MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES
These are the accounts of those places particularly close to our hearts. Not necessarily because they are the grandest or the most picturesque but for the experiences that felt vastly more meaningful and memorable than others.
We are not beach people. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Add to that the prohibitive rates for less than appealing hotel rooms and we almost cut Rio de Janeiro out of our vacation plans, the main focus of which were Peru and Argentina. But with flights into South America routed via Sao Paulo, […]
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Stepping on the ancient, lichen covered stones of Beng Mealea, in the deep, dark shadows of late afternoon, is almost meditative. No armies of tourists to vie with for the best camera angles here. Just us and a couple of nimble footed little descendants of the Khmer. Beng Mealea – meaning ‘Lotus Pond’ – situated 45 km East of […]
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Psah means market in Khmer. Located roughly mid way between Angkor and the remote jungle temple of Beng Mealea, and far from the tourist heart of Siem Reap, is one of the largest Psah’s in the area, where villagers from surrounding hamlets buy and sell produce. No sign of tourist tat here, no souvenir T shirts […]
Read MoreMy Angkor posts are long overdue. While I struggle to finish my draft between house guests and trips to Bangalore, here is a scene that was the realisation of a longstanding dream. As breathtaking and unforgettable as we had imagined, despite the partly cloudy sky and the scaffolding in the center. Until next time…..happy travels, no matter […]
Read MoreI spot the Otorii from across the expanse of the (Seto) Inland Sea, emerging from the waters like a giant Pi symbol against the dense green mantle of the hills beyond. More bleached terracotta than the vermilion of the postcards, this 52 feet high floating ‘grand gate‘ claims equal billing with Mount Fuji as the iconic symbol of […]
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They say warm weather is conducive to spectacular sunsets. But that doesn’t explain why the sunsets on the Mekong were so much more memorable than any I have witnessed in the subcontinent…..and there have been many. I am a West coast girl remember? Whatever the reason, those moments spent in anticipation of the radiant feast […]
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To my mind, it is the long preparatory trek through the narrow path – the 1.2 km gorge called the Siq – that lays the groundwork for the dramatic unveiling of the city of Petra. A natural geological fault eroded smooth by sand, water and wind, and with walls of up to 182 metres (600 feet) […]
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“Remember to bury these under the Sun Gate.” Frank, our guide, handed over a bunch of coca leaves…. “For luck.” I carefully tucked the leaves into my pocket before boarding our train to Aguas Calientes. Frank was going to await our return to the Sacred Valley, the next evening. We lucked out with front row […]
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Six concentric terraces surround a central circular ‘arena’ connected by a series of stone ‘steps’ fixed to the retaining walls in a radial pattern, mimicking the rays of the sun. Six more surround them in an elliptical shape and another eight stepped terraces at the perimeter, span a portion of the narrow end of the […]
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My interpretation of ‘summer’? A warm sunday morning on Ipanema beach. Several agua de coco’s later, we walked on to the Feira Hippie de Ipanema – the weekly fair on Praça General Osório nearby – and then all the way to Lagoa, stopping en-route to pick up Bossa Nova CD’s and grazing on shrimp and vegetable empadas and fresh […]
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Going to Cappadocia, Turky? A breathtaking balloon ride over the surreal landscape and its fairy chimneys is a must do.
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Day trip to Abydos and Dendera from Luxor- Photos of the incredible zodiac ceiling in the Temple of Hathor and tips on how to get there.
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