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Showing posts from August, 2004

Great wall - a spectacle not be missed

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I did write about my china experience but felt I didn’t do justice with ‘Great Wall’ that deserved special mention. This regret was resolved when I read an article by 80-year-old woman in Emirates flight magazine. It made me write this. First, Emirates offer free Beijing for ticket to Dubai- Shanghai, so do ask for free add on if you are on business trip to Shanghai. Once you are in Beijing, you must keep one day exclusively for Great wall. One misconception I must clear. Since my childhood I was taught about Great Wall is the only man made monument visible from moon with naked eyes. This is no true –but now in understand that due to materials used it is not even visible from earth orbit. However it can be imaged through radar imaging. Anyway, it doesn’t take any importance of its opulence and magnificence of this grandeur engineering project mankind has ever undertaken. Can a wall barely height of 8 meters and width of 6 meters be such spectacle? Yes it does, when you add length of 5,

Lebanon- a perfect holiday destination

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Having been to Nice, Limmasol, Athens, Alexandria, I had fairly good idea of what to expect in Beirut being another Mediterranean city. The sunny weather, azure foaming sea, breeze and moderate temperature was guaranteed but beyond that I was not sure what to expect when I arrived from Damascus by road. I took a Volvo taxi – cost US$65.00 from Damascus to Beirut. As you cross the border, you are immediately greeted by hoards of advertising boards something which is conspicuous by its absence in Syria. As you speed through road flanked by newly constructed villas with signboards of “bar &rest”, one feels tinge of Goa. The red soil is in abundance but coconut trees are missing. The road to Beirut goes through few mountains and one encounters sudden change in climate with dew soaked dark clouds breezing past you making surrounding lush green with temp dipping below 10 degree. But as you are ready to savor the beauty of this hilly resort, the descend starts and you start reaching towar

Damascus: Nice people at wrong place

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Damascus brings contrasting images of “police state” to “oldest capital on earth”. so when I was approaching Damascus, I was curious to see how things turn out in my two days stay. Ariel view of barren, dusty flat terrain made me wonder if Damascus would really be different than Cairo or Riyadh even though temperature is almost 10 degree lower in peak summer. Immigration check up made me sure that I am indeed in a police state. Average 3-4 police ensuring “no Israel stamp” on my passport and opening my medical samples just to make sure that I am no drug courier made me wonder about things in store for my next two days in Damascus. Initial impression make Damascus look similar to smaller cities in India with hardly any high rise modern buildings. Most of apartments resemble nothing more than concrete blocks. Russian made taxis look similar to our Premier Padmini. Staying in Sheraton Damascus reminded me of Govt. run centaur hotels in India. Most of the fittings are old, local television

I love you India

I forever like you I care for your health I have concern for your future I hope and pray that you are safe I do wish you to bestow happiness all around I wish you add to the fortune that you have inherited I love you far too much I love you India

China : Travel and Economy

I was visiting china after almost 6 years. First visit to Shanghai in 98 shattered the image of China- a city of bicycles, poverty and communist propaganda. Mind-boggling Statistical figures 1998: US $ GDP 924 Billion, GDP /capita: US $ 750 to 2004: US$GDP 1.4 Trillion, GDP /capita: US $1,090 made me more curious to be ready for second trip to Shanghai. A mere glance at these figures shows that in 1998, China was ahead of India by just US $200 per capita and now it has raced ahead !!!. As an Indian, it is easy to get disappointed but being perennial optimist, I feel there lays enormous potential for India. When we look at fabulous growth of Singapore and Dubai, they look like a block in Shanghai city. Shanghai with population of 20 million, Chongching with 30 Million is workhorse of China economy. In India, we complain when cities cross 10 million. In first few days, I heard an interesting story about Chinese entrepreneurial spirit. When Chinese economy in 90’s exploded, International