P3's Travel Dazzle

Tuesday 8 January 2019

Weekend bliss - Brook at Khanna's_Karjat

Kashmir.. beauty beyond words

Heaven on Earth has become a tagline to describe the beauty of Kashmir & very aptly so!

Kashmir, right up in the North of India is on the travel list of most people I know. We had been wanting to visit Kashmir since a long time. Finally we planned the trip at the nick of time in Apr'16, houseboat booking was done one day prior to leaving.

The start of the trip was really eventful for me. We had a 4 a.m flight to catch & just the previous evening we had spotted a not-so-welcome friend in our home-a Rat!!
being the owl I am, I slept around 1 a.m to catch a quick nap before leaving for the airport. In those 30 mins, I felt something scamper on me & I shrieked & flung the sheet to see the rat run over the ledge.
So yeah .. next one week we were going to leave our home with a rat! We closed all other rooms, placed some traps around & left . I was now really grateful for the very early morning flight because there was no chance I would've fallen asleep on my bed after that! Talk about silver linings :)

We reached Srinagar pretty early in the morning. Wanderbug's Kritika helped us with her trusted travel contact - Mr Shaukat who picked us from Srinagar Airport. Shaukat is a very reliable driver for Kashmir. (+91 99068 76232)

As you drive out of Srinagar airport, you cant help but notice the number of armed forces men around. Something you are definitely not used to while on a vacation.
Shaukat took us to a vegetarian place Krishna Vaishno Dhaba for breakfast. We had one of the best ever Onion Uttappam (a type of savoury crepe) Lil joys :)

Along the way..

3 days in Kolkata - Food,Food & more Food !

19th March'16 -India vs Pak, Eden gardens..While watching the match the husband asks.. "For the upcoming long weekend .. You want go to Kolkata as your birthday trip?"

Me.. "Ofcourse ..Yeah!!" .. Kolkata has been in my must-go-to places list for a long time.

& that's it Tickets booked.. & while having yummy Achija Pav Bhaji, watching a fantastic match I started day dreaming about Rasgullas,the old houses & what a puchka would taste like. This trip was the best gift to this inherent foodie!

So through the week..I troubled everyone I knew connected to Kolkata.. Friends & acquaintances.. & they all sweetly wrote back to me with the must haves !!

The husband's friends in Cal wondered..why were we visiting Cal! Are we stopping by enroute elsewhere.. Nope, 3 days just Cal!

We are vegetarian yet there was a good ground to be covered..luckily they all recommended the same stuff from the same specific street/restaurant.. So the taste was vetted for us :)

Thursday morn we landed at Cal.. most people we saw had evidence of how well they had played Holi the previous day :)

You know you are in Cal when..

Go Goa_Roadtrip _Mumbai-Ganpatipule-Tarkarli-Goa

December..the month that makes us realise that each year flew by faster than the earlier one..

Our month was also flying by..with family visiting ..Had a week in-between.. & heard about cousins visiting their Goa home from Bangalore..that's it.. The free week also planned for :)

December slowly became a fabulous family month !

Our first long roadtrip... we started off late in the morning towards Ganpatipule..
Took the old NH..very good roads.. Single lane being time consuming barrier..but the landscapes & villages in between more than made up for it.

Endless stretches of nothing.. coupled with good music..perfect day!

Nothingness

Reflections

Manali - Dreamy & picture perfect

Continuing with the good fortune of seeing our beautiful country we planned a trip to Manali - Shimla - Chandigarh flying in & out of Chandigarh (Sep 25 - Oct 3'2015)

I had last been to Manali about thirteen years back. It was a two-three day halt then after a very memorable trek to Sar Pass in Himachal Pradesh.

Situated amidst snow-clad Himalayan peaks, a river playing peek a boo, quaint cafes with good food & music, and colourful shops Manali is one of India's best hill stations. It has a little something for everyone. After spending sometime in Manali, you understand why many foreigners spend months together at Manali/Dharamshala during summers & Goa during winters :)

The Journey:

We landed at Chandigarh in the afternoon around 3 p.m & for some strange reason both of us thought we'd reach Manali by 9 p.m (day dreaming clearly!) Our driver Mr Gurpreet very sweetly said 'Abhi toh teen baje hai.. 12 tak pahunch jayenge' (its 3pm, we will reach by midnight) ..what..midnight !!..

Baby Pigeon is here !! 15.09.14

Dazzle of another kind.. this ones about one of the most lovely experiences of my life...

About a month back I was aghast having found our lovely flowering periwinkle plant destroyed by pigeons. Soon after all the picking,it was just a pot of soil
One afternoon, I saw a pigeon sitting on that pot & as the day went by..found this - A lil white egg being protected by its mommy's warmth the same barren pot was now a sight of Cuteness!

I had to google to know we had to wait atleast 17 days before the egg hatches !! Aah..thats a long wait...