Weekend at Wales! 19-21 Aug 2011

A surprise weekend at Cardiff , South Wales. The drive from London to Cardiff has to have a coffee break, else Bapi M 's car will not move! J However we end up with coffee and a happy KFC break. Second Severn Crossing , bridge over River Severn , reminds me of Bandra Sea Link, can't help but see a bit of Bombay wherever i go ! Croeso to Caerdydd aka Welcome to Cardiff! Welsh sure is a bhery phunny language , humare baas ke bahar. The way they pronounce and write , is perplexing.... Celtic languages ke kya kehne, i say !

Arrive at the Novotel , check in , grab a city map and off we are for a drive through town towards Mermaid Quay, overlooking the Cardiff Bay . A stop at Wales Millennium Centre, locally called "The Armadillo". The theatre has 'Swan Lake' playing , wish we could have watched it ! However it does not stop us from having a cuppa coffee and browsing the shops! It sure is a proper art centre , giving Cardiff a complete Cultural high! Then a walk across the Roald Dahl Pass to get to the quay!

Mermaid Quay , the atmosphere is here! Buzzing with activity ! Perfect ! Cardiff comes here to party!

We are welcomed on the waterfront by the statue of Ivor Novello , composer , actor , and a whole lot more, who watches the people swing on the Twister , some ride this is ! Various sculptures adorn the length of the Bay. The sunset is a perfect backdrop to the entire Quay ! Its a place to relax , to party , to shake a leg ..... ideal evening getaway! We have a drink , soak in the energy ! Enjoy a meal, which takes us forever to decide coz of the multiple choices of restaurants, and browse through some of the shops! A delightful evening bids good night, not before we shake a leg to the band thats playing at the front.

Saturday morning, we head straight to the fitness Centre .... Swim, Sauna,Jacuzzi .... the day is all set to begin! Its hearty breakfast at the City Centre, with the entire milieu filled with a flamboyant look of Red & the sporadic green colour! Its a football match between Wales & Argentina, with the Home team all geared up for a Victory & the Fans all set for Celebrations!

While the Wales supporters move towards the Millennium Stadium, we walk. Walking through the high street area, we sample some local wines, walk towards River Taff, giving Cardiff Castle a miss, since we are short of time. We walk through Animal Gate, part of the castle while admiring the Castle's ornate Clock Tower, to the Bute Gardens. Make a stopover at The Old Library, the cute pub for a drink and watch Wales win the match. Walking back towards the car, we have to stand in a corner allowing the throngs of happy, boisterous crowd leave the stadium, to either go home or celebrate at the pubs with mugs of Beer! Evening we relax at the hotel and I drink the most Divine Mojito & Irish Coffee ... full credit to the Bartender, sahi drink after a long time !:-)

Sunday begin with an early check out, a drive around the city towards Barry Island. Less than an hour and we are at this small but quaint sandy beach island!Its reverberating with activity , the kids on the pleasure park, families chilling out at the beach , swimming , the works, activity all around ! A scenic walk from the main area to one of the tips of this island , to watch the beach from the opposite side has its own beauty! And is interesting to bump into various groups of Indian tourist , who i would presume have come from London and a few from India. We had half a mind of sitting down with a group of them who had opened up their picnic petara with all kind of desi goodies!

But there was no ways one was killing ones appetite coz we had driven all the way here to sample & pig out at Boofy's for the bestest tastiest ever, Fish & Chips with mushy peas! Yummmmmm ...... absolute and pure happiness!

Now we can exultantly head back to London !

Last Destination, Macau, before we head home on 15th April !

Macau , The Las Vegas of the East !

 

Having been to Las Vegas and done rounds of the Strip , this was a baby in comparison , however a baby which sure had a lot to exhibit , a child willing to give Las Vegas a run for the money .... mayb !

 

This in a way was the optimal last stop. The Venetian , with its splendor , helped us totally chill & get over our 10 day rollercoaster trip ! Just being at The Venetian , was like a city by itself and we managed to get the best out of this property . Totally caters to the Indian tourist , considering about 70 % were Asians! The most sumptuous buffet was here , we totally pigged out & it even had a special counter for Desi food ...... Maa ki Daal, Meat Curry , Rasam ... and more..... :-)

 

The visit across Macau aka City tour, was interesting and I totally enjoyed being at the old Macau area , where the Portugese influence is larger than life , thrown in with the Chinese culture ..... interesting blend ! The Lady Buddha , with her larger than life scultpure in the water front is beautiful & loved the Kwam Yam Temple !

 

Shopping at old Macau while walking around and some at the Venetian's extensive shopping with all the local and designers under one roof , is tempting and how !!! Not to miss out the Casino .... sighhhhh ..... I so need a credit card with no Limit !!!!

 

Another super trip , and time to say Zia Jian aka Goodbye , to our China trip ...... till we meet again , ofcourse !

 

Loads to do at Macau , including checking out the Ice world & we would have also loved to have seen , Zaia a show by Cirque de Soleil , if we only had the time !

 

Time now , to plan my next trip to .................................. ????!!!!!???? hummmmm

 

 

 

--
Say no to paper, save a Tree!

travelogue happens only with Serious about Sabbatical!!!
http://ritasvita.blogspot.com/
Your own Experience will Reveal the most refreshing Wisdom!
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10-13th Apr, Hong Kong Spontaneity !

Onwards to HKG ,experiencing a zippping ride on the magnetic train at Shangai. One minute we are at the station , blink a couple of times , and we are at the Shangai airport .... sahi travel this was! :-)

 

Three days in HKG zip by . The Park , situated at Cameroon Road, Kowloon,was ideally located . On the main shopping area ( the huzzle and buzzle reminded us of Sagr Mansion!! :-) , with McDonalds and some good Indian restuarants next door and 5 mins walk for the subway .... just 2 stops away from LKF or Mong Tok .

 

An evening at Lan Kwai Fong, the Nightlife hub of this city , with Sangeeta and Ayush taking us through the lanes of this LKF, including the spotting of a Hard Rock cafe , which shall be open on our next trip to HKG for sure ! Major shopping at Ladies Market and Jade Market at Mong Tok and we did give the much talked about Stanley market , the miss!

 

A day which went at Ocean park , which the kids enjoyed , while we enjoyed a few rides , just enjoying the sunny weather. And the next day , which slipped by driving past the usual touristy visits of Madame Tussads, Victoria Harbour, Golden Bauhinia Square, Repulse bay ans the usuals !  Wish we had gone to the Peak & The Giant Buddha , would have been ideal !

 

Some Sea food at Lei Yue Mun , and Dimsum at some local places, too ! Next time , it has to be a minimum one week !

 

Highlight :

Dinner with Sangeeta at her home with the boys . The perfect and tastiest Indian meal after so many days was heaven itself ! Not to forget the dal and Chawal from Hotel Sangeet next to McDonalds!

 

And forget Shanghai , if Bombay can just match being like HKG , it would be worth the while , since so many parts of HKG reminded us of Bombay !

 

 

 

 

 

 

--
Say no to paper, save a Tree!

travelogue happens only with Serious about Sabbatical!!!
http://ritasvita.blogspot.com/
Your own Experience will Reveal the most refreshing Wisdom!
http://anytimewisdom.blogspot.com/

9th Apr, Atlast some Shopping !!!

Day begins with us visiting the Jade Buddha Temple. A temple which houses Multiple Buddha Statues & is definitely one of the most interesting Buddha temples of this region! The main two Jade statues are the sitting Buddha & Reclining . Interestingly , the temple now contains a much larger reclining Buddha, which is mistaken as the original by most. Apart from this, the main attraction are the golden statues representing, Buddha , Amitabha & Bhaisajyaguru ..... also representing , the past , present & future! The large golden statue of Guanyin , with Shan Cai & sculptures representing the 53 teachers of his life , are truly astounding !

The fluttering of the Red ribbons with wishes written on them & the Red lanterns swaying in perfect rhythm to the breeze , gives this entire place a tranquil festive feel !

The gift shop is a definite visit & if you don't buy some curios , you will end up buying some Chinese tea , which have medicinal qualities! J

Next is the beautiful & lavish , Yuyuan Garden ( meaning Peace & Health)  ,created by Pan Yunduan in 1559, who spent almost 20 years building this garden to please his father Pan En, a high-ranking official in the Ming Dynasty. Yuyuan's landscape is in the Suzhou style, pristine & serene. The buildings, ancient trees, zigzagging bridges, ponds glittering with the colourful goldfish, pagoda's, rock formations , dragon wall .... give this garden a different look at every turn , every angle has it own distinct chichi!

And next comes the shopping for us & Dad leaves us , takes off on his own to see the TV Tower aka The Oriental Pearl Tower, to gets a birds eye view of  Shanghai from the highest point of this tower.

Shopping begins with us browsing the maze of streets & lanes of the Bazaar , around the garden , where locals outdo each other selling their handiwork. And then there are other who are showcasing various local dishes! J

China main aa kar , not to visit a single Copy Market is sacrilege. So, Copy Market it is at Chang Ning Road.  Urri baba , we are taken aback. It totally the opposite of all that we have seen of the spic , span & hygienic China ! This reminds me of Crawford market ... ummm ... Crawford market is better ... and then walk through to a 3 level shopping arcade  with a small mall kind structure thrown in ... filthy .. takes a while for our minds to accept we are in China. And , boy oh boy , they have every designer label out here , from clothes to shoes to bags to jewellery to what nots ! Its totally a shoppers delight, if you can handle the claustrophobic surrounding!

The Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe , entertained us in the evening with their amazing stunts , gravity defying contortionism, juggling, unicycling , chair stacking, plate spinning & other acts. After the captivating performance by this troupe , we head off towards the French Quarters for dinner .

French Quarter , associated with the Ex-Pats , known as the, Paris of the East!:-)  Luwan's Huaihai Road is bussing with life when we reach. Shops & Restaurants Galore , and we head towards the Stone Grill Place , a must visit for the diehard non vegetarians! Ahem! Wish we had an extra day , and I would have spent an entire day , soaking in this multi faced part of Shanghai , with its colonial set up of mansions , tree lined avenues .......

Highlights;

During the Acrobatic show , clear announcement , that no one should use their camera or webcam, since it would distract the performers. Even so , there were people who did & most were the oh so disciplined angrez!

8th Apr, Shanghai , the Financial hub of China!

Its a long drive with Isabel, our guide , the many levels of flyovers , the diversity in the architecture (European, Modern, Traditional)  of this city ,makes it well worth the drive to the hotel. A quick freshen up , cuppa chai & we are off . The Bund, sounds familiar , well it has been derived from the Hindi word Band aka Embankment / Dam. A walk along the bank of the Huangpu River , with its beautiful historical , typically colonial buildings is striking. The sun set , makes it an ideal time to take the River cruise & see the city , near & far , shimmering in the evening lights.

Dinner time & we go to one of the most popular Malls at Zhong Shan Park, bang opposite the station. Shopping galore toh hai , however the three levels of various cuisine restaurants , is the killer! Havent seen anything like this ever !! Wow ..... we are loving it . We walk the length of all the floors , hunting for the best Hot Pot Restaurant ,till we reach the Dollar Shop. Shanghai , famous for it's Hot Pot, is an affair to remember. Hot Pot is for Chinese , what Fondue is for  Swiss/ French!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_pot

Highlight:

Inder, wanting to go back to the hotel after dinner , by hoping onto a Motorcycle Taxi instead of a Cab & if it wasn't for Dad & Mom, we all surely would hopped onto the Bikes , for a hair flying cold windy ride !!!!! Sighhhhh .... next time ke liye , else , Hire a bike at Goa shall be the call now !

More than half hour of explanation , on how 2 soups for the Hot Pot have to be Veg, when Mom got her Veg Soup, the second dip into the soup & out came a crab piece ! Well , that she didn't eat anything there , was expected!!! Ouch!!!! And best is Anish ka experience , where he ate Hotpot on one of his trips & he hits upon a turtle, seems , they put a live turtle , which then emits medicinal values into the soup &  should be eaten too!!!!! Babare !!!

7th Apr , to be a part of Chinese History!

Wonder what the Warriors have in store for us ???? But first , its a visit to the Xi'an Daquin Terracotta & Lac furniture Art factory. The factory showcases how they make the warriors & also how they can mould the head of the warrior to look like yours , with the help of a photograph!!!! Sochne walli baat hai ..... imagine , 6ft warrior infront of your door ,who looks like a six pack someone ....????? or a sexy someone ....???? J

Now its time to see the original , Terracotta Warriors & Horses, depicting the armies of Emperor Quin Shi Huang, buried with him, to help rule another empire in the afterlife !!! ( What next , i wonder!! Uufff ) . We visit the three pits , where we see the life size figures, impressive & imposing array of  Warriors, Horses, War Chariots . Loads and loads of work has been undertaken to excavate this site & is still being done to restore this Eight wonder of the World ! Figures are in various state of restoration & the one's intact are lined up as they were discovered . A few of these figures still have remnants of the colours which once adorned them ! 

We also met Mr.Yang , at the Museum, who is one of the farmers who discovered this site in 1974 , with 2 of his friends, while digging a well. He was sitting with 2 officials , autographing hard bound copy of the book on Terracotta Warriors for the tourist, buying this book. We saw a few of them taking photographs with him . Deia also wanted one . So , I asked her to go stand next to him & took a lovely picture. However , the picture didn't seem so lovely , when we realized we had to give 20 Yuan! Its then that we realized , if one buys the book , photo on the house , else , you have to cough up the mullah! Which ofcourse , led to the question , what does this simple farmer , who has shot to fame on a default discovery , RECIEVE , from all thats collected on his name ???? 

The evening is an unique experience. The Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant , gourmet Cantonese  meal  which satiates the taste buds, while experiencing the cultural non- stop traditional folk songs and dance.http://www.xiantangdynasty.com/

Highlight:

 We were later told , that My.Yang rose to fame sometime in 1998 , when President Clinton, on his visit wanted to meet the farmer. Thats when the officials found this farmer & introduced him to the President, who then asked for an autograph. And turned out , the farmer was illiterate. Oh boy , so , the farmer was sent off to learn to sign his name & since then , the man has been signing away ....... !!!!

Xi'an , famous for its dumplings & we sure had our fill of them!

6th Apr, Xi’an ka bulawa from Hueng Tsang!

Beijing ko Bye bye , sipping the best Coffee ever laced with Dalchini, at the airports, Lei Coffee Cafe, while waiting to take our flight to Xi'an!

Local guide here , Lily , whisks us straight to visit the Wild Goose Pagoda. The drive from the airport to the pagoda is amusing , since I felt , we had driven through Dharavi onto Breach Candy!!! J

The Pagoda , an impressive structure , which was famous for housing the figurines & scriptures that Hueng Tsang brought from India and translated into Chinese. Temple of Great Maternal Grace; Da Ci'en, which is in the complex is serene. The curio shop here has some of the most beautiful porcelain objects, a must see , a must buy , and you can bargain some!Ahem!

The entire area where the pagoda is located is like a happy family outing place, with open spaces , eating places , shopping , cafe's .....  a place where one can easily spend a day with a whole lot to do or just enjoy the activities around you with a cuppa coffee !

A drive , along the Xi'an City wall , to the absolute luxurious rooms of Days Hotel & Suites. All we want to do now is chill in the room with some wine , which is exactly what we do after a lavish dinner at one of the local restaurants !

Highlight : Lunch at Papa Johns, near the Pagoda ..... sahi ! J

5th April , Walkathon at Beijing continues....... !

Its a visit to the Jade factory enroute to the Ming Dynasty Tombs, Changling. Jade factory has some mind blowing pieces , however , the one that steals the show for us , is the Jade Pot , with six shot cups , with some kind of magnetic mechanism , whereby , when u keep the cup on the base ,from the spout , there is a free flow of the liquid from the pot into the cup . Amazing!

Drive to Mings Tomb , tomb of the Wangli Emperor, Zhu Di and his Empresses , through the Farm District , with fruit orchards on both sides , and some blossoms thrown in, is beautiful . We don't stop for fruit picking at one of the farms ( have done enough of that at London!! J ) , we however , do buy the Dried fruits .... major assortment of plums , berries, kiwi , dates & what nots ! Very berry tasty tasty!

We enter & on both side are the Sacred Silk Burners , which was filled with hard cash , a ritual , to appease the forefathers , it seems ! Ling'en Hall has the this huge statue of the emporer & houses artifacts which belonged to that era. Its like a museum , where history is told & seen in some measure too through these artifacts. The Gold Imperial Crown of the Emperor , including that of the Empress' & her jewellery are intricate & beautiful!

The walking continues after we take the cable to the Great Wall of China. Chalte raho , thats the call here , walk as much as you can , the wall is never ending , leaving a snake like trail for you to follow ! Jahan jahan taak , your eyes can focus , you shall be able to see the Great Wall ! One can't help but reminisce , on the trails, the hardship, that must have undergone to make this Wall. No wonder they say , The Great Wall , is made with the blood , sweat , bones , of the workers, including all else !

We manage to squeeze some time amongst all this walking to walk towards some local shops & buy a few stuff ...... Bargaining is definitely the calling here !

Highlight:

Just like we have Shradh , puja and all for the departed , to pay our homage in their Memory , the same tradition is followed here , for 3 days , which began on 3^rd & today , being the last day , was when the family visits & Sweep the ancestral Tombs .

PLACE TO VISIT , Must do on my next trip :

Datong , 5 hours from Beijing , over night stay at Holiday Inn , visit Hanging Temple,Wooden Pagoda & Yungang Grottoes.

4th April , Walkathon at Beijing !

A rollercoaster of places to visit, with Cathryn. This vast expanse, Tiananmen square , the world largest city square, and one sure can visualize a huge congregation , the student revolution ! We walk  past the Zhengyangmen Gatehouse, Monument to the People's Heroes , the Mausoleum Of Chairman Mao ( interestingly , they call him the Sleeping beauty !! ) ,towards the Tiananmen Gate , to enter the Forbidden City !With this huge portrait of Chairman Mao watching all visitors , wonder if we will be allowed inside or Forbidden??? J

We enter through the Meridian Gate & keep walking & walking & walking & walking ...... from one courtyard to another , through one gate to another , from the Outer , to the Inner Court. Anyone walking this length daily shall need no exercise to remain fit , thats for sure ! The vibrant colours of the Palace , the intricate workmanship , the Majestic Imperial Guardian , the huge Copper Vats ..... each have a story to tell . The last part is the Imperial Garden, home to the Empress & the Concubine's, with its gardens and temples , is scenic , peaceful , beautiful! I would have loved to have spend some more time here , however , its time to get to the Land of Food now, through the Gate of Divine Might. From here we can see the complete layout of the Jingshan Hill, the highest point of this city.  

After a not so spicy sumptuous meal at Sichuan Folk, we head towards the Temple of Heaven. However , after a heart meal , one needs to drown it with some Chai , so, it is a visit to Tea House , which also overlooks the Temple of Heaven. Tea House was a super experience , and a must do , just for some entertainment and some knowledge of the nuances of Chinese Chai !!!!!

Temple of Heaven , a place where u can spend half a day, araam se ,  , with parks , greenery all around, and the spacious temple complex. The Hall of Prayer of Good Harvests, reminds us of Sanchi Stupa at Bhubaneswar! Best time is from morning hours till early evening , when you will spot small groups doing various activities.. Taichi , dancing , judo, walking .. and all else, a place , where one can watch the locals at their relaxed best . Later part of the day is when the you see the senior citizens who sit along the corridors, playing cards , some even strumming typical local instruments & not to miss out the kids and adults flying kites , playing games , including some kind of football with a contraption which looks like a shuttlecock but bounces like a football, very interesting!

After this , a visit to the Summer Palace is definitely out , in our next trip , perhaps, with a visit to the Beijing Zoo, just to say hello to the Panda's . And a visit to the Jingshan Hill at dusk , the best time to be there is at Dusk , to watch the sun set over the Imperial Palace, including the rest that this hill has to offer!!! J

Dinner is with Jane, Anish's collegue at one of Beijings oldest restaurants, in one of the bylanes of Wangfuijing Street ,  Chongwenmen area, which serves the most authentic Peking Duck, Beijing gaye aur Peking Duck nahin khaya toh kya kiya, i say??? J. Waise , an evening visit to this place is a must , vibrant , designer labels, traditional shops , restaurants .... the works ! The Time Square of Beijing!!!

Highlights:

Inder's Afro hairstyle is a rage at every place we visit, with quite a few giving him the eye!!! At Forbidden city , 2 young girls , come up to him , and ask if they can take a photograph with him. When he asks , why? The say ," We think you are very good looking" !

Want to go Chinese and sample some of their delicacies , head for the Wangfuijing Night Market (snack street) or Donghuamen Night Market , for some deep fried insects, scorpions, cricket , centipede .... ewwwwwwwwwww

And next time , if ever there is one , the stay shall be at Novotel Beijing Xin Qiao, Chongwenmen !

3rd April , Patnaik clan meets up at Hongkong Airport.

From the name of Hongkong airport begins our sojourn into China. We take a while to say , we are at, Chek Lap Kok Airport !!!! The Bombay walla's i.e. Dad, Mom & I , meet up with the Delhi Gang i.e. Ruchi, Inder & Deia , at the boarding gate , from where we shall head for Beijing. With time to kill , its tafri time , checking out the duty free shops , eating & coffee time at Starbucks, coffee ke bina kya outing???!!! Ahem!

Ni Hao, China aka Hello China ! We have arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport, where we are whisked by our local guide , Cathryn , to Howard Johnson hotel. Its been an approx 22 hrs of travel time to get here from Sagar Mansion! Pheeewwww !!!! Time to relax some, get our bearings , and organize ourselves, for the next day.

Highlight: At HKG airport , at the free internet areas, everyone logged on to ........... u guessed it ... FaceBook! J

Its China Calling..... The trip that was , 2nd April – 14th April 2011

Its been a while , seems like a long time ago , however , China Musings are the call of the day!

A day before we leave ,Ruchi aptly puts it on FB status line as " Chandni Chowk to China" . Methinks , I should say , "World Cup to Widespread China" ????

Its going to be Chinese whisper these entire 13 days , we are all in the basic state of suspended anticipation , waiting for the mystery of this tour to unfold , since all of us know bits & pieces of the trip !

Drive to the airport takes less than 20 mins , how did that happen?? Well , to be expected , It's the World Cup Finals between India & SriLanka.  If Wankhede Stadium, is packed to the hilt , with the crowds roaring for an Indian Victory , the streets of Bombay are more than practically empty .... ahhh ... Cricket Mania !! And I cant help but say, " Itna sannata kyon hai bhai ???? " J

Its cricket , cricket and only cricket everywhere , all the way through to the boarding gates of the Flight. The pandemonium infront of every TV set at the airport shall give Wankhede a run for its money! The energy , the passion .... amazing ! Time to board the flight , and no one wants to move , its the last 2 overs , if the passengers are apprehensive , so are the ground staff of Kingfisher, a few minutes delay to watch India win is acceptable by any airlines in India! Everyone is rooted to the ground. Last Ball , Dhoni hits a six,  the uproar , India has clinched the World Cup, and my prediction has come True, Yes! What a super beginning to our trip!

Hightlight : Announcements after announcements , on flights ready for departure , on names of passengers ..... with ground staff hustling passengers towards the aircraft .... Cricket , aapke kya kehne , passengers so glued to the TV sets , that they couldn't hear or pretended not to hear! J