A Dream, A Wish, A Hope....

When the night is dark, and the moon hides behind the dull gray clouds, I wish for a bright cheerful night. I wish for a gentle breeze, strong enough to blow the clouds away. I wish for a pearly full moon to smile down on me. I wish for cool drops of rain to drench the earth. I wish for the heat from the land to create a misty glow. I wish for the trees to gently nod in their sleep, and for the pretty birds to rustle their feathers in their cozy nests. I wish for the fire flies to dazzle among the shrubs. I wish the fairies would sing their soothing songs in the woods. I wish for the company of a wise and friendly owl. I wish he would tell me beautiful stories from days forgotten. I wish I could forget the present for a little while, and enter into the land of dreams.

I would dream of a peaceful land, where everybody knows only happiness and love. A place where people do not grow old, though they advance in age. A land where people do not die, but simply go from one jolly land to a jollier one. A land where all beings live in harmony. A land where education is to learn the ways of God's creations. Where manners are not taught, but naturally exist. Where words are always gently spoken, and never harsh. A land where the Creator has not forsaken his creation, or rather, a land where the Creation has not forgotten the Creator.

I dream of land where nature is as fresh as new. A land where the gentle giants still stand tall, with only the silent mountains to rise taller than them. A land where the trees out number people. A land where the bunnies jump around happily, and the dogs run around with no masters to control them. A land where the animals are friends of humans, and where there are leaders and no masters.

I dream of a land where the days are bright and sunny, and the nights are misty and pleasant. A land where the air is fresh and smells of honeysuckle. A land which is painted in a blast of colors so lovely that no artist can capture it. I dream of this and much much more, because dreams bring happiness and dreams bring hope.

Night

The evening sun slips down, so down

Up comes the moon, so bright and round,
You guessed it right;It's a full moon day,
Or may be , night I should say !!

The sky looks lovely in her pretty black dress,
The world seems to settle down for a rest,
Lonely souls and weary feet,
All lie down, and their dreams do greet.

The moon smiles and enchants,
As the stars do their twinkling dance,
The wind sighs through the forest as it sleeps,
While the lovely night spins up the dreams.

All worries laid aside,
No rules does the mind have to abide.
Through time and space I wander,
To magical cities and places of wonder.

A sleep so sound,
A sense of calm and peace so profound,
Time slips gently by, but life seems to stand still,
As Lady Night warms the heart and soothes the soul.

Arizona - Fun In The Sun

A trip that I would describe as both fun-filled and tiring! An entirely unique experience in the midst of nature and the natives.

March 13th, 2016

The morning of the 13th was pleasant, and our first visit was to the famous Antelope Canyon. We had spent the night at a motel in Page, Arizona, which was a stone's throw from the Antelope Canyon.

We had booked ourselves a tour with the Navajo Antelope Canyon Tours for 11 a.m. True to our nature, we were punctual and reached the tour counter well ahead of the 10 a.m. check-in time. After strolling around for a while, we finally got to start our tour. Our tour guide was friendly and the tour group was a fun-loving lot, who kept the tour lively with their comments and antics.

The Antelope Canyon was quite different from what I had imagined it would look like. Unlike the pictures on the internet, the canyon was the color and texture (as should be!) of sandstone. We had plenty of fun exploring the canyon, listening to interesting facts shared by the guide, and clicking away pictures from vantage points that the guide was kind enough to point out. The climate was hot and humid. The ride into the canyon on our open jeeps had been thrilling, and quite dusty as the guides seemed to love racing each other across the dust plains! The ride out was slightly less noisy, but no less dusty. It was a great experience on the whole.

Useful tips:

• Use chrome mode on iPhone for good pictures.
• Carry water on the hike.
• Listen to the guide, or you may miss out instructions on how to angle the camera, and where to stand to get the right shots.
• Do not move anything. They leave untouched even branches washed in by flash floods to preserve the natural environment.
• Summer affords the most spectacular photos, as that is when the light penetrates the canyons at the right angles to make it vibrant.

An attempt to capture the heart shape formed by Sun rays playing on the canyons walls

                           

Right after our satisfying tour of the Antelope Canyon, we proceeded to the Horseshoe Bend. I was told "Prepare to be amazed". Well, I was truly amazed at the beauty of the famous Horseshoe Bend. It was more than a mile hike from the parking to the bend (or may be it felt so to me!). And no hike would have been more worth it. The beautiful green of the snaking Colorado was a sight to behold. It wove around the canyon like a jewel against the brown cliffs. Close to the edge of the cliff, life felt beautiful. For the first time in my life, I found a dry desert-like land worth admiring.

Horseshoe Bend

We spent a good few minutes admiring the bend and clicking mandatory touristy photos. Our next destination was none other than the famed Monument Valley. As we neared the Navajo County, we could experience the beauty of the red-sand desert. The drive along the seemingly endless road was exhilarating. The towering sandstone buttes were visible right from the roads. We reached the visitor center for the Navajo Monument Valley Tours and hoped that the daylight saving, timezone difference and thereby our late arrival would not lead to us losing out on an opportunity to tour this raw beauty of nature.

The tour guides were very accommodating and friendly. The guide arranged a jeep for our party and took us on a drive of a lifetime along the Monument Valley. The park consists of mesas, buttes and spire rock structures which have been given very descriptive names. Relating the names to the structures is left to our imagination. The park was so vast and the sandstone structures were so majestic that it made us feel the power of nature. Standing there amid nature's beautiful art made us feel humble, I, for one, felt as though we were the only humans left on Earth. But somehow that thought was not scary at that time. It instead brought peace and calm.

We met a couple of native Americans who were selling hand-crafted jewelry. We spent some time talking to them and then made our way back to the visitor center. The drive back to the center was memorable in itself as we got to witness the beautiful sunset, which made our imagination go haywire. I am sure I spotted a giant sitting near a butte, with his back to us!

What do you see?

An extremely satisfying day did come to an end and off we went to get a much needed rest at the lovely lodge - The Cameron Trading Post in Flagstaff, Arizona.

March 14th, 2016

We started the day fresh and bright after a good sleep. We were able to make out the beauty of he lodge's surroundings only in the morning light. Our spirits rose seeing the surrounding canyons and we immediately set off towards out first scenic location of the day - Desert View Watchtower.

The tower was probably the first time I was exposed to the Indian paintings and art in their natural setting. The view from the tower was breathtaking, and the art work inside the tower was interesting to say the least. The murals and petroglyph-style decorations look almost authentic and give the rustic tower a very ancient feel. The tower also housed the original furniture used by the caretakers who used the tower as their living space.

Original furniture in the Watchtower

The view of the Grand Canyon afforded from the watchtower was more or less similar to those that we got to view as we drove towards the Grand Canyon Village in the South Rim. The village had an abundance of tourists, all jostling to get a better click of the mesmerizing canyons. After few more stops, both en-route and at the village, we drove on to the world famous Hoover Dam.

One view of the Grand Canyons

We reached the dam just before its closing hours and got to enjoy the silence and peace at one of America's most beautiful and immensely useful man-made structures. The stars were beginning to peep out and the weather was perfect, After spending some time discussing the virtues of the Hoover, and listening to a father-son pair trying to get the loudest echo, we wrapped up our tour of the desert state and headed towards Las Vegas.

I have known and loved the beauty of rolling green meadows, mountains covered with fall foliage and shimmering lakes and oceans. But, this trip exposed to me the earthen beauty of the sand structures, canyons and the bare-faced desert!

Fall in New Hampshire

I had heard quite a lot about New Hampshire's beautiful fall colors. But I had never planned to visit the place during the Fall of 2015. It was sheer chance that led my friends to decide that we might as well drive from Boston to New Hampshire, and onward to Maine, which was our actual destination. It was a good call and we absolutely loved the detour!

Since the flight tickets to Portland, Maine were pretty expensive, we had decided to fly down to Boston and stay the night there. We reached Boston late in the night and checked into Clarion Inn (now Lakeside Inn) at Wakefield, Massachusetts.The room had been recently renovated and was very comfortable. It faced  a lake, but the dark night did not afford much to view from the window.

This changed when morning arrived. I woke up pretty early by my normal standard, and was greeted by the sun rays filtering in through the lace curtains. The view from the window was extremely beautiful. It was enough for us to rush and get ready for a wonderful day of exploring. The restaurant adjoining the hotel had indoor and outdoor seating. The kind waitress allowed us to place our orders and stroll by the lake while the food was being readied. It was a fresh morning and there was a cold wind blowing across the lake. The beauty was not lost on us. After a quick discussion, we decided that we would head out for New Hampshire instead of driving through the main cities of Massachusetts and Maine.

Early morning view from the hotel room

The drive from Boston to New Hampshire was exactly how we had hoped it would be. It started off with a few trees having colored leaves. The drive was thoroughly enjoyable as scenery after scenery enthralled us. We passed through many picturesque towns with very English names, and cozy looking cottages dotting the landscapes on either side. Little churches, libraries and inns clustered together formed the towns. The trees began to change from sprinkles of yellow and red to blazing forests of yellow, red, shades or pink and tinges of green. These are sights which would probably stay etched in my mind forever.

Conway Public Library

Storybook Resort Inn, Glen, NH

Dana Place Inn, Jackson, NH

We did make multiple stops to take in the scenic views all along the national highway. This only got better as we entered the White Mountain National Forest. The weather became chilly and the flurries got us excited. But once the flakes started coming down fast, we ran for shelter. By this time we had already reached the entrance to the spectacular Mount Washington, and had been informed that the road was closed as the mountain was receiving a heavy snowfall (so unfortunate!). But we were already spell bound by the view, from where we sat in the car. The majestic mountain was crowned by snow and the snow fall near the peak gave it a mystic look. It was cloaked in shimmering colors of fall foliage! Beautiful nature at its very best! Since it had started snowing, we stepped into a quaint little souvenir shop which also sold pretty good soup. We sat next to the big french windows and silently wondered at the marvel called Nature while a couple of old ladies tried to capture the scenery on their canvas.

Mount Washington, Sargent's Purchase, NH

As the snow intensified, we decided to try our luck and drive on. To our surprise, a couple of miles down the road the weather was back to being perfect. We took a detour and went through the national forest along lonely roads (disregarding signboards which claimed that the roads had not been prepared for winter!). All alone, we parked where we liked and took pictures to our hearts' content. Feeling completely refreshed and satisfied, we continued our drive to our final pit stop for the night. Quite a lovely start to a relaxed weekend!

My New Friend

Moments spent with friends are priceless and turn into treasured memories. But best of all is the moment when you discover someone who shares your interests and likes. Best of all is that moment when you look into those eyes and realize that this could be that friend who should have been in your life long back, but has just made it there. You feel your heart flutter a little as the words flow. You feel your eyes stray towards your new friend to make sure he actually is there. The pleasure of hearing his voice and knowing that the words formed in your heart before they were uttered by him. That feeling when you find that you share your love for the very same things, and the curiosity to know what more you have in common. Words cannot do justice to that sudden burst of happiness!

I had the good fortune of meeting my "new friend" yesterday! It was one of the happiest nights of my life in recent times. A sudden visit from my long time friend brought a new person into my life. He was silent and seemed shy. But that did not stop me from trying to find out more about him. With a little nudging he revealed that he was into blogging. Did I just hear him say that he was into writing blogs?! This was enough to wake me up. I tried a lot to get him to show me his blog. But he flatly refused, smiling his bright smile all the time. I managed to read a sample entry of his, and was touched by what I read.

This got us talking, and we spent the remainder of the night talking. We spoke of books and articles, hikes and drives, mysteries and haunted houses, Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter, places visited and yet to be visited, and his family and mine. I had found a friend. In his words, I had found someone whose wavelength matched mine. I fell in love with his slang and more so with his patience. Just like he said, it was me who spoke for almost 98 percent of the night. But the fact that he listened to me for 98 percent of the night is what set my rusty mind back to work. The time that he spent sharing his thoughts with me is what jerked me back to my senses, and reminded me of my long lost passion - writing. His habit of writing down his experiences made me pick my pen up as well.

I would have loved to have him stay by my side. But, I did see him off to his home; Me, with a very heavy heart, and him, with his smile bright as ever. He will remain ever oblivious to the changes he brought about in me. This goes to show that even a simple deed could make a vast difference in someone's life. Dear friend, I shall be indebted to you for life for bringing me back to my books and my writing! 

The Haunted Castle

I was suddenly overwhelmed by this desire to explore. To, may be, explore the unexplored. Just as though answering my wish, there appeared a small news segment about an ancient castle being opened up for the public to stay over for a month and explore. The lucky four groups that would get to stay there were to be chosen by an article writing contest. As good fortune would have it, I made it through the contest. Thus began the weirdest month of my life!

On a warm Sunday morning, we gathered outside the castle gates to receive our generous dose of do's and dont's before we kick-started our mini adventure. One look at the assembled groups was enough to make me comfortable. The group standing closest to me consisted of two photographers who looked extremely impatient to get started. Just farther ahead stood a group of four youngsters - Annie, Lucy, Jason and Dave, as I learnt later. And then came the noisiest group, a family of six people - mother,father and their four grown-up children. Now this great assembly made me seem like a 'loner' !

The first afternoon passed in a frenzy as each group tried to take up residence in the most interesting portion of the castle. I chose a room which had a great view of the faraway mountains shrouded in mist. The group closest to mine was that of the youngsters. The photographers and the noisy family took up quarters in the far end of the castle.

Then began the days of exploration. I was thoroughly enjoying myself. The room that I slept in seemed to hold a lot of secrets - secret cupboards, strange inscriptions, beautiful potraits of mystical creatures, antique furniture and much more. But the most interesting and strangely disturbing discovery that I made was a secret passage leading to - many parts of the castle! As the days went by I became more and more engrossed in exploring the passage, making rough maps and taking notes. Soon I had explored all but one room - a room which had been sealed shut. My better judgement told me that certain things were better left untouched!

When going out for my daily walk round the castle I always managed to gather information on what the other groups were upto. The photographers had literally captured every inch of the castle on their cameras (except ofcourse the secret passage!) and were now concentrating on taking pictures from outside the castle. The family had settled in to enjoy the feel of living in a castle, taking family photos and being noisy. If the family was noisy, then the group of youngsters were nosey! They kept prying on my work and could always be found hanging around my room while I was away.

It was during one such foray into my room that Lucy discovered my notes and eventually the secret passage so clearly described in my notes. She alerted her friends about her discovery and together they entered the passage. When I came back to my room I suspected nothing. But when I sat down to add a few more points to my notes, I noticed the missing pages. And one look at the trap door told me that I had some nosey intruders in my room!

More out of curiosity, than out of anger, I went in pursuit of the group. After one long hour of search, I found them near the sealed room. I hid in a dark corner of the passage and watched the youngsters who were deep in discussion. One if the guys then moved forward to fit mild explosives on the door. As the door was blasted open, cold musty air flowed out of the room. Everyone trooped in and stood around trying to get their eyes adjusted to the even greater darkness in the room. Jason tried opening the great windows, which would budge but little. Annie and Lucy lit candles. The room now looked far less darker and a wee bit warmer. Jason was admiring the paintings on the large wooden windows. Annie and Lucy were admiring the furniture in the room. Dave was busy trying to fathom the meaning of the incription written on the doors of a tightly sealed cupboard. Finally giving up on it, he tried to force open the cupboard. The cupboard doors began to creak slowly and with one more violent tug he managed to open it fully.

At first all seemed fine. Then, all of a sudden, a ruby red light shone out of the cupboard and a deep low wailing noise set in. Terrified I ran in to see what was actually going on. I was horror-struck at what I saw. An unknown force was trying to suck Dave right into the cupboard. Annie, Lucy and Jason were doing their best to hold him back. I ran towards the windows and tried to open it up fully. Something told me that warm sunshine would vanquish the dark force.

All the while we kept screaming for help. Just as I opened the windows and made myself heard to the outside world, I felt the force sucking me towards the cupboard. The noise had drawn the attention of the other groups who came running towards the open window. But before they could reach over to help us, we had been sucked past the cupboard doors. I was willing myself to open my eyes and defy the force in some way. The pressure was getting much too hard to bear. And with one final effort I opened my eyes......

And sat upright. I was safe in my bed at home, and it was the early hours of a Sunday morning ! It had all been been a dream. The weirdest dream ever !!

Just Imagine....

A pleasant summer morning. You are out in the sea in a small,little boat. The current is gentle, but quite enough to push the boat at just the right pace. The boat drifts on its own without any assistance from you. With clear blues skies above you, and the shimmering waters beneath you and all around you, life takes on a new meaning. The sea themes with a variety of living creatures which just seem like a parody of colours to the beholder. There is a gentle breeze that rustles your hair and young waves lap against the boat making a soothing sound. In the midst of all this, one is sure to feel the very presence of the Almighty- the Creator,the Saviour!!

A few leagues away from you lies an island, which at the very first glance, looks like a paradise on earth. As the boat is pulled by the currents, all you need to do is to prevent it from knocking itself on rocks and to direct it to the relatively still waters which could only be a creek that leads you to a bay on the island. A natural harbour provides the perfect place for the boat to be moored. The island looks very inviting up close.

Guarded by the oceans and uninhabited by men, the island is a picture of 'Land Before Man'!! On three sides, the shores slope to the sea; where as the fourth side of the island is a steep,bare-faced cliff. The sandy beaches are strewn with rocks. A variety of fowls sing their daily songs to their own tunes. A little ahead is a sparsely vegetated grassland of sorts with gentle slopes, which gives way to rolling meadows that are lush green. Up ahead loom dense woods. The woods are made up of strange trees that have tall canopies and are laden with fruits of all kinds. The flowers are fragrant and in colours yet unknown to man. The undergrowth is sparse and mostly of the creeper type. The ground is covered by a natural carpet of dry, yellow leaves. Hares and rabbits leap around all over the place, and an extremely curious squirrel runs right upto your feet. A lonely bird pipes up a lovely tune - a perfect welcome to a beautiful place, which is immediately followed by other winged inhabitants of the woods showcasing their compositions.

The sweet-smelling fruit trees cover quite some ground, before they suddenly come to a end and open up into another expanse of grass, where wild deer graze in herds. The tinkling sound of water provide music to the, otherwise silent, grassland. This is the very inland river which flows into the sea and forms a natural harbour towards the front of the island. The water is crystal clear and silky soft to touch. A few scattered trees near the river provide the shade and comfort needed to rest tired feet. Gazing ahead,one can spot high,densely-wooded mountains across the river. It is very likely that one of these mountains must have a very steep face which forms the fourth side of the island. This, and much more is left to you to explore and savour. Happy exploring...Let your imagination fly !!!