A slow-paced, overly relaxed way of touring like river wheels, which I always thought should be experienced after the age of seventy, was "unfortunate", but I sat three times in three years and felt like I suddenly stepped into the ranks of elderly tourists. In fact, the main thing is that the river wheel can take me to those remote places that are small and difficult to reach, and I can only comfort myself in this way, really not coveting comfort.
The red part is the river cruise route
To be honest, traveling to India can easily create a kind of fear, every time you are surrounded by crowds, all kinds of harsh whistles on the street stimulate your nerves, carefully bypassing the sacred cow next to you, all of which can make people crazy. This time, I boarded the GANGES VOYAGER in Kolkata and embarked on a cultural quest unlike any other. I stood on the deck of the riverboat and sighed that I could finally get rid of the hustle and bustle of the city.
Since sitting on the river wheel of the Amazon rainforest twice, this relatively niche way of travel is no longer unfamiliar to me, luxury river wheel is comparable to the "five-star hotel" on the water, eliminating the need for boats and cars, not to mention, comfort and privacy are also stronger than large cruise ships, but the most attractive place for me is still to go deep into the banks of this river, whether it is to see wildlife, or the natural scenery and cultural customs along the way, usually it is difficult to reach land travel.
The riverboat, part of Heritage River Journeys, India's first luxury cruise ship company, began operations in 2015, and the 28 suites are decorated in an elegant style that reflects the characteristics of India's colonial period. The riverboat has three floors, the first and second floors are guest rooms, the captain's room is on the bow of the ship on the third floor, and the common areas such as the bar study, the gym and the viewing deck are also on the third floor. The facilities are modern and are mainly aimed at elderly European and American tourists who like slow-paced travel and comfort. However, the same nostalgic theme, unlike the "Pride of Africa" retro train I have sat on, has wifi on board, which is still important for modern people.
Hardware facilities are only the "standard" of luxury river wheels, and service is the core of a brand. India's service industry is well-known in the world, and due to the low labor cost, the service staff on the river wheel is equipped with as many as one or two dozen. My room was on the ground floor and the guest room area usually had two waiters. Push open the door, and a waiter will immediately appear from a corner and open the door of the corridor with courtesy. On the return of each landing tour, in addition to providing wet towels and drinks, the boat has a special service: shoe brushing. Everyone took off their shoes and handed them to the waiter, brushed the soles of the shoes and then put them in the door of the room. This is definitely unique to Indus, not only by keeping the cabin clean (the floor on board is polished every day) but also because the outside environment is so dirty.
In terms of diet, brunch is a buffet, dinner is a western three-course style, of course, there will be some Indian specialties, but somewhat improved, more than pure Indian food is more suitable for our tastes. The waiter knew that Chinese liked hot water and tea, so he prepared boiling water every time. Drinking water safety is something I need to pay special attention to when traveling in India, in addition to the unlimited bottled water, River Wheel also specially puts two bottles on the bathroom washstand every day for gargling.
The open air bbq on the deck was welcome
The shore excursion is usually accompanied by six or seven waiters, and if we encounter a temple that needs to take off our shoes to enter, there is a waiter who keeps the shoes at the door and provides us with shoe covers. Considering that my companions and I are photographers and the lenses we carry are more expensive, the ship always arranges for someone to follow us, one to help carry the equipment, and the other is for safety, so even if you walk in a remote rural town, you don't have to worry at all. The service of the river wheel is indeed meticulous, the attitude of the third brother is not picky, of course, good service must be priced, the river wheel throughout the two hundred dollars / person tip standard.
Riverboat trips are slower, landing once or twice a day for a short period of time, usually only two hours at a time, and most of the time is spent on boats. Foreigners like to read books on deck, bask in the sun (this is more difficult, every day is gray weather), and chat in the bar. Lectures and traditional culture experience programs on the river wheel are very popular, and the full-time guide will bring lectures on the history and culture of the coast, but the English with the Indian accent has taught me for a while.
The daily itinerary is printed out and placed in the room
Lecture on the influence of British colonists on India
I made a Moritas spice milk tea (Masala Chai) with chefs, and in addition to Assamese tea leaves, I also need cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, star anise (a little dizzy, isn't this my usual stew material?). Boil it with milk and water for five minutes, add sugar according to each person's taste, although the flavor of the spice is heavier, and it is not used to it at first, but it is also liked to drink it every day. After getting off the boat, I went out of my way to buy a bag of black tea with cardamom, and when I got home, I also boiled Masala Chai myself, which is the most suitable for winter drinking.
In addition to photographing the river scenery, I also like to watch birds on the deck with a telescope. The boat speed is very slow, along the way, crowned fish dogs, egrets, wheat chickens, partridges, etc. are very common. However, due to the serious smog, affecting the line of sight, coupled with the long distance, the shooting is more difficult, more suitable for bird watching.
There were two traditional Indian song and dance performances throughout the trip, and the actors came to the river wheel to perform for the guests, usually after dinner. I don't know if it is because of the New Year, the boat also specially prepared a ceremony to release river lights on the Ganges, hundreds of river lights formed a shining light strip, the light reflected the stream, as if the stars in the sky fell in the water. It is said that the river lantern originated in India, the hometown of The Buddha Shakyamuni, and Buddhist believers hold a Menglan Bon Meeting every July 15 to put river lanterns to commemorate ancestors and surpass the dead.
The voyage spanned Christmas and New Year's, longer than the regular voyage. There was a group of about twenty people from Switzerland on the ship, and the individual passengers were only the two of us and an old Israeli couple living in the United States, and the four of us often moved together when we landed later. Unexpectedly, the former Israeli ambassador to China turned out to be a friend of the old gentleman, I turned out the photo with the ambassador, plus I went to Israel several times, the distance was shortened at once. The old couple is very enthusiastic, very talkative, in short, there are endless topics to talk about, and there are still some love when they get off the ship to say goodbye.
The countryside on both sides of the Ganges is not rich, but it is simple, clean and much quieter, and I prefer the Indian countryside to the big cities. Traveling is about experiencing the lives of others, returning to India after 13 years and continuing to feel her "incredible".