Good Morning

Dated: 1st April 2009

There was no rain this morning though the sun took some time to vanquish the thick clouds hovering over the city. Halfway into the walk, I sent an April fool text to a friend in Guwahati which unfortunately did not yield a response...She was well aware I thought! damn!! Anyway, the air was fresher after yesterday's heavy downpour and I proceeded to my destination - a vantage point on a hill overlooking the hills that interlock and spread beyond Mawlai Mawtawar to Pomshala, Mawiong, Umiam, Umroi....

I took the path that started from Mawroh into the Forest Department protected area which steadily rise to an elevation that offers one a bird's eye view of the NEHU campus and surrounding areas. Along the way, there are many monoliths erected by our ancestors. Of course there is rejuvination of life with the rains... like the wild pink blossoms, insects and birds.

Monoliths (Mawbynna)

Blossoms unfolding

A forest dove nervously flies to branches that offer more protection perhaps

A sloth of a moth.. lazily resting

This dragonfly's striking red colour caught my attention

Along came cuteness

Dated: 30th March 2009

I first caught a glimpse of this furry cuteness when I visited Mei's home in Mawroh after my morning walk last Saturday. I later came to know from the owner that he goes by the name Poppy! When I entered the gate, he was playing with a bone on the grassy lawn. I took ample pictures of him and lifted him to hold him close to my face as one would usually do to someone small and extremely cute. I didn't mind his wet tongue licking my face... I was just filled with a certain happiness. Such is the miracle of life in small packages... you can't get enough of it.

Finally paying attention to my calls and gestures

Lifting him up above my head

The 'Damn! I'm cute' look

Trying to make him jump

He is a bit shy when you give him some TLC in front of the camera

Pegions in GK-2

Dated: 16th and 17th March 2009

"Aye masakali masakali uda matakali matakali..." goes the song in the Hindi movie Delhi-6. Masakali is the name of the white pegion seen in the movie. And so it happened that as I was standing on the balcony of Jishnu's flat in GK-2, New Delhi, I spotted familiar feathered friends and maybe Masakali's friends as well - Yellow-footed green pegions. This time I clicked using Jishnu's Nikon D80 camera - a slick toy - employing full zoom.

A yellow-footed green pegion spots a branch to land on

Green and beautiful

There were of course lots of Rock Dove Pegions in the area. They normally congregate on branches of the Red Silk Cotton standing in the nearby park.

Landing on a branch

Landing on the ground

...and there were other feathered friends as well. These are small and pretty sunbirds. I felt they deserved a place here even though the pegions came in earlier.

A Black Sunbird

A Purple Rumped Sunbird (female) relishes some nectar

Treks - David Scott Trail (Mawphlang) and Mawlynnong

Dated: 21st February 2009

David Scott Trail (Mawphlang to Nongsken)

The David Scott Trail is one of the most beautiful treks (walks) Meghalaya offers. The more popular walk is a 4 hour trek from Mawphlang to Sohra (Cherrapunjee). But we took the lesser known 2 hour walk from Mawphlang to Nongsken village.

The took us past clear streams, valleys, forests and a village. David Scott Trail was the British political agent during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century operating in the Khasi Hills. The trail runs from the Borders of Assam, across Khasi Hills to the Bangladesh border.

View of the valley and the meandering river

The river near which we stopped for lunch

Grandpa resting

My sister clicked this one. We were half way then (between Mawphlang and Nongsken)

A kid poses

Kids playing. I'm happy with this shot

Other kids like to jump :-D (Thats Peter and Lenny)

Dated: 25th February 2009

Mawlynnong - the cleanest village in Asia

We drove through Pynursla. The road is good, (thanks Lenny) making the drive very enjoyable indeed. It took us about an hour from Shillong to Pynursla and then we drove a further 26 kms to reach Mawlynnong.

There are about 100 households with a population of about 400. Residents cultivate broomsticks and also practice farming. Both private and public eco-tourism are being currently promoted, and this village would benefit much from such an intiative.

The drive. That's Peter's car ahead of us

A boy with his pup he holds so dear

My sister jumps

The rock (maw) used for religious rituals by ancestors of the village

Another view of the rock. Pretty impressive I thought

The tourist guest house atop trees at Mawlynnong village

Bamboo bridges connecting one room to another atop the trees

A lady prepares tea for us at a tea stall

My sister enjoys the view from the 'sky view' platform (again atop trees). On a clear day one can see the vast open plains of Bangaladesh from here

The bamboo structure that leads to the sky view platform

Enjoying the view from one of the bamboo bridges connecting the guest house to the bamboo balcony. The balcony can hold the weight of 6-8 people

Thats how they bind the bamboo together...with special creepers

Tree mushrooms like organic satellite dishes

Quite moments in the forest

Dated: February 2009

The thing about beauty is that you begin to understand and behold its truest manifestation only when you seek it more closely...it always opens your mind.

It always pleases me to see close-up photographs taken of things of interest.

A tree mushroom with striking bands of blue and red

A beauty blossom

The woods where I go for morning walks

A spider's web craft

A bee warming up for its morning duty of nectar collection

Moss growing on the bark of a pine tree

A coccoon...silvery metamorphosis

Ready for wind dispersal






Innovation of a spider

Bath is Beautiful

Dated: 6-7th September 2008

A weekend in Bath was a good decision...I'm thinking to myself now as I write, that I have to return to Bath for more finer moments to savour.

A bench situated at the edge of the rock-fortified wall along the footpath where we walked. I like the 'character' of this bench, made lively by the rich green environment.

A view from the Bath Skyline. I took a walk up the hill overlooking the Smallcombe Vale. It was worth it - the fresh air, the green grass and trees, the beautiful flowers attracting bees and birds and friendly people along the way are a source of great joy and delight.

These tender looking tree mushrooms caught my attention. I would not have noticed their 'tenderness' if the sun had not shone on them.

Another view of Bath from the skyline. There were riped black berries all along the way.

A view of the bridge over the river Avon near the city centre.

The river Avon froths as it flows past the magnificient buildings of Georgian architecture.

There are 50 pig statues all over the city with different artistic presentations. Pretty peculiar I thought, but then bacon is so popular...

Evening cityscape

Dated: 4th September 2008

I took a walk to St. Katherine's Dock and went further to the Tower Bridge. The Thames offered an appealing view as the sun sets.

A ferry cruises towards the sunset along the Thames.

As the sun sets, I took this shot through a circular design of the railing bordering the Thames.

The Tower Bridge over the dried tall grasses.

Woman and Dolphin in symphony.

Dated: 2nd September 2008

It is always a different look and feel when the evening sets in a big city like London, and it is such a pleasure to see how the pictures come out.

The London Eye lights up in the evening sky.

London double decker buses in a row.

The London Eye seems to tower over the cityscape.

The view to the east of the bridge.