April 2009 ~ Travel In Home

Cultural Learnings in San Francisco

My conference in San Francisco was only one day so we had lots of time for sightseeing, including two full days spent exploring an amazing variety of world cultures without leaving the city! San Francisco is one of the most diverse cities I've visited, which makes it very interesting. In addition to the multi-ethnic population,[...]

by Jour ~ Wednesday, April 29, 2009 0 comments

Of kings and empires

Here is a portrait of a map depicting the empire of the Chola Dynasty that ruled South India and parts of South East Asia under Rajendra Chola 1 in the 11th century. This map lies lost in a thatched hut which houses the museum as well. And the thatched hut is in a forgotten town called[...]

by Jour ~ Wednesday, April 29, 2009 0 comments

Road Trip to San Francisco

Last week we made a short road trip down to San Francisco on the excuse of attending a web-related conference. There is so much to see there and we had a wonderful time. We also stopped at some fantastic places along the way, including Sonoma, Mt. Shasta and Crater Lake. I'll be posting more photos from our trip over the next week[...]

by Jour ~ Monday, April 27, 2009 0 comments

Kollam - Once upon a time..

I will park down the road, madam…you can take as many pictures as you want..I will be waiting here,” smiles my taxi driver as he opens the door for me . He had just returned from the Gulf where he says his retail business had gone bust .A couple of busses whiz past and the Needakara bridge[...]

by Jour ~ Thursday, April 23, 2009 0 comments

Markets and temples

Patteeswaram, Tamil Nadu Just before you enter any temple in India, you have to pass through a market. In some cases, shopping happens right inside the temple complex. Very often I find the markets more interesting.Madurai, Tamil NaduThanjavur, Tamil NaduChidambaram , Tamil Nadu.Thirukadaiyur,Tamil[...]

by Jour ~ Thursday, April 23, 2009 0 comments

India through my eyes - Its Red hot !

Rustic India is indeed colourful and its not just greens and browns that we are talking about.Its red hot too..Chilli and Andhra Pradesh are quite synonymous..they say Telugu food is quite spicy too. I was crossing the Andhra -Karnataka border near Mantralaya when we stopped by this fiery[...]

by Jour ~ Monday, April 20, 2009 0 comments

We're a Top Travel Blog!

I am proud to announce that the Sacred Destinations Travel Blog has been selected as one of the Top 10 Travel Blogs on the Internet by the National Geographic Channel!You can check out all Top 10 Travel Blogs on the National Geographic Channel's brand-new website, Nat Geo Adventure. I've also been invited to do a short interview[...]

by Jour ~ Saturday, April 18, 2009 0 comments

Where are the tourists ?

Probably its the recession or maybe the season is getting over..but we hardly found any tourist in Kumbalgarh, but for a few Indian families on a summer vacation..the fort was not their destination as they preferred to swim in the pool and beat the heat..I didnt speak to the couple in[...]

by Jour ~ Thursday, April 16, 2009 0 comments

Easter Relics

Happy Easter from Sacred Destinations! Below is a virtual tour of some Easter relics we've seen in our travels.Above is the Holy Nail and its beautiful medieval reliquary, displayed in the Cathedral Treasury of Trier, Germany. It is said to be one of the spikes that nailed Jesus to the cross. (The above photo was published in an[...]

by Jour ~ Sunday, April 12, 2009 0 comments

In Kumbalgarh still

Meet Dimple..She's from Udaipur and has come to Kumbalgarh for a dance performance with her friends .Dimple has just appeared for her Class X exams and says she has learnt the dances from her mother She says she has been dancing she was eight years old.And she is very clear when she[...]

by Jour ~ Saturday, April 11, 2009 0 comments

Kumbalgarh Fort-Voices from the past

Travelling to me is all about the sights and sounds of a place. The Cerebrate team visited the Kumbalgarh Fort after a brainstorming session and here I am celebrating the heroics of Rana Kumbha who built the fort in the 15th century.The wall of the fort at 36 kms is supposed to be the second longest continuous wall after the Great[...]

by Jour ~ Monday, April 6, 2009 0 comments

Cerebrating at Kumbalgarh - a celebration of passions

When you are in a room with ten achievers speaking about their lives and ideas that build their lives, you are stuck with one thought - that they think with their hearts and not their brains. I have just come back from a wonderful brainstorming session from Kumbalgarh where Cerebrate[...]