It’s not everyday that you find yourself being offered tea and fire-popped corn by a Naga Angh (headman) in his opium den. And when that happens, do you? – a) Say no thanks (and risk offending the chief of a once-were-headhunters tribe)? b) Take the tea and say thanks. (and hope that the tea is not laced with something)? c) Ask if you could try some … Continue reading The Tranced Villages of Nagaland
All my savviness from the day before went out the window by the time we hauled up the cold mountains of Kohima. A shared jeep took 7 hours (supposedly a 3 hour ride) to reach the mountain town center only to arrive and get stuck in the evening traffic. They offloaded me on the roadside and continued on. It was freezinggggg and no taxi wanted to … Continue reading Coldly, Kohima
Woke up to someone khaakh-ing their lungs out outside my window (what’s with men retching and spitting early in the mornings?). It was freezing in the night and took me a long while to get to sleep and now warmly cocooned in a tangle of dust-mite infested blanket, my big shawl, my neck shawl, socks which must have come off at some point and a … Continue reading Day 7: Burma to Hindustan
They say nothing special about Kalaymyo. Just another small town on the way. But sometimes it’s the small, unassuming places that stay in your memories forever. The ‘hotel’ was a family owned affair complete with a niece on reception, a cousin in the kitchen, a son who continued the business and a mama grandmother who sat in her chair in the foyer, cleaning vegetables and … Continue reading Day 6: Burma to Hindustan
Location: Monwya Time: 5.45am Target: A cup of tea Threw on my jacket over my pjs and went out on the streets to look for a cup of tea. Didn’t have to venture out too far when I spotted a bustling stall in the dark street. Tea was Indian style with lots of condensed milk minus the spices. ¾ less sugar than what was in … Continue reading Day 5: Burma to Hindustan
My journey towards the border in a way truly begins from today. From this point, I will be venturing off the tourist circuit well into northern Burma. Taxi dropped me off at the bus stop. (stupid hotel called the same guy from yesterday *sigh*). 15 minutes later, a minivan screeches stop smack bang in the middle of the road. They toss my bag on the … Continue reading Day 4: Burma to Hindustan
Your eyes lock and it’s too late. You’re hooked. I get caught once in a while. Taxi drivers bickered and pushed each other to get the first customers just as the bus doors opened at Bagan bus station. Over the heads, I made the mistake of looking one in the eye. That was it. I knew he wasn’t going to let me go. With no … Continue reading Day 3: Burma to Hindustan
The ‘guesthouse’ was on the 7th floor and communal breakfast served on the 8th. The cheapest sleeping space I could get in Rangoon. Cheapest being 35USD totaling to $70FJD per night! Despite the crammy rooms, the breakfast area came with abundant sunshine, tinkling chants from the nearby pagodas and a 180 degree view of the city. Suruj would have said it’s good start. Waking up … Continue reading Day 2: Burma to Hindustan
This trip has been coming for some time. One of the last countries to open its doors to the world, Myanmar offered more than just intrigue to my nomad heart. It shares its borders with one of my favorite countries, India. And it came off a blog post last year when I first thought about crossing over to India overland from Burma. Google searches for travel … Continue reading Day 1: Burma to Hindustan
Only because of the sheer numbers of temples, I’ll have to do most of this in pictures! Besides Angkor Wat there are many other complexes in the reserve. Before Buddhism spread into Cambodia, the Shaivism and Vaishnavism branches of Hinduism were widely followed. The Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh deities are craved all over the Angkor temples along with stories of Mahabharat and Ramayan engraved on walls. On bridges leading to gates … Continue reading Temples of Angkor (In Pictures)
Where is Shyamni? 