The Himalayas beckon..

I am off to Leh-Ladakh for about ten days. Its been rather chaotic planning and finalising the itinerary and finally with the help of Satya and Arun, Sharath and I are leaving in a couple of days..I will see you all in some time..do have a great week.

On the eve of independence...

Taking life , people, freedom with a pinch, sorry, mounds of salt

My Trip of a Lifetime

When I come back from every trip, I think that this has been it - the trip of my lifetime , but then I start planning for the next and wish someone could just sponsor it. Ive been dying to go to Himachal Pradesh and soak in the Himalayas and my trip of a lifetime is just going to happen.And this is made possible by Club Mahindra .



CLAY has just announced a contest which could make you win your trip of a lifetime. Just pen your thoughts on the best travelogue and email it to clay@clubmahindra.com and you could join us on a trip to Mashobra in September. For more details, visit CLAY or become a fan of CLUB Mahindra on FACEBOOK.

Last date : August 19, 2009..Dont miss it !

Musings by the sea shore

The mountains beckon some, the forests lure you, there is a charm in an old heritage monument and a certain peace in a remote town . I often get lost in new worlds, some that let me escape the mundane realities of life.

But when my mind is restless, I often seek the waves. The ebb and flow of the waters reassure me, the fury of the waves calm me down, the foam bathes my mind and the endless space of sand, water and sky give me an immense faith in life. I realize I am a microcosm in this entire universe and nothing can change the dynamics of life. The rhythm must go on..some waves are rough, some gentle , some gather around your feet,letting your toes feel the illusion of being embedded in the sand, but they let go eventually.


However the colours change as I watch the entire skyscape enact a drama in front of me . Colours of life , I call them - rose, crimson,gold, blue, grey fill the sky as it becomes an open palette.The fluffy white clouds flit in and out ,wrapping the sky in its fold, moving from one end to another. They change their shapes , gather around together to form a big white mass where little streaks of sunlight stream out. Sometimes there is a bit of a conflict in this paradise..where dark clouds throw a veil over the brighter ones, leaving the sky in a grey tone. Life I realize is a rainbow of colours, except we do not get to choose the palette.

I watch as the shore clings on to the waves, but it ebbs leaving the foam behind ..even that evaporates only to be washed away by another wave that drags a bit of the sand with it..I wonder if relationships are like that. The waves erase the memories, the shore tries to cling, the essence is absorbed by the shore and the sea as they carry a bit of each other when they embrace..only to eventually let go. The rocks at a far end are mute spectators to this spectacle. They remain silent as the waves unleash their emotions on them. Sometimes they lash at them, sometimes they embrace, but the rocks do not respond. Sometimes I wonder if this is what they refer to as being rock solid.

I see humans living by the sea, of the sea and I wonder if their understanding of life is much better than us urbanites who worry about mundane issues . As i grapple to understand my destiny and the forces that work within them, I look around and see the entire cycle play out in front of me.


I leave my footprints on the sands of time and wonder if my dreams will come true and if they would be etched for ever, when a wave flows up to me and let the foam curl around my ankles and erase those footprints away.Destiny I realize is not always written by us. We just get to think we play a role here. A little breeze blows past my face and the voice of the waves echo in my ears..Let Go...They say, you give back to the sea something that is important to you..I did just that.I left a part of me , my mind and my thoughts so that I could feel the spacelessness and nothingness inside me, and the voice still tugs in my ears..Let Go...

Travelling has its moments

When we travel, we soak in the local flavour . And of late,Ive been fascinated by local markets, small shops and their interesting titles..here are a few that I saw while I travelled to metros, cities, towns and hamlets.

Disco Chicken Centre
Om Shakti Solutions
Mustafa Bananas,
Uncle Bun,
Hello London-imported fancy store,
Dubai Agencies general store(outskirts of Chidambaram)
Horizon-Eaters Stop-Restaurant,
Kalas Occassion-Spoken English & coaching,
Travel &Tours -Acting Driver available,
Living Works -Upholstery Works

Have more titles ? Do add them to the list ..

Monsoon edition of the Hoysala trail

The Monsoon edition of the Hoysala trail is on again..soak in the rains as we journey down the eons of history..Feel the lure of the monsoons and add a dose of history along with us as we go on a journey back to the eons of the time. Visit monuments off the tourist circuit, hidden temples, a step well in the middle of nowhere and the ancient capital of the Hoysalas, Dwarasamudra. A dash of coffee to go with the tour as we go on a plantation tour and indulge in a bit of birding as well..


Places Covered
The temple with four shrines at Doddagaddavalli
Belur
Halebeedu
Ancient town of Dwarasamudra spread around Halebeedu
Hulikere Tank � A charming kalyani
Belavadi Temple
A walk in 300-acre coffee estate


You could contact me or Arun though our blogs and let us know if you would like to join us on the tour. Log on to travelwise for more details .