2011 Flashback - Danish fort on Tranquebar

Its barely a month to go for 2011 to end and a flashback series is what I have in mind to go back on memory lane. Just started a new series this month and I thought of posting a story or a photograph  from a destination hat I had visited this year. So for the next 31 days, here is a post per day. Here is the Danish fort from Tranquebar, a trip made in September 2011

 I was driving through the coasts of Tamil Nadu from Chennai to Tranqeuebar and was hosted by Neemrana Group of Hotels courtesy Terrascape. A 16 page pull out on the coast was published by Terrascape in October 2011.

If you like my posts and pictures and if you like to travel with me , join me on Facebook. 

Skywatch Friday

A new journey, a new destination . I am off to Jordan today courtesy Visit Jordan, the Tourism Board and I cannot tell you how excited I am. On Thanksgiving day, I feel grateful that I get to see so many unexpected surprises on my lap.

While I explore new vistas, here is my contribution for Skywatch- a sun setting against the backdrop of the Chausath Yogini temple, one of the oldest of the shrines in Khajuraho, built around the 9th century.

I was fortunate enough to have Lalit group of hotels hosting me on recommendation from Small Luxury Hotels of the World and I had a great guide in Mamaji, a veteran tourist guide and scholar who took us to all these temples.

For great skies around the world , visit Skywatch.

If you like my posts and pictures and if you like to travel with me , join me on Facebook.

Guest Post - 8 Reasons to visit Paris in the Winter

Paris is a great city to visit in the winter. You can find a cheap Paris hotel and stay longer for less money than during peak season. Since there are fewer tourists in Paris in the winter, your stay will be very pleasant. You will not have to push through crowds and wait on long lines in the museums and other attractions. There are many indoor museums, cafes and restaurants to enjoy. Winter feels different in Paris than the summer months. You also feel like a Parisian in Paris in the winter.

1. Beaujolais Nouveau Celebrations begin at midnight on the third Thursday of every November. The celebrations last until the early morning hours. The year's vintage is sought by many on this celebration.

2. From November through the end of January, go see the lights of Paris at the Champ Elysees. It is a beautiful sight where lights are strung on trees lining the streets across the city of Paris. Paris decorates the city by putting up 1,000 fresh-cut fir trees. The lower end of the Champs is decorated with 300 of these trees. In addition, Paris' famous department stores decorate their window displays for the Christmas holiday season.

3. Ice skating in Paris is a must. Paris has several ice skating rinks in the winter months throughout the city. The ice rinks in Paris are very beautiful and festive. The most popular ice skating rink in Paris is located 200 feet above the ground at the Eiffel Tower. Hotel de Ville also has an ice skating rink at the base of the Montparnasse tower.

Ice �skating photo by Oliver Bruchez

4. Paris Christmas markets are also a popular attraction. They are open from the end of November through Christmas. You can find great holiday gifts at these Christmas markets.

5. See great Christmas shows and concerts in Paris. Christmas in Paris is very unique. The Christmas shows start in the beginning of December. Parisians consider Le Raveillon (their Christmas Eve dinner) a big event. The meal is after Mass. It includes traditional food like oysters, turkey, un bouche de noel cake and foie gras. After the meal, diners leave their shoes for Santa Claus (Pere Noel in Paris) to fill with treats.

Paris Christmas photo by Zoriah

6. Spending New Year�s in Paris is like no other. Parisians celebrate with elaborate dinners including champagne and fireworks. The New Year�s celebrations in Paris are boisterous. In late January, there are great Chinese New Year celebrations around the city.

7. You will find the best sales shopping in the winter in Paris. France only has two sale seasons per year. Winter is one of them. In late January, you can find great deals in many Parisian shops. Especially due to the fact that Parisians rush to move Christmas inventory that wasn't sold. Inexpensive items can be found at the winter sales.
 

8. Blend in with the local Parisians. February and March are the months in which few tourists are in Paris. These are quiet months for those who enjoy a beautiful city without the crowds. There are fewer festivals, celebrations or special events during February and March. However, they are the best months for deals on incredible hotel rates in Paris and airfare to Paris. It�s also a great time to breeze through short or non-existent lines at the museums and other attractions.

About the author: Leah Prendergast is a guest writer for AnyTrip.com  a hotel booking site for affordable travel.

Inside Story - A detour to Mukarwa

The dust rose from the floor of the mud road , almost blinding our path, as we took a detour from the highway. It was a mausoleum amidst the dry fields that had drawn my attention. Earlier in the day, as I was leaving Khajuraho, Mamaji, the erudite scholar and my guide had handed over a small piece of paper in my hands. � You must see these places on the way to Orchha .Tell the driver, he will understand ,� he said as I scanned the paper, scrawled with a mix of English and Hindi words with some directions

Now , Mamaji was unlike any other guide I had met. We had spoken on hours relating to almost every aspect of the temples in Khajuraho , be it history, legends or tantrism. In impeccable English, he stuck to facts but his interpretations and pet theories would often be backed by historic claims as well. And as he walked with us, his 40 years of experience in tourism showed, but not his 67 years of age. So when Mamaji handed over the paper to me, I decided that I must stop over at the places he mentioned.

The first on the itinerary was a village called Mukarva in Chhatarpur which I was told would be almost 55 kms from Khajuraho. The village was home to the memorials built for Maharaja Chhatrasal , the fierce Bundeli warrior and his queen. An hour of driving around and the driver shook his head and said he has never heard of the village and refused to ask for directions. Finally we stopped by an unknown mausoleum on the highway and asked a couple of locals for directions. A couple of minutes later, we saw another tomb , followed by a third and then in the distance was a towering cenotaph . We parked the car and walked around the village, much to the amusement of the children who gathered around us. A couple of old women were sitting across each other outside their homes . The dogs seemed annoyed that we had interrupted their afternoon siesta. Then we saw a huge monument with a fort in the background.

The watchman showed us around, but insisted that we visit the queen�s cenotaph too. �There are so many fresco paintings inside, come I will show you� he said and got into the car with us as we drove a bit. And then we saw a lovely lake spread out in front of us circled by monuments � the centotaphs, the ruins of a fort and a palace in the distance which is now the Dubela museum. Suddenly an unknown , obscure village had turned into a historic spot.

The museum did attract a lot of tourists. The palace looked rather grand, but inside there was no light as we saw the sculptures, the weapons and other exhibits in virtual darkness. A lot of broken furniture was lying around .

Maharaja Chhatrapur would probably be happy that at least a town is named after him .The 17^th century chieftain who had established his own kingdom had once ruled over the entire kingdom, with his capital at Panna . The diamond mines in his capital had ensured that his reign was rather prosperous.  His claim to fame was of course that he had thwarted the Mughal emperor, Aurangazeb�s attempts to establish supremacy and collect tax. Apparently eight wars were fought between the Mughal forces and the Bundellas and the latter had been successful with their alliance with the Peshwa Baji Rao 11.  . We heard more stories and legends and history sings panegyric verses and rich tributes to the king , but on land, his legacy is literally collecting  just a lot of dust. 

This story was published in my column, Inside Story on The Hindu, Metro Plus   .

If you like my stories and my photographs and would like to travel with me, please join me on my Facebook page

Greetings from Khajuraho

Last week, I was travelling around Madhya Pradesh and spent a couple of days in Khajuraho, courtesy Lalit Hotels and the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, who hosted me . I had a wonderful trip of all the temples in Khajuraho in the company of an erudite scholar and guide , Mamaji. More on this trip later, while you enjoy some wonderful skies around the world in this week's edition of Skywatch

If you enjoy my posts and my pictures, please join me on my travel page on Facebook - Travel with Lakshmi

A morning in Pondicherry

The erstwhile French colony, Pondicherry seemed all sedate and quiet when we went for a morning heritage walk along its shores

If you like my photographs and would like to know more about my journeys,please do join me on Facebook page..TravelwithLakshmi

Corbett - Tiger Tourism anyone ?

It is 4am in the morning and the eyes are still getting used to the darkness around . An icy breeze tugs at you, awakening the silent waters of the River Kosi flowing through our Club Mahindra resort. Standing on the banks of the river, I watch the moonlit ridges of the mountains, towering above, almost touching the jeweled sky. While some of my fellow travelers are star gazing, a few are attempting night photography. I , for one am just lost in the silence.

The summons arrive on the mobile and we are hurriedly on our way to keep up our date with the tiger in the forests of Corbett . It is our second attempt out there to meet the most coveted denizen of the jungle, having spent an entire day in the wilds . But the tiger probably was aware that almost 20 vehicles would be entering through the Jhirna zone for a rendezvous. So it left us high and dry, leaving behind its pugmarks as we saw several jeeps bringing in all types of tourists including international students who would break into a jig at the very sight of even a deer. We did see several birds, butterflies and smaller mammals, but for the �tiger tourists�, the sightings were just not enough.

Today , however as we board our jeeps, there is a feeling of hope. It is an auspicious moment, as the Bijrani Gate of the Jim Corbett National Park is to be opened  today ,months after the monsoons. The other gates, am told are still closed.

As we drive away in the darkness, hoping for an encounter,  we have no idea  what is in store for us .The experience begins at the government office in Ramnagar.. A couple of members from our group are already waiting there for the last hour to get the requisite permits and documents for the safari. I am told it�s a bit of luck and some push here and there. Then we see the never ending queue for the permits. And that is when I learn a bit about the trappings of tiger tourism . We wait there for what seems like hours.

Finally there are smiles all around as we make our way to the gate. And then the never ending wait begins as another 20 odd jeeps queue up around. Dawn breaks and the sunlight filters as restlessness sets in. The drivers exchange notes and the topic of discussion veers around the recent strike by the forest guides who are demanding more rights. �In fact �says my driver �the opening of the gates was postponed by a few days because of the strike. �  I ask him why we are still waiting and he says some officials have to come.  We laugh wondering if there is some form of an opening ceremony and to my surprise, a television crew lands . The interviews with the officials are on ; the cameraman takes some footage of us , sleepy eyed and hungry waiting to enter the national park . And finally after more teas and pakodas, the green signal is given and after almost a couple of hours wait,  we enter the national park

The sunlight filters through the tall sal trees as we drive along the safari route of this deciduous forests, squinting through the dense foliage . The naturalist in our group Karthikeyan Srinivasan keeps us engaged , spotting birds , spiders and small mammals.  . Corbett he says has about 600 species of birds, of the 1200 recorded in India. We spot a mongoose , while our friends see the rare yellow throated marten ,besides langurs and deer . But then the tiger, probably having spotted the jeep load of tourists, has again moved on , leaving its footprints on the sands of time. As we head back, the birders in our group are happy , but the tiger tourists are a tad disappointed . 

As for me, Corbett is more to do with the man,  Jim Corbett himself than about the tigers he hunted .Corbett National Park, the oldest in India was earlier known as Hailey National Park before it took the name of the famous naturalist, author of several books. And having grown up on his �Man eaters of Kumaon,� I saw the villages and the forests vividly in front of my eyes, as I had imagined while reading the book.

My favourite memory of Corbett is visiting his house, now a museum in Kaladhungi,  walking around it, looking at the paintings and imagining him being on call from villagers when a man-eater struck in their hamlets. And as I walk away , his words remain in my mind .. �A tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage and that when he is exterminated - as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support - India will be the poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna. �  

However, I am sure,  I will get a glimpse of  this �large hearted gentleman �someday in the forests . 

This article was published in my column, Inside Story in The Hindu Metro Plus today.  I was part of the Club Mahindra Bloggers Trip to Corbett in  October 2011.

If you like my photographs and would like to know more about my journeys,please do join me on Facebook.http://www.facebook.com/TravelwithLakshmi

Sunset in Nainital - Skywatch

I was recently in Nainital as part of the Club Mahindra Bloggers Trip. We were waiting for the cable car to take us downhill when we saw the sun setting on the Himalayas.

For more skies across the world, visit Skywatch

If you like my photographs and would like to know more about my journeys,please do join me on Facebook.http://www.facebook.com/TravelwithLakshmi