Acres Wild

On January 19, 2020January 20, 2020 By Take a Chance On MeIn Travel9 Comments

“I’ll make love to you
In all good places
Under black mountains
In open spaces
By deep brown rivers
That slither darkly
Through far marches
Where the blue hare races

Where the dance of ages is playing still
Through far marches of acres wild”

When I first heard about Acres Wild, the first thing that popped in my mind was the Jethro Tull song “Acres Wild”. Just like the song, Acres Wild is a beautiful, rustic farm nestled in the Nilgiri Hills in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, India at an elevation of 6000 ft above sea level. Not much else can be expected from a die hard romantic, music lover and nature lover like me and the decision was easy. We decided to visit Acres Wild on our vacation in India as it came highly recommended by a friend. I conjured up visions of mountains and greenery and fresh air and I wasn’t disappointed at all.

Acres Wild is approximately a 1.5 miles from the Coonoor Bus Stand and the last half-mile drive to the property may be a bumpy ride. Sitting on a 22 acre property, the farm is a nature lover’s dream with trees, wild flowers, ferns, bushes and lush greenery. It sits on a hillside surrounded by tea plantations with views of the mountains and the town of Coonoor.

The moss covered rocks and cobbled stone pathways and trails are welcoming and one cannot resist taking solo walks to sooth the soul. The view of the mist covered valley and the mountains with the town of Coonoor filling the landscape with its bright colors in the distance is mesmerizing.

The appeal to this farm is its connection and proximity to nature and wilderness and if you are looking for manicured lawns and trimmed hedges, this is not your place.

In nature I find my peace..Acres Wild, Coonoor

We decided to do a 4 day stay at the farm and were housed in the Haloumi Cottage. The property is set on a hillside and the living spaces are divided in three levels: The Upper level comprises of the Haloumi Cottage, Colby Cottage and the Cheese House, the middle level houses the Club House and the main house and the lower level consists of the Cheddar Cottage. You may have realized by now that all the cottages on the farm were named after cheese. The Haloumi Cottage, a beautiful two bedroom house at the topmost level of the farm, provided us with stunning views and privacy.

Solitude..Haloumi Cottage, Acres Wild, Coonoor

The house also has a gazebo in front for guests to lounge and relax and a fireplace in the living room for cold evenings. The cottage was fully furnished with tasteful décor, a beautiful kitchen, and other amenities except for the television! If you cannot live without the TV, again I reiterate that this place may not be for you.

The Club House sits on the middle level and comprises of a dining hall, a game room and plenty of area for relaxation and stunning views. For animal lovers like us, there is an adorable little cat who lives in the Club House and is taken care of by the staff. We were greeted very enthusiastically by Shankar, the caretaker of the property, and served tea immediately. Our room was also made ready for us right away even though we had arrived much earlier than the check-in time.

Very soon we found out that the place runs very efficiently due to diligent staff members named: Munna who is the manager and his team comprising of Shankar, Murugesh, Mary and Radha. Munna checked in on us daily multiple times and insisted we ask for anything we needed and to walk and explore any part of the property.

Not only are the men are the polite and hospitable, they are quite the cooks also. The tomato onion chutney Murugesh made one day for breakfast was finger licking good and he was kind enough to write the recipe for it for me also.

Breakfast

Our breakfast was served every morning with a hot vegetarian dish such as sooji upma, idli and sambhar or vermicelli upma with an assortment of delicious chutneys and omelet and bread was always offered as a choice along with the vegetarian items. A dish of Acres Wild homemade ricotta cheese and fruit preserves were also served at every breakfast and the combination of bread with a layer of ricotta topped with the fruit preserves was to die for. Breakfast is served between 8.00-10.00am so make sure to go during the specified time.

Lunch and Dinner

We also ended up eating lunch on our first day at the farm and ate dinner every night at the farm also. Meals had a choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes and guests do need to let the staff know their intent to eat at the farm 2-3 hours before meal time so the staff could prepare the meals. Don’t worry if you forget to let the staff know of your intention to eat at the farm because Munna will be sure to call you and check in.

Meals are served in the dining room and we got to meet other guests and interact with them. It was a good experience meeting interesting people from different walks of life. A cute little 5 year old girl who was holidaying with her parents latched on to me for three days during meal times and ate up all the cucumbers served in our salad at every meal. Aah..the innocence of childhood and a refreshing change for us living in the US where we have instilled the fear of strangers in our children.

Meals were home cooked, simple and hearty and just what you would expect at a farm. Lunch and dinner consisted of two vegetable dishes, dal, roti, rice, curd and dessert. Non-vegetarian choice included dishes such as egg curry or chicken curry. If you are looking for gourmet spread, I suggest you go to the Culinareum or La Belle Vie or any other food joint in Coonoor and there are quite a few choices in the town. I was not about to skip Radha’s kesari or payasam for any gourmet cake or mousse.

We also visited the Cheese Factory which was conveniently located right next door to the Haloumi Cottage. The Cheese House is a quaint building with beautiful stained glass pane windows overlooking the vista.

Mary, the cheesemaker met us at the door and gave us thorough and detailed information on how the cheese was made and types of cheese that were created. We got a tour of the plant and the storeroom where all the cheese was being aged. Every shelf on the racks in the storeroom was loaded with cheese such as Gruyere, Colby, different types of Gouda, Parmesan, Cheddar and Monterey Jack being aged for 3 months. It is quite mind boggling to note that 55 liters of milk produce approximately 5 kgs of cheese only.

Cheese, Cheese and more Cheese! Acres Wild, Coonoor

I made sure I got a big stash of cheese to bring back with me. I can visualize a wine and cheese evening with friends reliving Wild Acres memories. There was an assortment of soft cheeses available such as herb cream cheese and ricotta, but alas that would not have lasted the journey back to California or made it through Customs. So I had to make do with a sample for the soft cheeses.

As the farm is self-sustaining and self-sufficient in food supply for most part, the milk used for cheese making comes from the cows raised on the farm. Guests are allowed to go help milk the cows at 9.30am and 4.30pm daily and all you have to do is inform Munna. I let go of this amazing opportunity due to my fear of god as far as cattle are concerned. The docile, gentle cows of the world don’t seem to like me and are always out to kill me, so I wasn’t planning to walk into a deathtrap by milking one of them.

As for me, I made most of my time at the farm exploring the trails and walking down to the Cheddar Cottage and back. In addition to the beautiful views, one can sit near the pond and there is also a small stream that runs through the property near the Cheddar Cottage. Please note that walking up and down from the Club House to Haloumi Cottage or going down all the way to Cheddar Cottage and back can be quite the workout. I am an avid hiker and a runner and a simple run down the hill to Cheddar and back had me gasping for air. I got out of breath as the place is at 6000 ft elevation so give yourself the time to acclimatize to the elevation.

Acres Wild is home to many domestic animals such as dogs and cats, however don’t be surprised when a wild animal comes through. One day in the morning, a whole herd of Asian Bisons or Wild Gaurs went through the farm and I was awestruck to see the size of those beasts. Leopards and wild elephants have been known to frequent the farm sometimes too.

On the last day of our stay, we also got to meet the owner of the farm Mansoor Khan and we chatted up a storm about development, competition, growth and the repercussions on the environment. An extremely intelligent, forward thinking and accomplished man although he may claim to be otherwise, Mansoor Khan has four blockbuster hits to his name as a movie director. We discussed his book “The Third Curve” and Mansoor’s passion for the environment, his perception of the present world, and his understanding of reality is evident from his way of living and his deep thoughts. It was an excellent evening of stimulating and eye-opening conversation and a great way to end our stay at Acres Wild.

We came away from the vacation and the farm stay wanting more. The place had a rustic, earthy charm which was hard to resist. We as a family got to spend the time quality together whether it was a game of carom or pool. The cool weather combined with the warmth of the people at Acres Wild made it hard for us to leave. I for one fell in love with Acres Wild and can’t wait to go back..

Acres Wild Farm

Address: 571 Upper Meanjee Estate Kannimariamman, DM Kovil St, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu 643102, India

Phone: +91 94432 32621

https://www.acres-wild.com/index.shtml

Meal Times and Battles of Rice!

On August 29, 2019July 7, 2020 By Take a Chance On MeIn Life4 Comments

As I look back at my childhood and my growing up years in India, I think I was an angel child for most part except one. Meal times! I was a monster during meal times for sure and I think I gave my parents, especially my mother the hardest time when I was little.

Meal times in Indian families are generally a big affair and feeding the children can become an even bigger affair. It is common for parents or grandparents or the uncles and aunts to hand feed the children until they are older. Definitely older than the toddler stage and I have seen children as old as 7-8 being hand fed. If you compare it to the baby led weaning in this country where 4 month olds are supposed to feed themselves, forget the thought and don’t even go down that road.

Every bribe in the book may be used for every bite the child takes, stories narrated, tv turned on and it may become a song and dance show too. The children are not just fed by the adults but the child and the feeder may move around as per the child’s whim and fancy. It is completely normal to follow the child outside the house, up to the terrace etc etc. Imagine my shock when I saw my in-laws with a bowl of rice following my kid on his scooter in the cul de sac as I came back from work one day! It was not funny and I had to do a mad scramble to bring the party inside and let them loose in the back yard.

Anyway coming back to me, I think I was a definite challenge in the feeding battle. I was picky, shaky, cranky and unpredictable during meal times and generally hard to please. My mother was and remains an excellent cook and now that I think of it, basically anything she cooks is mind blowing. But starting at the age of 4, I had my own likes and dislikes. I liked to eat the food that my best friend’s mother cooked. Exasperated with my refusal to eat the home cooked food, my mom would have my lunch sent to my friend’s home. I would happily eat the food thinking my friend’s mother had cooked it. This became a habit for quite a while.

The few meals I ate at home were Battles of Rice! I hated rice and even today it is not the most preferred food for me unless there is fish curry served with it and that is the only way you will get me to eat rice. My parents would try every trick in the book to get me to eat rice and there were days when I was told by my father that I couldn’t leave the table until I had finished the meal. I would be still be sitting at the table 3 hours later equally stubborn with a full plate. I would eventually fall asleep at the table and my dad would pick me up and put me to bed and I would have won that battle. Somewhere along the line he gave up after the first two disastrous tries to make me eat rice. How could one not like rice was his dilemma? Well I didn’t..

Then came days and a few years when I moved from the meals at my friend’s place to eating my Bhaiya’s food. Now who is a bhaiya? Growing up as an army brat, we always had a couple young men as helpers for my dad. The young man “bhaiya” would help my father but he also helped around the house. He would help keep the garden and take me to school and bring me back. Well my Ram Naresh bhaiya was the nicest and I was very attached to him. He would tell me stories and folk tales and I decided that he needed to share his food with me. So I would eat my bhaiya’s langar ka khana (cafeteria food) and the poor man shared generously. My mother who was at her wits end, would give the bhaiya the food she cooked while I ate his food. Bottom line, I think I just liked to help myself to other people’s food if I liked them. Thank god, I lost that habit along the way..

As I started elementary school and I think I was in second grade, I would take a lunch box and a little snack for recess and my mother would pack it diligently every day. To the shock of her life, the lunch box and snack box was empty every day when I got home. She would look at the lunch box daily after school and ask me if I ate and I would tell her what she had packed and that I had eaten everything. It was obvious I was lying through my teeth. How could a child who did not eat her meals cooked at home finish her lunch box at school. May be it was peer pressure my mother wondered, but it was a tough sell. Too good to be true she began to realize knowing my habits at home.

So much so that one day she asked my beloved bhaiya to spy on me and he did. The skunk spied on me during recess and lunch time and came right back and reported to my mother that “baby” was not eating her lunch or snack but feeding the stray dogs and the birds. By the way, all little girls were addressed as “baby” and boys addressed as “baba” when I was growing up. Well that was it, and my mother went and complained to the school principal that I wasn’t eating my meals and throwing the food away. My own mother went and tattled to the school principal! And so from 2nd grade through 4th grade, I had to eat my meals in the Mother Superior’s office. Everyday! Can you believe my luck? I was at a Catholic school and if Mother Superior wasn’t there, I would have to eat my meal with some other nun. No mercy on me..

It was a miracle that I still liked my bhaiya even after all the betrayal. By 5th grade, I had graduated out of Mother Superior’s office and eating with my friends under the watchful eye of the bhaiya.

Thinking about what I put my mother through, I now know I was a nightmare. I know what goes around comes around, but I have been immensely lucky as a parent. Thank god my kids were not like me. My kids were easy babies and even easier to please as children. They ate everything I cooked and loved the food. The smarty pants I am, I raised them to eat all foods including the ones I disliked or didn’t eat. I didn’t want karma to take revenge on me and so I took extra efforts to prevent the nightmare I was. My kids do eat eggplants and celery and rice and a whole list of foods I don’t eat. All that education in nutrition put to good use.

As for me, I have gotten slightly better. I have stopped eating other people’s food even if I love them. I do eat the whole plate of cut-up fruit that my dad prepares for me daily or the 500 calorie milkshake he makes for me specially when I am in India. I do eat a couple bites of rice at lunch time when they ask me to eat and on occasions I have taken a bite or mouthful from the hand that comes my way to feed me even at this age. My parents still continue to feed me and now I cherish the gesture wholeheartedly. I do wish I lived closer to enjoy the love and care and today I will eat every bite of rice that comes my way.

The American Dream

On June 29, 2019May 6, 2020 By Take a Chance On MeIn Life21 Comments

This summer marks 29 years since I came to this country. The preparation and the process that led to my moving to the U.S seems surreal now. Back in those days and I really mean back in those pre-internet days in the late 80s, everything took time. My decision to apply to graduate schools meant multiple trips up and down from Vile Parle to Churchgate in Mumbai because that was where the United States Education Foundation of India (USEFI) was located. All the information regarding universities and the process was at USEFI. I used to spend hours going over the big books looking up programs and universities. Where everyone around me was heading into engineering programs and had resources and support from their schools and peers, I was alone. Hard copies of the applications were sent through global mail and the wait for those admissions was nerve racking for 8-12 weeks if not more. However, the joy in my mother’s eyes when the acceptances from schools started coming in is still fresh in my mind. The pride in my father’s voice each time I called him to tell him I had been accepted was palpable.

The visa application process was an adventure by itself as I had to leave the house at 1.30 am with my cousin and his friend to head to Breach Candy for the US Consulate. In those days people had to line up outside the Consulate the night prior just to get in for an interview, so the three of us (me and my two protectors) left the house to go line up. I thought that night was doomed right at the start as we were stopped by the cops a few blocks from home while walking to the taxi stand. The cops as it turned out were concerned about a young woman out on the street with two men at that ungodly hour and actually gave the three of us a ride all the way to Bandra and made sure we got a cab before driving away. Chatting with the cops about my future and getting to sit in the police van was a first for us. One cop even asked us to call him to let them know if I got the visa 😂 My luck seemed to have changed right then.

I was 8th in line outside the Consulate with my papers in hand at 3am and my answers ready for the visa interview. Everyone around me seemed so confident that they would get the visa. I was cautiously optimistic as the process had taken two long years and had been full of hitches. After all, I was a serving army officer’s daughter and had a lot going including setting up the finances. Even the GREs I had taken were cancelled due to cheating scandals. I was however equipped with three scholarships as I had applied for several.

The nervousness reached its peak when a Consulate personnel walked out at 7am and started checking the documents of the people lined up to let them in for the interview. I could not believe my eyes when the six men ahead of me were handed their documents back and asked to leave. Some started arguing, a couple pleaded but the man didn’t budge from his decisions. Now came the turn of the young man ahead of me. The “cool dude” for the 4 hours that I had known him for seemed to have lost his cool. He had became so nervous that he couldn’t even hear the man’s questions. The Consulate person asked him three times where he was planning to go and this guy kept answering with his name. The only thought in my mind was that the “dude” was going to get the Consulate person so mad that he would reject him and then I would be rejected too as I was next. I could not watch the shipwreck, so I did what any desperate person would do to save themselves as the ship sank. I jabbed the “dude” in his back with my pen and his body jerked awkwardly, but his mind fell in place and he gave the right answer. My efforts to save him did fail though and he was rejected, but the Consulate person started laughing as he had been a witness to my act of desperation.

As he addressed me next and asked for my papers, I could see him smiling with a twinkle in his eyes and I said sorry sheepishly. His question to me as he went through my papers was exactly the same “ SO where are you going?” And I told him and all he said was “ok go”. That was it, two words. “Go where?” did he say go inside, my mind was churning, so I managed to ask “Go inside?”. My heart sank thinking I was being rejected outright and he was asking me to leave but he still had my papers. He didn’t even think I was good enough to be interviewed. My mind started racing, and how could I leave without my papers so I asked him for my papers. I could see my cousin and his friend were closing in on me as they thought something was amiss. Hundreds of people were watching me go down. The Consulate person looked at me straight still smiling and said “Go home now and come back at 4 to pick them up with your visa”.

Before I could even say thank you, the two young men had kidnapped me and literally carried me out of there in excitement. No one wanted the man to change his mind! People started stopping us and asking me what I had done to get the visa as the whole thing had played out on the sidewalk.

By 7.30 am half of Mumbai and India had been woken up and notified that Ashwini had the visa and she didn’t even have to enter the US Consulate. People who didn’t even know I was applying for a US visa knew I had the visa. Even the cop was called and notified. This was quite the feat by the men because all this happened from the pay phone at the small tea shop in Breach Candy. By the way, to this day I have not entered the US Consulate in Mumbai.

The journey to the US after that in 1990 marked the first time I had traveled outside of India, first time I had ever sat in the plane and the first time I had traveled alone. The whole extended family, friends and their neighbors descended at the airport to say bye. Amidst excitement, anxiety and some fear of the unknown I made the journey via Frankfurt. The crew on Lufthansa and maneuvering Frankfurt airport definitely did not help with with anxiety and fear part. I made it to New York though on a beautiful summer afternoon and also made the trip from JFK airport to Hartford, CT.

A young girl diminutive in size but with big dreams. Her dreams larger than life and the passion to make it on her own over riding any doubt anyone may have had. A girl of not quite 20 carrying the hopes and dreams of her parents and trying to make it in an unknown land. And not to mention the pressure from all the people who had questioned my parent’s sanity by sending me alone to the US. “Why can’t she study in India? How can you agree to this? Get her married and then she can go wherever she wants with her husband?” were some of the questions my parents had to deal with. I am thankful to my parents for having given me the wings to fly and they continue to be the wind beneath my wings.

The journey of this young girl with all her belongings packed in a small Indian made VIP suitcase and a back pack has now spanned almost three decades in this country. And what a journey it has been. The first few years of struggle to make ends meet were the happiest because the sense of independence and achievement outweighed the hardships.

My first job started out as a dishwasher in the University Dining Hall at the minimum wage of $3.80 per hour and soon I became quite the expert at moving the dishes on the conveyor rack to wash them. It was a life of juggling multiple jobs and some quite creative now that I think of it. By the time the second semester rolled around, I was a Resident Assistant in the dorm, so my room and board were free and I was a Graduate Assistant in the department, so I received a stipend and a tuition waiver. You might want to note that I didn’t stay in the dishwasher position for too long and moved up the chain to an awesome $6 an hour position that the student managers made. The friendships made then in the dishroom have managed to last the three decades and will hopefully continue to last a lifetime.

In my two and a half years of academic life at the University, I also worked as a babysitter/nanny for a professor’s baby and he not only paid me but also helped with the data collection and statistical analysis for my MS thesis and then there was a stint as a waffle and donut maker, a summer gardener, and a menu board writer for a restaurant thanks to my penmanship. So all in all I might say I had quite a good gig going as a student.

Time flew fast though and if I wasn’t working some job then I was spending late nights studying in the library, trudging through knee deep snow to get anywhere and loving every minute of it.

The last 29 years have been filled with excitement and activities that have seen a cross-country move, marriage, kids, jobs, and even a doctorate degree. It’s been a fun ride even though sometimes the rollercoaster may have seemed to hurtle out of control. There have been ups and downs but not one day have I regretted the decision to move from my country of birth. This country has accepted me wholeheartedly and given me the people I care for, and showered me with immense love and respect.

As a woman, and more so as a woman of color, the opportunities have been plentiful. If there was a glass ceiling, it has been shattered and I wasn’t even aware of it. I have been given opportunities to thrive personally and professionally and I understand I am incredibly blessed to have received them. If there is such a thing as the American dream, I am living it. So after 29 years, even though I miss my country of birth dearly and yearn to visit, I know I am home.

Almost Fifty!!

On May 21, 2019May 22, 2019 By Take a Chance On MeIn Life12 Comments

This post is my afterthought or is the direct result of someone close to me recently reminding me that I was almost 50. Age has never really mattered me and I had never given it much thought until then. With an extremely busy work schedule, my struggle has been mostly focused on finding the work-life balance I so desperately seek. I check off every day and then every week and it seems like time just flies. My check list of “To Do” merges from one day to another and so it continues. So just like any other day, the birth day comes and goes and I keep playing catch up.

Well now I have been reminded that I am close to turning 50. I have been constantly told by people that I don’t look my age. I have been told I am too active for my age, to slow down, and to rest! I have been asked by many to stop running as I am going to destroy my knees and one person even told me that the orthopedic surgeon would love me because I would give him business when I needed knee replacements. The list of advice goes on and on.

Someone recently even asked me to act my age which stumped me.. what are the expectations from me? How is an “almost 50 year old” supposed to act? Is there an instructional manual on “What to expect when you are 50”?

But at the bottom of it, now that I have been reminded, I am proud of my age. I don’t hide it.. heck for a premie born at 33 weeks and barely 4 lbs, I have done fairly well for myself. I made an entry into this world almost two months early and I have survived and thrived.

I have heard the adage.. don’t ask a woman her age, well you can ask me mine. There is nothing to hide and what do I hide and which year? Each year has a special place in my heart. Can I hide the year when I had my first crush? Can I hide the year when I had my babies? Or should I hide the years when I obsessed over having a baby girl and went through heartbreaking miscarriages. I cannot possibly hide the year when I ran my first race or the years when I climbed Half-Dome or hiked down the Grand Canyon. Or all my travels and adventures… the years when I traveled to Guatemala or Turkey or Spain or may be Iceland? What year should I pick to hide?

There have been years with extreme highs and some years with deep lows. Each high or low is a reminder of who I am and my experiences and I am not ready to give them up. Where each high has filled me with happiness and joy, each low has torn me apart but made me stronger to withstand the storms. I can’t figure how to give up even one minute of these “almost 50” years.

So as I turn 50 soon, I am aspiring to be better and do better. I am willing to accept the grey’s, the wrinkles, the jiggles and all. If the glasses make me see better, then bring them on. I won’t be hiding my age but celebrating it because my Version 5.0 will be the best one yet. So here I am “almost 50” and proud of it and glad every minute shows.

Berlin

On February 2, 2019February 2, 2019 By Take a Chance On MeIn TravelLeave a comment

Berlin is a city with the most history in modern times in my mind. The city’s turbulent and violent 20^th century is evident from several ruins, monuments, and memorials across the city such as the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Berlin Wall. The city has come a long way from its past to being a center of reunification and a hub for art, music and sports.

I got a chance to visit when my son decided to do a Study Abroad program in Berlin and I jumped at the opportunity to go with him. How could I not? It was a city on my bucket-list and I was ecstatic that my son decided to go to Berlin when he had the choice to go to London or Copenhagen also.

We flew from San Francisco and after a couple hours layover in Amsterdam, we reached Berlin at 2.00pm. The most interesting part of the airport was that the moment we got off the plane and got out at the gate, the baggage carousel was right at the gate. As we had already cleared immigration at Amsterdam as we were in the European Union, we got our bags right away. In fact, our bags were the first ones on the carousel which was a miracle by itself as I always have to wait for my bags.

We got our bags and I went looking for the booth to validate my Welcome Berlin Card and also check for Sim cards. Unfortunately, I didn’t get either of those tasks accomplished. We decided to head out and found a taxi to take us to our hotel. Taxi’s at Berlin airport are available at Gate A9 and taxi drivers will not stop in front of other gates.

The hotel Ludwig Van Beethoven was in an area called Kreuzberg. I chose Kreuzberg because it was close to the center of Berlin and close to my son’s dorm. The ride to our hotel from the airport was around 20 minutes and the fare was around 31 Euros.

Address: Ludwig Van Beethoven

Hasenheide 14, 10967 Berlin, Germany

Phone: +49 30 6957000

We reached our hotel, checked in and crashed as we were exhausted. Jet lag took over and we fell asleep for a while. We woke up late in the night and just ate food and snacks we had on us.

Day 2: Monday

We had breakfast which was amazing at the Ludwig Van Beethoven Hotel. The choices ranged from scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, deviled eggs, to sausages and different sliced deli meats such as ham, prosciutto, salami, smoked salmon. There was meat salad and egg salad, fruits, yogurts, cereals and breakfast sweet breads such as danish, croissants, muffins and cakes etc.

Breakfast at Ludig Van Beethoven Hotel

After breakfast, we went to O2 to figure out the SIM card. At 1pm we took a cab to my son’s institute in Gneisensaunastrabe to get my son checked in and settled in his dorm. He was starting orientation right away so there wasn’t much I needed to do.

After he was settled in his room, I realized I was on my own. I took the train U7 towards U Grenzallee (Berlin) from U Gneisenaustraße to U Hermannplatz. It was a quick journey with two stops. The U Hermannplatz station was a minute walk from my hotel.

After resting for a bit, I ventured out again to Gendarmenmarkt. This time I took the following route:

I reached Französischer Street to find everything dark and the shops closed at 7.30 pm. I still walked the block to Gendarmenmarkt to find everything dark and desolate.

There was no one at the Konzerthaus plaza so I walked around the plaza and returned back to Friedrichstraße street and walked to Check Point Charlie.

The distance from Gendarmenmarkt to Check Point Charlie is less than a mile. The road was well lighted and there were a few people walking around. The restaurants and pubs were open even though the shops and stores were closed.

I took a couple pics at Check Point Charlie and spent some time in the Museum Shop. I picked up a few souvenirs and one particularly special item was a piece of the Berlin Wall. The museum shop had them for sale and I felt I needed to own a piece of history. The museum shop also provided an authenticity certificate with the piece I bought.

I returned back to my room around 9.30pm. The U Bahn station near Check Point Charlie is U Kochstrabe and I backtracked my way by taking U6 with a change to U7 at Mehringdamm to U Hermannplatz.

The U Kochstrabe station was completely empty and I found myself alone on the station waiting for the train. It may not have been the wisest decision to wait for the train or to be alone in an underground train station. However, the trains come literally every minute and my wait was short and there were people on the train. It did creep me out a little bit and I wouldn’t repeat that adventure again. Anyway, I returned to my room safe and sound.

Day 3: Tuesday

The next day I woke up and ate a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausages and smoked salmon. I think I like Germany! I did get a couple fruits to go with me and ate yogurt at breakfast too so I covered all the food groups.

After breakfast, equipped with my map, I took the train to Alexanderplatz. I had bought the Welcome Berlin Card online back in the US and needed to redeem the voucher for the card. The easiest thing to do would be to redeem the voucher at the service desk at Tegel Airport. However, I did try but because of my poor German skills, the person didn’t understand me and asked me to redeem at the bus stop. I had no idea which bus she was talking about so I left the airport without getting it done.

Anyway, the Welcome Berlin Card can also be redeemed at the Park Inn by Radisson at Alexanderplatz so I made that my first stop. The train again was very convenient and I took the U8 to Alexander Platz from Hermannplatz.

Alexanderplatz is a huge busy square in the center of Berlin. It also has the bus station, the train station in addition to the U Bahn. From Alexanderplatz, one can walk to several sights such as the Berlin Tower, Berliner Dome, Museum Island and if one continues to walk on Karl Liebnecht and Unter Den Linden, you can walk all the way to Brandenburg Tor which may be 1.5 miles from Museum Island.

The World Clock is located right in the square outside the station. There are several stores and restaurants in the area.

Park Inn was very easy to find as it was the only skyscraper in the square. The concierge exchanged my voucher for the card right away and I was good to go. I got a coupon book, city map along with the card. I had paid 37€ for the 4 Day ABC region Welcome Berlin Card so my transportation was free for the rest of my trip on all buses and trains in the city and Potsdam.

The card also gives you discounts at several museums, restaurants and the hop on hop off bus. Equipped with my card, I took the U8 train again for a few more stops to Bernauer Straße for the Berliner Mauer or Berlin Wall Memorial.

As it was freezing cold and raining heavily by the time I got to Bernauer Straße, I decided to take a quick stop at the cafe across the street from the train station. The cafe was cute with a very charming hostess who was very knowledgeable of the area and sights to see. After the hot chocolate break, I started the Berlin Mauer walk along the lines steel rods and part of the wall. It’s a nice walk along the wall interspersed with rods, and pavilions to walk through.

Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer or Berlin Wall Memorial

One can also walk to the Documentation Center and climb a few stories to the Observation Deck. One can see the whole area from the Observation Deck. The walk to the end of the memorial and back must have been close to 1.5 miles or so.

Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer Documentation Center

I walked back to the Bernauer Straße U Bahn station and made my way to Alexanderplatz again. From the station I stopped by the World Clock and then made my way to Fernsehturm or the Berlin TV Tower.

Berliner Fernsehturm

My next stop was St. Mary’s Cathedral, a beautiful cathedral that I went in to visit. The walk from Alexanderplatz to Museum Island has historical sights and buildings all along the way so give yourself the time.

From St. Mary’s Cathedral, I slowly made my way past every historical building and fountain to Museum Island and stopped by each museum and the water to take pictures.

My last stop was the breathtaking Berlin Cathedral. You have to buy a ticket for 7€ to go inside. Also, make sure to keep any bags or bag packs in the lockers before heading into the cathedral. Also please note that when you buy the ticket, the machine churns out the receipt first and the ticket later. I forgot the ticket in the machine and assumed the receipt was the ticket and had to go back.

The Berlin Cathedral is one of the most stunning churches I have ever seen and believe me I have seen many in Europe and Central America.

The self-guided pathway takes you through the main area with the amazing dome and altar to the pathway that leads up to the Berliner Dom. There are approximately 280 steps to the top and the steps get narrow as one gets closer to the top.

Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

The view is absolutely stunning with a 360 degree view of the city from the dome of the cathedral. It was breathtaking and as usual I found myself alone at the top. It is a definite workout though!

img_9345-1 — View from top of Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

img_9350-1 — View from top of Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

View from top of Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

The path down the narrow steps lead all the way down to the crypt and one can only exit the cathedral by making their way through the tombs.

img_9325-1 — Crypt, Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

img_9324-1 — Crypt, Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

I left the place happy to have visited and climbed it as the view was worth it. I also lit a candle at the altar and said a small prayer.

After the Berliner Dom, I realized I was exhausted and had clocked more than 6 miles so I made my way back to U Alexanderplatz and came back to my room via the U8 route. After resting in my room for an hour or so, I ventured out to Gneisenaustraße for dinner at a small, quaint restaurant on Gneisenaustraße called Little Tibet.

Little Tibet

Food was good and their portion size for the entree was more so I boxed some leftovers. I came back to my room on the U7 line to finally crash for the day as I had clocked 7.4 miles and 41 floors climbed for the day.

Night view of the Berlin Tower from my room

Day 4: Wednesday

Day 4 started like every day I had been in Berlin, cold, grey and rainy. Actually, rain had been replaced by snow but it wasn’t snowing heavily.

I started the day with a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausages, fruit and yogurt. I could easily get used to this lifestyle if I didn’t have to watch my weight and every bite I eat. So I took the U7 line from Hermannplatz towards Rathaus-Spandau and got off at Mehringdamm and changed to the U6 line towards U Alt Tegel to get off at U Kochstrabe Check Point Charlie station.

As my last trip to the spot had been in the dark, I walked around Check Point Charlie and checked out the museum across from it. Checkpoint Charlie was the crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War where at one point, Soviet and American tanks briefly faced each other during the The Berlin Crisis of 1961, the last major political/military incident in the Cold War. The checkpoint was the official crossing for foreigners and diplomats until German reunification in October of 1990.

A US Army soldier was standing at the station but I wasn’t too interested in getting a picture and there was no one there to take out picture actually even if I had wanted to.

I walked down the Niederkirchnerstraße street for a couple blocks to the Topography of Terror and spent some time walking around the ruins and then inside the information center. The Topography of Terror is located where once the main vein of the Third Reich was located. It was also the headquarters of the Gestapo, as well as the Reich Security Main Office. The Topography of Terror is an indoor and outdoor museum that documented the history of the rise of the Nazi regime to their fall.

It took me a while to go through the pictures and information and it wasn’t easy. Some of the pictures are graphic and my heart broke and tears were falling. I looked around to see that I wasn’t the only ones. There was hardly any dry eyed person and mood was somber. A word of caution for those with young children as the pictures are quite gory and depict executions, public shaming, and mass graves.

After the Topography of Terror, I walked down to Stresemann Street to PotsdamerPlatz. PotsdamerPlatz is an urban square with offices, stores and restaurants.

Potsdamer Platz

After a couple pictures, I continued straight on Ebertstrasse towards Tiergarten. There are several monuments and sculptures on the way to Tiergarten. Tiergarten is a serene park which gives the feeling of a forest and woods in midst of a bustling city. I decided to take a detour from the city streets and ventured into the park and its trail. It was wonderful to see a slice of nature in midst of the hustle bustle of the city. Like most places I was venturing out to in Berlin, Tiergarten was empty too and I loved my solitary walk. I only came across only two runners my while time in the park. I did wonder where the people were, but I think I may have been the only crazy walking miles and miles in freezing cold weather in rain and snow. But I think despite the rain and snow, I lucked out as it didn’t pour down and the mild drizzle felt good while walking.

Tiergarten

There are a few statues and sculptures in Tiergarten that one can look at. There is a beautiful Goethe statue in the park and I found it to be a beautiful walk along the trails.

The Holocaust Museum also known as the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe is right across from Tiergarten at the corner of Ebertstrasse and Hannah-Arendt Straße. It is a somber site with tomb like structures of different sizes lining and spanning a few blocks. The heaviness in my heart continued as I spent some time at the memorial. It was surreal walking through the concrete slabs of varying heights in a grid formation on a slope. Underneath the memorial is the Place of Information. I decided not to go to the place of information as I was an emotional wreck by this time.

I had to sit down and process my thoughts and wonder why us humans behave the way do and where humanity was going. My thoughts may have been too deep but it was my surroundings and I can’t imagine any human not being affected.

Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe

From the memorial I walked less than a couple blocks to Brandenburg Tor or Gate which is a beautiful gate like structure. The whole area is in the heart of Berlin and is part of the city center.

From Brandenburg Tor, it’s a short walk to the Republik Building also known as the Reichstag. I walked around the building and took several pictures, however I opted not to go inside and take the tour. Entry to Reischstag is free but one needs to make an online reservation a day in advance at least. Be prepared for long lines and security check to get in. You can go all the way up to the dome to take a tour.

From Reischstag I walked through Tiergarten back to Brandenburg Gate and walked through PariserPlatz on Unter den Linden to Friedrichstraße.

The whole street is lined with stores and beautiful old buildings which are now being used as embassies by different countries. You can continue to walk straight on Unter den Linden to Karl Liebknecht Street to Museum Island and Berliner Dom and Alexanderplatz.

The distance cannot be more than 1.5 mile. I turned right on Friedrichstraße to reach Französischer Street and decided to go to Gendarmenmarkt labeled as the “most beautiful square in Berlin”. As I had walked by the place at night a couple nights before, I decided to go by the Konzerthaus and Franz Dom and Deutscher Dom. I was excited to see a couple people in the area this time 🙂

img_9489-1 — Konzerthaus, Gendarmenmarkt Square

There are a couple shops where you can buy chocolate on Charlottenstraße near Gendarmenmarkt. I stopped by a small cafe on Friedrichstraße and got some hot chocolate as it was cold and drizzling.

After feeling warmed up, I decided to take Bus 147 from the corner of Französischer Street and Friedrichstraße to Berlin Ostabahnhof to visit the East Side gallery. The bus was a very convenient way to get to the East Side Gallery as the Wall starts at the corner of Berlin Ostabahnhof.

This section of the Berlin Wall is covered in murals painted by several artists. The wall spans for a mile or so and goes past the Mercedes-Benz complex and Mercedes-Benz arena.

At a point you can go up to the river and check out the Oberbaum Bridge.

Although I liked most of the murals painted, the most popular mural is the painting of Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker kissing and titled “ God save me from this deadly love”.

After walking and checking out all the murals, I backtracked on Mühlenstraße to Berlin Ostabahnhof and took Bus 147 back to Französischer Street and took the U6 back to Mehringdamm and changed to U7 to get to Hermannplatz and back to the hotel.

As it had been a long day, I got take out at the local Turkish restaurant Donyali and spent a quiet evening in my room. It had been another 6.5 miler day for me.

Day 5: Thursday

Day 5 started the same way as usual with a hearty breakfast. The day started with me first making a stop at Conrad Electronic Store at Hermannplatz for converters. With a combination of me speaking broken German and sign language, I managed to find a converter and left the store feeling accomplished. I took the U7 going towards Rathaus Spandau and got off at Gneisenaustraße where my son was staying in the dorms.

As he didn’t have any classes on Thursday, it was my day to spend with him and get him the items he needed. We took the U7 train to Rathaus Neokolln to go to Kaufland and bought groceries. My son needed to stock up on food and snacks and Kaufland turned out to be an amazing grocery store. It is located in a mall right across from the train station. We were also able to buy books, notebooks and other stationary supplies at McPaper in the same mall.

We finished our shopping and then took the U7 back to Gneisenaustraße and dumped the items in his room.After that we walked a few blocks down to a small store where we got the SIM card changed for the phone so he could use it. The deals for cell phones were cheap and my son got the 7gb data for a month.

With our work accomplished we decided to go to Potsdam, a small town outside of Berlin. I had the Welcome Berlin ABC Card so I didn’t have to buy a ticket for myself but we did get a ABC day pass for 7.70€ for my son. The easiest way to get to Potsdam was to go to Alexanderplatz and then taking the RE1 to Potsdam.

The train ride to Potsdam is around 45-50 mins and any RE1 line should take you to Potsdam. As we missed the Magdeburg train, we took the next one going to Brandenburg and got off at Potsdam Park. There are three stations for Potsdam and the first one actually takes you to Potsdam Scholss or Palace. As we wanted to walk in the park, we got off at the last station Park Sanssouci.

The trail walk to through the park to the Neues Palais (New Palace) and Potsdam Universitat is .8Km and the palace grounds and the university make for a beautiful site. We walked all the way to the Neues Palais and the University and then walked the trails for a while. The well maintained grounds and the uniformly pruned trees lining the trails made for a beautiful walk. As usual, like the rest of my trip we were alone on the grounds.

One can walk to Schloss Sansoucci and Orangerie Schloss, but we had decide to take the train to Schloss Sansoucci. We walked the grounds of the palace for a while and then walked through a different trail in the park back to the train station.

We took the train to Potsdam Hbf and got off for a quick walk to Schloss Sansoucci (Old Palace). As it was getting dark and we were almost out of time, we just took a couple pictures and then caught the train back to Berlin Bahnhof.

Potsdam Palace2 — Sansoucci Schloss, Potsdam

Potsdam Palace — Sansoucci Schloss, Potsdam

Once we got back to Berlin, we took the train to Mehringdamm and ate dinner at Curry 36. Curry 36 is right across from Mehringdamm station.

Curry 36 serves one of the best Currywurst and I chose the option of Currywurst with French fries. There was something magical about hot steaming on a cold rainy winter night. After a full tummy, we decided to crash and turn in for the night.

Currywurst, Curry 36, Mehringdamm, Berlin

Day 6: Friday

Day 6 was my last full day in Berlin and it was a free day. I hadn’t planned too much for the day as I had pretty much explored the whole city. After breakfast, I decided to check out Charlottenburg Palace and Olympia Stadion.

Those were the only two places I had left as they seemed further away from where I was staying in Kreuzberg. Anyway, I decided to check those off on my last day.

Directions were pretty straight forward to Charlottenburg Palace from my hotel. I took U7 from Hermannplatz to Richard-Wagner-Platz. The palace is around 10 minute walk from the station.

I toured the palace and its grounds and Schloss Charlottenburg is an opulent and massive structure again like the rest of the palaces I saw in Potsdam.

I walked back to the train station to make my way to Olympia Stadion. I took U7 going towards Grenzallee and got off at the next station BismarckStraße and transferred to U2 going towards Ruhleben. Olympia Stadion was only 5 stops away. I got off at the station to find that it was built exactly like the stadium and had several posters and photos on display to showcase the history of the stadium and the 1936 Olympic Games.

It was raining and fairly cold at this point, but again like before I found myself alone at the station and outside the station. The path to the stadium is around 1 km and goes through dense woods known as Olympia Park. I did get a tad bit spooked because I was alone and my antenna for personal safety did go up.

I debated not walking the lonely path and going back to the platform to take the train back and was tempted to do so, however I decided to make the walk.

Olympia Park

Coming so close and not seeing the stadium did not sit well with me. So I walked the wooded path and the large parking lot to the stadium. The stadium looms large and is a witness to several events in the history of Germany. I remained alone in the large span of the area and enjoyed the solitude.

After taking a few pictures, I made the lonely path to the station. Luckily, even though the path was lonely, there were a few people on the station and I felt a sense of comfort. I took the U2 train back to BismarckStraße and changed to U7 going towards Grenzallee.

As it was my last day in Berlin, I met up with my son in Gneisenaustraße and we decided to go to Pariser Platz and Brandenburg Tor to spend some time and eat early dinner. We took the train to Französischer Straße by taking U7 from Gneisenaustraße and changing to U6 from Mehringdamm.

By this time, I had learned the train system and was so used to the routes that it became fun to travel by trains. After browsing in a couple souvenir shops we ate dinner at Nanteck. The menu consisted of several German dishes and my son ordered the Fried Cod with Parsley Potatoes and I ordered the Crayfish Bisque with Rye Bread. The food was amazing and the service was good.

Nanteck, Berlin

After dinner, we walked a few blocks on Unter Den Linden to BebelPlatz, a square I hadn’t had a chance to visit. BebelPlatz is a square in the center of Berlin and is surrounded by St. Hedgwick’s Church , Humboldt University, and the Opera Building on each side. BebelPlatz is named after August Bebel, the founder of Social Democratic Party of Germany in the 19th Century.

Right in the square, visitors can look through a square of glass floor in the basement room, which is a memorial to the Nazi book burning by Micha Ullman.

From BebelPlatz, we walked a couple blocks to Friedrichstraße to U Französische Straße and took the train back to Hermannplatz. We decided to go Karlstradt Store to buy some items my son needed for his room.

Karlstradt is a huge store with multiple levels and carries everything from take out to clothes, shoes, linen, home goods, shoes etc. I did satisfy my love for boots by buying three pairs from my favorite brand. I got them for 30% off and could not believe the deal. If I had space in my little suitcase, I would have bought more!

Anyway, that ended my Berlin trip and I said goodbye to my son and returned to my room heartbroken that my baby was going to be staying so far away from me. I came back to my room to pack and crashed for the night as I had an early flight out of Berlin.

I was happy that I had a chance to explore Berlin and the city was everything I imagined it to be.

Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice

On December 26, 2018December 27, 2018 By Take a Chance On MeIn Travel4 Comments

Our Seven Day Journey Through Iceland

There is no place on Earth quite like Iceland with its dramatic and breathtaking landscapes. Also popularly known as “The Land of Fire and Ice” Iceland is home to some of the largest glaciers in Europe, and some of the world’s most active volcanoes. Iceland’s beautiful landscape features the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water in the most dramatic way.

: Snæfellsbær

Iceland is a progressive and peaceful nation where freedom and equality are the most valued. It ranks high among the countries for quality of life, gender equality, and is one of the oldest democracies in the world. It was a refreshing change to be in a country which did not find the need to defend itself with an army and where the law enforcement personnel do not carry firearms or believe in them.

Iceland is a country of extreme geological contrasts. Long summer days with near 24-hours of sunshine are balanced by short winter days with only a few hours of daylight. We decided to make the trip later in November as we were hoping to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. Sunrise is around 10am and sun sets around 4.00pm in November and that meant we would get around 6 hours of daylight to get our activities done, so we needed to plan our outings well. You don’t need a rocket scientist to tell you that it gets cold in Iceland as the first word in the country’s name starts with ice! It can get bitter cold in Iceland in November with temperatures in 30s and 40s if not lower and you can have wind, rain, snow and sunshine in a matter of minutes. In fact, a common quote by the locals is “if you don’t like the weather in Iceland, just wait for 5 mins”. So make sure you are equipped with a warm, water-proof jacket, shoes, caps and gloves as it can get cold and windy. Iceland is the third windiest place on earth and the first two are not inhabited by humans, so you get the point.

Below is a day by day narration of our week long trip. We didn’t rent a car because we were worried about the treacherous icy and snowy conditions and being stuck in wilderness. Only 20% of Iceland is inhabited after all. However, we lucked out on the weather and could have driven. Driving is similar to the USA on the right side of the road. Enjoy!

Day 1

We flew on Icelandic Air directly from San Francisco to Reykjavik. We arrived at Keflavik Airport fairly early in the morning around 6.45am. Immigration was a quick breeze at the airport and so was baggage claim and we were ready to head to our hotel right away. As Keflavik airport is around 47 kms from the city of Reykjavik, taking a bus to the city is a good option. Bus service such as Flybus or Airport Direct stop at most hotels and apartments so they are cheapest and most convenient method of transportation. Bus tickets can range around $18- $20 per person and it takes approximately 45 minutes from the airport to the city. Taxi service is available but extremely expensive and a ride from Keflavik airport to the city can be easily around $200-$240…ouch!

We chose to take Flybus as the counter is at the exit after baggage claim at Keflavik Airport. As we reached our apartment still fairly early, we were able to check-in early as the manager was kind enough to let us do that. The name of our apartment was Atlantic Apartments and it seemed a couple miles from the city center on a busy street named Gensavegur.

Atlantic Apartment, Grensásvegur 14, Reykjavík, Iceland

Phone: +354 588 0000

It was only 10am in the morning and the sun was just rising. We relaxed in our room for a bit and then walked around the neighborhood and spent time in the area. As it was a Sunday and sunrise was at 10 am, all cafes were closed so we went into a local gas station with a small restaurant called Olis and ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausages and bacon.

Jet lag took over after that and we slept for rest of the afternoon and went out for a walk in the neighborhood again and found the grocery store named Hagkaup and shopped for groceries.

Dinner was at a cute little restaurant named Le Kock which was decorated in punk style with excellent food. I chose the chicken option while the boys chose burgers.

Day 2

I had booked a couple tours on Wake Up Reykjavík as their tours were rated very high.

Wake Up Reykjavík, ID: 660218-2030

Phone: +354 7753555

info@wakeupreykjavik.com

www.wakeupreykjavik.com

The confirmation I received was from Sterna Travels for the Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon Tour at 10.00 am pick-up.

Sterna Travel / Iceland By Bus, ID: 690611-0310

Phone: +354 551 1166

info@sternatravel.com

http://www.sternatravel.com/

The Golden Circle Tour takes you through three main attractions. Our first stop was Thingvellir National Forest and the Silfra fissure. It’s the Eurasian fault that separates Europe and North America. We hiked through the fissures among giant rocks and lava fields. The vast land is dotted with lava rocks and lakes. There was a small waterfall at the end of the trail that I never got to because I was busy taking pics but the boys did. There is a gift shop and a small museum at the park that one can browse through.

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park

Our next stop was the Geothermal Area and Geysir. The whole area smells of sulphur and you can see steam bellowing from the ground. In some areas you can see giant pits with boiling water.

Haukadalur Geothermal Field

The main Geysir also known as Strokkur bursts every 5 minutes or so and is fun to see. After watching the geyser burst a couple times, we left to eat lunch at the cafe.

Strokkur

Strokkur

After lunch our next stop was Gulfoss Waterfall. Gulfoss is probably a mile or less from the geysers. Apart from Niagara Falls, I have never seen a waterfall that enormous and powerful. Gulfoss was beautiful with water cascading a couple levels before flowing into the canyon. We walked all the way up to the top tier of the waterfall. Be prepared for wet and slippery walkway and getting wet as the water spray gets you. Gulfoss was stunning as the sun was shining despite a cloudy and rainy forecast and there were rainbows dancing on the falls.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Our last stop at the end of the day was Secret Lagoon. It’s a natural hot water pool heated by hot springs and was perfect to dip in at the end of the day. You can rent out towels and swim suits etc. although we had gone prepared. Dipping in the hot water pool while it was freezing outside was an interesting experience. Some parts of the pool closer to the hot spring were very hot but the rest was comfortable and relaxing. A perfect end to the day for sure.

Secret Lagoon Hot Spring

We drove back to Reykjavik by 7 pm and luckily for us, due to the proximity of our hotel to the freeway, we were the first ones dropped off from the tour bus. For dinner we just walked close by to Dominoes Pizza place nearby.

Day 3

We had breakfast in the room as we had decided to spend the morning in the city. We took Bus #14 from Grensavegur to Downtown Reykjavik (The Pond). The bus took us through the residential areas of Reykjavik. All buses in Reykjavik take cash only and have free wi-fi. You need to have the correct change for tickets as drivers do not provide change. We got off at the pond and walked around, the swans in the pond were beautiful and not afraid of the humans and came close. I saw a lot of people feeding the birds so that may be the reason. We walked around the historical buildings and the downtown including the plaza where some sort of protest was happening.

Downtown Reykjavik

Our lunch was at the popular Hot Dog stands in the center of the downtown in a place called Holla Bator.

At noon we took the bus back to room as we were scheduled to go for the Icelandic Horse Riding Tour with Islenski Hesturinn.

Website: https://islenskihesturinn.is/

Icelandic Horses

The tour guide picked us up at our hotel exactly at 1.15 pm. The stables were half hour outside of Reykjavik and we were given a lesson in horse riding, safety procedures and then fitted with the gear. I learned about gaits and the difference between cantor and gallop and a new term called “Tolt”. Icelandic horses have a fast trot with a unique rhythm called Tolt. After being fitted with the gear we were introduced to the horses and assigned to our horses. I was assigned to a beautiful horse named Blessi Minn. He was a gentle, loving 18 year old horse who would rest his head on other horses behind every time we stopped. We were taken through the lava fields, hills and in some parts through 4 feet of water.

Íslenski Hesturinn Tour

After riding for around 3-4 miles, we came back to the stables. It was a fun sight to see the horses having their play time and rolling in the mud. Each of our horse was a gorgeous creature and their names were: Blessi Minn, Adam, Tvistur, Graamann.

After spending 3 hours or so at the stable, we returned to our room at 5.15 pm. That night we decided to have dinner in our room.

We had scheduled for the Northern Lights tour at 8 pm. The tour was booked on the Wake Up Reykjavik website and we were picked up sharp at 8pm from our hotel. The tour took us west to Reykjanes and we waited for over two hours but the night was too cloudy and we couldn’t see any lights. We drank hot chocolate and ate Icelandic donuts and waited but no lights were visible though as the sky was clouded. We finally gave up and returned to room at 12.00am

Day 4

We slept in until 8.30 and spent a relaxing day in Reykjavik downtown. We went shopping bought beanies and other items at 66 Degree North, blankets at Cintamani, souvenirs at Viking, Christmas Shops, Hard Rock Cafe, and the Icewear store. Shopping in Iceland can blow a hole in one’s budget easily as everything is expensive. You will find one of a kind items in winter wear at Cintamani, Canada Goose and 66 Degree North stores.

We decided to eat lunch at a classic Icelandic bistro and restaurant called Laekjarbrekka. It is housed in one of Reykjavik’s oldest buildings and makes for a very quaint setting.

Laekjarbrekka

Address: Bankastræti 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

https://www.laekjarbrekka.is/

We ordered fish and chips, fish stew with rye bread, fish of the day pan seared, and pulled lamb with mashed potatoes and veggies. The food was traditional Icelandic and amazingly delicious. We had an interesting experience at the restaurant as we were asked for permission to be filmed while dining as part of Iceland Air promotional video for 2019. The restaurant gave us fresh Icelandic donuts as a thank you. So look out for us in the video next year!!

Fish and Chips, Lækjarbrekka

Bread Basket, Lækjarbrekka

Pan Seared Trout, Lækjarbrekka

Fish Stew with Rye bread, Lækjarbrekka

Icelandic Donuts, Lækjarbrekka

We also visited vintage stores like Sputnik and strolled up and down lighted streets. We took the bus back to our hotel and stopped to do some grocery shopping at Hagkaup on our way back. We bought Krispy Crème donuts and groceries and had dinner in our room from a Chinese takeout place near by.

At 8.45 pm, the Saga Travel Iceland Tour picked us up for our retry tour for Northern lights on BusTravel Iceland. Make sure to call the tour company to set up a retry tour if you don’t get to see the northern lights on the first tour.

Saga Travel GeoIceland, ID: 421009-1040

Phone: +354 558 8888

sagatravel@sagatravel.is

www.sagatravel.is

We drove over an hour east from Reykjavik to Thingvellir National Forest and skies were clear in midst of the lava fields. We managed to see some northern lights in the quiet icy cold darkness under starry skies. The northern lights were not the flashy bright waves but a bright fluorescent green band that spread across the horizon and was visible in the dark. Although my husband had the camera set up on the tripod, I had downloaded the Northern Lights App on my iphone and was able to take pictures on the iphone. The tour guides are also knowledgeable and can guide you on the best camera settings to take pictures.

The tour gave us hot chocolate, donuts and I even tried some fermented shark which I liked much to the dismay of many people on the bus. We returned to our room at 1.15am satisfied and happy to have seen some northern lights.

Day 5

It was a long day of tour to Snæfellsness Peninsula on Grayline Tours.

The Gray Line Team

Email: iceland@grayline.is

Phone: +3545401313

Pick up was at 7.30 am so we were sleep deprived. Our tour took us west to Snæfellsness peninsula. As pick up was early at 7.30 and we had left at 8 am from the main bus terminal, we were able to rest for an hour or so before a coffee stop at Borgarnes, a small community on western Iceland.

After a quick coffee and croissant break, we were on our way. Our next stop as we drove among old lava fields was Snæfellsbær where we stopped at a rocky black pebble beach with lava rocks. It was interesting to see the black pebbles line the coast instead of a sandy beach. Views were stunning with the vast landscape all around.

Snæfellsbær

From the beach, our next stop was Arnarstapi, a small fishing village on the west coast. Here we went for a short hike along the picturesque coast to see coves and rocky beaches with stunning views of the mountains in the background. A rocky arch was a point for several pictures. Lunch was served in a small Icelandic cafe with an older nice woman manning the counter.

Arnarstapi Village

Gatklettur Cliff, Arnarstapi

Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss Statue

Arnarstapi Village

From Arnarstapi, we went to the Lava Caves Exploration where we were guided and taken to the lava tubes 150 feet below the ground via a steep spiral stairwell and were able to see lava beds, stalactites and stalagmites. We were taken to two caves but then explored a third cave on our own as we had a bit of extra time. It was thrilling to be in the cave all by myself without a guide and the darkness and quietness hits you. From the lava caves, we also got a stunning view of the Snæfellsjokull glacier in full glory under the bright sunlight. We were told multiple times how lucky we were as the glacier is supposed to be shy and usually hidden under the clouds. The weather was unusual for November for sure.

Vatnshellir Cave, Snæfellsbær

From the lava caves we were taken to the coast again to see a beautiful lighthouse as the group was split into two thanks to two tardy tourists on our tour who didn’t show up for a long time at Arnarstapi and the tour bus had to drive off without them. The guide stayed behind and managed to get them and a ride to the lava caves.. drama! So never be late!

I am not sure if the coast stop with the lighthouse was in the plans or not but it added to day and we ran late by an hour. After the lighthouse stop, we went to Djupalonssandur Black Beach and Dritvik which is a stunning black sand beach with the Snaefellnessjokull glacier in the backdrop. It’s a short hike to the beach amidst huge lava rocks and the beach is stunningly beautiful with fine black sand and rocky coast. On the beach there are big round stones which men were expected to lift and test their strength in the days of the fishing stations: Fully Strong 154 kg, Half-Strong 100 kg, Weakling 54 kg and Bungler 23 kg. Weakling meant that any man who couldn’t lift the stone was deemed unfit as a fisherman.

Djúpalónssandur Beach, Snæfellsnes Peninsula

After a short stop at the beach, we were driven to Gundarfarjobaer and the bus was able to find parking and stop at the stunning Mt. Kirkjufell. It is one of Iceland’s most popular mountains and makes for a breathtaking structure with striations and makes for a beautiful sight with a small waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss across from it. Although, it was getting dark we were able to see the sight and enjoy the short break.

Grundarfjörður

Mt. Kirkjufell, Grundarfjörður

Grundarfjörður

Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall, Grundarfjörður

After Kirkejo we took a short break at Gundarfojorur for coffee and food at a small rustic cafe. The cafe had wooden tables and couches for customers and musical instruments were kept with a play me sign. My son decided to play the guitar and the guitalele while we were in line to order food and waiting for it.

After the stop, we drove back to Reykjavik which was a long drive back of almost two hours and we reached at 8.30 pm instead of the scheduled 7pm. Luckily, we knew by now that due to the close proximity of our apartment to the freeway, we were always the first ones dropped off.

As all of us were tired and knew we had another long day on Friday, so we stayed in the room and ate a light dinner of yogurt and eggs and bread and the boys went out for their daily hotdog at Olis. Who could resist when the hot dogs looked like this?

Day 6

We were scheduled to visit the South Coast and Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon with Grayline Tours. Another long day was ahead of us and pick up was sharp at 7.30 am. In fact, we came down at 7.25 am and driver was already waiting for us.

We left the bus terminal in a bigger bus at 8 am and were asked to rest for an 1.5 hours until we got to a small community called Hvolsvöllur where we stopped for coffee and morning break.

From there we were driven to Seljalandsfoss waterfall. Seljalandsfoss waterfall is a stunning waterfall along Iceland’s southern coast and is fed by melting water from the famed glacier-capped Eyjafjallajokull volcano. This powerful waterfall cascades into a pretty meadow and one can walk to waterfall. There is a walkway behind the falls so you can get up close the water. Be prepared to get cold and wet near the falls as it is misty and you can feel the spray of water on you.

Seljalandsfoss

Take the path to the right to the waterfall as it’s an easier trek to the water and less rocky than path to the left. Beware that the path is rocky and slippery due to the wet conditions.

We were able to see Eyjafjallajokull or A15 and heard about the havoc caused when it erupted in 2010. The eruption caused all air travel from Europe to the American continent as the ash cloud went over Europe due to the winds. It was interesting to hear not just about the lava and smoke damage but also the glacial floods as all the active volcanoes in Iceland are ice capped with glaciers. The flood damage in such an event is unimaginable. The volcano Katya is expected to erupt anytime as historically it’s eruption has followed A15 eruption. We were educated about the nearby 600 household community in the area and the evacuation plan in case of an eruption and glacial flood. The people in the town practice running up the hill to keep themselves fit so they can run up the hill in case of a glacial flood occurring.

Eyjafjallajokull Volcano

We stopped at a Falls which is right below the volcano. From Seljalandsfoss, we drove to another stunning waterfall named Skógafoss on Skógá River . The sheer intensity of the falls and the drop even though it’s a short drop makes for a stunning sight. The stream flowing from the waterfall is clear and we even took gulps of water from it. The whole area with the beautiful mountains, birds, the rainbows as the sun was shining and reflecting off the mist was beautiful. There is a pathway one can climb up to the overlook at the top of falls with 436 steps, however there is no view of the waterfall as one climbs up and you cannot see the whole of the falls from the top although one does get a bird’s eye view of the whole area.

Skógafoss Waterfall

The whole south coast and the two falls were part of several James Bond movies, Bollywood movies, Game of thrones TV shows etc.

South Coast, Iceland

From Skógafoss, we drove approximately 20 minutes to a small ocean front village named Vik for lunch at a small mall. After a lunch of spicy pasta and soup at the lava cafe, I took a short walk to the beach which was again stunning due to the black volcanic sand and rocks. The mall has an Icewear store where one can buy souvenirs or warm clothing. I decide to take a short walk to the black sand beach with stunning views.

Reynisfjara

Vik, Iceland

After lunch was a long drive of 2 hours 20 minutes to our next destination, Jökulsárlón Glacial lagoon. The whole south coast was full of stunning sights with glaciers one after the other. The biggest glacier in Iceland or the whole of Europe, Vatnajokull has over 30 outlet glaciers and line the landscape. This is a view that needs to be seen and enjoyed by naked eyes and cannot be captured on a camera.

After what seemed like a long drive, we reached the glacial lagoon. It’s amazing sight with blocks of ice floating in the water. The glassy white blocks of ice along with a beautiful blue give the lake an ethereal look. The icebergs break off from the glacier and have made a lake as they melt. Considered to be the deepest lake in Iceland at over 300 mts deep, Jökulsárlón is stunning and a must see on an Iceland trip. The glacier was supposed to have reached the ocean half a mile from the lagoon and then receded. But the water from the melted glacier flowed into the ocean. The lake would not freeze because the tide would bring the ocean water inside. The icebergs floated in the water slowly as they went into the sea. The tide would also bring in sea animals such as seals into the lagoon.

Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Vatnajökull National Park

The glacial lagoon with the glacier in the backdrop along with snowcapped mountains was a sight to behold and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Vatnajökull National Park

After a long stop at the lagoon, we drove a few blocks from the lagoon to the black sand beach also known as the black diamond beach. The Black Diamond Beach is a black sand beach belonging to the greater Breiðamerkursandur glacial plain, located by Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon. The beach is covered with ice blocks and pieces of ice as the water from the lagoon brought the icebergs into the Atlantic ocean and the waves crashed them and broke them and they floated back to the beach. It’s a natures wonder for sure and I was happy I was able to make it.

Black Diamond Beach

We started the long 5 hour drive back to Reykjavik after the beach. We did make a stop at the same mall for dinner at Vik again on our way back. This time the Lava cafe was closed so we ate at the cafe in the Icewear store. After dinner was a non-stop 2 hours drive back to Reykjavik and we reached our apartment at 10.30 pm tired and happy to have done not one but two long days of touring where we covered a huge part of the country.

After coming back to the room, the boys as usual went to Olis market for a hot dog and coffee while I packed up all our stuff for our trip back home on Saturday.

Day 7

We slept in unlike our other days and woke up around 8am and felt rested. After breakfast in the room, packing and cleaning up, we decided to spend the day in Reykjavik as the boys wanted to spend time in the city center. This time we decided to forego the usual Bus #14 and took a taxi cab to the city center to save time. The drive took a quick 7 minutes and $30 but the cab driver took us to the flea market in the center of downtown Reykjavik.

The flea market called Kolaportið was a quaint market with locals from all over Iceland coming in with their goods to sell from jewelry to woolen goods. I ended up buying a woolen cap for myself and my son got a sweater for himself made out of Icelandic wool and the prices were better than the commercial shops we had visited. We walked around and shopped for trinkets and souvenirs to take back. Downtown looked festive as it was decorated for Christmas with lights and bells everywhere.

Reykjavik City Center

After spending a few hours, we came back to our apartment to pick up our luggage and waited for our ride to the airport. Keflavik airport is very technologically advanced as travelers are expected to not just self- check but print the luggage tags and out on their luggage. Travelers are expected to scan their own boarding passes to go through to the bag drop area. Bag drop is automated with travelers having to scan their luggage tags and putting the luggage on the conveyor belt.

Food is expensive and poor choice of food at Keflavík airport. Immigration is fast but the gate areas can be very crowded. Iceland Air does not board by zones but by first come first serve basis so lines can become very long and chaotic.

Tips:

Iceland is very connected with free wi-fi everywhere on public transportation and tour buses. Every store and restaurant offers free wi-fi also.
Tour buses are very comfortable and have great seating with USB connections to charge or plug-in to charge so carry your chargers with you.
Alcohol is not available at all stores and is carried by Vinbudin only. But it’s EXPENSIVE! So buy for consumption during your stay if you have to. If you plan to buy to take out of the country, the duty free shop at Keflavík airport sells the same alcohol at 1/2 the price.
Food is expensive in Iceland, especially eating out. A simple meal of burgers and hot dogs can cost anywhere between $15-$25 per person. You can easily spend $100 for a meal for 4 people in Iceland. So buying food at the grocery stores such as Hagkaup and cooking breakfast and other meals in the room if possible is a good optiom. We stocked up our fridge with bread, eggs, lots of yogurt etc. Krispy Creme is also available in Hagkaup.
Food is good even at N1 and Olis Markets which would be similar to 711 in the US.
Please make sure to get the tax-free receipt from the stores if you shop for more than 6000 Krona. At the time of departure at Keflavík airport, make sure to go the tax refund section before check in and submit the paperwork. You will get 14% refunded back on the credit card. They do require you to fill out each receipt with all your information including passport number and credit card number. Please remember, if your refund crosses 150,000 krona then you are required to have the items ready to be shown to the tax officer.
No food allowed to be eaten on tour buses and no drinks allowed.
In the hindsight, we could have used two days to explore the south coast of Iceland and stayed in Vik or even at Jokulsarlon. It would have given us a chance to hike Vatnajokull glacier, visit the ice cave and other surrounding areas.

Sun Kissed Trails: Alamere Falls

On July 27, 2018July 29, 2018 By Take a Chance On MeIn Travel2 Comments

I love nature, I crave for it and I am the happiest in natural surroundings. So, it is not surprising that I look for nature trails for running and hiking every place I visit. I have been hiking for a while now and I have never blogged about my hikes, but my recent hike inspired me to write about it. My friend and I decided to do the Alamere Falls Hike in the Pt. Reyes National Seashore region. I had heard about this scenic hike to the tidefall and I wanted to see the spot where the waterfall tumbled on to the beach creating a beautiful sight. It had been on my bucket list since then and I had been yearning to go.

I researched online and looked up all the information on the trails and the hike and finally came up with a plan. The most tricky part of this hike was that it needed to be timed with tide timings as the high tide doesn’t allow for any space on the beach. This hike is also supposed to be extremely popular so we decided to go early which meant a 4.15am start from home as the drive was close to 2.5 hours for us.

There are three trailheads that one can hike from to get to the falls, however we chose to do the most scenic and the longest hike from the Palomarin Trailhead. The trailhead is a little tricky to get to as it is in the little town of Bolinas off of Hwy 1. It is well known that the residents of Bolinas love their privacy and steal the street signs and markings so they can hide from the tourists. The road to get to Bolinas itself is unmarked and can be easily missed and we drove a few miles before realizing we had missed it. So read the directions carefully and print them out or take screenshots as we had done. There is no reception past Stinson Beach and that adds to the challenge. Eventually, we did make it to Palomarin Trailhead. Please be aware that the last mile to the trailhead is an unpaved, dirt path full of potholes etc. so drive slowly. Despite the 4.15 am start, we reached the trailhead at 6.50am and luckily we were the second car to park at the trailhead. After a quick restroom break, we were off on the Coast Trail to Alamere Falls.

The trail starts off with a beautiful wooded path which goes through tall eucalyptus trees before opening to wide views of the coast and sheer cliffs.

At about 0.2 miles, stay on the right side of the path on the Coast Trail.

The trail meanders along the coast and goes through a pine forest, beautiful firs and cypress tree tunnels which make for a scenic trail.

The lush greenery with sweeping views of the hills on one side and the ocean on the other side make for some breathtaking views.

You can also see the fog rolling in the early morning hours. Due to our early start time, the trails were empty and we were able to soak in the nature and its beauty.

The trail goes past a couple wooden bridges over creeks and a couple ponds.

As you continue on the trail, you reach a junction and stay on the Coast Trail.

Continue on the Coast Trail and you will reach Bass Lake at approximately 2.8 miles. There is a small trail that does go to the lake, but we decided not to go there as we were keen to get to the falls before the crowd came in.

So we continued on the Coast trail going past another lake named Pelican lake towards the falls.

All my readings on the hike had mentioned that the longer route on Coast Trail to Wildcat Camp and then the 1 mile beach walk to the falls was safer, but there was plenty of information on the “shorter unmarked trail” which led to a steep incline to the top of the falls. Every post I had read on the so called shortcut talked about the safety risk of the steep incline and tried to deter the reader from taking it. However, for me sometimes the thrill and excitement overrides common sense and in this case the safer, longer path. I know patience is a virtue and I will be the first to admit that when it comes to adventures like these, I usually opt for the path less chosen. So here I was monitoring every gap and crack in the bushes to find the somewhat hidden trail leading to the falls. The narrow unmarked trail was actually very easy to find as someone had marked the trail with an arrow made of pebbles and small rocks.

No other signs were needed and we immediately tuned left. The narrow trail gave way to a nice wide trail in some areas, tree canopies and some areas where one had to walk in a single file.

The trail also led to some sweeping views of the lush green hills before reaching a cliff side with views of the top of the falls and the beach below.

The incline is steep to get to the top of the falls and the path is narrow for one person only. The incline is steep but not as rocky and one can hold on to the rocks on the side for support.

There are two paths to go down and the path on the left is steeper and narrower than the one on the right. One may find themselves sitting and scooting down on their bottom to get down. The first climb gets you to the top of the main waterfall and there are three tiers as the water drops down the hill side.

You will find that each tier has created a small lagoon and you can take a dip in the water.

Alamere-Falls-Hike-17_thumb

The water then flows down the cliff side to drop 40 feet to the beach. I even took my shoes off to dip my feet in the refreshingly cold water and after spending some time at the top and taking a food break, we started the descent down to the beach through the rocky incline.

Every word I had read warning about the dangerous climb down was true. The path to the beach is steep with loose gravel and rocks. You have to take care to make sure that the rocks you hold on to for support on the sides are sturdy and don’t give away under your hand and each step you take is steady. The loose gravel makes the downward climb dangerous as it is slippery.

My heavy backpack made the climb down a little challenging and so I decided to take it off and just slide it in front of me. The narrow path allows for only one person to go though so be prepared to wait in awkward spots and angles for faster people to get through. Slowly and steadily we made it down to the beach to a gorgeous sight. The water cascades down a 40 ft wall to the beach.

We had plenty of opportunity to take pictures and enjoy ourselves. The fog had given way to the sun and after spending some time on the beach, we decided to climb up the incline.

Taking the backpack off made the climb going up easier than the one coming down although arm strength is needed to pull oneself up. I came home to find my palms scratched up due to holding the rocks on the sides.

We back tracked the same Coast trail back happy to have made down to the falls and felt accomplished. As we walked back, we came across a continuous stream of hikers heading to the falls and considered ourselves lucky to have done the falls before the crowd got there. I shudder to think how we could have climbed down the steep incline amidst the crowd. By the time we made it to the car, the fog was rolling in again and we had completed 12.6 miles and 27,169 steps for me. As we got out of the parking lot, we realized that there were cars on both sides of the mile long dirt path making for some tricky driving and I felt relieved when we got on to the asphalt.

Tips:

Check weather and tide timings before the hike as high tide will make it impossible to reach the beach.
Wear protective gear as the trails are covered with stinging nettle and poison oak.
Download and print all trail maps and directions as there is no reception after Stinson Beach.
It may be a good idea to put your phone in airplane mode so that the battery does not run out.
Take plenty of water and food. I took 2.5 liters and went through almost 2 liters.
There is no restroom on the trail except the Palomarin Trailhead.
The hike can be strenuous because of it’s sheer length
Make sure to wear hiking shoes with treads to go down the steep incline. I would rate the difficulty of the incline as a 7 on a 10 scale.
Enjoy the hike of course!! Take lots of pictures too 🙂

A Tribute to Bourdain: Shakshouka

On June 11, 2018June 11, 2018 By Take a Chance On MeIn Food6 Comments

Shakshouka

This post is a tribute to Anthony Bourdain who was such an integral part of our lives for the last decade or more. In my family of four where no one ever agrees on the TV shows or movies to watch, we are always unanimous in our vote for Bourdain’s shows. Because of his shows, both my boys have grown up with an open mind for food and experimentation. Where parents would be trying to cater to picky kids to eat, I would be reminding my kids to make sure it was food and they weren’t allergic to it. My kids epitomize “No Reservations” just the way Anthony Bourdain dreamed of.

I was also exposed to a Tagine by Anthony Bourdain when he covered the food from Morocco on one of his shows almost a decade ago. I was fascinated by the clay pot with a dome shaped lid that the food was cooked in. I soon found one and now I can’t seem to have enough.

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The Tagine is a Maghrebi dish named after the clay pot it is cooked in and is usually a slow-cooked stew made with meats, poultry or fish, vegetables, spices with a base of onions and garlic.

I first heard about Shashouka from Anthony Bourdain on one of his shows featured on the Middle East. The origin of Shakshouka is North-African, but the dish is quite popular in the Middle East and Israel. Although traditionally eaten for breakfast or brunch, it is a hearty dish that can be easily eaten as a meal with a crusty bread and side salad. The easiest way to cook Shakshouka would be in a cast-iron skillet on the stove, but I prefer to cook it in a Tagine because Bourdain opened up my world of food and how it is cooked. I love the earthy taste that the clay pot gives to the dish.

A vegetarian version of the dish can be made by substituting the eggs with chickpeas. The chickpeas can be added along with the tomatoes and spices and simmered. Kalamata olives may be added to this version if preferred.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 (14-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with juices, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, as per taste
Sugar, a pinch as per taste
1-2 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (as per taste)
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Chopped parsley, for serving
Crusty bread

VEGETARIAN VERSION

1 can (15 oz) Chickpeas, drained
4-5 Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved

PREPARATION

Heat oil in a large skillet or a tagine over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 mins until browned.

IMG_0161 (1)

Add onion and bell pepper. Cover the skillet or tagine and cook gently until very soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Pour in tomatoes and season salt, sugar, cumin, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

Simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes.

Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes and sprinkle Parmesan cheese making sure to leave egg yolk exposed.

Cover tagine with the lid and cook until eggs are poached well.

Sprinkle with cilantro and parsley.
Serve with any crusty bread.

Tip:

If cooking in a skillet, pre-heat oven to 375F and if desired, transfer skillet to oven. Bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes.
If preferred, crumbled feta cheese can be substituted for parmesan cheese
You can skip the cheese and add olives or artichokes to the dish.

Food Saga: Dak Bungalow Curry

On June 3, 2018April 19, 2019 By Take a Chance On MeIn FoodLeave a comment

Dak Bungalow Curry

This dish is for all the Indian food lovers with the combination of rich history and legacy and of course spice and everything nice. I first tasted this dish exactly thirty years ago when I was attending a camp at the Leslie Sawhney Center in Deolali as a college student.

“Dak” was a system of mail delivery. Dak bungalows or a dak-houses were post house buildings established in the 1840s. They were situated along the main roads and served as the staging posts for mail by the Imperial mail service in British India under Company Rule and the Raj. They were also used by British officials and some travelers as lodging and were also called serais.

British_family_in_India_in_front_of_their_house_in_1875 — Picture of a British Family in front of a Dak Bungalow from the Web.

Travelers used to take rest or halt for a night in these houses and the Khansamah (attendant) of these bungalows cooked meat dishes and eggs for guests who hadn’t brought their own cooks along. The recipe for this dish has been handed down by caretakers and cooked in Anglo-Indian households even today.

This dish can be cooked with poultry or meats and my version is using lamb or mutton.

For the Marinade:

Mutton/Lamb bone in Meat – 1Kg
Yoghurt – ¾ cup
Ginger Garlic Paste – 6 tablespoons
Red Chili Powder – 2 teaspoons
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – 2 teaspoons
Turmeric Powder – 1 teaspoon
Mustard Oil – 4 tablespoons

Masala or Spice Mix: Dry roast and grind

Cinnamon stick 1″ long – 2 pieces
Green Cardamom – 3 to 4
Black Cardamom – 1
Blade of Mace Or Javitri – 2
Nutmeg Powder – 1 teaspoon
Cumin Seeds – 1 tablespoon
Coriander Seeds – 2 tablespoon
Whole Red Chili – 4 or per taste
Whole Black Peppercorn – 8-10

Other Ingredients:

Mustard Oil – 3 tablespoons
Vegetable Oil- 2 tablespoons
Masala/ Spice Mix powder
Methi/Fenugreek Seeds – 1 teaspoon
Bay Leaf – 2 large
Onion sliced – 2 cups
Tomato, sliced – 3 large
Potatoes, cubed large- 2
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix the meat well with the yogurt, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder & mustard oil. Marinade for 6–8 hours.

Prick the skin of the boiled eggs to prevent it from bursting while frying. And then marinate the boiled eggs and potatoes with salt, chili powder and turmeric powder. Heat mustard oil in a thick bottomed pan and separately fry the eggs and potatoes till golden brown.

To the same oil, add fenugreek seeds and bay leaves. When they start to splutter, add onions and fry till golden brown.

Add ginger, garlic and cook for a minute or two, stirring occasionally.
Now add sliced tomatoes and cook for 5-6 more minutes, till the tomatoes begin to soften and get slightly pulpy.
Add the masala/spice mix and fry for a couple minutes.
Add marinated meat and stir to evenly coat the pieces with the sauce. Cover the pan for a few minutes. Then take the lid off and fry on medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir as you go along. If the masala starts getting stuck at the bottom, add a little water and keep frying.
Add the fried potatoes to the pan and enough water to just cover the meat and the potatoes. Cover the pan, lower the heat and let this continue to cook for 20–30 minutes or till the meat is soft and tender and the potatoes are cooked.
Add the fried boiled eggs now. Simmer for a few more minutes. Serve with roti/paratha or plain steamed Basmati Rice and a Salad.

Dealing with Dementia

On December 29, 2017January 3, 2018 By Take a Chance On MeIn LifeLeave a comment

So I am bringing my blog out of hibernation. It’s been four months since my last post and there are no excuses of course. I love to write so there shouldn’t be an excuse but life happens and sometimes things just get in the way. The topic I decided to write in this post was suggested by a dear friend. It’s a hard topic and tough and as brutal as it gets. It’s about dementia. Dementia is not unknown to me as I have worked in skilled nursing facilities for over a decade. Most of my elderly patients suffered from dementia due to Alzheimer’s or other conditions. Repeating answers and responding to the same questions over and over again became second nature. Patience took on a new definition and one had to develop truckloads of it. However, when I was working in skilled nursing facilities, I never once imagined that I would be caring for a loved one in the same situation one day.

In the past two years, we have been caring for my 83 year old mother in-law who is showing signs of dementia. At first, the signs were subtle and fuzzy and we weren’t sure but soon things started spiraling down. It has been tough to cope with the situation especially knowing the person who is affected with it. My mother in-law is a feisty woman and has always been. The only word that comes to mind is a firecracker. She is a singer cum lawyer cum social activist cum author. She was a singer and would have loved to make a career out of it but her family’s financial circumstances led her to take on a job. She completed high school, her bachelor’s degree and her law degree after she got married as she balanced her family life with kids, work and other commitments.

After taking an early retirement from her job, she founded an organization for women 35 years ago and has been instrumental in providing education, legal aid, shelter and vocational training to women and the girl child. I have never known anyone who would travel hundreds of miles to barge into a stranger’s home and rescue a woman out. It takes immense amount of guts to stand up to abusive men in a patriarchal society and she just does it. When most people would run the other way saying “it is none of our business”, my mother in-law would make it hers. She has not earned a single dime for all her efforts and in fact has put all her retirement money into this cause.

So when the first signs of dementia started cropping up, we were in denial and started sweeping it under the rug but very soon that wasn’t possible. Today we find ourselves repeating and answering the same questions again and again and if that is all we do, we call it a “normal” day. Now don’t get me wrong or get the idea that this post is going to be a narration of a dismal state. In fact quite the contrary, as we have found humor in situations where there was none and have found ourselves laughing more than ever.

The dementia has led to some interesting episodes and even my mother in-law has had a good laugh about some of them. She is now fixated with everything in the kitchen from cooking to dish washing and wants to feed everyone. For instance one evening after I had finished cooking dinner, she chopped up 6 onions for no apparent reason and we had to make sure we cooked foods accordingly for the next few days to use up the ton of chopped onions. The urge to chop onions didn’t end there as we found her with more onions ready to be chopped the next day morning before the morning tea was even brewed. My husband made a mad scramble to save the onions from sure death but those poor onions were doomed as they got chopped while he was in the shower. Chopped onions were followed by dough being kneaded in a sudden need to make a lot of bread and I think by the time the obsession ended we had enough chopped onions and had made dough to feed the entire neighborhood.

Then there was a time when she insisted on cooking my husband’s favorite foods only to find that she had completely forgotten her own plan and ended up repeating the previous day’s menu. She still had the smarts to slyly state that she wanted to compare her cooking to mine and see which one was better. Or when she asked me to eat dinner and I reminded her I don’t eat dinner and she came back with a retort saying “I know you don’t and there is none left for you as I finished it all”.

December started with a period of two weeks when she thought it was my birthday every day. My birthday went by in October, so the first couple days we corrected her but it didn’t faze her. She was intent on celebrating it and so we decided to celebrate. Why would I fight a celebration and disappoint her and so we did again and again for exactly 12 days before she moved on to other things. I think I am done celebrating my birthdays until I am 60 years old! Just pretending it was my birthday everyday was fun and I am overwhelmed that she cared enough for me as her daughter in-law to have wanted to celebrate. The happiness she felt was contagious enough for me to feel special.

She has also become the plate police in the house as no orphan plate, bowl or glass can be left as is. It will find its place in the dishwasher right away regardless whether it is clean or not. This fixation has led to the dishwasher being opened while it was still running to it being unloaded while still dirty. The household has now been gifted with this priceless sign for everyone to read and even the teenagers don’t need extra cues to clean up!

Snapseed

Dealing with dementia has been a learning experience for me for sure. For starters I have finally learned to use the remotes to operate the television. My mother in-law spends her days watching the TV shows and invariably presses the random buttons and shuts off the TV, sometimes as many as five times in a half-hour episode. So now I am running up the flight of stairs to her bedroom as soon as she calls and getting my steps in so that I can get it started lest she miss the climax in her show. For a person who doesn’t watch TV, I had never bothered to learn how to turn it on and trying to get her serial back on while she was missing her favorite episode was stressful. It was like a blind leading a blind so finally I had to educate myself in the art of turning the TV on. Those who know me well know that it is a very big accomplishment for me.

There are several roller coaster moments throughout the day and even though we have the scary moments that shake us, we have found that humor has made it easier to handle. Sometimes she worries us by not eating and then some days she can enjoy two dinners followed by dessert each time. Who else can belt out a song in the middle of a party and not even feel an ounce of inhibition and how can one not enjoy the moment? Or how can I not enjoy the moment when she sings just for me while I work or join her in singing some of my favorite melodies and who else would give a bathroom singer like me the applause I get? So for now we are making the best of the moments and making memories and not worrying too much for what the future holds..