It was a last minute planned trip. We hadn’t thought through the itinerary or logistics. Nor has we ever holidayed in North India before . But we decided to go headlong into this plan – Mussoorie it was!

You can choose to fly Bangalore – Delhi – Dehradun or a slightly more expensive route of Bangalore – Dehradun , which is a faster option of course ! We reached Dehradun by 430pm and we had booked a cab through Makemytrip to drive us to Mussoorie.

Mussoorie is known as the Queen of the Hills and we didn’t understand why till the moment we stepped foot on its ground. 

The drive, till we crossed Dehradun city,was pretty busy with traffic and a lot of shops. But as soon as we starting climbing the hill, it was outrageously surreal and I say this with no exaggeration. The air itself felt lighter along with the heart and the soul. The trees swayed in the chill air while it kept our mind away from all other stress. The surreal view of the valley below made us want to believe in miracles again! 

It took about 2 hours to reach from the Dehradun airport to the hotel at Mussoorie. Our stay was booked at Royal Orchid Fort and we had chosen a valley view with balcony . Considering that there are plenty of monkeys around, booking a room with balcony is not at all required as you might have the company of 4 legged friends in your balcony pretty often.

The hotel has many gorgeous view points around its property but more than anything else, we found the warmth of the staff (specifically Soni, Seema, Akhil and Mr. Singh) at their resturant that really made our stay so very welcoming and special. Ensure you spend lot of time exploring the property itself – it even includes photoshoot corners.  

The chill starts setting in from the evening – so if you are out sight seeing, ensure you carry something warm with you. Nights are sure gonna be cold, so if you are someone like me who doesn’t handle cold well, go prepared!

Ironically, we bumped into our friends from Bangalore and enjoyed our very first meal in Mussoorie with Nitya Raman and family!

Day 2 dawned and we opened the curtains to the most peaceful and heartwarming views of the hills and valleys. We also had additional entertainment of some cab drivers parked below calling out Punjabi words like “kuddiye” and a few other unrecognisable words to get our attention😜 !

We had hired the same cab from the previous day and that truly was the best decision ever. The driver was a calm pleasant young man named Daksh Kamboj (contact him on 7906849270) – he had very good direction sense and fabulously handled the car on those steep and narrow roads .

We made our way to Kempty Falls which was a bit away from our hotel. The water looked beautiful but we chose not to swim in it as the crowd was quite a bit. While there is an option of a ropeway to reach it, choosing to walk down was a fun decision (maybe not for our legs but surely for the shopping 🤭😁!). The path is filled with shops with knick knacks, souvenirs, warm wear, handmade footwear and so much more . Would be a good idea to check a few similar shops before you buy anything so you get the best deal on these goodies.

From Kempty, we headed out to Dalai Hills. We did a pitstop for a scrumptious lunch at a roadside dhaba and devoured the food, like there was no tomorrow 🤦.

The Dalai Hills was another surreal experience for us. It is quite a climb using uneven and broken manmade stairs but every single step was worth for what we got to witness on top of the hill. There is a huge seated Buddha on top which instantly brings an aura of peace. The view of the hills from there is mindblowing and it was further enhanced by the hundreds of prayer flags that were tied from one pillar to another , starting at the top of the hill. To see these flags fluttering in the wind , is a reiteration that these flags are meant to spread the prayers & good wishes across the world. We were also lucky to see some monks do a small prayer ritual over a bunch of flags and tie it themselves.

Once back to the base of the hill, we walked across to the beautiful Shedup Choepelling Temple. This temple is dedicated to the Dalai Lama the 14th and Buddha. We were again blessed to witness the monks and elderly folks do their evening chant in unison – how can God not answer these prayers which is filled with so much peace and reverence. 

Just behind the main temple, are the prayer wheels. While I will not bore you with the details, please do read up about how these wheels came to be and the power they have for your prayers. 

Just outside of the temple gate, there is a stunning cafe built on the edge of the cliff. Do check them out on http://www.instagram.com/cafeanahata. We couldn’t have chosen a better time to visit them. As we walked in, the rains came down along with a hailstorm. It was a thing of beauty to connect with nature in such a natural way …..accompanied with hot chocolate and coffee! 

Using the rains as an excuse, we decided to laze it out by ending the day with dinner at our hotel itself.

Day 3 was super eventful. We decided to start the day with a walk to Mall Road which was 800m away. If you thought 800m isn’t much, try walking that distance completely uphill 😂.

We headed out at 7am and reached Mall road in about 20 mins. We found a cosy little shop selling masala chai and thus made it a really good morning! 

We had no clue that Day 3 was going to be a pure Cardio day 😜😜…. We ended up covering about 23000+ steps in one day alone ! 

It started with a heavy breakfast and walking the full 3km stretch of Mall Road. The most exciting stop for us was at Cambridge Book Depot and we really behaved like children in a candy store. This little place is famous as the author Ruskin Bond (who resides in Mussoorie too!) visits this store every Saturday (pre-covid) and the store sells ALL his books. We also found out that the store owners throw Ruskin Bond a birthday party every year, which he never fails to turn up for. However since COVID, he barely steps out (he is over 80yrs old) but has promised to make it for his birthday party this year which is on 19th May.

After a heavy haul from the store, we continued to walk the road eyeing the various wares that the store had to offer.  When we finally got tired (and without realising we were just 200m away from the end), we decided to hire a small hand rickshaw. A very sweet gentleman, who did this day in and day out for a living – was super thrilled when I asked him to pose for a photo with me.

Very close to the end of the road, was another place we wanted to visit – Cafe Dope. Such a quaint little cafe referred by my darling Bijoya – truly left us mesmerized by the views and their fine coffee. 

The next stop for us was George Everest peak. This was a breathtaking (figuratively and literally too!) trek which had a path laid out inbetween scores of trees and plants. The trek was about 1.2km to the base and about 800m to the highest peak. We decided we had seen enough of George by the time we reached the base camp 😂😂😂. We enjoyed hot Maggi, garam bread omlette & chai at the George Everest base house while we rested our sore feet, before heading back to the car.  

The next place we headed to was Landour Bakehouse. This is again famous as Ruskin Bond lives in this area and was commonly seen in this cafe. The police had stopped cabs at a distance away and that was so lucky for us because we got to walk along the most scenic part of Mussoorie whilst enjoying the sounds of the trees, birds and insects.

The set up of the bakehouse was very rustic and English, so were some of their baked goodies. While it wasn’t the best we had eaten, we relished the sweet treats before walking back that chill beautiful path to the car. 

Day 4 meant a sweet bitter goodbye to Mussoorie but a bright hello to Dehradun and Rishikesh. We had chosen Lemon Tree for our stay in Dehradun specifically because they also hire people with disabilities as their staff. However, if you choose this place in Dehradun, please ensure you ask for a room that doesn’t face the mall because the windows of the room they allocated to us , opened right into the food court of Pacific Mall. The mall also had some renovation work going on which disturbed us till late night. 

Dehradun’s Paltan Bazaar was a shoppers paradise, especially for someone like me who loves oxidised jewellery. The variety and prices were unbelievable, leaving my bags more full and purses not that empty. 

Next we made it to the Buddhist Monastery. While the temple wasn’t open, the humongous statues of Buddha in different forms were stunning. The stores that dotted the sides of the compound, selling prayer flags, decorative prayer wheels, buddha statues etc, were surely a nice shopping experience. 

Enroute to Rishikesh, we decided to take a lunch break at a pretty cafe called YELLOW HILLS. They had an array of organic food which included a Pahadi Thali. Boy oh boy…this turned out to be the best meal ever! 

The thali included 4 Mandwe ki Roti (ragi roti), a bowl each of Pahadi Lal Chawal (Unpolished red rice), Aloo ke ghutke (Indian version of potato wedges), bhang ki chutney (hemp seeds chutney), kumaoni raita (raita seasoned with mustard seeds), urad rajma dal, chanch (buttermilk) and jhangore ki kheer (barnyard millet kheer) . It was so yum and fulfilling and I am salivating even talking about it now! So please don’t miss this little place while heading to Rishikesh .

Rishikesh – the one place I really felt I belonged to. Yes it was crowded. Yes it was religious. Yes it was a different belief from what I am used to. Yet, I felt welcomed and at home. We found a very kind guide (Subhash contactable on 9557649145) who accompanied us and accommodated all our requests too. He led the way across one of the older bridges Ram Jhula built in 1984. It was shaky and vibrations could be felt even stronger whenever a bike passed by. Once we reached the other side, he took us to a government jeweler to help us pick up genuine Rudraksh for my friends. I really wanted to meditate on the banks of the Ganges and had requested Subhash bhai for this to be accommodated, he led us right upto the edge of the river which was sparsely crowded to do my meditation. I felt one with the Divine , just being in the presence of “Ganga Maiyya” and though short, I had a fulfilling meditation session there.

What was interesting about Subhash bhai was his family history. He and his earlier 2 generations were born and brought up on the river banks. His father used to operate the boat across the river but now with age, has now moved to collecting ferry tickets (his father is easily recognisable with a big white moustache). Subhash bhai, on the other hand, has become a guide for the place and has deep knowledge about everything related to Rishikesh. 

He took us back in the boat to the other side of the river and guided us to where we need to be seated to watch the Ganga Aarti and that concluded our time with him.

We quickly found place on the steps and waited patiently for it to start whilst a young pandit came around putting chandan paste tilak on each devotee’s forehead. The chanting, songs and prayers begun and 3 pandits started the aarti giving reverence to Ganga Maiyya. It was really heartwarming to be a part of it and imbibe the essence of our rich culture too . After the aarti, we walked along side small shops selling clothes and wares mainly having religious symbols and statements on it. We did small purchases too before heading back to our cab, which then took us back to the hotel. 

After a good night’s sleep, Day 5 was just about trying to fit all our shopping into our suitcases. But what made the morning breakfast time special, was that my daughter and I got to communicate with a deaf staff member using sign language. Sigh! May this world realise what an expressive and peaceful language , sign language is.

An hour’s drive to the airport gave us enough time to absorb nature for a bit longer before we went back to our regular lives.

The holiday sometimes felt short and sometimes felt long but one thing is certain, this was a holiday to remember. It is one that is now stored in my “favorite memory box”, forever ♥️!

I needed a break. Well…we needed a break! But the terms were clear – no long road travel, no home stays and away from the crowds. We had been checking options for a long time but with the “unplanned” curve balls life threw at us, nothing worked out! When we finally decided, all the signs from the universe and the trip by itself was beyond perfect! SAKLESHPUR it was!

We headed out carrying pretty much half our household in our trunk but with just 3 of us in the car, we could have waltzed in there if required!!

Sakleshpur being just over 200km away makes this a great getaway with not too much road travel involved too! Using the NH75 highway (which also leads to Mangalore), ensured most of the roads are toll covered & 4 lane too. Obviously, like in every city of India – watch out for the crazy mid road photographers like us and the “fake” license drivers who have zero knowledge of driving🤣🤣 !!

There are loads of little eateries, especially street carts selling hot breakfast. We, however, chose to stop at Dhruvathare Hotel, which is exactly half way to Sakleshpur. Steaming hot idlis and the cute mini dosas were the right way to start our holiday.

The place we chose to stay was basis a review I had seen on someone’s insta page a while back. However, when we booked it, we had absolutely no idea about how massive this property was – ROSETTA BY FERNS pleasantly surprised us!

Along with its dramatic entrance that dived right into its tall trees and plantation, the place literally took our breath away.

Rosetta by Ferns – with mindblowing hospitality- has many categories of rooms to choose from. We chose the Cardamom Studio which was a spacious, well laid out room and included a warm balcony set up as well as an …wait for it…..an open air bathroom!

Rosetta by Ferns also includes all 3 meals (plus a high tea for foodies like us) in their packages. The spread of their buffets were fabulous and needless to say, we gorged on every meal.

They also offer yoga, fish feeding, nature walk and much more for the guests. Their attention to detail was pleasantly shocking (right from umbrellas in each room right upto the royal looking caddies taking us back and forth).

The property also has an infinity pool overlooking the lake – while this pool is currently closed for public, you can choose to grab a drink at their bar next to the pool. Drink in your hand, silent laps of the lake, the sound of little insects and birds form the right harmony for the setting sun.

The property has tons of walking paths and feels surreal every single time you walk it. Each path is filled with coffee plantations, tall trees, shrubs, flowers and plants.

While you will never get enough of this 120+ acre property, we decided to venture out to some nearby spots. The first was to Shetihalli Rosary Church. Thanks to Google aunty , we ended up on unbelievable stretches of paddy fields and crops. It was so picturesque that it even got the attention of my otherwise stuck-to-her-mobile daughter too!

The Shettihalli Church , now in ruins, was built by French Missionaries in 1860. This abandoned church is also called the floating church as only 1/3 of the chapel is seen during monsoons . It was errie yet spectacular to see this place from a distance.

Our next day got us on the road again – this time to see the beautiful Chennakeshava Temple in Belur. Although the temple was closed , the 20+ km journey felt straight out of a countryside movie. The temple has many small stores around the temple selling stoneware in every form and size as well as old buildings where even the moss looked so pretty.

The weather remained pleasant right through the 2 days we spent there, except for the rains coming down on the morning we were checking out – somehow reflecting the pensive mood of leaving from this heaven on earth.

We are sure going to be back at this place real soon… till then, thank you & Namaste!

Check out the links to the various places here : https://www.rosettabyferns.com/ https://gkdhruvathare.com/ https://shettihallichurch.com/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennakeshava_Temple,_Belur

I haven’t read the Fifty Shades of Grey (if you were curious to know!) but I have been through so many shades of this sensitive word “expectations”.

In all my amazing years spent on this earth, the focus has always been on what we (as an individual and as a family) can do to make someone’s life a bit more comfortable. Is this done with an expectation? Of course it is! The expectation has been that the recipient “pays it forward” in his or her own way! And I think, in our own human way, we always expect that if life EVER brings us to a junction where we needed support, we receive it as well , though not necessarily from the same people!

As life happens, this just remains what it was meant to be – a mere expectation.

Very sincere and constant advise from the world around me has been “dont have expectations from anyone”. In my mind, I cant help but think, isnt that an “expectation” by itself? And if I may take the liberty to say this, folks use this as an alibi to hide behind, just as a convenience rather than it being true!

I say, why? Why shouldn’t we expect? This world has always been about give and take – even during the barter system times….then who are we trying to kid here about not having expectations.

I am human and if you are reading this, then you are too! So do your bit, have expectations, prepare to either be disappointed or exalted and then move on. No hang ups, no judgments, no fears!

I might not have used the word fifty times in this post but am sure you see the number of shades this word can possess! And that my friends, is this no-mad’s gyaan for the day…

Do you also belong to my world that mandates the girl / woman to compulsorily know how to cook? Well, I broke all norms of society by not learning to cook… even till now! Infact , my husband, Keith’s strongly believes that serving up a meal for the family is not purely a woman’s responsibility. So incase you are a fantastic cook and/or are judging me at this very moment, I strongly advise for you to completely skip this blog!

To give you a slight context, survival cooking was always a possiblity…. Its the “beyond survival” cooking that wasn’t my cup of tea! And then came the lockdown🙈🙈…. No maid, scarcely filled fridge, low supplies, lack of cake orders and two constantly hungry and insatiable tummies were a lot to keep me on my toes. Ideally I would have needed a full bottle of wine after all the cooking, cleaning and washing to keep me sane but surprisingly the look of delight on Keith & Andrea’s faces gave me the required high❤!

While the lockdown hasn’t ended, I decided to pen down some of the best food recipes that worked perfectly for me. Knowing my low attention span, you can rest assured that while these recipes are extremely yummy , they are simple and quick as well!

The blog starts with snacks…. coz for some reason, there is “not so choti bhook” every 15mins 😝!

Here is something that I have made many times and has worked so well….Makhana Spicy snack. Dry roast the makhana, lower the flame to minimum, add a tsp of oil and add all the masalas you want. Immediately take off the heat and mix to ensure all the makhana is coated. Alternatively you can also watch a small YouTube video which explains it in detail https://youtu.be/76b3UrRW4As. Its an absolutely easy snack , addictive for kids and adults alike and super healthy too!

I don’t like Maggi in its original form …. before you disown me over maggi, let me share a yummier version of it. Boil water, add maggi (only the noodles), once the water turns frothy and noodles seemed cooked, strain out the water and return the pan to a medium flame. Whilst the Maggi is cooking, fry some finely chopped onions, add capsicum or corn or any veggie of your choice and lightly saute. Add an egg with salt, pepper, chilli, chaat masala (basically any masalas to your taste), scramble & keep aside (egg is optional, of course) . Add the strained noodles to the scrambled mixture, add taste maker and mix thoroughly for a few mins. Slurpppppppp the king of maggi is ready!!! Try this and you can thank me later😀!

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Avalakki Mixture or Chivda is mostly deep fried but I managed to find a slightly healthier version of it. Dry roast the beaten rice/avalakki/poha till some of them get light brown. In a separate pan, fry mustard seeds, peanuts, curry leaves, split dal. Turn down flame, add the roasted avalakki, add tumeric, chilli powder, chaat masala and salt and gently mix till the avalakki is evenly coated and it becomes crispy to touch. You can get creative and change the spices & additions of your choice!! Your snack cravings are sorted …..atleast for a while😝!

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Breakfast is , by far, the most challenging meal for me! Am half asleep, without my caffeine kick and need to innovate what could wake up these two to a great start of the day.

This breakfast option works perfectly as it not only suits my diet along with the family’s tastes but most importantly leading to an important fact : common breakfast = lesser vessels to wash😜😜!

Boil the Rice Vermicelli till soft and strain completely. In a pan, sputter mustard and split gram, add curry leaves, chopped onions, green chillis and fry till translucent. Add vermicelli, tumeric, chili powder and salt – mix till combined. Remove from heat, add the juice of a lemon and mix. Its beyond yum & a great option for breakfast, lunch or dinner!!

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Ok! So I cannot use a cooker…. Don’t roll your eyes at me, its no big deal! I can still make recipes without one. I used Chef Saransh’s aloo recipe and paired it with a whole wheat puri for breakfast. The pan it was made in was literally licked clean…. That’s the high I thrive on!! https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-Ep2XUJBpG/?igshid=tkhu6afexie5

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More than the scarcity of groceries, this lockdown has taught us to make best use of available supplies. Was staring blankly at an open fridge wondering what to make for lunch. Rummaging through the vegetable basket, found a green mango and also a bowl of left over white rice , so quickly pulled together a really delicious lunch! Added chopped onions and split green chili to a hot pan of sputtered mustard, dal, curry leaves. Added grated green mango, tumeric, chili powder, salt. Added the cooked rice, and stirred it together till a hot meal was ready to be enjoyed with a side of spicy pickle! Could lunch get easier than this 👼👼…

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Many of you would know am gluten intolerant and am always looking for food items to suit my dietary restrictions. I used the below recipe of Chef Saransh and replaced the wheat rava with millet rava….it worked like a charm! https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-Ep2XUJBpG/?igshid=38jm0nw79gyn

Paneer is one of the things I really enjoy so tried many versions of it this! Ghee roast was the most simple of them all…. inspired by the below recipe, I made very few tweaks (like adding a bit too much of paneer cubes, greedy me!) and yet was drool worthy! https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/paneer-ghee-roast-recipe/

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Another easy recipe shared by a friend, Neha, will have you leaving your plate clean. Grind to a paste – 2 tomatoes, 1 green chili, a small piece of ginger and a small onion. Heat oil in a pan, sputter a tsp jeera and then add the ground paste. Saute for a few mins on medium flame and add spices (salt, red chilli, tumeric, coriander powder, garam masala, chaat powder to taste). Cook till oil separates, add paneer and saute for a few minutes. Your versatile paneer is ready…

This one below ought be the BEST version of paneer ever eaten, especially if you like tangy flavors! Lemon Coriander Paneer – a tweaked version of a recipe of which I found on a food group (Courtesy Mandira). Slightly longer process but if I am saying it’s worth it, you have to believe it is!!

Blend to a paste – 3/4cup of coriander leaves, juice of half lime, 1 small tomato, 1.5tbsp curd , 1 green chilli and a small onion. In a pan, sputter jeera and also add 1 or 2 small cinnamon sticks. Add a roughly cut tomato and fry. Add the paste along with half tsp each of tumeric, jeera powder and garam masala. Cook till oil separates from the mixture. Add paneer juice of 1 lemon, a little water and a few tablespoons of milk. Cook everything for a few mins and serve hot!

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Truth to be said, I never knew the difference between rotis, phulkas and parathas till recently….! And there has been no looking back since then. Using whatever was available at home, I have been experimenting with parathas. One simple recipe is a Chilli Jeera Paratha. Roll out your dough, add a sprinkle each of chili, salt, chaat and jeera…add a few drops of oil and spread it across . Fold in half and press down, fold again and roll out to a triangle. Serve with any available sides.

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I had first tasted Ceylon Egg Paratha in Chennai- I am still not sure if its something I like but my husband surely does. So gave it a go…. it sure brought a smile on his face😍.

In a bowl beat, an egg, chopped onions, green chili, finely chopped tomato, tumeric powder , chilli powder, salt and keep aside. Roll out dough really thin (I used the dough I had available – feel free to replicate what’s in the video). Add a tsp or two of the egg mixture and fold the dough like a wrapper. Fry in shallow oil and serve steaming hot…. A taste of Kerala on your plate! https://youtu.be/7EYi64OAg5g

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While breads are not my strength as yet, the bhaji I made with the pavs was outstanding! I followed this recipe pretty closely with the only changes being

• I used whatever vegetables I had at home – potatoes, carrot, beans, frozen corn
• I did not use a cooker to boil it 😂😂

Do try it but ensure your pav bhaji masala really compliments the dish ( I used Suhana brand bhaji masala that a friend Pooja had brought from Mumbai – it was outstanding!)

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Here is my last addition and it had to be something sweet….. Nope not cake! I love Indian sweets and if you ever made or brought them for me, you can be assured of a friendship for a lifetime!

I was off sugar for over 4 weeks and was craving for somethimg sweet. Ideal scenario, swiggy would have been opened and a sweet box ordered from Kantis….well, you know the drill! So decided to follow a uncomplicated recipe and make a sweet for myself.

Followed this recipe but made few changes:

• Replaced milk with Coconut milk (saving milk stock for cakes😂 )
• Replaced sugar with jaggery
• Added an overdose of nuts

It couldn’t have been more perfect 😘😘! https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/meethi-seviyan-recipe/

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I will continue to experiment through the rest of the lock down, but cannot sign off without sharing what this lockdown has taught me :

Cooking is no rocket science, its just a survival skill that can be learnt even at 40, and without a cooker!

You do not need extravagance.

Be kind coz its the only thing that matters.

Be active – essential for physical & mental health.

Its okay not to be okay all the time.

Help people and reach out where you can, support the folks in need – do everything you would want done if, God forbid, you were in their shoes.

Dress up for yourself (as well as to ensure you don’t forget how to do your make up!!!)

And most importantly surround yourself with positive like-minded people – all this can keep you sane, even in the most trying situations !

God bless!

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You learnt something new today, it means Welcome to Dubai!

I remember, in my first job, hearing about Dubai shopping festival that happens in February and a wish occupied a small place in my heart about visiting there someday. Yipee…the dream did come true, though it was merely coincidental that it was in February!

Join me in my journey through one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever visited!

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Our excitement to see the city was so contagious that our dearest friends from Dubai, decided to take us on a tour to the local markets called “souq” immediately after we landed. There were different souqs on both sides of the Creek and to travel to them, you need to take a small boat called the “Abra”. The abra is apparently used a lot by the locals to connect to many places along the creek for two reasons – cost effective and more efficient. The abra ride is just 1AED to cross over the creek (AED converts to close to INR 20) but what it offers you (especially at dusk) is a breathtaking view of the sunset, the skyline and the old buildings dotted along the water!

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The souq was like food for a shopper’s soul…they had the most beautiful wares and everything that you can think of – clothes, utensils, hand painted lamps & ceramic wares, spices, dried flowers , teas, perfumes , utensils, mattresses and even gold! Well, gold like you have never imagined before – wait till you see the pictures & rub your eyes in disbelief!

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The next day brought prettiness in tons – The Miracle Garden : the world’s biggest floral garden. This place has over 45 million flowers in different shapes and sizes (most of the structures are more than life size !) It was launched on Valentine’s Day in 2013 and continues to be one of the primary attractions in Dubai. The whole concept of being surrounded by so many flowers is surreal.. seeing it is believing it! Hope you can feel this joy through my eyes.

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The garden also offers many food options from across the world. One of them is Turkish Coffee. Watched in awe as they prepared it in a container using a bed of sand. Take my word – only watch the process but please don’t try it – its extremely strong and found it too bitter for my taste buds.

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Straight from a world of flowers, we headed to a world of snow. Built inside a mall, Ski Dive is spectacular. The attractions are built to give it a realistic feel – this is something that can only be experienced. Real snow is used to create the entire structure and games, which included sled ramps, skiing, chairlifts and much more!

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A new day took us to a different part of the city- beaches! We visited a string of beaches , each one more beautiful than the earlier. The two I highly recommend is La Mer and Kite Beach. The crystal clear water had little fish revolving around your feet, although you stand just a few feet inside the water. For someone like me, who hadn’t entered a beach in a million years, I couldn’t resist the water and waded right into it! What is noticeable and highly appreciable is the thought put into making it suitable for anyone visiting it. A line of changing rooms, showers at every nook and corner, beach umbrellas and barbeque stations available on rent as well as uber clean sand, pathways , play areas and the water itself! Remember to carry a change of clothes , there is no way you can resist the water here!

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While you are in the vicinity, the last beach will give you a direct view of the Burj Al Arab. I have always been so fascinated with the structure! It is one of the tallest buildings in the world with 56 floors (3 of which is below sea level) , built to resemble the sail of a ship. Stunning would be an understatement!!

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Our journey continued to the Blue Waters. This is where the largest Ferris wheel is being built too. Incase you didn’t know, its similar to the London Eye but going to be bigger than it. Blue Waters has huge metal structures along the water that gets lit up with blue lights, giving it its name. The sunset from this place is stunning but more than that just watching the water and the boats has such a calming affect on your soul. You can also cross over the bridge and whilst you do that, you can get a view of the Dhow cruises passing by. The Dhow cruises can be taken by tourists along the Creek , it provides dinner and traditional dances , while offering a view of the city.

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Day 3 was going to be even more exciting. A lot of breathtaking and new things were planned. Our day began with using the local metro to reach THE Burj Khalifa. Did you know? Burn Khalifa just below a kilometre in height, with over 154 floors and houses residences and offices. You can choose to watch the sunset or sunrise from the very top, of course, at a fee. We chose to stay grounded, enjoying the adrenalin rush just looking up at it.

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By the way, the local transport – buses, metro, abras – are all very efficient and cost effective ways to tour the city. It also offers you views of the high rise buildings, including this stunning “Museum of the Future” , which is currently under construction and is going to encourage innovation and design.

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In the same premises as the Burj Khalifa, is the Dubai Mall. We decided to visit the aquarium, underwater zoo and glass boat ride as well. The aquarium had tons of fish but I felt it was much smaller than the one in Sydney. On the contrary, we loved the underwater zoo. They preserve the rarest of sea creatures and left us in awe of them!

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The second half day brought along something we didn’t really anticipate – Desert Safari. The safari is held quite far from the city, which for obvious reasons, is a complete desert. The Land Cruiser vehicles took us on a roller coaster ride on the dunes. All the adrenaline rush that we had earlier missed out, hit us combined with loud excited screams . After about 25-30mins of dune bashing, they pulled over for a photo break which had the most scenic view of the setting sun. Post this, we were taken to a camp which had many activities included – camel ride, photo opportunity in their traditional attire, mehandi, hookah counters and food. However, what topped the list were performances by belly dancers, fire dancers and traditional dances as well. The entire show was super fun and had us clapping our palms away!

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The last day of sight seeing included the most fascinating visit to the fish market. Cross my heart – I have never seen anything like this (and this being said by someone who doesn’t like to even eat fish!) . Its OK if you skip visiting the malls but this place should not be missed! The Waterfront Market opened in 2017 with state of the art infrastructure, polished floors, immecably clean, air conditioned hall having numerous vendors selling very unique sea food and nearly 1,00,000 sq feet in size.

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To keep to the cleanliness, there is a partitioned area for cleaning of the fish, which makes absolute sense as cleaning usually messes the place the most.

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What really caught my attention other than the cleanliness is the friendliness of the shopkeepers. Though we were not buying anything, they were all so accommodating to let me take photos or hold the fish and be photographed or even pose with them!

Our trip ended on high note with this market visit.

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Just keep in mind the airport is really huge (takes about 20mins from immigration to the gate). If you intend to do duty free shopping during your departure, ensure you build in enough time to reach your gate .

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What comes to your mind when someone says chocolate factory? Charlie and his golden ticket tour to Willy Wonka’s amazing factory, right!? You can imagine the excitement of some of us bakers who were invited to tour the Sihi Chocolaterie Factory in Vivekanandanagar.

Advise: Its quite a distance away, so stock up on snacks & energy bars to ensure you don’t turn into a hunger drama queen on the way (reference to snicker ads!)

Thanks to the beautiful, humble and grounded founder, Akshaya Ravindra Babu who was the force behind this invitation being extended to a few lucky bakers.

In her words “Sihi translates to sweet and is synonymous with the product we make, Chocolate!
It was founded in the year 2018 with a simple vision to grow and eat healthy, in the process uplifting the livelihood of Cocoa farmers in remote regions. We are manufactures of Couvertures and Cacao products the beans of which are sourced from happy trees. Yes, Chocolate from Happy Trees, where every tree is consciously cared for. The products we make are meant for both industrial and home use for bakers, chocolatiers and other confectioners.”

With that background, read on to hear about our exciting day today!

Like little kids, starry eyed with excitement, we reached the factory. Awaiting us at a non-gated big building were bright smiles of the staff who helped us through the steps of scrubbing & sanitising before we entered the premises.

The simple yet effective set up almost caught us off guard but we went on to see how productive each of those machines were.

The first step was the most critical…..we were given big steaming cups of hot chocolate – made of 70% dark chocolate and homemade coconut milk! Slurppppp for me while some others chose to sweeten it to suit their taste buds!

Akshaya took the time to run us through the entire process of what happens before the pods reach the factory, which also included the cutting open of a young fruit & allowing us to crack open the shells and taste the pre-roasted (really bitter!) cacao nibs.

We then went on to see the various machineries that took care of roasting, de-shelling, combining, refining and finally tempering!

The tempering machine was what got our attention the most (no photos to prove it though!). Akshaya dipped a ladle into this machine of molten chocolate and allowed us to generously scoop into the spoon and taste heaven! (we were later told that our faces were picture worthy with our excitement spilling at its seams!). I don’t think any of us are going to forget this moment for a long time to come 😀❤….

The day ended with the winner, Nafisa, of the OMBC run World Chocolate Day contest recreating a dessert using Sihi Chocolates. We all piled in not only to help the process of creation but also in emptying the dessert trays clean!

This is a 100 % unsponsored blog, so trust my word (and taste buds!) when I say a trip to this place will be worth the time and distance! Check out their site: http://www.sihichocolaterie.com for more details!

Till my next adventure, adios amigos!

It was a calling of sorts and thus planned a super quick trip to Velankanni. Infact, so short that my blog will take longer to write in comparison to time spent on this entire trip.

Velankanni is about 450kms from Bangalore and can take up to 10 hours by road. Considering my little one and me are averse to long road trips , we decided to find an alternative to getting there.

The journey involved flying to Trichy – cab back and forth to Velankanni- stay in Trichy – morning flight to Bangalore. In 24 hours we did a full round trip!

Highly recommend Indigo for local travel (Nope! They didn’t sponsor me or this blog!) – have been using them for a while now and find them rarely having a delay in their schedules! Buttttttt, this flight was one of a kind :)…read on and you will know why!

Our flight to Trichy was an ATR aircraft – I am not kidding when I say it felt like walking into Andrea’s tent house when we entered it. I agree that it did finally feel a bit snug and warm too! I love the fact that in India, we very consistent – whether road or air, they are filled with “potholes”. The good thing was that the noise from the propeller was so loud that it helped to drown out all your thoughts and fears😜! Overall, a good flight😀!

We had organised a cab, through the hotel, to be our mode of transportation to Velankanni and back! The journey was very picturesque but in the interest of time, we didn’t stop to capture these beautiful places on our camera. The journey passes through Tanjavur (known for it’s bobbly head / body dolls!) and many little villages & towns. Lined along our route were plenty of fields, greenery, tender coconut vendors and some dried up rivers too! We did just one pit stop at Junior Kupanna for a warm meal (am sure they meant well, but hot food is surely not on their menu!). However, if you passing this route, this is your place to stop for a meal.

Took a little over 3 hours to reach Velankanni. We were greeted with surprisingly good weather – not very humid with a few drizzles here and there. This town is dotted with many shrines and churches but the main church dates back to the 16th century. This beautiful Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health stands proud facing the road leading to the sea (Bay of Bengal). By the way, did you know that Velankanni was one of the towns engulfed by the tsunami in 2004? It is said that while the entire town was destructed by the tsunami, the water did not enter the Basilica and thus saving the lives of close to 2000 pilgrims who were inside the shrine attending mass!

Velankanni is known to be a place of faith and reverence. Its evident in the crowds of people from varied beliefs thronging this place, right through the year. To me personally, the vibe of that faith can be felt wherever you go. One of the shrines also known as the Our Lady’s Tank, is at the end of a long sand path. The most common sight is of pilgrims reaching the tank on their knees. It sure is difficult – physically and emotionally (I say this with experience, couldn’t make the entire distance!) but not for a second can it be doubted that its the faith that give people the strength to complete it.

Some of the must do things here is: EAT (in caps coz I can’t stress on it enough!). I didn’t get to do it this time but if you walk by the shore, there are loads of shacks selling every possible seafood – tawa fried, deep fried, tandoori, marinates and what not! Along with an adventurous appetite, you better have a brave tummy too!!

Lined along the way, are women sitting under huge umbrellas, selling the tastiest food options – puttu layered with freshly grated coconut, steaming hot idlis, boiled/roasted groundnuts, cucumbers, raw mango served with chilli & salt (slurp!)!! There are also scores of shops selling packets of salted nuts, puffed rice and every possible flavour/color of halwa imaginable!

Drove back into dusk with our hearts filled with immense gratitude and stronger faith. To us – though short, this trip served it’s purpose. Filled with faith, food and family time, we couldn’t have asked for anything better!

After spending a comfortable night at Trichy, an early morning flight brought us back from our whirlwind trip and in time for me to finish my cake orders:).

We are often advised that we need to let go of our past…to move on! But the fact is that our past keeps us grounded, humbled and emotional in ways that can’t be explained.

I was born in a small place, in one part of Chennai, called Micetich Colony, named after the gentleman who owned most of the land around that place(unfortunately he was not even faintly related to me:(! ). While my growing years were at Bangalore, Madras (as it will always be known to old timers,!) was always our summer holiday destination (I know its difficult to comprehend Chennai in summer and my audacity to call it a holiday, but it was!!). Every summer, our bags would be packed and our tickets were booked and the excited siblings headed to our grandmother’s place to be roasted:)!

The first evidence that the train was reaching it’s destination was the overwhelming “scent” of the Cooum river and of course, the hot humid air hitting your face…..but we were home!

Being a foodie was in my DNA – most of the happiest childhood memories had to do with food! Every evening at the dot of 3pm, there would be someone at the gate sounding their cycle bell – The Baker! He would bring a loaf of steaming hot bread, unsliced! Drooool! My grandmum would then cut thick slices of bread and give it to us with even thicker slices of ripe mango – at that moment, life couldn’t be more perfect!!

Years gone by, grandparents passed away, family home sold and everyone relocated to different cities BUT when I visited Chennai this time, it warmed my heart to see a few things that haven’t changed at all!

• Grandmother’s house has been maintained EXACTLY the same way it was sold (except for the beautiful bougainville plants that don’t adorn the compound wall anymore!)

• The corner store, selling salted peas and nuts & was the reason for the junction leading to our home to get its name MOOLAKADAI – still exists !

• The hospital that my siblings and I were born in… stands at the very same place !

• The little chapel that was a building away from my grandmother’s place and was visited by them religiously every Thursday – holds its spot till date.

• The huge building in the shape of a boot has lost its pretty pink paint but has kept its foot down, literally!

• The one thing that excited me the most was to see the carts selling “old man’s beard”, with its bell calling attention to buyers of all ages! And yea, it hasn’t altered in taste even a bit!

Nostalgia swept over me while visiting these places and it was a lovely reminder of the happy memories, some not great memories but most importantly, an awakening of how blessed we are to have inculcated these experiences into our very existence.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton