The lifeline to Sikkim and Darjeeling district, NH-31, was bought to a standstill by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha activists. I travelled along the highway to get you these pictures. The situation is quite bad so tourists are advised to stay away. Getting out of Rangpo and making it to Siliguri requires "connections" now, the West Bengal police escort for Sikkim convoys are only marginally effective. My move out in an attempt to understand the ground situation took a call to the head of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Bimal Gurung last evening. GJMM activists blocking NH-31A This morning, two boys turned up at Sikkim Rangpo to escort me into GJM controlled NH-31A. They prepared "papers" signed by the GJM convenor Lokesh Chettri who manned the first picket at Rangpo. Meanwhile, also at Rangpo, an earnest effort was being made by the Sikkim Police to get at least those with valid travel tickets out of...

There is proof these days that we are not the only ones in the Galaxy. There could be many other suns therefore many other similar solar systems that could possible support life. There have been numerous sightings of UFO's around the world. Some people even claim to have been abducted by them. Last month a mysterious object was spotted in the sky in Ladner British Columbia, Canada, possibly a UFO. Closer home last year as Early as October 2007, a videographer shot strange lights over Kolkata. The British have their BEAMS or The British Earth and Aerial Mysteries Society to keep track of such sightings. The Americans are even more careful. Apparently, the NASA and their government are actively tracking their movements using state-of-the-art equipment. An attempt was made by Hollywood filmmakers to highlight their seriousness. Movies like Independence Day, Mars Attacks and also War of the Worlds dwelled on the subject. My point is that the world is preparing...

The visit to the World Horticulture Expo Garden was like visiting Delhi's Pragati Maidan. The only difference, or rather the big difference was the size and the fact that it was maintained so much better. It was tough to decide what was real and what was not. We got a great welcome.

• A walk in the flowers

• South Indian Gods in China

The Yunan Nationalities Village is like a huge reservation. The village houses about 26 nationalities from the province. The entire area has been wonderfully landscaped and is a great place to spend the day especially if you want to know about the ethnic communities of Yunan.