5000 Kilometers of Triversity

Nineteen days in seven destinations of three nations packed with diverse cultures and vibrant people, I would like to call it "5000 kilometres of Triversity".

iJag: Have you ever imagined travelling to Cambodia?

Vyas: Macha, check out the pictures from Angkor Wat! Its simply amazing!

Me: Yes, Angkor Wat is surely the destination! Thailand with it will be wonderful!

Niki: Super le, let’s do it!

Others: Cambodia?!? These guys must be crazy!!!

This is exactly how the idea to venture into Cambodia and Thailand started. After having spoken about this for almost a year, iJag and I decided to pug mark South East Asia sometime in October '08. Then Nikhil joined in. Jyothi who was at the client site in Tokyo decided to join for a part of the expedition.

Flights:

Friday, 17 October 2008 - Tiger Airways, Bangalore (23:00) to Singapore (05:50), Duration: 4h 20m

Monday, 20 October 2008 - Tiger Airways, Singapore (06:30) to Bangkok (07:50), Duration: 2h 20m

Tuesday, 28 October 2008 - Air Asia, Bangkok (17:05) to Krabi (18:25), Duration: 1h 20m

Wednesday, 05 November 2008 – Tiger Airways, Phuket (10:40) to Singapore (13:10), Duration: 1h 30m

Wednesday, 05 November 2008 - Tiger Airways, Singapore (21:15) to Bangalore (23:00), Duration: 4h 15m

Visas:

Singapore: We procured the Tourist Visa from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority through TT Services. The Tourist Visa is valid for a period of one month from the date of issue and for multiple entries. The application fee costs Rs.870/- for visa processing and an additional cost of Rs.500/- as service charges for TT Services. We received the visa within a week's time from the date of application through TT Services.

Thailand: We planned to procure the Visa on Arrival at the Suvarnabhumi Airport. The Entry Visa is valid for a period of 15 days from the date of issue and only for a single entry. The application fee costs 1,000 Bahts and is provided at the immigration checkpoints. I would strongly suggest procuring a Tourist Visa from the Thailand Consulate in the home country as we ended up taking the Entry Visa three times due to complexities.

Cambodia: We planned to procure the Visa on Arrival at the Aranyapathet-Poipet Border. The Entry Visa is valid for a period of 30 days from the date of issue and only for a single entry. The application fee costs 1,000 Bhats or US$20. But beware of scams at the Cambodian Consulate in Aranyapathet as they would demand more. It is better to procure the Entry Visa directly at the border crossing. The best option would be to procure Tourist eVisa, which is valid for 30 days over a period of 3 months from the date of issue.

[To be continued...]

Mesmerizing Maya Ravan

How many times have you witnessed the stage set on fire? I would get on to my knees and kiss her hand. Her dancing and naughty gestures all over the musical of Maya Ravana will mesmerize anyone; for sure I was! Shobana even in her near 40s, dances with elegance and lots of energy. Her students from Kalarpana are surely world class presenters as well. This ensemble's musical performance at Christ College on Saturday, 13 Dec '08 brought few of Ramayana's chapters to life through Maya Ravana.

The musical was power packed with great performances, A.R.Rahman's music and voices of Naseerudhin Shah, Mohan Lal, Jackie Shroff, Tabu, Suhasini Maniratnam, Revathy, Milind Soman and other famous film personalities. The stage setup and lighting add to a great experience. Shobana plays the evil characters of Ravana, Kaikeyi and Shoorpanakha, who are the highlight of the musical. The students perform the other characters flawlessly as well; thanks to Shobana's great choreography.

The musical having travelled through United States is now making rounds in India before it reaches Dubai. So if the show is around, do not miss it. Maya Ravana surely is a wonderful musical and visual feast!