Goa - Sun, Sand and Beaches - Chapter 2

Well, this vacation meant a lot as we were going together as a family after a long long time. It took us 2 months to finalize the holiday destination. We started planning for Mauritius, Singapore, Kerala, Pondicherry (now Pudducherry) and then we finally agreed on Goa. Though we have been there before but since Goa has it's own charm and value proposition, the excitement grew each day as we  were nearing our vacation dates.

Selecting Goa was also a wise decision as we were taking along our 2.5 year old son and we didn't know how will he react to completely new place, that too for 5 nights. We had it in mind even if feel restricted with him on our vacation, it will not be a problem as we have been to Goa before and stayed in the same hotel and I knew what all facilities I was going to get. But all our anticipation was false. He enjoyed a lot and didn't want to return home at the end of our trip. More on this later.

Patiala Peg: How a Maharaja’s Bet Created a Legend

Punjab has always fascinated me - its history, its food, and the sheer amount of love its people pour into everything (including the size of their meal portions). Recently, I found myself in Punjab wandering through Chandigarh, Jalandhar, and eventually to the shimmering Golden Temple in Amritsar. Along the way, I collected stories from locals - some unforgettable, some… well, let’s just say the lassi was stronger than my memory. But one story stuck with me forever—the legend of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala.

Mukteshwar Travel Guide: How Four Boys Got Lost, Found God, and Chose a Hotel at 2 AM

[Mukteshwar]

They say, "some destinations leave you spellbound," and Mukteshwar is definitely one of them. Situated high in the Kumaon Hills of Uttarakhand, it’s a town so beautiful, my friends and I had to witness it for ourselves. This was an "all boys trip," which, as any man knows, means two things: minimal planning and maximum chaos. We left Delhi late on a Friday night, after picking up one of our friends from his Gurgaon office, ready for an epic road trip.

White Horse, Westbury, England

Sometimes, you come across some marvelous places even when you are not looking for them and sometimes you don't even understand their significance any time soon until you look at your old pictures and then search for that place on internet. 

This is exactly what happened with me when we crossed Westbury, England famous for its White Horse hill figure on the escarpment of Salisbury Plain. We were on our way to Stonehenge and while driving witnessed several white horses in farms and then we witnessed this White Horse hill figure while we drove across the road. Though I did not know the significance of it, still there was something amusing about it which caught my attention and I tried to take a click of it while we continued the drive without stopping.

The Cholmondeley Ladies - c.1600 - 10

The Cholmondeley Ladies

Few stories get stuck in your head... like forever. I am not a fan of paintings to be honest but some paintings do tell a story, a history which you can't forget. This painting by an anonymous artist which is placed in Tate Britain, London is one painting I can't forget. The Cholmondeley Ladies, painted oil on wood tells a story of these ladies who were born on the same day, married the same day, and gave birth the same day, according to an inscription. Just a mere coincidence or something far beyond our understanding eh?

Chokhi Dhani, Sonipat: A Taste of Rajasthan Near Delhi

Man on Rope

Craving to spend an evening away from Delhi's Hustle Bustle? An ethnic Rajasthani themed entertainment village is the place you may want to check out. Chokhi Dhani, Sonipat, Haryana, is built on the same concept of Chokhi Dhani, Jaipur, Rajathan, though a bit smaller. Located on NH 1 and couple of hours drive from New Delhi is definitely a fresh welcome for wanderers.

The Last Supper

How often does it happen that you are just walking by some place and then you discover something really amazing? Rarely, right? I was just going through my photo library on my laptop and saw "The Picture" I clicked of "The Last Supper" by Franz De Cleyn, an artist who was the court painter to King James I. 

While, my friends and I were waiting in the long long queue to enter Windsor Palace, Windsor, Berkshire, UK, I thought to step out of the queue to explore the surroundings of this small beautiful vibrant town. As I crossed the Windsor Parish Church of St John The Baptist, I read the board it had outside which mentioned "Do not miss the following items in the Church" and at number 1 it said "The painting of The Last Supper by Franz De Cleyn, court painter to King James I. I remember reading about it in the history books, how can I miss the opportunity to see it in real?

My Journey to Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra: A Blend of Travel and Faith

As we continued our journey after paying our visit to The Golden Temple in Amritsar, it started to rain. Though, we knew already that it is going to rain a lot, so it wasn't a surprise. In March, it rains a lot so we were well prepared. Rain did slow us down but it was a relief and made our journey even more beautiful. Around 12 in the noon, we crossed Pathankot and entered Jammu. It started raining heavily and we decided to take a stop for lunch at road side Dhaba. After satisfying our stomachs, we had a cup of tea while we gazed outside at the beautiful views of hills while it rained. It was time to hit the road again and now we committed ourselves to not to stop at all on the way. By the time it stopped raining and we caught the speed. We took the new highway which is recently built in 2014 to reach Katra and drastically cut down our travel time. Road was smooth and wide and by evening around 7, we finally reached Katra.

The Golden Temple, Amritsar (Punjab), India

The Golden Temple

It was time for me to wash off some of my sins and hence I planned a trip to The Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, also known as Harmandir Sahib/Darbar Sahib. I further planned to visit The Holy Shrine of Vaishno Devi in Jammu. It was a family trip and we left in the night to reach Amritsar early in the morning. Except for some tea and snacks, we didn't take much stoppages to keep up with the schedule and by morning 8am, we reached The Golden Temple in Amritsar. We parked our vehicle and the temple was still few kilometers away from the parking zone so we hired a Tonga to reach the temple premises. We could have chosen auto rickshaw as well, but why not travel in an old fashion way?

The West Pier, Brighton

The West Pier

Does this happen to you when you see something historic which was grand at one time and now fading away with time? History can be fascinating and can haunt you as well the more you dig. On my visit to Brighton, I certainly enjoyed the beach, The Brighton Pier and the rides it offered, but there was another side of Brighton as well, The West Pier which gave me goose bumps once I got to know the history of it. 

 

The West Pier in Brighton was opened in 1866 with a length of 1115 feet, built with cast iron threaded columns screwed into the seabed. It included a concert hall which was added later.

 

The London Bridge

It came to me as a surprise that the original London Bridge isn't in London anymore. The original London bridge was sold to Robert McCulloch of McCulloch Oil and he rebuilt it in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. There is a rumor that Robert McCulloch thought he was getting Tower Bridge instead. Not surprisingly there have been several bridges on the London Bridge site and the present one is just under 40 years old.
 

Mussoorie Travel Diary: Jungle Challenges, Maggi & Missed Waterfalls

Mussoorie

Why Mussoorie Was Destined to Happen?

For years, I had missed every office-sponsored off-site like it was my secret talent. Either I was “too busy,” “too sick,” or the universe simply hated my suitcase. But this time, I swore on Maggi noodles that I’d show up. After weeks of meticulous planning, color-coded spreadsheets, and enough Google searches to crash a server, we locked in on Mussoorie – the Queen of Hills, the land of mist, Mall Road, and every North Indian’s Instagram fantasy.

The London Eye

                                

I stepped out of my apartment on my first weekend in the city to explore my surroundings where I will be spending next couple of months. As I walked along the South Bank of the river Thames enjoying the most cherished, British Summers, I reached the most famous landmark of London, The London Eye. This giant Ferris wheel is the center of attraction and there was a huge queue to get on to that. As a matter of fact, it is the most popular paid tourist attraction with 3.5 million tourists annually.