Elephants; the gentle giants , are dear to all of us ; more so to children. So when we saw our granddaughter’s excitement on seeing elephants on the screen, we decided to give her a hands on encounter with these lovable beings. That’s what led us to Sakrabyle, the elephant camp near Shimoga in Karnataka.
A 310 km drive from Bangalore and we were at Shimoga.
The drive to Shimoga
The best time to visit the camp is early morning before the crowds and the heat and so we halted overnight at Shimoga.
A preview of the elephant camp and facilities available before I get into our experiences…
SakrebyleElephant Camp
Maintained by the Karnataka Forest department, this camp is a forest camp for captive elephants brought here for training and rehabilitation from many places. Elephants that may have had illnesses , nutritional issues, behavioural issues like rogue elephants or those that were orphaned or abandoned are housed here in the forest camp. A dedicated team of specially trained mahouts train and rehabilitate these gentle giants.
The Forest Camp
They live inside the forest camp opposite the area where tourists interact with them. This forest area also has accomodation for tourists run by Jungle lodges and resorts. The accomodation in the Jungle lodges is very good and safari facilities are there. (Unfortunately, we could not get accomodation at this jungle lodge which would have been ideal). If you book with Jungle lodges, they take care of everything and also they bring you to the interaction area in a buggy saving you the trouble of getting the tickets etc.
The Jungle Lodge and tourists being brought to the interaction area
Every morning, the elephants are brought from the forest to the interaction area.
The elephants coming out of the forest camp
The interacion area is a large open ground with multiple activities. This area lies on the banks of the Tunga river where the giants have their bath. The most popular activity here is an opportunity to bathe the elephants under the supervision of the mahout.
Our trip
Driving down from Shimoga early morning, we reached the camp well on time to join the front of the long queue for tickets.
The counter and the long queue
As we were waiting at the ticket counter, the elephants were being brought in for their daily rituals under supervision of mahouts.
The entrance for the elephants and one of the elephants walking in
A short walk lead us to an open area overlooking the Tunga river
The open interaction area
The beautiful Tunga river
The elephant family walks to the Tunga
Ready for a bath in the Tunga river
The mahout starts the bathing process…
And we joined in….
After helping with the bathing ritual, we stood around and watched as more elephants came and went through their daily routines
Visitors watch the elephants ….
After the bath, the elephants are fed at an enclosure and visitors can also participate in the feeding of the elephants. Since we were to leave to our next destination, we did not wait for that. Elephant rides are also available from there.
Returning to our hotel in Shimoga we proceeded to Kollur for our annual pilgrimage there and then on to a fun destination near Koteshwar. The little one was all excited about her encounter with the giants and her stories continued for a few days.
Let me stop here for now .
Next week we are at coffee land. Till then, do keep your comments and feedback coming….
The Sharavati river in Karnataka plunges down a vertical cliff to form the famous Jog Falls or Gersoppa Falls . A beautiful waterfall specially in the monsoons, this SHOULD be in your bucket list!!
Come on…let me take you there virtually….
The Jog Falls ( just after the monsoons)
Legend of Sharavati
The Sharavati River originates at a place called Ambutheertha in Karnataka. Legend has it that Lord Ram shot at the ground with his arrow (Ambu) to quench his wife Sita’s thirst. Out poured the water (Theertha) from the earth. Since this event marked the beginning of the river , it got it’s name Sharavati where “Shara “means arrow.
The Sharavati River near Honavar where it joins the Arabian Sea
At Jog, the water drops 253 mt ; making it the third highest waterfall in India after the Nonkhalikai (Meghalaya) and Dudhsagar falls.
The fall comes down a deep chasm in four parts called Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket falls. This waterfall changes itself seasonally depending on the rainfall. Its true might is displayed during or just after the monsoons. The presence of the Linganamakki dam also affects the volume of water in the falls.
The falls during the dry season with much reduced waterflow
There is a viewpoint located right across the falls from where we can actually watch the falls and there is a series of steps to go down to the bottom of the falls.
The viewpoint
Enjoy the video of the falls in monsoon
The other interesting activities that can be combined with Jog falls:
Sharavati Wildlife sanctuary ,Dabbe Falls and Linganamakki Dam visits.
Sharavati Wildlife sanctuary
The Sharavati river basin is rich in biodiversity and also has the Sharavati Wildlife sanctuary.
The Sharavati Wildlife sanctuary in the Western ghats is covered with evergreen forests and grassy hilltops. It harbours rich wildlife like bison, deer, boar, jackals,leopards and the malabar giant squirrel. A visit to this wildlife sanctuary can be combined with a Jog falls visit.
Deer at Sharavati Sanctuary
Bison
Dabbe Falls:
It is about 35 kms from Sagara town. Guides are available at Muppane nature camp which is 10 kms away.
Dabbe Falls
Linganamakki Dam:
10kms from Jog falls is the Linganamakki dam. One can view the dam from a distance.
Linganamakki Dam
Travelling to Jog Falls:
The nearest airport is at Mangalore 219 kms away.
The nearest Railway station is Talaguppa 20 kms away.
Driving from Bangalore, it is 411 kms away.
Sagara and Shimoga are the nearest towns with plenty of hotels. But the best places to stay are The Mayura Gersoppa hotel run by Karnataka Tourism (bang opposite the falls with views from the rooms ) and Sharavati Adventure camp run by Jungle Lodges and resorts.
Sharavati Adventure camp
This is by far the best accomodation near Jog falls. As the name suggests, it has various adventure activities like hiking, trekking, bird watching. Besides, the views from here are beautiful with the backwaters of the Talakalale dam .Water sports activities are also available.
The Sharavati Adventure Camp
Well, that brings us to the end of this episode.
Next week, we meet up with some gentle giants; the elephants. Till then, let me say goodbye but not before reminding you to subscribe, comment or give your feedbacks.
Lepakshi has been in the news recently , and so ; why not resume the India series with Lepakshi ? With the Ayodhya temple inauguration and the Prime Minister’s visit , Lepakshi has indeed come into focus . Till then ,many of you may not have heard of this temple in the sleepy town of Lepakshi in the state of Telengana in India . A 16th century temple enriched with art and architecture of the Vijayanagar Empirehas this as yet unexplained phenomenon of the hanging pillar.
The temple itself is dedicated to Lord Veerabhadra (fiery avatar of Lord Shiva) and has shrines dedicated to various Hindu Gods like Vishnu, Devi, Ganesha and Hanuman. Apart from religious attributes, the Lepakshi temple complex is considered an excellent art monument. This is because, most of the walls and ceilings at the temple are covered not only with sculptures, but murals depicting various scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Since the most intriguing and popular feature is it’s hanging pillar, let us first talk about that…
The hanging pillar
The hanging pillar is one of the pillars of the inner hall of the temple which does not rest on the floor. A clear gap is seen between the floor and the pillar and often people pass a cloth below the pillar to try it out.
The actual reason for this is still unclear and many theories have been put forward. They vary from anti gravity techniques known to the ancestors ,to magnetic causes, to the presence of some rod inside holding it up to the ceiling , to divine intervention ,to the balance of the artwork on the pillar.
The Hanging pillar
Trying to pass a cloth below the pillar
An English engineer is supposed to have tried moving this pillar when the other pillars started shaking and he had to abandon his efforts.
Shifting focus to the main temple….
Legend of Lepakshi Temple
Most Hindu temples are associated with legends and Lepakshi has been associated with the epic of Ramayana. When Ravana, the demon king abducted Sita and was on his way to Lanka with her, Jatayu, the eagle tried to stop him. Ravana attacked Jatayu and the injured Jatayu fell down . When Rama came along and saw the wounded Jatayu, he uttered the words”Le Pakshi” which translates to “rise up bird” and helped him achieve salvation . The word Lepakshi stuck to the place and today we have a huge statue of Jatayu on a rock here.
The temple dates back to 1583 during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire. Two brothers, Viranna and Virupanna are believed to have built this temple in typical Vijayanagar architectural style. A large number of frescos adorn the ceilings of this temple; some of it faded and peeled off. This temple is designated a monument of national importance by the ASI (Archaeological survey of India) and is on the tentative UNESCO World Heriage Sites list.
Visiting Lepakshi
A 120 km drive from Bangalore on NH 44 and a left turn and then15 km on highway 544E takes one to this temple.
As one reaches the junction to turn off the highway there is a decorative arch with jatayu on the top and a small Nandi in front.
The Jatayu arch at the entrance to Lepakshi town
At Lepakshi, the first structure that one encounters, is a giant Nandi Statue. This is actually called the Basavanna temple.
Nandi(Bull)
The Nandi (Bull) is a monolithic granite bull in sitting posture, 10 mts in length and 6 mts in height . Considered the largest Nandi in India, it is depicted with short horns and decorative bells and ornaments around the neck. A lily pond adds to the beauty of this small temple .
Shiva temples usually have a Nandi statue looking at the sanctum and this Nandi looks at the giant Nagalinga statue located inside the main temple. This Nandi however has its head aloft at a slight angle which makes it unlike most Nandis where a submissive posture is the rule.
The Giant Nandi
The front view and the lily pond in the complex
A short walk down the road takes one to the main Lepakshi Temple.
The entire temple is built on top of a tortoise (kurma) shaped hill(saila) or Kurmasaila and has towering walls around. A giant banyan tree adorns the entrance and a board explaining the origin of the temple gives one a little perspective of the temple.
The board explaining the history and the outer walls
The main temple is laid out in three parts : the Natya Mantapa ,the Artha Mantapa and the sanctum or Anthrala.
The Natya Mantapa
Located inside the outer fortress wall, this hall has multiple pillars with sculptures of gods, goddesses, horses, lions, musicians and dancers.
The ornate Natya Mantapa
Pillars with beautiful sculptures
Two giant monolithic sculptures greet us inside the temple.
One is a monolithic Ganesha with a protective canopy with pillars and the other is the Nagashivalinga.
The Giant Ganesha
The shivalinga is made of a huge rock while the seven headed serpent or Naga is monolithic and appears to be protecting the linga.
Nagashivalinga(7 hooded serpent sheltering the Shivalinga)
Sita’s footprint
As one circumambulates along the outer walls, one comes across a giant footprint believed to be that of Sita.
Another image that strikes us are two red marks on the wall. Legend has it that Virupanna who built the temple used funds from the treasury without the approval of the king. He was ashamed to face the king and so he gorged out his own eyes and threw it which hit the wall. This spot has two red marks attributed to this incident.
Sita’s footprint and Virupanna’s eyes.
This then brings us to the unfinished Kalyana Mantapa.
After Virupanna punished himself , no further construction was undertaken ; leaving an incomplete Kalyana Mantap. However, the sculptures on the pillars of the Kalyana Mantap are beautiful and exude the art of the Vijayanagar era.
The unfinished Kalyana Mantap
The exquisite art work on the pillars of Kalyana Mantap
The Artha Mantapa
The innermost segment of the temple leading to the main sanctum is the Artha Mantap . The hall itself has multiple pillars decorated with sculptures and the ceiling has murals of various sizes but many of which have faded or have been damaged. The columns are located on an elevated plinth and have eaves overhanging in a curved fashion.
One of the frescos on the ceiling of the Artha Mantapa is supposed to be the largest one in Asia. The paintings depict the costumes of that period but due to age related fading, many of the features are not very clear.
Some pictures…
Sculptures on the pillars of the Artha Mantapa
The frescoes
The damaged ceiling and frescoes
The Garbha griha
The Artha Mantapa leads to the sanctum sanctorum or garbha griha where the shrine of Veerabhadra swamy is located. A small cave chamber where saint Agasthya lived when he installed the linga is also seen. The ceiling at the sanctum has the paintings of Virupanna and Virupaksha who constructed the temple.
A shrine dedicated to Durga, the goddess is located just outside the main shrine and has a huge mirror in front so that, one can see the reflection from far.
The side view of the main entrance and the cave chamber
The Giant Jatayu
As explained in the legend, Jatayu is intricately connected with Lepakshi . No wonder then that a huge Jatayu image is constructed on a rocky hillock close to the temple. It is called the Jatayu theme park. The giant Jatayu seems to be overlooking the whole town.
To reach the Jatayu, one has to climb up some steps on a rocky hillock.
Some pictures…
Jatayu park and the view of Lepakshi Temple from there
The giant eagle Jatayu
It was noon by the time we finished walking around the temple and the Jatayu park and we returned to the comfort of our hotel room .
Well, I hope I have kindled your desire to visit this temple and admire its art and architecture.
See you next week from an amazing waterfall of south India…till then,
Looking at the “glitz and glamour” of Los Angeles, let’s peep into Hollywood…..
Hollywood
This neighbourhood of LA needs no introduction. Well known for it’s association with the US film industry, it is home to many of the famous studios like Paramount pictures, Sony , Universal and WarnerBrothers.
As we drove along Melrose Avenue, we saw some of these renown studios…
Paramount and Universal studios
Steven dropped us off near the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
The Walk of Fame lies on Hollywood Boulevard where more than 2700 stars are embedded along the sidewalk.These stars bear the name of achievers in the film industry including actors, musicians, singers, directors and fictional characters. Some have multiple stars in their name…
Hollywood Walk Of Famewith the embedded stars
Hollywood Boulevard and one of the stars!!
We walked along the sidewalk looking at the embedded stars trying to find familiar names and there he was, a cut out of Micheal Jackson near one of his stars.
If one wants a picture with one’s name on the star, it can be done on payment.
Cutout of Micheal Jackson and having a picture with one’s name on one of the stars!!
At Hollywood Boulevard near the Walk of Fame is the famous Chinese Theatre.
The Chinese Theatre premiers many of the hollywood movies and is also the venue for birthday parties and corporate events. One of the peculiarities is the forecourt where concrete blocks on the floor bear the signature , hand prints or foot prints of famous motion picture personalities.
The Chinese Theatre
The signatures and limb impressions outsideon the walkway
Another attraction on Hollywood Boulevard is the Dolby Theatre which is a live performance auditorium and also the venue for the annual academy awards.
Dolby Theatre
The El Capitan Theatre
Owned by Walt Disney Company, this serves as the venue for premieres of Walt Disney films.
El Capitan Theatre
Hollywood Wax Museum
Featuring wax replicas of celebrities, this museum is one of the attractions on Hollywood Boulevard.
The Hollywood Wax Museum and Marilyn Munroe in wax…
Besides this, the Hollywood Museum featuring memorabilia from Hollywood and Madame Tussaud’s are other attractions at Hollywood Boulevard.
Hollywood Museum and Madame Tussaud’s
Hollywood Boulevard also hosts many restaurants and pubs besides plenty of street vendors selling a variety of food items.
A cafe and street food
Besides this, shopping opportunities are also plenty here. Most of them deal with Hollywood memorabilia and souveniers. Tourists throng these shops and they do brisk business!!
But I must admit that my mental picture of Hollywood was not what I saw. I had imagined it to be more posh and stylish. Much to my surprise, the Walk of Fame was like any other street except for the stars. It neither looked posh nor clean. Most of it looked dated and worn out!! As we walked along, touts kept thrusting pamphlets at us for various shows which kept us tense as we had been warned of pickpockets. All in all, my impression…overhyped place!!!!
A variety of shopping experiences !!
Soon, we were headed to Beverly Hills….
Hollywood and Beverly Hills are inseparable. Home to the rich and famous from Hollywood and elsewhere, it has an upmarket shopping street named Rodeo Drive. Celebrity homes are the speciality of the area. Some high end hotels and restaurants dot the roadside and Steven had a story to say about each of them and how they were connected to a celebrity!!
Parking is extremely difficult here with heavy penalties and so Steven took us around and dropped us off at a spot promising to pick us up again after an hour. So we walked along looking at the shops and hotels.
The Beverly Hills Hotel with its poolside cafe and Beverly Gardens Park with the pink “Beverly hills beautiful” sign was a photo spot….that is my featured image today…
Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Hotel which was supposedly President Obama’s favourite
Upmarket shops and a wine shop where one has to fix an appointment to enter!!!
Steven was waiting at the appointed time for us and we all got back into the bus with memories of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Dropping us off at our hotels, he bid goodbye to us as we bid goodbye to Los Angeles. We flew back to India from LA marking the end of a wonderful trip to Alaska.
So, with this episode, the series on Alaskan Adventures concludes. However much I enjoy the country I visit, the feeling of flying back to one’s motherland is something undescribable….See you next week in Bharat….our own Bharat….
Till then, do subscribe, like, comment and give your feedback…
Los Angeles has some great beaches ; some very famous and others, not so much. Some are extremely touristy while others are more quiet and peaceful. I happened to visit two of the famous beaches at Los Angeles to which I take you today.
Starting from the smaller to the bigger, let me take you to Venice Beach first.
Venice Beach….some insights:
This place has its own history and make no mistake; it is named after the city of Venice which had fascinated Abbott Kinney, the millionaire who wanted to recreate his favourite European city , Venice, in the US. In 1905 Kinney made his dream come true by digging several miles of canals and lining it with structures in Venetian architectural style. He also brought in gondolas and gondoliers from Venice and had it running very much like Venice.It came to be known as “Venice of America”. In addition to that, it was developed into a beach resort town with an amusement park and an ocean walk promenade.
However, a canal system of this nature needs continous maintanence and upkeep to prevent water stagnation and it’s perils . Unfortunately after the death of Kinney, his family tried to keep it going but it soon lost its glory. In 1926, the area was annexed into Los Angeles and some of the canals were paved in . By 1950, the area came to be known as the “Slum by the Sea”. Besides the neglect in infrastructure terms, gangs and drug cartels thrived here and it was a while before the area got back to normalcy.
Today Venice is a fun beach destination apart from being a popular film shooting venue. The piers, the boardwalk, the skating rink, canals and restaurants have featured in several TV shows and films.
Our Trip
As we were driving to Venice beach itself, our guide gave us a sneak peek of the canal system and what remains of it today. He mentioned that there are some very small houses near the canals which are very expensive property.
Some pictures…
What remains of the canals….
A gondola preserved at a roundabout and one of those expensive houses!!
Driving along, we reached the beach area . A large mural on the wall of one of the buildings attracted us. It was a black and white mural named “Touch of Venice”. This mural captures the essence of the 1958 film “Touch of Evil”and is dedicated to the history and culture of this place.
The “Touch of Venice” mural
From here on , we walked along the streets to the beach . One of the signs that welcomes you to the beach is a huge sign of the alphabet “V”.
At Venice beachand the” V “sign
Along the beach were trees painted in multiple colours adding to the funky look ….
The typical funky appearance of the area
Venice beach also has a skating rink and many competitions are held here…
The famous skating rink
Another peculiarity of the beach is what is reffered to as Muscle Beach. Venice beach is supposed to be where Arnold Schwarzenegger pumped muscle in a gym. Our guide showed us that gym enroute!! Venice Beach also has an outdoor gym for working out.
Some pictures…
Muscle beach and a shop display near it !!
Walking along, we finally reached the Boardwalk area lined with shops on one side. The whole place had a Bohemian look with all kinds of shops and graffiti displayed outside. Must be a fun place specially in the evenings.
Some pictures…
The Walkway and the shops
Interesting displays !!!
So , to sum it up Venice is a place famous for quirky happenings on it’s boardwalk where mimes, jugglers musicians and street performers create an ever changing ambience. One can sit around and enjoy the bohemian character of the place while savouring local dishes at the several restaurants along the boardwalk. All in all, a fun place…..
Moving on to a more upmarket beach; Santa Monica….
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a city in Los Angeles with views of the Pacific Ocean which has long been admired. Apart from a beach, a pier called Santa Monica pier was built here and then on developed into an entertainment venue . It contains the Pacific Park which is an amusement park, a solar powered ferris wheel which is brightly lit in the evenings, an aquarium and a hippodrome with a carousel. Besides these, there are innumerable restaurants, bars,souvenier shops and whatever you can think of! Entertainers,video games,concerts and such other activities also take place here.
Within walking distance from downtown Santa Monica, this place was abuzz with revellers when we reached there one evening. Close to the pier is a small garden which is located at a slight elevation and offers great views of the ocean and the pier. Across the road are luxury hotels which have ocean and pier views and charge exorbitantly for them!!
Some pictures…
The park opposite the pier and the homeless…luxury and poverty!!
Santa Monica beach and pier
Entrance to the pier
Restaurants on the pier
Gift shops and Video game arcades on the pier
The Pacific Park and Ferris Wheel
The pier has also another landmark, the end of route 66, the famous highway from Chicago to California…
End point of Route 66
The pier ends with great views of the Pacific Ocean.
End of the pier and the Pacific Ocean behind
Evenings see the lighting up of the pier and the Ferris wheel…
The lit up pier, ferris wheel and the crowds….
With this I have covered two of the most famous beaches in Los Angeles. There are many more of course. Hope you enjoyed the beach views. Do give your comments and feedback.
Returning from Alaska, we halted at Los Angeles for a couple of days. The sights and sounds of this vibrant city forms the content of today’s episode.
We decided to do a conducted tour of Los Angeles so that we can get a quick roundup of the city and then, we could do in detail whatever interests us later on by ourselves .
Booking a tour with “A Day in LA”, we reached the designated pickup point in downtown SantaMonica for our tour.
Our tour bus and Steven, our guide
We were picked up near the Santa Monica Place, a mall in downtown Santa Monica…This is close to third street promenade in downtown Santa Monica.
Santa Monica Place with shops and restaurants
The third street promenade in downtown Santa Monica is a pedestrians only street with fountains, restaurants and shops making it a lively place in the evenings…
Some pictures from downtown Santa Monica…..
Third street Promenade Santa Monica
The Broadway Theatre and Tesla showroom
Ocean Avenue next to the Santa Monica pier
Steven , our guide ,gave us an overview of the plan for the day and we set out to Santa Monica Pier which was our first halt and then proceeded to Venice Beach with Steven pointing out various sights along the way. Santa Monica pier and Venice will be covered in the episode on beaches of LA.
As we drove around ,Steven pointed out the Santa Monica civic centre which was once an academy awards venue and a peculiar looking building with an entrance shaped like a pair of giant binoculars which houses the LA office of Google!!
Santa Monica civic centre and the binoculars outside the office of Google…
A pair of towers caught our attention and Steven pointed out that they were built by the same architect who designed the Twin Towers in the US . The CAA building in front of it is so designed with a huge window that one can see the twin towers through that…
The twin towers and the CAA building
Downtown Los Angeles
Driving along some parts of LA downtown, the skyscrapers of various sizes and shapes kept appearing. Off and on, the homeless and their misery contrasted with the plush looking apartments and skyscrapers. Some pictures…
Plush skyscrapers
And the contrasting misery of the homeless!!!
Steven dropped us off at Farmer’s Market for lunch….
Farmer’s Market
This market is a historic LA landmark opened in 1934. It is an area of foodstalls, eateries, food vendors and local produce market. Unlike such markets elsewhere, this market is permanent. We were spoiled with choices here. Too many appetising looking stuff kept us confused on what to have. Finally we settled down for some pizza and local icecream recommened by Steven.
Farmer’s Market with the eateries
After lunch, we headed to Griffith Observatory…
Griffith Observatory
This is an observatory in Los Angeles located in Griffith Park and overlooking downtown LA and the famous Hollywood sign .
The observatory, constructed in 1935, was envisioned and funded by Col. Griffith J. Griffith. With decorative concrete elements and distinctive components, such as an 85 ft diameter copper-clad planetarium dome and cupola, coelostat, and telescope domes, it stands out against the usual buildings.
It has an extensive array of science related displays particularly related to space.
The Griffith Observatory
At the observatory, visitors can look through telescopes, explore exhibits, see live shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, and enjoy spectacular views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign. It houses a Zeiss refracting telescope which allows night visitors to star gaze!
In front of the main building of the observatory as you walk up towards it, you come across the Astronomer’s Monument which was built to pay homage to six of the greatest astronomers of all time and is quite beautiful to see in real life.
Astronomer’s Monument
Los Angeles city as seen from Griffith Park
The main entrance to the observatory and the beautiful inside of the dome
As soon as you enter, there is a huge pendulum called the Foucault Pendulum which provides proof of the earth’s rotation…
Function of the pendulum explained…
Foucault Pendulum (click on the video)
The observatory has also been a filming location for many movies and has made it an international emblem of LA. Talking of landmarks, we move on to another such landmark….the hollywood sign.
The Hollywood Sign
This iconic sign of LA is best viewed from Griffith Park outside the Griffith Observatory. The sign is situated on Mount Lee in the Santa Monica mountains which overlook the Griffith observatory.The alphabets are 50 ft tall and was initially erected in 1923 by a real estate developer as a temporary advertisement. Due to its popularity, it was retained and redone in 1978 with more durable material.
The sign is located on rough steep terrain in the Griffith Park and protected by barriers to avoid unauthorised access. Visitors can hike to the sign .
The Hollywood sign
After the visit to Griffith Observatory, we visited Hollywood and Beverly Hills which will be touched upon in a later episode.
As we drove around LA, a couple of local sights that attracted us were….
The Big Blue Bus which serves as the public transport system and is very user friendly and reasonable. We did try this out a couple of times….
The Big Blue Bus
The food delivery robot….
A food delivery robot was doing it’s rounds and we got to see it wait and cross the road with pedestrians at one of the signals….much to our amusement!!!!
The food delivery robotoutside one of the restaurantsand one on his job!!
The US postal service delivering letters…
The postman on his daily trot…
And last but not the least, a beautiful wall full of succulents!!!
The succulent wall….
Well that just about rounds up the general sights of LA. Next episodes will be on the beaches of LA and Hollywood.
Till then do continue to comment and give your feedback…
Not knowing how the Alaskan weather would treat us, we woke up to a partly cloudy day ; much better than the previous day , but clearly not an ideal day for flightseeing. So we were very skeptical about the flight taking off. But to our surprise, we got a call from the tour operator that they were offering us a flight over the Knik glacier and the Chugach National Park as Denali and Alaskan Ranges still seemed difficult. They also offered us a refund in case we did not want to take this . This; they said would me a much longer flight and so it would be like a bonus for all the inconveniences of the previous day. So we decided to take it .
Soon, we were ready and got picked up at the hotel and reached the K2 Aviation office. We were weighed at the counter and completed some formalities and were asked to wait for our pilot. Soon more tourists started arriving and we could see the aircrafts getting readied. The weather didn’t seem too good and we kept our fingers crossed.
K2 Aviation office, our flightseeing tour operator
The aircrafts getting ready
Soon, a group of pilots arrived and each of them had a list of people flying with them. Each aircraft had around nine people assigned and we were with Dave…
With Dave, our pilot
Dave gave us some safety instructions and demonstrated the correct use of the headphones provided and we boarded and took our seats. The headphones were primarily for the commentary that Dave would give as we flew over different areas but we too could call out to him at anytime.
Inside the aircraft and all set to fly….
And finally, we took off…
K2 office and Talkeetna airbase as we took off…
The swollen Talkeetna river and the onset of autumn colours came into view…
Talkeetna River
Fall colours over Talkeetna
Soon we were on top of the Talkeetna mountains….
Talkeetna mountains
Contrary to arid snow covered glacierland that we expected, what came in sight was the town of Palmer, the Matanuska river and the Mat Su Valley…
Mat Su Valley
This is the local name for the Matanuska-Susitna valley which is famous for its farmlands producing giant size vegetables besides the salmon bounty in the rivers. This valley carved out by glaciers is located between the Talkeetna mountains, Alaskan Ranges and the Chugach mountains.
Palmerand Matanuska river
The fertile Mat Su Valley
Once we passed this, it was on to the Chugach ranges and the glaciers. Enjoy the views ….
Heading to the glaciers…
What is that black line on the glacier?
Did this question not pop up in your mind?
Well, they are called moraines. They are actually rock and silt debris that the glacier picks up on the way and when the ice mass moves, they are left behind.
Terminal part of glacier feeding the lake
Floating icebergs broken off from the glacier
Nothing but ice for miles around….
Blocks of ice
The end of the glacier clearly visible…
Beautiful colour of glacial lakes
We also got to see the debris of an airplane that had crashed sometime back on the glacier…
Debris of crashed airplane…
Soon we were on our return journey over the glaciers with Dave turning the plane at many places for both sides to get the views. Enjoying every bit of it we landed back safely at Talkeetna air base.
As a parting shot, a short video for you to enjoy….
Enjoy the flight video…..
It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I have tried to bring it to you as clearly as I can . But as I always say, nothing like experiencing anything oneself !! So do go in for the flightseeing over the Alaskan glaciers…you will never regret it..
Do continue to encourage with your comments and feedback….
A base for expeditions to Denali ; the small town of Talkeetna with less than 2000 people is a two and a half hour drive from Anchorage . Its residents are proud of the character of their community and their mountaineering history as the base camp for mountaineering expeditions to Denaliand also their characteristic artwork and unique traditions.
Talkeetna started off in 1916 as the district headquarters of the Alaskan Railroad .Today, the locals are proud of their typical architecture and rich wildlife.It is a popular destination for locals and visitors, offering many activities such as flightseeing, rafting, and biking.
Popular activities in Talkeetna are:
Flightseeing tours to Mt. Denali.
Stroll Main Street taking in the history and enjoying the ambience.
Jetboat rides, rafting, kayaking
Fishing.
Hiking
Enjoying the local food and drink.
Located at the confluence of three rivers, Susitna, Chulkitna and Talkeetna, the downtown area is a designated National Historic Site with buildings dating back to the early 1900s.
Talkeetna Historic District
Much of the downtown area looks very ancient and comes alive only in summer when tourists reach Talkeetna for flightseeing tours over Denali, salmon fishing and rafting expeditions. Much of this shuts down in mid September when winter sets in and after that, it’s only the amount of snow that changes year to year.
Winter in Talkeetna
We were in for a flightseeing tour of Denali and that’s what took us to Talkeetna. Taking the Denali Star train from Anchorage early morning, we reached Talkeetna before noon. The weather was less than favourable and we were hoping that we would take off over Denali that evening.
The Denali Star that took us to Talkeetna.
One of the first sights as we left Anchorage was the Knik arm of the Cook inlet and the Eagle River.
Eagle River.
The glacial silt along the Eagle river banks and the Knik arm are favourite places for moose and the train conductor asked us to keep a look out for them. She actually spotted a couple of them.
A moose along the banks of Eagle River
Some beautiful vegetation was also there for us to enjoy …
Typical Alaskan vegetation.
Evidence of forest fires and lightning strikes on vegetation were also seen…
Tree stumps
Soon we were at the town of Wasilla and the train made a short halt there.
Wasilla station.
As the train was getting closer to Talkeetna, it was getting obvious that the chances of our flightseeing getting cancelled was very high. The sky was overcast and it kept raining off and on. So we were a little disappointed but kept our fingers crossed.
Nancy lake was another pretty little lake that was crossed …
Nancy Lake
Passing by the Susitna river, we were finally at Talkeetna station . It was raining and cold and we waited for our hotel to pick us up .
Talkeetna station
After being picked up from the station, we reached our hotel, Talkeetna Inn. A real old world kind of place, there was something cute about the place.
Talkeetna Inn
As we waited patiently, we were informed by our tour company that our trip to Denali was cancelled and we can try in the evening if weather improves. That left us totally disappointed . Once the rain stopped, we took a walk around downtown Talkeetna…simply because we had nothing else to do!!!
A short walk from the hotel and we were on the banks of the swollen Talkeetna River. It was only then that the real impact of the weather was clear to us. The town had been flooded since the last two days and the water had just started receeding leaving a lot of silt all along the road..
The swollen Talkeetna River
By then, the sun was trying to come out and more people started venturing around. An occassional helicopter was seen hovering over town giving us hope that we may have our flightseeing after all !! But luck didn’t seem to favour us at all that day. The Denali trips scheduled late evening took off but the cancelled afternoon session was not rescheduled.
Walking along downtown Talkeetna, we saw some really dated houses and buildings. Some pictures…
Ranger Station
The ranger station at Talkeetna serves as center of mountaineering operations at Denali National Park. Climbing permits are issued here and all climbers are given an orientation before they go on their expedition.
The Ranger Station
Nagley’s Store
This century old general store in downtown Talkeetna is more like an iconic image of the town. Most people visit it for the historic significance and because there is practically no such store anywhere else in downtown…
The century old Nagley’s store
Talkeetna town has old shops on either side of the road selling local art work and the rest are all bars , restaurants and pubs..
Typical display of wildlife exhibits
Typical Talkeetna street scene
Walking around, we spotted this wooden moose that looked like material for a picture….
The wooden moose!!
Few shops selling local Alaskan products attracted us…
Local Alaskan products
By now the rain had almost stopped and we could see the flightseeing aircraft taking off. But the cancelled afternoon trip did not take off!!
Flightseeing tours
So we spent some time at downtown and returned to the hotel hoping and praying for better weather the next day.
Alaskan husky tours are another popular sport here…you can sit on a sled drawn by huskies…
Sled dog tours
As the night fell, the sounds from the bars and restaurants got louder and we slowly made our way back to the comfort of our hotel room.
Hoping for better luck next day on the flightseeing side, we rested for the night.
A Northern Lights attempt
We made an attempt at around 2 am looking for the Northern lights that night. The aurora predictions were good that night and Talkeetna being a small town, the loom of the city lights would not be there and we were at the Northern most part of our Alaskan journey. So, this was our best chance of seeing the Northern lights. But unfortunately , could not see them.
So this was a roundup of this little town of Talkeetna . Hope you enjoyed the typical native look of the place. I leave you this week with a question…Do you think we did the flightseeing at Denali the next day?
Wait for the answer next week….
Till then, do subscribe, comment and give your feedback.
Resurrection River is a large river on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska that empties into the Resurrection Bay in Seward. With beautiful wilderness surrounding us , this river rafting was another of those “once in a life time experiences” we had decided to take up.
We had booked online from India with Kenai Backcountry Adventures for this half day rafting expedition.
On the appointed day, Pierce, our guide arrived at our hotel to pick us up. We had been advised to dress in layers for the cold and also have rain protective gear which we were prepared with. He drove us to their office and there, we had to complete some consent forms and other formalities. Travis , the guy at the office helped us with the formalities.
Meanwhile, Pierce was getting his equipment ready and stacking his bag with all essential things. Soon, he asked us to change into gumboots and also got us our life jackets . Then again he drove us down to the starting point of the adventure. Leaving the vehicle behind, we accompanied Pierce and Travis down a slightly slippery slope onto the river where the expedition started.
The starting point of the rafting adventure
This was an interactive, team adventure that involved everyone paddling the raft with precise direction from the guide. That added to the thrill of the trip as we got to manouvre the raft ourselves.
We were the only two booked for this adventure on that day and so we had a cosy private rafting trip!! Pierce gave us some safety instructions and ensured that our life jackets were properly worn. Soon we were on the raft all charged up to row down the river.
Pierce first instructed us on handling the paddles and how it was important to lock our feet below the seats to prevent being thrown out in case of strong currents. Then he demonstrated the various paddle strokes like “forward”, “back” and commands like “stop”, “rest”, “start” etc. There were ropes on the sides of the raft to which we had to hold on at the rapids where the raft could turn suddenly or violently because of the sudden gush of water.
All set to start the adventure…
We started rowing and initially the strokes were not synchronous and Pierce alerted us about it. Soon we got used to the rhythm and were comfortable.
Pierce said that every trip he did was different as the river was constantly changing through the dynamic landscape. The river was surrounded by towering mountains on both sides. The scenery was awesome. Got to see some waterfalls as we rowed along.
Serene nature….
Waterfalls
We called it “Bald Eagle Day” as we saw plenty of them resting on the small shrubs along the sides of the river. We would row close to them and they would sense it and take off before we reached. Had some fun with the eagles as we rowed along.
A Bald Eagle …he was unhappy with us!!
We also got a glimpse of Exit Glacier as we rowed along. A more sunny day would have made the views clearer though!!!
Exit Glacier views
Gradually we reached the deeper parts of the river and faced some stiff currents. Take a look…
The Resurrection river flows swiftly by…
A small photo halt as we neared the rapids (with approval from Pierce)
We also got to see a glimpse of the Resurrection peaks though it was very foggy as we crossed them.
Resurrection peaks covered by fog
Manouvering the rapids and keeping ourselves on board the raft, we continued the adventure. At places, small trees had fallen down and were obstructing the path. At such places, Pierce would get down in knee deep water and walk along the sides to see which way we could best row along. If possible he would move the fallen trunks out of the way.
Pierce had a small surprise up his sleeve too. He asked us to get the raft alongside at a shallow spot and get down. He and Travis hauled the raft up on to the shore and set up a mini picnic of sorts. He had some hot chocolate in a flask and some goodies too. We all really enjoyed it in the cold weather and occassional drizzle.
Picnic by the resurrection banks with Pierce (left) and Travis.
As we sipped the drink, we enjoyed the scenery around too. Some pictures for you….
Alaskan wilderness for you!!….
After the much needed break, we boarded the raft again and continued the adventure and reached the end point of the rafting. There again we had a small surprise. There was a small pool of water and there were some salmon there.
Salmon swimming around and dead slamon on the right..they die after spawning
Tad tired, but with a feeling of fullfilment we got off the raft and posed for a picture ….
The smile of having completed the adventure successfully…
Returning back to the office, we collected our things and were dropped back at our hotel.
This was really a novel adventure; escaping into the Alaskan Wilderness on a raft…enjoyed every bit of it. Hope you too got the feel of the rafting experience. See you soon with more unique adventures. Till then, do keep your comments and feedback flowing like the rapids on the Resurrection river…
Continuing from where we left off last week, we had reached Seward and spent the evening exploring Seward.
Having read raving reviews of the cruise through the Kenai Fjords off Seward, Alaska, we had booked one and finally the day of the cruise dawned. We were put up at the Harbour 360 hotel which overlooks the wharf and ferry terminal at Seward.
View of the ferry terminal and marina
Armed with binoculars for a wildlife and glacier cruise, we walked up to our cruise boat anchored close by. The cruise was organized by Major Marine Tours.
All set for the cruise ….
After everyone boarded and took their assigned seats, there was a safety briefing and soon we were on the way to the Kenai Fjords. Initially we stood outside to get better views but soon trooped inside the warm cabin due to the cold winds outside which often got our fingers numb making photography a challenge!!
As we left the wharf, our hotel and the marina looked beautiful…
View of our hotel and the marina as we sailed out from the wharf
A little bit on the Kenai Fjords where we are going to cruise…
Kenai Fjords National Park
Situated off Seward in south -central Alaska, the Kenai Fjords National park comprises the Harding Icefield, it’s glaciers ,the coastal fjords and islands and covers an area of more than 2500 sq kms.
Harding Icefield ; the crown of the Kenai fjords is the source of 38 glaciers, the largest being the Bear Glacier. This icefield is the vestige of the massive ice sheet that covered much of Alkaska in the Ice age and now has more than a mile thick ice in the form of a sheet. This ice gouged out the fjords that lie along the coast .The glacial valleys were submerged and there is a narrow fringe of forested land between the mountains and the sea .The coastline is deeply indented and is inhabited by brown and black bears, moose, seals, otters, whales and a variety of birds.
Map of Kenai Fjords National Park and the cruise route
The initial part of the cruise was along the Resurrection Bay and the ship’s captain took us close to the shore whenever any wildlife was noticed. The rough shale cliffs with irregular vertical markings had deep crevices closer to the water at many places and the rocks provided nesting sites for many birds.
Resurrection bay with birds resting on rocky cliffs
The vertical shale cliffs with crevices at the bottom
Meanwhile, something dramatic started slowly coming into view…a glacier seen from the sea! The captain announced that the Bear Glacier was slowly coming into view and everyone should focus that way. A glacier and some icebergs floating on the lake in front made everyone head to that side of the vessel and so did we.
Bear Glacier
This 21 mile long tidewater glacier arising from the Harding Icefield, this is a popular kayaking destination but can be also seen from a cruise on the Resurrection Bay.
Some pictures…
The Bear Glacier with ice floes floating around
After some more sailing, we reached Spire Cove where there were rocky spires rising abruptly from the ocean.
Spire Cove
A excellent example of the rugged coastline of the Kenai Fjords, these spires are the result of years erosion of the shale rocks by the waters . Some pictures…
The stunning scenery at Spire Cove
An announcement on spotting some puffins sent me rushing out to the deck and I was rewarded with views of the cute birds on the cliffs and some in the water…
Puffins
Gradually we were leaving the protected bay and heading to the open Gulf of Alaska. The captain warned us that the ride may get bumpy once we move out of the bay. And as we left the bay and entered the Gulf of Alaska, some of our copassengers did get seasick but were quickly attended to by the crew.
After sailing for some time in the open sea we again entered a bay called the Aialik bay where we encountered some rocky projections from the ocean much like spire cove but here it was like an arch in the sea.
Sea Arch
Chiswell Islands
These islands are part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge,which comprises of 2400 islands, spires, rocks and reefs in Alaska covering an area of more than 20,000 sq kms and is known for its abundant seabird , mammal and animal populations. The rocky ledges provide abundant nesting facilities for the birds and habitation for the animals.
As we crossed the Chiswell islands, we saw stellar sea lion colonies where the sea lions were basking in the sun lazily . Some pictures…
Sea lions resting on the rocks
A short sealion video….listen carefully you can hear their cries !!!
Sailing further inside the Aialik bay, we first entered it’s Holgate arm and headed straight to the Holgate glacier. As we neared the glacier, we stepped out of the heated cabin on to the deck and that is when the real feel of the glacier hit us. It was biting cold and taking pictures was a challenge with numb fingers.
Holgate Glacier
An outflow from the Harding Icefield, Holgate is a tidewater glacier that empties into the Aialik Bay in the Gulf of Alaska. It is a popular destnation to watch glacial calving ( breaking off of ice chunks)
The glacier had various hues of blue and was an amazing sight. The captain turned the vessel around to give us a 360 degree view and we halted there to watch the calving.
Though it is part of global warming and is not an ideal situation, glacier calving is a once in a lifetime kind of view. We were fortunate to see this. Some pictures and a video to see calving. Enjoy…
Approaching Holgate Glacier
Mesmerising blue hues of Holgate glacier
We waited patiently at the glacier, may be few hundred metres away and kept looking and finally it calved with a sound similar to thunder. That is what I have captured for you.
And that special moment…..
Holgate claves…focus on the left hand side of the video and see the glacier calve
That moment was special indeed!!
Coming back along the Aialik bay, we entered the other arm where Aialik glacier is located. Similar to what happened at the Holgate glacier, we reached the glacier and waited . It did calve and we got to see a glacier calving again.
The Aialik glacier had plenty of ice floes (little icebergs) floating around close to it indicating that it had recently calved.
Some pictures…
The blue ice at Aialik glacier
The crew quickly picked up some of the floating ice which we could all carry and later on they used it for glacier ice cocktails on board…
The ice floes at Aialik and holding an ice trophy….a lifetime experience
A whole lot of sea lions had decided to rest at aialik that day and that was something special….
Sea lions visiting Aialik glacier…
There was another very interesting sight at Aialik, we saw some people in a small boat almost at the foot of the glacier…watch this video..
Some adventurous people on a boat….click on the video
After seeing Aialik glacier too, we started our return voyage almost on the same route. Most passengers had settled down in their seats ; tired after all the excitement and ofcourse the numb fingers trying to get pictures of the calving glaciers in the biting cold.
It was a little sunny by then and we noticed something bobbing up and down in the water. They were a group of sea otters, probably a family of them bobbing around in the water. They made a real cute sight indeed!!
The otter family…
The captain did point out some orcas and they came and swam with our vessel but could not get a picture…
Enjoying the mild sunshine that appeared, we stood on the deck as we returned back to Seward at the end of a very gratfying visit to the glaciers.
This was a great trip indeed, and I hope I have been able to transfer that feel on to you…the feel of the glaciers!!!
I do have more glacier views lined up for you in future episodes , but for now, I stop here.
Do continue giving me your feedback and comments…see you next week
Travel-along.in 