Memories

Trekking Shivagange hills had been on my mind for a few years. I had trekked this hill during my school days, and i remember in bits. After visiting Nandi Hills a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to head back to the hills to watch the sunrise above the clouds. The night before, I was debating between Shivagange and Thimmappana Betta, but since I woke up early, I decided to head to Shivagange. We started from home at around 5:00 AM and reached the base of the hills by 6:30 AM, after a 60-kilometer drive. As we reached we spotted only 3-4 other people; it was still dark and peaceful , however there is sufficient lighting along the path.  The trail is well defined,  though the hill is steep, the railings along the path help with balance. The 4-kilometer trek one way is moderately challenging, so it's important to carry water since the shops and temples aren’t open early. About 20 minutes into the ascent, we saw the sunrise with the moon still visible on the other side—it was beautif...

This was my first vacation to the Northeast and also first solo trip, a personal experiment to see how I could navigate on my own. Visiting Maa Kamakhya Temple was high on my bucket list. I also knew about Kaziranga National Park from few of my friends who had been there.  I looked for operators offering itineraries for solo women travelers between November 15th and 24th. I chose TripNaari as their plan fit my requirements. I also planned to explore Guwahati on my own for a day before joining fellow travelers.  The trip started on a positive note  with an early morning flight, giving me the chance to get a glimpse of the Himalayan ranges, including Everest. About an hour before landing, the majestic mountains came into view, a sight that made the premium left-side window seat totally worth it! For getting around Guwahati, I had pre-booked a hourly cab through MakeMyTrip at a reasonable price. Thanks to the TripNaari team, our humble and careful trip driver Monik ( Google...

This year, my travels have taken me to unexpected places & brought a sense of discovery. While browsing, I came across a workshop by Cosmic Trails offering astrophotography lessons. I’ve always wanted to take good pictures and learn more about astronomy, it immediately caught my interest. I asked for details but soon realized I wasn’t ready for a mountain trip. A few weeks later, they announced an astronomy tour and safari at Pench, India’s first dark reserve, a place I had never heard of before. Without thinking much, I signed up as  this felt more comfortable for something new. Sid & San joined me.  Day 1 : We started early in the morning , packed light, one carry-on backpack each and 1 check-in bag full of snacks 😋.  This year, I set a goal to reach early at the airport to avoid the usual last-minute chaos. The airline had not allowed web check-in, so we went to the counter to check in. We were pleasantly surprised  to get an upgrade to business clas...

A year ago, I never would have imagined pausing, reflecting, or even writing a blog. I was  constantly moving from one thing to the next. Whether it was work, planning the next travel, or looking forward to explore new food joints with specific person , I thrived on the rush of it all. This  was what kept me going   , and I rarely stopped to think about slowing down  . Then, out of nowhere, everything came to a halt. For months, it felt like a major setback, as if I was being forced into a pause I didn’t want or need. But despite all my resistance, this unexpected pause turned into one of the most significant moments. Breaking that pattern was not easy. The quiet was overwhelming. When I first faced it, I had no idea what to do with myself.  With time, space, and guidance, things became clearer—not just in terms of relationships and work, but within myself. I realized I had been leaning on those close to me to avoid dealing with my own issues.  This year ga...

Jog Falls :  The final leg of our journey was a long drive to Jog Falls with Amma, Puthith, and Guru.  It had always been Amma's wish to visit Jog Falls in monsoon, when the water flows at its fullest. In prepration for this trip and to make most of it, I had spoken to my uncle to get tentative dates for when the dam gates would open, so I decided to take some leave from work just in case.  We started early and reached Jog falls via Davangere by noon.  We went straight to the first viewpoint of the falls after reaching Jog. The view point was crowded and the falls was covered in mist, we could only hear the roaring sound of the water falls. After waiting for a while, the mist cleared and we got the breathtaking view of the water falls.  Next, we headed to the KSTDC hotel to check in, which is conveniently located right by the falls. The hotel was decent, and the highlight in our room was the Mysore sandal toiletries. A lot of construction was happening arou...

Guruvayur and Athirapalli Our next stop was Kerala, where our family of seven flew to Kochi for our first trip together. As always there is no fun without family drama :) and makes it more interesting when one starts recoginising the patterns. Namma Bengaluru airport T2 has a good covered parking for long term parking, it works out cheaper than cabbing from home to airport and back if it is a 2-3 day trip.  As we landed in Kochi, our taxi was ready, and the driver informed us that it had been raining continuously. Unfortunately, Athirapalli Falls was closed that day. We headed straight to Guruvayur and checked into The Temple Inn hotel, which was close to the temple.  We reached Guruvayur around 2:00 PM, but the temple was closed.  Since the rain had stopped, we decided to visit Chavakkad beach. We were the only family there, did some kite flying and took some photos. Later, only three of us went back to the beach to catch the beautiful sunset before returning to the hote...