foXnoMad » Travel Journal

Cut Out Of A Mountain: The Ancient Theater In Myra, Turkey

Anil P. — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:00:32 +0000

The ancient Lycian city of Myra and this theater (later converted by the Romans into a stadium for gladiator fights), is a short 20 minute walk from Santa Claus’s church. I visited both on Christmas Day (December 25th) expecting to see large crowds at either site, only to find one or two tour groups meandering around. Many will be drawn to see Santa, but ancient Myra is really what makes the trip to the Turkish town of Demre worth a visit (and 10 Turkish lira entrance).

You’ll notice this area was clearly Lycian, an ancient group of peoples with a knack for carving rock tombs (like those in Fethiye). Depending on your fondness of ancient ruins however, it can be a relatively short trip, unless you’re the sort like me who likes climbing in and through ancient ruins. Ancient Myra had more of an impact on me than St. Nicholas’ (very hyped) church in Demre though. Perhaps following in his footsteps is simply more interesting than looking at where he rested his legs.

You can see a bit more of Myra’s ruins that are cut right into the rock in my gallery here.

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The Address Downtown Building In Dubai At An Angle

Anil P. — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:00:51 +0000

I arrived in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai after visiting Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman to find a city where everything is jumbo-sized. They don’t do anything small in Dubai, making even ‘The Address Downtown Dubai’ hotel and apartment complex look rather tiny. That’s because The Address Downtown Dubai is situated across the from Burj Khalifa, which happens to be the world’s tallest building (828 meters or 2,717 feet).

The Address Downtown Dubai is currently the city’s 11th tallest structure and is elegantly lit up in the evenings. The area around it is home to the Dubai Mall where in the evenings (particularly Friday night) it’s cafes are teeming with people lounging, laughing, and drinking coffee past midnight. I also encountered a small Arab rock band giving a concert on a nearby stage that had been set up.

If you’re headed to Dubai, there’s an overwhelming chance you’ll also end up in this area during your stay. Keep in mind that the line for taxis is absolutely insane with a minimum 45 minute wait on a crowded night. Best to leave early (before 9pm) or stay until the crowds dissipate closer to 1am – don’t worry though, there’s probably enough coffee to hold you over.

You can see more of my pictures from Dubai in the gallery here.

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A Taste Of Morocco In Qatar: Lentil Soup At Tagine In Souk Waqif, Doha

Anil P. — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:00:46 +0000

Tajine is a very popular restaurant in the modern Souk Waqif – one of the beating hearts of Doha, Qatar. It seems like all roads lead to the souk (luckily for me since I got lost quite a few times) and has an obvious Arab market flair. That is, despite most of the buildings set up like a decorated strip mall. Souk Waqif has a variety of shops selling clothes and jewelry but what you really want to do here is eat.

The spread of select international cuisine is impressive. Aside from Qatari food, there are restaurants from places like Iraq, Yemen, and Nepal – many of which are open 24 hours. You’ll find many people simply lounging into the late night hours, drinking coffee and puffing on shisha, with the occasional sounds of Qatari folk music in the background.

You can see more of Souk Waqif and the rest of Doha, Qatar in my album here.

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Photos From Boras, Sweden

Anil P. — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 06:00:26 +0000

According to the website ranking authority Alexa, foXnoMad is most popular (relatively speaking) in the Swedish city of Boras. For this fact alone I decided to stop in the city last August while traveling between Gothenburg east to Boxholm, Sweden. I was expecting a tiny, quiet town but discovered Boras to be very cosmopolitan and delightfully active. These are a few pictures from around Boras, a city of 64,000, located 60 kilometers east of Gothenburg.

Boras Tingsratt (District Court)

Perhaps appropriately, there was a political demonstration in the square right in front of the Boras Tingsratt.

Knallen Statue By Arvid Knoppel

This statue, whose name means “bang”, stands at the entrance to one of the busier cafe streets in Boras; although a dog shortly before this picture didn’t think so. (Either that or he liked it so much he decided to mark it as his own.)

Caroli Church

As seen from a distance, the Caroli Church – the oldest building in Boras.

Svenska Handelsbanken

There is nothing exceptional about this branch of Handelsbanken, one of Scandinavia’s largest banks, except for the lovely exterior. You’ll find 460 other branches in Sweden alone.

“Declination” By Tony Cragg

One of the many pieces of artwork you’ll find throughout Boras.

Boras was legally brought into existence by the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf who also happened to found Gothenburg back in the early 1600s. Perhaps it’s the fact that Boras is Sweden’s version of Silicon Valley (among others Ericsson is headquartered there) or the diverse population that made me connect so much with this Swedish city. They obviously have good taste in travel blogs (if I do say so myself) and Boras is a city I could see myself living out at some point, despite the dreadful exchange rate.

You can see a bit more from Boras in my gallery here.

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Kiel City Hall, Germany

Anil P. — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:00:26 +0000

Kiel is a charming German city on the coast of the Baltic Sea. I was surprised to find Kiel so lively when I was there a few weeks ago to catch a ferry to Gothenburg, Sweden. Kiel is almost synonymous with maritime and the sea plays an important part of the local economy and entertainment. Countless freighters, ferries, and German Navy ships come and go from Kiel each day and the city also hosts the world’s largest annual sailing event (Kiel Week).

Kiel is one of those cities that has been a frequently missed opportunity for me, having been so close to it when I was in Germany over the winter. Perhaps it’s the dull name or its reputation as a shipping center that didn’t make it enticing enough but now it’s a city I hope to visit in depth one day. Also, much like Istanbul’s Hippodrome, Kiel has many parks and sections of the city blanketed with free wi-fi which is immediately endearing for many travelers.

You can skip through my pictures of Kiel, including the Kiel Opera House, and entice yourself to visit this German city roughly 90 kilometers (~50 miles) north of Hamburg.

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The Walled Obelisk In Istanbul’s Hippodrome

Anil P. — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:42 +0000

The Walled Obelisk has many names including, “Walled Column” and “Constantine Obelisk”. Located in the former Byzantine Hippodrome, what is now a beautiful park was once where fierce chariot races were held. After the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453, the importance of the Hippodrome wavered yet this column built around the 10th century survived. I happened to stroll through the (now) Sultanahmet Park around sunrise, making my way to the metro stop of the same name a few weeks ago.

Sultanahmet Park, also known as “At Meydani” (in English “Horse Square”), is ground zero for tourism in Istanbul, Turkey. The park is right next to the Blue (Sultan Ahmet) Mosque and Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) with the underground Byzantine Cistern on the northern edge. Within the park itself and across from the Walled Obelisk is the Obelisk of Theodosius (over 3,000 years old) and the Serpent Tower. Of course my favorite feature of At Meydani is a much more modern addition – the free wi-fi available throughout the park.

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The Dog Days of Cubbon Park in Bangalore

La Moneda Palace In Santiago, Chile

Anil P. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:00:15 +0000

The Palacio de La Moneda (Mint Palace), has two large open spaces; a small pool and fountains in the front (Plaza de la Ciudadanía), and small park in the rear. The former mint (hence the name), was built in the early 1800s and since 1952 is where the presidential offices are located. There isn’t much to do at the Mint Palace itself, although you can catch a changing of the guard at 10am on most days. Otherwise you can head down to the free cultural center underneath La Moneda and take a look at various art and history exhibits.

Santiago is a wonderful city for strolling and from the Palacio de La Moneda you can easily get to some other popular touristic areas like Plaza de Armas. In fact, most of Santiago’s sights that travelers might be interested in are within walking distance or quick metro ride of each other.

You can see a few more of my pictures from Santiago here.

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New York City Pride

Anil P. — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:00:59 +0000

I was in New York City two weekends ago for the Travel Blog Exchange Conference (TBEX), where hundreds of travel bloggers got together to meet (many for the first time in person) and pick up some travel blog advice. There were also plenty of TBEX parties and quite a few drinks coupled with late nights; one reason I made it to Greenwich Village around noon, missing the TBEX morning sessions on the second day.

When I emerged off the subway at the 8th St. NYU stop, I stumbled upon the colorful scene that was the New York City Pride Parade. This parade began in 1970 and happens to be the oldest gay pride parade in the world. I didn’t get to stay long as I was making my way to TBEX and the large crowds threw off my already bad sense of direction. I got lost in Washington Square Park before eventually finding the Cantor Film Center.

I had been to New York City many times before but if you haven’t, be sure to check out these top 5 cheap thrills and learn to love American culture in New York City.

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Megan Mary Olander Flower Shop In Seattle, Washington

Anil P. — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 06:00:19 +0000

Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to return back to Seattle since 2006, when I discovered what has become my favorite American city. I just happened to stroll past the Megan Mary Olander flower shop after enjoying a morning taking the Seattle Underground Tour, which I highly recommend. The tour guides are very passionate about the history of their city, which can be quite infectious. Between the Pike Place Market and the free downtown buses, it’s a culmination of the little things that got me to love Seattle so much.

As luck would have it, I also happened to take a picture of the first Starbucks, built in 1971. I thought it looked a bit odd, only to see it featured on a travel show 2 years later. Seattle is one of the best places to travel on a weak dollar inside the US and gets less annual rainfall than New Orleans so don’t let the weather scare you. The summer months of June, July, and August are some of the best to visit.

You can see all of my pictures from Seattle, which I haven’t had a chance to feature before, in my Seattle album here.

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Touring Washington DC’s Monuments On Capital Segway

Ecuador’s Government Palace At Night

Anil P. — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:00:05 +0000

Quito’s Independence Square in the historical downtown area is beautifully lit up at night. The square was designed in Spanish colonial style – with the presidential palace facing the Cathedral, adjacent to the City Hall. There are walking tours during the day when the square is quite active, but at night there aren’t too many tourists around. The Government Palace itself was a hive of activity well past 10pm with motorcades coming and going along with the roar of security on motorcycles who keep the palace (and the sqaure) relatively safe.

You can get an excellent view of Independence Square and its luminous churches over dinner by exploring the heights of Quito in the Parque Itchimbia area. It also happens to be a short cab ride from La Ronda Street which too glows brightly throughout the night. You can see some more of the bright buildings from Independence Square and downtown Quito in my album here.

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