Shivanasamudra.. nature's fury, nature's beauty..

Shimsha. Bluff. Gaganachukki. Barachukki. These are the different names to this beauty. Don't wanna include too many words to spoil this post. Here you go-

The rapids..

Well guys, there is a river out there... watch your steps!

Just like in life... herd mentality. Guyz... you are on the wrong side of the valley!

Check the mist behind.. akin to a steady drizzle..

Serenity on far side of the rapids..

Hello beauties!

Ciao till next time... Harsha

Nature trail... Kemmanagundi

Words are such a waste of time... picspeaks!

Temple? nah.. kalathgiri falls, just fell in love with this place.

Trekkers Inc. Prem, Abhi..

Some kids along the way. Who can beat that smile? Somehow I rate this- the best pic captured during the trek.

Gotcha.. dragon fly :)

On the way up..

Beauties..

Jungle path to Hebbe falls.. sadly no pics of falls, too dark to capture then..

Heaven? No, guesthouse @ Kemmanagundi.

Hindu + Muslim = Politics.

Mulyangiri.. highest peak in Karnataka

I walk, I climb. I'm 85.

Ciao till next time... Harsha

Israel... wresting with its identity..

Israel... one hears about Jew state, Mossad, Ben Gurion, Ariel Sharon, Yassar Arafat, PLA, Entabi, Arrow missilies, etc.. in different contexts... As a nation, Israel is in news for one or the other reason.

I was trying to figure out what exactly is Israel before going there... As I usually plan things in last detail, had read a lot about economic, social, political fabric of the country. But, there is something that's totally un-capturable about the country which you experience when you actually visit the place! In this short piece I want to present my views through collage of pictures- about this much spoken state..

A fiercely independent, proud nation- one feels the difference as soon as you step into Ben Gurion airport. The security, beefed up to take care of trivial details, not miss a clue where there exists none; masks the unmistakable feeling of a nation at WAR- 24/7, 365 days a year..

Ben Gurion Airport.. distinctly calm..

The rustle and bustle... modern amidst the biblical past; a sight in Tel Aviv- Yafo..

Though turmoil in the west.. the east coast is picture perfect.. Mediterranean with its beach side high rise hotels.. romantic air, bewitching place (uh.. being single is bad!)

Tel Aviv.. Hertzilia.. one of the best planned cities, greenary mastered in the desert. The villas seen mostly occupied by immigrant Jews from across the world- US, Europe, Australia.. I hear even Jews from Mumbai, India are immigrating to Israel in large numbers (note- Israel is the only Jew state with free entry to Jews around the world). A local I spoke with who immigrated from US said- 'this is the only place where I have my own identity'..

Back to Biblical times.... they say Jaffa (or Yafo) was the port to embark from where people travelled to Jerusalem- the holy land. Legend says 'The Land of Israel', known in Hebrew as Eretz Yisrael, has been sacred to the Jewish people since the time of the biblical patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The archealogical remains... from the Byzantine age.

The flea market which has existied for past 10 centuries in Tel Aviv- Yafo, in one form or other...

The wishing bridge.. on Jaffa coastline..

The Azreli center, Tel Aviv.. a shopping mall and office space. Had to do some purchasing as I lost my luggage in transit.. Saturdays the shops remain closed till 6PM (the religious observing of Sabbath), so anytime you step into Israel & shop- take care that its not Sabbath time!

Airport.. Ben Gurion; Interesting pic- Jews in their traditional robes..

So, it's been interesting to see Israel- only saddening aspect being unable to go to Jerusalem and Tibris; being a history buff would have loved to visit them!

Ciao till next time...
Harsha

1500mts above...driving with zero visibility... mist covered hills... our very own Nandi hills!

This trip would be ethched in my mind as one of the most challenging drives I have faced till now in my life... Its always been a passion to drive ever since I got the car keys when I was 18yr old. But, this drive was deceptively dangerous...

Let me begin this short travel piece from where it all started. On a lazy sunday afternoon after much pestering, our gang of 'koole' boys decided to meet up at Abhi's place@Hebbal.


Prem, Abhi and myself decided to just go out for a drive... not knowing what to do we decided on going to nandi hills as it is a mere 40kms from Hebbal. It was already 5.00PM when we decided to go.

By 6.00PM it started raining.. under the twilight we started our accent. It was close to 7PM when the weather started acting wierd on the winding roads of Nandi.. suddenly the road ahead became barely visible, the chill becoming more and more intense.. giving us a feeling of reaching Ooty instead of Nandi..


We reached the top at 7.30PM barely able to see one another in the pitch darkness.. the mountain air adding to the heightened sense of awe.. we could actually sense the shrill cry of the apes from the slopes below & the cry of a lone langur echoing in the deserted environ.

Sadly no pics were taken except from Prem's mobile and the surreal atmosphere created by the mountain is to be seen to be believed at that time of the day..

We had enough time to grope & make our way to the hilltop restaurant which serves an excellent range of snacks and beverages. Just enjoying the beauty and awe of the nature around we started our drive down the hills by 8.30PM.

Now, the little light which still showed signs of the road ahead was completely gone.. instead of being on the road we were mislead to take a turn into an empty restaurant.... we were barely saved from dashing into the chairs by light refected from the walls ahead!

With visibility of barely a metre.. we were lucky to find a car ahead of us on the decent through the winding roads. We safely tailed the car all along the decent thanking our luck at finding a guiding car :)

Well...we may go on other tours & hikes... but this trip I hope would be etched in the minds of 3 people who came quiet close to a handshake with what one may call as 'mortal fear'.

Ciao till next time...
Harsha

Trying to use this slideshow tool...

Go to ImageShack® to Create your own Slideshow

Hop on.... to see Singapore!

This was my first visit outside India- and Changi Airport was the first truly Intl Airport I had been to; imposing when compared to our airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore (I actually found that one terminal would probably be 3-4 times any of our airports).

The travel facilities on offer for the transit tourist are worth availing. Since I had a 9 hr transit in S'pore wanted to travel around the city. The travel book which one usually finds in the lobby is an excellent guide to everything in Singapore...

Voted the world's best for duty free shopping, Changi Airport Shopping City offers excellent finds not available anywhere else in Singapore. Right from the best wines, leather goods, hottest summer accessories, souvenirs & gifts... to convenience stores and boutiques, Its an excellent idea to carry back some excellent Chivas Regal or Jacob's Creek if you have some moolah to spare!

If one is travelling by Singapore Airlines its best to take the 'Hop Ons'- these are shuttles that criss-cross the city and quite cheap too ($3!) or the MRT trains (A $5 pass enough for a day's travel). Here are some assorted pics from S'pore..

Hop On!

Botonical gardens (more like Bangalore's very own Lalbagh... less crowded :))

Suntech City... the work center for most of Indian IT folks..

World's largest fountain... good sight.

The Merlion.... view from Carlsberg Tower in Sentosa Island! Awesome view of Singapore and the wonderful harbour. One has to take the ropeway from Vivo City to enjoy the whole experience...

The MRT station- Bangalore needs something like this badly... reached Changi from Sentosa in 30 mins flat (arnd 30 miles).

Good to catch a bite in one of the many eateries at Vivo city....

That was a short trip around S'pore... I desperately wanted to check more places- as this is one city which is excellent for travelling around. Good food, travel friendly transportation and friendly people!


Ciao till next time...

Of sandy beaches, sunny and colorful environs!

Let me give you a peek into the places in and around San Jose, California- the place which has the best beaches, most scenic golf courses and also has the largest population of South Asians in US.

One of the most easy places to move around- I have found that travelling 100-150 miles during weekends is not only tire-free but also highly enjoyable! I will put-forth a collage of pictures taken over past 3 weeks here. I am including only the best 3 spots I visited till now here..

Santa Cruz- beaches and hikes..

This weekend getaway is located in Monterey bay region and is well-known for watersports such as sailing, diving, paddling and surfing. It is the home of O'Neill Wetsuits and Santa Cruz Surfboards, as well as Santa Cruz Skateboards and Santa Cruz Bicycles. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is California’s oldest amusement park and a designated State Historic Landmark.

This idyllic city of 40 sq km is just 50 miles away from San Jose and is well connected from Highways 1 and 17.

On the way to Santa Cruz, along highway 1.

The sandy beach in Santa Cruz, holiday crowd..enjoying a game of beach volleyball!

Entering the hike- Wilder ranch. Morning sun, beautiful flowers, clear blue sky!!

The drop...

and... the shoreline!!

Hi birdy!...

San Fransisco- winding roads, hilly city and the rusting bridge (hey, they call it golden!)

San Fransisco is around 70 miles from San Jose- the drive along I 880 is refreshingly fast (I had never cruised at 120 mph before)... the city's best places are well known- pier 39, golden gate, tram ride, cruise.. But, the best thing about the city is- its built on small hillocks; travelling around the city is fun- the roads have ups and downs at such frequest intervals- that one has a feeling of travelling on waves on land...!

Just entering the city.. concrete jungle..

Along the golden bridge (Trivia- The bridge is painted yearly.... it takes a year to paint the whole bridge... and then its time to start painting all over again!)

A local artist making portraits for a living...

The wavy roads.. and tram lines right through them!

Hey guys, let the ladies first... (strategy guru and designer blocking the path of unsuspecting women entering the tram)

Pier 39 cruise... get away, and make way for the sea lions!

Monterey Bay and along the mile 17!

This is millionaire's land. Yes, most of the millionaires in California have their cozy villas along the 17th Mile road beside the sea amidst the picturesque golf course and Pacific groove.. The most memorable drive along Ocean's View Boulevard is worth remembering for a long time to come!

The Monterey Bay area is known for its vast aquarium, maritime museum and also the most scenic coastline along the Pacific.. it is accessed via 101, Highway1 and is located 70 miles south of San Jose.

Hey, I can't locate my boat... (nah, if I own one; you will be able to locate it)

The maritime museum.. wealth of knowledge and history oozing from every inch..

Along the Ocean's View road... the best shoreline I have come across in my life.

The 'Lone Cypress' tree along the 17 mile drive. Its been there for past 250 years and it symbolises the spirit of harmony in the Pebble beach community.

The 17 mile road serves as the main road through the gated community of Pebble Beach. Like the community, the 17-Mile Drive is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Corporation.

It has been a long post. Let me say goodbye now! More to come..

Ciao till next time...Harsha