International

Alluring Amsterdam – Part 1

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Soon after we reached Schiphol, we enquired about where we could take the bus to Kuekenhof. We had bought our Kuekenhof tickets online and this being a combo ticket for the transport (to & fro) and the garden entry, we dint have much to bother about!

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Vegas to LA: Entertainment Unlimited (Part 1: Las Vegas)

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A trip to these two cities is a must if you’re visiting the west coast of USA. From hip-hop Gen Y to grey-haired grannies, from the rich and famous to everyday citizens, there’s something for everyone in Vegas and LA. But first things first – those of you who think Sin City is just a gamblers’ paradise, think again. Apart from the lure of the lucre, there are a number of wondrous sights to be seen here, and many of them, surprisingly, do not involve semi-clad women!

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घुमक्कड़ी – कुछ खट्टी – कुछ मीठी ( इस बार विदेशों से)

घुमक्कड़ी – कुछ खट्टी – कुछ मीठी ( इस बार विदेशों से)

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भगत सिंह 22 वर्ष फ्रांस में रहने के बाद भी, गाड़ी होशियारपुर स्टाइल में ही चलाता था… फ्रैंकफुर्त पंहुच कर उसने सीधे हाथ का  इंडिकेटर दिया, और इसी बीच हमारे बीच एक और गाड़ी आ गयी.  जैसे ही हमें सीधे हाथ पर बाहर जाती सड़क मिली, हमने अपनी गाड़ी हाइवे से बाहर निकाल दी… ये सोचकर कि भगत ने कुछ देर पहले इंडिकेटर दिया था….बस यहीं हम पंजाबी ड्राइवरी को समझने में भूल कर गये….भगत सीधा निकल चुका था और हम फ्रैंकफुर्त शहर में प्रवेश कर गये.

हमें न तो ये पता था कि भगत के मित्र का नाम क्या है और न ये कि उसका पता क्या है…. अगर तब तक mobile phones का आविष्कार हो जाता तो हम यूं न गुमते.  खैर हम कुछ दूर चलने के बाद सड़क के किनारे खड़े हो गये और ये सोचकर कि भगत हमें पीछे न देखकर शायद  यहां पंहुच जाये और हमें मिल जाये…पर भगत सिंह को न आना था न आया.

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Revisiting Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

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How lucky one can be when one gets to time their conference trips with one of their favorite festivals happening concurrently at a different city, in fact, a different country? Once the conference dates in Vancouver was decided, I waited with bated breath for the official announcement of the dates for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, about 70 miles and 1 hour 10 minutes drive north of Seattle on I-90 (Exits 230, plus minus one). The tulip festival has been my favorite things to visit in Seattle, and every year, I waited for Spring to arrive, heralding a trip to the daffodil and tulip fields.

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Lebanon – Casino, Cedars and Caves !!

Lebanon – Casino, Cedars and Caves !!

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The statue is made of bronze with its hands spread. There are spiral stairs reaching the top of the statue. It is said that the face of the idol, changed direction turning from Beirut towards the christian side, after the civil war where many christians were killed by muslim extremists. Not going into religious faiths, I may still believe it because it is possible due to movement of tectonic plates.

Before, the main statue there is this famous replica of Michelangelo’s celebrated masterpiece, the Pieta sculpture of Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus.

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Iceland —Snow Saga

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The hot summers (+15 Deg C) had gone and slowly the winters were setting in. I was waiting anxiously for the goddess of snow to decorate Iceland, like a new bride. The Sun was becoming paler and had lesser shining times, coming out leisurely and running away hurriedly.

Now let us see the beauty of those places of Iceland, about which I have already explained in my earlier posts…. a different view of Iceland in winters.

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National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, D.C.

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March and April are two of my favorite months. This is when the excruciatingly long winters come to an end, and new life springs in every corner and crevice. After seeing nothing but grey, snow white, and the bare skeletons of trees, it is a welcome change to see life sprouting, as buds, colorful flowers, and green leaves. Have you ever noticed the fresh greenness of the baby leaves in spring? The temperature has risen, but not enough to make you uncomfortable.

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Lebanon – Baalbek & blue river

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So there was Baal Temple, there was Jupiter, Fire, Moon, Mars and other temples which were there before Romans and before pheonician re-built them ! I was thinking was it some distorted form of Shakta tradition of Sanatan Dharam, which was followed here, because in Shakta tradition, Fire and other planets were worshipped and sacrifices of animals or even humans were present then.

Our guide was a Syrian and he explained so beautifully in perfect English, all the aspects of Baalbeck, quite patiently and in details.

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Lebanon – Paradise lost !!

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Once upon a time… there was Lebanon which was called “Paris of Middle East”…and then something happened and the Paris and Pearl of the Middle East.. changed from heaven to hell…. Let us have a look and see what Lebanon has to offer now for Ghumakkars !

It was 2004 and I boarded Air India flight from New Delhi to Dubai for my journey to Lebanon.

The coastal plain of Lebanon is the historic home of a string of coastal trading cities of Semitic culture, which the Greeks termed Phoenicia, whose maritime culture flourished there for more than 5000 years. Ancient ruins in Byblos, Berytus (Beirut), Sidon, Sarepta(Sarafand), and Tyre show a civilized nation, with urban centres and sophisticated arts. Present-day Lebanon was a cosmopolitan centre for many nations and cultures. Its people roamed the Mediterranean seas, skilled in trade and in art, and founded trading colonies. They were also the creators of the oldest known 24-letter alphabet, a shortening of earlier 30-letter alphabets such as Proto-Sinaitic and Ugaritic.

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A Visit to the Mahazat As-Said Wildlife Reserve

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Time to tell you about the mammals that we saw They include the famous Arabian Oryx, the Reem Gazelle and the Idni Gazelle. The Oryx is a long-horned animal that is feared for its ability to kill with its horns. However, within the reserve, it is remarkably docile as it has been trained to expect food and water at appointed times. At the time of writing this, there are more than 650 of these animals in the As-said reserve. According to Mr. Moayyed, the reserve is already full to above its capacity to hold these animals, and it only because of the controlled conditions that the animals are able to survive, thrive and breed over here.

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