tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85316843673490516922024-02-07T10:54:33.574-08:00postcards and pins"Its a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy....lets go exploring!" - Calvin in the last Calvin and Hobbes stripVasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-86598563714931052762010-10-28T01:17:00.000-07:002010-10-29T00:20:36.626-07:00Kerela in a Week: Allepey, the backwaters
THROUGH THE BACKWATERS
Allepey or Alappuzha as the area is now known, is a town with backwaters and canals. Marco Polo described it as the “Venice of the East” and I now know why.
Thekaddy to Allepey is about 180-200 km and takes a little over 5 hours. The last few days had been packed and we dozed on-off in the first half of our drive. Mid-day saw us out of tea and spice plantations and Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-82494282885887911672010-10-27T00:45:00.000-07:002010-10-29T00:22:11.487-07:00Kerela in a Week: Periyar
PERIYAR RESERVE: FROM THE BOAT
Munnar to Periyar is about 4 hours drive and we headed there post breakfast to comfortably reach by mid-day. Periyar or Thekkady is a protected area and national reserve for tigers. There are numerous spice plantations in the area and we stopped at one. There was a short tour where our “guide” pointed out to the various plants.. hibiscus leaves for great Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-181249189320424412010-10-26T00:21:00.000-07:002010-10-28T23:53:02.205-07:00Kerela in a Week: Munnar
CHEERAPAYA WATERFALLS: ENROUTE TO MUNNAR FROM KOCHI
Munnar, a hill-station, and yes the traditional tourist point was our next stop from Kochi. The 140 km long journey took us about 4.5 hrs including a quick lunch stop and on 2 en-route waterfalls. The drive was smooth as the roads are quite good- specially considering the battering from the rains. All along the way we noticed that the homes Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-50003195039343833432010-10-25T22:50:00.000-07:002010-10-28T23:43:43.742-07:00Kerela in a Week: Cochin
CHINESE FISHING NETS, FORT KOCHI
Cochin greeted us with a bang. Bang! Bang! Bang! The rain went, bullets from a water pistol, as our flight landed at the Cochin airport. The downpour continued with as much gusto even an hour later as the taxi made twists and turns in Fort Kochi streets. Me and my husband, Sanjay were in Cochin, the starting point of our 11 day vacation - a week long Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-85146083494018369002010-03-19T02:43:00.000-07:002010-03-21T03:20:02.921-07:00Weekend in Amritsar @Day 2
The lights could have been stars. I was standing just at the entrance of the parikrama of the Golden Temple. It was dark at 6.00 am in the morning and the temple glittered in itself and more in the water below. As I walked around the parikrama towards the temple, I must say that a sense of quietness came over me. Hundreds of devotees, the chanting prayer voice and the obvious reverence of the Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-38663184344018262762010-03-19T02:36:00.000-07:002010-03-21T03:03:29.017-07:00Weekend in Amritsar@ Day 1
We are on a two day trip to Amritsar- 5 adults and two small children. The Shatabdi train from Delhi to Amritsar departs on time at 7.20 AM for its 6 hour route. It has been long since I have been on a train journey and a large group always means more fun. And fun we have- switching seats, chatting and passing around an unending supply of snacks.
We reach on schedule and head towards the Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-17156257356507917942010-02-17T01:55:00.000-08:002010-02-17T01:57:21.455-08:00DC: Out and About
“All the organizations in this book exist….All the rituals, science, artwork and monuments in this book are real.”
- Excerpt from the prologue of Dan Brown’s book Lost Symbol.
Don’t get me wrong here. I am no fan of the Lost Symbol. Infact I would recommend extensive editing. But this prologue kept me going and also piqued my interest in the “symbolic” city of Washington.
I have about a Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-52594636703963839852010-02-03T02:53:00.000-08:002010-02-04T01:36:22.550-08:00Washington DC: First Impressions
Work has brought me to Washington DC for about 10 days. Though for most part my stay will be spent in office, I am determined to explore some parts of the city during the one weekend I have here.
My flight lands at the Dulles Airport at 3.00 in the afternoon on schedule. Clearing customs is quick and I am soon on my way to Washington Suites, my home for the week. I am lucky to arrive in good Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-55065400169882383902010-01-11T01:07:00.001-08:002010-01-13T01:16:03.683-08:00Weekend in McLeodganj @Day 3
To Norbulingka: It was our third and last day. Done with a relaxed breakfast at Llamo’s once again, we hired a taxi for the day. Our destination was Dharamshala’s Norbulingka complex. The complex has a monastery, a doll museum, paintings and a tiny café. There are also monks in residence.
The monastery is colorful and picture perfect. More than that, it was peaceful. The Doll Museum is Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-34966604858391052102010-01-11T00:25:00.000-08:002010-01-13T01:16:22.380-08:00Weekend in McLeodganj@ Day 2
Impromptu trek to snow at Triund: The next morning Shambhu told us it had snowed in Triund. Wow! Wish Sanjay had asked for something more! We decided then we just had to trek up to Triund no matter what. We packed a bag with some food, water, torch and clothed ourselves in layers.
But first, we needed to have a good breakfast for the climb. So we headed to town to Llamo’s Croissants. AnotherVasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-11446133887980826492010-01-10T21:50:00.000-08:002010-01-13T01:16:48.070-08:00Weekend in McLeodganj @Day 1
March 20-23, 2009
Off we go: Sanjay and I finally had a long weekend all to ourselves and we were going to make the most of it! So we booked our tickets on the Volvo to McLeodganj- a place on our travel radar since some time. It is about 20km up the mountains from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh and primarily a Tibetan settlement; filled with monks and foreign students/tourists.
Back to our Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-50494527600806311492010-01-07T23:02:00.000-08:002010-01-08T00:39:43.840-08:00Is Häagen-Dazs worth the hype?
After much controversy, Häagen-Dazs, the premium brand of ice cream and yogurts finally landed in India. There is a chic café outlet at the Select City mall in Saket, Delhi. However, we decided to pick up tubs of Haagen-Dazs and London Dairy to do some serious evaluation.
So what is the score? Our choice of flavors were Belgian Chocolate (Haagen-Dazs) and Tiramisu (London Dairy). They both Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-31085378365602426692009-12-04T02:22:00.000-08:002010-01-13T01:17:02.935-08:00Bangkok: Eating, Shopping and Evening-Outs!
Let me warn you at the onset. I am not much of a party person so I probably saw the tamest side of Bangkok. But we had fun and here’s the score!
Eating: Bangkok as you probably know eats everything and you will find all sorts of food and eating joints- from fantastic roof-top restaurants to road side kiosks. If you are adventurous go for the local stalls. My husband tried a kiosk sellingVasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-36735782216360053982009-12-04T02:13:00.000-08:002010-01-13T01:17:26.493-08:00Sights and sounds of Bangkok
We headed to Bangkok from Hua Hin by road yet again. We left early morning and reached our hotel (Shangri-La, see review) by 11.00 AM. A quick shower and we were out of the hotel in a jiffy to cruise down the Chao-Pharya and see the wonders of Bangkok.
Chao Pharya Cruise: The Chao-Pharya river cuts Bangkok into two and is dotted by large hotels on both sides. We started from the Boat Pier 1 Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-3938710536761470662009-12-03T01:09:00.000-08:002009-12-03T01:18:39.425-08:00Hua Hin- around the town
Hua-Hin is actually the Thai King’s summer resident. And, so, the well off families also began spending their summer here. It is now filled with luxury resorts and hotels; at a fraction of what you would pay at Maldives or Kho Samui. Still, we decided to look around and it was easy to cover the entire town in a day or two.
We first headed to the beach. It is packed with locals and tourists; Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-33029047156421856872009-12-03T01:04:00.000-08:002009-12-03T01:17:09.529-08:00To Thailand: Hua Hin and Bangkok“ I am going to shop and shop, till I drop”, said me as we checked in at the airport for our flight to Bangkok. My excited look was matched by a thoughtful one by Sanjay. “But we are in Bangkok for 2 days only” said my husband regaining his composure. And so started our trip to Thailand- 7 days in Hua Hin ( a sleepy beach town filled with resorts) and 2 days in Bangkok.
We landed at the BangkokVasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-55254882244263022882009-11-13T00:31:00.000-08:002010-04-05T06:23:03.451-07:00Thai Curry at homeMy other half decided he would wear the chef's hat last Sunday. On the menu was Thai red curry with rice. We used the Asia Kitchen's curry powder (no that’s not cheating!), packaged coconut milk and lots of veggies like broccoli, peppers, Thai red chili and zucchini. It turned out pretty good with zero "out-of-packet" taste. Kudos to the chef. I am going to try convincing him to make it again oneVasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-77892501870965500022009-10-31T10:21:00.000-07:002009-11-13T00:35:02.416-08:00Mithu tells the futureIndore, October 1, 2009
"Chalo Mithu Miya, apna kamaal dikhao, Vasudhaji ko unka bhavishya bataao" (Co'mon Mr. Mithu, show the wonders you can do, tell Vasudha her future too)...
Out popped the parrot from its cage and picked a card for me. Within 10 seconds it was back home. Faint letters predicted what my future holds. Since it is mostly good stuff, I believe it!
Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-48092715907469891102009-10-31T10:08:00.000-07:002009-11-13T00:42:17.421-08:00Mangaldas ni haveli- Ahemdabad
The car drove through old Ahmedabad; a cobweb of streets crammed with shops, kiosks, cows and people. I was headed to Mangaldas ni Haveli- a 200 year old heritage home turned into a restaurant. It was glittering with lights. I entered into a courtyard, complete with a tulsi plant in center. Many doors led to multiple rooms, now converted into kitchens.
The attendants showed me a well tucked Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-92176153916769011972009-09-23T01:13:00.000-07:002009-09-23T01:15:34.390-07:00Leh Diary@Day 9September 12, Saturday: Back to DelhiWe have a 7.00 am Kingfisher flight back to Delhi. We leave the hotel early and soon I am on my seat, the seat-belt clasped. The aircraft takes off and I crane my neck- looking out of the window to see the last of Leh. The week we spent here was wonderful. We relaxed, we saw a different people and culture and more than anything nature at its best. I feel luckyVasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-6538812766009325022009-09-23T00:53:00.002-07:002010-01-13T01:17:58.022-08:00Leh Diary@Day 8September 11, Friday: Pangong Tso
It is our last day in Leh and we have reserved it for Pangong Tso. Pangong Tso ( Tso: Ladakhi for lake) is a salt water lake in the Himalayas at a height of about 4,250 m (13,900 ft). It is about 140 km long and extends from India to China. Two thirds of the length of this lake lies in China. It is 5 km wide at its broadest point. In winter, the lake surface Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-54228221006977351822009-09-22T01:45:00.000-07:002010-01-13T01:18:21.420-08:00Leh Diary@Day 7September 10, Thursday: Khardung-la
We are in no hurry today and everybody wakes up later than usual. The only thing on our agenda today is the Khardunga-La for which we start at about 10.00 am.
Fast facts: Khardung-La has the distinction of being the world’s highest motorable road at 18,380 feet and possibly one of the most scenic. It lies at the crossroads of the ancient silk route. The roadVasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-74087888164668274222009-09-22T00:12:00.001-07:002010-01-13T01:20:22.448-08:00Leh Diary@Day 6September 9, Wednesday: We trek a lot more!
We get up early at 5.30 am, the plan being to start from Rumbak by 7.00 am last. We pack, tidy up the room and load ourselves with layers of clothing.
***
Starting off: It is very bright and very cold. The puddles which have frozen to ice at night are yet to thaw. I need to breathe with my mouth even though my throat seems to freeze with every gulp ofVasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-83364890278301853902009-09-21T21:30:00.001-07:002009-09-25T03:00:36.255-07:00Leh Diary@Day 5 September 8, Tuesday: We trekWe have zeroed in on the Zinchen (Jingchan) to Stok trek. We are going to do this in 2 days, though, this is usually done in 3 days (I realize later why!). The plan: We will drive from Leh to Zinchin via Phey village. Zinchen is a base camp for a number of treks and about 2 hours away from Leh by car. From Zinchen we will trek for 5-6 hours to Rumbak village where Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531684367349051692.post-72718934994627382462009-09-18T01:05:00.000-07:002009-09-25T02:58:00.807-07:00Leh Diary@Day4September 7, Monday: Chill and ShopWe all got up late, as today was reserved for strolling around town and gearing up our energy reserves for the trek ahead. We headed off to the market at about noon for lunch at the Chopstick Noodle Bar. It serves Chinese, Thai and Tibetan food. The place is neat and chic. Most importantly the food was great :)With food and fuel taken care of we began checking Vasudhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06925634293982721252noreply@blogger.com1