Hiking in Mauritius: Signal Mountain (Montagne des Signaux)

After my first hiking experience in Mauritius at Mount Le Pouce, which I shared with you earlier (Click here to read), I must admit that I have become quite the adventure seeker waiting to discover more and more exotic locations on the island. Needless to say, when my friends planned another hiking trip up the Signal Mountain, I jumped at the opportunity!

Signal Mountain or Montagne des Signaux (in French) is located in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. It is a very easy trek as there is a tarred road leading all the way to the summit. The way is quite picturesque with beautiful views of the buildings in the capital city, the harbour, the Champs de Mars racecourse, the western coastline and other neighbouring peaks. The summit is at 3000m and can be done in an hour (one way) or less if you are a pro (unlike me)!!

2015: Life Lessons

Phew…what a year 2015 has been! Looking back, this year has taught me many important life lessons which I shall be carrying with me for the rest of my life. As the year is about to draw to a close, I thought I will share some of the life lessons I learnt and hopefully they will be useful to some of you as well. Here goes (in no particular order)…

Daily Inspiration: Find the Silver Lining…

They say that every cloud has a silver lining. This is true…..however, to see that lining, you must stare at the cloud long enough in its face! Last time, I was looking at the storm clouds gathering in the sky and wanted to find that silver lining that people talk about. In the process, I found that I had to stare at the clouds quite a bit and indeed, I could spot that hint of silver peeking out.

This led me to realise that life too, is the same. Problems and challenges appear as clouds and in order to be able to spot the underlying goodness, we need to look at the challenges in their face. Running away is an option readily available, but challenges do not disappear if you look away.

Hiking in Mauritius: Mount Le Pouce

We recently went hiking in Mauritius up the mountain Le Pouce and I wanted to share the experience with you. Le Pouce is the third highest peak in Mauritius. It is located in the Moka District and is part of the Moka range of mountains. Le Pouce, which in French means “The Thumb”, is so named because of its thumb shaped peak.

The majority of the hike is considered to be fairly easy and no climbing gear is required. However, the very last part, about 75 metres to the summit can be slightly challenging; especially for newbies like me, due to the steep ascent. But let that not deter you; you only need a few good friends: some to push you from below and some others to hoist you up to the top!!

Embracing Change

Let’s face it…change is inevitable. Changes do occur in life; often at times when you least expect it. Embracing change is not always easy. How do you react when change happens?  I have witnessed two common reactions to change: resistance and fear. Some people try their best to resist change – to remain in the realm of the known; while others do go with the change but with an element of fear lingering in their minds.

In either case, change cannot be avoided; however, by resisting change or fearing change, we make it all the more difficult for ourselves to accept the change and move on.

These are a few of my favourite things….

Do you remember that song, “These are a few of my favourite things” from The Sound of Music? I absolutely love that song…always have..!! Today it has been a rather gloomy day here in Mauritius. It has been cloudy the whole time and now it is chucking down with rain…!! Well, so to cheer myself up, I thought I would make a list of all my teeny weeny favourite things and share the same with you all!!

So, without further ado, here is the list of my 15 favourite things (in no particular order) which never fail to cheer me up no matter what the weather looks like outside..!! Of course, there are many, many more but maybe that will be another post!

Vegetarian Meals: Mix Vegetables Recipe

Today I want to share with you the recipe for my version of an Indian Mix Vegetables Curry. This is a fairly easy recipe and can be made quite quickly. Also, there are no onions or garlic in this recipe; it is Sattvic and high in Prana (energy). It tastes amazing and if you are a veggie lover like me; you will love this dish, I can promise you!! So, let’s get started…

Travel Diaries: St. Aubin, Mauritius

I recently visited the St. Aubin Plantation in Mauritius and decided to share my experience with you. It is a beautiful estate with a lot of different attractions; including the St. Aubin Residence, the Restaurant, the Vanilla Plantation, an old sugar mill, the tea route, a farm and stretches of green undulating slopes of Southern Mauritius.

The St. Aubin residence is a beautiful colonial style mansion with open verandas and wooden beams. It stands as a magnificent remnant of the colonial era in Mauritius. It is surrounded by lush green gardens which forms a habitat for several species of exotic birds. There are many exotic plants and flowers, too!

Travel Diaries: Port Louis, Mauritius

Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius. Located on the North Western coast, it is one of the liveliest places on the island. It showcases a fusion of cultures, traditions and ways of life deriving their roots from India, Europe, China, Africa and the Middle East. 

The city is always bustling with energy: employees travelling to their respective work locations, street vendors selling their produce, tourists and of course, ones like me; documenting it all!

Dealing with rejection: Why rejection can sometimes be a good thing…

We have all been through rejection at some point in our lives. It could be a rejection while trying for that post at work, that job interview, that relationship or just about anything. When rejection happens, naturally the mind tends to sink thinking it is potentially the end of the road with that prospect.

However, what I have learnt from experience is that rejection can often be a good thing. Here’s why:

Let your dreams come true: It’s Your Dream; You gotta make it happen

Has it ever happened to you that you had a brilliant idea, a dream that you wanted to make a reality? And then in all your excitement, you go over to your best friend or colleague or someone else to share this fantastic, incredible, extraordinary idea expecting them to cheer lead you all the way and all you get is an indifferent grunt or a shake of the head or a “Great” if you are lucky!

Indian sweet recipe: Guilt free treat for the festive season

As the festive season is just round the corner, I thought of sharing this wonderful, quick and easy recipe to make coconut laddoos. Also, there is no added oil or sugar in this recipe so it can be enjoyed without guilt!!

The endless ocean makes me wonder…

The endless ocean often makes me wonder...

How vast is this Universe

The ocean, which is but a speck in creation, is itself so vast!! It encompasses so many millions of lives within it & hosts a multitude of species which makes me wonder about the vastness of the Universe; of so much that the eyes have not seen, of so many hidden gems of creation and of how tiny I am yet connected!

Daily Inspiration – Protected!

The other evening I was at the Caudan Waterfront, Mauritius; which is a fancy commercial area overlooking the bay. Although I normally go there for shopping, eating or watching a movie; that night no real agenda was on the cards. I was perhaps looking for a quiet evening stroll while watching the world pass by!

I was in for a treat! As soon as I walked in, I saw a host of umbrellas strung together covering an entire open street. There were multi coloured umbrellas hanging above my head! It was a delightful sight, to say the least. I wandered through the street thoroughly enjoying the sight of the umbrellas.

Dealing with difficult situations: Things don’t change unless you do

Okay, we have all been there when we felt lost, direction less and stuck in life, haven’t we? During such times, it becomes difficult to remain motivated and thereby retain clarity on the vision of life one wishes to create. It is easy to give in to frustration, anxiety, fear and a host of other negative emotions during such times. However, it is in these very times, that it is important to change one’s perspective and mindfully take certain steps to overcome any difficulty that arise. Hence, when ordeals strike, it is important to make positive changes within and eventually see our circumstances changing too.

Here I am sharing my top 5 tips (in no particular order) that can be used to change one’s mindset and remain focussed during trying moments:

Management Series: Tips to beat procrastination

Do you procrastinate? Well, if you have ever postponed an important job saying “Oh, I’ll do it later..!!” then chances are that you have been bitten by this bug at least once in your lifetime. 

At times, this can get quite frustrating because you know fully well that you need to get the job done; yet you keep delaying it stating funny excuses to justify your own lack of drive or enthusiasm.

Now, there is no magical cure for this problem out there; however I have employed certain techniques which seem to have worked quite well with myself during such times. I am sharing them here so that they can be useful to some of you as well.   

Inspirational thoughts - Create Space Within

Fact is we lead busy lives. These days we often find ourselves caught up in a race: a race for survival.  Under such circumstances, it is quite natural to get caught up in the humdrum of the gazillion things that require our attention every moment. At least, this happens to me at times.

However, what I have realised is that in spite of the million things that we need to take care of, in spite of how urgent they may be; it is equally important to take some time every day to create some space within: A space of rest, a space of rejuvenation, a space of silence. 

I believe one can reach that space through meditation, through prayer, by simply doing something that one’s soul loves or by simply taking a moment to appreciate the beauty that nature surrounds us with. Of course, there could be so many other means too.

Have you found your space yet? Do share your means.

xoxo

Skin & Hair Care Goodies from Lux Grand Gaube, Mauritius

My birthday just went by and any excuse to celebrate is welcome in my land. So, to generally chill out, the hubby and I decided to spend a day at the Lux Grand Gaube, Mauritius. It is one of the island’s premier hotels and is quite amazing, to say the least!

Anyhow, the staff there is just fabulous and in addition to having a great day, I was spoilt to the core by being gifted this amazing bag full of goodies from the Lux Me Spa.

Inspirational thoughts - My tryst with Rainbows

It was a warm sunny afternoon and I was driving through the city, soaking in the sunshine. Even though it was a beautiful day, my mind was occupied with the grave intensity of the situation I was currently confronted with:  a new place, new people, new language and no familiarity in sight. All that I knew, loved and was comfortable with seemed to have been left far far behind. How was I to go on? What would I go on with? Why was I doing this to myself? These questions seemed to go on relentlessly and my mind, given a so-called reason to be entangled, was happily obliging me with its usual games: This was a wrong decision! You are meant to be doing other things…..You are wasting your time….!!

Time…the irrefutable sovereign…who can be a friend and an enemy at the same time! How strange is its influence and how vulnerable we are to its prowl! Thinking of what I had left behind was overwhelming me to the point of feeling claustrophobic.

Inspirational thoughts - The Secret Sunset Point

Okay, so nothing fixes a bad day as well as a sunset does! ! I mean however rough, tiring, stressful or hectic the day has been, how can the spirit not be lifted if you just happen to witness the magnanimity of a sunset?

On the other hand, if the day has been good already, I believe witnessing a magnificent sunset just adds that extra magical touch.

For me, the sunset signifies a lot of things:

• A moment to let go of the past; of whatever has happened already
• A moment to appreciate the magnanimity of the sun: of its relentless energy
• A moment to connect with nature: realising we are part of the grand design and reposing in the contentment that this very thought brings
• A moment to appreciate the grand painting that adorns the sky
• A moment to relax completely, breathe deeply and believe that just like the sun will be up again tomorrow, so also everything is going to be alright ultimately.

Recently, while driving randomly along the northern coast of Mauritius, the hubby and I discovered this almost unexplored dirt road leading to a tiny island just off the coast. It’s so near that under low tides, you can walk over to it. And it was there that we experienced the most incredible sunset that blew my mind away!

Even though the pictures do not really do it justice, I do hope you can still get the idea.

Home Decor: Some serious couchspiration

I function at my best when I create an uplifting atmosphere around me. And by uplifting, I am not advocating spending a ton of money buying loads of stuff. However, I do believe that it all lies in the small details and if done properly, this can create a lot of positivity around.

When I moved into my current location, I started thinking about how to create a space that I could identify with and to be honest; I am still taking baby steps and working towards it. I thought it would be interesting to share this journey with you and hopefully, it will provide some ideas and inspiration for others as well.

Daily inspiration - Ella: The Elephant

I am fascinated by elephants. I love how gentle they are and how friendly and unassuming they can be. Elephants have always been my favourite animals.

Imagine my delight when I found this: A cluster of trees which look just like a baby elephant from a distance. One morning, I was sipping tea and looking out the window of my living room and I happened to see this and thought to myself, wait a minute, doesn’t that look just like a baby elephant? And sure enough, it did….at least, to my eyes.

Let's Begin...!!!

Hello there!!

As this is my first blog post, I thought it would be worth while to take a few moments to introduce myself and my blog. My name’s Nirupama; am an Indian currently living in Mauritius.

I consider myself to be someone with a keen eye for detail and in the process, I often come across things which are startlingly beautiful and inspiring and which we may not really notice in the hustle and bustle of our every day lives. Through this blog, it’s my attempt to bring to you something beautiful and inspiring out of everyday things.

I will be sharing real experiences with you; ones that have inspired me and would hopefully inspire you too. I will also share with you titbits revolving around beauty, fashion, lifestyle and travel…again, anything that makes me happy.

My idea is for my blog to offer a word of inspiration or add a touch of beauty which may just lift your spirit, even if just a tiny bit. And if it happens to make you smile, then I would consider my mission accomplished.

And oh, regarding ‘CatchPressions’: well, this is just an attempt to catch those expressions which lift my soul.

And thus begins our journey…

xoxo