A Wandering Mind

Ever since I returned from a short and unexpected trip to Gir, I have been asked the same question - "Did you see a lion?" Our main interest in visiting sanctuaries seems to be the sightings of the big cats... and no wonder. They are so rare these days! Our Gir trip was eventful and full of adventure. But did we see a lion? Read my post on the Club Mahindra Blog to find out!!! Click here to read the post. 

My fascination with model railways goes back a long way. From the time I read in books about people setting up their own model railways in their lofts to when I grew older and heard of actual miniature villages with working models of trains running through them. Unfortunately, the nearest I could get to a miniature train was one going round and round in a track. Later, thanks to an aunt and uncle living in the US, I got a small train, which chugged around on a track, with a little fellow sliding into the train midway and then being dropped off at a tiny station. It kept me engaged for hours on end, and was my prized possession for many years until I finally had to part with it when I went to college. With the arrival of the internet, I discovered the joys of you tube, and enjoyed seeing miniature trains running over well laid out railway lines, amidst beautifully constructed houses and realistic looking scenery. Going abroad to see one of these didn’t seem very feasible, so I turned ...

It is said that the best charity is giving food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. The latter is especially true in the hot summer months, when a parched throat can make life feel miserable, and nothing is more welcome than a glass of cool water. All over India, there are people who take this literally, and serve water on the roads in summer, free of cost. There are some who place earthen pots of water by the side of the road, under a shady tree and make sure it is re-filled, while others set up water coolers at public spaces.  While in Jaipur , at a temple we visited, a girl sat at a small window with a pot of water, patiently serving every thirsty soul.....

The Hoopoe is said to be quite a common bird, usually found in fields. However, to those of us who get to see it rarely, it is as good as any of the exotic birds!! We first saw hoopoes on our trip to Binsar, but this time, at Jaipur, we got to see them in large numbers. I saw plenty of them, but photographing them turned out to be a challenge!! They moved so quickly, that most of my images came out blurred. Here is the one decent image I managed to click.....

We see garden lizards all the time in our backyard. But when you have a new camera to try out, it looks interesting enough to photograph!!! This one was so perfectly camouflaged that Samhith had to point it out to me several times before I managed to spot it....

My in-laws were in Jaipur for a brief period, and that was where we began our summer vacation. While the house was in an area far from any places of interest, we found plenty of things to interest us.... especially birds, which offered lots of scope for trial and error with my brand new camera!! Here are some of my first attempts.... This is quite a common type of dove , known as the Laughing Dove all over the world, but apparently known as the Little Brown Dove in India. (at least according to Wikipedia !!)

It is a small coastal town, dwarfed by its neighbor – the concrete jungle of Mumbai. Yet, Alibag manages to hold its own, with beaches, forts and temples, a wealth of history within a small area. Alibag has, for long, been the favorite destination for Mumbai-ites looking for a short break from their hectic lifestyles. It is, after all, easily accessible from the city – it is barely 30 Km by the sea, and plenty of ferries are available from the Gateway of India. It’s not too far by road either, for the 100 Km journey takes barely 2 hours to cover. I have always preferred the sea route however, enjoying the feel of the sea breeze in my hair, watching the view of the Mumbai skyline fading away, seeing ships from all over the world at the   Mumbai   harbor, and of course, the chance of spotting sea gulls or even dolphins! I have been to Alibag twice . My first visit led to an entire series on the beaches, temples and forts which attract us to the coastal town. My seco...

The stepped seating arrangement made the place look like an amphitheatre – a small one though. In front of us was a huge temple, behind us the sea. The cool breeze was a welcome respite from the scorching heat of the day. Over us, the moon shone, brighter than usual, for it was a full moon night, and all around, the stars twinkled, perhaps smiling at us humans who had gathered to hear a story, almost as old as time. And why not? For the story we had gathered to hear, involved them – the moon and the stars…. Click here to Read my full story of Somnath on the Club Mahindra Blog......

I am back at last!!!! And what a trip it has been!! This was a trip of many firsts....... The first time my carefully laid plans were laid waste, all the tickets I had booked well in advance had to be booked all over again, and yet my trip went on as planned, with little or no changes at all!!!!   This was the first time I was bitten by a scorpion, The first time we were royally duped by our cab driver, This was NOT the first time some completely unknown stranger came to our help in a way we never imagined, but certainly the first time we got to know them well, and could actually thank them for their timely help! This was al so the first time we spent an entire day and a half in a train without getting any sort of food except tea and cutlets.... and as Samhith is repeating behind my back.... Omelettes! And oh yes , this was also my first visit to almost all the places I visited!!!! After all this, need I say that my trip was memorable? For those of you who a...