Razzaq Mohammed
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2024Leave a comment
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Celebrating 15 years of my blogging journey!

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:

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

Some of my popular book posts:

  1. Jungle of Stone : https://razzaqmohammed.com/jungle-of-stone-book-post/
  2. Einstein’s Fridge: https://razzaqmohammed.com/einsteins-fridge/
  3. 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/
  4. A History of Creation: https://razzaqmohammed.com/book-post-20-a-brief-history-of-creation-by-bill-mesler-and-h-james-cleaves/
  5. The China Syndrome: https://razzaqmohammed.com/book-post-12-china-syndrome-the-true-story-of-21st-centurys-first-great-epidemic/
2026 heritage TelanganaLeave a comment

No Longer Forgotten, Lingampet Stepwell, Telangana

In 2018, I wrote about a stepwell in ruins: forgotten, overgrown and slowly fading away. I posted it on my blog and moved on, assuming it would vanish into the void of the internet. Six years later, I got a message out of the blue that stopped me in my tracks. A famous water conservation activist had come across my post, and it had played a part in the stepwell’s restoration. I was invited to the opening ceremony, as a guest, at the very site I had once called forgotten. It still doesn’t feel real.

2026 heritage India TelanganaLeave a comment

The Forgotten Guesthouse of Pocharam, Telangana, India

Standing on the upper floor of the abandoned guesthouse, my dad and I looked at the view in front of us. As my dad excitedly recounted tales of his childhood around these parts, I stared out at the beautiful and serene Pocharam Lake as it shimmered in the afternoon sun. My mind wandered back to the 70s and 80s and what this place might have looked like back then and slowly further back to the days of the Nizam when this building was used as a hunting lodge. Now, all that remains are the decaying walls and the stillness of its solitude.

2026 Heritage Hyderabad Heritage Walk hyderabad hyderabad heritage IndiaLeave a comment

Dar-ul-Shifa Heritage Walk, Hyderabad, India

What do Ottoman Cairo, Istanbul, Edirne, Mughal Delhi and Qutub Shahi Hyderabad have in common? In the 1600s, they were all home to some of the best hospitals in the world. Remarkably, Hyderabad’s Dar-ul-Shifa still stands today, though in a fairly neglected state. On a bright Sunday morning earlier this year, I joined a heritage walk through the Dar-ul-Shifa locality, the area which takes its name from this very building.

2026 Book Posts Book Reviews Books HistoryLeave a comment

God’s Shadow || Book Review

In the early 16th century the mere rumor of spotting Ottoman ships off the coast of an enemy city would send shivers down other empires. During this time and at several other points in history, the Ottoman Empire was arguably the world’s most powerful empire, distinguished by its vast territorial extent, military might, economic strength, and extraordinary cultural achievement. One person most responsible for this was Sultan Selim who ruled from 1512 to 1520. This book traces his life, his conquests, the prevailing conditions in Europe and the New World before and during his reign and how the equations between Muslims and Christians played out from the world-changing events of the 1490s.

2026 Book Posts Book Reviews Books2 Comments

River of the Gods || Book Review

The longest river in the world travels a distance of around 7000s kms in north east Africa before it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. 95% of Egypt’s population lives within just a few kilometers of the this river and its delta. The ancient Egyptians considered it divine, a gift from the gods. This is Nile, River of the Gods. For the longest time nobody knew where this massive river originated from. This book traces the journeys of explorers who finally uncovered this mystery in the 1850s.

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A Weekend in Tofino: Chasing Storms, Finding Calm

One of my main reasons for visiting Tofino was to indulge in an activity called ‘Storm Watching’, which is when you go to a beach during a storm and watch the rough seas with huge waves. Some do it from the safety of a hotel near the beach and some from the beach itself. I was interested in the latter as it’s more adventurous as well as more affordable.

2026 Book Posts Book Reviews BooksLeave a comment

Elementary, My Dear Reader: The Four Novels of Sherlock Holmes

Few characters receive immediate and warm praise from Holmes as Dr. Mortimer does in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Of the four novels, The Hound of the Baskervilles remains my top favorite and this opening scene with Dr. Mortimer is a big reason why. In this post I will be briefly sharing my thoughts on the four novels featuring Sherlock Holmes.

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