When Winter covers every nook and cranny in white it looks like Mother Nature herself has dressed to become a bride; what a sight to behold! These pictures were taken by a friend and bring to mind a grandiose White wedding thrown for a Snow queen or maybe Snow White? Who says fairy tales are for little girls?
Pictures courtesy Viraj Thakur
New Orleans had been on the top of my bucket list for so long that I almost did not believe my ears when my husband suggested visiting New Orleans for his Birthday in May 2015. We stayed at a hotel which was walking distance to the French quarters.
The first thing we wanted to do after the long flight was to stop at French Quarter and grab a drink. But the moment we stepped out of our hotel room it started to rain. Although I was hesitant to step out in the rain at first, I must admit it was the most amazing rain I have experienced in a long time. It made the muggy weather a tad cooler, but the rain felt warm and inviting to the touch. And when it stopped raining we dried up almost instantly.
I fell in love with the old style architecture; the cobbled roads and the old-fashioned houses with ironwork balconies painstakingly decorated. For a while, I felt like I was on the set of Midnight in Paris, where a nostalgic Owen Wilson (a screenwriter) finds himself going back to the 1920’s every night. Most of the French quarter’s architecture was built in the 18th century. There is so much going on here in terms of restaurants, shops, dive bars, concerts and more. 
You really do not need to rent a car here. You can walk the entire area by foot. A lot of people chose to ride Rickshaws or horse pulled carriages. There are several musicians and artists performing as well as painters and artists selling their artistic works on the street side.
Jackson square is a famous landmark situated in the front of the French Quarter and throbbing with visitors, artists and musicians. On the opposite side of the square from the River are three 18th‑century historic buildings; St Louis Cathedral, The Cabildo (museum), The Presbytere (museum). 
The Katrina exhibit at the Presbytere is an absolute must see. They have done an excellent job of making an honest and a heart-breaking exhibit of what happened during Katrina. They had snippets of personal stories both inspiring and shattering throughout the museum. I absolutely loved their video and the interactive map with a minute by minute demonstrations of which levees broke when and where.
New Orleans is famous for its Voodoo culture. You can see the French Quarter is full of Voodoo shops, tarot card readers, and palmists. Needless to say, Voodoo is different from palmistry and tarot, but I love everything occult. If you are into the occult as well, you will find plenty opportunities to try your hand here (pun intended)! I did visit the famous Marie Louveau’s place. I had absolutely no expectations but some of the stuff the palmist told me about was surprisingly true and there is no way he could have known it by simply meeting me. So thumbs up!
We took a bus tour around the city and showed us some of the worst hit areas during Katrina as well as some of old and archaic cemeteries. Here are some pictures from the 9th Ward and the neighboring wards. The 9th ward is closest to the Mississippi River and worst hit during Katrina. You can still see a faint yellow line on the light posts demarcating the levels that the water had reached during the outpour.
My favorite experience in New Orleans would have to be the Jazz performance at the Preservation Hall. The hall is a tiny place that seats no more than 70 people roughly. Be sure to stand in line an hour before show time. This place is always full! But I promise the wait is well worth the time. Preservation Hall is open for nightly concerts from 8 pm to 11 pm, seven nights a week, with the exception of certain holidays and special events.
New Orleans is nothing without its Art and music. And music literally pumps life into its arteries. You will find more talented street-side musicians and artists here than anywhere else! And you do not have to be an aficionado to enjoy it. New Orleans will somehow engulf you in its unique style. New Orleans is a dream destination; a muse for the artist in you or anybody who loves History, music, art, wine, food, festival and loads of fun. 
Weekly Challenge: Motion
I loved this week’s Photo Challenge posted by Cheri Lucas. I must admit I never before gave a thought to how we are intrinsically attuned to decorating our walls with the best life has offered us; be it scenic paintings, pictures of friends and family or decorative items that we have collected over the years. We love to deck our walls with beautiful things!
Walls can divide neighbors but they can also reveal our emotions and feelings. They can be a statement of who we are. Here is an assortment of pictures taken randomly over the years. Agreed they are not necessarily all walls but sometimes things are are loudly present in their absence. Enjoy!
![DSC_0012[1]](https://ubecute.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dsc_00121.jpg?w=283&resize=283%2C189&h=189#038;h=189 "DSC_0012[1]")
![DSC_0009[1]](https://ubecute.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dsc_00091.jpg?w=283&resize=283%2C188&h=188#038;h=188 "DSC_0009[1]")
![DSC_0005[1]](https://ubecute.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dsc_00051.jpg?w=283&resize=283%2C189&h=189#038;h=189 "DSC_0005[1]")
![DSC_0028[1]](https://ubecute.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dsc_00281.jpg?w=283&resize=283%2C188&h=188#038;h=188 "DSC_0028[1]")
![DSC_0023[1]](https://ubecute.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dsc_00231.jpg?w=284&resize=284%2C189&h=189#038;h=189 "DSC_0023[1]")
![DSC_0016[1]](https://ubecute.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dsc_00161.jpg?w=284&resize=284%2C189&h=189#038;h=189 "DSC_0016[1]")
Goa’s 63 mile long coastline offers a long expanse of exotic beaches. The water is always lukewarm and the sand is soft to touch. The beach is studded with tiny sea shells and starfish. I found it best to enjoy the beaches early in the morning at dawn or around sunset because during the day time the heat is almost unbearable.
The beach is studded with shacks offering visitors both North Indian and South Indian cuisine as well as plenty of seafood.
Unless you are staying at one of five star hotels don’t expect to find the shacks to be glamorous. Personally I loved their rustic beauty. I was never disappointed with the food and the amazing scenery for pennies on the dollar.
A local shack
I enjoyed going to the local market with my dad and we bought a variety of fruits like passion fruit, pineapple, kiwi, gooseberries, dragon fruit, raspberries and many more. The Goan soil is so fertile it is a haven for fruit and vegetable lovers. Goa grows bananas (sweet as sugar), papayas, coconuts, cashew, sugarcane, bamboo, rice, Pineapples, chilies, betel nuts and much more. The locals also sell homemade coconut oil. While coconut oil is said to have many therapeutic qualities one does need to be conditioned to its smell. Some people may find the smell to be offensive. I am into all kinds of organic beauty products and found coconut oil to be an excellent hair conditioner. I applied it at night and washed out my hair the next morning so I would not reek of coconut oil during the day. The results were very satisfying 😉
Given below are pictures of Tambdi Surla a 12th century Hindu Temple one of the oldest temples in Goa, India. The temple is situated in thick forest and there are small villages surrounding the temple. When I visited Tambdi Surla last year (2014) I was greeted by a flutter of butterflies at the very entrance of the temple. The sight was absolutely unforgettable. It was so sudden and unexpected that I could not even take a picture. This year I was especially looking out for the butterflies but did not find any. I did catch a quick glimpse at these birds flying away the moment our car approached.
Shown here are pictures of St Michael Church Orlim Goa one of the oldest churches in Goa. I loved the austere beauty and serenity of this church. Every second Sunday of October, the little village of Orlim in South Goa brightens up with festive fervor at the St Michael Church. The village feast brings together a crowd of around 2000 locals who attend the service and pray to their patron saint. This year, October 13 will see the feast of St Michael celebrated with joy.
Varca is one of the most touristy beaches in Southern Goa. But in the morning you can have the beach almost to yourself. If you are lucky, you will be able to catch dolphins playing by the shoreline. There is a row of wooden fishing boats seen on the beach that belong to the Christian fishing community.
Popular beach resorts in Varca include the Radisson White Sands Resort, the Club Mahindra Varca Beach Resort, and Serenity Residency. On the way back there are plenty of small stores where you can shop for clothes, Indian Jewelry, carved furniture, brassware and other souvenir type items if you so choose. Be prepared to bargain. As far as clothes are concerned I found some name stores such as Fab India and Biba to have the best quality products. I enjoyed the Tulsi Chai Masala and sampled some of the beauty products at Fab India (I am a bit of a skin care fanatic and always try out local beauty products everywhere I go!)
Here are some pictures of Miramar Beach, one of the most populous beaches in the capital of Goa: Panjim. This beach is situated at the confluence of Mandovi River and the Arabian Sea. Boat rides offered at very reasonable prices will take you through a pleasant boat ride where you may be able to capture some beautiful coastal scenes as well as water life.
While Goa is beautiful because of its rich history, beautiful beaches, exotic cuisines, lush greenery it is not void of faults. Be prepared to see a lot of trash and waste carelessly discarded by people all over the state. I was surprised to see that the beaches did not even have a single trash can to allow people to discard their waste. I also noticed that visitors carelessly throw their beer bottles on the beach which is a big safety hazard. The government is implementing a much needed “Swach Bharat” (Clean India mission).
But if you are open to an adventure and an exotic vacation on a tight budget then definitely consider beautiful Goa as your next stop; a haven of natural beauty, a vibrant culture, peace and spirituality.
There is beauty in simplicity and plentiful in minimalism for those who would only appreciate. – Yours Truly!
Not too long ago I visited Malibu Wines which is a beautiful winery that offers wine tasting options along with a sunny outdoor locale. The best part about this place is the setting which offers an amazing view to the valley (very picturesque). They welcome you to pack yourself a picnic and order wine from here, it makes for an excellent time. Enjoy the pictures!
Here is a glimpse of Goa in Monsoons. Thanks to the rains, nature has OD’d (overdosed) on colors. These pictures were shared to me by my sister who recently visited Goa. I thought these pictures suited perfectly for this week’s Photo Challenge.
Photos courtesy Viraj Thakur
There are counted few moments in everyone’s life when you feel like you are in the midst of something so grandiose and majestic that it’s almost surreal. If you have visited the Red Rock Mountains or the world-famous Grand Canyon in Arizona then you probably know what I am talking about?
Recently we drove to Arizona, on an arduously long drive (8 hour-long drive to be exact). By the time we reached Sedona we were thoroughly beat, and the rear end of our anatomy was crying out loud in pain. However the moment we entered Sedona we started seeing the picturesque Red Rock hills that assured us that our long odyssey was indeed worth all the pain.
The Schnebly Hill formation which is a major component of the Red Rocks of Sedona are sedimentary rock formations that were created 300 million years ago, in part by the erosion caused by sea and in part shaped by the sand blown in from coastal area beaches. The color of the rocks ranges a varied hue of white, tan, orange and bold red. Furthermore, erosion from flowing waters have created famous hills that have been named after their unique shapes such as Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Kissing Rock, Big Bear, Coffee Pot Rock and so on. It sounds like almost everyone who looked at these Rocks had their own interpretation of the shape and coined a name for them.
Here are some pictures to quench your appetite for this insanely beautiful Red Rock country. Feel free to play “I spy” and identify the rocks by their names if you can. But beware pictures just don’t do justice to this natural marvel.
The pink Jeep tours in Sedona are an absolute must and the experienced drivers will show you some spots that are extremely hard and dangerous to reach by hiking. The Jeep tour is a little adventure in itself, because it tours through some really rough and hilly terrain. There were a few moments when the jeep was angled perpendicular to the earth nose-diving straight down or straight up so that I must admit my heart missed a few beats. But rest assured it is perfectly safe and guaranteed fun. One of my favorite hills was what they called the “chicken point” so named because the faint of heart would offer to get off the jeep before reaching it. The view from the Rock is insanely beautiful and it feels cool and refreshingly breezy in comparison to the other spots. As far as I am concerned any vortex could not be more peaceful and serene than this place is.
So what is a vortex? Vortexes are places that create positive, negative or neutral releases of the Earth’s energy and evoke balance. I believe, places like people have an aural energy and invoke emotions that are unique and personal to everyone; especially historic places such as Sedona.
Although this hasn’t really been proven, Sedona is considered to be pregnant with “hot spots” or vortexes that are supposed to have a great healing, relaxation and rejuvenation properties.
Looking at how dry and arid this place is, it is almost impossible to believe that this land used to be under water. The best time to visit Sedona is in spring or fall and is way too hot in June (as we can testify first hand). Most of the hiking is best done in the wee hours of the morning. I thought even as early as 10 AM the heat was already too oppressive to warrant any real hiking. The best thing to do by noon is to find a pool and relax with a glass of wine or visit the open market.
Sedona has rows of art galleries, exquisite art shops, restaurants, resorts and of course the historic Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts village. Unfortunately the village was already closed when we reached and there was private party going on at the time, so we could not really enjoy it, but from the looks of it, it is a delightful hang out.
On our way back to Los Angeles, we visited the Grand Canyon. The Canyon is the very definition of grandiose. This 277 miles long and 1 mile deep canyon reminds you of a gigantic monster sleeping with its mouth gaping open. The canyon is so wide that you can’t even take a picture that would cover the entire width of the canyon (unless you have the advantage of shooting from a helicopter). A look at this “wonder of the world” makes you see yourself in a different perspective; a mere speck in the grand scheme of life. It makes you mindful not only of the fragility of human life but the shallowness and insignificance of humanly worries and troubles.
Millions of people visit the Grand Canyon every year. It is a Mecca for the brave of heart who backpack their way to the Phantom Ranch inside the womb of the Canyon. This hike is certainly not for the faint of heart and numerous books have been written accounting the accidents that have taken place in the Canyon. However those who dare, will certainly be rewarded with an unforgettable experience and superb photography opportunities. Sadly, I am not one of them. I enjoyed the overwhelming beauty of the Canyon from the comforting safety of the South rim which is what 90% of travelers do.
Arizona has left such an indelible mark on me, that I am sure this won’t be my last visit. Who knows next time I will be one of the back packers trekking my way down the winding, path into the belly of this giant monster called the Grand Canyon or hiking my way to the top of the Devil’s Bridge. Here’s to Arizona! Ditat Deus!
‘In Between’ …
Is the difference between the ‘living’ and the truly ‘alive’,
It’s the boundless expanse of human emotions stretching between the two ears,
It’s the time spent sowing a seed to the reaping of corn coyly veiled in silken hair,
It’s the seconds passed between a glance to the sudden recollection of days gone by like an old love song,
It’s the fortitude in waiting for the downpour of rain nuzzling the sharp bark of an angry summer,
It’s the victorious heartbeats hoisting a white flag after a long battle in purple skies,
It’s the black & white words on a love letter and the long sigh that escapes a pair of Fuchsia lips,
It’s children screaming and dancing wildly celebrating the end of school after a grueling semester,
It’s the distant view of the marines on the flickering TV screen aiming their guns ready for battle,
to the newspapers celebrating their safe return home.
It’s the loud argument two people have punctuated by their silent agreement to part,
It’s the orange ball of sun leaking its color on the Red Rock country in Sedona,
to half a dozen American Haiku’s penned in memory,
It’s the lessons learned from a thousand mistakes highlighted and circled in mind,
It’s the angle of the arc drawn by a pendulum as it ticks from left to right and the tiny world it orbits within that arc. ‘In Between’ is the space above an open palm that holds everything and nothing.
Here are some pictures of some of the opulent rooms at Hearst Castle, decorated with tapestries and painted ceilings and impressive paintings. I love these pictures because they are both elegant and gothic at the same time. I am a big fan of “goth” may I add?
Your pearly skin shimmered under the dim
lights of your parlor when I last saw you.
The world heavy with the weight of your beauty
and the foggy twilight stretching lazily over the city.
Your laughter shaking out a rabble of butterflies
folded like a prayer on their colorful blossoms.
Your long hair braided like a thousand moonless
nights twisted together endlessly into a dream less sleep.
Your rosy shoulders yet untouched by the weight of the world and
responsibilities. And above all the mole on your neck
dark red with the blood of your lovers and mine. You my
heartless tormentor, you danced, talked and sang and above
all you stole. Then ever so casually with the lightness of air
you walked away leaving behind a void the size of a giant valley in my heart.
SpringFor years have I have been jailed,
Inside these walls of decorum & propriety,
Like an obedient wife,
Caught in the duality of desires & duties
Until the transgressing thoughts flew through,
The keyhole of these iron gates,
Breaking the darkness with their brilliant colors of the rainbow,
I jumped on the backs of one of these thoughts,
And flew out of my captivity,
Disrobing my cocoon like a butterfly,
Flying out into the eternal Spring of Creativity.
Here are some monuments of Hampi India. I am clearly infatuated with the stoic ancient splendor of Hampi. The architecture and the level of details is par excellence. These monuments are a heritage not just for India but the World and in that regard they are Monumental. The last picture is a random shot of a local market outside one of these temples which I could not resist sharing because of its vibrant colors which I think is quintessentially India. Enjoy!
We find ourselves on the threshold of life changing moments, at least a few times in our lives. Thresholds may be subtle or more pronounced “aha” moments when we experience life with the full realization that life as we knew it has changed irrevocably, and that we have stepped into the realms of “no return”. We all experience these moments during the natural transition of life; moving from infancy into adolescence, and then again into adulthood, and so forth. There are other moments when we experience a sudden loss or a deeper life altering experience that changes the direction of our lives forever.
Life’s major thresholds such as: graduation, marriage, birth, divorce, death etc bring feelings of anticipation, anxiety, trepidation, joy, anger or loss. But then there are thresholds that are so obscure and possibly unrelated; we do not even know we crossed them until much later. These could be Historic moments that are out of our control, and change our world for the better or worse. Examples include; landing of man at moon, Reunification of Germany, Assassination of JFK, bombing of the World Trade Center and so forth. We may as well have been a part of these momentous times as they happened, but the full effect of such incidents is truly understood only in hindsight.
Although change is a continuous process, thresholds are distinct points in our lives that open a floodgate of change, awareness and awakening. Because the only thing constant in life is change, it behooves us to look at change in a positive light and with the stoic acceptance that everything happens for the best. Each change no matter how uncomfortable, opens in itself a pandora’s box of opportunity, learning and wisdom. Inpired by Weekly photo challenge
Question: Where the world is an object and every object has a value, is there an object more valuable than the world?
Answer: Peace of Mind
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/photo-challenge-juxtaposition/
This is my favorite picture. I am infatuated with the setting sun. Note to self: “Be like the sun that never loses its glory even after it’s gone”. The brilliant colors of the sky and the dark clouds with the backdrop of the black palms have painted a sight that would put Michelangelo to shame.
Here, the different shades of green are juxtaposed beautifully against each other. I love this blue river snaking through the green valley cutting the vast expanse of foliage on both sides.
Nature has painted a perfect contrast of the calm blue waters, against the large expanse of brown mountains covered in a green carpet. The mountain is studded with cliffs that look like fingers pointing at the sky. A shimmering strip of white sand cuts the mountains on the left and water on the right.
If only I were a dolphin, I would swim in this haven of peace for ever.
Yes, the 5 fingers of a hand represent in essence a family to me. Farfetched? Not really…
Each finger, so unique and independent from the other, and yet joined to each other by a bond so indestructible. To me this is what a family is all about… 
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