The Sumptuous, Scrumptious Turkish Breakfast

So, one of the major concerns we have while traveling, (also a major opportunity) is Food.  Constraint because we are lacto-ovo vegetarians, and opportunity, because within that constraint, we are open to literally trying everything. So, the first thing when we talk about Turkey – is a big, hearty Turkish breakfast. Lots of salads, jams, cheese and breads for vegetarians, but ohh so tasty!

Salad counter at a typical Turkish breakfast. Apart from one dish, all vegetarian!

Plenty of cereals to choose from!

And breads too!!

From fixing a salad with fresh tomatoes, olives and cheese (A typical breakfast buffet consists of 8-10 types of cheese, each tastier than the previous). Then there is Menemen (which is a cross between scrambled eggs, and omelettes), and consists of eggs mixed with red and green peppers,  tomatoes, and spices. 

Menemen

Eaten with bread, to me this dish is the ultimate fusion of east meets west. If you are a fan of bread, chances are that you will like the Borek (Thin pastry filled with spinach and cheese) or the Cigara Boregi - think Spring roll on the outside, and mozzarella/ cheddar heaven on the inside. All the dishes were scrumptious, and we ended up spending about an hour everyday in trying all these dishes and more. And if you want to get started with a sweet tooth in the morning, why not try some fresh honeycomb? Yes, that’s a thing!

Fresh Honeycomb..

Once done and swearing to ourselves that this was the last meal we had for the day, we ventured out of our hotel , walked up to Topkapi palace, and took a left for the boulevard where you have the Hagia Sophia Museum on one side, and the Blue Mosque on the other. That’s when the street food starts beckoning you. From fresh pomegranate juices, to Limonita (Home-made lemonade), and even with a filled stomach, we had to get a drink! Oh, picked up a Simit to go as well (That’s a sesame bagel, eaten plain or with Nutella topping – Turkey is one of the higher per capita consumers of Nutella, and hence, its ubiquitousness).

Breakfasty street food

It’s just day 1 and by the time we reach lunch time, we are already packed to the rafters. It’s really a wrap for the day. Our lunch will have to wait until tomorrow….

Stutiyi Sri Lanka - Gallavanting to Galle

“It’s like going to a Chinese colony”, is what someone told me when I mentioned my plans to travel there. But having heard and read a lot about the “Pearl in the Indian Ocean”, we froze on a short trip to the island nation. 

One of the view points in Mirissa (More about it later)

There are three ways to reach from Colombo to Galle – by bus, train or car. If you intend to go directly from the airport, a cab makes more sense as it gives you the freedom of taking a day tour on the way to catch the sights and sounds in Sri Lanka. Many cab drivers offer this service, and it is good to book one in advance, as it is hassle free as soon as you get off from the airport. I would advise against taking a bus, as it is not so comfortable. I will cover the train in a separate post, but would recommend it for the return journey. Even so, you do encounter the tracks on the way, as they and the road jostle for position closer to the ocean

Okay for another hour

Our destination was Weligama, the surf capital of Sri Lanka, and we went through Bentota (stopped at a resort which had a railway line going through it, cutting the restaurant from the beach), Balapitiya, Hikkaduwa and Galle enroute to Weligama. These can be covered in a day; our guide and driver Shan did a great job of managing our expectations; the points of interest are:

• Beaches in Bentota and Balapitiya – to chill, sip some of the King coconut water. Also, one can try the boat ride in the mangroves in Madu river, near Balapitiya. (We had given the boat ride a skip as we were more interested in turtles and watching the sunset at Galle)

Beaches on the way

• Hikkaduwa - for catching a glimpse of stilt fishing, and for the turtle hatcheries. A place where one can spot many varieties of turtles being cared for including leathersback, hawksbill, Green sea and Olive Ridley turtles. This was one of the badly affected spots by the 2004 tsunami, and was inspiring to see that the hatcheries tried to save the turtles, putting their lives at stake. There are some moonstone mines near Hikkaduwa, and one can enjoy the process of seeing how they are excavated, sorted and polished. I would caution against buying them unless you are a collector and have great knowledge, for me they were just a tourist trap.

The turtle hatchery that survived a tsunami!

• Unnawatuna – for diving enthusiasts, and for a hippie lifestyle (We did not stop here, just passed through)
• Galle Fort– for a viewpoint alternating between a cricket match and the sea atop a Dutch fort. As one watches the sun set, history comes alive. King Rajasinhe would have seen the same sunset some 350 years back, and here I was in the 21^st century, enabled by all technology but still feeling the raw wonder of seeing the sun set over the Indian Ocean! With the addition of a cricket ground and a clock tower to the panorama, it is very picturesque, and worth seeing the sunset from.

One of the many views from Galle fort

On the whole, it’s an interesting ride, and I would advise taking the road by the beach to reach Galle, Mirissa or Weligama. Though it takes much longer, it is that much more picturesque and helps to imbibe the spirit of Sri Lanka! While on the road, I would advise to stop at one of the many roadside places which serves the authentic Sri Lankan rice and curry. We especially loved it with the Pol Sambol (Chilli and coconut grated together to give an ethereal taste), and can be had with just about any other Sri Lankan dish – from the Kothu to the String Hopper, though having it plain may just burn your tongue (Speaking from experience 😊). This is gulped down with the ubiquitous King Coconut, handcrafted to look like a mouse.

The ubiquitous king coconut

Though we covered Mirissa the next day, it was one of the highlights of our trip, as there was a rock just off the beach, which you could climb to experience the vastness of the Indian Ocean and to hear the waves come through. 

The beach is connected to a huge rock in the ocean, accessed by wading through sandy waters and up some rickety steps. But if you brave to climb and explore yonder, you are rewarded with an uninterrupted view of the Indian Ocean from one of the Southern most points of Sri Lanka. This rock has stood testimony to the uninterrupted force of the ocean. It’s like David versus Goliath. A good place to reflect on how small we are compared to the ways of nature 😊

The Ocean and beyond!

Stutiyi Sri Lanka - Tonic Called Train

Reading up about Sri Lankan, one of the first things you find is about how the train journeys are enchanting. 

About how it is one of the must-dos while here. This post describes one of them. There are two train journeys in particular, from Colombo to Ella, and the one from Galle to Colombo (or Matara to Colombo, the ride we took). Some quick info – there are two types of trains – one run by the Sri Lankan government – which are the colonial type of trains, and the ones run by Chinese, which are more modern. The trick is to travel in the golden olden, as the lack of comfort is more than made up by the beauty you encounter first hand.

So, which train to take? Well, we are fond of them beaches, and love the perfect sunset, hence we took the train departing from Matara at 2 PM, which would reach Colombo at 7 (and mathematically, we would get to view the sunset over the ocean from a train, that’s what I thought, and boy was I wrong). We got to view the MOST PERFECT sunset over the ocean from a train, it was breathtaking!

Picture Perfect Sunset...

...From a Train!!

To rewind a bit – there were two parts to the train journey – the first from Matara to Galle, where you  go through trees and villages and small towns, see the manually operated crossings at work – where you are the impediment for the person on his bike to get to where he/she wants. It gives a quaint country like feel, like time standing still (like the air around you, see video below). 

This went on for an hour until we reached Galle. The train changed direction, and suddenly we were out in the front – in about 30 minutes it was the Ocean, the beach and the train (See Below for a sample view).

 On the train , right there as we waved final goodbyes to what would be known as 21^st January , 2019 – you could literally see on the horizon that it was the beginning of the that date for those living yonder – just like passing a baton!

Ocean on your (Train)Door step

Points to Note

• The train number we took was the 8051 from Matara to Colombo, which was Government run. As such, it had only unreserved 3^rd Class, but there was one 1^st class Observation Saloon which we had booked (Costing about USD 14, at the back of the train, with a glass wall to give a panoramic view). 
• 
  
• Though it was perfect till Galle, the engine changed direction, and we could only see the blue butt of an engine for a good part of the journey – which kind of defeated the purpose. However since the people were few, during the sunset, we could roam around the carriage and get good vantage points to click amazing photos and watch the perfect sunset. 



Good Ol' Steam Engine

• The train gets filled up at Galle, and starts empty at Matara, if one can get there in time, getting a window seat could be easy (in the unreserved 3^rd class, costing about USD 1 only). 



Inspection of Guard!

• If in the 1^st class, please sit on the left side, though it seems wrong initially, you will have a sunset view by the window once the train changes direction in Galle.
• We visited in January, good season, clear skies and no rains. 
• LKR and USD are used at all tourist spots.

Chasing Happiness Part 3 - In Love With Paro

This week is about signing off from Bhutan, and what better way than a poem. Have a look/listen, and let us know if you resonate with these words a wise man once said, "Kya Adaa Kya Jalwe Tere ... Paro"..

Chasing Happiness – Part 2 – Taming the Tiger

After a heavy, memorable and pricey meal at the exotic Bukhari restaurant in Como Uma Paro, the next agenda on our list was to lose those calories. We decided to do it by conquering the Tiger. The Tiger’s Nest seems to hang from the cliff, and it is both majestic and scary to look at. For the spiritualists – This is one of the caves where the second most revered person in Buddhist faith – Rinpoche meditated. At 10K+ feet from sea-level, with a 900 metre ascent from the base – no trip to Bhutan is complete without it. 

It is about a 9km trip 2 ways, and the first part of the journey is quite arduous, though not insurmountable for an average Joe. We were slightly below average at that time, however, and it took a lot out from us 😊 But the key to conquering this was indeed in not competing with the 95% of other fitter people around us and rather taking our time, enjoying the view.

The first WOW moment came just before hitting the cafeteria, when we got the first view of the monastery.

After a quick recovery, we restarted, and immediately came across a long flight of stairs, but luckily the track smoothened out after that. It was close to noon, and with the sun relentless in its pursuits to make us give up, the layers of clothes started peeling. We rounded yet another curve, and then we saw it, the view that defines Bhutan Tourism in many magazines. It was splendid!!

Some advice for those trying it –

•          Try to start early (say 8ish), so that the uphill climb is done by 10.30, before the sun starts draining you out.
•           Try not to play with the stray animals, even if they give you the most beseeching of looks, if your partner is not fond of them (Believe me, this is very important!)
•           Carry nuts (and water, unless you don’t mind drinking from the natural springs) – There is only one cafeteria, which only serves a buffet meal, and you want to ideally keep it light. Also, that is the only place where there is a toilet, so plan accordingly
•           Best photo spot – just before the final set of steps to the monastery, the most awesome sets of photos come there (PS, no cameras are allowed inside the monastery, you need to deposit it whilst inside)






•           Time to Visit – We had visited in January, we were greeted with Azure skies, and relatively less crowds. Also, the dry season ensured a dry and firm track to hike




•           While coming down – a note of caution, the mules carry people to the top(Many people prefer this, as the downhill trek is easier), and hence they (the mules) are let loose by their keepers on the way down – often leading to a stampede like situation, especially if you are caught on a narrow path. 
  
  Preferably avoid the downhill stretch from 2 to 4 PM, but if you do – watch out, and warn people trekking ahead of you – Everybody likes a good Samaritan 😊