Dusks, Various

Goa

Donna Paula Jetty, Panaji

As a tourist destination this one tends to be slightly irritating, given that at any given time there will be too many people and consequently too few places to park your bum. The trick is to glare at people occupying the benches till they are forced to leave (owing to extreme discomfiture). This one requires patience but is worth it as it affords a beautiful view of the Maramgoa Port.

(View from) Royal Goan Beach Club, Baga

If you visit ask for room #63. Its quite a trek up - 500 mts. uphill from the gate followed by 4 flights of stairs (I kid you not). As if the physical exhaustion weren't enriching enough there follow 3 minutes of concentrated effort to jiggle the door open (the lock is whimsical). But the minute you walk in and slide open the balcony door you know you're getting your money's worth. The view is lovely and the surroundings oh-so quiet. Tune into the sounds of nature (

after the puffing, panting and wheezing subsides)

- birds, crickets, waves, wind - the whole orchestra's there!

Shapora Fort

Everyone loves a cliche. Vagator beach to your left, unknown beach (unknown only to me, not the general populous) to your right. And miles and miles of ocean in front. You'll struggle to capture all the colours as the sun flamboyantly plays out its descent on the sky... and on the sea. But I say - take a shot (pun intended). The result will be disappointing but not fruitless. Unless you bought a cheap camera or are grossly lacking in talent, in which case I'd recommend taking a mental picture.

Bhimeswari

The focus in this one's a shade wonky. I blame bad lighting and extreme belligerence on the part of the subject, which wobbled most annoyingly. I stole away from the group to take this one, only to be confronted by a spotted deer. I smiled... it ran. And all I have to show for my 'close encounter' is a picture of a most uncooperative flower. Eh... Ce'st la vie.

One look at this picture and the poet inside me says - "elephant droppings". Only because there is so much of it generously distributed all over the landscape, waiting to be pointed out by bored tour guides and admired endlessly by tourists. Our tour guide proceeded to direct our attention to a rather questionable elephant footprint. Skeptics were known to later say - "I didn't see nothing. It just looked like a whole in the mud to me".

I dedicate this picture to my camera. You did everything. With little or no assistance from me.

Bordi

There is a lot to be said for people who travel 3 hours for a barbecue. Who eat, drink and dance their way into the wee hours of the morning and shrug of debilitating hangovers for a water fight and a game of cricket the next day. More so to be said of the entertainment value of playing antakshari while under the influence. "Macs" are wonderful people.

(Note: The people featured in the picture are not the "Macs" in question. They are just random people strolling down the beach who happened to be photographed by a rude tourist.)

It took us 36 hours to realise that Bordi was not in Maharashtra. Either that or our respective cell-phone companies were wrongly levying roaming charges. Thats why they say - "Don't drink and jive".

Mumbai

Band-Stand, Bandra

If you want to go to one end of Band-Stand ask for Salman Khan's house. If you want to go to the other ask for Shahrukh Khan's house. Not only are these foolproof landmarks, they may also elicit a grin from your auto driver. And if you're lucky (as I tend to be in these matters) he'll chat a bit and tell you a story.

At the risk of being pummeled into sabudana vada batter I must say Band-Stand is highly overrated. It does provide a nice photo-op at dusk though. That is if you manage to look past the scores of frighteningly affectionate couples that dot the length of the promenade, the magnitude of who's amour increases exponentially at sunset. Strictly PG 13.

Kashmir

Dal Lake, Srinangar

What I love most about the pictures I took in Kashmir is the amount of time and effort I put into them despite repeated complaints of breaching timelines and jeopardizing the itinerary. I took this one from the garden of the Centaur hotel while mum was inside hyperventilating on account of my near certain abduction by a terrorist/ miscellaneous evil person. Also because the chai was getting cold.

On the way back from Baisaran we stopped to steal some plants from a field. The "we" in question were two 50 something women, 6 CRPF commandos and me (completely innocent). The sun setting over a vast expanse of yellow proved irresistable and I stopped to take pictures while thievery ensued in the background. Of course, I was blamed for slowing the party down. Life is unfair.

For loyal followers of this blog (4 at last count, author included), this one ought to ring a bell. But then I figure if something is good it bears repetition. What better way to wrap up this post than a picture from the first day of my first grand trip in a long time. The first of many I hope.