Ambohimanga....Lemurs ….Madagascar…..

Need to catch up with all the travels done in 2018! Let me begin with Madagascar. Not the movie but the real country! The simplest way to reach Madagascar is from Johannesburg S. Africa.  The flight crossed the Indian ocean and the lush green forests and mountains are in sight when we landed at Antananviro.  Madagascar is the remnant of the ancient Gondwanaland and due its isolation its flora and fauna are unique.

We checked into the Carlton Hotel overlooking the lake and this is the only five-star hotel in Antananarivo the capital of Madagascar.  Though French is spoken widely, the hotel staff are conversant in English. Time to explore the Lemur sanctuary park. Lemurs are a separate species from monkeys are apes. It was interesting to see their antics.

Another must visit place is Ambohimanga a UNESCO World heritage site near Antananarivo.  The largest ethnic group Merina consider this as their spiritual and national identity.  Till the French colonized Madagascar and its surrounding islands by defeating the King Radama II.  Madagascar gained independence in 1958 and named as Malagasy republic.

An island with species nowhere to be found in the continental Africa, rain forests, spices, orchids mixture of ethnic groups makes this island an exotic location. Time to fly back to South Africa.

PEACE ON EARTH

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Santorini....Caldera.....Aegean.....

The blue domes looked like beautiful jellyfish from the air. The plane landed in the narrow runway next to the shores of the Aegean Sea.

OIA Village

 The island is part of the Cyclades and the volcanic caldera forms the island. The capital is Fira (Thira in Greek). A quaint town with abundance of wine and cheese. Water is scarce in the ancient houses situated on the cliff.

The village of Oia is the highlight of the visit. It is a breathtaking place perched on a cliff and the gorgeous sunset and sunrise makes it magical. I saw many brides and grooms happily posing on top of the caldera who come here from all parts of the World just to get married in this artistic ancient Aegean island. I am stopping here as the pictures are better than writing!

PEACE ON EARTH!

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Malaga....Granada....Alhambra......

The Andalusian coast always fascinated me with its Mediterranean climate and the beautiful beaches. Packed and flew to Madrid. From Madrid one can either drive or fly to Malaga. We chose to fly due to time constraints.  Malaga Airport is very traveler friendly and connects to major cities in Spain. Malaga also houses the Picasso Museum.  Yes, Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga.

Drove to Granada about 3 hours from Malaga. The Sierra Nevada mountains looked beautiful. The green olive groves, vineyards and the citrus farms makes you feel energetic.  Granada welcomed us with its towering Alhambra palace standing testimony to its Moorish heritage and architecture. It is also It is also a designated UNESCO heritage site.

The Nasrid Palace is a must to visit. The grandiose rooms and the gardens reminds the architectural evolution using geometric patterns and the Moorish art. The tiles and mosaic shows amazing patterns and design.  In the royal chapel, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were buried.  There is a beautiful painting of the Moors returning the Alhambra palace to Queen Isabella.

 I would recommend an audio guided tour to learn every detail of the palace and the grounds.   I felt elated to see the Washington Irving’s “The Alhambra” live.  The gorgeous sunset reminded that we need to taste the Andalusian dinner. Definitely recommend the Hicuri Art Vegan for a fabulous food experience.

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 . PEACE ON EARTH

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Roma....Napoli....Pompei.....

What a nice way to end 2016 in Italy! Rome again after 12 years.  Landed in Rome just on time for the December 25th celebrations at the St. Peter's Basilica. The Christmas Parade,  joyous crowd,  and the Pope's message on peace made this a special Christmas vacation.

The next day visited Naples (Napoli in Italian) and Pompeii.  The drive on the beautiful Napoli coast is a must one.  Visited the small island of Capri and enjoyed the beautiful beaches.  The next stop was Pompeii. The archaeological site is located just at the bottom of Mt. Vesuvius.  The volcano which erupted in 79AD covered the city with lava and ash.  Pliny the Younger, a notable Judicial officer, writer, and orator, who witnessed the eruption, mentioned as the “cloud of unusual size and appearance” to a pine tree that “rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches”;  The term Plinean eruption in geology is coined after his description of the volcano.  

Today, tourists and archaeologists throng this city to get enamored by the beauty and to witness the helplessness of humans before a natural calamity. The city is now a UNESCO heritage site. The casting of the people who were buried along with the city is quite poignant. Pompeii is a well planned city, Etruscan villas, working class neighborhood, lead pipes carrying water, central stadium, and even the houses marked by numbers. Very interesting one is a house with a sign of "beware of dog"!

The dog's image was etched in mural and one can imagine the lifestyle of those Pompeiians.

Enjoyed the sun set that made Mount Vesuvius to glow in crimson red. 

Also, time to have dinner at the recommended Machiavelli Restaurant which has great vegetarian menu. Our waiter said that the wine Lacryma Christi in this region is the best due the volcanic soil. Lacryma Christi means literally Christ's tears of joy!. The regional legend says that when Christ ascended to heaven he looked down to see the beautiful Naples coast and shed tears of joy.  The original Napoli Pizza was heavenly after a long day of walk and I did hum " What a wonderful World"!.

PEACE ON EARTH

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Bethlehem....Nazareth....Jerusalem....

A child was born on December 25th and that day is celebrated with joy, hope and peace all over the World as Christmas.  This year I had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land twice.  Second time when I went in November to celebrate my younger sister's birthday, we did manage to follow the trails of Christianity from Bethlehem, Nazareth, Galilee, Jericho and Jerusalem the key cities that are intertwined with the life history of Jesus.

Bethlehem is in the Palestinian controlled West Bank and Jesus was born here in a cave or Grotto. Today, the Armenian, Greek Orthodox and the Roman Catholic churches manage this place and the worships are conducted in three different formats. A Star is engraved in the cave underneath the Church of Nativity. It is declared as one of the UNESCO's World Heritage sites. The place is solemn and quiet and I saw some people getting emotional which is understandable. 

Nazareth is the city where Jesus spent most of his adult life and got baptized in the river Jordan near the sea of Galilee. Today Nazareth is the town with modern buildings and monasteries owned by the Catholic and other Christian denomination's Churches. Basilica of the Annunciation has a display of  the images of Madonna donated from all countries of the World.  We also visited the small coastal city Capernaum with its small synagogue where Jesus preached. 


The sea of Galilee is actually a beautiful fresh water lake.  Had a great Mediterranean lunch in  a nice restaurant called St. Peter's on the banks.  Stopped at the river Jordan where Christians can have baptism and there are priests who conduct this on the serene banks of this beautiful river.

Today,  I am remembering the places, history, the life of Jesus, people who lived in that epoch, dead sea scrolls, the connection and the continuation of history.  The ancient paths have changed, technology has improved, wars, famine, intolerance, oppression continues yet there is always optimism that humanity will prevail as long as love and compassion remain. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HANUKKHA!

PEACE ON EARTH

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Pagodas......Myanmar.....Peace......

Myanmar always fascinated me in my childhood thru its proximity to India and the golden pagodas that I have seen in the pictures. When I started travels, it has become one of my bucket list countries mainly due to the turbulent history and the peace activities led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Finally, last month I could indeed visit Yangon the capital of modern Myanmar previously called as Burma. Flew from Malaysia into Yangon crossing the Andaman Sea. Yangon is the capital and located in the Irrawaddy delta.

Yangon has historic ties to India from the past thru Buddhism followed by trade activities pursued by Indian merchants mainly the Chettiyar community from southern India. Colonized by the British and Japanese for a short period during World War II, Burma underwent a series of political changes and got its independence in 1948. During the 1960’s, there was a huge exodus of people of Indian origin as refugees. Today, Myanmar still has a huge Indian and Chinese population along with other groups from South Asia. Most of the Burmese are Theravada Buddhists. Mostly the major religions co-exist except for the controversial Rohingya settlement in Northern Burma who are from the Bangladesh region. 

First visited the Shwedagon Pagoda, the landmark of Yangon. The sun rise and the sun set makes the beautiful golden dome and the gold plated pagoda towers turns magical with the gleaming in laid precious stones. Also visited the famous Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple with the Reclining Buddha statue.  It was a great experience to see the monks and the people praying silently and offering the incense and flowers.  

Our Guide came promptly at 8:00am to take us to Bago. Bago is situated about 80Km from Yangon. Our wonderful Burmese Guide was very happy to stop at the village bazaar on the way for us to get a glimpse of the real Burmese market. Burma is an agricultural economy and one can see the lush green paddy fields once we step out of Yangon city.  Stopped at the World War II memorial where one can find the names of Indians, Chinese, Burmese, and British who fought and died. The Taukkyan War Cemetery reminds us the importance of peace.  The Bago adventure will be continued….

      PEACE ON EARTH

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Moien.... Bock...Luxembourg....

First time I went to Luxembourg in 1998.  At that time,  formation of the European Union was in the nascent stage. Now in 2016, again  I visited this beautiful land locked small country sandwiched between Germany, France and Belgium.
This time I stayed in Belval a samll suburb with the University and business center. Going to the  Luxembourg city main train station or Gare was a breeze as trains run every 30min  from the Belval Station.  It was fun to watch the soccer semi-final match between Germany and France in a big screen hosted by the Mayor of Luxembourg City.

I also learnt few phrases in Luxembourgish! This is one of the three official languages and mainly spoken by the native of Luxembourg a cross between German and Dutch languages. "Moien" means Hello! Some native still prefer to speak in Luxembourgish to maintain the continuity of this langauge.

The Luxembourg City has the beautiful castle overlooking the river Azlette. The Count Seigfried in 963 AC fortified the Bock and built the castle with the casemates. There is a nice bridge that connects the old town from the Fortress. Luxembourg City is picturesque, with cobbled stone streets and nice restuarants and shops. The Notre Dame Cathedral is another architectural marvel with its late gothic structures. Just a week is enough to tour this entire country which is small but rich in culture and heritage.  While exploring the Roman heritage in this region,  I have decided to visit Trier in Germany on the banks of Moselle river. The travel continues ......

PEACE ON EARTH

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Romans.....Deutsche..... Trier....

From Luxembourg, I have decided to visit Trier in Germany.  The train reached the main station in Trier. Joined the rejoicing crowd that was moving towards the city center. I have noticed that the city centers in European towns are always vibrant with weekend revelers and a place where political, cultural ideologies meet with commerce.
 Trier is one such beautiful vintage city in Germany bordering Luxembourg caressed by the Moselle River.  Augustus colonized this city from the Celts and during the time of Constantine Trier became their Northern European border town. Today, Trier is a UNESCO Heritage town and one can find the Roman archaeological sites and monuments.

Porta Nigra is the famous Roman gate to the city and one can walk there from the City center. Visited the ruins of the famous Trier Imperial Baths, St. Peter's Cathedral and the Constantine Church.  I have decided to have lunch at the famous restaurant Zum Domstein. The chef proudly told me that they still follow the ancient Roman recipes from Marcus Gavius Apicius who lived in the 1st century AD!  I did not try all that ancient food but had the best-marinated cabbage and pasta. Of course, I had Coffee and Cannoli! No Italian meal is complete without the dessert.

The music, shopping, and coffee gave me all the strength to walk up to the Karl Marx birthplace and Museum that I must see.  It is his lovely ancestral house donated by his heirs that was converted into a museum. The life history of Marx, his family, political life, his exile in Paris and London, his love for his wife Jenny, their children,  the Communist Manifesto, his last days are portrayed with modern visual and audio aids.  His thinking influenced China and Russia the two major proponents of his philosophy until they changed their course to march into the inevitable capitalism. I do not think Marx would have anticipated that "Synthesis" would be reverting to Capitalism! 

The setting sun's rays made the buildings and monuments covered in beautiful crimson red reflecting nothing but peace and joy! The humankind need this and not the red that comes out of terrorist acts and revolutions that require bloodshed.

PEACE ON EARTH!

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Israel.....Jerusalem.....Shalom.....

My flight landed at Ben Gurion airport on a Sunday afternoon, one of those beautiful days in May with the pleasant Mediterranean Sea breeze.  The security and immigration was a breeze, my chauffeur gave a big smile and we headed to the Hotel Renaissance at Tel Aviv.  It was quite exciting to look at the Mediterranean Sea and the coastline extending up to Port Jaffa.   It is refreshing to see the resilience, hope and happiness in the people who had a very sad past of holocaust.

Tel Aviv is a cosmopolitan city and there is definitely a co-existence of people from north Africa, Palestinians, descendants of different Jewish tribes from all over the World including about thousand families who emigrated from Kerala one of the southern states of India.

My first stop was the famous great synagogue at Allenby. The famous architect Yehuda Magidovitch designed the Synagogue funded by the Rothschild’s.  The stained glass windows are a marvel, which depicts the synagogues destroyed during the holocaust. I always feel sad when I enter any synagogue be it the one in Budapest, or Worms in Germany, they stand as the evidence of the atrocities committed to innocent people during the holocaust. 

On Memorial Day May 11^th, I visited Jerusalem, the holy land and the most coveted city from the ancient days where the three major religions have their sacred places worship and relics from the past in the order of its origin.   Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel and the city is divided into the “old” and the “new”. The Israeli Knesset or Parliament is located in New Jerusalem.  

The Holocaust Memorial Museum is a must see place. I paid homage to the 6 million Jews who were killed during the holocaust, the most cruel genocide of the civilians. The children’s memorial was quite fitting with stars in the sky dome and it is heart wrenching when we hear the voice mentioning the name and age of each child. The memories are sad but the children of the Israeli tribes have sprung up against all odds and built a country from the scratch.  Amazing development and technology.  

From the viewpoint at Mount of Olives, I could see the old Jerusalem shining with its famous landmarks from Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Time to enter the old city that beckoned monarchs, merchants and pilgrims from the ancient past. The city that survived both natural and man-made calamities is there in front of me and I could not wait to enter the cobble stone streets.  Next in Part 2.

PEACE ON EARTH

All content copyright © by Sobana Iyengar.

Harriet......History.....Inspiration....

This week's news apart from the Presidential election campaign is the inclusion of Harriet Tubman in the US $20 bill.  As usual, controversies came about on the replacement of the seventh President Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman.

Born in 1820 to slave parents, Araminta Harriet Ross escaped the clutches in 1849 by marrying a freed slave Mr. Tubman and moved to Philadelphia. Araminta changed her first name to Harriet honoring her mother.  She relentlessly helped to bring her family plus many slaves to freedom making secret trips to Maryland. During the civil war, Harriet also worked as a nurse and cook in the Union Army. Harriet was also the first woman to lead and guide the Combahee River raid that liberated more than 700 slaves in South Carolina.  

The Fugitive Slave Law in 1850 stipulated that the Northern States have to co-operate if a slave owner looks for an escaped slave in the Free States. Harriet showed her mettle again by helping to transport them to Canada. Frederick Douglass, the famous abolitionist, writer and orator has commended her service to uphold freedom and liberty.  This amazing woman passed away peacefully in 1913 at Auburn, MA.  The US government buried her with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery. A life dedicated to help others, to dare, and to achieve the impossible.   

I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.

I grew up like a neglected weed - ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it.
- Harriet Tubman.

Dear Harriet: I am glad to know that the story of your eventful life has been written by a kind lady, and that the same is soon to be published. You ask for what you do not need when you call upon me for a word of commendation. I need such words from you far more than you can need them from me, especially where your superior labors and devotion to the cause of the lately enslaved of our land are known as I know them. The difference between us is very marked. Most that I have done and suffered in the service of our cause has been in public, and I have received much encouragement at every step of the way. You, on the other hand, have labored in a private way. I have wrought in the day – you in the night. I have had the applause of the crowd and the satisfaction that comes of being approved by the multitude, while the most that you have done has been witnessed by a few trembling, scarred, and foot-sore bondmen and women, whom you have led out of the house of bondage, and whose heartfelt, “God bless you,” has been your only reward. The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witnesses of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism. Excepting John Brown – of sacred memory – I know of no one who has willingly encountered more perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people than you have. Much that you have done would seem improbable to those who do not know you as I know you. It is to me a great pleasure and a great privilege to bear testimony for your character and your works, and to say to those to whom you may come, that I regard you in every way truthful and trustworthy.

Your friend,

Frederick Douglas

HAPPY EARTH DAY

PEACE ON EARTH

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Vancouver....Whistler....Whispering clouds.....

It is great to be back in Vancouver after so many years.  British Columbia region is the most beautiful place in Canada.

This time I drove to Whistler via the scenic Sea to Sky Hwy 99.  Nature has blessed this region with waterfalls and the snow clad mountain peaks.


Whistler is brimming with ski enthusiasts as always.  The ski pads are open till May even though the snow in some areas has receded. Whistler hosted the Winter Olympics in 2010. The infrastructure has improved a lot since I visited in early 2000.
I also wanted to make the most out of my drive by stopping at every possible view points. I enjoyed looking down at the  Horse shoe bay and Lion's bay with ferries and ships moving serenely on the blue water.  The mountains covered with tall cedar, cypress and pine trees played hide seek with their snow covered peaks.  A moment to remember, a moment when time freezes and you surrender to the nature. Indeed, "What a wonderful world"  !!

PEACE ON EARTH

All content copyright © by Sobana Iyengar.