Lamayuru is one of the most ancient monasteries in Ladakh, the oldest surviving structure dating to the 11 th century CE. What makes this monastery particularly fascinating, is its location, amidst what is today called the “moonscape”, for the spectacular natural rock formations, which truly are “out of the world”! As per legend , there once existed a huge lake in this area, populated only by the Nagas (serpents). It was prophesized that there would be a great monastery built here. This prophecy came true when the great acharya Naropa (756-1041 CE) arrived. He emptied the lake, meditated for many years inside a cave, and built the first monastery here. The present structure is a new one, built around the cave where Acharya Naropa is said to have meditated. This legend seems to fit well with the geological formations seen in the area, which suggest this was a paleo-lake, which disappeared around 1000 years ago. Lamayuru is about 130 km from Leh , and the Indus River flows along th
Happy New Year, friends!
2017 brought me lots of travel, to new destinations, as well as lots of inspiration. However, it also brought along a massive writer's block which I am still trying to overcome. So here I begin this New Year with my latest attempt to break the jinx, hoping this is the year I finally manage to bring the blog up to date with all my travels!
If you have followed me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you would know that I have just returned from two trips - one to the Konkan with my husband, and the other to Ahmedabad with my son, a friend, and her son. The two trips were very different, to different types of destinations, what different points of interest as well. However, as usual, they included a mix of nature and heritage, since these are my two main interests these days.
Common Kingfisher, Abloli, Konkan.
And yet another thing was common between the two trips. I carried along the WD Wireless Passport Pro, which I had received for a trial.
Ancient image of Vishnu from the Lakshmi Narayan temple, Shrivardhan.
Now, before I begin, let me warn you not to expect a typical review about the device, its specifications, its performance, etc. That isn’t, and never has been, my forte. What I intend to tell you, is how I used it, and how useful it was, to me.
One of the biggest challenges I face during my travels is to share images captured on my camera. My trusted Nikon P510 is a wonderful camera, but doesn’t have the latest features like Wi-Fi which would allow me to connect it to my phone. I usually have to wait until I get back home before I can download the images or videos from my camera and then share them. This usually means no videos, or no images of birds captured on my travels till I return home and have had time to download my images.
With the WD Wireless Passport Pro, this huge problem was solved easily. All I had to do was download the MyCloud app, and use it to select the images or videos I wanted, from the memory card. All the images shared in this post were shared by me on Instagram, from the road, thanks to this one gadget I carried along.
Sun Temple at Modhera, Gujarat
Short Eared Owl, Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
I found it remarkably easy to use, which is saying something, considering that I am not too handy with gadgets. Besides, it charged quite quickly, and I was able to also use it as a power bank, to charge my mobile.
Video of birds at Thol Bird Sanctuary, near Ahmedabad, Gujarat
If there is one negative, it is that it is quite heavy, certainly heavier than the power bank I usually carry. And it took some getting used to the MyCloud app before I was able to use it.
Wild Asses, at the Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
Note. This is not a sponsored post, but my honest review. I received the WD Wireless Passport Pro for review, and returned it after the trial.
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