1982 INDIA

Tuglakabad

1982-12-17   Flew SYD-DEL with Thai International Airlines. Arrived Delhi late at night and stayed at the very comfortable Lodhi Hotel in the south -visited the colonial era Imperial Hotel, Chandni Chowk, Tuglukabad (the historic abandoned walled city), the majestic colonial era Rajpath*, remarkable Delhi Fort, and the impressive Chanakyapuri Rail Museum (well worth a visit!) Met an old Sikh fortune teller who actually knew my name !! I ain't cosmic but I haven't forgotten this event. Yep... it DID happen ! Connaught Circus was great place to waste time, eat (at Gaylord's) and the Delhi weather was perfect.

Bombay Sunset

Not the Taj Mahal!

1982-12-22  -train to Agra: see the Taj Mahal and the remarkable abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri -both lived up to their reputation.Stayed at the Mayur Hotel Complex. (I usually don't do travelling in such a grand manner

Taj Mahal

1982-12-26  -train to Aurangabad (staying at the very nice Ashok Hotel ) :

Night Train to Manmad Junction

to see the mighty Aurangabad Fortress built on a huge stone hill with carved steep sides. Feel safe recommending this one ! Also managed to visit the art treasure filled Ellora Buddhist Caves.

1982-12-28  -train to Bombay: (staying at the Bombay International Hotel) with many inebriated holidaymakers from the Gulf States. Saw the Gateway of India, the Victoria Museum and Colaba Causeway. This is an Impressive City on a spectacular site.

Bombay University

Goa Cathedral

1982-12-31  -train(s) to Londa via Miraj. -stayed at the comfortable ex colonial Portuguese Hotel Mandovi in Goa. Went to Velha Goa with its earthquake damaged ruins, checked out the preserved remains of the toeless body of St Francis Xavier (now how exactly did that happen ?) and ate PORK vindaloo at Cappucine's Restaurant. I really enjoyed it and lived to tell the tale. Needless to say, on the advice of a Danish fellow traveller at Cappucines, I saw how the local pigs actually  fed themselves by catching toilet ordure on the full, near one of the town's toilet facilities -Impressive to say the least !! I only eat Pork Vindaloo when I am in Australia or Denmark these days. Somehow it becomes remarkably easy to become a vegetarian when travelling in the sub-continent! (plus the veg mels are good and tasty anyway!). Also managed to visit Chapora, Anjuna and Calangute Beaches. Loved 'em all! I have great memories of Goa at this time. I did get back there later but that is for another blog.

1983-01-05  -took 3 trains to get to Hospet  -stayed at the mellow Malligi Guesthouse and visited the mighty ruins of unfortunate Hampi - a town which had been efficiently sacked by the formidable Delhi Sultans in no half-hearted way.

1983-01-06  -train to Bangalore -a neat and modern city. Soon to become famous as the home of phone call centres for technical services worldwide.

1983-01-08  -train to Arsikere and then staying at the Hotel Ashok in Hassan. Visited the overwhelming Belur and Halebid temples built in the "extravagant" style of Middle India. Lots of naughty scenes of spirited Hanky-Panky, but beautifully carved and miraculously preserved. (sounds like buying Playboy magazine to read the stories !)

Happy Saddhu

1983-01-10  -train to Mysore. Stayed at the Indra Bavhan to see the Lalitha palace. Bumped into nephew Kriton staying at the same hotel -as one does !  Mysore is a really nice and interesting place with the remnants of the critical colonial battle of SriRangapatnam nearby as well as St Philomena's Church.
This is an easy place to be in -and the vegetable chops make a great breakfast.

Gardiner with Poppies

Reliving the Age of the Raj

1983-10-13  -Bus to "Snooty Ooty" (Ootacamund) the classy southern Hill Station of the British Raj. Stayed at "Sunnyside" Cottage (2268 metres) and ate at Shinkow's Chinese Restaurant (they knew their trade). Visited the staid and traditional "Ooty Club" where billiards was invented. I really enjoyed my stay up here -it was soooo British yet sooo exotic. Loved the chill mountain air and the architecture too.


1983-01-15  -returned to the plains via the steam rack railway to Madurai and spent quality time at the Hotel Pandyan -it was a sensational trip through spectacular mountain scenery. I have never forgotten it -ever!

Southerners

1983-01-16  -train to Trichy (Tiruchurappalli I think is the real name) seeing the Manakshi Fort and the Rock Fort. Stayed at the Hotel Aristo. My strongest memory was of a thirsty and newly-arrived German backpacker drinking from a water tap on the railway station platform. What a thrillseeker ! Did he survive his unintended weight-loss program I wonder ?

1983-01-18   -train via Villapuram and on to Pondicherry. Visited Auroville with the Aurobindo Ashram. Met up with "Johnny" an Australian from Queensland helping with the dairy at "Fertile" - a farm within the ashram introducing pasteurizing processes with cow milk. He also spent time doing a little schoolteaching for the locals in a school built by the local kids themselves !!  I was impressed and enjoyed my day spent here. I wished them well with the good work they were doing.

Musical Performance

School Bus

1983-01-20  -taking the train on to Madras and staying at the posh Hotel Savera. Went top Mahabalipuram Beach, Fort St George and St Thome ("Doubting Thomas" is apparently buried right here) The beach WAS nice but when I returned some years later its niceness was a thing of the past ! 

1983-10-24   -Flew Air Lanka to Colombo which was at that time a relaxed and very peaceful place, Stayed at the beautiful Palm Beach Hotel in Mt Lavinia. A beautiful beach full of German Holidaymakers and fishermen suspended up on poles in the surf.  Good food everywhere (especially at the Pagoda Tea House in town). Colombo seemed so easy-going and "soft-option" after India. War broke out a month after I was there! I had not noticed on any bad vibes around town and had planned to come back asap!Hope to get there again one day.

1983-01-21  -Flew to Bangkok on probably last fully stretched DC8 flying, stayed at the very fancy Impala Hotel and then flew back to Sydney ready to start work again!

Note 1: * The King of England is reputed to have said that he did not know how a king should live, until he visited the Viceroy of India.

Note 2:  The toe was apparently bitten of by an excited devotee some time back!

Note 3: I have yet to scan most of the negative colour photos taken on this trip and will post them at a later date. There were some good shots amongst them but time has done some damage unfortunately!!