In a summer afternoon my cousin and I arrive at the Coventry Bus Station, after a 45-minute journey from Birmingham. Contrary to my expectation, the bus station looks unassuming and drab with rather tedious interior, making me wonder if the rest of city looks as […]
On a sunny Saturday morning at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, I look around, trying to locate the taxi stand. 200 meters to my right, less than ten cabs are parked while the drivers are having their morning banters. I walk towards them and […]
When I learned history at school, there was one particular maxim that was repeatedly mentioned in various topics on the histories of nations around the world. Familiarized by Julius Caesar as the strategy used by the Roman Empire to conquer other nations, it was later […]
It was in 1778 when a group of Dutch scholars established a scientific institution to promote research in the fields of arts and sciences in the Dutch East Indies, following the Age of Enlightenment in Europe. When the British ruled Java for a brief period […]
What would come first in your mind if you have to mention one of Southeast Asian ancient temples? Angkor? The temples of Bagan? Borobudur? For those who have visited Indonesia or are planning to go must have heard about Borobudur and Prambanan temples – both […]
Horrendous traffic. Gray sky. Choking air. It is not a surprise why Lonely Planet says Jakarta is a city many find it hard to love. With more than 10 million people sprawling over narrow streets, dense neighborhoods and filthy riverbanks, many struggle for a […]
In a late afternoon after an almost three-hour train journey from Colombo, I arrive at Kandy train station. It is already dark which is never the best time to come to a place completely new. But I am lucky to meet a nice person in […]
Two amiable men in white shirts smile at me when the car approaches the drop point, near the entrance to Sigiriya Rock Fortress ─ probably the most prominent landmark of the island nation of Sri Lanka. As soon as I get off the car, the […]
Almost like reacting to the sound of an alarm, I wake up just at the right time when we arrive at another Sri Lankan ancient town, Polonnaruwa. The sound of rushing water in a canal where local men and women bathe to escape the scorching […]
In the scorching heat of early June – one of the hottest months in a year, my driver, Suresh, skillfully drives the old non-airconditioned minivan through every turn and crossroads of Sri Lanka’s intercity highway. He has been doing his job for more than ten years […]
Ambarita, a sleepy village 10 km north from Tomok was the second historical site which Robin and I visited on Samosir Island. We turned right as soon as we noticed a signboard which reads Batu Parsidangan on the main road. Then we navigated our way […]
Legend has it that King Sidabutar was the first man ever set his foot on Samosir Island. Later on he and his descendants resides in an area which is now known as the small town of Tomok, 5 km south of Tuk Tuk. Before the […]
What an Amazing World! 