Razzaq Mohammed

I am Razzaq. I work in the energy efficiency sector. I love travelling, reading books and blogging about both. I am also a big fan of Victorian era Gothic horror; both books and movies. This website is an amalgamation of all my previous blogs (all 4 for them). It is a one stop place for all my different types of readers. Here I write about my travels, books that I have read, energy, horror, history and anything else that catches my fancy! The section 'Random thoughts' will take you to more topics there. Hope you enjoy it!

Latest posts

A Weekend on the Water: 3-Day Houseboat Adventure on Shuswap Lake, BC, Canada

As the boat hummed along, cutting across the calm waters of the lake, I looked outside the window to take in the view. Swathes of trees on the land passed by, broken only by big rocks scattered here and there. The sky was crystal blue with no winds blowing. At the front, the lake stretched far away bordered by distant low hills. I could spot another houseboat which only looked like a speck on the horizon. My binoculars gave me a better view. Inside the boat, Ram and Akshaya were at the steering wheel, navigating the boat while chatting, Dwaraka was reading a book and Divu was taking a nap. The gentle rocking of the boat was lulling me into sleep as well. It was all so relaxing and calming. We were on a 3 Day houseboat trip in the Shuswap Lake near Sicamous, BC, which calls itself the houseboat capital of Canada. Read More

A Short History of Malaysia || A 10 point book review

Mention Malaysia and one perhaps thinks of two things. One is the Petronas Twin Towers and the other the capital Kuala Lumpur. Maybe a smaller number of people may recall its memorable tourism campaign; "Malaysia. Truly Asia". After reading this book the reader will fully understand why its so apt. It traces the evolution of a nation situated along one of the most important shipping routes in history. Throughout its history, people of diverse ethnicities have populated this land, including the Chinese, Indian Tamils, Malays, and indigenous groups shaping its unique structure. The book traces the history of the land beginning with the period before the first influential kingdom of the area, Melaka Sultanate, through it and the periods of occupation by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British, and concludes with the modern period. Read More

The Incredible History of India’s Geography || A 10 point book review

India has some of the most unique features of geography in the world and this has shaped its rich and truly astonishing history. India is considered as one of the cradles of civilization and one of the world's earliest urban cultures developed here in the Indus Valley Civilization. This book traces this relation between its geography and its impact on the people and the course of history. It starts from the Indus Valley Civilization and ends with the modern India. Read More

My Travels

I travel whenever and wherever I can. Travel for me is not the glamorous Instagram type pics. A walk in a neighboring nondescript village is also travel. Squeezing in a 3 hour sightseeing with a 20 hour journey is also travel. I do what I can with what I have. Sometimes its elaborate with week long trips. Sometimes its just a bus ride between two places. I try to enjoy whatever experiences I am privileged and lucky to experience. I have travelled a lot in my home country India. More than average I would say. Covered 15 states out of 29. Internationally I have been to only USA and Bhutan apart from my country of residence India and Canada. Presently I am based in the beautiful province of British Columbia in Canada and am trying to explore it as much as I can.

Peru

I did the 4 Day Inca Trail to Machu Pichu in this beautiful country.

4 Day Inca Trail to Machu Pichu, Peru

Bhutan

I did a multiday trek in this beautiful country.

Druk Path Trek

USA

I went on two trips to the United States so far.

Train trip across USA

Canada

I arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia in December 2018. Since then I went on a couple of multi day road trips and many day trips in BC. I also spent a year and a half in the sunny Okanagan region which gave me nice opportunity to explore the Interior regions of BC.

India

The country of my Birth, India is a country like no other. With its population of a billion people and the vast variety in landscapes and history, India is a place where even if you spend your entire lifetime in exploring it, it wont be enough. In my own limited capacity I travelled a bit in this beautiful country. I did 3 different multi day treks in the Himalayas which still remain some of the best travel experiences of my life. I visited 15 out of the 29 states.

Multi Day Trekking

4 Day Inca Trail to Machu Pichu, Peru

5 Day Druk Path Trek, Bhutan

5 Day Roopkund Trek, India

3 Day Nag Tibba Trek, India

Adventure activities

Energy

All Energy posts

Energy books

Efficiency Canada Feature

Here, I write about energy related topics.

I began my energy career in 2013 with working in a 4 x 600 MW Subcritical thermal power plant and later worked in 2 x 660MW supercritical thermal power plant. In these positions where I gained experience in various areas including commissioning, operation, as well as energy conservation. With the climate change crisis we find ourselves in, I wanted to leave behind fossil fuel power plants and pursue a field which would make an impact in alleviating some aspect of the climate change. What better area than energy conservation and improving energy efficiency. I moved to Canada in 2018 to pursue Master of Engineering Leadership in Clean Energy Engineering program at the University of British Columbia (UBC). From 2021 I have been working in the energy efficiency sector of Canada.

Here is a link to an Efficiency Canada feature published in 2022.

Mentoring for new Immigrants to BC, Canada

Are you new in BC and/or are a student looking for a job in the energy management/efficiency sector? Are you looking for any pointers from someone already in the industry? I would be happy to chat with you for 30 mins and share my thoughts and advice with you. Please fill out the form below.

Meeting Request Form

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Celebrating 15 years of my blogging journey!

Razzaq Mohammed April 13, 2024 October 14, 2024

I recently completed 15 years of my blogging journey! My very first post was back in 2008, made while I was in my 12th grade. It simply had a list of names of our group of friends. I started off my blogging journey by sharing stories of the activities our group of friends did together like trips, parties etc. Later I started writing about my individual travel trips. Full story here. Since then I have come a long way. My blog (the travel one) was featured on multiple websites and platforms, I was interviewed by a top travel podcast channel, a newspaper printed my photos and best of all I received countless words of appreciation from friends and readers! Over the course of 15 years I was also fortunate to have traveled in 5 countries including India. The others being Canada, United States, Bhutan and Peru. A bit more detailed story of my blogging journey can be found here which I wrote when I had completed 400 posts in 2022.

At this milestone point I am doing a Reader survey. It would be great if you, the reader, can fill it out! Thank you!
Here is the link: https://forms.gle/L222WkTvgY7vG25e7

Some of my popular travel posts:

4 Days Inca Trail to Machu Pichu: https://razzaqmohammed.com/4-days-inca-trail-to-machu-pichu-peru/
Roopkund Trek Day 4 : https://razzaqmohammed.com/roopkund-trekuttarakhand-day-4-summit-day-pathalnachni-to-roopkund-lake/
USA Train Trip: https://razzaqmohammed.com/75-hours-3-nights-aboard-usas-2-most-scenic-train-routes-california-zephyr-and-coast-starlight-in-coach/
Canada Train Trip: https://razzaqmohammed.com/canada-on-rails-4-days-train-trip-from-toronto-to-vancouver-day-1/
Bhutan Trek: https://razzaqmohammed.com/bhutans-druk-path-trek-day-1/
Ib: https://razzaqmohammed.com/iborissa-the-shortest-railway-station-name-in-india/

Some of my popular book posts:

Jungle of Stone : https://razzaqmohammed.com/jungle-of-stone-book-post/
Einstein’s Fridge: https://razzaqmohammed.com/einsteins-fridge/
Genghis Khan and the making of the Modern World: https://razzaqmohammed.com/10-things-i-learned-from-the-book-genghis-khan-and-the-making-of-the-modern-world/
A History of Creation: https://razzaqmohammed.com/book-post-20-a-brief-history-of-creation-by-bill-mesler-and-h-james-cleaves/
The China Syndrome: https://razzaqmohammed.com/book-post-12-china-syndrome-the-true-story-of-21st-centurys-first-great-epidemic/

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A Weekend on the Water: 3-Day Houseboat Adventure on Shuswap Lake, BC, Canada

Razzaq Mohammed December 14, 2024 December 14, 2024

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A Short History of Malaysia || A 10 point book review

Razzaq Mohammed December 7, 2024 December 7, 2024

Mention Malaysia and one perhaps thinks of two things. One is the Petronas Twin Towers and the other the capital Kuala Lumpur. Maybe a smaller number of people may recall its memorable tourism campaign; “Malaysia. Truly Asia”. After reading this book the reader will fully understand why its so apt. It traces the evolution of a nation situated along one of the most important shipping routes in history. Throughout its history, people of diverse ethnicities have populated this land, including the Chinese, Indian Tamils, Malays, and indigenous groups shaping its unique structure. The book traces the history of the land beginning with the period before the first influential kingdom of the area, Melaka Sultanate, through it and the periods of occupation by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British, and concludes with the modern period.

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The Incredible History of India’s Geography || A 10 point book review

Razzaq Mohammed November 30, 2024 November 30, 2024

India has some of the most unique features of geography in the world and this has shaped its rich and truly astonishing history. India is considered as one of the cradles of civilization and one of the world’s earliest urban cultures developed here in the Indus Valley Civilization. This book traces this relation between its geography and its impact on the people and the course of history. It starts from the Indus Valley Civilization and ends with the modern India.

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Restoration of the Lingampet Stepwell, Telangana, India.

Razzaq Mohammed November 24, 2024 November 24, 2024

In one of my earlier posts that I wrote in September I shared about how a normal weekend turned out to be one of the most exciting ones of the year when I received a call from an architect from Hyderabad, India, who informed me that one of my blog posts from 2018 kickstarted a project to restore a centuries old stepwell in my ancestral village of Lingampet. This is an account of a trip to Lingampet that I made after that weekend.

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Asif Jahs of Hyderabad || A 10 point book review

Razzaq Mohammed November 16, 2024 November 16, 2024

Did you know that after the Indian Independence on 15 August 1947 there was a period of 13 months when the Princely State of Hyderabad existed as an independent nation? It only joined the rest of India in September 1948. Hyderabad these days is mostly known for its Biryani, its IT sector, the unique Hyderabadi language and of course the Charminar. Founded in 1591 to accommodate the growing population of the nearby Golconda, Hyderabad has seen over 400 years of history which can be split into 2 phases with a brief Mughal transitional period in the middle. The first one was under the Qutb Shahi Dynasty, during which much of the foundation of the city’s growth and development was laid and the second was Asaf Jah dynasty, which ruled Hyderabad till the Indian Independence in 1947. In this book, Rajendra Prasad traces the history of the Asaf Jahs, also known popularly as the Nizams, from their rise in 1724, through their decline and eventual end in 1947. Through objective analysis and subtle humor, Rajendra writes an engaging and comprehensive account of a dynasty that has come to define and influence Hyderabad till the present day.

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Yale Historic Site and Hells Gate Airtram, BC, Canada

Razzaq Mohammed November 11, 2024 December 7, 2024

Did you know that just a short drive from Vancouver, there once existed a town straight out of the Wild West, complete with rowdy saloons and frequent gunfights? During the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush during the 1850s, Yale, which is only 175 kms from Vancouver, used to be a hub of lawlessness and violence. Today its a little town of around 150 people but at its peak during the gold rush its population was around 15000. The reason for its prominence at that time was because of its excellent location. It was situated at the head of river navigation and was also the start of the Cariboo Wagon Road, which is equivalent of todays Highway 1. One fine sunny day in September, I drove over to see for myself the excellently preserved historic site here.

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The Raj on the Move || A 10 point book review

Razzaq Mohammed November 9, 2024 November 16, 2024

During the days of the British Raj in India, the officers of the Indian Civil Services used to travel throughout the length and breadth of the country touring their domains to discharge their duties. On these travels they needed accommodation, sometimes in some of the most remote corners of India, and most often, Dak Bungalows offered this. These bungalows, variously called Circuit houses or Forest Rest houses, were set up by the methodical British in their efforts to bring order to a chaotic country. In Raj on the move, Rajika Bhandari combines her love of Dak Bungalows with some fine writing to bring out the essence of these forgotten buildings. She talks about the buildings in multiple chapters each devoted to one aspect of the building including purpose, architecture, food, locations and perhaps most interestingly for some, myself included, the famous resident ghosts.

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Kilby Historic Site, Harrison Mills, BC, Canada

Razzaq Mohammed November 4, 2024 December 7, 2024

Kilby Historic Site is a beautifully preserved group of old buildings near the town of Harrison Mills some 100 kms from Vancouver. On a sleepy weekend in September I drove over there on a whim. The drive to Kilby through Highway 7 was pleasant. I like that route as its away from heavy traffic and also passes through some amazing scenery. The area around Harrison Mills used to be the home of the Scowlitz and Chehalis people from time immemorial.

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A Visit to BC Vintage Truck Museum, Cloverdale, BC, Canada

Razzaq Mohammed October 26, 2024 December 7, 2024

While driving in Surrey, BC one day, I noticed a board with the letters ‘BC Vintage Truck Museum’ on the side of the road. I made a mental to visit it sometime. That sometime finally came up last month when I drove over there on a weekend. The Museum is located in the historic neighborhood of Cloverdale.

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Solved || A 10 point book review

Razzaq Mohammed October 19, 2024 October 19, 2024

In this book, David Miller, who was a former Toronto Mayor, talks about the role of city governments in taking action on climate change. He makes the case for cities being one of the most important players in our fight against climate change. In the book he shows how some cities around the world are already doing impactful work, and urges other cities to follow.