Yesterday, a tuk tuk driver, Jithu, took me to the Love in Earth restaurant. Tuk tuk drivers are always trying to give you a cheap tour. They charge a low price because they take you to tourist shops. These shops sell you things like jewellery, perfume, spices, saris, scarves, and ornaments. The drivers get a … Continue reading / view photos Sightseeing with Jithu
Category: Travel
Lulu Mall
On my second day, I returned to Lulu Mall, one of the biggest shopping malls in India. This young woman I was talking to said the Trivandrum one is bigger now. I was reminded that there’s one thing that makes or breaks you in India: a packed local bus journey. You’ll love it for being … Continue reading / view photos Lulu Mall
Return to Kochi
On my first and only trip to India in 2017/8, I travelled south to north on the western side. For my second trip, I’m planning to see more of the eastern side. I’ve started in a familiar place, Kochi. I was last here at the end of 2017. I reached Kochi from London via Abu … Continue reading / view photos Return to Kochi
Abu Dhabi Airport
When booking a flight, I think about when I’m leaving and arriving. I want to leave at a reasonable hour and arrive in the daytime, all things being equal. Arriving to an unfamiliar place in the dark can be quite daunting. In the daytime, you can use public transport, but a night-time arrival usually means … Continue reading / view photos Abu Dhabi Airport
Leaving Finland
On our last day in Finland, we had a little adventure. We had planned to catch an early morning train to the airport, so we arrived at Helsinki central station around 5am. However, to our surprise, the doors were closed when we tried to get in. Looking through the windows, we couldn’t spot any life … Continue reading / view photos Leaving Finland
Visiting EMMA
A pleasant Easter Sunday walk on a misty morning took us to the cosy Cafe Regatta in Toolo — a part of Helsinki we’d not been to. At the secluded waterside cafe, I had coffee and an indulgent cardamom bun. I also got my dose of dog therapy playing with three dogs sitting in the … Continue reading / view photos Visiting EMMA
Return to Helsinki
After a restful night’s sleep on the train, we awoke to find ourselves nearing Helsinki. Since we had time, we made our way to the train’s restaurant car and had a hearty, piping hot porridge. Our hotel was around the corner from central station. We chose it because of our upcoming early flight, which would … Continue reading / view photos Return to Helsinki
Visiting Santa
Our time in Rovaniemi was drawing to a close. For our final day, we went to Santa’s village in the Arctic Circle. The regular Santa’s Bus takes about 40 minutes from the train station to reach the village. On arriving, we went in the first building we saw, which happen to have the line marking … Continue reading / view photos Visiting Santa
A snowy museum day in Rovaniemi
After yesterday’s gorgeous sun, the clear skies deserted Rovaniemi. Clouds blanketed the city, and snow fell steadily throughout the day, adding an extra layer to the already snow-covered ground. There was a silver-lining to the change in weather: the freshly covered pavements were more walkable. Given the less-than-ideal weather, we planned to dedicate the day … Continue reading / view photos A snowy museum day in Rovaniemi
Reindeer farm and sleigh ride
It was sub-zero in Rovaniemi but there is no such thing as bad weather: just inappropriate clothing. We took lots of clothes and were nice and toasty. I dressed the way I did in the Antarctic several years ago: lots of layers. Walking on the snow and ice from our guesthouse to Rovaniemi town centre … Continue reading / view photos Reindeer farm and sleigh ride