Of People and Places

A brook in Kathotiya forest, close to Bhopal. We catch a fantastic sunrise, have a packed breakfast of ( yes, you guessed it right!) poha and jalebi on the dry rocks near Kolar dam, the sweetish, slightly fishy whiff of algae giving it a different feel, spot many beautiful birds -  which my knowledgeable friend tells me are a hornbill, treepie ( I would say cutiepie),bee eater and Black Ibis. A family of wild boars tumble across the road from our bike. This is tiger country too. The last stretch that we visit is the most breathtaking of all. Wheat fields roll over the vast expanse and you get to see different shades of green with tiny shanties and homes that are too perfect for words! And in the backdrop , the mountains that are characteristic here, with sharp jagged edges, but flat tops. Thanks to my generous friends for including me in their plans :) It was really worth it. My only regret is that I missed the rock shelters and cave paintings famous in this area. ...

Haan! Aa jaaa... "me-aoooo." In the early morning darkness, Jamnalal is at his best - purring in the most ingratiating way possible, startling me while I am working in the silent solitude of the office. This is Jamnalal Bajaj - he carries himself with all the portly assurance of a king, his throne being a chair with a cushion and of course, the many laps of willing subjects and admirers. He only deigns to honour some, mind you! He has stolen my chair many times and refused to budge, settling in for a long nap in a variety of poses that are most amusing to watch. He looks at me dolefully, like I'm an errant, and slightly stupid citizen refusing to give the rightful dues to the king. Jamnalal has a repertoire of purrs - one to ask for love, another- to ask for food, another - to ask to be let in, and another - to ask to be let out, and yet another one - reserved for kids and one more - for chumps like me who just don't get him. He has run all over my...

The quaint town of Galle is right at the southwest tip of Sri Lanka, overlooking the harbour. The fort at Galle was built by the Portugese and fortified by the Dutch. Galle's strategic location made it much coveted among colonizers and is one of the oldest seaports in the world. The Galle clock tower is something you can't miss. Built in memory of a doctor, it was a later addition inside the fort ramparts. It was fantastic to see the sea from inside the fort. Don't miss Galle - it is worth visiting. We didn't have enough time to explore, but I think it's a great place for backpackers . 

Half way through the safari on Madu river in Balapitiya, Sri Lanka, we had sudden rains which made the boatmen abandon the original plan of visiting the islets and the mangroves. It rained quite heavily and disappointed, we went to the Galle fort for sightseeing and hoped that the weather would be fine in the afternoon to try again. Galle is a beautiful city, but more on that later. All things seem to be for the best. We got to enjoy boating in the Madu river both in the rains, where the water looked lovely and in the late afternoon, where all the leaves looked fresh and reinvigorated from the morning rains and it wasn't as sunny or sweltering. This is a little watercolor sketch I made. We had just visited an island where the locals spoke about growing Cinnamon and when we made our way out of the marshland, one of the boats ahead of us, it made such a charming picture, with most of the horizon covered with foliage from the mangroves. It was like we were in a tunnel ...