Jordan Israel Egypt: Holy Land Trip

Sept 26^th – Oct 4^th 2011

An unforgettable 9 day journey into the land of the Bible; visiting incredible historical locations; reliving various religious stories; discovering many nuances of the land and meeting some lovely people along the way...here are some highlights of the Holy Land Trip

On the mildly nippy night of 26^th, a group of 48 of us, BCBS staff and family, including the Principal and Vice-Principal excitedly boarded the Etihad flight to Amman via Abu Dhabi. We landed in Jordan, the Kingdom of King Abdullah and Queen Raina, in the morning and directly headed to Madaba in an AC bus, driving south from Amman along the 5000-year-old King's Highway. Madaba is known as "The City of Mosaics" as beneath almost every house lies a fine Byzantine mosaic. Our main stop was the Greek Orthodox church of St. George in Madaba. Its 6^th century Byzantine mosaic floor map marks the sites mentioned in the Bible and depicts a view of the entire region from Jordan and Palestine in the north, to Egypt in the south. Beautiful mosaics frames of Saints and Biblical stories adorn the walls of the church. Exploring the quaint streets which showcase the mosaic skill of the locals and making some hurried souvenir purchases along the way, we walked back to the bus. Lunch at Dana restaurant is where we first sample the delicious salads and olive rich food that is the speciality of the region. 

At the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, Madaba, Jordan

Next stop was Mount Nebo, the presumed site of Moses' death and burial place. Atop the panoramic viewpoint on Mount Nebo, we saw the Promised Land and imagined how Moses would have felt after roaming the deserts for 40 years. Other sights of importance include the point where Moses struck water and a sculpture by an Italian artist representing the Bible and all the Saints. All along the way, we saw a dry dusty landscape, with almost every lane prolific with olive trees. Our friendly guide, Ahmed regaled us with cultural nuances of the land and its people. Later we checked into Hotel Jerusalem International, Amman after a long day of walking in the sun.

We checked out the next morning and proceeded towards border control. Our sojourn in Jordan was complete and we were ready for our journey into Israel. We meet our new guide, Galle who commences orienting us about the history of the land. The terrain changes to a deeper green. And we’re soon getting our first glimpse of the Sea of Galilee and it’s such a gorgeous blue!

We begin our Israeli leg by visiting Church of Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes at Tabgha. The church stands on the site of 4^th and 5^th century churches and we see the traditional stone on which the miraculous meal was laid as well as a splendid early Christian mosaic. Lunch is at a hotel beside the Sea of Galilee. With the brilliant cerulean waterfront setting the right ambience, we partake of the famed fresh Peter's fish and other local dishes that make up a scrumptious meal.

We next visit Capernaum, an ancient fishing village where Jesus healed a paralytic and met his first disciples. The town was Jesus' main base during his Galilean ministry. We explore the ruins of a celebrated Byzantine-era synagogue and also get to see the remains of baptism material from 5^th century as well as St Peter’s house. An imposing statue of St Peter marks the area, imparting a sense of serenity.

Listening in rapt attention to our guide in Israel

We walk towards the Sea of Galilee, where we board a replica of a Galilean fishing boat for a short cruise. It is a humbling moment as we set sail on the same sea where Jesus calmed the storm and walked on the water.  In contrast today, we have similar tourist boats and some windsurfers for company. With Israeli and Indian flags fluttering on board, coupled with English and Israeli music playing in the background, the BCBS gang breaks into some fun dance routines. Once ashore, we head towards the very comfortable Royal Plaza Hotel in Tiberias.

The next day we start early and our first stop is Yardenit, the traditional baptismal site on the Jordan River. We see a sea of white on the narrow stretch of green water - folks of multiple nationalities dressed in white being baptised at the original site where Jesus was baptised by John. Our team here splits up, some immersing themselves in the holy river or collecting the water, some choosing to be baptised and others shopping for souvenirs. 

Getting into the water at Yardenit, the traditional baptismal site on the Jordan River

Next stop is the Church of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. The striking feature is the gold dome of this Catholic church, designed Antonio Barluzzi with its octagonal shape representing the 8 beatitudes. Outside the Church, all is serene with a landscape of vibrantly coloured flowers and greens, overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

We stop at the town of Cana where Jesus performed the first miracle – the changing of water into wine. We first sample and buy the famous wine and then head to the famed wedding church. Inside, we met a Spanish group from South America and their priest who graciously blesses us all. After a quick lunch at Hotel Sahara in the town of Nime, the next stop is Nazareth, the boyhood town of Jesus and home of Mary & Joseph. The main highlight is the Basilica of the Annunciation, which is built over the grotto which the Virgin Mary received the news from Archangel Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus. The current day Catholic Church, is built over the remains of Byzantine and Crusader churches. In the evening, we leave Tiberais and go to Jerusalem which St Paul writes will be the centre of the New Order. We check into Jerusalem Gold Hotel, located centrally in the capital city and are eager to know about this city whose holy sites revered by three great monotheistic faiths.

Another day dawns, we visit the town of Ein Kerem where Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth. The glittering golden domes of the Russian Orthodox church of Mary Magdalene in typical Muscovite style fascinate us along the way. We stop by Mary’s spring and see the Visitation Church, set atop a hill and said to be built over the home of John the Baptist's parents. The principal attraction of the church is the Magnificat in 42 languages, designed by Barluzzi. We move onward to Mt Zion, we also see the life size statue of King David, the room of the Last Super and St Joseph’s church. We also attempted to visit King David’s tomb but being Sabbath, it was closed for tourists. 

At Mount Zion [City of David]

The next is the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. En route, where we spend some time at the Belvedere, a panoramic spot, trying to grasp the topographical design of the land and our co-ordinates. Gallicantu means "cock crowing" and it remembers the three denials of Peter before Christ’s crucifixation. Outside, an installation describes the events of the denial of Jesus by Peter. In the basement of the church is an array of caves including a jail where Jesus was held after his arrest. Around the Church are the remains of a Byzantine monastery. At a distance in the valley, we also spot the site where Judas committed suicide, now a monastery.

Our next destination is Bethlehem, a fortified city where Palestinian flags dot the skyline and armed guards are visible at every corner. We leave our Israeli guide and meet the Palestinian one. Our first stop is Shepherd’s Field, where the Angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds and the Greek Orthodox site that features a 5^th century church built over the cave where the shepherds rested. Inside the cave, we start singing the hymn ‘Glory in Excelsis’, only to be joined in by other tourists, creating an extraordinarily uplifting moment.

After some shopping and lunch at Mt David Hotel, we go to Church of Nativity - the traditional place of Christ's birth. Bending to enter the church through the small doorway, the Door of Humility, we find ourselves in the oldest church in the Holy Land – resplendent with iconostasis, which is crowned with gilded angels, icons, chandeliers and lamps; the rows of brown stone pillars, the paintings on them now faded; a Constantinian mosaic floor, revealed beneath the wooden floorboards, dating from the 12^th century; and a wall of the nave with 12^th century mosaics. 

The Silver Star on the floor of the Grotto that marks the very spot where Christ was born

It has different parts held by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Latin churches, each with its own style that converges in that one church. The church is packed with many tourists and it’s a rush to enter the Grotto of Nativity. We finally push through a heaving crowd to see the Silver Star on the floor of the Grotto that marks the very spot where Christ was born and say our prayers. We also visit the adjacent Church of St. Catherine which is built over the ruins of a Crusader church. Outside the Church of Nativity, it is a melting pot of tourists from all over the world, making the most of the massive stone fortress-like walls for a photo-op. 

Stopping for a photo-op outside the fortress-like walls of the Church of Nativity

When we leave Bethlehem, it’s time for a surprise, organised by our tour-in-charge, Peter along with Galle. It’s a Time Machine 4D movie on Israel, tracing its history until the 5-day war of 1967 at the Beit Hahagana Centre in Jerusalem, complete with all effects. After this insightful and truly ‘moving’ experience, it’s time to return to our hotel.

The next day, we find ourselves on the Mount of Olives. We stop by the Rechavam Observation point to take in the historic expanse beneath us. We also catch our first glimpse of Temple Mount, with its golden Dome of the Rock in the distance. It is a Muslim shrine with the rock where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac and built on the site of the First and Second Jewish temples.

The Dome of the Rock dominates the skyline of Jerusalem

The Mt of Olives is separated from the Eastern Hill (the Temple Mount and the City of David) by the Kidron Valley. It is believed that the Messiah will enter through the now blocked Golden Gate opposite it and the Last Judgement will take place in the Kidron Valley. For this reason, the site has is dotted with Jewish graves so as to be the first to follow the Messiah on the Day of Redemption.

We visit the unusual Dominus Flevit Church on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple Mount with its distinct chapel window through which we get a beautiful view of the city. It marks the spot where Jesus wept over the fate of Jerusalem that would be shortly destroyed. Outside, we view the tombs of the first Christians from the 1^st and 2^nd century at the Necropole, their bone boxes, complete with imagery and signs and learn more about the reasoning behind the unique shape of the boxes.

We follow the traditional Palm Sunday procession route and visit the Garden of Gethsemane at the bottom of the slope of the Mt. of Olives. The ancient olive garden, their age being anywhere between one and two thousand years old, is a marvellous sight. Byzantine, Crusader and a modern church were built successively on the site where it is believed that Jesus prayed to the Father hours before his crucifixion. The modern Church of All Nations, designed by Barluzzi has rare violet glass-like translucent stone windows through which sunlight filters in. It is also known as the Basilica of the Agony and features the very rock on which Jesus prayed in agony on the night before his arrest. Outside, one can view the closed gates of Jerusalem.

We next proceed to the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall, which is the holiest site for the Jews and as close as one can get to the Dome of the Rock. As is the custom, we write our prayers on little scraps of paper and insert them into the crevices on the Wall. En route, we catch the important landmarks like the Augusta Victoria Hospital, the Parliament and the Park of Olives, where we take in the view of raised olive trees against the background of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea and the Judean desert.

After lunch at the Elias restaurant attached to a Greek Orthodox Church, we set out to explore the Old city of Jerusalem. We start at Bethesda, the site of the healing miracle of Jesus. It was here at the Pool of Bethesda that Jesus healed the man who was lame for 38 years. We stop by the Church of St. Anne, a beautiful 12^th century church with typical Crusader style of high interiors. It is the traditional site of the birthplace of Anne (Hannah), the mother of Mary. We stop to sing a few songs where our collective voices rise to the high roof and create a beautiful amplified harmony.

We follow the Via Dolorosa or the Way of Grief - the 14 stations of the Cross to Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. The 1^st 2 stations - near Pilate's Judgement Hall and where Roman soldiers scourged Jesus and placed the crown of thorns on his head – mark the beginning. The last 5 stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Originally built by the mother of Emperor Constantine in 330 A.D., the Church of the Holy Sepulchre commemorates the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial and displays Crusader style facades.

The church remains carefully divided between denominations who guard their portions jealously: Armenians, Copts, Greeks and Latins. Almost like a church of many churches, the first vision is one of grandeur. Beautifully painted interiors with ornately decorated lamps greet us here at the holiest Christian site in the world. After an extremely long wait, we finally see the notable sights: the Place of Crucifixion - a rocky outcropping which is the traditional place where the cross was placed; the Stone of Unction [Anointing] which commemorates the preparation of Jesus' body for burial and The Edicule, the location of Christ's tomb. After a long day, we call it a day and head back to our hotel.

The Place of Crucifixion, Golgotha inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Next day morning, we check out of the hotel in Jerusalem and visit Jericho, the lowest place on earth at 1300 feet below sea level and the oldest city in the world [10,000 years old]. It’s also the known for its Biblical significance of the place of Zachaeus' house. After shopping for dates, Dead Sea products, saffron & souvenirs, we drive past the Mount of Temptation. A Palestinian city, we change guides when we enter and again when we leave. We bid goodbye to Jericho and begin descending as we travel to the Dead Sea - the lowest body of water on earth. With its high salinity, one can float without even trying in its waters. We visited Kalia beach where the must-do activities include floating in the mineral rich sea, mud-sun-packing and lunching at the resto above the beach, with its fabulous view of the cobalt blue waters.

After a relaxed meal and more shopping, we drive towards Taba border. The landscape changes, the Dead Sea is left behind and the untamed beauty of the surrounding desert is visible. We start driving along the Red Sea and soon, we arrive at Eilat, the southern-most Israeli town and a popular sea-side destination, famous for its underwater marine life. After the land border change formalities and saying good-bye to our dear guide, Galle, we’re in the land of the Pharaohs, Egypt where we’re warmly welcomed by our new guide, Ahmed as ‘Habibis’. As we begin our journey to St Catherine, our next stop, we catch a glimpse of the Fort of Saladin in the Red Sea. By nightfall, we reach Morgan Land hotel in the Mt Sinai region.

The next morning, we cab it half-way and climb the other half to St Catherine's monastery which is atop one of the smaller hills. The cragged steep mountains surround us, the sun powerfully shining on this desert land and it is with a sense of stupefaction that we realise that it was on one of these mountains that Moses climbed to get down the 10 commandments. Inside the monastery, we visit Moses' well and the Burning Bush of Moses.

We then leave the Sinai Region, following the Red Sea. We lunch at a resort on the beach, once again with sparkling views of the Red Sea. It’s a popular venue for water-sports activities such as kiting and wind-surfing. 

Relaxing at the date palm fringed resort with its brilliant blue waters of the Red Sea

It is a memorable moment as we travel in the tunnel beneath the Suez Canal, crossing over from Asia to Africa. After a long journey through Egypt, we finally reach the capital, Cairo. After the many water bodies of our trip - Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea, Red Sea, now it’s time to make our acquaintance with the River Nile.

We check into Zoser Hotel after an arduous in-city driving experience in peak traffic and proceed to the River Nile for our dinner cruise aboard the ‘Andrea Le Memphis’. The evening’s chief attractions: the gyrations of the exotic blonde belly-dancer; the impromptu adaption of her Middle-eastern dance by Peter, our tour-in-charge; the feats of the Tandoora man; had us cracking up in laughter. A view from the deck lent a splendid view of Cairo by night - the twinkling of the city lights, stars and their reflection on the dark waters and coupled with the gentle rocking of the boat, delicious dinner, music and dance, and the amiable company, signalled a relaxing end to a long day.

The next day, we set out from our hotel on Pyramid road to see the wonder of the ancient world at Giza. We brave through the crazy traffic of Cairo and suddenly, amidst the city's hustle-bustle, we have our first glimpse of the mighty Pyramids, so casually co-located in a stone’s throw of the modern world.  As we get a closer view, words are not enough to describe one’s impression of the Pyramids. Built about 4000 yrs ago with an estimated 2.3 million blocks of stone, the Pyramids impart a towering sense of magnificence. We climbed the biggest Pyramid at Giza, that of King Cheops to a few permitted levels. It was incredible to stand there and look up to see how high it extended – truly majestic! 

Panoramic view of the 3 Mighty Pyramids of Giza – of King Khufu, King Khafra and King Menkaura

The next few hours were dedicated to learning about the famed 3 Pyramids and discovering some tiny unknown Pyramids in the vicinity, visiting the panoramic spot with a view of all the 3 pyramids, coming in walking distance of the grand Sphinx with its cut-off nose attributed to different folk lore. We also visited an exotic perfumery, jewellery and a papyrus painting showroom where we saw how sheets are made from the papyrus plant and learnt about cartouches. We spent a few cherished hours at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo where there was not enough time to do justice to the enormous wealth of artefacts of the Pharaohs, the Mummies and the relics of Tutan-Khamen.  We ended the evening with a glorious sound & light show at the Pyramids of Giza. The last glimpses of the Pyramids and the Sphinx in the moon light, in all its mesmerising glory at the end of the show will remain in my mind for a long time.

At the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, established in 1902 -  home to the great collection of Egyptian antiquities with over 120,000 items on display

And soon, the last day of our holiday was upon us and we travelled back via Abu Dhabi to Bangalore. A journey complete but in no way ended. A kaleidoscope of images kept running through my mind. The Silver Star at the Church of Nativity and the azure blue of the Sea of Galilee. The golden Dome of the Rock that defines the skyline of the Holy Land. The renowned Mediterranean fare of cool salads, feta cheese, humus and other delicacies. The French, Latin, Greek and German influence in churches and signages. Biblical history and its myriad interpretations. The tranquillity in the high-arched Crusader styled churches. The friendly people from other countries that we met, all linked by a common Christian faith.

It is a curious mélange of experiences that we brought back. The Holy Land has so much to offer, there’s so much we saw, there’s so much to take in, there’s so much we didn’t! Against a background of converging hushed accents of German, Russian, French and other foreign languages, exploring the history of the land, learning about its culture, devoting some personal time to introspection and meditation, we leave, replete with a sense of contentment, a deep sated satisfaction of knowing a bit more, but not all; and above all, a feeling of overwhelming emotion.

Glimpses of Malaysia

The Malaysian Flag, so similar to the American one, near Independence Square
The Petronas and Menara KL in the distance - also see the red flower shaped street lights
King's Palace
Petronas at night and daytime

Malaysia, Truly Asia

30th December

We reached KL early at 6.30hrs a.m. local time. Here began the package tour part of the trip, organised by S. And it was a smooth transition from the S’pore part of the holiday that was completely planned by A. The tour chap was there to pick us up at the station and help us check into Corus Hotel. The best feature of the hotel, apart from its 4 star status, is its location – we were bang in the central part of KL and almost opposite to the Petronas – the world renowned twin towers.

We were ahead of their check-in time, so had to make do with one room where we all crashed for a couple of hours until the other room was available. Refreshed, we were ready to hit the roads. Our focus in Malaysia was very clear – shopping and more shopping - with enough time to explore the shopper’s paradise Sungei Wang mall. After a quick stop to Avenue K mall - next door to our hotel, in search of money-changers - and an even quicker cab ride, we arrived at Sungei Wang - the place in KL for discounted shopping, sales, local merchandise and really, the best way to start shopping. Without much ado, we joined the sea of enthusiastic shoppers.

The mall is fairly large, with several sections and floors, filled with many shops, both small and medium, selling their own special niche range of products and a couple of large-format stores like Metro Jaya. Beautiful decorations for Christmas, New Year and also the Chinese New Year created a not inharmonious melange of themes that somehow blended splendidly and added to the festive feel.

We kept shopping right through the afternoon, stopping only for a late lunch – indulging in known sea-food dishes. We had planned to get back to the hotel in time to catch the complimentary daily evening shuttle to the famed Chinatown on Petaling Street at 5.30 p.m. However, being peak office traffic time, finding a cab and navigating through the jams threw our buffer of 15 minutes of getting to the hotel, completely into disarray.

We missed the shuttle! So, we took a cab to Chinatown, eyes all agog at the sights and hearts filled with glee at the prospect of commencing the second wave of shopping. Just as we reached the McDonalds entrance of Chinatown, it began to rain and within minutes, the gentle pitter-patter turned into a downpour. There was some distance to walk before getting into the shelter of the covered market of Chinatown and we were bound to get completely drenched. Just then, we sighted an umbrella vendor, turning up at an opportune moment to please us and his money pouch. Under the cover of 2 umbrellas, our group manoeuvred itself into the safety of the covered street and began shopping in all earnestness.

And we shopped and shopped, from shoes to bags, souvenirs to clothes, it was indeed a treasure trove of inexpensive stuff, very similar to the sprawled bargaining haunts we were used to back in India. We didn’t even stop at the closing time of 10 pm. We landed finally at a sneaker shack with some of the coolest designs of the best brands in the world, never mind the fact that they were all fakes.

What started as a search for a pair of pink Puma shoes for me finally turned into a family shopping event with everyone buying shoes from that particular shop. Notwithstanding the fact that each of us had bought many pairs of shoes earlier in the day! Completely happy with our community initiative, the shop folks were only too glad to make us all sit and take our snaps in very local settings. Finally, with firm resolutions of not shopping anymore there, we headed back to pick up dinner at McD. A cab ride back to the hotel and a quick see-the-shopping-session accompanied by us wolfing down our dinner later, we were completely beat on our first night in Malaysia, yet completely delighted with our haul of goodies. It’s a kind of high that only true shopoholics understand. Needless to say, we crashed to bed.

31st December

It is often said that whatever one does on the first day of the year will be experienced through the year. I’m beginning to believe that the corollary is also true. That whatever one has done through the year will be experienced on the last day of the year. Well, this last day of 2008, we had our share of mini disasters, starting early in the morning.

We started the day with a jolt - a mix-up of dates for the city-tour. The tour operator awoke us early, having organised the transport to take us for the ‘panoramic’ city tour – a totally unsettling feeling! Well, inspite of going over the itinerary with a fine-comb, we being the normal disaster attracting group that we are, had assumed that the city tour was on the 1st. Careful cajoling and negotiation by S managed to push the tour to the next day and we settled in to enjoy a huge breakfast and a lazy lie-in.

Shopping was on our minds and we found ourselves in Sungei Wang again, having used the hotel’s shuttle service to Bukit Bintang [road]. The getting-lost-episode of Singapore was still fresh in the mind. So, in KL, we planned to meet constantly at regular intervals at prominent spots within the mall. We had had mastered the art of shopping to the ‘T’ with this plan. Or so, we thought! At the fag end of our shopping for the day, we managed to again get lost and it was another 45 minutes before we all were united again, amidst flaring tempers and sullen moods.

We headed back to Corus and then to Watsons in Avenue Mall. The famed Suria KLCC mall, below the mighty Petronas towers and interconnected through sub-ways from Avenue mall, was the next stop and with the innumerable New Year discounts available, shopping there [again mainly shoes!] was indeed a treat.

We got back to Corus around 10 pm. After a hot bath and some great dîner à la Malaysienne, courtesy the room service in Corus, we relaxed during the last hour of the year. There were a number of parties in the various restaurants and bars that dotted the lane around our hotel. We went down at 11.45 pm to catch the midnight fireworks display and walked till the Petronas. And it was magnifique!

Nothing I’ve seen on TV comes even close to the spellbinding fireworks we saw as we welcomed the New Year 2009 in. The entire street had a carnival like feel to it – all the buildings were lit up with their dazzling lights, the twin towers completely illuminated and standing oh-so-tall like bastions of the world, thousands of people of all races and nationalities, many people inebriated and others just drunk with elation, dancing, hugging each other, wishing everyone, the ambience deliriously positive...an unbelievable experience...we loved it! Amply satisfied with photographs & videos to remember the occasion, we called it a night.

1st January

The first day of the year and we were ready for the day’s plan of sightseeing. After yet another hearty breakfast, we were in our rooms just awaiting the call from the tour chap regarding the pick-up when I had a mighty fall. I don’t remember too many details of it but there was a good deal of rolling, lunging and hitting myself hard at the hip on the sturdy wooden music station in our room. I screamed in pain and soon found a huge bruise on my upper hit, all red and angry.

After liberal applications of ‘Moove’ [long live our desi med-kit!], the pain eased off a bit but sitting and standing were mammoth affairs accompanied by shooting pain. Finally it was declared to be just a bruise, nothing broken and we soon began assembled near a Malaysian temple opposite Corus to begin the tour. With its charming oriental look and abundant splashes of red, beginning the tour at the temple did seem auspicious.

The tour bus first stopped at the Petronas - the 88-floors-high twin towers that used to be the tallest in the world – just the place for plenty of photos. Beryl’s Chocolate factory [where we met the huge Chinese family of 4 generations who were fascinated by M and insisted on taking 100’s of snaps with her], the Menara KL Tower, Independence Square, the War Memorial, the Batik factory, and the Negara Museum were next on the agenda – we completed the whirlwind tour by 2 pm, our digital cameras having been satisfactorily used at these important locales.

An afternoon free then and lo, shopping emerged as the frontrunner of activities. My bruise began to trouble me, so I decided to relax in the room. Our hotel had some great facilities and from our room, the pool looked so inviting. But with my bruise and need for sleep, it was out of the question. This was our last day in KL and I found myself really wishing we had another 2 days just to relax and enjoy the hotel amenities and luxury.

Finally, even A and M rested in the room while S and B proceeded in all natural progression to their 2nd home in KL – Sungei Wang. I must admit that though I kept pulling their leg about their shopping antics, I would have also joined them without a doubt, had I been bruise-and-pain-free. In the 3 hours that they shopped, they came back with lovely things, having visited an unexplored part of the mall.

Some refreshing chai and again we were off. This time to Tesco. But after folks told us it was outside the city, so we went to Mid-Valley mall. Another huge mall where we spent time at Harvey Nichols and Carrefour to do more shopping. Finally, we called it a ‘shopping-day’ at 10 pm and then picked up dinner and headed back to Corus. An hour later and we had to begin packing. We were checking out the next morning. Destination prochain was Genting Highlands, the mountain resort.

2nd January

The packing went on till early hours of 2nd and a few hours of sleep later, we were rushing to have breakfast. We luckily managed to postpone our Genting pick-up to 9.45 am and that gave us a breather to ease the pace. Checked out and ready, I also managed to call up some friends in KL whom I could not meet on this visit.

Enroute to Genting, we stopped at Batu caves - a limestone hill, which has a series of caves and cave temples. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. Standing at the foothill of the stairs, it did seem like we were in Little India, wholly permeated with its desi flavours. Indian restaurants are found by the dozen around this site and the aromas of spices and deep frying infuse the air. S & I soon climbed the 275 steps up to the caves to catch a glimpse of what lies beyond. Not finding much artistically thrilling beyond the views from that height, just as our tour chap, Deva warned us, we trudged back.

We also stopped at a watch factory and retail outlet – part of the tour – and proceeded then to Genting. We were to take the cable car called Genting Skyway - the world's fastest and South East Asia's longest cable car while Deva followed in the car along the sloping mountainous route. The cable car ride up to the 6000 ft high resort in Genting Highlands was thrilling with a fantastic view. Genting Highlands is also home to a 100 million year old forest that we viewed from our cable car. We kept ascending at a sharp incline, higher and higher, above the clouds and soon couldn’t see anything beyond a foot.

Genting is a city of entertainment and dedicated to tourism. The highlands are divided into 2 entertainment parks – indoor and outdoor and myriad large hotels - all connected by walk-ways and sub-ways. Much needed given the climate of the area. It was very cold and raining continuously when we arrived at cable car station at the First World Hotel which used to be the world's largest hotel.

We went on to the Genting Highland Hotel where Deva met us and drove us to the Resort Hotel. The paysages were awesome. The only sad thing was that M was feeling unwell with the change in altitude and puked. The check-in process through a unique token system took some time. Queues and queues of guests waiting their turn for check-in seemed out of place in a hotel and more suited to a railway station. However, given the sheer turnaround in the number of guests, it was hardly surprising. We got our rooms on the 14th floor.

Looking out of our 14th floor window, mist enveloped everything and belied the sheer height of our rooms. Our first stop after freshening up was the Indoor Park. With the rain continuing, the outdoor park was not an option and we were hopeful that the weather cleared later or the next day to allow us to enjoy the outdoor park. M was feeling a little better but we certainly didn’t want to take any chances and get wet. Grabbing a quick lunch at McD, we soon entered the park.

From the Statue of Liberty on a bike suspended high above the ground to an elaborate Venetian canal complete with gondolas, the place was alive with lights, sparkles and shimmers, colours and excitement. Decorations galore, we had a roller coaster of a fabulous time – literally! - with the 4-D show, various rides, Rio float, Ripley’s, Venice gondola, Snow World, Baby train, archery zones...We also experimented with Fish Reflexology - something we missed in Sentosa. And gosh, chomp chomp, those fishes really went fast...& the feeling was Yuck! Literally something nibbling on your toes...

We wound up the fun and games at 10 pm and got down to dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in the park. The meal was again authentic Oriental and my pepper chicken hot pot was délicieux. It had become colder by the time we got back to our rooms and we settled into the snugly comfort of our blankets, bidding adieu to a great day.

3rd January

We awoke late, repacked out suitcases to be somewhere close to the 20 kg per head limit for check-in baggage and got down to a good breakfast. Back in our rooms, we sat by the window drinking some hot chai. Soon, the mist cleared and we saw the outdoor park in its entirety from our 14th floor window. There seemed to be some fairly complex rides down there. But later, when we went down to check out the sights, the outdoor park was closed due to bad weather. We roamed around, stopping by to shop at some souvenir shops.

At half past noon, we checked out and settled in at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf restaurant. It was A & S’s anniversary, so it was apt that we indulged in the cakes and goodies available there. At 3.30 pm, our airport pick-up had arrived. Catching up on sleep during the drive, we reached the airport quickly, stopping only at Times Square in KL to pick up another family. More shopping at the airport, this time chocolates, followed along with our farewell dinner at Burger King.

And we were soon on the Malayasian Airlines flight. We reached India at 11.30 p.m. local time. And by 1.30 a.m., we were home and asleep in our cosy-beds, already full of reminiscences and happy thoughts of shopping and Sungei Wang, shoes and the rides, Sentosa and Orchard Street, the twinkling lights and gorgeous Christmas trees...sigh!

Glimpses of Singapore

Images of the island country: the famous Merlion - the city one is Mama Merlion with a miniature Baby merlion right behind it, Christmas party at Taglin Mall and f the lorries at Jurong Park.,

Singapore: 4-day family Holiday in the island country

Background

Every year we go on annual family holiday, just after celebrating Christmas at home, except for last year, what with the entry of a new baby in our lives [my little niece, Mi]. The planning began a good 4 months ago when options like Greece and Egypt were being evaluated. As always, we never go to the place that we start out doing the research for. S’pore & Malaysia was decided on. Flights booked online, accommodation reserved in the Mariner’s Club in S’pore & a package tour booked for Malaysia. We were good to go and eagerly waited for the red letter day - 26^th Dec - to board our early morning flight.

25^th December

Still sleepy from the midnight celebrations of Christmas Eve, still lost in the festive spirit, we received our first shocker when my brother called S’pore Airlines [SIA] to casually enquire about bulk air seats. Apparently, the 26^th morning flight was cancelled and instead we’d have to travel by the 25^th night flight. A blame game ensued between SIA and cleartrip.com [the website where we booked our tickets]. Being a holiday, officials of both organisations were difficult to trace but somehow we managed to get our confirmed tickets for the following night. Amidst all this chaos, we rushed through our Christmas lunch, gulping down our traditional chicken biryani bake lunch, before turning to frantic packing.

Somehow we were ready by 6 pm and took a taxi to the airport for our SIA flight at 11 pm. The flight was pleasant - I managed to watch a cool movie [Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants – 3] and by the time I decided to catch 40 winks, we’d landed in S’pore. The on-flight service was decidedly better than other airlines. Yet it didn’t offset the pre-flight horrific experience. So much for being an award winning airline!

26^th December

We reached S’pore at 5.30 am local time and armed with various activity literature and maps that were conveniently available at the kiosks at Changi airport, we proceeded to Maritime House. This was a vacation we were completely planning on our own. Arriving half a day earlier than planned, we were initially allotted one triple suite at 6.30 am. Luxurious beyond what we expected, considering we had booked a double room, we sketched our plan for the day and soon we crashed to bed in various corners of the suite until 1 pm. We were then allotted our other room, this time also another triple suite. Luxury doubled!

Soon, we were ready to hit the streets. Totally looking the part, with our maps in hand, we played tourists and navigated our way to Tanjong Pagar, the closest MRT station - a 5 min walk away from the club. Paying homage to world brands especially one like Burger King by eating our first meal there is now a standard practice on our international holidays and this time was no different. After a yummy heavy lunch at Burger King in one of the malls, the highlight being double cheese burgers and onion rings, we took the MRT to City Hall.

The plan was to book Duck Tours – an authentic city tour of S’pore on land and on water by an amphibious vehicle. We walked from City Hall MRT station to Suntec city Galleria, soaking in the sights along the way – War Memorial, S’pore Flier, etc. At the Galleria, we found that the tour was sold out for the day. We’d have to return another day. After doing some window-shopping, gazing at the wondrous towering Christmas trees and festive decorations, and grabbing a bit to eat along the way, we took a train to Ang Mo Kio to head towards the Night Safari Park. After a 45 min ride on a bus from the MRT, we finally reached the famed site of the Night Safari at 8 pm – a terribly over-crowded place, literally bursting at its seams with people, tourists and locals alike.

Well, we did see the tribal dance performance and the Creatures of the Night show, did the curio shops walk and after braving the terribly long queues, went on the interesting tram ride around the entire park. But all in all, given the long winding waiting lines for the various attractions, the stifling heat and the occasional splatter of rain, it was a big disappointment. We literally ran all the way off the tram to the exit gate at a quarter past 11 (no time to even have dinner!), just in time to catch the last bus to the MRT station. But in vain! We had already missed the last train back. So much for being tourist friendly! We cabbed it back to Tanjong Pagar, again too late to catch dinner anywhere other than a seafood roadside cafe near the Club. No other place was open.

Feeling adventurous, I decided to sample some of the sea food. As if the trend of the day wasn’t indicative enough, I landed up eating more from the chicken and rice dishes that the others had ordered, before completing abandoning what I had ordered. Resigned, we crashed to bed almost instantly upon reaching our rooms, anything to obliterate the disasters of the day.

27^th December

The day dawned nice and sunny and was brimming with hope. It was going to be a glorious day! The crowd of the previous day notwithstanding, the plan was to leave early to Sentosa – the entertainment island of S’pore. We took a cab to Mount Faber – specifically to the Jewel Box centre for tickets – the entry point for the cable car ride to the island. We bought the glass bottomed ride, marginally more expensive, but infinitely better, what with the awesome views as we crossed the sea to Sentosa...the incredible carpet of blue ocean shimmering in the sunlight was beautiful to say the least! Add to that, the triumphant thrill of by-passing the staggering long (regular cable) waiting lines due to the premium status of the ticket and we were positively beaming!

Shopaholics that we were, we began shopping almost instantly at the Jewel Box and the Sentosa souvenir shops. After a quick breakfast at the Tea Leaf and the Coffee bean cafe, we were ready to start the action packed day - enjoyed the various rides on the Sky Tower, the Luge & the Sky ride – braved the huge lines for the simply superb 4D Magix Show – visited the famous Merlion [known as Papa Merlion..:), as we would subsequently learn], Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon [crazy crowds again] – viewed the fantastic performance of the Songs of the Sea. All along, we kept sipping the incredible F&N fruit juices available in the most amazing flavours that we discovered since landing in S’pore and eating a lot along the way [yummy hot dogs, ice creams, etc] – clearly, the foodie in each of us was fully satisfied.

The name of the game was to catch all the offerings on the island by using the transit buses and managing lead times between waiting times and actual show times. In between all this hopping on and off buses across the island to, we landed up trading off the Cine Blast show [45 mins waiting time!] to catch the last fish reflexology session. We had to sell our pre-bought Cine Blast tickets & we did it in typical Indian style - approaching everyone like it is done back in India with the gusto of someone selling tickets in black. Ofcourse nothing black about this but we did raise doubts about the authenticity of the tickets [one of our customers even went to the counter to verify the ticket]. Tickets finally sold, we rushed to Siloso Beach but were too late for the fishy foot exfoliation session.

We ended the island visit by relaxing in a restaurant by the sea on Siloso Beach, enjoying the feel of soft sand beneath our feet. Returning by the glass bottomed cable car, this time a twinkling bed of lights beneath us, and another cab to the Tanjong Pagar mall [our ilaka or area by now], we needed to pick up dinner. We had learnt our lesson well the previous day – that all eateries and malls closed early – so Burger King it was, and along with it, loads of goodies and a cake – to celebrate my brother’s birthday at midnight.

We headed home [by then, we had begun to think of Maritime House as home] and after a lot of cheering and cake cutting, decided to call it a day around 1 am.

28^th December

After confirming the assent of the birthday boy [who like all guys, detests shopping], the plan was to do Duck Tours and go shopping on the most fashionable and chic street, Orchard Road. Taking the MRT to City Hall and walking through the sub-way to Suntec Galleria, we booked the 1 pm afternoon slot of the tour. We sat awhile outside the Mall, on the benches, eating breakfast and taking a moment to relax. Next stop was Carrefour for a quickie round of shopping. As usual, we exceeded the budgeted shopping time, rushed to change some money and got back in time for the unique Duck Tours. It was a delightful tour of the city; with many a splash along the way as the boat with wheels took us around on both sea and water. We also saw the city Merlion and a miniature one [aptly named Mama Merlion and Baby Merlion respectively to complete the S’pore family!]

S’pore was celebrating the theme of Sweet Christmas, so a free city Lights tour was organized for tourists on Orchard Road to view the many decorations that adorned the key streets and main malls, each one distinctive and more resplendent than the other. We went back to the Club to pick up our passports and then headed to Orchard Road, feasting our eyes on the unbelievable shopping extravaganza in the form of innumerable malls with all famous brands of the world, all nestled on that one street. Almost all the stores had their Christmas sales on and amidst the sparkling lights, we started with Paragon Mall, our eyes gleaming very much like those of children in a candy store.

We finally landed at Lucky Plaza – a mix of top brands as well as local merchandise –we ate a late lunch and did some [read lots!] of shopping. We then decided to walk in search of the City Lights tour bus. We walked for 2km trailing the fairy lights on Orchard road, admiring the many sights and wonders of the street decorations. We reached Tanglin Mall on Tanglin Road to witness the wildest Christmas party happening. An annual event, extremely popular with expatriates and locals alike, it is complete with a gigantic Tree, made out of recycled bottles and with a ferocious fake snow spray [made with soap], enveloping the entire area with its white snow fall like carpet and kids and families all getting completely soaked and playing in the snow. An unforgettable experience, we enjoyed the ambience, sitting at the Starbucks where the action was unfolding. I was so tempted to join in the fun and games. But I was low on clothes and my clothes shopping hadn’t yet begun!

Time being a scarce resource, we decided to forego the tour [we still hadn’t found the starting point] and got back to the Club. We headed out again - this time to Little India for an Indian dinner and shopping at Mustafa. Mustafa is the Indian super discount mall, where everything is usually on discount and is one of the rare 24-hours open stores in S’pore. Add to that, the New Year and Christmas deals! But it was quite crammed and a far cry from the usual glitzy mall shopping that one is accustomed to. We did discover some good deals meandering across the various sections and floors but at some point, we realized that my brother and niece [in her stroller] were not with us. Frantic searching followed, with us extensively searching the store multiple times. His phone wasn’t reachable. The store was too huge and had multiple exits. An excruciating hour and a $5 public announcement later, we all found one another [he too had been searching for us]. Much shouting and bawling later, we noisily cabbed it back to Maritime House and later settled in to view and appreciate each one’s shopping. We finally crashed to bed at about 3.30 am.

29^th December

Our last day in Singapura [the traditional name] and we wondered what disaster the day would unfold, as it had been since we started on 25^th]. Only time would tell!

As planned, we started the day late – took the MRT to Boon Lay and then a bus to Jurong Bird Park, doing some shopping en-route [the deals on bags were just too good to miss!]. The entire journey was almost seamless – well organised and well researched by my brother. Once there, we went around the park at a leisurely pace. Saw the various bird shows, learnt a Singapura folk song [sung by one of the colourful Mohawks], experimented with some interesting food, enjoyed a delicious lunch, relished some Ben & Jerry icecream, took a tram around the park, fed some Lorries in the Lory Loft, witnessed the tallest man-made waterfall in the Rainforest section, took loads of photos, visiting some of the world’s most renowned aviaries, ...etc - all in all, a wonderful day spent in bird land, learning a lot about the various species of birds and glimpsing some rare ones as well.

Post Jurong Bird Park, we had initially planned to go back to Orchard Road for a fish reflexology session but as it was too late, we decided to go to Tanjong Pagar Mall instead as it was closer home. Each of us had an awesome foot massage at a Chinese massage centre and then had dinner at Burger King – all in a very relaxed manner, after all our train by KTMB to Kuala Lumpur was at 11 pm and the station was very close to the Club. When we returned to our rooms, we realized that the train was not at 11, but at 10 pm. Disaster had struck again!

Frenzied packing followed and we struggled to get taxis to reach the oh-so-close station - with luggage, walking there was out of the question. Once at the station [as usual, we landed on the wrong side and to trudge to the right side, wasting precious moments], there were immigration formalities to be completed [the web site doesn’t mention this at all!]. Someone told us that the train wouldn’t leave without all the passengers. But given our disaster attracting magnetic force that accompanied us on this trip, we sure didn’t take a chance and suffered all the normal panic attacks. We managed to board the train when it was already well past 10 pm. Amidst all this customary chaos, what stood out was the attitude of the officials [very friendly and saving so much time by not insisting on individual processing of our papers], a very clean station and a complete lack of crowds that typically throng our Indian stations. Only travellers are allowed on the platforms.

The KTMB train finally left S’pore around 10.35 pm and we were just thankful to be on it. We were on our way to Malaysia. Our Standard Deluxe coach was comfortable but I do feel that our Indian 2A berths are much better. We stopped at the Malaysian city of Johar Bahru for immigration formalities again, where we all had to get off the train and get our passports stamped at one of the counters, before getting back on the train and settling in for the night. Bye – bye Singapura, we’ll be back soon!