Travel> Travel Agencies at Darjeeling

Here are a few travel agencies in Darjeeling who provide all kinds of tour services.

1) DGAC Tourism Office

Phone - 0354-2255351

Jawahar Road West

This provides organized tours and rafting on the Teesta Bazaar, near Kalimpong.

2) Kasturi Tours & Tracels

Phone - 0354-2254430

Old Super Market Complex

Sell bus tickets to various tourist spots from Siliguri

3) Diamond Treks, Tours & Travels

Phone - 0354-2258961

Old Super Market Complex

Sell bus tickets to various tourist spots from Siliguri

4) Clubside Tours and Travels

Phone - 0354-2254646

JP Sharma Road

They organize treks and trips for North Bengal, Sikkim and Assam, including wildlife trips in north east.

Tourist Info -

Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council Tourism Office

Phone - 0354-2255351

Jawahar Road West

They provide information about Darjeeling and have a counter at the railway station too.

West Bengal Tourist Bureau

Phone - 0354-2254050

Chowrasta

Can help in booking govnt. lodges including in Jaldhapara Wildlife Sanctuary

For taxi services, look up:

http://www.darjeelingtaxis.com/

Travel> How to reach Palani from Cochin

The nearest airport to Palani is Coimbatore, which is at a distance of 100kms. You can opt for a flight from Cochin to Coimbatore and then hire a pvt. taxi/ bus to go up to Palani.

-OR-

You can also take a bus/ train from Palakkad to Palani or look up private taxi operators and their fare for driving up to Palani and back from Cochin.

Goa Food Guide at a glance

This is my Goa Food Guide - http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2008/feb/11slide1.htm

Europe Travel> Eurail National Pass

Image: Visit a European country
Credit: Absolutwade

Text by: Tanya Munshi
If time is a constraint and you still want to see Europe, you have done the right thing by planning a visit to a dream destination. This is where a Eurail National Pass comes handy. The Eurail National Pass is a single country pass by which you can enjoy one particular European country in a short span of time.

You can avail of passes for the following countries:

• Benelux
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Finland
• Greece
• Holland
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Spain
• Sweden

Overall, these Eurail National Passes offer you unlimited rail travel within a particular country. You can utilize such passes for a specific number of days within one month travel period. Also, with every Eurail Pass that you buy, you get a free Eurail Traveler's Guide, a railroad map of Europe and a Eurail Timetable with a listing of main rail connections in Europe. Travel guides such as these can help you in charting out your travel plans.

Pets> Pet Shops in Visakhapatnam

Text by: Tanya Munshi
Here is a list of some pet stores in Visakhapatnam.

1. Marshall Kennel & Dog Security
Solution for all your pet and security problems
Contact person: M.M Basha
Phone: +91-98660997866
0891-6460786
Address:
#10-12-6/ 92 (2)
Old Jail Road
Ramaraju Towers
Rednam Gardens
Vizag - 530002
Andhra Pradesh
Email: mdbasha786@gmail.com
Note: All Credit Cards accepted

Marsh hall Kennel provides security for companies, factories, go downs, theatres, apartments, banks, commercial complex, homes and hotels. Marshall Kennel also caters to old age homes for dogs, boarding/ hostel (while you're on a holiday), training, stud service and maintenance. Marshall Kennel has pups for sale, pet accessories, pet medicines, pet food, pet cosmetics and pet vaccines. I have heard good reviews from pet owners and have personally visited their stall at an exhibition. They have a pet black Labrador who is very well looked after. If you're a genuine dog from Vizag or neighbouring town/ city, and looking for a pet dog, then this is the place to go.

2. Babu's Pet's World
ANU Avicultural Farms and Coastal Kennels

Address:
Spencer's Hyper Market,
Behind LB College,
Resapuvanipalem,
Vizag.
Phone: +91-9348133777

They also have a branch at:
Babu's Pet World
Old Jail Road
Opp. Vidyardhi College
Vizag.

They provide pups, bantams, love birds, turkeys, African love birds, rabbits and guinea fowl.
This pet store also provides imported bird cages.

I have personally visited this store which is right outside the Spencer's outlet, next to the entrance. Its quite a pitiful condition the way the pups are kept, they look sad. A person who is fond of dogs will know immediately whether he/ she should pick up a dog/ bird from here. I leave the decision up to my readers. However, you may check the other brand on Old Jail Road.

Food & Culture> 5 Ways to Spice up your Cuisine the Indian Way

Image 1: Fresh garden picks

Image 2: Green chillies, lemon, curry leaves and ginger
Image by: Tanya Munshi
Image copyright: Tanya Munshi

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Text by: Tanya Munshi

What makes Indian cooking so distinct from other parts of the globe? Apart from being highly delectable, Indian cooking is very healthy with the spices and ingredients infused. Here are five simple garden fresh ingredients that are used to enhance the aroma and flavour of Indian dishes. If you want to add that extra zing and spice to your meal be it vegetarian or meats, then do give these five ingredients a try.
1
Curry Leaves
Predominantly used in Southern India, fresh curry leaves offer a distinct woody and pungent aroma to your dish. Ingredients like ginger, garlic and mustard seeds bring out the true colours and flavour of the curry leaves which in turn enhance your dish. With its high nutritive value packed with Vitamin A and calcium, curry leaves are also used in herbal beauty products like soaps and medicines.

Tip: Tempering daal (lentil soup) or sambar with ghee (clarified butter), mustard seeds and curry leaves tickle your taste buds making you hungrier than before.
2
Lemon
The tangy flavour of lemons stands out in a dish as it cuts out the rest of the flavours. After a dish is ready, squeezing fresh lemon over the dish for garnish enhances the flavour and of course, sending your hunger pangs on an overdrive when you can smell the zest from the lemon. Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C that increases the nutritive value of vegetarian dishes.

Tip: Squeeze the lemon after taking the dish off the flame or better still when you're about to serve. Adding lemon while the food is being cooked will be of no use as it will simply evaporate with the steam.

Garlic
Garlic a hot favourite is grown in almost all parts of the world. India is the second largest producer of garlic, after China. Garlic a wonder drug is easy to grow in almost any climate and of course easy to store as well. Garlic finds its place in meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. Add garlic the way you like -grated, finely chopped or in a blender before adding it to hot oil. Garlic is rich in medicinal properties; its keeps a check on high cholesterol, high blood pressure, its good for the heart and helps cure stomach infections, worms, fungal infections and digestive disorders.

Tip: Tempering daal or rasam is a popular favourite. Care should be taken to not burn the garlic as it tends to brown and offer a bitter taste.
4
Green Chillies
These crisp green chillies are a rich source of vitamins and also help in increasing your metabolism. Add a few green chillies while sautéing curry leaves, finely chopped shallots, ginger and garlic in hot oil before adding vegetables, fish or meat. If you like it less spicy, add less number of chillies and don't slit them. But do remember, the smaller the green chillies, the more heat they have. The world's hottest chilli Bhut Jolokia has been recently discovered in Assam that has found its way in the Guinness World Records.
5
Tip: Green chillies tend to splatter when added to hot oil; hence slitting them slightly prevents that. To enhance the look of your dish, garnish it with a few slit green chillies. You can also add it to the popular chaat, potato tikkis, cutlets or omelette; where the little green slices will whet your appetite with their very appearance.
6

Onions
One of the oldest vegetables known to us, onions find a place in almost all the world's cuisines, but predominantly used in Indian cooking. Onions offer a distinct bitter, sweet and pungent taste all at one time. Rich in antioxidants and its cancer fighting properties, makes onion a popular choice for health conscious people who like to add taste to their meals in a healthy way. Add it to your salad, in a sandwich, as a marinade for fish or meat or in curries. Slice them, chop them, grate them or blend them into a paste, add them the way you like as each style will offer a different taste to your cuisine. Onions are highly effective for common cold, diabetes, are an excellent anti-cholesterol agent and rich in anti-oxidants.
8
Tip: In 2 - 3tbsp of hot oil of your choice, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 5-6 curry leaves, a couple of slit green chillies, 1 tsp finely chopped ginger and garlic, 1 medium sized onion finely chopped. Sauté for 2-3 minutes till the onions turn golden brown and then add the marinated fish/ chicken. All you now need to do is add salt, turmeric and chilli powder to taste and cook till done. Garnish the dish with freshly squeezed lemon and a couple of green chillies and serve hot.

Europe Travel> Eurail Regional Pass

Image: Europe in a flash

Image by: islodelba
Text by: Tanya Munshi

Do you want to explore Europe but don’t have enough time? Maybe you can try the Eurail Regional Pass. The Eurail Regional Pass is ideal to travel and see a small part of Europe in a short time. Eurail offers 20 Regional Passes, thereby providing you with a chance to visit two or more countries.

The Eurail Regional Pass entails:

• Unlimited travel in one of the 20 available country combinations
• Travel for 3 up to 10 days within 2 months

You can avail of passes for the following country combinations:

1. Austria - Croatia/Slovenia
2. Austria - Czech Republic
3. Austria - Germany
4. Austria - Hungary
5. Austria - Switzerland
6. Benelux - France
7. Benelux - Germany
8. Croatia/Slovenia - Hungary
9. Czech Republic - Germany
10. Denmark - Germany
11. France - Germany
12. France - Italy
13. France - Spain
14. France - Switzerland
15. Germany - Poland
16. Germany - Switzerland
17. Greece - Italy
18. Hungary - Romania
19. Italy - Spain
20. Portugal - Spain