similar situation, different decision



dear murliji,

thanks for asking and sound like the echo of my self talk.

1. why i terminated both calls of yday in 10-15 points

= there was a strong "undercurrent" signals for slide down. so i took the intraday downward position. but as is often possible near sma 34 lines, those strong signals are bulldozed. for 1-2 hours, it seemed that the upward movement was a bluff. so while i let the first short position drift without sl, at sufficient high intraday position, i gave my shorts a second shot but this time with stop loss. i went for a stoploss for 2 reasons - a)second trade was more in-the-money and costlier, b)if the market was to still continue to drift up (as it eventually did), i didn't need longer signal to accept that the "undercurrent" was false and an upward rally was in store. therefore, the second short trade was with a tight (but well thought of) 10 point one. the first one was costlier @ 15

2. why i let today's trade ride the roller coster

= yesterday's bulldozing of "short" signal was enough signal of an upward rally. so i had little doubt of going long for overnight. 1% asian market buoyancy in morning hinted that i was right. but the rbi policy was a factor that stood in-between. besides the overnight bullish hints, there were enough signals in the morning that hinted that upward movement was inevitable. i was jittery to see the markets dip in the pre-lunch session, but frankly, i was not surprised. i rechecked the signals and saw buoyant forces again. and i was sure that operators / market forces couldn't bulldoze opposite side signals on consecutive days. plus there were 1-2 more reasons. by now, it was obvious that market forces had used rbi news to play the intraday game. buying and adding to the long positions at the intraday lows was an excellent idea (which i decided against, for some reasons).

i checked signals again after 3 and saw clear btst invitation.

so while squaring yday trades was the acceptance of the limit of adverse trade setup, not squaring today's intraday adverse trade was a tough put-my-foot-down deliberate decision to stick to my understanding.
and all this time, i was almost ready with the backup plan. 

Cephalonia, an Island to Savour – Part One

I just love this place, although I wondered if this affair of the heart would have staying power. The island bewitched me the first time I went and then played hard to get the second time when we stayed in the wrong resort during a two week freak monsoon and fog bank. After all it is hard to ‘have fun’ whilst suffering hypothermia and gazing at redundant swimming pool and sun loungers through condensationed windows.
The place can be as fickle as its signposts and even the locals seem uncertain as to whether it is spelt Cephalonia or Kefalonia. Our particular holiday started like so many others with a two hour drive from Wiltshire to Gatwick Airport. Again, like most holidays the flight departure time was so early that even our wake-up call sounded tired. It was made a little bearable in that we had booked the night before at the Hilton South Terminal Gatwick thus avoiding any risk of oversleeping (we thought).
The Hilton is like any other Airport hotel i.e. legions of travelling folk either in transit or plonked there by their airline for various reasons. On top of them you have over-nighters like us
The hotel reflects its clientele by trying to be the right thing for everyone and, in this case, failing for most. The airlines want to pay next to nothing so they try to serve cheap food at the highest price possible to other customers. The Carvery in the main restaurant displayed this by offering minimal starter (mainly salad) with cheap cuts of meat. I found at least one large rubbery artery hanging out of my cut of lamb .I picked it up by said blood vessel and dangled it before a shocked restaurant manager. It had to go back and, to be fair; they did not dare charge me.
The 'two hotel' bit comes with the rooms. You get the new bit and the old bit. New is mainly exec rooms and old is, well, old and quite horrid. They tend to put all the cheapy airline customers in the old part and the higher payers in the new unless (like most nights) they are full and you then take your chances. Also, if you are a smoker, you are doomed to the worst of the worst. Serves you right you may say but smoker’s money should be as good as anyone else. One day I will have to persuade my wife to stop otherwise we will continue to be shunned or carted off to the darkest recesses of hotel buildings!
The room we had was vile and overlooked the staff car park and an old prefabricated shed. We sought refuge in their ‘Executive Lounge’ but this was full of kids rolling on the floor. At one stage a ‘Buzz Lightyear’ model hurtled past my ear as one little boy was seeing if it could really fly. We could not handle this level of sophistication so off we went to the main bar. There things got a lot better. We started talking to three folk in wheelchairs. They were part of an organisation called BEWSA who are the British Ex-servicemen Wheelchair Sports Association. They were off to compete in an event in the USA and were wholly responsible for me getting drunk and nearly missing our flight. Fortunately I had checked our cases in with Thomson the night before and I would recommend this to anyone who is able to do it. That way it avoids the horrendous queue at check in and enables silly boys or girls like me to have one or two extra pints. It also means they do not weigh your hand baggage at check in.
Have you ever had one of those horrifying moments when you simultaneously wonder a) who you are b) where you are and c) why you feel like a beached whale with heartburn? That was me when the sleepy wake-up call invaded my consciousness and told me enough to realise I had set the time of it wrong. The rest was a blur with both of us running around our ‘palatial’ room like headless chickens. I flung the curtains opened only to terrorise a young lady staff member who was climbing out of her car just below me. Where are my pants I thought?
Have you ever tried to move quickly through an airport? Impossible. You see, normal folk turn into entranced zombies when they are on airport concourses. What is worse is that these stumbling zombies wield suitcases, water bottles, rucksacks and kids around them as the lurch and come to sudden stops for no reason whatsoever. We battered our way through the lot of them remembering the dire warnings given at check-in the night before about how they load and depart their planes sometimes ahead of schedule.
We finally got to the gate. What did we do there? We sat. And then we sat some more. Then we watched the rest of the plane’s passengers slowly amble to the departure area. 45 minutes later they boarded the flight. You see I should have known better. Airlines will always tell you to get to the gate long before you need to. They do it because they know you are going to be late and they don’t want to hang around. Trouble is it becomes rather like those motorway warning signs; one either take no notice or assume they are warning you too far in advance
Our Thomson flight to Argostoli in Cephalonia was pretty uneventful. It took little over three hours which was just about as long as I would be willing to put up with such little leg room. I had made a wrong assumption when booking our specific seats which was that as I had paid to book them I would receive them. This was wrong. If you pay to book specific seats then all you are getting guaranteed is seats next to each other. If you want the exit row then you have to pay more for these extra room seats! If you do as I did which was book the seats that I knew (in that particular aircraft type) were the emergency exit then they reserve the right to move you out of them nearer the flight time – unless you pay more.
Coming back I ended up paying twice to get the seats I had originally booked! We enjoyed our full size bottle of champagne and a fine selection of chocolates that I had pre-ordered on Thomson. The champagne brand would not make Moet et Chandon quake in their shoes but very adequate despite my hangover. We also bought snacks on the plane although the prices were through the roof. We initially laughed when an elderly couple next to us got out their picnic of potted meat sandwiches, pork pie and a thermos of tea but the last laugh was on me...and my wallet when I paid silly money for a bacon baguette.
So we arrived, on time, at Argostoli and not too much the worse for wear. It was hot and sunny and we entered the building in high spirits. It is not the largest of airports but the air conditioning worked well and there were a few places to sit whilst waiting for one’s bags. It was then that I started wondering about the night before bag check in service and whether they had remembered to load our cases the next day.
We waited and waited. Finally the first of our bags spewed onto the carousel. I immediately spotted it was mine not Judith’s which was not good news. Greek baggage handlers must be the slowest in the World and I warn you that you will need to be patient. Time ticked by and no bags were forthcoming. Finally, right at the very end, the last bag popped out and thankfully it was ours. Praise be! Nothing worse than being cloth less in a foreign country, especially as it would have been “all my fault”.
The rest of the formalities on arrival at this airport are minimal and we were soon out the other end without ever knowing if we had been through customs. We decided to pick up a car at the airport and we used a company called CBR which has their office less than 5 minutes stroll from the terminal entrance. I simply wheeled our bags up there and the car was waiting. You can get all types of hire car but I recommend you pick one with a slightly bigger engine due to the steep and winding terrain you may end up driving through.
The island is split up into two tourist parts. The southern coastal strip, which is more open, sandy and populated, and the north which is mountainous, very much quieter and more scenic. The main southern resorts are Scala, Lourdas and Lassi while in the north you have villages and ports like Fiscardo, Assos and Agia Efimia. In the not too distant past there was a significant earthquake on the island which affected the landscape in the south whilst leaving the north almost untouched.
The island is a very relaxing place and the overwhelming number of local people are kind and helpful. If you do pick up a car at the airport you must make sure you have good directions to your destination as the road signs are pretty useless. The airport itself is well signposted but if you are going to say Fiscardo like we were than forget it without a concise guide. You have to skirt around the main town of Argostoni and that is much easier said than done.
Also be aware that if you are on a roundabout you have to give way to any car joining it! The drive from the airport to the villa we were staying at not far from Fiscardo takes about an hour. Once beyond the main town you literally follow the coast northwards on a good quality very winding road built into the cliff face. Overtaking is neither recommended or that possible and coming face to face with a lorry full of locals speeding the other way is always good fun for thrill seekers!
If you have a manual geared car you will have well exercised wrists by the time you get where you are going. Finally watch out for goats as they think they own the road and can stroll in front of you at any time. I was moaning further back about the early flight but its advantage is that flying at 6.30 a.m. means you get out of your car at the villa around 2 p.m. local time which is perfect for gaining access after the maids have cleared up from previous guests. Also, when going home, you can leave the villa around 10 a.m. and have loads of time to get to the airport. Still a blooming awful peak time to fly out from Gatwick, especially if you are checking in bags on the day.
So we arrived at our villa and it was beautiful in every way. Breath-taking views over forests and cliffs, clean sparkling pool with plenty of sun loungers, everything you could want…if you could get in that is. The key was in the door but the door would not open. We were literally stuck outside peering through the windows at what seemed a perfectly renovated cottage. It was called ‘Vigli Retreat’ and unsurprisingly located in the village of Vigli which is perched above the Ionian Sea.
The villas are high enough to catch any breeze but close enough for the short trip to various beaches nearby. We rented it via a company called Unique Villas and were very pleased with our choice of company and location. It would have been even better if we could have got through the front door but eventually I was able to open the rear entrance.
Apart from being well equipped and in a very pretty scenic spot the villa and its location had other virtues. There is a good grocery shop in nearby Maganos and less than ten minutes from there is the beautiful fishing village of Fiscardo which has at least three bigger food stores. On the way to Fiscardo there are at least two excellent restaurants and our favourite was The Stone House who do great spit roasts twice a week on Fridays and Sundays. I will tell you more about Fiscardo later.
Probably like most people the first thing we did was thoroughly inspect the villa and what it contained. Unique Villas provide a small supply of essentials but frankly not enough to see you through a continental breakfast. A complementary bottle of wine was a nice touch but no substitute for bread and butter. I was disappointed that there were a shortage/lack of essentials like kitchen roll, toilet paper, oil and the sort of things that others, like us, leave behind them but Unique Holidays say they are restricted in what they leave by food and hygiene rules. I am not convinced!
The rest of the villa appeared in excellent working order. The air conditioning was extremely effective in both the open plan lounge/kitchen and bedrooms. There was plenty of hot water to go round and the windows opened up to a very pretty well tended exterior.
Like many Mediterranean bedrooms the beds consisted of normal mattresses laid directly on top of boards and took a bit of getting used to. Never mind we thought, we could recover during the day on those brand new sun loungers we saw on the way in. The next day proved a little more taxing. After a night on the hard beds we headed for the sun loungers only to find that they were made of hard plastic and had no mattresses. In fact the only covers of any sort were four small wafer thin seat covers for alfresco dining. It seems strange that someone who has clearly spent so much money on furnishing a villa should skimp on such comfort essentials. We can soon sort this out, I thought.
I decided to wait until the following day (Monday) to call the area rep as I did not want to disturb his weekend. It was then that we discovered Panos. Or ‘Panos the Terrible’ as I nicknamed him afterwards!
The villa has no phone, no Wi-Fi and practically no mobile phone signal so I took the opportunity of ringing on my mobile whilst shopping in Fiscardo where the signal is strong. Also you can pick up free Wi-Fi there. I got through to a very grumpy Panos on the third attempt. It sounded as though he was riding his motorbike at the time judging by the noise and the regular cutting off which he clearly seemed to blame me for.
I tried to tell him about the door and mattresses until he grunted and seemed to hang up. Welcome to Cephalonia I thought. When I got back to the villa I noticed a motorbike that looked half abandoned in the driveway and there was Panos stomping around the corner in all his glory and he did not look happy. He did not seem to grasp the fact that I was not there waiting for him and his mood seemed to deteriorate as I tried to explain about the door and sun beds and the lack of phone signal.. The door issue was quickly solved. You see what I had missed was that because such doors have airtight seals you have to yank them towards you before pushing them forward. This he demonstrated with such gusto that strips of the sealant fell off it. Silly me!
The mattress problem was a bit harder (excuse the pun). We were told in a voice usually reserved for children’s television announcers that the covers for the chairs were also for the sun beds. He then placed the tiny thin cover on one of the beds just to be sure our tiny brains had absorbed this obvious solution. It was like covering an elephant with a teacloth but by this time I just wanted him out of there.
Finally, and with a theatrical shrug of his shoulders he disappeared under the swimming pool and emerged with one of the old sun beds. This was canvas and a little better, but not much.
Anyway, he then headed for the gate and I asked if he had a second one. “You want another” he asked incredulously? “No” I said wearily, that will do. The rest of the holiday we part solved the problem by taking all the blankets out of the villa and putting them under our towels. Goodbye Panos! Would we go back to this villa? Yes, like a shot.
It was beautiful, well equipped, remote but easily accessible. We would insist on the addition of sun bed mattresses and definitely a ban on Panos calling but otherwise it is a brilliant. Late June is a good time to go as well. We had two weeks of warm sunshine and moonlight nights and the pool had time to get nice and warm. We only had one more panic which was when ‘Bongo Bob’ (another nickname) arrived at the villa next door. This villa is usually unobtrusive and silent as it is not rented to foreigners but, for a few days ‘Bob’ arrived with what was possibly the only drum kit in northern Cephalonia.
There we were, drink wine in the pool, basking in those ‘post Panos’ days when the drum roll started followed by cymbals and a backing track. What the hell was that we thought? Fortunately the others in his appreciated his drums as much as we did so we heard them only a few times after if they went out and left him behind. Anyway, back to the Island itself. It really is a special place with fantastic views and very nice people.
Some have worried about going because of possible economic unrest but the Greek Islands might as well be a million miles from Athens where there might be any trouble. They are totally dependent on tourism and do not want to spoil the businesses they have created.
There is a bit more poverty and food does cost a bit more than previous years but not much. You can still change money easily and there is more in the shops (apart from Sun bed mattresses) than in the past. As I said earlier the island really split into two markets.
The south is for bigger beach resorts with plenty going on and the north is all mountains, coves and fishing villages. If you like nightspots the north is probably not for you but if you want coves, sleepy villages, good food and pretty tavernas it is spot on. Some of the places like Myrtos Beach and Assos village are almost breath-taking in their beauty. Fiscardo is a wonderful place which still has its own small fishing fleet which you can lazily watch as you enjoy a drink and meal on the quayside.
It is a wonderful place for people watching too which seems to be the local pastime. I recommend that if you want to watch the world go by then sit at Theodora’s CafĂ©/Bar either by the water or on her balcony. You will get great people and a perfect view of all the yachts, boats and people as they pass by. The food here is good but there are loads of other places all around.
You owe it to yourself to go to Cephalonia at least once in your life. It is a wonderful place with kind and warm hearted people. We will certainly be going again.

waiting before the next trade



dear murliji,
nice to hear from you.
now when i know that you are physically in the u.s. i miss your routine presence in mudraa more than when i knew, in the back of mind, that u were somewhere around.
your observation is good and your question pointed and right.
let me ask myself and attempt a frank answer.
-
i put the sl @ 5090spot equivalent because, at that time, 5090 was the line which, if crossed from below, would have indicated, as per my understanding, the pause or end of the downward slide.
infact, for quite sometime, nifty spot kept hovering around 5089.....almost teasing......missing it by a whisker 2-3 times before finally crossing it.
why i didn't square @ 5077spot = because that was not the line which indicated the end of downslide.....unlike 5090 which did.
the next question is - why i didn't go long @ 5090 after squaring shorts.
there are a few reasons when i rethink.
one, i was quite stressed after spending quite some time observing tick by tick in that tense situation with loaded position. i had to breathe again after coming out of the ring.
second, somewhere in the back of head, i knew that while markets may stop falling that may not itself indicate that they are about to rise.
so, as a natural instinct, i stood up the table, walked out, freshened up, relaxed a bit, returned, forgot the day trade and started looking for btst stbt opportunity.
with that fresh mind, and once out of the shadow of day trade's stress, i could focus on overnight trade signals better.
one more thing, the momentum (often unjustified and mob-minded) is difficult to change at the end, it is often hiding a different picture for the next day, when seen from a distance.
just like every morning is like a fresh puzzle and needs fresh look, every overnight set-up is a fresh riddle and needs a fresh view, detatched from the midset overhang of the day's workout.
--
the sabzimandi train analogy is right.
---
when i squared the shorts, i was not sure whether the train to the other side was ready for leaving.
the markets could easily have risen to 5030 levels before gap down the next day. in that case, it would have been prudent to book shorts and wait for shorting again.
---
say my hello to the president.
hope he or his treasury secretary or fed chief doesn't say anything which spoils my overnight weekend long position.

Sequim Lavender Festival in the Park 2012

Sequim lavender lovers got their share of beautiful lavender flowers & lavender products at the 2012 Sequim Lavender Festival with two festivals at the same time: Lavender in the Park and the Lavender Street Fair in Fir. However, the weather did not cooperate for the entire time. Sunday, which is normally the day with the best sales of vendors' lavender products, was rainy the entire day. Lucky us, that we visited 'Lavender in the Park' on Saturday.

'Lavender in the Park' photos taken by Sequim Vacation blog:

Sequim Lavender in the Park

Lavender in the Park
Sequim lavender rock garden in the park

Sequim Lavender Rock Garden
Sequim visitors and residents love their rock garden

Visitors love Sequim Lavender Rock Garden
Music at Lavender in the Park or each Tuesday 6pm during summer

Music in the Park
Keoki admires lavender plants

Lavender plants for sale
More lavender plants at 'Lavender in the Park'

Lavender plants for sale
Meeting our Sequim friends Edie & Brian at Lavender in the Park

Sequim friends at Lavender Festival in the Park
Owner of Sequim Raptor Rescue Center attracts big crowd with his talk + owl

Sequim Raptor Rescue Center
Visit Sequim WA site for more information on current and future events on your Sequim vacation.

dilemma of timing the trade


timing the entry in a trade is one of the most challenging things.
but this question is the second question.
the first question is deciding the direction to trade.
once the first question is answered and decided, then comes the second question - that of the right time.
just like anti-terrorist commandoes are told to aim at centre of the forehead.
but during action time, specially during chaos, many a times, it is difficult to pick the centre point to shoot.
the target is moving and you are under stress,besides the atmospheric "noise"
at that time, it is more important to shoot and "hit somewhere" than waiting to lock the centre of the forehead.
sometimes, practically speaking, it is more important to shoot and hit somewhere than to shoot only at the perfect spot.
similarly, many a times, in trading, timing is important but absolute perfect timing remains a mirage!
when you have done your homework and spotted a target
shoot at the best available spot and not keep waiting looking for the absolute best universal spot.
inertia and indecisiveness kills both the soldier as well as a trader.
however, i must end with a note of caution.
eagerness to shoot is different from the concern not to miss the bus.
if it is eagerness, you are likely to be wrong.
but if it is a question of not being able to decide the exact point of shot while being reasonably sure of the target subject, your chances of being right are good.

side talk


dear karthik

the probability of today's trade going in the intended direction is high (that's why i took the trade, ofcourse).

wish to share that i take a trade only when there is atleast one (sometimes they are 2-4) strong strong reason to take a particular trade.

after taking the trade i just relax irrespective of the outcome because as per the law of averages if i keep following the method ruthlessly positive trades will always be much more than the negative ones (though negative ones will always be there, i know)

self talk


yes,
trading is never easy.
even if you make a killer profit in a trade
the next trade will always be as difficult as the previous one.
even after n number of successes your chance of going wrong are always there.
market never gives any weightage to past or recent or latest performance.
it never cares for reputation and sincerity and image and other personal equations.
every trade is a new trade.
market is a great leveller.....no special respect or hatred for anyone.
same is true from the reverse angle as well.
market is as easy after a negative trade as it was before that.
no risk, no reward.
every trade will be "difficult" and wrapped in fear.
there is nothing called "zero fear" and "sure shot" set-up for trade.
as anatoly karpov famously said "the surest way to lose is play for a draw"
those fearing drowing keep sitting and remain sitting on the shore.
nothing ventured, nothing gained.
trading is a verb, not adjective or noun.

self talk


take a trade only after good amount of homework.

good homework ensures a win-win situation

1. either the trade will go the anticipated way and you profit.

2. or, if the trade doesn't go the anticipated way despite all that good homework, it leaves you with a learning which was apparently not included in the template you used for homework. in other words, your knowledge base increases for the next homework.

never, self doubt. never doubt the accurace of the homework or that of your decision. if homework was good and things don't go accordingly, take it as an opportunity to discover something new including the revealing of a mischief.

but never kick yourself.

a trader with low self-esteem can never be confident.

kicking ourselves only weakens us psychologically and makes us vulnerable to the mind games of the operators.

news and effect


technicals don't worry about news. 
any "news" is inbuilt in the technicals. 

as they say "charts know that the news is coming."

what actually happens is 
that if the operators and big pockets are willing 
small news is magnified big time, 
and if they are less interested even big news fizzles out.

small news, small need = small or no effect
small news, big need = decent effect
big news, small need = small effect
big news, big need = big big effect


Sequim News for July 2012

Dear Sequim visitors,
Let's have a little glimpse about what you can await on your July Sequim visit. Sequim News published by the City of Sequim each month will help us to put today's blog post together.

Sequim lavender farm
As usual, let's start with the Sequim weather this July. July did not start as 'summerly', as we all expected after 'June Gloom'. Yes admittedly that was a bit of a disappointment especially when one is waiting for going picking berries + cherries. Our cherry orchard lady told us just yesterday that we will still have to wait another 1 1/2 or 2 weeks, all depending on the sunshine Sequim will be getting. Most important there are cherries on the trees. We just need to patient and wait a bit longer.

What else is new in Sequim this summer?

Music in the Park

Annual Music in the Park during summer started. Concerts take place each Tuesday 6pm at the James Center in Carrie Blake Park. Nice to know what music will be played. So make your selection:
July 3 Dukes of Dabob play Dixieland<
July 10 Mark Whitman Band plays Rhythm & Blues
July 17 Bound to Happen plays variety
July 24 Karaoke Idol - Contest (see sequimwa.gov website for registration)
July 31 Cascada plays Latin Guitar & World Fusion 2012

2012 Sequim Lavender Festival

Sequim Lavender Festival coming up Some of my lavender bushes at the house are already in full bloom. Others are still waiting. It all depends on the kind of lavender. However, we know that by July 20th, the start of the Lavender Festival, all the lavenders on Sequim Lavender Farms, along Sequim's sidewalks (don't miss Hendrickson St for a photo) and people's personal lavender bushes will be blooming beautifully. The wonderful scent of lavender will be lingering everywhere in little Sequim town. It's a lavender extravaganza which thousands of visitors will enjoy when visiting Sequim on the weekend of July 20 - July 22 for the Lavender Festival. Also visit SequimLavenderFarms for more information about events.

Sequim Centennial

Plans are underway for Sequim's 100th birthday party! There are many ways for Sequim residents & visitors to participate and enjoy the celebration. Visit SequimWA.gov for the highlights of Sequim Centennial. The Sequim Centennial Celebration starts October 2012 with lots of events leading to its finale in November 2013, which will make the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Sequim. Become a sponsor of the Sequim Centennial 2013.

If you are planning a vacation in Sequim , our Sequim Vacation Rental 'Bell Hill View', at a beautiful peaceful location offers a 1Bd/1Ba fully equipped for Sequim vacation.

Happy 4th of July everybody from Sequim!

On the Inca trail --- Machu Pichhu and Cusco City


On the Inca trail --- Machu Pichhu and Cusco City

MachuPichhu, the name resonates with mystery, intrigue and of course one of the new Seven Wonders of the modern world. MachuPichhu in the native quechualanguage means “old mountain”. For me, it was the journey of alifetime and a dream travel destination that was long awaited. Machu Picchu is today the top tourist destination in South America attracting global tourists. However few Indian touristsvisit this place perhaps due to the long distance involved or lack of awareness.But thanks to the super hit film “Robot”, in which Rajnikanth shakes a leg withAishwarya Rai on top of Machu Pichhu for a popular song inappropriately titled“Kilimanjaro”, Indians have started to realize the potential of this greatarchaeological site.
(still from the movie Robot shot at Machu Pichhu in 2010 for the song "Kilimanjaro")

Itravelled from Lima, the capital of Peru to Cusco Cityby flight. The flight lasting approximately 75 minutes offers breathtaking viewof the snow capped Andes mountain range below.Once you reach Cusco, a small town located at a height of 3,400 meters abovesea level, altitude sickness could take a heavy toll on human body due to lackof oxygen. Hence the tourists are recommended to take medication to beat the sickness. I had taken adequate precaution, yet I succumbed to thissickness just after completing the city tour. Most American tourists come wellprepared and stay for 3-4 days to acclimatize themselves before exploring themystical city. There is no accommodation at Machu Pichhu except for an expensive Traveler Lodge and hence Cusco remains the base camp. Next day early morning 6am, I had to take the luxury Train toMachu Pichhu and hence preferred to skip dinner and take adequate rest.

The trainfrom Cusco to Machu Pichhu by Peru Rail isperhaps one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. This luxury airconditioned train has wide windows and large part of the ceiling is covered byglass, which offers a magnificent view of the Andesmountain range and the gentle river flowing besides the tracks. The trainjourney lasts about 3.5 hours covering a distance of 120 kms and the passengersare kept well informed on the public address system about various sites on theway while being served snacks and drinks. The train passes through lush greenfields, colorful villages in the foothills of the Andesand extensive areas of terracing dotted with the ruins of Inca fortresses.After reaching Aguas Calientes, we need to take a bus ride lasting about 20minutes to reach the ancient site of Machu Pichhu The bus ride itself is spectacular as the narrowtrack winds its way up the mountainside The scenery is lush cloud forest withgreat views of the sacred mountain.

On reachingthe top, the friendly staff at the tourist desk hand over a navigation map ofthe site and also offer guide service for a fee. I was accompanied by myPeruvian friend, who had earlier been to Machu Pichhu couple of times and offeredto be my guide. I also got my passport stamped with the name “Machu Pichhu” asa souvenir. The air is really thin at the top and care needs to be taken not toover exert. Fortunately the weather was extremely sunny and pleasant that day (20 degrees Celsius),which is a rarity. Maybe we were blessed by the Sun God that day.

Locatedabout 2.400 meters above sea level on a small hilltop between the Andesmountain Range, the mystical city soars above the Urabamba Valleybelow. Built by the Inca Kings, this majestic structure was considered a lostcity until it was discovered in 1911 by an American archaeologist named HiramBingham and later declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. It was estimatedthat approximately 1,200 people could have lived in the area, though many sayit was most likely used as a retreat for Inca rulers. Due to it’s isolationfrom the rest of Peru,living in the area full time would require traveling great distances just toreach the nearest village. Since majority of theIncan population lived in and around the Andes Mountains, cities like MachuPicchu were generally reserved for those of a more rich and noble blood. Itstill remains a mystery as to how and why this ancient city fell. Was it war, earthquake, smallpox or the ruthless Spanish invasion? However the Spanish invadersdid not know about Machu Pichhu although they controlled the majority of IncaEmpire settlements, including nearby Cusco. Hadthey known about this site, when they arrived in the 1500's, Machu Picchu would probably have been lost tothe world as local people say.

Aslocal history goes, Machu Picchuwas probably built around the year 1450 AD, and it only thrived forapproximately 100 years. Once abandoned, the site survived only within theknowledge of locals who knew about its existence. Machu Picchu would live in lore until itsrediscovery in 1911 by Hiram, who was exploring the area when he found theruins with the help of a local farmer. Coincidently Bingham found thousands ofInca artifacts upon his discovery of the ruins which are now housed at a museumin Cusco. Due to the fact that it had remainedin obscurity for hundreds of years, Machu Picchu has been preserved and appears today much likeit would have during its heyday. Among the most impressive characteristics of Machu Picchu is the techniquethat was employed to build it. It is still a general mystery as to how the Incamanaged to move the large rocks that they used to construct the city,especially when you consider how it is perched almost precariously over the Urubamba River valley. You will likely stand inawe upon examining how these rocks were so expertly joined without the use ofcement. The rocks of Machu Picchuwere painstakingly carved until they perfectly fit the stones around them.

Sincethe timing of my visit coincided with the Inti Raymi or Sun God festivalcelebrated on June 22nd (shortest day of the year in the southernhemisphere), the period is considered very high season. There were lot oftourists especially from US, Japanand Europe. I could sight one lone Indian couplefrom Hyderabadin the crowd of about 2,500 visitors which is the maximum allowed in a day bythe Peruvian Government. The adventurous tourists take the Inca trail to MachuPichhu that lasts 2 to 4 days of trekking. Some even scale the nearby mountain calledWaynapicchu located quite a distance from the main site.



AtMachu Pichhu one can visit three primarystructures i.e. Intihuatana (Hitchingpost of the Sun), the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. We used the route map to cover these placesas well as Astronomical observatory, Templeof the Condor (bird worshipped by the Incas) and the fountains. I was amazed tosee a rock resembling a sun dial perhaps used as a clock those days; vessellike objects and the huge condor bird carved in stone. The Temple of Sun Godis prohibited to the visitors as reconstruction activity is still going on. Thesite is secured by guards posted all over the place, perhaps to ensure safetyof this marvelous structure. The steppedterraces apparently used for agriculture is really intriguing and I could sightfew llamas (National animal of Peru)grazing on the lush green grass. Close to the Astronomical observatory, thereare orchids and trees with beautiful flowers, which are soothing to the eyes.It takes about 3 hours to see the entire site of Machu Pichhu and thoseinterested in archaeology could perhaps spend an entire day. Thanks to thelovely weather, we were not tired even after 3 hours of hard trekking. Since nofood is allowed within the premises we had to go back to AguasCalientes for lunch followed by shopping for souvenirs to take back memories ofMachu Pichhu. There are plenty of restaurants that serve all kind of cuisinesbut I settled down for a local Peruvian restaurant.

The tripback to Cusco left me with profound memories of this great wonder and itremains even after I landed in India.It’s a mysterious location, which leaves lot of questions unanswered even tothis date. A must see location for those who love adventure and want to be leftintrigued for years to come.









Cusco City: The "archaelogical" capital of S.America

Locatedat an altitude of over 11,000 feet in the heart of the Andes mountains, is the dynamic andhistoric city of Cusco Peru. Cusco with a population of about 0.4 million isalso called the archaeological capital of South America since it is the famedcapital of the ancient Inca Empire and it has served as a travelers’ mecca forhundreds of years. Though Cusco was the center of the Inca Empire for arelatively short time, relics and imprints from the great civilization remainto this day. When you visit Cusco, you feel as if you’ve been transported toanother dimension of sorts. Perhaps that is partly due to the altitude’s effecton your body and mind. If you are flying here and haven’t yet adjusted to theAndes Mountains, prepare to spend the better part of your first day simplylounging around or lying in bed with altitude sickness. While that seems whollyuncharming, there are natural means by which to ease your symptoms, like chewingcoca leaves or drinking coca tea. The baroque main cathedral in the centraltourist gathering spot of the Plaza de Armas is one of Cusco’s most impressivearchitectural structures. But perhaps even more fascinating when it comes toCusco architecture are the surviving walls from the Inca. These walls were, andare, so strong that the Spanish often chose to simply build on top of theminstead of destroying them. As if the stone streets and the city’s “livingmuseum” feel were not enough, seeing these hundreds of years old stone walls asyou make your way about town is truly a treat.
CuscoPeru is a city that is perfect for travelers since it is a jump-off point forexcursions on the Inca trail and to nearby Machu Pichhu. Many people will stophere before heading to Machu Picchu, or to other points of interest locatedwithin Peru’s Sacred Valley. Cusco is a busy city, thriving in fact, andtraffic can be a hassle to negotiate. Just make sure to politely ask beforetaking pictures of the local and indigenous people, as well as offer a smalland modest monetary gift. The friendly nature and disposition of the indigenouspopulation in Cusco will surely make a mark on your soul that you will carrywith you for life. Shopping in Cusco is a joy and you can taste localdelicacies like roasted guinea pig. I visited the local bazaar to shop for souvenirs and bought a "pancho" similar to the Indian shawl worn by the local men and women.

We travelled to Cusco in the midst of the Inti Rayma or Sun God festival, which is the most important Andean festival. The Inca cultures celebrate this festival from June 16th to 24th (shortest day in the Southern hemisphere). The festival travels from the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco to the massive fortress of Saqsayhuaman. The festival includes fire and lights to wake the sun god on the shortest day and longest night of the winter. The Sun, the main God of the Inca Civilization was considered to be the creator of all that exists. The festival lasts 9 days of colorful dances and processions, as well as animal sacrifices to ensure a good cropping season. The celebrants fasted for days before the event, refrained from physical pleasures and presented gifts to the Inca, who in return put on a lavish banquet of meat, corn bread, Chicha and coca tea as they prepared to sacrifice llamas to ensure good crops and fertile fields. The dance ritual happened all through the day and night and I soaked in the festivity just like 200 thousand other visitors. It was indeed a heavenly experience.





Date Visited: 22nd June to 24th June 2012

Acknowledgements:


1) Luis Villanueva, my friend in Lima-Peru for arranging this wonderful trip to Machu Pichhu at very short notice and for accompanying me to the location. Without him it would have been tough to manage the trip all by myself especially since majority of the people speak Spanish.


2) Solmar Tour (Lima-Peru) for creating my itinerary and arranging the Air, Train and Machu Pichhu tickets at short notice without hitting my pocket too hard.


3) Hotel Munay Wasi, Cusco for making my 2 nights stay very memorable. In fact they offer 25% discount on room rent to foreigners. Please check this link --- http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294314-d647501-Reviews-Hotel_Munay_Wasi-Cusco_Cusco_Region.html

4) Chosen as "Picture of the Week" by Economic Times Travel edition dated 30th Aug 2012
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=ETBG&showST=true&login=default&pub=ET&Enter=true&Skin=ETNEW

5) Check all snaps taken at Peru by clicking on this link >>> https://picasaweb.google.com/114415907332130891045/LimaCuscoMachuPichhu?authkey=Gv1sRgCKClgK6q-u3hxAE

6) Check these 2 short videos on Machu Pichhu and Inti Rayma festival at Cusco by clicking on the Play buttons below....

Lima - Royal capital city of Peru


Lima - Royal capital city of Peru

The moment my business trip to Lima got finalized, I immediately rushed to the World map hanging in my bedroom. How far Lima is from Bangalore and what air route should I take to reach this far away destination? I finally decided to take the Bangalore – Dubai – Sao Paulo – Lima route which consumed the least journey time (approx 30 hours) and return from Lima via New York and Dubai, which was also for the same duration. This trip broke 2 of my travel records a) the farthest journey ever undertaken by me and b) the longest nonstop flight (15 hours from Dubai to Sao Paulo). However the thought of visiting this exotic South American capital city made me feel very excited, since this was my first visit to Latin America. On breaking this news to my friends, almost everyone suggested that I also visit Machu Pichhu, which was recently declared the new 7th wonder of the world. Who knows when I will get another opportunity to visit the Land of the Incas, located about 18,000 kms from India!!

With a population of over 8 million, Lima the capital of Peru is the 5thlargest city in Latin America behind Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio. It is a city of contrasts since Lima is surrounded by shantytowns where poverty is rampant and yet many of its suburbs are rich and prosperous. Its business district boasts skyscrapers and its shopping malls are ultramodern. I stayed at The Westin, which is the tallest skyscraper in Lima with 30 storeys offering a great view of the city from the hotel room. Lima is located on a desert strip on the banks of the Rimac River close to the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Lima is the richest city in Peru and is the financial, cultural and educational center of the country.

Interestingly I started on a Monday morning at 4am from Bangalore and reached on Monday night at 11:30pm. While returning from Lima, I started on a Sunday night and reached Bangalore on Tuesday evening. Peru is 10.5 hours behind India and here lies the answer. My first impression of the country is always the International airport and the Jorge Chavez International Airport at Lima did not disappoint me although the immigration process took me about 45 minutes to clear despite landing at 11:30pm from Sao Paulo. In contrast the Sao Paulo airport was very small and very ordinary looking compared to Lima. As I came out of the Airport exit I heard young girls shout aloud as if they were welcoming a hero or rock star. It was not me of course but the local Latino all girls pop band called Pandora, which arrived at the same time. I reached the Hotel around 1am after 45 mins drive and was surprised to see many guests waiting to be checked in even at that hour. Mining lies at the heart of Peru's economic boom of the past decade and the country is witnessing lot of business interest from across the globe. Lima boasts some of the finest cuisines in South America, the fusion of Inca, European and Asian cuisines have created an eclectic, yet excellent cuisine especially the seafood.

Lima has enough museums, churches, colonial houses and pre-Inca ruins to keep any visitor busy for weeks. However I had very little time to explore the city since I had planned a trip to Cusco and Machu Pichhu in my cramped schedule. However I was fortunate to find my old friend Luis at Lima, who had just relocated here from Paris about 6 months ago. Being a Peruvian and a Lima citizen for a long time, he knew the city like the back of his hand. He insisted that I see Lima at night and I agreed to a short tour of the old city. The highlight of this trip was a heavenly experience at Huaca Pucllana, a celebrity restaurant located in a breathtaking setting within the ruins of an archaeological compound built between 200 and 700 AD by the early inhabitants of Lima. Their cuisine is a reinterpretation of Peruvian Criollo tradition and features dishes like ceviche etc. I ordered Paiche fish dish (Amazonian River fish) with potatoes. I also tasted the Pisco sour, which is the National drink of Peru. It seems the Peruvians are so passionate about their Pisco, that they could go to war with Chile, who claim the drink to be their own.

Lima is a city of 2 extremes like Bombay, with the richest and the poorest living close to each other. On one hand you can see swanky apartment complexes and on the other hand you can also see buildings which are not even plastered by cement or small shanties on hill tops. Peru, unlike India does not live in villages and bulk of their population is settled around Lima and modern cities. You will see some of the best road infrastructure and in some pockets the worst. I was however impressed by the dedicated Bus lane created within the city limits to compensate for lack of railway or metro system in the city. However like India, the road discipline can be at its worst with lane cutting and honking being the rule of the day. Lima has very few 2 wheelers and 3 wheelers and hence traffic is not as chaotic as in Indian cities. But the traffic jams could get worse during peak hours. I was amazed to see few Moto taxis (3 wheelers) popularly called auto rickshaws in India. These moto-taxis are manufactured by Bajaj, India and I happened to see couple of Bajaj showrooms on my way to office. I was later told that Mahindra also has a large presence in Peru. Most of the cars on the Lima streets like Alto, Swift are also India manufactured. In the IT world, TCS already has a major presence at Peru. There are couple of Indian restaurants in Lima city run by Pakistanis, which are apparently popular with the local crowd. Soccer is the most popular sport of Peru but their National team is not very strong compared to their other Latin American counterparts

Look wise the people of Peru are very similar to Indians. No wonder when Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in search of India, he mistook the locals as Indians. Except for hotels and offices, I could hardly converse with locals since they speak only Spanish. Most of them mistook me to be a Peruvian and when introduced as an Indian, people immediately co-related the Oscar winner “Slumdog Millionaire” shot in India, which was a big hit in Peru. I hope the Peruvians have not generalized India after seeing this movie, as an impoverished nation. Like most Indians, the staple diet of Peruvians is fish, rice and potatoes. Most of the vegetables and fruits found in India are available in Peru and I later realized that potatoes, papayas etc had in fact originated from the Inca land. I was surprised to find mangoes, that too in winter. Being in the Southern hemisphere, it was winter time in June and they celebrate the shortest day (22nd June) in praise of the Sun God. The weather in June is typically cool and sunny (about 20-25 degrees Celsius) but one can expect cloudy weather although it rarely rains here. Lima lies in the high seismic zone and mild tremors are often encountered. While I was in a meeting with the Client, there was an earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale and the whole building shook for a few minutes. I was surprised to see not one person move away from the meeting room while remaining very calm. For them it is a very common occurrence.
 

Peruvians are very friendly people but the only challenge is the language to converse with them. I would not recommend a lonely trip in a cab or otherwise, unless you are accompanied by a local. In the office, people generally speak English but most of them do not. While visiting the client for a presentation, I witnessed that their Meeting rooms are equipped with a small sound proof glass box which seats a translator. This translator is well versed in English and Spanish and can amazingly translate the discussion with a time lag of just few seconds. It was a very interesting experience for me. The actual local language, Quechua is spoken by very few Peruvians and Spanish remains the official spoken language in this country. By contrast I felt Indians still speak the ancient languages and use them predominantly in day to day life while English is spoken as one of the languages. We should in fact thank the British for not destroying our ancient culture while Peru was not so lucky under the Spanish rule, which was extremely ruthless in comparison.
Peruvians love their local beverage called “Inca Kola” which even beats Coke or Pepsi in sales. Throughout my stay in Peru, I preferred to sip this tasty Kola. One thing that intrigued me at Lima, was the fact that people rushed to brush their teeth after every meal. I later came to know that this practice is extremely essential since the cost of dental treatment is quite exorbitant in Peru. Peruvian Soles is the official currency but US dollars are widely accepted. 1 Soles = 22 Indian Rupees. The currency is very strong and the cost of living is high. An average meal for 2 can cost anywhere between 150-200 soles. Real estate is booming in Lima city and many claim to have seen their investment double in just a few years. 

Peru was plagued by terrorism in the 70s and 80s and they have come out of it successfully. Earlier people could not venture out of their homes after sunset but now it’s a vibrant city that never sleeps. People are still in awe of ex President Fujimori who ruled Peru from 1990 to 2000. He is currently in prison on charges of corruption. Fujimori ushered in lot of reforms, brought change in the Peruvian society and also eliminated terrorism. He put Peru on the global map and is today one of the fastest developing countries in South America, thanks to the booming mining industry (gold, silver and copper) ; popular tourism destination and heavily promoted by the government as the land of gastronomic delight. Despite being separated by thousands of miles, Peru to me was more like a neighboring country. With increased trading ties between the 2 countries, we should be able to get closer to Peru in years to come. 


Date Visited: 18th June to 25th June 2012

Acknowledgements:

1) Hotel The Westin for making my stay at Lima, a wonderful experience.  Please check this link below....

2) My colleagues at IBM Peru and my friend Luis for ensuring I had a memorable time at Lima

3) Check all snaps taken at Peru by clicking on this link >>>  https://picasaweb.google.com/114415907332130891045/LimaCuscoMachuPichhu?authkey=Gv1sRgCKClgK6q-u3hxAE

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