The Petronas Towers

Taken on my last trip to Malaysia. The Tallest Twin Towers in the world.It was the world's tallest between 1998 to 2004. One can never lose sight of the Petronas tower in Kuala Lumpur city. The towers always loom in the distant horizon. 

Top Three Travel Writers

• Bill Bryson
• Paul Theroux
• Pico Iyer

British Foreign Office issues Thailand Travel Advisory

Britain has advised its citizens from traveling to Thailand. The travel advisory asked Britons to not travel to Thailand.

"The situation is volatile and we recommend that British nationals in Thailand or planning to travel to the country check the travel advice on the embassy website regularly for details of further developments," the advice says.

The ongoing political crisis in Thailand continues to take toll on its booming tourism industry

Thai Airways has already reported a drop of 7% in traffic on its India route, which generally booms in the April-May due to summer vacations to schools and colleges in India. THAI has decided to cut 15% of its flights due to the slump in demand.

Bangkok - Political Crisis Intensifies

The political crisis in Thailand has escalated and tourists are strongly advised to leave Thailand or to stay indoors until the situation improves. One should be particularly careful in the capital city of Bangkok as the violence is possibly the worst in the past 20 years. Bangkok continues to remain in a state of emergency after a deadly street battle that killed 21 people. 

The protesting "Red Shirts" are camping in the capital since weeks sleeping near malls and luxury hotels. Clearly tourism in Thailand has been badly hit.

Thailand - A Travel Advisory

Thailand has a long history of political instability that continues to this day. The land of the Sleeping Buddha is in the midst of yet another violent political unrest. As 21 protesters are dead and some 800 injured and the streets of Bangkok are teeming with defiant Thais, we advice travelers to be careful and vigilant.

Hundreds of "Red Shirt" protesters also forced their way into government offices in two northern cities, in what now seems to be long revolt against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his 16-month-old, military-backed government. The Reds, are primarily poor people, who support fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, hailing his policies for the masses such as cheap health care. 

Unites States has already advised its citizens to stay away from popular tourist areas. Travel safe.

Wanderlust

I yearn to be on the road again. In the words of J.R.R.Tolkien,

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea.

The following are my lines,Tolkien is of course a master.

I yearn for leave to leave this land,

I yearn for a peace that never was mine.

I yearn for the sea, the breeze, the sand,

I yearn for some tranquil lonely time.

Thane to International Airport

The journey from my home to the airport was eventful to say the least of things. You don’t really factor in a major traffic jam at Powai and fervently pray that your dad sitting beside doesn’t suddenly start on your inability to ever be on time.  But just then the driver sneaks out in one rapid stroke of maniacal madness and you are bounding out to the airport just in time for your flight. Then it rains!

Dad waved a good bye and a good luck, and I secretly believed he must have a mumbled an atheist prayer. And I was off. To be honest the moment I entered the airport I was terribly disoriented about where to go and all that cheery confidence of the solo trip was waning.  A few creepy thoughts of biting more than I could chew did stream in, but then I sighted a gorgeous Kingfisher air- hostess and I knew everything would be fine!
I had to clear the immigrations check. A few fiddly questions about why you want to leave your beautiful country followed. And then I was off. Hang on! I didn’t tell you about checking in my baggage, did I? I check in my baggage – a brown bag. Then off I go to immigrations. Over the speakers comes an announcement – there’s a brown bag at one of the counters lying unclaimed. Now I belong to that tribe of people who feel whatever evil has to befall on this earth, will unfold upon me. So I suffered a few moments of panic about that bag.
I even had a chat with a Thai flight attendant about the bag. He gave me the look of a sage who had seen many such lost souls and told me that everything would be alright.

As I waited for the flight to board, I lounged around the airport checking out a smoking hot firang with short pants and a Lakshmi printed T-shirt reading Shantaram. I was ready at last to leave Indian terra firma.