Month: January 2021

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Monday Reads – 04/01/2021
Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels.com

Firstly, here’s wishing everyone a very health 2021!

In this first Monday of the New Year, I have listed a few things that have benefited me over the past couple of years and that I intend to continue pursuing. Maybe you might find some of these useful too.

Eating Healthier – A couple of years ago I attended a class on Whole Food Plant Based Diet that I found very interesting and helpful. While I cannot say that I am following all the recommendations completely, I do try and incorporate elements on this philosophy wherever possible. You might want to check out their (free) 21 Day Plant-based Kickstart course.

Yoga – It was around the same time as the healthy eating course that I first started doing Yoga. I must admit that I knew very little about it. A couple of years now, and I practise Yoga at least a couple of times a week. There’s nothing more that I can say about the benefits of Yoga, other than it goes beyond just physical exercise. This article has some sound tips to lead a healthier life.

Morning Walk – On the days that I am not practising Yoga in the mornings, I go for a brisk morning walk. This is a practice that I would strongly urge everyone to adopt.

Cold water baths – This might not be for everyone, but if your health permits, try having cold water baths. I have been doing this now for over a year. Check out this article if you want added motivation!

Minimalism – Of all the items in the list, this is the one where I have the most work to do. I do believe in the philosophy, but have not practised it as much as I would like. Maybe this is the year to pay more attention to this.

Travel

Road Trip: Day 2 – Manipal
Sunset over Mannapalla Lake – Manipal

The second day of our Road Trip to Manipal was a quiet one. We spent a relaxed day taking in a couple of sights around the town.

The first place we visited was the Heritage Village Museum. This is a private initiative of the Hasta Shilpa Trust which is striving to restore and conserve India’s incredible architectural heritage of private homes. They have meticulously reconstructed examples of traditional houses from different parts of the country, some dating back to the 13th Century! We went on a one hour guided tour which was an enlightening experience. Some of the houses have to be seen to be believed. This is a not-to-be-missed attraction while in the region.

  • Heritage Village
  • Stunning interiors – Heritage Village
  • Peshwa Vada

We then went to a local hang-out for lunch. Manipal is essentially an University town. Having studies in one (Pune), it was nice to spend time in another, much smaller and more student oriented.

After lunch, we headed to Mannapalla Lake. There was a small children’s play area that the kids enjoyed playing in before we took a walk around the lake. The sun setting over the lake was a beautiful way to end the day.

Travel

End of Year Trip to Manipal: Day 1 – Drive through Kudremukh
  • The stunning Kudremukh National Park
  • Kudremukh National Park
  • View from Hanging Bridge – Kudremukh
Some views of Kudremukh National Park

We decided to take a end of year road trip to Manipal in Dakshin Kannada district of Karnataka. This is not a typical tourist destination for people from Bangalore, but we wanted to head somewhere warm and not too crowded. It turned out to be a good break.

I had hired a car for the trip and we left early in the morning from Bangalore. The route we took was via Hassan, Mudigere, Kalasa, Kudremukh and Karkala. We made good time in the morning and halted for breakfast at Anagha Grand Restaurant a little before Hassan. The food was excellent, the tables were socially distanced and the toilets were clean.

After a refreshing halt, we continued on our drive towards Kudremukh National Park. Along the way, we took out next halt at Gumminkad cafe, a little before Kalasa. The place was clean, bright with stupendous views out the back towards the rolling hills and tea estates of the region. We purchased some local food items and drank some refreshing juices before proceeding on the next leg of our journey.

The drive through Kudremukh National Park was simply brilliant. Kilometre after kilometre of a winding road alternating between dense forests that even the sunlight could not penetrate and open grassland ‘Shola’ forests – this is one of the jewels of the Western Ghats. All of us enjoyed the drive tremendously.

We finally exited the ghats and hit Karkala where we took the turn towards Manipal. The last leg of the journey was uneventful and we reached out hotel, The Country Inn and Suites by Radisson at around half past four.