Tri-colors

Tri-colors

I left Inverness by train via Glasgow to Ayr and hopped a bus there to get to the coast and take a boat to Belfast, Ireland. It was a rather uneventful train and bus ride but that’s good and then came the boat. I met a Scottish couple on their way to a wake in Belfast for a too young friend. They were in good form and getting primed for what was to come. We met while waiting for the bus to take off and I could already tell he was a comedian and we instantly had a few laughs and then boarded the boat with a couple hundred kids that were in rare form themselves and getting funnier as the day went on. The kids on the boat were getting their faces painted up and singing Karaoke so we moved around the bar to the far side and had a few beers and listened to my collection of Bob Marley instead of the intermittent screeching on the other side. I noticed many of the mom’s taking a break came and sat near us. I think it was the music.

The Scottish couple offered to share a taxi and go with them to a top-notch pub and find a hotel nearby. We got in the taxi and my friend started yelling obscenities at the driver and the driver yelled a string of them back and the taxi erupted into laughter and chaos. Coming out of Nepal into England and Scotland, I wasn’t prepared for this and sat with a smile on my face wondering what I had stepped in. It was mad all the way to the Royal Pub. The Royal Pub was loaded with green jerseys, caps, jackets, and scarves. There was a home match between Northern Ireland and Romania or someplace about to start and the pitch was close. Men stood outside the pub in small groups smoking cigarettes and having a pint or ten. The crowd was lively chanting and singing for their team.

When we got out the driver advised me, “Don’t get too full here, the hospital isn’t close.” I knit my brow and he explained, “Welcome to the Royal and Sandy Road, pointing around the corner. This is where a lot of violence can happen. You have loyalists to England on one side and North Irish on the other, but you’re a tourist, you should be fine.” I got out. As I walked forward the cabby rolled down the front passenger window and yelled obscenities at a man with a beer in his hand who came over and the cabby yelled at him, “Hey you insolent wretch, make sure this guy gets a pint of Guinness before he gets in a row ya bloody bastard! Watch over him, will you do that you old goat!” The man looked at me with a toothless smile and nodded and looked back in the cab, “Aye, I’ll watch over him until the match starts ya worthless tart! I didn’t know they licenses to the blind? Get Fucked!” I just wasn’t ready for it but my grin continued to grow. I could have burst out laughing at any second and they would have joined me for no apparent reason. I was about to learn that the Irish and the Scotts prefer to have a good time more than anybody else on the planet and anything they can think of and say can and will be used against you in the most amorous way.

Obviously Belfast has a thick history of religious tension that still exists today. I’m not going to get into it because its complicated and there is no right and wrong although both sides would disagree with me and a row would be on. I stayed on the happy side of the Irish and had a couple pints watching the match on the tele before heading off to my hotel. I got lucky because there was a bagpipe festival/competition going on and most of the hotels were fully booked with raised rates. When I left the Royal I hailed a taxi and the driver drove me to my hotel where there was a wedding and a birthday party both at the same time in two separate halls on the ground floor. I could feel the throbbing music through my feet and in my room on the second floor.

I wandered around Belfast the next day and found some historic pubs, the titanic building and just wandered away the day, it was wonderful. There is a lot of history in Belfast outside of the religious issues.

I headed north to Port Rush to see the Giants Causeway and the Bushmills Distillery. Bushmills Distillery is around 400 years old but not owned by the Irish any longer. I was hoping to tour the west coast of Ireland but already began to feel the squeeze of time so it will have to wait. What I saw of the coastline is beautiful and the weather continued to hold while I was in the north.

I decided to go to Dublin instead of getting delayed out west. I didn’t expect to have issues finding a hotel or B&B but it was a nightmare. I had to change hotels every night for three nights. Of course the further out of the city center the easier it gets but I have no vehicle so it wasn’t an option.

Of course I went to the Guinness Brewery but unfortunately I wasn’t impressed so I raced through it and had a beer in the roof pub and got out of there. On returning to my room I had a chat with some men that were getting ready to go to the BECK concert and I dropped my bags and went out for the same. Beck played some of his old, new and some I never heard. It was a great outdoor show and not sold out so there was room to roam.

I walked into a pub and had a pint with the owner. Ladies began walking in and I asked what’s up. Bingo’s on. I joined in and had a laugh at the slag they all threw at each other. Now this was true Ireland with the locals not a bunch of tourists like myself. I left with a smile and the contentment that I met Ireland once and for all. The owner asked me where I was off to next and I responded, ‘Cavan.’ He winced at me and asked, ‘Why would you be going there?’ ‘To see friends.’ He chortled and responded with a smile, ‘That’s not a good enough reason.’

www.davidcdagley.com

Earthquakes And Cultural After Shocks

Earthquakes And Cultural After Shocks

I flew from Nepalgunj, back to Katmandu for a couple days to see the damage in slow motion. People were still sleeping in vacant lots a month after the series of earthquakes had shaken more than just the buildings but the very mental fabric of the people. Most were unsteady and when the night fell upon them thousands across the east side of the country slept in the open fields and spaces away from the carnage that shook the very base of all they knew physically and mentally.

I flew into Heathrow on a Tuesday and blasted off to the Gosfield House Hotel, (ph. 020 7636 9285) and stayed there while I fixed my computer. It is in a great location near Piccadilly, I first went to the Regent Street/Oxford Street Apple store and had a chat with a great gal that worked there. She explained that if I wanted to get my computer fixed in a hurry that Apple wouldn’t be the way because so many people had technical appointments and that just around the corner was a company called, Amsys. 44 Poland Street, London W1F 7LZ. Telephone: 020 7287 0609. Email: psworkshop@amsys.co.uk. Alma was the gal behind the counter and she was AWESOME. She had me sorted before the weekend so I could take off and get out of London.

I went to school in London for a spell with an exchange program way back in the day and loved it. It was full of Londoners. Today I’m sorry to say that I spoke more Spanish and Thai in my first two days in London than I did English. Things have certainly changed here. My usual search for music began that first night but not before heading to a pool and going for a swim in a pool and a short walk through Hyde Park.

I dug through my stuff and found my ‘oyster card’ I’ve had for years and found out I can travel on the tube for a very, very long time from now. Coming from Nepal where you walk everywhere or ride a bike, motorbike, etc. It was nice to be flashed somewhere in an instant when time is of the essence. Some dear friends I met in Thailand a year ago live near Liverpool and a few in Manchester. This is my friends second appearance in my blogs. 

I made contact and headed for by train Liverpool and found the Mercy River Festival. I landed in music, tall ships and friends. Straight away I met a friend from Manchester and had a proper night out among his people where he grew up. I only have ‘trainers’, running shoes, so I couldn’t get into any snobbery bars and that is just fine with me, they never have good music anyway. I arranged a second night to meet another friend from Thailand who is a yank that lives in the area for the second night and that was a hoot. All three of us had met in Pai, Thailand more than a year ago and here we were having beers, listening to music and having a laugh. I stayed up all night and chatted until it was time for me to go to the train station and head to Edinburgh for hopefully better music. I was hoping the further north I went the better the music would get.

A sleepy ride to Edinburgh and with no pre-arrangements I went to a hotel I had stayed at before, the Apex City Hotel at 61 Grass Market. Edinburgh.reservations@apexhotel.co.uk. The room was immaculate and the service impeccable. I got a couple nights because I didn’t want to miss any music. I went directly to the Royal Oak for muse at about 5 pm. I was a little disappointed because they were playing American country but that isn’t the norm. It just happened to be so I moved on to The Scotsman on the cusp of the Royal Mile. There’s a good bag piper up the mile but in a club full of Irish and Scots stomping feet, clapping hands and singing along, well I had to pull in and stay put for a good portion of the eve listening to music history, legend, and laughter.

A leisurely morning ensued and I wrote the morning away on some manuscript or other. It was time to go to the Castle and have a look at the jewels. As I approached I saw the masses of people before me and the annual construction of bleachers where a festival will be held. I moved quickly through the castle having already been there in the past and content with my memories. After a spot of lunch in a local Scottish Pub/Restaurant I remembered The Hebrides Pub at the bottom of the hill. On Mondays local musicians show up about 400pm and have a sit in with their instruments. There were 11 musicians and 20 guests. The musicians range from classically trained to watching dad and picking it up in youth. The music drew in a crowd even some faces I remembered from the last time. I did have to go back to the Royal Oak after dinner knowing my luck would stay the course and so it did. The Oak as it is locally called is a tiny pub with 1 to 8 musicians and about the same room for guests. There is a small bar with 8-10 drafts and many bottled ciders and other options. There is no need for electronics such as speakers or amps in any of these pubs.

I was on the train the next morning after breakfast and on my way to Inverness and the Loch Ness without the monster. The country just kept getting more beautiful as I went. The trains are efficient and clean. Once again traveling by the seat of my pants I arrived with no prearranged reservations and went to a local travel information desk that searched for accommodations for both Inverness for a couple days and the Isle of Skye and a train ticket to get there but first there was a music scene to explore and once again I was right on time with 60 bands coming in in a day. I settled into the Cavell house located fifteen minute walk up the Ness River. The Cavell House was build around 1860, I don’t remember exactly but the couple had it decked out in antiques and the breakfast included was traditional Scottish including fresh strawberries and assorted fruits. The grand kids were seen periodically helping out. I strolled into Gellions and listened to three young men play their hearts out and it is still one of the best performances I’ve heard yet.

I took a tour up to Loch Ness to check out the castles and the Lake (Loch). The hills are all green and the rhododendrons are in bloom among blue bells and so many others. I took the tour by myself and motored back down the loch and through a loch or two back into Inverness. I walked back down the Ness River trail into town and up to the Castle Tavern with an outside patio and the sun was still high in the sky at 7pm. I met two wonderful reporters there and we had a chat and they invited me along for the festivities. Once again it couldn’t be a late night all of us had something to do like take a bus to the Isle of Skye. I wanted to stay a few days but there seemed to be very few accommodations available so I had to settle on only one night. Once I got there I found more places to stay but had already booked my return. So since I was short on time I chose to hire a taxi to at least see most of the island and a few of the sights including the MacCleod castle in Dunvegan. We drove a loop around the Isle of Skye with a stop in Portree. It cost a bit but I didn’t have time for anything else. The sun was setting as I returned and sat out and took advantage of the light house to block the sun and came up with a pretty cool shot if I do say so myself.

I caught the 10 am bus back to Inverness and enjoyed another sunny day on the banks of the Ness River and watched fly fishermen do their thing and made arrangements to get to Belfast, Northern Ireland for the next day with the Scottish Rail/Sail option they offer. I stayed again at the Cavell House and was happy to be in a warm comfortable place with good people around.

Next stop, Belfast.

www.davidcdagley.com

Dolphin In Nepal

Dolphin In Nepal

The last exploratory thing I did in Nepal was head to the town of Tikapur and the surrounding area to at least see where these dolphins hang out when the monsoons come. Johnny didn’t expect to see any and called ahead to some friends that live on the river and are part of the dolphin counting when it happens. We drove west on the east-west highway across the Karnali River to a ‘shortcut’ through a community jungle and eventually arrived at a restaurant hotel nestled at the edge of a banana plantation with a restaurant that serves everything banana, drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts.

We got a late start and pulled in for the night and got to it after a swim in the pool before heading out to the river and have a look around. Johnny pulled into the Dhungana Tol Dolphin Conservation Center and they welcomed us in for sweet tea and lunch. With Johnny able to speak Nepali it makes questions and communications straightforward. Through questions and answers we found out that the dolphin had been around but certainly not in the middle of the day. The water in the river was basically too low and the dolphins have to share the same space and food source with the Crocodiles and Garials so they appear to stay in broad water areas.

When we got out to the confluence of two rivers we asked some kids that work in the area and they said the dolphins had been seen recently around dusk but only a few. I asked about the dolphin count and Johnny and his friend seemed to agree that the numbers were inflated and that another count should be in the works. We went back to the banana plantation for some finger food and some shade before heading back to the resort. I flew out the next day for Katmandu and on to London because somewhere along the way I broke the screen on my computer and it needed attention. I didn’t get to see the dolphin and I didn’t get to see the tiger so looks like I have to make another pass through Nepal and Chitwan and Bardia and take another Wild Trak Adventure with Sitram and Johnny. www.wildtrakadventure.com.

www.davidcdagley.com

Back To Bardia, Nepal

Back To Bardia National Park

I didn’t stay in Chitwan National Park for too long I was intent on doing some more photography in Bardia National Park with Wild Trak Adventure. (www.wildtrakadventure.com) John, Chris and myself were hoping to do some photo traps in a high traffic area where we found Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Crab Eating Mongoose, and Leopard Cats among others but that goal was squashed due to lack of battery power. That was not enough to stop us from exploring the Babai River area for a second time. There are no tourists what so ever and we camp in the jungle in hammocks.

Permits to camp are not cheap and a guide is always present from the park. We got a good one this time, someone john had worked with before who has something like twenty years experience in the park. This time around we didn’t walk in to our specific site but drove all the way on a jeep trail so we could have more time in a specific area. In both parks, Chitwan and Bardia, the elephant herds were said to have headed for the foothills. Apparently they do that right before the monsoon season.

We were permitted to drive to one of the park stations with the understanding that if the elephants destroyed the jeep it was on us. The park would not be liable for any damages. We walked the last few miles with a knee-high river crossing to another station where elephants had been reported and very close to our site. The temperature hung around 44 C. It was hot and the river crossing was refreshing but then its back to sweating. We found Tiger and elephant tracks on the far riverbank and cut through the forest to the station where we met the Captain who recognized us all and gave us tea and biscuits and a short conversation. He was happy to see us and liked our spirit. I think he was more interested in the hammocks than anything else. He walked with us and helped set up camp. When all was done he and our guide returned to the station where they all sleep and left us to the animals.

There were a few Swamp Deer, Spotted Deer, and Black Faced Languor hanging around and we all went quiet in our camouflaged camp and watched the night come on. Walking around in the riverbed tells the tale of what creatures are in the area and I think there were fewer tracks than last time but you never really know what’s coming in the night.

The next morning the captain and our guide returned and said some elephants could be seen near the station and we should pack for a morning walk. We had a quick tea and packed cameras and water and headed back to the station. We only had three nights and two of the days were getting in and out of the park so sightings were taken with certain urgency. Very close to the station we could see a couple elephants at the edge of a clearing. We watched for a while as more elephants appeared but couldn’t get very good photos so we decided to intercept them at the river where they’d be in the open. We worked our way to the river listening to the elephants trumpet in the distance and found a spot where we could watch both sides of the forest they were grazing in. While waiting we found an abandon Peacock nest and no elephants showed. Eventually we headed back to the station and down to our camp for lunch.

We had some exploring to do up some different draws and streams. There were lots of Tiger tracks and deer tracks. There was a well-worn trail that I thought was a game trail until we spoke with the people at the station. They explained that they use the particular trail as a short cut to another station. Small pools of water gather periodically where a Tiger could soak and escape the heat. The night was also rather quiet except for a Tiger roaring several times in the distance. That was awesome while you are sleeping in a hammock in the middle of the jungle with a thin piece of nylon between you and fate.

The captain and guide showed up the following morning and told us that a Tiger had made a recent kill near the station and would most likely return to it. We changed plans and decided to go back to the station where we parked the car because there was a viewing tower and a vast expansive river and grasslands. We set out and moved quickly down the short cuts we had learned in the area until we reached the river we had to cross. The crossing wasn’t difficult but when we reached the other side and looked up a large bull elephant was walking down the jeep trail right at us. We four were standing in the shallow of the river and surrounded by white round rocks with no escape. We immediately changed course and moved off to one side and let the bull get to the water. He raised his trunk smelling the air with us on it. He turned and we backed up even further but still had the elephant decided to charge it could easily been a fatal situation.

The elephant moved on into the river and showered suspiciously watching us as he threw water over himself periodically turning in our direction then moving on. That was close. We carried on to the tower and set up camp off away from the tower. When we got up to the nearby station for a water refill they told us there was a herd of thirty elephants in the neighborhood and urged us all to sleep in the tower. We anxiously drove the jeep through the jungle during the hot hours of the afternoon looking for tracks and signs of the herd and return for evening animal activity.

I do have to mention at least once that the jeep was great and comfortable but with all the rough roads wires would pop loose periodically and we’d have a bottle of water and stare into the engine compartment waiting until one of us noticed a wire off it’s connection mount. The true problem with this was that the jeep had been rewired leaving snarls of cut wires with no purpose and easily confused with live wires. The other really fun part was the elephants had past through and knocked down trees across the jeep trail. Periodically the trees were bigger than six people can move including the guide, so we hacked at them with a machete. It didn’t take long.

The tower proved to be a great choice for the night. When we returned and parked the jeep at the local station the commander again urged us to stay in the tower. At sunset a small herd of 8 elephants including 2 or 3 young ones walked out into the edge of the clearing and we watched from the tower hoping they would come close. They seemed suspicious and hung to the edge of the trees until the young ones went passed and crossed the river below us. Two large males stood at the back of the herd and watched for a following Tiger. Where we saw elephant tracks we also found a fresh set of Tiger tracks on top of the elephant tracks.

Samba and Spotted Deer came to the river and drank while others crossed and disappeared in the underbrush. We relaxed the night away and again a Tiger called out in the night. We were 5 miles from where we were last night and with the recent kill we figured we were in no danger.

We packed and scooted out the next morning. I still had a couple days before I had to go to Katmandu so we were planning on going to the town of Tikapur the next day and just take a look around for the Gangetic dolphin. Never a dull moment.

www.davidcdagley.com