For K the 10 weeks of summer vacation were a dream come true. Both Jiji and tata all to herself to play, talk and get pampered. We all had a good time together and made the most of summer times! I try and capture them in words and pictures below:
K's birthday:
Her interests vary every year and this year it was indoor rock climbing. Was great fun to see Dad give it a go, wearing the harness and standing in line with 9 year olds listening to the instructor. Mom preferred not to crumple her Mysore silk saree but cheered dad along beaming with pride and wide grin. The vegan cake we ordered was tasty. The rest of the finger food we made (fruit skewers, Pesto pasta, sandwiches, mom-made fryums) was more than necessary and made for nice left overs.
North island road trip :
The 10 day road trip started with packing in what we call mom's restaurant all loaded to the boot. It could be a small business mom could have run given her unending enthusiasm to cook meal after meal for us! On the side of highways the bales of neatly rolled up grass n cattle on the farms are drastically different to farms from my summer holidays, where smell of cow dung did not deter aunts and grannies from using it to clean the floor! Driving along beaches of west coast, we reached New Plymouth on the longest drive of the vacation. House we stayed in had a garden filled with pretty flowers and patches of spinach/coriander. Chapati yengai for dinner was satisfying and we called it a day after a short walk along the backyard that led us to the beach.
Each morning run at the beach n walk for parents, exhibitions of illusions at puke ariki museum, lunch at Indian restaurants that impressed dad with consistent and acceptable taste, walk along the Coastal walkway, Rewa rewa bridge, old school clock tower at the city centre, visit to modern Arts museum(Len Ley exhibits) made up the rest of days at New Plymouth. Throughout the drive, word and other games or more precisely arguing about rules kept us busy. K mostly took jiji's side and by sheer persistence they both made up rules that none of the other 3 agreed to but complied nonetheless in spirit of actually getting to play a round of the actual game! The highlight of the holiday in terms of adventure was the Taranaki climb for Prash and i while the other 3 stayed at home playing more board games, cooking sambar with spinach from the garden.
Taranaki summit climb has been on the list for a few years now. ..10 precisely, since we first visited the place. However it's a full day's work n k is not big enough to endure such yet. This time the Alpine weather forecast looked perfect plus Dad n mom were happy to take care of n play with k the whole day. So we decided to give it a go n see how far we can go. Driving into Egmont national park till the base of the mount felt like driving into the gut of a green monster with moss covered trees thickly lining both sides of the curvy road at the end of which a veil of mist lifted up to display the perfect cone. The first 2 hours of the ascent had shrubby green vegetation n a steady incline. A section of this climb is called the puffer bcoz u end up puffing ur breaths. I think the whole climb should be called that;). There are reminders to consider the weather surrounding the mountain n how u r feeling at every reasonable turn back point as the micro climate can change drastically n go from bright n sunny to chilly cold rainy n windy (i.e unsafe) in a matter of minutes. Astounding natural phenomena that make the climb risky in addition to the challenging gradient and changing terrain. After the last hut about half way up the mountain, there are about 200 steep stairs that lead to boulders. This section is unpaved but has big boulders with enough footholds to make it past. We saw snow next to the boulders n the melting snow trickles here which by the time we reached this point in our descent had formed a waterfall!! Past this point is scree section. Loose jalli kallu that tire you, sliding back one step for every 2 u manage to crawl up. There is no vegetation and you are exposed to wind and sun (or cloud and rains) in this section. The poles help you stay on course n not drift to the sides - a rocky ravine on one side and blinding white sun-drenched snow incline on the other. We were both sweaty and warm even at that altitude in the dry heat n decided to leave a few drink bottles n took away layers of clothing n left a bag near one of the poles n continued on. Prash had to moral push me through this as I was starting to worry how on earth will we get back on scree safely even if we managed to climb past it. Bear crawling even on the ground is not my favorite exercise drill, forget on an incline uphill, so when scree gave way to more sturdy rocks my enthusiasm n energy catapulted ! The rock climbing section is scary if one looked down. Near vertical ascend in this part is left to each person's navigation. I surprised both prash and myself by managing to get up as high as I did in this part. On some rocks, u have to pull urself up like in rock climbing so after all those indoor sessions helped a bit anyway:). The width of the rocky part reduces as one climbs higher n closer to the summit. The poles are marked from 100 (starting of scree area) to 1 which is the summit. I made it up till 6 and could have made it to a couple of them more if I really pushed myself. Prash went upto 2. The last section of rocks is called the lizard due to it being as narrow and jagged as a lizard's back.The snow covered 70 degree inclines on either side make it scary enough for anyone. I sat at what has been the highest I have ever trekked at 2500 m (summit is at 2518m) n soaked in the wispy clouds engulfing the mountain, the cold wind howling and listening to my heartbeat n breathing sounds while prash made it to pole 2 and back. Without crampons passing through the icy crater was a risk not worth taking, besides we were only half way through. Climbing down was going to be equally changeling. Actually it was so much more tiring but not as scary as I had imagined it would be. Getting down the rocky part was slow for me. Sliding n falling every step down the scree was frustrating. Much to my anguish I ripped my brand new lululemon tights! yes I know and I have been reminded of this blunder a 100 times since! (thanks Prash and mom!) My toes started hurting like hell every step I took n that slowed us down considerably. Swapping shoes with prash who walked barefoot on gravel was totally due to my negligence of not checking shoefit before hand. Such a rookie mistake that I was upset with myself for most of the way down. Finally when we reached the DOC center after 10:15 hours, the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.
Farm stay at Taupo was next destination. A lovely chatty lady made us feel so welcome with home made bread. Her little energetic dog that ran around everywhere though kept our heart rate increasing. Peace and quiet of rural New Zealand was a welcome change. Undulating hills of the farm felt like the feelings of happy sad in daily life. We fed alpacas, pig, goats and horses. They tickled our palms and helped us understand that their behavior is similar to that of humans...some push and shove and get what they want while others stay shy and hungry. Next day we walked at a geothermal park - craters of the Moon we saw elements of nature mix and make wonders. Rain for a bit did not deter our enthusiasm. Lunch at Nepalese Indian place was satisfying. Shopping for k's togs and then finding our way to the spa park. Dad sitting under the high force falls was a highlight of our visit to natural hot water spa. Later we went to see the ever green Huka falls and the roaring copper blue of water is always meditative in it's continuity.
Eating broccoli palya, saaru and rice for dinner, we played board games and bingo and laughed a lot..The noise we made! The rules we bend. Packed up and left to Kinloch after omelettes and home made bread for breakfast.On the lakebed were toys and books in an open public library. We amused ourselves having a go at volley ball, throwball n tennis. Playing Sudoku, competitive word finding games, teaching k how to speak in Tamil we reached Napier. The stories that intrigued her about Krishna-Sudama at Mathura, some tourists stories from Badrinath, Dilli Mama's story from Kashmir, the story of vandalism n brutal destruction of art and temples in Belur, Somanathpura and many more have made K very interested in wanting to go to these places n see them for herself!
Next day we walked about Napier Marine parade along the art deco buildings. Mom and dad sportively had a go at mini golf:) Later we did Napier prison tour. At Bluff Hill lookout point we stood and watched for a long time the tug boats maneuvering the ship out to the sea. Day 8 was drive and walk up the Te Mata peak to catch the most scenic 360 deg view. Admiring the orchards of fruits, vineyards, flowers and trees at Craggy range winery we did a tour of their Olive and their veggie garden. Arataki honey center visit and the variety of honey on offer for tasting impressed us all. Rain foiled our plans to see the sunrise at Napier which has been spectacular in our previous visits. On the drive to Rotorua, we stopped at kerosene creek -so aptly named that the swim togs smelt of it even after we came back home to Akl! Drizzling rain made the landscape look dreamy, checked in to the Rydges hotel. Stayed indoors and watched Home Alone -such a delightful movie that! Day 10 started with the joy of giving presents that Santa put under the book tree. Loaded with buffet breakfast spread, we headed to Redwood Forest walk. Tall pipelike red wood trees older than a century preventing sunlight n the soft bed of dry leaves made for a good walk. Glass like still water below which the sulphur affected tree/ algae growth. The tree walk was closed and so was hamunara springs. But the clear cold spring water joining the river was a sight to behold. Pitstops at blue lake and Green lake lookout, lunch and nap later, we checked out the rose garden by the museum and walked along the lake that was full to the brim. Hanging out at one of the few places open on Christmas night the last night of vacation was upon us!
Pinnacles:
Nestled in the Coromandel Forest park is the challenging climb. We were surprised to see Flood detour marked at many places and many iron rungs nailed into rocks.After reading that a part of the track was built and maintained during the gold rush era, it made sense. The start of the trek is about a 2.5 hours drive from home. So Prash and I left on a Friday evening after work and had about 3 hours of climb to reach the Hut before dark. Track went alongside the stream, across bridges, amid waterfalls and serene ponds. Many trees grew on ancient kauri trees fallen on the ground. The moss tendrils grew on all branches, stones and looked like green clothing and jewellery on them all. The sun beams of the dusk reflecting off these made it look like Sun was shining green light upon the valleys and hills.The challenging set of steps made us understand that physical fitness and ability are always to be supported with equal mental strength. We reached the hut intime and were excited to learn about how it all worked. The wardens that stay for 8 days at a stretch, the bunk beds in a room that sleeps 40 each, the glass windowed minimal kitchen made us feel like kids on a school camp. The entire facility was well kept and a lot more hygienic and pleasant than what I had imagined.Common sense and basic consideration for each other was key to keep all 80 ppl happy. We made small talk with a couple of ppl and slept in early. Eager to catch the sunrise, woke up long before the alarm went off at 4:45. Carrying only breakfast, water and headtorches we started toward the pinnacle of the Pinnacles.A few guys had already made headway and we could see shiny lights in the dark night. As the light from sun started making the black around us green and grey, we sweat our way up. Climbing up dew drops covered iron rungs on vertical rock faces are definitely not for the faint hearted. The sun rise was behind clouds and the clouds kept rising and racing up as Sun came up. The entire landscape was rugged all around, tall leafless Kauri trees suffering from dieback disease, massive monolithic rocks with sharp edges. Daunting yet inviting. We headed back after a few photos, videos and such. Packed up the rest of our luggage and reached the car park n were home in a completely different world in just a matter of hours.
Cricket match:
India vs Blackcaps ODI at Tauranga was an event to go to and watch with mom and dad. This we had decided the day parents booked their tickets. Years ago, when k was a baby, we stayed awake all night and cheered and waited with bated breath as India won the world cup, went out in the early hours of the day and celebrated with bursting firecrackers. A memory so cherished that it has become synonymous with cricket for me who is not a big follower of the sport.With only 3 tickets (my idea, like y!) and drama around no accommodation thanks to the long weekend we decided to do a day trip. Cooked lunch, packed and left at 11 to navigate slowly through nightmare of traffic, we reached Tauranga at 3. It was a hot day and mom+me started feeling like we want to be with the crowd. Attempts to buy tickets were futile, so we tailgated (more ) and got into the stadium. The atmosphere was euphoric! India batting first made it interesting. We found a comfortable spot, laid out blankets and made ourselves comfortable. Watching star-like players at an arm's distance, the green grass of the ground so close by was a spectacle. At break time, K and I spent more time standing in lines for food and toilet, talking to ppl we knew etc than watching the match. As soon as the sun went down, it got really nippy! Celebrating India's win, Prash drove back all on his own. I tried to stay awake but coffee dint help and I gave into snoring. Dad kept him company and we reached home at 2 am.
In all the road trips, small or long drives, mom and dad kept narrating stories that made it interesting for us and engaging for K. Solving sudoku, word search, antakshari, memory game etc made it competitive. Munching on mom-made kobrimithai, chakli, kodbale, churmuri, avalakki, tengol, peanut laddoo, avalpuri unde we had a wonderful few weeks of togetherness that k misses I miss dearly now.We dint put away the picnic bag for 2 months thanks to mom's enthusiasm for cooking and packing the 3 course lunches and dinners we had at list of places --- Long bay beach, Hunua Falls, Devonport, Silo park, Orewa beach, Cornwall park, Mission bay. We did a whole heap of memorable activities together in which mom, dad and k were completely absorbed :Ferry ride to the city, viewing deck atop skytower, eating ice cream at Giapo, tasty dinners at Indian restaurants, Christmas lights in the city centre, nutcracker puppet display, watching K skiing at snowplanet, visiting the zoo, volunteering at school beach day, saturday bhajanes at kannada koota, get togethers at friends' and our house, matakana farmer's market, strawberry picking and making strawberry flavour puliyogre gojju, visiting a few temples, wainomu sand dunes, celebrating Sankranti, watching NYE fireworks and harbour bridge lights, watching symphony orchestra in open air theatre, playing bingo, blokus, pictionary, innumerable stories and over a 1000 chouka-baara games.
Packing snacks for only 3 instead of 5, today we went to Iskcon for early Holi celebrations and I realised I have packed and locked away a part of myself into those suitcases that mom and dad carried back with them. A part of me that only comes alive when I am with them and makes me feel complete and happy...
K's birthday:
Her interests vary every year and this year it was indoor rock climbing. Was great fun to see Dad give it a go, wearing the harness and standing in line with 9 year olds listening to the instructor. Mom preferred not to crumple her Mysore silk saree but cheered dad along beaming with pride and wide grin. The vegan cake we ordered was tasty. The rest of the finger food we made (fruit skewers, Pesto pasta, sandwiches, mom-made fryums) was more than necessary and made for nice left overs.
North island road trip :
The 10 day road trip started with packing in what we call mom's restaurant all loaded to the boot. It could be a small business mom could have run given her unending enthusiasm to cook meal after meal for us! On the side of highways the bales of neatly rolled up grass n cattle on the farms are drastically different to farms from my summer holidays, where smell of cow dung did not deter aunts and grannies from using it to clean the floor! Driving along beaches of west coast, we reached New Plymouth on the longest drive of the vacation. House we stayed in had a garden filled with pretty flowers and patches of spinach/coriander. Chapati yengai for dinner was satisfying and we called it a day after a short walk along the backyard that led us to the beach.
Each morning run at the beach n walk for parents, exhibitions of illusions at puke ariki museum, lunch at Indian restaurants that impressed dad with consistent and acceptable taste, walk along the Coastal walkway, Rewa rewa bridge, old school clock tower at the city centre, visit to modern Arts museum(Len Ley exhibits) made up the rest of days at New Plymouth. Throughout the drive, word and other games or more precisely arguing about rules kept us busy. K mostly took jiji's side and by sheer persistence they both made up rules that none of the other 3 agreed to but complied nonetheless in spirit of actually getting to play a round of the actual game! The highlight of the holiday in terms of adventure was the Taranaki climb for Prash and i while the other 3 stayed at home playing more board games, cooking sambar with spinach from the garden.
Taranaki summit climb has been on the list for a few years now. ..10 precisely, since we first visited the place. However it's a full day's work n k is not big enough to endure such yet. This time the Alpine weather forecast looked perfect plus Dad n mom were happy to take care of n play with k the whole day. So we decided to give it a go n see how far we can go. Driving into Egmont national park till the base of the mount felt like driving into the gut of a green monster with moss covered trees thickly lining both sides of the curvy road at the end of which a veil of mist lifted up to display the perfect cone. The first 2 hours of the ascent had shrubby green vegetation n a steady incline. A section of this climb is called the puffer bcoz u end up puffing ur breaths. I think the whole climb should be called that;). There are reminders to consider the weather surrounding the mountain n how u r feeling at every reasonable turn back point as the micro climate can change drastically n go from bright n sunny to chilly cold rainy n windy (i.e unsafe) in a matter of minutes. Astounding natural phenomena that make the climb risky in addition to the challenging gradient and changing terrain. After the last hut about half way up the mountain, there are about 200 steep stairs that lead to boulders. This section is unpaved but has big boulders with enough footholds to make it past. We saw snow next to the boulders n the melting snow trickles here which by the time we reached this point in our descent had formed a waterfall!! Past this point is scree section. Loose jalli kallu that tire you, sliding back one step for every 2 u manage to crawl up. There is no vegetation and you are exposed to wind and sun (or cloud and rains) in this section. The poles help you stay on course n not drift to the sides - a rocky ravine on one side and blinding white sun-drenched snow incline on the other. We were both sweaty and warm even at that altitude in the dry heat n decided to leave a few drink bottles n took away layers of clothing n left a bag near one of the poles n continued on. Prash had to moral push me through this as I was starting to worry how on earth will we get back on scree safely even if we managed to climb past it. Bear crawling even on the ground is not my favorite exercise drill, forget on an incline uphill, so when scree gave way to more sturdy rocks my enthusiasm n energy catapulted ! The rock climbing section is scary if one looked down. Near vertical ascend in this part is left to each person's navigation. I surprised both prash and myself by managing to get up as high as I did in this part. On some rocks, u have to pull urself up like in rock climbing so after all those indoor sessions helped a bit anyway:). The width of the rocky part reduces as one climbs higher n closer to the summit. The poles are marked from 100 (starting of scree area) to 1 which is the summit. I made it up till 6 and could have made it to a couple of them more if I really pushed myself. Prash went upto 2. The last section of rocks is called the lizard due to it being as narrow and jagged as a lizard's back.The snow covered 70 degree inclines on either side make it scary enough for anyone. I sat at what has been the highest I have ever trekked at 2500 m (summit is at 2518m) n soaked in the wispy clouds engulfing the mountain, the cold wind howling and listening to my heartbeat n breathing sounds while prash made it to pole 2 and back. Without crampons passing through the icy crater was a risk not worth taking, besides we were only half way through. Climbing down was going to be equally changeling. Actually it was so much more tiring but not as scary as I had imagined it would be. Getting down the rocky part was slow for me. Sliding n falling every step down the scree was frustrating. Much to my anguish I ripped my brand new lululemon tights! yes I know and I have been reminded of this blunder a 100 times since! (thanks Prash and mom!) My toes started hurting like hell every step I took n that slowed us down considerably. Swapping shoes with prash who walked barefoot on gravel was totally due to my negligence of not checking shoefit before hand. Such a rookie mistake that I was upset with myself for most of the way down. Finally when we reached the DOC center after 10:15 hours, the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.
Farm stay at Taupo was next destination. A lovely chatty lady made us feel so welcome with home made bread. Her little energetic dog that ran around everywhere though kept our heart rate increasing. Peace and quiet of rural New Zealand was a welcome change. Undulating hills of the farm felt like the feelings of happy sad in daily life. We fed alpacas, pig, goats and horses. They tickled our palms and helped us understand that their behavior is similar to that of humans...some push and shove and get what they want while others stay shy and hungry. Next day we walked at a geothermal park - craters of the Moon we saw elements of nature mix and make wonders. Rain for a bit did not deter our enthusiasm. Lunch at Nepalese Indian place was satisfying. Shopping for k's togs and then finding our way to the spa park. Dad sitting under the high force falls was a highlight of our visit to natural hot water spa. Later we went to see the ever green Huka falls and the roaring copper blue of water is always meditative in it's continuity.
Eating broccoli palya, saaru and rice for dinner, we played board games and bingo and laughed a lot..The noise we made! The rules we bend. Packed up and left to Kinloch after omelettes and home made bread for breakfast.On the lakebed were toys and books in an open public library. We amused ourselves having a go at volley ball, throwball n tennis. Playing Sudoku, competitive word finding games, teaching k how to speak in Tamil we reached Napier. The stories that intrigued her about Krishna-Sudama at Mathura, some tourists stories from Badrinath, Dilli Mama's story from Kashmir, the story of vandalism n brutal destruction of art and temples in Belur, Somanathpura and many more have made K very interested in wanting to go to these places n see them for herself!
Next day we walked about Napier Marine parade along the art deco buildings. Mom and dad sportively had a go at mini golf:) Later we did Napier prison tour. At Bluff Hill lookout point we stood and watched for a long time the tug boats maneuvering the ship out to the sea. Day 8 was drive and walk up the Te Mata peak to catch the most scenic 360 deg view. Admiring the orchards of fruits, vineyards, flowers and trees at Craggy range winery we did a tour of their Olive and their veggie garden. Arataki honey center visit and the variety of honey on offer for tasting impressed us all. Rain foiled our plans to see the sunrise at Napier which has been spectacular in our previous visits. On the drive to Rotorua, we stopped at kerosene creek -so aptly named that the swim togs smelt of it even after we came back home to Akl! Drizzling rain made the landscape look dreamy, checked in to the Rydges hotel. Stayed indoors and watched Home Alone -such a delightful movie that! Day 10 started with the joy of giving presents that Santa put under the book tree. Loaded with buffet breakfast spread, we headed to Redwood Forest walk. Tall pipelike red wood trees older than a century preventing sunlight n the soft bed of dry leaves made for a good walk. Glass like still water below which the sulphur affected tree/ algae growth. The tree walk was closed and so was hamunara springs. But the clear cold spring water joining the river was a sight to behold. Pitstops at blue lake and Green lake lookout, lunch and nap later, we checked out the rose garden by the museum and walked along the lake that was full to the brim. Hanging out at one of the few places open on Christmas night the last night of vacation was upon us!
Pinnacles:
Nestled in the Coromandel Forest park is the challenging climb. We were surprised to see Flood detour marked at many places and many iron rungs nailed into rocks.After reading that a part of the track was built and maintained during the gold rush era, it made sense. The start of the trek is about a 2.5 hours drive from home. So Prash and I left on a Friday evening after work and had about 3 hours of climb to reach the Hut before dark. Track went alongside the stream, across bridges, amid waterfalls and serene ponds. Many trees grew on ancient kauri trees fallen on the ground. The moss tendrils grew on all branches, stones and looked like green clothing and jewellery on them all. The sun beams of the dusk reflecting off these made it look like Sun was shining green light upon the valleys and hills.The challenging set of steps made us understand that physical fitness and ability are always to be supported with equal mental strength. We reached the hut intime and were excited to learn about how it all worked. The wardens that stay for 8 days at a stretch, the bunk beds in a room that sleeps 40 each, the glass windowed minimal kitchen made us feel like kids on a school camp. The entire facility was well kept and a lot more hygienic and pleasant than what I had imagined.Common sense and basic consideration for each other was key to keep all 80 ppl happy. We made small talk with a couple of ppl and slept in early. Eager to catch the sunrise, woke up long before the alarm went off at 4:45. Carrying only breakfast, water and headtorches we started toward the pinnacle of the Pinnacles.A few guys had already made headway and we could see shiny lights in the dark night. As the light from sun started making the black around us green and grey, we sweat our way up. Climbing up dew drops covered iron rungs on vertical rock faces are definitely not for the faint hearted. The sun rise was behind clouds and the clouds kept rising and racing up as Sun came up. The entire landscape was rugged all around, tall leafless Kauri trees suffering from dieback disease, massive monolithic rocks with sharp edges. Daunting yet inviting. We headed back after a few photos, videos and such. Packed up the rest of our luggage and reached the car park n were home in a completely different world in just a matter of hours.
Cricket match:
India vs Blackcaps ODI at Tauranga was an event to go to and watch with mom and dad. This we had decided the day parents booked their tickets. Years ago, when k was a baby, we stayed awake all night and cheered and waited with bated breath as India won the world cup, went out in the early hours of the day and celebrated with bursting firecrackers. A memory so cherished that it has become synonymous with cricket for me who is not a big follower of the sport.With only 3 tickets (my idea, like y!
In all the road trips, small or long drives, mom and dad kept narrating stories that made it interesting for us and engaging for K. Solving sudoku, word search, antakshari, memory game etc made it competitive. Munching on mom-made kobrimithai, chakli, kodbale, churmuri, avalakki, tengol, peanut laddoo, avalpuri unde we had a wonderful few weeks of togetherness that
Packing snacks for only 3 instead of 5, today we went to Iskcon for early Holi celebrations and I realised I have packed and locked away a part of myself into those suitcases that mom and dad carried back with them. A part of me that only comes alive when I am with them and makes me feel complete and happy...
