Vacations — how we love them! It’s not just the water which comes in shades that give the colour blue not just a personality, but a soul; it’s not the sand that’s so fine that you’re tempted swim in it; nor does the salty tang of the insistent ocean breeze really explain it.

What really explains it — as my wife and I had dinner, we discussed what we dream of doing before reaching 40, instead of whether we want to watch Star Trek or the Big Bang Theory. Earlier, I saw a bi-weekly reminder on my phone to wash linen; and broke into laughter. Death by a thousand chores can’t reach me here. Given a little distance, the seriousness we accord the smallest details of life while ignoring the broadest strokes looks exactly like it is — ridiculous.

It’s good every now and then to go to the edge of your existence, force yourself to the shoreline of your day-to-day life and look outward. Where you’re free to blank your mind on the void of the sea, or imagine the distant shores you’d set sail for if you could.

Traveling always takes one across physical and sometimes cultural distances, but this vacation was easily the best I’ve ever had thanks simply to the sense of being transported across time. The various temples are anywhere between seven and eleven centuries old; and on many time has clearly left its mark.

Yet there’s a timelessness about many of the better preserved temples – one is very much aware that these monuments have witnessed the course of human events for a time so long that it’s hard for us to imagine. A thousand years ago gunpowder had just been invented, and so had fire arrows.

The temple builders were either Hindu or Buddhist, and it is really a wonder to behold how some things have withstood the test of time. The depiction of the Buddha’s face, for example, is carved on many of the temples’ towers and is instantly recognizable – truly an icon that has stood the test of time.

The setting of the temples – they’re in a huge complex set some distance away from the nearest city (Siam Reap) – which helps in capturing the sense of history. Apart from the tiny stalls that are set up near most temple entrances, the few motorized vehicles, and the fact that you get cellphone signal everywhere, not much about modern life has encroached upon these ancient wonders. There are still vast tracts of land and forest between the temples – and each temple within itself is huge. When I walked the long bridge towards the Angkor Wat temple, I could sense how grand a vision its builder must have had.

In case some of you who know me are wondering, yes, I did take photos; and they’ve been quietly getting their space on my photoblog. Start here, and keep going forward.

My one thought when I returned from Cambodia was this – it’s surprising that a place like Singapore gets maybe five or ten times the tourist traffic as Cambodia; but this was easily the best holiday I’ve ever had in South East Asia. It’s a must visit place – if you haven’t been there, do keep it on your travel list.

The moment you cross the border from Singapore to Malaysia, you somehow get a sense that life is more chaotic, more unpredictable, more spontaneous, more free. These guys at the Larkin bus terminal saw me with my camera and had enthusiastically asked me to capture the moment. At the time, I said I’d try and make it to the front page with the photograph :) but this will have to do.

Singapore being a small country, I really miss the endless landscapes one gets to see while traveling in India – the highways in Malaysia though offer ample amounts of the same.

Melaka has had very strong cultural influences over the years – both Islamic and European and it served as a very important port for a long time. This is reflected in a disproportionate number of buildings being architecturally aesthetic (I’m no critique, but they’re better than boxes).

St. Paul’s Church in Melaka has a very interesting history. The guy in the picture was doing an amazing job singing Knocking on Heaven’s Door – an appropriate song in more ways than one – the Church is at a high vantage point and overlooks the city.

There are some really good museums in the city – hosting art, literature and historical knowledge and artifacts. One of them, a naval museum, is inside a ship; unfortunately, it was closed for renovations when we were there.

The streets of Melaka can be very colourful and lively.

The river which runs through Melaka is a great place to enjoy a quiet evening at sunset.

Chinatown in Melaka was a really busy place on Saturday night.

The river I mentioned earlier runs throughout the city. There were lot of activities around the river on the weekend from fairs to kayaking to performances. There are also a number of houses along the river and there were families having a barbecues just outside.

Great place to go, even if only for a day.

(Click to go to the photoset)

Hope everyone’s been having happy holidays. Happy 2007 to all.

This, by the way, is the view from my window at home. Probably the greatest wealth I will ever have.

It stretches as far out as the eye can see. Expansive plains, or humbling mountains. Refreshingly green, or majestically arid. Devoid of human touch, or dotted with huts and farms. Seen in an instant as it passes by, or soaked up over hours by those who sit and stare. And never forgotten.

Silent. The occasional call of a country bird or the roar of a passing vehicle only serve to define the silence. And still. Leaves rustle, and in the distance a farmer and his cows plough a field. Just reminders of stillness. In hundreds of years past, invaders have conquered, cities have sprung, life has changed for a billion people. And here, a few blades of grass have been bent.

It is the stillness – and the silence – which speaks there. And that is why I go. They speak with gentleness, and a haunting surety. They don’t just tell you their story. They tell you that their story is also yours. Just one that is forgotten – in the numerousness of activity filled moments with which you define your life. And they bring you back to the only moment that matters.

The present.

[Just reminiscing about the road trip that I wrote about earlier. All the photos have been uploaded to Flickr.]

As you can see, roads in rural India have to be shared by certain VIPs. In my opinion though, that only adds to the charm.

Malshej is at an altitude of about 3500 feet, so as we approach the western ghats, the views of the hills got quite scenic.

Once on the hills, the views of the cliffs and ghats was breathtaking.

There isn’t much at Malshej right now, a couple of resorts, one belonging to MTDC and one private resorts. Not much in the way of facilities, and prominent notices disclaim any responsibility if power goes out. One of the hoteliers told us that at one point, the resort was without electricity for nine days.

The bright side of course, is that the place is quite untouched, and relatively unpopulated by tourists. There are quite good trekking routes, I’m told. Unfortunately, this was just a day trip with family so I couldn’t go. The views from the MTDC resort (which is at a high point) of the valley at Malshej were quite good.

We went onward to Shivneri Fort, which was the birthplace of Shivaji. Going there was good fun – we did some rock-climbing partway up to the fort (you can go up via steps also).

More snaps on Flickr when I get back to Singapore.