24 Hours in Mumbai
Exploring India’s boisterous west.
Mumbai may not look like much on the map — a crooked ledge hanging from India’s western coast into the Arabian Sea — but its history is anything but ordinary. From seven fishing villages in the second century, it grew to flourish as an important British trading post in the 18th century. Today, this pulsating, cosmopolitan city of nearly 21 million is India’s commercial center and home to the Bollywood film industry.
Words and illustration by Somali Roy
Selamta : The In-flight magazine of Ethiopian Airlines, Sep-Oct 2015
24 Hours in Bangkok
Discovering the exotic, relishing the familiar.
Bangkok is a rapidly progressing Asian city that’s utterly comfortable in its own skin; it teems with a confidence in its culture while also presenting a healthy openness toward others. And indeed it has much to show off, as Bangkok has come a long way since its days as a city of canals and elephant paths. The economic boom of the ‘80s and ongoing globalization have revitalized the cityscape by adding high-rises, expressways and shopping centers while also influencing art, fashion and entertainment.
And yet you’ll still find spirit houses outside restaurants, innumerable temple spires piercing the sky, gigantic royal portraits adorning buildings, and suited businesspeople chanting alongside robed monks at Buddhist shrines. Spend the day exploring not just the sights but also these peculiar yet charming juxtapositions.
Words and illustration by Somali Roy
Selamta : The In-flight magazine of Ethiopian Airlines, Sep-Oct 2016