Alii, Belau!

And finally here we are in Palau...

The 5-hour flight from Incheon into Palau's Roman Tmetuchl International Airport was quite relaxing. The inflight entertainment system on board the Asiana Airbus A321 was quite good. We caught up on a movie, music and enjoyed a spicy Indian meal - daal makhani, rice and vegetables, a welcome change from the routine.

And my favourite pastime - tracking the progress of our flight while listening to music...

And finally we descend into Palauan airspace, heading for the airport located at Airai...

A Boeing 737 of Palau Pacific Airways was resting at Roman Tmetuchl International Airport for the night. I had spotted this bird earlier this year at Hong Kong and am glad to see her again...

Scenes from traditional Palauan villages were displayed in the immigration hall...

The immigration stamp depicts a traditional Palauan home - the Bai...

I can't believe this - in this remote corner of the Pacific, there is an Indian restaurant as well?

And then we were greeted by the driver from the hotel "Alii, welcome to Belau!"

Palau, Here We Come!

Again, it is time to head out of Songdo for a short break, this time we are heading out to Palau.

Visiting Palau had been on my bucket list for many many years now and the Pacific had always fascinated me, ever since I was a kid. 

My fascination for Palau was a lot more specific. The National Geographic magazine, in its issue of September 1986 featured an article on the new nations of the Pacific - Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. The article featured breathtaking photographs of the region and Palau particularly fascinated me as - tiny green islands scattered in an azure blue ocean, and those magical images led to endless daydreams!

That "daydream" is finally coming true, today...

Checking in for the flight to Palau, at the Asiana Airlines counter at Incheon...

Our first time on Asiana Airlines...

We are flying on an Airbus A321...

Boarding in progress, all of them are Korean and Chinese holidaymakers proceeding for a Christmas break...

The flight path - we would be overflying Jeju and Okinawa, tonight, in a south easterly direction. Palau is comprised of eight main islands and nearly 250 smaller ones lying roughly 800 kilometres southeast of the Philippines...

A combined customs and immigration form - there are restrictions on carrying food and medicines...

In order to preserve Palau's unique ecosystem, every tourist has to pay USD 50 when they depart Palau - a green fee of USD 30 and departure tax of USD 20...

My inflight entertainment...

A Taste Of India...

The journey of our lives brought us to Songdo a few months month, and what followed thereafter was a series of incredible experiences - some bitter, some sweet and the biggest majority were those that pleasantly surprised us.

One of the things that amazed us about this place was the number and variety of restaurants around this city of nearly 75,000 - restaurants of all kinds - cuisines from all over the world. And to top it all, this city has two Indian places as well. We went to one, but that was a disaster - the food was far from anything vaguely resembling Indian - it was sweet and far too spicy.

And then we chanced upon the other one - Swagat!

The biggest surprise of all - Swagat is owned by a charming Korean lady, a self-confessed Indophile who has visited India a number of times and particularly loves Varanasi - the oldest living city in the world!

The restaurant is replete with Indian motifs...

And the food - it is as authentic as it can be in any neighbourhood restaurant in Delhi! What a satisfying experience to have a taste of India, right in the heart of Songdo...

All Things White & Magical...

The last few days were pretty exciting for us as we witnessed the seasons change.

From bright colours of autumn, to trees shedding their leaves and finally a few days of a slight snowfall - our first snowfall. 

And what a sight it was...

In no time, the entire city got covered with a blanket of snow - a soft, pristine white blanket. Indeed the magic of Nature is at work and we're excited!

Saluting Yashodhara & Womanhood...

I was sent this lovely piece on WhatsApp, that talks about the pain Lord Buddha left behind for his family, when he renounced the world. This piece, which is attributed to Vikram Bhattacharya salutes Buddha's wife, Yashodhara and women in general! This is my tribute to womanhood...

He left her in the middle of the night, the night their son was born. When she heard the news she was devastated. Yet, she did not complain but her life lost all meaning. The only reason for her to live now was her son. She wanted him to grow up to be a man that the world would look up to.
Her friends and relatives came around and asked her to forget about the man who had left her and start life again.
They asked her to marry again but she refused. She was young and beautiful and suitors queued up outside her door, but she refused each one of them.
Then one fine day he came back !
He stood in front of her and she could hardly remember him as the man who had left her. “They call you the Buddha now?” she asked him gently.
“I hear they do,” he answered in a calm fashion.
“What does it mean?” she further inquired.
“I think it means the enlightened one, a knower,” he informed.
She smiled and then a silence.
“I suppose we have both learned something. Your lessons O Buddha, will make the world richer in spirit, but my lesson will unfortunately remain largely unknown.” she reflected deeply...
“And what lesson is that?” the Buddha probed.
Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, “That a courageous woman does not need anyone to complete her..... SHE IS COMPLETE ON HER OWN ”