Travelogue: Egypt (Part 2)

Continued from the previous post....

After the Pharonic Village in the morning, we visited the Pyramids of Giza for the Sound & Light show in the night followed by a Nile River cruise.

The sound & light show was a treat to the eyes. Sitting in that chilly weather, looking at the pyramids & the Sphinx highlighted in various colors while listening to the mythological/ historical stories associated with them is an experience you would not want to miss. Beware of those people who try to convince you that the sound/light show is not worth the money. You wouldn't want to go so far and miss seeing it just becoz someone else has already seen and he/she feels its not good!

The next day we took a full day trip to Sakkara, Memphis and Giza. The pyramids of Giza looked completely different in daylight. The feel of the place itself was very different! So we were glad we saw the sound/light show the previous night 'coz we had already heard a lot of history about the pyramids and could relate to it while exploring the place.

The Sphinx at Giza (image above) is supposed to be the largest Sphinx. The other one we saw earlier was at Memphis. We had hired a guide for this day trip who was an expert in Egyptology (yes, its a subject in the academic curriculum in Egyptian colleges!). He was a well informed guy and he filled us in with a whole lot of history related to Egypt. But no one really knows why the Sphinx was built. It's true that there is a head of a man and body of a lion to denote that the Pharos had the intelligence of a (hu)man and power/strength of a lion. But there was no more information on why and how this structure came up.

The above picture shows the king's pyramid along with the 3 small pyramids of his queens (who always got the smaller ones) . We also went inside the 3rd pyramid (which is supposed to be of the grandson of the King who has the largest pyramid). Now, this was an out-of-the-world experience! The pathway inside is so small that you have to squat and walk; almost crawl down else you will bang your head to the roof. Once you reach inside you can see the burial chamber where the mummy was found. As you get excited to explore the place, you realize that there is hardly any air; it is suffocating to death and you will sweat like crazy! If you are someone who is claustrophobic, then be prepared to have a tough time! Yet, I strongly recommend that whoever visits Giza *should* go inside the pyramid. You cannot get this experience anywhere else in the world! Going inside the first pyramid is difficult as they issue very limited tickets per day and you will have to reach their before 9am and stand in teh queue to get the tickets! But it really does not matter inside which pyramid you go, they are all the same, except for the size...

The picture above is the Sphinx of Memphis, also known as the Albatros Sphinx. There is nothing much to see here other than a set of statues and a small museum. However if you hire a guide he can explain to you the history behind each stone and statue which can easily take 2 hours! Yes, we patiently listened to him :)

Before going to Giza we actually visted the pyramids at Sakkara. This pyramid in the below image is called the step pyramid and is supposed to be the very first pyramid ever built in Egypt. The ancient egyptians believed that after the King is dead and burried in the pyramid, he can use these steps as a stairway to the heaven.... interesting, isn't it?!

On the last day, we visited the Egyptian Museum and the Khan-el-Khalili market in Cairo. If you are someone who is very interested in history and loves visiting museums then you will need an entire day to see this museum. We spent just about 2-3 hrs as we knew what exactly we wanted to see. I don't have any photos of the museum as they dont allow cameras inside. The entry to museum was 65EGP per person and once you go inside, to get into the Royal Mummies room, you have to pay 200EGP per person again!! I found this ridiculous, absolutely looting the tourists, that too to see dead people! But there is no choice, you cannot go to egypt and not see the mummies, can you? So, in we went. It was interesting to see how the egyptians preserved the dead bodies of their pharos! Some of the mummies even had their hair, nails and teeth intact!

The Khan-el-Khalili market has a lot of stuff you can shop for. But remember to bargain for at least 75% lesser than the quoted price! It is sad but true that if you are a tourist in Egypt you will be looted wherever you go. The economy is so poor that they dont have many sources of income other than tourism...Nevertheless, I did get some wonderful perfumes, souvenirs & scarfs which I absolutely loved!

Well, that marks the end of our 4 day trip to Cairo. We did want to see Alexandria, Luxor & Sharm-el-shaik but that needs at least a week's stay and we didnt have the luxury of time...Anyways, allz well that ends well.. It was a lovely and a memorable trip!

Travelogue: Egypt (Part 1)

Seeing the pyramids of Egypt was one of the things on our To-Do list before leaving Dubai and we somehow managed to squeeze it into our busy schedule last month. It was a short 4 day trip to Cairo (and the pyramids of Giza, of course!). Extremely expensive as it was the holiday season and horded with tourists all over. Well, there is no other time during the year that you can visit Egypt as 7 -8 months are scorching summer. So going there in winter will always prove to be an expensive affair, wont it?! I wouldn't say it was worth all the money spent but definitely I am glad I could tick off another wonder of the world as seen :)

The weather in Cairo was very pleasant and beautiful but the city is equally bad and filthy. The buildings are extremely old & badly constructed, public transport sucks, cab drivers and other fellas are there to just loot the tourists! People hardly speak English, so forget conversing with anyone around. If you are trying to find your way or get some info, then be prepared to have a tough time, in addition to haggling with cab drivers whom do not run on meters and demand 5 times the actual fare! So always remember to bargain to 75% of what they ask :)

The picture above is the view of the bridge over River Nile (the longest river in the world which flows through 9 different countries, and the only river which flows from South to North!) from our hotel terrace. We stayed at Novotel El Borg which is a 4 star hotel and it did not disappoint us. Though on the slightly expensive side ($140USD per night for a double bed) it was worth it! The view from the terrace restaurant was breathtaking! The staff were very friendly and helpful and the service had no complaints. But when it comes to food, if you are a vegetarian especially, then its a struggle to find some food to eat!

The picture below is the view of Novotel hotel, taken from the boat on Nile cruise. The tower adjacent to the hotel is the Cairo tower


The first thing we did is to visit the Pharonic Village in Cairo, which is close to Zamalek island (where we stayed). It is a cultural village which has the entire history of Egypt modelled inside in a very beautiful way. They take you around in a boat and at the end of the 2hour tour, you will be quite familiar with the Egyptian history. So it is always a good idea to visit this first, before going to the museums or the pyramids. The entry is about 150EGP per person and you dont need a guide....they have their own guides inside who take you around..


The Pharonic village also has a lot of papyrus trees (used to make the papyrus paper used by ancient egyptians). There is a demo of how the papyrus paper is actually made from the plant, which was quite interesting to see..





Below is the picture showing the mummification process, followed by the ancient egyptians. You can see the actual mummies (which look exactly like this) in the Egyptian Museum. The entire process of mummification is very well explained within the Pharonic village.

It was quite an irony to see how the egyptians spent a fortune to build the huge pyramids for dead people but crappy old houses in the city for people alive :)

More about pyramids of Giza and the museum in the next post....

Adieus to Dubai

Finally the time has come to bid adieus to Dubai, something that I've been waiting to do for a long time now! Dubai is a nice place to work and earn bucks but I could never see a life here more than that and for some reason I could never make this my home! I always felt out of place and there was something significantly missing in life.... Am sure with my short stint, I haven't explored everything here and I also know a lot of people who love this place but this for sure isn't for me! :)

I still miss living in Bangalore but I don't think I'll ever miss Dubai ...so now Singapore beckons! Even before landing there, I have a nice feeling about the place and I am sure am gonna love it!

Doddamakali - Serenity & Solutitude at its best

I had written this article for the 'travel story' section of Deccan Herald last year and after multiple rounds of revisions which happened with the editorial team of Sunday Herald, I got so busy with something in life that I completely forgot to even check if this story was published in the paper!! Anyways, I found this while organizing my emails today and thought this should definitely go up here on my blog 'coz this has been one of the best places around bangalore that I have visited :)
***** ***** *****

Want to know the true meaning of “isolation”? Love to enjoy the soothing murmur of the wind? Then I strongly recommend a visit to Doddamakali Nature and Fishing Camp. It is the remotest, most rugged and primitively beautiful place that I have been to. It’s actually in the middle of nowhere!

Nestled between the steep hills, in a valley deep in the forest, its tranquility and the panoramic view promise you the most peaceful and relaxed vacation. A barefoot walk along the river’s edge, sitting on the river bank with your feet dipped in the pristine waters amidst the jungle, sipping hot coffee on the hammock and enjoying the serenity and solitude is all you’ll need to break away from the busy and mundane city life. As you step into this place you will realize how nature can instantly instill tranquility and bliss within you! Doddamakali has no doubt become one of my favorite vacation spots.

Situated 6kms upstream of Bheemeshwari (Cauvery fishing camp), Doddamakali is a place where the Cauvery river slows down and collects into a large pool, making it an ideal place for water sports such as river rafting and coracle rides, in addition to amateur fishing. On the day of my visit, there was a huge group of people from an organization taking part in multiple outdoor activities. On enquiry, I was informed that this place is a hot spot for corporate team building exercises, which is conducted through OZONE, one of the leading outdoorsmen in South India.

The Doddamakali Fishing Camp is run by the Jungle Lodges Resort (JLR) as a wildlife retreat and an adventure resort. This is by far the only place available for accommodation there. The resort consists of about 6 cottages where electricity is available for only an hour a day. Living with a lantern added to our wilderness experience and the rustic charm of the place. As the night dawns, you can even sit by a camp fire set up by the river side accompanied with snacks, enjoying just the calmness and the sounds of the flowing water.

I ought to mention that Doddamakali is a heaven for nature lovers and birders. As I had got hooked into birding recently, I was looking forward to going on a birding tour here. So we skipped the usual morning trek which is a part of the stay at JLR and took a different path up the mountain to spot the birds. I was amazed at the vast species of birds that we could see. This place is supposed to be a home for more than 200 species of birds. Some of the exotic ones that can be sighted are the grey headed fishing eagles, spot-billed ducks, small pied kingfishers, black-bellied river terns, woodpeckers, ospreys and sometimes wildlife like turtles, crocodiles, deer and elephants. You are almost guaranteed a sighting of the ‘Lesser grey headed eagle’ which has made its home in the JLR camp. The best part is that you don’t have to walk too far; you can spot these beautiful birds just around your cottage. So do not forget to carry your cameras, because there is a lot for you to capture out there than just the landscape!

Last but not the least, I’d like to say that, waking up in the morning to absolute serenity and getting to watch the river and the chirping birds from the bed is truly a dream come true. It feels like you are in complete harmony with the nature. It’s just PERFECT! Now, if this isn’t a paradise on earth, then what is? I wish I had spent more than just a day out there.

Fact File:

Activities: River rafting, Trekking, Birding, Nature walks, Coracle rides, fishing.
Accommodation: For more details and bookings, visit http://www.junglelodges.com/
Getting there: Bheemeshwari is 100 km from Bangalore by road via Kanakapura/Halagur and about 85 km from Mysore via Malavalli. Doddamakali is approximately 140 kms from Bangalore and easily accessible by road via Malavalli or 6 kms upstream from Bheemeshwari. The best way to go from Bangalore is to take the Bangalore-Mysore highway. Take a left after Malavalli towards Shimshapura village. From then on you will find a lot of signboards to guide you. Note that the final 7-8kms is unpaved with approximately 10-14 hairpin bends and it alone takes about 45mins to an hour. The path is too narrow and rugged for buses to go. Hence a 4-wheeler is a must. If you have a private car, that would be the best option else you can hire a taxi. You could also contact Jungle Lodges much ahead so that they can arrange a jeep for you from the main road till the camp.

(c) 2010 Pratima Jayaram
P.S: Please do not copy/reproduce this article without my consent or due credits

I love sunsets, I love photography and I love wine...... and when all 3 of them come together this is how it looks ;-)


I clicked this picture at the dead sea in Jordan and I absolutely love it!

Travelogue: Jordan (Day 16 - 20)

From Europe we headed towards Middle East, Jordan being our final destination. Though it was the onset of summer in Jordan and not the best time to visit, we still decided to go there. There are a lot of places of interest in Jordan but we chose to visit the Petra and Dead Sea.

DEAD SEA

Dead Sea, also known as the 'Sea of Salts' borders Jordan and Israel. What makes it unique is that it is 400meters below sea level, the lowest point on the earth's surface on dry land and one of the saltiest bodies on earth! (It is supposed to be 8.6 times saltier than an ocean). Because of its high salinity and buyoancy, you can very easily float in the sea. Trust me, this feels awesome, especially for someone like me who does not know to swim and is hydrophobic! Floating effortlessly in the sea was a great feeling (the terribly salty water getting into your eyes is not)!! The minerals, mud and salts in the sea are used to make a lot of cosmetics and herbal products which are very popular...

Dead Sea is about 1.5hrs drive from Amman (the capital of Jordan). We arrived at Amman airport way past midnight and took a taxi to Dead Sea. Though it was peak summer, the night was very cool and pleasant. The Mariott and Movenpick resorts at Dead Sea were simply superb! Each had a private beach of its own and a breathtaking view of the sea and sunset from the room balcony. After a tiring Eurotrip we just chose to unwind and chill, enjoy the 5 star hospitality and take a dip in the dead sea :)

The dead sea is surrounded by land and mountains on 3 sides. So water from many rivers and lakes enters the sea from only one direction and has no place to go. The evaporation is very high so all the water just evaporates from the sea once it reaches there, which explains the huge amount of salt deposits.

A visit to the dead sea once in a lifetime is a must! You will never see something so unique anywhere in the world!

PETRA

If you have seen the latest Indiana Jones movie, you will know what Petra is :) Petra was chosen by BBC as one of "the 40 places to see before you die". It is regarded as the 8th wonder of the world which comes with a lot of ancient history and is declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. In the ancient time Petra was supposed to be the capital of the Nabataeans and the center of their caravan trade and one of the main commercial routes...

Petra city is about 4 hours drive from the Dead Sea. The drive was extremely uncomfortable coz it was through the mountains with a lot of bends and in addition to it the weather was terribly hot! We again stayed at The Mariott hotel in Wadi Musa which is just about 8kms from the Petra historic site. We reached the site early morning at 6 and started with a horse ride from the entrance till the main street and walked from there to The Treasury (image below). Continued walking to see the theater, the temple and the royal tomb... The pink/ rose colors of the rocks are a beautiful sight to see!

The walk inside can get extremely tiring when it becomes hot so it is a good idea to start off very early in the morning and come back before mid-day. It is said that you need 2-3 days to explore Petra completely, which is true coz you cannot spend more than 4-5 hours each day inside there. So you can puchase the entry tickets based on how long you wish to stay there. I was happy seeing it for half a day... it was one of the most tiring walks I've done in my life! :)

The Mariott at Petra had a nice viewpoint from where you could see the vast desert and the sunset. Watching sunsets is something I absolutely love! It gives me immense joy and peace and it was a perfect end to a very memorable trip!

So this post finally ends my travelogues. Once I started writing about the travels, the readership of my blog has surprisingly increased by 400% !! So I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed travelling!

P.S: The images displayed here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced anywhere without due credits or my consent.

Travelogue: Rome (Day 12- 15)

After 2 tiring days we headed from Florence to Rome, coz all roads lead to Rome ;-)

Rome, the capital of Italy, is supposed to be the 3rd most visited city in Europe with almost 2000 yrs of ancient history! So you need at least 3 days to barely see the city. If you are an art lover, then there are tons of museums and monuments to visit, so consider spending at least a week.. In a couple of days we were there, we managed to see almost all places of major interest, especially the ones mentioned in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code/ Angels & Demons :)


Vatican City

This tiny country within a country is the world's smallest. It is the center of the catholic church and home of its Popes and popular piligrimage spot of its devotees. The first thing we saw here was St.Peter's square and Basillica which is truly incredible and a must see, whether you are a catholic or not. The next was a self guided tour in the Vatican Museum which we felt was way too expensive and not worth it. The only thing of my interest here was the Sistine Chapel, unfortunately at the end of the museum but completely worth it!! The paintings on the walls and the roof are extremely beautiful and breathtaking. But you are not allowed to take photos inside and have to maintain silence... The exit leads to the back of the museum from where you can tour the basilicas and tombs of the Popes..




Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is my favorite of all the spots in Rome - stunningly beautiful, especially in the night!! It's a must visit and something you need to see both during the day and night. There is a belief that if you throw a coin into the fountain you obtain good fortune and will come back to Rome, to the fountain :)



Piazza Venezia
This piazza is in the central hub of Rome and almost any bus you take will pass through this lovely piazza. It takes its name from the adjacent Palazzo Venezia, the former embassy in the city of the Republic of Venice. It's worth a watch!


Roman Colosseum
I was suitably impressed with this ancient architecture. Hard to believe that a civilization thousands of years ago could actually create such an awe inspiring amphitheater like this! You can see where the emperors and the crowds sat and where the gladiators came to fight. Inevitably the first thing you think of is the movie Gladiator.. They also play visuals from the movie inside the colosseum.. :)

Piazza Navona
After reading about it in Angels & Demons, I was keen on seeing the Piazza Navona. It's probably one of the most beautiful of all the piazzas you can see in Italy. It is exceptionally long and features many fine old buildings, a beautiful church (of Sant'Angese) and 3 stunning fountains out of which the center one is Bernini's spectacular fountain - la Fontana dei Fiumi. Piazza Navona is an extremely lively place with a lot of open air cafes and artists painting public portraits... It's a great place to spend a perfect evening...

Pantheon
Pantheon is an ancient magnificient temple in Rome which was later converted into the church of Santa Maria. It is the burial place of several famous Italians and it remains an active church. It is also a major tourist destination and a popular place for weddings. The structure was under renovation when we visited and almost about to close. We were lucky to have got about 15mins to see inside of the Pantheon.

P.S: The images displayed here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced anywhere without due credits or my consent.

Travelogue: Tuscany (Day 10 -12)

From the city of water, we headed towards the historic center of Florence - the capital of Tuscany region. We set up our base at Florence and in the next 2 days visited Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Chianti in Tuscany, all of which are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO (excluding Chianti which is a green land with vineyards)

Florence (a.k.a Firenze)

The captial city of Tuscany is one of the most important artistic centers, rich in history & culture and is popularly known as the art capital of Italy. Though for me, all cities we visited in Italy looked very similar...the buildings, roads, architecture etc seemed very ancient but nothing different! We stayed just a few meters away from the train station, within the city and it proved to be very convenient. It's a good idea to do that especially if you want to travel in and around florence.

Florence has lots and lots of piazzas (elegant squares), renaissance palaces (palazzis), churches, museums, gardens and art galleries. However, the must see is the David statue by Michaelangelo. We went to Piazza Santa Maria Novella a few times as it was close to where we stayed....it looks absolutely beautiful during sunset. The remaining time was spent visiting the restaurants and walking around the city....

Siena

We reserved one full day for a day trip to Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti. The guided tour was a lot of fun but tiring at the same time. Our guide spoke 5 languages and was extremely patient, cheerful and knowledgeable..which made the trip more interesting. Siena is declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it is well known for art, architecture & medieval cityscape. The cathedral of Siena (shown in the image below) is stunning and is a good example of the romanesque architecture. Another architectural treasure is the Piazza del Campo, the town square, which is famous for hosting the Palio horse race. We saw a lot more monuments, churches and walked through the small lanes and road of Siena for about 3 hours. You can see a strong influence of medieval culture and architecture everywhere around and it is definitely worth a visit!

San Gimignano

San Gimignano is another famous small medieval hill town famous for its medieval architecture, culture and especially the towers, which can be seen from several kilometers outside the town. It is said that, at one point in time, there were supposed to be hundreds of them! Most of them were brought down during wars, catastrophes and urban renewal with just a few left for people to admire. We climbed one such tower and I was absolutely thrilled to reach the top, given my fear of heights!! :)

Chianti

Chianti is famous for its wine and vineyards, especially the red wine which is one of the best wines available there. We reached Chianti in the early evening and the greenery all around was a treat to the eye! We visited the "Casanova SantaAgnese" winery and their vineyard. The owner took us around the farm and to the cellar where he had stored barrels of wine and balsamic vinegar. The next couple of hours were spent understanding his process of wine making and also tasting varieties of red, white and dessert wines, balsamic vinegar and cheese. This was my first visit to a vineyard and I loved every bit of it!

If you are in Florence, then a wine tasting tour is something you wouldn't want to miss and if you are a wine lover, then it is a must do!!

Pisa
You cannot go to Italy and miss the leaning tower of Pisa! So on the second day, we headed towards the town of Pisa, which is about an hour's journey by train from Florence. Pisa is a small city, with the architecture quite similar to rest of the parts of Italy. The walk from the train station to the Leaning Tower was quite long and tedious! We had a slot reserved in advance, so once we reached the tower, we didn't have to wait for long. The climb up the Pisa tower was quite an adventure! The steps are worn out, with space just enough for one person to walk at a time and you actually feel like you are going to fall 'coz of the leaning tower :) The view from the top was truly amazing!

P.S: The images displayed here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without due credits or my consent.

Travelogue: Venice (Day 8 - 10)

After spending 5 days in the land of beautiful lakes & mountains we started our journey towards Italy, Venice (or Venicia) being the first destination. This time we managed to get the fast train (Eurostar Italia) and reached Venice from Luzern in just about 6.5hrs via Milan...

Venice is also called the city of love, romance, water, architecture and more! I had no idea what to expect there and I was completely taken aback seeing the entire city surrounded by water, water and more water everywhere!!! It has a group of islands around such as Lido, Murano etc, all of which are part of Venice. We landed at the train station and looked for a taxi to the hotel but figured that the only mode of transport there are boats! hmmm...it was really interesting, especially the street lights in water :) It took us 45 mins or more to reach Lido island... I kinda got bored in a day travelling back n forth on the boats to the city. Everyone there has his/her own private boats instead of cars/bikes and you can see them all out on the sea during weekends....

The next day morning we set out to explore the small city. We went to St.Mark's Square where we checked out St.Mark's Basilica. The weather was perfect, though it got too sunny towards noon. We checked out the surrounding places, the shops, markets and went for lunch. Our stint with the pastas and pizzas started here and we ate just that and ONLY that for the next 10 days!!!!!


We then went to the famous Rialto Bridge and took the Gondola ride from there which lasted about 30 mins. We also saw the Grand Canal and various small canals through the gondola ride which was a lovely experience and completely worth it! Though expensive, gondola ride is something that you should not miss if you visit Venice.

We went back to the Lido island and visited the beach in the late evening. The sun sets around 9.30pm during summer so the days are long and sunny and hardly any night life in this city. We had planned 2 full days and nights in Venice but figured that there is nothing much to do in the city! So we cut short the trip and headed towards Florence the next day....

Final thoughts .... Whenever I visit a city I usually end up thinking if I can see myself living there at some point in life. Paris, Interlaken, Luzern are places which I surely wouldn't mind going back to...Venice is definitely a gorgeous city, ancient, with lot of history, beautiful churches, buildings etc and very different but I definitely wouldn't want to go back, forget living there! I'll get depressed seeing water all around the place, day in day out! But it surely is one city you would want to see in your lifetime 'coz it's different ;-)


P.S: The images displayed here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without due credits or my consent

Inception

Ah! What an awesome movie it was! Truly one of its kind! My brain cells did get chewed up trying to understand the intricate and mentally taxing plot but it was totally worth it. It's one of the most complex movies and very intellectually stimulating... reminded me of The Matrix and Memento... definitely a must watch!

Director Christopher Nolan's brilliant plot & precise screenplay have been expertly executed. The visual effects are outstanding and a treat for the eye. It definitely scores points for trying to convey a difficult & complex theme and actually succeding in doing it so well.

Cobb (Leonardo di Caprio) is a thief (of a different kind) who steals ideas from people's subsconscious mind by accessing the mind when someone is asleep. He is an "extractor" who stalks people in pursuit of their deepest secrets. He is under the charge of an unspecified crime which prevents him from returning home to his children. He is given an opportunity to clear his name and return to his children however that requires him to do an almost impossible task of 'planting an idea' into someone's subconscious rather than steal it. He accepts this impossible task and the movie unfolds..

Most of the movie takes place in various people's subconscious and what a spectacle it is! The plot gets into multi layered dreams woven into each other and getting so complex that sometimes you struggle to understand which one is reality. Story telling is absolutely brilliant with Nolan introducing new ideas and twists constantly throughout the movie. So paying close attention is very much necessary and a single viewing is probably not enough to process it all! So I am all set to watch it for the second time :)

Well, this is just about the movie on the surface. It is difficult to write more without giving away the spoilers. To me, this is undoubtedly the most intelligent and visually stunning movie of this year!

Verdict: 5/5

Travelogue: Luzern, Switzerland (Day 6 - 8)

Switzerland has postcard-like views everywhere! It's a land of crystal clear lakes and snowy mountains.The route from Interlaken to Luzern (known as the Golden Pass route) is supposed to be the most scenic of all panoramic routes...extremely picturesque, there is no doubt about it!

The city of Luzern (or Lucerne) gets its name from the lake Luzern, to the edge of which the city lies. We reached there in the early evening, took a stroll to the lakeside and I was awed by the crystal clear brilliance of it. Staying within the city had its advantages. The public transport system (buses) is extremely efficient and easily accessible. So travelling within the city was very hassle free. The city is rich in culture, people are way too friendly and it has a pristine atmosphere...It became my favorite destination in the Euro trip. There is a lot to do at Luzern for people seeking adventure (venture to Mount Pilatus & Titlis) and an equally good spot for relaxation...

Mount Pilatus (7000ft)

The next day we took the Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus which includes a boat ride from Luzern to Alpnachstad - cogwheel train from Alpnachstad to top of Pilatus - aerial cable car from Pilatus to Frankmuntegg- gondola cableway to Krienseregg and back to Luzern by bus. The whole thing takes an entire day and is quite strenuous but worth it! The cogwheel train taken to the top of Mt Pilatus is supposed to be the world's steepest train and the views are breathtaking though very scary...

Once you reach the Pilatus Kulm peak, there are a lot of restaurants to eat and chill out. The food is nothing great, but who cares, coz you will never forget the views! There are different hiking routes to the peaks at Pilatus which are quite easy and short. You get stunning views of miles and miles of swiss alps in the crisp air in addition to the panoramic views of the lakes of Central Switzerland.

The adventure park of Frakmuntegg offers a lot of adventure sports like tight rope walking, sledging, toboggan runs etc during summer and snow sledging during winter. So if you are looking for a bit of adrenaline pump, stop over at this town on the way down from the mountain top.

With stunning lakes and mountains, adventure sports, soothing atmosphere, lovely buildings & art, easy to navigate streets & friendly people, Luzerne is one place that every traveller needs to add to his list!

P.S: The images posted here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without due credits or my consent

Travelogue: Interlaken, Switzerland (Day 4- 6)

Going to Switzerland had always been one of the MUST DO things in my bucket list. Well, who wouldn't want to go there?! Friends who had visited the place had gone ga-ga over it and now I know why exactly! It is beautiful beyond words can describe! Switzerland is known as the land of skiing, chocolates & private banking.. but there is MUCH more to experience than just that..

So from Paris we headed towards Interlaken which is a small town between 2 lakes (hence the name) and is incredibly beautiful surrounded by soaring mountain peaks (the snow clad swiss alps). Though a small town, it wont fail to captivate your heart by its beauty! I loved it the first minute I stepped out of the train..

This was our first trip on Eurail and the journey took almost 1 full day as we couldn't get tickets on the fast trains. But if you take one of the TGV or Eurostar it takes just about 4hrs from Paris...

The hotel we stayed (Hotel Beatus) was a bit away from the city and close to nature, and the view of the lake and swiss alps from our window was simply amazing!! Imagine waking up and seeing the snow clad alps the first thing in the morning... It was truly blissful!! So always look for a room with a view, even if you have to pay a little more it is totally worth it.

Mount Jungfrau (13, 642 ft)

The next day we went on a trip to Mount Jungfrau, the top most point of Europe. Jungfrau is one of the main summits in Bernese Alps. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau forms a massive wall overlooking the Bernese Oberland and considered one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps. The best time to visit is during the Summer of course.

To reach there, you have to take a train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and then the Jungfrau railways to the top of the mountain. The whole journey is about 2.5hrs. The train stops twice on the way, within the moutain tunnel where there are 2 view points and through the glass window you get to see the snow mountains. It gets EXTREMELY cold as you go up, so carrying layered clothing is a must! Once you reach the mountain top, you can trek upto the viewpoints and explore different places where it is snowing and admire the beauty of the majestic swiss alps, while you create snow angels in fresh ice! :) It feels like a heaven on earth and was one of the Out-of-the-world experiences for me!

Ice Palace

The Ice Palace is on the top of Jungfrau and is completely made out of ice - the floors, ceiling, walls and a whole bunch of sculptures!! It is something very unique and fun to see, though it is freezing cold inside!

Adventure Sports

Interlaken is also the adventure sport capital of Europe. If you love adventure then this is the place to be. They say that even if you have done sky diving before, you should do it here again coz diving down to the mountains in swiss alps is a breathtaking experience! Paragliding, canyon swings, rafting are among the other things that you can do.

People & Culture:

The Swiss have 3 official languages - German, French & Swiss. Which part of the country you are in will determine which language is used more. Interlaken is kinda in the middle, so there is more of French/German. The official currency is Swiss Franks and they accept Euros too.

Swiss people were the friendliest among the 3 countries we visited. They are so warm, helpful and welcoming! Not once do you feel intimidated. We had absolutely no issues in finding our hotel or figuring out the day trips and schedules...It actually feels good being in that country!

After admiring the snow and the lakes, we headed northwards to Luzern...

P.S: The images displayed here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without due credits or my consent.

Travelogue: Paris (Day 1 - 3)

The first of our destinations in the Europe trip was Paris - the city of lights, love, dreams, romance... as it is popularly known. Landed there in the afternoon with a bright, sunny and a pleasant weather inviting us. The Charles de Gaulle airport is quite far from the city but SNCF (French Railways) connects Paris very well, so travelling within the city is very easy.

Paris Metro/Subway

A metro pass would be a good idea if you are planning to stay there for more than 4-5 days as it works out to be economical & cabs can get very expensive. Locating a hotel close to one of the metro stations will be a smart thing to do and we got lucky with that :). Like all city subways, you proceed downstairs past the human/automatic ticket dispensers and to the platform. The metro is very well signed and the lines are designated by colors, letters & numbers. It is clean, spacious and very convenient as we discovered it over the period of our stay.

Streets of Paris
We stepped out in the late evening with the weather still bright and sunny. Summer there has long days with the sunset happening around 9.30 -10pm. The streets of Paris are wide and nice and most of them are named after Mathematicians. The buildings have a rustic look and follow the same kind of architecture throughout the city.

Eiffel Tower and River Seine
The first thing to do was obviously to see the Eiffel Tower and River Seine. The river flowing through the city looks beautiful and the Eiffel Tower dominates the Paris skyline, being one of the highest points. It is definitely one of the best known landmarks in the world and a good piece of art with history, but I wasn't as impressed by it. My expectations were probably something more and it was way different from what I had thought I would see. There is a ride to the top and a restaurant at the first level of the tower where you can have dinner. But looking at the crowd and the lonnng queue, we decided not to take it. So just wandered at the base, admired the surroundings and returned back.

Food & Accomodation
In terms of food the city has a lot of options for various cuisines like Italian, Chinese and Indian too but limited options if you are a vegetarian. So make sure you ask someone if you are looking for a specific restaurant or a cuisine. The food is definitely very expensive, so depends on how much you wish to spend on every meal. There are a lot of hostels/bed & breakfast places available for budget accomodation which range from 40-60euros and 2 star hotels which cost approx 90euros a night..

Wine Tasting

The second day was the wine/champagne tasting at O Chateau, in one of the cellars within the city. It was a real good experience and we got to taste about 6 different french wines (red/white) including a champagne. This is something I would recommend as a must do, if you are a wine lover!

Louvre Museum

The visit to Paris is not complete without seeing the famous Louvre museum. So the third day morning we went to the museum (locating the entrance was a bit of a struggle). The entry is free on the first Sunday of every month but unfortunately we had to travel the next day which was the first Sunday, so had to buy the tickets . There is also a museum pass which grants multiple entry access to almost 70 museums/churches in Paris. So if you are an art lover, then this will be economical than buying individual entry tickets and you also get to skip the long queues.

I was thrilled to see the inverted glass pyramid and the Monalisa (something I've always wanted to see after reading The Da Vinci Code). The Louvre is composed of 4 floors with exhibits including sculptures, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities and much more! It is said that you need 2 full days to see the whole museum in detail if you are a real art & museum lover but again it depends on your interset level. We spent around half a day and were quite happy with what we saw... It is no doubt one of the world's best museums!




Arc de Triomphe

It is one of the most recognizable symbols of Paris/France and stands towardst he north west of the city. You can climb up the arc to get a magnificient view of Paris but we didnt have enough time to go all the way up...

A couple of other things we saw includes Champ-Elysees and Bastille (Opera de Paris Bastille)

The 4th day we hopped on to the Eurail and headed towards Switzerland......





(Note: The images displayed are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced anywhere without my consent)