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Bula Fiji

2013-05-24T10:32:00.002+05:30

(Guest post from www.glad2bawoman.com. Glad2bawoman is an online media company for women with over 77,000 members. The articles on their site encompass various topics around Health, Empowerment, Relationships, Fashion and Leisure.)

Bula Fiji

Yes! That’s how they say “Hello” in the Fijian tongue!

With air transport gradually developing into an increasingly affordable means of travel, holidays at isolated archipelagos in the middle of oceans are gaining popularity. While some of these potential tourist spots are already being tapped to their brim, like Hawaii, New Zealand and Philippines, there are others, certain parts of which have managed to escape human exploitation and thus prevent their ethnicity from being infiltrated by cultures from neighboring continental land-masses. Fiji, dotting the South Pacific Ocean is one such region. Sheltered away from the larger landmasses of Asia and Australia by long flight hours over the Pacific, rarely does Fiji make it to the list of preferred spots of getaway for an ordinary tourist who doesn’t know how much he or she is missing out on by not going there.

Tourism forms one of the major sources of income for the Fijian propped economy. This can chiefly be attributed to the tranquil and peaceful marine ecosystem it is a part of, and the sincere attempts of the Fijian tribes as well as residents to preserve the same. While most other marine destinations have infested themselves with urbanization and associated hustles, most of Fiji sleeps in a predominantly tribal environment surrounded by the azure Pacific ready to pacify your thirst for a respite. One can experience the purest form of marine ecosystem, tribal culture and the associated cuisines. You can also enjoy a host of other activities without losing the possibility of a perfectly comfortable stay, catered by the highly hospitable people of the region.

Photo credit: Shinjana Mukherjee

Reaching Fiji, though difficult from some parts of the globe due to the limited number of airlines operating here, is possible from almost anywhere. Its position in the South Pacific Ocean makes it the transport hub of the region. Nadi is the most important airport with eleven international flights operating here. Presence of four ports enables logistics via waterways. Due to the scattered nature of geography and tourist spots distributed among small and large islands, it is advisable for any traveler to maintain a map of the country to plan one’s itinerary.

As you arrive by flight, Nadi is the airport where you touch down. It is located on the western coast of Fiji’s largest island, Viti Lebu. A day’s stay at Nadi would be fine. It is an urbanized hub for eating, drinking and shopping. Nadi may be followed by the Denarau Island the next day to be pampered in the best of accommodations Fiji has got to offer with it being the largest integrated resort. Denarau Island would strongly be suggested over that at Nadi. It boasts of a large golf course, stunning beaches and a host of other facilities and events.

One should not miss the Mamanuca and the Yasawa Islands accessible by daily water transport (Malolo Cat and Yasawa Flyer) from Nadi before moving to the other side of Viti Lebu. The Mamanuca Islands cater to the taste of a wide variety ranging from the adventure loving traveler to the one who looks for a tranquil family holiday. It has a number of resorts and hosts activities like dolphin watching, windsurfing, paragliding and sea diving. The Yasawa islands offer a break from civilization without any urban touch and are ideal for backpackers and flash packers with picturesque beaches and loads to explore. From the Yasawa Islands, one may return to Nadi only to catch a flight or a water-vessel to the second largest island of Fiji, Vanua Lebu. Here, the main town, Savusavu is less commercialized than Viti Lebu’s Suva and its resorts offer great beaches, diving spots and lots to do for the adventurous. From Vanua Lebu, one may drop in at the neighboring island of Taveuni. This island is serviced by daily waterways from Savusavu and also by flight belonging to the Sun Airways.

Photo credit: Shinjana Mukherjee

Tavununu is an off-track paradise nestled at Taveuni, complete with a waterfall and hilly terrain. It was awarded the Lonely Planet’s top choice among South Pacific destinations. Taveuni is known for its eco-tourism and the white and magnificent coral reefs it displays. From Taveuni, one may fly off to Suva on the Sun Air. Suva is the capital of Fiji and houses everything one might expect from a large city. It has a vibrant urban and multicultural environment. After hopping on and off in relatively tribal areas, Suva could be unleashing a welcome dose of pampers and facilities. There are a number of picturesque gardens dotting the city. It is the perfect place to experience a host of sports, outdoor activities and interacting with the local people who are ever-smiling and highly hospitable to the tourists.

The Lomaiviti islands may be accessed from Suva. These are at the heart of Fiji’s colonial past and are of historical interest besides providing for activities such as snorkelling and yachting. Kadavu is another island accessible from Suva by a ferry. It is the best place to experience the ethnic Fijian tribal culture with very few roads and a village. It is seated in the lap of nature with lush green rainforests and stunning birds populating the same. It has a barrier reef surrounding it. Following Suva, one may choose to move on to the southern part of Viti Lebu, to Pacific coast/Beqa. It provides one with a number of activities to set your pulse racing. Exploring on four wheel drives and shark feeding dives are quite noteworthy among them. From here, you may complete your circuit by reaching Nadi, right from where you had begun and call it a trip. All the while during your stay at Fiji, you’d be treated by some of the most hospitable localities you could ever have come across.

The islands of Fiji which are hugely dependent upon tourism carry a stress-busting environment, in view of the wonderful climate, low levels of atmospheric pollution and the laidback and happy-go lucky attitude of the people around. A trip to this abode of peace and carefree life is bound to soothe your nerves no matter how hungry they might be for adventure activities or how much they might be yearning to be at peace and leisure.

Rains in Solan, Himachal Pradesh

2013-05-22T23:58:00.003+05:30

On our onward journey to Kufri, we halted at Solan; to eat noodles and have garam chai (hot tea). Everything seemed fine, pleasant climate, friends, chatting and all. Then suddenly the whole atmosphere changed, dark clouds, wind, drizzles and finally heavy downpour… all appeared from nowhere. It was pelting small ice cubes from above!

One by one, hands extended out of the shade to feel the rain drops and catch the falling hail stones. I don’t know if it was the sweet scent in the air or the steam from hot noodles and tea, we experienced an unexpected joy in those moments. Few among us wanted to get drenched right there. A rainy adventure in the most unexpected place! But none ventured, we still had a couple of hours drive left.

As I stood and stared, it struck me take a video of those few moments. Here is a 30secs clip of that morning.

Thursday challenge: Weather

SkyWatch Friday

Street Walk, Chandigarh

2013-05-21T06:57:00.001+05:30

Here are some random shots taken during my walk in the streets of Chandigarh. It was quite early in the morning.

Saw this man sweeping up the area, collecting the leaves and other dry stuffs at one point and setting them on fire. The place does look neat, but up goes the smoke.

This man seemed to be waiting for a customer, probably hoping I might take a ride.

The brightest spots on road were the flower shops. These are for offerings at Gurudwara, the Sikh temples.

A Gurudwara priest, seemed to be in a hurry.

The most peaceful seemed the homeless. With no roof over his head, he seemed to have no worries too.

Our World Tuesday

Medical Tourism

2013-05-20T12:19:00.003+05:30

(Written as an entry for the Modern Healthcare Indiblogger contest in association with Apollo Hospitals)

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.
~ Lucius Annaeas Seneca, De Tranquillitate Amini, A.D60

Don’t you agree?! Extend the quote a bit more: Travel and change of place impart new vigor to mind and body!

The private health care institutes of India have adopted this mantra today! People travel to countries (India being one of them) with a purpose of combining modern healthcare, treatment and leisure. I have often noticed, friends and relatives visiting India just to go through a series of medical procedures. The procedures are sometimes as complicated and life threatening as heart surgery but sometimes as trivial (to me) as cosmetic surgery. It took me sometime to understand the mathematics behind these acts!

India today is on par with USA, UK and Europe in terms of modern healthcare, hospital infrastructure and technology. Our country stands fourth in the list of top 10 destinations for modern healthcare travel. A specialized medical procedure which may require 9 months of waiting period in US or UK, require only zero waiting period in India. It is fast becoming the most popular and respected. Many companies have mushroomed all over India offering superb world class medical facilities to medical tourists. So it is not a surprise that many medical tourists are making a beeline to India for modern health care.

Off shoring is the next big thing in health care! Several companies abroad tie up with hospitals here in India, for their employee’ health care programs. They do so to cut their organizations’ health care costs. Two of the several famous reliable hospitals of India are Apollo Hospitals and AIIMS. These hospitals rank high in terms of quality service, size, cost, skill and medical technology. Not only that many of these hospitals are moving towards international and national accreditation. They provide access to reliable and certified information on facilities, infrastructure and level of care.

The most sought after medical procedures in India are: Cardiac surgery, orthopedic and spinal surgeries, dental care and cosmetic surgery. I know people who have got full mouth reconstruction done and then bragging about the dollars they saved. Thailand is one country where medical tourists travel to get sex change procedures done. Brazil and Costa Rica offer cheap orthopedic and spinal surgeries. Surrogate pregnancy is another facility which many foreigners seek in lesser developed nations. The reverse too holds well where rich affluent families from lesser developed countries combine treatment and tourism. They seek the hospitals of European countries for their best-quality professionals and top-notch medical technologies. They combine sightseeing too though not on priority basis.

Medical tourism is different from normal medical care. Tourism industry has collaborated well with reputed hospitals (other way round too in some cases) to deliver modern health care and good medical treatment packages. The whole package is something like this: Along with the wellness treatment the medical tourist’s other logistic needs and accompanying people’s needs too are taken care of. Complementary services like escort, airport pick up drop, accommodation, transportation etc. are included in the package. A fine cocktail of fun, relaxation, leisure, wellness and modern healthcare is provided. International holiday setting by itself has a therapeutic effect. Breathe taking scenic sights, religious historic monuments, warm hearts of people of India; post operative care in such ambiance can leave a person fully recharged and stress free. Recovery options and locations conducive to recuperation are plenty. Medical treatment in such a setup can be an enchanting experience. The necessary medical paperwork and records all are taken care of. Packages like these cost many times less in developing countries when compared to the well developed countries of west.

Cross border health plans are on rise and it is the right time for India to focus and gear up to the challenge. India has a huge potential to rank higher in the list of medical tourism destination. More resources and talents have to be tapped in the right direction for this. We have dedicated physicians, high class technology, lesser legal hassles (caution: which can prove to be a bane too), English speaking public which helps communicate better. Indians have this simple policy of Atithi Devo Bhava (read Sanskrit) meaning "Guests are God"! This attitude combined with efforts channeled in right direction, India can soar to the topmost position in the field of medical tourism!

India Quick Facts
Languages: Hindi, English
Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)
Capital: Delhi
Major Airports:
      Delhi: Indira Gandhi Intl (DEL)
      Mumbai: Chattrapathi Shivaji Intl (BOM)
      Bangalore: Bengaluru Intl (BLR)
      Chennai: Chennai Intl
Electricity: 230 volts 50 Hz
Time Zone: UTC/GMT +5.5

Wild Daisies at Kufri, Himachal Pradesh

2013-05-19T07:14:00.000+05:30

Wild daisies were in plenty in Kufri. The ox-eye daisies were thriving so well by the roadside, in the bushes, totally uncared. As I crossed them on the paths, I was confused whether they annoyed me or delighted me. I wondered why they act so pricy in my pots here in Bangalore, never showing a bud or a bloom. So small and dainty, I walked carefully so as to not stamp on them accidentally or brush my feet against the petals. Let them be!

Today's Flowers

Faces of India - 110

2013-05-18T07:30:00.000+05:30

A lady police from Chandigarh, Punjab. The shot was taken from a moving vehicle and she definitely is not aware that she was shot at with a Canon! But I must admit that, it is officers like her who instill confidence in minds of lady solo travelers and also the general public.

I salute you Ma’am!

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Shyama Raya Mandir, Bishnupur, West Bengal

2013-05-17T00:12:00.000+05:30

The Shyama Raya Mandir (temple) of Bishnupur is unique because of the Panch Chura (five canopies). It is of the Ratna Chuda style of architecture. The temple was built in 1643 by King Raghunatha Sngha. Access to the terracotta work on the temple wall is restricted, but what I saw from a distance of few feet was mind blowing. Stories from epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata are elaborately portrayed.

The craftsmanship of 17th century displayed is amazing! The huge temple, 10.7m high, is built of bricks and covered with terracotta panels. Imagine the attention that would have been paid for such a detailed work. Four of the five canopies are visible from this angle; a total frontal shot would have hidden two out of five of the canopies.

SkyWatch Friday

A for Apple

2013-05-15T23:57:00.001+05:30

A for Apple… that was my first step into English language! But till last week had you asked me to identify an apple tree from group of different kinds of trees I would have failed miserably. Not any more.

Kufri trip took me back to those childhood days when I had pestered my mother to show me an apple tree. She was my google those days, but then we were in Trivandrum; the southern most tip of India, where the climate is hot and all one can see are the tall coconut trees. The urge to see one got submerged in mind under the deluge of information that flowed in to my mind after taking that single first step.

Tiny apples...

Bark of apple tree...

Life does throw you surprises and present to you situations where your inner desires get fulfilled! I realised this when our bloggers group zeroed in on a hill station as destination for the trip. Even during the plan’s formative stages I didn’t dream of seeing an apple tree, then one thing led to other and just before the trip I happened to see the pictures of apple tree blossoms which Hitchy shared.

And then I was sure!

Thursday challenge: Trees

I was away...

2013-05-14T18:58:00.001+05:30

Past few days were hectic, exciting and thrilling! I was away from blogging, from my virtual world into a real world with virtual friends who turned real! Sounds confusing?! Let me tell you straight. I was with several other bloggers far away from home, on a hill top! Ten bloggers from different parts of India decided to converge at Himalayas to give a new meaning to our association in virtual world.

Kufri was our world for the weekend! All of us assembled at Chandigarh on Friday (10th) and on 11th morning left for Kufri by road. Lot of singing, munching, halting, clicking, sipping tea and eating maggi noodles along the way… life seemed perfect!

I had not met any of the bloggers before this meet. We blog on different themes; me a travel blogger, there was a food blogger, yet another who blogged on feminist issues more… The entire thing was planned through mails and chats. Thanks to Hitchy for taking the initiative and coordinating the entire meet. Hope we will have more such meets!

Faces of India - 109

2013-05-11T07:30:00.000+05:30

Met her at Tarapith Temple, West Bengal. We were a part of the same group offering prayers. Hope she is happy where ever she is!

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Sunset at Shanti Niketan, West Bengal

2013-05-09T18:30:00.001+05:30

May 7th was Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary. It was in mind since then to post a picture of Shanti Niketan, his karmabhoomi (work place). I will start posting on Shanti Niketan soon, for start here is a sunset from Shanti Niketan.

SkyWatch Friday

Pillar Of Judgment, Strasbourg, France

2013-05-07T09:47:00.003+05:30

Strasbourg cathedral is unique in its own way. The first conspicuous factor of its uniqueness is its single tower. During the French Revolution, some anti-religious leaders had conspired to destroy it. But it was unharmed miraculously or rather by sheer brilliance of a local locksmith. A huge Phrygian cap made of metal was made to cover the tower. The cathedral was undamaged during the bombings of 1870 and 1944. I am amazed at the engineering skills that existed then.

Sharing the pictures of Pillar of Judgment (Pillar of Angels) here. This was a unique one I saw in the cathedral, not sure if something like this is there in any other cathedral (at least i have not seen one). The first level has evangelists; second level has angels blowing their trumpets. Christ as judge appears above them seated on his throne, surrounded by angels carrying the instruments of His Passion. The dead arise from their tombs announcing the resurrection of the whole humanity.

Everything is ready for the Judgment Day!

Our World Tuesday

Strasbourg Cathedral Door, France

2013-05-05T17:18:00.004+05:30

This marvelous façade was built between 1277 and 1365. Such a lot of characters! It will be a huge exercise to write a book on the characters sculpted here, I wonder if anybody has attempted it! If there is one I want to read it for sure. The façade has a nice brick red tinge, a very different flavor from the ones I have seen till date. Here are some pictures from the central door and the grand sculpted figures around it.

Intricate Gothic carvings by Erwin von Steinbach over central door of Cathedral.

Rose window over central door of Cathedral.

Saints, apostles & evangelists.

Virgin and child.

Saint being crucified.

Inspired Sunday
.

Faces of India - 108

2013-05-04T07:30:00.000+05:30

Picture of a shop keeper, as I focused on him he shied away from looking at the lens. People around him were telling him: “Dadu (grandpa), you are soon going to be famous!”

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Sunset At Sunderbans

2013-05-02T18:01:00.000+05:30

It is already May, how soon time flies! It seems as if it was just the other day I was making my vacation plans and now it pains to think vacations are over and I am back to same routine once again. The best part of vacations is the planning part; in fact the joy and excitement is more than that of actually experiencing the vacation. When the vacation is on, often you are so involved to see if things are moving as per plan, or worrying will there be delays, and with children there is something like refueling them at intervals. Finally when the vacations are over a feeling of emptiness sets in.

As I keep going through the pictures of the places visited, the frames captured make me miss the place even more. This picture of sunset at Sunderbans stirs up my heart with fond memories of the place. Water seemed liquid gold that day! Yes, after a couple of shots I just sat and stared till the sun finally disappeared.

SkyWatch Friday

Interiors Strasbourg Cathedral, France

2013-04-30T16:48:00.002+05:30

Strasbourg cathedral, it is almost a year now we were last there. A grand piece of Gothic architecture, it attracts hoards of tourists and pilgrims every year. It is unique and one of those few Gothic cathedrals that have just one tower. The space around the cathedral is very less and from no point I could capture the entire façade in one frame. This pic below is from one end of the street leading to the cathedral. The façade and door details are fantastic; I will present it in my next post.

West end entrance with it its magnificent rose window.

The interiors were dark, in fact darkest of all the cathedrals I have visited. Photography was permitted, with no flash, no stand; I struggled to get good shots. Almost 50% of my pics here have a blur or shake. An eye catching piece there is the large pipe organ fixed high up on the northern wall of the cathedral. It has been there since 14th century. Look at its glow, hard to believe it is so old.

The stain glass windows here are from medieval ages, and I wish it was a sunny day for the cathedral interiors would have been flooded with colored light streaming in from the windows.

What we missed doing is climbing the tower. The cathedral is in the heart of the city and you get mesmerizing views of the city from here. There is a queue for this and usually entrance is on batch basis, they wait till they reach the required count to allow you up. We had to exit as we intended to do a walking tour of Strasbourg. Better be content with sights from ground than birds-eye view from up there.

Our World Tuesday.

Mexifornia Food Festival

2013-04-28T13:34:00.000+05:30

1850s… those were the years when French army was on a conquering spree. However on 5th May 1865 the ‘well equipped and armed’ French army tasted defeat in the hands of Mexican army near the city of Puebla. Later the French reorganized themselves and won but that one victory was an inspirational event for Mexicans. The day every year is celebrated as "Battle of Puebla Day" or "Battle of Cinco de Mayo"… went on the Chef Kuldeep at California Pizza Kitchen, Indiranagar, Bengaluru. The CPK chain of restaurants in Bengaluru and Mumbai are celebrating the event with unique food festival Mexifornia from 29th April to 19th May.

Fusion may be a style statement in the field of music or fashion, when it comes to food it is a rich combination of two cuisines and the result is heavenly! This unique concept has been well expressed through this food festival. We, a bunch of bloggers, were invited to take a sneak peek at what was coming. We found Chef Kuldeep and his team mixing up a perfect blend of the flavors that will leave you asking for more. Each dish whether elaborate or simple was being prepared with care. CPK is presenting complete three weeks of Mexifornia Food Festival where you can taste the fusion of Mexican and Californian flavors.

Hands that knead the dough… a layer of greens then a layer of cheese, shredded chicken and onion… some bit of stretching and into the oven… 10 mins… lo and behold! Chicken Carnitos Pizza is ready! The items presented were: The Baja Supreme Pizza, Enchiladas, Adobo Tacos with Mexican Rice, Chicken Carnitas Pizza, and Churros with Chocolate Mousse.

You can have a look at what they have to offer in this season here.

Faces of India - 107

2013-04-27T07:30:00.000+05:30

This cheerful lady gave us a warm welcome as we entered our resort in Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. I liked the fact that the Tiger Trail resort, where we stayed, had employed many women. They are the locals there. The resort has trained them to speak English and interact well with guests.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Wedding In Paris

2013-04-25T10:08:00.000+05:30

How about Paris as wedding venue! I am sure many among us would have secretly desired to have weddings at some exotic location, no? At Eiffel Tower I saw one couple living their dream. Post wedding they were at Eiffel Tower for some sensational photo shoot with the tower in the back ground.

One moment the groom would lift the bride and the bride would raise the bouquet, the next moment the photographer would tell them to shift to right or to left… little this side, little that side. I admired the patience of the groom for having followed his instruction without the slightest irritation. The bride of course was all smiles.

Other tourists around too tried their skills in wedding photography. Later I got involved taking shots of the tower and my family. The sky was clear blue and pleasant weather we enjoyed our time there. After around 15 minutes as I was leaving the place I surprised to see the groom in the same pose much to the amusement of others. I hope the guy didn’t damage his back before he could start his married life.

SkyWatch Friday

Speyer, Germany

2013-04-22T18:45:00.000+05:30

Speyer doesn’t sound very significant from tourism point of view, except that it has a huge Romansque cathedral dating back from 10th century listed in Unesco World Heritage site. And since we were traversing through upper Rhine-Neckar valley while targeting to reach Heidelberg from Strasbourg, we decided NOT to give this place a miss.

Yes, as expected we saw the church spires from far, the four bell towers of the giant Kaiserdom dominated the skyline. A neat and clean city with everything in its place and had no sign of disorderliness at all; this was so prominently bold that I had to make a mention of it here. History too seems to have been smooth, with no destruction from WWs.

The cathedral here is so refreshing very different from the usual gothic structures I had been seeing. The cathedral has the pride of place in the main square of Speyer facing down the main street of the city, an imposing sight! The thick heavy columns, a gallery that encircles the whole building, interiors enhanced in 19th century with neo-Romanesque decorative paintings and large historical panels. In 1957, a massive restoration work was undertaken; we now get to see the restored form of the 10th century cathedral.

Other sights sought after sight by the tourists were the Domnapf and the Altpörtel. In front of the cathedral stands the Domnapf. This is a huge bowl or font which has a capacity of 1560 litres of water. A gate with tower located at the other end of Maximilianstraße, in the opposite direction of the cathedral. It is one of the few parts that are left of the medieval city walls.

Our World Tuesday.

Sundari Flowers Of Sunderbans

2013-04-20T22:59:00.000+05:30

Here are some flowers fresh from Sunderbans Tiger Reserve.

The fact that I am ‘alive and blogging’ is a proof that I could not spot a single tiger there. In Sunderbans they say that: Seeing a tiger in Sunderbans is as good as being inside its stomach! Well! That was the only consolation (celebration) of not being able to see the ever elusive Royal Bengal Tiger of Sunderbans.

Though the word ‘Sunderbans’ literally means ‘beautiful forest’ in Bengali language, the place actually got its name from Sundari trees. These trees grow in huge numbers here. Spring is the best time to visit if you wish to see it in full bloom. Scientific name: Heritiera littoralis , another name: Looking-glass mangrove.

Yellowish-green in color, you can find plenty of these flowers in clusters. The roots of the tree look strange as they grow up from mud like spikes. It will difficult for humans to traverse through vast stretches of such root spikes, though the animals can find their way easily through these. One reason why human habitation is not possible in these regions! At the base, the roots spread out in a strange manner giving support to the tree and withstand the forces of rising and retreating tides.

A visit to Sunderbans few months from now, you will get to see the fruits, probably then the chances of spotting a deer will be more as they feed on it. And if you get luckier may be you can spot a tiger chasing the deer. Who knows!

Today's Flowers

Faces of India - 106

2013-04-20T07:30:00.000+05:30

I was taking pictures of a market in the by lanes of Kolkata when this vegetable seller called me and asked to take his picture. “Who knows, I may die in another couple of months. Let some people at least see me before that.” I was taken aback by his request; though I got a feeling he was being dramatic. I told him it is not for newspapers but for putting it up on computer he seemed happy and asked me to mention he was a vegetable seller. He got chatting with me after that.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Guess! Guess!! Guess!!!

2013-04-18T18:43:00.000+05:30

Before you scroll down further can you guess to which iconic structure this riveted joint belongs?

Your first clue; it was built by this man, are you able to recognize him? Do not scroll down without making a guess, hope you are not cheating. ;)

This arched portion is a part of the iconic landmark. I hope you will share the guesses you have made till now.

Last clue: this is the topmost portion of the icon. It is easy now!

The famous Eiffel Tower! You can’t leave Paris without seeing it. Wherever you are in the city of Paris the tower will keep a watch on you. This last shot is for SkyWatch Friday! The statue is of Gustave Eiffel whose company was in charge of the project of making it.

Heidelberg, Germany

2013-04-15T19:52:00.001+05:30

Heidelberg Man – have you heard of him? No, he is not any famous personality of recent times. An early man, his upper jaw structure was found here in Heidelberg which is an evidence of early life here. Today Heildelberg is known for its university atmosphere with young crowds all over.

I was at Heidelberg last year, my final stop before taking my flight from Frankfurt to Bangalore. We had 3 to 4 hours to explore the town, not much could be done, just got the feel of the atmosphere there.

Walking through the streets, I saw this stool displayed outside a shop, it was chained to the door of the shop. It was so beautiful, many passersby stopped to give it a second look. I had to simply take a picture of it and bring it back with me. Below is a picture of Neckar River from the bridge.

The most sought after and visited site is the castle, we had time either to ‘take a cab and visit just the castle’ or ‘do a walking tour of the old town’. My Ds were cooperative and we set off on self guided walking tour (moreover we weren’t sure of the timings of guided tours there). There is no way you can get lost in that town. The castle has seen and experienced the wrath of wars and nature’s fury. Yet the ruins look amazing and I read it is good wedding location. Pity, I missed the perfect views of the city from the castle, the sight of the river and the bridge over which I was standing.

Facade of Hotel Ritter, don't miss it while taking a walk there. This picture is just a portion of the larger beautiful, detailed facade. Click to enlarge and see the various characters.

The walk was refreshing; some of the facades are mind blowing! The Medersches Haus (house of the Meder family) is of baroque style and is one of the most beautiful town houses of Heidelberg. It was constructed in 1721.

Heidelberg is one of those few cities in the world to have been honored with many poems and songs. Lonely Planet mentions: Mark Twain began his European travels in1878 with a three month stay in Heidelberg, recounting his observations in “A Tramp Abroad”. I would love to spend more time here if luck permits!

Our World Tuesday

Faces of India - 105

2013-04-13T07:30:00.000+05:30

A temple purohit (priest) of Guptipara temple. He did both roles of priest and guide for us. He explained the various parts of the temple to us.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.