tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35549745607269351152024-02-21T11:49:47.207+05:30Pages from the ignored bookRambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-24254490563895256772016-07-15T23:43:00.000+05:302016-07-18T08:28:52.915+05:30Upstate New York, Finger Lakes region <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My geographic knowledge of this country was tested recently when my husband and his friends suggested a trip to upstate New York for the long weekend. New York state? Isn't that a city with Times Square? Is New York city the capital of New York state? Obviously, I failed.</div>
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New York state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the south and Connecticut, Massachusetts to the east and Vermont to the northeast. This state hosts some of the most gorgeous water bodies found in the US. The majestic Niagara, waterfalls in the finger lakes region, Adirondacks, Lake Placid to name a few. Distance and time being the trade offs, we covered only a few of these above mentioned places. </div>
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<b>The Journey to Corning: Friday Evening</b></div>
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Driving to Corning from Massachusetts was smooth. Moderate traffic and changing landscapes with moody weather, a perfect scenario to start our trip...almost. About 3hrs of the drive completed, to our surprise we noticed a LED board on the freeway which read, TORNADO WATCH till 10pm. That was a first for me, I frantically started scanning the Internet on our phones (with limited data bandwidth) for more information. We began noticing the temperamental clouds rolling in and the dark moody clouds lying low. No wonder that we had up till then encountered no traffic. To make conditions more mysterious, two men near a parked motorcycle on top on a bridge over the freeway wildly twirled their tee shirts in a tornado like fashion and pointed to the left. With no idea what they could have meant by that, we continued ahead. After contemplating and discussing it over and over again, we stopped at a Dunkin Donuts at the nearest exit. It was about 8:45pm and we thought for a while on waiting out till 10pm. After a few inquiries at DD and fellow travellers who stopped there, we carried on. The TORNADO WATCH was a WATCH as the name mentions, a watch by the Met department as the weather conditions seem most ideal for one and not because of any suspicious weather movement noticed. What a relief! We reached the address Google routed us too, but it wasn't the place where we had booked our reservations, instead the board read Motel 6.</div>
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We based our trip from Corning, hence taking the budget option of staying at Budget Inn and Suites, Elmira at Horseheads. We searched for the exact name on boards for a wasteful 25 mins and called the reception up. Turns out that google routed correctly and Motel 6 was to change to Budget Inn and Suites. The bookings were messed up and we had a tough time sorting it out at the office, all in all, not the best option to stay there.</div>
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For my reviews on this hotel, refer to (<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g47924-d244135-Reviews-Budget_Inn_Horseheads-Horseheads_Finger_Lakes_New_York.html">https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g47924-d244135-Reviews-Budget_Inn_Horseheads-Horseheads_Finger_Lakes_New_York.html</a>).</div>
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<b>Letchworth State Park and Cherry Springs State Park: Saturday </b></div>
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We reached Letchworth State Park by late morning. At the Castile entrance, there's a lovely overlook that opens up the view of the valley with the Genesee river flowing through it. Unfortunately the river looked dried up. With very little water in the river, we wondered if the waterfalls would be a pretty sight. We parked the car near the<b> </b>visitor centre<b> </b>and hiked our way to the middle falls and upper falls. The path wasn't much of a deviation from the tar road, although we found a beautiful viewpoint below a bridge. The hike to the middle falls was relatively simple with not many ascends or descends. The Middle falls view point was stunning with the milky white gush of water roaring as it hits the rocks below. A faint yet remarkably clear rainbow adorned the falls. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow over the Middle Falls.</td></tr>
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This waterfall seemed to me the best amongst the three. (Upper, Middle and Lower)</div>
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We continued and hiked to the upper falls, a small ascend but an easy climb along the tar road. To watch a goods train chug along the 140-yr old rail road atop the upper falls was an incredible sight. Hiking up to get a closer view of the upper falls, we stopped by a bubbling brook and rejoiced in the cool waters. Much needed respite from the heat of that summer day. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train chugging along over the Upper Falls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refreshing brook</td></tr>
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Walking back to the visitors centre cost us time and we decided to drive down till the lower falls overlook. There are steps leading down to the lower falls, but the only way up was to climb those steps. Already exhausted and running short of time, we followed the signs on the board for quick look of the lower falls. The lower falls didn't charm us, although it was a pleasant sight.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower falls from an overlook.</td></tr>
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A quick refill of lunch and we routed our GPS to Cherry Springs State Park to catch a glimpse of the milky way. A little detour as it falls in Pennsylvania, but the view of the night sky was well worth it. This particular state park is known for the clear views of the night sky and through summer, they organise night sky viewing. Google routed us through the countryside and what a silent eerie countryside that was! Surreal the experience of being one of the only two cars on those muddy roads(yes you read right, no tar roads here!), and vast expanse of fields on either side with few or no houses. Almost haunting the drive turned out to be. All through the journey we kept thinking of what would happen if the car broke down. When we finally reached the destination that google routed to - we ended up..nowhere. Did google just pull a fast one on us? Middle of nowhere and were we going to be the ones ones watching the sky that night? Couldn't be. We just continued ahead and looked for signs to the Cherry Springs State Park and there it was. A huge open ground converted into a parking lot with the park volunteers guiding us to park and towards the night sky viewing area. We were handed out red film to mask our torches and phones, as white light robs our night vision. The main volunteers used a powerful laser to point out the interesting stars and clusters. There were powerful telescopes set up for viewing of the planets. I was able to see Saturn with its magnificent rings and a double star with the contrast evident (one blue and the other red), through the telescopes. Unfortunately for us, the night sky was gradually getting disguised by the clouds. We patiently waited to be able to spot the milky way, and there it was. Just there for about 5 seconds, we could see the cluster that resembles the gigantic galaxy we live in, the Milky way. It was my first time viewing it with the naked eye, I was enamoured. Just a brief view of the milky way influenced me in the most poetic way. I was truly amazed. </div>
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<b>Corning Museum of Glass and Watkins Glen: Sunday</b></div>
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The Corning Museum of Glass should definitely be on your list if you're planning a visit to Upstate New york. The museum is exclusively for glorifying glass in all its lovely forms, there are sections on the history of how humans have been utilizing it in various forms. Each exhibit was captivating with a lot to learn and a lot to awe at. I thoroughly enjoyed the contemporary glass art exhibit. A few pointers I would suggest to anyone planning a visit here, be sure to plan for half a day, it's vast with many live demonstrations and an opportunity to make your own glass as well. The Make your own glass experience, is highly hyped. All that I or the 6-yr old along with me did was, pick the structure of the glass, the colours on them and get the opportunity to blow into the molten glass when required. It wasn't all exciting as I had pictured it to be, I suppose the museum has their own limitations while working with high temperatures of molten glass. The souvenir shops is an interesting array of glass artifacts, be sure to take your time here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making My own Glass.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art installation at Corning Museum of Glass.</td></tr>
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Once done with the museum visit, we head to Watkins Glen State Park near Ithaca. By far, one of the best places I've ever been to. The beauty of the hike in this park was the gorge path that spans about 2.5 miles with spectacular views of over 14 waterfalls with my favourites being the Cascade Falls where one can feel the cold spray of the waterfalls and the rainbow falls which opens up a mind blowing scenic view.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorge Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cascade Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Bridge</td></tr>
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We were almost the last ones to leave the state park. The stay at Ithaca was at Embassy Inn Motel. A satisfyingly good place.</div>
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<b>Taughannock Falls, Lake Cayuga and Howe's Cavern: Monday</b></div>
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I didn't feel like leaving Ithaca the next morning. The City is lively with a thriving student population and colourful with interesting art murals. After a sumptuous brunch at Indian restaurant "New Delhi's Diamond's, we drove to Taughannock Falls. Parking very close to the overlook, we peeked over in anticipation to be awed by the waterfalls. Instead we were greatly disappointed, the width of the water was reduced to that of a thread. What a shame! A google search gives me such glorious pictures of this place, it's unfortunate that we had to see it when it was dry. It might not have been the best time to witness the falls, I would suggest visiting here after summer, probably August and September.</div>
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We passed by the longest of the famous finger lakes, Lake Cayuga on our way back, the blue waters beckoned to us, we had to make the stop. We took a quick swim in the chilly waters, refreshing and much needed after seeing so much water on our trip and unable to physically be in the water. Happy campers, barbecues and families relaxed by the lake. It was a blissful morning!</div>
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The last visit before heading back home, Howe's caverns. We were making a dash for it, because the last guided tour was at 6pm. We luckily got in at the nick of time. As the car pulled over to the destination, we see an enormous building. Quite confusing, I assumed these were natural caves in a more natural setting, a state park or so. We bought our tickets and waited in line. The tour guide, a very jovial and entertaining one, accompanied us in the elevator, down to the cave. The cave was an underground one and rather cold (Do bring along a jacket!). The caves must be explored with a guide only, and it's a path that involves a small boat ride. The experience was interesting and the cave in some parts was beautiful. I wasn't very impressed, probably because I've been biased with my experience of the vast cave "Gua Tempurung" in central Malaysia (<a href="http://www.guatempurung.my/">http://www.guatempurung.my/</a>). The tour was definitely made more interesting by the tour guide and kids would enjoy it immensely. It wasn't my best cave experience for sure.</div>
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The drive back was smooth with no traffic. In fact, the drive for the entire journey was divided into equal distances for every attraction and hence manageable on time. I'm sure this isn't going to be last time visiting New York State.</div>
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-81015183240529310842016-06-28T08:53:00.000+05:302016-06-28T08:53:49.996+05:30Philly and Washington DC.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The United States of America is truly a vast country. It's only been two months living here, it doesn't seem like even two years is sufficient to fully explore the country. We are on a mission to travel the most we can then!<br />
Using our long weekend and the advantage of the glorious summer, my husband and I planned to go to Washington DC with a pitstop at Philadelphia. <br />
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<b>May 27th 2016, Friday:</b><br />
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The handsome shining black Audi A4 was charged up and awaiting us. It's far more than just show off statement, this amazing car. For a car ignorant person like me, I began to admire the stability at high speeds and the turning capabilities.<br />
We started off at 3:30pm and joined the weekend traffic at its busiest. Google maps or any computer-based GPS would guide one to use the I-95S for more than three-fourths of the journey, but we found it too busy with frequent traffic crawls or accidents.<br />
Instead(and I suggest) we started off on I-84 East, forked off at Danbury to join I-684 and continue on I-287. Later we joined onto I-95S to reach Philly after about 5.5 hours. Although this deviates a little to the west than a more direct I-95S, it helps avoid the heavily traffic congested junction of New York. We halted for the night at the Red Roof Inn at Trevose. Basic amenities and perfect for a quick stopover.<br />
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<b>May 28th 2016, Saturday:</b><br />
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The morning was surprisingly hot. A sunny day with pristine blue skies with no trace of a cloud. I found it mandatory to have breakfast at an "American" style diner. With no dearth of this quintessential diners around, we found one right next door called Andy's diner.<br />
Vegetarians, like most places in this world have limited options. Luckily, I consume egg in most forms. After a delightful breakfast buffet with freshly made double-layered cheese omelette, we drove to Philly Downtown.<br />
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Entering the the many one-ways in the city, one can't miss the colourful murals. The street art led us to the <a href="https://www.phillymagicgardens.org/">Magic Gardens</a>. This place has been beautified by artist Isaiah Zagar and his wife Julia. The mosaic work and the creation of something highly appealing with eclectic pieces is amazing. We were hugely impressed. For art-lovers visiting Philly, this should surely be a stop.<br />
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Our next pit stop was the essential Philadelphia attractions such as Independence Hall(viewed from outside) and the Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell has historic significance but one must plan to spend at least 25 minutes or more in the queues for a closer look at it. Since we were in a hurry, we caught a lateral glimpse of the bell through a glass window. I'd recommend taking this view instead of waiting in line unless you're a complete history buff.<br />
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The last place to tick off on our list in Philly was the Rocky Balboa statue. The statue and the steps Rocky Balboa is seen training in the movies(Rocky series starring Sylvester stallone) is near the Philedelphia Musuem of Art. We reached here around 1pm and not many people were waiting in line for a picture, it was mostly empty. Although we were passively hoodwinked by "the homeless" to take a picture of us and the statue. A bad picture even ! Wriggle and find a way to escape this if you're in the situation when you visit here. (I'm sure there are a lot of other encouraging ways to help the homeless).<br />
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Mildly satiating our hunger from a food truck parked by the Museum, we started out 2 hr journey to Washington DC.<br />
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Relatively gentle traffic, we checked into the Sheraton Pentagon City around 5pm. (We got a neat deal on priceline to stay for a night here.) Resting the car at their parking lot for 24$ a day, we coordinated to take the bus and then the train from Pentagon station towards Downtown. The station had a vibe of secret excitement, felt like we were part of a secret service boarding our train for a secret mission!<br />
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For Dinner we went to <a href="http://www.sirocrestaurant.com/home">Siroc</a> at 15th street NW. We thoroughly enjoyed the wine, food (all three courses) and the service. I highly recommend it! We decided to walk to the rear end of the White house after dinner. The view of the White House from the White House north lawn is about 10 minutes by walk. Not many people at this hour, we were able to comfortably admire the structure.<br />
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Choosing our options of travel back to the hotel, we opted for Uber pool, which worked to be equal to or rather cheaper than a metro and bus combination. <br />
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<b>May 29th 2016, Sunday:</b><br />
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Sunday was the day to fully engage and immerse in what Washington D.C has to offer.<br />
Nearby was an Ethiopian cafe (Dama Pastry and Cafe) which offered some delicious vegetarian options. My first with this cuisine, I was fascinated the most by the <a href="http://howtocookgreatethiopian.com/kinche/">Kinche</a> and mouth wateringly exquisite Baklava. I'm salivating just writing about it!<br />
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We decided to split up and I went to explore the Smithsonian Air and Space museum and my husband got off at the next station to explore the National Gallery of Art. In spirit of the memorial day weekend, the entry to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum was free and accordingly crowded. The museum is huge with a lot of information and interesting exhibits, I looked up the map and dived into the exhibits that interested me. My favourites in the museum was the walk inside the international Space station, the section on the history of navigation and the aircrafts on display. The crowd though was overwhelming (for USA standards), it's definitely a popular spot.<br />
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We met for a quick bite by the lawn after our museum visits. Lots of food trucks are parked in this stretch and a quick bite is necessarily not a quick bite. Huge queues were lined up to each truck, so the easiest seemed to be froyo. Unfortunately, that was the worst frozen yogurt I have tasted and a little over economical. The White lanky washington tower is visible from here. The clouds hung low and all our pictures captured have the white monument hidden in the white clouds.<br />
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We walked by to sight the US Capitol, and last one on our list was the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is charming, and the view from it is amazing. This was undoubtedly my favorite visit in DC. Unable to ignore our hunger pangs, we went to an Indian restaurant "Flavors of India" at 2524 L St NW. Service was terrible, the evident disinterest in fellow indian customers was offending and we were pretty frustrated. Clearly disappointed, we were in two minds whether to strike off the the 15% gratuity that was conveniently added in the cheque. <br />
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The rains had subsided by now, we took an Uber back to the hotel and had just enough time to head to the DC cruises tour at 8pm. The washed up harbourside looked placid and inviting. Our cruise started at around 8:20 pm and we were toured around on the grand Potomac river for about an hour. The sights were pretty and their reflections on the water. There's a enchanting charm in seeing the city from a boat in the middle of the river. After the cruise, we leisurely indulged in Nick's Grillside and Bar, and I felt indulged the moment I had my first taste of the Cinnamon Fireball, one cracking drink! <br />
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<b>May 30th 2016, Monday:</b><br />
The last day in this entry.<br />
The beauty of nature, as most of us agree is unmatched and hence a vacation isn't considered complete without visiting such a place. We started for the Great Falls Park around 9 am and after a small queue at the parking, we were there in less than an hour. There are three overlooks within short walking distance where one can get marvelous views of the Great Falls. Apart from these three smaller paths, there are a lot more hiking trails this park offers.<br />
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Planning our route back home, we decided to weigh our options. Most GPS show the fastest route to Boston which uses 95 for majority of the way. This interstate is often slower because of the density of traffic and more likely to have more accidents. We started on 95 till Wilmington where we then branched out west on 202 Interstate. Around the New Jersey area, we diverged to join 287 Interstate eastward -- 684 north and finally joining to 84 East. Although it delayed us by an hour, we comfortably covered the distance without the frustration of being stuck in heavy traffic.<br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-83297154671618065672015-04-24T21:10:00.000+05:302015-04-24T21:10:45.316+05:30Bangkok and Railay, Thailand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>March 6th,2015</b><br />
Last minute emails and urgent deadline rush. Sending out the last email at 3:30pm, my smile instantly switched when I sat in the backseat of the cab to the airport. Vacation time ! In a new country and with a good friend. How often do vacations like these come by?<br />
At 10:40pm, the airasia flight landed at Don Muang airport in the city of Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok has two airports, Don Muang is the Old International airport. After quick navigation, I reached the Visa On Arrival area, to see a long line there and only one counter open and paraphernalia for the process! The photo's that I carried along with me didn't suffice, but luckily they provide the services to take your photo and pin it to the visa form which you'd later have to fill out. After a good 40 minutes in the line, I finally got my form verified by the officials and validated for Visa On Arrival. The things you'd need to get a VOA :<br />
(a) One Photograph on a white background.<br />
(b) Visa form with the valid address of place of stay.<br />
(c) Valid passport with minimum remaining validity of six months.<br />
(d) Visa fees of 1,000 baht in Thai currency only.<br />
(e) Tickets of the return journey from Thailand.<br />
(f) Thai/other currency equivalent/credit or debit card to show the equivalent of 10,000 Thai baht per person or 20,000 Thai baht per family.<br />
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Exited the airport at midnight in a striking pink cab towards the city centre at Sukumvit Road where I had to meet my friend. It was a quiet journey in the middle of the night. The city seemed to be getting it's beauty sleep to be presentable for me by the morning.<br />
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The night wasn't over for me, there was one place I'd heard a lot about: Soi Cowboy.<br />
Soi Cowboy is a little stretch of road with only go-go bars and strip clubs. Mostly frequented by tourists and expats. As you walk by this famous red-light area, be ready to be picked by women and enticed to buy a drink or watch a show.My curiosity was dismissed after the short casual walk and we headed home. <br />
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<b>March 7th,2015</b><br />
An early breakfast of cornflakes and cold strawberry milk is a kick start to the hot day at Bangkok. We took the BTS Skytrain from Ashok station to Saphan Taksin that leads you to the Chao Phraya River transport.<br />
Commendable infrastructure in Bangkok. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmoZJpdvITl9GnNBTJzUfI-yB8NkokexApaxlm7Btku0v70q9G0egCCnbY74hYjHbEKIwYXaXv9U0Mu0FiVTl7jViBw7LYmI0-govXfNWd0dnL1Z-ODlE7hOivgmwFcfsoMEhcAtHpAdc/s1600/DSCN1228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmoZJpdvITl9GnNBTJzUfI-yB8NkokexApaxlm7Btku0v70q9G0egCCnbY74hYjHbEKIwYXaXv9U0Mu0FiVTl7jViBw7LYmI0-govXfNWd0dnL1Z-ODlE7hOivgmwFcfsoMEhcAtHpAdc/s1600/DSCN1228.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Flyover, a metro track in between and the river transport below.</td></tr>
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From the Chao Phraya, they have boat service to the temples "Wat Arun", "Wat Pho", Grand palace and a few other places. Chao Phraya , loosely translated to "Chief River" is the main artery for transportation in this city. It was a 20 minute boat ride to "Wat Pho" in the muddy waters.<br />
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Wat Pho, more commonly known by the name "Temple of Reclining Buddha" is a huge temple complex with stupas (known as Chedis) and shrines with Buddha statues. The biggest of these shrines has Lord Buddha in the reclining posture rested on his hand. The soft curls on the head and the wide feet with 108 engravings was visually appealing. Visitors were encouraged to drop coins into the 108 copper bowls around the structure, in the belief of receiving good fortune.<br />
<photo amp="" foot="" just="" of="" one="" or="" pic="" reclining=""></photo><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reclining Buddha</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<photo of="" yogic=""></photo><br />
I did read somewhere that this place was originally built as a school of Thai medicine. Probably that's why I noticed some stone structures around the complex in yogic poses.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yogic Poses.</td></tr>
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After taking a self tour of Wat Pho, we took the cross-river boat to Wat Arun. The distinctive phrang (tower) of this temple is noticeable from anywhere. The main phrang at that point was under renovation, so we walked around the surrounding phrangs instead. These phrangs are such unique and vividly created using colorful and exquisite looking porcelain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porcelain work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_ciLDR3Mf3qRToOK6BMtTF98QfgRmIQ3FVZ2Y_xeFOwOAQH0U_LDvKiSYvPDuXXYhU7p2jBc9nx9K2i-iOAugsgz4JYcnOm2pUJe1FCoXuZJnIqXcsLigLfXeHFnMp3wsVBM2xYQrZw7/s1600/DSCN1346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_ciLDR3Mf3qRToOK6BMtTF98QfgRmIQ3FVZ2Y_xeFOwOAQH0U_LDvKiSYvPDuXXYhU7p2jBc9nx9K2i-iOAugsgz4JYcnOm2pUJe1FCoXuZJnIqXcsLigLfXeHFnMp3wsVBM2xYQrZw7/s1600/DSCN1346.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wat arun.</td></tr>
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We headed over to Siam Paragon for a quick lunch at their food court. Thai food is interesting, but I hadn't started my culinary journey as we decided on eating some neutral Italian food. Trying to fit in the maximum time for the upcoming shopping at Chatuchak market, we cut short our lunch although the desserts looked delicious.<br />
Chatuchak Market !! Where do I start? For the folks who know me, I dislike or better said, shop very rarely and until absolutely necessary. I went in there unbiased and with no will to shop and only pick up a few interesting souvenirs. As I walked passed the numerous stalls filled with assorted tidbits, my will was slowly crumbling like small temptations as the rocks that fall off from the boulder off determination into the sea of consumerism. It had fascinating and creative stuff to choose from, diverse range from tee shirts, junk jewelery to clocks. The shopping took up a great amount of time, but left one feeling exhausted and good about the time and money spent. It was worth the visit.<br />
The things I liked a lot about Bangkok: Infrastructure with good metros, the river transport, pink buses and colorful cabs, the vibrant nightlife, the stoicism yet warmth of the locals towards the hive of tourists it receives.<br />
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<b>March 8th, 2015</b><br />
We reached Krabi town around 9am but the bus ride till Ao nammao pier took a very long time after many stops in the town. There are public buses that ply from the airport to the common area in Krabi Town, it's the cheaper option to travel as compared to taking a taxi. From Ao Nammao pier, we took the boat to Railay. The bluish green clear waters and the towering limestone boulders, such a soothing sight. The waters of Thailand , wonderful waters of Thailand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TdDVHNunRgTPmB6YtxQTu8dQzh1DyB6JUvLzgiauTgCN0GqZcD080n_c8ULLZm2Q_t_P5nWwHScwUyQkHRLKx-g3HOgjuConYIPGb-L2c0vQwNOmqwvVLqKRPcfSm_WjjNDQNsUIGTaV/s1600/DSCN1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TdDVHNunRgTPmB6YtxQTu8dQzh1DyB6JUvLzgiauTgCN0GqZcD080n_c8ULLZm2Q_t_P5nWwHScwUyQkHRLKx-g3HOgjuConYIPGb-L2c0vQwNOmqwvVLqKRPcfSm_WjjNDQNsUIGTaV/s1600/DSCN1382.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing in on Railay.</td></tr>
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Sitting at the head of the motor boat with wind in my hair, bright sunlight on my face and the humming sound of motor, the scene opened up: Railay Beach with white sands and clear emerald waters. We disembarked from the boat and carried our luggage a small walk away to "Railay Princess Resort ". The accommodation at Railay is on the the higher side, but it is a valid price to pay for privacy. The Railay Princess was fantastic and gets a five star rating from me. We decided to chill out on the gorgeous sands of Railay for the evening. Railay is clearly the best beach I've lounged in. The tide was low and we could walk in a good distance into the sea and the sand was sensuously soft on the feet. Watching the sun get swallowed by the sea and floating in its vast expanse with the mountains towering over us, seemed like nature disapproved yet pampered our existence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHz_IoKQofFYoa7Alor5Mrz8qV1aHWYHa3FbhfE5iNh2nCdbNjny8hs53y2TrSh8Rno5MNUzCyMc4iYx71ISCODmQ8NDCTbPhqMa-QJPMFPchsRjKa-BBoMu5tWSyjRf4Y7Vz6YI5lAuD/s1600/DSCN1458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHz_IoKQofFYoa7Alor5Mrz8qV1aHWYHa3FbhfE5iNh2nCdbNjny8hs53y2TrSh8Rno5MNUzCyMc4iYx71ISCODmQ8NDCTbPhqMa-QJPMFPchsRjKa-BBoMu5tWSyjRf4Y7Vz6YI5lAuD/s1600/DSCN1458.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooling my heels.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The sun plunged into the sea as we watched the sky emoting different hues. After a good round of Frisbee on the beach, we headed back to feed ourselves a good meal.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft sensual sand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOl2laUrpvCzJIi8b9-if66-N3Fp-zY3QxCS09zx_PgIqLPu2kH4DOHgXnP1gpJXacS_dpGT_i8t9aX_uV0UCq4IXrGDZYT7xg0TodHsyJDGT3n2bstK_WVJj8ON-5QmLnAfzKZjAJ8sO/s1600/DSCN1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOl2laUrpvCzJIi8b9-if66-N3Fp-zY3QxCS09zx_PgIqLPu2kH4DOHgXnP1gpJXacS_dpGT_i8t9aX_uV0UCq4IXrGDZYT7xg0TodHsyJDGT3n2bstK_WVJj8ON-5QmLnAfzKZjAJ8sO/s1600/DSCN1503.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving an imprint on the canvas of earth.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9F7OJHUyZY9QWVfXVhGkvIgxaEO21Wk2GfH1puc9es0SLvSDt_zazJUwvxBPBj3PnZsceccYhQkgu1aTkRzDak7Y61dyOiGKSMGsOasoz4OkCHyX-gYUCPfrLAGx34W7eZB_km7K-sBNQ/s1600/DSCN1547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9F7OJHUyZY9QWVfXVhGkvIgxaEO21Wk2GfH1puc9es0SLvSDt_zazJUwvxBPBj3PnZsceccYhQkgu1aTkRzDak7Y61dyOiGKSMGsOasoz4OkCHyX-gYUCPfrLAGx34W7eZB_km7K-sBNQ/s1600/DSCN1547.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I won't be gone for long.</td></tr>
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The "Last bar" was a good find. As the name suggests, being the last bar at the end of the only road in Railay, they had live music. A little after midnight, there was a fire act performance. Very entertaining. Unlike Phi-Phi and Bangkok, railay had a more sober and relaxing vibe about it.<br />
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<b>March 9th,2014</b><br />
The resort had a wide spread of breakfast buffet, enough to stuff us up. We walked towards the view point only to realize it was a steep climb. A climb, with a rope for support. I thoroughly enjoyed it as I reached the view point. The view was phenomenal. Nature is highly under appreciated, the difference of the water on either side of the same bay was remarkable!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cpEvwNkuMT1hUNERqGoVfT0rK1fQh-grsy834FsH74YRuKwBqpZ9PUQYJSHoWuE9P1rUv0xrXFj7IRJ9eQa3WRc1VxzOu93003hyFSRv0px0KNXtxh8Ba_tDyPQqchZ7b6QdyF7a4TQu/s1600/DSCN1577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cpEvwNkuMT1hUNERqGoVfT0rK1fQh-grsy834FsH74YRuKwBqpZ9PUQYJSHoWuE9P1rUv0xrXFj7IRJ9eQa3WRc1VxzOu93003hyFSRv0px0KNXtxh8Ba_tDyPQqchZ7b6QdyF7a4TQu/s1600/DSCN1577.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climb to the viewpoint.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRnjabA_4maqd2DcwIvoVAkOXO1G06SewDIzuL9BRPqQFtPKGcOuEkZIQuytvji1k-ijhAq1exUnNyV90ewVG3Qnsyxevhzo4MuPDSSANqiizhWSGJ4jxeGuh2p3Zy4qQEYBvYD9ZbROP/s1600/DSCN1582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRnjabA_4maqd2DcwIvoVAkOXO1G06SewDIzuL9BRPqQFtPKGcOuEkZIQuytvji1k-ijhAq1exUnNyV90ewVG3Qnsyxevhzo4MuPDSSANqiizhWSGJ4jxeGuh2p3Zy4qQEYBvYD9ZbROP/s1600/DSCN1582.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The remarkable view from the top.</td></tr>
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Panting my way down from the view point, my mind still remain in disbelief of what I had witnessed. Little did I know that nature has far more to offer here. A little ahead of the way to the viewpoint is the path that leads you to phra nang bay. The path belies the enormous beauty the end of it holds. It was unbelievable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zlk97g9Hp8efTG-kVnAHvebN_GRyHp85aqIsMqJ_k1qHxafp2tCpPDKUy4JiYqDMc5caPdBIPEMePGvw6G0kT_s8clFMi6jn0Kxuc5xRZ_00vIupUIU2rhRrb5esnGWXpgHYUjA7f8RN/s1600/DSCN1602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zlk97g9Hp8efTG-kVnAHvebN_GRyHp85aqIsMqJ_k1qHxafp2tCpPDKUy4JiYqDMc5caPdBIPEMePGvw6G0kT_s8clFMi6jn0Kxuc5xRZ_00vIupUIU2rhRrb5esnGWXpgHYUjA7f8RN/s1600/DSCN1602.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The path that opens up into the phra nang bay.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS1wkgWJjz6WPu_-sQ1-7HLNDbD5P34j6j85u8TEZ2m3zp3I0X-T4FgSXVPWBW6Lluwc89UveiR4tKbC6-hLOywEvDmkHoYb1xLOkl-10pmemml1PU3-gzn8MZd6THkBO_FLck8F8LMtv/s1600/DSCN1614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS1wkgWJjz6WPu_-sQ1-7HLNDbD5P34j6j85u8TEZ2m3zp3I0X-T4FgSXVPWBW6Lluwc89UveiR4tKbC6-hLOywEvDmkHoYb1xLOkl-10pmemml1PU3-gzn8MZd6THkBO_FLck8F8LMtv/s1600/DSCN1614.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">phra nang cave and bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIX73y4gMWrIcCrGHh0KZNJUyQMebenCUvLx-Y6lAX2E6OJjk6K2tGunoRWo_vnx4jlHZpKrIdUfnim0lxGi1FhjS0tOwvsSbbHyb0t-xhzxHJ2ZjskvLzsfUnnWxi_XXMCfbnEwpe2zz/s1600/DSCN1641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIX73y4gMWrIcCrGHh0KZNJUyQMebenCUvLx-Y6lAX2E6OJjk6K2tGunoRWo_vnx4jlHZpKrIdUfnim0lxGi1FhjS0tOwvsSbbHyb0t-xhzxHJ2ZjskvLzsfUnnWxi_XXMCfbnEwpe2zz/s1600/DSCN1641.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the tempting emerald waters.</td></tr>
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As the heat got unbearable, we headed off to some shade and food. Treated myself to Red curry and pad thai which I enjoyed. At 3pm, we had a boat tour of the 7 islands with Sunset and dinner at Poda Island and 2 snorkeling stops and a plankton tour.<br />
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Out first destination was Tup island and Si Island. These radiant white sands and shallow waters was heaven to swim in. The highlight of Tup and Si island, is it is connected and only by a strip of white sand. So basically you can walk to Si island from Tup and vice versa in between the vast Andaman ocean. To put you in perspective, we are walking in the middle of the ocean!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh92ee5_Q6rlJWxSLVNCB10Yq7g579gSNhhR9oYuiVWed2cuGhWBRgebl_FyHC5dA0RH_CL4lCjm05f2DeLFIeB_ZwShaEF3Iw_Z7CxhHzSH8jymSGVBs2ENWQan0CqLJSdqoahMT9OZhC/s1600/krab3island.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh92ee5_Q6rlJWxSLVNCB10Yq7g579gSNhhR9oYuiVWed2cuGhWBRgebl_FyHC5dA0RH_CL4lCjm05f2DeLFIeB_ZwShaEF3Iw_Z7CxhHzSH8jymSGVBs2ENWQan0CqLJSdqoahMT9OZhC/s1600/krab3island.jpg.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from a google image search,to give some perspective.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS67gyWpK4K8QjpI3rBVLp3fa12ePgyC5zpNH90JiUqf3yshMv4w9X6d7qfrqj8mUOPQ7SGEanEZbyiAOqs-qs16E7ddU4Ca8s0ODVvW52mXVJFCCSsfcvySR86xHwOtbJ78mOVG02ZZ1a/s1600/DSCN1754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS67gyWpK4K8QjpI3rBVLp3fa12ePgyC5zpNH90JiUqf3yshMv4w9X6d7qfrqj8mUOPQ7SGEanEZbyiAOqs-qs16E7ddU4Ca8s0ODVvW52mXVJFCCSsfcvySR86xHwOtbJ78mOVG02ZZ1a/s1600/DSCN1754.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the strip of white sand between the islands.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngNnWWI7JvD6V2KBBtIp9k7nhDfpMl5XXoFgjtiGWSPT2lXwJQZfBG4rHmHFfOCCcjZ4oC571hUFXIjM1X8cF-3DtcV6C1L2LRL4Lzeok8fs-2-FPbG3b9bnvdMcxxZOgQ1JPCHTFzqNO/s1600/DSCN1687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngNnWWI7JvD6V2KBBtIp9k7nhDfpMl5XXoFgjtiGWSPT2lXwJQZfBG4rHmHFfOCCcjZ4oC571hUFXIjM1X8cF-3DtcV6C1L2LRL4Lzeok8fs-2-FPbG3b9bnvdMcxxZOgQ1JPCHTFzqNO/s1600/DSCN1687.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the darker blue to the left corner of the pic.</td></tr>
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Incredible. I continued to shake my head in total disbelief crossing over to Si island. It was overwhelming, the excitement, the beauty, the pristine white sands, the crystal blue waters and the walking on the exact divide where the water to your right is darker blue and getting darker and water on your left is transparent cyan.<br />
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The boat took us to Chicken island, the rock juts out looks like a chicken head and visibly does. Our first snorkeling stop, we jumped into the water and snorkeled around for about 20 minutes. Stunning fishes and corals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINKIhBpS_9V6w-XIxkFBBtmsj87cvWVZjVrNul_Wc5HsBk_wuguvGEY5UMNbc0HSL6ICHukscOw3Yi-2V4HpeH7Rm4xlou_ggeA7tY7se3rRoT1ijT6309TCXktCMruSPqiNomRAo4gmY/s1600/DSCN1827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINKIhBpS_9V6w-XIxkFBBtmsj87cvWVZjVrNul_Wc5HsBk_wuguvGEY5UMNbc0HSL6ICHukscOw3Yi-2V4HpeH7Rm4xlou_ggeA7tY7se3rRoT1ijT6309TCXktCMruSPqiNomRAo4gmY/s1600/DSCN1827.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corals.</td></tr>
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We headed over to one of the deep water solo diving spots,climbing up a limestone cliff of a head-spinning heights and letting go to jump into waters of depth 80 feet or more. CRAZY for the guys who did do it. I was a silent spectator at the courage of the brave ones, for I didn't possess a fraction of that courage after looking at the cliff and gauging the waters. The adventurous ones swam from their boats towards the limestone cliff face, use a ladder (pre-laid many years before, I suppose), use that to climb up and get a hold to start climbing. Then comes the scary part of climbing free hand, no harness, no shoes, no anything ! Probably the most animal-like natural and shit scary way of climbing there is! One of the Thai locals climbed a dizzy height and plunged into the deep uninviting waters, I caught my breath because this was the first I was seeing someone do such an act. Terrifying for me to watch and exciting nonetheless, but he seemed to have done it far many times before to have even an ounce of fear to do it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK-UHjocWOY1uGcc4U3AmL0rpKVLY6rJ1JpxDsEU2Y60IptGPQghCzoyrYxuDwvdMZv6kS0q05j8BFwdAZlUdmG1lt2CG1-dwGlOjELqSc_xCJnSW4BLry7VvCk2vEs_k_FEZ2tDrLh5u/s1600/DSCN1763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK-UHjocWOY1uGcc4U3AmL0rpKVLY6rJ1JpxDsEU2Y60IptGPQghCzoyrYxuDwvdMZv6kS0q05j8BFwdAZlUdmG1lt2CG1-dwGlOjELqSc_xCJnSW4BLry7VvCk2vEs_k_FEZ2tDrLh5u/s1600/DSCN1763.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dizzy heights.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYoMcdZN0TB7S1wP8kIduaoXiuQLP0UJDiFBcBtDSUDHZSVZA5HXcV9SpkKKBrC4XYYhVTipRywngja8eSUx7iwZdbgXuznoxGoez3VdaORwf4PDuKkKVw3nU0aWiCJYi6ttFeFW2MjO1/s1600/DSCN1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYoMcdZN0TB7S1wP8kIduaoXiuQLP0UJDiFBcBtDSUDHZSVZA5HXcV9SpkKKBrC4XYYhVTipRywngja8eSUx7iwZdbgXuznoxGoez3VdaORwf4PDuKkKVw3nU0aWiCJYi6ttFeFW2MjO1/s1600/DSCN1766.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to jump?</td></tr>
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We had another snorkeling spot to cover, we quickly took to the water, I was quietly waddling around with my snorkel masks amazed at the pretty fishes enticing me. The sea beds and rocks had many black sea urchins, a noticed a puffer fish ! two of which I hadn't before. The puffer was small, maybe a young one but an adorable ball of spicules!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhwHPPQyXCehZJVE4zOMdWQvm7BP5UNX2UKoMKoCsCgBQZJS0k8j-biThTPKpYsJVlI2BGtebyNKvNnly2gztGNA5XU-cK6hUAQQfl5_We8qF7QApXauOmjk9Dvvyq5xuU27zHNIqOwGg/s1600/DSCN1812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhwHPPQyXCehZJVE4zOMdWQvm7BP5UNX2UKoMKoCsCgBQZJS0k8j-biThTPKpYsJVlI2BGtebyNKvNnly2gztGNA5XU-cK6hUAQQfl5_We8qF7QApXauOmjk9Dvvyq5xuU27zHNIqOwGg/s1600/DSCN1812.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea urchins.</td></tr>
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The sky was orange and the mood was contemplative. It's been one of the best days I've had so far. Our boat halted at Poda Island which opened the view to a magnificent sunset. The gorgeous orange ball sunk into the ocean and we watched remarking at its beauty. The true giver of life, the reason for our existence. I felt overpowered by nature, by her beauty, feeling small and wonder-eyed watching the sun submerge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPpqJylikUmwbqyh-Pqo5Kv03ZVqkt3ewuL9rqjYPV8bwsVdviQ6KrMrR5NmjcU1dzEwSOgMIpUv61l_X6d1EChUOjBorb69y67PT9uo7-CpmMOzmJChdfSHVFNd6x8rvQ59bQNkSFiNy/s1600/DSCN1850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPpqJylikUmwbqyh-Pqo5Kv03ZVqkt3ewuL9rqjYPV8bwsVdviQ6KrMrR5NmjcU1dzEwSOgMIpUv61l_X6d1EChUOjBorb69y67PT9uo7-CpmMOzmJChdfSHVFNd6x8rvQ59bQNkSFiNy/s1600/DSCN1850.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Plankton viewing, the next stop. I was quizzical about this one, not even having heard of viewing plankton and wondering however that was possible. Aren't they too minuscule to be seen? And we have to spot them glowing? Are these tour operators robbing us blind? We were all instructed to get down into the dark waters with our snorkel masks. Our instructor asked to create movement inside of the water and keenly notice the glowing dots of plankton around the area of the movement. Wow! it was glowing. Microscopic glowing dots. I was utterly fascinated that I came up to exclaim my child-like joy of seeing something that was not comprehend able.Amazed.<br />
The boat journey back was silently contemplative, running over my emotions for the beauty I was privileged to see today. <br />
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<b>March 10,2015</b><br />
To take advantage of the remaining hours in Krabi before we headed back to the airport and our respective countries, we had an early start.<br />
Walking down to Phra nang cave and bay, the beach was isolated, the scene permanently etched in my brain. Sublime.<br />
Since the tide was low, we could walk,swim a good distance into the waters. A small cove was accessible. Private and magical. Finding that was equivalent to discovering new lands, I wonder what the great explorers truly felt like when they did discover our existing countries. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZiLzSQ8mKeJYoAJvsVNmeG8rxwgHiNl9_yZIQfS1CNhxcvHJSX0NJ3twhdYZs5tbFWaHxhAkjAspViuEZqe95mWOnGhn_FhT4rCPEQeJbIlf_IOExDTrqaGpyAF4Wm5SzDm8hfPtBeuq/s1600/DSCN1963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZiLzSQ8mKeJYoAJvsVNmeG8rxwgHiNl9_yZIQfS1CNhxcvHJSX0NJ3twhdYZs5tbFWaHxhAkjAspViuEZqe95mWOnGhn_FhT4rCPEQeJbIlf_IOExDTrqaGpyAF4Wm5SzDm8hfPtBeuq/s1600/DSCN1963.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning walk by Phra nang bay.</td></tr>
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When we saw the first set of Kayak bring rented out, we rented out ours and start rowing. I hadn't done sea kayaking before and was excited yet anxious to balance the kayak right. With a lot of help from my friend and fellow rower (if I may term it that), we set a pace and headed for the waters around a limestone cave. We reached it and wandered lost along its borders. The sunlight glistened on the clear waters, the depth of which was gorgeously visible. The white sand sea bed, the green glowing fluid above and the pale brown uneven,rugged structures guarding it. It occured to me, this is the best view I've had in my entire life. It was peacefully sublime and overwhelming. Tears of joy rolled down my face. I felt privileged to have witnessed what I did sitting on that kayak far from the shore in the ocean.<br />
Stunning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4Kf-rYigArjPerh6DTfREFbnOGQ90d6t51xkIF1txex2kR_i3z3ZaMYLT6E3uu495tsOkJqoP753d_v7V_-loHxwfqMKpLCWKwBOQ-8fHDgVmlJXkmcXEutse004YaYDqRbT66NFMF2i/s1600/DSCN1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4Kf-rYigArjPerh6DTfREFbnOGQ90d6t51xkIF1txex2kR_i3z3ZaMYLT6E3uu495tsOkJqoP753d_v7V_-loHxwfqMKpLCWKwBOQ-8fHDgVmlJXkmcXEutse004YaYDqRbT66NFMF2i/s1600/DSCN1980.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although this picture might not justify my write up about this place.</td></tr>
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I left Krabi knowing that someday I will return to experience everything and more again. I am bewitched by her beauty.<br />
My heart was immensely sad to leave such a lovely place but ironically very happy to have been there. Thank you Krabi, thank you Thailand. It was one of the best vacations I've had.<br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-62379920928113428942014-10-13T15:36:00.001+05:302014-10-13T15:36:39.565+05:30Flipping through the pages of my history textbook in Cambodia: Day TWO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>21st September,2014</b><br />
<b>Siem Reap</b><br />
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Awake by 5:30 and uncontrolled excitement! The taxi driver was punctual and we set off to buy our tickets to enter Angkor archaeological park ; lack of pre-planning made us spend 20$ again for a one day pass instead of which a three-day pass of 30$ would have saved us 10$ each. Nonetheless, the view was far more valuable than any amount of $$.<br />
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Sitting on the library steps and waiting for Mr.Sun to show up, how crowd was building up! Watching the number of people coming in, I was reminded of what the guide told us the day before that I didn't think was plausible at that time but believed with no doubt now; he said an average of 3 million pictures of the Angkor were taken in a day. Most of us crowded by the lotus pond which is clearly the most scenic to view the three domes of the temple.<br />
6:15 and he rose, made his presence felt to the mere humans who reacted by going camera crazy. The indescribable beauty left ALL of us in a collective meditative trance. Divine, the sunrise was divine. The reflection of sun rising above temple domes in the humble pond was no doubt the best view I've witnessed so far. The humble pond betrayed the enormous pride it was capable of; for its untold responsibility was immense. I bow my head down to you King Suryavarman II and the exquisite craftsmen who built this place, respect and appreciate the thought and intellect behind the architecture of this place. Many centuries after we continue to pay respect to this captivating structure,so intelligently built to augment the beauty of nature.<br />
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Today was a special day, little did we know of this when we planned our trip and it turned out to be our bonus! Today, the 21st of September was two days away from the Equinox and more specifically when the sun shines directly on the equator and the sun rises due east. The exquisiteness with respect to the temple was that the sun rose directly over the central temple dome, a rarity that happens only twice a year.<br />
I hope the picture does little justice to how celestial it really felt.<br />
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Feeling grateful to have witnessed this morning, we headed back to the hostel for a quick breakfast.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"> BANTEAY SREI :</span><br />
This 10th century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva lies north east of Angkor Thom and took us a journey time of half an hour. The stark difference between Banteay Srei and the temples we went to yesterday is this temple is largely made of red sandstone. Much of it looks like its been ravaged by pilfering and vandalism, but the carvings that remain are elegant. The apsaras, the motifs and the depiction of Lord Shiva. An interesting carving I noticed was that of the fight between Vali and Sugreeva. This temple,for a change was not built by a monarch but by the spiritual leader to King Jayavarman V. The lotus pond added to the charm with the pink blossomed lotuses.<br />
The smaller temple complex makes a vivd statement with the intricate carvings and pinkish sandstone.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"> BENG MEALEA:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"> </span>Tucked away to the east of the Angkor , this temple was my favorite visit. The entrance to this broken down temple complex has huge blocks of stone lying in a pile and a broken down naga .This temple is privately owned and an entry ticket of 5$ has to be purchased. This mostly unrestored out-of this world place was built in the 12th century and remains enchanting in shambles. A maze of wooden planks and walkways constructed make it easier to explore around. The generous trees support the existing structures, giving them shape and beauty.I was exploring the temple awestruck and in silence. The emotion was that of romance between the trees and stones, intertwined in love. The inseparable two formed scenic beauty that takes you far away from reality, back in time to a different century. Surreal! I'd strongly urge fellow travelers to include this temple in their itinerary.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">BAKONG AND PREAH KO :</span><br />
These two smaller temples were devoid of tourists. Bakong is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva built like a mountain, the structure ascending vertically. The four levels guarded by Rakshas, Nagas, Garudas. Some restoration was going on with wooden scaffolding on one of the towers on the ground which I believe would be one of the libraries.<br />
Preah Ko, was similar to Bakong and one thing I instantly noticed as a Hindu- the Nandi statue. Pleasantly surprised to spot the Nandi Statue (Sacred bull of Lord Shiva).<br />
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This was the last of our temple visits in Cambodia.<br />
After the enriching journey in history, we were sadly drawn to the present.<br />
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Back in the central town, we wondered what we could do for the evening. After weighing our choices ,we decided to watch "Phare, The Cambodian Circus" and amble about Pub street later that night.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"> PHARE, A Cambodian Circus :</span><br />
This unique entertainment has a great cause behind it. They had a social mission and that of promoting Cambodian modern art and provide sustainable employment to Cambodian youth. The performers for the night did an amazing job! A refreshing and new performance. The performance was Sokrias (the eclipse) ,with a blend of dance, song, acrobatics and interesting storyline, it was thoroughly enjoyable! One of the best I've watched. Hats off to the performers, the high energy, the charming expressions, the dedication. Absolutely worth the money!<br />
Please explore more <a href="http://www.pharecambodiancircus.org/circus/">http://www.pharecambodiancircus.org/circus/</a> .<br />
Squeeze it in your itinerary when you are in Siem Reap, you won't be disappointed.<br />
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We ambled by Pub Street and the night market. Bought small bayon,apsara souvenir and the famous "elephant" print pants.<br />
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*Do consider including the other farther off temples in your itineraries, including Koh Ker(the incan temple), Preah Vihear, Kbal Spean(The valley of a 1000 lingas), the waterfall at Phnom Kulen (the mountain from where the stones used to build the Angkor Vat were sourced).<br />
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The "one dollar, my lady" ringing in my ear as I board the flight for KL.Thank you Cambodia for a unique vacation!<br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-42789650716189151432014-10-13T15:28:00.001+05:302014-11-04T10:11:17.879+05:30Flipping through the pages of my history textbook in Cambodia: Day ONE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Siem Reap province is located in the northwest of the Kingdom of Cambodia. It translates literally to "Defeat of Siam"; Siam refers to Thailand.<br />
It boasts of the Angkor Wat ,the largest religious structure in the world and attracts about 3 million tourists a year, one of the most visited places in South East Asia.<br />
Here's my account of the visit to Siem Reap.<br />
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<b>20th September,2014</b><br />
<b>Siem Reap</b><br />
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Stepping into the humid sticky heat of Siem Reap on a Saturday morning, our vacation began. The airport is small and you can't get lost even if you try. The Visa On Arrival (VOA) counter was to our left as soon as we walked into the airport. The process was simple and fast involving filling up of the visa application,one passport size photo and visa fees of 20$. Once submitted, a page is attached to your passport with a validity of 1 month. Took a 5$ tuk-tuk ride to the hostel we were staying at, <b>Jasmine Family Hostel</b>. The room wasn't cleaned out yet,so we left our bags at the reception albeit the passport and important things. Over a quick breakfast ,we drew circles on the map of the Angkor planning the day ahead.<br />
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We had emailed Sam Pho(<a href="http://www.angkordriver-sam.com/">http://www.angkordriver-sam.com/</a>), a tour guide about our arrival and possible itineraries before coming to Angkor. Very impressed with his promptness in replies and detailed suggested itinerary ,we decided to go ahead with him. Greeted by Mr. Pol and tuk-tuk driver Mr.Hoy at 10:30am, we began our temple visits!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">ANGKOR WAT :</span><br />
You must posses a temple pass to visit the temples in the Angkor Archeaological Park. You can purchase the passes for a day,three days or seven days. We bought the one day pass that cost 20$. The passes are checked for at the entrance of every major temple, so make sure to keep them somewhere safe.My romancing with the breeze and tall trees that lined the road was cut short by the sight of a huge lake, the broad man-made moat around the mighty Angkor Wat. The reflection of the Angkor outer wall on the rather clean moat water was stunning. Stone lions with missing tails (because the plunderers stole the iron rod used in the tail) and Nagas(mythological Snake) flank the causeway across the moat. Angkor literally means "city" and wat means "temple". King Suryavarman II and is men took over 37 years to complete the temple structure as we see it today and work started on it in the 11th century. Angkor was the capital then and temple is dedicated to Hindu God, Lord Vishnu. We saw the three beautiful domes of the main temple as we entered in through the outer gate. There is a long causeway connecting the outer enclosure to the main temple. One doesn't realize the vastness of area until you enter past the outer gate. HUGE! 400 sq km and well maintained. Manicured gardens and lush green on either side. Libraries are pressent on either side, one for the women and other for the men or one for higher sect of people and the other for the lower sect (Hindus had a prevalent caste system). A lotus pond on the left, in the garden gives the best photographic opportunity to capture the reflection of the main temple. The temple is stunning, every meticulous carving, the planned architecture, the stories on the walls. One wide wall has the entire epic "Mahabharatha" carved on it precisely. Another wide wall with epic "Ramayana". Another with churning of the cosmic ocean where Lord Vishnu is in the Koorma Avatar (Tortoise holding the mountain on his back to prevent it from dissolving while the churning happens). One with King Suryavarman II ,the monarch himself and the life in those times. The heart of the temple is the central tower with steep stairs leading to an idol of Lord Buddha ,although I read the history that says an idol of Lord Vishnu was here. The temple was converted into a Buddhist one (and still remains so) in the 14th century by the Kings ruling at that time.<br />
The temple lives up to the hype and more than that. Unbelievable architecture and precision and to think of the timeline when it was built.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the library</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The King Suryavarman II</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the libraries</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Buddhist influence.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The library for the Brahmins.</td></tr>
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After a tiring 90 minutes around the Angkor Wat and it's many towers, we headed to Ta Prohm in the tuk-tuk. Hoy was kind enough to provide us with chilled water and a wet tissue. We passed by Bantaey Kdei on the way to Ta Prohm and glanced at it. Bantaey Kdei was built by Jayavarman VII dedicated to his teacher. The route also showed us Srah Srang reservoir, or a "royal bathing pool", vast! Quite a swimming the king wanted!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">TA PROHM:</span><br />
We exited Angkor Thom through the "Victory gate" to reach the famous "Tomb Raider" temple. Was originally called "RajaVihara", came to be known as Ta Prohm, and now as the Tomb Raider temple. Was constructed by Jayavarman VII and is dedicated to his mother. The beauty of this temple lies in its relationship with nature. The big silk-cotton trees grown on the ruins and beautifully so. The big towering trees look like they own the ruins. Not much remains of this structure and a few scenic pictures, we headed out to get some lunch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous tree structure that holds uncanny resemblance to that of a buttock!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Spot the dinosaur!<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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We stopped for lunch at a place a little off Ta Prohm and in an attempt to try local cuisine, we ordered for the vegetarian version of "Amok" along with some rice and a soup , if my memory recalls correctly "Khmer soup". DELICIOUS!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">TERRACE OF THE LEPER KING AND TERRACE OF ELEPHANTS:</span><br />
We then explored the terrace of the leper king and the terrace of the elephants. Both the terraces are alongside each other. Opposite the terrace are two broken down structures and a field where the King would be entertained. The terrace was a podium for the King Jayavarman VII to view his victorious army returning. The terrace of the Leper King is called thus because of the statue of the king, the original is kept safe at the National Museum at Phnom Penh, and the one here is the copy. The statue with no fists and a shorter structure. Some historians also believed that Jayavarman VII was a leper,although there is no evidence supporting it.<br />
The bas-reliefs are mostly elephants and apsaras. But most of all,the one I was impressed by was that of an angry guard.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Angry Guard</td></tr>
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<span style="color: blue;">BAYON TEMPLE:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"> </span> Our next stop was Bayon Temple. By far the temple I enjoyed most because of the symmetrical carved smiling Buddha faces.It is believed that King Jayavarman VII built this temple for himself and to signify the 54 provinces he ruled. It is geographically placed at the center of Angkor city but built many years after Angkor Wat. The four faces in each signify different traits including those of sympathy and compassion. The uniqueness yet perfect symmetric of the faces intrigued me,impressive.The boddisattva looks at peace. The stories of a common man's life at Angkor crafted on the walls were interesting and not far from life as we know it today.<br />
We took the quintessential picture of the nose touching that of a smiling buddha face! the cheap camera trick with hilarious outcome.<br />
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With a choice of watching sunset at the hill Phnom Bakheng and the other temple of Preah Khan, we chose the latter. Watching the sunset from Bakheng Hill is mostly on every tourist's itinerary,we saved it for the following day.<br />
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We exited Angkor Thom through the North gate.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">PREAH KHAN:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"> </span>The king Jayavarman VII dedicated this temple to his father. This temple I noticed had many shiv lingams and also structures with buddha in hermit pose.One of the walls had Lord Vishnu in the sleeping pose as well. The temple is spread over a wide area and most of it in ruins. Nonetheless, this temple had lesser crowd and a huge relief to be able to explore it in peace.<br />
Having some time to spare before heading back, we relaxed our tired legs on top of the building next to the library with a view of the ruins. I sat there in that peace contemplating on how life would have been during Jayavarman's reign. The King and his royal family lived a grand life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The headless guards.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For some strange reason,they only cut off the heads.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hermit Pose</td></tr>
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We exited the walled city through the south gate, with demons gods on one side and devas on the other, holding the naga or the snake and churning the cosmic ocean(Hindu Mythology). Of all the gates we went by today,the South gate is the best preserved.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South gate with the devas and asuras on either side.</td></tr>
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The guide told us about Koulen Restaurant which has Apsara dance shows every night and a buffet dinner of local cuisine. We decided to try it out. The buffet was extensive but the vegetarian that I am, my options were limited. The places were booked,but we managed to get decent seats where we could view the dance. The talented pretty ladies swayed gracefully to the music, there is a striking similarity to Bharathanatyam, although the movements in the dance are subtle and slow.<br />
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The tuk tuk ride of 15$ along with the guide fees 35$ seemed well worth it. Back at the hostel, we checked with Sam Pho on our itinerary for the following day ; Watch Sunrise over the Angkor, Bantaey Srei, Beng Melea, Bakong, Preah Ko and spend the night at Pub Street. He suggested we hire a taxi as these temples are farther off from Angkor Thom.<br />
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Retired for the night anticipating a great view of sunrise in the morning.<br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-43333813914469207632014-06-06T16:09:00.000+05:302014-11-04T09:41:20.161+05:30Cameron Highlands<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Cameron highlands is a pleasant hill station at 1500 mt above sea level in the state of Pahang,Mayalsia . Situated in the northwestern tip of Pahang, it's a small hill station with vast green sceneries and rolling tea estates.<br />
Desperately in need of respite from the Penang heat and monotony,four of my friends and I decided to go to Cameron Highlands for the weekend.<br />
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April 11th,2014<br />
Friday: 2pm<br />
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The bus from Sungai Nibong to Cameron highlands was empty except for the five of us! The bus cost us 38RM and in my opinion,the seats should available till even the day before your travel. The bus service run is Uniti Express(the name mentioned on the bus,but various travel agents will give you tickets),that's the only bus from Penang. Started half past two and the driver stopped at Butterworth for twenty minutes. The bus route has a stop at Ipoh, therefore quite a number of people got on the bus from Butterworth. The bus cruised on the highway with vast open lands on either side. We reached Ipoh at 4pm and stopped for about 20 minutes to freshen up. Ipoh is a quaint place, with agreeable weather and mountains in the hindsight. Seemed to me like a quiet little town where one would want to retire. The next two hours was one of the best drives I've ever been on(how I wish I was driving this stretch though). The drizzle on the windows, the curvy roads, the man-made outlets for the water on these mountains which formed gorgeous small waterfalls. So calming ,the sight of green topped mountains in the far distance. The only thing missing was being unable to eat the fresh air! Stuck in the Air-conditioned bus, I could hear the gushing winds taunt me. As our destination approached, there was some amount of a traffic clog. I rephrase, a lot of traffic!! It's a popular tourist spot for the Malaysians and foreigners alike.<br />
We reached the chilly hills at 7pm. Chilly is a relative term here. Living and working in Penang for the last few months lets you appreciate temperatures below even 20 degree Celsius! Cameron comprises of a series of townships of Tanah Rata,Brinchang, Tringkap , Kuala Terla and Kampung Raja. We had a hotel booking at Tanah Rata, but one can alight at Brinchang as well that comes first while entering the highlands. I would suggest that one stays at either Tanah Rata or Brinchang (apart by approximately five kilometers). We made a cheaper accommodation booking at "Kisabel Hotel" which is located in Tanah Rata, in the same building structure where the bus drops us off. The hotel is suitable only for single travellers or a quiet bunch of friends, a budget hotel with just the basics and a drab view as well!. We were greeted by two Malaysian Indians who run the place. A modest reception with a giant TV, a sitting area, a fish pond. The number of rooms is limited and we took the double bedroom with attached bathroom and a triple bed room with an attached bathroom. No complaints of the place, you get what you pay for..and this place brims with tourists!<br />
With the night left at our disposal, we hired a taxi (only mode of transport around here and slightly expensive) that cost us 12RM to Brinchang for the night market (Pasar Malam). The market was good! My favourite and must do in this market -<br />
(1) Eat the strawberry coated with chocolate sauce available for 2RM. Delicious!! The fresh sourness of the strawberry makes your taste buds twitch and the sweetness of the chocolate gushes in to compensate. Ah!<br />
(2) Sample some of the local fruits and vegetables. I didn't find them very fresh although the the taste was thoroughly enjoyable. I sampled a green fruit(Jeruk Jambu) that I've never tasted previously, it was mouthwatering sweet!<br />
(3) The cactus pots. Tiny pots of cactus are sold for 3RM and above and well worth it. Many varieties of cacti.<br />
After dinner at a Chinese restaurant and a pot of Chinese tea, we waited a while for a taxi back to Tanah Rata. It was 10:30pm in the night and the hill station was asleep, after waiting by the taxi stand for twenty minutes with no luck,we decided to ask someone. Opposite the taxi stand at Brinchang, is a hotel by the name "Jasmine", we asked the Chinese lady there if she knew any taxi driver whom we could phone up and call. She luckily had one and called on the taxi for us. The fare back to Tanah Rata was 20RM. Retired for the night<br />
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April 12th,2014<br />
Saturday<br />
Cameron has many jungle trails ,small hikes to offer. We decided to go for a hike that morning. We left for Robinson Falls (Trail 9/9A) at 8am in the morning. After some repetitive cycles of getting lost and looking around, we finally got the way to Robinson. The directions are simple, Follow the road from Tanah Rata towards Brinchang till you reach the "Terminal Fressia" bus stand junction, take a right there (follow the board with directions towards MARDI). Walk down that road to see MARDI(an agro technology park) on your left and continue ahead, till you read the signboard to Robinson Falls.<br />
The falls isn't remotely "spectacular". It's a waterfall of muddy rainwater, was disappointed at the sight of it. Due to the rains every afternoon the rocks were slippery. A caution on that. After a quick stop for a photo, we continued along the jungle trail. The path has many signboard of the jungle trail paths. We decided to follow the signboard of 9/9A, that leads one to the BOH tea estate. Do a little research on the jungle trails and pick according to your fitness level. Hiking always excites me and this trail was nothing less than exciting. The smell of the rain-drenched soil,the contrasting lush green against the brown wet tree barks was a magical sight. We spotted many exotic flowers(unfortunately don't known the common or botanical names), wild mushrooms and small pretty birds. The jungle trails here are fortunately not very commercial and unspoilt by human littering. We reached towards some part of a tea estate(which we later found out to be BOH). Unknowing whether there's a path ahead,we re-traced our way back towards Robinson Falls and caught the road from where we entered. It was "stroll", a very easy path we hiked today. Nonetheless, a morning well spent!<br />
Hungry, we found a place called "Kumar" , similar to a Nasi Kandar and ate comfort Indian food. The rain came and how! About 2 pm and the it was pouring! We tried our options with many tours and travels about half-day tours we could do for that day. Unfortunately, no one had anything that pleased our needs and suggested that we do any of the tours the following morning as the rains wouldn't subside in sometime. We finalized a half-day tour with "T.J Nur Travel & tours" in Tanah Rata for the following morning and had the rest of the day to our leisure. In the evening,we took a stroll around Tanah Rata, the weather was delightful! We ambled about admiring bungalows, a Chinese temple and nurseries with stunningly fresh and colourful flowers. We went down to the main park near the "Terminal Freesia", took the road behind it, that lead to us to a winding sloping road from where we could get a pretty view of a part of Cameron Highlands. We sipped our steaming cup of tea at "Lord's cafe" and tasted some of the best apple scones! Highly recommended to visit this place and taste some of the delicious apple scones.<br />
Tucking myself into bed that night,I got thinking how unfortunate it is that the natural beauty is gradually being destroyed for more "resorts" and tourist purposes. The lopsided balance of urbanisation versus preserving the existing beauty. It's left to us to bring that balance.<br />
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April 13th,2014<br />
Sunday<br />
We were at T.J at 9am in the morning. We hopped onto a jeep and started for our tour. We were in to cover the rolling views of the BOH tea estates, the mossy forest at Gunung Brinchang and the peak itself, a factory visit to BOH tea estates again, ending with the butterfly farm and strawberry farm. A half day tour from 9am to 1pm and cost us 50RM each. Our bus back to Penang was at 2:30pm , so this worked out fine. The roads up to the tea estate and Gunung Brinchang are sloping upwards and a rather tough drive without a jeep or 4-wheel drive. The view of the rolling tea estates can easily qualify for a perfect postcard picture. The tour guide did a good job of explaining about the estates and its establishment, the process of tea processing. After spending around half an hour walking through the tea plantations we hopped onto the jeep towards Gunung Brinchang. The peak is the second highest mountain in Cameron highlands at 2000mt above sea level.There is a watchtower where you can get a panoramic view of the place, the hills and valleys, tiny villages and towns and Ipoh as well. The number of tourists here were enormous and everyone waited their chance to climb up the watchtower and squeezed to get good pictures. I found it rather dull, not a great view. We went down to the mossy forest next. This forest is claimed to be one of the oldest forests in Malaysia. It was genuinely beautiful. The natural environment of moss,ferns, lichens,orchids and pitcher plants.We got an up close view of the pitcher plants, which was a new experience for me. This plants look so tiny, to think they actually blow up to carry 3 litre of water in them. Amazing! Wild orchids was another exciting sight for me, gorgeous is an understatement! The atmosphere in this forest was cool, chilly, in the guider's words "natural air condition". We explored this area for about 30 minutes before starting back. It's not a hike,trek really, just a walk inside to explore the flora.Our next stop was the BOH tea estate, where we sipped a cup of fresh tea(don't take the tea bags, just buy and drink them at home!) and watched a plethora of tourists swarm the place.The tea factory has a small tour you can take to see the tea processing(nothing impressive).We bought a few tea bags and tea for home.Next the butterfly farm. A small enclosure with butterflies, pretty butterflies fluttering around oblivious to us humans prying. Even though it was a small area, the butterflies sure were beautiful. Stopped at a strawberry farm afterwards, it was just to purchase some fresh strawberries. The rain gods blessed us with a heavy downpour by then and we were soaked to our bones. The half day trip was not entirely worth the money in my opinion, but "pitcher plant" and the "orchids" in the mossy forest was the highlight. So much delight to have seen it in its natural environment,something I can't see back in India.<br />
We made it time for our bus back to Penang,packing lunch before boarding the bus at 2pm.Slept for most of the way down to Ipoh and the Penang. Back home by 8pm in the night. *the traffic descending the hill was a pileup, weekend traffic from Cameron is heavy*<br />
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The trip to Cameron Highlands was a refreshing break from the monotony of life. The quaint little towns in Cameron is unfortunately becoming highly urbanised, I hope the government controls the growing development before it destroys the charm of the place.<br />
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Tips -<br />
-- It's a romantic place but take a resort a little away form the bustling towns to thoroughly enjoy the weather and sceneries.<br />
-- Own transport is the best, the sceneries along the journey are charming.<br />
-- With not much to do,a weekend or three days getaway is the enough to cover the place.Not many family activities, but your thirst for hiking,trekking can be satiated with many trails Cameron has.Wear your shoes!<br />
-- Most of the common half day tours of only the different farm visit is useless in my opinion. I would recommend the Mossy forest to be covered in your agenda and a small hike in one of the Jungle trails.<br />
-- Food is not an issue, lots of choices to eat from in Tanah Rata and Brinchang. Many Indian,Chinese, western cuisine restaurants and no problem form vegetarians as well. <br />
-- Shopping didn't appeal much to me. But do try some local fruits in the Pasar Malam at Brinchang and apple scones at "Lord's Cafe" . But some fresh strawberries, the one sold in the markets instead of plucking the strawberries in the farms by yourself (it's expensive).<br />
-- Don't be overwhelmed to buy tea bags from the BOH tea plantation, you can get the same tea bags in the local supermarket, and back in Penang as well. We bought tea dust and "Seri Songket" (package was eye-catchy) from the store in the BOH tea plantation which we couldn't spot outside in the local supermarkets there or in Penang.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Go cool your heels in Cameron Highlands.</div>
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-15811896904951636032013-11-26T22:58:00.000+05:302013-11-26T22:58:03.796+05:30New beginnings....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I found an oar for my raft,<br />
Renewed strength to row again.<br />
Towards the guiding light,I gently drift,<br />
Calmly hit the sandy shores....then,<br />
the land trembles and unwraps the present of HOPE.<br />
<br />
Crimson hue with the hint of pink,<br />
Like a tiny heart squeezed to bleed,I squeeze the sponge.<br />
to paint on the white canvas,forcing it to drink,<br />
the color and the soulless white to be expunged.<br />
Staring at the canvas,waiting for its heart to beat with HOPE.<br />
<br />
The man with an unusual surname walks in unannounced,<br />
Unsure of his intentions,I hid and waited.<br />
I find it difficult to read you Mr.Hope,<br />
but I trust you to revive my heart with the love beating,<br />
.....I Await for new beginnings.<br />
<br /></div>
Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-7119737100690889492013-09-09T22:43:00.001+05:302013-09-09T22:43:57.230+05:30Dis-organised <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Squeezing the eraser,<br />
I try removing the grids,the numbers, the red and black,<br />
but the black lines keep reappearing ,<br />
the grids form and the numbers slowly attack.<br />
<br />
After that month,that sheet is flipped or torn,<br />
hidden till it resurrects after another three sixty five days.<br />
That date and month will haunt you mercilessly till you are reborn,<br />
the days of the month shift silently like a pack of wolves and preys,<br />
<br />
Why can't there be infinite months, infinite dates,<br />
not one single combination to repeat.<br />
make new memories unassociated with numbers ,as a new sun awaits.<br />
let it remain loose ended ,continuous and incomplete.<br />
<br /></div>
Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-1066528781277311322013-09-05T12:10:00.002+05:302013-09-05T12:10:59.909+05:30Merlion Memories : Visit to Singapore : Days 5&6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Day 5 :
Universal Studios Singapore and Chinatown</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There
was a sense of calm in the morning as we has already booked the
tickets to USS the day before/ After a very quick breakfast (not much
to expect after having stayed at the same hotel for the last three
days of course),we took the MRT to Harbor Front and the Sentosa
Express from the fourth floor of the VivoCity Mall. USS opens at 10
am ,and we were there by eleven am. A mandatory picture by the
rotating globe (logo) of Universal Studios and a map in hand , we
were ready and excited to explore what Hollywood had to offer! The
Theme park is divided by themes : Hollywood, Sci-Fi City, Ancient
Eygpt,The lost world, Far Far Away land and Madagascar (as my memory
recalls). Hollywood had characters from Seaseme street and we went on
a Spaghetti chase with them (well, I'm too grown up for the Big Bird)
, There was a ride in a one-room movie set ,it was bought to life
when they simulated a tornado destruction(narrated by Steven
Spielberg) Good !.We watched live shows of Monster Rock and some
dancers who did some kick ass B-Boying and Hip-Hop. The Sci-Fi City
was next ,and the transformers fan in me could wait to take the ride.
The Transformer ride was brilliant. Very well done and just a joy !
We fought Megatron and the decepticons. Wohoo! This ride is the best
pick of all the rides! Must not miss under any circumstances. The
battlestar Galactica Roller coasters looked like a thrilling ride,
but it was closed for maintenance that day. Bad luck. To avoid any
more rush, we moved back to Madagascar right after quick lunch. The
Madagascar characters are my favorite and the merchandise was very
adorable, was too tempted to buy them all ! The crate ride was good.
We entered Far Far Away land with the Shrek and his folks. The mini
roller coaster ride was fun. The 4-D adventure of Shrek would have
been much more enjoyable if not for our stupidity of picking the
wrong seats ! We sat in seats <span style="font-size: small;">in</span> the middle portion, only to
realize in the end that it has restricted movement designed
intentionally for young kids who'd get scared otherwise! A little
disappointed. We entered ancient Egypt, and the ride was
mind-blowing. It was thrilling and scary as it plunges you into
darkness! Another ride one shouldn't miss. The lost world had a ride
where you get completely drenched in water. Lucky that we were
carrying rain coats(it was a gloomy day in SG) , thus they came
handy. Ponchos were provided for 10SGD as well. Was a good ride !
Some more photos with good merchandise! Exhausted but very content.
Thank you Universal Studios Singapore ! </span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We really
did “Ride the Movies” .</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Late
evening already and one place that was checked off in our list.
Chinatown. Took the metro to Chinatown and started with the
intention of window shopping,but ended up buying quite a bit. The
oriental Chinese work was new to us and very interesting. Dragged our
tired feet home. A day well-spent.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Day 6 :
Mustafa Center and departure from SG</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Last day
at Singapore and it felt good. I loved the place,don't get me wrong ,
this is to say I was more than content with what Singapore had to
offer. Our flight was at 4pm,giving us some time in the morning.
Having heard a LOT about the Mustafa Center at Little India,we
decided to visit it. Mustafa Center is a shopping Mall that roofs
everything from hardware to clothes for a discounted price and is
open 24 hours. Huge warning on very bad facilities management here .
I did find some reasonably priced phones and other electronics ,might
be worth picking up . We were back in time for lunch and took the cab
to the airport. Hadn't mentioned previously in my post (Day 1) , but
Changi Airport is huge and very well-maintained ! Explore the vast
airport before boarding the flight. </span></span>
</div>
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</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Reviews :</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-- Plan a
visit to Universal Studios on a weekday to avoid long queues for
rides. </span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-- Carry a
Rain Coat/poncho to save on further expenses of buying a poncho for
the rides that would drench you. </span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-- Carry
lunch if possible ,eating at USS might be slightly expensive.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">--Lockers
to keep baggage for some of the rides(namely at ancient Egypt) are
free for the initial 45 minutes and cost 10SGD for the following
hour. Plan well to avoid excess expenditure.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-- Souvenir
shopping on streets of Chinatown and Bugis appealed more to me than
in Mustafa Shopping Cent<span style="font-size: small;">er</span>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /> Thank<span style="font-size: small;"> you Singapore for a wonderful time ! </span></span></span>
</div>
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-75656854074219924212013-09-04T23:03:00.004+05:302013-09-09T21:20:21.512+05:30Merlion Memories : Visit to singapore : Day 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Day 4 :
MacRitchie Reservoir, S.E.A aquarium and Songs of the Sea.</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> This
was by far the best day in the travelogue. We set out earlier than
usual to get to MacRitchie Reservoir for a hike. Took a bus , but got
off the wrong stop and asked around for our way . Although traveling
by bus is straightforward , the metros are more convenient. We
started our hike from the reservoir. A vast dam reservoir were
activities like still water kayaking and canoeing can be done
as well (well,of course you need to be one star certified to rent a
kayak). A board of the many well-marked hiking routes caught our
attention but we choose the hike to the treetop walk. The hike was a
slight climb and the tall trees kept the shade. Quite a number of
people were hiking , running the incline and even practicing some tai
chi. It is a good 5km walk (seemed like more somehow) to the tree top
walk. Hikes always make me happy,this was happy till we saw the sign . We hiked a good five km to reach the tree top walk
only to find out that it is closed on Mondays .very bad planning on
our part. The tree top walk looked beautiful nonetheless and I heard
from a couple of localities there that they have a guided tours on
the last Saturday of every month where one can spot the feathered
visitors . As compared to have trekked only in India,this is my first
to notice well marked routes and even a ranger station , the
facilities at the rangers station was very kept , I couldn't help but
draw the comparison with bad facilities even in a city bus stop in
India . Generally the hike ends at Bukit Timah national park , on the
other side of the treetop walk. Unable to complete the hike at Bukit
Timah, we traced our way back and but instead walked on tar roads
alongside the Singapore Island Country Club . Took a bus back to
Little India and gobbled up some good food and masala tea.</span></div>
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</span>
<br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The
next destination was S.E.A aquarium ,Sentosa resorts and Universal
Studios . We went around in little India asking for good prices for
the tickets . It's rather expensive otherwise ,75SGD for USS. One of
the travel agents gave us a good deal of all these three inclusive
for 99SGD. Happy with the reduced rates ,we took the MRT to Harbor
front and took the Sentosa express to the island . First up South
East Asian aquarium,the world's largest aquarium. The marine life at
its finest,this place is a must visit and the fishes look happy as
well. My favorites were the eels and the baby sharks . It was very
touristy as well though with a lot of flash photography and videos
being taken. After spending close to 2 hours at the aquarium, we took
the metro which runs within Sentosa to the beach station and joined
the long queue to catch seats for the songs of the sea show. It is a
light and sound show on the beach. Was enjoyable,but kids would enjoy
it a lot more and this is when the song of "Singapooora
Singapooora" caught on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Reviews -</span></div>
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</span>
<br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />--
MacRitchie- start off early to hike,can avoid the hot sun as well.
Make sure to check when the treetop walk is open. They claim that
many migratory birds can be spotted,carry along a binoculars.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">-- Find
travel operators in Little India or Chinatown to get discounted
rates for Universal studios and activities at sentosa island. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple; font-size: xx-small;">Hiking Routes at MacRitchie :</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple; font-size: xx-small;">Glimpse of marine life at S.E.A Aquarium :</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple; font-size: xx-small;"> Eels :</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple; font-size: xx-small;">Sharks :</span></i></span></div>
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-8715435700388195642013-08-29T22:21:00.003+05:302013-09-05T21:20:37.974+05:30Merlion Memories : Visit to Singapore: Day 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 3 : Botanical Gardens, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Woke up to rain pattering on the windows. After a heavy breakfast, we set off to Singapore Botanical Gardens. We decided to use the buses today. The bus stop names are posted at the bus stop,so you'll know where exactly to get off. We counted the number the stops to get off at the right one. But we seemed to have counted wrong and went two stops ahead, took the bus in the opposite direction and found our way to the gardens. It's a leisure garden which celebrated its 150 years recently. It's always calming to enter a park and to be surrounded by green. The park was alive more so because of the morning rains. There's a small swan lake which had a handsome sculpture of swans. This place felt really good and absolutely non-touristy. The orchids on display at the national Orchid garden were beautiful ! Very well documented,there were information boards about the orchids. It was pleasant weather thankfully,so we weren't too tired yet. The National Orchid Garden is definitely worth a visit. Thumbs up! We had a lunch picnic on one of the benches. The place was blissful in a way, lots of children playing,families on lunch picnics, dogs running about wagging their happy tails. Just a wonderful morning !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> We took the MRT to Ang Mo Kio. At Ang Mo Kio , once again no problems finding the bus interchange to go to the Singapore Zoo. After a 15 minutes ,we got the bus no 138 to the zoo. It was a little after 2 pm when we got there. The park hopper pass got us right in,without having to wait. We waited a while for the tram. We made it a point not to get off on all the stops in the tram as getting a seat on the tram again is rather difficult. The animals were interesting ! The chimpanzees and orangutans were my favorite ! The polar bear was huge ! and so adorable and scary. We managed to catch the feeding show of the Polar bear. Among other lovely animals we saw the tiger, zebras, rhinos, giraffes, cheetah (wow!!). We watched the elephant show (a lot of people!) and the sea lion show. A part of me felt horrible to see these dangerous and beautiful animals domesticated and kept in a zoo,but from what we read, looks like they are more in danger in the wild. If there's one thing I learnt after the zoo visit,its about wildlife conservation. Lets please do our part to conserve the wildlife.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> The Night safari opens at 7:30 pm. Completely underestimating the crowds , we lazily went there only at 7pm. The crowd was absolutely mad! The length of the queues there reminded me of temple visits in India ! The Sunday evening saw humongous crowds ! In the mad rush, we couldn't get in on time to watch the creatures of the dark show at 7:30pm (and the next was at 9:30pm). In utter confusion , we ended up waiting at the queue for the Japanese tram ,only to realize it after a while and had a hearty laugh. The waiting time was an hour. We saw the rhinos, deers, hyenas among many other animals. There were no dearth of the number of animals at the singapore zoo , but it didn't appeal to me much. Maybe I went in with a lot of expectation about a safari in the WILD or so. It felt very artificially placed there under a neon bulb. At the end of it, I definitely didn't think it was worth it. Although i did notice a lot of young children enjoyed it ! We retraced our way to Little India and out our tired feet to rest .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Review :</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> -- Botanical gardens is a MUST visit ! Go as early as possible .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> -- Please avoid weekends for the zoo and safaris If unavoidable, please get in line 40 minutes before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> -- In two minds whether to suggest to skip the night safari. Kids would really enjoy it though. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>At the National Orchid Garden,Singapore Botanical Garden :</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Swan Lake , Singapore Botanical Garden :</span></i></td></tr>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"> Elephants at Play, Show at Singapore Zoo :</span></i><br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-9797767145271092452013-08-29T17:19:00.001+05:302013-09-09T21:21:09.475+05:30Merlion Memories : Visit to Singapore : Day 2 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Day 2 : Jurong Bird Park,Singapore Flyer,Raffles and Bugis</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> We set out after breakfast at 10 am heading for the easiest transport around the city. Little India MRT station to Chinatown MRT. At Chinatown , we bought the 3-day MRT tourist Pass at 30SGD. Continued our journey to Boon Lay. At Boon Lay, the directions to the bus interchange were well written and easy to find. After about a 10 minute wait ,we boarded bus 194 that takes you to the entrance of the bird park. At the bird Park, we bought the 3-in-one Park hopper pass (that covers the bird park,night safari and sng zoo inclusive of the tram rides). The tram rides generally give you a glimpse of everything around the park so that you can explore on your own when you get off, there are some stops along the way in the tram ride and you could alight the tram again once done with that portion of the park. Beautiful birds and a very well kept park ! Had a good time feeding the Lory's and at the Royal Pigeon's area. The flamingos were a delight to observe,as there beaks quiver and their entire head vibrate as they sip water. Delightful and worth a visit ! By afternoon we left the bird park to make a quick pit stop at Little India for some food. We discovered Anand Bhavan which was quite a huge relief for mum's south Indian food craving. At 5 pm,we took the MRT to Promenade to ride the Singapore Flyer. A ride on the flyer costs 33SGD but luckily the hotel we stayed at gives us a discount of 15%. The ride on the Singapore flyer lasted about 40 minutes but enjoyable. The city looks beautiful from that altitude.We caught a glimpse of everything around the harbor area of Singapore and beyond. The people who constructed this structure have done a phenomenal job, the sheer magnitude of the Flyer makes you wonder. We ambled around the Harbor Front. The structure of Esplande resembles the fruit Durian's outer cover, amazing architecture. We stopped by an open auditorium where a young Singaporean funk rock band melodiously entertained the crowd. Was a pleasant cultural experience when she sang a foreign language song(I didn't register the name when she mentioned it). Walked along to the Merlion Park , and watched the laser show cast from the Marina Bay Sands. The waters glimmered from the reflection of the city lights.Sparkling. On the way back , we took a reroute to Bugis and shopped around a bit. It's overwhelming. and you can get basically anything at Bugis Street ! But I found it cheaper to shop in Chinatown. Collapsed on the fluffy bed by 10:30pm with tired feet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Reviews -</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> -- Get to the Park as soon as it opens, you can catch the bird feeding shows. At the Park, if it is too crowded,avoid getting off at every tram station because it's quite a wait to alight on them again. Try and carry some packed lunch, to eat inside the bird park is expensive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> -- The laser show at 8pm at Marian Bay Sands is worth a watch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> -- Take the Singapore Flyer at twilight for best views. Nice souvenir magnets at Bugis,must buy! </span><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;">Feeding the lory at the Bird Park :</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"> Business hub Singapore :</span></i><br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-45396366171055164922013-08-29T12:46:00.000+05:302013-09-09T23:00:56.719+05:30Merlion Memories : Visit to Singapore : Day 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <b>Where</b> : Singapore</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <b> When</b> : August 9th - 15th</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <b>Mode of travel</b> : No Travel agent, no packaged tours! *note: Singapore is very convenient and safe to make your own plans to travel around* . </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <b>Experience</b> : Read on ! *Will earnestly try to keep the descriptions short*.</span></div>
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Day ONE : Checked in . Explored Orchard Road and around. </span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Boarded the flight to Colombo on Srilankan airlines at 3 a.m from Bangalore. After an hour,landed at the Colombo airport.It's a rather small airport. I was impressed by the Internet kiosks at the international boarding area ,very convenient. Boarded the next flight(srilankan airlines) to Singapore at 7 am Colombo time. The boarding at Sri Lanka for the flight was difficult as the boards would read: flight number --> boarding, and we would get into the long queues for check in, when the ground staff would tell us that the board read wrong and we weren't boarding. Frustrating ! After a good four hours of catching up on sleep ,we landed at Singapore. I was slightly scared to take a peek as we were flying over Singapore for landing, but gathered the courage. Beautiful view! I've seen pictures of the a lone island surrounded by vivid blue waters around only in photographs, but this was truly mesmerizing ! Landed at 1 pm (sg time), had a pickup till the hotel. Greeted by a humid atmosphere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Most of the hotels at SG have a check-in time at 3 pm. We checked in at Parc Soverign (<a href="http://www.parcsovereign.com/">http://www.parcsovereign.com/</a>) on Albert Street, close to Little India. In my opinion, plus points : the location was perfect, 5 minutes form the Little India MRT, 15 minutes into Little India and 2 minutes away from South Indian food, not in the heart of little India and therefore safe for two Indian woman travelers and a jump away from decent shopping at Bugis. Negatives: Rather expensive (168SGD for a night) and no free WIFI. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> With half a day done, we quickly freshened up and took a Metro to Orchard Road(The prime shopping location in Singapore). Explored our way around and watched the National Day Parade as it was telecast on huge screens. A Lot of places to shop and eat. Noticed an entire floor dedicated to beauty (!!) in the Wheelock Place Mall, ranging from botox,some weird cosmetic corrections to extensive nail care and fish spas. By six pm,we rode on the MRT back to Little India and explore the place a little more. There was an Ambal Kovil (Veeramakaliamman Temple). As it was an auspicious Friday,the prasadam was elaborate enough to constitute as dinner. Ambled the streets and got back to the hotel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Review : Orchard Road - nothing that you haven't seen before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Little India - nothing to be said, I'm an Indian,absolutely nothing new. But a mini chennai i must say. Decent places for Indian comfort food and well within the budget!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Was beginning to fall in love with the infrastructure,cleanliness and easy transport of SG. So very convenient ! Kudos to their government.</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;">An interesting sign board at Wheelock Place on Orchard Road. :</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;"> The Mall ION Orchard On Orchard Road :</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;"> The deity adorned: </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;"> Everything is looking up again ! At wheelock Place :</span></i><br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-6072679651868084572013-08-04T18:56:00.002+05:302013-08-04T18:56:25.285+05:30Painted Wall 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've always dreamt of having a personal library and stacking up the collection of books stored in my dingy cupboard . Cleared out a room to re-paint the walls, buy good bookcases and get those books out. The room been my favorite since.<br />
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I would like to welcome to you to my imagination room ! Where all things art and creative are allowed and only negativity and closed minds are prohibited.<br />
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The painting started off with a different idea,but over time and with a lot of busy days in between , it compelled me to rethink ideas and paint my mind at that moment.<br />
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I've realized it's very effective to leave work for sometime , so by the time you come back to it, it forces you to look at it in a different perspective and probably do something better than the initial idea.<br />
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Let me know what you think of it !<br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-5204052346559842952013-06-10T16:08:00.000+05:302014-07-10T07:03:02.448+05:30Dabbe Falls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The post-surgery trek was inaugurated on June 1st. We decide to go to Dabbe falls, near shivamogga, Yogi , Reddy and Murali were ready and I tried but exhausted all my options to get some girl company for the trek. Raghav randomly kept asking people if there were interested to trek,and three of his friends from HUL decided to join in ,at the last moment. We had set aside the rations, planned on the route and yogi was our designated guide, a place that seem to have been very special to him .<br />
The friday, June 1st saw Bangalore drenched in the pre-monsoon heavy rains and crawling traffic. Everyone stuck at different parts of the city, the probability of the trek happening seemed to be dwindling, but none of us wanted to give up.Although, vetri's sense of direction,of having been the third to reach majestic but lost for about an hour trying to get to where we were, was hilarious. Tired from the inter-city terrible travel,slightly beaten by the city's infrastructure but greatly spirited, we boarded a bus to Sagara(past shimoga) at 12am . Reached Sagara by 7 am, had a good breakfast ,but wasted quite a lot of time searching for buses to hosagadde. After asking around for the buses and futile attempts to hitchhike our way to hosagadde,we took a bus to kargal and an omni to the start of our trek. Quite a lethargic start at 11 am finally, made our way to gowdarre mane with help by the villagers along the way. Reached gowdarre mane to meet Manjaiaah , left our bags there and carried only the bag with our lunch (packed form sagara) . It was an exciting descend to the falls, some tricky corners and yogi was carrying a rope on standby. We were lucky it hadn't rained heavily , so the mud wasn't very loose. Reached the bottom of dabbe falls. Magnificent ! It may not look as awe-inspiring as jog falls which is in shimoga, but it had a enticing unexplained charm to it. Relaxing on the rocks and eating our rice bath, we watched the powerful stream of water from a visibly dangerous height pound the rocks beneath with great force. Relished our lunch and a quick photo session , some of the guys decided to getting pounded by the water and they did , pretty hard ! The ascent was surprisingly quick and we were at gowdarre mane by 5pm. We contemplated a lot in staying there for the night or to continue trekking towards kanoor kote and halt at doctor mane. Short of time, we decided to pay manjaiaah (500 ! ) to show us the route to kanoor village and started off. Following him was rather simple, it saved us the trouble of having to find the routes on our own. We reached Kanoor shaalae by 7:30 pm and a nearby house/cottage were generous enough to let us use their water and we did take a few vessels to use from them as well. Moderately tired but very hungry, we started cooking,Raghav and his HUL boys did an impressive job of perfectly boiling the eggs , murali and I did the vegetable cutting and some lemonade and lemony onions ! Yogi , well..did everything. Our head chef Yogi cooked us a delicious meal of egg masala (probably the first on a trek and the eggs did survive two falls and possible breaks,one in the bus journey bearing the weight of my legs and the other,raghav's brave fall) and biryani with pappad as well. The school was a luxury actually,as compared to the camping treks. We rolled out our sleeping bags and fell asleep within minutes.<br />
Woke up quiet lazily at about 8am , but waking up to nature and seeing vast greenery the first thing in the morning is the best morning anyone can ask for. Apart from a local bus parked near the school, the view was perfect ! Quick to make delicious lemon tea, mix puliyogare with extra roasted peanuts (YUMM), pack our sacks, wash the vessels(raghav murali and harsh taking over an hour to scrub it ), we left kanoor school by 1030am. Rather late, but we maintained a good pace with yogi in the lead. We did lose our way a couple of times, but successfully found the right way out. It was drizzling, and the intransigent leeches started bothering us. We found the perfect place to halt, exactly seven benches for us,where we could rest our sacks ,sit and pick out our leeches and finally stand on the bench to prevent further leeches to get on. Small Joys! But it had to be bothered by the first monsoon showers that poured exactly around lunch, when we had just removed all the leeches and were munching bread slices with delicious jam on our marked benches. Went up the wrong way, and I think we missed kanoor kote. Raghav went back to the benches to pick up a stem of a plant I wanted in my garden and luckily happened to have noticed another path ,we changed track and continued on the path that ultimately led us to the village gerusoppa . After a long hike of about 6 hours , and stole three delicious mangoes from the locals, we reached gerusoppa. Took the ferry across Sharavthi river, the river was fairly abundant and a beautiful sight. Lazed around the lake a bit, freshened up(i.e., changed clothes in an auto due to lack of covered places),we continued hiking to the town to find a good hotel and get a bus back to Bangalore. With the clock ticking, we finished out dinner by about 8pm and patiently waited for buses to Bangalore. Contrary to what everyone in the hotel and about mentioned about bangalore buses, not many showed up and the ones that went by gerusoppa didn't bother stopping as they were full. With not another option left, we hired an omni at 10:30 to take us to sagara. Poor yogi had to snugly fit his 6'' 3' self in the omni, all of us were crammed for the 3 hour journey. With a dinner pitstop(for the drivers) in between , we were at Shivamogga at 3am,completely deprived of sleep. Took the next available private bus heading to Bangalore and rather comfortable seats. Slept till we could and reached Majestic at around 9am .<br />
May not have been the most economical or successful trek(in terms of reaching the intermediate land marks on time) , but definitely one of the best experiences through a charming route. Thanks guys :D<br />
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Photo credits : Murali , Vetri . <br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-31275277391212337252013-05-05T22:51:00.000+05:302013-05-05T22:51:06.503+05:30Good way to spend a four day-off<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The project finally got over on May 1st, so I took off Thursday and Friday, making it a 4-day weekend.<br />
Among other things, I got some time to draw.<br />
I was searching for some images off the net. Copied this from some good images I found.It is an amateur attempt,but nonetheless it felt good !<br />
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-62735192311597856472013-04-23T15:38:00.001+05:302013-04-23T15:38:41.047+05:30Burn up, don’t Burn out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PROJ 3 : </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Burn up, don’t Burn out</b></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Pedaling down a greatly inclined slope with vengeance, I easily took to speeds of 50 kmph,changed the gear to the 5th ,and let the bicycle cruise its way down. The grin on my face wore off as quick as the endorphin high lasted. I encountered an evil pothole bang in the middle of road ,in an attempt to avoid it, jammed the break..only the front brake. The next thing I knew I was on the tarmac with a bleeding mouth and chipped off my two incisors. </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Good Morning fellow-smedians and welcome guests. </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Little did I know, that thanks to my insufficient knowledge about the cycle I was riding, I jammed the front break causing it to lock and the back tyre continued to rotate causing a double somersault and a hard hit to my jaw. Had to undergo two painful root canal treatments the same day , followed by ceramic root caps for the incisors that cost me a bomb. All due to my over-confidence . </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exercise may not always do you good. More often than not, due to insufficient knowledge and ignoring signs of your body complaining we tend to overdo it. A growing concern of obesity and health complication due to stressful lifestyles drive us to desperately seek exercise of any sort without completing understanding the good and most importantly the evils of it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I am a obsessive runner, let me rephrase, I was an obsessive runner. For the past three years, I unflinching wore my shoes at 5 am in the morning and ran till my hearts content. Gradually pushing it to limits my body complained to and I </span><span style="line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">didn't</span><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> pay attention. Last May, the alarm sounded, I got the harsh message of over-exercising. I ran the 10km run in Bangalore with a subtle nagging knee pain which I continually ignored. There was no satisfaction of having finished the run in a good time as my knee was paining intolerably. The doctors diagnosed it as a meniscal tear and I had to get a surgery down to trim the tear. A minor procedure ,but the healing time took me six months. For a hyper-active person like me, it was six months of hell. Now I’m back to a better regime of balanced exercise and I would like to share the ills of over-exercising and signs to notice when you know you are overdoing it. </span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Exercising can become addictive due to the physiological effects of endorphin, a hormone that makes one happy and more due to the psychological and positive physical effects.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you know if you are over- training? The body is constantly communicating with you so all one needs to do is to learn to read its signals. If you feel energetic and charged after a workout session, you know you are doing something right. On the contrary, if you feel drained or fatigued, the body is hinting that it needs a rest.When we stop listening to our body and start thinking more is better, that is when the problem begins. There are four basic components that go in planning a workout schedule: exercise type, intensity, frequency and duration. As a rule of thumb, change/increase one component at a time and follow that schedule for a couple of weeks. But an over-enthusiastic person may increase two or more components at the same time leading to stress on the body.It is relatively easy to guess if you are over-training. If you’re hitting the snooze button often or having trouble sleeping and feeling exhausted throughout the day are two crucial signs. As important as it is to stimulate muscle building with hard exercise, it is equally important to recover with rest until the muscle is no longer sore. Over-training definitely leads to weight loss. The body starts conserving energy instead of expending. So even when you are burning more calories, it does not mean you are losing fat weight; you are only losing glycogen and precious muscle tissue. And that persistent joint ache cannot be pushed off as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), which usually goes away in a couple of days. This continuous pain either indicates poor technique or over-training.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> To emphasize, firstly,”Research” on your exercise techniques,equipment,the good or ill it has on your body, any special dietary requirements (specifically the amount of protein to be increased). and secondly, “Listen” to your body and when it complains. Drawing this to my experiences I should have known better about the disc brakes in the cycle before taking on a massive downslope and I should have payed more attention to my nagging knee pain before aggrevating it.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Balance your routine to 30-45 minutes a day, alternating aggressive workout with conditional mind-body workout to heal your mind and body. Remember the primary motivation to exercise is to stay fit and healthy and not to drastically lose weight.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ref source : </span><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/dont-overdo-it/article4414582.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/dont-overdo-it/article4414582.ece</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-79288830673005078332013-02-10T22:30:00.000+05:302013-02-10T22:30:53.945+05:30A new year.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been wanting to write a new year post since last month,i decided today would be apt. I turned another year older two days back and my new year starts.<br />
I genuinely feel like I've grown up. Emotionally, intellectually and well,unfortunately geometrically as well. This feels like my teenage to adult transition,a rather late one though. My surroundings and influences have changed quite drastically and more so, to a more responsibly aware sober one.<br />
After the unexpected happened,it feels surreal,I feel like I'm trying on my old pants after four and half years of constantly wearing new ones. It feels more peaceful, like the tides are receding, and a more calmer and structured life awaits.<br />
I reached a point in the relationship where I couldn't recognize myself anymore, a place where I became a permeable membrane and absorbed everything, slowly adopting a new self and losing my old. I had reached a stage of complete devaluation of self, almost helplessly begging for recognition again.<br />
I have been through , by far in my life, the worst couple of months last year. Nothing I wanted ever happened, but I got just what I needed. A shake, violent shake, snap to reality. Something to make me believe in myself again, a reason to work on building myself from scratch. When everything looked ruined, my health,my career and my biggest support system, the chaotic anxiety that followed tortured me,I reached a point where I thought I couldn't walk again,I was ready to give up and wave the white flag.<br />
As I lay there exhausted in the hot sun, almost lifeless, a bunch of heads gave me shade and a hand to help me get up. I thank you all. Your words healed me, gave me the strength to believe in myself again, to be able to walk with my head held high.<br />
Today, at a much better state, I'm marveled at the healing power of time. Time is the enemy and the friend,it's a reflection of free flowing nature of life. My difficulties seem exaggerated now, I smile at my stupidity already, I do want to reach the place, when I can look back and laugh at it. <br />
I want to change, for the better. I want to make this a good year,a year dedicated to building myself and keeping my loved ones closer. I have written down a number of things I want to do, a number of ways to reconnect to my old self and also adopt better ways and to learn a LOT more.<br />
It's always change that we are scared to accept,but the sooner we accept that change is inevitable, the easier to learn a way through change. I'm looking to change, for the better.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-14871343052081313402012-11-20T21:11:00.000+05:302012-11-20T21:11:50.069+05:30One of my favorite poems<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">SWIMMERS </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"> -- Louis Untermeyer</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I took the crazy short-cut to the bay;</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Over a fence or two and through a hedge,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Jumping a private road, along the edge</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Of backyards full of drying wash it lay.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">And now, the last set being played and over,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I hurried past the ruddy lakes of clover;</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I swung my racket at astonished oaks,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">My arm still tingling from aggressive strokes.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Tennis was over for the day -</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I took the leaping short-cut to the bay.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Then the quick plunge into the cool, green dark,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">The windy waters rushing past me, through me;</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Filled with a sense of some heroic lark</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Existing n a vigour clean and roomy.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Swiftly I rose to meet the cat-like sea</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">That sprang upon me with a hundred claws,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">And grappled, pulled me down and played with me.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Then, held suspended in the tightening pause</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">When one wave grows into a toppling acre,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I dived headlong into the foremost breaker,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Pitting against a cold and turbulent strife</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">The feverish intensity of life.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Out of the foam I lurched and rode the wave,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Swimming, hand over hand, against the wind;</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I felt the sea's vain pounding, and I grinned</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Knowing I was its master, not its slave.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Back on the curving beach I stood again,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Facing the bath-house, when a group of men,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Stumbling beneath some sort of weight, went by.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I could not see the heavy thing they carried;</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I only heard : 'He never gave a cry-</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">'Who's going to tell her?' 'Yes, and they just married-'</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">'Such a good swimmer, too... And then they passed,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Leaving the silence throbbing and aghast.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">A moment there my frightened heart hung slack,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">And then the rich, retarded blood came back</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Singing a livelier tune; and in my pulse</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Beat the great wave that endlessly exults.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Why I was there and whither I must go,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I did not care. Enough for me to know</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">The same persistent struggle and the glowing</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Waste of all spendthrift hours, bravely showing</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Life, an adventure perilous and gay,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">And death, a long and vivid holiday.</span></div>
<div>
<br />
Makes you ponder only to conclude that don't stress it, life is short,make the most of it .<br />
Let me know what you liked.</div>
</div>
Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-38693402614481839092012-11-01T22:00:00.001+05:302012-11-01T22:00:18.104+05:30Leave your workplace early ! :D<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
My first job right after college saw me squirming to leave my seat when I can and get home faster. It was new and difficult to get used to a 9am-5pm(or more) job. So when I did get a chance early,I pinged the rest of my friends this poem .<br />
<br />
Children lets leave,<br />
to frolic in the field.<br />
To fasten a used tyre from the tree bark,<br />
and laugh and swing ,until it gets dark.<br />
To go down a mighty slide,<br />
and run up the wrong side again with immense juvenile pride.<br />
To gyrate on the wicked merry-go round, with full speed,<br />
Like a bound bird dying to be freed.<br />
Lets climb the 'A" "B" and "c",<br />
and talk about toys ,books and genie.<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-13514847054027775692012-10-09T00:12:00.000+05:302012-10-09T00:12:11.482+05:30MUD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When do you know if you've dug into the earth enough?<br />
Is it time to bury the chest of thoughts.<br />
The assortment of memoirs,feelings,promises and bluff.<br />
Should I be convinced that my heart will then be free of clots.<br />
I tried to return my treasures to their rightful owners,<br />
But they had long forgotten what I had soulfully guarded.<br />
I tried to immortalize the candid whispers,<br />
But the ephemeral voices only faded.<br />
Digging out the mud and burying my chest,<br />
Seems heavier than expressed.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-23820855606127312072012-06-19T20:47:00.002+05:302012-06-19T20:47:44.637+05:30Project 2 : Write the Right way.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: blue;">Posting my draft version of Project 2 speech of Competent Communication Manual (Toastmasters). I'm a part of Smedley's Speakers Society and we meet every Sunday mornings.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Last thursday evening while I was
travelling in the bus back home. The weather inspired me, I had the
biggest urge to write.I took out my small notepad,flipped over to a
new page and began to write in bold letters,"SPLENDID SHOWERS".
Stared at the words long enough to scratch them. Not poetic enough.
"The rapid raindrops awaken my mind". Scratched the line.
Not original enough.After dinner, I sat up all night ,trying to draw
inspiration from the silence,but uunfortunately it silenced my mind
further.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Good morning fellow toastmasters and
guests,if you havent already guessed I was suffering from a mild form
of WRITERS BLOCK.A writers block is a condition faced by writers,in
which he loses the ability to produce new work,in my present
context,it was just a temporary inability of free creative thought
flow.There are many reasons why writers and the like face this
issue.Many famous writers have also faced this issue. One of the authors I admire,Scott Fitzgerald,of the "the Great Gatsby" fame,suffered from a Writers' block once,that he was threatened to abandon writing. I'm glad he didn't. But in my simple context,I concluded
that there were two specific reasons why I was facing this issue. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
First, clearly the well is empty.My right brain is plain dead!It had
been so dormant for such a long time,that it fails to get the neurons
working in a creative way . With work and technical jargon eating up all my brain
space,I hardly have the time to indulge in something creative,
romantic, inspirational,motivational.<span style="background-color: white;">Secondly,I was losing faith in
the process. When no creative juices are flowing,should I really
spend this valuable time in writing?Maybe I could get some work done
or learn up on the next big technology.Do I need to probe my brain
for poetic language ,allegories and similies.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
But I was determined to write,it had
been a long time since I poured out my compositions onto paper.Over
the next two days,I tried many ways to stimulate my brain. I found
three effective ways,which I would like to share. In short, TRY!</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Talk to others – Talk to other
writers,poets,creative people. Have a healthy conversation,exchange
of ideas,opnions.Learn about experiences,talk about the block
itself.One brilliant example is TOASTMASTERS. After every sunday
session,I feel enrinched and inspired ,after conversing and
listening to so many highly creative and inspirational people. It
expands my brain.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<ol start="2">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Remind yourself why you started
writing in the first place - I did a small exercise of reading my
older blog posts and it filled my heart with joy . It helped me
boost my self-confidence. I had a rush of feelings of how it is to
produce something your own,original,form your thoughts. So,remind
yourself of why you started writing in the first place.</div>
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</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Your new habit – We all have
some many ideas brewing up inside our heads. Francis Bacon, an
author and a great man said, "Write down the thoughts of the
moment.Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable
". So, carry a small notepad or even type down in your phones.
Any trivial idea,anything that catches your attention.
</div>
</li>
</ol>
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</div>
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When your faced with a
block, just TRY. <repeat points="" the="" three="">.</repeat></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
These three methods proved effective
for me. I finally had a poem by Saturday. If I may, Could I share it
with all of you.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
*The Doors are Jammed *- I recited the poem I had written. Refer to previous Blog posts. :)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Go ahead then. Don't get stuck. In the words of William Wordsworth's , "Fill your paper with the breathing's of your heart".</span></div>
</div>Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-73802833734709770422012-06-12T06:35:00.002+05:302012-06-12T06:35:49.140+05:30Painted my wall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-ZdEE9sB256X_eir5aGtsdLqUIRQKMzatCu2WG3_TY-zaWNXB3CBdryGpLJABVawAhdMkx5ASu4ceS2tGJ7mA_Xu6MYZ3rqSMPbqGXhTYs6FpVPFFXmZWFTFrwdfIGBKZ4aL8DXjWhdA/s1600/IMAG0159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-ZdEE9sB256X_eir5aGtsdLqUIRQKMzatCu2WG3_TY-zaWNXB3CBdryGpLJABVawAhdMkx5ASu4ceS2tGJ7mA_Xu6MYZ3rqSMPbqGXhTYs6FpVPFFXmZWFTFrwdfIGBKZ4aL8DXjWhdA/s320/IMAG0159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
After months of thinking and bothering many people to think of ideas.My wall has been successfully painted. Most of it,thanks to my sister.<br />
Being a morning person,this wall reminds of the birds chirping in the morning (Yes,in my area ,you can hear the chirps). It's good. A feel-happy wall!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-7566672640673900002012-03-18T17:50:00.008+05:302013-06-14T16:16:51.101+05:30Catcher in the Rye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> One of the more interesting books I have read in quite some time. Interesting to an extent of completely disliking it yet contemplating about it.To write about Holden Caulfield , the main character in this book,needs an inspiration i.e., he is such a uniquely troubled young man whose character can't be conjured up in the head ,he can't be entirely fictional.J.D Salinger ,mentioned ,in one of his interviews , that </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Catcher in the Rye</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> , that Holden holds </span>resemblance<span style="font-size: 100%;"> to his adolescent years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"> As I flipped through the first two pages , I noticed that the book was </span>dedicated<span style="font-size: 100%;"> to his mother, for what the reason was, I wouldn't be justified to comment on,but i find it wicked to have dedicated a book about a slightly depressed </span>adolescent<span style="font-size: 100%;"> who ,as you read on, shares very little relations with his own mother.On the </span>contrary<span style="font-size: 100%;">,he could have been </span>symbolically dedicating all the fame and popularity this book bought him,to his mother.</div>
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The psychological battles of the main character is rather depressing. The aspects to his sexual exploration, perception of adult behavior,impulsive spending and suicidal thoughts is intriguing.For someone to understand the character's thought process, I frankly believe you should have been an adolescent ,living in America,around the 1950's.Else there's very little to relate to for me.</div>
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Ceratin qualities of the main character left me with a bad impression . The author speaks of the main character's struggle to accept adult behavior and the eventual wearing out of child like qualities within us,as we grow older.The main character has very strong biased opinions of adults. He labels most of them as 'phony' meaning to imply their pretentious, superficial attitude. One thing that I noticed,the main character's behavior towards certain character was bordering on pretentious and he was being a hypocrite in many situations as well. As an adolescent ,his maturity levels seem below par. But that's a critical aspect to include in the overall character analysis of Holden.<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"> The language used,the style of writing,in my </span>opinion is very dry,over-colloquial and rather monotonic to an extent that you can guess Holden's next usage of words.The use of "too hot" was very hard to understand initially<span style="font-size: 100%;"> ,but only after </span>repetitive<span style="font-size: 100%;"> usage of the same words in the same context made me understand it.The usage of other words such as "Phony", "that killed me","flit" were in something,I wouldn't enjoy reading.The language can get very annoying after half the book,I wouldn't be </span>surprised<span style="font-size: 100%;"> if you stopped reading further.The inappropriate usage of over-emphasis was evident. Holden would mention some </span>opinion<span style="font-size: 100%;"> ,..probably " I really hated it.Really". This patterns of over-emphasis was misplaced in context. The reader needs over-emphasis when only in doubt ! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"> The main essence of the book is Holden's conversation with Pheobe,his kid sister whom he adores.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"> <i> </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><i>"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 22, spoken by the character Holden Caulfield".</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"> Holden wants to save the </span>innocence<span style="font-size: 100%;"> of little kids.He wants to catch them when they start going off the cliff,as they lose their </span>innocence<span style="font-size: 100%;"> as they enter adulthood.He wants to guide them to become young </span>adults<span style="font-size: 100%;"> without losing their </span>cherished<span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span>innocence<span style="font-size: 100%;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%;">Overall, an ordinary book with a different yet true moral.</span></div>
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<i>" <span class="body" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">".</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%;"> -Albert Camus.</span></div>
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Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554974560726935115.post-60091818795957303282012-01-22T23:28:00.000+05:302012-01-22T23:43:50.626+05:30Ambitious AntsAll the ants have scurried away,<div>leaving the unstable mud anthill to crumble.</div><div>The other older ants are slowly turning grey,</div><div>From grey to black,non poisonous and feeble.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crimson red ants bursting with colorless blood,</div><div>Driven by pure prejudiced hunger.</div><div>to carry heavier loads,more food ,till they collapse under the burden,</div><div>Their ambition ,now,more fiercer.</div><div><br /></div><div>The grey ants peculiarly fat,dumb and happy,</div><div>Oblivious to the scurrying soldiers.</div><div>Waiting to be submerged under the fall,to be perished entirely,</div><div>Paving way for the red running dots to disperse.</div><div><br /></div><div>A solitary ant suddenly stops scurrying,</div><div>to WAIT</div><div>for,they say,patience will conquer all worrying.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Rambling Ramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18252912215003666384noreply@blogger.com0