Fake China and the real Indian…

Link to my new blog on Times of India – http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tiger-trail/entry/fake-china-and-the-real-indian

AB Vajpayee, India’s noteworthy Highwayman…

Link to my new blog on Times of India – http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tiger-trail/entry/ab-vajpayee-india-s-noteworthy-highwayman

Taking the chill pill in Bali

Its that time of the year when I thought it would be most appropriate to take the chill pill. To get away from it all and bask in nothingness, far away from the hustle and bustle, to de stress and rejuvenate the tired self. I also think its an appropriate time to take a mini break from writing on my favourite topics that I absolutely relish. It is also hopefully a vacation from the responses that artistically paint me into a conniving and deceitful fox that writes with vested interests for the opposition party and a respite from those hilarious comments that desperately mould me into a communal witch. No, I don’t sit on a broomstick, but sit on level ground and here I am writing about the place that I am currently vacationing in – ‘Bali’ and sharing some pictures of this wonderful island with the lovely blogosphere. Bali indeed does provide manna for the tired soul and I am sure it would garner some interesting responses even for an innocent topic as a ‘vacation in Bali’! Sigh.
I write this as I overlook a grand turquoise blue Indian Ocean and to the sound of crashing waves against jagged rocks that juts haphazardly over gleaming sand and a setting sun, my fingers move lazily over the Mac. The serene setting evokes some interesting poetry as well, but I shall save that for later.

Taking the chill pill in Bali

My new blog on Times of India http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tiger-trail/entry/taking-the-chill-pill-in-bali1

India’s temple wealth in unsafe hands…

First published on Times of India on 8th July 2011 http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tiger-trail/entry/india-s-temple-wealth-in-unsafe-hands

The first fleeting thought that came to me when the colossal donations to the Ananta Padmanabhaswamy temple were recovered in Thiruvananathapuram was, “ Why oh why were they ever found?” The wealth of the temple had survived all these years that have encompassed unscrupulous foreign invasions but it is only now that the real worry begins, the internal invasion. Will the wealth that belongs to the presiding deity of Thiruvananthapuram, which literally translates into the sacred abode of Lord Anantha Padmanabha, be unassailable? As a popular tweet read “ It took centuries for the Temple to accumulate in excess of 1 lakh crore of wealth and a couple of years by the UPA Government to loot the exchequer of the same value”. True.

India’s temple wealth not in safe hands

Link to my new blog on Times of India http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tiger-trail/entry/india-s-temple-wealth-in-unsafe-hands

Indignant with Indigo….

My new blog on Times of India http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tiger-trail/entry/indignant-with-indigo

Sun, sea, sand and spa….( Phuket – From the travel diary )

It takes a little over three hours to get into Phuket from where I live.  Cathay Pacific, Air Asia, Dragon and Thai provide daily flights to this popular tourist destination to the south of  Thailand. While descending into Phuket the Indian Ocean far beneath gleams in the morning sun.I wonder if the sea is a Sapphire blue or an Emerald green with the turquoise dark coral reefs strung in a haphazardly fashion across the length and breadth of the shallower parts of the ocean. Was this the innocent looking stretch of water that caused so much of devastation on boxing day across Indonesia, India, Thailand and a few other countries around the Indian Ocean?  Never underestimate nature’s fury I concluded just a short while before I could hear the tyres of the A320 sliding out to it’s designated place. The runway of Phuket International airport is nestled between the hills and the sea and the air craft smoothly landed  a few metres over the white stripes of the grey strip.

Sleaze and the city…

 

After living and having lived long enough in relatively safe cities venturing out alone after 7PM in a city like New Delhi is not exactly my cup of  tea. I am completely at ease in Mumbai but Delhi is a city where I wear an armor of caution around me, I am more than adequately vigilant and ready to brandish a sword even if someone were to tap me on my shoulder. Delhi does this to me, all the time, every time. I sound and look like I have depleted bucket loads of caffeine, and I am most surely on the edge in this city. If there is one word that describes me better, it could be frenzied. I do not recall being placid in Delhi.One does not have to wait until midnight to see something evil lurking in the dark, but I stay petrified of shadows ( mine included ) that lurk around. I do not believe I am capricious in my judgement of the capital city. The city continues to have its regular daily lavation of murders, rapes, kidnapping and other forms of crimes. It continues to top metro’s in crime rate and it is surely not getting any better. Not surprisingly, the city also has the highest crime rate against women. I can sum up Delhi in three “U”s – unsophisticated, uncultured, uncouth.

Hong Kong – A city that works…

Efficiency,efficiency, efficiency. Best words to describe Hong Kong. A city that stands tall and proud on the southern tip of Mainland China and enclosed by the South China sea and the Pearl river delta. It is a special administrative region of China, the other one being Macau. The sovereignty of Hong Kong was handed back to China by the British in 1997 and ever since China has only but taken this mega city to new heights. Hong Kong has a separate political and legal system to the mainland and it has a democratically elected Government. Despite Hong Kong maintaining  its independence, China continues to act as its big brother. In a way it is a blessing  to live in this part of the world, not many dare to mess around with the Chinese given their formidable strength both economically and militarily!

The blessings are in plenty in this mega city. It’s infrastructure by far must be the best in the world. The public transport ( MTR ) is the most efficient and punctual transportation systems. No kidding, getting from point A to D, via B and C is a seamless exercise. The MTR has 150 stations and serves 3.4 million people a day!MTR is the first choice and the easiest way to get around. And besides, it is a pleasure to ride these trains without worrying about when a bomb will go off while traveling in the underground. A most unpleasant thought that would creep in when I would ride the underground trains in the US and Australia. Thank you China for protecting Hong Kong so stringently against any form of terror and uprising. There are ferries that plough between Hong Kong, Kowloon and Lantau and also a delightful way to commute.

Hong Kong island is one of the financial hubs besides London and New York and it is a vibrant financial district that never sleeps. The Victoria Peak on Hong Island gives a three sixty degree view of the gargantuan city.Kowloon is the trading hub and Lantau houses the airport and Disney. Lantau is the most scenic amongst the three and is also home to the 112 feet big buddha located at ngong ping near the Po Lin monastery. The cable car ride up to this monastery is simply breath-taking. Apart from all the touristy things that one can indulge in Hong Kong, its shopping and culinary choices are a delight. The shops are open late unlike sleepy Australia where the shutters are down by 6 PM on most days.Hong Kong is also well located for people like me who keep running back to India every now and then. A five and a half hour straight flight to Bangalore is not cumbersome. The city is a fusion of the east and the west, it has adopted the best of both worlds. From the east it takes it’s vibrancy, and from the west it takes its orderly living.

And it’s mega sea links and bridges can make an Indian head like mine spin uncontrollably. A sea link of 1.5 kms was constructed in a blink of an eye quite literally. One day there was nothing and presto, there was a magnificent bridge the next day. This speaks volumes of the efficiencies and capabilities in the city’s town planning. I am forced to remember the teeny-weeny bridge that was being built near my place in Bangalore. It took five years to complete it, and the bridge is no longer than 200 mts.The recent addition to Hong Kong’s monstrous skyline is the 118 floor International Commerce centre on the West Kowloon district. The ICC building provides a pleasant visual symmetry to the skyline. In addition to the ICC, the International Finance Center on the Hong Kong Island overlooks Victoria Harbor in all it’s shimmering glory. This sleek building is visually aesthetic on all counts. This is the same building that Batman jumped off in the Dark Knight.

The locals speak a lot of broken english, the professionals speak immaculate english and some do not know any english. Cantonese is widely spoken by the majority. It can be a pain to communicate to the locals at times, but they understand numbers very well, so sign language is good for bargaining if you are visiting the local markets and mingling with the hawkers.The high end malls like Pacific Place are quite incredible, a clutch bag from Louis Vuitton can run into a few thousand dollars and shoppers merrily buy it. They save a year to buy these bags of incredibility. A stones throw away , a few kilometres outside of the Kowloon district is Shenzhen. The same bag would be sold there for a few hundred dollars. Versace and Armani probably die a hundred times over thinking about the fake markets of Shenzhen. But one of the best open air shows I have seen to date has been in Shenzhen in the cultural village. A show that consists of over a thousand artists in remarkable synchronization remains etched in the memory.

Few drawbacks about the city is that everyone looks and sounds the same ( Ling, Ping, Sing). It is never easy to remember some of the faces or names. Communicating with customer service officers on the phone is a tall order.The Indian customer service officers on the phone speak better english. Whilst communicating with the Chinese ,patience can be on a short string. Taxis are not cheap like Singapore and other East Asian countries. By the time you enter a tunnel and come out of it, the meter would have ticked to a hundred Hong Kong dollars.

The other thing that puts me off is the leather and fur trade in this part of the world. The Chinese are not good in treating animals with respect. When I was setting up my aquarium sometime last year, I wrote this -

I am looking at setting up an aquarium with a few gold-fish that have plenty of place to swim in.So we headed off to Tung Choi and ambled around there for a few hours.Tung Choi also known as goldfish street in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok area is a street that is lined with over a hundred shops that sell aquatic animals of all kinds. From the common goldfish and guppies to the more exotic reef species, corals , turtles and nemos to name a few. The feng shui koi is also most sought after by the Chinese to increase their fortunes by leaps and bounds. The shops also sell almost everything that you would need to keep your aquarium is pristine condition. It is a good idea to spend a good few hours checking as many shops and comparing prices. Bargaining is something you need to do in this part of the world. Even if the locals know no english and you know no chinese, numbers are a universal language and they understand that very well.

It is a heart wrenching sight to see hundreds of fish cramped in tanks. It is also more heart wrenching to see the locals getting very excited with what they are viewing, and almost appear to be relishing the poor animals. Fish in plenty get sold in tiny plastic bags pumped with oxygen and hung outside shops, like candy floss on a candy stick. Beautiful colors of blue, green , red and gold gleam in the afternoon sun in this busy street. Hundreds of baby turtles wade in shallow waters ever wondering where is the next inch they can squeeze themselves into The street also offers many other ” exotic ” animals on sale. One wonders how easy it is to smuggle these animals into Hong Kong and China. I recommend Tung Choi to people interested in setting up a quality aquarium as a wide variety of fish and equipments from all over the world are easily available. I was a bit jaded to see the commercialization of these aquatic creatures which get produced in plenty in local farms in and around Hong Kong. However, I was happy that I could bring some home and spare them the trauma of swimming around in small tanks.

Besides these drawbacks, Hong Kong is well and truly a city that works.

From the diary – Langkawi

Aerial view of Langkawi

Taj Rebak Island

 Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands and is located in the Southern Andaman sea off northern mainland Malaysia. We landed in Langkawi on a hot friday afternoon, after a quick transit via Kuala Lumpur. As we were descending into Langkawi , we took in the the views from the airplane window and it was simply breathtaking. Emerald green and sapphire blue waters, laced with numerous lush islands gleamed in the dazzling sun.Langkawi airport is a quaint little airport , nestled in between lush green hills , with the northern end of the runway a few hundred meters away from the crystal blue waters. The arrival lounge and the airport by itself reminds you of the old HAL airport in Bangalore where everything ticks away at its own pace. Temperature of around 33 degrees c and a humidity over 90% greeted us. We were welcomed by the resort staff who was a friendly malay chap who knew a bit of hindi and so declared it very proudly. We had booked into the Taj Rebak Island resort. Rebak Island is a ten minute boat ride from the jetty on the main island of Langkawi called Langasuka. We drove to the Langasuka jetty where Taj have their speed boats ferrying guests to and fro from the main island to their resort at Rebak island. The resort has around 85 rooms with their VIP guest being a 10 feet monitor lizard who gets fed everyday by the doting staff at 3 PM. No, he does not have a room , but ambles around lazily in the dense undergrowth close to the resort.Our first evening at the resort was spent exploring the island. We cycled around a bit, got into the pool and then watched the sun set.By then, worked up a good appetite for a great buffet spread for dinner. The good thing about Taj was there was an ample choice of Indian spread and the chettinad spread was my favorite that night.

When you are on holidays you are torn between spending a lot of time lazing and not doing anything or getting around and making the most of your time, taking in asmuch of the place. So we decided to get early starts and relax during the evenings. The next day we headed off to the northern part of the main island of Langkawi for a mangrove tour by boat. The tour starts off in the backwaters and winds down to the open sea.The tour covers the Kilim geopark area of Langkawi. It was a fascinating experience as you get very close to the mangrove jungle that sucks to every drop of salt water coming its way and rooting itself firmly. It is a constant battle between the mangroves and the sea, the mangroves expand themselves slowly and steadily over the years and form land masses and eventually into islands that break off.Our guide for the tour was a local, whose english was quite good and had an irritating habit of saying bye bye to every thing we saw and left.So it was bye bye limestone caves, bye bye bats , bye bye monitor lizards and so on!

Kilim Geo Park

 The boat winded itself down to our first stop , an island which was famous for its limestone caves, stalagmite and stalactite formations.
A limestone cave with majestic formations was home to numerous bats clinging to the high ceilings. I feel sorry for the poor chaps who get disturbed the whole day by jabbering tourists and flashing cameras.

Limestone caves

The trail leading to the cave was filled with murky soil where water had receded due to the low tide. All along were tree roots fighting for space and new roots were springing everywhere in gay abandon.

Mangrove roots

We then continued along the mangrove jungle slowly in the boat and spotted monitor lizards ,a sleeping viper , kingfishers , monkeys en route to the open majestic sea where we sped along to an other island on the geo park where Brahmani Kites are fed in the open waters by the local boatmen and it is a well orchestrated part of the tourist attraction.

Mr Monitor

Our last stop of the tour was for lunch on a floating restaurant which had the local seafood being served Malay style. There were also couple of fish breeding areas alongside the restaurant. A jolly , chubby Malay girl was feeding some of the captive species and got me to feed a gigantic barracuda. The sting rays were acting like kids , they literally would pull themselves up on the side of the massive cement tanks and feed so gleefully on bits of fish. The restaurant was called ” Hole in the wall “. Could not figure why it was called that. I had a lot of issues as usual about this place and it was a tall order not to exhibit my displeasure on some of the local delicacies. I was assured that the fish in captivity were not served on the table.

After the tour, we went to the cable car station that starts in the oriental village of the northwest of Langkawi. This cable car ride was far steeper than the one I have been in at Cairns in Australia and at Hong Kong’s Lantau island.The views from atop are breathtaking.The last station is approx 780 meters high. What is even more interesting is the suspension bridge that has been built at this height connecting two mountains. The highlight of this bridge which I gathered from some of the local tamil sightseers was that the climax scene of Ajith’s movie “Billa” ( remake of Don )was shot here. The tourists were so excited that “Thalla” aka Ajith had shot for the blockbuster here. I do not miss any of Ajith’s movies either and I remembered the climax where Ajith does a lot of stunts on this bridge.

Suspended bridge at 708 mts

The next day was an early start yet again and we went on an Island hopping trip. We took a boat that started off at a jetty close to Pantai Cenang which is the main strip of Langkawi. Our first stop was to an island that had the most magnificent fresh water lake atop a hill.The lake is cradled in between emerald green hills. We took a paddle boat ( solar powered that is apt when you are tired of paddling )and drifted around the lake .

Freshwater lake

After this , we then sped off to another island which was secluded and found a beach that was not covered by the setting high tide as yet. We spent a good amount of time in the cool waters and soaked in the blazing sun. There were a few monkeys on the island who were interested in pulling the bags and clothes we had hung on the trees and so we reluctantly pulled ourselves out of the water and decided to head back.

A pristine secluded beach

We went back to the resort , had a great thali for lunch. Then we did a bit of kayaking around Rebak Island, very much in view of the resort as I was not exactly an expert at this. We lazed around in the resort that evening and then I pampered myself with a wonderful aromatherapy massage on the beach.The setting was serene, and I watched the low tide come in , otters came in to feed on struggling fish in the receding waters as the sun set over Langkawi.

Rebak island resort...

Dinner that night was a la carte and we tried some of the local malay curries.
The next day was our last in Langkawi , we hired a car and a driver and headed to Kuah town on the south east coast. The drive along the coast was splendid.There we did a bit of shopping, the batik dresses you get here are very pretty and different. The entire island is duty free by the way. Kuah has a big square called the eagle square where a huge eagle presides over the town.

Eagle at Kuah

We then went back to Pantai Cenang and had a great lunch at a local restaurant there. It was then time to bid adieu to Langkawi and we drove to the airport to catch an evening flight to Kuala Lumpur. As we took off , I watched the emerald islands get smaller, I was content that we chose to spend some good time in Langkawi. With deforestation so rampant in other parts of the world, the Malaysian government has enforced strict rules for preserving its natural heritage and people abide by the law. We have carried back some wonderful memories of this enchanting place and will be happy to visit it again soon.
 

Sunset over Rebak

Of chocolates, cheese and alps…

Can there be anything more overwhelming than rich creamy truffles that melt in the mouth? Can there be anything more overwhelming than the sweet taste of white chocolate lingering on and on? Just when you think that the chocolate sensation has numbed you and the little delight has dwindled itself to its end in the mouth, then comes that ooze of a bit of Bailey’s or a bit of rum or a hazelnut that completely takes you over, a delightful little climax there. Chocolates have the power to make me go down on my knees, I succumb to its temptation, I succumb to its delight. I am blessed to be in the chocolate heart of the world, nestled in between white snowy alps, where a cup of hot chocolate from Confiserie Sprüngli on Bahnhofstrasse at Zurich is manna, a potent of delight , the rich cocoa aroma has me in a dizzy spell. Am I a chocolate addict? Do I have a fetish? It is yes all the way, affirmative, positive. The average Swiss eats twelve kilos a year! I love the Swiss more now. Lindt has it’ factory in Zurich, the smoke in the horizon that comes out of its chimneys lingers like heavenly wisps. This is one pollution that must be dismissed. Then of course there is plenty of cheese, enough to convert me into Jerry ( of Tom fame ) scrambling around for more of it. The emmentaler and the sprintz are the popular ones. I am not too fond of the cheese fondue, although they are the specialities and there are even fondue boat rides for fondue freaks. On the shopping front, this place is the best in the world for watches. It is home to Tissot, Swatch, Rolex, Tag, Longines and a whole heap more.

The travel to the alps is splendidly scenic. It takes around two hours from Zurich to reach the centre of Switzerland, to the base of Mt Titlus. The countryside is filled with undulating snowy plains and the farmhouses are mostly made of wood. Every little village has its unique style in building its farmhouse. There is a town of Lucerne on the way where a carnival is underway. Merry revelers drink the local ale and participate in a colorful parade. Every family is dressed up in colorful costumes and they flock around the town centre. I am not sure about it’ origins but these town people look jolly and they need no excuse to drink.

The Alps, the snowy mountains and glaciers runs along the breadth of Switzerland. I visited Mt Titlis that is somewhere in the centre, where heaven meets earth, a painting of harmony and wonder, a sight to last a lifetime. Mt Titlis sits at 3020 mts above sea level. It takes three sets of different cable cars to take you to the very top. The last leg has a revolving cable car that provides ample photo opportunities from various angles. En route to the top non skiers like me can indulge in snow tubing and snow boarding that provides enough of an adrenalin rush. There are skiers who trail down the entire 3020 meters, a mini winter olympics session can be witnessed here. How they manage to hug the curves and stay clear of danger’s way, away from the infinite plunging drop is a wonder. One thing I have noticed everywhere is that the Chinese tourists are overpowering the Japs. The cackle of the Chinese in the high altitudes is a spoiler. It is best to get away from the excited lots who have a habit of screaming loud when they spot just about anything. It could even be a rabbit and they scream, a little shake in the cable car and they roar or they giggle irritatingly at some mundane thing. I am glad I experienced their enthusiasm only in two legs of the cable car journey to the peaks.

At the very top there is a glacier cave, an opportunity to actually touch the glacier formations over millions of years. Every circle in the ice represents a year of snow fall. Inside this cave where the entrance has been carved out by man, there is a juke box that plays popular national anthems from six countries. I was delighted to find our national anthem, I played it and to listen to the wonderful anthem in the solitude at 3020 mts, away from the Chinese tourists was bliss. The best part of the trip to the alps is a ride on the glacier flyer chair lift where one can sit in the open chair lift and go over the crevasses of the glaciers that run a few thousand feet below. The rush of the ice-cold wind on the face and the views around will remain embedded somewhere deep inside my cerebrum. The temperatures atop Mt Titlis was -11 degrees celsius and it must have been a lot colder on the flyer. This is the first time I have realized what an achievement it must have been for the late Sir Edmund Hillary when he climbed the 30,000 feet of the Everest without the luxury of cable cars. The views from the top remind me of how precious and perfect earth is, how wonderful nature is. How can man plunder this treasure? The glaciers are melting, they are not what they used to be 20 years back I am told. It would be a shame when they all disappear. When will we realize it all? A question that lingers and answers remain scarce.

The French connection…

I sit on a TGV train as I write this. My journey started in Paris and I am en route to Zurich and have just passed Strausburg, it takes five hours to do this stretch. Snow capped , undulating valleys whiz past me as chalets with bright tiled roofs peek below the snow barrage. A plane journey could have taken me into Zurich in an hour but the pleasure of watching the landscape transforming itself from the brownish white countryside in France to a complete white one in Switzerland, where the coniferous trees are crowned in white is unsurpassable. The lakes are frozen and little brooks flow sluggishly meandering in between dense fir trees. The trees wear a barren look as brown twigs and stems branch out like the fine end of a paint brush as they are dipped in the orange gold of the setting far off sun. Vegetation refuses to grow at this time and farmland after farmland all merge into one big snow-capped valley. In the far off distance the valley gently metamorphoses itself into the alps which loses itself against the white skies. Dusk is fast approaching and orange light begins to emerge from the houses in the countryside, lanterns glow through the windows where families must be huddled together in their cosy living, warming themselves as the woods crackle in the fire place.

The last few days in Paris were splendid. A city that instills life and vigor even to the most laid back of individuals. The biting cold can freeze a few nerves but the Bordeaux wine, food and warmth of France’s richness and culture can thaw it all. A city with a splendid history that has grown from strength under various rulers, a city where it’s architecture under Louis XIV and Napoleon III had reached tremendous heights. The baroque styles used in architectural masterpieces from the Chateau at Versailles, the palatial Louvre, the arch de triumph at Champs Elysees all glorify it’s uniqueness. The Louvre is the abode to probably the world’s most popular lady on canvas, Mona Lisa whose creator Leonardo Da Vinci is said to have shrouded his work in a lot of secrecy and hidden messages. She remains in the sanctum sanctorum of the Louvre in a highly fortified area. I did spend a good time peering at the lady and tried to decipher the smile and the background images obviously to no avail. Not sure how Dan Brown placed it all together! Even one full day may not be enough to take in the thousands of paintings from every conceivable era including the sculptures and relics from extinct dynasties. The cathedral at Notre Dame resplendent in it’s gothic architecture has the world’s finest stained glass paintings and the Chateau at Versailles is an allegory of the lifestyles of the Kings and Queens of France. The ceilings of these historical places are breathtaking, every column, every arch is reminiscent of a foregone era. A few minutes from the city centre is the cathedral at Montmartre, a quaint rich catholic church which sits high atop the city and a birds eye view of Paris is possible from here. The Eiffel tower is splendid by night as she towers over the city and stands like a Colossus in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Paris. The river Seine meanders through the most glorious of landmarks from the Grande Arche de la Défense, the Louvre, Place de la Concorde and ferries chug along it’ winding course.

Besides the architectural splendor there are two shows that are extremely popular. One is the Moulin Rouge and the other is the Lido show where all time greats like Shirley MacLaine to Laurel and Hardy have performed. The Lido currently has a popular show that has taken cabaret to another level. Sipping on champagne and watching the colorful performers on stage is an experience. There was an Indian segment too which gave the sometimes monotonous sequences a nice break. The tables closer to the stage are recommended for men and women who want to savor the real taste of this experience, the memories are bound to linger. The fragrance of perfumes engulfs this vibrant city and every Parisian and the visitor is intoxicated by the richness of wine and food that this city offers. Fashion is of utmost significance and the favorite Jean Paul Gaultier is the pied piper for most Parisians. Every designer has made Paris home.There is a richness in the air which captures the senses. The passion for food, wine, perfumes and fashion makes Paris the seat of Venus. Affluence is regular and somewhere deep within there is a pang as thoughts of the less fortunate back home come flooding in. Can prosperity spread its wings from Paris to New Delhi to the seventy percent? I ponder over it all in a rather equivocal manner.

From the diary – The Beijing experience…

I am in between London, Paris and Zurich and struggling to juggle with time. I am sorry to be cutting and pasting from the diary from my Beijing trip and will be back soon.

Beijing is an old city that is culturally magical and enchanting. Being an old capital city of the Ming and Quing dynasties, the infrastructure has always been developed very sensibly. We were enchanted with the healthy mix of tradition and modernity that this city offers. We landed in Beijing on a pleasant morning at the new international airport’s terminal three that was recently completed to coincide with the 2008 olympics. It has been built to take the form of a dragon’s body and it is gigantic to say the least. We were greeted by a pleasant private tour guide Annie ( Woo Lu ) who could speak good english ( primary requisite here ), a friendly driver and a sleek GM Buick all terrain four wheel drive which we used during our stay. During our drive to the hotel I was mentally trying to compare this city to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, the comparison stopped within a few minutes of coming out of the airport, I just let that heavy feeling sink in. We checked into the Hilton which is located at the heart of Beijing’s shopping district of Wangfujing. Most names sound like ricochet , Ling , Ping , Sing, Wing , Jing and so on.

After a quick bite to eat, we headed to the Temple of heaven. An architectural marvel built in the early 1400′s by Emperor Yongle , the third emperor of the Ming dynasty. A popular chap who was also responsible for the construction of the hallowed Forbidden city or now known as the Imperial palace. Thereon a visit to the pearl market that houses exquisite pearls of all kinds and shapes. Dinner that night was at a popular chinese restaurant which is famous for it Peking duck. It also provides live entertainment of slender and sleek chinese artists who could sing, dance, perform acrobatics of the highest standard, perform magic, puppetry, you name it. These acrobatic artists are so agile, some of them were spinning around tables/ girls etc on their legs while lying upside down. No wonder this country bags the highest number of gold for gymnastics at the olympics. 

The next day we started our walking at the Tiananmen square, which begins at the first gate of the imposing Forbidden city / Imperial palace. Chairman Mao’s eyes peer at you all the time, his picture is as imposing as the ideologies of what the square and the state at large represents. From the square we walked into the sprawling Forbidden city which houses the palace of the Emperors of China of the various dynasties. Several gates and halls lead us to the palace, a visual treat, dragons and phoenixes perfectly painted on the imposing roofs in hues of gold, blue and green. The roofs of the palaces are yellow, a sign of imperialism that can be used only by the Emperor, the common man’s roof can house only black and grey. After a lot of walking, we were famished. We had lunch at a delightful Chinese place which used to be the watering hole for Prince and Princesses of the foregone eras. We had a private dining area, and the friendly staff attired in traditional clothing at our beck and call. We never “becked” or “called” and it was a game of dumb charade with our zero knowledge of Chinese. This is where our guide Annie comes to our rescue.We then proceeded to the Summer palace of the Emperor’ a few kms from the heart of Beijing. It houses a pavilion 800 meters long, alongside a lake and with more than 8000 chinese paintings. We did a tour of the lake on a pretty dragon boat. We then visited a local porcelain factory and shopped for the famous blue and white porcelain of the Jingdezhen province. Dinner that night was at a local Indian restaurant. The taste buds had to be rejuvenated.

The following day started at the Ming tombs , ” Chang Lin “. The sacred way to the tombs are seven kilometers long , the way to the heavens. The emperors were buried at this scenic spot which was ideally located on the principles of feng shui. A great place to be buried, surrounded by sweeping hills and orchards. From there we drove to the Mutianyu section of the great wall, a good two hours drive from Beijing. The drive along the mountainous roads was splendid, the views breathtaking. My heart skipped a beat when we spotted a section of the great wall from the road below. A wonder of the world that stretches in excess of 8000 kms and built by several dynasties. This section is normally not very crowded with tourists and we enjoyed the sights and sounds immensely. The sound of the screeching kites, the rustle of the leaves, the wind blowing on our faces, sweeping views of the far mountain ranges of northern terrains of China, a wonder of the world and a moment to cherish but interrupted with the thought of the fly over that has taken five years to be built and not yet completed near my house in Bangalore. I heard that the Karnataka CM was in Beijing at the same time as we were and I would have pushed him over the great wall if I saw him there as a tourist. We would have had two south CMs dying in one week, Andhra one being the last on file.

The last day we shopped at the local flea and antique markets. We then had a lovely lunch at a Budhist restaurant. We then visited a “hutong”, which is the local area of old Beijing, where the alleys are narrow and one has to travel in a rickshaw to get around. Beijing is a visual delight and culturally rich. The city is modern and the olympic sports complexes and olympic villages are extravagant. They can house the next ten olympics easily. English is hardly spoken by the locals and getting around in taxis may be difficult. Request for a boiled egg sandwich can invoke questions from the waiter in good english like ” how many minutes does the egg need to boil?” and ” does the egg need to be in between the bread or at the side “. Nevertheless, their economy is booming and there is construction happening everywhere, an indication that China is indeed driving the world economy.