This is the fourth post in the Travel Highlights series sharing some of the most enduring highlights of all our travels.
Our nomadic journey began in Italy in September 2011. After stops in Cinque Terre, and Tuscany, we arrived in Venice in mid October. Cinque Terre and Tuscany both were pure joy but Venice. Oh Venice. It’s like the city is romancing you with beauty and charm and a unique enchanted embrace that can’t be named. If you don’t fall in love with Venice how can you possibly fall in love with life? A city whose back lanes are this
and this
should charm the pants of everyone. And that’s part of the problem, and one of the good things to come from Covid-19. Since Venice was completely emptied out because of the pandemic the city is rethinking tourism. For a start cruise ships are no longer allowed into the inner harbour.
But pre-pandemic a tired hotel clerk explains “there are 45,000 of us and one million of you”. I am so glad we went to Venice at the very end of the season. For the most part it wasn’t desperately crowded and I didn’t see any cruise ships though Don did.
We took one of Venice’s famous vaporettos, a water bus, to Piazza San Marco, crowded with tourists – both the vaporetto and the piazza. It was busy everywhere until we headed away from main attractions and the Grand Canal.
For hours we wandered the smaller back streets where Venetians live. There were almost no tourists there.
Why is it that most visitors to Venice, or any place for that matter, don’t go beyond the big attractions? There’s so much more to see. We found the same in Gamla Stan (the old town) in Stockholm. All the visitors were crowded onto the few main streets, and just five minutes walk away were many utterly charming empty streets to explore.
Wherever we walked we always found our way back to the Grand Canal, Venice’s only major highway, that curves like an S bisecting the main island, and is lined with venerable palazzo.
Of course we hired a gondolier
to explore the back “lanes”.
He tells us the real Venice is in the small canals away from the main tourist sights. The gondola glides along in silence. It is so silent. There are no cars, and on the smaller canals no motor boats, just silence. He describes it as a museum city. The whole of Venice is a museum that can only truly be seen if you get into the labyrinth of small canals and narrow streets.
We take ferries to several of the other islands in the lagoon, including vibrant multi-coloured Burano.
Venice is amazing. Magical. It’s hard to believe real people live in such a place. They should be made of fairy dust or something. Perhaps they are. And yet here they are, ordinary Venetians, going about living their lives, and so easy to spot because they are dressed so much better than the rest of us, an unmistakable elegance.
Like Cinque Terre, it’s hard to believe such a place exists. I barely have words for it, but spend all my time enraptured and in awe, looking around me wide-eyed, and being constantly thrilled.
I wrote in a post about Cairo: Somehow the people of Cairo manage to make it work despite the dirt and the over-crowding. It’s a vibrant ever-evolving tapestry, a whole that seems to be greater than the sum of its parts. If you’re willing, Cairo will beguile you into loving it.
In this small city built on the water no beguiling was necessary. Miraculous Venice, drenched in old world charm, you had me at hello.
Our first foray into India consisted of three months in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. I loved our time there but let’s be honest, Tiru’s a dusty dirty Indian town with pretty much nothing to recommend it. We lived there for the first three months of 2012. Later when people asked why we never went exploring around Tiru – to Kerala, by all accounts one of the more prosperous and interesting states, or to the hill stations to get away from the heat – Don confessed that he knew that if he ever left Tiru he’d never go back. And why were we there? For Ramana Maharshi’s ashrams and the sacred Mt Arunachala. We didn’t go for Tiru, we went on a spiritual quest.
And then we went to Bali.
I don’t think either of us can ever adequately put into words the relief we felt to be in Bali after India. Bali has an elegance of mind and heart and soul that India could only dream of. Don’t get me wrong, I love India. It’s one of my favourite countries and I miss it, but India is not easy. Bali is easy. And quiet. And peaceful. And we had a spacious hotel room in Ubud opening onto a rice field with all that vibrant green nourishing our souls.
It felt like heaven. Instantly.
We were in Bali for a month, and played tourist going to the local market,
the monkey forest, and riding an elephant. We went to galleries and a batik demonstration. One of the best things we did was climb Mt Batur for sunrise. We went snorkelling a couple of times, and of course went to the beach. Three different beaches actually. It’s the quintessential Bali activity I suppose.
We melted into the bold green of the rice terraces, stopping to eat lunch wrapped in this soft lush embrace,
returning finally at sunset.
And there were several traditional performances that had us spellbound – the Kecak Dance, the Legong Dance, and the Barong Dance, which depicts the eternal struggle between order and chaos and had us transfixed with joy and wonder.
But we were there long enough and curious enough to look a little deeper. What could we discover of this unique and enigmatic island?
This from Don: I love seeing all the women who go around the streets of Ubud carrying trays of offerings to the gods, and put down individual offerings with reverence on the sidewalks. It is a striking example of the spirituality that pervades life here in Ubud.
The best thing in Bali for us was a connection with the spiritual life of the people. It began by stumbling in our wanderings upon the preparations for what was called a Family Ceremony. In true Balinese fashion we were invited to attend. It turned out to be the ancient ritual of tooth filing, a two-day affair that we were welcomed into like family.
And then a glimpse of a wedding.
We were blessed with our guide Ketut, who on many days drove us all over the island, but especially to Batur Temple and encouraged us to enter where we were immediately reduced to tears, and seeing our tenderness invited us to participate with him and his wife as they attended their annual pilgrimage to Besakih, the mother temple.
The devotion was so palpable it transmitted itself to us, and we were swept up in it.
The difference from western spiritual practice, it seems to me, is that there is a great sense of community here, and a light-heartedness that I’ve never come across elsewhere. Everyone seemed committed to their pilgrimage and their religion, but at the same time were very relaxed – it was a holiday and Holy Day both, and families wandered around chatting and smiling, while others knelt and took part in the ritual offering and blessing. It felt sacred and like a party both at the same time.
Ketut also took us to a funeral ceremony and cremation, and showed us the ogoh-ogohs created for the Nyepi festival to ward off evil.
The Balinese do their religion and ceremony on a grand scale, big and colourful, giving it life and power. There is acceptance of the existence of the opposing forces of good and evil, and that through daily prayer and ritual, and less frequent major ceremonies like Nyepi they seem committed to doing all they can to emphasize and encourage the positive aspects of being. We got to see how committed they are. And how lighthearted.
Gentle Bali. Held in a spirituality that at once envelops and uplifts you, you too had me at hello.
Don swore he’d never go back to India, but seven months after leaving Bali we returned to India. What got us back? The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel! And this trip led us to a third place on our list of highlights, our list of all-time favourites: Varanasi. After a five-week trip around India we arrived in Varanasi and were completely gobsmacked.
Venice and Bali may have had me at hello, but you Varanasi, surreal ancient Varanasi, you had me at OMG!
Varanasi, among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, is regarded as a holy city. Situated on the banks of the Ganges, a river that is worshipped as a goddess,
it feels steeped in a sense of devotion. There’s a regular chaotic Indian city, but to get to old Varanasi, primeval Varanasi, you have to walk for fifteen minutes.
On and on we went through narrow alleys, past the cows and cow poop, people, dogs and motor bikes, twisting and turning, heading down some stairs, ducking low in places, until finally we could see the river, and a kind of dirt shelf with more cows, and just a few steps lower, our hotel.
It was a unique welcome to a truly unique city.
The old town, the original city down by the river, is something else: a maze of narrow twisting alleyways that grew organically over the centuries with no thought of transportation other than by foot or donkey.
There’s a veneer of modernity – cell phones, the internet, motorbikes – but Varanasi continues in much the same way it has for thousands of years. Laundry is done by hand, food is cooked over open fires, curd is made in the same way over fires in a tiny space inside a building that has existed for hundreds of years.
All of life happens on the ghats, those concrete steps and platforms that lead down to the river. It is an endless colourful carnival filling the senses: fascinating, exciting and exotic. Praying and meditating, buying and selling, bathing bodies and washing clothes,
sacred spiritual rituals that left us with a kind of gaping puzzlement,
people just hanging out or taking an afternoon nap, families playing together, boatloads of people coming and going, goats, cows, cats, dogs, and chickens roaming freely, and the buffalo man washing his herd daily.
Sadhus, holy men, live on the ghats, in the open, studying spiritual texts, meditating, waiting to be released from the cycle of reincarnation. Each has his own spot that is his home.
Every evening a ritual is held to honour and give thanks to the goddess that came down from the sky. It is called Ganga Aarti and is such a vibrant uplifting ritual that we went three times, warmly embraced by all the Indian families gathered to witness and participate.
It is a prayer and devotion to the goddess, to the Mother Ganga, highly stylized and choreographed, like any religious ceremony that has been performed throughout the ages. Incense and candles are burned and moved in the air in stylized patterns, there is continuous live chanting and music, and bells are rung throughout.
We found the Brown Bread Bakery, which has a fabulous rooftop restaurant, and lower down a lounge where they have live music every night. We went there many times: sitting amongst the cushions on the floor listening to the best live sarod and tabla music, while eating ice-cream with chocolate sauce. All is right with the world.
The dead are burned in Varanasi. On Manikarnika Ghat. The bodies are burned in wood fires in the open for all to see. This, above all, is Varanasi’s raison d’être.
It is believed that if you die and are cremated at Manikarnika you will escape the cycle of reincarnation and go straight to Nirvana.
You are confronted with the reality of death here. There is no escaping it. I stopped many times and watched, taking in the truth of it. It was a pageant to behold, and a sacred ceremony, both at the same time.
Varanasi is extraordinary. We couldn’t have imagined it. We couldn’t have imagined what a fabulous time we would have there; every day an adventure into new sights, sounds, joyous connection, and wide-eyed wonder that such a place exists. It is India definitely, but it is also just itself, a sacred place that draws many people seeking freedom, release, and the end of suffering. That alone brings a special energy that you cannot help but be affected by.
And for us Westerners we found great food and some of the best sitar, sarod, and tabla music to be found anywhere. Varanasi you are everything!
Don and I have since been back to India twice more and have both fallen in love with it. Would we go back? In a heartbeat. Venice? Probably not. Bali? Possibly, but there are always places we’ve not been to yet that have a louder voice.
If you want a deeper dive into any of these places:
there is a post about Venice here.
Four posts about Bali.
Two posts about Varanasi.
Next post: Birds of a feather – the over-wintering flocks of Snow Geese out in the Fraser River delta. Thousands of them!
All words and images by Alison Louise Armstrong unless otherwise noted
© Alison Louise Armstrong and Adventures in Wonderland – a pilgrimage of the heart, 2010-2021.
Bali and Venice, two of my favorite places as well Alison. I visited Bali in the mid-70s and hung out in Ubud. It was indeed a magical experience. When you enter our house, there are two paintings on the wall I bought when I was there to remind me of the magic. Venice was a much more recent experience, but like you and Don, we took joy in exploring the back streets. Great post. Thanks for the reminders of some very special times. –Curt
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Thanks so much Curt. Both Bali and Venice are really special places. I’m glad I brought back some good memories for you. Given that most comments so far have been about those two places I’m thinking Varanasi is something of an acquired taste 😂 but it is for sure a truly extraordinary place, and incredibly jaw-dropping to experience.
Alison
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I am sure I would enjoy, Varanasi, Alison. Not so sure about my buddy. She as seen enough of extreme poverty in her travels, I don’t know if she could get beyond that. –Curt
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Magical experiences highlighted by excellent images …
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Thanks so much Indra. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Alison xo
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I agree, there is so much to discover wandering the back streets of a place. We were scheduled to go to Venice in March of 2020. Well, I guess you know what happened to that trip. Hopefully, we will get there soon as it is high on my list. And now your post has made me want to go even more.
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I guess I’ve given you itchy feet. #sorrynotsorry 🙂
Venice is so special. So sorry your trip had to be cancelled 😢
I hope you get there soon. It’s quite amazing. And for sure the main tourist sites are worth seeing, but the best of it is in the back streets and canals, and the other islands.
Alison
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A lovely return to beautiful places. The image of the Venetian couple reading their newspapers is superb! And reading about Venice led me to do some research: how did the place get built like that anyway? I discovered that refugees fled the mainland and found shelter on the islands of the lagoon amongst the fishermen, and one thing led to another, as it so often does… Kind of amazing to ponder! I don’t know that it’s a model for rising sea levels, but it’s certainly a wonder…
I love all these old world journeys!
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Thanks so much Michael. That shot of the couple with their newspapers was such a lucky shot – on a crowded vaparetto but I had a clear shot of them. It’s one of my faves too. Thank you for that peek into Venice’s origins! Wish I’d thought to look into that myself. Reminds me of the reed islands in Lake Titicaca in Peru – same kind of the same story I think.
Alison
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What a lovely tour of three places I’ve never been. I really enjoyed your recollections and stories!
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Thanks you so much Diana. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Alison
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All lovely photos, but the ones in Venice (even though I have been) truly took my breath away. The buildings along the narrow canals are stunning. I worry these days about the future of Venice, on the water as it is, with regular flooding now. The phhoto of the older couple reading newspapers is wonderful.
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Thanks so much Ruth. Venice is a take-your-breath-away kind of place for sure – glad you felt my pictures could do it justice. I do love that photo of the couple on the vaparetto – such a lucky shot.
I too worry about Venice. Maybe just maybe we’ll manage to slow down this whole global warming thing and it will be ok. Ever hopeful.
Alison
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Fantastic depiction of these three places! And I agree with the other comments… the photo of the couple perusing the newspaper is captivating. I’ve only been to Venice, but reading this is making me crave a trip to Bali, too!
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Thanks so much Whitney. I must admit the pic of the couple is a fave of mine, and it was such a lucky shot. Bali is gorgeous, and definitely worth a visit. So is India, but it takes some getting used to. Fascinating place.
Alison
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I would have settled just for Venice, Alison. Those photos are simply stunning!
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Thanks so much Jo. I can’t believe it took me until I was in my 60’s to finally get to Venice. Better late than never 🙂 It really is an amazing place.
Alison
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Your photos make me want to go back. My goal though is to see the ‘world’. So we booked a cruise down the eastern coast of Africa – Dubai to CapeTown. Cancelled just yesterday. We were to leave tomorrow. Although I knew it would be cancelled so we are doing Florida and the Caribbean instead. Gotta get out of this rain. I hope you don’t have flooding where you are. Both sides of our border are equally flooded. Horrible.
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Thanks Marla, glad you like the photos. Too bad about your trip, but still, Florida and the Caribbean sounds pretty sweet. We’re off to Montreal for Christmas with family soon. At least it won’t be raining 😂
We are drowning here. As you are aware, it just goes on and on. Vancouver is fine, it’s inland a bit that’s really getting hammered 😢
Alison
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PS – have a great trip!
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This is such a heartwarming post, Alison. Venice seems grand and beautiful, and its history is the main reason why it’s one of those places in Italy I most want to see. It’s a good thing that big cruise ships are now not allowed into the inner harbor. Then Bali, oh how much I miss that island! The last time I went there was in 2015 (from 2010 to 2015 I visited Bali almost every year), and now I get to a point where I miss the island so much every time I hear Balinese music being played I always get teary eyes. You put the essence of Bali beautifully into words: it’s deeply religious but at the same time relaxed, and it’s easy. Now Varanasi… People’s opinions about this ancient place seem to be divided. I learned about it when I was at school (we knew it as Benares back then), and am quite curious about it. Since I’ve been to India, at least next time I visit this country I (kind of) know what to expect. It’s not an easy country, but it’s surely worth visiting.
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Thanks so much Bama. Venice is really special, I hope you get there one day.
How wonderful to have been able to visit Bali every year for a while. No wonder you miss it. We felt so nourished there.
I also learned about Varanasi in school and was taught the name of Benares, which I prefer actually, but I guess it’s better known these days as Varanasi. It has a third name – Kashi – and I believe all three names are still used in India by different groups. I’ve heard they’ve torn down some of the old town which saddened me a lot, but I suspect it was just getting to be unmanageable. Even so it’s definitely worth a visit.
Alison
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Venice and Bali are also dear to my heart. We last visited Venice when our son was about 10-years-old. We arrived by train and I can still clearly remember how his jaw dropped in awe as he got his first glimpse of the Grand Canal. Your photos, especially the “back lanes” capture the magic of this unique city. Of all the places I’ve been, Bali has the most beautiful and serene aesthetic—from the traditional clothing, to the building design, to the exquisite flower offerings on the dash of a taxi, I was completely smitten. Although it’s on the opposite end of the spectrum from Bali, Varanasi has intrigued me since I saw my first National Geographic photos (yours can definitely compete). Too funny that Don didn’t want to go to India again until the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel changed his mind.
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Thanks Caroline. Venice’s magic shines through no matter what I think. What an extraordinary place it is!
We too were smitten by Bali! I guess that’s obvious – well I hope so anyway.
Thanks re the Nat Geo comparison! I’m honoured. Varanasi’s pretty extraordinary that’s for sure.
We loved that movie – saw it twice – and it gave Don a different idea about India than dusty dirty Tiru. I’m so glad it got him back there.
Alison
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Varanasi seems like a love-it-or-hate-it sort of place… I once met a young (and very open-minded) Swiss couple who were traveling the world for a year. When they got to Varanasi it got a bit too overwhelming and they felt it was time to leave India for Nepal. But your account and photos showcase the raw appeal of the place – the old town dripping with age and unbroken tradition, the religious rituals on the ghats, and of course the fabulous food and traditional music.
I was fortunate to visit Venice in the off-season twice, both times around early October. At the time they still had those massive cruise ships going through the Giudecca Canal, and the main sights like the Rialto Bridge were still busy but not overly so. I remember walking through St. Mark’s Square after dark one time when the flagstones, wet with rain, reflected the light from the gorgeous old street lamps – it was magic. One thing I did not expect was the slightly funky smell of the lagoon, which reminded me very much of Victoria Harbour back home in Hong Kong!
Ah, and Bali just feels so different from every other island in Indonesia I’ve been to. It has a magic all its own. I thank my lucky stars that I’m now “stuck” in the same country. About a month ago I returned to Bali for two nights on a last-minute work trip. The hectic schedule of meetings, interviews, and the like didn’t allow me to leave the confines of a resort down south, but even there I caught a glimpse of the captivating, all-encompassing spirituality you mentioned in this post. Right by the private beach there was a little Balinese temple facing the ocean; the only way to get there was either by boat or by going through the resort itself. I saw several local pilgrims leaving offerings… the resort staff told me they offered free buggy rides from the entrance for any Balinese person wishing to visit the temple.
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I like your description of Varanasi – the raw appeal of a town dripping with age and unbroken tradition. It really is a quite extraordinary place, though I’ve heard they’ve torn down part of the old town which saddens me. Ganga Aarti there is one of the most fabulous religious rituals I’ve been to.
I suspect there may have been cruise ships when I was in Venice and I simply refused to register them. Tho there can’t have been many, or even more than one as I’m not sure I could block out *that* much. We went to the main sites, but for the most part stayed very much in parts of the city that were almost empty of tourists. Your experience of St Mark’s Square sounds so magical. Ours was not so wonderful since about half of it was blocked off with high, covered scaffolding so we could not appreciate the grandeur of the place.
Your story of the buggy rides for the Balinese to visit the temple in the resort sums up what Bali means I think. Somehow, despite the influx of tourists (and yes, the welcome dollars they bring) they’ve held onto their truth, their way of being in the world and what’s important to them. Such a gentle place. I’d love to go back.
Alison
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Alison, your travels are so amazing that you should put all your glorious photos and stories into a coffee table book. I am awe-inspired always by your photography and your words. Wow. I have not been to Venice since 1987. I have always wanted to go back as I was just a girl then. I have read so much about the problems with over tourism and how Venice is sinking and being destroying. I am glad that they are no longer allowing cruise ships. It is such a difficult balance. Tourism versus conservation (ecologically and culturally of a place).
As for your other destinations….a girl can dream!
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Wow, thank you so much for your kind words Nicole. 🙏 Maybe one day I’ll get around to putting a book together. Venice is doing ok I think, especially having the break because of the pandemic. I think they may start limiting the number of people that can come in. I know they’re discussing various options. The city wants the income of course but has realized that they cannot go back to the way it was.
I hope you get to Bali and Varanasi one day! So much world, so little time. Sigh.
Alison
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Today I had to scroll more quickly than usual, scanning the photos amid a crush of houseguests in the last few weeks. Still, they jumped off the screen at me, with the salient feature being the way you are able to capture the light in these places. I’ve only been to one of them myself but hope to see the other two someday!
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Thank you so much Lexie, for even scrolling when you’re so busy! Thank you! I’m glad you like this collection of photos. It was so hard to narrow it down to just a few per place.
Alison
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A quick trip around the world. Thanks for that.
Excellent pictures!
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Thanks so much rabirius. 🙏 You’re welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Alison
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Beautiful photos Alison. Brought back memories of a trip we took to Venice in the winter time over Christmas. It was cold and rainy but very beautiful and almost no other tourists. Very special.
No place quite like Bali for the serenity and the aesthetics everywhere. It has drawn us back many times over the years and always serves to restore and invigorate.
Interestingly even though we have been to India many times, especially when we lived in Sri Lanka and it was such an easy hop over to get there… we still have not been to Varanasi! We have been North, South, East and West. That’s one of the amazing parts about India.. how huge it is and how very diverse. One could travel there for years and still not see all of it. Funny that the movie got Don to go back. Interesting how things like movies, photos or someone’s stories can impact decisions like that.
Peta
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Thanks so much Peta. 🙏 Venice without many other tourists, even in the rain, must have been really special. It’s such a unique place.
And Bali too. I can definitely understand why it’s drawn you back many times.
We’ve seen a fair bit of India, though probably not as much as you guys, and yes, it’s huge, and so diverse. I’d love to get to Nagaland. And the Himalayas. And Kerala. And and and. I think you could spend years there and still not see it all. If you get back I highly recommend Varanasi, though I’ve heard they’ve torn down at least part of the old town 😢 which saddens me, but perhaps was necessary.
I am deeply grateful for that movie 😂 I loved India from the start but it took for Don to see that it was more than Tiru to be willing to go back.
I’m often impacted by books/movies/blog posts as to where to go. My first trip to Japan I made a point of getting to Shirakawa-go because someone had posted a photo of it on FB or s’thing like that. So glad I went there. And now I want so bad to go to Chad for the Gerewol Festival since I’ve seen photos of it. So much world so little time. Sigh.
Alison
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Wow amazing post
Please write about top tourist attractions in Amsterdam.
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Thank you so much 🙏
I’m afraid I’m not qualified to write about Amsterdam – it’s been many years since I was there. But I can say for sure it’s a very special city, so beautiful with all the canals.
Alison
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The post is a lot to take in, but obviously, nothing compared to the experiences you describe. Encouraging people to wander the back streets instead of the main attractions is what I try to do when people visit NYC – just get on a subway and pick a random place to get off, somewhere out of the way. The best discoveries are usually there, certainly not in the heart of the most-visited places.
I liked what you called the veneer of modernity in India.
It was interesting to see the progression from the fascination of the back lanes of Venice, to the intensity of India, the beauty of Bali, and back again to experience India on a deeper level. We grow as we travel. Right now I’d be happy to feel confident enough to go to any of these places. Let’s hope the latest pandemic scare is less dangerous than it seemed at first and we can get on with traveling again! Meanwhile, thank you for the vicarious pleasure. Wonderful photos! (Oh, that Venetian couple!)
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Thanks so much Lynn. I’m glad you enjoyed a little vicarious travel. I must say I’m so pleased with the pic of the Venetian couple. What a lucky shot – to have a gap between me and them on a crowded vaparetto!
As I said in the post, I don’t understand the unwillingness of people to explore beyond the obvious, though now I think of it maybe they’re cruise ship passengers with very limited time – a form of travel I really don’t get at all, but to each his/her own. Oh whatever, I can be a travel snob along with the best of them! 😂 Ban all the cruise ships I say 😂 and get people to really experience other cultures by exploring the back lanes and out-of-the-way places! I’d love to go back to NYC and do what you suggest. I’ve had a total of 5 days there about 20 years ago. I loved it.
Right now I’d be happy to get on a plane, any plane, and discover a new place. However, I will be getting on a plane on Sunday – off to visit family in Montreal for Christmas. Just the thought of being in an airport again is exciting.
Happy holidays.
Alison
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Oh, that’s exciting, I’m really happy for you. I wish you a great trip and fun times in Montreal.
In general, I heartily agree about cruises, especially those huge ships you see in places like Venice or on the Rhine…but I had a good experience on one. I’d never wanted to go on a cruise but when I was in my 20s my grandparents invited my mother, brother, and me to join them on a Holland America (very old school) cruise from NY to Bermuda. At the last minute, my grandparents couldn’t come and I was allowed to invite a friend, which made it more fun. The ship, now out of service, was a classic, the S.S. Statendam. It was far smaller than the behemoths you see now. The workmanship was beautiful and the Indonesian and Dutch crew were incredibly gentle and hospitable. We got to Bermuda in a day or two and had several days there to do as we pleased. My friend and I scooted around on the small motorbikes they use and spent an amazing afternoon with the island’s premier birder/naturalist, David Wingate. I’d heard about him earlier, wrote to him, and received an invitation to meet him. He took my friend and me to places we never would have seen. He described his landmark work restoring habitat for a rare endemic bird. It was a privilege to be in his presence, and his story was very moving. I agreed to take the trip reluctantly because I thought cruises were for old people, but it was a great experience, full of surprises.
Still, I have no interest in going on a cruise now! 😉
Happy travels to you and Don!
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What a fabulous story. How lucky you were. And how enterprising to write to David Wingate ahead of time. It sounds like an amazing time. I too have a story of fabulous travel on a cruise in my 20’s, on the P&O ship the Canberra, it too almost certainly out of service now. I got on the ship in San Francisco along with about 800 other people in their late-teens/20’s heading for the southern summer in Oz and NZ – 2 weeks crossing the Pacific with stops in Hawaii and Fiji and then most of us pouring off the ship in NZ. We had a truly epic time on that ship – creating our own entertainment because we weren’t interested in the “old peoples” entertainment. Plus there was a great disco that most of us were in most nights. So much fun!
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Wow, that was a big trip! Sounds really wonderful. 🙂
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It was! Definitely a travel highlight. Maybe I’ll blog about it one day.
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Such a tribute Alison. I know it. I feel it. I have felt it other feeling it and i am very very happy to read these two essays from you on Kashi. I could see not just comfort but surrender in your images. You took time and time there took you. Probably it is just how Kashi has to be found, as it found you.
My wishes. Lovely reading and Images.
Narayan
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Thank you so much Narayan 🙏 I’m so glad you could feel Kashi from my photos and writing about it. It remains a very special place for me even though it is many years since I was there. You are so right when you say that I took time, but that time also took me. I stepped from the first moments into what felt like some kind of deeply special dream reality. I would love to go back one day.
Alison
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