I grew up surrounded by trees. A huge variety of them. Like those nostalgic songs that evoke different stages of my life, trees transport me to those carefree days when we spent every spare moment outdoors. I remember the undiluted pleasure of reading favourite books ensconced in the leafy, low hung branches of a cashew tree. Of dawdling beneath the night jasmine, before hopping […]
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Breaking my tiger jinx…and HOW! From zero sightings in over twenty five years of forest visits (including several with a forest officer father-in-law) to five in under 48 hours last weekend! All thanks to the stellar tracking skills of our young naturalist, Mithun Hunugund, who seemed to be able to preempt the movements of every one […]
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The glint of gold on my mango tree!
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Their appearance fit my every romantic notion. Tall, lithe, ebony bodies with elongated limbs, sheathed in bright colored fabric. Short cropped hair on perfectly rounded heads with stretched earlobes. Stunningly beautiful women, weighed down by intricate bead jewelry, who wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of Vogue. Their posture ramrod straight. Their gait almost insolent. But their weary eyes […]
Read MoreI had given scant thought to the hows and whys of blogging in the three years since I started The Urge To Wander. A nomination by the lovely Kathryn, of Travel With Kat, for a ‘Blog Hop’ that requires me to do just that, seemed like the perfect subject for an anniversary post. Thank you Kathryn! And […]
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Photo essay on wildebeest migration in the Serengeti: the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth. Don’t miss the video of a memorable road crossing.
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Awaiting the illumination of the 125-year-old iconic Parisian landmark on a pleasant summer evening on the Champ de Mars, ought to have been a romantic experience. But the presence there of an unbelievably large number of people with the same intention ensured it wasn’t. With no sign of a stubborn sun giving way to dusk […]
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The ‘endless plains’ stretched ahead of us. Tranquil. Seemingly light years from the stressful demands of our life in the big city. The passage of time marked only by the movement of the sun. We were aware by now, after our dawn to dusk game drives in Tarangire and Ngorongoro, that the tranquility conceals a dynamic eco system where the pressures […]
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A room with a view! Happy travels….no matter where life takes you.
Read MoreGrey. That most neutral of colours. Detached, disengaged, doubtful. Neither white nor black. Day nor night. The morning mist. The shadowy veil of twilight. The dismal pall of winter fog. The ghostly whispers of memories. The colour of wisdom and truth. Of life. Presenting a gallery of greys from around the world.
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Ten traffic lanes. Five pedestrian crosswalks. All converging onto the most iconic intersection in the world. An attraction in its own right. When the lights change, traffic comes to a halt on ALL ten lanes. And this huge mass of people – an estimated 2500 at any given time, and a whopping 2+ million per day! – surge forward […]
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An elephant crossing in the Serengeti! This is my first attempt at videography, so do please pardon the quality and the editing. My awe (and nervousness!) is clear to see. Happy Tuesday!
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The Urge To Wander 