The first recorded mapping of what is now Geographe Bay and the eventual town of Busselton, was in 1801 by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin, from the ships the Geographe and Naturaliste. The Bay was named after his ship whilst the river was named the Vasse after a sailor who went missing in mysterious circumstances. The area was settled in 1832 when families from the Augusta area, led by John Garrett Bussell, traveled north to farm the … [Read more...]
Young Female, Traveling Alone
Embarking on a Holy Adventure I had a strong grip on the seat in front of mine. I could have felt my stomach shrinking in fear and moving upward, toward my chest. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing some turbulence. Please keep your seat belts fastened until the seatbelt sign is off," announced the pilot. I looked around. I was the only female in the vicinity. The Indian men kept staring at me. They had been looking since I got … [Read more...]
Burma: Poverty, Government Greed & Human Sweetness Part I
Burma Part I August 18 2002 Rangoon (renamed Yangon) Burma We took Thai Air to Rangoon. Bob left his Lonely Planet Guidebook Burma (renamed Myanmar by the military junta) on the plane and of course someone had pocketed it by the time we debarked. But we remembered the Yoma Hotel downtown and headed there. At the Yoma a French Canadian couple at dinner loaned us their LP so we could locate a bookstore somewhere in the city. Incidentally the … [Read more...]
Burma: Poverty, Government Greed & Human Sweetness Part II
Kalaw In a monsoon rainstorm we climbed off the train in this cool wooded hill station built during the British occupation. The locals laughed (with me) at my little paper sun umbrella I carried that I had bought at the umbrella shop in Inle. Only transport available was in a partially covered horse cart Driven by a kind old man. Off went the horse clipclopping with us along to the ironically named Dream Villa Hotel a few blocks away in the … [Read more...]
Kodaikanal Vacation, India
Hai! My name is Vijay and I live in Chennai. Chennai, though a very pleasant city in many other ways, gets intolerably hot in summer. This year, Chennai recorded the second highest temperature in two years! We were melting in our clothes. This is why, we shouted with joy when my father told us he was taking to Kodaikanal (a hill station) for a leisurely summer vacation. Our father booked the tickets through the Internet, for our railway … [Read more...]
Decadence & Decay
"Full body massage sir? My friend, head and neck massage. Only ten rupees. This is very cheap, very good" said the Indian masseuse. This is the third time I have walked by him with disinterest and I was hoping he'd have got the hint. All day long I have been harassed by boat drivers, ganja dealers, barbers, snake charmers, and rickshaw peddlers. This is the holy city of Varanassi and, to me, the epitome of both the beautiful and bizarre … [Read more...]
Trailing the Tiger
So there are destinations and destinations, each offering their distinct USPs. Hot attractions that draw tourists seeking an 'experience; to carry home a trophy to substantiate a battery of travel yarns. But in this craze for acquiring the best seller, our jetsetter often overlooks the finer details - colours that give a place meaning and significance. After all isn't the great thing about travel, the joy of savouring an authentic experience in … [Read more...]
India on the Rails
If life is a journey than, in India at least, it chugs along on two parallel steel lines, the railways. No reference here to the local trains of Mumbai, India's commercial capital, where citizens spend a substantial portion of their waking hours commuting increasing distances within ever expanding city-limits. This one is grand - a vast rail network criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country, spanning over plains and rivers, through … [Read more...]
Going Home
A traveler from Singapore finds his country's colorful past in present-day Kuala Lumpur. It's 9.50pm in Kuala Lumpur. Our 'time-travel machine' is here to take us home to 2003 Singapore. And for once, the KTM railway train arrived on the dot. 36 hours ago, we were standing at the tail of a long queue snaking from the departure gate to the main entrance of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore. The gate opened slightly after … [Read more...]
Wacky Packi Northern Pakistan
The mere notion of coming to this country might send shudders up ones spine. But after my 2 months in Pakistan, the chills would be be because I'm so excited about the prospect of returning to one of the most beautiful countries one Earth. The initial excitement of entering the country via the dramatic Karakoram Highway subsides eventually, but a contentedness of being amidst the cool climes, stunning geography & welcoming locals sets in. … [Read more...]