Semana Santa | Reuters' Full Focus

Photo © REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo-All Rights Reserved

Try to say the following in one go...without pausing to take your breath.

"Holy Week is the week preceding Easter and the final week of Lent. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Holy Week includes Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday) and Good Friday, which, together with Holy Saturday, are known as the Triduum. Before the revision of the liturgical calendar in 1969, Holy Week was the second week of Passiontide; in the current calendar, Passiontide is synonymous with Holy Week."

Out of breath and confused? That's okay.

Reuters Full Focus has two dozen photographs of the Holy Week, which are worth you stopping by. Most of the remaining photo bogs will sooner or later feature photographs of this week long event, but Reuters was the first.

I have a travel photography bucket list, and the Semana Santa event in Seville is certainly on it. This event is one of the important traditional events of the city, and is celebrated in the week leading up to Easter. The week features the procession of floats of lifelike wooden sculptures of individual scenes of the events of the Passion, or images of the Virgin Mary showing grief. Some of the sculptures are ancient, and are revered.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I attended a Semana Santa in La Antigua (Guatemala), and it was quite an experience. Although small, it featured some rituals indigenous to this Central American nation, which included covering streets of La Antigua with natural, aromatic carpets of flowers, pines, clover and fruits, which the residents made and placed in front of their homes.

I'm interested in the Spanish observances during Holy Week, especially in the smaller towns and villages where one can see processions of hooded flagellants in chains and performing self mortifications...and this is on the bucket list.

POV: Shooting Thru The Lens Cap

Photo © Shane Green-All Rights Reserved

I've posted this hilarious photograph on various social media, including my Facebook Timeline, with the hope it goes 'viral'...or something like that.

The simple and short backstory to the photograph is this:

During my recent The Sacred Cities Photo Expedition-Workshop to Varanasi and Vrindavan, our first stop during the Holi week was in Barsana, and Shane Green (one of our group members, and a great guy) pointed his camera at me, and I immediately reciprocated with my lens cap on. Some of us were covered with gulal, the colored powder used during the festival....but I had escaped unscathed with just a trace of it on my clothes.

I've learned through my years in international banking that humor, and the ability of poking fun at oneself, plays an important role in one's "branding" and in marketing services, products and whatever else one is offering...so this photograph is heaven sent, and I will use it in all possible ways to extend my reach in marketing my expeditions-workshops.

No vulgarity, obscenities or acting like a clownish juvenile...humorous and subtle self-deprecation goes a long way...a very long way .

Michael Švec | The Kingdom of Mustang

Photo © Michael Švec-All Rights Reserved

Mustang (derived from the Tibetan word Möntang) is the former Kingdom of Lo where Tibetic languages are still widely spoken and traditional Tibetan culture remains. It was once an independent kingdom, although closely tied by language and culture to Tibet. From the 15th century to the 17th century, its strategic location granted Mustang control over the trade between the Himalayas and India. At the end of the 18th century the kingdom was annexed by Nepal. Its monarchy ceased to exist on October 7, 2008, by order of the Nepalese government.

It's a weeklong hike from the nearest airport (usually Jomsom or Pokhara) to the capital city of Lo Manthang, which is is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world, and which was  recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

The remoteness of Mustang hasn't discouraged Michael Švec from traveling to photograph its landscapes and people, and produce a wonderful audio-slideshow titled The Last Forbidden Tibetan Kingdom.

While Michael Švec is a digital art director in Prague, he is also a documentary and fine art travel photographer, who works on assignments in Asia, Middle East and Europe. He traveled the world for more than ten years, focusing his lens on documenting traditions of changing cultures around the world, human rights issues and spirituality within people and places.

He tells us that he likes to stay with the people of the regions he travels to, he lives with them, eats with them and shares their lives as much as they allow him to. He needs to be accepted by the community before taking the pictures. Nice sentiment, and a difficult to achieve sometimes.

Michael's portfolio includes an audio-slideshow of the Indian Kushti wrestling, as well as slideshows of the Kalash people of Chitral in northern Pakistan, of the Pushkar camel fair and of the tribes of the Kutch.

Delve a little deeper, and you'll find photographs of Rio de Janeiro, Rajasthan, Ethiopia, Nepal, Kashmir, Iran, Morocco and Kashmir amongst others.

Man Lost in Arctic Survives 3 Days Alone

The details are still bit sketchy on this one, but it is a cool story none the less. According to this story, on Yahoo News, an American man working in Greenland became lost, and survived for three days, in arctic conditions.

At the moment the man's name has not been revealed, but we do know that he is a heavy equipment operator at a research station in Greenland's Arctic region. He first went missing sometime in the evening last Wednesday, but the details on how he got lost are not quite explained. He was later found, alone, in good health, and completely coherent, on Saturday morning, following an extensive search and rescue operation.

The remote base, known as the Summit Station, at which the 38-year old is employed, is said to be located in central Greenland, atop more than two mile thick ice. The closest "point of land", according to the article, is some 260 miles away. It is also reported that the average temperature in the overnight hours this time of year ranges from -10ºF on clear nights to 10º when it is overcast.

The man is said to have used some basic survival techniques taught to everyone at the station. He reportedly dug holes in the snow to get out of the wind and would move around regularly to keep his blood pumping and circulating. He is being treated in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Anyone else sense a movie of the week from this story?

PlanetFear Brings Us The Most Extreme Races

Adventure website PlanetFear has a cool list of the World's Most Extreme Races, naming off some of the top endurance event on the planet, or as they call the list, "the thigh quivering guide to some of the world’s most outrageous races…"

The author of the article, Ben Winston, determined the "extremeness" of each race by giving them a label, such as "The Most Northerly" or "The Highest", and then follows up with a photo from the event, and a brief description of what you can expect to endure while competing.

For instance, they name the legendary Marathon des Sables as "The Hottest". The race takes place annually in the Sahara Desert of Morocco, with competitors racing 150 miles over six days in a stage event format. Average temperatures tend to hover around 120ºF.

But if the heat isn't that rough on you, perhaps you'd rather face the humidity. Yep, they have a winner in the "Most Humid" category, with the prize going to The Jungle Marathon, a seven day event that covers 120 miles across Brazil's dense jungles. Competitors have to carry everything with them, with the exception of their water, which is replenished each day, and hammock to crash in when they reach the nightly camps. And if that humid jungle wasn't enough of a challenge, they'll have to deal with poisonous snakes and insects, not to mention an array of fungal infections and disease.

Great list of top races from around the planet. Still no love for Primal Quest though. I'm starting to feel a bit disrespected. We seriously need to make PQ more challenging.

POV: In Praise of The Foundry Photojournalism Workshop (Again)

Photo © Adriana Zehbrauskas

As this blog's followers and readers know, I attended the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in La Antigua Guatemala just over two weeks ago. It was my sixth workshop as a faculty member; having missed Sarajevo out of the workshops held in Mexico City, Manali, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai and now La Antigua,

Once again, while it is the students and instructors who are in the limelight during the workshop, it's the unsung heroes of the Foundry's staff,  its administrators and the local volunteers who consistently make them such wonderful successes. This particular workshop in La Antigua was particularly challenging in view of its venue (the conference rooms at the Casa Santo Domingo) being so dreadfully expensive to rent.

As always, Eric Beecroft, as the visionary force behind the Foundry Workshops, deserves singular praise. He had the  idea of creating such a workshop some 7 or 8 years ago, and made it a reality despite enormous obstacles. Eric, the staff and local volunteers worked around the clock, and deserve enormous credit for the success of yet again another wonderful Foundry.

I've often suggested to my class participants that attending a Foundry workshop is not only about enhancing their craft with advice of some of the best (and certainly selfless) photographers/photojournalists in the business, or about the class they've chosen or even about their own stories and image-making, but it's also about rubbing shoulders with other participants, whether these are peers, or just starting their photography careers, or veterans, and with all sorts of other styles of image-making....it's about augmenting their exposure to different worlds, about exposing themselves to divergent thought processes, to varying points of view, and in doing so...grow as human beings (and yes, as photographers too).

In my previous POV post, I refer to my personal photographic evolution...and there's little doubt in my mind that my involvement in the Foundry since 2008, meeting and viewing the work of my fellow instructors, as well as that of the students, has inspired a shift in my travel photography trajectory...and caused an evolutionary progress in my way of seeing...from the narrow focus on stock travel photography to a more documentary type of travel photography.

I'm quite certain of this, and I'm equally certain that many students, and possibly other instructors, have had their their own photographic evolution influenced by the osmotic phenomenon of the Foundry Photojournalism Workshops.

So when the next Foundry Photojournalism Workshop is announced (either Indonesia or East Africa...maybe), grab the opportunity and register.

Day Trip to Venice

I tried really hard for placing an appropriate adjective along with the title of the post. Only to conclude that it would be an understatement for the magic that Venice holds. Every corner and every moment in Venice is like a picture postcard. It's one of those places that you just so wish was real. It is. There are no vehicles, no roads. Exquisite pontes(bridges) connect one island on the lagoon with the other. One has to either take a water bus(Vaporetti) or water taxi or the best of all, be yourself on your feet. The remarkable thing about Venice is, that despite all the visitors and tourists, it still is successful in preserving its charm.

Venice through Vaporetti

Done with an early breakfast , we left for our journey from Florence to reach Venice in TrenItalia pre-noon. The journey was comfortable and quite relaxed. Both of us caught some sleep on board, which was later followed by some cups of coffee from the train pantry. Yet again, as always in Italy, we cut across through some of the breathtaking landscapes. The train journey was comfortable and most of the people who traveled were not tourists. Perhaps it had more to do with the timing of our train, than anything else. 

There is a tourist center that is located at a convenient location on the station Venezia Saint Lucia. There was a ritual exchange of maps, ideas on the division of time, and how to reach our hotel. We step outside the station to soak in simply amazing beauty of Venice. Every sight, every nook of Venice would for sure, stay with you forever. 

The sunshine floated through the waves of the lagoon, and in our Vaporetti we could simply not believe the breathtaking views that passed by. We lazed our way to reach our Hotel as we were carrying lot of luggage. Few bridges aside, we reached our hotel through bustling tourist streets.

Ponte showcasing the upcoming Venice festival

We caught up with our lunch and then took a ride of the magic of Venice in the water bus and saw the sun setting somewhere in Venice.

That was the best evening of my Life.

(Travel across Venice through night on the post 'Venice, Through the Night'.)

Shop What

• Souvenirs
• Glass based artifacts
• Personae

Bottom Line

• Gondola rides are highly overrated. These rides are simply not worth the price you pay.
• Sometimes it may be difficult to find places. As a thumb rule, begin with some idea of your destination in Venice from the tourist center.
• Free Maps were not available at the Tourist Center but you could find them at your Hotel.
• Venice is expensive.
• Public transportation is best on the Vaporetti, especially on Single day or 3 day passes. Highly recommended.
• Hotel, at times can be far off from the Vaporetti stops which necessarily have to be covered on feet. Travel light or stay in hotels that are close to Vaporetti stops.
• Venice is more European than other Italian cities with majority of people speaking English.
• Best time to visit is during fall or winters.

Travel Facts

• Stayed : 1 day .
• Stayed at : Hotel , Scandinavia - OK, Choose better 'value for money' hotels close to Vaporetti stops.
• Traveled with my better half .
• Traveled in TrenItallia from Florence in January 2013.

The Dangers of Kilimanjaro

Grough has an interesting article up on the dangers of climbing Kilimanjaro, which are detailed thanks to a new study that calls it one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

The study was conducted by British doctor Jeremy Windsor and American Dr George Rodway. Windsor, who is an advisor to the Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme, is quoted as saying "Despite reliable weather and straightforward access, illness and injury are commonplace" on Kili. The report cites the fact that guide fees and services put an emphasis on getting up and down quickly, not allowing for many climbers to acclimatize properly.

While I obviously respect the mountain, and think that it is far more challenging than the average trekker realizes before they go, I have to disagree with the good doctors that it's one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. Sure, any time you're dealing with high altitudes there can be issues. Throw in the fact that you're in a remote place, with challenging terrain, and you've added a layer of complexity to the problem. But thousands of people go up and down Kilimanjaro each year, mostly without incident, and there are relatively few deaths on the mountain when you look at the amount of traffic there. It's non-technical nature also insulates it to some degree, although unprepared and inexperienced climbers probably are the biggest cause for concern.

To illustrate my point, the article goes on to talk about the dangers of making the climb, but references many issues that are not even a concern on the mountain. For instance, Windsor says that there are an alarming number of electrocutions with visitors to Tanzania due to substandard wiring in hotels. While obviously a concern, how is that related to Kili exactly? They go on to discuss HIV/AIDS, as well as other diseases, and even the risk of a fatal car accident, which is the number one killer of visitors to the country.

They do eventually talk more in detail about the actual issues on the mountain itself, touching on altitude sickness, and all the issues that can bring along with it. They also talk about exposure and the colder temperatures up near the summit, but that isn't nearly as much of a concern as it is on a lot of other mountains.

All in all, an interesting article, even if I don't necessarily agree with everything they are saying. Certainly it's a good read for those planning a trip to Africa to make the climb. My word of advice is respect the altitude, give yourself plenty of time, and enjoy the scenery along the way. Oh! And careful when plugging things into the electrical outlets apparently. ;)

The Hitchhiking Movie: Hitching Across the U.S.

I'm still cleaning out my mailbox after being gone, and trying to catch up on a few things, and here is one that I thought might be of interest. It is a bit of a different adventure, but certainly one none the less. 11Visions has put together an interesting film called The Hitchhiking Movie, in which two men set out to see if they could cross the United States without a car of their own or any money. Oh yeah, and they wanted to do it in under a week.

There was a time when hitchhiking was fairly popular in the U.S. and you would often see men and women stand alongside the road with their thumb out. But times have changed fairly dramatically since that era, and now you see hitchhikers much more infrequently. As drivers, it has been ingrained in our brains that we shouldn't pick them up, and that that it could be very dangerous. It is in that climate that filmmakers Ryan Jeanes and Phillip Hullquist set out on their cross country odyssey.

The two men set out from New York, with Los Angeles as their ultimate goal. 3000 miles to cover in seven days. It would require the kindness of strangers to complete the trip, and it is questionable if that kindness actually exists any more. Did they make it? You'll have to watch the movie to find out for sure, but you can view a bunch of clips on the films website, and you can pick it up on DVD or watch it online as well.

Pretty cool concept, and proof that adventure travel doesn't necessarily have to include flying off to some far flung location. This seemed like a great adventure too. Setting off on a long distance trek, without ever knowing if you'd make it, and relying completely on others. Crazy! :)

Check out the trailer below.

Hanoi | Report Two: The People of Tay Bac

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The humidity is just staggering in Hanoi, and it's certainly affecting the group and I. Timing the photo shoots in the early morning, as we did today, doesn't really make a measurable difference.

That said, the dawn-early morning walk about on the Hoàn Kiếm Lake shore was interesting, both culturally and photographically. Apart from the placid tai chi being performed by Hanoi's senior citizenry, the group and I came across a more energetic display of the form using large fans, couples dancing to the tune of Delilah probably performed by a Vietnamese Tom Jones, groups of women of all ages doing aerobics to the bear of disco music...and school children waiting for their buses.

Later, we went for another walk about on Hang Ma...the epicenter of the Tết Trung Thu festival; the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is the country's second most important holiday, after Tet, the Vietnamese New Year.

It's a combination of Christmas, Halloween and a block party of sorts during which young women (known as 'the pretty young things' in my parlance) wear Minnie Mouse ears and huge eyeglasses (fake), and flash the ubiquitous Asian 'V' sign at whoever looks at them.

It's a surfeit of sensory overload, with incredibly colorful decorations and lanterns...as well as incessant traffic noise caused by an endless stream of motorbikes and scooters.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I anticipate that Hang Ma will really be incredibly crowded this evening when we return for another dose of the Mid-Autumn Festival...hopefully this time, there'll be dragon dances!

By the way, the technological improvement of the X-T1 over the X Pro-1 are really staggering. The latter is really showing its age...however, I'm still using both.

Legacies of War: Agent Orange - Travel VietNam

Vietnamese, Agent Orange was among a few herbicides dropped on enormous swathes of Vietnam amid the War. Its destructive fixing, dioxin, has been found to cause a scope of wellbeing issues, from hydrocephalus and a few sorts of diseases to diabetes and skin ailments to physical distortions, for example, missing appendages. Assessments of the extent to which Agent Orange was spread on the nation somewhere around 1961 and 1971 change, however extend as high as 75 million liters. Vietnam has assessed that 400,000 individuals were executed or injured by the defoliants, that 500,000 youngsters have been conceived with conception surrenders thus, and two million increasingly have experienced specifically or in a roundabout way its belongings.

Impact on nature 

Notwithstanding bringing about substantial mischief to eras of Vietnamese, Agent Orange has had a lethal impact on nature's domain, staying in the dirt and harming the natural pecking order. Lakes in vigorously spread territories still exist today where the fish are perilous to consume - tainted an era after the war finished - and there is still talk of emptying the absolute most influenced zones.

Related post: Vietnam travel deals

Remuneration for those influenced 

In May 2009, the International People's Tribunal of Conscience, assembled in Paris, issued a judgment that the utilization of this toxin by the US military amid the War was an atrocity, and that payment ought to be given to the exploited people, and also exertions made to clean up influenced area. This choice emulated many years of fizzled exertions by Vietnamese gatherings to effectively sue the US government and compound makers for harms, in spite of the way that American veterans of the Vietnam War have been remunerated by the administration to the tune of Us$1.52 billion. As of late as February 2009, the most recent bid by AO exploited people suing the substance makers was rejected by a US court. Be that as it may, claims will probably proceed, in any event the length of the impacts of AO are so noticeable in Vietnam.

Most as of late (29 May 2009), President Obama multiplied US financing for managing the outcomes of Agent Orange in Vietnam from Us$3 to Us$6 million – insufficient to have a noteworthy effect, maybe, yet an imperative signal all the same.

A Night At The Explorers Club

The Explorers Club recently held their 105th annual dinner, and National Geographic Adventure was on hand to capture all the festivities
for those of us not lucky enough to be in attendance. It was an evening filled with interesting dining choices (think insects and worse), colorful characters, and kangaroo boxing. Check out the video below to see how the Explorers party!

Virgin Global Row Update: Progress at Last!

It's been a couple of weeks since I checked in on Olly Hicks and his Virgin Global Row. At that time, he was struggling each day to just hold on to his position, and for a number of days in row, that's about all he could do. The young British adventurer was rowing for several hours each day, just to attempt to hold his ground against the savage winds and waters of the Southern Ocean.

Loading up the map on the Global Row website today though shows that he has indeed made solid progress over the past week or so. Olly has actually had a couple of calm days and has made the most of them, rowing with renewed vigor. He's now more than 40 days into his attempt to circumnavigate Antarctica by rowboat, with an estimated 450+ to go, and by his regular blog posts, I'd say he's still in good spirits, despite his early struggles. I can't say I'd feel the same way all things considered.

The entries in his blog tell of his daily struggles with things that seem hard to comprehend for those of us who have never attempted to row across an ocean. In one recent post he mentions the "cross seas" that send waves at him from different directions, making it nearly impossible to keep a rowing rhythm and requiring constant concentration to keep on course. He also talks about how his custom made rowboat, lovingly dubbed the Flying Carrot, will roll in the water, pulling the oars from his hands, and smacking him in the knees in the process.

Checkout the photo attached to this post to get an idea of the kind of seas that Olly is dealing with here. Now imagine facing that day in, and day out, alone for weeks at a time. Seems like a grim prospect, but Olly can look forward to making landfall for a short break from all of that in about six months time. Hang in there Olly we're pulling for you.

Paddling The Length of the Columbia River

The always excellent Wend Blog has a great post this morning about the Columbia Experience, an expedition that got underway two days ago that will paddle nearly the entire length of the Columbia River all the way to the Pacific Ocean, covering a distance of roughly 1000 miles in the process.

The three man team consists of Keel Brightman, Paul Gamache, and Ryan Scott, who came up with the idea of making this journey to raise awareness of the environmental effects of dams on the river. The Columbia has more than 400 dams along its length, and that has changed the landscape through which it runs dramatically. The expedition is expected to take roughly two months to complete, after all it does take a long time to portage around all those dams.

Cool adventure for a good cause. Check out their video below, and watch their blog for updates from the field.


The Columbia Experience from ColumbiaRiver on Vimeo

Visit HoTram Beach in tour VietNam Travel

Likewise spotted in the Vung Tau territory, Ho Tram shoreline is potentially one of the best shorelines inside close nearness of Saigon. The territory where Ho Tram is placed was initially known as a sanatorium where the unhealthy would be taken for all encompassing treatment. These days, it is basically a little angling and tourism town with immaculate shorelines and not very many lodgings. With arrangements to create this right now immature territory, numerous estimate that the Ho Tram zone will turn into the following Nha Trang. As of late, a Canadian advancement organization fabricated the eminent lodging The Grand Ho Tram Strip, a Vegas-style resort and gambling club, the one and only of its kind in Vietnam.

Presently, Ho Tram is gone to generally by well off Vietnamese as a calm retreat and by vacationers searching for a departure from the clamoring urban areas. Thus, the Ho Tram shoreline and adjacent Ho Coc shoreline are flawlessly clean. Indeed, The Grand Ho Tram resort has straightened their proximate shoreline zone far out so is the water clean as well as moderately sheltered as you can go truly a routes into the water and still just be waist profound. On the off chance that you are going with children, this resort on Ho Tram shoreline is a more secure decision since the shorelines in Vietnam are for the most part unmanned.

See more: travel Vietnam

Points of interest:  Ho Tram shoreline is more remote than Vung Tau, so getting there can be strenuous by open transportation – truth be told, you would need to go to Vung Tau first and after that find your approach to Ho Tram from that point, however it is still a 45-moment excursion from Vung Tau. The simplest approach to go to Ho Tram shoreline is by private auto or shuttle. The lodgings in Ho Tram can organize a shuttle or auto for you from Ho Chi Minh City. In the event that you have a room busy, the shuttle is complimentary. Without a booking, the costs shift relying upon which mode of transport you favor. The Grand lodging even offers a helicopter get if that is your style!! By street, Ho Tram shoreline is 1.5-2 hours far from Ho Chi Minh Cit

Bob Newman | Holi 2014

Bob Newman was a member of my The Sacred Cities Photo Expedition-Workshop last March which saw us photographing in the ancient city of Varanasi, and in the sacred city of Vrindavan during the festival of Holi. He is a first time participant in my expeditions-workshops.

Bob just published his first multimedia project of the photo expedition-workshop, and titled it Holi 2014. The multimedia package features photographs made during the week-plus long festival of Holi in Vrindavan. The sound tracks accompanying the slideshow were also recorded on site by Bob.

The project was completed whilst we were in Vrindavan; a task that was especially difficult in view of the intensity of the photo shoots. Bob earned the award of being the trip's most diligent participant, in having completed in record time two multimedia assignments required from the participants. 

He joined our photo-expedition after attending another workshop in Venice, and then went on to Gujarat for a few days.

Bob is a surgeon with 34 years of experience and practices in urology and surgery.

Felipe Jácome | The Last Amazonas

Photo © Felipe Jacome- All Rights Reserved

The series of beautiful monochrome portraits of The Last Amazonas by Felipe Jacome is to document the struggle of indigenous women defending the Ecuadorian Amazon from oil exploitation by large oil exploration companies, backed by the government.

The portraits are accompanied by statements from the women themselves, explaining their history, culture and traditions. The color decorations are drawn using the same natural dyes used by the tribes to decorate their faces.

Faced by relentless exploitation, the Amazonian indigenous people have taken their case to their country's government, and have started muscular actions against oil companies operating in the region. These native indigenous groups accuse oil production for river pollution and soil contamination.

Felipe Jácome is a documentary photographer born in Ecuador, whose work has focused on issues of human mobility and human rights. He won the Young Reporter Competition of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and his photos have appeared in publications such as Foreign Policy Magazine, The Guardian, Vice Magazine, CNN Photo Blog and the Miami Herald. His photographs have also been exhibited in London, Geneva, Amsterdam, Quito, and Washington DC.

5 Things To Do At Dwarka, Gujarat

Most of the people visit the auspicious Dwarka city for the visit to the Jagatmandir. There's lot more to do when you are at Dwarka. (For a detailed Information, read the post 'Trip to Somnath,Gir Nageshwar and Dwarka' on my blog.)

1. Book yourself a ticket in the Municipal Bus for the 'Chaar Dhaam Yatra'. The bus leaves by 1400 hrs., so book Early ! The service is cheaper and better than the private players. So Don't miss it because of time.
2. Make your advance arrangements for accommodation.You could be taken by surprise for the rush at times, given only a few good stay options available.
3. If planning to leave Dwarka for Ahmedabad overnight, Book your tickets early. The only overnight options are private buses, and the seats fill fast.
4. Spare ample time for Bet Dwarka. The trip is worth few hours for sure.
5. Shop in the market near JagatMandir. If planning to shop for 'Pooja' at home, Do check out the market here. It's better than Nathdwara, Udaipur.

***

Did you like my post ? Did I miss out on an important detail ? Would you like to add more 'Things to Do' to the above. Please give your feedback. I'd love to see your comments below.

****

Iditarod 2009: Brutal Weather Impacts The Race!

Yesterday I made the bold prediction that Lance Mackey would cruise to his third consecutive Iditarod title, and that Jeff King would over take Sebastian Schnuelle to move into third place on the way to Nome. I even thought there would be an outside shot that I'd be able to announce the winner of the year's race by now. But, mother nature had other plans.

Yesterday, as the teams approached the coast, weather conditions turned brutal, with temperatures plummeting and nasty winds coming into play. Out on the trail, the mushers and their dogs endured -50º F temperatures, and the blowing snow made it impossible to see their way. Mackey made it into Koyuk, where he ended up staying for most of the day, while plenty of others were caught out on the trail when the conditions went bad. King actually turned around and went back to Shaktoolik, and according to this great post over at the Iditablog, is holed up in an old, run-down shack with a couple of other mushers and their dogs.

As of now, Mackey is into Elim and still in first place. Schnuelle is running in second, with John Baker in third. Both of them are through the checkpoint at Koyuk and are out on the trail somewhere, trying to chase Mackey down.

There has been some trouble at the back of the pack as well, as three rookie mushers got into some trouble yesterday. Race officials became worried when the three, who were traveling together at the time, were long overdue for the next checkpoint. Search teams were sent out and they discovered Lou Packer on the trail, with two of his dogs dead, the cause of which is currently unknown. Lou and his team were lifted off the course at that time. The other two mushers, Kim Darst and Blake Matray ended up scratching as well, and had to be led off the course by a snow mobile team who came to find them. The high winds had covered the trail in snow leaving them stranded and unsure where to go to the next checkpoint.

Hopefully we'll have more news soon. It looks like Mackey still is the odds on favorite to finish first, and the battle is on for second and third. There will be a major scramble for the rest of the spots on the leaderboard once conditions improve.

Digital India through E-Governance

E-Governance, Click. Digital India, Done.

Thanks to the path-breaking e-governance project, Digital India, today our country is at cusp of a history using 'Technology' as an enabler. Digital India is an umbrella program of our government comprising projects of tune of massive Rs. 1 lakh crore aimed to transform India to a knowledge economy. It is estimated that 5 crore new jobs would be created through the project ! The mainstay of the program (that is due for completion by 2018) includes ensuring access to technology infrastructure and government services to citizens through digital empowerment of citizens.

Glorious Opportunity - Digital India

The scale of investments in this nation building project and its potential to touch the lives of several millions of our fellow Indians, can best be achieved through a dynamic industry partnership. Intel, the world leaders in microprocessors, can indeed play a pivotal role. Intel's intention to participate in this grand project augurs great success for its completion. In the recent past Intel India has released an android based Digital Skills Training 'App' comprising of modules (that are available in 5 local languages) of:

Digital India : 'Appified'

1. Digital Literacy, 
2. Financial Inclusion and 
3. Cleanliness. 

Interestingly Digital Literacy would provide a major thrust for E-governance, helping millions of Indians to realize their dreams while breaking away from shackles of a legacy of exploitation. It would also ensure accountability of the state with Indians realizing the power of their rights.

Financial Inclusion would also be an equally pivotal cornerstone, as millions of Indians are still outside the ambit of any formal financial framework. It is worthwhile to note that the recent government projects of 'Jan Dhan Yojana' would be perfectly complemented  by the app's emphasis.

The third pillar of the Digital Skills Training App is that of cleanliness which also resonates the 'Swach Bharat Abhiyan' of the government. In totality, this is a reflection of the shared vision of India and Intel.

Digital India's success would be achieved through enabling Internet across all the country, Intel, the global technology leaders, would be working closely with Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. for achieving the milestone of broadband highways.

India and Technology : Together with Innovation.


I'm sure that all of us would agree that one of the major factors to drive the dream of a Digital India would be through innovation. And in the same corollary, there can not be a better partner than Intel. Its expertise in Innovation would help us achieve the local solutions pertinent for issues that are characteristic of our country. Further, these issues also need to be addressed through innovative solutions. These may include problems that are particular to our rural hinterland, like illiteracy coupled with high penetration of teledensity.

Low Literacy, High Teledensity: Curious Case of India

Or may be cases that are coupled with behavioral issues like access to television content without access to basic health amenities. Community Radios that broadcast local content using broadband highways can be highly beneficial for individual communities with their unique characteristics.

Low cost smart phones designed for specific roles such as:

1. Health, 
2. Education, 
3. Weather 
4. Agriculture 
5. Banking including credit etc.

These in turn could accelerate the pace of e-governance and in true sense a digitally enabled India.

The Digital Differentiation: Access and Timing.

Digital Differentiation: Access and Timing

The differentiating factor in this project, where perhaps others lacked could be the actual access at the last mile, once the project sees the light of the day. Considering the limited success in the past for the plans such as 'National E-Governance plan'. Another factor worth considering is arriving at the right locus of the technology life cycle, or in crude terms, the timing of the various phases of the project. Intel could well prove to be the perfect partner in this regard, by virtue of the Project implementation expertise and the execution of effectiveness and efficiency of the Project. Intel's 'Digital Skills for India Program' can celebrate the project with its target of training 5 million Indians for their digital skills.

The various components of Digital India, be it hardware, the license cost, software development life cycle have to be timed to reduce the cost of the project to the lowest extent possible, so that the minimal cost affects maximum scope of the project to bridge the digital gap, assuming static cost of the project.

Tablet and the Chalk : Long Bridge to Walk

The biggest winners of this champion cause would be the citizens of India who would gain accountability, transparency and above all an empowerment. Intel inside Digital India could be the deciding factor in the revolution's success.

The Tablet and the Chalk, With a Long Bridge to Walk,

To walk the Indian Divide, Innovation, ambition to chide,

Innovate with a class timing, To reap the benefits it bring,

Reap the project expertise, Digital India with Intel's eaze,

With Intel Inside, Digital India and its pride,

E-governance you would run, Digital India, a dream, would be done

Image(s) Courtesy : Google Images

*****

The views expressed above are personal in nature are completely that of the blogger, and that of the blogger alone.