With all the things going around in the world right now, in context of COVID19 – borders being closed, people staying home as much as possible. It is tough times. But nature always has its way of getting things balanced out. Distance socially, but not from yourself. Slow down, breath, find your zen. Enjoy small things in life. Go for a walk, enjoy the sunset, spend some lone time & rejuvenate. Learn something new. Use the opportunity to connect – with people and nature. Stay healthy and stay safe. This scene is from a village in south of India. Just a regular day, a regular guy, spending his morning time in the early morning twilight. Life is simple, the moment we stop making it complex :)
Meghalaya with its magical mist is well known as ‘Land of the Clouds’. The best time to visit the north east is indeed the monsoon season – when the forest is lush and the waterfalls are overflowing. But if you wanna experience a different kind of magic, you should plan to visit between Oct to Feb. During this season, the Umngot river (traversing thru Dwaki & Shnongpdeng) is so crystal clear that one can see the river bed right till the bottom. During this season at the right time of the day, the shadow of the boats fall on the river bed – the river being so clear. This makes the boats float :) After witnessing this little gem at Shnongpdeng, I feel it would be apt to call Meghalaya – Land of flying boats. What do you say :)
Though Badami is more famous for its cave temples, I liked the visit to the Shivalaya temple better. Situated on the hills on the northern shore of Lake Agasthya, it faces the cave temples on the southern shore. The trek up needs a bit of an effort, but the experience so much makes up for it. This particular early morning, the clouds did not play along for the dramatic sunrise we expected, but the twilight was serene. The fresh spring leaves felt juxtaposed by the gnarled tree & the rugged landscape, but it indeed had a beauty of its own :)
