I choose this lens over the ones from Canon primarily for the cost. I got this at US $188 and for the price this is quite a lens! Also for my current requirements of general photography this lens should suffice.

The lens feels great, extends quite a bit and comes with its own lens hood, which is useful. The f/4-5.6 lens has a 1:2 macro feature between  200 – 300 mm, with a minimum focussing distance of 0.95 metres.

The flickr pool of Sigma 70 – 300 mm APO DG Macro lens users has some amazing shots and you can check it out here.

I finally got to take out the lens and test it last weekend! Keep watching my photoblog for updates.

The following is a video compiled by Sangeetha and Vinayak with the photos taken on the trip!

Masti Ki Paatshaala

Perfectly aligned

I loved the build up to the monument as you walk through the several perfectly aligned gateways – how slowly the monument is revealed to you.

First Glimpse through the last gateway

Once you’re through the final gate – there the monument just amazes you.

People who visit this monument should take time out to see how the monument is so perfectly symmetrical. Everything is aligned just right. Its so simple, yet so grand. The architecture is outstanding.

This monument is very important as it is the first of its kind in India, built by the Mughals and was a precursor to the great Taj Mahal in Agra.

Humayun’s Cenotaph

The monument was built under the orders of Humayun’s wife, Hamida Begum. The tomb has a lot of graves apart from the main one of Humayun’s, which is located right in the centre of the monument.

This monument is a must visit for anyone visiting Delhi. And like Niti keeps returning to the monument, I hope to go there again sometime before I leave Delhi.

More pictures located here. Do check them out.

Afternoon Siesta

Anyway, Its only been 6 days here in Noida/Delhi and its been good so far! I’ve been going around and seeing a lot of new places, and met some old friends after ages and also made some new ones on this trip!

On my first day here last Thursday I met Animesh, who took me to Noida’s Sector 18, where all the malls and shopping and food places are and we had a great evening checking out different places and eating yummy road side food and getting a good experience of Noida’s night life (which does tend to die down rather quickly though!!)

Then on friday I met Animesh again along with another old friend from my Microsoft Academia days, Sayor and we went to Delhi – first to this place called New Friends Colony community centre for some great Dilli Chaat and later to Khan market for dinner at Chunas.

The whole market/community centre concept to hang out at is really nice and comes with a good mix of old and new shops, eateries and modern cafes, books and gadgets, corridors and narrow lanes and lots of people! I havent seen any similar areas in Bangalore to hang out at. Delhi is filled with places like this as I discover over the next few days!

A view of NFC Community Centre

Saturday morning I went to more ‘markets’ – the M Block and N Block markets in GK 1 – with Badri’s sister, Netra. She took me to a great place for lunch (Cafe Turtle), which had some good pasta and a nice ambiance as it was in a book store. As Niti said of the place, it was very comforting being surrounded by books!

Saturday was a long day (and night) – after lunch Niti and I went to Humayun’s tomb [more in seperate post] and in the evening I met more friends who took me to Connaught Place (CP) and then to India Gate for some awesome Kala Katta Chusti and finally dinner at a restaurant in Pindara road!

Sunday was relatively lazy in the morning and in the evening I went to Delhi’s Sarita nagar, from where we went to Dilli Haat, which is this government run bazaar kinda place with food stalls from every state in the country and a lot of interesting handlooms and handicraft items to shop.

All in all a great start to my Noida/Delhi trip!!

I got 2 lenses along with the dSLR -

1. Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II – This prime lens is amazing at portraits and colours and is very sharp.

2. Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8 DC – This will be my main walk around lens.

I am currently enjoying playing around and experimenting with the camera and the lenses. I have a lot to learn now that I’ve upgraded to a dSLR and I’m super excited!

Being a Canon fan, I had no doubts as to which camera I was going to get. The camera feels just right in my hands and is easy to operate.

Keep watching my flickr stream for more updates and photos with the new camera and lens!

The concert was amazing, even though it got over kinda quick! This band is really good with their fusion/Indian/rock mix and have come out with some amazing songs and albums. They played some of their newer tracks as well as golden tracks from Kandisa and Black Friday. They are going to be performing again in Bangalore on 12th April, and hopefully I will be able to attend that as well.

Some pictures from the event:

Indian Ocean Fury

Asheem on Tabla

Shades of Black, Blue and Grey

Read more about Indian Ocean @ http://www.indianoceanmusic.com/

We left early Saturday morning and picked up people on the way and had breakfast at some restaurant in Jayanagar and proceeded to Sangam (where Kaveri and Arkavathi rivers meet). Time flew in the cab amidst games of Antaakshari and Dumb-charades! We reached Sangam by around 10:45 AM and stopped our cab there and then started off on a 4 km ‘trek’ (rather walk) to Mekedaatu.

Mekedaatu

Following an interesting walk and some time spent admiring the gorges and scenery at Mekedaatu and many photos later, we returned to Sangam on a rickety old bus, sucking on a ‘lolly’ (ice-candy), on a bumpy road!

We then spent the rest of the evening playing in the waters at Sangam. There were quite a few water-battles between us and we had lots of good fun! We left the place by around 5:30 PM.

The day out was good and the place is ideal for a one-day escape from the madness of the city. Made a lot of new friends and some good ones, especially one special person, and will never forget this trip for the people I met. It felt like my soul was covered with dew drops!

More photos here

We set off around 12 noon or so on the 45 km drive to the resort. We took the Bannerghata road and the traffic on that road was really pathetic thanks to some road repair work (finally). We stopped enroute for lunch at some dhaba. The roads rapidly deteriorated and driving was hell. We thought of turning back several times, but then decided to continue since we had already come this far.

Just before the road to Bannerghata National Park, we had to take a left and proceed further to Anekal and then had to take a right to Pearl Valley. We reached some sort of check point, where we had to pay 12 bucks (for cars) and proceed. We reach a “junction” where we had to take a right to go the resort or go straight to go the waterfall. we wanted to check out the resort first so we took a right and drove down on the worst road (if I may call it that) I have ever driven upon and finally reached the resort…or whatever was left of it.

The defunct Pearl Valley resort

The rooms from outside

The steps that lead to the falls (and there was a lot of it)

The (lack of) water falls

We climbed back up and went to the canteen had coffee and left the place for the 50 Km drive back home. Since the Bannerghata route was terrible, we wanted to avoid it and so we took a diversion near Anekal and got onto Hosur Road, which is so much better a road, in comparision to what all we had just gone through. The return was smooth and much shorter (time-wise) and about the same (distance-wise), compared to Bannerghata road.

In the end it was just a nice big drive today for me. Would have enjoyed the drive more if the roads were in a better condition. For other planning on visiting the falls — It would be better to visit the falls after the rains, when it will be in full force and the Bannerghata route is to be avoided. Hosur road is much better and faster.

Kundan and me

Kundan and Vinay

The trio from Nitte: Bhargav, Ajith and myself

All in all it was good time pass and we were told that more such events would be held at regular intervals.