A really really long drive from Mumbai took the family to Zainabad in the Little Rann of Kutch, where we spent a couple of nights at Camp Desert Coursers. With helpful hints from Dhanraj Malik (the son of the ex nawab of Zainabad), we took jeep safari's into the barren rann to spot the wild asses (khur's) in their environment, spent quality time with thousands of pelicans and flamingos, got to glimpse the elusive chinkara gazelle and visit the first salt pans of the season. The outstanding hospitality of the camp led to new friends and spirited conversations over the challenges of the region, helping us understand better the unique ecosystem that is the Little Rann Of Kutch...

From late September to early October, the Kaas plateau nestled in the hills above Satara emerges in a new avatar as wildflowers start to color the hills and dales with a myriad hues of yellow, red, violet and white. In quest of this elusive sight, a high speed highway drive from Mumbai put us into Satara in about three hours from where a winding ghat road rose into the foggy mountains past green hills, circling birds and some  simian families trying to get a sun tan. As the  green turned to yellow and the brown turned to red  we spotted a dirt track snaking off to the  right...and entered a whole new world of lakes,  water lilies, chirping birds, tricky road bends, slippery boulders, ancient shrines and the occasional shepherd who guided us on our way. After two hours, finding the road ahead blocked by a landslide, we turned around and backtracked, slithering and sliding across rocks and red mud, finally rejoining the tar road after a few exciting moments. The road back to Mumbai was interspersed with a detour to see the Thoseghar waterfalls and views of Sajjangadh fort, after which we picked up the company of torrential rains in a crazy drive which would always remind us of the day we went to see the wildflowers of Kaas...

During a recent sojourn in the south of India we noticed an interesting trend where newly married/to be married couples were advertising themselves on billboards outside the marriage hall and sometimes on the main streets of smaller towns. Here is an example of this fine art from the streets of Pondicherry. Notice the strategically placed MBA and MBBS after the names. May heavens choicest blessings be showered on the newly married couple...

Targeting those who cant make the trip to Mickey Mouse's hometown, this innovatively named theme park on the outskirts of chennai stands as a true testament to an entrepreneurs ingenuity...

In the land of a billion aspirations, motivation is never in short supply...