navid
navid ardakani Joined: February 9th 2007
Logged in: August 19th 2011
Logged in: August 19th 2011
Seattle resident enroute to Rajestan, India, city of Udaipur. Spending 3 weeks in Iran on the way to India.
Travelling in Tehran, Alborz mountains, Kerman, Kavir of loot, and heading to western Iran.
Travel Blog Posts
Kyaking in Song fjord
South Sweden: Days 1-7 I guess you can call South Sweden one of the Rivieras of Scandinavia, and in our experience it really lived up to this description. In the sweltering heat wave that consumed the region (highs of 95 F, and 34 C) during our stay, the beaches of Malmo were packed with sun bathers, and the waters of the Oresund, most inviting: water temp 74 deg. The province of Scane is a distinct region of Sweden that has traditionally been part of the Danish Kingdom. Malmo is its center and has been our first stop in this summer trip to scandinavia. The land is relatively flat with undulating gentle hills, if you can even call it that. Within a few minutes driving outside the city you find yourself in farmland. The city itself is ... read more
Trail to beach
Following the guide book´s recommendation of an isolated beach near Choroni, we decided to visit it instead of the more popular and the more easily accessible playa de grande. We arrived here after a four day diving trip to Los Roques Islands and the change in setting and scenery is drastic. Choroni is a small colonial town with little tourist infrastructure which can be a curse and blessing at the same time. It is 2 km from the coastal town of Puerto Colombia. It is located in the Henry Pittier national park. The park is known for it´s loud forest and variety of bird species and the highest peak ranges around 6000 feet. It is the northern extension of the Andes. On day one we decided to explore the guide book recommended, isolated beach, playa ... read more
On the board for 11 sec.
La Ventana is a tiny hamlet in the south coast of Baja, 30 miles from La Paz, on the Sea of Cortes side of the peninsula and has become a kite-boarding enclave in the winter months. It is situated on a small bay with long stretch of sandy beach and ideal northernly sideshore wind. The beach is studded with kite school out-fittings, houses for rent and small scale resort like guest houses, catering to kite-boarders mainly and some to wind surfers. The surrounding scenery is spectacular. The beach is surrounded by a thick cactus forest that extends all the way to the near by mountains. The water is clean and clear, and at this time of the year still warm in the 70's. Ok, let's cut thru the chase. Day 1 (kite-boarding on land, 2 hours ... read more
Houses replacing terrace farms
In the late morning hours I am finally on my way up towards the Arani Mansion. It has been 22 years since we left Ooty, India's "queen of hill-stations." In the crisp cold air and bright Ooty sunshine, I walk up the hill pass the old college, the large playing field, and the famous stone house, the first house constructed by the British. As I get closer I take the detour along a windy path that passes through a small village and lots of vegetable crops. Even as to this day children stick their little heads out of their houses to greet the by passers, as they used to, with familiar phrases like, 'good morning,' 'what is your name, 'hello.' In 1980, a group of 80 mainly Iranian Children of Bahai background left Iran in the ... read more
Fruit seller
Of all places I visited Ooty was probably the highlight. This is truely an amazing place. While located in south india it has the falvour of europe or parts of north america in both weather and architecture. Various tribes such as the Todas have probably had inhabited this region for some time, but the British made it the retreat of the then 'Madras Presidency,' sometime in the 1800's. Colonial style homes or mansions are still abundant. Ooty's climate is somewhat of a paradox. It is the low latitude city with high latitude climate, like Seattle. This is only possible because it stands 2500 meters or roughly 8000 feet above sea level. When it is clear the cold air is moderated by the sun which can easily burn your skin. As soon as the sun sets the ... read more
N. Allepey
The Seven hour car ride from Ooty to Kochi was painful, but later found that it was worth the trouble. Car travel from Coimbatore to Kochi must be avoided because the roads are in a shamble simply they can not bear the burden of traffic. Take the train. Koci is one of those few very unusual cities in India, where the influences of multiple cultures and religions are deeply felt. There are Dutch, English, and French Jewish influences easily noted in both food and architecture. Again an amazing mixture of religions coexist peacefully, a reality of which they are verbally proud. These include Hindu, Jaine, Islamic and of course Christian which is one of the dominant religions here. But most tourists are drawn here to experience the backwater boat tours. Koci in general is a large ... read more
N. Goa
Goa- Day 4 On the second day on the beach, was contemplating leaving the area, given the mixed experience in the lonesome resort the night before. While taking a long walk up the coast ran into a very nice spot in small alcove filled with palm trees. This area is on the Asvem Beach and is shared by three or four separate small shack resorts, all of which are quite atmospheric. Rock Bite is the place in which I stayed. It is located on a slightly elevated area right off the beach. It has a very nice restaurant, with outstanding seafood. The place has a very relaxed and chill atmosphere; the elevated shack in which I stayed faces the beach directly, and has a shaded patio facing the water, all for the amazing price of 12 ... read more
N. Goa
Goa Day 3 Spent the night in the Panjim People's hotel; it is a turn of the century colonial house turned into an art studio, school, and guest house. The Hotel is located in the Fontainhas neighborhood, which is reputed to being Asia's only Latin Quarter. After breakfast got on the rented scooter, put on the back, and ventured into the unknown. Had a general idea where I was heading, north. There are multiple beaches and small villages studding the northern coast of Goa. For a small portion of the ride used the major highway. Riding was much less nerve racking as I had expected. The number of cars on the roads is relatively less compared to Udaipur and people just don’t seem in a hurry, so there is little honking. On the way up passed ... read more
Paniji
Goa, Day 1 Two words summarize the situation here at Panaji, Goa’s capital: hot and very humid. Arrived last night via a direct flight from Ahmadabad, capital of Gujarat, a five-hour bus ride from Udaipur. It pretty much feels like a steam bath. On arrival arrival last night it rained heavily, which is unusual for this time in Goa. Goa has a very interesting mix of cultures and religions. The local language is Marathi but a few older folks still speak Portuguese. Hindi is not commonly spoken here. Today I walked into a local spa, where hairdresser was a Muslim, and the Massage therapist, a Tibetan Buddhist. An altar was constructed within the Salon symbolizing all the three major religions represented (Hinduism, Islam, and Catholicism). Churches can be seen everywhere. The place is very lush and ... read more
View of a typical village.
We made our last village visit 2 days ago. To reach the village of interest, we had to drive 40 minutes south of the city and use teritialry roads to get to it. We then had a little walking to do to get to the Balwadi or day care center. At the time of our arrival we found the children and the children seated in the Balwadi (child care center) which is poorly lit. The children on our arrival were asked to step out and clean theri hands and faces. They did so in a common tub which was laying outside the Balwadi. Then the care taker (Sanchlika) spread a large blanket in the shaded open space in front of the center whre all the children sat in a circle. The children were of varrying ages, ... read more
