Thought Waves

T he best time to visit any Scandinavian country would ideally be spring, with lots of warmth and freshness around. Stockholm is a historic place, built on 14 islands surrounded by water. On a winter visit to Stockholm, if you are from a tropical country, it is advisable to keep yourself warm adequately.  Most of the Hop- on Hop-off Bus/Boat sightseeing won’t be available in winter, depending on the weather.  My winter visit to Stockholm was a memorable one.  From Arlanda Airport, we purchased the Stockholm Card which enabled us to use public transport and visit museums. There are about 70 museums, few to mention would be Historiska Museet , where the culture and art from the Stone Age to the mid-1500s are preserved.                                         ...

                                             T he bane of urbanization is that we fail to co-exists with nature. The age old trees in our surroundings give way to skyscrapers. To get lost in the wilderness, I went to Bogor Botanical Garden. I was a little disturbed to see that the Garden was located in the middle of the town with vehicles buzzing past. However , there were some interesting facts I could gather about the "age old inhabitants of our planet". Being in Jakarta, I was keen to see their national flower "Rafflesia". The flower blooms once in 6 years. Unfortunately for me, the flower bloomed the previous year and I was 365 days late. Presidential Palace The Bogor Botanical Garden borders with the Presidential Palace with a well maintained gar...

Travel has always excited me as I get to learn different cultures and traditions. I was surprised at the closeness of traditions between Kerala (India) and Bali.  In the Balinese architecture the entrance gate is similar to the 'Padipura vathil' (Entrance gate) of traditional Kerala houses (tharavadu). Each family has a family Deity Temple within the compound of their houses so much like the 'Paradevatta' (Family Deity) in Kerala tradition. I had a chance to witness the ceremonial procession on 'Kunningan Festival' which is similar to the temple festivals in Kerala. The difference is that Balinese lion is taken on procession. Traditionally dressed  men holding bright yellow temple umbrellas and women carrying a bowl of fruits and other  offerings on their head lead the procession. Ladies waited with offerings of fruits in front  of their houses when t...