THE STORIES BEHIND...

... a church in Bonn...

Its almost closing time and so we (i.e. me, Riza, Bernabe, Albert Magalang) were turned away from entering Schloss Drachenburg in Bonn's tourist area of Konigswinter. That saved us 9 Euros each I said, a futile attempt at getting the best of a downer, as we walked down the steep slope of the Drachenfel Mountain. I snapped this photo midway to the village where, as we were chewing on an early dinner of Turkish fast food cuisine, we bumped into the rest of the Philippine delegation to the UN climate change talks in Bonn. Today as I was preparing this post, Wikipedia tragically informed  me that I in fact missed the more famous church of St. Remigius and the nearby ruins of the Abbey of Heisterbach. And I will never get to know the church whose spire is shown in the photo.

... and a mosque in Hyderabad.

We were treated to a city tour on our last day in Hyderabad. Our overeager guide said he will be showing us the old Hyderabad, the between-old-and-new Hyderabad, and the new Hyderabad. This photo was in the old city as our leaking bus made its way to a museum somewhere beyond the maze of Indian traffic sights and sounds. I just clicked and behold, here is the only mosque I was able to shoot in an Indian city with the most Muslim population. I will never get to know the mosque's story and if it ever has a name, like I'm not really sure if I will be going back to India. But may I just mention St. Joseph's Cathedral and the many mosques and temples I missed which, just as in Konigswinter, I learned only today from Wikipedia.

THE CHARMINAR

Finally, a tour.

Guided. Rushed. In a bus dripping with the air conditioner's condensation. But a tour.

The 15th century Charnimar [first photo]. Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah's "Arch of Triumph of the East". Good shooting. But it turned out that I have to fight for a few photos amid the irrational rush.

The Nizam's Museum [second photo]. By then, murmurs of "Let's go shopping instead" were beginning to pick up. I paid 150 rupees for the right to take photos of an assortment of royal artifacts belonging to the last Nizam of the Princely State of Hyderabad and Berar - Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII. Afterwards, I felt like going shopping too. 

Secunderabad. The new city. A fleeting snapshot of an 18-meter granite Buddha statue looming in the center of the 24-hectare man-made Hussain Sagar Lake [third photo] that was excavated in 1562 by the same sultan who built the Charnimar. There, a unanimous agreement was made to have lunch first before deciding whether it will be the old Golconda Fort or to go shopping.

An unforgettable lunch. The famous Hyderabad Biryani certainly lived up to its billing and was excellently complimented by what I presumed to be chicken tandoori [fourth photo]. And in that air conditioned dining hall of the Lotus Palace Restaurant, it was decided to scratch the old Golconda Fort (to my severe disappointment) and go shopping instead (to my great irritation). I just can't see the logic in foregoing a chance of a lifetime for something that can be done later.

Later that night, I poured both frustration and vengeance on the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport's duty free shops. Then I realized I have yet to have an "MVI in India" photo. So my boss snapped the one below. With a tourism poster in the background. At the airport.

Good bye India. And thank you.

VALEDICTORY (Pangatlong Araw sa India)

Katulad ng pagbubukas ng kumperensiya ay matalumpati din ang pagsasara nito na dinaluhan ng ilang technocrat na karamihan ay galing sa World Bank [unang larawan]. Nakasanayan ko na ang cuisine at ang pagkain nang nakatayo at walang kubyertos. At marahil dahil huling araw na, nag-serve ng pansit ang cafeteria [pangalawang larawan]. Malamig ang pasta at marekado katulad ng inaasahan. Puede na din...

FIELD VISIT (Pangalawang Araw sa India)

Makakalabas na din ako sa kubkuban ng Dr. Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute sa Jubilee Hills. Maipapalit ko na din ang baon kong ilang pirasong dolyar sa rupee. Makakapamili na din ng kung ano-anong ipapasalubong. At sa wakas ay makakakain na ng hindi maanghang sa McDonald's.

Pero akala ko lang 'yun dahil kinailangan kong pumasok sa bahay ng isang ale na may matagumpay na milling shop [unang larawan], manood sa pulong ng isang self-help group ng mga kababaihan at makipagkuwentuhan sa isa pa [pangalawang larawan], busisihin ang isang marketing project, dumalaw sa parang isang day care center [pangatlong larawan], pumasyal sa isang sustainable agriculture farm [pang-apat larawan], at magtapos sa parang isang community alternative school center para sa mga may kapansanan. At lahat ng iyan ay may kinalalaman sa negosyo ng pagpapautang na kung tawagin ngayon ay microfinance.

Dahil 4 pm na nga kami nananghali at medyo pagod na sa kalilibot, itinulog ko na lang ang biyahe pauwi. Wala akong nabiling yosi at alak. Buti na lamang at nakunan ko ang nag-iisang Hindu temple sa dinalaw naming lugar... 

PASAKALYE (Unang Araw sa India)

Mahaba ang pasakalye ng aming kumperensiya sa Hyderabad: kasing haba ng mga makukulay na sari ng mga ushers na nag-aabang [unang larawan] sa mga ministrong medyo nabalam sa pagdating [pangalawang larawan] na sinundan ko hanggang sa magulong press conference para lamang makuhanan ang isang napakagandang reporter/journalist [pangatlong larawan].

Kaya mag-aalas tres na din kami nananghali dahil kailangan pang tapusin ang isang pang pasakalye na panel discussion.

Buti na lang at may cultural night (huling larawan) na pumawi sa aking antok at tumighaw sa pagkakangarag ng magkakasunod na mahahabang biyahe.

NA LOST, AT NA FOUND SA HYDERABAD

Dalawang beses na akong naiwanan ng eroplano: isang pa-Boracay at sa San Francisco.

Muntik na akong mawalan ng paboritong laruan nang damputin ng isang mama ang aking camera bag paglabas nito sa x-ray machine ng Terminal 2 nu'ng bumiyahe ako pa Cotabato.

Kinotongan ako ng airline counter staff sa Islamabad at immigration officer sa Cotonou. 

Sa Minneapolis, naging saksi ako sa pangingisay ng isang pasahero.

Pero hindi pa ako nawalan ng gamit kahit kailan sa buong panahon ng aking pag-eeroplano.

Kaya para akong binuhusan ng nagyeyelong tubig nang mapagtanto kong 'di ko bitbit paglabas ng Rajiv Gandhi International Airport ang aking backpack. 

Habang humahangos ako pabalik ay naisip ko na lamang na bumili nang mas murang kapalit ng aking mawawalang lap top, tawagan agad ang aking maybahay para ikansela ang mga debit at credit card, at ang hirap at abalang susuungin ko upang palitan ang mga mawawalang PRC license, driving license, Mabuhay Miles card, company ID, Mercury Drug discount card, SM Adavantage Card, Jollibee card, etc.

"Slow down", sabi ng aming Indian welcome comittee. "You'll get it back".

At siya'y nagdilang anghel nga nang na iniabot sa akin ng bigotilyo at nakangiting security officer ang aking bag na tatangatanga kong naiwanan sa x-ray machine.

"Ngarag ka na", sabi ng isang kasamahan nang makabalik ako sa bus.

Tama siya dahil n'ung isang araw ay kararating ko lamang mula Bonn at kinailangang bumiyahe pa-Manila ng madaling araw kinabukasan para sa flight papuntang Hyderabad.

"Boss", tanong ko sa katabi ko, "naisakay mo ba 'yung luggage ko?"

Oo daw.

Paalis na ang bus nang magtanong ang mga nakaistambay sa parking lot kung kanino 'yung bag na nakakalat sa bangketa...

TALABABA: Katulad ng sa pagpunta ko, isinuksok ko ang aking bagong biling Beach Walk kasama ang aking ardyud bag sa walang lock na compartment ng aking luggage pag-uwi ko ng Maynila. Wala na sila ng hanapin ko upang maligo sana sa aming National Office. Ang larawan sa itaas ng Philippine delegation na dumalo sa Alternative Asian Microfinance Summit sa Hyderabad, India ay kuha ni Marlon Palomo.