My trip starts

It is curdling inside me – excitement, fear, anxiety, more excitement. I am off for a 17 day trip to Europe. Ah yes, what fun!

This time I promise to

- Dress better

- Eat more

- Take it easy and rest in between (yes there is a lot to cover, but listen you are not dying and it will never be enough)

- Not buy stuff I can never wear in India

- Write more

- Make more friends

- Smile at everyone (but not at the pick pockets, beware of them)

- Party hard (All arrangements made, my friend)

Wish me luck and adventure. Till June then. Ciao

Pondicherrying

It wasn’t like I remembered. Little more cluttered, less clean and somewhat less charming than before. But I have been here so many times; the eye does get a bit jaded.

Still the yellow washed walls and the cycle by it remains. Somethings don't change. Luckily.

Like girlfriends.

The girl gang was in Pondicherry. Surprise, surprise, the same bunch of us were in Goa five years ago (how time flies!) and despite married lives, work etc etc we did manage to chill here for two whole days. And we did chill (oxymoronish considering it was actually sooo hot). We stayed at the lovely Le Hibiscus – more a personal bungalow than a hotel, we sipped breezers while we walked, and sat chatting late at Le Café with indifferent waiters who banged our tables with insipid espressos...ooooh so French!

As every time, Aurobindo Ashram was a delight and Auroville especially in the heat, quite a damp squib. Of course, we shopped till we dropped at the Ashram/Hidedesign stores and dunked endless filter coffees and Idlis. Luckily, it is a small town, so easy to walk around.

High tide and full moon night at Beach Road. What a good time to be there.

Vivanta by Taj and Mahabalipuram on our way back. And I passed Kalpakkam (of the childhood memories). Completes the trip.



The search continues....

Unfortunately, it was just more of the same. Animals would scarcely budge out of their hiding places given the intense fog (just our lousy luck). So, all we did again was chase floating rumours. Idhar dekha kya? (Did you see any there?), wahan se dikhne ki report ayi hai (there was a report that one was seen there), mating ki growling aa rahi thi lekin dikhi nahi - male aur female the (there was a mating growl but they were not seen, one male and female – like there could be anything else)

Oh! You mighty tiger! Like my good luck, shall you remain ever elusive?

Bandhavgarh is almost 200 kilometers away from Jabalpur which is the largest train station nearby. It is advisable though to get tickets to Umaria only 32 kilometers away or Katni at 100 kilometer away. We stayed at Bundela Lodge which was strictly alright. We’d heard that sightings were the most frequent in this National Park; though ‘seeing is believing’ (now isn’t it? I am beginning to think there is no tiger!?! Is this a fairy tale animal? Like the Lochness monster?). And although reports suggest that there are more sightings if one enters the park through the Tala gate (Zone 1), the other one- Magadhi zone has equally good sightings and should not be missed. Try the A-C route.

Better still, pray.

Welcome 2012

Well, the world may end this year according to some ancient experts. So, we need to live this year bigger than ever before. Up, up, up. Live it up.

Though I admit, the ending to this Year has been an antithesis to the last few – Shake it off. And dance it away. Bye 2011.

2012. Bring it on.