Last week I had the opportunity to travel on an amazing journey through three countries that have been on my "list" for years--Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In short, Thailand for the temples and food (mmmm...); Vietnam for the history; and Cambodia for the legendary Angkor Wat. As opposed to my usual "weekend trips", this time I took 3 days in each country and made a whole week of it. I will highlight each country with its own blog and photo gallery over the next couple of weeks so I can give each location its due diligence. But I can already tell you (in summary), that these places are AMAZING!
First, let me start with Bangkok, Thailand. I think that many of my initial impressions of what Bangkok would be like were skewed by rumors, stories, and old movies--I expected it to be dirty, seedy, rundown, and very "raw"... but what I found was a fantastic city that has instantly catapulted into my Top 5 Favorite Cities of all time!! Yes, Bangkok rocks. (BTW: my top five cities are currently London, New York, Zermatt, Barcelona, and now Bangkok :o)
Since this trip was about meeting up with fellow Target expats throughout the various countries, I spent this first weekend in Bangkok with Pam and Jess. Will started the journey with us and after a short red eye flight from Bangalore (only 3 hours--short hop), he went on to Vietnam to meet a friend in Hanoi. Pam, Jess and I jumped in a cab and it didn't take us long to spring onto the Bangkok scene. Before you could say "check in the hotel" we were at the local Starbucks having breakfast and spending day and night of shopping, eating, dancing, site seeing, and soaking up the city. Bangkok has a wonderful array of tourist areas, shopping malls, restaurants, and things to see and do. It was quite a bit more international than I had expected, and most of the areas were very clean, organized, and efficient--which was also not what I had expected. I loved the vibe--Bangkok was a comfortable city.
Between the three of us we were able to visit temples and monuments, take in the exciting nightlife, and have dinner at the top of the State Tower 65th floor. Our highlight that night was visiting the world famous Sirocco sky bar and Breeze restaurants at the Dome Bangkok (see the photo gallery). The whole rooftop is a work of art with sculpture and lights--truly classy and slick. I loved it--we felt like we were on top of the world!
On Monday, Jess headed back to Bangalore and Pam and I stayed until Tuesday morning before leaving for Vietnam to meet up with Paul and Will (two more Target expats). I really thought that Bangkok would have been great to visit for a few more days, so it now goes back on my list of places to revisit. Bangkok, I will return!
I will blog about Vietnam in my next entry so stay tuned :o)
Peace.
Last weekend I took a trip up north to explore Nepal, and most specifically, the infamous capitol city of Kathmandu. What do you say about a destination that has been touted as a "hippy hangout" since the 1960's where many came in search of tranquility and nirvana? Or a central hub for trekkers and backpackers as they seek to set down their footprints on Mount Everest? One word: interesting.
I thought that India (specifically Bangalore) contains an abundance of dichotomies: old and new; immaculate and filthy; colorful and gray; ancient and modern--but Kathmandu was all of that and more. Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful time, but Kathmandu felt more crowded than Bangalore and there was more pollution, more traffic, more condensed tourists areas, and more chaotic energies all around. It felt "primitive" to me and I could constantly feel energies of the past still lingering... like they were still holding onto something unrequited. I'm not sure how to describe it, but the energy just felt "darker". I'm convinced it was the city and its memories. Funny how I felt that way while if you head a few hours up the Himalayan mountains the realities of the modern world melt away as you breathe in the clean mountain air and escape the chaos. Therein lies another of the many dichotomies. Interesting.
I had a chance to travel around the city (not on foot this time, however... had to rent a car for the day--this is not a walking city, per se) and visited several of the famous Buddhist and Hindu temples. Of note, Swayambhunath Stupa (also known as the monkey temple, and you will realize that from my photo gallery), Boudhanath (which is home to one of the largest "Stupas"--the dome-- in the world), and Pashupati Temple (an ancient Hindu temple). I was able to walk around those areas and snap photos to my heart's content, so that was very nice. I also took a short trip down to the city of Patan, another home to ancient temples in the Lalitpur district. On the way back to my hotel in central Kathmandu, I took some time to visit the busy shopping district of Thamel where I picked up all sorts of souvenirs from Nepal and Tibet. Another extremely busy area, Thamel, like the whole city, is a cacophony of sounds, sights, and smells. Interesting.
Probably my favorite part of the trip was my hotel, the Kantipur Templehouse. The building was a stunning display of Nepalise and Asian architecture, the grounds were immaculately groomed and full of flowers, and the service was excellent the entire time. I took the opportunity each night to eat freshly-prepared foods in the hotel restaurant choosing from Nepalise, Chinese, and Thai cuisine--all delicious! My room was comfortable and spacious, though it took me a couple of days to understand why there would be power outages for hours at a time (we have many outages in India, but generator back-ups so the downtime is minimal), until I was told that the government deliberately cuts power for blocks of time every day to save energy. I eventually adjusted to it and actually enjoyed living my candlelight in the evenings. Interesting.
The weather was not very cooperative for taking a mountain flight up to see Everest and the upper Himalayas (it's off-season), but I got an eyeful of the snow-capped mountains on the flight out, so when you've seen mountains, you've pretty much seen mountains. They were as stunning and beautiful as ever. And I will, to this day, swear I saw what appeared to be Mount Everest (please don't take this dream away from me! :o) It was a wonderful sight to see. Wonderful, and interesting.
So overall, I had an "interesting" weekend! There were many things about Nepal that I loved; and many things that I found fascinating. I do know one thing, however--if I return there again I am bringing three things: a buddy, a backpack, and trekking gear. Everest Base Camp One is only a 12-day round trip journey and my instincts just say one thing about that: "bring it on!"
Now off on my last "big" trip next weekend--Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia--the homestretch of an amazing year. Stay tuned for stories and snaps!
Namaste.
This past weekend I decided to take a trip to another location I've never been but always wanted to visit--Barcelona, Spain. Ever since the 1992 Olympic Games (can you believe it was that long ago...?!), I've admired the beautiful city located along the western coast of the Mediterranean riviera--a city of art, culture, and architecture like none other.
Very much like my weekend trip to Rome, I left on a late Wednesday night, connected through Paris early the next morning and then landed in Barcelona the early afternoon Thursday--just in time to hop on the train, ride into town, and walk four blocks to my hostel. Easy! (You see, it's no mistake that my accommodations are usually mere blocks from the closest train station since all trains run from the airports in Europe... just a little careful planning does the trick :o)
After checking into my teeny little room at the hostel (twin bed, a small desk, no TV, one towel, no shampoo and soap baskets--nothing fancy, just the basics!), I decided to hit the town in my, "I'm so excited to be here I can't wait!" fashion. I threw on a pair of shorts, grabbed my camera and I was out the door. I looked at my map of the city a few times and power walked the city snapping photos of my favorite places and sights along the way. By the time I knew it I was walking home and it was midnight already. What a fantastic first day!
Over the course of the next couple days I just walked walked and walked... I hit the former Olympic Stadium and grounds, visited famous landmarks, lost myself for hours and hours on the winding narrow streets of La Ribera--which totally rocks, btw; and just wandered around soaking up the city. In fact, my favorite part of the weekend was getting lost for hours without my map and not worrying for one moment that I wouldn't find my way around. Plus (for those of you who've traveled quite a bit you'll know what I mean...), once you have landmarks and feel the "rhythm" of a city, you can get around quite easily. The secret is to walk the city (or bike), not ride in a car, bus, or train, unless you are moving from one point to another on purpose... because if you walk the city you will learn it much more quickly--well, at least the areas in the heart of the city. Plus, I find it both fascinating and inspiring as I get to experience so many things that I might otherwise miss (or not explore!) if I wasn't walking on my own time and my own dime.
So between the amazing foods, the beautiful people, the creative and eclectic art of Gaudi and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, I would most definitely visit Barcelona again. Best hits? The Olympic grounds (including the gardens on the way down the mountain); wandering through La Ribera, La Rambla and Rambla Catalunya; the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, pictured at the top of this posting (which has been under construction since 1882 and is still financed by private donations. In fact, current completion is planned for 2026--now that's a long project!); and definitely all of the restaurants, shops, and food along the way. Barcelona is, truly, an amazing and diverse city full of life and energy.
Gracias, Barcelona, for a wonderful experience. Muy bueno!
Another place I visited when my friend Tom was here in July was Bannerghatta National Park and wildlife preserve in southern Bangalore. The 25,000 acre park is home to panthers, lions, tigers and a large variety of birds, and offers several different safari packages to the interested tourist.
Tom and I decided to head down there for a day and found all sorts of interesting sights. We bought our tickets for the Lion & Tiger safari and decided to walk around the premises beforehand. Much to our surprise there were some elephants walking through the park and their guides were nice enough to stop and let us meet the elephants on their way! We also got to experience a wide variety of monkeys (and their crazy antics!) as we walked around the lake and circled the zoo area.
In the zoo were a variety of snakes, birds, and other animals. I was amazed at how clean the zoo looked (after hearing reports that the zoo was rather shabby) and the variety of exotic birds and other jungle animals was quite interesting. The safari was incredible--we saw male and female lions, both gold tigers and white tigers, and got to ride in a bus with a whole group of kids from a local school. It was a blast! My favorite part was seeing the white tigers...beautiful. In fact, we were so close to them that they were only an arm's reach away--amazing!
After the safari, I introduced Tom to a drink of fresh coconut juice and a bite of the "meat" inside of it--I think he realized just how different it really is from the processed output we are accustomed to in the U.S.--but I love it! Plus fresh coconut juice is good for the body. Check the online photo gallery for more snaps.
All-in-all the trip to Bannerghatta was well worth the noise and hassle of traffic--a short ride for an amazing adventure, and all just a quick trip on the other side of Bangalore. Even though there might not be lions and tigers, you might be surprised about the things that are just outside of your backyard, I know I was!
Peace.
Last weekend a group of Target expats and my friend Tom, who's been visiting in India for the past three weeks, took a trip to Singapore--time to take a break from India and experience another part of this amazing world. The trip, however, became quite different than originally expected.
For starters, there was a group of us: Michael, Todd, Tom and myself, who flew on Tiger Airways--and Pam and Paul booked their tickets on Singapore Airlines. Two different flights, but going to the same destination at mostly the same time. Since we all took red-eye flights, we all connected in Singapore the next morning and checked into our hotel (the InterContinental Singapore, which I highly recommend!). Tom and I decided to crash for the morning, get up in the afternoon and see the city. Michael, Todd, Pam & Paul went out for brunch and then slept in the afternoon. When we all met up for dinner that evening, we went hunting for authentic Singapore food and found the Jumbo Seafood restaurant--home of the famous chili crab and delicious seafood known worldwide. How exciting, right? 
Well, there is just one caveat... I had picked up a little "Bangalore Belly" the week before and was still recovering, but felt good as new. Now just imagine what a night of chili crab, shrimp, a pint of beer, and ice cream will do to a "delicate" system... it wasn't pretty. I spent the entire night sick. Oi. Not the best way to start a vacation!
Even though I was in the hotel room all day Friday and ended up having to visit the hospital to get more meds on Saturday, I managed to have energy to walk around the city and take snaps of the amazing sights including the botanical gardens, riverwalk, Merlion monument, and the Singapore Flyer (Ferris Wheel)--Singapore's answer to the London Eye. 
Since I was laying low and Tom was on vacation to relax, we ended-up having a quiet weekend, which was very nice. We hung out at the hotel pool, took lots of naps, read, listened to music, watched a couple movies... whereas the rest of our group went restaurant hopping, shopping, and had a completely different trip--in fact, we didn't even end up seeing them until Sunday!
All-in-all, despite having two completely different experiences, we all had a wonderful time in Singapore. Whether your trip is crazy or quiet, Singapore has something to offer. As always, check the online photo gallery for more snaps! More about the Kerala houseboat trip and Bannerghatta safari next week, then back to Sri Lanka and off to Barcelona next month so stay tuned!
Last month I had the unique opportunity to go with my friend, Raghu, to his village to celebrate Ramu Naumi, a festival celebrating the birthday of Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. According to Hindu legend, Rama, the legendary King of Ayodhya, is considered to be the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu while his wife, Sita, was believed to be the incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi. This celebration, usually held in the spring, not only honors Rama's birthday, but also the marriage of Rama and Sita by re-enacting their wedding vows and celebrating with food, music, and song.
I met Raghu earlier this winter at one of the Bangalore Expat Club mixers that many of us expats attend at the Taj Residency on Friday nights, and he's been a great friend--taking me to visit Indian temples, historical landmarks, and other local sites--teaching me more about his culture and his world. When I first moved here I was hoping to make some Indian friends so I could see the many facets of Indian life, and I got exactly what I wished for! Don't you love it when that happens? (Which, honestly, happens all the time whether you realize it or not--just be careful what you wish for :o)
When we arrived at the festival, I was quite the attraction. Being the only Caucasian person amongst a crowd of over 600 people was quite overwhelming at first, but after about 15 minutes I couldn't remember the difference. Granted, I couldn't speak their language, but there's nothing that a smile, head nod, or handshake doesn't say--communication is easy when it's from the heart. Soon I was surrounded by all sorts of people, mostly children, who all wanted to meet me... or just touch my skin to see if I was, indeed, "real". Imagine seeing a live version of something you may have only seen in a magazine or on TV--or, for many of these children, never seen before. Their eyes were wide with wonder--and it was amazing.
I had my camera (of course), and they all learned to love having their picture taken--in fact, many of the photos in my "Children of India" gallery came from that day. I had the most wonderful time. We ate, listened to music, watched people dance, and walked all over the village meeting people and enjoying the festival. I got to meet all of his best friends--guys who he had grown up with since he was a toddler--and we hung out in the graveyard for part of the afternoon (this is what men do when they want to have their "alone time"--it's very cool). Then I got to meet Raghu's family, who all live together in a small simple home of three tiny rooms. Amazing. They fed me and made me feel so welcome--a guest, indeed. I'd never felt so blessed :o)
After Raghu dropped me off and I returned to my apartment at the end of the day I couldn't quite describe the feelings I had... just being absorbed in the culture of the people, food, music, colors, sights, sounds, and smells of incense and curry, was overwhelming. My heart swelled with peace and acceptance--India felt to so good to me. It was all good... yes, it was very good, indeed.
Thank you, Raghu--or should I say, "Shukriya" (thank you in Hindi). You have given me the opportunity to see your life, your home, your family and friends, but most of all you've given me a priceless gift--the gift of your friendship.
Namaste.
As I have recently passed my six month mark in Bangalore (!!), I wanted to take the opportunity to continue highlighting Indian history, culture, and most importantly, India's people. So I decided it was time for another gallery--this time a compilation of photos depicting the children of India.Through my travels within the cities of Bangalore, Mysore, Delhi, Agra, and other areas of the country, I have had the opportunity to meet so many warm and friendly people--but the warmest and most sincere are the children. As I had written in my blog entry about Narendra Nele (the boys orphanage in Bangalore), children have a universal energy--a common spark--that all of us have and can identify with... children just show their love and share their joy more freely. Since most children haven't yet taken on the fear of the world, their spirits shine bright and they connect quickly with those who recognize them.Here is short compilation of some little souls that I've encountered on my journey through India so far this year--may their energy and joy be felt in your heart as it has been in mine.
Last week I had the opportunity to travel on an amazing journey through three countries that have been on my "list" for years--Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In short, Thailand for the temples and food (mmmm...); Vietnam for the history; and Cambodia for the legendary Angkor Wat. As opposed to my usual "weekend trips", this time I took 3 days in each country and made a whole week of it. I will highlight each country with its own blog and photo gallery over the next couple of weeks so I can give each location its due diligence. But I can already tell you (in summary), that these places are AMAZING!
First, let me start with Bangkok, Thailand. I think that many of my initial impressions of what Bangkok would be like were skewed by rumors, stories, and old movies--I expected it to be dirty, seedy, rundown, and very "raw"... but what I found was a fantastic city that has instantly catapulted into my Top 5 Favorite Cities of all time!! Yes, Bangkok rocks. (BTW: my top five cities are currently London, New York, Zermatt, Barcelona, and now Bangkok :o)
Since this trip was about meeting up with fellow Target expats throughout the various countries, I spent this first weekend in Bangkok with Pam and Jess. Will started the journey with us and after a short red eye flight from Bangalore (only 3 hours--short hop), he went on to Vietnam to meet a friend in Hanoi. Pam, Jess and I jumped in a cab and it didn't take us long to spring onto the Bangkok scene. Before you could say "check in the hotel" we were at the local Starbucks having breakfast and spending day and night of shopping, eating, dancing, site seeing, and soaking up the city. Bangkok has a wonderful array of tourist areas, shopping malls, restaurants, and things to see and do. It was quite a bit more international than I had expected, and most of the areas were very clean, organized, and efficient--which was also not what I had expected. I loved the vibe--Bangkok was a comfortable city.
Between the three of us we were able to visit temples and monuments, take in the exciting nightlife, and have dinner at the top of the State Tower 65th floor. Our highlight that night was visiting the world famous Sirocco sky bar and Breeze restaurants at the Dome Bangkok (see the photo gallery). The whole rooftop is a work of art with sculpture and lights--truly classy and slick. I loved it--we felt like we were on top of the world!
