Beach

Travel to Konark Sun Temple and Puri

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We decided to relax for couple of hours before we pay our visit to Puri temple. Finally we went for Darshan at 7 pm and it took us hardly 10 minutes get inside the Garbha Grih. Now here is the word of caution, the religious place is a house notorious pandaтАЩs and one has to be careful dealing with them. One of them took us to small room within the temple premise and forced us to pay him huge in order to get the blessings. Since we were well aware, we avoided that well within time and moved ahead. Such pandaтАЩs were there every meter, and they kept asking for donation in the name of god. Note: I am not calling them as priest as they donтАЩt behave like.

The temple complex is beautiful from inside, having many small temples, very similar to any other temple in India. The structure is inspired by Kalinga art, and it is the highest temple in Orissa from the sea level. Details of origin and legend can be obtained from shrineтАЩs official website.

In the evening we had an early dinner and went to sleep as the day ahead was packed with action.

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My trip to Odisha тАУ Dhauli, Pipli and Konark

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We passed through an old toll booth. Papa held a competition that who will spot the Konark Temple first? We all eagerly started to look outside. Papa was looking straight with confidence that only he will win. I thought that probably he knew where the Sun Temple would come. I was proved right as after sometime papa was the first person to spot the Sun TempleтАЩs mastaka. It was brightly shining, rising above the tree canopy.

By then it was evening so we decided to go to the Konark beach first and get a glance of the temple in the night. It was a nice warm day and towards the evening it turned a little cool. I wore my swimming costume and had fun on the beach. Nikki Mama and I played with a disk. When Mama went to play with his friends who had also come from Delhi, I strolled on the beach going near to the ocean so that I could get my feet wet. The water was chillingly cold. I wanted to go further deep but papa had cautioned me not to do so as Konark Beaches are unsafe and dangerous. It was a beautiful evening with finally the sun diving and disappearing in the ocean.

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Wanderings in South Goa.

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You are really spoilt for choice when it comes to restaurants in Goa. Besides the beach shacks, where you can sit on the sands and gaze out at the sea, sipping on a drink, while waiting an hour or two for your meal to arrive, there are many restaurants inland which also serve excellent food at very reasonable rates. There is a fusion of East and West, Portugese and Indian, meat and vegetables, which makes Goan cuisine unique. Coconut is used liberally, along with other Indian spices in the cooking. ‘Fish curry rice’ is the most common food and available virtually in every restaurant. The different types of seafood on offer in Goa includes pomfret, kingfish, ladyfish, mackerel, tuna, shark, crab, prawn, lobster, squid and mussels. Chicken, pork, mutton and beef dishes are also on offer at all the restaurants, cooked in the popular Goan flavours such as vindaloo, balchao, recheado, xhacuti and caldin.
We had already planned that we would include at least one meal out at a shack or restaurant in our daily sight-seeing itinerary. One precaution we always took was to carry our own drinking water if we did not want to order a drink, or pay for a bottle of branded mineral water.

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Self-Drive trip across Thailand (7 days, 2000 kms) : Part 6 тАУ Chiang Mai

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We also spend some time in a fantastic session called тАШChat with MonksтАЩ. This particular wat, which is also a training facility for the young monks, offers tourists an opportunity to interact informally with the monks. There is a common area where the tourist group is met by one of the waiting monks. You can sit with him and discuss anything related to Monks/ Buddhism/ Thailand or any other topic of interest. Well, to answer the тАШwhyтАЩ of it тАУ such interactions enable the monks to practise spoken English as also widening their knowledge base and the tourists, of course gather valuable insight.

A good & handy source of drinking water is the vending machines placed at common areas. Though bottled water is available across Thailand costing B15 – B30 or more depending on when and where you buy them; these vending machines (working on coin system) offer you potable water @ B1 (one bhat) for a litre.

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Pune to South Goa Road Trip

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At 12.30 pm we crossed over into Karnataka, and paid another toll. Immediately we could sense that we were in a different state. The traffic was much less in Karnataka as compared to the heavy traffic right upto Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The scenery was better, with undulating hills in the distance. There were flowering bushes in the road divider which made the drive more pleasant, and lay-byes with public utilities at regular intervals along the highway.

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Summer Vacation – A trip to Bakkhali, the Delta of Ganges & my childhood place

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After a full 3 hours in the sea and breakfast, we went to visit Henry’s island (2 km) – a must visit place. During 1980s, the West Bengal Fisheries Department took the initiative of turning HenryтАЩs Island into a tourist spot. More than 50 ponds were dug under pisciculture project, occupying over 25 bigha on 100-hectare of land. Fresh fish and shrimps straight out the ponds are a must try for the visitors. Trees such as gora, kankru, palm, naturally growing sundari and hetal have been planted.

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Self-Drive trip across Thailand (7 days, 2000 kms) : Part 5 тАУ Bang Saen to Kampaeng Phet

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We had plans of visiting heritage sites and local night market, but lassitude takes over as soon as we arrive. After strolling around the neighbourhood, spying on local shops and outlets, we are back to the guest house.
There are number of cosy sit-outs within the house. In the evening, guests have gathered here to relax and chat-up. Soon I connect up with Bill, an Austrian from Vienna and Shoo, a Thai traveller. Yes, they tell, they are also travelling across Thailand. While exchanging notes I discover that both of them (though travelling separately) are very special Ghumakkars. Bill (actually Bills, a couple) has arrived here Cycling all the way from AUSTRIA! Well, the story goes like this. They are avid cyclists. They have covered large parts of the globe cycling. Bill roughly cycles for an year in one go! By end of the year long loop, he is back in Vienna to earn his livelihood. After earning for about 6-8 months, he is again out for the next trip. He tells us that he does not own a car and has a very small house in Vienna. He works just to make enough money for the next trip. Same is the story of his partner. She is from the same place and they share the same passion. They are 6 months into the current trip and plan to cycle north to China and then through Kazakhstan and Eastern Europe to Vienna. Their belongings, typical for cyclists, comprise of two rucksacks (strapped to either side of the carrier) and a sleeping bag cum tenting equipment.

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рд╕рд┐рд▓реНрд╡рди рд▓реЗрдХ рдФрд░ рдХреИрдиреЗрдбрд╛ рдбреЗ

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рдЬреБрд▓рд╛рдИ 1 рдХреЛ рдХреИрдиреЗрдбрд╛ рдбреЗ рдордирд╛рдпрд╛ рдЬрд╛рддрд╛ рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рдпрд╣ рд╕рд╛рд░реНрд╡рдЬрдирд┐рдХ рдЕрд╡рдХрд╛рд╢ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рд╣реИ. рдореИрдВ рдЗрд╕ рджрд┐рди рд╕рд┐рд▓реНрд╡рди рд▓реЗрдХ рдЬрд╛рдиреЗ рдХрд╛ рдкреНрд░реЛрдЧреНрд░рд╛рдо рдмрдирд╛ рд▓реЗрддрд╛ рд╣реВрдБ. рд╡рд┐рд╢рд╛рд▓ рднреА рдореЗрд░реЗ рд╕рд╛рде рдерд╛. рд╕рд┐рд▓реНрд╡рди рд▓реЗрдХ рдлреЛрд░реНрдЯ рд╕рд╕реНрдХреЗрдЪреНрд╡рди рд╕реЗ 200 рдХрд┐рдореА рд╣реИ. рд╕реБрдмрд╣ рдЬрд▓реНрджреА рдЪрд▓ рдХрд░ рдирд╛рд╢реНрддреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдЯрд┐рдо рд╣реЛрд░рдЯрди рдкрд╣реБрдБрдЪ рдЬрд╛рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ. рдЯрд┐рдо рд╣реЛрд░рдЯрди рдХреИрдиреЗрдбрд╛ рдореЗрдВ рдмрд╣реБрдд рдорд╢реНрд╣реБрд░ рд╣реИ. рдпрд╣ рдХреИрдиреЗрдбреАрдЕрди рдХрд╛ рд╣реИ, рдЗрд╕ рд▓рд┐рдП рдЕрдореЗрд░рд┐рдХрди рд░реЗрд╕реНрддрд░рд╛рдБ рд╕реЗ рдЬреНрдпрд╛рджрд╛ рд▓реЛрдХрдкреНрд░рд┐рдп рд╣реИ. рдлреЛрдЯреЛ рдореЗрдВ SUV ( рдЧрд╛реЬреА ) рдбреНрд░рд╛рдЗрд╡ рдерд░реБ рдкрд░ рдЬрд╛ рд░рд╣реА рд╣реИ. рдЖрдк рдЬреЛ рджреЛ рдмреЙрдХреНрд╕ рджреЗрдЦреН рд░рд╣реЗрдВ рд╣реИрдВ, рдЙрд╕рдореЗрдВ рдорд╛рдЗрдХ рдФрд░ рд╕реНрдкреАрдХрд░ рд▓рдЧрд╛ рд╣реБрдЖ рд╣реИ. рдЪрд╛рд▓рдХ рдЕрдкрдирд╛ рдСрд░реНрдбрд░ рдорд╛рдЗрдХ рдкрд░ рдмрддрд╛ рджреЗрдЧрд╛, рдЬреИрд╕реЗ рд╣реА рд╡рд╣ рдЦрд┐реЬрдХреА рдкрд░ рдкрд╣реБрдБрдЪреЗрдЧрд╛, рдЙрд╕рдХрд╛ рдСрд░реНрдбрд░ рддреНрдпрд╛рд░ рд╣реЛрдЧрд╛. рдкреИрд╕реЗ рдЪреБрдХрд╛ рдХрд░ рд╡рд╣ рдЧрд╛реЬреА рдбреНрд░рд╛рдЗрд╡ рдХрд░рддреЗ рд╣реБрдП рдЕрдкрдирд╛ рдмреНрд░реЗрдХрдлрд╛рд╕реНрдЯ рдПрдиреНрдЬреЙрдп рдХрд░реЗрдЧрд╛. рдкрд░ рдореИрдВ рдЖрдк рдХреЛ рдХрд╛рдЙрдВрдЯрд░ рдкрд░ рд▓реЗ рдХрд░ рдЪрд▓рддрд╛ рд╣реВрдБ.

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Summer Vacation тАУ a wonderful run through NH-2 from the Ghats of Varanasi to Home – Part II

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I went to check whether they washed the car or not, as promised yesterday. The outer body of the car looks like we just finished, sorry тАШWonтАЩ the cross-country rally…several layers of dust all around the body and required a considerable amount of time and efforts to bring it back to itsтАЩ original colour. The security guard was of immense help and cleaned the car within next half an hour.

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Memorable trip to Virginia Beach

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Roads were descent rather better compared to Myrtle Beach. At some point I was sleepy but pretended to him as if I am wide awake and hooked to every detail. Clear skies, scenic beauty, greenery on every side delighted me . Finally we arrived in our destination , a moment of exhilaration for me. Virginia Beach is a resort city with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront. It is also home to several state parks, several long-protected beach areas, three military bases, a number of large corporations, two universities, Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment, and numerous historic sites.

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Mumbai Tour Part -3 / рдореБрдВрдмрдИ рдХреА рд╕реИрд░ рднрд╛рдЧ -3 (рдмрд╛рдмреБрд▓рдирд╛рде рдордВрджрд┐рд░, рдПрдВрдЯреАрд▓рд┐рдпрд╛ рдФрд░ рддрд╛рдЬ рдорд╣рд▓ рд╣реЛрдЯрд▓)

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рдкрд┐рдЫрд▓реА рдкреЛрд╕реНрдЯ рдореЗрдВ рдореИрдВрдиреЗ рдЖрдкрдХреЛ рдореБрдВрдмрдИ рдХреЗ реЮрд┐рд▓реНрдореА рд╕рд┐рддрд╛рд░реЛрдВ рдХреЗ рдШрд░, рдореБрдХреНрддреЗрд╢реНрд╡рд░ рдорд╣рд╛рджреЗрд╡ рдордВрджрд┐рд░, рдЬреБрд╣реВ рд╕реНрдерд┐рдд рдЗрд╕реНрдХреЙрди рдордВрджрд┐рд░,┬а рддрдерд╛ рд╕рд┐рджреНрдзрд┐рд╡рд┐рдирд╛рдпрдХ рдордВрджрд┐рд░ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ…

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Southern Sojourn to GodтАЩs Own Country

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I wish to take you once more on a virtual trip through the mazes of the exuding beauty of the enchanting Kerala.

The peaceful green city of Trivandrum gradually unfolded itself with its narrow roads and neat colourful private houses half hidden amidst the coconut palms.From the airport, we took a pre-paid taxi to our hotel Uday Samudra (popularly known as UDS) at Kovalam тАУ 16 kms from Trivandrum. We were given a sea-facing spacious room with a pool in front.

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