Improvement is something we aim to do in our next article on PLEATED SHADES . We intend to provide an improved article on PLEATED SHADES in the near future.
PLEATED SHADES
Europes coolest spots for luxe goods for less New York Daily News Rajasthanaposs magic and mystery Gulf News
Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:07:18 +0000
The U.S. dollar is struggling but Americans traveling abroad can still bag a bargain at luxury designer outlets in Europe . Even the likes of Liz Hurley Mick Jagger and Stella McCartney can t resist supersized discounts on posh labels like Prada Armani and Dior as well as brands that Americans simply can t buy at home. Banish the unlikely image of fellow outlet fan David Beckham rifling through a dusty bin in search of factory second athletic socks. Instead try to bend your brain around the reality of Europe s deluxe discount developments which lure shoppers from around the world with four key factors drastically reduced prices a blend of highbrow and hard to find brands architecturally intriguing environments and locations near tourist destinations. These outlets typically sell the same goods that were in the designer boutiques a year ago and are now at least off the original cost. If you hit the shops when they switch seasonal merchandise especially in January and June and July you can find couture at truly cut rate although not necessarily cheap prices with discounts of or more. Here are a few outlets that might tempt you. Just don t forget to pack an extra suitcase for brand name booty. FRANCE La Vall e Village www.LaValleeVillage.com Forget cheap fluorescent lighting and swimming pool size bins filled with wrinkled castoffs. At La Vall e a collection of more than shops practically on the doorstep of Disneyland Paris minutes outside the city presentation is as important as the merchandise itself. At Anne Fontaine a scented sachet is attached to the designer s signature pleated and frilled white blouses making the prices which average euros about smell that much sweeter. In the window of Givenchy white dominatrix heels with silver studs reduced from to euros about draw bold stares whether it s for their design or the price is anyone s guess. And in Armani you ll find the expected assortment of neatly pressed suits and leather jackets as well as a selection for infant fashionistas like a tiny sweater in jet black to hide the baby fat slashed from to euros . ENGLAND Bicester Village www.bicestervillage.com Victoria Posh Spice Beckham Judi Dench and Ivana Trump have all been spotted browsing among the racks at Bicester Village an hour outside London . More than brands are housed within shops resembling seaside cottages painted in cheerful shades. Park benches beneath old fashioned street lamps offer a welcome place to rest following an afternoon of hard core shopping at stores like Dior Versace Jimmy Choo Burberry and Gieves Hawkes a British brand known for classic tailored men s wear. You see these brands in the High St. but when you go to the outlets they are so much cheaper says Vanda Macion who frequents designer outlets around England. A recent shopping spree yielded a prize a Burberry wallet discounted from to pounds about . ITALY Castel Romano www.mcarthurglen.it Castel Romano Designer Outlet miles outside Rome encompasses more than stores including Dolce Gabbana Valentino Salvatore Ferragamo and Frette and Pinko an Italian label that proffers fun flirty designs from evening wear to pink sequined bikinis. The Romanesque architecture is highlighted by Palladian windows red tile roofs and columned pediments adorned with elaborate friezes reminiscent of the entrance to an ancient temple. The same developer also has outlets in Serravalle Scrivia between Milan and Genoa in Barberino del Mugello near Florence and recently launched Veneto Designer Outlet village in Noventa di Piave miles from Venice . Email Print Discuss Email Print Share Hide Digg Facebook Del.icio.us Mixx Reddit StumbleUpon Propeller Newsvine Furl Related Articles Related Topics UK pledges troops to Afghan effort as year old bomber strikes Posh works hard for the Perfect This week s news to dos Time to do away with the Felony Murder Rule Time puts Anna Wintour on worst dressed list Europe United Kingdom Burberry Group plc Stella McCartney Mick Jagger Elizabeth Hurley United States Venice Genoa Milan Today s top picks X Mas spending spree always in season Maybe now they have finally spent enough money to buy back the World Series. If not Manny Ramirez is still out there. The M Woman Caroline Kennedy will feel right at home in the Millionaires Club known as the U.S. Senate The Camelot heiress net worth easily tops million. Best Christmas movies Christmas and the movies go together like Santa Claus and cookies. Here s are list we did check it twice of the very best. 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James Dulley photo Windows take a curtain call December BY JAMES DULLEY Special to the Sun Times Q. I should replace my windows to save energy but with the bad economy I just cannot afford more debt. Is installing insulating window shades or curtains a viable option Which types are best A. Windows account for a substantial amount of heat loss from a house. This is because a single pane of glass has an insulating value of only about R whereas an insulated wall may be R . The window will lose times more heat per square foot than the wall. Also there is air leakage around windows which further increases heat loss and creates chilly drafts. Another indirect energy loss from windows even double pane ones without low e low emissivity coatings is radiant heat loss. Even though the room air is adequately warm for comfort you feel chilly near the clear cold glass. When someone feels chilly they often set the furnace thermostat a little higher making the furnace run longer and using more energy. The savings from installing insulating shades and or curtains often provides a much faster payback than expensive replacement windows. Many people still choose replacement windows because of cleaning convenience less furniture fading nice appearance or their old windows are totally shot. The additional insulating value from indoor window coverings can range from R to R but the insulation is only part of the story. Insulating shades which have the edges trapped in vertical side tracks are most effective. This reduces the room air flow around the shade and across the cold glass. Last fall I installed Warm Window insulated Window Quilt shades in my home office where I am writing this column. I realize a significant overall savings because I feel much more comfortable in this room. I am able to set the furnace thermostat three degrees lower than before. These shades use a quilted multilayed fabric with heat reflective film in the center. This layer reflects the radiant heat back indoors and minimizes air moisture migration through the fabric. The plastic side tracks stick to the wall opening with double sticky tape so they were easy to install. A pull rope is used to roll them up under a matching fabric cover box. Making Roman shades yourself is another attractive and efficient option. Use as many layers as possible with some type of reflective film for the center layer. The film does not have to be thick to be effective. Many efficient Roman shade kits are available on the internet. Another option is a lightweight cellular pleated shade. When it is hanging down over the window the cells open up to create insulating dead air spaces. Eclipse Curtains makes typical looking window curtains with a dense weave to block percent of the light most air migration and provide substantial insulation value. The following companies make insulating shades and curtains Country Curtains . Cozy Curtains . Smith and Noble . Symphony Shades . Warm Company . Q. My house has a stucco exterior. Several years ago mold started to grow on it. I had it cleaned and painted but the mold is starting to grow back. How can I keep it from coming back each time A. Mold requires moisture organic nutrients dirt and mold spores to grow. If you can remove a few tree limbs to allow sun to reach the wall the sun s rays can slow the mold growth and the heat will help keep it dry. Wash down the wall periodically with a cleaner which inhibits mold growth. Some cleaners will not harm landscaping. Make sure the gutters are not leaking so the soil does not stay damp near that house wall. Send questions to James Dulley Chicago Sun Times Royalgreen Dr. Cincinnati OH or visit www.dulley.com . 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User Agreement and Privacy Policy Previous Next Rajasthan s magic and mystery Gulfnews Rajasthan s magic and mystery By Malavika Kamaraju Editor Published December Stupefied by the sight of the majestic royal bengal tigers at ranthambore a sighting of a lifetime steeped in the tranquillity of the magnificently built Oberoi Vanyavilas Malavika Kamaraju finds that you can t get enough of Rajasthan s magic and mystery. Six am. The last of the morning mist is melting from sight as I step out of the massive gates of Vanyavilas to warmly hug the two young pachyderms standing vigil at the entrance. Lakshmi with a Facebook temperament is all warmth and sweetness but Padma well. Padma is Padma. She has her own way of receiving love and giving it. A bit quiet and sweetly sullen she will first reveal a slight hint of a sulk before she changes her mind and accepts your warmth and hugs. You can then tickle her rough trunk and give her a kiss without having to witness her famous back feet shuffle. That is her MySpace moment. Greetings over I pat Padma one more time just to tease her and walk across to the open jeep waiting on the cobbled driveway. Standing by it are naturalist Raghavendra Singh Rathore and a forest guide. We wish each other a good morning and I clamber into the jeep. Minutes earlier back in the warm lobby of Vanyavilas with its eye popping opulence caressed by the early morning light I wait for Ankush Mahajan the general manager to escort me outside. He materialises quietly by my side and nearly startles me. Good morning and good luck he says. I hope you get to see what people from all over the world come to Ranthambore for. Many get lucky on their first visit. I hope you do too. You bet I will I reply scarcely watching my words. I have no clue what is awaiting me out there in the forests of Ranthambore but there is a stubborn refusal to imagine that such a lovely morning can be besmirched by doubtful thoughts. In the jeep the seat is not too kind to the body. It takes just a few minutes to realise that if I wish to keep my bones intact I need to learn a few things fast how to loosen up the body in three seconds find a handlebar that is close by to clutch on to in two and then to simply give in to the experience which follows in one second flat because Rathore is already in the Go mode. Ready Sure I say as the wind perks up and I realise my scarf is back at the hotel. Lesson Make sure you have the gear and a scarf for women is a must. Luckily Rathore manages to snag a soft brim hat from a vendor just in time outside the gates of the Reserve before the lashings of flyaway hair can shred my face. The driver releases the brakes and the jeep lurches forward like a terrified colt. It is a defining moment. Two things can happen. Your neck can decide to compete with a giraffe s for length or simply stay in its place. Lesson No. Make peace with your neck beforehand. Pamper it. You don t want a neck in two minds. If you want to go on such field trips yoga is a good idea. It keeps your body strong and supple. I lurch in rhythm to the jeep s wild gyrations as it bores into the innards of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. We go past the mouth of the Reserve and suddenly the world as I know it disappears. It is as though someone has changed the reel and we are back in time by at least a years. We are in a primeval forest untamed wild and ageless. This is not man s natural habitat we feel like trespassers. Dozens of creatures big and small come into view and disappear. Not being an ornithologist it is impossible to name the birds that seem to be stitching the sky to the tree tops with their cross stitch flights their true colours slowly seeping into the morning light as the sun rises inch by inch beyond the rim of the horizon. Rathore knows them all but my mind is too busy taking it all in and never mind the names the birds are so beautiful. Trees grasses shrubs in all shapes forms and shades of green to brown claim every inch of the earth. Some seem ageless timeless others look like they have come to stay but all of them seem to be uncompromisingly holding their own to the march of time even as they are fully in rhythm with the forest s heartbeat. In this thriving nature s playground the earth is into ribboned tracks and that s the only concession. The jeep can take but not leave it. We shudder and judder along the dusty twisting ribbons the stunning beauty of nature all around us acting like an anaesthetic to a bump here or a sharp contact with a steel rod there. We nearly don t reflexively learn to duck the overhanging branches and spiky long leaves of trees that stoop over the jeep s steel ribs but just in time we do. A few minor skirmishes lost leave behind proof of what look like thin red threads on the skin but I count them as trophies. It s a pity they have faded with not a trace. Lesson No. If you are an urban spoilt brat who prefers to flaunt flawless arms in the urban jungle jamborees wear long sleeved tops. The Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve is one of the most visited wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan. Nestling between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges in south western India it has recorded more frequent tiger sightings than any other tiger reserve in the country. To glimpse a tiger you can take a hundred and more tracks or detours depending on the expertise of the naturalist the help of rangers or forest guards or even the truancy of the magnificent animal. The dusty ribbon tracks both reveal and conceal old and new pug marks of the tiger s morning stroll or its nocturnal walk but it s the farm fresh marks the rangers look for. It is not unusual to stop the jeep at a second s notice jump down and huddle around the pug marks to examine their date of birth. Something like carbon dating I suppose. There are a few we spot but they are not fresh. Yet the sight of the huge indentations in the dusty track makes the heart flutter. The morning is beginning to vibrate with an indescribable thrill. There is something in the air. The scent of anticipation the sweet smell of hope the fragrance of prayer the wafting incense of a belief that you will not return disappointed. Groups of monkeys hang on to branches just by a fingernail performing feats of such incredible grace you wonder if they have nailed the diet for strong talons. They screech out greetings and make faces at you. Maybe they are being nice or maybe not. It s hard to tell but their ruckus is amusing. Many huddle in groups on sturdy tree limbs babies clutching onto their mother s bellies as the mamas look askance at the never ending curiosity of man to thump about on hard seats in jeeps and enter their homes the first thing in the morning every morning without as much as a May I There are afternoon trips too that begin at pm but most tourists prefer the morning trips. Two forest guards with walkie talkies pass by our jeep. The driver cuts the engine and makes enquiries. They speak to each other in a Rajasthani dialect which is just about comprehensible to me and what I gather is that so far there has been no movement. Disappointment slips its hand into mine. But the next second hope yanks it away and we do a high five. Let s try another route says Rathore. He points towards another dusty ribbon disappearing into the forest and the jeep follows the track. We are literally hacking our way through the forest. Miles upon miles of pure silence wraps in its womb the call of the birds the cry of a peacock the rush of a peahen darting into the shrubs the stillness of a wild buffalo staring with unblinking eyes at us from behind a column of gnarled tree trunks all these new natural sounds fall like silence. It s a paradox we have long stopped being familiar with. We keep our eyes peeled holding back every blink because in a blink things can happen. Suddenly a group of rangers walks towards the jeep gesticulating wildly. In hushed whispers they point to a parting among the trees. Patchy greenish brown grass sparsely spreads itself over a low mound of earth and beyond the forest swallows up the rest. Go along the curve of the mound the rangers silently mouth some fresh marks have just been spotted. There is a man made watering hole up there and maybe just maybe.Rathore lets the rest of the conversation ride the breeze. His mind is suddenly on a different wavelength. He is thrumming to some innate belief and is telling the driver to move. Move The jeep makes its way slowly along the perimeter of the low rise mound towards the watering hole and there the unbelievable sight of fresh pug marks So fresh the paws must have just lifted off them a few seconds ago. I clutch on to the cold iron of the handlebar not knowing if I am doing so to save myself from falling into a faint or to simply hold on to live through a moment that is beyond time and space. Finally we come to the clearing and see the watering hole about three metres away. The driver kills the engine. Silence is like a heavy steel knife. Sharp cool to the touch to be handled very carefully. There in front of us fully occupying the space of the watering hole are two magnificent tigers. A fully grown Alpha male and his female. It is a moment hard to describe. Some would call this a heart stopping moment. Not apt. Not now. In full clear view unmarred by a stick a stone a leaf or a branch a pair of Royal Bengal tigers majestically lounge in the cool waters their massive bodies bulging just a bit at the ribcage as they breathe in and out. Inside the jeep you feel like you have just been administered multiple doses of pure oxygen. Every cell and fibre of your body is bursting with boundless joy. It s a sensory overload. A finger in the socket moment. And yet it is also like taking the plunge into a pool of the purest waters that soaks you to your bone in peace and tranquillity. You are the dream catcher. It s one of the most stunning sensory paradoxes. With indescribable happiness you drink in the beauty of one of the most magnificent animals ever created. Size form perfection the interplay of black and beige the sheer breathtaking beauty of the design and the never to be forgotten magnetism of those amber eyes. When they are trained on you they perform the job of stun guns. A lifetime of minutes passes as our collective breath barely registers a few cc in volume. We sit and watch not moving a muscle the heart and mind performing a pas de deux of unsurpassed joy and awe on the stage of nature as deep gratitude brings a lump to the throat. Then the Alpha male rises out of the water the sight of his five metre body punching you like a fist in the guts and with a single penetrating glance at us walks away with regal nonchalance. In a flash he has blended into the trees. His companion leaves just a few minutes before him. Females are shy Rathore begins to explain but the sight of the male makes me turn deaf to all he is saying. The watering hole suddenly looks forlorn like an abandoned castle. The ripples splash over its rim. It s the only sound in the forest. No one says anything. We continue to sit and stare at the watering hole willing for a holographic projection. More minutes pass. More silence. Then as though emerging from a fainting spell Rathore says In all my years at Ranthambore I have never seen a tiger at such close quarters. Just three metres away Unbelievable. He is lost for words and settles for a jerky shaking of the head every now and then. The driver decides to simply drive. The other forest guards seem to be in a trance. They too have spotted many tigers over the years but this is like being in the same frame with the gorgeous animal like sharing the same space like eating from the same plate. It s only . am but suddenly it seems like the day is over. An unsettling feeling pools in the mind. You feel you have left something behind and must return to fetch it. You feel like following the two back into the forest but nature expects you to have better sense. The jeep makes a U turn and on the way back we greet the rambunctious primates still performing astonishing acrobatics and hanging by a nail on thin twigs is Sally Hansen reading this the peacock is still practising his beautiful dance ever hopeful that it will impress his lady love the peahens are still dodging his attention. life seems normal. Only it is not. It had turned unbelievably beautiful not too many minutes ago. The Oberoi Vanyavilas knows this feeling only too well which is perhaps why returning to its stupendously impressive environs greeting once again the adorable Lakshmi and Padma the latter who is by now almost playful simply switches the low to a high. Set in acres of landscaped gardens against the backdrop of the Aravalli hills this is one luxury jungle resort that is superglued to the top of the Best lists year after year. Everything about it is a reason for its immovable presence as the number one wildlife travel hotspot. Built like a traditional Rajasthani haveli a typical Indian sprawling courtyard home it has spectacularly designed super luxurious tents dotting the landscape each tent built in a way that offers complete privacy. From its teakwood flooring to its pleated tented ceiling private decks and walled private gardens its luxurious interiors are pure eye candy. The Vanyavilas tents are addictive in their charm. Acres of landscaped walkways and fruit trees and flowering bushes make evenings a great time to stop smell and allow the moment to contain you. If all this is not enough and you need nourishment for the body yes OK you do the F B at Vanyavilas is one of the best in the Oberoi chain. I got to eat some of the most unusually flavoured dishes in its meticulously designed restaurants. Even a humble eggplant turned into a dish that was a revelation. You could ask for meal service in your tent and the service has to be experienced to be believed. Ask the genial Mahajan to arrange for a watchtower visit while at Vanyavilas. With two viewing decks the metre high tower offers stunning views of the Aravalli range the Ranthambore Reserve the expanse of the Oberoi property and the very different desert sunsets and sunrises of Rajasthan that turn sand into gold as the orange suffused sky lowers to kiss them good night or good morning depending on when you go. For those with a love for contemplation of life and a respect for nature the watchtower is a great place to spend a few hours alone or with someone with a similar bent of mind. Cool breeze blows absolute silence reigns and the tranquillity is a treat. For those with romantic aspirations we can set up a candle light dinner here. They can dine under the stars surrounded by mountains and forests says Mahajan. The very idea makes you want to fall in love and take the next flight to Jaipur. Vanyavilas is a four hour drive from Jaipur. Mahajan then leads me to an amphitheatre and asks me to close my eyes. Can you hear music the rhythm of dance of melody During the cooler months we organise musical performances here. The amphitheatre is down lit by golden lamps and a degree muted radiance wraps itself around the al fresco surroundings like a golden pashmina as the music plays . There are plenty of other places to visit while at Vanyavilas. The Ranthambore School of Art specialises in some very interesting charcoal work there is a Rajasthani Women s Cooperative which sells hand crafted garments bed linen and jewellery. A tribal arts and souvenir shop is worth a visit. All this with the knowledge at the back of your mind that if you get too tired the very relaxing therapies at the Vanyavilas Spa an excellent place to pamper your urban guerrilla state of mind and body are just a walk away from your private chalet tent. And in the night nestling in pure comfort between fragrant snow white sheets in the spectacular Oberoi Vilas four poster beds you can let your mind slip quietly back into the stillness of Ranthambore. Imagine making your way soundlessly through the dark looking for that magnificent animal with its amber eyes glowing like two fireballs in the night showing you the way to timelessness and evolution s birthplace. As you lie in bed the image of those eyes burning cool in your irises makes thought of returning to the concrete jungle almost ruin the magical moment. For more information on Vanyavilas www.oberoihotels.com More from . 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Europes coolest spots for luxe goods for less New York Daily News Rajasthanaposs magic and mystery Gulf News
Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:07:18 +0000
The U.S. dollar is struggling but Americans traveling abroad can still bag a bargain at luxury designer outlets in Europe . Even the likes of Liz Hurley Mick Jagger and Stella McCartney can t resist supersized discounts on posh labels like Prada Armani and Dior as well as brands that Americans simply can t buy at home. Banish the unlikely image of fellow outlet fan David Beckham rifling through a dusty bin in search of factory second athletic socks. Instead try to bend your brain around the reality of Europe s deluxe discount developments which lure shoppers from around the world with four key factors drastically reduced prices a blend of highbrow and hard to find brands architecturally intriguing environments and locations near tourist destinations. These outlets typically sell the same goods that were in the designer boutiques a year ago and are now at least off the original cost. If you hit the shops when they switch seasonal merchandise especially in January and June and July you can find couture at truly cut rate although not necessarily cheap prices with discounts of or more. Here are a few outlets that might tempt you. Just don t forget to pack an extra suitcase for brand name booty. FRANCE La Vall e Village www.LaValleeVillage.com Forget cheap fluorescent lighting and swimming pool size bins filled with wrinkled castoffs. At La Vall e a collection of more than shops practically on the doorstep of Disneyland Paris minutes outside the city presentation is as important as the merchandise itself. At Anne Fontaine a scented sachet is attached to the designer s signature pleated and frilled white blouses making the prices which average euros about smell that much sweeter. In the window of Givenchy white dominatrix heels with silver studs reduced from to euros about draw bold stares whether it s for their design or the price is anyone s guess. And in Armani you ll find the expected assortment of neatly pressed suits and leather jackets as well as a selection for infant fashionistas like a tiny sweater in jet black to hide the baby fat slashed from to euros . ENGLAND Bicester Village www.bicestervillage.com Victoria Posh Spice Beckham Judi Dench and Ivana Trump have all been spotted browsing among the racks at Bicester Village an hour outside London . More than brands are housed within shops resembling seaside cottages painted in cheerful shades. Park benches beneath old fashioned street lamps offer a welcome place to rest following an afternoon of hard core shopping at stores like Dior Versace Jimmy Choo Burberry and Gieves Hawkes a British brand known for classic tailored men s wear. You see these brands in the High St. but when you go to the outlets they are so much cheaper says Vanda Macion who frequents designer outlets around England. A recent shopping spree yielded a prize a Burberry wallet discounted from to pounds about . ITALY Castel Romano www.mcarthurglen.it Castel Romano Designer Outlet miles outside Rome encompasses more than stores including Dolce Gabbana Valentino Salvatore Ferragamo and Frette and Pinko an Italian label that proffers fun flirty designs from evening wear to pink sequined bikinis. The Romanesque architecture is highlighted by Palladian windows red tile roofs and columned pediments adorned with elaborate friezes reminiscent of the entrance to an ancient temple. The same developer also has outlets in Serravalle Scrivia between Milan and Genoa in Barberino del Mugello near Florence and recently launched Veneto Designer Outlet village in Noventa di Piave miles from Venice . Email Print Discuss Email Print Share Hide Digg Facebook Del.icio.us Mixx Reddit StumbleUpon Propeller Newsvine Furl Related Articles Related Topics UK pledges troops to Afghan effort as year old bomber strikes Posh works hard for the Perfect This week s news to dos Time to do away with the Felony Murder Rule Time puts Anna Wintour on worst dressed list Europe United Kingdom Burberry Group plc Stella McCartney Mick Jagger Elizabeth Hurley United States Venice Genoa Milan Today s top picks X Mas spending spree always in season Maybe now they have finally spent enough money to buy back the World Series. If not Manny Ramirez is still out there. The M Woman Caroline Kennedy will feel right at home in the Millionaires Club known as the U.S. Senate The Camelot heiress net worth easily tops million. Best Christmas movies Christmas and the movies go together like Santa Claus and cookies. Here s are list we did check it twice of the very best. 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James Dulley photo Windows take a curtain call December BY JAMES DULLEY Special to the Sun Times Q. I should replace my windows to save energy but with the bad economy I just cannot afford more debt. Is installing insulating window shades or curtains a viable option Which types are best A. Windows account for a substantial amount of heat loss from a house. This is because a single pane of glass has an insulating value of only about R whereas an insulated wall may be R . The window will lose times more heat per square foot than the wall. Also there is air leakage around windows which further increases heat loss and creates chilly drafts. Another indirect energy loss from windows even double pane ones without low e low emissivity coatings is radiant heat loss. Even though the room air is adequately warm for comfort you feel chilly near the clear cold glass. When someone feels chilly they often set the furnace thermostat a little higher making the furnace run longer and using more energy. The savings from installing insulating shades and or curtains often provides a much faster payback than expensive replacement windows. Many people still choose replacement windows because of cleaning convenience less furniture fading nice appearance or their old windows are totally shot. The additional insulating value from indoor window coverings can range from R to R but the insulation is only part of the story. Insulating shades which have the edges trapped in vertical side tracks are most effective. This reduces the room air flow around the shade and across the cold glass. Last fall I installed Warm Window insulated Window Quilt shades in my home office where I am writing this column. I realize a significant overall savings because I feel much more comfortable in this room. I am able to set the furnace thermostat three degrees lower than before. These shades use a quilted multilayed fabric with heat reflective film in the center. This layer reflects the radiant heat back indoors and minimizes air moisture migration through the fabric. The plastic side tracks stick to the wall opening with double sticky tape so they were easy to install. A pull rope is used to roll them up under a matching fabric cover box. Making Roman shades yourself is another attractive and efficient option. Use as many layers as possible with some type of reflective film for the center layer. The film does not have to be thick to be effective. Many efficient Roman shade kits are available on the internet. Another option is a lightweight cellular pleated shade. When it is hanging down over the window the cells open up to create insulating dead air spaces. Eclipse Curtains makes typical looking window curtains with a dense weave to block percent of the light most air migration and provide substantial insulation value. 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User Agreement and Privacy Policy Previous Next Rajasthan s magic and mystery Gulfnews Rajasthan s magic and mystery By Malavika Kamaraju Editor Published December Stupefied by the sight of the majestic royal bengal tigers at ranthambore a sighting of a lifetime steeped in the tranquillity of the magnificently built Oberoi Vanyavilas Malavika Kamaraju finds that you can t get enough of Rajasthan s magic and mystery. Six am. The last of the morning mist is melting from sight as I step out of the massive gates of Vanyavilas to warmly hug the two young pachyderms standing vigil at the entrance. Lakshmi with a Facebook temperament is all warmth and sweetness but Padma well. Padma is Padma. She has her own way of receiving love and giving it. A bit quiet and sweetly sullen she will first reveal a slight hint of a sulk before she changes her mind and accepts your warmth and hugs. You can then tickle her rough trunk and give her a kiss without having to witness her famous back feet shuffle. That is her MySpace moment. Greetings over I pat Padma one more time just to tease her and walk across to the open jeep waiting on the cobbled driveway. Standing by it are naturalist Raghavendra Singh Rathore and a forest guide. We wish each other a good morning and I clamber into the jeep. Minutes earlier back in the warm lobby of Vanyavilas with its eye popping opulence caressed by the early morning light I wait for Ankush Mahajan the general manager to escort me outside. He materialises quietly by my side and nearly startles me. Good morning and good luck he says. I hope you get to see what people from all over the world come to Ranthambore for. Many get lucky on their first visit. I hope you do too. You bet I will I reply scarcely watching my words. I have no clue what is awaiting me out there in the forests of Ranthambore but there is a stubborn refusal to imagine that such a lovely morning can be besmirched by doubtful thoughts. In the jeep the seat is not too kind to the body. It takes just a few minutes to realise that if I wish to keep my bones intact I need to learn a few things fast how to loosen up the body in three seconds find a handlebar that is close by to clutch on to in two and then to simply give in to the experience which follows in one second flat because Rathore is already in the Go mode. Ready Sure I say as the wind perks up and I realise my scarf is back at the hotel. Lesson Make sure you have the gear and a scarf for women is a must. Luckily Rathore manages to snag a soft brim hat from a vendor just in time outside the gates of the Reserve before the lashings of flyaway hair can shred my face. The driver releases the brakes and the jeep lurches forward like a terrified colt. It is a defining moment. Two things can happen. Your neck can decide to compete with a giraffe s for length or simply stay in its place. Lesson No. Make peace with your neck beforehand. Pamper it. You don t want a neck in two minds. If you want to go on such field trips yoga is a good idea. It keeps your body strong and supple. I lurch in rhythm to the jeep s wild gyrations as it bores into the innards of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. We go past the mouth of the Reserve and suddenly the world as I know it disappears. It is as though someone has changed the reel and we are back in time by at least a years. We are in a primeval forest untamed wild and ageless. This is not man s natural habitat we feel like trespassers. Dozens of creatures big and small come into view and disappear. Not being an ornithologist it is impossible to name the birds that seem to be stitching the sky to the tree tops with their cross stitch flights their true colours slowly seeping into the morning light as the sun rises inch by inch beyond the rim of the horizon. Rathore knows them all but my mind is too busy taking it all in and never mind the names the birds are so beautiful. Trees grasses shrubs in all shapes forms and shades of green to brown claim every inch of the earth. Some seem ageless timeless others look like they have come to stay but all of them seem to be uncompromisingly holding their own to the march of time even as they are fully in rhythm with the forest s heartbeat. In this thriving nature s playground the earth is into ribboned tracks and that s the only concession. The jeep can take but not leave it. We shudder and judder along the dusty twisting ribbons the stunning beauty of nature all around us acting like an anaesthetic to a bump here or a sharp contact with a steel rod there. We nearly don t reflexively learn to duck the overhanging branches and spiky long leaves of trees that stoop over the jeep s steel ribs but just in time we do. A few minor skirmishes lost leave behind proof of what look like thin red threads on the skin but I count them as trophies. It s a pity they have faded with not a trace. Lesson No. If you are an urban spoilt brat who prefers to flaunt flawless arms in the urban jungle jamborees wear long sleeved tops. The Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve is one of the most visited wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan. Nestling between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges in south western India it has recorded more frequent tiger sightings than any other tiger reserve in the country. To glimpse a tiger you can take a hundred and more tracks or detours depending on the expertise of the naturalist the help of rangers or forest guards or even the truancy of the magnificent animal. The dusty ribbon tracks both reveal and conceal old and new pug marks of the tiger s morning stroll or its nocturnal walk but it s the farm fresh marks the rangers look for. It is not unusual to stop the jeep at a second s notice jump down and huddle around the pug marks to examine their date of birth. Something like carbon dating I suppose. There are a few we spot but they are not fresh. Yet the sight of the huge indentations in the dusty track makes the heart flutter. The morning is beginning to vibrate with an indescribable thrill. There is something in the air. The scent of anticipation the sweet smell of hope the fragrance of prayer the wafting incense of a belief that you will not return disappointed. Groups of monkeys hang on to branches just by a fingernail performing feats of such incredible grace you wonder if they have nailed the diet for strong talons. They screech out greetings and make faces at you. Maybe they are being nice or maybe not. It s hard to tell but their ruckus is amusing. Many huddle in groups on sturdy tree limbs babies clutching onto their mother s bellies as the mamas look askance at the never ending curiosity of man to thump about on hard seats in jeeps and enter their homes the first thing in the morning every morning without as much as a May I There are afternoon trips too that begin at pm but most tourists prefer the morning trips. Two forest guards with walkie talkies pass by our jeep. The driver cuts the engine and makes enquiries. They speak to each other in a Rajasthani dialect which is just about comprehensible to me and what I gather is that so far there has been no movement. Disappointment slips its hand into mine. But the next second hope yanks it away and we do a high five. Let s try another route says Rathore. He points towards another dusty ribbon disappearing into the forest and the jeep follows the track. We are literally hacking our way through the forest. Miles upon miles of pure silence wraps in its womb the call of the birds the cry of a peacock the rush of a peahen darting into the shrubs the stillness of a wild buffalo staring with unblinking eyes at us from behind a column of gnarled tree trunks all these new natural sounds fall like silence. It s a paradox we have long stopped being familiar with. We keep our eyes peeled holding back every blink because in a blink things can happen. Suddenly a group of rangers walks towards the jeep gesticulating wildly. In hushed whispers they point to a parting among the trees. Patchy greenish brown grass sparsely spreads itself over a low mound of earth and beyond the forest swallows up the rest. Go along the curve of the mound the rangers silently mouth some fresh marks have just been spotted. There is a man made watering hole up there and maybe just maybe.Rathore lets the rest of the conversation ride the breeze. His mind is suddenly on a different wavelength. He is thrumming to some innate belief and is telling the driver to move. Move The jeep makes its way slowly along the perimeter of the low rise mound towards the watering hole and there the unbelievable sight of fresh pug marks So fresh the paws must have just lifted off them a few seconds ago. I clutch on to the cold iron of the handlebar not knowing if I am doing so to save myself from falling into a faint or to simply hold on to live through a moment that is beyond time and space. Finally we come to the clearing and see the watering hole about three metres away. The driver kills the engine. Silence is like a heavy steel knife. Sharp cool to the touch to be handled very carefully. There in front of us fully occupying the space of the watering hole are two magnificent tigers. A fully grown Alpha male and his female. It is a moment hard to describe. Some would call this a heart stopping moment. Not apt. Not now. In full clear view unmarred by a stick a stone a leaf or a branch a pair of Royal Bengal tigers majestically lounge in the cool waters their massive bodies bulging just a bit at the ribcage as they breathe in and out. Inside the jeep you feel like you have just been administered multiple doses of pure oxygen. Every cell and fibre of your body is bursting with boundless joy. It s a sensory overload. A finger in the socket moment. And yet it is also like taking the plunge into a pool of the purest waters that soaks you to your bone in peace and tranquillity. You are the dream catcher. It s one of the most stunning sensory paradoxes. With indescribable happiness you drink in the beauty of one of the most magnificent animals ever created. Size form perfection the interplay of black and beige the sheer breathtaking beauty of the design and the never to be forgotten magnetism of those amber eyes. When they are trained on you they perform the job of stun guns. A lifetime of minutes passes as our collective breath barely registers a few cc in volume. We sit and watch not moving a muscle the heart and mind performing a pas de deux of unsurpassed joy and awe on the stage of nature as deep gratitude brings a lump to the throat. Then the Alpha male rises out of the water the sight of his five metre body punching you like a fist in the guts and with a single penetrating glance at us walks away with regal nonchalance. In a flash he has blended into the trees. His companion leaves just a few minutes before him. Females are shy Rathore begins to explain but the sight of the male makes me turn deaf to all he is saying. The watering hole suddenly looks forlorn like an abandoned castle. The ripples splash over its rim. It s the only sound in the forest. No one says anything. We continue to sit and stare at the watering hole willing for a holographic projection. More minutes pass. More silence. Then as though emerging from a fainting spell Rathore says In all my years at Ranthambore I have never seen a tiger at such close quarters. Just three metres away Unbelievable. He is lost for words and settles for a jerky shaking of the head every now and then. The driver decides to simply drive. The other forest guards seem to be in a trance. They too have spotted many tigers over the years but this is like being in the same frame with the gorgeous animal like sharing the same space like eating from the same plate. It s only . am but suddenly it seems like the day is over. An unsettling feeling pools in the mind. You feel you have left something behind and must return to fetch it. You feel like following the two back into the forest but nature expects you to have better sense. The jeep makes a U turn and on the way back we greet the rambunctious primates still performing astonishing acrobatics and hanging by a nail on thin twigs is Sally Hansen reading this the peacock is still practising his beautiful dance ever hopeful that it will impress his lady love the peahens are still dodging his attention. life seems normal. Only it is not. It had turned unbelievably beautiful not too many minutes ago. The Oberoi Vanyavilas knows this feeling only too well which is perhaps why returning to its stupendously impressive environs greeting once again the adorable Lakshmi and Padma the latter who is by now almost playful simply switches the low to a high. Set in acres of landscaped gardens against the backdrop of the Aravalli hills this is one luxury jungle resort that is superglued to the top of the Best lists year after year. Everything about it is a reason for its immovable presence as the number one wildlife travel hotspot. Built like a traditional Rajasthani haveli a typical Indian sprawling courtyard home it has spectacularly designed super luxurious tents dotting the landscape each tent built in a way that offers complete privacy. From its teakwood flooring to its pleated tented ceiling private decks and walled private gardens its luxurious interiors are pure eye candy. The Vanyavilas tents are addictive in their charm. Acres of landscaped walkways and fruit trees and flowering bushes make evenings a great time to stop smell and allow the moment to contain you. If all this is not enough and you need nourishment for the body yes OK you do the F B at Vanyavilas is one of the best in the Oberoi chain. I got to eat some of the most unusually flavoured dishes in its meticulously designed restaurants. Even a humble eggplant turned into a dish that was a revelation. You could ask for meal service in your tent and the service has to be experienced to be believed. Ask the genial Mahajan to arrange for a watchtower visit while at Vanyavilas. With two viewing decks the metre high tower offers stunning views of the Aravalli range the Ranthambore Reserve the expanse of the Oberoi property and the very different desert sunsets and sunrises of Rajasthan that turn sand into gold as the orange suffused sky lowers to kiss them good night or good morning depending on when you go. For those with a love for contemplation of life and a respect for nature the watchtower is a great place to spend a few hours alone or with someone with a similar bent of mind. Cool breeze blows absolute silence reigns and the tranquillity is a treat. For those with romantic aspirations we can set up a candle light dinner here. They can dine under the stars surrounded by mountains and forests says Mahajan. The very idea makes you want to fall in love and take the next flight to Jaipur. Vanyavilas is a four hour drive from Jaipur. Mahajan then leads me to an amphitheatre and asks me to close my eyes. Can you hear music the rhythm of dance of melody During the cooler months we organise musical performances here. The amphitheatre is down lit by golden lamps and a degree muted radiance wraps itself around the al fresco surroundings like a golden pashmina as the music plays . There are plenty of other places to visit while at Vanyavilas. The Ranthambore School of Art specialises in some very interesting charcoal work there is a Rajasthani Women s Cooperative which sells hand crafted garments bed linen and jewellery. A tribal arts and souvenir shop is worth a visit. All this with the knowledge at the back of your mind that if you get too tired the very relaxing therapies at the Vanyavilas Spa an excellent place to pamper your urban guerrilla state of mind and body are just a walk away from your private chalet tent. And in the night nestling in pure comfort between fragrant snow white sheets in the spectacular Oberoi Vilas four poster beds you can let your mind slip quietly back into the stillness of Ranthambore. Imagine making your way soundlessly through the dark looking for that magnificent animal with its amber eyes glowing like two fireballs in the night showing you the way to timelessness and evolution s birthplace. As you lie in bed the image of those eyes burning cool in your irises makes thought of returning to the concrete jungle almost ruin the magical moment. For more information on Vanyavilas www.oberoihotels.com More from . 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