Stories from the other side.
Namsan is our favourite mountain in Seoul. It’s reasonably small (can be confused for a hill) and is easily accessible from Myeongdong Station (opposite UNIQLO). The mountain has multiple access points (Itaewon, Noksapyeong, & Hannam) and trails. We’ve walked along most of them, but there could be many routes that we’ve not explored. Namsan (NSeoul…
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Over the past couple of years, our blog has meant many things. There were times when the blog meant everything to me. I’d spend hours writing posts, getting likes, chasing followers, participating in challenges, and leaving random comments on the blogosphere. The highs and lows weren’t always easy to deal with. I was destined for…
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Travel helps me escape lines. I can be who I am — without having to conform — to the lines that people draw around me. I can be the story I want to write. I can live the picture that I photograph. I can find acceptance in random acts of kindness. I can draw parallels…
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It was the fifth morning of our trip around Uzbekistan. T, our driver, was waiting outside our hotel in Bukhara’s Old Quarter. It was freezing outside and I was thankful for the heating inside the car. We waited patiently for A, our guide, to join us. “Schwarza–anegger,” T remarked as A walked slowly towards the…
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Taipei is a bustling city with a heady mix of natural beauty, spiritualism, and national monuments. The local gastronomy is diverse and famous for its unique ‘Q’ texture. It’s the best entry point to start any trip in Taiwan and proves to be a good base for day trips. We visited Taiwan in the month…
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Goodbye Khiva It was the fourth day of our guided tour of Uzbekistan. We had explored Itchan Kala on the earlier day and had spent the night within the fortress walls. A, our guide, gave us a couple of minutes to walk around and soak in the sights of the old city — before we…
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Getting In We took the early morning flight from Tashkent Domestic Airport to Urgench International Airport. Many international travellers choose Urgench (instead of Tashkent) to begin their multi-city tour of Uzbekistan. After surviving snow flurries and sub-zero temperatures before boarding, we saw the sun rise and bathe the arid land (below) with golden light. It…
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Practical Information Ever since Uzbekistan opened its borders to international tourism, it’s much easier to get a tourist e-visa. The site is relatively easy to figure, even if it has a few problems with speed and functionality. Our middle names didn’t show up on our e-visa, but that didn’t create any problems. However, the Uzbekistan…
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I don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions. However, last year, a friend and I decided to make 2019 our year. I can’t find that exact moment when things didn’t seem like they were going to go my way. Probably, that’s what happens when you’re chasing happiness and perfection rather than contentment and peace. One…
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In & Around Suzhou Suzhou is a 30 minute train ride away from Shanghai and I can’t believe that we missed it on our earlier trip to China. Last December, we spent two days in Hangzhou before taking the train to Suzhou. Suzhou is about an hour and half away from Hangzhou. We took the…
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