My trip to the lowest point on earth !

Dead Sea is the lowest point on land which is 422 meters below sea level !!

The water wasn't cold even though it was winter. So I took this chance for a swim...actually I must say float !!!

It's one of the strangest experiences. A MUST for any one visiting Israel.

It has the highest level of salinity ...oh I can still remember that taste :(

 The black mud pack !!

I had one too - Aditi just kept staring at my new avatar :-)

Sanyasi ? ! - Tel Aviv

An unusual sight at the Banana beach in Tel Aviv !

This man came with lots of pita/bread; immediately, as though it was a daily routine, a flock of pigeons came and surrounded him.

I was curious and before I made up my mind to talk to him, he was standing in this yoga posture (like surya-namaskara) and went into deep meditation !

Time is flying ...continues :-)

Writing my previous post, brought back some fond memories of the days we eagerly awaited the arrival our little angel !

Surprise Baby shower party thrown by my very dear friends !

(Girls, I miss you all and wish you were still around !)

The watermelon ice cubes, fruit salad in watermelon-pram, cup cakes with the cute deco - apart from the other delicious food !

The baby room .... all ready and waiting for the arrival of our little princess :-)

Time is flying !!

Today my little one turns 19 months and my mind is racing back in time...It feels like it was only yesterday that my little princess arrived !

* the cute little one....wrapped in all pink

* me walking all around the house, holding, rocking and cajoling her to sleep !
* the early days when she only smiled in her sleep....and I eagerly awaited to capture that precious moment.

* her attempts to put those little fingers into the mouth and my umpteen attempts to stop her from doing that.

* her first smile, first turn, first crawl, first word, first step...the many many firsts that brought happy tears in my eyes :-)

.....and many more that are still fresh in my mind.......I will cherish them as my best memories :-)

What can I say of her today .....

* she can't just walk; she makes me run behind her !

* her cute little action to 'golmal-golmal' song , her version of the Barney song - "I love you, me mo mo, happy famy... hug, ...kiss u" after which she gives me a tight hug and a kiss ...fills my heart with joy.

* she puts her dolls to sleep by singing her favorite lullaby...feels like she is imitating me !

* she is my little Greek "teacher". She picks up so many words each day....I am trying hard to catch up :-)

* the "oops" and "oh me goooooood" words (yes...she can really say that !) fall like little pearls from her mouth :-)

* she knows that 'B' 'I' 'S' 'C' stands for biscuit (the code word me and my husband use infront of her !)

I could go on and on....

Time is indeed flying ! My little princess may not be "little" any more.....but she will always be a baby to me :-)

Carmel Market - Tel Aviv

This is perhaps how any market in India would look like - crowded and busy.

However outside of India, this is perhaps the most crowded market I have seen !!

As I walked through the market, I was reminded of - Koti (Hyderabad); Avenue Road, Commercial Street and Malleshwaram in Bangalore !

 

The aroma of fresh spices, garden fresh veggies and fruits, vendors calling aloud ....It just felt like I was walking through a local market in India :-)

Stand like a Rock !

In matters of style, swim with the current;
In matters of principle, stand like a rock !

Holy City Jerusalem - Israel

Last Christmas vacation we made a last minute trip to Israel and I am glad we made this trip !

The weather was surprisingly awesome...much warmer than Cyprus! Infact we had to discard all the woolen wear we carried and stick to T-shirts... atleast during the day time :)

The first memory of my Israel trip is the visit to the old city of Jerusalem ..... a city unique in itself...for its religion and tradition, history and theology, holy places and houses of worship!

View of the "Western Wall" and "Dome of the Rock"

Station 9

Western wall...also called the Wailing wall ...visited by millions of worshipers

It was an amazing experience walking through the old city....the roof top view, the narrow twisted streets, the local markets, the religious people, their attire....I could go on :)

If you are planning to visit the holy city, I would recommend you take the free tour organised by the Sandeman's.

However, if you are travelling with an infant and taking this tour, better not take the stroller. You need to climb a lot of stairs that you may end up carrying both the kid and the stroller :(

More on my Israel trip in the coming posts.

Dragon Boat Race

Limassol has been a host for a number of events in Cyprus.
Recently it hosted the 'Festival of Dragon Boats'. It was held on the sea in the area of the sea front, at the Old Harbor end of the promenade.

Few pictures I shot on this occasion -

The drummer drawing everyone's attention before the race !

As the race begins ...

It was quite a tough competition!

As I understand this race was primarily for local crews, with little or no dragon boating experience. So it was a friendly race and everyone was a winner :)

Finally after the race, there was a tug-of-war of a different kind ;) You can see this from the picture below!

Here I Begin ....

For several months now I have been planning to start my own blog!

I am just back from a refreshing vacation. It's also a New Year, good time for all the new beginnings :) So what better time could I wait for to start my journey of blogging!

So here I begin....

Thanks to all you readers who have dropped by and hope to see you often :)
Here's wishing you a fabulous New Year!