Life Etc Etc

Where is it? Around 125 KM from Bengaluru, on the Kaveri river right on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. What is it? They call it the Niagara of India but after stating unequivocally in my previous blog that nature is incomparable, I will just ask you to make up your mind after looking at the pictures below as some things are indescribable. Hogenakkal Waterfalls as the moon begins to shine Hogenakkal Waterfalls from an alternate view Hogenakkal Waterfalls: The gorge on the Kaveri River  If the sights look familiar then you have probably seen them in movies such as Roja or Raavanan . How do I explore the area? If you are visiting the falls during the rainy or winter seasons then you will not be allowed to take the boat to view the falls. Instead there will be a separate viewpoint to explore the region.  My trip fell in March so I got to use the small round boats known as coracles to catch some eye-popping views. Coracles on the Kaver...

Where is it? Around 60 KM from Bengaluru. Scenic landscape from one of the viewpoints What is it? A hilly retreat with a rich history and fantastic vistas all around. View from the top of the rock face How do I get there? I reached the parking which is at the base of the summit by car. The hairpin bends are a bit challenging but as long as you stick to your lane you should be fine. There are cabs which will take you there and there's also public transport available from Majestic  I believe.   Parking Lot at Nandi Hills What should I take? All plastic water bottles are confiscated at the base of the summit so do carry water in a non-plastic container. There's a bus which will take you from the base to the top of the hill but if you want to explore the surroundings by yourself you will need plenty of water to refuel yourself Take a windcheater (I suggest using a heavier jacket if you are visiting in winter or rainy seasons) along just in case it gets chilly up t...

October is the last month of the year (in the northern hemisphere) which offers some sort of a sunny respite before the cold and chill of the winter reign supreme. On one such warm fall evening I decided to shun the walls of the gym and celebrate the last vestiges of sunshine this year with a brisk walk in The   Don River Valley Park . Now don't let the term ' park ' fool you, coz Don Valley park is no less than an urban forest nestled within the confines of a metropolis. Most parks afford the luxury of circling back to the point of entry but then Don Valley is not your usual park. This woody incarnation straight from a Wordsworth's poem flows like an unending river allowing no way to get back to where you started from, unless you are careful enough to retrace your steps. With several natural and manmade trails this park is a hiker's paradise and a cyclist's delight. After a long day's work I needed a workout but didn't want to get lost in...

On a bright May afternoon I found myself on the Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver facing the Pacific Ocean . This was the ocean hike that I was most looking forward to. Now before I go any further you might ask me. What is the Seawall? There you go, the picture below should answer your question very well 👇 Stanley Park Seawall (Courtesy: Tourism Vancouver) How did I get there?  Simple via public transport ( TransLink ). In front of me was a 10 KM hike right next to the Pacific Ocean and I was grossly unprepared (didn't even have a bottle of water with me). But water or no water I wasn't about to back out from exploring this beautiful waterfront trail . My first pit stop allowed me to take in the sights of Vancouver downtown along with the  docks . Vancouver Downtown Vancouver docks and the Pan Pacific Hotel Pan Pacific Hotel from the top (Courtesy: BC Ferries Vacations) The next sight to behold my attention was the 100 year old Brockton P...

The mind craves for outdoor recreation but where do you go? Fortunately Canada, the land of tranquil lakes and alluring regional parks has a number of avenues for trekking and outdoor activities. Where: Hamilton, Ontario. half an hour drive from Toronto, Ontario. Why:   Webster Falls Tew Falls Dundas Peak Need I say Anymore? For the record: Tew's Falls at 41 meters is just a wee bit shorter than Niagara Falls at 52 meters.   Webster falls stands at 22 meters and the lush greenery surrounding the place is a sight for sore eyes. The walk leading up to the falls and the sight of the falls is one which I will certainly treasure for a long time. Dundas Peak overlooking the Dundas town is a very popular selfie spot . The elevation of about 150 m with jagged rocks and a view of the Spencer Gorge is a nice place to rest and reminisce after a hard day's trek.  Dundas Peak: Dangle your legs but not yourself When to Visit: Ma...

Some roads you choose and some roads choose you. On a rainy Saturday afternoon the road led me to Salar Jung museum , the crown jewel of Hyderabad's vintage glory. The monument (Credits: Wikipedia) I had visited Salar Jung musuem before but I couldn't pass up on the chance to revel in history and marvel at the collection of one Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III . The Man As soon as I entered the main block (the museum has 3 separate blocks) a sense of familiarity guided me through the maze of rooms and I was immediately lost in the lap of history. The only thing missing was a Salar Jung museum app(most museums in the west already have apps) which I could have easily downloaded from the Play Store . The app in turn would have laid out the map of the museum before me, guided me through various rooms and would have also given me an audio commentary for some important exhibits. The technology constraint notwithstanding I spent more than half a day at the museum an...

Its not everyday that someone can advertise a destination as the place where "Dreams come true" and live up to it every step. I have been fortunate enough to visit both Disney World at Orlando as well as Disneyland (Euro Disney) at Paris and must say my experiences in the magical land of Disney have been nothing but amazing. The support staff there are truly helpful and courteous and the rides are out of this world. But what takes the cake is a magical piece of paper called the Fastpass . The Fastpass allows the visitors to come back to the ride at a later time and wait in a shorter queue rather than waiting in the regular queue where one could end up spending twice or thrice much as time as the Fastpass queue. Fastpass thus allows you to plan and take as many rides as possible without getting stalled at any one ride. But how does Disney know how long would it take on a particular queue (Fastpass/Regular) for any particular ride. How does Disney measure the wait times ...

Some cities give you the feeling of being on the cusp of technological evolution. I got that same feeling when I visited Bangalore (Bengaluru) recently. I saw quite a few Mahindra Revas (the first electric car of India), you don't see too many of them here in Hyderabad quite probably due to the lack of a well established dealer network. I caught a glimpse of the Bangalore Metro Rail project which reminded me very much of the Canada Line in Vancouver.  Then I saw something which quite frankly made me do the one thing that I usually don't like to do too often -- it made me Analyze . It all began when I decided to commute via a city bus from Electronic City (the place where all the IT companies are) to one of the prominent malls in town. I caught a bus but lo-behold I didn't get into an ordinary one I got into a A/C Volvo (Yes Volvo!!!) bus. Wait that's not what caught my eye. What caught my eye were the monitors (at the back of the head rests) which were star...