Heels on Wheels

It starts from home!

2011-12-21T18:15:00.025+04:00

We go on an annual pilgrimage every year - HOME, to Assam. Out of the lane-adhering, centrally cooled and glitzy comfort of Dubai, the chaos, the medley of all things unnerving, the disorder and the cacophony of the homeland welcome us with open arms and we feel at home, instantly!

This time we made a one-day stopover in Kolkata to say a courteous 'hello' to relatives who had heard six years ago that their dear nephew had married an Assamese girl. It was time to show up and take in the smothering of affections in platefuls of fish curries, luchis, shukto, kosha mangsho, roshogolla, misti doi, and the likes.

I had spent the formative years of my life in the City of Joy and any opportunity to see it again is lapped up with alacrity. The juicy double-egg double-chicken roll at Nizams, crowded New Market, bustling Park Street and a quick bite at Peter Cat, Victorial Memorial, jhaal-muri (spiced puff-rice) at Prinsep Ghaat, paan, Maidan...brings to life my childhood memories at any daylight hour. This time, we did it all together!

Here are a few photos to share a few more places to show you. CLICK ON ONE PHOTO TO ENLARGE AND EASILY SCROLL THROUGH THE REST.

A chana-wallah in front of the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. These little packets of spiced nuts and condiments are a perfect snack as you leisurely stroll the gardens.

Like many other grand monuments of that era, the Victoria Memorial too, is a standing testament of the

British glory and India's riches. On the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Lord Curzon, who was then the Viceroy of India, struck the brilliant idea of building a stately memorial for her, at India's expense of course! The sycophant princes and the generous people of India responded graciously to his appeal for funds. The total cost of construction amounting to one crore, five lakh rupees was entirely derived from their voluntary subscriptions.

The race!

The Vidyasagar Setu is the second bridge over the river Hooghly, linking Kolkata to Howrah. The first is the iconic Howrah Bridge. The Setu is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India. The above is a sunset view as seen from Prinsep Ghaat.

An insider's list of must-dos in Kolkata - Eat the delectable bakes at Flurry's, gulp down a beer at Peter Cat, eat Jhaal-muri and puchka (gol gappa), hunt down Nizams in New Market and sample the no-frills Mughlai food, take a walk in the Victoria Memorial gardens, join a game of football at the Maidan, catch the sunset over the Hooghly, go on a roshogolla-eating spree, try one of each dish at Oh! Calcutta (believe me, they are so worth it!)

Over to Assam.

Finally the grace-saving first trip to Kaziranga National Park was going to be a reality for S, after having circumnavigated Masai Mara and the likes for all things wild. For me it was the 4th visit. So parents in tow, we set out into the wild!

The Park spans across the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is more famously known for its star resident - the one horned rhino. Two thirds of the world's single-horned rhinos have made Kaziranga their home and are found abundantly in the Park and even on the adjoining highway and paddy fields! Kaziranga was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and boasts of the highest density of tiger population in the world.

How to reach Kaziranga - You can fly into Guwahati and drive about 239 kms (5-6 hours). Alternatively you can also take a connecting flight from Guwahati to Jorhat and drive 97 kms (2-3 hours) to the Park. If you prefer chugging all the way, the nearest rail station is Furkating (80kms), connected by trains from Delhi and Kolkata.

Where to stay - Bonhabi Resort - homely comfort (http://bonhabiresort.com/), Iora, the Retreat - modern amenities with excellent food options (http://www.kazirangasafari.com/), Aranya Govt. Lodge - budget-friendly and convenient location (http://www.india-wildlife-tour.com/wildlife-resorts/kaziranga/aranya-lodge.html), Wild Grass Lodge (http://www.indiatravelite.com/northeastindia/wildgrassresortkaziranga.htm), Jupuri Ghar - Popular (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g858488-d1067334-r58484561-Jupuri_Ghar-Kaziranga_National_Park_Assam.html), in addition to others.

When to go - The Park remains closed from 1st May and reopens in November. According to the local guides, Feb-March is the best time to spot wildlife when the tall elephant grass is control-burnt.

What greets you - Rhinos, and lots of them! Elephants. Birds, local and migratory. Wild boars. Buffaloes. Reptiles. And if your celestial stars are in the perfect position - A TIGER!

Here's what we saw:

Guess what's this! Insects, lots and lots of them. On our way from Bogijaan to Jorhat.

@ Thengal Manor - a heritage bungalow in Jorhat.

The bungalow, built in 1929, belongs to the illustrious Hem Barua family of Assam and is now a WelcomeHeritage property. The sprawling grounds have a fruit orchard, a naam-ghar (vaishnav place of worship), a pond, a vegetable patch and the well-preserved printing press which published the first Assamese daily newspaper - Dainik Batori - in 1935.

Being in the habit of rummaging through 3 countries, 6 cities in a week's time, S and me were raring to go after Thengal Manor. So off we went to Nimati Ghat, from where we would take the ferry to Mou Chapori Resort in the middle of the Brahmaputra! Hopes were dashed and plans were dampened when we learnt that the resort was closed for public as it was hosting a conference on Tea. I ambled along aimlessly along the banks of the river and put my camera to work.

Burra Sahib's Bungalow in the middle of the Kaziranga Golf Course.
This is another heritage house for tourists set in a trance-inducing landscape of rolling greens and endless tree plantations. We stopped here for breakfast and were met with a very strange response. "Actually we serve breakfast to only in-house guests", said the Manager. NO, this is not the strange bit, what followed is. Below is the conversation between S and the Manager:

S - Can we take a look at the cottages.
Manager - Err...mmm...Sir, where are you from?
S - From Assam, but staying in Dubai
Manager (all perked up) - Sure Sir, while you take a look at the cottages, I'll lay out a hot continental breakfast for you all. Ma'am would you like your bacon to be grilled or fried?

I bet he thought we'll pay for the breakfast with gold biscuits! We enjoyed both the breakfast and the attention!

When you drive through miles and miles of tea plantations - what's the instinctive urge? Buy tea in bulk. While the clan was busy wrinkling noses and feeling every grain, a beautiful butterfly kept my lens amused.

Next stop Deka Sang Resort in Sonapur for authentic Assamese food made in hollow bamboo stems or sunga. The food is mixed with all spices, placed inside the bamboo stem (end sealed off with banana leaf) and slow-cooked over fire. A lot of references are found online if you want to know more about this unique way of cooking.

We ordered chilly pork dry-fry, sunga-saul (bamboo rice), sunga-pork, sunga chicken, pura maas pitika (fish chargrilled and mashed with onion, green chillies and coriander) and maas patot-diya (fish steamed with spices in banana leaf). Here are the platefuls that had our selfless attention and devotion!

Tired from the sojourn, we spent the remaining days with family in Guwahati. And as I write this I am tired of typing and inserting so many photos into a single post. Thankfully the last set of photos are kind of abstract and need no introduction with the exception of our niece Babi, who surely deserves special mention! Till next time...

One friday morning in Dubai

2011-12-17T14:13:00.002+04:00

The mornings are lovely now. Cold. Breezy. Warm. Sunny. Fresh. All at the same time. Surprisingly S said the unthinkable - I am going out for golf tomorrow at 7! He generally wakes up that early only if there's an earthquake. I seized the opportunity to fulfil my long cherished desire of an early morning photo shoot at the Dubai creekside.

Here are the results. Hope you enjoy!

Posing

Fresh!

Contentment doesn't need the world, it lies within

And a lovely breakfast with the golfers at Golf Cub

Just observing the world go by

Experience shows

Lucky number 8

Beauty by day, terror at night!

His majesty is on the move!

Catch of the day

Lazy

Getting started for the day

Supervising

Hello!

Stealthily this little cat gets ready to lick off some leftovers

Who says animals and birds don't have expressions?
Doesn't this one look curious?

Keeping an watch

Leafy delights

The sunlight played smart on the bags,
bringing the yellow to life

An unassuming seagull

The blues mesmerize

The man and his wheels.

Loved how shadows play on the subject

Sit. Rest Admire.

The miles covered!

2011-12-14T14:10:00.000+04:00

Copyright - Ipsita Barua

For us, deciding on a vacation is quicker than decisions at a supermarket shelf. Along the years of taking long, short and very short vacations, we have learnt that the more you think the lesser the chances of you boarding the flight.

Our mantra - Dump the work (the office ran just fine even before you joined, right?), stop counting the bucks (unless you are saving up to dethrone Gates), split up your leaves and combine it with public holidays (am sure the TV, the couch and the bed dread public holidays, give them a break, will you), AND JUST PACK YOUR BAGS!

Our first wise buy after marriage was the Outlook Traveller Weekend Getaways. The worn out pages would plead mercy as the weekend approached. Staying true to our Rs. 200 investment, we were unstoppable and braved the heat, rain and chill while travelling to Manali, Shimla, Kasauli, Corbett, Sariska, Parwanoo, Ramgarh, Panna, Khajuraho, Goa, Diu and many other lesser known but delightful retreats, all in a year.

We would sincerely like to thank the Outlook Traveller Weekend Getaways Guide for having faith in us and for tirelessly guiding us. And oh! Did I mention that generous heaps of excitement and fun came free with the guide!

Our international track record since 2005 till date:

Singapore - Nothing like it, seriously!
Thailand - As varied as its curries!
Hong Kong - Small and mighty!
Malaysia - Truly Asia!
UK - Stiff-lipped!
Scotland - Slanjevar!
France - Feel the romance, feast on the cabaret!
Italy - Delightful pizzas and piazzas
Switzerland - Postcard dotted with cows
Austria - Lesser cows
Germany - hic hic...hurray for Oktoberfest
Czech Republic - Old world charm
Amsterdam - We went there?? Really? The last I remember was the space cookie
Belgium - Bring on the waffles!
Norway - The only place to see a troll - a souvenir shop
Denmark - Carlsberg, one of the greatest gifts to mankind
South Africa - Only place where you'll find a leopard in a vineyard
New Zealand - Sheep on your dinner plate, in pastures, in sweaters, in chocolates...everywhere!
Kenya - Welcome to animal kingdom
Oman - We are neighbours!

So ladies and gentlemen, there's a lot to keep you coming back for more! Keep watching!

Happy blogging to me!

2011-12-13T16:41:00.000+04:00

For starters, let me count the people who would be really happy to see this piece of pure web genius called Blog to my name:

Better half, Saumen B
Sister, Poppy
2 Moms, 2 dads
429 Friends (please check my Facebook list to see if you are included)
10 first Cousins
A handful of aunties and uncles who kindly praised my scribbles I used to call poems!

& last but not the least puppy paws Buddy who has planted a soppy lick on my cheek to get featured here!

What is it about? Certainly not roller skating, in case the title misleads! For those who know me or us (no split personality, just the husband), it's about what we do best - Travel! It will feature flights, destinations, itineraries, maps, tips, photos, events and everything else that keeps me going!

Bouquets and brickbats are welcome!