WHAT? WAT AGAIN?

Going from a nation where places of worship mushroom overnight specially at every nook and corner of streets, where religious places- big or small, old or new and even teeny weeny makeshift ones - are venerated so much that is not an extraordinary happening to come across a road that suddenly veers to the right or left just to avoid a tiny place of worship. The road works department clearly couldn't surmount the holy obstacle of a holy place! Never mind that in the process it seems like the road suddenly developed convulsions and decided that bah! it didn't like its old route and carved out or rather snaked one of its own. So when I mentioned that visiting some notable Buddhist temples, called Wat locally, in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand there were not too many takers! Why was  I not surprised?

An hour or so flight from Bangkok, Chiang Mai (Yup! Thailand again - need you ask?) is one place that has a mix of everything- a river cutting through the city, hills and mountains in the distance, night safaris, the ubiquitous night markets, malls, endless eateries, massage parlours, spas and the usual stuff you expect a tourist destination to have. What catches the eye immediately are however the temples or Wats with the typical Thai architecture, most of them overladen with golden gilt, huge number of monks swirling around and large crowds of Thais thronging the Wats. Before heading for Chiang Mai- this being the first visit there- one had checked out what the place had to offer. The Wats trounced everything else. Listed were Wat Phra Doi Suthep; Wat Chedi Luang; Wat Pan Ao; Wat Umong; Wat Phra hat Di Kham D; Wat Buppharam ( what would you get if you hyphenated Buppharam = Bupp Haram!); Wat Chiang Man and Wats all the way.

It was a biggish group to Chiang Mai - us from Delhi and friends from Kolkata (the majority) Bangkok and Singapore. Barring the Singapore and Bangkok friends, the rest of of us all caught up at Bangkok airport early in the morning after a night's flight. And there itself started the agreeing-to-disagreeing over the itineraries. But then what are old friends for if one can't have their say? Not many were happy over the Wat hopping proposal; some consented for the sake of peace.  By the time we got to Chiang Mai, checked in and all that, all everybody wanted was food and a lengthy luncheon session it was. The issue of what to do with the Wat visits, that some of us were keen on, still remained unresolved.

Thankfully, the next day saw us - okay some of us- driving up to Wat Phra Doi Suthep. The up here is literal because the Wat is located on the top of Mount (Doi) Suthep and it was only later that I learnt that the temple is called What Phra That but is locally always called Doi Suthep. That technically, it is Wat Phra That on Doi Suthep. This Theravada Buddhist temple is where a copy of a giant emerald Buddha statue is houses( a copy because the original is in Bangkok). After a drive that took us around 40+ minutes, we reached the base of Doi Suthep and as we looked up the first thing that had us gaping was the huge glittering golden spire reaching up the skies. It was simply awesome, maybe in a dazzling way, but awesome it was. 

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Getting to the temple leaves you with a choice to either climb up the steep 309 stairs called the Naga Serpent Staircase or pay a nominal fee and take the lift straight up. We opt for the lift on the way up. Everything about Wat Phra That is on the grand, spectacular scale. The temple/monastery, said to have  been built in the 14th century, is a huge complex with shrines, statues, murals that can be best described in one word- GOLD!  I mean no offense but it does make you wonder that why Buddhism founded by one who gave up royalty, why a religion associated with innate humbleness which propounds simple living and shining of materialism, the monks who live an austere life and yet the temples- at least the ones in Chiang Mai- redefine grandiosity and take it to another level altogether. Looking at the giant emerald 'copy' Buddha statue one couldn't help but feel that if an emerald Buddha statue had at all to be made couldn't it have been much smaller? Then the overwhelming sheen of gold and more gold everywhere- even the tiles on the floor reflect back more golden huge- it tended to be a bit too much. A golden swamp it was.

The 'copy' emerald Buddha statue

Don't forget to don your sunglasses

 

Golden spire and golden filigiree golden canopy and gold on the floor too!  

After the rounds of the temple, after gaping at the golden overload, we followed the walkway around the temple to a large terrace that provided a panoramic view of Chiang Mai. There are the usual small cafes and souvenir stalls. We sat under a beautiful canopy of flowering bougainvilleas admiring the vast greenery spread out below. A lazy dog resting in the shade gave us the royal ignore!   But another member of the canine family, although a small build one happily obliged me with not just photographs but also offered his best profile for the camera. The trendily dressed chhihuahua came accompanied by his parents, a young couple who clearly over-dote on him. That really made me miss our miss haughty queen back home - the lady chhihuahua, Trudy!   

The view from the terrace

My best profile!

On the way down, I was the only one to take the Naga Serpent stairs. I am glad I did so. There was the cutest little girl dressed up in all tribal finery including an elaborate headgear and the most garishly painted cheeks ever. But what the elaborate get-up couldn't conceal was both her innocence and the fact that she was certainly not there asking for tips because she wanted to. At first, the suddenness and unexpected surprise  was delightful but as I climbed down further I realised that she was not the only one, there were several of them sitting around the stairs in one or twos and even boys. The novelty wore off and a tinge of melancholy and resignation crept in -  I guess there there are worse ways of making a living. 

Another day another temple - this timeWat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai itself.  Chedis translate into stupas or pagodas. This one is simply magnificent. Its a massive complex and instinctively you feel that sense of veneration. You also know this is ancient history, the core of the complex is tall, at places crumbling, Lanna-style Chedi said to be built in in the mid 15th century and at one time said to be the tallest structure in Chiang Mai. Sometime in the 16th century, the Chedi was damaged. How? Some say it was an earthquake and the other version says it was damaged by canon fire during the fight to recapture the city from the Burmese. Thankfully in the nineties a Unesco and Japanese government financed restoration work was undertaken. There are five elephant sculptures atop the pediment and its total surprise when we are told that four or them were restored in cement and only one is original. Which one? The one that stands solo on the other side without its trunk and ears. In one of the shrines there is a lifelike figure of a monk in meditative pose within a glass enclosure. As we wonder if it is embalmed or wax figure, a Thai visitor informs us that it is wax indeed. There is something disconcerting about it and I hotfoot it out of the shrine.  And yes, there is a big golden Buddha statue and another mammoth of the reclining Buddha. Yup, once again all golden.   
 

 

We walk out and come face to face with a board that says, Welcome to the Monk Chat programme, Mahamakut Buddhist University, Lanna Campus. Naturally we walk and see a group of monks sitting on benches around a big table beneath a shady tree. Some are interacting with visitors. We go closer and suddenly we realise that one among the monks is definitely one of us - an Indian. Monk Mahesh from Maharashtra says he has been at Mahamakut for the last 3 years. From a Buddhist family he took Bhikshu when just 14 years old. Even as we interact - questions on life, Buddhishm etc - I can't help think that 14 is an awfully young age to decide to renounce the world and take to a life of total austerity. At Mahamakut Buddhist University the monks are up at 4 am, meditate and then go for Bhiksha. They have just one meal before 12 noon everyday and after that there is no taking of any food; they can though drink water and maybe some juice too. It certainly takes some strong will and utter devotion to the one they follow to give up the world for their faith. I begin to feel small, petty and even vicious especially at my sniggering about the gold and gilt at some Wats. I accept that the gods don't ask for them, the monks don't ask for them, it just us petty people who offer gold/gilt to assuage our guilt. Gilt to alleviate guilt!

Monk Mahesh from Maharashta

What next? Wat of course (bad one I know). Seriously however, we headed for Wat Ratchamontian. Another spectacular temple, this time with more oriental elements - red spires and and the large golden dragons guarding the stairs to the dragon temple. There seemed to be some function going on as there hundreds of monks, in bright orange robes, gathering in the dragon temple for some prayers. One spied a few women monks too and just as we were leaving a car stopped and an elderly lady monk, frail and ultra petite stepped out with some difficulty. But even before she was fully out of the car, several young monks ran to her assistance and she was almost carried inside.  

All the while I had there was just one Wat that I really wanted to at least see- Wat Buppharam. Yes, I pronounced the bupp as bapp and let's leave it at that! By this time of course, every had had enough of Wats especially the spouse. On our last day we took a walk in the area around Thapae Gate, moving into old Chiang Mai and we passed by a couple of Wats (going by the fact that Chiang Mai has more than 300 Wats !) that was inevitable. And then bingo! It was there- Buppharam Wat. On a smaller scale, similar architecture ,the main temple on an elevation as usual  and it seemed just appropriate that a few hours before flying out of Chiang Mai, there was Buppharam! 

I would have called that a fitting end to Wat hopping, but on the way back, we popped into a book shop called the Book Zone and there on one of the shelves was a book called What's What in a Wat, Thai Buddhist Temples by Carol Stratton! Serendipity? Did I pick up a copy? Wat, sorry, What do you think?

 

FOUR SEASONS- MORE LIKE OFF SEASON!

Every time  one has travelled to Shillong, one has promised to visit the much talked about resort - Ri Kynjai perched on a hill overlooking the stunning Umiam Lake (better known as Bara Pani). Ri Kynjai in the local Khasi language is said to translate into Serenity by the Lake.  But promises are....... It didn't help either that on reaching Shillong, to get to Ri Kynjai one had to drive back to Bara Pani, a drive of some 17-18 kilometres, then where the Umiam Lake ends you turn left and then left again and then keep on driving. Since Shillong visits are regular, there was always another time we promised to visit Ri Kynjai. This time we honoured the promise !

One day in early October when the the regular unpredictable intermittent Shillong rains seem to be on hold, we started out before noon.  Once we took the left turn where the Umiam Lake ended and then the left turn again from when the straight cemented short road ended, the lake was on our left and on the right the pine clad hills. Up to a point the elation at finally heading for Ri Kynjai and above all, the good weather, began to wane, the curvaceous drive continued but there seemed to be no sign of Ri Kynjai and for that matter any signage either.   After a while we found three young men working on the road, well they didn't have any idea either but they too had heard that there was some kind of resort much ahead! We drove on, made a wrong stop, retraced and drove again. Thankfully one of us remembered having the phone number and the lady on the phone guided us.

When we finally got there it was Hallelujah moment every which way. We had done it and more than that, what awaited us was a spectacular view.

Our first view of the lake from the resort!

It was like a magic wand had been waved and it was indeed Serenity by the Lake. We were visitors for the day and our plan was to lunch at the restaurant and just take in the serenity ( sorry, that word has taken deep roots). The facade of the resort faces the lake and after a walk across a covered walkaway, we go down to the reception counter and prepare to go down one floor more to the restaurant, we literally stop in our tracks - the large picture windows frame a sight not easily forgettable.

Just Picture Perfect!

Our destination was the resorts restaurant- Sao aiom (Four Seasons in Khasi). Situated on the  ground floor, it has a long broad verandah fronting with cane seating.

There is also a thatched roof open air restaurant with a bar but unfortunately that day there was a private party going on so it was off limits. But we had no reasons to complain, the view before us - greenery every where, a rich green lawn and a garden lay spread  and gradually it sloped down to the lake below. By the way the resort is spread out over 45 acres! At one end the verandah transforms into steps going up to different levels. What I loved best about it all was that there was no pretense at being anything else but fully local - the architecture, the usage of local material, the design, the decor and yet there is comfort and modern elements available.   

Don't miss the Local Cane Baskets  Light Shades, the Driftwood and Bamboo Rafters

.....and the Miniature Garden in a Cane Basket complete with Rocks! 

As we stood on the lawn and looked up at the resort, it towered over us but in a welcoming and warm way. Unfortunately, since were not staying at the resort we couldn't check out the rooms- but the views from the balconies up there must be something else altogether!

The restaurant Sao aiom is another beautiful example of  a brilliant putting together of local furniture, handicraft, art works, artifact  and aesthetics. Shillong or rather Khasi Hills is where pineapples, ginger, mandarin oranges and turmeric grow in profusion, in fact the Khasi Lakadong turmeric is said to have one of the highest circumin content. Naturally, fresh pineapple juice was out opener. It was just too good, not too sweet, not too acidic and amazingly refreshing. Unfortunately, they don't serve food outside and so for lunch we had to troop into the restaurant (Sao aiom). 

 

We had decided that we would stick to a strictly Khasi menu but alas, the food was the biggest dampener, downer and everything disappointing. For us Khasi food has always meant mouth watering jah-doh (Khasi meat pulao), doh khleh, chicken neiiong (chicken or pork cooked in a rich black sesame paste) and tungrymbai. The starters of crispy veg, more like tempura was good as was the chicken dish, more Chinese than local.  The main course of jah doh, doh khleh and pork and chicken neiiong was sad and such a let down. These were dishes that many many moons ago one ate on the sly and developed such a taste for it that doh khleh (literally head meat/pork) is something that I salivate for all the time. The doh khleh is a simple but rich dish, almost sensuous with the (boiled) fatty pork head meat cut into tiny pieces and blended with ginger slivers, sliced onions and minced green chili and seasoned with salt, you don't need anything more. What we got was a dry dish with more red meat that was hard to chew.  And totally tasteless. The jah doh was another dampener, tilting toward a hint of yellow instead of luscious dark green almost black sesame paste and the meat pieces were again hard and fibrous. The pork neiiong had fatty pork pieces (the kind I like) alright but yes, once again hard to chew and more lardy.  We barely touched the chicken neiiong! It was bland and without any soul. The conversation on the table died and soon we were only passing the Chinese noodles around. It was like someone had thrown icy cold water over our childhood romance, the unmatchable taste of Khasi food that we remembered.  It was like seeing bits of your childhood stomped on. Some innocent romance certainly don't last.

Doh Khleh

 

 

Jah Doh

Pork Neiiong

We had no heart to even check out the dessert menu but with children around you simply can't say no. Strawberry ice cream they said and I thought with strawberry farms growing popular on the outskirts of the Shillong, we would for once get the real McCoy but once again it was a weepy story - the strawberry flavour was a horrid punk pink and synthetic and medicine like. The chocolate mousse was insipid and the fruit custard best left with no comments. With the disaster of the meal, something in us went cold.

On the way back, much silence prevailed barring of course the non stop nattering of the kids. As we climbed higher heading back to Shillong and as the lush greenery outside whizzed by, one couldn't help thinking may be some promises shouldn't be kept................

LEFTOVERS BUT LOVED

Getting spirited, one did a bit of cleaning, sorting and sprucing up the spirits storage (Okay I know a really bad pun). And chanced upon a bottle of sherry that sported Spanish all over! Naturally it was a trip down the nostalgia path to the Grupo Estevez Vineyards (and a stud farm too!) at Cadiz,  Spain a couple of years ago. It was July and the weather was hot, almost like back home in Delhi. The vineyard was huge, rolling over acres and we were taken through the whole process of  wine making, storing and so on. What was impressive was the art gallery that had some stunning works, overlooking the spacious restaurant. It goes without saying that there was a store and I remember that what attracted me to the sherry bottle was that it came with a tiny lock and key. Yep it did. Before that we had binged upon a delicious spread and the accompanying sherries had  left me feeling warm and happy with life. Being the philistine that I am when it comes to 'spirits' the bottle with the lock swayed me completely. On getting back home and sampling it, even I found it ultra sweet and that's how it found itself on the back bench. 

 

 

 

The Giant Sherry Silos  

 

Difficult to wean your eyes away from it! 

   

 It was also there when I saw the pure Spanish horse for the first time, majestic looking studs and for once literally! The Real Tesoro Stud  abuts the vineyards and it was indeed breathtaking to see the tall, good looking horses running around unfettered. 

The sherry was however another story, at least once back home. So what do you do with a three-fourth bottle of extra sweet dense sherry? Desserts? Not exactly exciting. It was then I also found another plastic bottle (you read right, plastic it is) of port wine from Goa claiming to have been made from the 'choicest grape juice'. Like how true! The port wine looked somewhat forlorn desperately trying to stand up to the sherry bottle. So poured some of both into a saucepan, put the saucepan on the gas and sliced a couple of firm pears into it - tra la la, wine poached pears.

Salad it had to be. Greens like purple lettuce and rocket, a bit of diced chives, the sherry-port wine poached pears and .........damn no cheese or anything like that.  Hang on, recently in a moment of thrift and trying to be truly Indian I had picked up La Cremella  natural cream cheese with no preservatives made in our own Gurgaon. And it was Rs 180 only! Instead of using the imported variety for a dessert I had tried the cream cheese and come up with a disaster. It was not exactly cream cheese and certainly not the whipping variety either. It was slightly salty and more on the paneer (cottage cheese) side. Would it do? It would because wasn't it all about using left overs. Only damn cheese at room temperature seemed to be going soft and well, creamy. So shoved them into the chilling tray and added the diced cheese at the last moment just before serving - it worked!  The dressing was olive oil, the scraping (caramelised sherry and port wine) from the poached pears, salt, pepper, a dash of dry mustard, pinch of red chilli powder, pinch of sugar, lemon juice and generous addition of malta juice and zest. It tasted good.  

  

The left over saga continues. There was some chicken mine which turned into burger patties, the Indian way with addition of minced ginger, garlic, green chili, coriander leaves. Tada! To steal the McDonalds line, it was a happy meal! 

Talking of salads, though some called it relish, the one I like is purple cabbage, green apple and onions coming together with apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, pinch of salt and some coarsely ground black pepper to make a yummy cold dish. The cabbage is thinly shredded and the onion really finely sliced. In a pan on gas, in goes some olive oil and then the onion slices, which when slightly wilted is an indication to add the brown sugar and stir continuously till the onions turn a rich dark brown colour, more like chocolate like. The shredded purple cabbage goes in as does the salt and pepper. More stirrings and time to throw in the tarty green Granny Smiths. More stirrings and finally apple cider vinegar.  What I love about it is that it keeps in the fridge for a week and more and goes with everything- from Indian dishes to fillings for sandwiches and burgers to what have you.

But what I love my green apple- purple cabbage best with a main dish of pork. Sigh, thar I blow again! This time the husband is to be blamed. He happened to walk into Yamato(B-6/9,Local Commercial Complex, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi), the best place for any and every Japanese food items and ingredients and came home with quite a load of pork- ribs to belly. These were tender ribs and after marination (grated garlic, ginger, light soy sauce,  kecap manis, some brown sugar, dry mustard powder, salt, dash of red chili powder, salt to taste) and a hour or so in the oven, it was happy meal again!