by Looking back at the year that was…
I started the year with a three week stint at the ayurvedic hospital in Cochin, seeking yet again a cure for my aching back. We ended that with a relaxed couple of days in Fort Kochi.
Kitsch is king
April saw us taking off to Sikkim, my birthday on the snow near Nathu-La, a desperate search for the Kanchenjunga from Pelling and a bone-crunching trip up North to Gurudongmar Lake and Yumthang Valley. 2009 was the year V and I took our longest holiday together – 2 weeks in Sikkim – it is usually long weekends, or a week with both ends combined, for us.
Weekend market near Pelling
Sunset on Mt.Narsing
We made a couple of trips to the Sindhudurg region in June-July, where I met fellow traveler Lakshmi for the first time. Both times, we stayed at homestays managed by Culture Aangan and drove through the region, soaking in the greens of the Konkan during the rains.
Sunset at Damapur lake
It was the year we moved to Bangalore. Just before the move, in August, we took part in the Great Driving Challenge and went to the semi-finals stage, participating in the four day audition at the Royal Palms Hotel in Mumbai. We had great fun, made new friends and several plans to resume road trips.
On to the auditions
I made several trips to Chennai through September and October to be with my parents, since my father went through a bypass surgery in early October. I managed to squeeze in a day at Melkote with friends and a three day photography workshop at Hampi with the getoffrass guys in early November.
At the Melkote temple
Twilight in Hampi
We ended the year with a week long visit to Sri Lanka (more on that soon) – covering mainly the Buddhist circuit around Anuradhapura and the hills of Nuwaya Eliya.
Tea at Nuwara Eliya
Sunset at Negombo
Overall, the year was a bit subdued in terms of travel – ok, we did take two long holidays, but you know I am a great fan of short and several travel breaks. On the other hand, I got around to writing more regularly on this blog – which I hope to continue this year. I bought myself an SLR camera finally towards the end of the year. And I published several travel pieces in newspapers and magazines that I had not worked with before.
And the plans dreams for 2010? A couple of weeks in Europe definitely. I keep saying this at the beginning of every year – but this year, I hope to see this through. Weekends out of Bangalore (the Bandipur, Kabini circuit, Coonoor and the Nilgiris), Pushkar during the mela (again, how many years has it been now since I started saying this?), more of Rajasthan (again!) if possible or Madhya Pradesh.
Anyone game for a trip together? Give me a holler!
And so I dream on…
That was a great list. Can you believe I haven’t been to any of the places you mentioned there ?
Let us hope 2010 brings more places in our list or rather takes us to more places. 🙂
wHAT A SMILE. tHE nUWARA eLIYA ONE!
Nisha, here is to a year filled with travel to new places and happy memories of them 🙂
Gopal, oh yes! I chatted with them in Tamil and got this smile in return!
Lovely write-up and pictures. Lets hope Twenty Ten brings in more memorable travels for us.
Don’t know how I missed bumping with you when I was at Sikkim for 2 weeks 🙂
I am also based at Bangalore. Lets hope we get to travel together some time, though I am more a budget traveller and prefer to rough it out.
Obviously have been reading through all your stories through the year, it seems like an eventful year for you. I hope 2010 turns even better. Have fun 🙂
Sankara, yo to that! (more travels in 2010)- were you in Sikkim around the same time?
and yes, would love to do a trip together…
Arun, I hope so too 🙂
heres hoping we travel more often this year and together again this year
lakshmi, amen!
and you call that ‘subdued’ year !!!!
after managing Sikkim, Srilanka, Hampi and the likes
happy travelling & happy new year
Unny/Bindhu
Unny/Bindhu, what can I say? I just want to travel more, much more 🙂
Happy new year to you too!