MAY 6, 13 .. KODAIKANAL .. CROAKER'S WALK ..

Back circa 1872 there was a military officer LT. Croaker who 'mapped' Kodaikanal.  LT. Croaker also built a 1 Km walk along the side of the mountain overlooking Kodaikanal. Today this walk is called Croaker's Walk.

As you will see below .. the views from Croaker's Walk are excellent .. Mountain Mist and all which seems to make it an extremely difficult photo-shoot for me.  I shoot multiple photos of the same scene at different exposures (bracketing) but beyond that I can only do what I can!

I decided .. "Why fight the fog?" .. it is beautiful in its-own-right so I will photograph it separately! 

WHAT!

OH COME ON NOW !

We are in India .. it is a beautiful day in the 'peak season' .. 

Did any of you ACTUALLY THINK THAT I WAS HERE .. ALL-ALONE BY-MY-LONESOME ! Do you see a 'few-of-them' on the walkway along the left of the below photo?

Oh!  You want closer-up evidence.

I was sitting .. on a bench .. alone .. just 'chilling' when!  

"Sir! May we get a photograph with you Sir!"

The above 'crew' had no-sooner-left than ..

"Sir! May we get a photograph of you with our two children Sir!"

MY TURN!  "May I get YOUR photo?"

Goodness!  They were SO pleased by this reaction on my part. Will you all study the little girl in the above two photos! PRICELESS! 

A queue .. an actual queue of people was forming behind them so I got up and continued walking!

"What's that?" .. "Cap .. will you tell us just one-more-time .. what exactly is it that you love so much about India?"

One short week from this instant .. God Be Willing .. I will be in Hong Kong!

Oh God of Abraham My Creator .. I feel so truly .. and I feel so totally .. blessed to be experiencing all of this and to have you all to share my joy with.

MUCH LOVE .. Cap

MAY 1, 13 .. KODAIKANAL PIZZA RE-VISITED ..

I am going to mix the old with the present here.  A year ago I visited this Pizzeria on February 11th 2012.  I re-visited it on Sunday the 21st and again on Tuesday the 30th of April 2013. The pizzeria is located down-the-hill from my Internet Cafe. 

Change IS the only constant and the ownership has changed hands.

The below photo looks down my Internet Cafe Street.

And this photo looks back up my Internet Cafe Street.

The below photo was taken February 11th 2012.

The building looks pretty much the same as last year.

Last year their sign featured WOOD OVEN PIZZAS.

Today's view looking in from the front door.

A close-up of the back of the restaurant.

If you turn 90 degrees left from the front door last year this is what you saw.

And today the same view. You can see my large hat and other items of mine on the front table to your left.

For some reason .. this wonderful sign has been taken down.

The below photo from last year looks back towards the main entrance door.

Today's view looking towards the front door.

In the photo above you can see my table this year.  It is to the right of the main entrance doorway above. Today looking back across the room from my chair at the above table beside the main entry doorway.

Below are two photos from last year of the wood burning pizza oven. IF you have never had a wood oven pizza .. you have missed one of the great treats of a pizza lover. 

And today the wood oven has not changed.

Last year's pizza photographed better and was a better pizza.

But in all fairness to today's pizza which I show two photos below .. I prefer a well done pizza with a dark almost burned crust.  Odd .. I like my toast dark to the point of being charred.

Try as I might .. for some reason .. I could NOT get the pizza I had on Sunday .. April the 21st to photograph as-good-as-it-tasted!

The below photo was a 'flash photo'.

I slipped back Tuesday the 30th to revisit this special pizzeria.

This was cheese and tomato with green olives.  It was very good.

What this year's experience lacked was the below man who baked the pizza last year.  Last year's PROUD cook had a book for pizza lovers such as myself to lovingly sign.

It was because of the above gentleman and his pride that I was 'drawn' to re-visit the pizzeria. Yes! I am happy to state the book is still here and I looked up my entry from February 11, 2012!

Thanks for sharing with me this sentimental return to this still-very-special place.

Much Joy .. Cap