Trip To Dubai -A Really WOW City

Heritage Museum Dubai 

28 October 2016
I was feeling very excited and was in extremely high spirits when our flight touched down on the runway of  Dubai Airport on the night of 28th October. So, finally I had made it to Dubai- the city of amazing architecture, home to planets's tallest building and so many other mind boggling things. While the plane was landing, I had seen that apart from the glitter of artificial lights, the land was actually very barren- an all sand landscape dotted by bushes.

Can you spot Burj Khalifa?

The climate was somewhat humid, but when I entered the AC bus sent by our hotel to pick us up,, I felt significantly better. The Arabian Park hotel where we had booked was very luxurious with lawn and swimming pool, but the view from our balcony made me realize that it was actually on desert sands.

The seaside at Atlantis Palm 

There was a 24/7 hotel shuttle to the Al Jadaf Metro station and that is how we would commute for the next couple of days-  hop on to hotel shuttle, board the metro and then go off . The very next day, we mostly wandered about in the local bazaars ( called souks) and streets to get a real feel of the city. We had lunch at a cafe by the side if the creek and visited Dubai Museum to get a peek into the city's striking transformation - from a small fishing village to one of the most magnificent cities in the world. In the evening we went to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The lift to the observation deck on 124 th floor took just 1 minute! The view from the top was WOW! What a sight!

Blue Souk, Sharjah

On Sunday that is, 30th October, we visited the Ibn Batuta Mall. The next two days were spent in sightseeing of Dubai in Big Bus- we toured the entire city by sitting on upper deck of the Bus, we also went to Sharjah and Ras Ul Khor sanctuary.  Sunset in the desert was also marvelous and I got to ride a camel.

On Wednesday, we headed to Masafi. Masafi with its Hajar Mountains and wadis ( dry river beds on which seasonal streams flow during rains)  was quite a contrast from Dubai


We stayed at the palatial house  of Ali Khamis Uncle- he is veryvery rich but also very active and not lazy at all. Everyday he himself drives down from Dubai to Masafi where he has lots of businesses. Oh! Yes. I also visited the Masafi  factory and had a great time with Judith Auntie and other engineer uncles. It was Maa's work visit, but I think I asked more questions.

 

At Masafi. I think it looks very similar to Afganistan. 

Masafi- Red house on Hill is Ali Khamis uncle's guest house

With Ali Khamis Uncle- very very rich but also very active man leading a hectic life. 

After Masafi, it was back to Dubai at Vasu Uncles' house. Vasu Uncle has two C's against his name, CEO of a company and also a very good cook. He made yummy fluffy idlis and really tasty lunch. He also took me to taste jumping ice cream.

At home with Vasu Uncle

Vasu Uncle and his magic icecream served in jumping manner

Abu Dhabi was the last stop on our trip from where we took the flight back to Delhi. End of trip.

Abu Dhabi, Great mosque 

Airport

Summer in the Himalayas

 

 

 

This summer we went on two trips to the Himalayas- a short one to Nag Tibba and Koti Banal ( again- 3rd time in 3 months) and a long, leisurely one to Raithal ( near Uttarkashi) and Gangotri. Both were WOLIDAYS  ( WORK + HOLIDAY- Work for mother and Holiday for me and Baba)

The short one first.

 The last Friday afternoon of May, we headed for The Goat Village Nag Tibba. The famous jam at Kempty Falls jam slowed us down and we reached Lasun Gaon village ( from where one has to trek for 1.5 hours to Nag Tibba)  2 hours behind schedule. By then it was quite dark and it was very exciting trekking in the dark imagining wild animals lurking all around us.It was almost 9.30 pm when we reached The Goat Village which is actually a very beautiful rural resort on the top of a hill.

At The Goat Village

 Dining Room TGV

Next morning I walked round the place. After breakfast, we again trekked down the hill to car point and headed for Koti Banal, about which I have already written before and so will not write again much. On the way we stopped at Rajgarhi to see ruins of raja's palace. 

We stayed at the house of Pradeep bhaiya . The house faces a chaukhat.

 At Rajgarhi

 At Pradeep bhaiya's house

View of chaukhat from the house

Now about the longer trip to Raithal and Gangotri.

On Tuesday 28 June, when monsoon had invaded the Himlayas, we set out for the hills gaian. That night we stayed at Netala on the banks of the river.
Next day we went to Raithal and it was am amazing drive through the hills full of flowers. Raithal site where quaint cottages are coming up too was very scenic. Next time, we will stay in these cottages.
Raithaal village also has an amazing 500 year old multi storied mansion. People call it Panchpura and I learnt that it belongs to the Rana family.

Thursday was free day for mother snd so we headed to Gangotri which was just 3 hours by road from Raithal. Gangotri is am amazing place. The road which leads to Gangotri runs through very scenic mountain scenery as you can see from the pics I have posted. 

 Grain drying session at Raithal

 500 year old Panchpura at Raithal

 Raithal Site- apple time amidst the cottages.

 Watching the river go by at Netala near Uttarkashi

 Lunch time- Raithal site

 Gangotri- where Ganga descended on earth

Waterfall on way back from Gangotri 

Koti Banal- A Kohinoor hidden in the Himalayas

 This long pending blog post covers two trips to Koti Banal- one made in February with my parents and the other done in March during the Holi holidays with my mother and her two students- Harshul bhaiya and Ekangsh bhaiya.

  

Koti Banal is a beautiful hilly village in the heart of the Himalayas. The village is full of ancient houses made in such a way that they have withstood many past earthquakes successfully and will withstand many more in the future- I hope. Such houses are called pherols. They are mostly four and at times even five stories- imagine a five storey house in the hills and withstanding earthquakes since centuries. Hard to imagine isn't it? I too thought like that before -multi story houses and earthquakes don't go together, till i visited Koti Banal.

I enjoyed the second trip more as we stayed in the houses of the villages and I had Harshul and Ekangsh bhiayas for company. While my mother and her two students were busy studying the buildings and making sketches, taking measurements, I had a great time playing with the village boys and patting the calves of the village.

  Last night we even had campfire. It was a great experience.

 We stayed in  a house in front of this magnificent pherol. If you look carefully, you can see us brushing our teeth. .

I just loved the calves of Koti Banal- so young, sweet and playful. Wish I can spend some time with them again.

Tito's Tokyo trip TTT in December 2015

I had posted this trip before, but accidentally it got deleted. So i am having to write this again and not liking it very much. 

January in Pink city, Jaipur

My New Year began with accompanying my mother for a trip to Jaipur, popularly known as the Pink City. Why it is called so you will understand a little later when you see my pictures.

The Yoga Express dropped us at Jaipur at 4.30 in the morning and surprisingly even at that hour Jaipur pleasantly warm. Not frozen like Mussorie, not bitingly cold like Dehradun, but warm, pleasantly warm. Maa had booked a retiring room for us, which meant no haggling with auto drivers, no searching for hotels, just climb up to the first floor, walk into your room and catch up on your sleep!!!!!!

Later in the morning, after a good nap, we headed for Amer Fort. This was the fort I had read about so much and seen on the internet and now I was really going to see it!!!!!I was very excited.

Amer Fort is  really very magnificent. It is like a mini town on top of a hill and inside a fort. There are palaces, durbars, museums, temples, playgrounds and gardens.

 Later in the afternoon, we went to Hawa Mahal or palace  of the winds. This is another grand structure in pink. From the top of Hawa Mahal, I could see three forts- Amer Fort, Jaigarh fort and Nahargarh or Tiger Fort.

Next day we visited the City Palace. It is full of museums displaying everything related to the lives of kings and queens. I like the weapon museum very much. So many different kinds of swords, knives , daggers,bows and arrows of  famous Rajput kings of Rajasthan. There is also a museum of the royal robes once worn by the kings and queens.That afternoon we also tasted creamy and famous Jaipuri lassi -one of the most famous drinks that you get in Jaipur.

Next day it was time to depart from Jaipur.We boarded the AC Double Decker express to New Delhi and returned to Dehradun by bus .