The Parrot's Breakfast

It was a regular weekday morning. The getting-to-office rush mode was on. Which usually means a hurried breakfast. Suddenly a movement outside the open window caught the eye. A yellow flower was falling down gently. First thought was it must have dropped off by itself. And then another yellow flower floated down. And then another, and another. So me got up to the window to investigate. The flowers still kept falling at regular intervals. Looking up at the tree managed to find to locate our mysterious flower-picker.

The parrot picking the flowers

There it was a small parrot, hopping from branch to branch, nipping out one flower after another, taking a bite at its base before moving on to the next one. It was a thoroughly mesmerizing scene as all the office rush was forgotten (albeit momentarily!) while watching the parrot move from one flower to the next. And the ground below was soon littered with discarded flower petals.

The wonders of nature! In all our rushed existence, very seldom do we get a chance to sit back and admire Nature's handiwork. This was one of those moments!

P.S. Managed to get a couple of clicks of this parrot (not too great though).

The yellow flower lined ground

P.P.S. Second flower related post in quick succession now after पुष्प की अभिलाषा 

Who is in the Cage?

A typical July Sunday morning in Mumbai. Its raining on and off. Bright and sunny one moment and raining heavily the very next, as if a shower tap has been turned on. 

Heard the sounds of the rain drops and looked out of the kitchen window. And spotted an unusual sight. A squirrel moving around the kitchen grill, probably in search for food or shelter from this sudden rain or maybe both. Up and down the grill it went for a while. Long enough for me to run off, and get my phone for a picture. After a couple of clicks, it probably realized that the infiltration attempt had been noticed. And it disappears from sight.

Such a wonderful shot has to be shared immediately. And so the squirrel gets it moment of fame as its mugshot gets posted across social media. 

The picture got a couple of interesting responses

• "Hard to say who is caged"
• "They will be happy if we don't infiltrate their world"

And as is wont with the human mind, such philosophical thoughts lead to more philosophical thoughts. Yes, it is members belonging to the homo sapiens who have created cages for themselves with their endless needs and wants. As well as the tendency to accumulate for the future. Very few other species think beyond the present moment. Certainly no other thinks beyond the current season. All other species are capable of roaming around as is their wont, but homo sapiens have modified their existence to come back to the cages that they have built for themselves.

And as for the second comment. We have already infiltrated their world and the world of every lving creature on the planet. No other species has caused so much damage to the rest of the eco-system as us. Human activity has changed the very face of the earth, building artificial environments like cities and farms, depleted natural resources and in the process wiped out many plant and animal species. And in spite of having done irreparable damage to the eco-system, there are many amongst us who live in complete denial. 

Had read somewhere that Homo Sapiens are 99% animal and 1% human. And it is the 1% human which is the cause of nearly all the troubles in the world.

Isla de Calma: Diu

Isla de Calma or the isle of calm, is how the tiny island of Diu, off the coast of Gujarat is advertised. And coming from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, this tiny island with a population of 21,000 seems an altogether different world - an island of calm and tranquility.

The little island packs in something for everyone - modern water sports, with Hindu temples, a 400 year old Portugese church, an old fort, a war memorial, clean empty beaches and even a natural cave system all within its 40 square kilometers area. Little tourist attractions are coming up all over the township.  It even has its own music festival (Missed that one)

It can be accessed via road from Gujarat being connected via a bridge and has its own little airport as well. And being an Union territory, there is no prohibition here. What you don't see are people and traffic. The best way to move around the island is to hire a two-wheeler (which is not that expensive). There is not much of a market here. 

Here is a small pictorial journey of the place.

A Model of the INS Khukri on display at the War Memorial

INS Khukri remains India's only warship to be sunk in battle. It was torpedoed by Pakistani submarines during the 1971 War. 194 men aboard the ship lost their lives.

Plaque commerorating the sailors of INS Khukri

The Naida Caves - natural wonders created by the forces of nature over millions of years -  a geologists' delight

The 5 Shiv Lingas - and it gets washed by the waves during high tides

Lord Shiva - with the backdrop of the Arabian Sea

Roads of Diu - Clean, tree-lined, well-lit and mostly empty 

St. Paul's Church - built in early 17th century

The fort bells - ringing in since 1720

Zampa Gateway - entrance to the walled town 

The twin-branching Hokka trees - found all over the island

Diu tourism building small tourist attractions like a dinosaur park all over the island

Sunset Point - there is something beautiful about lying back on the sand and watching the sun go down the horizon across the sea

Best part of the trip, hardly any crowds. You can easily become one with the nature. A perfect getaway from the maddening rush of the daily life. And as this ad says. it is the isle of calm.

Singapore Diaries: SEA Aquarium

Continuing with the Singapore Diaries.

One of the highlights of the Sentosa island is the Sea Aquarium. Till some time back it was the largest aquarium in the world. Its a good showcase of the sheer variety of marine life. The multiple shapes, sizes and colours of the sea are on full display here.

Here is a small pictorial journey of the place.

A wrecked ship with a variety of marine life swimming around.

The whole school moving and turning as one unit is a beautiful sight to behold

Dolphins

Light emitting jelly fish. Also available in blue, green and white.

Is is fish? Is it a snake? Is it a plant?

Question same as above? Or a horse?

Sharks

Crabs

Leopard fish

A type of mollusc

Another school swimming along

Colours ...and more Colours

Entertaining, Educative and Fun Place.

Singapore Diaries: Sentosa

In the second part of the Singapore Photo Diaries, taking a picture tour of the island of Sentosa.

Sentosa is a tiny island off Singapore connected to the mainlands by underwater tunnels. Sentosa is a major tourist attraction where tourists can spend a lot - time as well as money.

It is home to multiple theme parks, many restaurants, museums, aquarium, resort hotels, casino, sports facilities and an unique sound and light show held on a beach.

The entrance reminding of a castle from Disney films

The Casino

A view of the integrated resorts

You are being watched

A sign welcoming you to a dance party

Its Singapore, so the Mer-Lion has to make its presence felt

"The Wings of Time" - a sound and light show on the beach. See it to feel it.

To Be Continued...

Singapore Photo Log - Marina Bay

Singapore - a tiny island nation on the southern tip of the Malay peninsula. This city state is roughly the same area as Mumbai and having a quarter of its population.

History Fun Fact - The country was colonised by the British. Got independence from the British in 1963 as part of the Malaysian federation. However it was expelled from Malaysia through an act of Parliament in 1965. Quite odd given that the world map has been shaped on the basis of kingdoms trying to expand their respective territory.

That probably has helped in Singapore becoming one of the ultra-modern commercial hubs of the world. The city state has also created a massive tourist infrastructure to boost up its financial powerhouse stakes.

Following is first part of a photo blog series depicting Singapore. 

The pictures below are of the area around the Marina Bay - one of the major tourist and business hubs and also host of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix race.

The Mer-Lion

The part-fish part-lion statue. Appropriate symbol of a seaport whose name literally means the city of lions in Sanskrit.

A panoramic view of the Marina Bay

Panoramic view - night shot

The lights of Singapore

Its all lit up

Modern architecture - They have a canal flowing inside a mall with actual boats floating in them

The replica of the The Thinker

The watch shop - inside the Marina Bay Mall

The Versace collection - after all it is one of the highest net per capita income places in the world

A very interesting and apt name for a restaurant

Some more pictures from around the city/country in the next part.

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

About 50 km from Bhopal, in Central India, is located one of the earliest archaeological sites of India. The cave shelters are estimated to be nearly 30,000 to 100,000 years old. The well preserved cave paintings depict the life of the early man, showing scenes of hunting, horse riding, various animals and group dancing. All of these done using stone tools. 

As with most ancient places, Bhimbetka has also been associated with the great mythologies. It is said that the name भीमबैठका  has been derived from the fact that Bheem used to sit and pray here and hence the name.

Below are some pictures from a recent trip to this majestic structures, which are part of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The place is awe-inspiring with natural rock formations marked with little drawings from our "ancestors". The line drawings and use of stone tools give an idea of how much evolution has taken place over these thousands of years. 

The Majestic Rock Structures. There is a little temple within the rocks.

The entrance to the caves. The monsoons have made the entire place green and clean.

A sight to behold

The work of water over the millenia

Figurines have been added to depict the social life of the early man

Mammoths - Interestingly similar paintings have been found across the world 

The "zoo" - Drawings of various animals

Going to War on horseback

In all, a must see place for all historians, archaeologists and geologists. Nature is the best preserver.