Monday, April 21, 2008

Cruise ship Europa in Kochi

Cruise ship Europa called at Kochi on Sunday morning 13th of April 2008. The tourists then took a tour of Kochi and its surroundings. Europa was built by Kvaerner Masa, Finland. She was completed for Hapag-Lloyd in 1999. It's her second visit to Kochi. She left Kochi port at dusk. I took her pictures at Fort Kochi and it was cloudy and raining. So I had to use an ISO rating of 1600. Despite the low light, I was able to capture good quality pictures of her.

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Ghat road & Mountain Ranges En route Vagamon

Road along the way to Vagamon, circumscribing the ghat mountains while traveling from Kochi via Thodupuzha, Erattupetta.

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Tea Estates, Kuttikkanam

Kuttikkanam is a land of lush green tea plantations, very high peaks and flowing streams, lies 20 kilometers from Vagamon in the Peermade village of Idukki district.

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Lawn covered valley, Vagamon

Vagamon is a hill station about 130 kilometrs from Kochi having stretches of grass-covered hills. One can also visit the Periyar wildlife sanctuary which is 69 kilometers from here via Kuttikkanam, Peermade and Kumily. A inquisitive blend of religious mystical spiritualism and European inheritance, Vagamon is a refuge of calmness.

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Trishanku hills, near Vagamon

Trishanku hills, which is seven kilometers away from Vagamon, on the way to Kuttikkanam and Peermade, are hills entirely covered by green grass. It is truly a spectacular sight from the top. The para gliding completion conducted by the Kerala Tourism is held here. This is an ideal point for trekking and also for playing around with four wheel drive vehicles.

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Sambar Herd, Periyar Tiger Reserve

A group of Sambars (a dark brown southern Asian woodland deer with branched antlers) gathered on the banks of Periyar lake (Periyar is a protected area, and a Project Tiger Reserve in the state of Kerala, set high in the mountains of the Western Ghats).

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