India: Travel Stories, Journals, Photos and more from India - Kettik http://www.kettik.com/ http://saravk.localhost:3000/ destinations/%20list 2009-03-04 17:06:52 UTC India: Travel Stories, Journals, Photos and more from India - Kettik the beginning or the end ? - leaving Ladakh http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/stories/4 The early part of my flight back from Leh, was spent staring out of the window, mesmerized by the snow clad mountain peaks and the valleys beneath them. The best part of it all was that i could take in the mountain landscape as a whole, everything.. all at once. As my sight wandered down from the lofty peaks, I could the beginning of a glacier and at its end the birth of a stream gentle at first and then turning into a raging torrent which cut a valley down the mountain slopes, which inturn gave life and space for a whole village. I could see valleys meet and the rivers merge.. mountains giving way to hills (Manali, i think...) and the hills finally meeting the plains where then i could see the birth of the mighty Ganges. The mother of all Indian rivers... ]]> 2009-03-04 17:06:52 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/stories/4 Saravana Into Ladakh: The Baggage incident.. http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/Leh/stories/38
My general policy with people is to trust until that trust is broken. But as i was sitting in the van, i started wondering what his game could be. "nobody's that nice", i thought. Especially since he was tout for a hotel and has nothing to gain by giving me this free ride. With my suspicions gradually growing, i suddenly jumped out of the van, grabbed my backpack and went back to the pre-paid taxi counter. 

I got a taxi and as i was entering it i realized that i did not have my camera bag with me!!. Calmly, I thought i must've dropped it at the taxi counter but it wasn't there. Then the realization dawned on me that i must've left it in the hotel van that i abruptly jumped out of. PANIC !!, the prospect of losing my camera and lens collection was a little too much for me to digest. I didn't know the name of the guy i was talking to nor the name of the hotel he worked for. As i wandered around, slowly resigning to the fact that i've lost all my photographic equipment, i spotted him by the edge of the parking lot chatting with his buddies. 
Hope trickled in. I told him what had happened, and he immediately offered to help...
]]> 2009-08-27 11:58:45 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/Leh/stories/38 Saravana Shifting sands... the Jaisalmer experience http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/stories/1 The Jaisalmer experience started the moment i got on the train in Jodhpur. The insides of the sleeper coach was covered with layers and layers of fine sand, it was as if the train just came through a desert storm, maybe it did i'll never know. Anyway i was looking forward to visiting the desert city. Heard a lot about it from my friends, about its unique architecture, its well preserved 'living' fort city and ofcourse the sand dunes. I had also planned to spend the night at Kuri, a quaint little village some 40km southwest of Jaisalmer, the prospect of spending a quiet evening with a starry sky up above and the desert solitude to keep you company was too inviting to pass by. ]]> 2009-03-04 17:06:52 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/stories/1 Saravana Of Angels and Giants : Jodhpur http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jodhpur/stories/2 If i could do it all over again, i would spend more time in Jodhpur. Two days was just not enough to experience the Blue city, it was definitely the most laid back, immersive, historical Rajasthan experience i had in my whole trip. Read on for more details. ]]> 2009-03-04 17:06:52 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jodhpur/stories/2 Saravana Pushkar : Religon and rituals http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Pushkar/stories/3 The Pushkar Mela was the reason i decided to go on the Rajasthan trip during my 'extended' Diwali holidays. Once i knew that the camel fair will happen in the first week of November, there was no looking back and i wasn't disappointed. Read on.. ]]> 2010-03-15 20:16:57 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Pushkar/stories/3 Saravana Man vs Elephant - some thoughts on the conflict http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/articles/5 Recently i saw a program on NGC about the conflict between elephants and humans in India and around the world. It was pretty graphic program with them showing elephants being culled and people getting crushed to death by the beasts and being thrown around like little rag dolls. It was gripping and sad to watch, i was glued to the TV till the program ended.. it ended with more questions than answers. The future looks grim... ]]> 2009-03-04 17:07:11 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/articles/5 Saravana Biking Ladakh : some practical tips to biking in Ladakh http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/articles/6 If you love the mountains and love the freedom & the pure wind-in-your-face exhilaration of biking then Ladakh provides the perfect opportunity for you to combine the two and go biking in Ladakh. There is no better way to experience this wonderful place, free from the constraints of packaged trips and the safety of civilization biking in Ladakh puts you in touch with the raw unforgiving side of nature. As you drive through the winding mountain roads and traverse high passes, you can help but be in awe and  humbled by the magnificence of the mountain landscape all around you. This article, will provide you some useful tips about hiring a bike in Ladakh and some do's and dont's with regard to biking there. ]]> 2009-03-04 17:07:11 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/articles/6 Saravana Tangtse village http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/sights/4 For most people Tangtse is no more than a passing signboard on their way to Pangong. But you owe yourself a couple hours stopover to explore this beautiful village. ]]> 2010-03-16 04:27:25 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/sights/4 Saravana Pangong Lake http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/sights/1 Situated at an altitude of around 4200m, Pangong Tso ('Tso' being Tibetian for lake), is the largest and most visited of all of Ladkah's high altitude lakes. The lake is around 130km long.. so long that over two-thirds of the lake is across the international border in China. The lake is brackish and it is one of the largest and most beautiful brackish lakes in the country. ]]> 2010-03-16 04:26:15 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/sights/1 Saravana Shey Palace http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/Leh/sights/2 Located 15km to the south of Leh on the Leh-Manali highway is the Shey Palace. The 3 storey palace is perched on a hillock overlooking the beautiful Shey village. 'Shey' loosely translated into Ladakhi means mirror (or maybe reflection) and it is the reflection of the palace on the still waters of the lake below which gave origins to its name. ]]> 2009-03-04 17:06:33 UTC http://www.kettik.com/go/Asia/India/Ladakh/Leh/sights/2 Saravana