Santorini and the Myth of Atlantis

Blue, alluring, eluding, breathtaking blue. My first thoughts as I steer my imagination towards the splendor that is Santorini. Alluring for its pristine white and blue waves; eluding for the shadows of Atlantis. Perhaps its beauty is closely followed by a certain mystery, the source of its magnetism to begin with.
The story of Atlantis and the Greek islands of Santorini is one such affair.

The tale begins with Plato’s dialogs which suggest the existence of Atlantis, an island the size of present day Lybia and Asia combined. It was a prosperous land with highly civilized citizens proficient in trade, economy and an evolved lifestyle. However, in time, power corrupted their minds and as a lesson to one and all, the Greek God Zeus destroyed the nation. Many believe that Plato related this as a lesson to his disciples about the virtues of goodness and honesty. Myth or reality, only a step or two back in time would tell.

As for Santorini, also known as Thera, the land basks in the glory of its success today, with Atlantis being a but a romantic muse for travel guides and old sea farers alike. The fact that centuries ago, the highly accomplished Minoan civilization based in Thera, where wiped out in an earthquake fuels this myth.

Perhaps Poseidon, the ruler of Atlantis and King of the Seas , still watches over his kingdom, or what’s left of it, a mere reflection of its past glory. However, the sheer mystery of it allures mankind and the throngs visiting Santorini only seem to increase by the year. Just like its fabled friend though, Santorini prone to seismic activity threatens to reiterate history or should we say reiterate the past mystery.

Another quest for Atlantis has taken researchers further south with a theory that Atlantis did not sink, it merely moved all the way to Antarctica and is still preserved under ice. This is yet another attempt to uncover reality; a debate between humanists and scientists.
A riddle, a romantic mystery and don’t we perhaps prefer it remain so?

Hypnotic Dubai

“Sair Rehmet honi chahiye, zehmet nahi,” meaning ‘A trip should be a blessing not a hassle,’ said our chauffeur for the day.

After a flight covering 2000km – roughly the distance between Mumbai and Dubai – we were set on a six hour Dubai Darshan with our jovial driver.

This was a long overdue family trip abroad, and it was almost like experiencing it all in a mere five day spree. The inspiration – Dubai Shopping Festival, the outcome - thanks to diverse demands from mottled members of the family, we practically covered every active inch of the city and managed to cart back home a truckload of shopping.

To give you a description – my mother wanted to shop, “The main factor for the trip was the Shopping Festival after all,” she justified. The sister so obsessed with her planning each day a month in advance with specific places to visit and set schedules for each, and the Dad with a army mission to touch down at all the acclaimed monuments and buildings of the famous city.

Here we were, trying to fit in parts of each into a measly five day touristy visit to Dubai. Thus, with my sister’s mastermind plans, we set off on our first day in Deira, the high profile part of the city to visit all the mirage like metal and mortar beings (all the famous buildings, for those vary of metaphors and alliterations).

Burj Dubai, Burj Al Arab, Emirates Tower,The Palm Islands, Burj Khalifa, Atlantas; the biggest, the tallest, the floatingist, etc. etc. all in tandem, characteristic to the Arab equation – The Best = The Biggest.



But after the initial awe, the futility of it all is almost funny. They have masterminded intelligent fountains and bays in the core of a desert; drinking water however is not a commodity. They use glass as the primary material for building their monuments; resulting in towering Green Housees making the exteriors worse off by the extreme air conditioning to minus the effect of all that trapped heat from the glass.Phewww...Just an observation.

Leaving behind the high tech buildings and MNCs at Deira, we strolled via the creek to the Abra Station. With a mere one dhiram, we each bagged a surprisingly fascinating ride in a wooden boat or abra; that being just the first in a change in the locale. Reaching Bur Dubai – meaning beyond Dubai, we were transported back to the Arabia that existed centuries ago greeting us with wooden dhows, bobbing abras (boats) busy spice and gold souks (local markets) and pristine mosques.
From Zara and Tiffany, to H&M and Sketchers; but don’t miss out on the little things with a signature of Arabia – like the attar – the oil based perfumes that you can buy aplenty at the local markets, the bright yellow gold at the gold souqs and traditional curled Arabic slippers.

Mesmerised I was, yes I’d say, but in love...no, not really so.

We skied in the Snow Park at the Mall of Emirates, won a Dolphin painted auction, shopped around the world in a mere 4 hours at the Global Village, were interviewed by a local radio station too and tested our stomachs to the hilt during the Desert Safari (I’m not giving that out, you go try!) But all in all, be it shopping for gold, clothes, shoes, accessories, availing the services of the best hotels and restaurants, experiencing the various rides, et all; the bottom line is very aptly summed up by a line in The Lonely Planet Dubai Guide:

“Dubai isn’t only the name of the city – it’s an instruction”

That Heady Feeling Again!

This is not a write up about a place you are about to visit or may like to visit any time, its not an expression of a beautiful locale and all the fun things you can do there..

It’s about that heady felling..

You’ve just hung up the phone and what immediately overwhelms you is that heady feeling..
You begin drafting your leave application letter and just as Mr. Boss signs it off, you’re off!
“A shawl perhaps, it’s going to be chilly out there in the open jungle of Ranthambore” You think; or “I’ll need those waterproof shoes for the rafting sector of that trek,” you plan.

A backpack, loafers, mosquitoes’ repellent, camera, ipod, floppy hat, sunglasses, swim suit, clothes, shoes, lotions and potions...all spell - A Holiday!

That heady feeling of excitement as the Rajdhani chugs onto Mumbai Central’s platform, you’re going to get on it, set your luggage under those nostalgia filled blue seats.
As the sun sets, you sit yourself or with your gang on the train steps, some smoking chai or sipping sutta. And as the train stops on a deserted station in the middle of nowhere, you quickly slip on your loafers and step out into the chilli night sky, blowing smoke rings.

Be it a road trip, flight or a sojourn by sea; the journey itself is what gives you that heady feeling.

So as a fellow traveller, I say this – don’t rush it, live that moment to its fullest, before you know it, you’ll have reached your destination, sauntered around only to get back to an overflowing inbox.