Category: Thumbnails

Nagarjunasagar, Telangana / Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Travels in India

February 1, 2019

Nagarjunakonda, A Trip to Remember

Nagarjuanakonda

This year in Hyderabad, we planned our customary trip to Nagarjunasagar with a difference that it was going to be a day trip. Due to time constraints and various other problems we couldn’t get away for more than a day. Therefore, we decided to book a couch tour with Telangana Tourism. These tours are available only on the weekends. Information in the Telangana Tourism brochure, and also given by an office staff member included exactly what I was looking for: a visit to Nagarjunasagar dam, Ethipothala, and a boat trip to Nagarjunakonda. I was excited, but wanted to make sure before booking that it was correct information and we were going to be on the right tour. Further inquiry revealed that the Ethipothala was not part of it and the brochure we had was old. The reason given was that since Andhra and Telangana split, Ethipothala was removed from the tour because it is in Andhra State whereas our tour was in Telangana State.And our tour would only include Nagarjunasagar Dam, and Nagarjuna konda Island which houses a Bhuddist Museum. We settled for what they were offering and booked the tour on Non A/C couch, with a tremor, for Saturday, January 26 for a much needed get away, at least, for one day. We were not given assurance that the tour will go unless more people book. They needed at least 15 people and there were only 10 booked at that point. But later we got a call informing us that the tour was on as planned.

We left home at 7:30 in the morning by car with Maqsood and Shaheen, my brother and sister-in-law, to the designated pick up area from where the couch was to leave at 8:30. Everything went well, we left on time. The travel through the built-up city area was slow because of the traffic. After an hour’s drive we stopped at a local breakfast place and had south Indian breakfast for which they allotted 30 minutes but it was more than that before we left. We got our real start from there although the bus stopped for about 10-15 minutes for a comfort break. It took us a total of 4 hours to get to Nagarjunasagar where we stopped for lunch at Vijay Vijar Resort which overlooks the Dam. There was hot buffet lunch. Since nothing was mentioned about the lunch when we booked, we packed our lunch; therefore, decided to eat that. After lunch we decided to take some photos before we headed out for our next stop, Nagarjunakonda.Nagarjunakonda used to be a prosperous Bhuddhist town 1700 years ago. Now it is Island in the middle of Nagarjunasagar lake. A man-made lake emerging from the dam and is named after a Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna, who lived there in 2^ndcentury AD.

After lunch we headed out to the boat launch station,which was about 15 to 20 minutes’ drive from Vijay Vijar. There was a ticket booth with two windows from where the tickets were being issued; one for the boat ride and the other for the museum entrance. It cost Rs.130/head for the boat ride, and Rs.30/head for the museum. It was a beautiful area, overcast skies were not photo op. friendly but perfect for hanging out there enjoying the surrounding beauty. We were supposed to line up to buy the ticket but 200 people were milling in a crowd pushing and shoving each one with an aim to be the one to buy the tickets and be on board first to get the best seat. However, Feroz, the young man who came along to help us, managed to buy the tickets and we were told to head out toward the boat launch station which meant very long but beautiful walk. We could see a double decker boat approaching the shores of the reservoir to pick up the passengers.

On the way to the boat

When the boat actually anchored, the hell broke loose, people were ready to jump on board from wherever they were. A man came out screaming at the unruly crowd to move far away to make room for people who were about to disembark before they would allow the waiting passengers to board. People either didn’t understand because they didn’t speak Telugu, or showed total disregard to what they were asked to do. fortunately, those who were leaving the boat were not fazed by the unruliness of the crowd.

When the boarding started, no one enforced a Q system, or any organized system of boarding; therefore, several people were trying to get in at the same time through sheer muscle power. There was no trained staff to bring some kind of order, while that was going on. Some of the older boys jumped over the rails and looked very happy with their escapade. But even in chaos there was progress and everyone was on board in surprisingly good time and settled down.

Path from the boat launch station to ferry and back

Many with good seats had a winning smile. Everyone in our group also found seats. And to me the idea of cruising on a large sizzling body of water is always a unique, magical, and even religious experience. But as awesome as I feel under normal circumstances, I am equally terrified if the weather becomes threatening with rough waves which are whipped up by force of wind and rough water tossing us around. But this was a beautiful, short cruise and I was excited that we were on the upper deck and that was enough as long as I could stand in a spot to take pictures. But even that turned out to be difficult because most of the young people lined up along the rails with no room to spare, and zero consideration for those other passengers who came on the cruise for the same purpose as they did.

In spite of the overcast skies and other difficulties I already mentioned, I managed to take some pictures of gorgeous views of the Krishna River, the Dam, and the approaching island.

Dropping point at the museium

It took us 50 minutes to get to the Island. We disembarked and walked to the museum which is 500 m from the dropping point. We got to the museum and checked out the collection of stone tools, relics, and carvings narrating the story of Buddha for half an hour of the time allotted to us by our tour operators. On the way back to the boat we reached an incredible looking tamarind tree around which a concrete bench was built. Because it was a cooler day. We were able to sit around the tree and had snacks and drinks which we bought from a stall right in the vicinity, If a hot day, we could have fried an egg on it.

Then we walked back leisurely to the boat and were among the first few passengers to return which meant we would be the ones with winning smiles for grabbing the best seat in the houseIt was not long before the boat was ready to move, and also the clouds were ready to lighten their weight. We saw a few drops and hoped soon skies will clear and sun will shine. Wrong! we didn’t know that the drizzle would turn into a deluge in matter of minutes. My prime seat from where I refuse to move -which is embarrassing looking back-became impossible to hold on to because the rain was coming with full fury. Soon we realized that we were not just getting sprayed, but getting drenched not because of the open sides but we were standing on the covered upper deck which had a tattered removable top shelter. We were as good as on an open boat with rain pouring through the top. There were altogether 200 passengers and I believe half of us were on the top. We all had to move to the lower deck causing a very dangerous situation worse, and seemed like it had all the element of disaster in the making. There were no life vests, and no staff, or very negligent staff whose total absence was deeply felt, at least, by us. I would say that the boat was not lake worthy, because the captain was driving the boat, in a heaviest downpour I have ever seen, without even windscreen vipers. Some passenger saw that someone was using a squeegee in place of vipers to clean the wind screen. For 50 minutes of the boat run, it was in danger of capsizing because of grossly uneven weight.distribution. Within 20 minutes from the start someone came and shouted everyone to move toward the front, because the back of the boat was getting heavy as everyone was coming down to the lower deck to escape from rain. Then again after another few minutes someone came again asking people to move to the right side of the boat. The crowd was so lackadaisical that they had to be coaxed by some other passenger into moving to the other side.

I took strength from the attitude of people who were being helpful on the boat. I felt that they must be used to these type of situations and must do this more often without ever having any serious problem. For them it was a Republic day outing. Women were dressed up to the hilt as if they were going to a wedding, or to a religious festival which they celebrate with utmost fervor. And the kids thought it was the best fun time ever as they pushed through the crowd to run back forth pulling and coaxing their parents to go with them. I guess if you want to tread the footsteps of locals in a downpour, go on the boat to Nagarjuna Konda. It is where the families come to let their children play, and fun aficionados come for cruise and sit with a rare abandon come what may.

: Vijay Vijar2

: Vijay Vijar

: Sagar from the boarding point

: Tamarind tree in Nagarjuna Konda

: Serpent carving in a stone

Nagarjunasagar, Telangana / Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Travels in India

January 24, 2019

Fascinating trips to Ethipothala

Nagarjunasagar trip first trip

We discovered Ethipothala sometimes in the 90s. It is a great option for a day trip or even better for a weekend. This beautiful spot had a serene, calming and inviting ambience. There was a very basic but very well maintained large guest house with a large area in the front with two bedrooms, and a bathroom. Furniture was bare minimum. But we were prepared for the fun. we carried our bedding, cooked food, snacks and munchies to hold us over if we needed something for an overnight stay with ten close family members.

The place was clean and there was a skeleton staff to take care of the needs of the guests. They were friendly respectful, loving and kind. In one of the corner of the hall facing the Ethipothala falls was a tea stall where you could buy snacks and tea.

All the men, spread he Shatharangies (heavy Indian style area rugs) along the walls and covered them with clean bedsheet to use it as a sitting area instead of chairs, sofas etc. which were very few and far between. since we were all hungry after traveling all morning we spread a dusterkawn (floor tablecloth), very similar the one in this picture,

Dustar kawn

and served the food which we brought with us in stainless steel tiffins. We also brought cutlery, crockery, and large container of fresh drinking water with us. We had a delicious, and sumptuous lunch to everyones full satisfaction. After cleaning up, we rested for sometime. then refreshed and set out to explore Ethipothala. We went all the way up trekking towards the foot of the flow of water. We rested in-between by sitting on the rocks with the falls in the backdrop, lost in thoughts enjoying nature and even praying before we continued our walk. As we walked someone came to warn us saying that we are in a dangerous area, which apparently is a breeding ground for the alligators. After their warning we walked back still getting the panoramic views of the falls and taking some beautiful pictures. We were really lucky to have that amazing opportunity of walking so close to the falls, which is closed to the public now because of the dangers involved.

The day was spent walking around the area which was very quiet, peaceful and beautiful. There are lot of temples around when we walked down towards the river on a cool shady walk. We sat under the trees and talked and enjoyed nature which takes your breath away. when we got back it was rather late and was getting dark. Some of our group members were playing cards and others were sleeping etc. We organized the dinner by getting the guest house kitchen to make us some fresh rotis (Indian bread), and chana( chickpeas curry) etc. which we combined with our left over food and had a great dinner.

Everyone settled down to whatever they felt like doing, while the men continued to play the cards. Somehow the word got around about the card playing and the police came suspecting that there was gambling going on. Since gambling was not allowed, they confiscated the cards. Everyone one got very upset at their assumption and unfair action, Jaffer went to the police station and was able to recover the cards as well as permission to continue with their card game.

Next day we got up to a glorious morning in my most favorite spot in the world. We were up early and walked down to the river from the resort. Since the breakfast was not going to start until 8 Am, we decided to get our morning walk until then. We went for a walk which turned out kind of treacherous and tiring because it involved walking down on steps plus walk on rock strewn river bed where you had to watch your steps. We could still see the full flow of the beautiful falls displaying their thunderous glory for everyones delight.

It was most exhilarating feeling to get back to the guest house cafeteria for a traditional south Indian breakfast, and also steaming hot tea to your hearts content. The day ahead was cool and fun to exploring and enjoying the beautiful area. Later that evening we drove back home which was again like an adventure on a dark, scary road, but altogether the experience of the whole trip was magical.

Nagarjunasagar, Telangana / Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Travels in India

January 23, 2019

Nagarjunasagar

NAGARJUANASAGAR: Weekend Getaway from the City

Nagarjunasagar is a man-made lake 149 km southeast of Hyderabad city. When visiting Hyderabad, Nagarjunasagar is our destination for a quiet weekend or short visit to get away from the city. It is a 3½ hour drive through Ibrahimpatnam. It is a very peaceful and serene spot for relaxing for a couple of days. The lake and the dam are named after a Buddhist philosopher of second century A.D.

On one of our visits, we arrived in Nagarjunasagar at 2 pm. Luckily got accommodation in one of the best resort known as vijay vijar located at a beautiful location. It is a huge, beautifully built building which sits on a high hill side. There are large suites which were originally built for government officials during the construction period. Apparently, even now most of the rooms are usually occupied by visitors on official capacity. Grounds of the resort are planned with great care. Well maintained lawns are lined with low hedges which are beautiful. And a wide variety of plants and shrubs are scattered around which are aesthetically very pleasing. The resort looks out on to the dam.

We had our lunch at the resort restaurant where service and food was mediocre. When we went on a drive, we realized that the entire structure is not only magnificent, but incredible to believe that the ingenuity of man and the hard labor and skill that went into achieving this miraculous result. We went around from the upper road to the lower road which was necessary to see all the earth dams.There is also a broken bridge which was built to divert traffic but it broke down. There are small villages called Vijaypuri south and Vijaypuri north. Vijaypuri north is bigger with lot more stores to supply various merchandise to the local community.

Broken Bridge in Nagrjuna Sagar’

We wanted to go to Nagarjuna Konda which we thought was a town nearby, but were told that it is an island which can only be reached by a boat. Apparently, it is an area where an archeological dig revealed an ancient town. Further inquiry into how to get there, revealed that at 8: am a staff boat will take us there. Therefore, we planned our visit for the next day. In the morning we ordered a lunch to be packed for us to take with us on the trip. They did that while we got ready and had breakfast. Everything went according to plan and we left to go on the boat at 8: am. On arrival at the docks we were told that the trip was cancelled because of strong winds with a promise that we could still go by the afternoon boat at 1:30 pm, if the winds die down. Now we had 4 hours to spare. Tourist information sighted some options for us during the waiting time in the area. One of the options were Ethipothala falls, 70 feet river cascade on the Chandravanka river, which is a tributary of Krishna. These falls are made with a combination of river and mountain water and are active throughout the year. During heavy rains they are huge and thunderous but their size and force subsides during dry season.

Ethipothala Falls

We went all the way up tracking the flow of water until someone came to warn us about the alligators in the area. We walked back to the guest house which sits atop a hill and across from it is seen a gorge and river Krishna flows with full fury down in the valley. There are caves around the area where there are lot of temples. These caves run several miles where maharishis live. We spent some time enjoying the beautiful surroundings before we got back hoping to get the boat. We ate our lunch which we brought with us. We also bought dosas with raw onion chopped. It was a good lunch. After all that, as we suspected, the boat trip was cancelled again because the winds were high.

It was only 1:15 pm, so we decided to go to Anapu, a tiny place tucked between the mountains and open on one side of Nagarjuna Sagar. There they have reconstituted a whole village with ruins, stadium, and a monastery.

During the construction of Nagarjunasagar Dam archealogists dug up a Bhddhist site which was going to be flooded by the lake waters. They decided to move it brick by brick to a location in Anapu. Now it is a full-fledged tourist site. There is no charge for visiting. It is neither commercialized nor signposted. To find it one has to ask around. We took one little boy from a surrounding village to show us where it was.

Then we headed to view point where we got information about the dam and got a good look at the dam from a higher point. While there we were asked to visit the Power plant which supplies electricity for a large part of the State.

Power Plant in Nagarjunasagar

And 8 huge turbines operate to send three phases of electric current through transformers and to huge cables which take it to incredible distances to make life easy for everyone. These turbines were designed by Japanese who also manufactured and exported them. Each one of these weigh 61,400 Kg. An incredible amount of water is pumped into it to turn those monstrous turbines. Apparently they go full circle 158 times per minute making immense amount of electric charge. The building itself is a technological wonder and a monument to efficiency.

Through our travel in India we see great accomplishments, amazing feats in construction and engineering, miraculous archeological discoveries and management and preservation of all that is found. All made possible with combined effort of rich and poor; educated and uneducated, and yet there is such a significant problem of poverty, and human suffering which has not been conquered even to a level of some satisfaction, which is a constant thorn under my skin. Then again dualities seem to exist quite comfortably in India.

Thumbnails / Travel Blog

November 25, 2018

Trip to Delphi, Greece

Trip to Delphi, Greece

The Olympic torch is lit in Olympia, Greece several months before the winter Olympics. The winter Olympics which were to be played in February, 2014 in Sochi, Russia, the torch was lit in Olympia on October 7^th, 2013. It was headed to Delphi where the flame burns here only if it is for a few hours while it stopped there before it arrived in Athens. Delphi is an archaeological as well as modern town in Greece. It is considered to be the center of the world.

The Olympic Flame

Unbeknownst about the olympics, we drove to Delphi on October, 8th. the uphill drive to Delphi took almost three hours from Athens through the beautiful countryside. The site itself was truly amazing. Apparently, there is a theatre and a stadium, but we did not get to walk up. We stopped with friends who were traveling with us at a café for coffee and some refreshments and saw nature’s amazing spectacle from the window where we sat. Had coffee and relaxed.

When we were ready to leave, we were told that the Olympic Torch relay was passing right by where we were. We were excited and were ready to stay as long as we had to. But it was not long before we saw the relay passing right outside where the mayor of Delphi was waiting to receive the torch to do his run until he handed it over to the next torch bearers. We were ecstatic at once in a life time chance to be part of the unique and historic occasion, and to record it personally.

Mayor of Delphi waiting to

It was an amazing piece of luck to actually be there where the torch relay began. Since we were driving back to Athens where we were staying, we had the good luck to be able to see it a few more time when it was changing hands on its way to Athens.

The Olympic Games torch relay tradition began with the Olympic flame being lit by the sun’s rays at the ancient site of Olympia, after which the torch was passed from runner to runner until it reached the Olympic stadium in the host city.

Until 2009 the torch traveled through 5 continents until it reached the stadium where the game was going to be played. But rules were changed since then, and in 2013, after traveling through Greece, it went to Russia where it passed throughout Russia before it came to Sochi, host city for the games in February for the winter Olympics.

Mayor handing it over to another torch bearer

Next stop where the torch was to be handed over to next torch bearers.

Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Turkey October, 2002

June 5, 2019

Bosphorus Cruise, October 22nd

Second day of our stay in Istanbul we took an iconic cruise up the Bosphorus Straits for a fun sightseeing trip. Its 19 miles connect Sea of Marmara to Black Sea and, in turn, connects to the Mediterranean. The most fascinating part was that it has one shore in Asia and the other in Europe dividing Asia from Europe- an ultimate access point to the world. Both sides have a lot to offer to the sightseers in the form of restaurants, beautiful mosques, and several palaces making the cruise a must-do activity for the tourist to Istanbul. Our cruise included visits to Rumelihisari, Dolmabache Palace, and Camlica Hill.

When the cruise started, first thing we saw was that the Bosphorus was filled with Jelly fish. And as we sailed along, both European and Asian shores were visible all the time. You could clearly view the luxury houses, palaces, and lot of buildings from the boat. The guide mentioned that most boys’ schools were converted to co-ed, and government buildings of the old time (when Istanbul was the capital) were converted to universities, restaurants or museums. One of the stop was Rumelihisari on the European side which was built in 1452. It was commissioned for the planned Ottoman siege of Constantinople. Once the Ottomans achieved their goal, they made the city into their capital and renamed it Istanbul in 1453.

One next stop was Dolmabache Palace. The Ottoman Sultan, Abdulmecid envisioned this luxurious accommodation for his family. The architect, Evanis Kalfa, designed and constructed this 45,000 sqm palace on the Bosphorous. The new palace was named Dolmabache; In Turkish dolma meaning ‘filled’, and bache meaning ‘garden’ These beautifully laid out gardens provided tranquility and pampered lifestyle for the Sulatan’s family. Splendor and Opulence of the palace was in keeping with the Ottoman tradition and style.

We were not allowed to take photos. We went around and saw this lavish, ornate palace with its great halls and many of the important rooms.

1. There were immense and exquisite chandeliers on pedestals in the reception room.

3. Bear skin rugs adorned each side of Grand Reception Room, with 4.5-ton chandelier, was gifted by Queen Victoria, hung in the center of the ceiling in pastel blues and beige of the Grand Hall.

2. Organ gifted by Kaiser of Germany.

4. Reception and feast room for men.

5. Reception and feast room for the ladies. Since men and women were separated, women could watch from a grilled window.

6. Grand entrance gates with huge carved white doors.

7. A guard at the entrance stood like a robot without moving a muscle.

8. We were surprise to see that the Sultan’s bedroom was not at all impressive, and then we found out that this was sultan’s bedroom when he was in house arrest. His real bedroom was closed off.

During the Ottoman Empire the palace was the central administrative HQ, and the residence for Sultans family. But with the rise of Turkish Republic in 1923, Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, father of the republic, used it as a summer palace until he died on November 10, 1938. A fact that sticks in my memory is the clock in Atatürk’s room showing the time 9.05 am-the time he died.

Our next stop was Camlica Hill. We had to cross the Bosphorus bridge by bus to get to the Asia minor side. The view point was called Camlica hill. We were really lucky to be there on a beautiful, bright and sunny day giving us a luxurious, and clear view of the European skyline as well as the the shore all along. we got to the highest point in Istanbul from where we admired the surrounding beautiful gardens, and landscapes designed in traditional style. We could see the southern shore of Bosphorus lined with wooden villas, palaces of marble finish, fortresses, and small fishing villages. it was a great sightseeing trip, which becomes more special each time it is remembered.

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Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Turkey October, 2002

June 12, 2019

Istanbul, October 23rd

Our First two days were great in Istanbul, Turkey. Walking tour and Bosphorus Cruise gave the start to explore and to establish connections with my dream city. On the 3rd day our plan was to stay around the area and take it easy and enjoy the goings on in the downtown and surrounding area. Lo and behold, while having breakfast, we noticed that the road was bustling with activity. There was, apparently, a Farmer’s Market every Wednesday in Sultanahmet, the area where our hotel happened to be. We were excited that it did not conflict with what we had planned, and relieved that we wouldn’t miss the fun and exploration of the local color and insights into social traditions and food culture in Turkey. The focal point of most people is food, but Turkish are famous for their delicious food and their unparalleled hospitality. They like nothing better than sitting down to a delicious meal with family and friends, acquaintances, and even people they just met are also welcomed to share their meal with genuine affection.

While having our breakfast, we could already plan our lunch as we saw a vendor setting up his stand for delicious street food, and we knew the kebabs with all its trimmings will surely be in the offing. Although food is the main lure for the people in any festival or farmer’s market, but ingredients and fresh vegetable for making food, as well as variety of Merchandise draw people to the event in large numbers.

We not only had a great kebab lunch but also bought some clothing items. Amazing amount of fresh farm products were arranged in order not only of magnitude , but also brilliance of colors, and varieties. Added to it was a full spectrum of fruits and nuts. Simply put, they displayed a panorama of temptations, impossible to resist for the shoppers. Therefore; We couldn’t resist buying Turkish baked items, Turkish delights, and nuts for snacks which lasted throughout our stay.

Vegetable-Market in Sultanahmet, Istanbul

After spending an interesting day around the hotel we were staying in, we were ready for some rest before we went out to dinner. We found Mesale Restaurant which was also in Sultanahmet. we had a delicious meal of Turkish kebab, Turkish bread (which was being made by a lady a few feet away from where we were sitting), rice, salad and more. Different levels of activity around was interesting; some people eating, some having coffee and desserts and others had moved on to smoking their Hukkah. Most surprising was the fact that there were lots of women smoking Hukkah and all were having a great time. When we were growing up, Hukkah was popular in Hyderabad but I never imagined a woman smoking, let alone a Turkish woman smoking it. Jaffer decided to give it a try.

The ambience was soothing with soft lighting and peaceful music to which whirling Dervishes were performing on a centrally set stage in their stunning, angelic dance called Sema in their white robes and felt caps. Their flowing white robes called a tennure, and cylindrical felt cap called asikke.

Sema is a religious dance performed to achieve the love of God. Its Origin is with a Turkish Islamic sect called sufism founded by Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. The following youtube video presents whirling Dervishes performing.

A perfect day in Istabul had an emotional and fulfilling end. We had a great time. For more info on Dervishes click here

Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Turkey October, 2002

May 21, 2019

Turkey, October,2002

Istanbul, Turkey

Doruk Leather Center, view from Seugma Hotel

In October, 2002, we planned a two weeks trip to Central Europe and the itinerary included Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece. We flew into Bucharest (more on Bucharest later) for our two days stay before heading out to Istanbul, Turkey by train.The train would take us through Romania, and Bulgaria to Turkey. Our plan was to go to the station and have lunch, and buy snacks and something for dinner to carry with us on the train. When we arrived at the station, we got a shock to see that place was totally deserted, but for a few passengers who were waiting for the train. There was one small stall where they were selling some candy treats and amenities, may be magazines. We went out and got some lunch and a few snacks to carry with us, again thinking we could get a meal in the dining car of the train. But that also turned out to be a mirage. There was no dinning car; therefore, we had to settle for whatever we had with us. Our journey started at exactly 2:05pm as scheduled and was supposed to last for 18 hours.

The passengers in our part of the car were some lively young people who were, obviously, wanderers traveling in Europe on budget with backpacks and having a great time. We met a couple from Vancouver, and two other young people also from Canada. There was another older couple, Joanne and Paul who were in the cabin next to us. They were, apparently, regular visitors to Istanbul and gave us a lot of information which was very helpful. They suggested that we stay in a Hotel called Seugma, in Sultnahmet District which is the heart of historic Old Istanbul and best base for sightseeing in Istanbul. Talking with all the passengers was a good entertainment while the train chugged along with its hissing and screeching on a huge, very wide bridge on the immense, shimmering, beautiful River Danube running along the awesome plains and plateaus. Our journey was long, more than 24 hours, to get to Istanbul, our destination. We had to cross borders of adjacent countries. Therefore, we crossed from Romania to Bulgaria to Turkey. We settled down in our very comfortable cabin with comfortable berths for the night.

Each time we came to a border, the train stopped and it felt like we were in some kind of war zone and was going to be trouble. On our first stop, a lot of uniformed inspectors got on board on the Romanian side at the Bulgarian border. With great commotion the cabin was searched with a hint of aggression, luggage and tickets were inspected with huge, shining flash lights. After all that thunder and lightning, they left and it did not take long for us to enter Bulgaria where the train came to a stop again and second set of uniformed security people from Bulgaria thundered into the cabins to carry out similar checks before they allowed the train to enter the country. Throughout Bulgaria to Turkey the ride was extremely rough, with tremendous amount of noise and violent moves from side to side making it a very scary experience. Anyway what with the rough ride and frequent inspections we got no sleep as we were awakened before and after each border crossing. At last, we reached the border of Turkey at 3:am. An announcement was made in a spooky, alien voice in a language we didn’t understand. We had no idea where to go, or what to do. They did not explain. Even if they did, language would have been a problem. By this time our car was empty for everyone ran out to get the visa. Luckily, I saw a young man coming back in after getting the visa, and asked him about what he had to do to get the visa. He was very gracious and explained to us that we need to take $65/- per person cash, passports, and tickets and walk to the cashier-stand first to pay, and then to the office next to it to have the visa stamped on the passport. It was a great help and everything went smoothly. After the immigration check, we were on our way to Istanbul. The train departed promptly and was at a full throttle on a snake tract while it rained torrentially. All the ingredients of terror travel seemed to be in the offing.

At last we came to Istanbul railway station at 10: am instead of 8: am. Happy to be there, we found that the station was pretty modern and of a considerable size. From there we took a taxi to go to Hotel Seugma, recommended by Joanne and Paul who were traveling with us, located in a central place. The location of Seugma was extremely ideal. It was in, Sultanahmet, the old city center of Istanbul. We were excited to be in this dream, multifaceted city with anticipation of enjoying its richest history, culture, and cuisine. After checking, We went to our room and freshened up to come down for breakfast. We ordered their typical and only breakfast which consisted of boiled eggs, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, sliced cheddar cheese, feta cheese, bread rolls and coffee. One of the unique feature was that they had the tea in a samovar which was divided vertically in two parts. One half had concentrated tea in it, and the other half had boiling water, and people could dispense desired amounts of coffee and water to suit their own taste. The best part for me about staying in this neat hotel was that it had an old book store right in their basement. I spent time going through their bookshelf and enjoyed it when I had time to spare, sadly there was not enough time.

On our first day we went on a walking tour which started with Hippodrome. Hippodrome, a stadium, played an important role in the city’s life. Much more went on there than just the games and chariot races. Emperors celebrated their victories and executed their enemies. Games were not only symbolic of various political aspects, but also evolved into strange communion between the emperor and his people. Hippodrome is a square and its center line can be traced through three surviving columns: Column of Constantine, Serpentine Column, and Emperor Theodosius bought the obelisk from Egypt in 390 and erected it in the Hippodrome.

Then we walked over to Topkapi palace, which became a museum in April, 1924 by the order of Ataturk, and was built by Mehmet Fatih on the hill north of Beyazit square, near where the Golden Horn joins the Bosphorus. Suleyman the Magnificent was the first to move to Topkapi palace permanently. Richest Collections of porcelain and emeralds survived even though most of the treasures were sold off when the empire was teetering at the edge of bankruptcy.

The hill where the Palace stands had been the acropolis of ancient Byzantium. Palace complex has three gate. The Bab-I Humanyun (Imperial Gate) is the main entrance to the Palace on Hagia Sophia side and built in the time of Sultan Mehmed. The Babusselam-Gate of Salutation (Middle Gate) has two towers and was a symbol of pomp and majesty of Ottoman State. The Babus saade(Gate of Felicity) Important icon of Ottoman Empire. It served as an entrance to the private residence of the sultan.

Babe-Humanyun, Imperial Gate Topkopi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

A large section of the museum was closed but we were able to visit the treasury, Sultans costumes and Holy relics, but were not permitted to take photographs. We were lucky to be able to see Talismanic wrap, a tooth, and hairs from the beard of the Prophet Mohammed. Then there was an Audience Chamber where viziers presented the issues to the king.

Topkopi Palace,Hagia Sofia, and Blue Mosque are in a walking distance of each other . Hagia Sofia was built as a cathedral in the 6^thcentury during Byzantine rule. It was converted to a mosque during ottoman period. It has a largest dome after St. Peters in Rome and St Paul in London. Christian icons and painted images were covered because Muslims considered it idolatry. But when it became a museum in 1933, images were uncovered and could be seen in many areas of the church. when we were there in 2002 the work was still ongoing and was not completed.

The Blue Mosque is across the square from Hagia Sofia and was constructed by Sultan Ahmet in 1619 as a matching bookend to it across the square from it. It was acclaimed for its finest architecture. Inside it has 21000 iznik tiles painted with blue Arabesque, therefore its name. This was the only mosque which was built with six minarets as opposed to the usual 2 or 4. This led to a chorus of protest because until then only shrine in Kaba was allowed six minarets. Mehmet was forced to send Mehmet Aga down to mecca to build a seventh minaret. Ahmet died when he was 27-year-old and was buried near this creation. The tour also included the visit to Basilica Cistern, and Valens Aquaduct.

Basilica Cistern also known as Sunken Cistern is an ancient water reservoir, built on the site where there was a Basilica, and held 100000 tons of water to be supplied to the entire city. The roof of the cistern has herring bone design. And the most striking features are the Medusa heads holding up the two pillars; One head is completely upside down and the other is sideways, both at the base of the column, but it is not known why. There is another solitary column in this forest of pillars in the Cistern called column of tears with peacock feather designs all along the surface. It was believed that the peacock design may have depicted immortality to the designers, because peacock meat stays fresh much longer than any other fresh meat.

Medusa Head upside down, Cistern, Istanbul

Romans built Aquaducts in Europan cities supplied water to the cites and still have some limited use in most places including Turkey.

The tour continued with our visit to Grand Bazar, which is a covered market in Istanbul and is one of the largest and oldest in the world and is the mother of all the shopping malls. While there, we were taken to a wholesale Turkish rugs presentation and we came out after buying a rug we cherish in our TV area in our Bedroom.

Next and last stop for the day was Sulaymania Mosque built by master architect Mimar Sinan. Its beautiful facade was even more beautiful and awe inspiring with its four minarets punctuating the skyline. Entrance to the mosque required some dress rules for the visitors; women were required to cover their hair and arms, as well as their leg, whereas men could wear short sleeve shirt as long as they have long trouser to enter the mosque. Once inside, the ambience was of perfect peace and tranquility. The interior of the mosque is decorated with Iznik tiles and colorful carpets. There were beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and dangling from the center of each chandeliers were Ostrich eggs. Apparently, Mimar Sinan, the architect used this natural method to protect the mosque from spider webs and insects. It was believed that ostrich eggs emit odors which insects such as spiders find it unbearable. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the mosque. This from outside, and not mine.

Suleymaniya Mosque (photo credit unknown)

Sightseeing in Istanbul was full of excitement, discoveries and realization for me that how Hyderabad and Turkey shared common social and cultural traditions. Which brings me to mention the fact that the last ruler of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, descendent of Asaf Shah dynasty, had two of his sons married to Turkish princesses. His eldest son Azam Jah married princess Durreshvar, daughter of the deposed Caliph, Sultan Abdul Majeed of Turkey; and Osman Ali Khan’s second son, Moazzam Jah married Nilofer, the niece of Durreshvar. In turn Azam Jahs two sons Mukkaram Jah and Muqqafam Jah also married Turkish princesses, Esra and Esin. These marriages between the two dynasties oceans apart had a strong influence on both cultures. Everything in Istanbul reminded me of my life in Hyderabad, and was really happy and surprised to see how much social, and cultural tradition we shared. Turkish restaurants served delicious Turkish Kafta kebabs, which are popular restaurant item on the menu in Hyderabad. And in Istanbul Yahin Pilaf reminded me of yakni Palao which is common in India and Pakistan, and a fairly regular go to item.

In Istanbul, I saw men in Romi topi (Tarbush) which was really a surprise for me. Romi Topi was part of the elegance in the way men dressed for work and special occasions in Hyderabad. In Hyderabad Sherwani ,men’s long jacket, (Sherwani evolved from Turkish Cape which was given a more Indian form) and Romi Topi (Trabush) was part of the business attire during Muslim rule. I couldn’t help but reminisce about my life with my parents, but especially about my father who went to the Court (he was a judge) dressed in a Sherwani, and with Romi Topi every day. Romi topi seen in is picture were usually Maroon or red in color with a healthy black tassel on the side.

Jaffer(my husband) and Ashfaq( our older son) wearing Sherwanies at the wedding ceremony of Ishtiaq( our youngest son).1999.

I reveled at my good fortune that I am part of this cultural heritage which still exists, though in small measures, in some parts of Hyderabad, and some sections of some cities in India, and even among the Muslim diaspora around the world. Next Post

Peru, South America, 2002 / Thumbnails / Travel Blog

March 28, 2019

From Puno to Colca Canyon

Floating Islands

Floating Island scene

Our next destination from Puno was Uros floating Islands on Lake Titicaca. The span of the lake is over 3000 sq. miles and straddles the borders of Bolivia ad Peru with access from either side. In the morning, our tour bus took us to board the ferry to go to the Islands. There are over 100 islands on Lake Titicaca and they are increasing in number. We came to one of the Islands. When we stepped on to the first floating Island, I had the sense of having slipped into a painting, or fantasizing seeing people living on man made reed Islands. It made me think of the skills birds use to build their nest except this was a work of art by humans to create a whole island nest with all the requisites to qualify as a home. Little reed huts like homes, (each Island has room for 5 – 6 homes) lined along one side of the Island, and community of Islanders were traditionally dressed, with all their crafts, for which they are known, displayed in front of each abode to be sold by its owners. The Island president explained that the families that reside on the island form small Committees and work to maintain everything on the islands so that they can remain afloat. The islands have homes, boats, furniture, a church, and school which need maintainance. They also have electric power due to the installation of solar Panels. One of the chores of maintaining involves adding fresh layers of reed every few weeks on the surface to consolidate the surface and compensate for the rotting reeds at the bottom which is in the water constantly. Each Island is anchored down with a tight big block of reed so it does not float away.

Another view of floating Island

Floating Island, Reed boat.

There was pressure to buy souvenirs because that is their source of living. But with our mode of travel and time we had did not allow for Schlepping extra items around. Though I marveled at their skill of how they created everything with reeds including their amazing canoes for transportation and fishing. They used tightly bundled reeds to build sturdy and really beautiful canoes.

After this lesson in Uros culture and their skillful use of Totora reed, we had more treats to come. We boarded another boat and headed out to unique Taquile Island. On our way to Taquile Island we could see people in their reed boat busy with their chores of picking up more reeds for maintenance and fishing. Taquile is not a floating island but real tiny spot of land in the middle of the lake Titicaca on Peruvian side. The inhabitants are famous for their textiles.

As we approached the island, our well-informed guide, Jorge, told us that getting to the town on the island would be hard work because it would take at least 40 minutes walking to get there. We were also given the option that there were two ways to go up. One was by climbing the steps and the other was by uphill trail which would be worth the hike. But altitude was a problem and he suggested using the trail for going up and using the steps to come back down would be the best choice.

Jorge, the guide in Tequile island

Therefore, we opted to take the trail while entering the island. He insisted that we walk real slow, and offered some mint leaves for us to chew to minimize altitude sickness and nausea. There was mint growing all along the trail. Jorge, charming and kind, stayed with us all the time.

He also informed us that there is a tradition of knitting men on the Island. They walk around the Island knitting. They make tightly woven caps which cover their ears and are floppy on the top. The best knitters are, apparently, men. Men’s knitting has a role in relationships and marital status. The most curiously noticeable aspect was the brilliant colors of the caps. The bright red single colored caps, apparently, meant that the person wearing it was married and not available. Men who were in a relationship but not yet married carried a colorful bag with pom-poms, whereas single men wore red patterned cap with floppy white top indicating that he is available. Women tend the flock of sheep, weave and spin the yarn.

Men knitting caps, Taquile Island

Restaurant in Taquile Island

When we got to the top we had a nice lunch in a restaurant with our group, and headed out to explore the area.in the time allowed. Then we were ready to move on to our next destinations which were Colca Canyon and then Arequipa which turned out to be excellent add-ons to Puno and the the floating Islands.We took a bus to Colca canyon, located northwest of Arequipa. where we stayed in a nice hotel. We went shopping because we did not bring bathing gear with us. It was quite an experience. We could not find anything in our size because they were all sold out. Anyway, we didn’t give up and continued to look and succeeded in finding something and were able to visit hot springs with our group.

Next morning in Colca Canyon, our tour bus picked us up to go to Condor Cross. It was great scenic trip to a gem of unparalleled beauty with photo ops.etc. When we arrived at Candor cross, only people there were from our tour. We were definitely in Peru with women and Children with llamas. And some women were carrying eagles in their hands as if they were performing for the tourist.

Peuvian woman with an eagle on her arm, Colca Canyon

While we were standing and enjoying the spectacular scenery, we saw the candor swooping in our direction and I was able to capture it with my camera, but the image does not do justice to the magnificent view we had of the condor in flight. Nevertheless, It was a thrilling moment for me.

Condor in flight, Colca Canyon

After the Colca Canyon trip we continued on to Arequipa and then on to Lima. We had a extra day in Lima where we did some more sight seeing before flying back home.