Taiwan diary

Tired from an uncomfortable 10 hr transit in Kulalampur and a 2 hour drive from Taipei to taichung , i was totally exhausted . I checked into Splendor hotel around midnight and one look at the king size bed , i immediately fell asleep.


Everything looked good after a good night's sleep. To say that my room reeks with opulence would be an understatement. To top it , it has got a lovely view . Lazily lying on the couch , sipping hot coffe taking in the nightscape of taiwan skyline is a gr8 way to end a hard day at the office. The complimentary buffet breakfast is very good . It has a fair share of veggie dishes along with oriental delicacies.

Solitude and loneliness are separated by a very fine thin line. Time drew out like a blade this weekend. Decided to take a stroll in the streets nearby and also check out the Sogo departmental stores. The streets reminded me so much of korea . Garish signboards screaming for attention , quaint little eateries , 7-11's at every other corner and so many tea shops . Tried a tea nicknamed Pearl harbor. Itz a milk tea served chilled with lot of black pearl like objects at the bottom. Surprised to find three indian food joints around my hotel.Traffic rules are not so strict here and ppl park their vehicles wherever they feel like. Jay walking is also much common. And there are so many motorcycles almost equalling the number of cars.

Currently hunting for a package tour which would take me to the must see places around here. Till then , this is the only view of taichung i get to see.

from a transit lounge....

I am travelling to taipei , Taiwan for a 3 week trip. The transit at Kulalampur is 10 hrs. So decided to check out what an airport lounge has got to offer me. Paid 24 USD for a 5 hr stay here. Already made the mistake of not asking whether they provide a cot to sleep in. There is none. This seems to be a "sitting lounge". More to my dismay i dont find any lockers to secure my cabin baggage. Got to lug it even to the rest rooms. Restrooms are also not good either . Itz wet and dingy.

But the buffet seems to be gud and i am helping myself to it. The ambience is warm and quiet with the specatular view of the runway. Cappucino was gr8 and it is still lingering in my mouth as i write these words.

Dont ask me y i am writing such crap ..... itz so boring here.

Golden gate

Few sights can be so picturesque like watching San Fransico downtown lights with Golden gate in the foreground.



An artistic engineering feat san pareil !

Grand Canyon

No matter how much you have read about or how many pictures you have seen , nothing can quite prepare you for the first sight of Grand Canyon . It just humbles you with its grandeur. The IMAX film on Grand Canyon shows a Spaniard dropping his sword and praying to God when he discovered them first during one of his expeditions. Such is the telling effect of its sight.

Though quite inanimate during the day time , Canyons come alive with vibrant colors during Sunset and Sunrise. The serenity which engulfs you when sun mellows into the horizon and the joy of watching first angelic rays of the golden sun illuminating the Canyon summits are easily some of the best experiences of your life !

Though these pictures don't do justice to the actual experience , it atleast helps me to relive those magical moments.

Pink shades....



twilight colors....



first rays of the sun.....



day break....



They say Canyon experience is much better when you trek down to the Colorado river. We had a taste of that when we started down on the Hermit's rest trail. Lack of time curtailed our trek . Am really looking forward to do that sometime in future .

a weekend in Bangy

It is almost an year since i visited Bangy last . So thought of making a trip to meet up with friends. Mysore Express dropped me in Contonment at 4 AM. Riding in an auto at that unearthly hour along unlit roads with many barricades and armed police around was not quite the welcome i expected.

Bangalore hasn't changed much since my last visit there . Heavy traffic , alarming levels of pollution , erratic drivers honking away to glory, unfinished Fly-overs , long serpentine queues in almost all the restaurants.......hmmm...only things have gone from bad to worse ! Has FoodWorld in Bangalore forayed into Liquor business as well ?!?! Surprised to see Gins,Vodkas there. Though a teetotaler myself , i always like to see my friends carefully choosing drinks for the thanni party.

My bangalore trip is never complete without a stroll in MG Road and a cup of Coffee in that quaint Indian Coffee Board. Honestly , i never liked the coffee served there but somehow like to sit in their antiquated furniture ,sip the hot liquid and watch the colorful crowd in the sidewalk.

Overall, it was a gud weekend. Met many of my friends , hanged out in the hang outs and travelled around a lot ! Itz back to the grind here in Chennai ! Thanks bangy folks for the gr8 time !