Poosh Travel Inc.

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part III - Serengeti hippo pool

2006-08-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

and the dutch complain about congestion!

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part III - Serengeti cheetah !

2006-08-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

off we go !

For a better vantage point, cheetahs always perch on mounds (cars included for the Masai Mara ones)

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part III - Serengeti - our first leopard

2006-08-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

While in the Mara, we did not have good luck with sighting a leopard. We did manage to get the tail of one, as it ran away when it heard the sound of our jeep! But the story at Serengeti was different. We saw so many leopard while there, that we thought..leopard..aaah...big deal!

phenomenally lazy creatures

but look at those teeth

Serengeti giraffes look stupid too!
:P
hornbill ?

Sights of Africa on the way to Serengeti

2006-08-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

The pecten (shell logo) is everywhere!

cotton seed oil for sale!
hippo pool in Serengeti

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part III - Serengeti National Park

2006-08-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Serengeti(in Masai this means endless grass plains) National Park

our ride
little monkey searching for food

I forget which gate this was !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part II - Fishing on Lake Victoria

2006-08-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Our first stop in Tanzania was a lodge at Speke bay, owned by a Dutch family. It was really nice to be on this largest lake in Africa, which is the source of the Nile & borders three countries (Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda). It is off the tourist track, and i would highly recommend this place.

The waters of the Lake Victoria

We stayed in one of those "huts" on the lake

The view from our "hut"

and we went "fishing" on the lake too ! (more in next entry)

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part II - Welcome to Tanzania

2006-08-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

At the immigration post in Tanzania

The Kenyan Immigration post

The "wired" border

People cross over the border....no passport checks (except for us)

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part II - Off to Tanzania (Lake Victoria)

2006-08-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

so we were to be picked up by a jeep coming from Tanzania to take us over. However, he was stopped at the border and could not make it. So, from the mara (where my cell phone worked), I called my agent in Holland (who was awesome), he got in touch with some agents in Kenya, who took us to the border post, and we crossed over the border and entered Tanzania on foot, along with several 1000s of people, who were not asked for their passports, but we were. It was a little creepy walking across the border on foot, dealing with the immigration authorities there...but everything went well
:)

waiting for our ride

Poo used this "toilet" at the border. Behind the wire fence in the backgroud is Tanzania, this side being Kenya. The "toilet" was just a hole in the groud, but locked !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara

2006-08-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

luxury shower at the bush camp

Mr Hyena

Pumba just outside our tent !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - More from the bush walk + sunset !

2006-08-06T04:38:00.000-07:00

sunset from the comfort of an arm chair in the middle of the bush with glass of wine

welcome to Africa

The service...was Xcellent !

another favourite picture of mine!!

2006-08-06T04:31:00.000-07:00

I am really proud of this shot...why?
the African sky + rainbow + the colour of the grass in the mara + a pride of lions moving to eat a recent kill....everytime i look at this picture...my heart tells me to move to East Africa!
-A

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara

2006-08-06T04:29:00.000-07:00

The view from our tent

Humans watching animals

kinda sad yeah?

The endless mara contrasted against a stunning sky ! this is Africa at its best ....

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - random shots !

2006-08-06T04:20:00.000-07:00

den of a silver back jackal

this could happen to you if you stepped out of the car !

whatssup doc?

more secretary birds !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - Bila Shaka boss !

2006-08-06T04:16:00.000-07:00

the boss of the bila shaka pride (bila shaka - means always found (??)...it means that you are guaranteed to see a lion there)

someone wanna challenge me?

I am da undisputed king !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - the big feast !

2006-08-06T04:14:00.000-07:00

but maa! i hate the skin....shut up and eat it kid !

and dont play with..err..on your food either

I said no!

ok..ill just eat this !

BBC big cat diary

2006-08-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

dont know if you folks watch thi program, but the BBC big cat diary kicks ass !
here is their crew...filming the current season !

spy cam !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - drive to the border of Tanzania

2006-08-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

at the border stone
we all gotta do..what we gotta do !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - walking safari

2006-08-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

and we were walking..and walking...and then we came across this jeep...waiting with drinks for us....where we sat down....watched the sun set....enjoyed our wine...and felt one with the universe...

HDI training manager - ex Stanford/HBS grad !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - walking safari

2006-08-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

we had a tense standoff with some buffaloes (biggest killers after the hippos)

this is one of my favourite pictures from the mara !
impala again

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - Bush camp

2006-08-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

After being spoilt in the little governor's camp...we spent a night and day at the bush camp, where we did walking safaris....it was an absolutely brilliant experience....highly recommended..only 4 tents on this part of the camp...and we were pampered like kings and queens...
our tent

the green extension is the bathroom

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - from the balloon

2006-08-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

watch the elephant run...and the crocodile be lazy (above)
somehow we really scared the elephants
but not the crocs or the hippos !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - Balloon ride

2006-08-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

the not so gentle landing
was compensated by a huge breakfast in the middle of the bush

and champagne !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - Balloon Safari

2006-08-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Even though this is expensive azzz...it was worth every bit ! gogeous views to be had as you glide over the mara ....
-A

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara

2006-08-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

the secretary bird...called for the large quill (feather) in its head..used by secretaries in the past..dipped in ink..and write with !

do i look stupid?

silver back jackal !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - Cheetah Run

2006-08-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

Cheetah looking for prey

cheetah sees prey...prey sees cheetah

cheetah goes...yum yum..little fowl

off he goes after it

the run is so incredibly fast...that i could not capture anything else besides the beggining of the sprint above (i did not have a digital)....the fowl survived...yay !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara

2006-08-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

see those canines ! you dont wanna mess with a hippo (even though they are vegetarians)

brother and sister looking for a kill !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara

2006-08-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

hundreds and thousands of wildebeest in migration

thats what vultures to to what the lions leave !
land turtle !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - Lions of the Mara

2006-08-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

more of Little governor's at the Mara !

2006-08-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

tusker and Safari and Kilamanjaro..all good beers !

dinner...
lunch is served !
but need to keep the flies away ....

Little governor's at the Masai Mara

2006-08-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

we stayed at this tented camp called Little governor's. I would strongly recommend this place if you are staying at the Masai Mara (Kichwa tembo is good too from what I have heard)

our safari jeep

Poo warm and happy in her bed in the tent ! (they were luxury tents)
our driver Stanley...and fellow travellers...

The dramatic skies over the Mara - nature at its best!

2006-08-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

pity our shaows are in this picture....

see the lion...they can be really hard to spot..and sometimes you might find yourself face to face with a lion rather un-expectedly....advice..dont walk in the bush !

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - Amber

2006-08-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

this is the famous cheetah "amber", one of the cubs of kike
she is known to sit on the cars for
1) heat
2) better vantage point for a look out
and when she gets pissed, she is also known to climb to the roof of the jeep and piss inside it!
:) fortunately she was on the other jeep and we got some great pics...
cheers
Poosh

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara - visit to the Masai village

2006-08-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

hello...we come in peace
lets make some fire !

poorwa with chief olondo...meaning the tall one (he had 4 wives...and is 70 years old..and was getting ready to be married to another one...24 years old!)

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara

2006-08-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

pumba (from the lion king)- warthog just outside our camp

the sky in Africa is always so dramatic...shame im not good enough with my lens to get it all the time
a sunrise over the Mara

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Masai Mara

2006-08-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

waterbucks (if i remember correctly)
the convoy of vehicles which greet the arriving tourists

Africa Safari - 2005 - Part 1 - Nairobi -->Masai Mara

2006-08-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

our ride to the Mara
old plane in hangar for repairs
the view of the rift valley form out plane
I got to sit in the front with the pilot (yay)

End - Med Cruise - 0406 - but we will continue exploring !!

2006-08-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

"explorers" in the bowels of the earth in Egypt !

Wednesday – 12th April – On Sea
The most interesting thing of the day was a talk by the captain about the ship. Interesting things learnt:
The ship has 6 diesel-electric engines, which can generate 64MW of power (that’s like a small power plant)
The ship consumes approximately 250 thousand tones of oil every 24 hours
It produces 1000 tones of fresh water daily, using 3 evaporators and 1 reverse osmosis unit
Top sailing speed is 24 knots (1 nautical mile = 1.835 kms)

Thursday – 13th April – End of cruise

more random pics

2006-08-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

nana's birthday
lets pamper the birthday boy
smelly cat...smelly cat
at Ephesus - turkey

Random pics from cruise

2006-08-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

dinner
Sphynx @ Alexandria
Mosque in Alexandria
inside the mosque

more pics from the fare well gala !

2006-08-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 13 - on the sea - Farewell Gala

2006-08-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

Wednesday – 12th April – On Sea
The most interesting thing of the day was a talk by the captain about the ship. Interesting things learnt:
The ship has 6 diesel-electric engines, which can generate 64MW of power (that’s like a small power plant)
The ship consumes approximately 250 thousand tones of oil every 24 hours
It produces 1000 tones of fresh water daily, using 3 evaporators and 1 reverse osmosis unitTop sailing speed is 24 knots (1 nautical mile = 1.835 kms)

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 12 - Katakalon (Mt. Olympia)

2006-08-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Tuesday – 11th April – Olympia/KatakalonThis was our final stop. A small sleepy town, 38 kms away from Mt. Olympia, where the flame of the Olypic games is light (both summer and winter Olympics). We could not be bothered to go to that temple, at the base of Mount Olympia and walked around the town instead. Came across an interesting motorbike (BSA, 500cc, 1958), which I need to put on e-bay. Walked along the beach and saw lots of cute dogs chained in houses, which wanted to come out and play with us. Ended the trip with a nice snack of dolmades (wine leaves stuffed with rice) and fried mussels. Mmmmm……rest of the day was spent lazing around. Finally we had the farewell gala dinner and the captain came to toast us. The waiters came in with baked Alaska’s with sparklers on them. At midnight, they had ice sculptures and served the midnights buffet in the ship’s kitchens. It was an interesting sight to see the huge kitchen and the vast expanse of cold storages.

the ship and the bottle....for scale !!
someone is happy
shopping...and some more shopping !
greek art ?

More pictures from Athens

2006-08-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

changing of the guard at the president's house..notice the silly puff balls on the shoes...

at the old Olympics stadium
another building at the acropolis again !

An ode to the acropolis

2006-08-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

Greece is defined by Athens (and its islands)
and Athens is defined by the Acropilis (literally meaning the head of the city)
this is a manficient architectural creation...and it is one of those things, Id highly recommend to see before you die !! (love the fatalistic angle to the statement)
-Ash
The Acropolis from far away
the amphitheatre at the Acropolis
and the building itself - under renovation

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 11 - Athens (Greece)

2006-08-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Monday – 10th April – Athens

The port of Pireus, close to the city of Athens (16 kms away) was our port of call. Activities at this port date back to 500BC. As we drove in taxis towards the city of Athens, we stopped at the waterfront of this city. It was spectacular, a small bay with a hill on the other side, and restaurants lining the waterfront. The Greek shipping magnate, Onasis has a house there and that was perched well. After his death, the Onasis foundation donated the house to the yacht club. On display at this club is the yatch of the king of Greece (now exiled to London), in which he won the gold medal in the Olympics for sailing. We then proceeded towards the town of Athens and saw the several stadiums built for the Athens Olympics in 2004. Our first stop was the Acropolis (which in Greek means, the head of the city). The main structure at the Acropolis is the Parthenon, which is impressive and huge and is the crown jewel of the Acropolis. It looks majestic from far away, however from up close, it lost that grandiose look as it was propped up with scaffolding all around it, as it was under renovation (the pollution from the city of Athens is making the marble black). The views from the Acropolis were splendid. We then drove to the temple Zeus (which was sorta boring, as it had only 13 standing columns). Next stop was the old Olympic stadium, where the original Olympic games we held (1st century BC) and the modern Olympic games were restarted (1896). Next, we drove for the changing of the guard at the palace of the president. It was a very interesting site, especially the dress of the guards (their shoes especially which has balls of “fur” at the tip). During the changing of the guard, they did this weird thing in which the two guards touch their shoe tips (with the fur balls), and shake their legs, kinda like a cartoon thingie. Also, the traditional dress of the greek guards has 400m pleats in it, to remind them of the 400 years of Turkish occupation (the Greeks and the Turks really don’t get along, almost as bad if not worse than the relationship between the Indians and the Pakistanis). The final stop was then the district around the Acropolis, which has lots of interesting shops, bars and restaurants. We stopped at the waterfront of Pireus on the way back, to eat at one of the restaurants, and just made it back in time for departure (with the taxi driver doing a few runs to pick us up). An interesting thing was dinner in the night, the Italian night. At some point, they played nice Italian music, and all the people in the hall (majority Italians), held their napkins in their hand and started fluttering them around. The waiters then came in and whisked the ladies of our table and danced with them (included 80 yr old grandmom – which was cute). Finally, we formed a nice big line and ran around the entire ballroom, singing songs and being rather foolish. Italians sure know how to party!

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 10 - Izmir (Ephesus)

2006-08-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Mentioned in BBC's publication, 50 unforgettable places to see before you die ! It was really impressive....especially considering it how ancient it is...and the Roman influence there !

the old ruins..only 10% of them an excavated to date !
the old library
the famous Roman arches

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 10 - Izmir (Turkey)

2006-08-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday – 9th April – Izmir (Turkey)
Reached the third largest city of Turkey (5 million people). Had to bargain like hell with the cabbies, including an unpleasant one. Drove 100 kms out of town, to the house of mother mary, the last house of the lady who was the mother of Jesus Christ. Then we drove to Ephephus, the ancient town, which gained prominence during the Roman rule, as it was a major city for the Romans in the Asia Minor region. Saw spectacular and breathtaking ruins. Back at Izmir, we went to the fort at the top of the town and were regaled with amazing sights of the city. Ended the trip with wonderful kebabs at a local shop. Yum !

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 9 - Rhodes (town centre)

2006-08-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

enter the city via one of the several gates
city center - view from our restaurant
the fort in the town
a greek model?

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 9 - Rhodes (Lindos)

2006-08-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

the fort at lindos..see that cave..thats where the guns of Navaronne were placed for the movie and the shooting was done here !
and the lazy ones can take a donkey all the way up to the fort !
the coast
another view of the fort at lindos

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 9 - Rhodes

2006-08-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday – 8th April – Rhodes (Greece)
This island of Greece (its third largest), was spectacular. The old town, just outside the harbour is surrounded by a wall and the harbour area itself was gorgeous. As we set off on our tour, we stopped at a modern church, which was built by the Italians. There we also saw the entrance into the old harbour, with two pillars, which had a deer and a fawn statue on each pillar. Apparently, in the past, this is where they the statue of the huge colossus stood, and the ships would sail between his legs. Then we drove on top of a mountain, called mount Smith, and were regaled with a breathtaking view of the entire city. Then we headed for the city of Lindos, making a brief stop at Rhodes Gold (rip off, avoid it, if you can). Lindos, was spectacular, reminded me a lot of Anacapri (old part of the island of Capri, on the Amalfi coast). Small town on a hill, beautiful beaches, fort on top of a hill, with donkey rides available for those who were lazy/wanted the thrill of a donkey ride (5 euros/ oneway). We did not have enough time there and hence we left soon, not before we had eaten a pita gyro though. We then went to the other part of the island, and saw the caves under the fort, where the guns of navaronne movie was shot. Back at Rhodes, we settled over a really nice lunch, with dolmades (interestingly these were not dry, but were is some kind of a sauce), moussaka and stuffed pepper. Walked around town and to the castle and nothing interesting, besides rather amusing t-shirts.

the famous statues at the gate of Rhodes. Legend has it that the fawn (above) are where the feet of the legendry colosus statue stood

the brady bunch !!
the coast !!

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 8 - Limasol (Cyprus)

2006-08-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Friday – 7th April – Cyprus
We reached Cyprus in the noon and spent only a few hours on the island. Small, interesting island with nothing on it, besides lots of shopping. Reminded me a lot of Goa, except that it was cleaner and had fewer people Had fresh orange and lemon juice, bought yummy honeyed nuts and wine, bought lots of beer (including a local beer called Keo = eyuck, avoid it if you see it, go for the Greek one instead called Mythos). Poo bought herself a straw hat, and that’s about it.

Nana's birthday on the ship !!

2006-08-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 7 - Alexandria (more pics)

2006-08-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

sunset @ port
the port of Alexandria
just outside the port
shopping on the streets..we have what you want !!

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 7 - Alexandria (more pics)

2006-08-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 7 - Alexandria (more pics)

2006-08-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

fort by the sea

mosque

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day 7 - Alexandria

2006-08-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday – 6th April - Alexandria

I was genuinely excited about coming here, especially given my previous experiences in Egypt in Cairo. After haggling on a “price” (since my parents had left in the morning for the pyramids of Giza around Cairo), we set off to see Alexandria. Old town, reminiscent of Kalba Devi in Mumbai. We went to some ancient crypt to begin with, which was very creepy actually. Then we went to the tower of Pompei, erected to commemorate his victory after crushing a rebellion. It was a nice tower with a sphinx like figure on the side. We also descended in some underground excavations, but nothing really exciting there. After that we headed to the citadel, which is where the ancient lighthouse of Alexendria used to be (one of the seven wonders of the old world, the lighthouse being destroyed by an earthquake). As Poo and I were walking around, holding hands, one of the kids came up and said “she is beautiful indeed”, kinda weird, but I felt flattered for sure. Took a few pictures and then we headed to eat Khushari. Now I need to dedicate a few lines about this dish meant for the common man. Most people on their travels to Egypt like to sit in five star hotels and eat things like braised duck in mandarin sauce. The braver among them will be adventurous and try something like shesh kebab. The bravest among them all will venture on the street and eat things eaten by the common man, like khushari. It is a medley of rice, spaghetti and macaroni, served with lentils, chic peas and baked onions, with hot and garlic sauces on the side. After eating this huge dish and also “bibete”, a thin bread type thing immersed in cream and milk, with lots of sugar we went to see the palace of the last Egyptian king (King Faroukh, who was overthrown in the Islamic revolution, a white/bloodless revolution, lead by Nasser in the 50s), the Muntaza palace. It was gorgeous, with a nice hotel in the bay of the palace (seemed like a nice place to stay in). After that we headed back to the ship. Later, I ventured out with my mom in law and was forcibly escorted by a bum on the street, who helped us shop for local fruits, such as young dates, etc.

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Day5,6 - On the sea

2006-08-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Tuesday-Wednesday 4th & 5th April – On SeaSail sail sail. Lost a lot of money in the Casino. Won a “line” in bingo, which I had to share with another winner, hugely diminishing my earnings. Nothing exciting, besides the view of Stromboli, as we sailed by that active volcano. Other amusing sights included watching people 80+ years of age learning to dance on the open deck next to the pool, shaking their hips and eyeing the dancers with lust in their eyes, their souls still young.

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Rome - Day4 (more pics..)

2006-08-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

Med Cruise - Apr 06 - Rome - Day4

2006-08-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Monday- April 3rd 2006- Rome

We reached Civitavecchia, the port close to Rome (appx. 100 kms away). We were on an organized tour (the first and the last of the trip). We were in a mixed group of English speakers and Italians which obviously made our life rather…err…interesting. We set off early in the morning and after a few pit stops reached Rome. When they say, “to explore Rome, a lifetime is not enough”, they surely are not kidding. The combination of the rush of the traffic, people jetting by monuments and buildings that have been there for centuries, the contrast of the past and the modern world, it was mesmerizing. We drove by the Capitol Hill, and went around the squares which are mentioned in history so often, drove by the place where Caesar was assassinated. Finally we picked up our guide and he was a jolly old man, almost as old as Rome itself. He took us to the Vatican, where we were given whispering phones (which were then promptly stolen from us by the Italian speaking group). The Vatican is amazing. We had reached there on the first death anniversary of Pope John Paul II, and hence the place was packed with people as there was a huge congregation in the evening, which was to be presided by Pope Bennedict. We meandered through lines, past the huge statues of Peter and Paul, as they welcomed us into the Vatican. We saw the Swiss guards in their “costumes” and entered the St. Peter’s Basilica (the second basilica, made by emperor Constantine, the first Roman king not to persecute the Christians, over the “alleged” grave of St. Peter, the apostle, who was crucified on orders by Nero, and chose to be crucified upside down, so as to not emulate Christ). The Basilica is a breathtaking creation of the human endeavour, it took 120 years to build, and the dome was designed by Michelangelo. We saw the famous statue of Mary holding the dead body of Christ upon entering, saw statues of saints, with their feet worn out, by people touching their feet for good luck for ages. We saw the works of Berlini, the man did stuff with marble, which made it look like its as easy to work with as soapstone. We saw mosaics in the wall, which looked like real paintings. It was a shame that we did not have time to go and see the Sistine Chappel.
We then headed for lunch, which was very average and after that went to the Coliseum and the Roman forum. The Coliseum was of course in ruins, but it was funny to see people dressed as Romans outside and standing with tourists for pictures. All the old buildings in Rome, including the Coliseum have holes in them and this is because, in the past they would put metal between the huge stone blocks, to act as pins to prevent the blocks from slipping over as the were being laid. However, in the middle ages, as the “noble families”, feuded with each other, they stole the metal from these monuments to make weapons, leaving the holes in the walls of most monuments, making it an eye sore. The later families, even stole the stones from older monuments to make their own houses, etc. tsk..tsk…Rome was destroyed by Romans themselves and not by invaders or outsiders (with the exception of the great fire in 67 AD- when Nero played the harp as Rome burnt). There are seven famous hills in Roman, and the Capitol hill is one of them. In a valley nearby is the Roman forum, where the intellectuals would gather and discuss philosophy to politics. We also saw the place where Mark Anthony gave his famous “friends, romans and countrymen” speech. We saw the several “layers” of Rome, the old Rome which lies approximately 4-5 meters under modern Rome. The trip back to the ship was uneventful.

A pyramid in Roma!!! yeah...it was wierd
the older city of Rome a few feet under the new city...

notice the holes in the walls...originallyy they were filled with metal to hold the blocks together..then during the wars between the local families, they were plundered for the metal value to make weapons...Rome was destroyed by the Romans themselves..

Med Cruise - 0406 - Day 2-3

2006-08-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday – 1^st April 2006 - Varazze

Travelled to Varazze, a small town approximately 10 Kms from Savona (port where we were supposed to board our cruise). Stayed at the crocodillo hotel, a nice joint. Went for a walk in the evening along the seaside and tried all sorts of treats and meats on sale (something like a farmer’s market). Gelato was yummy as always

Sunday – April 2^nd 2006 - Savona

Went to board our cruise (Costa Fortuna). As we approached the ship, it was the biggest thing that I have seen. The ship drawfed a huge building right next to it. Boarding was slow and painful and done in several “installments”. The emergency drill before departure was sort of interesting. It took several hours to explore the ship and figure it out from end to end.

Med Cruise - 0406 - Day 1

2006-08-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

Friday – 31^st March 2006- Milan

Left for Milan Orio early in the morning by Transavia. Not bad at all for a “low cost” air carrier. Reached Milan Orio, which is way out of town and took a bus into town. We stayed at a hotel in the heart of Milan, called Hotel London. I’d definitely recommend it to those people planning to travel to Milan, as its location is really hard to beat. We met up with Poo’s parents and walked around, looking at the fortress and the cathedral (Duomo in Italian). The Duomo was impressive as it was one of the few catherdrals that I have seen with wonderful tapestry hanging in it. However, it was pretty much like every other duomo that I have seen in the past (the one in Firenze/Florence being more impressive though). However that galleria (mall) across the duomo was impressive. It looked like the passage in Den Haag, only 5 times bigger. It had all the big designer boutiques there. At one corner of it, you saw “PRADA”, etc, but in the 4^th corner, written in the same manner on black stone was “MC DONALDS, sigh the golden arches seem to be omnipresent. Resistance is futile, I just need to accept that happy meals are here to stay.

We also went to buy tickets for the opera at the theatre (La Scala), but they were completely sold out. We also wanted to go and see the painting of the last supper (made famous from the novel – The DaVinci Code – Dan Brown) in the church of Mary Grazie, but that was sold out for the next 5 weeks. They allow only limited number of visitors inside, and hence I would recommend that you book well in advance.

After lunch and a short siesta (and two gelatos later), we went shopping in the “chique” designer label district of Milan (know as the golden quadrangle), hmmm, way to expense. We walked though shops like Armani (actually 4 of them), Versace, D&G, name em, and we went to them. What did we buy, nothing! It seemed like nothing was less than 500 euros. Hugely deflating to my ego, but I could not buy shoes for 1000 euros and then allow them to touch the ground.

MedCruise-06-The Golden Arches rule

2006-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

so we went to the passage in Milan, an extremely posh and upmarket mall, which has shops like Prada, etc. At the center of the mall (the four corners) were shops like prada, LV, Bernascone and......u guessed it...good old McDonalds !!! in the same architectural style too...
made me wanna throw up....but hey....you can run...you can hide..but you cant escape those golden arches !!!
yikes...
-aSh

Mediterranean cruise - April 06 - Milan

2006-08-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Poorwa's fav place: the old mall

My fav place: the Ferrari shop

More funny pics - Mediterranean cruise - Apr 06

2006-08-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Sign at the Ephesus - Turkey

Mordern day Roman buys cigarettes

Shirt in Cyprus (Poo would not let me buy)

Interesting pics from Mediterranean cruise (Apr 06)

2006-08-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

politically incorrect (really wrong) biscuit !!! (what were these guys smoking??)

and finally...its all about the drinking (???)

2006-07-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

meribel - this is more fun than snowboarding

2006-07-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

more Meribel pics - notice the straight knees!

2006-07-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Snowboarding 2006 - Meribel !

2006-07-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Some more Wadlopen pics....

2006-06-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

Time for some team talk

I call this one "The lone geologist" - notice the dinosaur like walk !

"The lone geologist" no more! His footprints are now embedded in the sand. To be discovered millions of years later, this depositional layer might be called "PricosorousWalkum"

Mudwalking in Holland

2006-06-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Or as the locals call it "Wadlopen", was what we did last Friday as a team even, far from the dreary workshop sessions or team building exercises in which five people make a clay pot.

The Team: Led by their courageous leader (Raoul-spot him), the team arrived at the ferry's parking lot all set, spirits high and the sun shining (a rarity in this country)

though wadlopen is traditionally done by folks wearing short shorts and have hagged beards, this team was different

The Definition: (source: http://home.wxs.nl/~chrsovdv/wadloop7.html)
The prerequisite for wadlopen is a shallow sea, that dries sufficiently at every low tide to allow crossing it by foot during a few short hours before and after low tide. Also the difference in height between high and low tide must be sufficiently great. Such conditions prevail in the Waddensea, stretching from Den Helder in the Netherlands to Esbjerg in Denmark (and even further), though there are probably many more regions on earth with similar conditions. (E.g. in Cape Cod Bay) The terrain between the mainland and the string of islands before the coast consists mainly of sands, though sometimes, especially in places where there is not a lot of current, the Waddensea can be quite muddy.
On this map of part of the Waddensea in the north of the Netherlands the parts drying at low tide are marked in light brown. Thus you can reach the islands of Ameland en Schiermonnikoog with dry feet (well, almost) whereas the island of Borkum is always separated from the mainland by the sea. The distance between the mainland and the islands is about 10 km or 6 miles thus allowing the walker to reach the islands in about 3 hours.

We walked to the island of Schiermonnikoog after being dropped off at the edge of the receded sea by a boat.

The landing party

ofcourse some of us found it hard to leave our cell phones behind..in case their french hair stylist called! :P

The Equipment:

It is compulsary to wear "basketball" type shoes. This is important as it ensures that when the shoes dig into the mud, then dont stay their as your ankle slips out. Ofcourse some of us (like me), got cool black shoes (5.95 euros) while some others went for dorky red/white shoes!

and then we walked for a long time (3 hours). At times the mud was hard, like the sand on the beach compacted by wet water and in some cases the mud was slushy and guey and the feet actually sank into the mud and perhaps sliding on the mud was easier.
The funnest part of the walk was the channels, "streams" of water, and walking through them, the water came upto the hips. We also went for a short swim in one of those channels and the water was nice and warm! definitely awesome...

Hitting dry land at the end of the walk was really nice. However we had to overcome one last hurdle before we got ashore dry. To tread over the electric wires at the ends of the dijks. The Dutch have traditionally kept sheep on the dijks to make sure that they eat plants and weeks, etc, which could make the soil on the dijks loose. neat huh!

went to a village, had lots of bitterbollens (refer here), beer and dinner and took the ferry home!

Watch the water come in over the area where we walked in the pic above!
fun
-Ash

Trip count

2006-06-04T02:37:00.000-07:00

Before I start off on posting pics and memories on this blog, I got to make an inventory check

Before Marriage
1) London
2) Paris
3) Konstanz/Austria/Alsace

After Marriage
4) Spain (Pampalona)
5) Dubai/Oman
6) France - Burgundy/Champagne/Alsace
7) Italy - Amalfi
8) East Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar
9) Meribel
10) Octoberfest
11) Italy - Tuscany
12) Greek island cruise
13) Norway - independently
14) Malaysia (coming up in a few months)

hmm..im sure im missing some others?
cheers
Ash

Welcome!

2006-05-17T01:47:00.000-07:00

I had decided to create this blog a few years ago, to record our various travels to exotic locations and places. However in the rush of life, it never happened. the good news is that we have a few long weekends coming up and I have no plans of travel, just housework and stuff like this and sorting our pictures and travel memories.
So this blog will be updated soon. The travels and adventures of Poorwa and Ash, also know as the Poosh Travel Inc. !
-Ash