Visit to Hyderabad

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To start with we had many places to go and many options to utilize. We collected as much information about the show timings and distance between the places and thought decide after a talk with cab driver. Must on the list was light and sound show at Golkonda Fort, laser show at Lumbini park and Salar Jung museum. After discussion with driver, decided to visit Qutub Shahi tombs, then Fort and watch the show at the end before returning to the city. Guide took us on a tour of tombs with some history of rulers of Golkonda. All the tombs have Indo-serasanic architecture and most of them are in good shape though walls are filled with writings.

From Hyderabad

Next was Golkand Fort. The Guide took us on a tour with interesting tidbits- "Tab ke zamane main nachne wale banjar hills pe rehe the the. Ab aja ke banjare, actors politicians wanha raha the hain". If it was not for the guide, we would have missed explanation of water supply system, defense systems and the "Kanwale Diwar"(Where whispers can get louder due to echo). Next was melodramtic light and sound show which takes you through the history Golkonda Fort from time of Yadavas who built mud fort and then Sulathans who fortfied today's structure till it was taken over by Aurangazeb. If you are visiting Golkanda fort this is a must.

On day 2 we visited Salar Jung Museum in the after noon and spent almost 3 hours. Though there is huge collection of art and antiques, the way it was being displayed was dissapointing. Antiques were cramped into places with little or no explaination or context. Now I know how disappointing to go through an photo album without captions. There was museum guide published in 1992 but only Hindi print was available. Though we bought it, was not that useful due to our snail paced reading of Hindi.

We ended city tour with Birl Planetarium and laser show at Lumbini Park

From Hyderabad

What to see

Golkanda Fort - Takes almost 1h 15min for a guided tour and guides are available for Rs 350. Its better to take guide than do your own tresure hunt using the limited sign boards. There is light and sound show explaining history of the rulers at 7:00 to 7:55 PM and during winter it starts at 6:00 PM. Tickets cost Rs 50 or Rs 100. Per guide only extras with Rs 100 ticket are a small bottle of water and packaged fruit juice. To get best seats be there at least 30 mins before the show and best seats watch are 2 left most columns in the 1st section as soon as you enter. There are 3 sections of which middle one is priced higher.

Qutub Shahi Tombs- 2 km ahead of the fort entrance, complex houses tombs of Sulthan, Queen and their commanders. There is also a archealogical museum inside the complex. It takes half an hour for a guided tour and asking price was 350 and after little bargain we brought it down to 200. May be higher price would mean a longer to with more historical information.

Salar Jung museum - Around 38 galleries filled with art and antiques collected by 3 Salar Jungs(Prime minister of Nizam). Requires at least Half day to cover everything. There is free of cost guided tour every one hour. There is a museum shop as soon as you enter where you can buy litreture related to art on display. We could not get the guide book in english as it was out of print and out of stock. There is also a cafeteria inside the museum. Star attractions are marble statue of vieled Rebecca, Double statue and old clock where man comes out ring the bell. Its open 10 AM to 5 PM. Photography not allowed here.

Chariminar - Supposed to be the star attraction of Hyderabad we skipped it and had a look from far away.

Lumbini Park and Hussain Sagar - Hussain Sagar has the Budda Statue and there are boat rides available to the statue from Lumbini Park. Laser show about Hyderabad is a must see.

Birla Mandir, Planetarium, Science Center - Science center also has also on display skeletons of Kotasaurus, as I initially thought it was not found in Kota, Rajasthan but in Yemanapalli, Andrapradesh as indicated by the name K. yamanpalliensis. Science center has lot of activities to understand basic physics

Jog Falls, Worlds 7th largest

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I was helping Som, to reach Bengaluru early from his scheduled Mangalore trip and ended up having a new itinerary and I also joined the trip. Plan was to visit Jog Falls via Shimoga and then visit Murdeshwar via Sharavathy valley and then take a train to Udupi along green route on Konkan railway. It was ambitious, packed and I was keeping my fingers crossed.

Trip started on a disastrous note. It was raining cats and dogs on Thursday night and there huge were traffic jams everywhere. Ended up walking 3-4 kilo meters to the railway station and thankfully train was delayed and we reached just in time. Wonder how many missed train,bus.. What about people planning to travel with kids? How many would venture to travel out after this kind of experience. There are hardly any sign of improvement in the condition of infrastructure in Bangalore.

We had booked First Class AC as that was the only available category. This was the first time I travelled in 1AC. Seat/Bed/Berth was certainly more comfortable and surprisingly there is socket for charging laptop with 110V and US type socket. Also there is a rest room status indicator in every cabin. Cabin can contain 2 or 4 berths. After the long run I did not feel the cold but was hungry at midnight along with body pain. The train does not have pantry car. Reached Shimoga at 6:20 AM with a cloudy weather. Car we had booked was waiting for us.

Elephants at the entrance of Aghoreshwara Temple, From Jog Falls

We had a packed schedule and there was only one our to get ready and have breakfast. Coloured hot water came out of taps for taking bath. I convinced Som that the colour was due to the fact that locals treated the water with herbs to make it soft and usable. He realized I was joking only when he was explaining it to Santosh and I told him the truth, which was well after the trip. We got into the car at 8:15 AM to see Jog falls. We quickly paid a visit to Aghoreshvara temple and then rushed to Jog falls, worried that heavy rains can potentially spoil the fun of watching falls. All along the road we were greeted with green cover on both the sides and cool climate. To add some difference to the ambience every now then there were breif drizzles and children marching on with the flags celebrating independence day. Looking at those children we got nostalgic and regurgitated memories of independence day celebration we were part of as kids!

On the way we went past the now closed railway tracks of only "Rail bus" in the world. It had only two carriages and one would buy ticket once you got into the train. There used to be a conductor moving around issuing tickets on the way! Amidst all the talking we reached mist covered Jog Falls. There were hundreds waiting for the mist to clear up as falls played hide and seek behind. Little a bit of waiting and we got glimpse for few minutes with people cheering around and hordes of photographers who were waiting for this minute so that they can have somebody to take an instant photograph with falls on the backdrop. It was precious business time for them.

Raja, Roarer, Rocket, Rani From Jog Falls

After having some hot Maggi Noodles at a small shack in tourists complex, we visited other view point below travellers bungalow. One can go really close to the mouth of Raja, one of the 4 falls from here. After some diligent walking we reached the mouth and took some good photographs.

From here the next stop was Murdeshwar through Sharavathy valley. Its a treat to drive through this valley. Even at 2:00 PM it was covered with mist. Atmosphere was cold but not chilling. There are numerous baby falls, view points and zeals on the way with forest on both sides of the road. Traffic is low and as it is ghat section one can slowly move, looking at the surroundings.

Fog covered Sharavathy Valley From Jog Falls

Murdeshwar Beach From Jog Falls

We had our lunch at Honnavar and reached Murdeshwar around 4:00 PM as planned. We spent some time at park with Shiva statues with cool breeze passing by. Visited the temple and then went to the beach and touched the chilling water! It was so good, long time since I went to a beach during monsoon.

There were already people thinking of settling down there, but for we had a train to catch at 6:30 PM. Reached Udupi around 9:00 PM by Madgaon Passenger of Konkan Railway which is one of the beutiful routes to travel on. That was end of the trip for me, but for Som&Jayeeta there were more places to be covered before they started to bangalore on Sunday afternoon from Mangalore.

How to reach
We took Shimoga express which leaves bangalore at 11:40 PM and reaches Shimoga Town at 6:00 AM in morning next day. Note that there are two stations Shimog town and Shimoga, later is a deserted station with hardly any amenities. Make sure you get down at Shimoga town station which is well connected and easily one can get Auto or a Taxi. There will also be Buses to Sagar from here and one can catch a bus to Jog from Sagar. We had booked a car which took us around and dropped at Murdeshwar via Honnavar on NH 206. From Honnavar one can travel north and go to Gokarna, Karwar, Goa etc.

Where to stay
Sagar is ideal place to stay but as there are really few hotes it is very tough to get accomodation during monsoon. Check out the link to notes for phone numbers. We stayed at Mathura residency in Shimoga just enough amenieties to freshen up and have breakfast.

What to see

1. Tyavarekoppa lion safari - A few kilometers from Shimoga on the way to Jog falls.
2. Ikkeri - 4 kms from Sagar has Aghoreshwara Temple built 500 years back with carvings on the outerwalls. Supposed to built in Vijayanagara Style architecture built by Keladi Nayakas Though I saw royal emblem of Hoysala among temple carvings style distinct from other Hoysala Temples. The main diety of Shiva with 32 hands was 300 hundred years back and is placed outside the temple. The existing "Shivalingam" along with "Nandi" was installed 200 years back. Preist told that In India one can rarely see a temple platform so high from the ground. There is small Akhilandeshwari temple is next to this temple.
3. Keladi - Though we could not visit due to lack of time and bad raods, its worth visiting if you want to see some more ornately built temple. Its 25 km away from Sagar.
4. Singdhur Choudeshwari temple - Around 10-15 km from Sagar and Situated on a island fully covered with forest. Supposed to have very scenic view and one has to catch a ferry to reach the temple. Our driver emphasized about the ferry ride than the temple. We could not visit this place.
5. Jog Falls - Has 2 main view points. From the first one can see all the four falls Raja, Roarer , Rocket and Rani. One can also trek down and see the falls from bottom, but not during the monsoon as it is not allowed. Other view point is below the travellers bunglow and if the water is low one can up till the mouth of Raja and also hear roaring sound made by Roarer. Side view of othere 2 falls is also very good from this view point.
6. Sharavathy Valley - NH 206 passes through the valley and there numerous small falls and zeals on the way. There are also couple of elavated view points watch the valley.
7. Murdeshwar - is on the beach with Shiva Temple and statue park.

Yercaud

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Visited Yercaud on 19th and 20th of July. After the Yelagiri experience I had convinced myself to not to set too high expectations. Especially considering that we were visiting during off-season. But did not repent on Som's choice. Yercaud situated on Shevroy hills close to Salem is approximately 1500 ft above sea level. We started by 7:00 AM and managed to reach around 12:30 PM despite taking multiple breaks.
We could not manage a home stay as we always do. But after checking out couple of options and nice south Indian meal settled for recently opened small lodging place.

From Yercaud

After small nap moved to see Botanical Garden maintained by Botanical Survey of India. To our disappointment it was closed on all Saturday and Sunday. I had read that it is closed on Sunday and we wanted to check this out first so that we wont miss it. I was very eager to see insect eating plants. It also boasts a third largest orachidarium in India. Next we visited Pagoda Point, Ladies Seat, Gents Seat. Best part was the hot Bajjis available almost all the places. Bajjis with onion rings spread on them and masala powder sprinkled tasted awesome with instant chutney made out of curry powder and oil. That was the best part of this trip! We had Chilli Bajji( Shimla Mirch or Muluga in the local lingo) and banana bajji(made out of raw bananas). Every point is accessible from the centrer, big lake.

From Yercaud

We spent the evening discussing about the upcoming confidence vote and things to do next day. Had a nice dinner at Star Holidays full of Dosa and Parotha. Looked like we were the first ones to get up early based on the vehicles outside our lodging place. First we visited the Kiliyur falls. The road is narrow and there is a watching point after 3 km travel. There was a small well laid road next to the watching point there was also a small sign indicating no vehicles on that road. But that looked as if vandals had put that sign. We ignored that sign and took that road only to repent later on. The road was narrow, has sharp turns and at point really long slope. We had to struggle to come up that slope. There was very little room at the end of the slope to take a U turn. From the place we parked the vehicle it was around km trek to the falls. It was not worth the anxiety we had gone through thinking about going back. May be we had parked the vehicle at watch point we would have enjoyed falls better.

Next stop was Rose garden it was a treat and I managed few of my best macro photographs. Then we went for a boating ride, dont know why they charge 10 bucks for the camera during boat ride. Had some more Bajjis and skipped the dear park, Anna park, aqurium rtc. It was time to start to go back home.

From Yercaud

For information on How to get there and Things to see check out "Yercaud on wknd.in"

Things to Do :

• Take a boat ride on the lake. One has the option to choose peddle or row boat. Make sure you have the energy peddle for 1/2 an hour before you take one.
• To reach Killiyur falls one has to trek around 1 km in uneasy terrains.
• In the morning go birding at Rose garden. Its larger than expected and saw many birds and herd chirping of the birds.
• 52 weekend gateways by Outlook suggests going for night walk to ladies and watching mettur dam from the telescope available there. Avaialability of telescope might be based on your luck !
  
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Stay and Food:
There lot of options for stay and food for every budget. We ate south Indian food. But there are a number of multi cuisine restaurants. For a simple south indian meal go to Star Holiday. Lake forest has European options.

Yercaud

Wayanad

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Wanted to blog about the trip for a long time... Never managed to do so and its almost 6 months now. It was another event full trip with the duo Prem and Som .. Visited Muthunga, Soochipara falls, Edakkal caves and Kuruva islands
High points -

• Managed to get home stay quite close to the Muthunga wild life sanctuary. As the cottages were booked or ventured to stay in tree house. It was an experience. Rest room was on the ground and bed room on the tree and bucket and a pulley to take our paraphernalia to the top.
  

  It took nearly an hour and lot of adjustments to take this snap without flash in the moon light.

  
  
• Food at the home stay was simple and tasty. Taught the cook how to make pea-nut masala
• We enjoyed the drive to Soochipara falls on winding roads through scenic Harrison tea estate, though we were getting restless due to the ever changing directions given by locals.
  

  From Wayanad

  
  
• Thankfully the security guy at the Edkkal caves explained the stone carvings/painitings or whatever you call. Who is the king, queen etc.
• Kuruva island is great place for birding - prize sighting was the racket tailed drongo. Others bird watchers had found 3-4 Black Baza. Its serene, calm and not that commercialized.

Low points

• Biggest disappointment was the wildlife safari. We had asked Jeep guy to come at 6:00 clock to take us to the sanctuary. By the time he arrived it was 7:00 and by the time we went inside it was already 7:30 and every one had gone to their hidings. We did not even sight one Cheetal. Only wildlife we could see was Adjoint Stork and elephant from far away.
• Getting directions turned out be very difficult due to language barriers. Even when we managed to convey we got different answers from every individual answered. Adding to the confusion were the milestones side by side showing different distances! At some stretch there were 3 sets of milestones with its own distance. I guess its real democracy out there. 1 meter might be 100 cm for some and 90 cm for other.
• We could not visit the Chembra peak which is supposed to give very scenic view.

Here is the link to the notes I collected before the trip about Wayanad

Wayanad

Leaving Las Vegas

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I was very eager go to west coast. I started off around 2:15 pm and by 4:00 pm had finished the security check in. But around 5:00 pm I came to know that due to thunderstorm at New York the planes are delayed by 3 hour. But then I had a connecting flight from New York. So I was put on a flight to Oakland which was supposed to leave at 11:00 pm. That was first time my flight was getting delayed for so long and was in for a experience of “The Terminal”. I was anxious and worried what will happen to the flight we had the next day to Irvine. I had to spend 6 hours alone and thankfully the terminal had points for charging the laptop and was happy to use laptop though not connected to the net.

At around 10:00 pm they Jet Blue guys started serving snacks at the boarding point and 15 minutes later they announced the New York flight is canceled. Butterflies started fluttering in my stomach. I called up Nikhil to find out the alternatives I had in case the flight got canceled. I came to know that the planes do not take off after 12:00 pm in US airports. When the boarding started at 12:00 am I was relieved. I reached Oakland around 3:30 AM and Nikhil and Mun Mun were just in time to pick me.This was my first real "flight delay". Never before I have waited for so long and so much of anxiety.

We reached San Jose around 4:00 and then I had my dinner which included delicious samosas and baingan ka bartha. Dinner and talk lasted till 6:30 am and we took a “power nap” of 3-31/2 hours before we started packing for our trip to Vegas. When we reached San Jose air port we came to know that the flight was delayed by 1 hour. This time I was happy at the delay and I and Nikhil happily utilized the time to quench our thirst with drink and satisfy the appetite with some Pizza. I was surprised that they were serving chilli flakes along with pizza which was not the case in east coast pizzerias. It was a short flight to Orange County. When we took the bags and came out Shetty was ready in his recently bought BMW to pick us. We went to his home to pick his stuff and some CDs and without wasting much time we were on the road to Vegas!

Mojave Desert

Our first pit stop was buying essentials for the trip then we we took another break to have some delicious Mexican food in the desert. It was pleasant drive to Vegas across the Mojave desert. At some places the speed limit was 80 mph and with the allowed tolerance of another 10 mph we were flying on the highway. As the sun started to sink the sky was sprayed orange and blue. With the occasional tall electric poles it on the mountain peaks it was getting scenic by the moment. I guess Nikhil managed a "Power" nap in between while I was trying to take some snaps from inside the car moving at 90-100 mph. At around 8:00 pm we went past first of the casino cities. Around 9:30 pm we had checked into MGM Grand. I was amazed by the look of the casino. After relaxing for really short time we were out on the the Vegas streets.

On the card was to watch all the shows put up the different casinos. First was to musical fountain in a lake in front of Bellagio. I captured the my best video ever of the swinging fountains to the tune of "Heart will go on..." by Celine Dion. The next was the simulated volcano at the Cesar's palace. Though we wanted to go to Wyn which was the latest kid on the block the time was close to 12:00 midnight we returned in search of a casino where the rookies like us can play on the table.

We settled down at Hooters for the dinner and there after gambling . To start with I lost some quick money at the slot machines. Then looking at the success of Nikhil at roulette table, I decided to try my luck. As it turned out be that was certainly not favorable as I lost some money after playing for more than an hour the fun was worth the money lost. After a while NP and VS moved to the Black Jack table as I did not know the ABC of this game remained as a spectator for some time. Then I found Black Jack on the terminals which gave me the opportunity to try the tricks learned so far. I got deeply engrossed and when VS and NP came searching for me it was already 6'o clock in the morning. It was time to go to bed. But now I was addicted to "Black Jack". Later on this became the most frequently played game on Fedora)

Cesar's Palace, From Las Vegas

We got up around noon and hurriedly got ready to visit the Hoover dam which is one of the symbols of American determination. Though I had visited many dams earlier it was nothing more than mere staring at the big turbines and some thrill of hearing the gushing waters. But this visit turned out be impressive with the guided tour which included a documentary show and an enthusiastic young lady explaining history and working of the dam. There was also a museum which brought alive the conditions when the dam was under construction. On the way back we were thinking of a helicopter ride, but did not venture as it was getting dark.

Back in Vegas we purchased tickets for the Zumanity show by Cirque de Solil and spent some time at New York New York, eating and gambling. Zumanity show was stunning and sensual display of acrobatics. We watched without closing eye lids. When we came out it was close to midnight and time for some grub then again to gamble! By this time I had brought a card explaining how to play Black Jack which certainly helped to learn the tricks of the trade :)

Next day morning we roamed around watching all the architecture. Treat of the day was the view of Vegas from Effiel Tower replica at Paris Paris. VS managed to win everything lost in two with a stroke of luck at slot machine. Our memorable trip of Vegas was coming to an end. When NP was repeatedly asking me to have a nice vacation I had not thought it would be this great! Thanks NP and VS for such good begining to the vacation at west coast.

New York - The Busy City

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Previous day we had hardly managed to get some sleep. And we were to go to New York with our hurried trip starting at 6:30 AM again. As always the plans did not go as expected. We started a bit late and it took half an hour to reach the metro and 40 minutes to reach Washington DC. You know for Nagesh 1.4 miles (2.24km) in 30 minutes is sooo.. near! :) Instead of getting down at New York Avenue station on Red line we got down Metro Station which is also supposed to be sooo near to the Grey Hound bus station. After a brief walk we reached bus station and after little bit of struggle managed to get the tickets at the kiosk only after a lady helped used. Even though lady was a Grey hound employee even she had to go back and forth with the links. Finally we had the tickets to New York at 10:00 AM and return bus at 9:00 PM.

It was a 5 hour trip to New York. On the bus a Disney movie, “Wonka chocolate factory” was being played. I watched a bit of the movie in between the naps. But as usual Nagesh watched the “movie” fully. I and Naga Satish again wondered about the high ways in America.

Sky scrappers in New York

By 2:30 PM we were at 42^nd street of Manhattan emerging out of the grey hound bus station. When we were entering New York we had seen the sky scrapers from far away along the coast. Now we were amongst the sky scrapers! Photos were clicked furiously and Nagesh was on with the video cam which was bought couple of days back by Naga Satish. Some people like taking photographs and some like to have the photographs taken. Nagesh was a guy who is crazy about both taking photographs and becoming part of the photo. Praveen who was not traveling with us this weekend was an extreme case of becoming part of the photo(A week back he was visiting New York and took 10 photographs standing in one spot at the Brooklyn Bridge at different angles). Nagesh was busy with the video cam I guess he is the best handled the video cam among us.

First thing we did was get into the first Indian restaurant we saw and started eating. I was so hungry that I took all the curries that were available in a loaded plate and finished everything waiting for the rothis to arrive. Thankfully before my next plate finished a basket full of soft Nans arrived and I relished them. I had one more round of rice before I gave rest to my mouth only to find out Nagesh slowly eating his first serving.

There were couple city tours were on offer. We were in double mind to take the tours or not. Considering the time we have in our hand decided to utilize the tour itinerary and the map of city and do it on our own. Its like to search through the maps get directions and find a place! The nearest land mark to our position was Empire state building. Due to lack of time we had to satisfy ourselves by looking at the building from a distance. Later on I came to know that tourists can go to the top of the building. Actually people stand queues for hour to have a look at the New York from the top of Empire State building.

We turned around and started walking towards the Times Square. It was a long weekend and the streets were crowded with tourists. All along the foot paths there were hawkers selling T-Shirts, hand bags and what not. Looked like most of the stuff sold by hawkers had made in China tag. Wonder if Made in China costs so less after shipping to other side of the continent, it should cost much less across the border in India. But I have never come across such stuff in Bangalore.Most of the regular shops had on going “Sale” too.I was searching for a binocular and inquired to get Luke warm responses as I was searching for a basic model.

People taking photographs at Timesqure From Newyork

Not only the shops, there were people doing spray painting, playing violin and what not. It was reminiscent of Chikpet in Bangalore or the busy streets of Mumbai. When we reached Time Square crowd was just increasing by the minute, people were some how managing to find some space for a photograph with the billboards and neon signs in the background. NR and NS shopped for a while at Time Square. We found a subway station. Compared to Washington DC metro New York Subway covers larger area and one can take one way ride from any station to any station for just $ 2. I found it hard to understand the system. But I guess if you are new Yorker that’s the best mode of transportation alternative to the busy streets. Washington DC Metro easy to use its less crowded so easy to get in and out. Before a station is reached the driver announces, even the next station is announced. Even closing and opening the door happens with warnings. But all that is not there and you will also see more counters compared Washington DC. At DC there are more ticket vending machines and hardly any counters. Moreover its easy to find out which line to take or when the station is approaching using the map provided at all metro stations. But I guess that may not be possible in New York due to large number of stations and area covered.

Brooklyn Bridge From Newyork

We took the subway to City Hall and reached the site of World Trade center. There are photographs on display which were taken at the time of 9/11. The photos convey what people went through during 9/11.After WTC site we visited Brooklyn Bridge. Constructed in 1870-83, it is one of the oldest suspension bridges and has a story of determination behind the construction. Nagesh was visiting New York for the second time and this was the only place he could not see during last visit. There were boat rides available on the pier 17. But considering the time we time we had in hand we had to start moving back. By then we were feeling tired as well esp Naga Sathish who does not like too much of roaming around. We started back and on the way went to City Hall Park before taking another ride on the New York Subway.
When we reached the bus station we came to know that we had wait for another 2 hours at the station. We had failed to read the fine print in bus timings. An earlier bus was canceled on that day. When we finally reached Washington DC it was 1:30 AM and we had to struggle to get a taxi. We were left with no options than take non-taxi and pray that we reach hotel :)

Newyork

Atlantic city

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Long weekend was coming cup and we were exploring economic options to go to Niagara. Though we did lot search and research we could not find a viable option within the reach. Then Greg offered to take us to Atlantic city which is supposed to be next only to Las Vegas when it comes to gambling.

On Thursday night, there was production issue due to which I was awake till 3:00 AM. Some how I managed to get up at 5:30 AM and get ready hurriedly. Including Greg there were 5 of us – Me, Naga Satish, Nagesh and Praveen. We were planning to start at 6:30 and Greg arrived sharply at 6:30 AM. Then we thought of having breakfast which took another 20 minutes and we hit the road. We were cruising at 65 MPH we went past Mormon temple which had tall towers and supposed to have beguile boy in gold. We went past Baltimore and traffic was ok so far. We had herd that there will be huge holiday traffic and there can big traffic jams.

While on the go roads in Ameerica, was the major topic of discussion. Greg answered all the questions patiently explaining whole of the interstate highway system in America. Praveen(called as officer by Naga Satish for the punctuality shown by Praveen )was the driving force behind discussions. Sometimes he sounded like a question bank which is waiting for the answers to be completed so that next question can be thrown. There was one question on cricket, Why Americans do not play cricket, the way he asked that question looked as if Greg was responsible for Americans not playing the cricket.

In between the discussions we realized that there was traffic jam. The topic turned to how to find a rest room when you are on highway. I guess the discussion was contagious and everybody wanted to “dew”. Greg took the car to shoulders, and without knowing that there is poison Ivy in the woods Naga Satish, Nagesh and Praveen ran to the woods to do the “dew”. Thankfully the traffic situation improved and we were cruising again. I took up my favorite job of navigator. Nagesh was busy watching a movie on the small screen in the car. Don’t know how he managed to watch the movie amidst all the discussions going on. He is movie crazy person who will any movie as long as it is called a movie.

We reached Atlantic city around 10:30 -11:00 AM. Our first job was to search for the parking and we found a self service parking close to the “Trump Plaza” which was supposed to be the one of the popular casino’s around. That was my first look at the casion’s and the slot machines. We tried to decode the logic behind playing. We pressed the help button and went through the instructions, but no body seemed to understand what needs to be done. Simplest had 3 columns of running numbers and you win when you have 7 in all columns. This had a minimum bet of 25 cents. We gave couple of tries using the quarters we had. There were a lot of people who were very busy gambling, without closing eye lids with a finger moving very frequently, every now then lips making some noise and very rarely people asking machines to read between the lines.

We managed to get an old lady who helped us to understand the slot machine. The game was simple we tell how much are we going to bet and on which row. Then we keep pressing the button and ask the machine to play. If we get 2 or more golden biscuits in a row we win and the machine credits us else it will deduct the bet amount. In the olden days you were supposed to pull a lever now all that you need to do is press a button with your finger. What more you can even ask it to repeat the bet and keep playing and just watch. It took nearly one hour to loose my $5 completely, not sure how many win but Nagesh managed to double his $5 and stop playing too. Greg and Naga Satish lost $20 each.

When we were done with the casino we came out the beach bar next to Trump Plaza. Praveen was in an American beach atmosphere for the first r time and one could make that out from his blushing face. For some time there was silence and no questions were coming out of Praveen’s mouth. Then he spoke to Greg, thanked him profusely and said he had gone to Goa to see this and did not see anything. Not sure which beaches he visited though as Goa is one of the most sought after beach destinations.

After some refreshments we set off to find a pure vegetarian Indian restaurant. Though we could easily manage with a cheese pizza, other vegetarians were not even ready to take the cheese. We could not a find any Indian restaurant on the board walk. So we got into a restaurant complex inside the casino. First restaurant we went in, we were told that it was only for the premium members. Then we found an Asian restaurant but the options were pricey and finally we settled for a fruit basket!

All along the board walk we saw what are called the rolling chairs. This is nothing but glorified version of hand pulled rickshaw in Calcutta which is going to be banned soon. There is a chair which enough for 2 persons to sit on human being pushes the chair from behind. The pricing was based on the distance covered in terms of blocks. I guess a rolling chair guy makes 10 times more than rickshaw guy for 10 times lesser distance. But of course they live in areas with different cost of leaving.

Guys were already feeling sleepy and we got back to the parking lot and were next destination was Ocean city. I managed small nap as well before we reached the ocean city. Ocean city board walk is much longer compared to Atlantic city board walk. Here there are amusement parks with roller coasters etc. Nagesh took a roller coaster ride along with some blonde girl who could not get a seat with her friend and Praveen repented the missed opportunity.

In the mean time I, Naga Satish and Greg were busy with food and cheating. Greg managed to feed the sea gulls and I tried my level best to capture photograph of a sea gull catching French fry on the fly! Then I and Naga Satish took a long stroll along the beach, the beach was full of eateries. There was a pizza place and then there was French fries shop, one ice cream shop and one gift shop. The sequence repeated for miles and miles. All the shops were managed by the kids and teens. Later on I came to know that children love to be at the beach during summer. So these places provide means of paying for the beach stay! That sounded cool I never had such a long beach vacation when that old. My first beach vacation was in 1999(I was 20) at Goa and we stayed there for 4-5 days and that was memorable one.

As the sun was setting we started back home. By the time we hit the highway I was fast asleep. In between we stopped for some tea and dough nuts. By the time we reached Rockville except for Greg( Of course he was driving all along) and Praveen everybody had slept and there was snoring concert I believe. Don’t how many more questions Greg had to answer on the way back.

atlantic city

Into the Mueseum City - Washington DC

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All along the week i was listening to "There are so many museums in Washington DC that you should visit". I choose this Sunday to explore those words. Took the Washington DC Metro and got down at the Smithsonian stop. Out I came and all over there were so many museums. Smithsonian is a group of museums with different themes many of them situated at the national mall. There museums on every aspect of American culture and history. Adding to that was the collection of Asian cultural and historical artifacts.

Braille Signs at the Freer Art Gallery

As usual the plan was something and I ended up doing something else. I was planning to visit air and space museum, the planetarium etc. But first I one visited was the Freer art gallery. It contains ancient artifacts related to the Asian culture. One can find artifacts from China, Japan, Thailand. India and Egypt. Each of sculptures or the artifacts have explanation on the history or how the art evolved and about the religion. Though India is the cradle of Buddhism and Jainism, not sure if there is any such museum which explains the facts in such details. For example different forms of Buddha were explained and there was booklet on identifying the forms of Buddha such as Bodhisattva, Avalokiteśvara. Other interesting sections are on Japanese paintings, evolution of Chinese tea pots, Egyptian figures and many more.

Masks on Display at African Art Museum

Next one to be visited was the African art museum. It has got a big collection of masks and tribal artifacts depicting the African culture. There were also sections on contemporary African art. From here I went to the Slacker Gallery which was closed for renovation except for the exhibit on ceramics. Ceramics from Thailand, China and Japan were on exhibition including films on making ceramics. S Dillon Ripley center is attached to these galleries and has entrance from these. There was a exhibition going on American history which included American Indian, French and British lives, wars and on .
It was time for some food. Apart from fruits and deserts only vegetarian stuff I could find was Greek Salad with lettuce, tomatoes, olive and cheese. With that I went to the cash counter. The girl over there asked me if I was an Indian, not sure what made her think that I was an Indian the skin color or the preference to veg stuff? I was greeted with a "Namasthe" and she made sure to check that she was doing it right. It seems she was holding the hands above her head and somebody corrected her. Later on I realized that first thing they do at the cash counter is greet the customer. May be these systems are in place to make people comfortable who are used to the Mom and Shops( which existed long back in America) and it continues.

"New Fungus Corp" at Hirshhorn Museum

After a heavy meal I visited, Hirshhorn Sculpture museum and the garden. One the day of visit R. Tillman's photo's were on exhibit too. Probably this was the first time I was visiting an art exhibition like this. You could find lot of interesting sculptures, designs and ideas, wall hanging, decorative items. Some of the stuff I like included a mushroom garden made of synthetics, then there was collection of flowers stuck to the wall. There was a dark room which replicated atmosphere of sunset by controlling the light entering the room. One had to go inside and then sit till the eye adjusts to the conditions and relax.
From here I went to Natural History museum. I was just in time for the 3D IMAX movie on "Lions of Kalahari". This was the first I was watching a IMAX movie on the Giant screens. When the lions jumped it looked as if they are jumping at you and there was scene where in a plane flies close to the ground above desert swaying all along which made me feel as if I was sitting in the plane. Once the movie was over I got 45 minutes to roam around. The natural history museum has got a large collection of stuffed animals, skeletons and fossils. At the center is the African Elephant standing on the modeled echo system in Africa. There is a huge gallery on Mammals, fossils from Mesozoic era including Dinosaurs and marine animals that have gone extinct. I could not finish the whole round, thinking of coming back again I left to the hotel at Rockville. By this time I had got accustomed to the metro rail and easily reached back.

Smithsonian Museums

Hoysala Trails - Nuggihalli

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After couple of trek and birding weekends I and Prem decided explore Hoysala trails. The last hoysala temple we visited was almost 8 months back(Hosaholau) and I was planning to cover lot many during th elast monsoon. This time first choice was Belavadi but we were not sure if we could make it in a day. For a change we were planning for trip on KSRTC instead of the car as there was always a scare of traffic jams on Hasan road and then we did not know how were the road conditions. So we decided to go to Nuggihalli which was supposed to be the closest Hoysala temple on Hassan route.

This time we made it a point to start as early possible and carry some food and Getorade to tackle the hunger problem(guess who? Prem is the most affected by hunger problem). We reached Majestic by 7:30 AM and managed to get a Rajahansa with comfortable seating than Suvarna Karnataka. It was a 3 hour ride to Chenna Raya Patna with a break at Bellur Cross. I and Prem were reading for a while and then chatting for a while about all the topics in the world and sleeping in between.

At C.R. Patna we found a bus to Tipatur and we got down at the Nuggihalli after half an hour drive through fields. I was surprised to see that the roads were fairly good condition compared to the roads at other places in Karnataka. A short walk from the bus stand through the narrow streets took us to the temple. Probably this was the largest of the places we visited so far in search of the Hoysala temples. It was auspicious day(Narasimha Jayanthi) at the temple and was being celebrated by the folks around the temple. Prem inquired if we could get a guide and we got one!

The floor was hot and the guide was running through the explanation. This time Prem did not ask many questions :) and guide also did not tell us any lengthy stories.( I guess both were feeling the heat ?) So we managed to finish of the tour quickly and headed to the other temple. By the time we reached, it was already locked and we could not see the deities. Standing on toes we managed to take some snaps and run back to the shades. We were thinking we will end up with huge boils. But thankfully that did not happen. When we came back to the first temple it was pooja time and after which we relished prasadam served.
Now started the pics session which took me around 45 mins and then it was time to go back. On the way back we had lunch at CR Patna Bus stand and some how managed to get seats in "Suvarna Karnataka"


How to go?

If you are going by car after couple of kms from Hirisave there is a diversion to Nuggehalli on the right. This is the shortest route from bangalore. On the deviation Karnataka tourism development board has put huge banner with directions.

If you are going by public transport go to Channarayapatna and then catch express buses going to Tiptur. There are plenty of buses available and it takes hardly 20 minutes by the express bus.

What to See ?
Nuggehalli has 2 temples Laxmi Narasimha and Sadashiva temple built during Hoysala period. Laxmi Narasimha temple is a trikoota temple with exquisite carvings on the outer walls. There are 3 deities with Sowmya Keshava in the middle and Venugopal and Laxmi Narasimha on either side. As per Grerard Foekema this is a new style temple with one strip of carving describing Krishna. The temple does not have a Hoysala Crest and has been extended after it was built. Like the temple in Hosaholalu one can see 24 forms of Vishnu depicted on outer walls. Many of the sculptures have the form of Vishnu depicted and sculptors name engraved on the lower side of the sculpture. Must see sculptures include the dancing Ganesh with 8 hands on the left side wall, dancing laxmi on the back side.

Sadashiva temple is close to the first temple but does not have carvings like Laxmi Narasimha temple. But this is fine example of Nagara style architecture. On the way one can also see the remains of the entrance to the city. There is also a guide available at the temple who gives explanation about the carvings and takes to other places.

When to go ?
One can go year around but during the summer months it might be tough to stand on the outer section of the temple as the ground will be heated like the charcoal.

Nuggihalli

Yelagiri - The Cardmom hills

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This was another of the plans which was planned a while back but did not realize. We were hesitant will it be good ? Are we going to like it ? It may be hot or it may not be. There were many reviews varying in opinion on the net. Finally I and Prem decided to give it a try due to alluring trek to Swamimalai in the vee hours. Prem was determined to drive on good roads! This was the option which was nearest. 6th April 2:00 PM we set off to Yelagiri from Koramangala.

After wading through the busy traffic to electronic city, we were greeted with refreshing winds on good roads with scarce traffic. We cruised along, enjoying the scenic views and occasionally cursing the drivers who did not follow the lane discipline.We took breaks at Krishnagiri and just before the winding roads to Yelagiri. We were little early and started climbing the hairpin bends close to 5pm. After 10th hairpin bend we found a place to park the car and enjoy the view.

So far it was going as per the plan and we reached Yelagiri around 5:45 and our plan was to get a place to stay then go to the boat club. We got attracted by the posters of Rhythms resort which offered a lake view and followed the directions. Only to find that it will be ready for occupation in another 10 days. That was just the beginning of search. Some people told us there was accommodation available and then retracted and some told us it was not there and then showed us some not so good rooms for exorbitant prices and some right way told that is not available. So we set off to Rainbow Resort. We traveled along the not so motor able roads in the interiors. We thought we lost it .. then again asked for directions and some how we managed to find it after couple times moving back and forth. The first guy out there showed us a nice room which can accommodate 4 people easily. As we were just two we were not too convinced to take that. Soon arrived Mr. Bernard aka Rajesh and offered us to show some dingy rooms for a lesser price. We saw those rooms and found it bright and manageable for a night. Only to realize that there was no fan(which was not a problem due to cool breeze) no tiles on floor and no wash basin either.

Rajesh talked about his past, his farm over a cup of coffee we were having in the vast open space infornt of our rooms. We were told that there will be a night trek and party all night with bonefire and music. It was then I recalled the reviews read on mouthshut.com about the resort. But then it had happend and this was the only guy who could give us accommodation with a "smile", "hospitality" and lots of talking about stuff all around the globe.

We spent the evening with the pretty costly drink Rajesh managed to get and discussing the possible reason for bumble bees getting attracted towards tube light. There was no conclusion to discussion with too many possibilities coming out. There was also discussion if were right on rushing through the night on our coorg trip. In the night we ate homely food with rasam being truly relished and then we walked to take some clicks of the moon. Disappointed with the cancellation of night trek we slept waiting for the morning trek. The weather was cool in the night and it got colder towards morning.

Next morning some how managed to get up at 5:15 AM, and started off to Swamimalai at 5:45. We reached the place around 6:15 but we were late and the sun was already coming out. We parked vehicle near temple and hired a guide who fell upon us and we were not able to decline.
Though the guide was pretty old, he was much faster than us. Path was clearly visible and through out there was steps. Here and there we stopped for watching the birds. Guide was very enthusiastic about showing us the bee hives("Thena" in Tamil) and digging by bears("Karadi" in Tamil). Though initially he had told us that there were bears, we understood that only after seeing the digging. This discovery made me wonder what will happen if a sloth bear suddenly emerges out of the dense bushes flanking our path! There were plenty of bul buls and we sighted paradise fly catcher too. We were torn between watching the birds , finishing the trek before sun becomes too harsh and then there was the hunger factor. On the way were worried not to see anybody else trekking on the way. After nearly an hours trek we reached the top. On the top there is temple and plateau to to watch the the surroundings. One has to climb to the plateu using the shaky iron ladder. I guess the view would have been much better just after monsoon or as Rajesh said Jan/Dec when there is sesame flower bloom in the fields below the hills.

After spending couple of minutes on the plateau we started climbing down. Half way through we started meeting other trekkers. Though it was not an Olympic race we were rejoiced to know that we were the first to reach the peak that day. Also there was a doubt in the mind if we had really climbed Swami-Malai or some other peak, all that was put to rest by the inflow of the people. When we reached temple where we had parked our vehicle, only thing that was on our mind was breakfast. Based on the suggestion of driver of the tourist vehicle behind us, we went Hotel Hills and were disappointed by the food. We thought we will have coffee at another place and reached Hotel Yelagiri. Yet again we were disappointed know there was no coffee available there.After making couple of STD calls we were back at the resort.

At the resort Rajesh gave us directions to find the guide (Thatha) who will take us around the forest. It was a eucalyptus forest devoid of animals and birds. But it was dense all around with thorny bushes.We had a pleasant walk with almost next to silence under the shades occasionally meeting bunch of children who were collecting dry woods. Only thing that was making noise was our foot steps.
Back from the walk we took bath and some simple homely lunch. Then we were back on the track to Bangalore.

For those planning to visit

To find how to go and what to see check out "Yelagiri on wknd.in"

When to go ?
Though Outlook traveller suggests that its all around the year, I would say its best after the monsoon and till may be Jan. If you are going after Jan plan such that you reach the place in the evening and do all the activities in the next day morning and you can leave before the sun gets hot in the afternoon. There is cool breeze in the evening and it gets colder by the night. We slept without the fan and started feeling cold around morning. Afternoons can be hot during the months Feb to Apr. Post monsoons it is supposed very pleasant climate. Compared to Ooty(1858 m) , Kodaikanal(2089m) and Yercaud(1500 m), Yelagiri is situated 1410 m above sea level.

Stay and Food
Though we were visiting their on off season period, almost everybody turned us down for the accommodation. Then if you see the search the net lot of complaining about accommodation too. There is Hotel Yelagiri, Nigress, Hotel Hills and Sterling Resorts. Most of these also have their own restaurant. It is advisable to book in advance. When were searching for stay, some initially said rooms available then backtracked or some said no and then showed us pricey options which not worth that much money. If you are planning a early morning trek to Swami-Malai, ONila might be the closest. Then there was Rythms supposed to open in couple of weeks, offers a lake view. There are also home stay options, if you inquire at the shops or STD booths you can easily find one.
We stayed at Rainbow Resort in a room with limited facilities surrounded by forest and enjoyed the stay thanks to a walk through woods in the morning (The resort also also provides rooms with more facilities). The food served though simple was much better than we tasted else where in Yelagiri. We always had Rajesh to talk about this and that and always smiling at your help resort staff.
Outlook Traveller recommends Hotel Diana at Hotel Hills as the best option for food, but we did not like the breakfast and it was not worth the price as well. The food at Hotel Yelagiri was better but there was no coffee/tea served on that day. To sum it up be prepared for food or stay not matching your expectations if you are not lucky.

Yelagiri

Talakad - Deep into the temple town

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From Talakad - Dee...

It was another of eventful trips! We were planning to go via Maddur, based on the Udaya TV(reported agitations in Mandya) and some old news paper article( had an news item which had Chief Minister Kumarswamy proclaiming though roads to Talakad are not complete by the Panchalinga darshan, will be completed soon) we decided to take the Kanakapura road. Thinking that its going to a short trip (110 km) we are taking ample breaks. Slowly road conditions started to deteriorate. Till Sathanur it was ok ok road compared to the Bangalore-Mysore state highway. After Sathanur it was roads in the well rather than pot holes in the road! Instead of whole road being eroded, there were deep pot holes like somebody had dug up purposefully(were they trying rain water harvesting ?)
It was going slow and steady till we were 1 km from Mallavali and then we saw the stranded vehicles due to agitations. There was smoke on the horizon a little bit ahead. Then we saw a taxi guy was taking a detour and he told us to follow him and he will take us past the agitations. Initially we thought luckily we got this fellow, only to realize later that that was our bad luck! We followed this guy on the narrow mud road through the sugar cane fields and brick kilns and every now and then stopping on the edge of the road to allow bullock carts to pass by. Bullock cart fellows also returned the favor by moving to the side in some places. Suddenly our navigator had vanished. We managed to reach the intended destination which is supposed to get us past the agitations by asking school kids and the farmers. That was also blocked and we saw our navigator taking U turn and yet again he promised us to take through a inner road which will take us to Shivanasamudra. Within seconds he vanished again. ( May be he is stuck in a wrong job should have been a magician or politician but do they recruit through monster?)

From Talakad - Dee...

And we were stuck in a "bul bulayya" with no sign boards or mile stones and with hardly any difference between main road and non-main roads. We started asking for directions with people working in the fields and grazing cattle. It was kind of treasure hunt with us getting to know one village after another on the way and with each person giving us varying distances between the places. Finally after more than hours drive we reached the so called national highway 209. Though the last person giving us direction had asked to us take right we took left and found Talkad road. After couple of kilometers we reached actual right meant by that person. If we had taken the left we would have reached the place we wanted to avoid!
With bad roads all along we reached the temple town at 2:00 PM instead of the original guesstimate of 11:00 AM. We took a guide at the entry point. First visit was to the Vaidyanatheshwara temple which had closed before we reached there we had to be satisfied by going around the temple and some explanation by our guide. After that we visited 4 temples and one temple under reconstruction. It took us about 2 hours to go around the temples and then we had lunch at "Udupi Mess" and strolled for a while along the banks of Cauvery.
Now we were very worried which route to take back. After lots of discussion with the guide, we decided to take the Mallvalli, Maddur, Chennapatna route. Canceled all the other plans like visiting somanathpur, mudukothore temple etc. Started the journey back to Bangalore at 5:00 PM. When we passed through Malvalli around 6:30 PM we let out a sigh of relief for crossing first trouble point. Close to Maddur, We had to go through few anxious moments at a traffic jam till we came to know that it was due to the road construction activity. Sugar cane wielding youngsters running here and there with loud instructions to the truck drivers had made us think otherwise. After having dinner at Lokruchi we reached bangalore at 10:00 PM and I reached home after 11:00 PM.

Talakad - Deep into the temple town

For the visitors

For information on how to go there and what to see check out "Talakadu on wknd.in"

What to eat: Before travelling I had read in the most blogs that nothing much available out here and its best to carry some food. But I guess after the recently held Panchaling Darshana many small eateries or so called messes have come up where one can have simple meal. There are lots of shaks on the river banks too. We got back whatever we took along with us.

Where they shot Roja ! - Hogenakkal

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It was the first long weekend of the year, I was there in Bangalore and had some commitments. Som wanted to go to Hogenkkal or Nandi Hills. Nikhil and Munmun were coming to Bangalore with my gift a Canon AS3 ! I went to the Airport in the morning to receive them. Starting early was not possible and I was tempted use my new camera which arrived in the morning. Half heartedly I agreed to go to Hogenkkal and later on I felt there was no reason repent about but feel good and enjoy.

We started off at 11:30 AM to Hogenakkal and hit the Hosur Road. Som thought I knew the route and I thought Som knew the route and we ended up asking multiple persons about route. Some suggested via Dharma Puri and some through Palcode. With majority pointing to Palacode route we thought thats the way to go and later came to know that it was the longest of the routes to Hogenkkal. But the country side we passed through, was scenic and roads were not that bad compared to the conditions in Bangalore, more over there was very less traffic.

With occasional stops to click some photos, we managed to reach Hogenakkal at 3:15 pm and parked the car at Tamilnadu Tourism board parking lot and were off to boating. I was expecting to see some speed boats, ferries etc .. but there were only coracles and there was no life jacket either. With no other options I agreed to sit in the coracle. Som did lot of bargain and the guy agreed take us for 2 hour raid for 350 bucks. The bargain started at 600 bucks.

We sat in the coracle slowly and asking the coracle guy multiple times to make sure that we have sat in right positions so that its balanced. With our navigator sitting on his toes over wooden log inside the coracle and only two of us being the travelers we had enough room to stretch our legs. It felt like a floating bamboo sofa. Paid money at the first check point and went few meters ahead and the boat stopped. I was really surprised that we had to pay 350 bucks for the such a short coracle ride. Then I came to know that Hogenakkal falls is in a gorge. Whole area gets submerged during rainy season and you can not see any falls. Once we crossed the river at the first point ( the 3 min drive) we have to walk to the gorge starting. The coracle is carried on the head to the starting point of the gorge and even the travelers walk to this point and get into the coracle again. Thats why they do not have any boats. Once we got into coracle again, it was taken the below small water fall and then went close to bigger falls. Our boat man showed us the place where Roja shooting happened.

From Hogenakkal

From the falls we went to the island through the gorge. Interestingly there were shacks on coracle too... The island is created temporarily due to the dip in water levels. There were shacks selling fried fish. In here food means fish. Som ordered some fish and we went to the shallow waters on other side of the island. We played bit on the shallow waters till the meal got ready. Som had hearty fish curry rice and I had to survive on Coke. On the way back we went below falls again and this we got drenched fully from hair to toe right under the falls.

After coming back to the mainland I was searching for some food all that could be seen was fish, again fish and more fish. So far it was going good and we were all set to go back that is when Som realized that he does not have the keys And the search began ... Thanks to the neighboring cab driver we got the keys back. Can you belive ? Som had thrown it along with a polythene cover.

were in a dilemma about taking the Dharma Puri route or the Palcode route. The guard suggested us to take the third one via Anchetty. First 5kms was horrible. We saw some jungle fowl crossing the road and all along the way there were so many frogs crossing the road(Why do frogs cross the road ?) It was dark and suddenly we realized that we do not have any vehicles coming from back or front. To start with we had one car in the front, but in my enthusiasm to click photographs even that had gone well ahead. For miles there was no sign of human habitat not even animals except for the frogs crossing the road every now and then. We were worried what would happened if the car broke down. In between we came across dung which did not look like cow dung and that just increased butterflies in the stomach. Around 10km to Anchetty finally we saw a car behind us and that made us to leave a sigh of relief. The road had reflectors and signs all along and was maintained well. But there were lot of curves.

From Anchetty onwards the road was bit wider and occasionally we came across people walking on the roads and we followed a car. Traffic was still very less. On reaching Denkinakote we decided to have some tea. After Hogenkkal that was the first city which had some eating place. From here Hosur is hardly 10 km. On the Hosur road the traffic was less than what we had expected and we reached bangalore by 10:00 PM.

For information of how to go and what to see check out "Hogenakkal on wknd.in"

Hogenakkal

Makara Sankranthi in Udupi

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Its been long time since I posted on this blog as I had really few oppertunities to travel. Jan 12th-15th I was at Udupi and enjoyed the Makara Sankranthi celebrations in Udupi. I guess its a week long celebration with last day being sankranthi. Crowds gather for the celebrations in the evening starting from "cradle pooja" for the deity, then a cruise in the Madwa Sarovar and ending with a ride on the chariot. Last day celebrated with other 2 temples(Anatheshwara and Chandrmoulishwara) in the temple complex having chariot festival. the In Udupi every alternate year there will be "Paryaya Celebrations" (which is essentially the change of guard at the Sri Krishna temple) and Makara Sankranthi Celebrations.

Makara Sankranthi at Udupi

Car festivals in Coastal Karnataka

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From Car festivals

Come November and its beginning of car festivals at temples in coastal Karntaka. The festivities will be spread around 5-7 days and last 3 days devotees visit the temples in large numbers. During this time idols are taken out in palanquin or chariot and the last but one day is the car festival day.
This is also the time when people staying away from home try to make it to their native so that they can meet friends and relatives.
During my vacation first one to be visited was the Ganesha temple at Anegudde ( around 30 km from Udupi). At the entrance we were greeted with 2 boys who were supposed to ward of evils buy beating themselves !! They were collecting money by beating themselves with long whips made up of coir and collecting money from the passers by. They were good at keeping track of people who had given money and who had not.

From Car festivals

Car festivals All along the way there were shops selling offerings for the god. You can find every kind of makeshift shops selling electronic items, sweets, clothes and toys which are generally in majority. The temple is situated on hillock and till sometime back one could see loitering monkeys on the climb up. But this time around I could not sight even one! We reached the temple and prayed. When we came out, there was a guy posing as Mahathma Gandhi and he was painted in silver from toe to hair. I just wonder why Mahathma Gandhi is always painted in Silver ? Can't he show up with normal skin or is it do with the title Mahathma?

From Car festivals

Next 2 days I was visiting Manjeshwar a town in Kerala pretty close to Mangalore. The rituals followed here are similar most of the other temples in that car festival spread over seven days. In all the temples there will be community meals(prasadam) served on banana leaf and I enjoy them for the curries made out coconut gravy. After the meal there was palanquin procession at night which ends with a symbolic war on evil spirits by shooting arrows with a silver bow. Each of the processions is accompanied with magnificent fire works illuminating sky in the night. Eating joints are integral part of the festivities and were open through out the night. Eating hot pakodas in the cold winter nights has its own kind of kick!
Next day was the car festival day and there was huge gathering of the crowds. After the car festival I went roaming around, it just reminded me of Mark Shand's description of Sonepur Mela(Indian Journeys edited by Dom Moraes), though there were no cattle to be sold rest all was there. You could find astrologers, mini lotteries, fancy item shops and eateries. These were mini Sonepur or Pushkar Melas.
Next day it was back to Udupi and then to Bangalore.

Tarik Per Tarik... Finally Rafting at Bheemeshwari

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Some of us were waiting for 2 years, some decided at 10:00 pm a night before and some were worried about the excuse to be given at the office the next day. After multiple postponement, idea of rafting at sita nadi was dropped and we choose for rafting at Bheemeshwari through CARE adventure. We got into the bus at 8:30 am near Family Mart. Soon after settling down we started Dumb Charades and this time Som did not get a chance to act anything close to "36th Chamber of Shoalin Temple" ( On the way to Bandipur Som had given oscar performance as nobody else did not know the fact that a railway coach contained 72 seats).

From River Rafting

When we reached JLR at Bheemeshwari, we came to know from the Ozone guys that we wont be rafting at the scheduled time of 12:00 noon and we have to wait for atleast 1 hour. So we were offered volleyball or a little trek. We choose to roam around a bit then play a bit. We were excited when the rafts arrived at 1:30 pm. But then again we were offered to either raft in batches(we were 8 in number) or wait for the next shift. We decided for the next batch. By then all of us were very hungry and had lunch under tree shade with couple of monkeys dogs keeping a close eye on us!!. Then we rested on the social hammock(inspired by web2.0?) discussing the outsourcing chain of river rafting business. Som put great effort in making our stay on social hammock comfortable with all the swings.
At 3:30 rafts were back. We filled up the indemnity bonds and put on the buoyancy jackets and helmets. There was a photo session for the couples. We had a briefing on the equipment and usage by one of the navigators. We could not go in a single raft So we split into 2 groups 5 going in a small red raft, I, Maruthi and Raksha going in another raft with 3 girls from Delhi Public School.

From River Rafting

Vishnu was our navigator, it was his last day with Ozone also the last trip. That night he was leaving to Bhutan for weeklong expeditions. Once we got into the water various commands and the responses were explained. Most used being the "Forward teeem.. forward". It was fun all through. There was little bit of explanation by Vishnu, little bit of rafting, little bit of cheering, little bit of water splashing wars with the other rafts.. You will never feel tired! We did some swirling of the raft like the one they do it on a coracle. We also came up with our slogan "Yo babe Yo babe .." with tapping paddle on the raft then raising it. We managed to win the water splash war with neighboring raft, when Vishnu managed to drown their navigator Rajesh!!
After maneuvering through 3-4 small rapids, we came across a sharp turn. Our guide gave us instructions on how to balance during higher grade rapids and we were all set for the last 3 rapids with last but one being the biggest among all the rapids on the streach. First of them was called "Thats All" and it was really that all. Last but one was really good. That might be a rapid close to grade 2? One more rapid and it was all over.:( We had already reached Galibore and rafted for 8kms and for more than an hour!
While coming back to the base camp we were all standing in a open Jeep ( around 20 people) and stared grading the turns and comparing ourselves to the animals rescued by PETA. It was a long trip back to the base camp watching mountains growing bigger in between the trees flanking the road. We quickly changed the clothes and were on our way back at 6:30 PM and reached bangalore 10:00 pm.

River Rafting

Sep 25, 2006 - 11 Photos

For those who are planning for river rafting. Place: Cauvery Fishing Camp at Bheemeshwari is around 110 km from Bangalore and you have to go via Kanakapura, Sathanur, Muthathi. The roads are motorable till Kanakapura and after that its narrow and not in good condition. There will also be animals both domestic as well as wild(monkeys) and slow driving is required. Link to Road Map Service: CARE offers river rafting from July to October on Cavery river. The distance covered is around 8km. They take care of transport as well as food. Rafting is managed by Ozone. After reaching the base camp I came to know that Ozone also offers river rafting. I guess Ozone gives priority to the people who booked through them directly, food is arranged through JLR and probably they do not take care of transport. Facilities:Once you reach the base camp(JLR) there is no shop or restaurant around. JLR does not give any food unless you have paid atleast day visit charge i.e. Rs 650. There was not even a small tea shop near by. I guess they don't even sell water for others. We were asked to get water bottles at Sathnur itself. Rafting & Alternatives: There are 5 rafts with 3 of capacity 7, one with 8 and one with 6. The capacity is including navigator. Before the rafting starts one of the navigator will explain safety and equipment usage. The rapids were small ones. This is good for first timers. River Sita is supposed to offer more exciting rapids than Cauvery. Adreno offers river rafting on sita. They offer 8km and 14km rides. I have herd that preparation is more elaborate which includes mock falling out of the raft then getting back in etc. This is again seasonal. One river Kali the rafting facility is available through out the year based on when water is let out from the dam.