Spend on Experiences !!! Make memories all over the world...

Embarking on a road trip from Vancouver to Whistler along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway is an unforgettable experience that showcases the best of British Columbia's natural beauty and vibrant culture.

We began our journey at 9 am on 25th June, leaving Vancouver behind to embark on a breathtaking adventure. As we hit the open road, we were met with stunning coastal vistas, lush forests, and charming towns that dotted the landscape.
Here is the Google Map legend with all the details pinned- CLICK HERE

**Pit Stop 1: Shannon Falls Provincial Park**
Our first stop was Shannon Falls Provincial Park, where we marveled at the grandeur of Shannon Falls, cascading down the cliffs in all its splendor. The short hike to the viewing platform was well worth it, and the roaring waterfalls left us in awe of nature's power.
**Cost: Free**

**Pit Stop 2: Britannia Mine Museum**
Next, we delved into British Columbia's mining history at the Britannia Mine Museum. Exploring the historic mine, we learned about the region's mining heritage and the challenges faced by early miners. The highlight was the thrilling underground tour, taking us deep into the heart of the mountain.
**Cost: $39.95 CAD per adult**

​Hi everyone, it's been a few weeks since I moved to Vancouver and I thought I'd share my observations and experiences so far. As a newcomer, I've had to adapt to the city's unique characteristics and learn how to navigate its quirks. Here are some of my observations:

1. Subdued Nightlife
One thing I noticed right away is that nightlife in Vancouver is typically more subdued compared to other big cities. This is likely due to the city's strict licensing and health & safety laws, which restrict standing in bars and limit capacity. While this might be a downside for some, I appreciate the city's focus on safety and responsible drinking.


2. High Homeless Population
Another thing I've noticed is the high homeless population in Vancouver. It's one of the mildest cities in Canada, so it attracts homeless individuals from all over the country. The area of East Hastings, where many of them congregate, is one of Vancouver's darker secrets. While it's disheartening to see so many people struggling, I'm also impressed by the city's efforts to provide support and resources for the homeless population.


3. Expensive Cost of Living
It's no secret that Vancouver is one of the most expensive cities to live in North America. The cost of living here is significantly higher than other Canadian cities, which can be a challenge for newcomers. However, I've found that there are ways to save money, such as taking advantage of free events and exploring the city on foot or bike instead of relying on cars.

Hi there, welcome to my blog!
It has been ages since I got back to writing. My desk is overlooking a wide window allowing sunlight to open my thoughts to be penned today.​

​I am here to share my journey of living in different cities around the world. I left my hometown in 2008 for studies and since then, I have stayed in 4 cities and called them my home. My present city is Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

​Starting a new life with my wife here wasn't an easy decision. I left my job in Nigeria, my comfortable life, and started to rebuild my life in a new city. It was a big step but one that we were excited to take. We have been wanting to live like this ever since.

The city of Vancouver has been so welcoming for us. I like the pace of life here. It is slow and rewarding at the same time. However, life is demanding too, and one should not let their nonchalant ways of life take over here. There is a very thin line between having a slow life and being laid back. It has been over a month now (at the time of writing this article), and I am still adjusting to the new city.

 Pokhran, the only thing that strikes to your mind when you first hear this name is that this tiny village in Rajasthan was the test site for India’s first underground nuclear weapon and the train of thoughts will take you to picturize John Abraham if you are a Bollywood buff ! Planning a trip to such a place doesn’t come naturally and that’s exactly why you should visit Pokhran.

​Located conveniently between Jodhpur & Jaisalmer, Pokhran is also connected to Bikaner and serves as a perfect pit stop for “tourists” visiting the rather conventional locations to enjoy the highly commercialised heritage of Rajasthan. But if you are a raw traveller looking for offbeat experiences, try and spend some days in this quaint village and immerse in the authentic Rajasthani culture.

A direct flight from Delhi to Jodhpur & 3 hours in a cab which can be arranged in advance by tying up with the local hotels will take you to Pokhran. It’s a sleepy town and gives a very rustic feeling. As you drive in, the highway is lined up with stalls selling Cham Cham ( a sweet delicacy), which was too sweet for my taste but is perfect for people having sugar rush. Its unusual to find a decent place to stay in such a small village, however Fort Pokhran was a pleasant discovery! ​Hidden in the by-lanes at the heart of the city lies this majestic Fort partly transformed into a heritage hotel and managed by the royal family of Jodhpur themselves.

Our perception about this beautiful country has largely been influenced by American movies, is that why we don't really consider Russia for a holiday destination. More so, The greatest Briton of all time, Winston Churchill famously remarked that Russia was "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."
I say, you need to visit before you form a perception, oh and leave room for a huge surprise! 

​I reached the Russian Capital at around midnight, with a few friends that I had made in St. Petersburg. The train ride was picturesque with a lot of greenery and open fields to gaze at. We checked into Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel on Tverskaya street, which is the main radial street. We decided to explore the city while it was relieved of its hustle bustle. The enticing back alleys and charming side streets that branch off of Tverskaya street are filled with hole in the wall eateries that are open late and serve some delicious food. The few people on the streets were hospitable and extremely helpful to point us back to our hotel when we lost our way.

The day started with a visit to the famous Moscow Kremlin, it overlooks the Moskva river and is situated in the heart of the city. Kremlin happens to be the seat of the present Russian government and houses the Kremlin Museum and the Armory. Its business as usual at the State Kremlin Palace, a swanky modern building which remains unobstructed by the flocking tourists. I stood gobsmacked staring at this splendid building, which has been destroyed time and again and yet here it stood in all its might. Of course, like a tourist I did click pictures with the Tsar canon and the Tsar bell, which are on display on Kremlin ground.

After having my visa application rejected by the American Embassy, Russia was the obvious choice for a holiday. Russian visa was not extremely hard to get! My obsession with Russia could not be contained any longer. First stop was going to be St. Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and Leningrad.

I landed at the Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg, on a fine June afternoon. After clearing immigration, it was a long but scenic ride to Corinthia Hotel in the Nevsky Prospect.

The city was decorated and there was much pomp and show, the people were out on the streets. I checked into the hotel. On inquiring I was told that I got lucky as the city was celebrating Scarlet Sails, which happens to be the most massive and famous event at the end of school year. 

Honestly, I had not done much research about the city. After changing into my party clothes. I stepped out to explore the city, on foot. Before that, it was a pit stop to one of the many cafes that line the streets of Nevsky Prospect. As I sat outside one of the cafes and absorbed the breath-taking view while sipping my vodka, I thought about how fascinated I had been about the glorious and bloody Russian history, its architecture, the Tzars and Tsarinas and all the powerplay that Russia has to offer. The architectural beauty of the city is breath-taking. You are surrounded by old European styled building, without any modern building in the heart of the city. 

A unique way to admire the Russian Venice is to take a night boat ride through rivers/channels. You get a totally different perspective of the city, the monuments on the riverbanks are lit up and they take your breath away.  It was around 9:30 pm and I was surprised to see the sun. That is how St. Petersburg gets another nickname “The City of White Nights”. It’s a natural phenomenon which arises due to its closeness to the polar region and ensures that in summer the nights do not get completely dark for a month (don’t forget to draw the curtains before you sleep) !

That night when I finally went to bed at around 3 am, I could not help but marvel at the beauty and the history of the city. Scarlet sails ended with spectacular fireworks and water show, which was preceded by music concerts and a whole lot of celebration.

In our previous blog we shared our experience on Theog, Himachal Pradesh and how did we manage to reach our hotel.  We also talked about our wonderful spa session.
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If you haven't read, here is a quick link Theog - A Quiet Escape Into The Mountains Part 1.

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The next Day (Day 3) started at 6:00 a.m. with another hike uphill, crossing paths with a Tibetan house with a history of war. It was the only house in an around 1000 acres of land which survived the war. The hike was planned to enjoy the mother nature, away from the city stress.  Point of being away from crowded Shimla town was achieved. 

Its funny how one never sulks about being sleepy or any misadventures coming your way when you are in mountains.
On the slopes of these pine tree covered mountains we came across a quaint lil village with just about handful of houses. Almost all of them had a House With A view, perfectly nestled  to soak in the views and savor the serenity. Most of the houses still had the old traditional charm with mud walls and cobbled roofs resting on wooden logs.

Our path was smooth and uneventful, surrounded by Pine trees and patch of small apple orchards. We found ourselves admiring the beauty of the woods and the vegetation covered with fresh snow. The sun rays could not touch the forest floor as the treetops which created a canopy over our head were dense. There was a gentle breeze, creating the single sound of rustling leaves. The leaves appeared as though they were dying to fall out of the tree and join their companions on the forest floor. Together with pine needles and other flora the leaves formed a thick springy carpet for us to walk upon.

The whole setting was augmented by bird chirpings and rustling leaves, giving us our moment of the morning session of mindfulness. But.........
Our little conversation with our instructor/guide filled the air with folklores of Theog. He surprised us by carrying 2 portable chairs & a foldable table. Not to forget he had a picnic kit ( Tea, muffins and some peanut + jaggery bars.  Spending about an hour in the wilderness, we spoke about how the most dramatic elements of the area were the majestic trees themselves. Tall and stately, glowing red trunks and high crowns towering over a thick vegetation with grasses and native plants. We even started planning for our next vacation. 

The journey to Theog ( Himachal Pradesh ) was a planned vacation. This hamlet of less than 5,000 people is well-connected to the rest of Himachal Pradesh via National Highways 5 and 705. It started around 1.30pm from Chandigarh Airport (Punjab) which is about 150 kms to our destination.

The journey was filled with excitement, as it was going to be an action packed 4 days tour. The windows were down ( in the initial leg of our journey) music was on and 100 miles of adventure to be covered on your wheels. Inspite of the weather being distinctively windy, we pulled off at many places to admire the valley and the surrounding beauty. 
We were half way through, just about to cross Shimla ​( 30 kms away from Taj Theog ) as the snow started falling, it made it difficult to drive. What was a wonderful journey so far, now, has turned into once in a life time experience for us. The S-curve road and the sharp U-turns of the mountains, covered with snow made the 1hr drive to a 4 long hrs., as the vehicle wheels kept skidding over the thin ice sheets even at a speed of 10 kmph. Out of sheer joy we could not stop asking our driver ‘Sirji’ (name of the car driver) to stop the car as we were amazed by the outside view and the snowfall.

​After few minutes of play with snow we were chilled to our bones, we could not even switch on the heater as the car was not a 4 wheel drive and we could not afford the engine to seize. The last leg of the journey was muddy and off-road upwards drive to the top of a hill where , 'Taj' which was recently opened, was nestled.

Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal and lies about 1400 metres above sea level. This Himalayan city has so much to offer its guests that you need atleast 3-4 days to see & feel it in the truest sense. But in this fast paced life, time is what most people don’t have. So if you have only 2 days to spare in Kathmandu, don’t be disappointed. I have done all the homework for you and have listed down a complete plan for these 2 days so that you don’t miss out anything.

These are the best places to visit or experience most of it can be covered in 2 days:

1. Chandragiri hill – It’s a 30-45 mins drive from the city depending on where you are put up. Leave soon after you check in. Once you reach the foot station, you can buy tickets for the massive 2.5 kms rope way that takes you right up on the Chandragiri hill. The rope way itself is an exhilarating experience that you will remember for a long time. Once you reach the top, you can pray at the Bhaleswor Mahadev temple, stroll in the kids parks or pay a nominal fee to witness the majestic Everest range from an observatory.            

           Entry fee - USD 10 to 25 (depending on your nationality)
           Total Time Required - 3 to 4 hours

When in England, Go to Oxford. Period.
Oxford is a small university town with of population of about 200,000 people and . .  it has never been the capital of Britain. The more fascinating thing to know is that despite being a small town, Oxford gets more than '10 million' visitors a year and is often cited as travelers' favorite city in the UK.

“The world surely has not another place like Oxford; it is a despair to see such a place and ever to leave it, for it would take a lifetime and more than one to comprehend and enjoy it satisfactorily.”
-Nathaniel Hawthorne


From -HUFFPOST- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/oxford-quotations_n_6350390

The most obvious reason for Oxford’s fame is of course - THE University. It’s the second oldest in the world (allegedly), educator of 28 Nobel Prize winners, and often cited as the best university on the planet. You will see young millennials flocking the streets almost throughout the day. But what makes this place special is its magnificent history, beautiful architecture, shopping options from across the street to huge shopping centers, delicious food and some cool coffee spots to indulge in – All of which make Oxford perfect for a day trip!

The moment we landed in Oxford, a question bothered me - How did this university became so famous? The answer isn’t simply because it’s a great university. It's more for Hollywood Fanatics !

Oxford is stunning. And because it’s so beautiful a lot of people have made films here – the ones which have been watched by people across the planet.... including you & me !
Here’s just a few of the films that have been filmed in Oxford.

• X-Men: First Class

• Harry Potter Series

• Saving Private Ryan

• 102 Dalmatians

• The Italian Job

Got any flash backs ? No, then go watch them now. If you have already watched any of the movies above, watch them again to find out the scenes shot in Oxford. Trust me it is fun.