SHARING IS CARING # 3

 It is a brand new day and my exploration through my computer is on.
After a busy morning, I found some time in the afternoon to hop a little in youtube and the travel websites. I am reading a lot.

I see most of them on my Facebook wall, then one leads to another, I always have a bunch of posts to read and after screening them I share the ones which is really striking. Also I try to share the posts which are most appealing  for its honesty.

The pick of the day is from Lee Abbamonte. A traveller who is the youngest to travel all the countries in the world. I do not know how that is calculated but it is true as I google. His website is www.leeabbamonte.com.

His post is about 30 best man made sites around the world. The list is below and it goes from 30 - 1 as per the importance of the place. http://www.leeabbamonte.com/30-best/30-best-man-made-sites-in-the-world.html

30 Borobudur in Java, Indonesia
29 Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
28 Old City Sanaa in Sanaa, Yemen
27 Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England
26 Registan in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
25 Schwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar
24 Polonnaruwa in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
23 Red Square in Moscow, Russia
22 Acropolis in Athens, Greece
21 Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico
20 Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Singapore
19 Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia
18 Prague Main Square in Prague, Czech Republic
17 Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, USA
16 Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
15 Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland
14 Colosseum in Rome, Italy
13 Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes, Peru
12 Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
11 Tikal in Petin Basin, Guatemala
10 Djenne Mud Mosque in Djenne, Mali
9 Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE
8 Great Wall of China in Eastern China
7 The Vatican in Vatican City
6 Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet
5 Taj Mahal in Agra, India
4 Pyramids at Giza in Cairo, Egypt
3 Petra in Petra, Jordan
2 Moai on Easter Island, Chile
1 Tigers Nest Monastery in Paro Valley, Bhutan

I really like the classification because it very true. A big vote of appreciation to this great traveller as I like that he has considered both the new and old structures, the way he explains that he considers Tibet and China two different countries and his logic to include only one site per country. All this acclaims his honesty as a traveller.


Besides all the above I have an itching to mention that even before I read about this post today, I knew about him from Instagram. It happened one day when he had liked one of my pictures. I have been to 10 of the sites out of 30 which is 30% percent and 13 countries in the list.

Today I feel proud and it is very motivating. 

VISAS PHuffffff

In my previous post while I was sharing my India return from South America, I realised; how I slipped into a mud pool. A pool where I was trapped and can not think anything but the difficulties and my helplessness.

It was end of my trip in South America. Almost the end of the planned three months and I was in Bogota, Colombia. I remember it was 30th of May 2013 and I was flying to Mumbai via Madrid. I had bought a ticket with Conviasa airlines via Edreams.

Even before flying from India, I had a confirmation from the Spanish Embassy that I do not need a airport transit visa to change planes. However when we went to check with the airlines office in Bogota, they denied. They said they would need a visa to let me board the plane. That is when all the problems started.

The hell just broke over and my friend Jorge stood by to help. Several visits to the office of Conviasa and it is confirmed in written that I would have a situation in the airport while boarding the flight to Madrid. They even said I would not have any problem in Caracas while changing plane. The problem would be in Madrid. It sounded logical. So we started to look for alternatives as below:

1. Spanish Visa : I had already asked for one in India and was denied. They said that the duration of stay is too long and I do not have enough means to travel. Only god can explain what that means and what they thought of my application. Sorry but I just wanted to travel.

But then I wanted to use the expensive ticket I have bought and was not sure how little the refund would be if I cancel. So we made rounds to the Spanish Embassy after talking to them over call. Bogota is a city designed like a Mathmatics notebook. The streets in the entire city would criss cross and would make grids/square blocks. Our hotel was at street 87 and the Spanish embassy was at street 92. Reaching there they informed that they can probably grant visa only after reviewing my documents, which they will only receive before 11 am the next day. It was disheartening to walk all that distance to hear a no. So we ate some arrequipas and went for our daily hangout in the city.

2. Cancellation of the ticket with Edreams : I decided to cancel the existing ticket and buy another expensive ticket from emirates and fly through 6 nations and 7 airports in 5 days. The cheapest flight I found was with Qatar airways connecting Buenos Aires and Mumbai via Sao Paulo and Doha. Another two flight; the first one taking me to Buenos Aires from Bogota via Lima, Peru and second one taking me home i.e Bhubaneswar from Mumbai. But the Challenge was Visas. My visa with was valid for another year. I would leave my plane in Sao Paulo, so I would not need a visa for Brazil. For   Qatar if there is a halt, the airline facilitates the visa. The only problem was with Argentina. My Visa had expired. It took me two rounds of the Argentinian Embassy in Bogota and I got Visa for free.

That is how I finally managed to reach India from the other end of the world. Really Visas are big issues for Indian travellers. 

7 AIRPORTS : 6 COUNTRIES : 5 DAYS

Guess what I am talking about?

It's about how I reached India from South America.

The Spanish Embassy denied for Visa. So I cannot have a easy way to stop in Europe to India. So I had no option but a challenge to be home.

That is to fly from Bogota, Colombia -> Lima, Peru -> Beunos Aires, Argentina -> Sao Paulo, Brazil -> Doha, Qatar -> Mumbai, India -> Bhubaneswar,India.


That makes it 7 airports in 6 countries in 5 days. 

SOUTH AMERICA : 1 YEAR

One year of South America tour.

Many destinations, many smiles accomplished. On this day me and my most steady travel friend Jorge finished our 3 months tour in South America.

 Everytime the little spanish I spoke to explain that I am from India. The immediate reaction would be "Dios!! Otro Mundo". It means, "God!! The other world".
The idea was to travel in all the countries falling under the equator line. We went all the 8 out of 9 countries. Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, Equador and Columbia. The only one we could not go is Paraguay and that is because we were short of time and also my visas issues.

This day last year, I was excited to board a 4 day flight to my country, India. Yes not some hours or a day, it was a journey of 4 days. 

I left behind the other part of the world which I miss so much.

Today in India, I miss something a lot i.e the Otro Mundo(The other world). 

RIO = Oi

What a welcome word - "Oi"

The moment I landed at the airport of Rio de Janeiro, I had to pass the immigration.

So at the gates, I was welcomed by the custom officer with Oi !! I knew it means hello and I said Oi. Then the custom officer directed me to the gate for Brazilian Passport holders as he mistook me as Brazilian.

It could be a strange coincidence but feels great. Thats not the only time when I was considered to be from Brazil.

My friend Jorge welcomed me at the airport with a big smile as it was proved by then that its more than winning a battle to travel. Again at the hotel reception Oi!! This time for my passport, the receptionist says, Oh you are Indian. Hello!!

Time and again, in the streets people would say Oi and ask for directions and in restaurants, people start talking to me in Portuguese and then I had to say Eu não falo Portugues!! They would say "No Brazil" and smile.

Brazil is such a big fusion of people from everywhere that there is many faces of Brazil.

Oi Oi Oi!!

HARD DAYS OF AN INDIAN TRAVELER # 7

There was a Volcano, a tornado, an earthquake, a Tsunami in my travel world. Some moment it felt yes I am going for my three months in South America and some felt no its not gonna happen.  To be honest, till I stepped out of the airport in Rio, I was not sure If am traveling.There has been so many ups n downs in my life in last 4 months. So many moments of sorrows and happiness.

But now that am traveling finally, I take everything with a smile. A big one :)