dogs go to the market…twice in three days

For the uninitiated, “patti chanthakku poyapole” is a popular saying in the Malayalam language (which literally translates to “like the dog went to the market”). It means that you go all the way to someplace with great expectations, only to return empty-handed or not having met your goal.

Like how my brother and I went to Nandi Hills two days back, and how we went to the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium today. Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

dogs go to the market…take 1

Going to Nandi Hills has been an almost-5-year-plan for me. After many many plans and postponed plans and I-think-it’ll-never-happen moments, my brother and I finally set off to Nandi Hills. Gross miscalculation of time, I must say

We left home by about 3 (it’ll only take an hour-and-half to reach there, we thought) and cruised along on the Pulsar. Come 4.30, no sign of Nandi Hills Come 5, we see it all covered in fog at a great distance away. And slowly, it kept coming nearer and nearer. Finally, at 5.50pm, we reached the ticket counter. And the guy there, rather pissed off with us, said, “Hathu nimisha, ashtte. Bega banni.“

What the %$#@!!! I thought they closed at 6.30. Baaaaaaah. My brother did not understand a thing, and while I translated it, he was furious that the guy almost ‘barked’ at us We quickly walked in, quickly walked out, had a hot cup of chai and reached back home at 8.20pm.

So much for going to Nandi Hills!

Well, if it’s any solace (for my brother, that is), this is my brother’s 3rd trip…and he’s making good progress. The first time, by the time he reached the foot of Nandi Hills, it was so dark, he didn’t bother going any further. The second time, he did not even get t see the guy at the ticket counter (who had left for the day), and this last time, he managed to get in. Hopefully, the next time, we’ll go muchhhhh earlier. It’s 6 o clock a bit toooo soon these days!

dogs go to the market…take 2

So, like most of the plans the brother and I make, going to the planetarium was another long-pending one. We set off early this time, by about 11.20am to reach there in time for the 12.30pm show. Roughly 8kms, ample time! So I suggest a route, my brother suggests another one…and we go along the one he suggested. Halfway there, he turns around to ask me “Why did I come this way?” Baaaah! And we go round and round, miss most of the correct roads and finally do reach the planetarium (after having travelled over 12-14 kms ) — in good time, still. We reach there by about 12.10!! Awesome. Or so, we thought.

We parked the bike and rushed to the entrance. The guard there said the tickets had to be bought from the counter near the gate. So we rushed back to the gate…and the guard there said “No tickets. All full. Next show at 4.30. Half hour munche banni. Ticket sigathe.”

We walked a bit more around in circles, scrutinised the surroundings and realised that the Priyadarshini (everything’s in a name, you see ) Planetarium at Thiruvananthapuram is way, way, WAY better And no, this is not the case of the kittaatha munthiri pulikkum*, I swear. You have to go to both these places to know the difference. Allellum oru postil randu malayalam pazhamchollukal paadilla**

So there! Dogs go to the market…twice in three days I have a feeling we saw a smirk on Pumbaa’s face both times we came back from the market

Many more markets to go to…Skandagiri, Mekedattu, Shivanasamudra and Majuli (where we plan to go do the ‘ho ho ho’ tribal dance and learn mask-making ).

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*The Malayalam version of the sour grapes saying.
**Even otherwise, in the same post, two Malayalam sayings won’t sing can’t be used.

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Oh, by the way… Merry Christmas, folks

Days of disorientation…

…have been on for a long while now and they don’t seem to come to an end! And I don’t like it one bit. One bit!

And unlike others, when I vanish from my blog, nobody cares. Nobody calls up. Mail do not flood my inbox asking me if I’m alright, where I am, why there are no posts… Nothing, none of that. That depresses me. Nobody cares   Ah well, Scribby did ask. She cares…and I now love her for that!

I missed a lot many of your posts, but most of them, I read. Some I “like”d, some I just read, smiled and closed off. No favouritism there Just too lazy to “log in to WP to ‘Like’”

It’s been almost 2-and-a-half months since I blogged last. Not because I had nothing to blog about — in fact, a lot happened over the last 2 months and 10 days. It’s just that I’d been wallowing in depression and disorientation, I’ve not been able to make myself log in here and crib write about it, or about anything at all, for that matter.

• Celebrated Onam well, minus the pookkalams like last time. Pumbaa had his first ever Onam Sadya — and drooled all over the place while I made him pose…and slurped and gulped it all down in a jiffy!
  

  Pumbaa Nayar Thomas' very first Onam Sadya

  • I quit IBM. I put in my papers early September, and I went into depression. Well, it was my decision, but I had really liked working there. There was something comforting about that place, the team, the work… Learnt a lot, went through a lot, lost some “friends”. Gained some real awesome ones   — the only thing I’ll miss so very terribly for a looooooong time! So well, though it was my decision, I do regret it at times. But things did change drastically recently (which may also have fuelled my decision to leave; certain people and their principles did not agree with me, though quitting a company because of that may sound an immature act. Well, you need to be there to know it, so don’t judge me yet ). And for the record, she also quit on the same day   And like I told a manager, I referred her there, and when I left, I took her along
• I went on a team trip from office early October, to Pondicherry. Was it awesome!!! We left on a Friday late night and reached back Sunday night — after having a ton of fun. I loooooooooooooooved the beach time. The bunch of us walked into a private beach on a sizzling afternoon, around 2, and stayed on till about close to 6. It was splendid. And the Sunday morning walk…it was bliss. Thanks for that, Binoy   I don’t think I’d have gone on that walk alone — and if you hadn’t come up with that idea, it’d have been a loss! Thanks for the trip too. I owe you a whole post for being such a great friend
  

  The beach was all ours! -- at Pondicherry

• Pumbaa turned one (Happy Birthday, Pumbaa!) on October 10. We celebrated his birthday, decorated the house, bought him a load of gifts and made him a special “beef biriyani” birthday cake The grandma painstakingly carved out “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” from carrots, because Pumbaa loves carrots He downed it all. It was pure neglect and sacrilege on my part not to have posted at least that. Paaavam Pumbaa I even posted the pics on FB quite late! Here’s a pic. More here.
  

  Happy Birthday, Pumbaaaaaaa

• I went for a “Nostalgia Night” at Resource Communications, the one place I had ALWAYS loved working in, and the one place I’d love to work in, any day   It was on a Friday night, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it. But I managed to, thanks to Suraj. It was perhaps one of the BEST decisions I’ve taken. It was awesome being back there, meeting all those people, walking around in that awesome place. Thanks for hosting it, Jayadev and Chicku! You people rock!
  

  After a night of Resource...ful memories!

• It was my birthday too, recently. Well, no grand gifts this time, but got a FABULOUS cake — of Calvin & Hobbes. It was sooooo superbly done! I wanted a cardigan, so while Suraj took me shopping, the brother, father and mother decked up the terrace, set the cake and balloons and waited for me to come back! It was awesome
  

  The god-awesome Calvin&Hobbes Cake

• Hate being at home, in a state of indecision and confusion. Hate taking it on others, so trying not to talk about it much. Would love to enjoy it as a vacation, but there’s work keeping me occupied and worries keeping me in a perpetual state of disturbance.
• Love the weather. Bought a cardigan (finally!) and promptly lost it the very next day at the bank — and didn’t realise it until after 4 days. Bah to me, seriously! Ugh!
• Want to get back to blogging — like I used to. Wonder what’s stopping me
• The only place I want to go to, to live in, EVER is Goa. There! I’ve said it, put it down in writing. Goa, Goa, Goa. Not Kochi, not anywhere else
• The parents have decided to relocate back to Trivandrum. We’ll miss them   They’ll miss Pumbaa   Pumbaa’ll miss them
• Vimmuuu relocated to Kochi, and likes it better than Trivandrum. Bah to you, pseudo spidey! I don’t like you anymore

Okay! I’m done for now. I wonder when I’ll be back — both, to being myself, and to my blog. Too much time, is sometime, very little! Sigh!

The paris she saw…

…was beautiful, awesome and sexy. Just like she is, I’d say And by “she”, I mean my mother

She went to Paris with my brother, to attend his convocation.  Amma’s never been out of India before, so I found it pretty amazing that her very first international trip was straight to Paris!

Fantastique, n’est-ce pas?!

Right from my earliest memories, Amma has only sacrificed — be it a chocolate, be it the last piece of her favourite fish fry, be it a chance to buy that lovely sari, be it a chance to indulge, be it a shopping-for-self treat, be it a good night’s sleep…you name it, and she HAS sacrificed it: either for me, or for my brother, or for dad, or for her mom, or for her siblings or their spouses/kids, or for her in-laws. For her, “me” and “I” was (and still is) after “you”, “them” and “they”.

So, when the brother got into ESTACA, Paris, to get his Masters in Spacecraft Engineering, both he and I knew that his convocation would be either at Paris, or at Southampton (his course was to be two years, the first year conducted at Paris, and the second at Southampton) — and we’d been planning since then, to ensure Amma gets to attend the convocation Of course, we never told her this, since we didn’t want to get her hopes high.

It was only when we needed to make her sign for the Visa applications and stuff that it really sunk in, for her, that she was going to Paris. We were praying that the Visa would be alright and there would be no glitches. I also have a feeling one of us drugged Murphy, for there were absolutely no glitches!

The few days before the trip, she was in a frenzy. “I feel weird, and I don’t know why…” she kept saying. We shopped for her — bought her a new pair of spectacles, new shoes, new dress… We taught her some basic French, though she insisted she’d respond with a  “Khem cho” if anyone asked her “Comment allez vous?” We told her to make sure no random frenchman would grab her and kiss her. We told her the ONLY food she’ll get in Paris would be “bouillabaisse” (this grossed her out!). You get the idea, right?

The way her face lit up every time we said “Yay! You’re going to Paris”, was one of the most wonderful things! On May 23, Amma and my brother set off to Paris.

She had an awesome time at Paris.

The convocation was a small, private affair with just the students and their two guests each, on a cruise boat that went cruising along the Siene river from 7 – 11 pm   Dressed in traditional Indian attire, she apparently stole the limelight and had quite a few fans

A proud moment

She was made to walk all over the city by my brother, so that she could take in the Parisian streets, houses and shops. She got on to the Paris Metro, and almost got mugged by a french belle and a boyefriend She named the Arc de Triomphe her very own “gate”, like the India Gate . She felt the Louvre was too big, and there was too much walking to do — and all this, to see a lot of nude statues Funniest of all, she felt the Monalisa was too small, for the whole world to kick up such a huge hype about her! ROFLMAO! She loved the Moulin Rouge, but the sex shops on both sides of the street freaked her out. She was glad to see that the women were all fully and well-dressed, and there was no public display of affection that an Indian woman could not handle with dignity. LOL. “The movies are all a load of fakeness “, she said.

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We had planned the trip such that the return would be via Doha, Qatar, where her two sisters and family live. So, two birds at one shot: she went to Paris, and she went to Doha as well.

On early 4 June morning, Amma came home beaming with joy, was welcomed by an exuberant Pumbaa and had many tales to tell. I’d have loved to go o Paris too — but I’m much, much, MUCH MORE HAPPIER knowing Amma could go, see and enjoy a place she never even dreamt of going to.

À bientôt, folks

Alappey dream drown in the backwaters! :(

After much ado, too many mails and many trying-to-convince pleads, the trip to Alappey stands cancelled! :’(

Yea! I’m sad. Was looking forward to some beach-time. And a travellogue after that!

The couple from Dubai cancelled on us. There was some unexpected leave problem, and the baby’s visa is delayed as well.

The couple from Kuwait was, as it is, not very sure they’d make it. And finally, the best they could get tickets was for 13 May, and land on 14 May! Well, land home after a year and go with baby directly to meet friends? No brownie points from the in-laws, apparently.

But well, there’s the Kuwait baby’s baptism a week after the proposed-and-now-cancelled trip, and the Dubai couple’s brother’s wedding a week after the date. So, looks like they’ll all meet up somewhere or the other. The husband has no leave that time, so rather doubtful if we’ll make it!

Guess, like our original plan, the next meet up would definitely be at Malaysia (well, need to be optimistic, eh?).

Yea, so the dream of a vacation at Alappey drown in the backwaters!The only consolation is that we are sparedthe agony of leaving Pumbaa behind and setting of to have fun without him. I know I sound crazy — but he is such an important part of our lives, it’s tough to leave him behind overnight! So, though I’m mostly sad this got cancelled, I’m secretly a tad happy too. Just a tad

The weather’s still fabulous here in Bangalore — the hot summer suddenly seem to have vanished and made way for the winter that apparently didn’t want to leave so soon So, nothing’s bothering me much right now. Guess when the sun brings the summer back, I’ll mourn the cancelled trip much more.

it’s that time of the year again…

…when a few crazy long-ago college mates start a mail thread to “meet up”. The mail thread has crossed 150, and we’re all waiting impatiently for May 14 and 15

This is part of a tradition we set up last year Last year, we went to Munnar. After that, we’d decided to take our meet up international: and go to Malaysia But well, some people went out of control and are now parents So, there are 3 babies in the group now, so we had to keep ourselvs close to home. So, this time, it’s destination is Alappuzha! Yay!

This time, there’s one couple from Bangalore, one couple from Kochi, one couple from Dubai, another couple from Kochi, one couple from Mumbai and one couple from Kuwait (we all hope they can make it). And three babies A one yr old and 2 2-month olds

Beach theme, beach wear, beach fun, beach umbrella, beach chairs And of course: Uno, Pictionary, Monopoly and the legendary Ludo

Can’t wait for May. Come, May, come soon!

CoffeeGudda @ Chikmagalur: a travellogue

Yay! Travellogue time again

Yea, so I “tripped” again. This time, not with the husband / family, but with colleagues! After joining this company, there were two trips planned, both of which I backed out of — them both being weekend trips, and it being impossible for me to sleep without my daily night quota of the husband’s hugs and kisses

This time, however, when the trip was planned itself, I was told that the previous trips were cancelled because I backed out at the last minute, causing a chain of backing-out! So, after much confusion and tantrums (me saying ‘don’t wanna go’, husband saying ‘go, have fun’), I gave in and said OK. I had no clue what I bargained for!

Anyway, after work on a Friday night, 14 of us set off to Chikmagalur, a hill station in south-west Karnataka. We left by about 12 am and reached Coffeegudda, the homestay we book for ourselves, by about 7.30 – 8.00 am.

And was the place awesome! After all the speculations of the place’s existence, we were all mighty pleased. And I say this, because when we Googled “Coffeegudda”, nothing turned up!! And of course, if it’s not on Google, it just does not exist, right?

But well, it did exist, actually! Tucked away peacefully, even beyond Google’s reach!

Well, the place is rather new, and the guys are yet to make a website of their own. All they have now are a few pages of CoffeeGudda hosted on wix.com, a free website builder So, I suppose this post of mine would be CoffeeGudda’s first official mention on any website! Yay!

CoffeeGudda: 16 acres of one of the most well maintained coffee and betel nut estates in Chikmagalur! A pretty homestay, mouth-watering food, fantastic hospitality, warm people, awesome surroundings, a gentle stream that meanders by and a waterfall of its own!! How much more can one ask for!?

Yes, you read that right! A huge, amazing, natural private waterfall!

An awesome suspension bridge takes one from the road to the homestay, over a serene, delightfully lovely stream that gurgles along happily beneath. The mood-setter for the vacationer I swear it’ll set your mood. We were all wide awake from our seconds-ago groggy state the minute we saw the stream The bridge ends where the gate is and a pathway starts. Lined on both sides by majestically tall betel nut trees, the pathway keeps you in its mysterious clutches for quite a while before it hands you over to the homestay.

View of the suspension bridge

The betel nut trees that stood majestic and tall

Where the pathway leads to the homestay...and you see...

...CoffeeGudda, the homestay!

CoffeeGudda, the homestay. Another view: of the three rooms, the swing chair and the serenity

Where we ate and drank. The little, thatched dining centre

Day 1 began with all of us freshening up and heading for some breakfast to the lil’ thatched shed. Hot idlis with some real yummy sambar and coconut chutney. Anyone who can make a sambar that yummm can make any damn food the most tastiest way! Oh and some very nice kesari too

And then, we set off to the “private” waterfall. I asked them how high it is, but they weren’t sure! Imagine having one’s own waterfall and not even bothering to know its height. Sigh! Life is very partial to some

The foot of the waterfall. Technically

The trek up to the falls... (pic courtesy: a colleague)

We trekked up to the water fall from below — and it was a tough job! We had to climb up huge boulders, duck under fallen trees at places, cling on to ropes and pull ourselves up at others, get bruised and grazed on the shrubbery around…but when we did reach up, it was worth all the effort!

The waterfall...in all its glory. And the IBMers, in all theirs

With such force it came tumbling down the rocks...

Standing there under all that force was awesome.

It was magical. There was just the water, greens, birds and us. It was truly magical! And standing there under all that force was awesome. It gave a lovely massage — water therapy — that washed away all our weariness, all the strained muscles, all the tiredness. It was just splendid. And I guess the BEST part of it all was its being exclusive to us. There were no mad crowds, no litter, no lack of cleanliness. The place was spotlessly clean

After spending about 2-3 hours there, we were on our way back. the trek down was tougher. We had to almost slip down the slops on the sides of the boulders, hanging on to just one rope for support! It was sexy!

We were all tired and again went for our baths and freshening up. Lunch waited. A real spread that was. Chappathis, two kids of chicken curry, egg roast, rice, sambar, rasam, beetroot subzi, cabbage sabzi, curds, pickles…and all of that in ABUNDANCE! We all ate to our tummies’ fill and praised the cook to no end! In fact, we were all surprised they served so much; we only expected a humble meal!

After lunch, while some of them went off to snore, a few of us sensible ones set off to chill by the stream. I swear! I haven’t done anything that “wow” in quite sometime. The time we spent at the stream was so amazing, we yearned to extend the trip and stay on for another day I personally wished I could just stay there forever, and tell the husband and parents and Pumbaa to come over with all the clothes and furniture

Bridge across the river Quay...er er...the stream yay!

Gently flowed the water, gurgling, giggling and swirling...

And we chilled out in its coolness...

Miss it soooo much!

By about 6.30, we headed back to our rooms, freshened up (again!!) and sat around a campfire to enjoy the clear night! The temperature had dipped, and   the fire began dying out, one of us would rush to get more firewood!

The campfire that kept us going way into the night...

After anthaksharis and ghost stories and dappankuths and more dancing, we had some yummy dinner. After which, we all split into groups, each doing their own thing. Some sat by and drank; some had pep talks, we played rummy I had sprained my neck as we trekked down the falls, and by night, it was horrid. I could barely move my neck There was another trekking planned the next day, and i was almost sure i wouldn’t make it. And that added to the pain

Came morning, and I woke up hoping I was alright. but no. Could still barely move the neck. There was game of badminton in progress, and while i badly wanted to join in, I was in no state to play.

Early morning badminton

A few concerned ones said I better stay back…but well, even if I didn’t trek, the neck wasn’t fine. Might as well trek, I said. And off we went. How can I ever say no to trekking? And well, it was just in a tea estate (or so we thought!). Now how bad can that get!? So, once again, while a few losers slept, 9 of us set off. A bus took us halfway, and then we were to get on to one of those open jeeps that resembles the ones that carry cattle

We were in for a major surprise. Turned out we were not actually headed to a tea estate, but was going to trek down an insane mountain range and trek up another!! We were headed to Horanadu and beyond!

Horanadu...scenic, isn't it?

The cattle jeep took us cattle, crossing little jungles and streams and coming out on to rough roads with the sun above us, scorching!

The little jungles, all of which had streams flowing across the roads! Sexy it was!

The roads were worse than it looks heer. At points, it bordered on scary!

With us almost dangling all over the jeep. My neck was becoming worse that I ever imagined it would…but the scenery was soo good, I was clicking away like crazy [reached home to find the ugliest bruise I got from all that banging onto the jeep railings! sigh. Lesson: never click way while on an open jeep on bad roads! ] And when I almost started wondering if I made a stupid mistake, deciding to come, we left the rough roads to reach the zenith of the mountain!

The zenith of the mountain: Gaaligudda!

And the views took our breaths away!

Gaaligudda: the best trekking I've ever done! How many colours and textures do you see?

Painting or picture?

The open jeep that took us cattle to Gaaligudda

View from the top. That little piece of green down there was a field we crossed while in the bus, even before we got on to the jeep! Which shows that we came up quite a height!

This has been by far my toughest trekking experience! Mainly because of the incline. It was almost an 80 degree slope downwards — with NOTHING to support you climb down: no boulders, no sturdy rocks, no plants, nothing! In fact, to add to all the scariness, here was a lot of loose gravel! And nothing to even break a fall if one of us were to go tumbling down!

Except three of us, the rest were all plain scared to move an inch down. But the fact that our jeep had left us there and had gone all the way to the top of another mountain where it would meet us again, left us all with no choice but to trudge down. There was a guide who helped three guys. And two other guys and I helped down the other three girls. The scariest part was that if the person we were supporting were to lose footing, she’d take us along too!

See that white spot towards the left of the pic? Draw an imaginary line up from the words "Draw an" here and you'll find it That was our jeep, waiting there for us to climb this slope down, climb the other one up and reach there!

And let me tell you, the slope isn’t as easy as it looks on the pics!

The group inching down slowly, carefully...

And that, is when I, for the first time in front of the colleagues, loudly and clearly yelled “F***!” I and the girl I was helping down had made headway and reached what looked like the bottom first. I turned around, clicked a pic and was just putting back the lens cover when I heard a shout from above. We both looked back to see a rock tumbling down right at us! My greatest fear was that it’d bring along more loose rocks and gravel. if that happened, we both would surely have reached the foot of the mountain in no time! As the rock passed us by in mere inches, I looked up sheepishly to yell out a “Sorry”! They pulled my leg all day for that!

As we trekked further down and finally did reach the foot, we heard a lovely gurgling sound. “Water!! Waterfall, more like it”, we all yelled and rushed forward to find this little beauty nestled among some rocks and dense green!

The beautiful stream that takes origin from the foot of a lovely waterfall!

The cute "little" water fall which proved size does NOT matter, water does!

No. It just looks small. When we got under it, it was almost double our size. yet, the water came down with such force, that when we leaned against the rocks and went completely into the water, it was like we were deep under the sea! Awesome, splendid and fantastic it was!

The first two to get into the ice water Just for perspective.

We spent about half an hour frolicking there. The water was icy cold and getting people in was a huge challenge But with the effort of our official “water splasher”, we all were in, finally! Had a fab time. Though we wished to remain in for longer, we had to leave back to Bangalore by 1.30…and it was already 11. we had just another hour to climb back, another to reach the homestay and a half more to have lunch, pack up and leave!

Heaving, panting and almost dying, we trekked back. trekking in wet clothes, that too UP a mountain, is not a good idea at all Yet, we did it, every now turning around to catch the wonderful painting Nature painted. When we finally caught a glimpse of the jeep, extra adrenaline pumped and we all almost ran up! And we were on our way back to CoffeeGudda

A beautiful tree we saw on the way back

The way back from Gaaligudda, to CoffeeGudda

The tea estate we "thought" we were going to; shot from the bus

The stream near CoffeeGudda...where we idles the previous evening, and where the losers who didnt come trekking idled while we trekked

While this trip definitely gets NO points for being a fab one by all respects, CoffeeGudda definitely gets it for being a real ‘getaway’, for yummy food, for a private waterfall (I still can’t believe the awesome luck of those ppl!) and the best trekking I ever did!

We bade goodbye to the homestay owners and left content, loaded with packs of CoffeeGudda-Chikmagalur coffee powder!

CoffeeGudda rocks!

ETA: Here is the link of CoffeeGudda’s very own website

http://www.wix.com/

The 5 Best Cameras for Your Next Vacation: a guest post

It was sometime in late January that I received a mail from Tara Spicer, the assistant editor at My Dog Ate My Blog. She wrote to tell me that she loved my blog (yay!) and would love to have one of her bloggers write a guest post on my blog. Of course, I agreed, telling her that I usually write nonsensical, sometimes funny, daily-life stuff — and that most of my posts are picture posts and travellogues. I guess there wouldn’t have a been a better suited guest post for a photography and travel lover like me Thanks a lot, Tara and Jennifer

So here it is, in Jennifer’s words:

The 5 Best Cameras for Your Next Vacation
How long have you planned that perfect vacation? And how long will you remember those breathtaking sunsets, ivy-covered castles, or that time you drank too many local ‘specials’ and your tongue turned purple? Choose your camera wisely, and those memories will be preserved, in all their colorful glory, for years to come. Whether you want a camera with more buttons and gadgets than 007′s car, or a simple camera that will let you point, shoot, and get back to your vacation, you’ll find it here.

Small, Simple, Powerful
Want a camera that fits in your pocket, but can still rise to just about any picturesque occasion? The slim Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 is the best point and shoot camera out there. I think the automatic mode is perfect for an active, light traveler who wants great pictures without a lot of fuss. But if you want more control over aperture and shutter speed, it also has manual options. And the GPS feature is a must for any secret agent in training. Go ahead and video your friends running with the bulls, or snap the sun setting over the mountains. This 12.1 MP dynamo can take it.

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Take Control
If you want an SLR for even more control over those shots, then choose the 14.2 MP Nikon D3100. I love how much less the D3100 costs than many so called professional cameras, but without sacrificing all the quality. It also weighs less than many SLR cameras. There are tons of individual scene settings like Child, Sports, or Night Portrait, and the 3 inch monitor is perfect for viewing your pictures or videos on the go. So be artistic with a sweeping landscape, or quickly capture that once in a life-time action shot.

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Don’t be Afraid of the Water
If your plans include the wet and wild, then be sure to bring along the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2. Unlike its earlier listed cousin, the TS2 is shockproof, freezeproof, and, my favorite feature, it can be submerged in up to 33 ft of water. Some other great features are the extended battery life, the image stabilizer for shaky hands, and an impressive 14.1 MP. Make your own water adventure movie, or go searching for the abominable snowman; this camera won’t fail.

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On a Shoe String
Even if you spent all your money planning your awesome vacation, you can still find a great camera. For around $100, the Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS has an impressive 12.1 MP, a wide LCD viewing screen, and 15 shooting modes. I really dig the sleek contours of the silver model. So don’t worry about having to choose between food and photography on your vacation, this mighty little camera is here to help.

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The Professional
Is your vacation just an excuse to take the perfect picture? If you are willing to spend quite a bit more money, then try the Nikon D7000. At 16.2 MP, the D7000 has all the resolution you could ever need. I like the 6 frame per second shooting capacity for moving targets, like birds in flight. You can capture the brightest sunrise or the lowest lit cavern. Try shooting your next whale-watching trip with HD 1080p video for cinematic quality flipper action. This camera will take you as far as your photographer dreams can imagine.

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Jennifer Skogen is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on earning your social worker degree for the Guide to Online Schools.

Goa :) so aah! – a travellogue: part 4

On the way back from Old Goa on Day 2 @ Goa, we had spotted what looked like some ruins atop a hillside to our left. The brother had rented a bike and rode alongside the car, giving more room in the car for Pumbaa to spread his legs

He told us to go on to Panaji, and said he’ll ride up the hill, take a look and be back. He clicked a few snaps, showed it to me and I was in despair that we had missed it! And my face had this downward curve which the husband, as always, decided to twist upward

And thus, to our new list for Day 3 @ Goa—which was planned to be a foot tour of the Panaji city post parasailing at Colva Beach and a dinner at Martin’s Corner to celebrate the brother’s birthday—was added The Ruins of St Augustine Complex, Old Goa.

So now, this in itself would be a whole part of the travellogue, because it was so stunning a place, I personally think it was the very highlight of our trip! Er er…actually, I’m a little confused between giving “The Highlight Of The Trip” award to parasailing or the ruins

Anyway, though the husband commented in passing the previous night that we’d go see the ruins the next day, I neither took it seriously, nor remembered it by next morning. So, when we suddenly took a detour on our way to Panaji to a direction that a board screamed out “Old Goa”, I was surprised.

The oh-so-sexy road to Holy Hill, Old Goa

And when I saw the towering, ominous looking, in-ruins belfry of god-knows-what, surprise turned to pure AWE! I almost threw off the mobile phone, grabbed the camera and jumped off the car!

Heavenly rays throwing light up on God's once-up-on-a-time abode

Oh my God. Don’t you think this is an amazing sight!? The sky was an amazing blue, with the bright clouds covering up a sun struggling to come out! And nothing else in the frame…not even a bird, but just a 46-metre-high colossal belfry tower of a church built 408 years ago! Yes, a full four-hundred-and-eight years ago!

This massive tower, the St Augustine’s tower, is one of the four towers that once stood at the site—the only remaining part of what was once one of Goa’s largest building—the Augustinian Monastery.

The 46 metere high belfry tower

Friars of the Augustinian Order arrived in Goa in 1572 and built a small convent on Holy Hill. The convent had three storeys, with two really huge stone staircases that led upstairs. The convent had two cloisters, many corridors, pillars, galleries and halls with numerous rooms, a refractory, guesthouse and a spacious infirmary. It also had vast dormitories, numerous cells and other structures (all of which are now in ruins).

View of the complex from the entry gate.

Interiors of the church...

The convent was later enlarged, in 1602, to become a complex–one that housed this colossal belfry tower, eight chapels, four altars and the extensive convent. The tower faces the east and was built of laterite, like most parts of the complex, and formed part of the Church of St Augustine.

One of the eight chapels

The altar...now the occasional seat of the lone guard

The building was completed between 1597 and 1602. Though the name of the designer of this magnificent piece of construction is not known, he is thought to have been Italian. And when it was completed in 1602, the grand Nossa Senhora da Graca Church was worthy of recognition for being one of the three great Augustinian churches in the Iberian world—the other two being the Basilica of the Escorial in Spain and the St Vincente de Fora in Lisbon.

The tower...and the church interiors

On entering the church, one gets a glimpse of a regal, grand retable of the high altar—with its large gilt tabernacle safeguarded within an arch, through a screen of arched piers. Vestiges of these piers supported a spacious choir which easily could have accommodated a large number of Augustinian monks; most of these vestiges were visible until recently.

One of the many inscriptions on the walls...

One more...and this time, a little more elaborate and wonderful!

Inscriptions on the floor...

The repressive policies of the Portuguese government resulted in the eviction of many religious orders from Goa…which led to its abandonment in 1835. The church fell into neglect and the vault collapsed in 1842, accelerating the church’s demise! The body of the church was soon destroyed as per government orders, but the facade remained intact.

The very, very, verrrrry pretty wall carvings

A slab of fine carving

The convent area

Another chapel, only a bit more complete that the rest

A partially cordoned off area...

The dilapidated interiors...

That's dad on the phone...does that put the size of the place in perspective?

Now if THAT didn't, this should! They on the right bottom corner are my dad, mom, husband and Pumbaa

The tower’s huge bell was moved initially to Fort Aguada and later, in 1871, to the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Panjim: where it still tolls!!! The facade and half of the tower fell in 1931 and more parts gave way in 1938.

The nave of the Church now stare up at the sky, from where God probably looks down fondly at his long-ago royal abode! The nape is open to the sky, under whose dilapidated yet lovely arches, local folk sometimes gather for a talk.

We stood around too…for almost an hour and half. Just walking around the place took us way back in time. And we murmured over and over again, “This place is just out of this world!”. As the day wore on, and dusk approached, the place grew more ominous, more quiet, more chilling. Thrilling nevertheless.

Ruins of St Augustine Complex, Holy Hill, Old Goa.I have only one word for it. Magnificent.

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P.S. That I was watching the movie Day After Tomorrow as I was typing this out, did NOT help much, except add to the ominosity

Goa :) so aah! – a travellogue: part 3

Disclaimer: I drafted this post a day after I published the previous one — but well, all the pics were in my brother’s camera and he left the transfer cord at his friend’s place in Kochi. I waited and waited for two weeks before I got it couriered by him. So, here the post is with the pictures…

After many things ancient in Goa—Fort Aguada and Old Goa on Day 2 @ Goa—we had decided to keep aside Day 3 @ Goa for the modern And on top of the list for the day was parasailing!

A few weeks prior to the vacation—after making the list I forgot to take along—I happened to read a blog called Passion For Road Trips. The author, Subu (who i recently discovered is a much-admired and much-respected friend of my friend!! — small world, huh!?), had been on a recent trip to Goa and had a fab travellogue put up on his blog. From my research for the list, and reading through this blog, I had made up my mind to go for parasailing, scooterboat ride and something called a banana ride.

But after spending all that time at the Colva Beach on Day 1 @ Goa, I had decided that the scooterboat ride was too bumpy for my already bummed spine; and that the banana ride was not all that interesting—except that at one point of time, you’ll be toppled over into the sea and then have to climb back on to the banana-shaped floater which is pulled into the sea and back to the beach by another boat.

But parasailing…it looked awesome, exciting and was sure set the adrenaline soaring. The day we went to Colva Beach, we were approached by guides who offered to take us parasailing for Rs 800 per couple. We bargained, saying it wouldn’t be more than Rs 150 Finally, they brought it down to Rs 500 per couple, but we still did not give in: the main reason being that I’d come to the beach in a skirt

Anyways, 31 December in Goa—for that matter, at any place—is a costly affair…and parasailing was no different Once again, we were at Colva Beach, bargaining with guides who refused to reduce it even by a penny beyond Rs 800. The final one who came to us quoted Rs 800 as well…and to him I said in a voice filled with despair and disappointment “it was 600 when we came yesterday…this is unfair”, blah blah. When he saw me sulking, he relented and agreed for Rs 600. I was then chided for having blurted out 600 instead of 500 (or even 400!)…but well, I just wanted to parasail, no matter what In fact, I’d still have gone ahead and done it even if they stuck to Rs 800!

So, we finally agreed for Rs 600 and waited in queue to be the next for sail! The rides were coming to an end for the mid-day break and we were the last ones in queue.

As the couple in front was strapped, buckled and then sailed away, a million butterflies came to life in my tummy and I had second thoughts! The parachute went up to such a terrifying height…there was the sea below…and I didn’t even know to swim—as if it would help at all. Was I still sure I wanted to go in? I turned around to look at the husband and ask if we should back out…he wasn’t very interested in it in the first place.

:) Almost about to parasail!

But alas…when I did turn around to ask, there were two guides on both sides, strapping a life jacket and buckling it up, strapping us both together on to another buckle, the other end of which was fastened to the boat—and before I could say “hey”, we were moving! At 12.45 pm, on a sunny scorching New Year’s eve-noon, we were parasailing!

Up above the world so high... -- pic courtesy: my bro

Almost about to land -- pic courtesy: my bro

A parachute -- a pic I took

It was one of the best things I’ve done in life. The take off was as smooth as one could imagine it to be…there was no air rushing up against or out of me…and the feeling of being in flight, like a bird, was spellbinding. I really and honestly CANNOT describe it. To have to do it to know it.

And the sight! Oh my god, the sight from up there cannot be described! Perhaps if I were a poet, I could have done some justice. But well, I honestly think (and I repeat!) if you really want to know, you must try it someday!

As we sailed up, I began howling like how we do on one of those giant wheels at the theme parks. But I stopped it as soon as I started it: because it was so calm, it was soooo calm and smooth, I realised there was no NEED to howl or scream or even break the silence. All we both did then was gush…. “Oh, wow…look how…” “Ah…this is just…” “Awww…how small those people…”

The vast expanse of the sea beneath, the endless blue sky above, and a wonderful, wonderful sight of the shore, with palm trees lining one side and the virgin white beach seeming to be covered with people the size of mere ants!

Oh my god. I’m still getting goose bumps as I write this! The husband, who had to literally be begged to join for the adventure, was the one who perhaps loved it more that I did! He was glad he did it; it was thaaaaat good. (See, this is why you should TRY things out, darling! )

Again, being one of the last ones in queue, we had a pretty much shorter ride than the ones who went before us…we seemed to have gone up and touched back ground in a matter of 30 seconds. But it was worth every penny we spent!

Happy, content and satisfied of having had a wonderful trip so far, we headed back home to change, have lunch and head to Panaji!

I had no clue that an awesome sight awaited me—one that would leave me as breathless as this one did. Day 3 @ Goa had just begun!

Goa :) so aah! – a travellogue: part 2

Please note: photograph overdoseload. Please wait for the pics to load completely

After a lovely time at Colva Beach on Day 1 @ Goa, we were up and about early on Day 2. Old Goa and Fort Aguada were on the new list…and I thought if we could finish them off a bit early, there would be enough time to squeeze in a beach visit too

But alas, lil’ Pumbaa had his own plans. All that beach sand he ate up last evening had to be shat out, didn’t it!? Oh my gosh. The room was a mess. It did not stink, it did not even look ewww. It was just beach sand, but in a shade of brown than the plain white sand we saw at the beach So, while I sweated out the cleaning process, Pumbaa now beach-sand free, strolled royally out on the terrace

We’d bragged soooo much about the charm of Goa to Mom, that she seemed a tad disappointed in Madgaon. Though she agreed it was Kerala-like and was nice enough, she did not get the “Goan” feel yet. I could only console her with “Just wait till we reach Panaji and Old Goa and Fort Aguada and all, Amma…you’ll love it!” Well, she began loving it even as we began approaching Panaji

The Fatorda Circle, Fatorda, Madgaon

Road to Panaji

An iron ore barge steaming on over the Zuari River while 2- and 4-wheelers line the Zuari Bridge. If only an aircraft passed through the frame then!

The Mandovi Bridge over the Mandovi River, viewed from the road to Old Goa

So we drove on, crossed the Mandovi Bridge and drove on towards Old Goa.

Old Goa, constructed  originally by the Bijapur Sultans in 15th Century A.D. served as the capital of Portuguese India. In 18th Century, malaria and cholera epidemics ravaged the city, and it was then abandoned by the Viceroy, who moved to Pangim (now, Panjim/Panaji).This abandoned Goa then came to be known as “Old Goa”. All that remains of Old Goa are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The road to Old Goa is beautiful, though narrow. For quite a distance, the Mandovi river flows along with us on the left, giving us typical rivery views…

The road to Old Goa

Dredgers, barges and ferrys on the Mandovi River, seen from the road to Old Goa

Like all tourists to Old Goa, we also went first to the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Over 400 years old, this is one of the oldest churches, not just in Goa, but in India. The marble is inlaid with precious stones. Apart from the elaborate gilded altars, the interior of the church is simple.

The crowds that thronged the Basilica of Bom Jesus

Basilica of Bom Jesus

The main altar at the Basilica of Bom Jesus

The whole back wall, and the facade, is designed with numerous carving of pillars and friezes, all gild in pure gold. Above the altar and tabernacle stands a giant statue of St Ignatius of Loyola in priestly vestments, nearly three metres high. His gaze is fixed on the medallion containing the holy letters IHS, the first letters of the Holy Name of Jesus. Above the monogram of Jesus is the holy trinity—the father, son and the holy spirit.

On the left of the main altar

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Basilica holds the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier, a pioneering Roman Catholic Missionary who was influential in the spreading and upkeep of Catholicism in India. Hi relics are kept in a silver casket, elevated inside the  Basilica and are brought to ground level when the Archbishop of Goa e Damão decides so. It is usually done every ten years. The last time that happened was in 2004, and was open to public for a whole month.

The silver casket holding the body of St Francis Xavier

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica, in celebration of Christmas

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

The majestic trees within the campus of the Basilica of Bom Jesus

The archways that say a thousand tales (pic courtesy: Jaya, my best friend)

The Basilica of Bom Jesus...the side facing the Church of St Assissi

On the other side of the Basilica is the Church of St Francis of Assisi built in 1661.Here’s some info on the church, as seen on the plaque beside it.

“The three tier facade have octagonal towers on each side and in the central niche there is a statue of St Michael. The main entrance is decorated with circular pilasters and rosette band. The central nave is barrel-vaulted while the crossing is rib-vaulted which supports the choir. The internal buttress walls, separating the chapels and supporting the gallery on top, have frescoes showing floral designs. Above the tabernacle in the main altar is a large statue of St Francis of Assisi and Jesus on the cross, statues of St Peter and St Paul are seen below. The adjoining walls of nave retain painted panels depicting scenes from the life of St Francis of Assisi.”

The Church of St Francis of Assisi, built in 1661

The Church of St Francis of Assisi, built in 1661

Another much visited site is the Se Cathedral, the oldest and most celebrated religious building in Goa and one of the largest churches in Asia. We did not go in there Pumbaa would be made to wait outside all these places, and I really didn’t think that was fair to him

By now, Mom had changed her opinion. Goa was definitely beautiful and lovely, and Old Goa, especially so! We stopped for ice creams, licked them clean and then was ready to head to our next destination: Fort Aguada.

On the way, we also decided to stop over at Mapusa, near Calangute. Mapusa, also pronounced Mapsa by the locals, is the main market town in northern Goa.

An interesting idea for a "wedding car"! Caught on cam on the way to Mapusa.

The road from Panaji to Mapusa

The reason we went to Mapusa was to see the house where the husband stayed at while he was with SBI. We always used to say we must buy that house and the fields on both sides, demolish it and build our dream house right there It was a lovely place.

This time however, we were disappointed to see the surroundings heaped with trash

We also dropped in at Shama Medicals, to see the owner Uzma, a dear friend in Goa. We also met her daughter, who is super cute After a 10-minute chat and a few clicks, we were on our way to Fort Aguada.

Fort Aguada.

The water tank and the lighthouse at Fort Aguada

Constructed in 1612 to guard against the Dutch and the Marathas, this magnificent  piece of architecture also served as a reference point for vessels coming from Europe at that time. it was once the grandstand of 79 cannons, with a moat around the fort that  protected it.

The view from the fort. So pristine!

Standing on the beach, south of Candolim, at the shore of the Mandovi river, the fort was once home to a freshwater spring that provided water to the ship inmates who used to stop by.

Another sea view

Aguada means water…and that’s how the fort got its name. Crews of passing ships would often stop by to replenish their fresh water stock.

The fort also houses a 4-storey Portuguese lighthouse that is the oldest of its kind in Asia: built in 1864.

The lighthouse at Fort Aguada

The Aguada prison is also close by, and is still functional, used by the Goan Police.

The sprawling bungalow of a diamond merchant, Jimmy Kardeka, where many Bollywood films were apparently shot. Constructed on one side of the hill without disturbing the natural geographical incline, the bungalow is estimated to be about 70 crore INR (as sourced from the web and from the blog Passion for Road Trips). I initially thought it was the Vivanta by Taj till I read his blog!

Father, Son and the Aguada Fort

We walked all around Fort Aguada and both dad and mom loved the place too. Dad had come here long back, sometime during the late 70s…but he definitely had no memories of seeing the lighthouse there We took a lot many more pics and then as the closing time fast approached (5.30 pm) and the sun began its descend, we also filed out. Pumbaa was tired (and refused to walk anymore, which explains why he’s in the Father’s hands ) and hungry, and we decided to stop at a fancy restaurant we’d spotted on the way to the Fort, to fuel up.

Sweet Chilli.

Sweet Chilli

A garden-style Goan restaurant, made to resemble a beach shack, this is a fab place to hang out. Yummy food, totally affordable rates and a most pleasing ambiance. And it being the Xmas season, it was all beautifully lit up too

The best part was the acceptance of Pumbaa without hesitation, and my heart immediately warmed to the place

Pumbaa after his fill...at Sweet Chilli

The reception-cum-bar...and the friendly waiter who even played with Pumbaa

The walkway into the restaurant

After a sumptuous dinner, we all filed back into the car and drove back to Panaji. We also decided to take a quick tour of Panaji City, for the parents’ sake. And it was only 7.00 by then. Ample time for a city drive before heading back to Madgaon.

We drove right from one end of Panaji to the other…and finally ended up near Miramar Beach. The husband could not quite miss the shine in my eyes, and we stopped over for some nice beach time

We alighted opposite the Club Tennis sports facility centre and walked to the Miramar beach.

Clube Tennis De Gaspar Dias

The Miramar Circle...as I call it

Beach volleyball

It was a breezy, cool, lovely night, and we spotted a few guys enjoying beach volleyball. We enjoyed at the beach for another half hour and then went back to Madgaon, to sleep away the tiredness and better savour the day through possible dolby digital colour dreams

Our Day 3 @ Goa, also the bro’s birthday, was to be spent mostly at the beach and in Panjim/Panaji city.