The Power of Retail

The Bastakiya arts quarter in Dubai has been a wonderful place to explore and we’ve gone back several times. What I really like about the place is that it’s not too crowded, since not too many people know about it and that really adds to the charm. The area’s narrow lanes will really be awful when crowded, claustrophobic even. I also like the fact that there are lots of galleries and museums there, all free of charge, where one can read up on the area’s history at leisure. The main museum of the city is a short 5 minute walk from this area and has a great display of what life in the area was like.

Don’t forget to look up!

Spring time is wonderful across the world and Delhi is no exception. Everywhere you look, trees are flowering, bougainvillea cascading, lighting up the sky and delighting commuters. The plumeria, also known as frangipani or champa, is still flowering and will continue to do so during the summer as well.

Here’s a shot of a laburnum, or Indian amaltas, tree with it’s gorgeous shower of yellow flowers at Bikaner House in New Delhi.

Spending time at a cafe is always a nice way to pass a morning of leisure. I have become addicted to the chocolate twists at Costa Coffee, where I took this photo. They are actually not fully chocolate, but twisted bread stuffed with dark chocolate chips and sprinkled with powdered sugar! What’s not to like! Add a cup of latte and it’s a great morning.

Waiting for our abra to cross the Dubai Creek from the Bur Dubai to the Deira side….when we went to explore the different souks….textile, spice, gold and so on. It’s a great way to explore the city, and these can be rented by the hour as well during the daytime, if you want it for yourself and want to see more of the city along the creek.

Everyone likes to find special spots where they feel at peace, places where they can sit and dream, hope and plan for the future. This is one of the places I found on our Kerala trip, a lovely spot no matter what time of the day it was. I took this in the afternoon, when it was quite hot and bright, and took several shots from here early morning at sunrise too and at both times, the feeling of this space was really great. Enjoy!

The changing of the seasons is so short in this part of the world, that it often goes by without us even realizing. I love the transitions and wait for them each year, and try to relish them as much as possible. This shot was taken in January, when we have clouds and rain and the weather is absolutely fantastic.

Some vicarious traveling for all you readers. I’d like to go back to this area and take some more shots I think. Sunset would certainly be a very interesting time, with the sun reflecting on the water, more people rushing around and a general liveliness as opposed to the quietness of this shot.

Another shot from my vacation!

This one was at a resort called Birds Lagoon Village resort near Thattekkad (not to be confused with Thekkady) and just outside the Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary. I loved this place, it is amazingly beautiful and serene, a place to spend a couple of days without a problem, a place to sit and dream, a place to refresh. If you get a chance to go to Kerala, don’t miss it. It’s an amazingly beautiful place!

It seems that I just cannot get enough of traveling. I really should try and work for a travel magazine or TV show, so they can fund some of my travels at least! Our last trip to Kerala was fabulous…it really is God’s Own Country, as their mantra states. December, is of course, the perfect time to head down there, since the weather is great, everything is lush and green…well, I think that is the case all year round! Here’s a shot from a place outside of Thekkady called Cardamom Club where we stayed a couple of nights. A wonderful place where I will definitely be going back.

I love watching the sun create patterns. I took this shot at the newly opened Dubai Mall. Since Dubai is such a touristy city, one doesn’t really stand out when one is taking photographs, whether they are in a mall or the street. It is however hard to get different types of shots, since there are so many photographers in the city. I try to look for unusual things and hope I don’t attract too much attention in taking the photo. Enjoy the sun!