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A peek into Minangkabau culture

Where the men rule but women call the shots!
There can’t be a more contradictory sentence than the one above but it strikes true everytime in West Sumatra.

It was late afternoon but still bright when I stepped out of Padang Airport in West Sumatra (Sumatra Barat). A designated guide received me and we started walking toward the parking lot. By force of habit I always look back to see how things looked like. I did so this time too and I stopped!

Padang, Minangkabau culture
Padang Airport based on Minangkabau architecture

In front was the beautiful

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Day 1 of EBC Trek

Part 1: Kathmandu to Lukla 

Continuing from …. Day Zero at Ground Zero

Dawn Yawn…


Nilesh, the Trek Company’s representative called on me at 5:30AM to take me to the Airport, for a flight that was to depart at 6:15AM! Of course the previous day when I was making lofty plans, I had agreed to this in my moment of weakness. I hardly had a choice anyway, owing to the dependency on the fickle flights to Lukla.

Lukla, Kathmandu , Nepal, Twin Otter
A spectacular view thru a smudged window, on way from Kathmandu to Lukla

I was to take the first flight of Sita Airlines, or was it Tara airlines, maybe Sita Airlines owns Tara, or is it the other way round, maybe I am talking about Yeti airlines … maybe… oh chuck it ….did it matter?

Just then,

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Club Mahindra Property in Cloud 9

I should probably say properties, since there are two. Club Mahindra, Binsar Valley and Binsar Villa.

We started our journey towards Binsar in the morning from Jim Corbett, which was our pit stop for the previous night after a long drive from Delhi. The sumptuous and scrumptious Kababs that we had wolfed down for dinner the previous night were properly digested and duly forgotten.

A view of the hillside town of Binsar
A view of the hillside town of Binsar
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Day Zero at Ground Zero!

Nisha and I were already in Delhi for some work. I had planned to fly to Kathmandu from Delhi. This helped us in combining our combined Delhi business and my own Nepal business. Mumbai to Delhi leg of my journey perhaps was the most uneventful. Too mundane. It was so boring that I remembered someone who had said if you pay intense attention to boredom then it will turn out to be interesting. Well, in my case, while paying intense attention I just fell asleep.

everest base camp trek starting
Elephants at T3 airport New Delhi

So as per plan Nisha came to

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Gifts from returning travelers

Note: This article is intended for an audience who are above 25 years of age.

We have been travelling for several years now. Probably I should write decades. 🙂 While it is a great fun and enjoyable to see new places, meet new people, imbibe new culture, sometimes new drinks too, 😉 there is another thing I relish. That is souvenir shopping! Shopping for souvenirs, for self and for friends back home.

I always keep some time (when possible) for this shopping.

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Shopping for souvenirs, local arts,

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Review of Quechua Forclaz 500 Shoes

Review of Quechua Forclaz 500: Last decade or so, has certainly seen a massive growth in the number of Indians taking to adventure sports of one form or the other. Prior to that if you wanted to go for even trekking, proper outfit was seldom available and one had to be dependent on friends and relatives to get something from ‘abroad’ or rummage in the local adventure gear shops that were few and far between.

 

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Click here to buy Decathlon outdoor adventure products including Quechua shoes and Quechua bags

With Decathlon setting shop in

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Super Luxury Mandarin Oriental Macau – An experience

It is a longish wait at the baggage belt at Macau ferry terminal. After collecting our luggage we move towards the arrival hall, scanning the area for someone with a placard. We had booked to stay at the Mandarin Oriental Macau for our special vacation! A smart young man with the placard introduces himself politely as Mandarin Oriental Macau’s Reception staff and says the vehicle is ready to ferry us to the hotel. We decide to change some currency at the post office situated in the terminal building and get in to the huge and comfortable van.

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A short drive and

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Best Luxury Spa in Macau at MO!

Best Luxury Spa in Macau at MO!

We flip through the SPA catalog in our room lazily trying to understand what is what.

We are not regular spa goers. Last I had a massage was some 20 years back at a fitness centre by a 6+ feet , 200+ pounds masseur in Delhi, who was tossing me about like a salad and raining well directed blows (according to him to improve circulation), suddenly jerking my neck in this direction and that and in general made me empathize with a grain of wheat in a mill. I don’t want to even be reminded of the gore that spewed after (Of course, I am exaggerating :), as you can see I have lived to tell the tale). Nisha has nicer experiences.

luxury spa in macau

The word Spa has a nice ring to it though, a ring of a healing touch and after all these years lots of things in my body needed repairs!

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