Day out with Nature in Sikkim.... Part II

After spending a few hours near the river and grabbing lunch at Tenzing's farm, we were off to a beach of sorts. Along the way, we drove near a raging waterfall, that seemed to put even the Niagara falls to shame... The bends and curves on the raw roads had us holding on to our seats, and finally we reached a point where there was no road ahead... It was all water..

On the right was a mountain range and ahead was what the locals call "The beach". Came to know that there was a enormous landslide in 2016 which led to the formation of the beach. The Mantam landslide in 2016 has created an artificial lake in the river Rongyoung by almost blocking the river. A massive silt-sand bar has been formed which the local people call the ‘beach’ is what Tenzing told us when I probed. There was a also a bridge that helped people get to the other side which was washed away and now in its place sits a make shift metal bridge. So, people looking to go to the village beyond the river, come by car, get off where we had parked, on this side of Dzongu, walk through waist deep water, with coolies [ local boys who carry their luggage] , get into another car waiting on the other side in the sand and make their way beyond... 

Tenzing told us this is the beach, and we would be doing some fly fishing here. I was tad sceptical, considering the water was flowing albeit in a peaceful pace. But then, throwing caution to wind, decided to join the others, with the bamboo fishing pole acting as my third leg. The water was till my mid thighs [ am 6ft tall], so for Tenzing who is under 5ft, it was nearly chest high. The sand was white, with pebbles strewn all across [ from what must have been once been the river bed]. It was fun walking on the sand, enjoying the flowing river on one side and nothing but emptiness on the other side. We paused for a while along the water, when a cute pup came over to say hello.

Btw, on the other side of the river is the remaining part of the beach, and one can access it via the makeshift wooden bridge, and doing a bit of trek along the water.. I passed up on the opportunity and chilled by myself for a while near the water. Soon after, one of the girls came back and suggested we head back to the van, which is when we noticed the water levels had gone up quite a bit. It was now till my waist... We did see lorries/heavy duty trucks drive through the water to the road, dripping oil into the water, making it dirty... 

After an hour or so, the others returned and we made our way back to the property [with thoughts of the steps lingering in my mind all through the journey, but this time it was lot easier than the 1st two..yayy] Phew, what a fun day it had been~!! Talk about pushing boundaries and doing things I would never have gotten to do... 

And onto another story.... stay tuned...

Day out with Nature in Sikkim.... Part I

A day out at River Rungkyung and beyond...

It had been about 4 days in Sikkim, and we were just done exploring Yumthang Valley and Zero Point.. From there, we were headed to another destination where we would be spending not one but two days, yes, probably the 1st time we were spending more than a day at a location/property. We were driving towards Dzongu, which was supposed to be quite untouched and inside a forest area. It was around 6 by the time we got there, and there was nothing but darkness surrounding us. On either side was thick forests, with a few mountains along with bumpy non existent roads. 

After about an hour inside the Dzongu region, we finally came to a halt. I saw on the right side a flight of stairs that went into the dark, beyond which lay the property we were staying at. Armed with our rucksacks and backpacks we made our way up the flight of steps. This was probably the one time when I had a bit of difficulty but the guys in my group, our driver and one of the guys from the property stuck with me, gave me immense support to reach the top. Infact, they were my pillars the next two days. 

This property belonged to Tenzing and his wife, the rooms we stayed was perched on top of stilts, almost like a tree house, looking over endless forest around. It was cool, green and felt like we were high up in the hills. The 2nd day, our host announced he had a full day planned for us. He was going to take us fishing to the river, cook us a meal right there, and then serve us lunch at his farm, before taking us beyond to see all that the region had to offer. 

We were fascinated, curious and well, I was tad anxious [ the thought of dealing with the steps, not once but twice was daunting].. Next morning, after breakfast, dressed in casual shirt and 3/4th with nothing but my wallet and camera, I joined the others down the stairs. The River Rungkyung was a few kms away, and a short walk from the main road [near the bridge], down some rugged path.  

Was I glad I made the trip.. The river was beautiful, crystal clear water flowed down the boulders, surrounded by hills and greenery. The water was cold, and I managed to walk to the middle where others were standing.. Soon after our host came armed with couple of beers and some meat, which he proceeded to cook in a makeshift barbeque of sorts right there on the banks of the river.  Being vegetarian, two of us stood by as the guys dug into the meat.. The beer was good~! 

We spent have been by the river for a good 5-6hours when Tenzing announced it was time to head to his farm for lunch. What he dint mention was that involved quite a bit of trek downhill, on steps paved out of the mountain.. lolz.. With the help of the guys, and a long bamboo stick, I made it alive to his little house near the farm. The property had been carved out of the mountain, and one room had a natural bathtub in it. 

Soon hot cases arrived, then came plates and cutlery and voila, our lunch was served. Many of the dishes were made using greens that had been foraged from the area around the property. From the property a few yards down slippery slope was the river, we could hear it raging away.. We happily lounged for a while, before we were told it was time to leave and explore more of the region and maybe do some fishing as well. 

Phew, we did so much that day, I am still reeling from it. stay tuned, shall share more in the next post... 

Off to the Blue Hills... and around

This year has been quite good, touch wood!

Rather, this month has been good i should say. I have managed to revisit Delhi, spend time with uncle and cousin, explore a few new places and it was an opportunity to do something for the 1st time, travel with mom. 

And now, another trip is in the offing, am off tonight and back saturday. Yes, it is a short trip, but one that i am definitely looking forward. Yet another 1st, a holiday with friend & her family. During my visit to Kochi, she made me promise them i would join them on a holiday this year, irrespective of where it was. We did make a few plans, zero in on a few destinations, but as always, destiny is taking us elsewhere. No Complaints!

[If you've been on this blog before, you will know this picture and where it was taken... :-)]

Even though i am headed to a destination i've visited a handful of times, am sure it will be different..My last visit to this Hill station was about 5yrs ago, or was it more? I was there for a good 5days, and enjoyed my visit immensely. This time around, i am spending about 6-7hrs before my friends land and we head off to the Club Mahindra resort [ my 1st time at a Resort]. I hope to do some birding, lazy strolls, fun with kids and soak in the nature, apart from the good time i am bound to have with friend and her family... :-) 

See you around...

A Day in Daroji

An overnight train journey from Bangalore brought us to Hospet, and within minutes of getting off the train, we were on the road to the Sloth Bear Resort. This was my first visit to Hampi and as cliché as it sounds, in many ways it was indeed “a dream coming true”. The 17kms to the resort was along a road filled with trees, and fields on one side, while there were rugged mountains on the other. Upon seeing the board “Karadi Cafe” I knew we had reached the resort.


Our cottage was tucked away behind the dining area, and the winding up had quite a rustic feel to it. The room was fitted with all amenities we could want, and had a balcony to sit and feast on the sunrise or sunset. We ordered a cup of hot tea, and that was all it took to have us refreshed and ready to explore the property.

We also met the naturalist Virupaksha, who promised to take us birding within an hour along the river Tungabhadra. This time eyes tuned to the vast open space around us, and ears sharp waiting for a bird call. In that one hour, we spotted quite a few birds- kingfishers, Sand piper, quails, grey heron, parakeets, Purple heron, and Hoopoes wandering near the canal.

With just two days, we wanted to see as much of Hampi as possible. Next on the agenda I was told was the visit to the Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Daroji which is where the resort draws its name from.

I had seen pictures of the bears lounging on the rocks, and to think I was going to be seeing them in real had me excited. We drove into the sanctuary, watching a wild boar cross ahead us, before driving ahead and parking the jeep near the rocks where the bears would come. We didnt have to wait more than a few minutes, and we saw a bear stroll along towards us with two cubs in tow.


Soon, there were quite a few and all they were focussed on were the sweet licks on the rocks. Did not pay any attention to us, but went about lapping up their treats. The bears soon made their way along the path towards the exit of the enclosure and we drove along, capturing them. It was wonderful to watch a mother bear protect her cub from a male that came hovering about, two bears fight for the patch of rock and how at ease they were around humans.


The sun set as we drove out back to the resort, while the bears lingered on my mind. I was already looking forward to many more treats in store at Hampi.

This post was featured on Jungle Lodges Blog

Happy Birthday Chennai...

Just like we celebrate our Birthdays, I firmly believe the City we call home also deserves one. Today is my home town, birth place Madras/Chennai’s 372^nd Birthday.

The month of August begins and the excitement mounts. I look forward to the line-up of events dedicated to Madras Day. Infact, it was only few years ago that I discovered Chennai was born on 22^nd August, 1639.

The Chariot in DakhinChitra

The Marina Beach

There are Photowalks to explore various hidden treasures in the lanes scatted around the city; and there are talks where we get to learn about the rich history, culture and art embed within.  The events are quite a treat for those who have been living here and others who are keen on learning more about this city.  A chance for us to enjoy the architecture from the years gone by, visit monuments, buildings, parks and galleries filled with information and pictures related to Chennai and of course to create our own memories..

The Santhome Church

Earlier, Chennai was where I spent my school holidays in, among family and friends, But now, it is my Home, where i know I belong! Even though I’ve been living here for over a decade, there are so many places I’ve not visited, explored or even heard of. Hmm, about time I rectified this, what say?!

The Ashtalakshmi Temple

I have been eyeing the Madras Day agenda almost daily, wondering what all I can be a part of and there are a few that have caught my attention, which have been jotted down in my Calendar.  I am definitely looking forward to the TALK: Lesser known temples of Chennai by Chitra Madhavan on 23^rd August evening [Tuesday] and the HERITAGE WALK : Meandering down Mint Street on 28^th August morning [Sunday] amongst the lot.  Oh gosh, how can I forget to mention the NATURE WALK inside the IIT Madras Campus on 27^th August morning [Saturday]?!

What are the events you are attending? Here is the link for The Madras Day Events

Let the celebrations begin!

This post was published on CLAY

Colours of Summer

During my previous visits to Bangalore, here are some shots taken during our daily walks and around the city.... 

Looking forward to more trips... more shots... more beauty...more nature!! :)

[Skywatch Friday] emotions galore...

What you feel is what you see,

Is that true?

Watching the- 

Clouds scattered around 

where they lost?

i wondered.... 

An artist

A painter, perhap!

Colours 

across the horizon..

Oh what sheer beauty it was..... 

Silver lining-

is this it? 

For more beautiful skies, click here