May 27, 2021

रियो डि जनेरो के बारे में कुछ और

रियो डि जनेरो  बहुत बड़ा और बहुत ही विभिन्नताओं से भरा शहर है। हालांकिके अधिकांश निवासी गोरे ही हैं, पर यह  योरुप या अमरीका के शहरों से काफी भिन्न  है। यहाँ की अपनी ही संस्कृति है। स्थानीय भाषा पोर्चुगीज़  है। खान पान भी योरुप से काफी अलग है।  भारत से लोगों का वहाँ आना जाना बहुत कम है। इसलिए भारत में वहाँ के बारे में लोग काम ही जानते हैं। मेरा सुझाव है कि घूमने के लिए भारतीयों को योरुप या आस्ट्रेलिया के बदले दक्षिणी अमेरिकी दरसों मए जाना चाहिए। इन देशों का किराया थड़ा ज्यादा है पर रहने खाने के लिए ये देश काफी सस्ते हैं। यहाँ का अपना अलग ही अनु भाव और आनंद है। आइए आज आपको इस शहर के बारे में इन आठ  चित्रों के माध्यम से  कुछ और बताते हैं।      


ईसा मसीह की प्रसिद्ध मूर्ति, क्राइस्ट दि रिडीमर 

        हला चित्र है इस शहर की एक ऊंची पहाडी पर सीमेंट से बनी ईसा मसीह की विश्व प्रदिस्ध मूर्ती का. इस मूर्ती के गिनती दुनिया के आठ आधुनिक आश्चर्यों में होतीहै. यह रियो डि जनेरो का ट्रेड मार्क है जैसे कि पेरिस का आइफल टावर या दिल्ली का क़ुतुब मीनार. इस मूर्ती के बारे में विस्तार से अगली बार चर्चा करेंगे. यहाँ केवल इतना बता दें आप शहर के किसी भी भाग में खड़े हों, यह मूर्ती आप को दिख जाती है.





रियो डि जनेरों के चार  विहंगम दृश्य 

                रियो डि जनेरो समुद्र और पहाड़ों से घिरा है. लगभग सभी पहाड़ों पर कोई कोई दर्शनीय स्थल है और वहां से शहर का विहंगम दृश्य बहुत ही सुन्दर दिखता है. मुझे यह भी बताया गया कि पहाड़ों के कारण यहाँ समुद्र शांत रहता है. ऊपर के चार  चित्र ऊंचाई से दिख रहे रियो डि जनेरो शहर के हैं.

             अगले तीन  चित्र रियो डि जनेरो शहर के मुख्य भाग के हैं जिसे वहां का डाउन टाउन कह सकते हैं. वैसे यह बहुत बड़ा शहर है.




मैं रियो डि जनेरो  डाउन टाउन में घूमता हुआ  

            अपने ब्राजील के प्रवास में मैंने कुछ नयी बातें नोट कीं. मैं इस  देश में दो सप्ताह रहा और काफी घूमासाओ पालो और इगुआसू भी गया पर मुझे इस सारे प्रवास के दौरान कोइ भी हिन्दुस्तानी नहीं मिला. इसलिए यह भ्रम की दुनिया में कहीं भी चले जाओ हिन्दुस्तानी, विशेषकर पंजाबी सिख, अवश्य मिल जाएगा, गलत साबित हो गया.

            ब्राजील के साधारण ढाबा टाइप रेस्तौराओं में अगर आप खाना खाने चले जाएँ तो आपको चावल और राजमाह जिन्हें वो ब्राउन बीन कहते हैं, अवश्य मिलेंगे. यह वहां का बेसिक भोजन है. इसके साथ आप कुछ और ले सकते हैं.

            ब्राजील में अल्कोहल मिश्रित पेट्रोल मिलता है.

            ब्राजील की भाषा पॉर्चुगीज़ है. हैरानी होती है कि इतने बड़े विस्तृत देश में पुर्तगाल जैसा छोटे से देश की भाषा कैसे छा गयी.

May 20, 2021

*THE SURPRISE I GOT AT EILAT, ISRAEL

Before starting this story, I think it will be better to tell readers about Eilat, as I am sure that most of you in India might not be knowing about this town of Israel which was founded only 70 years back in 1951. This place is located at the southernmost end of Israel at the tip of Red Sea. It is a resort town and popular tourist destination because of its beaches known for its calm waters. Jordon is on the other side. They call it Gulf of Eilat on Israel side and Gulf of Aqaba on Jordon side.


A view of Eilat 

I was in Israel for a week in 2007.  From Israel I also had a plan to visit Cairo, Egypt. So, I had bought a Delhi – Tel Aviv and Cairo – Delhi ticket of the Turkish Airlines. My plan was to reach Cairo by road via the Desert of Sinai. This way I could also get an opportunity to cross Suez Canal.

My Israeli host, Weiss Moshe, had shown me whole of Israel right from the Golan Heights in North to Eilat in South. From Eilat one could cross the border on foot and enter Taba in Egypt. Taba is a small town also being promoted by Egyptians as resort like Eilat.


My host in Israel, Mr. Weiss Moshe, a retired colonel from the army of Israel

Eilat is a beautiful and very clean town on sea shore. I was there in the month of December and it had pleasant sunny weather there on that day. We had arrived there from Zikhron Ya'akov, a small Israeli town where my Weiss Moshe lived with his wife, daughter and old parents. Moshe was an ex-army officer. Growing rare fruits was his hobby.

A beach of Eilat

Moshe had driven me to Eilat in his car. We had reached there at about 1.00 PM. It was a very pleasant sunny afternoon. He took me round the town. I took a lot of pictures too. Eilat is a very clean and scenic town looking like small European towns. From one point he showed me Jordon side. I noted that this place was a bit expensive too, may be because of being a tourist place.


One more street scene of Eilat

As we were walking round, one gentleman came to us and started talking about my purpose of visit, profession etc.  He also wanted to know how was finding Eilat. We were together for about ten minutes. Then he told Moshe that he was from the Ministry of Tourism working at the local tourism office which was located across the street. It was visible from there. Then he told Moshe to bring me to his office after ten minutes as there was a surprise for me at the office.

Another view of Eilat town. The tourist office was located in this block.

We went to the office. They treated us in a very friendly manner, offered cold drink too. Then this person brought a frame wrapped in attractive gift paper and said, “Sir, this is for you from the people of Israel”.  It was a moment of great pleasure mixed with surprise and excitement for me. We unwrapped it and found that it a framed certificate declaring me a “A Tourism Goodwill Ambassador for Israel”. What a thrilling gesture.


The surprise gift I got at Eilat

I left Eliat after some time for Egypt. To do it, one could just walk upto the border which was close. There your passport is stamped first by Israel Immigration and after that you cross the border where officials from Egyptian Immigration check your passport and visa. Then I was asked to pay a sum of 15 US dollars for entering into Egypt and that was all. Then I walked further.

The town across the border is Taba. It is  also a seaside resort. Surprisingly, I found this place dirt cheap compared to Israel. I stayed in Hotel Hilton, a luxury five-star hotel by paying only 55 US dollars. I had booked it online from Israel. The hotel car had come to border for picking me up. It was one of the best hotels I had ever stayed overseas. They had 3-4 nice restaurants with Egyptians belle dancers entertaining the guests at night. Everything was very cheap even by Indian standards.


A view from the balcony of my hotel room at Taba, Egypt.

Next day the hotel car dropped me at the bus stand where I could get a bus for Cairo. It was a comfortable five-and-a-half-hour ride from Taba to Cairo across the famous Desert of Sinai. It is a real desert where you rarely see a plant or human being.

I had a dream of crossing the Suez Canal. We did cross it but without having a glimpse of the canal. Now they have dug an underground tunnel for vehicles. So, you do not see the canal. When the bus enters this tunnel then you see small signboards containing instructions from “Suez Canal Company”. Only then you realize that you were crossing the Canal. So, I missed seeing it.


Bus stand of Taba and the bus in which I travelled from Taba to Cairo

I was at Cairo for five days and had many unexpected surprises there.  Among all the places in world, I noticed that the maximum cheating of tourists takes place in Egypt.