Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

Poetry in motion

I love taking the train in India. It’s a great way to see the country, meet people and generally slow down your trip. Indian Railways is the world’s largest employer and the train system is massive and complex. You can book online on the IRTCT site and find great tips on Figuring out India Rail Travel on the wonderful The Planet D site.

 I have many memories of watching India’s sun-baked landscape slide by, but here are two of my favourite train ride stories. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo courtesy Amanjeet K Chauhan of GalleryAKC.com

There’s no bling like Indian bling

India is a shopper’s paradise. You just can’t beat the combination India offers: an incredible variety of gorgeous items, often hand-made, at temptingly low prices. For higher cost items, such as pashmina shawls, make sure you know what you are buying; and that the dealer is reputable. Here’s a list of the top 10 things to buy in India. Read the rest of this entry »

Shiva statue in Rishikesh, yoga capital of the world

Breathe in India TOUR

Do you long to experience spiritual India, and do yoga on the banks of the sacred Ganges River?

Breathe in India is for people who long to experience the  magic of spiritual India. Participants will watch the Taj Mahal float in  a iridescent sunrise, explore the ghats of Varanasi, the world’s oldest  city, bask in the sublime beauty of Khajuraho’s temples and do yoga on  the banks of the sacred Ganges River in Rishikesh. The tour dates are February 5 to 18, 2011 (with a six-day extension in Rishikesh, Haridwar and Aurovalley Ashram).

For more information on the tours visit New! Tours to India or scroll down for dates, cost and detailed itinerary. Read the rest of this entry »

Mariellen at the Taj Mahal, India

The best way to see India

I am very excited to share my passion for India by taking people to see the places I love. Together with award-winning tour operator Indus Travels, I am presenting two tours this winter in India.

Dream in India (starts Jan. 8, 2011) is for people who want to experience inspirational India and learn travel writing and blogging. Click here to learn more about Dream in India.

Breathe in India (starts Feb 5, 2011) is for people who want to experience the magic of spiritual India and do yoga. Click here to learn more about Breathe in India. And read Golden mornings on the Ganges, my Toronto Star article about what life is like in an ashram in India. We will be visiting both of these ashrams on the Breathe in India tour! Read the rest of this entry »

Ambling up to Amber Fort, Jaipur

Dream in India TOUR

Learn travel writing and blogging as you travel in India

Dream in India is for people who long to be inspired by India’s dazzling culture, fairy tale palaces and wondrous wildlife. Participants will experience the eternal beauty of the Taj Mahal, the excitement of Ranthambore tiger reserve and the fantastical art and architecture of Rajasthan. Plus, we will stop in Rudyard Kipling’s Bundi, the palace hotel where Bruce Chatwin wrote The Songlines and the Jaipur Literature Festival. The tour dates are January 08 to 21, 2011 (with a six-day extension in Jaipur, Samode and Delhi).

Along the way, I will teach travel writing and blogging; and will help participants get their own personal blog set up on WordPress.org or Travelblog.org.

For more information on the tours visit New! Tours to India or scroll down for dates, cost and detailed itinerary. Read the rest of this entry »

Sadhu at the gates of the "Beatles ashram" in Rishikesh, India

NOTE: This letter to the editor was published in the Globe and Mail newspaper this morning, August 16, 2010.

In Canada’s national newspaper, the Globe and Mail, celebrity columnist Johanna Schneller says about Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love: “Gilbert’s story distills for me my problem with spiritual quests. Is trying to be a better person just a really great excuse to think about yourself all day long?” Only in the world of Eat, Pray Love – which does not describe a spiritual quest at all.

Read the rest of this entry »

On location in India in Columbia Pictures' EAT PRAY LOVE. © 2010 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Eat, Pray, Love is a Julia Roberts movie. Her elegantly chiseled features, distinctive curled upper lip and large, limpid brown eyes dominate the movie. It’s a travelogue all right – a travelogue of Julia’s face and her familiar, and limited, emotional range. Read the rest of this entry »

the winner's loot

And the winners are…

The winners of the Eat, Pray, Love contest gathered at the Chapters-Indigo book store in downtown Toronto on Wednesday, August 11 to pick up their free passes to a preview screening of the film and a whole lot more. Thanks to Natalie, Grant and Kyra at Sony Pictures Canada for giving one double pass, a “pray” t-shirt, bookmark and mala bead bracelet to each winner; and to Chapters-Indigo for giving each winner a copy of the book by Elizabeth Gilbert. Chapters-Indigo was also very cordial about hosting us — thanks go to Michael and Phil and the really friendly people at this store. If you want to shop in a bookstore run by friendly people, go to the Chapters-Indigo at John and Richmond streets in downtown Toronto.

To see the winners’ photos, read more. Read the rest of this entry »

On location in India in Columbia Pictures' EAT PRAY LOVE. © 2010 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This summer let yourself go

Thanks to everyone who entered BreatheDreamGo’s Eat, Pray, Love contest. These lucky people, listed below, won a double pass to the preview screenings of the Julia Roberts film Eat, Pray, Love based on the popular best-selling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo of the Week

The Golden Temple, Amritsar

BreatheDreamGo is thrilled to welcome photographer Dave Bouskill and his glorious photograph of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India as Photo of the Week. The Golden Temple is the centre of the Sikh religion and one of the most sacred places in India.

Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Dave is one half of The Planet D – the other half being his wife Deb. Together they are Canada’s Adventure Couple and their travel blog is one of the best on the ‘net, if you ask me. Dave also has his own photography site, Picture the Planet, which you really have to see. The photos are truly gorgeous. It’s an honour to have one of Dave’s photos on BreatheDreamGo — thanks Dave!