FUN-travel: Cochin Chic
November 29, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Cochin Chic
- Brunton Boatyard…
…Bayside Hotel Bonus
The Blushing Bride
What are the chances?…
- Got invited…
…to the hotel owners son…
…Siddharth & Shreya’s
…intimate wedding reception…
…of only 600…
…close family and friends…
…held on the park like grounds.
- And it was a love marriage…
…not arranged….
…both architects…
…met in school…
…and fell in love..
How sweet is that?
- Mingled with crowd…
…in search of most striking women…
…and beautiful sari’s.
Dressed for the Wedding. Just Kidding!
- Spotted these two…
…asked to take picture…
…turns out they are…
…the best friend with…
…mother of the bride!
FUN-fact – This city is filled with parks…
…lovely homes…
…and India’s version…
…of Miami style high rises…
…along the waterways.
FUN-travel: Multi Cultural Cochin
November 28, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Multi Cultural Cochin
- The Old City…is a cultural melting pot… with its Portuguese fort… Dutch influenced architecture… Catholic Church…and Jewish Synagogue.
- And local fisherman…along the banks of the bay…still use cantilevered Chinese fishing nets.
- Time honored traditions at Local Laundry……of braided rope lines…so no pins are needed for hanging…and hot coals heat the iron.
FUN-fact – Called the “Queen of the Arabian Sea” Cochin was an important spice trading center on the west coast of India from the 14th century.
FUN-travel: Amazing Ajanta Caves
November 26, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Amazing Ajanta Caves
- This UNESCO World Heritage Site…
…29 Buddhist cave monuments…
…carved into wall of rock 250 feet high…
… include paintings and rock cut sculptures.
- Built in two phases…
…first group starting around the 2nd century BC…
…with second group of caves…
…built around 400–650…
…included monasteries…
…and worship halls…
…of different Buddhist traditions.
- Among the finest surviving examples…
…of ancient Indian art…
…particularly expressive paintings…
…presenting emotion through…
…gesture…
…pose…
…and form.
- Cave paintings also depict…
…the past lives and rebirths of the Buddha…
…along with rock-cut sculptures…
…of Buddhist deities.
- Caves served as a monsoon retreat…
…for monks…
…and a resting site…
…for merchants…
…and pilgrims…
…in ancient India.
FUN-fact – The Ajanta Caves were covered by jungle until accidentally “discovered” in 1819 by John Smith, a colonial British officer on a tiger hunting party.
FUN-travel: Elaborate Ellora Caves
November 24, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Elaborate Ellora Caves
- One of the largest rock-cut…
…monastery-temple caves complexes…
…in the world…
…dating from 600-1000 AD…
…and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- 34 caves…
…extending over more than 2 km…
…dug side by side…
…in the wall of a high basalt cliff…
…existing of Buddhist…
…Hindu…
…and Jain…
…religious monuments…
…served as monasteries for monks…
…temples for prayers…
…and a place for pilgrims to rest.
- These monuments…
…and their artwork…
…reflect religious harmony…
…prevalent during this period of Indian history.
- Cave 16… the Kailash temple…
…features the largest single
…monolithic rock excavation…
…in the world…
… a chariot shaped monument…
…dedicated to Shiva…
…carved out of one single rock.
- Courtyard features…
…two life size statues of elephants…
…and two tall victory pillars.
- Inside columned galleries…
…decorated with huge sculpted panels…
…adorn the side walls…
…and traces of colorful paintings…
…can be seen on the upper story patio.
FUN-fact – The Kailash Temple is a stupendous piece of architecture. The construction was a feat of human genius – it entailed removal of 250,000 tons of rock, took 100 years to complete and covers an area double the size of the Parthenon in Athens.
Today’s Rulers of the Road
FUN-travel: Rocks and Ruins
November 21, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Rocks and Ruins
- And gargantuan granite boulders…
…cover the craggy hills…
…and dot the valley landscape…
…all topsy turvy…
…as if they would topple over…
…given a gentle nudge.
- Hampi covered an area of nearly 26 sq km…
…over 10,000 acres…
…and was comprised of a large number…
…of palatial complexes…
…filled with temples…
…palaces…
…and widespread bazaars.
- Statues…
…stone pillars…
…the Stables…
Elephant Stables
…and the Stone Chariot…
…make up some of best preserved ruins…
…in the entire area.
Pretty FUNNY-fact – Living Like Rock Stars – everyone has been so gracious and welcoming. And they all want to have their picture taken with us “fair skinned” foreigners.
