Dan the Global Nomad

In this episode, the Global Nomad visits Phnom Penh and explores the history of Cambodia of the mid twentieth century. He describes the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the despotic rule of Pol Pot in graphic detail ending with the breathtaking story of Nrong Chan Phal, a child survivor of the brutal S-21 prison. Phnom Penh today is much like the Bangkok of forty years ago. The similarities are unmistakable. In the Thai language, the word Bangkok means the city of angels. In the Cambodian language, Phnom Penh means the city of Brahma’s four faces. Brahma, of course, is the Hindu god of creation.

Bangkok is situated on the Chao Phraya River with numerous canals. It is home to some distinctly British-style buildings. Phnom Penh is located on the mighty Mekong River and has some fine buildings with exquisite French architecture. The cityscapes of both are dotted with soaring spires of Buddhist temples and pagodas. Both cities have friendly people, excellent food, and a vibrant nightlife, a little naughty, of course. Once known as the pearl of Asia, Phnom Penh was considered as one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s. Shockingly, in this peaceful Buddhist Cambodia, comes along the cruelest granddaddy of all dictators, Pol Pot, who in a span of 3 years, 8 months, and 20 days during 1975–1979, brutally killed 3 million of his own people—men, women, and children. All Cambodians remember these figures, 3 million people in 3 years, 8 months and 20 days! In the January of 1979 nine-year-old Nong Chan Phal was found hiding in a pile of dirty laundry in the large kitchen of the totally evacuated, ghost town of the Prison by the liberating Vietnamese soldiers. He was cold and emaciated, but his spirit was high. His tale is a story of resilience and courage, of hope and the human spirit, of endurance and sheer luck.

French novelist Gustave Flaubert says:

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

The great pyramids of Giza and the temples of Luxor created that feeling in me. I experienced exactly that once again when I visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia. At 1.3 billion, India’s population is the second largest in the world and it is projected to become the largest in the near future. Indians, in general, are religious and about 80 percent of them are Hindus. But, Would you believe then that the world’s largest Hindu Temple is not in India. And would you also believe that it is in a tiny country of a mere 17 million people that are not even Hindu? The Temple of Angkor Wat is a great example of human creativity. Its humongous construction is an engineering marvel. Not only it is the largest place of worship of any kind but it is artistically most beautiful with the finest bas-relief work and friezes depicting innumerable deities and stories from Hindu mythology.

In this episode we explore the exciting paradise of Bali. Ah, Bali!! The Three Bees of Beautiful Bali!! Blissful Beaches, Buxom Beauties, Bountiful Beer!

It is not surprising that Bali ranks high in every serious globetrotter’s bucket list. But for a culturally omnivorous person like me, there is a lot more to Bali beyond its beaches, beauties and beer. It is its amazing art!

American Author Anais Nin says: “Life, religion, & art all converge in Bali. There is no word in their language for ‘artist’. Everyone is an artist”.

In this episode the Global Nomad takes you to Hampi to see the ruins of the Empire of Vijayanagar in South Central India. In its prime, About 600 years ago Hampi was considered the richest city in the world and represented a golden era of the Indian civilization. In historical significance, Hampi is to South India what the Taj Mahal is to North India. The ruins of Hampi - palaces, temples and bazaars - include some 500 monuments scattered over 25 square kilometers and are comparable to Pompeii. Hampi is one of the innumerable treasures of India. It must be preserved, promoted and enjoyed by all. Listen to this very fascinating podcast by the inimitable Global Nomad, Dan Mayur.

This Marathi episode, Atulya Bharat, or Incomparable India, is a part of the Global Nomad podcast series. It takes a humorous but thought-provoking look at travel to India and the prevalent socio-political culture of the country. In particular, it highlights the public behavior of some Indians, the influence of Bollywood on Indian life and the antics of power-hungry politicians in a most entertaining way. Finally, the episode ends on a heart-warming note on the real cultural wealth of India.

This is a particularly humorous, entertaining and informative episode prepared and presented especially for Marathi speaking audience. It is in response to popular demand after the success of the on-going series of English podcasts based on Dan Mayur’s new book Global Nomad - Travels and Travails. The episode is full of entertaining personal stories delivered eloquently in Dan Mayur’s trade-mark easy, humorous style. It will leave the listeners wanting to read the book and listening to more episodes of Global Nomad.