Attractions at Bundi- The Garh Palace

The Garh Palace is one of the main attractions at Bundi. It is up a hill and towers over the city, only next to it is the eyesore of the Bundi TV Tower.

Signboard Near Garh Palace, Bundi, Rajasthan

As the signboard informs us, garh Palace is the private property of the current Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. But it is under private management unlike the Chitrashala of Bundi. I was talking to someone and he remarked, "The king does not live here, he lives in Delhi and the caretakers really do not bother much about the place." I had to agree with him, because the place is quite dank and full of smell of bat droppings. And yet it has a fading charm all about it. When we were there there was an Asian tourist and a few locals around. But while we were walking out, more tourists were trickling in.

Entrance to the Bundi palace, called Hathi Pol (Elephante Gate) Bundi, Rajasthan

The entrance to the palace is grand with the figure of two elephants standing in welcome. It is called Hathi Pol. There are paintings on the top of the door that are better preserved.

Paintings inside the Palace, Bundi, Rajasthan

There are paintings inside the main palace too but they seriously need some preservation. The one that you see above is one of the better preserved ones.

The Palace in the Background at Night, Bundi, Rajasthan

The palace is quite visible from the different parts of the city. I took this picture from the main market.

I wish I had some real interest in architecture or it was easy for me to remember dates but I fail at both. Since I have not clicked (or was there no other board, not sure) any other sign board I don't know about the dates. And since I have no interest in architecture, I write very drab posts about palaces and such stuff.

Attractions at Bundi- Sukh Mahal and the Kipling Connection

Sukh Mahal was referred to us by the guards at Chitrashala at Bundi. When we asked if it was far away, they convinced us that it was. It was anyway aournd 11 am and it was hot only as it gets in a desert. So, we decided to hire an auto. It was on the way to Sukh Mahal that I managed to click the milk motorcycle.

Brat 2 (who is 6 feet 4 inches tall) jumped and shirked when we reached there because he could see the water body around Sukh Mahal before I could over the perimeter of the walls. We ran to the observation posts quickly to get closer to the water. There are two ghats also, one for men and another for women. And of course the lake is full of lotuses.

Part of Sukh Mahal, Bundi, Rajasthan

When we reached near the main chamber, the caretaker told us, "This is the place where the jungle book man stayed."* So I told him, "Oh you are talking of Rudyard Kipling but the book he is supposed to gather material for here is Kim and not the Jungle Book." And he replied, "But it was the jungle book man." And that is where that conversation ended.

Sculptures Around Sukh Mahal, Bundi, Rajasthan

He showed us around the main room, which is otherwise locked and it is full of paintings. When we came out we tried to tip them. They took it only after we insisted many times. They also pointed out to the sculptures and said, "There is a sun dial here too, but we were not aware, a journalist came and he told us about it."

Lotuses Around the lake Near Sukh Mahal, Bundi, Rajasthan

And then of course there was this lake full of lotuses behind Sukh Mahal and that is a site that thrilled me to the core. Even the Auto guy remarked, "You really liked our lake, you have clicked so many pictures." I couldn't agree more!

*All the conversations recorded here were in Hindi and I have translated them from memory.

Attractions at Bundi- Raniji Ki Baori

The day Brat 2 and I reached Bundi we managed to venture out only after the Royal Palace was closed. So the locals recommended us to go to Raniji Ki Baori (Queen's Step Well). They also told us we should take an auto. I am aware that the locals tend to think that we city people cannot walk. So we asked about the distance. When they said 2 KM or so, we decided to walk.

The Information Board outside Raniji Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

Rani Nathawat is credited for building of this step well in 1699. And it is indeed grand. Brat 2 remarked to me- "I am sure the Raniji would not walk from palace to the bath, and I wonder how many people were needed to carry her palki (palanquin)?" I wonder where are the other 49 wells located?

Steps Leading out of the Raniji Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

When we reached there the first day the main entrance was closed. But looking at the picture above I am wondering if we could have just walked a few meters and entered through this gate? Doesn't look like it can be locked.

The View from the Main Entrance, Raniji Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

The view of the place while we were entering was quite striking. But we reached here by 2.00 pm or so, and the sun was so hot that we were longing quite badly for our AC room.

Raniji Ki Baori

But that didn't stop us from clicking pictures. The real baori (stepwell) is beneath this ornate structure but locked now, so we could not climb down. There are grills around this place so clicked this picture by getting the lens of the point and shoot camera inside one of the mesh holes.

Cost4travel- A New Website Idea

I spend a lot of my time online and particularly on the social media sites. So when I got a mail from Cost4travel (it is a beta sire as of now) one day I was not really surprised. What impressed me about the mail was the courteous tone and the feeling that I was not being bullied into linking or anything.

The premise is simple- to encourage users to share their travel costs voluntarily across the world! I mean to share costs like what did you pay for a hotel, taxi ride, trip and stuff like that.

I liked the idea. I mean we can get reviews at a lot of places but being able to compare costs with fellow travelers has an appeal for me for sure. What do you say?

I did ask them about how they came across my blog and the reply I got was-

Regarding your question, I have been spending many months searching for travel blogs and travel journalists (through links in other web sites and Google Alerts) and your site came up a number of times.

And no this is not a paid review, I have done it voluntarily because I liked the idea.

Attractions at Bundi- Chitrashala

The Information Board at Chatrashala, Bundi, Rajasthan

The board outside the Chitrashala tells us that the place was also know as Ummed Mahal. The time span of these paintings is 1773 to 1821 under the patronage of Ummed Singh and Bisen Singh. It is located in the same complex as the main palace.

A Lady of the Royal Court? Paintings at Chitrashala, Bundi, Rajasthan

The place is currently maintained by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). And while it is better maintained than the paintings in the main palace, Brat 2 remarked, "We cannot be sure at all that this will survive for long and others would be able to view it."

Lord Krishna and with the Gopis and Animals, A Painting at the Chitrashala, Bundi

I was chatting with an ASI guard and asked him, "Isko fir se paint karne ka plan hai kya? (will these get painted again?) And he replied, "Abhi tou Nahin" (not immediately). This question was prompted by the repainting I has seen at Jaipur.

Decorated Walls of the Chitrashala at Bundi, Rajasthan

Flash photography is prohibited in the area which I strictly adhered to.

Innocent Drinks, UK

Innocent Drink, Smoothies, UK

When we reached Heathrow (May, 2009) we were dazed as usual. We also had a bus to catch in a hurry so that we could arrive at Oxford, say before 10.00 at night. Since our accommodation was a little out of the city in Oxford, it was advisable that we picked up something to eat from the airport itself. I picked up some grilled sandwich like stuff and then I saw it.

Innocent Drink Smoothies! Even without ever having tasted one before I knew so much about them! How? They were the company assigned for an assessment to one of my first year classes at my previous job. And when you have to teach something to first years you invariably end up researching it more than when it is a senior class. One of the classic questions was, "Can we quote from their blog?" In academics we discourage students to quote from 'dubious' internet sources, but then a company blog is OK, if the information is relevant. I am sure more confusion at their end and some teeth grinding, "What does she wants after all?" So many weeks of discussion about a company whose product I was not at all familiar with nor were my students. For example, the story of the launch of the Innocent Drinks Company.

I had to taste one for sure then when I saw it and of course click a picture. I am so surprised at the things that I have thrown at the table along with the drink.

The taste? It was quite OK though a little different than the fruit drinks we are used to in India. I wonder if we have anything like Smoothies in India?

Come Friday, Will Travel

Another Shot of the Rainbow at Triund

No, I am not going to the hills, but the mere thought that I would travel over the weekend makes me think about rainbows and not trucks.

The Tempo Saga- Orchha to Jhansi

The distance from Orchha to Jhansi is around 16 kilometers and a taxi would cost around 500 rupees, a prepaid auto rupees 25 and a shared tempo rupees 10. No wonder we ended up using a shared one. While going there were around 13-14 people inside it and that is normal.

A Shared Tempo or a Three Wheeler at Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

While going to Orchha the tempo had a music system too that the driver switched on soon enough. I have recorded a small bit of that music and I would try to mix it with Orchha images and post it soon.

The Tempo Stand at Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

But it was the return journey that took the cake. It was nine at night and it was raining lightly. After a few kilometers on the largely dark road between Orchha and Jhansi we (all the 13-14 inside the tempo) could see the rain falling more heavily whenever it got caught in the headlights of a vehicle coming from behind.

Our co-passengers commented that the road seems to be longer at night, while coming they thought Jhansi was so close by. The road kept on going, the rain kept falling. The around one corner a group of people walking in the rain signaled to the tempo. The driver was reluctant to stop but then two people on a motorbike came along and he stopped.

They chatted and the tempo driver agreed to take on even more people. Then those 6 or 7 people kept a foot on the side and held on to the top literally hanging out of the tempo.

We covered the last 6-7 kilometers like this. I am not easily scared but mixed with rain this felt like quite a scary way to travel. Thankfully the vehicle didn't overturn with the weight or due to the wet conditions. But when I was talking about this with others they say it is quite normal! Somehow it didn't feel normal to me, maybe it was the rain that scared me.

Agra Eye Anyone?

Not me. Quoting from the Telegraph-

More than 2.5 million tourists visited the Taj Mahal last year, but officials hope to increase the figure, and the amount of tourist income, by linking the Taj to neighbouring historic buildings and adding the Agra Eye - a sophisticated Ferris wheel modelled on the London Eye.

For the record I never went up the London Eye too in my three visits to London.

Two New Words Learned Today- Ethno Tourism and Making Lazy

Came across two new words today-

Ethno-tourism (do look at the comment section)

and

Making Lazy (the word apears in the middle of the article)

No, I am not telling you anytihng more about them.

The Other Kind of Travel Writing that I Do!

Some of my academic papers that have a travel slant!

Social software practices on the internet: Implications for the hotel industry

The online destination image of Goa

Online destination image of India: a consumer based perspective

More Conversations from the Rainbow Day

The Rainbow at Triund, Himachal Pradesh

After I had seen and clicked the rainbow at Triund (must I add till it had almost vanished), I went for a long walk through the meadows. I came back at dusk, slightly cold.

So the fire near the camp was the most inviting place. As soon as the sun goes down, the temperature suddenly drops. Near the fire there were four of us waiting for the dinner. There was a girl from Switzerland, a young lad from the US and the two of us. The boy from the US had been in India for the last 10 months (exiting after 180 days for a visa run to another nearby country like Sri Lanka or Nepal) and had been traveling extensively.

The amount of places he had been to in India, we have not managed to see even a fraction of it. I am, in fact, wondering that if I add all my holidays together taken till date, they may still not add up to a month. What a depressing thought!

So I asked him, "What made you choose India?" He replied, "I was attracted to the ashrams." I asked him hesitantly, "If you don't mind my asking so, did you discuss it with your family or you don't do such a thing?" He smiled, "My parents were really scared, they thought I may never come back." I was wondering if we may ask this one but then Sesha did, "We really don't hold very high opinion of Ashrams." He agreed, "Yes, many of them are a little more commercialized than I thought they would be. But there are a few serious places too. I anyway discovered that I was not really serious about it."

I then asked him, "So how have your journey across India been?" Without blinking he said, "India has taught me patience! I take a lot more things in my stride now"

Searching for Kiarighat, I Don't Like it One Bit- Yatra.in Page

Screen Shot of the Yatra.in page

I was searching for Kiarighat in Himachal Pradesh on Google. I clicked on the second link which was from Yatra.in. What manipulation it is for ranking high on search engine. I mean they repeat Kiarighat endlessly on that page out of context. Here is a sample-

While looking for 5 star hotels in Kiarighat, such as ITC Maurya, Taj Palace or an Oberoi, our site should be your first stop. Kiarighat is a vibrant city that has a rich past, and what better way to experience that than to stay in one of the heritage hotels in Kiarighat.

I mean hello! Five star hotels in Kiarighat?? Who are you kidding or is it that you understand your product so poorly?

Toy Train at the Barog Tunnel, Himachal Pradesh

Toy Train at the Barog Tunnel, Himachal Pradesh

I spent a lot of time at the Barog Station and watched the toy trains come and go to my hearts content. Barog is also home to the longest tunnel on the Kalka Shimla route (part of which you see in the video) which is a little more than a kilometer long.

Around 10.00 am (on 11/09/2009) we were chatting with a railway official. He said there were no trains coming to the station till 11.00 am that day. Brat 1 and I (Brat 2 was still asleep) decided to walk inside the tunnel and cross it. It was dark after a while inside the tunnel. I switched on the light of my mobile phone and placed it close to the tracks. I could see their faint outline of the tracks and walk along. Thus we walked for what seemed like the mid way of the tunnel.

Suddenly Brat 1 called out, "Bua (aunt) there is a train coming this way, I can hear it." I moved the light from my mobile around and saw a shelter (an arch within the tunnel inside which you can stand and the train can safely pass) right next to where we were standing. We happily went into it and the Railcar passed by us. Brat 1 refused to go any further and insisted that we head back and that is what we did.

We headed for the tea stall and asked for the tea from the proprietor. Three tourists staying at the Barog Station came along and asked me, "Ma'am what happened inside the tunnel when the train came?" I told them that the shelter was right at our hand, we went in and the Railcar passed. They replied, "The station master was quite worried about an accident and was scolding everyone around that why did they let us go inside!"

Then they asked the tea shop proprietor what would happen if we had not found a shelter? The proprietor thought that chances of an accident were very high. Another person who was at the tea shop was of the view that there is sufficient space for the train to pass if we just stood flat against the wall. We of course wish to believe the second version but we are in no hurry to check out which one is correct. The group of three gentlemen told us, "You should party tonight, it was a narow escape."

We actually did not party nor did it feel like a narrow escape. I did not tell this on phone to my dad who is an ex railwayman. But when I did today he was not pleased at all.

I can only say I do not wish to repeat this experience. But then the smallest of the kids around Barog have crossed that tunnel ...

Lazy Sunday Photo, Barog- A Beautiful Hill Station on Kalka Shimla Train Route

Barog- A Beautiful Hill Station on Kalka Shimla Train Route

We, Brat1 Brat 2 and I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Barog and guess what they rent rooms right at the station to the tourists too! More soon.

What do You Sell to the Tourist?

I remember it was the rainbow day at Triund. We were chatting with a young local lad who was studying in Germany and had a tourism business based out of Germany too.

Rainbow at Triund, Above McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh

We were discussing random things, like the trek, the snow at the Indrahar Pass, the changing weather patterns, the shopkeeper at the Snowline and the tourists visiting India. Both of us expressed a deep desire that one day we want to exchange rupees for a lot of foreign currencies so that we could back pack around the world.

Soon the talk turned to the tourists visiting Triund and McLeod Ganj.

Souvenirs for Sale at McLedo Ganj on the Roadside, Himachal Pradesh

A little while back there was one young girl who gave a piece of her mind to the shopkeeper at our camp because she thought she was asked to pay more for a room. The local lad from Germany told me, "Ma'am yahan haans kar aap dhul bhi bech sakte ho" (Ma'am, in these regions if you know how to talk nicely you should even be able to sell the dust). He was not being derogatory, he said it as a matter of fact, no boasting nothing.

Tiger Tales from Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

The Pug Mark of a Tiger, Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Tiger Tale 1: I was having a conversation with one of the naturalists at the Taj Safaris Banjaar Tola resort and he told me an interesting tale. One day the resort vehicle was in the park and the elephant riders of the parks told the naturalists, "There is a Tiger sitting in the grass just 30 feet from the road." The naturalist stopped the jeep for an outside chance that there might be some movement from the tiger. The guests started telling the naturalists, "Let us walk and go see the tiger." You cannot get out of the vehicle in the park apart from designated areas. The naturalist kept quite for some time. When they kept on chanting the same old tune he told them, "Aap paidal jaa tou sakte hain tiger ke pass per vapis aayenge ki nahin uske koe guarantee nahin hai." (You may go walking near the tiger but there is no guarantee that you would come back.)

The 4WD Tata Mobile, Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Tiger Tale 2: We were moving in the Mukki Zone of the Kanha National Park. We met a jeep that had seen the tiger in the same zone but it has given us a miss. We stopped for the breakfast at the point in the picture above (where you can get down of the jeep) and the naturalist remarked, "You guys would have declared me useless by now. Happens all the time with the guests. There are three resort vehicles moving and one of them spots a tiger. Later the guests meet in the dining area and compare notes. Now those who didn't see the tiger are pulling really long faces. They all would want the tiger spotting naturalist for the next ride and declare everyone else useless."

We assured him that we understood that tigers can't be produced on demand!

London Train Announcements

London Train Announcements

I unfortunately misplaced my 'mind the gap' file while I was moving it on my cell phone (Nokia 6275) so that I could copy it to the computer. Here is something that remains in another audio file but as I said, unfortunately, no mind the gap. Maybe if I go to London ever again I will make sure to get a good recording and save it safely.

As usual for visuals I am rotating some pictures.

Carfax Tower, Oxford

Carfax Tower, Oxford, UK

I have never been to the top of this tower, in fact didn't even know one could go to the top of the Carfax Tower inspite of being around it thrice!

Finding Shade at the Domestic Airport, New Delhi

Finding Shade at New Delhi Airport

I took this picture sitting inside the flight that was bound for Jabalpur. It was so hot at 11.30 am that this employee decided to take refugee inside the empty cart. I was wondering why was he sitting so still and why in this empty cart. I was wondering if he was in distress or what. But soon his other colleagues came and they all entered the Jet Airways plane you can see in the background. And I could see they were chatting and laughing a lot too. It must have been the heat that made him very still and quiet while he was waiting for others. When I came to Delhi a few days later, they announced in the flight that the outside temperature was 44.5 degree Celsius.

And the water in the taps has been hot on its own even at the night. Today there is a wind and some clouds outside. I wish it would rain!

Off Tomorrow and Back on Sunday

Jungle Path

I am off tomorrow to Madhya Pradesh and would be back on Sunday. Should have a lot of pictures to share when I come back. This trip has been arranged for me by Gonomad. So, this one I have a feeling would turn out to be a little different than my usual affaris.

Bus Ride from Cannought Place to Yes You Read it Rgiht, Holland!

Came across a thread named Bus Ride from Cannought Place to Holland at Indiamike. Looks like it was possible to buy a ticket on such a bus in 1970s and some have tried to travel overland from Europe to India as late as 2007!

While talking to an old India hand few days ago I came across this reference about some direct bus service which use to ply, way back in 70’s from Regal cinema in Cannought Place to Holland. I am given the impression, they ply as late as 1972.

Another excellent thread at Indiamike about overland travel to India from Europe.

Touch Down at Heathrow

Virgin Atlantic Flight VS 301 from New Delhi Landing at London Heathrow On May 5, 2009

I made this video from a window seat of the flight. It was a Tuesday (on Tuesday many Indians do not eat nonvegetarian food even if they eat it otherwise) and they had run out of vegetarian food and gave me something to eat quite later. Even then I had enjoyed my flight. On the return flight I did not get a window seat. But then I will write a proper post about the flight experience both ways.

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.

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
  

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!

Finally!

Bunch of Flowers that Alka, Amrit and Vasu gave to Me

Finally, I have a passport that is valid for next 10 years and got the UK visa too, today. They said it would take a minimum of 4 working days (I have been to UK before so the processing time is less, otherwise they say 10 working days minimum) and I got it on the forth day squarely. So next week, for a short while, I am off to UK. I don't know why, but I still want to keep the fingers crossed!

PS. This bunch of flowers were delivered at my office address and were such a pleasant surprise. When I got them I told the person who was carrying it that surely is not meant for me! But they were and it just made my day.

My Lucknow Article at Gonomad

La Martiniere College, Lucknow

My Lucknow article is now up at Gonomad-

If my writing sounds rushed to you, so was my tour. The guide would literally run from one structure to another and so would some of us.

We tried to form a breakaway group walking at a more leisurely pace but then we gave up that strategy quickly inside the labyrinth; we did not wish to be left behind inside those dark alleys.

Regional Passport Officer of Chennai Arrested Today

I wonder what to make out of the news of the arrest of the Regional Passport Officer of Chennai Ms. Sumathi Ravichandran. Many newspapers are reporting it today. The Express Buzz reports that the action was taken on the complaints of Mr. Lakshmanan who works with an NGO.

Lakshmanan managed to get the passport despite  being unable to produce all the necessary documents. He was asked to pay Rs.12, 500 to “speed up” the process. The amount included the Rs.9,000 to be paid to the RPO, Rs. 2,500 to be paid as tatkal passport processing fees and another Rs.1,000 as “services charges” ...

My question is why only her when it is such a common practice across many regions! Who did she displease or is it that the person who complained was connected enough to get this action taken. Or is it that I am being too cynical?

The Passport Saga

I tried calling a friend from IIT Kanpur days as I needed his help to get my passport. I got his number from another friend. He of course did not pick up my phone, it was an unknown number for him. I had not been in touch with him for past 7 years! I had been calling people left right and center in the hope that someone would help me in getting my passport reissued and he was not even my best hope.

I applied for the renewal of my passport in early March after taking an appointment online. I had relevant supporting documents and they accepted my application after a token protest, which is the hallmark of many a government employees. Still, this was a pleasant experience as I said when I blogged about it earlier.

Then someone managed to get my police verification done. And I thought I was all set to get the passport soon. But that was not to be.

There were many people who tried to help me out. Some said my police verification has not been received and some said that it has been! To cut through all this confusion I decided to use a travel agent. He initially asked for a lot of papers and said he would try. Each day gone by was bringing my proposed travel date to UK even closer. So, I was waiting anxiously to hear from the travel agent on Tuesday when he said with a lot of regret in his voice that it could not be done unless I could get a form signed by a government official verifying my address. My police verification report was stuck somwhere.

The Office Blocks near India Gate, New Delhi

That is when I was making a lot of phone calls. When my friend did not pick up his cell phone I wrote a SMS to him saying who I was. Within two minutes I got a call back. I must have not been making too much sense to him because one of the first things he told me was, "please take out that panic from your voice, your work is done". Then he asked me, "Now tell me what is to be done?" I tried explaining to him about Annexture F, he said he don't know which form this is but he would get it done by tomorrow if I was willing to run around a little! He told me to meet a friend of his in the office blocks in front of India Gate. He would arrange for my entry into those office blocks.

He knew I was very nervous and told me, "if I do not pick up my phone for a while tomorrow please don't panic, I sometimes go out of my room and leave the phone behind." But when I called him the next day, he picked up my phone promptly and coordinated every minute till I got into the room of this lady officer who looked at all the relevant documents and then gave me the letter I wanted. I gave it to the travel agent in the afternoon and got the passport by next day evening.

The moral of the story is that apply in the Tatkal (immideate) scheme if you can get the Annexture F made. That takes out the hassle of police verification. Because when I went to collect the passport in the evening there was a gentleman standing in the line in front of me who had applied for the passport in January and still not got it!

When I was standing in the line to pick up the passport on Thursday evening, the counter did not open till 5.20 pm. The notice above the counter said the distribution time was 5.00 to 5.30 pm. There was a very pretty girl in the line who could not speak (along with a fatherly figure, they were talking in sign language) and almost in tears. The gentleman in front of me went inside the office and came back with the reassuring news that they do not go away without distributing the passports that have been promised that day.

By 5.45 I had mine. Next day 8.00 am I was at the VFS UK and it was so orderly out there. Get your token (I did not had an appointment this time), wait your turn, submit your documents and go back home. I am still keeping my fingers crossed though, after all I was quite optimistic even when I successfully submitted the passport application form.

The biggest surprise in this entire episode was the friend from IIT Kanpur. I mean maybe someone else too would have done the work for me but the speed and consideration he showed to me has left me speechless. I have thanked him many times and he has never failed to tell me that the pleasure is his! And that when we would have talked at IIT only a few times and I was making this call after 7 years of no contact.

I can't name you my blog, but then whenever I will travel for the next ten years and hold that passport in my hands I would ask the folks up above to grant your every cherished wish. Thank you, without your help my passport would still have been stuck in some dark corner of an office.

PS. Why can't the police verification report be scanned and sent online? Would make our lives just a little bit more easier.

And there is a possibility of doing an edited book on the experiences of getting the passport issued in India, I am sure many of us have stories to share!

Main Hall of the Bara Imambara, Lucknow

Main Hall of the Bara Imambara, Lucknow

The most peculiar thing about the main hall of the Bara Imambara is that in spite of such a huge length there are no central pillars supporting the structure!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Lights and Shadows at the Labyrinth, Bara Imambara, Lucknow

Lights and Shadows at the Labyrinth, Bara Imambara, Lucknow

I have been visiting Lucknow since childhood and yet this was the first time I managed to explore the city. The conference organizers had booked a bus for us along with a guide. And what a flying Lucknowman he turned out to be. He would not let us pause for a moment anywhere! All the pictures I took was in auto mode on my camera. I would not place the entire lame on him though, some of us also had travel plans and wanted to cam as much as possible. But quite a few among us commented that it is a general tendency of Indian guides to make you run through a city! I have to go back to Lucknow again! But let us see when.

PS. Still no passport, if I don't get it by Tuesday in all probability my trip to Oxford in May is gone!

Charbagh Railway Station, Lucknow

When I went to Lucknow this time, I was traveling on a badly upset stomach. So, when I boarded the Lucknow Shatabdi Express Train, I had already taken a medicine and knew I could not afford to eat anything on the way. And that is how it was. I had a book to read but then sleep was dominating me so much that I just dozed off and hardly woke up for the entire 6 hours journey!

Charbagh Railway Station, Lucknow

I finally woke up at Kanpur and decided to write a message to one of the conference volunteers at IIM Lucknow. I was reaching around noon, and I wanted to inquire if it would be all right to head straight to the campus. They were kind enough to accommodate me a few hours ahead of time.

Another View of Charbagh Railway Station, Lucknow

When I got out at the station, I was still so full of sleep, and really scared if I would keep well or not. So, when people started asking if I needed an auto rickshaw, I was not really pleased. As a rule the guys who hound you at the Railway Station, try to overcharge you too. But after a while I realized that all these auto guys had to go through prepaid and would charge a fixed price only, probably because there is a policeman at the exit and only prepaid autos are supposed to ply. Now I like that idea. Haggling with auto guys is the last thing you want after a tiring journey.

Gorkha Regiment Band Playing at IIM Lucknow

Gorkha Regiment Band Playing at IIM Lucknow

I had captured this video at night hence the poor quality. But the music is worth listening too.

Lucknow through my Lens

Lucknow in Pictures

I was at IIM Lucknow, attending a tourism conference. What I liked a lot was the idea of the conference organizers to give us a day to see around Lucknow. So, I of course have clicked a lot of pictures. The time of the day was from late morning to noon, so too much light to click good pictures, still I have tried.

PS. If you are a conference delegate and if you would like to download a few pictures (or if you would like to see still pictures in an album), please click here. If you need any assistance in this regard, do not hesitate to let me know.

Incredible India- The Little that I have Seen

Incredible India, The Places that I have Visited

Getting to see an Academic Paper in Print

One of my papers finally got published in a journal. I find this paper special because it is my first journal article based on use of message board data (I used both Indiamike and Thorn Tree). The abstract of the journal is available online. The argument goes something like this-

With consumers sharing both positive and negative aspects of a destination online, destination marketing organizations will increasingly find their “picture postcard” images being contested.

A Weekend Trip is on Cards!

Taj Mahal- Agra

A weekend trip is on cards and no points for guessing the destination. Let us see if beauty or the hassles of the place win.

Pleasantly Surprised with Passport Office New Delhi

Crowd Outside the Bhikaji Cama Place Passport Office New Delhi

I quite liked my experience of applying for the renewal of my passport at New Delhi. Dealing with government officials in India is no pleasure. I was wondering how should I go about getting my passport renewed. Some of my colleagues encouraged me to apply on-line. And that is what I did.

The official website for passport related information is quite comprehensive. It is easy to fill the form online and they give you an appointed time to present your form there. And you can choose a time that is convenient to you after the first one available.

They also have a checklist of proofs that are acceptable for residence, date of birth etc. One has to attach self-attested photocopies. Now last night I panicked. I knew I had to sign, but I was wondering if it has to be at a particular place, or if I have to write self-attested and then sign. So I hopped over to Indiamike late at night and asked the question. I came to know that I only had to worry about not signing over the text and can sign anywhere on the photocopied pages. I signed at the bottom of the pages and they have accepted the form.

There was another minor incident. I am extremely uncomfortable when I am facing the camera (my natural place is behind the camera) and I had to get my photograph clicked for the passport. The picture I had for the last ten years on my passport, I did not like it one bit. So I thought I can at least try to get a better one this time. When I went to the neighborhood market I found that my favorite photo shop was closed. I went up to a random one, got the picture clicked (I am a photographer's nightmare) saw it on his LCD display, told him to print it and I will collect it in a while as I have some other errands to run in the market.

When I came back I realized that they had edited my picture (printed the copies too) by heaping a ton of makeup on my face. I hated it. I told them I never asked for any editing. They smiled and said some editing (their definition of some editing and mine don't match) is normal. I didn't wish to argue so I came home thinking I will have to live with this for next 10 years! Even dad agreed that I look horrible in those photographs. Thankfully I had not left this for the last day.

Now I am not very finicky about the way I look but yesterday I balked at the idea of pasting those pictures at my passport form and look at it for the next 10 years on and often. So I went to the market yesterday too (after a long meeting at office, the picture was that bad, not me kind) and got another picture clicked at a third studio. And I told them in very clear terms that I will not tolerate any editing. Then I called home to say I will be a little late because I wish to take another picture, everyone agreed, the first set of pictures were that bad! The consensus at home (led by me) is that the current set of pictures resemble me well and I am OK with it. I still remain a photographer's nightmare.

So I set out today to the passport office, I had 11 am appointment. I was there at 10.40 and there was a mile long queue. I went up to the gate to see how my appointment would work. I figured out that people with appointments do not need to bother about the queue. But there was rush and lot of jostling around at the gate. At 10.45 the security guard (and what a tough job he has) asked the online appointees to form a separate queue. After a while, I was inside. In Hall 1 I could spot two counters catering to 'Online applications.' At one counter people had mobbed it and at the other there was a queue. I moved to the one that had queue. The time was 10.55. By 11.10 I was out, my application was submitted. Online counters are much less crowded than the token ones.

It was a single window process. The officer (very polite) quizzed me about my residence proof (I had many) and decided to accept my application after some persuasion. While I was at the window, an old man came asking about his pension! The officer told him the pension office was nearby very politely.

Let us see if getting the passport is also going to be smooth. But this definitely was a pleasant experience that I had with the passport office.

Surathkal Trip Report at Gonomad Now

Boats at the Beach, Surathkal

My trip report about Surathkal is now up at the main Gonomad site.

I kept walking just next to the waves soaking my jeans up to my knees. There is hardly any beach wear concept for women in India. ... but I have to remind myself to wear a Capri and a material that dries soon, instead of a heavy jeans that weigh a ton when you get wet.

However, the sun was so bright (even in the winter month of December) that I got wet at least ten times and dried within half an hour or so every time.

The funny part was that my cell phone had full connection (I don’t consider a holiday complete till I lose my cell connection) so I called home (Dad and younger nephew and my sister) and put the phone away from the ear so that they could hear the waves. Hardly anyone could guess what they were listening to!

...

The price to pay for seclusion is maggi (Instant Noodles made by Nestle and very popular in India) and omelet for lunch sold from a small shop quite near the lighthouse, but that is something I would gladly live with.

...

Incredible India!

I have set up a Google news alert for India tourism and that is how I came across this article at a website called domain-b.com. It talks about the Ministry of Tourism plans to spend Rs 20 Crores on online advertising. So far so good.
The article on domain-b also talks about the Incredible India Website. I have always been curious to know what kind of traffic does Incredible India gets. Quoting from the article-

The ministry's Incredible India website, incredibleindia.org, has a daily average traffic of around 10 lakh visitors a day, with the ministry continuously innovating the tools on the site.

Have you ever tried searching for information on the Incredible India website? I have tried many times (I academically also try to write on tourism, hence this fascination with Incredible India) always using firefox. I almost always type Taj Mahal as my key words for search. And I do vaguely remember sometimes getting a result but most of the time the search function doesn't work. Below is the screen shot of the result I got this time if I press the arrow near the search key (enlarge the picture to see the exact error).

Search Result on Incredibleindia.org (3/02/2009) for Taj Mahal when you press the 'arrow' sign near the search box on the front page in Firefox

Search Result on Incredibleindia.org (3/02/2009) for Taj Mahal when you press the 'enter' key in Firefox

I get a different page if I just press 'enter' key (screen shot above) but that too gives no results. I mean we are software outsourcing hub to the world. Why can't we have a decent search engine on the Incredible India website that gets more than 10 lakh hits per day!

Taking a Train Tomorrow Again!

Sunset near Bhusawal, Karnatka Express Train

I am taking a Shatabdi again tomorrow, but this time for work. I am wondering if should even carry my SLR or not? But better to have more cameras than less. What do you say!

While I am Slogging ...

While I am slogging for a day or two more, I would leave you with this crazy idea that was floated at Indiamike by Downjim, he wants to hire an auto rickshaw to go to Ladakh-

A group of friends and I are considering getting hold of the some auto rickshaws and driving from Delhi to Manali-Leh-Srinagar-Delhi this summer. We are expecting people to say it is a ridiculous idea. We are all pretty clued up on the scene in India and in particular Kashmir and are not easily put off however- as have just come back from driving an ambulance across the Sahara and clearly the Rickshaw Run has several races across India each year all of which are 3000kms+.

How what do we say to that?

Video of a Lassi Shop from Amritsar by Hobo

I was looking at a video by Hobo and thought I would share it at my blog too. He takes a video at a more than 70 year old Lassi (an Indian cold drink made of curd) shop at Amritsar and I quite enjoyed it. To see the video head to Hobo's blog now called India.

One of the oldest halwai in the city. Kalu, the autodriver (hope you remember) showed us the shop as we were moving towards Ramtirth. Estd. 1937, opposite Regent Cinema, Katra-Shersingh, Amritsar, Punjab.

A must visit place. I love the malaie put on top of lassi. It was awesome. (italics mine).

Different Ways They Torture You 0n the Rajdhani Express Train

Announcement and Music on the Bangalore Rajdhani Express Train

We traveled by the Rajdhani Express recently from New Delhi to Bangalore (and came back by the Karnataka Express Train, both AC III coaches. So the journey must be comparable, Right? Well, hear me out and then decide for yourself.

There is a big advantage of traveling by the Rajdhani Express to Bangalore, it is a faster train than Karnataka Express. It takes 36 hours to reach Bangalore by Rajdhani and 42 by Karnataka Express.

The tickets of the Rajdhani Express are a bit more expensive but assume that the difference really does not matter to you.

Now listen to the sound track in the video above (after two minutes you can listen to a small sample of the tunes they keep playing on the public address system of the train).

• How do you find the welcome after boarding the Rajdhani Express train? That cacophony continues for a good ten minutes when you board the train and it can send small children into a crying frenzy!
• They wake you up between 6.00 and 7.00 am in the morning to drink tea! Don't get me wrong, I live on tea but at 6.00 am I like only one thing and that is sleep!
• The sample song that you listened to (what you did not listen to the soundtrack of the video? Do that first before you read any further). They play it at all the hours of day and night. One of the things I am looking forward on a 36 hour journey is to catch up on sleep! It is impossible with the music blaring at all hours at a volume over which I have no control.
• It might have made sense to play music (for a limited period) in an era when music players were not in every device you could think of! Now if I wish to listen to a song I can with my mobile phone and so can almost everyone that is the target market of the Rajdhani Express!
• They have been playing the same songs since last 20 years or so it feels.
• We realized this time that there is a person in the pantry whose job is to play the songs. You can request him to play it down but whether he will comply and for how long is any body's guess.
• The sound system is pathetic. It just drives you nuts with the repetitive music in screeching tones at all hours. I wonder if there is someone who likes to listen to it, but then I am sure the Indian Railway is not going to conduct a customer satisfaction survey anytime soon.

Now would you blame me if I wish to avoid the Rajdhani Express train the next time around even though if it means sitting for longer in the Karnataka Express but mercifully without a public address system?

More on Traveling on the Footboard of the Karnataka Express Train

A Video from the Moving Karnataka Express Train

If you have traveled in the Indian trains you know people follow a pattern. Sesha and I were in one of the AC III coaches in the Karnataka Express train with 6 other people for close company. There are six berths (out of which we occupied two) facing each-other and two on the side (sometimes 3 on the side but that is another sotry). A kid if 6 years and his grandfather occupied the other two seats out of remaining four. Then there were two more couples to make the number complete.

When we boarded the train at Bangalore, there were so many people inside the coach but that is common. There would be two people to see off one or two who are traveling and they will remain inside the coach till the train is just about to move.

Then as the train started all the co-passengers try to gauge each-other. I thought my lot was quite reasonable. I was a little worried about the 6 year old, after all the journey was 42 hours long and even adults find it difficult to pass time. Bu he turned out to be a remarkably non fussy kid, he would only ask like a stuck record, "When will the food come?" "When will the train move?" "When will our station come?" and the like. But that was really not much.

As everyone was coming from a 'home' destination the dinner meant opening food brought from home. Only someone traveling for business would be usually an exception for it! Dinner from home over, people in my 8 seats set went to sleep quickly.

I am usually one of the last person to wake up in the mornings and that is what I did. It is a difficult task to use the by now dirty loo and brush my teeth. Breakfast follows it. If the lot is amiable chit-chat would start among book-reading passengers. In this manner somehow the lunchtime arrives. After lunch most of the people go for an afternoon nap.

That is when I decided that I would go and stand at the doors of the AC coach (my nephews tell me that it would be much more crowded in a Sleeper Coach and I may not like it) with my small point and shoot camera. Men do this all the time, women have also started doing it a little bit but it attracts attention.

However, most of the people at the open doors of the moving train were college kids and as I teach students of the same age, they very well left me alone. It must be my frown that warns people not to try and start a conversation with me (even then a school lad borrowed my mobile looking for songs and took one picture of the countryside for me with my camera). I requested a gentleman to take a picture of mine sitting at the door and later I was advised by him not to stand too close to the door when the train is coming to a halt or someone may snatch my camera in quite a patronising manner. One has to take such comments in stride.

Clicking pictures from a moving train can be a frustrating experience. That is when I decided to make a video instead and clicked pictures when the train would slow down!

PS. I am in way encouraging anyone to travel on the footboard and near an oen door. I did it just for a lark and even though quite common, you will find warnings all over the train advising against it.

Fishermen Launching a Boat at the Sea- A Video from Surathkal

Fishermen Launching a Boat at the Sea, Surathkal Beach

I was walking along the Sutarhkal Beach when I saw the fishermen launching a boat at the sea. It took some 20 men and a lot of waves to get the boat finally moving at the sea. Saw this for the first time and was really thrilled!

There are a lot of the houses along the Surathkal Beach and you can see people coming out of their houses to casually take an evening stroll. The problem is that they also treat it as their dumping yard (if you walk to your left, when facing the sea), still it is relatively clean.

I did not meet a single tourist on my walk for one hour in one direction and then back. But I did see a lot of fishermen, children, women and school kids playing in their backyard, that is the beach! I really enjoyed my day.

Hope you like the video.

Lazy Sunday Photo- At the Footboard of the Karnataka Express Train

At the Footboard of the Karnataka Express Train

All these years I wonder how come I never traveled near the door of a train. It is a very common practice in India, however no one is thrilled at my adventure at home! And before you think it is not a common practice, have a look below.

A Young Lad at the Other Door of Karnataka Express Train

What did you do on January 1, 2009?

Surathkal Beach

What did you do on 1st January? It became 12.00 midnight for me in a train, somewhere between Mangalore to Bangalore. Woke up once at 12.45, smiled to myself that it is 2009 and went back to sleep again. We were in a sleeper coach (no AC) and it was a little cold.

Then we changed two buses to reach home. After breakfast, I sat down and wrote the entire Surathkal Beach trip account. Now that is a good way to begin a new year for me! But as I cannot upload the pictures from the SLR and the point and shoot camera, the posting of the trip account has to wait. Did many more things (like eating out with friends and reading an academic paper in the evening) but the best memoray of the day is about walking.

I was walking around the area where we are staying and for a while I thought I could feel the waves lapping at my feet again. Of course this lasted only for a couple of seconds but it was such a wonderful feeling.

And while you read this I would be on a train heading North!

So what did you on 1st January?

Surathkal Beach- The Last Day of 2008

I cribbed throughout the year in 2008 that I hardly got to travel. Well, at least 31 December 2008 was well spent at the Surathkal Beach near Mangalore. The last time I was near sea was in 2003. Never again I will let five years pass without visiting a beach.

Their Backyard- Children at Surathkal Beach

There are many house quite close to the beach and towards the evening these kids started running towards the sea. After a while their mothers dragged them away.

Boats at Surathkal Beach

I love walking on the beach. The advantage of Surathkal Beach is that there was hardly anyone around during the day. The locals start coming only towards the evening and it makes sense too, the sun was quite hot even in December. I walked for two hours before lunch and for two more hours after the lunch. Pure bliss and the best way to end a year.

Wish You all a Very Happy 2009!

Wish you All a Very Happy 2009

May we all travel and blog more!

I specially need to travel more than what I did in 2008!

On the new year eve of 2007 I was in a train, in 2008 I was not. For 2009 eve, I am going to be in a train again. In 2007 I traveled a lot, in 2008, I did not, so I hope in 2009 I will travel a lot again.

Flowers Again- All Clicked at Nainital

Small Purple Flowers (Butterfly Bush Flwoers) on the Climb to China Peak

All the flowers in this post have been clicked at Nainital. I can still remember the trip so clearly. Sunil and I had gone to Nainital to stay at Shervani Hilltop Resort (as their guests). On the second day we had decided to walk up to China Peak after taking the ropeway. The ropeway we enjoyed only so much but the walk to China Peak was quite an adventure. The flower above was growing in the wild.

Dahlia growing in the Wild- Nainital

Later on the road we came near a ruin and near it, this flower. My nephew was quite patient with me while I clicked every flower I saw! He sometimes would even point a bunch to me if I had missed it (though this happens very rarely). I also remember the forest department hut at the China Peak where we took shelter when it started raining cats and dogs and the people there shared some Kichdi with us that they had cooked for themselves.

Fuschia at the Shervani Hilltop Resort, Nainital

I clicked a lot of flowers in the Gandhi Bazar (Bangalore) today but the problem is that my camera is not talking to this computer. So all the Bangalore pictures have to wait till I reach back to Gurgaon.

On the Way to Bangalore!

Flowers on the Roadside, Bangalore

When you will see this picture I would be looking out of the window of a train heading south!

Jaigarh Fort- Jaipur, Rajasthan

Jaigarh Fort- Jaipur, Rajasthan

There are many scenic spots within the Jaigarh Fort and above is one of them. However, a person who chatted with us in the hope that we will hire him as a guide told us a very interesting story. He said that there is (or was) huge treasure buried within the fort. But whenever the government of India has tried to recover it, they have been unable to find it. I do not know if there is an iota of truth in this story but it for sure makes for a colorful story.

Monkeys at Work!

Monkeys Near Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan

I was reminded of this post by Lakshmi looking at the monkey picture that I took recently near Jaigarh Fort.

Has it ever happened to you that you have encountered monkeys at the close quarters? During my Ph.D. days there were a lot of monkeys at the college campus. I remember that I was coming down the stairs, quite late at night along with another student. I had a hand on the railings of the stairs. Then I suddenly froze, as next to my hand was a monkey merrily sitting on the same railing and dozing off! The other student told me not to panic and just to keep walking. Thankfully the monkey went back to sleep again and let us walk off peacefully.

Then after quite some time I was walking around the campus market with a friend . She was munching on a chocolate and I a cream roll. Remember how buying such things used to be a feast in the college? Well, we met monkeys soon again on the road. They gave us quite stern glances and terrified I threw away the cream roll frommy hand and the monkeys went after it. In the meanwhile my friend put the cholocate in her pocket and once again we walked off. In comparison to the monkeys at my campus, the Jaigarh monkeys were extremely well behaved and left me and Sunil pretty well alone mos of the times.

So what is your monkey experience?

Cloth Fit for Royals!

Textile Gallery, City Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan

In the textile gallery (City Palace, Jaipur) you can watch many dresses which were worn by the kings and queens of Rajasthan in the past. Above is one such specimen. I wonder why I did not take any pictures of a kimono that belonged to a king and another dress that belonged to King Madho Singh I. I mean it was huge, really huge. Or even the black dress that was worn by a queen on Diwali.

In India color black is not considered auspices and there is a story behind the black or deep blue dresses worn by the Jaipur royals for Diwali. Apparently one person from the royal family (don't ask me who, you can guess by now, I am no history buff) became the ruler after killing his uncle on the Diwali day. So to express sorrow even to this day the royals wear a black or blue dress on Diwali. Strange are the royal ways of the world ...

In many parts of the museum photography is prohibited (could be because of that I didn't click the dresses I mention above). And one young guy who clicked photographs anyway because there were no guards in site, was in for a surprise. He did not realize that there were CCTV cameras everywhere.

How are Pedestrians Crossings or Zebra Crossings Used at Your Place?

A Traffic Signal at Oxford, UK

Have you ever tried using a pedestrian crossing in India? Chances are you will have a very tough time. The vehicles would be encroaching on the zebra crossing and you have to be really careful while trying to cross. In India, the biggest vehicle has the right of the way and pedestrians come last. In fact, a friend of mine was hit by a motorcycle while she was using a zebra crossing when it was her turn to cross. Luckily she was not seriously injured.

So, long back in Groningen (The Netherlands, 2002) I was standing at a zebra crossing and waiting to cross. A car stopped some way back. I waited for it to pass (using my India logic, the car should go first or so I thought!) and the driver kept peering at me. I peered at the driver some more. He peered back at me, with no one moving. Then the driver decied to proceed with caution and went past me, giving me curious glances. I could not figure out what was happening. Then I went to meet a professor at the University of Groningen and he dropped me back to the city center. We were crossing a road together and when a bus made merest of a motion he said to me, "He seems to be in such a hurry!" It was then I realized that buses are supposed to wait for pedestrians. And then I understood the puzzlement of the car driver at my standing still like a statue.

Next year, I was in Italy (University of Moedna, 2003) and I was discussing the same incident with a person at the conference I had gone to attend. He cautioned me, "Don't expect that here, be very careful when you cross." And it was sound advice! Even though Italians are nowhere near us Indians they do tend to gun their motors and try to scare you when the light turns green.

Then many years later (2007, 2008) I was in UK and pedestrian crossings in Oxford were quite peaceful. London I felt was a little different. People will be very patient till the light is red but let it become yellow and you should start getting out of the way. They tend to get impatient if they find pedestrians in their way after yellow light.

And in India you just have to trust your eyes and not any light or anything else when you are at a pedestrian crossing.

What is the experience like in the place where you live?

The City Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan

The City Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan

I am quite amazed that in spite of countless trips to Jaipur (remember I have studied near Jaipur for 5 years) I never managed to see the City Palace before. Of all the monuments I saw this time, I liked the City Palace most. Here too restoration work was going on like Amber Fort but even then I was quite amazed with the stunning beauty of the place.

The Peacock Door, City Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan

I found the peacock door at the city palace quite amazing due to its striking colors, so much so that I requested a gentleman to move out of the frame of my camera. The gentleman that he was, he obliged without giving me any dirty glances.

I have always felt this on my treks and I felt it at Jaipur monuments too that in our day to day living we hardly see any open spaces! And till I see it, I really do not realize what I am missing.

The Jaipur Story!

Amber Fort, Jaipur- Sunil Feeding the Pigeons

I wrote this post to say that my Jaipur story is now up at the Gonomad site. It is difficult to compress Jaipur in 1500 to 1700 words but that is what I did. So there are many stories that would get narrated here only.

PS. The tall guy in the picture above is my younger nephew. He liked roaming among the pigeons quite a lot.

Have You Ever Traveled on the Top of a Train or Even a Bus?

No, don't blame me for discussing such strange ideas. Blame Steven_Ber, the resident train expert at Indiamike. He has posted a photo of a young man in Assam who climbed on the top of the train to ask Steve "which country" you are from! That means Steve was traveling on the top of a train too! Now that makes me envious, really go green with envy. I wish I could post Steve's photo here but for now you have to hop over and see the image of people traveling on the top of the train on Indiamike.

Now all I can talk about is traveling on the top of a bus way back in the college days. However, that was not the age of digital cameras or camera phones (in fact there were no mobile phones even) so I do not have a picture of my journey. Instead I can share a picture of people sitting on the top of a bus at Leh Bus Stand.

People on the Top of the Bus- Leh Bus Stand, Ladakh

I used to travel for a different reason during school and college days. I used to represent my school and college (sometimes the state too) in various sports meets. We had gone to Tonk to participate in a sports meet back then when I was in college (and no, I have not explored the town as a tourist). When we were coming back, the bus was really crowded. So, 4-5 of us out of the 20 odd girls that made our squad decided that we were better off at the top of the bus rather than inside the bus. I do not remember much of the journey other than we had to duck hard when the bus went close to a tree with low hanging branches. I wonder if I would do such a thing again if I get a chance?

Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur- A View from the Fort

View from the Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Our first stop at Jaipur was Jaigarh Fort. There were a lot of monkeys around and at one point both Sunil (also referred to as Brat 2 many a times on this blog, I wonder if he too has a blog somewhere :D) and I were not sure who should cross first the monekys or us. Have a look at the video.

Maybe I will sit down on Sunday and write the Jaipur account in detail. Tomorrow is a working day for me and I have a date with lot of grading!

Colors of Rajasthan- Restoration Work at Amber Fort, Jaipur

Restoration Work at Amber Fort, Jaipur- Colors of Rajasthan

The fort at Amber is in itself quite majestic but what caught my eye was the colors of the dresses people were wearing at work. In Rajasthan people wear quite striking colors and what might feel flashy to me in Delhi, feels quite normal when I see it in Rajasthan. And on this trip, I actually saw a lot of construction work along with the monuments and yet I liked this trip a lot among all my trips to Jaipur.

More Colors Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan

And the trend seems to be contagious! Saw this lady displaying her lovely and colorful attire at Amber Fort.

Hawa Mahal- Jaipur, Rajasthan

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur (Rajasthan)

I remember exclaiming loudly to Gopi (our auto driver for this trip) "yeah kya hai?" (what place is this)? He replied, "Hawa Mahal" (Palace of Winds would be the rough translation). I wonder how I had never crossed it before in all my previous trips to Jaipur! But Sunil and I were so tired by the evening that we refused to get out of the auto, the place would anyway be closed. Both of us clicked pictures of Hawa Mahal from inside the auto.

Very soon we were near Chand Pol gate and Gopi pointed out, "kuch samay pahle yahan per hi Hanuman temple ke paas bomb chale the" (a while ago it was only near this place, where the Hanuman Temple is, the bombs went off). I did not think much about it then, though for that moment I definitely shivered for a second. I mean the place as chock-o-full with traffic of all kind (pedstrains, cycles, cows, cars, motorcycles and what not, I wonder if it was like that when the bombs went off in Jaipur in May 2008). Even a fire cracker could cause a panic around this place! I keep thinking of this incident much more now, after the Mumbai terror attacks.

Would never stop me from going where ever I want and yet I just can't get over Mumbai. But of course there were so many travelers in Jaipur this November in spite of the bomb blasts of May 2008.

Nokia N96 on a Trip to Jaipur

With Nokia N96 to Jaipur

No, I have not forgotten Mumbai but if people are willing to travel to India and Mumbai, I am willing to blog about travel.

I have to say that it was the offer of using the Nokia N96 by Blogger's Mind that spurred me to go to Jaipur. Now all I was asked to do a review of it. So in this post, I am posting my experience against the features of the phone.

1. Keeps you connected with the world, take calls, send messages, check mails, browse the internet, geotag pictures.

My Experience- Yes, of course I could make calls on my Jaipur trip, take calls and use internet partially. I posted a few lines on my blog using N96 from Delhi-Jaipur Shatabdi Express train. For email, whenever I tired, the Vodaphone connection would ask me if they should open a secure connection and somehow most if the time it would say could not find a secure connection. Now I am not most tech savvy person, but I wonder what a more informed person like Shrinidhi would find the experience?

2. Want to travel light and not carry too many equipments. Can substitute Digi cams with its 5 MP camera and Carl Zeiss Lens for great pictures.

My experience- For people like me who travel with multiple cameras, yes a 5 MP camera and video recording in the same equipment is a great help. If this phone was mine, I would have traveled just with my SLR and this phone. As of now I carry a Nikon point and shoot, Canon SLR and if I wish I can carry a Sony handycam apart from a cell phone! That way in future I think I can invest in a good phone.

Ipods, walkman, with so much of storage content, 100 english and 100 hindi music videos and space to store more and more for all the long journey trains rides.

My experience- Not really for me, I prefer to look out of the window rather than listen to music. But my nephew was really interested in loading songs if we take it on another trip.

Plethora of Cd’s with FM Transmitter that can blare out your favorite playlists in mobile through your car speakers and woofers, for those long car drives on open highways.

Once again I can think of Shrinidi and his rental cars and long drives!

Laptops with access to internet and mailbox, if in case you want to shoot out an important mail while on your trip.

This definitely is possible and of great help, but depends on your connection and getting used to it.

Sportstracker or Lifevine to share your travel stories live with the world.

I have to try this feature. One has to go to the Nokia site to post it but it definitely feels interesting.

3. Watch a whole movie Om Shanti Om, and other 50 preloaded music videos, for a long boring flight in an offline mode. With 24 GB of memory space, you can also download and have the latest bolly and holly flicks on the handset. What’s more if u happen to be traveling at a time of a really important India Pakistan cricket match, you can catch it with Mobile TV available in N96. (Currently it gets only Doordarshan but wondering how cool will it be to have other channels coming in)

My experience- Umm once again I like to look outside the window, even on a plane at night but I have seen one person using that N96 stand and watching something on his handset in the Shatabdi while coming back from Jaipur.

Incase one is traveller who likes to stay connected with the nature and not with the world so much. There is a application for that too Wavesecure helps you to access Emails, documents, camera and call logs, even if u r 10,000 miles away from your phone. So you can leave your phone at home and still be carefree of connecting with the outside world in a time of emergency. This is also a great application for a wildlife photographer. If u want to see a lion in action and get him in your lens. No hassles just place your phone as near as possible to the animal and then sit back in your room to enjoy live action from the animal world.

No idea how this one works.

Will You Cancel Your Holidays to India?

Will You Cancel Your Holidays to India? It is a very logical question to ask and it has also been asked on Indiamike. The responses are so heartening. I know it is a very small database of potential tourists but it is still something. Below I am quoting one response by member Goanmad-

Cancelling? No way!

We're flying on to Mumbai on Tuesday 2nd December and spending 5 weeks in India.

Having grown up in Birmingham during the 1970's we were constantly under the shadow of IRA terrorism and had no choice but to live our lives as normally as possible.

The Story of Dal Bati Churma- Rajasthani Food

The Dal Bati Churma Thali Shop, Jaipur Rajasthan

Before I say anything else, once upon a time I have studied for five years near Jaipur (my graduation and post graduation). But at that time I hardly explored Rajasthan. But the Rajasthani Thali (plate) of Dal Bati Churma was not new for me. We asked Gopi (the auto driver) to take us to a place for lunch, Brat 2 (my younger nephew) wanted to remain with Punjabi Thali whereas I wished to sample Dal Bati Churma again. So Gopi took us to a shop near the station and we ordered our stuff. You can see a picture of my plate below.

The Delicious Dal Bati Churma, Rajasthani Dish

For a while I was left wondering what the hell had I ordered, there was nothing to eat apart from the side dishes. I said so aloud to Brat2 and the people at the next seat laughed. So I searched more closely and found the missing Bati, it is the round ball in the right hand corner. It had been that long since I had been to Jaipur, I had almost forgotten what Bati looks like. And yes, once you have finished your first Bati, they will bring you more till you tell them that you had enough.

You have to break it, dip it in the Dal or Kadhi (the two Yellow gravies in the center, Kadhi in the larger bowl, Dal in the center of the plate) and eat it. I find it delicious. The thali concept is that for a certain amount of price (60 rupees in this case) you can eat as much as you desire but subject to certain rules. The rules were displayed on a board and those of you who can read Hindi, would find the way they are expressed hilarious! For those who can't read Hindi, I will try translating it, but much will be lost in translation.

The House Rules for Thali Meals in Jaipur

*For children of over six years of age should please take separate token (what is implied here is that a child of less than 6 can eat with the parents, remember you pay for the plate and not the dishes)
*One person per thali please
*Please take food according to your need
*There is only one bowl of churma (sweet dish in the smaller bowl in the picture) per plate, no extras please
*Please take care of your belongings
*After 11 at night only Rajasthani Thali is available please
*Please do not wash your hands in your plate
*Please do not waste food
*Drinking Liqueur is strictly prohibited please

No doubt, Brat 2 and I had a good meal. In fact the Rajasthani thali is the background image on the Nokia N96 as of now.

A Chat with Arun from India Travel Blog

To the readers of this blog Arun at (India Travel Blog) needs no introduction. So I will not try to give one. I will only say he has very helpful whenever I needed any help, be it with trips or cameras, over emails and even the phone. So enjoy his views on travel and a beautiful picture of his from Thadiyandamol.

How did you catch the travel bug?
I don't think I caught it; it seems to have been there since the time I can remember. I can recall seeing pictures of the mountains, lakes and beautiful places and always wishing to be among them.

Tell us about your most special travel experience.

Nearly every journey has something special; there isn't one thing that I can pick and showcase. The best experiences are ones where predictability was minimum. For example, I did not know what to expect when I was visiting a gorge in Dandeli, and can recollect being awed by seeing a graceful flight of a Pied Hornbill over one of the most beautiful gorges I have ever seen. Similarly, when strolling along Giri River in Himachal, some superb blueness in deep water and gentle trickle of water drops from the ferns along a steep bank had me mesmerized.

Arun's Favorite Picture of the Mountains

If you are asked to share just one picture with readers of Travel Tales from India which one it would be?

Mountainscapes are something I love the most.

How is your break from IT work shaping up? What advice will you give to others who wish to take the same road?

It has been so so. Blame it on me for not spending enough time doing a few things I should be doing. I would not really advice anyone to break from their secure jobs unless you have a very clear idea of what you are up to, and willing to go through good times and bad with ease.

One thing that you would like to share with us?

I assume this is related to travel. One thing I would ask people is to travel responsibly. Unfortunately, travel is something that doesn't go too well with the environment. Ensure that you don't splurge on things that eventually contribute to garbage or pollution, or do things that can disturb the local way of life.

Where are you headed next?

Don't know, as of today.

Jal Mahal, Jaipur, A Small Video Captured on Nokia N96

Jal Mahal, Jaipur

I have to say that Jal Mahal is actually much more scenic rather than my video but I think I get better videos on Nokia N96, rather than my Nikon Coolpix 3200. The only thing is, the Nikon will remain with me whereas the Nokia N96 will go back after a while :D

The ATM Culture in Jaipur

Street Food near Abmer Fort, Jaipur

While in Jaipur, I noticed that the place is not only colorful, but people behave differently too. I needed to withdraw some money from the ATM. So the auto driver, Gopi took me to one. I wonder what is your experience of taking out money in India but in NCR (National Capital Region comprising of Delhi and its nearby areas) there is almost always a security guard around and it is one person at a time. I know that is how it is probably world over. But not at Jaipur. The door to the ATM was open and you could queue in right inside the ATM behind the next person and no one seemed to be bothered in the least. So that is how I took out money in Jaipur, standing behind a person while he was doing his transaction and someone standing behind me when I took out my money. Can you imagine that in Delhi?

Jal Mahal, Jaipur (India) at Sunset

Jal Mahal at Sunset, Jaipur, India

It was a very pleasant Saturday evening (15/11/2008) when Sunil (my younger nephew, also referred to as Brat 2 in many of my posts, his elder brother is Brat 1) and I made a stop at the Jal Mahal in Jaipur. I was quite smitten with the atmosphere (minus the plastic littered at the shore and deliberately avoided while clicking the picture), there were flowers on the shrubs, reflection of the palace in the water. A lot of people walking around in the wide open space ,with the lake and the palace on one side and street food on the other. The weather was quite nice too, not too cold and definitely not hot. I am quite happy the way photographs have turned out on this day.

Later, we were having tea at a roadside shop and I was showing the pictures on the camera display to our auto drivers Raju and Gopi (I managed to acquire two auto drivers but that is another story). After a while I could sense they were just being polite and had no real interest in watching the pictures. I asked then, "Aap log roz wahi jagah dekh kar bore ho gaye ho?" (You guys are bored stiff with watching the same spots almost daily?). How heartily they agreed and that was the end of my photo display session with them.

The Puppet Show at Jaigarh Fort Captured on Nokia N96

A Puppet Show at Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan

I watched this puppet show through the lens of the Nokia N96 camera. The Rajasthani music is so catchy. But we were so hard presseed for time that I really did not linger around for long. Steve this one is for you. You have in the past enjoyed my videos, what do you say about this one?

Back from Jaipur- Drowned in Work

Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan

I am back from Jaipur with a lot of pictures, a few videos (on Nokia N96) and thoroughly refreshed. But before I start blogging to my heart's content, there are copies to grade! The idea of contacting Raju from Delhi itself was great and Brat 2 and I had a great time. So lot of stories to share in the days ahead. And I found that Ajmer Shatabdi makes a halt at Alwar too, how does that sounds for the next weekend trip?

Thank You Arun

update- i am right now in shatabde express blogging via the nokia n96. Now this is fun. Though cant figure out how to use 'enter' of the computer! So next line is from the scheduled post I wrote at home. I would be in Jaipur when this post gets publisahed. Would try live blogging via the iNokia N96 but then not sure how fast would be the connection and everything.

As I decided on Thursday that I am going to travel over the weekend, I knocked on Arun's Rajasthan posts and then mailed him messaged him and tried calling him to get Raju's contact. I normally prefer to venture on my own but this time I am too tired and watned to have someone around who knows about the place.

Arun replied to my mails, gave me a call and finally I could get in touch with Raju today.Thank you Arun.

Weekend Traveling with Nokia N96

Nokia N96- Spurring me for Weekend Travel

No, I have not bought a new handset again and that too a Nokia N96 which is priced at Rupees 35,500 or thereabout. I was offered to make use of this cell phone till end of the month by Bloggers' Mind. In return I could blog about my experiences!

Now I have been cribbing and cribbing about lack of travel in 2008 and I took this offer of N96 as an excuse to travel this weekend with my younger nephew. Sesha is about to take his grade 8 violin exam so he can't miss his weekend violin class. And Brat 2 has almost finished his first semester college exams (only one paper remains and he has ample time to prepare for that) so he made it very clear to me that he could come only on this weekend. So this weekend it is and about time too.

First we thought of Agra but ruled it out as they do not let you carry a cell phone inside the Taj Mahal premises. And I would not like to leave such an expensive phone in the custody of the Taj Mahal lockers particularly when it doesn't belong to me. In fact, I was asking the good lady, Prerna, from the Bloggers' Mind about their liability clause this evening when she came to hand over he phone to me! She just laughed it off.

A Souvenir Shop at Batal, Spiti

Souvenir Shop in Batal, Spiti

Batal is a lovely place on the way from Manali to Kaza. I remember it all the more clearly because it was our stop for lunch and I was clearly hungry by the time we had reached Batal. There is just one temporary shop for food and next to it was this small stall selling souvenirs. I still remember reading Arun's account and his stay at the Dhaba in Batal.

Even I remember the people running the Dhaba. I had asked them if we could stay there on our way back as I wanted to see Chandratal. They said yes, we would be welcome. My plans of visiting Chandratal did not materialize as my nephew refused to give me company and so did Sesha! So, Chandratal has to happen some other time.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Taj Mahal, The Good Old Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal as seen from Agra Fort

The Taj Mahal needs no introduction nor am I going to give one. I took this picture when I just had a Nikon point and shoot camera. I feel that with a better lens, the Taj Mahal views are magnificent from the Agra Fort and I should give it another try. I will of course need two things, a better lens and a will to drag myself to Agra again.

Taj Mahal Lawn Mowing, I consider this my Best Shot of the Taj Mahal!

I still remember the moment very clearly. We (Dilip, Sunil and I) were walking towards the Taj Mahal and suddenly I saw these bulls positioned in front of the Taj Mahal. Images of all those dignitaries posing (Princesses Diana in particular) flashed through my eyes and I liked what I saw more than anything I had seen before. In fact there was another tourist along with me who ran towards this side path and both of clicked away. I have of course posted the picture of the bulls and the Taj before but then I like it so much that I thought I can post it once again.

Coffee and Coffee Beans

Coffee Beans on the Coffee Plan, Picture taken in Coorg

Let me make it clear first, I love tea. Coffee comes after it. But it was exciting to walk through coffee plantations in Coorg in December last year. The trip to Coorg was sponsored by Club Mahindra and I actually brought back two coffee beans thinking I would dry them and use them. But alas, such idea feel good only while you are away from home base. Back at home it soon boils down to routine.

Hot Coffee at Club Mahindra, Coorg

I had this coffee one evening at Club Mahindra, Coorg. The coffee in itself was quite good but the presentation was so eye catching that I had to take a picture. In fact, a colleague of mine from the Hotel school side once told me a story about the presentation of food at hotels. He used to work at a five star hotel and for breakfast buffet they had to worry a lot about presentation. For a 7.30 breakfast the preparations would start the previous night and the floral prsentation or the design of the fruit basket, or scons he told me, was more tricky than making the dishes itself. He said his shift manager would give them a real tough time over the decoration part. So, now whenever I see good presentation of food, I am aware of the hard work behind it!

Nainital- A Popular but Crowded Destination

Fall Colors by Naini Lake, Nainital, Uttrakhand

Don't go by the serenity that you can see in this picture. Nainital is a crowded destination in the season. The main attraction of the place is the beautiful Naini Lake and the wonderful cold weather. But I am not too fond of places that get mass tourism. I was thinking what it is that puts me off in places like Nainital (same is true for Manali too) and here is a top of the hat list-

Too Crowded in Nainital- For me half the fun of a holiday is gone if I am surrounded by too many people, which would surely happen to anyone visiting Nainital in the season (or even on a weekend in the off-season). I know it is weired but I prefer that there are just two tents for miles around in the places that I visit.

Too Many Touts- Try taking a walk around Naini Lake and within seconds you would be surrounded by people trying to sell you something. I perfectly well understand that they are trying to make a living but that is not my idea of a holiday. Once again this is not just true of Nainital but of any place where there is mass tourism.

Eat and Shop Out Routine- I do not like my vacations to be just about eating out or shopping. I do like to pick up stuff for people from the placesI visit but sometimes they just have to make do with pictures too! All around Naini Lake you really can't escape the eating joints and shops selling souveniers. Not my typical scene.

Why Would I Still Visit Nainital- For one, because I have travelled so less in 2008 that any trip would be welcome. But mostly because all one has to do is to walk out of the place a little (like China Peak) and it becomes about you and the mountains and lovey, lonely walks. My nephew was with me on this trip, so it was not really lonely for me but there was almost noone else around, now that is my kind of a day.

Thames Walk, Oxford, UK

Thames Walk (Oxford, UK) Video, It was So Serene

This is a less than a minute duration video but I really like it. It was such a peaceful day and unlike India most of the time I could feel I was alone on this walk and yet always felt safe. The only botheration was because of my own fears. Long stretch of road, river on one side and wild open fields, what more could I ask for? Well, if I be honest I would ask for the Himalayas in the background.

Another Dance from Club Mahindra Coorg Stay

A Dance Performance at Club Mahindra, Coorg

As I said, for a while it is going to be videos. This one was a dance performance that I enjoyed.

A Small Video of the Covered Market in Oxford, UK

A Small Video of the Covered Market (Established 1754) Oxford UK

The videos that I made with my point and shoot Nikon camera have a .mov extension. Windows media player would not open it and for last 3 years I never downloaded any other player that would play it! So the few videos that I uploaded on this blog, I would guess which one it would be, then upload on Youtube and then I would watch them and if I had guessed correctly then I would embedd them on my blog! No wonder there are so few videos on this blog!

Not anymore, I downloaded quicktime and it plays the .mov extension without any sweat and now for some days you are going to see a lot of videos uploaded here.

The video quality is not really good, it is a combination of my skills and th capabilities of my point and shoot camera but then ...

So here is what I was doing one day in June 2008 in Oxford. There were so many flowers that caught my attention!

Timbaktu Anyone?

Image from the original article at Gonomad.com

When I saw the title 'Timbaktu: The Blue Man of Sahara' by James Michael Dorsey I must say I was intrigued. I mean how many times did it reasonably occur to you that you can actually go to Timbaktu! The places people manage to visit! I thought I will share the article here too. It makes a very interesting read.

At one point we crest an enormous dune and Mahkmoud tells me to get out and walk down in case he rolls the car. I am about to do so when I realize that would mean I am alone and on foot in the Sahara. I refuse and tell him why. He laughs, and with a loud throaty scream guns the engine sending us hurtling down a 100 foot wave of flowing sand, covering us in the process and forcing me to restart my heart.

Time and again, we "surf" the dunes and I finally learn to relax and trust his expert touch as we careen downhill at various wierd angles.

Shringi Vatika- Himachal Pradesh

Walking in Show, Sojha near Shringi Vatika, Himachal Pradesh

No, I am not visiting the place again but what do you do when you have not traveled in a long time? You write about the travels from the past. So, here is my article on Shringi Vatika at Gonomad. I have blogged about it before about this trip but never got around to putting it all in one place. Finally, I did that.

Images from Bangalore around Dusshera Time

I clicked this picture in Jayanagar in Bangalore two years back. In India banana leaves are used in may festivals and I found it quite interesting that the traffic police booth was decorated with it on Ayudh Pooja. I have not seen anything like this in the North India, where I have lived for most of my life.

This second picture is clicked around Bangalore, where a festival procession got our car stranded. So I got out stretched my legs and clicked a few pictures. The colors most definitely are striking.

Remembering the Cold Weather in Oxford

Bus Stop, Harcourt Hill, Oxford

Last year at the end of October, I was waiting for a bus at a stop in Oxford. It was damn cold even during the day but the saving grace is that almost everything is heated and you really do not need heavy woolens indoors. I had gone to the University (not the Oxford) and was waiting for a bus along with a colleague outside. For some reason or the other the bus was taking some time to come and I don't know why I did not had my thick jacket (the one I am wearing in this blog's profile picture, it is a real old one, faded and all, but it is quite warm). Maybe I didn't carry it because I would always get the bus quickly and I did not wish to carry the extra jacket around. I remember I was literally jumping up and down to keep away the cold.

The Warm and Cozy Bus

Thankfully the bus came after a while and I really liked the hot air that would circulate on my feet if I would sit on the left hand side of the bus at the top. Also this time in June I remember one of my British colleague asking me if I found the bus uncomfortable! I asked him if he has ever been to India and been inside a bus? As he has visited India, he immediately got my point. I mean, a heated or air conditioned almost empty bus and uncomfortable??

Little Travel This Year

All Souls College in the Background, Radcliffe Square, Oxford UK

This year I have hardly traveled! June was last when I ventured out to the UK for a short trip and after that nothing! Partly my fault. And now once again Sesha is going to trek and I can't because of all stupid things I fell ill. OK, enough of cribbing. So, my dear readers you are stuck with my old travel accounts, there seems to be nothing on the horizon as of now, travel wise.

OK, why I picked up the picture above. This is from my October-November 2007 trip to UK. At that time I saw this young lady eating something in the beautiful Radcliffe Square and the image remained with me. This time of course I took two of my meals sitting exactly at the same spot! And enjoyed the experience.

Lunch Time at Bylakuppe Monastery!

I clicked this picture at Bylakuppe Monastery on my way back from Coorg. The meal seem to consist of rice and Dal.

And sometimes (and only sometimes) when I pay Rs. 1000 for two large Pizza I wonder why should it cost so much! I do like eating out (or in this case home delivery) but Rs. 1000 for two Pizzas take all the fun out. In fact the local Momo shop guy is that way much more attractive!

The Time is Almost Up, About Time I Got a New One!

It has been almost ten years, the passport has to be renewed. While any thought of dealing with the Indian bureaucracy sends a chill down the spine, what is to be done, is to be done. I have been such an infrequent traveler that even after ten years I do not remember my passport number! The Canon has given me company only on the last two UK trips but I just included it in the picture.

The first trip abroad was Singapore, I was still a Ph.D. student and in fact ,when my first paper was accepted I had apply for the passport in a hurry. I got it in time to make the trip. I stayed with people we knew and was always escorted everywhere, so I only negotiated the airports on my own at IGI, Colombo (transit) and Changai.

Then came Athens via Dubai. First trip really alone, meaning I knew no one there and what an adventure it was! It was a culture shock not in terms of how others behaved but how dumb I was!

The third one was to the Netherlands. By now I knew some of the ropes but still Amsterdam is one of those places ...

Then came Italy (by the way all these trips have been related to work, I have never taken a vacation abroad nor do I think we will take one apart from maybe doing the Everest base camp one day) and a trip to Venice. Truly enchanting and also alone! Venice is not the place to go alone.

Then came a four year drought when I was caught in some lousy jobs, a time when there was no research, no travel, only many good students, at least at the last place, and a few even before.

Finally the last two trips to UK with the Canon in hand! The highlight of the first was a trip to Saltaire, UK. And then Oxford and London.

The second one, the most recent one, walking in Oxford has been a pleasure.

That is all, sums up the last 10 years when I used my passport! I hope there are a few more such trips in store for me in future!

The Leeds Corn Exchange

The Leeds Corn Exchange, June 2008

I have been to Leeds twice but the first time I missed visiting the Leeds Corn Exchange. This time Kullukid from Indiamike had kindly volunteered to take me around, I visited this beautiful building. My picture does no justice to it.

Here is an aerial view of the Corn Exchange at Leeds.

Another Blogger writes about the Corn Exchange, Leeds, UK.

I have to do a post on Leeds in Pictures!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Cycles Will Be Removed, A Common Sign In Oxford

Cycles Will Be Removed, A Common Sign In Oxford

Oxford in Pictures

Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, UK

St. Mary's Church, Oxford UK.
The View of the City from the Top is Wonderful

I Just Love Clicking Flowers, Covered Market, Oxford, UK

Radcilffe Square, Oxford, UK

High Street, Oxford, UK

Punts at Magdalen Bridge, Oxford, UK

Feels Like Long Time No Travel!

China Peak, Nainital, Uttrakhand

Sesha refuses to budge for a short weekend trip. I can see the new semester starting without me traveling anywhere (OK, UK was there but the memories are already fading). I have been appealing to my nephew to come along reminding the fun we had on the Nainital trip together. He says yes, let me see if I can pull this one off. I think the trick is not to think too much and just head out somewhere, even if it is not an eye popping destination. After all, I can't let a new semester begin before heading out somewhere!

Selling Cashewnuts on Indigo Flight!

Shrinidhi is quite irked to discover that Indigo Airlines sells 4 to 5 cashewnuts for Rs. 50.

Without any further delay, let me come to the point. Of so many items they sell on board, ‘flavored’ cashew nut seems to be the most popular and tasty one. They sell a small packet of cashewnut for Rs 50. When I saw the packet, I was hoping it will be at least 50 gms. Only after I got one in my hands I realized that it is just 20 gms-I ended up paying 50 Rs for just 4-5 cashewnuts.

So here is what he proposes-

Now, my proposition is that I can sell better quality cashew nut, for lesser price, in higher quantity than what Indigo currently does. While Indigo sells 20 gms for Rs 50, I propose to sell 25 gms for Rs 40.
...
Hello Indigo…Are you listening? I want to sell cashew nut on board your flights-please permit!

Cross Posted at Blohbharti.

Plastic Menance and Travel in India

Potato Chips and Colas on Sale, Near Abby Falls, Coorg

Many hill stations (Like Shimla and Manali) have banned plastic bags. And that is good. Otherwise the amount of plastic that we can throw around is just amazing. But then if we will not throw plastic bags then we will throw chips foils and plastic bottles! I persoanlly carry any rubbish that I canot dispose properly till I find a dustbin or till I am back to the hotel room. And I have seen many others do so too. But for every one person who does not litter, I have seen ten who would throw the chips foils anywhere. Yeah, I can see this is turning into a rant now. And of all things, when trekking, I have seen many small villages completely strewen with plastic, it is not jut the citywalahs.

Lots of Colors! Door to a Gompa

Door to Nyingmapa Tibetan Monastery Near Coorg

I like this one just for the sheer riot of colors.

Reflection on the River Thames!

Reflection of a Duck on the Thames River, Oxford

It was that time of the year in Oxford, UK (June 2008) when light used to be in abundance and it was easy to catch reflections on the river Thames. I love catching reflections in my photographs.

Also, in the British college curriculum (BBA) there is a heavy emphasis on reflection as a technique of self development. I mean, in one of the courses I teach my students get video recorded while giving mock interviews (among many other things) and they can see the tapes and reflect on what went right and what needs to be changed. Now I as a student never had any such opportunity and made all my mistakes live.

I remember I once appeared in an interview for sports journalism with the Indian Express Group. I was just about to finish my Ph.D. and on a whim I made a CV and sent it across. In the interview I was asked, "Why Sports Journalism now?" And like a fool I said, "Because I wish to take a break." Now when was anyone interested in sponsoring my break? Anyway, I learned my lesson.

At the moment, I do not have to teach and I have some great writing assignments lined up. Academic writing does not comes easily to me, it is lot of hard work, slogging but it is also something that I like a lot. However the resolve to see them through wavering at times! Which would be suicide.

It is time to pause, to reflect. And get things going.

Radcliffe Square- The Most Beautiful Place in Oxford

If you ask me, I consider the Radcliffe Square the most beautiful area in the entire Oxford (OK, whatever I have seen of it). It is right in the center of the town. Walk on the High street towards Magdalen Bridge and take a turn on your left near the St. Mary's Church and there you are!

Radcliffe Camera and the Colleges Surrounding it

It is a small square but walking around it is such a pleasure or just sit on the sidewalks and see others hurrying past!

St. Mary's Church

At one front of the square is the St. Mary's Church. The building is beautiful to watch from the outside but if you want a lot of peace and quiet all you have to do is to get inside (the entrance is free, they charge 3 pounds if you wish climb to the top of St. Mary's Church, which I did this time) climb the stairs and sit in the pew in a corner. Suddenly there is a lot of peace around you disturbed only occasionally by other tourists. I sat inside the church at least twice and it was cool and beautiful.

Gate to All Soul's College

Another very beautiful building in this square is the All Soul's College. Of course, the Christ Church is the most famous college in Oxford and it is very beautiful no doubt but All Soul's is equally stunning to look at!

View of Radcliffe Square from the top of St. Mary's Church

Then of course you can go to the top of St. Mary's Church and admire the uninterrupted view of the city. And then there is Brasenose College also but then I somehow have not clicked a decent picture of it.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Thames Walk, Oxford to Sandford

The Path, Thames Walk, Oxford to Sandford

View of Oxford City from St. Mary's Chruch- A Video

View of Oxford City from St. Mary's Chruch- A Video

Last time when I was in Oxford, I could not go up the St. Mary's Church. So, this time it was high on my agenda. The church is located right in the city center and the charge this summer for going up was 3 pounds. The timings were 9.00 to 5.00.

As I was traveling to Leeds later in the day, I had a small bag with me. The young lady at the ticket counter kindly offered to keep it for me till I came back. I asked, "But you might be gone when I come back?" She said she would be going by 11.00 and I had plenty of time. It was 10.35 at that time and I told her, "I plan to spend more time up there." She smile, "No worries, my colleague would be here and they would give the bag to you."

So I went up to the top to get those picture postcard snaps that I had seen all around in Oxford shops. No such luck, there was too much light and my wide angle lens was not good enough to capture Radcliffe Camera and All Souls College in one shot. I met another person with an SLR and asked him if he could get both properly in one shot, he also replied in negative. At least I was not alone.

Picture postcards or not, I still had a very good time at the top with wonderful views of the city. And of course I came down around 12.00 in the noon, but the other young lady at the counter gave me my bag and I proceeded to spend more time around Christ Church College and beyond to head later to Leeds.

Note to Self: Next time when you have the urge to tilt the camera remember the vertigo you got by watching this video!

Heading Out Soon!

Self Reflection at Khrupatal

Would be heading out soon for a week in UK, mostly work. But will have a camera in hand too, actually make it two. Wish to buy a new lens but not sure if I will manage to. I need this break. Not the most ideal break but a break nonetheless.