Asia Travel - Part 29

Kathmandu, Nepal

Gateway to the Himalayas

by Marc Latham

It is hard to believe that Nepal only opened its borders to mass tourism in the 1950s. Now it is famous for its trekking and climbing, as it utilises the fact that most of the world’s highest mountains are within its territory.

There was a storm over Kathmandu as we flew in, so the plane circled once before descending into the Kathmandu Valley under the shadow of high mountains to the north of the city. My travel companion, Nick, and I exchanged small amounts of money at Tribhuvan airport (4390 feet, 1330 metres) before changing more for a better rate in the city (it is just over 100 rupees to a £UK, and 70 to the $US at the time of writing).

There was a crowd of taxi drivers and guides waiting at the airport doors, and we took a taxi for the four miles (5.5 km) journey up to Thamel in the north of Nepal’s capital city. The monsoon opened up again on the way, and the big globules of heavy rain looked like salt being poured on the wounds of the pot-holed streets we zig-zagged through to avoid other cars, scooters, pedestrians and animals.

The first hotel we were taken to was full, so they took us around the corner to the Impala, which is a nice and clean hotel with friendly staff and a cheap restaurant. Walking through Thamel I enjoyed the explosion of activity, ornaments and culture the area heaps on you. Intricately detailed mandalas, hand-sewn Himalayas t-shirts and poetic prayer flags visually call out to be bought under music emitting from upstairs pubs and restaurants like Tom and Jerry, Celtic Manang and Reggae Bar. Although there is noise, hustle and bustle there is no overt sense of threat to person or possessions; but it’s obviously best to keep alert, as there is crime in the city.

There are many small Hindu temples with intricately carved representations of Shiva and Ganesha illuminated by candles along the street, which together with the old balconied buildings maintains a sense of the mysterious and exotic east. Traditional clothes worn by women and the all over visual effect provided by sadhu holy men matched the spices in the market for colour and brightness. Cows also meandered through the streets looking as relaxed as they do in countryside meadows.

Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square

On the first night we made it down to the Durbar Square restaurant, and thought that the small square and temples nearby was the Durbar Square. But the next day we happened upon the Durbar Square after visiting the post office; which was closed for the week to celebrate the Dashain Hindu festival.

A procession celebrating the festival passed us on the corner of the post office, where Kantipath meets Khichapokhari, near the nine-storey high Bhimsen Tower (Dharahara). An effigy of the goddess Durga was carried in the back of a van, and worshippers played music, danced and burned incense around it.

Not having been aware of the majestic buildings located in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square (there are two other Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley) before reaching it only added to the excitement and appreciation I felt as the full scale of the wonderfully impressive complex came into view. The square is now known as Hanuman Dhoka, which is derived from a statue in the square devoted to Hanuman, the monkey devotee to the Lord Ram.

By the time we reached the Trailokya Mohan, Maju Deval and Narayan temples all in a line I was quite awe struck, and they were complemented by the Shiva-Parvati and Bhagwati temples to the side. We climbed up the Maju Deval and sitting alongside locals and tourists alike we watched the pedestrians and scooters waltz and whizz through the temples and vibrant market below. The sun was shining and temperatures were in the twenties centigrade (seventies Fahrenheit).

Durbar Square evolved over several centuries, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is thought that the first temples were built on the site during the Licchavi era (400-750 AD). The most significant period of construction on the site was during the reign of the Malla Dynasty (12th-18th centuries). It was also during this time that the people of the Kathmandu Valley became united under the Newar identity, after the feudal lords that had reigned before were brought in line. The negative side of this unification was that King Ratna Malla (1484-1520) also introduced the caste system that has caused much suffering since.

Fast forwarding to the 1960s and 1970s, the main hippie and traveler enclave of that era, Freak Street, is only a short walk away from Durbar Square. Government pressure ended its days as the city’s international hub, but it still has shops, guest houses and restaurants that are a reminder of its former glory. The Annapurna Lodge restaurant (Diyalo) provides a nice secluded setting and has a cheap Nepali food set meal and Everest beer.

Walking back to Thamel from Durbar Square after dark is not a straightforward task, and especially when there is a blackout! But the dark streets do awaken the senses, and the blaring of traffic congested horns sound much louder and more out of place as candlelight evokes imaginings of the Kathmandu of old reincarnated.

Trekking to the Everest National Park

We’d arranged bus travel to Jiri for the next day through Eagle Treks and Expedition, and the hotel called us a taxi to the bus station. The station was quite manic, but a local escorted us to our bus, and we arrived safely in Jiri that night. We hiked for a week up to the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park, and then for a few more days up to the turquoise lakes of Gokyo. The late monsoon cloud and intermittent rain that had accompanied us on the first week of the trek cleared when we reached the park, and we had wonderful clear views of Mount Everest (29,002ft, 8840m) from the top of Gokyo Ri (17,580ft, 5360m). We hiked back to Lukla via the Pangboche and Tenboche monasteries, and flew back to Kathmandu with Yeti Airlines from the sloping cliff-edge runway. A seat on the right of the plane provided fantastic views of the Himalayas all the way back to Kathmandu.

The Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

Upon our return to Kathmandu there was one attraction that seemed a must see, as most locals had been asking if we’d visited it while in the city. Siddhartha Gautama, the first historical Buddha and originator of Buddhism, is said to have visited the location of the Swayambhunath Monkey Temple on his travels. Not surprisingly, it is therefore one of the most important Buddhist sites in the world. The temple is also thought to be one of the oldest structures in the Kathmandu Valley; dating back to the Licchavi period.

So after relaxing for a day we took a taxi (200 rupees) from the hotel up to the temple steps (365 in all). There is a small entrance fee to the main complex, which has several temples, chaityas, shrines, prayer wheels, shops, stalls; and yes, lots of monkeys. It also provides a bird’s eye (and several buzzards were sharing the air space) view of the Kathmandu Valley. The blue (sky/space), white (air/wind), red (fire), green (water) and yellow (earth) prayer flags that had provided welcome colour on trek peaks stretch out in all directions from the main stupa dome. The prayers written on the flags are supposed to be carried around the world on the wind, and on that clear sunny day it was not difficult to imagine them being conveyed up and over the holy mountains to the trekkers’ Shangri-la in the north.

Natural Hot Spring Trek from Kathmandu

If You Go:

Map of Nepal
www.whc.unesco.org (UNESCO’s Kathmandu Valley sites)
www.thamel.com
www.nepaltourismdirectory.com
www.bluedandelion.net
www.nepalhomepage.com (Dashain significance)
www.eagletreks.com
www.hotelimpala.com.np
www.organiccafenepal.com

About the author:
Marc Latham traveled to all the populated continents during his twenties, and studied during his thirties, including a BA in History. He now lives in Leeds, and writes out of the www.greenygrey.co.uk website. To view his videos, go to www.youtube.com/user/greenygrey3. He has had three books published by Chipmunka.

Photo credits:
First Kathmandu photo by Bijay Yadav from Pixabay
All other photographs by Marc Latham.

Okinawa: 5 World Heritage Castles and the Legend of Gosamaru

Japan

by Keith T. Graff

Okinawa is the smallest and southernmost of Japan’s 47 prefectures. It’s part of an island archipelago that stretches from southern Kyushu in Japan to within view of Taiwan. The Prefecture makes up roughly one percent of the Japan’s total land mass and similarly, constitutes one percent of the nation’s total population. It was also the scene of the last and greatest land battle in the Pacific theater of WWII. Today it claims nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, five of which are ancient castles.

It was once known as the Kingdom of the Ryukyu’s but, when the first Sho Dynasty faded from prominence, it fragmented into three separate kingdoms. Nanzan was the southernmost and tiniest of the three. Chuzan was the central kingdom, most populated and the richest. These two smaller kingdoms occupied the southern third of the island. Hokuzan was the northernmost, largest in land mass and least populated. It also controlled the Amami island group which is now part of present day Kagoshima Prefecture to the north.

All three kingdoms vied for preeminence. The prize was trade with China. Chuzan was first to gain diplomatic recognition with China and the others soon followed suit. While China did officially recognize the three entities, they made it known that they preferred dealing with just one. It took one man’s vision and another’s allegiance to make that a reality!

Sho Hashi was the King of Chuzan and heir of the previous Sho Dynasty. He dreamed of reuniting the kingdom once again under his family’s rule. Though Chuzan was the richest of the three kingdoms, he still needed some extra muscle in order to achieve his dream. Enter Gosamaru, the powerful Lord of Yamada, Hokuzan’s southernmost fiefdom. In Sho Hashi’s mind, he literally held the keys to the kingdom.

Sho Hashi persuaded Gosamaru to ally with him and together they marched on Nakijin Castle in the distant Motobu Peninsula. Nakijin castle is the first of our UNESCO World Heritage castles and a formidable obstacle. Through a little bit of trickery, they convinced the King of Hokuzan that his army had their armies on the run and the only thing needed for total victory was a final cavalry charge. Once the king of Hokuzan committed his cavalry, the undefended castle walls were breached and Nakijin fell.

Today, Nakijin Castle is the main tourist attraction in Nakijin Village. It’s a rural district of farms and quaint fishing enclaves. Life here moves at its own relaxed pace. The castle ruins sit high on a ridge that provided the occupants a commanding view of the East China Sea. From its craggy ramparts, one could monitor the whole northwestern third of the island.

Once Hokuzan was back in the fold, King Sho Hashi set his eyes southward. To show the Lords of Nanzan that they were next on the menu, he began constructing a new castle at Shuri on the very border of the Nanzan Kingdom. Built high upon the ridge it is within view of Ozato castle, then the seat of the southern kingdom. Though devastated during WWII, today Shuri castle has been restored to the height of its glory. As the seat of the reunited Ryukyu Kingdom it became the grandest of all the castles in Okinawa. It is the second of our UNESCO World Heritage sites and the pride of Okinawa.

Today Shuri Castle is the most visited tourist attraction in all of Okinawa. Here visitor’s marvel at architecture, evidence of Ryukyu’s strong ties to medieval China. In many ways, it resembles Peking’s Forbidden City in miniature. Of all our castle sites, this one has been improved to the point of being almost totally barrier free. Employees dressed in period costumes act as guides and many are more than happy to pose for pictures for or with anyone who asks. The castle also served as an important venue for the 2000 G8 summit hosted by Japan.

After the Ryukyu Kingdom was reunited by the Sho family, Gosamaru was appointed to the post of Loyal Retainer and his power within the kingdom was second only to the king. The friendship between the two was further cemented by the marriage of the king’s son and heir, Sho Taikyu, to Gosamaru’s daughter. Gosamaru was also appointed the Governor of Hokuzan and it is said that he served the King loyally.

In his twilight years, Gosamaru retired back to his family estates and the place of his birth. King Sho Hashi rewarded his many acts of loyalty by giving him additional lands and Gosamaru built a new castle not far from his old one at Yamada. In fact, to build the new castle at Zakimi hill, it is said that they disassembled his old castle at Yamada and moved it stone by stone to the new site.

Zakimi Castle, our third UNESCO World Heritage Castle, differs from the other castles in this tale in three ways. Previously, castles on Okinawa were made from rough stone that was carefully stacked one atop another. At Zakimi, for the first time on Okinawa they used stones cut to precision and fit to each other. This technique was used in later castle renovations throughout the island to include Shuri. Secondly, where other castles were built high atop easily defended mountain ridges, Zakimi is built upon a lower lying earthen hilltop that was more suitable for agriculture than defense. Lastly, Zakimi castle was first and foremost a private estate rather than a military outpost.

Gosamaru was only able to enjoy retirement in his new home for a few years. When Sho Hashi passed away, his son Sho Taikyu ascended the throne and Gosamaru’s daughter was now the queen. Unfortunately, Amawari, the lord of Katsuren Castle, our fourth UNESCO site, was making mischief by forging his own foreign trade agreements and alliances.

The ruins at Katsuren that stand today are but a third of the whole as it was during the height of its glory. All that remains are the higher portions of the castle’s keep and the area immediately below where the Lord of the manner’s house once stood. The keep at Katsuren differs from other castles on the island in that it offers a full unobstructed 360 degree view of the peninsula on which it sits. From this vantage point, on a clear day, one could literally observe most of the East coast of the island as well as an advancing army from far off in the distance.

In an attempt to assuage Lord Amawari’s lust for power, the new king offered his daughter, Gosamaru’s granddaughter, to him in a marriage alliance. Then for added insurance, he ordered Gosamaru to move to his residence from his retirement estate at Zakimi to the ancient fortress castle at Nakagusuku, our fifth UNESCO World Heritage site, which stands between Katsuren and Shuri.

Nakagusuku castle is one of the oldest on the island. Originally, it was built in the same manner as Nakijin Castle with rough stones stacked one atop another. It was improved dramatically during Gosamaru’s short stay with fine cut stones reinforcing the outer and inner walls. Situated on a ridge high above the Pacific Ocean, it is within view of the castle at Katsuren. To the north end of the castle is a large open area that resembles a modern parade field where it’s quite likely that Gosamaru trained troops to defend against Amawari.

But history tells us that Amawari was known for being a sly one and used his new position as son-in-law to gain an audience with the king. He persuaded the King that it was Gosamaru rather than he who was the real threat. He knew very well that Gosamaru was raising and training an army but he convinced the king to send scouts to confirm his half truths. When the scouts returned and reported that Gosamaru was indeed training troops for war, the inexperienced king hastily ordered Amawari to take the king’s army, and bring Gosamaru to Shuri.

But, instead of simply arresting Gosamaru as the King had ordered, Amawari used the king’s army to lay all-out siege to Nakagusuku castle. Gosamaru seeing that it was the King’s army that had come to make war against him chose suicide rather than fight against his King. By committing suicide rather than fight, he demonstrated his loyalty to the bitter end!

As clever as he was, Amawari had not anticipated this turn of events. He knew very well that now the king would see through his lies. So instead of facing the music, he fled back to the safety of Katsuren. The king sent his armies to march on Amawari’s fortress. The walls at Katsuren Castle, believed to be impregnable, were breached in just two days.

One might call it a form of poetic justice that the story goes that Amawari was thrown to his death off the very castle keep where it is said that he had murdered his former Lord and master years before. Peace and stability returned once again to the tiny Ryukyu Kingdom but at a terrible cost.

Private Okinawa Custom One-Day Tour by Chartered Vehicle

If You Go:

Today all of the castles featured in this story are a tangible link to the glory days of the Ryukyu Kingdom and a source of great pride. They are popular tourist attractions and the host to various festivals throughout the calendar year. Tourists can access the Castle at Shuri, situated on the outskirts of Naha by bus or monorail but to see the rest, a rental car is the preferred mode of travel. More information on each of the sites is available on the Official Okinawa Travel Guide website.

About the author:
Keith T. Graff is a U.S. Navy retiree living and loving life as an expatriate in the “Goya Republic” aka Okinawa Japan. In addition to teaching business and management courses at a local college, he does freelance writing and photography for regional English language publications. Self described as a writer first, photographer second and a hack wannabe at both, his genre is travel writing and the photo essay.You can find more of his work online at his website: www.goyarepublic.com and his blog: goyrepublicezine.blogspot.com

Photo credits:
All photos are by Michael Lynch, a Photographer/Writer in Okinawa, Japan. His web site: www.mikesryukyugallery.com.

World Disasters: Reactions and Responses

Sri Lanka

by Mara Baudais

It’s January 12, 2010—5 years after the tsunami tore into Asian countries around the Indian Ocean, an earthquake, magnitude of 7, affects millions in Haiti: 200,000 dead; 250,000 injured; over two million homeless with the rainy season upon them. The outpouring of compassion and money for relief has been unprecedented. This disaster, stirs the heartbeat of the world again. More than a week after their nursing home collapsed 84 elderly Haitians beg for food and medicine while laying on dirt and blankets. This but a mile from the airport where international aid, by the ton, is supposed to be arriving. ‘Elderly victims of Haiti earthquake feel forgotten as they wait for help’ is the headline I read on Jan. 21st. Two more patients have died of hunger and exhaustion since the quake, diapers need changing, some elderly are delirious and can’t speak. Rats compete for bits of food brought by relatives. Later, five weeks on, the television shows old people lying prone under make-shift blanket shelters, desperate for food, water and medical care. One old woman tells of having everything in her collapsed house looted.

Not even two months after the Haitian earthquake, February 27, 2010, Chile, South America, is hit by an earthquake of 8.8 magnitude, and a tsunami rolls across the south Pacific Ocean threatening one quarter of the world. Forty retirees camping on the coast try to escape the tsunami by bus. All lose their lives and only five bodies have been retrieved. Another elderly couple in Santiago, Chile, said upon being rescued, “Everything is lost; our house, everything. We stayed huddled in a corner for hours and were finally rescued.”

Taiwan follows with a 6.4 earthquake, March 4th; then most recently, eastern Turkey with a 6 magnitude earthquake, March 8th, leaving 51 dead.

All these events vividly remind me of another time, another place in the world five years ago. Another disaster and my own response.

This is an excerpt from the author’s memoirs of that time.

When Nature Speaks

“I’ve lost my whole family. There’s no one left to hold or to love,” the old Sri Lankan woman said. I remember how the art therapist interviewing her on television was speechless. What could be said to those words? The depth of pain and loss recalled in that woman’s face still rips into the chambers of my heart and my eyes fill with tears. I ask myself again how we can even begin to restore to the elderly all that they have built within their life—relationships, safety, self-esteem, economic independence, a home they have built from decades of work—after a disaster like this when they are running out of time. The young seem to receive the most aid; what about these old people who have so little of life left?

It’s the middle of March, 2005. The jet is beginning its descent into Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, and sparkling below me the lights are welcoming. I look over at my new Sri Lankan friends, a Canadian couple raising money for housing for tsunami survivors. They are visiting family and making connections for a possible housing site on the east coast which we will be visiting.

We quickly clear customs. I step from the airport onto the crowded, noisy sidewalk that could only be Asia. It’s extremely humid. I feel excitement rising. Tomorrow I’ll begin my journey to the east coast which has been ravaged by the tsunami three months earlier.

The next afternoon and my friends and I travel north east by van. I remember hours, at home in Canada, trying to process the images shown on the news. For days I had felt like an emotional shock absorber. Within that silent role, not being able to write or cry, I now understand that I was unknowingly being prepared, like a period of incubation, to shift into a life-changing experience that was waiting just for me, a new door opening with great speed. Now, in about three hours I will be introduced to a popular community leader who has been involved for several years in local projects in his east coast village. He’s also the director of both a boys’ and girls’ Muslim orphanage. He’s now using his skills and connections to restore normal life to his village after the tsunami. I’m sure looking forward to meeting this person.

Three hours later after passing many markets and small towns we arrive at a small bay which we’ll have to cross to reach the village. With great caution, and courage, we drive onto the metal open-deck ferry, our van lurching forward into place. The ferry is driven by two small outboard motors strapped to a side rigging. A young man in an open shirt, a colorful cloth hitched at the waist, barefoot and with a huge smile is negotiating the swift current and we are on our way!

I, myself, am also processing loss of relationships, personal identity and economic stability with the end of my long-term marriage, the deaths of both my mother and mother-in-law, retirement and an empty nest. I know the pain on that old woman’s face on television. It’s the same pain I know on the face of that woman in the mirror. In that single second of recognition, I’d been given a most precious gift…a connection to the heartbeat of all of humanity. I grieve finally for the tsunami victims and their families; for all people who suffer loss; for my own personal losses. I remember welcoming the relief of being able to finally grieve. I feel anticipation and excitement for the first time in many years—that something new is about to happen as I take my first steps into a new portal which will become one of the greatest journeys of my life. It’s a journey into my own heart.

About the author:
Mara Baudais writes creative non-fiction, travelogues, personal essays and poetry. These are based on traveling and/or an insightful experience, often associated with traveling or meditation Besides extensively traveling in Europe, she has visited North Africa, Thailand, Israel, Turkey, China, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, post-tsunami Sri Lanka, Guatemala, across Canada by car for 4 months, coastal B.C. and the Yukon. She has recently returned from a six month trip that stretched from Great Britain to the Black Sea. A photographer, artist, teacher and writer Mara Baudais can be reached at m_baudais@yahoo.ca.

All photographs are by Mara Baudais from 2005.

Saputara, Gujarat, India

Serene, Soothing, and Salubrious

by Subhasish Chakraborty

Hill stations have always fascinated me. My family and I have been fortunate to visit some of India’s best known hill stations ranging from Tawang in the Eastern Himalayas to Shimla, Nubra Valley and beyond. Having experienced first hand the joys of visiting the quintessential Himalayan hill stations of India, we decided to alter our hill sojourn a bit and gave the less commercialized Saputara a try.

We traveled in our 4×4 from Mumbai along National Highway 3 all the way to Nashik and thereafter took the state highway to Saputara via Masrul, Vani and Borgaon. Tired after the long, but scenic, drive, we checked in at the Hotel Anando, in the midst of meadows and a shimmering lake that provided the perfect backdrop. Our rooms had stunning views overlooking the lake. Although not very luxurious, the rooms had all the basic amenities that any modern day traveler would ask for including 24 hour room service.

After a relaxing night’s sleep we woke to the chirping of the birds and the bellboy offering us aromatic cups of freshly brewed Darjeeling tea. After a hearty Gujarati breakfast, we embarked on a leisurely trip to the heart of this quaint little mountain town perched on the undulating Sahyadri hills. The combination of picturesque lakes, gushing streams, woodlands and the hilly contours made for a truly ethereal setting.

Saputara is actually located on a densely wooded highland and is at an elevation, which is all of 1000 meters. It may not be a daunting hill station like, for instance, Darjeeling or Shimla, but has enough mountain charm to captivate the spirit of the most jaded traveler. The climate is salubrious throughout the year.

Like most other Indian hill stations, Saputara has its share of legends. One of the most popular of legends has it that Lord Rama had spent the first 11 years of his life in exile in the forests of Saputara. We were told that the very name Saputara literally means the “abode of serpents” and on closer scrutiny of the gleaming Sarapagana River, we did notice the image of a snake on the river’s winding shoreline. The locals revere this snake and there is a huge gathering of devotees especially during the Holi festival.

We spent a considerable amount of time at one of Saputara’s most enduring tourist landmarks – the lake and the sight of fiber boats moored at the jetty was too irresistible to resist. We hired two boats for a small fee and were granted the permission to sail for an hour. The sylvan natural surroundings and the frequent flights of avian species that dwell in the marshy areas of the lake looking for prey made for a truly kaleidoscopic vignette.

Having been on the lake waters for close to an hour paddling our way across the placid waters, our limbs were tiring and so we decided to anchor for the day. After some light snacks and a steaming cup of Cappuccino coffee at the lakeside restaurant, we were escorted to the Sunrise and Sunset points for sightseeing.

Not too far was the Pushpak ropeway, which is a rage with the floating tourist population. This one kilometer long ropeway offers the much-needed excitement to this charming hill station of Gujarat and in the evenings there is a surge of crowds who assemble at the starting point to experience the thrill of being suspended midway. Incidentally the Pushpak ropeway has the distinction of being India’s longest ropeway.

Unlike some of India’s other popular hill stations like Darjeeling, Shimla and Shillong, Saputara came to the forefront only after India’s independence. So it is not surprising that the ambience is very “Indian” or “desi” in complete contrast to the colonial hill stations of India.

Saputara is the bastion of the tribal Dang community and one of the best places to savor the fascinating culture and heritage of this tribal community is the Tribal Museum. The museum showcases the very best of the exotic Dang tribes, their way of dressing, tools they use, their skills as craftsmen, especially their intricate pottery designs, weapons and their colorful festivals are highlighted at this unique museum. The Dangs dwell in the outskirts of Saputara and live in peaceful coexistence with other lesser known tribes like the Bhils, Kunbis, Warlis and the Gamits, thereby rendering a truly fascinating cultural landscape which the inquisitive tourist finds truly remarkable in terms of tribal diversity.

We visited Ahwa, located at a distance of a mere 44 kilometers from Saputara where the Dang and other tribal communities have a sizeable presence. Here at Ahwa, technology and modernity is yet to penetrate and it is one of the most virgin of tourist locales in Gujarat’s tourism landscape. During the village fair, which usually takes place during the festival of Holi, Ahwa is a riot of colors with tribals engaged in celebrations with their colorful dance, drama, music and folklore. During the British rule, there was the practice of conferring Privy Purse to the Adivasi rulers from the local British agent.

The drive to Ahwa is beautiful, past gleaming mountain streams and every now and then the sight of picturesque Dang village hamlets. However, in terms of tourist amenities, in spite of being a district headquarter, in Ahwa there isn’t even a hotel where one can make a stopover.

For those with a penchant of the haunting wilderness, a visit to the Vansda National Park can be a very rewarding experience. In the day’s of yore Vansda used to be the royal hunting reserve of the Maharaja of Vansada. To visit this sanctuary, you must obtain permission from either the Chief Wildlife Warden at Gandhinagar or the DFO Ahwa. Although Vansda is not all that big in terms of area covered, it still offers plenty of excitement.

We were interested in bird watching and had come with costly equipment (Nikon, Canon etc.) fitted with a powerful lens. Even though the visibility was poor, since the sky was cloudy and it was raining, we managed some very good shots. All the homework that we had done prior to each days wildlife outing like comprehensive information about the routes – both popular as well as the offbeat ones, the location of swamps etc. helped us tremendously in our Bird Watching activity. We were amazed by the sheer variety of avian species on offer at Vansda.

We were told that the national park harbors a few tigers, leopards as well as the four-horned antelope but unfortunately luck was not in our side and we had to be satisfied with the sight of a herd of spotted deer, pangolins and the rusty spotted cats.

Apart from the Vansda National Park, there is another equally captivating wildlife reserve – the Purna Sanctuary. The resident Forest Officer was kind enough to arrange accommodation for us by way of a “homestay” with a local Adivasi family, which not only offered a fabulous first hand experience of the lifestyle of the indigenous tribal people of this region, but also made our forays into the forests of Purna Sanctuary that much more thrilling as our host who knew the topography of the sanctuary, accompanied us on our trips inside the forest.

The picturesque town of Waghai located at a distance of 79 Kms. from Saputara, is renowned for its Unai Mata Temple. The presiding deity is believed to be very potent and most visitors to the temple take a dip at the hot spring located in close proximity to the temple before offering their prayers to the goddess. The main town is conspicuous by its bustling bazaars and the locally made sarees can be great souvenir items.

In terms of trekking, Saputara and its surroundings have numerous well-defined trekking trails. Most trekkers to Saputara love to soak in the utter seclusion that the thickly forested hills of Saputara provide. Trekking in Saputara is different from trekking in other hill stations, in that the elevation of 872.9 meters isn’t all that formidable and you will be surprised to find many cash rich and middle-aged Gujarati folks, embarking on soft treks in and around Saputara. Even Mumbaikers find Saputara to be more congenial then Igatpuri and Lonavala, which even a few years back used to be the favorite trekking destination. The prospect of the cool mountain air and the mist laden late evenings makes for a perfect rejuvenation and attracts both the amateur as well as the professional trekkers.

Amazing Gujarat

If You Go:

The nearest railway station is Nashik Road located at a distance of 79 kilometers. Cabs can be hired from Nashik Road Station all the way to Saputara. If you are traveling from Mumbai by road, take the National Highway 8 to Saputara via Chikhli. There is another alternative route driving on National Highway 3 all the way to Nashik and thereafter on the State Highway all the way to Saputara via Masrul, Talegaon, Dindori and Borgaon. This route is shorter by 100 Kms.

Accommodation:

Being a small and less commercialized hill station, Saputara doesn’t offer much variety in terms of accommodation. There is the government run Toran Hill Resort (Tel: +91-02631-237226), which is very popular.

There is the privately run Hotel Anando located ideally on the lakefront which offers 24 well furnished rooms with running hot and cold water, channel TV and 24 hours room service. The hotel offers facilities for indoor games and an exclusive playground for children.

Saputara’s only 3 Star hotel – the magnificent Shavshanti Lake Resort located strategically at the Nageshwar Mahadev Road, is quite a rage with the up market tourists.

Other fringe hotels like the Vaity Ropeway Resort (+91-02631-237226) and Hotel Chitrakoot (+91-02631-237221) are the other available options.

Travel Advice:

Carry sufficient cash, as there are no ATMs in Saputara and credit cards are not accepted.

For any further information on the hill station of Saputara, please feel free to contact –
Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd.
Block number 16, 4th floor, Udyog Bhavan, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Tel: (+91-79) 23222523, 23222645
Fax: (+91-79) 23238908, 23222189

About the author:
Subhasish Chakraborty is a travel writer from India. He has been in this profession for the past decade and has travelled extensively all over India. He was associated with some of India’s leading newspapers as a Travel columnist. He contributes his thought provoking articles on Travel & Tourism to many International Travel magazines and offers consultancy services to government as well as private Tourism organizations.

Photo credits:
First Saputara waterfall photo by Raj Lad on Unsplash
All other photographs are by Subhasish Chakraborty.

Tradition: Okinawa Lunar New Year Celebration

Okinawa, Japan

by Rose Witmer

“Three. Two. One. Happy New Year!”

Fireworks illuminate the faces of Americans and locals as glasses are raised and toasts are made to another peaceful year on Okinawa, Japan. While the Americans’ New Years celebration is coming to an end, the Okinawans will continue on through the night until the first sunrise of the new year. Many eat the customary first bowl of soba and some walk to nearby shrines to read fortunes and pray for a prosperous year. No matter what traditions are being held, many Okinawans use this holiday as another opportunity to spend time with friends and celebrate life. However, the 1st of January is not the traditional Ryukyuan New Year. Instead, they use the Lunar Calendar, which is a system introduced from China that follows the cycles of the moon. The Lunar New Year, as followed by the Chinese, begins with the first day of the new moon, varying from year to year and generally tending to fall somewhere between January 21st and February 20th according to Western calendars.

Long before Okinawa became the southernmost prefecture of Japan, it was the ancient kingdom of the Ryukyus with a strong cultural identity that still stands proud today. In the 1300s, relations between the Ryukyu Kingdom and China were very strong. In fact, in an attempt to learn from the great nation to the West, Ryukyuan students were sent to study in China while the Chinese Emperor sent technical and cultural advisors to help develop the Ryukyu Kingdom. Traits of Chinese culture were molded into the developing Ryukyuan culture. One of these many traits, was the Lunar Calendar. Not long after its introduction, traditional Ryukyuan festivals were based according to the phases of the moon.

Hundreds of years later, the Japanese descendants of the Satsuma clan, Shimazu Tadatsune, with the support of the Tokugawa Shogunate, assumed power over the Ryukyu Kingdom. As the Ryukyu Kingdom became part of Japan, certain cultural practices and traditions were restricted. One of many things to be banned was the Lunar Calendar and especially the Lunar New Year, as this was seen as a Chinese celebration and therefore anti-national. Despite the attempt to expel the Lunar Calendar from Okinawan culture, after hundreds of years’ practice, it has become an inseparable part of their culture. Even though recent years have seen less and less people celebrate the Lunar New Year in favor of the more modern Western New Year on January 1st, certain traditions are still followed.

Okinawa is a place where past and present blend through the practice of ancient traditions, especially during the cycle of the lunar new year. It all begins on New Year’s Eve, or Toushinuyuru. One traditional tool of Toushinuyuru is garlic, which is believed to banish evil spirits. The use of garlic varies based on the village. For example, in Nakagusuku, families take the garlic roots to family shrines and offer it to their ancestors, while in Tamagusuku villagers can be seen hanging the garlic on their ears when leaving the house. In Itoman, many families will chop the garlic up and place small piles in the dining room to prevent epidemics. Wakamiji, the name given to the first water drawn from the well in the new year, is often made into tea and offered to the ancestors. This water can also be used to cleans the body and on some islands, is believed to help rejuvenate the spirit and restore youth. On the morning of the New Year, known as Shogatsu, or Sougwachi, Priestesses of the district will hold the first rite of the year.

During the days of the old kingdom, the people would practice ancestor veneration, and held the elderly in high esteem and respect. Despite the integration of new religions to the culture, this trait is still practiced today. For example, the tradition of the sons of the family paying respects to the elders and offering holiday greetings. When visiting, incense is burned at the family alters and a cup of awamori, a type of Okinawan sake, is accepted in celebration of the new year as they pray for good luck. In some areas, such as the southern city of Naha, these same elders will sometimes offer slices of salted dried squid passed to the younger generations using chopsticks.

Other places have much more lively celebrations. One area that continues to attract visitors with its New Year’s celebration is Ryukyu Mura, located just north of Yomitan. The name Ryukyu Mura, is a simple translation of its purpose as a replica of a traditional Ryukyuan village. Here they have the rustic homes with red-tiled roofs and villagers dressed in traditional wear of the time. Throughout the year there are reenactments of the Ryukyu King and the celebrations that come with his arrival, including traditional dances and music sung in the Okinawan dialect. However, with the Lunar New Year comes an especially exciting event. According to Ryukyu legend, every New Year (according to the lunar calendar) the god Miruku will travel across the sea to Okinawa to bring happiness to the people for the coming year. Miruku will lead a New Year’s parade, smiling warmly and waving a large paper fan to cool off the villagers. Following Miruku will be a parade of royalty surrounded by colorful flags as dancers happily cry out in celebration. The twang of the Sanshin, a traditional three-stringed instrument of the Ryukyus, will vibrate through the air as Eisa dancers kick their legs up high while beating large drums called taiko.

In southern Okinawa, the port town of Itoman was a major trading base for the Chinese and relations between the two countries was very strong and the imprint of Chinese culture left a much deeper mark on this region of Okinawa. Here, the traditions of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still practiced in every day life. The Lunar New Year, in particular, is a highly anticipated event that brings friends and families together for a long night of drinking and celebrating. Rows of tents are set up with lanterns illuminating sizzling food upon grills. Here, too, the booming of the taiko and the cries from Eisa dancers blends with the accompanying sanshin as the villagers dance and laugh, drink sake with friends and bring in the new year as has been tradition for hundreds of years. At the end of the night there is a grand display of fireworks.

The proud Ryukyu culture, despite modernization and outside influence, continues to survive with very few signs of dying out and being forgotten. The strong spirit of the Ryukyu people perseveres through ancient traditions such as the Lunar New Year. As the lunar festivities come to a close, the last echo of the thundering fireworks rolls through the Ryukyu air. The smoke fades as the sound of a gong reverberates over the mountains from a distant temple, greeting the new year. An Okinawa tradition hundreds of years old lives on.

If You Go:

Visit Okinawa Japan – Official Okinawa travel guide online

Ryukyu Mura Celebration on Oninawa Index

About the author:
Rose Witmer is a young traveler at the beginning of a long journey around the world. She currently lives in Okinawa, Japan, exploring the jungles and mountains when not enjoying the Japanese city life. She loves to write and never leaves home without a camera and a notebook.

All photos are by Michael Lynch, freelance photographer.