Nothing to beat nature... and birds

Well, after a very long time, I finally got to relax and unwind. And what relaxing and unwinding it was! At the end of it I was itching to get back to work. Once you are used to a certain regimen, idling can get very difficult.

But the holiday was worth it. A mini family get-together in Bangalore, a city I love. Where I usually stay is a lovely place at the end of what resembles a cul-de-sac, behind the ITC campus. Once upon a time, the air would smell strong of tobacco, but after the company stopped manufacturing cigarettes here it's as close as you can get to heaven. The factory is silent now and some portions have been converted to offices. The trees on campus remain and there are so many of them it is a veritable jungle. Without them it might have been just another piece of concrete bric-a-brac.

Some years ago, we would see migratory birds nesting in the trees here during the latter part of the year. Nowadays you see them all through the year. My cousin says they have forgotten or lost their migratory trail thanks to cellphone towers and what have you. Poor birds. But they have found a home here and are loathe to leave.

There are egrets, cormorants, storks and a smaller version of the flamingo. I sometimes wish I had a binoculars to get a better view of these magnificent birds. They cackle through the night, and that, coupled with dogs barking (every home here has a pet dog and there are wise old street dogs too) intermittently, ensures that visitors have a tough night. Residents are of course used to the background music.

Yet, this is where I come to whenever I am in need of rest and relaxation. It's only a five-hour drive from Chennai and I don't have to pay any hotel bill. Small mercies. And every time, I return rejuvenated.

Here are the magical trees. My camera isn't powerful enough to zoom that distance, else it might have captured some of the activity up on high.