Stories
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Just chilling
Zagreb in Croatia, like plenty other cities in that part of Europe, is relatively small. Depending on how much time you have, it’s doable in about three days, at a leisurely pace. A low shot of the streets of Zagreb On one of those days, when I’d done all there is to do and seen all there is to see, I started to google to try and see if there were any shops or toy stores that had a sizeable collection of die-cast collectible cars. A quick scan confirmed Arena Centar, a shopping mall on the outskirts of Zagreb, in the Lanište neighborhood of Novi Zagreb. I didn’t know it…
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What’s in a beer?
Plenty, it seems. A lot of times, people from around the world have a reason to visit a destination. For some, it is a chance to reconnect with their past including family and friends. For others, it is to relive a magical moment from a long time ago. Plenty others visit to experience the sights and sounds of a city or country, one they haven’t been to before. View of Pilsen town As for me, all I wanted to have was a pint of beer. Specifically, a Pilsner Urquell beer. To be more specific, a pint of Pilsner Urquell beer at the Pilsner Urquell brewery, in Pilsen. There, you have…
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The blue train from Kandy to Ella
This train journey is today, a rite of passage for any traveller who visits Sri Lanka. As it chugs along on its approximately seven-hour long journey across paddy fields and through tunnels, you get a door-side view of the high hills and lush green tea plantations. Welcome aboard the blue train from Kandy to Ella. View of Kandy station It wasn’t always so though. It was originally built when the British to transport tea from the hills of Kandy to the capital. What initially started out as a 50 odd kms rail line in 1864, has, today, expanded to over 1,500 kms that runs through hills, along the coasts and…
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Scaling a rock to see another rock
It provides a cost advantage that is hard to resist. It is tougher to scale. And offers you a spectacular 360° view of the surroundings down below and further afield. If you haven’t scaled Pidurangala Rock, then let this be your motivation to do so the next time you visit Sri Lanka. The views of the countryside from the top of Pidurangala Around 46km from Kandy is a town that that has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Besides being among the best examples of ancient urban planning, it also has a rock towering at close to 200m called Sigiriya Rock Fortress, or Lion’s Rock. One of…
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In praise of train travel
What’s it about long-distance train journeys that brings out the little child in me. A sense of happiness each time I take my seat, listening to the train as it whistles past towns and the countryside. Hurtling through tunnels or racing with the setting sun. There is something that is magical and wonderful about train travel, letting me be the little kid that I always will be. Whizzing through a tunnel between Mostar and Sarajevo Hours spent watching from a window or door of a moving train, as scene after scene unfold. Striking up conversations with complete strangers as they get in at different stations, heading to places near and…
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The old man by the river
The centre of Luang Prabang is small. It has got just four main roads. So when you think you are up for a change and ready to walk to the other side of the bamboo bridge, go ahead and do it. You may be surprised as to whom you come across. Meet the locals on the other side of the bamboo bridge Easily covered by foot, one of these roads leads you to a small gated park, which is also a good vantage point to click photographs. Look carefully, and you’ll see a pathway leading to the bank of the Nam Khan River. There’s a lady sitting there who’ll collect…
