Travel

Sweet home Alabama

Photography, Travel

Here are the photographs from our trip to Point Clear, Alabama from the Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa.

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1fa4UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1fa3UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1f99UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1f96UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1fa6UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1fa7UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1fa8UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1fa9UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1faf

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1fd2UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1f7bUNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1f8dUNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1f9d

We spent the next day by the beach drinking, reading chilling.

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1f77UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1f61UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1ed2

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1f75

On the last day,(a Sunday) we decided to go out and explore Fairhope, Alabama. Though we treated our tummies to some yummy food, Sunday is a bad day to explore the small town. Most of the shops are closed on church day. In the evening, we treated ourselves to dolphin spotting and beautiful sunset hues at the resort. This is my idea of a perfect weekend getaway.

Y9g28zY3TVSFsFFCejs4mg_thumb_1ef0

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1ed1UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1ecaUNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1ebf

Write to me about your experiences staying in stunning resorts. I would love to add a few to my to go list.

Fairy Tale landscapes

Photography, Travel

Here are some our beautiful finds from driving around Seattle, Washington. I will let the photographs do the rest of the talking.

DSC_0044

DSC_0075

DSC_0183

DSC_0193

DSC_0232

DSC_0263

DSC_0292

IMG_8241

IMG_8275

DSC_0138

IMG_8197

IMG_8283

DSC_0297

DSC_0294

DSC_0279

These photographs were clicked by all of us who went on that drive on a DSLR camera and edited by me. Let me know what are your thoughts.

 

Seattle from the Water

Photography, Travel

If you are looking to be touristy at Seattle, then being on a cruise tour is a must. Whenever V and I travel to a new place in the United States, we get hold of the City Pass and check-off all the touristy things to do in the city. This is an easy and pocket-friendly way to get around popular spots in the city.

When we went to Seattle for the first (and the last time yet) time in September 2017, we went to the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, Woodland Park Zoo, Chihuly Garden and Glass, all in just $89.

Below are the pictures from Argosy Cruises Harbor tour. It is a narrated sightseeing cruise tour that gives you a good look at Seattle from the water.  Here are the most cherished pictures from the tour.

IMG_8154

IMG_8174

IMG_8176

IMG_8178

IMG_8180

DSC_0109

DSC_0116

Would you be up to doing touristy things in a city? or do you always look around for unique experiences? I would love to know more about this.

 

 

Chichen Itza – The Mayan voyage part II

Photography, Travel

These are the pictures from our trip to Yucatan in Feb’17. Surprisingly, I still have lots of pictures to edit and share from our trip last year. Thanks to my husband and his meticulous planning, Our honeymoon was a 21-day trip and we visited two countries and multiple locations in each of these countries. Mexico – Mexico city, Tulum, Chichen, Cancun, Costa Rica – Corcovado, San Jose, Arenal…  phew!

Chichen Itza was on our itinerary from the beginning. I love going to places with historic significance; their beauty and intrigue are unmatched and Chichen Itza is a gold mine (figuratively).

Here are a few pictures from our pixel diary.

Edited on Lightroom CC

IMG_4553

IMG_4536

IMG_4540

IMG_4568

IMG_4511

IMG_4562IMG_4498

IMG_4502

IMG_4504

For those of you who don’t know, death rituals were an integral part of the Mayan civilization. They respected death, they also feared it and grieved it. Human sacrifices were also an integral part of the Mayan culture, human blood was presented as offerings to the Mayan deities and from what we heard from our guide, Chichen Itza has witnessed many such human sacrifices. Spooky isn’t it?

How many of you have visited the New Wonders of the world? I would love to hear more about your experience.

Let me know if you want to know more about the history of Chichen as told by the locals.

 

 

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Photography, Travel

“The forest is nice, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep.” – Robert Frost

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_17b4UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_17c3UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_17e7UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1822UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_17f3

These photographs have been edited to create a moody forest vibe. But I do have miles to go before I perfect that. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Cafe for the soul

Photography, Travel

Some cafes cater to your need for food, some cafes cater to your need for socialization and some cater to your need for amazing Instagram pictures. How often do you go to a cafe to feed your soul?

IMG_0173

If you live in a city, you would be consciously aware of all the cafes that sprout in your locality and the numbers are huge. What does it take to stand out from the crowd? and how far would you go to break away from clutter? ‘Echoes’ in Koramangala, Bengaluru, in my opinion, does a lot to stay unique.

For starters…

IMG_0158

(Text: Sign Language Spoken here… Mind it)

The cafe is operated by deaf and mute.

IMG_0156

I cannot attempt to describe what is more interesting, whether it is the fact that the cafe is operated by differently abled or how hassle-free and effective are the operations.

Here is a walkthrough of their completely admirable operations…

STEP 1: Ring the bell for service

IMG_0147

Step 2: Write down your order (clearly). Check and re-check.

IMG_0149

Step 3: Tadaaaaa

IMG_0159

They serve authentic filter coffee in a ‘matka‘ and that is not sweetened to death.

Step 4: Chill out, read all the amazing quotes on the walls and to talk to the staff in sign language.

IMG_0154IMG_0155

Step 5.1: If you are ready for more…

IMG_0164

Step 5.2: and if you are done…

IMG_0165

How cool is this? This is my first time in such a cafe and I was blown by the meticulous attention to service.

Here is a picture of the wonderful, happy, courteous and confident staff

IMG_0160

I would go back and spend some time here every time I go to Bengaluru and I recommend all my friends in Bengaluru to do the same!

IMG_0171

The Mayan voyage

Photography, Travel

Have you ever stood at a place, closed your eyes and tried to imagine what the particular spot looked like through time? Who roamed these lands before us? Such thoughts are certain to take you on a voyage of discovery. Well, if you are curious enough.

I happen to visit a few spots in Mexico where the Mayans roamed and flourished during their glorious days. These spots are proof of their expertise in art, architecture, commerce, mathematics and astronomical study. These spots were once the hub of commerce and activity with advanced land and sea routes. These spots have once witnessed the Mayan human sacrifices and other bizarre traditions.

Tulum Ruins

Image Courtesy – Locogringo

So, the first spot we went to was the Tulum ruins. It is located on shores of the Carribean sea, about 5 Km (14 minutes) from Tulum city and about 140 Km (1 hour 45 mins) drive from Cancun, Mexico. We flew to Cancun from Mexico City and took a bus to Tulum. These spots thrive on tourism, hence the local public transport system is very tourist friendly. They also accepted US dollars almost everywhere.

Map

Every Mayan city is built for a specific reason, to fulfill a specific requirement. The city of Tulum is the only city built on the coast becoming the seaport of the Mayan civilization trading several goods like Turquoise, Jade, copper bells, cacao etcetera. Tulum is also one of the only few Mayan cities protected by a limestone wall.

IMG_0062

Tulum

 

25311243_1853572501321047_2347707573129679047_o

25182310_1853572374654393_7906331650201079154_o

25075139_1853572661321031_46438056684927114_o