Off beaten track

Last Sunday a friend suggested we go to a tidal lake near Navi Mumbai and watch flamingos. It was a hot morning and 10 am in the sun is not exactly pleasant.  Anyway loaded with water, binoculars and cameras we were by the water at 10 am. To our disappointment there were four flamingos in the lake. quite an anticlimax considering the distance we had driven in the heat.  Anyway, as we were here we took a few desultory photos and were readying to leave....... .....when the young eyes of my friend saw a flock approaching in the distance, as the birds came closer, we identified them as more flamingos, in their hundreds...... ...The birds flew overhead and surveyed the site..... ....and came in to land. At first there were a few ..... ..... then the size of the flocks grew.... ..... then there were even larger flocks flying in...... .....  in their thousands .... ..... All flying in perfect formation, executing a circuit and landing.... ..... all of them executed a perfect circuit over us,

Relatively Untouched Getting away from the madding crowd seems nearly impossible in these crowded times. Most trails and treks are virtual highways with a line of 'trekkers' like marching ants going to and fro.  Thus when I find a spot of seclusion I truly savour it, these are getting more difficult to find.    In my constant efforts to get far from the madding crowd, in mid-March 2016 I did a week's trek to the Great Himalayan Park. The upper reaches of the Tirthan Valley The path to the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) still remain relatively untouched, possibly due to the fact that Manali nearby has a greater draw, also that reaching the Tirthan Valley is still only possible by State run buses or private transport.  Gushaini - where the trek trail starts An overnight bus journey (aah the convenience of a Volvo!) got me from Delhi to Aut, about 60 kilometres short of Manali.  From Aut it is an hour and a half by taxi to Gushaini, the place where the trail to the Himal