tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64624747060290947882024-02-21T15:49:30.313+01:00TANZANIASonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-56002415324248383192021-12-28T00:45:00.002+01:002021-12-28T00:45:25.050+01:00Tarangire National Park <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpW74WiYGR1Q6ET6OVk6g2kiKAycgqC6VLYc8AK06uR7ij9S5yAyfTSYvTD6bYw0-33pbMvD5SPTvsBXZq2vi9GX6N2fJviaUjg1J8zPBNe_5R2lv5N2jC2MDaGDNnQvD7YI7w_aaNpvD/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="5312" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpW74WiYGR1Q6ET6OVk6g2kiKAycgqC6VLYc8AK06uR7ij9S5yAyfTSYvTD6bYw0-33pbMvD5SPTvsBXZq2vi9GX6N2fJviaUjg1J8zPBNe_5R2lv5N2jC2MDaGDNnQvD7YI7w_aaNpvD/" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; text-align: justify;">It’s
not possible that I stay in Kenya, Africa and not visit “ The” most sought
after place for one of </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; text-align: justify;">the best safaris
in the world – Tanzania, a country like Kenya that is full of wilderness and
vast savannah. People who know me, know how crazy I am about animals. I think
majority of people who stay in Kenya do visit Tanzania either for safari or
beach. Zanzibar being one of the most beautiful beaches, however, after staying
in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, visiting pristine beaches of Seychelles, Thailand,
Mauritius etc, Zanzibar never attracted me. Ok, back on track, so here I was
trying to make my way to Serengeti and see the most viable and economic way to
get there. I was excited to see one of the most thrilling natural reserves of
Tanzania.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FRTeF7_GUgUD5zNXC8cWtwUdrQQMQMt9IYX0-WSNMMTfEAXq_K_WY6opWIyYeKhySrtDVqdEpbO6TEFEJDS-YhoO0YA07cGcvPQYZ_iTY4iPd07oi7SQR-jjO8HbMfYlRVnmUGbikycU/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FRTeF7_GUgUD5zNXC8cWtwUdrQQMQMt9IYX0-WSNMMTfEAXq_K_WY6opWIyYeKhySrtDVqdEpbO6TEFEJDS-YhoO0YA07cGcvPQYZ_iTY4iPd07oi7SQR-jjO8HbMfYlRVnmUGbikycU/" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">Early
morning we left our house and in a little more than 2 hours we were at the
Namanga border (Kenya & Tanzania border); after getting our passports
stamped and getting our visa, we took few pictures at the border and also at no
man’s land- a land piece between the 2 countries that belongs to no one. The
travel agency that we decided to go with was willing to pick us up from home
and take us to the border, however we decided to save few bucks on that and
drove our car till the border and our driver brought our car back home. We
walked past the border to the Tanzanian car which would have been the case even
if we went with the travel agent’s vehicle. I had to take advantage of the fact
that I am staying in the neighboring country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSs7ZK1u-0lCiz40uM5VvqOKe2IXeV2e8Pqy21-Vt2mNFTc0mSBNgIMLrKobefJ3XBrB7LMj-r6TRXtFMruc08YjVeh9lJyzJrdanerIk7WSjEnEfu5pr4F-F7OGgsarMfby-F7sEqSWXb/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSs7ZK1u-0lCiz40uM5VvqOKe2IXeV2e8Pqy21-Vt2mNFTc0mSBNgIMLrKobefJ3XBrB7LMj-r6TRXtFMruc08YjVeh9lJyzJrdanerIk7WSjEnEfu5pr4F-F7OGgsarMfby-F7sEqSWXb/" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We
settled in a comfortable land cruiser excited to see a slightly different terrain
and have a new experience. Our road led us through small lively towns with
modern architecture and rickety buildings. We drove through chaotic traffic
from time to time, matatus, motorcycles, cars and through the hustle bustle of
lives. Then slowly the scenery started to change, we started driving past mud-colored
huts, locals in their bright colored clothes doing their day-to-day business
and small excited kids waving wildly at us. Finally, we reached Tarangire
National Park which is in Northern Tanzania and reached just in time for lunch
at Tarangire Sopa Lodge. The kids couldn’t control their excitement when they
saw the pool and decided to swim while they were setting up lunch for us by the
pool side. It was a hot day and kids had a blast swimming and splashing around.
We let the kids have some fun before we took them for a game drive which
generally starts at around 3.30pm.</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></div><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREAzss5RmI87PJP7EeDUXE1M-VObk1C4doE8kl7-MswXOALz0PSYo8cOp_QSU8IJ2me7YrLXwlK0l_ZThvCOzP0E4gLipgsjSrOy4at8pGbvcPH46vfGciTZ4Epvk8LJ1TAPYVme4f8rr/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4752" data-original-width="3168" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREAzss5RmI87PJP7EeDUXE1M-VObk1C4doE8kl7-MswXOALz0PSYo8cOp_QSU8IJ2me7YrLXwlK0l_ZThvCOzP0E4gLipgsjSrOy4at8pGbvcPH46vfGciTZ4Epvk8LJ1TAPYVme4f8rr/w133-h200/IMG_4355.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; text-align: justify;">Tarangire
National Park is a least known wildlife destination, although the national park
is full of wild animals of all sorts, yet it is overshadowed by the popularity
of Ngorongoro and Serengeti. However, this was the perfect place to begin the
Tanzanian safari. Our journey started by seeing a giraffe which had lost it’s
tail somehow was relishing leaves from the acacia trees. There are always so
many stories scattered all around the savannah that lights up my heart with
enthusiasm. We were surrounded by many species of birds and this national park
is a bird watcher’s paradise.</span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_79pr32K29ZIUch6rlpfdIMTrbaWPk9Z802iMV93spJoPGolxdodmfHAyHnPIRMfsbF8Bf6qzbmBaGJISnvU-AIHXysQZ_sKA9LeJf12XlqTE7OsyJ-uvNkW0gfyK3NUub0Uspm2u2BS/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3620" data-original-width="5120" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_79pr32K29ZIUch6rlpfdIMTrbaWPk9Z802iMV93spJoPGolxdodmfHAyHnPIRMfsbF8Bf6qzbmBaGJISnvU-AIHXysQZ_sKA9LeJf12XlqTE7OsyJ-uvNkW0gfyK3NUub0Uspm2u2BS/w240-h169/Starred+Photos63.jpg" width="240" /></a></span>Tarangire
is also known as the Kingdom of Pachyderms. Our next encounter were the
magnificent elephants, which this national park is famous for. We saw so many different herds of elephants
all around with their calves. In some big herds, the babies of almost the same
age, played with each other wrestling with their trunks and chasing each other,
a further ahead in another herd 2 juveniles played with each other by locking
their trunks. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx9HWUm6XFE3r-0qno1YsrawKXmX1DRHRCQ0dHT2mg780eagrg45_32PXl9Re9IHNUbkj_KXZg0WqEHQalUomCUP3dFKiPvs_5gjT9PVsBOlWLQ9ziSM0zM5o5b9Qci-aTBzfP2c48bO3/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3620" data-original-width="5120" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx9HWUm6XFE3r-0qno1YsrawKXmX1DRHRCQ0dHT2mg780eagrg45_32PXl9Re9IHNUbkj_KXZg0WqEHQalUomCUP3dFKiPvs_5gjT9PVsBOlWLQ9ziSM0zM5o5b9Qci-aTBzfP2c48bO3/w232-h164/Starred+Photos64.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We also saw many gazelles, impalas, ostrich, mongoose, baboons, bush buck and of course a resting king of the jungle. The zebras grazed on the green grass wandering from one baobab tree to the other.</span> <span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We saw so many baobao trees also known as tree of life that are also in Kenya but not as huge and in so many numbers as in this park. While we were enjoying our safari suddenly, we felt something biting us at intervals and this was our first encounter with the notorious Tzetse fly. </span><p></p></div><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_79pr32K29ZIUch6rlpfdIMTrbaWPk9Z802iMV93spJoPGolxdodmfHAyHnPIRMfsbF8Bf6qzbmBaGJISnvU-AIHXysQZ_sKA9LeJf12XlqTE7OsyJ-uvNkW0gfyK3NUub0Uspm2u2BS/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TvwR6XmoJTIesPRXcYDaCrkoGwWyV17dXN_hY97rUWzoOM6Ah3Pq23zMwff6ZnLIPOjaPeFGNUxVtG92MNHaORMoKpYEnKH9k04yH4lFVO70I-9OHBFnpePHiD6yJffWnaoTA23BB86k/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TvwR6XmoJTIesPRXcYDaCrkoGwWyV17dXN_hY97rUWzoOM6Ah3Pq23zMwff6ZnLIPOjaPeFGNUxVtG92MNHaORMoKpYEnKH9k04yH4lFVO70I-9OHBFnpePHiD6yJffWnaoTA23BB86k/w233-h155/IMG_4505.JPG" width="233" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">After
our safari, we settled back into our camp and had dinner. The sound of
wilderness brings in a kind of tranquility in me that I find all worries of the
world melting away, even though it’s temporary but the weight is out at least
for a while. I slipped into my bed to embark on a new adventure the next day.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><br /><br /><p></p></div></div>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-8788311665106707672021-12-12T22:53:00.001+01:002021-12-12T23:00:00.615+01:00Walking under the sea in Mauritius: Day 5<h4 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Ile aux cerfs Island and
Under the sea walk</span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ3bRl_ewknZlWtcpGw3W71WwnO011f4pqPQLy9kZVJxUVngtAlEAsOURtFYPXJSoy_GtXSETDz70cqMtLZuSPJ1YFjIhH0L3GDpoGKjsd6lHPyLNemP_EzoEA5yp4IZ0OFte9BKF0IPs/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ3bRl_ewknZlWtcpGw3W71WwnO011f4pqPQLy9kZVJxUVngtAlEAsOURtFYPXJSoy_GtXSETDz70cqMtLZuSPJ1YFjIhH0L3GDpoGKjsd6lHPyLNemP_EzoEA5yp4IZ0OFte9BKF0IPs/w200-h113/File0164.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A day full of fun activities
and excitement was in wait for us… we started our day with a boat that took us
to this privately-owned island called Ile aux cerfs, which is a picturesque
island and is famous for its white sandy beach, turquoise blue lagoon, shallow
channels, black rocks and it has a lot more to offer. It is a hub for wild
parties and adventure sports. Of course, with 4 small kids we had to forgo the
wild party part, but we went wild with our water sports. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8tcVBYYxvGFTyuWkSxmpLwha7dWbDxzFN6EFBeUW6BGVxfA3Eq1BMtHt8glBJiU1YjNHyb1QCNV8ylS4eRbX7353IqCE5FoDdiGqAPKhC-ZEpPTGDwgkBotIUCQvWG9VxNYwc5bJjhOR/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8tcVBYYxvGFTyuWkSxmpLwha7dWbDxzFN6EFBeUW6BGVxfA3Eq1BMtHt8glBJiU1YjNHyb1QCNV8ylS4eRbX7353IqCE5FoDdiGqAPKhC-ZEpPTGDwgkBotIUCQvWG9VxNYwc5bJjhOR/w200-h133/DSC_0004.jpg" width="200" /><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While our speed boat was
taking us to the island, we did cross a few catamarans where youngsters were
parting with beer and bare clad bikini. The guys in our boat had started
drooling over the crowd in it, and as quickly as Neha and I saw that happen, <a>the kids were
handed over to the fathers; a reminder of the stark reality that lay before
them.</a></span></div><div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript">
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</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqeqrk-GF_-AIrC7G2flQcOGS2vc6kUugBY5v2yRrxZI0G2MAu6DkX4s1ZdSdteHzfTRnMI_xW6UCa4pJYSZ-tQMHouZ4pkJI4LClBEF2vaelfAvFdleIQRDmO0Ze28HvnFCYVyUDn0Yz/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqeqrk-GF_-AIrC7G2flQcOGS2vc6kUugBY5v2yRrxZI0G2MAu6DkX4s1ZdSdteHzfTRnMI_xW6UCa4pJYSZ-tQMHouZ4pkJI4LClBEF2vaelfAvFdleIQRDmO0Ze28HvnFCYVyUDn0Yz/w200-h133/DSC_0029.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our first visit was the
Grand river south east waterfalls. The beautiful waterfall surrounded by the
verdant jungles is a sight not to be missed. From there we continued our boat
ride to this floating deck in the middle of the ocean, from where we were to
begin our adventure sports. </span></div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIrlMDLuuBFtCuWkF-62iHVKn984iezLVt_mzHphysU7XAsD8sm3lm58jn1TKDcpBIynYRqMD1ezmcylxdLdalL_Nsm4GYQXIx4qP0UZs1aDVqpj0YWc-BpEzMU1q3aVieT3IrmhZaku8/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="5120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIrlMDLuuBFtCuWkF-62iHVKn984iezLVt_mzHphysU7XAsD8sm3lm58jn1TKDcpBIynYRqMD1ezmcylxdLdalL_Nsm4GYQXIx4qP0UZs1aDVqpj0YWc-BpEzMU1q3aVieT3IrmhZaku8/w200-h200/Starred+Photos55.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We started with the donut
ride. While one set of parents went crazy, the other babysat the kids. The kids
were baffled at how crazy their parents could get – screaming and cheering
loudly like small children, may be even embarrassed a little. I am glad that I
did everything at the right time, how things change with health is unknown. I
have always believed to do all the things I can and as much as I can now. Live
for today, you never know what tomorrow will bring. Never knew that 6-7 years
down the line, I would have to think about my back, aches and pains that these
thrilling rides could cause. </span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuWZfeZmcTZTCO4hgPK2xvCLmWi828prSp9f1Oss_i8ZMjQVRKtJD46CHjrbQiMHacYAgwQRibydvbbbGbpX7uODwnwZE_sWa9mJsp4Lrlqu5cml-1a5WZf_fImjydKrQ26EUEF2IQynk/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuWZfeZmcTZTCO4hgPK2xvCLmWi828prSp9f1Oss_i8ZMjQVRKtJD46CHjrbQiMHacYAgwQRibydvbbbGbpX7uODwnwZE_sWa9mJsp4Lrlqu5cml-1a5WZf_fImjydKrQ26EUEF2IQynk/w200-h125/Starred+Photos54.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Next was parasailing. All of
us went so many times that we don’t even remember… solo, with kids, just kids,
couples, father-daughter, father-son, mother-son and mother-daughter…. We did
all the different permutation combinations of people that could be done for
parasailing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK7Aau8fxSTCbB58OAh-G-ADwk_9fPU4gaTzCgeLkeJncFkvyprJL8mnbMPjYz-Ql_SRtyrIDtnOZDaBiLvuB5IdV58D7yFIWfnkUr6dnvI7It-CbPza6fZcYzQBXw5hp6z2rGhlwTQtx/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="3200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK7Aau8fxSTCbB58OAh-G-ADwk_9fPU4gaTzCgeLkeJncFkvyprJL8mnbMPjYz-Ql_SRtyrIDtnOZDaBiLvuB5IdV58D7yFIWfnkUr6dnvI7It-CbPza6fZcYzQBXw5hp6z2rGhlwTQtx/w125-h200/Starred+Photos53.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We finally headed to the
beach where the kids enjoyed making their sandcastles and dipping in the sea,
while we were fishing out sea urchins and star fishes to show to the kids.
After lunch, it was time to get back on our speed boat and head back to the
mainland.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv72Ry-CY70_8niVXKpAlgH-TBYcyy5tLZATsEzQPyHo99oz-o_ql3MZP4uQardRb8zxPuH_zEU0qtGjR1O_OLuOtlDtbbfgmRz1St0Qv0h_qGfQmnp05HErKidPTfRMfigUMFOpO48COM/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1649" data-original-width="2199" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv72Ry-CY70_8niVXKpAlgH-TBYcyy5tLZATsEzQPyHo99oz-o_ql3MZP4uQardRb8zxPuH_zEU0qtGjR1O_OLuOtlDtbbfgmRz1St0Qv0h_qGfQmnp05HErKidPTfRMfigUMFOpO48COM/" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt;">But the excitement was not
over yet... we were looking forward to our once-in-a-lifetime unique experience
that had our adrenaline pumping. </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt;">This
was a first for all of us. We were going to walk under the sea. The latest
family additions of both families couldn’t do it since they were very small, so
we left them on the boat, and we all went in together. Once submerged, for the
first few seconds I tried to calm my panic-stricken mind till I realized that
it was more of a psychological scare. After taking in a few long breaths of
air, I realized that I was not going to drown. After calming my nerves, I
started noticing the vibrant fish all around and suddenly it felt like the time
had stopped, breathing underwater got conceivable and that’s when I started to
notice the lovely flora and fauna around. </span><div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-FY4KlbKcBDV6O01nnMCgyFwJUlesefmccRHMor-cGvjL84JUKrBumzSeOy17tjSEt_gJtvX6EZGDWM1Mi4L96XNdwon9dsKpb5SB3bjwTB2Qqlp4k0xzprUgqp3jTnVq0Jdj8SDAeaD/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-FY4KlbKcBDV6O01nnMCgyFwJUlesefmccRHMor-cGvjL84JUKrBumzSeOy17tjSEt_gJtvX6EZGDWM1Mi4L96XNdwon9dsKpb5SB3bjwTB2Qqlp4k0xzprUgqp3jTnVq0Jdj8SDAeaD/w119-h211/File0178.jpg" width="119" /></a></div>After the full day of water fun, we came back to our resort, freshened up and had dinner. All the kids were dead tired and ready to hit the bed. The parents didn’t want to call it a night, so after dinner we all went for a walk and sat at the beach, slowly retiring back to our rooms. </span><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></h4><h4><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Departure</span></h4></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_9LwGD5Phbg7IN1lkEEqyhSXZCpjwG5A97JibDUqXPo7I4yC2feP7O5_IbLJ0dMhP5WL1_bJ-8Bxa1N6UHkhQwonE0iVpuM9vVnfVsyLgoviCTf-LEQnlxHy772QKwFLZPTvbSHuOO2r/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_9LwGD5Phbg7IN1lkEEqyhSXZCpjwG5A97JibDUqXPo7I4yC2feP7O5_IbLJ0dMhP5WL1_bJ-8Bxa1N6UHkhQwonE0iVpuM9vVnfVsyLgoviCTf-LEQnlxHy772QKwFLZPTvbSHuOO2r/w237-h157/DSC_0381.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt;">The next morning was our final day in this beautiful country. We dedicated it to the sun, sand and the sea. The motto of the day was relaxation, sipping pina coladas, enjoying the resort, kayaking and spending quality time together to make memories that we will never forget.</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt;">It’s not so common and, in my experience, I would call it rare to find like-minded people with whom you gel so well, like an extended family. I will say this was our first international holiday with our now family friends and it couldn’t have been better.</span></div><div style="mso-element: comment-list;"><div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript">
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</div></div></div>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-46460735949776223492021-12-05T22:16:00.000+01:002021-12-05T22:16:51.705+01:00Up close and personal with the wild in Mauritius: Day 4<p> <span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; text-align: justify;">Swim
with the dolphins and walk with the lions – could this day have gotten any
better?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpySgFvq-YQpHluY4WWUW_rbfFrDr7HFUVh0ylWb8wndgZK0V9oRwSalgOyfl_WneXKsbDUn-ki8LwGnaICXYKSy1q97epPybxDeDpsjBHLpfcqRcngzDJ5zWTbDjnZ3-I_owKdI7U4-z5/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpySgFvq-YQpHluY4WWUW_rbfFrDr7HFUVh0ylWb8wndgZK0V9oRwSalgOyfl_WneXKsbDUn-ki8LwGnaICXYKSy1q97epPybxDeDpsjBHLpfcqRcngzDJ5zWTbDjnZ3-I_owKdI7U4-z5/w123-h185/IMG_7787.jpg" width="123" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Till
now we had spent enough time on land, we didn’t want the sea to feel deprived
of our presence. So, our fourth day was all about sun, white sandy beaches and
the sea that beamed in every shade of turquoise. I was super pumped for our
adventure of the day since not only were we going to see the dolphins in the
wild where they rightfully belong, but we were also going to try and swim with
them as well.</div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2wRp9IsARI69JDtsmfUzLRn2ZY0zgXVsUw2LHLhIYRZVwcuCeWVxlCt2A4B2fZotXWlOEDGbYbqNPMeeYcp3q6MyY2aE9Yxt1V0DhoyoYrKeydrWJEmTEpyUMrlbIV5JdAm5xJMsmrgO/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2048" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2wRp9IsARI69JDtsmfUzLRn2ZY0zgXVsUw2LHLhIYRZVwcuCeWVxlCt2A4B2fZotXWlOEDGbYbqNPMeeYcp3q6MyY2aE9Yxt1V0DhoyoYrKeydrWJEmTEpyUMrlbIV5JdAm5xJMsmrgO/w235-h141/Starred+Photos45.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>By
the time we reached where the dolphins were, I was a little disappointed to see
few boats and people already swimming with the dolphins. I think it is decided
by the boat owners that each boat gets a turn to swim with the dolphins,
probably to avoid scaring away the dolphins with overwhelming humans. </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We all
were ready with our gear to jump in, snorkel or swim. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWf9jZyZQP4nmvjfGpX9d0QBRLUSlXEZXOmcRS0F_UlmjWGCnT1yfxgg6fweKJFYIIEMQAfH2gFPHRlpC_2pJpbJv3f9uRuh09_mqBMgaKoGBROYKMsVW-1IPxgFYfJIiYm50XWMPJSzBU/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWf9jZyZQP4nmvjfGpX9d0QBRLUSlXEZXOmcRS0F_UlmjWGCnT1yfxgg6fweKJFYIIEMQAfH2gFPHRlpC_2pJpbJv3f9uRuh09_mqBMgaKoGBROYKMsVW-1IPxgFYfJIiYm50XWMPJSzBU/" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">Now in this blog, I have
to admit my phobia of putting my head under the water due to which I can never
snorkel. My heart beats over a 100bpm and I get struck by panic. I jumped with
Aananya next to me in the water and she brought her head out of the water with
excitement and said “Mumma the dolphins are swimming right under your leg”. I
can’t even begin to express the dismay in myself for not having the courage to
put my head under the water to see such a spectacle. However, when the dolphins
came out a little further ahead to breathe, I enjoyed every moment of it.
Aakaash was the only one who made a mad dash and tried to keep up with the
dolphins just for a while and could say literally “I did try and swim with the
dolphins”. The rest of us can just say we were in the same water as the
dolphins!</div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExuNmcEnnq19adF3OW0matPGhrbM5HhsB0Aiuebr_KkY1UHhEy7ngUEQo7I218plddrvbIvlRRzgQ2MHSvmu4ZVfOsnbDRNMgNpRrPpaxggGtLVgMyNKrjUaYU9MLQIq8kYaJNzZ4QvVS/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExuNmcEnnq19adF3OW0matPGhrbM5HhsB0Aiuebr_KkY1UHhEy7ngUEQo7I218plddrvbIvlRRzgQ2MHSvmu4ZVfOsnbDRNMgNpRrPpaxggGtLVgMyNKrjUaYU9MLQIq8kYaJNzZ4QvVS/w292-h194/IMG_7843.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">We
had decided to dedicate our entire day to the animals. When I was plotting out
our trip to Mauritius, all I had in my mind was the sun, sand and sea. Never
had I thought about the interaction that I was about to experience. Our next
stop was the Casela Nature Park. It’s a huge nature and adventure park but we
only visited the big cat’s kingdom, bird park and middle kingdom.</div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8elDFN2q9irAs7Pp55-k9sQPiTaBaYx9l5-lp1S41UjXkaGLG-sjpaCONjDQHoVnFPrjkEcuYvbHENGDGNy5mrGXzAtWQbdyamPNAgZzOVqnEkpLNCjBOU8BqTU3dwPGt5RORpiKIkx6/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8elDFN2q9irAs7Pp55-k9sQPiTaBaYx9l5-lp1S41UjXkaGLG-sjpaCONjDQHoVnFPrjkEcuYvbHENGDGNy5mrGXzAtWQbdyamPNAgZzOVqnEkpLNCjBOU8BqTU3dwPGt5RORpiKIkx6/" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><div style="text-align: justify;">We
started walking through the aviary and saw various colorful bird species from
around the world. Next, we went to the middle kingdom to see the tortoise and
petting farm. This place gives you a great opportunity to have face-to-face
interaction with zebras, African antelopes, impalas etc. We also saw a lot of
lions and cubs that were kept in an enclosure and in another were cheetahs. Not that we have not had these
interactions while staying in Kenya, but it’s always humbling when you can
interact with wild animals no matter where you are. Aan enjoyed running after the chickens that were free to roam around the middle kingdom.</div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWspwnObUtOibKmloGJ9pbRW0jEJi0ZvdPWxeVx8w3yRzOgUms80EHhKdHiZZVkf8TZRenRa6JTKxxEHmw5s3UKrQEk7WilflYe2h_hRwztrEvQJ49OJa4UWmYvEtRg0H1eXbtXubpXTf8/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWspwnObUtOibKmloGJ9pbRW0jEJi0ZvdPWxeVx8w3yRzOgUms80EHhKdHiZZVkf8TZRenRa6JTKxxEHmw5s3UKrQEk7WilflYe2h_hRwztrEvQJ49OJa4UWmYvEtRg0H1eXbtXubpXTf8/" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Alongside the petting zoo was also a play
area. The kids enjoyed the gardens along with a stream full of fishes, swans, turkey, flamingoes, peacock, crown crane and a varied species of ducks. This was the perfect set up for us to leave the kids with Neha and Vividh
and head towards the big cat’s kingdom. We were lucky to be travelling with our
friends for we decided to go for the walk with lions turn by turn since the
kids were not allowed. Why? Because if you are less than 5 feet tall, the lions
think you are potentially food.</div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDIC9BZREt45iDPCKokyFw1J2oSRcJkoLHiL3hWLDWCvuYbwCqLpeEukBb7zoF9ox4n7KIOIYAjMqWqBCENLLr0X35gx1F5XZB8H1xpEe4r9fYLxIZ9OcolKjFbcP-4HlSHppNcu95EM1/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDIC9BZREt45iDPCKokyFw1J2oSRcJkoLHiL3hWLDWCvuYbwCqLpeEukBb7zoF9ox4n7KIOIYAjMqWqBCENLLr0X35gx1F5XZB8H1xpEe4r9fYLxIZ9OcolKjFbcP-4HlSHppNcu95EM1/" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">Recently,
in one of our safari trips in Kenya, Aananya was talking to me about what is it
that I love about safari, which animal excites me the most and that’s when I
realized that I am a great lover of the big cats. I can spend hours and hours
with the big cats without getting bored or tired. Just watching their every
move makes me feel happy.</div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOYuucI9QoNezztnj02Qlp0SxxYIPeUiZJgldS-XoAXlCoLxthviQ1WpuyI5Z4tnfDwkLHcNJvPm_DHgexE9XioIdkmr_kMDuENHMN6ojs-O3l29Wwrkop_xD8zor9Qtyi33mj2r5c8w0/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOYuucI9QoNezztnj02Qlp0SxxYIPeUiZJgldS-XoAXlCoLxthviQ1WpuyI5Z4tnfDwkLHcNJvPm_DHgexE9XioIdkmr_kMDuENHMN6ojs-O3l29Wwrkop_xD8zor9Qtyi33mj2r5c8w0/" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">Now,
back in Mauritius, we were going to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience of
walking with the lions. We were taken to the lion reserve by bus and were given
a short briefing about the safety measures that needed to be followed while on
the adventure. We were also advised to walk behind the lion handlers with our
canes… like that could protect us in any way if things turned south. FYI, you
do have to sign a disclaimer if anything goes wrong, you are responsible.</div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGw0_zsrGbe4KZhQiyh-FF4DG3XhAGgGHrOCAc5jtjFttJZclK_Wm0EsqkYdldde6pnf_pXEYJOwxOnXxFQ7B_-MTsfvFES256d6U5ihY1FuZz-3kp2aaah-VRlr9GDExCpBf2ifwab0Cw/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2039" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGw0_zsrGbe4KZhQiyh-FF4DG3XhAGgGHrOCAc5jtjFttJZclK_Wm0EsqkYdldde6pnf_pXEYJOwxOnXxFQ7B_-MTsfvFES256d6U5ihY1FuZz-3kp2aaah-VRlr9GDExCpBf2ifwab0Cw/" width="241" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">Never
did I think that during my trip to Mauritius I would be giving a potential
disclaimer for getting maimed by a lethal predator. Yet here I was in an
open-air bus bumping along a dirt road into the forest to meet one of the most
efficient predators of the world. I always feel blessed whenever I get a unique
opportunity to spend time with the cats but this was way beyond. The thrilling
sensation that went through my body when I saw the lions come out, and we were
walking alongside them and at one point even interacted with them. You can feel
the adrenaline rush through your veins when you are in the presence of these
magnificent and majestic creatures.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDbOxOV_XUT-r1_xUY3BsQWW1jPLnzr4RMo2ccj1jlDRmvKsObFEuFQeQsin525GUqejwZVZKftHQTWkjXs2ebdH3hmVkE6ANuta0XwxKI22_nKLmGU1jMN8uvI6C_S3qPPZXOqCRtXrQ/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDbOxOV_XUT-r1_xUY3BsQWW1jPLnzr4RMo2ccj1jlDRmvKsObFEuFQeQsin525GUqejwZVZKftHQTWkjXs2ebdH3hmVkE6ANuta0XwxKI22_nKLmGU1jMN8uvI6C_S3qPPZXOqCRtXrQ/w334-h222/IMG_7905.jpg" width="334" /></a></span>It
is amazing to see the lions so up close and personal; we walked with them
through the long grass and tropical foliage while the lions were playing
around, tackling one another, scaling the trees doing their day-to-day
business. The lions were called Mpara and </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Matata </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; text-align: left;">were 10 months and 2 years old respectively. Matata is a white lion originally from South Africa. The handlers showed us how long they can leap by motivating the lions with chunks of meat or how they could climb trees, motivation being the same. We were walking along a narrow stream when suddenly both the lions crouched down to drink water. Now came the time to take a few prized pictures when the handlers encouraged us to come forward and touch their bristly tails and their back.</span></p><p></p><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; text-align: justify;">While
writing this blog, I can’t help but think about my mother… if she had her way,
I would definitely be grounded for doing this, regardless of my age or the fact
that I live oceans away.</span>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-56851698361866501952021-11-25T23:22:00.000+01:002021-11-25T23:22:25.540+01:00Discovering Mauritius by land – South Tour: Day 3 <p> <span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; text-align: justify;">Trou
Aux Cerfs – Floreal Shopping Factories – Sacred Lake of Grand Bassin – Black
River Gorges- Chamarel Waterfalls – Chamarel Seven Colored Earth</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">The
beauty of Mauritius is in its beautiful landscapes with spectacular mountain
viewpoints, waterfalls, colored earth caused by past volcanic activities,
luscious plant life, varied flora, fauna and the dream beaches with </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-ansi-language: #1000;">an amazing</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> sea life phenomena.</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxA26Sg2In2qyz2wdJ4NQWG2JTIrpCC_k4s0_P-8CWodcBnPauFAL-HGPVfiFJKNRxfN-KWqEB6_oFBdYOQ42CVshdnxF2qUI-u03Q3-I31VkNP2dQWYU0X-QI6W9kW0dEPzLjYrgXiBol/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxA26Sg2In2qyz2wdJ4NQWG2JTIrpCC_k4s0_P-8CWodcBnPauFAL-HGPVfiFJKNRxfN-KWqEB6_oFBdYOQ42CVshdnxF2qUI-u03Q3-I31VkNP2dQWYU0X-QI6W9kW0dEPzLjYrgXiBol/" width="159" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Our
third day on the island was spent exploring the land beauty of Mauritius and
our first stop was Trou aux Cerf’s dead volcanic crater, which has become one
of the naturally created attractions. Interestingly, it is said that this
volcano is also the origin for Mauritius’s existence. For that we had to hike a
small hillock, and the weather was perfect. It had just drizzled right before
our tour and the kids enjoyed running to the top where we finally saw the
crater of a dormant volcano surrounded by thick vegetation of lush green
shrubs, bushes and pine trees. The view of the crater </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-ansi-language: #1000;">was</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> along a dangerous steep embankment,
so we made sure that the kids don’t steer too close to that. However, the
panoramic scenic view of the island from this vantage point was beautiful and
gave us a great opportunity to take amazing landscape pictures.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg0G1MJzrxU2hZUaEGxfd4QPrMVBHL8xDrVs7mWD4sj47bm1H6Gv2i4f9U6f_qdpsuyTqJhyphenhyphenRo4XyWFod5CY46fdE3-B05vnvZU0b3a9pC99IQl0Bqx6xviQGLiRM3yoJhjVsC5S1Y1UV/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg0G1MJzrxU2hZUaEGxfd4QPrMVBHL8xDrVs7mWD4sj47bm1H6Gv2i4f9U6f_qdpsuyTqJhyphenhyphenRo4XyWFod5CY46fdE3-B05vnvZU0b3a9pC99IQl0Bqx6xviQGLiRM3yoJhjVsC5S1Y1UV/" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">From
there we went to Floréal shopping factories, which has the biggest and most
famous workshop for model boats. However, the price</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-ansi-language: #1000;">s were</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> so exorbitant that even though we
wished to buy the handcrafted boat, we didn’t buy any. We also visited the
Adamas diamond factory but just like the model boats, we only enjoyed seeing
them.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYb_rh00ATsJ6pnyvqLtCN3RzVSdTaifGL73xXHf6fCDa-08Fh2oQBp_SjgIUTnX2MjPv6GyTmsnEA_3GHNyX17hjmQ9dJ5xED2oUhRsbrj-mttycZD4FGLFH48-97Sgr4z5GyDg-Rz0P-/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYb_rh00ATsJ6pnyvqLtCN3RzVSdTaifGL73xXHf6fCDa-08Fh2oQBp_SjgIUTnX2MjPv6GyTmsnEA_3GHNyX17hjmQ9dJ5xED2oUhRsbrj-mttycZD4FGLFH48-97Sgr4z5GyDg-Rz0P-/" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Our
next stop was the Sacred Lake of Grand Bassin situated amidst the picturesque
view of lake Ganga Talao that is formed in a crater and is surrounded by
mountain area and colorful temples and idols of deities around the lake. It is
a popular pilgrim place</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-ansi-language: #1000;">, sacred to Hindus</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> and is the largest of its kind outside India. The entire
land is considered scared and pious in the minds of locals and visitors from
India. The huge statue of Lord Shiva, a whopping 108ft tall, built in the open
is a real marvel. This place is considered auspicious and you will definitely feel
at peace and calm while visiting it. After which we took a break for lunch.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaf98cxB8UHCQGmrF6EZaOdsDMEuDsbXURyLgOqkESAK3FNU2a4mBH1Xm2HMYOUauOySSaljlo9clo3ZMqnL2C3hZFge7fKu9FrzelZ7xPVm6Z0sFhdQq4S6COqTfyyE-m-UAMur45M1u/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaf98cxB8UHCQGmrF6EZaOdsDMEuDsbXURyLgOqkESAK3FNU2a4mBH1Xm2HMYOUauOySSaljlo9clo3ZMqnL2C3hZFge7fKu9FrzelZ7xPVm6Z0sFhdQq4S6COqTfyyE-m-UAMur45M1u/" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Later
we boarded our mini tour van to go to Black river gorges national park, which
is the largest protected national park of Mauritius. The varied, exotic flora
and fauna and </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-ansi-language: #1000;">the</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> unfathomable
beautiful gorges of unspoilt beauty of rainforest will leave you totally </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-ansi-language: #1000;">enraptured</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">. Our minivan stopped at Chamarel waterfalls,
which has a jaw dropping height of 100 meters and is the highest waterfall in
Mauritius. It is indeed a popular tourist spot for its picturesque, pristine waterfall
surrounded by dense lush green tropical forest and rocky river canyon. From the
viewing platform we did what tourists </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-ansi-language: #1000;">do</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">,
clicked 1000 pictures and moved on to our next location.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuxDKoQyIs0uWXMaA0HMVMxFnj4Go-CA_Ke01udVHS3dbIuRqUDXWkVYXrifNBo9NMah4ZphCBh27Xg1c2ry8mOTlKn9WAhJ-BgmVU4aRAiPIUlBMQU3dnA7MDaRNKqElZhkWxZQe1V9F/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuxDKoQyIs0uWXMaA0HMVMxFnj4Go-CA_Ke01udVHS3dbIuRqUDXWkVYXrifNBo9NMah4ZphCBh27Xg1c2ry8mOTlKn9WAhJ-BgmVU4aRAiPIUlBMQU3dnA7MDaRNKqElZhkWxZQe1V9F/w320-h320/Starred+Photos44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Have
you been to tours where you try and squeeze every sightseeing attraction
possible in one tour? Well, that’s kind of what we tried to accomplish that day.
Hop off – see the attraction – hop on to the tour and move to the next. </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">So
finally, our last destination for the day was just 4 kms away from the
waterfall – the Chamarel Seven Colored Earth. I was super excited to see this as
it surpasses all the extravagant things in this country. This otherworldly
unique geological formation has seven colors – red, brown, violet, green, blue,
purple and yellow. Although it is hard distinguishing all the 7 colors of this
geological wonder, but we will not contest that. These psychedelic dunes are a
rare combination of natural phenomenon of volcanic activity</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> over a
millenia</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We were busy
clicking family pics then group pics, then individual pics, then kids’ pics,
then sibling pics, then girls together, we really got very busy collecting
lifetime memories. So, you know where most of the time was spent... When we
were assured, we had enough pictures to last a lifetime, we retired back to our
hotel to enjoy some relaxing time before our next island adventure.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /><br /></span></p>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-25701260823833859262021-11-18T23:05:00.000+01:002021-11-18T23:05:42.877+01:00More on Mauritius – North tour: Day 2 <h1 style="text-align: center;"> <b style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Port Louise - Citadel Fort –
Caudan Waterfront - Marie Reine de la Paix – Bagatella Mall</b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Mauritius
is described as “heaven on earth” and it sure did live up to its name. This
incredible island is known for its magnificent beaches sandwiched between the
sparkling turquoise Indian ocean and the luscious green cliffs at the opposite
end. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCzcucR9KzWFmZD2hDYm0SkSfjsKuaNNuzDgpw0P2qayWdiTsiT3R8vrMZkRFzFDic-YpQ37_txOjK9dKno1fIoy8MxvxVjYrMjlKc44Lmq1Ftw9nn_gBoMcqNpnFjy10gBx_1ArAeO77/s1920/File0115.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCzcucR9KzWFmZD2hDYm0SkSfjsKuaNNuzDgpw0P2qayWdiTsiT3R8vrMZkRFzFDic-YpQ37_txOjK9dKno1fIoy8MxvxVjYrMjlKc44Lmq1Ftw9nn_gBoMcqNpnFjy10gBx_1ArAeO77/w200-h112/File0115.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">On
day 2, we were all set to explore the beautiful landscapes, bustling cities and
old colonial buildings. It’s a well-known fact that Mauritius is “the”
destination for honeymooners. When the minibus arrived to pick us up, it was
already filled with honeymooners and that too all were from India. Now I have
to say that Vividh has a wicked sense of humor and his jokes about the
sufferings of married life just didn’t stop. Oh man, I wonder how we scared
those young couples for life! I am sure they were happy to get off the bus when
the tour ended and get away from the middle-aged couples with kids.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZq8pX1w6YBLlsmz-v_6GMgaaVhNyJCpmMWhb3k_dJ4001e0boKsCuVTBk7F5jlYcs3Yt3M5AQkhA8NBOSngTmSjJcQ1_Z-beN7suvmvt14fy61XAvitlWXYrHmNDHbDJIGwDMS6OEsG5/s2048/Starred+Photos40.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZq8pX1w6YBLlsmz-v_6GMgaaVhNyJCpmMWhb3k_dJ4001e0boKsCuVTBk7F5jlYcs3Yt3M5AQkhA8NBOSngTmSjJcQ1_Z-beN7suvmvt14fy61XAvitlWXYrHmNDHbDJIGwDMS6OEsG5/w200-h200/Starred+Photos40.jpg" width="200" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Our
first stop was a viewpoint for the Pieter Both Mountain – the uniqueness of its
appearance and it being the second highest mountain of Mauritius makes it a
famous tourist attraction, especially for nature lovers and hikers. After this
stop we were in the colorful capital city of Mauritius – Port Louis, where next
on the sightseeing agenda was the Citadel Fort, also known as the Adelaide
Fort, which is the national monument of Mauritius. Perched on top of a hill,
the heritage monument offers breathtaking views of Caudan waterfront and the
colossal Indian Ocean. We got beautiful panoramic shots of Port Louis, which is
also the largest city in Mauritius. We took loads of pictures of Citadel Fort
–one in particular where Aakaash was on the cannon, only wish if the cannon
were working and I could use him as a human bomb. Just kidding. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyaZKGm_DsubyruaDD9-jpDfrLduLbcaJihpMP6mmdFG-rKOq76uC9gKqAuy3Plir3LhGlm6sqIbh9COyLQPKig7WM1hEd8MxaWXaoqThK9arKEqnzO_248JCm28NRCFYj63MDDBnJJc9/s2048/Starred+Photos41.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyaZKGm_DsubyruaDD9-jpDfrLduLbcaJihpMP6mmdFG-rKOq76uC9gKqAuy3Plir3LhGlm6sqIbh9COyLQPKig7WM1hEd8MxaWXaoqThK9arKEqnzO_248JCm28NRCFYj63MDDBnJJc9/w238-h238/Starred+Photos41.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">We roamed around the city, where the kids enjoyed churning out sugar cane juice for themselves. Clicked pictures next to the sculpture of the famous explorer Nicolas Baudin who met his maker in Mauritius. Next, we found ourselves super excited in the umbrella alley at Caudan waterfront. It’s a narrow lane covered with colorful and vibrant floating umbrellas. Its happy aesthetics gives you many photo opportunities. What I didn’t know was that the umbrellas are replaced every month to keep it bright and vibrant. We did make a quick stop at the Prime minister’s office to say hello before we headed to the craft market.</div></span><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUnPWYri2AZ6UrfOv0IsXTRUB-NFErs-9Zj-sU8nvSmxpZDQGhapF0h8wFu2N6WdCmKdOU77_Kr1fP6HKopFmVW-mhYpAFjEAuCBbySP3WzPPlOK04A24advnENXV06Z2YnjqrzFVVgR3/s2048/IMG_7543.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUnPWYri2AZ6UrfOv0IsXTRUB-NFErs-9Zj-sU8nvSmxpZDQGhapF0h8wFu2N6WdCmKdOU77_Kr1fP6HKopFmVW-mhYpAFjEAuCBbySP3WzPPlOK04A24advnENXV06Z2YnjqrzFVVgR3/w200-h133/IMG_7543.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">From the craft market I bought few mother of pearl dinning mat sets. Later we headed to Marie Reine de la Paix, which has been a popular destination for filming a lot of Bollywood songs. It is an open church with a beautiful view of Port Louis. After climbing 82 steps, we reached the top and the view was gorgeous. The kids went crazy running, rolling, and falling on the hill slope.</div></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTkeg6JrPC3mnu7F5Qq3spSrWW-gGGBqwlfqBNZ_w_VgkNZLHbhbGukjtExep2zklEReO8byyJDA2xkAAjRbg85J3xdLbFSn9Xt8qmXoenpcH7amaaZoVJxbzCLgDG91Hrs-YCkcUNgR4/s2048/DSC_0190%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTkeg6JrPC3mnu7F5Qq3spSrWW-gGGBqwlfqBNZ_w_VgkNZLHbhbGukjtExep2zklEReO8byyJDA2xkAAjRbg85J3xdLbFSn9Xt8qmXoenpcH7amaaZoVJxbzCLgDG91Hrs-YCkcUNgR4/w200-h134/DSC_0190%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">After
all the wonderful sightseeing, Neha and I had reached our personal haven –
shoppers’ paradise – Bagatella Mall. I think we were to go to a local craft
market and China town after that, but it was impossible for others to get Neha and
me out of this place, so I think we skipped the other 2 places and enjoyed some
retail therapy at the mall. Aakaash and Vividh were with the kids, enjoying
fish spa, reflexology and what nots. Till date Aakaash says that he had one of
the best head massages there.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><o:p></o:p><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqYzOVsKNHIRX9kCrSoy9Bi90zaS00OkptPbgqPbr_Q_FJ0zFUiE3PQi4Q4eas4OYViORAkylWeJvqgiXlsGOqvtSsp2bdsKfIp-2EOw3l0pSq-C69Y9pGNPMx9SeSmbwnT1EqJxRBTKE/s2048/DSC_0050%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqYzOVsKNHIRX9kCrSoy9Bi90zaS00OkptPbgqPbr_Q_FJ0zFUiE3PQi4Q4eas4OYViORAkylWeJvqgiXlsGOqvtSsp2bdsKfIp-2EOw3l0pSq-C69Y9pGNPMx9SeSmbwnT1EqJxRBTKE/w237-h158/DSC_0050%25281%2529.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We
had the perfect end to a hectic day, unwinding back at our resort. There was a
live band playing at night and the kids had a blast dancing and performing on a
small stage in the dining area. We called it a night, ready to explore more of
this island’s natural beauty the next day!<o:p></o:p></span></p><o:p></o:p><p></p>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-36523486790224981952021-11-14T21:34:00.001+01:002021-11-18T22:27:45.091+01:00Memorable Mauritius<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">The
story goes – we had just come back from <a href="http://sonika24.blogspot.com/2021/07/in-morning-we-woke-up-bright-and-early.html" target="_blank">Brazil</a><span style="color: red;"> </span>in
January, which had created a big dent in our pockets. One evening, sitting with
friends who had now become very close and were leaving Kenya forever, an idea
struck to go for a holiday together for the first time but hopefully not the
last. FYI – full disclaimer – idea was not mine. I just jumped right into the
bandwagon that came along, that’s all. Aakaash was totally opposed to the idea
since we had just returned from a trip. I agree the timing was not ideal, but
we couldn’t push beyond mid-February for they had to start wrapping up to
leave. Neha, Vividh and I started exploring the options for the ideal place and
finalized on Mauritius – a country that is even smaller than the city of
Nairobi, where we live. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Lucida Sans; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsO2edsrNLv2oN4kNW8vjQI-S03pUSUAhtZNLsTjiqfk5tadCm5-xYrxOsNLD2nsQlKQ8Je3lt3MrRmpRO2rrtDaHa544N9fgyVlcY7AKRcjPR_LNEKKne6S_GXN-wcnBzLDmYQyxksOy/w281-h159/File0194.jpg" width="281" /></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">I
feel if you are going with friends, a beach holiday is the best, so that you
can relax and spend quality time since there is not too much of sightseeing
involved. Vividh did pretty much all the research, contacting the travel agents
and getting competitive quotes, and he would secretly update me about the trip.
When we would sit in the evenings, he would gently slide it past Aakaash. I had
to be neutral about the plan because I knew if I pushed Aakaash, the whole idea
could go south very quickly. Finally, after a lot of pull and push, we were
able to convince him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p></div><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Lucida Sans; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tSI7xbYL45BXr0MqODyBhcBn2ny8pnoPUTl7XLG2nAGPP_EsXo_5KJvGQnXURNcrz2Iwk0XAI_hV_V8YSf4QNNmJ1G5wWoAqs0_8Ky4ReoqixrOEnlrf656Hov4Kw6FWKVb-ebvSpBK2/w278-h184/DSC_0001%25281%2529.jpg" width="278" /></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">I
was super excited for the trip, since this was also going to be one of the
first vacations with friends. It is very important to travel with like-minded
people, or else the whole trip can be a total disaster. So, we set on this
beautiful journey… oh wait a minute… when you have 4 kids ranging from the ages
of 5 to 8, I should rephrase and say it was a journey… starting with the
commotion in the play area of the airport till we reached our destination. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Lucida Sans; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjGCDyOnxS0h97_xury4_hYdNnLw42HTJBnbdKhYodRzM8fdwr1F8R34aPS4Ip4EA6-NaHg0N7uWWNfwZM8Y8V7p9no1NRgX9194ljYyS2iDOFyu8xyUn7sXvBT-Ovd8MkrFtBSpAvp9d/w200-h200/Starred+Photos39.jpg" width="200" /></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Arrival</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Our
flight landed in the evening and the driver was there to pick us up. The moment
we entered our resort, we were totally pleased as we knew that we had reached
our paradise. I remember seeing the excitement on our faces, trying to compose
ourselves and heading straight for dinner; after which we couldn’t resist going
to the soft, white-sanded beach and dipping our feet into the ocean. Even
though we were tired, we didn’t want to call it a night and strolled along the
coastline. However, we had our small alarm bells who forced us to get back to
our rooms. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Lucida Sans; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDg9B32aUsInCE5jAcbGwMQ8_5PTD2kM7JV0m_kJ_h_BUspSp8gYc-dx45KwrzdYRaokyF-FSeH4i4BiAJyBZTKTC_pa-KFZRmzhyphenhyphenJeNCI8amgYK2DUNs6yBxW41guykLkLXc9uUzl89t/w239-h158/DSC_0019%25281%2529.jpg" width="239" /></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We
wanted to balance out and make this a memorable vacation with a mix of
sightseeing and spending some “friends bonding time” as well. We had tailored
this holiday to be a perfect blend of relaxation and excitement.</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">On day 1, we decided that we would just chill
out and enjoy in the resort and so we complied. It was more like “let the
craziness begin”. I feel if you have friends with whom you can be comfortable
doing everything and not be thinking of how you will be perceived, then they
are your keepers – maybe forever. After breakfast, we started exploring our
resort. With cocktails/mocktails, pics, clicks, sun, sand and sea - the madness
had begun. Is sand called sand because it’s in between the sea and land? Lol.
My sense of humor is indicating it’s time to wrap up this post now. More on
Mauritius coming soon.</span></p></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><p></p>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-75621576466668155012021-07-10T22:01:00.001+01:002021-07-10T22:03:46.391+01:00Rio De Janeiro – Party City<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ixh9-_Vy87NJJqOE0CEZKqTw9R5rtydJSCpGrQyXJO1KJsiMOdOezHYEfjkg01O6hOhZW4beld1DuRcJVApm2nNp02WR37HyWwzFNS4MLF84NQEgO5_Gt6IEpbw8mtxzBUjsdW3Frj24/s2048/IMG_6773.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1993" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ixh9-_Vy87NJJqOE0CEZKqTw9R5rtydJSCpGrQyXJO1KJsiMOdOezHYEfjkg01O6hOhZW4beld1DuRcJVApm2nNp02WR37HyWwzFNS4MLF84NQEgO5_Gt6IEpbw8mtxzBUjsdW3Frj24/w276-h268/IMG_6773.jpg" width="276" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">In the morning, we woke up bright and early to board our flight
from Pantanal to Rio de Janeiro – one of the most exciting cities in the world.
It was a hopping flight from Sao Paulo with a layover of an hour plus.
Unfortunately, our flight got delayed from Pantanal and by the time we reached
Sao Paulo it was too late… even though we ran to the gate, we saw our flight
take off right before our eyes. This was the first flight we missed in our
lives for no fault of ours. After having a difficult conversation with the
ground staff and explaining our situation, we got the boarding pass for our
next flight, only to know that the gate number of the flight had changed at the
last moment. If you were sitting at the airport, this is what you would have
seen: an Asian couple with 2 small children literally running and dragging
their kids (like you see in the movies) from one end of the airport to the
other and then back again to the other. OMG, the language barrier really gave us
a ‘run’ for our money! It was the final call for our flight when we boarded
huffing and puffing. </span></div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOS26JcNSgTbJOGgiySyN05GVKt_SE1rzaKD90yDqSEsdyFB7qqC0slTsk-luwUBhocNK3kQzdeCu1K1lnd2eVBgbZoO02fJWVEAhm7VvhYIxndu8KWA0NWan5IuWswsbijC_mekblJMm/s2048/IMG_6683.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOS26JcNSgTbJOGgiySyN05GVKt_SE1rzaKD90yDqSEsdyFB7qqC0slTsk-luwUBhocNK3kQzdeCu1K1lnd2eVBgbZoO02fJWVEAhm7VvhYIxndu8KWA0NWan5IuWswsbijC_mekblJMm/w307-h205/IMG_6683.jpg" width="307" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We were at our wits end, not only because we had missed our
original connecting flight but had almost missed the second as well! There was
more stress not only due to what we had gone through but because it was New
Year’s Eve. How does that affect us? Well, the roads get closed to Copacabana
at around 5pm to host one of the biggest parties in the world, with 3
million people from all over the world who gather around the iconic beaches of
Copacabana. To top it all, I had booked the hotel in the heart of it, where all
the action happens. So you can imagine, after this stressful journey, if we
wouldn’t have reached before the roads closed, the taxi would have left us at
the outskirts of the city, with 2 small kids and suitcases to drag to a
location that we didn’t know, and no knowledge of the local language to help us
with directions. Now you know why our anxiety level was hitting the rooftop.</span></div><div style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><o:p style="font-size: 12pt;"></o:p><p style="font-size: 12pt;"></p>
<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTb0g87929S-OspgZtDb-DhNl2y5RsIfdzhSWHch51dVQrT9MGG8M1HdC9gJ66vTLGFu2VkzFM-EsDEHJrXQ9KGYUHtyAxVRoEvohceH98ELkLnRunAkx9U3Pqlo4zEL1FSylJQ9tm_u5/s2048/File0807.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTb0g87929S-OspgZtDb-DhNl2y5RsIfdzhSWHch51dVQrT9MGG8M1HdC9gJ66vTLGFu2VkzFM-EsDEHJrXQ9KGYUHtyAxVRoEvohceH98ELkLnRunAkx9U3Pqlo4zEL1FSylJQ9tm_u5/w299-h168/File0807.jpg" width="299" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Finally, to our relief, we managed to reach in time, checked into
our hotel, and went for an early dinner. Our hotel was close to the beach and
had a beautiful view of the Favelas. We returned to our room to change for the
New Year’s Eve party - it is a tradition in Brazil to wear white on New Year’s
Eve as it brings good luck for the coming year. Thankfully I was aware of this
and had made it a point to bring white clothes for all of us. Rio de Janeiro is
one of the top 10 destinations for New Year’s celebrations and Rio does
live up to its party city name. The city thrives on sports, dance, music,
beach, sun and there seems to be a lust for life that manifests itself into
this ginormous New Year’s party. This was also one of the reasons I had planned
my trip in such a way that I don’t miss out on this spectacle. By evening we
could see a sea of people flocking on the roads heading towards the beach and
all we had to do was blend in and be one with the crowd to see the world’s
biggest firework show at midnight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><o:p></o:p></span><p style="font-size: 12pt;"></p>
<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeX9R945Wn2uldD0vBiH0_EmEOsqFI5ttKaJubHScNheRwFx-V39-0RnZg2yIl-YPNd-g6_327D3osXDPE1P3qSvkJFC-U71B9XzmGJO3HSBMl_zutqDp7EU28W8JCj4bulNs98l43uJU/s1920/File0818.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeX9R945Wn2uldD0vBiH0_EmEOsqFI5ttKaJubHScNheRwFx-V39-0RnZg2yIl-YPNd-g6_327D3osXDPE1P3qSvkJFC-U71B9XzmGJO3HSBMl_zutqDp7EU28W8JCj4bulNs98l43uJU/w160-h285/File0818.jpg" width="160" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">When we reached the beach, it was a challenge to find a spot for
us. Finally, when we did, you should have seen the vibe of the place, people
came fully prepared with their cooler boxes loaded with booze, beach umbrellas, and chairs, I think the ones on hire were all sold out. I had these 2 plastic
raincoats that luckily I was carrying in my bag that I spread out for the kids.
Aan was too tired so he was dozing off in between and Aananya was too busy to
care about the commotion, loud music, etc. happening around her, she was way too
happy making her sandcastles; while Aakaash and I were just soaking in the
energy that was oozing out of millions. Finally, the countdown started, and we
were ready for the fireworks display. I have never ever seen such a long and
beautiful firework show, it definitely was one of the most unique experiences I
have had. For those 15 minutes, it looked like it was bright as day. When you
see the fireworks happening you feel like a kid in candy land who is awestruck
by every striking light. We also stepped into the sea at midnight and jumped 7
waves – this is a tradition that is also supposed to bring good luck. After the
fireworks finished, people started dispersing – some to continue partying in
different clubs and some, like us, to retire for the night for we had loads of
sightseeing to do the next morning.</span></div><div style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><o:p style="font-size: 12pt;"></o:p><p style="font-size: 12pt;"></p>
<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKbeRoqgdV3hQjoDQhZ1uBhGRUxOi74WJZJGERv86Jij-rOCYJJkcPutv99eKRX4wQPQcyL6Q82UHTMk3qSYivXooxYO89jMTpZtwN4jYqDGrANepT0szdRlTbAyVW24a5bu-psxki8OC/s2048/IMG_6734.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKbeRoqgdV3hQjoDQhZ1uBhGRUxOi74WJZJGERv86Jij-rOCYJJkcPutv99eKRX4wQPQcyL6Q82UHTMk3qSYivXooxYO89jMTpZtwN4jYqDGrANepT0szdRlTbAyVW24a5bu-psxki8OC/s320/IMG_6734.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Although, at night, we couldn’t sleep well… my great idea to stay
in the heart of the party land backfired. I forgot to think about the people
who would not retire when I chose to hit the bed, so occasionally we kept
hearing people partying all through the night. We woke up groggy in the
morning, yet all pumped to continue our tour. We finished our breakfast but,
surprisingly, our guide was late. We waited and waited and then waited some
more. Finally, we started making calls to find out what happened? To our
dismay, the travel company had goofed up and there was no arrangement done for
the day’s tour. We didn’t let that dampen our spirits, so we decided to take it
on as an adventure. With a lot of difficulties, because of the language barrier, we
were finally able to reach the most famous coastal mountain - Sugarloaf. This
mountain has wonderful views of the city, bay, skyscrapers, and the world-famous
Christ de Redeemer. Rio is one of the few cities in the world that gives you
the best of both worlds, the sea and the mountain in the same view. Aakaash is
more of a mountain person and I love the sea, so this city was a perfect haven
for us. We did have to stand in the queues, which could have been avoided had
our guide been there with us but other than that we pretty much continued our
sightseeing. We took the cable car to reach this 396-meter-high mountain; the
beautiful landscape and breathtaking views left us speechless.</span></div><div style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><o:p style="font-size: 12pt;"></o:p><p style="font-size: 12pt;"></p>
<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADUYGEDB9y3O6rr3X37EhPKHGQ0mXQh2zCLnBoNVD3HRZNCLQFio5kSFvcc3-cz-SgLwARTnF8k7RcdSfSX7CgiFg6iIZ0cEZ8Yfw3CqGIvGMGMJySAI-7fKNoqU2uMsFPt3YBxfL2jZr/s2048/IMG_6949.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADUYGEDB9y3O6rr3X37EhPKHGQ0mXQh2zCLnBoNVD3HRZNCLQFio5kSFvcc3-cz-SgLwARTnF8k7RcdSfSX7CgiFg6iIZ0cEZ8Yfw3CqGIvGMGMJySAI-7fKNoqU2uMsFPt3YBxfL2jZr/w161-h242/IMG_6949.jpg" width="161" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">The next morning, we took it easy, relaxed, and walked around to
have a feel of the city. The kids loved playing in a playground close to our
hotel. When you talk about Brazil, apart from the wildlife, sports, New Year’s
there is another thing that you can’t miss. That is the world-famous Carnival
of Rio which happens in February but we couldn’t have stayed for that long
obviously, so we decided to do the next best thing and went to see what you can
call a spectacular re-enactment of the carnival, it’s like a glimpse of the
real thing. Hence, we booked the Plataforma Show for the night. We were supposed to
see a similar show in Iguazu, which we missed (to know why, you will have to go back and read my blog on the </span><a href="https://sonika24.blogspot.com/2021/05/iguazu-falls-one-of-seven-wonders-of.html" target="_blank">Iguazu Falls </a><a href="https://sonika24.blogspot.com/2021/05/iguazu-falls-one-of-seven-wonders-of.html" target="_blank">- one of the seven wonders of Nature</a>).
The tour bus came, picked us up, and took us for dinner which was followed by
the show that we were all excited to watch.</div></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><p style="font-size: 12pt;"></p>
<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKTpbpL2xpmss3LtoBPpkYvc0mCmpytnEhZ8E8HeYDnJZfbLnXSDm1cMdSnUFkakLUn1tloBiax9xQy_7KOJdQRsKery9e2RX2U0jam7rP8VXphB4jxZ4_V4F0NbRk916WW8MnOrGDxkd/s2048/IMG_6957.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKTpbpL2xpmss3LtoBPpkYvc0mCmpytnEhZ8E8HeYDnJZfbLnXSDm1cMdSnUFkakLUn1tloBiax9xQy_7KOJdQRsKery9e2RX2U0jam7rP8VXphB4jxZ4_V4F0NbRk916WW8MnOrGDxkd/w299-h199/IMG_6957.jpg" width="299" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">The Plataforma Show represents the colorful and varied mix of
rhythmic dances and dramatic drumming of Brazil and often features the previous
year’s winning Samba school dancers. You can experience the electric energy and
excitement of the carnival by being in the presence of live, upbeat samba
music, unbelievable professional dancers in brilliant and vibrant costumes.
Watching this 2-hour show makes you realize what it would be like in the real
carnival with outrageously colorful and exuberant costumes with theatrical and
thrilling Brazilian martial arts demonstrations and pulsating lights that
definitely makes it one hell of a show to watch. Sometimes it’s essential to go out with a
bang and this was the perfect way to end this beautiful trip to Brazil.</span></div><div style="font-size: 12pt;"><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript">
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</div></span></span></span>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-57726770559439187842021-06-12T13:27:00.000+01:002021-06-12T13:27:01.885+01:00Wild Wild Pantanal<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeJqsylvcXYHJj5GHMOkOkSCvwifp4AjEuo5OsJgvcbuu_rgiLmH4rpBrv_OFAKlv7-53-Xvmjkt82tw-0RoQHsPfqeAMIQma1Jv2XpLGb_HQhvOLaJat1F0-5PbjfcP7DPDaIq7N4rW4/s2048/IMG_6413.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeJqsylvcXYHJj5GHMOkOkSCvwifp4AjEuo5OsJgvcbuu_rgiLmH4rpBrv_OFAKlv7-53-Xvmjkt82tw-0RoQHsPfqeAMIQma1Jv2XpLGb_HQhvOLaJat1F0-5PbjfcP7DPDaIq7N4rW4/w200-h133/IMG_6413.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">We boarded our flight from Foz do Iguazu to Pantanal. As I told you in my first blog about Brazil, I was dying to go to Amazon but couldn’t because of cost constraints. So we decided on the next best thing – Pantanal. The main reason for the trip was to truly experience one of South America’s top wildlife destinations. It is also the </span><b>world’s largest tropical wetland and the world’s largest flooded grassland</b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">; you can imagine the kind of flora and fauna it has. Although Amazon is more popular, Pantanal’s open spaces make it easier to spot animals in their natural habitat. It’s an impossible thought that I would go all the way to Brazil and come back without interacting with wildlife through my lens.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></div></span><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgghQhCWBmGHedZD71AKhtR4KaY7CDMB2vNeLApmQe__NEtJOK70_WI55Mwyxlf1MCtWyDXkTJL4J1WsSY94uBLDDwuxJ66qAVCPtBa8Hitrgrp66BHnoofkC2IsQ8WVzANtGRQzNS9q4X/s2048/IMG_6457.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgghQhCWBmGHedZD71AKhtR4KaY7CDMB2vNeLApmQe__NEtJOK70_WI55Mwyxlf1MCtWyDXkTJL4J1WsSY94uBLDDwuxJ66qAVCPtBa8Hitrgrp66BHnoofkC2IsQ8WVzANtGRQzNS9q4X/w200-h133/IMG_6457.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">When
we landed at Pantanal, we straight away started our journey to reach the middle
of nowhere, amidst nature, a place that I associate with more than anything in
the world, my peace and tranquility. My excitement grew as we drove closer to
the dusty road and finally reached Pousada Rio Claro – the place that we would
be exploring for the next 3 days. That’s where our adventure was to start – we
reached at twilight and were taken to our room. After freshening up we decided
to go for dinner and Aananya followed me out of the room not realizing that she
was in the middle of hundreds of bugs that had gathered all around the floor
due to the lights. The only thing left for the 5-year-old was to cling onto me
and cry. The kids hated the night because they would freak out seeing the number
of bugs all around attracted to the light. However, during the day, Aan and
Aananya loved to lounge on the hammock, which was outside our room and most of
their time spent in there, eating snacks and playing games. I was getting
relieved to see that both Aan and Aananya were recovering well from their fever
and that the meds were working (it all started in Iguazu Falls).</div></span><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTQVXcmx01lGRjQbeI9kXYGTCkU7J2PaozwkDK1rHtG62gRvJ6ODTsPPIwP9Wc_w7J6_dm_n2tZHtaIX4LGravvYTbgtbUjllQxIaV5r1z-0sbyZZWFBuIHbPyQseNPHNe3p-vXSz0vEn/s2048/IMG_6362.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTQVXcmx01lGRjQbeI9kXYGTCkU7J2PaozwkDK1rHtG62gRvJ6ODTsPPIwP9Wc_w7J6_dm_n2tZHtaIX4LGravvYTbgtbUjllQxIaV5r1z-0sbyZZWFBuIHbPyQseNPHNe3p-vXSz0vEn/w200-h133/IMG_6362.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">The next day started with our first boat safari ever. Finally, I was in the </span><b>world’s
largest inland wetland </b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">and a</span><b> UNESCO world heritage site. </b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">I was
totally awestruck with the wildlife that surrounded us and the moment our
safari started we saw very inquisitive otters, who literally swam up to our
boat to enquire as to who was traveling in their territory. Not only that, as we
went along the stream, there was a huge family of otters that literally came
out from the groves across the bank and swam next to our boat. I never knew otters
were such inquisitive souls, one of which even showed off how to catch a big fish.
It was such a wonderful start to see the animals in their natural habitat doing
their thing. I feel so much pain when I see deforestation and how we are
encroaching slowly but surely on their territory and then harm these beautiful
creatures saying – it must be done due to human-animal conflict. Anyway, let’s
get back to the boat safari. We got to see a plethora of species of birds,
Iguana, different kinds of lizards, turtles, caimans and piranhas just to name a
few. The more we discovered this unique wetland the more the wildlife became
spectacular.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></div></span><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrh92GFh5CA37ivLlWlq2Wrn2i96mKA7IBNXsFko-cmg9edtuQ-hryR4GeyqzavRSLR_cwpUkmNO6-43wW0BA9NVadEi9fprCzg3zxgKfAr6kp-GtBGePJw5BuNz6N-yPpDWsGWHwPDEhu/s720/M2U01310.MPG_snapshot_00.03_%255B2021.06.12_14.01.59%255D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="720" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrh92GFh5CA37ivLlWlq2Wrn2i96mKA7IBNXsFko-cmg9edtuQ-hryR4GeyqzavRSLR_cwpUkmNO6-43wW0BA9NVadEi9fprCzg3zxgKfAr6kp-GtBGePJw5BuNz6N-yPpDWsGWHwPDEhu/w200-h160/M2U01310.MPG_snapshot_00.03_%255B2021.06.12_14.01.59%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;">We were very lucky that the ranch that we were staying in was right next to the river. This place was very basic but was giving us all that we needed – an unforgettable experience amidst untouched nature. The next morning, we were very excited since it was going to be our first horseback safari. I was definitely nervous since I had not sat on a horse with reins in my hands ever. We started our safari into the wild. Aakaash took Aananya with him and Aan and I had our own horses to steer. We rode into the dense forest, and sometimes I wouldn’t know how to steer the horse in the right direction and end up riding into the bushes. Our guide tried to tell me how to steer in whatever broken English he knew, and I managed somehow. It was definitely very tricky. Aan also managed to get past somehow. We did have a good game – saw deers, so many species of birds, cagado also known as the river tortoise, loads of small insects, bugs, beautiful species of caterpillars and spiders, and the world-famous tarantula.</span></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">After
we came back Aakaash enjoyed galloping on the horse for quite some time however
things took an unexpected turn and what do you know, finally our 4</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4C5EJ2ugxXPhizEVDk2VoLOKIHK4wycj8uizlxjMPV5_C1vyE3tLPYiJrQFQrPypVBYuHOtw1bbCXMfoADXD2hKzQLm6OClNmYMn96QxYORhS2p92szn1Ly-B0vY3QHHHK1ArVBRDzmEU/s2048/IMG_6473.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4C5EJ2ugxXPhizEVDk2VoLOKIHK4wycj8uizlxjMPV5_C1vyE3tLPYiJrQFQrPypVBYuHOtw1bbCXMfoADXD2hKzQLm6OClNmYMn96QxYORhS2p92szn1Ly-B0vY3QHHHK1ArVBRDzmEU/s320/IMG_6473.jpg" width="320" /></a></span>
wicket succumbed to whatever infection we had. After we came back, we realized Aakaash
was running a high fever and we had no more antibiotics left. So just with
paracetamol, we tried to curb the fever, which was not doing a very good job. I
knew how he felt with whatever this was. We were around 140kms away from
civilization so there was no question of buying antibiotics. Aakaash somehow
managed with paracetamol, and coffee made him feel better for some reason. We
had a night safari planned for that day, so Aakaash wrapped himself well and
gave us company, despite feeling unwell. We did see some bandit raccoons,
poisonous frogs and spiders, tarantulas and other nocturnal animals. It is
always a wonderful experience to go for a night safari, the same scenery changes
into something else completely!</span></div></span><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiNMYbBestGFZoLAPEM_Zl20GaWph1S8s93lEhCWxpNHXz5T9wEojnIfxM-5J3vq7XqG8VZIUuKQIIVVZnfa7t3zDgfzg0qqpQ6g4s5TCTewyhqG1xrjD_2ddu0U6soF0g7JF9YcfiTIZ/s2048/Brazil.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1583" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiNMYbBestGFZoLAPEM_Zl20GaWph1S8s93lEhCWxpNHXz5T9wEojnIfxM-5J3vq7XqG8VZIUuKQIIVVZnfa7t3zDgfzg0qqpQ6g4s5TCTewyhqG1xrjD_2ddu0U6soF0g7JF9YcfiTIZ/w154-h200/Brazil.jpg" width="154" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;">The best part about staying in the middle of nowhere is that you are in the home of the wildlife. There was this friendly white little bird that would come and perch herself on us. I think she was used to humans and was sure that we would not harm her. There was also a tortoise that paid a visit to our lodge. In the morning, Aakaash, Aan and Aanya went horse riding. I bailed out since I had no intention of steering into bushes anymore. After lunch, we were ready for our last boat safari and were going to cruise the wetlands of Pantanal for the last time. Since Aakaash was feeling miserable, he decided to stay back and rest. I decided to take Aan and go for the safari. Generally, Aakaash is the camera person and the videographer of the trip and I thought it would be just like the first day so decided not to take the camera. Big mistake! What was I thinking, I should have known better!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2unXSkQdIE3Z-r1TiUh0-H5nPudjpS09NyHo6xT6mO5iuJfWEqGISUDkSnARUP9tO_SgC4T7TY-0OE3XUznxDFbQ3BvwojAEB-b9lWeYIMQPjq6NcVIdIxT5zMBupGRoxXXhWAbS7LM9/s2048/IMG_6328.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2unXSkQdIE3Z-r1TiUh0-H5nPudjpS09NyHo6xT6mO5iuJfWEqGISUDkSnARUP9tO_SgC4T7TY-0OE3XUznxDFbQ3BvwojAEB-b9lWeYIMQPjq6NcVIdIxT5zMBupGRoxXXhWAbS7LM9/w200-h133/IMG_6328.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">It
was one of the best experiences ever. There was an eagle perched far away on a
tree. Our guide took a box full of fishes then whistled and threw the fish in
the air, and the eagle glided and took the fish away! You can imagine how much
I was cursing myself for leaving behind the camera. Not only that then came
the otters who had already shown us their fishing skills on the previous
safari. This time our guide decided to distribute free fish and they jumped
high out of the water to grab the fish. We saw so many caimans, resting on
floating logs. Some were missing chunks of their tail; our guide informed us
that probably they were hurt and piranhas attacked the wound. All in all, we
had a wonderful sighting and much more. This was our
goodbye safari to Pantanal.</div></span><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOCEhbcpTacm6HzQOFZhrhLY7Gj48fAuRWKCtBjxMMHKbe2DDdRxi9hgec_ovg6Wf8h1zonPoiPLUBuY2oBQWVAZLPattTZPMk3l4C-GPLJ661hg4PrtmAvuzxFrx99Yz5VRfEeyuOuvo/s2048/IMG_6434.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOCEhbcpTacm6HzQOFZhrhLY7Gj48fAuRWKCtBjxMMHKbe2DDdRxi9hgec_ovg6Wf8h1zonPoiPLUBuY2oBQWVAZLPattTZPMk3l4C-GPLJ661hg4PrtmAvuzxFrx99Yz5VRfEeyuOuvo/w200-h133/IMG_6434.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;">The next morning Aakaash was thankfully feeling a little better. We were to drive back to civilization, stay the night there and the following day we were to take our flight back to Rio. The adventure never stops though, so wait till you read the next blog, where I’ll share what happened when we went to catch our flight to Rio.</span></span></div><p></p>
Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-41303007626131049492021-05-31T10:57:00.000+01:002021-05-31T10:57:15.448+01:00Iguazu Falls – One of the seven wonders of Nature<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6A1G9BISvhxH5W14GwXuG_8US6nFJFkDTFsocb56b6DvZi7U-nB5oJG_fvdEoO8vc-5qVlwF2aIYd3JcPowFQIDcy6kqrU8G2gysq8gIKSp-3aecWCL76Aks3_ZmDzghWTpmRqcpKkKS/s2048/IMG_6218.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6A1G9BISvhxH5W14GwXuG_8US6nFJFkDTFsocb56b6DvZi7U-nB5oJG_fvdEoO8vc-5qVlwF2aIYd3JcPowFQIDcy6kqrU8G2gysq8gIKSp-3aecWCL76Aks3_ZmDzghWTpmRqcpKkKS/s320/IMG_6218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Our next destination was Foz do Iguazu. When we landed, our car was there to take us to our hotel Recanto, which was a gorgeous hotel with a thermal pool with a huge water park within the hotel. We all were super excited that the next 3 days were going to be awesome, in the lap of luxury, before we head to our next destination that would be rough and wild. More about that in the next blog.</div></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><span><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrck8FeVTQ499y2rOMjaABeDipeb_Y3G_KFNVs5ywzW6vE572QXbOj1IntjKRSUxTHITCeKpm0Uzzi754iSQQhUUAldSvu6S_cMzxa5wYuyvMOukwV_A25y4OXlzvu-wavCMRwok27QRQ/s2048/IMG_6197.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrck8FeVTQ499y2rOMjaABeDipeb_Y3G_KFNVs5ywzW6vE572QXbOj1IntjKRSUxTHITCeKpm0Uzzi754iSQQhUUAldSvu6S_cMzxa5wYuyvMOukwV_A25y4OXlzvu-wavCMRwok27QRQ/s320/IMG_6197.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">So here
we were, all super excited, including the parents of 2 small kids splashing
around in the pool and enjoying the water slides. Since this day was just to
relax and rejuvenate, we enjoyed the water park till it got dark. I came back
to our suite early to get ready for the Christmas Eve dinner. When the 3 water
babies - Aan, Aananya and Aakaash came back to the suite, they straight away
jumped into the jacuzzi and played around some more!</div></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaSLgz6TSP6r-xyV_r-3jarvQZqjTYC9SmA3-1gf_WbC3bKtx-xkbemoJVRXORsmdlO1mRUHtYv9R-KlvJ8YkzKpDSUcrrRGAsv6VJ8VCpCq6lXAJh6uvbckTo2euTjmhYxHxDnW0r0x8/s2048/IMG_6229.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaSLgz6TSP6r-xyV_r-3jarvQZqjTYC9SmA3-1gf_WbC3bKtx-xkbemoJVRXORsmdlO1mRUHtYv9R-KlvJ8YkzKpDSUcrrRGAsv6VJ8VCpCq6lXAJh6uvbckTo2euTjmhYxHxDnW0r0x8/s2048/IMG_6229.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaSLgz6TSP6r-xyV_r-3jarvQZqjTYC9SmA3-1gf_WbC3bKtx-xkbemoJVRXORsmdlO1mRUHtYv9R-KlvJ8YkzKpDSUcrrRGAsv6VJ8VCpCq6lXAJh6uvbckTo2euTjmhYxHxDnW0r0x8/s2048/IMG_6229.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiih05o5o0pWxAxkowxWMyo0-BcyeVGhaJ15RBV32rLw8_ldQyP6KYXRn1SpYz2AcYntZZx0dP6CxBsXI9m9SktmVPQSlx5YhBiUyx-GA45i66LaqckG1z7gMcNz9TZpKgGjfOxzs9_7IEt/s2048/IMG_6171.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiih05o5o0pWxAxkowxWMyo0-BcyeVGhaJ15RBV32rLw8_ldQyP6KYXRn1SpYz2AcYntZZx0dP6CxBsXI9m9SktmVPQSlx5YhBiUyx-GA45i66LaqckG1z7gMcNz9TZpKgGjfOxzs9_7IEt/s320/IMG_6171.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">I was
watching them from the bed through the bathroom glass wall and that’s when I
gave them the reality check that they had to wash a suitcase full of clothes.
Earlier when I came to get ready, I opened the suitcase only to find that a
sunscreen bottle had burst and spoilt a lot of our clothes. So, they took all
the clothes into the jacuzzi and made a game out of that as well! Anyway, the
job was done well in a playful manner and we all headed for - as Aanya says a
“fancy-schmancy” dinner.</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaSLgz6TSP6r-xyV_r-3jarvQZqjTYC9SmA3-1gf_WbC3bKtx-xkbemoJVRXORsmdlO1mRUHtYv9R-KlvJ8YkzKpDSUcrrRGAsv6VJ8VCpCq6lXAJh6uvbckTo2euTjmhYxHxDnW0r0x8/s2048/IMG_6229.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaSLgz6TSP6r-xyV_r-3jarvQZqjTYC9SmA3-1gf_WbC3bKtx-xkbemoJVRXORsmdlO1mRUHtYv9R-KlvJ8YkzKpDSUcrrRGAsv6VJ8VCpCq6lXAJh6uvbckTo2euTjmhYxHxDnW0r0x8/s320/IMG_6229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">In the
morning, I was so ready for the tour - this was the reason that I had pulled
the entire family from one corner of Brazil to the other. I would say that no
trip is complete to Brazil without visiting the awe-inspiring sight of the
crashing falls of Iguazu. Iguazu Falls is the <b>largest waterfall system
in the world</b>, 3 times wider than Niagara Falls, and has a greater width than
Victoria Falls. It is one of the <b>seven wonders of nature</b> and
has been also a popular spot for many Hollywood movies. Not only were we going
to see the most amazing and powerful natural wonder, but we were also going to
get up close and personal with it, maneuvering the boat to go as close to the
falls and feel the power of it. </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzC225TpWo61WxVpy7JtqJWLiGHfKE2-vYMR6_f6uSm6YI3890F_1oJjJLq_Dly8ugR_NAV6apQPbhC7pxl62Kf1PNGYXcsEk8Tf-a4PSp5BYADLFxMHqCxx_WHcxaBdhqDjC91OR08u31/s2048/IMG_6228.jpg" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzC225TpWo61WxVpy7JtqJWLiGHfKE2-vYMR6_f6uSm6YI3890F_1oJjJLq_Dly8ugR_NAV6apQPbhC7pxl62Kf1PNGYXcsEk8Tf-a4PSp5BYADLFxMHqCxx_WHcxaBdhqDjC91OR08u31/s320/IMG_6228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">So, we started our tour to the great Iguazu falls, which is situated in a designated </span><b style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">UNESCO world heritage national park</b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">. Luckily for us, the weather was perfect, bright and sunny, therefore we had a great viewing. After our boat ride where we felt the spray of the fall on us, our driver took us to different vantage and viewpoints so that we could get our perfect clicks of this majestic fall. The falls are divided between 3 countries, so you can view it from Brazil, Argentina or Paraguay However, the viewing is better from Brazil’s side since it has better access to the main falls.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwiWAyS_sFUDhLn_bC2eyxPSIZkLdCzWe7heDgkn7zWk-NkrnN99cmrxWs-YZy9Lv9Aqk53D_yqwddSOrViaXEhZTVO4Q7SHAl2Lb85gxFlTA6JNFpVWH40NZ2zjiXGmc-DztQ3dmCcvS/s2048/IMG_6241.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwiWAyS_sFUDhLn_bC2eyxPSIZkLdCzWe7heDgkn7zWk-NkrnN99cmrxWs-YZy9Lv9Aqk53D_yqwddSOrViaXEhZTVO4Q7SHAl2Lb85gxFlTA6JNFpVWH40NZ2zjiXGmc-DztQ3dmCcvS/w320-h213/IMG_6241.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Almost
towards the end of our tour, I started feeling really cold, and given that it
was a nice sunny day, it was very odd. After a while, I realized I wasn’t
feeling so well that I couldn’t even step out of the van to take our last few
pics. By the time we reached back to our room and checked my temperature, I was
already running 102. I told Aakaash to take the kids to the water park, popped
paracetamol and slept, although I was afraid that I will not be able to sleep
at night, but I was too tired to stay awake. At night, Aakaash came woke me up
since our Christmas dinner was planned and I mustered all my strength to go and
have dinner. It was a huge buffet spread and I think they refused to serve food
in the room. After coming back to the room, I just crashed.</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></p></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"></p><div style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdB51b1I_Fuh-gpIXGBFxsKlf4lCTTLigWD_tEbcZtzKkQ144mYezHYezNxgqAQhVGH7ma4nWWEr2nmjnFfTF62WdW9FotpHAi4n4iEkK4HNsY-cTERa-lTUS-4wxg4yH4pTTgCHe45sO/s320/IMG_6261.jpg" style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";" width="320" /></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><div style="text-align: justify;">As a rule, whenever we are traveling, we always carry antibiotics,
one set of the adult dose, one set for Aan and one for Aananya because the
dosage was different for both of them. When I got up in the morning, I was
still burning up, and lo and behold, Aan decided to give me company. We didn’t
wait and started antibiotics for both of us. In a foreign country, on a
vacation where English is not a spoken language, we didn’t want to take any
chances. It was a challenge to buy milk for kids in a supermarket in Rio where
there were so many tourists and this place was not a commercial place so the
challenges would have been more. I told Aakaash to go ahead with Aananya and
continue the tour. I think they went to the bird park but to my surprise, they
came back sooner than expected. </div></span><p></p></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgjQg65wONiUl-DtAaWVZyxQpbM_EWs-2_kXJNntBVIw3ND2x8Vqt7_4UaOj5es_v1wVgDo-DvWilNZma2zPy5LduK6NXlmZrNAUCUfaocwlPnhKos3N2mrnTIucBMhd_iU1Ym2oA9qs9/s2048/IMG_6244.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgjQg65wONiUl-DtAaWVZyxQpbM_EWs-2_kXJNntBVIw3ND2x8Vqt7_4UaOj5es_v1wVgDo-DvWilNZma2zPy5LduK6NXlmZrNAUCUfaocwlPnhKos3N2mrnTIucBMhd_iU1Ym2oA9qs9/s320/IMG_6244.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Aakaash
reached the park and realized that Aananya had decided to join our gang, so he
canceled the program and came back. We started her on antibiotics as well,
especially given that the next course of our travel was going to be in a very
remote place where normal facilities were not easily accessible. There was
another evening tour that was planned for the night, which we had to cancel
given that 3 wickets were down out of 4. We were just hoping and praying that
we all get better soon. At night we ordered food in the room and just rested
since the next day we were to take our flight out. My fever had reduced, and I
had started to feel better. Aan had started to look better as well. We were a
little concerned for Aananya because throughout the night her fever was not
coming down and we were hoping that her body is able to fight through whatever
this was. By God’s grace, the next morning Aananya’s fever came down and we
were ready to take the flight to our next destination.</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p></div>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-40800291563924159542021-02-20T13:24:00.002+01:002021-02-20T13:29:00.690+01:00Brazillllll… lllaaa llaa laaaa… <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQmDGuyYe5WzLrnUOBn-1ys9cOER6s7VVVpf0hZH5Pt0F4IKOv1pbx8HNSWwPFJlk1BX5fgiZ95UoCRLPXmoO09ePX0PXnKbRLt1SVwhDbG51cOHM7B6zdcsCjO2k1ykEkOOVP1rIZcDS/s2048/20131221_050714_LLS.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQmDGuyYe5WzLrnUOBn-1ys9cOER6s7VVVpf0hZH5Pt0F4IKOv1pbx8HNSWwPFJlk1BX5fgiZ95UoCRLPXmoO09ePX0PXnKbRLt1SVwhDbG51cOHM7B6zdcsCjO2k1ykEkOOVP1rIZcDS/s320/20131221_050714_LLS.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">South
America is the only continent that I have not visited yet. So, we decided to
visit the <b>largest country in South America – Brazil</b>, a beautiful country
packed with a wide variety of landscapes and experiences. My dream vacation
would have been the Amazon rainforest… however, when we saw how expensive the
tickets and stay were, we had to forgo that part of the journey. I did not lose
hope though and instead we went to the <b>world’s largest wetland</b> –
Pantanal, more about that later... <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BKOm4EIzbpTG3bXrUT6zAKv1U-l2I2F-_wPba5myRyCSiDY34Hvz7pCzpjvNjWOETaVnf7Sh3Ey9HKNML2lZv8ECqmWnjrfp7Y3dh7RPyC2VXXvda8EO6_m2fzMd2DlVWJthr6z0cjhb/s2048/IMG_6065.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BKOm4EIzbpTG3bXrUT6zAKv1U-l2I2F-_wPba5myRyCSiDY34Hvz7pCzpjvNjWOETaVnf7Sh3Ey9HKNML2lZv8ECqmWnjrfp7Y3dh7RPyC2VXXvda8EO6_m2fzMd2DlVWJthr6z0cjhb/s320/IMG_6065.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Our
itinerary was set, and we were off to explore the 6th inhabitant continent and
my last as well. Antarctica is the 7th continent left but I don’t think that I
can ever make it there, story for another time. We took the early morning flight from Nairobi at 5am with a stopover at Addis Abba and our flight landed at 8pm in Rio
de Janeiro, which gave us enough time to recoup and be fresh for the next
morning. I was mighty excited since I was going to finally see my 4th Wonder of
the World. On our way from the airport to the hotel, I got a glimpse of Christ the
Redeemer perched up on a hill with beautiful lights surrounding it. Seeing it,
I was smiling ear to ear and couldn’t wait till the next morning to see it up close
and personal. In the morning, we realized that our hotel was very close to the
beach, with the ocean peeking at us. After breakfast our open-air jeep was
there to pick us up so we could begin our quest to see this beautiful city.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeoTACKAHBmPtNAogstlI4XYJm8UBfgHirudC74Bu7CH6HT0b1EdR4nH12Nu7PEBphqO1BbFwWehm0tlLU4r9B9Iw30H_92sWDGv3a0fDSJyH6MI3QekBjv9cgl91DPgQYWuXlCJV5TfX/s2048/IMG_6094.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeoTACKAHBmPtNAogstlI4XYJm8UBfgHirudC74Bu7CH6HT0b1EdR4nH12Nu7PEBphqO1BbFwWehm0tlLU4r9B9Iw30H_92sWDGv3a0fDSJyH6MI3QekBjv9cgl91DPgQYWuXlCJV5TfX/s320/IMG_6094.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;">Rio
de Janeiro is indeed one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the
world. The city is surrounded by the tropical green granite-based mountains and
the deep blue sea, so it has the best of both worlds- beautiful beaches, coves,
ridges, hills and is partly covered by tropical forests. Our scenic drive was along
Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon beach to visit Santa Teresa. This traditional
district has winding, narrow streets, colorful buildings with a view of lush
landscape that makes it an inspiring trip for a lot of artists and tourists. On the way we saw beautiful graffiti on the walls. This picture is taken from the moving jeep, the graffiti is so beautifully done that it looks like we are probably somewhere indoors. </span><div><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWl0nC9gQke58EH4dXlKz4bvw1L5I7pBKdy79T3TzPMUhb3fCAUGWHz_p8EjHjZhQBz8XTCFksp-P441-G_ariTefjJVo9qpnWrJqoY5u6pS-dz69JIuf3jnGj2EdzSsW-L3rDojTLzys/s2048/IMG_6079.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWl0nC9gQke58EH4dXlKz4bvw1L5I7pBKdy79T3TzPMUhb3fCAUGWHz_p8EjHjZhQBz8XTCFksp-P441-G_ariTefjJVo9qpnWrJqoY5u6pS-dz69JIuf3jnGj2EdzSsW-L3rDojTLzys/s320/IMG_6079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;">Our first stop was the Selaron Steps, which is the </span><b style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">world’s most beautiful
staircase</b><span style="font-family: Lucida Handwriting;"> that has been decorated with more than 2000 colorful mosaic tiles.
This diverse staircase features 60 different countries and is one of Rio de
Janeiro’s most vibrant and striking landmarks. After clicking few pictures, we
moved to the most awaited part of the trip.<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-Raa2AKNYbPIbb6uxrYVIWpfCMkPkQR7V0oavdtGlLFTaovttrwWVE1LtYEMFgHp0OKYuBYFk7no74u5z9Knym-aJQ7EiDVhnbxacj9wycS-myWGCBX-VAH9tMsMVndmK8ifJvR8NjFo/s2048/IMG_6139.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-Raa2AKNYbPIbb6uxrYVIWpfCMkPkQR7V0oavdtGlLFTaovttrwWVE1LtYEMFgHp0OKYuBYFk7no74u5z9Knym-aJQ7EiDVhnbxacj9wycS-myWGCBX-VAH9tMsMVndmK8ifJvR8NjFo/s320/IMG_6139.jpg" /></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";">Our
next stop was the reason for my visit to Brazil – Christ the Redeemer – my 4<sup>th</sup>
wonder of the world and also the <b>4<sup>th</sup> largest statue of Jesus
Christ in the world</b> in addition the <b>largest art deco style sculpture on
the planet</b>. So how could I ever miss this! As we were driving up Corcovado
hill, we saw the favelas (slums of Rio) but as we ascended more through the
curvy hill, my heart dropped rather quickly for I could see the cloud bank had
blessed us and I knew I would not get the view I wanted. Anyway, thanks to our
travel agent, who had booked the tickets and time slot in advance, we didn’t
have to wait in the long queue. But when we finally reached the top, to my
disappointment, the statue was covered with fog, which is expected most of the
time. As you can see, we took whatever partial pictures we could and called it a day as we
had to get up early morning to catch a flight to Iguazu. Look out for my next
post about Day 2 in Brazil!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-12320922380126334802020-02-27T09:28:00.001+01:002020-02-27T09:28:14.968+01:00The last leg of the road trip - Edinburgh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">I
would be lying if I said all days of this trip were awesome and equally
enjoyable. Some days were more interesting than the others. However, one thing
was clear to me that by the end of the trip - Scotland feels magical and I had
started to romanticize it a lot more than I expected! It had been an incredible
trip and we had finally reached the last leg of our journey. I will miss the
heather-covered moors that lead down to sea cliffs and the rugged beaches of
the UK.</span></div>
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<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: .15pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Today
was going to be one of those fantastic gem of a day. Me reuniting with my
sister and spending the last 3 days in Scotland, before I bid farewell to this
beautiful country; coming back for sure to have another adventure and explore it a
little more. Our drive started with a beautiful rainbow greeting us a gorgeous
morning. Driving through the tiny roads right between mountains, passing by the
enormous lakes, we finally made our way to Stirling castle. The castle is one
of the largest iconic landmarks of Scotland, an architectural masterpiece perched
upon a hill, defended by steep cliffs that surround it on 3 sides. It indeed is
an impressive castle that is wrapped around by a magnificent history. While
wandering through the castle we came across an interesting room where we were
greeted by costumed court officials, maid of honor and bodyguards. You could
dress up in period costume, click pictures and play with medieval instruments.
All the 3 kids, you know what I mean, had a blast playing dress up and clicking
pictures. </span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: .15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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the tour, we drove to my sister’s apartment and had a hearty meal. Having spent
some joyful time together, we called it a night and went back to our B&B.
Next morning, we went to Glasgow to have a feel of the town, just hung around
and enjoyed a relaxing day.</span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: .15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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for the first time in 7 years, I was going to leave the kids for the night,
with my sister. How did I plan to spend the evening? Definitely not the way it
turned out. I had seen these lovely photo frames, which I wanted to use at Aananya’s
5<sup>th</sup> birthday party since I was getting a live photo-booth for her
birthday. I wanted to put the pictures clicked during the party in these photo
frames and gift to the guests. I managed to get only a handful. So, after we
left the kids with my sister, Aakaash and I went from one town to the next to
find those particular photo frames. After hitting 2 nearby towns without any
luck, I finally found it in the third town… and there went our first ever
evening without kids in 7 years. </span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: .15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClRMEq5KqY-GL3T9PpwMJ5LRle1eOv_tz89rYHy8O56RJFr1Jr7h9qHkv0FQWAj_fvVYR6ExhyphenhyphenjoQRDLfxM7p9_ibKV_bx4LhwAcIvHNTTZnofb4O_i0m5XmNhr26vav5vzMBvSryFsDk/s1600/Collages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClRMEq5KqY-GL3T9PpwMJ5LRle1eOv_tz89rYHy8O56RJFr1Jr7h9qHkv0FQWAj_fvVYR6ExhyphenhyphenjoQRDLfxM7p9_ibKV_bx4LhwAcIvHNTTZnofb4O_i0m5XmNhr26vav5vzMBvSryFsDk/s320/Collages.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250); color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">The
next day we were to meet at Edinburgh Castle. </span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">Rinku</span></span><span style="font-size: 10.6667px;"> </span></a></span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: .15pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">got the kids directly to the castle,
after the kids saw her university in Stirling and enjoyed the coach ride to Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Castle is Scotland’s most visited historical castle and the lavish
architecture that beckons you to make it a must see in your list. The view of
Edinburgh from the castle top is breathtaking. The kids enjoyed taking pictures
with the Scottish guard, who was happy to oblige us and posed for our pics. We
went on a tour of the castle where there were performers dressed in medieval
costumes enacting a part of history. Queen Mary’s chamber was fascinating to
see and from there we walked towards the Scottish National War Memorial.</span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: .15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuu-tf8QyxOVhAN2MMRQ9Z1-G4J3ceJxxaNgcD56LbfWjAhsfO_2htbpQOkuw63yyTyh1rAqKE_W5Herry6ideM7qdQ1zvCGRGBihpuSIEkEMw-D7LhUbi-SgkPIPtksDdd9SubZmZPDva/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuu-tf8QyxOVhAN2MMRQ9Z1-G4J3ceJxxaNgcD56LbfWjAhsfO_2htbpQOkuw63yyTyh1rAqKE_W5Herry6ideM7qdQ1zvCGRGBihpuSIEkEMw-D7LhUbi-SgkPIPtksDdd9SubZmZPDva/s200/IMG_1176.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: .15pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Later
we walked along the Royal Mile and found a cute comfy restaurant to replenish
the calories we had burnt. It suddenly dawned upon us that this was the last day of
this beautiful trip. I bid farewell to my sister with a heavy heart. UK has a
wild beauty that can’t be tamed, and I enjoyed exploring every bit of it. This
indeed had been an incredible trip. Au Revoir. </span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; letter-spacing: .15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-30687526799981393782019-08-20T11:45:00.000+01:002019-08-20T11:45:11.748+01:00 Isle of Skye to Fort Augustus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlly6yeP2qAXRhYyKuTR07JzTgGV1KSBwA93m-jr8K-p8MhTfNEEGfCa6hdhWLcJJOkmAf1bPzQD4rG0HYaub2D5c8DH7JJtqvY935fN5l-6j412Qc2g_XOjA3FbVDIwo_tSlFNScLTIQ3/s1600/Scotland9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlly6yeP2qAXRhYyKuTR07JzTgGV1KSBwA93m-jr8K-p8MhTfNEEGfCa6hdhWLcJJOkmAf1bPzQD4rG0HYaub2D5c8DH7JJtqvY935fN5l-6j412Qc2g_XOjA3FbVDIwo_tSlFNScLTIQ3/s200/Scotland9.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">To plan a road trip can be
a mammoth task but it sure is an ideal way to see the countryside. During our
entire road trip this drive was my personal favorite; gorgeous weather,
peaceful long road, not a soul visible for miles and not a care in the world. Like
all the worldly worries and stress were stripped away from us. From time to
time there were herds of sheep and flock of birds that you could see and hear,
and we felt like we were one with the nature. The natural beauty of Isle of
Skye, the largest island of Scotland, is truly unique. The dramatic change in
the landscape is spectacular and diverse. Driving through the mountain range
surrounded by the clouds is surreal and intriguing. The fog that seems to hang
over the beautiful land of unpredictable weather with the magical mist covering
the greenery makes you feel like you are in a dreamy enchanted forest that will
make you believe in magic.</span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We drove past so many
waterfalls, but I remember one waterfall that we stopped at and hiked up to
greet was the Brides veil waterfall. The hike can be slightly unsteady with
loose rocks on some parts of the trail, but it makes you appreciate the
landscape even more. This beautiful waterfall weaved its way down the rocky
landscape creating crystal clear water in its wake like a bride’s beautiful
veil. We stopped here for a while to admire the view and took some photos.</span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyARpjkiybuZWSIiKCINw1tX-ezn4AYjvKseS_WHPaZgbrsYnGz10j6LlTlQOOLDhggyvsYS2W7ut_hW6yvVl5LSneHqg1od-ShQ2kxycZiEtrLUTc2X0lozNs4cKRbH3Um21Q7Fuwsvg/s1600/IMG_0716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyARpjkiybuZWSIiKCINw1tX-ezn4AYjvKseS_WHPaZgbrsYnGz10j6LlTlQOOLDhggyvsYS2W7ut_hW6yvVl5LSneHqg1od-ShQ2kxycZiEtrLUTc2X0lozNs4cKRbH3Um21Q7Fuwsvg/s200/IMG_0716.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Driving through tiny hills,
passing so many cottages, waterfalls and little lochs, our next stop was the
Kilt Rock and Mealt Waterfall at Isle of Skye. This jaw dropping panoramic
scenery across the mountain out to the rugged sea was beautiful. From the top
of the cliff when you look straight down to the sea my heart did give a
flutter. Scotland is known for kilts and the rock formation from the viewpoint
on the coast of Isle of Skye looks ridiculously like a pleated kilt hence the
name. Although the weather was windy and cold, we did make the most out of the
magnificent view. Despite the cold and rain, the natural beauty around was
making me fall in love with Scotland. Whether you are beneath the clouds or
under the bright sunshine, Scotland does find a way to captivate your heart. </span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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gorgeous view we would shrug off the wind, run to the viewpoint, capture the
scenery and run back to our car. We finally reached Fort Augustus where we saw
this beautiful Caledonian Canal and we stopped to explore it. I think this was
one of the best things I found about this road trip - the liberty to stop
anywhere, anytime, without a schedule to follow, impromptu plans and places to
see. Luckily the weather was in our favor and it stopped raining and we could
enjoy the beautiful canal walk. </span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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hunt something for which so many people had dedicated their entire lives and we
were going to have a small taste of their dedication. I could feel it rising in
my chest- that feeling you get when you embark upon a new adventure. I know it
sounds childish but when you are in Lochness the aura is such that it makes you
a believer for a while at least. We were going to go on a hunt for the world
famous lochness monster Nesse. It was the last evening cruise for the day and
with hope we took on the journey to see the famous monster of the world. The
orange background of sky was set for us, the only thing left to make it a
successful cruise was for Nesse to show up. The boat radars were trying to
track any activity under the water, any indication that she was there somewhere
close to us lurking below the deep, dark and stunningly beautiful water shying
away from human contact. We weren’t lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her and
the moon had made its appearance in the horizon and we knew it was time for us
to drive towards Inverness where we had made our hotel booking.</span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YgkBql61LXf7mlBOm64Y2Cfq6opzCne8_Kh_NyUl3o7JxK1eplrtTFGywvG7oIeI2m-nWuG1YDLosbhxNMPms8txCiF_sB7HpGenM4ywd6gvvWeHNnLoBAAUnYYTlhEtiiK5HCYQBq44/s1600/IMG_9218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YgkBql61LXf7mlBOm64Y2Cfq6opzCne8_Kh_NyUl3o7JxK1eplrtTFGywvG7oIeI2m-nWuG1YDLosbhxNMPms8txCiF_sB7HpGenM4ywd6gvvWeHNnLoBAAUnYYTlhEtiiK5HCYQBq44/s200/IMG_9218.JPG" width="133" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: baskerville-urw, serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt; text-align: justify;">During all our travels
across the world, we have never been so impromptu about anything. Our booking
is always well in advance. However, this place called Fort Augustine, a quaint
town had enticed us enough that we wanted to stay the night here rather than
driving to our destination in Inverness. We quickly googled to see if there
were any bed and breakfast available and fortunately, found one available near
to us. We cancelled our previous booking and decided to spend the night in Fort
Augustine.</span></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-3047023058156425942019-06-10T21:04:00.001+01:002019-06-10T21:04:38.901+01:00Where there’s a will there’s a way…..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLB8LBQBJPhOCVBKvNWc4gzwsdEyLhe-mr8TL2FssJHkzTgLniv9KZtRH74YNgxOxW_CrbwGJfpZ8ICazxFgRhYhVeHNUXL4o4c1UDSDLrPVtQOaLRg4i1RunBjygQdsCgLrPBfdlQW6pt/s1600/Scotland6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLB8LBQBJPhOCVBKvNWc4gzwsdEyLhe-mr8TL2FssJHkzTgLniv9KZtRH74YNgxOxW_CrbwGJfpZ8ICazxFgRhYhVeHNUXL4o4c1UDSDLrPVtQOaLRg4i1RunBjygQdsCgLrPBfdlQW6pt/s320/Scotland6.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: baskerville-urw, serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">It was a beautiful sunny morning in Fort William when we
all got ready on time and were at the station ready to board the 10am Jacobite
Express. I know my sister really wanted to go on this train and we finally did
make it this time; being way ahead of the schedule so that we didn’t miss this
last opportunity to get on the train together! This train journey is described
as one of the most spectacular journeys in the world. This 84-mile round trip
takes you through impressive routes starting from the highest mountain in
Britani- Ben Nevis, passes by the deepest freshwater loch in Britain and the
shortest river in Britain – Loch Morar and finally rests next to the deepest
seawater loch in Europe – Loch Nevis.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFXiFO9Na5r_gtNnww3hqcWYLC-rAJRAfq8MnpBwUScDlXgbd8tPMm-XzphY-e1D1SCzM3a2kpfuWMVB9Pig6Uaij3cRW7PpkRplVFXuoYnn_6MoHBCiKh5stSnizP-9DNnhL5Rs7pYpv/s1600/Scotland7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFXiFO9Na5r_gtNnww3hqcWYLC-rAJRAfq8MnpBwUScDlXgbd8tPMm-XzphY-e1D1SCzM3a2kpfuWMVB9Pig6Uaij3cRW7PpkRplVFXuoYnn_6MoHBCiKh5stSnizP-9DNnhL5Rs7pYpv/s320/Scotland7.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%;">So, if you want to go see some of the most beautiful
natural landscapes that Scotland has to offer, this train is a must for you. I
think all of us got excited on the train when we approached the 21 arched
Glenfinnan viaduct which has become even more popular because of the famous
train scene of Harry Potter. The train stopped at Mallaig for an hour and a half
where we were able to enjoy walking around the busy fishing port and we grabbed
a quick lunch at the stopover. Later we got back on the train and were on our
way back to Fort William witnessing the spectacular scenery unravel before us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4K4gQKfywAVQACTgGtBKPDkHPpMzSGIIKB19gP-T6qS-qbrde_LwAbomTuZZdzcBhlG_EKTV2FUWywIFfTnKqAwN1jUl9SnqO7upuxCA4EWQ8yGeKYM_v7VwZ2uFAydGBi9Lf_dMsuKJ/s1600/IMG_0420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4K4gQKfywAVQACTgGtBKPDkHPpMzSGIIKB19gP-T6qS-qbrde_LwAbomTuZZdzcBhlG_EKTV2FUWywIFfTnKqAwN1jUl9SnqO7upuxCA4EWQ8yGeKYM_v7VwZ2uFAydGBi9Lf_dMsuKJ/s200/IMG_0420.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%;">It was now time for my sister and I to say our goodbyes to
our small road trip together and meet again back in Stirling in a few days before
I headed back home to Nairobi. The four of us went ahead with our journey to
the Isle of Skye. On our way we were supposed to see the Eilean Donan Castle
but since we’d taken the train in the morning, we’d missed our chance to go
inside the castle as it was closed. Even then we were delighted to see the
beautiful castle from outside, which is one of the most photographed views of
Scotland. The castle might look familiar to you as it was featured in one of
the James Bond movies. This magnificent castle is strategically located on its
own little island overlooking the Isle of Skye, surrounded by water and a small
bridge connecting it to the mainland.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5yw62tCGl0O9MBJb_lUYT5jIzu0JbwIy6zYVPKFzEBo-YZ8PeJq3a1tT9_l8Ks-8N6o3E-9ZMubQ6c2e4L_8VO8ojZrMWUm5-qbIthb8YM4JY1rckNSeaYNvG3QsYZ14pMTOGKCNhMSn/s1600/Scotland8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5yw62tCGl0O9MBJb_lUYT5jIzu0JbwIy6zYVPKFzEBo-YZ8PeJq3a1tT9_l8Ks-8N6o3E-9ZMubQ6c2e4L_8VO8ojZrMWUm5-qbIthb8YM4JY1rckNSeaYNvG3QsYZ14pMTOGKCNhMSn/s320/Scotland8.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "baskerville-urw",serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .15pt; line-height: 115%;">I think one of the most dramatic landscapes that I have
driven through is Isle of Skye. The drive through the mountains, waterfalls,
sea cliffs can’t be explained in words. For hours together we kept driving like
we were the only ones left in this beautiful raw, untouched, unpolluted world
of fairies and greenery. Our resting point for the day was a small cottage
located in the middle of the highland with no neighbors for miles and miles
away. They had a horse ranch where these gorgeous horses with their foals were
grazing. The kids enjoyed watching the foals playing around jumping, kicking,
getting tired, then suckling and fooling around with each other. It was a treat
to see such serene environment where you can see greenery till your eyes meet
the sky. Aakaash enjoyed petting the horses and played with the watch dogs
there. Finally, we called it a night to be well-rested and ready to explore the
final remaining leg of the journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-57633330505901664062019-05-25T18:09:00.000+01:002019-05-25T18:09:17.051+01:00From England to Scotland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-10QaE4Yc5kmJw_181rTgXd7SFlAswWhcKb-eO2upnKKfWLE8ZhfQ0ozZdsBWg1CndN69h61_fbj6J_w11krX_m27YxQYdHP0TQETIvcWTq-iwIbrEFsB9S5S20ZYYBT4grtjWEWM7nA/s1600/Scotland4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-10QaE4Yc5kmJw_181rTgXd7SFlAswWhcKb-eO2upnKKfWLE8ZhfQ0ozZdsBWg1CndN69h61_fbj6J_w11krX_m27YxQYdHP0TQETIvcWTq-iwIbrEFsB9S5S20ZYYBT4grtjWEWM7nA/s200/Scotland4.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, we left Blackpool well in
time to begin our 5 hour drive to reach Fort William to catch the 4 pm special
train – which train – The Jacobite Express. What’s so special about it? Well if
you were a 90's kid you would probably know what I am talking about. It’s the
same train that was used in the Harry Potter movies. This was an exciting day,
especially for my sister who had been a big fan of Harry Potter. Her excitement
could not be contained since not only was she going to see the train but to
travel in “Hogwart’s Express” and be a part of the Harry Potter’s world was
like a childhood dream come true. Many people travel to two specific
view-points just to see the train. However, we were not just going to see but
were going to travel in that same train. For Rinku to be in the exact same
coach where the famous trio - Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley -
traveled to the world of magic was exhilarating. I always complain to my
sister that she is not excited about anything and is always very calm and
composed but to see the light spark up in her eyes and the excitement in her
smile was amazing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EXjstowHPkZ8fu-XCHJgvhzr4C4JLUAZT4pyo24nlpSSTy42v1zTQf-ppmbDvDgSEm9oolNRVgZosb2FQ_QrYB3gxoEIu-9gwYgVQ5eEMYrMt1Ifcbixtrjl_P0I5481VFhKBrMxBGOZ/s1600/IMG_9653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EXjstowHPkZ8fu-XCHJgvhzr4C4JLUAZT4pyo24nlpSSTy42v1zTQf-ppmbDvDgSEm9oolNRVgZosb2FQ_QrYB3gxoEIu-9gwYgVQ5eEMYrMt1Ifcbixtrjl_P0I5481VFhKBrMxBGOZ/s200/IMG_9653.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></div>
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Although sometimes fate has some
other plans. We were doing well with time but just an hour away from Fort
William we came across a very bad traffic jam; as minutes continued to tick, it
came down to just 30 mins before we could reach the train station. I think that
was the day we did break the speed limit and managed to reach the station sharp
at 4 pm. The whole family ran on the platform only to say goodbye to the behind
of a beautiful steam engine. We had missed the last train for the day and the
next day we were to leave for Isle of Skye and Rinku was to leave for Stirling
to have her dissertation meeting with her professor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZf4fr7oW00LKyip8FCt6oRVq1ufIaZ4k1YA4mxcd0rVXDaFjSB8fSOlq0Z-nTOiIW9bznHzqHmies9mJAXDWr6VhVS074aq5lGG9Vg4VoniEQ2MV2JwBupV5rsR1cdr0ln_NO3Y9Otu5/s1600/Scotland5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZf4fr7oW00LKyip8FCt6oRVq1ufIaZ4k1YA4mxcd0rVXDaFjSB8fSOlq0Z-nTOiIW9bznHzqHmies9mJAXDWr6VhVS074aq5lGG9Vg4VoniEQ2MV2JwBupV5rsR1cdr0ln_NO3Y9Otu5/s200/Scotland5.jpg" width="200" /></a>Having missed the train, we still
had some time before sundown, so we decided to go to the Old Inverlochy Castle.
The castle is a ruin but that’s because it has remained unaltered since it was
built in 1280 and has witnessed many battles in its time. The castle is
beautifully defended by a river on one side and other three sides were
protected by moats which are long gone now. Aakaash and the kids enjoyed
climbing the ruins while my sister and I enjoyed walking around the riverside. There was a cute little wooden bridge across the river where the kids enjoyed running around on.</div>
From there we headed to the
Fort William town centre where a Scottish band welcomed us with their
world-famous bagpipes. We then had a meal of traditional fish and chips, just
walked around the town and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We called it a night
and were ready for our next leg of long drive.<br />
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-65504550539618123802019-03-01T21:17:00.001+01:002019-03-01T21:17:52.943+01:00From Wales back to England<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85bJXHOu5H3tWc-PTFvxXIzVUE6RbflerZjjVmT2TmEoMY2-4HSlyYyUIIXZbJvm92rICIexTOpzcu0YxNyLmpA1PReoSE2fsTzUcnJKrE8bRCkY18kVCdU412DD3Jc3PyK4gkewM9n3R/s1600/IMG_9466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85bJXHOu5H3tWc-PTFvxXIzVUE6RbflerZjjVmT2TmEoMY2-4HSlyYyUIIXZbJvm92rICIexTOpzcu0YxNyLmpA1PReoSE2fsTzUcnJKrE8bRCkY18kVCdU412DD3Jc3PyK4gkewM9n3R/s200/IMG_9466.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We left Aberyswyth early in the
morning and today was going to be a full day of driving. It was gorgeous to
drive through the Snowdonia National Park. No picture can do justice to the
beauty that the eyes saw. The seascapes of breath-taking beaches, inlets,
mountains, water bodies and sprinkle of castles were spellbinding. We stopped
at Llandudno and drove around the cliffs of Grand Orme. Unfortunately, we could
not go in the Tram because it was very windy. This is the only cable hauled
tramway in Britain that has been in use since 1902. A little disappointed we left Llandudno
nevertheless the beauty entraps you again and takes you in an awestricken world
of its own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After getting mesmerized by the beauty
of Wales we reached our destination in the evening – Blackpool. I only wish
that I had come to Blackpool during autumn. During the fall the whole town is
lit up with gigantic electrical lights in shapes of different animals, plants,
and different shapes. This attracts loads of tourists every year to Blackpool.
After a full day of driving we were excited to get the opportunity to walk
along the beach. We headed straight to the Pier where there is Coral Island
which is an indoor family attraction. Although it closed, we had a wonderful
time on the pier. If you visit Blackpool in off season, it’s more like a ghost
town, still we enjoyed the scenic view and went on the Ferris wheel from where we
could see the whole town alongside the golden horizon set by the sun diving
into the sea. We walked around at the sea beach and discovered so many jelly
fishes stranded on the sea shore waiting for the waves to come back and claim
them; seagulls were flying high and low bidding farewell to the setting sun.
With that we wished the town good night and headed back to the hotel to start a
new day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-59597530472923543302018-01-31T21:59:00.002+01:002018-01-31T22:11:01.909+01:00Cardiff-Swansea -Pembrokeshire – Borth – All in a day’s drive<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDZw9xPOI4o8MQlYFU28_7pUi6PMyKg66-tC__Hvut2DET4SkwuHHx4W1OqTQj4kyyakrV6lxTDnhIJrMhayBnPe3aQrojux6A6P_4ngxmbWUsErPhbPrY9f_yrhlVt07_-Uz2xR6qSah/s1600/IMG_8900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDZw9xPOI4o8MQlYFU28_7pUi6PMyKg66-tC__Hvut2DET4SkwuHHx4W1OqTQj4kyyakrV6lxTDnhIJrMhayBnPe3aQrojux6A6P_4ngxmbWUsErPhbPrY9f_yrhlVt07_-Uz2xR6qSah/s200/IMG_8900.JPG" width="200" /></a>In the morning we wrapped all our
excitement and started a new leg of our road trip. As a country Wales can come
across to be a peculiar destination for it doesn’t have the glory or the
touristic attraction of England’s Stonehenge or Scotland’s lochness monster
among the famous few. Nonetheless if you are a lover of nature and beauty, it should be on your bucket list. I think Wales takes on a back burner
on touristic destinations because it doesn’t have per se any prominent or world
famous attractions. I think the best decision we made was to drive through all
the countries. This way we had the flexibility to stop wherever and whenever we
wanted, and I am glad that we didn’t go through any travel agent or tours.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Uwt2-03eL_-SnTLBIEwpS0iq0kqQYcMpXkozr725u0SOKIvq6qS5kFxQuAiZ1xmoH17USdsxNbnS-jCw6EQj5_invPY5eO-hUnvZQQsSkFQUpPiV3Az0-8RHmr4lpp6zrLCl1MXLDofe/s1600/IMG_8954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Uwt2-03eL_-SnTLBIEwpS0iq0kqQYcMpXkozr725u0SOKIvq6qS5kFxQuAiZ1xmoH17USdsxNbnS-jCw6EQj5_invPY5eO-hUnvZQQsSkFQUpPiV3Az0-8RHmr4lpp6zrLCl1MXLDofe/s200/IMG_8954.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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So enroute we stopped at Castle
Quarters but for a very short while and then started our drive alongside the
Wales coast line. It was amazing to see a relaxed way of life as compared to
the hustle and bustle in cities. A bright sunny day where people were riding
their bikes, relaxing in the garden with their families, children running
around and playing with no care in the world, the ships parked at the docks,
the whole scenery was beautiful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCLez7xxJ06oDyY3Je57q0NS3dfEWRVeybFQFWGCe1pHsaKuPSGCjxyWDEnlX1aLEodyw0bSTeMoLw3VLlcA4vNhuarBJC8hk-s5XFmk-RW9-RFWnfCNXfLjREKIGLXpNouMFOPF9ZfmI/s1600/IMG_8804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCLez7xxJ06oDyY3Je57q0NS3dfEWRVeybFQFWGCe1pHsaKuPSGCjxyWDEnlX1aLEodyw0bSTeMoLw3VLlcA4vNhuarBJC8hk-s5XFmk-RW9-RFWnfCNXfLjREKIGLXpNouMFOPF9ZfmI/s200/IMG_8804.JPG" width="200" /></a>Our next stop was Oystermouth
Castle which sits magnificently on the hills in Mumbles with the spectacular
backdrop of Swansea Bay. We didn’t realize that the castle is closed on
weekends but that didn’t stop us from clicking a million pictures. Swansea is
the second largest city in Wales and from there we headed to the Mumbles Pier
which has a beautiful view point of Mumbles and Swansea bay making it a place
to explore and photograph. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4FvNo3bJzohInWt3i91kJ6dy0SDmfYjysLxoYP8A-8s7QxdknIVryF6BIDOpOBNqu0xWjUX7O4Q9dEu_Xlk7uRN6T37oAx0VvNKgFAqGKC1p7mN1Y4edgnq6aPL4jexWOzKBwMGRu2TA/s1600/IMG_9032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4FvNo3bJzohInWt3i91kJ6dy0SDmfYjysLxoYP8A-8s7QxdknIVryF6BIDOpOBNqu0xWjUX7O4Q9dEu_Xlk7uRN6T37oAx0VvNKgFAqGKC1p7mN1Y4edgnq6aPL4jexWOzKBwMGRu2TA/s200/IMG_9032.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Later we drove to Three Cliffs
Bay which as the name suggests has 3 limestone cliffs that are jetting out into
the bay. It was so gorgeous with an enormous shoreline of sand dunes made by
the large streams that flows in the middle of the bay. From the <span style="text-align: left;">hillock we had
a paranomic view of the bay and we saw that the low tides had given a man an
opportunity to play fetch with his dog. All this had really tempted us to hike
down to the bay but due to time constraint we had to make do with clicking
pictures from the cliff and kids had a frolicking time rolling around on the
grass.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHOmpWWmEEptOY_XER0IG7r4zPLukK1qWBEwLZSp2R4oEnF9m01aUi0g2CSLNvoTmP6xw1zPYs70okcBBfARCxd6PadAycZ1yB1m5EQ8LICyXOCuIwCAwMGvIRbSiChZUPcJcjar5jQvz/s1600/IMG_9220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHOmpWWmEEptOY_XER0IG7r4zPLukK1qWBEwLZSp2R4oEnF9m01aUi0g2CSLNvoTmP6xw1zPYs70okcBBfARCxd6PadAycZ1yB1m5EQ8LICyXOCuIwCAwMGvIRbSiChZUPcJcjar5jQvz/s200/IMG_9220.JPG" width="200" /></a>We were on the road again driving
through the narrow lanes crossing small towns, breathing the fresh air and
seeing the lush greenery everywhere. We stopped at Rhossili bay which has been
awarded as one of the top 10 beaches of the world. It was perfect weather to be
out on the hillock with greenery all around; surrounded by sheep grazing the
grass, the sea birds visiting from time to time with the beautiful view of the
entire bay. No one could have asked for more. Wales actually can also be called
land of sheep, you will find them everywhere as well as in food menu and in different preparations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2vwzyd6yZ9ZHC7cTz6CskBpYbc3JfFJuB6iVdpi6GVJ8CtupIlTROYaID_LcOZOZZp3_HtoQGNChK0WV3ADhSEYJ2cHHxC8E7I_OcCsxwPhm5pheVU1FDPT0uohaf4FHjqmdHwZgYOTA/s1600/IMG_8935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2vwzyd6yZ9ZHC7cTz6CskBpYbc3JfFJuB6iVdpi6GVJ8CtupIlTROYaID_LcOZOZZp3_HtoQGNChK0WV3ADhSEYJ2cHHxC8E7I_OcCsxwPhm5pheVU1FDPT0uohaf4FHjqmdHwZgYOTA/s200/IMG_8935.JPG" width="200" /></a>Today was a day for just seeing
divine coastlines and Prembrokshire Coast was perfect for this. A lot of people
do days of camping and walking tours also because I think it is the only
uninterrupted walkway of 180 miles in Wales. After all the sightseeing we drove
through the meadows and over the mountains down the hillocks through narrow
roads to Borth which is the only UNESCO Biosphere reserve in Wales. After
driving through the rolling hills and crossing castles we finally reached our guest
house. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8Ox3maGGCtvGwbxThr-9IrsPyNs1b0gkgCFk4yU_a2pK1X4jiyXTwghTDJMTueIVB5YzwmRd9NHhu9fyL7dyjQpWrbwgWiqxbSqjA0Am91OOvlRwPHquTsGYjG-Ku5x7eSwzlwLAOH7Y/s1600/IMG_9327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8Ox3maGGCtvGwbxThr-9IrsPyNs1b0gkgCFk4yU_a2pK1X4jiyXTwghTDJMTueIVB5YzwmRd9NHhu9fyL7dyjQpWrbwgWiqxbSqjA0Am91OOvlRwPHquTsGYjG-Ku5x7eSwzlwLAOH7Y/s200/IMG_9327.JPG" width="200" /></a>The view was gorgeous with colorful row houses which makes the street
very unique and beautiful, making the location even more intriguing. The setting
sun at the coastline which was visible right down the street made the whole atmosphere
very magical. The guest house we were staying in was one of the best, it was
painted yellow and we had a huge vibrant room to ourselves with bunk beds for
the kids. It looked like it had been a kid’s room before the owners turned it
into bed and breakfast accommodation. There was a pirate chest filled with toys
and the kids excitement could not be contained. It was indeed a very adorable
room. We left our luggage and went out to eat. I think we ended up having
Nepalese food which was delicious. We had covered a lot in a day and were ready
to retire, trying to soak in all the events and beauty that we were
wrapped in. I think the highlight of Wales is simply exploring the countryside,
driving through the small country roads, admiring the scenery, moving through
without any agenda, driving by the small towns along the way, stopping where
you like and living life like there is no tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-43448716761838572172018-01-24T15:11:00.001+01:002018-01-25T06:20:39.606+01:00England to Wales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyyMeMAdBmo68qMlGyc-fRLwGlAGtCuaG0OfHrCNF62ysp71cl7OmrbAxyioqc2jg8SnW9-eRW9o6qpeAfHI7dySEivDg9QCazrJrx9NZYvqOrVCIXXH_esFbAFLTBH31jjZ0QwqPvVCU/s1600/IMG_8654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyyMeMAdBmo68qMlGyc-fRLwGlAGtCuaG0OfHrCNF62ysp71cl7OmrbAxyioqc2jg8SnW9-eRW9o6qpeAfHI7dySEivDg9QCazrJrx9NZYvqOrVCIXXH_esFbAFLTBH31jjZ0QwqPvVCU/s200/IMG_8654.JPG" width="133" /></a>After spending an eventful night
at Bristol, we started our journey to Bath. Bath is definitely on the UK
tourist trail coz of its famous Roman built baths. It is a <b>UNESCO World
Heritage Site.</b> The English charm, thermal spas, beautiful churches and
historical buildings do make it a must see for people who like to see culture,
history and heritage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRevaJ2xGjwDiEDlybkWsSE4TkLkkT9phHOD5EcIll-u8XJ8uFqHzPl_KEUSfuV7Uqt42VT2ORB7Gah58-1_jROJ9A-_-pBJWdILcJ-YOhkO51055nS9hRC_oMGEoUDPX_NWFXOlKc__t/s1600/Scotland3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRevaJ2xGjwDiEDlybkWsSE4TkLkkT9phHOD5EcIll-u8XJ8uFqHzPl_KEUSfuV7Uqt42VT2ORB7Gah58-1_jROJ9A-_-pBJWdILcJ-YOhkO51055nS9hRC_oMGEoUDPX_NWFXOlKc__t/s200/Scotland3.jpg" width="200" /></a>You would feel a difference in
the air when you walk along the cobbled streets to absorb the rich history of
this city. I took pictures of the kids at Bath’s Gothic Abbey with the
beautiful backdrop of the grand cathedral. We then headed for the tour around
the ruins of the Great Bath. It’s beautiful but you would never think of having
a bath in that murky green bacteria infested water with tales of radioactive
lead pipes. Anyhow, we went along with the tour and saw beautiful hot springs
inside the building and read, heard and learnt about the history of Roman Baths.
Once the tour was over we stayed a while in Bath, did a little shopping and
then headed to Cardiff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxOEnKSRQhob3oHhpZ5wPEV80rLbQg-PWHJFAKNbCB9k82ACWGf3xCpDS4WJP1EnjG2jWjKw8j-ED7iqoRI6j5GMMYr31lZ1nCcQCa_9nHowaZkOttGoVZjBFAGAoNERqhGKGqM-kA_0g/s1600/IMG_8707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxOEnKSRQhob3oHhpZ5wPEV80rLbQg-PWHJFAKNbCB9k82ACWGf3xCpDS4WJP1EnjG2jWjKw8j-ED7iqoRI6j5GMMYr31lZ1nCcQCa_9nHowaZkOttGoVZjBFAGAoNERqhGKGqM-kA_0g/s200/IMG_8707.JPG" width="133" /></a>On our way we drove through
countless adorable towns. After a point of time I stopped taking pictures and
just soaked the beautiful scenery unfolding in front of me, the rolling hills
of the countryside with sheep grazing, grey sky biding farewell to the lit backdrop, the changing colors of leaves on the trees; all made you feel like
you were in an enchanted world. From England we drove to Wales and once we
reached Cardiff which is the capital and largest city of Wales and the 6<sup>th</sup>
most visited place in the world, we parked our car near the Cardiff central library,
roamed around in the city for a while, had dinner at Bella Italia. While I
waited for Aananya to finish her dinner, Aakaash and Aan went to pick up my
sister from the bus station who was joining us in our journey ahead. Kids were
super excited to have their beloved Masi with them on the journey but we had to
curb their excitement so that they could rest, sleep and be ready for the
exciting journey ahead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-69356312597553573002017-04-24T18:25:00.002+01:002017-04-24T18:28:11.766+01:00Coventry to Bristol (Cadbury World, Warwick Castle and Stonehenge – All in a day’s drive )<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGQimu5l_ZiK5NWo3PhaLDeR5BA0kJ-ZbqFw0C0RqKKnwELWj3fvlFFyN6wkm0qEa_MeuYPgY5qDx-VLjz6r4EE5moOmHcEpvw0MTQzy8Ng3HO02_9gOWX-rjkjCDEm0pY5DGbZlzWURD/s1600/IMG_8427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGQimu5l_ZiK5NWo3PhaLDeR5BA0kJ-ZbqFw0C0RqKKnwELWj3fvlFFyN6wkm0qEa_MeuYPgY5qDx-VLjz6r4EE5moOmHcEpvw0MTQzy8Ng3HO02_9gOWX-rjkjCDEm0pY5DGbZlzWURD/s200/IMG_8427.JPG" width="133" /></a>We started our journey from Coventry to Birmingham where our first stop for the morning was the Cadbury World. Kids were so excited to see the love of their life in its making- chocolates. The moment you enter you are engulfed with the overbearing smell of chocolates and hell ya they do give out free chocolate to taste that eventually you have to refuse because the decision becomes very personal; do you want to gulp more chocolate vs throwing it all out from your system if you consume any more of it. There is so much to do and see like tours, play areas, eateries, music, games etc.; you can spend an entire day there if the chocolate overload doesn’t make you sick. Warning for parents: stay away from the gift shop, the kids go crazy seeing so many chocolates and truth be told so would you. After filling our bellies with chocolate overload and battling to keep everything inside we left for our next stop- the Warwick Castle in Warwickshire.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSriGER67PD-uzXdAxAWOwQmNUPoZ6eCoXNnyJazn9_SITKTdP1kkC8W8MlX_6ro-cBp2I7uME7ZIXqiQBlBqDYPk3I4lsK-8MkbzhyvL_0kOS-1tIP4v11nRx82o0RDX-4M8aUenrz_a/s1600/Scotland2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSriGER67PD-uzXdAxAWOwQmNUPoZ6eCoXNnyJazn9_SITKTdP1kkC8W8MlX_6ro-cBp2I7uME7ZIXqiQBlBqDYPk3I4lsK-8MkbzhyvL_0kOS-1tIP4v11nRx82o0RDX-4M8aUenrz_a/s200/Scotland2.jpg" width="200" /></a>I was already told by my sister that this is a must-see castle and it sure is beautiful. There are a lot of shows that happen during the day. When we reached the castle, jousting was just starting so after enjoying the show we went around seeing the beautiful set up of the castle. There are loads of opportunities to get great clicks with the Royals around and so many wax models with different settings that it made the entire experience a lot more fun discovering different parts of the castle. Later on, there was a birds of prey show which all of us enjoyed thoroughly and then headed to the Princess chambers where only kids were allowed and they felt so special. Finished seeing the rest of the castle, clicked some goofy pictures and right then it started to pour, we knew it was time to head to our next destination.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dXJFdQR5OM2OU9ODOiTmdWaKXJzCLLUwzAIi-guCY3O2YIopEqOoRarknQfJS_5i5FbPV7ZS3DhHjN9bfgezRuaP839F7CrXo9HE6AmhziZujHwHm_bCJ0B_OwXHGAabrsFCwP7tVkCP/s1600/IMG_8582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dXJFdQR5OM2OU9ODOiTmdWaKXJzCLLUwzAIi-guCY3O2YIopEqOoRarknQfJS_5i5FbPV7ZS3DhHjN9bfgezRuaP839F7CrXo9HE6AmhziZujHwHm_bCJ0B_OwXHGAabrsFCwP7tVkCP/s200/IMG_8582.JPG" width="200" /></a>We were to drive through Cotswolds to go to Wiltshire to see Stonehenge which has been on Aakaash’s bucket list for a long time. All of a sudden, we decided to drive through Oxford instead which was a little detour but we said what the heck we can do as we please, all though I’m not sure why we did it but I think we were curious to see the town. One thing that was really working in our favor was the daylight saving. That’s how we were able to drive such a long distance and were able to make it to Stonehenge- one of the most famous UNESCO World heritage sites. It was incredible to see the prehistoric site and the mystery that surrounds it is intriguing in itself. Where did the stones come from and what was its purpose? Apart from it being a burial ground, I wonder if we will ever know the use of these stones. Although we were little disappointed since we were not allowed to go inside due to some restoration/ construction work that was going on, we were pleased with the pictures we took from outside. After enjoying the scenery/landscape, we headed towards Bristol when it started to get dark.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We reached the Inn at 11 pm after driving around 200 miles, we were dying to hit the bed and hurried our luggage to the room. The kids were excited seeing the room and were running in and out. Between Aakaash checking in, filling in forms and formalities and bringing the luggage from the car<o:p></o:p></div>
and me shoving the luggage in the room, I suddenly heard Aananya scream at the top of her lungs. Next what I saw, stopped my heartbeat completely. Aananya’s finger stuck in between the hinges of the door and she was screaming in excruciating pain. I just didn’t know what to do for when I tried to open the door she would scream more and if I tried closing it thinking that it might free her finger she would yell and cry. Hearing her scream Aakaash came running and finally he was able to free her finger. You would think it was over. To my horror our nightmare had just begun. What I saw next I can never ever forget in my life, Aananya crying hysterically looking at her battered blue finger which was flat and deformed. We just ran at the reception asked for the nearest hospital and drove like mad for 10 miles. Landed into emergency but the doctor was on round and we were asked to wait. This was the most unsettling wait I have ever had to do. We had to wait for 2 hours before we got to see the doctor. Aananya had stopped crying by then and was tired and sleepy. The doctor asked us to take an X ray of the finger and asked to give her a pain killer. Luckily there was no fracture and Doctor gave us a thumbs up after which we went back to our hotel and just crashed on our beds.</div>
Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-76589853348757867902017-03-30T20:53:00.001+01:002017-03-30T20:53:28.890+01:00England<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_B0zARqEgvfrXmMvpBiiQIc0Y4K5sjTIDNbqMOB9vEgtYgRykn67rk4cV7CeZuui4o544U3a0L6Qtf3BJdN0c4F1rG5zE3HQI1Z5eyyhDZIR6fQMQ3rImRhzKRhKm5vgO1ZvLJ4GS9uT/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_B0zARqEgvfrXmMvpBiiQIc0Y4K5sjTIDNbqMOB9vEgtYgRykn67rk4cV7CeZuui4o544U3a0L6Qtf3BJdN0c4F1rG5zE3HQI1Z5eyyhDZIR6fQMQ3rImRhzKRhKm5vgO1ZvLJ4GS9uT/s320/IMG_1143.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we were crossing countries by
road and from Scotland we drove to England. This is for the first time we took
a very unorthodox approach for our accommodation. We really had to think
through as to how much time it would take to travel to and fro from the accommodation
we were to book, keeping in mind the traffic and time to leave the city in
order to reach the next destination. Hence, we decided that whatever
accommodation we would find enroute to our journey we would book it. I would
say that we were lucky to find an accommodation on the highway itself. Our halt for the night was at Keswick.
Usually we always read reviews and find out more about the accommodation that
we are going to stay in. However, in this case we didn’t bother much because we
were just staying for one night. While booking we didn’t really know what we
were getting ourselves into but we didn’t bother much because we were reaching
late anyway and were there just to sleep for the night and leave the next
morning. For sure I was definitely in for a shock; and kids were super excited
when we entered this tiny room, the room had 4 bunk beds and that’s it. Nothing
else, not a single piece of furniture not that there was any space to fit
anything else either, we could barely fit our luggage in this tiny room…. The
name of the property did suggest bunkhouse and this establishment was more so
for bikers and had a dorm room set up but still….. There was a bathroom for all
the dorms, separate for men and women and I refused to use the shower
facilities there the next morning, although apart from me everyone else did. A
little walk ahead and there was a kitchen where we had our breakfast and I was
happy to leave the place in a scurry.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXack2QYCURik1GRRLAjvlKloUrP5_F221SG1If-QVYwTPiH6jJBfUH1x-bjVpQx9fd1Ewqt3FMxXJoLPyptqEBrd_VGFogpoGbbq13ev1vL7xIpNWzk73CuTkOkf9sN782Sh7bmIoKeqY/s1600/Scotland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXack2QYCURik1GRRLAjvlKloUrP5_F221SG1If-QVYwTPiH6jJBfUH1x-bjVpQx9fd1Ewqt3FMxXJoLPyptqEBrd_VGFogpoGbbq13ev1vL7xIpNWzk73CuTkOkf9sN782Sh7bmIoKeqY/s200/Scotland.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least the kids were really
excited, they had a great night in their bunk beds and were going to Puzzling
Place. I would really recommend this to all parents – it’s a fun way to play
with science. There is an anti-gravity room, crazy perspective room, illusion
room and a lot more. We all had a blast running to our favorite instruments,
machines/ rooms etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozHphFW8zgkaBXX37bGC3b39UcZ9FOYuX1e5pPlJWWQJLG3LOuCRO52pVNHPuG5rd9PK6NgXwZjcNttbWBlhVbznEYdN61liU9m0RgHzAbeK6QDijAajOwKmNKjPQgzmlcjcgIYBXUShc/s1600/Scotland1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozHphFW8zgkaBXX37bGC3b39UcZ9FOYuX1e5pPlJWWQJLG3LOuCRO52pVNHPuG5rd9PK6NgXwZjcNttbWBlhVbznEYdN61liU9m0RgHzAbeK6QDijAajOwKmNKjPQgzmlcjcgIYBXUShc/s200/Scotland1.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Due to our over ambitious goal of
covering a lot of places and driving through 3 countries in 13 days covering
over 3000 miles, it didn’t give us as much time to explore all the places as
much as we would have wished or wanted to. So, from Puzzling Place we headed
towards Liverpool to see the <b>UNESCO World Heritage Sites</b> - Stanley Dock,
William Brown Street, Pier Head, Castle Street, Albert Dock and the Lower Duke
Street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13KZV2KpvQ-asA5jlLuhQZaxnKGbY5Ri4ls4wNHc4fgJ56w4F7s34Fd4UWlF6rSFqsKXsXqvEGMESr6_GSqXEopSvFaRmt4Gd3i5fK8G9Ly_JTfCEzjMlOmGJp36Y0E4pV_rAF6k2PPdv/s1600/IMG_8358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13KZV2KpvQ-asA5jlLuhQZaxnKGbY5Ri4ls4wNHc4fgJ56w4F7s34Fd4UWlF6rSFqsKXsXqvEGMESr6_GSqXEopSvFaRmt4Gd3i5fK8G9Ly_JTfCEzjMlOmGJp36Y0E4pV_rAF6k2PPdv/s200/IMG_8358.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our way, we stumbled upon
Killington Lake service station and it was just beautiful. All of us stretched
our legs on the lush green pastures right next to the beautiful lake but it was
so windy and cold that we were forced to run back to our car. Once in
Liverpool, it was quite a task to find all the 6 World heritage sites and we
spent most of our time in Liverpool looking for the sites rather than really
getting off and seeing some of the interesting places but then that’s the price
you pay to have overambitious goals to cover a whole lot of distance. Later we
crossed Manchester, although we wanted to spend some time there but we were
running late on our schedule and had to reach Coventry before night fall. The
Inn that we had booked was very comfortable and we relaxed well for the next
day was going to be a very long ride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-26422323925422100802017-02-19T12:19:00.000+01:002017-02-19T12:19:29.579+01:00Scotland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswDyZv0eVvCEGNb92SSLGuh4MF6c41YjJwNz0EtFRMA2xhhKZbl7FBISeAlksqxygxc3IEk5JqktkhXsdXoUEclOoj60Es5g8Ez5Pcw14_R2x1YAuIHxfVq_whXo1ao-xSQR6iEpzMhKa/s1600/IMG_8155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswDyZv0eVvCEGNb92SSLGuh4MF6c41YjJwNz0EtFRMA2xhhKZbl7FBISeAlksqxygxc3IEk5JqktkhXsdXoUEclOoj60Es5g8Ez5Pcw14_R2x1YAuIHxfVq_whXo1ao-xSQR6iEpzMhKa/s200/IMG_8155.JPG" width="133" /></a>I use to think that I am pretty methodical
in doing things till I received a full detailed itinerary from my sister which
even included what time we needed to get up and what time we were to leave for
a place including the time we were to get out of there in order to reach the
next destination.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, in the morning, as per the schedule given
by my sister we got ready and went downstairs for breakfast. The sweet Scottish
lady had prepared a scrumptious Scottish breakfast in her <span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">kitchen downstairs
and we were more than happy to gobble everything into our empty stomachs. Today
was a fresh new day and we were ready to start our first ever 13 day road trip
starting from Scotland, England, Wales and then back to Scotland, practically
doing a full circle around the UK.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR-VGV0QWc7Fmzsdc8vmLkqvUpCbpuWtTJitIVbm8_9523gshTVQk-TNnhzvK_LwWOg5ruxiSKlFr30kz4_UWwVnDJ0xgHIVLNTUPiPnEUSCr-yYOGE7ma5FTqlRe70KLjHEfrvbx7eDW/s1600/IMG_8138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR-VGV0QWc7Fmzsdc8vmLkqvUpCbpuWtTJitIVbm8_9523gshTVQk-TNnhzvK_LwWOg5ruxiSKlFr30kz4_UWwVnDJ0xgHIVLNTUPiPnEUSCr-yYOGE7ma5FTqlRe70KLjHEfrvbx7eDW/s200/IMG_8138.JPG" width="200" /></a>Stirling is surrounded by forts
and I love visiting places with lots of culture and history and our first
destination was the Wallace Monument, located on top of a hill. It was quite a
climb for all of us especially me who is not a fan of walking at all. The 248-steep
spiral staircase is indeed a considerable climb that ultimately reaches the
crown of the monument, nevertheless the panoramic view was breathtakingly beautiful and
worthwhile.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREzhxQ8s_4Nybchk3HghUlSdmaY55Fvb2N1KkfMpS4OFEE3LfVfBJrnITIrOtfsgxnXObJbAo3mYmXdsjV_OxvLT-54fgW-lUdu1vUDbpOvqFPjvAKxRLhWZuE2CEcKRQvJbqdOXAjw13/s1600/IMG_8145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREzhxQ8s_4Nybchk3HghUlSdmaY55Fvb2N1KkfMpS4OFEE3LfVfBJrnITIrOtfsgxnXObJbAo3mYmXdsjV_OxvLT-54fgW-lUdu1vUDbpOvqFPjvAKxRLhWZuE2CEcKRQvJbqdOXAjw13/s200/IMG_8145.JPG" width="200" /></a>After getting our beautiful shots
we went to meet Rinku and saw her cute apartment. It meant a lot to me coz this
is for the first time I saw my lil sis all grown up and staying by herself. She
was really excited to show her beautiful 310 acre Stirling University which is
one of the most picturesque university campuses in UK. Who else can boast of
having a golf course, lake, meadow, woods and a castle in their campus. What
can be better than studying in one of the best universities and right in the
luxurious lap of mother nature. Since she
had her dissertation to finish she couldn’t join us on the trip immediately and
was going to join us later on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIX1qJVigVe330Pjn8opnZdT8c1GOBH8VXq1Y8qid0B_Kb8_ugPV68__t3LhBWLLLqzKcC3BDlnkJ29ZJ6wgxZWzBjKbrUKIzgnczizGCXCLXVR-o32YGiHsJgqOXxYJeZw5pKPghKwDN/s1600/IMG_8215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIX1qJVigVe330Pjn8opnZdT8c1GOBH8VXq1Y8qid0B_Kb8_ugPV68__t3LhBWLLLqzKcC3BDlnkJ29ZJ6wgxZWzBjKbrUKIzgnczizGCXCLXVR-o32YGiHsJgqOXxYJeZw5pKPghKwDN/s200/IMG_8215.JPG" width="200" /></a>Therefore, after dropping her off
to her apartment we started our little adventure towards Keswick. Rinku had
told us to visit the Falkirk Wheel, we had no idea of what it actually was till
we reached the Scottish Canal and wooah w<span style="text-align: left;">hat an extraordinary experience for
all of us. Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift, I didn’t even know that such
a thing even existed. This beautifully engineered wheel raises the boat from a
canal below and transports it to the upper canal. It is one of the very few
boat lifts made in the world. After enjoying the ride, we drove to the neighboring
country England…</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINBlIyw5110L2DtEKsi11fO_eRJoQkZQkZlVvOstbXfpDjImn38nb4BkmUvZJe7B6jibD8s0CHs9ylUjd0Fotnft0UPOF36FSkcaWn-LV9EIOqYv8pTYfIPLZR9E-JdT1wVEAHeJ1b8fx/s1600/IMG_8251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINBlIyw5110L2DtEKsi11fO_eRJoQkZQkZlVvOstbXfpDjImn38nb4BkmUvZJe7B6jibD8s0CHs9ylUjd0Fotnft0UPOF36FSkcaWn-LV9EIOqYv8pTYfIPLZR9E-JdT1wVEAHeJ1b8fx/s200/IMG_8251.JPG" width="200" /></a>It was really cool driving from
one country to the other, stopping wherever we wanted. Although on a timeline
yet defying it sometimes when completely smitten by the beauty of nature; soaking
it all in slowly but surely. Our halt for the night was at Keswick, the Lake
District. It would be totally criminal if we were at the Lake District and
didn’t visit a lake, so on our drive which was almost all along the lake we
decided to stop at one of the viewpoints. The kids had a great time running around on the pier until it got dark and we headed to our accommodation. Every view point we crossed it was fun to see people fishing, some youngsters were just having fun listening to music, eating, dancing, kids playing. The country side really shows you how people can enjoy life without being slaves to electronics. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-27573770464512989132017-01-15T19:29:00.004+01:002017-01-15T19:54:53.463+01:00Stirling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_21Zs8M18juJ8kUdQ8W1F1km7Jp_9uzzUwPdK-daqFffiJ4yB15jP7B5QX8H3l20HPHPzyy9lTdUs2GbuGl9LGML_CXzhL_BZlJ2OKr2eFkhXa8tUKVmQgmKdrEOlzuP9ca6oGUTltx2/s1600/IMG_8120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_21Zs8M18juJ8kUdQ8W1F1km7Jp_9uzzUwPdK-daqFffiJ4yB15jP7B5QX8H3l20HPHPzyy9lTdUs2GbuGl9LGML_CXzhL_BZlJ2OKr2eFkhXa8tUKVmQgmKdrEOlzuP9ca6oGUTltx2/s200/IMG_8120.JPG" width="200" /></a>This time around we planned our trip way in advance, gave
our passports for VISA three weeks before the date and everyone we spoke to
told us that they had got their VISA within one week and thus we had no reason
to worry. All bookings were done, payments made but if you have read my blogs before
then you would know we always end up having some twists and turns in almost all
our trips. So here we are ready to fly out, tickets done, hotels booked and
the main thing NO VISA. <o:p></o:p></div>
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5 days before our
travel date we were confident that we would get the VISA, still positive and a
little nervous tried to find out from few contacts if the process can be
hurried up but no luck. <o:p></o:p></div>
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4 days before the travel date Aakaash finally went to the
embassy and they had no news about the VISA and could not guarantee if <span style="text-align: left;">we would
receive it in another 4 days.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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3 days before the flying date, we were as nervous as could
be and finally decided to cough up the extra buck to speed up the VISA process
however we were specifically told there was no 100% guarantee still. <o:p></o:p></div>
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2 days before our flying date we are sweating and shitting
bricks, yet no new and the embassy people who were a little irritated by our
constant inquiry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 day before our
travel…phewwwww finally Aakaash got the passports from the embassy with our
VISAs… the additional cost to speed up
the VISA process for all 4 of us did mark a dent to our trip but finally we
were ready to board.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu2XYi2BGxi1Xr6SGnpihZX3O8o1_jzdoGpXpsScIALQ8o50_JjWjv5naqighkqQPGr3zkzLYzu9rp6B9cdcvzfuzrhj_1okXhshwqXvfLg2hfTZrfavqbkrwE0jgWJocqGkhOZuZIt6Z/s1600/IMG_8898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu2XYi2BGxi1Xr6SGnpihZX3O8o1_jzdoGpXpsScIALQ8o50_JjWjv5naqighkqQPGr3zkzLYzu9rp6B9cdcvzfuzrhj_1okXhshwqXvfLg2hfTZrfavqbkrwE0jgWJocqGkhOZuZIt6Z/s200/IMG_8898.JPG" width="200" /></a>When all our bearings fell into place, the excitement
started since this was going to be our first road trip and that too with my
sister. First vacay with my sister abroad who was doing her post grad from
Stirling University on full scholarship which for me is definitely one of her
big achievements. Well technically I was going there to visit her and then she
was accompanying us to a few of the places. She couldn’t do it all coz she had her
dissertation to finish. Finally, we started our journey in the morning from
Nairobi and reached Edinburgh at 9:30 at night. We had already booked a car, so
all we had to do was pick it up from the airport parking and we headed straight
towards Stirling which is in Central Scotland. Instead of going to our B&B
we headed straight to where my sister was staying, wanted to surprise her and
was also eager to meet her but it backfired since she was not there in her
apartment and was studying in the library so we just went to our B&B.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHy3yb7fuCYS3HOj5NeqFrGJEddoU0Zp-po7uF4vInXPwU4RluhvADwW_X9tnn2urjxJVLhQNpgi8MHFzFluYyplm2lCRda6TaBhxAXqNo7zErxDg4BeUfU98jvnHCHi6mNNB_AqTbIsQg/s1600/IMG_8803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHy3yb7fuCYS3HOj5NeqFrGJEddoU0Zp-po7uF4vInXPwU4RluhvADwW_X9tnn2urjxJVLhQNpgi8MHFzFluYyplm2lCRda6TaBhxAXqNo7zErxDg4BeUfU98jvnHCHi6mNNB_AqTbIsQg/s200/IMG_8803.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">There was a sweet surprise waiting for us – a beautiful
bouquet which she had left earlier that evening. I really liked the concept of
B&B which I was experiencing for the first time. We were so tired after the
long journey that we just changed and crashed in this cozy little Scottish
house. Tomorrow would be a fresh new day to start our first ever 13-day long
road trip. Was truly looking forward to this wonderful experience of geting up
every morning in a new city.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Let the journey begin….</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-33876009594962792542016-06-08T20:49:00.000+01:002016-06-08T20:49:21.160+01:00Mahe Mahe veh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-pTuyaOioLk570Un2iDhnv8HVq1NOgHooojyieRqTPQMdau9Rpxw4I8JMEm_re1xhwuWFafIOiMTfcKOp1IG4WbtZyprKxrjmQdmJE9uImMrhlp-9R07FeKa52p_4JQjljf0ukprNrYF/s1600/IMG_7444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-pTuyaOioLk570Un2iDhnv8HVq1NOgHooojyieRqTPQMdau9Rpxw4I8JMEm_re1xhwuWFafIOiMTfcKOp1IG4WbtZyprKxrjmQdmJE9uImMrhlp-9R07FeKa52p_4JQjljf0ukprNrYF/s200/IMG_7444.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In an hour our
ferry reached Mahe from Praslin and we checked back into our beautiful Bungalow.
Knowing very well that this beautiful journey was coming to an end, we spent
the last night walking around the beach under the clear moonlit night. We walked
all across different resorts finding our way to an Indian restaurant where the
kids enjoyed their dinner. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">We strolled
back to our bungalow bidding farewell to the star-studded sky - the sound of
the soaring waves were beckoning us to stay a little longer, dip a little
longer.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQemER6q0CiUkiMmI5TuNCpBd8A0kApGuR3UYpCUmEWcE6QlemplqRneeOuE-L8yCuQH9AljjEjP7Mj4hJwnBlVyWeLt49e1fPqpDADPh4QaG86z1dE22rG8K2MFk6EB2_K9i6EMiZ1WU/s1600/IMG_7253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQemER6q0CiUkiMmI5TuNCpBd8A0kApGuR3UYpCUmEWcE6QlemplqRneeOuE-L8yCuQH9AljjEjP7Mj4hJwnBlVyWeLt49e1fPqpDADPh4QaG86z1dE22rG8K2MFk6EB2_K9i6EMiZ1WU/s200/IMG_7253.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Next morning,
we were ready to leave the virgin paradise.</span> <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whenever you are on a vacation the time seems to fly by and
we had to bid adieu to this beautiful country. We were ready to board our plane from the
amazing landing strip to fly back to Nairobi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-10843606604718953322016-05-05T11:14:00.002+01:002016-05-05T11:14:37.464+01:00Praslin – Virgin Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpFRdchmwV-K9PuJHN4pfYWPVG4d_oCUDldMW3g3LSfXchQzByhLCU1zth4LuGWIbHW8ht6zb_pez3F5bS300qJDkjbbuPaa7L2vjwIiHVyBCso2xSfMDruCaMsT_jP8lnH4PFoHgiyBx/s1600/Seychelles7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpFRdchmwV-K9PuJHN4pfYWPVG4d_oCUDldMW3g3LSfXchQzByhLCU1zth4LuGWIbHW8ht6zb_pez3F5bS300qJDkjbbuPaa7L2vjwIiHVyBCso2xSfMDruCaMsT_jP8lnH4PFoHgiyBx/s320/Seychelles7.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Praslin is the second largest island of Seychelles and has
one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It took us one hour to reach
from Mahe to Praslin on a ferry. Waiting on the docks was the owner of our
Bungalow who had come to pick us up. We were yet again staying in a beautiful Bungalow
overlooking the backwaters, we had the first floor of the bungalow to ourselves
that had 2 rooms with a tiny kitchenette and fridge. As usual we quickly dumped
our luggage, hired a car and straight away left to see the only thing that you
can find here in the whole wide world – Coco De Mer – <b>the largest nut in the world</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8OBUr26gAapXlaOvkF3F6fYa9_gur4uLWv6_XKWcdsc21FHWIs4e_FHcaDv5B8nv7E4SxFaDuhQWgKbsXYzhpnWHDzIbWrz3t4OKmClwsads0hkCRdWIwusbuhKdfQElEWPmyGPEzE3/s1600/IMG_7666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8OBUr26gAapXlaOvkF3F6fYa9_gur4uLWv6_XKWcdsc21FHWIs4e_FHcaDv5B8nv7E4SxFaDuhQWgKbsXYzhpnWHDzIbWrz3t4OKmClwsads0hkCRdWIwusbuhKdfQElEWPmyGPEzE3/s200/IMG_7666.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our first stop was Vellee De Mai Nature Reserve which is a
well preserved natural palm forest and is also a <b>UNESCO World Heritage Site</b>. We trekked through the forest for
around 2 hours. I would definitely advice everyone that if you are visiting
Seychelles, you must make it a point to see Coco de mer; since this huge nut
can be found only here in the entire world and it is said that this palm tree
once grew in the depth of the sea.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vbzAH7HH7d8jyY8sCFp8xm5klw57SFqV_Qw_SnAcgWCT-jqoB0u2INGfqugzuwliHO-zy00GgoCA0PLiR-jl8rGSVzsP58uBvN0-6ocwC_Ay7BOsb5iPSciTYmfvEmWLEqqiJLOPo1Ie/s1600/IMG_7731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vbzAH7HH7d8jyY8sCFp8xm5klw57SFqV_Qw_SnAcgWCT-jqoB0u2INGfqugzuwliHO-zy00GgoCA0PLiR-jl8rGSVzsP58uBvN0-6ocwC_Ay7BOsb5iPSciTYmfvEmWLEqqiJLOPo1Ie/s200/IMG_7731.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After our clicks we decided to explore Praslin as we were
just staying for one night only. I drove around the island stopping at stunning
white sand beaches surrounded by hills that were covered by tropical lush green
forest. The beaches are so gorgeous that it gets really hard to leave one to
move to the next one. The beach that I really wanted to visit was Anse Lazio
which is one of the top ten best beaches of the world. However, by the time we
reached the beach we were a little skeptical to get into the waters since 2
years back there was a bull shark attack and although now there was a safety
net around the beach still I was not sure if the net had any holes or not;
knowing the fact that the swimmers had been killed less than 30 meters from the
shore. Anyhow that didn’t stop us for long from getting into the turquoise blue
water.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oJzal5BysAWDDs86Qq_9R09U_7YSI4rn5Dqh61S4cubfsjGj9_Ukg537jch0Zo4OXN1T8ebli4GZcuK3sVvZ1AaCqKXASeZ074ww7nQiCPgkckkupIExRs2tZ0AHpqCB8txU_ttQsTpl/s1600/IMG_7995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oJzal5BysAWDDs86Qq_9R09U_7YSI4rn5Dqh61S4cubfsjGj9_Ukg537jch0Zo4OXN1T8ebli4GZcuK3sVvZ1AaCqKXASeZ074ww7nQiCPgkckkupIExRs2tZ0AHpqCB8txU_ttQsTpl/s200/IMG_7995.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the noon was approaching we all ate but Aananya refused to
eat anything and demanded to eat just tomatoes. Now one thing you must know
that in Seychelles everything is imported. Unlucky for us – Praslin was out of
tomatoes literally. I can’t even begin to tell in how many stores big and small
we went to find tomatoes and found none; finally, someone suggested that we try
a small Indian store where we finally got our hands on the most expensive
tomatoes with which Aananya’s hunger was satiated. We continued to drive around
till the sun set and for supper we did a take away from a local restaurant and went
back to the house. Right across the small street was a big marble table next to
the beach and we decided to have our dinner listening to the water under a star
lit sky. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_nosBAWLslZsRAzrszcvOYkn3gNDxFqn5EIOzj8ABI6SM4Qz0gV1I0J26fHpeQUlJAotkiRnclAmzx7ioRjmIVbSpanwXhoIn7bMcSFMU6XDOU-q4TEaZzPANEWoXA-DPtfNh77NC3h-/s1600/Seychelles6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_nosBAWLslZsRAzrszcvOYkn3gNDxFqn5EIOzj8ABI6SM4Qz0gV1I0J26fHpeQUlJAotkiRnclAmzx7ioRjmIVbSpanwXhoIn7bMcSFMU6XDOU-q4TEaZzPANEWoXA-DPtfNh77NC3h-/s320/Seychelles6.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next morning, we hopped onto the boat from right outside our
bungalow. We stopped couple of times in some small neighboring islands and then
did snorkeling in the marine wildlife park. Finally, we were dropped off at
Curieuse Island where the nature thrives and the man is silent. After enjoying
the beach, we went on a 2 km walking trail where you cross the dense mangrove forest,
and then make your way through the swams go up the cliff and finally reach
where the giant tortoises are. The park is flooded with giant tortoises where we
had fun holding the hatchlings, walking with the giants and feeding them. After
all the excitement died down we went to the other side of the island and took
our final shots at the beach and were ready to head back to our Bungalow. Once
we reached the rooms, we quickly got ready and were on our way to take our
ferry back to Mahe.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-52518480109409023172015-11-26T16:07:00.001+01:002015-11-26T16:07:20.345+01:00Mahe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBG5HcXq_E6U9LAAXbOJmStMHr992Z9T1AITxRKbdurrMAqoalhxfON98FmmzQAWcpQwRxS6RRKlM8jxr9czkOLbHEzWFW0_ajnB3RIvzrxaoLmSZJ00vikt9tK5R7-_Vr4fFXxfA9QJt/s1600/IMG_7537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBG5HcXq_E6U9LAAXbOJmStMHr992Z9T1AITxRKbdurrMAqoalhxfON98FmmzQAWcpQwRxS6RRKlM8jxr9czkOLbHEzWFW0_ajnB3RIvzrxaoLmSZJ00vikt9tK5R7-_Vr4fFXxfA9QJt/s200/IMG_7537.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This was
going to be our first trip from Kenya and we were going for a holiday after a
year. It was just a 5 day trip and Aakaash and I were celebrating 15 years of
knowing each other, so we decided to go to one of the most tranquil places with
powder like white sand beaches and deep blue sea – Seychelles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpb7-4CVX2oFfuvqOtA0ntWDvtbTGTaHkLXKGxIqiqgonIl_D4lumA726OrKIYXHlccxmBkzSvStVf260hyphenhyphenmkCkFw51cqmrQfXAETgTk_2WabWxdph9lFbXQUu85mb4YPRDXKkjytXKBNW/s1600/IMG_7325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpb7-4CVX2oFfuvqOtA0ntWDvtbTGTaHkLXKGxIqiqgonIl_D4lumA726OrKIYXHlccxmBkzSvStVf260hyphenhyphenmkCkFw51cqmrQfXAETgTk_2WabWxdph9lFbXQUu85mb4YPRDXKkjytXKBNW/s320/IMG_7325.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A little
more than 3 hours of flying over the Indian Ocean and we touched down in Mahe
which is the largest island among 115 islands of Seychelles. I have been to
30 different countries and till date no airstrip is as beautiful as Seychelles.
The airstrip was literally next to the ocean. The view was breathtaking as we
were taxing right next to the turquoise blue ocean and were ready to breath in
the fresh air plus the weather was just perfectly romantic. After going through
immigration and security we withdrew local currency and took a cab versus
hiring a car since we were uncertain about the location of our bungalow and the
connectivity of local transportation.There was a viewpoint of the entire Mahe from a hillock which was gorgeous.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlnHV868Bz_yp66bC1q6YJAPDiU4_Zc4jGjTmHTb1ULK5i0h-z6Z_yyMUtJY9QdHUpV5PrVMf56PpWmpaHyPisXxPk_X6vWRaMS-Zac-zFk_VxpMnVIQPZ51VRE_cPqTcOMZ0IiZurEGk/s1600/IMG_7446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIS0eXRi3vha16LHhyphenhyphenBKGIr0m9iS5s1nmAYYmuZN5h6FwnVY5dB2D89Up0crJ6b1JbewlNHTwf-QiJ62N6Mbg0ZnXlR1b25Om_a9EoTbR2g9NvJ2YqCTSihPhBhH1T4BkCfRXUVc7Xd_qd/s1600/IMG_7089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIS0eXRi3vha16LHhyphenhyphenBKGIr0m9iS5s1nmAYYmuZN5h6FwnVY5dB2D89Up0crJ6b1JbewlNHTwf-QiJ62N6Mbg0ZnXlR1b25Om_a9EoTbR2g9NvJ2YqCTSihPhBhH1T4BkCfRXUVc7Xd_qd/s320/IMG_7089.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our hotel was almost 45 mins from the
airport. On the way to our Hotel we drove up a mountain which forms a part of
the Morne National Park that also covers 20% of Mahe and descended onto the
west side of the island towards the beautiful beaches of Beau Vallon. We also drove past a big Indian temple. Initially
we thought of booking a hotel but later decided to experience the creole
hospitality by staying in a bungalow. Well truth be told - most of the good hotels
were fully booked and exorbitantly expensive. However we settled in this duplex
self-catering bungalow right across the beach with the sea view and indeed it
was the best decision we made. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwrw1IZSvUGengzeM5cvIQmy0QmZY5nttCqVLv0qMEIbFToWHRCVJU00hFxxx8yaeMMrTcdnzcFUgTkEO1fWE9YqPWScSCD5Hg4IupBJKdyGor_yzWpV-75FiukRWfngnpapG393kZcG5/s1600/Seychelles1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwrw1IZSvUGengzeM5cvIQmy0QmZY5nttCqVLv0qMEIbFToWHRCVJU00hFxxx8yaeMMrTcdnzcFUgTkEO1fWE9YqPWScSCD5Hg4IupBJKdyGor_yzWpV-75FiukRWfngnpapG393kZcG5/s200/Seychelles1.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This beach
was perfect as few of the other beaches were not very safe coz either they were
very rough or were full of sharp rocks which can really cut through your skin.
However, Beau Vallon beach is considered as one of the best beaches in Mahe as
it is usually very calm, shallow and we could walk in for quite a distance with
kids. The kids had a blast dipping, soaking and splashing in the sea. Further away we could see a lot of hotel properties and restaurants
alongside the beaches. Our Romance bungalow was perched on a small hillock with
a sea view (I am not kidding! That was the name of the bungalow). The top of
the duplex had a king size bed and single bed for Aananya and the lower segment
had one bed with TV which was occupied by Aan. The kids had a blast running up
and down. It was like a single house with terrace and we were staying in the
terrace so when you look down from the railing you can see the kitchenette and
the bed below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApSvbnGDXJ3tzevpSf3yJhs5CzQFEJGVXNqNf6mzkGLu1k8BsljxWtJN5DdfZcfDROc1xkbhvb7DxZG-8eGFPircMVVCDPb3aPXy2Mmd3Pb-vqYDtifpe80y6wfxR437YbzWec6-qGZ1a/s1600/Seychelles2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApSvbnGDXJ3tzevpSf3yJhs5CzQFEJGVXNqNf6mzkGLu1k8BsljxWtJN5DdfZcfDROc1xkbhvb7DxZG-8eGFPircMVVCDPb3aPXy2Mmd3Pb-vqYDtifpe80y6wfxR437YbzWec6-qGZ1a/s200/Seychelles2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
leaving our luggage in the room we spoke to the owners and understood the way
around the island. Although the transportation is good and some of our friends
had used the buses we decided to hire a car since we had a short trip and it
is more convenient. So Aakaash went and hired a cute Nissan March for 2 days.
We just went to the beach and by evening we were tired and did a take away from
an Indian restaurant nearby, came home gobbled our food and slept like babies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BjgkycO_-TPSASh0xgtDHokDCL7lB4eag9_C4Uji-mbslxo5IJIxCDfY7cPQGTfR3QDfIN-0C5EATnGNmGgYyFSvRFjTKZqjGllaOUsTpNVdP2NpMax7gYpO8Pl1qxnFmKgfATyd0Rqc/s1600/Seychelles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BjgkycO_-TPSASh0xgtDHokDCL7lB4eag9_C4Uji-mbslxo5IJIxCDfY7cPQGTfR3QDfIN-0C5EATnGNmGgYyFSvRFjTKZqjGllaOUsTpNVdP2NpMax7gYpO8Pl1qxnFmKgfATyd0Rqc/s200/Seychelles.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next
morning we were woken up by the housekeeper who had our breakfast and fresh
juices ready at our veranda. It was a real treat and amazing experience
smelling and seeing the sea early in the morning with hot breakfast being
served. After the breakfast we got ready and drove all around the island
stopping wherever we wished, hopping from one beach to the other, from one
resort to the next. It was pure bliss since we were spending quality time with family, taking pleasure in little things. Playing games with nature, when the water would recede Aan, Aananya and I would run after it and as soon as the waves would hit the shore we would try to out run it.. Had a great time with the inner child in me as well. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
stopped at a small departmental store filled up the car with knick knacks for
kids. I enjoyed driving up and down the mountains, next to the sea and all
around Mahe Island. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At night when we reached back to the bungalow, to our surprise we got to
know that there was a night market with a local food fair right on the road next
to the beach across our Bungalow. We all had a great time mixing with the
locals and tasting food from stall to stall. Over all it was an amazing experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlnHV868Bz_yp66bC1q6YJAPDiU4_Zc4jGjTmHTb1ULK5i0h-z6Z_yyMUtJY9QdHUpV5PrVMf56PpWmpaHyPisXxPk_X6vWRaMS-Zac-zFk_VxpMnVIQPZ51VRE_cPqTcOMZ0IiZurEGk/s1600/IMG_7446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlnHV868Bz_yp66bC1q6YJAPDiU4_Zc4jGjTmHTb1ULK5i0h-z6Z_yyMUtJY9QdHUpV5PrVMf56PpWmpaHyPisXxPk_X6vWRaMS-Zac-zFk_VxpMnVIQPZ51VRE_cPqTcOMZ0IiZurEGk/s320/IMG_7446.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a late breakfast we were better prepared and decided to sit in
the car with our swimsuits so as to avoid changing our clothes every 15 mins.
We stuffed our car with goodies and were out on the run. Seychelles is a place
to go and chill, there is not much that one can do. So we spent the whole day
driving through Mahe seeing all the most famous beaches of the world. Stopped at a local restaurant with a gorgeous view for lunch and then moved on. We also
visited the Baie Ternay Marine National Park and Eden Island – the Marina at
the Eden Island is one of the most wonderful properties I have seen. </span> <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At night we decided to dine at the same Indian Restaurant since kids were
not willing to eat anything else and then called it a night. Tomorrow we were
leaving for Praslin – a must see island of Seychelles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462474706029094788.post-37662926083285897872015-11-02T19:42:00.000+01:002015-11-02T19:42:22.449+01:00The Big Apple- New York<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ptCSlJ0BXYYRJ6NITUXgQrz59URkbeWk-HryviXU6lo9NsQHWVOuN704BUZuXgcGtwW6Bfodn6KvEb1W5muw4hZf6FX_vSLS7tjDY_8vGRfW2DImntJRY_TfGiRG6JeCG-t7WDurlV-t/s1600/US+Vacation+255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ptCSlJ0BXYYRJ6NITUXgQrz59URkbeWk-HryviXU6lo9NsQHWVOuN704BUZuXgcGtwW6Bfodn6KvEb1W5muw4hZf6FX_vSLS7tjDY_8vGRfW2DImntJRY_TfGiRG6JeCG-t7WDurlV-t/s200/US+Vacation+255.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was our final day in
NYC and one place that was in my checklist was Hoboken – Carlos Bakery. Yes
from the show Cake Boss. I am not ashamed to say I am a fan of his cakes, so wanted
to visit and taste the cake in person. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I usually don’t get star
struck; but I can’t deny the excitement that had filled my face. As far as
cakes and pastries are concerned I think I was short of buying the whole shop.
Buddy – the cake boss was not there but did meet his sister Maddalena. After
buying loads of goodies we chilled out in a park and saw the beautiful skyline of New York.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8myUy0zx2Qqrbzgdz9H5Bzj1tVCsMruczqR_e7GPpw-f3lP9c7zfz0AETA-pgvs99JPnJCEDn6Z0AX3WcPMKdNmYmUWdjvA55wxWzFLS4fg_NSmdBaOAWoD46raD0BP-2GALKo5p-jo6g/s1600/IMG_3188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8myUy0zx2Qqrbzgdz9H5Bzj1tVCsMruczqR_e7GPpw-f3lP9c7zfz0AETA-pgvs99JPnJCEDn6Z0AX3WcPMKdNmYmUWdjvA55wxWzFLS4fg_NSmdBaOAWoD46raD0BP-2GALKo5p-jo6g/s200/IMG_3188.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Later returned to Times Square for our
final goodbye. The NYPD was also there to say bye to us so we kindly graced
them with a pic of ours - basically Aakaash and Aan. Later we had an awesome
dinner at Hard Rock Café and it was time to bid adieu to US. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">This was one of my favourite
vacations and a big tick mark on my bucket list. Little did I know that when I get
back to Lagos I was to get ready for a new adventure of moving to Nairobi,
Kenya. </span><br />
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Sonika Acharya Sehgalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426606562471489472noreply@blogger.com1