24 Apr 2006
· travel
We’re on our way to peace, quiet and stupendous views of the Himalayas in the distant hill station of Kausani in Uttaranchal. Barely an hour out of Delhi, and the cow belt hits you, literally. Ambling senior citizens, regurgitating a late munch on some roadside grass provide ample experience in zig-zag driving. Cow on the right, swing to the left; tractor approaching on the wrong side, swing to the right; pothole ahoy, bump thump, oops too late, speeding Indica zooming up to kiss its maker, and a truck, swerve to avoid being spread like jam between them. Before the calm environs of Kausani can bring our BP down, the roads of UP and Uttaranchal are honour-bound to do everything to bring our BP up.
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27 Mar 2006
· travel
When my son and I went to Ranthambhore I was not expecting much more than an opportunity to spend some time with my son away from TV, PC, PSP, GSM… Guess what, we encountered the big cat! Not one, but three – Mum and two of her fully grown. And, up close. So close that we could smell them. I exaggerate not! They were so close that I could not fit all three into one frame (I was using a telephoto).
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07 Jan 2006
· travel
“So you were in Goa for New Year!” is the question I have been asked repeatedly over the last week or so. I guess it must be important to be there at that time, though I did not notice any change in the water, sand or sun – all of it was as pleasant as ever. To us that was all that really mattered.
I must mention, though, that the quality of service and food at the hotel we stayed in was not as good as it was on our previous visit (which was not on the ‘New Year’). This is, perhaps, attributable to the 100% occupancy the hotel witnesses at this time of the year – the extra 10 percentage point occupancy must make a much greater difference on quality than what a layperson like me believes. Or perhaps the hotel is more established now and doesn’t need to worry about quality any more! Either way, two days later, as the occupancy dropped to 93 per cent (according to hotel sources), the food quality gallopped upwards and waiters and attendants were always within whistling distance.
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25 Nov 2005
· travel
A good traveler has an open mind. And if not, then good travel jolts him or her out of the habit of falling in for the stereotype and see things as they really are and not as locals in either country would have one believe.
My recent trip to Tunisia made me into a bit better traveler, or so I’d like to believe. I went in with an image of ‘Arab Africa’ accompanied with a baggage of stereotype. Not that I have any problem with an Arab Africa (if there is such a thing) it is just that the phrase conjures up images which may or may not exist. They certainly did not exist in Tunisia.
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24 Nov 2005
· travel
Some more pictures from my Tunisia trip.
Old houses in Tunis, Tunisia Click on any image to view an enlarged image gallery
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29 Sep 2005
· travel
M iddle-age has its symptoms. In my case, I sense an old flame flaring up. My passion for travel, especially to the mountains, is getting a fresh supply of oxygen with each passing year. Every experience leaves me craving for more: a more exotic and a more adventurous fix. Best of all, instead of threatening my marital life, mountains help us spend time together away from the constantly ringing phones, endless homework, and the relentless tube.
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