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Michelangelo the vandal
Michelangelo’s genius left us some of history’s greatest paintings and sculptures scattered all over Italy. Could he have also indulged in a bit of vandalism on the side? View of David at Piazza della Signoria (Photo credit: Neel Mitra) Travel to Italy is on the bucket list of pretty much any human with a passport. I consider myself lucky to have visited it twice. The first time was a rushed but eye-opening experience with Contiki. The clock tower at Palazzo Vecchio (Photo credit: Neel Mitra) The second trip was a lot more researched and relaxed with ample time to explore beyond the best of Italy and Florence. Throng of tourists…
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Chasing the sunset
A train in the middle of the desert, proof that Lawrence of Arabia was not the myth you thought he was and seeing one of mother nature’s most spectacular light shows. It’s all part of the experience when visiting Jordan’s Wadi Rum. A view of Wadi Rum (Photo credit: Neel Mitra) You might think, exploring a desert is something only adventurers or people soft in the head do. Well, you can confidently erase that thought if you are in Jordan and choose to explore the Valley of the Moon, or what is more popularly known as Wadi Rum. Valley of the moon or planet Mars (Photo credit: Neel Mitra) Wadi…
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The 12:40pm train from Colombo to Kandy
One of the highlights of travelling through Sri Lanka is journeying from one destination to another by train. The Colombo to Kandy train didn’t disappoint at all. Colombo Fort railway station Sure, there have been plenty of train travels, mostly in India and also around the world, including on one of the most famous train journeys that I am sure is on everyone’s bucket list if they haven’t done it already – the Reunification Express. However, nothing prepared me for my train journey from Colombo Fort station to Kandy station, or through Sri Lanka. A crowd lining up for tickets outside the station (Photo credit: Neel Mitra) What you pay…
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The attempt on Pidurangala Rock
I travelled to Sri Lanka for the second time over the New Year holidays. This time instead of the coast, I opted to explore the wonders of the interior – Kandy, Ella, Dambulla and on to Sigiriya. The initial stairs leading up to the top of the rock (Photo credit: Neel Mitra) Like everyone else, I initially Googled best things to see in Kandy, Sri Lanka and ‘Sigiriya Rock’ came up on every list. Hardly surprising, as Sigiriya Rock or ‘Lion Rock’ is one of the island’s most revered and popular destinations. It may seem to be a large rock formation at first, but it is much more. The rock…
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The sand dunes of Hunder
When you visualise deserts, chances are the first visuals that come to mind is the vast emptiness of the Sahara, with its extremely hot temperatures, or closer here in India, the famed Thar desert. Until I ended up in Hunder, in the Nubra valley. An oasis in the midst of the sand dunes I’ve seen plenty of photographs and friends recount their experiences travelling through an area marked by a stunning lake, beautiful monastaries and mountains that simply take your breath away. Sand dunes with the mountains as backdrop However, nothing prepared me for what I experienced in Hunder, about 150 odd kilometers from the capital Leh. Nestled within the…
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A splash of colour with your prayers
It’s Colombo’s oldest Hindu temple, having stood on these very grounds for more than two centuries. It’s also one of the most beautiful and colourful temples you will see. This is Sri Kailasanathar Swamy Devasthanam. Entrance to the temple (Photo credit: Neel Mitra) The first time I remember seeing colourful temples was when I was travelling through the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu as a kid. The, many years later, on visits to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, I did see the local temples there, making for a beautiful mental picture with their bright colours against the blue sky. Until I landed in Colombo. A statue of Ganesh adorns part…
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Reflections
Perhaps people watching is a glorified lack of activity. Boredom too. And an absolute invasion of privacy. But… I’d like to think that each time I travel, I’m looking at things and people while going from place to place. Nothing wrong with those who look. But the simple joys of sitting in a cafe, sipping on your favorite chilled beverage in the afternoon, and watching the world go by. It’s a different state of being and am not sure if that chilled beverage has anything to do with it. Reflections on a sunny, relaxed afternoon, somewhere in Riga. One sunny afternoon in Riga Latvia, having had enough of walking on…
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The princess and the tram
Budapest has plenty of things that make it a delightful city to visit. One of them must be an innocuous statuette sitting casually on a railing along the Danube promenade, right in front of the track on which the famed Tram # 2 runs – the Little Princess. The palace in Buda As seems the norm these past few years, I found her quite by chance. Walking along the promenade between Elizabeth Bridge and Chain Bridge on the Pest side, I initially spotted Tram # 2, ranked as among the top 10 tram rides anywhere in the world. While I didn’t do the journey, hopping on the tram gives you…
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Luck by chance
They say that history flows like a river. If that be the case, then nothing sums up the tumultuous history of a region, and the world, like Miljacka river that flows beneath the Latin Bridge in Sarajevo does. A tram chugs along Obala Kulina Bana For a river its size, there are several bridges across the Miljacka river. Unless you know exactly which bridge you are looking for, it can take a bit of time. Which is what happened when I went looking for the Latin Bridge. Without any thought or plan, I set out looking for the bridge, and instead chanced upon another discover – the Festine Lente, which…
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Make haste slowly
It measures 38m long, has an unusual loop that runs right in the middle and best of all, is designed by three students. Go take a walk on the Festine Lente in Sarajevo. View of Festine Lente bridge I was looking for the Latin Bridge. The same bridge that brought Sarajevo into the limelight and had the whole world at war with itself in 1914. Not like it is hard to find. On a good day, expect to see curious tourists milling around the bridge and the building wall close by. Surprisingly, it was this other pedestrian bridge that caught my fancy. The Festine Lente, or looping bridge. It translates…
