Fudge Together

MicroAdventure - August (Part1)

2017-07-11T01:12:00.000+05:30

So this trip doesn't quite fit the definition of a micro-adventure. With over a couple months of planning, it definitely wasn't spontaneous. It wasn't that 'micro' either!

I finished my work with Nivasa at the end of July- a truly great place to work made it a very memorable year. I chose to trade in dust and cityscape for a week-long trip up to the mountains as a celebration.

Location: Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand
Plan: Hike from Govindh Ghat to the Valley!

My Dad has been wanting to do this for ages. It didn't take much to convince the rest of us. Much reading up was done, itinerary making and ticket booking, new guide books, last minute Decathlon shopping and super light-weight packing and soon we were off- the four of us and Aunty Sonia.

A 3 hour plane ride, half a day in Delhi and an overnight train ride to Haridwar before we began our long drive. Haridwar and Rishikesh are popular destinations for tourists and Hindu pilgrims. Rishikesh was quite beautiful- the Ganga in its full monsoon capacity widening as it hit the plains, temple spires sticking out over the roofs, the foothills of the Himalayas rising up in the background.

We left the town far behind in no time as we started the ascent. Straight roads were traded in for winding hair pins and the views only improved with every hour. Our route followed the Alakananda (a tributary of the Ganga); a cementy-grey colour because of the clay content. The roads alternated between driving high above it to alongside the riverbed, sometimes crossing it over precarious rickety bridges!

As we climbed, the rolling hills soon became steeper! August is not the most ideal time to travel in the Himalayan ranges. The rains have been pretty harsh and with each downpour have taken off big segments of the mountains blocking roads and flattening houses. A few times, we had to wait while the road ahead of us was cleared. After which we had to drive across the narrow junction between sheer faces of loose rock!

Despite having a stomach that wasn't enjoying all the mountain roads, the dhaba we ate lunch at in Devprayag was worth every mouthful- simple and so satisfying. The second half of the day brought more changes to the landscape. The towns were less frequent, villages clung to the steep faces, mountains rose higher and the air became cooler.

The last leg of the 10 hour drive took us down a narrow gorge from Joshimath to Govind Ghat. The small town sat at the confluence of the Alakananda and the Laxman Ganga. We were quite glad to be off the road. Our room overlooked the path that lay ahead of us and we fell asleep to the sound of cascading water!

We set out early the next morning. Grateful to be off our butts and on our feet, we sent our bags off ahead with our trusty porter and began the 14km hike up, up and up towards Ghangaria. Mule carts carrying goods between the villages continuously interrupted the quiet landscape with their tinkling bells. Known as a popular Sikh pilgrimage up to the glacial lake Hemkund Sahib, the trail was paved with rock rubble and well marked. Besides a number of others like us headed to the valley, we shared the trail with many Sikh families on mule-back and many pilgrims making the journey barefoot. (It made it almost embarrassing to complain about achy feet in our sturdy trekking shoes)

The trail alternated between level pathways, steep uphills, and gradually climbing zig-zags, and sometimes even a rewarding downhill segment! The path went up through the large valley. Mountains towered over us on both sides with waterfalls a hundred feet from the rocky summits pouring into the lush valley; truly perfectly picturesque. There was no hurry complete this trail. We took time to smell the roses (quite literally), took pictures at every bend, followed every bird, took enough breaks to eat our snacks, and take in all the beauty around us.

Being part of a flora and fauna loving family, meant that this trip with its rich biodiversity was quite a treat. Binoculars, bird and flower guide books, multiple lens cameras, sharp eyes and ears, and a lot of patience were necessary on this trail. So many varieties of wildflowers and we weren't even at the Valley of Flowers yet!

We passed villages and many stalls offering refreshments and hot aloo parathas. When lunchtime came, we reached our midpoint at the river crossing. We picked the lunch stall with the best view overlooking the river bed, the mountains and the glacier at the far end. Truly the view makes the food taste better (that and the butter of course!).

With full stomachs, the next uphill stretch was quite a strain. We persisted, the views continuing to reward us. A couple hours later, and 4000ft gained, we reached the opening in the valley.

Feeling quite accomplished, we dragged our feet around the last few bends before reaching the little village of Ghangaria. The last village in the Bhyundar valley, this village gets buried under 12 feet of snow in the winter and is accessible for only 6 months of the year. The hotel owners make they way up here in June to replace all their pipe systems and repair the buildings to be ready for customers in May and at peak season the little hotels are full of travelers and pilgrims.

Nestled in the valley with waterfalls emptying into the basin, meadows with grazing mules, the bustling main street of Ghangaria, a satisfying dinner, warm duvets, and deep sleep- a happy end to the day.

MicroAdventure - July

2016-07-13T22:50:00.000+05:30

Location: Elephant Valley, Kodaikanal

Plan: Spend two days at Kodai Camp

So June went by with no adventures (big or small). My conclusion is that it was a good month without monotony to get away from.

I have friends whose family live up in the mountains of Kodaikanal. With the rolling ranges, sprawling forests, meandering streams- it makes it the perfect place to call home. Lucky for us city-folk, they've expanded their home into a campsite. Since a visit here last November, I've been dying to come back.

After ten not-so-fun hours in a bus up the mountain roads, my stomach and I were glad to finally reach. Nestled in Elephant Valley, about an hour away from Kodai Town, the campsite is encompassed by pristine views. We (Nikita, Nuthan, my brother and I) set off for a late morning walk up the road from the site. Unfortunately the water levels in the stream were quite low in comparison to our last visit, but the rest of the walk was beautiful- with the clouds slowly uncovering the tops of the mountains.

The walk included an exciting discovery. Just off the road, the earthy colours of the plants and stone walls was interrupted with a bright purple gate. Beyond the gate, a little stone house sat in the middle of an overgrown yard. The tiny cottage had a stucco wall on one side and steps leading up to a porch on the other. So much attention to colour- the alternating blue and white columns, the mustard door and window and the red flooring.

A gap in the wall allowed us to wade through the knee-high grass for a closer look. The bushes of orange mallow flowers and the views beyond made it the quintessential cottage.

We headed out to Kodai town that afternoon. It had been about 18 years since my last visit to the town. My memories of cycling around the lake and horse rides were refreshed. Hiring cycles from one of the many vendors around the lake, we rode round the 9km circumference of the lake. The lake was dotted with peddle boats, the waterfront with stalls, cyclists, vacationing families and honeymooning couples. Beyond the lake, Kodai has a variety of cafes and bakeries, gardens and antique stores.

But after the croissants and wood-fire pizzas, we found that the best food in Kodai was off a roadside cart. It seemed that every second stall around the lake served hot tea and bread omelette. Clearly, this was something special here. Laced with green chilies, the fluffy omelette sandwiched between white bread was the perfect end to our hill-station saunter.

A cozy night in the tent only improved when the rain started. To be lulled by pitter-patter would have sounded too fictional, if it wasn't true. Waking up in the mountains somehow never requires an alarm. We went for one more walk in the valley after breakfast. More pictures and one last look at my dream cottage, and the weekend suddenly came to an end. (Only another painful bus ride between then and a Monday morning back at the office)

This trip veers away from the definition of adventure and towards that of relaxed getaway. A great trip, nonetheless. Hiking those ranges definitely looked inviting- another trip to be planned, I guess.

MicroAdventure - May

2016-06-20T00:47:00.002+05:30

Location: Nandi Hills
Plan: Climb to the top!

This year has brought out a continuous resfeber in me. I suppose it's almost half the excitement of this project- the anticipation of a trip about to happen but the whereabouts of which is still unknown. Same story every month.

My family has begun planning a macroadventure in August. With not much time to prepare for the four day trek in Uttarakhand, my dad suggested a climb up Nandi Hills to test the knees. I wasn't too pleased with the plan. Having visited Nandi Hills a dozen times before, it had transformed from a quiet family picnic spot to a pilgrimage of Bangalore's summer holidayers making their way up by the bus load.

But (seems to have become a habit) it was already near the end of the month and my initial surfing plans had to be cancelled because of the onset of the monsoons and I didn't have a good enough back up. So, Nandi Hills it had to be.

It rained almost through the night and was still drizzling when we left home. Around 7, when we reached the base it began raining again, so we drove around for a while. Empty roads, sleepy villages and the clouds made quite a lovely Sunday morning. The loveliest sight was seeing the Skandagiri peak over the clouds. That was a night full of adventures a few years ago. Every time I see it, it brings back a flood of memories.

We waited almost an hour for the rain to stop, then found our way to the end of the road near the Silver Oaks farm, parked the car, and started the climb. On the map, you can see where the trail starts from the farm which is on the opposite side of Nandi Hills where the road is.

The weather was absolutely perfect. The coolness of the breeze, the low clouds moving past us, the dampness under the trees, the overcast sky hiding the sun- we really couldn't have asked for a better day. The rainy weather added another bonus- the lack of people! Just a few other early risers and some friendly chit-chat on the way.

The trail was mostly steps that wound their way through the trees. At every bend, we could see the the fields below and other surrounding hills. Considering that that the trail is called Tipu's Steps, it wasn't a surprise to find some ruins of mantapas from the eighteenth century- the stone camouflaged between the branches, and the steps leading us under them.

It's Nandi Hills! What new things could I possibly see on a hill that I had been to countless times. But this trip was hugely different to the usual trips here. The climb was pretty easy and the effort usually spent in hauling myself up and focusing on the top, I could spend noticing little things. The rains brought a variety of creatures out of the shrub and onto the steps. I've always been fascinated with tightly curled up millipedes and snails with their sensitive feelers.

It took us about 80 minutes to get to the top with many many breaks along the way. Once at the top, we spent no more than ten minutes before turning around and heading back down. A couple thousands steps later we were back down at the car- a bit sweaty, jelly-legged, but quite refreshed.

Looking forward to a change from Bangalore hills to Himalayan foothills soon :)

P.S. Most of the pictures are my Dad's. Although I took the camera card on this trip, the battery was super low and died right in the beginning. Silly me.

MicroAdventure - April

2016-05-05T00:39:00.000+05:30

Location: Makalidurga
Plan: Night Trek and Camping

A heat wave hit Bangalore this month. Unfortunately a large portion of work this month has been outdoors on site monitoring construction. What's left of the week, I've been choosing to spend in listless slumber in an air conditioned room. Some feeble attempts at a mircroadventure were made, but the idea of venturing out anywhere except to the Himalayas didn't seem worth the effort.

I have some great friends who decided to help me out! With only April 30 left as an option to do anything this month, there had to be some frantic planning. It took a couple of days to find a doable option and another day of extensive packing discussions. Finally, on Saturday afternoon Sanjana, Kaushik, Joel, Vivek, Rohit and I were all packed up and headed to City Station.

There was nothing seamless about our experience buying tickets and getting onto the train. From the ticket lady who didn't know whether the train even existed, having to run over to the opposite end of the station to platform 9, obstacle course running when we saw the train already moving, to the annoying train guard laughing while we struggled to clamber on (he told us later, that he knew that we were going on some trek and wanted us to practice running :P) we barely made it onto the train.

Two hours later after the sun had set and city lights were replaced by darkness and the occasional clustered village lights, we got off at Makalidurga station. Our trail began with 3km along the railway tracks. Armed with torches, and a dog from the station who appointed himself as our trail guide, we set off into the night. We started off with a fairly decent pace, having to stop just once to let a train whiz by. The real adventure began once we got off the tracks and had to find a trail that passed between the hills. Every clearing between the trees could pass off as a path. But thanks to someone who had generously mapped out a rough outline of the trail on Google maps, we were somewhat confident.

Trekking at night is quite the experience. Darkness, the shadows, sounds in the bushes, the brilliance of the nights sky, the vague outlines of the Makalidurga hill looming over on our right, and some sort of glistening patchy-ness in front of us that was probably the lake.

A couple of kilometers later we began the ascent. With our heavily stuffed backpacks of tents, bedding and lots of food, pulling ourselves over the rocks was not easy. Our dog (by now named Lieutenant Worf) stuck with us and seemed to be quite the faithful companion. Keeping to the trail wasn't as easy as we hoped. Often finding ourselves in the thicket of brambles at dead-ends, we had to back track quite a few times until we found one of those slightly inconspicuous white arrows painted on a rock.

By this time, our water supply had already crossed the half way point. We had hoped to buy water on the way, but unfortunately didn't find any places once we were on the train. Having packed everything else, but missing out on essential water was quite a silly move. Once we were down to just two remaining bottles, we had to make a new plan. We could complete the remaining kilometer, finish the water and have nothing more for the descent, or camp out where we were and miss out on the summit with some water for the next morning. We chose wisely, and were lucky to find a fairly level patch of ground just off the trail.

Once the tents were up, we each had a nightcap of two sips of water. The stars were beautiful and the breeze refreshing. We managed a couple hours of sleep despite some disturbances in the night. Lieutenant proved to be the ultimate watch dog, but at some point early in the morning decided that he had served his time and left us for another group of trekkers.

We were up before sunrise while the moon was still bright. We set out quite quickly downhill with one goal in mind- water. With replenished stomachs from a house on the way, a ten minute wade in the lake (would have definitely jumped in, if we didn't have a train to catch), we completed the last few kilometers of the trail and the railway line and were at the station in time for the train back to Bangalore.

Sleepy, achy, hungry, relieved. But mostly quite thrilled with all the adventure that came with the 15 hour trip. :)

Photo credits: Everyone, except me. I lugged my camera all the way without the memory card. :/

MicroAdventure - March

2016-04-03T22:04:00.000+05:30

Location: Coorg

Plan: ~~Night Trek and Camping~~, ~~Find a waterfall and sit under it~~, Go to Coorg and find an accessible natural water source!

This summer weather has made me quite grumpy. I've been spending a large percentage of each day complaining and sulking about (and blaming everything on) the weather. To make things worse, I did not have an escape plan and somehow the days went by so fast and it was already the last week of March. I had some random ideas towards the end of the week, but sadly they didn't materialise into actual plans. I sulked more on Saturday, knowing that Sunday was my only day to go somewhere. Anywhere.

Aditi, who somehow tolerates most of my complaining all day at work came to my rescue. She messaged me Saturday evening telling me that she'd come along if I had any trip plans. Exactly 2 hours later, we were at the bus stop! We spent 7 hours on a bus with hard non-reclining seats and slightly squished next to a lady who didn't have much regard for personal space. It was still worth the cheap tickets though! At 5:30 in the morning, we found ourselves in the chilly Madikeri bus stop up in the Coorg hills waiting for daybreak.

Sunday is a slow day for the already slow-paced town. With the exception of a few morning walkers, life unfurled gradually over the course of our town exploration. We watched gardens being swept, cars being washed, newspaper rounds, and milk being put to boil in the coffee shops. We nosily peeked through gates and over walls as we walked and within two hours, we had covered most of the little streets and even scaled the ramparts of the Madikeri fort.

Post breakfast, the town seemed to be a little more awake and we inquired about waterfall options in the area and then headed out to the closest one from the town. It was quite a disappointing waste of a couple of hours, I should say. The trickle of water that formed a greenish frothy pool at the bottom of the rock face was not what I had in mind. The pathway at the edge of the water was filled with selfie-stick tourists who somehow still felt the need to take a gazillion pictures. Ugh. The ride there and back through forests and coffee estates was quite pretty though.

Our borderline desperation attempts to find some water to jump into put us on a local bus shortly afterwards for an hours ride to the Cauvery river. The conductor had to wake us up at our stop and we jumped off the bus in a daze only to find ourselves still another ride away from any water.

We reached the river at Dubare Forest and much to our dismay, found the place teaming with picnickers and squealing rafters. We walked along the river banks until we were far from all of that. The summer had brought down the water levels baring many rocks that divided the span of the river.

This space was our own and the water was so inviting! I cannot tell you how the next few hours passed. With barely any energy to do any proper swimming, we let the gentle current rock us into bliss. The surface of the water was warmed by the sun but deeper down, a refreshing coolness. We found perfectly shaped rocks to wedge ourselves between, and with just our faces out of the water surface, we could easily be mistaken as lifeless.

We stayed in their until our fingers and toes resembled raisins and we had started smelling of the river. The only other people we saw were a group of stark naked village kids who jumped between the rocks in and out of the pools fishing with one piece of cloth. They were fully immersed in their afternoon fun oblivious to the hot rocks, the sun and us.

It was seriously difficult to pull ourselves out from the water. After drying ourselves in the sun we headed back on the bus to the town. Aditi wanted to try some local Coorg cuisine, so we managed to find one restaurant that was open for an early dinner. We were ravenous and gobbled up the food despite it being a below average meal. We were asleep before the bus even left Madikeri and woke up back in Bangalore at 4 in the morning and we were back at work a few hours after that.

So much post-trip depression to add to Monday blues. I found myself dreaming about floating in the river so many times through the day. Until next time.

MicroAdventure - February

2016-03-04T23:31:00.000+05:30

Location: Jayamangali Black Buck Reserve, Tumkur
Plan: Spot some black buck and (hopefully) camp in the reserve.

I had made two other plans for February's microadventure, and both completely flopped. One Sunday, my brother and Dad went out birding to Jayamangali and much to my delight, found out that with permission from the forest reserve, you can camp there.

The day before the trip, we got a reply from the forest department rejecting our request. I was quite grumpy at the thought of failing my yearly plan in month 2. Nevertheless, my optimistic family packed up the car with tents, sleeping bags, pillows, cameras, binoculars, 16 litres of water and plenty of food, and we left home at 3 in the morning.

We were in the park at dawn. We spent about 3 hours driving through the reserve in our not-a-four-wheel-drive car. The bird enthusiasts were quite enthralled by their sightings and even saw a few lifers (first sighting in their life). I learned a few new bird names which I've already forgotten. Most exciting of all were the black buck. Despite the open grasslands, they weren't easy to find. Camouflaged against the grass and with their ability to disappear behind bushes and rocks, it was quite a treat when we spotted them. We usually saw them in pairs or groups of females, a male and an immature male. They always saw us before we saw them and they watched us as intently.

Black buck are not found in many regions of India. Being a near threatened species, Jaymangali is one reserve where they are found in abundance (about 150 of them). The males have stunning markings- the dark browns and whites, their curly antlers, eyes and ears. Even their butts are quite pretty! The females are quite plain in comparison and the immature males are sort of a cross between the two - female colours with the antlers (after some argument on the subject, we came to an agreement!)

Another bonus of the day was that, besides the forest ranger and some of the villagers passing through, we were the only people in the reserve. We found a lovely watch tower where we spent the hot hours of the day sleeping, eating, and watching the birds and more black buck from the higher vantage point. The best time for animal spotting in the wild is sunrise and sunset, so we spent the last hours of the daylight driving through the park again.

Towards the end of the day, we went back and met the forest watchman to ask if we could stay. After a few phone calls to the forest range officer and lots of begging, we were given permission to camp there!

The reserve had a few tent platforms and we had only a short time left before nightfall to pitch our tents. Before long, we were engulfed by darkness, lots of noisy crickets and cicadas, but thankfully no mosquitos. We relied on phone torches and starlight as we ate dinner since we forgot to bring the torches. We also only packed 2 spoons, so we had to take turns eating! The forest house had nice toilets, so our camping night didn't have to be completely wild. :)

I sat out in the chair for a while on my own after the others went to sleep watching the stars and listening to some unidentifiable noises from trees and bushes. There were some lights on the hills in the horizon from the villages, so the night wasn't as dark as I had presumed it would be. The rest of the night went by with no wild visitors.

We had an early start the next morning. After packing up and eating, we drove around a little more. Spotted more birds and more buck, and then it was back on the road and back to the city. All in all, it was such a restful trip (for me at least). A perfect way to spend the Sabbath. I caught up on all the lost sleep from the week, the fresh air cleared my lungs of all the city dust and smoke that I breath in on my commutes and the quiet time with family and wildlife was certainly rejuvenating.

MicroAdventure - January

2016-01-15T15:59:00.000+05:30

Hello dormant blog! I keep making plans to start putting together all the almost-long-forgotten material I have built up over the last couple years. But getting started is always a bit hard. Let's see how this year goes.

Last year I did a project to make a playlist significant to each month of the year. It was great fun and often challenging to think of themes and make the perfect playlist. In case you want to listen - here.

So, I was looking for something similar- a fun project to last me the year. I then discovered this. And now Alastair Humphreys is now my new inspiration. His list is tailor-made for England residents and I don't think some of his ideas are apt for the Indian context, so I'll have to make do with my own ideas for each microadventure (I don't even have a bivvy bag!)

Just two days after this breakthrough, I found a microadventure I could manage over the weekend, as well as three trip buddies as eager to get out of the city as I was and soon the bus tickets were booked! Seemed like a simple trip, but the spontaneity of it gave it extra points for adventure.

Location - Kudremukh National Park
Plan - Hike to the Kudremukh peak

We arrived in the little town of Kalasa in the wee hours of the morning after an overnight bus ride (with a driver who seemed to enjoy the curvy mountain roads a bit too much!). For about half an hour we wandered the streets guessing constellations in the clear sky. A brisk walk was necessary to keep ourselves warm until we found a light on in a tiny tea shop. Hot teacups were perfect to thaw out our numb fingers.

Daylight brought some life into the town and after breakfast, we caught the local bus to the village of Balegal. On meeting the jeep guys, we were sadly informed that Kudremukh peak was closed to control forest fires. Having heard this before on a trek a couple years ago, this news was a bit of a downer. They suggested another peak to scale as an alternative- Kurinjal. All geared up and ready, we boarded the jeep. Quite unaware about what kind of trek this would be, it added an element of suspense.

The level terrain started to ascend once we crossed a stream. We trekked a steady slope that cut through tawny grass lands, while a couple sambar deer watching us from a distance. The morning sun was quite high up, so the forest was a welcome break. Dipterocarp trees towered above us, moss hanging low from their branches, their buttress roots spanning large areas on the forest floor. Being dwarfed in these surroundings brought conversation to a halt. Has it ever felt like the trees are listening?

Back into the grasslands, the last couple of kilometers zig-zagged up the side of the mountain bringing to view vast panoramas around every bend. The last leg was a bit of a push, as we pulled ourselves up over rocks on the steep peak of Kurinjal. The sheer expanse and magnificence of the surroundings from the top always remind me of the Creator. A combination of peace, feeling sucked up by awe and being alive - it only intensifies with each trek.

With time on our hands, there was no rush to get back down. We had time to appreciate the views again, the forest and the stream. The icy water was refreshing and numbing in equal measure. We built rock cairns (as if there was a need to contribute art) and picked up a stone each as souvenirs (with a slight guilt of displacing them).

We took the remainder of the day slowly - enjoying home made food, drives through villages and walks along the ridge of a barren dam. Dusk came quickly and we found a portico to rest weary feet and discussed "Happiness" and anything else besides the city and work that we would have to go back to.

February; what adventure awaits?! To plan, or not to plan: that is the question.

Karaikal Passenger

2015-10-21T20:30:00.000+05:30

Good morning and good evening from my daily commute.

Oh, the joys of a window seat on the train.

The city-scape and landscape with new detail on every journey.

The fields and the villages gradually changing into high-rise apartments and bridges under which unfortunate commuters wait in standstill traffic.

The morning crisp breeze versus the evening sultry air.

The sun setting into hues of red and purple.

Building facades transforming into light matrices.

Village mud roads into highways dotted with red and yellow.

The slow moving horizon and blur of faces thronging the gates of the railway crossings.

The deep chugging.

The shrill whistles piercing the air.

The tinkling of the key chain seller.

The clapping and coquetting of the hijras.

The vendors announcing their menus: lime rice, poori bhajji, idli chutney, samosas, bhel puri, muruku, peanut chikki and lots of chai.

The pleadings for seat space,"Auntie, swalpa adjust maadi."

The impatient sighs while we halt at railway signals.

Hungry, whining toddlers.

The silence of those with phones- eyes glued, ears plugged.

The hyperactive children clambering up the baggage racks.

The bickering, gossiping ladies with handbags that need seat space.

The uncles with their newspapers.

Vacationing families with packed breakfasts.

The commuters with their backpacks and emotionless faces.

And the dosing grandma whose head keeps falling on my shoulder.

The smells of onion chutney and tamarind rice.

Fresh jasmine and strong cologne.

Smelly feet and sweaty children.

And eucalyptus from the trees at the Bellandur Road station.

The bogey we share with invisible mosquitos and the odd cockroach.

Once a bird flew right through.

(So far no mice!)

The eyes of ladies judging my clothes.

Babies eyeing my bright blue phone

My neighbours peering at the front cover of the book I'm reading.

And the nosy boy reading my text messages.

Days when I can put my feet up on the seat in front of me.
Days when seat space is a luxury, luggage racks become seat space and lap space become luggage racks.
And standing space and leaning space will have to make-do.

But despite all the excitement on the train-

My favourite is thrill of a passing express train at the station.

Standing a few feet away.

Feet apart for balance.

The gust of breeze, the thundering of wheels.

The monstrous engine barging through.

The streaks of blue, indigo and yellow.

Eyes squinting.

The platform quaking underneath.

The roof sheets shuddering overhead.

The station master with his green flag in silent adieu to a couple hundred passengers on another train from somewhere else going someplace else.

My Roman Holiday

2015-04-28T22:42:00.001+05:30

Hello!

The other day, I was cleaning out a cupboard in my room and I found a travel journal from a trip to Rome in 2002 when I was 11 years old. I remember being quite enthralled by the trip on a whole - the exciting history, architecture and art. But my travelogue dictates otherwise; I seem to have been more excited by all the new food we ate. I have listed out in detail everything we ordered at each restaurant. I was quite amused at my focus on the food so I've have typed out what I wrote.

key- [additional notes]

My Roman Holiday

Thursday 21.02.'02

7:30 am - Plane was delayed 'cause of high winds in Rome - 1 hr. Take off about 9:00
Breakfast - Roll and cheese, plain roll, yogurt, sweet roll with almonds, jam and butter, orange juice and hot drink.
Flight was 2 hours.
Lunch - Special mushroom fettuccine, Ravioli, Onion Pizza, Veg Penne (first we got meat by accident)
Walked passed Colosseum, Santa Maria (Moses statue). Ate dessert whilst it was raining.
Supper - 2 pomodoro, 1 carciofi and aubergine fettuccine, 1 agliata coushette [sp. courgette] fettuccine (white)
Bed early (Hotel Aphrodite)

Friday 22.02.'02

8:30 am - Woke up and had showers. Got coupons for Breakfast - sweet rolls and orange juice.
Bus to Vatican, St.Peters Square.
Lunch - 4 penette pomodoro, dessert and drinks, rolls and cheese.
Museum was closed. Climbed 346 steps (halfway was by lift). Sun down in the square.
Supper - Starters - fish my mistake, then changed to veg [I remember that we ordered fried zucchini flowers which came with anchovies], 1 ravioli (Rohit), 1 penne pomodoro with aubergines (TLC), Pizza with mushrooms (Mum), Pizza with aubergines (Dad)
Bus home.
Good night.

Saturday 23.02.'02

Breakfast - same
Pantheon, Trevi Fountain
Lunch - (small quaint rest.) 2 Risottos, pieces of pizza- roast potatoes and courshete [sp. courgette]
Went to some Basilicas and looked at some of the Forum.
ICE CREAM for dessert.
Temple of Jupiter - disappointment.
Michele Angelo's Square.
Supper - PIZZARITO PASTARITO!! folded veg pizza (D), 1 farfelle white mushroom (M), 1 spirelli garlic pomodoro (T), 1 spinach ravioli (R) [I deciphered the drawings of the pasta to name them here] Big helpings.
[insert signature]
Played UNO

Sunday 24.02.'02

Woke up.
Breakfast - Roll and juice.
Got a bus to the Colosseum. Got a piece of it (second floor corridor)
Then followed the map through the Palatine. I got a piece of it (Oval fountain wall near the dining room)
Lunch - Pizzas. R-Magherita, T-Aubergine (Melanzane), D-Funghi, M-Veg
Walked through part of the Forum.
Dessert - R-Lemon Cake, M-Caramel Cream and Pannacotta, D-Pannacotta, T- Choc mousse and Pannacotta.
No Supper.
Good Night.
Played UNO

Monday 25.02.'02

Checked out, kept luggage there, had breakfast.
Went to Vatican Museum. Saw [Creation of Adam] and spiral staircase.
Lunch - (Piazza Navona) M- Cream Gnocchi, D-Melanzane pizza, T&R- Spaghetti Pomodoro, M&T- Funghi Pizza
Collect Luggage
Train to Airport
Sky bridge. Gate 28 changed to 20.
No veg supper.
A.Kirra picked us.
Back Home.

I looked through the photo album from that trip, but my Mum seems to have only taken pictures of monuments and paintings and none of the food. Here's the coolest one from the set - the spiral staircase of the Vatican Museum.

A Brief Visit

2015-03-10T23:31:00.000+05:30

Sri Lanka boasts the works of famous Architect Geoffrey Bawa. I had heard of him in college, but barely knew anything about his work or styles. I definitely did not know that he had a brother who was a landscape architect who designed his own home on a 5 acre estate near Bentota that he's named 'Brief'.

Two brothers, the offspring of Sri Lanka's elite society, initially educated for non-design careers but both of them have created masterpieces; each an obvious imprint of their personalities.

I am glad I visited this before Geoffrey Bawa's estate 'Lunuganga'. Although in overview, I preferred the grandeur of Lunuganga, Bevis Bawa's approach to create an intimate design is far more relatable. As soon as I entered the iron gate with those Narnian stone gate posts and through the archway to ring that bell to announce our arrival, I was instantly a wide-eyed nine year old again.

We began our walk through the gardens first. I am not exaggerating when I say that I felt like Mary Lennox when she first discovered the secret garden. Little paths winding almost unnoticed through the trees and shrubbery, making acute turns, up and down staircases, opening up unexpectedly into little clearings of refuge as if to say 'No, you are not lost. You were meant to find this'.

I am so glad this wasn't a guided tour. It would have totally cut out the fun of discovery. The walk through the gardens was not meant to be hurried through. We had to slowly meander through this maze otherwise we may have missed spotting the stone frog and other little sculptures perfectly camouflaged in the foliage, the turtle shaped fountain spout, the earthen pots collecting rainwater from the trees above them, the little circular ponds and stone slabs for seating, stone mandalas, and of course those huge stone ball newel caps at the ends of the stairs; but those were not hard to miss!

The seemingly unruly garden design is obviously intentional. It seems as if it is an attempt to bring a human scale and understanding into the expanse of a dense forest of rubber and cannon ball trees. I especially loved how natural patterns were used in the man-made constructions. The stepping stones, table tops, walls and tiles all imprinted with leaves and other things from the garden.

And then, suddenly through the maze of staircases and terraced lawns we reached the bottom of a long stretch of tiered waterway leading up the house so perfectly framed by the bamboo thicket.

This is the New Year!

2014-12-31T09:36:00.000+05:30

Hello again at the end of another year! Too fast, way too fast. Too many good things happened this year, and too many things to be thankful for.

Like every other year, there have been new experiences, new people, hellos and goodbyes and plans that worked and plans that didn't work out. But I know that He has been there through it all.

I.Can.Guarantee.That.

So, I'm going to skip the retrospecting I usually do in my usual year end blog posts. Instead of the 2000 word essays on life, this year I'm sharing some motivating lyrics by Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino. Here's an exciting song to bring in the new year. :)

Another year you made a promise

Another chance to turn it all around
And do not save this for tomorrow
Embrace the past and you can live for now
And I will give the world to you

Speak louder than the words before you

And give them meaning no one else has found

The role we play is so important

We are the voices of the underground

And I will give the world to you

Say everything you've always wanted

Be not afraid of who you really are

'Cause in the end we have each other

And that's at least one thing worth living for

And I will give the world to you

For December

2014-12-24T16:13:00.000+05:30

Season's Greetings!

My favourite month of the year was as perfect as could be this year- from Christmas music programmes at church, carol singing through the nights, a campfire party with orphan kids, family time and lots and lots of cooking and baking.

I've put together a compilation of my favourite Christmas music of this year. It's undoubtedly my favourite music genre. There was so many good songs this year, so I decided to choose the best and make my first playlist on 8tracks.

Listen here

Days in Delhi

2014-11-21T16:01:00.003+05:30

Continuation from Part 1 - Dimapur

I have visited Delhi on several trips in the past. Having seen most of the usual tourist sights, I was definitely keen to see more of the city. I was lucky enough to have two friends who lived in the city and in close proximity to my office and with whom I got to see more of the city.

We reached Delhi late. We spent the 3 hour transit time in the airport (and even parts of the flight) working on the final presentation. We were blessed to be part of a service at a church the next morning. The music worship session was so uplifting as was the rest of the service. It was such a warm and inviting congregation. We presented an overview of the project to the team and the church members who wanted to listen. We followed it with a more detailed discussion later. Thankfully it was received positively.

I got to visit Hauz Khas village on the first two evenings. To me it seemed like Delhi's version of the Galle Fort in Sri Lanka - historical architecture plus the quaint alleyways of fashion boutiques, tea cafes and vintage art galleries and all that hipster vibe!

The Hauz Khas monuments consist of many different 13th century structures- mosques, tombs and pavilions all built around a lake. We didn't get to spend much time exploring and we had to weave in and out of dozens of canoodling couples to get a few pictures.

Walking through the narrow streets (definitely no setback rules at all here!) it's so tempting to peek into every store. If I lived here, I would spend many evenings wandering in and out of them. This kind of window shopping is actually fun. So much variety of art in so many forms from hand painted clothes to leather suitcases, wooden chests to psychedelic coasters, retro movie posters and bonsai plants. Loved the random strange graffiti all over the place and was pleased that I found a funky stationary store to buy a bright orange notebook.

We stopped at the famous Elma's bakery for cake. The cafe was spread over three levels with a narrow atrium connecting them. I love cafe's like this one - quirky decor, soft jazz music, extensive menus and good cake with lots of cream!

We had the team debriefing session and the had our final dinner at a Hyderabadi restaurant. I won't forget the facial expressions of everyone as they tried my jal jeera drink for the first time. It was like those videos that people make of giving lime to babies!

It was quite sad when our team started becoming smaller, but we had new fun people at the office to bond with. I really enjoyed the work setting - starting the day with music and prayer, continuing to work on the project by putting together what we had already worked on and drawing up the designs, a fun lunch break when the little kids dropped by and board games over dinner. It really felt like a big office family.

I've been looking forward to food in Delhi so much. Having been in Sri Lanka the past year, I had to satisfy all the cravings for north Indian food in these two trips. I relished all the yummy meals from the tiffins at work to the chaat, fried momos, kulfi and jelebi, aam panna, the paneer in various forms, the dhal makhani and kadhi pakoda, the channa bhatura and everything else too.

We went to Old Delhi one morning. The Jama Masjid was beautiful despite having to hop around barefoot on the burning hot ground. We walked down the bustling Chandni Chowk with so many "tour guides" stalking us (was bound to happen with the non-Indians in the group) towards the Spice Market at Khari Baoli. Countless wholesale stores with piles of dried fruit, nuts, and sacks full of dried chilli, pepper, corriander seeds. We were all in tears, coughing and sneezing. Struggled to see and breathe, but it was quite an experience with the smells and colours and all our sinus' were completely cleared out by the end of it.

Days in Dimapur

2014-11-19T01:21:00.003+05:30

The highlight of this year was undoubtedly the week I spent working with an awesome team on a project in Dimapur, Nagaland and the two weeks of work that followed in Delhi.

In my research of architecture NGOs I came across one that definitely interested me. I decided that I would definitely plan to work with them sometime in my future. I found myself on their website many times while at work in Sri Lanka, but was never really sure how and when it would work out. One day, after much thought and prayer, I wrote to them asking to be part of a project, despite being a project for which I would have to cut short my stay in Sri Lanka by two weeks.

It all worked out perfectly. In a few weeks, plans were all sorted and all tickets booked. I packed up, left Sri Lanka, reached home, unpacked, packed again and was off to Nagaland. I met the team in the departure lounge in Kolkata. Such a diverse group of people. We had traveled from a variety of countries- Canada, America, Germany, South Africa and Sri Lanka. We had different qualifications and different levels of experience, but were all there for one goal- to volunteer our time and abilities to design the Acts campus.

Nagaland was the furtherest East I have ever been. Despite being mostly a hilly state, our project site was in Dimapur which was a flat area at the foothills. I knew little about the Naga people and had mostly heard that they ate everything that moved- from dogs to frogs to beetles. I was a bit unsure how I would find vegetarian food.

We were hosted by a lovely couple who took care of us for the week in their beautiful house. It was quite the opposite of the simple accommodation I expected. We were treated to multiple course meals (which included tasting the Raja mirchi- the world's hottest chilli!), a large air conditioned office for our work space and a swimming pool for afternoon chill time!

We visited the site of the project early that week. 70 acres of agriculture land banking the Chathe River with the ranges of hills in the distant. We had to drive through the river to access the site. We planned out the site, dividing the land up into the various zones for the institute.

Working on this project was such an enriching experience. I have never been part of an architectural project that was Christ-centred. We shared personal testimonies and we spent a lot of time in worship and prayer for the project. We discussed design strategies over mealtimes and in the pool and spent late hours rendering site plans over mint green tea.

One of the mornings, we visited the village close to our site. It was really nice spending time with the local families. It was a small community and we joined them for a worship in the strangest, most interesting church building designs I have ever seen. A strangely proportioned aluminium and paper mache dove. Nagaland is a predominantly Christian state (90%) and it was nice to see the area dotted with churches.

A Slice of Decadence

2014-11-18T16:17:00.003+05:30

Gino D'Acampo describes his 'La Bella Caprese' recipe as

"... the best chocolate cake EVER."

I made this cake a long time ago. The rich ingredients of dark chocolate and almond flour would probably classify it as a occasion cake for when we had guest over, but I made it in the middle of the week for no special reason other than to satisfy a craving for decadence.

The cake is made up of just 5 ingredients and a very basic method. Melt 250g of dark chocolate (I used Bellarom 70% dark) and 100g of butter in a double boiler.

Noted Finds 03

2014-02-24T22:42:00.001+05:30

Past posts- Noted Finds 01, Noted Finds 02

One of my favourite things to do is discover new music. I can sit for hours and hours on music blogs. YouTube suggestions let me wander through all possible genres. I start off with alternative or classical or some of the popular sides of indie and always reach this really cool side of YouTube from where I have discovered Marble Sounds, The Narrative, The Cinnamatic Orchestra, Mogwai, The Best Pessimist and other beautiful bands that I wish were not so unknown. Yet, in a way I'm a bit happy that they are unknown because then I feel like part of a small privileged few.

Today's selection, however is not all from that 'special' side of YouTube, and are not all new groups, but are new finds. My music discoveries the past month has had a few standouts. Here they are:

Arcade Fire- Reflektor / Photograph

I know what you are thinking- this band is not at all new. They have been around for almost a decade. But their new album Reflektor with it's varied track list of great vocals and accompaniment from the talented bunch of seven came out last year with some very good reviews.

But the reason I've included this group in my list is for their amazing soundtrack to Spike Jonze's recent movie, Her. I just loved the simplicity of the soundtrack and how closely it intertwined into the script. I've posted a clip from the movie with the piece 'Photograph' so you can see just how well the two were amalgamated.

Sleeping At Last- Snow

What a beautiful find this was. I was watching some modern choreography one day and this song was what they were dancing to. Sublime. The band is a solo project by the super talented Ryan O'Neill. Sometimes his brother helps out too. I went through some of the older tracks. Such interesting ideas for EPs. I liked 'Atlas' the most. Each track transported me into space. I could fall asleep to them drifting off past stars and planets.

X Ambassadors- Unconsolable

I only found this group yesterday. I was mostly of the opinion that the new alternative rock groups were far inferior to the older bands, but after listening to their 2012 album, 'Litost', my thoughts have changed a bit.

Here's a song from their newest album, "Love Songs, Drug Songs'
Read an interview of them on TheMusicNinja here.

Laura Mvula- Green Garden

What a voice. So soulful. The singles she's released are far from the usual mellowness of soul music commonly tagged retro soul. Her music is the perfect foot tapping initiator. So much so, that I always feel like getting up and dancing. Almost.

'Nobody out there, but it's okay now. Bath in the sunlight, don't mind if rain falls...'

Finally, to complete this list,

LAYLA- Yellow Circles

Totally random find. Only a few tracks to her name, but each praiseworthy. Waiting for more from her. Website- here

(all images are from various sources and not my property)

Thanks for 2013

2014-01-01T01:24:00.001+05:30

Thank you God for all the big things and small things this year:

for changes- new places, new people and new experiences.
for the warmest smiles I'd ever seen in Africa- smiles that overshadowed their misfortune.
for mountain peaks above the clouds.
for positive replies for job applications.
for second chances.
for cafes to catch up with old friends.
for aloe vera- nature's best healing balm.
for WhatsApp groups that make me feel back in a classroom or in a family field bed.
for time to think and time to do.
for frequent flyer miles that let me go home cheaper.
for friends that I can call family.
for music that gets me through the day.
for an extra pair of socks for cold nights in tents.
for packages in the post.
for maps.
for new friends made in airports.
for smells from ovens with baking food.
for an extra camera memory card.
for Skype.
for packed lunches that stay upright after an hour of bus travelling.
for the ocean- strength, beauty and serenity in equal measure.
for Poya days.
for cousins.
for mistakes to learn lessons from.
for Meftal Spas.
for Friday evening text messages from people I don't know.
for off-days and sadness and bad times that remind me that Earth is my temporary home.
for pine forests that don't have leeches.
for challenges.

for long commutes to contemplate life and research recipes.

for last minute plans that work out.

for a job that I enjoy.

for a December without exams.
for bus conductors who know where I am going without me saying anything.

for proof that I have a guardian angel.

for super glue and cello-tape that make up for clumsy fingers and carelessness.

for forgiveness.

for people who inspire me.

for cold showers on hot days.
for missed flights that gave me an extra stamp in my passport.

for auto drivers who know English.

for ticked off lists.

for cinnamon powder and almond essence.

for new days and beginnings.

for memories of good things.

for questions that have answers.

for contentment.

for life.

for grace.

for love.

Thank you.

Noted Finds 02

2013-12-03T00:16:00.000+05:30

Some noteworthy music finds from November. This list is quite a mellow collection- the kind of music I like to listen to while I work and when I travel on the bus. Unless I start feeling sleepy- then it's a quick jump to something loud and peppy to wake me up. :)

Half Moon Run- Full Circle

This fresh indie-folk piece is from the only album by the Canadian band. The harmony intertwined with the mandolin and percussion riffs, the vintage overlay video and the deep lyrics, "And the riddles in the pages leave at too much to guess. And the worry cracks a fracture from your hip to your chest" creates quite a beautiful song.

London Grammar- Metal and Dust

I'm not the biggest fan of the genre trip-hop, but the sublime vocals of the vocalist, Hannah Reid is quite soothing and the same mood resonates in the other tracks of their first album, 'If You Wait' released this year.

The Neighbourhood- Flawless

I had listened to 'Sweater Weather' many times before. Although I really liked it, I didn't actually check up on the band till recently. The alternative band was formed a few years ago, but their first album came out this year. I love the mellow tones and the underlying tempo in their music. Sounds equally good on low and high volume.

The Night VI- Thinking of You

Sometimes YouTube knows what music to suggest. This was one of those times. Classified as melancholic pop, this new band has similar soft tones to London Grammar. The group of 6 filmed the video for this song in the majestic ruins of the Tintern Abbey. Perfect setting.

Brian Crain- Dream of Flying

To sum up this list, I chose a piano composer. I came across him just through random YouTube browsing on a very lovely side of YouTube. His music is so soothing, perfect lullaby, bus-travelling music.

(all images are from various sources and not my property)

Noted Finds 01

2013-10-11T02:29:00.001+05:30

It's been a while since I've had a music post. The thing is, I listen to so much music; so many new songs, new bands and new styles and new genres, it's always hard to choose one to feature.

Over the past year, I've sort of kept a track of my new music discoveries by filling up the inbox of several friends on Facebook. But today I decided to start sharing them here once in a while.

Out of the stuff I found the last couple of weeks, these are some that stood out.

Clean Bandits - Dust Clears

This piece is quite a crazy fusion of genres. I didn't fully appreciate it the first time I listened to it, but it has grown on me. The video concept is equally strange- geometric food, Mormon dude ice skating and the percussion in the snow.

Amber - Hide and Seek

When I was reading up about Clean Bandits, I found this great site for new music- Origin Music, which pretty much satisfied my new music needs for the week. I was most impressed with the calming harmony of Amber in their cover of Imogen Heap's 'Hide and Seek'. I could fall asleep to it.

Usman Riaz - Firefly

This was quite a cool find. We were watching TED talks one evening and ended up watching his (here). Such a prodigy. He totally reminded me of a real life August Rush- the number of instruments he plays, the composing, the tones, and rhythms. Was quite awed.

Lorde - Buzzcut Season

I actually heard Walk Off the Earth's cover of Royals before I heard the original. And since then I've heard the song on the radio almost everyday. She's 17 and reminds me of Birdy, although their styles are different. Her new album 'Pure Heroine' was released this month. I love it.

Pslams 100 - Beautiful Things

And to wrap up the list is one I found today. My cousins and I are singing at church this week and we decided to do Gungor's 'Beautiful Things' and I found this cover. The a capella is just so beautiful. The group from the University of North Carolina does some great covers of not just Christian music. Listen to their version of Mumford and Sons' Cave too (link here)

And for some reason, Blogger doesn't want me to embed the video- so here is 'Beautiful Things'

Hope the next week brings in some more good new music. :) Happy listening.

(all images are from various sources and not my property)

To Travel is to Possess the World

2013-09-14T01:15:00.000+05:30

Lunchtimes at work is reading time for me. I just finished Thomas Heatherwick's gigantic encyclopedia of all his crazy projects and today I picked up Burton Holmes' "Early Travel Photography"; a photologue of some of his early travelling. The prologue of the book is one of the truest and most apt travel pieces I've read. I just had to share it.

To Travel is to Possess the World

"These words I have set down in many an autograph collector’s book.

They are, I think, true words. I know that through travel I have possessed the world more completely, more satisfyingly than if I had acquired the whole earth by purchase or by conquest. There is no implication of selfishness in the kind of possession of which I speak. Whoever possesses the world through travel takes naught from any man. No one is the poorer because you have made the whole world yours.

You have gained everything, but you are no monopolist. The wealth is there for all to share. It is not yours alone. You may invite all men and women to travel with you in imagination and they too may feel that they, like you, are rich in vivid mental pictures of places worth going to, of people worth knowing, of things that are world famous.

I have tried to convey to others with the spoken word the enthusiasm for travel that has been mine. I have done my best to make my hearers SEE the things that have thrilled me in the course of my more than sixty years of travel.

Now I am asked to do this without the aid of pictures glowing on a screen, without the help of the spoken words which can be made to mean as much by a shading of a tone or the stress of an inflection. Now I am at work with nothing but a sheet of paper and a pen to help me re-create the atmosphere of “otherwhere,” to help me make real to those who have not seen, the things which I have seen and can still see so vividly with the mind’s eye.

Word pictures are hard to paint. We are told that “words are the only things that last forever.” Therefore words should be the most durable pigments with which to paint pictures of the things that have seemed worthwhile, the things that have become one’s property, in the sense in which travel endows one with a title deed to the entire world.

One great advantage of possessing the world through travel is that one may enjoy all the satisfaction of possession without the responsibilities of ownership. Now, in days when our most valuable assets become or threaten to become our most crushing liabilities, it is good to contemplate property which cannot depreciate but must increase in value, property which cannot be taxed by federal government, or state or city authorities, property which calls for no repairs or alterations.

Everything from real estate to diamond tiaras has had its vaunted worth reduced to pitiful and sometimes complete inconsequence. Stocks, bonds, and all manner of gilt-edged, beautifully engraved certificates of value, to secure which we have slaved and saved and denied ourselves the joys of travel, may sink in worth to such a point that it will seem absurd to pay the rental charges on a safe deposit box.

The only things which are still worth what they have cost me are my travel memories, the mind-pictures of places which I have been hoarding like a happy miser for more than half a century.

I have done my best to convey with “word pictures” the things I have seen and can still see. I have been aided by all the increasing wonders and beauties of photography. I still recall with pleasure my first camera, a heavy clumsy box with six double holders for 4×5 glass plates purchased in 1883 with my life savings of $10.00.

In the past I have reproached myself for my extravagance, my lack of foresight, for my disregard of proper provision for the future. My wise friends saved and economised, went without things they wanted, denied themselves the costlier pleasures of the table, the bouquet of vintage wines and the, to me, supreme joy of going places and seeing things.

And now where are we? We, they and I, are all at the same dead-end of life’s highway. They are weighted down by all the leaden burdens of their golden hopes gone wrong. They have their memories, but these are memories of wise, dull and frugal days of piling up with hard earned dollars in safe places where those dollars would increase and multiply and be there to console for all the pleasures that their owners had denied themselves and all the fun that they had missed.

I, too, have nothing but my memories but I would not exchange my memories for theirs. I have a secret treasure upon which I can draw at will. I can bring forth, on the darkest day, bright diamonds of remembered joys, diamonds whose many facets reflect some happy dream come true, a small ambition gratified, a long-sought sensation, caught and savoured to the full, a little journey made, an expedition carried to success, several circumnavigations of the world accomplished.

Yes, it has been a good life. And it is good to rest, with nearly all of one’s dreams realized. Dreams of going, seeing and doing most of the things that seemed worthwhile – good to know that I have, in my own way, possessed the world."

- Burton Holmes 1953

I would have typed it out myself, but was lucky enough to find it on this blog- 'I Will See the World'- another inspiring traveller with tonnes of interesting stories.

Lime and Chocolate Pie

2013-09-08T14:47:00.000+05:30

The lack of an oven and a fancily stocked up kitchen like the one back home in Bangalore is not enough to keep me away from making dessert. I spend a lot of time reading up recipes online; ones that don't require any baking or special ingredients.

This week's recipe research proved successful with some great examples of no-bake lemon pie. As I usually do, I read up a bunch of different versions and then mix and match them when I make it.

For the base, I decided to add a chocolate kick to the pie and used chocolate biscuits to make the cookie base. Powder 100g of chocolate biscuits. (Put the biscuits in a bag and beat the life out of them with a rolling pin) I melted 100g of butter in a pan and then added the biscuit powder to it along with 2 tbsp of sugar (if you are using biscuits that have icing between them, you probably won't need to add as much butter). Once properly combined, put into the pie dish and pat down firmly. Place the dish into the freezer for about twenty minutes. I weighted down the base by placing a heavy glass bowl over it, so that it sets hard.

Melt 100g of baking chocolate along with 1 tbsp of milk and 1tbsp of butter in a double boiler. Pour the melted mixture over the biscuit base and then put the pie dish into the fridge while you make the lemon filling. The melted chocolate will not only add to the flavour and texture but will also seep into the base and keep it from being crumbly when you slice it later.

For the lemon curd filling, squeeze out about 12 limes (the equivalent of 3/4 cup). I wish I had lemons; their flavour is so much nicer. Whisk in 4 tbsp of cornstarch into the lime juice and the zest from 2 limes. Whisk really well so that there are no lumps. Then add 1 full egg and 2 egg yolks to it and continue to whisk. Pour the mixture into a pan and keep the flame as low as possible. Add 150g of butter and keep whisking. It gets lumpy very fast as the eggs begin to cook and the cornstarch starts to thicken the lime juice.

Right about here, I made quite a crazy mistake. I wanted to add sugar to the mixture and instead of pouring from the sugar bottle, I poured out milk powder. Panic in the kitchen! None of the recipes I read had milk in the lemon curd, because citrus curdles milk. But I was unable to remove all the milk powder and had to mix it in. I guess because it was milk powder and not real milk, it didn't curdle. So, if you have milk powder, add in about 2 tbsp. Then add in about 3/4 cup of sugar (you can alter this depending on how sweet you want it). I used brown sugar, but white is perfectly good too. The finer the sugar the faster it will melt.

Once the mixture is a smooth, remove from heat. I then transferred it to a bowl to continue whisking. It has to be really really smooth, so whisk away furiously. Don't take too long because it will continue to set. Add a little water if you need to.

Pour the mixture over the pie base and use a knife to level out the top. And back into the fridge it goes. It won't take more than a couple hours, but I left it in there overnight.

When you are ready to eat it, whip 100ml of cream (or more). Spoon it over the pie, grate chocolate over the top and slice it up.

I've never been too much of a fan of lemon pie. But I think with the chocolate base, it was quite delightful.

Mmmm.

Southern Escapades (Part 2)

2013-08-29T01:52:00.000+05:30

Continuation from Part 1

Day two was a day for the beaches. We started out early in the morning and drove down to Sri Lanka's southern most tip- Dondra Head.

We climbed 233 steps of Sri Lanka's tallest light house. The white washed bricks against the deep blue reminded me of the Santornini palette.

The winding staircases with furniture custom made to fit inside the curved walls, the little windows framing vistas of the ocean and finally the spectacular 360 degree view at the junction of land and water makes lighthouses in general one of my favourite things.

The view at the top was unmistakably beautiful. The beaches only occupied by local fisherman kept the sands clean and untouched by tourist activity. We watched a few fishing catamarans riding the waves back onto shore.

The water was so clear and in many areas we could see the rocks beneath the surface. Facing South, this vast mass of water separated us from the Antarctic.

This beach is definitely one of my favourites. Quite unlike the others, this one had more rocks than sand. The piles of rocks create rocks pools between them. Each almost like a world of it's own with a variety of coral, fish, crabs, snails, sea urchins and other strange creatures.

I wanted to take back a shell as my souvenir, but couldn't find one that wasn't occupied. We spent ages there watching the pools and crevices in the rocks struggling to get pictures of crabs before they disappeared into the dark beneath the rocks. We stared at a shell for ages waiting for the hermit crab to emerge. We chased jumping fish from rock to rock. Our feet brushed anemone and coral, slipped over sea weed rocks and sank into fine sand. The waves didn't spare us either.

Snorkeling and scuba diving is a class of it's own, but the rock pools had quite an array of life and colour that quite easily goes unnoticed.

The trip couldn't have been complete without some time spent swimming in the waves. After breakfast at Matara's Galle Oriental Bakery, housed in a white and green colonial building with dark wooden interiors and simple bakery fare, we drove back up the coast to the famous Mirissa beach.

The clean stretches of sand, a few beach shacks and with waves more ideal for surfing than swimming, we decided we just HAD to rent out some boards and try level one of surfing- body boarding. It made us feel pretty cool to be walking around with the boards tucked under our arms.

The strong undercurrents, and equally strong waves made the whole thing a lot harder than it looked. I spent more time trying to save my swimsuit and my board from being taken away with the waves than actually getting the perfect wave. But the times I did, was absolutely great fun. Being on top of the waves, picking up great speed and steering the board back to the shore. It was quite a workout which our muscles would remind us of the rest of the week.

The drive back up the coast, lunch at the fort in Galle, music, dancing and four takes of our attempt at a music video brought our little holiday to an end.

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea."

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Southern Escapades (Part 1)

2013-08-27T21:57:00.000+05:30

This trip falls into the category of random, unplanned trips that I've done. We only finally decided to go on Friday evening by which time it was too late to call and inquire about accommodation.

We made a long list of accommodation options spanning three of the little towns on the southern coast for the following morning and another list of things we could do and we were packed and on the road early Saturday. A fully charged iPod, sunglasses, beachwear, Google maps and the trusty Lonely Planet book and we were pretty much set.

Although the Colombo-Galle highway took us away from the scenic coastal drive, the long stretches of smooth, empty highway brought us to Galle in perfect time for a good breakfast in the fort.

I visited Galle last year on my holiday to the country. Galle Fort is a 17th century Dutch fort a bit off the coast, surrounded on three sides by water. The fortified walls contain a little network of cobbled stone streets with cafe's, hotels, little stores, a lighthouse and as we discovered that morning, some interesting graffiti too. I will finish an exclusive Galle Fort post soon.

After walking into a few cafe's to read their amusing signs and menus and their not-so-amusing prices, we finally decided to eat at the tiny Cafe Punto. Our table at the front overlooking the narrow cobbled stone streets was quite a lovely breakfast setting.

Once back on the road with content stomachs, we drove further down to Jungle Beach. As the name suggests, the only way to get to the beach was by walking through a jungle patch which I managed to get through in a skirt. Despite not being that easily accessible, there were still quite a few people there.

From there we walked up to the Japanese Peace Pagoda. Peace Pagodas are Buddhist stupas built as shrines for peace in places hit by some sort of calamity. It was started by the Japanese monk, Nichidatsu Fujii who put them up all over the world. This one was built as a memorial for the victims of the Tsunami in 2004.

The blinding white of the shrine against the blue of the ocean was so serene. The view from each tier was beautiful; the jungles, the beaches and Galle Fort in the distance.

We were lucky to find available accommodation with much less hassle than anticipated. But locating the place wasn't as easy. The narrow town roads often disappeared off the map and sometimes Google would place us in the ocean.

TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet became our helpful companions not just for accommodation, but for all the places we ate at. We ate in Mirissa's highest rated restaurant- No.1 Dewmini Roti Shop. We sat at one of 4 tables in the front garden of a family home. The kitchen opened out onto their front patio. We were waited on by the wife and the grandfather. It was obvious where all the publicity came from with the genuine hospitality and the tasty home cooked savoury and sweet rotis.

What we did next was what I was least excited about. From the many times I've seen snakes in my grandparent's garden to the one year we lived in snake infested Kerala, I've not been very fond of snakes.

Here in Mirissa, an Ayurvedic doctor carries on what his grandfather and father did and has a collection of local snakes in his home to harvest venom for the various medicines he uses.

Although a bit excited that I would get a picture with a snake around my neck, the fear quickly overrode that. The hissing of the cobras brought goosebumps which became shivers when he placed the muscular 2m python on my shoulders. I could feel the muscles tighten and in my head I could imagine that mouth opening to swallow me up.

I was slightly better with the other snakes that weren't around my neck. The green vine snake in particular was quite striking. We wore the common trinket as a bracelet and also held the Sri Lankan flying snake and the Forsten's cat snake.

I stayed far away from the venomous ones- the cobras (even the hissing 2 week old one), the vipers, kraits and the scary looking scorpions and tarantulas.

All said and done, it was an interesting experience. Learnt a lot and can proudly say that I've come a long way from the panic-stricken seven year old in Kerala. Would I carry a snake around my neck again? Probably not.

Day 1 ended with a short wade on the dark Weligama beach admiring the brightly starry sky.

(Click to read Part 2)

Yellow Buildings, Canyons and Macadamias

2013-08-12T21:47:00.000+05:30

One of the big highlights of the trip was the days spent at Kruger Park, but the 2 mornings we spent travelling there was one of the most beautiful drives ever. We (Anil, Vandana and I) traveled in a minivan with 8 others and got to drive through a diverse variety of South African countryside.

Although wintertime in the African subcontinent is not the prettiest time to visit, the dried barren lands created a landscape of all possible shades of browns and yellows. Miles and miles of endless highway with the roads so so straight into the horizon. Once we had exhausted every possible yellow and brown, the orchards of orange trees started. Such a contrast. Rows of trees loaded with bright oranges. It was like the trees were inviting all the cars on the highway to come and pick oranges.

Then just before we hit the Drakensberg mountains we had a pit stop at the quaintest little village- Dullstroom. It is a little tourist town. Midway to Kruger from Johannesburg/Pretoria, it is a common lunch break. Content with fruit for lunch, we used up the 40 minutes to see as much as could in Dulstroom.

Built against the Drakensburg backdrop, the village is at an elevation of 2100m and is well known for trout fishing. The 'stroom' in Dullstroom is the Dutch word for stream owing to the many tributaries that pass through the area. The Dutch influence has left traces on the architecture. I've noticed that the Dutch like painting their buildings butter yellow (I've seen examples in Sri Lanka).

Restaurants and shops line the main road. The lovely sunny afternoon brought the tables out of the building and onto patios where a guy with a microphone and a guitar entertained the Saturday afternoon family diners. We walked into living rooms converted into curio stores with handmade soaps, jewelry and scarves, leather stores with crocodile handbags and kudu belts with zebra and oryx skins for carpets. A little book store specialising in cigars and used books was a cosy space with shelves from floor to ceiling. And of course the many souvenir shops packed with all things South Africa from postcards, key chains and t-shirts to potholders, beer mugs and shower caps. Aromas of coffee and bread wafted into courtyards flanked by buildings that hid in futile behind leafless trees.

We passed by a clock store, but didn't go in because of lack of time. On further reading of the village, I read that this Clock Shop has the largest collection of clocks in the Southern hemisphere. There is also a whiskey bar with the largest collection of whiskey in the Southern hemisphere. Quite a bit of fame for a village with a 600 odd population.

New Family in Leratong

2013-07-21T21:26:00.000+05:30

Here it is- an account of the highlight of my trip. I tried to make it as brief as I could without leaving out anything.

Initial Road Bump

When I signed up for a week of community service, the attitude I had was very different to what it was when I actually started working there. I signed up for a project with some slightly selfish motives. I chose a construction project- one that would allow me to get some hands on experience on site. Besides actually wanting to use my knowledge of architecture in an act of service, I also figured that this opportunity would look great in my portfolio and would be a nice step for future career plans.

When I arrived in South Africa, the news of my chosen project being cancelled completely annoyed me. My first thoughts were probably on the lines of, 'This trip is a complete waste now!' and I put myself in fault-finding mode. I frantically inquired about other similar construction projects and while I waited to be transferred, I joined a group of five from the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific and moved out of the city to the little town of Soshanguve for a project at the Leratong Early Learning Centre.

It was only on the way there that I forced myself to alter my mindset. Waiting to be transferred would probably mean losing another day of work (I had already missed out on one day because I arrived late) and the very definition of community service meant doing whatever was needed without any self demands.

New Home and New Family

Day 1 at work took away all my initial irritation. We stayed at the home of the school principal- the most hospitable woman in South Africa, who we called 'Mama' for the rest of the week. It is rare to find someone who'd give up her own bed for two of us while she slept on the floor.

I had come prepared to somehow 'manage' in terms of food because South Africa is a predominantly meat eating nation. You cannot possibly understand my relief when Mama said that she was a vegetarian and I got to thoroughly enjoy the vegetarian version of traditional South African food for that week.

The kindergarten school is situated in a lower middle class residential area with a small staff of 8 teachers, 2 cooks and 2 caretakers for 100+ kids. I got an exciting tour of all the little details in the classrooms, kitchen and playground by the very enthusiastic teachers. We got things ready for the little bunch of toddlers who arrived shortly after (school holidays meant that we'd only meet about 20 of them).

I guess all things work out perfectly in the end. Mama had some ideas for an extension to the building and wanted me to draw it out for her. With no AutoCAD or even a laptop, no draughting board, set squares or a t-scale, it was back to architectural stone age. A table was set up for me outside and once in a while a little head would peep over the table.

A Bunch of Fabulous Kids!

The following days at Leratong were nothing short of amazing. The kids were the cutest, brightest bunch I've met. We told them stories and taught them many songs, some that had them on their feet with plenty of actions. It was especially rewarding that they learnt so fast.