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Bhaktapur – the city of devotees
As the minibus gets out of Kathmandu city and weaves its way through heavy traffic to Bhaktapur, you know you are journeying back in time. And long before you reach your destination, the first sights that catch your eye is the rooftop of the magnificent Nyatapola Temple. Narrow alleys inside Bhaktapur Immerse yourself in culture Depending on who you speak with, Bhaktapur or Khwopa, is known variously as the City of Culture, Living Heritage, Nepal’s Cultural Gem, An open museum and City of Devotees. There is a reason why it would have so many names. With its great architecture, detailed woodcarvings and intricately designed statues, the Malla dynasty did well…
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Relax at Live Oak Brewing Co’s Taproom
If you are looking to try out some great food, drinks and music, then I’m not sure if there are too many places that beat Austin, Texas. Sure, I missed out on the music. So, I won’t comment on that. But the food and drinks are something else altogether. Selection of beers for the day A few years ago, when visiting a friend’s mom there, we decided to go check out a craft brewery. Without having done any research, I was at a loss, trying to figure out the best place where we could head. Thankfully, our host knew of a couple of places. Outdoor picnic table and benches with…
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Vienna’s friendliest bartender is at Centimetre VII
The next time you are in Vienna Austria, why not take time off your sightseeing and make a trip to Centimetre VII. Once there, find yourself a comfortable table with a view, or sit at the bar, order your favourite pint and get down to feeling right at home. A customer sits by himself enjoying his lunch at Centimetre VII Vienna That’s what we did when we were in Vienna. On our first full day in the city, we found ourselves outside Alser Strasse Station. As we tried to figure out how to reach our first destination for the day, figuring whether we go north, south, east or west, something…
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Bara Bazar
Going to a market isn’t among my favourite things. However, at the insistence of a friend I was staying with, we headed to Iewduh, the local market in Shillong one early morning. We needed to buy grocery supplies to feed over 100 guests at his residence that evening. A crowded alley in the market Turns out Iewduh (pronounced yyoh-dohh), or Bara Bazar as it is popularly known as, is one of the oldest and biggest markets in the Northeast in India. It’s also one of the most cramped markets I’ve been too. Too bad if you’re claustrophobic. Even worse if you get lost. Finding your way to that exact same…
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A bird’s eye view
When travelling to several cities, and if you have a limited number of days devoted to each of them, then there is nothing like visiting small cities that are close to each other. That’s how we found ourselves in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Town Hall Square Tallinn While most of Europe is fantastic for that, the Baltic States is what comes mind immediately. Getting from city to city take about four to five hours by bus. Each of these capital cities is also accessible in a day or two, leaving you with ample time to chill and take it easy, or simply soak in the atmosphere…