Cityscapes

Throwback to the Past

Two years ago, to the day, I was wrapping up the last few days on a guided tour through the island of Honshu in Japan. I am not normally a fan of guided tours that feel like a roller coaster ride, especially in a country like Japan where you can barely peel the surface of the complex subcultures of this diverse country. Between language barriers, the lack of any planning effort, or large mob mentality, I could never grasp the history and origins of a particular culture or place and thereby immerse myself as I normally try to do. It may not have been the right way to travel in Japan, but considering it was also one last goodbye to many friends whom I have known dearly for two years, it was worth the tradeoff.

Despite these barriers, I still felt a sensory overload: visual, aural, and oral. There was just so much happening on this whirlwind of a trip through different places, and the smells, the sights, and the sounds have taken quite a bit of time for my brain to process. My camera managed to preserve certain moments of time while the journal managed to capture some of the memories and emotions I felt as I traveled through very diverse locales and cities. And yet, I feel that I have barely scratched the surface of the experiences I have had.

Tokyo

Japan

Fragility

It is a tragedy that has befallen this mighty building.

The Notre Dame captured my heart the very moment I saw pictures of it while looking at the Paris guidebooks. And when I visited this impressive piece of history 10 years ago, I couldn't contain my excitement.

Even from afar, the Notre Dame Cathedral is an imposing structure: two tall towers rising 70m above the mass of low-rise buildings that dominate the center of Paris, behind which the lie the cross of the 73m long nave and 46m wide transept, each rising 4 stories, and supported by the massive bulwarks of the flying buttresses. Even the spindly spire that collapsed was large from up-close.

It took 100 years to build, and it stood through 800 years of tumultuous history, through both the World Wars. And yet, even such a mighty structure can be fragile. I do hope they rebuild it to its former glory.

Paris

France

A Blue Oasis

I stepped away from the main thoroughfare of Chefchaouen, a long wide alley lined with shops selling tourist curios and colorful spices that wound its way through the dense hillside town. The alleys were crowded with early spring tourists and residents going about their daily routines, and I wanted to explore the more remote parts of this village. The blues continued on however, a never-ending fabric of paint that coated the city.

Chefchaouen was this magical oasis of blue in the brown dusty hill-slopes in north-eastern Morocco. The medina had gained its blue hues in the late 15th century as it received its first influx of Jewish migrants, and it stuck to this ever since. And the blues doesn't feel overwhelming, as the subtleties in the different shades of blue ensure that one alley looks different from the other. One would be hard-pressed to escape from the blue until you step out of the medina, but there are spots where the underlying brown bricks become visible, as it was in this narrow residential alleyway, complete with a tall ladder also painted blue.

Chefchaouen

Morocco

The Gold Tomb

Not many of us are honored enough to enjoy an afterlife in a gold tombstone. But if you were Amir Timur, the Turco-Mongol conqueror and the founder of the Timurid empire of Persia and Central Asia in the 14th century, you are definitely worthy of that honor. This beautiful mausoleum in Samarkhand, the capital of the emperor's empure, is a precursor to the great tombs of the Mughal era, including the famous Taj Mahal in India.

Walking inside, what struck me were the ornate decorations, the colorful mosaics, gold filigree and the beautiful inlaid tiles reflecting the rich hues the empire brought together in its vast and storied history. It must have certainly been a wonder in the era it was built. And even though it fell to disrepair during the 17th and 18th century, it has been dutifully restored during the Soviet era, almost back to its original glory.

This tomb, while being overshadowed by the even more famous attractions in Samarkhand, is one of the many reasons to visit this city steeped in history.

Samarkhand

Uzbekistan

Timeless Bazor

One of the most unique aspects of travel in Central Asia is visiting the ubiquitous bazors that form the center of life in the communal atmosphere of the towns and cities. Historically, these bazors formed the focal point of commerce along the Great Silk Road. In one of these great bazors in the friendly city of Bukhara, stalls full of ripe produce stand shoulder to shoulder with delicious sweets and delicacies, colorful handicraft and beautiful woven goods.

Standing at one of the exits of the bazors, I captured this scene overlooking one of the main alleys in Bukhara, a scene I believe hasn't changed much over the last few centuries.

Bukhara

Uzbekistan

Lighting the madrasah

Registan: one of the most beautifully restored triad of madrasahs: an imposing darwazah (door) lined with intricate tilework, beautiful wall paintings, swirling pillars and gracefully arched doorways. And while the structures look spartan under the mid-day heat, the well-executed lighting adds a unique shine to these imposing structures.

Walking under the eaves of these tall monuments is walking over centuries of history, the oldest one more than 6 centuries old, and breathing the very same air of piety that has permeated this region for millenia.

I for one, am glad to have visited and experienced this amazing wonder of the world.

Samarkand

Uzbekistan

Evening Market

Walking around a sleepy old bazaar in the heart of Samarkand transported me back to an era when this beautiful city developed at the crossroads of the trade routes that formed the Great Silk Road. Spanning from the mystic Orient to the mighty Persian empire, this network of trade routes was responsible for spreading everything from flavorful spices to algebra all over the Eurasian continent.

It is a city with layers of history hiding in plain sight, a Central Asian city worth the visit.

Samarkand

Uzbekistan

Temples of Japan

As I am going to spend the next few months recuperating from surgery, I figured it would be a good time to go through my archives of my travels.

I distinctly remember Nachi Taisha, a beautiful temple complex near the Nachi falls. I had seen photos of a famous red pagoda rising from the verdant greenery against the backdrop of Nachi falls, and as I was exploring the Kii peninsula, I found out where that photo had been taken - the pagoda by the Nachi Taisha. I made my through the multiple levels of the complex, until I came to this viewpoint. And despite it being the Golden week in Japan, when seemingly every Japanese traveled around the country, it was remarkably empty.

The vermillion orange of the four-tiered pagoda was striking against the mountainous landscape draped in contrasting greenery. The Nachi falls, a 400ft waterfall, looked positively tiny when juxtaposed next to this beautiful pagoda. I spent quite a bit of time exploring this relaxing temple complex, absorbing the sights and sounds of a traditional Japan.

Nachi Taisha

Nachikatsuura Japan

Welcoming the New Year

I have spent many a New Year's eve welcoming the turn of the midnight clock in various different ways: from witnessing flare guns going up in the Galapagos, to dancing along atop the walled colonial city if Cartagena, to gathering around with friends and enjoying the fireworks launched from the iconic Space Needle of Seattle. But perhaps nothing was as unique as watching the clock turn while monks chanted away through the night.

I was walking through the bustling night market of Chiang Mai on New Year's eve when I noticed an old temple decked out with lamps and festive lights. As I wandered in, the din of the crowds outside died away, leaving behind a peaceful chant of monks from within the temple. As I proceeded further, I came across this beautiful setting: a Golden Buddha sitting beneath a festive Bodhi tree with oil lamps flickering all around. As I watched, monks, young and old, walked silently along a bamboo pathway, and kneeled down interspersed between the lamps. And they started praying, recreating the famous enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama under the Bodhi tree, with the disciples receiving blessings from him.

I paused from photography, put my camera down, and closed my eyes to immerse myself in the moment.

Chiang Mai

Thailand