Not all of the Turkish men are blessed with moustaches.

Believe it or not, not all the men in Turkey will have moustaches lacing their faces. The members of the yesteryears, the ones from the older generation, are likely to have moustaches adorning their faces; whereas the younger ones may have preferred giving it a snip. They are more likely to be sporting a look that is clean-shaven.

Turkey has no camels.

When you step right outside a holiday resort in Turkey, it is a common sight to see a couple of camels that sit outside, lined up strategically. They might almost look like tourist attractions; and they sit there waiting to be photographed. Just like apple tea is great with tourists, so are camels. Believe it or not, Turkey isn’t blessed (or otherwise) with a desert. It doesn’t even have any camels that are native to this region.

Every meal has a barbeque opportunity wrapped within it.

When in Turkey, the grill can be used at any time in the day – be it lunch, dinner or breakfast. Picnics are extremely popular with the Turks and they love what is called a mangal – it is a portable barbeque.

You will also find restaurants that are devoted to this entire barbeque format. These are called kendin pisir kendi ye, which roughly translates to cook it yourself and devour it yourself. They will get you a plate of raw meat and a barbeque that has been pre-heated; and as they say, the rest is up to you.

Turkish is the official language.

Turkish is the only official language of this land. There are other languages used, but they are primarily used by the minority groups (Arabic and Kurdish).

Turkish people are extremely hospitable.

If you’ve known a Turk for only over half an hour and he invites you home, you needn’t panic. This is normal behavior for them.

Turks are said to be extremely friendly and hospitality is a virtue. As a guest or misafir, you are highly valued. A lot of people will consider it honorable to accept any kind of invitation that they place in front of you. Once you step inside their house, be prepared to be showered with a lot of food and cupfuls of cay or strong black Turkish coffee.

Turks are an inquisitive lot.

When a Turk meets you for the first time, he is likely to ask questions like:

What country do you come from?

Are you married?

Who all are there in your family?

What’s your age?

Is your wife Turkish?

Do you have kids?

For someone who comes from an individualistic culture, wherein the people around you aren’t really into asking you so many questions, might believe that these questions are extremely personal. But the Turks are much more comfortable discussing details such as these.

A Brief History:

The construction of this garden was started in the late 1700s. Then Archduke and Elector Carl Theodor had taken the beautification and transformation of the city onto himself.

It was one of his wishes to have a ‘military garden’, so that this area could give information out to soldiers about agriculture; plus it would double up as an area of recreation for them.

The military gardens are said to have opened in the year 1789 and soon after its opening, Theodor established what would be the first public park of Munich. It was established to the east of the military garden. This new park was named Theodore’s Park and eventually with time, the name got changed to English Garden. This Garden was opened in the year 1792. Eventually, the land would include the military gardens and this is what makes it the largest in Europe.

Things to See:

The park gets its name from the style of landscaping that has been used throughout the entire park. It is a rather informal garden and this was the style that was popular style amongst the parks of United Kingdom during the 18th century.

This park is larger than the Central Park at New York and is said to be divided into 2 broad divisions: the southern portion is around 2000 meters long and the northern section (the Hirschau) is around 3000 meters long.

The Hirschau is the more peaceful section of the two; and the southern part of the park seems to generally be the busier part of the two. Visitors do tend to flock to the Beer gardens that are located in both sections.

Chinesischer Turm:

This was built in answer to the Great Pagoda that stands at the London’s Royal Botanical Gardens. The Chinesischer Turm is a structure that stands at a height of about 25 meters and is similar in its building structure to the Pagodas that stand in the gardens of the Chinese Emperors.

The tower was originally built in the 18th century and later was bombed down. This bombing down happened during the Second World War and later it was rebuilt to its original design. This structure houses the second largest beer garden of the world.

Other Attractions:

There is a Japanese teahouse here, which is quite popular with the visitors. This was built in the year 1972 to celebrate the Summer Olympics.

There is the Monopteros, which is a Greek style temple that lies in the garden. It was built in the year 1836.

If you’re planning a visit to India sometime in early September, it might just be the ‘perfect’ time to be there. Beginning on the 11th of September is a 10 day long festival that venerates Lord Ganesha, who is the Hindu Elephant God.

About Ganesha –

Ganesha is said to be a deity who rides a mouse and is said to be extremely popular with the masses as a deity to be worshipped and bowed down to. The Hindus consider him to be the Lord of success, and he is known to destroy evils and any sort of obstacles.

Why Visit During This Time?

If you do plan a trip to India to catch a glimpse of the fervor with which these 10 days are celebrated, you might want to spend most of your time in Mumbai (Bombay). When in Bombay, you must visit Lalbaug.

This is Bombay’s most talked about Ganesh Utsav or festival. This is one of the most expensive and famous Ganpati (another name for Ganesh) pandals (the cloth tents in which they house these deities for 10 days).

On an average around 200,000 to 300,000 devotees are known to visit this pandal everyday during this 10 day stint. People throng here in large numbers to just touch the feet of the Idol and some might not even make it till inside the pandal and are happy to get just a glimpse of this giant Idol.

Lalbaugcha Raja – King of Lalbaug

The Idol of Ganesh that is placed in Lalbaug is said to be the largest around the whole of Mumbai. The Idols are known to reach a staggering height of 25 feet and above sometimes. That is almost the height of a three storey building.

Most devotees consider it to be a sign of good luck if they manage to go and touch the feet of the Idol that is placed in Lalbaug. He is called the King of Lalbaug for the mere reason that he rules this region of Mumbai, not only during these 10 days, but for the rest of the year as well, claim the locals.

The Cons –

We don’t assure you’ll get to touch the Idol’s feet yourself if you do make it to Mumbai in time. But fret not; a lot of famous pandals around the city have similar sights to offer. You will be able to ride the city for a good 10 days and view different pandals. What is perhaps the best part about this tour will be that each and every pandal is done up differently. Some of them might have themes running; while others might be done up on an eco-friendly basis, using only natural biodegradable materials to come up with the Idols.

Some Idols are also known to take creativity to another level. One year there was an entire Idol using only notes of money. Yet another year, they used the caps of a popular aerated drink to create the venerated Idol.

The End of the Festivity

Well, it’s India we’re talking about. The festivity never ends. But this particular festival has to come to an end; and the end is marked by the immersion of each of these Idols into the waters of the sea. It is called visarjan. Don’t miss this one for anything in the world. Hundreds and thousands of devotees will throng to the beaches to see their favorite god being immersed into the water. Tearfully they will bid him farewell while shouting out ‘Come Again Next Year’. It is quite an amazing sight, to see so many people, united by one factor, watch the sun go down on what is their favorite god and perhaps, favorite festival.

About the French Riviera –

The original name of this region is Cote d’Azur; but it is known as French Riviera by the English who love to vacation here. It is located at the Mediterranean coastline of the southeastern corner of the region of France. This coastline region was perhaps one of the first every modern day resort areas that were born. It originally began as a health resort for the upper class Brits who visited the region during the 18th century. When the rail-routes were born in the 19th century, this stretch became a hotspot for vacationers. It also played home to the famous Rothschild family for some time in history.

A lot f writers and artists like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Aldous Huxley were known to have frequented this vacationer’s haven during the 20th century.

The Swimming Ban –

The ban on swimming was announced yesterday, 18th August, 2010. This came after a seven foot shark was sighted in the water. The lifeguards who were patrolling the region in a motorboat were the first ones to notice this creature.

Since they weren’t in a mood to take any chances, the ban was almost immediately imposed.  As the people ran out of the water, the scene was said to resemble scenes out of the movie – JAWS. The movie revolves around the story of a man-eating shark which ends up terrorizing an island that was full of holidaying revelers.

The red ‘no swimming flags’ were raised at the first instance. They were also put up at the resorts of Villeneuve and St. Laurent-du-Var. People who were in boats were telephoned to warn them about the suspected shark sighting. The shark was reported to have a large dorsal fin; and a white underbelly.

It was spotted swimming around 150 feet off the coast of French Riviera beaches. This caused for fear that it might have, in reality, been ill or wounded; which is why it was in relatively shallow waters. This would mean that it would be more susceptible to getting aggravated and attacking people that it spotted.

False Alarm -

The local veterinarian, Veronique Vienet, had a different story to tell. She rubbished the sightings and said that the fish may have, in reality, been a rather large dolphin, which ended up confusing the poor lifeguards.

Last July there had been another shark spotted at Antibes. It eventually turned out to be a harmless ocean sunfish which is known to live on jellyfish and nothing else.

The swimming ban is said to be lifted this morning. That should be good news for all those holiday makers enjoying their time at the French Riviera.

Summer Skiing

Come summer and some spots in South America turn into haven for what is known as summer skiing. These places or hotspots of snow turn hosts for what could be dubbed as parades of ski weeks. Some of these events might speak directly to beginners or ski enthusiasts; while the other events are designed to connect with extreme skiing champions and junkies.

About Portillo

Portillo is perhaps what can be called the oldest of all the skiing areas in South America. What will shock you, however, is the history that comes with a place like this. It is almost legendary in the world of skiing. And to believe, the original plan for this region never included a ski resort.

Nestled in the Andes, this resort has for a while now, epitomized the concept of summer skiing in South America.

The first ever ski lift in Chile

Now you will know that this was just meant to be a skiing patch. The original story begins with the laying of a Transandean railway line which the Chilean Government commissioned in the year 1887. It wanted such a railway line so that it could transport passengers as well as goods to and fro from the Central Valley of Chile to the city of Mendoza in Argentina. Two Norwegian engineers were commissioned for the same; and they would use skis to traverse the region, since it made the most logistical sense to do so. They turned out to be the first ever skiers who crossed these legendary slopes, which today house the Portillo resort and its accompanying ski area.

When the Transandean railway line became functional, skiers would take the train up to the top of the mountain; and would then spend their time skiing down to a point called the Juncal crossing (this point also is encompassed within modern day Portillo).  Thus, without intending to be so, the Transandean railway line played the role of being the first ski lift to be used in the region of Chile.

Portillo grows

Over time, ski clubs began to crop up around the area; and they were the major driving force in what was seen as the early developmental phase of skiing in Chile. The first ever club was called the German Excursion Club; and was founded as early as 1909. The name Portillo comes from the slopes around the Lake of the Inca region (Laguna del Inca) which was locally known as ‘Portillo’ which can be translated to ‘Little Pass’. A small lodging hut was built so that skiing enthusiasts could come and ski their time away here in Portillo; and this was how the first every Hotel Portillo was born.

Modern Day Portillo

Visitors today have the freedom of exploring the surrounding areas which house some of the high avalanche chutes. These do, however, get tied into the nightlife that this region has to offer. In most reviews of Portillo that you’ll come across one thing will be mentioned for sure – living at the Portillo has been likened to being in one huge house party.

When you’re not skiing, you could spend your time chatting up with other skiers who are waiting to get their hands on some slopes.

The Portillo Experience

The idea that Portillo works on is that people come there not only to ski; but also to let go and indulge in what is purely a skiing experience. The best part, perhaps, about this resort is that commercialization hasn’t (and hopefully, will not) taken over this region. There is no connecting shopping center to distract the skiers; and hunt as you may, but you’ll find no Starbucks here. There is just one gigantic yellow hotel; nestled on one bigger ski mountain; and all of this can house 400 guests at a time.

The Torchlight Parade

This is a must see when you’re in Portillo. Every Friday night, the members of the Ski school will perform an exotic and entertaining torchlight parade. Ask anyone who has viewed it before; and you’ll learn of how it is enchanting. If there is a small little daredevil lurching within you; you might want to talk to the school director and he may (Read: may) let you participate in this spectacle.

This site was earlier known as Zama. This literally meant the city of dawn. Also, Tulum is the Mayan word for wall. . The wall which surrounded this mighty fort at Tulum served as a strong defensive technique against any foreign invasion. . This place has many descriptions of murals along with other works all around this site. The Tulum appears to be an important place of worship for the god that dove into the waters here.

Juan de Grijalva’s famous expedition of the fifteenth century, he found this place and gave a detailed description of the ruins that were found here which were published later by john Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood.

It so happened that Stephens and Catherwood visited the Tulum region in the nineteenth century.  While they arrived here, they saw a large and talk building which impressed them incredibly. After this they made maps of the walls of this place along with the buildings here.  Catherwood went on tot further made beautiful sketches of the Castillo and many others.   These people also stumbled across a classic stele which was inscribed from the year five hundred and sixty four.

There was work that continued through ninteen thirtheen. This work was initiated by Sylvanus Morlet and George P Howe. These people worked here to restore the beaches and open it up to the public. The work that was continued here was by the Carbnegia institution. The site was later mapped by Samuel Lothrop in the year nineteen twenty four.

Sander and miller later conducted an investigation in this area.  And found out that Tulum was earlier occupied during the Post Classic period which was around twelve hundred AD. During the sixteenth century, the Spanish came here and then the site was left completely abandoned by the end of the sixteenth century.

The Architecture in this place is in the typical style of the Maya sites.  These lie on the east of the Yucatan Peninsula.  There is a step that lies around the base of the building and this step lies close to the substructure. There are doorways of this type which is usually quite narrow. If the building is big then the columns are used as supports. There are usually two sets of moulding at the top where the walls flare out.

There is an alter in each of the rooms and two small windows. These are then roofed by either a beam or rubble ceiling. These are usually vaulted.  Chichecn Itza has similar type of architecture that is found here. The only difference being that this place is of a smaller size.

There was a five meter wall which protected Tulum from one side and steep sea cliffs that were on the other wise.   The wall was built about eight meters thick and the part of the wall that actually went along with width of the site.

Building this wall must have taken lots of energy manpower, resources and of course time! This just goes to show how important it was for the Mayans to have good defense.  There are small structures that that are on the northwest corner which have been now identified as watch owners.  The Mayan people gave a lot of importance to the protection and the defense of their land.  Are narrow gateways; about five of them ,  two at the north end , two at the south end and one at the west end. . The northern side of the wall has a small Cenote which would provide the city with a fresh water supply.

This wall is one of the key structures that make Tulum the best fortified of all the Mayan Ruins.  The temple of Frescoes is one of the most spectacular buildings here.  This also includes a lower gallery and a second smaller story gallery. This figures of the diving god and the famous deity Venus, are what decorate the facade of this temple.

There is a stucco of the diving god just above the entrance at the western wall.  This figure is still preserved well and his is also where the temple gets its name from.  The Castillo was built where an earlier building used to stand. That building used to have a Colonnaded and a beam with a mortar roof. . This apparently is beacon which was used as a warning sign for canoes that came close to here.

Location:

This city is situated on the buzzing north bank of the River of Buriganga. It is well known for it over crowded population and is located towards the center of the country. It is the prominent commercial center and capital city of Bangladesh.

Many first impressions:

Do not make your first impression the last one. Cause you might miss out on a lot of things. One can experience the clean air of the city side if you arrive from Delhi or Kathmandu. On reaching from Southeast Asia one can be disappointed by the lack of any commercial activity or hype.

If you have traveled across from Calcutta in India you might find the place orderly and clean. And rural Bangladesh might give you the impression of a land lost in time.

The area between the two main water transport stations in the old city in Dhaka is a sight to behold. The two water transport terminal are Sadarghat and Badam Tole. The panorama of the place with crowd of people and all types of water craft is interesting in itself. The waterfront of the Buriganga is fasinating sight for its river life.

Ahsan Manzil is the old pink in color baroque style palace which is located on the waterfront. This part of the old city on the waterfront was once upon a time a Mogul trading center. This palace is small yet is has one of the most interesting museums in the region.

The famous destination in Dhaka is the Lalbagh Fort in the old city. It is an unfinished structure which was constructed in the year 1678. Hussaini Dalan is one of the many beautiful mosques to be found in Dhaka. The National Museum is worth a visit and is situated in the north of the old city. This area is known as Modern city as it lies in the old European zone. The museum has a great collection of handicrafts and wide array of folk art. It also has a good collection displays of the country’s Mogul, Buddhist and Hindu influences.

Modern city in central Dhaka has the most number of cheap hotels. You have to travel onboard the local transportation that is the rickshaw. These colorfully painted three wheelers make Dhaka the world capital of rickshaws with 30,000 of these plying the roads.

Bandarban:

After visiting the capital city of Bangladesh it is only right to mention some of the rural wonders of this nation. Bandarban is the capital of the hill district of the same name (Bandarban Dist.). It is smaller and unusual when compared to the green locales of Rangamati. Bandarban is a good base for traveling down the river sangu by the means of country boats. Through the river sangu you can travel to places like Ruma, Thanchi and many places ahead. This place is also the home of the tribal king Bohmong.

In April every year huge Buddhist water festival is held here in Bandarban. One can see tribals folks in plenty during the weekly markets which take place on every Tuesday.

The whole of the Inca Trail is surrounded by scenery that is picturesque enough to blow your breath away. You get a chance to cross the Andes mountain ranges and a few select sections of the Peruvian rainforests.

The Inca Trail will pass the routes of most of the well preserved Inca ruins, which make for visual treats themselves. The Trail will generally end at the ‘Gate of the Sun’ on Machu Picchu Mountain.

Day One

The town which is closest to the Inca Trail is Cusco. This is one of the oldest imperial Inca capitals and was both an administrative and religious center for the Empire. This region was seized by the Spanish in the year 1533. Most of the original Inca buildings were destroyed and the stone from them was used to construct palaces and churches to house the invaders.

Close to the starting of the trail, lies a small Inca ruin; and from there on at around half an hour’s walk will bring you to the bridge at Cusichaca. Here lies a campsite within an enclosure. This one lies at the side of the river and this point of the river is said to be noisy, cold and fast flowing.

Day Two

From the first campsite onwards, the trail will continue onto the level ground until Huayllabamba (which translates to ‘Place of Good Pasture’). This is at an elevation of 2000 meters above sea level and is a flat area of grasslands.  You will find a few huts stretched around the river banks.

After Huayllabamba, the trail will begin to climb through what seems like dense sub-tropical flora. The terrain will continue to change with altitude; and it will give way to woodland at around a little beyond Llupachayoc.

From there it will give way to scrub and then go onto puna, bleak grasslands and barren slopes.  The ascent from here is extremely steep; and the terrain becomes increasingly rugged.

The trail will climb steeply towards what is the first pass in the trail. This is called the Abra de Huarmihuanusca (Dead Woman’s Pass). This pass gets marked by the green and white sign which will show it to be 4050 meter above sea level marker.  Given the extent of elevation, it will tend to be extremely windy.

Here onwards, the trail will see a descent towards the Valley of Pacamayo River. Right at the bottom of the river valley you will find the second campsite.

Spread-eagled across flowing hillsides overlooking the Rio Tejo, Lisbon is Portugal’s star turn but with none of the airy-fairy fuss you might have grown to expect or be used to from other European capitals. Wooden trams carve gradients you didn’t know were geometrically possible for moving vehicular objects, and its arty cafes and the endearing Portuguese Calçada (mosaic pavements) lining the streets betray a beauty Lisbon wears somewhat hesitantly. And to see all of this unfold at a languid pace makes taking in the colorful cityscapes all the more joyful. Just roaming the streets with no real aim becomes an exercise in itself as the tiny blocks create beautifully ornate patterns, some of them street numbers and business logos, yet others taking the form of caravels, animals or stars. This is an art form in itself and has extended itself all over Portugal, lending the nation a unique flavor.

After a bit of a lull, Lisbon has enjoyed a renaissance of late and its new effervescent avatar has seen it once again emerge as one of the premier cities of Southern Europe, just as it was back when it the nerve center of trade with the Eastern world and the launching point of many a maritime exploration. A lot of this change for the better can be attributed to a rebuilding drive that originated in the 1990’s and so while Lisbon has taken on a new look since then, there is still a lot of the historic charm present to regale tourists. Many of the vestiges of the golden era was wiped out by an earthquake that hit the metropolis in 1755, but the ones that remain are hugely popular with tourists for good reasons.

Buoyant and avante garde, Lisbon is a city that wears its centuries-old age with great grace while at the same time retaining a certain amount of youth that is seen in little things like the sound of modern electronic music mixing with fado (traditional form of Portuguese music best described as melancholic) and regaling revelers that dance the night away with gay abandon. Old and new all at once, Lisbon is the sort of riddle wrapped up in a puzzle that you will love to unravel.

From the mind-bending architecture that Barcelona has to offer to driving around in the Picos de Europa Mountains which has a fabulous scenery on display; or eating your way around La Rioja’s vineyards – you could choose your pick. We chose ours. Here’s what it looks like –

Cantabria and its prehistoric cave paintings

The life size replica of the Altamira caves; these caves reflect the artistic impressions of bisons. The original caves of Altamira are considered to be the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art; but are no longer fully open to the public, given the fact that the paintings are getting corroded by exposure to high levels of carbon-dioxide.

Flamenco gives you the thrills

This form of dance is known to bring out the raw masculine sensuality on a woman. It is difficult to not get caught up in the soaring passion of the signature music of Spain. The swirling movement only adds to the appeal. Head towards the Museo del Baile Flamenco at night and you’d be greeted by sounds of the familiar Flamenco guitar and a lot of clapping.

Take a Hike between the Moorish Villages

If you try walking the trails on the Mountains from Pampaneira to Bubion, you’ll be elated by the experience. The knowledge that this trek has hardly changed since the time prior to the Reconquista adds to the overall appeal of this trek. The mountain town of Trevelez and several others are connected by such trails.

On the Picasso Trail

If you’re a fan of true classical art, then the Picasso Museum (called Casa Natal de Picasso) might be just the haven for you. You could follow the footsteps of the great artist and watch the house in which he was born. Follow the trail to the church (baroque) where he was christened. Follow his footsteps that go all over Malaga, which today houses this legacy museum.

Drive around the Dramatic Landscapes of the Picos de Europa

The soaring cliffs and the rivers that gush underneath are only half of the way. Asturias and Cantabria are the real gems that these mountains have produced over time.  Spain was actually born during the revolt which was led against the Moors that established their lives here earlier. Make sure you catch a glimpse of the cross which arches over the Rio Sella which is located in Cangas de Onis.