Domain of the Rajas

Bundi, Rajasthan, India

OK, for a comparison (with the previous post), here’s a sample of forts from a small portion of Rajasthan, India. The state of Rajasthan is slightly larger than the whole of Malaysia (east & west combined) in land area. Rajasthan is landlocked and a large portion of it is desert (the Thar Desert). Camels are common and can be seen everywhere, mostly as beasts of burden for pulling carts, in market places, in the cities, plying on the National Highways, heck there’re weighing stations equipped with weigh bridges just for the camel carts.




The Palace, Fort and Town of Bundi in Rajasthan


Anu's eldest sister Manju and son, Kunal at Nahargarh Fort (aka the Tiger Fort), Jaipur, Rajasthan


The ramparts of Amber Palace from Jaigarh Fort, Amer


A watch tower on Jaigarh Fort


Some garden near Amer, Rajasthan (think it's called Kanak Vrindavan, not too sure)


Nephew Kunal at a temple pavilion near the garden

Forts of Gulf Arabia

Bukha Fort, Musandam, Oman - the fort is that tiny structure near the bottom of the photo, dwarfed by the immense mountains behind

Forts, castles and the ilk have always been one of my favourite subjects... The Arabian versions are smaller, way smaller than their Indian counterparts. Some of the houses around where we're staying now in Dubai are actually bigger than the old forts around here. Imagine how this area have changed huh?


Sharjah Fort, in the middle of a friggin roundabout surrounded by apartment blocks - beautiful?


The entrance of the Al-Ain Fort (a museum now), most of the old forts & houses are museums of one kind or another now.


The remains of a fort near the Badiyah Mosque, in the Emirate of Fujairah, east coast UAE


The Badiyah Mosque (the small cute looking mud building), reputedly the oldest standing mosque in the region (1300 years old)


Khasab Fort, Musandam, Oman


Khasab Fort up close with Anu


No this is not a fort, it’s our trusty hotel in Khasab, where we had to cough up 800 bloody bucks (dirhams) for a night in two adjoined rooms with a shared bathroom. (We went with our Malaysian friends – Sree Ganesh & family)


Members of the trip, in our dhow (Arabian boat) – from right, Sujatha, Anu, Vishnu (Sujatha’s son with face concealed by bag), Yashwini (Sujatha’s daughter), Sree Ganesh (father of the two kids), some total stranger who happen to protrude into our picture.

Perak #@*$!

Perak – beautiful land of cave temples and corrupt assemblymen (and woman)

Anyway, short update. Work SUCKS!

And throw them corrupted assembly men & woman out of Perak. Fuck them! The country’s corrupted enough as it is already…


Garden of the Sam Pou Cave Temple, Ipoh


Beside the tortoise pool, Sam Pou Toung


Ipoh Garden South, amidst the limestone hillocks


A beach bum at Pangkor Island




The Perak Cave Temple, Ipoh