We passed through the Amar Sagar gate and gradually moved into the actual desert. Riding a came can be unnerving initially as the camels don’t have a steady, rhythmic walk. It took me a while to get used to them and then began to actually enjoy the ride. The silence of the desert was amazing much like the barren landscape and the splendid dunes that you confront now and then. After an hour or so, we stopped at Bada Bagh, a 16th century garden. It was surrounded by tombs in memory of Jaisalmer’s past rulers. We continued on into the desert, stopping for lunch at Ram Kunda, which had a shrine dedicated to Rama and Krishna. We had lunch and rested for a while before heading off to the camping site where we would spend the night. Nearing evening, the sun began to fade and the desert seemed to become more alive. The sound of birds got louder, the colours around seem to change ever so slightly and so on. The evening was extremely enjoyable as we really began to get a sense of the emptiness and openness of the desert. After a desert night under the stars we returned to Jaisalmer the next day

Summing up, the Thar is not a typical desert like the Sahara. It is more of flat land with sandy stretches and irregular scrubs or trees. The sand dunes are scattered so do not expect unending sand dunes. Needless to say, the desert sun was scorching, but the camel ride is truly an experience once you get used to it and accept the slight discomfort.

I and my 3 friends decide to drive down to Pondicherry and set off after breakfast. With the coastline on one side the drive is quite a pleasure. In between, we visited the shore temple at Mahabalipuram and finally made to Pondicherry for lunch. The first thing that struck me about this place was smallness of the place in the sense that it is more of a town than a city. Anyway, we checked into our hotel, had lunch and decided to rest for a while. That evening we took a casual walk around town getting a sense of the place. Interestingly, Pondicherry is divided into two unique parts. One area is the Tamil area and the other is the French area which opens into the sea. The latter is quieter and cleaner and has a decidedly French atmosphere due to their French architecture. French influence can also be found in the cuisine and we stumbled across a little bakery serving fresh-baked croissants, pain au chocolate, baguettes, and cappuccino. A landmark of Pondicherry is its “Promenade”, which is essentially a sidewalk. separated from the sea by a rocky barrier. After spending some time staring into the emptiness of the Bay of Bengal we headed back into town on the look out for a good dinner joint.

We headed for paradise beach (8 kms from Pondicherry) very early next morning as we wanted to beat the heat and the rush of tourists. Returning for breakfast, we planned to visit the Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville that day. First stop, the Aurobindo Ashram, which lies inside the town itself. The ashram contains the samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Richard who is also known as Maa, Although I am not too much into the spiritual trip, this place did give me a feeling of peace and stillness. Post lunch we drove down to Auroville which is on the outskirts of Pondicherry. The idea behind Auroville is a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. At the centre of Auroville sits the Matrimandir, a monument to the mother’s vision. The monument is a huge golden ball surrounded by gardens and an amphitheater. After spending some contemplative time here we headed for the Auroville beach, where we spent our last few hours of our trip to Pondicherry.

Decide where you are Going - While it may be more exhilarating going where the road leads, things are a lot easier if you have a destination in mind.

Choose the Right Standing Spot - The spot for where you solicit a lift should have plenty of room for the driver to safely stop. Ideally, the traffic shouldn’t be too thick and you should be clearly visible in order for the driver to size you up before deciding to offer you a lift or not. Petrol stations and truck stops are places to hunt for a ride.

Dress Clean - Dressing appropriately is extremely important as you are more likely to get a lift if you look clean and presentable. A smile can open many doors.

Travel Light and Pack Right - Travelling light is not only easier on you, but also increases you chances of getting a lift. Drivers are less likely to get a lift with suitcases all around you as you will be consuming more space. In addition, be prepared for any weather and make sure that that you have enough food and drink as you don’t know how long you may have to wait for a lift. Food also helps break the ice and bond with the people offering you a lift. Maps and lines of the local dialect are also musts.

Travel with Company - From a safety and comfort perspective, it is much safer to travel in two’s or three’s. On the down side, this could mean that you will have to wait longer to be offered a ride.

Keep People Informed - It is very important that family and/or friends know where you are heading. Carry a mobile and to be safe message someone the registration number of the vehicle you are travelling in.

Trust your Instincts - It’s a wicked world out there and your instincts and judgement are absolutely critical. So, ask the driver where he is heading and if you don’t t get the right vibes, decline the lift. Also make sure that you don’t drink and hitchhike as you need to be physically and mentally alert all the time.

1. 1 cup long grained rice (Basmati Rice)
2. 200 gms of Button Mushrooms
3. 1 medium onion
4. 5 cloves of garlic peeled
5. 1 inch piece of ginger
6. 2 medium sized red tomatoes
7. 1tsp garam masala
8. 1 big pinch of red chilli powder or as much as desired
9. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
10. 2 tsp finely chopped green coriander
11. 2 tsp oil or butter

Preparation: To begin, soak the rice in two and a half cups of water for about half an hour and grind the onion garlic and ginger into a paste. Then, heat the oil/butter in a large vessel. Lower the heat, add the ground paste and fry till it turns pink. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, chilli powder and turmeric and keep stirring so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the vessel. After three to four minutes, add the mushrooms and fry for another two minutes. Add garam masala and mix thoroughly. Now add the water in which the rice was soaked and let it cook till done.

Nathula is also the location of the shrine of Baba Harbhajan, who was a soldier who fought and lost his life in 1962 India-China war. After he went missing, a manhunt was launched to find him and his body was found and cremated three days later. According to legend, Harbhajan led the search party to his body, and later, through a dream, instructed one of his colleagues to build and maintain a shrine after him. He is supposed to warn of danger on the border through the dreams of fellow army men. He is equally respected by the Chinese and during the flag meetings between the two nations, the Chinese set aside a chair for him. Baba Harbhajan goes on leave for 2 months every year and each year on September 14, a jeep departs with his personal belongings to the nearest railway station, New Jalpaiguri, where it is then sent by train to his village in Punjab.

Our first stop Sindhu Ghat the place where the Sindhu Darshan festival is held in June every year. We drove further up through Thikse and Karu and continued along the steep road towards Changla (17800 ft). Moving on, we reached Tangse village (13800 ft) which was a little climb-down from Changla. We decided to stop for the night at Tangse as it was close to evening and we wanted to have an extended time at the lake.

The next morning we set off for Pangong which is about 90 kms from Tangse. On reaching the sparkling blue lake, we saw army personnel patrolling the lake on a boat. We were told that the lake is 150 kms long and 4 kms wide and that it extends way into Tibet, In fact, only a quarter of the lake is in India. The setting of the lake (scenery) was simply breathtaking and made me feel so close to nature. The shade of the water seems to change ever so often and this is one place which is definitely more beautiful than pictures suggest. After spending sufficient time enjoying the serenity of the lake and its surroundings we headed back to Tangse village where we spent the night before returning to Leh the next day.

Ingredients

1. 6 chopped red tomatoes
2. 1 finely chopped onion
3. 3-4 garlic flakes (crushed)
4. 2 tbsp corn flour
5. 1-3 tbsp oil
6. 2 tbsp butter
7. Salt to taste
8. Black pepper powder to taste
9. 1/2 cup milk
10. Bread crumbs for seasoning

Preparation: Fry chopped onions and garlic in heated oil until they are golden brown. Add the tomatoes and cook on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft. Let the tomatoes cool to about room temperature and then mix and grind them to get a puree (You can use a blender for this). Filter this puree to get rid of solid particles.

Next, heat the butter in a pan and add corn flour. Fry for a minute, add milk and allow this to boil for 5 minutes on low heat. Add the puree and salt and pepper powder and let this mixture boil for 4-5 minutes (add water if required for the consistency). Your tomato soup is now ready and you can serve it garnished with bread crumps and a little cream.

Ingredients

1. 500g pasta of your choice
2. 10 thin slices Parma ham or bacon, chopped
3. 4 eggs
4. 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
5. 250ml cream

Instructions:

Cooking the Pasta - Fill a large pot with water, add salt (around 1tsp for 4 litres of water), and bring it to rolling boil (boiling that can be stopped with stirring)
Pasta sticks only when cooked in too little water so use sufficient water. Add the pasta slowly and keep stirring. Keep stirring and cook until the pasta is done. The only way to tell if pasta is cooked is to taste it – it should be firm, yet tender, with a tiny core in the middle. Drain the cooked pasta to take off the excess water.

Making the Sauce: Cook the Parma ham in a non-stick pan until crisp. Whip together the eggs, parmesan cheese and cream and then stir in the ham. Pour this sauce over the warm cooked pasta in a pan and toss gently to ensure that the pasta is evenly coated. Then cook this gently for about 1 minute or until it thickens slightly. Make sure that you don’t overcook or the eggs will begin to scramble.

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
1 cup of flour
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups of bread crumbs
1/2 cup of olive oil (preferred)
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
4 cups of tomato sauce
1 pound (approximately 450 gms) of thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

Cooking Directions: Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. While the oil heats, cover the chicken pieces in flour and dip them in egg. Next, dip the chicken in bread crumbs making sure that all sides are coated. Now cook the chicken breasts until they are a deep golden brown on both sides

Side by side, take put 1 cup of tomato sauce in a baking dish that is big enough hold all the chicken pieces in one layer. Add the cooked chicken to the baking dish and cover with chicken with the remaining tomato sauce. Lastly, equally cover the chicken pieces with the mozzarella cheese and bake the chicken in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degree Fahrenheit (approximately 204 degree Celsius)

I and my 3 friends signed on for a 2 nights and 3 days houseboat trip from Allepy (also known as the “Venice of the East”) to Kumarakom. It began with a noon time pickup from the Aleppey Finishing Point Jetty. The wooden boat was neatly done up and had a crew of three, including a cook It had 2 air-conditioned rooms and the front portion of the boat was open for the driver and for anyone wanting to catch some air.

The houseboat set sail and cruised through cruised through a few small towns to reach Champakulam. Here, we got off to get glimpses of the Chamakulam Church and the famous snake boat known as Champakulam Chundan. Back on board, the boat began cruising again and reached Munnattumugham where we would stay overnight. On the second day, we had two stopovers at Mancompu and to Pulincunnu where we saw visited a temple and church respectively. Then we began heading towards s Kovalam through a stretch of narrow canal. Gradually, the narrow canals widened to a big rivers with paddy fields on either side. We stopped for the night and the next morning we passed through the beautiful Vembanad Lake to reach Kovalam around 10. The Vembanad Lake is supposed to be one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes and the dense vegetation on its banks is a treat for the eye.

While this was our itinerary, what we took away the most from the trip was the serenity of the whole experience. At times all you would see is the unending sea and paddy fields. Equally, we also got a glimpse of how life went on at the riverside. We would see people washing clothes, farmers working in their paddy farms, school children getting ferried across the water to or from school, people fishing and diving and so on. Summing up, a trip along the back waters of Kerala is probably the best remedy for the urban madness most of us experience and secretly crave to get away from