In a traveler's words

Photo Essay : No Museum shall bore in DC

2012-01-28T08:50:00.000-05:00

Adding to the title, not all museums can be completed in one trip. There are so many museums and so much variety in Washington DC that one day, one week or one trip is just not enough to complete viewing. List of museums is exhaustive and can lead to monotony if you try to squeeze in too many but the experience is overwhelming.

Museum of American Indian

Native Indian Art

American Indian Tribal Tent

National Gallery of Art

An Original Monet

National Gallery of Art - Sculpture Garden

Nigerian art

Museum of African Art

Robe/ Head gear

Museum of Natural History

Check out the huge dinosaur fossil

Cheering Boston, the home team

2012-01-25T11:13:00.000-05:00

USA has four major sports to follow and talk about all the time. Baseball, Ice Hockey, American Football and Basketball, if I got those right. So this post if about the first live basketball game I went to. The players are really really tall, maybe 7 fet tall each.

Packed stadium

Stadium is packed. Especially since I went to see the home team play.
Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls.
Boston Celtics put up a great show. Chicago Bulls, an even better game. Derrick Rose played a great hero for his team. And all this I learnt on the fly as I watched the game, learned the teams and the game rules

Every Timeout called had a filler by cheer leaders and ever quater break was a show by cheer leaders and kids.
Fun way to spend a winter evening indoors!

Photo Essay : Monuments Trail in Washington DC

2012-01-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

From my own experience of the United States of America, the history chapters from high school and little east coast travel, I can say USA has a very short history compared to Asia or Europe. Yet, the huge country has put in a huger effort in documenting and monumenting their history for the generations to come. If there is one city that can boast of tons of this, it is Washington DC, a city-state. The monuments/ memorials trail is long, though walkable and very exhaustive. Managed to cover a few that appealed to my history lesson remainders.

Washington Monument

Tall pointed structure of 555 feet and 5 1/8 inches

There are 3 colors of stones that make Washington Monument. Best part is observing the colors change with sunset.

Lincoln Memorial

Abraham Lincoln, the first guy to abolish slavery

Lincoln fought for colored people not to be treated as slaves

World War II Memorial

Names of all states during World War II are on each of the arches

Philippines is also in the US territory list as of World War II days.

Columbus Memorial

Columbus, the guy who discovered America

Columbus fountain around the monument is a sight to see during summer. Ofcourse, water freezes in Winter and fountain is not operational.

Life sized bell next to Columbus Memorial

Jefferson Memorial missed out :(

Martin Luther King Memorial
With all the preparation for MLK day, and Obama scheduled to give a speech on MLK, the memorial was bustling with people.
MLK fought for the racial equality in USA.

United States Courthouse

Pantheon styles structure is the US courthouse

Capitol Hill
Definitely one of the biggest attractions of DC. It is the equivalent of India's Parliament house. About the hill part, you might be lucky to see a ten feet high slope on top of which the Capitol is built. So, it is a rised structure.

The boulevard in front leads all the way to Lincoln Memorial where Lincoln can see the Capitol

Singapore Hawker Stalls

2012-01-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

If you think Asian food is all Beef ball noodles and pork fries, think again. Here's good fish and great vegetarian food for a lifetime

Being a single city country, Singapore has an effortless edge blending the East and Western cultures. Having no real boundaries but welcoming foreign talent makes this melting pot of cultures even more deliciously aromatic and tasty. Local food is best tasted in the hawker stalls, which are local versions of stand-alone food courts. These courts have multiple stalls each serving a unique cuisine, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Western etc but not authentic, just very Singaporean.

Breakfast of Bee Hoon- Bee hoon is rice vermicelli or thin noodles, prepared with a chinese touch. It is either white noodles with sesame seasoning or yellow with soya based seasoning. I have always liked Asian countries for healthy steamed food and this one just tops my list.

Kaya toast has its own space for western influenced breakfast. Kaya spread is a mixture of egg yolk and coconut paste, usually served with butter toast. It goes great with the local coffee and is served throughout the day at dedicated Kaya toast cafes.

Lunch the Laksa – Noodle soup with coconut curry flavor. When I first tasted Laksa, I felt it was very Malay but noodle soups are very Chinese by definition. This culture blended dish comes with a couple of huge prawns and lots of bean sprouts as any other dish in the region. No trip to Singapore would be complete without Laksa.

Nasi Lemak- Again a blended dish. Usually served for work lunch. It is available any stall and contained sticky rice, fried fish and really spice groundnut sauce, all wrapped in banana leaf. Being Indian, I thought no other culture beats the spice we make. But I was wrong. The spicy groundnut paste with Nasi Lemak beats the living daylights out of most unsuspecting people. There are various flavours of Nasi Lemak, the Malay version sell well in Singapore, though Indonesian versions are just as tasty.

Rojak- This one comes in Chinese, Malay and Indian flavors. I have tried the Indian/Malay Rojak which serves as an appetizer and the stalls can throws in the mixture of vegetables and fruits with sweet-n-sour chilli based sauce in just a few minutes., the time you wait for another hawker stall to put together a quick dinner.

Roti Prata- Indian immigrants form 9% of Singapore’s total population and with a majority being collared workers, Roti Prata is a staple dinner in most stalls. The corn flour bread has its history from India’s Kerala state and in Singapore it is served with curry, egg or chocolate.

Dessert it off with Mango Sago- It was only when I moved to Singapore, that I realized there are a whole range of desserts very specific to south east Asia. Sago seeds are the same as

Sabudana in India. These are dunked in Mango Puree and topped with mango fruit to serve. So tropically exotic and so Singapore!

Which one's your favorite?

Wall Street Art

2012-01-12T21:52:00.000-05:00

Some cool posters I saw for sale on the side walk of Wall street. When I visited NYC during the Christmas break of 2011, Wall Street was at its festive best, decked up for tourists from around the world. These posters on the sidewalk have the very flavor of NYC along with the world-changing-biggies.

Weekend Getaway - Newport, RI

2012-01-09T15:46:00.002-05:00

A Weekend trip itinerary
M and I were off to Newport, Rhode Island last weekend. Now we live in Massachusetts which is a tiny state in North eastern USA. Tinier than Mass is Rhode Island to the south of MA. On interstate highway or freeway as people USA calls it, the journey is a mere hour long, which makes RI a quick getaway for people like us in Boston.

Trivia Some small little states like these in the north east together are called New England.

But why Newport? True, it is not NYC but Newport has many a thing for the first timers. Being a big-loud-crammed-city girl all life, I love the idea of quaint little towns, slow and spaced out. So here's the weekend agenda

Saturday
Morning- rent a car for two days and drive down south on the interstate
Sweet is the word for this place. Pell bridge across two protruding pieces of land in Atlantic ocean looks so beautiful on a clear day that it could pass off as grand as the Brooklyn bridge.

Pell Bridge

Noon- reach Newport, check in to the hotel and head to the historic center if the town for lunch.
Sweet is the word for this place. Pell bridge across two protruding pieces of land in Atlantic ocean looks so beautiful on a clear day that it could pass off as grand as the Brooklyn bridge.
Newport town had single storied buildings and each of a dramatic color. Some old school Irish pubs, Italian restaurants and regular's bar and restaurants; where the bartender greets you by first name when you enter and chats with you about a local game on TV. Thats what I like about small towns.

Cobbled streets and doll house like buildings

Evening- Walk along the wharf, pier and boat docks. Though I am a inland city girl and completely clueless about wharfs and piers, being in sea facing cities for a year has gotten me used to these terms. Bowen's wharf is bright and on a clear day, just right to soak the sun. And why not? The weather has been exceptionally warm and friendly off late.

Bowen's Wharf

Night- Have a margarita and head to a local casino. That's right. Newport, a small town has its own casino, originally started for the players from the Hall of Fame.

Sunday

Morning- Healthy, hearty, over loading breakfast and head to International Tennis Hall of Fame. If Newport, RI is famous for one thing, it would be this. Located right in the heart of the town, the Hall of Fame museum is a complete tennis addict's show. But, as a non-tennnis player and non-sport's addict, I still found the International Hall of Fame interesting. Afterall, Tennis is a game that played on TV when we were growing up with just one TV channel. So Steffi Graf, Sabatini, Navratilova, Monica Seles all ring bells and keep the ball bouncing.

Noon- Oh! I can't really say this. But I spent the sunday afternoon at Newport Creamery. It is such a heaven for kids. They were all having a ball ordering icecreams of choice. I just blended into the crowd and enjoyed the brownie-chocolate icecream-fudge creation I ordered.

Evening- Walk the 3.5 mile Cliff Walk. It stretched all along the Newport cliff lining the Old England style mansions. Late afternoons are a treat in the northern hemisphere. Esp, in countries where sun goes down around 4-5 pm. The sun is just warm, birds flying, lots of walkers, a real wavy beach of the Atlantic next to you, good fun!

Colors of Atlantic City

2012-01-07T16:55:00.000-05:00

The vibrant Jitney, most convenient mode of transport in Atlantic City. And in the background are the colorful vintage-looking buildings. Atlantic City is US East Coast's Las Vegas with a strip full of Casinos, hotels and brand showrooms.

Fenway Park, the ball park culture

2012-01-05T16:39:00.000-05:00

As a fresh-off-boat desi in USA, I had no clue what a ball park was up till a month back. Ofcourse, I knew baseball was a big time sport in the US. Just had to connect dots to make the ball park mean what I understood as a baseball stadium. I am talking of the legendary ballpark of Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park.

Boston's famous base ball team

The ball park is huge. The present location of Fenway Park was once a swamp and it had to be filled to make it usable as a ball park. Most of the ballpark's history revolves around Boston's Red Sox team, how they were bought by many owners, how the players were sold off for money to save the park and so on.

TRIVIA And guess who was the biggest rival team for the last hundres years? New York Yankees! The same team that bought Red Sox' best players.

View from the season ticket holder's section.

TRIVIA Red Sox was a later name. The original name of the baseball team was "Red Stockings".

Because they wore red stockings as a part of the team uniform. So cheesy, right? Gladly, they were shortened to Red Sox.

The manual score board which operates even to this day is above. The guy peeping in to see what's inside is the only tiny little hole for the score changers to look through before they can update scores live during the base ball game.

Fenway Park

Happy New Year from NYC

2012-01-03T17:06:00.000-05:00

We are back from a rocking year end trip to New York City. And symbolically, here is the Wall Street Bull decked up for Holidays and wishing everyone a wonderful new year.
Happy New Year, folks!
Bring it on 2012!

Art Scene in Boston: Part 1

2011-12-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

Art of Americas

Some of the best documentations of how Art scene in America evolved is in Boston. I am talking about Musuem of Fine Arts or MFA, Boston.

The section flows from Victorian times in New England with the decor and art used by Protestant immigrants, to the present day.

Victorian times decor and art works

During the twentieth century, some American artists strove to record the world as it is. A lot of skill though I wouldn't admit creativity, but definitely hard work on the artists' part.

Paintings just like a photograph.

The above painting is easily 10-12 feet wide and covers a whole wall in the huge section dedicated to twentieth century artists.
Below is a still life from an African-American family in the mid-twentieth century.

In the post World War era, Modern American artists sought to capture modern and urban sophistication.

Art in this period is known as Art-Deco (as opposed to Art-deco meaning art and decoration, which I had conveniently assumed till I read it). I read these artists borrowed from European Cubism, sleek French styles and German functional designs.
Above is a canvas painting of City of Lights. Below is Brooklyn Bridge.

Below is a painting by Stuart Davis. I hadn't heard of him. But he is one among three known Modern artists in America. And these three artists and their art is America's response to Europe's modern art.

Finally, my favorite section, Contemporary American Art. Occupying huge walls, these simple designs follow the Minimalist style. The patterns and designs are not mind-blowing. Just, simple and overwhelming.

Practical information
Getting there: Museum of Fine Arts is connected well by the Boston metro train system.
Entry: On regular days, the entry is $22 for adults. I suggest this is a place for adults to enjoy an appreciate the arts scene. However, there is child ticket as well.
Wednesdays, after 4 pm is free entry/ by voluntary donation
Check out the website for free introductory tours to each section, which last half hour.

Stop and Look Sunday

2011-12-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

Sunday evening in downtown Boston and a walk around the quiet alleys made my week-end fabulous and gave a enthusiastic start to the week ahead. What's your stop-and-look-Sunday?

Photo Essay: When the Fall waited for me...

2011-12-01T10:52:00.043-05:00

Drafted 9 November 2011

Fall excitement!!!

Here I am in the epicenter of Boston's history, Beacon Hill area. Hopped off the red line train at the Charles station and walked all along Charles street. A quaint street with quiet shops boutique cafes on the sidewalks of Federal style buildings. These buildings have red brick finishing on the outside and have a 19th century look. The street feels American, very old school American.

This area has lots of little alleys, each housing beautiful fall foliage and street parking for Boston's historical center.

Old America?

Charles river esplanade is just in the parallel street. I am here in early November, I feel the north eastern USA just retained the last of its fall colors for me to enjoy on a bright and sunny afternoon.

A walk along that deck gives me sights and colors that make my soul smile and thank the guy up there for all the beauty. (Really, I sound like that guy in American Beauty!)

Clear sky, fall colors, sunshine and a deck. Anything else? A boat maybe. Does that complete the happy picture? For me, it completes and fulfills. That's what I call the beauty.

Charles river bridge from Boston to Cambridge

The maple leaf definitely waited for me

Borobudur, Jungles of Java

2011-11-26T00:39:00.004-05:00

Everything is nothing, nothing is everything! This is what our guide said about the Borobudur temple. Borobudur temple has 13 levels and all the way up the steps, there are carvings of Buddhist culture and history with a tiny bit of Hindu culture. There are war sagas and legendary beauties all the way from level four till level nine. Now, these are not equally spaced levels. From ground level to level four might have been around 20 steps. But upwards happens to get more steeper. After listening to the Buddhist history on level four, we pondered.

Took a moment to enjoy the cool morning breeze and looked around. Coming to Borobudur for the famous sunrise had been worth the ride. Fortyfive minutes from the city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the middle of nowhere, temperate climate and yet really close to a beach. Everything was around the temple. This was Borobudur, within the beautiful jungles Java. In distance was the active volcano Mt. Merapi. Hot and blazing up smoke. So the nothing around this temple is indeed Everything.

Why is the Borobudur sunrise so famous? When you walk up the levels of the temple and look east, what you see is the sun rising behind this active volcano. The sight of hot gases and smoke rising up as sunrays slowly emerge behind Merapi is amazing. It first felt like see a hot cup of coffee with steam against it and a beautiful sunrise. Magnify that hot cup but two million times and that is Merapi for you. Active and scary, the local guides have actually stopped mountain treks to Merapi which were a hit with visitors till a few years ago.

As we walked up the levels ten to thirteen, the last four levels mostly have Stupas. Each of the Stupas is supposed to have a Buddha inside who is seeing the world through the square holes. Restoration of the temple is in progress and some Buddhas can be spotted sitting inside the Stupa with a little teasing smile.

The topmost level was under restoration when I visited in August 2011. But all it housed was another Buddha. Another Buddha looking through the square holes of the Stupa and smiling at the world. That’s the nucleus, the everything. Nothing really!

When everything is around you, why do you care about nothing inside?

This is my article published in Club Mahindra website

Wall Art in Singapore

2011-11-23T16:05:00.024-05:00

All in the under ground alley lining the Esplanade and City Hall, Singapore definitely knows her way around to make space. The little island, known for its accommodate spirit towards foreign talent sure has space for young artistic talent from their own schools.

A simple idea like the old school hawker of the 70's Singapore is now on the walls of the posh commercial heart giving the old Singaporean his due. And making a contemporary expression!

After all,Art is all about ideas and expressions. Isn't it?

Culinary Tourism in Hampi

2011-11-21T08:38:00.002-05:00

Eating is not the first thing I would think about in Hampi. Culture and history are more like it. But from my past travels to Hampi, I have realized there is a whole new revolution with the culinary culture in this place.

Local Breakfast : Fried Bajjis early in the morning
My first encounter with this culture was when I hopped off the overnight bus. The main road of Hampi town has local restaurants serving hot idlis and mirchi bajji with chutney for breakfast. They cook almost on the road and anyone passing by, who catches the delicious smell of idli steam or bajji fry is simply invited to sit inside and get served. Cook outside and serve inside. That’s right, it is opposite of most places.

Don’t like it fried? Then go Continental.
The next morning I relaxed on the mattress in the guesthouse’s restaurant and the menu set me off in awe. For a tiny little village, the menu card of each guesthouse’s restaurant ranges from continental breakfast to a full-fledged Italian pasta including Indian curies and roti/naan, finishing off with pancakes and pudding desserts. My continental breakfast came with a fresh juice, 2 eggs with the option of fried, boiled or omelet, toasts with butter/ jam and a coffee to finish off. I would specifically vouch for the well made vegetable omelet (with minimum grease as I requested) and a beautiful Cappuccino. Not sure if that little kitchen had a Cappuccino machine, but whatever it was made of, that coffee really kickstarted my day. My French friend’s Indian breakfast looked more sumptuous with greasy Alu Parathas served with spiced yogurt and an Indian Chai.

Khanawali
Rest of the morning, I went to the ruins and got busy admiring and photographing and never realized how exhausted I got in the scorching October sun. I got so hungry as I started to cycle on my rented bicycle that I had to stop at the local restaurant for lunch. Khanawali, is the local name for the North Karnataka restaurant. And the meals they cook are locally grown vegetables curry (nutrition masters alert!), complete with lentils’ (yes, I got the proteins) served with Jowar roti and rice. That was the tastiest meal I had in ages. As I stepped out in burping satisfaction, I noticed their nameplate said they were featured in Lonely Planet. All for a minimum price of seventy five rupees. That was a steal

Nepali cooks' signature dish
I took the last boat back to the guesthouse side of the river, this time determined to taste the Nepali’s hand cooking. I ordered a vegetarian Pasta Arabica which I have to agree was beautifully cooked and flavored. Though not authentic flavoring, the pasta definitely struck a chord with my taste buds. Our new found French friends offered us to taste their Aloo Palak with Roti and again I gorged on it like there was nothing else. Admittedly, the Nepali’s cooking had an Indian flavor to the Western dishes but the taste was second to none. The cream of this meal was Nepal’s own Saklab dessert or “Hello to the Queen”. It is sliced bananas mixed with vanilla icecream and topped with chocolate sauce and biscuit crumbs. Filling is an understatement. Food was fulfilling and satisfying.

Harvard Square and the Scottish Performance

2011-11-18T10:28:00.000-05:00

Harvard square is the historic center of excellence in Cambridge. All of the red brick buildings and cobbled streets give a nice old American look to this place. With student population and tourists being a major part of the population, the ambiance is young and dynamic in this area.

This performer I caught last Sunday, was right outside the T station (metro train in Boston-Cambridge) and was a part of the Scottish group that seems to perform every weekend at the Harvard Square.
First, he played the traditional Scottish Bagpipe and then ran up to mount on top of this single wheel cycle, which was he support by his friends (all dressed in the traditional Scottish Kilt). Then he rode around the cycle, juggled and even played the bagpipe on top of the cycle. Street performance is all about talent!

Photo Essay of a First-Time-Scuba-Diver

2011-11-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

Boracay Island in Philippines has some of the best dive sites in the world. Though I went for my first ever Scuba Dive in the middle of the off season, when the sea is not very clear and most beautiful fish are off the dive site limits., and in the later part of the day, late afternoon the visibility under water reduces., I still claim the experience was great and second to none.

Get trained at a shallow spot for breathing techniques and basic life saving techniques

Even if the thought freaks you out, once the oxygen cylinder is at your back, dive into the water backwards

Ain't that coral what we all want to see?

Get Curious. The Dive instructor will be there showing you under water amusements

Amusements underwater. They bloat up and burst if you approach them.

When the 40 minutes are up, come up with a thumbs up :)

New Video: Beacon Hill Afternoons

2011-11-09T11:21:00.001-05:00

The Freedom Trail

2011-11-02T13:11:00.003-04:00

Faneuil Hall is a part of Boston's Freedom trail. And when we checked with locals about shopping, they were all for it. Because Faneuil Hall area is famous for tourist shopping. Souvenirs and the likes. Ofcourse, retails shops are lined up outside the hall.

Quincy Market is a part of this Freedom Trail. I liked the market. IT was enclosed and especially welcoming the most unprepared me in the beginning of the freak snowfall. Nice long history behind it, a line of snack shops and seating area right in the middle with high ceiling and American history dated all around the seating area.

Snack shops lining the corridor

Good place to have a quick snack or take shelter from the chilly weather. Drop by and enjoy that hot cuppa!

When the sun is shining..

2011-11-01T08:26:00.000-04:00

... I caught these Red Cherries on my noon walk around the Quincy neighborhood.The freak snowfall of last weekend luckily ended. Ofcourse, the Fall weather is back on track to gracefully change to Winter. Until the Winter starts, here's to some Sunshine and smiles!

Catching the Fall before they fall

2011-10-29T21:51:00.001-04:00

I have arrived! United States of America shall be home for the next 6 months. Since our move got pushed by a month, I was quite apprehensive of missing the Fall, a season that is not really prominent in India except for a few cold regions of the Himalayas. So here I am, a week before Fall ends and capturing the last color of the North East Fall before those fall off.

Ouiside Quincy Marriott at 7am

Maybe it is the jet lag, but the good thing is I have been rising around 4-6 am everyday and starting my day very early. It also includes a morning walk/run in Quincy and constitutes the best part of the day.

Also, made a trip to Cambridge 2 days back. The last part of Fall beckoned me to check out a bigger city than Quincy. Unfortunately, that was a real cold day and I almost froze in the 4 degree day waiting for friends and acquaintances to come out of office and meet.

Kendall Clock Tower. Cambridge

Cambridge is fun. Young and lively crowd in the place, mostly MIT students in and around. Despite the chilly weather I could feel the life in this place. And I would say that is what keeps it going. The hustle-bustle of a city, lots of people, students chatting and walking around everywhere., all these add to the ambiance of the the place and make Kendall Square and surroundings happy and ticking on a cold dull day. Well, that has got to be my take away for the next 6 months of North Eastern Winter.

As a sidekick, I decided to put my own self with the Fall background. Ofcourse, I have to catch them before they fall off.

Siloso beach, Sentosa

2011-10-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

The very last leg of my Singapore stay was an almost forced vacation in Sentosa Island. As our apartment lease was over and we were staying in hotels, the last week's flight delay made its way into our life in the form a 5 days stay at Shangila Resort at Siloso beach , Sentosa Island. A luxury resort right next to Underwater World.

There are few nice beaches in Sentosa, all man-made :) quite understandable when it comes to Singapore, right? Despite the lack of waves, these pale white sandy beaches serve their purpose and kids are more than happy to build their sand castles through weekends.

The back of Siloso Beach facing west, best for Sunset

Ok, that is me posing by the blocks that read SILOSO for the Siloso beach. If you think it looks like a toddler's alphabet blocks, you might be right because you see a lot of those in this beach. And also the Shangrila resort.
Don't fret yet. There are also a bunch of good beach bars with great seafood and cocktails.

Singapore, a skyline to remember!

2011-10-26T06:42:00.000-04:00

Sunset seen from Marina Mandarin

Everything about Singapore appealed to me, maybe because it was the first place I called home after over 2 decades of my real home in India. What I am actually writing in this post is more about the island's skyline. Marina area was reclaimed area. A colleague once said 'lot of islands are missing in Indonesia because of Singapore' and maybe he was right. A good percentage of the land around Marina area is reclaimed from Indian ocean by refilling with Inonesia's soil, I believe. And this is the part which has the latest and fanciest buildings and a skyline that makes me gasp in awe almost every time I pass by!

Sunset in SIngapore happens around 7pm, a whole hour later than India. And unlike most tropical countries, the sunset tends to get dramatic. Atleast, around the summer-fall months that I stayed in Singapore. Best example is the view from my room in Marina Mandarin.

Step into the Marina Bay area and the view from the bridge at night will leave you mesmerized and wanting more of Singapore nights!

Marina Bay

One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi

2011-10-06T04:34:00.000-04:00

Located in the tourist area in capital of Vietnam, One Pillar Pagoda is surrounded by Ho Chi Minh museum and the Mausoleum. The history of this Buddhist temple is here

Photo Feature on Golconda

2011-10-03T23:46:00.000-04:00

On a clear january afternoon, the blazing Hyderabad sun can grace you a few nice pictures and some pleasant walk up the fort.

Tunnels near the entrance which hold war ammunitions and memoirs.

This shot reminded me of the Colosseum ruins in Rome. A hot day, clear sky and ruins in any part of the world have the power to bring in the same effect of history and legends into the mind.

On the terrace of the top floor of the fort.