Adventure sports/activities in Dubai...Version 2

Get Set Go.....is the only phrase which is apt for the adventure enthusiasts all across the globe. Hope you all liked the first part wherein I shared the feel of jet skiing and zapata/flyboarding in Dubai, the ultimate heaven for adventure sports. In this edition, I will share the experience of quad biking also known as ATV biking or dirt biking or desert biking(Call it by whatever names possible, adventure still smells the same).

After the dune-bashing that I enjoyed luxuriously in a Range Rover and had my intestines almost running to my mouth, I was halted in both the dimensions of time and space as I got down in front of a desert camp. It was a pleasant March afternoon and I was highly voltaged up for the experiences Nature had to throw at me.

I was wondering at my choices of taking a guided camel safari or a dream desert bike ride which meant being as mean as I wanted to be. At AED 100, (Equivalent to Rs 1820);the 2nd option was more ME...ish.I have tried dirt biking in India and was enthralled with the feel of adrenaline guzzling when you go full throttle with your foot on the accelerator.

The Arabian Desert is your canvas and you can make all the trails possible on it with the control of the ATV tyres in your hand. ATV is an All-Terrain Vehicle which pledges by its name of driving past all types of terrains be it sandy/hilly/muddy/snowy etc. and is mostly available in a 4 wheeler arrangement (Varieties of ATV exist in 3 wheeler & 6 wheeler models also and can be single/two/4*4 seating space).

My ride for the sunny evening in the Rayna Tours & Travels, Dubai oasis was a YAMAHA GRIZZLY, powered by a 708 cc engine. It was a bottle green beauty with an amazing torque with a plush seating experience. The USP of the ride was a NO-HELMET experience. I had waited almost 20 minutes for the ATV and as soon as I lay my hands on it, I was in no mood to waste time...Time to bother about taking safety instructions or even rather wearing a helmet!!!What puzzled me later was that how the instructor could let me go without the helmet.

Once I had the gorgeous machine in my hands and the accelerator and brakes at my disposal,there was nothing which could separate us apart from my will or His.The instructor did try his supervision skills to keep me on the track but the rule-breaker in me did not heed to him.

Creating paths and going against the trodden ones are the traits an adventure geek is supposed to have and I follow the book thoroughly at least in this aspect.You can catch a glimpse of the ride at the backdrop of an amazing ARABIAN SETTING SUN



When the control is in your hands and you are with the sun and sands!!!
Who have no fear of getting dirty and certainly you have to be hearty!!!

P.S.Please wear helmets and other safety gears as suggested by instructors.
दुर्घटना से देर भली

Adventure activities in Dubai, Part I (Jet Ski,Flyboard)

Adventure activities in Dubai

The dazzling city of Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates. Apart from being a major city, it also forms one of the seven emirates of the country and shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjah in the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman in the southeast. The Persian Gulf borders the western coast of the emirate.No doubt, Dubai tells a story of man-made architecture but what one might not be aware is that, it is the heaven for ultimate adventure sports.

Dubai is the paradise for adventure freaks around the globe.Even if you are not an adventure junkie, you can still enjoy few activities at leisure and enjoy the bounties that nature has to offer.There are a host of other activities that are man-made and all those too tickle your gush of adrenaline.

Lets start with a few ones this blog and you will have a fair insight of how to plan your trip anywhere from around the globe accordingly so that you can use your time efficiently and enjoyably. There is a wide array of watersports to choose from which will satiate the curiosity of a wild watersport enthusiast.

Jet Ski is the most popular activity in an around the Persian Gulf where you can have amazing glimpses of Burj Al Arab, Atlantis,Sheikh Palace, the Palm(Dubai Marina) from the sea side. DAY N NIGHT YACHTS N BOAT, DUBAI was the operator for the jet ski we chose. The jet skis that they provide are in the range from Yamaha, 700 cc to 1100 cc.The instructors are affluent in supervision and ensure proper safety instructions are followed.Life jackets are provided and supervisors keep the skis under their strict monitoring. They charge 350 Dirhams for a 30 min tour and trust you me, it is definitely worth it.

The essential requirement is a copy of ID proof (passport for foreign nationals) and one is required to sign a disclaimer form before venturing out in the sea.My supervisor was a guy from Bangladesh and he ensured that we thoroughly enjoy the experience.Lost in the beauty of the splashing waters, I had probably deviated from the main route and he was kind and cautious enough to go back and search my jet ski.

Among the other watersports, fly boarding was another activity which tickled my senses. It allows you to take off from the water completely, stand on your feet and then dive into the salty water from that height.. The key factor in enjoying a flyboard is the balancing part and once you have mastered the art, you can be sure of enjoying the activity thoroughly.

It is also known as Zapata or flyboard Zapata and Dubai hosted the 2014 and 2015 editions of the World cup.The hydro-propulsion forces created by redirecting the seawater pressure offer a unique adrenaline rush and a total freedom of movement to the rider allowing him to showcase a collection of freestyle moves.

Jet ski in Dubai near Burj Al Arab

Watch out for more more set of sports to follow.Till then, have fun....

Purr- a-noic

.........BiJleE 

I do not think that I am ailurophobic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailurophobia) but I do find this species a little greedy lot.However, my experience this time in Chaardukan area near St. Paul's church in Landour, Mussoorie made me feel I am a bit purr-a-noic!!!

Already filled tummy, but I still could not get over the menu that the small shop had to offer.Tugged along my partner in indulgence to the shop and ordered a waffle in the cold weather with lotsa lip-smacking syrup.There were four unoccupied chairs in the open but the chill wind that blew in the open helped me make up my mind to sit in the couch inside.

As soon as I made my way inside to the snug surroundings, I placed my bag on the sofa and chose to sit in the corner oblivious of what was coming my way.तशरीफ़ रखना happened to be the most memorable moment of that day as I gauged something was moving on the couch. I was barely few inches away and was almost about to sit on it when I saw the whiskers and a snarl..........

Aaaaaahhhhhh.....Save me!!!!!was the first thing on my mouth and I ran to my hubby in a sprint.Hearing me shout, the shop owner and his daughter moved out from their respective places.To my utter shock, they did not come to comfort me as I expected but they seemed more worried about Bijlee!!!

Bijlee by that time was perched on top of a wardrobe still snarling at me and then I realised what I averted thankfully.God knows how many needles would have pierced its way through  me if that black & white nightmare would have bitten me or ran its claws on me.

I did finish the waffles that I had ordered although I was still engulfed with the fear of Bijlee   (Quite an Electrifying shock it was!!!)

Nutty Nature Geek

Prashar Lake, Himachal Pradesh

Watching the sun play hide & seek
What do I call myself, a 'Nature Geek'?
Pines,Firs & myriad unknown trees in different shades of green......
Bountiful is the basket of Nature & hence she is serene!

Placid lake & the gushing rivers; both are pristine

Drifting clouds...Sometime choose to shower & sometimes shine

The inner me gets drawn to U almost like a magnet

Hey Mystical!Make me a part of Thee...Wont fail U,I bet!!!

April Thoughts...

                                              April Thoughts...

Its irony when we yearn for good things and we say 'We want it badly'!!!!!


         I make people feel alive 'cos I give them a fair portion out of my LIFE!!!


Who invented the word Professional?????Everything is PERSONAL at the end of the day.


        When things go bad between 2 individuals;its either Responsibility or Blame!!!
                   Either own the responsibility or blame it on the other person
                                       Never hold situations responsible

Chinese lamps

A Tale of 2½ monkeys.....

A Tale of 2½  monkeys.....

A weekend morning in Shimla and I wake up feeling fresh all ready to welcome a new day. I had heard a lot about Jakhoo temple and I felt good that I would get to visit it.Little did I know that my day would start with a feud.....Feud between me a Homo Sapien and a herd of Rhesus Macaque.

While many grey cells strongly contradict "ape to human evolution" theory by Darwin, my experience that day in Jakhoo with a troop of  so-called intelligent monkeys made me reconfirm that human did evolve from ape.As soon as I started to climb up the stairs to Jakoo, I was strongly reminded of my driver and hotel staff who had warned me in advance about the hospitality aka hostility of the monkeys in Jakhoo. As per the instructions,I had not taken any prasad to offer to the deity in the fear that monkeys would attack me for the prasad. But neither did I heed to the foreboding completely cos I had forgotten to carry a stick which was available at the temple gate and which was the main protecting device from the monkeys.
The seed of fear which had already germinated in me now turned into a sapling when I heard the constant chatter of them and their jumping on the tin roofing on the way to the temple. OOOhhh.....M a brave gal.....I kept reminding myself and went ahead to see the mighty deity of Hanuman (Monkey Lord as described by Wikipedia) overlooking Shimla. I felt like a tiny speck of dust standing in front of the statue and honestly did not reach even the height of his mace at full stretch. After admiring the panoramic view  from the highest point of Shimla, I proceeded towards the temple and was mobbed by the unruly gang of monkeys who were busy threatening the bunch of tourists exploring the beauty of the place.
Somehow averting the mobbing monkeys, I made my way to the place where I had to take off my shoes before heading to the temple premises.A minor assault took place therein where a young monkey tried to scare me off my wits by staring at me and threatening to take my shoe.My co visitors  scared it off with sticks thankfully and I could peacefully remove my shoes and get ready for visiting the sanctum sanctorum of the Jakhoo Temple.
My favourite latest buy of pink shades were on and just before entering the inner premises of the temple, I placed it on the crown of my head. After offering my prayers in the temple, I came out to the open and decided to stroll around the temple at leisure.That decision was the forerunner in my believing the Darwin Theory of Evolution. As soon as I started taking the first few steps in the awesome weather, someone stroked me on the head from behind and before I could turn my head in a split second, I heard the clatter of the group of visitors and primates shouting  at each other.
Little did I realise that I was one of the main causes behind the pandemonium that had just erupted.My pink shades were by that time in the hands of the mom monkey who gritted her teeth when I stared at her in utter shock. The baby monkey clinging onto her seemed amused at all this and made sum gestures with its hands which irritated me to the upper limit possible.The visitors to the temple seemed to be bothered at the eruption of sudden drama but were clueless  about the solution to the problem.
The old lady selling 'bhog' or offering to the God came out to help with her strategical business acumen.She asked my friend  accompanying me to throw the envelops which were supposed to be containing offerings towards the monkeys. I could not gather my wits at what was happening and took the stick of that old lady and tried to scare the primates. Darwin's theory could be best explained by an onlooker if I was caught jumping and clattering gibberish in my reaction to the action that had just happened.My friend threw the first envelop towards a wrong pair of mother and baby monkey while the culprit duo was enjoying the scene and getting a bird eye  view perched from the highest branch of tree. The more hyper I got, the more fun I was infusing in them;I did realise a few minutes later.
The impish baby monkey teased me with the temple tips of my favourite shades in his mouth and to my utter dissatisfaction, it was leisurely chewing on it.Such was my wrath that I turned around and started searching for some thing to throw at those horrendous creatures.By that time, the old lady handed over another so called bait to my friend...the envelope.As soon as  my friend threw it towards the culprit 1½ monkeys, a serendipitous thing happened.The mom monkey in order to grasp the envelope threw the shades from the tree top and my friend collected it in due time to evade the entire platoon of those primates to snatch my fav shades another time.
Lo and behold...My pink shades were in front of my eyes...I washed them and put it in my pockets and avoiding the animated troop of primates somehow, I made my car to my cab.Mouthful of curses fell short of the trauma I had just experienced and I felt literally angry when my driver said that 'Hanuman ke Mandir me bandar to hongei na'!!!
As much as I believe in Hanuman, I will never forget that episode which made me realise that Darwin was right...Human must have evolved from apes...!!!
Jakhoo ke dakoo was one of the apt title for this blog but the tale of 2½  monkeys encompasses it all...I surely contribute to that 2½...

Who am I?

Who am I?

Hello.....Do I know you?It would be hilarious if I posed myself this question after so many years......Well Well Well.......I will not be that harsh on myself...Let go of the years in formal education...No one shanghaied me into not asking myself who I were in the last 5 years when I started earning for my living....5 years makes it 1826 days(including the leap year extra day).In this many years hope I have not forgotten my self....

Physically I am a bunch of cells...N as my Guru says...Whatever we eat, we accumulate through out the years. The yummy dollop of ice cream I had is me!!!The bitter gourd I find tasty is me!!!The milk which I have hated over the years but had to drink compulsorily is also surprisingly me!!!

Mentally I am a projection of my beliefs and values that I have been nurtured with and that I have imbibed from nature these long years. Although I say 'There is nothing right or wrong', but honestly am still judgemental and very critical about my actions.

Spiritually, I know I am still a foetus struggling to come out of the comfort of the womb and explore the innumerable possibilities that exists. 

Its time...in fact its high time that I pull up my socks and get knowing who I am!!! 

Catharsis

Such is the desperation to find peace that this foolish mind tends to believe every Tom,Dick and Harry's experience knowing not whether its feasible, plausible or applicable....Walking into the oblivion far away from the madding crowd, trying to be engrossed in activities which seemed to be keeping the wandering mind occupied appeared to be the only getaway of a dead man's last gasp for air.There came many a Fata Morganas to allure me but the desire to explore the possibility of that wow moment continued to motivate me like the beacon at the end of a lengthy dark tunnel.....


And then, it happened.....I got initiated into a process which when I started had no clue whereto I was heading.I convinced myself that I had to keep myself open to whatever was happening around me and simply follow the instructions blindly ( Cos most of the time, I had to close my eyes forcefully).What seemed to be a handful of few simple 'asanas' set the ball rolling to something intense...something which  I had never experienced in my entire lifespan.


To explore life beyond the mundane is to set on a new route and a guide is indispensable when the destination is uncertain. This guide or guru happened so spontaneously that the judgemental mind was not allowed moments to act otherwise.Those 7 days were one of the blissful experiences I have ever encountered and it would not be an exaggeration to term it serendipitous.The ultimate high came on a Sunday.....a Sunday which I would rate to be the best of all Sundays (Also sundaes) that I have ever had.


The usual late riser woke up before the sun to welcome the Sunday....with the excitement of a first day school goer.The excitement was neutralised with a bang gifted on the forehead by my car to bring me back into senses.As I reached the destination, I was surprised to see that the day had already begun for others. The day started with  games of dodge ball and frisbee which made me run around like a kid oozing with dollops of energy. Then came a game which tested my alertness and although I was quite up for it, my team did not win.It was then I realised that winning or losing is not the entire thing.....playing the game wholeheartedly is what it mattered to usher in joy.


After a break and a porridge breakfast, the initiation process began with instructions how to go about it. Although I had heard a lot about it, but to experience it first hand was filling my stomach with butterflies.The main concern troubling my mind was if I were to close my eyes through the entire process, how would I see what was happening.And then it commenced......the asanas that we were taught were done in unison followed by meditation.


The enigma which unfolded in front of my closed eyes was so intense that tears flew through them.The music of drums reverberating in the background echoed somewhere distant but it did not break the momentum of the experience that I was going through.I felt engulfed from within as if I was going inside myself with a accelerated speed . I tried to break free many a time cos I was little uncomfortable exploring my inner self. But then I thought I am not supposed to get guided by my mind....I am supposed to let it happen...however and whatever.My body resonated to the shlokas and at some point I was so completely absorbed within myself that I felt the entirety of the self within me...I felt complete for an instant...And that was the WOW moment....Words will not be able to explain the one drop of spiritualism that I had tasted and I am self assured that nectar will not taste better.I was suddenly awakened to reality when I heard some one sitting close to me laugh out aloud and then break into loud sobs.


When I opened my eyes, I was drenched in tears but I was never that happy crying...I felt relaxed and happy as if I was liberated from some burden.I had a satvik lunch with my fellow participants and to my utter surprise I ate almost thrice of my regular diet that day.The day ended in the evening with prayers to the Guru who blessed us through the path and to the other Gurus who had made it possible to disseminate knowledge about this ancient practise.


I went through a CATHARSIS......and I realised that the drop tasted divine.....




ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

I dare.....

They say breaking the so called limits is a difficult game,
Dare to challenge!!!
They say religion and spiritualism is different,
Dare to know!!!
They say love is a risky game,
Dare to risk!!!
They say walking the path lone is difficult, 
Dare to run!!!
They say naked truth hurts,
Dare to speak!!!
They say there is a glass ceiling for the 'fairer sex'
Dare to break!!!

I DARE TO DARE!!!!!!!!!!!

Just 4 Fun Quote 4

Why is it that sanity and me are now at loggerheads? :)

Just 4 FUN quote 3

With due respect to all in love and with no vision........
LOVE IS BLIND......Dear Mr. Louis Braille, I honestly believe you were in love........

Just 4 FUN quote 2

A little learning is a dangerous thing....
Dont learn anything....why try on a dangerous thing????????

Observational Quotes..........JUST 4 FUN

Most men are wolves.....till the time they are hitched....a good number of them transform themselves into dogs......others still whistle around.....

Tabula Rasa

....................................................................................................

When I started scribbling this, I had no intention of making it public......cos to me blogging isnt my cup of tea or coffee either.....Actually this is a random raving, nothing more & nothing less.

'All men and women are connected by an energy which many people call love, but which is, in fact, the raw material from which the universe was built. This energy cannot be manipulated'...Paulo Coelho blogged today and this is what pushed me to pondering what was love all about.Love is nothing less than an enigma to me. the more I try to unravel the mystery, the more am I mystified.As my grey cells start ticking, I happen to recall a picture which had captured a small MB of my memory...

"LOVE IS THE ONLY ANSWER

LOVE TREES

LOVE ANIMALS"

                            UTTARANCHAL VAN VIBHAG

The word can be construed in many ways adding to the shrouds of mystification.It tends to turn us selfish at times and selfless at others.....watering our eyes with joy and sorrow.......soft & mushy sometimes as well as hard & insenstive some other times....Oh! What a paradoxical image!!!!!!!

People crave to be in love although they are aware that the journey of love might not be a smooth one, its an undulating motion story.....:)We still love knowing that the ones we love most would not be with us till the end and that would give us immense sadness at their absence.

The feeling of falling in love is a beautiful experience, my personal opinion though.I have had friends who vouched that the 'feeling of falling in love' is more beautiful than love itself for one discovers himself/herself better in that process.On a lighter note, how many times would one need to 'fall in love'for knowing the self completely?

When I say, I love dancing; I feel elated when I dance; I connect to the real me when I dance.......I feel I am out of the worldly worries holding me back.Honestly, DANCE is the only thing am confident of loving & mark my word...I'll love it till the end.......:)


Love is being happy when with someone/something - Well again, the selfish connotation of Love erupts....worries about one's own happiness.....


I will continue later.....

Devil Incarnate

Look there He is........
Twisting Ur thoughts and actions
Down on knees on one moment
Jumping on your head the other.....         

Yes or No is d seemingly easiest question
But is seems hard to decide when he's up to manipulation
Temptation,Lies and half-truths.......his fav. weapon?
Fear he builds in a victim's mind coupled with deception.......

He masquerades himself as 'an angel of light'...quoting the Corinthians

Is the same Iblis in Quran who imbibes pride and power in the minds......

Is he an adversary as the Hebrews say?

Engullfing the soul with insatiable desires and lust....The Gita's way

Tugging and towing the mind of a probable bait.......
Is that you............The devil's incarnate......?

D wilderness

M no Keats, Wordsworth or Longfellow
But I am finding words hard to swallow....
Clouds wandering at their own pace
Makes me stretch out my hands, touch them & feel my face......

The sun plays hide and seek
As the hills glisten and bleak
Pine & Cedars tall cover the earth
The rhodendrons swaying their heads add to the mirth......



The woods are dark,rocky is the terrain
As the bell tolls,from rambling I cant refrain.....
The epitaph read, 'He being dead yet speaketh'
Sent shivers to my spine, the sense I maketh...





Wilderness.....Oh My!How I want to be lost
Dont care a dime...Whats going to cost!!!!!!!

The Only Friend.....ME

Silliserh, Rajasthan

Man may come and Man may go,but I go on forever;
I do think some times am a fool & at times a bit clever;
I repeat the lines often to my ears & let the resonance sink in,
Some memories to stay on forever and some to go to the recycle bin.


Strange is the world & more strange are the worldly ties,
My lips curl to a smile wondering how time flies...
Gone are the days when Urs was the face I searched to feel familiar,
These days Urs is the same face I try to steer clear...
Where did I go wrong?
'Please forgive me' ...Is that the only song?

Vagator, Goa

The wounds inflicted are deep,
Even if I forgive you, forgetting would be a promise hard to keep.


Many a time has it happened with me,
The wringing pain that invades me as I imagine your devilish glee,
The ones I trust knock me down & hit me hard;
Makes me wish sometimes, I had wings to fly like a bird...


The thoughts torment me a lot,
And everything seems like a thickened plot;
Did you manipulate your true self?
If its so, you are no better than an elf;
One moment I feel am in abyss,
The other I am in my well created bliss;
No words to listen & no words to share about thee
Long time I realised THE ONLY FRIEND I HAVE ................IS ME!!!!!!!!!!!