Costa Rica

If you are a nature lover or a photo enthusiast or an adventurer like me, then look no further, because Costa Rica is your destination. Costa Rica or Rich Coast is nature’s wonderland with more than 10,000 species of plants, 850 species of birds, 800 species of butterflies and over 500 species of mammals. Costa Rica is closer to the equator, so has a temperate climate with 2 seasons, Rainy and Summer seasons. The rainy seasons start from May and ends in November and the summer season starts in November and ends in April. Costa Rica enjoys a rich bio diversity which makes up about 6-7% in the world. Did you know Costa Rica takes the top spot for the Happiest Country in the world? They are also the greenest country in the world by far. 90% of their energy supply comes from renewable sources, compared to just 10% for US. They also have one of the highest literacy rate among Latin America nations. We went to Costa Rica in April of 2012 and spent about 9 days in Arenal Volcano, Monteverde & Playa Carillo area. Definitely recommend Costa Rica.

Lord Ganesh (Bangkok, Thailand)

One of the most widely worshipped Hindu gods in the world, especially in Asia is Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh in Thailand is believed to be bring luck in business transactions, so you will find small statues of Lord Ganesh decorated with garlands of flower in every shops in Bangkok. I was really impressed when I heard the Thai people narrate the story of Lord Ganesh.

Wat Arun or Temple of Dawn (Bangkok, Thailand)

We took a quick boat ride across river Chao Phraya to the other side to visit Wat Arun temple. Wat Arun built by King Rama III is called as the Temple of Dawn, because the first morning light happens to fall on the temple, as it was one of the tallest structure at the time of its construction. The sanskrit or Indian meaning of Arun is dawn. Wat in Thai means place of worship. There are thousands of buddist temples spread across the entire Thailand. The center tower rises to a height of 67 m, surrounded by a four smaller ones. The steps leading up to the tower are steep. The aerial view of the city from the tower is very impressive, so it is worth it to climb up the tower. After visiting the temple, we took the boat ride back to the other side and off we went for souvenir shopping.

Temple of Reclining Buddha, Bangkok, Thailand

Nearby the Emerald temple is the temple of reclining Buddha which was built in 17th century by King Rama III. The temple has 46 m long buddha statue in a reclining position, with the head at about 15 m above the ground. Each foot is 3 m high and mother-of-pearl inlaid along the sole of the foot depicting 108 auspicious signs of Buddha. The spectacular gold plated buddha statue is a must see if you are in Bangkok.

Emerald Buddha Temple in Bangkok, Thailand

Emerald Temple in Bangkok is one of the most beautiful Buddha temple I have been to. Its unparalleled beauty of impressive thai architecture with golden accents that adorn the pointed rooflines throughout is beyond description. Each Pagoda represent changing architectural influences throughout Thai history. Statues of elephants can also be found throughout the temple. Elephants represent strength and power, hence the presence of them. A statue of the medicine man can be found near the entrance of the temple and people pay homage through offerings. A model of Angkot War, an iconic symbol of Cambodia can also been seen inside the temple. Thailand has its influence from various cultures, including Indian. For instance, the Bangkok airport is called as Swarnabhumi (Land of Gold).

Indian influence was also evident in the Emerald temple, with vibrant and colorful murals of Ramakien painted on the inside walls. Ramakien is simply an adaptation from epic Indian Ramayana, in Thai style. The emerald buddha itself can be traced back to India and traveled to Srilanka, Cambodia and finally to Thailand.

The jade statue is about 2 feet tall sitting on top of a tall altar, and no one is allowed near the statue, except the king of Thailand, who is the only one allowed to due rituals, most importantly the costume change. The costume for the buddha is changed 3 times a year, to match the 3 seasons of Thailand.

The emerald temple is one of the top buddhist temples in the world to visit. The other temples to visit while you are in Bangkok are the reclining buddha temple and the temple of dawn.

Qin's Terra-Cotta Army

After working for the whole week in Suzhou, we decided to take the weekend off. We flew from Shanghai to Xian, which is located west of Shanghai, about 3 hrs by flight. Xian is one of the oldest cities in China and an important city on the silk road. Xian has over 3000 yrs of history with rich and vibrant culture. We checked in to the Shangri-La hotel and called it a night. The following day we rented a car at the hotel and drove to the museum of Terracotta Warriors. Local tour guides are not that expensive in China and the most efficient way to learn and explore any new place. So we hired one.

Terracotta warriors are a huge collection of life size sculptures resembling an army, that was discovered in Xian few decades ago by some local farmers near by. The terracotta army is called Qin's army. Qin was the self proclaimed first emperor of unified China. Apart from unifying China, his other major achievement was connecting and re-building walls, which is now called as the Great Wall of China.

The purpose of these clay sculptures or Qin' army was to help the emperor Qin, in his afterlife, somewhat similar to the Indian and ancient Egyptian's philosohy of afterlife. Qin believed that life under the ground continued after the life above. Hence the need for this army.

It was speculated that the construction of these sculptures was made on some sort of assembly lines. The arms, legs, heads and body were made separately and then brought together in some sort of assembly line production. Henry Ford was credited for developing assembly lines, however the Chinese had developed them in 200 BC. Thousands of people involved in the construction were later killed or buried alive to keep Qin's secrets.

After the visit, we bought a copy of Terra Cotta Army book and waited in line to get it signed by the farmer himself who discovered them.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge, the pre-historic monument is located about 90 miles southwest of London. We took a day tour to Salisbury and Stonehenge. We reached Salisbury by train and after a brief tour around the town including the trip to the magnificient cathedral, we took the bus to Stonehenge. The bus trip through rural parts of England with lush green fields on either side of the winding roads, appeared to be a scene out of Robert Frost's poem.

Historians and archeologists predict, without any actual conclusion, that the early constructions started around 8000 BC, although the actual structure that you see today was erected around 2200BC. It is nothing but tall standing stones set in a circular shape. To put things in perspective, the pyramid of giza was built in 2500 BC and the pyramid of Saqqara, the oldest in Egypt was built in 2600 BC, before the Stonehenge. Some say the American stonehenge (Yes American stonehenge in New Hampshire) was built much before the UK stonehenge. There are many theories of how the Stonehenge was erected and one fine day the uncovered mysteries and significance surrounding the structure may be discovered.

Stonehenge does look impressive when you see in picture but it was somewhat a dissappointment to see a bunch of stones in circular shape, although we were advised prior to our visit.

Khan el Khalili

After our visit to the old town Cairo, we drove to Khan el Khalili to do quick shopping, before our Giza sunset. Khan el Khalili is centuries old Egyptian market or bazaar with narrow streets filled with quaint shops, mostly souvenirs and handcrafts. You can also find cafes and restaurants spread out in the market, although mostly local. The market reminded me of similar old fashioned shopping bazaars in India. We were desperate to buy souvenirs, especially Egyptian paintings on papyrus. Bargaining is always necessary as the prices are usually inflated due to shopping by tourists. We were a little pressed for time, so we just visited a few shops and found the one that had many varieties of souvenirs. After some negotiation, we bought the souvenirs we wanted. We were convinced that we had a good deal. As we kept walking, we found souvenirs cheaper than what we paid. It appears to be that the shops at the entrance of the market had a little higher price and as you walk further inside the market, you find prices to be a cheaper. Well, we had to head back, as the traffic late afternoon in Cairo is horrific and we didnt want to miss the sunset. Regardless of what we paid, we were happy with our purchase and off we went to Giza, again.

The Tower Bridge

The tower bridge over river Thames is one of the many often photographed and noticeable structure in London. It is often mistaken for the London Bridge, which apparently is not in London anymore, but in Lake Havasu City in Arizona for the last 40 yrs.

ZhouZhang Watertown, Kunshan, China

ZhouZhang watertown is located in Kunshan, in between Suzhou and Shanghai. It is often dubbed as the Venice of the East due to its beautiful waterways flanked on both side by quaint shops and restaurants. Some of the houses were built some 900 odd years ago. For centuries, the iconic twin bridge, that resembles a typical Chinese bridge has been a subject for many artists.