Bagan - an ancient world

It has been years since I set foot in the ancient temple sphere 

Awestruck by the soaring stupas that followed my everywhere

From sunrise till sunset, on our e-bikes, we went with the flow

Only one travel mantra this time and that was, to keep it slow

Golden Shwezigon, lofty Thatbyinnyu, and the lucky Htilominlo

The white Shwesandaw with its five terraces, many more to go

The unfinished Dhammayangyi and the flawless Ananda temple

One by a tyrant, another a saint, both hoped to set an example

Some set carefully in stones and bricks, some in wood and gold

But each has its own story of grandeur and spirituality to be told

During the day, we lived on peanut brittles and local jaggery fare 

While we shopped for souvenirs like paintings and lacquerware

Then sat at the gourd-shaped Bupaya Pagoda to view the sunset

Near the ageless Ayeyarwady river, that blesses all within its net  

Few hot air balloons glided at a distance, 2,000 feet up in the air

Giving the riders, sweeping views of the Pagan kingdom in prior 

Coconut rice, lentil soup, spring rolls, and local curries for dinner
At ‘The Moon Vegetarian Restaurant’ were hands down a winner 

To be there was a dream lived in every nous of being a wanderer

Yet I seem to have seen a lot more than what I could remember

The lanes are getting mislaid in the bleary alleys of my memories

The conversations too, are getting muffled, adding to my worries

A bagful of souvenirs and a phone full of photos are not capable

Alas! To keep alive forever the experience that was unforgettable 

The wishlist

An amazonian forest of whims and vagaries that grows upon you, every time you enter it, making you feel guilty for feeling fulfilled, chastening you for not wanting more than what you already have, enticing you to go deeper into the magical world of consumerism where you pay by your time and peace of mind.

Off season Ibiza - Part 2

‘There’s more to the White Isle than all-night parties’

cheered the hotel staff, telling us about their sorties

The fortified old town, ‘Dalt Vila’ with all its cannons 

Lent rich Mediterranean views in teals and ceruleans

Narrow, winding, cobblestoned alleys frozen in time

with little wooden doors on walls covered with lime

Restaurants, cafes, art and curios shops and arcades

Colorful kaftans, beaded belts, sunhats, and shades

Next, we took a bus that left us amid a dusty stretch

There was no way to guess which direction to fetch

Trusting our instincts, we took a path, quite laidback

Pulled by the boho vibes and the Balearic soundtrack 

Bienvenido! to a slice of paradise at Sunset Ashram 

A rugged, rocky coastal escape from the humdrum

Stunning, magnificent, incredible, words fall short

To depict this famed sunset spot, the locals exhort

Bidding the sun adios, we hit the town’s old haunt 

Teatro Peyreyra, the vintage nightspot you’d want

Draped in red velvet and decked with chandeliers  

An electric place to let go of all your dancing fears

Swaying the night away to great live performances 

in a jam-packed hall, oh! what were the chances?

Hit the bed at 3 am only to wake up for the sunrise
And that’s how you experience Ibiza, said the wise 

Thrown off by the 'off-season', going a bit offbeat

got us an experience that we would love to repeat

       

Off-season Ibiza - Part 1

Stepping out of the airport, I felt the wind in my hair

Delighted to tick this trip off my bucket list with flair 

We’re on the planet’s party capital, all set for a blast 

The sundowner, the groove, the music, slow and fast

YOLO, so we upgraded to the best room as they tell

Serene yet snazzy, diamond suite of Hard Rock Hotel

Endless views of azure from the bed and the terrace

We roamed around to know our pad, there’s no race

Spoiling myself in the cool in-room bathtub was fun

Had my no-holds-barred glamourous life just begun?

Down at the lobby, we enquired about the best club

‘Oops! You’re a bit early for the party’ came the snub

You see, today is the real start to the summer season

Fiestas start next week, so explore the island till then

Buffaloed, we stood there, all plans deep in the sand

Coz tomorrow night we’d to fly back to the mainland 

A walk along the private beach to rake up our spirits

was cut short as the water was too cold for our grits 

Store room (edit from the past)

A storeroom at a corner of my home that no one bothers to enter now
Has grown up with me all the way through as far as my thoughts allow

Chockfull with paraphernalia I had cast off while sailing ahead in life

It offers me the coast I need when I pause at times, stuck in some strife

 

That night, when I opened its door, some fond moments awaited eagerly

My Tobu cycle, on which I'd dreamt to see the world, pedaling gingerly

 

Next to it slept my Barbie; soiled clothes, little hair, yet pretty, as ever

Pulling back the drapes from the past, I mused over days we're together

 

I dusted off a fat scrapbook, my holiday home-work, running into miles

Some sweet memories of my school days left behind a bundle of smiles

 

An earring parted from its match, a pair of sneakers choked with earth

Or even the rusted cooler in a corner had all shared my gloom n mirth

 

Looking at the fan, as it sweated, to bring about a puff of air on my face

I closed my eyes, to go back in time, away from the future, to my solace!

Clicked

I rolled out the moonshine onto the lake and drew some stars on the ebony sky
I blew a little breeze to sway the clouds and pulled in a smoky trail from nearby

I stirred a few waves under the mist and hummed with the woods, a melody old

I traced the silhouette of a dated lighthouse standing forlorn at the farthest fold

 

I watched my breath swirl into a cloud before it softened into the one-dog night

I curled my toes inside my boots and dug my tripod into the ground to set it tight

 

I framed it all with my eyes while my lenses let in as much light as they could fit

I wondered what secrets of the universe will it reveal after the shutter closes on it

  

I glanced at my own composition, unable to believe what I had captured in there

I had to myself, a shard of time in the shape of myriad stars shining without care!

Reference - How to photograph the milk way