Mpala Research Center, Kenya
Bird of the Day: Little Bee-eater
Mpala Research Center, Kenya
Animal Sightings At Periyar Tiger Reserve
We’re happy to share some of the photos of our guests Mr. & Mrs. Jackob (who enjoyed the “Nature Walk” at the Periyar Tiger Reserve) while staying at our Cardamom County. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Wood Stork
Everglades, FL
Flowers in Kerala
I’ve posted about flowers in Kerala before, with no knowledge of their names or properties. Salim has covered many flowering plant species in his posts, providing scientific, cultural, and historical insights for each species. My aim is not to educate, but to encourage further interest via art. Continue reading
Periyar Sightings: February 12, 2012
These are some of the pictures taken by Ms. Laila, who stayed with us at Cardamom County, from her excursion at Periyar Lake Tiger Reserve. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Gray Jay
Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Periyar Sightings: February 11, 2012
We are sharing some of the snapshots taken by Mrs.Susanne from Switzerland who stayed at Cardamom County, Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Stars Shine, Colors Flow
Some pieces of art are so iconic and powerful it is difficult to imagine any interpretation or alteration that wouldn’t result in angry outcries. (The cleaning of the Sistine Chapel ceilings is a case in point.) The piece below, created by Greek artist Petros Vrellis successfully balances reverence and imagination.
Bird of the Day: Galapagos Dove Galapagos Islands, Ecuador)
Monitor Lizard
Photos By Kannan
The Monitor Lizard is a carnivorous reptile with a diet of eggs, smaller reptiles, nestling birds, grasshopper and the like. Some species of monitor lizard also eat fruit and vegetation depending on where they live. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Common Pauraque
Estero Llano State Park, TX
Periyar Experience
Photos by Mr.Ravi Varma, Director, Vishal Xperia Holidays Pvt.Ltd
A group of seventeen guests from the United Kingdom who stayed at Cardamom County for the last three days (7th Feb to 9th Feb) have shared their photos with us. They have had wonderful experiences in and around Thekkady.
Temporal Mapping
Thanks to The Morning News, and Rosecrans Baldwin in particular, for bringing this book out of the specialty section and to our attention:
Selections from a captivating history of timelines—from time circles to time dragons, to a history of the world drawn on a single piece of paper.
Bird of the Day: Black-chested Snake-Eagle
Mpala Research Center, Kenya
Periyar Sightings: February 2, 2012
We are sharing some of the snapshots taken by Mr.Whiteley, who is staying at Cardamom County from 2nd of Feb-2012 onwards, from Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Card Players, High Stakes
Click the image above to read more about the purchase of Paul Cezanne’s Card Players for a record $250 million. Or read the following brief description of the painting’s composition: Continue reading
Positively Happy
My high school chemistry teacher always said, “Don’t be negative; be positive. Multiply the love and divide the hate,” while she used her hands and fingers to represent each mathematical symbol. This phrase would surface in my memory occasionally, but I must admit I rarely took it to heart. However, I was preparing for a presentation about affirmations when I stumbled across a Ted Talk that affirmed this old saying.
I found this short speech relatable, funny, and surprisingly thought-provoking.
Peaks Over Poverty: Taking Adventure Travel to new Heights
Guest Author: Emma Frisch
– Emma Kirwan, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Peaks Over Poverty
Life in the Andes is harsh. 70 million people live in poverty, of which 44 million are rural people who rely on farming for survival. However, water demand, which is primarily used for agriculture, exceeds the available supply by 40% and is worsening with climate change.
Rural mountain people play a key role in preserving fragile highland ecosystems. The way they manage land and water directly impact human and environmental health for nearly half the world relying on mountain resources. The trickle-down effect; we’ve all heard of it before! This is precisely why Peaks Over Poverty was founded; to bring attention and critical resources to highland communities in Ecuador and worldwide.
Photo: Steve Sherwood
So how did we propose to do that? On a hike with my colleague Steve Sherwood (decked out in my hi-tec gear), it suddenly occurred to us. Continue reading
Wordsmithing: Cousin
In Kerala, and perhaps other parts of India, “auntie” or “uncle” are terms of endearment among youth for anyone of “respectable” age. No blood ties are necessary. In many Western cultures the OED definition tends to prevail, respectively, for these two terms:
A sister of one’s father or mother; also, an uncle’s wife (= aunt-in-law).
A brother of one’s father or mother; also, an aunt’s husband (= uncle-in-law).
And cousins?
Leading From Behind
We avoid politics as a rule, and weapons even more so; but from time to time there are reasons for exceptions. The photo above represents one such occasion. Click it to go to the source, which captions the photo:
President Obama reacts as 14-year-old Joey Hudy of Phoenix launches a marshmallow from his “Extreme Marshmallow Cannon” during the White House Science Fair.
Organikos 
