Vagamon

I recently had a trip to Vagamon, a hill station around 60 kms from my house here. It is a great spot for a day's outing, and for me, it's perhaps the closest spot where I'll get to experience nature and some peace. Since I visited in April, it wasn't too cold- in winter, temperatures may go down to 5 degrees Celsius, accompanied by thick mist and fog. During the monsoons, there are several waterfalls as well in various locations around the hill station.

We climbed a pretty high mountain, called the 'Mountain of the Holy Cross', as the 14 stations in the Way of the Cross have been put up along the path to the peak. It is a famous pilgrimage center for Catholic Christians in India. The way up was so steep, that we climbed only till the 7th station and stopped as we were really exhausted. The sun was up too, but that didn't really bother us as the wind was so strong and cool.

You can see my cousin and sister posing by one of the stations, in the following photograph.

Vagamon also has vast stretches of beautiful green meadows and scenic valleys on the smaller and rounder hills.

The landscape is just breathtaking! These photographs aren't able to depict even a fraction of what it's like seeing it in real life with our own eyes.

And of course, tea plantations.

Vagamon has amenities for trekking, mountaineering, rock climbing and even paragliding! However you need a certificate and licence for paragliding and rock climbing.

Green

Living in a sub-urban locality in the Kerala state of India, green is a colour I see everywhere. And I see it so often that sometimes, it'll just bore the hell out of me. So here's a collection of all things green. These photographs were shot over the past few weeks.

Speeding

Sorry for another long pause without any blog posts! I'll be resuming my posts from India right after this one. Anyway, here's one last photograph I wish to show you guys, also taken in April 2011 in Orchard, Singapore. I shot this sports car, an Audi R8, as it zoomed past on the opposite lane. As I pressed the shutter, I moved my camera along with it, and obtained this shot, which shows the car in action.

Singapore - A Closed Chapter?

Now I have recently posted several posts on Singapore, although the photographs were actually taken about a year ago. But it seems like Singapore has become a closed chapter for me. You see, I just had my status of Singapore Permanent Resident cancelled due to several reasons. All male citizens and PRs of Singapore have to serve 2 years of National Service (Army) from the age of 18. Since I happen to be studying here, and because I don't see the need for wasting 2 precious years, which I could spend for studying - for college/university, I decided, considering also my parents' opinions, to go ahead and cancel my PR. NS in Singapore can be really treacherous and tough, and although it might take a big toll on you, it sure does build up your body and character. I'm saying this from hearing my senior friends' experiences serving the army. However, now that I've opted out of it and cancelled my PR, I'm doubtful if I can visit Singapore again - the country I grew up in. I'm pretty dejected about it, but well, I'm sure that if I become too overwhelmed I can always choose to return to Singapore after serving my 2 years. For now, I'm trying to move on with life, and see where it'll take me. Singapore was just a chapter in my life, and I'll be looking forward to the many chapters yet to have reached.

Evening at Lakeside

Lakeside, although located in the middle of a busy town, is an ideal spot for a quick and refreshing stroll. As the name suggests, the park is located along a large lake, and holds two small 'islands', the Chinese and Japanese Gardens. I used to regularly go for early morning jogs and evening walks here with my friends or family, as it was a mere 15 minute walk from my home.

The sparkling apartments at night, seen on the other side of the lake

Urban Singapore

I grew up in Singapore, and spent almost my entire childhood there. Yet I was never able to appreciate what Singapore offered me, like beautiful skyscrapers and modern cities, perhaps because I grew up seeing them all the while. I was interested only in nature and wildlife and therefore never took my camera out when I was anywhere in the urban jungle. I always wanted to visit India, to enjoy its natural beauty. Well, the grass is always greener on the other side! After staying in India and experiencing what India really is like, my presumptions and attitudes switched. So when I returned to Singapore for a month in April 2011, I went ahead to enjoy the real Singapore- it's urban beauty, bustling cities and tall buildings.

Anyway, enough talking. Here are a collection of photographs of Urban Singapore!

A part of Vivo City in Harbourfront

Bridge leading to the famous Sentosa Island from Harbourfront

Orchard, the top shopping destination for most Singaporeans, and for many others around the globe!

The Cone in Wheelock Place, Orchard

And this is what it looks like from below:

Shots taken from the Marina Bay Sands. I've posted a lot more photographs of the Marina Bay Sands and more, in an earlier post, Singapore Cityscapes.

A fallen building!? No, that's just the escalators to the MRT train station in Novena.

Summerdale

This is Summerdale, my Home in Singapore!

Pathway to the elevator

MRT (local train) railway, seen from the tennis court