Happy New Year

Last January I woke up to a sight like this. A sunrise in Angkorwat in Cambodia. I wonder where 2013 will take me …

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2012–Thank you !

Yes, I have been saying what a bad year it has been health wise ..yet I thank 2012 for taking me to some of the most beautiful places in the world . From a small little princely state in India – Jamakhandi, which was the biggest surprise for me to some of the European capitals in the world.
You can see my entire Flashback2012 album here . This was the last destination I visited in 2012. The sunset in Badami was a special moment.

Backpacker meanwhile wishes you a wonderful 2013 and hope the year takes you places as well. I look forward to more meaningful journeys and associations this year and wish the same for all of you.

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Flashback 2012 – Destinations

Thank God it is December. I am so waiting for 2012 to get over as it has been a terrible year for me from the word “ Go” . All that I am hoping is that December will change that perspective. Although the year has been rather bad, from a personal point of view – I would not say the same from travel’s perspective. I got to travel less in India, but travelled extensively abroad starting with Cambodia, France, Spain, Poland, Netherlands,Austria, Germany. My only regret is that I could not travel in Turkey although we had a brief stopover at Istanbul – at the airport.

My first trip this year was very special. I went to my village , Kallidaikurichi after almost two decades and spent a lot of time by the river Tambiraparani and took off to see snatches of Kalakad Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve. There were no tigers to sight but the drive was well worth it, as we saw dams like Manimuthar, Papanasam and drove around Manjolai and went up to Kudrevatti. I went on a heritage trip tois  Naanjil Naadu as well. All this was followed by brief trips to Chattisgarh, Ganeshgudi, Masinagudi, Coorg , Pondicherry and then there was a long break until I resumed travelling again to Mysore, Coonoor and Kanatal with Club Mahindra for Conclay. The last trip in November was also very special as we did a road trip with Ford and went to Bekal, courtesy The Taj.We drove through Malenad via Saklespur, to Mangalore, Kasargod and returned via Agumbe, Belur and Hassan . And it was our 10th anniversary as well..

Lets see where December takes me..No concrete plans as yet, but am raring to go..

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Cambodia - where trees and trunks tell a tale

Roaming around the Angkor complex, I was taken in by the ancient trees that surround the temples. It is the trees that add so much character to the monuments. Like Ta Prohm, for instance. The trees add to the drama here. Here is a story on Ta Prohm that was published in Yahoo recently .

The guide book says that you would need an hour to look around, but I can spend an eternity here. The roots of the silk cotton trees which have an ageless sense around them entwine around the ruins, giving them a sense of mystery. The temple itself may be around 1000 years old, but the trees with their trunks entrenched deep inside the walls take you to a different era. The brown and the green merge with the fallen leaves as the breeze comes calling. 

You do not just look at the structures or the sculptures carved on the walls . Instead your eyes gaze upon  the branches of the ficus trees that curve around the carvings, some of them sturdy enough to hold the entire structure in place , while the others have collapsed, taking in the stony edifices with them.  The leafy branches dangle casually as the birds find a perch. This is Ta Prohm – the 12^th century temple in Cambodia, left in its “ natural state.”

For a lot us , Khmer civilisation and the state of Angkor begins and ends with the Angkor Wat , but there are several temples in the region that catch the tourist’s attention. Be it the Rolous group of monuments, at ancient Harihalaya where king Jayavarman II built his early capital or the city of Angkor Thom, which became the later capital of Jayavarman VII, the temples here speak of a civilisation that flourished for several centuries. Ta Prohm is one of the monuments that live to tell a tale.  

A temple made famous by the Angelina Jolie film , The Tomb Raider, Ta Prohm today is often referred to as the Angelina Jolie Temple and guides take you to the site where the roots and the branches of the trees create a vivid impression of the wild, even as tourists pose for cameras. The temple was called Rajavihara or the royal monastery, also referred to as Old Brahma built with concentric galleries, corner stones, gopuras and courtyards.

Walking around, I see the dwarapalakas and the devtaas carved on the walls, even as the trees frame them. I am told that the temple was built for more than 250 deities and the principal deity, Prajnaparamita , referred to the Perfection of Wisdom was carved in the likeness of the king, Jayavarman VII’s mother. The sun’s rays light the dangled roots that lend an eerie air to the temple.

Deep inside the forests, it is hard to believe that the outer area around Ta Prohm was once an inhabited city with more than 3000 settlements. It is deliberately left in its natural state although boards say that restoration work is in progress with the help of Indian archaeologists and officials. This however does not seem to have gone down with the locals, as I hear a guide complain to a group of foreign tourists that the Indian consultants have suggested removing the trees and restoring the temple. As you walk along some of the galleries, you do come across certain restored structures that seem to be bereft of trees.

Walking along the east, we make our way along a path lined with trees to a structure built in sandstone across the moat. Some of the bass reliefs in the shrines can be seem amidst all the ruins around. The roofless structure of the hall of the dancers with the tree trunks winding around it beckon you as you watch in awe at nature’s design over man’s art. And then you realize why Ta Prohm leaves you breathless with wonder. It is nature and man’s hand at its best and you would not like to change it for anything.

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Travel Tuesday - Locals in Cambodia

No matter how far we go from our country and culture, some sights are very familiar. I saw these locals in Cambodia coming for a weekend outing to Kulen Mountain, a spiritual place , also a picnic spot for them.It could be a scene taken out of anywhere in India.

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Travel Tuesday - Buddhas in Kulen Mountain Cambodia

Kulen Mountain in Cambodia is very sacred to the locals . While walking up the rocks there, I saw these many Buddhas around 

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Skywatch Friday - A sunset in Siem Reap

Sometimes the skies make you pause in your journey. You may be on the road or in a village somewhere and then you suddenly stop and look at the drama in the skies. I was travelling through Siem Reap and was returning towards Angkor Wat from Bantay Srei when I saw this beautiful lake on the way drenched in the evening light..And I couldnt resist , but to stop and watch the spectacle

If you like my photographs and would like to see more of them or join me on my journeys, follow me on My Travel Page. For lovely skies around the world, visit Skywatch

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Colours of sunrise - Angkor Wat

I am not the sunrise variety and neither is the husband..but we were told that the sunrises at Angkor Wat should not be missed. So we woke up at 4 am and drove through the forests in the dark on our tuk tuk ..The winds were nippy and the setting surreal. But then, came the mosquitoes followed by hordes and hordes of people ..I didnt know which was annoying ; but then the sun kept its date with us and we forgot the rest. We were there twice - the first time around, it was so difficult to get close to the moat and hence we could just take only the towers against the dawn.

The second one was a spectacular sunrise, but I wasnt able to handle the crowds. The husband however, took the camera and took this picture just for me..He hates crowds and is barely interested in photography, but then the pictures were rather good, I think..what do you guys say ?

Pic : Sharath Krishnamurthy

Pic : Sharath Krishnamurthy

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Photo of the day - Bayon, Angkor Thom, Cambodia

Of all the many temples I visited in Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom and around in Siem Reap, Bayon took my breath away. 

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