MORE ON NICOLE’S VISIT (DEC. 18. - 29)

I will attempt to recapitulate the high points about the remainder of Nicole’s visit.

Early on Tuesday Dec 18 we left Ghaziabad by train for Roorkee. Ghaziabad Station is old and grimy unlike some of the smaller stations I saw elsewhere which are cleaner and prettier often embellished by shade trees and/or small gardens-cum-rest areas. At about 7:45 a.m. we boarded the train and then dragged our luggage through several coaches until we arrived at the correct one and found our seats. The train (Janshatabdi Express) is a comfortable way to travel and the country side scenes from the train more appealing than the continuous strip development visible along the highway. We also were served breakfast that was included in our tickets. After a relaxing trip we arrived in Roorkee at about 10:30 a.m. From the station we hired a bicycle-rickshaw to take us to the campus of I.I.T Roorkee and my apartment.

While on campus Nicole joined me and my professor friends for our regular 6:00 p.m. tea sessions at the K.I.H. Café. She also met my younger student friends, Sarah from Mongolia, Chintamanie from Guyana, Ravindra from Calcutta and others at the K.I.H Mess and Café or at the trendier Nescafe Cafe. She also came over to the office to meet my colleagues and use my computer. I.I.T. Roorkee is known more for simple pleasures of tea and conversation plus the delightful lawns and gardens. The bird life is also varied and at times noisy. While Nicole explored I had to go back to work.

On Friday Dec 21 we left on another adventure via rented car some 250 km to Ramnagar. This town is at the south east corner of Corbett National Park: India’s first nature reserve which is named after the English writer and naturalist Jim Corbett. Corbett lived most of his life in the area and was famous for hunting down man-eating tigers that were once a problem here. His books are well known and still in print after more than 80 years. Corbett was one of my father’s favourite authors and I remember reading some of his stories in Jamaica when I was 10 or 11 years old. I did not imagine then that one day I would visit Rudraprayag District scene of one of Corbett’s most famous books! But I digress. We did not realize that we had chosen the most popular weekend of the year for visiting the park. This limited our options. The lodges within the park were all full and the day long safaris all booked up. Our only option was the afternoon (4 hour) tour through the southern part of the park on the afternoon of December 22 (I spent most of the morning at the park office lining up to get our permit). For our safari we hired a Gypsy (Suzuki jeep) and guide. The park is located on the flanks of the Siwalik range of the Himalayas and lies partly on the plains and partly in the hills. The Ramganga River and its smaller tributaries Mandal, Palain and Sonanadi flow through the park. The river is controlled by a dam at Kakagarh and its reservoir also lies within the park. This location provides a wide variety of habitats and is reflected by the exceptional variety of plants, birds and animals that are found in the park. In the park we encountered a fair variety of bird life, notably: water fowl, a pair of eagles and their nest, peacocks in their roosting area, etc. We saw many deer of three varieties, sambur deer, spotted deer and barking deer and troops of langur monkeys. We saw lots of tiger tracks in the dust, a tiger den but no tigers (we were told that there about 143 tigers and 60 leopards in the park based on the last census). As we were leaving the park we came upon an elephant family: father, mother and baby. This in part compensated us for not seeing a tiger; unfortunately, it was too late to take pictures.

Friday and Saturday nights we stayed in a pleasant two star hotel in Ramnagar. On our last day Sunday Dec 23 we traveled to nearby Corbett Falls and Kaladunghi where we visited Corbett’s home which is now a museum. Then we headed back to Roorkee. On the way back we had time for a quick visit to Haridwar to see the famous bathing ghats along the Ganga and lo and behold I bumped into one of my acquaintances from I.I.T. Roorkee! At this time of year the crowds are small but during the summer pilgrim (yatri) season the visitors are numbered in the hundreds of thousands!

Next evening it was Christmas Eve and we decided to attend the campus church. We joined a camp fire for songs (just a few) and tea. The small group seemed to be mostly the pastor’s extended family. The next day we attended the English service that was led by one of the students. Nicole was recruited to join the choir of 3 or 4. They wisely did not extend an invitation to me. The sermon went well for about ten minutes but the speaker kept on for another 35 minutes but added no further enlightenment. Later that afternoon we visited Dr. Satya Prakash and wife Ilona for tea and pastries. Satya was a post doctoral student in Budapest many years ago where he met and married Ilona. So it was an occasion to swap stories about Hungary. We finished the day with Christmas dinner prepared by Cintamanie in his apartment. Chintamanie has come further than anyone else to study at Roorkee. His home is Guyana in South America. I am the second furthest travellor!

On our last night (Dec 27) we were treated to supper by Snigdha Sanyal a horticulturist and architect. Since this meeting Snigdha has married and moved to England where she has recently fond a job as a landscape architect (Nicole keeps in touch).

Nicole’s last day was Dec 28. We left by train to Delhi arriving at 11:00 a.m. and headed over to the YWCA where I had reserved a room for the night. As her plane did not leave until the wee hours of the Dec 29 we had most of the day to explore other sights in New Delhi; so after lunch we went over to the railway museum to view the trains and carriages of earlier times, some quite familiar to me from the 1960’s during the last days of the age of steam.

Note added by Nicole:

Back in New Delhi, we returned to the Kwality restaurant for a final meal before my flight. Yummy mutton kebabs, peas pullao, lentils and tutti-frutti ice cream were on the menu.

Our kind and friendly waiter, tentatively struck up a conversation with us. (Dad’s ability to communicate in Hindi was often a source of curiousity).

It turned out that the waiter’s grandfather, a retired Gurkha, had worked at the Canadian embassy in Delhi, and as a child, our waiter used to play with the Canadian children
(Wait – it gets even more interesting!)

If Gurkha, then Nepal! This provided Dad with an opportunity to speak some Nepali – and need I say our waiter was delighted. I hazarded to ask him where he was from exactly and he replied, figuring we’d never have heard of his village.

But then Dad surprised him again, but saying he’d even stayed there overnight in a hotel!

There was laughter and, taking a photo of us with his mobile phone as a souvenir, he shook our hands and with smiles, greeted us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

What a great way to end my visit with Daddio in India! 

Me again: After an early supper and a few relaxing hours at the YMCA we left by taxi to the airport 2½ hours ahead of the scheduled flight departure. I left Nicole to fend for herself in the chaos of the airport. She managed well enough but needed the full 2½ hours to get through all the formalities.

It was fun to have company over Christmas and Nicole also enjoyed her holiday with Dad. Enjoy the attached pictures.

Nicole's Visit/Triangular Tour (Dec 13 -17)

INDIA - December 12-29, 2007

When I learned that my Dad had successfully secured a post in India, I knew that I must join him for a visit. Having grown up hearing stories of his time there in the sixties and knowing how India holds a special place in his heart, it was clear that he would be guide second to none.

(Besides, it was time to learn what the words we were used to hearing as kids – “chalo” and “nimbo pane” - came from!)

As the Fates would have it, it worked out better for me to fly out from Vienna than Budapest. After soaking in some of the atmosphere at the Vienna Christmas Market, it was time to trade Europe for Asia.

My flight arrived very late in Delhi, and from the mass of people at immigration, it was not the only one! After a somewhat stressful time getting pushed and nudged along, thankfully my passport was stamped and I found my way through the confusion of renovations to the exit. In the sea of brown faces at arrivals, there was Daddio, all smiles and arms outstretched for a great big hug. Meanwhile outside, our taxi with driver was waiting.

How did I know I was in India? The honking of the traffic and the scent of the night air were clues. But I really knew I had arrived when I saw a white bull standing under a tree in the parking lot!

We stayed three nights at the YWCA, on Parliament Street. Each night I slept in a different room, and had more or less success staying warm using the heater. I had not expected it to be so cold in Delhi (below 10 degrees Celsius). Dad joked that the Y was covered in a blanket because of the weather. (In fact, it was covered by scaffolding as major renovations were underway).

(Dec 12) Dad was off in the morning to a local hospital for a head-to-toe, executive physical, which gave me time to rest and recover from my travels. Thanks to the TV. provided in my room, I also made the first of my great discoveries about India - Bollywood! (I love that there's music and dance in the films and I've since become such a fan that I bought a few movies on disc and even watch in Hindi without English subtitles!)

For lunch, we walked to a restaurant at Connaught Place, a famous Delhi landmark, characterized by an inner and outer circle and British Victorian architecture. Getting there meant cautiously crossing the street amongst the vehicles colourful and various, waving off beggars and street vendors and not tripping on roots or holes in the sidewalk.

Our tummies pleasantly full, we found a putt putt (motorized rickshaw) driver willing to take us to Purana Qila, the old fort. The air was hazy and the smoke made me cough, but we had a nice drive and stroll, and I took my first pictures.


(Dec 13) followed with a city tour covering New and Old Delhi in a tour bus.

Setting off from the tourist office located near a bazaar (it was flower market day), we spent the morning visiting important monuments such as Jantar Mantar (astrological observatory dating from the 1700’s the structures reminded me of works by Salvador Dali); Birla Mandir (20th century Hindu Temple inaugurate by Gandhi); and Qutab Minar (the tallest brick minaret in the world) and surrounding buildings most of which were in ruins.

After a quick stop to view the goods on sale at the Indian Textile Corp, our next stop was the Bahai Lotus Temple with its nine entrances representing the nine main world religions before lunch back at the tourist office coffee house. There I made my next discovery - elaichi (cardamom) tea!

In the afternoon, we drove through the noisy, narrow streets of Old Delhi. I remember school children running alongside our bus and making faces; lots and lots of little shops opening onto the street! I also spied two toddlers making away with puppies from a litter with the mother dog trying to corral them back!

Continuing our tour, we visited Lal Qila (Red Fort) an impressive complex mostly developed by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, which includes the royal and public pavilions. I was most impressed by the marble inlaid work which we later found again at Taj Mahal in Agra.

Our next stop was the Raj Ghat which is a simple memorial to Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhiji marking the site of his cremation. As I visited, walking in stockinged feet, music was playing and it was very moving.

Finally as the sun was beginning to lie low in the sky, we arrived at Humayun’s tomb, another most impressive example of Mughal architecture. Much as I was ready to become trigger-happy with my digital camera, Dad quietly let me know that it would pale in comparison to the Taj.

Our bus drove again through the streets back to the part of the city that puts the “New” in - New Delhi and, after a wee rest, we headed out to Connaught place again to a restaurant called the Banana Leaf where Southern Indian cuisine was on the menu. Dad told how when he lived in Sri Lanka he’d eat off a banana leaf which would then be swished off and then pushed through an opening in the wall of the restaurant, on the other side of which was a cow! Talk about yer recycling!

At this restaurant, was Discovery #3 halua, Indian sweet desserts!

Having travelled to Kathmandu some years ago, I couldn’t help but compare the two national capitals. Delhi surprised me being so very busy and noisy. It was such a mix of modern urban landscape and oriental bazaar. It was dirty with dust and trash everywhere, stray dogs and the occasional monkey, people sitting on sidewalks selling peanuts with a little open fire?. People were walking the streets hawking sleeping bags and handkerchiefs. Sharing the streets with the rickshaws and trucks were cars of all makes including luxury ones. Then of course there was the occasional cow. The Indian capital struck me more political and commercial than spiritual and more modern than the living museum that is Kathmandu.

*The Triangular Tour December 14-15-16*

/December 14/
After a lazy breakfast at the Y in the company of two French ladies, one of whom was on her way to attend some public lectures of the Dalai Lama, we met Ravi our driver to start out on the way to Jaipur.

There was a lot of haze and smog along the National Highway with poor visibility that reminded me of the fog of my native Newfoundland .

Having exited the city and passed through some new housing developments for the new middle-class, we gradually entered an area of fields and farmland and escaped the haze and air pollution of Delhi. I must say the roads we traveled were in excellent condition and that despite constant deviations due to construction to widen them. One wonders just how much traffic is expected along these roads in the coming years.

What did we see of the Indian countryside? Mustard, wheat, occasionally fields of rice. A camel, camels, and more camels! We passed though villages with their “strip malls” as Dad called them. Traffic. Cows. People. Sometimes a horse-drawn cart. Market stalls with fruits and vegetables. Such were the sights as we drove along.

After a stop for lunch (by which time the sun had come out so that we ate outside in a pleasant garden), we hit the road again. The terrain started to change becoming semi-arid and hilly. We had arrived in Rajasthan!

We first visited the Amber Palace, a remarkable fort with accompanying buildings that once was a royal capital before the founding of Jaipur. It is a very romantic setting in the rocky hills with a beautiful view and fascinating collection of buildings, of interest both for their beauty and their various functions.

I would love to return one day to see the new gardens which are currently being restored They grace the courtyard of rose-water scented fountains where the Maharaja and his Maharani would sit on a swing together during the monsoon rains.

After succumbing to the persistent (and ultimately successful) selling techniques of a young boy selling souvenir books, taking some photos of monkeys and descending from the hillside, we stopped alongside a very picturesque lake with a pavilion (once again under-renovation) and then visited a local government run (and perhaps therefore somewhat expensive) cooperative. The typical tourist goods: quilts, saris, dresses, men’s clothing and other textiles along with jewelry, figurines, prints and so on! were available and were certainly put on show. The man who greeted us and who presented various items to us certainly knew the sales scripts and I walked out having made my first purchases of gifts. (Later of course I learned I could have bought similar items for a much lower price, though I acknowledge, not of the same quality).

We arrived in Jaipur itself at twilight and so could not fully appreciate the so-called “pink city”? Passing the Hawa Mahal (palace of winds, a façade of terraced windows and screens behind which royal women would observe processions without being observed themselves), we made our way to our small hotel, the Jai Miswa, which I highly recommend.

/December 15/

Day 2 of the Triangular Tour began at the City Palace after breakfast at the hotel.

We visited an observatory very similar to the one in Delhi and took our time to examine the structures more carefully. Entering the palace proper, we viewed an exhibit of clothing and a workshop which reminded me of the Montreal flea market! It was very pleasant to stroll and chat with Dad within the palace complex and to take pictures without feeling pressed for time But time was of the essence so we left Jaipur, leaving much to be discovered, and hit the road en route to Agra via Bharatpur.

We spent two hours at the Keoladeo Ghana national park riding a rickshaw through the park accompanied by a guide on his bicycle. There was little water in the park due to poor monsoon rains, which made for a disappointment since Keoladeo Ghana is famous as a sanctuary for migratory water birds. Underground water was being pumped but was too saline to support the flocks which, we were told, had settled some 40-50 km from the sanctuary at a reservoir.

However we were rewarded by sightings of some of our feathered friends though in small numbers (notably -black-necked storks, Indian cranes, a heron and several Indian rollers) and were lucky to see many animals (sambar deer, spotted deer, nilgai a.k.a. blue antelope and a jackal).

As the sun was already setting as we head out again, we did not have time to visit the deserted city of Fathepur Sikri. I had been told it was not to be missed, and was glad for at least a view at a distance in the hazy sunset.

We arrived at a three-star hotel which made me feel somewhat lost. Were we still in India ? The place had a revolving restaurant! Supposedly there was a view of the Taj from my room, but it was hidden by the darkness by night and the haze by morning. But then, what did that since the following day, we were going to see the famous sight up close?

/December 16/

After a quick breakfast (in the no longer revolving restaurant), Ravi drove us as far as cars were allowed and then we went by rickshaw and shanks mare, arriving at the West Gate that leads to the Taj Mahal. At the ticket booth there was some frustration: the Indian rate was 20 rupees and for us foreigners it was 750 rupees! Also, the security was somewhat surreal. But it was all worth it once we entered.

It was a cool morning with great blue sky and tbe Taj Mahal was a beautiful sight. Dad suggested we walk in the parks first before walking to the famous main building. I am very glad we did that as it made me realize that the Taj is more about the white marble mausoleum, the famous temple of love. It is about the gardens and the other buildings, about the Yamuna River flowing behind, about imagining the Maharaja strolling contemplatively and quietly mourning his Maharaji within this sanctuary.

After a lovely visit and plenty of photos taken, we went on to Agra Fort where it took numerous attempts to purchase acceptable tickets. (Dad numerous times entered monuments at the Indian rate, showing his residence permit and impressing with his Hindi. However the Indian soldier who was controlling tickets had other ideas!) The architecture of the fort was very beautiful and there was a lovely, romantic view of the Taj Mahal from the river side of the Fort.

Leaving the crowded and somewhat dilapidated city of Agra, we made a stop at Sikandrabad, the tomb of Mughal Emperor Akbar. This was one of my favorite places we visited. The gates were particularily interested for the enormous flower inlays and symbols representing different religions. There were also deer and antelope in the park (!) though at safe distance from us. Our journey on the road back to Delhi brought us to a restaurant where they certainly pulled out all the stops for the tourists. Besides the usual restaurant and gift shop, we were greeted by a child dressed like Krishna and playing a stringed instrument (very annoying!) and received garlands of flowers. There were even snake charmers parked (!) outside the main entrance of what was in fact, a modern, hotel / villa / housing (?) complex.

Inside the restaurant, we were the only guests and we sat ourselves down to share a vegetarian lunch. Dad chatted with the waiters who were not a little fascinated that he speaks Hindi. There were the usual questions about where we are from, what we do, where we were going. Then the head waiter, Captain Raj Pal, had the grand idea of having Dad sign the guest book. Soon all of the waiters, some half dozen of them, encircled our table, cheerfully participating in the ceremony. The Captain dictated verses of praise for the service, and then it came to me to write the same in the guest book! in Hungarian! What a great moment that was! It makes me wonder if some of the greatest souls aren’t those who wait tables.

The drive through Delhi to Ghaziabad was tedious what with us getting stuck in rush hour Delhi traffic. Not much rushing to be done when everything's at a stand-still! Finally, after getting somewhat lost we were met by car in the dark by Vipin, Naipaul’s nephew, who escorted us to their home where we were received like - family!



For me, this was a turning point in my visit to India. Until then, I had visited monuments. Now I was able to discover India through meeting people and making friends.

(To be continued)

WEEKEND IN MUSSOORIE: OCTOBER 6-8, 2007

I decided that it was time to venture away from the secure comforts of the campus and to escape to the hills for a weekend. Mussoorie sometimes called queen of the hill stations is relatively close by. So I headed out on Saturday Oct 6 at about 9:00 am to catch the bus to Dehradun about 40 km away. At Dehradun I hired a taxi to take me the rest of the way a further 35 km. I arrived at about 2:00 pm. The first order of business was to find myself a hotel. I eventually settled on the Hotel Rockland. It was a pretty good deal with hot and cold water at Rs 500/- ($12.50). I then set out to explore the town and walked from one end of the mall to the other. Mussoorie is reminiscent of Newcastle in Jamaica but a bit higher at 6000 ft (1830m) much more commercialized and much larger. Mussoorie was founded in 1823 by the British as a refuge from the heat of the plains which is still its main raison-d’etre today. Some of the old British Buildings are still there but most of the original buildings are submerged by newer generally banal structures built in recent years to accommodate the influx of Indian vacationers intent in escaping the heat of the plains!! By Oct 6 the weather on the plains had moderated, children were back at school and the off season had started, still there were lots of people around! The temperature was pleasant and a sweater or jacket was enough to keep one comfortably warm. In my usual fashion I meandered around the bazaar or the mall as it has always been called. On of my stops was at Cambridge Book Store where a certain Mr. Ruskin author was hanging out. Ruskin is one of the rare Englishmen who decided to remain in India after independence. There was also another author there a lady who writes on gardening and such stuff. Unfortunately, I have forgotten her name. The other character I met was Sikh storekeeper who was preparing for immigration to Winnipeg to join his uncle who owns three taxis. He expects to work for his uncle driving one of the taxis. I warned him that Canadian police enforce traffic laws much more strictly than in India and that he must always obey the rules of the road or he could easily loose his licence, of course he will first have to learn the rules! Driver education is a weak element in the Indian driver licensing system.

Sunday I went on a drive through the country by taxi to Dhanoli (50 km, both ways). I shared the cost with a French student and his Ladakhi girl friend. The highlight were views of the snow covered Himalaya. At Dhanoli we visited a herbal garden. They also grew a lot of flowers for the market mainly marigolds. In the evening I had supper at a Tibetan restaurant where I met a couple of young Canadian lady travellers who had just started their Indian adventure. They were planning to live on the cheap. I hoped it all worked out well for them.

Next day I joined a bus tour to Kempty Falls some 15 km to the northwest of Mussoorie. I was the only foreigner on the bus. One of the other passengers thought I was Indian because I was talking Hindi but he couldn’t have been listening all that well! The tour was over by 3:00 pm. After the tour I returned to the hotel picked up my knapsack caught a bus to Dehradun and another to Roorkee reaching home at about 7:00 pm in time for supper.

I am attaching a few pictures that will give you an idea of the place.

Phil Helwig,
Roorkee
Nov 24, 2007

Return to Sri Lanka

One of my plans while in South Asia was to return to Sri Lanka where I had lived for one year (1962-63) as a CUSO volunteer. The occasion came about sooner than I had expected when the boss asked me if I would like to attend an international conference on small hydro to be held in Kandy from Oct 21 to 23. The arrangement was that he would cover the conference fees and I would be responsible for the rest. It seemed a pretty good deal.

We left the campus on Saturday October 20 at about 9:30 am. There were four of us Dr. H.K. Verma and wife and Dr. M.F. Sharma who we met at Muzaffanagar on the way. It was a pleasant drive with a couple of comfort stops along the way. For much of the trip we followed the Ganga Canal left bank road, a picturesque route that kept us away from the crowded country towns. Although the road was narrow this detour did not cost us much additional time as there was little traffic. We arrived in Delhi at about 4:00 pm. It was Saturday and traffic was light. This allowed us to get through the city quickly and to reach the airport with lots of time to spare. Our flight with Sri Lankan Airlines left on time. I had the choice of a vegetarian or non-vegetarian meal for supper. I decided to become a carnivore for the remainder of the trip.

We arrived in Colombo at about 11:30 pm. There were no hang-ups going through customs and I was not asked to buy a tourist visa that would have cost me $ 50:00 US (versus $3:00 for my Indian friends). I was not sure what happened. Were conference attendees exempt or was it because I was listed as a member of the Indian contingent? Or was the official on duty simply tired and inattentive? Getting organised took a bit of time until we sorted out where we were to spend the night. We eventually set out for Palm Village Hotel at 30 minutes after mid night supposedly this hotel was close to the airport but it took us the best part of an hour to reach our destination. We travelled via secondary roads that had not seen any maintenance for many years and our rate of progress was slow perhaps 15 km/h on average (?). It appeared to me that when a country is embroiled in a civil war repair of secondary roads gets a low priority. It was pleasant once we got there and we all had a goodnight’s sleep. After breakfast we set off for Kandy the conference location, and incidentally, where I lived in 1962-63. With the exception of Regal Theatre I recognised nothing. The conference hotels the Topaz and Tourmaline were on hill tops that were jungle 44 years ago. Hotel Topaz where I stayed was excellent and the food first rate, offering Sri Lankan and Western dishes and some Indian selections. I concentrated on the Sri Lankan dishes that I had so much enjoyed when I lived in Sri Lanka in the 1960’s. The fruit selection was somewhat disappointing but many of my favourite fruits were out of season although I was later able to find sweet sop, mango stein and cherimoya in various markets. I enjoyed the conference immensely mainly for the social/networking opportunities as the technical content was a bit thin. The largest contingent was from Sri Lanka as one would expect followed by India, Nepal and Norway the conference co-sponsors. But there were representatives in one and twos from Austria, Bhutan, Iran, China, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, East Timor, Philippines, Nigeria, Peru, Sweden, U.K. and Uzbekistan. There was one German and one Canadian (me) who were both counted as Indians on account of our affiliations! I particularly enjoyed meeting the Nepalis. None were friends who I had known before but all knew one or other of my Kathmandu friends and colleagues from earlier days. Who knows I may get some future business out of these contacts!! I should mention that we were treated to the requisite number of cultural programs and I joined a half day trip to the elephant orphanage at Pinawela and then to a small but very elaborate Chinese built power plant - after all this was supposed to be work! The conference concluded on October 24.

After the conference I took a week of holidays to revisit old haunts and try and look up old friends. I decided to remain another day in Kandy to see the sites, notably the Dalada Maligawa (or Temple of the Tooth) where Lord Buddha’s tooth is preserved. It is worth noting that this famous Buddhist Temple also included statues to the Hindu God Shiva recognising the common roots of both religions.

From there I went by taxi to see Victoria Dam. This arch dam is one of the key elements of the large Mahaveli Irrigation System. At first the guards were reluctant to let me go to the dam but they eventually changed their minds. Evidently I did not look much like a (Tamil) tiger, so I was allowed to go up to the lookout but not to take any pictures. In calmer days they would have entertained large numbers of visitors and had laid out a spacious parking area and built a fine restaurant overlooking the dam. In those days visits into the dam’s inspection tunnel were also a regular part of the Victoria Dam experience. Behind the dam is a large lake in which, I was told, supports an important fresh water fishery. I ended the day with a quick visit to Royal Botanical Gardens Peradenya that is surely one of the loveliest public gardens anywhere.

Next day Oct 26th I set out by train to Nuwara Eliya at about elevation 2000m. There were no observation car seats available so I went second class. I was able to get a seat among a group of high school athletes from Kuranegala and their teachers, the girls were competing in karam and the boys in rugger. It was a pleasant 2½ trip. In Nuwara Eliya I stayed in McLeod Lodge, formerly the summer home of the Bandaranaike family (Mrs. B was prime minister of Ceylon/Sri Lanka in 1962-63 when I lived there). It is a large house but otherwise quite ordinary. The two days I stayed there were overcast and it rained each day from 1:00 pm until 7:00 pm and it was chilly besides: shades of Newfoundland! On my second day there I walked around Nuwara Eliya Lake and visited Victoria Gardens. Then in the afternoon I went by taxi to visit a tea factory and to see several nearby waterfalls. In the 1960’s I had passed through Nuwara Eliya many times but this was my first proper visit.

I left on the morning of October 28th again via train with destination Colombo. Again no luck with observer car tickets, it seems you must plan ahead for such comforts and planning ahead is not one of my strong points! So again it was second/third class but this time no seat. So I stood up or cotched, on the edge of a seat, for most of the four hour trip. However, I had the pleasure of meeting the Obeysekera family and Manori their charming daughter who teaches maths in an international school; in Colombo. I also met some members of the Kuranegala High School rugger team who had lost their match in the quarter finals and were going home early. The girls karam team seemed to be doing better. While travelling by train I saw two Canadian locomotives the Newfoundland and Vancouver City. These locomotives were given as aid by Canada under the Colombo Plan in the 1960’s and are still providing good service 40 odd years later. At least a dozen were supplied one for each province and a couple or more named after cities.

In Colombo I stayed at the Mount Empire Inn a small but comfortable two star hotel but with a singularly uninspired name. The name didn’t resonate with me and I had a hard time remembering it. Fortunately, the address was more distinctive! It is one thing to get lost in a foreign country but it is much worse to lose your hotel!! On my first day in Colombo I tried contacting friends from the old days. I was only able to track down Tamitegama (Tami) unfortunately he was away in India. However, his wife Lorraine invited me over to join her and some friends for lunch. It was a gourmet affair of finely prepared Sri Lankan and South Asian dishes and good company too. Both Tami and Lorraine are both very active in the Sri Lanka Alzheimer’s Society and provide much needed services to patients and their families. While in Colombo I also visited the Dehiwala Zoo. The zoo has an excellent collection of birds and animals particularly monkeys, but several displays were in shabby conditions. Clearly money for zoos is also a low priority. While I was there the Tamil Tigers staged a spectacular raid on the air force base near Anuradhapura and destroyed 17 to 20 aircraft (mostly helicopters I guess). The cost to replace this equipment was said to be in the order of $ 400 million! So shortage of money to repair secondary roads or to find mates for lonely animals at the zoo is likely to continue.

After a couple of days in Colombo I headed south to Hikkaduwa on October 31st for a proper beach holiday. Hikkaduwa is quite a tourist town spread out along kilometres of fabulous golden beaches. The town has recovered well from the tsunami of 2004. It would appear that businesses probably were favoured when relief money was given out. I think the more robust structures survived quite well although ground level furnishings were destroyed or simply floated away. The famous railway carriages are parked in the railway station and are slowly rusting away. Elsewhere foundations and the few standing ruins are already overgrown with vegetation as if this tragic event happened decades ago. The proper tourist season had not yet started so hotel guests were few. Swiss, Austrians and Germans seemed to be the most adventurous as Sri Lanka’s civil problems tend to scare tourists away. Actually, the south and central areas that I visited are mostly free from the strife that afflicts the North-central, Eastern and Northern provinces. I stayed at Sunil’s Beach Hotel and spent a couple of lazy days in Hikkaduwa. I swam mostly in the Hotel pool because the sea at this season was too rough, except for at sheltered location some distance from the hotel where I swam once. I also went on a short cruise (30 minutes!) in a glass bottomed boat to view fish life in a reef. The reef took quite a pummelling in the tsunami but appears to be recovering. The fish are relatively abundant but in fewer varieties than one would normally see in a coral reef. I also went on a sunset paddle around a lagoon to see the bird life and supposedly some spectacular rookeries. Spectacular rookeries there were none and the surroundings a bit too affected by human activity to be ideal places for roosting. A visit to a Buddhist temple was more interesting. Nonetheless it was a pleasant and tranquil time and I saw quite enough flying creatures birds (crows, egrets, kingfishers, fly catchers and bats – big flying foxes and smaller bats) to make the venture worthwhile. On my last day in Hikkaduwa I attended the dedication of a new restaurant, according to some traditions the first guest is supposed to bring good luck. I hope this is true for Mr. and Mrs. Lionel who are owners of this establishment.

I took my old note book on Sinhala language and tried to communicate. I could recall a few phrases such as: mage badda piruna (my tummy is full), keyada wyasa? (how old are you?) mama maha nuwara-ta hitiya (I used to live in Kandy) and not much else come to think of it! I got a many laughs for my efforts but I can no longer communicate in an effective manner in Sinhala.

I returned to Colombo on November 2nd again travelling by train. Travelling by train is incredibly cheap. The trip from Hikkaduwa to Colombo about 100 km cost about 90 cents Canadian.

The following afternoon I caught the plane back to Delhi, spent the night in a Karol Bagh hotel and returned to Roorkee by bus the next day, Sunday - November 4th.

I am attaching some photos for you to enjoy.

Phil Helwig
December 7, 2007