encounter with a super star

Swaraj Dweep

2026-02-02T00:24:00.000-08:00

It looked like the Dollarbird was posing for me with the tilt of his head.

Went bird watching at Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island of Andaman Nicobar) and was lucky to have spotted quite a few birds.

The Dollar bird is a first for me and is found in Australia to Korea, Japan and in the Andaman Nicobar islands.

The other first for me was the White bellied sea eagle.

In the video you can see how majestically he flies over the beach.

While clicking some pictures of the sunset, I sensed some activity behind me and saw some red breasted parakeets busy chatting away before sunset.

The common Kingfisher and the White throated Kingfisher took turns to share the same pole to perch itself for fishing.

Found these Eurasian Moorhen at the same waterbody where the Kingfisher was.

A pair of Black naped Oriole were right on top of the tree and they looked good against the rising sun.

Greater Racket tailed Drongo, is capable of mimicking other bird calls.

The Andaman Coucal is slightly different from what we see in mainland India.

There were many more birds that we spotted but I could not photograph.There was an opening in the forest and I liked the way the sunlight was falling on these tall Padauk trees.

This picture will give you an idea of how tall and huge this tree is

This tree stump must have witnessed many activities over here especially during WW-II when the Japanese used this as a surveillance point.

After sunset, it is worth venturing out to have a peep at the nocturnal birds and insects (with proper guidance) Mr Prathamesh is a good guide who can show you around. Here you see the Signature spider. The spider gets its name by the individual signature you see on the web.

The highlight of the stay was the coral walk. I got to learn many things about marine life, especially around the corals.

By the way if you stay at "Barefoot" you get to experience many things including the coral walk.

The sunset as seen from Barefoot.

Sri lanka - Part four

2025-11-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

The title of this blog should have been "Escape from the cyclone Ditwah" That is what we felt like after landing in Mumbai. The previous night itself looked very ominous as I looked out of my hotel window.

Not being able to view the Lotus tower at close quarters and heading straight to the airport was a blessing in disguise, as it helped in reachiing the airport well in time to catch our flight.

We took a halt on the beach road near Galle Face Hotel. The palm leaves will give you a general idea of the wind speed.

Not far from the Taj Samudra Hotel I got to see some birds who were busy fishing in the sluice spillover point. Managed to capture a painted stork in flight as I was clicking the Lotus tower.

Got another one with the painted stork in the forefront.

You can see the other birds in the video. Notice the silver feet of this crane?

When some time was alloted for shopping, we headed for the grocery stores. Wifey was tempted with some fresh vegetables and took the help of a regular lady in the store to select the right vegetables

while I was tempted by the coconuts. The colour and texture and size said that they were good ones, but the addition of weights to the luggage dissuaded me.

Two days before our departure, we visited a nonprofit Sea Turtle conservation centre. Got to see an Albino turtle for the first time.

We don't realise the extent of damage that we cause with the plastic that we create and carelessly discard. The video speaks for itself and the guide over there was knowledgeable and had a good voice.
By The way I hope the authorities keep clearing the donation box more frequently, or make it deeper than an arm's length because when I put in my hand to drop my note, I could feel and touch the other notes inside. (why to tempt anti social elements)

Sri Lanka tour Part One

2025-11-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

Our first stop was for breakfast at Vivanta Colombo, airport garden. What caught my attention was the presence of massive prop roots hanging from a Banyan tree near the entrance. The only picture I could click was from the bus on the way out.

When I spoke to the manager of the property, he said that the previous owner from whom they had purchased the land about 40 years ago had a condition that no trees should be cut in the property. Good to see that the promise was kept.

For once I was happy to see Elephants in captivity with no chains on their feet. Some of them were having problems but they were well taken care of.

This sign kept at strategic places in Pinnawala Elephant Sanctuary speaks a lot about eradicating bribery and corruption.

Our guide had told us that there was a pair of twins amidst them and right enough we spotted them.

While I was concentrating on the elephants, this yellow billed babbler was trying his best to catch my attention.

The app Merlin bird helped me identify the bird. It also shows a Kingfisher being present but I couldn't locate it.

The cultural show put up by the Kandian Cultural Centre was remarkable. A glimpse of it is in the video. All were impressed by the "walk on fire" and "spitting fire".

Visited the sacred tooth relic at Kandy and before entering the premises I saw this elderly man sitting outside the shrine selling lottery tickets. The donation box wasn't far off.

The drummers kept their tempo and were in sync. The sound echoed well in the confined place and could be heard well in the upper floors too.

While exiting I saw a family praying and couldn't resist clicking.
Faith keeps us going.

Mallu Stories

2025-10-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I should give credit to the ambiance or the food. The fact is that both were equally good.

Yesterday we went to Mallu Stories, a great place for Malayali cuisine. I ordered a fish meal while wifey ordered Pothi chor (rice and curry wrapped in a banana leaf).

All the items on the plate were tasty, especially the Sambhar. The fish curry was a bit spicy (for me) but then that is how fish curry is supposed to be. The Cheera thoran was just yummy. Had pappadam after a long time.
Along with the food we were served semiya payasam. We were told that on sadhya dates, they serve paal payasam or parippu payasam. (Sadhya dates are announced through their instagram posts)
I liked the illustrations on each page of the menu card.

But better than that, the illustrations on the walls speak for themselves.

The twirled moustache of Innocent says that it is from the movie Mithunam where he acts as a tough brother in law.
Those who have watched Malayalam movies would relate better as most of the famous dialogues from the movies are put up there.
Like this lady Philomena who is famous for using crass language in almost all her movies

Below is one of the famous dialogues between Mohanlal and Srinivasan in the movie Nadodi kattu "Etra Manoharamaya nadakatta swapnam"

Harishree Ashokan's dialogue in Punjabi House "Chappatti nahi, Chor Chor"

In the same frame above you can see the Genzee's heart throb Fahadh Faasil with his dialogue "Eda Mone"
A typical scene from a rural part of Kerala where a KSRTC bus arrives while the elderly sit under a tree reading newspaper and engaging in discussions on "current topics"

I was a bit disappointed with the pazham pori (banana fritters) . Usually nicely ripe bananas are used for preparing this. What we got was a bit on the raw side.

There is no problem for parking as they have enough parking space.
I heard that there is a lot of wait time involved, but we got a table quickly as it was a weekday.
A special mention should be made about the pocket friendly prices. Our total bill came to Rs 620/- for two (about $7) after having a sumptuous meal.

It is located at Dhole Patil Road in Pune (not far from Pune station)
As a typical Mallu I would reiterate what Ashokan said "Chapati nahim nahim'

Suspension bridge at Vancouver

2025-08-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Clicked some leaves against the sunlight in this rainforest.

The suspension bridge at Capilano is in this rainforest and it is one of the tourist attractions of Vancouver.

The video gives you an idea about the height of the bridge from the river bed. If you are prone to motion sickness or have fear of heights, then be warned that it can sway quite a bit with a crowd on the bridge.

The bridge was originally made of hemp ropes and cedar planks.
Some of the tools used in those days to put up the bridge.

There are more smaller bridges connecting the treetops.

There is a Cliffwalk which is the latest addition around the place.

Noticed a tree while walking on the cliff walk. The angle that it has taken while growing.

Nature has its own way to find the sunlight especially in a rainforest where trees are dense.

I spotted a solitary owl on one of the tall trees and took some snaps. It being noon, the lighting was not favourable and it cast some sinister shadows on the owl's face.

It was our first experience traveling by Alaska Airlines to Vancouver and found the airline pretty good.

Talking of Vancouver port, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful ports in the world. Some of the old and the new co-exist on Burrard St. at Downtown.

Saw some trolley buses on the way from the airport. I remember this was in use in the late 60s in Bombay (now Mumbai)

Not far from Burrard St is the "Canada Place" conamed as "Komagata Maru Place" in honour of an incident when the Komagata Maru steamship (also known as Guru Nanak Jahaz) brought 376 Punjabis (337 Sikhs, 27 Muslims 12 Hindus) to Vancouver, most of whom were denied entry, detained for two months with lack of medical aid, food or water and then forced to return to India where many were killed by British authorities.

There are other pictures about the history of the place, displayed along the harbour, like how they cleared the big trees:

Saw some seaplanes (used for sightseeing) landing at the same location.

White Pass and Yukon Route

2025-06-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

All these pictures won't do justice to what you actually see while travelling by the train.

The train takes you through picturesque snow capped mountains as you go higher.

The story of the Klondike Gold Rush is embedded in the ride.
The Seattle Post said "Gold Gold Gold." The newspaper reported that "sixty eight rich men on the steamer Portland arrived in Seattle with stacks of Yellow metal"
The news spread like wildfire in the middle of the depression and the country went gold crazy.

Imagine the difficulty they faced about 100 years ago when trying to cross the Chilkoot trail.

Or the conditions in which they built this bridge.

With temperatures as low as -40 and the wind speed as high as 80 miles per hour, with precious few hours of daylight available, and hanging on this bridge by rope, they had to rotate every 45 minutes in and out of warmth to stay alive.
This bridge is part of the reason why the White Pass was designated as an international historic civil engineering landmark.
It is an honour that the White Pass shares with other engineering marvels like the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel tower and the Panama Canal.
The conductors look sharp in their smart uniform.

The tour guides kept updating us on the important points as we passed them like the black cross.
In August 1898 a blasting accident buried two railroad workers under a 500 ton granite stone. The black cross marks their resting place.

While on the train, you can see other meter gauge trains running on similar routes far away (seeing them in the video gives a better effect of motion)

The bridge which you see in the picture below was in use till 1969 and was considered the tallest cantilever bridge in the world at that time.

We had four stops while on the cruise. Had written about Endicott Arm in the previous blog

Endicott Arm (Alaska)

2025-06-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

Managed to get a picture of a whale near Endicott Arm (in Alaska) and that too just the tail and the back.

This could be a Grey whale or Minke whale. Minke whales are seen in Alaskan waters throughout the year but mostly from May to September. These smaller whales are known for their curious and playful behavior, often approaching boats to investigate.
Endicott Arm is a stunning 30 mile long fjord in Alaska

Being close to the glaciers is an exhilarating experience. You can see chunks of them in different shapes floating away from the main glacier.

It is an additional bonus to see Seals and sea lions sunbathing and having a free ride on these chunks of ice.

I was lucky to get three of them in one frame.

The waterline in the one below has changed, probably because one side of the chunk melted more causing the Cg to shift. You can see part of the captain's bridge (port side)

The water flowing on the glacier looks clear and good enough to be tasted.

Glaciers can erode and carve rocks giving the mountains a different look. Here is a close up of one.

All these pictures were clicked from the deck of the ship.
View of the snow capped mountains with a part of the captain's bridge (starboard side)

Here is another glacier (Mendenhall glacier) about 12 miles from Juneau downtown. This is situated about 50 miles northwest of Endicott Arm.

Juneau is the capital of Alaska. More on Juneau in the next blog.

Udaipur the city of lakes

2025-03-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Driving into the rising Sun is a wonderful experience and the additional advantage is that the roads are empty.

The highlight is stopping for breakfast especially when it is hot and freshly made. I enjoyed this kantha poha (flattened rice)

We drove down from Surat to Udaipur and it was a pleasant ride as the roads were good.

We reached Udaipur in time to see the sunset at Lake Pichola.

We were lucky to get a good guide (Mr Kanwar Keer) who gave us some concise information about the place.

Like, I did not know about Jag Mandir where Shah Jehan stayed (during his rebellion with his father) and was inspired to build the Taj Mahal later.

The video gives more information about the place as I have left the guide's voice as it is. It is interesting to know how the Dhood talai got its name. Here is a picture of Dhoodh Talai.

I clicked one more picture of the same place but before clicking I increased the contrast extensively by which it gives a night time effect.

The actual difference between both the above pictures is just 15 seconds. A good example of how to play with the light using your camera.
In the next blog, I hope to write about the trip from Pune to Surat where we had a stopover at Udwada.

Malacca and Borneo

2025-03-03T22:41:00.000-08:00

These statues caught my eye in the maritime museum in Melaka (Malacca) in Malaysia

This room held prisoners of war of all ethnicities, slaves and sailors who committed crimes. Cramped against each other in a dark and congested room, the prisoners had no hope for freedom.
Normally ballast was placed in the belly of the ship to act as a stabilizer. However this diorama was put together to re-enact the conditions in the ship (Flor De La Mar)

The original ship still lies undiscovered in the sea bed.
We spent the evening in Malacca listening to some music and taking in the sunset.

Happy to see that the common sparrow and the mourning Dove is common in Kuala Lumpur too (got both of them in one frame)

Earlier we had been to the Batu caves in Kuala Lumpur (more for the challenge of climbing the 272 steps that lead to the Lord Murugan temple.)

The climb was not as difficult as we thought, but it is good to be a little cautious of the monkeys.
The Grab driver who ferried us was very jovial and informative too. (Grab is similar to Uber cabs) He was talking of things in general and I found that whatever he said made sense.

As the sun went down, clicked this picture from the windshield.

While in Malaysia, we visited Kuching in Sarawak (situated in the island of Borneo) A wonderful place, the island and the people. Very warm and helpful, things move at a leisurely pace over here. Borneo is owned by three countries. Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

We flew in from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching and headed straight to the Sarawak cultural village by road. The roads were well marked and lush with greenery.

We got to see the traditional dance by the different tribes. I was taken in by the skill and accuracy of the boy with the blowpipe.

The world rainforest music festival is held here every year and many renowned musicians converge over here to perform.

Many of them are so much in awe of the place that they leave their instruments behind as a mark of reverence and respect for the simple minded people.

The highlight of the Malaysia trip was the visit to the Semenggoh wildlife sanctuary where we could see Orangutans.

We were lucky to spot six of them, four adults and two young ones.While watching them at close quarters I noticed that many of their movements and actions were very similar to that of humans (except that we can't eat with our feet)

Customer delight

2025-02-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

"We are not talking to each other, but we don't mind posing for you" This could be one of the captions that I could think of after clicking this sunset picture at Colaba.

They were actually posing for me, because after clicking when I started walking, they too started walking with me. Sunset is a good opportunity to click good pictures, like these kids having a lively chat while the sun goes down.

While clicking I saw this lighthouse, which came into existence in 1770. This is situated at the prong of Colaba.

When the Portuguese occupied the island of Bombay in the 16th century they built a watchtower on the Old woman's island (Colaba)

Later it was. modified into a lighthouse by the British in 1770. It was further improved in 1800 by a powerful wick lamp.This was the first major lighthouse in British India followed by one in Madras in the same year.

After many changes in the lamp, in 2008 it got its present 70 Watt metal Halide lamp.
Not much has changed in the Marinedrive area of Mumbai. Like this font from the 50s still stands as a sign board in the area.

Some of the buildings with rounded corners which I have seen in the early 60s, still stands.

The heritage structure next to Churchgate station stands in all its glory with the tricolour and the ever present yellow taxis of Mumbai justapositioned in the front. Incidentally I found that the taxis are cheaper than the Uber.

Years have gone by but the buying and selling power of this simple flower lady remains the same (not far from the Sensex office)

The bus service by BEST keeps improving as the years go by. Like they have seperate lines for gents and ladies (ladies from the front)

In the bus I was highly impressed by the conductor's interaction with the passengers, always jovial and happy, cracking a joke here and there. One lady did not know where to alight, but had the address on her phone. The conductor took the phone from her and had a look at the address. Then he opened google map on her phone and fed in the location on the map. From the route he got the stop which was closest to her destination and issued a ticket accordingly. All this with a smile. I would call this as customer delight.

When in Manipal

2024-11-21T08:24:00.007-08:00

When in Manipal, you can have a relaxed cruise in the backwaters and witness the confluence of the Suvarna river joining the Arabial sea.

Or witness a mythological skit in action

But one must not miss the Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village Museum. This is not an ordinary museum but are houses that have been transplanted from various parts of the country.

It is not only the houses but artefacts too have also been moved.

A guide will accompany you explaining each and every item with some interesting stories.
For example here is a stone on which history was written, but then it is interesting to know how the stone had a transformation in between. You can hear it from the guide himself in the video.

Here is a table with chairs for the zamindar and the praja. It is worth noticing that the zamindar's chair is higher than the praja's chair

A cradle designed for twins

One of the oldest Harmonium where pedals helped in pushing the wind. I noticed that it is a folding type where it will fit into that box.

When you enter the Mudhol Palace Durbar hall, don't miss the water trough to wash your feet before entering the durbar hall courtyard.

The Deccani Nawab Mahal had a cast iron spiral staircase too.

I noticed that there was music playing in each house, but it was not piped music centrally played and common for all. The Mangalore Christian house had English music, whereas some other houses had carnatic music.

The Kunjur Chowkimane was built in the architectural style of Kerala based from the 15th century. The plan of the structure follows a Mandala. The basic house module is Nalukettu. (Nalu is 4 and kettu is Wings)
Noticed an old projector hanging on a wall in one of the houses, probably worked with a petromax.

Some houses had ergonomically designed seats that ventilate as well as ensure privacy on the first floor.

Trellis of windows were designed with a purpose

The dead body carrier for muslims is also preserved

We got a lot of information from our guide Mr Sushanth who was patient enough to explain everything in detail. I was also happy to see many school children visiting the place. This is the right time for them to learn history with the objects/houses in front of them.

This tree must have witnessed many changes that have happened in this museum during the course of time.

When watching the video, turn on the subtitles to understand better.

The Bhutan I saw

2024-10-27T02:18:00.012-07:00

Bhutan has compulsory military training for one year, known as Gyalsung. All the young boys and girls you see in this orange dress are actually undergoing training.

The number of vehicles on the roads are very less. Almost all roads are alongside a river which has clean flowing water.

I never saw any vehicle exceeding the speed limit of 55. There are no traffic lights throughout the country and the zebra crossing is well respected by all drivers. There is a cop at every cross road.

Children returning after school. Girls are more when it comes to the boy to girl ratio.

A phone number is provided at the bus stop. Probably to ring and ask about the next bus?

Even if the roads are narrow, there is also a narrow footpath provided so that the pedestrians can walk safely.

If you visit the Post Office you can get custom made stamps which you can affix on letters/postcards and send to any part of the world.

Bhutan is the only carbon negative country in the world. The constitution of Bhutan mandates the country to preserve at least 60% of forest cover at all times. (the actuals as of now is 71%)

A Guinness world record was achieved when they planted 108,000 trees in an hour to commemorate the birth of His Royal Highness Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck by 100 volunteers in Thimphu.
Houses are well planned and with sloping roofs.

Almost all the houses are made of wood (wood obtained from controlled cutting of trees)

Farming is the common occupation (mostly rice and potatoes)

While having lunch, from the window I could see the farmers processing their rice grain. Could also see some tourists showing a keen interest in the process.

They conserve their produce to last longer like this guy was slitting the chillies to be dried which can be used during winter.

Dochula pass is an interesting place. They say that on a clear day one can see the snow covered peaks of the Himalayas. Unfortunately when we went it was foggy and misty. (and cold)

At the pass I saw an artisan standing on a scaffold and painting a perfect circle without a template

This Raven was posing for me as if to say "I am the National bird"

Scaling the Tigers Nest is not an easy task, but two from our group did it.

When in Bhutan one must not miss the black necked Cranes Karma and Pema.

Have made a video on them.
Plane landing in Paro is a highlight which one must not miss. Wrote a seperate blog on it.
Our guide said that during the Covid lockdown period when they were jobless, the King supported them by giving 10000 BTN per month.
Saw this message on a cross road in Phuentsholing and it says it all: "Where we live must be clean, safe, organised and beautiful, for national integrity, national pride, and for our bright future. This too is nation building."

I am sure all those who visit Bhutan must be going back home with one question "Why can't our country be like this?"

Landing at Paro Airport

2024-10-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

It is not everytime you get to see a plane landing at close quarters and that too at an airport which is considered to be the most difficult to land.

As Captain Chimi Dorji says, "Paro airport is difficult but not dangerous." (Captain Chimi Dorji has been working for Druk Air aka Royal Bhutan Airlines for 25 years)
Most airports offer about 10 nautical miles (about 18 kms) of distance for pilots to gauge the most aligned approach onto the landing strip, this airport accords only one or two nautical miles, which literally means there is no room for error.
Only 50 pilots are certified to land at Paro due to the demanding conditions.
I was also fortunate enough to videograph the landing. It was a lucky day for me as I could capture three aircrafts landing and one helicopter taking off.

The third aircraft I videographed was a small plane with propellers

While waiting for the aircraft, I saw these Raven (national bird of Bhutan) circling above. Murder in the air?

As I did not carry my tripod, I could not use my big camera, so had to make do with my mobile camera. Made a video on it and that is one item ticked off my bucket list.
Read somewhere that there is a Budha in the cockpit.

Life around the paddy field

2024-08-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

I observed that the birds around the paddy fields have their own set routine of feeding and perching. Maybe that is why this heron decided "come rain, come sunshine, I will not budge from my perching point"

One of the birds had its nest on this Ithi tree (Ficus Microcarpa) and I found the roots of this tree almost covered the tree trunk.

Was staying near a paddy field for a week where the greenery and the natural sound in that area was very soothing.

I was trying to capture the spider web and a bird made a guest appearance.
The place where we stayed was Vempilly Ayurveda Medical Hospital.

The overall impression I got was that the staff (at all levels) were passionate about their work and there was a personal touch to everything that they did. Also noticed that most of them multitasked, like the guy who did the daily massage for me, also doubled up to deliver the morning 6 am kattan kapi. (coffee without milk)
They grow most of the vegetables in the premises, so when it reaches your table, you can be sure that it is organic.

The food is vegetarian but there is variety in what you eat.

The sowing and reaping of the two acre paddy field is mechanised and very cost effective according to Dr Mathews.

Milk production is also in house and they have a dedicated guy, Mr Murukan from Tenkasi, who looks after the stable.

I could not capture the other treatment in action but in this video you can see the herbal medicine being applied on a person who had plantar fasciitis.

I liked this simple idea of using incense to keep away insects and leave a wonderful aroma.

After a long time I saw a "touch me not" in action.

Kochi Water Metro

2024-07-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

These huge trees must have witnessed these nets being lowered and raised a zillion times. This is one of the views you get to see when you travel by the Kochi water Metro.

Kochi became India's first city to have a water metro project. The battery operated electric boats were manufactured by Cochin shipyard limited.
Saw these pictures at Fort Cochin terminal where we boarded the Water Metro. Notice the languages? Apart from Indian languages I could identify Russian, Hebrew, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Urdu, and probably many more as I am not a language expert.

Instead of standing in line, you sit in line. I was impressed by the bench they provided. And there is an additional rectangular sitting area for more seats. I feel the architecture of those seats has got something to do with Fort Cochin.

Before you take a seat, you observe the life jacket box which is easily accessible and they are not locked. (I just checked one of the boxes)

We crossed one of the older boats and I was wondering about the noise and vibration one has to endure on them as compared to the battery operated water metro.

It was cost effective too, just Rs 40 as compared to it being ten times more when travelling by a cab for the same distance.

You will get more information while watching the video
All in all, it was a good experience and can be added as a "must do things" on your next visit to Kochi.
Like the poster says, think blue, go green.

Bus ride in Kerala

2024-06-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

After a long time I travelled by bus in Kerala. The first leg was from Airport to Alleppey (Alappuzha) bus stand, and the second leg was from Alleppey to Changanasserry. The total cost came to Rs 157/-

I captured some pictures and videos from the bus. I could do this only after sunrise as I had started my journey at 4 am. The conductor and the driver got replaced at Ernakulam (as this was a long distance bus which proceeded to Trivandrum after dropping us at Alleppey.)

At Alleppey bus stand I had tea, a repeat exercise for me after nearly 55 years ! The method of making the tea is the same (as can be seen in the video) and the flavour is surprisingly the same. The cost of the tea was just Rs10

Boarded the Changanassery bus from there, with the assumption that it would take me through the same route that I had taken 55 years ago, but there were some changes. When I saw the bus entering Kallu palam (stone bridge) I assumed it would take a right turn and head for Irumbu palam (Iron bridge)

But it went straight ahead towards Kottara palam which was flattened out. Earlier this Kottara palam was built very high so that the Travancore King's boat could pass under it. Now there is no Palace and no King, so I presume that bridge was not required.
Coming back to kallu palam, this area was a trading centre about a century ago. Once a week, goods (mostly vegetables and pulses) were displayed on the broad steps next to the bridge and trading took place there. It was more of a barter system in those days. Here is a photo of the Kallu palam clicked by the Government photographer Zacharias D'Cruz. This was clicked way back in 1900

As the bus avoided the city, it reached Kaithavana within no time and I had to quickly click a picture of the church. I found that the church has expanded sideways.

The kodimaram (flag post) is prominent in the middle. This type of kodimaram is usually found in front of churches and temples all over Kerala. The bus took a turn at Kaithavana mukku (junction) and I found that the junction was pretty clean.

Heading straight towards the east, we reached Pallathuruthi. From the bridge we could see all the houseboats parked nearby. This is the starting and ending point of the Alleppey Houseboats.

About 40 years ago if one had to travel from Alleppey to Changanasseri, one had to cross three ferries namely Pallathuruthi, Nedumdy and Kidangara. With the construction of the bridges, movement became faster.
On either side we could see the paddy fields but now they are slushy with residual rain water.

All said and done, it was a comfortable (and cost effective) journey for me, but I found that all the bus stands that I crossed were in very bad shape and needed a complete makeover.
For example I saw a makeshift shelter made by some concerned people at the Changanassery stand.

Hope the present transport minister Mr Ganesh Kumar makes a note of this.
After a week I made my return journey by the same Kerala SRTC Low Floor airconditioned bus.
That is another change I noticed. KSRTC is now known as Kerala SRTC.

Terrasinne

2024-03-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

Terrasinne is a wonderful place to spend a day and be served by people who care for you. It is a Multicuisine Restaurant located at F C road, Pune (near Tukaram Paduka chowk) Once you are seated, a young girl comes and explains to you how the restaurant functions.

All orders are to be placed with sign language and the menu card has an easy to understand prompt for it.

The food takes some time to come but that is understandable as it is freshly made. The ambiance and the staff put you at ease and that helps you to relax.

The reverse triangle sign of Terrasinne is an Alchemy sign which means 'Earth' (Terra) and Sinne means World Cuisines.

This is one dignified platform for many - 14 disabilities like, blind, deaf, down syndrome, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, deaf and autistic spectrum, epilepsy..... (just a few to mention)
The founder, Dr. Sonam Kapse ensures that the kitchen does not use preservatives, additives or unhealthy ingredients. Terrasinne has collaborated with 200 plus farmers which encourages the propaganda of farm-to-table food.

Some of the photos I clicked while a food photo shoot was going on.

I heard that group discounts on party bookings are available. I feel more people should patronize the place as it is a win win situation. The joy and happiness you see on their faces is worth it.
I made a short two minute video of them in action.
Before leaving we had Filter coffee and cold coffee from Trelish, and that is something I would personally recommend for the coffee fans.

I like their tip box and I presume the tip is shared by all.

Kala Ghoda Festival 2024

2024-01-31T08:03:00.000-08:00

Had been to the Kala Ghoda Festival and took some general pictures of Mumbai, like this night shot of the Mumbai University

Sauntered into the Westside store (opposite Kala Ghoda) and saw these young boys from Live 101 keeping the customers entertained. They were playing my favourite song by Bob Marley.

Marley's classic song No Woman No Cry was inspired by his experience living in the trench town area of Kingston, Jamaica. The song reflects the hardships and struggles faced by the residents of the ghetto with its lyrics portraying empathy and hope for better times. The song was recorded in 1974 and the live recording was released as a single in 1975.

The song is meant as an encouragement that life is worth living for - a beacon of hope shining in the darkness. The title and the main refrain "No Woman no cry" means, Woman, don't cry.
Another non festival picture was this pretty woman trying to sell some trinkets at the Regal crossing.

Mumbai was looking all colourful with the new double decker electric bus

Took me back about six decades when I travelled by tram on the same road and the fare was 10 Ps from Byculla to Regal.

We patronized an old Parsee joint Jimmy Boy in the area for dinner. The "sunny side up on kheema" not only looked great but was really yummy.
Their concept is to serve Lagan nu Bhonu (Parsee wedding food) at their restaurant. Jamva Chaloji.

It was heartwarming to see this study centre in the heart of the city where students coming from underprivileged backgrounds can come and study and fans and lights and charging points are provided for them. These two pictures below explain it all. (behind that board you can see youngsters sitting and studying)

Now for some festival shots. This catapult reminded me of the ones we made by cutting the Y from a guava tree and tying rubber strips from discarded cycle tubes. Now it is a part of the Channapatna toys in one of the stalls.

I was impressed by the pencil sketch done by Ashish Mahajan at the Cooperage Bandstand Garden. Had a chat with him and he said that he usually takes about 6 to 8 hrs to finish a pencil sketch of a portrait. (you can see him in action in the video) The charges too were cost effective.

We saw this pottery workshop where one gets a feel of the potter's wheel.

There was an exhibit by the Indian Navy opposite Lion Gate with the title Lest we forget. It was crafted from the recovered memorabilia of INS Vikrant as an offering of everlasting tribute. This too took me down memory lane when I was posted on duty on the Vikrant from the NCC during the Navy week, way back in early 70s.

There was a stall by The Good Doll where each product is handcrafted by women from underserved communities using natural and upcycled materials that are ethically sourced from within the region.

Kala Ghoda is an yearly event and it is a good platform for people to showcase their product/talent. This was started on a small scale 25 years ago.
Hope to click more pictures next year.

Diamond crossing

2024-01-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

Always wanted to see the diamond crossing in India, so I made it a point to visit it during my first visit to Nagpur.

It is said that this is the only double crossing in Asia. Another landmark is the zero mile stone of India which is at the heart of the city. The pillar was erected in 1907 and is made of sandstone.

One of the Metro stations is also named Zero Mile.

Talking of Metro, I took a joy ride in the Metro to the Airport and back, and found the occupancy pretty appreciable in spite of it being a Sunday. This metro also goes over the viaduct which is Asia's longest multilayer viaduct.

From Nagpur we drove down to Tadoba. The drive itself was enjoyable, especially the rustic countryside. One has to make way for bullock carts and cattle crossing the path but a little patience makes it a win-win situation.

It is good to see children going to school, either by foot or on bicycle.

We halted at a place known as "Tathastu" and I liked the service and ambiance of the place. Their restaurant was named Foodpecker and the bar was named "Bottleneck"

There was a crooner by the name of Ahatesham who entertained us with his guitar.

I made a separate video on him.
Most of the visitors go to Tadoba with the intention of sighting a Tiger. We were lucky to see many wild animals and birds.This tall Nilgai was intrigued by our presence.

The black buck looked majestic.

The blending of the Owl with the bark of the tree was perfect.

The darter had a way to dry his wings as can be seen in the video.

The open bill stork looked pretty in the tall grass

The bamboo trees had flowered well and the guide said that next year there is going to be a dense bamboo jungle. He said the last flowering happened 45 years ago.

The video will give you a better picture especially of the leopard walking across to join its mate in the shade.

Victoria Falls

2023-10-31T23:25:00.001-07:00

The guide said that it is very rare that you sight a Southern Ground Hornbill and we were very fortunate to see one on our long drive through the Delta.

Another Hornbill was the Trumpeter Hornbill which was sitting motionless in the rainforest near the Victoria Falls.

Speaking of birds, we saw this Green Woodhoopoe in the same rainforest.

Being at the Falls was a different experience and when you see the constant spray, you realise how the greenery thrives all around it.

The sheer volume over the height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is buffeted by the strong rising winds and turned into mist. If you stand here for more than a minute, you are sure to get fully drenched.
Never knew that white water rafting takes place deep down in those ravines.

Made a short video on the Victoria Falls which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Elephant Sands

2023-10-13T08:24:00.005-07:00

This is one of those places where you get to see as many elephants as you want, in all shapes and sizes.

If you are staying overnight in one of the tents then it is all the more exciting as the flow of traffic (of elephants) is more in the night.

We drove down from Francistown to Elephant sands. One of the observations I made during our overnight stay is that they move very silently. They may be standing right next to you and you will not be aware of them.

From the videos you may get the impression that they are docile and tame. The fact is that once they know that you are not a threat to them (or their family), they won't harm you. I like the way they come bounding down to the waterhole when they sight the water.

Even after reaching the waterhole they don’t start drinking right away. They first splash themselves with water, cool themselves down a bit and then slowly take small sips of water. I saw two of them drinking alternatively in a synchronized fashion.

At times there are skirmishes among themselves and the Tuskers like to exercise their might and leadership. On the way to the Elephant Sands, our vehicle got bogged down. We knew that pushing it won't help but still we gave it a try. Finally got it towed by another vehicle which was passing by.

Birds too hover around the waterhole and they take turns in quenching their thirst.

saw somee Pied crows:

I saw an odd looking bird along with the Myna. It looked like a juvenile vulture but later when I got it identified I learned that it was a molting Myna.

It is a different experience to spend the night in one of those tents hearing the occasional trumpeting sound at regular intervals. The next morning I saw some ostriches grazing not far from our tent.

Going through the short video will give you a better idea of the place and our experience over there.

Bush Telegraph

2023-09-23T22:43:00.004-07:00

It is very rare that you get to see a leopard with her kill and her young one on the very first trip you make to Africa, thanks to Option.

Option is the name of the tour guide who was with us for the last three days of our tour of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Option was not only knowledgeable about wildlife, he had a sound knowledge about the history and geography of everything. He has this habit of exchanging information with his counterparts and he calls it "bush telegraph"

His grasp on the geological background of the terrain was admirable. When we camped at Savuti, during the campfire, he explained about the stars and I was stunned at his knowledge of constellations.

We were at the edge of our seat listening to one of the strategy executed by the lions of how they managed to feed on Elephants. When the waters receded all the animals migrated to other areas whereby there was nothing for the lions to feed on. They decided to feed on the mighty elephants. As they could not constrict and choke them (their usual strategy) they managed to bleed the elephants to death by cutting open their main artery, a process which took three to four days. There were casualties on the lion’s side too, but the pride managed to feed and sustain themselves.
In Option’s words “ When we think we know everything, Nature manages to rewrite history”

The additional advantage that he had was his great sense of humour and a good grasp of the language. You can hear from him in the video. Those of you who would like to engage him can contact him directly on Whatsapp +267 7241 7407 or mail at optionmooketsi@rocketmail.com
Coming back to our main story, as usual Option kept collecting information from his bush telegram and when we told him that we spotted a jackal he said "forget the Jackal for the time being, I will show you something that you will never forget" He drove us directly to the spot where the leopard was resting after having her first fill of the Steenbok. It was later that we noticed that she had a cub too. (The leopard spots really help in the blending in.)

The leopard decided to move to a quieter place, so she picked up her kill and moved to the interior with her cub in tow. It was our luck that she walked right in front of our vehicle, so I could capture her movements in the video.
In another instance, we saw a leopard stalking and crouching waiting for the charge. He was waiting to see if he could reduce the distance between the prey and him. The waiting game went on for a long time and we had to leave before some action took place.

Rhino sanctuary

2023-09-12T14:13:00.007-07:00

We spent a day at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Botswana and were lucky enough to spot the young one of a giraffe. The lighting was perfect and they just paused from their grazing to look at us.

Their gait looks majestic. Unlike other animals when they walk, both the left legs move forward and then both the right.

Spotted many Rhinos (some very close) and they did not mind us clicking away. Reminded me of the movie Hatari which I saw in the early sixties.

For those of you who are not familiar with the movie, here is the famous song Baby Elephant from the movie.
Once again we were lucky to spot a young Rhino who tried to keep pace with her mother.

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grass. It moves about in herds and is famous for the Masai Mara migration.

This Eland stood staring at us for some time (as if posing for us) and then simply turned and walked off. Elands are supposed to be the biggest in the antelope family.

Spotted an ostrich far away taking in the morning sunlight.

The warthog digging the ground for food. When feeding, they bend their front foot and it looks like they are on their knees.

The greater kudu, a warthog and a Rhino in perfect harmony.

Having his morning fill.

Kori Bustard is the largest flying bird native to Africa, in fact the male may be the heaviest living animal capable of flight. The male attempts to breed with as many females as possible and then takes no part in the raising of the young ones. I could just manage to capture him as he took off (as seen in the video)

The crimson breasted shrike kept hopping around and I could not get a good shot of her.

We waited at the watering hole where most of the birds came to quench their thirst. I could not keep track of all the birds so I just panned my camera slowly along the edge and captured as much as I could.

The Helmeted guineafowl seems to be the biggest bird coming for water. Here you see it with a go-away bird. Had written about the "Go away" bird in the previuos blog.

Below you see the guineafowl with a golden breasted bunting.

There were some ring necked doves among other birds

The Blacksmith Lapwing (plover) made a dash in front of our vehicle.

A pair of southern yellow billed hornbills were busy feeding and not allowing any other birds anywhere close.

Even through the thicket one can see his curious eyes

The approximate location of the sanctuary in Botswana.

Go away

2023-09-06T05:41:00.005-07:00

Saw quite a few birds in the last few days in Botswana, but the most amusing one was the Grey Go away bird. It is pretty big and not shy of humans but his amusing call is what catches the attention. (don't miss the moon)

The bird is named for its alarm call "Kuh-we" which sounds like "go-away" and is thought to alarm other species of approaching predators or other dangers such as hunters. You can hear the call at the start of the video.
I found these mouse birds eating (or rather destroying) the flowers of the Moringa tree (drumstick) Their activity was more of destructive nature as they were not eating them but just plucking it and spitting it

The sunbirds too come in flocks looking for the Moringa flowers

This Little Bee eater was sitting pretty, well protected by those thorny branches and pretty flowers

Talking of thorns, I was standing under a thorny tree when I saw this masked weaver bird flying in and out with green leaves busy weaving his nest. I got some bottom view of his activity where he was modelling his entrance door and spitting out the excess leaves.

While I was shooting the weaver, the Groundscrapper Thrush was eyeing me with some concern from the sidewalk.

The Crowned Plover got himself well camouflaged in the dry grass. His movements too were such that he used to stand still for a long time.

Towards the end of the video I managed to get a long shot of two Red-billed Buffalo Weavers up in the tree

These blue birds were pretty. I am assuming it is the blue waxbill finch

The next morning I was off again hoping to catch some early birds. I started off with the sunrise

Considering the array and variety of birds in Africa, there is a possibility of part 2 for this blog.

Arranmore

2023-07-25T09:19:00.004-07:00

It is not everytime that you get to hear a band that is totally perfect. Arranmore had a performance at the Schaumburg Town Square Library and all those present enjoyed the old songs which had an Irish touch to it. The group takes its name from an island on the northwest coast of Ireland.

All the members of the band were in perfect sync and Brian (the band leader) kept it flowing smoothly.

The ambiance too was perfect, I mean I would rather listen to a band playing in open air like this, than in a closed hall.

It was poetic justice that the swan chose to swim into the frame while filming Kirk Rende on the keyboard (I am not sure if it was a swan or a Canada goose)

Rich Prezioso plays with such ease, I like his "When the last leaves fall" by Small Potatoes. If you listen to the words, it is so meaningful.

The mandolin speaks on its own and I waited for Dave to pick up his mandolin more often (not that he was bad with the guitar)

I specifically liked the song Wild Rover, where the audience were made to participate and they responded equally well with their synchronised clap

I liked the subtle joke made by Brian mentioning Jack performing in front of Mount Rushmore, and Jack accepted the joke with the humble smile of his. (I have added it in the video)

All the songs in the video are clipped to make space to fit in more songs.
Hope to catch them again sometime in the future on their next performance.