Laodicea
Turkish Coffee Cup Turkish Coffee
Lahmacun and Ayran
Goreme
Cappadocia Panorama Cappadocia is the one and only place of its kind on this Earth with mountains, the shape of cone, some made of solid sand, others of soft stone. Arriving at this place gives you an unearthly feel as if you lost your way and found one to a city that could have once been a home to aliens. The colors of the mountains is another thing that mesmerized me, some white and some yellow, some red and some pink; as if they were spray painted from the sky by a gigantic spacecraft. The region of Cappadocia is located mostly in Nevşehir province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey and covers the towns of Göreme, Uçhisar and Ürgüp although nothing much noticeable in the city of Nevşehir itself. I had the time and opportunity to travel through Cappadocia last month, although unfortunately just for two days and a night. I…
Ingredients Spaghetti – 140 g Onions – 2 medium size Tomatoes – 2 Capsicum – 1 large or 2 small Cabbage – 1/4 Lemon – 1 Olive oil – 1/2 tablespoon Butter – 1 tablespoon Cumin powder – 1/3 teaspoon Coriander powder – 1/2 teaspoon Salt – 2/3 teaspoon Red chili powder – 1/4 teaspoon Cucumber – 1 small 3 green chilies Fresh parsley/coriander Take enough water in a pan to cover the spaghetti over a inch or two. Bring the water to boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, add the spaghetti. Break it into half, if the spaghetti is too long for the pan. Continue to boil for about 7 mins. Drain the water, run it through cold water and spread on a plate. Add half a tablespoon of oil over the spaghetti evenly, so that it does not stick, and keep aside. Add a teaspoon of butter in…
ABVIMAS(Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports) formerly known as DMAS(Directorate of Mountaineering & Allied Sports) is a government run organization/institute in Manali, Himachal Pradesh which provides certified programs in mountaineering, skiing, rafting, trekking and a few other mountain/adventure sports. The courses are subsidized by Indian government and are offered at low rates for Indian citizens. I took a 26 days Basic Mountaineering Course for just INR 7,800 and returned home spending under 10,000 bucks for everything including transportation. All the food and accommodation is provided inclusive of the cost at the institute. It is pretty easy to reach ABVIMAS as it is a mere 3 km from the Manali bus stand. You can get a taxi for 50-100 bucks. Ask the taxi driver to drop you at the office as the office is around a km inside the main gate of the institute. You should preferably reach a day…
I previously talked about the Solang village. Let me now come to the actually known attraction – Solang Nullah. This place is accessible by road from Manali. This place is most famous for adventure rides such as paragliding and zorbing. You can enjoy an ATV ride as well.
The most beautiful part of the Manali town itself is Old Manali. While you go to visit the famous Hadimba temple, don’t hesitate going half a km further. Old Manali is the favourite spot for foreigners. Here you will find several cafes and restaurants. Let me tell you about a few. Dylan’s toasted and roasted is a cafe where you can enjoy a hot cup of coffee listening instrumental music performed live by three different persons. Another one is an authentic Korean cafe run by a Korean family who came to visit Manali and were so influenced by its beauty that they decided to settle here. They even have their menu in Korean. If you wish to have a pizza cafe Olive Pizza is the place. You can also visit Club house at the beginning of Old Manali for a mere ticket of INR 10 where you can enjoy river crossing for…