Guilin Travels

In my mind the post's title has a faint word association with the book title 'Gulliver's travels'... I just skimmed a picture book as a child so the Lilliputian image stayed in my mind and as we toured the famous karst landscape of Guilin i couldn't help but feel like a Lilliput surrounded by magnificent peaks that rise from flat ground sudden and unprecedented. 

Every vista is breathtaking and immensely playful in some way, you can weave a thousand stories with the characters that begin to take shape if you look at these peaks for a quite moment. It is quite fun to hear the tour guide's version of the popular folklore passed down in ancient Chinese poems, stories and try to visualize it. 

A more tangible visualisation that has acquired popular currency is commemoration of a landmark site on the country's currency. The primary image on the reverse side of the new 20 Yuan note is a view of a fisherman on his bamboo raft floating down the Li River through the spectacular Karst mountains of Guilin, so when the tour guide made the announcement that we were nearing the scenic spot even the sleepy eyed jumped out of their reverie and whipped out their 20 Yuan notes to compare notes...(multiple pun intended).

We did a Easter weekend trip to Guilin and Yangshuo and came back with a completely different perception of China-Everything somehow works despite Everything...! With my HK bought sim we were navigating around with Google, people were incredibly helpful and our 'flag bearing' tour group guide found us or we found them somehow. Also Yangshuo being a very popular destination with foreign tourists, both language and finding vegetarian food is not much of a struggle.

We took a bullet train to Guilin from Shenzhen and after an overnight stay we took the early morning Li river cruise to Yangshuo. Its a 4hour cruise, a leisurely way to make your way downstream while admiring the abandon and playfulness of Nature. It is an experience that will stay in some quite recess of the soul forever-complete with the colors, shadows and reflections. 

To capture the sound as well, Yulong river bamboo rafting will do the magic. Sitting on makeshift chairs atop bamboo raft(poles tied together), it is the traditional way to experience the beauty of the river, the mountain, the quaint countryside and farms-all to the accompaniment of the swishing sound of the bamboo paddle(pole) and chirping birds.

For an aerial view(sum of the parts view) head to Xianggong Hill, just a 15min climb will reward you with the most breathtaking view of the entire trip(headline picture).

This area is a geological marvel and has some spectacular caves with breathtaking stalactite and stalagmite formation but the jazzy lighting was a major distraction in my opinion. We also went for the famous Liu San Jie Impression Light Show in Yangshuo(same guy who choreographed Beijing Olympics). The waters of the Li-river set the stage and a dozen beautifully lit karst formations form a natural backdrop, so it is quite awe-inspiring in that regard however you don't really follow the plot(no info for non-Mandarin speaker)and the imagery doesn't elevate to magical levels.

Longji rice terrace are better attempted from Guilin with a night halt so didn't work with our short itinerary. Hopefully there will be a next time to explore the area further in a more self reliant way without the tour groups.

So Long, misty mountains and shadows!

Notes from Down Under

This was our first trip to English speaking world in around 3 years, so there was less travel research involved. There was no detailed itinerary and no cheat sheet for common words and phrases especially for ordering vegetarian food. We just picked up our bags and with other Chinese New year tourists in tow headed to Sydney. The plan was to explore the city, spend a day at the beaches, a day tour to Blue Mountains, may be another tour to the vineyards in Hunter valley and call it a wrap.

Sydney is an easy city to naviate with a straighforward public transport system-train,buses & ferries and the city centre is best explored on foot. All the major city attractions are in close vicinity and we surveyed most of them in the course of an evening stroll on Day1(stepped out at 6pm after catching some sleep at the hotel). The next day we did the deep dive-guided inside tour of Sydney Opera house, leisurely walk in the botanical gardens with 20 pictures on the same spot.. Sydney bridge walk(with highway traffic on one side and wired mesh on the other side and sun shining overhead). Museums-contemporary Art was a good one and again lots of pictures of the city from different vantage points and lots of ice-cream in between.
And just as you start the day with a good long black, you end the city tour with a cup of cappuccino in any one of the cosy little cafes that catches your fancy.

Our beach day was hijacked into a walking tour as well, we did the 6km coastal trail from Bondi to Coogee while stopping periodically to play in the sand and waves and watch the surfers at their game. Beaches have their own character and culture, and i guess the Australian 'no-worries' mantra is quite palpable here. The waves are also quite fiesty here, almost kicking you out of the water.
There were lots of joggers giving us company on the trail. I would say that the joggers are spoilt for choice in Sydney- the botanical gardens, the sydney bridge, coastal trail, Hyde park(local will have their own favorites). We spend the evening at Manly beach and it was perfect to take the night ferry back-bedazzled city lights celebrating Lunar New Year. I guess what can really top an awesome day is an awesome dinner and it was quite easy to pick winners in Sydney.

Food is a big part of travel experience, sometimes you can remember a place just for a meal that you had. The dosa and filter coffee I had on one rainy day in Munnar is still my benchmark for authentic South Indian food and every-time i sit down in a south Indian restaurant i am hoping for those flavours that exist only in my memory. There is an intrinsic local knowledge, produce and traditions that makes food special from a place but the rest is a function of our memory and the associations that we build.
I cannot write about authentic Australian food, what we dined was Thai, Italian food in relaxed, cosy and approachable setting. What would qualify as authentic was the cafe culture with their strong coffee game. Cafes we visited had influences from all over the world-French, Japanese, American but i guess what made them authentic was how well they fitted with the daily life of the local people-breakfast coffee or acai bowl, lazy big brunch and close shop around 4pm-local Beer time.

Moving on to the group tours, both Blue Mountain and Hunter valley seemed predominately touristy. I didn’t get a feeling like a lot of locals hit these spots. At Blue Mountains, all the tourist buses first stop at the vista point of Three Sisters range, and then head up to Scenic world for the different rides. There is a zoo visit and a ferry ride back as part of most tour packages.

Since we signed up for a smaller group tour, we were able to shrug the crowds and explore some of the ‘hidden-spots’ in the smaller bus. From all vantage points what you see is a glimpse of the infinite expanse of the mountain. Our tour guide gave us good information regarding the history, flora, fauna and typical way of life of people leaving in the area starting with Blue Mountain 101-The Blue Mountains is densely populated by oil bearing Eucalyptus trees. The atmosphere is filled with finely dispersed droplets of oil, which, in combination with dust particles and water vapour, scatter short-wave length rays of light which are predominantly blue in colour. 

I had seen flaky tall Eucalyptus trees back home, but here they were humongous. Also saw tea-tree shrubs for the first time, it is good Aussie fun to rub the British tourists for having ancestors who used this shrub to make an infusion to drink in place of tea!

A group tour is a microcosm of the general profile of the tourists visiting a place and there was an interesting dynamics that I noticed in our group of fellow tourists. The demographics was slightly skewed towards the age group who reminiscence about World WarII, especially the American and British tourists in our group who were happy to engage in animated discussions with the guide about the history. The other spectrum of people were those who you were rooted in one place but lived in another part of the world. Japanese working in China, Chinese kid raised in Netherlands studying English in Australia, Taiwanese learning Queens English in Britain(while unlearning his Hollywood English). It was a diverse set of people curious about property prices as we drove from the city to the suburbs!

And here I am back in Hong Kong on my way to work, and I chuckle to myself when i overhear another conversations about Sydney property prices.. its a small world.

Triple J trip

Posting a quick note about the triple J trip: Jeju in June & July!
Historically, Jeju island(South Korea) has been called by many different names. I found this trinity reference interesting- Island of no three kinds, and many three kinds. It was the island of triple abundance-wind, stones & women... and over the years people created many different combinations.

WIND:
Truly free, truly fierce
Play-full, full of pride
Loud and lashing
Making twisters out of mist..
Flattening out the grasslands
Puffing up pink raincoats into balloon
Hey hey hold on a second you crazy wind, let me at-least fix my cap

Our attempt to summit Mt. Hallasan, was usurped by the grand theatre of rain, fog and wind. Caught flat-footed by the sudden change of weather, we waited almost one hour at the hike start point for the supplies store to open. Then decked in our flimsy pink and blue raincoats we made our way up. It was literally the most 'mistifying' experience-mist caught up between the tall trees threading all the spaces and boundaries. Needless to say, any attempts at photography was a moot point, so we diligently trudged along feeling the patter of the rain and the gusts of wind.

Slowly as the forested area cleared and we started the hike up the ridge, the wind truly came into form-pushing hard on one cheek, beating against the poor ear on the right. Holding the ropes along the wooden stairs for some reassurance-it was wild and a bit scary up there.

The terrain changed again, small trees, grasslands perfect habitat for the deers that live here. The mean misty curtain denied us any chance to see the summit or the views around. The Mountain spirit has many moods and it is at its most playful in the rains..The summit eluded us this time, but hopefully we will get another chance.
Route:Yeongsil trail on our way up and Eorimok trail on our way down.


STONES:

You get the picture.
Since the island was created by volcanic eruption, long long time ago, the black ash colored rocks are omnipresent taking different interesting art-forms. The coastal landscape is dotted with natural rock formations created by wind/water weathering over the years.
The island is dotted with figurines carved in porous Basalt(volcanic rock) called  Dol hareubangs. The statues' faces feature grinning expressions, bulging eyes without pupils, a long, broad nose, and slight smile.They are sold as tourist souvenirs everywhere, we got one as well

Along with the traditional, the quirky human vision is also at at play with the rocks and stones, creating montages for the selfie obsessed.

WOMEN: 

Haenyeo, the famed female free divers of this island earned their living and respect in the society with each dive into the depths of the waters. Diving 10-30 meters deep without oxygen mask(holding their breath for over three minutes), they gather shellfish and other species.

We frequently spotted bright yellow flippers and orange float bobbing in the dark waters. These women can be seen working and selling their fresh grilled catch in shacks by the beach. 

This economic self- reliance and social support system of the Haenyeo life is the foundation of a semi-matriarchal society in Jeju island.

The owner of the guesthouse where we stayed was another enterprising women. Single handedly she maintained the whole place and yet was fully attentive to the needs of the guests-exchanging pleasantries, arranging transport and recommending places to visit. Finding vegetarian food in Jeju was a difficult deal, so we cooked Maggi in her small pantry one day and the other time she offered us a bowl of puffed rice. She also introduced us to Makgeolli, a yummy alcoholic drink.

Overall the island is best enjoyed while driving around, stopping to admire the changing landscapes and taking in the fresh air. Seafood and contemporary museums(teddy bear, trick photography, love museums you name it that have it)are another big draw for families.

For us we had the Jeju mandarin oranges-the local hallabong variety and some halla chocolate(orange) to share with friends..

This beautiful place made a special place in my heart and became new home for my hat! (lost it somewhere after this picture)

Life's a beach

A week of vacation in the lovely beaches of Thailand and sure life's a beach! The following lines of the song really talk to you especially when you simplify 'Cause I'm young and in love' to say 'Cause I'm on vacation...

I get ready, I get all dressed up
To go nowhere in particular

It doesn't matter if I'm not enough
For the future or the things to come
'Cause I'm young and in love
I'm young and in love..-Lana Del Rey

(Meeting the conditions of the song is quite a stretch of imagination when you are on the other side of 30s..lets admit that.)

We were in Southern Thailand, exploring the beaches of Phuket & Krabi around Andaman sea. Island hopping tours are a popular activity to explore the distant island groups of Phi Phi and Hong island. There are hundreds of speed boats flocking to these gorgeous waters, with thousads of tourists in tow. The islands are incredibly beautiful, soft white sand and clear green waters reflecting the tall limestone rocks surrounding them. Sometimes the shade of the waters turned a darker shade of green & blue with the shadows of the corals beneath. It was ethereal and at the same time quite an impersonal way to experience the beauty around. Everyone was trying to escape the crowds to get a perfect Facebook worthy photo of themselves in the allotted time on the beach before we head to the next island destination.

The real opportunity to commune with the waters and the tall cliffs came our way when we took our sea kayak to navigate through Ao Thanane’s mangrove forests and sheltered lagoons. It was a delight to escape the spluttering sound of speed boat and long-tail boats in the quite of the kayak and just get mesmerised by the beauty and the quite sounds of the mangrove forest. It was perfect, except the husband and I were warring at each bend and every jutting mangrove root-right, right, right.....bam! We were the drunk bumbling bees of the kayak group. Only when we were out of the mangrove forest and the waters opened up, peace was restored in our part of the world. Despite what I described, would recommend to take the kayak and explore around.

Lastly we stayed put at Kata beach, for two days. Kata is the quieter cousin of the famous Patong beach in Phuket. This was really our true beach time, lazing around in the sand and waters for the greater part of the day. In between the dips and reading on my kindle, I really got to reflect that everyday is different on the beach. One day the sea can be perfectly still, the next full of waves. Merciful cloud cover one day and none the next. The breeze changes angle.The color of the sea changes all through the day and also between today and tomorrow. The only constant attribute is the saltiness of the sea water.

Moving on to matters of food, the thai green/red curry served everywhere was on the salty side ever. Papaya salad is the only way i like the papaya. There are way too many Indian restaurants in Krabi and the food is absolutely authentic. 'Vegetarian food' is not an alien concept, we were able to find decent food choices everytime. Coconut ice-cream with tender chucks of coconut is the best. Having a dinner of tropical fruits is totally legitimate, after trying some roadside pancakes. Dried fruits on the contrary is just unhealthy sugar disguised in attractive fruit-packaging-beware!

Keeping me company on this trip was a book on Genes by Siddhartha Mukherjee, it is an odd choice for a beach read. Yet the expansive scope of the book is well enjoyed over glances at the immense waters and the recurring waves. The gist of the book from a NY times review is quite spot on: "The gene is, and is not, the determiner of our identity. It behooves us to accept this paradox and understand it".
Ah! the complete delight of lying in a hammock in a quite private beach(in Krabi), gently rocking in the breeze and reading my book. The beauty of the moment was that it could make you feel 'young and in love'..

Ho Chi Minh city-Impressions

The people here(in Vietnam) have a mind of their own, about their destiny, their identity, freedom and they fought a long war for their sovereignty.
‘Hearts of Atlantis’ was my prelude to our Vietnam trip- the book mirrors the 70’s disillusionment with the Vietnam War in US. The trip to HCMC provided a more vivid perspective of the naked American aggression and the psychological warfare tactics of the Viet Cong and the Guerillas in the Vietnam War.

For every conflict there are two sides to the truth; the truth vs. optics and the truth vs. propaganda. The line between the two is blurred in war times but the truth is universal and becomes apparent with the passage of time. It was an ugly war just as each one of the other fought by mankind; losses on both sides, deplorable acts of brutality, misguided motives, conceited rationalization and money for someone.
The War remnants Museum in HCMC and the Cu chi tunnels are powerful reminders of the mistakes of past and a looking glass for the current plight in Iraq and Syria. However it is easy to reduce the wars of yesterdays to tourist attraction in the present and the message gets lost..

The city has a quintessential East meets West charm which is evident in the architecture, culinary and café culture. Case in point, the locals took the essentially French import- Baguette and transformed it into the tongue tantalizing Banh-mi(sandwich) and made it its ‘own’.
When the entire world has essentially surrendered to the Starbucks dominion, the coffee here holds its ground- it is robust and mean. It has an authentic well roasted coffee bean flavor and not the bitter slightly acidic flavor that masquerades as black coffee.

There are always two ways to explore a new place-the convenient off-the-shelf approach and the more immersive DIY approach. Our HCMC trip was overall more the former and less the latter, we opted for group day trips with tour operators which was informative but less about self discovery. 

We did the Mekong river delta group tour and got a glimpse of rural life and cottage industries(bee keeping/coconut candies). It was a well-planned trip and provided a glimpse into the everyday life/livelihood & culture. Also it is a good concept to funnel tourist money to rural locations and reduce migration pressure to big cities.
This trip brought back memories of the eventful Nagarjuna Sagar and Krishna river trip with a bunch of Deloitte colleague back in Hyderabad some 5 years before. This was one of my first trips in Hyderabad and an introduction to some of my greatest friends in the city. The memories of last minute arrangement for a 7 seater vehicle, ‘Shutter island’ like experience and a surprise invitation from a local Hyderabadi friend for dinner at his home are just as fresh and so is the friendship..
It is quite natural for me to compare my travel experience in Asian countries with India given the geographical proximity and broad similarity in the social-economic parameters. My perception is that a lot of these small south asian countries have done a much better job than us at building the travel logistics and service mindset to capitalize on cultural tourism(agree my version of India may be slightly outdated).

Moving on to matters of the stomach, I will have to give a shout out to this Vietnamese restaurant-Com Chay Mani (Comchaymani) for an authentic local food experience. We went in looking for a hearty vegetarian meal and stepped out a happy bunch. We tried the Mani special noodles, dumpling and a hot pot dish and were bowled over by the distinctively vibrant flavors in each of the dishes.
We had a meal at Hum restaurant(good ambience, extensive menu with lots of choices and ok food) & were lucky to get our hands on some tofu banh-mi at Mybanhmi, the spicy garlic version was our absolute favorite- repeated the order and gobbled up the sandwich with some healthy veggie soup... yum!

The current day Vietnam has come a long way since the end of the war in 1975 to become one of the world’s fastest growing economies and has set its sights on becoming a modern and industrialized nation by 2020. Politics aside, there is definitely something steely and gritty about the gentle natured people here and I would like to see their vision come true..

Levels..Japan

Hong Kong people love to visit Japan, some in my team make an annual pilgrimage, others head east during any decent long weekend.
Avicci's 'Levels' soundtrack offers an interesting analogy in this regard. The upbeat tempo and progressive beats of the song reflect a state of mind, a sense of climbing up levels. I think that the song also explains why Hong Kongers visit Japan, a place familiar in feel and mood but at the ‘next level’..

The Japanese minimalist philosophy and their relentless pursuit of perfection gives them an edge over other developed countries of the world. It is easy to notice the attention to detail and conscientiousness of the Japanese people that exhibits itself in the smallest and the loftiest undertaking in equal measure. 

This modern version of the country evolved from the conscience of a nation bruised by an aggressive war mongering past which shaped the geo-politics of the Asian subcontinent and the horrors of the nuclear bomb drop. However none of the manmade and natural disasters broke the spirit of this nation and they rose to higher levels.

The Japanese society is primarily a rules based society with a code of honour and moral conduct that goes back generations. People take immense pride in their culture, language, food and their way of life. Surprisingly in this formal framework of the society there is equal celebration of the quirky and nerdy pursuits. The anime gaming world, the Hello Kitty universe, the Manga comics and all the weirdly cool stuff that I don’t know about. The society rewards, honours and celebrates individuals who pursue their passion with utmost dedication. 

Interestingly it is this dichotomy, the coexistence of contrary forces which gives Japan a special appeal. And i am glad I was able to experience a slice of this amazing country this first week of July. While planning for the trip, I was quite anxious about-language, food, understanding public transport network not to forget the rising Yen due to the Brexit!, but with few handy resources-maps and apps it was easy to navigate around

Here is a sample itinerary and the highlights of the trip(3 days Osaka+3 days Kyoto)

Day1: Airport to hotel and then sightseeing. Long walk through the underground Namba subway shopping area. A gracious cafe host who customised a vegetarian lunch for us. A day trip to Nara- visited Todaiji temple(with the deer park) and Kofuku-ji. The light drizzle set the right mood to reflect on the architectural grandeur of these lofty wooden structures.

Day2: It was raining again, so we spent greater part of the day indoors at the Osaka aquarium and then the covered shopping streets of Shinsaibashi which are open only to pedestrians. The shopping arcade has everything from big department stores to small local specialty shops. The southern end of the arcade is at the Dotonbori River, a good place to stand and take in all the activity around with the backdrop of the gentle river.
After some good deal of window shopping and watching the Mister shop for shoes we headed for
Osaka castle. We reached after the viewing hours so it was less crowded and we peacefully explored the grounds of the castle and the adjoining parks. The sounds coming from the nearby Osaka Shudokan(Martial arts training hall) added a robust touch to the otherwise peaceful environs.
The sprawling castle grounds are a good place for an evening stroll, occasionally we came across locals enjoying a good run in the evening and cats lazing under the park benches. On our way back we stopped by Kuromon Market area to sample some Japanese fruits.

Day3: Day trip to Himeji castle-the Taj Mahal of Japan(far fetched metaphor). Himeji castle reopened to public in 2015 after extensive repair so the whiteness even smells fresh. Before Pokémon Go invaded our mind space with Augmented Reality, I was able to sample some of the AR stuff at the Himeji Castle in Japan. There are signboards located in the castle where you point your mobile phone camera to watch the reconstructed AR images of how the castle used to look in the past.  Technically I just peeked into the phones of the touristy bunch who point their camera at everything, so it was a surrogate AR experience for me, but I thought it was a cool approach to explore the castle.
Back in Osaka we explored Umeda neighborhood in the evening. The plan was to take in the sights of the city from the Umeda sky building which features a rooftop observatory for a 360 degree of the city lights. Later we had a hearty vegetarian Japanese curry for dinner at a camp themed restaurant(Curry camp) in one of the shopping malls at the Osaka station area. The food was good and also the theatrics of the open kitchen, just 4 people running all the operation with Japanese efficiency!

After three packed days in Osaka which involved a lot of walking (average 12km/day) we headed for Kyoto.

Day4: The ambience changed completely, we were out of the big commercial city into the cultural nerve centre of Japan- Japanese lamp shades, small shops, people walking around in Kimono.

It was a bright day in Kyoto and after some general strolling, we headed for Uji. It is a quaint little place with a relaxed Matcha flavored vibe,  we explored the Byodo-in temple(imprinted on the 10Yen coin) and the adjoining museum of Buddhist artifact.
On our way back we stopped by the Fushimi Inari Shinto shrine.

Again a good idea to visit in the evening when it was cooler to walk under the famous vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind the main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, and we walked up to the view point from where one can see the peaceful Kyoto sunset.
A lot of good dinner places close early so we had to do some hunting to find a vegetarian place to eat. Finally it was an Indian place-Thilaga (the Masala dosa there was right next to the best Mysore Masala dosa, I had in San Diego almost 4 years before and the Masala dosa in Munnar 9 years before). The next 2 days we were slurping perfect Udon noodles, regular and the curry version(almost like Maggie) like pros..

Day5: Temple sightseeing in Kyoto, starting in the Southern Higashiyama neighborhood. We took a bus to Kiyomizu-dera and from there we did a walking tour covering Ninen-zaka.
"Lined with beautifully restored traditional shophouses and blissfully free of the overhead power lines that mar the rest of Kyoto, Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka are a pair of pedestrian-only lanes that make for some of the most atmospheric strolling in the whole city"-Inside Kyoto guide
I am quoting this specifically for the fact that it mentions 'overhead power lines' and both in Osaka and Kyoto, i could not help but notice their ubiquitous abundance..
We stopped by a couple of temples en route to Chion-In temple(sometimes called the Vatican of Pure Land Buddhism) and took in the tranquil beauty of the scenic Marayuma park. Having completed part 1 of the temple visiting, we headed over across town to NorthWest Kyoto to visit the Kinkaku-ji temple and Ryoan-ji temple. Here our planning hit a slight nag with the buses- wrong direction, long wait so we came back for Ryoan-ji temple next day.
All the temples we visited were unique in their way, and each of them exploited the hilly terrain to its advantage-different views from different angles/height and also the carefully landscaped gardens framed the temple differently. It seemed the prayer space were specially designed to allow the gentle breeze to circulate freely(it was a particularly bright day so the breeze felt refreshing).

Day6: The plan was to explore the Arashiyama district-take pictures at Arashiyama bamboo : have a shojin ryori (Zen vegetarian cuisine) at Shigetsu, a large temple-style restaurant surrounded by the natural beauty of Tenryu-ji's World Heritage gardens and then rent a cycle to pedal along Hozu river and explore Sagano area. We didn't learn much from out busing experience the day before and so with some hiccups we accomplished our mission(bonus items: Ryoan-ji zen garden and Okochi Sanso, the attractive ''spiral'' garden and teahouse complex), but no cycling (mister's bucket list sacrificed).

Day7: time to pack, picked up some souvenirs in a morning shopping trip and took the train to Kansai airport in the afternoon for the evening flight. I cleaned up my wallet of all the small currency notes and coins at the duty free shopping area at the airport, with just a single 5000 Yen note coming back to Hong Kong. The idea is to start saving for the next trip- may be sample the Spring cherry blossom or the picturesque Autumn colors..

Live, let Live...

Sometimes what comes later becomes a revelation in light of what came just before it, visiting Pushkar after Bali was something in the same nerve. A very simple analogy would be the serendipity to hear Nina Simone-Feeling Good play after Bill Withers-Ain't no Sunshine..
These two beautiful songs share something magical, they evoke a certain vibe, a certain mood and a strength of emotion that perfectly complements each other..

Driving down Bali was a tour of green and refreshing waters-nestled in green hills, terraced rice fields and flanked by beaches. Pushkar landscapes are essentially a palette of brown, with wisps of green acacia and desert hardened trees. The bare hills stare at you, brown in the sunlight and black in the shadows.
Pushkar in March is not the most ideal choice; it is really hot and gearing to get scorching hotter in
the coming months, but you forget everything once the magical evening descends. The Ghats surrounding the lake is where the magic happens; it’s an entrance to a different world. The facade of the main entrance ghat is fashioned like characteristic Rajput forts and looks majestic. It captures the lore of the bygone era in its soft whiteness. The swans paddling the lake adds to the royalty of the ghat. The constellation of small temples around the lake gives it a cozy feel and their twinkling lights complement the small lamps placed by the devotees lining the lake. The brown hills in the distance mirror perfectly in the waters of the lake and one can read the meandering pathway flanked by little light bulbs leading to the temple on the top of the peak.

Perhaps other religious places with water bodies can boast of a similar ambience, however this felt more personal-like a favorite passage in a book carefully marked for later reference. It also helped that the ghat was less crowded and one could take in the panoramic view without any rush or elbowing. The warm embrace of the chanting, hymns, conch sounds makes the heart sing the same tune inwardly and be at peace with everything around.

Pushkar is one of the oldest existing cities of India, is one of the five sacred dhams (pilgrimage site) for devout Hindus. Both Bali and Pushkar are living centers of Hindu faith, rooted in mythology, with temples and religious symbols at the turn of each corner.  Also both are flourishing centers of arts and culture, music and dance.
It is like a common creative force pervades the air at the two places, inspiring the artisans and giving their arts an authentic flair. Its a pleasure browsing through the collections in small shops selling colourful cotton dresses, metal, wood crafts, leather articles and everything else(or maybe a power bank is what you need)...
The air here also attracts a certain strain of traveler’s-weary souls inquisitively staring into the lives of people with faith and promise of Nirvana. Dressed in local hand printed cotton grabs, with matted hair and bare feet; they flock here from different parts of the world and just fit in with enviable ease. Ah! the charm of the hippie lifestyle..
I saw a tall white man, lovingly feed a cow on the main road, the two seemed to have a communion of their own. It was the same bonhomie around, congregation of men and women in hazy eyes and some with clear blue, green and brown eyes wearing a gentle smile. They waved and hi-fived the locals, who shouted back with a sheepish grin.
The live and let live mantra..

The two song playlist to sample the mood:
Bill Withers: Ain't No Sunshine
Nina Simone:Feeling good

Bali thoughts and recollections…

I felt an instant kinship with Bali, a feeling of sharing a common heritage. To put it more simply it felt like finally meeting a maternal cousin in flesh, who had existed so far only in conversations (of joy and distress) and holiday pictures.

In our social interaction we always try to seek similarities, the first level could be a very democratic terrain like sports, books, music, movies or any such activities. The next level could lean towards social and geographical familiarity like hometown/schooling, country/language if you are in an alien environment.(People back home are always interested to know if there are any Paharis around.. all is good if one exists!)
I do not invest much stock in religion; however in Bali I realized the bonds of common religious roots-Hinduism. It was an interesting exchange to indulge in conversations and stories about Ramayana and Mahabharata with our hosts.

The Bali Hindu still looks upon India as the mother ship of Hinduism; however he has distilled the essence of Hinduism in his unique island traditions and created a version which has its own distinct identity and sustenance.
I may not know the deeper theological similarities and differences between Indian and Balinese Hinduism but just at a visual and perceptive level, the Balinese Hinduism appeared more accessible to the uninitiated. The external manifestation of Hindu beliefs in the arts, architecture, dance forms and daily rituals is idyllic and approachable. Looking beyond the aesthetics one can sense something deeper- Hinduism as a way of life. It truly feels like the serenity and humility of the ubiquitous prayer baskets and offerings is imbibed in each island soul.

The cultural beauty of Bali is complemented perfectly by the richness and diversity of the physical landscape. We stopped by a couple of beaches, and each one had a different character and feel.
The beaches in Bali are a big draw for the surfers and it is good fun to watch their antics. For the newbies there are surfing lessons or alternatively you can rock the waves freestyle, time your jump to the swell of the wave and let it carry you before it breaks.
I was mesmerized by the magical sunset at Seminyak beach; you can see the distinct outline of this orange ball as it disappears behind the horizon. It was not a lingering fuzzy sunset but a spectacle that has precision of shapes and movement. I have never seen such distinct outlines of the sun and the horizon, also the movement of the setting sun is very palpable. I was aware of the speed of the setting sun as I was trying to focus for the perfect shot (which I missed!)

Padang Padang beach sure looks like Nature’s secret, with huge cliffs hiding it from plain sight. As you walk down the steps cut in the rock leading to the beach, you realize early on that you are being led on to a secret. This is a picturesque beach surrounded by cliffs and lush greenery, there are boulders around for people to find there own secluded spots. This beach may not be a good area for swimming as there is a lot of shallow rock and the mister managed to spot an odd sea snake but it is a nice shaded beach to sit back, relax and watch the surfers chase the waves.(this beach seemed very popular with the serious surfers)


We also stopped by the newbie Pandawa beach, which reminded us of Boarcay, Phillipines with its white sands calm turquoise waters. The government has made serious efforts to woe tourists to this beach-the convenient access road cut through the high limestone cliffs, the mythological figurines for the selfie stick tourists and convenient parking lots, its all well laid out.

The other major highlights of the trip included the early sunrise hike of Mt Batur(an active volcano).

It was a surreal experience to climb up the summit covered in black volcano ash- the local tour guides call it 'black snow' soft and slippery(downhill almost felt like skiing)! Climbing down the summit we shouted a 'hi!' to the caldera and we could hear the sound bounce and echo all the way to the very bottom.
There was steam coming out from different nooks and slopes like a chain smoker mountain- small steam from under a stone, steam sauna cave with the smell of minerals and what not!
It was a cloudy day so we could not see the sunrise, but it was a magical morning nonetheless. The darkness of the night turning into Prussian blue, the black shroud covering the lake Batur slowly slipping away revealing the gentle waters below. The black shadows of the hills right across conjured into their distinct tops and standing at the summit we saw the lowly clouds floating over the valley below.

I would like to be all poetic about the temples, the traditional dances, the prayers and the festivities but I am a lazy writer so I will just wrap up saying that locals take pride in their culture and they welcome you warmly to be a part of it.
Ubud is a shoppers paradise looking for artistic bric-a-brac, one can also visit the villages and workshops and learn more about the crafts and craftsmen. I guess it would be like 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory experience', but for us it will have to be next time...

We travel for different reasons, people can interpret and explore the same place in completely different trajectories. In a short 5 day trip, we sampled different flavors of Bali and covered the key tourist attractions. We learnt some new things and came back curious about others. We also realized that for some things 5 days is just not enough- like understanding what makes people tick or understanding a culture.

Anyways for someone planning a quick trip to bali, here is our sample itinerary (5 days 4 night)
3 nights in Ubud:
Day 1: Relax at the resort(enjoy the private pool), Ubud centre, lunch and dinner at Warung- local Bali food
Day 2: Mt Batur sunrise hike and visit to coffee plantation (booked tour package online http://www.balitrekkingtour.com/). Massage after the hike and a relaxed evening watching Kecak fire dance performance(schedule available online for location and timing of different dance forms)
Day 3: Relaxed morning and then hired a taxi for the afternoon tour: rice fields, Taman Ayun & Tanah lot sunset
1 night in Kuta:
Day 4: Kuta hotel checkin, sunset at Seminyak
Day 5: Kuta beach in the morning and hired a taxi in the afternoon to explore south Bali beaches all the way to Uluwatu temple. Evening headed back to the airport for our real early morning flight.

Travel journal-Boracay

We were drawn by the azure waters, soft white sand beaches, warm tropical sun but we came back richer in ways we didn’t expect. Also I maintain that the Pahari came across stronger than the Rajasthani when it came to braving the tropical sun while indulging in all the glory of the warm waters.

We settled on Philippines after jumping around countries for a while, then again we had two contenders- Boracay or Palawan.I was not particularly enthused about visiting Boracay, it seemed like a ‘once’ beautiful place marred by excessive tourism. Palawan seemed more like my calling, promising pristine untouched beauty and chance of a quite communion with nature.

However for a short getaway trip during the Monsoon season, Boracay- the poster child of Philippine tourism seemed like a safer bet than getting stuck in remote Palawan with torrential rains and sketchy infrastructure if weather gods played truant. Thus we embarked on our to trip to Boracay in search of the island soul still throbbing and surviving despite the overbearing limelight thrust upon it. I quietly promised myself that I will better plan the Palawan trip during the saner weather.

Quick note on the planning for someone who stumbles on this post while looking for Boracay travel tips. We took the HongKong to Kalibo direct flight (2.5 hrs) with Cebu Pacific, flew out Wednesday evening and were back Monday evening. This low cost round-trip flight is available only on specific days a week, so we tailored our itinerary around the same. This effectively gave us 5 days in hand to explore Boracay and we did some smart planning. We stayed in Kalibo the first night (reached 10:30pm) and planned for a trip to nearby Bakhawan Eco-Park( 220 hectare mangrove forest) early next morning. In the afternoon we headed to Boracay(90 min drive from Kalibo to Caticlan jetty port, 15 minutes boat ride to Boracay). Transportation option is plentiful between Kalibo to Caticlan jetty port(options are mostly tradeoff between money/time/service).We stayed 2 nights at our comfortable resort on White beach Station1 and the next two nights we moved to the opposite side of White Beach-Bulabog beach and rented a native house on a hill-top.(light wood,bamboo and a thatched roof making it airy)

We did all the recommended tourist activities in Boracay: swimming in the sea, stand up paddle boarding in the relatively calm waters, parasailing, island hopping in a motorised Bangka with snorkelling at Crocodile island and visit to Crystal cove island, collecting sea shell at Puka beach and Sunset Paraw sailing. All of the above were good fun, but I guess it is the unexpected small things that sneak in a well researched itinerary that adds true charm to a travelling experience. I will document some of them here while they are fresh in my mind.

The proprietor of Kalibo guesthouse gave us a tour of his property. I thought that the mounted orchids growing on logs of wood hanging on the wall were pretty cool, their aerial roots too upscale for the lowly earth! Wikipedia tells me that of 1100 species of orchids 900 are endemic to Philippines.
He also offered us some tropical fruits growing in his garden for our tasting; my educated taste buds discerned them as distant tropical cousins of their Indian brethren (Lychee & Keenu). The hospitality and our education of the tropical flora and fauna (with crustaceans thrown in the mix) continued with our next visit to the Mangrove forest eco-park.

All trees are tall, but some trees are taller than others (Redwood trees). All trees have roots, some trees are ‘rootier’(Banyan trees). All trees are cool(shady), but some trees are cooler than others (Oak trees), I could go on but the question is what makes the Mangrove tree special?
“Mangroves live life on the edge. With one foot on land and one in the sea, these botanical amphibians occupy a zone of desiccating heat, choking mud, and salt levels that would kill an ordinary plant within hours. Yet the forests mangroves form are among the most productive and biologically complex ecosystems on Earth”-National Geographic

Walking through the Mangrove forest was a first time experience for me, although a visit to the Sunderbans in Bengal always tempted me, the trip never materialized in my 2 year stay in Kolkata. In Kalibo, a mudflat was converted into a mangrove forest in 1990 as part of land reclamation effort. The Mangrove Reforestation Project provided twin benefits to the local community- a sustainable solution against flooding, and a means of income-crabs and shell fish farming. The eco-trail attracts tourists bringing in generous pesos (park entrance fee) for the park upkeep. Impressive!
The eco-trail is a 1.1 km bamboo pathway through the heart of the Mangrove forest, I was happy to stand on the curvature of the bamboo bridge overlooking the river underneath, flanked by the lush green mangrove forests while listening to the junk, junk, junk sound of the confused nightjars. Every gentle flutter or ruffle got magnified in the quite of the jungle; the most fun was to watch the antics of the flying fish- their zig-zag hop-skip-fly routine! The crabs were the perfect contrast-awkwardly navigating around with their hind legs, while their crab hands didn’t seem to help out much!

I realize that I have already filled up a lot of space even before we reached Boracay. May be I should stop tip-toeing around the sandy beach and jump into the clear azure waters already. As I took in the first view of the beach, I had to admit that I had never seen a pristine beach like this before. The soft white powdery sand had curvy wind scales, the waters so transparent you could see the white fishes running around. This sprawling beach looked like a royalty which made all the other beaches of my existence fade in comparison.
We had picked a resort(Sea Wind Resort) in Station 1, the less congested part of the beach. Also I liked that the resort encroached less on the beach, the front was spacious with the widest beach front. The property had expanded on the opposite side of the beach across the road with spacious garden view villas. I didn’t mind that we had to walk 5 minutes to cross the road and walk to the beachfront. I enjoyed the luxury of just walking into the beach from the resort, enjoy a swim in the sea and then take a quick dip in the swimming pool before lounging in the pool deck with my kindle. It was ethereal to look at the sprawling sea and sandy beaches each time you glanced up. Walking along the beachfront was also a charming sight, especially watching the silhouettes of the sailing boats against the backdrop of evening sky.

Alas despite all the prettiness I could not shake off a nagging feeling especially as we walked past Station 2. Nature had bestowed this place with pristine royal beauty but man had callously intruded her backyard with all the consumerist junk-big food chains, resorts on the sandy beach, loud throbbing music, massage and henna parlors and continuous barrage of touts selling their wares. I could see the dangerous game, how all these frills were trying to woo the multitude of tourists while slowly alienating the purists.

Thankfully one can venture out to the nearby islands to get a taste of pure untouched island beauty. It was reassuring to watch the lush green canopy of tall trees guarding the boundary of the Puka beach and as the last of the sun rays kissed the sandy beaches, the beach was left to its peaceful pondering.
While snorkeling at Crocodile Island, I glanced into the world of corals reefs and beautiful fishes for the first time. From the boat when I looked searchingly at the waters, I was fooled by the dark shadows, an appearance of shallow waters with submerged rocks. Nothing had prepared me for the sight that was lurking just under the surface for a depth of 6 meters-a blast of color and prettiness that my eyes had never experienced. Our guide told us that fishing is strictly regulated in this area; he also gave us some bread to feed the fishes- this attracted a swarm of fishes very close for viewing.
As part of the island hopping we explored the coves in the private property of Crystal Cove Island. The property had some quirky wooden seating installations (not sure if it was thematic), perhaps for people to relax and soak in the gorgeous views, but mostly they were serving as photo booths for the selfie obsessed. I had seen coves before in San Diego but had not ventured into its belly, this time we descended inside the cold cove and into the clear water washing up persistently. This was also the adobe of some secretive marine creatures; curled up sea urchins and crabs.

Our quirky native residence up the hill wasn’t exactly to the Mister's taste so I tried to bribe him

with Mangosteen. Side story- this tropical fruit had come up in a discussion with a Singaporean about Durian few days prior to our Philippine trip. I know it is a risky move taking recommendations from someone who likes Durian but knowing the Mister's love for trying out weird fruits, I picked up a bunch on our way back to the studio up the hill. Desperate time desperate measures! Thankfully this experimentation was better than the ones where I am on the receiving end..
On the first day of out stay we got introduced to another island regular-the gecko. It was so big and colorful that I first thought it was a decorative item but when it moved I nearly jumped out of my skin. Our host told us about these harmless island creatures and how they got their name, when night came we had no doubts about the name...ge-cko, ge-cko, ge-cko

Since we were on the Eastern side of the island, I woke up early both days to watch the glorious sunrise. We chatted up with our Swiss host as I dug into the sumptuous breakfast (while someone just sipped orange juice). Some people have a lot of interesting stories to tell about their life, their journeys; he was one of them. Talking to him gave us a peek into the old Boracay (a tropical beauty that enamored a man from the Middle East, a warm haven of sun, wind and waters that made a European seek refuge from the brutal cold). The conversation meandered to politics, business, dietary choices…practically everything under the Boracay sky!

The last day of our stay gave us a different flavor of wind and waves. A typhoon warning was issued for later in the week and we could sense the change in weather. It was mildly windy as we climbed into the sail boat, Paraw for a sunset cruise. Generally it is a serene gentle ride to enjoy the beauty of the sunset, but for us the island had planned a roaring send-off. As the sails caught the whiff of the wind the Paraw gained speed quickly, it cut through the waves sending splashes of water right across our faces. The thrust of the water pushed us backwards, kicked our behinds, and fought our dangling legs; I could barely open my eyes to watch the romantic sunset. It was a wild ride with loud cries and wet amused glances shared between people on board the sail boat..

Later as the evening progressed we witnessed a low tide(full moon night) and watched the receding waters reveal wide stretch of powdery white sand. The view was different in Bulabog beach where the receding waves uncovered swathes of sea-weed. I can just imagine the riches of the Puka beach where the low tide would have revealed all the colorful shells for anyone's taking. Perhaps this is the truth about travelling, you go looking for the beautiful sunrises and sunset, you bring back with you a little Moon-magic.

Travel Charms..

Water overflows from a bucket and slowly begins to snake down the hill, slowly feeling its way down the sloping tangent guided by gravity. The little stream quietly glides by a small boy, the kid is not amused at being ‘overtaken’; he glances sideways at his competition and quickens his pace. I watch the kid as he begins to run down the hill, looking over his shoulders to make sure that the water stream doesn’t catch up with him..
This image has persisted in my mind for over a month now, may be because the scene was innocently human. May be because each one of us is kind of chasing random streams of water overflowing from different buckets lest we get left behind. May be because sometimes it is good to see that the life we live can have parallel in a kid’s universe. Life sure has a charming sense of humor; may be I should just leave this thought at this point

In a recent trip to the gambling city of Macau, knowing that riches and luck elude me, I choose to seek the charming side of history and culture. Not sure why the weather gods thought that showering us with buckets of rain would add to the charm of exploring the city but undaunted we started on the ‘list’..

We managed to cover the following on the list: Senado square, ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral and the Taipa village, toured the whole bunch of glitzy casinos and watched the much famed 'The house of Dancing water' show at the City of Dreams casino. We missed out on the museum tours, The Guia Fortress but I guess there is always a next time and with the time we had on hand we did a fair job of exploring the city.

The Senado square, the ruins and the Taipa village were all a slice of the Portuguese history in Chinese Macau, the churches standing tall amidst the cozy incensed temples.

The wavy black and white mosiac floor is the give away for tourists in the city trying to find the Square without any Google help. Once you start seeing the cobbled street you know you are close to The Senado square. The ruins of St Paul's Cathedral are also in the same stretch so it is easy to cover the two together. 

The colorful windows, potted plants, dainty cast iron lamp posts, it was a deja vu as i remembered the French Quarters in New Orleans. The quaint European feel that never fails to evoke the old world charm where perhaps aesthetic and beauty was a purpose in itself. 

The next day we covered the Taipa village. This small market area is a quintessential tapestry of East meets West, the narrow alleys lined with brightly colored buildings(the Portuguese flavor) in the midst of intricately designed roofs of Chinese buildings. There are small eateries, cozy restaurants all along the street with Portuguese, Spanish,  Macanese and Thai fare. Ice-creams- the Gelato variety, the pure milk Ice-cream from Hokkaido, Japan and the obnoxious Durian ice cream(i am entitled to an opinion). Taipa market is a melting pot of different cuisines, dig in and enjoy the food(hopefully you are a non-vegeterian)!

We watched the Dancing water show just before leaving Macau, the show completely mesmerises the senses, the acrobatics is awe inspiring, the design of the stage with all the water histrionics is impressive, the choreography and music set the right mood. Yet it is just that, a sensory pleasure, that holds you spellbound but doesn't grow into you. Nonetheless the show sells and it is not difficult to see why, its perfectly tailor made for the Asian Casino audience, drawing elements from both East and West and packaging it with a generous dose of Chinese motifs. I did enjoy the 90minutes performance and the Chinese lady sitting behind me was hysterical with laughter so i guess that counts for something..

I have kind of little to talk about the Casinos, they don't really work their Charm on me..(loser talk). But I do accept that each is grandiose in its own right- you heard me right, 'fake Venetian sky'!

That's it for now until I find something charming to chime about :)

Floridaying!

In case it is not obvious this post is about living it up in Florida- the sunshine state!

It took me almost three years in US before I touched Florida beaches so the anticipation was quite high. In my mind I thought of Florida beaches as high-end party destination; the glamorous kinds where people come to flaunt their well-toned bodies and drink mimosas by the pool side. 

So we planned an old friends Bachelorette in Florida and headed out to party!

For comparison purposes, I thought of Rio beaches as being relaxed and unpretentious. The kinds which I would not attribute as sophisticated ‘water-sports package’ sporty but simple ‘football/surf board’ sporty. (Yeah football not beach volleyball). It’s a party destination again; but you come here to soak in the native experience..

I thought of California beaches as a lifestyle, where RV beach camping is a regular sight and young people jog around in the morning and walk their dogs in the evening. The beaches feel young and a part of everyday life. It’s the ideal destination for a road-trip, you’ll see the beaches, the mountains, the deserts everything as you keep moving along the coast.

These are just my general perception, I would not argue their merit..

The question now is did Florida live up to this anticipation?

Honest answer would be it wasn't what I expected it to be.

I came across the most peaceful of beaches-literally deserted beaches where dolphins just walked by you.  

I came across the playful white beaches and incidentally it was really easy to leave the crowded beaches and sail away to a quite island on the Gulf of Mexico where the water is perfectly clear for snorkeling and again chase dolphins!

So for me Florida was about lying on the front deck of boat eating water melons, soaking  in the sun, getting sprayed by the salty waters as we raced along the gulf of Mexico, listening to Reggae music-‘everything will be alright’..

I saw the partying but not the high end swanky clubs kinds but a very colorful Spanish-Cuban-Colombian roadside partying (7^th Avenue Street). Colorful splash of yellow-blue and green, a Scientology church (i haven't seen one before), lots of tattoo places and Cuban cigar shops, stores selling bric-à-brac from south east Asia, from Colombia, dresses from France and slew of pubs each trying to stand out in its own way and you could tell the clientele they were shopping for.

For me it was a feeling of déjà vu, like visiting the little cousin of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street (colorful, musical, flavorful, ethnic and the wildness of the partying crowds at night)

One reason to explain this anomaly might be the choice of destinations in Florida- Tampa bay area & Orlando. We didn't really spend much time in Orlando, so my sphere of vision would be just Tampa bay area- Tampa city and the beach towns of Clearwater and St Petersburg. My general impression was that these places had more local businesses running the show, they didn't have the familiar promenades with big brand stores. We found the food was really cheap- small cozy cafes serving good food to a loyal customer-base. Initially we fancied the idea of driving in a convertible, but then we settled for a budget Nissan Versa, although the Nissan made us scratch our heads with their bizarre design choices(the car seats felt funny and the dash lights were an ugly red) but there weren't too many posh/stylish drivers on the roads so we blended in just fine..
It was a small town feeling through and through, not some crazy party destination on steroids..(haha..just my imagination..)
In the end a place can offer a lot of things to a lot of different people, it all depends on what you are seeking for.. perhaps this was the Florida I was seeking!

I neither shot the video and nor edited it... but I am sharing it across here..
Credit: video swati, editing: parixit

Memorial Day travel-II

"How small is the earth and confined, watched and followed by the persistent horizons. 
The light like a cage has shut out the dark eternity and the hours hop and cry within its barrier"  -Tagore

'the tyranny of light'
'the freedom of darkness'
These metaphors sound contrary to popular poetic sensibilities, our literature abounds with references where light symbolizes all that is positive(freedom) and darkness is the connotation for everything that is negative(shackles).
But is light really the freedom that we seek or is it the oppressor that we are yet to fathom?

"The division of days and nights is not for me, not that of months and years. For me, the stream of time has stopped, on whose waves dances the world- like straws and twigs. In this dark cave, I am alone, merged in myself, and the eternal light is still, like a mountain lake afraid of its own depth. Water oozes and drips from the cracks, and in the pools float the ancient frogs. I sit chanting the incantation of nothingness. The worlds limits recede, line after line. the stars like sparks of fire flown from the anvil of time are extinct. I took shelter in the darkness, the castle of the infinite and fought the deceitful light,day after day, till it lost all its weapons and lay powerless at my feet."- Tagore

It is a joy to experience someone else's imagination when you are 250 feet below the earth's surface in the longest cave system in the world.
It is a joy to give in and experience a moment of complete cool darkness after fighting it at every step..
It is a joy to may be partially understand what someone meant behind a bunch of beautiful lines..

This stream of consciousness was inspired by a trip to the Mammoth Caves National Park in KY.  It was my first cave experience and between all the factual details about geography, geology, history, zoology and chemistry I had Tagore's poetry giving me company!

Source: National Geographic

A shout-out to Nashville, it has the best music scene I have experienced and I am sure no other city can come anywhere close.The evening started with a live piano rendition of 'American Pie'-Don McLean followed by 'Brown-eyed girl' Van Morrison, 'Wanted Dead or Alive'-Bon Jovi, 'Leaving on the jet plane'-John Denver, rich dose of country- Country girl(shake it for me)/ Walking in Memphis.. and the list goes on.. Actually I was sold with the first song itself :)

Also this was my second road trip and I again relived the green routes and the freedom of speed..

I wonder if Tagore ever pondered on this aspect of freedom..!!