Skip to content
The Quiet Bandit

India

India – A dash of Indus color

India: The blue city of Jodhpur

India: The blue city of Jodhpur

by M

12th – 13th February 2015 The Quiet American prompted me to visit Vietnam especially Hotel Continental (HCM). “The Fall” pushed me to see India and due to the memorable last scene of Tarsem Singh’s epic movie, Jodhpur became a must. Like the movie, Jodhpur is the last city of my adventure. Although, I’m going to say goodbye to this ancient country in a matter of days,  the feelings that I’ve experienced will stay with me for a lifetime. I left early for Jodhpur and asked my driver/bodyguard to drop me off at a little village located between the two cities: Ranakpur. Towards the western side of the Aravalli ranges that guarded Udaipur from constant attacks, Ranakpur is famous for intricate pillars, monkeys and the three-storey tall Jain temple.  It was built by a businessman in the 15th Century following a divine vision. Rising from the slope of a hill and quietly nestled…

Continue

India: Going to the white city of Udaipur

India: Going to the white city of Udaipur

by M

10 to 11th February 2015 The image of Taj Mahal remains fresh in my mind and as I left with Diana for Udaipur, I looked back at Jaipur and said goodbye to the pink city and all of my memories. Mission: Dance at Wendy’s wedding = complete. Now, bring on the holidays! The drive to Udaipur takes one through Ajmer and Pushkar. It was only natural that we also make a stop there. There is no better way to see and understand the country than to travel by road. You don’t miss out on any hidden scenery and come to understand many of the social phenomenal that occur in your host country. For example, it was interesting to see many empty and somewhat isolated apartment blocks. With her growing population, India do need more housing however like China, is the supply and demand balanced? Can people afford it? I’m curious…

Continue

India: My love the Taj Mahal

India: My love the Taj Mahal

by M

I cried. The sight was too splendid for me to behold. I’ve imagined this moment for a long time. The Taj Mahal is exactly the place that a hopeless romantic individual feel like dying. Yep, I could die in a lot of places – on top of the Great Wall of China, on a floating boat next to a bamboo forest, on the look out at Tiger Nest Monastery, in Angkor Wat, on that hill in Mt Namsan overlooking Gyeongju, inside the Louvre, in Florence, at Arthur’s seat in Edinburgh etc…the list goes on. Taj Mahal – can be my resting place too. I could die here and lie with one of the greatest royal couples in Indian history. Yes, I really could. I’ve always imagined myself having my wedding photo taken here. I’d be walking the grounds of the Taj Mahal with my husband. We would walk hand in hand…

Continue

India: A splendid wedding!

India: A splendid wedding!

by M

8th of February 2015, Jaipur, Rajasthan = the official Wedding day for Wendy and Saurabh. Since I’m cheesy and romantic at heart, I’m just going to say that Wendy and Saurabh married around the same time as my favorite Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great and his wife Jodha (she exemplified the Mughal’s tolerance of religious differences and their inclusive policies). Ok to be correct, the greatest ruler of the Mughal Dynasty in India and his wife married 453 years ago on 6 February at Sambhar near Jaipur when they were both 20 years old….anyways, close enough! Whether it is Wendy and Saurabh or Akbar and Jodha, the two couldn’t be any more different yet they are brought together as one and it is that love that we need to remember and respect. Hi Friends! A few things before we get to see you beautiful party people in India: Please arrive at…

Continue

India: The Pink City of Jaipur

India: The Pink City of Jaipur

by M

7 to 8 February 2015 Rajasthan is culturally and historically rich. It reminds me of Gyeongju South Korea, Central Province Sri Lanka, Kansai Japan …all filled with top-notch priceless sites and attractions all within close proximity to one another. It is an excellent choice to pick Jaipur as the wedding venue since it is part of the Golden Triangle or how I like to call it- the Golden Bow tie. It was even better that the wedding will last for two day (still short by Indian standards though).  There were breaks in between the various wedding activities which allowed the guests to do some sightseeing. As the capital of the state of Rajasthan, it was founded in 1727 by a Maharaja who moved from Amber due to a growing population. As the first planned city of India, the Maharaja played an active part in designing the layout of the city.…

Continue

India: From Beijing to New Delhi

India: From Beijing to New Delhi

by M

After my wonderful trip to India in Feb 2015, I hit rock bottom. I had a work accident which broke my right hand and I was hospitalized. Then, my favorite colleague left and I nearly died in a car crash during work. Office politics+ bitchery + unfairness made me realize the dark attention seeking and childish side of journalism. I was sleep-deprived. I went to work hating the atmosphere and I cried as I ate lunch outside the Second Ring Road in Beijing. I was like a zombie- soul-less.I lost my passion for traveling and I gave up on writing but since I’m alive and that bullshit is a thing in the past now, it is definitely time to catch up and re-live the good moments so that I know just how easy it is to feel sad and how hard it is to be happy.  So, this is a very late…

Continue

Categories

  • Arab Gulf Countries AGC
  • Australia
  • Bangladesh
  • Bhutan
  • Brunei
  • Cambodia
  • Central Asia
  • Charity
  • China
  • Egypt
  • Hong Kong and Macau
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Malaysia
  • Mongolia
  • Nepal
  • New Zealand
  • North America
  • North Korea
  • Pakistan
  • Philippines
  • Publications: Newspaper Articles
  • Research and Rants
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Sri Lanka
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Travel
  • Vietnam
  • Words
March 2021
M T W T F S S
« Jul    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

Archives

  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • June 2012
  • April 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
Copyright © 2021 Two Bandits. All rights reserved.