Amazonian Shaman Dona Otilia Sings an Icaro

Nepal Musings

A tiny Shangri-La hidden in between the towering Himalayas and the gargantuan sub-continent, this is a land of friendly people, proud Sherpas, awe-inspiring mountain peaks, yaks and yetis. In Nepal the sounds of mantras in the remote monasteries bounce back playfully from the snow clad mountain peaks, drawing in seekers of spirituality to its mystical allure. Nepal is nirvana for the spiritual, the adventurous, the lonely souls in search of moksha. Wait, I mentioned tiny. The biggest conundrum when travelling in Nepal is how would you fit everything in?. I have met people who have been coming back to Nepal again and again, to explore the mighty Himalayas, the picturesque towns and sit around the bonfires on a chilly night with the smiling people. When you leave, the desire to be back again lingers... When I go back to Nepal this would have all changed. It was 25th April, 11:00 am. People slept unaware of the tragedy that was sneaking into their dreams. The quiver

The Demon King

You are greeted by his fearsome personality in the arrival lounge of Suvarnabhumi international airport. His blue green face, a snarling mouth, and curving tusk-like canine teeth makes you shudder. You meet him everywhere in Thailand, in form of Khon masks, souvenirs, paintings and as guardian of all major temples. Have you wondered about this fierce character? He is Ravana, or tosakanth in Thai, from the Indian epic Ramayana; its main protagonists are King Rama and his wife Sita and the antagonist, the dreaded evil personified, Ravana. Of course, the main theme, as in any classic drama, is the victory of good over evil. The saga began when besotted by Sita's beauty, Ravana, known for his weakness for beautiful women and virility, abducts and whisks her away to his kingdom. There are two significant encounters that would shape the course of Ramayana: Ravana molests Vedavati, the beautiful hermit and forcibly takes her; and, Vedavati prophesied, before killing herself in a pyre, tha

Etihad Airways - NEVER AGAIN

The National Airlines of United Arab Emirates! Traveled by Etihad from Toronto to Cochin and had the worst experience ever. In comparison, United Airlines trip to Singapore was luxury. I was happy with my flight until the time I landed in Abu Dhabi. Due to security breach, we were booted off the aircraft (Abu Dhabi/Cochin) and cordoned off in an area with no washrooms, drinking water and supremely unfriendly crew. The passengers included infants, older people and couple of men in dire need of medication. "Bathroom" breaks were restricted and an airlines staff informed me in a condescending way that I was fortunate to get a one! I protested on behalf of the unusually quiet passengers and the police asked me for my passport. I couldn't believe this was happening. Taking care of security is understandable and paramount, but treating everyone (including new born infants) the way Etihad did, was unforgivable. After a long wait, we were finally lined off to board the flight. As

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