These are some of my favorite pictures! Captured at Colva beach, Goa. Check them out!

on the shore...

through the skies

waves make one of my favorite sounds!

shells wash up to the shore

holiday in the sun

Planning for a holiday in the sun? You might want to consider Goa!

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January 15, 2010

There is nothing that can beat the view of an annular solar eclipse. Today was the first time I had experienced an annular eclipse – a very rare celestial treat. Well, if you are not aware, as the moon’s diameter is smaller than that of the sun’s, a fascinating annular ring is formed out of the sun, as seen from the earth, and thus the name annular eclipse. The sun radiation has its color more on the orange part of the spectrum and easily creates a head-ache. The shadows are blurred.The sun light, beaming through the gaps between the neem leaves, projects itself as spectacular crescents on the ground.

We had a chance to see the sun through the eclipse-glasses. Some enthusiastic minds of the college put together a telescope and we could also catch a view of the eclipse on a tile. Though I missed the annular ring, here are some pictures that I captured.

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solar eclipse

down from the sky, through the telescope, onto the tile

the light through the gaps between the neem leaves appears as a crescent on the ground

shadows

a rare celestial treat

behind the guest house

Dear diary,

We weren’t expecting the sun till 9. But, we had the dawn greeting us at about 7. It   was still cold outside; the woods behind the guest house were beautiful. The creepers bearing orange, red and white flowers at the entrance were very welcoming. We hired a taxi to go around the city and visit some site-seeing places in three hours. We had to take the train back to metupalayam at 2pm.Everything in Ooty opens at 9. We had breakfast at the Ooty Saravana bhavan at 8:30am and then set off to the botanical garden.

The botanical garden is a must-see for nature lovers. The green lawns are very

mom and dad at the botanical garden

refreshing. The trees, around, reach high to the sky. The serenity of nature can capture anyone’s heart. The photographers flock you for instant pics. It takes a whole day to enjoy the garden to the fullest. We skipped the major part of the garden as we didn’t have any such time. There are rock garden, sunken garden, conservatory, glass houses, top garden, picnic spots and many other attractions at the garden to enjoy. You can also buy seeds and plants at the nursery.

Italian garden at the botanical garden

Next in our list was Doddabeta.   It’s the highest point in Ooty and the second highest in South India. On the way, the taxi driver showed us small blue flowers – locally called ‘Neelikurinji’, these blue flowers bloom once in 12 years. The local tribes used to use these flowers to tell their age. These flowers are found only in Ooty, Coonoor and Munnar.   It is after these flowers that the hills are named ‘Nilgiris’. You can catch a telescopic view of movements in Ooty city and also Coimbatore (on a clear day). The view from the peak is like ‘heaven on earth’. The far-away hills seemed to be elegantly submerged in a sea of white clouds extending forever.  You can see the serene waters of the avalanche dam form the tower. We had some hot boiled groundnuts from a street vendor, a perfect food for the crisp weather.

a view from Doddabeta

tea estates

After Doddabeta, the taxi driver suggested going to the tea museum and the tea factory as mom was determined to do some tea shopping. You get to see the process of tea powder making in the factory.  Inbetween the lush green estates, the tea factory is one place where you can do quality tea purchases. You can get various kinds of flavors – chocolate-flavored tea, cardamom flavored tea, green tea and silver tea are the favorites. There are also Silver  tips that are hand-picked, sold

here. Though a little costlier, silver tea is said to have many health benefits. They sure have a great business going on; none who visits this place leaves without making purchases. Besides tea, you can also find stalls selling chocolates, oils and balms, spices and leather. Then, we went to visit the rose garden. It is not the season for good rose blossom. That is one of the reasons why it seemed a waste of time. Once we have seen the botanical garden, the rose garden didn’t seem very exhilarating. Rows of rose plants of different colors- that is all there is. But, if you are a rose-lover, which I am not, you may be able to appreciate the beauty. If you happen to go there, do not miss the green rose, right next to the entrance. After the rose garden, we visited the lake and the thread garden which are next to each other and also near our guest house. The thread park can be visited to appreciate the hard work of 50 women over 12 years. The work involves making real-seeming plants or flowers without the use of machines, needles or colors. We didn’t have time to boat in the lake. We had to catch a train at 2 back to Mettupalayam. The taxi driver told us that the Ooty Lake is an artificial lake. There is another natural lake 30km away from the city known as the Pikara Lake, which has serene waters and scenic spots.

lush green tea estates- a view from the train

It was already past 1. We hurried back to the guest        house and packed up to leave. We had lunch at VRR canteen attached to the railway station. The Ooty train, popularly called the ‘Toy train’, is something no tourist should miss. The train goes on a narrow gauge line from Ooty to Mettupalayam through lush green tea gardens, dark tunnels and scenic valleys. The train has large windows; so stick your head out and experience the nature.

Every turn around a rock reveals pristine beauty of forested hill slopes and valleys filled with pine trees and here and there, a brook runs through the woods. The train ride is a three and a half hour breath-taking experience and something without which the trip to Ooty is never complete. We arrived at Mettupalayam at 5:30 pm and caught the Nilgiri Express to Chennai. This Ooty trip has been a very memorable tour and served as an excellent get-away from a mundane urban life. This is, indeed, a miracle of a God’s work of sublime beauty.

a view from the train- exquisite beauty

here and there, a brook runs through the woods

the toy train on narrow gauge

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Dear diary,

We arrived at Ooty today. We took a train from Coimbatore to Mettupalayam followed by a bus to Ooty. We were expecting a freezing zero degrees in Ooty according to yesterday’s meteorological reports. It was a better climate but was still freezing to me.

The bus stand was walk able from the Mettupalayam railway station. The frequency of buses was good. The buses were filled with locals as well as tourists. Mom says that the train journey to Ooty would be a better tourist attraction. But, unfortunately we could not get tickets for the train.

The bus journey (approx 2 hours) was a bridge to another world. The ghat road twists into the lovely woods. The sunset unwound the beauty of the hills. The outline of the hills merges into the calm blue sky. As the sun sets behind the brow of the distant hills, the opacity of the trees is highlighted in the orange sky. The breeze blew colder and the woods grew thicker. The radiance of the village lamps hugs you like a warm blanket in the icy weather. As we approached Coonoor, tea estates started to appear. The town glimmers with street lamps and car lights in the distance. The bus had a halt at Coonoor which is about 20 kilometers from Ooty. After Coonoor was the Wellington cantonment area. As we neared Ooty, the smell of eucalyptus filled the air. The two hours flew in no time. The lights of the shops glowed through the dark. We got down at the bus stand as it was nearer to our guest house.

The guest house was very comfortable, accommodated with a room heater, facility for hot water and warm blankets. If you ask me, it is more of a suite. We had dinner at hotel Gaylord. The food was delicious. We returned to the guest house by night after doing a little shopping. The shops in Ooty are open till 9p.m.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. Will update you soon. GN!