Morning Glory

Was able to make a week long getaway to Thailand.

Flying initially into Phuket gave me a warm feeling of welcome since it felt like Kerala. Roads flanked with rubber trees, mountains and almost the same vegetation too. At times it felt like driving through the KK (Kottayam-Kumili) road.  Of course, the Thai roads are wider, cleaner and well maintained. Am not sure why I cannot just be a tourist and stop observing stuff but my curious eyes couldn’t be stopped.

There are so many things this Asian country is doing differently, things that India could easily adopt. India can no longer blame everything on its high population. Even though we visited during the off-season, there was no dearth of tourists, and one has to applaud the way things are organized. Perhaps it’s because Thailand thrives on tourism and has given it serious attention.

Even when there are traffic jams, no one honks like in India. For Indians, the horn seems to be an inbuilt safety tool! Maybe if the roads inspired more confidence, honking would naturally disappear. I do not find fines that could have changed the habit in Thailand but maybe Indians would need fines to change this habit.

Tourism’s Economic Impact

• Pre-pandemic: Tourism contributed around 18.3% of Thailand’s GDP in 2019, making it one of the most tourism-dependent economies in Asia.
• Pandemic dip: That figure dropped drastically to 2.2% in 2021, reflecting the global travel shutdown.
• Recovery phase: By 2022, tourism rebounded to 7.24% of GDP, and it's expected to keep rising as international travel normalizes

While tourism is vital, Thailand also relies on:

·         Exports (especially electronics, vehicles, and agricultural products)

·         Manufacturing

·         Private consumption and digital initiatives, like the planned digital wallet program

We were picked up from the airport by a sweet driver cum guide named May. She could manage English just enough for us to understand stuff. Thanks to her, we tasted our first Thai cuisine from a wayside restaurant. Hubby ordered Egg Thai pad and me Chicken Pad Thai. The former tasted better but neither of us could finish it. 

One would have been sufficient.

It is there I observed a few Japanese tourists order something green. Upon inquiring with May, came to know that it was another popular dish, the Stir Fried Morning Glory. It did taste good and felt healthy. While I thought it was the same Morning Glory (blue flowers) that is found widely in Kerala, it seems even Malayalees are eating the Thai version in some areas. 

Ipomoea aquatica—locally known as kalmi cheera or valli cheera in parts of Kerala/India—is indeed used in traditional cuisine, especially in rural and coastal communities where it grows naturally near water bodies.

 

While in Old Phuket town, I had the first hand experience to see how they keep the place clean. Though it was raining heavily, a raincoat clad worker was busy sweeping the roadside and removing litter.

Keeping the streets clean

Enjoyed watching a goat all dressed up while sipping a coffee, can you spot it?

During island hopping, the boats(all of them I assume) that bring tourists are required to collect all waste materials and take it back with them. While on one island the food was at a restaurant, the one provided by the boat that took us was perfectly organized at the island itself. I think Thai’s are taught waste management pretty well (folks are fined too).  I remember how the driver who took us to the Bangkok airport made me take the water bottle that I had forgotten in the taxi. He refused to take it with him. ‘I am responsible for the waste that I create’ is the motto that India should enforce. This will make folks find the nearest bin if any or carry it with them until one finds it, maybe even their own home. I found large plastic bags filled with thrash waiting to be collected from designated areas.

Their historic places and temples too are kept clean and well maintained. We also went to a bee/honey and cashew factory. Some of their ideas are worth copying. Tourists have a wide choice and am sure none leaves without buying something!

Most folks visiting Thailand have been informed about their Seven 11 stores, 7-Eleven was born in the USA, but today it’s owned by a Japanese company

It is a mini supermarket which stocks pretty much everything a tourist and even the locals need. Ready to eat food, hot and cold drinks, grocery etc. It is located almost all over Thailand. Our first visit to this store was to have hot coffee while on the drive from Phuket to Krabi and later to purchase some stuff.

Then they have their massaging centers beckoning us from everywhere. We tried all of them and it was worth it. While Ayurveda massages are good, Thai is more practical and does the same job too. Need no undressing (except for their aromatherapy), need no bathing afterwards (Ayurveda oils). From leg massages to entire body massages which differs from place to place and upon the masseuse, we enjoyed it each day and did the final one at Bangkok just before we were to go the airport. One of them recalled her days in Mumbai while young and working in a famous spa resort.

Their live music bars are also relaxing and if the nearby restaurant can bring over the food then it becomes even more convenient. Maybe during peak season things are different.

We were told to buy their famous inhaler and it works too. What are the stuff tourists are asked to buy from India?

All of their construction sites have the following board which depicts the number of project days, accidents and so forth. Maybe India does too but am yet to see one.

Along with Chinese and Russians, Indians make up a considerable percentage of tourists to Thailand. Am sure most of our politicians and officials have visited too. Who is going to make the change in India? Am sure not the rich since they are happy in their closed existence. It is up to the rest of India to make the change. 

If at least Kerala cannot catch up with Thailand, it is indeed a shame. Kerala Tourism needs to make travel affordable and convenient for all kinds of tourists, from backpackers to the wealthy. (After all, it’s the state with the highest number of five-star hotels in India.) Yes, the roads need to be wider, and there should be well-managed restrooms everywhere. In most tourist spots in Thailand, restroom use was charged separately unless it was included by a tour operator.

(But then, my Malayali mind also says: leave Kerala as it is, just clean it up. I’m sure the state cannot handle much larger crowds. Even now, a weekend trip to Munnar means getting stuck in traffic)

We ended our trip in Bangkok, which is supposed to be a shopper’s paradise. All kinds of goods are available, original and imitation but they aren’t cheap. It’s a huge city with night markets that come alive at the end of each day. It was fun to watch the vendors setting up their stalls from our hotel.

 

Crossing the desert

Winter is back again in Kuwait and it takes me back to the trip we made during the end of last winter.

A road trip through GCC countries had been in our bucket list since long and then KSA opened up and we grabbed the chance. We watched YouTube videos and read whatever google offered. Hubby took the Saudi tourist visa before we could change our minds. It was our first border crossing by road and there was a lot of apprehension. Our plan was to travel to Qatar and then visit Bahrain on our way back. In Qatar we had a few friends who had shifted from Kuwait a decade ago and few cousins too. We left for the Kuwait border early in the morning to avoid the crowd and since it was mandatory to take biometrics to cross Saudi. This took almost an hour since there were a lot of travelers like us taking advantage of the 4-day long weekend. The rest of the formalities went on quickly and we started the first leg of our journey. There were petrol bunks every 100 km or so where one can have some refreshments and visit a restroom. But I had packed some food and had also brewed some black coffee. Did try the tea at one stop and did not like it at all. Our first stop was at Al Kobbar where we dropped a friend who wanted to visit his brother. Lunch was done at their place, and we proceeded to Qatar soon after lunch. Guess it is okay to say that Qatar is what Kuwait was in yesteryears. We had a lovely time with friends and relations. Drove around Qatar and saw tourists from all around the world. On our drive back we did visit Bahrain as planned. A short visit though but could get the feel of the place. The border crossings can either be short or long depending on the country. Sometimes they let you pass without much ado; else the whole vehicle will be checked. 

Such road trips are possible since there are restrooms across the region. Since prayers are mandatory, mosques are mandatory and hence there are restrooms attached to these mosques too, if not petrol pumps. It is possible in India too since roads are essential, why not restrooms too?  Making it mandatory is essential too? Clean toilets maintained by the same folks maintaining and building the roads? (NHAI or  National Highways Authority of India) Yes, there are restaurants everywhere but one would need to eat too even if not needed. I have used a toilet attached to petrol pump once in Kerala but it is guarded like a bank vault :). 

Anyway, it was during this trip that another wild idea got hold of us but never thought it would materialize so fast. (Youtubers can be inspiring and encouraging too!)

The Rub Al Khali desert or the Empty Quarter beckoned us since there were loved ones at the end of it. 

'A road between Oman and Saudi Arabia,^[8][9] through the Empty Quarter, was completed in September 2021.^[10] Measuring between 700 and 800 kilometres (430 and 500 miles), it extends from Ibri in Oman to Al-Ahsa in eastern Saudi Arabia. A 160 km (99 miles) stretch of the road is on the Omani side and 580 km (360 miles) on the Saudi side.^[8][9] The road also goes through the archaeological sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn in Oman.^[10] '

We have already visited Oman by air but crossing the desert was a once in lifetime opportunity and we latched on to it before we could change our mind. While crossing it, the scenes were stunning, especially the changing colors of the sand dunes. We travelled during the day and hence could stop in between. Crossed the Saudi stretch and reached Oman in time for some lovely food. On our way to Oman the roads were fine but during the return trip it was windy, and the sand piled upon the road. One had to be very careful. We had 3 drivers eager to take turns so none complained of tiredness. In Oman, we watched the dolphins swim and while the youngsters snorkeled, I tried testing my fear of water and found it is still terrifying. 

There is Riyadh and Dubai beckoning us now... maybe... who knows?

Those beautiful places on earth

A tweet took me back to Peerumade and the one day trip that we made to that place. Just like Munnar and Ooty, even Peerumade and Kuttikanam have changed. Since the tea estates no longer seems to be viable much land has been sold (illegally one presumes) and many cottages and buildings have sprung up. More educational institutions too have been built since the climate is good and it is far away from the usual distractions.

A resort up on a steep mountainside astonished me and we thought of exploring it. I remember climbing that mountain and finding lost or wandering cows and even small caves where wild animals made their home. No idea how this place was given up for a resort. The road that leads to it goes through the estate where I once lived and it is very narrow and steep.

We found none when we reached there.

 Maybe because it is the monsoon time and hence off season. Water source is a small dam built at the bottom of the resort.

One can see Kuttikanam and much of Peerumade from the spot.

Maybe next time one should book early and stay at least one night out here in the wilderness before more buildings come up and take away all the charm.

A road trip to cherish-3

Was supposed to finish this narration last week but something literally stopped my breath! What else but demonetisation? The initial reaction was shock and then the feeling that finally something is being done about it. Then came the nagging doubts, knowing well how the Indian administration works. How in the world are they going to manage this exercise! As for it's long term effect, not even Harward experts seem to have any clue, so why break my head? And knowing our politicians, if this only to fool the voters, then it is going to burn them for a very long, long time. So let me leave it and get on with my trip.

We decided to leave Panaji early in the morning so as to reach Kerala in time. The roads were free at that time except for the cows! Think Goans are letting their cows use the roads during the night. A dangerous action for the cows as well as the vehicles. We decided to go slow until daylight broke completely. It brought back memories of Kumily- Kottayam road of yesteryears, when cattle for slaughter were made to walk all the way from Kambam, Theni etc, to Kerala. They could be seen in all sizes along the roads.


What are you doing on my road? :)

Did click a group of them but cannot find it now.

Thus we reached the Goa-Karnataka border and we still had the Feni and Wines to be taken care of.

 We had packed them into our bags and the police guy wanted to see our bags. For sure they found it and Hubby was asked to see the Inspector or whoever was heading the police station. He went along and was asked to pay IRS 2,000! The whole stuff did not cost that much but since we had no clue of the rules or regulations and since we did not want to waste time, had to settle for 1000. Yes.. it was a bribe. Meanwhile, Son was asked to show the papers by another guy who demanded IRS 100. Upon telling him that all the papers were fine he said this is the custom. After all that trouble, not many takers were there for the Feni. I think Kerala toddy is much better.

The drive through Karnataka was smooth except for a few stretch where the roads are being widened. It is only upon driving through Karnataka that made me realize that it is blessed with so many rivers. The beaches along the road beckoned us to stop but we had to reach Udipi in time to visit a friend.

We halted at Udipi and was treated to lunch by our friend. They almost made us break the journey by enticing us with so many places that Udipi has. The Krishna temple that I once mentioned on this blog is one of them and so is Manipal where so many from Kerala come to study. We promised to visit another day and continued our journey. We thought of halting at Kozhikode but realized it will be to late to find a good hotel. The drivers were fine with driving non stop (it would be almost 25 hours of driving) and since they were taking turns to sleep, it looked okay.

The GPS did take us through a vey bad stretch of road in Kasargod which delayed our journey even more. It was near Kasargod town, when we stopped for refreshments that a strange incident happened. There was this ice cream parlor which also had a board saying Tea/Coffee available. We stumbled out of the car, much tired and in want of something to drink and maybe eat too. Upon asking the father and son duo (they looked so) who were running the shop if they served coffee, they said there was no coffee but can serve tea. We waited for quite some time and found no tea coming. Later, the fellow came and said that there was no gas to boil the tea. Just when we were about to enter the car, we saw the fellow happily boiling something on the fire! Why did they refuse to serve us? I still do not have an answer to this question and at the next stop, both me and daughter stayed in the car while coffee was brought to us. Did not want to test anymore and go without refreshments but this was the first time we encountered such a behaviour in Kerala. Hence it was with much dread that we halted at Kannur for dinner. It was getting late too. But to our utter surprise and delight, we found the hotel(Bamboo Fresh) crowded even at 10:30 pm. A very jolly crowd too. Maybe it was the Onam spirit and celebration.

The rest of the journey was mostly nodding off and waking in between to see if the drivers were fine.  Reached home the next morning and used the day to rest. Thus ended our road trip and maybe next time we shall plan a longer one.

A road trip to Cherish - 2

Bombay/Mumbai, for a newcomer is always a horror until you get used to it's liveliness and convenience. Aggressive drivers are more in Bombay than anywhere else in India am sure. The skill of our taxi driver to negotiate the meanest traffic was so fascinating to watch that I kept wondering how people managed their cars out here. Don't they get scratched and dented all the time?

Our trip to Bombay was during the two main festivals: Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid A Adha. In fact our trip around Bombay was on the Eid holiday and hence Mumbai was supposed to be less chaotic! We were able to watch the big crowd at Haji Ali Dargah and also the various pandals erected for Ganesh Chaturthi.

The mandatory visit to the Malabar Hills to see how the rich in Bombay lived was done too. Unfortunately one finds not much difference anywhere in Bombay since everything is kept shabbily, at least outside. And as long one will never get to see the inside, it is what one gets. Think about Beverley Hills in California and what would you expect to see? Hopefully how the rich should be living? :) Or maybe it is the great Indian paradox where equality can be found in strange ways. Even Ambani couldn't resist building his Antilla smack in the middle of the whole mess. Am sure he faces the same mess that the rest faces unless he is using a copter for every trip that he takes outside. No wonder India’s richest man still thinks he is “middle-class” at heart. Anyway, Mumbai can do better being the commercial capital of our nation. And if the rich is able to manage the inefficient government machinery to make money for themselves, they can also do the same to improve their city too. (High hopes indeed!)

So we left Mumbai early morning for the drive to Goa. Was stopped by a traffic cop just before we exited Maharashtra and wondered if we would have to dole out anything, even if all the papers were up to date. The licence, insurance and pollution certificate were checked thoroughly and we were allowed to proceed. Hope we did not disappoint the officer :)

The drive to Goa is through a forest area and it was a very nice trip. We checked a few hotels online and called them up to see if rooms were available. Panaji was our destination and we reached there in time for hotel hunting. The first one was right in the middle of the city and the shopping centre but they had a room for only one night and had no parking space. Guests had to use the paid parking service located elsewhere. The next one was Verandah Do Mar which looked good enough and being offseason,  we were offered a suite with sea view and a big balcony. We decided to rest for the day and maybe do a bit of shopping later. The hotel had a good restaurant and hence we did not have to go elsewhere for dinner.

Found Goa exactly the same as Kerala; the same kind of vegetation, houses and weather. The only difference being, in place of mundu/lungi one saw pants/shorts. To me, Goa looked like how Kerala looked two decades back. Everything was there in Panaji; branded shops, restaurants, wine shops and yes the Casinos too,

... yet it looked laid back and simple and not filled with concrete buildings like Kerala. Maybe the Goans are living elsewhere? The one's who served us in the hotel restaurant were from Karnataka and Bengal since when I asked them about the nearby touristic places they could not help me. Even the driver who drove us around was from Belgaum.

We had a tour of Panaji and being off season it was an easy trip. Shops were also not crowded and we had a good time selecting things leisurely.

Upon asking our driver to take us to a good restaurant, he chose The Fisherman's Wharf. We loved the food!


Chicken Teriyaki

Beef Stroganoff



Breaded Kingfish fry

Midnight in Panjim



The permit paper

How can we leave Goa without it's Feni? So we were taken to a wine shop where we found the salesman who speaks Malayalam (maybe a Mallu pretending to be a Goan? :) )

We were told that we are allowed to take two bottles each per person and that the shop will provide the necessary permit papers for the same. Maybe it is an age old trickery but we fell for it! We bought a few bottles of Feni and some good wine too.

 Papers were given to cover the entire purchase and just when we were exiting the shop two Malayalees appeared and told us that it is an utter waste of money. They warned us that the Karnataka border police will not let you go and it is better to consume it in Goa. They did look a bit drunk and we decided that it must be the drunken advise from an overzealous Malayalee. (It was not!)

 

A road trip to cherish

Am back on these pages to reminisce another vacation and a crazy trip that we made. If I put it down here, can always return to savor those days once again.

Since the children are now studying in Kerala, one has to wait until they get a vacation for us to move around. This time it was the Onam vacation and although it would have been my first Onam in Kerala after coming to Kuwait, our promise for a road trip had to be kept. Our plan was to drive to Bombay and maybe take a break in Bangalore. No hotel was booked but only the car was serviced to ensure a smooth drive. This time around we had two drivers; one reason why we embarked on this trip. Our son who landed in Kerala year before last took his licence as soon as his age allowed and was already driving comfortably (if one can forget the occasional screams and advise given by his parents).
We left early in the morning on a Sunday and hence had an almost traffic free roads in Kerala. The road after Vadekkencherry is too good. In fact the National Highways are too good outside Kerala. Not sure how Kerala can have a 3 lane highway when the space is limited but......I mean look at the roads...


Kochi - Salem Highway (NH544)

The drive and the food is what we were all looking forward to.

At Peelemedu, we had a very delicious Thali. Along the national highway, specially in TN, one can find good restaurants and toilets behind petrol bunks. Most of them are built similarly and this one was named Gowrishankar Pure Veg. The normal meal is at IRS 80, while the special Thali(vegetarian) was IRS 150. It started with lentil soup and ended with an ice cream. The fried cauliflower even tasted like chicken to our chicken lover son who seldom relishes a vegetarian meal. The waiters hovered around asking us if we wanted anything extra or more. They ensured we ate until our stomachs were full. The bathrooms were neat too which mattered even more.

We had to break our journey either inside Bangalore or little ahead by skirting around Bangalore.  Hubby decided that we break the journey outside Bangalore, since getting out of Bangalore would be tough, so we chose Tumkur. Daughter had already chosen Naveen Regency, after reviewing them on TripAdvisor. Since it was getting late, we did not want to go hotel hunting even though the GPS was behaving pretty well. Luckily we found them very close to the highway and although they are not well maintained, the food was good. We just needed a few hours of sleep before we hit the road again.

It was only later that we realized that not getting into Bangalore was the best decision since the Kaveri riots would have cut short our trip. Oblivious to the agitation we left Tumkur early in the morning.

The roads were too good and the drivers were having a gala time. Both Father and Son reached speeds which Kerala would never give them. We passed places which we have only read about, occasionally stopping for toll gates or refreshments. I think there was a toll gate every 60-100 km and we ended up paying around IRS 2,000 for the Kochi-Bombay road.

Just before Pune, we stopped for lunch at hotel Kaveri and found that it was run by Keralites. They had a vegetarian and a non vegetarian restaurant. We skipped the vegetarian this time and headed for non veg. It was pure malabari food and tasted really great.

 We skipped Pune and headed for Mumbai. Went through many tunnels and drove down the mountains. Reached our destination after 9pm since the traffic inside Mumbai was pretty slow and the drivers very impatient. Not seeing the regular MH car but a KL registration may have made them put extra efforts to heckle. It was after two decades that we were both visiting Mumbai and I found it to be the same old Bombay.

We took a taxi to tour Bombay the next day and the driver gave us a Mumbai Darshan. The kids were more interested in shopping and that is what we mainly did in Bombay. We dined at the fairly new restaurant Bombay Vintage.

 

 

 

We selected the chicken and fish meals; the Mangalorean Tiffin style while the children had a Continental fare.

 

We had planned two days in Bombay and was supposed to return via Bangalore to visit relations, but the riot made us drop the entire route and take Goa for the return trip. Thus the much awaited Goa trip too was accomplished. Since we had a function to attend on Sunday and the kids had to return to their classes, we could spare only two nights and day at Goa. Another blog post maybe....