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teddy06writes · 3 years

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Greek Myth Series: Eros and Psyche Part One

Eret x afab! reader

trigger warnings: yelling, mentions of pregnancy

premise: so the story of Eros and Psyche is kinda complicated, and no that many people know it, if you want to find out about it in a different context you can here or if you want to go into this blind, go ahead.

list of Greek Gods/characters for this work

Eros- Eret

Aphrodite- Puffy

Zephyrus- Philza

Zeus- Dream

Pan- Tubbo

{I tried to keep this gender neutral, but in the myth Psyche does end up pregnant, and its kind of a big plot point, I'm sorry.}

{also I forgot how long this story is, so I'm going to split it in two, on one hand so that I don't leave yall without content, and two because it'll be easier for me that way}

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There was a city state, long ago, near the sea, that was known for its beautiful royal family. The eldest daughters of the king had been considered the most beautiful in all of the land, until the youngest child, (y/n), came of age.

It is said that their beauty surpassed that of everyone in the kingdom, and where ever they went the people flocked, eager to earn their favor.

(y/n) knew of their beauty, but they did not look upon themself in vain, but they did know that this beauty caused jealousy among many, especially their sisters.

What they did not expect of this, was when the people of their kingdom began to worship them, as if they were the goddess of beauty, Puffy herself.

Now this was never something that (y/n) wanted, all they had wanted was to live a normal life, but now they had to stay shut up in their chambers, trying to ignore the cries from outside.

They were admired by all, yet wanted by none.

And as Puffy grew jealous, and planned with Eret to exact her revenge, (y/n)'s father sought help from the good oracle of Delphi, what was he to do if everyone in the land loved their looks, but no one wanted their hand in marriage.

As the months passed, and their chambers seemed to become even more like a prison and their sisters married other monarchs, (y/n) began to loath their beauty, wishing there was some way to be rid of it.

Having returned from his journey to Delphi, the king entered their chambers, "My child," Said he, "I have sought an answer, and answer, the oracle has given."

"And what answer is that?" (y/n) asked.

"In three days time we will hold your wedding," He took a shaky breath, "You are to be wedded to a dreadful monster, and in three days time, we will take you to the rock spire, at the edge of our kingdom, and leave you to him."

A gasp rippled through (y/n)'s throat, and they fell to their knees, "Father please don't leave me to die!"

He shook his head, "It is already done."

The three days passed in quick succession, and soon, (y/n) found themselves being led through the kingdom, dressed in a blackened wedding gown.

As their parents wept, they held their head high, having resigned to their fate.

Upon reaching the top of the spire, their family tearfully departed, leaving (y/n), wind whipping through their hair, dreadfully alone. Slowly, they inched closer to the edge, staring down to the rocky shore from which the pillar had grown.

A partially strong gust of wind caught them in the back, unexpected, and as they toppled over the side a scream ripped through their throat.

It took them a moment to realize that they had not made impact with the ground, that rather, they were floating, flying, being carried across the lands.

"Fear not," A disembodied voice assured them, "I am Philza, the west wind. No harm shall come to you."

(y/n) remained terrified until they were at last gently set upon the soft grass of a meadow.

"Go now, explore your new home." Philza urged.

Slowly, (y/n) moved forward, gaping as a huge villa came into view at the other end of the valley. As they drew further up the path, more disembodied voices greeted them.

"What is this place?" They asked softly, looking around in amazement.

"Why do you wonder so much of this finery? It is your own, do go inside, and rest and bath, and then there shall be a great feast." A soft, breezy voice returned.

Hesitantly, they did, enjoying a fresh bath, and much food and entertainment, but slowly, as night began to fall, the gayety died away, and they were urged to get ready for bed.

Having changed into night clothes, and climbed into bed, the lights were dimed by unseen servants, and they were told, "Rest now dear, your husband shall arrive soon."

"My husband?" They asked, confused, but there came no answer.

They laid awake, anxiously, until footsteps sounded on the floor.

"Who are you?" They demanded.

There was a soft chuckle, "Worry not, sweet (y/n), I am not here to hurt you. A husband should never have such intentions with his betrothed."

"Who are you?" They asked again, shuffling away as a weight settled on the other side of the bed.

"Your wife," she repeated, "I must admit, I didn't think of the consequence you might have faced upon hearing that dreadful fake of a prophecy. My dear, I am sorry, but could find no other way to take you away from the prying eyes of some."

Slowly, he retold the story, of how he had fallen in love with them, for the way that they had carried their burden, and when she had heard the plans of many, that they had to get them away.

"Alas, my sweet, you may not know my name, nor may you ever be permitted to see me, for it might tear us apart. For that, I am sorry."

There was a note of sadness in his voice, enough to tug at something in (y/n)s chest.

He had away-ed at dawn, long before (y/n) awoke, leaving them to their thoughts of what had happened that night.

The following days seemed to follow the same pattern, until soon a week had passed, and then the weeks began to blend into months.

Back in the kingdom, in which (y/n) had lived, word had reached their sisters of what had happened, and each day they began to gather at the spire, calling for them, wishing they hadn't disappeared.

But, their husband warned them, that even though (y/n) could hear there voices, they must never call back, and the sisters may never be allowed into the valley.

For some time, (y/n) worked to comply, but hearing the despair in their sisters voice wore them down slowly, to the point where even when they were remind of how cruel the women could be, they did not care, and only wanted to see them again.

It got to a point, where one day, after their husband had left, they slowly crept from the villa, and dashing across the valley, called to Philza, begging him to take their sisters to the valley.

"Are you sure, (y/n)?" He asked.

"Yes, please, I'd do anything to see them again!" They begged.

Reluctantly, Philza's winds carried the sisters to the valley, where (y/n) embraced them, "My sisters! Don't weep! I'm safe!"

They hugged them back just as tightly, before letting go and looking around at the valley, and the villa.

"You live here?" The eldest asked.

"Yes, it is my husbands villa." They replied with a smile, "Come, I'll give you the tour, and then we may walk the gardens."

As the siblings moved from room to room, and (y/n) gave their tour, the sisters became increasingly jealous.

They had been married to old men, hardly holding onto their titles as king, why should their little sibling get all of this?

Soon, they were seated in the garden, nibbling on the food the servants had prepared.

"You certainly live in luxury (y/n)." The middle sister remarked.

They nodded, "Yes, I suppose I do."

"How does your husband afford all this? What does he do?" The elder asked.

"Well..." They trailed off, thinking, "I'm not sure."

"You mean you don't know?"

Slowly, (y/n) explained what had happened, and their husbands conditions of never being seen.

"Oh (y/n), honey," she pulled a sympathetic face, "He's clearly hiding something from you, and such a shame, you being pregnant with his child."

They glanced down at their stomach, they weren't showing that much, were they?

"It might turn out to be a monster, for all you know. You've never even seen him."

"No! He's not a monster!" They insited.

The sisters continued to build up the idea of their husband lying, or disguising himself, both in a subtle agreement to ruin everything (y/n) had.

"he's not!"

Frowning, one sister leaned forward and patted her hand, "Maybe, but you don't know. Just to be sure, when he has gone to sleep tonight, light a lantern, and look at him, just to be sure."

"I think you should go." (y/n)s voice was hard, and soon Philza was returning them to the kingdom from which they had came.

Night returned, and along with it, their husband.

She had fallen quickly to sleep, though (y/n) lay awake, their sisters voices filling their mind.

What if they were married to a monster?

Slowly, shakily, they rose, and finding a lamp, carefully lit it, before turning to their wife's side of the bed.

In the flickering lantern light, (y/n) beheld their husband for the first time, dark brown hair falling in curls about their head, and large feathered flings pooling at her back.

They gasped in amazement, turning to find a set of quiver and arrows at the foot of the bed, suddenly it made sense. The bow, the inhuman beauty- they had wed the god of desire, Eret.

Some how, all at once, they fell in love, toppling over the metaphorical cliff they had stood near for sometime, as the lamp suddenly felt to heavy for their hands.

Shaking, they moved to set it down, but not before a drop of oil spilled, landing on the gods shoulder.

In a cry of pain, she awoke, and looked up at (y/n) with wide eyes.

Without another word, they stood, gathered their things and began to leave, as they had come flying through the open windows.

"No! Please don't leave! I love you!" (y/n) cried, seizing his arm.

"You fool!" He roared, dragging them along with her, "I risked everything! I went I against mine own mother! She told me to punish you! and yet I fell in love! I created all this! All of this just to get you away from her prying eyes!

"Now the magic is fading you poor poor fool! She will find you now! You won't have much time! You- you listened to your sisters didn't you! They wanted this! I told you to not listen to them! You lie! Regard me as some beast to peak on in the night!" At last they shook (y/n) off, and they went tumbling to the ground.

"No love can exist with out trust."

With that they flew away, leaving (y/n)s cries for her to stay. And Leaving (y/n) alone, so terribly alone.

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Tag list: (send a request to be added, it will only be for this series)

@dreamslittlebitch

#mcyt x reader #eret x reader #the eret x reader #teddy 06 #teddy 06 writes

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travelnortheastindia · 3 years

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12 Tips to Remember Before Holidaying in the Northeast Indian States

Northeast India is another expansion to the most sultry location for odd excursions; and everything from what to do, where to go, and what to eat are evident inquiries. The whole Northeast resembles an alternate land in view of their new way of life. This uniqueness makes the spot considerably more captivating. Indeed it is consistently astute to know some things about the Northeast's way of life, food, language, and in particular culture by taking North East Tour Packages since it positively is unique. In this way, investigate these 12 hints to recollect prior to arranging an occasion in the Northeast Indian states:

1. Exploration – A Lot of Research

Hornbill celebration

So it turns out to lie far away from the focal conditions of India towards Myanmar. At the point when we talk about Northeast, West Bengal isn't a piece of it, truth be told, Northeast is a path on the northeastern piece of India. By a simple limited 18 to 20 kilometers distance sandwiched between Bangladesh and Nepal, different conditions of India are connected with North East India Tour. The whole Northeast Indian states are flanked by Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan making it an entryway to these nations. The states were once called the seven sisters and were before long joined by Sikkim in 2002. Upper east has assorted culture, clan, celebrations, so prior to wandering out, it is in every case great to know at any rate the nuts and bolts of the state. The entrancing thing about this area is that you will discover diverse cultures and languages as you venture to start with one spot then onto the next. At times because of social distinction, you may accidentally cause a complaint so it is consistently ideal to get familiar with some things about their territory.

2. Recognize Inner Line Permit of Northeast India

ILP Doc

Not as muddled as it appears, Inner Line Permits are just to make your reality in the new objective and to effectively find you in the event of incidents. Fortunately, the public authority has facilitated the cycle to get ILP to elevate the travel industry toward the North East Package. Visiting the lovely and abundant sister states sure to require an additional exertion yet it is justified, despite all the trouble. Outsiders presently don't need ILP for states like Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Manipur. Likewise, neither outsiders nor Indians are needed for ILP for Assam or Tripura. Nonetheless, every outsider is needed to enroll with the Foreign Registration Office (District Superintendent of Police) within 24 hours of the section to each state.

Arunachal Pradesh: Indian nationals need an ILP to enter the territory of Arunachal Pradesh, and outsiders are needed for a Protected Area Permit (PAP). You can click here to apply for ILP or PAP.

Sikkim: Indians needn't bother with the Inner Line Permit yet outsiders do to enter Sikkim.

Times are hard while voyaging, we never know when uneven occasion strikes, in this way, regardless of whether grants are not needed to enter certain states, my recommendation is to apply for one and you can reestablish occasionally relying upon the days you will remain.

3. Oversee Time to Explore More

Dzukou Valley

Eight expresses, different locale, and various milestones can't be shrouded in a flicker of an eye – Only in the event that you are a Djinn. Anyway, on the off chance that you are searching for a flawless hideaway in the midst of delightful miracles of Northeast, at that point simply seven days won't be adequate. From a dozen races, various identities, different societies, and numerous tourist spots you won't realize how time zooms. To put it plainly, on the off chance that you need your vacation to be defended, at that point ensure you have adequate time with you to investigate. Efficient is, obviously, a commitment in North East India Tour Packages in light of the fact that for its high tough landscapes and exciting bends in the road. However, on the off chance that you are searching for a fast visit through a portion of the urban communities in Northeast you can decide on Assam for this is probably the least demanding state to fly on off whenever.

4. Continuously a Good Idea to Book Tickets in Advance

Being one of the most visited states presently, the tickets can take off high, and once in a while may even need to trust that days will get a ticket. To be completely forthright, it doesn't occur in every case except this demonstration can be experienced during the Christmas season particularly during winters. Since the understudies concentrating in various conditions of India get back for Christmas, the admissions can score up leaving restricted seats accessible. What should be possible at that point? All things considered, you plan ahead of time. To be accurate, a base development time, an ideal time really would be before 3 or 5 months to withdraw. The toll would be sensible in addition to you get a reasonable view to choose the ideal seat you need.

5. Get Updates on the Constant Weather Change

Meghalaya climate

Climate change is unremitting in the upper east locale and it is consistently fitting to convey a slim coat in any event, during summers. The downpour that pours perpetually in certain pieces of Northeast are inviting and lovely with no uncertainty, however, they can bring cold also. It is prudent to convey waterproof coats since an umbrella is very badly arranged while voyaging. Also, in particular mosquito repellent, consider it an untamed life experience Trip To North East India. The most favored chance to visit the Northeast conditions of India is among September and April when the bubbly party is lively so will be the daylight.

6. Highway or a No way

The streets to Northeast states are very agreeable in many parts however in the event that you are searching for an unconventional objective, at that point support yourself to hop alongside the vehicle following some rubble streets. The interstates in and around Assam fields are as smooth as silk (from my involvement in) little puddles to a great extent (which city in India doesn't claim them right?). Yet, as you climb tough towards states for example, in Nagaland the streets are a little uneven in certain parts and it will give an adrenaline surge disregarding the precarious incline from a limited street. It is an unequivocal 'no' going during storms (you can previously on the off chance that you like a downpour) in light of the fact that being a bumpy territory, avalanches are normal and it would take hours to clear the space. Additionally, it causes sloppy streets making each bend elusive. Maybe, not an extremely glad excursion for the individuals who fall casualty of movement disorder.

7. Something about the Locals of Northeast

The individuals in the Northeast will in general be somewhat bashful and tentative, is there motivation to be threatened by them? Ok No! Individuals in the Northeast are modest with sightseers and once you cooperate with them at that point will be well disposed before long. This unquestionably is an or more point for voyagers, the same number of nearby companions you make the more you will gain proficiency with their way of life and propensities. You can go top to bottom about their set of experiences, supper propensities, and their neighborhood treats, wine, and mix. Moreover, they are useful and will try to take care of your best remain in Northeast.

8. Will there be Internet Access?

Tragically, not wherever you will get excessively quick internet providers to disregard Wi-Fi sources, however, this doesn't mean the web is restricted. In any case, in urban communities and significant areas of Nagaland, you will get great internet providers and numerous digital bistros around. Particularly with a dispatch of the net network from Agartala, Tripura as the entryway, the speed is noted to be smooth (we should go get out).

9. Find out about Northeastern Cuisines

Manipuri cooking

The diverse food in the Northeast is eminent; attempt all you will be a food expert. From all its 8 states and a few areas, there isn't one dish that looks unappetizing. Northeastern has confidence in eating everything from different bubbled vegetables to loaded with protein silkworm snacks and most amiable meat pork. Upper east has different dishes to enjoy like Nagaland's smoked pork, Meghalaya's Jadoh – a sharp pork Pulau, Sikkim's Thukpa to Manipur's Tromba. Make a point to tidy up your excursion with tasty cooking of Northeast.

10. Speak the Language of Northeast

Northeast is maybe the main spot on the planet to have various dialects, for example, Nagaland has 16 significant clans every one of a kind to its own and they have their own style. Additionally, being packaged with 8 sister expresses, every objective has a one of a kind culture and various territories. I can't differ with the way that a couple of conditions of Northeast are very comparable regarding climate and living propensities however they are largely charming and amazing. Thus, knowing some things about their language, maybe even welcome will help you and will satisfy local people significantly.

11. Know their Festivals

As I had referenced before, the best ideal opportunity to visit the upper east is during the months of September and April. This is on the grounds that you not exclusively will get an opportunity to see its delightful scenes yet additionally witness and be a piece of its lively celebrations. Before you endeavor to go to such an event party better get a few realities close by, far superior you can get a closer perspective on the celebrations to concentrate more.

12. Travel Guide to the Rescue

Dawki stream

All things considered, in the event that you face trouble in finding these states completely all alone, that is the thing that travel services are for. You can look for the direction of a travel planner while you unwind and sit tight for your ideal dream objective to show up. Think of us as Tour My India to spoil you with the most ideal guide towards your extraordinary northeastern path.

Fishing and Angling Tour to North East India

One reward guidance! Continuously look out for Border Roads Organization (BRO) along the edges of Northeastern streets. You will locate some shrewd and fun jokes and security tips. It is continually entertaining to discover these while scaling up the foggy piles of Northeast other than its lovely blue mountains (Unless you are driving). On the off chance that you like this blog please offer and re-offer and re-share once more. Furthermore, to look at my different online journals take a sneak look here to get information about Northeast's kin, convention, and celebrations.

#northeasttourpackages #northeastindiatour #northeastpackage #northeastindiatourpackages #triptonortheastindia

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toldnews-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/travel/36-hours-36-hours-in-mendocino-county/

36 Hours: 36 Hours in Mendocino County

Ninety miles north of San Francisco, Mendocino County is just far enough away to have narrowly escaped the Bay Area’s radical transformation during the tech boom years. In contrast to other formerly quiet Northern California backwaters, Mendocino maintains its rural identity and eccentricities, including its longstanding status as one of the country’s major marijuana-producing regions. Where there is big news, it’s largely culinary. The 30-year-old chef at Elk’s Harbor House Inn was recently named a James Beard award semifinalist for Best Chef in the West. Besides the Harbor House’s eight- to 12-course, $150 per person prix fixe dinners, there are cheesemakers, upstart breweries, exceptional farm stands — notably Fort Bragg’s Nye Ranch and Caspar’s Fortunate Farm — and farm-inspired restaurants, like the long-awaited, soon-to-open Fog Eater Cafe, which began as a farm pop-up, and will serve “California cuisine with a Southern twang.” After years of population stagnation, young people are moving in, or coming home, and committing themselves to Mendocino’s fertile soil and sea. It’s a second wave back-to-the-land movement and a welcome reprieve from the Bay Area’s buzz.

Friday

1) 3:30 p.m. Tall trees

Take Highway 128 through the Anderson Valley, to Hendy Woods State Park, where you can stretch your legs beneath the awe-inspiring giant redwoods or take a dip in the Navarro River. Then, backtrack to Boonville’s Pennyroyal Farm, the sister farmstead to one of Mendocino’s most beloved wineries, Navarro Vineyards. Sample rich goat and sheep milk cheeses, fresh and aged, exceptional pinot noir, and farm-made pickles and preserves. Sit out back, beside a gurgling fountain, and watch sheep meander beneath the vines. In the spring, a farm tour (11 a.m. daily) offers the overwhelming cuteness of nursing lambs and kids.

2) 6 p.m. Supper stop

For dinner, reserve a table at the Boonville Hotel, a former roadhouse that’s now a beautiful, family-owned inn with a wide porch, flickering fireplaces when the weather’s cool, and a seductive patio garden for outdoor dining during the warm months. The restaurant’s new chef, Perry Hoffman, is from Sonoma’s James Beard award-winning SHED and, before that, Napa’s Michelin-starred Étoile. Here, his prix-fixe menus (starting at $58) include lively dishes and unexpected flavor combinations. Imagine mussels with charred cabbage, grapefruit, fennel and seaweed or a whole stuffed quail with artichokes, shiitake mushrooms, bolting kale and brown rice vinegar.

3) 9 p.m. Change is brewing

After winding through the redwoods and along the coast, head for the former logging town of Fort Bragg, for some small town night life. The 135-year-old Golden West is a dive bar that was bought in 2015 by a couple who grew up locally and returned after living in Los Angeles. The bar has maintained its vintage character (neon signs, shuffleboard and pool tables, faded black-and-white photos of logging scenes) while upgrading its extensive liquor cabinet and serving excellent cocktails, and has occasional but unexpectedly good live music, as well as a Sunday Bloody Mary bar. Or, for a family-friendly pub in a tucked-away location, seek out Mendocino’s newest brewery, Overtime Brewery, which teams with Nye Ranch in making its exotic seasonal beers, like the “Thistle Dew” artichoke ale or Nye Ranch Cucumber Batch. Take a couple of crowlers — a 32-ounce can filled from the tap and sealed on site — of your favorite beer to go.

Saturday

4) 8 a.m. Super bloom

Tucked into a strip mall, Cafe Jaavy — the younger sister of the longtime local favorite, Los Gallitos — has colorful oilcloth tablecloths, a salsa bar and a breakfast menu that includes savory Mexican breakfasts like chilaquiles (tortilla chips simmered in a flavorful, mildly spicy sauce, served with beans and eggs, $9.50) and standout huevos rancheros with chorizo ($9.50), plus sweeter offerings like banana and berry crepes ($8.99) and generous smoothies ($4.50) made with fresh fruit. The Tropical, with mango, apple, pineapple, melon, chili and lime is particularly tasty. Then, head for the 47-acre Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, where 124 species of rhododendrons put on a spectacular show in April and May.

5) 11 a.m. Sweet soak

Drive south to Mendocino village to walk its photogenic streets and gawk at the immaculately preserved Victorians. Pop into Frankie’s for a scoop of locally made Cowlick’s ice cream. Among the cafe’s 16 rotating flavors are chai, Campari grapefruit sorbet, yellow cake batter and mushroom. Then, take a restorative soak in Sweetwater Spa’s communal — and clothing optional — eight-person redwood tub, sweat in the cedarwood sauna, or indulge in a massage (starting at $110 for 50 minutes). There are also private tubs ($25 per hour), which are enclosed but open to the sky; if a starry soak is your thing, Sweetwater is open until 9 p.m.

6) 12:30 p.m. Pizza pit stop

Next door, Cafe Beaujolais’s weekend-only takeout window, the Brickery, serves pizza ($13) with big, perfectly charred air pockets and daring toppings, like Moroccan-spiced rabbit and garlicky New Haven-style white clam pizza. On sunny days, the backyard garden is idyllic for sharing a pie and savoring a glass of rosé or a craft cider.

7) 2 p.m. Glass for the masses

Fort Bragg’s signature attraction, a former town dump that was transformed by time into a beach of gleaming sea glass, has been badly picked over and is no longer the dazzling sight it once was. For a glimpse of its former glory, head to the odd little International Sea Glass Museum south of town, where Captain Cass sells bags of so-called Seed Glass ($4.95) to replenish the beach’s supply. Across Highway 1, the Glass Fire Gallery displays fantastic blown-glass creations in the form of jellyfish chandeliers and mushroom-shaped table lamps. While in the area, go for a stroll along the newly opened Noyo Headlands Coastal Trail. After more than a century of the headlands being occupied by a sprawling mill site, the town now has access to its coastal bluffs, where California poppies blaze orange in the spring, when it’s also possible to spot migrating whales spouting offshore.

8) 3:30 p.m. Local treasure

For a dose of Mendocino’s wonderful eccentricity, visit The Larry Spring Museum of Common Sense Physics, a tiny two-room storefront museum that celebrates the life and work of the local inventor, lay scientist and World War II transport pilot, Larry Spring. In the same small building, Lost Coast Found has a charming selection of vintage home goods: midcentury stereos, cheery 1970s-era coffee cups, along with used books, postcards and miscellanea.

9) 5:30 p.m. Fresh caught

Have an early, California-style dinner by the water in Noyo Harbor, where you have a difficult choice of dining options. For fresh, crispy fish and chips, bundle up and sit on the riverside deck at Sea Pal Cove, where dinner guests include sea gulls, there are $5 pints of high-end craft beer, and views of passing fishing — and, in season, whale-watching — boats. A few doors down, Princess Seafood Market & Deli is a woman-owned and -run fishing operation with its own boat and seafood restaurant. Princess serves reasonably priced, locally caught seafood, including whole Dungeness crab ($27.95), barbecued Royal Miyagi oysters ($12.95 for a half dozen, and a grilled prawn po boy ($15.95). During chilly coastal evenings, the deli’s tented seating area provides heat lamps and freshly laundered blankets. Then, pick up a Coast Packet and take a gamble on a local performance. One of the joys of small town cultural life is the unexpectedness of what’s available from week to week, whether it’s the wonderful independent Flynn Creek Circus or a riotous political play at the Mendocino Theatre Company.

Sunday

10) 9 a.m. The Greenwood Good Life

On your way through Mendocino, grab a takeout breakfast — an organic housemade bagel with lox and “all the veggies” ($12.50) or “market-inspired” quiche ($8) — at Mendocino’s Good Life Cafe. Sip your coffee to-go as you drive a breathtaking stretch of Highway 1 to the village of Elk, population 200. Tote your breakfast down to Greenwood State Beach to sit on a piece of driftwood, look out over the volatile Pacific and take a long breath of sea air. Then, visit Elk Greenwood Museum and Visitor Center — originally the town’s post office — to learn some Greenwood lore from the center’s knowledgeable docents.

11) 11 a.m. Wine Down

Take Philo-Greenwood Road back to Anderson Valley and taste your way out of town. The options can be overwhelming, but the redwood tasting room at Toulouse Vineyards and Winery is especially beautiful and its wines are excellent renditions of classic local varietals: Alsatian whites and pinot noirs. For three wineries in one Spanish-style plaza, stop at The Madrones complex, where Drew Family Cellars, Smith-Story Winery and the newly opened Long Meadow Ranch, which has estate-grown Burgundian varietals, share a plaza.

12) 12:30 p.m. History lesson

Cut east over Route 253 — a spectacular 16-mile drive across hilltops of moss-draped California live oaks — to Ukiah, Mendocino’s 16,000-person county seat. Dedicated to an extraordinary, but largely forgotten painter, the Grace Hudson Museum and Sun House displays Hudson’s striking and distinctly empathetic portraits of native peoples and immigrants, exhibits the work of local artists, and offers tours of Hudson’s Arts and Crafts home, which she called Sun House.

13) 2 p.m. Buddhist brunch

Head south to the City of 10,000 Buddhas, a former California State Mental Hospital that is now a Buddhist community and monastery. The campus’s distinctive arched entrance is undergoing renovation, but its roaming peacocks, evocative institutional architecture and Jyun Kang Vegetarian Restaurant, which serves tasty vegetarian dishes to a mostly local crowd, remain. Or hop down the 101 to Hopland, where Rock Seas serves an ever-changing menu that riffs on brunch classics — like coconut French Toast with star anise, coconut, brown sugar and mango ($12).

Lodging

In the last two years, two long-awaited new hotels have opened on the Mendocino coast. The Harbor House Inn, in Elk, is a 1916 redwood home which was originally built by the local logging company and designed to showcase the beauty of the region’s lumber. After an eight-year renovation, the inn reopened in May of 2018 with 10 rooms (starting at $355, breakfast included) and a destination restaurant.

#travel news a30 #travel news dover #travel news europe #travel news gloucester #travel news uk trains #travel news uttoxeter #travel news vancouver #travel news websites #travel news york #TravelAwesome

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indiatouristhelpdesk-blog · 5 years

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The majestic lakes of Kashmir

Visit the water bodies in the lower Shiwalik Himalayas, Kashmir valley and the high mountains of the Kashmir Himalayas for a complex and vibrant ecosystem. The center of life for the inhabitants of the state, these lakes are credited for the emergence of a unique culture of the state of J&K. One can almost see the whole city travelling through these lakes. These tranquil and snowy lakes have been a major attraction of this paradise on earth. Surrounded and protected by the Himalayan Mountains on all sides, these natural treasures offer a unique experience of living on water in the specially designed houseboats. Several scenic lakes with multi-faceted eco-system and grandeur, which epitomize the state of Jammu and Kashmir are-

Dal Lake

Popular as the jewel in the crown of Kashmir, the Dal Lake is the most famous and most visited lake in the state. Lined with Mughal-era gardens, the lake is rich in lotus, water lillies and water chestnuts. It is among those major destinations that let you free to enjoy life on water in the houseboats. One can have the pleasure of Shikara rides, kayaking, canoeing and other water activities in the Dal. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the lake gives a paradisiacal view when frozen in winter.

Nagin Lake

Located east of Kashmir, the lake lies on the foothills of the mountain Zabarwan. A number of willow and poplar trees lining the lake, Shankaracharya hill on the south and Hari Parbat on the west provide a charming view to the surroundings. Along with several water activities and Shikara rides, one can also hire boats, a romantic experience. Several salesmen can also be seen selling fruit, nuts, fresh flowers, baked goods, woolen shawls, silk carpets, leather goods and other materials on their boats.

Wullar Lake

With a width and length of approximately 10 and 24 km respectively, Wullar Lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia. The lake gives about 60 percent of the fish yield of the region. Its perfect location between the cities of Sopore and Bandipore provides a marvellous view of the majestic hills on one side and steep valleys on the other. Wullar Lake, which draws water from the northern river Jhelum, lies at a distance of 60 km from Srinagar. Moreover, a renowned bird watcher's paradise, Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary is also situated near the Lake.

With wooded hills all around, thick forests in the backdrop and countless lotus flowers on the surface, the beautiful Surinsar lake is a great picturesque tourist spot situated about 42 km from Jammu. The lake appears like a lotus garden in summers. The lake is a much sought after by nature lovers. According to Hindu mythology, the lake originated when Arjuna, the hero of the epic Mahabharata, shot an arrow to the land.

Surinsar Lake

Mansar Lake

Popular for the food and crafts festival, the Mansar lake draws thousands of tourists every year around Baisakhi. Apart from the scenic beauty and landscapes, the lake has several religious values too. Situated about 40 km south of Udhampur, the Mansar lake is surrounded by dense forests and hills. The lake is counted among major tourists destinations because of boating facilities and its religious values owing to Sheeshnag shrine. Newly wed couples perform three 'Parikramas' (circumambulations) around the lake to seek the blessings of the lord of serpents. Flickering of seasonal birds, tortoise and fish of different species can be observed while boating in the calm Mansar lake.

Pangong Lake

Located in an isolated area at a 5 hr drive (160 km) from Leh, this 134 km long lake extends from India to China. Tourists mostly visit this lake during May to September with a special permit. The Pangong lake boasts of being the world's highest brackish lake at a height of about 4,250 m (13,900 ft) from sea level. Villagers can be seen with their large herds of Pashmina sheep and long-tailed yaks. Despite being a salt water lake, it surprisingly gets frozen in winter. With such a wonderful location and a scarcity of oxygen, the Pangong Lake is a geologist's domain too.

Tso Moriri Lake

Providing a majestic natural view of Ladakh in the north, Tibet in the east and Zanskar in the west, Tso Moriri lake is mostly visited in summer. Changthang plateau, with snow peaks, provides the source of water for the Lake. The lake is popular for being the largest of the High Altitude Lakes in the Trans-himalayan region, entirely within India. It was earlier a salty lake whose salt was extracted by the end of 1959 for the consumption by the local people. Tourists flock to the lake to visit the Korzok Monastery, situated on the western bank of the lake, believed to be about 400 years old.

While on a tour to the lakes of Jammu and Kashmir, you may also visit the Tsokar Lake and the Gangasagar Lake. Tsokar Lake is popularly called the “White lake” because of the salt content in it. Situated approximately 45 km northwest of the Tsomoriri Lake at a height of 4,485 m, the Tsokar lake covers an area of about 10 sq km. The whitish surface of this lake is the main element that makes it so charming and attractive. The local people extract salt content from the lake .The Gangasagar lake is an artificial lake, which is believed to have been constructed during the time of Sivaji’s coronation with the holy water of river Ganges. The lake provides an enchanting view of the Raigad Fort and the snow clad peaks forming the backdrop.

These waterways, surrounded by majestic mountainous ranges, form the uniqueness of the state of Jammu and Kashmir with their charming houseboats, blossoming gardens, and water sports activities. All these specialties are ideal to make your holiday memorable for a lifetime.

#indiatouristhelpdesk #exploreindia #india #travelers #tourism #Kashmir #lakesofindia #lakeside

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passportrequired · 5 years

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World + Peace: Amazing World Places to Meditate

February 17, 2019 8:18am Naples, Italy (From a Hostel Bed)

Today is my birthday and I’m full of so much gratitude. So much gratitude, in fact, that I feel the need to share it with whoever needs some and whoever wants some. Trust me, there’s plenty here to give.

I’m traveling right now, I am in the middle of the India tours, meeting strangers, eating new dishes, taking photos of beautiful mountainsides because they’re all a major part of my self-care. I woke up this morning ad before checking Instagram, Facebook, text messages, or missed calls, I opened my Insight Timer app and found Annemaree Rowley’s 16-minute guided “Gratitude” meditation. Today, I’ll be intentional about recognizing and reflecting on the great things I’ve been gifted and to show kindness toward others when the opportunity arises.

As a gift to you folks who, like me, believe in the power of mindfulness and meditation and compassion, I want to share some of the most amazing places in which I’ve allowed the universe to speak to me. Some are meditation centers and others are simply amazing places to find peace of mind. For the centers, descriptions are provided by their respective site:

1. Plum Village: “Near Bordeaux in southwest France, is the largest international practice center in the Plum Village tradition, and the first monastic community founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) in the West.”

2. Big Sur, California: To describe the beauty here, you must believe in fiction. Justin Michael Williams told me about this place. He saw to drive down, arriving a couple of hours before sunset, and to breathe and just take it all in. I did. I often find myself wanting to hop in a car and just go for a few hours.

3. The Buddhist Retreat Centre, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: “Perched on a ridge at the head of a valley in the Umkomaas river system in KwaZulu-Natal, the Buddhist retreat Centre looks out on a vista of indigenous valleys, forests and rolling hills receding like waves in the blue distance. Here, for more than twenty years people of all religions have come to experience peace and tranquillity. It is a gentle, sympathetic space where one can be still and get in touch with oneself and reflect on the things that crowd one’s life. CNN featured the BRC as one of the 10 finest Meditation centres in the world (From their site).”

4. Wat Suan Mokkh, Chaiya, Thailand: “Meditation is a way to train and cultivate the mind, to develop con¬cen¬tra¬tion, mind¬ful¬ness and aware-ness. Bud¬dhism offers calm¬ness or con¬cen¬tra¬tion medi¬tation and vipassana or insight medi¬tation. Ana¬pana¬sati or Mind¬ful¬ness with Breathing, the medi¬tation method taught at Suan Mokkh, covers both, con¬cen¬tra¬tion and insight medi¬tation. But during the first days of the retreat we will mainly train you in con¬cen¬tra¬tion medi¬tation by focusing at¬ten¬tion on breathing. Detailed in¬struc¬tion is given through-out the retreat. All in¬struc¬tion and talks are given in English (From their site).”

5. Auyán-tepui, Venezuela: With the roar of the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall in the distance, this is an amazing place to have a rest while on an unforgettable hike and get into some contemplative practice. Surely this is one of those places where guided meditation leaders wouldn’t mind if you were to lay in your hammock while listening.

6. Entrelacs, Quebec: This is where I had one of my most amazing meditation moments of 2017. I rented a beautiful cabin with no electricity or running water in the middle of the forest with others and we sat around the fire, talking about it all. When I freed a bit of time, I walked to where the boats were kept, sat in the canoe, closed my eyes and let the universe guide me. When I came to, I was in the middle of the lake surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscape. A few months later, I was in South Africa, tattooing the Entrelacs trees on my wrist.

7. Kata Bay, Phuket, Thailand: Here, you’re removed from the sound of cars, feet shuffling, babies crying, and hustlers. You can be alone with your thoughts on one of the world’s most beautiful bays. If you grow tired of the solitude quickly, don’t fret. There are others nearby in hotels and resorts.

8. Bodhgaya, Bihar, India: Because…well…you know.

9. Wherever You Are: Getting away physically isn’t always possible, but making space where we are can be – even if just a second. Find your own serene, private spaces and escape to them whenever you need. Here’s a way to make that happen, according to Mind Body Green and Claire Charters:

A. Choose a room or space that makes you feel good. Take into consideration the lighting, the quietness and how many people walk through it. Will it be a place of solace? If you don’t have a whole room to dedicate to your sacred space then choose a corner of a room, or somewhere in your garden. You may even like to put up a bamboo screen to create the feeling of a separate space.

B. Keep the room simple and uncluttered. Choose a few items that find bring you peace and serenity. Some basics would be a meditation pillow, a small table, a mat and maybe a nice throw rug.

C. Add a touch of nature. Meditation is all about connecting with nature and your surrounds. By adding an element of nature, you space becomes infused with balance and harmony. You can place your favourite plant, a vase of flowers, a jar of shells, a small water feature or whatever else it is that you find beautiful in nature.

D. Soothe your soul with music. Music is not necessary however if you live in a noisy city, a piece of soothing music or chants will help bring tranquillity and peace. Alternatively, you can add a small fountain in your meditation room. The crisp trickling sound of water will also make the room soothing and serene.

E. Create a beautiful aroma. It helps you stay focused and fills your space with beautiful and soothing energies. You can put some incense, aromatic oils or candles with meditative scents in the room. If you use candles, it can be very meditative to just watch the flame flicker.

F. Personalize your space. To make your meditation space more personal and tranquil, you can add anything that soothes your soul. You can add bells and chimes, a statue of Buddha, affirmation stones, crystals, beads or any artwork that provides you with immense peace and serenity. You can also get the room painted in your favourite colors. If you download the Insight Timer app, or if you already have it, please feel free to add me as a friend.

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” ― Amit Ray

World + Peace: Amazing World Places to Meditate was originally published on Passport Required

#Best Places to Meditate #How to Meditate #Insight Timer #Meditating #meditation #Mindfulness #Travel #Traveling #Tumblr Travel Photography #TumblrTravel

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tripstations · 5 years

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Himalayan highs … and lows: trekking in Nepal | Travel

On the second morning of our trek up Poon Hill, in a clearing in a rhododendron forest, my friend Ali and I stopped for a breather. Rarely has the word been more apt. I had to speak through my panting breaths. I thought of those messenger boys sent to deliver news of ancient battles. Cannae, perhaps, as in “Cannae go on.”

Our guide, Arjun, rested against a rock. I thought I saw him roll his eyes. Above us, the white crests of the Annapurna range glowed in clear autumn light. A golden eagle hung still in the air off the shoulder of the hill, surveying the dark green valleys that sloped off massively in every direction. Below us the thin forest gave way to junglier foliage and then, below, to terraced farms and villages and then to raging rivers. Water, I thought. That would be nice. After a while Ali spoke: “We are the fattest people on the mountain,” he said.

“What about those German women at dinner?” I replied. He shook his head sadly. I waited for my heart to calm down. Death itself by then would have come as sweet relief, but I had heard that stricken trekkers were taken off the mountain by donkey and I wanted to spare my family the headline: “Mule Never Walk Alone: British hiker makes ass of himself.”

Take it easy … Poon Hill lies in the foothills of the Annapurnas in the Himilayas. Photograph: Meir Naamat Photog/Getty Images

At times over the preceding couple of days it had certainly seemed possible to die of stairs. If you search online for the “easiest trek in Nepal”, Poon Hill is the name that keeps cropping up. To believe the descriptions, this would be the gentlest of strolls, the kind of thing you might do with a Labrador to shake off a long lunch in the countryside. That was what we had in mind. Three days in the shadow of Annapurna, in the centre of Nepal. Enough to say we’d done our Himalayan trek, but not long enough to worry about training.

Sunset at Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. Photograph: Marek Poplawski/Alamy

We warmed up with a few days’ acclimatisation in Kathmandu. Our guide there was our friend Guy, who is living in the city while he finishes a PhD in Sanskrit. We did what any old university friends do in these situations: buy a bottle of cheap whisky and start abusing each other. At night we went down to the Pashupatinath Temple, which sprawls on both sides of the Bagmati river, a holy site for Buddhists and Hindus alike. The dead are still cremated here, and light from burning pyres cast the buildings alongside the water in flickering orange light. Wild dogs and monkeys watched from the shadows. The animals are sacred and have the run of the place. Slowly, groups of pallbearers emerged from back streets, holding white-shrouded bodies aloft.

An altar at Dwarika’s Hotel. Photograph: Alamy

An outdoorsy friend had put me in touch with Rajan Simkhada, the genial boss of Earthbound Expeditions, one of approximately 153,000 tour companies in the city, and he had agreed to set the trip up. The next morning we met him for coffee in the grounds of Dwarika’s Hotel, perhaps the most famous residence in the city and certainly one of the most beautiful. Its red brick buildings are adorned with intricate wood carvings, some many hundreds of years old. Kathmandu’s architectural heritage can’t be taken for granted; much of it is still being rebuilt in the wake of the 2015 earthquake, which killed about 9,000 people. Rajan explained that it had also decimated tourist numbers, although they were rising again.

Rajan didn’t mention the stairs. He just looked us up and down and gave us a wry grin. “You’ll feel you have done some exercise,” he said. In total the Poon Hill circuit involves a climb of around 1,500 metres, or the Shard five times over, to put it in softie Londoner terms. Almost all the elevation is by steps, some 3,381 in total. The route is a loop around the southwestern edge of the larger Annapurna circuit, which in its entirety takes three weeks. The paths are well marked, with thousands of trekkers going around every year. Rajan even has a hotel, the Thamel Eco Lodge, where you can stay before or after the trek. All we had to decide was how to get to Pokhara, the lakeside city west of Nepal from which many treks start. The bus was seven hours, the plane half an hour.

When we landed at Pokhara the next day, Arjun was there to meet us along with his cousin, Kedar, who would be our porter. Arjun said this would be his 75th trip round Poon Hill and he was anxious to get cracking. In contrast to the pricey walking shoes I’d bought in Covent Garden, both of them wore trainers. Their footwear proved little impediment to them as they led the way up from Nayapul, the village where we spent the first night. Accommodation on the trail is in “tea houses” – lodges with varying degrees of facilities. Some have hot showers, most have wifi, all have beer – an accurate reflection of the modern pyramid of human needs. Day two was at Ghorepani, before our dawn ascent of Poon Hill itself and a final night in Ghandruk.

Mountain high … Ghandruk village. Photograph: Nepal Photos/Alamy

Like parents, good guides know to overestimate times and distances. Arjun’s skill was that he adjusted this even as we thought we had sussed him out. On the first day he would say an hour and mean 45 minutes. On day three he’d say an hour and we would think “Aha”, 45 minutes, but it would only be half an hour. It’s impossible to overstate the boost to morale of a surprisingly quick finish. In the evenings he would tell us about Nepal’s history while we ate yet another meal of dal bhat, the ubiquitous plate of curry, rice, dal and pickles which our guides happily wolfed down three times a day. Arjun was proud of his nation, famous mainly for hard men (Ghurkhas and Sherpas) and steep mountains – even though its potholed roads are not helping its drive to become a more modernised and diverse 21st century economy.

For all the agony of the climb, by the time we were on the way down the Himalayas had worked their magic. What got me wasn’t the eagles or the butterflies or the cheerful locals saying their endless namastes as you passed, or the terrain that went from exposed snow-capped peak to rainforest canyon to mountain meadow. It was the sheer size of the landscape. The mountain grows under you until it occupies your whole mind. As we neared the end we were overtaken, with a slight tut, by an old woman on crutches, one ankle set in a cast. She had seen it all before.

• A three-night tour of the Poon Hill with Earthbound Expeditions circuit starts from $300 (£238), not including plane transfers. A night at Thamel Eco Resort starts from £28. Qatar Airways flights from Heathrow to Kathmandu start from £429 return

Looking for a holiday with a difference? Browse Guardian Holidays to see a range of fantastic trips

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tinymixtapes · 6 years

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Real life Guitar Hero Marisa Anderson announces full North American tour ahead of upcoming album release

Watching someone who’s really, really talented do something that you’re intimately familiar with is kind of catch-22ish in nature. Like, think of an amateur basketball player watching Lebron James play in person. On the one hand, they’re probably in awe of and blown away by his supernatural abilities, but on the other hand they’re probably like, “damn… I suck at life.” That’s kind of how I feel whenever I watch Marisa Anderson play guitar. Like, 90% of me is drawn to emotion through her sheer ability and the spirit with which she plays, but the other 10% of me just wants to go off myself with the realization that I’ll probably never be more than average at anything I do. And that’s some heavy shit to shoulder. Even still, I always get excited when I have the chance to see her play. I mean, I may have my cynical and (mildly) depressive tendencies (as we all do), but I’m not that much of a fucking misanthrope. So it brings me plenty of joy to know that I’ll be having plenty of chances to go watch her up-close and in-person this summer, as Marisa has just announced a boatload of headlining North American tour dates. She’ll be kicking things off tomorrow (May 19) at Denver’s Ogden Theatre, and then playing a (very) healthy dose of West Coast shows before wrapping things up on the other side of the U.S. around the middle of July (not including a tour finale at Oregon’s Pickathon Festival August 3-5). Godspeed You! Black Emperor will be tagging along with her for the majority of the tour (see full dates and venue locations below), but she’ll also be sharing the limelight with Joan Shelley and Sarah Louise for a few of the West Coast shows. Announcement of the tour comes ahead of the release of Cloud Corner, which is Marisa’s debut LP on Thrill Jockey (out June 15). You can preorder the record right here and check out all the dates and locations below. Just don’t get too down on yourself when you’re standing there in the crowd this summer, moping in your own banality, okay? Marisa Anderson tour dates: 05.19.18 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre * 05.21.18 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren * 05.22.18 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park * 05.23.18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern * 05.24.18 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory * 05.25.18 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet’s * 05.26.18 - North Folk, CA - Bandit Town * 05.28.18 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre * 05.29.18 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre * 06.02.18 - Garden City, ID - Visual Arts Collective * 06.03.18 - Seattle, WA - The Neptune Theatre * 06.04.18 4 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre * 06.05.18 - Victoria, BC - Capitol Ballroom * 06.09.18 - Marquette, WI - Marquette Waterfront Festival 06.19.18 - Seattle, WA - Fremont Abbey Art Center ^ 06.21.18 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios ^* 06.25.18 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Circuit des Yeux 06.27.18 - Chicago, IL - Constellation # 06.28.18 - Cleveland, OH - Happy Dog # 06.29.18 - Detroit, MI - Trinosophes # 06.30.18 - Toronto, ON - Tranzac # 07.01.18 - Montreal, QC - Casa Del Popolo # 07.02.18 - Greenfield, MA - The Root Cellar 07.03.18 - Cambridge, MA - Atwood w/ Glenn Jones 07.05.18 - Philadelphia, PA - PhilaMOCA 07.08.18 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool w/ Tara Jane O’Neil 07.10.18 - Washington, DC - Songbyrd 07.11.18 - Raleigh, NC - Neptunes 07.12.18 - Athens, GA - Flicker Theatre 07.13.18 - Nashville, TN - Fond Object 07.14.18 - St. Louis, MO - FOAM 07.16.18 - Denver, CO - Lost Lake* 08.03.18 - 08.05.18 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Festival * Godspeed You! Black Emperor ^ Joan Shelley # Sarah Louise http://j.mp/2L9cphM

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janetgannon · 7 years

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New Caledonia Biggest Secret

A voyaging couple explore a new territory and discover an unexpected cruising nirvana.

The truth is before Catherine and I sailed Dream Time, our 1981 Cabo Rico 38, to New Caledonia we also knew little about the country. It was mentioned only vaguely by cruisers as a French territory in Melanesia and a convenient pit stop on the western side of the South Pacific milk run — a great place to buy baguettes and Bordeaux near the end of the cruising season. So when we arrived last year from New Zealand, after visiting nearby Norfolk Island and Vanuatu, we had planned to stay only a few months, long enough to see the highlights, fill our tanks with diesel and our bellies with French food before sailing across to Australia for cyclone season. But that was over a year ago, and we’re still here.

New Caledonia, we discovered, is the third largest island in the South Pacific, after Papua New Guinea and New Zealand; boasts the world’s largest lagoon, 13,000 shimmering square nautical miles, which in 2008 became a UNESCO Marine World Heritage Site; and is almost completely encircled by 800 nautical miles of pristine reef, the second longest after the Great Barrier. On our very first day in New Caledonia, escorted through Canal de la Havannah by humpback whales, we knew we had entered a cruising nirvana — a turquoise world saturated with diverse marine life, reefs, bays and uninhabited islands just waiting to be explored. This, we realized, was our kind of destination, and we set out to see it all.

For the first two months, we toured the southern lagoon, an area just 30 miles from Nouméa, the busy capital, but a region that felt utterly secluded. With an average depth of just 80 feet and protected from ocean swell, it’s home to a ridiculous number of coral reefs and perfectly formed sandy islands of various sizes, offering a variety of anchorages to satisfy every kind of cruising preference. The lagoon, a vast natural aquarium, was teeming with schools of colorful reef fish, healthy coral, turtles tame enough to float along our waterline, dugongs, dolphins and sea snakes. We arrived during migratory season, and humpback whales rolled gently alongside and — for a few white-knuckle seconds — right under our keel.

We selected the islands with the best launch beaches, and when the trade winds blew at 20 knots, we kitesurfed in shallow water over powdery sand. We anchored near the reef and dived through passes, accompanied by schools of sharks and giant manta rays. We explored World War II wrecks, and when distant low-pressure systems in the deep Tasman Sea sent heaving swells and surf cascading over the outer reef, we snorkeled, kayaked and spearfished farther inside the protected lagoon. On the glassy calm days, when sea and sky blended softly together, removing the horizon, we explored the lagoon’s extreme southern cul-de-sac, anchoring off islands that felt as remote and precious as the Tuamotus.

During a respite in the trade winds, we sailed farther south to Île des Pins, a quiet and idyllic cluster of islands that rests off the main island’s southern tip, forming the dot of New Caledonia’s exclamation mark. The islands were named by Capt. James Cook in 1774 for the towering native pines that guard the shoreline, believed by the locals to contain the spirits of departed ancestors. The Kanak culture still dominates the area, so many territories are keenly protected with tribal customs by the people who settled there more than 3,000 years ago. Even today, carved totems closely watch over bays where traditional pirogues, outrigger sailing canoes, glide across sacred turquoise waters in a lagoon where mushroom-shaped limestone islands balance on narrow bases eroded by centuries of passing tides.

We explored caves above and below the surface near Gadji, a shallow anchorage on Île des Pins’ northwestern corner, scuba diving through tight fractures under the reef, which opened magically to underwater cathedrals where blowholes in the limestone ceiling allowed shafts of flickering sunlight to dance on the seabed 30 feet below the surface. And pushed to the limits of comfort, we clawed deeper under the reef into pitch-black antechambers, where lobsters gathered in the hundreds on limestone shelves, probing the darkness with swaying antennas.

Days gently blurred into weeks, which somehow, too quickly, became months, and with cyclone season fast approaching we needed a safe haven. With help from the friendly staff at Port Moselle, one of the most protected marinas in downtown Nouméa, we reserved a slip for Dream Time on their visitor’s dock. To prepare for a named storm, we purchased 300 feet of cyclone line, which was secured to heavy chains buried at the bottom of the harbor. For five months Port Moselle Marina was our base camp, and all the conveniences and attractions of the tropical French capital were just a walk, bus or le Petit Train ride away. We visited the fruit, vegetable and craft markets, marine-supply stores, air-conditioned supermarkets and museums almost daily, and followed the fragrance of freshly baked croissant and espresso to countless patisseries nestled around Place des Cocotiers, a tropical square in the heart of the city.

In the middle of summer, we rented a car for three weeks to tour Grande Terre, the big island, driving more than 800 miles to every corner of the diverse and contrasting island. Across the lush, rolling grassy countryside of the west coast and over the dry, dusty red plains in the deep south, we weaved up and over the island’s spine, climbing more than 4,000 feet to a craggy wind-swept mountain range before descending into lush tropical valleys overgrown with giant ferns, pines and palms. We stopped frequently at rickety roadside stalls to buy locally grown bananas, lychees, grapefruit so sweet they rivaled even those from the Marquesas, and sticky homemade pineapple cake. In the far northeast, towering cliffs drop almost vertically to meet the lagoon, and when the road ended abruptly at the Ouaïéme River, a barge powered with just a 30 hp outboard ferried us and our car across so we could continue our journey north to the remote tip of the island, known as bout du monde: the end of the world.

But we preferred to spend our summer sailing and exploring the bays, coves and estuaries of Grande Terre. We visited the crumbling remains of penal colonies where more than 22,000 French convicts were extradited from 1864 to 1897 and, after serving their sentences, found themselves stranded on a remote island with no hope of returning home. We hiked through red rock canyons, anchored off black volcanic-sand shores, soaked in thermal pools and ventured into the deep waters of Baie du Prony, following the meandering estuary upstream to a hurricane hole so calm that Dream Time was connected to a perfect reflection of herself. And when cyclones developed with paths forecast to bring them into New Caledonian waters, close enough to raise the orange pré-alerte cyclonique flag, we sailed back to the shelter of Port Moselle Marina.

In May, when the trade winds felt cool rather than clammy and ocean temperatures dropped along with the humidity, we cleaned and coiled our cyclone lines, waved goodbye to new friends in Nouméa, and set off for Îles Loyauté, the Loyalty Islands. Just an overnight sail away, the traditional Kanak culture and village life on this chain of islands make you feel like you’ve arrived in a country different from the Francophone Grande Terre.

Almost all anchorages in the Loyalties are tribu, tribal lands passed down through generations. Custom dictates that visitors request an audience with the village chief when they first arrive and offer la coutume, a gift, traditionally a few meters of fabric and a 1,000 CFP note (about $10 USD). The monetary value is not measured; rather, it’s a humble gesture, one that shows respect and recognition that you are a guest in their land. To personalize our gifts, we also offered a Dream Time T-shirt and a warm, freshly baked coconut cake, and we always felt welcome.

We were invited inside traditional grande cases, the thatch huts used for tribal meetings and family sleeping quarters, where, sitting on woven mats around a fire pit, speaking limited French to a Melanesian chief, we somehow felt completely at home. We anchored off limestone cliffs where water visibility was 100 feet and stayed for weeks in Ouvéa, a shallow atoll framed with more than 15 miles of sweeping white-sand beaches, reputedly the most beautiful in the entire Pacific. It’s home to a Kanak population so proud and independent that local communities, valuing privacy over profit, chose to prohibit cruise ships from entering.

Since we sailed into New Caledonian waters over a year ago we’ve logged, remarkably, more than 1,500 nautical miles and visited more than four dozen anchorages in what has been some of the most diverse, relaxing, rewarding and convenient cruising we’ve experienced in over nine years of sailing. Navigational charts accurately detail every island, reef and passage. Food provisioning is among the best in the Pacific. If you need boat work, help finding the right mechanic or a customs extension, we had great experiences with Chloe Morin, a local yacht agent (noumeaocean.com) who handled every request with an ease and level of professionalism that guaranteed to make our stay a more enjoyable one.

But New Caledonia isn’t just restricted to cruisers who’ve crossed the Pacific. Local charter companies in Nouméa boast a shiny fleet of monohulls, catamarans and even a few powerboats that make this island paradise accessible to everyone. So, whether you seek adrenaline thrills on the water, diverse marine life under the surface, rich cultural exchanges, French cuisine or just an irresistible selection of blissfully remote anchorages, New Caledonia has it all, and it’s just waiting to be discovered.

By Neville Hockley

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