Words of Wisdom from a restaurant in Hampi, Karnataka, India |
" Nurturing passion is tedious but the outcome is fabulous "
" Traveling to Incredible India, it turns you speechless, then turns you into a Hindustani story teller "
A senior citizen's travel woes & a sense of humour in my 2023 India trip (23 in Cantonese is easy to live but not sure how 2024 is going to fare ? A Dragon year in 2024 should be bright & fiery, let's see ! Dec 2023 is still in the Chinese lunar year of Rabbit hence hopping into India like a rabbit & then hopping from city to city probably is a wise choice before the Rabbit year of 2023 becomes a bygone comes Feb 10 2024 (ushering of a new Dragon Year & Chinese Lunar New Year) !
Here goes my little Hindustani story about this Dec 2023 Incredible India trip
- Aging - walking slow & steady (over 70's of age) in old historic towns; ups & downs of Haveli (wealthy merchant's mansion) over a century old
- Aching - kneecaps & backpain in long distance travelling & a 20kg luggage lugging & carrying in fascinating Indian railway stations
- Egging own self - doing something foolish or daring in a month long overseas free & easy travelling, eggs are a rare commodity in a predominantly vegetarian society in northern India so forget about eating two half-boiled eggs daily as breakfast in northern India !
- Edging - sitting on the edge of a motor bike as a pillion rider, not sextual stimulation but you ask for a risk !
- Hiking uphill by a step flight of 437 to see a rock fort Hindu temple (needs a few muesli bars to munch) & last but not the least, experiencing
- Hacking cough or dry cough especially if you are craving for a longer stay in a desert camp or city but honey maybe a cure or taking a Hack sweet a day may soothe your throat ! There is no "free lunch" in free & easy travelling, you reap what you sow !
- So start Cracking your head & take your first baby step in free & easy travelling to an overseas country you yearn to see !
This 37 days Dec 2023 / Jan 2024 post-Covid 19 overseas visit No 7 is my 4th visit to Incredible India (together with my travel buddy, KF Wong). Before 2023 fades away, I decided to go ahead to see a greater India focusing on the northern Rajasthan state & the southern Karnataka & Tamil Nadu but skip Kerala as there were a few reported cases of Nipah virus incidents on Aug / mid Sept 2023 in Kerala state (later declared free of outbreak on Oct 26 2023) as both of us were in the midst of booking our flight to India ! My previous free & easy visits to India were in July 2007, Nov / Dec 2018 & Oct 2019. Both India & China have the oldest civilisation in the world hence these two countries are in my radar of travel since my retirement in May 2006 ! Before embarking on this India trip, I & my brother went on a 10 days package tour trip to Southern China (Guilin, Yangshuo, Longsheng, Lipu, Hezhou, Zhaoqing & Guangzhou) from Oct 26 > Nov 4 2023.
My travel buddy, KF Wong
Auto-rickshaw - an economical & reliable public transport in India |
Attari-Wagah border ceremony between Pakistan & India, Hill forts (no doubt the hills are still alive with the sound of Rajasthani music) of Rajasthan in Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur & Jaipur, UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Goa (churches & convents) and group of monuments at Hampi, Nilgiri mountain railway toy train from Ooty > Mettupalayam of Tamil Nadu, Maharaja palace museums, old haveli (mansions of wealthy merchants) in old towns of Bikaner & Udaipur (Rajasthan) and Mysuru & Bengaluru (Tamil Nadu), Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary Jungle Ride, bike hire roaming the cities of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Hampi & Goa, ferry ride from Mumbai > Elephanta Caves, tea gardens & mountain view point visits in Ooty hill station by day tour packages, Pongal (Harvest) Festival in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, super cool winter weather (9c > 20c), re-visit of Amritsar, Jaipur & Mumbai, homestays, no hustling & ugly behaviours by locals, people are generally friendly, helpful & approachable (high sense of civility & warm especially in the street food service sector, interesting to note that quite often, both of us with hats on were looked upon as a Japanese or Korean by locals !), savouring local deep fried street food every Indians love ......
By the time I complete this 37 days Incredible India trip, I probably could claim myself as a creditable traveller having walked past so much history (India is one of the oldest civilization in the world) & never in my whole LIFE eaten so much Indian deep fried food in one single trip ! Incredible KM, now that I had done 4 free & easy Incredible India trips (2007, 2018, 2019 & 2023) !
Traveling is fun, exciting, adventurous, challenging, rewarding & refreshing ! I have in my next 2-3 weeks some 10,000 photos to post on my travel blog documenting the 37 days of my travelling life in India ! Memories & moments are most beautiful things in life ! A big thank you to my travel buddy, KF Wong who had played an active role in booking air & train tickets, hotels etc & over the 37 days walked the path with me to the 15 Indian cities, enjoying 12 train rides & 2 long distance bus journeys (total 5,000km of travelling), snoozing & in deep slumber during our resting day & night in each of the 14 hotels, enjoying my daily self prepared vegetable based meals, numerous morning & evening strolls exploring the nooks & corners of old towns ..... But quite often I asked KM, is your sixth sense always right in each of your free & easy traveling overseas, frankly I do not have the right answer for you. In traveling you win some, you lose some but if you focus on Good, just keep Going & the answer is Yes you can ! I hope I have my sixth sense in the right balance when I take on another free & easy trip with my wife & two of my travel buddies in early March 2024 to Taiwan to see the Sakura season !
In summary, if you are traveling with a travel buddy or buddies & if you have these 4 things with you, short & sweet ie Good Friend, Good Food & Good Time, ultimately Good Mood, under such circumstances, you could not ask for more ! These pictures were taken at a bus stand in Patna City of Bihar (northeast India) in Dec 2018 !
Travel itinerary (37 days): Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) > Amritsar (Punjab, India) > Bikaner (Rajasthan) > Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) > Jodhpur (Rajasthan) > Udaipur (Rajasthan) < Jaipur (Rajasthan) > Mumbai (Maharashtra) > Goa > Hampi (Karnataka) > Bengaluru (Karnataka) > Mysuru (Karnataka) > Ooty (Tamil Nadu) > Mettupalayam (Tamil Nadu) > Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) > Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) > Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) - approx 7,000km by air & 5,000km by land transport !
Kuala Lumpur > Amritsar flying by air is approx 2,402km, 6hrs; Tiruchirappalli > Kuala Lumpur flying by air is approx 1,055km 4hrs)
India is like a Golden Triangle pointing at you ! |
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) > Amritsar, India (approx 4,276km, Flight 6hrs) |
Tiruchirapalli, India > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (approx 2,693km Flight 3 hrs 45 mins) |
Amritsar > Bikaner > Jaisalmer > Jodhpur > Udaipur > Jaipur > Mumbai > Goa > Hampi > Bengaluru, India (approx 4,300km) |
Bengaluru > Mysuru > Ooty > Mettupalayam > Coimbatore > Tiruchiarapalli, India (approx 600km) |
1) Amritsar, Punjab, India
Golden Temple, Amritsar Punjab, India |
2) Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
Kote Gate, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India |
3) Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
Gadisar Lake, Jaisalmer Rajasthan, India |
4) Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Ghantar Ghar (Clock Tower) Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India |
5) Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India |
6) Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur Rajasthan, India |
7) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Gateway of India, Mumbai Maharashtra, India |
8) Goa, India
Fort Aguada Jail Museum Goa, India |
9) Hampi, Karnataka, India
Vittala Temple & Stone Chariot Hampi, Kanartaka, India |
10) Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru Karnataka, India |
11) Mysuru, Karnataka, India
Chikka Gadiyara (Clock Tower) Mysuru, Karnataka, India |
12) Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India
Tea Gardens, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India |
13) Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, India
Toy Train Ride - Ooty > Mettupalayam Tamil Nadu, India |
14) Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Coimbatore Junction Tamil Nadu, India |
15) Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
Rock Fort Temple Complex Tiruchiarapalli, Tamil Nadu, India |
- Air Asia airfare: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia > Amritsar, India & Tiruchirappalli > Kuala Lumpur - Rm1,380 (inclusive of luggage fee excluding meals & travel insurance)
- India Visa (1 year multiple entries expiring Nov 2024): Rm260
- Travel insurance: Annual Cover (Senior Basic Plan)
- Airport taxi / bus: Rm75
- Hotels (33 nights + 3 extended 1/2 day stays): Rm1,334
- Trains (12 tickets): Rm795
- Outstation Bus (2 tickets): Rp700 = Rm41
- Bike Hire + Petrol (5 cities): Rp2,745 = Rm159
- Entrance fees: Rp4,630 = Rm268
- Day Tour (Ooty): Rp650 = Rm38
- Wildlife jungle safari: Rp350 = Rm20
- Auto Rickshaw / Ola / Metro / Town Bus: Rp8,471 = Rm491
- Food (mainly own prepared meals): Rp7,616 = Rm441
- Groceries: Rm50
- Sundries: Rp1,514 = Rm87
- Exchange rate: 100Rp = Rm5.80; US$1 = Rm4.65
UNESCO World Heritage Sites I visited in this Dec 2023 India trip & the past 3 trips (2007, 2018 & 2019) !
1) Hill Forts of Rajasthan, India - there are a total of 6 forts spread across Rajasthan in northern India, these cluster of hill forts was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, the 6 forts are Chittorgarth, Kumbhalgarth, Jaisalmer, Ranthambhore (Sawai Madhopur), Gagaron (Jhalawar) & Amber (Jaipur). The 2 hill forts I had visited thus far were Amber (Jaipur) & Jaisalmer.
a) Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan (July 2007 & Dec 2023)
Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan India (Dec 2023) |
Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan India (July 2007) |
b) Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan (2023)
Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan India (Dec 2023) |
City Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan India (July 2007) |
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan India (July 2007) |
3) Maharashtra, India - there are a total of 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Maharashtra. Except Western Ghats, the 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites I had visited in the state of Maharashtra in recent years were Ellora Caves, Ajanta Caves, Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) & Victorian Gothic & Art Deco Ensembles.
a) Ellora Caves, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India (Oct 2019)
Ellora Caves, Maharashtra India (Oct 2019) |
b) Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad, Maharashtra India (Oct 2019)
Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra India (Oct 2019) |
c) Elephanta Caves, Gharapuri, Maharashtra, India (Dec 2023)
Elephanta Caves, Maharashtra India (Dec 2023) |
d) Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (Oct 2019 & Dec 2023)
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (Dec 2023) |
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (Oct 2019) |
e) The Victorian Gothic & Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (Oct 2019 & Dec 2023)
The Victorian Gothic & Art Deco Ensembles, Mumbai Maharashtra, India (Dec 2023) |
The Victorian Gothic & Art Deco Ensembles, Mumbai Maharashtra, India (Oct 2019) |
4) Churches & Convents of Goa, India - a dream delayed (original plan was to visit these UNESCO sites in Oct 2019) but not denied, I finally was able to show up in Goa in this India trip & visited the 7 churches & convents of Goa which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments.
Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa, India (Dec 2023) |
Chapel of St Catherine, Goa India (2023) |
SE Cathedral, Goa, India (Dec 2023) |
The Church of St Cajetan Goa, India (Dec 2023) |
Lotus Mahal, Hampi, Karnataka, India |
My most memorable visits to hill forts in India.
1) Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan (Dec 2023) |
2) Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan (Dec 2023) |
3) Mehrangarh Fort, Jodphur, Rajasthan
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan (Dec 2023) |
4) Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan (Dec 2023) |
5) Chapora Fort & Aguada Fort, Goa, India
Chapora Fort, Goa, India (Dec 2023) |
Aguada Fort, Goa, India (Dec 2023) |
Rock Fort Temple Complex Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu (Dec 2023) |
7) Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Telangana
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Telangana (Oct 2019) |
8) Red Fort, Old Delhi, India
Red Fort, Old Delhi, India (Nov 2018) |
9) Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh (Nov 2018) |
10) Ramnagar Fort, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Ramnagar Fort, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (Nov 2018) |
My most memorable visits to historical palaces in India.
1) Lallgarh Palace Hotel (1902), Bikaner, Rajasthan
Lallgarh Palace Hotel Bikaner, Rajasthan (Dec 2023) |
2) The Laxmi Niwas Palace Hotel (1904), Bikaner, Rajasthan
The Laxmi Niwas Palace Hotel Bikaner, Rajasthan (Dec 2023) |
3) City Palace (1559), Udaipur, Rajasthan
City Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan (Dec 2023) |
4) Albert Hall Museum (1887), Jaipur, Rajasthan
Albert Museum, Jaipur, Rajasthan (Dec 2023) |
5) Bengaluru Palace (1874), Bengaluru, Karnataka
Bengalore Palace, Bengaluru Karnataka (Dec 2023) |
6) Mysore Palace (1897), Mysuru, Karnataka
Mysore Palace, Mysuru, Karnataka (Dec 2023) |
Picking a picture to ponder & ponder (out of 10,000 pictures I had taken in this 37 days Incredible India trip) - in travelling, not only we leave behind our footprints in various touristy places in a particular city, state or country but some pictures of simple or noble acts undertaken by the locals were very touching, purposeful & meaningful, others were words of wisdom reflecting their own society or daily life; or carrying a simple sense of humour, just good for a laugh ! These pictures could generate fond memories for many years to come when I reminisce my good old days in my travelling to Incredible India !
A picture is worth a thousand words - some of the candid pictures I had taken while "hopping" like a rabbit from one Indian city to another had indeed enlightened my travel days in this Dec 2023 / Jan 2024 Incredible India trip ! I was at the right place at the right time to capture the moments or get a feel of the place. I valued the moment when I took these pictures even though it was just a glimpse or passing by ! The following pictures best described my feeling of "seeing is believing" as prior to the trip, I was very much in a fantasy dream about what I expect to see in cities of Rajasthan, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu but my interest in seeing a greater India have grown intense trip after trip each time I show up in Incredible India !
1) Feeling of cold feet in Golden Temple, Amritsar - my bare footed evening visit (shoes off) in this magnificent temple during the cold winter month, no chicken feed if this is your 1st time walking barefooted on cold marble floor tiles for over an hour of evening stroll !
Barefooted ! Cold Feet ! Cold Marble Floor ! |
Birds of feather flock together ! |
3) Road crossing, I did it my way in Amritsar, Punjab - no worry, no hurry, your pile of goods are in capable hands ! It should be delivered on time !
Slow & steady wins the race ! |
4) Long Live the Maharaja - Maharaja is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king", I got to know the word "Maharaja" when I was a primary school kid attending history classes & taught about the power & empire of Maharajas in the Rajasthan state of India ! It was in this trip that after over six decades that I had the opportunity to walk into a few of the Maharaja's palaces & stared at awe the magnificent interiors & architecture, turning a childhood dream into a reality !
King of all Rajas ! |
5) A not so morally sound Metro station named "Chickpete" in Bengaluru; say it loud with a Chinese Hakka accent "Chickpete" to a group of your Hakka friends, you will be greeted with a stern look from a Hakka lady ! So there is no "Chickpea" Metro station in Bengaluru but an indecent station name called "Chickpete" in this Hindu state of India ! Good for a laugh !
Chickpea sounds better ! |
The Mini Yellow Cab of London ! |
This food section is dedicated to my travel buddy, KF Wong, a foodie who enjoy eating Indian food in my home country, Malaysia. Likewise, he used his sixth sense & extended his eating "hobby" whenever & wherever he saw Indian street food on sale in any street corners in our visiting cities of India ! In a number of eating occasions in India & in keeping up with the Joneses, I had begun to develop a liking for Indian food ....
Food Glorious Indian Food - I know that when I land in northern & southern India for my 4th Incredible India visit (37 days from Dec 1 2023 > Jan 17 2024), I am going to miss my wife's home cooked food & soup, not to mention my favourite wan tan noodles, bak kut teh (herbal pork rib dish), nasi lemak (fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk) & Hokkien mee (Fujian noodles), Hakka pan mee & Cantonese fried ying yong & Malaysian style Indian's dosa ! But in Rome do as Romans do so I just have to gradually warm myself up & follow my travel buddy to savour the typical Indian deep fried food found & sold in major streets & corners in each of the city in India ! My travel buddy loves eating Indian deep fried food so it was free for all for him as soon as we land in Amritsar, Punjab till our exit from Tiruchirappalli ! The numerous deep fried food my travel buddy & myself had the opportunity to savour in the states of India (Punjab, Rajasthan, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu) were dosa, samosa, pori, wade, vadas, mirci vada, puris, poha (yellow beaten rice), fried rice, fried noodles, chicken biryani, vegetable biryani, masala tea, mango lassi, creamy almond ice cream, fresh coconut juice & other local Indian food carrying a local Hindu name unknown to me ! Packaged food such as Iraqi dates & sesame confectionery were our favourites ! Thanks god, none of us contracted any food poisoning or diarrhoea in any of the cities we visited in India ! I had a "chill" when I took a cold bath in Hampi (the centralised control water heater of our homestay was not switched on by the property owner in the evening) so the ensuing days I had a running nose & persistent coughing which require medication ie antibiotics, cough syrup etc which I was able to buy from the local pharmacies. A small setback for me but I just focus on Good, just Keep Going, think positive & say Yes you can to finish the race !
1) Food Glorious Indian Food in Amritsar, Punjab !
Food Stall - Attari Wagah Border |
Samosa Rp25 = Rm1.45 |
Eating langar (free food) in Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab |
Mushroom Tikka Rp180 = Rm10.45 |
Malai Champ Rp150 |
Afgani Champ Rp170 |
Charcoal grilled sweet potatoes |
Creamy Milk Drink |
KF's first bite of street food in Bikaner, Rajasthan |
Homestay's Breakfast Rp150 = Rm8.70 |
Homestay's Breakfast Rp150 |
Homestay's Home Cooked Dinner Rp250 = Rm14.50 |
Sweet Dessert |
Iraqi Dates |
Gulf Dates of Iraq |
Poha (Yellow Beaten Rice) Rp30 = Rm1.80 |
Dosa Rp30 = Rm1.80 |
Hot Tea Rp15 = Rm0.90 |
Wade Rp30 = Rm1.80 |
Milk Drink + Almond Rp50 = Rm3 |
Mandarin Oranges |
Hotels' Rooftop |
Masala Tea Rp20 = Rm1.20 |
Hotel's Vegetable Fried Rice Rp150 = Rm9 |
Vegetarian Rice Rp30 = Rm1.80 |
Fried Rice Rp80 = Rm4.80 |
Fried Noodles Rp100 = Rm5.80 |
Poha Rp50 = Rm2.90 |
Sesame Confectionery |
Fresh Coconut Juice Rp50 = Rm2.70 |
Chicken Biryani |
Chicken Biryani (Takeaway) Rp80 = Rm4.70 |
Pulled Tea - Indian Tiru Style |
Fresh Chicken, Ooty, Tamil Nadu |
Fresh Chicken, Hampi, Karnataka |
Fresh Chicken, Ooty, Tamil Nadu |
KM-style self prepared meals (Basmati long grain rice, egg noodles & rice vermicelli) in hotels (using a mini electric rice cooker & portable water boiler), rest assured my travel buddy & I will have a delicious vegetable based breakfast / lunch / dinner marinated with seasoning powder / condiments / pepper / soya sauce / salt / sunflower cooking oil etc plus fresh fruit / dessert cooked & eaten in the comfort of our hotel room at anytime of the day after our hotel check in ! Luck was with us as in the Hampi village town & Ooty hill station, we were able to buy fresh chicken meat from local butcher shops, these free range chicken meat when stir-fired (a total of 4 chicken meals) & marinated with seasoning powder / condiments / spices were tender & tasty especially cooked with Basmati long grain rice & ate along with hot ABC vegetable soup during the cold winter season !
Fresh Papaya |
Grapes, apples, guavas, bananas .... |
Tomatoes, carrots, onions, potatoes cauliflower, broccoli, capsicum ..... |
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