A road trip through the Maritime Provinces in a wonderful adventure and a great one to do with kids. That’s because there’s lots of variation and you can easily visit the three provinces in 10 days. Throw in a couple of ferry rides between provinces and you won’t spend much time stuffed in a car.

You can stay in some of Canada’s historic lodges, quaint B&Bs, or tent in the region’s many parks. And the food! Lobster fests, buttermilk biscuits, clam chowder, dulse, molasses cake, ‘real’ blueberries, all simply the best.

Maritimes means “of the sea” so fishing is obviously important. And who hasn’t heard about PEI potatoes? The Maritimes also seems to ‘grow’ artisans.  You learn a lot about the history of Canada travelling through the Maritimes, just stumbling upon it because it’s everywhere.

I lived in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley for a time during my youth and every summer we would camp at Ingonish Beach in Cape Breton, Cavendish Beach in PEI or along the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. My maternal grandmother had a house overlooking the ocean of the South Shore of Nova Scotia and I spent endless hours climbing the rocks by the ocean there. My father was from New Brunswick—he was part of a big family—so we travelled the province visiting them. We moved from the Maritimes when I was 13 and I have been back many times but always as a visitor.

If I were taking a road trip through the Maritimes this summer, this would be my route. There’s lots more to see, that’s for sure, but these are my favourite places. You’ll need a map to find the way.

Getting to the Maritimes border

When my kids were young and we were living in Ottawa it took us forever to get on the road the first day. So we usually went only as far as Rivière-de-Loup in Quebec before stopping at a campground. It also took us forever to put up the tent the first night but things got better after that.

If you haven’t been to Quebec City, consider stopping for at least a night before going on to the Maritimes. Old Quebec is historic, the setting is awesome and patio dining there can be memorable.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is the only Canadian province that is officially bilingual. Most of the French are Acadian and many of the English are descendants of Loyalists who fled the United States during the American Revolution. So it’s an interesting place.

Travelling from Quebec or Ontario along the Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 2), you’ll start your trip in the Maritimes at Edmundston, New Brunswick. The drive from there down the St John River Valley is surprisingly beautiful, particularly when the light is good.

Everyone wants to drive across the world’s longest covered bridge at least once and the exit you take is a little after you pass Woodstock. The Hartland Bridge, which goes from Somerville to Hartland across the St John River, is 391 m (1282 ft.) long.

St Andrews by-the-sea

You leave Hwy 2 and go south to Passamaquoddy Bay on the Bay of Fundy to one of the oldest and loveliest towns in the Maritimes, St Andrews by-the-sea. It’s very much a New England town, filled with historic homes, some brought over by American settlers after the American Revolution in 1783.

St Andrews was Canada’s first seaside resort and a grand one at that. There are lots of places to stay including the historic Algonquin Resort and interesting restaurants and shops.

The Bay of Fundy is famous for its tides and for the Humpback, Minke, Finback, and Right whales that make a home there in the summer. If you have time, take a ferry from Blacks Harbour to Grand Manan Island where life is quaint, boat tours are easy to arrange, and sunsets are amazing.

Fundy National Park

We usually spend a night or two camping at Fundy National Park. It’s near the village of Alma on Hwy 114. There are two activities we always do in the Park. One is to swim in the heated saltwater pool located off Point Wolfe Road. The other is to take the Moose Horn hike.  We first took this 2 hour hike when the kids were young and although it had its tough moments it was a great adventure for we got to cross a river (I think three times), climb rocks using steel steps, and splash around in an unspoiled swimming hole. It rates high on our list of memorable family experiences.

There are 100 km of trails in the Park, ranging from easy to strenuous, so something for everyone.  There are lots of mosquitoes in the forested sections so be prepared.

Hopewell Rocks

What is particularly interesting about the Bay of Fundy is the difference in the height of the water when the tides are low and high. The water can rise as high as 16 meters, which is the height of a four-story building. Hopewell Rocks is probably the best place to see this. At low tide you can walk out on the ocean floor and wander around reddish rock formations that have trees perched on top. If you return a few hours later these same formations are surrounded by water because the high tide has filled the Bay.

When you walk down to the beach, you pass a big ‘Danger’ sign with two clocks. One clock gives you the current time and the other the time you should leave the beach so as not to be stranded when the tide comes in. You can check the tide tables online. There is an excellent Interpretive Centre at the site.

From here it’s just a two-hour drive to Cape Jourimain where you take the bridge to Prince Edward Island.

Prince Edward Island

PEI, Canada’s smallest Province, is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It’s known for its sand beaches, red soil, and flattish landscape with rolling hills that is perfect for bike riding. It carries the honour of being the “birthplace of Confederation”.

The Confederation Bridge joins the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. It’s 12.9 km (8 mile) long—the longest bridge in the world—and it takes about 10 minutes to cross it. It took four years to build the bridge and it is considered to be a top Canadian engineering achievement.

You don’t pay a toll going to PEI, either by bridge or by ferry, only when you leave. When you cross the bridge you’re in the southwestern region of the province.

Cavendish Shores

The island is so small that you could easily cross it in a day but this is where you’ll find the best beaches in the Maritimes, where the water is not too cold for swimming, so consider staying for at least a couple of days. We usually stay at Cavendish Campground in PEI National Park or at a nearby private one. There are also cabins, B&Bs and motels around Cavendish.

Kids have lots of fun here just playing in the sand (and when they get a little older, burying their sibling in the sand) and jumping off the sand dunes. There are many walking trails. One day we enjoyed a delectable lunch at Dalvay-by-the-sea that is in the east end of the park; it’s a summer resort hotel that was built in 1895 by a Scottish-American oil tycoon.

If you need a break from the beach then go shopping. Two places I always visit are The Dunes Studio Gallery and the New London Village Pottery. And you really should partake in a traditional Island lobster supper (take your camera).

 Anne of Green Gables
When I was very young I read every one of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s books about Anne and so the first time I visited the Green Gables homestead I was totally enchanted. This is a must-see for all Anne fans. I later took my children to the musical Anne of Green Gable at the Charlottetown festival, a production was enjoyed by all.

Nova Scotia

The ferry from PEI leaves from Wood Islands, in the southeastern part of the province, and lands in Caribou, Nova Scotia. It operates from May to mid-December. The trip takes 75 minutes and there are frequent crossings.

There is so much to see in Nova Scotia that I can hardly believe it is the second smallest province in the country. Let’s start in its capital city, Halifax.

Halifax

Waterfront
I would start at the boardwalk, buy an ice cream, watch the buskers, take a boat cruise in the harbor (or ride the ferry to Dartmouth and back). Then I’d visit the historic Farmers’ Market in Brewery Square for the atmosphere.

Walk up one of the VERY steep streets
Halifax is one of the world’s largest natural harbors and to appreciate it you need to view it from above. While you’re up there, go have a look at the Citadel.

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Over 1.5 million immigrants, war brides, displaced people, evacuee children, and Canadian military personnel passed through this famous building between 1928 and 1971. They have done an exceptional job in telling their stories.

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The gallery showcases the visual arts of Atlantic Canada with exhibits that celebrate life by the sea. There is a good selection of works of well-known Atlantic artists including folk artist Maud Lewis.

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The maritime history of Nova Scotia is compelling such as the Halifax Explosion that killed 2000 and injured 9000 more and the sinking of the Titanic.

Restaurants
There are many fantastic restaurants in Halifax. A tradition for me is dinner at McKelvie’s, either Cajun salmon or crunchy haddock. At the top of my daughter’s list would probably be one of the city’s many pubs. Halifax is a university town: Dalhousie University, Mount Saint Vincent University, Saint Mary’s University, University of King’s College. Which came first, the students or the pubs?

The Lighthouse Route

The Lighthouse Route follows the South Shore along Hwy 3, from Halifax to Yarmouth. It’s a winding road—you’ll probably feel dizzy at the end—past 20 lighthouses and charming fishing villages. This to me is the ‘real’ Maritimes, where the highly unpredictable waves of the Atlantic Ocean crash on the rocky shores.

Peggy’s Cove
This quaint fishing village, 43 km southwest of Halifax, is one of the province’s most photographed places.  It’s rather austere: primarily a lighthouse on a rocky terrain. The CAUTION sign warning visitors about the potentially dangerous surf and the slippery rocks is a little foreboding. Still, it’s a perfect place to climb rocks (not too close to the water!) and just appreciate the setting.

Swissair Flight 111 Memorial
This is a memorial to commemorate the 229 people who died when their aircraft crashed into St. Margarets Bay in 1998. There are two memorials in the area and one is at Whalesback, 1 km northwest of Peggy’s Cove.

Mahone Bay
How can you drive through one of the most picturesque maritime towns, described as being “nestled where the Mush-a-Mush and Maggie rivers empty”, without stopping? Three churches are the dominant feature in photos of the place.

Lunenburg
Old town Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a good place to spend the night for there are lots of places to sleep, eat and shop. Lunenburg has a long and proud seafaring history. It’s the birthplace of the Bluenose schooner that won the International Fisherman’s Trophy for 17 years straight and is now home to the Bluenose II.

They say that if you’ve never been to sea then the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic is the place to start. The museum celebrates the fishing heritage of Atlantic Canada from shipbuilding to rum-running to fish filleting. Kids especially love the aquariums filled with native fish and marine creatures. The museum is housed in the red buildings at the Lunenburg waterfront.

Chester
We always make a stop in Chester, often bringing along a picnic lunch. We just walk the streets, looking at the Yacht Club and at the houses and cottages, for this is one of the wealthiest communities in Nova Scotia. It’s intimate and exclusive and very New England. Once we stayed for dinner and took in a play at the Chester Playhouse. Chester is well known for its annual summer sailing regatta that takes place the second week of August.

Beaches around Lunenburg
As a child I spent many summers climbing the rocks at Hunts Point where my grandmother lived, which is a charming fishing village with a little beach. Our favorite place to go swimming was Summerville beach because it’s not only picturesque but has the warmest water in the area (or so it is said).

Port Royal National Historic Site

I would now go across the province to the Fundy Shore (although I always stop in Middleton in the Annapolis Valley to have a look at the house where I once lived). Here at Annapolis Royal you’ll find the reconstructed Habitation, which was one of the earliest European settlements in North America. It’s interesting to learn how Samuel de Champlain and his men, in 1605, established a fur trading post with the Mi’kmaq and survived the harsh conditions. You also learn about North America’s first European social club, the Order of Good Cheer.

New Brunswick

The Princes of Acadia ferry across the Bay of Fundy from Digby, Nova Scotia to St. Johns, New Brunswick takes three hours and I usually book it in advance. Digby is in the Annapolis Basin and known as the scallop capital of the world. In NB, consider visiting the St. John’s City Market, a lively place with a great display of produce and seafood, before starting the drive home.

You can either head north, back the way you came, or take the short drive west to St. Stephen, NB and from there cross into Calais, Maine.

Cape Breton Island

Cape Breton is one of my favourite places in all of Canada but driving there and seeing the island within a 10-day itinerary that includes all of the Maritimes would be too rushed. If you’re planning a trip up the west coast of Newfoundland then add on a few days for Cape Breton for you catch the ferry to Nfld from there.

By Sylvia Fanjoy

Photo credits Sylvia Fanjoy

© Riding the buses 2013

This is no ordinary garden show; some would call it weird; the founder says it’s contemporary. Since the festival began in 2000, 110 gardens from 15 countries have been selected by a jury to be part of the exhibition.  290 proposals were received from 31 countries for the 2013 festival and six gardens chosen, so it continues to grow.

Tim Richardson, the author of several books on gardens and a garden columnist for  Britain’s Daily Telegraph, considers this festival to be “one of the very best conceptual garden shows worldwide”. It certainly encourages innovation and experimentation, bringing together “the visual arts, architecture, design, landscape and the environment”.

The festival is one of 25 gardens that Richardson showcased in his book Great Gardens of America (there is another Canadian garden on the list, Les Quatre Vents). The festival, says Richardson, has no declared theme but instead actively encourages participants to “grapple within a sense of place”, within an existing historic garden and a “grand natural landscape”.

The historic garden that he is referring to is the Reford Gardens (Jardins de Métis) that occupies the adjacent site. I suspect we “traditional” gardeners go to Grand-Métis to see Elsie’s Reford’s historic garden and stumble upon the contemporary one quite by accident. Richardson would probably say that we suffer from trying to preserve gardens as they looked in the past.

Certainly, innovation has its place and Alexander Reford, the great-grandson of Elsie Reford and director of both the Reford Gardens and the International Garden Festival, is to be admired for his initiative. I do think it helpful to read and think about the gardens before you go so that you know what the designer was thinking.

The festival’s setting is austere, bordered by the St. Lawrence River, a woodland, a large field and a forest.  It seems a long way from the colourful and familiar Reford gardens although the distance is not great. The two spaces are dramatically different.

Here are four of the gardens that were on display when I was there in 2011.

A ditch with a view: Explores the concept of the borrowed view and the role of voyeurism in the secret garden. Recycled windows bound the secret garden space and provide views of the ditch and the borrowed landscape beyond.

Fleur de sel: Presents an image of the first snowfall and that underneath the snow the garden will remain hidden until the snow melts. It is up to the onlooker to imagine what the garden is like. A lot of salt is used every year in Canada to melt snow on the roads and we sometimes forget how important salt is.

Réflexions colorées: A semi-reflective equilateral triangle provides a courtyard-like enclosure that frames and intensifies the perception of the forest. The perception changes with the light and where the visitor is standing.

Our sins: These giant sea urchin sculptures were inspired for this maritime environment. While they are geometric and joyful, their footprint is modest and a mysterious find on the edge of an evergreen forest.

The International Garden Festival is located on route 132 in Grand-Métis, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, mid-way between Rimouski and Matane. This year the festival runs from June 22 to September 29. Descriptions of the 2013 gardens and the jury that selected them are available on the festival website along with information on how to get there.              

By Sylvia Fanjoy

Photo credits Sylvia Fanjoy

© Riding the buses 2013

Kandy is a busy place imbued with old world charm. At its core is a large, man-made lake; the hills are its backdrop.  It is a religious centre and home to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, which attracts pilgrims from around the world. The nearby Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage is a popular stop for many visitors as is the spectacular Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.

I stayed just outside the city, up in the hills, in a wonderful hotel called The Mansion for US$50/night and found it easy to get around by tuk-tuk. The hotel setting is very peaceful, very bucolic.

You pass through many tunnels on the train from Colombo to Kandy and this ride is said to be one of the best in the world. I skipped that trip but did take the train from Kandy to Nanu Oya, the closest station to Nuwara Eliya, a town often called “Little England” because it was a favourite British hill station. The tallest mountain in Sri Lanka overlooks Nuwara Eliya and a perch there is well worth the climb for an overview of the incredible landscape that surrounds the town. Close by is Horton Plains National Park where a sheer precipice called World’s End drops 1050 meters.

The tea plantations around Nuwara Eliya are astonishingly picturesque, with bushes laid out in perfect lines that follow the contours of the land. Tea grows best at high altitudes where there’s plenty of rain, so everything is lush and green and the air consistently fresh. The British not only introduced tea to these highlands but also built roads and railway lines to transport the tea out. Many Europeans migrated here to be tea planters. And when the British discovered they didn’t have enough labour to work the tea estates they brought over Tamils from southern India to do that.

These so-called ‘Plantation Tamils’ are very different from the ‘Sri Lankan’ Tamils that live in the North, although they have a common language. The tea here is picked by hand, not by machine, with the workers bending over the tops of the three-foot high bushes picking only the bud and two youngest leaves. Many of the tea pluckers are women.

Ceylon tea (Sri Lanka was called Ceylon until 1972) is famous, exported to countries around the world. You can visit a tea factory where the tea is withered, rolled, fermented, dried, sorted and packaged. No preservatives or artificial flavourings are added to Pure Ceylon Tea.

The climate in the hill country is not only ideal for growing tea but also for temperate crops such as carrots, cabbages and apples rather than the tropical fruits and vegetables that are grown in the low country. These terrace gardens are also perfect and add to the beauty of the setting.

There is a private club in Nuwara Eliya that was founded by British coffee planters in 1876 as a ‘home away from home’. Staff cheerfully showed me around the place and I suspect it is much the same today as it was more than a century ago. There’s also a golf club that imposes a strict dress code on its infrequent visitors. Quaint.

Nearby is a rather interesting Hindu Temple called Seetha Kovil and the modest Hakgala Botanical Gardens. I hired a tuk-tuk driver to take me around for a couple of days and then, when he was able to obtain a car, to drive me over to Ella and down to Tissa.

Ella is a popular place for visitors, with small shops and restaurants and a laid-back atmosphere. Accommodation can be difficult to obtain. What do you do in Ella? You walk for it’s the base for trekking expeditions to Ella’s Rock and beyond. This was also the first place in the country where I ran into young backpackers catching a local bus.

What makes Ella spectacular is the view you have from here through a gap in the hills. It is acclaimed and simply referred to as Ella’s Gap.  The garden of the Grand Ella motel is reputed to be the best place to see the Gap. There’s also the Rawana Ella Falls, the pastoral setting, the friendly people…

I will surely return.

By Sylvia Fanjoy

Photo credits Sylvia Fanjoy

© Riding the buses

Migrants are the most radical form of traveller, he said. Almost 21% of Canada’s population is made up of migrants so this is a country of travellers although I never really thought about it that way before.  Santayana thought the merchant was the most legitimate traveller, perhaps because the merchant’s mission is more purposeful.

Explorers, he said, were “more dashing” than migrants because they travel chiefly to “sharpen the edge of life”. The explorer, however, may turn into a wanderer, “out on the loose, innocently idle, or driven by some morbid compulsion”. This sounds a little like me! His most “notorious” traveller was the tourist and he admitted that he was often one himself; he saw the wisdom in going frequently from the familiar to the unfamiliar.

I recently stumbled upon Dervla Murphy’s autobiography Wheels within wheels: The makings of a traveller. In it she describes herself as someone who prefers to wander alone, taking each day as it comes. Not at all purposeful sounding but her wanderings were certainly exceptional for she biked from Ireland to India on her own in 1963. In fact, Murphy lived a very restricted life taking care of her invalid mother but whenever she got a break she would be on her bike riding the back roads.

Her book and other great works of travel literature are being kept in print by Eland Books. So easy to download onto your Kindle and so inspirational.

Sylvia Fanjoy
Sylvia@ridingthe buses.com

© Riding the buses 2013

I do know some Spanish and here it is.
-       Hello. Hola. (o-la)
-       Goodbye.  Adiós.  (a-dyos)
-       Good day.  Buenos dias.  (bwe-nos dee-as)
-       Good afternoon.  Buenas tardes.  (bwe-nas tar-des)
-       Good evening.  Buenas noches.   (bwe-nas no-ches)
-       Coffee with milk.  Café con leche.  (ka-fe kon le-che)
-       Red wine.  Vino tinto  (vee-no teen-to)
-       The bill please.  La cuenta por favor.  (la kwen-ta por fa-vor)
-       How much is it?  Cuándo cuesta?  (kwan-to kwes-ta)
-       Thank you.   Gracias  (gra-syas)
-       Sorry.  Perdón.  (per-don)

These few words and lots of gestures worked just fine.

I’ve travelled around Mexico but never to Merida and that city has been on my travel list for some time. There is a TV show here in Canada called House Hunters International where house hunters buy real estate in foreign countries. Two episodes were based in Merida and I really liked what I saw.

The cheapest way for me to get there would be to take a West Jet flight from Ottawa to Cancun (CDN $535 return) and then a bus to Merida. I would arrive in Cancun around noon Mexican time so would travel overland during daylight hours. I googled buses and sure enough I could catch one right from the airport to the downtown Cancun station and on to Merida.

I decided to stay a week in Merida followed by time in Isla Mujeres, an island north of Cancun that I visited a decade ago and really liked. Using Trip Advisor and Agoda I found a charming place in historic Merida at 35% off the regular rate and an inexpensive room in one of the original hotels in Isla. And off I went.

Cancun airport

I landed at terminal 2 in the Cancun airport and found an ATM when I went through customs. I was told to turn right when I left the terminal  and keep walking until I saw the “ADO” red/grey bus ticket booth and buses, and there they were. I understand it’s a similar setup at terminal 3.

The bus to Cancun’s downtown bus station is non-stop, takes 35 minutes and costs 56 pesos (USA$4.59). You can also catch a bus from the airport to Playa del Carmen (65 minutes).

Downtown Cancun terminal

The bus terminal is very clean and well organized. They put your name on the ticket and you choose your seat. Your suitcase is tagged and stored in a compartment under the bus. The cost to travel to Merida on a first-class bus going along the toll road was 312 pesos (US$25.58).

Bus to Merida

The bus made a short stop in Valladolid, which is half way between Cancun and Merida. It’s known as the “Sultan of the East” because of its colonial buildings. Valladolid is only 40km (28 miles) from Chichen Itza, which is perhaps the best-known Mayan archeological sites and recently named one of the “New 7 wonders of the world”. I’ve visited Chichen Itza but I would be interested in seeing more of Valladolid on a return visit.

The trip took almost 4 hours. The bus wasn’t fancy but adequate and the loud movies they play drove me crazy but others seemed to enjoy them.

Merida

There is a taxi stand inside the Merida bus station and in a matter of minutes I was at my hotel, in time to have a swim in the small pool before heading out for supper.

Merida is a gorgeous colonial city that surpassed all expectations (more about that in May). Both the state and the city do an admirable job assisting tourists with advice, maps, brochures and a free walking tour. I took the hop-on hop-off bus that leaves from the central plaza and even though the commentary was only offered in Spanish it was well worth the price for a ‘high’ view of the city.

Renting a car to explore the area is certainly an attractive option and something I would have done if I were travelling with others. The Yucatan Today tourist publication provides helpful suggestions for day trips, from caves and haciendas to Mayan villages and colonial churches. There are over 6,000 sinkholes or cenotes in the Yucatan and some near Merida are ideal for swimming.

I took a tour bus to the Celestun Biosphere Reserve, 96 km from Merida, and another to Uxmal, the “thrice built city” and the most “manicured” of the Mayan sites.

Bus and ferry to Isla Mujeres

You can buy a  return ticket to Cancun at the bus office in Merida’s central plaza. My bus was direct, not stopping in Valladolid. From the Cancun bus station it’s a short taxi ride (60 pesos) to Puerto Juarez where you catch the ferry to Isla Mujeres.

The ferry terminal and ferries have changed a great deal since I was there 10 years ago. Ferries leave about every half hour and cost 140 pesos round trip. When you arrive on the island, there are lots of taxis but if you’re staying in El Centro you can probably just walk to your hotel for the area is so compact.

Along the Mayan coast

A young Danish woman I met in Merida told me she had just spent a month on Holbox Island and really liked the place, camping most of the time she was there. She described it as the sort of place where you can still have a piece of beach all to yourself. I have been to Holbox, which is north of Isla Mujeres, and I would have gone again based on what she told me but it would have been necessary to stay there overnight  and I didn’t have enough time to do that. So it is another “next time” destination.

On a previous visit I had also been down the coast as far as Tulum, where there is a rather modest Mayan ruin in a spectacular setting. So my day trip from Isla Mujeres was to Cozumel, an island I had never been to that is 19km (12 miles) from Playa del Carmen. Cozumel was once a pilgrimage site for the moon and the fertility goddess. Today it’s a diver’s paradise because of the coral reefs. People also go there to snorkel and deep-sea fish. A taxi driver wanted $70 to take me around the island and based on the beach, restaurants and stores near the terminal I decided it was not my sort of place so after a quick lunch I returned to Playa.

Playa was another fishing village that exploded into a big-time resort. It’s not like the Cancun hotel zone, though, and I would consider staying there for a few days and getting to know it better.

There are frequent shuttle vans that run between Cancun and Playa. The trip takes less than an hour, costs 30 pesos, and the vans are air-conditioned. What more can you ask for! The shuttle station in Playa is at Calle 2 Norte around Av. 15.

Next time I will travel further south to Mahahual, still a fishing village that is described in Yucatan Today as being one of the last frontiers of the Mexican Caribbean. They say that if you visited Cancun 35 years ago or Playa del Carmen 20 years ago, then that is what Mahahual looks like today. Appeals to me!

By Sylvia Fanjoy

Photo credits Sylvia Fanjoy

© Riding the buses 2013

The Mexican government began developing the Cancun hotel zone in 1974 and today it is one of the most popular tourist resorts in the world. There are more than 150 hotels in the zone so it can accommodate the millions of visitors that go there each year. Not a great surprise, perhaps, that the Mayan word for Cancun is “pot of gold”.

I’ve stayed in Cancun but I’m not a fan of big resorts. Isla is more my kind of place. There is more than one theory behind its name, which is the Island of Women in English, one being that pirates left their women there for “safe keeping” while they were out doing their stuff on the high seas. It was a hippie hangout in the 1970s.

The Yucatan Peninsula, of course, is famous for its beaches, Mayan archeological sites and proximity to the second largest coral reef system in the world. I’ve been down its coast and what I like most about Isla is that it’s ‘real’. It’s an island where locals live, shop and attend church. The beach at Playa Norte is perfect for swimming: it’s shallow and protected from the sea; you can do lap after lap in these crystal blue waters.

When I was there a decade ago I spent two weeks on my own and two with “the girls”. We stayed in El Centro where there are lots of restaurants, shops and Internet cafés. We rented a golf cart for a day and explored the whole island; took a local bus down to Tulum, the only walled city that the Maya built and one where the setting is more spectacular than the ruins; did an overnight trip north to Holbox Island, which is less developed than Isla. It was a good month.

I’d heard rumours that Isla had changed, that more hotels and condos had been built, that an increasing number of day-trippers were coming over from Cancun because of the direct ferry service that is now in place.

I decided to counter this by staying in one of the original hotels, on Hidalgo, the crowded pedestrian strip where there is no space for ‘newness’. There was a fridge in the room along with dishes, a coffee maker and electric frying pan. Hippies probably stayed there in 1975 and you’re still asked to put your toilet paper in the wastebasket. But the price was reasonable, included an ample breakfast, and besides, it was air-conditioned.

After checking in I walked El Centro, which is not difficult since it takes 10 minutes to cross the island. I no longer had to go through an undeveloped area (sometimes with barking dogs) to get to Playa Norte for it’s paved the whole way. I loved this beach–it was an all-time favourite–and I must say it has changed. It is stuffed with chairs and umbrellas; big black berms are now part of the shoreline because of erosion.  But the water is just as calm and the sand still a stunning white.

If you walk a little west you’ll come to Playa Sol and here the beach is much the same as a decade ago. Wharfs add interest as do the fishing boats that line the shore. You’ll see fishermen mending their nets under the shade of nearby trees. As before, this is where you’ll find the simple restaurants serving fish but now you can choose to sit on a chair placed on a deck instead of one with its legs in the sand. It’s still the best place to watch the sun set.

The central plaza is painted a rather shocking blue but the place has a Caribbean vibe, perhaps more exaggerated now. Still, houses, shops and restaurants were always painted every colour of the rainbow. The grocery store is still there, across from the plaza, and at noon they offer very affordable take-out meals such as chicken with rice and beans.

Isla is an island where Happy Hour is celebrated. Lots of people also go snorkeling, scuba diving or take a boat to Isla Contoy, which is a nesting place for sea birds.

It’s a destination that is particularly suitable for families. Every evening I watched as toddlers, parents and grandparents filled the tables along the strip outside my hotel for what seemed to be a special evening together. The age or budget of the guest did not seem to matter for all were unequivocally welcomed. That’s Mexican hospitality at its best and what makes Isla a feel-good sort of place.

By Sylvia Fanjoy

Photo credits Sylvia Fanjoy

© Riding the buses 2013

I’ve read that the orchid house is most popular but it didn’t hold my attention, perhaps because I recently visited the one in Singapore and that has to be among the best in the world.  Besides, when you have trees like they do in Sri Lanka, why mess around with orchids.

That’s why the fernery garden is my favourite, not because of the ferns but because of the trees that grow there. It’s also an intimate garden with intersecting paths shaded by these majestic trees that are heavily draped in vines. For those into ferns, the collection includes about 100 indigenous and exotic species.

There are three palm avenues and they are magnificent. The palms in the Cabbage Palm Avenue are over 21m in height and lined up just perfectly. Some of the 200 species of palms in the Garden are quite decorative. The double coconut palm is from the Seychelles and produces the largest seed in the plant kingdom.

As I was walking down the road towards the Great Circle, I started to notice young couples standing or sitting behind trees on either side of the road. This continued as I went along the palm avenues and it finally occurred to me that this was where young Sri Lankans ‘hang out’ in this relatively conservative society.

There’s a Great Lawn with an enormous Java Willow (or Java Fig tree) in the centre that looks like a big umbrella. Families were relaxing and playing games in this space. Bordering the lawn is an avenue of Cooks pines. Across the road from the lawn are trees that are so enormous that even their roots seem to have outgrown the space.

There’s a lake with marsh plants, a spice garden with cinnamon, pepper, cardamom and nutmeg. The flower garden has a curving path of colourful annual coleus. Nearby are flowering trees that come into bloom at various times of the year. I was most impressed by the greenery behind them—so lush and reaching such amazing heights.

In this tropical climate, plants grow quickly. There’s a giant bamboo from Burma in the bamboo collection and its new shoots grow about 30 cm (almost a foot) a day. It would be a full time job just maintaining its size.

I loved the Gardeners’ Memorial. It is in a sheltered place and you walk down a rather ceremonial road to reach it. Sitting in it made me feel that I was part of a worldwide community.

Here are some of the featured highlights of the garden:
-       Double coconut
-       Pinetum
-       Ebony collection
-       Palm collection
-       Cycad collection
-       Bamboo collection
-       Medicinal garden
-       Giant bamboo
-       Rock border
-       Gardner’s memorial
-       Java Fig tree
-       Cook’s pine avenue
-       National herbarium
-       Ficus collection
-       Royal palm avenue

 -       Memorial trees
-       Fernery
-       Flower garden
-       Palmyra palm avenue
-       Cabbage palm avenue
-       Cactus house
-       Plant house
-       Orchid house
-       Spice garden

About two million visitors go through the gardens every year. There are 4000 species under cultivation on 147 acres (59 hectares). The gardens are open 365 days/year from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Source: Guide Map, Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

By Sylvia Fanjoy

Photo credits Sylvia Fanjoy

Riding the buses 2013

Celestun is a fishing village 96 km southwest of Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It’s known for its seafood restaurants and for the flamingos that go there during the fall and winter to reproduce.

The flamingos are in the Celestun Biosphere Reserve and you need to take a boat to see them. You can hire one at the entrance to Celestun or on the beach near either the La Palapa or La Sirena restaurants.

There are about 26,000 flamingos in the Yucatan and the biggest colony is here. Flamingos are very tall birds. Males can grow to be 1.5 m tall and weigh almost 4 kg. They eat by filtering organic particles from the water through their bill. These particles are rich in carotene, which gives them their pink colour.

Flamingos stay together as a big group, which is one reason why seeing them is so impressive. You’re riding along in this boat that’s going at a crazy fast speed and suddenly you see this orangey-pink ribbon up ahead and realize it must be them. It was the end of the season when I was there but the colony was still very impressive.

Flamingos like it here because it’s a coastal lagoon and the water is shallow and saline, which can be hard to find today. They need to spend 12 hours a day eating to get all the food they need so you’re not allowed to get too close or else they will all fly off together. (Oops!)

There are about 90 species of aquatic bird in the reserve. Migrating birds rest and feed here. Pelicans are particularly impressive and there are as many as 4,000 of them here in the winter months. They were perched on the fishing huts and flying above us but the boat was going too fast for me to get a photo. There are lots of herons, woodpeckers and kingfishers too.

The reserve as a whole is fascinating and well worth exploring. Inland is the petan, which is low-flooding jungle. Its ecosystem is very fragile for it depends on a balance between freshwater and saltwater. The saltwater, of course, comes from the Gulf. The freshwater is from springs or small underground lakes known as cenotes.

The trees of the petan, such as Gum and Mahogany, grow to 15m – 18m high. Before the area was protected, many of the trees were cut down for fuel. Termite nests are everywhere–some are absolutely enormous.

The peten is not only a food source for birds but also for the jaguar, ocelot, white-tailed deer, spider money, and crocodile. Out guide showed us footprints that he said belong to a jaguar. I’ll tell you about the crocodile in a minute.

Four of the seven existing species of turtle are found here. The females lay their eggs (between 90 and 220 eggs each) in the sand on the reserve’s beaches in the summer and 50 to 70 days later the baby turtles hatch and make their way to the sea. I saw this happen in Costa Rica and it is truly fascinating. The sand along the coast can be one or more meters deep.  There are lots of fish here too.

The boat made a swift, sharp turn (I think the driver was a bit of a show-off) into a mangrove, which is an enchanting place to be.

The salt and fresh waters meet here and the different levels of saltiness create the ecosystem for the most unusual vegetation to grow.

We followed a wooden path through the mangrove to visit a fresh water spring. I have never seen water like this. It shimmers.

There are no rivers in the Yucatan because the limestone is so porous that all the rainwater goes underground.  The water that gathers underground is a crystal clear turquoise colour.

The spring water is perfect for swimming. No one in my boat wanted to swim but some in the boat behind us jumped in and guess what? A crocodile appeared on the edge of the pond and just stared at them! It didn’t go in the water though. Maybe it wasn’t hungry. I just wish I had a photo to show you.

Some people call this a petrified forest, I guess because the trees all have their roots in the water. It certainly is an interesting habitat to explore.

I took a bus tour to the Celestun Reserve because I was told it was too difficult to go there on my own. I later read in the Yucatan Today newsletter that a local bus leaves Merida’s  terminal Noreste (Calle 50 at 67) starting at 5:15 am, 6 am, 8 am, then every hour. The last return trip is at 8 pm. The trip takes 2 ½ hours and costs 47 pesos (US$3.79). The drive itself is very interesting for you pass traditional Mayan villages.

If you go on your own you can arrange a two-hour boat tour instead of a one-hour one. That’s the only thing I didn’t like about my visit to the reserve: It was too rushed.

Source: Signs posted at the reserve

By Sylvia Fanjoy

Photos credits Sylvia Fanjoy

© Riding the buses 2013

The city of Amritsar is in the Punjab in northwest India, very close to the Pakistan border. It is an affluent state and the majority of people are Sikh. Unlike some Indian cities, there are few animals crowding the streets and there are proper outdoor toilets. There are also many travel agencies.

Pilgrims from all over the world come here because of the Golden Temple, which is the spiritual and cultural center for the Sikh religion. The temple bears the name “the Temple of God” (Harimandir). Sikhism was to be a meeting ground between Hinduism and Islam and this temple, and its attached structures, was to be the centre of a world culture and world religion.

I was totally struck by the size of it. By the whiteness, the sparking gold, the perfection. I simply didn’t expect this. The shrine is open to all people regardless of religion and even though I seemed to be the only non-Sikh it didn’t seem to matter.

It is very well organized, starting with lockers where everyone leaves their shoes. I was surprised that there is no obvious security. No checking of bags for bombs and that sort of thing.

There are communal taps outside the area where you leave your shoes. This is where you wash your hands.

Everyone washes their feet before they enter the temple complex. There are guards at the entrance with what look like large ceremonial spears to make sure you do this.  There are also baths for cleansing your feet inside the temple such as this one.

This is the view as you enter the complex. There are carpet ‘runners’ on the marble walkway (Parkama) that surrounds the sacred pool for the floors can be cold in winter and I’m told they are shockingly hot in summer. There are carpet areas where pilgrims can just sit for a while. The pace is unhurried for many have come a long way to see what is considered to be their homeland.

Everyone must cover their head and they will provide you with a scarf if you need one. The many British accents I heard was a reminder that pilgrims come from many places.

Some pilgrims bathe in the holy waters.

There is a community kitchen where volunteers serve meals to pilgrims all day and night.

Some pilgrims choose to sleep there. It is a peaceful complex and there are lovely gardens on the grounds too.

I understand the architecture is a blend of Hindu and Muslim styles. It certainly is very impressive.

The holy book of the Sikhs – the Guru Granth Sahib – is brought to the Golden Temple at 4 am and removed at 9:30 pm. These are both important occasions that many visitors attend. I joined the line to view the holy book and these musicians entertained us as we waited.

Over the years there have been demands for an independent Sikh homeland. In 1984 Sikh militants who were occupying the Golden Temple were forcibly removed by Indian army troops in a battle know as Operation Blue Star. The result was many deaths and considerable damage to the temple. Four months later, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed by two of her Sikh bodyguards. During the anti-Sikh riots that followed more than 3,000 Sikhs were killed.

The partition of British India into India and Pakistan in 1966 divided the Punjab into two regions, the Muslim one on the Pakistani side and the Sikh and Hindu one on the Indian side. There was a mass exodus of those who found themselves ‘on the wrong side’ as  communal riots broke out and atrocities were committed.

Every evening, just before sunset, the Indian and Pakistani military meet at the Attari/Wagah border to close the gate in a dramatic fashion. It is a daily sign that tensions still exist between the two countries. The audience was large on the Indian side but the crowd was overly controlled by the soldiers. I think they had a much better time on the Pakistani side.

Not far from the Golden Temple there is a park that commemorates the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where in 1919 Indian civilians were fired upon by British soldiers without warning. The sign that stands there says: “This place is saturated with the blood of thousands of Indian patriots who were martyred in a non-violent struggle to free India from British domination. General Dyer of the British army opened fire here on unarmed people. Jallianwala Bagh is thus an everlasting symbol of non-violent and peaceful struggle for freedom of Indian people and the tyranny of the British.”

By Sylvia Fanjoy

Photo credits Sylvia Fanjoy

© Riding the buses 2013