Axum: Finding the Lost Ark

There’s an old joke in Kerala that, when Vasco Da Gama landed in Calicut, he claimed the land in the name of the Catholic Church. The locals said “Fine, but why don’t you talk to the parish priest in the Marthoma Church first, and see what he thinks?” =================================================================== Ethiopians would understand, because there’s possibly

Laos: Morning Musings in Luang Prabang

The mist’s hanging chill and grey as the tuk-tuk deposits me in the middle of Luang Prabang. It sets the tone for me as far as the town’s concerned. Because, Luang Prabang’s a morning place. Somewhere that even a night owl (that’s me, taking a bow) has every incentive to be up before dawn shows

Solo Through Laos: Vientiane – The In-And-Out City

Arriving in Vientiane, I get my first experience of Laos’ quirky transport system. You’d expect the capital city of any country to have a railway station but, in Vientiane, it’s in a tiny village called Thanaleng, miles from nowhere. The only reason I can think of is that it provides a livelihood to the tuk-tuk guys

Cambodia: The Mundane Mysteries of Angkor

Seeing Angkor for the first time was an awesome, jaw-dropping experience. I felt tiny, even insignificant, before such magnificence. That feeling has long passed, to be replaced by something more unpleasant. I have this trembling certainty that I’m going to tumble, unceremoniously and fatally, off the pinnacle of Angkor Wat. Bangkok’s Wat Arun had the

Vietnam: Breakfast Heaven

I’ve never been a morning person. Why, then, am I hauling my Saigon Bia-sodden self awake at 8 AM, when I’d only put my head to a pillow a few hours ago? Simply put, because a Vietnamese breakfast is right up there with its Udupi and Malayali counterparts, my gold standard. And totally worth cutting

A Lost Watering Hole

Bangalore has had the misfortune of being hit with a double whammy over the last decade. On the one hand, the tech boom has sent the population (and, consequently, property prices) soaring. On the other, the city has been taken over by ‘leaders’ who compare unfavourably with sewer rats. Their only contribution being to rename