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Losing balance

 It is nothing short of a defining moment for a young nation like ours. A scientist, educational reformer and climate activist is on a hunger strike for 19 days for a just cause and the government is turning a blind eye to the problem being highlighted.  Can we pause for a moment and keep aside our presumptions about Mr Sonam Wangchuk and think logically about the issue at hand? Or have we gone so past caring that unless the guy dies and a movie gets made on him, this time highlighting how Phungsuk Wangdu tried his level best to raise the standard of education in India, raise awareness about climate change and demanded statehood for Ladakh, only to meet the ire of the center and to be labelled as an anti-national and a Chinese agent (ahem...racism!) while the other idiots merely looked at the proceedings like some uninteresting reality show that only deserved a moments attention amongst the million other clickbaits and ragebaits that demanded more attention?  The world is...
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Sonam Wangchuk and the wider Nexus

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             Ladakh is home to at least 7 major glaciers, including the Siachin Glacier, famous for being the world's highest battlefield. Climatically, it is classified as a cold desert, home to some of the most unique animal species, including the elusive Snow Leopard, the cute-looking Himalayan Marmot, the Blue Sheep, the Eurasian Lynx, and the recently spotted beauty - the Pallas Cat. With an average altitude of 11,500 feet and 35% fewer oxygen molecules to breathe in as compared to the mean sea level, life in Ladakh is not everyone's cup of gur-gur tea.      On my first visit to this unique region, the one thing that struck me and has remained with me ever since then is the warm hospitality and kindness of the locals. It wasn't put up as a show for tourists like us; it was an innate part of their nature. They care for each other, for their environment, for the mountains and even for the outsiders who visit them and bring them a piec...
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Location: Ladakh, India
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Pangong Tso

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And here they fell, The bravehearts in blue Fighting a battle already lost Their blood smeared across its icy cold shores But today nobody cared For all we knew Was the reel shot at the Pangong Tso         The road to Pangong Tso is rather precarious, yet interspersed with some amazing views on the way like the one above. Everywhere you see in the region of Ladakh, the mountains are bare, smooth, multicoloured and unfortunately, pretty fragile. One heavy shower, and the sand and gravel that the mountains are made of might just come tumbling down. They may remind you of the sand mountains made at the beach, flat, once the waves come and go! And that's a pretty scary feeling.  Zzzzzzz....Naa....the first rule of travelling in Ladakh is never to sleep when climbing up or down a mountain, nor when you are in any of the half a dozen highest passes of the world. That basically consists a majority of your journey. So the thumb rule ...
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National Highway 1

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Jullay!       When in Ladakh, you'll realize one thing very quickly. Your journey is going to be as beautiful or sometimes even more beautiful than your destination. This is one such route. The Leh - Srinagar Highway or NH1. So picturesque is the road, that you will never realise that you have travelled about 217 km till Kargil!      We began our journey at around 8 a.m. Pretty early, considering it was just our second day in Leh. It is advisable that you rest for a minimum of 1-2 days in Leh to acclimatise yourself to the high altitude, cold weather and the less oxygen.  Leh is barren. Well, most of it anyways. In the recent years, a number of trees have been planted in the area to increase it's level of oxygen so that it can accommodate the increasing number of tourists. This is usually your first stop on the highway. The Gurdwara Sri Pathar Sahib. Managed by Army personals, this is a pleasant place to stop by. Do take blessing...
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Location: Leh
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Goa: Seven Secret Sacred Spots!

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        This blog post is dedicated to my friend Chandrakant Shinde (Chandu) . Chandu, you are the one who inspired me, not once, but twice, to take the off-beat path when it comes to the beautiful state of Goa!        Being a resident of Goa, Chandu would often say during our University days, "Whenever people think of Goa, all they can imagine is beaches, babes, and booze. But my Goa is much more than that! We are blessed with nature's bounty! We have dense forests hosting a huge biodiversity, serene villages, a rich history, temples, churches, winding roads leading to nowhere...come explore that once and you will never feel like going to the rowdier parts of Goa."        And explore, we did! I'm sure the list below is going to be on the top of your bucketlist for your next Goa trip!        So here we go! 1. Nature's Nest, Tambdi Surla A cabin in the woods! That's the exact feel you...
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Location: South Goa, Goa, India
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