tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20491160915022124472024-03-14T11:45:24.634+05:30Let's go for a vacation - Saru and Vamsee's Travels“Like most travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” - Benjamin DisraeliVamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-30833533277181282652014-11-15T15:42:00.000+05:302014-11-17T12:00:35.043+05:30Patience or Passion - Tigers of Tadoba Andhari Reserve <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yT11pTIBxpQ/VGcUnIhxBdI/AAAAAAAAE2I/FK13z7Mhaeo/s1600/DSC_0522%2Bcopy%2Bjeep2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yT11pTIBxpQ/VGcUnIhxBdI/AAAAAAAAE2I/FK13z7Mhaeo/s1600/DSC_0522%2Bcopy%2Bjeep2.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A friend recently said to me<span style="color: red;"><b> "
Your wildlife trips sound very exciting. I am very happy to see your pictures
and read the blog, but I don't think I can go on them. "</b> </span>Surprised
by that statement, I asked her to explain and she said " I don't think I
have patience. I will be thoroughly bored to sit and wait for hours for a wild
animal sighting". This was after our trip to Africa last year and the
friend commented on how lucky we always get with wild animal sightings. I
explained to her that we try to maximize our chances by staying out in the wild
for as long as the park allows us. In most parks, we do 2 safaris a day which adds
to 6-8 hours a day spent in the wilderness. Some safaris are very exciting with
lots of things happening and there are a few where nothing happens. "
Don't you get bored? She asked. I am not
going to lie. Sometimes when nothing happens over a series of safaris it gets
very frustrating<span style="color: red;">. </span><b><span style="color: red;">But hope is very
powerful</span><span style="color: yellow;">.</span></b> Every park, every safari, every ride, you hope that something
happens. A slight movement in the bushes, a break in color in a green canopy,
an alarm call, a bird call, a fragrant flowering bush, tiger pee ( Oh yes...all
part of the wildlife experience)....there is something to see, hear and smell
in the forest most of the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">The friend persisted<span style="color: red;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">" All that sounds great, but I don't think I have patience".</span><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </span></span></i></b><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">The funny thing was that my friend is actually a very patient person. She is a typical wonder woman who works, bakes, reads, takes care of her family and runs marathons. As for me, anybody that knows me well will tell you that I am very impatient. I have known to give many a hospital staff lectures on how my time is just as precious as the doctor who makes me wait an hour every single time. It got me thinking that maybe patience is not infinite and very subject specific. The husband who is super patient with our 4 year old will be ready to chew your ear off if you cut lines in a store or honk at him when the traffic signal is red. My father, who is the all time king of patience (trust me, I tested it multiple times) can get irritated with my mom for no reason.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A number of my friends have
recently taken up long distance running and cycling. They run and cycle <b>hundreds</b> of miles. I asked a friend how
she has the discipline to wake up at 4 am every morning to run and train for
marathons and she replied<span style="color: red;"> </span><b><i><span style="color: red;">" It has become a passion, plus we don't do it
every day. Mondays are off".</span><span style="color: yellow;"> </span></i></b>I hung on to that bit about Mondays before I
hit the 'bingo' moment<span style="color: red;">. <b><u>Passion!!</u></b> Y</span>ou don't need patience to go on wildlife
holidays, you need passion. Passion for seeing and capturing nature in action,
passion for experiencing what one sees on National Geographic channels and
passion for simpler things in life like green forests and blue skies and fresh
air. I hate waiting, but two of my
hobbies, gardening and baking require a lot of it and I am fine with it. Bread
dough takes hours to rise and plants take months to grow but I don't mind it
because the end product is amazing. It is something similar with wildlife. After
periods of nothing, you could end up with an amazing story to show and tell.
That to us is a very compelling reason to go back to the forest. This Diwali,
October 2014, we went to the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve for a few days. We
stayed at Svasara resort, a small luxury lodge close to the Kolara gate
entrance of the park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On our very first safari, we saw
a tigress, but it was far away and it pretty much did not count. For the next 4
safaris, we saw nothing....zilch...nada. It was not just us, most jeeps from
our gate saw nothing. Our luck changed on the 5th safari when we saw fresh
pugmarks at the Jamni chowk intersection. The pugmarks were headed on the
hilltop road towards Tadoba lake. We went that way and sure enough, there was our
friend Sam in another jeep asking us to hurry and come. P2, the 4/5 year old
tigress was sitting in the bushes by the side of the road. It was a miracle
they spotted it because it was very well camouflaged by the grass. Then began the waiting game. We
waited for 4 hours in that same spot. The tigress did not budge but
disappointment turned into excitement a few hours later when we later realized
that<span style="color: red;"> <b>it had a kill near it - a baby sambar deer.</b></span> It must have made the kill
early in the morning before the jeeps entered the park at 6 am. It ate its fill
and was resting. With the kill, there was no chance the tiger was moving. Every
jeep in the park heard about it and was there. At one point, I counted 45
jeeps, all lined up. It felt like one of those famous temples where people were
lined up to get a <i>darshan</i> of god.
Jeeps would come, go close, <i>click click,
wow...omg... wow</i>.....and then the next jeep would nudge them to move. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was actually more fun to watch
human behaviour and judge people rather than seeing the sleeping tiger.<span style="color: red;"> <i>"Look
at their clothes. Who wears a bright red salwar with a golden border to a tiger
reserve. OMG...they are lifting their child up in the air to show the
tiger...while the jeep is moving. how stupid. Don't go so close to the tiger,
you silly bozo. Are you seriously trying to take a selfie with a TIGER? Holy
crap".</i></span><span style="color: yellow;"> </span>Ok...you are right, that was mean but what else am I
supposed to do for 4 hours. Judging people is such wonderful time pass. While I
was bitching about them non-stop, Saru was displaying Zen like
calmness and was superglued to the camera the entire time. Tiger lifts his
paw...<i>click click click</i>. Tiger licks his paw....<i>click click click</i>.
He finally said "I bet you would do the same thing if you were in that
jeep". I totally took offense and argued with him that I was better than
that. He just smiled at me in a smug-judgey way which meant to say<span style="color: red;"> "you-know-I-am-right-but-am-shutting-up'</span></span><span style="color: red;">. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I ignored him and started talking to the guide Tulsi and the driver (whom I
tipped handsomely afterwards). They agreed with everything I said and also told
me some cool stories one of which included.....coming face to face with a tiger when they were on foot. What followed was a very dramatically told </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Bhaag Tulsi Bhaag'</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> sequence.
Tulsi is one of the best guides at the Kolara gate. He literally thinks like a
tiger. The minute he sees pugmarks, his mind starts racing</span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...<span style="color: red;">.."If he
went into this side of the forest, he will emerge at Kalaamba</span></i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"...or <i>"He
was last seen at Tadoba Lake, so he must have gone to Panchdhara road or
Cheetal road"</i>.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"> </span>His predictions turned out to be right for most of the
guests at the lodge. Even if they are not, he is very entertaining.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most jeeps from the Moharli gate
left with 45 minutes to go. After the long wait, we were losing hope of seeing
any action and we had just half an hour to get out of the park. Just when it
was time to go back, after 4 hours, the tigress got up and decided it wanted to
continue with its meal, so it woke up and started eating. Then we went all
<span style="color: red;">" click click, WOW...OMG...WOW"</span>. We went close enough to hear it pull
the meat, crush the bones and on occasion, it would glance at us the spectators
and give a menacing look. It was surreal hearing and watching it eat the deer. Some
of my friends were able to click pictures of it with blood on its mouth. I have
this not so good video from my phone. In spite of not getting great pictures,
it was an incredible sighting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That afternoon, we wanted to be
one of the first jeeps through the gate. We waited in the hot sun for 1/2 hour
and were in. We saw pug marks just before the Jamni village. Then at the Jamni
chowk, there were pug marks going towards hilltop and more pug marks towards
Jamun bodi. (See how I am casually throwing in road names like a pro. That is
what happens when you go on 4 safaris and see nothing. You remember useless
trivia) It was like the tigers had a
conference and then left in every direction just to throw us off. Flummoxed, we
decided to take the safe bet and return to the morning's location. The Tigress
was still there and this time it was sleeping inside the bushes. We wanted to
play the waiting game but the forest officer came and shooed us away saying he
was not letting any jeep stay there for more than a quick darshan. Cars were
lining up and we left. At the next intersection, another jeep told us that they
heard alarm calls in Jamun Bodi area.We decided to head that way even though
it was a good 20 minutes ride. Jamun Bodi is my favorite area in this part of
the forest. It has wide sweeping meadows of part-green, part-golden grass. It
is slightly uphill and looks into a lake. We drove up to the view point to see
the lake. The forest was silent. We were scanning the lake to see if there were
any animals in or around it. A bush quail family was in the grass next to our
jeep and I was telling Saru to photograph them. A monkey family was playing in
a tree without any worry, so we sighed and just when we gave up hope, the guide
said <span style="color: red;"><b><i>"Arre,
yeh dekho, TIGER"</i>.</b> </span>We all turned around and saw a beautiful tigress
walking into the meadows. The lighting was perfect, but the grass was too tall.
It walked through the grass and went downhill towards the lake. And then, it
ROARED!! OMG....it was SO COOL!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tigers do not roar to scare animals
(counter intuitive) but they roar to warn other tigers not to enter into their
territory. The tigress, then waded into the water and started moving. I was
squealing with joy the entire time. The smiles on our faces were as wide as can
be. It sat in the water for a little bit and then started coming out. By this
time the langur family got petrified and started giving alarm calls. The tiger came out of the water and started climbing uphill. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Samar Deer Alarm Call</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, after a good 45 minutes, it disappeared into the woods. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What a fantastic sighting.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is what I love, seeing the tiger with no jeeps around. There were 2 jeeps for most of the time until the end. It was just us, the forest and the tiger and what an experience. I can totally go back in time and put up with 4 nothing-safaris to get this amazing experience. We were the only jeep in the resort to have see this tigress and we made it count. Saru quickly downloaded pictures to the computer and copied them to the phone in time for dinner. With his fantastic photos and my flair for dramatic story telling, we were the stars of the night. Rest of the guest surrounded us and<span style="color: red;"> <i>oohed</i></span> and <span style="color: red;"><i>aahed</i> </span>at our pictures. Oh! What fun it was!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Royal Bengal Tigers in Indian Forests</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In
the last 5 years we made a dozen trips to national parks and had 15 tiger
sightings (and saw 20+ tigers) and three leopards. On our maiden trip to Kenya,
we saw 6 Cheetahs and over a dozen lions. On a trip to Canada, we saw 13 bears
(2 were grizzly bears). On a night snorkelling tour in Hawaii, we saw 2 dozen
Manta Rays at close quarters. On another snorkelling trip in Belize, we swam
with nurse sharks and sting rays. I guess you can say that we are generally lucky with sightings. But is
it all about luck? Read about a few of my theories on how to maximize your
jungle experience.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;">Dawn
and Dusk:</span></span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"> The
best time to see tigers is either early in the morning or late in the evening because
it satisfies Murphy's law - "<b><i>Thy shall see a tiger only in poor light
conditions"</i></b>. Photos come out bad and shaky and in my case, the husband
will delete all photos unless the eyes of the tiger are in focus!! It is hard
enough to zoom in, focus, frame the photo without the dozen other jeeps but he
also wants sharp eyes. I don't know what the deal is with him and eyes. I think
tigers are all about stripes and I manage to get those in focus. I also love
zooming out and photographing tigers in their habitat rather than zooming in
all the way. <i>(It is
also a subtle and incredibly clever way to convince the husband that bigger and
expensive lenses are not necessary)</i>. 9/10 times when you see a tiger, light
is low or there are bushes/other jeeps blocking the view or the tiger is showing his butt. We
have tiger pictures of all the above, especially the butt. I am not kidding. On
a recent trip, we had a tiger sighting for almost 45 minutes resulting in
hundreds of tiger butt pictures (which were obviously deleted because of the
"eye" criteria and just for the heck of it, I made up a rule that I
will not post any pictures with its genitals in focus (or family jewels if you
prefer that word). Anyway, going back to the dawn/dusk theory - the best thing
you can do is be the first jeep to enter the forest. This way, you can look for
fresh pug marks (and poop in some cases). On a recent trip to Tadoba Andhari
Tiger Reserve, we tracked pugmarks for over 1 km. The tigress zigzagged her way
on the jeep track all the way to Tadoba lake. A dozen other jeeps were already
in the area. We drove up and down that road a few times and spotted the tigress
resting in a pond next to a lot of bushes (of course the lighting was poor). So,
every time we go to tiger reserves, we wake up early and try to be one of the
first few to enter the park. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">On
the flipside, a family had woken up late and entered the park at 9 am one
morning and 10 minutes later, saw a tigress with its 3 grown cubs!! When we
were driving out of Dhilala forest at noon one winter, we saw a tiger sun
bathing at 1 pm in the afternoon (it was sitting against the light). <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On our last trip to Tadoba, out of the 4 morning safaris, we saw tigers a total of zero times!!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tigress P2, Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Nov 2013</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sDO1pbYXT7s/Uq7eLj-fwkI/AAAAAAAAEOw/NvZpjUzapLA/s1600/DSC_3818_1+painting+copy+moresmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sDO1pbYXT7s/Uq7eLj-fwkI/AAAAAAAAEOw/NvZpjUzapLA/s800/DSC_3818_1+painting+copy+moresmall.jpg" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Picture or Painting, Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Nov 2013</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325265003062761682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaD-Bpap8DXUGwdm8VpDB_K9CdgnFd7VUr5nc7IKZ7h35iwyhhTFS6GxnWGZ_Pc0JqFHCT2jzn8FUVbGhMQkufbYKrKuUf8NCOOeZV7uYeNPx3oBZTeCX7YX2xGA71YlqexTEnAwErQ5Q-/s800/tiger.jpg" style="color: #0000ee; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ramganga River, </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Corbett National Park, Tiger, March 2009</span></td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;">Focus
on a small area:</span></span></u></b><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This
is the eternal traveler's dilemma - stay in one place and see it well or go to
several areas and get variety. Tigers have territories and if you talk to a
good guide, they will tell you where they are and if the tigers give regular
sightings. Most popular tiger reserves have 20-100+ tigers but only a few of
them are people-friendly and give regular sightings. Your best bet is to pick
one or two territories instead of driving the entire park in the hope that a
tiger steps on to the jeep tracks at the same exact moment that you are on it. In
Corbett last year, a number of sightings were happening right next to the
Dhikala forest rest house, so on one of the safari's we stayed put. Luckily for us, we
heard some commotion and drove in that direction and saw a handsome tiger cross
the path. In Tadoba, we used the same strategy. Our guide had heard lots of
alarm calls as he walked from the village and we saw fresh pug marks. Instead
of spending 5 hours driving around the park and getting our backs busted, we
decided to drive on the road up and down for the entire time and ended up
seeing the tigress and her 2 cubs sitting inside the bushes. In Pench, a tiger had a kill the previous day and the guide felt that there was a high probability of seeing it in the same area. We did the rounds and saw this handsome fellow sitting inside the bushes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you think you
will get bored seeing the same piece of forest again and again, you are so
wrong. There are so many experiences waiting to happen. Like for example.....<b><i>smelling
tiger pee!</i></b> They say it smells like buttered popcorn <i>(how is that even possible?)</i>. On one safari when nothing much was going on, a guide in Pench National Park was showing how a tiger marks its territory
by scratching and peeing on barks of trees. Apparently, just by sniffing the urine, a tiger can tell the age, gender and reproductive capacity of the other tiger. We were very close to a tree that was recently
sprayed on and the guide asked me to smell it which I readily did and I have to
say....that popcorn thing is a bit of a stretch. Saru refused to put his nose anywhere near the tiger urine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XFtq_zg_0CU/Uq7w75J1WEI/AAAAAAAAEQU/I8SKsipTR7I/s1600/DSC_1007+copy+tiger+good2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XFtq_zg_0CU/Uq7w75J1WEI/AAAAAAAAEQU/I8SKsipTR7I/s640/DSC_1007+copy+tiger+good2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tiger, Dhikala Chaurs, Corbett National Park, Nov 2012</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5wMhl5-u1S0/Uq7rfl1tX3I/AAAAAAAAEQE/opz-elVFmjY/s1600/DSC_6319+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5wMhl5-u1S0/Uq7rfl1tX3I/AAAAAAAAEQE/opz-elVFmjY/s640/DSC_6319+face.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tiger, Pench National Park, Jan 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Guides in Ranthambore had the exact opposite
strategy and wanted to cover every single inch of the forest. Drive like you
are on a race track and hopefully somewhere somebody would have seen a tiger
and you can piggyback on their sighting. On our trip in Dec 2009, it was dry
and cold and they drove us around like maniacs. All we got was a thick layer of dust on us. When you drive so
fast, you miss most of what you came to experience in the forest - the fragrant
forest air, beautiful species of trees, flowers and birds. In the case where
you don't see a tiger, you end up seeing nothing when you zoom past everything.
After a couple of safari's I was so irritated, I made the driver go slow. After
a while, we saw pugmarks. The guide and the driver were pissed " If not
for you, we would have seen this tiger" they yelled at me. After that,
they drove faster, and into another zone. Luckily
for them and I guess us, we ran into dozens of jeeps waiting to watch a tiger
drink water in a pond. It was a beautiful sighting of almost half hour and some
of our best close-ups are from this one. It was getting late and while they
were rushing us out, we saw another tiger in a picture perfect setting.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492688131808242066" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TDnywR5vKZI/AAAAAAAADG4/_mjH6PN100A/s800/DSC_4662_1__01_tiger_tongue_out.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ranthambore National Park, Dec 2009</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492684667866931394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dLVyR0fdfMTGfZcQvDyQ473DWsGfGPJUpzj2TqKsV15V1V8np7k4l-Plip8v8MQlZwlHYc1vWJMFn3TQ7Z1PbaD48wkFIKBTASnOqiLUkxFtvvdhvgtJBM3l3rhY0HpeROoZ2IGUjQT8/s800/D70_DSC_0078_1_+female_tiger_eerie.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Picture or Painting, Ranthambore National Park, Dec 2009</span></td></tr>
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<u><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Patience</span></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">:</span></b></span></u><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If going to a wild life reserve were like a
zoo with predictable sightings, there would be no charm. The uncertainty is
what makes it so exciting. Part of the fun of being in a jungle is to put on the hunting cap and pretend to understand what goes on. If you were ever in a jeep when you hear alarm
calls, you will know what I mean. Guides and drivers start to interpret the
calls "<i>maybe it just had a kill and
had its fill and went to sleep, maybe it is moving (if other animals start
giving alarm calls), maybe it is trying to cross the road to get to the water
hole (if calls are coming very close to the road) </i>and they go on and on. Most
of it is bullshit but it is fun figuring out scenarios. In Tadoba, we heard
Sambar deer alarm calls. They came from very close quarters. The tiger was
somewhere near but we could not see or hear it. We switched off the jeep and
waited. After a few minutes, the alarm calls stopped. Jeeps got bored and drove
away. I believe in the <i>bird in hand</i> theory, so we decided to wait. Nothing
happened for 20 minutes and there was no movement, so we went a little </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ahead </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to check out the fire line when we saw another jeep. They mouthed the words
"Bear". We heard something trampling on twigs inside the bushes and
the excitement level built up. Out came the binoculars and we combed every
inch of the bushes looking for a fluffy black bear. Bears are really shy and we
were not sure if it would come out, especially with 3 jeeps around. Nothing
happened for a few minutes and then, out of nowhere this huge male tiger walks
out without a care. I have no idea why the jeep thought it was a bear. He goes
and marks his territory on one side, then moves to the other side, pees a
little bit there and then the other side and pees there too. For the next 45
minutes he zigzags left and right of the road marking his territory. We
followed him for almost 1 km. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CbTjn7eatfo/Uq7eDjSM2wI/AAAAAAAAEOo/rnKPHI-mDOU/s1600/DSC_5012+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CbTjn7eatfo/Uq7eDjSM2wI/AAAAAAAAEOo/rnKPHI-mDOU/s640/DSC_5012+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leopard face, Tiger at Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Nov 2013</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VdaV8H-_yE0/Uq7nMa4_FyI/AAAAAAAAEPU/59TcCIce7t4/s1600/DSC_4932_01+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VdaV8H-_yE0/Uq7nMa4_FyI/AAAAAAAAEPU/59TcCIce7t4/s640/DSC_4932_01+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leopard face, Tiger at Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Nov 2013</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmk-g3meSp9-At2P4Mkmb8smD2JCIZMVOvjCo474L2t3rOr3ouu59HAR-j2YrqMdja9dyC4-gQRtD3Fhfx_hC-mYwe4CHHSP_VZLOBt7WWt5IYbupTZL-pWN0Yy6Kcm6KIVjnVcfTVcZt/s1600/DSC_4966_01+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmk-g3meSp9-At2P4Mkmb8smD2JCIZMVOvjCo474L2t3rOr3ouu59HAR-j2YrqMdja9dyC4-gQRtD3Fhfx_hC-mYwe4CHHSP_VZLOBt7WWt5IYbupTZL-pWN0Yy6Kcm6KIVjnVcfTVcZt/s640/DSC_4966_01+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leopard face, Tiger at Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Nov 2013</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On another day when we heard alarm calls, we
waited for almost an hour and nothing happened. Let me tell you, it is not easy
to stay in one place and do nothing. We all mouth dialogues about how much we love being in
nature, but when there is nothing happening, it is quite boring. To make
the matters worse, we suddenly decide to take an interest in trees (by 'we', I
of course mean the husband and I say 'we' because sitting in the jeep, I am captive
audience) . So there we are, staring at leaves and barks of trees and trying to
remember the names. Some are common enough like teak, tamarind, jamun,
crocodile bark etc but '<b><i>we' </i></b>of course<b><i> </i></b>want to learn about<b><i> </i></b>the<b><i> </i></b>not-so-common
ones too. The lesson starts with "Bhirra" and "Bheda" and
"Bheria". Then there is a "Harra" and a "Dhora".
Pop-quizzes ensue in which I fail miserably and give up, but the husband is
relentless (no surprises). A few funny stories about drunken monkeys and
villagers ( drunk from liquor made of Mahua flowers) were the saving grace of
the exercise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Other jeeps got tired and left the area but
we were busy learning that the leaves of "Bheria" are good insect repellents
and the flowers of Mahua can be brewed into alcohol. The jeeps that left found
out about a leopard that was sitting on a tree near the check post. They rushed
there and got fantastic images of the leopard. We came back with half baked
knowledge on trees and a recipe for local liquor. Another morning, while we waited at a spot, a
jeep went ahead and saw a tiger. So much for my 'patience' theory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Positive
Thinking:</span></span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This might seem like bullshit to you, but over the years
I have come to believe it. Don't you have an annoying set of friends who claim
"We always see a tiger or a leopard" and invariably come back
from trips with photographs to prove. The set of friends who say "We never
get lucky" in most cases end up not seeing much. As corny as it sounds,
good things mostly happen to people when they believe that good things will
happen to them. I have always been an optimistic person, but one person who
really reinforced this theory was my friend T. On our last trip to Kabini in
May 2011, weather played a spoilsport and it was cloudy and rainy most days.
Forget seeing cats, we did not even see/hear any birds. Kabini is supposed to
have the largest number of Asiatic elephants but even they migrated away that
season. 3 safaris and we had seen nothing and I was losing my patience. T
however, kept saying "We will see a tiger or a leopard this trip". He
didn't just say it, he believed it. He didn't just believe it, he was convinced
about it and that too with an un-wavering confidence. Every time I would
complain about the weather and bad luck, he would repeat the same thing again
and again. At some point we also began to believe it and were very alert to all
the sounds and movements. That is the thing with belief system. If you know you
are going to see something, you pay a lot more attention that if you were
convinced you won't. On the 4th safari, we heard monkey alarm calls. Monkeys
get spooked easily and their alarms are not very reliable unlike Sambar alarm
calls which almost always means that a tiger is in the vicinity. After a few
minutes, and no sign of any activity, our guide wanted to move. We said
"NO". The calls continued. We could spot the monkey high up in the
tree and it was looking down at the forest floor and was frightened about
something. We must have been there almost 1/2 hour. Jeeps came and left and our
guide asked us 5 times if we wanted to leave, but we were sure we would see
something, so we stayed put. Out of nowhere, a leopard scrambled and climbed up a tree. Another Leopard was on the
floor and growling at it. It was a mother-child pair and the guide later told
us that the mother was trying to push the child to leave her and go out on its
own. Lighting of course was poor, but we managed to get this image. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGmxFtxrGtjqSXxS8qvDNKBBxP7z5D-kzfaFsmffKuLz5DVm9cZmPYuH-dm7bfdhl8S8PhOxjB9_9MTorUOojLq5rG4BZrIwICRWR9ay9Jmdog1aGext50Ue0HoBuXi1HxnA7VXuPJzUg/s1600/DSC_8157+copy+Leopard+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGmxFtxrGtjqSXxS8qvDNKBBxP7z5D-kzfaFsmffKuLz5DVm9cZmPYuH-dm7bfdhl8S8PhOxjB9_9MTorUOojLq5rG4BZrIwICRWR9ay9Jmdog1aGext50Ue0HoBuXi1HxnA7VXuPJzUg/s640/DSC_8157+copy+Leopard+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leopard, Kabini National Park, May 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Just
Go!!:</span></span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As you can see from above, for every strategy, I can give
you examples proving and disproving it. There are no guarantees in a jungles.
The only way to make sure you have great experiences is to "Just go".
The tag line might seem like a bad Nike commercial, but it is true. What a lot
of us lucky travelers won't publicize is the fact that to get those sightings,
we go to the jungles a LOT and when we go, we stay for a minimum of 4-6
safaris. If each safari is 3-4 hours, it means that we spend 12-24 hours a trip
outdoors. A number of times, tiger sightings are just for a few seconds or
minutes. We have had maybe 2-3 sightings that have been over 20 minutes. In
spite of that, it is a lot of fun to be in jungle.On a sudden whim, we went to Pench National Park in Jan 2012 and had the sighting of a lifetime. Nothing can prepare you for seeing 5 fully grown cubs and its mom just a few feet away from you. In Bandipur, we had a dream sighting of a tigress and its 4 cute little cubs cross the road in front of our jeep. On the same trip, we saw a pack of wild dogs chase a Leopard and its cub. In a previous trip to Tadoba, we saw a sloth bear and its 3 cubs drinking water in a pond. Another was cooling in a waterhole next to the road and darted across when it saw our jeep. All these experiences happened because we went and endured many rides with no sightings. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If a person sees a tiger once, it does not mean that they won't go on the next safari. Every ride offers a different experience, a different learning. I like these trips because it really helps us slow down from the fast paced life of a city. It is great to switch off the phones and focus on nature every once in a while. There is a whole beautiful eco-system out there that works in perfect sync and you start to notice and enjoy simple things. That is what life is about isn't it?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tiger, Pench National Park, Jan 2012</span></td></tr>
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Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-19255219340684903462013-09-19T13:37:00.000+05:302013-09-19T13:40:22.476+05:30Masai Mara 2 - Hyenas, Jackals and Cheetahs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Everybody
likes free food. If you ever doubted that, go to a buffet and see how people
pile up food on their plates and when have you ever ordered AND eaten half a
dozen types of desserts outside of a buffet. After meetings, leftover
sandwiches would disappear in minutes and on Fridays when our office manager
would bring donuts and bagels, even those on a diet would pick one. The key to
getting the best of free food was to be at the right place at the right time.
On our first morning in the Masai Mara Game Park, I realized that free food is
not just a treat, but a necessity for scavengers such as vultures, hyenas,
jackals etc. We might look down on these freeloaders, but in the animal kingdom
they are actually doing a service by cleaning up carcasses and preventing the
spread of stench and sickness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7i3mrIXDaC2tRh4Pb8YcyGrA1VnxM8gciksBGlwq30qztSLqhTXdgE4bw7Ybg6lwlU3rpZGF4v591Ao_ZfzRggAbTc_4Vz4LMwWCQeOg6PEATMOTmzpFjfJZthReX6kLv7-2lL6H1hITo/s1600/DSC_0781+copy+baby+hyena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7i3mrIXDaC2tRh4Pb8YcyGrA1VnxM8gciksBGlwq30qztSLqhTXdgE4bw7Ybg6lwlU3rpZGF4v591Ao_ZfzRggAbTc_4Vz4LMwWCQeOg6PEATMOTmzpFjfJZthReX6kLv7-2lL6H1hITo/s800/DSC_0781+copy+baby+hyena.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
<b>Hyena Cub</b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A
little into our morning game drive, we came across a spotted hyena. Light was
soft and beautiful, so we stopped to take some pictures. That is when we
noticed that it was not alone, but a part of the clan was out to enjoy
sunshine. There were about half a dozen of them following the alpha female.
Females control the power in hyenas and are supposedly even larger than males.
It is believed that evolution made them larger to protect their cubs from cannibalistic
tendencies of males. When they noticed that they had company, some disappeared
into the grass and some went back into their den. The den looked like a hole on
a mound and I wondered how they fit inside the small hole. Our guide explained
that depending on the size of the clan, they had a vast network of underground
tunnels.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-13DjjWngaf0/UjqNYmJ1AmI/AAAAAAAAEH8/4vKmsaq9eJg/s1600/DSC_0803+copy+hyena+morning+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-13DjjWngaf0/UjqNYmJ1AmI/AAAAAAAAEH8/4vKmsaq9eJg/s800/DSC_0803+copy+hyena+morning+light.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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Hyena in the morning light</h2>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A
little after this encounter, we saw a large group of vultures in one place.
That could only mean one thing - fresh meat!! As we drove closer, we saw a
large lion walking away into the grasslands. The kill must have happened early
in the morning. It looked like the remains of a young wildebeest. Watching the
vultures feast on the food reminded me of the song in Ice Age 2. There was a
time when Saru and Varsha would repeatedly watch that song and they even
memorized the song. How I wish I had recorded a 2 1/2 year old Varsha singing </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"glorioooous foood"</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=A49cV0AEiuY"><i>Food,
glorious food</i></a><i>,</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Poached
possum served flambé,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Broth
made from a sloth,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Or
a saber-tooth souffle,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Why
should we be fated to,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Do
nothing but brood,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">On
food, magical food, wonderful food, marvellous food?,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Food,
glorious food,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Flesh
picked off the dead ones,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Rank,
rotten, or chewed,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Soon,
we'll be the fed ones!</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Just
thinking of putrid meat</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Puts
us in a mood for</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Food,
glorious food, marvellous food, fabulous food, beautiful food,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Magical
food, Glorious food!</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r2OUqvAr9Dw/UjqNaST_YxI/AAAAAAAAEIE/A-w3ZfyCM1A/s1600/DSC_0831+copy_kill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r2OUqvAr9Dw/UjqNaST_YxI/AAAAAAAAEIE/A-w3ZfyCM1A/s640/DSC_0831+copy_kill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Action around the kill</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulzBlDZt6RM/UjqNhz6XTfI/AAAAAAAAEIM/shkjXLNBMME/s1600/DSC_0863+copy+hyena+wlking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulzBlDZt6RM/UjqNhz6XTfI/AAAAAAAAEIM/shkjXLNBMME/s640/DSC_0863+copy+hyena+wlking.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Hyena walking towards the carcass</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">While
these Vultures were busy with their breakfast, there was another group on the
other side. They were clearly satiated and were drying their wings and
displaying. A lone hyena was also in the area and displayed interesting
behaviour. We could tell it had its fill because its stomach was sagging down,
but it did not want to leave the food. It would hang out for a few minutes,
then leave, then come back, then leave again....it just could not leave the
food alone. Then, out of nowhere, 2 black-backed jackals appeared on the scene.
The hyena did not like it. It came back
to the kill and marked its territory. The jackals also seemed to be in two
minds. They kept leaving and coming back to the kill. With all this drama around its kill, the Lion
decided to come back and show who the boss really was. As he came close to the
kill, the vultures flew away and the hyena and jackals also fled the scene. It
looked really full, so it did not touch the food, but marked his territory and left
after a few minutes. Sun was in the opposite direction, so pictures from this
are not great. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w76GUE79oYo/UjqNxXwySZI/AAAAAAAAEIY/SHPXKy6D6NI/s1600/DSC_0939+copy+Lion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w76GUE79oYo/UjqNxXwySZI/AAAAAAAAEIY/SHPXKy6D6NI/s800/DSC_0939+copy+Lion.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Lion walking towards the kill</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The
hyena chased away the jackals to the other side of the road and then came back
to the kill. It started pulling out a piece of the meat. It did not look like
an easy job and the hyena was going at it for a while. We were all looking
through our binoculars and cameras and going "Come on....you can do
it" And voila, it finally pulled out a leg, crossed our jeep and ran into
the grasslands. As we were pulling away, we saw the jackals sneak back. We
didn't realize this at the time, but we were at that location watching this
action for over an hour and our morning safari time came to an end. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ekjw_an3eJs/UjqNxI8dFvI/AAAAAAAAEIU/QfMiFYv_pP4/s1600/DSC_0919_01+copy+blackbacked+jackal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ekjw_an3eJs/UjqNxI8dFvI/AAAAAAAAEIU/QfMiFYv_pP4/s800/DSC_0919_01+copy+blackbacked+jackal.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Black Backed Jackal</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z37FD8-0HkI/UjqN45oF_kI/AAAAAAAAEIk/yJBc4StwyUQ/s800/DSC_0991+copy_hyena_jackal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Look at the difference in sizes of the Hyena and the Jackal</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z37FD8-0HkI/UjqN45oF_kI/AAAAAAAAEIk/yJBc4StwyUQ/s1600/DSC_0991+copy_hyena_jackal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z37FD8-0HkI/UjqN45oF_kI/AAAAAAAAEIk/yJBc4StwyUQ/s1600/DSC_0991+copy_hyena_jackal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA2yGBZdnkX_JwJvVz8XnxjScABafz84SJSVJFaUwWd9-RznEFFl002kqDh_-j6E6ytOw6ONVsDcCIZjByo6NfpgK57wgI1ByvatT1sO-E5QqqgrOdrPfduuJblzgzALH6clW1d1kHvdR/s1600/DSC_1034+copy+hyena+leg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA2yGBZdnkX_JwJvVz8XnxjScABafz84SJSVJFaUwWd9-RznEFFl002kqDh_-j6E6ytOw6ONVsDcCIZjByo6NfpgK57wgI1ByvatT1sO-E5QqqgrOdrPfduuJblzgzALH6clW1d1kHvdR/s640/DSC_1034+copy+hyena+leg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Hyena runs away with a leg</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It
was hot during the afternoon safari, but we got to see the one animal that I
was dying to see - the Cheetah. I think they are the most handsome of all cats.
My friend disagreed and said he thought the Leopard was the best looking while
Saru thought a tiger was the best. Personal preferences aside, one cannot deny
that those spots are sexy. Watching them stand up and stretch, displaying their
long lean body and walking with extreme grace is something I will not forget
any time soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AzOlGtw4CVw/UjqaGv3B6WI/AAAAAAAAEJU/UOL2E_tTqF0/s1600/DSC_1565+copy+best+cheetah+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AzOlGtw4CVw/UjqaGv3B6WI/AAAAAAAAEJU/UOL2E_tTqF0/s800/DSC_1565+copy+best+cheetah+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Female Cheetah on an Anthill</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbFiG-PzyIaA-7qzg98nLxIRbZPUmtwRMSE5MBzL5MZCMVbxV7KbScGx2qR61OojL1kmaHVy5PREsvcM5d6-GOnjuMP9Sb33e9T9vSOkqSfA4kX7YT7lfWA39Q-I8dOTGW24c436XpEE0/s1600/DSC_1327+copy+2+cheetahs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbFiG-PzyIaA-7qzg98nLxIRbZPUmtwRMSE5MBzL5MZCMVbxV7KbScGx2qR61OojL1kmaHVy5PREsvcM5d6-GOnjuMP9Sb33e9T9vSOkqSfA4kX7YT7lfWA39Q-I8dOTGW24c436XpEE0/s400/DSC_1327+copy+2+cheetahs.jpg" width="400" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1t5Lc3gXpc/Ujqo3GpUfGI/AAAAAAAAEJk/lzI0jiSitIo/s1600/DSC_1336+copy+2cheetahs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1t5Lc3gXpc/Ujqo3GpUfGI/AAAAAAAAEJk/lzI0jiSitIo/s400/DSC_1336+copy+2cheetahs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Mom and sub-adult Cheetah</h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JHm_vLfWMdNT0ZN_nn5WlLnLTuBpuiEWlHknDq83GprWtIsje1ldASpW0nChS8vwErXgGV0pT0MfTOdIL6qGa8ySJymEMT1CQAtVr2c9Q-8Yhiuoy9SgExFWFAwW_sk2BNek-z0n4iGw/s1600/DSC_1431+copy+cheetah+best+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JHm_vLfWMdNT0ZN_nn5WlLnLTuBpuiEWlHknDq83GprWtIsje1ldASpW0nChS8vwErXgGV0pT0MfTOdIL6qGa8ySJymEMT1CQAtVr2c9Q-8Yhiuoy9SgExFWFAwW_sk2BNek-z0n4iGw/s800/DSC_1431+copy+cheetah+best+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><h2>
Cheetah in the grass</h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A mother and its sub-adult cub were sitting on an anthill in the
grassland. 3-4 vehicles were already there, so our driver parked our jeep at a
distance. Unlike India, drivers there were very mindful of not disturbing the
animals and blocking the view of others. The cheetah was surveying the
grasslands, looking for prey. Unlike other cats, the cheetahs hunt by sight and
not scent. It then got off the mound and started to cross the road. By then, there were many jeeps and the ranger
had arrived. More than 5 jeeps are not allowed to stalk animals, so we drove
away and parked at a distance. Slowly the other vehicles lost interest and
drove away giving us the chance to come back to the scene. The Cheetah was back
up on a mound and was surveying the area. On one side were a herd of wildebeest
and far away were a few Thompson's gazelles. The mother got into a hunting mode
and started crouching forward in a very deliberate fashion. It looked like it
was going for the gazelles, but after stalking for a little bit, it must have
realized that they were too far and it was very hot that afternoon. The
cheetahs walked away to a water body to quench their thirst. Light was very
harsh and the sun was exactly above us, so the images are not that good. I am
posting them just to tell the story. We do have better images of Cheetahs from
another sighting a day later.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TKDw8CX-4Qw/UjqZ9DIWnlI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/9Y7CZYf_evI/s1600/DSC_1512+copy+cheetah+standing_good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TKDw8CX-4Qw/UjqZ9DIWnlI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/9Y7CZYf_evI/s800/DSC_1512+copy+cheetah+standing_good.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Cheetah goes towards a waterbody</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KvponPOT950/UjqZ9IIY9uI/AAAAAAAAEJM/L5Iy_vpw0no/s1600/DSC_1508+copy+cheetah+full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KvponPOT950/UjqZ9IIY9uI/AAAAAAAAEJM/L5Iy_vpw0no/s800/DSC_1508+copy+cheetah+full.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Look at its elegant body</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-27561940696008929292013-09-12T17:03:00.001+05:302013-09-19T16:09:03.372+05:30African Safari - Masai Mara 1 - Lions and Zebras<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was 6:30 in the morning and we were on our morning game drive. Barely a kilometer outside our resort, we saw a vehicle stopped on the road. When we looked in that direction, we saw a pair of lions sitting in the grass, a hundred meters away. There it was - the King of the Jungle, the Pride of Africa. Just like that, without working too hard we had seen not one but 2 lions and that was not all. Our driver/guide, Dedan paused for a few seconds and said "These are too far. This is supposed to be a group of 4, so let's drive a little and look for the other two and come back".<b> <i>Wait a minute here</i>...</b>.we see Lions and we are <b>DRIVING AWAY</b> and since when did 100 meters qualify as <b><i>"far" </i></b>? If I were in an Indian jungle and seen a cat , I would be taking a crappy cell phone picture and posting it all over social media and be swollen with pride at all the oooohs and aaaahs and OMGs and other such slang's, kids are using to murder English language. Anyway, I was in Masai Mara, Kenya where you apparently drive away from lions when they are far and by far, they mean they are not close enough to glare at you with their cold yellow eyes. <i>(Believe me, one look without those eyes is enough to give you the heebie-jeebies)</i>. We drove around a little bit, but the grass was golden and even if the lion was next to us we would have driven right by it. So we went back to the original spot. By now, one of the lions stood up and started walking intently towards something. I was looking through my binoculars, Saru was looking through his zoom lens and we combed the area, but could not see any prey. The lion got into a crouching position which meant he was in a hunting mode. He moved very cautiously with his knees bent for a little bit and then BOOM! Without any warning he charged ahead. Two Impalas leap in the air and take off at a lightning speed. The lion chased after them. The impalas ran for their dear lives. The lion gave them a good chase. The second lion which was sitting and watching the spectacle until now got up and started running towards the Impalas. It was a half-ass attempt to help his brother because clearly, the nimble-footed Impalas had a head start and they disappeared into the bushes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QZ49pASGlMw/UjGdq1xJIQI/AAAAAAAAEFA/pGh4I5IcvIA/s1600/DSC_1641+copy_lion_goldenlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QZ49pASGlMw/UjGdq1xJIQI/AAAAAAAAEFA/pGh4I5IcvIA/s800/DSC_1641+copy_lion_goldenlight.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Lion in the golden morning light (the lazy brother)</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An African Safari was always on the wish list. In fact, it was supposed to be our tenth anniversary gift to ourselves. But when we moved to India, Saru insisted that we first visit the national parks in India before going to Africa. There are not many times I say this and as I am saying this I realize this is going to bite me in the ass but what the heck - " Saru was absolutely right" and more importantly "I was wrong". Indian jungles teach you patience. We don't have the abundance of the African Plains, so when we are out there in the jungle, the odds of being at the exact same spot as a tiger or leopard is as low as winning a lottery. Yet you go out, from time to time to test your luck. When you don't see big cats, you learn to appreciate their ecosystem - the grasslands and the beautiful Sal tree forests of Corbett, the white bark ghost trees of Pench and Tadoba, the bamboo forests of Bandipur etc. You start appreciating birds and other mammals. You learn that there are no timetables in nature and what you see and don't see is completely up to it. With Africa, lot of people think sightings are very easy. Let me tell you something - Going to Africa is not like walking into a National Geographic channel set. We spent about 6 hours a day, for 4 days in Masai Mara, so a total of 24 hours in the wilderness. I didn't count, but I am sure we saw nothing but the vast plains for at least half of the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <span 13px="" arial="" color:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" justify="" sans-serif="" text-align:="">Our very first safari in Africa, excitement was very high. As soon as we got out into the plains, we were greeted with herds of zebras and wildebeest. The zebras are a funny lot. To us, the stripes look silly and make them stick out like a sore thumb but those very patterns work as camouflage against their main predator, the lion. Colours don't matter because the lion is colour blind and their wavy lines blend in with the grass or if they are in a herd, their patterns blend in with each other and they look like one giant striped mass. Case in point are some pictures below. For some reason, every time we looked at a herd, the closest zebras had their butts towards us. At first we took some butt shots just for the sport and then it became a thing - <i><b>"</b></i></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Oh look - 3 zebra butts, stop the jeep - there are 4 butts here"</b></i></span><span 13px=" arial=" color:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" justify="" sans-serif="" style="text-align: left;" text-align:=""><i>. </i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And for the rest of the trip, we took pictures of butts of lions, cheetahs, elephants, topis, impalas and rhinos. I was going to create a folder and very cheekily call it "But..but....Butt". And if you must know....nothing fills a camera frame better than the buttocks of a rhino</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ON2BN-L9VX8/UjGe0DpBK2I/AAAAAAAAEFc/1XFNKV7NEwA/s1600/DSC_1080+copy+2-in-1+zebras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ON2BN-L9VX8/UjGe0DpBK2I/AAAAAAAAEFc/1XFNKV7NEwA/s640/DSC_1080+copy+2-in-1+zebras.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhua6B865kA8oQ19RelygX_kCoITSDXQEgDM7dW70KX2h2Bm1CfaQlVfZkC7ul5tNGtXOyfttLar5g-iTZfxfVM7vx4UNO3goyOXLyO8KquNJehiRkAHBVm9yqlQ3KNtwUNv90bphf7Utr/s1600/DSC_3369+copy+zebra+butts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhua6B865kA8oQ19RelygX_kCoITSDXQEgDM7dW70KX2h2Bm1CfaQlVfZkC7ul5tNGtXOyfttLar5g-iTZfxfVM7vx4UNO3goyOXLyO8KquNJehiRkAHBVm9yqlQ3KNtwUNv90bphf7Utr/s640/DSC_3369+copy+zebra+butts.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">August being the middle of the peak season, the wildebeest were everywhere. It is a peculiar looking (because calling an animal ugly is not politically correct) animal. It looks like a part-antelope-part-buffalo-<wbr></wbr>part-horse and I don't mean the impressive parts from any of those animals. They were peacefully grazing for most part, but suddenly, as if on a cue, they would retreat into the interiors in a single straight line.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-j5wr2CQrA543Tsf47IXWDZI89_MfaOGfMshT-UhRqXgvGYGxCpv4M9nRPxX-bt6so62egXaw1nCa4EF-FKtkMHouhV2b1nr2S9FO9YLj84QZReyt5ynBSA7wSvqQ0cJ6UzPSodllr7a/s1600/DSC_3400+copy_shadow_wildebeest2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-j5wr2CQrA543Tsf47IXWDZI89_MfaOGfMshT-UhRqXgvGYGxCpv4M9nRPxX-bt6so62egXaw1nCa4EF-FKtkMHouhV2b1nr2S9FO9YLj84QZReyt5ynBSA7wSvqQ0cJ6UzPSodllr7a/s640/DSC_3400+copy_shadow_wildebeest2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We spent so much time watching the zebras and wildebeest that it was almost time to go back when we saw a Masai Giraffe at a distance. As we were driving in that direction, Thomas and Dedan spotted a mating pair of lions. This was our first lion sighting and we were thrilled. They were sitting behind some bushes next to a water body sniffing each other. The lioness decided to take matters into her hands and started the mating dance. She stood up, stretched for what seemed like a long time, gave the lion a hard look and walked away and sat at another spot. The lion pretended to not care at first, but then stood up and started sniffing, presumably to smell if the lioness was ready. He then growled and made some sounds and started walking towards the female. At the last minute, he changed direction and went and sat about 50 meters behind the lioness. Seeing no reaction from the lioness, he got up again after some time, strutted his stuff and walked towards the lioness, and sat 50 meters short of her. All the while, the lion was sniffing and salivating and growling. It was a fun mating dance to watch and the play of setting sun offered many photo opportunities.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6H3tXetR3PA/UjGgmgcmV0I/AAAAAAAAEGE/vhuZEWaCCrM/s1600/DSC_0313+copy+lioness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6H3tXetR3PA/UjGgmgcmV0I/AAAAAAAAEGE/vhuZEWaCCrM/s640/DSC_0313+copy+lioness.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The Lioness gets up</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Lion plays it cool, but gives a look</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGk6855uxbUelldarCxby4kInSaPlM1wG2v5JcqJ_q9lZvM2J5A1A3fHFrHKv-BW6WWkPB-Jpn42hHB1Zg3H6saEKbuZJ_V39rEFo8tGopHPpMblTVG_-Kt-t2kRZYH9c6CHey1-seWI8t/s1600/DSC_0381+copy+lion_mouthopen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGk6855uxbUelldarCxby4kInSaPlM1wG2v5JcqJ_q9lZvM2J5A1A3fHFrHKv-BW6WWkPB-Jpn42hHB1Zg3H6saEKbuZJ_V39rEFo8tGopHPpMblTVG_-Kt-t2kRZYH9c6CHey1-seWI8t/s640/DSC_0381+copy+lion_mouthopen.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Lion growls</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rVcIatGeqdk/UjGlGJOBrmI/AAAAAAAAEGs/FOW1TAfkfGc/s1600/DSC_0498+copy+lion+mouth+wide+open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rVcIatGeqdk/UjGlGJOBrmI/AAAAAAAAEGs/FOW1TAfkfGc/s640/DSC_0498+copy+lion+mouth+wide+open.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Bored with the antics and yawns</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Goes back to giving looks</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Lion continues to glare with his yellow eyes</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Photographing the Photographer</b></span></td></tr>
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Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-43927036830904192042013-05-04T18:42:00.001+05:302013-05-04T21:59:53.833+05:30Grizzly Bears and Black Bears of Canada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">It all started on a
boring Sunday afternoon when I was browsing and watching mindless TV. I was
drifting in and out of sleep and the National Geographic Channel was showing
some show about grizzly bears. I almost spaced out, but my ears perked when I
heard the words "Vancouver Island" and Canada. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Apparently, they have grizzly bear
expeditions to a place called Knight's Inlet there. I immediately sat up and saw the rest of the
show. Saru and I were going to Vancouver Island for a vacation that summer and
pretty much every time I give Saru a list of destinations, his first question
is " Does the place have animals or birds?". After living in the US
for over a decade, we had visited most of the National Parks and I was getting
tired of seeing acres and acres of pine trees. Once in a while, we get to see
some deer and moose and an occasional bison, but that's about it. Yosemite
National Park boasts of bears but we never came across one in the many trips we
made. The only 2 times we saw a wild bear in all 12 years of our stay in the US
was a fleeting glimpse of a black bear in Yellow Stone NP and a grizzly bear in
Alaska. But little did we know that our bear luck was about to turn and in a
big way thanks to that TV program. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tranquility - In the middle of nowhere, Vancouver Island</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">We landed in Victoria
and spent 3 days on the coast hiking in the Pacific Rim National Park. The
national park along the Pacific Ocean is a lush temperate rain forest. The
scenery was beautiful but not very different from what we were used to seeing
in California. The towns of Uclulet and Tofino were charming and quaint.
Rhododendrons were in full bloom everywhere. The three days we stayed there
were very laid back and all we did was eat, hike, wander aimlessly before
settling at a waterfront restaurant for dinner and sunset. Canada seems to have
that effect on you. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">People there have
mastered the art of living in the slow lane. Everywhere we went, even on
weekdays, beaches were full. Families gathered together on the waterfront for
picnics and cookouts and bonfires in the night. This was very unusual for the
two of us from Silicon Valley where we typically have no time for life outside
work on weekdays. Weekdays were alarmingly similar - wake up, eat cereal, go to
work, come back exhausted, cook or take out, plop into the couch, watch TV and
sleep until the next day starts. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">These
people were laughing and teasing and running around on weekday nights. We only
laughed at sitcoms on weekdays. Watching those people makes you realize that
Silicon valley is amazing for career opportunities, but if you want to have
work-life balance, you really have to want it bad and fight for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tofino Waterfront - We were having dinner when somebody shouted Orcas!! We left our meal midway and ran out to see Killer Whales in the water close enough to see with naked eyes. That was one exciting meal!! </span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pacific Rim National Park</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rhododendrons in full bloom all over Uclulet and Tofino</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Our next destination
was Telegraph Cove which was the starting point for the grizzly bear adventure.
It was a good 4 hour drive through beautiful forests and alpine lakes and snow
peaked mountains. All of Vancouver Island should have been designated as a
national park. It is that beautiful. Roads were wide, and there was hardly any
traffic (everybody was at the beach, right), so we should have been cruising,
but no. The husband was at the wheel. Let me tell you something about the
husband. He is a safe guy. By safe, I mean, he is the guy who will lock his car
three times, walk away, then, just to be safe, he will press the lock button
one more time and another time and once more until we are outside the range of the
remote at which point he will wonder if he locked the car and will turn back
because and I quote "better to be safe than sorry". If you thought THAT was crazy, wait until I
tell you what he does at traffic lights. Normal, sane people speed up when they
come near a traffic signal to make sure they get through. Knowing the husband,
speeding up is obviously not an option and I certainly don't advocate breaking
rules. What drives me nuts is that he starts slowing down EVEN if the signal is
GREEN. His argument and it is totally mental, if you ask me is " What if we
are catching the last few seconds of green and it might turn Orange any minute.
Then I have to come to a screeching halt" . So, according to him, you slow
down at a green signal, stop at Orange and do nothing at red (since you stopped
like a zillion seconds back). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Road to Telegraph Cove, Northern Vancouver Island</span></h2>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, Saru drove, under
the speed limit and slowing down at every green signal and at every deer/moose
crossing ("<i>What if a Moose crosses?</i>"). Then I took over the wheel and
did what normal people do and got us to the destination in good time. (I should in good faith mention that India totally cured him of that bizarrely safe driving behavior. After months of bitching about bad drivers, he finally decided to convert to normal and sometimes even aggressive driving ). </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the
way, we stopped at the local dumpster. Oh yes, you heard that right, a dumpster.
Technically it is a landfill, but I bet I got your attention with dumpster.
Why? Because that is where crazy birders go to find certain species of raptors.
In this case, we were looking for Bald Eagles. We found a number of them poking
through the dump looking for rodents. <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">That done, we started driving towards our hotel when we see a car stopped on the road and a guy photographing something. It turns out to be a whole family of black bears!! We stopped at a safe distance away (you do not want to piss off a bear when its cubs are nearby) and clicked pictures until they went back into the woods. This was a very auspicious beginning to our bear adventure trip.</span></div>
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Bald Eagle</h2>
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Bear Family</h2>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our day long
expedition would takes us to Knight Inlet which is home to a good population
of grizzly bears. From telegraph cove, it is a good 2 hour plus ride on a boat
through coastal mountains and forests. It was an expensive trip, about $250 per person and there were no guarantees in nature. We just hoped that it would be worth it and went along the ride. When it comes to wildlife sightings, you just have to take chances. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Along the way, we saw a lot of
waterfalls and wildlife too. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">At one point a big pack of dolphins played in the
wake of the boat. It was a lot of fun watching them leap and dive into the
water. We also saw some sea otters and water birds. The most exciting sightings
were of bears and not just brown bears. We had at least 3 sightings of black
bears along the shore. Bears come out during low tide looking for fish. They eat
seaweed and overturn rocks to find mussels and crabs and barnacles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Waterfalls along the way</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Black Bear on the lowlands along the way</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yet another Black Bear!!</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dolphins playing in the wake of our boat</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dolphins create excitement like no other sealife</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">More waterfalls </span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">After 2 hours on the
boat, we finally arrived at the Knight's inlet where they parked the boat and
led us to a viewing platform. There was no animal in sight for a while, just a
nice breeze and an awesome setting. We were surrounded by snow peaked mountains.
By late spring when the snow on the ground melts, bears come out of
hibernation. They are hungry from not eating anything in winter, so they come
down to eat certain kinds of grasses and seafood near the river banks. Late May
to mid June is supposed to be mating season and the best month for seeing
grizzly bears. Only issue is that they are all skinny from hibernation. If you
want to see nice fat and plump bears, you have to visit in fall when the salmon
swim in large numbers to the site of their birthplace to reproduce. This is
when bears fish and eat to their heart's content. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the way to Knight Inlet</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">After a short wait, not one but two little bear cubs came out to play and eat grass. It was so much fun to watch the 2 cubs play, fight eat and interact with each other. We could see the mother sitting inside the woods (too dense to photograph), but she never came out. At some point, I think the mother sensed some danger and made a warning sound. Both the cubs scrambled and ran and climbed up this tree trunk. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Seeing a bear in the wild is a once in a lifetime experience and in most cases like the one we had in Alaska, we only get to see if for a few seconds or a minute. In this case, we spent a good hour watching these bears. Dozens of trips in the US and we barely saw 2 bears. One single trip to Canada and we see a <b>DOZEN </b>bears <i>(actually a baker's dozen, on the whole, we saw 13 bears in a 5 day time period on the trip) </i>On the way back, overwhelmed by the experience, Saru looks at me admiringly and says " How the hell do you find these tours?". I play it cool and shrug as if to say "I am that good". </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Looking for fish?</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">OK, I will settle for grass. Although I have to eat 50-70 kilos of grass a day to get enough protein and fat</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Grizzly bear cubs are blonde when they are small. As they grow old, they become brown</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Siblings. Mom is hiding inside the woods. This is a dangerous time for bears. Males are looking to mate and are known to even kill cubs to get the female to mate!! </span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When the mom makes a warning sound, bears get scared and run helter-skelter at first and then climb this tree trunk</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then they come running to the other side before going back into the woods </span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Black bear foraging for crabs and barnacles during low tide</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The picturesque fuel station. 4 hours of riding on a 12 person boat requires a refill.</span></h2>
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Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-3964667943716999552013-01-31T18:26:00.001+05:302013-01-31T18:26:45.186+05:30Venice - Is it worth the hype - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.letsgoforavacation.blogspot.in/2012/03/venice-is-it-worth-hype-part-1.html">You can click this line to read Part 1. </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before I answer the question on
"Is Venice worth it", let me tell you about our next few days there.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For our first morning in Venice,
we got out of Venice. You read that right. I was so convinced that I won't like
Venice that I researched on all the day trips one could take around it. During
my random browsing, I found out that every year, some towns in Italy celebrate the weekend of
Corpus Christi, (a religious holiday that comes 9 weeks after Easter) with what
they call L'<b>Infiorata. </b>It
translates to flower art festival where they decorate the streets leading to
the local church with mosaics made of flower petals. Residents take weeks to
decide on a theme. Then they spend a few days cleaning up, gathering flowers
and drawing sketches on the ground. Petals are laid out the day before the
festival. It is quite a process, but must be a fun event for the community. I
love flowers. I mean who doesn't? So, we took a bus to a small town called
Noale which had the flower festival. Noto in Sicily and Spello/Orvieto near
Rome celebrate this festival in a scale ten times that of this little town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I loved the flower mosaics and after taking a zillion pictures (at least
it felt like a zillion to Saru who indulges my flower-mania but doesn't quite
understand why I go nuts around them. At least this wasn't as grand as
<a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.in/2008/06/amsterdam-may-2008.html">Kukenhoff gardens in Netherlands</a> or the flower fields outside of San Diego
where I was apparently quite unbearable). When asked locals pointed to a nice
family restaurant and I can't remember what we ate, but it was much better than
the Americanized Italian food you get in Venice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Back in Venice, it was HOT. The best thing you can do in that kind of
heat is to duck into a museum or a church where Saru can take a nap and I can spend
some uninterrupted quality time engrossed in the spirited tales narrated by the
audio guide. This particular afternoon, Saru chose the Scuola San Rocco for his
nap. A Christian charity school, it is most famous for the works of renaissance
artist Tintoretto. The Scuola San Rocco was considered Tintoretto's Sistine
Chapel and that comparison is what made me visit the place. Large colourful
canvases and ceilings of the halls were decorated with gusto using themes from
the life of God. The dramatic angles, lighting and illusions he used created a
3-D effect that was quite amazing and different than what I saw before. When
not scaring away little kids with his snoring, Saru was busy trying mnemonics
to remember names of artists. Tintoretto became Quentin Tarantino and Titian
(pronounced Tishian) became Titan (like the watch) and for the rest of the
trip, I had to hear what an <i>awesome </i>painter<i> Tarantino </i>was!! I suppose I should take
comfort in the fact that he accompanied me to these museums without complaining
and found his own source of entertainment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We also visited the Frari church that was next door. By the end of it we
were churched out and luckily, the peak heat passed and we were able to step
out and enjoy Venice the way one should enjoy Venice by walking around and
getting lost in the back alleys. We walked to St. Marks square to watch the
sunset. A giant cruise ship was just leaving the port and with it, it took half
of the day trippers. With darkness covering the decay and soft lights
accentuating the beautiful buildings, it was a great time to walk and enjoy the
city. Unlike Rome which is alive till after midnight, Venice sleeps early. By
11:00 pm, most of the streets are deserted, so it was not a big deal for us get
back to our monastery room by the curfew time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next day was set aside for the grandest sights in Venice - The St.
Marks Church and the Doge's Palace. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the middle ages, Venice exploited its strategic location to facilitate east-west trade and accumulated vast amounts of wealth. But religion trumped money in those days and Rome was still the power centre. This changed when a couple of ingenious merchants stole the remains of St. Mark (one of the original followers of Christ) and brought them back from Egypt to Venice. A church was built over the ruins and overnight Venice gained religious significance. A number of historians actually believe that the remains under the church are those of Alexander the Great but nobody is interested in digging up skeletons of the past. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By now, I had seen most of Europe's important churches, so this was more of a 'check-it-off-the-list type of visit. I did not expect much. In fact, I was quite bored of seeing the same old basilicas and the long line and crowd did not help the attitude. Once I stepped inside, all those misgivings went away. I realized that after a long time, I was in awe of a church. This was unlike any other church I saw in Europe. The church was built in the 11th century but felt much older and had a very distinct byzantine (4-8th century I think) feeling to it. My guide book said that rulers those days built retro-style churches to give the feeling that it was there for a lot longer than it actually was, sort of like the fake-antique business. I had seen some Byzantine art in Florence and Siena in a previous trip, but this was a whole church, glowing in golden mosaics. If you thought only Indians had a gold fetish, check out these pictures. Loud and gaudy in those days translated to wealth and prosperity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next we headed to the adjoining Doge's Palace. Doge was equivalent to a
Duke, but was elected by the nobles. They were essentially the kings who ruled
Venice. For somebody that had never heard the word 'Doge' I was quite shocked
to discover that their palace was one of the best attractions in Venice.
See....this is what surprised me about Venice. When you talk to others who have
been there, almost everybody will tell you about the floating city, canals,
renaissance buildings and pedestrian streets, but almost nobody will tell you
that you HAVE to see the "Doge's Palace" or for that matter the
"Scuola San Rocco". If you ask people about Rome, they will mention
the coliseum or the Vatican or the St. Peter's church. But with Venice,
everybody is so besotted with the Venice-ness of the place that they forget to
mention these attractions and THAT was the surprise element that made my trip. This
is what I love about travel. You think you know everything, you think you have
seen everything, but something unexpected catches your eye and before you know
it, you are super excited like a little girl and gushing about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Going back to my question - "Is Venice worth it?" There can
never be a straight answer to these kind of questions - just personal
opinions. How much people like a place
depends a lot on their individual preferences of the weather, the company, the
food and their interests. When I told somebody that I did not care for
Florence, they were ready to push me out of the bus (figuratively). I on the
other hand was quite shocked when a friend told me that Paris did not impress
her. Norway was not as impressive because it rained most of the time we were
there and we were shell shocked by how expensive it was. I was so disappointed
in Denali National Park, Alaska that we cut short our days and went to another
town. Against my advice, a friend went there in fall and saw the beautiful
carpets of reds and oranges and came back to tell me she was glad she did not listen
to me. I am not shying away from giving an answer but saying that how much a
person likes a place depends on a lot of things.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In my case, I liked Venice. The canals were beautiful, but the highlights
for me were the three sights I mentioned. The scale of those rooms, the never
ending frescoes, the large canvases and the golden mosaics blew me away. Will I
go back to Venice - yes but not so soon. I have many more places I want to see
first, but I do have great memories from this trip.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></h3>
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Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-28097379690446936402012-08-28T11:49:00.004+05:302012-08-28T12:41:23.856+05:30How do you travel so much?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This post has been toying in my head for a while, so I
decided to put pen on paper. One of the most common questions that people ask
me is "Vamsee, how do you travel so much?". Depending on who asks me
this question, I am always trying to give excuses - "I have lots of
vacation time", "It was a work trip, but I went a day ahead",
"A friend was going, so I tagged along" and my favourite "We
have a lot of frequent flyer miles, so we got free tickets" (basically
translates to "don't think I am travelling because I am rich, I am just
smart about spending) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All those are still valid excuses but the real reason why I
travel is very simple. I love travelling. I love exploring new places, I love
meeting new people, I love eating good food, I love seeing natural and manmade
miracles and most of all I just love that I am doing exactly what I want to do.
Travel is what I do when I want to celebrate success and travel is what I do
when I want to get over depressing times. Travel is what we gift ourselves for
birthdays and travel is what we do on anniversaries. I love every aspect of
travelling from planning to being there to coming back and blogging about it. There is nothing more exciting than planning
a trip. You open a map and the entire world , opens up to you. Where do I go -
the colourful cobble stone streets of Europe, the high mountains of Himalayas,
the Fjords and glaciers of Norway or the underwater world in Lakshadweep....
There are days when I can't sleep because I am too excited about picking a
destination for our next trip. I have even deluded myself in believing that
flying time is quality time with myself. It doesn't matter that I read cheesy
novels, watch horrible movies, drink cheap wine and cannot sleep. It still is "MY"
time and I do all those things without any guilt. I even love my business trips.
For somebody who works from home, I love to meet my clients and interact with
them. Days are full of meetings, but evenings are for fine dining. We pick
restaurants with great care and have long lavish meals.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2SPeMs-IJTm2DWulDQ15fnKLLD-NcfmNdGcKA85nlJXM2QzcianzNVwTDcFQGibPiaYX16WPbcUVdSA_zdb9hmQup67JS4SToWoTv-UUbd44Uqx0__37UrAwVjNY7_Kbk4i15Jm70y9b/s1600/tigerFace_0888_filtered_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2SPeMs-IJTm2DWulDQ15fnKLLD-NcfmNdGcKA85nlJXM2QzcianzNVwTDcFQGibPiaYX16WPbcUVdSA_zdb9hmQup67JS4SToWoTv-UUbd44Uqx0__37UrAwVjNY7_Kbk4i15Jm70y9b/s400/tigerFace_0888_filtered_final.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tigers of Pench National Park, Jan 2012</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNJrJuCR0qf_HEhvDCeDsW8ZJzvjoS9qaeMgv7Y78y8rETpbw_DRKsISG315OAPtqiFEMHArZt04zEIjo3cLk8r2SNmckiI79LqlG5Qd6doZ0usSjTabLDu2ZI1lUylY3Q9qg4BN-0RkM/s1600/DSC_6782+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNJrJuCR0qf_HEhvDCeDsW8ZJzvjoS9qaeMgv7Y78y8rETpbw_DRKsISG315OAPtqiFEMHArZt04zEIjo3cLk8r2SNmckiI79LqlG5Qd6doZ0usSjTabLDu2ZI1lUylY3Q9qg4BN-0RkM/s400/DSC_6782+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sanchi Stupa, Bhopal Feb 2012</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g-mjQAQD_UI/UDxoJFqSspI/AAAAAAAAD5A/WQagezkps3M/s1600/DSC_6889_02+Gwalior+Fort2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g-mjQAQD_UI/UDxoJFqSspI/AAAAAAAAD5A/WQagezkps3M/s400/DSC_6889_02+Gwalior+Fort2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Gwalior Fort at night, March 2012</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I used to be a very normal person who wanted a great career
and good income. I worked towards it very meticulously for over a decade and
noticed that the joy from pay hikes and bonuses and promotions lasted just a
few days. Don't get me wrong, I still want a great career and a good income,
but somewhere along the line I realized that I wanted to be happy more than anything
else. And happiness comes when you do something you love and enjoy. In India, I
have come across so many people who have quit their plush jobs and started
travel related businesses. I have no such ambitions. In fact, I love my work
and I love the balance I have between my work and my hobbies. "How do you
have so much time to travel and bake and maintain a full time job" is a
question that I get a lot. My answer is very simple - When you love something
you will make time for it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There is nothing more fulfilling than following your
passions. If you look around, the happiest people are the ones that take the
time to do what they love. I agree that we are all busy, we have jobs to do,
money to make, family to take care of, chores to run and of course facebook
walls to update. What I have observed is that people who are passionate about
something will do it in spite of all the above. These are people that have
exciting lives and are fun to talk to and in general are always in a happy and positive frame of mind.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6ustt6HxOLyFFMdP6rZmvxOcxAcmMtjgwTEYlKQl7wQFBb9K0WvvDfniXwbLGnYd_-o9TW3Aw3B_zvIv85lQktnGzFOj1WJ901NNE2fU0RJOmEyUNAWrh_2Q9u6xNQyKZBFCA-5Ltf9k/s1600/DSC_8157+copy+Leopard+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6ustt6HxOLyFFMdP6rZmvxOcxAcmMtjgwTEYlKQl7wQFBb9K0WvvDfniXwbLGnYd_-o9TW3Aw3B_zvIv85lQktnGzFOj1WJ901NNE2fU0RJOmEyUNAWrh_2Q9u6xNQyKZBFCA-5Ltf9k/s400/DSC_8157+copy+Leopard+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Leopard at Kabini, May 2012</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My best friend dreams of publishing a novel. He has two
kids and a job in a start up company which means 12 hour work days. In spite of
that, he takes an hour every other day, sits in a coffee shop and writes. He
also manages to run a few miles in the middle of his long work day. My other
best friend, an amazing mother of 2 kids, an avid reader, she loves to travel
and wanted to go to Israel, a very uncommon destination. Earlier this year, she
found another friend who was interested, flew half way across the world and
spent a week exploring Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and other places in Israel! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There was this old couple that used to come on birding
trips with Nature India. Among other things, uncle had rheumatoid arthritis
which is a painful condition. You would think he is better off staying at home,
watching TV, but no. They went on every possible birding/nature trip. They used
to be the first to line up in front of a spotting scope and I even remember
uncle trekking down to a waterfall without complaining. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My friend D loves to dance. With 3 kids and a job, she not
only manages to perform at every occasion, she also finds the time to teach
kids in her neighbourhood. Then there are friends (and the husband) who
absolutely love their work. It is not as glamorous as travel or music or dance,
but they are very passionate about their research and making a difference in
their community. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My point here is that -If you really love something, you
will find a way to do it in spite of family responsibilities, demanding jobs,
finances and even health. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sojnefjord, Norway July 2012</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The most common excuses that people give for not doing
something:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Time: </span></b>These days
it has become a fashion statement to boast about how busy we are and how we
don't have time for anything. Yes, were in that age group where we are in the
peak of our career and are handling very impressive responsibilities. If you
are juggling so many projects and clients, how hard is it to juggle family and
hobbies? One of my friends is the CEO of a publicly traded company. She runs
her company, is a loving mother and wife, socializes with friends, travels
around the world and is very active in charity
organizations. If SHE has time, trust
me, you have time too. A common thing that I hear in India is "I am too
busy to take vacation and the days just expire' and I am shocked. Vacation time
is a benefit just like your salary. Do you tell your boss to take back the pay
hike or bonus they give you? Then why the hell do you let your vacation days
lapse? Even if you are not interested in travelling, why are you not taking the
days off to relax and spend time with your family? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Money:</b> </span>I wish I
can tell you that travel is cheap. It is not and costs are going up as we
speak. But travel is something that can be done with all types of budget. I
remember driving through the night in Canada when I was a grad student to save
money on hotels. On our first trip to Hawaii, we took a hotel with a kitchen to
cook and save money on food. Now that I have been earning non-stop for 15
years, I have become what Saru calls a pseudo-snob (Apparently I think I am
posh, but am really not). I enjoy good things in life and am willing to spend
money for it. Again, it all boils down to my theory that people will spend on
what they are passionate about. I have a friend that loves decorating her home
and she does not bat an eyelid spending vast amounts of money on it. Then there
are people who spend tons of money on clothes
and jewellery. Saru is a careful spender, but he has no issues spending big
amounts for his camera and lenses. I don't care for expensive cars or jewellery
or electronic gizmos. What I care for is good food and travel and I spend my
money guilt free on those. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Children:</span> </b>A
friend of mine says 'It is all in your attitude" when it comes to
travelling with kids. Another friend says "It depends on how easy your kid
is". I think both of them are true to an extent. But going back to my
theory, people who are really interested in travelling have done so with or
without kids. A fellow blogger, M and her husband love to hike in the
Himalayas. Now that they have a child, they take turns and go on separate
hikes. They also take plenty of family vacations with all three of them. My
friend J, who is an inspiration is the mother of an amazing teenager. She takes
her daughter on most of her trips. The young girl has more stamps on her
passport that I do. I recently met an amazing fellow travel blogger writes
about their trips with their special needs child. Not travelling with Varsha
was never an option for us. Saru and I made a pact that we will never become
those parents who give up all their interests for their child, so we have been
fiercely trying to maintain the same life that we had before. Yes, it is easier
to stay at home and do nothing, but that is not what we want. And luckily for
us, Varsha has turned out to be a wonderful traveller. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmERl8EHSFO1wYqOVhlQVr9PCxrDUENdXcH3cEmy5GrtH7WFbFD2RtmLgUY0nFHUUZYOruVKAbDp3FzxEEdTafS8S1FjmMAfN3w0CVI8VIYBIpOQ7OzUxj2sqrPaf-_U_38skuLBLZYeEf/s1600/DSC_8765+copy_balestrand_road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmERl8EHSFO1wYqOVhlQVr9PCxrDUENdXcH3cEmy5GrtH7WFbFD2RtmLgUY0nFHUUZYOruVKAbDp3FzxEEdTafS8S1FjmMAfN3w0CVI8VIYBIpOQ7OzUxj2sqrPaf-_U_38skuLBLZYeEf/s640/DSC_8765+copy_balestrand_road.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Balestrand, Norway, July 2012</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Company:</span> </b>If your
spouse is busy and/or not interested, travel with a friend. In today's age of
social networking it is not hard to find people with similar interests. Saru
has no interest in heritage sites. Instead of bugging him to go, I found
friends and went to Khajurajo, Orccha, Mandu and even Italy 2 years back. It is
win-win. I go wherever I want and he can work to his heart's content. If not,
you can go the way of my cousin S who took 10 weeks off from work and went solo
backpacking in Turkey, Greece, Italy and Spain. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lUXOAm56k7s/UDxj2vsZT1I/AAAAAAAAD4c/iEMSlSvec2Q/s1600/DSC_0032_01+Jahaz+Mahal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lUXOAm56k7s/UDxj2vsZT1I/AAAAAAAAD4c/iEMSlSvec2Q/s200/DSC_0032_01+Jahaz+Mahal.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jahaz Mahal, Mandu, August 2012</b></td></tr>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, there you go - I travel not because I have time or money or company.
I travel because I want to. </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">P.S Pictures are from the last 6 trips we took this year.</span></div>
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Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-45830470574286676822012-03-31T15:25:00.009+05:302012-03-31T16:24:30.354+05:30Venice - Is it worth the hype. Part 1<span ><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M4oYIxbRPnI/T3bZGn02ZaI/AAAAAAAAD1M/CO8ZL6jt2Ck/s200/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B227.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726002684041258402" /></span><span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">I asked myself this question many times before we finally visited in 2010. Venice is one of those universally loved places. The minute you say the name, people start gushing about how romantic it is and how it is the most beautiful city they have ever seen. They go on and on about the canals, the narrow alleys, car-free streets, gondolas and elegantly decaying buildings. So why did I worry if I would really like it. No, I am not conceited enough to think that I am unique and won't like what millions of tourists love. In fact, I am as generic as they make them. I love creaky old structures, cobble stone streets, quaint stores and historic places. </span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">My biggest problem with Venice is its overexposure. If I were to compare it with a bollywood actor, it would be like SRK. He is EVERYWHERE! In movies, on tv he is advertising for everything from pepsi to pepsodent, hosting every award show (next time please do something other than making every foreigner say " Main ulloo ka Patta hoon".) and at cricket matches saying "Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo' at every chance he gets. Somebody kill me before he bends backwards, pushes his chest forward and opens his arms (DDLJ style).</span></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; ">My point here is that we all have seen Venice - in postcards, in movies, in magazines, and in half of your friend's photo albums. The last few movies Casino Royale, Italian Job and the tourist were extensively pictured in Venice. It is like reading the book before seeing the movie and one is sure to disappoint you. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IVGLTkdGbfQu-m62YXtKXEG_g1HVDumUAvbIGqginHW6W0ZU6iSgPrr3Sfc0-n5S3WfZJ8JU5dYFJefLdjmWrU_sVuqusbHiX_thGNARyCruCOdQYI1kXw9gqJTMGEwMLZGdQsfPojY9/s800/Italy3%252C+June+2010+016.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726010672990809842" /><br /><img com="" e5nrqiagwca="" t3bwqmc_3xi="" aaaaaaaadzs="" 0hj_7xku="" s800="" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725999556827536754" src="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2049116091502212447&postID=4583047057428667682" style="font-size: 100%; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mhLBfKsH3qE/T3bWSNVXXFI/AAAAAAAAD0c/_w-BHAqez2k/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B106.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725999584553426002" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; ">A fellow traveller once told me - "When you get off the Santa Lucia train station and walk out, you get your first view of the Grand Canal and it is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen". Here is the thing - I have seen this view in so many movies that I was afraid reality would be disappointing. Plus, in the last few years I heard more complaints than compliments. " It is too hot and humid". " the water from the canals stink", "There are more people than pigeons on St. mark's square", "Everything is super expensive" and the clincher - "food is not great". How can I go to a place in Italy where the food is not good? </span></div></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Anyway, we decided to go to Venice because it was convenient. I was with friends touring Sicily for a week before Saru joined me in Venice. I wanted to drive through the Austrian Alps and Venice was a perfect starting point with a good international airport. I landed in Venice early in the morning around 7 am after spending a sleepless night almost freezing to death at the Rome airport (don't ask). I got out, bought myself a water taxi pass and took one to St. Mark's square. It was a beautiful morning with a nice cool breeze. Venice was just opening up for business and it was beautiful.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXglKYkjCAsU8GUUHxjpLGXXDgfncwj6fQm_eo47zK4g6enCdvvsChUvXFbEPd6Ac-EpPIP48meLWv_oUtJXXFYQAiOeoi0YZY4J3PK9wcPY1vMuRdTYtmpCrjtdBU1ccZsuu9gv2oFxUg/s800/Italy%252C+2010+201.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725998314065708594" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9uEXHfd5V58/T3bVGzWKqcI/AAAAAAAADyw/GNnqPOInszk/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B108.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725998289087277506" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; ">I love staying at different types of accommodations. Over the last decade, we have stayed at campsites, cabins, hostels, hotels, B&B's, farm houses, haunted houses (remind me to tell you the story of this creepy home in Hawaii where mangoes would fall on the asbestos roof and scare the crap out of us in the night, or the spooky home in Shasta where they had crosses and pictures of angels at every corner ), and this one time at an Alpaca and Llama farm in Canada. This time, I came across a website where you can book rooms in a monastery!! For 100E (trust me, that is cheap for Venice), we stayed in a 14th century monastery that was a stone's throw from St. Mark's square and Rialto bridge. The room was clean and large by Italian standards and more importantly, it had modern plumbing. Quaint and charming is good, but a girl needs a shower with good water pressure. The lovely nuns at the monastery sent me a hand drawn map showing the directions from the Vaporetto station to their place. Let me tell you one thing. When you have a place like Venice with narrow alleys and bridges every few meters, following a hand drawn map counting the number of lines and matching them with streets is impossible. I was hopelessly lost. Luckily for me, gondoliers stake out at every bridge hoping to lure hapless tourists into the trap they call gondola ride. 80E for a 20 minute ride in the back canals where you get to see peeling plaster of dilapidated buildings and panties hanging from clothes lines. No-Thank-You! And what is with the hideous looking striped shirts and red scarves!! Anyway, these guys know Venice in and out and were able to point me in the direction of "Instituto San Giuseppe", the monastery of St. Joseph where we were staying. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9dmyHOwLogoNtX-DXDlJJs5qPwfLgJ_huFilhnBRJLd3z4c3dnVAG7sJhnPgrsklqd8cosJpa-oFnRSBDu6Ht69MYVwlOxrq4YYI2GzOuI8w6EhcBa4TBUGXRVtZu6ZE-_c_PwMs-YOC/s800/Italy%252C+2010+121.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725998302781263890" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Saru was landing that afternoon, so I rested for a couple of hours and went to the airport to receive him. I had not seen him for 10 days, so I was really looking forward to meeting him. Like the seasoned traveller that I am, I guided him from the airport to the ferry terminal and soon we were on a boat towards the hotel. We were oblivious to the sights of Venice as I talked non-stop telling him all about my trip to Sicily. He was only too happy to get back his FM Radio service (that is what he calls me because of my ability to talk on demand. He claims he married me just for that). For the first evening, we decided to do nothing, but walk the streets of Venice. After all, the biggest attraction in Venice is Venice itself. The place was packed with tourists. One could not walk a few steps without dashing into somebody. See....that is why I don't find Venice very romantic. Yes, we were holding hands, but that was more out of fear of losing each other than love. Yes, we were checking each other out every few minutes, but that was because we were worried about pickpockets. Romantic for me is a peaceful place in the mountains or by the sea with few people. I mean, how is one supposed to make out if you have hundreds of people around you. I thought Amsterdam in spring was far more romantic than Venice. Hawaii is incredibly romantic with its deep blue ocean and all that hula dancing. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-90DYQqc3IGA/T3bVHEqV-pI/AAAAAAAADy8/uZci5E8i4tw/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B118.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725998293735307922" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; ">As we were walking, we saw a giant cruise ship leave the town, taking with it, thousands of annoying tourists. The day-trippers left, the sun was beginning to set, sky was turning a deep blue and that is when the magic of Venice began. Dimly lit streets lead to beautiful piazzas surrounded by illuminated monuments. Darkness of the night covers up centuries of decay while the flood lights accentuate the beauty of the buildings. A strange sort of calm descends on the town and you can hear the soft crash of the waves on the wooden piles. Lanterns are lit along the canals, restaurants are filled with customers and the gondolas glide by at a slow pace. We walked aimlessly for a long time before settling down at a canal side restaurant for a long dinner and retired back to our monastery before the 11:00 PM deadline (Oh yes, the nuns don't want you partying till 2:00 AM). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgCU4VFdWYc/T3bVIEbSG-I/AAAAAAAADzQ/78uJRLBbXGk/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B154.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725998310852008930" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqBK2yO0g_C1Hr7F1U5ZDQC-7wxXMXK-Li39cjeaXC48OCS24jdKeSum334muT5D-NNviJVq66keBC2SWKfv8f7310ImkeCIOimIJGpbPHM9xGE7OXyZQSALxQmu6HOg3N7sm6I5GP8xC/s800/Italy%252C+2010+184.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725999577078732002" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHYegNtMj_0/T3bWRRkfdxI/AAAAAAAAD0E/4UNO7z8vrbE/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B182.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725999568510744338" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCW41fyDfmEOxdIKX-H4Bo5A3TALN3hFgtrsCU9i0sm5-XNS8SHvd9OviWB3kKefEyFIgLmKj542z-DtvSM8I09yjPE463Hk_I_-atpUePGDqSkluoppESlBoxq68HKm5iMVAoFfUn7dW6/s800/Italy3%252C+June+2010+101.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726002174057881186" /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">It was a pleasant night, not too warm. As is the case with most hotels in old towns in Europe, there was no fan or air conditioning. The husband, who is crazy-addicted to a fan, cannot sleep without a hurricane over our heads. We opened the giant French windows to let the air in forgetting the fact that Venice is full of canals and a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Soon....they were buzzing in our ears. We open the windows, those little monsters come in. We close the windows, there is no air for the suffocating husband. Catch 22 indeed. So- here we were, meeting after 10 days, on what was supposed to be a romantic night together....squatting mosquitoes. Both of us, with magazines in our hands were walking around the room, jumping on the bed and killing mosquitoes. The folks in the next room must have wondered about all the jumping and the inappropriate noises coming from our room. If only they knew.....</span></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next morning, using a lot of sign language we asked Mother Superior (oh yes...it was a functional monastery) for a fan. She kept saying " Ventilator? Ventilator?". I assured her that the ventilation in the room was fine, but needed a fan. She did not get a word of what I was saying. Finally, Saru took a piece of paper and drew a fan and she smiled "Ventilator" (translated to fan in Italian). She also gave us a mosquito repellent - bless her soul!. </span></div></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next morning we set off to see the sights in Venice - The St. Marks Church, the Doge's Palace and many others. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; "><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><b>Venice - Is it worth it? The answer in Part II</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><b><br /></b></span></div></span></span></span></span>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-78578373585717931222012-02-06T23:16:00.015+05:302012-02-07T09:40:26.672+05:30Tigers of Pench National Park<div style="text-align: justify;"><span >A trip to Pench National Park was not in the plan. The plan was to not take any trips for a couple of months and I almost stuck to my resolution. For a month now, Saru has been mumbling that it has been a while since we went to a National Park. We talked about going to Corbett, but Saru did not have a week to take off before April when it gets too hot for birding, so we ditched the plans. "Why not Pench for a short trip?" he said. "I can only do next weekend, after that I am really busy till the Holi week" I said, fully expecting him to drop the plan. Saru thought for a minute and said "Why not?". Tickets were bought, hotel was booked and just like that we found ourselves on the way to Pench National Park. The park is about 3 hours from Nagpur at the southern border of Madhya Pradesh. We stayed at Tiger n Woods, a place where we stayed on our first trip to Pench 2 years back. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >The next morning we were up, bright and early at 5:00 AM. It was still dark and the sky was full of stars when we left for the gate. It was freezing cold and the multiple layers we wore did not help. This was our 2nd national park visit with Varsha and I have to say that these are the easiest trips to take with children. We are in a safari jeep all morning and evening and nap all afternoon. She can't do much mischief when she is locked in a baby carrier except for kicking you in the groin once in a while, but that is something Saru needs to worry about. Also, the movement of the jeep lulls her to sleep, so she is sleeping half of the time which leaves us to enjoy quality time together. When awake, she would enjoy the sights of the forest and animals. Only embarrassing fact was that she insisted on calling the spotted deer as Koala bears and no amount of cajoling changed her mind. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IbTUIJZVhOs/TzAj85DcxUI/AAAAAAAADw4/WO0K3ujYYis/s800/DSC_6501_01%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706100256892831042" /><span ><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >It was a weekday and there were hardly 20 jeeps entering the forest which was nice. A crested serpent eagle was the first big bird we sighted. Racket tailed drongos were everywhere mimicking other birds. Parakeets were screeching and flying all over the place and jungle babblers were creating a ruckus. Other than that, we did not see many species of birds. We drove on, keeping our ears open for calls and soon enough we heard an alarm call of a spotted deer. The driver shut the engine off to figure out where the call was coming from and then drove us in that direction. On the way we met a couple of other jeeps who heard that call too. We stopped at a location and looked hard into the jungle. Crows were circling in the air at one point which meant that the tiger had made a kill. We looked hard, but could not spot the tiger. Just then, a jeep came by with a teacher and her students. In a very excited tone she screamed " You know what, an hour back we saw a tiger kill a baby deer right in front of our eyes. We were driving when a tiger darted across the road, pounced on the fawn and in one swift move, killed it and dragged it inside the forest". This confirmed our suspicions about the kill which meant that the tiger was inside there. We decided to drive up the road for a better vantage point. At that location, we started hearing alarm calls of a langur. With our binoculars we could spot the frightened monkey sitting high up on a tree. It was looking in one direction and giving the alarm call. The jungle was too dense for us to see where the monkey was seeing. We waited there for a little bit and nothing happened. So, we drove back to the earlier location and saw a couple of jeeps pointing to one direction. They had spotted the tiger!! We were super excited. With hearts racing, we started scanning all over the place and soon enough we saw the face of the tiger hidden in the bushes on a hill. I have seen a few tigers till now, but I have to say that this was the cleanest and the most beautiful of all. Most tigers have a rusty/reddish/brownish coat, but this one has a lot of white on its face and neck which made it look stunning. We watched it to our heart's content for at least 10 minutes. It looked like the tiger ate its fill and was lying down and taking rest, but it was still very alert. Some of the people in the jeeps were talking very loudly - no amount of education can teach common sense. The tiger got up and peered through the bushes. She stood for a while and then went back to her earlier position. We were all focussed on one side of the forest and failed to notice a pack of wild dogs on the other side. They had sensed that there was a kill on the other side. The dholes moved restlessly from one side of the road to the other and after a while, disappeared into the forest. "The tiger is going to get up if the dholes disturb it" said our guide. Soon enough, the tiger got up and started to come down the hill. Saru was ready with the camera, but there were a lot of bushes in the way, so there were very few clear shots. The tiger came all the way down to cross the road, but was irritated with the jeeps, so it changed its mind and went back inside. I was trying to take a video of the tiger, but Varsha started pulling my earrings, so it got all shaky. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gsvSJrfrOjw/TzAc_Yps2RI/AAAAAAAADuk/pSsrmc0cbQc/s800/DSC_6319%2Bface.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706092603153111314" /><span ><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWUeKwnom8_IoLP8MBcMylsoQu9-qDvrwEAIF65eTWfzab24R3cU1XXr9FK-0btrngKOL9i_jsFigFqg5eOndex8bcfb-_RXWdnmmYDycjXRU75s-ZwbCp6-2fGfEHXWKwRBZvhuCyDR6/s800/DSC_6394_01+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706092615841349378" /><span ><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mlz2eQ4iVUw/TzAfU6OCyYI/AAAAAAAADwI/Wk6UJyRRXs4/s800/DSC_6343%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706095171964422530" /><span ><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B3K0zVEms20/TzAdAfOjFRI/AAAAAAAADvM/RRmCMSrP_fw/s800/DSC_6430%2Bfirst%2Btiger.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706092622098142482" /><span ><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >A tiger sighting in our very first safari - this was a great start to the trip. We came back and narrated the story to other guests and the hotel staff. We went to the afternoon safari a little late, at 3:30pm. It was a little warm, so there was practically no bird or animal activity for 2 hours. We saw a couple of owls - a jungle owlet which is the cutest owl ever and a collared scops owl which has a very weird face. It was 10 minutes to 6:00 PM and we needed to head out . We were crossing a fire line when the driver, Om Prakash screamed "Tiger". The guide and I looked in that direction and said "No, they are spotted deer" He insisted it was a tiger, so we looked through our binoculars and were shocked. They were indeed tigers and I counted 3. The guide told us that this was a tigress called collar-wali and her FIVE fully grown 16 month old cubs. It was not enough that we saw a beautiful tigress in the morning, we were going to see 6 more!! Imagine how excited we were. The tigers were at a distance and saw our jeep and went back into the forest. " They are going to come out and cross the road, please sit very quietly" said the guide. We sat still for a few minutes, but Varsha had enough of the quiet and started squirming in the baby carrier and making noises. The guide looked at us and said " We have to be absolutely quiet". I looked around to see what I could do to entertain her. I had just fed her a granola bar ( Oh yes...I am that kind of mother that feeds her daughter granola bars and fruits for snack), so feeding her was out of the question. Silly Saru threw away the colorful wrapper of the bar which usually keeps her occupied for a few minutes. I looked around and all I saw was a pack of Kleenex tissue. I quickly removed a tissue, gave it to Varsha and said " Here play with this" The girl tore it into pieces, ate some of it and was ready for another. She eats a piece of the newspaper every day when I am not looking, so this is OK, I reasoned to myself and gave her another. Some day Varsha is going to grow up, read this blog and find out that I intentionally fed her paper to increase our chances of a tiger sighting. sigh! Those of you who know my mother, PLEASE do not tell her I did this or she will disown me. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >Another jeep passed us and he was reluctant to tell them in the worry that they might cause more disturbance, but gave in and told them in the end. Then they came up with a winning strategy. Their jeep waited at one end of the road and we were in the middle. Each would signal if they saw the tigers coming out. It was a few minutes and we started hearing alarm calls of spotted deer. Looking through the binoculars, I could see them running away in one direction. A peacock flew up a tree in a hurry and started giving alarm calls. Langurs were calling as well. As terrified as these animals are to see a tiger, imagine how much worse it would be for them to see an entire pack of tigers!! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >We then heard a big roar! There was silence for a few minutes. The deer stopped running and were looking back. The peacock and langurs were still agitated. "It must have killed an animal. Now it won't come out" said the guide dashing our hopes. It was already dark and we needed to head back. The driver and the guide get fined if the vehicle reaches the gate after 6:30 and we had about 5-6 km to drive. Still hopeful, we decided to wait for 10 more minutes. Nothing was happening and we were losing hope with every passing minute. Another jeep came by and took up position ahead of us by the fire line. A few minutes later, they signalled us to hurry and come. I had the big lens and the binoculars hanging from my neck. I started searching but saw nothing. I started whispering "I don't see anything". Saru was like " They are right here...remove the binoculars and look with your eyes". Sure enough they were right in front of us. Saru was so mesmerized by the sight that he forgot to take the video until I reminded him. I started clicking pictures, but the light was low, so it was hard to get sharp images. First the mother of the pack crossed the road. This amazing tigress is called collar-wali because of the GPS equipped collar that the forest department put on it to study its movements. A few years back, she had 4 cubs and brought all of them safely to adulthood. Now, her 5 cubs are 16 months old. To protect and feed 5 cubs every day is an amazing feat. The guide was telling us that she has to make a kill everyday to feed her cubs. She is always on the move in search of food, providing really thrilling sightings to tourists like us. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--RebBfh2Fwg/TzAdBd1lfJI/AAAAAAAADvU/Rae6-a52p-s/s800/DSC_6544%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706092638904876178" /><span ><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >Closely following her were 2 female cubs. I got my first ever picture of 2 tigers in one frame. These were followed by the male tiger who was acting a little aloof. We were told that he started hunting and was expected to leave the pack soon. Most mothers train their cubs for about 2 years before they get good at hunting and leave the pack. All five cubs were supposedly getting good at hunting. The guide told us that in one day they killed 12 spotted deer just for sport! They killed them and left without eating! What arrorance!!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6tJYf5ZCM6M0xmqt3wVOyKbMl8HlADstK0wYHlGXuc0IQ9rLteVqoP7jQmxSFLLMWn6ZEld-YVRWXwR8qp0z9QlKHNJZaaqUTx4VqLp4hztNdQZcd4OGgMT8v0jcaw4TW-E9r-KeL2gV/s800/DSC_6557+2+tigers+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706095151854108450" /><span ><br /><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q3F0r1oNVT4/TzAfT5cMB-I/AAAAAAAADvw/htduy-UEwjY/s800/DSC_6572%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706095154575443938" /><span ><br /><br /><br /></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXR_MjTojDOdMLNC0O1dWLFc0hEDJ1Yfkh18MPREMco_DjCRawpMsJ5TXtfKC4eN3rXWxpPJ7bHFKcCKreyV9qfiniq2AOemRu7na3XK862qWtXNtuVrBBJv4sfgAfFj5O3zvr7W6Bxhl/s800/DSC_6594+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706095158585780194" /><span ><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >The tigers crossed the road one by one and disappeared into the jungle leaving us in awe of the sight. It took a few minutes to register what we saw. One needs to be incredibly lucky to see one tiger and we saw 7 in one day!! Four jeeps witnessed this scene and there was not one person who didn't wear a wide grin the rest of the day. The next evening, we were sitting around the campfire with a large family that just checked it. The guy was telling his family " Apparently, two lucky guests saw 6 tigers all at once" I raised my hand and waved until I caught his attention and said " <b>WE</b> are the 2 guests" and went on to narrate the story to a group of awed people.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >The next day, as we were driving along the road, the guide had us stop near a big tree. He pointed to a dark coloured part of the tree's bark and went on to tell us " This is where a tiger marked his territory with his urine. Fresh tiger's urine is very powerful and the smell stays for many weeks. Other animals can smell it and stay away from its territory. If you smell fresh tiger urine, you will feel suffocated by it, but after a few weeks, its power wears off and it smells like the steam from freshly cooked Basmati rice". He rubbed his hand against the bark and smelled it and asked me to do the same. Basmati rice or not, I am NOT smelling tiger pee. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span >Here are some other blog entries of previous tiger sightings:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.in/search/label/Bandipur%20NP"><span >Tigers and Leopards of Bandipur National Park</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.in/search/label/Ranthambore"><span >Tigers of Ranthambore National Park</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.in/search/label/Corbett%20NP"><span >Corbett National Park</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span><br /></span></div>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-66128638854697084632011-07-23T18:06:00.016+05:302011-07-27T18:15:31.221+05:30Vamsee's list of Must-See Places in the World - Valley of Temples, Agrigento, Italy<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">There are many reasons why people travel - to see new sights, to experience different cultures, to take a break from work, to taste different cuisines, to write / photograph and sometimes just for the heck of it. Whatever be the reason for my travel, I always find myself looking for that one experience, that one view or that one place that totally takes my breath away. That one place that is so incredibly beautiful that it leaves you speechless. That one unforgettable experience that is so extraordinary that you can't stop talking about it or that one fabulous view that is etched in your brain forever. That one <b>"WOW, THIS IS AMAZING"</b> is why I am addicted to travel. I am not saying that this place should be one of the best sights in the world, just that you should really love it at that time. A trip without such moments is always incomplete for me. I guess this is true in everyday life too. You don't have to win a lottery or get a promotion every day, but it makes your day when something exciting happens - a great meeting, a nice movie, a good book, tasty meal, fun with the family - anything that breaks the routine and makes you smile. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">On our trip to Italy last summer, I had plenty of such nice moments. Having done the Rome/Florence/Venice tours in a previous trip, a group of friends decided to go off the beaten track to Sicily. Sicily, the small island in Southern Italy packs quite a punch. Stunning seascapes, volcanic islands, tall mountains and historic sites from Greek and Roman periods - all nicely wound into one compact island. This post is about Agrigento, a city in the southern coast of Sicily. It is the home of the famous Valle dei Templi - Valley of Temples. A world heritage site, this place boasts of some of the most well preserved Greek ruins. </p></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz5CF88CFid_1BUIb1ShKC3gj-dpZElpZv4p6fhl8Qe54Bir4Tn1G8HHO8jBdEqq-TfxYnUrsZhvHaZEDbS7KrCwm9fK7q0X_tRLsIq1uiQujIFHhDCH2SUrdS3sNHjDJwZ-9htCYK9n6/s1600/Villa+Diana.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz5CF88CFid_1BUIb1ShKC3gj-dpZElpZv4p6fhl8Qe54Bir4Tn1G8HHO8jBdEqq-TfxYnUrsZhvHaZEDbS7KrCwm9fK7q0X_tRLsIq1uiQujIFHhDCH2SUrdS3sNHjDJwZ-9htCYK9n6/s200/Villa+Diana.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632579096243950802" /></a>We reached Agrigento after a long drive from Mt. Etna. We stayed at Villa Diana, a beautiful farmhouse. Our room was giant with a huge balcony overlooking their olive farm. I loved the sunny yellow color Italian colors in the room so much so that I decided I would have similar tiles if I ever build my own home. The picture on the side is from their website. Dario, the host was a sweet man who directed us to Restaurant Kokalos where we had one of the best meals in Sicily. I ordered a pizza made of mozzarella di bufala and it was divine. Mozzarella di bufala is a speciality of Southern Italy and is considered to be of higher quality than cow mozzarella. Purists swear that once you have Buffalo mozarella, you can never go back to cow cheese. I am no connoisseur and all I can tell is that Buffalo or cow, every order of cheese we had in Italy smelt and tasted amazing. Breakfast next morning included a tasting of farm fresh olive oil. Toast a piece of bread add some warm olive oil and salt and pepper. If the olive oil is of good quality, this simple dish can be yummy!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Ruins are not my thing. I love historic sites, but ruins are a bit too much or to be more precise, they are too less. I need a full intact structure to appreciate. Don't give me a piece of pottery and ask me to marvel at a civilization that produced them. My imagination is just not that good. For that reason, I have never wanted to go to Athens to see the Acropolis. Coliseum was nice , but I did not spend more than an hour in it. I spent even less time at the Palatine hill and the Roman Forum. Given that, I was a little worried if I would be bored at the Greek ruins. But I am constantly amazed at how travel changes my views and interests. Years ago, I used to think birding was boring. 'Nature is not my thing anymore.....I declared one year'. Earlier in the trip, I told friends that I am not big on sculptures, but I was blown away by what I saw at the Galleria Borghese in Rome. This time too, I was pleasantly surprised by how I felt. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">The archaeological site of Valle dei Templi contains the remains of seven temples from the 5th century BC. I walked around while the audio guide narrated the violent history of Agrigento. The city changed hands from Greeks to Romans to Arabs to Normans. Every invasion would destroy the city but it managed to re-built itself multiple times over the centuries. Proximity to North Africa made it an important city for trade. Agrigento went through its most prosperous period in the 5th century when the temples were commissioned. The site is located on the hill with views of the Mediterranean sea to one side and city to the other side. The temples were built in the Doric style of Greek architecture and all faced east so that god's statues could be illuminated by the rays of the rising sun. First few temples were burnt down during wars and were in ruins, but the most impressive site was the temple of Concordia. It was the best preserved temple in the valley and WHAT a sight it was!!. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">A classic Greek structure with tall symmetrical columns, it withstood the vicissitudes of man and nature. This was truly a 'wow' moment. I could not help but wonder about the technology in 5th century BC that allowed them to build such amazing structures. How did they transport such heavy material, how did they place these stones on top of each other and most important of all - how they build them so strong to last thousands and thousands of years. We spent several hours in the complex and the entire time, I was in awe of the monuments. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">If you look carefully, you will notice that the pillars are narrower at the top to make the structure taller. There are many more optical illusion tricks that the architects used to ensure that the visitor sees a straight image even when he is at a distance. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r-iHsonCwn4/TirFlMjcPFI/AAAAAAAADsQ/mEQ5WJa2Vmo/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B043_01temple%2Bof%2Bconcordia1_persp_correction.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632531526795934802" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ownONz6WfIk/Tir83s8yJeI/AAAAAAAADtI/5B8Z07IaaHw/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B037_02%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632592317869336034" /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6rcL-DvPeok/TirFlTWaZYI/AAAAAAAADsY/nyjY00MTf7g/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B043_01temple%2Bof%2Bconcordia2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632531528620336514" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nKCViD-Ce6Y/TirE6xZWbWI/AAAAAAAADrw/OvsdEZyAmug/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B033_01%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632530797951348066" /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fKjzYu4-9-s/TirF2CHw20I/AAAAAAAADsw/XWV9HkFdOO8/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B057_02%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632531816053267266" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QwbT2T-D3E8/TirE7WVplsI/AAAAAAAADsA/9BX82XndyUQ/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B039_01%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632530807867938498" /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cuGt-iHh9AI/TirFl_7HYBI/AAAAAAAADso/fyaClnhXtCw/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B050_01%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632531540585439250" /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--farODKvI0I/TirFljlx9uI/AAAAAAAADsg/ygAcq0ssfSw/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B054_01%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632531532979762914" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VlAWOzosrzE/TirE6SCcX_I/AAAAAAAADrg/j4NUivHpr8w/s800/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B023_01%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632530789533769714" /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 180%; "><div style="text-align: justify;">Practical Information</div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; "><span><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold; ">Best time to visit</span></span><span><span style="font-size:130%;"> :</span> April-Oct. Summer is the best time although it can get very hot in July and August. </span></span></div></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">How to get there:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span>There are a lot of <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.edreams.com/edreams/english/">cheap flights</a> within Europe these days. <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.edreams.com/offers/flights/airline/">Flight</a> time is about 2 hours from Rome to Palermo or Catania. You will need to rent a car or take public transportation to get there. Sicily has a much better bus network than a rail network.</span></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">Getting Around: </span>Renting a car is the easiest way. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold; ">Lodging</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%; ">:</span> </span></div>If you have a car like we did, stay at <a href="http://www.villadiana.ag.it/">Villa Diana</a>, a beautiful farmhouse. <a href="http://www.ristorante-kokalos.com/">Ristorante Kokalos</a> has wonderful Sicilian food with a backdrop of the illuminated valley of temples.<span></span></div></div>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-54976154956357448032011-02-07T16:22:00.017+05:302011-02-07T18:35:56.519+05:30Vamsee's list of Must-See Places in the World - Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Utah, USA<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >It was 1996 and my very first road trip in the US. With a few friends who were studying in Arizona State University, we planned a road trip. Pheonix - Grand Canyon - Sedona - Bryce Canyon - Las Vegas - Pheonix. Lots of energy, lots of driving (sometimes on the wrong side of the road), and very little money. We stayed up some nights (It is a punishable offence to sleep at night in Vegas) and drove all night sometimes to save on hotel money. One such evening, we drove by Bryce Canyon National Park. I was too tired and sleepy to get out of the car, but my friend dragged me out " <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span">You have to see this view. It is one of the most beautiful sights in the US</span></b></i>", he said. It was sunset time and light was very poor. We parked the car and literally ran to the view point to see it before the sun went down. I remember standing there in awe!!! The view was like an amphitheater of hoodoos or limestone spires, arches and domes of varying shapes and sizes in colors that possibly covered the entire spectrum from pink to orange to red. The setting sun accentuated the orange hues, adding a very dramatic effect to the grand spectacle. Five minutes later, it was all dark and we had to pinch ourselves to make sure we were not hallucinating. None of us had cameras those days!!<br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_RnFU-mOI/AAAAAAAADg4/rJCxusGOatA/s640/DSC_0002%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570901733455861986" /></span><br />Many years later (gosh...this is making me sound like a grandmother!) we were planning a trip for the Memorial Day long weekend (May 2004) and looking for places to drive from Vegas. Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park were the obvious choices. Two hundred million years of raging storms, changing weather patterns and erosion carved these monolithic sandstone monuments. The parks boast of deep orange canyons, mesas, stone formations, limestone spires and many more natural wonders.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Zion Canyon National Park </span>-</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span"> This is maybe the only canyon park in Utah that has so much greenery. Virgin River flows through the park cutting through gigantic rocks. One of the best hikes in the park is called "The Narrows" where you actually walk on the Virgin river bed. Saru and I walked a mile on it, but turned back because we were not dressed for hiking in waist deep water. Some streches of the hike are so harrow that you have to squeeze between 1000 ft towering peaks!!.Our friends did the entire hike and said it was one of their best experiences. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_Rnnd4YaI/AAAAAAAADhI/ek6hbl_X-nU/s640/DSC_0013%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570901742620008866" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmn5_AbrdFPMTjrcNoTSCAa3ew8e8V5RkG-B6rY1GCb2nEbOatBiVA4Qw5RQETAl8BMmpEcj1mEgQiH_6OhTzXe1GCCqsGkqz19uiA3xMq8hhI77je7wuIXKoRASU0NU3LYgrluFFIJhmr/s640/DSC_0036+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570901090788984994" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_RnchpCSI/AAAAAAAADhA/Tq3EuTEbHYw/s640/DSC_0004%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570901739682990370" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GvUn64vJ4N25OPFqUVUXehvi_ReLuBkdKw7sAGKsI0AkrmS-qLppSCNsalaM_q5S0-ze-kcvJo7Ji7djLZe0qqJCmmfdfP8DvE3WlVVZq-5GwjkpPWu5WhKh_SS4-LMfEmbx3vqs93Wg/s640/DSC_0157+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570904412408994370" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_RCJVwm1I/AAAAAAAADgg/ATC8zQsLW28/s640/DSC_0063%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570901098877721426" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_RoBP8rJI/AAAAAAAADhY/AyFjHxTpcDk/s640/DSC_0042%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570901749540891794" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-miS8sg1hnFi26PnU7EnNBT83sYA8b2uSzbSGZa42GpbpoH5ztjiKEX87m_pcGynBwJgXmhT6k_-6ghq_1xamGLTf-h3iFJghu3GFFRLda6g2w1r2FWaaqYiMw3dWpPIjTRF-jYpoVwr6/s640/DSC_0029+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570901748812422818" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChKBhyphenhyphenPWVbiqbbz6j38HZwLBQwbwpesmKfxWrd4mQ9rgr_De7nozTHmN72qzgLbLaNYRFNptW9porO4fHAkh6oQRKNnFugxBQ5OfpO6X0FT8Ul6OvMDoM1yjODe4mbJ4C48DKzbZ0zOrz/s640/DSC_0040+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570901093592857586" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_WBPwXgOI/AAAAAAAADi4/_TsUS6Yh9i0/s640/east-zion%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570906580978204898" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_UDXc_oaI/AAAAAAAADic/LiqPDdoKCk0/s640/IMG_0740%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570904418380915106" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_UCl8FuvI/AAAAAAAADiM/MQmIgS6gOvI/s640/DSC_0155%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570904405089565426" /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Bryce Canyon National Park</span> </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span">- As fate would have it, we reached Bryce Canyon National Park just when sun was setting. I did not remember the viewpoint I so loved from my trip in 1996, so we drove through the entire length of the road. I would run out, see the point, come back shaking my head until we reached "Sunset Point". One look and I recognized the place immediately. It was more stunning than what I remembered. The next day, we decided to hike to the bottom of the canyon. It was a small 2 mile hike, but quite steep going down and coming back up. I am not exaggerating when I say that almost every minute, one of us (we were 4 friends) would say "WOW". At the end of the trail we were sick of saying 'wow' - that is how 'WOW' it was. I don't know if it is the orange of the canyon that makes the sky look so blue, but I have not seen such blue skies anywhere in the US. The blazing afternoon sun made the orange look brighter and the cloudless sky as blue as it can be. Without doubt this hike is one of my Top 5 hikes. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_iKqRBObI/AAAAAAAADjw/Qh388RKbirg/s640/DSC_0088%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570919936852834738" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_SO7J38FI/AAAAAAAADiA/VE9gvpBXsoU/s640/DSC_0095%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570902417919701074" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9m-uqQjsdq9CAZAYZlKbQuObevJbnlYtb01bvLlQqsZpCAtqcMoEbRrptRuwGfPhsnpFSDBHfoP63jm_gVjXPOaw-i7FL-P-Q7o_5fJ9CDDubjf1iEJJR5jM-0CR5Btw-0cqJkrqvuYBF/s640/DSC_0101+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570904422119506066" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU77McRTbe9u1joZ-xY1FcLDsHGHgxwVP-6WylfXM510JUaB62seq6mNma4ESo-1xkdUPIrgeuiwnIOtK02fk32ZWCtZMuZ8E9NSrebIm1I47Xtx7tNwhc4neEvjDnBG6c1MYF0CcmGnfr/s640/DSC_0044+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570902402431485522" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUhBDBiL4j-lS2J8n2NJUtJYepsc8W6c1AAJ6PdwWSLCMHS-uG5XcTnE_ihUoltbVyCZR4ZLa4huVU71I0ka4dp9pXZ5B7Z6uu0_Qv_-y-PcE8VY6fgbW-Kp1OA-K3eIWWFr5VvanaL_h/s640/DSC_0041+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570902396444724450" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT7FbIai7ubxD10HRojwoKhPlguwlSUslVXOURku2au48XsJZIsCgYlOO4U7-METiVJK-rd-49Mqlnw8MnO5ZfHdozDdtRfYg_ViPkKYLYzJRRElhyZCj16d_g4yzvX4_TRhQRziGGult/s640/DSC_0037+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570902390151283922" /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Side trips on the way</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Pink Sands State Park</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_iLf7rohI/AAAAAAAADkI/6GmKqPABh2w/s640/DSC_0063%2Bpink%2Bsandscopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570919951258853906" /><br /><br /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAvPRxykwO085lWfCf0Sh8dFFdba5k34nzZY3kgG1Li4rNcZa0vBZK4cTgmd3UAASDQZ9ps2Ai2-bdrMh-7Vq2soqkhOjqcdJ9c3KN15970rHINpJ_yUnBsjy4LZwHaYwLdHop7qE-6sb/s640/DSC_0060+pink+sandscopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570913094905420258" /><br /><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Cedar Breaks National Monument</span></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7EsbNb3Ln79pV3_94oqJpO_vNDBx5WshR8Yu4U4pE9rK3eQDqZh_vQvZ_g1MX230XEKoNeZthpjvx_OO7o77j8qWWrHtMg4XHGAQQnTnw_uNbf84IbQk4fXh0lqZGmKHeIHwxiBaALy3/s640/Cedar+Breaks+National+Monument+5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570913085277635234" /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo1qL-840l9TVnor3h8DEiW-AIJSl5dIYQqRemMky3_eVdUGXGMWussHs8wrAJPSkn8IQUvomAa3WJ1lcdWAVHGB_Z8sNkewa-34ixowWxGTikw-D7Bu3SvGAuq_g8b2CskcjdQgjhGY0/s640/Cedar+Breaks+National+Monument+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570913079810815266" /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_b7Xg4eTI/AAAAAAAADjM/JjXNP_XBQ0c/s640/Cedar%2BBreaks%2BNational%2BMonument%2B2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570913077051291954" /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TU_iK7VxfDI/AAAAAAAADj4/9BfaepOmN7c/s640/IMG_0809%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570919941436177458" /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi632mvp_QW5N7Am6rdF9GgmyajIjTnvPBzawkg26KhMlnF-kZpIlOlwygQ-BbWFuX9QorYPLOmA2pM0se2IB0MksUH-xhT-QM5DU8bcOl1njAqE0VMqEfVn8qg326KES-YPyTpGTkHu9ZC/s640/Cedar+Breaks+National+Monument+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570913071036803522" /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 180%; "><div style="text-align: justify;">Practical Information</div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; "><span><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold; ">Best time to visit</span></span><span><span style="font-size:130%;"> :</span> April-July, Sept-Oct. Winter has a completely different look with snow on the canyons. It can get quite cold in winter and very hot in peak summer. </span></span></div></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">How to get there:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span>There are a lot of <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.edreams.com/edreams/english/">cheap flights</a> from the Continental US to Las Vegas. <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.edreams.com/offers/flights/airline/">Flight</a> time is about 2 hours from California</span><span>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span">Zion is about 3-4 hours drive from there. Bryce is another 2 hours from Zion.</span></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">Getting Around: </span>Renting a car is the only way to get around in most US states.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%; ">Lodging:</span> Both Zion and Bryce have lots of hotels and lodges close to the park entrance. </span></div></span>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-46268012363779923512011-01-10T13:58:00.019+05:302011-01-21T00:08:10.338+05:30Vamsee's list of Must-See Places in the World - Austrian Alps<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I ran out of peanut butter this morning, so was looking in the refrigerator for some jam when I saw a small bottle in the back of the side rack. It was 'Elder Flower' jam that I bought in Austria. Intensely fragrant, it took me back to last summer when Saru and I were on a road trip in the Austrian Alps. We rented a car in Venice and drove through the Dolomites and Alps to Salzburg. This was one of the most beautiful roads I have ever been on and is a MUST-SEE. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Here is a tip when you are on a road trip in the Alps. DO NOT pre-plan your trip. Go where the road takes you, stop where you feel like and THAT is the most fun part. Practically speaking, you will not cover the distance you planned because the road is SO scenic. You will want to stop every few minutes to take pictures, do side hikes and in my case, take an afternoon nap. There is nothing like napping with a view. When we were hiking in the Valley of Flowers, I made the guide look around for 15 minutes to find me a spot to eat and nap with a view. The guide rolled his eyes in disbelief at my silly request, but it is great to wake up to an awesome view.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TThbxQ0UXsI/AAAAAAAADcs/B4CD2VIedpU/s640/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B312_1_%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564298241502371522" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The only thing to remember is to get to a tourist office before 5:00 PM. Tell them your needs and price range and they will find you a place to stay in minutes. That is exactly how we found Alpenrose, a bed & breakfast in Iselsberg, a town that I did not even know existed. In a small community of 20-30 homes and with some grand views of the mountains, it was nice beautiful room for 50E per night.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL170ODjRM2MJEAPiYmx0RmCev42vgvK5aKfXa_8x1m4p8KY9JmqkTjV6Ntis9dT_IYyPjbDNIJDc0pq1K4Xp5uq8Qx0aEN3q1ct9LgOG3i8vPZykV89_1_w77lF_KxDLhXQvvvQVd4wq/s640/Italy%252C+2010+307_1_+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564298233931553970" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TThbwivkz_I/AAAAAAAADcc/j1CDCR2NSwI/s640/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B306_1_%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564298229134446578" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Breakfast was a spread of artisan breads and farm fresh cheese and a menu of jams.</span></div><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">"What Jam is this?" I asked the German lady. It was pink in color and I knew the smell, but could not quite place it with any jam I ever had. It was ROSE PETAL jam!! The next one, had a light-honey color with a very intense flowery fragrance. When I asked the lady about that, she stared at the wall, scratched her head and walked away to the next room before coming back with aGerman-English dictionary and pointing out "Elder Flower". It was yum. There was one more mystery jam which tasted weird and felt a little grainy on the tongue. That one, the land lady struggled to explain. Finally, she walked into the garden and came back with a piece of Christmas tree leaf and said - "THIS". She had made jam with Christmas Tree leaves - Can you believe it!!! She went on to give the recipe in broken English and some very violent gestures - Add lots of sugar and small pieces of the leaves and stir and stir and stir until your arms falls off:):)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The drive from Iselsberg to Heigenblut was beautiful with green rolling hills, wild flowers and small communities, each with its own little church. After visiting Italy where they compete with one another to build large churches, these were small structures with pointy roofs.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 30px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 210px; cursor: pointer; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TThc5oDmh2I/AAAAAAAADd0/5Za8JnpqX50/s400/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B321_1_.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564299484691072866" /><img style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHaJB06BHAeCZSd1nw5wlfH4kTIGOo06_MBaNtCTVNxRt6_MRGPBHW5j8sg1m9e-03nmRmbUZF5zcIW3wzcyPd_jWNgVznOVlOaCeN46X7YRNY7_I04tAXpxsV-4qlNYRoYHcC944V4zH/s400/Italy%252C+2010+313_1_.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564299471280607778" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TThjG5B-LTI/AAAAAAAADeI/yMgWfEyoMZI/s640/Italy2%252C%2BJune%2B2010%2B210_1_%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564306309655702834" /><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br /></span><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9JfGq9xBCFbS9XBm88wAhlbKlWITQDi027xsN5LI8juuAFdaHsF1VkdQS8C-LmT7EaqSvSjBqgwmfEn1eo2_U-iZVoKzaJnzlXw3YqyeVZu6wHtrHybuO6lpknoGQtP-Su6pSA34IaKb/s640/Italy2%252C+June+2010+206_1_+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564306294944125058" /><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">The Großglockner High Alpine Road</span></b></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">This toll road that runs about 50 kilometers is one of the most scenic highways in Austria. With 35 hairpin bends and a 2500m gain in altitude, this road has panoramic views of the highest peak in Austria, <b>The Großglockner (3798m). </b>We were there in June, but it had snowed a few days back leaving beautiful vistas of snow peaked mountains. As is the case in mountains, clouds would come and go, so it was hard to get good pictures with blue skies. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6ZR4fULxsOWQLI_a3IokZ7FGRDOdDENpEdeAVQhqjVRwi9Ogj58Ax9kixJDWefTsDx4WDusnS1j-erma1-75imag5xieS3xzI3WWFvNUic_NZTRTaBMMdFY7ZrLpJzUNrLt5eLhCVHnX/s640/Italy%252C+2010+333_1_+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564298248320222642" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWyNph2_s_Hbw93AhtGATbJfbCGnwxCW3U0vmp7WChHtt1FDcSwfgcvhdc_zl97ORAb5k1tHFnkzGVw59GWWk6Zcld8adN3YlcAwgdnBWdjX1Uq6XKdGBi3uHRfiBFZUqmEluBu-_Xvft/s640/Italy%252C+2010+339_1_+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564299146496199586" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TThcoSSgZYI/AAAAAAAADdk/-AV0yKuvSZI/s640/Italy2%252C%2BJune%2B2010%2B187_1_%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564299186790229378" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TThcnBzybnI/AAAAAAAADdU/3KciQBWG1xM/s640/Italy%252C%2B2010%2B356_1__02%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564299165186551410" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXPCaHDwSVfqxPaIF77ANUpK2r0ncU5JvNmDUfKsiI9BVupqripY8hZw2NZBY2ChXjvRWbq3gtfzr1XbiXgGDZfHP9fuqcJZ_RwZASGsL8WXJCYReU1uVw1fFxQ3g71P_g95xzoDUpG90/s640/Italy%252C+2010+351_1_+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564299154453011026" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TThcn3B3iyI/AAAAAAAADdc/h75-_-_wHcg/s640/Italy2%252C%2BJune%2B2010%2B180_1_%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564299179472685858" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br />I tried taking some videos, but it was very windy, so the videos are a little shaky. But here they are anyway.<br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Sdp3HjCxxZw" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe><br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pRIcIQf-XBI" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe><br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9F8zNz4v23s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 29px; ">Practical Information</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; "><br /><span style="font-size: 21px; ">Best time to visit</span></span><span><span style="font-size: 21px; "> :</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span">The Großglockner high alpine road is only open in summer from May to November. August can get very hot and crowded because of school holidays</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 21px; ">How to get there:</span><span style="font-size: 21px; "> </span>There are a lot of <a href="http://www.edreams.com/edreams/english/" style="font-weight: bold; ">cheap flights</a> in Europe these days. We took a <a href="http://www.edreams.com/offers/flights/airline/" style="font-weight: bold; ">Flight</a> to Venice and drove from there. Salzburg is another big city close to the road</span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 21px; ">Getting Around: </span>Renting a car is the only way to get around the mountains. There are coach tours from Salzburg, but these have fixed stops and might not be that much fun</span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 21px; ">Lodging:</span> There are no big hotels in the regions, just pensions and B&B's. </span></span></div>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-51599018181082366652011-01-05T19:24:00.011+05:302011-01-05T22:54:33.180+05:30Vamsee's List of Must-See Places in the World - Big Island, Hawaii, USA<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">A very happy new year to all my readers. This New Year, I have decided to start a new series on my blog titled <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >"Vamsee's List of Must-See Places in the World"</span>. Over the last decade I had the good fortune of seeing some of the most beautiful places in the World and I would like to share images and stories from those trips. This will be a bi-weekly series with more photos and less text.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >Hawaii, Big Island, USA</span><br /><br />I screamed as hard as I could. My head was underwater and I knew there was no point screaming, but I did. How could I not? This giant 10ft creature was coming directly at me with its mouth wide open. Saru, who was right next to me, heard me, popped his head out of the water and burst out laughing. "<span style="font-style: italic;">No need to worry. You are not its food</span>" he said.<br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">It is easy for you to say that, it didn't come at you</span>" I said. He laughed again as we went back under water. This time, he held my hand to reassure that we were safe. We were in the company of many night divers and snorkelers who were all there to see some of the most spectacular sea creatures - Manta Rays. The tour operators take you in a boat in the evening to Keauhou Bay near the Kona airport and setup while you watch a glorious sunset (<span style="font-style: italic;">sunsets in Hawaii are always mind blowing!!)</span>. When night falls, divers go down to the sea bed and switch on their powerful torches. Light attracts plankton <span style="font-style: italic;">(tiny brine shrimp)</span> and Manta Rays come to feed on them.<br />Saru and I got into body suits (water is quite cool) and jumped into the water. One glance into the underwater world and we were astounded!! There were a million....no...zillion little fishes/sea creatures floating in the water. Snorkeling in the night is very different. You can't tell the colors of the fish, but just the numbers blow you away. Loud gasps from people around us announced the arrival of the chief guest - the gigantic Manta Ray and it was not alone. A troupe of 14 rays showed up for the party and boy what a spectacle it was!! These rays can be as large as 6-14 feet across and weigh as much as 5000 pounds, but seem as light as a batman's cape. The Manta rays come swooping by with their mouth wide open scooping up thousands of little shrimp. For more than an hour, we watched the feeding frenzy of these fascinating creatures. Their dinner time was grand theatre for us and I have to give full five stars to their performance. Manta means blanket and they did look like black and white blankets swishing and swooping around the area with great elegance and aplomb. Their acrobatics can put Cirque du Soleil to shame. We were the last to get out of the water and I remember shaking with excitement. This experience rates as one of the <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">top 10 adventures </span></span>I had in my life. Watch this video I found on youtube . It is heavily edited and not as exciting as the dive itself, but gives a good look at the rays. Watch out for the snorkeler at the surface and how close the rays get to her. I could have easily been her.<br /><br /><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zkOY7fCqRqk?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zkOY7fCqRqk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">If I had to rate one place as my most favorite in the entire, it will have to be the Hawaii Islands. Over the years we made three trips to the islands and loved it every single time and why not. These islands have EVERYTHING in one place - Rain forests, snow peaked mountains, stunning beaches, lava fields, active volcano and some of the most beautiful coral reefs. Added to all this, they have many charming hotels, Bed & Breakfasts and excellent food. For some reason, Big Island has a ton of Thai restaurants and we just loved them. Don't forget to sample "Donkey Balls". They are delicious!!.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Top 5 Experiences in the Big Island:</span><br /></span><ol><li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Manta Ray Night Dive</span></li><li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hike to see an active volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park</span></li><li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Kayak in the Kealakekua Bay and snorkel at Captain Cook </span></li><li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Watch a sunset</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Go to a Lu'au for a grand dinner and Hula dance performances</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></li></ol><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />You can read detailed travelogues about this trip in my old posts (<a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.com/2008/12/hawaii-big-island-got-balls.html">Hawaii - Got Balls?</a> ,<a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.com/2008/12/hot-lava-from-live-volcano.html"> Hot Lava from a Live Volcano</a>) Here are some pictures from our trips. Please note that these pictures were taken in 2003, 2005 and 2008 when we had a normal camera.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Ocean Vistas to die for!!</span><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TSSMiKcDp5I/AAAAAAAADaQ/Yi6d9976dq8/s800/DSC_0014%2Bbeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558722358627510162" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TSSMh3hMnCI/AAAAAAAADaI/k_BJBH60z28/s800/DSC_0013%2Bbeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558722353548794914" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TSSR3O2_O8I/AAAAAAAADbU/7inrdNbnRbA/s800/DSC_0044%2Bcopy%2Bbeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558728218149600194" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TSSR3pVtKqI/AAAAAAAADbk/RfmynYQ75pI/s800/DSC_0138%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558728225257761442" border="0" /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Turtles at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach</span><br /><br /></span><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yWpQJIyqscRtSVOrCjvw62iHqj6cKNCbagNSzJxuYGhFn2-z146GwfKWXIFoLDF729rDLK0NuBaBEQehoxrRTNb4HKDnYa6eM7ZT4NIuGJ4Da0FYjdRSEmhPGIAn6tC_g_6GDe2LiRBN/s800/turtle1+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558723094377838418" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Past Volcanic Activity</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TSSMijJKzaI/AAAAAAAADaY/BOXzkPdWP04/s800/kilaluea%2Blookout%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558722365259173282" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Hike to see the lava flow into the Ocean</span><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TSSNMAFfX1I/AAAAAAAADao/0CSH-IvgE6s/s800/lavaviewbest2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558723077403008850" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzsNbC1FGwDHSKaSthC0Oe-lhf_Z3kfXDbIqv_QjWcLJlXtaLR0kae3zu0YYDJfrKmSnIJ9_F_HdrRzlRwh4_tBBi4KrEksKaR5ZE54CPR_5tb4VoJDagGTFBedsk2_suCcSn0uKSxx49/s800/lavaviewbest+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558723075230579970" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Waterfalls in Hilo</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46Xyu6OTYfXLuoq6HD7aShQRcI3t8ckAw6qJpkgPBdkZ2mXHv1_XG1baDNpFyVevsb-K5n9W3LhWFq-HrD0Gtb7AJdjjkZgaSzkkHfYN38b4KlFFYkqLBZHcHftklhjCcI3ShGU9ruE0S/s800/DSC_0173+copywaterfall2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558731068696826674" border="0" /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Hula Dancers at a Lua'u</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-ti-cnXYOjy-1VI6Id6nqH0CnMn1cmgalcMwKztBywlOKkIEv1S18w2p0usCd7W5YIMz4FN-Wz0ZXWuS0vfC1cu5FbDXAoHWPJR2oq7Gp3eIco9kwKOJ6563owzwB5O8xnhwGNNa0T9o/s800/DSC_0108+copy+hula+dancers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558728219427097442" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Every sunset is a postcard picture</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRj7Nw1EXVqxggZYcelAQzPiYfboGjPmX3sZ-syH8pz4uw9jKUrmxEFSq3-9dLVCxZhEco2g4aMMd9Mo1uPCCkXi7rmuqyr8vAal4xTC7Ajtn00QFwLg_AAcQUEhlDrxJV-sAcN8I7rn9g/s800/alii+drive+sunsel1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558722347206316402" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgs-Oi8ucQU8jd6UP0ta_SyJ0b8c7eTWvs0L4AqzYPXsASaE7Mn6ppfFJZ6xuX1yhPDYxIBCjYdOHk46fCHF-DBkGhCmFfNpfqoU_7UrZgM06wFvWmiuA9793JMGBgAPR_xvSCGB65XBN/s800/DSC_0103+copysunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558728207974321250" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-JEdvLqEWvCrYlaOM8CZKW3520RemH2BV0ndYcTa_2054WC76qoSz_v8jBkdioaC3haAUVFRP49hGuwuzR46jtFWkTSc6j5dKz6d9waauVjm2rY_Tibb4Nz_BlWxWXoOootKlvCX5-I7/s800/DSC_0040+copysunset_boat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558728213882777922" border="0" /></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;" >Practical Information</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Best time to visit</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> :</span> Any time of the year. It is crowded and expensive during all major holidays and school breaks.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >How to get there:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span>There are a lot of <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.edreams.com/edreams/english/">cheap flights</a> from the Continental US to all Hawaiian Islands. <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.edreams.com/offers/flights/airline/">Flight</a> time is about 6 hours from California</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Getting Around: </span>Renting a car is the only way to get around the island. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >4-wheel drive is necessary only if you plan to go off-road. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Lodging:</span> Big hotels have good deals, but I love bed & breakfasts in Hawaii. Of all the places we stayed, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Areca Palms</span> in the Captain Cook area is my favorite.The hostess makes ginormous breakfasts.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coming up next:</span><br /></span><ul style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><li style="font-weight: bold;">Alaska - The land of the midnight Sun</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Monument Valley, Utah, USA<br /></li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Rome, Italy</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Munnar, Kerala, India</span><br /></li></ul><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /></span>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-6525977001519416402010-12-23T17:18:00.013+05:302010-12-23T18:26:37.955+05:30The Truth About Valley of Flowers - Part II<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >“<span style="font-weight: bold;">You are going to the Valley of Flowers? Utna Khaas nahi hai (It is not that great)</span>", said the gentleman who was headed to Hemkund Sahib.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;">“<span style="font-weight: bold;">It is beautiful, but not that great</span>” said the person who was already headed back from the hike at 10:00 AM . The same sentiments were expressed by a couple more people on their way back. There was one Indian lady and an American who said that the place was spectacular, but everybody else seemed to be disappointed. Read on to find out and see for yourself.<br />Continued from Part 1 <a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.com/2009/11/valley-of-flowers-hike-in-himalayas.html">(Click here tor read Part 1)</a><br /><br />The Sarovar Tent camps do not have electricity. The only thing you can do after the light goes down is to star gaze. I know nothing about astronomy, but it is fun to see the night sky in the mountains. The sky was lit up with millions of tiny stars. “It is like somebody threw glitter in the sky” said our guide Bachchan and he was so right. We slept early and woke up early the next day. After a delicious breakfast of aloo parathas and chai, we set off for the hike.<br />It was another uphill path, and our feet began to complain immediately. Valley of Flowers was only 6 km from our camp, so there was no hurry. We walked slowly and in a few minutes came to the village of Ghangria. It was a small, dirty and noisy place. If you can afford the tents, don’t bother staying in the village. The entire place smelled of fried oil and bad food. You could struggle and hike up to 10,000 ft, but god forbid you have to live without Chole Batura and Jalebi. Once we cleared the village, the scenery opened up to towering mountains on 3 sides. At the fork in the road, we came across a number of pilgrims going to Hemkund sahib, but very few going to VOF. We probably came across 20-30 people on the entire hike!! As we passed through a wooded forest, Bachchan pointed out the Bhoj Vriksha. It is said that Ved Vyas wrote the Mahabharata on bhoj patra. This part of the country is full of stories from the Mahabharatha and I will write about it in part 3. As we walked on, Bachchan plucked sweet and sour jungle raspberries for us. The path of the hike crossed from one side of the Pushpapati river to the other. The roar of the white water rushing downstream was constant during the entire hike. I cannot tell you how soothing it is to walk beside the roaring river.<br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TRM4YN6HqZI/AAAAAAAADXU/1vaIZT42Ebc/s800/DSC_1816_1_water_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553844754179402130" border="0" /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='332' height='275' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzs3ez_O5V7AyGZ_eudANxiJku0LVGWp6TSg3xS8cV_daWgM8502-H-LxC2ZwUX8XZ2b-Xo-j12W9KVf3CUyA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />The valley is hidden behind huge, towering peaks, so you have to wait until the last kilometer before getting a peak at the view. The suspense prods you to walk on the uphill terrain just to get a glimpse of this land that caught the imagination of so many naturalists and botanists. Just before the valley opened up, the clouds cleared giving us an amazing view of the snow peaked mountains. I don’t know why I have this fascination for snow-peaked mountains, but I do. I have seen snow many times, in fact I used to curse it when I had to walk on it to school, but there is something alluring about white snow peaked mountains against a green valley. The camera kept clicking by itself and I am glad it did because in 10 minutes, clouds covered up the view.<br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TRM4YtA6_qI/AAAAAAAADXk/h6RTdKBJCwM/s800/DSC_1874_snowpeak_kamet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553844762529431202" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzN9W9XobjpHDW8LgnViNAUeCvGPi4bK5nTyEWKq2ArlBpCJvwESR-jY4IgyDYRGCO32__eWJUgoo7pwc5B6vEkD4URVrjkC3tHtjHdN6292UoS0rPZSpOEdRMtNMWgHcDDhyphenhyphenhnH1y1-ZB/s800/DSC_1837_1_web_hazy_mountai.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553846130792528210" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TRM5oLMqlQI/AAAAAAAADYI/N5jKlhMA_jE/s800/DSC_1933_1_clouds2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553846127841416450" border="0" /><br />Soon, the path flattened out and flowers began to show up. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done – glacier fed river on one side, snow-peaked mountains all around and a valley full of flowers. The predominant species that was blooming at that time was this white flower. They were EVERYWHERE. There were patches of yellow and pink flowers in places, but white was quite dominating. We found a small patch without flowers (I am serious…they are everywhere!!) and had our packed lunch. Bacchhan went to the stream and brought us back cold river water to drink. Pure, tasty Himalayan water!! The weariness of the last few days caught up with me, so I decided to take a nap while Gaay and Bacchhan went for a walk. We spent many hours breathing in the fresh air and just taking in the splendid scenery. For me, the hard hike was totally worth it. I loved the place, so I was quite shocked at people’s disappointment.<br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TRM4YegpQNI/AAAAAAAADXc/9G7jI8STnlY/s800/DSC_1928_1_clodyscenery_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553844758635954386" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_seVfO13Ca5hpkH-lZ0u8lIMyhmXZPNFve4-lEiH52qTUX15y7a4EL64ZprzDoTP-1-Ef9ARPnbOtPCf2bb0TXYrMKWx5tYPZU9-BrOJ2MxZRRKG5a7SOHQSEmKmSyDCWbfVeJDrE1Ttr/s800/DSC_1924_044_VOF.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553852020631885250" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1k2tS5IfNQf0CU6mN-LN8KOA4PGsZE4Y_0vDzwl63aPjvmyJA7R4U3H8FUvtZOpU2jmSjh01A35MfXDNYa1mob6sGbJ6dOJGCTp9hXc7p4QvZ4MYGAFnTuf7jmTkpjFScYTFvME7guNjw/s800/DSC_1954_1_flowers_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553846802871766834" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TRM5o-dlN5I/AAAAAAAADYg/7Y5VjrsWJMU/s800/DSC_1871_1_snow_flowers_mou.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553846141602576274" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHOAUjjtC4aWBcbp_k67zPjRWswJ_ulrX7CN4VJTO9nBhqt16bTw8EH3GJ_QL6U9RRPdG12xNROngSlMtkKoNAgH2Ha7ffwm28CRcVG37_eOdSmX0bNhy8HO88Cjzy8XR8oppGkeL4MYk/s800/DSC_1838_1_vof_flowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553846135196861282" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBfKz09yNqx8A_a57IS8qSEwxx4yBEHUOdUcHXVaJmk1KhtePcy-rTygo_856HuVbK7E2vAQlB7NOViKMa9UMrDyf3Xz1G8KfMSDnmiTvoLWutak88d3P5A9MlUGHpoZNhg2NoSxy-Q2_/s800/DSC_1957_1_flowers_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553846796485829010" border="0" /><br /><br />I think the problem with VOF is its name – Valley of Flowers. People go there expecting not just flowers, but millions and zillions of flowers. The written material boasts of over 300+ varieties of alpine flowers. It does not matter that different flowers bloom in different weeks/months – people want them all to bloom at the same time and preferably in neat rows carpeting the area in pink, yellow and blue colors. Then they can wear a see-through chiffon sari and run around singing Bollywood songs.<br />Almost everybody I met there was obsessed with seeing the “blue poppy” (even the ones who had no idea such a flower existed). Guides took a lot of effort to find one and when they did, it was a major achievement – “OMG, we saw THE blue poppy!!” Never mind that the flower was a tiny 5-10 cm thing, half torn, hidden on the side of the path under some boulders. Victory is declared and the purpose of the trip is fulfilled. The problem with Valley of Flowers is not the place, but the false marketing. They advertise it as if it is a human controlled botanical park where you are guaranteed to see various flowers. Go there with the expectation that you will see what nature decides to show you and I guarantee that you will come back happy.<br /><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzBeJ-EKH9UDOXHm2oU6P_sqfKV6_YLpEek8TyFnRfxCZufR7O6mQzaEgdtz8mZzPlR5kVlIMJnaRnQ8IUsqQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Now that you have seen my pictures and videos– what you think? Great? Good? Good but not great??</span>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-4903917380303159692010-12-17T16:33:00.007+05:302010-12-17T17:11:35.042+05:30Prague, Walking Tours<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The first time I had heard of Prague was many years ago. I had just announced in my office that I was getting married. My team took me out to lunch and the topic of honeymoon came up. The president of our company, a very sweet man said " Y</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">OU MUST GO TO PRAGUE</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">" That is where all the young people are headed these days, he said. At the time, I had never been to Europe and frankly never heard of Prague, so I asked him more about it. He said " Prague is beautiful. It has museums, art galleries, churches, coffee shops, river-front restaurants.....everything. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">PRAGUE IS THE NEW PARIS</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">!!"</span><br /></div><div face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;">It was only much later that I visited Prague. We flew in from Amsterdam on one of those <a href="http://www.edreams.com/edreams/english/">cheap flights</a> that have flooded the European market these days. One word of caution - When the <a href="http://www.edreams.com/offers/cheap/flights/">flight</a> landed and we entered the terminal, they had sniffing dogs sniff our luggage just to make sure you don't bring in the happy pills from NL:) Read my account of the <a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.com/2008/11/prague-overview.html">trip to Prague here</a>.<br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TQtLgFX-07I/AAAAAAAADXI/lilai_j7OWw/s800/Prague_Castle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551613980234929074" border="0" /><br /><br />Dan Perciun from <a href="http://www.gpsmycity.com/">GPSmyCity.com</a> develops self-guided city walking tour applications for Iphones. They have over 2,000 walking tours - spanning over 180 cities worldwide. He has offered to give away free city walk applications to my blog readers for participating in the quiz on Prague. The readers who correctly answer to most of its questions, will win three free city walk iPhone application developed by <a href="http://www.gpsmycity.com/">GPSmyCity.com</a>.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Prague's oldest, most well known and famous bridge was named in the honor of a king.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Can you guess who?</span><br />A. Charles IV<br />B. Louis IV<br />C. Rudolf IV<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, is also the capital of a province and former</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">kingdom. Which of these is it?</span><br />A. Moravia<br />B. Silesia<br />C. Bohemia<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Holding a lot of the world's records, the Czechs are considered to:</span><br />A. Eat most sausage per capita than anywhere else<br />B. Drink more beer per capita than anywhere else<br />C. Have most castles per capita than anywhere else<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Can you guess how many of the Czechs have completed at least secondary education?</span><br />A. 85%<br />B. 90%<br />C. 95%<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. The Czech language belongs to the Slavonic family of languages. Which language is of</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">another origin?</span><br />A. Polish<br />B. Bulgarian<br />C. Albanian<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. On which river is Prague situated?</span><br />A. Danube<br />B. Elbe<br />C. Vltava<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Which word, with an apparent English origin, traces its beginnings in the Czech language?</span><br />A. Sword<br />B. Robot<br />C. Sugar<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. What personality from the following row is not a famous Czech?</span><br />A. Gregor Johann Mendel<br />B. Franz Kafka<br />C. Gottfried Leibniz<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Prague is famous for having presented to the world one of these incredible dances. Which</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">one?</span><br />A. The Polka<br />B. The Walz<br />C. The Foxtrot<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Tourists visiting Prague, are definitely going to be impressed by this wall constatntly</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">covered with grafitti and lyrics in honour of world famous artists. Can you take a guess</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">who that might be?</span><br />A. John Lennon<br />B. Jim Morrison<br />C. Elvis Presley<br /><br />Answer the questions for fun or to get free walking tour applications. </div>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-53745092478103782852010-12-01T17:47:00.014+05:302010-12-01T22:30:38.746+05:30U.S Virgin Islands - St. John<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">" I am sorry. You <a href="http://www.edreams.com/edreams/english/">flight</a> is closed for boarding"</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I could not believe my ears. This is a scenario I had NEVER faced in my life. I am a very planned person and always show up for flights well ahead of time. We started for the airport many hours ahead, but took a long lunch where we lost track of time. Before we knew it, we were zooming to the airport, but could not make it. The flight<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> to paradise had to wait another day!!</span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Virgin Islands was never on my list of places simply because we lived in California. If we wanted to go to beautiful Islands, Hawaii was a 6 hour flight away. Caribbean Islands were just too far. Luckily for me, I had a conference in Florida and a bunch of us over-worked colleagues decided to take a quick 3 day trip to the US Virgin Islands. <a href="http://www.edreams.com/offers/flights/airline/AA/american-airlines/">American Airlines</a> has <a href="http://www.edreams.com/offers/cheap/flights/">cheap flights</a> to St. Thomas. A ferry ride brings you from St. Thomas to St.John</span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When people rate best beaches in the World, Caribbean islands always show up and for good reason. The white sand beaches with turquoise waters are a sight for the sore eye. If you want instant relaxation, all you have to do is stare at this picture below. Countless shades of blue waters surrounded by green rain forests make for breathtaking vistas. </span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></span><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TPY-r1u_khI/AAAAAAAADV8/Bgw-N9a4MTU/s800/IMG_3077%2Bwhitesands.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545688914032824850" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />We went to St. John which has the Virgin Islands National Park. We stayed at Maho Bay Camps, an award winning eco-tourist resort. They built the camps in 1976 when eco-tourism was not as fashionable as it is now. The tent cottages stand on stilts in the high forests and are connected through elevated wooden walkways to preserve the ground cover. They use wind and solar energy and harvest rain water. Camps were very basic but were perfect for us because we used it only for sleeping. Rest of the time we were sitting in the water, standing in the water, swimming in the water, floating in the water, drinking in the water......you get the idea:)</span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /></span></span><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHojrqcewp73Y90j6-PUl4kFhccjNtNVQlL3NTXp-ewUjIR7mHGQ60kUy3ZY4xQS6UFhttB5oAYTn2uTSH46XFFPzPWhdrGm2m9ud4hMbnlryxuyRm73oW0J3sX19fvhfASpZCOgS39AMS/s640/IMG_3060+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545687679234194562" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TPZAL9FRS7I/AAAAAAAADWQ/_5xsowoU6r4/s640/IMG_3031%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545690565272751026" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TPY-YLI78qI/AAAAAAAADV0/Hsv_hWMxE2w/s640/IMG_3076%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545688576181400226" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Snorkeling is my most favourite water sport. Floating on the water while watching the underwater world go about its business is simply fascinating. Trunk Bay and Water Lemon Cay are the popular spots and we went to both the places. Water Lemon Cay was a good 1 mile hike from our camps. Weather was hot and humid and I was very uncomfortable. To me, that is the biggest drawback of the Caribbean Islands. Hawaii has no humidity, so if I ever have to choose, Hawaii will win hands down. I wore a ridiculous looking life vest ( 'Be Safe and have fun" is what Saru said before I left) and jumped into the water. The little cay with sandy beaches has incredibly beautiful marine life. The water was crystal clear and had lots of beautiful sponges and corals - elk and brain corals being the highlight. Hundreds of types of multi-coloured fish reside in the reefs there. Parrotfish, Angelfish, goatfish and butterflyfish were most common. As we were floating in the water, there was a point when the famous Caribbean clear water became sandy. The culprit, we realized was a hungry EAGLE RAY!! It was my first sighting of this species and I was thrilled. Just when I thought the day could not get any better, we saw a huge turtle!! </span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Back in the camp, it was cool among the trees, but the only way to remain comfortable with the humidity was to be in the water!! Instead of hanging out near our camp, we took our stuff and literally sat in the shallow water for hours and hours until our hands and feet wilted like an old granny's. The next day, we kayaked to another snorkel spot and spent an afternoon there. We then rented a car for a few hours and drove around the tiny island to get an idea of how the rest of the place looked. </span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /></span></span><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9XseMb07d_RYhUYKvFkqbxmQRgaSeFzKcUklvhX7zvUqG7vxkaV6HA7VFlMdnWeZx4B-yZW75N9SyOy2lkj3iMUxaB9kHhG7qmp5FP5dQ9pTWWcDCxPdpexGNWx4ScGHXMb3FQq3gGYV/s640/IMG_3068+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545688552616385074" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TPY9lRJllUI/AAAAAAAADVM/HgvhVdgkX1o/s640/IMG_3067%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545687701621413186" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TPY-XLBlWoI/AAAAAAAADVc/rnnQcK1iHd4/s640/IMG_3071%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545688558970690178" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TPY-Xy3anhI/AAAAAAAADVs/KJMXWCdikaE/s640/IMG_3075%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545688569665461778" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />After soaking in the sun and the sand for 2 days back, we headed back to the airport where I heard the second bombshell in the trip.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> " I am sorry, I don't see your reservation"!!</span> I pulled out my printouts and gave it to the lady who looked at it and said <span style="font-weight: bold;">" This reservation was for yesterday"!! </span>I paid a $100 penalty to change the ticket. </span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Just when I was thinking that this could not get any worse, the guard asked me <span style="font-weight: bold;">" Passport Please"</span>. </span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I had no idea that we needed a passport to visit the Virgin Islands!! They never checked on my way there. " Why do I need a passport. I am still in the US. I never took my passport to Hawaii, I said. " Hawaii is a state, USVI is a US territory" He replied while showing me to a special room. I gave them all my information and sat there for the longest 1/2 hour of my life. The guard came back and said that my information checked out and I was free to board the flight.<br /> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">" Next time bring your passport"!! </span>He said.<br />Given all the trouble getting in and out of here, I told myself I would never go back. But these pictures are tempting me to change my mind. Maybe......some day in the distant future!!<br /><br /></span></span><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrq0k2_U7z2Pqa8IMOYZBWotmuNnHe0vh2DmtsxGPhamkDo588Djl1Hp0NfO3TW1zQ38iKEmyY3SAlm8k4DW6ViV8mss8Ek6xFUMg1Cp3iN0GnotdWn_h9zkpIaBWN5euZCkk0lMAWbcBt/s640/IMG_3074+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545688567690126818" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></span> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-EJ8vDmLGt12KjigJYz5W4q_djuPssblna7TXZTObjB8TTq-1cWnGW4scXgsSBkF_aAGN1V_m4eOXF_QlamTTHD4OOh4Rnsv3yKYJRAQSvjIW12N3ICqdZRH4hF1zFXrgcaWStQWN5c1/s800/IMG_3034+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545690559627286850" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurvAxOYaHX4crxHDnnM6XbosX30zUNts5RKHVhWPO3ZEab3UaC-n78QnhjWsSEGJIlyYDehOPesuhd-aTbaoNTg58x0FxLXYoPdwPpbyiTc-uplEZy8n3-vwEXe7w1Yn1kJ0hosZVbGr6/s800/IMG_3057+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545687672069620338" border="0" /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br />This is my World today. For more stories around the world, please <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/">click here</a>.</span><br /></div>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-43670536522670916092010-11-17T22:06:00.011+05:302010-11-18T11:36:57.504+05:30Club Mahindra Bloggers Trip - Sikkim<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When I first started writing trip reports, I would endlessly pain my friends to leave comments. They were irritated by my constant messages and I was irritated that they would not comment. Then in 2008, I started this blog and slowly and steadily built a small base of readers. Most of the readers were strangers who had come to my blog in search of a good travel story. After some months of communication, some of these people even became good friends. I would chat with them regularly and connected on social networking sites. I even went to the extent of traveling with a fellow blogger who I had known only through his blog. It was a great success which made me believe that it was easier to make friends with common interests. I started meeting fellow bloggers whenever I happened to be in their city. Up until this trip, I had met <a href="http://backpakker.blogspot.com/">Lakshmi Sharath</a>, <a href="http://www.paintedstork.com/">Arun Bhat</a>, <a href="http://www.indianeye.org/"> Arun Nair</a> and <a href="http://ponderingmusings.blogspot.com/">Neelima Vallangi</a>. With each of them, conversation was effortless and it felt like we already knew each other. It has been over 2 years since I moved back and the only friends I made are those that I met through travel forums, group trips and blogs!!</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When <a href="http://www.clubmahindrablog.com/my-trip-of-a-lifetime-the-travelogue-contest">Club Mahindra</a> offered to take me on a trip to their resort in Sikkim, I jumped at it, not because it was Sikkim, but it was with 8 other travel bloggers. The fun started in the flight itself. There were 5 of us and we pretended to own the aircraft. During the 3 hr flight to Calcutta, we had loud arguments/discussions about everything from exercise to investments to altitude sickness. Calcutta airport was a serious dump!! How does a city that claims to be the most intellectual and philosophical city tolerate that stink is beyond me. We felt bad even eating a sandwich from a Coffee day. Bagdogra airport was much nicer. </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The drive to Gangtok was along the Teesta river and it was beautiful, but very windy. The combination of windy roads, heavy traffic and diesel smell did a number on me and I was seriously nauseous. Multiple stops and five long hours later, we reached Gangtok.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Back at the resort, we ordered some drinks and set out to get to know each other. It was a motley group of nine. We could not be more different than the other. One was a compulsive chatterbox while one was a quiet listener, one loved eating while one loved cooking, one took pictures of everything in sight while another took pictures of herself at every sight. One wore very trendy clothes while another wore her husband's jeans. One was a meticulously planned traveler and another was a spontaneous I-will-figure-out-as-I-go person. The group was a mixture of travelers of all ages and ailments. However different we all were, we shared a common passion (borderline obsession) for travel. I felt completely at home with these <span style="font-weight: bold;">serial-travelers</span>. Everybody was coming from a trip and/or going to another trip after Sikkim. Some traveled for work while some quit work to travel and yet others chose travel as their work. These obsessive compulsive travelers/foodies seem to have found an answer to the work-life balance equation (less work...more life). It was refreshing to talk to people who never let work come in the way of life. Life is not just about earning a living...<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">.it is about living</span>!!</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Moving on - Gangtok itself was not very impressive. Having passed through another hill station recently (Nainital), I will go out on a limb and say that all popular hill stations in India are avoidable. They are noisy, polluted and the man made structures block out mountain vistas. Trick is to find a small village just outside these hill stations and stay there. C<a href="http://www.clubmahindra.com/res_gangtok_home.asp">lub Mahindra's Royal Demazong</a> was six kilometers outside Gangtok towards the hills. A tiny dirt road lead to the most impressive location in that region. Set in the middle of the majestic Chola range, almost halfway to the clouds (scroll down to see those pictures) was a beautiful heritage structure. Our rooms were very tastefully decorated and spacious. The best part was the balcony which offered uninterrupted views of the mountains all round. On a relaxed holiday, I could imagine myself sipping my morning coffee in the balcony listening to the songs of the birds. </span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span></span><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQMO2EPTTI/AAAAAAAADSI/nVfpbd6jxTo/s800/Royal%2BDemazong_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540566890743549234" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQMPZMJ80I/AAAAAAAADSQ/lDBeCkbCHHw/s800/DSC_8749%2Bcopyview%2B3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540566900171993922" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyKKaVyCjw-fCK0pYizlOQGZvhE3_GsD0QUGorfoYbB0_VhcWYjE76gK6qnoT5Ya45uSHDGKacz2aPyj39xXucc-Aoaznje4-KrsL5ulQgYF4HMRSzLnCnRl8LRs-KsFrf8MGdAZlXMqU/s800/DSC_8753+copy+view2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540566906708504722" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQMQuOzp5I/AAAAAAAADSo/Bl7U-r05wgE/s800/floating_in_the_clouds_sikkim_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540566923000129426" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHxhd09cF0Hpp3-qAxuS_aMaBop6lkKXxfCG0gChVBPW42-blRo_pGTEbQKVRWKJeuGKMd0xEGtQexh56vRbGfS85HgwpI49smr2RZipo399a-16wvQW2-10ktI4S9NlM1YxzaXmI0RbB/s800/floating_in_the_clouds_sikkim.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540566918974572018" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our first stop the next day was the Bulbulay Himalayan Zoo. While I no longer enjoy zoo's, this one was different in that animals were kept in large open/semi-open/closed enclosures. I was also excited about the prospect of seeing snow leopards, Himalayan civet cats and the star attraction - the Red Panda Bear. A beautiful walk through the woods took us to the first attraction - Black Bear or Bhalu. A bear rolling on the ground and wrestling with a piece of wood was misconstrued as two bears making out which led to a lot of innuendos and jokes. The Leopards, handsome as they are, posed for photographs. </span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQNGfWbVYI/AAAAAAAADTE/auwGc-U-A-g/s800/zooDSC_8568%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540567846718494082" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQNElbXEJI/AAAAAAAADS0/yID9GOJH5iU/s800/snow%2Bleapord%2BDSC_8627%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540567813990060178" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The drive to the Lingdum monastery was just beautiful. Light green rice fields interspersed with dark mountains was a sight to behold. Many a time, I made the driver stop on narrow roads just to get a quick shot of these landscapes. </span></span><br /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQNHQBJXPI/AAAAAAAADTM/JoEGKV67d9g/s800/DSC_8653_rice_fields%2Bcopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540567859782573298" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This was my first monastery in the east and I was impressed. It was a very non-touristy place and we found ourselves to be one in less than 20 tourists at the site. </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The architecture of the monastery is like other Buddhist structures in Nepal, Bhutan and North East India. With rising levels and pagodas, it looked very grand and majestic. </span></span><br /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSuy0RjbBEbZhglQKdakdnE4Pa-CyPiX2qZDehEbhRKMeTyf1my575hKXKKS2XaFOjPIqJ1N-dndrEQKWEO1-HfMEcDK0yB5V0ZnOFIJEOUssOq7ieAhJKy7ds-1OMjohQ6LvnbwJYbte/s800/DSC_8736+copy+lingdum+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540568685871475074" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZtVwxbBm1daIduR54Cs276o7EUZiXFBXAVTFAEUF6fQT-WhofHj8dbf1515D1ESbsudwJ4Z3yItvFY18-eyrWcRSjMuFrTU8b4J2cxxOOerGnIVWSmdnaOg2jlnThzFHIQK5ASQMA5QR/s800/DSC_8734+copy+lingdum+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540568697059012258" border="0" /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQN3N6rlwI/AAAAAAAADTc/UsoyN9fovTE/s800/DSC_8660_02%2Bcopy%2Bprayer%2Bwheels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540568683852306178" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Loud temple music and the ringing of the gong made me walk into the inner sanctum where the evening prayer was going on. Monks were chanting scriptures while tapping their music cymbals. Outside in the courtyard, </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">a big group of monks were practicing a prayer dance. The older monks were unfazed by our presence, but the younger ones would look at us from time to time and blush. I wonder how kids as young as these decide to become monks. </span></span><br /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQN4q-2vjI/AAAAAAAADT0/cddKF7Avxws/s800/DSC_8688%2Bcopy%2Bmonks%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540568708834311730" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQN5LnQJcI/AAAAAAAADT8/p0LDpxUrCSM/s800/DSC_8681%2Bcopy%2Bmonk%2B3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540568717593683394" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">However exhausting the days were, we used to stay up till late in the night and have very interesting discussions. Men were bored by the relationship conversations, but took part in the singing session with gusto. I doubt if anybody on our floor slept that night. Looking back at the trip, I think my most favorite memories were not of the places, but the people. Some of them will remain good friends and travel buddies for years to come. <br /></span></span> </div><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 549px; height: 53px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TOQNIMVwwLI/AAAAAAAADTU/nMkIE3dPtO8/s800/wheel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540567875975168178" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Coming up - Sikkim 2, Drive to Nathula Pass and Tsmongo Lake</span>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-18106170261832823352010-10-03T16:02:00.029+05:302010-10-04T18:10:20.893+05:30Camping at Death Valley<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnX21FUC7s2ZWqW__uBPwVw8PR2LkUR6sA467g1Ksn6x6s9ehN4iAWUBsqhe01efzPrVsqPBPCUYKSy5imlevY7rClkKCoW79pFUNHCcxb8rP2pOfjlJsLtXYHchIBCJqj9ZIWiy4WS0Y2/s1600/Vidya.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnX21FUC7s2ZWqW__uBPwVw8PR2LkUR6sA467g1Ksn6x6s9ehN4iAWUBsqhe01efzPrVsqPBPCUYKSy5imlevY7rClkKCoW79pFUNHCcxb8rP2pOfjlJsLtXYHchIBCJqj9ZIWiy4WS0Y2/s200/Vidya.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524169678300070354" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">This is a guest post written by my friend Vidya. She wrote this in 2005 after we came back from a trip to Death Valley National Park. This funny account of our camping trip brings a smile to my face every single time I read it. Our friends loved it and we encouraged Vidya to write more. This post hopes to serve as a giant kick in the butt and get her back to writing<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">One fine bright and sunny day, my husband and I decided that it was time to take yet another vacation before getting frustrated all over again with work. Destination Death Valley National Park was our first spot. Vam and Pengo took care of all reservations while Saru and me spent time at work happily browsing all sites we could find on Death Valley and Channel Islands. I for one, could hardly concentrate on anything else for the last week and a half .</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">There was one tiny teensy snag to this excitement however. Well you see, our friend Vam had this brilliant idea that we should all camp-yes camp, in Death Valley for one night, her reasoning being that all hotels in a 100 mile radius were booked or sold out (which I do not believe for one second – she and my husband are peas in the same pod when it comes to camping – my hubby being even worse – his idea of camping does not even include sleeping bags and enclosed restrooms – I rest my case here) – well, anyways, Vam bet each one of us a $100 bucks if we could find one vacant hotel, and seeing as she was so confident, we had nothing else to do but go where she took us. The night before the trip, I made a call to them with the sole purpose of trying to allay my fears with respect to the camp…you see I have been bred in the city all my life and the most I have been close with nature would be a school picnic to Powai lake for 3 hours. And this was hard-core camping complete with tents, sleeping bags, freezing-extreme temperatures, not to mention, wild animals like foxes, coyotes, snakes and all kinds and varieties of bugs and insects (the last few of which Pengo was most eagerly looking forward to and the only reason he agreed to the trip in the first place). So I had high reservations about anything to do with camping – the mentality of people who want to deliberately lie on jagged stones in the peril of being eaten up alive by a bear, stung by a scorpion, poisoned by a snake or worse get drenched in the rain when all you are trying to do is get one night’s sound sleep - is well beyond my realm of comprehension, - and thankfully there was one sane person in the group, Saru - who happened to agree with me. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">When I expressed my doubts about this camping idea to Vam and Pengo, firstly everyone beat it down saying that I have led a sheltered and protected life till now in Bombay - and that even though it was called a jungle – it was but merely a concrete one – my husband put in his 2-bits saying my idea of adventure was to travel from West-Mulund to East Mulund – which I thought was a totally uncalled for comment.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The drive</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">Vam then proposed that we should take the ‘scenic’ route instead of the staid old freeway. Now, what I didn’t know in my naiveté then and what I have now learnt through bitter experience now, is that when Vam says ‘scenic’ what she really means - is a gut-wrenching, heart-stopping thrill ride through deep trenches, narrow gorges, mountains on the brink of mudslides which could bury you under any second, valleys and so on and so forth…Basically we got our money’s worth of amusement park thrills and chills sans the long queues.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">My way of dealing with the situation was to mumble prayers under my breath and mutter a string of predictions of the exact manner in which we were going to meet our end and other fore-sayings of doom throughout. By the time we were close to our destination, both Saru and I were slightly sick and had turned a delicate shade of green in color – Saru don’t deny it – I have a picture to prove it.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;">Wildflowers at Antelope Valley State Park</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKheND5Qp8I/AAAAAAAADO0/QYz3u9_HmGw/s800/antelope+valley1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523768521446696898" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKheNWm5X9I/AAAAAAAADO8/p4piFC2CXcE/s800/antelope+valley2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523768526469947346" border="0" /></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Death Valley</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;">After a short detour to see wild flowers, we decided to drive non-stop to Death Valley, in the hope of putting up our tent before the sun went down. I use the term non-stop very loosely here; Me, Vam and Saru made Pengo stop at the sight of every lake, flower or hillside that caught our attention and had our fill of oohs and aahs. <span style="">By the time we were done with our random loiterings and umpteen photo stops, it was well past daylight and we had not even reached the outskirts of Death Valley. The road to DV was pretty much the similar thrill ride I mentioned earlier with the elevation and grading losing 100 feet for every mile or so<span style="color:red;">.</span> And I kept up my steady monologue of doomsday uttering's and dark prophecies about how we were soon going to go crashing down the hill. By this time we had given up all hopes of ever putting up tent in daylight and were resigned to using the car headlights once again as Vam, Saru and Pengo fondly reminisced about the umpteen times they have camped and never once have they reached their goal of setting up a tent under natural light before the sun went down.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKheNqZc1-I/AAAAAAAADPE/aAOCfT_Uu_o/s800/road.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523768531782260706" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKheOJxAjiI/AAAAAAAADPM/tFz1DqKsvDI/s800/road_moon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523768540202569250" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKhvrb6_kDI/AAAAAAAADPg/LpeJ3icsWm4/s800/sunset_DV1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523787734990164018" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46qGzNHfLU_lPhSx3j2KroYxSHrvhvzGEMY1P3WCjk0X5zV9uiGCI8zSXoDRIUXk5JqRDgAE9hgzM1R11rY1uw7Np608RQfUHNMVA5Ljxd4C1lt0mtsxpLIep210yTiBfDLDmJWoqyUXV/s800/sunset_DV2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523768545835847490" border="0" /></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Episode of the Tent</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">We finally reached our campsite at around 9pm. Masters in the art of camping the Vam and Pengo are, the tent was up and about in almost no time – Saru also seemed to be very useful with the manual labor, while I simply hovered around being of no use to anyone - but I did get second by second in- action shots of the masterpiece being created. That should count for something. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">Well satisfied with our handiwork, we gazed fondly at it one last time and proceeded to head to the 49-ers Café for a well-earned dinner.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="">Just as we were close to finishing our dessert, (I ordered an amaretto liqueur coffee for the first time in my life and to say the least, was disgusted with it), we heard loud downpour outside and saw that it had started raining heavily. It suddenly dawned on us that even though we had finished pitching our tent, we didn’t know if we had secured it enough to withstand such a heavy deluge.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="">Just as suddenly as it had started, the showers came to an abrupt end, and we hurriedly paid our bills and left to see the state of our tent. Sure enough, there it was, wet and soaked in the rain, lying in complete shambles on the ground and with it went the product of an hour’s worth of sweat and toil. It must be registered on record that our morale definitely spiked sharply downward at this point, as we were all so tired after our long eventful day, and all we wanted to do was hit the sack as quickly as possible.<br />But kudos once again to Vam and Pengo, who did not let us give up, and quickly chalked out a POA to salvage what we could of the tent. We grabbed a couple of beach towels and wiped out all traces of water from the outside of the tent. Luckily the inside was still nice and dry due to the rain-shield that we had had the foresight to put over the tent. We <span style=""> </span>pitched the tent again, this time, making it stronger by securing it with heavy rocks. We then brought out the sleeping bags and comforters and laid them neatly inside, and wrapped up our pillows that had become a bit soggy, in blankets and voila – everything was perfect again.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="">Only after this were we able to see the humor in the situation and had a gala time joking about it till we finally fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion and all the excitement of the day. This officially marks the end of the chapter in my life where I had my first camping experience, and for the record, despite all that I’d heard and thought about it, despite all the misgivings I had, I definitely had a great time and – I know I’m laying myself on the line here with Vam and Pengo – and would be open to considering another camping trip – in the distant future!</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Sand Dunes</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="">We stopped our car at the dirt track on the side of the road and walked the rest of the way to the sand dunes, and when we did catch the first glimpse of them – man what an awe-inspiring sight it was. Just imagine – Mounds and mounds of pure clear sand heaped high shining with a pearl-like luminescence towering against the backdrop of the soaring Grapevine Mountains surrounding the valley. Saru practically went into raptures of blissful ecstasy trying to get as many shots of this bounty of nature as possible.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="">The initial few miles of the dunes were covered with footprints but we trekked a bit further into the interiors and here the dunes were even more pristine, untrammelled with and untouched by human steps. Here we were even more amazed by the innumerable soft patterns engraved by the winds on the dune, ranging from simple lines to a myriad of stripes and shapes.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">Completely mesmerized and lost in the bliss for a long time we sat in silence enthralled taking in the beauty</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEofpXhlaBfAnyvdjkCqUewM280LEjYU3hbqavt1fwD2N2C3NNVBa5Yugz2vpppiZkM-hbhYc9LKE_I9OHoIQ400jjuWVfeQNucP6ywDZDCHsY9mOsRVavw9jsOLNNyj8JfvSqh8M2_Gh7/s800/sanddunes1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523787741803925266" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6weMAq-_dxwyWt0PIDzk8L_0DSrsF1_OmjAsyFaVl_muqnMbz65-QjzK15vD-0hKPRefSAFN1IRaixtEUiiiZMwjha3p8e44AD4buv_sxP6WEC6_XwkhQ86uv6pxSO10FiQQ8ZevTDn7j/s800/sanddunes2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523787736539984994" border="0" /></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style=""> </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKhwc_4tDgI/AAAAAAAADQY/4YkkSm3szc0/s640/sanddunes3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523788586457828866" border="0" /> <img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKhwcoi76sI/AAAAAAAADQQ/FXDpyQo26Pc/s640/sanddunes4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523788580192512706" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Devil’s Golf Course</span></span></span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="">After this we drove further southward to hit the spot that intrigued us the most just by the sound of its name – Devil’s Golf Course. Doesn’t it sound jazzy? Well, whatever we expected, it definitely couldn’t match up to what we actually saw. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="">More than 2000 years ago, this part of Death Valley was a deep lake. <span style=""> </span>When the climate warmed, the lake dried up and the minerals became increasingly concentrated. Eventually, only a briny soup remained, forming salty pools. <span style=""> </span>Salts began to crystallize, coating the muddy lake-bed with a three to five feet thick crust of salt. Over the years, the silty salt at Devil's Golf Course grows into fantastic, intricately detailed pinnacles. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="">That concludes the chemistry class for those who really understood it. Me- even though I still haven’t really grasped the finer points (or the not so fine ones, for that matter) – I’m still struck by the actually imagery of it. To think that the knarled terrain of 1 foot hard mounds jutting out from the lake, actually is ordinary kitchen salt! Now that sounds utterly implausible and far-fetched, doesn’t it! The salt crystals seemed so delicate in their formation. We gingerly stepped on it thinking it’s apt to crumple at any minute but much to our surprise, they were rock solid and more than held up the weight of 2 humans. To top off my excitement, I even could hear the musical pings of the tiny salt crystals bursting apart in the heat and was thoroughly thrilled.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="">Since the day was so beautiful and the waters calm, we could even see the reflection of the Panamint Mountains flashing in and out from between the salt mounds in the gleaming waters – the whole thing was incredible.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKhwIPXUqSI/AAAAAAAADQA/iLPa6RnYXJ0/s800/DSC_0162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523788229835532578" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKhwIPiIR7I/AAAAAAAADP4/VX4zcb5pNqI/s800/Devils+Golf+Course+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523788229880858546" border="0" /></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BADWATER<br /></span></span></span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKhwssfB1aI/AAAAAAAADQg/q2W9YuLpDKI/s200/badwater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523788856127772066" border="0" /><span style="">The low, salty pool at <span style="">Badwater</span>, just beside the main park road is apparently the best known and most visited place in Death Valley. I really don’t know why. After all of the amazing sights that we had enjoyed at Death Valley so far, I guess our expectations were set a bit high, and so seeing Badwater was like splashing ice cold water on your face - a complete anti-climax. Badwater.....was well!!! BAD WATER!!</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="">The water here really bad – the toxins in it would kill you if you drank enough of it. Legend has it that one of the early surveyors at Death Valley saw that even his mule wouldn't drink from the pool, even though the place was sweltering hot and they were dying of thirst. He noted the place as "badwater" on his map and the smart marketing folks in the US spun it as a tourist spot. At 282 ft below sea level, Badwater is the lowest spot on land in the Western Hemisphere, and also one of the hottest. But all it really consisted of was a smelly pond and a wooden sign that says you are 280 feet below sea level.</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style=""><br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="">Between all of these magnificent geological sights, one other thing worth mentioning, is that desert though it may be, this time around, the unusually unstinting rainfall that it received, sparked off an extraordinary and bountiful growth of wildflowers all over the place. The contrast is especially striking when you juxtapose it with the dry scorching temperature of the place and the barren landscape you’d expect of a desert.<br /><br /></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TKhwIc-X4UI/AAAAAAAADQI/oxXOt4nKV_M/s800/Ashford+mills.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523788233488982338" border="0" /></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="">The next day we went to Channel Island off the California Coast, but that is another trip report. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""> </span></p><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Previous Post:</span><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.com/2010/09/lavender-fields-of-provence-france.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lavender Fields of Provence</span></a>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-40059344605463889902010-09-26T19:29:00.031+05:302010-09-28T18:19:37.874+05:30Lavender Fields of Provence, France<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" lang="EN-IN">Saru: <span>"Enough!! I cannot take this anymore!"</span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">There are many ways to torture the husband and I discovered a very unique way when we were holidaying in the South of France. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">We were driving around the Luberon region and the foothills of Mount Ventoux in Provence. It was late June and the country side was full of lavender, wheat and sunflower fields. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">Purple lines of lavender interspersed with golden wheat stalks in the foreground of a hilltop village...this is exactly how I imagined Provence to be and there it was!! </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">Purple and violet contours extend out as far as the eye can see. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ-E-hrLAwI/AAAAAAAADOo/JcnUeW9PMxo/s800/DSC_0900_1_+copy_menerbes.jpg" alt="" 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mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;color:yellow;" lang="EN-IN">"<i style="">Put some lavender stalks on the car floor. Every time you step in and out of the car, the air will be filled with fragrance</i>"</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-IN"> </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-IN"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">said the guidebook. I took the advice.... </span><b style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><i style=""><u>a little too</u></i></b><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> seriously. I would stamp on the lavender, take in the heady scent and as soon as the perfume faded, I would stamp on the stalks again. In the beginning, Saru was amused. </span><b style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><i style="">"It takes very little to keep my wife happy"</i></b><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> he told himself and snickered while I would take deep yogic breaths every few minutes. But when the car started to smell like a like a lavender factory, he lost it!</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9S9qMNRuI/AAAAAAAADMM/8LOOqZy8sYE/s800/DSC_0598_1_+lavender_closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521222887430506210" border="0" /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPfsH9usDfl-aSKsZ8hVZ9xKHmttyqbf1kraxkZ0PBjkZML50jIOstJoYotVBk5LgamA2mxH3nGGkSrXzp7Sx2HTu37-bSucjZlGi7YKlRnECHL9ffogf6Lgo0KMzF6nMlD5Qtdid2xgQ/s1024/DSC_0761_1_lavender+web+good.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521248754429135234" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">I LOVE lavender!! At home, I have lavender scented candles, lavender home freshener, lavender oil, lavender lotion, body wash.....you get the picture!!<span style=""> </span>When our trip to France got postponed to the end of June, I jumped at the chance to add Provence to the itinerary knowing fully well that it was peak time for Lavender. For 4 days, we drove around the country side stopping at every lavender farm, buying lavender products. One evening, we even went to a restaurant "Les Lavandes" and had lavender flavored ice cream at which point Saru screamed:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">"Enough!! I cannot take this anymore! I need to get back into civilization soon!!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">Our base was a small village called Monieux in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provence-Alpes-C%C3%B4te_d%27Azur" title="Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur">Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur</a> region in Southeastern France. We stayed in a bed & breakfast run very lovingly by Isabelle - <a href="http://www.chez-isabelle.fr/chambres_d%27hotes_000007.htm">Chez Isabelle</a> . A lonely lady in her forties, she rented out 4 rooms. She barely spoke English, but that did not stop her from chatting with us. A little bit of English, a little bit of French and a lot of animated gestures later...we understood each other. She had a huge spread of homemade bread and jams and cappuccino for breakfast every morning. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">On the first morning, we woke up early and went for a drive. A fat lady was just opening her bakery, so I ran inside and got us a couple of croissants. They were </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">whole wheat </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">croissants (!!!) and let me tell you something – when you are putting a slab of butter on every fold (</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ctbites.com/storage/EO_Sono_Baking_Co_Croissant_Butter%25201.jpg%3F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%3D1262571377031&imgrefurl=http://www.ctbites.com/home/2010/1/3/behind-the-scenes-the-sono-baking-company.html&usg=__jJWX8By36954-9U5gq3YTSJrqOY=&h=583&w=876&sz=68&hl=en&start=49&zoom=1&tbnid=kzgBDa_Cq4yXeM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=178&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcroissant,%2Bbutter,%2Bpictures%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1920%26bih%3D870%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C912&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=363&ei=CSOgTP-TIYSuvgOTpPG3DQ&oei=AiOgTKydPNO3cdOdwcgJ&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=50&ved=1t:429,r:30,s:49&tx=115&ty=76&biw=1920&bih=870">see this picture of croissant dough</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">) you are screwed anyway. What is the point of using whole wheat? The croissants were not so good, but the views from the hill were just fantastic. The ground was covered in thick morning mist while the sun was just rising. We spent an hour clicking pictures and just breathing in that cold crisp morning air.</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Morning Mist and Lavender fields at Monieux</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9cuFCnCVI/AAAAAAAADNs/FCwHQTWjSmk/s800/morning_monieux_sun_DSC_0664_014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521233614876379474" border="0" /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9qetQCrtI/AAAAAAAADOA/g-h0J7gj7ms/s800/DSC_0682_1_lavendermorning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521248743955017426" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9Yrfgs1VI/AAAAAAAADMo/J39b2qTaKqA/s800/soft_lavender_monieux_0684.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521229172395791698" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">Saru went back to sleep while I chatted with Isabelle. I had a mini-breakfast with her and a second one with Saru.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">"Un Cappuccino, </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">deux Cappuccino, </span>Très<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"> Cappuccino ....no problem" She said while talking me into trying Lavender honey with bread.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">"I love summer. Weather is nice, rooms are full and I am busy. Winter is bad. When the <b style=""><i style="">mistral</i></b> (cold winds) rolls in, it is so cold, I cannot leave home. For days, I do not see anybody!"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">“But my daughter comes home for the holidays and we go skiing” Her eyes lit up while she spoke lovingly about the daughter that was studying in Paris. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">I don’t know if I can ever live in such an isolated place, but I love to vacation in these small towns. Saru LOVES big cities and the energy in them. I like them too, but my idea of a vacation is to take it slow. The peace and tranquility of the countryside offers just the kind of holiday I want. For 4 days, we drove around some of the most beautiful villages in Provence. There was no long list of attractions – we drove aimlessly. Lunch in one village, snacks in one and dinner in yet another village. <span style=""> </span>In between these villages were long stretches of lavender farms, wheat fields and wineries. After 4 days, I was completely rested and Saru was totally restless. He needed to move to an urban scene....see some wide roads, tall buildings, crowds, noise, pollution (OK....now I am just being mean here</span>!!<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;">). More than anything, I think he was sick of being in places whose names he could not pronounce. Languages are not his forte and he will not even <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">try</span> to pronounce the names right. In the <span style="font-weight: bold;">entire trip</span>, I could not get him to say '<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Bonjour'</span> to anybody. He will say a very enthusiastic <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"good morning"</span> or a very spirited '<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">hello'</span>, but never <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">'Bonjour</span>'. On our trips we visited many cities and he butchered pretty much every name - Gordes, Roussillon, Montbrun-les-bains, Bonnieux, Monieux....and his personal favourite – L’Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue. For the life of him, Saru could not remember that name. On our way to the town, he kept repeating the name again and again. It was like riding the car with an idiot savant (remember Rain Man where Dustin Hoffman keeps repeating things...</span>).<br /></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-IN">In comparison, Nice and Monaco were easy to pronounce. Nice...was well... <i style="">Nice</i> and <i style="">Monaco </i>according to Saru, was a <a href="http://www.parleproducts.com/brands/biscuits_monaco.asp">salt biscuit.</a> Nice and Monaco deserve its own post, so I am not going to mention the topless women at the beaches there. </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Here are some more pictures of the famous lavender fields. The difference in colors is because of the difference in plant species. </span><b style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><i style="">True Lavender </i></b><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">is the variety that is pure and used in the perfume industry. It grows only in higher altitudes (>1800 ft). Lavandin, a hybrid variety has darker colors and grows at lower elevations. We got a detailed Lavender trail from Fodors Provence forum (thanks Stu Dudley) and followed it to get to these picturesque locations. Mornings were cool in Summer, but afternoons were HOT!! Every afternoon, we would pick a nice shady tree, open the doors of the car and take a nice nap. A couple of evenings we lucked out with sudden thunder storms and then the place cooled down. I don't know if I will ever go back to Provence in the middle of Summer, but it was worth braving the sun for these views.</span><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9qfC9NrhI/AAAAAAAADOI/Soyu76neyWM/s1024/DSC_0710_1_lavender+violet+web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521248749781626386" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9Ys1o3G8I/AAAAAAAADNI/sJFsSImyEEo/s800/lavender_grass_in_between_DSC_0869.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521229195515468738" border="0" /><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9YrhgNUeI/AAAAAAAADMw/TVOBEZp9fXY/s800/soft_lavender_monieux_0692.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521229172930597346" border="0" /></span></p><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9YsWiZV8I/AAAAAAAADNA/YPKmXPk-asE/s800/6x4_wheat_lavender_tree_DSC_0778.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521229187166853058" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9Yr8ODxrI/AAAAAAAADM4/-CVXyqusLc8/s800/darkblue_0771.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521229180102231730" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TJ9S9KTf7II/AAAAAAAADL8/pyR_EUfSCjU/s800/darkblue_0773_home.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521222878871153794" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Traveling in Provence is a treat to all senses. Beautiful vistas of mountains, plateaux, an occasional chateau and precariously placed hilltop villages. In a follow-up post, I will write about the villages we visited, food we ate etc. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Follow-up Post : Beautiful Villages in Provence -</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" >Les Plus Beaux Villages de France<br /><br />Click on the link to read about our Paris trip - <a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.com/2009/08/paris-how-dan-brown-screwed-up-my-trip.html">Paris- How Dan Brown screwed up my trip!</a><br /></span>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-63419391373113915032010-08-10T21:46:00.035+05:302010-08-16T21:44:29.208+05:30Cabbages and Condoms - More Thai food in BangkokWHAT??? <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;">That was exactly the reaction I got when I told people that I was going out for dinner at <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;">"Cabbages and Condoms" </span>Most people thought the phone connection was bad or they heard me wrong!! Saru's reaction was the best of all - <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"Does condom mean something else in Thai? </span><span>Sometimes I wonder if he is as smart as they say he is!<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TGF8hZizgdI/AAAAAAAADI8/QEsn9EXKfd0/s800/CC_entrance.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503817132857852370" border="0" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;">Most people were shocked at the name and it made for some interesting discussion o n my Facebook status. I confess that was the only reason I went there. When you travel as much as I do, at some point you get tired of seeing normal things however beautiful they are! I mean, how much can you gush about beautiful sculptures and golden pagodas and <span> </span>keep the listener/reader interested. The shelf life of normal travel tales is short. Every year, Saru and I would go on one big trip every year and come back with lots of pictures and stories. None of the trips garnered as much interest as the one where Saru's laptop and visa documents got stolen by a taxi driver in Seville . Our friends K and BS (OMG.....how did I never realize that his initials are BS? I cannot believe I missed out a golden opportunity such as this!!) were with us in Spain. BS regaled friends with this story for months. With every repetition, the thieves became more elusive and we became smarter as we turned the tables on them and got back our stuff in 2 days. BS wrote a 3-part mini-series on how we maintained a vigilance at the airport, made friends with taxi drivers, even met the taxi association president and got him to get our stuff back. It was an instant hit! I will re-post his story on my blog one<span> </span>of these days.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TGGCV6gljWI/AAAAAAAADKg/gcsBcKTWCsk/s800/alcazar_seville_10x6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503823532618255714" border="0" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, my point is that it is fun to mix it up and go to crazy places once in a while. When we went to Czech Republic, we were tired of seeing ornate churches, so we took a day trip to see a church that was decorated entirely with skulls and bones - made for a great story!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3y56Fm1okuIe_btM-h__TAaXxL1S-wpL7qJn46QcPq7c2Oe20NSOS3MqO_2CBZFOKeXIJfPdMrzRI-aGWAwxzg9ox0rYITsaS1JBFMHZ7D2HVC6NyirWBrg-lbLeNWgZgxIQDG6ggfPVu/s800/bone_stack.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503823529678327858" border="0" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;">So, I was in Bangkok for work and free for dinners. <a href="http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.com/2010/02/compliments-of-chef-food-in-bangkok.html">The French restaurant I blogged about </a>was great, but I was itching to try local Thai food. When I googled for cool restaurants, I came across this name. It intrigued me, so I went, albeit cautiously. The restaurant was established by the former Thai Health Minister, Viravaidya to promote birth control and AIDS awareness. His aim was to make condoms as common as cabbages, hence the name. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;">Contrary to what I was expecting, the restaurant had a very romantic feel. The hanging lanterns, and tropical trees decorated with lights makes it look like <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Christmas in Condomville</span>. When you walk into the restaurant, you are immediately greeted at the door by Santa Condom and his family:) I wonder how many hundreds of condoms it took to make these figures.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><img style="margin: 20px 100px 80px 200px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TGF_BB7y59I/AAAAAAAADJ4/K1lxTRDk-qI/s400/DSC_5333_1_santa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503819875299289042" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 20px 50px 80px 80px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TGF_AoMegXI/AAAAAAAADJw/QZ3NN2OBEEI/s400/DSC_5317_1_kid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503819868389933426" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCZPB8tXpt9qO_FryXbyOXVii_NV-mWz5Mpy2UboDsdcsyJ_dw8T7zcivJBfJ0Bi5zhPtP3-7AKGErHGLIiaeuXBkW3IJF5mthpj_R84r56D65iCf5mRb5hPwt_Y8aiqYNbm5PrGGKysK/s800/DSC_5320_1_+CC_restaurant1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503817135203933042" border="0" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TGF8g8Lt5GI/AAAAAAAADI0/F5z_XLrfddI/s800/DSC_5336_1_ccrestaurant2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503817124976387170" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;">I ordered food and took a walk around the restaurant. There was a safe-unsafe sex wheel of fortune that you could spin to test your luck, a chart of jokes and lots of condom art to entertain the guests. I don't know about spreading birth control message, but this restaurant was doing roaring business. It was full of foreign tourists. You don't go to a restaurant named 'Cabbages and Condoms' for its food and not surprisingly, there were very few locals there.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 20px 10px 80px 200px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KcdoumNDH48yjbhh_t4WE01Yu2LByYH4bsuqc2YiloG13sdS-Pa7SK44m0uNvTbg0Ff_zWGoszlZCJp19Zgl36ZfFp4ajKY4eWNqg5Ol0dt8NyyZvuY14I9nXGsdtu27nJ3JTRvN30SZ/s650/DSC_5329_1_flowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503827527044916962" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 20px 10px 80px 200px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKGwRQuwW6t7B-wbYFORn2qccXE3zWANmhbKgYQFM-C1riSnw4aUQQ5HnJGUouWh9M3wK-FNCj5fxqD69uJPhiHhTd-9C7ANwNde0iV-gYpu_qhtrXbsCyIr6DDki5h8kxuW-jfm3kWl2/s400/DSC_5338_1_.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503827533149537474" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Food was not bad....I actually did not have a bad meal in Thailand till now. Soup was nice and spicy while the raw papaya salad and cashew chicken were yummy.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9b9smkkeou_8zdUCCJuEMRFc-NdAH_GaobF-GpNDH5B3M7PqO2u3W7MEuTpiftone0qc1tXkHQLenqQyJfWUPGV6Oerk_6ZsmTHI3Ev4JNv0LgArIgzDeGx9OzzU5INg2NQE1RIcCRCSR/s650/DSC_5349_1_soup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503817942110797122" border="0" /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TGF9P8N0yrI/AAAAAAAADJU/nVvMvXwBgrM/s650/DSC_5352_1_cashewchicken.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503817932439079602" border="0" /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TGF9PX889CI/AAAAAAAADJM/4z8fmotD-FI/s650/DSC_5344_1_greenpapaya.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503817922704634914" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;">After dinner, if you are looking for a mint, you will be disappointed. The check comes with 2 complimentary condoms and a coupon for a <span style="font-weight: bold;">free vasectomy</span> at the next door clinic:):)<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"> </p>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-5721174969402223932010-07-11T21:36:00.020+05:302010-07-11T23:08:07.930+05:30Tigers of Ranthambore<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It has been ages since I blogged and it is not for lack of interesting travel stories. I have been traveling almost every month since the start of this year - Bangkok, Pench National Park, Mughal Gardens, Nameri and Kaziranga National Parks and a nice long trip to Italy and Austria. I have many unfinished travelogues and am tempted to publish small posts because it is much easier, but then I remember that my goal is not to preserve the blog, but to preserve my memories. I was home alone and didn't have anything better to do, so I forced myself to write and this is the result of that! </span> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="font-size:130%;">Tigers of Ranthambore </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I have a problem. I don't know what to do about it. It is not very confusing. It is a simple straightforward statement that should be taken at face value. But, everywhere I go, people react in 2 ways - they either ignore what I say and carry on with their business or accuse me of lying. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I don't believe you. You are lying" said S staring at me. He thought I was being fashionable....trying to be 'different' that the other travelers. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Everybody wants to see a Tiger and so do you!"</span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">S was responding to my statement "I am OK with not seeing a Tiger!". </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Before you all jump to conclusions and start accusing me of lying, let me explain my statement. Seeing a tiger is THE most exciting and thrilling part of going to a National park in India. I had the good fortune of seeing one in Corbett and 6 in Bandipur (adding 4 little cubs). In Corbett the tiger was too far in the river, but in Bandipur, it was less than 10 ft away and I was shivering with excitement long after it ran away into the woods. We talked about it for days and months and every single time we recalled the sighting, it was just as thrilling. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">What I meant by the above statement was that I would love to see a tiger, but if I did not, it didn't spoil my trip. I am not obsessed with seeing a tiger like some people are. I go to forests to unwind from city life, to see deep blue skies, stars in the night, to smell the woods and the wild flowers and to see wild life in their natural habitat. There is nothing more fun than waking up before the sun, having a steaming cup of chai and getting into a safari jeep brimming with anticipation. Optimism is at its peak. Maybe it is the darkness that makes you think it is OK to dream or the sheer unpredictability of nature that makes you say silly things like " I want to see a Tiger-chasing-a-Leopard-chasing-a-deer" (only one person can be THAT silly and I am married to him!). There is always the rest of the day to be practical, but when you are entering a forest, you are full of hope and optimism. The possibilities are endless and we know that from experience (We saw a pack of 26 wolfs chase a Leopard and its cub in Bandipur). </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TDnvnlTKJCI/AAAAAAAADGM/8iXPLC2Xt0g/s650/DSC_4499_1_+sambar_female_baby.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492684683861435426" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TDnvok-CvGI/AAAAAAAADGc/WBZbSg0DN8Q/s650/DSC_4700_1_treepie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492684700952738914" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />Saru and I usually get into our military mode once we enter the forest - " You take the left side and I will look on the right". Soon we are looking intently for any movement in between the trees or irregularities in colours that might be birds or animals. Ours ears perk up to listen for calls. We are excited!! The hunt is on!! The guide stops the jeep and exclaims " <b style=""><i style="">There is a fresh pugmark</i></b>" <b style=""><i style="">It must have gone this way to the water hole</i></b>". Soon, they become detectives following clues and coming up with theories on where it might be headed .</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"<b style=""><i style="">Tigers don't like getting their feet wet, so in the mornings when the dew is still on the grass, they take the road. So, we always look for pugmarks in the morning</i></b> " explains the guide. We focus all our attention on the road and drive slowly. Soon, we hear Sambhar deer's alarm calls which means that it is almost certain a tiger is on the prowl. The excitement builds up!! </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We drive in the direction of the alarm call, stop at a few points and try to figure out the direction of the call. A couple of other jeeps stop by and the guides exchange notes. We stand up on our seats and scan the area using our binoculars. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Sometimes we get lucky and see the tiger and sometimes we don't!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The fun part is in the hunt.....in the chase and putting together clues. There is nothing more exciting than looking through a binoculars and seeing a glimpse of a spotted animal and screaming "Guys.....I see a TIGER!". It might turn out to be a spotted deer, but the rush you feel when you spot something exciting is just amazing!. The fun part is trying to find the needle in the haystack, not to drive to the needle and say '<i style="">VOILA</i>'. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In Ranthambore National Park, guides have been spoilt by foreign tourists who pay hefty tips for spotting tigers. We went on 4 safaris and 3 guides were obsessed with finding the tiger. Their plan was to scan the entire region quickly to see if the tigers were out. They drove so fast that we were covered in a thick layer of dust by the end of the rise. We could not stand in the jeep because of the speed. They were not interested in stopping for birds or other animals. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"<b style=""><i style="">If you stop so much to see birds, you will miss the Tiger</i></b>!" They warned. We could care less, but we were sharing the jeep with a couple and their 2 teenage sons. They were Indians visiting from Australia. The mom told us quite frankly that she was not interested in forests, but she came here because "<b style=""><i style="">her son wanted to see a tiger</i></b>". Between her time shopping and touring Jaipur and Udaipur, she booked them 1 safari ride </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Who books <b style="">1</b> safari??) so that her son can "<b style=""><i style="">see the tiger</i></b>". On the way we zipped past herds of deer, peacocks, nilgai, wild boars and birds. They were seeing some of these animals for the first time, but were not interested - all they wanted, was to see the tiger! After a dusty ride, we came out of the park not seeing ANYTHING because they didn't want to miss the tiger.<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TDnvnH6AwlI/AAAAAAAADGE/Idi89HHGxEA/s650/DSC_4494_1_+sambar_male.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492684675971334738" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRTMC5saNF8xk0qE6KcDa7EgCMNFhwTqIwrhOZwg3sS5bKUcWeDVyQlDVSCF1TrpPO3iZPpS-5m0kR6qToVKE8iaUQqqHsoQwtiyJZxkeE7nF5ceV3fRIoM20u-PDARhY3Rf5pVSybJ_r/s650/DSC_4478_1_neel_gaay2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492684692548054946" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /></span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The obsession with seeing tigers was all pervasive in Ranthambore. It was the first question that was asked as soon as we got back to the resort. "Any luck, Sir?", "Did you see anything Sir?" An over anxious waiter even asked "Did you get lucky today?" which flustered Saru a little bit. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">For the afternoon safari, we had 3 other people, a cute Chinese couple from Australia and an American lady from California. We told them about our morning experience and they all agreed that we would go slow, but the guide and driver had other plans. I had to tell them very sternly to slow down and they did, cribbing all the way ( <b style=""><i style="">Don't you want to see the Tiger? How will we cover the zone if we drive so slow</i></b>?). </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">At one point, we came to a screeching halt because they spotted fresh pugmarks on the road. </span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"<b style=""><i style="">The tiger crossed this road!! We would have seen it if we were driving faster!!"</i></b> The guide was mad at me!! He didn't speak a word for the next 15 minutes and stopped the jeep there! The American and the Chinese were amused that he was '<b style=""><i style="">punishing</i></b>' us for slowing him. A little later he drove around fast and just when we he was giving up, we saw 20-30 jeeps parked in an area. Drove up to see a tiger in the buses. Whew!!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The tiger took some time and slowly came down to drink water from the stream. After having its fill, she wanted to cross the road and tried to, but was too spooked by the dozens of vehicles around and the squeals of joy from the spectators. This was one of our closest and longest sightings - almost 10 minutes (as against the 10 seconds in Bandipur). We had enough time to get tons of pictures and videos.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TDnyvDsOQXI/AAAAAAAADGo/Lg22mhmjKS8/s800/DSC_4637_1_+waterhole.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492688110813593970" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TDnyv3lU9rI/AAAAAAAADGw/qMULOOiFB2w/s800/DSC_4650_1_+tiger_rocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492688124743317170" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XC504qq6kjVrY8YWuvstrYflhDveUGcgbNL3Ew3_AryOh5ZCMVgYjRMbgZAeYdaqz5QVS60Ytzufz6GadV-dmPIq-YtX9-UYSwnO57hM1L_0s_2iQ49uLhhVUnr18s-u7uAOVzX5P8yF/s800/DSC_4673_1_+copy_tiger_sitting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492693363411142770" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TDnywR5vKZI/AAAAAAAADG4/_mjH6PN100A/s800/DSC_4662_1__01_tiger_tongue_out.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492688131808242066" border="0" /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Scary Tiger Face</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4yU6va7oPBaS0LjGS5ajdqyTDvFBP5w3bG_7jgdDP2gg80aI1Vd9yIJa91raHMHqIbjfgrGGMdB5ocSUZMZSiPyfx5toqdS3uC4xhs3mXyCCicL-OVA95nvF0G8GplvYpGQnczJU7Wmv/s800/DSC_4661_1_+Tiger_scary.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492688141770348882" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Tiger giving the finger:)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ188-M07EIZpYpqOJ0-dldw230L8U72IsvVJbe64psj6kGkemIPNwVO58rX4Y0r26QqNENCNhoHQ7k6frpNIGv7CD8lKA54JcDJCVahhrWyrVx56YtJkypK95l6QtWEbJGOuPEt6oHWq/s800/DSC_4672_1_+copy_tiger_flip.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492693356521462594" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/TDnyxtm0J1I/AAAAAAAADHI/hyooFdrAEK4/s800/DSC_4687_1_+tiger_jeep.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492688156424939346" border="0" /><br /><br /></span></p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It was time to get out of the park, so we raced back and what do you see - the tiger we missed seeing earlier. It was right there scratching its head against a tree. So double the joy for the day!! This is my all time favorite picture. It looks so surreal. Don't you think?<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dLVyR0fdfMTGfZcQvDyQ473DWsGfGPJUpzj2TqKsV15V1V8np7k4l-Plip8v8MQlZwlHYc1vWJMFn3TQ7Z1PbaD48wkFIKBTASnOqiLUkxFtvvdhvgtJBM3l3rhY0HpeROoZ2IGUjQT8/s800/D70_DSC_0078_1_+female_tiger_eerie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492684667866931394" border="0" /><br /><br />But all in all, Safari's at Ranthambore were the worst and I would hesitate to go back. Corbett was the least tiger-centric followed by Kaziranga, Bandipur and Pench National Parks.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;">Here is a video of the tiger</p><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='480' height='399' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzMBL4ZwUuCf40SHfijlm_17mUm2PxOiq2JbMQvhClHStAr86FIAazfmArKqHdNtfOjEK21X4Np_i7O4_PUzA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-56325455208926544862010-02-02T19:15:00.038+05:302010-02-02T21:30:07.278+05:30Compliments of the Chef - Food in Bangkok<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >At an International conference this last month, I ran into two Indian guys. It was lunch time and there was a buffet. They were angry at the lack of vegetarian choices when I pointed out a special vegetarian buffet on the side. The two guys rushed towards it and helped themselves to bland fried rice and sautéed vegetables. One guy pointed towards ‘vegetable lasagna’ and asked what it was to which the other guy replied “<i style="">That’s also a curry, you can mix it with rice</i>”. </span><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">I was about to shake my head and judge them when I remembered what a giant loser and pain in the ass I was many years back. On my first day at college, I shocked my friends when I told them that “I never had a samosa in my life”. My friend Appu, immediately set to task. During the first few trials, I would carefully dissect the samosa, removing all the potato curry and sliding it over to Appu’s plate while eating the shell with pride. Curry puff got a similar treatment. I would chew along the perimeter, careful not to touch any bit of the curry and triumphantly declare that I was getting better.<span style=""> </span>4 years of college and many trials later, I learnt to love samosas and curry puffs, but I was still a very picky eater. When I first moved to the US, I used to eat only at Indian restaurants. A good part of my courtship with Saru was spent on him trying to make me eat a bagel and cream cheese.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><img style="margin: 10pt 140px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2gvJNBhfKI/AAAAAAAAC7E/upXhBIFXZqc/s640/DSC_5271_1_reflexions.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433644785583881378" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style=""> </span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">As I sat to have dinner at an award winning French restaurant, I realized that I had come a long way from my picky self. <span style=""> </span>I do not profess to be a foodie, I am still conservative in my food choices, but I am definitely getting bolder and expanding my horizons with every new trip. Of the nine meals I had in Bangkok (<i style="">Good grief</i>..<i style="">I am counting my time in number of meals instead of days!!),</i> 8 of them were Thai, so one night, I decided to eat French food.<span style=""> </span><b style="">The Reflexions </b>is a modern French cuisine set in the very opulent Plaza Athénée hotel. The menu was dominated by meat and seafood. Nothing in the appetizer/soup section looked that great and I wanted to save space for dessert, so I ordered a main course of fish and settled down taking pictures of the place and pretending to be deeply engrossed in a restaurant guide of Bangkok.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 10pt 140px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2gvJsO_4DI/AAAAAAAAC7M/n74sFz-dbt8/s640/DSC_5274_1_bread.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433644793961898034" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">The bread basket arrived soon enough. The wafting aromas of the warm bread made me realize how hungry I was, so I took a quick picture and dug in. Not surprisingly it was great. A few minutes later, the waitress came to my table </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">"<b style="">Compliments of the Chef Ma'm</b>" She said while placing a beautifully decorated mini-appetizer -"Quail egg mousse with red pepper salad"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 10pt 360px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2gvpTz1SRI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/kxeZ4wkWOAY/s400/DSC_5277_1_quailmousse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433645337161320722" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span lang="EN-US">"Quail </span></i><span lang="EN-US">egg mousse<i style="">?"</i> </span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">I asked, just to be sure.<b style=""> </b>The old Vam would have politely sent back the dish, but the new Vam decided to give it a try. <b style=""><i style="">"I will spit it back in the plate if I don't like it".</i></b> I told myself and took a tiny Lilliputian bite and it was not as gross as I thought. I ate the rest of it while complimenting myself on the achievement. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">"<b style="">Compliments of the Chef Ma'm</b>" The waitress came back <b style=""><i style="">again</i></b> with a large bowl of soup. -"<b style="">Lobster Bisque with Truffle emulsion and cream topping</b>"<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 10pt 140px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6JAe2z2HVFqczRiT1qImHgbmnrbCiPtuYrG6pTy3IE0t71E7r2SxJ6nbTNnZ3v9vmxx2o22rVW1P2COtDmWzgng2BNrS9_0_iPXqZONpBIyE4M9_zJAzHvySqELR6JunwyzcPua7OpZb/s640/DSC_5278_1_lobsterbisque.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433645344974913826" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span lang="EN-US">Lobster? </span></i></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">This time, the question was for myself. I never had lobster in my life, but I heard people rave about it. In the spirit of my new found courage, I decided to give it a try. I took one sip and almost kicked myself in the foot for never trying lobster. <b style="">The soup was without doubt one of the best soups I EVER had.</b> I was expecting a fishy soup, but this had a very intense earthy flavor. I finished the entire bowl and wiped it clean with bread! </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">I was just getting ready for my main course, when I saw the waitress bring another dish towards my table. "<b style="">Another complimentary dish?</b> <b style="">This is insane</b>!!" I told myself. <span style=""> </span>This one had some ice-sculptures on the plate and a small open tin can. The lid on the can read <b style="">"</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Caviar</span><span lang="EN-US">"!!!!!</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">"<b style="">Compliments of the Chef Ma'm</b>". </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">CAVIAR??</span></i></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"> <b style="">Are you kidding me??</b> There was just no freaking way I was going to eat tiny little fish eggs!! <b style="">uh uh...No way!! Forget it!</b> <b style="">Haute cuisine to Hell!!</b> <i style="">I am sorry</i>, but <b style="">THIS</b> is where I draw the line.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 10pt 140px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite7JAzbvq_OCtQBttQvvWdauOEc58xgNH-KMGDes7Kj2QyksNJ7gYnz5RIpeymILe0KKhSHLdJ2agq0mJ4EmBqn7XWrCMZqAEwY0mxdlAl26jdodLPlV_CaEHxnyvpBp4CkHFkNCpP_sV/s640/DSC_5280_1_caviar2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433643945994013666" border="0" /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 10pt 20px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2guY7aNECI/AAAAAAAAC6I/U5eXi6uVgmg/s400/DSC_5282_1_caviar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433643956221841442" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">Smiling at my vigorously shaking head, the waitress said " This is watermelon caviar topped with passion fruit seeds ". <b style="">Whew!!!</b> I heaved a sigh of relief and happily accepted it and went on to photograph it. Lighting was poor and I took so long trying to photograph it without flash that the sculptures started melting!! Taking the cue, I tasted the caviar. It was quite delicious, but a LOT of work to eat <i style="">water melon</i>, I have to say!<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">Then came the dish I actually ordered <b style=""><i style="">"Roasted Dover Sole with wild mushrooms duxelles, roasted baby artichokes and truffle emulsion". </i></b>The Sole was tasty, but nowhere in comparison to the awesome lobster bisque. Saru looked at this picture and said " Jeez, what did you do to tick off the chef???<span style=""> </span>He spit all around your fish!". <span style=""> </span>Only <b style="">my</b> husband can come up with something so <b style="">disgustingly imaginative</b>!!<span style=""> </span><i style="">It was light cream!!<br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 10pt 140px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9KzY51UgX6_ODYnGWL_URu8vfmqFM93piNnY7hR7hzCLmttoHlgDNWiRCBEiL9bPILQ8c_0dkxOtJn8_J1Ji5Wmyd5BNozc0hVQp-R35L2hSKgiDVj0sR1NbwwOwjVxf9IqRfSK2J40w/s640/DSC_5299_1_Doversole.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433645351257136866" border="0" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">Chef Thibault walked up to my table. " I hope you enjoyed the food. The main course was going to take a while, so I sent you the soup and stuff". I thanked him profusely and asked him how he made the soup. Remove the claws and cook the lobster <b style=""><i style="">head</i></b> in the broth until it reduces to a soup consistency. <i style="">I think I was happier not knowing how it was made!<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">Then began the long process of selecting the dessert. The chef described everything on the menu <i style="">(in that utterly cool French accent, complete with sound effects and hand gesticulations to explain texture)</i>. I was so taken by the performance that I ordered <b style=""><i style="">"Degustation or Tasting Menu"</i></b> . It included small portions of<span style=""> </span><b style="">pineapple ravioli, raspberry tartlet, vanilla lime sorbet, caramelized Vanilla mille-feuille and my favorite Moelleux au chocolat</b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 10pt 160px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2gvIgbLN6I/AAAAAAAAC68/2541vZ3Uxz8/s640/DSC_5310_1_dessertall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433644773611878306" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 10pt 10px 30px 30pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEz-30ByEcGWQwryWmJI0S_DtWuze-bjRBCznQSzhR_XsV8yw5WRfyumdCksNb4uaE40Rm6Fp8h1qRPjWoG9Ll6QSIu_2Rtm2nZfJB_qFHlN_Vvsee3FzJM-D8BxZxYaqbjNsZm-4FFKf/s400/DSC_5307_1_pineappleravioli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433643977950074962" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 10pt 30px 30px 30pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2guZgIfyaI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/eevPwPjY69k/s400/DSC_5306_1_tartlet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433643966079682978" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"<br />>I liked the warm pineapple ravioli. The tartlet was just OK and the sorbet horrible. I have never liked sorbets. I think they are weird food masquerading as desserts and should be banished from this section. This one was lime sorbet and would have been great as a mouthwash flavor... if you ask me!!!<span style=""> </span>The big surprise item was the <b style="">mille-feuille.</b> It was a small pastry with thin, delicate, buttery layers of puff pastry filled with soft, luscious vanilla cream (cream, not ice-cream). The pastry layers and the vanilla cream melt, the minute they touch your tongue. "<i style="">Food Porn<b style=""> </b><span style=""> </span>is what this is</i>", Saru said when I described it to him.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 10pt 150px 30px 100pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2gvH-ZCA9I/AAAAAAAAC6s/onH9jAdFw0A/s640/DSC_5308_1_millefueille.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433644764476081106" border="0" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">I saved the best for the last- the warm chocolate lava cake! The key to a good lava cake is good chocolate. You know you are eating bad chocolate when it tastes like Bournvita (I challenge you to try Domino's Rs.25 chocolate lave cake and a Bournvita shake and tell me if they taste different). Based on what I have tasted over the years, you do not want to skimp on the budget when buying Chocolate. More expensive is almost always more tasty. <span style=""> </span>Needless to say, the lava cake at this upscale restaurant was beyond fantastic. I loved it so much that I did something very uncharacteristic of me - I ate slowly savoring every bite. When I called Saru later that night to describe the experience, he did not believe me. He knows that I am not dainty when there are fruits or desserts next to me. I am the type of girl that eats grapes, 2 at a time (one on each cheek), so that when I bite into it, the taste explodes in the entire mouth at the same time.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 20pt 10px 30px 30pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2guZXO6HtI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/mmAwJtXGNHI/s400/DSC_5304_1_lavacake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433643963690655442" border="0" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><img style="margin: 20pt 20px 30px 30pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/S2gvIcz3SZI/AAAAAAAAC60/1QyyAMzoyFs/s400/DSC_5309_1_sorbet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433644772641687954" border="0" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">The very first bite of the lava cake was so amazingly fantastic that I did not want the sensation to end. Warm spongy cake with soft, smooth, velvety chocolate... almost induces a state of ecstasy!! The cake and the sorbet were the only items left on the plate and as I was staring at them, I came up with a brilliant plan!! I ate a small spoonful of the lemon sorbet. It was so horribly yucky that it completely erased the taste of chocolate cake and cleansed my palette. I sipped some water and then went back to the lava cake and took a bite. Voila! It was a repeat of my out of the world first-bite experience. I went back and forth between the awful sorbet and the awesome cake and had the first bite experience for the entire cake! <span style=""> </span>I am so thankful that the restaurant was almost empty that night, otherwise, people would have stared at the crazy Indian lady whose facial expressions kept alternating between an "ewwww gross" to "OMG...this is heaven" multiple times in the 15 minutes it took me to finish dessert. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;">"The perfect animation of that would be Homer Simpson alternating between "ewwww..." and "ummm..." said the husband before jumping into character making weird sounds and distorted facial expressions! </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">What was your recent food experience? Leave a comment!<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-35853549204979056122010-01-10T15:00:00.015+05:302010-01-10T15:22:25.369+05:30Addicted to Travel : 2009 in pictures<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Writing this post is like shooting myself in the foot! There is already a perception among friends and family that I travel too much and here I am laying it all out in the open. "<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Where are you going next?"</span> was the most asked question of 2009 and pretty much every time I <span style="font-weight: bold;">WAS </span>going somewhere. While this post might be an open invitation to taunt me about my hyper-active travel schedule, It might also give me a chance to redeem myself. </span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >2009 was a wonderful year for us. This was our first full year in India after moving back from California in May 2008. If you do something as big as an inter-continental move, you also want to take that opportunity to change a few things in your life. After working non-stop for 10 years, I decided to take it easy. I became an independent consultant which is really a euphemism for jobless. Other than an odd project here and there, I was not getting much work because of the recession. I took full advantage of this and happily settled into a routine of traveling, blogging about it, traveling some more and blogging some more and did I mention "Traveling". I joined groups, became friends with fellow travel bloggers and much to Saru's dismay, started planning trips with them. "<span style="font-style: italic;">You are welcome to join us</span>" I offered graciously to which he replied <span style="font-style: italic;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Freaks</span>...all of you are freaks" </span>(totally uncalled for!) </span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >I was so happy doing this routine that I said "No" to a perfectly good job offer. <span style="font-style: italic;">"I don't feel like working full-time"</span> I said and then went on to declare <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">" I am going to do whatever makes me happy this year!"</span>. Saru didn't flinch because he is used to my grand statements - "This is going to be the Summer of my life" I said one year and went on to work my ass off. The year I declared that "I don't care about money and I am going to spend as much as I want" was the year I saved the most! </span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Sure enough, a week later I started worrying about my career and took up a half-time job. The other half, I said should be open for consulting work(in other words jobless). To my utter joy and delight, the job required me to travel a good bit! Work trips are usually not fun, but I would make it a point to stay an extra day and see the sights. International cuisine is something I miss in Navi Mumbai (unless you count Mumbai High that serves Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian AND Mexican all under one roof), So I would research and eat at really good restaurants. After some hesitation, even Saru started enjoying my trips. I would come back home from a trip full of juicy stories and follow him all around the house like a happy puppy talking about it. Soon, he started boasting to his friends "<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">My wife understands what is important in life. She has figured out what makes her happy and is following it. I am proud of her</span>". He would make his friends read my blog, and more importantly pain them to leave comments. Every comment on his photographs would increase his enthusiasm for the hobby. He joined me in as many trips as he could, and the rest, he enjoyed <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">(or was forced to)</span> by hearing about it a zillion times. </span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >So folks, here is a list of all my trips in 2009. Pay attention to the words "<span style="font-weight: bold;">work trip</span>" which means that I <span style="font-weight: bold;">"HAD" </span>to go and did not have a choice. For all of you that give me grief about it, I will have you know that I did not leave Saru and go to all these trips. I <span style="font-weight: bold;">HAD</span> to go for work( Gosh....I just love this excuse....it sounds so legitimate). The two non-work trips I did without him were Corbett and VOF. He could not make it to Corbett because of work and didn't come to the Himalayan hike because....I am quoting his highness here <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"Hiking is pointless!"</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >January</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >January took me to Singapore for a <span style="font-weight: bold;">work trip</span>. Walking around the waterfront area and the Jurong Bird Park were a highlight. I had fantastic Italian and Thai food, not to mention the famous Singaporean Roti-Prata.</span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 30px 10px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgd4CddTkdDYA199Gtp9ia3XTs5P2cfm1aekueYNmF7DdVFUqr3jI8LKr6ARqv-NbA7KXkykF8ibLR1M9UL4KagMT5HITLkWcJuuehtWOAPsruL86qCcnkeQhDinqJOKoxZXm8e_5qlRuK/s800/Singapore_0970+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424989102018005234" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />February</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >I made my first trip to Calcutta for <span style="font-weight: bold;">work</span>. Thanks to Shantanu's blog, I found out what and where to eat. Lucknow Biryani and Kababs were delicious and so was the Thai food in Oberoi. </span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 50px 10px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNAMPAuzUbwCJZoFsADvw17s9W8RqYVAIJZqwPQWWUHPEQrgQD7gjNRK7Hhm3iMoVRXVUwgNcTFziKKarqlfx5jQ5D4Ioi9Xeo5GVtgaB3OMVH-y1DB7fp9zFNj-QqHZfwwsjnpo5nnL_/s800/Victoria-Memorial_Calcutta_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424989110693151938" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />March </span></span></span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Another <span style="font-weight: bold;">work trip</span>, this time to Bangkok. The temples and the grand palace were magnificent. The Royal Thai massage and foot massages were just what the doctor ordered at the end of a long day. </span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 40pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 521px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyk8nPn0iIePCHWoX49Qd1S_wNwO6f1iEx1r_NTwuxyozkFw4MxW-JD6PyA3Z-5ITmRBPaChqCGJZ4N7RXZcjgROCK-99uHalGWT-4GJyvrCDgX9uhzIlHCZucruQoUStLRCUX0dZoaiyw/s640/Wat-Arun.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425026725445453090" border="0" /><img style="margin: 0pt 80px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 521px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAvr0JuECVEBw1trFeKHEImgOV1Mj4OmwrnIL36zyynUa8M7hXx2l4_x9aPl78Yp8QXQ91jsGvISdiBMs0-1Ev70dSCTguzVhNi_NfcYW-G_g0_c9koJOXK-dQDeLeStlNDiqxrI_j8AK/s640/golden_pagodas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424990907340737890" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Corbett National Park</span> was just fantastic. My friend Tara says that you know you love a place when you want to go back there again and again. This is one place I would love to visit multiple times. </span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEf2r_pFIBGisEliB-RiA2O2CQaJFQtbZokB-0Zqyt_QJv9ne91qVd3Ach-R6z50le9b6uzx2MzCosDOTFoQgQc3JYSNbYtUb-Orn_3vQZqz_ZjwhQXWBlIkzDh2FlQCCw6H5SgvfGLJ3z/s800/forest_fall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425026719294342818" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIln_s4GJz00sH71711yvQl15gL1xEU24DV1ifv6R68fiSlXUI0sTVT_hyphenhyphen7pqymCiTuktciABxbmxsGHqLhQQkjD5ZZduwfJ93zaHY3oQMhUFy_Zf6l3QJsOVicYwDQQuGf5KdGfScrcST/s800/elephant_throwing_mud.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425026708210304850" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >April</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Saru joined me in Delhi for his first visit to our Capital and was totally impressed. Delhi is my favourite city to visit in India. I feel a rush of emotion seeing India Gate and all other monuments I grew up seeing on TV.</span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz0KijnSSxf0xyTIf-hj3O_qNQWLz2V5htHKjI0M1H17AzxF-CUjVLzJoFqgJrWXzpNX4iwpsz95r8F8Vq9pxFY1MapDwkWzKM_1h1uNhk7pLKnGHG4i1EZ0EYmX-A9kSTxDQXe7Mz4aC/s800/Indiagate_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424989115359182578" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >May</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Saru was sick and tired of hearing me talk about safaris after Corbett. He wanted his own safari experience, So we went to Bandipur NP. We traveled with fellow bloggers T&S and had a fantastic trip. A tiger, tigress with 4 cubs, leopard with a cub and 22 wild dogs were the highlight of our trip.</span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtYL73WgtqtOTAVQQYW350VCpg9mdVF1aYMGvHyKQLVyWO2e_R6yARvLdUdpXgnu13mBzDfRGrxxByFOQ3Zkj7IsNVXmLIOGF8cjVa9jK90JT1PF68fsCCpYuEjFbgRBU__ZiOngTzyEy/s800/tigeress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425003348850418418" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br />June</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >This was our big 10th anniversary month. After debating endlessly and researching locations in every continent, we finally settled on familiar grounds-France and it didn't disappoint! Driving around the country side, stopping at lavender farms, perched villages, sea side was my kind of a slow vacation.</span><br /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXk5p12DYQf1Cqkn6hbwmrXEXUplO6BhpPxMPgNE77N4s-5Qfxt7qh5g-9PiRvBMECjcRHBN2WJORvIMnQS3xyxK_Zurhy0rFaCOMhSxw5N0vkpyAQIV1LJRUN8sBq-jVZItKkEONYwwds/s800/soft_lavender_monieux_0684_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425003350913788866" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br />July</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Mangoes and Monsoons are what I love about Indian Summers. Waterfalls and green hills everywhere. </span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYFWRw3wItMhHMfVvekVA6TxCoqxi3WfvIZy_PPGo_sdaDSejWBgjwTBoMcOpknpYLDl-vUdWMrX7GzVnuNd_MsOsyd6g7r8UBVGsCJdDGQWQ2wSYsujjOJCLt3fajS3mTDiImXQbk1dp/s800/malshej_ghat_waterfalls2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425003366372812210" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />August</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >This was my very first multi-day hike to the Valley of Flowers. The Himalayas were absolutely breathtaking! I plan to do another hike this year.</span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuzRiqfAr0ugK6dt9OhwlSdqhM4cCC-qfXJGGEcrR4WcvBZboBhwkBosroAz0mVf0rZPIMzQllKjJXgwF5bk6xCHGGE0bguDU55FZGfyKBO2awrOc0rKQPLmodpNWVO5JtIMRjjyJCx7Q/s800/DSC_1874_snowpeak_kamet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425003360047711618" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />September</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Saru and I went to Maharashtra's Valley of Flowers with Adesh and Mandar. Acres of pink, blue, white and purple flowers sat pretty on the plateau. </span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 30px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYHO_Wdmfn_3u5rLwtqTLuWIMjKA1cicQxtn-SFHNL98VM4w9od3DsKCxSo8cE_BW9BrUIEmBYrN6MEi_DJ0TH9RYApP2eE-xPJFmV2D2LXdVw5vRVGOJiSqyZJnv8Iq4r5bHx59pvmJu/s400/DSC_2595_1_yellow_pink.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425024517544312322" border="0" /><img style="margin: 20pt 30px 20px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxLLIuclIaQ_8KHuxF0CcdG5YBEy79hVljY-bu9dnHKJc9-f_80gBtb9Rfje5gY_iryHuYWx8NbD9r18dsVMudiHffG8kdJqIx_T5A0j8dPB5HzOeIi5Syl_OgBnUsf0HMR-vzXrdxCDl/s400/DSC_2375_tst.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425024509110397954" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 30px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 523px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22CnfvgJG9uOuPKwwblCLqOJUwNn7GU4YytEuscSOKYcMDbivIdGT9JRnhMlBrWFtuANaEegqr7opPiv-Svnuvb3fXRSZwRFm11C1EB9reZ98R3h0KILdg85TzBIez4PnWTe1dq1ZEONn/s640/DSC_2460_1_+waterfall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425036315592434162" border="0" /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 40px 35pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 521px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHkoDpuQuoqnkfSWBZxEDMB9cBsLMBqJRmWTIYu9-PCQxVR2R6hCpvQw4nururg_oPJuIYEP1-HHonD5H7-kPzSqPnoMFjR_Ohzhhs3VWQcXs0Q4jMJZg8ZO9NwVA9bNme5WzAIh-6lF2/s640/DSC_2463_1_twin-waferfalls+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425037883951611282" border="0" /><br /><br />October</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >We celebrated Diwali in the wild with a birding trip to Dandeli. A spooky and adventurous night walk was the highlight of the trip</span><br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:20pt 100px 20px 20pt;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoE031dLcfF4l3hGuSy-6XxHADzmb3fmKC3l-YhV5T7DQ3Krw4WHixiPPFArWYcQ-iFe0FYSOdB1i2sGiGMgm-eQ3eFaAJN1TxY7_degbVd-REKw2HqD9bXexEIbxhzrzZmwGt7bqMonh/s400/DSC_2809_small+minvet.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425041556560519698" /><img style="float:left; margin:20pt 170px 20px 20pt;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggru9fBXJtzUjwlfEgrDhyphenhypheno0BsB3TlfwzOVoX3LIUjz7NP2Su7owQDtLWm7E1rvoB6RXtVU5PtfvzQ9ByuZ3JDvVGz_KgFNdXi9m3kpe8wCNr6P6A3cqrBbiie99SqI35Ny_Qivr6MFEPZ/s400/DSC_2840_1_Indian+Grey+Hornbill.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425041548668291906" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />November</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >A <span style="font-weight: bold;">work trip</span> took me to Indonesia. I took a sunrise trip to see Mt.Bromo, an active volcano in the area. Balinese massages and fantastic food were the highlights of an otherwise boring work trip.</span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkx4OUcap0wLKlwKSQ1aHRJMRmKKag42QwjXDMA3gnCEVggjR0UvWvhy1W637fMXkyQjpCp7azal9DDACy2UH-jGzGFKHmKYcRDnZqFMn1VjAEVdTWoDSU9J9EOz71jFQUyC_MK3Fb3_Fi/s800/DSC_3758_1_bromo2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425022256056710418" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />December</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >December was like a grand finale to the year. I spent most of the month travelling. I went hopping from Delhi to Agra to Fatehpur Sikri to Jaipur to Ranthambore NP to Udaipur. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Saru took this surreal picture in Ranthambore. We have a ton of close-ups, but this picture is my favourite of the lot. </span></span><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 70px 20px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVNJZaFiVQK9afVd0FrGIP3ZXwbGb-L881ljyWTtY6_fHbFNyZMEuMvvo-9Gd8LsFolVpFSS18bre2grSknJjr2Qgw3JwuQhZQK2LK67v-9Hmlfz4IOb-puRtMWzugb-oWBlsa2FexUC6/s800/D70_DSC_0078_1_+female_tiger_eerie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425003338151057218" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Plans for 2010</span></span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >2010 is shaping up to be a very busy work year. The half time consulting slot which was really an excuse to goof off in 2009 is suddenly getting active with a lot of work. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Work hard...party hard</span> will be my mantra in 2010. </span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >January is shaping up to be a busy travel month. I leave for Bangkok next week and then we are going to Pench National Park for the Republic day long weekend. I signed up for Nature India's birding trip to the North East in March. Other than that, my year is wide open. There are talks of visiting the US for work, making a road trip from Manali to Leh and a girls-only trip to Europe. Let's see what pans out. </span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where are you going in 2010? Leave a comment or a link to your recent blog post about this</span></span>.</span><br /></div>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-52872924269399142402009-12-30T15:18:00.012+05:302009-12-30T16:00:35.536+05:30Taj Mahal - Love it or Hate it?<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I AM AN INDIAN</span> !!" I said in an impatient tone.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Do you have any proof" asked the man behind the counter.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I fished out my driver's license and showed it to him. He stared at the license and back at me for a good 30 seconds before conceding that it was indeed me and that I was Indian. To avoid any such confusions, I had worn a salwar that day and spoke in Hindi, but almost everywhere people questioned my nationality. I understand that the ticket collectors are trying to fish out Indian looking foreigners, but there were 5 other instances that week when people asked me where I was from. It is ironic that people always recognized me as an Indian in the US, but I am having to prove it in my own country!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Shaking my head, I paid the Rs.20 fee to enter the Taj Mahal. My American colleague, Ken had to pay Rs 750, almost 40 times more than me!! <span style="font-style: italic;">"Aaah, the advantages of being a citizen"</span> he said to me. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"<span style="font-style: italic;">We will take the eastern entrance which is for foreigners"</span> said our guide. I almost jumped to declare that I was not a foreigner, before he added "It has the least amount of crowd".</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The entrance to the Taj Mahal is quite stunning. I love this red sandstone structure with marble decorations.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 20pt 50px 30px 50pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVh6RqL1YWLFeDVPvknCjfWRVDFNYw2TpFRRCuLbpz0yZePZfsx3oXjnZRetvz_eFxV-XBZyiklcVqbR3xck6nwZ590r1T6i8ctRdUmuKQ1pkB06IUyFNYXk9EK6enwmfCT6MaXM8lAIDj/s800/DSC_3921_1_perspective.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420940644689860514" border="0" /></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />It is always a little tricky when you go to places that are famous. Expectations are enormous and you feel compelled to like it just because millions of others have liked it before you. I had read conflicting reports on the Taj Mahal. One set extols the beauty while the other laments the poor maintenance and degradation of the monument. I decided to keep expectations very low. In fact, I was quite convinced that I won't be impressed. I almost skipped Agra because of that, but my friend Jayanti said <span style="font-style: italic;">"It is the Taj. You HAVE to see it at least once".</span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The drive from Delhi to Agra took more than 4 hours with the customary stop at McDonald's for a coffee break where we had an interesting encounter with the waiter.</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Coffee Please"</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"You want black coffee?" asked the waiter.</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"No, I want coffee with milk " said Ken</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"OK, You want a cappuccino?" asked the waiter</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"No, I want regular coffee with milk" said Ken</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"So, you want a cappuccino?" asked the waiter.</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I just love the circular arguments that go nowhere. Ken burst out laughing and took the cappuccino.</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After a lunch break at the hotel, we reached the Taj Mahal in the afternoon. Personal vehicles are not allowed within a 2 km radius of the entrance. People are transported in battery operated buses, which I thought was a nice way to get rid of parking and pollution problems. Also, in the last few years, the government had a number of polluting industries move outside a 21 km radius of the monument. These measures seem to have worked. There was no visible pollution in the area. </span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I walked in and took in the full view of the Taj Mahal. My jaw dropped and I heard myself saying "<span style="font-style: italic;">WOW....Is this for real"</span>? Standing there, in the middle of green gardens and surrounded by red sandstone structures, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">pure white </span>structure looked surreal. For somebody who was not expecting to be impressed, I was clearly in awe of this unique structure. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">It did not feel real! </span>We walked all around the compound looking at side structures, but my eyes kept going back to the Taj to make sure it was still there.</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 20pt 50px 30px 50pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLs9tQ2h2GH6-Le3vW1j50byrUG-Td-HyBOdoi83Kg3K3sMs9UeWLvk8rM4NwcFC0bCvPF7GO6mRQuyPEhDBVPLqt-uyCdaF1xD4hD6-BQ5fUVfKygZru-_y7eg2w9QTTk-deNBiK_uXb/s800/DSC_3926_1_TAJ_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420940655319522978" border="0" /></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Friends had told me that in spite of the hype, the first time you see the Taj, it takes your breath away. They were not exaggerating! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"That's a LOT of marble</span>", said Ken. Indeed it was. Thousands of tons of marble was brought all the way from Makrana in Rajasthan. In those days, it is said to have cost 5 million.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I walked around, taking the customary pictures with the reflection in the pool. Our guide explained that cypress trees signify immortality according to Persian philosophy. The elaborately laid out tombs and gardens are supposed to be their interpretations of paradise.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="margin: 20pt 50px 30px 50pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNUiiah6i4Zr6TuKKyJ_NnsPR_NRaQbwvGlrkCUm3M8EI0lL3NBSKB8o6_VRQUrAdrBNbSpsozrbvj3o7JE3srBpvHmirW9GNDmBPWCFbpmPzRF4JkyT9HSrcDPld8y2ZpxCawrppy_-c/s800/DSC_3983_1_-taj_reflection_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420943476626454338" border="0" /></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There were thousands of visitors, but I never felt crowded. Walking around the gardens, I felt like there was enough space for everybody to enjoy the monument. A security guard walked past me and I said hello.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"You from which country?"</span> he asked. Here we go again!! I spoke to him in Hindi and he was surprised "आप India से हो? वैसे तो लगते नहीं हो!" and then he added "आप बहुत लम्बे हो"!!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I asked him about the bullet proof jacket he was wearing. He said "Mumbai (26/11) के बाद, compulsory बना दिया! 40 kgs है और पुरा दिन पेहेन्ना है " When I joked about his old fashioned gun, he got a little upset " </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">नहीं</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> madam, yeh AK-47 hai. एक दम powerful gun </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">है </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">". He posed for a photo and went his way. I walked to the mosque on the side of the Taj. Another beautiful structure.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 20pt 50px 30px 50pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6O-2wzLvRaIiV5Vsu1F8dlxSkn43vfUrDq3M0fwKhX3HHJREhdXKAEQbOZfxZ2Rgv2VR4xSWHrdRTIHpRWTwZJFRj0Nd4mm58xpz9qAQ9cnr0g9-xJ6ajyl_BPNcIfPilrx1NRweCwsM/s800/DSC_3951_1_mosques_near_Taj.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420940659425848802" border="0" /></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Behind the Taj, the Yamuna river had very little water. India is in the business of building dams all over the place, so dry river beds are a very common sight these days.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 20pt 50px 30px 50pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg244aP2bCFnKbs6yLZc4OWSMrvlHl8XBl0741jdF6scrZnoayuMV32kFlIlFMZLWvdwtp6AOt8KJqcOqBo4RNe9-T5vsPlgLDwNaLO4obAyqfCbL5vraHD3kvIehNUj0l2DWUvU2lMqFuD/s800/Yamuna.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420953119298414194" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwv6_PyGCKKRM8S4QnYPWilaxblPpPgTOBflW9xsVcO_cP72rLooQazb8YYrTpyXonQl2-KaOe34syDTDDmhccSC0uEyHEGsTHNdFxis9kIqKf_WWd_sCoFyWt0jl280wMGFqZCyQ0hdi/s400/DSC_3987_1_-inside_a_domewe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420953127309971970" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The entire time I was in the compound, I was in awe of the monument. Even when we were heading out, I would turn back every other minute to have yet another look at it.<br /><br />As much as I loved the Taj Mahal, I was shocked at how poor Agra was. The few streets that we drove on were narrow, dirty and crowded. It looked like there was not much to see, other than Agra Fort and Akbar's tomb. Agra fort was nice, but I was more impressed with Akbar's tomb. I will post pictures in upcoming blog posts. Dinner at Peshawari (ITC Hotel) was great. Chicken Kasturi Kabab and Fish Kabab were great, but their slow-cooked, creamy Dal Bukhara was the best I ever had. The Rasmalai was so good that I could have licked off the bowl clean!!<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In the last few years of traveling, I have realized that there are no absolutes in traveling. You might find a place stunning, but others might not and vice-versa. Experiences vary depending on the weather, crowd, company, expectations and attitude. What was your impression of the Taj? Leave a comment and let me know.</span><br /><br />This post is part of the Show your World meme. For more stories from the rest of the world, click the image.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 51px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aOWrda7FH8M/SiILMOAwpBI/AAAAAAAABqo/n6XZ3HNqyXo/s200/mwtwhite.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341844412562449426" border="0" /></a></div>Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049116091502212447.post-12337794077639878992009-11-08T15:14:00.010+05:302009-11-08T15:35:33.920+05:30Valley of Flowers - A Hike in the Himalayas<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A song kept playing in my head. I don’t think I heard it on the radio that day. In fact, I don’t remember hearing the song in ages. I recited the lyrics to my friend Gayatri (Gaay) and asked her if she heard it before. Not surprisingly, she did not. I myself heard it only twice or thrice in my life. I didn’t know which movie it was from or who played the lead role. It was one of those songs I remembered watching on Wednesday night Chitrahaar many many years back. The song was very appropriate for my surroundings and I kept humming it as we walked on the trail. A few minutes later, Gaay stopped and screamed “<span style="font-style: italic;">Vam, look at this. Isn’t this the song you were talking about</span>?” What a weird coincidence! The smart people at Garhwal Tourism department made a marketing poster of the national park using that very song! Why write a poem when there is a Bollywood song! There it was, on a nice yellow board (which I neglected to photograph), the lyrics of the song. Here is a video of the song I found on youtube.</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="margin: 9px; float: right; display: block;"><object width="375" height="304"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J4FUQUApA2g&hl=en&fs=1&start=32"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J4FUQUApA2g&hl=en&fs=1&start=32" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="375" height="304"></embed></object></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yeh Kaun Chitrakar hai</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Yeh Kaun Chitrakar hai</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Haree haree Vasundhara pe nila nila yeh gagan</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Ke jis pe badalo ke palakee uda raha pawan</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Dishaye dekho rangbharee, chamak rahee umang bharee</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Yeh kis ne phul phul pe kiya singar hai</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Yeh kaun chitrakar hai </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Tapaswiyo see hain atal yeh parawato kee chotiya</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Yeh sarpa see ghoomeradar, gheradar ghatiya</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Dhwaja se yeh khade huye hain wariaksh dewadar ke</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Galiche yeh gulab ke, bagiche yeh bahar ke</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Yeh kis kavee kee kalpana kaa chamatkar hai</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Yeh kaun chitrakar hai</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><br />We were in the small picturesque village of Gobindghat, the starting point for the hike to the famous Valley of Flowers National Park. This being the month of August, the entire area was dressed in a layer of green. The valley was surrounded by towering peaks that seemed to be reaching out to the sky. The Alaknanda River was roaring past us drowning all other sounds. It was truly a sight to behold and there is no better way to describe it than the song above.</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 60px 20px 10pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYl_fXRfVQxcY39hPtsc9gLw9iJIXHhNnn6ARrLdd9i5IvgSducKGOd2vIrWeCKFqidZreJp-eVdgc_dgvzLgHMLgKNmMvt8rRiYDfqLwJ5QakPo81ZuN2Nu5zHowjYd3H3EPjWYuNdbgP/s800/DSC_2140_1_+gghat2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400223845874930674" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">“<span style="font-style: italic;">Valley of Flowers is a very moderate hike. You can do it easily, don’t worry about it</span>”, said Bala of <a href="http://www.greatindianoutdoors.com/">Great Indian Outdoors</a>. Now, moderate hikes in the US are those that can be completed by kids and their grandparents. So, we did not hesitate to bring Gaay’s 60 year old mom. Our justification was “<span style="font-style: italic;">Well…she takes a long walk on the beach every day, so she should be able to do the hike</span>”. In hindsight that was a very foolish argument, but in our eagerness to make our first trip to the Himalayas, we lost objectivity. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">One look at the trail and we knew that aunty would not be able to do it. We put her on a mule and within minutes, she disappeared from sight. We hired porters for our luggage and set off on the hike. With our REI hiking poles and backpacks, Gaay and I looked every bit the intrepid trekker that we were not. Actually Gaay had done a few hikes before, but this was my first multi-day hike. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The first two kilometers were almost entirely uphill, but Gaay and I did not flinch. There was a bounce in our steps and a smile on our faces. It was a beautiful morning - partly cloudy with a pleasant breeze. We walked on, ignoring the guys that were trying to convince us to get mules too. There was no tree cover, so it was good that we started hiking before the sun was up. It was not easy, but we were determined to walk. I asked our guide, Bachchan Rana if the entire hike was going to be this hard. He pointed his hand in one direction and said <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;">“See the mountain there; See the clouds behind that mountain. Our campsite is <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">beyond</span> those clouds. Yes, the hike is uphill all the way”</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;">. </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">That did not deter us. “<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">He is exaggerating</span>” I told Gaay. We moved on with the kind of foolish optimism that you can only have when you start something new. An hour later, I figured we must have walked 5 kilometers, at least it felt that way. I turned to our guide and asked him the mileage. He raised an eyebrow and in a semi-heckling tone replied “<span style="font-style: italic;">Oh…this was nothing. I don’t think we even walked 2 kilometers”</span>. We had another 12 kilometers to go! It took us ½ hour to walk a kilometer, so another 6 hours to go! Walking 14 km on a flat surface is really not a big deal, but the elevation was what was causing us to slow down. Also, a big part of the hike was boulder hopping. It was a dirt path and the recent rains had dislodged the pebbles and rocks. Our hiking pole was really useful here. </span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLi8cRxN6QiRqNs-kGgn5lowVMNnf23SLvzk8daDXVrmAKGOWB073acQPl_pAqOsKmDDi9RxKOt5rZ_IHGEcsi72YT6Pqc6igONX84pTDI25w5-ttpx4iI4T8PIN2Qu_YOJBLR4ZFvs42/s512/DSC_1721_1_-view_bluesky_we.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400562525352107490" border="0" /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 60pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxYQnmoHfTf4HbunPlnBGwTfaaSb3xJR-EaSEkU7g5ZdM831zsbh3i5zzpXBjZsow2PX_2DGCnn3txCNKusYpUH9l1eAvz6RmyhChAWPnLXovHxw8gF0FdOLA_9Wp16Hpq9z9c1GjLVum/s512/DSC_1769_river_mountains.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400636893770375426" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><br />A couple of hours later, we reached the first village on the way. </span></span>“<span style="font-style: italic;">Hot Chai, Maggie Noodles. Come have some parantha and chole</span>” screamed the vendors. They even had a working phone there, so I quickly called Saru and checked in with him. After sufficiently exaggerating the toughness of my hike , I hung up and moved on. Based on what I read from previous reports, I expected a very dirty trail, but it was clean. Bachchan told us that Garhwal tourism department was taking extra measures to keep places clean. Gaay and I walked on while discussing a variety of topics ranging from US foreign policy to Bollywood gossip and time flew by. It was getting warm and my feet were beginning to hurt. Gaay was my cheerleader and kept my tempo up. She would walk a little ahead of me and make cheerful announcements – Shade ahead….great view…flat patch etc. She was a great hiking partner. We were also cheered on by other hikers on the trail. Some would pass on toffees, some would go around offering a spoon of Glucon-D and some would just say kind words to encourage us “You have come so far, the rest is very easy, It's almost over etc”. We knew that was not true, but were still touched by the kindness of these strangers. Coming from Mumbai where nobody gives a shit about anybody, this was a pleasant surprise. Most of these people were headed towards Hemkund Sahib, a popular pilgrimage site for Sikhs. One such person, Harpal Singh Sidhu became a constant companion on the trail. In his late forties, this was Harpalji's third time on this trek. He was a tall overweight man walking with the help of a sturdy bamboo stick. <span style="font-style: italic;">“See this; it is the best quality stick you can find. I had this specially made for the hike. If you need to find out how good a bamboo is, look at the rings - the farther they are, the stronger it is.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">You don’t get walking sticks like this outside of Punjab</span>” he said.<br />When he found out that my hiking pole was from the US, he quipped <span style="font-size:130%;">“ <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">आपकी</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> America</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">से</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">मजबूत</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">मेरी</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Amritsar</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">की</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">लकड़ी</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">है</span>”.</span><br /></div><br />The hike became harder as we went up and I was getting tired. I was stopping every few minutes to catch my breath.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >"</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >छोटे छोटे कदम, सर नीचे और बस खयालों में डूब जाओं"</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span>said Harpalji. That was really good advice and it helped me move along easier.<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >"</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >वोह Pehelwan ji को देखिये, आप से तीन गुना मोठे है, पर शिकयत किये बिना चलते है। पता है कयू ?</span><br />I was hungry, pouring sweat, my heart beat was at a dangerous high and this man wanted to have conversation! Gaay and I were a little embarrassed that he was calling his friend a "pehelwan", but we later found on that he was indeed a pehelwan - a state level weight lifting champion.<br />Harpalji continued his monologue <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >"</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >वाहे</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >गुरु</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >का</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >नाम</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >लेते</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >है</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >और</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >बस</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >पैर</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >अपने</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >आप</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >चलने</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >लगते</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >है।</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >आप</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >कौन</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >से</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >भगवन</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >को</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >मानते</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >है</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >?</span> This was really not the time or place to tell him that I was an atheist, so I was struggling to answer the question when he carried on<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >"Andhra Pradesh <span>से</span> <span>हो</span>, <span>तो</span> <span>शायद Tirupathi</span> <span>के</span> <span>Balaji</span> <span>को</span> <span>मानते</span> <span>हो।</span> <span>आप</span> <span>उनका</span> <span>नाम</span> <span>ले</span> <span>लीजिये</span> <span>और</span> <span>काम</span> <span>आसान</span> <span>हो</span> <span>जाएगा</span>".</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;">In this trip, we came across a lot of people, young, old, thin, fat and even a few handicapped people. Most of them were very religious and kept chanting "Wahe Guru" the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">entire </span>14 kilometers. Faith is one thing we have in abundance in India. I really wish there was some way to harness that positive energy to change our society. How is it that people are able to stand in queue for hours together in a temple, but cannot stand in line for a second in a super market? How can we manage to keep the temple clean, but trash the road towards it? How can these people respect God, but not nature? 90% of people that go to Hemkund sahib do not bother to visit the Valley of Flowers which is just around the corner.<br />In fact, some people told me very frankly " <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" >वहा कुच भी नहीं है</span>" Sigh! Check out this video I took of a group of pilgrims.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxMm1Lm1BlzYQaTEqxpNcG1WVZzaXBknQ3Qxd_kGxsnqScZxAv35BrUi7-Hizd537LGcoN5Fwsur_MVqP-hlw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br /></div><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 20pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7OqaqRnQXWsROJZ_WT5tvv4o4zmFtZqe8DMqzoDegOoLPXw7zuyr9fJ5kvLNoAZIiZNLA-K4S8eisrEb2fkX-LK99TO7YX3uEkqVRh_iW0PNJZqJfpnHaWOKPbZ9shA6by8yRqnX-orW/s512/DSC_1768_1_trail2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400644118829489858" border="0" /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 60pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtYJcB10SztCT_wCRGeu96NW2FDixSqbs4BYlJKP-XNy5TVenALWynz6S4nSJ023f72GTiPLPyQDBRhlUPgAJlFiSOwbMiTmMvNHHUlM4LijAadKnUr8AEhKluo-kqpWIddH8ExIFZIoJ/s512/DSC_1739_1_trail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400644110472643490" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The first few kilometers don’t offer great views, but as we went higher, the trail went adjacent to the beautiful Pushpavati River. White water gushing down the mountain is a sight to behold. When we stopped for lunch after 10 kilometers, we picked a shack right next to the water. Balancing ourselves gingerly on a rock, we lowered our feet into the stream and immediately pulled out. It was ice cold! We sat on the rock, dipping our feet in and out, while the cook prepared our meal. There is nothing that relieves tired feet more than a cold or hot compress and the river was doing its job splendidly.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 70px 20px 10pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvF49SmKvdbAsZaSakfEthDiLP2WbGG2LYYzKr0Buvz4m63UuUczdaFQNDLzeEjMekYGEnf6mPMqoBhBZgcd0CtCJeml4aAim4xEuhganDbkbOJjKZOACGaER3DKY0e09R35hxjZrmvFlX/s800/DSC_1784_1_pushpavati_trail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400583749200269346" border="0" /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We still had 3 kilometers to go when we took our 1 hour break for lunch and let me tell you something - <span style="font-style: italic;">Don't <span style="font-weight: bold;">EVER</span> take a long break when you are on a hike</span>. Once the legs get used to sitting down, they will not want to go back to the torture of walking. Mine protested heavily, but we moved on. "We are almost there" said Harpalji. Every step felt hard and the damn trail was still going uphill. I was groaning with every step. Gaay was in a much better shape than me, so she was doing fine. Harpalji kept convincing me that the end was just around the corner. At one point I lost it and screamed at him "You are lying to me". He laughed and said <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"मरनेवाला को थोड़ी केहते है कि तुम मरने वाले हो?</span></span> The last 3 km took us at least 2 hours with breaks every 5 minutes, but we finally came up to an opening from where we saw our tents. Gaay went ahead of me to order hot chai and pakodas. That is one cool thing about hiking in India - you are never too far from chai or pakodas. Harpalji had another km to walk to the village of Ghangria where he was staying for free at the Gurudwara. He invited us to visit Amristsar <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">मेरे बीवी के भैया के पतनी के साले Golden Temple </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">मे</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> काम करते हैं. आपका VIP दरशन हो जयेगा"</span></span> He didn't leave it at that. After I came back home to Mumbai, he called to check and see if I reached home safely. Like I said before, I was touched by this man's kindness.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e5EvMpFH2kmyPZCYWdWUBam0sdbhkgPgeiNb4ekJwi9q4ZtMAmofHR8kVjPMc_-83wH8FYB3quK19_1gQ6Zk2oTBxbi8WkEyeRU8CUbgS8pEXEnZA6ZVDRpriUhlFEJQuCyOcwYpUajo/s400/DSC_1794_1_tents.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400614021719303234" border="0" /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 10pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmNG067ytUFwDwnUZ7qKUzhANG_XEeu61g0AcatmAawGouFQK3vcXl1MIYHoijdiNWW7_sn4imSnLMbhNvMwj-peeaB_KcM8RNKLw0LLNKExyPAy7KOHZmEQANI_5OpSK-wBUP2PbIT02/s400/DSC_1802_1_mountain.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400636891167441218" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br />It was 4 PM by the time we reached our tents. A hot shower later, I settled down on a wicker chair and refused to stand up for the rest of the evening. As the sun was setting down, we had a beautiful view of the mountains ahead.<br /></div><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 60px 20px 10pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-_8nG2d0Wkg_I8q5puro-lgsXfK9IMjZQNlX3hsjoslyTCmVauLTAivEeCPIYoSd_plCXRc2acpgizejwu_8MUE4YM4s0zwTsIINj8Ea3vCcCnNQcgS_faZW9v2oWDd87KBfuyohGyEc/s800/DSC_1797_1_+narnarayan_good2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400614741183331362" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To be continued - The Truth about Valley of Flowers</span><br /><br />Here is a preview of what is to come in the next episode of the travelogue - a little bit of snow peaked mountains, a little bit of flowers and wonderful scenery all around!<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 30px 20px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii97lYP6PHY_5P-_R4siJ5F-lcAV-5reZfraM__AwhWjwBHx8rT86H7OKvLgsAiJQ6IHzypFiATd07xwzjTjJyPH4uAcIZ4pfAlGZT8Zl3FUin1I0XLrO855nk7zYbiFGynHDSX0W6g7nZ/s800/DSC_1867_flowers_snow_mount.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400664696905791362" border="0" />Vamsee Modugulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990519471419860046noreply@blogger.com58