http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org Your Source for Social News and Networking Fri, 07 May 2021 17:51:43 +0000 en http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/a-much-needed-retreat-from-work-–-river-rafting-in-kolad/
The monotony of city life had been getting to me and I was itching to break away, even if on my own. I couldn't break away far or for too long because I had only weekends off from work which is why kolad rafting seemed like the perfect way to scratch the itch.
Nestled within the lap of the Sahyadris, Kolad is a quaint village located only a couple of hours away from the bustling city of Mumbai. It is the ideal way to spend two days mixing relaxation with a bit of adventure. Rafting in Kolad takes place on the serene Kundalika river which roars into life every morning when the adjoining Bhira Dam is opened.
I was lucky enough to discover Kolad in the midst of the monsoon season because it is during this time that Kolad is at its best. The Kundalika river is vibrant and brimming throughout the year but it is the landscape that varies during the different seasons.
When I went for rafting in Kolad during the monsoon, the mountains and the surroundings were awash with greenery in stark contrast to the perpetually cloudy and grey skies. I was told that the land is relatively barren during the summers and the weather somewhat unbearable. During winters on the other hand, the days are pleasant but the surroundings not as vibrant.
I hired a private taxi to take me to the campsite because it is much safer for a girl to travel this way. You can reach Kolad by other forms of public transport such as train and bus or even take your own car to make for a fun road trip.
I reached the campsite early evening around 5 pm and was immediately directed to my tent. The camp operators were polite and helped me get comfortable rather quickly. I was given some snacks and tea as part of the package to curb the post road-trip hunger pangs. I was told that rafting would take place the following morning and was free to spend the rest of the evening as I saw fit.
I took a stroll around in the light drizzle to catch some clean air and take in the beauty of nature. When I returned to the campsite, I was served a tasty local dinner post which I socialized with my fellow rafters before calling it a night.
I woke up the next morning buzzing with excitement. Post early morning tea, we went to the kolad rafting point. After gearing up and being briefed about the rafting, we tamed the wild Kundalika river over a distance of 12 kilometers as we conquered Grade-II and Grade-III rapids. Exhausted, we took a small dip in the cool waters before going back to the camp for a deserved local lunch.
Post a hot shower, I was ready to head back to the city. I hailed a private cab and was already searching for my next rafting adventure.

]]> Fri, 07 May 2021 17:51:43 +0000 Trinetra News 1 http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/a-much-needed-retreat-from-work-–-river-rafting-in-kolad/ http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/crashing-an-all-boys-ladakh-bike-trip-–-why-should-boys-have-all-the-fun/
"Why are you so curious?", asked Jeet, with a hint of snideness layering his voice. "Not like you are coming along on this trip."
"Why not I added?", referring to their animated discussion of a Leh Ladakh bike trip.
"Girls do not do a Ladakh bike trip", Abhishek added.
And just like that, this girl was doing a two week long bike trip to one of the most legendary bike routes within the country, Leh Ladakh.

We hired monstrous bikes from the city itself and left at the crack of dawn the next day after deciding on the routes, itineraries and doing some final checks.

I was adamant about not riding pillion in the beginning itself and managed to convince the boys to be one of the earlier riders. I had been reading bikes for nearly a decade by then which instilled within them, and me, confidence.

The cold desert, as it is often know, Leh Ladakh is a place unlike any other you will experience, not only in India but all over the world. Every biker in India dreams of traversing this stupefying and mystifying landscapes that has established itself as one of the most iconic bike rides in the country.

We started off from our base in Delhi, riding north towards the idyllic city of Srinagar, moving on to the historic Kargil before finally arriving at our first destination, Leh Ladakh.

Over the course of the next few days, we traversed the Ladakhi terrain, visiting the multi-hued lakes of Two Moriri and Pangong, the sand dunes of Sumur and Hundur hiding in the picturesque Nubra Valley as well as the historic monasteries that rivaled the natural allure that Ladakh had on offer.

What makes a Ladakh bike trip so acclaimed within the bikini community are the open roads that snake through the terrain, extending to infinity and beyond. It was hard to keep our eyes on the road considering all the beauty around us.

We made our way through the winding roads; engines roaring and riders howling. We rode during the pleasant days with the colossal snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas keeping us company throughout our journey.
We spent our nights chowing down on local delicacies and animatedly dissecting the events of the day. I would go to bed every night, tired to the bone but looking forward to waking up and doing it the next day all over again. Such was the vibe and energy of Leh Ladakh.

Two weeks roared by, moving faster than our Royal Enfields on the roads of Ladakh. The gang was already discussing the next adventure as we rode through the thriving green valleys of Manali on our way back to Delhi and this time they included me without even asking.




]]> Fri, 07 May 2021 17:50:57 +0000 Trinetra News 1 http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/crashing-an-all-boys-ladakh-bike-trip-–-why-should-boys-have-all-the-fun/ http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/a-water-baby’s-paradise-–-scuba-diving-in-andaman/ Water baby
I have always had an affinity to water. Every time I step on the beach, the sounds of the long breaths of the oceans fill me with life. The sea calls out to me and I find myself drawn to it like an electron to its nucleus. So when my friend, Mrigank, asked me if I would accompany him to a week long holiday to Andaman I could not resist.

We planned and packed and after a couple of flights found ourselves on the mesmerizing beaches of this tiny island floating in the Indian Ocean. It goes without saying, the moment we dumped our bags in the hotel room, I pulled Mrigank and we were dashing towards the sea.



Discovering scuba
Walking about, taking in the salty air and feeling the crystalline sand under my feet, I saw a few people getting off a boat. Dressed in heavy suits, they looked exhausted but ecstatic.
"They were scuba diving", Mrigank noticed that I was gawking at them shamelessly. That got me curious and laid the foundation for my life long love affair with scuba diving.

After enquiring around, I signed up for a scuba diving course in Andaman and pestered Mrigank to do the same. It was to be my first open dive in the Andaman Sea, the first of many.

Scuba diving in Andaman is arguably the best scuba diving in the country given the blooming coral reefs and the exotic marine life unlike any you will see all over the waters of this country.



The first dive
The day began with a shallow water training session on the shore where a number of scuba newbies had gathered. We learned basic scuba skills such as understanding and handling the scuba equipment as well as underwater communication and simple navigation. While we were all gearing up, I was prancing about like a child and gaping at the vibrant flora all around.

Once we were all set, we got on to a boat that took us to the middle of the Andaman sea. Our scuba diving course in Andaman was well and truly underway.

We stopped at a spot not too far from the coast where the water was as clear as polished glass. One by one we went in with the instructors in tow and descended to the depths of the pleasant and gentle waters.

What lay in front of me is a sight that will forever persist in my memory. A whole world hiding beneath the cerulean waters. Fish of all colors and sizes ranging from shrimps, sea horses to clownfish.There were corals glowing with fluorescent hues under the light of the morning sun with sand so white that it could put snow to shame.

Scuba diving in Andaman not only added depth to my love for the ocean but also reignited my passion for all adventure sports as I contemplated staying back and doing more dives on our way back to the shore.





]]> Fri, 07 May 2021 17:49:46 +0000 Trinetra News 1 http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/a-water-baby’s-paradise-–-scuba-diving-in-andaman/ http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/an-anniversary-to-remember-at-the-valley-of-flowers/ "Really? Has it been five years?", was Abhey's response to my comment that our five year anniversary was looming large. That reply disappointed me, but at the same time, it spurned me into action. That reply confirmed what I already knew but did not want to admit; our relationship had lost its luster
I browsed the internet for ideas to reignite the lost spark and the idea of an adventurous trip caught my attention. We had, after all, met on one such occasion. As I looked through the different adventure activities in India, treks seemed the most appropriate and one among them, the valley of flowers trek, seemed and sounded the most appropriate.
Averaging about a week, the trek cut through the Nanda Devi National Park. A world heritage site, the valley of flowers is bustling with well over 300 different species which includes the exquisite Blue Poppy as well as Brahamakamal, something that stirred the nature lover within me.
The valley is home to not only these radiant flowers but also thick forests of rhododendron and oak in which live diverse wildlife like red fox, Asiatic black bear and musk deer as well as the elusive snow leopard.
After much pushing and prodding, a reluctant Abhey took some time off from work and we made it to the valley during the monsoon months, just in time for the blooming season. With new flowers blooming every day, the valley of flowers seemed like it was alive, changing its looks and coloring itself anew every few hours.
Abhey's grumpiness melted at the first sight of those rainbow colored hills and the trip only got better on from there on out. We hiked on stony roads that zig-zagged their way through the flowering meadows glowing in all colors from lemony yellow to snowy white.
Located at a comfortable altitude of 3650 meters, the valley of flowers trek is of moderate difficulty which explains why we had so many first-time hikers in our trekking group. We spent time socializing with the others but mostly kept to ourselves because this was time that we had taken out for each other.
We also explored Auli, a hill station that rivaled the valley in terms of appeal by its virtue of its alpine beauty. The group as a whole also visited the Badrinath temple and the Hemkund Sahib gurudwara, two places of worship, famous not only in Uttarakhand but all of India.
The two temples mesmerized us in much the same way the Garhwal Himalayan ranges seduced our senses with their crispy air and stunning vistas. None of these, however, came close to replicating the feeling we experienced when we first laid our eyes on the valley carpeted with flowers.
It instilled within us a sense of wonder and awe, unlike any we had experienced in a long time. As we held hands and sit amongst the flowers, we found joy within us and we found each other once again.



]]> Fri, 07 May 2021 17:48:51 +0000 Trinetra News 1 http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/an-anniversary-to-remember-at-the-valley-of-flowers/ http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/rebranding-india’s-party-town-with-scuba-diving-in-goa/
Go goa?
Monotony and boredom become an ever-raging battle as you continue to grow older. At no other time was this more apparent to all of us than when we were riding our rented scooters through the charming by-lanes of Goa for the umpteenth time and found it to be tiresome. We were in the holiday capital of India and we were bored out of our minds.

Luckily, one of my friends spotted powerful allies in our ongoing battle with the usual; novelty and a sense of adventure. A board that advertised scuba diving in Goa was just the thing we needed to add depth to our holiday. We looked at each other nodded with glee.

We contacted the diving school right away and booked a dive for the next day. We had rediscovered excitement and adventure; it was hiding under the pristine waters that surround Goa all along.

Pre-dive
We reached the beach earlier than our instructed time. The instructors greeted us and geared us up figuratively with a quick briefing session. We then took a relaxing boat ride to one of the nearby islands from where we were going to dive. We had humpback dolphins keep us company throughout our ride.

Our instructors pointed out a number of historic and monumental buildings all along such as the Modern Light house, Governor's Palace, Aguada Fort among many others. I, however, could not peel my eyes away from the golden glow cast by the morning sun on the pristine waters of Goa.

We geared up, literally this time around, getting into our dive suits once we reached the island and went through a scuba training session to get ourselves ready for the adventure that lay ahead.

The hidden world
We had consumed videos and images of scuba diving the night before but no amount of Googling could have prepared us for what happened next. Following our trained instructors we dived into the sea. A whole world, unlike anything I had ever imagined, was hidden underneath these turquoise waters.

There were fish of all shapes and sizes that swam right past us. Coral reefs that gleamed in a million different colors. This world underwater seemed alien but at the same time strangely familiar. The soothing silence accentuated the feel and the visual appeal.

At first I was tense and nervous but a few minutes in I was lost to the splendor that had captivated me. I did not even realize when the 30 minutes of the dive were up. It was only when the instructor pointed out that some of us were running out of oxygen, that this underwater spell was broken.

We spent all our time on the boat and in the scooter as we headed home discussing the dive. Scuba diving in Goa had allowed us to see not only Goa but the rest of the world in a different light.


]]> Fri, 07 May 2021 17:47:35 +0000 Trinetra News 1 http://www.sometimes.dofollowlinks.org/News/rebranding-india’s-party-town-with-scuba-diving-in-goa/