News Limericks - II

Apparently some of the Limericks I write are funny - why not milk it for all it is worth?

Also, there is a new News Limerick icon to accompany the posts.

The first is a news item that would not mind being included in The Hangover - Part 3.

A man in Sacremento should have been distraught
Over an argument in a bar he shouldn't have sought
but he did pick a fight
to end an epic night
And woke up the next day to realize he had been shot

For all the headaches produced by the Borat movie, there were some unexpected upsides.

Officials hated the image Borat produced
Of Kazakhstan in the eyes of the world reduced
including a fake national anthem
which was more fun to hum
But he unwittingly gave their tourism a big boost

The next news item does not require much introduction.

Residents were clamoring for cameras in the elevator
Giving up privacy for the sake of this good greater
coz they wanted to thwart
and force him to abort
By catching this nasty perp - a serial defecator.

A heroic tale is a great counter balance to the poo story.

A dog they say is a man's best friend
A label this woman's seeing-dog did transcend
when a robber did attack
the dog fought him back
And called the cops to tie up the loose end

Just when you thought buying lottery tickets was a waste of money.

Many in the world are desperate for their lottery fix
It is all in the numbers or maybe some other tricks
this store in Arizona rural
sold successful tickets in plural
Of million dollar winners, not one or two but six

The next story is quite self-explanatory, but reading it in prose does not make it less funny.

So here is a robber's story you will find quite strange
Interrupted during theft, he fled before the challenge
then was horrified to find
that he left his ID behind
And called the victim's family to propose an exchange

News Limericks

A few friends had a “poetry night”. I decided to write a few topical limericks as my input to the evening. Here are my five.

The first related to this news article talking about a recent competition in England, that judged contestants based on the technical perfection of their facial features.

Some ascribe it to your genes, others to your fate
Mathematicians came up with a formula to describe this trait
with pupils spaced at 44%
and eyes to mouth at 32%
The most technically beautiful face belongs to one, Florence Colgate

Pizza is an important food group. Otherwise how else would one explain the next limerick.

There was a man getting dinner in Omaha
Was so engrossed in saving the box with his pizza
his car hit a pole
and went into a roll
This the is the time for you to go ha ha ha

The next news item happened in 2011 but the results of the investigation came to light this year.

Passengers of Air Canada were in for a fright
The pilot it seems, caused their terrible plight
when he took the plane into a nosedive
with neither a warning or five
Because he mistook Venus for an oncoming flight

Southwest airlines joined in the fun for some more airline related news that could be made into limericks.

It is difficult for flights to be that calm
Though the pilot’s announcement meant no harm
he wished his ma whom he adored
unfortunately he said “mom on board”
And the passengers mistook the first word for a bomb

Finally, Santa might not quite agree, but sometimes reindeer also have to be transported.

Police in Norway pulled a car over in the street
The driver it seems wasn’t that discreet
his Subaru was laden
with a cargo quite brazen
There were five reindeer sitting in the back seat

Yes, there were poetic licenses taken with most of the news articles, but if you were looking here for fair and balanced reporting - maybe you shouldn't worry a distortion of facts.

The Vacation

It was a month after the funeral that the envelop arrived. It wasn't too heavy, but was made of thick, yellow paper and had a curious red wax seal on it. Inside was a single key, a brochure for a vacation resort, and a scribbled note from his deceased uncle.

Reunion

John lounged in a corner of Lucy's. John never sat; he lounged. His right arm was thrown over the back rest of the booth, while the rest of his body seemed to hang down from it. His left shoulder rested comfortably against the wall and the right foot peeked out from under the table. The ever-present cigarette dangled from his finger tips. He was clean-shaven, which was the only remarkable thing about seeing him in his usual corner of the diner.

Untouchable

The dappled shade under the mango trees triggered two very conflicting emotions. Firstly, it signalled the possibility of juicy fruit. Secondly it signalled fear - he was somewhere he ought not to be, and must therefore, be very careful. The dry leaves from the trees threatened to crunch underfoot. The problem with leaves crunching wasn't so much as giving his existence away; a regular crunch-crunch meant he wouldn't be able to hear others approaching. He had long mastered the art of walking in spurts, with dragging motion, continually listening for any approaching footsteps.

Word of Gods

The morning light dappled across his face as he sat bare-chested, meditating. There was calming silence about him, it was almost as if even the wind and the waves knew to be restrained. The room was small and bare, a single block of stone wide enough for a man to sit on, a pot of water in the corner and two massive windows with grills to the north and east. The room itself was at the north eastern corner of the hillside, the last human accomplishment before the abrupt fall of the hillside towards a sheer cliff and the sea.

Sattal Jungle Getaway Camp

 A two-day stay in the middle of nowhere

Sattal is a beautiful summer vacation spot in the foothills of the Himalayas. Situated about 20 kilometers from the more famous Nainital, Sattal refers to the group of seven interconnected freshwater lakes that make up the region. Sattal has a number of picnic areas for the out-of-town tourists, many of which offer boat rides and fishing expeditions into the lakes. However, what made this trip of ours different was the hidden gem among the lakes - the Getaway Jungle Camp.

We chose the Dussehra holidays of 2004 as the time for our trip to the camp - heading out from Delhi early on the 21st of October and returning late on the 23rd. Sattal is around 300 kilometers from Delhi, which clocks in at about 7 hours by car. We headed out from Delhi at around 5am on the 23rd to reach one of the picnic locations at Sattal around noon.

Sunrise on the way to Sattal

Our initial destination wasn't particularly different from every other holiday spot in the country - rows of cars, SUVs, and buses parked along the road, the cacophony of scampering children, stalls painted in the colors of multinational beverage manufacturers, and of course the unruly monkeys. Luckily for us, this was only a layover, as there are no motorable means to get to the camp itself. A boat ride followed by a trek is the only way. The remoteness of the camp not only makes it difficult for people to get there, but it also makes it difficult to get other things there - like, say, electricity. In fact, the only wire to run to the camp is a lone telephone wire that had been strung across the narrowest part of the lake to form the sole lifeline in case of emergencies.

It was around 1pm by the time collected all our backpacks, bid adieu to the curious gang of children that had gathered by our efforts to load the two boats and set across the lakes to a natural hidden cove on the other side. In addition to our luggage, what made our party strange to those watching us depart were the two large boxes we were taking with us. But more on that later.

The entrance to the Camp

Lunch at the camp was an extremely satisfying experience. The camp was about a kilometer from the cove we had landed in. You'd think that would have been an easy stroll, but then you realize that we had three days worth of gear in our backpacks, the trail was little more than a trampled-down hint of one and there was a steady uphill incline. Eventually, we reached the end of our walk, and the valley opened up in front of us to reveal the entire camp. To the left was a large open field, further ahead were rows of pitched tents and far up ahead was a large tent that served as the kitchen & command center of the place. It was this kitchen that presently had served us the fruits of our labor, so to speak, which was a hearty lunch of North Indian and Kumaon cuisines.

Tents at the Camp

One of the advantages of a place like the Getaway Jungle Camp is its darkness at night. As noted earlier, there is no electricity in the place, provided lanterns and brought torches are the only source of light. The camp itself is nestled in a clearing in a valley, surrounded on all four sides by uninhabited forested mountains. This results in a darkness that is of the proverbial, cannot see your own hand before your eyes variety. An absolute impenetrable kind of darkness, where you can see everything you can imagine while seeing nothing at all. Most city folks are not even remotely used to darkness like this, and its accompanying night sky. The brilliant night sky. I have never seen a night sky so vivid outside a planetarium. Even there you have the comforting glow of the projector and the red EXIT sign to keep you company. Down in the camp, there is no such thing; nothing at all between you and your astronomical contemplations.

The boxes alluded to earlier contained a 20" reflective telescope, that belonged to an amateur astronomer in the group. By around 6pm that first evening, we were helping him set it up and then take turns watching the heavens unfold before our eyes - the planets, nebulae, and our dear old moon. We couldn't resist trying to stick a point-and-shoot camera to the eye-piece for a photograph, but other than the moon the rest of the celestial beings were not bright enough for a good exposure. The moon however was most obliging.

The moon

The temperature continued to drop through the evening, and by around 9, it was cold enough to make everything damp and chilly. The telescope went back into the dry comfort of its box and we settled around a bonfire for some dinner and some storytelling. We were treated to the story of the setting up of the camp, by the folks who presumably were involved. The one part that still stayed with me after all these years was the story of a woman whom they encountered one sunset, who warned them fruitlessly about setting up the camp until they realized to their horror that this old woman had no face.

Lucky for us, that didn't deter the setting up of the camp. Though we were warned not to go to use the facilities at night by ourselves. Just in case the old woman showed up, we were told, and more importantly due to the ever-present risk of losing one's way without lights or guides of any kind in the absolute darkness. There was something about the place and the darkness - everyone followed the suggestion.

The next morning we woke up to misty dawn, which quickly turned to bright sunshine. After a hearty breakfast, we headed out on a trek along trails with a local guide. Of course what we call trek along trails is an everyday thoroughfare for the locals, who have to take it many times a day for getting supplies and attending to their business. It was funny to see us huffing and puffing along, while a woman with her child and a bundle of firewood on her head ambled past us with no sign of discomfort. Nevertheless, there is nothing to beat the cheery effect of the crisp cool morning air on winded campers. The sights made up for everything else. The lush green pines on the slopes with the sparkling water of the seven lakes below made all the huffing and puffing worth it.

Sattal during the morning trek

Returning from the trek mid-morning, it was time for the obstacle course built to one side of the camp. The course offers a number of obstacles, including crawl space, swing rope, river crossing, and rappelling. There were qualified instructors who guided us through the course. We spent time going through the various obstacles, spending a particular amount of time rappelling.

That evening, after lunch, we headed back down to the landing cove to hire a few boats for some boating and fishing. That morning, one person from our group had gone fishing instead of the trek and had succeeded in catching a decent-sized Mahseer fish. Suddenly all of us fancied ourselves anglers. Thus began two hours of flick and reel, flick and reel, with little success. That of course did not take much away from the time spent out on the lake as the sun sunk beyond the mountains and the cool water slapped against the sides of the boat.

Obstacle course

That evening we gathered around the campfire again, this time with some fish and fowl roasting on the open flame. It was a great way to spend time on a chilly night, with a warm fire, good food, and great company.

The third day dawned and it was time to head back. We spent the morning playing games in the large open field. Then we packed and after lunch, headed out of the camp at around 1:30 pm. This time the trek was downhill, and other than the odd stumble was unremarkable. Pretty soon we were taking the boat back to the bustle of the picnic spot on the other side of the lake to find our car and head back to Delhi. Starting off around 2, ensured that we were in the outskirts of Delhi for dinner and in the cozy warmth of our beds before too long.

Visit to Cornwall - Southwest England

Beginning the Journey

South West England includes Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly. It is also home to the Stonehenge, magnificent Bath, and quaint honey-colored Cotswolds villages. It is a beautiful place to visit, with beautiful beaches and rolling hills of the English countryside. In the late summer of 2006, we set out one weekend with no firm plan along the motorway M5.

Now England is a little different from the US, particularly in the way directions on interstates, or motorways as they are identified. In the US, direction on the interstate is defined by direction - east / west or north / south. In England, direction is defined by the next major city in either direction. As we were headed to the M5 that morning, all we knew was that we had to take the M5 and the name of our final destination. That gave us a 1 in 2 chance of picking the correct direction.

We picked the wrong direction.

While we were blissfully roaring in the wrong direction, sniggering at the blokes that were stuck in traffic in the opposite direction, we thought we made good time traveling 40 minutes at the posted speed.

Then we realized our mistake.

40 minutes into our drive, we had to get off the M5 and switch directions, from the traffic-free wrong direction to the slow-moving correct side. Took us twice as long to just get back to where we started.

Undeterred, we pressed on.

Our first major stop was at King Arthur's Castle in Tintagel, with a brief stopover at the picturesque Boscastle village. Both Tintagel and Boscastle were beautiful if highly commercial and touristy. If not anything else, the drive to either place with its sharp curves along the road made the detour worth it.

Of course, given our late start, we were starving and nothing like a delicious lunch in a small town with easily accessible restaurants. The day was bright, and sitting outside was just what the doctor ordered to overcome the botched beginning of the day.

We continued through a major city in the area, Penzance, to a nearby fishing village called Mousehole. Despite its suspiciously profanity-like name, the place is a fine example of an English small town. Tiny cobbled streets, blind alleyways, and a beautiful natural harbor form the main attractions.

The plan had always been to return to Penzance to hole up for the night. But considering it was not sunset yet, we decide to cram another destination into the day's itinerary.

Land's end is the western-most point in mainland UK. Before America was discovered, it was considered the extent of land known to man - hence lands's end. There were surprisingly few people when we arrived, so we had the place all to ourselves. As the sun set in the west, it evoked a feeling of personal loss - as if something was going away never to return.

In addition to the lighthouse, pictured above, land's end is also known for its steep bluffs. Sunset provided a great opportunity to capture the splendid detail in the rocks.

As we finished up after photographing the bluffs, it was time to find a place to rest. While Penzance yielded dinner, we did not have much luck finding a place to crash. Giving up on Penzance, we decided to find something closer. But cold-calling B&Bs is never a good idea, especially not when you a tired from a day's worth of driving around.

After a fair bit of searching, we finally got lucky at a place called the Cederhurst Bed and Breakfast, in St. Ives, Cornwall. A good place to hang out, probably, but we were too tired to stay up for too long after checking in.

Day 2

We began day 2 at the Porthemeor beach. Any beach in Cornwall is beautiful, and this place is spectacularly so. Considering we ended up pretty early in the day, also meant we had the whole place to ourselves. Turned out to be a great way to kill some time before the featured presentation of the day.

St. Michael's Mount

St. Michael's Mount is one of those must-see places in Cornwall. This was almost the reason we put together the trip. And it turned out to be all we expected. It is a castle, fortress and church, linked to the mainland through a narrow walkway that floods during high-tide. We timed our trip so that we could walk our way across, but have to take the ferry back.

There a number of stories about the place, each more fantastic than the other. But all said this is a great example of ancient ruins restored to their former glory in the pursuit of preserving a region's rich cultural heritage.

It was time to begin the journey back, but not before we visited the modern marvel of Cornwall - the Eden Project. The project is a set of massive greenhouses that house plants from a variety of climates, for the purpose of study and preservation. If the scale of the project does not blow your mind, the variety of flora contained within most definitely will.

Inside the domes we found everything from the touch-me-not plants to the cacti of the Arabian desert. Half a day does little justice to the place, but that is all we had. Soon it was time to leave.

The Cornwall region of the UK turned out to be a beautiful and historic place to visit. Pity we had only a weekend to cover the whole place. But what we could not do in depth, the place certainly made up for in sheer variety.

There is a map of our trip available on Google Maps.

Alice

I

I sat by the window of the local coffee shop, early Wednesday morning, sipping the first of what would be several cups of espresso on a day like this. It was early but the sun was already beating down, promising a scorcher. I swore under my breath - a wonderful day to pick for my beat.

Rajasthan Road Trip

 A five-day road-trip through the north-east Indian state of Rajasthan

Rajasthan is one of the most beautiful states in the country. Lying to the south-west of the national capital of New Delhi, it is mostly made up of the Thar desert. Despite its inhospitable geography, the state possesses a rich history encompassing tradition, valor, patriotism, and unsurpassed beauty.

Our trip coincided with the Indian festivals of Diwali and Id. The long weekend off from work, allowed us to drive through the state, covering three incredible cities This is an account of that awesome journey through sands and time.

The beginning

We started early, around 1:30 am, on Thursday, November 11, 2004. The plan for the trip spanned five days, pegging our return to New Delhi on the following Monday. Starting off at 1:30 meant we would not only beat the invariable holiday rush out of Gurgaon but would also give us a head start driving through the state early. We did pretty good time and reached Jaipur just as the sun was rising up. From there on it was new territory. A few quick queries later we were on the way towards Jodhpur, the blue city, our first destination.

We reached Jodhpur, around 330 kilometers later. In true road-trip style, we had no reservations. So it took a bit of time to pick through options and finalize a place to check in. We chose a small but clean guest house, on High Court Road. If you are in the city, a check down this street (High Court Road) would probably yield results pretty quickly. However more elaborate places to stay are also available, some as part of the inner city itself.

Jodhpur

Jodhpur is called the 'blue city'. Historically brahmins in the city were required to paint their house with indigo, as a mark of honor and clear identification. Over time other inhabitants of the city picked up this custom and a significant number of houses in the city are now painted blue. However do not expect to see blue all over the place, the best view of the blue city is from the ramparts of the Mehrangarh fort itself. Otherwise, you will see blue, but only in small isolated patches. Also remember, the blue is bluer in the photographs.

The first monument we visited was the Jaswanth Thada. We took a rickshaw for this part of the tour, but with a few inquiries, you can well take a car or even a bus to both Jaswanth Thada and the Mehrangarh fort. It is the site of the white marble royal cenotaph of Jaswant Singh II and four of his successors. The place is set beside the typical Rajasthani sandstone hills and next to a lake. The place is serene, beautiful, intricate, and worth a visit. If you are not on a sight-seeing tour, this could be the place you would want to settle down for a quiet time. There are a few trees in the gardens which can provide shade to one willing to hang out at this place.

The Mehrangarh fort is an awesome spectacle. If ever there was a fort built to withstand attacks this was it. The place is huge and imposing. Guides are typically available at the ticket counter. As an alternative, there are also audio guides to a most of the locations, with the various points in the audio guide marked out quite clearly in the fort. Don't miss the sight of the blue city from the windows. If you are in town for dinner, see if you can catch it right at the fort itself. Dinner is offered on the 5th floor landing overlooking the city.

Unlike other forts, the Mehrangarh fort is a large living complex, complete with temples, gardens and halls, called Mahals. In particular, the Moti Mahal (Pearl Hall), the Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Hall) and the Phool Mahal (Flower Hall) are the highlights of the place.

We returned to the guest house, tired, having been up from 1:30am that morning. Turning in after a quick hot shower and dinner proved to be a pretty sweet way to end day 1.

Early next morning, we checked out the third place on our itinerary in Jodhpur - the Umaid Bhawan Palace. This is one of the country's newest palaces. It was built by Maharajah Umaid Singh during the 1920's and took 13 years to complete. This was meant as a famine relief project, which was food given in exchange for working on the palace. With 347 rooms, this is one of the biggest private residences in India. The current ruler has converted part of this to a museum and a hotel under the Taj group. However, if you are on a quick pass through the city, and want to give something a miss, this would probably be it.

If you are more shopping-inclined, the clock tower market is a perfect place to go. Though we had to give this a miss, the sight from the fort, showed the market bustling with people.

Jodhpur to Jaisalmer

Having checked out from the guest hour in the morning, we set for Jaisalmer from the Umaid Bhawan Palace. Jaisalmer is called the golden city, and it is undoubtedly the most beautiful city that I have seen in India. Set near the western edge of Rajasthan, Jaisalmer is right in the middle of the Thar desert. Our drive from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer took us through rapidly changing vegetation and increasing heat and sands. On the way we stopped at one of the first few real sand-dunes, to climb it and feel real desert sands. The steep slopes and the rather slippery sand ensured that we were quickly out of breath, fighting encroaching sand into our shoes and wishing we were camels. Tips about getting down to climb sand-dunes - do not wear shoes, drink a lot of water, and wear head protection; you will not realize how quickly the desert dehydrates you.

Our drive took us through Pokhran, a generally nondescript town, but for the recent nuclear tests conducted by India here. The locals tell us that as a result of these tests the average temperatures have actually increased by at least 10 degrees centigrade.

One more item worth mentioning was the roads. Roads were pretty good all through the trip. Once past Jaipur, the traffic thins down quite rapidly. And once past Jodhpur, traffic is practically nonexistent. We were able to maintain 120 km ph speeds continuously for pretty long stretches. On one stretch we actually covered 115 kilometers in one hour. We avoided doing any of the drives after dark - while this makes logistics difficult, it is a lot safer especially if you have girls in your group.

We reached Jaisalmer around 7 in the evening. This was, Friday, the evening of Diwali and before we could do anything about it, we had to find a place to place and settle in. Our search led us to this awesome place called the Nachna haveli, which is a heritage hotel. This was apparently the house of the owners for around 1100 years and they had converted part of that into a hotel. We spent the evening of Diwali in this absolutely quaint refuge, with fireworks and fun.

Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer is like a golden mirage, something out of a dream. As you are driving towards it, you will first see a quite large sandstone hillock to one side. As you drive nearer you notice that it isn't as much of a hillock, as it is a mountain holding up an enormous fort, and as you get closer you see the small town nestled right next to it, almost like the sandcastle and the sand city made by a little girl sitting on the beach.

The entire city is made with golden-brown sandstone, which all but camouflages it from the sky. Jaisalmer is the last of the princely kingdoms between India and Pakistan. Established by Rawal Jaisal, in 1196 AD, Jaisalmer earned early wealth and glory as it lay on the part of the profitable trade routes to Central Asia and the Far East. With the growth of shipping and Mumbai as an alternate route, Jaisalmer started dwindling in influence. Its fortunes took a twist again with the advantages offered by the strategic location of the city in dealing with India's neighbor Pakistan. Now tourism and the army presence are two of its biggest revenue streams.

The night we reached Jaisalmer was Diwali. And Diwali, in India means lights, sweets, and firecrackers. As soon as we checked into the hotel, we headed over to the local market to acquire our own arsenal of lights. The roof of the hotel, with some guests still having dinner and the lit fort dominating half the view, made that Diwali night unforgettable.

The next morning, we headed over to see the sights of the city, starting with the fort. The fort established on the Trikuta hill dominates the horizon and is visible from every part of the city. During Diwali, when we arrived there, the entire fort is lit up and forms a mesmerizing sight in the night. The fort, unlike many of the others in India, is in full use. It is actually occupied by almost 4500 people, who reside right inside the fort. And almost everyone in the fort is selling something. Just wandering the narrow streets, having coke and miniature paintings vying for your attention is an unforgettable experience.

To enter the actual palace here you need a ticket. There are touts all over the place in Jaisalmer, and if more than one happens to catch you it can get pretty annoying. The palace itself offers some breathtaking views of the town and the other quarters of the fort. And for once, the name of a place - 'golden city' is more than justified.

In addition to the fort there are a few other sites worth seeing. There are a few Jain temples that have some of the most beautiful carvings. There is also a Hindu temple, situated away from the main city, which is worth a visit.

The Havelis are a must-see. Constructed by the wealthiest of the kingdom, in recognition of their support to the king, these are masterpieces in architecture and splendor. The Pathwon ki Haveli is one of the biggest and most elaborate. There are perfectly maintained rooms of yesteryear in this place, including bedrooms, kitchens, dining places, and halls.

The other must-do in Jaisalmer is the Camel Safari. We got a good deal from our host at the heritage hotel who, through our stay, had become a good friend. Generally, there are a few very popular tourist(ey) destinations in the dunes, such as the Sam Sand dunes. We however took the path less traveled, if you will, to a pretty unknown sand-dune but completely outside the tourist hub dub. Rajasthan is not a sandy desert - it is a rocky one. So dunes like the ones seen in, say, the Sahara are pretty uncommon. Sand dunes in Rajasthan typically turn out to be a massive sand heap in the middle of the desert surrounded by a rocky land with a good amount of vegetation.

The camel ride is one of the most revealing things one can ever do. It reveals that you are heavy, that you have a spinal cord, that you have a butt that can ache like crazy, and that you would rather walk than stride atop a camel for a 10-kilometer ride.

The camel fiasco notwithstanding, the sheer beauty of the sunset made it all worth it. We watched the sun go down, lit a bonfire, cooked food on the fire, and sat around telling stories around the fire with a cold drink in hand. Then as the stars came out and the wind started to nip, a cozier corner within our blankets was all we needed to curl up for a nights sleep. Popping your head out in the middle of the night, and seeing just the stars, and hearing only the crunch of the camels chewing cud is an out-of-this-world experience.

Jaisalmer to Bikaner

Sunday morning, we headed back to the hotel, ready to move on. We spend some time shopping in Jaisalmer and soon set out for Bikaner. The drive, again, was excellent. The sun set, with another dramatic display of color as we reached Bikaner in the dark.

Having reached Bikaner in the evening of Sunday, we settled into a hotel and grabbed a quick dinner. The itinerary, next day was packed, so we quickly called it a night.

Bikaner

After Jaisalmer, almost every place has its volume turned down. Bikaner is more of a city than a quaint town. Reaching the Junagarh fort was an exercise in maps and consultations with the locals. However, once we reached the fort, the dramatic insides were worth the effort. The delicate carvings on wood and sandstone, elaborate paintings in vegetable dyes, and tall spacious halls is a hallmark of Bikaner. Bikaner provides its own guides to most of the places including the fort. The Junagarh fort is unusual in that it has been built at ground level and not in any elevated location. In spite of this, it remains one of the few forts in India that have not been conquered.

Right next to the temple is a museum too. With an impressive collection of artifacts from the age of the Mughals and the Rajputs, it is worth a visit.

30 kilometers south of Bikaner is a place called Deshnoke. This is the place of the Karni Mata temple. The current temple was built by Maharajah Ganga Singh in the early 20th century. It is built in marble and has lavishly worked on doorways and panels. The resident deity of this place is Karni Mata. Legend has it that once the Karni Mata tried to restore the dead child of a storyteller to life, but was unsuccessful as Yama, the god of death had reincarnated his soul in human form. Karni Mata, famed for her legendary temper, announced that all humans from her tribe would not fall into the hands of Yama. Instead, they would be formed transitorily as rats (called kabas here) and then be reincarnated as humans. Hence rats or kabas have a free reign of this place and are given divine status.

Walking the small stretch from the entrance to the main temple is an awesome experience. There are rats scuttling all over the place. Watch each step and make sure any girls with you are suitably forewarned.

The Return

By around 6 we were at a place called Faterpur on the road from Bikaner to Jaipur. Then we decided to not take the main road but chose to take a short-cut, which would eventually save us almost 100 kilometers. This route took us through Jhunjhunu, Narnaul, Riwadi connecting to the Jaipur highway. We finally reached Delhi at around 11:30 PM for a bout of well-deserved sleep after a very satisfying trip.

These five days were a treasured time away from the hustle-bustle of a city. Coincidentally, my cell phone was out of service and ensured that the trip was all I cared about. From the forts of Jodhpur to the sand dunes of Jaisalmer and the well-maintained sights of Bikaner - this was a trip to remember. If you are looking for a place to take time off, and have grown sick of yet another hill station - try Jaisalmer.

5 a.m.

This one was after a long time. And a lot had happened in the meanwhile. And it was 5 in the morning and I was dog tired. Sleep was nowhere in sight. And mentally, things were feeling like fun. And sarcasm was dripping all over me. This happened.

Just a Crazy love song

Have you ever been in love? Mebbe this will help. (PS: No Tune, at least none that sounds unlike the earlier ones)

Charade

It had started differently but ended as this. You have seen The Matrix. I don't suffer from such manic proportions in delusions, but well a small helping never hurts. What if the whole concept of governance is just a facade? (PS: I love The Matrix) (PS2: And I do have a tune for this too.)

Grown Up Now

I love this one. You know it has become fashionable to say, "I am still a child inside me.". And believe most of the time you have a sniggering idiot, who is just waiting for you to turn your back to the child. But when there truly is a child, you will not see him. Because he is a child. And children don't advertise. So what happens is this, and people thing otherwise.

Go To Hell

I was on a roll, after the last one and decided it was time to expand my horizons. So decided to jump into songwriting for a change. Blame it all on the follies of youth and you will hit the nail on the head. Any ways. Have you ever loved and wanted to hate at the same time. Imagine the rose, and the hand responding to the incredible beauty of the rose almost on its own accord. Then the thorn cuts right in between you and the beauty, and you finger rushes for the safety of the mouth. What did you feel? And what did you feel if this was just metaphorical. (PS: I think I have a punkish tune for this too)

What

Statutory warning: Don't read this if you are feeling down. It just might push you over. This from someone other than me.

Spent Dreams

Well this was the first one in the current binge of poems. Started with no reason other than the fact that this title sounds cool. And, well, developed into well a postmortem of success. I am guessing here, not that I have been there. Tell me if you think this is, or is not, the way you felt. Got different reactions for this one. One friend actually thought of making this sound more upbeat. That is optimism for you.

The Purse

A PURSE is where you keep things. A BOX is also where you keep things. But a purse is not a box. A purse unlike a box has many uses. A box is also very useful.