July 2011: Whirlwind Tour of San Francisco courtsey NB

Visited the famous Fisherman’s Wharf & Pier 39 area on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It’s among one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions. The place is certainly a melting pot with a heavy sprinkling of curio shops, boats, ferry operators and a dash of nostalgia of times gone by. The wharf area is about 20 mins drive from the Golden Gate bridge. The area experiences very sudden drops in temperature so do carry some warm clothing (preferably a wind cheater).

We stopped to sample wares from Ghirardelli and Boudins. While the olive jalapeno bread from Boudins’ was certainly warm & delicious, the ice cream at Ghirardelli’s left a lot to be desired – doesn’t hold a candle to our “Naturals”. The chocos from Ghirardelli were tasty though. It was packed with crowds, cars, boats and birds! The Trams reminded me of the ones plying in Calcutta and like the ones in Calcutta I didn’t get to ride one. The sea gulls were noisy, rude, intrusive and a definite traffic hazard!

The views are lovely be it of the Harbour and the Golden Gate bridge or that of the Alcatraz. The streets are cobbled in some places & the gardens are neat & well maintained. Alcatraz certainly looks foreboding & cold in the vast blue of the bay and as the notorious Californian fog rolls in, it does give one a nasty shiver down the spine. Of course then you spot all the tourists in the ferries capturing their time at/in/ with the “Rock” and reality checks in.

The fog brought with it not only poor visibility but a rather nippy breeze which had us rushing for our jackets & stoles. It was easy to understand why the crowds suddenly were heading for all the bistros offering hot chowder & a respite from the icy winds.

We quickly snapped up the sun lions sunning themselves in the fading light – obviously they were better insulated! – and we huddled our sorry selves into a shop selling kites. We spent there an amazing few minutes admiring the variety of shapes, enjoying the myriad colours on display & though the temptation to purchase one flying machine was great but then I settled for a few pictures of them.

Drive back to San Mateo was via Union square, a brief fly by the famous Wells Fargo stage coach and the crooked though picturesque Lombard street (you can still spot Alcatraz from here!).

Oct' 2009: Birding venue - Kesarwala (near Raipur), Dehra Dun courtesy Aunty I & Mumsy.
Would love to go back & visit again! Spotted among others - the robin, magpies (noisy bunch too!) and a lonely pond heron patiently biding his time.


 

Birding: Jai Mahal Palace Hotel, Jaipur, October 2010

A regional planning meet held at the Jai Mahal Palace hotel, Jaipur in October 2010. While the intense sessions, hectic schedule & power point presentations kept us on our toes, the warm hospitality & service extended by the hotel staff comforted us. Food & bio breaks were cut short to keep the paparazzi in me at bay. Spotted - Red Wattled Lapwing (commonly called Titerry) easily recognized by its familiar “Did-you-do-it” call and the rather shy Pied Wagtail. Both species are commonly found in India appeared well adjusted to human presence.

The Lapwing is a rather trim looking bird, of the plover variety, with a trade mark red wattle around the eyes & bill, short tail and thin yellow legs. The Lapwings were noisy (incessant chants of did-he-do-it), perennially hungry and tenacious. They were usually found near the grill outside so the incessant chanting was probably to find out if the chef had apportioned some tidbits to them or not – the greedy pigs!

The pretty looking India Pied wagtail was rather chubby (like a bulbul) shy and unfortunately chased away too soon by a rather rude pair of crows. Thanks to the constant wagging of the tail, this little birdie is among the most easily recognized. They are insectivorous, commonly coloured in black & white.

One member of the furry arboreal variety insisted on being captured by the shutterbug & these pictures will tell you why!

Oct’2009. Visited the “Mini Tibet” based in Clement Town, Dehra Dun.
The Mind Rolling Monastery is about 20mins drive from centre of the town. It was a crisp early morning & the silence was palpable (such a change from Mumbai)! The air was filled, intermittently, with the sounds of the morning chants & we spotted a few monks diligently circumambulating the main prayer room on a meditation path all the while rotating hand held prayer wheels. There are a few pretty chortens & some rather imposing stand alone prayer wheels. There are also several rows of Tibetan prayer wheels & we gleefully set some in motion!

The gardens are well maintained & prettily displayed the winter flowers. For the shopaholics, an small curio shop is within the campus – it was closed as we were much too early! Tibetan momos to Madrasi dosais are available in the many eateries at the shopping complex. Close by is the imposing Shakyamuni Buddha statue consecrated in 2007 by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. At the time of our visit some restoration was underway. The statue is said to be among the largest in Asia.