It was barely six in the morning, I leisurely opened my eyes, and saw a densely forested hill pass by.

What the heck?

For the past three days, I had seen nothing but water around me. What is this? A mirage in the sea?

But no. The ship’s Communication Director, Steve From Canada (as he called himself) announced on the internal communication system that the ship was passing through the Milford Sound, and if we wanted to have a better view, we should head for deck 15.

I quickly changed and headed there. The deck was already full of people. People were taking photos and making videos as island after island of hills passed by. There was hardly any space to stand by the glass panels surrounding the ship. I found my brother and sister-in-law in the crowd and stood next to them. Together we took in the beauty of the eighth wonder of the world, as called by Rudyard Kipling when he first visited the place in the nineteenth century.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s top attractions.

The early European settlers named this place ‘Sound’ but they were wrong. Sounds are formed when a river valley is flooded by the sea, whereas Milford Sound was formed by the erosion of ancient glaciers.

Milford Sound is actually a fiord. Full of mountains, waterfalls, passes and valleys, Milford Sound is part of the Fiordland National Park and has a history going back thousands of years. When New Zealand was an unspoiled land of just forest and mountains, rivers, and sea, Māori tribes used to travel there to fish, hunt, and collect precious pounamu (a variety of jade).

In 1823, a sealer called John Grono was the first European settler to visit Milford Sound. Later that century, a Scotsman called Donald Sutherland became Milford Sound’s first permanent resident. Together with his wife, he built the first hotel in Milford Sound, to accommodate the growing number of walkers arriving there on what is now the Milford Track (Source).

We stood there transfixed, watching the lush green hills and markings on the rocks where the waterfall would spring in rainy seasons.

After taking the ship as far as he could, the captain found a cove big enough to turn the ship around. On the way back, we were even more up close to the hills.

Once again, Steve From Canada (the communication director of the ship) announced we will reach the next fjord at 1:00 pm. That was enough time to have a stupendous breakfast at a buffet restaurant and then head for the spa. I was wearing my swimsuit underneath my dress so without missing a beat; I was in the bubbly spa.

Oh! my.

The water was really hot. My aunt and sister-in-law joined me too, and we sat there for longer than an hour. There was no urgency to vacate the place for someone else, as there were six spas and four swimming pools on the same deck.

We had a hefty breakfast earlier, but as we got out of the spa, we spotted an ice cream parlor. All that ice cream was free. You could have ten cones if you wanted, but we limited ourselves to one soft-serve each.

We had barely ingested that when we spotted the Fish and Chips outlet. It served shrimp (prawns) as well. There went my five months of weight loss efforts. “Don’t ask for fish and chips,” said my husband, “Ask for fish and shrimps.” He was right. The chips were not nice, but the shrimps were delicious.

Doubtful Sound

At around 1:00 pm, we reached Doubtful Sound.

Doubtful Sound is the deepest and second-largest fjord in New Zealand. It was named so by Captain Cook because he was doubtful that he would be able to sail his ship back out of the Sound. I stood by the glass panel the whole time, chatting with my niece. We spotted dolphins following the small tourist boats.

We were told to look out for sunbathing seals on Seal Rock, but it was a pretty hot day for sunbathing.

After lunch, the whole party (the eleven of us) found a spot on Deck 6 and played cards. We play a game called Teen Patti (a very famous Indian also called Flash). It is a gambling game, but we played it with counters rather than real money. It is like the British 3-Card Brag game and poker put together. The eleven of us made so much noise that it drowned the annoying voice of the inexperienced Bingo host.

Dusky Sound

While we were playing cards, the ship sailed by Dusky Sound. But no one bothered to go to the deck this time. We took some photos and got on with our card game.

Dusky Sound was named by Captain Cook as well when he sailed by the area at dusk on his first voyage in 1770. It is almost 25 miles long and is the largest fjord in New Zealand. During the rainy seasons, hundreds of waterfalls splash down from the verdant green hill into the dark deep waters.

Tonight was the first formal dinner night. Thankfully, my husband who was threatening to appear in shorts wore his jacket and had a photo with me.

After dinner, we headed for the dance hall called Two70 (for it gives a 270-degree view of the sea) to try our luck to sneak into a cabaret show. The previous day’s show was canceled because the ship was too bumpy. All those who book were transferred to today. But the doors were to open as soon as the show started and anyone could attend if you could find an empty seat or didn’t mind standing at the back, you could.

We were first in the line to sneak in as soon as the doors opened. With our luck, we got the seats as well, that too near the entry and exit of dancers.

The show was not what I expected (nothing can beat Bollywood actress Helen’s cabaret), but I enjoyed watching the dancer from close by as they entered and exited from where we were sitting.

Immediately after the cabaret, we head for the Royal Theatre to watch an R-Rated comedy show. The Royal Theatre had a capacity of 1000.

Having done all the hot stuff in the day, we went to bed to get up early the next day for our first port — Dunedin.

I will write about that in my next post.

I have just returned from a cruise to New Zealand.

I was apprehensive about the cruise, especially when my 94-year-old father-in-law and 79-year-old aunt were traveling with us. With the fourth wave of COVID getting stronger in Australia and being in a confined environment with thousands of people, I was dreading the worst.

Instead, it turned out to be the best trip of my life.

It was not a ship.

My first apprehension was broken even before I set foot on the ship.

It was not a ship, but a massive building floating in the water.

The check-in process was smooth, but finding our bearing on the ship was not. With 16 decks to explore, each one hosting different facilities — theaters, pubs, casinos, bionic bar, dance halls, dining rooms, and sporting venues — we got tired even before the ship sailed.

Built in Turku, Finland, and launched in waters in November 2008, Ovation Of The Seas, is one of the largest ships in the world.

At 6:00 pm we congregated on the top deck with 4,400 passengers to watch the massive vessel sail from picturesque Sydney harbor (with Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the background) to the open seas. We walked around a kilometer-long perimeter of the ship to find a good spot to watch the spectacle of our first-ever sea voyage.

But the ship didn’t sail.

One hour passed.

Then another.

It started getting windy. And we were hungry and eager to explore the ship’s famous food, so we headed for the dining rooms. It was a fine dining experience, in exquisite decor, for free. We were seated at round tables, and the wait staff unfolded our napkins and placed them on our laps to serve us a three-course meal.

While eating, we watched the ship move. We hardly notice any movement. It was already dark, and we missed out on seeing the Sydney shoreline. We were told a massive storm was heading for Aukland, (North Island, New Zealand), and the captain was waiting for the wind to settle down before heading for the open seas.

I am glad he did.

I was sure I will not get seasick.

By the time we finished our dinner and headed for our cabin, my stomach started churning more than the waters outside. It was hard to steady ourselves. I was told; you don’t even feel the ship moving, especially when it is such a big one. Here I was on the biggest ship in the world, and my bed was shaking.

The next morning was even worse. I woke up weak and miserable. As soon as I got up, vomit overcame my resolve to keep the sour juices inside my stomach. After several vomits, I rang my sister-in-law, who brought the motion sickness tablet to me.

I spent the afternoon sleeping on deck chairs by the pool while the rest of the party enjoyed the food and played table tennis.

By evening, I was fine. And I remained fine for the next eight days. I later found out from the cruise staff that the Tasman Sea is the most violent sea.

Imagine what would have happened if the Captain had not waited for the winds to settle down for sailing from Sydney.

The highlight of the trip was not what I thought.

Based on what I had heard from previous cruisers, I thought the highlight of the trip will be the food. The food was great. But there was something else that surpassed the enormous amount of food that was served each day.

That was the staff’s hospitality.

A crew of 1,200 people whose sole role was to make our trip a memorable one. They did their job so well that we had not a single complaint or even suggestion for improvement. Our room attendant greeted us every time we passed him. At times, he even opened the door of our cabin with his key and held it till we were inside, like royalty. Each day, he created a different animal shape with a towel and left it on our bed.

At the entry of the buffet restaurant, the sole job of an attendant was to greet every diner. She had catchy music on a portable speaker and will do a dance as soon as a new passenger made their way. Inside, an official-looking person greeted everyone saying, “Good Morning (or evening)! Welcome to the restaurant.” For ten days, he greeted each and every passenger.

Hygiene was superb.

Each crew member wore a mask at all times. There were sanitization stations at every deck and outside every public place. But most impressive was the handwashing station at each entry to the Buffet Restaurant. You couldn’t go inside without washing your hands.

The entertainment was of the highest quality.

Multiple nightclubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, a comedy club, trivia venues, there was more to do than there was time.

I didn’t think the evening shows will be that impressive. We listened to the world-class pianist Craig Dunn, who has performed with Liberace. Attended two comedy shows by a Queensland comedian, a gala production called Live Love Legs and a broadway kind of show titled The Beautiful Dream. Also on the show were two recent movies, Cate Blanchett’s Tar, and the cartoon character movie One And Only Ivan.

Sports were challenging to cater to young and old alike.

A surf simulator, a skating ring, a Rock-Climbing wall, five swimming pools, table tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. If that was not enough, there was Go Karting, Sky Flying, and Flow Rider.

Of course, I have more stories to tell from the cruise, and I think I haven’t done justice with what I have shared so far. So I am going to write more stories in the coming days.

In conclusion, the cruise exceeded all my expectations. I now can understand why some people are perpetual cruisers. It’s not a bad option if you don’t have anything to tie you to the land.

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After two and half years of being stranded at home, my husband and I took full advantage of the uplifting of travel restrictions and traveled extensively. I went down memory lane (more precisely, the Photo folder on my iPhone) and reminded myself how many places I had visited this year.

It would take me months to capture all the memories I formed, the cultures I have experienced, and the unique places I have been to. In a true end-of-the-year style recap, I am going to list ten places (I have been to more than ten places this year) and one thing I liked the most about the place.

Tasmania

In March, my husband and I visited Tasmania, the island state of Australia. Even though we have been living in Australia for thirty-five years, we had not been there. How unfortunate! Because Tasmania is beautiful.

We spent a week there. Drove through the whole Island practically. But one thing that sticks to the memory was the walk around Dove Lake in Cradle Mountain. It was just a 6km walk and took us two hours to complete it, but it was so much fun because we were racing to complete it before clouds drenched us completely or the park got closed, and we were stranded there for the night.

Ireland

Ireland was not what I expected it to be (cold and miserable), and everything I didn’t expect it to be. Laid back, relaxed, fun and full of history. We spent seven days there, and each day was full of new revelations about the people and places. I loved the places, but I loved the people much more.

My favorite part of the whole trip was the visit to Kylemore Abbey. After half a day of driving through the wilderness, when the property came into sight, it blew everyone away. And it had a history to match.

London

London is my favorite city in Europe so far. Not because my daughter lives there and not because I have been there twice and spent most of the time exploring it, but because, being a history buff, I love the stories associated with each landmark, street, and nook & corner.

That is why my favorite place in London is the museums. All of them. I had been to the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum on the previous visit. On this trip, we spent a day each in the Natural History Museum and Tate Modern and loved them both.

We went back to the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum again and spent half a day each in both. But the standout memory was sitting in the Victoria and Albert Museum and sketching.

Brussels

Brussels was not on my bucket list. I had never thought of visiting it, but when my daughter and son-in-law suggested that since we were going to Amsterdam, we should include Brussels in our itinerary, we agreed.

I am so glad we did. I loved the city. I loved the people. I loved the festive vibe of the whole place. And, of course, I loved the chocolates and waffles, and fries (I didn’t try the Belgian Mussels).

But most of all, I loved the architecture. That’s why the Grand Plaza is a standout in my memory. I couldn’t close my mouth, which opened with awe when we reached there through a small alleyway. While there, we visited it three times and saw the golden light from the sun make the golden building glitter even more.

Amsterdam

Everybody loves Amsterdam. So I was told. When I got there, I found out why. The city had a different pace of life. I don’t know whether it was because of the particularly hot days we were there, or the city had too many tourists after the pandemic, or because the Dutch like to have fun, the whole city center was having a big party.

We spent the day roaming the city streets, catching the trains and buses to go anywhere we wanted and get there in time (we never had to wait for a train or a bus for more than five minutes). The stand-out memory was a visit to the windmills in Zaandam.

Bruges

Who would have thought that this tiny little sleepy town was the gateway to Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries? Just a couple of hours train ride from Brussels, its UNESCO-listed city center, was worth spending the day in.

We had two walking tours and a boat ride, and I loved it. We went underneath several low bridges, bridges so low that we had to duck our heads. We went past the lover’s bridge, the house Monet rented to paint, and World’s oldest hospital.

Alicante

We happened to be in Alicante (Spain) on the day the famous Saint Juan’s festival started. We watched the opening parade where girls, young and old, dressed in elaborate costumes in the midsummer heat, walked through the city streets. Men too were dressed to match.

The whole city was at one big party.

Three days later, we went back there to see the bonfires of the massive statues they had erected. So much music, so much excitement. Even though every second shop was a restaurant and they had set up hundreds of tables and chairs on the street, it took us four hours to get a place to eat lunch. I loved it. I absolutely loved it.

Ladakh

In Ladakh (India), I drove on the highest motorable road in the world and visited the highest saltwater lake in the world. At 4350m above sea level, this turquoise blue was so big that we drove for half an hour to get to our campsite.

Extending to almost 160km, only one-third of the lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China. But my favorite part of the visit to Ladakh is the drive to Turtuk village, a small village on the Indo-Pak border. The drive beside the Shyok river was breathtaking.

Pelling (Sikkim — India)

We spent a week in Sikkim, the newest state in India. Sikkim used to be a separate country until it merged with India in 1975. There is a lot to be written about the Sikkim trip, but what stands out is the view of Kanchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world, from our hotel in Pelling.

What is intriguing, the peak is only visible early in the morning. When the first sunrays hit, it turns golden, making it look divine.

The Kangchenjunga is considered a sacred mountain in Sikkim, and climbing is not allowed.

Khajuraho (India)

The temples of Khajuraho need to be seen to be believed. Built between 950 AD — 1050 AD by the Chandela dynasty. There is an interesting story behind these temples.

The Moon God, while bathing in a river, saw a beautiful young daughter of a priest. He seduces her, and a child was born of their union. He was called Chandravarman — the son of the Moon God. The boy grew up to find the great Chandel dynasty.

When he was an established ruler, he had a visitation by his mother in a dream. She implored him to build temples that would revere human passions and, in doing so, bring about a realization of the emptiness of human desires.

Chandravarman began the construction of the first temple. Subsequent rulers followed his vision, and in an amazingly short span of 100 years, 85 temples were built. Today, only 22 of those have survived. The rest were destroyed during successive attacks by Muslim invaders.

Today the temples are a symbol of how advanced architecture, sculpture art, philosophy, and spirituality were at that time. Below is the most magnificent and intact temple of Khajuraho, called the temple of Kandariya Mahadeva.

That’s a glimpse of places I visited in 2022 and what stood out in my memory. I am hoping 2023 will surpass 2022, and I will get to share more stories with you.