My Little Log Book

We have just returned from a Masai Mara trip.  We reached Nairobi from Mumbai in the early hours of the morning. From there we went straight to the Wilson airport to catch a Safarilink flight to the depths of the Mara. Safarilink operates many flights to and from Nairobi to various airstrips in the Masai Mara Reserve Forest region. We were taken to the Mushiara airstrip from where the vehicle from our resort and our guide for the next few days were waiting for us.  The little plane gave us our first glimpse of the vast Masai Mara reserve. There was an incredible vastness with rivers looking like little channels interspersing the landscape, the mountain ranges bordering the huge stretches of savanna, herds of buffaloes, cows, elephants, zebras looking like toys, only the movement revealing them as wild creatures of the area.  The vehicle waiting for us was the hardy Land Cruiser which we came to realise was exactly suitable for the wild terrain. The open sided vehicle prov...

Why go to the gym when there are plenty of effective weight loss options at home? Doing one's household chores not only saves a lot of money on procuring help but also improves one's feelings of self-worth, gives satisfaction and cleaner looking house. It also improves one's relationship with the spouse/partner I am sure if one is in a relationship! Oh, it saves on the gym costs too.  Here's what you can expect to lose in calories if you start doing some basic chores • Vacuuming : Vacuuming your carpets and floors for an hour can burn roughly  100-200 calories 1. The more rooms you tackle, the more calories you’ll burn. • Laundry : Loading and unloading the washer and dryer, putting away clothes, and transporting loads around the house can burn about  50-100 calories per hour 1. • Mopping : Mopping your floors can burn  100-200 calories  in an hour. • Scrubbing the Bathroom : An hour of scrubbing the bathroom can burn  180-300 calories . • Rearranging F...

Here are my Top 5 things to do in the morning for a healthy, happy and fit day. 1. Listen to songs of nature. If you strain your ears in the morning you will catch the tailor bird, babbler, sparrow or drongo conversing if you are lucky. Else there is the pigeon mynah or crow. A few minutes of listening to the titter and titter sets a tranquil mood for the day. There are are other sounds of nature to catch too like the fall of leaves, rustle of wind or if you are lucky and near the coast, the breaking of the waves. So go ahead and find your songs of nature around you. 2. Sit quietly and reflect. Even a few minutes of absolute solitude helps set the tone for the day as one reaches out to one's core. It helps one figure out what is essential in life and what is not. 3. Observe a creature. This activity again connects us to other beings other than humans. Whether  it is an early bird looking for a worm or a bee looking for honey, a wasp going about building it's nest, little fishes...

Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and nutrition expert, has shared her top 5 breakfast options that are not only healthy but also beneficial for mental fitness. Here’s a summary of her recommendations: Chia Pudding: A homemade chia seed pudding is one of her go-to breakfasts. It’s high in fiber, which supports a healthy gut microbiome and brain communication, and contains omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory effects on the brain ¹ .  Scramble, Omelet, or Baked Frittata: Eggs are a great source of healthy fats, proteins, and vitamins. The yolks are rich in vitamin D and serotonin, which help regulate mood. Dr. Naidoo suggests choosing eggs from pasture-raised, cage-free chickens for the best quality ¹ . Savory Tofu Scramble: For those who prefer a plant-based option, a savory tofu scramble is an excellent choice. Tofu is rich in tryptophan and soy isoflavones, which are associated with reduced symptoms of depression ¹ . Green Smoothie: A blend of leafy greens...

From the archives from sometime in August 2014 from a solo trip to UK. Coming across these scraps from my files! Day 2 Day 2 in Belfast started with the Mc Combs tour. The hotel front office lady had informed me that the tour  would be over at 5. But the tour guys confirmed that we wont be back any time before 7. Thus began a long, entertaining, fun journey starting with the Carricferedge Norman castle, the Carricka Rede Rope Bridge, the Bushmill’s whiskey distillery, the Ballycastle, a long drive over the Antrim coast with many little interesting bits of history. The drive was beautiful and the Driver Dan, was entertaining. So many interesting little tidbits he shared with us – like the smallest little village on the coast, a village which has the Queen’s crown specially made for her Golden Jubilee, their rivalry with Scotland across the sea, a far glimpse of their icon Rory Mcllroy's home (or its vicinity!) It is definitely a trip I would like to do again, if only to treasure a...

 A few years back I had a pretty interesting trip to the UK. I sometimes jot down small notes. Came across one such recently. Day 1 Belfast Reached Belfast from London. Train from Orpington to London Bridge, from London Bridge to Gatwick. Reached Belfast around 10. Took the Europa Bus from the Airport. Driver couldn’t understand where I needed to be dropped and dropped me somewhere  quite far from the Radisson Blu and the city centre. In the meanwhile my neighbor in the Bus, a lovely old lady about 75 insisted with him (rightly) that I was being dropped at the wrong place and was on the verge of accompanying me to my destination (The Radission Blu). I managed to convince her that it was actually not necessary, my case was not heavy and I will manage! She had got down the steps of the Bus too! This was one of the many instances of kindness and love I was shown during my trip. I enquired and finally took a cab to the Hotel! Freshened and took directions to the City Centre and Ti...

 Yes, it's been a long time since I have posted here. But with so many other avenues to make one's posts, and ideas public, and with fewer words, it isn't a wonder that my (and I am sure many of my ilk's) blog is languishing. I started this blog to write a bit, post some recipes, travel stories, any other thoughts I could spare, some rants etc. Done that to some extent but definitely not as much as I would have liked! Many resolutions have come and gone, so no point making any more!!! Today's wake-up is because google Adsense came knocking at my door and promised to take away my privilege of using AdSense if I didn't get up and kicked about! So here goes... But again what do i write? Is reaching 7700 levels in Candy Crush a worthier effort than blogging? or should I blog about it? All the coins I have been buying (shhhhhhh), all the hours I have been engaged in destroying those sweet harmless treacles! Did I say harmless? Right. Because sometimes at the end of t...