A Vegetarian In Bhutan

Vegetarians have reservations when it comes to travelling abroad. But being a Vegetarian shouldn’t stop you from living your travel dreams. No doubt it gets a bit difficult in some countries but it’s never impossible to find food that has no meat, no fish and no egg.

Bhutan was a pleasant surprise for me, this country’s local food has a plethora of vegetarian options. While it isn’t difficult to find an Indian restaurant in Bhutan, I’d suggest one should rather try their local cuisine.

Presenting you, the TEN Food Items every Vegetarian must relish when in Bhutan:

1.     Po Cha or Suja

Suja is butter tea, which is prepared by boiling tea leaves in water and yak or cow butter is then churned into the black tea.

Butter makes the consistency thick and gives it a soup like taste.

In a Bhutanese household, Suja is served with puffed rice or millets.

Suja

2.     Jaju 

Jaju is dried Algae(river weed) Soup. It tastes and looks like butter milk.

Jaju

3.     Eue Chum or Red Rice 

Red Rice is a variant of brown rice but has a nutty taste. It’s a semi-milled rice. Hence, it takes lesser time to cook than the unmilled brown rice. After cooking process, it becomes soft and a little sticky. This rice is savored with curries like Ema Datshi.

Red Rice

4.     Ema Datshi

Ema Datshi is the signature dish of Bhutan.There is a popular saying that if you have been to Bhutan and not tasted Ema Datshi then you have not experienced Bhutan at all.

In Dzongkha (local language of Bhutan), ‘Ema’ means Chilli and ‘Datshi’ means Cheese.  As the name suggests, it is a dish prepared with Chilli and Cheese. This makes it quite hot and spicy. 

Surprisingly, in Bhutan, Chilies are not just used as a seasoning but as vegetables.

Red Rice, Ema Datshi, Kewa Datshi and Suja

5.     Kewa Datshi

In Dzongkha (the local language of Bhutan), ‘Kewa’ means Potato and ‘Datshi’ means Cheese. Kewa Datshi is a preparation made with potato, cheese and chilli.
However, unlike Ema Datshi, Kewa Datshi is less spicy.

6.     Ezze 

Ezze is a hot sauce made up of roasted and minced red chilies, onion and tomatoes.

Ezze

7.     Fried Turnip Leaves 

Turnip is a root vegetable quite commonly used in Bhutanese cooking. This crispy fried version of turnip leaves is one of my favorite Bhutanese dish.

Fried Turnip Leaves

8.  Butter cheese curry

This is basically a curry prepared out of cheese, which is eaten with sticky rice.

Butter Cheese Curry

     9.     Khuli

Khuli is the local name for Buckwheat Pancakes. Buckwheat is grown in those parts of Bhutan where rice can’t be grown.

Khuli

10.  Doma 

This list would have been incomplete without the mention of Doma. It is not really a dish but a food item specific to Bhutan.

Doma is similar to the Paan we have in India, except that your mouth stinks after having it.

Doma is an areca nut (commonly referred to as betel nut) wrapped in a betel leaf having a dash of lime. It instantly produces a lot of warmth in the body.

Most Bhutanese people have stained teeth, which is a result of continuous chewing of Doma.

Who says Vegetarian food isn’t interesting? I am sure you started to drool after reading this post.  :P

PS: The above list is compiled taking references from my recent trip to Bhutan with Ease India Travel and Dragon Villa Tours. You can get information on their next trip to Bhutan by visiting their website - http://www.easeindiatravel.com/

The Praying Monk

Pray. Coz you're never too lost to be saved.

Beaches Of Kutch

Mandvi Beach:

Mandvi City which was once a major port and summer capital of Kutch is well known for its beach and beautiful Vijay Vilas Palace. The grandeur of the palace left me speechless. At some distance from the palace is the Mandvi Beach which is buzzing with tourists all time of the year. It's a lively beach with numerous food stalls, hawkers and entertainers. You could enjoy a camel ride or simply take a stroll on the beach. The only drawback of the beach is its very unclean.

Vijay Vilas Palace

View from the terrace of palace

I love Camel rides and never leave a chance to enjoy one. 

Camel ride @Mandvi Beach

Sunset

Nonfunctional wind mills on the beach

Pingleshwar Beach:

Hidden in a corner of Kutch lies a beautiful Shiv temple called the Pingleshwar Temple. Just a few kilometers from here is a quaint and serene beach called Pingleshwar. Relatively less popular than Mandvi Beach it has a low tourist footfall. It's not that commercialized. There aren't many hawkers or food stalls around. It's is a place where you could sit an enjoy a beautiful sunset with a loved one.

Pingleshwar is evenloped by these huge wind mills. These windmills make the drive to Pingleshwar even more enchanting.

Rishikesh- A Tryst with Nature

It was 7pm when we reached Rishikesh. Our camp site - Silver Sands, was still about 23kms upstream from Lakshman Jhula.  Albeit it being a Sunday getting out of Delhi had taken us almost 3 hours. The only halt we took was for Lunch at Khatauli. A damn tiring journey it had been and all I wanted was a bed to crash on.

When we finally reached our camp site it was pitch dark and the only sound I could hear was that of gushing Ganges. We followed our guides as they brisk walked on a path downhill with solar lamps in their hands. 'So they weren't joking, it's seriously a no electricity camp !', I told myself in self pity... I quickly glanced at my phone, about 30% of charging remained. I immediately switched it off.

After walking half a kilometer downhill, we reached the camp site. It was lightly lit with a few solar lamps.  There were 3 big tents in the centre and about a handful of tents on the right. "Those 3 tents are the dining tents", declared our river guide.

We were asked to assemble in the Dining tent where a brief description was given about the place. Jitu one of the River guides introduced himself and his team. He stated that this camp was an Eco friendly camp and hence very different from the myriad adventure camps in Rishikesh. Although there was no electricity in the camp, there were various indoor and outdoor games for entertainment.

Post the briefing dinner was served. The food was healthy , hygienic yet tasty. Sleeping tents were on one side of the camp. The tents were pitched adjacent to the river Ganga. They were just big enough to accommodate 2 comfortable, clean beds and a side table.

White sand glittered in moon light and the sky was full of stars. Just besides the camp site, Ganga flowed softly and silently. The sight looked so serene so tranquil so placid that the romantic in me could have asked for nothing more. The beauty of the place had just began to sink in when my body started succumbing to the falling temperature and I decided to call it a day. Who said Rishikesh was pleasant in November? Gosh!I was literally Freezing.


That night as I squeezed inside my cozy blanket, I could hear the Ganga flowing softly. It felt as if she was singing lullaby and putting me off to sleep. I had always dreamt of getting away from the hustle bustle of Mumbai city;  Living an unadulterated life, in the lap of mother nature. Here I was finally living my dream.

It was 6.30 am when I heard the birds chirping. I excitedly unzipped the tent's door to see  how beautiful Rishikesh looked in natural light. It was more mesmerizing than I ever imagined it to be. It was a huge campsite enveloped with mountains on all sides. Apart from the 6 tents on our side there were 30 more tents on the other side. There was also an old man made foot bridge at a walkable distance from there.

Sleeping Tents

Beautiful Stone Lining on the river side

Dining Tents

The next two days we had exciting rafting sessions (23kms in total), covering all possible major rapids like Three Blind Mice, Crossfire, Return to Centre, Roller Coaster, Tee Off, Golf Course and Club House.

At the end of second rafting session we were taught to body surf i.e. float in water. I am a water phobic and  I still can't imagine how I managed doing that!

Rafting Group (Image Courtesy- Archana)

In the evening we crossed the famous Lakshman Jhula and visited the Parmarth Ashram to enjoy the evening ganga aarti.

Lakshman Jhula

On the way back to camp I decided to savor my taste buds to the tangy sweet potato chaat.

Chaat Stall

Rishikesh, the holy town of India has something to offer to everyone. To me it gave a few days where I could disconnect with the world and reconnect with myself. To me it reminded that sometimes you need to pause life just to set it moving.....

~~~There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more ~~~Lord Byron

Pondy Diary - Promenade Beach

There are some places where you feel like spending a lifetime. Pondicherry is that place to me!


I had taken this picture one beautiful morning while cycling on the Promenade Beach.

 Promenade Beach, Pondicherry 

Hindustan ka Dil dekho- Jabalpur

The advertisements by Madhya Pradesh Tourism had set my expectations soaring high of Hindustan's Dil (that is what they refer to MP in their commercials). I planned a short family trip to MP in June'14. This trip started off with Bandhavgarh then Amarkantak and our last destination was Jabalpur.

Jabalpur is a small but beautiful city of  Madhya Pradesh. The halt in Jabalpur was for just a day. As there were very specific places I wanted to see like Bhedaghat, Dhuandhar Waterfall and Chausat Yogini Temple. All of these are very close to each other and about 25kms from Jabalpur City. After a scrumptious South Indian meal at Indian Coffee House, we headed to our first destination Chausat Yogini Temple.


Chausat Yogini Temple, located on a hillock is one of the oldest heritage sites in India. The temple was built in the 10th Century by Kalachuri Dynasty. The temple is abode of Maa Durga and the Chausat Yoginis. Chausat means 64 and Yogini is a female attendant of Maa Durga. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. The view that the temple offers is mesmerizing! This place is filled with a  lot of positivity. The peace and calmness felt there , I hadn't experienced it in a long time.

Shiv Parvati idol

Marblerocks, Bhedaghat:

River Narmada has carved beautiful formations out of the huge marble rocks in Bhedaghat which stretch for approx 3kms. To enjoy these formations you should take a boat ride. However, boating remains closed during monsoons.

Marble Rocks

Marble Rocks

  

As the sun began to set, the sky turned into a beautiful coral shade....

Sunset @MarbleRocks

Dhuandhar Waterfall:

At one end of Bhedaghat, where Marble Rocks end, is Dhuandhar Waterfall.  It's again a beautiful spot. However, it's overly crowded and the place has become more of a picnic spot. Tourists have polluted it to a great extent by throwing leftovers, empty cans, plastic bottles into the water and around. I was extremely disappointed at the sight.

Dhuandhar Waterfall

 There are a lot of hawkers in Bhedaghat selling different marble souvenirs.  My personal favorite were the Name Souvenirs.

Marble Souvenirs

There are various other places of attraction in and around Jabalpur like Madan Mahal Fort, Rani Durgavati Museum and Bargi Dam. But I strongly feel before inviting the nation to explore MP, the State Govt should take charge and improve the cleanliness, condition of roads and state of MPTDC Hotels. No doubt Madhya Pradesh is oozing with natural beauty but if such carelessness of tourists and ignorance of government continues, it might soon turn into a trash bag.

Chenchpur Waterfall

While planing my trip to Bandhavgarh, I was searching for places I could see, activities we could do in and around the place. It was then that I came to know, just 60kms from Bandhavgarh was a picnic spot called Chenchpur Waterfalls.


It was a pleasant morning and with our packed breakfasts we headed to the spot in an open jeep. The drive en route the spot was a refreshing one with hardly any vehicles on road. The cool breeze was lightly brushing our faces.

 An hour later, the driver cut through the main road and took the kaccha raasta into the forest. Fifteen minutes and we were still zip zapping inside the forest.

Irritated I asked the driver, "Where is the waterfall? Did we get lost?"

He replied, "Madam just 5 more minutes"

And in exactly 5 minutes he stopped the jeep in front of an open space. Overlooking this space, amidst the asymmetrical pieces of rocks was a huge waterfall.

Red Beetle

First sight of the waterfall and I was awestruck! Surrounded by lush green forests on all sides, the pristine water was flowing in middle. I didn't realize how magnificent it was until I got closer. There was hardly anyone in its vicinity. It seemed like a hidden treasure.



We had just began trekking to the waterfall slowly, trying to balance ourselves over the slippery rocks when mom noticed that dad was already far ahead of us. Nature somehow brings the best out of this man. As we reached half way he had almost reached the waterfall.  He now wanted to descend to its base and take a fresh water bath. The waterfall was approx 40ft high and water was gushing at its best speed. Mom was in no mood to take chances and she ordered him to get back. Like a gentleman he obeyed his wife and came back after posing for a few clicks. :)

Mom realizes dad was on his own trekk! :P

Dad and Me

After enjoying the breathtaking view of waterfall we ate our breakfast and headed back to Bandhavgarh all excited for our next safari.

A Wild Encounter: Bandhavgarh

My dad is a wild life enthusiast, an ardent fan of channels like Discovery and Animal Planet. Undoubtedly, I have inherited the same likings. I have grown up watching wild life shows starring Steve Irwin and Bear Grylls. 

A place which had been for long on my mind was Bandhavgarh National Park! This national park located in Madhya Pradesh is believed to have highest tiger density in India.

Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in the year 1968 having an area of 105km square. It is believed that Bandhavgarh hillock was gifted by Lord Ram to his brother Lakshman with the expectation to keep a watch on Lanka. Hence the name Bandhavgarh i.e. Brother's Fort.

It has four main zones: Tala, Magadhi, Khitauli and Panpatta. Panpatta is not open for safari's. Tala is the premium Zone and the rest two are non premium one's. The best time to visit Bandhavgarh is between Feburary to early June. The park remains closed  between July to September. The nearest airport is Jabalpur and nearest railway stations are Jabalpur & Katni.

I reached Bandhavgarh on the morning of 17th June 2014. After an extensive research and a lot of contemplation I had booked my 3 Nights 4 Days stay in TigerGarh Resort. This resort overlooks the boundary of the National Park and is very close to the Tala Zone gate. For once there was a place which tremendously outdid my expectations. 

Mr Gagan, a wild life enthusiast and nature lover owns and runs the place. There are close to 14 cottages in the Resort. Each cottages is called a den and named after a Bandhavgarh tiger. He has done the place meticulously keeping in mind the smallest of all things. The place is truly rustic and wild. But at the same time comfort isn't compromised! The interiors are well decorated and every small little thing in the resort accentuates the village theme.

Gagan has a great team to his backing. Both, the house keeping and kitchen staff are well groomed, trained and efficient. They are humble, polite and available at the drop of a hat. There is a separate dining area which is equally beautiful in design. Each meal is hygienic, lavish and scrumptious. Moreover, everyday you are treated to a new menu. Ranging from Continental to Italian and Indian to Chinese.

 

Deluxe Rooms

Day1 (17th June 2014):

The resplendent sun greeted us on our arrival. With our high energies and overflowing excitement we geared up for our tryst with tiger. We treated ourselves to a hearty breakfast and explored the resort a little. Post lunch as we started to get ready, we got face to face with our worst nightmare ever... Rains! Tiger sightings become difficult when it rains. Water is available everywhere hence tigers prefer relaxing in their dens.

Our evening safari starts at 4pm . By the time we started, rains were almost gone. Just a little drizzling continued. As the jeep went deeper and deeper into the forest. We kept feeling the tiger would appear suddenly out of the grasses. But it never did.

All we could spot were the Sambhar and Spotted Deers. Our spirits weren't tamed by the day's experience. We were still happy that we enjoyed a rainy ride into the Jungle. We were hopeful of sighting tiger in the next day's early morning safari.

Sambhar Deer

Day2 (18th June):

Day2 began with an early morning safari to the premium zone: Tala. The morning safari's are from 5am to 9.30am. We woke up not to the alarm ringing but to the sounds of rain and thunder storm. This was our second and last safari booked. We were determined to trace the wild cat.
By the time we were ready to leave, rains had completely stopped. My dad pointed that this was the perfect weather to spot a bear.

My dad's word actually came true and deep into the forest we descried a bear. The guide pointed that bear sightings were rarest of rear. We were all the more elated. The Bear was just a feet away, digging the ground searching for termites.

Bear searching for termites

Ahead in our safari we espyied Bisons, Wild boars, Monitor Lizards, Peacocks, Vulture and a few other birds.

Wild Bison

Open Space @ Tala Zone

Even though we didn't see the tiger I was happy we spotted a bear which was something no safari anywhere guaranted.

Tiger's Message brought a smile on my face.

Day3 (19th June)

Day 3 began with a morning picnic to the beautiful Chenchpur Waterfall.  My gut feeling was we would surely spot a tiger today. Haven't you heard of the saying: Third Time Lucky! However, the problem was we didn't have a safari booked for that day.

In Bandhavgarh the safari's are limited and pre-booked months in advance. Few Safari's for each day are reserved for VIP's. Half an hour before the safari, the reserved safaris if unused are given to the people public on first come first basis.

We checked at the counter an hour prior to the evening Safari. There were safaris available for the Magadhi Zone. Without giving it another thought we purchased the tickets. As the safari began, our eyes scanned the forest as far as we could.

"This is serious business. Lets Focus" demanded the guide. He further added, "Tiger ko track karne main hi toh asli mazaa hai". The guide took our jeep to every possible spot trying to trace the wild cat.

It was already 6pm and we had nearly covered the entire permissible region of forest. We started to move towards the main gate. We were sulking but the guide said we shouldn't give up til the last minute. Just then, a few kms before the gate, far in the open fields, camouflaged by the tall dried grass, the majestic Tiger was walking. He walked pass the entire length of the boundary and disappeared in the forest again!

We started moving ahead and just about 2 kms from the gate we saw a jeep halted and the people looking into the fields. Voila! Another tiger hiding behind the grasses. He popped his head up checked us out. Hearing the commotion he decided to be there for some more time until we were gone..

The park was to close down in next 5 mins, so we didn't bother him much. I couldn't capture them in my lens. The first one was too far and the second one didn't give me much time. But at the end it didn't matter if they were far or close. It didn't matter if I was able to capture them or not. I was relieved we we weren't going home disappointed. We had managed two tiger sightings!

Bandhavgarh was an out an out amazing experience. The jungle has an extensive species of animals, plants and birds. Each zone of the forest has a different terrain. Although its a lesser popular park, it is rich in beauty, wildness and diversity.

Do visit for a truly Wild Experience!