Lazy Sunday Photo- Sunset at Snowline above Triund, Himachal Pradesh

Sunset at Snowline (also known as Ilaka), above 9000 feet, near Triund, Himachal Pradesh

I am back at Gurgaon, at last and I think I would have liked to have a few more days of hills! This is our tent (Sesha is in picture too) at sunset against part of the Dhauladhar Ranges. I have walked so much on uneven terrian that it feels strange to walk on the even floor! My feet are protesting and missing the uneven turf!

Hi from McLeod Ganj!

We are back to McLeod Ganj afte trying to trek through Indrahara Pass. No luck, too much snow as of now but enjoyed a lot below the pass. Saw a rainbow too. Pictures when I reach home tomorrow.

UK 2009 Pictures

Piccadilly Circus, London

While I am posting some pictures from UK, I am off to trek in Himachal Pradesh tomorrow. Rarely do I get to travel like this!

Unfortunately things have been so hectic that I am not able to schedule any posts. So more when I come back.

Flying Over Hindukush Mountains

Flying Over Hindukush Mountains

Flying over the Hindukush Mountains is such a great feeling. Though this is the first time I managed to click pictures!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Big Ben, London

Big Ben, Picture taken Near Westminster Underground Station (May, 2009)

I like walking out of the Westminster Underground Station. As you walk you are looking at enclosed walls and then when you are out, suddenly this huge and magnificent structure stares in your face. I had done the same in 2007 and being November I remember the cold blast that greeted me along with the grand structure as well! You can see in the picture that even in May it was Grey, cloudy and a little wet and along with a thin sweater I had borrowed my friend's jacket too!

This time I found using the underground a little easier. I realized that if I quickly scan the Victoria line and the Jubilee Line I would be fine. I need not even look at the others. But I learned a new fact about the underground. Even if you have a valid ticket sometimes the entry/exit gates would not open. Then I had to approach an officer in the green vest and after looking at my ticket they would give me one of their own and viola the gates would open again.

Changing the Guards at the Buckingham Palace, London

The Video of the Guards Coming Out of the Buckingham Palace, Changing the Guards

After my official work in Oxford was over I was visiting and staying back with two school friends whom I was meeting after 20 years. It is really amazing that we found each-other via the internet. again And friends with whom you went to school from KG to 12th, it is amazing that you can exactly pick up from where you left! I went to my friend's place in London and then we left for Manchester the next day. Stayed there for one day before returning to London in the evening. So it was my last day in UK that was for roaming around in London with my friend. We had no set plans, and when I suggested my friend to look up for changing the guards at the Buckingham Palace she found that we could go and see it.

The Friendly Policeman on Duty

The website says the changing takes place at 11.30 am in May. They also advice you to take your place by 11.15 am. Both of us could not figure out why. We took the underground, got down at the Green Park Station and walked to the palace. And then we realized why they wanted us to come in a little early!

The Change of Guards at the Buckingham Palace, London

If you do not reach early enough, you will see the changing of the guards only in someones display screen! When we reached there all the places near the railings of the plaace had a thick crowd. So we decided to stand near the Victoria Memorial. You can change places easily around the circle and see the bands walking in. Once the bands enter the palace, the Victoria Memorial however is not the place where the action is. So both of us walked towards the palace and could see what was happening inside only in someone's LCD.

We then came near the ropes, there was less crowd. And the friendly policeman was chatting with the crowd. He told us that his horse was due to retire in a year. When someone asked where, he said, "Hopefully with me." Then she asked, "So will you retire too?" He said, "No, 7 more years to go, it has been 30 already!" He told us, "The first band to come out will walk to the right but don't move, the next will come this way." A lady in the crowd asked if she could take a picture with him after the bands were gone, he said, "Unfortunately I would have to go with the bands." But a while later he said, "Go ahead, you can take one now." He also remarked sometime, "This is not such a good job during the winters and the change happens even when there are no tourists." True enough the schedule mentions all kinds of weather exceptions.

We were second from the rope (on the other side from the railings of the palace), waiting for the guards to come out. The two girls in front of us got a call and decided to leave. My friend and I quickly took their places. Ad that is how I managed to make the video and saw the guards coming out. Oh and it was a typical London day, Grey, cold (to me) with a light drizzle. And I enjoyed it a lot.

Punting at Oxford

I finally managed to go punting at Oxford on my third trip! I had read about it a lot, I had seen people do it but I never dared to try it myself. You are supposed to do it on your own and I did not feel brave enough. When I went through websites this is what I would find-

'Chauffeur' punters are available on request, with a minimum 2 weeks notice.

Punt Boats at Cherwell Boat House, Oxford

So what do you do when you go punting? You take one of these boats and try to steer it with a very long pole. It is possible because the river bed is quite shallow and the pole hits the ground quite easily. There were six of us in the boat. I was the only woman. So while all the men went to fetch the equipment I was assigned to look for boat number 69. It was not too difficult to spot it.

Coming Back after a Punting Session

While we were on the river we could spot a lot of people having a good time. There were four girls who looked to be out there for the first time and they always managed to get stuck on the bank of the river and then were rowing themselves out! They also give you a paddle to row out if you get stuck on the side of the river

The Pro- You Never Know what your Professors are Good at!

We were in safe hands as the professor was a pro at punting. I asked him, "How long have you been doing this?" And he replied with a smile, "Far too long!" When one of our conference college tried to punt, he got us stuck on a bank within no time and then managed to turn the boat the other way round! The pro professor had told us at the beginning, "Oxford and Cambridge row from the opposite ends." So when the boat turned around, we were told by our friend, "Now I am doing the Cambridge style!" We also had to duck many times to avoid the branches as we drifted to a side when one of us was rowing.

The Pro, The Rookie and the Cambridge and Oxford Style Punter (sitting)

I was the last person to try my hand. And one of us refused to try. He was a young academician from Thailand. I was very scared that I would let the pole drop into the river! But I managed to do quite OK. Did not turn the boat around, or stuck it at the bank. But that was more because the professor actively helped me out. And you can see from the picture that I really had a lot of fun trying my hand at punting. I sat down to some clapping from my fellow friends, they must have been really scared when I insisted that I want to try out for sure!

And if I keep academics aside, that is one huge advantage of conference, you get on an organized tour of things that seem to be too difficult to carry out on our own. We did this trip on the Cherwell River which is far away from the center of the city. I was told that most of the tourists do it on the Magdalen River Boathouse.

In the beginning I was asking the professor, "So how do people learn punting?" And pat came the reply, "By falling down in the river!"

Blue Roses at the Trafford Center, Manchester

Blue Roses at the Trafford Center, Manchester, and these are Real

I am back finally and it feels good. I would any day prefer this sweltering hot weather than the perennial cold that is present in UK.

• I saw the Manchester United Stadium
  
• Clicked more than 500 images
  
• Yet only 10 seem to be good
  
• Did manage to go for punting this time, will pick this one up tomorrow
  

Plans for Today!

It is not everyday when my daily plans include visiting Manchester United Stadium. And that too hassle free because my friend's are taking me around.

The days are beautiful and sunny, only the wind at night seems like winters in India rather than summer.

Hi from UK

I am in Manchaster today, catching up with some school friends.

It has been so long without blogging that it feels a little strange writing this.

Will have to catch up with all this once I come back later next week. And to think of it I almost missed this trip due to my passport. I have taken pictures but not tons of it. But then I will still spend a day in London too. So will make up for that!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Where did the Time Go?

Clock at Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK

I had anything but a lazy Sunday. Too caught up with some deadlines that got messed up because of running around for the passport. 

I don't think I will be able to put a few auto posts this time but I will try. 

It is Getting so Hectic

Some Pretty Corner in Oxford, UK

I have so much work to finish before I can think that I am traveling. The thing that I dread most is the final piece of grading that is yet to done. So tomorrow I have a date with lot of copies. God!