Miles to go before I sleep......

South African Diaries Part 2

2009-07-17T10:53:00.006+05:30

This was long due......

The trip started on the 10th of October and ended on the 6th of November, not nearly enough time to take in all the stunning sights of the country, but enough to let you know that this will not be your last trip.

We drove from Johannesburg to Cape Town passing through some of the most stunning beaches, mountains, farms, floral kingdoms, vineyards, forests, natural spendours and cultural cities of South Africa. This is truly a scenic extravaganza to behold personally!

Day 1:

As we drove from Johannesburg or Egoli, the city of gold and the economic capital of the country towards Port Elizabeth, the “friendly city”, the length and breadth of South Africa’s vast beauty started making itself known.

Our first stop was Port Elizabeth (shortened to PE), otherwise known as the Nelson Mandela Bay . We reached PE just after sunset and headed straight to the beach. Although PE receives little rainfall, it was our lucky day, I guess. It looked heavily overcast and we were a bit disappointed. But then I was told that you can witness all seasons in a day in SA and I reconciled myself to it all being part of the experience! And as a gift for my troubles, the following day was a sunny day.

A little trivia about PE: PE is South Africa’s third biggest port and lies on the shores of Algoa Bay. It is called the Friendly City, may be because it has a certain lackadaisical feel about it and unlike the fast moving cities, you are taken aback by the smiling folks’ who will readily greet you on the street . It also happens to be the home of South Africa’s first cricket club.

After check in, we went to PE’s biggest entertainment option, The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment Centre, which has many dining options for those on the look out for some grub.

The next morning we woke up before the crack of dawn for a walk on the beach and witnessed yet another spectacular sunrise. After the sunrise, we freshened up and checked out of the hotel and headed straight to the famous King Edward Hotel for a sumptuous breakfast and boy, was the breakfast well spread!! The hotel, the oldest in the city, was magnificent with a Victorian feel to it. We walked across the road and headed straight to the Donkin lighthouse which had a sad, interesting, romantic and historic feel to it.

For history lovers: On a hill stands a stone pyramid with an adjacent lighthouse. This was proclaimed in perpetuity by Sir Rufane Donkin, acting British Governor of the Cape, when the 1820 Settlers arrived in Algoa Bay. Donkin named the new settlement after his wife, Elizabeth, who had died in India two years' previously, and erected the pyramid in her memory. The lighthouse was built in 1861, and today houses the city's Tourist Information Centre.

Must do’s at PE:

- Breakfast at King Edwards Hotel – I promise it will make you feel like a king !
- Addo Elephant Park
- Oceanarium
- The Donkin Heritage Trail
- Museum trail

When my friend first spoke about the Garden Route, I had visualized manicured gardens along the way but that was not quite what I saw. It was a garden of sorts but a garden with dense forests, pine trees – water bodies that were the size of oceans, rivers and lakes, flowers that grew wild wherever they felt like. In a nutshell, it was much more than what I had ever imagined!

According to Wikipedia, the Garden Route is a stunning and scenic stretch between Mossel Bay and Storms River in the southern coast of South Africa.
I promise, the drive will leave you completely spell bound and speechless. It runs parallel to the westerncoastline of the country with many lakes, mountains, beaches, cliffs and dense forests. The infrastructure is brilliant, making the region popular all year round.

Our first stop on the Garden route was Jeffrey’s Bay:

Jeffrey’s bay is a surfer’s paradise known for the perfect wave. As you enter J-Bay, the vibe of the entire town is very surfy with surf boards, shops with surfy names, shell museums and anything that’s even remotely connected with the surfs and waves! The warehouses for Billabong, Roxy and Quicksilver are all here on the streets, which are supposedly giant houses for beach gears!

We decided not to stay at J-Bay as there was so much more to do so we headed straight to Tsitsikamma National Park. We checked into the Bloukrans backpackers lodge. Perfect!
But none of the places around were open for us to fetch food – so we went to bed, hungry!!

We stayed in log cabins... the entire feel was fantastic ..it was drizzling outside and the was kinda chilly too .. i quickly got myself into the rug and was trying to contain my excitement and catch some sleep. had a big day coming up...
I couldn’t sleep a wink thinking about the bungy jump next day off the Bloukrans (which happens to be the highest commercial bridge jump in the world – 216 m)

The walk… the fear, the jump and the adrenalin rush…..

As I was walking on the suspended wire bridge, my heart was racing. I had questions in my mind… wasn’t sure if I would survive it. Was thinking of freak accidents but then wanted to so badly do it.. So here I am. Standing on the highest commercial bungy jump bridge looking at the crew who were enthusiastically harnessing us, trying to make us laugh with funny stories... to jump or not to jump.. Anyways, I guess it was too late to turn back. I was petrified as I stood on the edge and the countdown began and off I went. What happened before was really history as what I witnessed after the jump was so completely phenomenal.. My heart pounding and the gorge below looked spectacular.. This is by far the most exciting thing that I have done in my life!

Next stop....
On the banks of a lagoon and nestled between the Indian ocean and the Outeniqua mountain range, Knysna is a must-see for every visitor to South Africa and certainly one place that shouldn’t be missed on a Garden Route tour.
One of my favorite spots is Noetzie beach, a long stretch of sand hidden away and accessed only through forests. As you climb down, you come across castles and experience one of the most idyllic scenery on the Garden Route. Truly a hidden secret.

Top 10 things to do when you are bitten by the Knysna bug:
- Go check out the heads for the panoramic view of the lagoon.
- Beach: visit the Noetzie beach and stay in one of the castles
- walk along the forests
- Township tour: the town is very colorful and known for its crafts and has the biggest Rastafarian community of South Africa – go shopping for crafts. Visit the farmers market , if you land on a Sunday
-Train ride: a return trip on the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe between Knysna and George is a must do.
-Go for a sundowner cruise in the lagoon: A number of ferry trips around the Waterfront are available daily, weather permitting. Some companies offers trips on the Lagoon and beyond the head and others for sundowner trips on the Lagoon visiting the Nature Reserve

More coming up in the next issue of south african diaries.....

“Bean” there done that!!!!

2009-01-08T10:25:00.009+05:30

We decided to head out to check the avrekal spectacle on a Monday afternoon at the Sajjan Rao circle.
If you are a foodie, then this is a must go… The mela started on 3 Jan and would be on until the 14th of Jan and it happens every year at Sri Vasavi Condiments at VV puram near the Sajjan Rao circle
I almost got into a fight with the vendor serving uppitu as I couldn’t wait to attack the food and he would take the longest while to serve. I even offered my help for some self service . J

There was Avrekalu all over the place – there was fresh avrekal, dried Averekalu …There was nippatu, fried averkalu and many varieties of mixtures, avrekalu Dosas, avrekalu Vadas, Uppitu, Holige and Ginnu. What a treat for avrekal lovers!

The aromas from the tava were way too tantalizing and with hundreds of people like us in the tiny shop, it was quite a fight…but worth the wait

So what is Avrakalu?

The English name for avrekalu is Hyacinth beans.
The whole beans (avrekayi) look almost like green peas with shells on. The shells are harder than green peas. When the outer skin is peeled, the beans (avrekalu) can be seen. This vegetable or beans is very popular in Bangalore but is seasonal… My mother says you get the fresh beans only for about 15 days in a year and then it’s available in dried form – no wonder there was such drama around it…but we aint complaining at all!!!!

And here is an interesting trivia about the beans and our city ….After you read the story below – you will know why bengalurians swear by the name!!!!
"The story goes that many centuries ago, a Hoysala king lost his way in a forest while hunting game. Tired and famished, he stumbled upon a little village where a family offered him boiled avarekaalu beans and a place to sleep. Grateful for the hospitality, the king named the village as Bendada Kaalooru -- or the place of boiled beans -- and from then on contributed a lot to its expansion.
The story may sound made up and highly romanticized…. but since then Bendada Kaaluru becomes Benga luru, which was later anglicized to Bangalore by the British and is now back to being called Bengaluru!!!!

Cradle of the humankind.... africa !

2008-09-18T15:17:00.004+05:30

Having lived and survived the American and the Asian continent, it was time to taste the African soil errr Beer maybe … So here I am, in Africa …- where humanity was born – which ultimately makes each one of us, an African.
I read this at the Apartheid Museum in Joburg, South Africa.

So here’s a snippet of my African odyssey ……

Travel gyan for the dummy travelers …

Travelling is not always about tacks and pins on the map…… its about meeting people… its about enjoying every little wonder that you come across, appreciating smaller things .. Having little expectations…. Tasting world cuisines, walking to a store in a foreign country and being asked a million times to repeat yourself cuz you have an accent. It’s about appreciating and respecting the laws of the land!!!! Is it a yes???? Congratulations!!!! You have been certified a true traveler!

Alright, I know I am going on a different tangent now. And need to be reminded now and again to stay on track … so coming back to the subject … I am here ,now, in the southern tip of Africa – South Africa – the most colorful country in the world…where it wasn’t fun being colorful a few years back 

Of personal invites and appearances….

After having submitted my visa documents , I was eagerly awaiting that stamp on my passport and instead I get an email from my visa agent … “ the RSA home affairs in Mumbai seeks the pleasure of your company to invite you to visit the beautiful South Africa” !! In other words, my passport has been the lucky one to have been picked among; a few, submitted, for interrogation – its personal interview time folks! Gaaahhh!!! Sometimes it isn’t fun living on the edge!

Alright, there s nothing you can do against the wishes of the embassies. Sadly!!!

So I book my tickets to Mumbai … First flight out at 5 am tomorrow. And its 9 pm already. Lots to finish before I jet set. So I finish all the important tasks, head home, need to pay some money to a friend on the way… send an itinerary to a client… speak to my agents about my disappearance for a few months …… wait is there time for a quick beer ;-) Nah!!! Need to pack. Get my documents sorted. Damn!!!!!!! So much to accomplish – such little time!
I reach home after all my chores at 11. Pack whatever is visually appealing and fill my suitcase till it can’t breathe no more. Hang on …I am coming back right … may be not, if I get my Visa tomorrow. I just fly out to Joburg if they are kind enough to stamp it tomorrow. Wait what if there is no ink at the embassy to stamp my passport… what if, there is fire at the embassy …. Hyperboles are flowing in abundance today …..;-)

I land at the Mumbai Chatrapathi Shivaji airport at 6:30 … and its raining incessantly … its raining people man – not cats and dogs!

I have lots of luggage. a claustrophobic suitcase , a laptop , wads of cash ( how I wish ) , alright a credit card with no limits … sigghhh ! Made my way to a cab after rescuing myself from massive puddles of rainwater and the heavy downpour.. Last thing I want now is Malaria!

Need to make a quick decision … Interview is at 9. Its 7:30 am already.. Do I have time to dump my luggage … Visualizing the Mumbai map, I make a few phone calls. Hoping someone would pick up the call and I could quickly put my poor suitcase on a ventilator and run to the embassy… A few persistent calls, and sleepy friend picks up my call!!! And I narrate the story.. Land there.. Suitcase dumped and I run out and head to the embassy. Just about make it at 9 and the security guard says no bags allowed. I have my haversack with my laptop, and camera.. I promise, I have the saddest puppy face in the world pleading him to let me in and he just refuses to acknowledge.. I make some quick cruel plans of leaving the bag on the main road.. He finally gives in and suggests that I leave the bag at the pan walla down the road. I meet the pan waalla and looks like this is an age old business of keeping bags.. so I leave my stuff and run back to the embassy . A couple of hours pass by.. No signs of being called in … I realize I don’t even have the token for the interview. Call my agent and he lands after a few hours. It was nice long laid back day.. No one seemed to be in hurry to open doors and I was famished and sleepy and worried about my laptop.. What if the pan walla gets my Swiss account number from the laptop??? Since it was a personal invitation, I was hoping some hospitality:-P. yes, I prefer my cappuccino with some cream and some chocolate shavings please! Never mind, the water drops falling on me from the corner of the roof outside at the sitting area at the embassy…

After a good 5 hour wait, the security guard gets me the token and I walk in. It’s not over yet. I wait for an hour inside before I get called in.

15 min interview about why who where how and when and it’s over. I muster courage and ask her – hmmm do u guys have enough ink? Errr I mean when would I get my passport? We will go through your case and take a decision next week! Arrrghhhhhh one more week in Mumbai before it get. Anyways, cutting my never ending long story short, I finally get my visa after 4 days and book the first flight out of Mumbai. The chosen airline is Ethihad airways, the official airlines of Saudi Arabia! After a short hop at Abu Dhabi, a few naps, a few morsels, I land in Johannesburg…

I clear immigration in less than 10 minutes. And wonder if they missed out something and let me in Well, it is supposedly a short process.

Welcome to Johannesburg aka Joburg aka Jozy !

Singal dip or Many dips ????

2008-04-12T08:25:00.014+05:30

A tenth century historian called it Singal Dip meaning Sinhala(lion)Dip(Island )...The Arabs called it Serendip, and the Chinese called it Pa-Outchow .. ( island of gems), which suggests that it must have been one of the important ports during earliar times.

Yes, we are talking about the country, where Sita was held captive by the ten headed King Ravana and Iddiappams are called string hoppers !!!!

Lush vegetation, streches of beaches, Buddhist shrines , Rocks, Caves and Waterfalls, "Sri" lanka trully deserves the knighthood ! ;-)

If your idea of a perfect holiday is relaxing on sandy beaches, driving down misty mountains, going on a wildlife safari, visiting sacred shrines.....errrr... a bit of this and a bit of that - Sri lanka is the place to be explored.

However , if you are rushed, wouldnt advise too many places unless you have enough time to have pit stops, or else you would land up spending more time travelling, than actually seeing places.
Well, for me that too works as I love watching the world pass by through my window .. I love to glare at people - make eye contact with strangers ... it takes you to another world...

The good news is that the Visa to Sri lanka is on arrival - its a mere stamping on the passport - takes less than 5 minutes and there is no departure tax and our currency is 2 and half times stronger which makes us feel we are rich for a bit !!! Some cheap pleasures ..comes a long way ......when you hit "house of fashion" and "Odel" .... :D

Interestingly - Sri Lankan apparel industry is one of the largest contributors to the National Gross Domestic Product of this island nation, followed by Tea, Rubber , Coconut and Tourism

With the time in hand, this was the route that was charted out....
COLOMBO - NUWARA ELIYA- BENTOTA- DAMBULA- NEGOMBO

You are greeted with a Ayu Bhawa( Welcome) coming from "Ayu(sh) Mana Bhawa" as you alight Sri lankan Airlines...and then showered with more Ayu Bhawas , and you trully feel welcomed to India's teardrop.

Colombo , the capital city has a very lackadaisical look to it ... its easy to imagine the city with wild elephants wandering around during the british era ... It has a victorian, probably a dutch look to it . You can see clock towers at every junction - which makes you feel that you are driving in circles. The suburbs look like they never end, giving it a " CAPITAL" city look and feel....

First stop.....We reached Nuwara Eliya town by 9 pm after a harrowing bus ride and a bus change after which we finally checked into the Heritage Tea factory, Kandapola.... We were welcomed there with some amazing in house vanilla tea.

The tea factory has a story to tell..you can spend days in the tea factory discovering little stories about the place... The outside of this 60-room hotel, 6850feet above sea level, has been retained exactly as it was when the British planters constructed it in the mid-1930s while the insides take you to another era...
It was then called the Hethersett Tea Factory, named after a small town outside London.
The factory finally shut down in 1973 and was converted into this unique hotel.

You can either get yourself a relaxing massage at their spa or indulge in a bit of tea leaves picking ...

and guess what it doesnt end there... once you are done with the picking, leaves are taken and dried and packed for you before you leave ..You can bring back home and brag to F& F... There is a mini tea factory in the Hotel where this process takes place....
Also , you can request the chef to teach you to brew the famous Ceylon tea...he will start with the history and explain the different types of tea - such as PEKOE, BOP and BOPF and give you gyan on how to tell strong tea from mild tea ! Very enligh-tea-ning indeed !!!!!!

When in tea factory , one must'nt miss the trek to the Horton Plains ...which is supposedly the highest plateau in the country...It's a fairly easy 4 km walk from the main entrance, through grasslands, gentle streams and eventually forest. First stop is Little World's End, much smaller size but still with excellent views of the valleys and village below. About a kilometre further on is World's End which is a 1000 m vertical drop. It was a bit of an anti climax as we had imagined too much but its nevertheless recommended for the walk part of it.Also the Baker falls, on the way back to the entry looked spectacular ....We were running out of time so cdnt stop over at the falls ..

We were soon back on track to our next stop - Bentota ..It was a good 6 hour drive with COMFORT BREAKS in between . We stopped enroute at the Raffles Restaurant at Kitigula - which has gained fame after the Bridge on river kwai, which was apparantly shot here .

The Beaches of Bentota are unimaginabely beautilful. One of the longest beach strech that i have seen in my life ..Bentota is actually in between the ocean and a lagoon and gifted with stunning views.

Next part is From Bentota to Colombo to the wonderful Dambula ..

Watch this space for more lankan tales.....

Sri Lanka

camera ... lights .... action !!!!

2007-12-19T11:50:00.000+05:30

I have been meaning to blog about this amazing hotspot in Bangkok for a long lone time ... finally doing it as i recently visited the place after 2 good years.. thankfully somethings never change !

Welcome to a Thai club... nah no thai women and kathoys to lure you ... no sleaze ... its plain unadulterated fun !!!

Located on Rachada Soi 10 , Hollywood is like huge stadium with a capacity of more than 1000 people .
You can buy a bottle of whiskey for a reasonable price , so you don’t pay the entrance. We found ourselves a table but the waiters, i guess were so engrossed in the music that they dint bother to even look at us .. heheh, i forgot a bit of tipping always helps in thailand !! but anyways.....

Finally the action ... some 20 skimpily clad women set the stage on fire ...i think this should be called bollywood not hollywood . In true bollywood style,there were costume changes and major hip shakes .. Must say, some of the dancers were disasterous ... but they were really enjoying themselves ..and i guess that makes all the difference ..

Now the best part... if the crowd gets escatic about a performance they offer a bottle of whiskey to the artist and the way a 90 ( or mebbe more ) is gulped down, just leaves you stunned - yes mouth wide open !!!

So if you are in bagnkok the next time .. do check out hollywood ..

its not always a HAIRY TALE !!!!

2007-11-04T17:18:00.000+05:30

every morning when i wake up .. i see her longer ... she stands up and smiles at me .. i wash her and hush her.. she wants to breathe . she wants to play... yet she sits calmly watching the world while she is all curling up into a young lad ...

she had lost her identity for a few years ...she hated it ...

they would pull her all over.... she would cringe as she was put to test ... hot winds and hot iron passing through her ...it had almost become a routine ... she would scream in pain... she would fall in protest ....

she wanted the love .. she wanted to be nurtured .. she wanted to be let loose... finally one day i gave her the freedom .. i let her be !!!

yes i let go of you for your sake ... and now i look at you everyday like a mother sees her child...a child so pretty .. a child that needs all the love ... i see how you add to my personality .. everyday you make me look like a different person ... I promise you child for all the sacrifices you have made i shall give you the tender care and all the affection that you deserve ....

Ice Ice Baibay !

2007-10-21T23:34:00.000+05:30

Yeah it was the perfect finnnissh ! bees saaal baad it happens .. three drivers fighting out for the ultimate position and it was none other than the ice man !!Kimi ended the season with 110 points from Hamilton and Alonso, who both finished on 109.
British rookie Hamilton having started second , allowed Kimi to pass him at the first corner and then let his teammate Alonso overtake him as well and finally dropped off to the 18th position due to a mechanical failure.

All in all, McLaren paid for their poor kimi-cks after a poor start.

What a weekend ... starting with india's 20-20 win against aussies on saturday and then then kimi winning the championship

Yippeee !

The unborn me...

2007-09-02T11:38:00.001+05:30

I am envisioning a faceless future.
Wait…there is a face but its blur... obscure...
May be I m lost in the battle for the share of voice...
Is that why I try hard listening to my own unsung songs.

Living at the edge of precipice.
Feeling a bit intimidated by the vastness that surrounds me that is pulling me in, like a whirlpool......
Not fear..not emptiness... not even loneliness...
I sing loud ... but I realise its just me and no one else that can hear me...
My throat goes dry and I suddenly feel I am screaming on top of my lungs ….
They are oblivious to the screams.. Unaffected by the songs I sing….
They probably can’t hear...
And I scream louder and louder..
Till I can scream no more...
I realise I m singing songs that are yet to be written...
Songs of wars that are yet to happen..
Of dreams that persist...
Of my own tryst....
May be its not time yet.
May be the words are not right...
May be I am non existent.. still unborn …
Is that why I try hard listening to my own unsung songs..

Mun-aaah-r

2007-08-22T17:25:00.000+05:30

I had been to Munnar 10 years back ... After having spent 2 nights at Thekkady, we had then decided to go for a day excursion to Munnar . Today, after having visited and spent more time there, I realise why i didn't fall in love with this place the first time. Also, we were stuck en route in a jam due to a rally the last time... so it was quite an ordeal .

This time we made no mistakes and it was undoubtedly one of my best experiences.
We left Cochin at 6:30 am by a KSRTC bus to Munnar .The drive was pleasant as we passed through some amazing landscapes. Soon there were cardamom plantations and streams springing from everywhere. The weather was perfect .. it must have rained a few hours back .

A little more than 4 hours and we were there in the main town area.. We stepped into the first cafe that we saw called " Cafe Au lait " and we were very amused by the creative menu on display .. One thing that i realised in kerala is words are spelled as pronounced. For starters we had Lazzy ( lassi) . Some water Melan Juice, chocklate, egg fruit ( wonder what that is ) and for the adventerous soul in you - But butter !!!

We met Mohan, my contact in Munnar who took us by surprise with his amazing hospitality. After having a good meal at rapsy's we went to Eravikulam National park . The park ticket cost us about 80 rupees and we were taken in a bus around the park . we stopped after a while and we were allowed to walk around. We went past a huge waterfall and also saw the Anaimudi peak from a distance , which happens to be the highest peak in South India. Eravikulam Park happens to be the the home of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr. Our group managed to spot a few Tahrs...

After spending an hour there we were back on our to Munnar. We were lucky to spot a a herd of elephants. We could just stand there and admire the pachyderms for ever until a group of Punju uncles landed there and completely ruined the tranquility there.

Back to the base we were all set for a trek . The driver dropped off us at a point from where we were to begin our trek. The trek was through a tata owned tea plantation. Leaches on the way were not very kind to some of us , while some of us were lucky to have made it without donating a drop of blood.
our camp site was thick with vegetation which meant more leaches...It was freezing up there and we had fire to warm us ... Dinner was served at the glass house which was used in case of emergency or if campers weren't comfortable spending the night in the tents. The glasshouse also had a little kitchen and a room.After Dinner, we decided to zip ourselves in our sleeping bags and call it a day as we were exhausted after all the trekking.The skyline was absolutely breathtaking with the stars shining above us ... and we could see a lit up town called Theni far far away.
We woke up before the break of the dawn and viewed one of the most spectacular sunrises .. The sun hiding in between the hills and slowly changing from crimson to red.

The sun was out .. we were all set for short trek to a hill nearby which would give us a 360 degree view of the mountains. And it did .... we managed to trek through despite being attacked by different sizes of leaches.. we had entered their territory and they were hell bent on destroying the invaders.But then it was battle of size and they succumbed to our might.

The view from the top was great . After spending some time, we were back in the battlefield. We had few more strategies this time or perhaps the leaches were quite disappointed with the adulterated blood that they let us go quite easily.
Aloo Poori followed by chaya .. and we were ready to trek down with bag and baggage. we came across a number of tea plantation labourers and had some funny moments on the way back down ..

We were dropped to the Kundala lake where we went on a boat ride. The place was unusually touristy with loads of shops around and that was a bit disappointing but we nevertheless had a great time paddling and clicking ourselves.... We caught a local bus back to the town from there..

We were lucky to find a nice quaint place on top of a hillock for the second night and it turned to be quite cheap too. We were all totally knocked out so we decided to chill and take it easy . Next day we left at 11 for Cochin.. It was a close call as out train departed from Ernakulam at 5 . We just about made it on time and as we entered the railway station, we realised we were at the wrong station and it was 10 minutes to 5. More drama .. we caught an auto and rushed to the other station which was 4 kms away.

Watch this space to know if we did manage to get on the train the same evening ......................................

While the days slipped by from my window watching.........

2007-08-21T11:57:00.000+05:30

Yes, finally after all the planning, we made it to Alleppey for the much talked about Boat race - the nehru trophy which takes place in the Punnamada Lake that is held on the second saturday of August every year coinciding with the independence day.

We couldnt manage direct tickets to Alleppey- so we caught a train from Bangalore Central to Ernakulam, from where we were taken in a Sumo to Alleppey. We just about managed to reach on time.
Without delaying any further, we hopped on and got ourselves comfortable. The Houseboat was rather small and we were 10 of us plus 7 staff members .. Pheww !! Wonder how it didnt capsize!

Quick freshening up followed by a sumptuous grub, we were sailing already towards the race venue and yeah the excitement building up slowly . As we got closer, we realised that we were late and all the good spots were already taken . There were many houseboats and we could see the overcrowded stands from the lake. After making a lot of noise, we coaxed the manager to get us closer to a decent spot..There were many types of boats very beautifully ornameneted and the participants in colorful mundus and lungis added to the whole festivity.

There was a spirit of festivitiy in the air ..We could see a lot of spirits had gone in as well as we saw the locals dancing , singing and drumming and getting into a total frenzy! Some of us got on top of our Houseboat to get a good glimpse of the race. We managed to get some pretty decent shots from there . Good Chaya followed by horrendous banana fritters and hoots from neighbouring boats were the highlights.
Felt like an F1 GP stand where you could feel all the excitement of being at the race but not knowing what was happening. Anyways , since none of us had any idea about the participants and the teams, it was all taken well.

The cordination and the colors and the whole setting was simply outstanding - definately a great experience.

Then it was the women... There were three snake boats and women dressed in white mundus and colorful blouses took the oars to create some Upr-oars!

Finally, the race was over ... the trophies were handed ... there were tears and there were smiles...

We were back in action and were already moving towards a supposedly "lonely island" to anchor the boat . Well, the island didnt seem lonely at all ... correction , it didnt seem like an island at the first place but i guess that's how tourist suppliers sell dreams ! hehe !
We were 10 of us and collectively we were loud ! so we made more noise and got them to take us for another quick sail bofore the sun set ...

Layers of mosquitto repellents and coils were applied which kept us away from falling prey to flying creatures such as the mosquitoes.

Dinner was followed by entertainment .. we had inhouse artists who mesmerised us with their fantastic performannces...

After a good night sleep , we woke up to the morning sun - nice and bright...

those were the best days of my life....

2007-06-26T18:29:00.000+05:30

Watching kids grow is truly a delight.

Since the time Mitali ( my niece )was born, things have completely changed in our lives.

She is such a bundle of joy. Every expression of hers is watched so closely. I am beginning to realize that a smile truly brings so much joy and when she cries and makes those instant messenger look alike sad smiley faces - auuwwwww its like some national tragedy has struck our country.

Guess what .. She is turning out to be a real brat already!!!!

Interrupted wails which quickly transform into a smile - makes us feel that she has all that takes to be a drama queen .. as we talk hours about her antics, My parents get completely nostalgic and they had some of our funny stories to share.

I thought it was a good idea to blog about it.

As narrated by my parents :( have kept the masalas to the bare minimum :D)

The 2 brats !!!

Dad was those days stationed at Dibrugarh in Assam. He was giving medical cover to an NCC unit. I was 2 plus years old.
I do have some faint memories of the place such as the green rickshaw that we would go to school in . the rickshaw wala.. my prep school ..our apartment and our neighbors apartment which had their kitchens facing each other .... our neighbor's son who apparently was marrowing line on my sister( she was 4 and a half years old and so was he ) and he thought I was a kabab mein haddi so I underwent tremendous pressure and had to put up with their idiosyncrasies at that tender age ! I tell ya what all these adult kids make us tiny tots go through and no wonder I did what I did !

I hadn't started going to school yet . I was always inquisitive about where the Romeo Juliet pair would go everyday with bags full of books.And finally push came to shove and I couldn't take it any longer and as luck would have it( for me, at least then) my sister was down with measles and had to miss school .. I had a grande plan. " the bag " had to be taken ... and all I needed was an accomplice as I knew that if were found guilty, it could have serious repercussions on me.

So the chosen one was another one of our neighbors daughters, who was my age . Without much contemplation, we took off with bags and baggages . Man !! I actually ran off from my home at such a young age ! makes me look like rebel which is just not true !

The roads there definitely aren't kids friendly - they are called the zig zag roads and each road forked into another four roads as soon as it felt like, making it a complete maze. Okay, I did warn you about me putting masala every now and then ..so that was half a tsp of coriander powder for you !

We walked about 4 kms ( Dad says so and i believe him ) :D before a dhaba wala on one of the main roads spotted two tiny tots chattering off to glory walking hand in hand ....he suspected something was on .Kaput!! there we see him coming towards us. He did turn out to be a good Samaritan after all - atleast thats what Dad says.

He had many questions to ask .. He offered us some grub apparently and didn't charge my dad for it later - God Bless him.. Free food isn't easy to earn and we earned it .. hehehehe !

Panic struck our colony. Dad took off to the police station to file an FIR . "My daughter has been kidnapped" :D well, he didn't have a phone those days to get a ransom call and don't think anyone would kidnap me !I didn't even have a boyfriend then unlike my sister ! SIGH ! Unfair !

All the families were soon put on task to search.. People went crazy walking on those roads looking for us. Mom was very upset. But they didn't lost hope.

Meanwhile our man was interrogating us like we were some criminals. Confidence was oozing out of us . We had instant ambiguous answers. My dad's name was apparently papa .. Hmmmm wouldn't he be proud of his daughter !! Anyways, he kept us engrossed in conversation and we got carried away and gave him perfect directions.. Saw my dad at a distance walking towards me and before he could say anything, tears rolled down my cheeks.. Not very sure why ! May be I got emotional after the 3 hours of separation or it was sheer guilt.. :D

REST is history....

Watch this space for more stories.... Will try to upload some pictures too.

Rode on the steel breeze !!!!!

2007-06-18T09:41:00.000+05:30

Finally after weeks of planning, my biking day trip to Devarayanadurga happened.
As usual, couldn't wake up early enough to leave early....Thanks to my saturday binge ...

It was Father's day . I picked up some flowers and headed home after my work out and saw Dad. He was kinda furious as I went out the previous night and didnt stick to my Cinderella time .. But he saw the flowers and melted ! Gave pa a hug and wished him happy Pa's day ! Sweet na !!! :D

I left for Forum at 11 which is where i was to meet my friend. We left Bangalore at about 12. The weather wasn't bad ... The sun playing hide and seek .. was almost sure that it would pour and not a drop fell

It was a lovely ride.

After we crossed Nelamangala Peenya , it was a smooth ride devoid of jams.
We finally reached a point - where we had to take a detour to go to Devarayanadurga and trust me the ride after that wasn't pleasant at all . The next 10 kms was pathetic... thankfully the bike dint give in . We finally made it through the kuccha road and made it to some tar look alike .. The roads were decent after that till Devarayanadurga.I wanted to ride the bike and finally did ... Maybe about 2-3 kms .. I wasnt bad for a first timer at all.. and carrying the weight of a 138 kg Pulsar wasnt a joke .

Finally made it to the temple ... As we were ascending, we confronted a priest ... On seeing us, he got into this vociforous chanting mode and he wouldnt stop . He put the longest teeka ever on my forhead with the red and white paste ... Thank god for non receding hairlines... :D

After the customery chakkar, we were out to admire the view, which was absolutely breathtaking. My only regret was the timing of the day . The sunrise would really have been spectacular . But nevertheless , the place was calm and very serene. We went down to the foothills of the temple and i pigged on some churmuris as i was famished . We left for Bangalore after about an hour .. The ride was interesting .Fatigue followed by sleep .. My first pillion sleep on the bike !!! yes , the headbanging to an extent kept me awake .. wasnt an out of the world experience but i think a good way to spend a sunday !!!

Please do carry water and some eatables if you get pangs every now and then like me !!!!!

Let the Aero-Force come in !!!!

2007-05-24T12:40:00.000+05:30

Yeah the Boston boys are in Namma Bengaloooru....and the blue army is gonna take over the palace grounds on the 2nd of june ....and i surely dont wanna miss a thing !!!!

Indian hospitality at its best ..The band will be served some authentic desi grub .. i just hope they dont overdo and have some stomach disorder tommorow...

And then we have the rains ... which are expected to hit this part of the globe tommorow . Damn What's with the day ??? We gotta get more rain-novative !!!

Ohhh gowd did you hear the latest ...Accenture has come up with an initiative targeted at recruiting potential employees and retaining existing employees, during the Aerosmith rock show to be held in Bangalore on 2 June ...hope they dont lure the boston boys to join em !! alternative careers they say !

Trivia about the band

In 1970, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Tom Hamilton decided to start a band in Boston.Although many people see Aerosmith as a Boston band, none of the band members are actually from that city.
The band was formed when Steven Tyler met Joe Perry in an ice cream parlor.

Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" won an Academy Award for best soundtrack from the movie "Armagedden... Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv, starred in the movie."

Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were known as "The Toxic Twins", because of their notorious abuse of drugs on and off the stage.

Their fanbase is known as the Blue Army...

They are the second best-selling American rock band of all time, after The Eagles.

In Zaghi and Out goes Gerard's dreams !

2007-05-24T10:36:00.000+05:30

"Gimme Red " shouts Inzaghi !!!!!

Despite all the energy ...Liverpool gets knocked out at Athens as Pipoo avenges the 2005's epic defeat at Istanbul.. First it was Bayern , then Man uni and finally Liverpool , AC MILAN does it with ELAN

Despite plenty of ball possesion , the reds failed to deliver the same magic that they did in Istanbul in 2005.. When Inzaghi doubled his score, it looked like the game was over then came Dirk Kuyt's header which could have changed things for Liverpool but it was tooo late !!!

Kudos to Inzaghi and Kaka !!! and Milan for a sooper come back !

of rivers and waterfalls... of quaint villages and beautiful people Sikkim Trip Part II...

2007-05-19T17:57:00.000+05:30

They say when in Rome, be a Roman . Staying at an army mess did instill some kinda discipline in some of us... we were up and ready and we assembled at the dining hall in true fauji style for Breakfast ..and guess what despite getting up early , we cdnt manage leaving the mess early enough.What a mess I tell ya !!!!!!

We had an awesome dude for a driver called Dawa and his assistant Vishnu....Dawa stopped every now and then for us to take pictures and he had little funny stories to narrate .....

We stopped at the Tashi view point to catch the glimpse of Kanchenjunga .. as usual Kanchenjunga was playing hide and seek ..We managed a decent look and then we took off to Chungthang which was about 95 plus kms from Gangtok.

The drive was gorgeous ...Teesta had become our permanent companion ... gave us company all the way through ....she looked absolutely stunning...

Some of the highlights of the drive...

Our strange Hen-counter ... Every time we passed a little village , we would encounter hens who would time themselves to cross the road.... You run over a hen and u pay Rs 500 and guess what , you don't even get to keep, eat or admire them.. what a teaser I tell you !felt like a scam ...

We reached Chungthang by late afternoon after halting midway for lunch. Lunch wasn't very exciting. We had oil curry which had a few pieces of chicken and some daal- chawal.

At Chungthang, we stopped for chai and then carried on.The road then bifurcated into 2 - one going to Lachung and the other one to Lachen .. The names sounded like some Franco-Chinese cocktail..Ce'st Lachen Ce'st Lachung and Ce'st Lavie ! hehehe

We reached Lachen after sunset.. and the driver took us to a hotel which looked shady yeah like one of those patli gali types....We tried to talk ourselves into adjusting but yeh dil maaengey more took over .. We managed to coax the guys to take us to another hotel and as we walked through the narrow, dark, dingy, dilapidated galli, we were getting more and more convinced that it wasn't happening.

LACHEN STREET

We reached the second hotel which looked like one of the fairy tale buildings ... could almost visualise Rapunzel with long hair at the window . New building ... new beds .. new quilts .. wowzie .. what more cd one ask for??? We parked ourselves there.. Subu had bought some local beer called Danzberg and Hit . After the beer tasting ceremony, we went down for Dinner. Grub was decent and Lachen was frigging cold and thankfully I had retained my several layers of clothing..
Post dinner, we slept. Had an early morning drive to Gurudongmar. As usual we got out late and Dawa was pissed !! He gave us a piece of his mind.We were getting used to being labelled recalcitrant...

The drive to Gurudongmar was surreal.We passed a number of Army posts and also the Border Road Organisation (BRO)kept us entertained with their peppy innovative patriotic writings ...

We stopped en route at Thangu . A beautiful quaint village... We had steamed bread and jam with hot tea at this little shack .The people there were really sweet. We chitchatted for a bit and took off.

AT Thangu Village

We were kinda late and Dawa had a point. The road was rocky and quite deserted and it would be quite a situation if one got stranded in the middle of nowhere . There wasn't any sign of civilization let alone any flora or fauna !! Dessert-ed in the true sense !!
To our utter dismay and to add to the drama, the vehicle stopped ! Our man quickly got under the SUV and fixed it temporarily.

We resumed and made it finally.

Yes, this is what they call Heaven... The lake looked so still and calm .. hues of blues and green with certain portions frozen.
I was stunned by the beauty of the place .It was freezing there.. Damn we were 17100 ft above sea level...

I got myself a spot .. i lied down by the lake on the stones and just stared .. Speechless!!!!!!!!!!
We were forewarned by Dawa and we had deadlines to keep. But as usual we were late and this time the dude lost it and we felt like school kids who were being reprimanded by a teacher......hehehe

We went past the Chopta valley back to Thangu on our way to Lachen. One more halt at Thangu. We went back to the same shack ...more hot tea ..we also got a taste of the local fermented bamboo beer called Chang which is served in a traditional bamboo container and is to be consumed with a bamboo straw....they should rename it as straw- beer(y) . While some of us stayed put in the shack socialising with the locals, Subu decided to try out some gully cricket with the kids . Well, he wasn't allowed to go beyond bowling but he sure had a "ball" literally .. heheh .

We had a quick lunch at Lachen and then we were back on the road. Our next stop was Lachung which meant back to Chungthang and we had to take the other road at the fork.

We reached Lachung by late evening. We got ourselves shelter in a homestay.The place was construcetd of wood .. one kick and it would fall apart .. every time anyone moved , the squeak would scare the shit out of us. It was quite an adventure .

Dinner followed by Uno and it was sleep time. Woah What a day that was !

Imagine.......

2007-05-16T21:16:00.001+05:30

siesta time, originally uploaded by Unsung Traveller.

You may say I'm a dreamer...................
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us.....................
And the world will live as one

Searching the world.....

2007-05-16T21:11:00.001+05:30

Butterfly, originally uploaded by Unsung Traveller.

BUTTERFLY
TAKE A STEP OUTSIDE YOUR SHELL
TO DRINK THE SECRETS OF THE WELL
NO LONGER WILL YOU FIT INSIDE
THERE'S NO MORE NEED TO RUN AND HIDE
IT'S EASY NOW TO BE YOURSELF
AND SET YOUR FEARS UPON A SHELF
TO CLOSE YOUR EYES FOR JUST A THOUGHT
AND RECONSIDER ALL YOU'RE TAUGHT
WISHES MADE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG
CAPTURED IN THE SONGS YOU SUNG
FREED YOUR HEART TO LAUGH AND PLAY
REMINDERS OF A FORMER DAY
SO NOW YOU LOOK THROUGH OPEN EYES
TO ASK THE HOWS, THE WHENS, THE WHYS
TO SEARCH THE WORLD TO FIND YOUR PART
AND FREE THE DREAMS WITHIN YOUR HEART

Seek-him or else someone will .....

2007-05-14T16:56:00.000+05:30

Sikkim originates from "Sukhim" meaning new house.. New house or old house , we definately felt welcomed!
The journey began at Bengaluru . We boarded the much dreaded and feared Air deccan . We werent too worried as our connecting bus was much later in the evening so we had plenty of time even if our kind pilot decided to taxi for a few hours...
We landed at Dum Dum Airport and coutesy Subbu got a fundo orientation of the city of Joy(s) and Mukherjees.... Took a taxi to Flurry's where we caught up with one of our travel buddies for a what i call a perfect "Breakfast" .
Post breakfast ,we headed to Paligunj which is where we stayed.

We ventured a bit during the day to taste some LO-KOL cuisine (puns are flowing today ).. fish in mustard sauce and poori aalloo. hmmmmmm.. we shall talk about food later....
And late in the evening, went to new sharma hotel to have some yum safron tea served in an earthy kullad..

Fought the Kol traffic to make it to the Bus stand where we boarded the bus to Siliguri and whatta a ride that was. I seemed to be the only one in the bus safar-ing!! Cdnt sleep a wink and to add to my woes, we were stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere for three hours .. we were mobbed by trucks and buses on all sides and yes i was awake despite the snores and the roars... almost seemed like the bus was in coma !!!!!!aaaahhhhh Finally, it moved... yeah seemed like a baby in a mother's womb... yes it moved... it kicked off and seemed like it was a neverending bus journey...

We were 7 hours late !!! Got off at siliguri and without wasting time fixed ourselves a taxi to Gangtok. Quickly grabbed a bite and and we were ready to burn some serious rubber..

Siesta time for few ..and teesta time for few..... while i was busy fighting for the window seat ..teesta was flowing peacefully on one side .. all i cd catch glimpses of, were heads of my fellow mates .. arrggghhhhh .. the table turned after a few hours and i did manage some breathtaking views. AMy recent Canon S3IS acquision was about to bear fruits .. aahhh life seemed exciting all over again.....

With a few Pee-it stops , we made it to Gangtok by late evening. Got ourselves 2 rooms in the Army mess ..

Gangtok

The capital city of Sikkim, Gangtok in the local language means " the town on a hilltop". This commercialised urban town is an ideal hop stop for most of the travels across the state.

Gangtok is more of a sightseing destination with the typical touristy flavor such as the usual view points, temples, ropeways and gardens.However...... Its a perfect hub to plan adventerous activities around the state.

What did we do ?? We researched .. yeah !

Early morning took off to Nathula : Nathula is 60 kms from Gangtok and is situated at a height of 14450 ft at the border of India and China. The border had a barbed wire saparating us from China...If Amitabh and Tabu were there , they would have screamed Cheeni ( here we) Come ..... hehehe
Also, we found out that the pass is open only on Wed, Thurs, Saturday and Sunday and a special permit is needed.Thanks to one of our friends who had Army liason , we managed a pass without any difficulty.
Nathula was part of the famous silk route ...Hey btw one quick trivia .. did you know Marco Polo, the italian explorer took Pasta from China to Italy ?????? the reason why I mentioned his name is for 2 reasons. He traveled extensively on the silk route and also little did we know that pasta is of chinese origin..

Our next stop was the Baba Mandir : Built by the soldiers, in the memory of a sepoy named Harbhajan Singh. Legend has it that he appeared in someone's dream a few days after he went missing while patrolling and expressed a desire that a monument be built in his memory and the same was built which has over the years acquired the status of a pilgrim center.There is a cafe and an ATM here. The cafe is maintained by the Indian Army . its called cafre 13000. wonder y ??? heheh !!!

Finally , it was Tsongo Lake or Chongo lake.. About 35 kms from Gangtok on the way to nathula, at an altitude of 12400 ft,this is a must do and requires a special permit..What's interesting is that this lake remains completely frozen during the winter months... when else would it freeze ???????????

The place was totally mesmerising. The lake looked placid and very tranquill.Around the lake, there are a few souvinier shops and restaurants which obviously ruin the beauty of the place but since they serve hot tea and momos, i will not complain. Those interested in Yak rides can hop on the yukky yaks too.

By the time we got back it was kind off late ... we crashed as we had to leave for Lachen early morning.

On this note .. lemme crash too .. i gotta hit the gym early morning..... :P .. watch this space to find out .. if we actually woke up early enough ...

Why Nod Why Nad ? ;-) a perfect weekend getaway !

2007-02-02T13:06:00.000+05:30

They say when you "eat travel" "drink travel" "think travel" ,"sleep travel" and "talk travel" , u can make millions of excuses to get out and do what you desire most ! My friend says - you always land up travelling for fun and not land up doing what you initially planned your trip for .. Hehe so true !

I get an email from an old pal mid january that he s biting the dust !! I thought was time that i rekindled old relationships, met old pals from school and reminded them of my existence.Well, thats how the plan transpired !
So it was 2 nights in wayanad and then a night in Kozikode where the reception took place.I called my travel friend in Kerala and found out accomodation options in Wayanad .The American chic ( Refer. Hampi Travelogue ) was to come along and we were trying to work this out between her other plans and finally it didnt materialise and i was on my own ( AS ALWAYS )..I happened to talk to few other friends and realised that they were planning Wayanad as well ! and some of their travel buddies had pulled out and there was place in the car . Bingo ! there i fit !
So it was decided .We were to leave before the break of the dawn and be there by 10 am so that we had the rest of the day at our disposal .
The group which was four of us met at night for the last minute discussions and the consensus was that we wouldnt sleep and leave in an hour which was 2 am ! Phewwwww we must be real enthu cutlets !Fine ! all decided , freshened up ,packed some sandwiches and we were ready . We left at 2 . The drive was quite nice- decent roads except for some bad streches near Bandipur .But once we touched kerala , "God" had taken special efforts to keep his "own country" roads in good condition ..hehe !

What was very amusing were the Billboards on the way !!! The company Paragon seemed to have bought this part of karnataka or slippers really sold well here ! We saw close to 20 billboards of paragon . And that was not it - soon there was competetion ,there were other footwear companies too . hehe !
It was pitch dark when we passed Bandipur forests and there we spotted a baby elephant ! We reversed the car and as were waiting in ambush,the baby seemed terrified and was desperately trying to hide behind a tree . Looked absoultely adorable ! We dint wanna torture the poor thing so we left him alone and took off.

We burnt more rubber and finally made it to Sultan Battery . Stopped at a local chaya shop and had some lovely tea . Got back to driving . The early morning mist and the whole scenery was abslolutely breathtaking . Each tree had a story to tell . Each tree seemed like it was dressed to kill. Was an expereince to just stare at them and admire them !

We reached Vythiri which is where the resort is at about 8 am after all the stoppages. It was a 5 km drive in before we actually touched the resort.We werent forwarned about the deplorable condition of the roads in ! And we drove in . Soon the car decided not to go any further and hell ! it was stubborn ! We had driven close to 3 kms already . So another 2 seemed easy to walk .So i started trekking. Saw some workers on the way to the top and tried to chit chat in the lil malayalam that i knew .I was told that the resort wasnt too far or atleast that is what i understood..heheh !! after walking 2 kms i realised that i was all alone lost in the jungle and there seeemed no trace of civilization whatsoever ! Hmmmmmm time to turn back ..Heck i wsnt even carrying my pepper spray !anyways decided to get back to the rest and finally made it down .. I called the resort owner and i was told to hang in there and they would send a four wheel to take us to the resort .

After waiting for half an hour the jeep finally surfaced and we were tired and quite ticked ! We reached the resort in 5 minutes and settled down in 2 rooms . Ordered for breakfast and crashed ! Slept for 2 hours and finally woke up and decided to walk around the resort .We played some badminton and then created out own little trek route and decided to have some fun.The resort was quite fancy and also abit pricey.
Then it was some carom and table tennis . We were certainly famised by then . Went to the dining hall to get ourselves some grub . Some good kerala cuisine awaited us . After indulging in food , we went back to our rooms .

Next morning we were up by 7 . It was an action packed day .We were to go to the Chembra Peak. We were taken in a dilaptated jeep to a certain point in midst of tea plantations before we would start trekking . It was undoubtedly one of the toughest treks i had been for. We were exhausted by the time we reached a certain point and we were running short of time so we decided to head back .

CP is the highest peak in Wayanad. The lake at the top of the hill does not dry up even in the peak of summer. Trekking to the top of this peak takes almost a day.And we certainly dint have the time.
It was nevertheless fun to trek . After which we went to a restaurant called Empire at Kalpetta and had some Local food - Kps and lotsaaa meeen !!!! All that we consumed had fish in it !!!! Yummy !

The next stop was the edakkal caves . it started raining as we were driving towards the cave .It was almost 5 by the time we made it there ,time to close down . Well we quickly bought the tickets and got into a jeep which took us to the foothill . We started the climb which was a combination of natural steps and man made steps .What was very disconcerting was the number of people .It seeemed like one of the happening tourist spots for the locals. It being a sunday , there were all kindsa people . School children , elderly people and some monkeys to give us company..

Finally made it to the caves . I would say a tad dissapointed !I mean after all the drama and trekking it didnt meet our expectations as much

Anyways , we walked around and learnt that the scriptures went way back to the neolithic age which was quite interesting .

We walked back to the main road where our jeep was parked and left for the resort .We were exhausted .Took shower and went to the common area to check out some Theyyam performance that was orgnaised by the resort for the guests .Was good .After which we went and fed our hungry selves and came back to the room.

Next morning we got up early and went around the resort trekking and got attacked by the leeches . With some confusion on the mode of payment we had to stick around at the resort till about 5 pm which was quite irritating . There was no lunch and we were absolutely dead by then . I had to call off my Kozikode plans as it was way too late . The drive i was told wasnt very pleasant with the ghats and buses took a good 3 hour . I was totally exhausted so i decided to head back to Bangalore with the rest of them...

We made it to bangalore in less than 5 hours . We had some makki ki roti and sarson ka saag at Ramanashree and headed home ..

In the NUTSHELL :

Wayanad is beautiful- not as commercialised as the much hyped "Munnar" . There are lots of activities that can be arranged there . The place itself is quite picturesque . I believe the waterfalls are very nice which we missed as we were told would be dry .Was a fantastik experience overall and hope to go there again someday and check the places that i missed .

From the foodies desk :

Malabar cuisine is delectable and one can indulge in some great local gastronomical spendour ! Must try - the curry mean and also the malabar biryani

FACT FILE :

BANGALORE – Ramnagaram – Maddur – Mandya – Srirangapatna - Mysore – Nanjangud – Gundlupet (Right turn) – Sulthan Bathery – Kalpetta – Vythiri

Distance in Kms :285 Kms
No.of Hours : 5- 6 hours
Road Condition : Good except some streches near Bandipur

Its a beautiful life!

2007-01-17T10:15:00.000+05:30

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Promises.......................

I have to say it now it's been a good life, all in all,
It's really fine to have a chance to hang around.
Lie there by the fire and watch the evening tire,
While all my friends and my old lady, sit and pass a pipe around
And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone,
How right it is to care.
How long it's been since yesterday,
What about tomorrow and what about our dreams
And all the memories we share

Ready to get stoned errrrr stunned ??

2006-12-12T16:52:00.000+05:30

I haven’t written about my travels in a long time. Yes, call it laziness or call it procrastination! Finally I fought it all to bring into the world my experiences.

Here’s a peak into my trip to Hampi

Fact Files:

Bangalore to Hampi
Total distance: 350 Kms
Driving time (approx): 8 hours

How to get there:
You can reach HOSPET by train from Bangalore Take the Hampi Express. Departs Bangalore at 22:00 hrs and reaches Hospet around 07:30 hrs (IST) You can hire a taxi or auto to reach Hampi (13km away)

Time to visit:
The ideal time to visit the towns of Hampi is between November and March. The Hampi festival happens in the month of November and probably the right time to be there!

Days to be spent:
It’s possible to see all the sights in Hampi in a day. But the ideal way is to spend minimum two days .Take a guided tour on the first day and explore the ruins on the second day on you own.

Stay:
To make the most of Hampi, stay at any of the budget guest houses at Hampi which allows you to explore the ruined city till late evening and then spend the rest of the time shopping and relaxing which is what we did.
The other option is to stay on Virrupura Gaddi across the river. But, be warned that the lodging and boarding, there though cheap, is very basic.

Get Stoned at Hampi !!!!

We went to Hampi in the first week of December. What was initially planned as all women trip landed up being an all woman plus one man trip!! The man of course volunteered his services and was officially designated as our driver cum bodyguard.hehe.

The chosen car was a Hyundai Accent. So it was yours truly, the man, his wife, my mom and an American chic : D

We set out sharp 6:30 in the morning. From the outer ring road leading to NH 4, we continued driving on till we hit Chitradurga. A right turn just after Chitradurga got us onto NH13 which took us to Hospet.

It took us a good hour before we saw ourselves outside city limits. Once we hit the highway, it was rock and roll!! As expected, fights began on the choice of Music etc etc. It was one against the rest of us...which made life easy!! Women are simple – they either agree with each other or they completely get rid of each other! Ha-ha!! No scope for any compromises and it looked like it was our way or the highway .. well we were on the highway already so it had to be our way :P

The first thing that caught our attention as we were getting close to Chitradurga were heavy trucks carrying gigantic wings! The guess game started – It actually looked like the airplane wings .
Well, no one questioned what airplane wings would do in open trucks in the middle of nowhere ..and as we drove further we were totally taken aback by the squat hills with thousands and thousands of Windmills... AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Chitradurga is surrounded with bold rocky hills and picturesque valleys with huge gigantic boulders in incredible shapes. There were sunflower fields on one side of the road, while the other was lined with hills that were dotted with numerous white wind mills.... Absolutely breathtaking!

Fact File: Chitradurga, on the highway linking Bangalore with Hospet, is renowned for its massive Kallina Kote (Palace of Stone) fort, a marvel of military architecture which was made impenetrable by the Nayak Palegars.

We were running short of time so we decided to skip the fort and headed straight to Hospet!

We made a couple of halts in between. The first one being at 48 kms from Bangalore at Kamath Upchar. Idlis followed by coffee ....we were all set to burn some more rubber. I was told that the upma at Kamath is to die for ! Next time !

We reached Hospet at 2 in the afternoon .We had lunch at a local restaurant without wasting anytime we headed straight to Hampi.
Hampi is just 13km away from Hospet, which offers better hotels and staying options. But if you have your own transport it makes better sense to stay in Hospet.

The first look at the boulders and the historical sites added to the drama and we were truly mesmerized by the charm! We were mobbed by the local guides at the entrance and seemed like we didn’t have much of a choice as Lonely Planet didn’t seem to have too much dope on local activities to do .So the chosen guide was Nagraj! And he was truly god sent .

He took us to Hampi Bazaar as I requested him to take us to places that I had short listed on LP. Saw a few guesthouses and decided on Padma Guesthouse. I guess I had set my mind before landing there that Padma Guesthouse would be it. Well, the place wasn’t bad for what we paid – 500 Rupees for a room! There were signs all over Hampi saying they were recommended by Lonely Planet. Seemed like Lonely planet‘s little discovery! It did prove one point that Hampi was more known to foreign tourists when compared to us Indians.

The schedule for the next two days was set!

Day 1:

After settling down at Padma guesthouse, we were ready to explore!

We first went to check out the Ugra Narasimha Statue, which we were told had undergone a lot of damage and had been partially restored by Archaeological Survey of India.

Next on our agenda was the Hazara Rama temple.

After which we saw the two sister rocks. The story is that the two sisters went and saw Hampi and didn’t like it. They started talking ill about it and as they were leaving they were turned into giant stones.

Then we went to see the Pushkarini Tank : A must see , it’s a gigantic tank that was used during those times . What is remarkable is the ingenious engineering used during that time for the water system.

We then decided to head straight to the Hemakunta Hills to witness the sunset before it got too dark.

After watching skies turn crimson as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, we walked down to see a Ganesha statue.
I had to be pulled out of there as I was totally charmed by the beauty of the place. The sunset was absolutely breathtaking.

We headed back to our guesthouse and went to a restaurant called chill out for dinner.Since Hampi is a temple town , you don’t get alcohol but they had their own ways to smuggling local arrack.

The place looks quite cool with low seating, dim lightings and the works but the food was truly horrendous.Most of the café’s at Hampi sell a lot of Mediterranean grub such as hummus and falafels with some local flavor which wasn’t quite exciting.

Day 2:

On one hand Hampi is known for its ruins and historical monuments, it is also known for its colorful sunrise and sunsets. It’s truly a photographer’s delight. And we really wanted to capitalize on that. so we were up early in the morning next day and we walked to Hampi Bazaar to witness the much talked about view of the sunrise from the top of Mathanga hill. It was an exciting climb and we were one of the first to be up and were soon joined by a group of foreign tourists and some ravenous monkeys .We walked down and witnessed the prostitute’s bazaar which was gigantic .After spending some time there we were off to the guesthouse to freshen up and get ready for the rest of the day. We had enough places to visit for the entire day. Wasting no time after the breakfast, we quickly got ready and headed towards then monuments of Mustard Ganesh and then to Peanut Ganesh , they obviously got the names due to their sizes. Quite amazing
Next stop was the Pattabhirama temple. Pattabhirama Temple is a majestic shrine; the presiding deity being Lord Ram built during the Vijayanagar period in the 16th century. Pattabhirama Temple is noted for its splendid architecture. There is also a Kalyana mandapa attached to the temple. Also we saw the Lotus Mahal: shaped like a lotus flower , this structure looks very geometrical and was apparently used as a summer palace of the queen. Then we went to the Elephant Stables: This huge stable, a beautiful example of Hindu-Muslim style of architecture, housed about 11 elephants in separate compartments. When we reached there , there were a scrum of thousand students who were running from one part of the corridor to another.. It was quite a ruckus .!

Finally we made it to Vithala temple complex. The complex is a plane area by the riverside doted with old structures and ruins. The signature temple of Hampi
We parked near the temple and took the walkway that leads us to the king’s balance and the Vishnu temple. General saying is that “in Hampi every stone has its own story”, whereas in this temple every pillar has its own musical sound. We stood there absolutely speechless watching the guide who was patting the pillars and took us through a whole orchestra of musical instruments from Tabla to Mridangam .The Vittala Temple also houses the famous Chariot.

Fact File: There are three such chariots in India; one is the famous Konark temple Orrisa, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu and last but not the least at Vittala Temple Hampi. Never know, it could be your next KBC million Rupee question ;-)
Well, by then I was losing track of the temples I had been to .I guess that happens to everyone that goes to Hampi.
It was almost lunch time and we were famished. We went to this lovely restaurant by the Tungabhadra River called “Mango Tree”. They had seating on the ground and on different levels overlooking the river.. I highly recommend this place to all and sundry! Not only it has a lovely ambience, the choice of menu is also quite exhaustive. Very rejuvenating
After relaxing for some time, we decided to take a boat and cross the Tungabhadra River to Viruppura Gaddi. This was the last sunset that we were to witness. After much contemplation on the mode of transport, we decided to take 2 autos to the foot of the hills from where the incline to the hanuman temple would start. There were neat steps going up but there were too many. The Hanuman temple was on top of the hillock. There isn’t much about the temple but the sunset was truly spectacular .It was dark by the time we started climbing down. We were famished by the time we made it down. We befriended the villagers selling bananas and we requested them to make tea for us. We had an awesome time talking to the locals as we relished the oh-so-sweet tea

Day3:
We took it easy on the final day and woke up late . Finally we decided to go to the Virupaksha temple which apparently is one of the only temples in Hampi , where they still conducted prayers and poojas.

The temple has a 120 feet tall tower on its eastern entrance. The temple contains the shrines of Shiva, Pampa and Bhuvaneswari.Parts of this temple are older than the Vijayanagar kingdom itself.

We had a quick lunch and we were on our way back to Bangalore .

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside the door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye…………………….. But I had to leave ! Well the town was certainly awake and buzzing and I took with me lots of memories of this marvel and yes lots of pictures !

Headers and Footers !

2006-07-01T13:10:00.000+05:30

World cup was a saving grace to my frequent unwilling Chennai official trips.... Managed to watch all my favorites.... June 30 th was the day when my favorite team faced hosts Germany and got eliminated from the 2006 world cup ... :( Still feel if Hernan Crespo wasnt substituted, things would have been different.

Some of the punny light moments of the Worldcup....

Mata-Razzi lekin Zizou naheen Razzi

GO FIGO IT OUT ZIZOU !!!

GOA(LES) S BLEUS VS. PORTUG(OAL)

CZECH AZZURIS OUT !!

>

AYALA RE AYALA ARGIE AYALA

BRAZILLION CON(KAKA')TION !

ME MYSELF AND I

2006-07-01T10:52:00.000+05:30

Traveling alone can be intimidating. More so ,when you're a woman backpacking around on a limited budget. But once you overcome the numerous reasons why you shouldn't travel alone and just go, you'll have no qualms about it. TRUST ME !!! Recently, I went on a 2 week -long solo trip around Malaysia and Singapore. No no no !!! dont picture a Hippie with dreadlocks - yaaah the backpack still holds good !! hhaha....

Besides meeting other travelers from Europe, Australia and Japan along the way, I also made friends with many locals - from the land lady at a hostel to several other backpackers. Many people would like to travel alone, but a single question daunts them permanently ----: Is it safe? It is important not to deny one's fears …. Man!! I was cautious too , on the guard all the time .. LOL…

Following some simple rules and respecting the local culture, you can defiantly make r trip a memorable one ….Watch this space!!! Will be updating the ten commandments of backpacking!!!

COME BOARD YEAH !

2006-01-15T10:57:00.000+05:30

Come Board yeah!

Late in the evening, in my room in bangkok , as I relish my filt..erred coffee - thanks to the thick layer of cream , that it managed to get the status of filter coffee,browsing through various travelogues , I manage yet again to take off as I always did without moving an inch to a new place right in front of my 18 inch monitor. It almost feels like déjà vu, and as i get lost day dreaming ... I suddenly wake up to the buzz of yahoo messenger. Damnnn !!!!!!!

Another day,another beverage,another plan,another buzz!

Another sip of filtered coffee and I am ready with a scalpel to dig my desk to search for the notes that i had been making for weeks on Cambodia.

I had made up my mind.....I picked up the phone and called Air Asia – the low cost low service airline of south East Asia. A few thousand baht – sounded reasonable. I booked my tickets after much contemplation.
Well ...not the cheapest option but certainly the safest. Of course discounting the fact that Air-Asia did use some very old aircrafts. It still made sense as the thought of crossing the Cambodian border by road could have left me as a refugee forever!!

All my bags were packed – well just one backpack actually and I was ready to go. I was very jittery all night. Couldn’t sleep a wink – with all the excitement. I was up early, finished packing my toiletries and got myself a cab to Don Muang Airport.

As I was waiting for the jet plane, I quickly ran through my lonely planet for the dos and don’ts in Cambodia and brushed on the little French that I supposedly knew a few months back. My summer classes at alliance francaise would have come handy had I indulged a little less in French gourmet and paid more attention in class! ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Some habits die(t) hardly!

I carried a few USD s as it was considered mightier than the local currency riel in the khymer kingdom . Exchanged a few dollars for riel for a just in case situation.

I took a 07 30 am flight to Phnom Penn from Bangkok. Landed there at 08 45. First thing I see is a scrum of cab drivers at the arrival gate waiting to attack! Well , LP comes handy yet again !!!!! Settled for a two wheeler and took off to Boeng Kak Lake - a backpacker's haven with cheap guest houses by the lake....Unpacked myself at 9 guesthouse - hehehe not 9 guesthouses! After a sumptuous 2 dollar all u can eat Indian grub. ! I took a stroll, along the river,I plonked myself near the lake to witness a local Cambodian orchestra . it was quite hilarious ... Had some strange looking grub tooo.. hmmmmmm it sure did look wonkey !

Walking through the streets of Phnom penn was a great experience in itself . The city doesnt have a single skyscraper and feels very european especially with the sign boads in french ,you really feel you are walking in Rue de France but the muck and dirt of city puts you off sometimes.

Then I went to the national museum - saw the Indian connection.. Quickly smiled to myself and felt totally proud!! The National Museum is very well maintained !But since i am not much into museums , i scooted off after a quick round.

Next day....
Caught an early morning bus to Siam reap. The journey took abt 4 hrs. Lush green paddy feilds through the way . I was tired by the time I reached Siam Reap ... but the excitement kept me going ...now the fun started! The bus stop had millions of tuk tuks and cab s waiting!.Interestingly, they had placards with our names….. Boy!!! I must b popular….. Naaaah naaaah...well it was really momentary. My guesthouse in Phnom Penh sold the guest list even before I landed... Deal was a free cab ride to the guest house... Hmmmm not bad huh? Well for 5 USD a night - it wasnt bad at alllll !!!!!!!!!It was amazing to walk thru the streets, connect to the locals and eat the local food ... truly an enriching experience!

Had lunch relaxed a bit.. Got a bike and took off to Angkor before sunset! Man as i walked twds the temples - my heart was thumping loud. I spent a few hours around the complex . Saw the sun set and came back to my guesthouse.

My three-day temple pass had cost me $40... the temples were remarkable esp. the bayon temple -There are over 200 faces within the entire complex... The detail is absolutely amazing !! The face of King Jayaraman - who seemed so much at peace ..Interestingly ,all the structures had the exact expression .......Surreal !

Also , not to be missed is the Ta phrohm temple which seems like its in the clutches of gargantuan trees that surround the temple. This is the place where Tomb raider was shot too. It totally mesmerises u !

I saw a number of temples and managed to talk to a lot of locals during my stay in Siam Reap ..Parts of Sr reminded me of India esp the countryside .. My ride to Banthay Sarai was one of the most memorable rides . I got myself a tuk tuk to go to Banthey. We had three punctures on the way .Well, i amnot complaining. It gave mean opportunity to visit the local houses on the way and also take a lot of pictures. I was totally overwhelmed by the hospitality of the locals . At one of the places that i halted , i was offered mangoes .. Boy !! did i freak out !

I could go on and on about my expereinc there !But all good things come to an end and so did the trip !!!

PHUKET MEIN JANE KA !

2005-10-15T11:03:00.000+05:30

Phuket tho pahunch gayeee lekin phuket mei naheen !!!! had to spend a few thousand bahts but it was definately value for money !

I Reached Phuket at 09:30 in the morning.. All I had with me was my backpack , lotsaa energy and excitement !!!!

I took a cab to patong from the airport and checked in Eden bungalows . Decent place with a sexy location.. I got myself a bike and set galivanting !

Along the coast road between Kata Beach and Nai Harn Beach is situated a vantage point where you can enjoy the spectacular view - ..... From this vantage point you can see three of Phuket’s prettiest bays, Kata Noi, Kata Yai, and Karon Beach. Its georgeous !After admiring the spectacular view it ws time for some action .So i decided to indulge in some street food tasting !

Went back to my room after all the obscene indulgence .Relaxed a bit and took off to Patong beach . The sunset at Patong was mind blowing ! Patong is one of the most crowded beaches of Phuket .Also it was the most effected by the Tsunami...
After watchin the sun go down , it was time to hit Bangla street to check out Phuket s notorious Night life .. Some nice waterholes and restaurants there .

Next day

I was up by 6 am . All set to go to PHI PHI islands...I left for rassada jetty to catch ferry to go to phi phi ....The ferry ride was interesting .. Made a few freinds - thais and koreans ....We halted for some time at phi phi leh and then took off to maya bay... Maya Bay - You have 2 options - either watch the emerald green waters of the bay change to shades of blue and indigo as they pass over the coral reefs. -or the option that i opted for - went snorkelling to see the corals ... man !!gotta go thre to experience it ...lots of food too on board so i was happy !! As we pulled up into the bay( phi phi don ), it was unsurprising to see that i was not the only tourist here ------- hmmmm was imagining (the movie beach - damnnn leo was missing !!!!!!) SIGHHHH . . The water was clear turqoise and warm ..... What was slightly disconcertin was the mess around the island.I mean all the construction to revive the island back to how it was pre tsunami.....

FROM THE PHOOODIES DESK

Food at the restaurant which was part of the trip was goood. - sea food especially -the kungs, the tom yums and the red and green currys can keep me going for ever ....

It was time to pack bags and board Air asia back to BKK... 11 in the night - i was exhausted,a few shades darker and had lots memories to take back .....

Kanchanaburi..............

2005-02-02T14:43:00.000+05:30

Introduction:

Kanchanburi is 130 kms west of Bangkok and is along the banks of River Kwai.
The weather is just about cooler than Bangkok .

How to get there:

Most convenient to take the bus from Thonburi (Southern Bus Station)
Bangkok. Buses leave every 20 minutes from 5 am to about 11 am. Costs you less than 100 Rupees for a Aircon bus.

Alternatively, you can catch a train from Thonburi (Bangkok noi station)

Accommodation:

Plenty of places to stay in every price range. You could even do a “not so fancy floatel” for 300 Rupees a night! Nothing great but clean and decent to crash. You could also go for a nice evening boat ride from your floatel. Most of these floatel owners have their own little boats. There are quite luxurious floatels and resorts too. A good resource for checking the rates and booking is www.asiahotels.com

Day 1:
Kanchanaburi is a 2 hour drive from Bangkok. We left Bangkok at 06 AM and reached Kanchanaburi at about 10 thanks to the numerous stops and delays. Normally it doesn’t take this long.

We checked into sugarcane guesthouse - mentioned in Lonely Planet Thailand and got ourselves a room right on the water.
After a good sumptuous lunch, we went boating on River Kwai to witness the sunset. Must say was quite an experience. The bridge looked quite stunning with the sun setting in the background.

The water isn’t that clean but then after living in Bangkok for 2 years, have rather gotten used to dirty canals .

After the short trip, we went to see the Jeath Museum, which is in quite a dilaptated stage. It has an interesting history. Wouldn’t call it well kept but those who are interested in history could go there for a peek. It shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to go around. This museum is an open air. The structure itself is a reconstruction of a typical prisoner of war hut and was set up during the late 1970's, mainly to collect various items connected with the construction of the Death Railway by the prisoners of War (PoW's) during the Second World War, 1942-1943. It looks like an extended bamboo hut with the collections of knives, photographs, drawings of the POW’s

JEATH stands for the six countries that were involved during the railway construction on river kwai which are; J-Japanese, E-England, A-America, A-Austria, T-Thailand and H-Holland.

Next Day:

After breakfast, we went to the memorial of the POW’s who died when the 'death railway' was being built. When the Japanese invaded Thailand in WW2, they needed to get supplies from the gulf of Thailand and deliver them in to Burma. Hence a railway line. The Japanese used prisoners of war (POW) to build it and over 100,000 of them died over a period of time building it. It was bombed so many times, that the Japanese took to putting POWs in the bridge hoping that it would stop the allies from bombing it. Despite all the efforts, it was eventually bombed.

Then it was time for an elephant ride! Wouldn’t recommend that much. It seemed like we were right behind someone s backyard. But what was exciting was when the elephant got into the water .Some action!

After the elephant ride we were taken to the famous River Kwai, where we boarded a bamboo raft for a short trip upstream. That was quite exciting. Also, those more adventurous can go for river rafting on River kwai.

Now the real fun !

Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yanasampanno or simply the Tiger Temple), in Saiyok District of Kanchanaburi Province is a must go .Here you can pat tigers. Yes you heard it right! and play with monkeys at an animal rehabilitation centre run by a group of Buddhist monks. Everyday at 3:30PM, the Monks of Wat Pa Luang Ta Ma Ha Bua bring out the tigers from their cages and let them walk around in the animal sanctuary. There is a 400 Rupees donation to get into this place. There are also other animals freely walking around, horses, cows, peacocks, and goats. You cant pat the tiger for too long but its still the excitement of being next to the wild cat that made the whole experience a memorable one.

Next Morning before setting off to Bangkok we went to the famous Erawan Waterfalls
The most famous must-see of the National Park is its waterfalls. The Erawan waterfall is 1,500 m in length and has 7 tiers. On level 7, at the top of the waterfall, the water overflow takes on the shape of an elephant head, which is why it is called the Erawan Waterfall (The Erawan elephant is a 3-headed elephant from Hindu Mythology). We only made it to level 5, because of the steep climb and the heat, but even then it's still worth the visit.

All in all a great Experience !