One day in the summer of 2006, Ms Bharti Sharma, our family friend, who is a graphic designer, came to visit us. She had just returned from Egypt, after spending about a year on her professional assignment. Rajbir and me were glued to our chairs, with all ears to her travelogue narration. We got so engrossed listening to Bharti, we even forgot to offer any customary drink or something to eat to her. While listening to her, my wife and me realised that a visit to Egypt was our common dream, which remained only in our subconscious minds. Somehow, we never got around to ponder over the subject together. May be considering it a bit far fetched in our minds, or simply it just never came up for discussion. I think, most of us do drift into dreamy wishes occassionaly while chatting, but even that never happened over the numerous cups of tea, which we both love sharing to discuss life and its goodies, twice a day. We both were quite amazed over the mystery of our hidden common desire for a visit to Egypt. We discovered our intense love for Egypt only through Bharti, when we both poured our hearts to her about Egypt. Moreover, I think, we are so used to travelling in total comfort, onboard our Kingcobra (motorhome) that we never put our minds together to plan any trip to Egypt. Also, the most tricky thing is the process of choosing a tour operator, who can either shatter your dreams and make it as the most bitter travel of lifetime, or make it wonderfully memorable trip of life time. Probably, did not have the courage to go through that.

I was quite amazed when Rajbir was expressing her wish to visit Egypt repeatedly, like a child does, to Bharti. And we pulled our chairs closer to Bharti to hear her with curiosity, like babies hear interesting story of fairies, and it gave us a feeling as if we were inching towards Egypt. I looked at Rajbir in amazement that how come I never knew about her this dream and wish for a visit to Egypt. As we had set out on a journey through Egypt, day dreaming, with lively narration by Bharti, we often interrupted her with volley of questions. I am sure, many times Bharti must have had headaches with us, as our questions and curiosity were that of kids. Now, I did not want to have a rush trip to Egypt, which is usually organised by a tour operator, you miss so much in that regimented group tour. So, I was trying to discover if there were other options like that of staying with one of Bharti’s friends in Egypt, who could accept us as `paying guests’ for two to three months. Bharti also gave us a brilliant idea of hiring an apartment in Cairo and stay there for three to four months and capture Egypt in our minds and with cameras as much as we wanted and at our own pace. This plan swept me off my feet and I was already soaring high in that dreamy world, day dreaming like I never did before in my life. I was gasping in awe and dream, I was getting restless and wanted to fly to Egypt anytime. All of sudden, Bharti got a call from her mother and she left for home, abruptly. We could not conclude anything concrete about our plans for Egypt, as we wanted some more info from Bharti. And thereafter, we could not meet Bharti till she got married. Should I say `Bharti left us in doldrums about Egypt’. That night, I could not sleep as I only dreamt about Egypt the whole night. But it seems, when you are passionate and madly in love for something, God gets on your side. Exactly, at this point a miracle took place. One day, I got a mail from Mr Sushil Gaur, whom I had met briefly at Haldwani (now in Uttrakhand state of India) at my cousin’s place, while travelling in our Kingcobra. After few months or a year, Sushil wrote me a mail that  eversince he saw me at Haldwani, he has been wanting to communicate with me. He said that he envys our life style, as he sees us swaying with the wind of life and enjoyed every whiff that came our way. Sometimes, even we wonder and enjoy about the will of God, that how exhilarating life we have been blessed with, so far, indeed.

Finally, Sushil fixed up a photography assignment for me with Eastmar Tours. The notice was too short to organise myself and my family for the Egypt tour. I realised that our small kids did not have passports and my own passport had expired. As I mentioned, when God is happy with your work, if passionately done, He decides to be on your side always. I wanted passports in four days and I could not dream of getting our passports before two weeks at least, by any means. As I was wondering how I will get all the passports, I got a phone call from Mr Ashwani Attri, a good photographer friend, who was the Accountant General of Haryana at that time, to meet him for something. On meeting, I asked if he could help me in getting the passports and he did, as he helped me in a proper legal way through proper channel and got me passports within four days, in `urgent category’. As it had happened too soon and too quick, Rajbir often said that she will believe about it only when our aircraft for Egypt will take off from Delhi. And one day soon, we were airborne for Egypt!

We, as a family, did a great memorable trip to Egypt, stayed in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, the best was Nile Cruise. It was organised by Eastmar Tours. They have superb Nile cruise ships named as RA-I and RA-II. On our arrival on-board RA-II, we were pleasantly surprised, we had not expected it to be so mesmerising atmosphere on the ship. We had great views of the River Nile, right from our cabin itself. I must say Nile cruise is really an experience which one should never miss in life. I met many wetsern tourists on the same ship, who told me that its `dream come true’ tour for them. They all had heard a lot about Egypt and dreamt about the River Nile all their life.

I must appreciate that Eastmar has a great Chef and his team in the kitchen on board RA-II; food is superb and very hygienic (in fact certified). And that is what one wants on a tour, good safe food, good comfortable room!

I am told Eastmar Tours is the oldest tour operator company in Egypt, since 1939.

I am planning to organise photo tours to Egypt, soon, alongwith Eastmar. I have proposed Eastmar Tours to make all the arrangements for a good photo tours. If anyone desires, please contact via email wildhiss@gmail.com

In the photo galleries below, you will see all the photos of Egypt by me. I must say, its a highly recommended tour for anyone, even a 90 years old can do these tours.

Dervish Dance/ Sufi Dance Video

MORE ABOUT EGYPT

Taj Mahal (also “the Taj”) is one of the seven wonders of the world, and established historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. And is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.  The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond any kind of description in words, particularly when seen at dawn and sunset. The Taj wears different looks in different weather conditions of all seasons and the time of the day, like a married woman looks in different colours of her dresses and jewelry – there is mesmerising glow on it in the light of the full moon, on a foggy morning, the Taj looks as if suspended, especially when viewed from across the Yamuna river, at sunset and sunrise it entices all the photographers as the glow of the last and first light transforms it into a big jewel.

In 1983, the Taj, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”

Like any other photographer, I was fascinated to photograph the Taj. The day I bought my first digital SLR Canon 20D at Delhi, I drove straight to Agra and spent a week around the marvel. With everyday spent around the Taj, it fired up the intensity of my love to photograph it, which I have never had with any other subject. During all the winter photo sessions, I stood shivering behind the Taj at 0515 hours in winters (used to get get up at 0430 hours), I could not touch my camera tripod with bare hands, it was chilling. Also, I have scorched myself  under the Sun of June, I have stood chest deep in the muck of Yamuna, which doesn’t have much of water content, I have slipped and banged my bums on human excreta many times (lost count now), sometimes the level of the muck flow increases and when it recedes leaves an evenly thin coating of muck behind on ground, which is nothing other than the sewerage flow of whole Agra city. But my passion always took over me and I could not see all that.

In June 2007, I went to photograph people congregating behind the Taj for the celebration of Ganga Dussehra. It is a local fair to Uttra Pradesh (one of the states of India). On my first such shoot, while I was shooting large congregation bathing in that murky Yamuna River, composing the Taj in the background, I had to be in my underwear, as I was not prepared for the kind of shots I was being offered by the festival. On my previous shoots, I used to avoid touching the water flowing in Yamuna, with my feet even. I was moving around very carefully, while holding two cameras up in air in my both hands, scared of slipping and hitting the cameras on ground first. But then the inevitable happened, I slipped on the thin layer of muck and then discovered that it changed my life and my view of the shoot. I was sitting on ground comfortably all over to shoot and regain those lost shots, which I had missed in last one hour, it was like losing virginity – thereafter no worries. I sat all over without any hesitation and was rewarded with some excellent photos. All this gets eclipsed when your passion makes you blind for as a while.

Now, I love going behind the Taj Mahal, on Yamuna side, on my each visit to Agra and the kids of Kacchpura village love to tag along with me on each shoot. After the shoot, its a ritual to have tea at the `cart mounted tea stall’, with the whole gang and my driver. My driver has never been able to understand why I visit this area again and again, why I am not tired of photographing  Taj. After this ritual, I take my driver to `Ram Babu Pratha Walla’ at Belan Ganj in Agra. You have to visit this place to believe and enjoy the best `prathas’ you can ever taste in India. This routine has been evolved to keep my drivers in good humour and motivated to bring me in the morning hours when he loves to sleep. I get up at 0430 hours to reach the entry point on the road near the village Kacchpura village at 0515 hours and be in Yamuna riverbed at around 0530 hours. And the driver has no charm to get up in the morning and then wait indefinitely in the jeep for me, while I am shooting. So, I pamper my drivers at `Ram Babu Parantha’ shop.

Why I reach there so early? Most of you may wonder about me being there with my cameras, behind the Taj so early in the darkness, much before the sunrise. I am sure some readers may ridicule me being there so early. I like to scout around the right spot in the river bed for the day-break and then have enough time to deploy my camera tripod, lens cleaning, filter mounting rings, etc. I do a stock check of each pocket of my photographer’s jacket, to ensure that I know where is what and in case I need anything suddenly, I can pull out things without any confusion. By being there right in the nick of time, I do not want to be caught running around by the first light of the day and then the rising Sun, likelihood is that one may trip over something as well. I am always there at the right spot and be ready in advance to catch the royal structure making shapes in front of the crimson light, at first light of the day-break. And when fog adds to its beauty, its like newly married lady shows her face through the veil slowly. Its simply mesmerising, ecstasy!

No words can express my joy of each day I spend behind the Taj. Though, I will try to do that through my photos of the Taj, posted here in its gallery.

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“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine

I love travelling!

My father has been my best teacher and trainer, before I set out on `solo flight’ in life. In fact, he taught me more than what the Indian army could about how to live with self-esteem and honour. He grilled plenty of civic sense first and made me good human being. He has been my trainer for developing my personality through various ways. I am amazed how he learnt all that, as he has been only a school teacher of a government primary school, where there is no scope of any exposure to an atmosphere which could instill this kind of character or personality in a teacher.

Its my father who initiated me into travel and active outdoor life. His perception about life has been far beyond average Indian parents. Its with this outlook that he trained me to be prepared to take on life on my own without any kind of external support, which most of other Indian kids always depend on their parents for every small thing. Unlike Indian parents, he had set a deadline for me to become self-reliant to earn my living. I still hear echo of those words often – Suresh, do not think this will go on forever, as fun while living on father’s money. He further said very firmly that he will not support me beyond 20 years of my age and he made it very clear to me in just few words. Often, Indian parents keep supporting their children all their life, keep interfering in their personal life often. They keep their kids under their own `protection umbrella’, so much that they never grow out of this `parental cocoon’. Now, I realized that how lucky I am to have father who groomed me well to be self-reliant. He made me bold to make my own decisions. My father supported me for whatever best education, diet, basic amenities he could afford. But he never asked me about which subjects I have opted for in college and he let me have freedom to set my own course in life. When I had just stepped into my college (S.D. College, Ambala Cantt.) for graduation in arts stream, at the same time I was also contemplating for professional colleges which could guarantee me a job after I complete my education. In those days, there weren’t much wider options for jobs and professional courses as are nowadays. My father told me that he is not going to impose any of his choice of profession or any professional education on me, I was free to make my own decisions. All this training took place so smoothly and quietly that I never realised, it made a me a man.

Since, crime was less in those days, life was much safer for a 15 years old boy, I travelled alone for long distances in overnight trains. Soon after I passed my tenth class, I travelled alone to other cities to seek admission in professional courses; travelled by overnight trains alone, explored life and liked it, made my own arrangements for travel and stay. It was unheard of  an Indian family, extending freedom to explore life to a raw lad of just 15. This phase changed my life and was a silent turning point in my life and attitude, changed perception to a great extent towards every aspect of life. Basics of cooking were taught to me at home, respect for elders drilled, respect for the system and the society was a must, teachers were the most respected, etc. Also, my father always encouraged me to buy good books other than text books, which was not a common practice around me. After exams, I was given money to fund my small projects i.e. I made my own guitar, a small television which was fitted with a slide projector (projector was made by me with local lenses), etc.

I remember, eversince I started walking, my father used to take me along for morning walks, exploring old buildings, temples, grave-yards, mosques, culture, jungle, etc. We used to walk long distances, go on bicycle trips, made me self-reliant, inculcated self-confidence in me, as a routine. He also motivated me a lot about the value of good health; its my father who could convince me so well against smoking that it had everlasting impact on my mind. In fact, my father encouraged me for anything good in life, never discouraged even if it had cost him extra money.

All these had prepared me to become a good traveller and fired quest for wanderlust, adventure and to enjoy the wonders of nature from close. I was enticed by the Indian army with the opportunities it offers to travel and pursue adventure, partly the influence of army cantonment in my town. My father never forced me to join the Indian army, but he had won my impressionable young mind with the library books about `war heroes’ of India. All things put together, these developed a very strong desire in me to join the Indian Army, not for a job but it was to be a soldier and had no second option in my mind.

I strongly believe that travel shapes one’s character and personality, inculcates a great amount of self-confidence, one starts respecting all cultures and religions, becomes more civic, makes you humble, realise the value of every small thing, one starts to respect even the smallest denomination of currency, fuss about anything is defused, respect for life and all the living things – making you a good human being above all.

I have been lucky to have got married to my `lady love’ Dr Rajbir Kaur, who is a Sikh by religion, but we both respect humanity and life more than religion. I never imposed anything on my wife, she took to traveling like `fish to water’ and that was a great asset to both of us towards a happy married life and towards our family. I have met some men who love traveling but their wives hate it; I think they have no idea how much of great fun of real life they deny to themselves and this makes life very drab and dull for both.

Its very easy to enjoy life – just be a good human being. And travel does that !

Blessed are those who love travelling !!!

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Its basic contours, uplifted by the unimaginable tectonic movements of the Indian sub-continent, have been modified over the millennia by the opposite forces of erosion, sculpted into the form we see today by wind and water. Huge, wide valleys, bounded by barren snow-capped mountain ranges, is the most common sight in this region.

In geological terms, this is a young land, formed only a few million years ago by the buckling and folding of the earth’s crust as the Indian sub-continent pushed with irresistible force against the immovable mass of Asia. Its basic contours, uplifted by these unimaginable tectonic movements, have been modified over the millennia by the opposite process of erosion, sculpted into the form we see today by wind and water.

Ladakh is rich in both the culture and nature. It has many attractive monasteries and a lifestyle calls more Tibetan than in Tibet given it has remained untouched. It leaves the first time traveler awestruck by its geographical and cultural difference as they land at Leh. The features of Ladakhi people, their clothes and dialects are similar to Tibetan and Mongoloid than Indian. Due to cultural and geographical similarities Ladakh is popular among tourists as Little Tibet. Buddhism is the dominant religion in Ladakh while Kargil district is dominated by Muslims and Buddhist. The approach to Ladakh is invariably marked with many walls that are long up to 2 to 3m, decorated with engraved stones bearing the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” and Chortens which symbolizes Buddha’s mind. The Villages and Mountains are ornamented with gompa or monastery residing thousands of Buddhist monks.

Ladakh offers visual feast and photo opportunities to travelers like no other region.

WILDHISS TOURS offer wildlife tours, herpetological tours, photo tours, cultural tours in Ladakh region.

Note: Photo gallery will come here soon.

Rajasthan

The Thar desert with its rolling sand dunes and blinding blaze of summer heat, logically one expects to be driest and vegetable wise most barren state of the country, devoid of great forests or mighty rivers, to be noticeably poor in its wild flora and fauna – the reverse is proved true by Rajasthan having two tiger reserves (under Project Tiger – Asia’s most successful conservation story) and the most famous water-bird sanctuary in Asia. This rocky and rugged arid land divided into two by the world’s oldest hill range Arravali – with its unique and scanty vegetation hosts variety of the desert animal life – tiger, panther, hyena, chowsingha, neelgai, sloth bear, sambhar, desert cat, chital, chinkara, black buck, water fowl, jungle fowl and many species of migratory birds too.

Rajasthan is a treasure trove for travel photographers, as it renders wide spectrum of opportunities with the colourful dresses of folks and folk art, fairs & festivals, handsome people with superb features for portraits, amazing buildings (forts, havelis, palaces, villages), mesmerising landscape, rich culture, etc. I have met many international photographers and travellers who love to visit Rajasthan every year, they have fallen in love with Rajasthan. I have been lucky to have got posted in Rajasthan for one year in 1989, while I was in service.

Now, I love travelling in my caravan (named as Kingcobra) in Rajasthan, the best way to travel in this region. Trust me, no other means of travelling has match to a caravan in these plains, where people and terrain is good for safe travel.

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Nile is a dream river for every visitor and photographers love to photograph everything around this great river.  Egypt presents the visitor with many striking contrasts, particularly in its landscape and in the ancient, Christian and Islamic elements of its heritage. Signs of Westernization and tradition are sometimes found in startlingly incongruous juxtaposition, bur more usually the new is adapted to blend harmoniously with the old.

Nile – the great river which flows down its entire length has united Egypt, and which indeed is the creator of the country. Without the Nile, Egypt would not exist.  The great majority of its estimated 80 million live along the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable agricultural land is found. And cultivate the land as their ancestors have done for thousands of year. This narrow, fertile valley is flanked by the desert- a desert which is always threatening to take over the cultivation. Today, controlled by dams and barrages, the Nile no longer floods the country every year. The building of the High Dam at Aswan flooded the whole of the Nile valley between Aswan and the frontier with Sudan, creating Lake Nasser. Preserved from the threat of devastating floods, Egypt is now protected from the dangers of famine by the regulation of the water.

Egypt has a landscape which is surprisingly varied, but all of the terrain derives from a combination of water and sky, cultivation and desert.

Dervish Dance/ Sufi Dance Video

MORE INFO ABOUT EGYPT

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