Category: Holiday Diaries

Before I say anything about my tour I shall insert some information about Honshu, Japan’s largest island. all the places I visited in Japan are in Honshu.

Honshu is Japan’s largest island and contains most of the country’s best-known cities and destinations.

It’s here you’ll find Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Hakone, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Niigata, Himeji and Mt. Fuji.

But its size and geographic diversity also means there are hundreds of barely known spots, making getting off the beaten path easy and rewarding.

Tokyo

Tokyo is the first place most people will visualise when they think of Japan. 

But don’t make the mistake of thinking Tokyo = Japan. Japan is an incredibly varied country and rewards exploration. Same goes for Tokyo. Whatever your niche interest, there’s a good chance Tokyo can deliver on it, if you’re willing to step beyond the famous tourist spots.

Consider booking tickets to watch sumo during your time here. Japan’s annual Grand Sumo Tournament visits Tokyo three times every year, during January, May and September.

Kyoto

If Tokyo is the place that most travellers to Japan begin their journey, Kyoto usually isn’t far behind on the itinerary. 

And rightly so. As Japan’s former imperial capital and the cultural heart of the country there are plenty of reasons why Kyoto is so popular.  

Take a local train from Kyoto to Uji and a short hike will reward you with Himukai Daijingu Shrine

Many head to Kyoto for its impressive array of shrines and temples. If that’s what you seek, but want to avoid the slow, shuffling crowds of tourists, head to the north of the city and spend time walking around the lovely Kamigamo Shrine. Kyoto is also the perfect place to experience the wonderful Japanese tea ceremony.

Here’s three hidden Kyoto walks that will get you off-the-beaten-path, including a hike into the Uji mountains where you’ll be rewarded with remote shrines like Himukai Daijingu

Osaka

Just half an hour by train from Kyoto is Japan’s second city Osaka. 

It has a reputation for being the ‘hair down’, more boisterous counterpart to the more up-tight capital. And justifiably so! If you’re looking for a good time, Osaka will not disappoint. The food here (including local specialities like takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu) covers the entire spectrum of what’s available in Japan, earning the city the label of ‘Japan’s kitchen’.

The Hankai Tramway is the last remaining tram service in Osaka, connecting nearby Sakai City

If food is your thing then Osaka is an absolute must. I’ve compiled a 3-Day Osaka Itinerary that includes some of my personal recommendations (including restaurant suggestions).

Hiroshima

If you’re heading to Hiroshima (western Honshu’s largest city) I recommend allowing plenty of time to fully take in the incredibly moving (and sometimes upsetting) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and its Peace Memorial Park outside. Think about making time to visit the iconic Itsukushima torii, the enormous bright red gate that rises out of the Seto Inland Sea, and the gateway to Miyajima Island.

I flew by Cathay Pacific on 14/10/24 from London to Hong Kong and then from Hong Kong to Osaka arriving there on 15/10/24 and stayed the night of the 15th at the Hotel Sobial Namba Daikokuch

The tour was to start on the 16th of October but I thought it prudent to get to Osaka on the 15th. I certainly got to Osaka airport on the desired day but so late at night that almost all the counters at the airport were unmanned. There were few if any people around to help me. The British pounds I had brought with me could not be changed into yen for that reason. Using my debit card I was able to obtain from a machine enough money for a taxi to hotel Sobial. It was probably my most expensive taxi drive to date, 20,000 yen or £100. After breakfast the next morning with help from the very friendly hotel receptionist I got another taxi, a much cheaper one this time to the hotel Holiday Inn Express at the city centre where my tour was due to start.

Kyoto

If Tokyo is the place that most travellers to Japan begin their journey, Kyoto usually isn’t far behind on the itinerary. 

And rightly so. As Japan’s former imperial capital and the cultural heart of the country there are plenty of reasons why Kyoto is so popular.  

Take a local train from Kyoto to Uji and a short hike will reward you with Himukai Daijingu Shrine

Many head to Kyoto for its impressive array of shrines and temples. If that’s what you seek, but want to avoid the slow, shuffling crowds of tourists, head to the north of the city and spend time walking around the lovely Kamigamo Shrine. Kyoto is also the perfect place to experience the wonderful Japanese tea ceremony.

Here are three hidden Kyoto walks that will get you off-the-beaten-path, including a hike into the Uji mountains where you’ll be rewarded with remote shrines like Himukai

My Tour of Honshu

Oct 16 2024

Day 1 Osaka

I got to Osaka the night before “Day 1” very late at night. No shops or offices were open. But I managed to get local currency from an ATM and then a taxi to my hotel, Sobial Namba. It was probably my most expensive taxi ride ever – in excess of £100. The next morning after breakfast I got a much cheaper taxi to the Holiday Inn Express where my official tour was to start. I left my suitcase in my room and wandered off to look around the area near my hotel. There were lots of shopping malls. This was true about every town I subsequently visited in Japan. I must have had lunch somewhere but later got to the hotel lobby to meet the tour guide at the suggested hour. I did lose my way getting back to the hotel but a very helpful young chap guided me straight back to it.

Our tour guide (or in his words our CEO), Kozo Yamamoto welcomed the fifteen of us in the tour group and went into details about the tour which was to follow.

Our Tour guide Kozo Yamamoto

Timo O and

Sarah T from Germany.

Felicity G and

Frank G, wife and husband from Australia

Kozo with Shari and Brett

Shari H

Brett H, Shari’s son both from the USA

Canessa S

Mark S , Canessa’s husband or partner both from the USA

Dennis B from the USA

Mette E

Knut F, Mette’s husband both from Norway

Knut and Mette from Norway

Amanda M from Switzerland

Maria Luisa from Sicily, in Italy. In the picture above Maria Luisa is the dark-haired lady

Thomas S (Tom) from Canada. The picture above shows Tom with Shari and me in the bamboo forest.

This picture is of me with a group of tourists in traditional Japanese attire, also in the bamboo forest

Devendra G

After the meeting Kozo took us out to see his recommended restaurants

Canessa , Mark, Amanda, Maria Luisa and I decided to try one of them. It was all very friendly. Most people drank beer I think whereas I chose red wine. It was good. European wines are readily available in Japan

Oct 17 2024

Day 2 Osaka – Kōyasan

The text below given to us by Kozo best describes what happened on this day

Travel to the centre of Buddhism in Japan and sleep in a temple atop the 800m Mt Koya. Savour a traditional dinner of shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine).

Journey to Mt Koya, a religious centre founded in 816 by the Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi. The train ride up the mountain is possibly one of the finest rail journeys in Japan. For the final steep ascent, switch to funicular and then hop on a bus to reach the monastery. In the evening, dine on shojin-ryori, typical vegetarian cuisine, and relax in a yukata, or kimono.

Transfer

Start: Osaka

End: Kōyasan

Duration: 3.0 hour(s)

Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Included Activities

Overnight in Mount Kōya Temple

During the overnight stay in the mountain temple, witness the routines of the monks and dine on typical fare. Explore the temples and moss covered Oku-no-in cemetery in the afternoon. In the evening, savour the shojin-ryori vegetarian cuisine, and relax in a yukata or kimono. Early morning at the temple offers the chance to observe the monks praying, before a vegetarian breakfast. Breathe the fresh mountain air and soak in the beautiful surroundings.

Our abode for the night was the Sekishoin, Monastery

Oct 18 2024

Kōyasan – Hiroshima

Watch the monks pray in the morning and enjoy a traditional breakfast. Have some time to enjoy Koyasan this morning, before travelling to Hiroshima this afternoon.

Early morning offers the chance to observe the monks praying. Breathe in some fresh mountain air before a vegetarian breakfast, then start the journey back down the mountain via bus, train and funicular. Later, board a train to Hiroshima, a historically significant city, marked by the explosion of the first atomic bomb in 1945.

Included Activities

Oku-no-in Cemetery Visit

Oku-no-in is the most sacred site in Koyasan and the location of the mausoleum for Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism. The area is surrounded by a massive cemetery, the largest in Japan. With over 200,000 tombstones lining the almost 2km path to Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum, there is plenty of area to explore. Be sure to see Torodo Hall (Hall of Lamps), the main place of worship, where more than 10,000 lanterns are kept burning day and night.

Bullet train: Kōyasan to Hiroshima

Start: Kōyasan

End: Hiroshima

Duration: 5.0 hour(s)

Get to your next destination faster than the speed of light (ok maybe not that fast) aboard a high-speed train.

In Hiroshima we stayed at:

Toyoko Inn Hiroshimaeki Shinkansenguchi Ⅱ, Hotel

Oct 19 2024

Another night in Hiroshima

This morning, visit the Peace Park and Memorial Museum commemorating the events of 1945. In the afternoon, take a ferry ride over to the sacred island of Miyajima to see the famous floating Torii Gate. Opt to hike around Mt Misen.

Included Activities

Hiroshima Park and Peace Memorial

Walk through the Peace Park in the centre of Hiroshima, a living memorial dedicated to the tens of thousands who died from the atomic bomb blast in 1945. Visit the statue of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died of leukemia as a result of the bomb blast, despite folding 1,000 origami paper cranes to appeal to the gods to make her well. See the frame of the Gembaku Dome, the sole building to withstand the explosion. Reflect, remember, and be reminded of the power we all hold to create peace.

Ferry: Hiroshima to Miyajima

Start: Hiroshima

End: Miyajima

Hop a ferry to reach the island and journey back in the evening.

Included Activities

Miyajima Island Visit

Take a trip to Miyajima Island, famed as one of Japan’s most scenic spots, with a free afternoon to explore. See the famous floating Torii Gate, set out in the bay, which glows extraordinarily at sunset. The island is dotted with shrines and temples, populated by deer, and traversed with hiking trails for those who want to get some exercise. There are also lanes full of souvenirs and tasty treats. Visit Miyajima at your own pace, and have the option to hike up to the peak of the island, Mt Misen, to see spectacular views of the surrounding islands.

We went to Miyajima island as a group but left it at different times. I took the ferry back on my own but forgot that getting back to the hotel involved a train trip. Fortunately with help from Kozo I met Maria Luisa and we travelled back to the hotel together. She remembered the exact route

Optional Activities

• Mt. Misen Visit

Oct 20 2024

Day 5 Hiroshima – Kyoto

Travel to Kyoto and start exploring. Visit the impressive Nijo Castle and gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening, explore the geisha district of Gion on a CEO-led walking tour.

Transfer

Start: Hiroshima

End: Kyoto

Duration: 1.5 hour(s) to 2.0 hour(s)

Get to your next destination faster than the speed of light (ok maybe not that fast) aboard a high-speed train.

Included Activities

Gion Walk

Walk through Gion, Kyoto’s most famous geisha district. Visit shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain.

Included Activities

Nijo Castle and Gardens Visit

Visit the Nijo Castle, the residence of the first shogun of the Edo Period built in 1603. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the property is divided into three areas: the Honmaru (main circular fortification), Ninomaru (secondary circle of defense), and the gorgeous gardens that surround both.

We stayed at the:

Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Sanjo, Hotel

Oct 21 2024

Day 6 Kyoto

Enjoy a visit to the beautiful Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine and walk under the bright torii gates. Opt to shop, stroll along the riverbank, or explore another of Kyoto’s many temples with free time.

Included Activities

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine Visit

Visit the Fushimi Inari shrine, located just outside of Kyoto. Walk under the thousands of iconic torii gates (as seen in the film Memoirs of a Geisha) and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. The shrine itself is at the base of the Inari mountain but includes many trails up to smaller shrines in the area

We had another night at:

Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Sanjo, Hotel

Optional Activities

• Zen Gardens of Ryōan-ji

Oct 22 2024

Day 7 Kyoto – Hakone

Take a boat ride on Lake Ashino-ko, and hopefully catch a glimpse of majestic Mt Fuji. Enjoy a feast on a traditional Japanese kaiseki meal then soak in the natural hot springs.

Travel to Hakone, a town in the hills famous for its onsens, or natural hot springs. In the evening, enjoy savouring a complex meal of traditional Japanese foods, followed by a recommended soak in the onsen.

Bullet train: Kyoto to Odawara

Start: Kyoto

End: Odawara

Duration: 3.0 hour(s)

Get to your next destination faster than the speed of light (ok maybe not that fast) aboard a high-speed train.

Local bus: Odawara to Hakone

Start: Odawara

End: Hakone

Duration: 0.5 hour(s)

Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Included Activities

The boat we rode on at lake Ahsinoko

Lake Ashinoko Boat Ride

Hop aboard a passenger boat to cruise the waters of Lake Ashinoko. If you are lucky, on a clear day you can capture a view of Mt Fuji. The lake was formed from the caldera of Mt Hakone following its eruption 3000 years ago. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

Included Activities

Traditional Kaiseki Meal

Savour a complex meal of traditional Japanese foods, then finish the day with a soak in the onsen.

As most people went and had a soak in the onsen , hot natural spring water collection. I did it too very late in the dy. Most people had already been in. Mark was in one of the baths. I went into another bath. Mark had his back towards me. I don’t think he saw me at all.

We stayed at:

TKP Hotel & Resort Rekutore Hakone Gora, Hotel

With lady staff at the hotel in Hakone and a scene from hills near Hakone (I think)

Oct 23 2024

Day 8 Hakone – Tokyo

Head to Tokyo with time to do some last-minute shopping.

Arrive before noon to Tokyo, with time to explore this energetic metropolis. Opt to visit Ueno park and the museums, Akihabara for cutting edge electronics, Harajuku for funky fashions, Ginza for the highest of the high end, walk the grounds of the Imperial Palace East Garden, or just stroll the streets, looking for the traditional life that still lies just under the modern surface.

Transfer

Start: Hakone

End: Tokyo

Climb aboard, take your seat, and get around like the locals do.

We stayed at:

Shinjuku Washington Hotel, Hotel

Optional Activities

• Ueno Park Visit
• Ginza Shopping
• Imperial Palace East Gardens Walk
• Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingū) Visit
• Sensō-ji Temple Visit

I think it was on this day that Kozo helped me get a train ticket for the Narita Airport Express. We walked to the hotel which was not far from Shinjuku station. The walk was very easy to remember Thinking in advance of my 25th October departure date I thought I would walk to the station from the hotel using the subway. In case of rain on the day the subway route would be useful. But it was such a labyrinth with so may directions to so many different trains and platforms I got confused and lost. I spoke to various information desks and rang Kozo who suggested a meeting point as everybody was thinking of a final meal together. Fortunately I made it, joined Kozo and the others for our final very enjoyable meal. The diet was a bit restricted because Kozo did all the ordering and had to allow for two who didn’t eat pork and shellfish and two who didn’t eat fish. I dropped my veganism for the day but none-the-less thought there was an excess of chicken. I don’t think there was any beef or lamb and the vegetarian diet was limited too. But the wine was good for me and the beer for the others. It was a happy event in any case.

Oct 24 2024

Day 9 Tokyo

Tokyo Tower which I visited on my last full day in Tokyo

I went up this tower but not all the way up because visits to the top were infrequent. It was going to be too long a wait after I had got there

Depart at any time.

25 OCT 2024 | Cathay Pacific Airways | Flight CX 527 | Airbus A350-900

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14:50

25 OCT 2024

TOKYO (Narita)

(NRT)

Terminal 2

Cathay Pacific Airways

CX 527

Journey Time: 05 hours and 00 mins

Status: Confirmed, 1 seats



The Photos from Celebrations of the Allied Landings 1944 

The Jeep and soldiers

The flags and crowds

Lydie at the celebrations

The mayors of Manitoba and St Aubin

Lydie at lunch at a seafront restaurant

Replicas of invading British Soldiers 

Celebrating band

Preparing for the banquet

With Lydie, her daughter and granddaughters

The Emsworth Reps

At Bernières-sur-Mer on the last day

Leaving St Aubin

June 4

On the ferry I had my evening meal with Jean Morrin, Keith Richardson, Mo and David Griffiths and Pam Kilbey. We were late arriving at Ouistreham as expected. Lydie was there alongside Alain and Michelle and others. We drove to St Aubin with Sylvie and Daniel as passengers. At the house I had the same bedroom  but with a bigger bed. I chatted with Lydie before bedtime

June 5

The next morning after breakfast Lydie and I walked along the beach towards a point where some marchers from Utah Beach were expected. We never saw them but did see the local mayor and the premier of Manitoba, Canada. Returning back to Lydie’s we stopped for lunch at a beach restaurant. I got some Euros and we got back to Lydie’s. Soon after that Lydie drove us to Douvres-la-Delivrand for a ceremony which ended with songs including national anthems at a war cemetery. Sword Beach I think is here. Back to Lydie’s and I read a Le Monde report about the Indian election, felt sleepy, tried sleeping. In the evening Sylvie and Daniel from St Aubin and Iké from Germany came to Lydie’s for supper.

June 6

On Thursday, D-day anniversary we walked to the monument along St Aubin beach to watch and hear the D-Day celebrations. I temporarily lost touch with Lydie then proceeded to the D-Day lunch. After lunch I agreed to wander for a bit and then meet Lydie to join a march to Courseulles-sur-Mer I think. The March left “early” without us. We used Lydie’s car to catch up. The Canadians were marking D-Day there. It was very hot in the sun. I moved to a shaded area. It was very emotional for some people. Then back to Lydie’s

That evening we had the big meal at Salle Aubert with our hosts and other guests from Canada and Germany. I sat between Daniel and Sylvie. Lydie was next to Sylvie. I was the only Brit at our table. Before the start there had been speeches from Alain, Judi, the Germans and possibly the Canadians. Lydie, Sylvie and others had worked hard preparing for the meal.

June 7

On Friday we went to the British war ceremony –  Ver-sur-mer (I think)  in Daniel’s car. There were cut-outs of British soldiers marching on the beach. I can’t remember for sure but national anthems may have been played. In the evening we went to Daniel and Sylvie’s place, walked along the nearby beach and had a meal at theirs. Ike joined us. I told Daniel the red wine was excellent. He offered me a bottle but I said a polite “no thanks”. However at the end of the trip Lydie gifted  me a bottle which I think was the same.

June 8

We were due to leave this day but I wanted to walk along St Aubin beach and Lydie decided to join me. We carried on beyond the end and finished up at Bernieres-sur-mer where there was some kind of boat race on. We then realised we were meant to be in St Aubin earlier than we had thought. Fortunately Michelle Tranqard drove over and took us back to St Aubin for our last lunch at Salle Aubert before our departure for Portsmouth. On the ferry home I had a meal in the restaurant  with a group including Jean Morrin I think It had been an enjoyable visit.

I went to Shetland in 2018 but didn’t consider my “mission” complete without a trip to Orkney. So here we are , while staying as near to the children’s summer holidays as possible I arranged a flight and my accommodation in Kirkwall, Orkney on the 1^st September – or partly on 31^st August perhaps . I have done well , my first assignment, taking Juno and Issy to school is to be 8 hours after my return. The trains were on strike at the time so not only did I have to make the journey to Scotland by air, I even had to get to Heathrow Airport by taxi and the driver wanted £97 in cash!

I got to the airport with time to spare but not as much as I had imagined; The BA flight was to take off at 22 hours and I had read that as 11 pm! I booked my tickets online and printed off the details for presentation. Isn’t modern life easy? I had a window seat on the plane and the seat on my right was empty. We got to Glasgow airport one hour late because my plane had to take the overflow from a cancelled flight.

Anyway it was an uneventful flight. We got to Glasgow airport one hour late, a bit after midnight. I spent most of the next ten hours at the only open cafe/restaurant at the airport, Greggs. Thank God for its existence. After a coffee and a bun I began reading Jeremy, Shashi and family’s present to me, a book “Around India in 80 trains, by Monisha Rajesh. Having struggled to get started for weeks I really got into it and enjoyed the 86 pages I covered. I felt guilty about using Greggs as a comfortable place to sit but there were other people doing the same thing.

The flight to Kirkwall was again uneventful. Once again I had a seat to myself in Row 3. Kirkwall airport has no cash machines and taxis have to be summoned by phone. I took a public bus which dropped me off at Balfour hospital. Balfour is a popular name up here. My landlord at Scapa house guesthouse is also Balfour.. I understand that William Balfour Baikee, a local fellow took Christianity to Niger, Chad and other West African countries.

Thanks to the satnav facility on my mobile phone I was able to walk from the hospital to my accommodation at Scapa House. Soon after my arrival my landlady, Ida obliged with a lift to the travel centre in Kirkwall. She was going to see her grandson in a football match.

After advice from the travel-centre I visited St Magnus Cathedral, Bishop’s and Earl’s palaces, the museums and then stopped to applaud a noisy and happy wedding party consisting of a bride, an effigy and the bride’s friends on an open-top road transporter. Then I wandered round Kirkwall settling on Restaurant 21 for my evening meal. The only available seat was at a bar along the front window. But it was fun watching the goings on outside. I had food , red wine, white wine and partly to kill time a brandy allowing plenty of time for the last No 2 bus to get me to Scapa House. In fact due to confusion the last bus left without me and I got home by taxi. One benefit was that after talking to the taxi driver I decided that my best option to get round the island was to accept a coach place with mother and daughter, Lorna and Carrie Brown on Tuesday 5^th September.

.

As I finish writing for the moment I note the good view through the window I have been seated at for the last hour or so, a sheep field, a very active wind turbine and, in the distance the cathedral I mentioned earlier. I shall shortly depart for Kirkwall Centre. I hope to see a neolithic settlement in town. Oh! Kirkwall has a street called Watergate but I don’t think this is the one the late President Richard Nixon didn’t like!

Sunday 3/9/23

Not a very productive day. By the time I had had breakfast, done my ablutions, written my diary for yesterday AND had a sleep it was 3 pm. I couldn’t find my bus time-table and the buses are infrequent anyway, especially on Sunday. I started walking towards Balfour Hospital knowing there was a bus stop there. Near the hospital I realised I was only 0.8 of a mile from Kirkwall town centre and walked all the way there using my mobile phone satnav.

At Judith Glue’s shop at 4 pm they said it was too late to be given the keys to Kirkwall’s neolithic site, a key to get into the barred area of the site and another one to the door leading to the site which was underground. The buses would not have been able to get me to Stromness and back in reasonable time so I revisited Tankerness Garden with its large red rabbit, entered the cathedral again and wandered along the sea front., this time walking up to the end of the pier. I decided to have my evening meal not much after 5 pm. All the sea front restaurants were either fully booked or booked till very late. So I reluctantly went into a very noisy bar/restaurant where a band was playing music and “vegan” Dev had to accept fish and chips but with prosecco and red wine it wasn’t bad and the band didn’t really bother me. The satnav said I was only 1.7 miles from Scapa House, so I walked home.

I went to pay Ida the daily rent. She and Balfour were entertaining friends, a father and daughter (Linda). The father is 91 but quite sprightly. I congratulated him and said “aim for 100”. Ida offered me a glass of wine. I chose red wine and also ate her lemon meringue pie which made up for the lack of a dessert with my meal in town.

Back in my room I tried to sleep off the effects of the alcohol and watched TV lying on the carpet before retiring.

Monday 4^th September

I was careful not to spend too long at Scapa House and left in reasonable time to get to Judith Glue’s shop for the keys to the neolithic site Grain Earth House. It didn’t seem to be far away. I decided to walk with the aid of my satnav. But following its instructions I was getting further and further away from my destination. I gave up, walked back into town and asked Orkney cabs to pick me up.

I got to the site and opened up with some help from the taxi driver. I have attached a photo of the external gate and the internal door. I went in a few feet from the entrance and decided not to go through a tunnel into the underground site on my own. I took a picture of the diagram of the site to attach to this narrative.

Walking back into town I returned the keys to Judith Glue’s shop, bought something there as a “thank you” and got on a bus to Stromness. Stromness was interesting and different. Many of the houses went right up to the water’s edge. The crocosmia by the waterfront was amazing. I must plant more in my garden in Havant.

Back from Stromness I had my evening meal with two glasses of wine – on a Monday, that broke one of my principles! It was a nice vegan meal. I then walked home and paid Ida for the day. Tomorrow I shall be on a guided tour.

Tuesday 5^th September

I got picked up at 9.35 am or so by Lorna Brown of “See Orkney” and we drove straight to the ferry port at Stromness where I had been yesterday.

We picked up six people off the ferry from the mainland, Scabster I think, four Canadians and two Australians. The Canadians were related to one another and were a separate unit from the Australians I think.

The first place we headed for was Skara Brae, a neolithic settlement about 5000 years old. There were the remains of a number of houses with sleeping, cooking and other facilities in each house. The houses are numbered for modern convenience. There is a sandy beach nearby, nice to use in good weather. We did not enter Skaill House nearby, owned by the family who had a key role in the uncovering of the Skara Brae settlement.

We then proceeded to the ring of Broadgar, a set of stones arranged in a circle. I believe this is older than Stonehenge. There seems to be less certainty about the origin and the purpose of the stones.

We carried on to the Standing Stones of Stenness. The stones here are even taller but there are fewer of them. Lorna suggested various ways in which the stones may have been transported here such as rolling on logs.

From the Stones of Stenness I think we went to Kirkwall, had a refreshment break for half an hour and entered the cathedral. Lorna told us various stories related to the cathedral. It was once much nearer the sea. The distance was increased by diligent filling in of rocks and rubble. She also told us about Magnus and a relative and the intriguing way in which Magnus met his death.

We then moved on to the place where Italian POWs were used in the second world war to build barrages to block the passage of German warships like the submarine which sank the Royal Oak. A large number of German ships were scuttled in the area for some reason.

An Italian chapel was built by and for the Italian POWs. It is used today for weddings especially by Catholics but by followers of other faiths too.

On the way back to Stromness we stopped again to allow some of us to fuss over two hairy pigs. We dropped the party of six off at the ferry terminal in Stromness. After that Lorna took me back to Kirkwall. I had a meal at the restaurant at which I ate yesterday. Again it was fully booked but they let me eat at the bar. Then as before I walked back to Scapa House.

Wednesday 6^th September.

The taxi arrived to take me to Kirkwall airport in good time. I said goodbye to Ida and Balfour. At the airport I did my bag drop. But this time I made sure I had emptied all my water bottles, my failure to do that at Heathrow on the way out had caused delays and inconvenience.

I texted Ginia (Virginia, my sister-in-law and sister of my Dear wife Celia) to say I would be in Glasgow just after midday and that it would be nice for us to meet. Ginia said she was planning to play boules with some friends and I replied saying that I was quite happy to join the game or games of boules.

In my usual manner I was only just beginning to realise that I had booked BA Club class tickets. That would explain why my seat was roomier than usual and that I was at the front end of the ‘plane on most flights. At Glasgow airport I put my suitcase into storage at a certain charge and got a return ticket on bus 500 to Glasgow. Ginia who had been on her way to the boules game decided to abandon boules and meet me at or near Glasgow Central station.

We met and I took Ginia to a restaurant for a coffee and cake. After that we strolled and Ginia took me to a spot near the building where her new flat was being constructed.

We strolled back to Glasgow’s main bus station for me to catch the 500 bus back to the airport. We did have a loud debate about the best place to go to for me to catch the 500 bus. Ginia turned out to be right and we had a very friendly parting.

At the airport I retrieved my suitcase, did a bag drop and proceeded to buy some food. Only soon after that did it come to me that I had been travelling Club class. I was advised to go to the club lounge where there was a variety of drink and good food to consume for free. So I broke my own rules again and had wine etc on a Wednesday!

The flight back to Heathrow was uneventful – I cant remember whether the staff offered me more alcohol. But I arrived at Heathrow and from there by train and bus got to Havant.

Ivy Lane Hotel, Colombo  22/ 11/ 23

I arrived in Mumbai on Sunday 19/11/23 by Vistara in a Boeing 787, possibly the second time I had been in that aircraft type and certainly the first time I had used Vistara. As it was Sunday Tai’s driver, Vijay’s off-day I arranged a prepaid taxi to Dushyant and Tai’s flat in Chandivali – I had always called it “Powai” in the past

I have a series of minor disasters to report. On the coach from Woking to Heathrow, I realized I hadn’t packed my cheque book for Bank of India. I had definite plans to withdraw money from my account and so cursed myself. It was amazing, I had it on my written to-do list. The second disaster took place at Mumbai airport. I had just finished filling in my airport disembarkation form  when a chap, a European fella I think, probably British asked to borrow my pen to do the same thing. I told him it would hold me up but remembering I had an old biro in my backpack. I lent it to him saying “please catch me up and hand it back” and never saw the fellow again. I’ve always said never leave your house without your house keys, money and a pen. It’s annoying that some people don’t follow this principle and then need complete strangers to help them. 

The third and most major of the minor disasters was that while I was in Mumbai, Australia beat India to win the 2023 ODI cricket world cup and by seven wickets! I had seen the Aussies beating India to win the 2003 World, again by a big margin in Johannesburg and on that occasion I had been to Jo’burg just for the World cup final!

The fourth minor disaster was that I probably left Jeremy and family’s  present to me an English-French parallel text storybook on the plane from London to Mumbai. I’ve written to Vistara. I hope they recover it. We will have to see. Yet another “disaster” is that the flight ticket which Shilpa Chowdhary of Make-My-Trip travel agents sold me has very unsociable landing and take-off times for my Mumbai-Columbo-Mumbai trip. For the Mumbai Colombo leg Vijay Kamble agreed to take me to Mumbai airport outside his working hours and I paid him an amount which I hope he considers more than enough;

and as the flight got delayed from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. I tried to get some sleep at the airport and then on the plane to Colombo.

Nilanka, the helpful receptionist at the Ivy Lane hotel let me check-in early at no extra cost.. He also suggested a place to find a mobile phone repairer to solve a problem my phone had somehow acquired. The place he suggested was Majestic City Shopping mall some 2 km from the hotel. I strolled over  over at an easy pace ignoring all the rickshaw drivers offering me a ride. At the mobile repair shop a young fella tried my phone out with a different SIM card and then suggested that I replace my SIM. As I was leaving the shop, I realized that the problem had gone and so did the shop repairer. When I spoke to him again. I’ve decided to live with the original problem in Colombo I will not be able to connect to a Wi-Fi system. I do have 4G which will make communications with text and photos expensive..

Strolling back from majestic city I  visited the waterfront which reminded me of Mumbai’s marine drive, a busy road along the sea front. However, when I noticed the train and the rail track between the road and the sea, the similarity diminshed. I noticed so many parallels between trains and train users here and in India in my youth that I took a few pictures which I should try and attach to this report.

Getting back on Galle road to return to my hotel I stopped for a coffee and cake at another shopping mall. It was air conditioned like other malls here. But the contrast between being exposed to the outside temperatures and those in the mall were very noticeable. It was definitely more comfortable indoors than outdoors.

I had a vegetarian evening meal at the hotel’s restaurant before retiring to my room and hoping to catch up on sleep.

I must add that before leaving for Sri Lanka I ate very well at Tai and Dush’s flat. They have an excellent cook. Tai,  83 now and I did some reminiscing. A few hours before my departure for Sri Lanka Dush joined us. It was enjoyable for all.

22nd of November 23

The Ivy Lane hotel, Colombo

I was due to do an eight-hour conducted tour of Colombo with a guy called Shiromal, but he rang saying that he could only start the tour at 1:00 p.m. I declined this offer and we agreed that the tour would take place tomorrow at 9:00 a.m..

I decided to visit the Lotus tower. Nilanka got me a cheap rickshaw using his Pick-me-up app. On reaching the site entrance I had a discussion with the driver about whether this was the tower I had had in mind because I did not remember that the tower Which I had spotted on the way to Colombo from the airport as being green. 

I  finally accepted that this was indeed the same tower. So I entered the complex and paid the entry fee by Mastercard. The other visitors were mainly locals. I took pictures from the highest from the highest level and later from ground level. On the grounds the lotus Tower there were more eating places than I had expected. Starting with an intention to eat only snacks  finished up. eating a lot more then I should have done and, unusually for me, I didn’t quite finish my main dish which was definitely bigger than it appeared to be in the picture on the menu. Probably the best thing I did was to take photos of a lizard, a heron and a pelican. On leaving the Lotus Tower I strolled towards some buildings I had seen from the top. Then thinking it would soon be getting dark. I found a rickshaw to take me to the hotel and agreed with the driver to pay by the meter. He got me home  or pretty close to home without a problem. Later I wondered off to a shopping mall to get a cup of Americano.

I could say my latest minor disaster is that Vodafone sent me a message about my high usage of calls and text messages. This is probably because of my phone’s inability to connect to a Wi-Fi source, any Wi-Fi source. I’ve been making WhatsApp calls and sending WhatsApp text messages using 4G. I have done something since then not to lose my mobile phone while I am on holiday. I hope it has worked. Night fell sometime ago and it’s raining outside as it did yesterday. It’s nearly 10:30 and I’m turning in. I hope tomorrow’s guided tour with Shiromal will be good.

Columbo 23rd November 23

Shiromal, the guide-driver arrived at 9:00 a.m. to get us started on the tour of Colombo. The first place we called at was the Galle Face hotel. A manageress  met me at Shiromal’s request and showed us around the hotel for a while. Then Shiromal took over.. He took me to a display room which had an old car once owned by Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh and portraits of famous people who had stayed at the hotel including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Clement Attley, actress. Jean Simmons, Harold MacMillan, Edward Heath, Indira Gandhi, Lex Barker (Tarzan I think).

We then drove off and parked not very far from the railway station. We commenced on a walking tour which included an old Dutch colonial building which we were not allowed to enter and where photography was forbidden. We carried on the Columbo’s main rail station where I observed the compartments wondering how how I would feel about travel traveling first class to Kandy. Shiromal pointed out the ticket purchase office. We walked at a good pace on a pre-arranged circuit that took us past the main bus station and a station for private buses. Shiromal then took me to a few shops where bought a little Sri Lankan elephant to add to my elephant collection at home. It was given to me in a paper bag with the word Shilpa written on it in big letters. That is the name of my travel agent. I took pictures of Columbo’s world trade center. We passed a shopping complex around the lake connected I think to the lake near the near the Lotus tower. We passed a square with a structure. of a telephone in somebody’s hand. It was near columbo’s main telecommunications area. We proceeded to Columbus port. Entry was costly so we skirted around to a spot where I wanted to photograph a bridge marked by an arc. We stopped near an artificial sandy beach and then visited Shiromal’s church where a service was going on. This church, Saint Anthony’s shrine was one of a few attacked by extremist Islamic groups causing deaths. We moved on to the Katharine temple. This was followed by a meal at an Indian restaurant where I regretted not getting photographed with a group of wedding guests in traditional Sri Lankan attire.  One lady wore a  beautiful white sari. We carried on towards a Buddhist temple. I stopped the car to try and make up for the missed photo opportunity to be snapped alongside three traditional Sri Lankan ladies. We went on to Buddhist temple which had many adherents passionately praying. There were large depictions of Hindu gods. Probably the most memorable thing was a living male elephant tied by chain to a tree so it couldn’t escape. The poor fellah was swinging his drunk around for exercise. The size of his penis suggested he was longing for a mate. Shiromal said it was too late to visit Sri Lanka’s parliament because the traffic at this time was going to be very heavy. Anyway he took me to the top of the Radisson hotel to get a view of the beach. In fact, this was the beach I had been to on my first day in Colombo. The road, which I told people reminded me of Mumbai’s Marine Drive is actually called Marine Drive.

24th November 2023.

I was meant to be going to go to Galle today with Shiromal but to reduce the risk of illness I  decided to switch to Negombo instead. Shiromal had said that it was only 20 minutes away using the expressway. Shiromal agreed to take me to Negombo but didn’t reduce the charge to me by much. He had told me that Negombo was popular with foreign tourists and that there would be interesting things to see.  As we were setting off I told Shiromal to take me to the to the Sri Lankan parliament – we had missed it on Day One. He suggested that before getting there should we stop at the Bandarnaike Convention center. We did and I took lots of pictures. From there we carried on to the Sri Lankan parliament. Having got to the area Shiromal got very cautious and stayed in his car giving me the freedom to go where I liked. As I started walking around the perimeter the guards got edgy.  The first one showed me the point up to which I was allowed. I took a photo and was going to take more but another guard approached me and told me emphatically that  photography was not allowed. I did manage to get another photo later but from a bit further  away from the perimeter and I then we headed for Negombo. We drove through a fish market where I got Shiromal to stop  the car and allow me to take a picture of the drying fish. The smells were similar to the ones I had experienced in Vile Parle in my youth.

Negombo was the first place I had been to in Sri Lanka with naturally sandy beaches.. Or at least I think they’re naturally sandy.

We traipsed round several hotels before settling down on one to have a lunch and a swim at. We had a buffet lunch and I spoilt  myself with a  glass of red wine and one of white. Neither them was quite like the wines we taste in Europe, but they were good enough. I paid for both our lunches. We then went to a nearby shop to find me some swim shorts. Thereafter I swam a few lengths in the swimming pool then ventured out to sea for a swim but it was just a dip. We then headed off home but the drive home  was a lot more than 20 minutes!

25th November – heading for and getting to Kandy.

Shiromal and I had settled on a meeting time of 10:00 a.m. to head for Kandy at a price of 25,000 Sri lankan rupees. I thought this was high and so did Nilanka. When questioned Shiromal told Nilanka that the price covered the trip to Kandy and back – not too satisfactory I thought. In fact Shiromal was 75 minutes or so late. The other surprise for me what there was another man in the car. Shiromal explained that the other chap was going to drive the car back from Kandy. The going was slow because of the usual Sri Lankan traffic. Shiromal stopped for lunch at a restaurant he knows where there is a  duet singing to customers. I told Shiromal  that the lunch stop was not my idea. I had expected to be in Kandy by 1:00 pm for lunch. I would therefore not be paying for their lunches. He accepted this and showed me all  the buffet choices. I settled on something from the display shelves. After a while the duet came to my table and sang a song in English. Probably “falling in love again”. They seemed to realize that I hadn’t long to wait and moved on. We recommenced our drive to Kandy and it soon became  obvious that we weren’t  going to be able to make the planned visit to an elephant orphanage. It was after probably after 5:00 p.m. when we got to the Hotel Suisse where they brought three glasses of juice for the three of us. I said “goodbye” to Shiromal before proceeding to my room.

I had time to walk clockwise around Kandy lake to the Temple of the Tooth. some people in white clothes were waiting to go in by the front entrance. The temple resembles a Japanese Pagoda. I had a rather filling Mini Idli Sambar and a Masala Dosa at Balaji Dosai’s vegetarian restaurant and followed up the meal with a laddu from a shop next door. I trudged  back to the hotel and entered the dining area for a glass of red wine and coffee. There was another singing group with instruments. They played and sang some nice tunes. Getting back to my room I started writing my diary but felt tired and went to bed. There was an incident early in the evening. Hotel reception couldn’t find my room key but they did eventually.

26th November my full first day in Kandy

I was late getting up and decided it would be too much of a hurry trying to get down to breakfast at the hotel. Instead I showered and changed at my leisure and this time started an anti-clockwise walk around the lake.

On the walk, a local chap pointed out to bats in a tree on the periphery of the lake and a monitor something crocodile in the lake. Getting to the temple of the tooth. I wasn’t allowed to enter because I had shorts on. But I ate at a Pizza Hut. The service was slow but friendly. I got some Indian sweets from the day-before’s the sweet shop and then had a coffee at the same place.

I carried on in an anti-clockwise direction towards the hotel taking  photos including one of me with three Muslim ladies. 

Back at the hotel I had intended to rest and write a bit more in my diary. Instead, I spent time arranging a car trip to Bandarnaike  airport on the 28th. I inquired about a tour of the area. A rickshaw fellow gave me his card saying he would stay with me all day for a thousand rupees. 

Since I knew that there was to be a Kandian dance at the Kandian dance school at 5:00 pm and also wanted to enter the temple of the tooth I set off soon after 4:00 pm clockwise around the lake. Just when I would have used a rickshaw a rickshaw that wasn’t one of the hotel entrance. I got to the temple and now attired in trousers I was allowed in through the pagoda-like front entrance. There was a crowd of worshippers trying to enter the main building. I didn’t bother to join the group. I was told that nobody actually gets to see the Buddha’s tooth.

Next I went to the Kandian dance centre paid 2000 rupees for the entry fee and enjoyed watching some spectacular dancing. At the end I made sure I was photographed with some of the dancers. Then I headed back to the hotel to write a bit more in my diary and then try the hotel’s buffet meal.

Around 8:45 I got to the dining room, enjoyed there larger than usual vegetarian dish choice and had an “illegal”  Illegal glass of red wine. The manager said he could let me have a glass of wine but in a cup and that he couldn’t give me a bill but wanted me to settle in cash. I finally signed my  bill and got back to my room  – No 302 to continue work on my diary.

27/11/23 Kandy

The day so far has not been what I would have hoped for. I did stuff myself in the hotel restaurant last night. That or something I had eaten earlier in the day has given me a bad tummy. I went to the toilet three or four times during the night for the “big job”. I was also coughing through the night and don’t know how much sleep  I got. Hotel air-conditioning doesn’t seem to suit me. Anyway I went to the centre of Kandy to withdraw cash for tomorrow’s taxi to the airport. I tried four different ATMs all of which refused me cash. Back at the hotel I explained the situation to the staff, particularly Shering. Back in my room I rang HSBC in the UK. They said that they had no record of the attempted withdrawals. I explained this to Shering and the other reception staff who couldn’t help but were prepared to exchange, not my Indian rupees but my 30 pounds sterling for Sri Lankan rupees. The rate wasn’t good but the 10,500 Sri Lankan rupees I received gives me enough of a top-up for tomorrow’s taxi.

I went back to my room either to shake off my cough or update this diary or watch TV! The lazy approach was to stay in bed. That’s what I did leaving my window slightly open. uddenly I heard a noise at the window and saw a monkey’s tail exit. I then shut the window and went looking for damage. There was none except that the packets of powdered milk on the coffee/tea tray. Looking out of the window I saw the monkey licking up the powdered milk; clever monkey!

I exchanged messages with Tai who was asking about my programme. I had already sent it to her but did so again explaining that I would be arriving at an early hour on the morning of the 29^th November. Shering the receptionist rang to say that she would be away tomorrow but could I give her a tip somehow. At the Ivy Lane Hotel, Colombo Nilanka got a tip without asking!

Since the end of the last paragraph I have walked to the restaurant area near Kandy lake. I was hoping to get a vegetable soup for my upset tummy. I found the next best thing, a mini idli sambar. It tasted good. I got back to the hotel and its restaurant, enjoyed the free coffee and with the permission of the staff picked up two small bananas for tomorrow morning. I shall now watch TV for the first time in Sri Lanka. Oh! I did watch it just before stepping out. That was the first time!

28/11/23, Colombo International Airport.

It’s 4.42 pm and I have been here for more than an hour.  Lalith, the taxi-driver arranged by Kandy Herbal Centre at the hotel brought me here. The flight’s at 11.45 pm so I have lots of time to kill. My suitcase is with Left-luggage. I gave Lalith an envelope with a tip for Shering. I hope she gets it and appreciates it! I have just had a message fromShilpa saying my flight will depart at 1.45 am tomorrow. I am still coughing and my tummy  is still funny. All I have had so far today are two cups of tea.

Check-in began at the pre-arranged time of 8.45 pm. I joined the queue but on getting to the counter I was told that the flight was overbooked and that the airline would put me up at a hotel and pay all my expenses. At first I resigned myself to this situation but, seeing the lady who was going to make the hotel reservation I asked if they could find me a seat with another airline. The lady came back aftger a while to say that I could stay on the same flight upgraded to business class. I was delighted and complimented her and her colleagues and also mentioned her to her manager. I decided then that despite my tummy I would have the food and drink the airline would be supplying. The flight was fine. I enjoyed the champagne, red wine and good food. But I didn’t get much sleep.

29/11/23 Powai (or Chandivali as I am told is more appropriate)

I am at Dush’s flat having got here very early I the morning. I ahd a few problems with the taxi drive who either didn’t have a satnav or didn’t know how to use it. In the dark I couldn’t guide him very well. We found “Golden Rays” with the help of a local chap. I gave the driver a tip he did not deserve.

It is late at night now. I’ll go to bed soon. I have bought a torch for Tai’s evening companion, Yamuna Bai, and a cough syrup and strepsils for myself. I am chatting with Tai while writing this diary.

30/11/23

I coughed a lot in bed last night and this morning. Tai gave me hot water to drink. It helped but I stayed in bed longer than I had intended to.

This afternoon Vijay gave me a lift to a laundry who should wash my clothes and iron my shirts. He also took me to a local optician who fitted a screw to replace one that came off my reading glasses last night. The optician didn’t charge me, that was nice of him. I spent twenty minutes strolling round a shopping complex near Hirandani Gardens and visited Make-my-Trip to give Shilpa something I had picked up by chance in Colombo. But her shutters were down. She was probably working from home.. In the evening I accompanied Tai on her constitutional walk in a garden/play area for Raheja residents. On the news it said Henry Kissinger died aged 100.

This brought up in my mind the question “who is responsible for the fact that I can’t get Al Jazeera and Russia today on my TV in Havant anymore”. The BBC surely, they get my licence fee. I must take some action

1/12/23

I woke up quite late this morning. My cough, much reduced still woke me up during the night. I tried to call Baba (Nurali) Jhanjaria using Tai’s mobile phone but there were complications with her phone and I gave up. I then tried to get Vijay to take me round the old haunts, Sandej, Mangalyam and so on but with little success. We went to Vile Parle West railway station first. It has been expanded and now includes a raised pedestrian walkway. We drove towards the old Vallabhai Patel Road and then along it. I noted an apartment block which may be Baba’s property or somehow related to it. We then must have passed the old “Mangalyam” and got to the old Ghodbunder Road, now Swami Vivekanand Road, turned right and headed for Juhu beach. We parked on the road running parallel to the beach and I strolled on to the sands of the beach. I recognised the old public toilet!

We then tried to find the old Sandej, Aai and Bappa’s last house before they moved into a flat in Pune. I wasn’t sure of the road number. It was actually North-South Road No 9. But we didn’t accept Vijay’s Satnav instruction on how to get there. I said to Vijay “let’s head for home”. We got there very slowly through traffic congestion. We are expecting Jayu and Rohini this evening to celebrate my recent 80^th birthday I believe. It’s nice that Jayu, 76 years old is still working on contract to Air India and is very much in demand. India has a shortage of pilots and  Jau is training Ukranian and Russian recruits. We downed two bottles of sparkling wine.

2/12/23

I had accepted an invitation to Yashi’s place for lunch. I was looking forward to it but only realised while showering that I was supposed to go to the Bank of India to collect my ATM card which they had said would be ready. Despite the slow traffic we got to the bank during its opening hours. I approached my contact, Mr Mohite about the card. NOW he tells me that the bank will need an Indian mobile number and an Indian address to supply me with at ATM card. There simply wasn’t enough time to get an Indian mobile number. I had complimented Mr Mohite earlier on his efficiency at work. I now have to withdraw those compliments.

I had apologised to Yashi about my expected lateness for lunch. She had accepted my reasons and then asked to be advised as I was approaching her flat. I picked up some washing and ironing as planned and notified Yashi that I was on my way. Yashi’s mother Belaji had eaten and retired to her bedroom as expected. I enjoyed lunch and we

 chatted but as Yashi and Dush are divorcing I had to be careful what to say and what not to say. Dush had forewarned me.

Yashi has an excellent, roomy and well-maintained flat. It would suit Anju, Juno, Issy and me as our Mumbai base on our visit to India next March but there could be hurt feelings. Tai wants us to stay at her flat in Khar. Dush rang to say “hello” when  I got back to his flat at “Golden Rays”

In the evening Jayu and Rohini called as expected and we celebrated my 80^th birthday with a meal paid for by Dush. I expect we drank a bit as well!

3/12/23

My objective today was to have everything ready and usable for my journey back to base. Dush wanted photos of Tai and me. I took some. Vijay fortunately had agreed to drive me to the airport on his off-day. I trust he was happy with what I paid him. 

At the airport I lost my belt! One has to take it off just after check-in but then one has remember it, find it and put it back on after one’s belongings have been checked.

It’s almost boarding time now.

15/11/12 Jamnagar
I got here from Mumbai yesterday. It was a good Jet Airways flight from London to Mumbai.I was in row 36 right above the wing of a B777 one couldn’t see much through the window but I had an aisle seat anyway. My companions were one Mr Kulbir Singh and his wife, Originally from the Punjab they have a house in or near Toronto and another one in Hoshiarpur. Punjab. They spend seven months of the year in Canada and five in India.
Good on them if that’s what they enjoy. Leaving London at 10.05 on the 13th we were in Mumbai by 00.30 on the 14th, I didn’t have much difficulty whiling away ten hours and more at Mumbai airport after which I caught an Air India flight to Jamnagar.
The hotel driver, Zakir who picked me up at Jamnagar Airport is of African descent. There are quite a few like him in Gujarat – yes India also had an African slave trade in days bygone. At the hotel reception I met Mustak who had emailed me to confirm the booking. Mustak, a Muslim who was born in Africa came back to his country of origin as a child. People tried to teach him Swahili and Urdu but he learnt neither. He says that he celebrates Diwali like everybody else in Gujarat. My room at the hotel is comfortable enough although I have been unable to get hot water out of the “hot” tap. It’s quite warm, so unheated water is tolerable. It was lunchtime when I got here and I didn’t waste much time getting to the hotel restaurant. I went vegetarian choosing a Gujarati dish called Ringna No Oro. Most Britons would find this dish too hot. In British terms it is a hot curry with aubergines, onions, tomatoes and garlic, I found it pretty hot myself but did enjoy it, finished it with the accompanying roti and papad and topped it up with one of the hotel’s speciality ice creams. Stepping out for a short stroll I soon decided that it was bedtime after two consecutive nights without sleep. I did wake up at 8 pm but decided that
further sleep would do no harm and stayed in bed till 8 am. I had a room-service breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and tea, a shave, a cold water splash, changed and decided
to look around Jamnagar. With a little encouragement from the hotel staff a taxi driver called Hassoo Bhai, literally “smiling brother” agreed to drive me around Jamnagar. He took me to all the well known places, the Ratan Bai mosque, a Muslim place of worship named after a Hindu woman for some act of valour, the Jain temples Shantinath Mandir and Adinath Mandir, Willingdon Crescent, Maharaja Ranjitsinghji Palace, Durbargarh,
Khambalia Gate, Kalawad Gate, Bhujia Fort, the only ancient building in Jamnagar to be damaged by the earthquake of the year 2000 and Ranmal Lake with Lakhota Palace in the centre. The palace has a museum which I couldn’t enter as it was shut for Diwali. Walking along the footbridge to the fort which includes the palace I was surprised at the number of species of birds on the lake although the water level was low due to lack of rain. There
were ducks with a yellow or orange on their beaks, cormorants – one of them spreading its wings like the angel of the north – cormorants are the same the world over, flamingoes, herons and something I had not associated with India prior to 2010, pelicans. I entered a children’s playground to take pictures and then the Bala Hanuman Temple
taking a photograph of the chanters of “Shree Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram”, a chant that has been continuous since 1964 and is included in the Guinness Book of Records. Later Hassoo took me to two more temples , a Tibetan market and the Ayurvedic University. At the end I gave Hassoo more than I had promised. He was pleased but suggested that I should go to the sea and even to Dwarka in his car. I am afraid he did not get the additional business because after lunch at the hotel – another Gujarati vegetarian meal, less hot than the previous one, I decided make other Dwarka arrangements. I am afraid I won’t be going to Dwarka tomorrow because the hotels there are packed and can’t give me a room. I shall go to Rajkot instead by private bus.

On the way back from the bus station where I booked my private bus I took a picture of Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi. My final evening meal in Jamnagar was sweetcorn soup followed by Chicken-a-la-King – Indian versions of European dishes can be surprisingly tasty – and mango ice-cream.. After breky tomorrow I shall head for Rajkot.

PS: I did a bit of emailing at a cyber café where, surprisingly, they asked for my photo id.

16/11/12
I am at the Bhaba Hotel in Rajkot. I got their telephone number from my Rough Guide. I used a private bus for the journey from Jamnagar. I shall use a state bus next time. The young conductor was determined to fill the bus until every flat surface above floor level had been sat on and all the aisle space crammed with standing passengers. I understand that standing passengers paid less for their tickets. When I saw mothers with babes in arms standing I felt guilty about sitting down with my back pack on the seat next to me. I had arranged this by buying two tickets. Nobody took offence but one man did ask me if I could move my luggage; he was happy enough when I explained that I had bought two tickets.
On getting here I checked into my room which is smaller than the one in Jamnagar but comfortable enough. I went into the hotel restaurant and had the only thing they serve at lunch time, a vegetarian thali. Then I visited the house in which Mahatma Gandhi’s family lived when they moved from Porbander where the Mahatma was born. I was
the only visitor all the time that I was there. An attendant started explaining thing to me but stopped soon after I had indicated that what he was telling me was written down in various places in the house. I took a picture and then went off to see the Watson Museum with its stone age implements, various historic statues of Hindu gods , articles from the Indus Valley Civilisation and stuffed birds and animals. Just before going to the museum I went into the courtyard of the school Mahatma Gandhi attended. Next I tried to book a hotel room in Junagadh. The bad news was what I had earlier got from Dwarka. All the hotels were full because of Diwali. I have decided, with some encouragement from the hotel staff to travel to Junagadh anyway, hoping to find a room at one of the lesser-known hotels If I can’t find a room I shall come back here. I ate at the Bukhara in the Kavery Hotel. They are vegetarian like my hotel here but do have European and Chinese food as well as Indian. After the meal I made a vain search for an Internet site. So I have two communications problems; my latest Samsung phone can’t connect to the local network and I can’t find an open internet site.

17/11/12 Junagadh
I am at the Hotel President, probably for three nights. It is in my Rough Guide but I am here by chance. I hired the Bhaba Hotel’s car along with their driver Paresh Bhai. It was going to be Rs 1800 plus road toll charges but then with having to search for hotels it was the best option. On arrival the majority of hotels were full. The Somnath offered me a room for Rs 2500 per night. Thinking I could do better we proceeded to the town centre. One hotel
offered to take me in and at the last minute said that they weren’t allowed to take NRIs. The only other available was n A/C room Rs 4000 per night. We headed back to the Somnath. The original room had gone. Another was available at Rs 3000 but only for one night. I liked Paresh Bhai’s persistence. He was going to find me a room come what may. We had more or less given up when the President pooped up. They gave me a very basic room for
Rs 300. They were very friendly and I took it –phew! I thanked Paresh Bhai profusely and he bid goodbye. I gave him a tip.

Next I strolled off to take photos and get a meal. Amongst other things I photographed the quaint little railway station. I ate at the Swad restaurant and then called at the vodaphone office next door. The very helpful manager,
Iftekar connected my mobile – or seemed to- to the network. He said that the work was free of charge as I was a Vodaphone customer. I left and then decided to go back in to get a local SIM card. Again Iftekar took a lot of trouble. He filled a form, got me to revisit the hotel for written confirmation by them that I was their guest. I then had to get a passport photo taken which meant another errand but Iftekar waited one and a half hours beyond
closing time to get me my SIM card and then wouldn’t accept a tip. He said that he was not allowed to; that was very honest of him after all one hears about corruption in India.

Despite all this I am far from convinced that my Indian SIM card will work but at least my phone works with my British SIM card, thanks to young Iftekar. I hope it works out well for him with his girlfriend – he told me he had one. The road signs here are mainly in Gujarati. I am learning to read them slowly.

18/11/12 Junagadh
I took another picture of the railway station to replace the one I deleted yesterday, then strolled past the Maqbara making for the fort, Upparkot. On the fort there was plenty to keep me interested including a young group who wanted to be photographed wearing my hat. They took turns at it. Then I asked them to take a photo of me with
some of them. They thought they did but I later realised that they didn’t. I did discover the use of the “Magic Filter” with my camera after two and a half years of owning it! I shall use it again and quite frequently. Anyway I strolled along the fort wall taking in some views over the city, a man-made reservoir, some Portuguese cannons, some Buddhist caves from around 200 AD, the Jama Masjid, two wells, one much deeper than the other, Navghar
Kuva.

I left the fort and took a rickshaw ride to the National Hotel, one of a few offering non-vegetarian food, where I had fish and managed to avoid hot spices altogether. Then it was back briefly to the hotel before venturing out to see the Pyara Baba caves; the rickshaw driver hadn’t heard of them! No wonder, as it turned out I was the only visitor to the caves during my presence there. Anyway I took pictures undisturbed by the usual ten million other visitors. I returned to the hotel taking pictures while doing so of interesting buildings and monuments including a second one of the mosque by the side of the Maqbara, this time using the camera’s “magic filter”. I took off my shoes to enter the mosque and the Maqbara. Then it was back to base and discussions with the manager, Satish
about my plans for the next few days. I ate at the Swad again this evening, strolled part of the way along a lake near the Swad, Then I walked back to the hotel for another chat with Satish. England were 319 for 5 in their second innings after being bowled out for 191 in the first replying to India’s 521 for 8 declared. My mobile is working. I got Maureen’s message yesterday and now I have had a message from Flirtfinder!

19/11/12 Junagadh
I climbed Mount Girnar. I got a rickshaw at 5.05 am, got to the foot of the mountain at 5.35 and started the climb immediately. But as usually happens in India so did two million other people. I felt as hemmed in as I do at the start of the London Marathon; and it was like that all the way. I didn’t see anybody who was obviously non-Indian and was myself the object of curiosity as a “foreigner”. I noted the Jain temples some way short of the peak but
did not stop to visit. I think I reached the summit, Gorakhnath about three hours from the start. For most people the pilgrimage did not end here; they were going on to the next slightly lower peak to worship at the Dutta temple. I decided to carry on to there to ensure that I had stepped on each one of the reputed 9999 steps on Girnar. It was
downhill and then uphill. The return trek was in very hot sunshine. I stopped several times for refreshments constrained only by the fear of a bad tummy.
In the afternoon, after lunch I went to see the Ashoka edicts which, of course were not well protected. People were touching the inscriptions. I got some sleep at the hotel. It turned out that the hotel car was not available for a ride to Sasan Gir. At Satish’s suggestion I booked a car at the car stand near the bus station. The driver, Iqbal will pick me
up at 5 am tomorrow. He says he needs to if I am to see any lions.

20/11/12 Junagadh
I did get to Sasan Gir and spotted and photographed a lion, a nilgai and lots of spotted deer. I also saw a leopard at a great distance, clearly visible to the naked eye but too far away for my camera. I shared a jeep with a young Indian family, Ashish and Anupama Agarwal and their son, Aryan from Pune. But the manner of the introduction
wasn’t straightforward at all. I thought I had lost my application form with all my details on it. In fact Ashish got it off the lady looking for it’s owner claiming that he was the owner, deleted my details, put on his own on and got assigned a number in the queue. When I asked him if he had got my form he said “no” at first but then came back and admitted the truth. He suggested that we should share the form and a jeep. As this was going to make it
cheaper for me, after some hesitation I agreed. He told the official that I was Indian and not foreign which made it cheaper still. They turned out to be an otherwise pleasant family. Anupama even told Ashish off for his trickery and suggested that I should go and see them in Pune. Ashish gave me his email address. Before seeing the lion we did take in a large number of birds and a few crocodiles by a drying lake in the forest.
Dramatically we heard an animal squealing. Our guide and others left their jeeps to investigate. He told us that a lioness had seized a wild boar by its belly and wasn’t going to let it escape; on the other hand she wasn’t going to be able to kill it immediately having seized it by the belly rather than by the throat. It was very likely going to be a slow and painful death for the poor boar. Shortly afterwards our jeep and two others stopped where a lion was trying to take his afternoon nap. He wasn’t at all bothered by the presence of the jeeps and their passengers. Nor was he interested in the ranger who was resting and leaning against a tree with nothing but a baton for protection.
The ranger told us that he did not feel endangered; this was part of his job. He might have been showing off. After the two hour safari and the goodbye to the Agarwals Iqbal took me to Devalia to see more lions but we were going to have to queue up and wait a long time. I arranged for Iqbal to take me to Somnath tomorrow and we set off for the hotel. Once there I got some sleep as I was feeling a bit under the weather. That day I was able to access the internet at last. Dush had emailed me asking me to call him asap. I rang him and
he asked if I could call again at 10 am tomorrow. He and Yashi are going to be out of town when I visit Mumbai and he wants to do some rearranging.

21/11/12 Junagadh
Iqbal’s cousin, Yassin drove me to Somnath today. It was a rougher road than yesterday’s. A new road is being built parallel to the existing one. They might even become one road between them. The new road is to be a toll one. I wasn’t feeling all that well after being subjected to cold weather for two hours in short sleeves followed by torridly hot sunshine for the rest of yesterday. Anyway I dressed warmly for the outward journey today. I took
pictures of Somnath’s temple, the neighbouring Dharamshalla and a local statue, wandered up to the the sea before getting back to the hotel for a few hours sleep aided by a headache pill. I felt much better on waking up and went up to the Vodafone shop to see if the manager, Iftekar Pathan could get my Indian SIM card working. He appeared to do everything right but I have yet to use the new card to productively. I have settled my hotel bill. Either Iqbal or Yassin will drive me to Diu (Div) tomorrow. I have set a
start time of 10 AM and booked a hotel room in Diu.

22/11/12 Diu
Iqbal drove me here from Junagadh. We came here through lion country and Iqbal says he has seen lions on the road in the past. On getting here it turned out that the Sao Tome Retiro couldn’t give me a room after all. One of their guests had extended his/her stay. I was given the option of sleeping on the roof terrace but the space was limited and I could see other people’s belongings there. Fortunately the Super Silver Hotel were able to give me a
nice room at Rs 500 per night. I have had an evening stroll and eaten as little as I can given my tummy problem. My Indian SIM card works.

23/11/12 Diu
I had breakfast at O’Coquiero following the hotel owner Mr Nazeer’s advice. Scrambled eggs and toast seemed right given my tummy problem. Before that I did call at a medical store seeking help with my bad tummy. The shop owner gave me two different lots of tablets and some powdery stuff to dissolve in water and consume. After
breakfast I saw the museum, formerly St Thomas’ Church, Diu Church (St Pauls) and the fort taking lots of pictures. Getting back from the fort I had lunch at O’Coquieros before doing a boat trip round Panikotha Fort, shaped like a boat. In the evening I took a rickshaw ride to the hospital, formerly the Church of St Francis of Assisi, and Gangeshwar
temple. I want to visit the temple again tomorrow and the beaches we passed on the way. I had my evening meal at Alishan. The meal was OK but the wine was very downmarket. I did some research on presents for relatives in Mumbai.

24/11/12 Diu
First thing this morning I bought three pairs of sunglasses for Dush, Jayu and Sharad and then went to O’Coquieros where I had an omlette and toast followed by filter coffee, picked up some items from the medical store and then went on another trip to the Gangeshwar temple. By folklore the Pandavas were here during their exile and used to worship on the site of the temple. They are represented by five Shivalinghas which women more
than men seem to worship – I guess they are hoping to have children. Various Hindu deities are also represented. I understand that at high tide the sea water can wash up on to the Shivalinghas. The shoreline in this area is subject to coastal erosion of the kind I have seen on the Isle of Wight. Nearby is the unused and derelict Parsi tower of silence. I am told that three thousand or so Parsis who lived in Diu have all left. My rickshaw driver dropped me
off at Chakratirth beach from where I visited the INS Kukri memorial, a Hindu temple nearby, Jalander beach, the Circuit House (or one of three Circuit Houses), a mini-fort nearby, a Mahatma Gandhi statue and then made my way back to the hotel.

Later I took a ride to Gomtimata beach and Nagoya beach. I had agreed with the driver that he’d wait for me at Gomtimata while I wandered for fifteen minutes or so. I saw none of the wild wolf-dogs that Mr Nazeer had warned me about but remained wary. My driver dropped me off at Nagoya which was far more crowded in contrast to the nearly deserted Gomtimata beach. There were some paragliders out over the water as well as some
speedboats and at least one jet ski. I walked over to a high point to watch the sunset before taking a rickshaw ride back to town. I looked for a half-bottle of wine but in vain. Going over to O’Coquieros I settled for two glasses of apple juice which was probably more enjoyable than the wine might have been. The fish, chips, salad, fruit pancake and filter coffee were very agreeable and I felt satisfied returning to the hotel.
Back at the hotel I chatted with Mr Nazeer, got a bottle of water, had a short stroll, then fot on to the internet at a cyber café in the same building before going up to my room No 206.

25/11/12 Powai, Mumbai
I had my last breakfast at O’Coquieros, fried eggs for a change. It was good as usual. Then I made my way back to the hotel to use the internet. I had already checked out and settled up; my backpack was in the storeroom. I sent out a “report from Diu” to the closest relatives in India and the UK including Maureen. When I had finished it was time to head for the airport. I said goodbye to Mr Nazeer and his staff and after a few anxious moments got the
rickshaw man to get going. At the airport I had to unpack my backpack to remove a box of matches. We took off on time and landed early first at Porbander and then Mumbai. I got to Dush and Yashi’s in an A/C cab. Belaji has gone to see relatives. Yashi is here. So far I have only met her and Kimaya but have spoken to Tai, Jayu and Dush on the phone. We have decided to meet here at D & Y’s flat for a meal on Tuesday evening though Tai and Sharad will also be here tomorrow evening to take over from Yashi.

26/11/12 Mumbai
I got here a little early because the ‘plane, an ATR-72 landed ahead of schedule.Yashi received me at the flat as Dushyant is away on a refresher course. We had a quiet evening. India were in trouble in the Mumbai test at the end of play. This morning after breakfast I went to the bank to get my account details updated. At the end of my discussion with the lady there I asked her to merge two of my existing accounts. She said that this would be done overnight, so I shall have to return tomorrow. There was a reasonable looking café at Andheri rail station so I had a masala dosa and some grape juice there. I strolled along the skywalk before looking for SV Road along which I hope to catch an auto-rickshaw. I found
one and asked the driver to take me to the seafront at Bandra. He dropped me off at Bandra Land’s End Garden where there were lots of trees providing some welcome shade. There were also lots of romantic couples seated at various places which unfortunately made strolling around a little uncomfortable but I pressed on with it regardless,
I took some photos, strode on the rocks by the sea before moving away from Land’s End at very leisurely pace. Eventually I got a rickshaw back to Powai and used a Cyber Café before returning to the flat where I met Tai and Sharad. Yashi’s flying to Brussels and returning Wednesday evening. Tai and Sharad will stay here till then. India lost by ten wickets – what a shame!

27/11/12 Mumbai
First thing after leaving this morning I headed straight for the bank to see that very nice lady Sangeeta. She had done everything she needed to do. I came away with the documents I had wanted. Sangeeta also answered all my questions and at the end suggested that I put more funds into my accounts. Then I made off for the Dharavi slum
which wasn’t as bad as the film Slumdog Millionaire made out. The next stop after taking a photo of the Palonji Towers (mansions actually) was Dhobi Ghat. Aai had told me about that many years ago. Then on to Kamala Nehru Park on Malabar Hill for a restaurant meal. I was thinking of the restaurant I had taken Celia, the girls and Jayu’s family to many years ago. But when I got there I found no restaurant. So I ate bhel, peanuts, crisps and ice
cream. Then I trudged downhill to the beach. From there it was a taxi to Bandra and then a tuktuk to Dush and Yashi’s stopping once to put credit on my Indian SIM card.
Jayu, Rohini and Saga arrived very late for the meal. Tai had brought food and wine for the meal already and Rohini added to that with some lovely dishes of her own. It was a very pleasant evening. I took photos of the family. After Jayu and company had left I went to my bedroom to make my diary entry for the day.

28/11/12 Mumbai
I got up very late after the delay going to bed last night. I bathed, shaved and changed and after saying goodbye to Tai and Sharad – I wouldn’t be seeing them again on this trip – took a rickshaw to Borivali. When I got there I found out that the next Volvo coach wasn’t going to leave till 12:45. I looked at the option of a private car for Rs 3000 for a return trip to Lonavala; very soon that became unavailable and so I decided to use the coach knowing
that it might take me 3.5 hours to get to Lonavala in it. The coach was half an hour late picking me up. We made innumerable stops with the conductor trying to pick up business. He did pick up some. At Vashi they asked me to move to a different coach, a Mercedes Benz. We finally got to Lonavala after a 3.75 hour journey. I didn’t spend long with Bapu who was joined briefly by his neighbour, Mr Korde. I had a small lunch with Bapu,. took photos and bid goodbye. The return journey didn’t take quite so long and I had time for a bit of shopping and a meal at the Hirandani shopping centre. When I got back to the flat Belaji let me in and offered me supper which I politely declined saying that on my doctor’s advice I wasn’t eating just before bedtime and that I had eaten on the way home.

Mission accomplished, I leave for Havant tomorrow.