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Stations #66
Varanasi Junction Train Station
Kopflos
Die unglaublichste Geschichte aus Kalkutta ist die der Ziegen von Kalighat. Als heiligster Hindutempel der Stadt ist er eigentlich jeden Tag vollgepackt mit Menschen, die stundenlang anstehen, um im Inneren eine Statue von Kali zu verehren, die dreiköpfige schwarze Göttin der Ewigkeit und des Todes. Wie viele andere religiöse Bauwerke die wir bisher gesehen haben, … Weiterlesen
Favourite Shot
Late afternoon at the Victoria Memorial, Calcutta. It’s one of the biggest colonial monuments in Calcutta. The British inaugurated it in 1921 as a tribute to the success of the British Empire in India, and dedicated it to Victoria, the Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India.
Mother Teresa’s halo
For Westerners, one figure that is associated with Calcutta more than anyone else is Mother Teresa. This tiny woman, born into an Albanian family in 1910, felt God’s calling and left everything behind to become a very passionate missionary. She joined the Sisters of Loreto 1928 in Ireland, and soon afterwards arrived in Calcutta. She … Weiterlesen
Stations #65
Guwahati Airport, Assam – On the way to Calcutta
Über lebende Brücken
Manchmal staune ich, auf was für Ideen Menschen so kommen. Ein außergewöhnliches Beispiel menschlicher Kreativität bot sich uns in der Nähe von Cherrapunjee. Die kleine Stadt, die unter den Einheimischen als Sohra bekannt ist (ihr ursprünglicher Name vor Kolonialzeiten) liegt in Meghalaya. Das ist einer von sieben kleinen Bundesstaaten im indischen Nordosten, dem Landesteil zwischen … Weiterlesen
Favourite Shot
Golden Langur on Umananda Island, Guwahati, Assam. Highly endangered primate species that is only found in Assam and parts of Bhutan. Lucky we spotted one of these furry creatures!
Stations #64
Guwahati, Assam
Coming up: India, Emirates, Africa
Like us, our travel plans are always on the move. Every now and then we get hooked on some ideas… now we have a rough itinerary for the next 2-3 months in mind, so if you have any travel tips for those areas, things not to miss or places to avoid, let us know! After … Weiterlesen
The camera is dead, long live the camera
One day in the Sikkimese mountains, our camera made its last shot. It came as a shock but was on the other hand not completely unexpected: the EOS 1000D that we had bought a few years earlier finally surrendered to the heat and cold, dust and humidity, salt-water spray and other shocks while bumping around … Weiterlesen
Stations #63
New Alipur Duar, West Bengal (Close to Jaldapara National Park)
Where the wild rhinos live
Spotting wild rhinos while riding on an elephant? We were intrigued. In a remote corner of West Bengal, in a wildlife sanctuary called Jaldapara, it’s possible to do exactly that. Since 1941 the forest area is a protected habitat for wild rhinos, one of the last places in India where you can see these impressive … Weiterlesen
The end of the road
India has lots of well-known tourist highlights, such as the Red Fort in Delhi, the Taj Mahal in Aggra, the beaches in Goa or backwaters in Kerala. Fortunately we’ve seen a few of those most crowded places already. So this time we wanted to focus on lesser known places, and Sikkim is the first of … Weiterlesen
Stations #62
Namchi, Sikkim
Hauptquartier der Bürokratie – eine indische Komödie
Deutschland ist bürokratisch, England gleich dreimal. Indien? Hat wohl das kolonialistische Erbe der Engländer weiterentwickelt und spielt was Bürokratie angeht in einer eigenen Liga. Die Ironie dabei ist, dass das Land insgesamt total chaotisch ist – und trotzdem jede Transaktion mit Durchschlag in dreifacher Ausfertigung quittiert wird. Ob hier versucht wird das allgemeine Chaoslevel zu … Weiterlesen
Zurück in Indien
Fünf Jahre nach meinem Studienaufenthalt in Delhi bin ich also zurück in Indien. Wir laufen über eine lange Brücke vom nepalesischen Kakarvitta in ein namenloses indisches Grenzdorf, keine Schranke, kein Zaun, kein Tor – eigentlich auch keine Stadt. Aber plötzlich verkaufen Straßenstände Chai und Samosa, versuchen Fahrradrikschafahrer und Busschaffner dir ihre Dienste aufzuschwätzen – Indien … Weiterlesen
This was Nepal
21 Nepal, a set on Flickr. a love affair with the Himalayas
Stations #61
Kakarvitta, Nepal
On top of the world
April 23, 2012 – hard to believe it’s already been a year since our wedding. Thanks for the good wishes on our first anniversary! As opposed to our usual austerity policy regarding our travel budget, Julia and me treated ourselves to something special to celebrate the occasion: a scenic flight to Everest. So from Kathmandu … Weiterlesen
Favourite Shot
Human cremation at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. The ashes are pushed into the Bagmati River, which is considered sacred by Hindus as it flows into the holy river Ganges. Quite something to see a Hindu funeral ceremony for the first time!
Sonnenschein im Annapurna Base Camp
Yaksteak und jede Menge Apfelkuchen, stundenweiser Aufenthalt in den heissen Quellen – so füllen wir während unserem Pausentag in Tatopani unsere Energiereserven wieder auf. Am nächsten Tag dann der extrem steile Aufstieg zu einem Grat namens Khopra Danda: 2400 Höhenmeter an einem Tag. In erstaunlich guter Verfassung kommen wir in der Hütte oben in Khopra … Weiterlesen
Around Annapurna
When we left for our trip around the world, we didn’t have a fixed itinerary, rather a whole bunch of ideas. Going hiking in the Himalayas was one of them. However, it wasn’t until we met Dustin, an American traveller, on a cross-border train from Mongolia into China, that we first heard about the Annapurna … Weiterlesen
Stay warm
Sleeping bags can be incredibly expensive. Getting a branded one with goose down can easily set you back some 400-500€. Thanks to our French friends at Decathlon though I had gotten one for less than 100€ that claims to keep you warm even in temperatures slight below zero. Down is lighter, smaller and warmer than … Weiterlesen
See you on the other side
We have moved on to Nepal by now, and from tomorrow we will be undertaking a long trek in the Himalayas – the famed 300km long Annapurna Circuit. So there won’t be any updates from us here in the next two to three weeks, but I am sure we will have more than one story … Weiterlesen
Stations #60
Kathmandu Airport, Nepal
