ASIA
If anything, the recent floods that devastated my city underscored the unpredictability of life. I very nearly cancelled our visit to Myanmar. But R convinced me of the futility of that guilty decision. So here we are. In this beautiful land on the verge of promising new beginnings. All best wishes for a healthy, happy 2016!
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The traffic snarls as we drive into Yangon, even with the ban on two wheelers within city limits, are reminiscent of Bangalore. But the roads are surprisingly wide and well laid (mostly). And they are garbage free! Pristine lakes and gardens abound. Splotchy red betel stains on sidewalks are familiar. Spotless public toilets, not. Vehicles with right hand steering […]
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Curious about the terracotta horses of Chettinad? Read all about the painted clay horses and the Ayyanar temples where they are traditional offerings.
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Curious about the traditional Chettinad houses of Karaikudi? Here’s all you need to travel to Chettinad and explore its food and architecture.
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The Madaba Mosaic Map in Jordan is the oldest aerial view of Palestine. Read all about the history and Biblical imagery of this ancient mosaic map.
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My recent focus on Jordan had me browsing through my archives and I thought this piece on Petra merited revisiting, So here it is, edited and revamped with a gallery of new images for those of you who have already read it before. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed revisiting this incredible […]
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Jordan as a destination has typically played second fiddle to its larger neighbours and usually ends up an add-on to a longer itinerary in Egypt or Israel. Last week the Jordan Tourism Board kicked off a mega tourism campaign in an attempt to alter that statistic. Eighty eight international digital influencers from over fifteen countries, along with a few local media persons, were […]
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The 1st century Oval Plaza and the colonnaded Cardo Maximus (main street) of the Roman city of Jerash as viewed from the temple of Zeus. The new city in the background is a striking contrast. Many thanks to the Jordan Tourism Board for making this post possible. While you are here, do take the time to read the history and legends of […]
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R and I went to Jordan in 2010 en-route to Egypt. But I was forced to cut out a number of things from our itinerary due to ill health caused by a severe reaction to antibiotics. Being in no shape to walk back through the Siq for the candlelit spectacle of Petra by Night has remained one […]
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It is easy to get overawed by magnificent edifices and miss out on the exquisite details that contribute to making them awe-inspiring in the first place. With my design background, it isn’t so much that I don’t notice the finer nuances of architectural construction, as that I get so carried away by their intricacies that I forget to […]
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An unassuming gate, that we drive past twice, opens into a small, leafy courtyard dominated by our restored 19th century ‘manor’ hotel: the former Villa Notre-Dame de la Garde, one time residence of the principal of the French school opposite. Now re-christened La Villa. We find the sparingly restored facade charming. We are relieved to discover, however, that the distressed charm ends at […]
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Travel had taken a backseat in our lives with the past several weeks being consumed by hospital visits and doctors appointments. Thankfully R is fully recovered from a minor surgical procedure, and a condition I was diagnosed with turned out to be less scary than it initially sounded, but they made for some awfully stressful moments. A final all […]
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The Urge To Wander 