The Western Ghats

The Western Ghats at dusk, from near Arthur’s Seat, Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra


Another view at dusk from Arthur’s Seat

Here’re more pictures of the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats are a range of mountains running down the entire western side of India but they’re not true mountains. They’re actually a range of cliffs forming the edge of a plateau, the Deccan Plateau, where most of the middle part of southern India actually sits on, (and where the big cities of Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad are located). If you go from the coast (i.e. Mumbai or Goa) inland, towards Pune, you’ll have to go up these huge cliffs to reach the central part of India.

And that’s about all I’ll write this time, ...thanks to the bloody tiring and thankless job.


Somewhere near Lonavala, half way between Mumbai and Pune. This picture is from Lion Point if I’m not mistaken (or is it Tiger Point?!?)


A view of Lonavala, from ...Lion Point?


The Karla Caves, near Lonavala – the interior of this Buddhist cave is even more impressive, but since it’s similar to the ones in Ajanta and Ellora (which I am gonna post soon... yeah, really, no kidding, ...I think), I’ll leave these out for now.


The hill where the Karla Caves are located. In ancient times, there’s nothing much to do, but to carve temples out of the mountain side. Luckily for them, now there’s something worth seeing.


Anu, at the Karla Caves


The steps up to the Karla Caves, not really pleasant during the hot and dry time that we stopped by.


The start of the walk up to the Bhaja Caves. We gave up after looking at the height of the mountain behind.


Half way between Aurangabad and Dhule, near the northern boundary of Maharashtra. Technically, this is not the Western Ghats. It’ll be more like the Northern Ghats if there’s such a thing, as I think this is the northern edge of the Deccan Plateau. Taken during one of my site excursions.


Somewhere nearer to Mumbai, Matheran – this was one place that I’ve never been to personally. This picture was taken by Anu, Kim or Dad back in Jan 2007, on a day trip, right after I and Anu got together and when I had to make a trip back to Malaysia alone to extend my visa.

A Maharashtrian Hill Station

A view from Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, India

No time to put in an actual post, resorting to the use of pictures again. I’ll cherish the time that I can again write in peace, without the nonstop phone calls, the line of people waiting to see me and the guilty feeling of doing some personal thing on the already limited working time and tight work schedule. Sometimes I feel like just giving up and say to hell with the work! It ain’t gonna improve the quality of my life!

For the time being, until that situation improves, here’s something cool from nearby to keep the mind off bloody work.


Crumbling bandstand, near Bombay Point, Mahabaleshwar


Pony rides at Bombay Point - Amrita


Mahabaleshwar town


Strawberry seller, Mahabaleshwar


A mosque in Mahabaleshwar


The Western Ghats from Arthur’s Seat, near Mahabaleshwar

The Holy Emirate

A mosque in Sharjah, the UAE

Continuing on the UAE, here’re some clips from Sharjah, the emirate directly adjoining Dubai to the north. The cities of Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, another emirate to the north of Sharjah, have actually grown so much that they’re more or less joined together to form a huge extended city, so much so that you’ll not notice when you’ve cross the Sharjah border from Dubai.

The good thing about this is that you can have access to 2 international airports within 30 minutes drive of one another (yeah, Sharjah has its own international airport, and Air Arabia, the UAE’s equivalent to our Air Asia, has its base there).

Second, things are cheaper than Dubai, especially housing. Most people who work in Dubai, stay in Sharjah, or even further away, for that reason alone.

Third, this is where you can get all the second hand goods, like our trusty old TV, and the fridge and the useless piece of junk called the washing machine (well, you can’t be lucky all the time, right?)

The bad thing about Sharjah, is that, because it’s cheaper, the population has increased so much that it gets really congested in the rush hours, and traffic jams are a common thing. The industrial part of Sharjah, just outside the city, has a seedy feel. It’s piled high with junk, spare parts, abandoned cars (which is common in the UAE due to cars and fuel being dirt cheap, ...compared to Malaysia, or India that is), second hand goods, labour settlements, etc.

Sharjah also has a reputation of being a devout Muslim emirate, to the extent that liquor and even shisha (hookah smoking), one of the highlights of being in the UAE, are banned! Luckily, (for those of us who're not that pious), all these (fun) things are easily available just a little drive north, to Ajman, the adjoining tiny emirate. Maybe that's why Ajman is such a favourite with our colleagues, especially Indians. Now, as Ajman is completely surrounded by Sharjah, the trick is to drive across without ever being stopped by any officers in Sharjah territory. That’s the whole thrill!


The Corniche, Sharjah


An outing at the Corniche, Sharjah


At the Sharjah Fort, completely dwarfed by apartment blocks


Some artificially greened area in Sharjah, this is typical in the UAE

Journey across the Hajar

The Al-Hajar Mountains with deep crevasses formed by the occasional rainfall, UAE

Rewinding the clock back three years, this was what we did on the Chinese New Year of the Ox, driving across the Hajar Mountains to the eastern coast of the UAE facing the Arabian Sea (instead of the Persian Gulf where most of the Emirates face). This was pre-Justin times, so we had a little bit of liberty heheh.

This is the complicated part of the UAE, ...when it comes to boundaries and territories. Somehow or rather, something must have attracted the past rulers of the various Emirates and Kingdoms to fight and compete over these areas to the extent that it is now a confusing mix of boundaries and enclaves, so much so that driving from Dubai to Dibba to Fujairah, and back will bring you across so many state borders that you lose count. There is even an enclave belonging to Oman (the neighbouring country) which is completely surrounded by the UAE. Have a look at the map and you’ll see how complicated it is.




Friday Market, in Fujairah territory, marks the entrance to the hills from the deserts of Dubai and Sharjah


Masafi, a town shared between two Emirates (Fujairah and Ras al-Khaimah). This is the typical scenario here. Dibba, on the east coast, is shared between Fujairah, Sharjah and Oman.


The typical landscape in the Hajar Mountains, grit, rocks & bushes


Date palms tucked in the wadi beds. These wadis (temporary streams) formed by flash floods when the rare rainfall occurs caused fatalities every year in the UAE and Oman due to their sudden nature




At the al-Hajar Mountains, between Masafi and Dibba


Khor Fakkan, a sliver of Sharjah beach territory on the east coast, completely surrounded by Fujairah and the sea

Some Festive Flavours for the Dragon New Year

Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore – Gary, Justin & Amrita

Happy Dragon New Year everyone! Hope you had a fanfare of a time! I’ve nothing much to say, but since a picture speaks a thousand words, here’re some err... let’s see 14,000 words to spice up New Year!


At Sentosa, Singapore during last year’s Chinese New Year

As you can see from the rabbit (in the picture above), the hippie-haired Justin and the still youthful appearance of yours truly in the pictures, these are not from this year’s New Year. This year we spent New Year in the cool (or should I say cold, it was bloody winter) and quiet environment of our house in Assam. No big fanfare, only big feasts and superbly fresh and varied vegetables (as compared with what we can get here in Daund) every other meal. And for the entire time (or more rightly since the beginning of Jan), yours truly was down with a cold. Contrary to what some people think and prescribe, whisky doesn’t cure colds, even if you down a whole bottle with your mates in the evening and wake up the next morning not knowing what hit you the day before.

Frankly speaking, the work here is killing. I am putting in at least 12 hours a day, six days a week, and half a day every alternative Sunday! Why do I do it? ...For the thrill? Hell no! ...For the fun? Not in a hundred years! ...To prove my detractors wrong? More like it. ...To prove to myself? Yes, definitely it! But it seems to be going nowhere, so I don’t really know now why the heck we work so hard for??

Anyway, here’re the rest of the 14000 words...


Family picture, Butterworth


Outside our Butterworth house


Anu & Amrita, atop the ferry to Penang


Chinese (Hainanese) Temple, Penang


Kim, Justin & Amrita at the Hainanese Temple


Burmese Temple, Penang


Thai Temple, Penang


Amrita with a Naga at the Thai Temple, ...the most appropriate photo for this New Year of the Dragon’s post. Come to think of it, I can keep it for next year’s New Year of the Snake too, hehehe


With Mom’s family in Butterworth


The Kuala Lumpur side of the family


Anu, within the twin towers, KLCC


Lion dance at Sungei Wang, Kuala Lumpur

A New Year in the Himalayas

The Swayambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal

Happy New Year folks! May 2012 not be what the Mayans think it would be! May our peaceful existence be allowed to continue for some time to come, may the disasters and economic crises not get any worse than they already are at the moment. May you and your loved ones have peace, love, success and happiness! May our health be in tip-top condition. And May God continue to bless all of us.

And here're some pictures of our last New Year spent on the fringes of the great Himalayas in Nepal. How I wish I can go on a holiday right now, than slog it out at this Project here which seems to be going no where no matter how hard we try...


Going on a walk in Pokhara, Nepal


Anu & Amrita shopping for beads in the streets of Kathmandu


Little monster has his own agenda while mommy's busy


Yours truly, enjoying a Nepali dinner in Kathmandu


Nope, this is not in Nepal, this was our Christmas Eve buffet dinner at Windsor Hotel in Delhi, compliments of Jet Airways for screwing up our flight


Some of the many temples near Kathmandu's Durbar Square


Kathmandu's full of narrow streets dotted with temples, shrines and hidden courtyards, wonderful to wander around and get lost in for someone like yours truly


The pigeon-filled Seto Machindranath Temple in a hidden courtyard in Kathmandu


The Bodhnath Stupa (or Boudha as the locals call it), another famous Buddhist site in Kathmandu


Monks frolicking around Bodhnath


The Durbar Square at Bhaktapur


Patan's Durbar Square at dusk