घूरते क्या हो भाई?
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #incredibleindia #travelphotography #varanasiindia #wedding #weddings #photographer #baraat #musician #music #artist #instamusic #band #musicians #livemusic #musica #art #drums #beats #live
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #incredibleindia #travelphotography #varanasiindia #wedding #weddings #photographer #baraat #musician #music #artist #instamusic #band #musicians #livemusic #musica #art #drums #beats #live
#Drumming with a vengeance
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #incredibleindia #travelphotography #varanasiindia #wedding #weddings #photographer #baraat #musician #music #artist #instamusic #band #musicians #livemusic #musica #art #drums #beats #live
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #incredibleindia #travelphotography #varanasiindia #wedding #weddingday #weddingdress #weddingphotography #party #weddingphotographer #weddings #photographer #kalash
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #incredibleindia #travelphotography #varanasiindia #wedding #weddings #photographer #baraat #musician #music #artist #instamusic #band #musicians #livemusic #musica #art #drums #beats #live
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #incredibleindia #travelphotography #varanasiindia #wedding #weddings #photographer #baraat #musician #music #artist #instamusic #band #musicians #livemusic #musica #art #drums #beats #live
When the hunter becomes the hunted. Big fat #Indian #weddings are such a curiosity for #tourists.
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #incredibleindia #travelphotography #varanasiindia #wedding #weddingday #weddingdress #weddingphotography #party #weddingphotographer #weddings #photographer #baraat
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #incredibleindia #travelphotography #varanasiindia #wedding #weddings #photographer #baraat #musician #music #artist #instamusic #band #musicians #livemusic #musica #art #drums #beats #live
Elvis has left the building.
In an auto.
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia #flowers #nature #flower #flowerstagram #art #flores #macro #roses #floral #green #beauty #handmade #florist
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia #flowers #nature #flower #flowerstagram #art #flores #macro #roses #floral #green #beauty #handmade #florist
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia
#varanasi #india #banaras #kashi #banarasi #travel #varanasidiaries #uttarpradesh #photography #benaras #ganga #incredibleindia #ghat #gangaghat #gangaghats #travelphotography #varanasiindia
अब तो यह हद है कि हम दूसरों के खाने की भी photo ले लेते हैं। #foodstagram #delhigram #delhidiaries #nomnom #indianfoodblogger #eeeeeats #zingyzest #indianfood #food #foodie #foodporn #foodphotography #instafood #foodblogger #foodgasm #foodstagram #foodlover #india #yummy #foodies #indianfoodbloggers #delicious #foodtalkindia #indiancuisine #indian #tasty #vegetarian #desifood #delhi
जितनी गहराई में जायेंगे, उतना अद्भुत पायेंगे। #incredibleindia #indiaclicks #indiatravelgram #monument #photography #photography #wanderlust #architecture #delhi #history #ancient
#incredibleindia #indiaclicks #indiatravelgram #monument #photography #photography #wanderlust #architecture #delhi #history #ancient
#incredibleindia #indiaclicks #indiatravelgram #monument #photography #photography #wanderlust #architecture #delhi #history #ancient
#incredibleindia #indiaclicks #indiatravelgram #monument #photography #photography #wanderlust #architecture #delhi #history #ancient
#incredibleindia #indiaclicks #indiatravelgram #monument #photography #photography #wanderlust #architecture #delhi #history #ancient
#incredibleindia #indiaclicks #indiatravelgram #monument #photography #photography #wanderlust #architecture #delhi #history #ancient
#incredibleindia #indiaclicks #indiatravelgram #monument #photography #photography #wanderlust #architecture #delhi #history #ancient
#incredibleindia #indiaclicks #indiatravelgram #monument #photography #photography #wanderlust
#qutub
'tis the season...
#barbecue #grill #seekh #kabab #street #food #streetfood #streetfoodindia #steam #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #everydayindia #delhi #dastkar
#coal #embers #glow #barbecue #grill #street #food #streetfood #streetfoodindia #steam #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #everydayindia #delhi #dastkar
#barbecue #smoke #street #food #streetfood #streetfoodindia #steam #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #everydayindia #delhi #dastkar
भाईलोग
#kids #faces #children #streets #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #everydayindia #delhi
कुछ दिन पहले आपने शकरकंदी देखी थी। आज उसे बनाने वाले से मिलिए। 🍠
#sweetpotato #street #food #streetfood #streetfoodindia #steam #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #everydayindia #delhi #dastkar
गरम चाय पियो
#tea #street #food #streetfood #streetfoodindia #steam #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #everydayindia #delhi #dastkar
#ecofriendly #metal #straws #steel #copper #bamboo #brushes #bristles
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#pencils #stationary #colours #faces
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#रोशनी #light #paper #lantern #रात #अंधेरा #उजाला
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#handmade in #Gurgaon with #waste #paper
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
Hocus pocus
Out of focus
#natural #grains #indigenous #farming #organic
#conscious #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #everydayindia #delhi #dastkar
When the kids surprise you in the morning with a delicious gift
liked by 7
#chimes #music #sound
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#fish #artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
इतने सुन्दर रंग
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
लगता है जैसे इन दोनों में कुछ नाराज़गी है 💙
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
Bluoooooo
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#Blue #pottery from #Dilli
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
To make beautiful things is an art. To make your wares look beautiful is also an art.. #artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
I love the #chaos in this pic. There is a lot going on. Love it.
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#artisans #craft #handmadeinindia #craftexhibition #conscious #designers #ecofriendly #sustainable #slowliving #theartofslowliving #photography #indiaclicks #incredibleindia #indiapictures #indiatravelgram #wanderlust #art #artist #everydayindia #handmade #ihavethisthingforcraft #delhi #dastkar
#flowers #delhi #dastkar #craft #handmade
गेंदा फूल
क्या West मिदनापुर में वाकई ऐसी मछलियाँ होती हैं?
बारीक काम
दुनिया में बड़ी खूबसूरत चीज़ें हैं। ज़रा घर से तो निकलिये। Wooden. Only ₹300 a piece. Made right here in Dilli.
और मीठे में शकरकंदी 🍠
मगर हमारे लिए तो वड़ा पाव ही ठीक है
बड़े के कबाब
रंगों की बाहर @upcycling.artist Meenakshi's beautiful workshop
#books #reading #vacation #kids #uttarakhand #rishikesh #bokeh #photo #nature #flowers #flower #wanderlust #vanlife #photography #photo #travel #travelphotography #travelindia
The came #rafting down the #Ganga #river, one after the other
#uttarakhandheaven #uttarakhand #travelphotography #travel #nature #incredibleindia #travel #adventure #sports #river
A bird flits across the newly born Ganga
#uttarakhand #uttarakhandheaven #bird #travel #photo #nature #wanderlust #wild #photography #photo #incredibleindia #travel #travelphotography #travelindia
The rock. It moves! So do the kids on it.
#uttarakhand #uttarakhandheaven #travel #kids #vanlife #incredibleindia
Can we ever take the caravan on the road without flattening a wheel? 🙄
काफ़ी #psychedelic #lighting at #dhabas
Since you guys liked the #morning view, here is a fuller wide frame. Notice the #stars up above and the #mist hanging in the air from left to right.
#vanlife #camping
Some rest after all that masti
Building #sand #castles, then breaking them apart
One kid is shirtless, the other sports a sweater 😀
#sandcastles
The sights and sounds of the #Ganga #river
#vanlife #uttarakhand
I guess the walk was well worth it. Sand=Joy!
It's a long walk for the kids
We are getting closer to the lagoon
The bridge is situated over this river, the Ganga
To get to the lagoon we had to cross this bridge
The "lagoon" sits by the Ganga like this
#vanlife
We are now headed to this "lagoon"
#vanlife
#Mountains. And the colour #blue.
#vanlife
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible Nature. Unaware that this Nature he’s destroying is this God he’s worshiping." ~Hubert Reeves
"इसे देखना यह संडे सुबह लगा हुआ है" "Overtime बना रहा होगा" "जब सामने पहाड़ जितना काम हो तो कितना ही Overtime बना लो"
Freshly washed in the river
Oooh spideys
Time to remove the tent
One last look of the view before we make a move.
The river is the most beautiful colour here
Lots of masti
Hard to capture these views in frames
As the day broke, the view was so serene
And then we walked in the dark to the river to wash our faces
We woke up to this view
Don't you just love #camping in the shadow of a big tree?
Me likes the lighting at this #campsite
M1: This is what you get for taking pics when you should be helping us pitch the tent
The turquoise and emerald green waters of both rivers have rather big fishes in their freezing cold waters
We took a dip at #sangam. Those pictures are too racy to share.
This is how the #Alakananda rages through #Devprayag
Our #campsite for the night.
#vanlife
#Ganges #गंगा freshly made from the confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers
#sangam #संगम #alakananda #bhagirathi
Skipping rocks
बदमाशियां
Gotta love river beaches
#artistic or #fail?
#Ganges #गंगा
What a beautiful way to begin the day
#flowers #vanlife
रास्ते में आपके पूर्वज मिले। आपको पूछ रहे थे।
जब आप लेटे हों ज़मीन पर, और ऊपर आकाश का हो यह नज़ारा
Why kids have to leave behind #pollution, then participate in a #bonfire, is beyond me.
Sounds of the #Ganges #गंगा
Ooh shiny river sand
And this is how silly kids start landslides
पत्थर की लकीरें
घर हो तो ऐसा
When we fight the #mountains, the mountains fight back
#nightphotography
So, we ran away
#ClimateRefugees #PollutionRefugees #RightToBreathe #vanlife
😍😋
#Birds of a feather
When the best Mexican food you've had in recent time, comes in an edible bowl.
Downtown #MountainView #quirky
Ooh shiny
#SanFrancisco काफ़ी #retro
@Moar #Kaddoo 🎃
The #surf life. Looking out for the next big wave.
Two's company
#Windswept
😍🛶
#catwalk
A #Spanish meal
The sounds you want to hear
The #sea
#sunrise
#birdies
#silhouette. Almost.
#boats against a setting sun
A nice way to let a day go... with a walk on the beach
And gone
#sunset
So awesome
Err, worrisome
There is a #spell in the witch's pot
Oops
कद्दू का कद्दू हो गया 🎃
Oops
liked by 4
Meet Tahoe, the Amazon delivery guy
liked by 3
बताओ who is who?
liked by 5
I showed up at a #Halloween party without a #costume, so I pulled yesterday's stunt again.
liked by 7
How normal people approach the presence of an Amazon Echo in a bathroom: "Oh, the house owners listen to music while showering. Good call 👍🏽" How I approach the situation: "That thing's going to listen to the sounds I make on the pot, then run Hadoop jobs on them"
liked by 8
When you come to SF for a meeting but decide to stay back and party rather than brave 6pm traffic... Flip your thermal jacket over, zip it all the way up to hide your collar, let your hair loose, and hopefully blend in/stand out.
The Fatima Biji look for men. काफ़ी popular at rave parties in the US 🤣
There's only one word to describe the #EDM scene in #SF. Lame. People will head bang to anything here.
#Goa 🎸 🎶 🤘🏽
#Retro #gaming #PacMan #vintage
Two years ago. Doing what I do best.
#hammock #sleep
#SeaOtters in the #Pacific
#dolphins in the Pacific Ocean
The #sealion is my spirit animal. It loves basking in the sun - lying around on its back all day, scratching its body, emitting loud grunting sounds for no reason, and swatting at anyone who comes close.
About last weekend
#boats 🛥 😍
When the guy who drove an electric car to work for five years, shows up in a truck.
He said it's the range anxiety that did him in.
Nice #truck, though. Great for #camping.
टाट की बोरी in America. Just lying by the roadside near Google and other fancy corporate offices.
#Boat Love 🛥
The sights at #Monterey
#Love 😍
#Music #Projections #VideoArt
The unbearable #cuteness of #BayArea #Downtowns in #Halloween season
A bit of the #Balkans in #SanFrancisco
There is still some #green left. #Autumn isn't fully here yet.
Let there be #lighthouse
#whale
The #boat life
#Windswept
#Blue
#sun #sea #sand
Never gets old
For the love of small cars
When you chance upon a friend's labour of love as you saunter around the city.
Radio Flyer wagons ❤️ Oh, why must little boys grow up!
Visiting the Bay Area in pumpkin season.
If you wanna meet, give me a shout out.
When you go to attend a workshop and bump into old friends
This was last year. Where should we take the caravan next? Any suggestions for overnight van camping near Gurgaon. Perhaps near a lake where we can safely try out our boat.
I was looking for another pic when I came across this 😍
This is why we cannot have nice things.
Not sure if interesting or random.
पहचाना?
कभी कभी अपने शहर में भी tourist बनना चाहिए
Same pic, rotated. Let's see which one people like more.
#kids
These two monkeys are super stressing me out.
Filters always mess with clouds. Hence, #nofilter
When the AQI is green, even Delhi skies paint beautiful paintings.
आपने हमेशा उग्रसेन की बाओली को चित्रों में बगैर लोगों के देखा होगा। But solitude is not to be found here on a Sunday evening.
#Monster पुतला gonna #haunt you tonight.
हाथ पैर देख लो ज़रा भाई के
"Elephants and acrobats, lions snakes monkey"
Turtle and pangolin figurines from the #Harappan age. A beautiful collection of ancient figurines, so abstract and artistic, at the #NationalMuseum
#Delhi
M1 broke the museum. Then they all got together and fixed more than he broke.
A plant 🌿 shoots out from the base of a Bhudevi statue. How appropriate. Its literally breaking out of the rock.
M2: What is this?
Me: Mann ki baat
#AshokanInscription #IMeMyself #Delhi
अंत में ठेके वाले भाईसाहब ने गाया और सब को हिला कर रख दिया। वाह वाह।
दोस्तों ने बाहर बुलाया
खिलाया पिलाया
मग़र हम पर हमेशा की तरह
मौसीक़ी का ही नशा छाया
@msginnygill के cafe का नाश्ता। सदा delectable.
#महनत. Nilay has been going to work with me for two days now. The first day was hard. He didn't like it. He wanted out. His body ached in the evening. The second day was a lot better. He did something a hundred and fifty times over and liked it. He learnt a few things. He didn't ask to go sit in the air-conditioned software office, and work on a computer instead. On the ride back home he tells me - we have lunch at Haldirams, I drink milk out of the coffee machine, we go back home tired and fulfilled and sleep. This is the good life.
liked by 13
priyanagesh.yoga,
djtaymah87,
ty_skis,
upcycling.artist,
abhimanyu_c,
faraz_can,
laminarpj,
umeshunni,
onlyvinish,
ankushgo,
rupamdas75,
shiva_the_explorer1,
Requested
I have no idea what this was about. But the kids were doing this over and over again. "You have been branded by the chicken. All hail!" Anyone know anything about this? Asking the Google didn't help. Should I be worried?
#Bangalore has clear blue skies. Clean, breathable air. And frog face cameras staring at the moon. What more does one want?
Au revoir, Bangalore.
How was the meal? Well, it was fully 10x the price of an equally satisfying meal at a Darshini. But fresh idlis, early in the morning, deep inside an airport, are ❤️. I'm not complaining 😁
Le street art of Bengaluru
I was Arthur Dent for a day 😁
As I ambled about Jayanagar after a very satisfying round of sundaes at Corner House, I saw these.
Monster money plant gonna get you tonight.
I was told to go see the #blooms at #CubbonPark. They were enchanting.
Bangalore has been run over by beautiful women wielding beautiful #mookuthis. It is an epidemic, of the delightful kind.
Featured here is my childhood (youthhood?) friend, famous superstar, and lifelong Daler Mehndi fan club chairperson, Bindhu Malini @bindhumalini .
If you haven't heard of her, please crawl out of whatever rock you've been living under, add Bindhu Malini to your Spotify favourite artists list, and soak up her soulful music. You can also add her equally talented and delightfully random husband Vasu Dixit. Then you will have full flavour.
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The café I was at, had a fly on the wall. Was it listening to my conversations. But I was sitting there all by myself.
Could it listen to the musings of my mind?
Will it keep my secrets?
There is much beauty in the little things.
There's just something about #tree #canopies
Sitting among trees. Reading about trees. The joys of a lazy #Bangalore morning.
The kids weren't with me when I came across this switch. I wonder how tempted they'd have been to toggle it 😁
All smiles
The #ghats are such an unstoppable adventure
A one, a two, a three and a four
#waterPark
Some people are grossed out by water parks.
Others take to them like a fish takes to water
तूफ़ान और रास्ता
बहुत #coolboy
Shruminate on these
Another composition by S1
और फिर जैसे ही नीली छतरी वाले को ज़ोर से छींक आई, चारों तरफ़ पानी ही पानी बरस गया, हरियाली ही हरियाली छा गई, फूल ही फूल उग गए
S2. Always stands straight for a pic.
S1 captured these candid pics of M2 and M1.
What do you think of them?
I got videobombed while trying to take a video of S2
This might be the last of S1's pics with me.
What do you think about it? Nature from the eyes of a twelve year old. Does the imagery talk to you?
There will come times in your life when you need to decide between spending time with your child and taking care of work/home/life.
Listen to https://open.spotify.com/track/5x9RZg7HfXGY3JayXL3seF before you decide. It has always helped me prioritise.
A candid moment captured by S1. I have no clue what M1 is up to here.
Freddiebhai Mercurywale
पानी
बादल
ऊर्जा
जीवन
How #green is my #valley?
Met up with Pepe the Don after an eternity. Some people truly never change. It's amazing. The same cheerful voice and bright smile.
Even though the #children can't venture into the #sea, they are still #excited to see it after a long #road trip.
The sea at #Kashid is pretty rough. No chance of venturing even near the sea.
More #gnarly #trees to #haunt you at night
And then, across hills, fields, villages, palm trees and beaches, we could see the sea.
#waterfall
Busy buzzy #bees
Which one do you like?
Savitri river
The sounds of water
#झरना #waterfall
The magical sounds of nature.
We are leaving these behind
फूलों की कमी नहीं यहाँ
कुछ फूल बगीचे के
#flowers #mahabaleshwar
The happiest café owner ever. She was delighted to have the opportunity to feed all the children, and did remarkably well.
#art #devrai
This is too beautiful for me to be able to caption.
Water lilies
Contemplating on the #pond
What a beautiful campus
#flowers #sculpture
The picture is hastily taken. But if you zoom in, you'll see the artist has depicted the balance between industrialisation and conservation very beautifully.
The view
Unlike my children, S1 likes being photographed, and likes photographing me.
#berries. Good to look at, but very bitter.
Masti time
Down winding paths we find twisted trees
Me: This is a pod. All the ingredients of life are within this pod. Everything life needs to sprout again. A tree packages this pod and gives it to you. You can take it anywhere you like and bury it into the ground; life will sprout again. Isn't that magical.
M2: Meh
The woods are lovely, dark and deep
Deeper and deeper into the #forest we went. Farther and farther
Another #mossy #tree
This is a complete #plant in six inches. Leaf, stem, #flower.
Life has tremendous #zeal to exist. It will sprout anywhere. And then reproduce in the blink of an eye.
And yet we are going through an unforeseen extinction. Imagine the tremendous force and violence that humanity is exerting on nature, in order for it to receed, and for us to prevail.
This reminds me of Beebop and Rocksteady
#TMNT
#nofilter #nocaption #flower #clusterflower
Like me, do you also fancy #moss, #litchen and #fungi?
Then we trooped into a #forest
Boom
Because you people like #mushrooms so much. This one is big, fat and fixed on the ground.
We found a familiar friend
Gnarly trees ❤️
Shrooms!
Om nom nom
How now
Brown pao
#kids in a candy store
It just doesn't stop coming down.
We are hardly complaining 😁
Not a huge fan of civilization, but sometimes markets can be nice and quaint. We'd all just bought ourselves raincoats and were ready to brave the #rain in style. Except M2, who didn't like any of the choices available in his size. Being the smallest can be annoying.
If you look carefully dead center, you will see a tree partially obscured by fog, clouds and rain. I'm posting nofilter because all filters were making the tree vanish. What I really need is a filter to convert this pic into a watercolour painting 🎨
S1: मेरी खाते हुए picture लोगे तो I'll act crazy.
When you're stuck in the rain, even #Maggi looks sumptuous
S2 in a cute umbrella hat.
M2
The #clouds are #pouring from up above and #billowing in from below. We struggled to get where we are. Now we are hiding under a tarp and watching others have a hard time 😜
#Street #food in the #rain (caption to be read to the tune of "brown girl in the rain")
Hard to take good photographs when it's pouring as much as it is. The #ghats in the #rain are something else.
We are all #dressed to take on the #rain
When it #rains as much as it does at #mahabaleshwar, when the #trees grow #moss
#strawberries #cream #icecream and everything #nice
And then the #rain came down
#beforetherains
बरखा बहार आई
बताइए हम कहाँ हैं #whereami
#Village #Kaza
Moo time
Because you people like #cows so much
The #flowers of #Narkanda
#rose
At the Café #Deyzor in #Kaza, junior had the delectable #muesli with #fruits and #yogurt.
We had a lot more food there, that I did not take pictures of. Excellent food, excellent service. And then they let us park 🏕 our #caravan in their backyard and use their pit toilet. For free. Best people ever.
When Deepak found a toy to play with, and M1 tried explaining to him that this was a political party's symbol and flag.
The #naughty #kids of #Pooh. My kids made good friends with them.
Back in the #plains, we stopped over at a dhaba. They gave us a bottle of #packaged #water without us asking for it. I only saw the bottle on our table after I saw it in the bill. They were doing this with all customers.
What do you see in the pic? A stack of cold water? Or a pile of #waste #plastic. Once your perspective changes, it never goes back.
24 hours before Karnal, we had had breakfast in Narkanda. The rates for everything more than doubled in this distance. How 😲?
#eagle #snowcappedmountain #Spiti #SpitiValley #Kaza
Met with our first #accident yesterday. A minor one. A pick up truck was badly parked at a turn on the road down from Chail. While I was trying to negotiate past it, an impatient bus going uphill dinged our car. I asked it to wait while I back out of the situation, but it kept going, rubbing the door handle.
The kids want you to know that this is our 200th post 📯
It's 7:45 am and the #skies over #Kurukshetra are #overcast. Its been a pleaseant 25°C since we entered the plains. We are actually driving without air conditioning. Did we bring the mountain #weather with us?
Now we are #driving through the #hills of #Chail while it lightly #drizzles.
We indulged in some obligatory #adventure #activities 😁
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It's over and out for us from #Kufri.
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These #insects made the kids #jump. Even though they are sitting perfectly still. They're a little more than an inch in length.
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Managed to take one photograph without any trash visible. Now to get out of here real quick. 😷
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The #hills of #Kufri are full of #trash, #tree #stumps, #people and #cars. Sad.
The #drive and the #road are amazing, just like @deepankarbasu had said.
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Like, literally? सेब नियंत्रण कक्ष!
The #apple #uprising is coming. We need to keep the apples under #control. 🍏 🤪
M2: is this where they imprison apples?
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All #fruits for #lunch
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Monster #parathas gonna get you tonight. They'll om nom nom you in your sleep.
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The #moon is very bright tonight
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We have come to a resort near our campsite for dinner.
In every #campsite and #resort across India, #wood is #burned for a nightly #bonfire. There is the consumption of chips and soda by children, to the accompaniment of loud music that can be heard for half a mile around. In spite of all these arrangements, most children can't be bothered to lift their heads out of their cellphones.
Is ritualistic #consumption all that we have to offer to our children? And if all adults want to do is consume large amounts of liquor, why do they drive all the way to the hills for it? Not once have these families left their resort to enjoy the beauty of nature all around them - to meet local people, listen to birds, admire flowers.
To each their own. But observing this drama makes me feel we are doing something right.
But at least we should leave the trees out of it. Tens of thousands of resorts are burning bonfires every night. Instead of hugging and loving trees people are going into nature to burn them. Sad.
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January and February is ski 🎿 season in Narkanda. You come to Narkanda town, and 500 meters from it is the ski place. Snow is two to three feet, but they pile up snow at places for skiing.
For hotels, it is an off season 😲. Rates are lower than they are now, which is peak season. The cost of skiing and equipment rental for half a day is ₹1,000. The national highway is pretty clean and snow is removed from it regularly, so it's easy to drive up.
Why do I not know of this? Who wants to come ski this winter? Decathlon was even selling skis when we visited them a week ago. But why buy when we can rent?
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दीपक का मिट्टी का मकान।
आसपास सभी के मकान अब concrete और ईंट के हैं। मकान का क्या है। दिल बड़ा होना चाहिए।
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कुछ दोस्त उम्र भर के होते हैं और कुछ दोस्त, पल भर के। मगर होते तो सारे ही प्यारे हैं ❤️
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Our #guide is feeding us #wild #berries. They are amazingly #delicious.
The #rain has stopped and the #sun is out. Photos are brighter now.
A #primary #school. Eight students. Good use of our tax money 😀
Our #guide today is very #naughty. He cannot walk straight. Has to jump around and crawl through barbed wire.
It's #raining. And the #clouds are #painting again.
It's raining and our tent doesn't have a rainfly. We shall see.
It's a doing nothing, going nowhere kind of day.
The most #amazing #breakfast setting ever 😍 🥣
#hammock time
I've been out camping and RVing through Himachal Pradesh. If you aren't already, please do follow me on @caravahan and view the whole story.
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In a hurry last night, we had pitched tent on a slight slope. The upper half is on a slope, the lower half is flat.
When we tried sleeping, we were rolling all over the place 😂. So we turned 90°. This morning the kids had slipped halfway to flat part of the tent.
Not a good way to sleep. So I'm letting them sleep in this morning. They need the rest after all the traveling down from Kaza.
सेब ही हैं 😀 🍏
छोटे से
Not sure if apples or apricots. Would you know?
Good morning y'all. Sending good vibes from our cherry and apple orchard to you. Not sending any real 🍒 or 🍏 though 😀
And just like that, we #cooked ourselves some #camp #dinner
The #hammock is up, the #stakes have been dug in, and we are sitting at the #table preparing to fix #dinner.
The #tarp is laid out. The instant #tent is popped up. The foam #mattresses have been laid out in the tent. And the sleeping #bags have been thrown in. We move fast inspite of the trechorous path to the site.
#moonrise over the #campsite.
View from our #campsite for the night. Gotta scramble and #pitch #tent.
#cherry #trees 🍒
#happiness
#cherries #vanlife #HimachalPradesh
Deepankar, Shushmita and Isa Basu sent us this pic shortly after our chance meeting, with the caption "join us?". OMG omg omg #goals #love #soawesome
Send them oohs, aahs and cheers, everyone.
The #hills of #Narkand are on #fire.
The #drive from #Rampur to #Narkand is what #mountain dreams are made of. #Smooth #tarmac, wide #road, breathtaking scenery.
Oh what a beautiful, lovely coincidence. Something that can only happen on the open road. We ran into this family of #Happy #Campers, which is what they literally call themselves. They've built a full #RV on an Isuzu D-Max V Cross. Deepankar showed us around their lovely little home which has all the facilities ones needs, including very powerful air conditioning.
Oh, the stories we have to share. Will be planning a trip together shortly.
The #dogs of #Tabo.
Some not so good boys fighting.
#painting
#painting
#stepfarming the #rocky #terrain
#painting or #photograph?
People have made great use of the terrain
#posing
A weathered tree at the Tabo monastery.
#Tabo #monastery #tree
The #dogs of #Kaza
#goodboy #dogsofinstagram
#portal ?
Bridges were crossed.
Better pics in the DSLR
Be like water
My friend
#Kaza #Spiti
The #Tabo #monastery was all about #peace and #earthy #beauty
एक और दरवाज़ा #portal
#food #Kaza
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
And sometimes the hunter is hunted, unbeknownst to him
❤️
An interesting #traffic #jam
#trafficjam #yak
For the love of #gushing #water
Steep glacier
Shallow glacier
Sometimes you see a burst of green between the unrelenting rock and snow. And you know a river flows nearby. And a farmer toils hard to protect his field.
बड़े बड़े पहाड़
छोटे छोटे घर
People will make anything home. The human spirit is just wow. These houses have been around for thousands of years.
Pin Valley was something else.
If you're short on time and want to experience the essential #Spiti Valley, just drive from Shimla till #Tabo and return. The road is mostly awesome. There is no need for you to go to Sangla, Chitkul, Nako, Pin, etc. After the awe of the Nako to Tabo section, everything else is a variation of the same theme.
We had to turn back from Kaza because the Manali route wasn't open. Therefore we also missed Ky and Kunzum Top.
M2 cleans utensils in a natural stream.
No soap was used in the making of photograph. So chill 😁
You would have seen images of villages and monasteries perched precariously at the edge of mountains. Usually people post about Tiger's Nest in Bhutan. Come to #Spiti and you will see this everywhere. Not every village looks down a mountainside. Some look into a green field, if there is a river flowing nearby to feed the field.
#Sagnam
The restaurant at the end of the world.
Or #Nako
Same thing
#portal #Nako
#portal #Tabo #monastery
Earlier today we found snow. More like glacier ice. In #PinValley. Made for a happy kid.
All kinds of rock reliefs. We captured maybe ten types. The area easily has over a hundred. This place is a geologist's dry dream.
More of these #portals that don't seem to safeguard much.
I have nothing to say about these structures. Don't ask me what these are. Ask me what they do to you. Once you've seen them, you are in profound awe of what wind, water and time can do.
You see whatever this is that nature has carved into a mountainside.
You see vast #ridges
I'm going to now try and take you through the grandeur that is the #SpitiValley between #Nako and #Tabo. We did the route on Tuesday, but I've been avoiding putting up pics.
Pictures and videos are too small the capture the vastness, the other worldliness of this place. The only way to know it is to bite the blue pill and come on over to see it for yourself.
M1: How does dad look?
M2: Obese
#savage #burn #thuglife
M1: So rude.
M2: There was this chart in school with height and recommended body weight and according to that chart I think dad is...
Some pics from the #Tabo #monastery. We experienced the monastery and left #Tabo yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. By the evening we had reached #Kaza. We spent our evening in the most beautiful café ever (more on that later). This morning we left Kaza for #PinValley. We reached Mud (मुध) village and then turned around. Then we drove through #Tabo and #Nako to #Pooh.
We have lots and lots of pics to share. Will try my best with the limited connectivity we have. Also pics from the phone and the camera have gotten mixed up, so the time lines are a little off.
More pics from the sunrise at #Kasauli
Me: Do you know what B.R.O. stands for?
M1: Bro seriously?
It is exceptionally quiet in #Tabo. There is the sound of the wind, when it blows. There is the incessent tweeting of birds. Nothing else. I have a very good pair of noise cancelling headphones. Turning them on and off makes no difference at all here. It is surreal.
We had tea at #Nako. The restaurant owner was the nicest man. His restroom was covered in requests, in Hindi, to travelers, asking them to please leave the place clean. Common sense suggestions. It is sad that we send tourists up to these places without imparting them basic civic sense and lessons in hygiene.
#vanlife
The ride quality of the #Innova #Crysta is pretty amazing. The steering wheel requires more force than a Hyundai Xcent. There isn’t any perceptible body roll. The 2.5L petrol engine is adequate.
In the plains I was driving in Eco Mode. In the mountains I realised it leads to a peculiar situation. When I try to overtake another vehicle while going uphill, I need to press the throttle all the way down before the automatic tranmission will downshift. Then it downshifts twice, and the engine lets out the most unnerving growl. I have seen the most seasoned Bolero drivers look around at the car when it growls like this, and make way for it. Which is not what I want. I am here to have a travel and share the road, not be the boss of the road. Turning off Eco fixes this. I haven’t tried Power Mode yet.
I am told that the ground clearance of the Crysta is higher than the older Innova. But still not high enough to take us past Kunzum Pass. In any case, the kids aren’t enamoured with snow any more. So we will just hang around here for a while and turn around, not risk it at the pass.
You guys are lucky. Because we were offline and basically vegetating, I found the time to upload the #DSLR pics into my phone so I could #Instagram them. Yes, I figured out how to use the DSLR. There is basically an idiot friendly, everything auto mode in the camera. The autofocus in this mode does not work when pointed at stars in the night, but works great during the day. I will be uploading DSLR pics from the beginning of my trip, occassionally. Enjoy.
About an hour before #Nako, on Tuesday, we lost phone signal. We did get a #BSNL SIM, and Nako is supposed to have #3G connectivity, but there was no signal at Nako. The restauranteur at Nako was elated that #Jio would soon bring #4G connectivity to the entire #Spiti Valley. We reached #Tabo by nightfall on Tuesday. We parked in the lot opposite the Monastery. We had lovely dinner, including pizza with olives. Sleep came easily after a long day of driving. We were #cozy in the #caravan inspite of the cold winds and rain outside.
It was supposed to #snow on Wednesday morning but that did not happen. The kids weren’t too dissappointed. We got busy looking for a place to shower. The lovely people at Kunzom Cafe offered us the use of their solar heated shower at no cost. As I sat there chatting with the owner, he told me that we all need to keep ourselves fully covered and warm. Weather changes suddenly around here, and the temperature difference between night and day is high. People coming from the plains fall sick easily.
Just as he was telling me this, I felt illness take over me. I moved indoors into his cafe and just lay down. Maybe it was the fatigue, maybe the altitude, maybe the cold. I don’t know. In no shape to walk back to the caravan, I rented a room and slept off right there. I must have slept all day. The kids had a whale of a time, running around the place, eating delicious food, showering, playing with kids, and gorging on candy.
M1 was dissappointed that we weren't staying in the caravan. Wasn't that the whole point, he asked. Perhaps. One has to adapt. Also, once you've seen the scenery between Nako and Tabo, nothing really matters. You are in another world. You just want to soak in the scenery. Tell yourself this is real. Are we still on planet 🌏?
We have done 1,003 km so far, and the mileage has averaged out to 11.7/100km, over plains and mountains. This is still a lot better than the mileage in Gurgaon, so I’m not complaining.
So far, fuel was our primary cost in this trip. Food was cheap, averaging ₹100 per person for lunch and dinner, and lesser for breakfast. Here at #Tabo, there is so much good food, so much local cuisine to try, that our food bill has gone for a toss. I am frankly not keeping count. We are here to have a good time, not to keep costs low. Enjoying local cuisine is definitely a part of the #roadtrip experience. A good sideeffect is that M1 has stopped asking me when we are going to begin cooking our own food. We have always used our cooking gear when we go camping, except this time. It’s a big let down for him. But now that we are surrounded by pizzas, pancakes, thukpa, samthuk, fresh green salad, phaktse and what not, he doesn’t care about cooking.
This is a sight I don’t get to see in the cities - families playing with kids. Even on a weekend, I find most parents just don’t have the time for their kids, so consumed is their life with chores, leisure and the Internet. In the villages around Gurgaon this is common - men and women hanging out with kids, enjoying the sun on a weekday morning. But in the cities it is usually the primary care giver who spends most of the time with the kids.
It is Thursday morning now, and the kids refuse to leave. They want to spend the rest of the vacation here, eating delicious food and making friends with all the nice people. They no longer want snow, glaciers or scenery.
On NH505 between Karchham and Nako:
M1: This road is so broken. How can it be a National Highway?
Me: There is construction work going on, so it is broken in places. But where the road work is complete, the tarmac is as smooth as the best road in the world. They even go around manually sweeping the roads every day, to remove the stones that have fallen from the mountains above.
People from all over the country have gathered to build this road for you. Engineers, military people, and poor labourers. All of them are slogging here in the most inhospitable conditions, covered in dust, with the sun beating down on them and the wind howling all around. Every time our vehicle passes, they stop their work and move to the side. One one side is a steep fall, on the other side rocks can fall down on them. The poor labourers must be working for a few hundred rupees a day, their poor children playing beside them with rocks. The children are unwashed, unkempt, sunburnt, and when the cars whizz past they throw up little sharp pieces of stone that hit them. Yet they are all working relentlessly.
M1: Ouch!
We can never have enough #gratitude and #respect for what #nature and #mankind give us. I try as much as possible to make my children be #thankful for all they have, and to be aware of their privilege. Sometimes that ends up in rants like these.
#Nako
Butter doesn't need refrigeration round here, even at 30°C ambient. Apparently it's the dry weather that keeps it unspoilt.
We haven't bought any packaged water since we started. We have been refilling our bottles and managing with that. On the way up to Tabo we have purchased two 5L jerry cans as backup.
It takes a special kind of stupid to come to the mountains and buy bottled "mineral water". Everywhere we go there are natural water springs and glacial rivers. My kids have had to learn to not be queasy about drinking water that doesn't come out of an RO machine or plastic bottle.
#Aquafina #Kinley and #Bisleri don't have a patent on clean water. They do have a patent on trashing the planet with plastic waste. We should only use them when absolutely necessary. I see tourists buying 12 packs of Bisleri for ₹240 because "Oh, its only ₹240". It's not. It's you coming to 3,000+ meters and leaving your trash here for perpetuity.
A #highaltitude #game of #cricket at #Nako
Lots of #donkeys in #Nako today
#blast
#shovel
#dump
#build #road
The kids have not watched a single minute of T. V. or video, or used a smartphone, since we started. All kids need is constructive engagement.
Perfectly nice brand new concrete bridge lies unused while we had to go over a rattly, noisy, scary #metal #bridge.
M2 noticed that this is how our #route looks in #satellite view.
Been #riding beside the #sutlej for an hour now.
Now accepting #roadtrip #song #recommendations
Nowhere near the most spectacular #overhang we have encountered so far. But the one safest to photograph 😀
We lost our way on the road to #Tabo. Looks like it wasn't such a bad thing 😀
It's the #journey not the destination!
#travel #instatravel #India #incredibleindia #mountains
This is a very #scenic, #idyllic spot. I'm unable to capture its #beauty with my phone. There are some winding stairs, a narrow path, a stone cabin. A stream flows through the place. The kind of location authors picture with words in stories.
We are #ontheroadagain. Let's see where we reach today.
Last night when we came back from dinner, we found our #caravan boxed in by a couple of other cars. We were anyway gonna sleep here tonight, so it didn't matter. However, being a city dweller, I was quite uneasy about being trapped in my spot.
In the morning I asked someone for help. She pointed out that most cars have the cellphone number of the owner printed on the car. And yes indeed, the cars blocking me were stickered. Before I could call the owner, he came and took his car away.
#Himachal is so safe that people put their numbers on their cars 😲. In Gurgaon you'd get stalked.
What's the first thing you see when you slide out of bed in the morning?
#cowsofinstagram 😂
दरवाज़े और दीवारें #doors and #fences
Monster flower gonna get you tonight.
#HimachalPradesh
Tonight we #dine at a #fancy #buffet. A little luxury doesn't take away from the #vanlife #experience.
Since you people are clearly suckers for the #sound of #flowing #water
#HimachalPradesh #experientialtravel
More hero गिरी
#kidsofinstagram #kidstravel #travelwithkids #HimachalPradesh
लकड़ा हमारा hero है
#kidsofinstagram #kidstravel #kids
As you folks would have noticed by now, we went for a #village #walk.
Walking through villages is always the high point of any trip I make to the mountains, whether it is Himachal, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya or Assam.
We made friends with some boys from the village. 5am tomorrow they're gonna take us to a glacier nearby. Can't wait.
#HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh
#Moar #trees
#TheHiddenLifeOfTrees
#GooglePhotos has been itching to get in on my #Instagram game
आज हमने कई दरख़्तों से दोस्ती की 😊
#TheHiddenLifeOfTrees
#dogs #dogsofinstagram #goodboy #HimachalPradesh
बड़े बड़े ताले और छोटी छोटी खिड़कियाँ। क्या हैं यह?
#locks #lock #window
#HimachalPradesh
+1 would trade my #caravan to live in a #tinyhouse above a #stream with the sounds of #flowingwater and #childrenplaying in the #school #playground next door.
#ताला #lock
#portal
#गाँव #village
#apple #orchards
+1 would make this the logo for our products. Rugged like these rocks.
For #geography wonks. In this one pic you see #clouds, #snowcappedmountains, #glaciers, melting #snow and #moraine, a glacial #stream, and a #river
A moving painting with sound
Like a #painting
More #mountains for you.
Chitkul!
#vanlife #kidsofinstagram #kidstravel #travelwithkids
We are all tired this morning. Sleeping in the #tent 🎪 wasn't anywhere as comfortable as sleeping in the #van 🚐. In fact I have had better sleep 🛏 in the #van than I usually do at home. It was chilly at night, but were warm in our bags. It is super hot this morning - the air is cool but the mountain 🏔️ sun ☀ is beating down on us.
The kids are sleepily stuffing the sleeping bags. I can't be bothered to arrange the #gear exactly as I'd originally laid it out. The crate wasn't letting the shotgun seat slide back as much as it can, so we've put the cooler (which is smaller) in its place. The books in the crate are now in the cooler 😬
The crate and the table are now on top of the bed. This likely will #fail on broken roads. But it's worth a try. Anyway no one sits on the bed while we are moving. Per @umeshunni 's suggestion I've tied down the table.
So we've prioritised passenger comfort over gear stability. Let's see what happens.
#mountains #snowcappedmountains
Kailash Parvat
कैलाश पर्वत
The awe of it
I think I'll just let the kids sleep in this morning. We are on #vacation. Why the rush?
#campinglife #vacationwithkids #campingwithkids #kidstravel
I like our Coleman instant tent, because it's literally instant. Up in sixty second. But it has no rainfly. Which means all night it was soaking in dew. This morning it's dripping wet. You touch it from the inside and water drains on to you, your electronics and books.
Gotta fashion a rainfly for this guy.
Late start to the morning. Gotta unpack and go now. Chitkul calls.
#vanlife #campinglife
After holding things back for an hour, I crawled out of my sleeping bag and tent to take a leak.
On the way back, I swung my head around because of a noise (of course I'm jumpy when it's this dark). And lo and behold. As I swung my head, I noticed the night sky. *low whistle*
You would not believe what I saw. Its aglow.
So, I'm wearing shorts and I'm cold. The tent is wet with dew. But I still go back in and fish my specs out.
Then I look up again.
The stars. The milky way. Oh the glory of it all. It could make anyone believe in higher powers.
So, see the attached pic. The Innova came with a DSLR. I've never used one. I have no clue. And yes, I did make one shameful attempt with my phone camera, only to get a completely dark picture. So I go into the car and fish it out.
It won't work. I read some tutorials. I actually stackoverflowed Nikon D90s. It won't work. When I point it at the sky and press the shutter button, it won't click. I tried M A P S. I fiddled with the ISO.
It obviously works in full auto. I took some pics during the day (not showing ya 😜). It only doesn't work with stars. I can't practice the settings during the day because in the day it works. And in the night it's cold and... You get the drift. It's late and I'm incoherent but I need help. I'm likely headed to Tabo people. I gotta make this useless heavy piece of metal photograph night skies.
OK. Good night.
#NikonD90 #nightsky #nightskyphotography
It's time to call it a night.
The kids decided to do a bit of cleanup around the #campsite. They'd already cleaned the spot where we pitched #tent.
There was endless commentary about the kinds of garbage people had left
The colours that come out at this time of the day here are to die for
#stylebhai
How does one post a wide/tall pic on Instagram?
Anywhoo. Witness some watermelon devourment 🍉
M1 slaughters the dinner. M2 prepares to impale it instead.
#dinner #camplife
#washbasin
#camping #vanlife #roadtrip
And the #camp is up before the sun went down.
We are super excited. And we are missing a bunch of little things. No carabiners 😲. Time to McGyger and #jugaad.
Is this a good spot to camp? We are surrounded on all sides by loud cows.
Reporting live from the road to #Chitkul. The scenery has now left us speechless.
Instagram wanted to filter this pic 😲
Those of you who are following us on Insta and Facebook, would you please share the link https://www.instagram.com/caravahan/ on these mediums.
We are trying to get to a critical mass of people like minded people seeing our posts. What we are doing is highly unusual for India, and we can use all of the advice and support we can get.
We crossed Nathpa shortly after noon. We should have eaten lunch here, because we found no restaurant after this. At Karcham we turned off of the National Highway towards Sangla. The road quality immediately dropped. I had to be attentive at all times. We are carrying a lot of food, but there wasn't enough space beside the road to stop and eat it.
It's 4pm now and we are having lunch at Sangla. We will head on further after this and hopefully find a good place to pitch tent and set up camp.
I must acknowledge the very useful advice and tips I've received so far from Preeti, Rahul, Gargi, Aman, Chaitali and Priya. More advice, and warnings about road conditions, would be very useful, so do share the link https://www.instagram.com/caravahan/
Thanks much for reading.
Freshly showered.
Yesterday we started from Kasauli at day break, and reached Ponda after sunset. Since we were on the road all through, with the occasional meal break, we didn't have a chance to shower.
This morning we saw people, mostly truckers, showering by the side of the road. How could we pass up the opportunity? What's more, the water turned out to be refreshingly warm. Perhaps a hot water spring was the source.
We have been brushing and going to the loo at temples, monasteries and such. Restaurant washrooms are a hit or a miss, so we avoid them.
Thats what #vanlife is about, I guess. If we build ourselves a proper #caravan, a toilet, shower and kitchenette will be the things we will add in over and above what the #van offers.
#HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #Kinnour #Sangla #SanglaValley
M1 asked why monks keep their head shaved. I told him it's because they want to live a simple, frugal life, and maintaining hair is a pain.
Later, I saw a girl in the nunnery who wasn't, how shall I say, conventionally beautiful. And it dawned on me. A monastery is a place where you focus on the inner beauty and character of a person. Looks and fashion, physical beauty, have no place here. It is a place where everyone is loved and accepted; where you are what you do for others, not who you are.
On the way down from Ponda, we dropped a nun and another girl. The girl was all about her phone, her sim cards, her hair, her lipstick, how she looked, selfies. She was beautiful. The nun girl was simply smiling all the time. And I realised they had almost the same face and looks. It was just embellishment which made one girl look prettier to me.
So, maybe the monks don't have hair so they can focus on their inner selves, not outer selves. And we spend our lives focusing on our and other people's outer selves.
Have one breakfast with monks and you think you've become a philosopher yourself 😁
No photos of the inside of the monastery and their place of worship and study, out of respect, even though photography was allowed.
Tyre burst. We moved to the left of the road to allow a vehicle coming uphill to pass. The water pipeline by the side of the road cut the tyre.
#vanlife #roadtrip #travelwithkids #kidsofinstagram
The monks at the monastery saw us using their restroom and have invited us in for breakfast. Everything you've ever heard about Buddhist monastery hospitality is true.
Seen here, juxtaposition of the traditional with the modern.
Trying to give you a sense of the fantabulous beauty of our perch. We spent the night in the newly constructed parking lot of the #Ponda Buddhist monastery. Sharing panoramas clearly isn't Instagram's thing. Just made friends with one of the monastery #dogs who was all over me. 🐶😁
M2 is awake. M1 refuses to rise. He slept an hour after us. Says he was looking at the #stars till the windows #fogged up. Sounds so #romantic.
#vanlife #HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #Kinnour
The kids will soon wake up to this view.
The three of us squeezed in at the back tonight. M1 just snuggled in between me and M2 after we had slept. The idea always was for one kid to sleep on a fully reclined front seat. But we were quite comfortable. The 4.5'x6' bed is adequate for the three of us when it's cold outside. Inside it was perfectly warm and cozy.
OK. The boys are stirring. Gotta go.
#nofilter #Kinnour #HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #vanlife #caravan #roadtrip
Here is how our living quarters look tonight. We got late in settling in, so we haven't set up our tent or done any cooking. We did cover a lot more distance than I expected.
The bed is made up better tonight, says M2. He is always a tough customer to please, so I'm pleased. M1 is having a meal of heat and eat food. M2 and I are full.
#vanlife #caravaninteriors #Kinnour
Our first view of #snowcappedmountains had the kids yelping with joy.
#roadtrip #HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #Jakhari
#Sutlej
Ha ha ha ha ha (maniacal laughter)
Now that I've ensnared you all into following me, I unleash my diabological plan. One of you will use your Google foo and find us a lovely campsite that let's us open camp with our own van and tent. We reach Rampur Bushahar by 4:30pm. Somewhere near there will be ideal.
Pretty please. With sugar on top.
#HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh
#trees #nofilter
I thought these boxes were used to make concrete blocks. M1 correctly identified them as #bee keeping boxes. Zoom in and see the #bees buzzing.
#HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #Narkanda
Are we in #cherryblossom country?
#HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #cherries
Yes yes, at some point we will start cooking our own food. Till then we enjoy local cuisine in a #traditional #thali.
#HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #SanglaValley #vanlife
Someone asked for a pic of the outside of our #van. Here it is. We have made no changes on the outside (yet). Not even a carrier. Indian authorities are notorious in this respect, always picking on people who mod their vehicles. So we are playing it safe.
#vanlife #caravan #roadtrip
Our #watermelon seller is also a #vanlifer. His #caravan is built on a truck. He's got a full size cooking gas, utensils, and some gear in a gunnysack. He's got #thresh on the floor of his truck, and a sheet spread on it works as his bed. His #caravaninteriors are quite roomy compared to ours.
He hails from #Una. He can understand and speak #Hindi, but responded to my Hindi in #Punjabi. The watermelons are from Madhya Pradesh. 🍉 🚐
#vanlife #roadtrip #tinyhomes #tinyhouse #simpleliving
@fakeera_baanwra I fed the 🐒s #watermelon for #lunch. Does that make you happy?
#vanlife #Theog #HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #roadtrip
Just saw another guy who lives and works out of a bus and tent. #vanlife doesn't seem so aspirational any more. 😅🎪🚌
Dad got us a full set of #Tintins because he always wanted them as a kid. We aren't allowed to read in the moving car so we read when and where we can. We love him. Dad things Herge is racist, but we are smart enough to not pick up on the stereotypes.
Changed the organisation of our gear a bit. Let's see how this holds up on the #windingroads of #HimachalPradesh
#vanlife #caravan #caravaninteriors
We are leaving this behind and moving on
#Kasauli #HimachalTourism #HimachalPradesh #vanlife
We woke up like this 😁
#mountainmornings
Good #morning. We are still #sleepy. Fresh #mountainair.
#vanlife #caravan #Kasauli
Had to drive all the way up to #Kasauli for #dinner. The weather is good. We can see things getting #chilly in an hour.
#vanlife #roadtrip #HimachalPradesh
देखो, देखो वोह आ गए
The mountains are here
#vanlife #HimachalPradesh #HimachalTourism #roadtrip #mountains
If we cross #Kasauli today, we can sleep in the van without air conditioning. That's another two hours of driving. And the sun would be about to set. Let's see.
#vanlife #HimachalTourism
On the road again🎸🎸 #I'mdriving🚗
(this is M1)
M2: How do you know the names of restaurants on the highway?
Me: Because it's मूरथल की दाल।
M2: What is the point of building a home van if we eat in a restaurant?
M1: Dad isn't carrying a propane tank inside the #Innova because it isn't safe.
Me: Yeah I went to Badshahpur and the 2 kg tanks were all home made not factory made. Not happening inside, or even outside on the carrier.
M2: RVs in the US are better. They have a full kitchen.
Tough customer, M2.
Instagram needs a pic with anything I say. So, candy land.
Also, table turnover times at Sukhdev are amazing.
#BindooBaba has been keeping us company over the #KMPExpressway. +1 would recommend.
PS: We are now accepting endorsement requests from independent artists and struggling startups without marketing budgets 😂
#indiemusic
We got a royal send off from my colleagues. Or was that good riddance for them 😁
M1 poses for the public. Our departure got delayed because we were arranging things in the car, and my body was hurting from two days of work. Instead of 3am, it is a noon departure now. Let's see where we reach.
#camping #caravan #vanlife #HimachalPradesh
The beautiful owners of the #Innova are testing it out. Verdict: "Love it. Gonna sleep in it tonight." #vanlife #caravan #experientialtravel #travelinindia
Took us some effort to clamp the thing down. We had to remove some rubber flooring. The pictures aren't pretty coz my phone was out of juice and the flash stopped working. By 8:30 we had slotted all our gear under the bed and were rolling home.
Things have been moving fast. At 6 we went into the #paintshop. At 7 we came out #gleaming. Then we wasted some time hunting for self tapping wood screws. At 7:30 we were assembled and at 8 we were installed.
Meanwhile the @wood that goes on top of the #steel is being processed on a #CNC #saw, #laminator and #taping machine.
#vanlife #caravan #caravaninteriors
We are in the final stages. The bed and storage #metalwork #weld and #grind is done. Onwards to #powdercoating.
#vanlife #caravan #caravaninteriors
Trying to keep this account focused on #caravan and #vanlife. Also trying to keep it kid friendly. But I just cannot resist some #heavymachinery porn when I see it. The folks doing out metal build are seriously industrial 😂
Our awesome #team figures out how to #clamp the #bed and #storage to the #van. Gotta be #safe and #sturdy.
#steel #make #build #welding #vanlife #caravan #caravaninteriors
Oh wait. I almost forgot our #hammock made of #parachute cloth. We've made many a fond memories of doing nothing in it. The kids are always fighting for the privilege of hanging out in it. It let's us zip ourselves inside and keep the bugs out.
#camping #campinggear #backpacking #backpackinggear #vanlife #caravan
Last but not the least, is this light weight, excellent quality #backpacking #tent we have. Let's hope we get to do some #hiking #trekking.
#vanlife
This is our four person #instant #tent. The kids want to take it along in case they don't like sleeping in the #van every night.
#Coleman #vanlife #camping #campinggear
The red ones are our trusted #sleepingbag s. I think they'll hold up in #Kaza's cold. The second pic is of our spare sleeping bags. They'll probably end up as spreads over our mattress, or extra insulation if the mercury heads south.
#campinggear #HimachalPradesh #vanlife #camping
Here's a whole bunch of closeups of our gear. Safety stuff, backpacks, cooking stuff, pillows, umbrellas, etc. Are we missing anything important?
#camping #campinggear #hikinggear #hiking #trekking #vanlife #backpacking #backpack
This is an inflatable boat with paddles etc. Should we carry this with us? Will there be any water bodies between Kalka and Kaza where we can safely use it? Safety first, after all.
#boat #vanlife #caravan #inflatableboat #Kaza #HimachalPradesh #Chitkul #Sangla #Nako #Tabo #Narkanda
A late start to the day today. Was dropping of the kids and battling with peak our Gurgaon traffic.
We have started fitting the first cut structure into the back of the van. Further afield you see our metal shop's mechanical engineer, who we have commandeered to help us do this on priority.
#metalwork #vanlife #build #make #welding #steel
I was supposed to be at the fabricator's by now. But I have to drop people on the way. Four kids are gonna have to sit on the floor of the Innova, because no seats 😂
Anyway. Here is a pic of our collapsible camping chair and table with umbrella. Never been used before.
#campinggear #vanlife #campchair
Last minute shopping to pick up some gear. Sandals 👟 . Walking stick. Camp light 💡. Bum pack. Caps 🧢 and bandanas. A couple of shirts for the kids to spray paint 🙄
Here is the gear we will be taking with us to #Kaza #HimachalPradesh. Suggestions on what else to include or exclude are very welcome.
#camping #campinggear #vanlife #backpacking #backpackerlife
The #fabrication of the base had begun.
#metalwork #welding #sheetmetal #caravaninteriors #vanlife #tinyhouse #tinyhomes #tinyhouseinterior
This is what our route looks like. #Gurgaon to #Nako in #HimachalPradesh, and likely on to #Tabo and #Kaza. Looks like the #KMPExpressway will let us bypass all of #Delhi.
#experientialtravel #vanlife #mosttreacherousroadintheworld
This metalwork will support the bed and contain the storage in our caravan.
#3dmodelling #sheetmetal #metalwork #interiordesign #caravaninteriors
Our caravan build has begun. We have ripped out the seats from a Toyota Innova and are going to be installing some storage and a bed here.
#caravan #vanlife #tinyhouse #trailer #rving #gorving #motorhome #camper #camping
Nothing here.
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