This is one love-affair which was hopelessly slow during initial days. The craze about an app just because one can add different effects did not make much sense to me, if any. I was sure I will move-on after playing with it for a few days. That however, was not to be. With time I seemed to enjoy sharing photos of the places I visited and adding some details around them. Neither the one-lined captions nor entire blog-posts, something in between. It was fun. And lost in this fun, I did not even realize the time that has passed. Looking back at an year or so of instgramming now brings a smile on my face. And as they say, there’s nothing better to share than a smile.
So here I am, actually writing an entire post sharing my top 10 Instagram photos and hoping that I make you smile.
10. Colorful home-stay amidst coffee plantations – Madikeri
This was supposed to be a ‘consolation ride’ after I missed my year-end ride to the Sahyadris. It however, turned out to be a fun-filled trip with friends. Not to mention the brilliant ride that it was on butter smooth roads.
Photo: This lively and bright-colored Coorgi house was our home for our stay in Madikeri and there was not one thing about it which we did not fall in love with.
9. Puliyogare at Melkote On a nondescript weekend, an unplanned drive took us to the small town of Melkote. Now those who follow my blog must be knowing by now that I am not a religious person. So don’t be surprised when I tell you that I actually went to the temple town. It was the famous Puliyogare of Melkote that had called me there, not anything else 😉 .
Photo: The Pushkarni of Melkote as viewed from the hill-top.
A photo posted by Rajiv Verma (@hackernewbie) on
8. Ladakh – The Land of Extremes
Of all the places I have been to, Ladakh undoubtedly has been the most intimidating, most beautiful and most extreme of all. The grandness of the place even makes you a bit philosophical if I may say so. No seriously. In case you don’t believe me, why not head there and find out for yourself.
Photo: After walking around at the Khardung-la top for sometime these fluttering colorful flags caught my attention and I could not stop myself from clicking them.
7. Colorful Ladakh
As beautiful as Ladakh is, it is equally tough and unforgiving. Almost in every aspect of it. It can give you a heat-stroke and it can freeze to death if you don’t give it the respect it deserves. Like they say, Ladakh is a land of extremes.
Photo: A personnel from BRTF, the force responsible for keeping the roads ‘open’ all year round, clears a landslide while his co-worker waits for him to finish.
6. The failed trek to Doodhsagar
We had been planning to do this trek since a while but somehow, it always got pushed to next time. The next time finally came but we were still not able to successfully complete the trek. The authorities had barred access to the falls starting the day we landed at Castlerock in order to trek upto the falls. We were not allowed up-to the waterfall. Actually not anywhere near it. We trekked walked all the back from where we had started, a distance upward of 10 kilo-meters.
Photo:A thin blanket of fog set-in making the surrounding greenery seem surreal as we made our way towards the Doodhsagar water-fall, walking on this lone railway track.
5. The Beauty of Shillong
It was a long time before I finally got to visit Shillong even though I had crossed it many a time while on my way to Guwahati from Silchar. A perfect example of so near yet so far I must say. But when I finally landed in Shillong one fine Summer evening, it left me pleasantly surprised with everything about it. Be it the weather, the slow-moving life or the bright colors on the meandering streets of this hill-station, also lovingly called Scotland of the East.
Photo: Almost synonymous to Shillong, the Elephant falls is usually crowded. My time there, however, seemed to be lucky and I had the falls almost to myself.
4. The lake of the Moon – Chandrataal
After seeing hundreds of photos and reading numerous stories about the beauty of the ‘Moon Lake’ nestled high up in the Spiti valley I was thrilled to finally find myself right in front of it. I would not be lying if I say I have never seen a water-body this beautiful. I know the Pangong Tso is beautiful, grand and all that. But the Chandrataal with its emerald waters is something else. Something which never fails to cast its spell on you.
Photo: I took this photo during my first visit to the Moon-lake. We were all tired and worn-out after a 5-day long trek through the Pir Panjals. The Chandertaal rid us of all the tiredness and fatigue with just a single glimpse of itself.
3. Ruins of the Church of St Augustine, Goa
There are different hues of Goa. If you ask me, I would even go a step further and say that there are many Goas in Goa. My first time to the tiny state saw me getting lost in its narrow lanes and by-lanes, trying to feel the place and hoping to come across of its many ‘hidden colors’. After my first visit there I realized, it’s going to take many more trips to find what I am looking for. Not that I am complaining though;).
Photo: While trying to find my way to the Vagator beach I came across this quaint little Church. One of the many such spreads across Goa.
2. A Trek to the Inner Himalayas
Walking through the Himalayas is one of those few experiences which stay afresh forever in your heart and mind. At least that is how it is for me. Every time I have been in the laps of the mighty Himalayas, I have returned much more humbled and awed than the last time. My first time walking in the Himalayas was no less. If anything, it was much more of everything that you feel when you are up there.
Photo: On the second day of our trek to the Hampta Pass, I took a walk to a near-by boulder to get a view of our camp below while everyone was busy getting ready for the day ahead. And the view (below) I would say, was totally worth all the trouble I took to climb atop the huge rock.
1 Himalayan Skies
There’s no doubt about the beauty of the Himalayas. The mountains, the greenery, the peaks, the snow. Everything is beautiful in its own way. And I had been lucky enough to experience all these. However, what I had never experienced was a view of the sky from the laps of the Himalayas. The sky with billions of twinkling stars, planets et al, totally free from the dust and pollution. So, on the second day of our trek to the Hampta pass when I unexpectedly looked up, I was literally at the loss of words. It was NOTHING like I have ever seen before. A gazzilion of stars, far far away, twinkling. The feeling is really hard to put into words.
Photo: On the last day of our trek at Chattru, I was trying to capture the Milkyway the best I could. Between running to the warm kitchen-tent to warm my freezing hands and adjusting the tripod trying to make sure the camera is facing where I want it to, I managed this view of our home galaxy.
A photo posted by Rajiv Verma (@hackernewbie) on
I wanted to share few more of my favorite images but the post is already quite heavy. But you can always head to my profile where you can see all the images I have shared.
If you liked what you saw, why not give me a thumbs-up on my page. Maybe follow me too 😉
OH MY GOD! Such wonderful pictures:)
Hey Thanks Divsi. Glad that you liked it.
Those pictures are all wonderful,but the Himalayan skies…surreal!! 🙂
Thank you. I totally agree with you about the Himalayan sky. There are few more on my Insta profile which you might like as well!
Cheers,
Rajiv
Ah that foggy walk across the woods… Lovely clicks Rajiv…
The weather that day, during our walk to the water-fall was brilliant Ankur bhai. Thanks 🙂
Instagram is indeed addictive!
Awesome pics! Milky way seen from the Pir Panjal mountains one being my favorite 🙂
Thanks Arun. It took some time for me but Instagram had the last laugh in my case as well 🙂
The Milky Way and the Tents at night are my favs too.
Cheers,
Rajiv
Pics from nature are always my favorite – especially the ones with mist around in the mountains. You’ve got good gallery.
I am planning to write about my Instagram account too, not sure of when yet!
Thanks Alok ji, nature and landscapes are my favourite too. Do share your instagram collection soo.
They’re all pretty amazing. I think my favourites are the Chandratal lake photo and the Milky Way. Will follow you on Instagram.
Thanks Kalpana, glad that you liked them. The one of the Milky-way is my favorite as well.
Would be glad to connect with you on Instagram, thanks.
Cheers,
Rajiv
Waoo… Amazing photos. Chandertaal Lake, this one is the best among them.
Thank you, I am glad that you liked one of my favorite photos.