Travels of a wanderer

The owner of the paw prints

2011-12-26T09:39:00.002+05:30

One long drive back to Nagpur from Tadoba and a slightlyshorter drive from there into MP got us into Pench. Staying at Mowgli’s Den wasa little more expensive but a lot more comfortable. Too late for the evening’ssafari, we just rested. There are three gates for Pench with the Turia gatebeing the more popular one with about 50 jeeps, the other 2 have around 10 and5. The number of hotels also is higher and the crowd on weekends justifiesthat.

A lot stricter about the guide and driver rotation thanTadoba, but Pench is a little more lax on the timings. The morning safaris lastfrom 6.30 to 11, give or take 10 minutes while the evening ones go from 2.30 to5.30. There is an exhibit/ mini museum near the gate which is open all thetime. Routes are fixed in the morning but all five of them do overlap. Themorning session also has a common stopover for breakfast. A dead gaur calf nearthe stopover allowed vultures to also have their meals. Elephant rides to getcloser if a tiger is spotted are also a possibility.

Scenically, Pench is fantastic. The forest is among the mostbeautiful ones I have seen. It made Tadoba look really dull in comparison. Thevariations in landscapes, scenic lakes, coupled with the amount of herbivoresand birdlife makes sure you have plenty to look forward to. The guides alsohave quite a few fixed spots as in an Indian nightjar, lots of collared scopsowls, mottled wood owls and the like. Was a bit unfortunate to have missed apair of Malabar pied hornbills, but there were plenty of other birds found intheir expected spots.

The evening safari on the first day though had a bit of atwist. Hadn’t expected a tiger sighting in Pench due to the standard routes andthe size of the park, but as we were leaving the park a few jeeps stopped usand told us a tigress was inside the bushes. Late in the evening with light fadingquickly, we saw glimpses of the head and tail through the heavy thicket; itdecided to walk off further into the bushes. We doubled back to another roadand sure enough in a few minutes she walked across the road, past our jeep andinto the forest. She did not have her cubs with her at that time unfortunately.

Managed to get the same guide and driver the next day aswell, this time at the stopover, they told us that they had spotted a tigresswith 4 cubs and were tracking it, unfortunately it did not stop so we could notsee it but there were jackals near the carcass as well that day and a pair ofmottled wood owls ended the trip.

Following Paw Prints in Tadoba

2011-12-23T22:21:00.002+05:30

Another wild tiger hunt during off season. Peak winters makefor tough sightings but that’s when I get holidays. Despite the impending fogscares and rough roads, we managed to reach Tadoba via Nagpur late in themorning. The MTDC hotel was not too good but livable, food on the other handwas very slow to arrive but after all the hostel food in recent times, I couldeat anywhere and like it.

A lake near the hotel had a number of openbills, moorhensand ibises (black as well) but the safaris however are of course the mainattraction. The evening safaris last from 2.30 to 5.30 while the morning onesgo from 6 to 10.30. Timing are pretty tight and the guides and drivers arewilling to leave even tigers to maintain it. My driver and guide though did trypretty hard to track tigers though.

6 safaris and I guessed I would find a tiger somehow.Spotted a leopard on the first safari which scooted out of sight the moment Ipicked up the cam. It had been walking with another jeep, didn’t like our jeeptoo much though. This though was just a red herring. The forest is thick with adense cover of bamboos in a lot of places. Unless something steps out on theroad, there is very little chance of spotting it in the bushes in most places.There are a few watering holes but most sightings in those areas are in thesummers. Some areas are beautiful as in cottajhari but most of the forest isbamboo or thick brush.

Over the next few safaris we mainly spotted birds and ajungle cat and lots of tiger paw prints but no tiger, this despite 2 femaleswith cubs seen randomly by villagers, workers and everyone who wasn’t atourist. On the last safari, we saw a sloth bear at some distance but thehighlight was a jungle cat that decided to lead the way in the early morningbefore sunup for about half a kilometer. Everyone else around promised me onewithin 3 safaris in the summer but it still has to be seen if I will take upthat offer.

Thattekad and Munnar

2011-09-20T00:09:00.000+05:30

With college starting up, trips have reduced considerably. Avacation provided me with some time off to hit Thattekad finally. Being offseason, I didn’t expect to be seeing too much activity and although toppriorities on my list were the Ceylon frogmouth and Indian pitta, I wasn’t veryoptimistic.

On reaching Thattekad we stopped at the home stay within thesanctuary late in the morning. Our host there, Mr. Giriesh arranged for ourguide, his cousin who took us on the first round of birding that morningitself. On the way were loads of grey hornbills and Malabar parakeets whileonce we got in further, we found a few fairy bluebirds, white bellied treepies,ruby throated and grey headed bulbuls. The highlights of course being Ceylon frogmouthsand a heart spotted woodpecker. Bad light and intermittent rain howeverprevented any decent photography.

The afternoon and evening were spent near the home staywatching a few orioles and another heart spotted woodpecker. Waited for anightjar late in the evening but it did not turn up. After dinner we triedspotting a few owls. Although the collared scopps owl and bay owl did respondto the calls, none of them gave us a chance to see them.

The next day was spent entirely in Munnar and around. Earlymorning trip to Eravikulam national park gave us glimpses of a Nilgiri pippet,shortwing and a Vereditor’s flycatcher. There was a herd of Tahr’s in thedistance as well but unlike my previous trip, they did not come close. Aftersome landscapes and waterfalls, another nearby forest provided me with a shotof the Nilgiri flycatcher.

Another morning of birding showed up a blue bearded bee-eater,few other bee-eaters and more frogmouths, after this to kill time, we watchedthe sunset from a hill near Thrissur and then got back to college by a train toTrichy the next day morning. Do plan to return there during the season inDecember with a larger list of birds to be seen, but for a short trip in theoff season, this was certainly fun.

Below the seas - Around Havelock

2011-05-14T14:20:00.001+05:30

Corals at Sebastian hill

MV Mars

The main purpose of my trip was to learn scuba diving. After half a day of theory and a lot of shallow water practice, on the third day was my first dive. The boat trip to the dive site was a really long one. After taking some time to adjust on the first dive, I was finally getting comfortable handling the scuba gear. The first dive was to a wreck (Inket wreck) of an inter-island cargo vessel which struck the bottom and sank. Saw a stonefish, and groupers but the main attraction were the huge propellers.The second dive was nearby at whitehouse rock with loads of corals and fish life.

Jellyfish

The next 2 dives on the following day were again on the same lines at MV Mars (a smaller fishing boat wreck) and the wall (one of my favorite dive-sites). Both these places had abundant fish life and the wall has a lot of variety. I did dive again at the wall on my night dive a day later and saw things completely different. Interesting sights were batfish at the wreck and crocodilefish and schools of giant trevally at the wall. On my night dive at the wall was a different experience. We saw siltfaced and giant puffers, clearfin lionfish and of course the plankton glowing in the dark. The night dive is a totally different experience following a small torchlight 18m undersea in complete darkness. Would like to do that again.

The next 2 dives were the starting of my advanced open water at Dixon's pinnacle. Lots of jellyfish, barracuda, shrimps, snappers and even a lobster were seen on the dive. Part of the dive was looking at colors underwater. With the water absorbing colors, a tomato looked like a potato there. Also had some fun when someone broke an egg at 30m below sea level. The yolk can be safely juggled under water. The depth however does affect the visibility and things look quite different.

Kuhl's Stingray

Wrapped up my course with a couple of dives at Johnny's gorge. A rock outcrop surrounded by sand all around, it supports a lot of activity. With stronger currents, these were much more tiring but did manage to see a giant moray eel, barracudas, bannerfish and a sea turtle. Couple of other divers even saw a shark but it was gone by the time we got there. Again one of my favorite dive sites.

Octopus

The final 2 dives, based on everyone else's opinion was at South Button island and nearby Sebastian hill. Since it was a fun dive, there were no skills to practice and this gave me about an hour at 17m in both places. Saw atleast 6 octopuses on both dives and a Kuhl's stingray on the first dive. Other wildlife at Sebastian hill included some pipefish, shrimps, sweetlips ad snappers. Also saw a siltface puffer on the first dive. Now with 11 dives done I would like to add more soon. As a final icing on the cake, on the way back from South Button, while lazing on the boat, we also saw dolphins swimming around the boat.

Havelock - above the water

2011-05-14T14:20:00.000+05:30

Havelock is every bit the idyllic beach paradise it seems to be. Arrived by the morning 9 AM private ferry from Port Blair to Havelock on the 30th itself as soon as I landed in Port Blair. The ride had been really good but soon as we arrived there, it started pouring. Since I was going to be doing the theory part of my scuba course, it didn't bother me too much. Most of the other days though it was quite sunny and although the weather can change in a span of ten minutes, it was mostly perfect weather to explore.

Our general plan would be to wake up really early as sunrise would be at about 4.45 to 5.00 and drive down to the elephant training camp. We could watch the sunrise on the beach by the road and the camp itself is a fantastic site for birding. Unfortunately there were always clouds on the eastern sky when we tried this. We did see a lot of birds near the camp though, longtailed and red breasted parakeets, Andaman wood pigeons, green imperial and pompadour green pigeons, emerald doves, white headed starlings, collared and stork billed kingfishers, Andaman woodpecker, brown shrikes, Andaman hawk owl and White bellied sea eagles.

The other places of interest are Radhanagar beach and elephant beach. Radhanagar beach is one of the best beaches in Asia and due to the off season it was mostly empty. There is a lot of bird life in the forests around as well.Sunsets here are visible only during a couple of months around November. Elephant beach on the other hand is a little difficult to get to. The only routes to it are trekking through the forest or by boat. I did not go there but Hemant did snorkeling out there.

Since there are only three roads on the island, it is quite difficult to get lost. Staying on the barefoot resort on beach 3 was also quite centrally located to the jetty, Radhanagar and Elephant camp. Beach 3 is also nice but how much of the beach you have depends on the tide. During one of my dives, we went down to South Button as well. This is again a very good place to shoot white bellied sea eagles, Andaman serpent eagles, pacific reef egrets and black naped terns. The boat journey till there though is quite long.

Port Blair

2011-05-14T14:16:00.002+05:30

After a week long of diving in Havelock, we had a day and a half to hang around in Port Blair. Found a hotel with AC for about 650 in Aberdeen bazaar. Due to the off season morning ferries had been cancelled so were able to reach Port Blair only by late evening. 5.30 pm is late evening here, 6 is practically night. The city is beautifully well maintained and has many memorials.

The day here started pretty early as well and we left for Mount Harriet at about 7.30. The route involves loading the taxi onto a ferry at Chatham jetty to Bambooflats and then driving ahead. Mount Harriet has a very thick forest cover but the birdlife is fantastic. Unfortunately the weather was terrible and although I did see Andaman drongos, Andaman treepies, fairy bluebirds, Asian brown flycatcher, Olive backed sunbirds, dusky warblers and others, getting photos was almost impossible. After trekking a little we gave up due to the rain and leeches.

On the way back to Aberdeen from Mount Harriet are a couple of museums. The entry fee is minimal on these 10 to 20 Rs with another 20 for a cam. The first was a naval marine museum detailing the Andaman landscape and flora and fauna, while the other was an anthropological museum on the tribes and natives of Andaman. The saw mill was close so we skipped that.

After lunch we walked up to the cellular jail or Kala Pani as it was known. The stretch of road near the jail is truly beautiful with multiple memorials and statues. The jail itself is only a part of what it was. Some of it is now a hospital. The more interesting things to see there are the cells themselves (Veer Savarkar's cell is specifically marked) and the photos from the past. There is a sound and light show on life in the jail as it gets dark which is nice if you don't expect anything fancy. The next day was our flight back so just walked around the city itself in the morning.Really wasn't anything like any city on the mainland.

Kabini

2011-04-16T08:11:00.005+05:30

The Kabini river area of Rajiv Gandhi national park is something I had always wanted to visit for quite sometime. We got from Ooty to Kabini, late in the afternoon. After a lunch and a bit of relaxing, we started off on a safari. After a few peacocks, CSE, langurs and mongoose, a leopard decided to cross our path just in front of us. There had been reports of tiger sightings around but we saw just a few elephants (some of the tuskers in Kabini have huge tusks and the herds are large) gaur, boar and deer.

The next day morning safari was just as fun, along with the usual we also managed to see a spot bellied eagle owl. Again on information from other jeeps we tried to spot a tiger but kept missing it by a few minutes. Other birds included a pair of mating rollers, loads of white bellied woodpeckers (couple of them courting) and a few other woodpeckers. The evening safari gave us more of the same with nothing new. Going back to the roosting spot of the owl, we did not find it after that morning. In between the 2 safaris, we managed a few macros of spiders and my new underwater cam helped in some frog shots. Also saw a coppersmith barbet and managed to shoot it in the lodge. It is one of those birds that I have seen a lot earlier but always wanted a photo.

The final day morning safari, after driving around a bit we saw a couple of peacocks dancing and after missing views of the tiger by just minutes twice, we found it was visible from a point but it was far off and sleeping. As we all strained our eyes and binoculars to get a glimpse, the drivers joked around raising false alarms saying it was getting up. After a few of those, while everyone ignored those alarms, one of the drivers kept repeating it. As we turned to where he pointed we saw another tiger out in the open which none of us had noticed as we were so focused on the first one. They must have been a mating pair said someone. Although far off we were just happy to see one. It was more a case of the "The driver who cried tiger" rather than "The boy who cried wolf". Also saw two packs of wild dogs on the same safari.

The last safari which was an additionally paid one was also without any carnivores but we saw a couple of tuskers not fully grown in a mock fight. Also saw a pair of malabar trogon, mating oriental magpie robins, paradise flycatchers and a blue faced malkoha along with the other. Spent some more time trying to shoot frogs in the river at noon but the waters were not as still as the previous day and not many clouds in the sky so gave that up.

Birdwatching in Ooty

2011-04-16T07:29:00.003+05:30

Having studied in Ooty, I have been there time and again. Initially for school and later for school reunions. Been to the touristy spots all over and have done a lot of hiking in the not so popular spots during school days as well. This time however was a different experience altogether. Spent a day and a half in Ooty looking for the feathered ones.

We got there late in the evening thanks to a white bellied woodpecker in Bandipur on the way, and checked into a youth hostel near Charring cross. It had been quite dark on the way up so not much scenery was visible along the Ghat section. After looking up at all the possible options, we decided to start with Gorishola (near Sinclairs hotel) in the morning and then proceed to Doddabetta. Gorishola looked promising and we found an ashy prinia, grey jungle fowl and a few blackbirds. Doddabetta however had quite a few wood pigeons in the parking lot, which stick around till a vehicle disturbs them. So you can see them almost always very early in the morning. Found a laughing thrush while inside the main entrance and also grey tits nesting (no pun intended), a few warblers and blackbirds. A few others who were there before us told us they had seen a black and orange flycatcher though we could not spot it. We returned to Doddabetta the next day early morning and found the same birds.

We spent the rest of the day checking out other birding spots, Cairn Hill forest reserve looked like the perfect spot to find some although in the afternoon we were only able to see a grey headed canary flycatcher and a glimpse of a black and orange flycatcher. We did get back to this place the next day first thing in the morning. It had a lot more bird activity and we were able to spot laughingthrushes, warblers, white-eyes, and the 2 flycatchers.

During the day we also went to the potato research center near Muthorai and the area around Woodhouse. Both looked interesting but as it was too late in the day, we were not able to spot much. The wooded area around Woodhouse does look quite interesting and there maybe far more than what we were able to see. On the way down, we spotted quite a few chestnut headed bee-eaters and woodpeckers along with a couple of raptors.

Chimmony and waterfalls around

2011-04-16T01:23:00.002+05:30

Another weekend trip. Left by bus to Thrissur on Friday night. A car picked us up at the stand next morning. We spent the morning at a dam nearby and closer to the afternoon we left for Chimmony national park. Staying at an inspection bungalow in the forest is always going to be fun. After resting for a while and after lunch at a small canteen in the village just outside the forest, we began to explore a bit.

Bird activity was not too much. Saw a few deer, and birdwise just racket tailed drongos, orioles, parakeets and emerald doves. Was hoping to find slender loris but that was not to be. Since that night was supermoon night we stayed to shoot the moon and caught a few bugs as well. The trek next day showed us a few geckos and a monitor lizard. Was disappointed at not finding a slender loris. I was told they were common.

The evening was spent at a couple of waterfalls around, Athirapilly and Vazhachal. Athirapilly of course looks fantastic and the clouds and the sun brought out a little rainbow at the base as well. Since monsoon was still to hit, it was not really covered with water but it still is a huge.

Hampi

2011-04-16T01:01:00.003+05:30

A short weekend trip which could have really been bad but ended well. Started on the drive really early in the morning when we realized the car had no petrol and the highway had no open petrol bunks. One open bunk just before the last drop ran out and a long drive with bad roads at only the trip end made sure we got there late evening. After some much needed lunch at a "Mango tree" (quite a nice place), we made our way to the Virupaksha temple. The first sight that caught my eye after crossing the river on a ferry was the snake charmer with 4 cobras.

Although Virupaksha temple is quite old, unlike the others it is still in use (supposedly the oldest functioning temple since 7 century AD). Most interesting is the inverted image of the Gopurum in the inner sanctum using a pinhole.There is the temple elephant and bunch of hawkers pestering you to buy bananas for it. Photography is not allowed in the inner sanctum, architecture of course like everywhere else in Hampi is intricate and in Vijayanagar style. The hill overlooking the temple was a nice place to laze around.

Later in the evening we went to the nearby Achyuta raya temple. Funny name but since it is not too popular, there was almost no one there.The architecture of course was beautiful. The next morning was mostly spent at the more famous Virupaksha temple. The coracle ride there being just as fun after haggling for the price quite a bit. The stone chariot and the musical pillars showcasing the pinnacle of intricate Vijayanagar architecture.

Agra and Dholpur

2011-01-09T09:15:00.010+05:30

While staying in Bharatpur, on the second day morning Sandeep and I went down to Agra early in the morning. After an unexpected stop by the cops and a little bribe, we got to Agra. Going around the Yamuna on to the opposite side of the Taj Mahal. There is a park there but a fence is in place to make sure we don't get too close to the river. It is a lot less crowded than the main entrance in the early morning but being a park, the boards suggested it was very popular with the locals couples.

Later we spent some more time getting photos of the Taj. Despite the security and the distance from the parking lot and the pesky guides and rickshaws, we managed to get out of there in pretty good time. We did come back to the spot across Yamuna later for night shots but during the day we decided to go further south to Dholpur on the banks of river Chambal. A special mention for google maps without which we would probably still be looking for directions in Agra. The city is a maze made worse by the fact that there were protests going on in there that day.

The banks of river Chambal are great for birdwatching. We came there looking for Indian skimmers and gharials. Since there were a few higher officials visiting the area, the boats were not being given out to visitors. Fortunately when we had arrived, they had gone for lunch and a few requests later we were down at the river. Without tourists the fauna was also very visible. We found 31 skimmers, few gharials, crocs, tortoises, loads of Ruddy shelducks, comb ducks, whistling teals, lapwings, herons and bar headed gueese. Also glimpsed some ganges dolphins. Further on we were also shown a gharial breeding centre which also had crocs and turtles. Bringing gharials back from near extinction was a tough job and they had been doing pretty well as now their number had gone to a couple of thousands.

Bharatpur Revisited

2011-01-02T15:36:00.011+05:30

On my way back from Ranthambore, I had a one day stop at Bharatpur before I got back to Delhi. With the road from Lalsot to Dausa being pretty bad and an unscheduled stop at Balaji, managed to get to Bharatpur only in the noon. There was of course a lot more water there this time. Due to the escaped tiger from Ranthambore some of the routes deeper in were closed. I had found quite a few raptors on that side last year and pythons were also more commonly found there so I was a little disappointed but the increase in birds more than made up for it.

Spending the remaining part of the day and another entire day there was a very different experience from last year. With many more water-birds, it was possible to see nesting and fishing. Pick of the day being a purple heron catching a frog. Some of the older roosting spots for the owls that I found last year had moved but did see a few collared Scops owls and spotted owlets. On the other hand, the mammals had gone in deeper. Did spot a jungle cat hunting in the late evening but the multitudes of jackals, boar and deer seemed a little less visible unlike last year. Also with the water level being what it was, getting closer to the birds was also not as viable.

On the brighter side though the reptiles really were out due to the cold. Managed to spot a huge python and quite a few monitor lizards (one full grown one was always found near the canteen basking near a pile of wood). Mongoose were also active. In between Sapanmori and the temple, at a small junction, a common kingfisher was always changing perches and nearby a painted stork would always be found with a catfish in the mouth, marsh harriers were always present and did see a honey buzzard and a common hawk cuckoo. As for the water-birds, along with the usual storks and herons there were black bitterns, comb ducks, whistling ducks, shovelers, grebes, gueese and of course a few sarus cranes as well.

Came back again after a couple of days with Sandeep. This time with lesser time on my hands and a guide instead. He of course managed to show us a lot more. Grey and large tailed nightjars, a dusky eagle owl, and others. On the last day morning he took us to a nearby field where sarus cranes would come down to feed and there we saw them dance and call. Other birds outside the park were Egyption vultures and a painted snipe. In the park, we saw a Siberian ruby throat, a spotted eagle and a few flycatchers.

Ranthambore

2010-12-23T23:47:00.015+05:30

The drive from Delhi to Savoi Madhopur took about 10 hours and not 6 as most people claimed (via Alwar). The road was nasty from Dausa to Lalsot but smooth otherwise. Ranthambore is a Stone's throw away from the resorts in Savoi Madhopur and there are quite a few to suit every taste and price range.

There are jeep safaris and canter safaris in the morning (7 to 10) and afternoon (14.30 to 17.30). Jeeps are of course better as lesser people and more speed and maneuverability but if you haven't booked 2 months in advance then canters are another option. We paid a little extra to an agent to get jeeps but could manage that for only 4 of the 6 safaris. The park itself is divided into 5 zones, the newer ones are outside the core zone. 1 is generally considered the worst followed by 5 and 2 while 3 and 4 are said to be the best. We hit 1 in 1, 2 in 3 and 3 in 4. Either ways each zone has plenty to offer and the guides do their best to find a tiger (pugmarks and deer and monkey calls).

Winter chances of a tiger are lower so I figured I would get lucky in atleast 1 out of the 6 safaris. In the process I managed a variety of birds, migratory and others, quite a few deer shots, lots of crocs and also saw a leopard on the cliff. Each trip had a something new to offer. The other areas to visit around are the fort with a famous Ganesh temple inside and a couple of other temples around. Zones 2 and 3 are quite close to the fort while 4 and 5 are on one side halfway (Sinhdwar) with 1 the other side. On the way are some watery areas where crocs laze during the day. A Collared Scops owl roosted on a tree at the Sinhdwar as well every time I passed by. Also the treepies here are so used to people feeding them that they actually would eat off your hand if you wanted. Never seen that anywhere else, most treepies are quite shy. Since the zone allocation is mostly random there is not much choice there.

As for the tiger sighting, I finally saw one near the main road while returning back on the last safari. Prior to that we would see pugmarks, hear calls, miss it by 5-10 minutes but in the last 15 minutes of the last safari, we saw the crowd waiting for T24 (a male tiger) to stand as he had lain in tall grass for 2 hours. Having a lens the size of a person's arm does have advantages as I got invited to the best seats in the closest jeep and that was when he stood up turned around and went to sleep not giving a damn about his audience. In almost near darkness I was just as happy as everyone to just get a bad shot as without that the entire trip would have been a good joke without a punchline.

Valparai and Topslip

2010-12-23T21:07:00.015+05:30

With the late monsoons finally receding, we had time for a long trip to Tamil Nadu. Valparai, famous for its scenic tea estates and Lion tailed macaques was a nice place to start. After almost an entire day's drive (I was a permanent passenger and never a driver so never really tired) we got there late in the evening. Searching along the regular crossing areas for the monkeys we found none that evening. To top it off Vinay drove the car into a near invisible stair near the accommodation.

The next day however was a lot better. Scouting since early morning we found the LTMs at a tea estate near the crossing. A few hundred shots from all of us later we went on further to search for great hornbills. On finding those though, the sudden pouring rain made it impossible to photograph. The landscapes of course were gorgeous throughout. Some other interesting birds that we saw were scimitar babblers, malabar whistling thrush and forest wagtail. An evening trip to the Sholaiyar dam gave us some more spectacular views of the sunset and fog at the dam.

The drive to Topslip via Pollachi the next day was equally enjoyable. After having got accommodation at a place 3 km from the reception in the forest, the rains again forced us to drive around rather than trek. The next morning however was clearer. The guide we had called for was not allowed due to some problem of his with the forest department so we had to settle for someone else. Managed to see an emerald dove chick in its nest. Couldn't find any frogmouths. Sandeep did spot a sloth bear but it bolted before we could see it. The drive back to the stay from the reception in the dark was a lot more fun with jungle cats, hares and sambar on the roadside. Birds spotted in this trip were wayanad laughing thrushes, malabar trogons, chestnut winged cuckoo and white bellied treepies.

Macros in a rainforest

2010-07-18T19:16:00.022+05:30

I haven't really tried macros since I moved from the S5Is to the D90. This was an ideal trip to learn a few things. I had gotten a Raynox DCR 150 for about 35 pounds. It is a poor man's macro and when attached to the 70-300, it gives a magnification of 2:1 to 1:2 depending on the zoom used. Did carry the 150-500 as well but that was never even taken out of the bag.
Was supposed to be a trip with Sandeep, Arun and me but when Arun dropped out, Hemant flew over from Mumbai at a notice of half an hour. Funny thing is he got to Majestic for the bus before we did. We had a cottage booked over at the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS). At 1000 bucks a person including food, it was comfy. Walked from the bus stand to the station in some really heavy rain with considerable luggage as autos were not really available. After we were refreshed, the first trek through the river was unexpected. I ended up with my 18-105 and cam fogged up, while Sandeep's cam just refused to start up. Needless to say rain and river dips don't agree with electronics. Managed to dry the cam but was left with the 70-300 and macro to shoot for the remaining 2 days.

Thanks to Gerry, we managed quite a few shots of a pit viper, and we did find a couple of vine snakes, the second one considerably smaller and quite easy to agitate. Ben, who was researching frogs, managed to spot a variety of interesting frogs, caecilians and insects (a foot long stick insect and a whip scorpion were the pick of the day). Managed to experiment quite a bit with the raynox and Joshua also lent me his 60mm macro to try out which also provided me with a perspective. Lessons learnt from the trip: I need an external flash, the nikon on-board flash is much better than the canon one but it is of almost no use while shooting macros.

Did get plenty of reasonable shots whenever the camera defogged, especially of the malabar flying frog but with the pit viper, was mostly restricted due to the camera fogging. My observations on the raynox vs dedicated macro, the image quality may not be spectacular on the raynox but it is pretty good however usability is severely restricted due to limitations on the focusing distances (maximum). One advantage though was the adjustable magnification on the 70-300 which gave me quite a varied perspectives.

The butterfly shot on the blog is using the 60 mm macro with a vivitar external flash, the rest are using 70-300 with or without the raynox dcr-150 and the stream shot was the last shot I took with the 18-105 on that trip.

Remaining pics on picasa at a better resolution

Around London

2010-06-02T22:58:00.025+05:30

There are plenty of places to see around London. I had one weekend so narrowed it down to a few places. First up on the list was Windsor castle. The largest inhabited castle was about an hour's journey by train. Very close to the station, the entry line was huge. Took me about half an hour to get in but they do provide audio guides as well and since it is inhabited, security checks also take time. Inside there is a tour of the state apartments, the doll house, and a number of other areas to be visited. The Saint George's cathedral of course is another fine piece of architecture. It was a sunny day and it took me easily the better part of the day to see it all.

Salisbury was a little further off in another direction. The cathedral there was a little more lax in the photography area. The interiors of course as in others are magnificent. Also it does hold the oldest working clock and the best preserved copy of Magna Carta. Listening to the Organ playing on the way out was another treat. There are regular buses to the Stonehenge from Salisbury. The next stop was there. Theories regarding it aside, it is an iconic historical circle of stones. Seems to have been under a fair bit of wear and tear as earlier, people did chip off pieces from it as a souvenirs until they blocked general public from getting too close.

Final stop was the city called Bath which is famous for its ruins of a Roman bath. Can think of quite a few jokes on the name but this is not the place. The abbey overlooks it and had reached there when a mass was going on so could not go inside but the baths themselves were quite interesting. They are located on a hot spring and the ruins are preserved not too well but visible. The city itself is quite idyllic and architecturally very important for its Georgian flavor. The Pulteney bridge and Royal Crescent being the famous ones.

London

2010-06-02T22:03:00.020+05:30

Stayed a couple of weeks in London. Unlike last time where I had stayed in Southampton, staying in Central London in summers with only one day of rain during the 2 weeks gave me much more freedom to move about. Caught a couple of movies and window shopped in a few malls. Then went exploring with a tube ticket to the first 4 zones. London of course has the kind of architecture that really intrigues you with the rustic feel that keeps you interested.

Piccadilly circus and Trafalgar square are a great way to spend the evening. Fridays, the gallery is also open until 9. A number of monuments there provide a nice view. There is of course the largest Ripley's believe it or not museum at Piccadilly but gave that a miss. The National gallery of course is free entry and has some really fantastic paintings from 16th century onwards and is large enough to keep you busy for quite a while. Trafalgar square itself provides an interesting hot-spot for tourists although the pigeon feeding is no more a practice.

Saint Paul's cathedral is another cathedral added to my list of so many visited. It has one of the highest domes and is an amazing piece of architecture to see. Photography is not allowed inside and it is not open to visitors on Sunday as services are held. They do charge about 12 pounds for entry. The view from the dome and the spire is of surrounding London if you can climb there, while also viewing the artwork. The crypt and the lower levels hold various memorials.

A walk along Thames at sunset never really gets boring. Had done that on my last trip as well but was not in much of a hurry this time so took my time exploring the areas around Westminster to the Tower bridge. It was a really long walk but fun. Took a ride on the London eye as well. Maybe a little overrated but it does provide an excellent view of the river and the surrounding areas.

The other museums that I visited were the Natural history museum, the science museum and the British museum. All their entries were free so whenever I had time on my hands and they were open, I was able to get around again thanks to the tube. The British museum itself had some really interesting details while the Natural history museum was fun to say the least. The
Kensington garden were walkable and the Albert memorial there is great. The park also attracts a variety of birds and feeding the squirrels never gets boring.

The Tower of London of course is a must see. Along with the multiple artifacts that it houses and the fact that it has a rather colorful and sordid history, the tours are really fun. The tales by the warders there, the ravens kept there as legend has it that if 6 ravens are not present, the kingdom shall fall, the fusiliers museums, the carvings by the prisoners and of course the crown jewels are just a few of the sights.

Manas National park

2010-04-08T08:59:00.019+05:30

Manas is not as famous as Kaziranga but is pretty well known for its endemic species of Golden langurs (found mostly on the Bhutan side), pygmy hog and hispid hares not found anywhere else. Did not manage to see those but the rest was just as much fun. There are only 6 rhinos in the park out of which 1 had died so this was not going to be like Kaziranga. The park itself is huge but I spent most of the time close to the central area near Beki river (also called Manas in some areas and something else in Bhutan). Manas does extend into Bhutan as well.

Stayed in a lodge just outside the jungle which was very comfortable and nice. The jungle lodge inside the park in Mathanguri of course much better for sightings as most wildlife is concentrated there but lacks electricity and food. Morning is not very good for sightings so took my own car inside. The only route option there is then the main road to Mathanguri and back. Due to quite a few vehicles on the road, wildlife sightings on it during the day are very slim. However we did manage to see quite a few peacocks, great horn-bills, jungle owlet, lots of other birds and a Himalayan squirrel. Walked up to and across the Bhutan border, no real security there as it is forest again but the view of the river is just fantastic from there.

Evening we took a jeep safari, this allowed us to leave the main road and go deeper in to the forest. The sightings include elephants (a really huge herd), bison (there are none in Kaziranga), buffaloes, hog deer, more horn-bills and other birds. We watched the sunset at Mathanguri on the river banks and waited for it to get dark before we left for a 15 km journey back. As rains threatened intermittently we still managed to spot a herd of bison and hog deer. As we pulled down the covers once more the driver alerted us to 2 leopards strolling down the side of the road. While they disappeared into the bushes, the guide alerted us to another one in the bushes. Must have been the mother of the earlier ones.

Next morning we took an elephant ride in the rains, hoped to see a Bengal florican but only managed to see some hog deer, peacocks and a wild boor. The ride itself was very different from the ones in Kaziranga with a no built seats on the elephants and only 2 people per elephant. Since it had been a really early ride (5.30 am) the rain hadn't played spoilsport with mild drizzles intermittently as after we were done it started pouring cats and dogs.

The evening jeep safari was through a different route. Managed to spot a yellow-throated marten which is really rare at that altitude. The usual suspects were there as above but this route had a greater abundance of smaller birds. Missed shots of paradise flycatcher (saw 4 males) and sultan tits but managed some great captures of 3 species of woodpeckers and emerald dove. A lone juvenile male tusker playing about in an open field really showed how untouched by humans this park was as I have not seen such behavior. It ran away as it noticed us. Another buffalo stood up to take a better look at us and then sat down facing away as we were not worth its attention. The drive back was in the night with pouring rain and the lightening lighting up the surrounding forest which did not show us many animals but was really amazing.

Kaziranga

2010-04-06T22:19:00.019+05:30

My first trip to eastern India. A short stay in Guwahati and a visit to the local Kamakhya temple and I was off to Kaziranga. Got there after a 5 hour drive. Stayed there at the Aranya lodge. A government lodge which is considered one of the best at the most reasonable price. On the way there is a viewpoint. Saw an adjutant and a rhino and I was not even in the forest. Kaziranga itself is divided into 3 zones. Each of them quite different from the other in terms of flora and fauna. I had intended to at least get an idea of what each zone held.

The Eastern Zone:

This is the furthest away from the lodges and the town area. Mostly surrounded by tea gardens and farm lands it is the best area for bird sightings. This is also the only location where tourists can get up to the banks of Brahmaputra. Managed to spot one rhino and a few buffaloes there but all else where birds, mostly eagles and hawks. The foliage is quite dense and no elephant rides either. The jeep ride for this is also the most expensive at about 1000 bucks. All this of course ensures that the zone is comparatively less crowded.

The foliage hides quite a few eagles. Spotted one carrying a fish away as well. There is a watch tower near a watering hole which provides the best observations. Managed to see open beak, black necked and woolly necked storks, bar headed geese, ruddy shelducks, and the usual adjutants and ibis. The river would have provided some more but most of the road was blocked due to excessive rain from earlier.

The western zone:

The most popular zone on account of the sheer abundance of rhinos and water buffaloes. Also the jeep rides are the cheapest at 650. This was the first zone I visited and a watch tower near a waterhole provided some great views of a herd of buffaloes and a couple of rhinos. Rains threatened to play spoilsport but there were plenty of rhinos, adjutants, hog deer and buffaloes to keep company. Spotted a small herd of elephants as well. 2 rangers on elephants provided some company on the road.

The elephant ride in the morning is a nice way to get close however in the western zone, it is managed by a private company. The entire thing is handled very shabbily. Unnecessary delays, shortened trips to accommodate more and gross mismanagement left a very bad impression especially since this was not done by the government. Most elephants carry 4-6 people and it does get cramped. All this despite having a much more abundant wildlife compared to the other zones.

The central zone:

My favorite zone, there are areas of dense forests as well as plains. The elephant ride here is a great way to get very close to the rhinos. The rides here are managed by the tourism department with easily about 31 elephants for at least 2 rides early in the morning. Managed to sight a tiger which cut across right in front of our elephant. Then all elephants began trumpeting, the calves which were playing nearby rushed back to their mothers and the elephants refused to proceed in the direction where the tiger had disappeared into the tall grass. Managed to get very close to a rhino but it panicked and ran away when it was getting surrounded by the elephants.

The jeep ride here in the evening was very pleasant. There are specific entry times so the drivers are generally glad to let you have all the time you want. Watching the sunset as the pelicans came back to roost was highlight of the drive. The other sights were the huge herds of elephants strangely with a fully grown male nearby as well, scattered rhinos and buffaloes and some eagles.

Despite a fun filled 3 days with some fantastic views I was looking forward to the next trip to Manas, so immediately after the elephant ride in the western zone, we were off.

Wayanad trek

2010-01-05T19:47:00.012+05:30

This was done over a weekend so really a short trip. Left early morning (more like tried to) and passed by Ranganthittu and Nagarhole on the way there. Had a home stay booked in Kalpetta which was lavish at an extremely reasonable rate. Finding food in Kalpetta was a different story. There is one reasonable hotel, the rest are all dhabas to say the least. After unpacking and some long discussions on POA which had carried over from the drive, we decided to hit Soochipara falls.

The Soochipara is a nice sight. A three-tiered falls, climbing down is a decent exercise. Climbing back up even more so. A few Nilgiri langurs were visible in trees across but the entire area is quite crowded with people jumping in for a dip.

Spent half of the next day trekking up Chembra peak. Again not as early as we would have liked but since we had only half a day, we trekked up only till the heart shaped lake. The lake is believed to have never dried up. Permission is needed for the same and the department charges 500 bucks for 10 people with a guide. Rip off if you don't know beforehand and you are in a small group. The office itself is at the foot of the hills after driving through the tea estates. The view of course is beautiful even at the lake and places for some photogenic memories are a dime a dozen.

Bird Sanctuary sans water

2009-12-15T07:54:00.010+05:30

Bharatpur is one of the best known bird sanctuaries in north India. There hasn't been much rain but this being the season for migratory birds there it seemed like a place to check out. Got there by bus and already had a guest house booked which was cheap while also being really nice. Had an hour of daylight left when I reached there so walked in to the park. Cycle rickshaws are also an option and I saw a lot of people using it to carry equipment while walking. Caught a few sambhar, boars and jackals other than some babblers, barbets, parakeets, mynas, bulbuls, peacocks, starlings and kites. Had to hunt around for a place to eat but then was not much of a problem.

The next day decided to take a cycle rickshaw. The drivers there are trained and they can recognise most birds very easily. Also they have an idea of what to find where, so a guide or a rickshaw is recommended. Early morning pickings were great. Saw owls, owlets, kites and shikras as well and in the slightly wet areas saw a black necked stork, egrets and grey herons other than the water fowl and ducks. The area where pythons are found was empty and just managed to see some prints and holes but on the way back saw a tortoise. A temple nearby also has a grand collection of turtles which the pujari feeds. He also takes care of a few deer and peacock though I did see his assistants driving a sambhar off with a stick.

The final day was more eventful, found a dusky eagle owl nest with the huge bird standing nearby. Saw a spoonbill and an orange headed thrush (quite rare). Among animals along with the jackals, boars and deer, we saw a jungle cat hunt some rodent and a hare running about as well. Kingfishers, hoopoes and the other common birds were of course ever present. I would certainly like to go back some time when there is water as from what I heard, this was about 10 percent of the birds that where there last year this time. Sure enough the migratory birds arrived in delhi zoo told the entire story. The painted storks colony and the pelicans show how different it can be. They were far more than in Bharatpur.

Tiger reserve in off-season

2009-12-14T23:35:00.008+05:30

Corbett is of course one of the best known tiger reserves around. You are certain to see tiger paw-prints or tiger poop if not the majestic beast itself. Off-season time in fact you gotta be happy with that. The grass is so tall you can barely see 10m ahead, however there were a few reports of some sightings. Dhikala of course is the best place to stay there. Right in the jungle, it overlooks a river and sits atop a cliff with plains to behold. The 2 hr drive to it also takes you across a varied landscape and deer and wild boar are of course in plenty.

In Dhikala, there is the platform overlooking the valley and as soon as we got there, someone pointed out a tusker in the distance. Further away was a herd of elephants barely visible because of the distance. Later as night fell, one of the workers there told us that porcupines would come down to eat the garbage thrown behind the worker mess. After waiting for an hour, sure enough a couple of baby porcupines came down to chomp on the leftovers, one of them even attempting to take a roti out of some guys hand.

Spent the next day mostly in jeep drives. The bird life varies quite a bit in each area and boars an different types of deer keep you company for quite a bit. The area near the river is the busiest. Caught a few pug marks along the way. The afternoon though was spent on the platform and that provided a fantastic view of the river, among other things managed to see eagles, vultures, tortoises and maybe a tiger. Maybe because everyone just caught glimpses and even the photos are inconclusive.

Wrapped up the final day with a nice elephant ride which took us down to the river. Birds, sambhar, chital and boars again but the chilly trip down was beautiful. A fish eagle continued to pose for us until it was time to leave. As a lady nearby put it: Must be the most photographed fish eagle around.

Luxor - world's greatest open air museum

2009-11-16T02:48:00.005+05:30

The Luxor trip started with a visit to the west bank, to the valley of kings. 63 tombs from various dynasties lay there as the hill there was assumed to be the steps to heaven, serving a role similar to the pyramids of the old. I visited 3 tombs, each one different from the other, with the length of the shaft giving an idea of the reign of the pharaoh. The smaller shafts had their owners dying early which was why they were incomplete. The longer ones more decorated as the owners spent more time living. The colors and the sarcophagus preserved in a few.

Next up was the temple of Hatshepsut, which was the only temple remaining among the 3 in that area. The other 2 were built by her father and her 2nd husband Thutmose III(also her step-son) who had tried to destroy her temple. Ironically her temple was the only one which survived a landslid due to an earthquake. The statues there are restored as most were badly destroyed and most of the carvings were also damaged by Thutmose III however the temple is still beautiful and is surrounded by tombs of nobles. The view from the site is amazing. Also saw the colossi of Memnon nearby, 2 huge statues of Amenhotep.

We came back to Luxor and proceeded to the Karnak temple complex. This was absolutely way beyond anything I have seen. The complex is humongous. The size completely overshadowed by the sheer amount of art and architecture present. The row of sphinxes at the entrance, the fantastic size of the gates, the entire rows of huge columns and the obelisks in the inner precinct are just surprises lined up after one another. Towards the end the lake and the scarab sculpture still thought to bring luck and fulfill wishes altogether made this one of my favorite pieces of history to witness. Some parts of it have undergone reconstruction and renovation however the entire complex is a certain must see.

Last on my list was the Luxor temple. Although not as huge as the Karnak temple, this was still impressive, the obelisk in front of the gate providing a very scenic view. Inside one of the best preserved statues was another sight. Both these temples had been built in the pharonic style and the change in architecture from Kam Ombo and Edfu was prominent. Both of them had many stories on their walls which my guide explained. I had a few hours to kill until my train back to Cairo so that was spent at the Luxor museum. It is of course much smaller than the Cairo one but being much newer, it is very well made and definitely worth a visit. The next day I took a bus from Cairo to Taba, partied in Eilat for a day and got back.

Cruising on the Nile

2009-11-16T02:10:00.009+05:30

The river Nile is of course the lifeline of Egypt, has always been and will remain for a real long time if not forever. The prospect of a cruise in a ship for 3 days was always going to be fun. The Nile flows from south to north, dividing Egypt to upper Egypt (in the south) and lower (in the north). I arrived at Aswan late in the morning after a really comfortable journey in the sleeping train. In Aswan itself before the cruise I managed to see the unfinished obelisk, discarded because a crack was found while carving it and the high dam which not only stops Nile from flooding lower Egypt and keeps the crocodiles in the lake Nasser.

A felucca ride to the cruise ship completed the activities of the day, the boatman did shout at me as I tipped him less. After this I basically relaxed on the ship which also had a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. In the night a programme was organized in the saloon of the ship with some local dancers and and some fun and games. The ship itself stayed at Aswan that day and the next so I spent the day either hanging around Aswan (which seemed very small and peaceful compared to Cairo) or just chilling on the ship itself. In the evening we sailed to Kom Ombo.

The main attraction there is the temple, built in Greco Roman style by the Ptolemys from about 180 BC to 40 BC approx. It was built for the crocodile headed god Sobek to appease the crocodiles after Nile floods. It is unique in the fact that it was built for 2 gods, Horus and Sobek, Horus being the benevolent god countering Sobek. I got there when it was dark and the temple in the lights was just spectacular. Also amazing are the carvings which present the ancient equivalents of surgical instruments as my guide explained. The calendar there also displayed the sheer knowledge of a civilization so old. A crocodile museum is being constructed to house the 300 crocodile mummies found there. Other points of interest where the double entrance and the nilometer to determine the amount of donations the temple would receive.

The next day early in the morning the ship arrived at Edfu. A horse tonga took my guide and me to the temple there. the tongas are basically tourist attractions as I cant imagine the locals using them. The Edfu temple itself is dedicated to Horus and his victory over Set to avenge the death of his father Osiris as the carvings show. Built by the Ptolemys and quite Greco Roman, it is very well preserved. The inner sanctuary and the carvings and statues all over make for a very nice viewing. The ceilings are blackened due to Christian missionaries having taken refuge there during their persecution but the colors in some places are visible. A carving of the numbers used gave an idea of the builder's mathematical prowess.

The ship moved on to the Esna lock where we went from higher to lower water and then we carried on to Luxor. As it had gotten dark by the time we reached Luxor in the late evening, the trips to the city were scheduled for the next day. A sunset on the Nile provided the perfect photogenic moment.

First stop - Cairo

2009-11-16T01:28:00.010+05:30

I needed a vacation and currently staying in Israel, the ideal option seemed to be Egypt. It would be very different from my previous trips and the fact that there was the sheer incredible history associated with the architecture there made for a very interesting trip to work on. I took a bus from Jerusalem to Eilat, crossed over to Taba (never seem to get over the fact that I walked across continents Asia to Africa) and then took a bus to Cairo to reach in the late evening. I had been booked at a hotel in El Haram street (also called Pyramid street) which is pretty close to the pyramids in Giza. The street itself is quite a hotspot with the number of discos and pubs on it. Getting into the Giza area the first thing to notice was the imposing silhouette of the pyramids in the city's smoggy background with the vulgar modern architecture unable to obscure the grandiose triangle which looks like a geometric hill yet is obviously the work of man.

The next day I went with a guide to the pyramids. If they seemed imposing from a distance, up close they seemed unreal. The largest one, of Cheops stands at 138 mts(originally 146), while the second one of Khafre, slightly smaller but equally amazing still has a part of the casing stone remaining which gives it a distinct appearance. I entered this pyramid as well to get a view of the sarcophagus inside and the decor for the dead. The relatively smaller pyramid of Menkaure stands beside at less than half the height to provide a perspective. His statues in the museum show him to be quite a benevolent ruler compared to his predecessors. Surrounding these are the tombs of nobles who wished to be near their rulers in the afterlife. The sphinx guarding the entire complex of course is impressive as well. Stories regarding the extraction of the Sphinx in 1400 BC (it was built before 3000 BC and buried in sands up till the neck) by a prince who wished to be king, and the destruction of its nose and beard were the pick of the legends.

Later then I visited a perfume store where they extracted and prepared the perfumes locally and a papyrus store which displayed the artistry and beauty of an art practiced since ages. The highlight though was the Egyptian museum, where just quickly observing each and every artifact in the museum would take months. I managed to catch a glimpse of the more popular ones. The mask and Sarcophagus of Tutankhamen being the real eye candy at 11 and 108 kgs of gold respectively. A couple of hours there was less than a trailer for the sheer number of historical collections of over 5000 years but my guide managed to explain what the common symbolism in quite a few statues and carvings meant.

The evening was again spent in front of the pyramids and the sphinx as I stayed on for the light and sound show in the dark. Extremely well presented and certainly worth the time as it literally shed some new light on them. The next day was a trip to Memphis which had been the capital 3000 years ago and housed some more statues and then to Sakkara which had some more tombs and a step pyramid which was the precursor to the true ones in Giza. In the distance from Sakkara the bent pyramid is visible as well. A visit to the Alabaster citadel provided a welcome change to the scenery as it was in religion, architecturally and functionally very different from all that I had seen until then. Also visible from that location was a panorama of Cairo. Some falafel and window shopping in Khan el Khalili bazaar (man do they love ripping tourists off) moved the evening along after which I hung out at the station with my tour operator for company until my train arrived.

The tip and back

2009-10-05T23:03:00.007+05:30

After getting out of the houseboat, we hit the road again. With a short trip to the nearby bird sanctuary, it took about 6 hours to get to the hotel in Trivandrum. The hotel had an attached beach opposite to my room which made for a very nice view. Went to the nearby Padmanabhaswamy temple. This temple does not allow people in unless you wear only a dhoti, so bought one and went in. The architecture is magnificent but there are plenty of touts pulling money off you for everything in God's name. Spent the evening until sundown in the hotel's private beach.

The next day, we travelled to Kanyakumari by road. It took 2 hours and Tamil Nadu is easily recognizable from Kerala, the roads get worse, crowded and dirtier, language change as well. On the way we visited the Padmanabha palace. Like the other palaces, this is also converted into a museum with artifacts from an old age. Maintained by Kerala itself, the entire place is well maintained and has many relics, sculptures, paintings and furniture from the time of its use. The weapons and other antiques are in a museum inside the palace itself.

In Kanyakumari itself, there are enough beaches to keep anyone busy. The Vivekananda memorial and the Tiruvalluvar statue near the sea are a nice watch. The nearby temple is also interesting and there is another temple further inside the land with a huge Hanuman statue, architecturally quite spectacular.The sunset on the tip is of course a sight to see. It was cloudy but not too much so we did manage to see it before we got to the hotel. The next day was spent in Trivadrum itself where ahost of museums and art galleries kept me busy in the day. There is a huge collection of Raja Ravi Varma's paintings along with the others in the art gallery and the museums highlight the entire history of the rulers in Kerala and the cultural impact. All of them located in the same area.

After this I started out to Calicut by train and took a bus from there to get closer to Nagarahole. Crossing the Vayyanad district in the early morinings is a real treat. Staying in the forest lodge though was not much fun. The rooms were bad, no light or water. There were deer all around but only 2 safaris were available. One in the morning and one in the evening for one hour each. The driver drove it like race car. Stayed there for 1 day instead of the 2 planned because of this. Managed to see gaurs, sambar, deer, mongoose and a few birds and saw elephants on the way out. The private lodges should be better and I heard the summer months have better plans for safaris but that is for another trip.

Forests and Backwaters

2009-10-05T21:35:00.009+05:30

After Munnar, Thekkady was still chilly but not as much. Travel time till there was about 5 hours. The trip was fun with 100% to less than 10% visibility and vice versa in a matter of minutes. The fog and clouds moved really fast. The hotel in Thekkady that I was in, had their very own spice plantations in between the lodges. It hosted a variety of spiders nestled in between the pepper and coffee. These also served as a very nice spot for the birds (mainly racket tailed drongos and treepies). The evening was spent boating in Periyar lake. Managed to see a few gaurs, elephants, sambar, boars and a lot of nesting cormorants. 2 days later one of the boats capsized there but that is a different story and I was no longer there.

After a night trek(7-10 pm) to see a few sambar, we took a jeep drive to the heart of the forest the next day morning. A forest lodge is maintained by the Kerala govt there which provides a host of activities. Saw a few more gaurs at a distance on the way. After the night trek, didnt feel like trekking some more so we took another jeep safari. Animals seen: elephants, malabar squirrel, nilgiri langurs and more birds. The guides are truly dedicated and they did their best so we could find animals even during the off season. I was told it is far busier in the on season. A look at a cardamom processing unit, a boating session to a nearby waterfall and a jeep drive through the forest back to the lodge in pouring rain wrapped up the day. Too tired to stroll around spice markets, I gave that a miss.

Proceeded to Alleppy to check into a resort the next day. The resort was accessible only through a boat. An evening boat-ride to watch the fishing in the sunset was how we ended the day. Took a boat ride in a row boat to catch some more birds early in the morning. The resort had its own private backwater area where pedal boating was complimentary. Tried fishing a little bit as well and ended up feeding the fishes rather than catch any. A crow made off with the remaining bait.

With an hour's drive we got to the house boat. This was a single ac room luxury boat with a cook and 2 navigators. Lazily crawling through the areas where canoes fight for supremacy in Nehru cup races and watching canoes parked on the side was the agenda. There are of course house boats of all sizes running all over the place. A few canoes selling fish and prawns serve as door to door salesman. Don't think they would have to go too far for refills. Stepped out a bit to a jungle nearby to see a variety of flora(spices, teak, mahagony and more) but otherwise stayed on the boat. The boat chugged on slowly to Kumarokum the next day morning.

God's own country

2009-10-05T19:59:00.010+05:30

I had 2 weeks of vacation and Kerala seemed like a nice place to relax and see around. It has a nice variety of backwaters, beaches, national parks, hill stations and museums to keep you on your toes. Also since it isn't that big a state so travel time would be reasonable. Started the trip by landing in Cochin. Checked into a hotel in the outskirts and started the tour immediately.

First on the list were the Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi. They are mostly not in use except to show tourists. According to the locals, the water is clogged with dirt, jellyfish and plants. Some of them work and are quite nice in operation. The catch however does get sold quickly for the ones working. The beach there is a tiny one but worth a visit.

Cochin had been the center for spice trade and still has many shops for spices. There is also a Jew street and a Synagogue. The Synagogue was closed but I was able to see a few shops. There are also many spice and antique stores in the area which are worth a visit. The Dutch palace nearby has been converted into a museum. The paintings and the relics from the ages are interesting to say the least. The evening was spent at the marine drive where a 40 rupee boat ride in the fading light was a real pleasure.

The next day was mostly spent in traveling to Munnar. Saw quite a few waterfalls on the way (Cheeyapara being the largest of them). The hotel there had one of the best views of the valley that I have seen. After some much needed grub, proceeded to a see a dam and a huge waterfall. The mist and the clouds ensure you are never really seeing a scene twice while looking at the same hills. The entire hillside of course is covered with tea plantations and a few spice plantations(cardamom and pepper) and coffee scattered as well.

The next day was spent visiting Eravikulam National Park, Mattupetty Reservoir,Eco Point(eco as in ecological, not echo) and Kundala dam. The sights are beautiful but also tourist hotspots so quite crowded. The national park is reached by a government bus with a real long queue. The national park itself is a scenic hill where you can walk up, a few mountain goats live there which you can see if you are lucky. The other sites were beautiful as well and the commercialization is minimal compared to the other hill stations. The bird life in the area is quite prominent in the mornings. A sign board on the way summarized it pretty well "As close to heaven as it gets".

Safari near Haridwar

2009-08-23T01:36:00.020+05:30

Decided to go to Rajaji National park near Delhi on my few days off while getting back from Israel. It is not reported for much wildlife although I had heard of a lot of birds. Well things where very different. Stayed in the government hotel which was comfy(nice paneer pakodas). Hit a safari in the evening. The place is full of peacocks. Saw a one dancing with its back to us also saw a few elephants, spotted deer. They allow large private vehicles inside so we had a painful group following us. They managed to chase a hiding leopard so got just a glimpse of it.

The next day we had another safari where we saw quite a few birds along with the same animals as the previous day. The driver was really patient so we had a nice long drive for three hours. Managed to see rollers, woodpeckers, changeable hawk eagle, serpent eagle, owls, kingfisher, grey hornbills, and a pied hornbill (rare). Startled another leopard as well so caught a glimpse of that.

Later in the day got to do some white water rafting in the Ganges from Shivpuri in Rishikesh. Jumping off a 25 foot high rock into the Ganges was real fun. After lunch and some lazing decided to check out what Haridwar is famous for: a couple of temples. We went up a cable car to a couple of them(Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi) which provided some spectacular shots of the river. The temple itself had quite a few shops which made it look like a small mall. Gave Harki Pauri and the jhulas a miss as I have been there when I was a kid. Got lost there too as a kid but was found as well.

Around Srirangaptnam

2009-08-23T01:01:00.004+05:30

The city of Tipu Sultan. Went there with Sagar(my roommate) over a weekend just for killing time. Ranganthittu is a very well preserved bird sanctuary. Really well preserved due to the crocodiles in the lake. Getting closer to the birds is only possible through a boat. Heard of tales where a girl's hand got eaten years back but maybe just a story. There are quite a few birds there, pelicans, storks, cormorants, spoonbills and other water birds. Few smaller ones if you search for them real hard. Crocs would be in the water unless its morning. Also saw a huge bat herd and a few langurs around.

Srirangaptnam has a few old sites. There is Tipu's fort, his memorial also a temple there. Mysore itself is not very far with the palace and the Brindavan gardens. Stayed there for the evening light show but had to give the palace a miss as we couldn't find lodging so took a bus back home.

Sawandurga

2009-08-23T00:47:00.005+05:30

Have been to Sawandurga a couple of times. Once with friends just for a trek. More recently though it was a team outing by the company. The largest monolith around hadn't changed much but we did not climb it this time. After breakfast we hiked to a nearby hill. Did rappelling there after ages(Haven't done it since Ooty). Hiked some more after that. Managed to catch a Brahmini Starling and a lot of butterflies. Also saw the nest with eggs of a jungle fowl, a red spider which curled up to look like a flower bud.

Afterward we rowed across a stream to get some lunch. There were quite a few lapwings there and many more cormorants. The cormorants were far and we thought they were ducks. Someone even wanted to make a lunch out of those but we skipped that. Jumped into the water for some more fun before we trekked back to the bus. A one day time-pass trip.

From the horse's mouth

2009-08-23T00:18:00.006+05:30

The Kudremukh trip was a team outing with the rest of my team mates. A home stay was booked in Samse which had quite a bit of wilderness around. The first day was spent in hikes and waterfalls which were a dime a dozen over there. One of the treks we planned a little bit late so that we could get back after the dark. Full moon night was just a coincidence. The place has a great bit of green area which is fantastic in the early morning fog. It feels like you are above clouds. Butterflies, insects and birds are of course plentiful. A bonfire at night felt like the norm.

The nest day had trips to nearby areas of streams, Gangemoole, Hanumangundi falls and other places nearby. At one of the places there was a guide who took us in a few stones cut into by the stream which was nice. The falls of course are a nice place to have fun. Wrapped up the day with a scenic view on a sunset point.

Om beach

2009-08-23T00:00:00.015+05:30

Went to Om beach with friends quite a few months back. It is a very relaxing place. Hiked from Gokarna to the beach, which was really tiring but the jump into the sea more than made up for it. The food at the shacks is awesome or maybe we were too hungry. Staying was literally in a hut with no roof on the bathroom(not separate of course). There is nothing much to do at the beaches except to chill out which is cool.

Sunsets are lovely just as on any other beach. We took a couple of boat rides, a few hikes, and a lot of jumps in the sea. Overall the two days made me feel like a million bucks. Got a few nice shots of eagles, chameleons and a few crabs. The seas can be choppy and I wore my glasses there. Obviously lost them but then had sunglasses so ended up looking like a blind man wearing dark glasses at night. There is a famous temple at Gokarna which we conveniently avoided.

Kruger

2009-08-15T01:02:00.019+05:30

After Masai Mara, I thought Kruger may not really be that cool. I am so glad I was wrong. After an awesome drive through the most beautiful countryside we arrived at our lodge in Kruger late in the afternoon. After lunch we booked a night safari as that was something I had missed in Masai Mara. Till it started we had some time to kill and so I went exploring around the lodge which had a bunch of games, a pool and a humongous chessboard as an added attraction. Add to that the few deer and baboons constantly running around and a huge elephant hanging out close to one of the viewpoints I had enough entertainment until evening.

We started on the game drive watching elephants and a lion a few kilometers from the lodge. Kruger has the capacity for about 7000-8000 elephants. There are 12500 so they are everywhere. The authorities tried transporting them to other reserves but they always returned. So there are plans to cull them but that of course has been met with vehement opposition from the animal activists. Hippos generally come out to feed after dark so we saw quite a few of them as well.

Soon after sunset we reached a point where 5 lions were cleaning up a zebra they had killed earlier. Unfortunately for the lions, a hippo chose the same route. The lions did not want to leave the kill and they were too scared to attack it as well. The hippo did not want to take another route either. Add to that 2 hyenas behind our jeep and 1 in front wanted some of the spoils as well and were counting on the hippo to move the lions. This standoff stayed for about an hour as we stood watching. One of the cubs continued chomping down the little remains. We had to leave as it was getting late but the next day we found out no real fight had occurred. Guess the lions cleaned up and moved and the hippo had enough patience. The hyenas must have cleaned the scraps as well as nothing remained at that spot the next day. On our way back we saw a rhino with its baby and civet.

The next day we woke up to 3 zebras sitting a few meters away from the lodge's balcony. That day was a full day game drive. It started well with a few eagles, a tusker, deer, other birds, zebras and deer. Breakfast was at another lodge with our packed food in open grounds so the number of birds there were amazing. After breakfast we were stopped on the road by an extraordinarily large herd of elephants which took about 2 minutes for the entire herd to get across. However the best part was we caught 5 lions napping near a water hole. A few impalas came to get a drink there and the lions got planning. 4 of them flanked the impalas while one charged in to them. They hunted the last one down and we managed to see them making a meal out of it in no time.

The rest of the day as it got hotter we saw, giraffes, carrion birds, zebras, wildebeest, rhinos, crocs and water birds at another watering hole, hippos, dik-dik, eagles and a herd of buffaloes. I had still not seen a leopard and so I gave it one last shot at another night safari that day. Sure enough the first thing that we saw was a young leopard perched on a tree staring at us. We saw a few more buffaloes, hippos and elephants before we returned. The next morning we went out on a walk with a guide and later to a few areas at the edge of the sprawling lodge area. Managed to see quite a few birds, wildebeest, baboons, langurs, zebras and deer to end the trip.

As we got back to the airport at Johannesburg, we passed through the city of Nelspruit which had an unusually high number of car showrooms. There was Mazda, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Hummer, Chevrolet, Isuzu, Opel, Volvo, Peugeot, Gonow, Kia, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Freightliner, Lexus, Chana and others all along the same road. While taking the flight back the connecting flight from Nairobi was delayed by 8 hours so got to relax in the hotel for a while before returning.

The edge of the continent

2009-08-14T22:04:00.022+05:30

South Africa has a charm unlike most other places. I had to explore a bit as soon as I checked into a hotel in Cape Town in the evening. We went to waterfront as recommended by the hotel. Situated on the port and packed with restaurants, malls and tourist adventure packages, it was a beautiful place to spend the evening. Took a sunset cruise on a sailboat, and saw a few seals at some distance from the shore. The sunset from the boat was also incredible, however I was more or less freezing as I had underestimated the weather there. Despite that it was an enjoyable evening.

The next day was with a tour guide to check out areas around Cape Town. First stop was Table mountain. The ascent to the top was with a cable car and on the flat top (hence the name) was a great view of the city. Managed to see a few hyraxes on the sides. The day was clear and sunny so no hitches at all as we learnt on some days the weather is terribly and the ride has to be closed down. We saw that happen the next day.

We then took a ferry to circle seal island which stank to high heavens but that is because it is packed with seals. Would have suspected a few sharks to be there but guess they don't come close to the shore. While getting down there was a funny routine by some of the locals. Next stop was cape point but before we got there we managed to see an ostrich farm, some vineyards on the way and an amazing handicrafts collection made from stones and wood. Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point provided some more amazing views. We managed to see a few wild ostriches around that area as well. We had lunch there and just as we walked off after paying the bill, a baboon dropped in to clean up. The waiter and the baboon screamed at each other until the baboon gave up and ran away.

We drove to Boulder's beach after lunch. It is famous for the African penguins that reside there. Most of the beach is restricted because of that but there are boardwalks which allow you to get very close to them. On the way to Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, we traveled along the coast and on the way we saw a couple of whales extremely close to the coast as they got stuck due to a couple of ships in the way. After all the unscheduled stops we managed to get to Kirstenbosch extremely late in the evening but it was still before closing time so we got to see the botanical garden as well. Atleast some parts of it. It is humongous and even running between the areas was not sufficient.

The next day we woke up to some terrible weather but that did not bother as we traveled to Johannesburg in the morning. Johannesburg on the other hand was sunny and hot. Thanks to a goof up on part of the hotel we had a BMW luxury coupe to pick us up from the airport. We visited a stalactite cave and a very small wildlife reserve near the hotel after lunch. The cave was also a mine earlier so some history lessons there as well and also a crazy amount of steep steps to run up. The reserve had lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, rhinos, and a bunch of African grass-eaters in different areas. The night was spent at the casino attached to the hotel(won a little, lost slightly more) and the next day we took a long but one of the most scenic drives from Johannesburg to Kruger.

Masai Mara

2009-08-14T16:42:00.003+05:30

Kilometers of wilderness is pure heaven. Masai Mara is one of the most famous reserves in the world and I discovered why. We landed there in the middle of migration(also know as the greatest natural show on earth). It meant over a million wildebeest, and many impalas, gazelles, buffaloes, zebra, giraffes and other food items were moving towards Serengeti. The lions and hyenas were fat and happy with the buffet and it was generally an amazing time to watch all animals come out for their versions of snacks.

We reached Masai Mara in the afternoon and after lunch we set off on a game drive. There were multitudes of wildebeest, zebras and deer around. It tool us just an hour to find lions. 1 male and 3 female lazing about without a care. Later we saw a serval cat as well. Vultures were the most common birds around but there were many other less conspicuous birds also. Saw a secretary bird, marabou storks, other carrion birds and so on. The park is closed for safaris at night so we had to get back. The lodge itself was quite lively, with baboons and mongoose running about. Our balcony opened up to a stream so we could see water birds and other animals come down for a drink.

The next day early morning we started out on a balloon safari. While getting to the take off spot on the way were lions feeding, hippo with a baby getting back into water and a hyena running ahead. The balloon safari itself was an hour ride over the plains until the edge of the Kenya border where we could watch herds migrating, hyenas having a pack war, ostriches and giraffes obliviously grazing and a serval cat which seemed really interested in the balloon. On landing we had to drive up to where the breakfast was set for us in the jungle.

After that, we moved towards one of the rivulets of the Mara river. Saw a herd of elephants along the way along with the other herds. A huge crowd of vultures circling promised something interesting near the stream. As we got closer we saw corpses of hundreds of wildebeest dead while crossing the river and carrion birds of all kinds having a feast. Traveling further down, we spotted a herd of wildebeest ready to cross while a lioness waited on the other side. As the wind changed the lioness had to charge too early, it wasn't able to catch any. Lost its cub somewhere as well and kept calling out to it after that. We stopped at our lodge lunch where the food scraps attracted many small birds and a few curious monkeys as well.

In the free time just after lunch, I managed to see a monitor lizard and a few mongoose trying to steal piece of meat from each other. A Masai worked there as a naturalist and he showed me a few birds. We managed to see a lilac breasted plover which was not found in the area and a yellow winged bat which is quite rare as well. In the last game drive we found a cheetah hiding out from the sun and a large number of lions lazing about in different areas. We got back to Nairobi after that and proceeded to South Africa.

Welcome to the Jungle

2009-08-12T23:33:00.000+05:30

The Kenya trip happened after a couple of postponements(office and visa) but it was seriously worth it. Landed there during the migration season which rocks. After landing in Nairobi, stayed at family friends place. Went around a couple of places there, giraffe park, croc park, a mall and my parents went shopping(I stayed back and played with the kids there). There was of course the customary party social gathering to attend fortunately they were restricted to the nights of arrival and departure alone.The safaris though began the very next day.

The first day we traveled to Aberdare national park and stayed in the treetops hotel. It is a lodge situated in the heart of the jungle in between two watering holes. The top floor is open with a great view of both the watering holes. The lodge itself was a 3 storey wooden fortress with loads of windows on all floors till the basement for every possible view. Spent the late noon to evening watching waterbucks, bushbucks, impalas, Babylons, warthogs, buffaloes and a multitude of fresh water birds. As we came down for dinner, there was a tusker drinking from the freshwater supply right below. I spent most of the night watching, as a buffalo, 3 bushbucks and a hares kept me company. Somebody told me about a hyena as well but could not see it.

We traveled to lake Naivasha the next day stopping at the equator to experiment on the Coriolis effect. 20 feet on either side of the equator the spin of the water was absolutely opposite. As we got closer to the lake the zebras and the Thompson's gazelles were actually seen on the road. An alternate option would have been to go to lake Nakuru for the flamingos but that is for another trip. The main industry in that area is florticulture as was evident from the flower farms around that area.

The lodge where we stayed was about 500 mtrs from the lake which meant we had lots of bushbucks, marabou storks, multitude of smaller birds and 4 giraffes(1 Rothschild, 2 reticulated and 1 masai) running about in the sprawling lawns. A small moat with a bridge and sign warning about dangerous animals beyond 6 pm marked the ending of the lodge grounds. I tried chasing the giraffes a bit for a few shots but they are timid. The bushbucks and storks even more so. In the evening we went out for bird trip. Managed to see drongos, hoopoe, blacksmith and banded lapwings, kingfishers, woodpeckers, cormorants, ducks, an eagle, dovetail and others. The lake itself had hippos floating around(the dangerous animals in the sign). I hiked again in the morning the next day as well without a guide to catch the sunrise and then we drove to the main area of interest: Masai Mara.

English

2009-08-11T03:52:00.010+05:30

The trip to UK was a very memorable one. It was my first business trip from the company and also my first trip after I bought a camera. A BMW showroom right opposite to my office always kept me drooling . English weather and humor were the only cold dampeners, but that was because I understood neither. The office was in Southampton which is about 1 hr by train from London. The only weekend I spent there had of course one agenda alone: London.

We got to London in the early afternoon, partially because of repair work on the tracks and partially due to our laziness. We spent most of the remaining daylight on the banks of Thames. The view of Westminster abbey and the London eye is certainly breathtaking. Walking across Tower bridge and London bridge in rain not so much. The evening was spent on Oxford street where I managed to even see a cycle rickshaw. I managed to get a room for about 90 pounds which is by far the most expensive and smallest hotel room I have ever stayed in.

The next day began much earlier. We got to the Buckingham palace quite early and despite the rains managed to see some horseback guardsmen on a patrol. Then it started pouring, so took the time off for some souvenir hunting. We used the subway to get to Baker street, a statue of Sherlock Holmes certainly confirmed that. Spent a couple of hours in Madame Tussaud's there. The wax sculptures do jump out. Then walked around a couple of streets before we got back to Southampton(fortunately repairs were done). Of course we did not miss out on an English pub.

Eilat

2009-08-09T02:01:00.001+05:30

At the southernmost tip of Israel sharing the borders with Jordan and Egypt is the town of Eilat. Route to it could be along the dead sea or the more scenic route through Mitzpe Ramon. This town is duty free for everyone so a great spot for shopping and the only beach on the Red Sea in Israel makes it a real tourist hot-spot.

Just before you enter Eilat is an ostrich and other African deer reserve. We did a little offroading to get there as we were there after the closing time but I suppose they let you in even with your vehicle. Our offroading did not get us inside the fence but there were a few ibexes and ostriches close to the fence. There are camel tours and Timna national park there(few mines I guess). We skipped those however.

There are plenty of places to stay there. Youth hostels are quite cheap for 3-4 people and you would not have to sell your soul for a motel either. I stayed in a motel and a youth hostel on separate trips. There is a decent night life here and close to the city center beach a nice place to shop. There is also an ice pub not to be missed which is really cool. An imax theater shows 3d movies (1 English for every 3 Hebrew) also near the huge mall at the center. The airport is truly hard to miss as it lies right between two roads and handles private and domestic flights only I guess.

The red as opposed to the other water bodies in Israel is a clear and calm sea with plenty of sea-life. The corals support a wide variety of colorful fishes and scuba diving is an absolute pleasure. I tried diving in the coral reef as well as in the dolphin reef with an instructor. Each experience is completely different. The dolphin reef has 6-8 dolphins and a couple of sea turtles which from underwater are really amazing to watch. The coral reef of course has tons of colorful fishes all around you all the time. I managed to see an eel as well at 6 mtrs underwater. One of the guys with me was a non swimmer and he was also able to dive with an instructor.

The other water sports there are pretty much like any other tourist beach. Para-sailing, Jet skiis, motorboats. There is also an oceanarium which houses various fishes and provides an underwater observatory. There are films on fishes with effects and moving seats which is nice. Glass bottom boat rides to get up close and personal with the coral reefs are also a good idea. The oceanarium also provides the feeding times of different fishes and watching piranhas chomp never gets old.

This would wrap up my travels in Israel. I did miss out a couple of places(Nazreth and Gaza). Though I don't intend to visit those places. Currently being a tour guide for my colleagues here.

The desert and the dead sea

2009-08-08T23:35:00.000+05:30

One of the first things that we get to see around Israel is the dead sea. It is a fantastic geological formation. A sea being cut off by land. The water evaporate creating a viscous super saturated saline solution. It feels like a water mattress to lie on it. You cant sink of course so no danger for the non swimmers either. No waves unless it gets very windy. There are other ways of getting hurt there of course. Open cuts are going to feel like acid burns. A friend of mine had shaved that day, he learnt what pain is. Swallowing the water too gives you a tummy ache. Avoid these and its all fun. The mud on the shores are supposed to be really good for the skin. The salts extracted from the sea itself is used for a number of beauty products.

There are quite a few beaches on dead sea. The slightly large public one is Ein Gedi. The private ones are way better with sulpher baths and lesser crystallized salt on the beaches. It really is easier on bare feet. However they charge for the entry. Along the coast are also a factory for salt extraction and an outlet where the finished beauty products from the salts are available at a discounted price.

West of the dead sea is mostly desert, however somewhere in between is the city of Mitzpe Ramon. which stands at the edge of the large crater(Makhtesh Ramon). This is formed due to geological phenomenon over the years and not due to meteoroids as I initially thought. There are 2 other craters though this is the biggest one. It contains a multitude of hiking trails and a possibility of rappelling on the edge as well. Recommended during spring as it does have an active flora and fauna hiding there. The different colored sands and the camel hill make for a very scenic viewing.

Close to Ein Gedi is also Masada. The ruins of an ancient Jewish city sacked by the Romans. The entire population of that committed suicide to avoid capture and slavery by the Romans. It stands atop a huge hill which explains why it was able to hold out in the siege for some time. Getting to the top are through 2 options, a crane which gets you up nice and easy while giving a great view or climbing up the snake path which is pure oven during the hot months. While coming down the snake path was comfortable as it was still winter but it is about a km or so and tiring if you have luggage.

Towards Kinnaret

2009-08-08T22:19:00.000+05:30

Moving towards the northeast. The sea of Galilee is famous for the fact that Jesus walked on water on it. It is not so much a sea, more a lake actually. The exact spot is at the north of the lake. The sea of Galilee itself is a nice place to hang out and fish or kayak if you travel a few streams up northwards but then on the way there are a few places to hang out.

Gan Hashlosha is a spring and picnic area. We went for a team outing there. Had an awesome barbecue and bunch of games in the water. Also a treasure hunt and stuff organized by the company there. However I have been there other times as well. There is a kangaroo park right next to. One of my colleagues had her kid who had a ball there. You can feed the kangaroos and there are a bunch of other birds kept there as well. A fairly decent spot for a picnic and quite close to Bet Shean.

In Bet Shean, there are the ruins of a Roman city. The entire excavation is open to the public with detailed information. The market place, baths, residences are quite visible clearly. On a hot day it might be a little too tiring so recommended visiting times are in winter. There is a hill which overlooks the entire ruin and the view from it is really beautiful. However it is a quite a bit of a climb in summer. The petrol stations in these areas have quite a selection of restaurants and fortunately for me we were never really far from food(Love those pancakes).

In the extreme north are the Golan heights. A bunch of hills still quite disputed. We traveled to Mt Hermon in that area to ski. Had never skied before so it was a new experience for me. It was also a little painful experience as my backside froze from the number of times I fell. I did manage the beginner's slope on my own but gave up after falling down thrice on the amateur one. The skiing is open until the months of march as the snow there melts. I am told it is quite beautiful during summer as well but it is a 6 hr drive and not many would give me company.

The Mediterranean side

2009-08-08T17:43:00.000+05:30

Along the west coast of Israel runs the Mediterranean Sea. This keeps the temperatures moderate in those areas and provides tons of beaches to chill out. The beaches are all great to relax and the water is fun unless of course it is jellyfish season as I painfully found out last year. The sea stretches until Rosh Hanikra in the north which shares its borders with Lebanon. On the way there are a few places of mention.

Tel Aviv is the economic powerhouse of Israel. It is about an hour's drive from Jerusalem and lies on the shore of the Mediterranean. Along with the usual museums and zoo(its called a Ramat Gan safari there), there is a buzzing night life. Allenby street and the port have a number of pubs and discos which are open all night. The beaches there are also a nice place to watch the sunset, relax or to just party. All along the way you would see a number of recognizable international companies which have their branch offices there. The city itself is very different from Jerusalem and is the perfect place to unwind if you love the hustle and bustle.

Going north, you will eventually hit Haifa, another port city which houses the Bahaii shrine. There is another one in Acre as well, but somehow always landed up at Acre after it closed. The shrine is open for public until 12 though the gardens around remain open a little longer. In Haifa as the Bahaii shrine sits atop a hill, climbing(or driving preferably) gives you a lovely view of the shrine and gardens overlooking the port and the rest of the city. There are some naval museums as well for those interested and a cable car which I never rode on. Near Haifa are quite a few skydiving clubs and diving on the border of the Mediterranean sea does have its charm. Really expensive but worth it.

Going further up north passing a bunch of beaches, Rosh Hanikra serves as the border at Lebanon. There are grottoes created from the caves made by the sea. A cable car can take you down where a film is shown and the caves are open to visit. People also fish around here on the cliffs. The cities of Herzliya, Netanya, Neharia all have public beaches although my personal favorite was Herzliya. Acre for those interested has quite a few historical spots along with the Bahaii shrine.

Places around Jerusalem

2009-08-08T14:31:00.001+05:30

Jerusalem does have a lot of places to visit, there are also many other places to see just around Jerusalem. Most of these are at a maximum of 1 hour drive from Jerusalem. Cars of course can be hired easily in Jerusalem although all places are closed on Saturday so we generally hire a car for the weekend on Friday morning. Maps of Israel are available at the car hires and are extremely useful as the roads are also well marked in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

The route number 1 runs from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. On the way, near Latrun interchange, are a couple of places that you can stop for. There is a scale model of Israel in the area. It is called Mini Israel (why would anyone call it anything else). This contains the entire landscape of Israel with all its important landmarks created on a much smaller scale. It looks quite beautiful although the guys with me didn't enjoy it too much. It is not a place to be visited in peak summer as not much shade was available.

The other places of interest near there are the Soreq caves. Not sure about the spelling as every site spells it differently. This is a cave with natural formations of stalactite and stalagmites which are truly beautiful to see. There was a signboard saying photography allowed only on Fridays. Not sure if they follow it since I went there both times on Friday. They do have a film and a guide to explain the natural process and the place didn't require as much walking as some of the other caves I have been to.

Also near Latrun is the Army memorial, with a huge range of tanks and other war machinery. This is certainly worth a visit. There is a Trappist monastery which is quite famous but I never got around to going there so no comments on that.

Another famous religious site near Jerusalem of course is Bethlehem. This is located south of Jerusalem and since it is controlled by Palestine authority, it is recommended to take an Arab taxi there. The taxi guys generally also provide guides so that could also be arranged. When I first went there all churches except the church of Nativity were closed due to some shootout that had occurred the previous day so it would be a good idea to find out before making plans. The church of Nativity marks the birth place of Christ and contains some of the oldest mosaics. The manger where Jesus was born is depicted.

The Holy Land

2009-08-07T21:26:00.000+05:30

I have been working on this for a while. Putting my travels down in black and white. Moving away from my philosophical musings to get back to my roots and the inspirations for my thoughts. I thought I would start with the city where I have spent a lot of time in the past 2 years.

Jerusalem, a city revered and known throughout the world. It gets its name either from the hills it sits on or Shalom(Hebrew for peace). Linguists are still discussing on that. It is the capital city of Israel and an extremely Holy city for 3 religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It has been a center of conflict and war for ages and still maintains a rich heritage, pulling the interests of archaeologists, religious people of the 3 faiths and the inquisitive travelers. Frankly I found it way more peaceful than Bangalore especially on Sabbath.

Now to the points of interest. The most interesting place, historically and culturally is the old city. It has existed from the time of David (0f the David and Goliath fame). It has seen rulers and people of all faiths and ideas. The first striking feature that hits you on entering is the similar stone used for buildings and roads, old or new. The shops are the next in line. They offer souvenirs and religious trinkets of all kinds. My advice is bargain like in Karol Bagh here. Start of with half the price or even lesser, and always pay in shekels, not in dollars or euros.

The first interesting thing to watch out is the church of Holy Sepulchre. It is the place where Jesus was crucified. You could do the 15 stations on Christ. It is extremely crowded on Christian festivals like Good Friday or Easter but it is worth it. Or you could start from the church of Gethsemane from the mount of Olives and cover it all. There is church of Mary Magdalene in Mount of Olives as well, though it is open only on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-12 am. The remaining stations of Christ which signify important points during the crucifixion are marked in various places and a map is available at the first station where Jesus was condemned. There are also various other churches and the church built by Helen (Constantine's mother) just outside Church of Sepulchre with the underground cistern below is also something to see.There are other remnants of Roman architecture and ruins scattered about. Guides are available especially at the Jaffa gate (there are a total of 8 gates though this one is what I use most of the time). Bargaining does work and some of them may not enter into certain religious places with you (for obvious reasons) so work out what you do want to see and what you want to be shown.

There is also the western wall(wailing wall) which stands as the last remaining portion of the temple which was built in the time of David, destroyed by Babylonians, built again and destroyed again by Romans. Photography is not allowed there from Friday sundown to Saturday until Sabbath ends so if you are the photographic kind make a note. Just behind that are the dome of Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque. Al-Aqsa is the 3rd most holy place for the Muslims while Dome of Rock is where Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven with Gabriel. There are also many museums (tower of David is really worth a visit) around there. They can be found without much hassles for the inquisitive ones. On the mount of Olives, there is the church of ascension and in Mt Zion the grave of Oskar Schindler.

Other attractions of Jerusalem include the biblical and dead sea scrolls museum. The city of David is also one long history lesson if you like that. There is also the biblical zoo. Ben Yehuda street is pretty good place to hang out for shopping while if you want malls, there is Malkha mall towards city center and Mamilla mall near Old city. For those who want to party, Talpiyot has a few pubs and discos, There is also a street near Ben Yehuda full of pubs. While there are also a bunch of different restaurants scattered out, my favorite roadside snack would be falafel available in most places and pizza. Falafels near Shuk(City market - Mahane Yehuda) are awesome.