Tears.....Faith.....Je Suis Charlie.....

My Prayers to the families who lost their loved ones in this act of terrorism. We all need to stand up for freedom, democracy and liberty. There is always a non-violence means to reconcile the differences or express opinions than killing.  

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty".

Mahatma Gandhi

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Bye Trinidad....Welcome....New Year 2015.....

 Welcome 2015! It is great to be getting back to the US just on time for the New Year. The end of the year holidays in Trinidad & Tobago with family was great.
After the proclamation of abolition of slavery (1865) in the USA, the human traffic from Africa was dwindling and the slaves became expensive for the plantation owners in the island. The next best opportunity is to use the poor agricultural laborers from India which was then under the British rule.

As we have seen time and again, the previous generation's toils paid off.  The descendants of the laborer with their sheer hard work and education have reached the pinnacle. The Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is of Indian origin. The temples, cuisine, music all reminded me of India.  The famous shore temple at Waterloo is a must to see and so also the tallest Hanuman statue in the beautiful Dattatreya temple.

We also visited the house of V. S. Naipaul the Nobel Laureate from Trinidad. I am not a great fan of Naipaul, but it was fun to take pictures near the Lion House.  Everyone seems to know about his book "A house for Mr. Biswas"!   Las Cuevas and Maracas are the must to visit beaches. Caribbean spiced curry, cocoa plantation, tender coconuts, and the ethnic mix make this island a must to visit again list!

The hospitality of the islanders in Trinidad & Tobago was great. I have to write more on this. With New Year's count down has begun in hours, I am praying for a peaceful 2015.

   HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015! 

PEACE ON EARTH

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Berlin.......Brandenburg Gate.....Silver Jubilee......

Yesterday, Germans celebrated the 25th anniversary of coming down of the Berlin wall. The World joined to remember the demolition of the wall on November 09, 1989, and its long history of escapades, protests, revolution, different ideology, and the triumph of democracy.  The Brandenburg Gate has witnessed the construction of the wall after World war II.  The Brandenburg gate was originally constructed as the triumph arch. The architecture and the theme is Roman with a neo-classical flavor.

In 1998, when I visited Berlin, Brandenburg gate was open and one could go thru the gate freely and of course no wall, no fear, and no GDR!.   I could see the difference between the west and the east Berlin. East Berliners talked highly about their culture, opera and art despite the fact that economically they are not well off like their neighbor at the West side of Berlin.  Construction was going on and the East Berliners were adjusting to the free democratic lifestyle from a socialistic government sponsored plans and lifestyle.  After chatting with the people in the coffee shop,  I joined the crowd to get into the train station of Osten Berlin.  A happy group was singing Bocelli's "quante partiro",  I stood and listened thinking that,"Yes, time to say goodbye to all differences and oppression".   The bells at the nearby church started ringing, and the whole place looked happy with smiles under the beautiful blue sky.

PEACE ON EARTH

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Australia....Adelaide....Aha moment....

 I read about the news that Lonely Planet has named Adelaide as the top 10 cities to visit in 2014.  Aha...I need to write about my visit to Adelaide. This is another episode in the Aussie Chronicles.

Adelaide is a quaint city bordering the outback and my first visit was to the Fleurieu Peninsula to watch the whales.  Next stop was Barossa and Clare valley famous for its vineyards.  The locals told me that the Jesuits who fled from Poland has planted the vines sometime in 1851.

My main motivation to visit Adelaide is the Silver Band falls. We drove from Melbourne to Adelaide first to the Grampians National Park.  The park ranger in the visitor center at Halls Gap was very helpful in explaining the trails. The falls welcomed us with misty sprinkles. Interestingly the water falls into the ground and disappears and come out again 55 yards away. The falls does not form a ground pool either.

Just like any other city, Adelaide has a past in the Aussie history.  Gold... mining...immigration...expansion...assimilation....abandonment...and resurrection.  Only the rivers, mountains and the cliffs are standing timeless like a silent witness.

.

PEACE ON EARTH

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America.....the Beautiful.....Backroads......

For the past few months I travelled in the back roads, some of the cities that were not in my bucket list.  The miles and miles of corn fields, farmlands, shining metal silos, old farmhouses and church steeples filled me with joy and I hummed "America the beautiful".
The famous Route 66 in Tulsa Oklahoma to some historic cities of the mid west, the local traditions and cuisine do provide that decadent charm.

Terre haute, a beautiful city in Indiana on the banks of the Wabash river. It has a history that dates back to the 18th century when the French explorers named it Terre haute or High land.  The closest airport is Indianapolis. It is also a college town closer to Evansville.  I have tasted the best pan cakes in the Main Street Cafe at a small nearby town Paris.


Nestled on the Saginaw Bay, Bay City is another quaint old town sharing German heritage. Lake Huron provides the water source and sports activities.  The waterfront market has so many specialty stores. The best one is the St. Laurent Brothers Candy store. One of the very old family owned stores since 1904. The toffee crunch is the best that I have ever tasted. Yummy! Bay City has 4 sister cities. Looks like Ansbach in Germany is famous as one can find the street signs mentioning Ansbach.

My back roads journey will continue....

PEACE ON EARTH!

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Maya Angelou.....Poet....Homage.....

We lost a beautiful poet laureate Maya Angelou today.  Margurite Johnson was born poor in St. Louis, worked as a singer at a strip club in San Francisco. She changed her name to Maya Angelou very aptly. Her autobiography, "I know why the caged bird sings", has inspired many men and women not only African American but all of us who underwent some sad episodes in life.

She read her poems at the President's inaugural ball, friends with Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.
A true inspiration to all of us. We bow to thee in respect dear Maya.

Human Family 

By Maya Angelou 1928–2014

I note the obvious differences

in the human family.

Some of us are serious,

some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived

as true profundity,

and others claim they really live

the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones

can confuse, bemuse, delight,

brown and pink and beige and purple,

tan and blue and white.

I’ve sailed upon the seven seas

and stopped in every land,

I’ve seen the wonders of the world

not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women

called Jane and Mary Jane,

but I’ve not seen any two

who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different

although their features jibe,

and lovers think quite different thoughts

while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,

we weep on England’s moors,

and laugh and moan in Guinea,

and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,

are born and die in Maine.

In minor ways we differ,

in major we’re the same.

I note the obvious differences

between each sort and type,

but we are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

PEACE ON EARTH

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UK3....March Madness.... London....

March madness began from Maui! Took the red-eye back to DC, off to London from Washington Dulles.
As always a "sky warrior" need to be prepared for this last minute travel plans and have to enjoy every moment like a child in a toy land. Interestingly, spring has started in London compared to the cold pronged winter in the East Coast.

I stayed in Bracknell and the commute was not so bad.  One evening we had our business dinner in Windsor. Windsor is always special for me.  During my first business trip to London in 1997, I stayed at the Castle Hotel just opposite to the Windsor castle.  I used walk across the Thames to see the Eton College and the beautiful gardens.  This time I did not have time to go to the British Museum. I love the museum collections on Assyrian and the Egyptian rare artifacts. Some of them are even better than the one in the museum at Cairo.

I visited Piccadilly and nothing changed much in the two years. It was nice to meet couple of my old friends in the city.  I find the Britishers more relaxed and not worry too much about terrorism.  Security at the Heathrow airport was as usual.  I am so used to the procedure that I can remove shoes and put the laptop on a tray in a minute!

Could not believe that the week was gone just like that. Sitting comfortably in the BA flight to go back home, I was reminiscing about the visits made to the cities in UK. Apart from London, in Manchester I had a great time with my colleagues when I visited Liverpool with them. I will blog more on Liverpool one of these days. The flight attendant announced that due to the turbulence there will be an hour delay. I smiled, thinking how travel helps to develop patience!

PEACE ON EARTH

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Maui.........Hana.......Mahalo.....



With Mom -Honolulu 2002

 Maui in Febuary!  When it is an incentive from work, escaping the cold east coast weather for an annual meet sounded good. During my previous trip on a family vacation, I landed in Honolulu, toured around Ohau and the Kona or big island.  I was quite happy that this time it is Maui and the road to Hana!


Maui 2014

Stayed at the Grand Wailea resort. It is an awesome place with its private beach and olympian swimming pools.  One can enjoy the sun rise and sunset peacefully.  Enjoyed the Polenisian vegetarian cuisine or the famous Lua.  The highlights are the visit to the Halakela crater, rain forest, whale watching and snorkeling.

It was great to meet my global collegues and family. The green island looked amazingly unperturbed inspite of the rush of groups of tourists. One week seemed not enough. Said "Mahalo" (which means Thanks in Hawaiian Language), packed enough macadamias, and took the red-eye to the mainland. Time to start my another hop across the pond to London.

PEACE ON EARTH

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Lake Titicaca.....Journey....Happy New Year.....

 2013 is at the verge of becoming yet another “Past Year”! and 2014 is almost at the corner!. It is high time that I have to complete the narration on my journey to Lake Titicaca. From Cusco, the Inca Express passed thru Juliaca and entered the city of Puno. Puno is the capital of the Puno province in southern Peru that borders the shore line of Lake Titicaca. The Aymara and northern Andean tribe Quechua people are the two predominant ethnic groups that live here. After a nice Peruvian dinner with quinoa soup, in the Plaza de Armas we just strolled in the downtown looking at the Cathedral built in baroque style.

Next morning, our tour guide was waiting promptly at the reception to take us to the Uros or the reed island.

There are about a dozen families live in Uros. They mainly cater to the tourists to show case the lake dwellers tradition and crafts. The highlight of Uros is the trip on a reed boat in the Lake Titicaca. Apparently, the totora reed that grows in the Lake has helped the early settlers some 2500 years ago to build the reed boats to traverse around Peruvian and the Bolivian region. This tradition continues even today.

We visited the Isla Taquile, an island about 25 Kms from the shores of Lake Titicaca. From the boat station we have to climb the rugged rocky steps to reach the plaza in the middle of the island. The Aymara people are proud to say that they are the descendants of Mama Qota or the sacred mother. The plaza in the center of the island is expansive with its cobble stone paths and Spanish architecture.

In the museum, the artisans showed us the colorful weaving and the cotton textiles. The island is controlled by the elders and inspite of modernism like dish antennas and cell phones, the people are simple, kind and determined to protect the environment without allowing modern buildings or tourism hotels. After climbing the final upward slope to the restauant, we felt better to sit down and gulp the cool lemonade. Lunch tasted so good. Being hungry is important to relish the food!

Next day our tour guide came around 5:00am to go to the Juliaca airport as there was a general strike by the hospital workers. For the safety of the tourists, we had additional escort in the van. Time to say goodbye to Lake Titicaca. Sitting in the aircraft, I started reminiscing about the travels in Peru.

Every time when I complete a journey, it is always a sense of joy and a streak of wisdom to understand how our life is a speck in the realm of nature. In my inner journey of trying to find out why am I here and the real purpose, it is essential that I need to read, travel, understand the myriad cultures, beliefs, civilization, and nature. It is beautiful how everything converge and diverge from the same omnipresent creator. I bow to thee….

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PEACE ON EARTH

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Hope.....Joy.......Season's Greetings......

Another Season of celebrations. Time to reflect on the best and the worst of the happenings in the World, self introspection, and put more hope in the emotional mix to prepare us for 2014.

Merry Christmas! PEACE On EARTH!




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Mandela..........Homage...........Peace........

Dear Mr. Mandela, we love you.  

PEACE ON EARTH

  

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Light the Night.......Leukemia Society.......DC......

October is the Month of Service in my organization. This year I volunteered for the Leukemia Society fund raising event "Light the Night Walk" on the 19th. Freedom Plaza looked colorful with balloons and tents. We had several tents pitched all along the Pennsylvania Avenue and 13th street. It was quite a humble experience when you see the courageous cancer survivors from all ages came to support the walk. My colleagues and I managed the merchandise tent.

With the band playing slowly the event gained momentum. The weather co-operated even though there was a prediction for rains. This great experience of meeting people from all walks of life, bestowing collective compassion is certainly the moment to remember forever.

PEACE ON EARTH

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Andean ruins.........La Raya Pass........Puno.......

Machu Pichu and the tall peaks of Andes left a lasting impact on me. Next morning, I woke up re-charged with energy to start the next leg of my journey, the enticing Lake Titicaca.  We looked forward to the long bus ride that will take us along the towns and villages, historic churches and buildings.   

We decided to take the Inca Express bus. Our first stop was the Andahuilillas, where the San Pedro church was built on top of the Incas sacred temple. Our guide showed us the remains of the Incas Huaca or sacred place. The paintings are amazingly well preserved considering that the church was built by the Jesuits in the 16th century.

 

The serene villagers moved around in their traditional Peruvian dress, the dogs were running around the central plaza, and we move on to the next town called Wiracocha. Wiracocha is a beautiful small town with very important archaeological remains of an ancient Andean temple called “Apu Kon Titi Wiracocha”. The tall structure in ruins remind the prosperous past of this town.

 After a typical Peruvian lunch we headed to the La Raya Pass situated at an altitude of approximately 14,000 ft. The yonder mountain peaks of the Andes glistened with snow and the glacier. The water from the glacier feed the Lake Titicaca. The smiling Inca merchants stay on the side of the road with enticing textiles and hats.

 

We stopped at Pukara another town which during the heyday of the Inca civilization boasted impressive monolithic sculptures. We visited the Museum to check out the artifacts. As always, it is wondrous to see how much knowledge the ancients had. We are the link in that long chain of inheritance and in every step, there has been innovation and experiment. What a grand tapestry is human life!

 “We are nearing Puno”, the guide’s voice woke me up from my cat nap and we prepared to gather our back packs to get down at Puno the city on the shores of Lake Titicaca...

PEACE ON EARTH    

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Peru......Lima......Legendary.......

Lima is my first stop in the Machu Picchu journey.  Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador had an important role in the history of Peru. He is instrumental in conquering the Inca empire. He founded the first Spanish capital at Cuzco in 1533 and later founded Lima as the port city to send the Inca treasures to Spain.

 Our exploration of the city began with the Huaca Pucllana ruins. These are the pre-Incan settlement with pyramids and citadel built with hand made bricks. The museum display the tools, ceramics and some textiles recovered during the excavation. This settlement dates back to 100 AD to 650 AD.

The city is beautiful with the winding coastline.  We stayed at the JW Marriott at Miraflores. The ocean view was amazing and after a great breakfast headed to the historic center of the city. I am reminded of Madrid with its Spanish colonial buildings and churches. Notable one is the Monastery of San Francisco with its circular cupola and baroque style of art. The monastery and the adjacent churches were built in the 16th century. The catacombs with its labrynthian passage and the neatly arranged skulls gives an eerie feeling. 

The Plaza de Mayor is the central part with palaces that were turned into government offices and is vibrant with tourists, and Quechua speaking locals selling traditional arts and wares.
Quechua's are the indigenous people of the Andes. Peru is promoting Quechua language to be included in the school curriculum. Some justice to the descendants of the original inhabitants who were tossed, looted, and exposed to a new culture and way of life. Once again, how can one get angry now for the incidents that happened long time ago? All we can do is not to repeat the sad and inhuman parts of the history.

While coming back from the city to the hotel, I saw a group of school children running happily and beaming with joy. That is the future.

PEACE ON EARTH

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Machu Picchu..... Pacha Mama......Magnificent.......

Machu Picchu always had a special place in my "Bucket List"! Now that I have completed my pilgrimage to that magnificent place high on the Andes mountains, what the Inca's call as "Pacha Mama" meaning Mother Earth, I could have put a tick mark against it but my heart says "you need to go there again"!

Yes, it is a magical place where the Sun and the Moon were once worshipped along with the great omnipotent God in those ancient temples.  The Incas called them the Trinity. The number three is sacred for them. The remains of the past, the beliefs of the Incas
are seen in the foundation, walls, and the remnants of a great fortress and temples.  There are no sculptures, inscriptions except for the condor (Peruvian look alike of a bald eagle) and the intricate works of the architecture looking at the Wayna Pichu and the towering Andean mountains around. 

 

The best July 4th Holidays for me and also thanks to my baby sister who patiently traveled and listened to what I have to say on the Inca civilization till we reached Machu Picchu. Then I became quiet, awe struck and wonder struck, the words lose their meaning and silence reigns. The ancient power engulfed me with its caressing comfort and reminded me once again the impermanence of life and motivated me to be my best.
My chronicles on this pilgrimage will continue in the subsequent blogs. My plan is to blog my trip to Lima onward to Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Puno, and Lake Titicaca. 

 

PEACE ON EARTH

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