress-free, while creating a memorable Latin American cultural experience. Our guests would feel pampered with the personalised service from the Mexican-born, New Zealand-resident Tour Leader Tere Morales-Probert. Columbian-born Erika and Francisco will mix them Latin American cocktails, while they sample a variety of Tapas-style canapes. Then the tour party joins them for a colourful Latin American dance extravaganza with a selection of music. And they round it off with a dinner of Latin American flavours. 

Our exciting Slice of France in Taupo tour is for those who wish to spend quality time with loved ones. Plenty of fun activities are designed to be enjoyed together. The group plays fun-filled games of Pétanque and Chaise Musicale with the French Sommelier Francis Auclert, the Wine Knight. They go on to sample six types of French wines and pair them with a French dinner at the luxurious Hilton Lake Taupo. Our passionate and experienced Tour Leader Colin will provide a lot of insight into the French culture, having lived in and immersed culturally in France. 

Further more, we are launching the Slice of Latin America in Auckland and Bay of Islands very soon. Our plan is to design and run 9 to 12 tours. If our Kiwi travellers support us by going on these tours, that would take care of us until the borders open. Then our long-term strategy for thriving would kick in once some semblance of sanity returns to the world! See you soon in my next blog post. Au revoir! 

The Lockdown Diaries Part 5: Power of Networking

Uma and I waited at The Cooperage Café with a sense of trepidation. It was to be our first encounter with a larger-than-life celebrity. We had watched him with awe on TV, smashing Australian bowlers all over the park in 2007. There walked Jacob Oram to our table towering over us! We were in for a surprise though. Jake was so down to earth, even joking to the staff. He made us perfectly comfortable and we ended up chatting for an hour.

It was not a chance encounter. We were connected through a chain of 5 links. It all started when I had joined Sime Darby Commercial Group (TIL Group back then) as the IT Manager in 2010. Christine from the local recruitment agency PN Personnel used to help us with staffing back then. She introduced me to her colleague Mason, who became a good friend soon.

When Uma and I founded Take Me 2 India and added Take Me 2 New Zealand, he suggested that I meet Julie from Destination Manawatu (now merged into Central Economic Development Agency - CEDA). Uma and I met Julie and started off with our presentation. She asked us to pause 2 minutes into the presentation and brought her teammates Janet and Kate into the meeting.  We continued and explained our vision and philosophy.

Janet and Kate were so engaged into what we were trying to achieve. They started connecting us with so many people. One such introduction led us to Matthew, who had been the sales manager at Hotel Coachman at that time. Matthew is a natural connector of people and through him, we met with Jake Oram.

When we met Jake, neither side knew how we were going to work together. We promised to keep in touch after exchanging contact details. Around the same time, other contacts started developing. Kate from Destination Manawatu introduced us to Tania from Tourism New Zealand. When Uma and I travelled to India in December 2013, we flew to Mumbai to meet Neha at Tourism New Zealand India office, whose contacts were passed over to us by Tania.

Our meeting with Neha turned out to be a big turning point to us. We learnt about the distribution channels within the tourism industry. We also learnt about a key Tourism New Zealand trade event called KiwiLink. We decided to participate in KiwiLink India 2014. Our senior partner Eswar and I presented our New Zealand inbound tour services to around 300 Indian travel agents in 4 cities.

Soon after, one of the Delhi-based agents who attended KiwiLink contacted us to organise a New Zealand trip for an Indian school students group. We put together an exciting program for them and the tour was on! One of the key items on the tour? A day of cricket coaching by the legendary Jacob Oram!

The story doesn't stop there. During KiwiLink India, we met a lovely guy called Sachin who was liaising with all the logistics. During the evening network function at Mumbai, Sachin pulled me aside and introduced me to Shashank, who owned a sports tourism company. We kept in touch regularly.

When Jake Oram and I decided to launch a tour for 15 to 17-year old Kiwi cricketers to India under the brand name Kiwi Caps in April 2018, I immediately contacted Shashank and engaged Sports Konnect to handle the Indian side of logistics!

See how it was like pieces of a Lego set, forming a meaningful structure when different pieces are put together? THIS is the power of networking. Luckily for me, it has been one of my key strengths. I thought I would deconstruct how I go about it. I am sure there is a large body of works on this topic, but whatever I say here is based on my own experiences and reflections.

For me, there is one strong attribute that is key to network. I have always been genuinely interested in people. And when you meet someone, it must never be in the basis of 'what is in it for me'. It is rather effective to find out what the other person has and how you could help by utilising it to be mutually beneficial. For these reasons, I have never shunned meeting anyone even when there were no pathways for potential collaboration apparent. And it almost always has worked.

I also like to point out that networking is not speed dating. Patience is a virtue when it comes to networking. When you are earnest in your efforts, it blossoms into beautiful friendships. I can't put a value enough to emphasise how important this is. Friendship often nurtures empathy. Empathy is the core for humanity. Being humane is the secret behind collaboration. Collaboration has always been the key success factor for Take Me 2 The World family.

So why is this important in the current context of our survival against the COVID-19 crisis? We have been able to design a superb series of "Slice of the World in New Zealand" tours, because of our collaboration with many friends from our various supplier partners. I will talk about it next week.

The Lockdown Diaries Part 4: From the Dream to Reality

After gaining my MBA degree from Massey University in 2010, I was at crossroads with my career. The question was whether to continue to grow in my IT career or to spread myself horizontally into general management. By 2012, I was no longer enjoying being in IT. I was dragging myself to work every day. It was a joyless situation to be in.

I have always been open to reaching out to my friends when I am down. I called my very good friend Wendy from MBA one day (Yes, she is the one Uma and I were going to escort to Morocco along with a group of her friends!). Wendy suggested a meeting with her friend Mo, who was doing IT contract work in Wellington.

We three met for coffee at a café in George Street, Palmerston North. Mo was explaining to me the ups and downs of IT contracting. While he was talking, I had this sudden Eureka! moment out of the blue! 

You see, most people who haven't visited India have a mental picture about it, most of it being stereotypes because of what they read in India. But if you had visited India, you would agree with me it is a lifechanging experience. Why not take Kiwis to India and provide them with an authentic, unique and personal travel experience? Weird, right?

I thanked Mo and Wendy, came back home, and had a chat with Uma sharing my idea with her over dinner. She didn't hesitate and told me to pursue it if that is what I had wanted to do. This was in October 2012. For the next few months, we did our research looking at how the tourism industry works, what the other travel companies do, and crunching the numbers. We also had our Kiwi friends enthusiastically participating in our focus group meetings.

On the 10th April, 2013, we met with Bobbie O'Fee at O'Fee and Associates. The same day, we registered our company BlooMoon (NZ) Limited! Our brand was called Take Me 2 India. Uma designed our website. Our Facebook page was up. And the word started spreading.

Jocelyn, my other very good friend from MBA and her husband Chris immediately registered with us for a tour of India with their 3 children! I personally escorted them through South India for close to 3 weeks in December 2013. While they loved their experience, their honest feedback on where we needed to improve was highly valuable to us. How blessed have we been!

In March 2014, I gave up my 6-figure salary and resigned my job as the IT Manager at Sime Darby Commercial NZ Ltd. I must really thank Uma and the boys for the sacrifice they have been through. Our lifestyle changed overnight. Never thinking twice about buying gourmet bread turned into looking at the price tag twice!

Uma and I continued to look at ways of growing the business through creativity. We looked at the behaviour of International tourists visiting New Zealand. Most of them travel only to popular tourist locations like Auckland, Rotorua and Queenstown. Having lived here since 2004, we know New Zealand has much more to offer. That gave the birth to Take Me 2 New Zealand.

As months rushed by, our happy guests started asking for more destinations. We started extending trips from India to Sri Lanka and Maldives, New Zealand to Australia. We decided to consolidate all destinations into one single brand - Take Me 2 The World!

And came our biggest milestone at the time! Jocelyn and Chris wanted us to design a South America holiday for their family this time. I invited my long-time friend Erika, a Columbian-born NZ resident, to work with me. She not only helped to design the itinerary, but also made all arrangements and escorted the family to Peru, Chile and Ecuadorian Amazon!

We have never looked back since then. Well, not until COVID-19 put a dampener anyway! Uma's cousin Eswar and brother-in-law Aura from India became part of the Take Me 2 The World family. We opened our India office in 2014. 

We made our New Zealand inbound tour operations into a B2B model, primary working with overseas travel agents, but without compromising our motto of authenticity, uniqueness and personal attention. We became members of Tourism Export Council of New Zealand and got ourselves Qualmark endorsed.

We have always run Take Me 2 The World with the 3i attributes our senior partner Eswar has advocated - Integrity, Intention and Intensity. We have made mistakes and learnt from them. Each one of us have played our roles, contributing to our growth. I have been reflecting on some of the key moments in our Take Me 2 The World journey. Let me share them with you next week.

The Lockdown Diaries Part 3: Kindness lights up our lives

What has been happening in the US right now is terrible. The fire of hatred engulfs city after city, day after day. The looting and arson are unwatchable on one hand. The brutality applied by the Government is terrifying on the other. I am struggling to put my head around the hatred, apathy and egotism exhibited from different quarters there, especially when the entire world is in the middle of a socioeconomic crisis in a scale not witnessed before!

I am simply confused, because what Uma and I have experienced so far is only love, empathy and kindness. People have gone out of the way to extend their hands to us. It felt as if all of them had been feeling protective of us! 

When things started going pear-shaped all over the word, the first phone call came from Nicky checking in how we are doing. It was quickly followed by my friend Subbu from Australia, Simon, Kalpesh, John and Venky. Simiyon, one year junior to me at Uni, has been messaging me regularly offering his counsel and ideas.

Then Joyce started giving her chiropractic care for free. With no income in sight for months on, I emailed Nat that I wanted to suspend his lawnmowing service, he simply replied that he would continue to mow for free until we start seeing some income. Celia laughed it off when I asked her how much I needed to pay for the garden maintenance.

In the early days of the lockdown, Uma and I started going for long walks daily. It was strange to walk through empty streets with only teddy bears keeping us company from windows, gates and letterboxes. But one day, we passed over a stranger who had been sweeping fallen autumn leaves from her driveway. We ended up chatting, mindful of our social distancing requirements.

We mentioned to her how overwhelming we had been feeling at that moment, worrying about the future of Take Me 2 The World. She looked at us seriously and said, "For a kiwi like me, it would be great to travel with you and understand New Zealand from your point of view as immigrants". We parted ways after bidding adieu.

Once we reached home, Uma and I talked about what Lyn had just said. I decided to send a newsletter to our network of past guests, friends and well wishers, inviting them to brainstorm ideas with us. The reply emails with responses and inputs simply oozed love and care! We then followed it up with a Zoom meeting. It was fascinating to see how much people wanted us to succeed! 

Together, we came up with several ideas: 

1. We will immediately capitalize on Uma's culinary & teaching skills, which should help us with short-term cashflow.

2. We will launch a series of International Themed Tours with New Zealand for Kiwis, who cannot travel overseas - Bring the World to New Zealand, so to speak.

3. Our specialty is creating tailor-made itineraries. We will promote it as a service.

Immediately after the zoom meeting, Al and Alison called us and said they have transferred a $1,000 to our account as a Koha. They advised us to use it to bring our ideas into action. We were left speechless with their kindness!

We immediately registered Uma's Indian Homemade Food service with the city council, delivering dinners on Wednesdays on pre-order. As soon as we posted about this service on Uma's Indian Vegetarian Cooking Class Facebook Page, the planned 15 meals sold out! Jayne straightaway gave us $60, asking us to use the excess to spend on our initial outlay! Jeanine was giving constructive feedback each week and even offered to collaborate.

I have no doubt that we would be a success story when we come out of this. But the victory doesn't belong to Uma and me alone, but collectively to every single one of the lovely people of our Whanau! It is no accident that I mentioned at our BNI Chapter meeting this week that I feel Blessed and Positive.

The Lockdown Diaries: Our Arrival

All things being normal, Uma and I would have been escorting a group of friends in Morocco as we speak! Today would have been Day 12 of the tour for Wendy and friends, starting from Dades, enjoying the views of Atlas Mountains and arriving at Marrakesh. As things stand, we are rescheduling the tour to May 2021.

Since we didn't catch the flight to Morocco, let's talk about another flight. This is probably the most important flight we ever took as a family, the one that bought us to New Zealand for a fresh start just 16 years ago.

June 2004 brought us our red-letter day in the form of an email from my friend Saravanan. He was living in New Zealand, working as SAP Specialist in the IT Department of Click Clack Limited - you know the company that made unbreakable food storage containers? He was asking me to apply for the position of IT Systems Administrator. 

I applied just for fun, not thinking too much about it. But then, to my surprise I was interviewed twice within a week and got my offer of employment! And on the 15th August 2004, when India was celebrating its independence day, Uma and I arrived in these shores with our 4-year old Sai. 

When we came out of Auckland International Terminal to catch the shuttle to Domestic, we had our first taste of Kiwi kindness. We had packed 14 pieces of luggage assuming naively that we wouldn't be able to get most Indian things here. It was spitting when we came out. We were all tired to the bones after a very long-haul journey. Sai was clinging to Uma. The shuttle bus arrived. Before we could blink our eyes, fellow travellers picked one of our luggage each with a smile and carried into the bus. I can assure you it was not just the rain that made my eyes wet.

And so began our life in New Zealand, in Palmerston North!

The Lockdown Diaries: Life after COVID as Tourism Operators in New Zealand

Most people switch on their apocalypse mode during when a crisis strikes. And then there are some, who see new opportunities. I guess Uma and I belong to the latter category. I wouldn't pretend that we were not rattled when COVID-19 situation escalated very rapidly. 

There was no known strategy to refer to. All the rulebooks and norms were thrown out of the window. Doors were closing in whichever direction you looked to. Revenue from our Tourism business not just became Zero, but it started going negative when clients started cancelling and we had to issue refunds. 

 

Meanwhile, the bills kept coming. Mortgage needed to be paid. Our 19-year old son Sai is studying Bachelor of Music (film music composition specialization) at Victoria University, Wellington. How do we pay his fees? 12-year old Aniruth is in Year 8. Will we still be able to spend $300 for his school camp in October, if at all it goes ahead? Questions. Lots of them. With blank answers.

 

Before I tell you how we went about finding some goals to work toward to, let me take you on a time travel back through our lives. Back to when I was a regular, routine-bound, employed man. Uma was discovering herself with a Web Design business, and then with her Uma's Indian Vegetarian Cooking Classes. Then in April 2013, both of us became entrepreneurs and partners-in-crime, starting our Tourism business in April 2013. Fasten your seat belts folks, because you are in for a rollercoaster ride!

Why A Worn-out Itinerary When You Can Have An Out-Of-The-Ordinary Holiday?

I knew I was lost! Gosh, I must be the world's worst map-reader. The air was thick with humidity. I was sweating profusely. Not without some trepidation, I asked this young woman, who was waiting next to me to cross the road, "Excuse me. Could you please tell me the direction for Haji Lane?" It was a relief when she said with a smile that she was heading in that direction, and offered to walk with me.

I had a 15 hour layover in Singapore, on my way back home to New Zealand. I was determined to avoid the same old tourist routine and discover unique things in the city. The online forums all seem to lead to Haji Lane, a quirky and tiny alley full of interesting cafes and boutique shops. Add artful graffiti decorating both sides of the street. The picture is complete.

After landing early in Changi Airport Singapore in the wee hours, I had a restful sleep, shower and breakfast at the Ambassador Transit Lounge, before taking a taxi into the city in the morning. I got down at the point that I had planned, closer to Haji Lane. And I got lost promptly as soon as I started walking! So it was a blessing to have found Mae, who just happened to be in Singapore with her husband, who had been attending a conference.

It turned out to be a great day, with Mae taking me through not only Haji Lane, but also the nearby Arab Quarter, the bustling Tiong Bahru market & hawker centre and finally the Chinese New Year celebration at China Town. She even helped me to bargain for a souvenir! We had a cup of coffee before saying good bye to each other.

This is the beauty of trekking off the beaten tracks. You never know where the next surprise is coming from. This is the founding philosophy of Team #TakeMe2TheWorld. When you can have a once in a lifetime holiday, why would you want to have a tired and worn-out itinerary? Where is the sense of thrill in jumping into the unknown?

Take the case of Wellington based friends Lisa and Sue. When Septuagenarian Lisa first met me, she had pretty much knew what she wanted out of her India holiday. She commissioned us to design an exclusive itinerary for her and Sue, which bypassed every known popular tourist attraction, traversing through rural South India. We had incorporated the friends' interests of travelling like the locals do, agriculture, fabrics, embroidery, food and cooking, into our itinerary for them.

Let's peep into a day in their holiday when they visited Thamarai, House of Hand Embroidery, shall we? A story within the story!

From Chennai this morning comes this email, from a small workshop in a back, but respectable street in the south of the city. For the embroiderers within our midst, here is a tiny shot of the most heavenly embroidery you could wish to watch being executed. The thread is the finest coiled spring..and the MEN were at long frames, embroidering 13 metre curtain lengths of hand printed silk fabric, with a sort of lozenge patterns in a repeating 10 different lozenge pattern of different sequin, bead and gold thread stuff... using a very fine sort of crochet hook. 

Also they were working on a PELMET, about a metre deep, 15 metres long, done on deep red velvet with 3sorts of antique coloured gold thread. A special assignment for someone's home, Final cost ? Somewhere about $US 14,000. (For goodness sake, who has that money for a PELMET????). These families did the fine work also in their village to the south of Chennai, and it is a dying art... their children do not want to spend all day at an embroidery frame when they could have a far more exciting life elsewhere.

The 3 lady bosses , all from Chennai originally, met in The Louvre where they were working on restoration embroidery. They are most keen to keep the traditional art alive.

They take on anything at all working with gold, silver, beads, sequins, and they have the full range of Anchor embroidery threads in their storeroom, not to mention fabric, oh, the works.. a huge storeroom... So, if you wish to have something designed especially, get in touch. They also do work for Chanel, apparently .

I don't know if they do ecclesiastical embroidery, but judging by their storeroom, they could do any kind of bead, sequinned and goldwork you might dream up. They buy the best of metal thread which resists tarnishing.

Talk about a pig in clover! I was moved to tears when I first got there, by the beauty of the work...

So tell me. When you can have such unique experiences on your trip, would you restrict your holiday only to popular attractions? Clichéd it may be, but it is not the number of places you have covered in your journey - it is discovery of the self by pushing boundaries and daring to experience, that counts! - Nats Subramanian

Captivating Day Trip to Cape Palliser

Whenever we travel personally, Uma and I always look to blend the must-do attractions with what the locals do. When one's specialty is planning and organizing exclusive New Zealand holidays, one needs to discover and experience interesting locales, wouldn't you agree? Occupational hazard I suppose...or Not! :p

So.... On a long weekend in October, we decided to explore Cape Palliser and Lake Ferry areas. We went on a day trip with our two boys. Oh boy! What an amazing trip it was!

We started our drive from Palmerston North, wended our way through the gorgeous Manawatu Gorge and proceeded towards Masterton. En route, we stopped over at Pukaha Mt. Bruce for a cuppa. This fantastic wildlife reserve is the home of Manukura, the little white Kiwi bird, amongst other NZ native flora and fauna.

We then passed through Masterton and then Greytown, which is known for its cute colonial cottages lining up on both sides of the main road. It is another great stop for coffee and its superb chocolates! In fact, it would be a good idea for you to stock up your grocery (if you are planning for an overnight stay at Cape Palliser) or a picnic lunch. Don't forget a bottle of wine from the local Wairarapa vineyards!

On State Highway 2, we took the left turn into Kahutara Road and proceeded towards the Cape. I have driven through many scenic NZ roads, but this must rank amongst the top 5! It was breath-taking. We could clearly see the snow capped mountains as far as Kaikoura in South Island, as though they were floating in the azure waters!

We crossed the small fishing village of Ngawi and proceeded in the unsealed coastal road towards the old lighthouse. The boys didn't have any problems climbing up 250-plus steps. We too followed them pretty quickly. The scenery waiting there for us is simply impossible to describe in words! I will leave it to you to experience yourself!

We had our picnic lunch by seaside in one of the many isolated scenic spots, taking in the serenity surrounding us, with only fur seals lounging on rocks for company. We drove in the same road back for about 30 kilometres (about 19 miles), took a left turn and headed into Lake Ferry, a small beach town. Fishing is a popular activity here. We lounged in the open yard overlooking the lake and sea at Lake Ferry Hotel, with a cup of coffee and a bowl of fries to the boot.

We decided to take a detour through Martinborough, another small town in the region. It is known for its excellent Pinot Noir. This is another option for an overnight stay. We headed to Carterton from there, took a right turn and stopped at Stonehenge Aotearoa. It is a very interesting place to visit, where science meets civilizations. The guided tour blends astronomy with history & legends of the world.

The day went quickly. It was already time for us to drive back home to Palmerston North after a wonderful family day out! The trip took us through different landscapes within the region. We would strongly recommend 2 or 3 days of touring. Guess what? We have already planned to return in December. This time, we will take a back (holiday home) by the side of the sea in Cape Palliser!

For your New Zealand holiday ideas, contact us through our website www.takeme2theworld.com.

Al's Musings - South India trip Jan 2016 - Day 10

Fri 15 Jan

The day started early to take advantage of watching the Pongal celebrations.  A highlight was stopping at a small temple that was buzzing with activity.  People were praying, touching deities and placing powder on their heads.  There were some immense statues of deities on horses.  Everyone was friendly and welcoming. 

Not long after leaving this temple we stumbled upon some roadside celebration so we stopped and watched young people dancing frantically accompanied by loud drums and crashing cymbal-like instruments.  Lots of locals were mingling around, as were tourists like us who happened to pass by, some of whom joined in with the dancing.  Nats informed me that the dance was Tamil Folk Art called “Thappaattam”.  All told, we obtained a satisfying glimpse of the Pongal Festival, even though some celebrations were cancelled as a result of the Government banning the Taming of the Bull (Jallikattu) ceremonies. 

We then headed south along a motorway through dry barren country with low-growing arid shrubs and little sign of human habitation, apart from occasional fields of sunflower and corn. 

After passing through Kovilpatti and glimpsing at the National Engineering College where Nats attended, we continued on and the vegetation progressively changed to one with many coconut and banana plantations.  To our right appeared the Western Ghats and we drove for several kilometres through a veritable forest of wind turbines. 

Eventually we reached Kanyakumari and had a delightful lunch at the Seaview Hotel.  I had a Malabar fish curry which gave me wonderful taste sensations.  In retrospect it was the best curry I tasted on the trip. 

After lunch we checked into the Sparsa Hotel where our rooms had wonderful expansive views over the Indian Ocean.  Here we were at the very southern tip if the Indian mainland. 

Late in the afternoon we stopped outside our hotel immediately into a very crowded market, along which we strolled to view the big statue of Thiruvalluvar, whose memorial we saw in Chennai on our first day.  Next to him was a monument to a wandering monk, Swami Vivekananda.  We looked at a Ghandi memorial and wound our way up a circular tower to observe the surrounding sea and town. 

At sunset we stepped outside the hotel onto the “boulevard” to watch the sun go down over the sea.  I didn’t get up the following morning to watch the sunrise over the sea – one of the few places on earth where you can be on land and witness both the sunset and sunrise over the sea – but we did get a great view of it emerging above the palms outside our room. 

Free-camping was allowed all along the street outside our hotel, so hundreds of campervans, mostly local visitors, had their vehicles lined up along the road.  With a concentration of humanity in a small area and no facilities provided, the sights and smells were rather unsavoury to say the least.  This town has much potential but presently lets itself down.  Not recommended.

Al's Musings - South India trip Jan 2016 - Day 9

Thu 14 Jan

We set off for Madurai, driving through many paddi fields.  In due course we reached the magical city of Madurai, which is dominated by its magnificent temple complex.  Babu dropped as off somewhere in the city centre and we followed Nats through many side streets until we reached our lunch spot, The Sree Mohan Bhojanalay Restaurant, which is a simple upstairs workingmens eatery.  Humble as it was, we had a very tasty Marvari – South Indian fusion lunch with generous portions.

We then walked back to rendezvous with Babu, taking in all the colourful sights.  We checked in to the Heritage Hotel which is set in extensive picturesque grounds and possesses a unique swimming pool shaped like a step-well, reminiscent of the pool we were about to see in the temple complex.

Late in the afternoon we were accompanied by our guide, a Mr Johnson, to see first of all the Nayakkar Mahal (Palace).  This building houses many fine treasures, especially some exquisite old sculptures of various deities.  Sadly, the building and its grounds are neglected with paint peeling off and lots of pigeon damage and rank grass.  Many labels had come off the statues.

But the real gem of Madurai is its famous Meenakshi Temple, the best Hindu temple that I’ve seen in India.  We passed through tight security into the complex and were amazed at the beauty of the art work inside.  There was a maze of arcades lined with well-preserved statues of deities and gargoyles.  It is truly impressive.  There was a lovely Nandi with people whispering their secrets into his ear.  Local people were prostrating themselves in front of shrines and we could view some beautiful images of Shiva.  This complex is huge and one could get lost inside, although not entirely.  There is a formal layout.

Outside but still in the temple grounds, we gasped at the enormity and beauty of the gopurams and other structures – high and ornately carved buildings with little images telling a story.  Very colourful.  We sat by a central pool and admired the setting, both the temple complex and its devoted followers.

Leaving the complex we wound our way through a fascinating warren of narrow alleyways, with hosts of tailors on Singer sewing machines and a myriad of little dhukhas selling beautiful cloth and jewellery.  It reminded me of Change Alley in Singapore fifty years ago.

Nats then took us for an Italian meal at Phil’s Bistro – quite different.

Al's Musings - South India trip Jan 2016 - Day 8

Wed 13 Jan

Started early for our drive to Kadiapatti, a village halfway between Thanjavur and Madurai.

En route we stopped to see a variety of things: a roadside family who roasted cashew nuts.  Took some interesting photos.  The raw nuts are first heated at high temperature in a pot over a fire.  The pot had holes which allowed the cashew oil to drip through to sustain the fire.

After a period of time the roasted nuts are taken out and whilst still very hot, an older woman would take a nut in her hand and hammer the nut casing until the actual edible cashew nut was revealed.  Nats bought some nuts off them and we took photos of the family with young children.

Further along we stopped to feed a troop of monkeys by throwing biscuits out the window.

We also stopped at a wayside village to purchase some pens at a small shop (“duka” in East Africa; “dhukhan” in Hindi; “kadai” in Tamil) to give as gifts for children.

At another point we stopped and walked down a dirt road lined on either side by terracotta horses, which were offerings to the gods, but we didn’t continue on to the temple.

Eventually we arrived in Kadiapatti and booked in to the Chidambara Villas.  This is a magnificently restored Chittinad House and after a superb authentic South India lunch, served on banana leaves, we were taken on a tour of the house by the delightful manager called Kavitha.  She spoke excellent English and was very informative.  The house is amazing in its architecture with rooms in the past allocated for various purposes, such as discussions between parents for the offering of a dowry, or arranging for loans, another one for formal hosting and other rooms for storing valuables.

For the next couple of hours we rested to let our sumptuous lunch go down. 

Around 4pm we gathered to watch Kavitha construct a Kolam on the road outside our entrance.  We joined in to chalk our own images, then we went for a stroll around the village.  The Chidambara Villas are an oasis of splendour amidst a neglected village (patti) where several grand old houses have passed their glory and fallen into neglect as the younger generation leave for richer pastures.

When we got back, Alison and I had a swim in the inviting pool.

Just prior to dinner, Nats had arranged for us to visit the kitchen and watch food preparation.  Dinner was a buffet of superb local dishes.

Al's Musings - South India trip Jan 2016 - Day 7

Tue 12 Jan

Early start for drive to Thanjavur.  Passed through a lovely rice field and stopped en route to see rope making with coconut fibre.  We all had a go at teasing out the fibre.

We also stopped to see a mud house and family by the side of the road. We crossed a dam and saw many crocodiles in the water, bathing on the banks or in the shallows not far from where fishermen were sitting on little rafts with their feet dangling in the water.

Very pleasant South India lunch at the Paradise Resort mid-way on the journey. Arrived at Thanjavur approx. 3pm and dropped our luggage off at the Tanjore Hi Hotel. 

Guided by Mr Raja to the Palace to see the wonderful 7C – 11C bronze statues.  These are truly great pieces of art, mainly of Shiva and Parvati.  Late in the afternoon we visited the famous local temple with its impressive Nandi and great towers.  It was atmospheric to enter the interior of one of the “shrines” and observe Shiva in the form of a lingam.

After this, we went to a genuine small bronze-making business and observed the procedures for making bronze items.  We bought a little statue of Lakshmi and a little sleeping Buddha.  B and P bought a larger impressive Nandi.

Our evening meal was delightful sitting out on a balcony looking up at the starlit sky and a beautiful moon.  Nats helpfully suggested which dishes we should sample.  His advice in this area is a real bonus on this tour. 

Slept well in a beautifully decorated room.

Al's Musings - South India trip Jan 2016 - Day 6

Mon 11 Jan

Woken just after 4am by the very loud sound of the fishing boats heading out to sea.  This was followed by loud local religious chanting/singing, which we subsequently found was common in South India at this hour. When the sun rose, it streamed straight through into our door from over the sea.

After a lovely breakfast in the open dining room, we headed back to Pondicherry.  Along the way, we collected our guide for the day, Kamachi, who also happened to be a lawyer.  She spoke very good English.

In the early morning light we took a delightful cycle rickshaw ride through the French quarter, noting the influence of the French in the architecture of the buildings  with arched and wrought iron gateways.  Afterwards, we drove around in our van visiting two wonderful Catholic churches and poked our nose into the Sri Aurobindo ashram and saw the ashrams’ paper-making centre.  We then strolled through the absolutely delightful Pondicherry flower, fruit, veggie and fish market.

Lunch was taken at a French bakery, “Baker Street” with authentic French baking – we had a pizza and ham quiche – not exactly French but very tasty.  Also tasted some delightful sweet morsels.

In the afternoon we visited Auroville and were impressed with the imposing matrimandir – a huge golden globe that is used as a meditation dwelling only by devout followers.  Outsiders aren’t allowed in.

Returning to our village we relaxed with a cooling swim and dined at night in the restaurant. 

Al's Musings - South India trip Jan 2016 - Day 5

Sun 10 Jan

Early start to wander around the incredible sculptured rocks of Mahabalipuram, dating back to the 7^th Century. 

We were accompanied by a very knowledgeable guide, Cholan, who explained all of the details of the carvings in the rock.  Visiting these sculptures was a rich experience which I’m sure will prove to be a highlight of our tour.  I captured lots of photos and videos of this enchanting place.

We got back to our Resort at midday in time to check out and went to a nearby vegetarian restaurant for lunch with Nats.  Had aloo gobi and a vegetable kofta curry.

We drove during the afternoon to Pondicherry where we checked into our accommodation right by the beach – Dune Eco Village and Spa.  Alison and I had a raised bure with a bamboo slatted floor.  It had an A-framed thatched roof and a lovely outdoor covered balcony.

Late in the afternoon we went to the French quarter of Pondy for a drink at the Seaview Hotel overlooking the beach and pier.  Nats ordered us snacks of various kinds, the best being chicken tikka and a Egg Bhurji (spiced scrambled egg).  After the sun had set we wandered along the promenade enjoying the atmosphere with other strollers.  We admired the huge sculpture of Gandhi.

Slept well under our mosquito net although the bed was a bit hard.

Al's Musings - South India trip Jan 2016 - Day 4

Sat 9 Jan

Late start at 10am.  Lovely drive down to Mamallapuram (also called Mahabalipuram), reaching coconut palms along the coast.  We stopped halfway to look at a fascinating crocodile sanctuary which housed crocodiles from all over the world.

Lunch was had at the Moonraker’s Restaurant.  It’s a small place but possesses a delightful ambience.  Started with a cold Kingfisher beer then squid pieces cooked in a batter followed a huge king prawns and a grilled snapper and rice.  All very tasty.  This was the street where Ric Stein wrote that he sampled the best curry in all of Indian – a fish curry at the Seashore Restaurant. 

After lunch we strolled down the colourful lane to the beach, stopping at Apollo Books to but some books on the Mahabalipuram sculptures that we were going to visit in the morning. Back at the Radisson Blu Temple Bay Resort we lazed away the rest of the afternoon, swimming in the delightful long pool.

In the evening we went to a wonderful dance performance as part of the Indian Dance Festival held at this time of the year for a month.  We watched the Bharatanatyam Dance group.

Returning back to the Resort we had a wonderful meal of Aloo Gobi, crepe stuffed with tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms, a wonderful okra dish and dumplings in a spinach sauce. 

Al's Musings - South India trip Jan 2016 - Day 3

Fri 8 Jan

Busy day today.  Nats and Anitha collected us at 7.45am and we drove through early morning traffic to collect our older guide for the day, a delightful 77-year-old woman who proved to be very knowledgeable about Indian religion and art – Mrs Anandhi (Mrs “Happiness”).

We went first to the Kalakshetra Foundation which is an indigenous arts foundation set in a beautiful compound with lots of trees and scattered open-windowed rooms and a big auditorium.  No-one else was around and we arrived to an open area under a massive banyan tree where about 100 mainly young female students were seated on the ground in the lotus position, singing a long very appealing chant.  It was captivating.

Around 9.30am they finished and dispersed to their various classes.  It was an absolute delight to wander around the compound watching or listening to the students performing dance and music.  Some were also learning to play various musical instruments such as the violin and the veena which is like a large-sized sitar, although the veena is more ancient than the sitar and there is no connection between the two.  Some of the dancing was thrilling to watch through the open windows or sitting on chairs inside.

After this wonderful experience we went to the DhakshinaChitra Centre, which is a huge compound where houses from various South India regions have been reconstructed in their original form – from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh – some from reassembled original materials collected from their home state.  Very interesting.  We watched an open-air dance performance, glass-blowing (Nats bought and gave us each a little peacock or elephant cocktail stirrer) and pottery-making.  There was an open gathering of artists from various villages who were selling their wares. We had an enjoyable South Indian lunch at this Centre.

In the afternoon we drove along the Marina Beach which is about 1km wide.  Locals were mingling on the beach but none were swimming.  We drove past an Ice House and Madras University and passed by old British heritage buildings. We then arrived at Santhome Church where St Thomas is buried.  We went in and observed his tomb.

We then visited a Shiva Temple at Mylapore, which you enter through an impressive gopuram adorned with colourful ceramic figures of Shiva.  A loud festival was in progress with crowds of people.  The chiming of a huge bell and the noise from the blowing of various instruments that sounded like South African vuvuzelas – a very penetrating a sound – was too much for Paul and me, so we retreated.  I was approached by an odd local who tried to convince me to take off my temple socks and experience the sensation of walking around the temple barefoot.  As part of a ritual, Nats prostrated himself in front of a shrine.  Anitha sat on the ground in the lotus position and swayed.  There was much ritual activity being performed all around us. 

Tired at the end of a long day, we went back to our hotel, showered and relaxed in a quiet bar for a Kingfisher beer and then settled for a meal in the hotel restaurant – Barbara had a nasi goreng, Alison a plate of samosas and Paul and I shared a very hot green chicken curry.