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[chodhound]

India Day 11 to Day 15 – Amanbagh hotel - Part 4

Camel rides and afternoon croquet with gin and tonics – Laura and Harriet had a camel ride from the hotels camels – Babu and another one! They had a lovely time and it felt very like that scene in Rivals – we then had a nice game of croquet on the lawn with a couple of gin and tonics.

The final activity was one that just I did – which was a cow-dust tour of the surrounding villages and farm. Godhuli, the “Hour of Cow Dust”, is an evocative, often sung about moment of rural life in India.  I got into a jeep with my guide – Rambo (ulp!) and we drove off – he told me lots about the villages and what they grew and what life was like.  This bit of country is pretty poor but it is very fertile – lots of wheat and mustard is grown – but lots of other vegetables too.  I saw the little houses on stilts that farmers slept on overnight to protect their crops from deer and other animals.  There were lots of women working the fields also dressed in beautiful colour saris – indeed as well as the noise and bustle of India one of the other things I observed was how colourful everything is with beautiful fabrics everywhere and lots of painted building and cars.  If it possible to paint it or general fancy things up it is done. It makes me feel like India is a place of joy – even the hardest of labours is done with a flash of colour and a smile.  Rambo is a local man and has been working for the hotel for 20 years and he said the hotel has a policy of employing 50% of it’s staff from the local area.  He has used the money that he has earnt to put his children through school and university so they can get better lives.  He was very proud of his daughters and their education and the promise of their futures.  This hope again seemed to permeate lots of the places we visited in India – things are getting better.  As we toured the villages the kids all came out to watch us and wave and take photos of us with their camera phones.  The schools are outside and looked pretty rough and ready but they are there are clearly doing some good.

Food

More Monkeys

[chodhound]

India Day 11 to Day 15 – Amanbagh hotel - Part 3

I swam in the gorgeous pool one afternoon which was rather cool but very refreshing and once you had got going it was really nice.  I also took full advantage of the yoga classes that were offered doing two morning ones and two afternoon ones.  The morning ones were just outside the gym/spa next to the pool but the afternoon ones were behind the cottage gardens in a special shade open air spot that felt like you were in the middle of the jungle – the morning classes were pretty busy with 10 or so people attending but the afternoon ones were really quiet – with the first one only have me in the class – private class yay! They were pretty tough classes – in a old school Hatha kind of way – so some pretty vigorous exercises! I used the gym a couple of times as well and it was well equipped and nice and quiet as well.

One afternoon after I returned to the room after yoga I found that Laura had been bullied by the monkeys!  We had been warned on a first day to keep the doors to the villa/room closed because there were monkeys that came to visit. They told us not to be worried and if we had a problem we could call to get the monkey man to scare them off – there was also a monkey stick that we could use ourselves if necessary.  Anyway, whilst I had been away Laura had been doing some writing and enjoyed a gin and tonic by our little plunge pool – she had popped inside briefly and on returning had some a monkey sitting on her laptop drinking the can of tonic water!  She went to get the monkey stick and brandished it and shouted “Bad Monkey” until he went away.  Later on, the whole troop came past – the monkey move in an almost military manner – with the smaller scouts in front and to the sides, then the mothers and child and somewhere at the back the big Alpha male.  They came into the garden by our villa really quickly and started drinking from the pool – I went to get the monkey stick and I did some brandishing – it was fascinating the way they moved to attempt to surround me – I realised what they were doing and got my back to the wall to prevent this from happening after a brief brandish and a few more “Bad Monkey” they moved on across the roofs in search of easier food!

Our rooms was spectacular with a fabulous bath which I enjoyed on a number of occasions – I was trying to finish William Dalrymple’s fabulous history of the East India company – Anarchy.  One night they filled the bath with bubbles and rose petals for us as a surprise.

We did a cooking class with the head chef one of the days – this was a really good experience and we got to learn how to make the sprouted mung bean salad that was one of Laura’s favourite lunch time meals – I’ve brought this one home and now cook it most days.  It feels wonderfully fresh and healthy.  The other thing I grew to love were the breakfasts – mainly vegetarian and mainly based around a bread like product – so a dosa or paratha – often with a delicious mild potato curry.

Breakfasts...

Cocktails

[chodhound]

India Day 11 to Day 15 – Amanbagh hotel - Part 2

During the first 3 days of our stay the hotel was probably half full but on Valentine’s day and the following weekend it was absolutely full!

The high point for meals was our Valentines day meal – we had booked their private Chhatri candlelit dinner about 3 months in advance because we thought it would be in demand.  We were collected from the hotel at about 7pm in a jeep and we drove for about 10 minutes to a desserted temple (a Chhatri) – overlooking the nearby lake.  This was beautifully decorated with flowers and candles and we had our own musician who played a flute.  We had a lovely waiter and two chefs to make our banquet for us.  We sat on cushions on the floor with crossed legs and enjoyed our feast.  We had chosen the wine in advance and really enjoyed the experience. I had one of the best al fresco bathrooms breaks of all time. At about 10 o’clock the full moon rose over the hills and flooded our temple with wonderful moonlight.  It was the most perfect experience ever and one that I will remember for a very long time.  We got the jeep back to the hotel and made our way back to our villa. As we arrived two ladies appeared to do a special valentine’s ceremony to wish us luck and fortune.

We also did the breakfast hike to the lake – this was another lovely experience – we got up early and had a short jeep trip to the nearby hills – we then had a very intrepid walk up the gorge to the man-made lake at the top – this was really beautiful and peaceful and best of all it had been setup so we could enjoy a cold breakfast by the lake.  We watched deer come and drink from the lake and kingfishers swooping through the trees.

[chodhound]

India Day 11 to Day 15 – Amanbagh hotel - Part 1

The party is reduced from our lovely group to just us and Harriet! We got up very early and drove through the much quieter Calcutta streets to the airport – we made it in much less time and once through the inevitable security we found our way to a pretty nice coffee bar where I could get some coffee that had been slowly cooking for hours – it was a dark syrupy mess that was delicious - exactly how I like my coffee!  I should probably just drink street coffee all the time.  A pretty uneventful flight to Jaipur – there was a large wedding party on the plane we were on and inexplicably me and Laura were sitting at the front with the two matriarchs of the family and every 5 minutes or so somebody from the wedding party would come up with a treat for the grannies and they would also offer us one – we accepted of course!  Upon landing our Abercrombie & Kent rep met us and helped us to our mini-bus to take us to Amanbagh.  Bagh in India means garden and after a short journey we arrived – the roads in Rajasthan were much better than the roads in Assam.

The hotel was amazing – off the charts levels of luxury and attention. Any opportunity to make something they took it – so there was a lovely welcome ceremony with a prayer and chanting and garlands of marigolds.  They also gave us a Kalawa – a sacred Hindu thread tied around our wrists for protection and good fortune.  I kept mine one for at least 2 months after I got back from India.

We did a lovely garden visit where we met a very friendly goat that the farmer allowed us to hold and cuddle – she was a bit chewy but didn’t have any teeth as she was teething – or so I thought – it was really cute and tickly having her gentle chew my finger until she managed to get her back teeth in on the action and then they weren’t so gentle and I got a little cut on my finger.  This caused us a bit of stress as we had been warned about Rabies! Our guide (the chef) took good care of me and we washed the wound and put a plaster on it.  When we got back to the room I spent 15 minutes extensively washing it and then later the hotel doctor called around with some antiseptic – he said he had the rabies jab but that it wasn’t advised for goats as they rarely carry rabies - only if they are bitten by rabid monkeys or dogs is it a concern.  The risk was small as these were pet goats rather than wild goats.  We did some internet research and this agreed with his advice.  The one thing it did mention was to monitor the naughty goat and make sure it didn’t display any symptoms of rabies over the next few weeks.  We had made friends with the hotel manager, Harry and he said he would check (and he was as good his word and sent me a Whatsapp a couple of weeks later to say that the goat was healthy and well!).

We had some fabulous meals – we got a lovely top terrace seat the first night we were there and I enjoyed lamb chops and Laal Maas which was delicious.  We also enjoyed a delightful Mughal feast which had a chicken deboned and then stuffed with a delicious pilaf – this was superb.  I also enjoyed a very spicy Junglee Maas – which is similar to a Laal Maas but more hunter style so it has whole spices (chillis, cinnamon etc) and loads of ghee – it was really really good!  We tended to eat outside in the evening but because Rajastan is effectively the desert – and we were there in the winter - the temperature drops quite significantly at night (maybe 15C or something like that) so the hotel has heaters and blankets to make it more comfortable.  They had fantastic local musicians playing music during our dinner which added to the atmosphere.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 10- Back to Calcutta Part 2

More photos from the car journey from the airport - the sun had set and night had fallen and the streets in Calcutta had come alive. Early evening is when there is the most action on the streets.

The hotel when we arrived at it was beautiful, a recently converted palace of a zamindar (landowner/lord).  We had a fabulous meal with lots of cocktails, beer and wine – at some point in time the beautiful candles and flower decorations interacted in a non-health and safety compliant manner and caught fire but this was quickly dealt with. We then wished our group and travelling companions farewell and returned to our lovely room for a well-deserved sleep on dry land!  We knew we had a very early start in the morning – 6am – so the party was somewhat curtailed and we also knew we had to make the same journey in reverse to the airport for the next leg.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 10- Back to Calcutta – and the ATM incident

Packing up for travelling we fly from Jorhat to Calcutta today – we say farewell to the boat, ABN Sukapha and begin the next phase of our journey through India.

But before that I have an exciting incident to tell. We stopped to get cash out at a cashpoint – most cashpoints in India only let you take out 10,000 Rupees (about £90) at a time and when you are tipping the drivers and tour guides for an extended trip this doesn’t go far enough.  Anyway, so we stopped in a town between the boat and the airport for a cup of chai and some sweet sweets and some of us went to get cash from a nearby cashpoint. The cashpoint was opposite this terrifying Clown face! I have a silly showoff metal Revolut card – which is actually made out of metal and the cashpoint had a slot that you inserted it into.  I needed to give it a decent push to get it in but then after getting my money out I couldn’t get damn the thing out. I tried everything and got my friends to try – meanwhile the queue behind me was getting larger.  I decide to try and get a tool to help and left our tour guide trying to pull it out but it seemed like it was thoroughly stuck.  It was an standalone ATM and wasn’t part of a bank so nobody could come and help from the bank!  Fortunately there was a general shop next door and so I tried to mime that I wanted to buy a set of pliers – but the best I could find was some tweezers which I bought and took back to the ATM. After I few goes with these I realized that they were no use whatsoever apart from scratching my card to bits. At this point about 10 minutes has passed (although it seemed like an hour to me) and everybody in the queue is getting agitated, it is getting close to when our plane check in starts and I can’t make the whole group miss the flight but I don’t want to leave my bank card in an ATM! I have managed to hurt my hand from gripping the card so tightly to try and get purchase but it’s no good.  As you can imagine the more tense and frustrated you get the sweater your hands get and the less you can grip onto the card – it’s a total doom loop.  I was getting worried that at some point the police might arrive and question what we were doing to the cash machine. And then finally just as we are about to give up and go home, a miracle happens and our guide somehow manages to free the card and the whole incident is over! Huzzah! Lesson learnt – I used my normal bank card in cash point from that moment on…

Anyway we made it to the airport and security was even stricter than ever – they found a mosquito clicker (a tiny electric spark generator) and a plug-in mosquito repellent device in my luggage that they wouldn’t let us take onboard. 

The flight was quick and painless and then we had a long transfer to the hotel which seemed like it was the other side of Calcutta from the airport – we hit the evening rush hour and the traffic was hideous – it seemed like there might be some kind of conference/election/speak going on somewhere and this just meant the transfer took forever.  The difference from the peace, calm and tranquillity of Assam to the chaos of Calcutta was startling.  However on the bright side it did mean I got to take lots more photos of the streets of Calcutta.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 9 – Sivasagar and Tea Estate - Part 2

Some more photos from Rang Ghar.

Our final stop of the morning  was Talatal Ghar – this is an 18th Century palace and military base – it was pretty much a ruin now – although a lot of the ground floor remains intact which were the stables, store rooms and servants quarters – the upper floors are largely gone – there is a small temple that is still standing – you can imagine that 300 years ago this would have been an impressive sight.

A short drive takes us to a tea estate where we had a lovely lunch (with a beer!) – we then had a talk from the owner of the tea plantation about the tea estate.  It was interesting to hear about tea – he was somewhat unreconstructed and it was interesting that some of the usual dressing up of agricultural products didn’t really happen – he was pretty much Assam tea is Assam tea – you can get whole leaves, Assam Orthodox or Assam CTC Tea: CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl).  Then there were a variety of flavours with herbs and fruit – but that’s it.  We got to try a little and then we could buy some nice big bags of tea to take home.

The sun started to set over the tea fields as we drove back to the boat for our final night on the boat.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 9 – Sivasagar and Tea Estate - Part 1

We are getting into the sway of the boat now. Morning misty yoga then a delicious breakfast before we get on to the party bus again – this time for a longer transfer to Sivasagar.  This small city (around about 50,000 people) was the capital of the Ahom people – it is notable because of it large number of Ahom palaces and monuments.  We arrived at the Sivasagar tank and then took in the Sivadol temple – which was busy with pilgrims and school trips.  The Sivadol temple is the tallest Shiva temple in India at a height of 32m. Lots of people wanted their photos with people in the party – we felt like celebrities.  After taking our shoes off – Kirti our guide remained behind with the shoes to guard them! – we explored the temple. Lots of the pilgrims had brought the traditional offerings – flowers, milk and honey – as you enter the temple there is a large series of bells that you can ring.  Inside was very dark and busy and very unlike Christian churches there is something darker, rawer, more primal and more mysterious about the Hindu temples.  We watched the local men on the bamboo scaffolding repairing the dome. Back to the bus before going to Rang Ghar.

Rang Ghar was the royal hunting lodge/sports-pavilion – where Ahom kings and nobles would spectate at games like buffalo fights and wrestling. The beautiful red flowers and gardens lead us to the lodge. I noticed that in India it was far more common to see single sex groups going around monuments – it felt particular unusual to see groups of young men (probably in there 20s) looking around some of the ancient monuments – this is not something that English men do (I don’t know why).

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 8 – Cruising along the Brahamputra and Majuli - Part 2

We stopped for a quick cup of chai at a roadhouse shop before driving on to see a factory for masks which are used in various processions – the masks are made from a lattice of bamboo and then covered with a mixture of clay and dung before being painted.  Some of the masks were pretty scary!

Ravan is the ten headed demon lord of Sri Lanka!

We drove on to the dock where we got the tender back to the main boat and watched the sun set over the river.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 8 – Cruising along the Brahamputra and Majuli - Part 1

Morning yoga – I was joined by several people and I led a gentle hatha class.

There was the third and final masterclass on board about how to get published – as the weather had cleared up somewhat me and Lee decided to sun ourselves instead.  After lunch, there was a trip to Majuli island.  Majuli is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest inland river island and it is home to a number of Satras - these are centre of worship for Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture – similar in many respects to a monastery.

We had the chance to take a look at the local farmers making sugar from the sugar.  The island felt quite Caribbean in some ways and you could see how fertile and verdant it was.

We got into a variety of jeeps for the tour.

The first stop was Auniati Satra and where we saw how the monks lived – the living quarters are basic but the life whilst hard seems pretty good.  The monks join as a child and can spend there whole lives in the Satra – they will work the fields.  The head monk is chosen from the children at an early age and tutored in order to prepare them to lead the Satra. 

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 7 – Cruising along the Brahamputra

Early morning yoga in the misty morning – breakfast delicious and then some chill out time before the next masterclass with Abir.

Photos of gently pootling along the river – parts were really quiet and deserted and then we passed a few farms where the kids waved at us!

The poles are put in my pilot boats to indicate which side the captain should steer the boat.

The evening the crew set up a BBQ and bonfire on the sandbank – we had amazing homemade kebabs and naan breads that were delicious – it was really atmospheric but quite chilly – fortunately the crew had given us blankets and I had a jacket to wear.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 6 Part 3- Biswanath Ghat

After getting back onto the boat we enjoyed the usual towels and welcome drink and then enjoyed some delicious lunch before the first of the writing masterclasses from our special guest author.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 6 Part 2- Biswanath Ghat

Annabel bought some scarves from the local ladies and everybody got excited and so Annabel bought more scarves and danced.  It seemed like everybody from the village had come to watch and join in. 

We saw a old fashioned loom being used to make the scarves that we had bought. We investigated the inside of a temple and then enjoyed a cup of chai from a local shop. Whilst I was taking a photo of it a naughty goat tried to eat my trousers!

We got back onto the tender and then back onto the ABN Sukapha and continued our cruise along the river.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 6 Part 1- Biswanath Ghat

The boat cruised as far as Biswanath Ghat, a small town on the banks of the Brahamputra – which has a cluster of temples to various Hindu gods. Ghat means river port. The boat put down anchor in the river and we used the tender to visit the town.  It was quite early in the morning when we arrived and the town felt very sleepy.  We wandered through the streets and admired the brightly coloured temples and shrines. We saw lots of goats include three billys that had been donated to the temple and who were fighting with each other.

We could see local fishermen and women washing their clothes.

In the distance there is a shrine to Lord Shiva.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 5 Part 1 – Kaziranga National Park

Up early for an early morning safari in the Western part of Kaziranga National Park – the morning was foggy and we saw fewer animals but it was still magical to be driving through the wonderful park.  The terrain was noticeably different from the previous day with more forest – we saw monkeys, lots of deer and water buffalo and a few rhinos.

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 4 Part 3 – Kaziranga National Park

Just photos

[chodhound]

India 2025 – Day 4 Part 2 – Kaziranga National Park

More Rhinos

Rhinos in the wild

Elephants in the wild

Rhinos

Water Buffalo

Sunset

Tiger? - we stopped and waited here as the guide had heard alarm calls - there was a tiger out there but he didn't show his face...