Liberty! Oh, Sweet Liberty!

Don’t you just love springtime? It’s that reawakening that just feels like the first ray of sunshine after a week of rain. With springtime also comes a sense of lightness, of hope, and of freedom. So fittingly, I went to Liberty Island during my last NYC trip to enjoy the beauty of spring at a place that represents hope, freedom, and new beginnings.

There were hundreds of tourists that day. People jostling one another as they made their tour around the island, guides shepherding their group and trying to make themselves heard over the din, and a ceaseless babble of talk joined by the crying seagulls made the small island like a mini New York — madness and all. But there was more than just that. 

Many were those who lay upon the grass to just admire outreaching tree branches frame the sky. People sat and talked beneath the pale pink blossoms. And surely, there must have been a few errant tourists who drowned out the voice of their guides to just admire the wonder of the place. Freedom was more tangible than ever. For beyond its history and beyond the richness of spring, sweet liberty was felt.

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Grand Canyon: Through the Air & Along the Water

After a restful night at the Hualapai Ranch, I woke up the next morning eager to see more of the Grand Canyon. The day was thus employed with a Helicopter ride over the canyon and a boat cruise along the Colorado River. It was my first Helicopter ride and I got to sit at the front, right beside the pilot. Let me just say this: U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E! This experience was beyond incredible and I highly recommend it to those who plan on visiting the Grand Canyon. Here, I compiled a few black and white photos that I took that day and I hope that somehow you will catch a glimpse of the beauty that awaits you.

Happy Travels!

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To Conquer and Be Conquered

I could have stood there forever. 

As the sun dipped beyond the western horizon and bathed the canyon in it’s fiery glow, a humbling and utterly overwhelming sense of awe filled me. I could have stood there forever and marveled at the beauty of this world that shouts the glory of the one who made it. It was incredible. The depth, the breadth, and the length of the Grand Canyon was mind boggling. I felt so tiny before that consuming vastness, overpowered and conquered. Yet at the same time I felt such a rush standing at the edge of a precipice with seemingly all the world stretched before me. That must have been what rulers felt when they looked upon their kingdoms. Atop the canyon, as far as my eyes could see, I stood level to those towering rocks before me like an equal. It was a completely new experience. I felt conquered and like a conqueror at the same time. It’s for moments like these that I keep traveling. To feel life all anew.

Yes, I could have stood there forever.

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The Color of Shape

In a complex world of color and noise that constantly bombards our senses, I welcome the stark bareness of a white building. The simplicity of nothingness, that straightforwardness of a facade devoid of color leaves me to appreciate other aspects to greater extent. Like the curve of a stairwell, the size of a dome, or the rigid uniformity of the windows. Sometimes when you look at something less, you see all the more. 

Wishing you all a wonderful and fulfilling year ahead.

Location: Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles

Admission: Free

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A Castle of Dreams

I live in Europe. Castles? Puh! I’ve seen them all! I’ve been to some of the world’s most beautiful and historic castles. What castle does America have to offer that could ever compare to those I’ve already seen? That was what I thought when Hearst Castle popped up in a suggested itinerary. But since I was en route to San Francisco, might as well drop by and check it out. I’ve always been an inquisitive traveller. Even if you think you’ve seen it all - there’s always more to see! So, I made up my mind. I went to Hearst Castle, albeit  without much excitement.

     
After procuring tickets in the main building near the estate’s entrance, I rode a bus up the hill and through the property. A lively commentary played all the way up, sharing the key points of the castle’s history. It told the story from way back to the Gold Rush of America. From a man’s dream to a son’s strategic investment up to the completion of the castle. The vastness of the parkland was mind-boggling. Back in the days there were all kinds of exotic animals roaming the estate, like camels, ostriches, kangaroos, and even giraffes! Now, zebras could still be seen grazing in the ranch. 

    
So you can imagine my interest mounting as the bus rode higher and higher. Add to that the lush landscape and the fresh wind from the ocean below; I wasn’t so skeptical anymore. Then I got off the bus and beheld the castle grounds — I was enthralled!

    
Now, if you’ve read my previous post of feeling the world (Blogpost: Go Feel the World), well this was one of those moments were I just forgot all those other castles I’ve seen and just looked at everything with new eyes. And I felt it. I felt the castle. I felt the history. I felt everything! I saw a man’s dream turn into reality and an architect’s vision realized. I felt the love and determination that formed the foundations. I just felt it. 

     
It wasn’t a European medieval castle, it was more like a cross between a castle and a  mansion. Hearst Castle had every modern luxury. From cavernous rooms, to indoor swimming pools, even a private cinema, Hearst Castle had it all — and that was already decades before! The guesthouses are lovely bougainvillea-covered buildings. I was particularly fond of them! But those flowers! The flowers made the place come alive; a medley of colors that adorned the property and turned everything fresh and inviting. 

     
Enough said. I highly recommend you visit Hearst Castle. Take a short trip back in time to a world of billionaires and socialites. Where celebrities, tycoons and politicians mingled. Where extravagance is commonplace and summer days are seemingly eternal. But most importantly, take a trip to a place that reminded me that even the wildest dreams can come true. 

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Lingering on the Brooklyn Bridge

One of the most memorable parts of my trip to NYC was the time I spent on the Brooklyn Bridge. Yes, I spent time on it. It wasn’t just a means to cross the river. It wasn’t just part of the journey...it was the journey itself. So, I did not look at it from afar. I walked on it. I did not walk briskly across the bridge. I lingered. I took in the moment in its entirety. The architecture was a riot of patterns − hypnotizing, quite mesmerizing. Then there were the details. Love locks. Rusted bolts. Trodden snow. Graffiti on rotting wood. Honking cars. The sky that day was like a sandy beach during low tide. Grooves formed by slivers of blue sky peering through a blanket of clouds mimicked the sandy grooves of the shore. I remember its smell. The smell of winter’s crisp frosty breath. And with camera in hand I tried to capture the moment as I felt it. 

        
There was the chill, there was the crowd...but ah, there was the sunset as well! I watched the sun descend behind the Statue of Liberty. It was like a defiant glow of light against the coolness of the day. There were birds too. A great many sea gulls soaring ahead. But I never heard them. I could see them cry out and I could imagine their shrill voices, but all was lost in the air. 

          
At the other side of the bridge, there was a park in Brooklyn. I sat on a bench and quietly watched the sun finally disappear beneath the waters. But the grand finale was yet to come. I waited as the shades of the sky turned darker. Then slowly, across the river, the lights of Manhattan shone ever brightly against the pressing night. And as the rest of the world fell asleep, Manhattan awakened in its shining glory. 

TIP: Walk an hour or so before sunset from Manhattan towards Brooklyn. By the time you reach the park on the other side, you can see the sun set behind the Statue of Liberty and take shots of the Manhattan skyline at dark. There are also benches on the Brooklyn Bridge, so you could also sit there and enjoy the view. 

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Live in the Moment

New York...New York...where do I start? I could tell you about its insane skyscrapers, about those classic NYC yellow cabs, maybe mention something about that pulsing rush that sweeps you up in the crowd. I could show you pictures of the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty and all those other New York landmarks but no...not just yet.  Somehow I want you to see another side of New York. 

There are places you visit that leave a lasting impact on you. It’s not another vacation, not just another trip. It becomes a catalyst of change. New York was that to me. For the last years I’ve been living on the fast lane. Work hard. Play even harder. I was one of those millions caught up in a rat race. So when I went to New York and literally saw the fast pace of life in a grand scale it placed things into perspective.

Standing still in the middle of Grand Central station, I watched as people rushed by. A sea of faces. A blur of life. Just approaching and then already gone. While I just stood there in the midst of the crowd, New York taught me this lesson: take time to be still. It’s ironic, I know, but one of the busiest cities in the world taught me the value of being still. The importance of taking a breather. Life was never meant to be a rat race; it was meant to be enjoyed day by day, moment by moment. And that message resonated throughout my stay. 

I heard the message in that short dedication on a bench in Central Park. There it was again in a large mural seen from the Highline. To just stop and take in the moment. 

I particularly loved crossing the Brooklyn bridge and discovering that in all that hard metal construction there were love locks. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find love locks in European cities, but I didn’t expect a city like New York, in all its Wall Street toughness, to have them. 

I wanted a picture of a completely empty Bethesda Terrace but people that briskly walked in, slowed their pace to admire it, making it impossible for me to get my shot. But then I realized this wasn’t just about the terrace. This was about the message New York had given me. So when a woman stopped to take in the beauty of the place, I knew I had to capture it this way...with her just standing still and taking time to appreciate the beauty. So what do you say? Time out anyone? Let us pause to actually live in the moment. 

Here are a few of the classic travel photos I took. 

Thanks for reading!