Monsoon, Mist n Magic

June 21, 2011June 21, 2011 / Paddy / 5 Comments

Yet another trip to Goaaaa .. WooHoo!!! Should ideally start calling the place home.. Took a much needed vacation with a few close buddies. Contrary to my previous vacations, this time we took off to the hills and believe you me, loved every moment of the trip. The monsoon, the mist, the magic..!! It was all there.

Bout an hour and half drive from the capital city, Nestled in the Chorla Ghats where the borders of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka meet.. Wildernest felt as if it were a piece of heaven on earth. Stayed here for bout 4 days, completely cut away from technology except for the occasional surprise texts you receive on the phone while the network bars on the phone tell a different tale.

The place is an eco hotspot with a view to kill for. You can see the beautiful Chorla falls and the Sakla-Vajra falls from the cottages while various exotic creepy crawlies keep you company. A dip in the Infinity pool and several friendly green vine snakes around the resort could give you shivers (literally… i mean it 🙂 ).. We also happened to trek though one of the various trekking routes within the resort which leads to the highest points in the Ghats from where you could see all the three states.. And also another to the falls where i got bitten by bout 8 leeches 😛 .. Well i was so excited with the thought of going trekking in the wild, that i forgot to carry salt.. so if you do plan a trip to this place in the monsoons, make sure you carry salt. The suckers tend to hold on as if my blood were sweet elixir 😉 The food is the traditional goan-maharastrian buffet which surely excited me for the first couple of days soon after which i started missing the good ol’ junk foods. The entire region is a plastic free zone.. Each of the cottages is named after the flora and fauna in the region. Thanks to Namdev Gaonkar and Krishna in helping me understand few of the names. They were amazing. Though there were few qualms but when you look at the brighter side, each day spent at the resort was worth it. Oooooohhhh How could i miss the bathrooms with the view… they overlooked the valley.. If not for the full glass window, it could give you a feel of having bath outdoors. Far away from the hustle, bustle n pollution, the clean air in your lungs could actually take a lil getting used to 😉

By the time you decide to leave, one thing is certain, you would either completely fall in love with the color green or would despise it Ofcourse which the latter will not happen.. You gotta see the place to believe it. Managed to capture a few pics despite the non-stop drizzle and rain. Kudos to the team at Wildernest for preserving a jewel in all its green glory.

Cheerios

HTC Incredible S !!! My newest Tech toy

April 25, 2011April 25, 2011 / Paddy / 1 Comment

Finally after a lot of thought, a new tech toy to my collection 🙂 The HTC Incredible S. Am in total awe with the features.. Still exploring the toy and cant seem to get enough of it. Thanks to a very dear ol buddy of mine who helped me with this. Wasn’t sure if i’d ever make up my mind.

Catch the product specs here.

Cheerios

Palolem Beach, Goa

March 1, 2011March 1, 2011 / Paddy / 3 Comments

My second visit to Goa in less than a year… Some how the place makes me keep wanting for more with every visit. This time i decided to stick to South Goa – Palolem beach, away from all the action in the North. This definitely came as a welcome surprise. Didn’t imagine theres so little to do here but thats exactly what i wanted.. Not to do anything but laze around in the various shacks, soak in the sand and sun, guzzle up on beer as much as you can fill yourself up.

When at Palolem, Dont miss a visit to the famous German Bakery, The food is amazingly yummy.. One of the best english breakfasts i’ve ever had. I stayed at Shawnels Beach Resort, one of the best beach huts you can find. Worth the buck you spend. Have a drink at Sundowners beach shack watching the sunset. Go kayaking around the Monkey Island if u wanna get adventurous or just just laze around on the beach with a beer in your hand, sand at your feet and wind in your hair like i did 😉

Cheerios.

The French Riviera of the East – Puducherry

February 8, 2011February 8, 2011 / Paddy / 1 Comment

Earlier i mentioned one of the items on my wish list was to try n have atleast 4 vacations in a year. Some as a personal trip to let loose from the hectic schedules @ work, and a few when i can sneak in pleasure with business 😉 . A trip which would count among of the most memorable ones happened when i decided to make a trip down to Puducherry (formerly known as Pondicherry a.k.a Pondy). When i decided to head down to Pondy for bout 4 days, a lot of my frens asked me whatever i planned to do around there for such a long time, but then when i finally got there, i found my calling… The place is magical, it has an unusually beautiful ambiance anywhere you go around in the small town. Went around to the Auroville Ashram where you find the mammoth Matri Mandir, There is every possibility that you would find yourself to be a minority among the huge foreign tourist population. The route to the Auroville Ashram is covered with a Green Canopy almost as soon as you leave the ECR highway and head left towards the Ashram. The Auroville beach was a disappointment though however when i drove further north on the famous East Coast Road, i landed at a remote beach at a village called Marakkanam which could probably be one of cleanest beaches which i have been to. Apart from a handful of nearby villagers, i couldnt find any modern crowd around there. The other place was the Chunnambar boat house from where you can hire a speed boat to the Plage Paradiso beach. The thrill of sitting in a speed boat with the wind in your hair is really an awesome experience. You sure wouldn’t wanna miss it. Food and booze was never a problem, You should visit LeClub, LeCafe, LaTerrace, Satsang, LeSpace (my favorite)…Try the banana flambe, pancakes, Firewood Pizza and several delicacies.. Treat your taste buds 🙂 I learnt some french words myself, fun to walk in to a restaurant and ask for Poulet, Poisson, Crevette, etc.. By the time you return, you’d ve gotten used to addressing a street as Rue 😉 Obtain a Pondy tour map from the Tourist Centre on the Goubert Avenue facing the sea at the Bay Of Bengal. Its very informative and can be really useful to locate some of the heritage buildings. I would love to visit Pondy again and next time probably try n stay at one of the several colonial heritage buildings and live life french ishtyle 😉 . Here are a few random clicks taken during my stay @ Pondy.

Cheerios

New Babe on the Block

February 7, 2011 / Paddy / 4 Comments

The last year and now has been definitely the most beautiful phase of my life after being through a brainf**ked journey through hell in the previous 4 years. As i started off on my new streak @ life, i also started with my wish list. Definitely had a DSLR, so picked up a Nikon (Now awaiting accessories 😉 That’s on my next wish list ), Then wanted to pursue my MBA which is also on track, My own abode, 4 holidays a year – which also pretty much worked in.. And finally a companion who is damn lovable, cute, adorable, selfless, trustworthy, faithful, beautiful, intelligent. I finally found her in Bugsy 🙂 She’s the cutest lil Labmaraner pup you could possibly find. All she gives is unconditional love and of course a few friendly bites 😉

She’s ¾ Labrador retriever and ¼ Weimaraner, That makes her a F1B hybrid pup. Has almost all the characteristics of a Lab. Growing fast and getting very obedient by the day. I hope to capture as many pics as possible as she grows.. Heres a couple that i shot in the recent times.