Fruit Bats in Mumbai
Fruit Bats have been feasting on mangoes left over from the mango season on trees in Mumbai. We were lucky to be able to photograph one just outside our window! Read more →
Posts in Category ‘Fun Stuff’
What’s life without some fun! There is no point taking life so seriously… so just let your hair down (if you have any – I do not) and let’s have some fun!
Cycling to Pelhar Lake and Dam – an idyllic weekend ride!
Pelhar Lake is located just off the National Highway 8 towards the east at Vasai. Surrounded by gentle hills of the Tungareshwar National Park. A perfect destination for a weekend cycling ride from Mumbai! Read more →
Kamandurg – an ancient fort near Vasai
Tungareshwar is a well known temple and a weekend getaway near Vasai that is also a nice and easy trek. But there is another little known trekking destination – an ancient fort called Kamandurg. An ideal destination for a cycling cum trekking expedition that provides some nice off-road patches and a trek that passes through some dense forests to provide a wonderful view of the Vasai plains with the Ulhas river meandering towards Vasai creek. Read more →
Goecha La Trek – experiencing Sikkim at its best
To really experience Sikkim, do one of the high altitude treks in it’s mountains – the Kanchenjunga Trekking Trail that leads from Yuksom to the Goecha La pass Read more →
One Day Visit to Sedona and Grand Canyon
A one day visit from Phoenix, Arizona to the Grand Canyon, while passing through Sedona was a great way to spend a Sunday while I was there on a business visit last month Read more →
Cycling to Barvi Dam and Lake – Bird Watching Paradise
Barvi Lake located 90 km from Mumbai between Badlapur and Murbad is an excellent destination for a cycling expedition combined with some amazing bird watching! Read more →
Cycling to Mumbra Devi Temple – in search of Parsik Fort
A nice cycling route to Mumbra Devi Temple located at the north end of the Parsik Hills range where I was hoping to find traces of an old fort – Parsik Fort Read more →
Trek to Takmak Fort – a story of the boy and his dog
Takmak fort is a medium grade trek on a 2000 ft hill near Virar, 50 km from Mumbai. Fabulous views of the plains with Vaitarna-Tansa confluence and Vandri lake Read more →
New Year Celebrations at Snehasadan – shelter for homeless kids
To celebrate the new year’s eve of 2013, a group of friends and their families came together at Snehasadan, a shelter for homeless children at Jogeshwari Read more →
Review of Women’s Skechers Gorun 2 by Shimul Bijoor
Anyone looking for a new pair of running shoes? I suggest you give the Skechers GoRun 2 shoes a shot – says Shimul Bijoor, a national level (inter-school) middle distance athlete Read more →
OxFam Trailwalker 2013 – an experience of a lifetime!
OxFam Trailwalker 100 km completed in 30:58 hours! Saw beautiful countryside around Mulshi lake, trekked through Tamhini hills, open meadows and dense forests! Read more →
Cycling from Bangalore to Manchanbele Reservoir via Big Banyan Tree
During my visit to Bangalore in September to speak at a big data conference, I took the opportunity to do some cycling on the following day, as it happened to be a Saturday. I did a bit of research to … Read more →
Walking in Mumbai – a new perspective
While walking through Mumbai during my practice for OxFam Trailwalker 100 km walkathon next month, I saw Mumbai in a different light – at the pace of walking, you get to see many things that are normally not visible when … Read more →
Worli Fort, Mahim Fort and Bandra Fort – guarding Mahim Bay
After visiting Sewri Fort on the east coast and Sion Fort to the north or the erstwhile Bombay Island, I wanted to visit the other three forts on the west coast. Worli Fort and Mahim Fort were on the British … Read more →
Veloraid 2013 – Amateur cycling race – Mumbai, Thane
Twelve teams of 6 cyclists each – all amateurs – participated in a race with a beautiful route with a total distance of 180 km. Starting from Thane, the route goes along the Mumbai Nashik highway till Atgaon, then branches … Read more →
IITK 82 Reunion at Naukuchiatal
What happens when a bunch of 50 year olds (or thereabout) who have known each other for over half their lives, get together at a beautiful place in the mountains? They magically transform into their 25 year old versions! That’s … Read more →
Cyclomon – you are what you ride!
If you are a cyclist, check this website out and figure out which kind of a person you are based on what kind of cycle you ride! Two Frenchmen – Thomas Pom, a fourth-year student at the National School of … Read more →
Mountain Biking in Mannheim, Germany
As an extension of a business trip to Germany, I took the opportunity to go to Mannheim. We have a bunch of close friends who stay there, and I never lose a chance to visit them. And this time was … Read more →
Mountain biking at Nagle Nature Trail
After a 2 week break from cycling, I was keen to ride again this weekend. Just then on Saturday, I was excited to read a post on FB by fellow cyclists, Kaushik Panchal and Darren Pintoย and see theirย photographsย ofย a new off-road … Read more →
Cycling to Belapur Fort – the last vestiges of an era gone by
When it gets to Saturday evening, I usually start feeling the itch to figure out a route to ride on Sunday. Last night was no different, and with the current theme of riding to all the forts in and around … Read more →
Cycling expedition to Ghodbunder Fort, Thane
This was a totally unplanned expedition. Slept late on Saturday night but put an alarm for 5 am by habit. 5 am on Sunday morning, I was wondering where to cycle to that would be a relatively short ride, for … Read more →
Mountain Biking at Yeoor Hills – Off road bonanza!
A short but nice off road track exists in ย Yeoor Hills. The Thane cyclists headed by Jose George of Haybren Adventures had announced the ride and about 30 riders turned up. We started at 6:45 am from the base of … Read more →
Crank it Up – first cycling festival in Mumbai
This was a fun weekend for cyclists in Mumbai. A group of cycling enthusiasts led by Zubair Lodi, Meenal Sharma, Dipti Shah and Bilal Moolji conceptualized and put together this event in the Pushpa Narsee Park in Juhu. The best … Read more →
City Oasis – a creative journey by Shimul Bijoor
As a proud father, I’m happy to show off a video created by my dear daughter Shimul, from clips captured during our last weekend’s sojourns together.
Street magicians entertain kids in orphanage
Last week, my good friend Peter Theobald posted an announcement on Facebook about a group of street magicians who he had invited to Mumbai to perform. I grabbed the opportunity to arrange a show at Vatsalya Trust, an orphanage in … Read more →