tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25111113400159558392024-02-07T04:33:03.979-08:00VandyTravelsGal Travel with VandyVandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08286743051232886183noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2511111340015955839.post-4486379743187677262012-03-31T04:24:00.000-07:002012-05-11T04:36:02.888-07:00The sound of silence in Lodi Gardens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is almost something magical about the silence in Lodi Gardens. Lovers make out in silence there.Auntiji's walk by without their usual chatter.Writers come by here for inspiration. You can actually hear the silence where human sounds are drowned out and all you can hear is the ducks quacking..the birds chirping.. and the squirrels chittering. It's a little bit surreal for India. In fact all the respective factions looked upon at disapproval at one noisy youngster indulging in noisy horseplay,while the couple making out passionately(but silently) in the grass nearby was discreetly ignored :D<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful lawns at Lodi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful lake in the gardens</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View above from my spot in the grass</td></tr>
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The extensive gardens have several archaeological monuments within them.It's like a bit of paradise with some history thrown in..what more could you ask for?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last Mughal ruler of India's tomb</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the tomb</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fort in the garden</td></tr>
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And yes...I'm quite hopelessly in love with this place.Don't expect me to be really objective about it.:)<br />
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Vandy's Tips:</div>
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<li>Close to Jor Bagh Metro Station.However it might be better to get down at INA,since you have better chances of getting autos to Lodi from there.</li>
<li>Visit the nearby Indian Habitat Centre(IHC) by foot.Several interesting cultural events happen here.A food court is also present in IHC.</li>
<li>Humayun's Tomb is a nearby attraction.I went directly to Lodi that day since I was desperate for a spot of green after living in Gurgaon's concrete jungle.</li>
<li>Lodi is pretty safe for women.I was just one among the several women who were there alone.Of course try to be there between 07:00 -18:00 hours,just in case. Better safe than sorry.</li>
<li>Don't litter in Lodi.If you do,I just might kill you.Leave this one pristine piece of earth alone!!</li>
<li>Young couples apparently come here to make-out without any interference from the guards and the police. I did feel amazed that no 'maama'(Chennai lingo for police) was present to collect 'vasool'.</li>
<li>It would be wonderful to catch sunset or sunrise in the gardens.And yeah,you have free entry to this place.</li>
<li>A few heritage walks are conducted here by the archaelogical department and some amateur groups.I plan on catching one next time.The history in this place just makes it extra special.</li>
<li>The Lodi Gardens was apparently a one time popular film shooting spot.You never know..you may still catch a few here by random.</li>
<li>A book,some snacks,a bottle of water,sunglasses and a mat should be enough to make your day here if you like spending time alone like I do.</li>
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</div>Vandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08286743051232886183noreply@blogger.com1New Delhi, Delhi, India28.635308 77.2249628.4123265 76.909103 28.858289499999998 77.54081699999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2511111340015955839.post-44140288314914493672012-02-26T04:16:00.000-08:002012-03-19T21:10:16.167-07:00Vandy travels to Jaipur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">With just a weekend to spare before my Mom's
trip back to Chennai, we decided to head out of Gurgaon for a short trip. Jaipur
was the most logical choice, being just 4 hours away from Gurgaon.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We boarded a crappy bus run by one of the many
private bus companies in Gurgaon at IFCO Chowk. The seats were dirty and
the bus was in a rickety condition. A truly miserable ride compounded by the cold
winds that blew through the cracks in the bus. The people at the bus stand
advised us to book the VOLVO buses for future trips.<i> Lesson #1 learnt</i>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Finally, when we landed in Jaipur and reached
our<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d1019920-r126168394-Jaipur_Friendly_Villa-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT">B&BJaipur Friendly Villa</a>,we heaved a sigh of relief. We took advantage of the
cosy room,and rested for a few hours. Shveta, our host at the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d1019920-r126168394-Jaipur_Friendly_Villa-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT">JaipurFriendly Villa</a>, told us that several of Jaipur’s tourist attractions are
located in the old city, reachable either by walk or by cycle rickshaw.
So after a yummy breakfast, we headed out to the </span><st1:place style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" u1:st="on"><st1:placetype u1:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place></st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on"><st1:placetype u1:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:placetype></st1:place> in the old city by auto-rickshaw<span style="font-family: Georgia;">. We just wanted to do
a relaxed tour, so we decided to skip the tourist bus or hiring an
auto-rickshaw/cab for the day.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bird's eye view of City Palace</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Intricate marble exteriors of City Palace</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The City Palace has splendid architecture and
visual appeal. I found out a curious fact about one of the rulers of the Rajput
dynasty. He had a patron who took his widowed mother and him in after they got thrown out by his uncle. Based on the advice of a poet, he killed his patron and seized his land.
And he had the poet executed afterwards. Apparently he disapproved of the advice, even though he followed it out of his own greed. The Jaipur royal family mourns
this day every year to this day, by wearing black. An amusing example of royal
hypocrisy if you ask me!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hawa Mahal</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Strategically placed windows to spy upon the world and not be spied upon!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Hawa Mahal, closely located from the City Palace was built for the women of the royal household. It has several tiny windows,
which provide a view of the outside world, without revealing the women to the
commoners.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Jantar Mantar, a World Heritage monument is an interesting scientific monument that provides the date and time based on the sun
and moon’s position. Also closely located to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
it might be a worthwhile bet to rent one of the English audio guides available here to understand the intricacies.It's also possible that it might be an interesting experience to hire a local guide,and watch him spin a new story each time about the instruments there :p</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">After visiting two palaces, we developed
'palace allergy' and wanted to see a fort. A trip out of the city to visit
Amber fort was probably not worth the trouble it resulted in. We managed to get
pick pocketed on the way back in our bid to save money by using one of the
several city coaches which ferry people between the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Old</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>
and the fort.<i> Lesson #2 learnt. :)</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We decided to recoup our losses with some
hearty street shopping, by heading back to the old city. Jaipur has this in
plenty in addition to being filled up with palaces and forts. You literally
have vendors pulling you inside their shops along Hawa Mahal Bazaar, Bapu
Bazaar and Johri bazaar. We picked up some Jaipuri puppets, kholapuri slippers
and several other knick knacks along the way.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">One of the best things we discovered on the
way was the yummy Pewar, a cottage cheese(paneer) based sweetmeat at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304555-d806096-Reviews-LMB_Hotel-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html">LMB
Hotel</a>, Johri Bazaar. LMB is apparently famous for its mithai, and especially
it's Pewar.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbuwp1vBY2TpdVXK7s0kmt5XINq5qrGDXEyuJOgfyru94hHchOoAti_m0LVwH0pIEloebfo9m_byTgF85X4ZWyVZ7usB_nXU3JvD5KoYOLBSpIgccOuiN3aQCq2yM7VmofXBp-ZAsnWo/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbuwp1vBY2TpdVXK7s0kmt5XINq5qrGDXEyuJOgfyru94hHchOoAti_m0LVwH0pIEloebfo9m_byTgF85X4ZWyVZ7usB_nXU3JvD5KoYOLBSpIgccOuiN3aQCq2yM7VmofXBp-ZAsnWo/s640/IMG_3088.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pewar at LMB</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Vandy’s
Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -18pt;">Book a train from or the KSRTC Volvo buses if you're travelling to
Jaipur from Delhi/Gurgaon. The buses run by the private operators’ sucks, and
from the looks of it, not particularly safe either.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -18pt;">Several of Jaipur's attractions are located quite close to each
other in the walled old city. A really budget option is the KSRTC bus which
operates its starting point from the Railway station or KSRTC hotels. A more
relaxed option would be to hire an auto-rickshaw for the day for 300-400 Rs. However,
if you're fit enough to walk or use a cycle rickshaw, you could just take an
auto to the city, and then walk around for the rest.The last and most expensive option of renting a cab for the day,is only for those who really don't feel they can handle the touts or have some physical disabilities.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -18pt;">A combo ticket is available which gives you a reduced price on entry to Hawa Mahal,Jantar Mantar and a couple of forts.I tried purchasing this ticket,but the counter guy claimed he had run out of tickets! You could try your luck though.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -18pt;">Don't miss out on the Pewar at LMB. It's truly spectacular.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Jaipur, like any other tourist city is prone to tourist scams and pickpockets.
But hey, they'll just try to cheat you out of a few hundred bucks or try to
make you buy some crappy knick knack. It's not really known for violent crime. So
just chill out, and chalk it up as a not very expensive life experience :)</span></li>
<li><st1:street style="text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Jaipur Street</span></st1:address></st1:street><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -18pt;"> shopping is fun. You
will end up being surprised by the stuff that you can buy for 100 bucks. Just ignore the starting price the vendor quotes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -18pt;">Read <a href="http://the-shooting-star.com/2009/01/23/royal-rajasthan/">Shooting star's rajasthan guide</a>,Lonely Planet's thorntree forum and my favorite <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Jaipur#b">Jaipur wikitravel</a>. Jaipur is part of the popular touristy 'Golden Triangle',so there's no dearth of information about it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -18pt;">Next time,I'll be making a trip to the Jal Mahal,which I glimpsed on my way to Amber fort.It looked truly lovely,and I heard that many an Indian movie song has been shot here.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">P.S: I went a bit crazy with Picasa 3,so please forgive my mild photographic offenses :)</span></div>
</div>
</div>Vandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08286743051232886183noreply@blogger.com5Jaipur, Rajasthan, India26.917 75.81726.6904685 75.501143 27.1435315 76.132856999999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2511111340015955839.post-88380441395410969332012-02-18T09:41:00.000-08:002012-03-16T03:24:57.734-07:00Vandy relocates to Gurgaon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This is probably going to
be the first of a series of posts on </span><st1:place style="font-family: Georgia;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Delhi</st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-family: Georgia;">
and Gurgaon. I recently relocated to Gurgaon from Chennai, for a job role
within my company, more suited to my interests and aspirations. At least that’s
what I tell most people, so that they stop questioning my sanity. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia;">Why would a non-Hindi speaking tamilian girl
relocate to Gurgaon/Delhi, an ostensibly unsafe city with ‘bad people’ lurking
around?</i><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Actually, I don’t really
have any sensible answer to it. I just decided to move, because I could. Maybe my
travel feet were just getting antsy, from being grounded in Chennai for the
past 1.5 years. Earlier to that I was travelling a lot to </span><st1:place style="font-family: Georgia;" w:st="on">Europe</st1:place><span style="font-family: Georgia;">
for company work, and my travel fix was sated by that.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Coming down to the
reality…it’s been early days in Gurgaon and Delhi.12 days to be exact. I’m staying
in company accommodation in Gurgaon, with my mother till the end of the month. I
get a cab drop to and from office to my hotel. I could have an insulated
existence if I chose to. But when has that ever been my way? My mom and I have
been stepping out of Gurgaon, quite a lot, thanks to the excellent services of
the Delhi Metro.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>On Dilli…</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We’ve been tripping along
the popular shopping joints in <st1:city w:st="on">Delhi</st1:city>...Karol
Bagh, Chandni Chowk, Janpath, Pallika Bazaar, <st1:place w:st="on">Connaught</st1:place>
place,Dilli Haat and Lajpat Nagar. I’ve been learning Hindi numbers by bargaining
with the shopkeepers and the rickshaw chaps. And astonished at the range you
can bargain with. They reduce the price to 10-25 % of the initial asking price,
if you just walk away. Sometimes, I think that here that may even try to sell
you the world for ‘<i>ek sou</i>’ rupees! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And I’m totally amazed
that the puny rickshaw wallahs here. They seem to be able to tow some mighty
bulky looking aunties without any machine horsepower. Possibly one of the
healthiest residents in this city of foodies, with all that exercise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The food …ah...it’s simply
amazing! I went crazy on all the street food I could lay my hands on, and ended
up with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:city>
belly. But totally worth it …kachoris,pani puris, lassi, sindhi chicken
..Endless varieties. Yummy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>On Gurgaon</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The best part about
Gurgaon, according to me is my new team. Early days, but I do seem to fit in
pretty well there. Cross my fingers, and hope for the best</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Gurgaon has plenty of
malls and plenty of construction dust. A friend refers to it as ‘MudGaon’. The
good part is I’ve managed to find accommodation at walk able distance from office,
which reduces shitty commute time. And good roommates. Believe me that matters
a lot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">As I mentioned earlier,
these are early days. I’m still not yet over the fact, that I did such a thing.
I can still feel the excitement over experiencing a change. Will this feeling
also change? Definitely. But for now, I’m just going to go along with the flow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Vandy’s Tips for anybody
new to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:city>
and Gurgaon</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Delhi</span></st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> has an excellent metro system that connects
with Gurgaon. Buy a metro card, which saves you 10 % of the fare, and
standing in queues to buy tickets. You can recharge your card, at any
station which has a working recharge machine. If you’re a female, enjoy
skipping the mad rush with the first compartment of the train, reserved
for women.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Delhi is a beautiful city with several historical monuments.A metro pass should suffice to visit most of them. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Gurgaon is a city for the mall addict, with
several malls near the MG Road Metro station, and along the NH8 road.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">You need to speak at least broken Hindi, to
communicate with shopkeepers, rickshaw wallahs and people on the street.
They do not understand English, leave alone speak it. Of course, within
offices and malls you should be able to get by easily with English. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Street food in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Delhi</st1:city></st1:place> markets is simply amazing. Totally worth any resultant <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:city>
belly!<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Delhi</st1:city></st1:place>
shopkeepers are very generous with all their didi and beti talk with
women. Do keep a watch over them, as this does not mean that they won’t
try to sneak in some casual groping whenever they can.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Shopping in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">delhi</st1:city></st1:place> markets is a bargainer’s paradise.
Feel free to quote upto 10-15 % of
the initial price the shopkeeper quotes. If he disagrees, just walk away.
Usually, they reduce the price after that. Try this at a couple of shops
to discover the bargaining range of the product.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Safety issues for women. Statistics,news
channels and several of the city's long time residents point out that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Delhi</st1:city></st1:place>
is one of the most unsafe cities for women. So be careful, and try to
limit solo trips to before 8 pm. Buy a pepper spray.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">You can search for accommodation on
sulekha.com,magicbricks.com,</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia;">delhi.craigslist.co.in,</span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://gurgaon.olx.in/paying-guest-cat-418">http://gurgaon.olx.in/paying-guest-cat-418</a>
etc.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Read <a href="http://theshootingstar.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/moving-to-delhi-9-steps-to-survival/">Shooting Star's excellent delhi guide</a>.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Be open to the place. Especially if you’re
from South India, things will be different for you here. Forget all your
prejudices and make your opinions based on your own experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Delhi's location makes trips to several parts of North India a weekend affair.Happy travelling! Read <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Delhi">http://wikitravel.org/en/Delhi</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>Vandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08286743051232886183noreply@blogger.com8 Gurgaon, Haryana, India28.46385 77.01783828.352168000000002 76.8599095 28.575532 77.1757665tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2511111340015955839.post-59737049452169410432012-02-12T02:46:00.000-08:002012-02-28T10:05:53.034-08:00Vandy travels to Delhi and Uttarakand for OBT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you're part of the corporate world like me,you must have heard of <b>OBT</b> - Outbound Training.It's an exercise that involves transporting the members of a team to a location outside of office,so that the informal atmosphere fosters team building. At least that's what the official tagline says it is!☺<br />
<br />
This was on our planned agenda:<br />
25th Jan - Leave for Delhi from Chennai via flight<br />
26th Jan -Watch Republic Day parade in Chennai.Delhi sightseeing.Depart for Jim Corbett National Park,Ramnagar,Uttarakand<br />
27th Jan -Reach Jim Corbett Park.Overnight Stay at La Perle Resort.<br />
28th Jan -Team building.Jungle Safari.Overnight Stay at La Perle Resort.<br />
29th Jan - Depart for Gurgaon via Delhi.Overnight Stay at Gurgaon.<br />
30th Jan -Workshop in Gurgaon.Depart to Chennai<br />
<br />
To really be honest,I'm not really a big fan of OBT's,but I never turn down a chance to travel free to someplace new☺ I had been to Delhi once,Gurgaon once,but I had never been to <b>Jim Corbett National Park </b>in Uttarakand,a reserve forest for<b> tiger</b> conservation. I had read about it on some travel blogging sites,and I mentally marked it as a place I wanted to visit.And then voila ..this opportunity arrives!<br />
<br />
I've visited <b>Delhi</b> once before, back when I was in college.And I remember falling in love with its streets riddled with ancient monuments and tombs at almost every corner.It's a pity that this beautiful city has the much 'deserved' reputation of being one of the most unsafe cities for women.It just reduces the freedom to get lost in a place and really enjoy it.<br />
<br />
This time around I had a chance to fulfill a childhood dream ..that of watching the <b>Republic Day Parade</b> in Delhi.I was excited,but I didn't expect to be blown off,after several years of watching it live on TV.It didn't take much for me to lose my cynicism though ...the magic started right after the helicopters showered flowers on our stands at the start of the event.I really enjoyed watching the colourful floats,dances and especially the airshow.The stunts pulled off by the multiple people on bikes was spectacular.I don't have any pictures of this event or Akshardham(which we also visited),as cameras,mobiles are banned here.A real pity!<br />
<br />
<b>Akshardham</b> is a spectacular temple for tourists.It has its own food court and what not,but didn't really have that spiritual feeling that comes from a place of worship.Yeah,I am an atheist and I don't worship,but I do enjoy the calm that emanates from some holy places.I guess perceptions may differ,but that's just how I felt.It's a great place to visit if you wish to admire its architecture,eat good food or take part in its rides,which is still a pretty good deal.<br />
<br />
We stayed in the La Perle Resort in <b>Uttarakand</b>,which had a spectacular view of the River Kosi. I will be using the pictures taken by my colleague <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1246089674" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1246089674" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Saravanan Subramanian</a>* </span>here,with his permission.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfD-1EITDyuZInsU7L6lnYmK9kNDXXilFpzsEQi11zMB7iTFkLEXrqHmAyUJ-a6F7yc_D7d9pPo9PDogTmsQfLCgREdMDyKM7-CtEfqKR7YdBMFa3jxMkpRGFCjSOqA7EOVLvc22aXm2U/s1600/421867_2572616595142_1246089674_32108190_261169554_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfD-1EITDyuZInsU7L6lnYmK9kNDXXilFpzsEQi11zMB7iTFkLEXrqHmAyUJ-a6F7yc_D7d9pPo9PDogTmsQfLCgREdMDyKM7-CtEfqKR7YdBMFa3jxMkpRGFCjSOqA7EOVLvc22aXm2U/s640/421867_2572616595142_1246089674_32108190_261169554_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of River Kosi from the resort</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We did an <b>elephant safari</b> on a severely underfed elephant,and managed to spot the usual suspects ..birds,monkeys and deer. Till we happened upon a surprise ..no tiger ...but a python.It was in the process of digesting its last meal,and was sunning itself out in the sun.Apparently this takes quite a long time,as the snake was spotted at the same location the next day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE20Ya2pCBN2mG8cWUn_dxdZKAt33LdyIQ09P2R0iu2wVssUdK8IMV_jX0DN0YBJiBEMKM-9KWbBX7Cj4SUQSbW0yN9QskjYnLwE2b_avE_VgWgRgkm5O6CxfToVn3Q9JfaDuTW5SE30s/s1600/429053_2572631195507_1246089674_32108214_594145087_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE20Ya2pCBN2mG8cWUn_dxdZKAt33LdyIQ09P2R0iu2wVssUdK8IMV_jX0DN0YBJiBEMKM-9KWbBX7Cj4SUQSbW0yN9QskjYnLwE2b_avE_VgWgRgkm5O6CxfToVn3Q9JfaDuTW5SE30s/s640/429053_2572631195507_1246089674_32108214_594145087_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Python resting after consuming its prey</td></tr>
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The process of actually spotting tigers is apparently quite a time consuming process,if you plan to do it in the Jim Corbett National Park. The tigers are quite aware of the touristy trails,and make an effort to avoid them.It depends on luck and at least a week of <b>jeep safari</b> rides at the different entry points to the Park to actually spot tigers.But don't let that deter you.The Jim Corbett Park is a beautiful national reserve,and is host to wide variety of birds,monkeys and deer ..which are quite luckily used to the attention that they get from camera clicking tourists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcck-ogZ8PFlHVxKZseEsyR7EFbEoXhDJ8pr793WBAYk4ttJz36UzIbBdLjQdyxH7e5BueBu76sCNoH4aDjLUAkj-pp4orFy-QhJqlyZUW46g26AnSBGg7O6OofI27cr_q6V5zg-9aCA/s1600/402234_2572628035428_1246089674_32108209_611859144_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcck-ogZ8PFlHVxKZseEsyR7EFbEoXhDJ8pr793WBAYk4ttJz36UzIbBdLjQdyxH7e5BueBu76sCNoH4aDjLUAkj-pp4orFy-QhJqlyZUW46g26AnSBGg7O6OofI27cr_q6V5zg-9aCA/s400/402234_2572628035428_1246089674_32108209_611859144_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPANfGAd08Oe1JfjWuxMbI4IJgEYvbF1bfO9DRevLEMj8KRTD5lnIhMEwfEfEmW0E5udm2TFxFl8ywPt5Wzjm8hf2hjuC9Y6OUZ8VCsuLhFNe-a9yFf9Dlemft_cjjKsKsGOU1ZG0c034/s1600/402327_2572632115530_1246089674_32108216_583266645_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPANfGAd08Oe1JfjWuxMbI4IJgEYvbF1bfO9DRevLEMj8KRTD5lnIhMEwfEfEmW0E5udm2TFxFl8ywPt5Wzjm8hf2hjuC9Y6OUZ8VCsuLhFNe-a9yFf9Dlemft_cjjKsKsGOU1ZG0c034/s400/402327_2572632115530_1246089674_32108216_583266645_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhng0hyphenhyphenp2X-ZY2buumIJjlD7jqGjSGkqAvHuMQLYXg36aYCgdfTo5xF5a2TYGtK1l8eSoFAFafeAOjcVNdwogo5vor354Odvjwm6M6pkJYtaB2HzJIDNC60yyJosgPVE9TqZS7R3tjZLFg/s1600/427362_2572627275409_1246089674_32108208_1690892790_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhng0hyphenhyphenp2X-ZY2buumIJjlD7jqGjSGkqAvHuMQLYXg36aYCgdfTo5xF5a2TYGtK1l8eSoFAFafeAOjcVNdwogo5vor354Odvjwm6M6pkJYtaB2HzJIDNC60yyJosgPVE9TqZS7R3tjZLFg/s400/427362_2572627275409_1246089674_32108208_1690892790_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animals spotted @Jim Corbett National Park</td></tr>
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You can also spot tiger footprints and tiger shit which all the guides will claim is from a tiger which has just gone across ☺<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEmOd9x-8NhbDjVgPQ67BzIj5GyVMSoAmwvpPs3mUuikfzs2WhHBFPnbirscMrjOe62pYkKJqd7JYJbrYFsMJ-Uyk5qBJ6J2aFIAn0cja1tGXgn-EQ9nhriiDp7zpue0c_VJYwHudbdQ/s1600/407029_2572621315260_1246089674_32108197_191187654_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEmOd9x-8NhbDjVgPQ67BzIj5GyVMSoAmwvpPs3mUuikfzs2WhHBFPnbirscMrjOe62pYkKJqd7JYJbrYFsMJ-Uyk5qBJ6J2aFIAn0cja1tGXgn-EQ9nhriiDp7zpue0c_VJYwHudbdQ/s640/407029_2572621315260_1246089674_32108197_191187654_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mysterious footprints in the sand</td></tr>
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We managed to squeeze in a day trip to <b>Nainital</b>* as well,a beautiful hill station despite being highly commercialized.The high points of the touristy do's in Nainital include the beautiful lake and the admittedly awe-inspiring view points.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydmkxEHw74sSz6dyIsSj-6Dd2X8FwJHwZoJK7lpb6Ui_r4sH5ULuzK5fWxtmdZFynXIN-SFk9j8-Y-5m2ES_wcXmlrcT_Ng5g4mXGiiI-F_W-pVEvQtA8BR7em5UZkCBYsdGoNWfeLqA/s1600/Nainital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydmkxEHw74sSz6dyIsSj-6Dd2X8FwJHwZoJK7lpb6Ui_r4sH5ULuzK5fWxtmdZFynXIN-SFk9j8-Y-5m2ES_wcXmlrcT_Ng5g4mXGiiI-F_W-pVEvQtA8BR7em5UZkCBYsdGoNWfeLqA/s640/Nainital.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views from Naintal</td></tr>
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<b>Vandy's Travel Tips:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>This was a completely touristy corporate trip.This particular travelogue is completely written from that perspective.</li>
<li>Jim Corbett National Park,Uttarakand is a popular tourist attraction,especially as a weekend trip for Delhiites.However,don't expect to see tigers if you are just planning it as a weekend trip.And hey ..'<i>Tiger</i> <i>pakkalena parvala</i>',as they sell decent tiger t-shirts at the Park,which don't cost the earth as tourist souvenirs.Take those home,and add to the tiger conservation effort.</li>
<li>Learn to speak basic Hindi,if you're travelling in the north .Not that many people comprehend English here even in the cities,compared to the south.Note to Self,especially!</li>
<li>Delhi is chockfull of historical places to see,and with plenty of shopping to do - suiting all budgets.You can bet I'm going to be seeing all of them* ☺</li>
<li>Nainital can be done as a day trip from Delhi.Beautiful,but a very commercialized hill station.However on speaking to some locals,they told me that there are some spectacular trails that can be reached from Nainital by car,if you want to go to less commercialized places.</li>
<li>Street food,the metro and shopping in Delhi* rocks! The metro has made most of Delhi easily accessible by public transport.</li>
<li><b>Gurgaon</b>* is full of high rises and malls,and is luckily connected to Delhi by metro.And,thus providing for my future weekend escapes.</li>
</ul>
<i>*As a special footnote,Vandy will be relocating to Gurgaon* from Chennai on Feb 18th 2012 and will be blogging about her travels in Delhi and Gurgaon quite a lot in <a href="http://vandytravels.blogspot.in/">this blog</a>,and her comedic situations that are likely to arise from being a non-hindi speaker there in <a href="http://vandyuncensored.blogspot.in/">http://vandyuncensored.blogspot.in/</a></i><br />
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*<i>Saravanan takes awesome pictures of landscapes and of people(err..if you beg him persistently ☺).You can view his facebook album at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2572616075129.2114181.1246089674&type=1">Jim Corbett</a>,applicable only to those who are his facebook friends, of course</i><br />
<i>* I took the pictures in Nainital,evident by their amateurish look☺</i></div>Vandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08286743051232886183noreply@blogger.com9New Delhi, Delhi, India28.635308 77.2249628.4123265 76.909103 28.858289499999998 77.54081699999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2511111340015955839.post-89425103894242579252012-01-19T08:42:00.000-08:002012-02-28T10:06:07.988-08:00Vandy travels to Yelagiri<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was itching to make a trip out of Chennai, after a planned trip with friends to Pondy fell apart.I was thinking about Tranquebar, but after I roped in my Mom into this impulse trip, she suggested Yelagiri. I researched both places , and it seemed like Yelagiri was a better choice for chillaxing, and so that’s where we finally went.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It took us about 4.5 hours of drive from Chennai,with a half-hour stop at Saravana Bhavan,Velur for breakfast. I booked a driver for our car, since I wasn’t used to driving highways or hills. He let me drive on the highways from Porur to Velur,teaching the zen like code of conduct followed by highway drivers, compared to rash city drivers.Somehow,my mom managed to maintain a facade of calm, while I learned to weave between tanker lorries and buses at 100kmph:)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views from the resort</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I booked the Taj Zeenat Resorts based on favourable net reviews and the reasonable prices they charged.And it ended up meeting all my expectations.The resort consists of 11 and a half acres of beautiful garden and forest, with basic cottages thrown in.Awesome food was also provided at the resort,which made it very convenient,since there are not too many good restaurants in Yelagiri.The only negative would be the slow service,but that didn't bother me since I just came to Yelagiri to relax.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yelagiri itself is a charming hill station,an unassuming poor cousin to the Queen(Ooty) and the Princess(Kodai).It luckily hasn’t yet fallen prey to over commercialisation found in the popular stations, making it a haven for people who just want to get away from the madding crowds.On the other end,you don’t even have a petrol station or good food choices in Yelagiri,so be prepared for it.It’s just a place to go if you want some peace and calm among the beautiful hills.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@Puganoor Lake</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After a great lunch and some rest we headed out to the Puganoor Lake.The lake is a popular spot for boating,and is surrounded by a park with a separate play area for kids.If you have lots of time to kill,boating could be an option.It doesn’t cost much,and the place is mostly empty,except on weekends.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@Nature Park</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> We moved onto The Nature Park,just a few km from the lake.This spot definitely deserves a visit,and if you have time to see only one spot in Yelagiri,this is it.A very well maintained park,with scores of flowers,trees,rock gardens and fountains.The only minor irritant here would be the occasional ‘louu jodis’ in the park. They seemed quite restrained in their PDA in the park(compared to Chennai at least),but irritatingly felt the need to mark their love on plant leaves and rocks with eternal proclamations of love.I’d rather they have their PDA,and leave those poor plants alone!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />The rest of the evening was spent in with pleasant chit chats with my Mom and reading <a href="http://vandyuncensored.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-of-dork-incredible-adventures-of.html">Dork</a> on the park swing of the garden in the resort.Total bliss! After an excellent dinner,I completed reading the rest of <a href="http://vandyuncensored.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-of-dork-incredible-adventures-of.html">Dork</a> and had a wonderful nap.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />The next day was just spent lazing around in the resort,enjoying the pleasant weather,and stuffing ourselves with the awesome food. I also managed to squeeze in a short trek to the top of a nearby hillock with a guide,in midst of all this obvious decadence.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />We left for Chennai at 12 pm,and made it in by 4 pm.A halt at Ambur for biriyani in between,just gave the finishing touches to a perfect day.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Vandy's Travel Tips:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yelagiri is a good choice for people from Chennai(250 km)/Bangalore(160 km) who just want to be in the hills and enjoy the pleasant weather(18-25 degree C).Not too many places to see or things to do.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Trekker’s delight with multiple trekking options.I enjoyed my short trek,and next time I’m taking the Swami Malai trek from Mangalam at sunrise.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Food choices are not too many,so it might be better to eat in the hotel/resort that you stay in.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would definitely recommend Zeenat Taj Resorts as a mid-range accomodation option with a price tag of Rs 1500(+12.5% tax) for a cottage.You can get yummy home cooked food for a decent price tag of around Rs 450(lunch,breakfast,dinner). Service will be slow,but who cares ..you have all the time in the world here :)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you’re planning on driving here,fill up your petrol/diesel before you climb up the Yelagiri hills.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The forest honey and jack fruit sold here is a worthwhile buy.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Recommended travel website: <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Yelagiri_Hills">http://wikitravel.org/en/Yelagiri_Hills </a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>Vandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08286743051232886183noreply@blogger.com3Yelagiri, Tamil Nadu, India12.5741746 78.645547512.5125181 78.566926500000008 12.635831099999999 78.7241685tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2511111340015955839.post-44148842011643092772011-12-30T20:13:00.000-08:002012-01-22T08:09:12.133-08:00Hello World!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've finally decided to get off my fat ass and start this travel blog.I've started reading this blog called <a href="http://zenhabits.net/">zenhabits</a> which really inspired me enough to just get started with this blog.So I did :)<br />
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I've travelled quite a bit already actually - Ireland,Greece,Sweden,Denmark,Poland,Finland,Netherlands, Belgium,Austria,Germany,U.S.A,Singapore and India.So all the material is already there ..it just needs to get out from my head and onto this blog.Here's to hoping I get to travel a lot more in 2012 and post in this blog!</div>
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Here's to good intentions and 'Living your Life with Passion'!</div>
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Cheers</div>
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Vandy</div>
</div>Vandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08286743051232886183noreply@blogger.com2