Asia,  Independent travel,  India,  Travel Blog

Seeing The Light?

March 6, 2023 /

When Matt the weatherman peered out of our TV screen and into our living room the other day, we pricked up our ears to pay attention: we’d heard the s-word. Snow. Now that’s a complication we don’t need when we’re heading to Heathrow on Thursday. Matt, though, doesn’t scare us too much, because although it’s going to turn colder everywhere (“Arctic freeze” according to those sections of the media which are incapable of understatement and love the odd shock tactic), the snow is more likely in the North.

By Sunday, both the forecast and the messenger have changed. Matt has become Darren and the cold down south has become “mild and wet”, although Scotland and the North are still in line for a bit of March winter. Maybe we’ll be OK for Heathrow, but it’s one eye on Darren, Matt, or whoever, for the next few days.

Is it going to…..

Actually it’s not the first time in the last week or so that the TV weather people have caught our eye, there’s been something very unusual here in England with clear sightings of the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) filling the evening skies with colour. On the rare occasions such things are visible in the UK, the whole show is usually restricted to the north of Scotland and the rest of us think of a trek to Norway or Finland as our best opportunity to join in the fun.

What someone saw in Kent

Last week, though, there were amazing sightings right down to England’s southernmost points – Cornwall in the west, and, in the east, our home county of Kent. Seeing the Northern Lights has been firmly on the retirement wish list right from the beginning – and, unfortunately, it still is. Yep, we missed it. The first night of the spectacular sights came without warning – or at least, without any warnings that we were party to – so we knew nothing of it until the following morning when Matt or Darren or more likely Carol displayed spectacular shots taken by viewers. Annoyingly, some of those shots were taken just a few miles from our home. The remaining nights of the display saw this part of Kent experiencing cloud cover which made the sky a blank screen and our opportunity for a special moment was lost.

What we saw in Kent

And so the aurora, despite coming to us, remains tantalisingly unticked on the wish list. The snow, meanwhile, takes a place on our unwanted list, at least until after Thursday.

Putting that to one side, we are all set now for our next adventure: visas for India and Vietnam are in place, the one for Cambodia applied for and still “in process”. For the brief crossing into Nepal, it’s a do-it-at-the-border job. There’s a bundle of US dollars – always good for an emergency – stashed away, and the first couple of beds are booked and in place.

After a brief stay in New Delhi, our adventure will start with that “Journey Of Enlightenment”, the so-called Buddha train which will provide eight days of studying the life and history of the Buddha and learning Buddhist prophecies and beliefs. It’s not going to be without its challenges, not least the fact that, now we’ve received the confirmed itinerary, the eight days include successive start times of 06:30, 05:30, 5am, 6am, 5am, 4am, 5am. And those are “be ready” times, and NOT the times for climbing out of the bunk, which will by necessity be a while earlier than those times.

It’ll certainly be interesting, whether enlightening or otherwise. Maybe after eight days on the Buddha train we will have seen the light…..unlike the aurora, where we didn’t see the light at all….

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28 Comments

  • Andrew Petcher

    March 6, 2023 at 10:04 am Reply

    I am interested to know how you applied for your visit to India. Thinking of going ourselves sometime in this year or early next.
    I was lucky enough to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. It was the last night of our visit and we had given up hope but the hotel receptionist telephoned the room late night/early morning to say they were nearby. We had to get up, get dressed and go back outside.

        • Phil & Michaela

          March 6, 2023 at 10:19 am Reply

          Be suspicious of ALL of them and keep the bargepole between you and all of them. Google “entry requirements India” and select the gov.uk travel advice website. Under “Entry Requirements” you will find a direct link to the Indian Government website and it’s easy (though a bit long winded) to fill in the forms. It will take an hour or so to do it for two people. But all you’ll pay is the genuine India Govt visa fee, no other charges. But certainly do NOT use any site requesting a fee – there’s absolutely no need. By the way, if you want any other advice on visiting India, just ask – it’s the most significantly different country we’ve visited…..not for the faint hearted!! I can email bits of advice which I’m sure would be useful….!

  • wetanddustyroads

    March 6, 2023 at 11:56 am Reply

    I have little faith in the weather forecast gurus, but sometimes they surprise me. Heavy rain and thunder were forecast at 16:00 yesterday afternoon which would last an hour – and that’s exactly how it happened! With a beautiful double rainbow to top off the whole spectacle (not the Northern Lights though, but still) … there’s always that 1% chance the weather bureau could be right 😉. So you guys are leaving on Thursday? I’ll make sure my diary is clean …

  • WanderingCanadians

    March 6, 2023 at 12:41 pm Reply

    The weather has certainly been weird this past week. We had thundersnow on Friday, which I didn’t even know was a thing (or a real word) – a thunderstorm while it was snowing outside. Safe travels!!

  • Alison

    March 6, 2023 at 1:16 pm Reply

    We’ve have the same here in WA, the lights not the snow! But same as you I didn’t see them. Well all the best for a safe trip and looking forward to much eloquent prose and stunning photos.
    How about you stay near Heathrow the night before to be on the side.

    • Phil & Michaela

      March 6, 2023 at 1:19 pm Reply

      Well, we do often do that…but this one is a late evening flight overnight to India so we’d be stuck at Heathrow for about 15 hours….however, if needs must, and the snow does arrive……!

      • Alison

        March 6, 2023 at 1:25 pm Reply

        Oh yes that is a pain, well take lots of snacks
        My parents were in a horrendous traffic jam years ago for around 8 hours on the way to Heathrow because of snow. Maybe a portable potty 😂 as well.

  • Toonsarah

    March 6, 2023 at 1:58 pm Reply

    I’m sorry you missed the aurora – so did we, but having seen it in Norway some years ago we’re perhaps less disappointed than you are. Having this trip on the very near horizon is surely plenty of compensation however? Although I just watched Stav with a map that showed snow very close to Heathrow on Wednesday afternoon, which registered with me as a) we live only a few miles from there, and b) I hate snow! I hope for both our sakes that he was wrong 😮

  • Terrie

    March 6, 2023 at 3:36 pm Reply

    Oh Phil and Michaela, your writing is getting better and better. I have said bring a weatherman is the best job for one can be wrong all the time and not get fired. We had then didn’t then might have snow here in Oregon.
    When I went to India someone said India will change you more than Europe. Be enlightened. For me it was the worshipper of necrophiliacs (ick) and the fact I was stared at all the time. I wore sunglasses all the time. Be health safe! Xxoo

  • Mike and Kellye Hefner

    March 6, 2023 at 4:00 pm Reply

    Oh, guys, we feel your pain! We missed the aurora by one night in Butte, Montana a few years ago and were terribly disappointed because it’s number one on our list too. We will keep our fingers crossed for good weather for your journey and will look forward to reading your posts.

  • leightontravels

    March 6, 2023 at 6:55 pm Reply

    You’re in good company when it comes to “no aurora yet”. I was flabbergasted that such a sight could be seen in your neck of the woods. One day of course you will see the real deal so no biggie. Your upcoming trip sounds amazing, I’m sure anticipated buildeth with each passing day.

    • Phil & Michaela

      March 6, 2023 at 7:49 pm Reply

      Yes it is, bud. As long as the snow doesn’t do something despicable. Picking up where COVID left us stranded is something we really wanted to do, as you know, and it feels very exciting to be on the cusp.

  • Laura

    March 7, 2023 at 11:38 pm Reply

    The northern lights were also visible from parts of Vancouver Island recently, but I was unable to catch a glimpse of them due to overcast skies in my city! I was lucky enough to see them on a winter trip to Iceland several years ago. So excited to follow your adventures on the Journey to Enlightenment…hopefully there will be hot coffee available on those very early mornings! ☕💗

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