Different places to travel » UNESCO

Travel – Isla Verde – a tiny island in the district of Carolina of Puerto Rico

Traveller — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:43:34 +0000

Isla Verde is a tiny island in the district of Carolina of Puerto Rico. It is to the east of Santurce (which is beside Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport above the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge). This city is just outside the capital of Puerto Rico. Rio Piedras and Hato Rey are linked by this island. The island is 400 meters to the north of Punta Medio. It is actually the coastal area of Cangrejo Arriba. The island is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, by San Juan to the east, by Sancturce in the south and by downtown Carolina to the east. There are many restaurants, hotels, casinos and discotheques housed on this island. This city has hotels and casinos along with the Luis Muñoz Marín Airport and Isla Verde club scene.
The official language of this island is Spanish and English. Spanish is the mother tongue of the native living here.

Attractions of Isla verde and around:
• Luis Muñoz Marín Airport: This Airport’s Local Name is Aeropuerto Internacional de Luis Muñoz Marín. It is the Caribbean’s large international airport and also the largest in Puerto Rico. It is situated to the east of San Juan which is in the suburb of Isla Verde. This airport has restaurants, communications areas, and VIP lounges. Flights from the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean serve this airport.
• Luis Muñoz Marín Park: This a famous park in Puerto Rico which has a biking trail, walking and jogging path. It is amidst several small lakes.
• Old San Juan: Its Local Name is San Juan Viejo; it is an old historic colonial city about 500 years old. In here, one can see Spanish colonial history blended with contemporary Puerto Rican culture. It is the second oldest city of America. It has more than 400 restored Spanish colonial buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Old City: This city was given the title of a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1983. It is located on a long narrow inlet at the northeast entrance to the San Juan Bay, Old San Juan that was founded in 1521. Gold mining was done here during 1508.
• Puerta de Tierra: This is a part of the colonial part of San Juan. Now it is a combination of commonwealth government buildings, residences and Navy and Coast Guard facilities.
• Río Piedras: This is the academic enclave of San Juan. It houses the University of Puerto Rico along with the district’s restaurants and cafés. This is also a shoppers spot with indoor and outdoor markets and bazaars. The Jardin Botanico and the Museo de Antropolgia, Hisotria Y Arte are the other attractions of this place.
• Santurce: This is the modern business dense district of Greater San Juan. The main shopping and Commercial Street here is The Avenida Ponce de León. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, The Habana club and great nightlife are all part of this district.
• El Castillo San Felipe Del Morro “El Morro”: This is a citadel that dates back to the sixteenth-century. It is located towards the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is part of National Historic Site and is a World Heritage Site, declared by the United Nations in 1983.
• El Castillo de San Cristóbal: This is a Spanish fort that is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This fort was built to protect against land based attacks on this city of San Juan. It is one of the National Historic Sites. It has a height of 150 feet and is built on an area of 27 acres of land.
• Palacio de Santa Catalina: The residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. This was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the San Juan harbor. It is also known as El Palacio de Santa Catalina or Palace of Santa Catalina which is also the oldest executive mansion in the New World. La Fortaleza is a World Heritage Site (UNESCO).
• El Catedral de San Juan Bautista: Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer’s tomb lies here which was built in the 1520′s. It was rebuilt in 1540 after being destroyed by a hurricane.
• Castillo de San Jerónimo: This fort was built in 1595 to defend from attacks.
• Iglesia de San Jose: This is a church and Monastery that dates back to 1523.
• Ayuntamiento or Alcaldia: This is also known as the City Hall.
• The municipal cemetery of Santa María Madgalena de Pazzis: This is a cemetery that is situated just outside the city walls.
• Fuerte San Geronimo: This is a fort that was built to tighten defense within the city with a small museum housed inside.
• Centro de Bellas Artes: This is a fine arts centre in the Caribbean in 1981.
• Bacardi Rum Factory: This has a trolley based guided tour inside the factory.
• Condado Beach: This beach is a one mile long stretch along the Atlantic Ocean and Laguna Condado. The line has many luxury hotels and facilities.
• The Casino of Puerto Rico is a large building and The Teatro Tapia is the oldest theatre in the Western Hemisphere.
• San Juan National Historic Site: This place has the old and the colonial portion and includes three fourths of the city wall and forts San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro, and San Juan de la Cruz, also called El Cañuelo, plus bastions, powder houses.

Best time to visit / climate:

Isla Verde has a tropical marine climate and has minimal seasonal variations. The climate is mild but has abundant rainfall in the north coast. June and November are usually the seasons of Hurricane. So avoid this time.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
US citizens do not need any visa since Puerto Rico is a US territory. A Picture ID should serve the purpose. For other citizens visa and supporting documents are required.
By plane: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is the main airport which is in Carolina, near San Juan. Aguadilla and Ponce also connects with flights like Jet Blue, Continental and Delta. There are direct flights from US. From airport taxi services are available.
By boat: The west coast city of Mayaguez and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic has ferry services available. From Fajardo to St. Thomas, there is a ferry. There are cruise ships that land in San Juan.
Getting around:
It is best to rent a car or take a taxi as the public transport system is not very good. A público is a shared taxi service that is another option that is cheap and best to go around the island. The “main” público station is in Río Piedras that is a suburb of San Juan and which are also known as colectivos and pisicorres.
There are ferries from San Juan and Fajardo to Cataño, Vieques Island and Culebra Island along with Mayaguez ferry travels between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Tren Urbano is a fully automated transit serving San Juan, Bayamón, and Guaynabo. Tren Urbano consists of 16 stations on a single line and is the reliable public transport.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Frommers.com
• Wikitravel.org
• http://www.sanjuanhotelsltd.com/
• Virtualtourist
• Hotels.com

Blogs / Sites about Isla Verde:

• Travelpod.com
• Travelblog.org
• http://10000birds.com/isla-verde-avifauna.htm
• http://www.islaverdevacations.com/

Images and photos of Isla Verde:

• Google Image Search
• Webshots
• Virtualtourist
• Tripadvisor

Videos of Isla Verde from Youtube:

Vacaciones en Puerto Rico ,Isla Verde Beach Part 1

ISLA VERDE

Beach in Isla Verde

Water Club Hotel on Isla Verde Beach, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Travel – Bermuda (Bahamas) – north of the Caribbean and along the Atlantic Ocean

Traveller — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:16:50 +0000

Bermuda is a British overseas territory and is self-governing territory of Bahamas. It is to the north of the Caribbean islands and along the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North America. It is to the east of North Carolina. This place is considered to be the last remains of the British colonial empire in North America. This is a 21-square mile spread tiny island.
There are 9 parishes of Bermuda are classified from east to west as:
- St. George’s Parish – This is located around the historic Town of St. George and the island of St. David’s across its harbor.
- Hamilton Parish – In this parish Crystal Caves and Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo are also located.
- Smith’s Parish – This is also a Home to Flatts Village, Spittle Pond Nature Preserve and Devil’s Hole Aquarium.
- Devonshire Parish – This parish is known to be the quietest of all.
- Pembroke Parish – the city of Hamilton is located in Pembroke Parish.
- Paget Parish – This parish also houses many resorts, Elbow Beach, Bermuda Botanical Gardens and Paget Marsh for bird watching.
- Warwick Parish – This parish has the Golf, horseback riding and the island’s best cliffs.
- Southampton Parish – The best beaches and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse are in this parish.
- Sandys Parish – The Royal Naval Dockyard fortress and shops, Somerset Village, Fort Scaur, Gilbert Nature Reserve and some fine beaches are housed in this parish.
Bermuda has one city and one town. The town municipalities are unincorporated and the cities in these municipalities are:
- Hamilton – This is the capital of Bermuda and is the only city.
- St. George – This is the old capital of Bermuda and the oldest surviving English New World town.
- Flatts Village – This village is the location of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.
- Somerset Village – This village is on Somerset Island in Sandy’s Parish.
- Baileys Bay and Horseshoe Bay Beach are other destinations that are popular in Bermuda.
Bermuda consists of about 138 islands and islets which are on an east-west axis and linked by road bridges. Bermuda has low hills separated by a set of waterways. Bermuda is said to have formed through volcanic action. This is on the south sector of a coral ring that was submerged. Hence most of the beaches are on the southern shore of Bermuda.
Bermuda’s first settlements were English colonists. The first economy of Bermuda includes fruit and vegetable cultivation that used to supply the early American colonies. Bermuda has a convenient location between British Canada and Britain’s Caribbean. It is a stopover point for the British Royal Navy’s Atlantic fleet. There was a large US air base built on these islands during Second World War which was open until 1995.
Tourism is now an important part of Bermuda’s economy. Tourists come here for business or for tours. It is an offshore financial centre now.
Attractions of Bermuda:
- Town of St. George: This town is scenic and is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the oldest and a continually inhabited British settlement in the New World. This town has many small winding streets which depict typical British Colonial architecture with fountains, gardens and squares, cobbled streets and plazas.
- Bermuda Maritime Museum, Pender Rd., and Royal Naval Dockyard: One can go for 1/2 a day to go to the Royal Naval Dockyard. During the American Revolutionary War, the island had naval loses. This island had been the British Royal Navy which relocated the headquarters of its Atlantic Fleet here from 1812 to 1957. The tourist attractions include The old limestone storage buildings, fortress which were redeveloped by the Bermuda Government. There are shopping centers too.
- Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, 40 North Shore Road, Flatts Village: The centerpiece of the aquarium is a 140,000 gallon replica coral reef which is special and there are Over three hundred birds, reptiles and mammals and 200 species of fish housed in this centre.
- Crystal and Fantasy Caves, Wilkinson Avenue, and Bailey’s Bay: These are two quite different caves to explore and watch for.
- Spittal Pond: This pond was damaged by Hurricane Fabian in 2003. The damage is still being fixed.
- Devil’s Hole Aquarium, Harrington Sound Road, Hamilton: It is a small aquarium but one can look for reef fish and turtles with bait.
- Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, 40 Crow Lane, East Broadway, Pembroke: This is just outside Hamilton which takes to underwater expedition.
- Bermuda National Trust Museum known as the Globe Hotel
- Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, St Anne’s Road, and Southampton: This is one of the oldest cast iron structures in the world which was first lit on May 1st 1846. It has 180 steps to the observation deck surrounding the lamp which can be reached and it offers magnificent views of the island and the surrounding waters. There is also a tea room for drinks.

Things to do:
Bermuda has lovely pink sandy beaches:
- Horseshoe Bay Beach, Southampton Parish: This is a pink sand beach which is surrounded by rocky areas. This beach is suitable for snorkeling. It is most popular in Bermuda and cruises also stop here. Beach rentals, food, bathroom facilities are available on the beach. There are sea caves and tunnels that need to be looked for.
- Elbow Beach, Tribe Road #4, and Paget Parish: This is another beautiful pink sand beach that is between Coral Beach, Elbow Beach and Coco Reef hotels.
- Tobacco Bay, St. George Parish: It is a boulder-sheltered, shallow and a swarm-water beach and can be reached by foot from St. George square. There are shuttles available. There is nearby a Fort St. Catherine that can be reached by foot. Rest rooms, food concession, beach rentals are available.
- Achilles Bay / St. Catherine’s Bay, Northeastern St. George Parish: This bay also can be reached on foot from St. George square and shuttles are readily available. This bay is just beside the Fort St. Catherine. Rest rooms, food concession nearby, beach rentals are also available on this beach.
- Clearwater Beach / Turtle Beach / Turtle Bay / Long Bay / Well Bay / Soldier Bay: This is near the east end of the airport in St. David’s. It is situated on former US Air Base lands that were used for NASA tracking station at Cooper’s Island. Rest rooms, food concession and bar are available on the bay along with the Children’s playground.
- John Smith’s Bay Beach, Hamilton Parish: This is another nice pink sand beach.
- Shelly Bay, North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish: This bay has lots of shallow water. It also has a large playground ideal for families with small kids. It is not far from Flatts Village and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo are also nearby. This bay also has Restrooms, beach rentals, food concession.
- Chaplin Bay / Stonehole Bay / Warwick Long Bay, South Road, Warwick Parish: This is a very large beach but not popular like the other large beaches because of its steep sand slope, and strong undercurrent. Chaplin and Stone hole bays, along with Jonson’s Cove are very picturesque and made up of small and medium sized sandy inlets.
- Snorkel Park, Royal Naval Dockyard: This is a limestone tunnel through the keep’s wall which is on the beachfront and right for snorkeling or water sports. People from cruise ships enjoy this place.

Bermuda has several golf courses and driving ranges:
- St. George Golf Course, St. George Parish, north of the Town of St. George.
- Tuckers Point Golf Course / Mid Ocean Golf Course, St. George Parish, near Tucker’s Town.
- Ocean View Golf Course, Devonshire Parish on northern shore.
- Horizons Golf Course, Paget Parish south-west. (9 holes)
- Belmont Hills Golf Course, Warwick Parish east.
- Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club, Warwick Parish west.
- Fairmount Southampton Princess Golf Course, Southampton Parish east.
- Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton Parish west.
- Bermuda Golf Academy and Driving Range, Southampton Parish west.
Other explorable sites:
• Bermuda Railway Trail: This trail was dismantled after 17 years in 1948. It is now a public walking trail from St. George Town in the east end, through Pembroke Parish near the City of Hamilton and on toward Somerset Village in the west end. On the way one can find trestle houses, station houses and railway ties and views of the island and waters.
• Bermuda Forts: There are large forts and smaller batteries on the island. They were built from 1612 to 1957. Almost 100 fortifications are built on this island. The larger ones are restored while some are on displays. Some can be reached by boat. The forts in Bermuda are:
1. Fort St. Catherine , St. George Parish north (has displays and dioramas and replica Crown Jewels)
2. Gates Fort, St. George Parish east (guarding Town Cut channel entrance)
3. Alexandra Battery, St. George Parish east
4. Fort George, St. George Parish (overlooking the Town of St. George)
5. St. David’s Battery, St. George Parish east
6. Martello Tower / Ferry Island Fort, St. George Parish west (at Ferry Reach)
7. King’s Castle / Devonshire Redoubt / Landward Fort, St. George Parish south (on Castle Island, accessed via boat)
8. Fort Hamilton, Pembroke Parish (overlooking the City of Hamilton)
9. Whale Bay Battery, Southampton Parish west.
10. Fort Scaur, Sandys Parish (overlooking the waters of the Great Sound)
11. The Keep at the Dockyard, Sandys Parish (within the Maritime Museum)

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit Bermuda is from spring through to autumn. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream give it a quasi-tropical atmosphere. In overall, Bermuda has a mild, humid subtropical maritime climate and strong winds are common in winter. The hurricane season is from June to November. It is best to avoid this time of the year.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By plane: Bermuda International Airport is the airport operating in Bermuda and is located in St. George’s parish which is beside to Castle Harbor. This airport has daily flights from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington, together with less frequent flights from other US and Canadian cities. British Airways flies from London (Gatwick) to Bermuda.
By boat/yacht: The cruise ships operate from the ports of Baltimore, Boston, Bayonne, New York, Norfolk, Miami/Ft Lauderdale, and Philadelphia on the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Get around:
• Public transportation: There are bus services to Hamilton. There are passenger ferries too from Hamilton Harbor and the Great Sound, the Dockyard and St. George.
• Taxis: One can take a taxi too to go around. They charge by a meter.
• Cycle Rentals: One can rent a cycle. Car rentals are not available on the island but own cars are permitted.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Bermuda#Eat
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Bermuda#Sleep
• http://www.experiencebermuda.com/
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.bermuda4u.com/Hotels/bermuda_hotels_hotels.html

Blogs / Sites about Bermuda:

• http://www.expat-blog.com/en/directory/north-america/bermuda/
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-country/Bermuda/tpod.html
• http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Bermuda/
• http://www.blogcatalog.com/country/bermuda

Images and photos of Bermuda:

• Google Search
• http://www.imagesofbermuda.com/
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g147255-Bermuda.html
• http://www.olympics.bm/bermudaimages.htm

Youtube videos:

Bahamas Cruise:

Nassau Bahamas Cruise:

Bahamas The Secrets THEY Don´t Want You to Know About

Tour Old Nassau – The Bahamas – History & Travel

Crystal Caves – Bermuda

Travel – Bellinzona – famous for its three medieval castles

Traveller — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:11:07 +0000

Bellinzona is in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is the capital city and is famous for its three medieval castles, Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro. These three castles are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This capital city includes the village of Artore and is on the east of the Ticino River, which is at the foot of the Alps. It is suurounded by Saint-Gotthard Massif. Many major alpine passes several key alpine passes, including the Nufenen, St. Gotthard, Lukmanier, San Bernardino and the Poebene meet and make Bellinzona a key trading centre.
The city of Bellinzona has approximately 17,000 inhabitants. This city is famous for its Carnival Rabadan and the local football team, AC Bellinzona. It is also known to be the most Italianate town of Switzerland. This city is located at the narrow part of the valley to the Alpine passes of St. Gotthard, San Bernardino and Lucomagno (Lukmanier). This is a gateway to Italy and key to the Alps, in north and south directions respectively.
The city is unique with its Italian-style theatre, squares, old houses in Lombardy town and courtyards. The patrician houses tell the history of the place and the place has many churches too. For shoppers, there is a big weekly market on the Piazza Nosetto, every Saturday. This place boasts of the medieval architecture in the Alps. It was first ruled by Romans before it became a part of the Swiss federation. It is an ideal place for touring, for resorts etc. There are many resorts of Locarno, Ascona and Lugano. There are many valleys too to watch for like towards north, Leventina, Side valleys of Tessin, Bedretto valley and Blenio valley.
Among the three castles, The Castelgrande is situated on a rocky peak of the valley along with a series of fortified walls protecting the old city and connect to the Montebello, the second castle. The third castle (Sasso Corbaro) is located on an isolated rocky promontory south-east of the two other valleys.

The Top Events
• La Bacchica, wine festival (Sep – Sep )
• Chocodays – The chocolate week-end (Nov)

Place to see:
• Villa dei Cedri – It is a municipal art gallery which comprises of Swiss and Italian paintings dated back to late 19th and early 20th century. There is also focus on artists from the local area.
• Old Town – It is in the area around the Piazza Nosetto, Via del Teatro and Piazza del Governo. The Old Town is famous for the wealth of beautiful merchants’ houses, stone gateways, balconies with wrought iron railings and inn signs from the history. There is a big weekly market on the Piazza Nosetto, every Saturday. The city is unique with its Italian-style theatre, squares, old houses in Lombardy town and courtyards.
• Teatro Sociale – It is a building is in the typically Italian Classical style and the only theatre in Switzerland to have been preserved from the 19th century. It is said to be inspired by La Scala in Milan.
• Modern architecture in Bellinzona – In the castle, the Castelgrande, the architect Aurelio Galfetti has integrated a boldly designed restaurant. The Convento delle Agostiniane on the Monte Carasso has been converted into a modern training centre by the architect Luigi Snozzi.
• The three castles that have been part of UNESCO heritage sights.
• Castelgrande – This castle is part of the history and is the Old Castle in 14th and 15th centuries. This castle is made out of Castlegranade hill that is 150-200m in diameter and very steep on southern side. The insides of castle wall are now flat with many renovations and expansions. The castle grounds were once filled with buildings which were pulled down by the Dukes of Milan to have interior space. The walls, towers all were raised, extended and added. This castle has an elevator from foot to the top of the castle. It can also be reached by foot by climbing or from the streets of the city centre through the city wall.
• Montebello – Montebello is located of hilltop to the east of the town that is connected to Castlegranade. Montebello is known as the Small, New or Middle Castle in the 15th Century, as Schwyz Castle from 1506 and St. Martin’s Castle after 1818. It was also renovated and extended in 19th century. There is a dedicated chapel to Saint Michael. It has an Archaeological and Civic museum which was opened in 1974 in the tower. The museum is open from March to November. In the history section there are several capitals from the 15th Century and a rare 13th Century Baptismal font and collection of military arms along with drawings and sketches from several artists. The archaeology section includes items from 1400-1500 B.C. It also has a collection of ceramics, glassware, funeral urns, ornamental objects and jewellery in iron and bronze from around the canton.
• Sasso Corbaro – This castle is also known as Unterwalden Castle after 1506; Saint Barbara’s Castle after 1818 and is about 600m south-west of town on a rocky hill. This castle is not integrated to the other two with city walls. The first part of the castle was built in defense of the city to close a gap. It was built in 1478. It is open from March until November. This castle houses the Sala Emma Poglia built for Emma family. The room is typical with walnut panelling and suva, a stove for heating. It has temporary exhibits now.

How to get there:

By train: There are frequent trains from Milan to Lugano (takes 1 – 2 hours) and from Como (takes just over half an hour). All the major trains towards Zurich, Lugano, Chiasso, Locarno and Italy stop at Bellinzona. The train station in Lugano is situated above the city and you can either walk down towards the lake or take the funicular. The landscape between Chiasso – Lugano – Bellinzona is very beautiful, and the train goes very smooth and quiet.

By Road: The A2 and A13 motorways, as well as some main roads link to Bellinzona making it an important transitional node.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Bellinzona is early summer to mid summer. The visit to the three medieval castles, Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro, the walk around Old town, to look at art gallery, this time would be just right for anyone to enjoy.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Wikitravel (link)
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• Virtualtourist (reviews and restaurants)
• Virtualtourist
• Booking.com
• Eurobookings
• http://www.isyours.com/e/guide/ticino/bellinzona.hotels.html
• http://www.a1tourism.com/switzerland/bellinzona.html

Blogs / Sites about Bellinzona:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Bellinzona
• Tripadvisor
• Virtualtourist
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Bellinzona/tpod.html
• http://www.oleole.com/switzerland/bellinzona/tlnf.html
• http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-Switzerland-Bellinzona
• http://realtravel.com/c-1449-23535-castle_vacations
• http://www.flexijourney.com/Bellinzona

Images and photos of Bellinzona;

• Google Search
• http://realtravel.com/dp-23535-0-bellinzona_photos
• Tripadvisor
• http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l16593-Bellinzona_photos.html
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/128365658HShdpO
• http://wiki.worldflicks.org/bellinzona.html
• http://www.fotopedia.com/en/Three_Castles_of_Bellinzona

Videos of Bellinzona (link)

Castello Grande- Bellinzona, Switzerland

Bellinzona, Switzerland

Bellinzona city (Switzerland)

Trip to Egypt – Landing in the city of Cairo and traveling through the city – the concept of tips and a stay at the Oasis Hotel in Giza – Part 1

Traveller — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:33:56 +0000

We were searching for a destination where we could have a family destination. It had many months since we met, and we were in different countries with a 8 hour flight gap between us. So, a lot of planning went into a common location, and the concept of traveling to Egypt to see the numerous important monuments over there was an important part of the planning. The trip was planned for around 8-9 days, and the challenge was about making the trip one that covers the major tourist destinations in Egypt, and yet the trip should not be one that attempts to run around the whole country without catching a breath of air (you know those trips, where the attempt is to capture everything that is there to see in the whole region, and where you end up more tired at the end of the trip than when you started the trip). Some of the places that we thought were important to see in the country were:
Cairo (Museums, Pyramid, Sphinx, etc)
Aswan (Enjoy Aswan) (High Dam, Abu Simbel, and unfinished obelisk)
Luxor (many temples, Valley of the Kings, etc)
Many temples between Aswan and Luxor on a cruise on the river Nile
Alexandria (Wikipedia)
Sharm-el-Sheikh
and there were many other locations in the country that were important, but these seemed the most significant from a tourist point of view. We had planned this trip for Feb, since that time worked out in terms of vacations, and hopefully, many of these locations would not be too hot. And of course, I am extremely fond of photography, so this seemed like a place where I could really get to enjoy on that front as well. Out of these, Alexandra proved a bit on the lower end in terms of priorities, and so, we dropped this from the list. Further, even though Sharm-el-Sheikh was fairly far away from Cairo, the planning was in terms of taking a vehicle for this journey. There were going to be young children with us for this journey as well, and we decided that getting a more comfortable trip in terms of guides and vehicles everywhere would be the good thing to do, rather than a backpacker journey (we are now all middle aged, and like our luxuries where possible).
And finally, the time came for the journey, we made sure that everything was in place, handed over the house to a caretaker for the 9-10 days we were going to be away, and off we went. The journey went fairly fine (as fine as long distance economy class journeys can be), and we were soon in Cairo International Airport. And this was where the first level of comfort was there, we were met by the local travel agency, Sakkara Travels, before the immigration, and we were guided from that point onwards.
Soon, we had collected our luggage from the Airport (the airport was fairly fine, the movement did not take too much time), and were bundled in the bus arranged by Sakkara to take us to our hotel. We had been booked into the Oasis Hotel located very close to Giza. This is a 4 star hotel located very close to the Pyramids in Giza, although this makes it atleast an hours distance from the airport. As a result, we ended up passing through the city of Cairo, and there were some areas where there was a good amount of traffic, but finally we made it.

Crowded streets of cairo – traffic can take some time to clear

Check-in in the hotel was fine, and we had some comfortable rooms, not very large or anything, but comfortable. The hotel has a lot of greenery inside, and seems to spend a lot of time on maintenance of the landscaped gardens.

Oasis Hotel in Giza in Egypt – the security at the entrance to the hotel

Oasis Hotel in Giza – the rocks arranged in a pattern

Oasis Hotel in Giza – View outside some of the rooms

Oasis Hotel in Giza in Egypt – Garden inside the hotel grounds

Oasis Hotel in Giza in cairo – a corridor in front of the rooms

Oasis Hotel in Giza – the swimming pool, very inviting

And then we encountered the question of tips. This is one of the points that really bothered us. Right at the beginning, when we got our travel itinerary, it was mentioned there that the concept of tips is almost like a compulsion, with the tips providing a comfort to the people employed in the travel industry who otherwise get low salaries. The same was mentioned by our travel managed from Sakkara, and the rate of the tips was supposed to be $6 per person per day for the days when you are on land, and $8 (American dollars) for the days when you are on the Nile cruise (3 days). For a group of 8 of us, on a 9 day trip, the amount of tips that we paid was itself a fairly large amount.
The next day we would do some local travel inside the city of Cairo, see the various places to see such as the Citadel, the mosque within it, and the famous local market known as ‘Khan el Khalili’.

Trip to Jaipur – the Amber Fort 11 km from Jaipur – a major tourist attraction, an imposing structure

Traveller — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:46:42 +0000

After visiting various tourist locations inside and near Jaipur such as Chokhi Dhani, City Palace, it was time to visit another incredible location for which Jaipur was famous, and this was the Amber Fort, located 11 KM outside Jaipur, and the former royal seat of the Kachhawa clan of Amber (before they decided to move to Jaipur). The fort is a magnificent structure, located at a high, and close to the Maota Lake. The Amber Fort was originally built by the Meenas in the name of Amba, the Mother Goddess. The current structure was built more than 400 years back, started by Raja Man Singh.
We reached the base of the Fort where there is a path to the top of the Hill on the original stone / concrete path. You can go on this path through either elephants that can be hired from the base or from jeeps (both of which can be hired at the base of the hill). From the path, there are a number of views such as the skyline of Jaipur, the extended walls of the Fort on the neighboring hills (which were the original city walls before the population moved to the current location).

Location of Amer Fort on Google Maps:

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If you are visiting the fort for the first time, it is recommended that you take a local guide; else, since not many of the buildings are marked, you will be at a loss to figure out what some of the older structures inside the Fort are. And there are a number of different palaces, halls, gardens, and other locations inside the Fort complex. Make sure that you do visit the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) inside the Fort.
The Fort is divided into 4 sections, with access to each of the sections from a central location through a staircase, or through a wide enough pathway. When you enter the Fort through the main gate, the first place you reach is the Jaleb Chowk, the main courtyard. Here, in the past, when a returning army would return to the city, they would be paraded in this Chowk. There is also a famous temple inside the Palace called the Kali Temple (with enormous silver lions). The fort is constructed of white and red sandstone.

View of elephant and mahout near the Amber Fort in Jaipur

Boundary wall on the hilltops near the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Ramparts of the Amber Fort in Jaipur

Musicians on the walls of the Amer Fort near the entrance

At one of the many gateways inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

View of the Diwan-i-Aam – the public audience hall inside the Amer Fort

An ambulance inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

View of the huge courtyard inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

People inside the Amber Fort – with some wonderfully carved buildings

View of a wonderfully carved doorway inside the Amber Fort in jaipur

View of canons outside a doorway inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

The board for Diwan-i-Aam inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

The hall between the pillars inside the Diwan-i-Aam the Amer Fort in Jaipur

The carved pillars inside the Amber Fort in the Jaipur

Cross section of pillars inside a hall in the Amber Fort in Jaipur

Carvings in the shape of a flower on the wall of the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Darkened view of a room with a view of the window inside the Amber Fort

View of a slightly older section of the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Overhead view of the garden inside the Amer Fort in Jaipur

A windows lattice work inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

The outer edge of the walls in the Amber Fort in Jaipur

View of an entire housing community (town) viewed from the Amer Fort

View of one of the Halls inside the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Doorways in the wall inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

Tourists inside one of the halls (between the pillars) in the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Security personnel inside the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Pigeons on the walls and windows inside the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Trees inside the courtyard in the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Stonehenge – a mystical site in Great Britain, with a circle of massive stones (for an unknown reason)

Traveller — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:16:27 +0000

Brief summary:
For those people who love to enjoy monuments that seem to show a different period of history, they must visit STONEHENGE. Stonehenge is a site full of mystery, interest & imagination. When people think of Stonehenge, they come up with an iconic image of large standing stone surrounded by earthworks. The stoneworks are supposed to have been done in the Bronze Age, comprising burial mounds; having been erected in the time period of around 2500 BC. Now, Stonehenge finds prime place in the list of “world heritage sites”, having been added in 1986 by UNESCO. The surrounding land is now owned by the National trust, & the actual site of Stonehenge is owned by the British Government.
What does Stonehenge mean ? stoneHENGE- henge/cliff means a hanging or supported stone.

Description:
Stonehenge is a site about which there is still some lack of clarity as to the actual purposes, but there is talk of association with druids, as well as a relation with the worship of older deities; and there were alternative reasons as well, such as it being an astronomical observatory. Given the supposed existence of burial sites in the area, there is the concept that maybe Stonehenge was actually a burial site for people from the higher strata in society of that time.

Construction:
Stonehenge shows the large stones still placed, but there has been damage in the past. Some of the stones in the past were used for other construction such as for roads or for homes (and even from visitor contact in the present, as a result of which visitors were prohibited from contact with the stones in 1978). When the structure was built, it would have been a massive engineering effort, with a huge amount of manual labor having been needed to make it happen. It was constructed in 3 phases, with the first phase (approx 5000 years ago) being a bank and ditch arrangement (called as a henge) (and digging of the ditch would not have been an easy task, using wood and animal antlers). Even removal of the dirt taken out during digging would not have been an easy task.
The second phase (around 4000 years back) was the construction of the first stone circle (which can now be seen as the inner circle) ; these stones where the bluestones were carted in from the mountains 240 miles away (with no clear answer as to how these 4 ton stones were dragged from the mountains to the site through land and over water).
The third and final phase (as visible now) was the construction of the outer ring, using the much larger sarsen stones (weighing 50 tons each). These stones were got from a place that was only 20 miles away, but would have still required a huge amount of effort to get them from the mountains, since there was a high obstacle at one part of the journey. There was a hole made in the ground, the stone was slowly leveraged over the hole and then lowered over the hole with stones filling the bottom of the hole.
‘The Heel Stone’ this special stone lies just outside the main entrance. It is a rough stone, and is also known as “Friar’s heal” or “Sun stone”. When one stands within the Stonehenge, facing north east through the entrance towards the heel stone, one sees the sunrise above the stone at summer solstice. A simple explanation for the name HEEL might be that stone heels or, leans.

Myths:
Since there is no clarity as to the actual purpose of the stones, there are many stories dealing with the construction. What could be some of the reasons for the stones ?
First, there was the concept that the stones were constructed as part of some prayers for the Druids (but there are doubts regarding the timelines). Next, you bring in King Arthur, where, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the rocks of Stonehenge were healing rocks, called the ‘Giant’s dance”, brought from Africa to Ireland for their healing properties, wishing to erect a memorial to the around 3000 nobles, who died in battle with the Saxons & were buried at Salisbury. The stones of giant’s ring were originally brought from Africa to Ireland by giants.

A trip to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort) in India (starting from New Delhi) – Part 3 – Fatehpur Sikri

Traveller — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:37:12 +0000

In the previous post (Taj Mahal in Agra), I had covered the magnificent structure of India’s most attractive tourist destination, the Taj Mahal in Agra. And this was the last tourist destination that we were covering inside Agra, since the 3rd one is actually located outside the township of Agra.
This post covers the 3rd major tourist destination in Agra, another UNESCO Heritage Site. This site is called Fatehpur Sikri, and is located around 40 KM from Agra, in the direction of Bharatpur (and a lot of people actually combine going to Agra and Bharatpur in the same trip, driving to these different destinations). In our case, we had already decided not to continue the stay in Hotel Atithi for the second day since our work in Agra was done. We would be going to Fatehpur Sikri and headed towards Delhi from there.

Location of Fatehpur Sikri on Google Maps:

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Fatehpur Sikri was Akbar’s act of faith, and also his folly, since it showed that even an emperor could not use all his might to fight against nature. Fatehpur Sikri was a city build by Akbar as his royal city, in homage to the saint Salim Chishti who lived in Sikri, and who ordained that a son would be born to Akbar (after Akbar had lost his earlier children). Duly after this, Salim (later to be known as Jehangir) was born to Akbar and Jodha Bai in 1569. In 1570, Akbar decided to start building his city, and this was born the complex of Fatehpur Sikri. However, water is essential to sustain any population, especially for a royal city.

The vast center courtyard of the Fatehpur Sikri compound

The architecture of the city was incredible, since there was a confluence of different building influences including Islamic, Hindu, and Jain building concepts. It was supposedly in this city that Akbar started evolving the concept of a religion that encompasses beliefs from different religions – this was known as Din-i-Ilahi (but which died out after the reign of Akbar).
Fatehpur Sikri is very impressive, including the Buland Darwaza, one of the largest gateways in the world, and which leads to a steep flight of steps on one side. There is the grand Jama Masjid to one side of the white tomb, there is the Panchratna Mahal, and there is the grand and yet simple tomb of Salim Chisti, to which religious pilgrims from multiple religions still come to seek favors and tie knots on the wall.

The marble tomb of the saint Salim Chisti at Fatehpur Sikri

Close up of the wooden gate of Fatehpur Sikri

Beehives on the huge arch of Buland Darwaza at the main entrance to Fatehpur Sikri

Parts of the building get illuminated by light bursting through windows in Fatehpur Sikri

The structure is built of red sandstone, with even the tomb being built of the same material, it was later that it was converted to being white marble. It is supposed that the saint helps childless couples, and hence families without children pay a visit to the shrine and pray their for their wish for a child to be granted.

A shaft of light through a window in a dome in Fatehpur Sikri

A long beautiful corridor inside Fatehpur Sikri

People walking in the corridor around the central tomb in Fatepur Sikri

Devouts laying a sheet on top of the shrine in Fatehpur Sikri

After we spent some time admiring the place, paying our respects at the tomb, we set off back to Delhi (there is a side road that connects back to the main Delhi-Agra highway) and reached there around dark, well satisfied that we had a good trip and enjoyed 3 UNESCO World Heritage monuments.

Many more photos of the Agra trip at this location.

A trip to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort) in India (starting from New Delhi) – Part 2 – The Taj Mahal

Traveller — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:06:07 +0000

The Part 1 of this post (Road trip to Agra and Agra Fort) described a trip to Agra and a visit to the Agra Fort. This second part of this journey describes the visit to the Taj Mahal (I would have added Fatehpur Sikri, but covering the Taj Mahal deserves a post by itself, so Sikri is covered in the next post).
Given that the day on which we wanted to visit was Christmas (25th December), and a fairly busy day, we wanted to make an early start to avoid the crowd, and so we set off early from the hotel. There was parking available at some distance from the Taj complex, and we reached there around 9:15 AM. The queue was small, although there was a small hiccup when they objected to the USB cable that I was carrying for the camera, and I had to deposit the cable with the cloakroom; the camera was allowed (still cameras are allowed while video cameras are objectionable).

Location of the Taj Mahal on Google Maps:

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And so we entered the complex. In the beginning of the complex, you cannot see the white structured tomb, you are in a small lane with some trees and smaller structures on both sides that seem to be used as offices by the Archaeological Survey of India. You can see a Gateway, a tall structure through which you pass. As you move towards the Gateway, you can see the white marble construction of the tomb through the Gateway and finally start to get a glimpse of the structure that draws a huge number of crowds every year.

A zoomed image of the Taj Mahal as visible from the Agra Fort

A glimpse of the Taj Mahal through the small outer gate

A diffused view of the outer gate of the Taj Mahal compound and a water fountain

As you are crossing the Gateway, there is a huge rush to get a photo where people can pose with the Taj in the background; given the queue for this act, we decide to move on and not spend the 10 – 15 minutes needed to negotiate this queue as well. As soon as you cross the Gateway, you see a beautiful site, with water pools and fountains leading towards the structure of the Taj Mahal, and green lawns on either side. The whole appearance, seen in numerous photos, looks incredibly beautiful (the photographer in me was hoping for a chance to get a shot when there would not be a tourist visible, but no chance. The only way would have been to come at a time when tourists were not allowed (not possible), or to take numerous shots from the same location so that I could paint out each tourist one by one inside Photoshop Elements – I did not think that this worth the effort).

A view of the area in front of the Taj Mahal – greenery, fountains

A large number of tourists in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra

Another view of the Taj Mahal in Agra with a glimpse of buildings to either side

As you reach the complex of the wonderful white structure, you cannot help but admire the magnificence of such a construction, and the amount of love that would have been in the eyes of an emperor to construct such a monument in the memory of his dead wife (who died when bearing their 14th child). The Taj Mahal (description on Wikipedia) was constructed over a 22 year period by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his dead wife Mumtaz Mahal, and is known the world over. The structure was started in 1632 and completed in 1653, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage monument (although it is under threat of damage from pollution). Shah Jahan was also famous for some of his other buildings such as the Red Fort in Delhi, and the extensions done to the Agra Fort, but construction of the Taj Mahal in white marble was a remarkable new effort at that point of time.
The main white structure of the Taj Mahal is built on a raised platform, and the actual tomb of the empress is in a lower section of the structure (now closed off to the public, with a fake tomb at the ground level); the body of the emperor is buried right next to the empress, and destroys the symmetry of the whole structure. There are 4 minarets surrounding the central dome, inclined slightly outward so that in the event of an earthquake, the minarets will fall away from the dome. Since the raised structure is actually a tomb where prayers are also held, it is forbidden to wear shoes. The complex is open from 9 AM – 7 PM, except on Friday when it is only open for 2 hours in the afternoon for Islamic prayers. During tourist seasons, there can be long queues to get inside the tomb so be prepared to wait, or go there early.

A beautiful angular view of the marble structure of the Taj Mahal

A side view of the Taj Mahal along with the raised platform on which it is built

View of the side of the Taj Mahal along with the minaret to the side

A minaret of the Taj Mahal, half in shade and half in light

Next to the tomb, there are other structures, and the Yamuna is visible from the backside of the monument; however, consider the magnificence of the monument, most people will ignore the other structures and concentrate on the main monument. Next part of this series will contain the trip to Fatehpur Sikri.

An angular view of the Palace next to the Taj Mahal

The once majestic Yamuna river next to the Taj Mahal

Many more photos of the Agra trip at this location.

A trip to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort) in India (starting from New Delhi) – Part 1

Traveller — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:42:28 +0000

This is a trip that happened in winter, in fact, very close to Christmas time. We had holidays from Christmas to New Year, and decided to go for a short trip. It had been 20 years since I had lost gone to visit the Taj Mahal, and it seemed like an opportune time to go and visit again. The plan was agreed by the spouse and me in a jiffy, friends and family were notified that we would be gone for some time, and everything was set. I did some searching on the internet, and came across this hotel called ‘Hotel Atithi’ (website), not a very expensive hotel, fairly comfortable and located close to the tourist locations of the Agra Fort as well as the Taj Mahal. The rates for the hotel were in the range of Rs. 2000 per day, and we had originally booked for 2 nights.
The idea about getting from Delhi to Agra was that it takes around 204 kilometers. The traffic situation from Delhi to Agra can be pretty bad in some locations such as Faridabad, Palwal, and Ballabhgarh, and hence it is recommended to leave early, around 6 in the morning, so that you could avoid the traffic jam; that was the expectation, in reality we left around 8 in the morning. The journey from Delhi takes us through Mathura Road, which passes through Faridabad, which can take some time to cross. Soon after crossing the various such points on the way, we reached a place called Hodal (located in the state of Haryana, just before the border with UP) (wikipedia). There is also a rest house at Hodal called ‘Dabchik’ which gives you a break, especially when there are children along with you. You can get something to eat, watch some geese, and relax.
Soon after this location, you will cross into Uttar Pradesh; and cross the locality of Mathura. For those of you who are religiously inclined, going to the temples of Mathura can be a holy experience. We crossed Mathura and moved on, and after some distance, crossed Sikandra (Sikandra on Wikipedia), where Akbar’s tomb is located. We did not have enough time to stop and visit, and moved on towards Agra. You take a right from the highway where a turn is indicated to Agra, cross a railway line, and then pass through some crowded market areas (and there are apparently multiple routes to get into Agra, we must have taken the most crowded one). Finally, near the tourist areas, we found the Hotel Atithi almost located on the main road.

Hotel Atithi in Agra on Google Maps:

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We reached around noon, and after resting for some time, decided to move towards Agra Fort (description on Wikipedia). We took a local conveyance from the hotel rather than taking our own vehicle, and it was a pretty short distance. Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage monument, and is fairly well maintained. The fort was the headquarters from which most of the Mughals ruled over their vast kingdom, and remains an imposing structure. It is also well frequented by tourists on holidays, so you would need to spend a bit of time in a queue when entering, but after that initial wait, it is perfectly fine inside (although the entry rates are so low that a huge amount of people are always visiting). We had taken a guide when we were entering the fort, and he explained the various palaces, buildings and other structures inside the fort to us.

Tourists walking from the outside gate to the inner gate of the Agra Fort

A view of the well maintained main gate of the Agra Fort along with a huge lawn in front

A beautiful green central square inside the Agra Fort

We really enjoyed the fort, and it took us a couple of hours inside; we saw the separate palaces for the queens and princesses, as well as saw the section where the emperor Shah Jahan was confined, when he was usurped by his son Aurangzeb, locked up inside the fort with a view across the river to the Taj Mahal (the burial spot for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal). This specific location was cordoned off from public view and nobody was allowed to enter.

A small tomb in the courtyard of the Diwan-e-Aam in the Agra Fort

A sample of the architecture of one of the inner buildings inside the Agra Fort

Beautiful building in the Agra Fort

The brightness of the sun over the Agra Fort

The sun peeking through the outer fence of the Agra Fort

Tourists gathered around one of the fountains in the Taj Mahal complex

After exiting the fort, we decided to head over to the Taj Mahal (it was now late afternoon), but the huge queue over there (especially since we did not know whether mobile phones and other possessions were allowed inside) caused a bit of wait. Finally we had to call off the visit since there was no chance that we could get inside (the queue was expected to take another hour, and closing time was in 30 minutes). We decided to visit the Taj Mahal the first thing the next morning.

Many more photos of the Agra trip at this location.

Trip to Goa (India) (land of beaches, greenery and churches) – Part 3 – Visit to Churches and more beaches

Traveller — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:20:57 +0000

Part 1 (link) and 2 (link) of this blog talked about travel to the beaches and forts of Goa. Goa is also famous for its churches and cathedrals, and also for a few Hindu temples. The other things that are normally also visited in Goa are some of the beaches in South Goa as well as a cruise on the river Mandovi. All this was still to be done, and was planned for the 3rd day of our trip.
To add, this was probably the most rain-filled trip that we ever had, since it had been raining steadily ever since we had arrived in Goa (although the level of rain was very low or zero sometime, or strong rain at some point of time). In the morning, this time we were more resolved to start the travels for the day early no matter whether it was raining or not. We had made some taxi arrangements to start early soon after breakfast (and our morning means leaving around 10 AM, not the 7 AM you were thinking).
And so, being well prepared (carrying umbrellas and cameras was the extent of our preparation), we set off.
The first place that was on our itinerary was this magnificent ruins of a tall church, called St. Augustine’s Church, located on Holy Hill. It is 46 meters high, and was built in the year 1602 through the effort of 12 Augustan friars. However, the Portuguese authorities forbade the use of this church, and the church and the convent was abandoned, with just a 46 meters high Bell Tower remaining in ruins. The bell was removed from the Church and relocated to the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception at Panaji in 1871, where it still works even now. The church however, being abandoned, had stated crumbling as early as 1842 with more ruins falling in 1931 and 1938. The ruins of the Church are visited by a number of visitors even now. However, due to heavy rain, we could not go inside, with the gate also being locked at that time.

The still remaining tall structure of the St. Augustine Church in Goa, now in ruins

Base platform of the ruins of St. Augustine Church in Goa

Next up, we visited the 2 side-by-side churches called the Dom Basilica Church, and the Se Cathedral. Both of them look real difficult. To reach there, the parking is located on the road next to the Dom Basilica Church and there is a short walk through a path lined with trees on both sides.

People braving the rain to go the Dom Basilica

Downpour outside as visible from the Dom Basilica in Goa

The Basilica of Bom Jesus or Basilica of Good Jesus (Portuguese: Basílica do Bom Jesus) is a World Heritage site located in Goa, and also holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, with the church name referring to the infant Jesus. The church construction was started in 1594 and completed in 1605 when it was consecrated by Archbishop, Dom Fr. Aleixo de Menezes. The church is also famous since it holds the remains of the Saint Francis Xavier, who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) along with St. Ignatius Loyola. The remains of the Saint attract a huge number of visitors, especially once every 10 years when the body is made available for public viewing (last done in 2004). The inside of the Church was very beautiful and solemn, although sections of the Church seemed like a Spanish villa with an inner courtyard having a garden.

The body of St. Francis Xavier in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa

View of inner greenery of the courtyard inside the Dom Basilica in Goa

Statue of saint inside the Dom Basilica in Goa

Next to the Dom Basilica (across the road) is the Se Cathedral, also known as the Sé Cathedral of Santa Catarina, is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria, and is a huge and beautiful building, with some excellent indoor structure and very beautiful outdoors. The Cathedral was built starting in 1562, completed in 1619, and consecrated in 1640, and was built to celebrate the victory of Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque over a Muslim army in 1510 (which led to the conquest of Goa), and was named after Saint Catherine since the day when victory happened was on the day of the feast of Saint Catherine.

Beautiful view of the Se Cathedral from outside with greenery

Inside the Se Cathedral in Goa

Chandelier hanging from the roof of the Se Cathedral in Goa

Sculpture of Jesus Christ on a cross inside the Se Cathedral in Goa

After spending a couple of hours at these 2 beautiful churches, we moved on, visiting a Hindu temple, the famous Shri Mangueshi Temple, Goa. It was drizzling slightly, so there was some amount of mud and ditches, but the inner compound of the temple was relatively much cleaner. We went inside the temple, said our prayers, visited the tower, and then moved on. By this time, we were ready for lunch, and we were also enticed by the prospect of visiting a local spice plantation. These are large tracts of land on which spices are grown organically, and they also give you an organic lunch and a trip around the plantation where you can see their growing habits and learn about which spices grow on which plants along with seasons. It was pretty exciting to go there. The trip to a spice plantation can however cost you around Rs. 400 per head to go inside and do the trip.

Exterior architecture of the Mangueshi Temple in Goa

After the spice plantation, it was back to the water. We were not interested in visiting the Miramar beach since we were running short of time and light in the sky, and so we headed to a different type of beach, called Dona Paula. The place is a expensive and luxurious place to live, and is named after the daughter of a Portuguese viceroy who threw herself off the cliff when she was refused permission to marry a local fisherman. However, this is not a typical beach, more of a beachfront and where there is an observation tower located at a height from where you get a good view. You typically do not work along sand with water next to you.

After all this, we were attracted by the notion of a 1 hour cruise on the River Mandovi. There are these numerous water cruisers (not very attractive) which carry you aboard and for a one hour cruise for Rs. 150. You sit on plastic seats, with a local band providing the music or can go to the open upper deck (but since it is night, you do not see anything much). Having done this cruise, I can say that you will not miss much if you do not do this cruise.

On board entertainment on river cruise in Goa – boring

Many photos of Goa at this location.