TEIDE LOOKS LIKE MARS BUT SMELLS much better,” says my Spanish friend Rocio as I mention my upcoming trip to the UNESCO World Heritage site, a sprawling national park in Tenerife, Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa. Rocio waits for the confused look to cross my face, then explains with a grin: The atmosphere on Mars contains stinky sulphur. So if humans could breathe on Mars (which we can’t since there is barely any oxygen in the atmosphere), it would reek of rotten eggs or a sewer that’s been backed up for days. The vague olfactory description doesn’t prepare me for the sight that awaits.
I’m driven from Tenerife (the most populous of the Canary Islands) to Teide National Park by my local guide, Ancor. As the car ascends, I spot the skyline of rust-coloured, jagged boulders of various sizes and shapes, emerging from desert-like landscapes and reaching for the sky. I watch as the sun rises behind the boulders, almost setting them ablaze. The site reminds me of pictures I’ve seen on NASA websites of the fiery planet of Mars. We stop on the side of the road to take in the surreal view, and right on cue, a vehicle packed with kids parks beside us.
“Hola,” say the kids who jump out of the van, dressed in Star Wars costumes. There’s Yoda, green and serene; Darth Vader in his formidable face mask, while Luke Skywalker brandishes his lightsaber. They fit right into the set.
Denne historien er fra August - September 2023-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
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Denne historien er fra August - September 2023-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Chutneys For Every Season
GROWING UP IN JHARKHAND, I've always been enchanted by the state's culinary landscape. Here, the local cuisine never fails to surprise with its depth and variety.
BADGE OF HONOUR
IN THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE of tourism, where greenwashing often taints sustainability, certifications can help distinguish between genuine efforts and marketing gimmicks. Green certification systems encourage businesses to enhance their environmental credentials.
WHEELS OF TIME
IN 1947, TRAINS CARRYING REFUGEES ACROSS THE BORDER WERE SYMBOLIC OF THE TUMULT OF THE PARTITION.
RAILS OF THE Raj
FROM ITS CONCEPTION TO ITS ROLE IN THE NATION'S HISTORY, THE BRITISH INDIAN RAILWAYS IS A PHENOMENON MARKED AS MUCH BY MARVEL AS AVARICE
THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD
FROM THE RAILROAD THRILLER MISS FRONTIER MAIL 1936) TO SHAH RUKH KHAN DANCING ON A TRAIN IN DIL SE' 1998), TRAINS HAVE GIVEN UNFORGETTABLE SONG SEQUENCES TO MANY HINDI FILMS
MEMORY'S OASIS
REMEMBRANCES OF GROWING UP IN SEALDAH RAILWAY OFFICERS COLONY IN KOLKATA
A FAREWELL × TO FLAVOURS
FROM CUTLETS AND RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY IN DINING CARS TO THE UNREMARKABLE FARE AVAILABLE TODAY, THE JOURNEY OF FOOD ON THE INDIAN RAILWAY IS FASCINATING
HERITAGE ON THE TRACKS
THE ICONIC DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY, FONDLY CALLED THE TOY TRAIN,' HAS HELD ITS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS SINCE 1999
HIDDEN LIVES
SPANNING 65,000 KILOMETRES THROUGH DENSELY POPULATED INDIA, THE RAILWAYS ARE A BACKDROP TO COUNTLESS STORIES. 'THE UNRESERVED' BY FILMMAKER SAMARTH MAHAJAN CAPTURES A FEW
JOURNEYS WITHIN AND WITHOUT
FOR IMTIAZ ALI, TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE TRANSFORMATIVE, OFFERING GLIMPSES OF INDIA'S DIVERSE SOCIETY AND ITS MANY CULTURES AND RELIGIONS