Drive to Bandipur and Masinagudi - August 2017

Took a short driving holiday to Bandipur / Masinagudi in August of 2017. It was my first time driving in India after a long break. And it was a very enjoyable drive with great highways, reasonable traffic and good weather.

We stayed in a resort in Masinagudi - superbly located at the foothills of the Nilgiris and surrounded by the forest. It seems that wild elephants are sighted regularly at the resort but we were not lucky enough to see one during our stay there. But we did spot a mongoose and a couple of Malabar Giant Squirrels.

We took a bus safari of Bandipur National Park and the first animal we saw was a sloth bear, followed by Gaur, Chital, Sambar and langurs. I was keen to see a Gaur in the wild and was delighted at being able to see a few, including one on the side of the highway running through Bandipur.

While the trip overall was delightful, the only negative was the pathetic condition of the roads and traffic in Bangalore city itself. Comfortably the worst roads we encountered on this trip were the one in the city.

East Coast USA

Writing after a very long break...

I had the opportunity to make my third trip to the US last autumn, this time to the East Coast. I visited Providence, RI, Boston and New York. A brief note about these three places:

Providence - A small town, but quite pedestrian friendly. Enjoyed decent weather and walked around the key sights including the State House, Downtown and Brown University.

Boston - Took a day trip to Boston from Providence and explored the city on foot. Did the Freedom Trial, starting from Common. Then headed over to Harvard Square where I had lunch and then went to the waterfront. I must say I found Boston a bit underwhelming. The weather did not help either, being grey and gloomy. The place reminded me a fair bit of Dublin, Ireland, where I had the good fortune of staying for a while, with its brick buildings, seaside setting, not to mention the weather!

I spent a weekend in New York. It had been on my bucket list for a while and did not disappoint. Thanks to my school friend, who stays in the area, I was able to see a fair bit of the city, including One World Trade Center, Manhattan, Greenwich Village (where we had excellent Ethiopian lunch), Highline Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square. The highlight easily was The Empire State Building. While I did not go to the top, the view from the base was stunning and awe inspiring. Truly a beautiful building. One miss, though, was Central Park. Oh well, maybe next time!