Money. We all want it, we work hard to get it, but do we ever stop to ask ourselves how much we really need it ?

Society programs us for the rat race. It automatically subscribes us to the materialistic lifestyle without really soliciting our consent. Success is gauged not by the quality of the life lived but by the quantity of possessions acquired..

Based on my experience while cycling the Manali - Leh route (in Oct 2010) i've compiled a list of Food and Accommodation stops on the route.

I hope this information would be useful to other cyclists who are planning to do this trip. I have also tried to include the approximate dates till which these establishments would remain open, but these days might change depending on the weather conditions. So be a little careful and stock up on extra food when you do this trip in October.

Wildlife volunteering programs offer a great way for someone to experience the rich biodiversity of India. Firsthand, on the ground and out of the relative safety and comfort of a tourist vehicle. They provide you with a wonderful insight into the various wildlife conservation and research activities going on in the country. So its time for you to get off that couch, turn Animal Planet off and go live you own wildlife adventure.

The following are some out of the various of the volunteering programs available in the country. 

Ladakh is a cycling paradise. There is no question about it. The quiet roads, the friendly locals, the serene landscape and high altitude all combine together to provide you a safe, fun, at times challenging and at all times visually stimulating experience that few other locations in India and indeed in the world could hope to match.

I believe that Ladakh offers something for everyone. From the causal holiday cyclist to the hard core enthusiast who'd like to pit themselves against the mountains and see if they can come out on top. I've compiled this list below which summarizes the major cycling routes in the area.

If you love the mountains and love the freedom & the pure wind-in-your-face exhilaration of biking then Ladakh provides the perfect opportunity for you to combine the two and go motor biking in Ladakh. There is no better way to experience this wonderful place, free from the constraints of packaged trips and the safety of civilization biking in Ladakh puts you in touch with the raw unforgiving side of nature.

As you drive through the winding mountain roads and traverse high passes, you can help but be in awe and  humbled by the magnificence of the mountain landscape all around you. This article, will provide you some useful tips about hiring a bike in Ladakh and some do's and dont's with regard to biking there.

My general policy with people is to trust until that trust is broken. But as i was sitting in the van, i started wondering what his game could be. "nobody's that nice", i thought. Especially since he was tout for a hotel and has nothing to gain by giving me this free ride. With my suspicions gradually growing, i suddenly jumped out of the van, grabbed my backpack and went back to the pre-paid taxi counter. 
I got a taxi and as i was entering it i realized that i did not have my camera bag with me!!. Calmly, I thought i must've dropped it at the taxi counter but it wasn't there. Then the realization dawned on me that i must've left it in the hotel van that i abruptly jumped out of. PANIC !!, the prospect of losing my camera and lens collection was a little too much for me to digest. I didn't know the name of the guy i was talking to nor the name of the hotel he worked for. As i wandered around, slowly resigning to the fact that i've lost all my photographic equipment, i spotted him by the edge of the parking lot chatting with his buddies.  Hope trickled in. I told him what had happened, and he immediately offered to help...

Thanjavur, the ancient city of Tamil Nadu and the erstwhile capital of the Chola Empire is home to numerous 'Great Living Chola Temples', the greatest of which is the Brihadeeswarar temple or more commonly known as the Big Temple ('Periya Kovil' in Tamil).

The 1000 year old temple is well known for its architecture and prized stone sculptures but it also is home to some of the most beautiful, vibrant, intricate frescos to be found anywhere in South India. 

Usually people transport their bikes in cardboard boxes, but i felt that having a dedicated bike bag would be better as it is more compact, has more room for accessories and most of all because of the reason that the bag can be stowed away easily at a left luggage counter or in a hotel and can be used for the return trip as well. That last item was the major selling point for me as i didn't want to run around looking for cardboard boxes especially on the return leg of my journeys. The Btwin bike bag being sold in Decathlon looked perfect for my needs so i went ahead and bought it. And here is its review..

Growing up, I had never given eclipses much thought. I remember a few happen around Chennai when i was growing up. The Surya Grahanam was not an auspicious sign and we were usually told to stay indoors when it happened. You were not allowed to take a bath or eat anything during the eclipse. And once it was over, the family would do a small prayer, offer food to the gods and the crows and only then you can get back to your regular routine. Superstition or a ritual with some practical meaning behind it.. I'm not so sure.

Anyway, that was then. Now, i didn't have any such misgivings and the moment i heard about the eclipse from one my friends i made up my mind to go see it.

On the days leading up to the Chinese new year, the whole of China shuts down. I was caught unawares at KangDing and was stuck there for a couple of days before deciding to turn back to ChengDu and go on north towards Songpan and JiuZhaiGou. It was two days before the buses started running towards Songpan and i was on it along with a bunch of other people eager to experience the beauty of JiuZhaiGou first hand. I was also looking forward to JiuZhaiGou as the highlight of my trip and considered Songpan as just a stop over point to kill a cpl of days. I was going to be pleasantly surprised.

A journey along the Manali - Leh highway is bound to be one of the most exciting, adventurous and visually stunning journeys anywhere in the world. The route traverses through some of the highest mountain passes in the world, crossing the Pir Panjal, Great Himalaya and the Zanskar ranges.

The road, traversing through these mountain ranges, takes the traveler to a stunning array of landscapes. The lush alpine forests and grasslands of the upper Kullu valley, the scrubby slopes of the Lahaul region, the snow capped peaks of the Great Himalaya, the ochre mountains of Kiling sarai, the grasslands of the Sarchu plans, the sand blasted anthill slopes leading to Pang, vast rolling Morey plains bowl-like and fringed by low mountains, and finally the comforting descent to the Indus valley towards the first of the many beautiful Ladakhi villages leading to Leh.

This is THE dream... To travel, to be free, to be Rich on Time and not on Money !!

 

Dont you agree ??

The Pushkar Mela was the reason i decided to go on the Rajasthan trip during my 'extended' Diwali holidays. Once i knew that the camel fair will happen in the first week of November, there was no looking back and i wasn't disappointed. Read on..

Ladakh was the reason why i decided to take my bicycle with me to the Himalayas. The lure of cycling in the mountains with its crisp blue skies and snow capped peaks was too enticing to ignore. I had traveled Ladakh by motorcycle back in 2008, but this time i decided that a bicycle would be a better option. Going by cycle meant going slowly.. a 200km trip from, say, Leh to Pangong lake which can be done in a single day on a motor cycle would take 3 to 4 days on a bicycle. Which means stops in the smaller villages, seeing more sunrises & sunsets, more photo opportunities and more interaction with the local people. I had the one thing which i did not have in my other trips, the luxury of time.  

Then i thought that if i was going to be cycling in Ladakh then i might as well cycle TO Ladakh. I knew that i was in no shape to tackle the road but i had a get fit plan. It was brilliant. First spend a month in Rishikesh learning yoga, then spend the next month slowly making my way to Manali on my bicycle by which time i hoped to be fit enough to tackle the Manali-Leh road in early september. 

Har-ki-Pauri (meaning the "Steps of Lord Shiva") is a famous ghat located on the banks of the Ganges river near Haridwar. It is here that the Ganges finally leaves the mountains and enters the plains of North India.

Every evening, the local priests perform a Ganga Aarti ceremony to welcome the revered river to the plains of India. It is a spectacular ceremony of fire and songs, participated and performed by thousands of people who gather here from all over the country..