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Author Archive | Gilles & Heidi

Persepolis – Looking At Persia’s Splendor

By on 15. April 2014 in Iran
Persepolis - The Apadana, Persepolis & Pasargadae, Iran

Persepolis – The Apadana, Persepolis & Pasargadae, Iran

2.500 years ago this place most likely held the greatest wealth on earth. The treasury of the Achaemenidean kings Darius and Xerxes measured the size two soccer fields. Giant palaces, adorned with remarkable masonry work retell of the glory and power.

Then came Alexander the Great and burned the place to the ground. He had the foresight to order 10.000 mules and 100 camels to be brought to Persepolis to carry away the bounty. Continue Reading →

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Shiraz – The City Of Gardens

By on 14. April 2014 in Iran
Qavam House (also widely called "Narenjestan e Ghavam"), Bagh-e Eram or Eram Garden Or Heaven Garden, Shiraz, Iran

Qavam House (also widely called “Narenjestan e Ghavam”), Bagh-e Eram or Eram Garden Or Heaven Garden, Shiraz, Iran

If you think of the tasty wine of that same name, forget it. Until the Islamic Revolution in the early 1970s, this fine beverage was eagerly consumed in Iran. Nowadays only the grapes are for sale. This does not mean the very wine of the name ceased to exist. Local farmers still produce small quantities for themselves, rumors say.

Nevertheless Shiraz has other sights to pride itself, lush gardens and the tombs of famous Shirazi. Flying in from Teheran we saw nothing but barren mountains without any vegetation, with patches of green in the flat terrain. Continue Reading →

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A Long Trip To Shiraz…

By on 14. April 2014 in Iran

Sunset over Paris... view from an Airbus A320Holding on to a bottle of Jim Beam when boarding a plane would draw attention in any airport of this world. Doing so on the flight from Istanbul to Teheran gave us a sense of bad omen. The Iranian guy dropped in the seat behind us and nobody seemed to be bothered. Continue Reading →

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Ladakh – A Selection Of 40 Pictures

By on 12. August 2013 in Asia – Photos, Ladakh, Ladakh – Photos
Ladakh is a high altitude desert, with once in a while small ribbons of green run down a slope, nourished by small stream running - Here Gangla Village, on the way from Leh to Khardung La, Ladakh, India

Ladakh is a high altitude desert, with once in a while small ribbons of green run down a slope, nourished by small stream running – Here Gangla Village, on the way from Leh to Khardung La, Ladakh, India

Ladakh – A mélange of mystic, ancient monasteries, breathtaking landscapes, remote and still partly untouched villages like Bodgang in Baltistan. The main outdoor attraction is trekking, anything from 1 to 23 day (treks), but also rafting on the Zanskar River. Ladakh has also become increasing popular for motor-bikers Continue Reading →

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Travel Guide To Ladakh

By on 10. August 2013 in Ladakh

Grand Escapades’ Travel Guide To Ladakh – Many Highlights Without Trekking

Tso Moriri, Ladakh

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

If you are looking for information on trekking Ladakh, stop right here! You won’t find any. The day we arrived we decided against it – too hot, no shade, too expensive… Given these conditions, our already measly motivation made a trek never happen. Continue Reading →

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Budget Guide To Ladakh

By on 9. August 2013 in Ladakh, Travel Budget

Grand Escapades’ Budget Guide To Ladakh – A very Cheap Place To Travel

Washing the dishes - Ladakhi way! Korzok, Tso Moriri, Ladakh, India

Washing the dishes – Ladakhi way! Korzok, Tso Moriri, Ladakh

Type Of Travel

India is a very cheap place to travel, and Kashmir & Ladakh are not different – Making a good level of comfort affordable, while rock bottom backpacking costs next to nothing. Continue Reading →

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Farewell Ladakh, Farewell India on the Chennai Express!

By on 8. August 2013 in Ladakh
Leaving Ladakh and our favorite Hotel Oriental, Leh, Ladakh, India

Leaving Ladakh and our favorite Hotel Oriental, Leh, Ladakh, India

Air India took us back to Delhi, across the mighty Himalayas. An experience itself! It is literally breathtaking to climb up amidst all these snowcapped summits and then pass right over them, so close you feel you can touch them… The other real thrill are the numerous and wide glaciers running in between. Continue Reading →

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Korzok – And Soon Gone!

By on 7. August 2013 in Ladakh
Old women praying and meditating, Korzok, Tso Moriri, Ladakh

Old women praying and meditating, Korzok, Tso Moriri, Ladakh

The evening in Korzok turned out to be really bizarre… Walking around in the dark without streetlights, the tiny village did not come across as particularly picturesque: cubic houses thrown together from stones; bags and other stuff on their flat roofs; lots of rubble all over the village. Continue Reading →

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Tsomo Riri

By on 6. August 2013 in Ladakh
Tso Moriri, Ladakh, India

Tso Moriri, Ladakh, India

The drive from Tso Kar to Tsomoriri was nothing to write home about – we had such high expectations! Only a small geyser was a surprise and the last stretch of the road that leads down to the lake is kind of scenic. The highlight was a large herd of yaks that passed, some gigantic. Continue Reading →

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A Bad Surprise in Thukje…

By on 6. August 2013 in Ladakh
Evening light in Tso Kar, near Tso Moriri, Ladakh, India

Evening light in Tso Kar, near Tso Moriri, Ladakh, India

When we drove in the “village” of Thukje, at a first glance it looked like a heap of rubble. we kept looking for an intact building. And there it was, quite nice, actually. In the adjacent tent a large Ladakhi family was gathering and yes, they had two rooms in their home for us to stay. We were uncertain about whether all these people were staying in the small house or if some was just visiting. Hassan, our driver, noticed our concerns and pointed at another intact building in the distance – a guesthouse: two concrete blocks on a plot of land outside the settlement, ten rooms, some with a view of the salt heaps nearby. Very, very basic, but livable. Continue Reading →

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