After four days in Munnar, we made our way to Alleppey and the Kerala backwaters. A vast network of 38 rivers, numerous canals and five large lakes, the backwaters extend inland from the Malabar Coast where the fresh waters emanating from the Western Ghats meet the saltwater of the Arabian Sea.
The best way to enjoy the area is on a kettuvallum, a converted grain barge originally used for transporting rice. Continue reading “India |Dreaming of Kerala part II”
Far from the madding crowds of the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur “Golden Triangle,” Kerala should be on everyone’s bucket list (although then it might be just as overrun). It would be easy to spend several weeks in this southern India state and still not experience all its wonders. There are mountains to climb, rivers to explore and beaches to enjoy, as well as the city of Kochi (or Cochin) with its bazaars, restaurants and Kathakali performances.
Munnar is a hill station in the Western Ghats, 5200 feet above sea level and a little over 100 kilometers from Kochi. Do not let that relatively short distance mislead you, though. The drive takes 3 1/2 – 4 hours on winding, steep roads and is not for the faint-hearted (those who suffer from car-sickness would be advised to take precautions). Continue reading “India |Dreaming of Kerala I – Munnar”
It is only fitting my final post on Iran feature Isfahan. After all, Isfahan is widely considered to be the most beautiful Iranian City, with an abundance of outstanding architecture, art and gardens. As an old Iranian proverb states:”Esfahān nesf-e- jahān ast” (Isfahan is half of the world).
At the heart of Isfahan lies Naqsh-e Jahan Square, a place that has beguiled residents and visitors alike since its construction in the early 17th century CE and another of Iran’s 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Measuring 160 metres (520 ft) wide by 560 metres (1,840 ft) long, it is Isfahan’s religious, commercial and social center. Continue reading “Inimitable Isfahan | Iran”
Only twelve kilometers from Persepolis, the ancient necropolis of Naqsh-e Rustam would be worth the trip even without that proximity. There are carvings here that date to 1000 BCE in addition to the four tombs of Achaemenid Kings, including Darius the Great and Xerxes. The tomb of Xerxes is not visible above, but is perpendicular to these three and just to the right. The tomb of Darius … Continue reading When in Persepolis | Visit Naqsh-e Rustam
Few places exceed my expectations as did Iran overall and Persepolis specifically. I never took Ancient History and don’t know mythology well. Even so, I fell under the spell of this remarkable place. Persepolis, known to Iranians as Takht-e Jamshid (throne of Jamshid – a mythic being who – in the middle ages – was thought to have built it) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire for a little over two centuries (ca. 550–330 BCE). Conceived by and with construction commenced under Darius the Great and destroyed by Alexander the Great (the historian Plutarch contended that it took 20,000 mules and 5,000 camels to remove the treasure), the city’s ruins are marvelous to behold. UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site in 1979. Persepolis is easy to reach from Shiraz and warrants an entire day to absorb its wonders. Continue reading “A Day at Persepolis | Iran”
Good news: oil prices are falling and airline tickets in tandem. Bad news: security and passport control lines have an inverse correlation to these events. As part of the Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler Program, the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) provides qualified travelers with a way to mostly avoid long waits when clearing security (it interfaces with the TSA pre-check program) and also set … Continue reading Got GOES?
Choosing photos for any of the posts about Iran has been difficult. Selecting a relative few from the hundreds I took in Isfahan has been almost impossible.
This post focuses on just one aspect of this city’s beauty: her magnificent ceilings. The next post will explore Isfahan in depth but these photos speak for themselves! [NB: with the exception of the Jāmeh Mosque below, these buildings are all from the Safavid era – 17th century CE.] Continue reading “Isfahan’s Incredible Awe-Inspiring Ceilings”
Excellent advice for traveling or life in general: it is best not to judge a book by its cover, or a building by its entrance.The famous Pink Mosque or Masjed e Nasir ol Molk in Shiraz is a case in point. The approach via an undistinguished street gives only a hint of the beauty that lies within. Continue reading “Pretty in Pink | Shiraz, Iran”
Back in the day, a friend’s passport was stolen while we were on our semester abroad. It was no easy task to replace it 5000 miles from home in those pre-internet (!) times. Just a few years ago, my husband almost missed our flight from Cairo to Amman because he did not have a copy of his itinerary, something he hadn’t realized he would need … Continue reading Be Prepared
I had no idea that saffron would be one of the takeaways (literally and figuratively) from my trip to Iran. According to Iranian legend, overconsumption can lead to death from laughter. There is no danger of that here in the States, where saffron is so expensive, many stores keep it under lock and key, if they carry it at all. Continue reading “FoodieFriday | Saffron-tastic!”
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