The Idle Mind

Namibia

subranu — Tue, 2 Jul 2013 16:06:00 GMT

How can one visit a place in Africa and not love it? It is highly impossible and even if it is, I would probably assume that that one person is insane.

My visit to Namibia was a short one, literally. I was there for 4 days, but let me tell you; you’re lucky if you can even spend a day in such a beautiful country. One stereotypical notion of most people is that Africa is all about the deserts, wild life, safaris and languages. People also tend to forget that Africa is a continent.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1

Namibia is a country that is rich in beauty. I knew this immediately when I was driving from the airport to Swakopmund. With my flight having arrived in the evening, I got the advantage of seeing a beautiful sunset. As you drive from the airport to Swakopmund, you are surrounded by the wild nature of Nambia. Both sides are filled with small hills and mountains, complimented by the earthen tone of sand. The sight is like a preview of what the Namib Desert would be like.

It was a 4 hour drive to Swakopmund with the most breath taking sceneries throughout. I decided to explore this small town. It was night and therefore getting a clear picture of the place was a bit difficult. However, one place that you have to visit at night is The Jetty. The Jetty is a place that you can walk onto and have a look at the tranquil sea. In Swakopmund, they have a restaurant, The Jetty, overlooking the sea from the very edge of the Jetty. If you’re not a fan of sitting right on top of water, you can always have a meal at the Tug Restaurant, right before the entrance to the long walk on the Jetty. The Tug Restaurant is located at the threshold of the waves of the sea, at a high point, overlooking the magnificent body of water.

Day 2

Today I went around exploring the beautiful town of Swakopmund. Namibia is a country that has a small population; therefore most of the streets are a quite deserted. However, this comes to your advantage when taking beautiful photographs of the ancient and modern German architecture that the town has to offer.

Swakopmund is also known for its view of the ocean. There is a beach side where you can go and relax, take a few pictures and perhaps have a coffee or 2 at the Beach Café. There is also a Small Museum, right behind the café that shows the history of the country and town. Opposite the Museum is the Lighthouse Restaurant which is apt for a relaxing dinner in the evening.

The same afternoon, I was taken to Walvis Bay. It is a half an hour drive from Swakopmund. On this drive, I had the beach on my right hand side and a few sand dunes on my left hand side. It was two extremes and a rare moment to experience a view such as that.

Walvis Bay is a relatively crowded place compared to Swakopmund. The main reason people go to there is because of the view it has to offer. It has the beach with lots of cafes around. But Walvis Bay is the point from which people are taken to the Sandwich Harbour. The Sandwich Harbour, also known as the Skeleton Coast, is where the grand sand dunes meet the Atlantic Ocean, creating the most perfect photographic scene. This is a very rare occurrence.

The drive to the Sandwich Harbour is a rather thrilling and interesting one. Before actually going to the Skeleton Coast, I was shown how salt is processed and taken to large salt processing areas. After this, we proceeded to the Sandwich Harbour. As we approach the meeting point of the dunes and the ocean, I had a magnificent view of very large sand dunes on my left and a rather calm and tranquil view of the ocean on my right, with a few large waves and a few small waves. If you are lucky, you may even spot a few seals and dolphins.

At the Sandwich Harbour, I climbed one of the sand dunes, to get a few pictures of the beautiful mix of the earth and the water. After some tranquil time spent at the Skeleton Coast, I was taken on a thrilling drive on a 4 x 4 up and down the sand dunes.

Day 3

Today I was taken to Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. The city is much like any other. Not much sightseeing was done.

However, there are many places where you can go on a shopping spree for souvenirs and curios. The place is rich in traditional Namibian markets and stores, but also has quite a few shopping centres with modern wear. Windhoek is a place where the traditional and the modern meet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Namibia on a whole was a wonderful visit. It was thrilling that I could cover so much in 4 days. However, I also know that I left out quite a few other places that would have been equally exciting to visit. Well, I always have next time. As for you, there’s always a first and Namibia is the place to go if you’re looking for a new outlook on the very stereotypical based continent of Africa.

via: www.anu-theidlemind-subra.blogspot.com

© Anupama Subramaniyam

Turkey

subranu — Tue, 2 Jul 2013 16:04:00 GMT

Swansea to London to Istanbul to Cappadocia to Istanbul to Dalaman to Marmaris to Dalaman to Istanbul to London to Swansea. Whew! Never thought we'd do this much in a week. Then again, what's life without spontaneity?

On a more serious note, this trip was a short one. But totally worth it. All thanks to the beautiful country of Turkey and the lovely group of friends that were on this trip. Having said that, a week isnot enough to see Turkey. Hell, a week isn't even enough to see Istanbul!

Istanbul

Istanbul is not the capital city of Turkey, as many people would assume. Ankara is the capital city of Turkey. However, Istanbul is probably more popular because this is where the Galata Bridge is, from which both continents, Asia and Europe, can be seen; a small part of Istanbul is in Europe while the rest of it is in Asia. Turkey on the whole is considered an Asian country.

Dolmabahce Palace
Photograph By: Parinetha S Aradhya

Istanbul has the most famous mosque, Hagia Sophia, which was once a church. Therefore, when you go inside the mosque, you will notice that there are paintings of Mary, Jesus and a few crosses here and there. Architecture in Istanbul (And in Turkey, in general) is a mixture of European and Islamic. You will find a mosque everywhere. Another place worth visiting in Istanbul is the Blue Mosque. It is famous mostly for it's Blue Dome, which has some intricate design work worth seeing.

In Istanbul, we also went to a place called "Dolmabahce Palace" which was served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. It is divided into two sections: Harem, the administrative area, and Selamlik, the residential area. We only got to see Harem as we had time restrictions. However, seeing Harem on its own was enough. We are not allowed to take photographs inside the buildings as some parts of the building are made of real/pure gold and crystal and therefore, photography could damage these materials.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia: Walking to the Caves
Photograph By: Anupama Subramaniyam

Cappadocia is very famous for its caves. It is known as the cave city. We stayed in a hotel called the "Local Cave Hotel" which has adapted some of the caves into rooms. It was quite a climb for us but the views from the rooms are totally worth it. The city (more like town) is really small compared to Istanbul.

We visited the Underground City. This is a "city" that was constructed BC and it has 12 floors. When you inside, you more or less feel like you are inside a cave. The tunnels through which you walk are rather narrow and small. On the whole, it's the experience that counts and somethings makes me think that even in those days, constructing something so complicated yet useful was possible without machinery. It was a good experience.

The caves in Cappadocia are quite a climb. They are high up, near a stream of water. The caves have some Christian paintings that were made by the Greek during the migration of people between Greece and Turkey years back. These paintings have faded today due to it's age and of course in the past, some of the paintings were deliberately rubbed off due to nonacceptance of religion. Today, of course, this is not the case.

Marmaris and Pamukkale

Pamukkale
Photograph By: Anupama Subramaniyam

Our next destination, Marmaris, is near the beach. However, our timing was impeccable as we went during a thunderstorm. Therefore, we couldn't spend much time at the beach. However, we did go to Pamukkale, which is a three hour drive from Marmaris.

Pamukkale is a natural site of hot springs on this big rock of calcium. More than anything, walking on this "calcium-water" source is the most amazing feeling ever. The water is cold at some points and warm at others. Pamukkale is a relatively hot area so we enjoyed it the most (coming from cold, windy, rainy area!).

General
The food in Turkey is pretty traditional. If you are Indian, their spicy standards do not match yours. No matter how spicy you ask them to make it. If you are vegetarian, welcome to a "pide" spree.Pide is nothing but Turkish traditional pizza, which is like normal pizza but the bread is ten times better. Which brings me to my next point: Bread. Bread in Turkey is to die for. They really know their bread. You will find endless variety of bread, all freshly made. The smell of fresh bread. If you are in Turkey, you have to try their Pita Bread. Total food-gasm. Best part? Bread is complimentary.

Traditional Turkish Wine
Photograph By: Anupama Subramaniyam

On the whole, the trip was worth it, even if it was a week. I would not recommend visiting Turkey for those who are physically unfit as you have to climb a lot! I am not even exaggerating. Having said that, the views and information are totally worth the climb. So if you're in for some fantastic knowledge gaining session, good food, good wine and some adventure, Turkey is the place for you.

Visiting?

If you are visiting Turkey, here are some tips. Note that we went to Turkey in January so these tips are according to the weather we experienced which was all types, rain, snow and sunny.

- Carry enough clothing to keep warm and protect from the rain
- Travel by the tram/metro in cities. Very cheap!
- Buying a sim card with data services is worth it. It will help you navigate better.
- Hiring a car is not a bad idea.
- Visit Marmaris during summer.
- If you have an Indian Passport (I know this because I have one), you get VISA on arrival.

via: www.anu-theidlemind-subra.blogspot.com

© Anupama Subramaniyam

London

subranu — Tue, 2 Jul 2013 16:02:00 GMT

So I was in London a few days back. It's not like I've not been there before, but this was my first time exploring the city alone. The sole purpose of going was to apply for my Canadian Visa, which look about 2 hours only. Very efficient, I must say.

1 and a half days in London. Alone. Best experience ever. Recently, I knew I deserved a break. Lots going on with work and life in general. I really needed a break from Swansea. Don't get me wrong. Swansea is a lovely place. But once in a while, it's good to be alone in a crowd of people. Rewording that, it's good to be in a place like London.

London is a city worth exploring. I know many people who travel like to explore the unexplored. But I believe that exploring the explored can be equally exciting. Why? We are all different people. Seeing something from your perspective is seeing it differently. This is why opinions matter. If we all looked at something from the same perspective, life would be boring.

When I arrived in London Paddington, I just sat there for an hour, staring at people. I was in awe as to how many people there were! Furthermore, the cultural diversity of the city is amazing! From Africans to Indians to various Europeans! So many people from all over the world! I felt like I was at an International Conference of Trains or something. You don't hear only English being spoken. It's every language you can think of: Spanish, French, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, German and so on.

After my hour of observation in Paddington, I headed out to Soho. Soho's night life? Happening. Such a live place. Loud. Plenty of people. Music booming from everywhere. People dressed up. Youngsters everywhere. Smoking. Drinking. Very live!

The next morning, I headed to the Canadian High Commission on Grosvenor Street. At 6am. Grosvenor Street is parallel to Oxford Street. So I had to pass by Oxford Street. Guess what? Busy even at 6am! People walking at a fast pace with coffee on one hand and a newspaper on the other. Most people rushing to work or rushing to catch the tube to work. It was amazing! I felt so safe in the presence of such a vivacious crowd!

After my work at the Canadian High Commission, I just walked around the city. I had a day pass. I went to every place I could within the given radar. Started off with Oxford Street. That place is a beauty. Busy all day, people rushing about every minute. It's like the Time Square of London. Really. Oh and another thing. I had to hide my face and walk around. The shops around are so tempting. Student budget and what not. Just walk and wave. Walk and wave.

I then went to London Bridge. It was amazing! I stared at it for a few minutes. Busy traffic all over, cool breeze once in a while. It was a good feeling. I regretted not carrying my camera. But if I did, I probably would not have been allowed inside the Canadian High Commission. So meh.

I could only look around the place for a couple of hours. But those few hours were some moments of my life I would never forget. Sometimes, it's good to stick with the regular than trying to be unique. Don't always try something new. Try the old too. You might discover something new in the old!

via: www.anu-theidlemind-subra.blogspot.com

© Anupama Subramaniyam

A Weekend Getaway: Pondicherry

subranu — Tue, 2 Jul 2013 15:57:00 GMT

Hello Pondy!

Pondicherry Railway Station

Looking for a quick weekend away? Pondicherry is the answer. The small town offers a lot for a weekend. Pack your bags and catch the next train or bus to Pondicherry because this is a place that guarantees lots of opportunities for photographers, adventurers, travelers, foodies and most commonly, a combination of all.

The city is highly influenced by its past colonization by the French in the 1700s. The people of the city can communicate in Tamil, English and some in French too. Easy for those of you who are not familiar with Tamil. Furthermore, most of the architecture is European, with bright colours such as yellow; high ceilings and big windows.

Being a small city (town?), it has many advantages; people know the area pretty well to direct you, communication is easy, most touristy places are near each other, people are friendly and the environment is relatively clean. Adding on, you don't even need local transport if you're in for a good walk. Think it's worth it after eating all the delicious French, Italian and of course, South Indian food!

Let's establish, before you read further, that a weekend is more than enough to see Pondicherry. It's not that there isn't much to see. It's just that the place is rather small for you to spend a lot of time. Unless, of course, you like spiritual life and beaches. Then I'd say take 5 to 6 days to see the place and find your inner self.

Things to see, do and eat!

1. Auroville

Auroville "Welcome"

Auroville "Golden Globe"

Auroville is a small town about 8km from Pondicherry. The easiest way to get there is hiring a cab. What's there to do? They have a small visitors' information center for those of you who are interested in the history of this beautiful structure. Furthermore, all you architects, this is a must see for you! The structure started construction in the 80s and was completed around 2008. So go and find out what the deal is with the time taken to construct this massive structure.

If you want to go inside the "Golden Globe", you need to make an booking in advance (if this is your first time). I suggest you do it online as the chances of you getting an booking on the spot are really really low.

2. Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach

The peace of going to a beach, sitting and observing the waves as you drift away in your own mind. Sigh. This is the place to be if you want peace and quiet or just pure fun with waves! Paradise Beach is an island. To get to this island, you've to go on a 30 minute boat ride. Once you reach the island, chill with a good book or a drink or swim or just stare at the waves...as anything is legit on an island with a beautiful beach!

3. Aurobindo Ashram

Looking to discover yourself? Want to know more about the history of Pondicherry? Head to the Aurobindo Ashram - the most peaceful place to be when meditating. The place is filled with people sitting, cross legged, as they meditate for inner peace, discovering themselves or just for some relaxation. The place is worth exploring to understand the values and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and Mother.

Local Beach

4. The Local Beach

The beach in Pondicherry has no sand. It has been covered with rocks. But it is still worth a visit as Le Cafe is situated here. Furthermore, climbing down the rocks for some pictures is totally worth the view!

5. The Sacred Church of Jesus

Sacred Church of Jesus

Visit the Church to reconnect with God. Aside from this, the European combined with Indian architecture is admirable.

6. Eat outs!

There are quite a few options for people to eat. Being a vegetarian, I probably cannot help you non veg eaters. However, I'll give it a shot! Firstly, vegetarians, you have to eat at Surguru Hotel. They have the best veg food you can think of...from dosas to idlys to vadas to naans to paneer...sigh. They also have accommodation services.

Le Cafe's Cold Coffee

Le Cafe serves anything really...they have cold coffee, french fries and for those of you in search of a little bit of France, they have croissants!

Other than that, I cannot give more information in the food aspect of things. But you are sure to find signs directing you to various places to eat. The most common cuisines you will find are French, Italian and Indian...all authentic.

Plan your trip!

So if you're looking to travel to Pondicherry, there are many ways to get here. The bus, train or if you're the daring types, you could drive down on your own! Many hotels are available to accommodate you according to your comforts. The hotels are more than willing to organise a taxi for you to get around the city. Otherwise, you could always walk around or take an auto rickshaw.

It's the perfect place for a relaxing weekend away from a metropolitan city. Or just a break from the monotony of a fast paced life.

All Photographs taken by Author

via: www.anu-theidlemind-subra.blogspot.com

A 'place' I have visited

subranu — Tue, 2 Jul 2013 13:22:28 GMT

I am a final year media studies and English Literature student, currently studying in Swansea, Wales, UK. I am of Indian nationality but have lived in Zambia my whole life. I moved to India 3 years back for my under graduation studies and did a transfer program to Swansea a year back.

I love travelling. I aspire to become a travel journalist. I maintain a blog regularly, in which I post my travelogues, thoughts on life in general and sometimes, vent out my feelings. My blog incorporates my passion for photography too. I've been blessed with a family that shares the same passion for travelling, ergo, have traveled quite a bit. But I'm ready to do more!

The pictures submitted for this competition are taken from my Nokia Lumia 710 and Sony Cybershot Digital Camera: 1 in Bath, 2 in Rhossili Bay, Swansea and 2 in London.

I personally believe that it's not the camera that matters, but the person behind the camera; angles, views, perception, stories, emotions - these count in photography.

I think I should be chosen for this scholarship because I would love to use this opportunity to learn, gain more experience in my desired field of career and once again, travel.

Thank you!