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Romantic Journeys: Where garden and desert strive for mastery
by Chalerm Raksanti
Leave the crowded beaches of the Costa de Sol where
sleek, oiled bodies brown in the sun, packed together, hip to hip.
Towering hotels and apartment buildings now front the Mediterranean and
summer finds vacationers clogging the beaches and the parks. Each year the
Costa, once beautiful, sinks a little deeper into a kind of jet-set
version of Coney Island. Seek the quiet villages that still revere the old
customs.
 This
85-year-old master guitar maker has worked his craft for 70 years. The
best guitars are made from Brazilian rosewood.
To a foreigner Andalusia represents the essence of
Spain. In every aspect of life in Andalusia, Spain’s southernmost
region, a reverence for tradition still prevails. On Sunday mornings in a
tiny town called Arriate, nestled in the valleys of the Sierra Morena
Mountains you can hear the Bell Ringers of the Dawn. For a thousand years,
these campanillieros have filed out of their houses at 4:00 a.m. to
the sounds of bells, cymbals and a guitar. They pause before the homes of
those who have given alms and sing anthems to the Virgin of the Dawn. The
chill of the darkness fades as they share a flask of anis, a fiery
licorice flavored liqueur. In our plastic world of greed and artifice,
this community treasures the human soul.
Somber in dress but vital in spirit, Andalusia is where
the bullfight was born. That spectacle that dramatizes dominance and death
sprang from the same essence of the region that bred the stark grief of
flamenco. A guitar in the hands of an Andalusian produces the dark passion
of Gypsies who play in the small villages as much for their own pleasure
as for the few coins they receive for their serenades.
Fiery
flamenco music and dance inspire Seville’s annual festival.
Andalusia comprises a region of 34,000 square miles and
an incredible geographic microcosm. The visitor is mesmerized by its sunny
beaches, snowy mountain peaks, endless plains where black bulls graze,
shimmering lakes and mountain streams. Everywhere there is the touch and
memory of its Arab past. For almost 800 years Andalusia was ruled by
Moors.
In the year 900 AD, when Paris was a bastioned island,
London a stockade fighting off Viking raiders, and Madrid a Moorish
fortress, Cordoba boasted a population of half a million inhabitants,
miles of paved streets and a great library of nearly 500,000 books. The
traveler of today can still see a Roman wall, a Moorish gate, and the
remains of a beautiful mosque. When Muslim armies rammed across the
Straits of Gibraltar and seized most of the Iberian Peninsula they
established their capital in Cordoba. Through 200 years they built and
enlarged the great mosque in the center of the city. It was the second
largest in the Islamic world, after Mecca. Today a graceless 16th century
cathedral rises from the center of the mosque.
Granada glows in the evening sun. The city rises at the
edge of a high plain called the Vega. The first sight of Granada takes the
breath away and dazzles the eye. For 250 years after Christians recaptured
Cordoba, Granada reigned as Islam’s premier capital. Life here was one
big carnival, and the city sparkled like an enameled vase. The cornices of
houses were draped in hanging gardens. Flowing fountains in courtyards
filled with the perfume of jasmine created cool retreats from the harsh
noonday sun.
 Alhambra,
a masterpiece of 14th century Moorish architecture in Granada.
In the spring of 1491 the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand
and Isabella sent troops and entered the Vega. The siege lasted six
months, but finally the last Moorish King surrendered. The glorious
fortress-palace of Alhambra still stands. Its incomparable architecture
will forever stand as testimony to the high tide of Arab achievement.
The climax of the Andalusia year is Holy Week. These
eight days, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter commemorate
the central drama of Christianity. Seville’s Holy Week ranks as the most
revered in Spain. Processions jam the streets daily. For months people
plan their wardrobe; new suits for the men, lovely frocks for the women.
From balconies Gypsies sing flamenco songs of religious praise. Of course
this festival is commercialized. Even Andalusia lives in the 21st century.
True devotees go to isolated villages in the mountains
which are devoid of tourists. In ghostlike solemnity, men robed as
medieval penitents file through narrow, cobblestones alleyways. Called
nazarenos, they escort floats bearing precious statues of Christ and the
Virgin Mary. They shuffle through the streets through the still of the
night. Their feet are bare. Heavy chains clamped to their ankles scrape
eerily on the cobbles. Devotees parade silently through the darkened towns
and the only light comes from the flickering candles which they carry.
Andalusia is arid and mountainous. Seville, like
Cordoba huddles beside the Guadalquicvir. Cafes and restaurants overlook
the banks of the great river. The pride of Seville is the graceful 13th
century Tower of Gold that guards the east bank. A short walk will bring
you to the largest Gothic church in the world. It is a dream of medieval
grandeur. Behind the cathedral lies the Barrio de Santa Cruz, Seville’s
ancient ghetto. Here narrow streets twist and turn, orange trees shade
splashing fountains.
But the soul of the city is the La Maestranza. It is
here we find the plaza de torros - the bullring. Most outsiders regard the
bullfight as an abomination. In Spain it is a passion. A fugue of death,
bull and matador are captured in a double drama of strength and courage.
All of Andalusia seems embodied in these twin virtues - sometimes gay,
sometimes melancholy. It is a land of contrasts.
Thailand is home to largest number of dugongs in Southeast Asia
Emirates, the world’s fastest-growing major airline,
is to double its services between Dubai and Munich, capital of Germany’s
Bavaria area.
It will add five more flights a week from October 27
and two more from March 31, 2003 to make the service double daily. The
increase is triggered by rapid growth in tourism and trade between Dubai
and Bavaria.
 Soonthorn
Suree, manager for Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar & Laos
The new flights will leave Dubai at 3.55 p.m. landing
at Munich at 7.35 p.m., and leaving again at 9.55 p.m. to reach Dubai at
6.50 a.m. the next morning. The current daily service leaves Dubai at 8.05
a.m., lands at 12.30 p.m. and returns from Munich at 3.45 p.m., touching
down in Dubai at 11.45 p.m.
The increase confirms Munich’s place as one of
Western Europe’s fastest-growing airports and, with Emirates’ existing
Munich flights, will widen travellers’ choice of departures.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates’ commercial operations
director said, “We’re increasing our German business and supporting
the Dubai Government’s efforts to attract 15 million visitors a year by
2010.
“Dubai is now firmly established as the leisure hub
and commercial capital of the region, and these new services will give
business and leisure travellers and cargo shippers and forwarders
convenient connections to Emirates’ fast-growing worldwide network via
Dubai.”
Award-winning Emirates is also doubling its daily
services to Gatwick and Frankfurt and last year inaugurated daily flights
to Dusseldorf, its newest German destination.
Soonthorn Suree, manager for Thailand, Cambodia,
Myanmar & Laos added, “The current daily service leaves Bangkok at
01.15 hrs. From 2nd October we add three more flights a week with
convenient connection to Munich, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf. During transit
at Dubai Airport the passengers can enjoy the shopping at Dubai Duty Free
and for those who would like to stopover in Dubai, Emirates offers the
special hotel package starting from only US$24 per person per night twin
sharing, check-in and check-out time is on a 24 hrs. basis, free transfer
from/to airport and waive the stopover surcharge US$100.”
Chiang Mai-Chittagong air route to be launched before end of year
A new air route linking Thailand’s northern resort
province of Chiang Mai and Chittagong in Bangladesh is likely to be
launched in October, according to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
During his visit to Dhaka, Thaksin told a meeting of
about 100 Thai businessmen who do business in the region that he wants the
new Chiang Mai-Chittagong route to be opened in late October.
“It takes about 70 minutes from Chiang Mai to
Chittagong. The route may be later expanded to Hanoi, which will take
about another one hour. The air route will help facilitate not only
passengers traveling between the cities, but also cargo transport between
the cities,” Thaksin said.
There are now around 300 Thai businesspersons in
Bangladesh. Bangladesh is keen to purchase Thai products for both domestic
consumption and re-export to third countries. (TNA)
THAI launches new campaign to woo back passengers
Thai Airways International Plc. (THAI), the national
flag carrier, is launching a new campaign to attract more passengers,
according to THAI President Kapok Abhiradee.
Kapok said that the new campaign was also aimed to woo
back passengers who switched to other airlines after THAI cut some
services due to the impact of terrorist attacks in the United States in on
11 September.
THAI cut special fare discounts, additional baggage
allowances, and some other services after the September incident.
The campaign kicked off with a party where Kapok
extended an apology to guests and customers for the withdrawal of
services. (TNA)
Air-India to Introduce frequent flyer program in South East Asia
Air-India will launch its frequent flyer program
‘Flying Returns Program’ in Singapore, Hong Kong Thailand, Malaysia
and Indonesia jointly with Indian Airlines effective July 15, 2002.
Membership of FRP will let air passengers earn free
tickets on flights operated by Air-India, Indian Airlines, its joint
partner in the FRP, Air France and Alliance Air (subsidiary of Indian
Airlines), besides getting numerous other benefits.
There are seven weekly services to India from Hong Kong
besides two flights to Osaka; 16 from Singapore, five from Bangkok besides
three flights to Tokyo; three each from Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
Additionally, Air-India has code-share arrangements with Thai Airways on
flights operated between the Bangkok-Mumbai sector with Singapore Airlines
on the Singapore-Los Angeles route, with Silk Air on Singapore -Kochi
sector and with Malaysia Airlines on services between Kuala Lumpur and
Mumbai/Bangalore/Hyderabad and Los Angeles.
Members of the Flying Returns Program will be credited
miles every time they travel on Air-India, Indian Airlines, Alliance Air,
Air France and flights of Air-India’s code-share partners. Members will
also be entitled to 10 kilos of excess baggage. Redemption of award
tickets is 10,000 mileage points.
Enrolment
Enrolment to the Flying Returns Program is free.
Membership is valid for three years and is open to all residents of Hong
Kong, Thailand Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia above the age of 12
years. Passengers wishing to join FRP can log on to Air-India’s website
www.Airindia.com and enroll online, or write for an enrolment form to any
of its member service centers in Hong Kong for residents of Hong Kong; in
Singapore for residents of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia; and in
Bangkok for residents of Thailand.
On acceptance of enrolment, each member will receive a
letter of acknowledgement and a membership kit with membership card number
and program brochure.
Accrual of mileage
points
Members can accrue mileage points on tickets purchased
against published normal or special fares, in any currency, in any
country, for any class of travel. The quantity of mileage point accruals
will depend on the class of travel - the higher the class, the greater the
mileage points accrued, i.e. members traveling in the Executive Class will
be able to accrue 1.5 times more points than members traveling in the
Economy Class.
A member whose spouse is also a member of Flying
Returns can pool his/her mileage points with those of his or her spouse to
gain free tickets.
With the launch of the program in these South East
Asian countries, the reach of Air-India’s FRP now covers almost
Air-India’s entire worldwide network. It is now available to air
passengers in India, the Gulf, UK, USA, Canada, the Far East and South
East Asia.
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