Articles with tag: travel

Journey to the Center of Our Souls

Maina Raza Dec 24, 2008 interacts: 32

Jerusalem was considered the fountain of wisdom because of the shared knowledge of our three traditions. I hope and pray we will one day learn to share that knowledge again.

Pura Vida – 2 Weeks in the Land of Ticos

Feroz Qutabshahi Aug 5, 2008 interacts: 8

Futbol (soccer) is a national passion. Every town and village is built around a futbol field. Quoting a tour guide “we Costa Ricans love futbol but we suck at it”.

An Ode Called Amritsar

ammara ahmad Jul 14, 2008 interacts: 141

On hearing that I was about to visit her ancestral city, my mother gave me instructions to reach her childhood home from the railway station...

My Most Memorable Journey

saman abbasi Apr 25, 2008 interacts: 45

Surraiya Bi had finally reached India her place of birth after eleven years of yearning and praying.

Runway Woes

Mushhood Zaheer Sep 29, 2007 interacts: 4

Its 2:30 pm on a warm and humid Sunday afternoon. The budget airline from Abu Dhabi has just decided to bless our humble airfield in Islamabad.

Football Madness at Maracana, Rio de Janeiro

Deepak Sapra Aug 30, 2007

Nowhere does football arouse as much passion as in Brazil; and nothing personifies it more than the scene at the Maracana, one of world's largest sporting venues.

The Dancing Girl of Mohenjodaro

Saqib Mausoof Aug 27, 2007 interacts: 18

A five thousand year old TEOTWAWKI (The end of the world as we know it) that remains forgotten today by its own.

Ellada: 3 Weeks in Northeastern Aegean Islands

Feroz Qutabshahi Aug 15, 2007 interacts: 33

We alternate our summer vacations between Pakistan and Greece, visiting places of history and intrigue. '07 was a Greece year.

Where the Teesta Flows!

mekhala raghavan Jul 10, 2007 interacts: 2

What can you say when you see Buddhist monks robed in maroon and saffron perform a ritualistic dance to the music of cymbals, drums and gongs?

30 Days in Afghanistan - Climbing Qassaba

Naeem Randhawa Jun 26, 2007 interacts: 1

On the way up, we pass kids herding goats along narrow passes. I’m in unfamiliar territory, and enjoying the mind body journey, they are at home, easily walking and climbing ahead of me.

30 Days in Afghanistan - Arrival

Naeem Randhawa Jun 24, 2007 interacts: 7

I open my window blinds, and look up at the blue sky, it’s the same sky I’d stare at in Dallas, except for the barbed wire on my horizon, and the Afghani guards 30 feet from me.

24 Hours in Dubai - Dunes and Dinars

Naeem Randhawa Jun 18, 2007 interacts: 37

Half the women I see are dressed in full burqas, and the other half look like Britney Spear rejects - this place is so full of opposites, it’s a yin yang of cultures.

Notes from the Sunderbans

Veeresh Malik Apr 13, 2007 interacts: 8

Same place, different times. And now we are told that they may vanish below the surface of the Bay of Bengal in the next few years.

A Weekend in Vienna

Asif Naqshbandi Apr 11, 2007 interacts: 13

I was joined in this ancient bibliothek by a trio of Russian ladies, all splendidly over-dressed

Monar Jomban (part 3 of 4)

Manali Chakrabarti Mar 22, 2007 interacts: 3

I have started distinguishing the girls now – all in their late teens and two of them obviously sisters. The two sisters are also the most vocal in gestures and words, very beautiful but in a loud sort of way – blood red glossy lips, mascaraed

Monar Jomban (part 2 of 4)

Manali Chakrabarti Mar 14, 2007 interacts: 6

We were out to buy Gaz (the traditional sweet of these parts, a delicate white chocolate made with sugar and eggs and some other mysterious ingredients), and we were directed to this 100 year old Gaz factory at the Western entrance of the square. There w

Monar Jomban (part 1 of 4)

Manali Chakrabarti Mar 9, 2007 interacts: 8

“Esfahan what can I write about you which has not been written before.” I quote a forgotten writer who was apparently jailed and then killed, perhaps for his writings. He was an Esfahani. I am not- but I realise that big cities and old ones, h

Can We Defy Time or Be Contacted from Outer Space?

Dawood Mamoon Feb 26, 2007 interacts: 18

As social human evolution is progressing at a faster rate, so are our capabilities to decode information. We are getting rather more accurate in our understanding of the universe and unraveling more complicated universal phenomenon while retaining our na

Why Have This Train At All?

Veeresh Malik Feb 19, 2007 interacts: 457

The complete Samjhauta Express scenario as it operates now, with a full night for the bad guys and their cohorts to create havoc between Delhi and Attari, as well as on the way back, is all about smuggling between India and Pakistan

Religious Tourism

Emma Alam Feb 19, 2007 interacts: 12

Enthralling and enchanting locations of Pakistan beckon not only domestic but also foreign tourists to great extent.

If Pigs Could Fly

Ibrahim M Khalil Jan 25, 2007 interacts: 14

When proceeding to the check in counter, I always increased or decreased my pace so that I get a chance to stand next to a lady in the queue. Though I have been successful in this feat but then again, fate had something else stored for me.

Visiting Khuzdar

Muhammad Farhan Nov 26, 2006 interacts: 7

I was surprised to see the participants already there. From my past experiences I had learned that it was always the teacher who made the mistake of coming early to the class, but here was a group of students clad in shining white shalwar kameez

Hala – City of Crafts

Ameer Hamza Nov 9, 2006 interacts: 1

Once you’ve seen what poor, almost rag-tag, artisans can do with the paper, glass, cotton and wood you get convinced quite easily that art has no limits.

A Trip Down Moscow Lanes

shobig sifar Nov 2, 2006 interacts: 23

The tour culminated in the red square and from there I, with a couple of other attendants, set off for a stroll around the square and followed it up by a visit to the Kremlin. We had barely half an hour before it closed and that turned out to be terribly

Meeting the Pakistani-Swiss

Wasiq N Khan Oct 27, 2006 interacts: 145

By a Burger King, I saw a group of Eastern European men playing chess with giant wooden pieces. Next to them, was a clique of South Asian men in their forties and fifties smoking cigarrettes and talking animatedly in Punjabi.

Rawalakot: Rediscovered

Nadeem Akram Sep 22, 2006 interacts: 5

There was hardly a few dozen people there; a rarity at most tourist sites in Pakistan. Men, women, children, rich, poor, old and young all went about their business without a worry. Boats carrying families went around and around the lake without anyone og

A Nomad Among the Bedouins

Atif Sep 21, 2006 interacts: 68

Safeena was the kohl-eyed daughter of Abu Muaz. The moment I laid eyes on her in the early hours of one morning, I felt as if rain had begun to pour down on the dry and parched land of my heart.

An American Experience

Muhammad Tariq Aug 17, 2006 interacts: 12

Just when I was beginning to think that perhaps I would never be able to see the country which I had read so much about in the bound volumes of Reader’s Digest my father had collected so lovingly over the years, from the old book shops of Karachi,

Encountering My Own Berlin Wall

Rezwan Bajwa Jan 31, 2006 interacts: 3

‘Now what is a foreigner doing in Berlin tonight!’ exclaimed an old man in the Berlin street. Racism was something I had prepared myself for. This old man was harmless when compared to the militant neo-Nazi outfits in Moscow

Traveling Mexico’s Backroads

Alberto Ceras Oct 21, 2005 interacts: 14

They have chosen well - Chiapas is beauty - miraculous - though in their need the beauty may be more torment than not.

Viva Las Vegas

Delhiwala Sep 23, 2005 interacts: 38

Contrary to the prevalent reputation, there is lot more to it other than Shows and Gambling.

Lost in Port du Orlean, France

Rizwana Khan Sep 14, 2005 interacts: 10

They always reply when asked, “Vous parlez Englaise?” A little bit” which means really nothing. It usually means that they know a few words jumbled up that make no sense.

The Warmth Between Indians and Sri Lankans

Ajay Kamalakaran Aug 8, 2005 interacts: 27

The narrow geographical gap between the two nations is figuratively getting smaller with each passing day.

Gurgaon Past and Present

indra chopra Jun 24, 2005 interacts: 15

The original Gurgaon residents continue to shop at sector markets, look at the three M’s i.e. malls, multiplexes and multi-cuisine as encroachers

Cardamom Cloud over Coffee

Harish Nambiar Jun 9, 2005 interacts: 27

Indians have so many divisions, and one of the divisions between North and South India is the preference in beverages. Tea is the preferred drink in the North of India, while South Indians love coffee.

Do riot children smell fear in parent’s sweat?

Harish Nambiar May 31, 2005 interacts: 9

And yet, they go back to their insular neighbourhoods. Will the school triumph over the whispered prejudices of their neighbourhoods?

On the Banks of the Wishing Lake

soma sarkar May 24, 2005 interacts: 5

A lake protected by birds. Where wishes come true.

Going Home to Lahore, and a World Left Behind

Parag Khanna May 8, 2005 interacts: 21

Before I die, I want to see where I was born,' my father announced last fall at home in Katonah, N.Y., as our family was celebrating Diwali, the Hindu New Year. With that, my parents and I began making plans to travel to Pakistan.

Pakistan Travelogue II

Parag Vohra Apr 5, 2005 interacts: 786

The son of a humble weaver, he was very attached to a Brahmin named Madho Lal and to immortalize the friendship between the two, he decided to name himself Madho Lal Shah Hussain. Every year, on the last Sunday of March, Mela Chiraghan, or the festival of

Lahore Diary

Aniruddha Bahal Mar 11, 2005 interacts: 15

Basant in Lahore, Cooco's Den, Gurudwara Dera Sahib, and Visa advise after a recent visit to Lahore

Istanbul Impressions

Deepak Sapra Mar 10, 2005 interacts: 2

Taking history in its stride, moving ahead at a racy pace, nonchalantly balancing contradictions between two worlds, Istanbul is a city I always love to come home to.

The Covered Trucks

Harish Nambiar Mar 4, 2005 interacts: 30

PART II - We left Vapi the next morning, March 3. We started out towards Nasik, back into Maharashtra. Nasik was a four hour ride through rugged low lying bald hills, taking the full blast of the March sun’s fury blazing away...

A Taste of Lahore

Ras Siddiqui Feb 23, 2005 interacts: 11

Since lunch in Delhi was a big affair, the officially forced frugality at weddings in Pakistan was quite welcome, as bowls of chicken corn soup was all that was served. Good soup though!

Deliciously Delhi

Ras Siddiqui Feb 18, 2005 interacts: 70

Food and history are something that both Delhi and Lahore have in common.

India Through Pakistani Eyes

Pervez Hoodbhoy Feb 16, 2005 interacts: 625

Is India now set to become a science juggernaut, a leader of the coming 'Asian Century'? A nascent superpower of the East?

Cairo: A Foreigner’s View

Aisha Farooqui Feb 7, 2005 interacts: 7

history in Egypt is traced back 5000 years ago and Islamic history and the reign of Salahudin Ayubi is called recent history.

Damascus Diary, Mehraba!

Deepak Sapra Jan 18, 2005 interacts: 5

I had romantic impressions of Damascus, of it being a place having archaeological artifacts by the thousands, of an overwhelming feeling of timelessness, history strewn all over. Now, after a few days in the city, I get the impression that ancient histo

Meeting Sattar Edhi

Ras Siddiqui Jan 16, 2005 interacts: 13

No visitor to Karachi can ignore the presence of the Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife Bilquis and their work on behalf of Pakistan’s poor.

Moving to an Alien Land

B Waraich Jan 9, 2005 interacts: 23

Moving even temporarily to another country can be extremely angst ridden. Even the things you disliked suddenly seem comfortable because of their familiarity.

Train from Pakistan, 2004: The Return

Veeresh Malik Oct 20, 2004 interacts: 379

Final preamble to an epilogue on a tribute that became a travelogue accused of being a monologue.

Train to Pakistan 2004: La, Hore?

Veeresh Malik Aug 22, 2004 interacts: 496

On anti-Americanism. Means, Taliban not gooood. But American not gooood, too. This starts a discussion, and we discover that an open debate on the pros and cons of USA is as wide-angle in this bus as anywhere else in the world. But nobody will say one bad

The Mystery of South India

Nazar Khan Aug 4, 2004 interacts: 148

There is a similar philosophy behind the South Indian saree. The unstiched drape enhances the shape of wearer and only partially covers the midriff. The navel is left unconcealed because it is considered a source of life and creativity.

Train to Pakistan 2004 - Heading Back

Veeresh Malik Aug 1, 2004 interacts: 245

This time around, I choose to dispense with the philosophy. I need to build up the pace and get back to India, there are other travelogues waiting to be written.

What’s the Taj Mahal like from the inside? And Other Stories

Rohit De Jul 18, 2004 interacts: 67

Despite coming all the way from Bangalore to Lahore to debate, all six of us at the hall that morning were nervous at the thought of being cross examined by 40 schoolgirls

Zwingli’s Zurich

Banjaara Jul 15, 2004 interacts: 36

Looking eastward between the cobbled lanes across the Limmat river up into the mountains, I found my self gazing at a pair of minaret like towers that looked incongruous in the heart of Christian Europe...

Train to Pakistan 2004 - Broad Ways

Veeresh Malik Jun 16, 2004 interacts: 137

If there is one sentiment I believe in, then that is this - India and Pakistan can, as separate countries but with motive forces together, rule the world.

Train to Pakistan 2004: Just Another Touristy Day.

Veeresh Malik May 21, 2004 interacts: 76

I can write a complete novel about this brief drive on the GT Road, but shall still not be able to do justice.

London Yatra

Badtameez Bano May 19, 2004 interacts: 19

Don’t ask me what I did in London. I managed NOT to see any of the things that should be seen.

Train to Pakistan 2004: In and Around Pindi

Veeresh Malik May 12, 2004 interacts: 29

A group of young men are convinced that Pakistan’s forthcoming loss in cricket to India does not really mean much because 4 of the Indian players are actually 'ours'... I spend a lot of time trying to explain status of Muslims in India and as Indian

The Travelogue of an Astronomer

Salman Hameed May 12, 2004 interacts: 4

An astronomer’s journey to the volcanic island of La Palma, located off the coast of Morocco.

Train to Pakistan 2004: Passage To Pindi

Veeresh Malik May 4, 2004 interacts: 31

There are crowds and crowds of people waiting at Lahore to receive this train and the first loud words shouted over the top of the hullabulloo that I hear when I enter Lahore, are . . . . 'Ram Chander!! Ram Chander!?!'

My Pakistan Diary: The Feudal

Dost Mittar May 3, 2004 interacts: 220

If the professional politician has to penetrate those bonds and win the confidence of the people, s/he will have to not only make promises but deliver them in the way the feudal does.

Train to Pakistan 2004: The Journey Outbound

Veeresh Malik Apr 28, 2004 interacts: 48

Attari International attracts more flies than all the Punjabs put together could have.

My Pakistan Diary: Lahore Aaya Main Othay Dil Chhod Aaya!

Dost Mittar Apr 24, 2004 interacts: 325

If it is true that puritanical Islam abhors fun and frolic, then the Mullah has met his match in the Lahori

Train to Pakistan 2004: The Tribute

Veeresh Malik Apr 21, 2004 interacts: 66

Where does one begin when trying to put down in words the unemotional but true rendition of what could well be the journey of a lifetime?

My Pakistan Diary: A Bus Trip Like No Other

Dost Mittar Apr 21, 2004 interacts: 45

The bus traveled like a VIP motorcade. It was not required to obey traffic lights.

The Kumbh Mela of the South

Harimau Iyer Apr 16, 2004 interacts: 16

The next morning, I am woken up by the muezzin’s call to prayer from a nearby mosque. Shortly thereafter, the Someshwar Temple starts some recorded chant on its loudspeakers.

Takshi Sheela

Mohammed Amjed Apr 7, 2004 interacts: 4

I imagine ascetics in saffron robes, their feet mired in Takshi Sheela dirt, frozen in delirious silence, chanting--their anointed faces ablaze.

One Night in Romania

Zain Malik Mar 23, 2004 interacts: 38

True story of a Pakistani’s ordeal while backpacking in the hinterlands of Europe

Bombay, personally

Beena Sarwar Feb 27, 2004 interacts: 98

A visit to Karachi’s vibrant, charismatic, long lost twin

That Evening in Paris

Nazar Khan Jan 11, 2004 interacts: 21

I took the lift for the 18th floor. The lift stopped at the eight floors. A sparkling young lady peeped in and greeted me with a ’Bon Jour’. I thought she wanted some information. Her next sentence cleared the confusion. ’Want some compa

Barcelona: An Unconventional and Needless Guide

Isfandyar Khan Dec 21, 2003 interacts: 9

Barcelona, bustling Latin chaos swarmed in with royal Catalan air. Two nights is better than none and with that in mind I headed to BCN on the way back from oh so lovely DC.

Crossing the Atlantic

Nazar Khan Nov 30, 2003 interacts: 71

Incidentally, the shortest distance between two places on earth is not along a straight line on the map; but is along the circumference of the globe which appears a curved line on the flat two-dimensional map.

To Taj -- In Dutch Company

Zafar Anjum Nov 3, 2003 interacts: 5

To live in India and not to see the Taj Mahal is like to have eyes and not to know beauty. For over 25 years, I had not known beauty.

Toronto Talks in Whispers

Farzana Versey Oct 26, 2003 interacts: 46

Canadian culture is open but reserved; there is a glass wall which lets you look in and look out, but not walk through.

Boston

Bina Shah Oct 10, 2003 interacts: 43

The joy at having the customs official at Logan look at my passport and my visa and say, 'You’re going to Wellesley? That’s fantastic. I wish I could have gone to Wellesley.'

Travelogue to Timbuctoo

Gajendra Singh Aug 20, 2003 interacts: 8

So, finally I am on my way to Timbaktou. Aboard a German built river vessel

Lanka - A Small Sashay

arti buxi Jun 27, 2003 interacts: 15

On a fine March morning, I too packed my passport and landed into the hassle free Colombo airport. The way I see it, supreme happiness is ‘Visa on Arrival’.