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Friday, February 03, 2012

ROUTE MAPS... TO ANYWHERE, EVERYWHERE. AMAZING! USEFUL.

Today I received  an email from a mate, It's Abs Amazing and worth sharing. Hat's of to the team who launched this search machine rome2rio's  so without further ado, Go ahead and see for your self.
Planning to visit Mount Abu,I'm sure this  site will be very useful, click the link above.

Friday, January 27, 2012

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH BSNL MT.ABU

Yesterday while wishing family and friends A Happy and Joyous "Republic Day" via my BSNL sim card I suddenly noticed that a message began to flash 'check  with your operator service', and my bloody outgoing service had been suspended. I was receiving incoming SMS's but my outgoing ones just went Kaput.
I checked and re-checked, all my settings on my phone, took out the sim, tried a friends mobile to see if it would work via another instrument, but alas, it looked like our FAITHFUL new-work service was in to get me for an EXCESS use of their services.
I then phoned 123 to speak to an operator and appraise  him of my predicament, I was blown to get an  operator on my first attempt. How may I help you ,he asked me in Hindi? what's your name? etc, I then told him of my problem, he then asked me how much was the net-work hacking me for each "sms" I was making?? I almost did a double flip, with this interrogation! How the Hell was I to know how much the net-work was doing me in for after sanctioning me a package deal monthly for 'sms' I retorted.
The operator was probably a novice, or just some one who cared two hoots for BSNL customers, after all his pay cheque is secure. I was then instructed to dial 1503 for further instructions. Gosh the price of being a faithful customer.
"My Clients,stay faithful until the end. Do not look at the other net-works around you, we are the cheapest, trust us, we will not fail you." Some of you are disgusted, because your hope and trust in our net-work sometimes lets you down. Take heart we are faithful, your services will soon be restored, you cannot blame us for sometimes we are overloaded and do snap when the pressure exerted is too great to bear.
I then prepared to dial 1503, but before that I connected my phone to the power line as I knew it would be some time before I would get a response from anyone. I was prepared for the encounter that was to follow. I dialed and switched my mob to the loudspeaker mode.I was uploading snaps online to Face-book and in the background I could her the mono-tone of the automatic recording on the BSNL network . After more than thirty minutes of this I can recall almost  verbatim, the recording, it goes like this.
"Your estimated hold time is 27 minutes,your call is important to us, you will be attended shortly."
Dial 56700 and get the latest Hollywood songs as your BSNL tune, you can also download devotional songs ,
Punjabi songs and lots more.All charges Rs 2 per minute,SMS NIST 56700,  all charges Rs 2 per SMS.
For more information call at help line No..
All our team members are busy attending other customers, you will be attended shortly. Sorry to keep you on hold.
BSNL welcomes you to register for One India Plan,register your postpaid for One India on 253733. Prepaid cell users
cal use recharge voucher of 799/- for One India Plan .For more information visit your 'Gharak Kendra"
After all this  blab , blab blab--- and at the end of 27 minuets , The machine then continues .
your estimated time is 1 minute and the countdown gets stuck at one MINUTE and if I did not cut off I guess it  would have gone on all day.
In the evening I did visit the the BSNL customer service chaps, only to be told that may be your papers are not in order, hence the "STOP SERVICE" has been applied. I looked at the guy, put my finger to my head and made the motion of the screw. I walked to the neighbouring  mobile outlet and asked the young chap there what could be the problem, to which he replied, "Nothing to worry about BSNL overloaded today tomorrow all services will be NORMAL.
Sure enough today my phone is fine and all my held up SMS's have gone through.
To see the bird snaps I uploaded to face book click the link  'REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL"

Friday, January 20, 2012

Weather update Mount Abu

Weather update Mount Abu.

The temperature throughout the day has been on the lower side, right now (8.00 pm) in my verandah (porch) it's 7oC, outside it's probably much lower. The night before last by 10.30 pm a thin layer of ice had had formed on the seat of our scooters parked in the compound. This morning around 8.45 am, I took a snap of Khemoo, our all-rounder with a disk of ice taken from the dog's container lying outside. The met report is that for the next few days, Abu will remain the coldest place in Rajasthan. Tourists heading this way are advised to bring their woollies. TO GLEAN MORE ON ABU click the link
Mount Abu Attractions

"Kheemo our all-rounder , our hany man a tribal from Rajasthan."
Kheemo our all-rounder 


"Khemoo our handyman a teibal fron Rajasthan holding up a plate of ice formed in the dogs drinking water bowl."
Khemoo holding up a plate of ice, Does Anyone for a disposable plate


Here are some photographs of birds I took on my trip to the duck pond in Achalgarh


"The duck pond, ferw ducks swimming around."
The duck pond

"Green bee eater,snapped on the way to the duck pond."
Green bee-eater

"Crested Bunting - Emberiza lathami, snapped in a bamboo grove."
Crested Bunting - Emberiza lathami
  
"Large-billed Crow, in the rubbish dump eyening a bone dry carsass."
Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos
  
"White-bellied Drongo, sittong on a thorny branch."
White-bellied Drongo - Dicrurus caerulescens

"Ducks basking on the outcropping of the duckpond Achalgarh.."
Ducks basking on the outcropping of the duckpond Achalgarh.

  
"Green Bee-eater - Merops orientalis,sitting on a branch."
Green Bee-eater - Merops orientalis

      
"Crested Bunting - Emberiza lathami, perched on a branch>"
Crested Bunting - Emberiza lathami




"Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos,taking off."
Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos

     
"Common Pochard - Aythya ferina,solitary duck in the species."
Common Pochard - Aythya ferina
  
"Purple Sunbird - Cinnyris asiaticus, on the embankment of duck pond."
                       Purple Sunbird - Cinnyris asiaticus
 
"Keith our grandson on an outing to the duck pond."
Keith



An Appeal “Let our wild life be wild” Do not Feed Abu

Let Our wildlife be wild

A Call for Responsible Wildlife Interaction to Preserve the Wild

A troubling pattern has been emerging on the roads leading to Abu Road in the tranquil Abode of the Gods, where nature’s grandeur unfolds in every corner. In my years of studying local animals, I have never seen such a devastating toll on the monkey population as a result of careless vehicles rushing through their habitats.
During repeated trips to and from Abu Road in recent months, the roadside images have been frighteningly similar—dead monkeys laying by the side of the road. Regrettably, I was without my trusty camera to capture these heartbreaking events. 
As an animal lover, I understand the impulse to pull over and feed these hungry critters. However, I advise individuals who like feeding wildlife to reconsider; you may be unintentionally contributing to their extinction rather than assisting in their survival. The consequences of such activities extend beyond the immediate moment, posing difficulties for both the animals and the people who share their environment.
Here are three strong reasons why it is critical not to feed monkeys and other wildlife:
1. Death: As these animals become habituated to human interaction, they lose their natural fear, increasing the chance of deadly collisions with automobiles.
2. Loss of survival instincts: Animals’ reliance on people for sustenance reduces their capacity to hunt and fend for themselves, jeopardising their fundamental survival instincts.
3. Human health and safety: Close contact between humans and wild animals brings hazards to both parties, including illness transmission and potentially violent animal behaviour.
In an ideal world, the local forest service would adopt a hands-on approach by placing warning boards along highways and informing tourists that feeding wild animals is totally illegal and punishable by law. While this may appear to be wishful thinking, such actions might be critical in encouraging a more peaceful cohabitation between humans and nature.

"A heart wrenching scene, a young monkey hit by a speeding vehicle."
Gray langur baby hit over by a sppeding veghicle opp Veer Bapji Temple

On my way back from a water body in Achalgarh, I caught a heartbreaking photograph of a monkey that was hit by a fast car, most likely driven by an irresponsible or intoxicated man headed towards Gurushikar. The sparse traffic on the road only amplifies the cruelty of such heinous acts.
It is our mutual obligation as custodians of this amazing natural environment to allow our creatures to be wild. We can preserve the lifespan and well-being of the many animals that call the Abode of the Gods home by rejecting the impulse to feed them and pressing for stronger measures to safeguard their habitats. Let us aim for a peaceful coexistence in which nature can live unhindered by the unexpected effects of human activity.

"Gray langurs moaning the death of one of their babies, opposite the Veer Bapji Temple, on the Gurushikar road."
Gray langurs moaning the death of one of their babies