Tag Archives: things to do

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Kuang si are the spectacular waterfalls about 30 kilometers from Luang Prabang. Jump into a tuk tuk for a shared ride at 35,000 kip or sign up for a minivan at 40,000 kip that your hotel can arrange for you or you could find one waiting along the Sisavangvong road. The falls are multi-tiered and their turquoise blue or sometimes emerald green pools are a sight to both behold and jump in. We decided to trek all the way up to the top of the falls in the true spirit of exploration. And we were rewarded with the breathtaking top view of the falls and multiple tiny lakes. The climb although not too long is not so straightforward either. It is both adventurous and a little daunting because many a times you will be guessing if you are heading the right way. We were often left guessing wondering if we were the only ones heading up but a lot of people make the effort to climb up the top. So if you find the company of others and the waterfall symphony missing for too long, you know you are going the wrong way. The hike up is slippery, through wild woods, underneath the green canopy and definitely not for everybody. To navigate your way across the water pool at the top stepping over the moss covered rocks to get to the other side needs caution. If you slip, there is nothing to hold you back except for a railing of bamboo. But to put your feet on the black stones smothered by the time and water gushing down brings a feeling of peace to your nerves as you are panicking with both thrill and horror. To walk down is more challenging. But each step is a wonderful surprise. We stepped down a …

A weekend in Aurangabad We love Aurangabad, because we are from Auranagbad. So, it is highly important for us, that you love it too. And, here is our list of things that one must do in Aurangabad to get the full flavour of the city. Hire a car: First and foremost, you will need a car to check out all the major sites in the city and to do a day trip to Ajanta caves. Start Early: On day 1, Wake up early in the morning. Yes, no lingering around or sleeping in. Our monuments get hot and crowded very early in the day. So be sure to be out by seven at the latest. Plan your day: Start with a hike up to the top of Daulatabad fort. Then move over to the Ellora caves. Remember, you cannot see all the caves, so pick a sample of caves based on a little booklet on sale outside the Ellora caves and aim at covering those. Added attractions: Finally check out the Grishneshwar temple which is further ahead of Ellora on the same road. On your way back into Aurangabad, at stop Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khuldabad. All these attractions are along one highway that goes in and out of Aurangabad so finding them will not be a problem. You can also buy fresh fruits along the highway. When back in the city, enjoy a glass of juice at Lucky Juice center or Pakeezah if you are here in the summers. Have a meal of Rajasthani thali at Bhoj or Eklavya. And wrap up the day with paan at Tara pan center On Day 2 you can explore the Ajanta caves, which are 108 kilometers from the city. It is possible to visit the caves and return the same day back to …

It is not as old or as historic as its rivaling ‘Hagia Sophia’ but like the grand building it stands facing, Sultan Ahmet mosque popularly called ‘the blue mosque’ is the dream of an emperor, his highest aspiration, standing out like the solitaire bedecked in a ring amongst its contemporaries. Its victory stroke is that it is not dead yet. Its spacious halls, glistening ceramics and chandeliers hanging from sky high ceilings are all alive with the prayers of many believers that knock on its doors and kneel on its floors. While outsiders to the faith queue infront of its majestic doors, waiting for their turn in its grand courtyard examining its galleries. When the clock bids and the devotees depart, the vistors enter eagerly. Failing to mimic the order of the believers, the visitors totter around in deference holding their shoes in plastic bags, admiring the mosque and appreciating the delicate carving at the mihrab from a distance. After a few minutes of silence, pictures and videos, visitors make a quiet exit into the courtyard. There are six elegant minarets from where the call for prayers is made five times a day, nine mighty domes that reverberate with devotion, the 260 windows that let in the light and 20,000 blue tiles fitted on its ceilings – all tell the story of four hundred years that it has been standing for. The mosque stands proudly in the center of Istanbul adjacent to the ancient Hippodrome. Commissioned by Sultan Ahmet, it was to be his response to Justinian’s Hagia Sophia. The ambitious sultan demolished the last few remnants of the Great Palace of Byzantine to make place for his ambitious project at the chosen spot. Although built in seven years, even after four centuries the mosque is by no means an old building. It is constantly restored to its old glory.

Hagia Sophia, Ottoman Palace, Baklava, hhmmmmn, Bosphorus…hmmmmmn mezze…the bazaars… All done. Well done! What else now?”Belly dance…okay…how about full blown Turkish cultural program…at Hodga Pasha” I proposed to my friends. “Well, we could consider it,” was the response. The truth I already knew. The final decision was going to be mine. But I was the one who thought longest and hardest about spending 60 Turkish Lira for a dance that could turn out touristy, tacky, badly coordinated. It was a game of ‘should I?’ or ‘should I not?’ I played around with the idea and kept the decision for later not committing to either going or not going. After miles of walk around the historical lanes of Istanbul our spirits were more energized. The museums are closed, the bazaars have shut, the sun is down. Two drinks and many food plates later, what do we do now? “How about the dance show you mentioned?” on in the company said. “Oh okay. Let’s go.” And that’s how I went along with my party to Hodga Pasha Cultural Center for the Turkish Dance show.Watch this little clip about the dances and my review on it.Do I recommend one of the cultural dance shows that get advertised online or in the tourist quarters of Istanbul. Yes! Yes! Yes! I highly recommend the show that I have been to – The Hodga Pasha Dance Show. It is phenomenal! Turkish dance, soulful music, great musicians – you will not believe the value you will get from this one. In fact, you will forget all about money – you will be lost in the dance and music. My only regret is that life is not as colorful, joyful and soulful as was this dance and music show. It was my last evening in Sunday and now very …

The Istanbul Archaeological museums consist of three buildings with three museums – Archaeological Museum, Ancient Orient Museum, Tiled Kiosk Museum. The former two were built in 1891. The tiled kiosk however dates back to 1473. Here are a seven items in Archaeological Museum and Ancient Orient Museum of Istanbul to look out for: 1. Treaty of Kadesh – It is the oldest peace treaty dating to 13th century BC a copy of which hangs at the UN headquarters. The treaty was agreed upon between Egyptian and the Hittite dynasty after the battle of Kadesh known to be the biggest wars of 2. Lions of Ishtar Gate – The Istanbul Archaeology Museum houses lions, bulls and dragons from the Ishtar gate of Babylon dedicated to Goddess of Ishtar. It was the 9th gate in the ancient city of Babylon constructed in about 575 BC by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II. Through the gate ran the Processional Way which was 180 m long and on each side were placed 60 lions each made of glazed bricks. Some of these lions are now in the museum of Istanbul. But most of them are in Berlin where the Ishtar gate has been reconstructed in the Pergamon museum. The Lions of Ishtar gate 3. Oldest Love Poem – 8th Century BC inscription on a tablet from the ancient Babylonian times. The king was required to marry a priestess every year for the fertility of soil and women. The poem is said to have been written by a bride for the king. Shuu Sinn. A cuneiform Tablet Here is the translation of the poem from Istanbul Archaeological Museum: “Bridegroom, dear to my heart, Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet, Lion, dear to my heart, Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet. ………………… Bridegroom, let me caress you, My precious …

Istanbul stands in the center of the two continents and in the center of Istanbul stands the grand Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophias has been described as the ‘architectural wonder’ – the gem of the Byzantine empire, later the proud possession of the Ottomans and now the symbol of secular Turkey. The building has stood at the heart of the empire that laid claim on it. Justinian’s word still ring in the columns of Hagia Sophia, “My Lord, thank you for giving me chance to create such a worshipping place.” Pleased of his finest creation, he said proudly, “Süleyman, I beat you.” At the spot where two previous churches each ravaged by riots and fire, the Emperor ordered the building of Hagia Sophia in 532 AD. Completed within 6 years, Hagia Sophia was the crowning glory of Byzantine empire.  Such was the allure of Hagia Sophia that when Mehmet, the conqueror entered victorious into the city of Constantinople his first stop was the church of Hagia Sophia. A muslim priest was called in to read to Shahada and the Eastern Orthodox Cathedral that stood for 1000 years was now a mosque. There onwards, the grand structure of Sophia Hagia inspired the many other mosques built in Istanbul during the Ottoman rein, all looking like the prodigies of Hagia Sophia. When Kemal Ataturk secularized Turkey, he converted Aya Sophia into a museum opening its doors to all sending out the message that Hagia Sophia was indeed a heritage of the world. Even though the building is not an official place of worship, it continues to be contested upon by the Islamists and the Greek Orthodox Christians. For a traveler, like myself, the building is an awe-inspiring grandeur that has a spirit of its own – unfallen, untarnished, unbeaten. We are the privileged ones who can see the images of Virgin Mary at the …