The Desert

salalah - the last town

Area:
Salalah - Omans border with Yemen and Saudi Arabia

Salalah is the second largest town in Oman but is a far off place close to the border with Yemen. It is said to be given to Oman in dowry when a lady from Yemen royal family got married to Oman's king. The town is a coastal town surrounded by a U shaped mountain range that becomes tourist attraction in August and September each year when monsoon rains fall on this area. The mountains remain covered with fog and a lot of rain falls in the area. It makes the area lush green but the driving becomes treacherous in the mountains due to low visibility. Salalah is about 1200 kilometers from Dubai and about the same from Muscat (Oman's capital). The drive is very boring and tiresome due to a stretch of 700Kms or more of single road not very well maintained having only two petrol stations on the way. The terrain is absolutely terrible as there is not even a single plant on the way and its flat rugged surface with some small dunes on the way. Oman is sparsely populated and most of the population is along the borders with UAE and on the Arabian Gulf, a couple of cities in the mid country and then Salalah on the far end.

Travel Month:

August 2008

Country:

Sultanate of Oman

Total Days:

5 Days

Attractions:

Foggy Mountains, Some Off-road Driving, Ocean, Coast, Geysers, Shrines

Total Distance Covered:

3000 Kilometers

Travelogue:

DAY1

Since our arrival in the UAE, I had been hearing bout Salalah as a summer hill station but none of our acquaintances had visited this place. This was our first full summer here in UAE and it was as hot as it could be, touching 50 degrees roughly with very high humidity. I called up my two brothers and told them that we are going to Salalah and asked to accompany us. Everyone had their own reservations for such a long drive having heard the rough conditions on the way. Anyhow we got two entries in the shape of my eldest brother Sohail n fmly and our friend Nabeel n fmly. It was summer vacations for kids and they had no plan other than our forthcoming trip to the US and Canada. So the plan was finalized and before we left there were three more entries but all three of them didnt want to go to Salalah rather wanted to join us for one or two nights to Muscat that was not in our route. One was my brother Nabeel n fmly, the other were Saqib n fmly and Tariq n fmly. They usually don't go out for long drives so we felt obligated to go with them. We planned in such a way that we would stay with them for the first night at Muscat and then leave early morning for Salalah and let them continue for another day there.

We gather at the Hatta border check post and got the visa stamped without any hiccups. When you enter into Oman you drive along the coast to reach Muscat some 400 odd kms away. The drive was nice and the scenery totally changed as soon as we entered Oman as it becomes rocky but road sides are very green. While in UAE the terrain is sand dunes. We stopped at a couple of places for the convoy to reassemble.

The hotel booking was already done. We had booked three two bedroom apartments in a nice area. It was not difficult to find the hotel and we moved our stuff in the rooms soon after reaching there. It was afternoon so lunch was served from the one dish, each family was asked to bring. Lunch was sumptuous and left us licking our fingers, cause we couldn't fill ourselves more. After the lunch we started our city tour and visited the historic places as well as the scenic coast around Muscat. We went to a couple of famous beaches close to Muscat but those were extremely over-crowded so instead of taking a dip we rented two boats and went out in the ocean for a nice boat ride.

It was very hot in Dubai when we left in the morning but the weather changed to very acceptable in Muscat with nice ocean breeze. We came back to the city and visited some government buildings, very nicely but simply decorated. There were still signs of 2007 storm/sonamy that brought a lot of destruction in this area. I felt the sea was still quite rough out there. Back in the city we visited the main Souq, souq is the word used for market or bazaar in the Arabian world. It has its own magical attractions with shops of traditional crafts, herbs, Arabian perfumes, local clothing etc. Most of the prices were for the European customers which we saw none in our visit at least. The rates were highly negotiable and we ended up buying only a couple of souvenirs.

Night was approaching so we had a quick bite in the shape of Shawarma (traditional BBQ chicken rolled in Arabian bread with lots of vegetables, olive oil, herbs etc.). We had to call it a day because we had to start our drive at 430 hrs next morning. We drove back to the hotel to have some sleep but with so many kids around in vacation mood one could only dream of sleeping. It was late at night when we put the kids to beds by force.

DAY2

As per the plan everybody was up at 345hrs and we hit the road at the target time of 430hrs. We had some tea and filled up our coolers with ice at the petrol pump for our long drive. The target was to reach Salalah before the sun sets. Out of three cars two missed the exit towards Salalah and we had to wait for them loosing 15 minutes of time. After they caught up the drive was nice and went through some awesome mountains. The road was excellent and the morning was fantastic. The sun rose gracefully and brought some high temperatures with it. Soon it was 35 degrees early morning. We drove for 3-4 hours like this and then the road changed into a single lane with very fast moving vehicles dodging each other head on. The scenery was flat rugged surface on either sides of the road without having a sign of any living thing in the area. No plants, no villages, absolutely nothing on this long stretch of road. We filled up our fuel tanks at each gas station that came on the way, the maximum distance between two petrol pumps was about 360 kms. We drove fast and covered some good distance before noon. Lunch break was taken at one small restaurant close to a petrol pump. This was good food given the circumstances. The road was still straight, long, thin and and the driving was boring and tiring.

Finally we saw some shadows far away and thought some clouds are approaching to cool of the day. The temperature gauge was showing 49 degrees and the trucks were screaming with front and rear air-conditioners running at full. Salute to the wonderful technology of autos as these vehicles hardly got tired in this hot and muggy weather.

After a long and laborious drive we entered into the mountains and the temperature dipped below 25 degrees in just a few kilometers. The landscape changed from brown to green in no time and the hectic drive changed into a pleasant feeling suddenly. We were stopped by a check post who checked our passports and we were on the move again.

It got very foggy as we drove another kilometer further. The visibility was dropped to only a few feet and the drive became very tricky and perilous. I was leading the group of three vehicles and was negotiating the steep turns with caution. A few kilometers distance took us a long time to cover. But a very enjoyable weather with a drizzle and fog. The wipers were on and the lights were shining. Hills were lush green due to the fog and rain which remains there for these two months of Khareef Festival taking place at Salalah. The fog does not go away for these sixty days. It becomes fun for the visitors but non-livable conditions for the residents as they move to the plains around Salalah, some even camping with their big Arabian tents erected. Amazingly the Government provides them with electricity and water even at the campsites, a revelation for us.

Salalah is a tourist town and the life is on the move during the summer season and becomes normal and dull in the remaining part of the year. It is popular for its weather in summer, if it rains they provide life to some ponds and streams in the region. There are some water falls those become alive when it rains. Salalah provides some historic and ancient places for archeology loving people. There are two tombs of two Prophets, one in the Salalah city and the other one in the mountains. There is a beautiful setting of geysers not far from here made by the waves hitting caves at the coast. There are certain holes on the surface that make the water come out and jump several feet with each wave hitting the caves under the holes. This was an amazing site. Then there are some very good offroad tracks leading into the mountains.

We arrived at Salalah before the sunset as per the original plan. The booking was done again through the same contact who did it in Muscat but we found out the person who was in charge at Salalah booking ditched us as he gave our rooms at slightly higher rents to someone else. We were stranded with tired and hungry kids. The search for a hotel was on but in the next two hours we made not progress due to tourist season and every place being booked in advance. We were going to all the places we could find but to no avail, finally reached Youth Hostel Hotel converted into a nice hotel. The manager listened to us and was sympathetic but offered no room. We stood our ground and reached the level of pleading (or at least we posed like that). He finally showed mercy and offered us two suites with a promise that we will vacate them the next morning. That was good enough for us to set us up for that night and the next day we would decide the course of action. The rooms were nice big size suits with one bedroom, big sitting room, small kitchenette and a bathroom. We split up into different parts and corners of the suites. My father decided to put his sleeping mat in the small kitchen to avoid the little devils.

After we were all fresh and ready again we hoped into the trucks and asked the manager for a good restaurant specializing in traditional local cuisine, which he guided us happily. We found the place after a little search, it was a traditional Omani restaurant with several rooms each could be used by one party visiting them. We ordered their specialties and ate it. It was OK food, I did not really liked it much because we usually like spicy food which this was certainly not. My wife started having tooth pain just then but as it was too late we could not find any dentist to get herself checked. She spent the night in pain and got the tooth removed next day to get some peace.

The night was good with temperatures half the mark as compared to during the day. Surroundings were absolutely astounding with mountains in the view. This hotel was at the outskirts of the city towards the mountains offering nice views and in proximity of the vistas. We really enjoyed staying here.

DAY3

The next morning we visited the manager and as we requested him earlier to help us finding a place for the next two nights, we requested him again. We wanted to fix this problem before heading out for sightseeing. After we made sure that he understood that we were the victims of one of his countrymen, we asked for his help to find accommodation. He really considered that and offered us one of his suites in another block. We were seven adults and sever children, though it did not sound a very good idea but the circumstances were already tested by visiting several hotel last night. Therefore we accepted the offer and we moved our luggage to that suite. One bedroom, one living room and 14 individuals. The night would be exciting with all the kids running around.

We drove to find a place where due to gravity, if you put your vehicle in neutral it travels uphill. An incredible thing to discover.

Details will be posted soon...

DAY4

Details will be posted soon...

DAY5
Details will be posted soon...

Balsam Lake

Area:

Kawathra Lakes, Ontario, Canada

Country:

Canada


Travel Month:

August 2008

Attractions:

Wilderness of Ontario, Camping, Trekking

Total Distance Covered:

500 Kilometers on tarmac

Travelogue:

This trip is from one of our camping out during our summer vacations trip to Canada and the US in 2008. Kawathra lakes is very famous for its lakes, natural beauty, and wilderness. It is located in South Central Ontario in a picturesque natural setting. The lake is small as compared to the other lakes in the region but still boasts a length of 16 kilometers and by and average 3 kilometers in width. Being the highest point in the Trent-Severn Waterway at about 256 m above sea level is said to be the highest point on Earth to which a boat can be navigated from sea level. It has been on our list of travel for a long time and finally Asif (my brother-in-law) pushed us to visit this place on our first weekend of our vacations.

DAY1

As we were traveling and did not carry our camping gear therefore had to borrow from our friends. As per plan we left Mississauga to drive for about 170 km to reach Kawathra Lakes passing by Lake Simcoe. Our first stop was at a Wal-mart to pick up a new stroller for our son Hassan as we lost the other one yesterday by forgetting it in the parking lot of a shopping centre. We picked up some supplies as well from here. To enjoy the drive we picked up the inner roads rather than the highways. Country side in summers is marvelous, its lush green and offers amazing refreshment just by looking at it.

We had booked 2 campsites as we were three families - us (2 adults and 3 kids-3yrs, 6yrs & 10 yrs), Asif & fmly (2 adults and 2 kids - 3 yrs & 9 months), Shahid & fmly (2 adults and 1 kid - 6yrs). In all national, provincial and regional parks they allow 6 number of people at one campsite without exception but we always end up using only one because its more enjoyable and we have to put a spare camp on the other site which we always take adjacent or in front of each other or we use the other site as our kitchen.

The map that we checked to reach our destination finally took us to the lake but on the opposite side of the campsite. So we had to drive around to reach our final destination. All the campsites in this country are absolutely incredible. These are well maintained and still they keep them in natural settings. One has a choice to pick the privacy level, noise level, site size, site quality etc. etc. according to one's wish. But during the summer most of the good sites are booked in advance, therefore the tricky part is to decide early to get the good sites. I am amazed to see hundreds of sites at one campsite and all booked during holidays. There are a number of private campsites but I never liked them due to the city like facilities they provide and kill the whole purpose of camping.

We reached our sites which were in front of each other and as we requested secluded these were right in the middle the forest making us realize about the mosquitoes for which the only protection we had was the spray. Our kids make noise while they play so we tried to stay in an area where we do not bother other people. We started pitching the tents and setting up the site the way we wanted it which in itself is a task. We did not have the kitchen tent this time so we used tarp to save us from rain but that could not do any good to save us from the flying insects. Once we were up and running we realized the light we have is not enough therefore had to visit a camp store just outside the boundary of the campsite to buy a lantern and wood. It was a damp place and was getting cold even at the sunset time telling us clearly to get ready for a cold night. Canadian summers are very short and even during summers the temperature may dip below zero but still we always enjoyed camping here. The night brought absolute darkness to our sites due to its location in the middle of the tall and dense forest. Fire was on and everyone was sitting around to warm themselves.

Dinner was served in a fairytale environment and we loved every bite of it. Hungry stomachs filled with delicious food and pops. One has to be ready to make a few trips to the bathroom due to drinking juices and pops whole day. Its a task to come out of the tent in cold night to pee. What can you do, when nature calls we have to answer, which we did a few times shivering with cold and scarred with the settings around us. We did not have the courage to walk all the way to the bathrooms which were about 200 meters away and pass it on close to the site, rain washes everything away by morning. The brown bear warning at the entrance played a major role in this. There are numerous type of animals that we have seen during our campings including moose, raccoons, lizards, snakes, deer, fox, skunks, flying squirrels, chipmunks, beaver, lots of birds and several other but have been lucky not to experience a bear. We have always been extremely careful not to keep any eatables out and keep the garbage hanging very high before going to sleep, where there is any chance of such animals wandering around. I found the park rangers are very helpful in providing information and usually the info posted on the message boards is very useful, therefore always read it.

The night was cold as we thought and damp and rainy too. But we had a good time on borrowed air mattresses and blankets we carried. Sleeping mats have always proven themselves one of the most important investments in camping gear.

DAY2

I got up early and had a walk in the area to see the morning lake and to smell the morning freshness. It has a soothing effect on my mind and I enjoy early morning walks. Kids were also up and we all took the trek to the lake and suddenly at one corner we were stopped by stunning view of a stag. It was grazing in the middle of a field and did not notice us, we would be less than 50 meters from the animal. By the time second party reached there who was carrying the camera and so they brought noise along, the deer looked around and found some aliens looking at him. He did not like it and gave us a bad look before setting off in the dense forest. This made our day right in the morning. Watching animals in natural setting is charismatic, the feeling is unmatchable. Our kids love animals, especially Sajeel my oldest son has such a love for animals that he reads about animals from his collections of books almost everyday therefore he was the most excited person amongst the whole gang.

We continued walking to the lake and enjoyed the beach and beautiful landscape around the lake. This lake is not very wide so you could see on the other side dotted with cottages but its miles long making it comparatively different from other lakes of its size. He head back to the site for breakfast of omeletes, muffins etc. We had to do two trails during the day and after the breakfast we were all ready to go. By now the effects of mosquitoes were already evident especially on Iman (our daugther) and Hassan's (our youngest son) faces. The spray was working for the adults probably but not for children obviously.

There are two trails in this provincial park i) Lookout Trail and ii) Plantation Trail and both of them are 3 kilometers long and it take about two hours to do each one of them. The drove to the trail head and decided to take the lookout trail first and then would decide accordingly to the physical condition of everyone about the other one. The trail is lush green goes through preserved jungle but the bugs were very very disturbing and they kept biting us no matter what precautions we took. The signs for the trail were not very well marked which was quite unusual. It goes up and down in the hills giving spectacular views and a good exercise to city people. At places it was dark due to tall tress. Plantation is excellent and preserved very well. The two mentioned trails cross each other somewhere and we crossed onto the other one somewhere without knowing and that made us do both the trails in one go. It took us a few good hours to complete due to very young children with us and also started raining on the way making the trail very slippery. Everyone was cautioned to be careful and not to slip. Bugs continued bugging even in rain. We finally made it to the road about 800 meters away from where we parked. I'm sure we did some extra trail that was not marked at all. Everyone was happy to see the cars to have some snacks. We jumped in to have a drive around and visit the camp store outside the park. I find these stores very fascinating due to the local thing collections and camping related stuff.

We headed back to the campsite to finish our adventure for the day and enjoy the cooking and camping. Due to rain it was muddy and slippery. We cooked under the shelter and later put on the fire to bring some warmth to the damp site. The smoke also helped us to get rid of some bugs from the site but not much.

Shahid and family decided to jump into our tent due to the comfortable two queen size air mattresses. We adjusted all the kids on thin mats and the adults on to the beds with a separator curtain hanging on.

DAY3

It started with the usual morning walk and cooking of breakfast and tea. The only difference was that the breakfast was prepared under the tarp shelter due to rain. We were all cold and wet but the food was good and tea was warm. Rain stopped and children wanted to go for canoeing, so we came to the lake again but were refused the canoes due to windy conditions. While in the booking office we noticed fishing rods and other equipment and thought to rent it and do fishing instead of canoeing. Upon inquiry they told us those we could borrow free of charge which we happily did. We came to one side of the lake that we thought would be rich with fish. Fishing is such a patience game that we could count the total number of fish that we might have caught in several ventures of fishing but kids love to cast into water. So casting practice without catching a single fish was called off after an hour.

Tents and other stuff was already packed and loaded in the cars before we came for canoeing but ended up doing fishing. Kids had some snack here and they enjoyed in the purpose build play area. Once they were tired rather we were tired we hoped back into our vehicles and drove back and were stopped after half an hour by police check post that also was quite unusual. They were randomly checking cars for illegal hunters obviously we were not so they didn't even bother checking our cars. And we were once again en route to Mississauga and surely through the inner roads and not through the highway making it to Asif's plan by evening.

It was a wonderful trip despite all the bug problems that Hassan had to live with for the next few days. Its a good place for camping and the drive is good and more importantly its not far from the city.

We visited Lake George and Upstate Newyork a week later, please check for the other topic for details.

Lake George

Dinner Under Thunders

Area: Adirondack Mountains - Up State New York

Country: USA

Travel Month: July 2008

Attractions: Camping, Drive, Wilderness

Total Distance Covered: 2000 Kilometers on tarmac

View from the cruise

Travelogue:

This was the second leg of our trip to Canada. We took a few days break after Kawathra Lakes camping before going for this one. This was in the cards for the longest time but we could not make it even while we stayed for many years in Canada and the US. But this time in our visit we took the opportunity to do this one for sure. So here we were driving towards Niagra to cross the border into NY on our rented Charger. The border formalities were almost none other than the customs guys asking me to take my sun shades off while talking to him.

We entered Buffalo and stopped at the Walmart for some supplies and were surprise to notice that there were only old people working in the whole store and no young person was visible anywhere. This town is a dieing town as many other US towns. There are run down streets and houses and communities, the youngsters move to bigger cities as soon as they could and leave their elders to live at their own. This is very much appose to the eastern mentality where the family values still prevail and parents are taken care off.

Anyhow we were already on I90 towards Syracuse. The drive was nice especially on a rented Dodge Charger that I took because kids insisted to take that black beauty. We had couple of time cars coming next to us to probe us to have a go with them and I could not resist this mustang with two blacks in it. I told Asif on the radio that I'll slow down after a few miles run with these guys. It was very interesting race with that mustang, I thought they would not let me even touch them but it turned the other way round and the kids had a time of their life by making noise at the top of their voice and the charger was tested this way.

Campground and Lake George

We slowed down for the other car to catch up and then crossed Syracuse and moved further towards Albany the Newyork capital. As soon as we came out of the toll road we saw some smoke coming from Asif's car. We stopped at the side of the highway and noticed that after filling engine oil, he forgot to put the cap so while driving the oil kept shooting out and now it was all over the engine and due to engine heat it started to produce smoke.

After preventive measure we drove to the next gas station 10 kms ahead in Albany, to check the car thoroughly. We filled up the lost oil and the car was ready to go. We drove for another 1.5 hour to reach Lake George where we intended to camp. It was getting dark when we made it there so we thought to stay in a hotel for the night and would look for a good camping spot the next day. After some search we found a nice hotel and checked in to two suites. Lake George is one of the most visited lakes in the Adirondack region and is very popular amongst visitor, hence expensive and busy.

We are loaded like this when we have our own gear

Adirondack Mountains is a protected area of several hundred square kilometers and is name as one of the Park Preserves of US. There are numerous number of lakes and small villages with in this park. This is all low altitude mountains with a lot of greenery and fresh water lakes. The area looks like mini Europe. Lake George is the most visited place in this region, it is a long and thin lake with a number of resorts and private summer houses and mansions dotted on the shores all along making this a picture perfect lake.

Kids enjoying the weather on top of the mountain

Once we settled into our rooms myself and Asif went out to pick up some food and found a Dominos just about to close. They first refused and said it was close but when we insisted that there are still 15 minutes left they agreed to give us a take away order. Everyone was hungry after the whole day drive so did justice to food. As soon as the kids got some energy the run around started again. Playing and jumping all over, they enjoyed the small park in the hotel but it got very chilly soon and we had to come indoors.

The night was very soothing and we had a good night sleep. Yesterdays journey was exciting but long so except me everyone took some time to come out of warm and cozy beds. I loved the morning chill air and the green trees around, the view of the mountain behind the trees in front of our rooms was outstanding. I had a chat with the owner and he told me many things about the area, he also told me about some nice camp grounds to explore before deciding on one.

Crisp sunshine came out and the morning became very pleasant. There was a different sort of smell - pine smell, in the atmosphere giving a feel that one is in a hill station. Everyone was up and we got ready for our drive. This was a small town, we drove from one corner to the other, visited some camp sites but I was not convinced to stay at a campsite that closer to the town. So we drove to the other side of the lake to explore a State campsite on the hill. It had nice views and secluded one too, we picked a spot deep in the site right on the hill under gorgeous pine trees. The trees were really tall and majestic. Campsite was not crowded so we got our private area as no one camped around us atleast, bathrooms were not far too. We pitched our tents in the next hour and kids had a look around and explored the campsite and the area. Everyone loved this spot. We drove back to the town to fetch some supplies and lunch as we had a light breakfast earlier. We had some nice fish n chips and a lots of it. There were some tourists in the market place but when we reached another small village Glen Falls, we found several people going to one big store - none other than Wal-mart.




Once we were done we came back to have the town and visited lake at different spots. We took a big round and went up on the hills to have a view. The area is really beautiful but full of summer homes of the rich. Most of the streets leading to the lake are private roads. Roads are well paved. We stopped at a marina to click some pictures when suddenly some clouds, dark black and full of thunders came and rain started. Just before myself, Sajeel and Asif entered the car a lightning hit the pole next to our car and there were kind of fireworks all over us. We hurriedly entered the car and were definitly terified because of the ordeal. The sparks fell on our cars and us but luckily we were safe and thanked the Almighty. It was a close call.

Our campsite in the tall trees

We drove off to continue our ride around the lake and enjoyed the remaining afternoon by sightseeing. The rain and clouds added to the glory of the scenery. It rained a few times during the day for short spells followed by some sun shine and clouds again. It was a very nice drive, the trees were green, the water in the lake was like crystal, the huts and lodges on the lake banks looked unreal but spectacular, the boats and cruises in the lake were providing a mesmerizing view. We did not feel tired at all due to the freshest air and cleanest environment. This lake offers all sorts of water and mountain activities and has become so popular and a must see in New york.

It was dark when we made it back to the site. It was time to cook food and make a big fire at the camp. Kids love to burn the match boxes and love to sit and play around the fire. Its a natural instinct I believe. There were no clouds now but we could feel the humidity and freshness in the air. The ground was wet but due to on the slop there was no accumulation of water whatsoever. Perhaps this was one of the cleanest air we were breathing in the whole trip. We sat around the fire, we chat around, we had a walk around, visited bathrooms in flash lights and did the necessary chores before retiring that night.

Sajeel, Iman and Moosa in good mood but looked tired

The next day was planned full of action too. We went to take a cruise and boarded on a nice and spacious one. We and a few other families occupied the seats right in front on the deck to have the nicest view. Cruises are always good for a few hours and then they become boring unless you are on a big cruise with all the facilities and you are traveling for few days in it as a home. Especially with small children, they get bored quickly of the static scenery. But this couple of hours gave us another angle of enjoying the beauty of the lake. Looking at the lodges, hotels, houses from in the lake was amazing. It is definitely one of the best lakes having such big mansions on it. Once the cruise was finishing we met another patch of clouds coming our way. We rushed to the cars and then drove off to the highest hill in the area managed by the senior citizens. You need to pay toll to use the paved road snaking up in the mountain. A nice 30 minutes drive. It got all cloudy in a few minutes and we were driving right through the clouds. At one view point we got a clear window and had such a nice view of the lake, it looks different from different locations!!

Once we reached almost to the top it was raining cats and dogs. We were the only ones in the last parking from where they drive you to the summit on mini bus. We waited for some time for the rain to stop before asking the bus to take us to the top. It was a real feel of being in the mountains, the smell, the colors, the atmosphere and every thing. After a while when the rain became drizzle, we all boarded the mini bus and the old man drove us to the top. He asked us if we wanted to get down as it started raining again as soon as we reached the top. We could not resist, so we got off at the top in the rain. It was a small park cum picnic spot at the top and we saw signs of picnics that people would have enjoyed during better weather. However for us, this cloudy weather and rain was the perfect time to visit this place. Soon this place was fully covered with clouds and the visibility reduced, but the rain stopped. This was a good time.

All the kids wanted to stay there more but we started our descend through the trail and did not take the bus for the short ride. The walk was through the slippery trail and we carefully started going down. The dead or fallen trees were providing compost for others. Therefore the jungle was lush and healthy. Once we were down at the parking and in the open area, we let the children loose to run around and burn their energies - the excessive one. Driving down we got good weather and stopped at the look up points to click some snaps.

At the marina just before the lightning struck the electric poll next to our car

Once we were down, we stopped at a bike rental shop where they were renting two wheelers and tri-wheelers motor bikes. Had we known earlier we would have rented that. There we got to know about the latest forecast of another thunder storm full of heavy rain hitting the are in the next few hours. We had a round of the shops and then headed back to the camp to cook our dinner. There was some light left in the day when we reached our site on the banks of lake george but as we picked up a secluded spot up in the mountain we could not see the lake from our camp but only the feel that we were on the lake. Because we did not carry our camping gear due to long travel therefore we had borrowed stuff from other, and we were missing our kitchen tent badly. So we had put a 8x10 tarp between trees to make our kitchen. We had one table with bench on either side right under the tarp. And we had another tarp-smaller in sixe attached to the roof tarp to cover one half side. We were making daal chaawal (boiled rice and lentels full of herbs) for the dinner. We thought to prepare and eat the dinner before the storm hits us as it was forecasted to hit the area after a few hours from now. But the nature had other plans and we started to hear thunders up in the sky to the south of the lake. The clouds soon took over from the sun and we were under very dark and thunderous clouds in a real bad mood. Dare devils continued to cut onions, garlic and prepare fresh dinner for the night. In a few minutes it started to flash and thunder in such a way that we had not seen in years. The lightning was every where and the water was coming down as streams not rain. We were under very tall trees therefore the wind was not really much but the rain was very heavy. We tucked ourselves under the small tarp and the kids were having a different exposure. It was definitely a scary time for many. The food kept cooking, the thunders kept roaring, the lightning kept striking as if its gonna hit us, and the rain kept coming down very very heavy. The thunders were scarring the women. Pitch dark and then a heavy flash of light followed by a big thunder, continued for the longest time of 2-3 hours. During this time we ate and stayed under the tarp for these endless moments. We were not sure if the tents were leaking or sustaining such a storm as it was so heavy and was difficult to set things up in any way.

After several hours it slowed down a bit and the life started running into our bodies. We checked the tents and everything, there was water gathered at the top squared place on our tent and I pushed it up from inside to remove water from the top. There was some water seeped in due to this accumulation at the top but we were ok overall. The other tent sustained it nicely. Everyone was kinda numb due to these few hours and espacially due to the lightning falling around us so closely. The thunders were so loud and seemed bombs bursting into our ears. But for now it was over and we were safe. I thought we should take some break and let everyone come to normal, so we all went back the town for a stroll and to have a look in the stores. There were a few other people like us in the market place roaming around. We had a nice round of ice cream and everyone cheered up. The skies were not absolutely clear and the weather forecast said, more thunders on its way. So we drove back to the camp to settle down before more rains hit us and it did. As soon as we packed extra stuff and entered into our tents the rain started again with the same intensity and the thunders and lightning woke up again. But now we were in our camp so we tried to put kids to sleep and then kept listening to the thunders and the heavy rain hitting our tent. There was no sleep in my bags at least and it became another night without dreams for me. I had to remove water from the top square of our tent due to its design, again and again and to make sure there is no water coming in from anywhere and everyone is tucked into their sleeping bags nicely.

The rain continued almost into the early hours of the morning and then it stopped and I slept. The morning was clear and crisp and there was water on the top square meaning it rained again after I went to sleep. There was some water inside the tent towards the slope but I was amazed to see these tents really surviving a severe storm bravely. We really appreciated the manufacturers - thanks to them.

Breakfast was prepared with eggs and other items. We had a plan to continue to New England states but Asif n fmly insisted going back due to some work related stuff and suggested us to continue. But we came together so decided to cut our trip short and would visit Detroit instead of continueing. Therefore we all started to pack up. Once loaded we went to the mini gold that we promised our children from yesterday and everyone had a 18 whole mini gold. Once completed we decided to take the smaller roads out of Adirondack through some nice scenic area and would also touch a few more lakes like Lake Placid, Sarnac Lake, Tupur Lake. This will add to our distance but we had the full day to drive back to Mississauga, from where we stared our journey. During this journey towards the Thousand Islands we came across many picturesque lakes and scenery. Lake Placid, where once winter Olympics took place was in a very beautiful setting. We passed through dense jungles, open green fields, and were met by rains and thunders twice before we came out of Adirondack area. It became very dark due to the dark clouds during day time and the scenery became more attractive. We had a break at the last gas station in Adirondack and then moved on towards the Saint Johns River to cross over into Canada near Kingston. We crossed the Thousand Islands bridge when the day light was diminishing. Border formalities only took us a couple of minutes and soon we were on 401 towards Toronto.

Polar Bear Express

Area:
Northern Ontario - North Bay, Temagami, Cochrane, Moosonee, James Bay

Travel Month:

August 2006

Country:

Canada

Attractions:

Polar Bear Express, Southern Tip of Arctic, Wilderness of Ontario North

Total Distance Covered:

2100 Kilometers on tarmac, 600 Kilometers on Polar Bear Express, a few kilometers off-road

Travelogue:
There were only a few days left of children summer holidays and I was sitting in my office reading the newspaper. There was a full page advert about the polar bear express, mentioned that the last train would be on the last day of holidays. That was enough to stimulate my senses of travel and I called home to finalize leaving tomorrow early morning, that was agreed and accepted right away. In the meantime I called the number given in the ad and tried to book in our tickets for the train. Unfortunately the lady told me that the system was down and she cannot book us but she assured that we would get the seats. I called up a couple of friends to ask if they wanted to join but as it was already evening and no one was ready to go in such a short notice and especially for such a long journey, just to ride on a train. But as always we were determined to do this.

So the minivan was loaded up at night time, and we all slept / not slept with excitement of the journey.

Route:
Cochrane is the last town in Ontario North, from where the polar bear express originates. It goes to the last village in Ontario North called as Moosonee touching the James Bay and further to Hudson Bay. This place is considered as the southern tip of Arctic. Very exciting to hear. We had to travel from Mississauga to Barrie to Orilia to Gravenhurst to Bracebridge to Huntsville and then passing by the famous Algonquin Provincial Park to North Bay and finally to Cochrane which is the home town for famous hockey player Tim Horton. Who doesn't now about Tim Hortons - now the largest coffee giants in Canada. This was appr. 800Kms journey by road and then about 4 hours ride on the train to reach our destination.

Our commitment for travel and willingness to take challenges has never made us think much before travels and we leave the thinking for the way. We would get plenty of time to think and to plan on the way.

DAY1

We left and 4:30am and crossed Barrie before breakfast time. Once we crossed another few small towns we got the feeling of the North. We were away from the city the road went through quite ups and downs and green fields and forests. We drove along the Lake Simcoe for some time and also not far from the Georgian Bay. When we crossed the road going to Algonquin Park and then to Arrowhead Park we got an urge to divert our plan to these locations but we still continued as Polar Bear name was very attractive and we associated high hopes with that.

North Bay is a sizeable town on the shores of Lake Nipissing. Lunch break was taken here with some fast food and the journey started again towards Cochrane. This was a single road and very less traffic on it. Now we were really far from home or atleast due to very sparsely traveled road we got this feeling. For the next long stretch of road we hardly saw any vehicles and crossed through some nice densely forested lands. The road was going through low hills and then we came across a few nice lakes on the turns. The lakes continued along the road for some time. About 1.5 hours drive we stopped at a very nice lake and a small village named Temagami. The lake was absolutely picturesque with lots of boats in it and the water planes belonged to a tourism company. Deep blue water provided an amazing sight. We had a small round here and visited a very interesting outdoor shop and the visitor center. The lady in charge at the visitor center moved here 35 years back from Hamilton. She was a painter and move away from the city to paint in peace. She had a nice exhibition of her work in the center. A very nice, soft spoken and loving lady who told us that she hardly see any Asians visiting this area and we were exceptions. Anyhow this stopover was worthwhile and we loved this place and would love to visit again.

The last couple of hours journey was tiring as we were fatigued by the days journey. It was 4ish when we made it to Cochrane and went straight to the visitor center. There was nice information displayed about the area and activities. This area is only visited during the summer and in the winters there is hardly any visitor except from when the snowmobiles race takes place, which is a famous event here.

After visiting a couple of hotels we finalized a different kind of a hotel having man-made Igloos to live in. It was very interesting concept that we never saw before, kids were ecstatic and loved the moment they entered this place. Evening was falling in and it became a bit chilly.

After checking into the hotel we drove straight to the station to book tickets for the next morning train as tomorrow was the last day of Polar Bear Express going to Moosonee. But to our surprise they didnt have booking where we get all seats together. After a lot of argument and discussion and reference to my previous days call they offered us to come in the morning and they would get us seats together. This was really disappointing despite calling in from 800 kms before travel. Anyhow there was no choice and we had to give up trying. On the way back to the Igloo we stopped at a Pizza place for dinner and enjoyed the meal. We also visited the small museum about Tim Hortons and the area build inside abundant train bogies.

We came back to our Igloo suite and adjusted ourselves in. It was a comforting place after the long journey. There was a glass wall between the room and the bathroom, it was clean and elegant. We put children to their beds and had a coffee. It had become quite chilly outside - no wonder we were traveling towards the Arctic.

DAY2

We had to reach the station at 6:30 to sort out the seating issue. And as usual we were there even before that. We had on backpack, one baby carrier for Hassan, some water, some eatables and Iman and Sajeel. The seating issue got sorted out right away as they added an additional bogie to the train on demand and as it was the last train they were more courteous. But I must admit people there were very helpful and nice. There were a lot of old people and harly anyone with small kids like us. All whites and we didn't see any Asians/browns. The train was old but comfortable. There was a children play area in the next compartment, they were excited anyhow as this was their first journey in the train anyhow. We had some open spaces in our compartment so it was not crowded at all. The train started with famous whistle. We were out in the open soon. Most of the travel was through the plains and forests. The train continued through the trees and there were hardly any picturesque areas visible. Apart from and few spots when we crossed the Moose river and couple of other waterways when the scenery opened up. So far the excitement was only to be on the train and we were hoping to get to a nice place at the end. The journey was long but not tiring so far. Kids were having good time and they enjoyed every bit of it. Train and open area was all what they wanted.

We took a few rounds here and there in the train and went to the glass top double story bogie and had nice views from there atleast. We also enjoyed breakfast in the dining car with eggs and toasts etc.

It was getting far far away from the civilization and there is no road that leads to the last stop but only this train is the means of travel. Other than the summers there is a regular passenger train that takes several hours one way and stops everywhere. Finally it was announced that we were reaching Moosonee.

This was supposedly be a cold place as the word Arctic suggests but when we got down from the train it was quite hot and humid. There was just one platform and nothing else visible. We were told to get into a bus to be taken to the town. That took two minutes and we passed through a very small far away town/village and were brought to the Moose River banks. Here the river gets high tide and low tide every six hours and many of the small visible islands are washed up during the high tide. Interestingly as it is touching the James bay the water becomes salty at high tide and becomes sweat at low tide. This is an interesting phenomenon.

Moosonee is a historic place and there are old buildings and the Old Moose Factory (the only attraction of the area other than traveling to the James Bay by boat) still intact on an island in the middle of Moose River. Once we reached at the banks everyone started boarding onto a small cruise ship to be taken to the Moose Factory and we being more adventurous hired a small jet boat for the same purpose. After seeing us boarding a small boat instead, two old couples also opted to join us rather. The cruise had left before us but soon we caught up and crossed them. For children that was a big win and they made a lot of noise. They were looking very cute with bigger sized life jackets. The boat was really fast and interesting. Our driver gave a good round before dropping us on the island. And later we got to know he dropped us on the other side of where the cruise drops everyone else, giving us an oportunity to walk on the dusty track for about 1.5 km to join the historic street. It was a real hot day for this area and walk under the sun with the baby carier at my back was tough. Me and my wife shared this on the way to the other side and then found out there was quite a walk to see the place and then back to the boat. Our water reserve was finished and the kids were tired. So we headed back to the boat station to catch a boat back to the other side. Kids insisted in taking the smaller boat again and we came back to where we started. So far it was not a good experience and the town was really haunted with hardly any people visible. We finally reached the only store in Moosonee "Northern" that had a pizza hut and some place to sit. It was a well deserved lunch and break as we could even find a shade to sit otherwise in this town/village. We ate and drunk to the maximum, had a round in the grocery store to pick some water and snacks before coming back to the small station. There was a one compartment museum the only shade in the area so we had several rounds inside and then once the sun moved to west we got a shade to sit.

There was still some time before the train goes back. We met an Indian family who were surprised to see us as we were to see them. We had a nice chat with them and the time passed little better. When the sun was down and we were approaching the evening the train started. We found a nice compartment with 3x3 and 2x2 seats so that the kids can sleep on the way back. It was dark soon and there was not scenery whatsoever. It was just a train travel and thats it. We took a few walks to the snack bar and dining room before the kids were asleep.

It was after 10pm when we reached Cochrane and now definitly tired. We picked up a pizza for the dinner and headed back to the Igloo. The hotel management had upgraded our Igloo as they got a big one vacated and had moved our stuff to that one. This was more spacious and nicer. The night was again chilly and the day heat was forgotten. Kids were again fresh, as they had slept during the journey, they were jumping every where. We had nice view of the fields from the little igloo window.

DAY3
We got up with little leisure today, had a shower and got ready for the breakfast. In the dining room there was only another couple having b'fast. They told us their story as they were traveling from Vancouver to Montreal with the wife driving a U-haul truck and the husband later caught up to her on his car. But the trailer broke down some 200 kms from Cochrane and there was no replacement U-haul could provide to them immediately so they decided to take few days off in Cochran and the area. We had a nice chitchat with them. The continental b'fast was not bad and we really enjoyed it.

Once we packed up our van we went to visit a couple of places in Cochrane including their museum kind of setup with the old village with the original old stuff in it. They had old houses with old furniture, farmhouse, barbershop etc. etc. it was nicely done. And then to the Polar Bear pools. They had polar bears in one pool and then another pool separated from this one by a think glass for the visitors. This was very interesting. We changed into our shorts and jumped in the cold water to be closest ever to a polar bear. The water was freezing but we still managed to get in to see the polar bears swimming across us. It was an amazing experience standing next to polar bears. We had to come out and change, as we were turned blue in only a little time. Then we came into the covered gallery to watch the bears fed. They were quite athletic in the water and performed a number of tricks and games. It was time to move out.

We started our drive back by afternoon and planned to stop on the way whereever we feel like. When we reached Temagami we visited the old artist again, when we told her that we planned to stop somewhere on the way, she suggested to stay at Temagami and she would arrange a nice cottage for us. It was tempting to we thought to explore it. When she called around and arranged a cottage for us, we drove another few miles to a small private cottage area to have a look at the cottage. It was a very nice and beautiful lake and the two-bedroom cottage was right on the lake. We accepted it right away. The area was nicely tucked in big trees and there were private lands and cottages around the lake. A Polish couple that moved here twenty years back from the city owned the property we rented. They had a few cottages, a small boat marina, and nice trail through their land. The family was really nice and hospitable. They told us to take some rest and then see the area. They also included two fishing rods & bait, one small engine boat and a canoe in our rent - a very good deal in $100.00. We were also warned about the bears as this was bear country. They told us a bear sighting two days back on their property and suggested to stay in at night time.

The feeling was great, the place was spectacular and the atmosphere filled with jungle smell. We off loaded only the necessary things and after putting them in the cottage we came out for some walk. We never drove a boat before so thought to give it a shot. Everyone was fitted with life jackets and when I pulled the string to start the motor, it started right away giving us a good start. But only the start was good as we did not know a thing about the motor or the boat. We had been doing canoeing in the lakes but never had a change to drive the motor boat. Being our first experience, it was not simple and straight-forward for us. When I reversed it, it went everywhere and then the motor died. The boat was dragging in the lake with the waves. I kept trying but in vein. The sun was setting already and the evening breeze was quite chilly. There were some clouds on the other side of the lake hanging from another cottage chimney. All our tries were failed and there was not help available around and suddenly we happened to see the ores in the base of the boat. Rest was no problem as we used them to bring the boat back to the parking point. We gave up on this for tonight as it was getting dark. We still had to go out to have dinner or to get something to cook for dinner.

We drove back to the town and found a fish n chips corner hut. We ordered and sat in the open sitting area. After like 30 minutes on our third inquiry we got to know that there was on one plate fish available, well no choice given to us but to eat that fish and the chips. Once we were half full we walked to the only grocery store opened and got some snacks for tonight and eggs & bread for the breakfast. The drive back to the lake was very nice as it was through the dense jungle and part of it was not tarmac. We came back to the cottage and the kids had some fun at the play ground right in front of the cottage. When it got too dark we came into the cottage and sat on the lounge to enjoy the night. There was a lot of moon light out there and the lake and surroundings were quite dramatic and fairytale. Kids went to sleep on their bunkbed and we enjoyed bit more before retiring.

DAY4

Early morning it was sunday and we were all ready for the hike. When we came little far from the cottage in the small hills we found some fresh bear pooh and a shiver came through our body as we were two adults, two children and one small baby in the carrier. After cutting short our hike we came back to the cottage - not to take any chances towards the end of our trip. After coming back we thought of giving another try to the motor boat. This time it never got started so I went back to the owner's hut and asked for assistance. The man came with us and taught us how to ride it and gave us a big round in the lake. After I saw him doing things I was confident that I could do it now. We enjoyed so much that day on the boat, it was not a big lake as per Canadian standards but still sizable and quite deep. There were a few very nice cottage around it - all private quite elevated, the only rental property and on the ground level was where we stayed. Suddenly the clouds roared up and it started to rain very fast. We stayed in the boat for some time under our umbrella as we were on the other side of the lake but the rain was not in a mood to stop. Therefore we drove back to the marina and switched off the motor with a feeling of success and achievement - we learned something new.

It was time to pack up as we had long drive back to Mississauga some 700kms away. We packed up and were ready to go. We said goodbye to the area and drove towards North Bay, further to Barrie and eventually reached home after sunset.

Another memorable trip ended and left more hunger to see the nature with the whole family.