Two trips and a hundred stories to tell

When the weekends are longer than usual and parents don't want you back home ever so often, what does a "bored with the routine" - bachelor living in a far away city do ?. He goes tripping.


Trip - 1 (Mt. Abu & Udaipur)

My trip advisor widget on facebook, indicated that most parts of India were fairly well visited by me, except for a large part of Rajasthan. Rajasthan has been on my travel radar ever since 1985, when my grandparents ditched the 3 year old me and went visiting Mt. Abu, Ranakpur and Udaipur. The paeans they had been singing about the places ever since, had built up a cherished desire in me to check out these places especially Dilwara temples in Mt. Abu and City palace & lakes in Udaipur. But being far away from any of the metros, they had been lying idle on my wish list until recently.


Trip invites were sent out to all my buddies, but somehow none of them could take time out. So I ventured out on my hippie trail - lonely backpacker on heritage sojourn.. or rather to "journey to rediscover my soul" in true hippie parlance. Jokes apart, Lonely backpacker trips are not so lonely, if you have planned it out well. Like I had already booked one day/ half day hop-on-hop-off tours at each of these places, from mumbai itself. So I always had a big group of people to travel with. Moreover, these tours provide the additional benefit of a free local guide, who becomes really important, if one has to enjoy a heritage trip, which means understanding the local history, culture, art & architecture.


First hop, Mt. Abu. It was a pleasant surprise to see so much greenery in a place I least expected - Rajasthan. The place is nice with a sprawling lake to add effect. But what sets the place apart from any other hill station, is Dilwara temples. I have seen beautiful temples before - Belur, Halebidu & Somanathapura in Karnataka are black granite marvels. Temples at Khajuraho & Konark are exquisite. Swami Narayan temples in Delhi and Ahmedabad are spell binding. But they are still no match, to the sheer beauty of the 10th century white marble carvings of dilwara temples. If I say not an inch is left uncarved, It would not be an exaggeration. Where would you find, entire chandeliers carved out of marble and hanging down the roof!. Just the 30 mins I spent at the 5 temples, were total paisa vasool for all the pains taken to travel to Mt. Abu. When in Rajasthan, eat rajasthani food. So it was Daal baati for brunch, followed by churma for evening snacks and bajre ki roti with subzi for dinner. The company of Scouts and guides from the local school, a travelling group of friends from Slovenia and old retired couple on perhaps one of their last honeymoons, were among the many different people, I got to know on the one day spent at Mt. Abu.


The early morning journey from Mt. Abu to Udaipur was a breeze . A quick 4 hour drive through more greenery and much talked about Rajasthan highways made it unexpectedly comfortable. At first glance, I felt Udaipur, rated as the best travel destination in the world by some reputed magazine, is more hype than substance. Why has it succeeded, when so many others failed you might wonder ?. The reason is simple, most heritage properties in the town are managed by private business of the local Raja, a shrewd businessmen in his own right. Everything is so neatly organised, the guides are supremely knowledgeable with plenty of anecdotes to spare, tourist facilities are all top notch. All these together elevate, an average fort & palace day outing into a superb heritage experience. Now, I do find the top rating for Udaipur somewhat justified. Other than the city palace, the only other place worth a dekko here is boating on Fatehsagar lake. It is nice with park built on the island right in the middle of the lake. When in Udaipur, shopping for souvenirs is the best end-of-day activity. Miniature paintings in the Mewar styles for the drawing room wall, Bandini saree (for Mom, I clarify) and beautiful hand crafted puppets. And yes, Don't forget to get your own photo clicked in the traditional Rajasthani attire. His Royal Highness Maharajah Shreyan Singh Mewar, atleast for 5 minutes if not more.

Trip-2 (Kashid & Murud - Janjira)

Well, this is where we left from the previous blog post. Bertie's bachelors party. Destination - Kashid beach & Murud-Janjira fort. After losing our way many times, we finally reached Kashid beach resort, late on Saturday night. It was late enough to douse all possibilities of a campfire by the beach, as we were well past the 11 PM deadline. Nevertheless, we had a nice resort with an awesome sports room. The plan was simple, wake up in time for an early morning beach rendezvous. Kashid was our beach of choice, clear blue water & fine sand, add to this privacy offered by one of the least crowded stretches of sea, without any stink of fisher men's catch. From jogging to sunbathing, from surfing the waves to building sand castles, From beach football to Frisbee, it was gala time for the bunch of 7 guys and a welcome break from the hectic worklife.

After a heavy breakfast, we were off to Janjira fort. The first view of the fort left us all completely stunned. A steep cliff leading directly into the sea and a short distance away a beautiful fort right in the middle of the sea. Very much like Sicily & Greek sea side, as shown in many hollywood classics. The 1 km sail boat journey from the coast to the fort was a first time experience for me. The jitters you get when the wind direction suddenly changes, is something you should experience to tell. The fort is really cool, with some amazing views of the surrounding area.

All in all, two great trips and several memorable moments archived for posterity.

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The following section has been added after the author received lots of gaalis, threats and like reactions from housemates for underplaying trip - 2 at the cost of trip - 1.

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  Bertie almost ditched his own bachelor's party, citing bad mood as the ostensible reason. It took the author a lot of convincing using the standard tools of senti, angry, trust, betrayal, gaalis, finally request to get him going eventually
  
  
  
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  Bertie uploaded pics on picasa web album only after intense screening and censorship by all involved. Some pot bellies are best left to the imagination of the viewer
  
  
  
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  Yes it is true, u heard it rite. Even at the beach, Da-1 was reading "The house of Morgan", about what else but Finance. Wait, to be fair to him, besides reading he also jogged for little more than 15 minutes
  
  
  
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  Bansi lost 5 kgs in just 2 hours. How ?. Ask him only
  
  
  
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  I built a 3 floor sand castle, which survived just 30 minutes, when it was eventually destroyed by Anman's swerving free kick
  
  
  
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  Our qualis driver Imran was the star of the trip. He made sure, we didnt miss the formula one race on sunday evening, by driving a force india qualis himself. Mr. Mallya ... listening ???, we have just found some real talent at the bottom of the pyramid
  
  
  

Tag 4

I have been tagged by Mrunalini. I have no choice but to fill up the blanks and pass on the tag to four others. I have been threatened with ex-communication from the blogging community if I don't comply. So here I go.

4 Places I wish I never be in

• Babrala village, Meerut, UP - Not when you are waiting at 11:00 PM, for an 4 hour late overnight passenger train in this small village in eastern UP, amidst the many Bhaiyyas, their Bhabhis, Bahubalis, Netaji, police afisars and professional kidnappers (thankfully I had forgotten to wear my Armani that fateful day. sigh!)
• Chennai - 2 months of summer internship in the blistering hot weather, extremely limited supply of brackish water, unfriendly people (women in particular). My only wish is to convince all the bhavan's - Saravana, Murugan idly shop .etc.etc to shift to Mumbai and Bangalore, so that I can enjoy the delectable dosas and ghee pongal for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Mekele (Ethiopia) - 50% power deficit in a country with one of the highest crime rates among developing nations. You dare not venture out. Especially when the most happening shopping street with discs/pubs is called Chechnya for obvious reasons.
• Andheri Station - At 9:00 AM morning rush hour, Diamonds are waiting to be studded at SEEPZ, Computers are all ready to be booted up at Powai, Attendance needs to be marked at colleges in Vile Parle, Dabbas crying out to be eaten, Meetings already behind schedule at nariman point. Is someone's work more important than the other's?. Sadly, the trains are not smart enough to figure that out. what are you waiting for then. Chalo! Chalo! Chalo!

4 TV Shows I never liked to watch

• Rakhi ka Swayamvar - I never thought the institution of marriage can be made to look so silly. Just like when the half Canadian half Gujarati Elesh, professes his love to Rakhi in British accented Hindi "Rakhi tum bahut achhi, shaadi me-tum, main good husband banta". To which, Rakhi's brilliant reply " Okies! me loving Elesh too muchs. Me good wife becoming, homely homely types". Sic. Sic.
• Boogie Woogie for aunties, uncles and grannies - Dance is fun to watch. But .
• Telugu movies dubbed in Hindi on SET MAX - Forget the lip sync if there were any, dialogues and characters are so unlikely to ever speak hindi. Its funny, yes, but for just as long as you can bear it.
• Star Parivar awards for best performances in Saas Bahu serials - It requires some real public interest to appreciate the many layers in the emotions enacted by the finest actors in the most challenging of roles in some of the greatest epic dramas ever broadcast on TV.

4 places to see before I die

• Fjords in Norway
• Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia
• Trek up the crater of Cotopaxi in Equador
• Diamond mines in Angola

4 dishes I would like to be served for lunch today

• Tofu/Paneer Malai Tikka for starters
• Kaju masala with garlic naan
• Thai green curry with steamed rice
• Sizzling hot brownie with vanilla ice cream for dessert

4 Books I started reading, but have still not completed

• Midnight's children by Salman Rushdie
• Atlas shrugged by Ayn Rand
• Imagining India by Nandan Nilekani
• White Mughal by William Dalrymple

4 Movies I Can Watch Again & Again

• Children of Heaven
• Sound of Music
• Independence Day
• Mckenna's gold

Here are four people, I tag. I can bet all my worth, none of these guys are ever going to fill the form and pass the tag to others.

Mahesh

Siby

Wayne

Kasturi - I heard rumours about some secret blog for a limited audience.

Curse of the Black Sparrow

For all the hatred & venom , I spewed on the black sparrow it is payback time now. Just when I was about to venture out of home, a routine mechanic check crossed my overcautious mind. I don't know if it was the mechanic or satan himself in disguise .. vetoed my bike journey. sob sob. Here I am in the painfully undesired comfort of neeta volvo, racing against time to keep my date @ pune. As if, that was not enough, I am being put through the grind of watching mallika in maan gaye mughal e azam. is jungle se mujhe koi bachaoooo!

Black Sparrow

Godspeed! or lets call that 60 kmph, though god wouldn't mind me going a few notches higher. Any amount of insistence on my part doesn't seem to perturb this junk piece of machinery called XCD 125, that a few years ago Jackie Chan sold on TV to gullible Indians, promising a cruising comfort, even a pseudo flying experience. By the time, we could discover that takeoff speed limit is 60 kmph, Jackie had fled the country and gone underground since then. May be such miracles happen in high altitudes of Wuhan settlement of Xian province. Definitely not in Chinchpokli village of Thane district.

Well, I call my bike Black Sparrow. It is no Black hawk or a Street hawk. It is just a small twittering sparrow. Now black sparrow has been put under my care by my friend Shyam Kumar CFA, who has gone back to his native village to work in the NREGS scheme. He believes, it pays better fixed salary and fringe benefits than his earlier job with an investment bank in Mumbai.

So Black sparrow and me have hatched this plan for a weekend outing. We will go driving from Mumbai to Pune and back over the weekend. Yay! Being a bike, a small bike at that, I don't have to pay toll at any of the roads. After the superb spell of rain over the last month, I expect every patch of land to be clothed in the splendid green, that my digicam captures so beautifully . Waterfalls all along the route would definitely add to the misty aura of my presence. Now picture this, a black bike in a misty green background posing with a handsome guy in a bright red T-shirt. Now, that the wardrobe has been decided, next is the route. Mumbai - Khopoli ( Zenith Falls) - Lonavala (Karla caves) - Kamshet - Pune it shall be.

Ohh, I forgot to introduce our gracious hosts at Pune, the good old Mr & Mrs. Mathew. Mr. Mathew or GURUJI as we youngsters so lovingly call him, is an epitome of innocence and simplicity that has won him so many fans on orkut over the last several decades. Well, I have also been promised an audience with the Ms. Kumari, the Crown Princess of Jharkand and Mr. Arren, Formerly the counsel to the Vice royalty of Kanpur.

Bertie, my dear roommate has promised to be a return companion. But black sparrow doesn't fancy him much, believes three is a crowd. With or without Bertie, the return trip plan is to take me to amby valley - pavna dam - Lonavala and back. I forgot to add, the sumptuous but expensive meal I have promised myself at Sunny Dhaba near Wakarphata on the old mumbai - Pune highway.

All planned and just a few prayers pending. I have offered my 2 rupee coin to Sea God at marine drive yesterday, which he gleefully accepted. I was made to understand this amount would go into keeping the tides low as well as internal transfer to the Rain God's account to keep my route clear and pleasant. Will drop another rupee today as well, just as a surety.

Moon Peak

I have just finished reading Jeffry Archer's Paths of Glory. It is about the life of George Mallory, the unofficial first person ever to summit Everest, though there is no recorded evidence to prove that. Needless to say, I am mighty inspired. All I want to do now, climb up to the summit of any one of the Himalayan peaks, even the smaller ones would do. Now the problem is I don't have the time or the money to spend on a grand Himalayan expedition.

My criteria is simple

1) Mumbai - Summit - Mumbai journey should not take more than 5 days

2) Summit should be at least 5000m high with a height above snow line of at least 1500m

3) Me can't scale some steep snow cliff with ice axe and all, so difficulty level should be average

4) Definitely don't want to spend more than 20k all inclusive on the trip

Need to take quotations from mountaineering clubs or do some heavy duty Internet research ?

Naah ... I know the peak I want to scale. Ever since the day I saw it, over 2 years ago, I have climbed it at least 3 times, even saved a colleague's life once and survived an avalanche another time. Now its time do it for real. I feel it is the closest I will ever get to really being a mountaineer.

The name is Moon Peak and it towers behind Mcleodganj in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. The photo of the snowline as seem from the hotel, where I stayed. The snowline starts from a glacier called Triund, which was barely 9 km from where we stayed. I almost trekked there last time, had I not been held back by my lazy friends, who rather wanted to spend time playing cards, singing and dancing. But yes, the research was done nevertheless. Snow boots, sleeping bags and basic equipment all available for rent at Mcleodganj for a few thousand thousand a day. Professional guide is also available for a few hundred a day. It is a day's trek to Triund and another one day to peak and two days on the return. Since Dharamshala is well connected from Pathankot ( 2 hours), Assuming I would need half day each for the onward and return flights making it a total of 5 days - yipeeee !. Let me also clarify the climb doesn't require great mountaineering expertise. Loads of Enthu and some stamina would suffice.

Peak - Moon Peak (5010 m)

Base camp - Mcleodganj ( 2000 m)

BTW .. there are a few other peaks in Garhwal, Kumaon and Sikkim. Some of these are not easily accessible or others don't fit into my criteria.

Now coming to the purpose of writing this post. I need able and willing partners to give me company.

I am married. I am planning to get married. I am stuck up in project. I don't have any leaves left. I am broke. I am old. I am unfit. I think you are crazy. I better get back to my work.

These are list of acceptable excuses. If not, its worthwhile to give a thought on making this trip.

I am in no hurry. I just hope one day, We will be able to do this. :).

Ethiopian Diary

Finally a breather in between hectic work schedule .. this is the much awaited update on my Ethiopian sojourn .. It is common nowadays to travel to US & UK. A journey to other european countries or may be australia/new zealand would evoke some curiosity, if not more. But a trip to ethiopia!!!! Just the mention left most of my friends amused, interested, shocked and surprised all at the same time. Let me try to tell somethings about ethiopia which may be lonely planet or wikipedia might not have mentioned.

* Ethiopia had very bad famine and a major food shortage in the 80s. But to my great surprise, most ethiopian locals, have a habit of wasting a large part of their food in their plates during lunch and dinner time. Atleast we Indians are taught never to waste even a morsel.

* AC and fans are non existent in the entire country, not even in the best of hotels. Its less to do with technology backwardness and more about the salubrious climate. Much of the country is located at altitudes between 2000m to 3000m above sea level. The capital addis is around 2500m above sea level, now thats as high as Simla.

* Ethiopians follow a form of local orthodox christianity, with some interesting traditions like ritual fasting, engraving a cross on the forehead and tatoos.

* The most famous ethiopian is the runner Haile Gebresellasie, who at various points of time has held every world record in distance running from 1500m to 10000m. Last I heard, he has broken the Marathon world record as well. Now thats inspirational for someone like me, who is still planning to break the 2 hour barrier @ Mumbai Marathon 2010 come january

* Addis Abeba is widely regarded as the political capital of Africa. It is the headquarters of African Union as well as many Africa based UN organisations. Atlast count, there are 78 embassies in the the capital's central business district. Local areas in addis are named after countries whose embassy is located there. Lunch at Rwanda, followed by coffee at the boulevard in Congo and the dinner @ the pakistani restaurant in Namibia. One area to avoid is Chechnya, notorius for its nightclubs and late night brawls.

* Ethiopia is atleast 10 years behind india in development. High cost of communication and poor internet connectivity comes as a surprise to people coming from india. Africa as such is not poor. Countries with gold and diamonds like South africa have been traditionally affluent. Now add oil producers like Angola, Nigeria and a few others to the list. But what the region lacks is a sound political system. Its either the military junta or the communists. Each have taken turns to loot their own people. That is when I really value the democracy we Indians are so proud of, despite its so called limitations

* Ethiopia is among the rare few african countries never to have been colonised, though the Italians tried a couple of times.While the locals are proud of this fact, they have definitely missed out on the perks of colonial rule - good education system, culture & work discipline and to some extent exploitation of natural resources, each of which were contributions of britishers to India.

* My local culture quotient was greatly enriched by two aspects - Ethiopian cuisine and the Eskesta - ethiopian shoulder dance. The cuisine has a strong italian influence, with pizzas and pastas. But the local dhal tadka - called Shiro and the local dosa (pancake) called Injera turned out to be my favourite. One evening to remember, was when I tried hard to teach my hotel chef how to prepare good rasam with rice and ended learning to cook injera-shiro myself :). Among fruits, my favourite is the Cactus fruit. Yes, the same plant which grows in deserts as well as in decorative pots at our homes. I must confess, this fruit is really yummy. I wish to take some back to India, only If the Indian custom authorities are a little more liberal in their rules.

* Eskesta is all about rhythmic neck and shoulder movement, a clear contrast from spanish dance forms which focus on rhythmic hip and leg movements. Set to the fast piano notes, its quite a delight to watch. The hotel gym instructor, who also ran an aerobics session in the evening tried a fusion of aerobics with Eskesta, much to the chagrin of a two left footed creature like me. Nevertheless, I tried.

* The largest indian population in Ethiopia are not Indian business men mainly gujrathis like I had thought before, they are actually Indian teachers, whom the ethiopians hold in very high regard. Long before IT became India's major service export, Indian teachers were already spreading knowledge in a remote corners of africa. Most of these people are employed by local universities on a UN funded programme, with dollar salaries which are significantly higher than what the locals get paid. Now thatz one reason, any Indian tourist is greeted with a pleasant namaste followed by a discourse on bollywood from Amitabh Bacchan to Shahrukh Khan. Sadly, the actresses are never once mentioned.

* The most popular indian export is neither the teachers nor bollywood. Its Bajaj. The autos were introduced in the country some 10 yrs back and have caught the imagination of the locals like nothing before.

* The economy finally .. yes .. claimed to be growing at 11% over last 5 years, albeit on a v v small base. Total exports miniscule at USD 2 bn a year. On a per capita basis for the 70 mn population, that would be among the lowest in the world. No oil, no gold, no diamond, no great english, no technology, no port, no rail, poor roads, but yes .. good air connectivity. That leave agri products and agri input dependent small industries like textile and leather. Inflation at 35% last year (needs to be verified). Completely import dependent economy, with a currency pegged to the dollar. Power production - 95% dependent on Hydro Electricity. The El Nino or whatever phenomenon, this monsoon is expected to nearly cripple an entire country's economy, with nearly 50% power deficit. Tourism potential v high, but largely untapped.

* Ethiopian expat population in US number around 15 m. Compare this to the nearly 25 mn Indian origin residents. But given Ethiopia's population of nearly 70 mn (compared to over 1 bn in india), that would be a sizeable expat population. But per capita earnings of the expats from the two countris are poles apart. Unlike the Indians, the Ethiopians predominanty work in low skill jobs. But it is still noteworthy, as much of the migration happened in the post colonial period and not directly a consequence of african slave trade of 18th and 19th century.

* Ethiopians consider themselves as among the most beautiful in africa. They are not black, but brown and moderately built, with pleasant features. Most of it supposedly inherited from the very attractive Queen of Sheba, who ruled in 10 century BC and married King Solomon of Israel. But what inspired the popular party game 'Queen of Sheba' .. is still a mystery to me ??

Pahaad Aur Jal Pravaah

Whenever somebody recommends a new place for visit, the first two questions I would always ask. How far is the nearest hill station ?. Ohh good, are there any waterfalls nearby ?. Ohh great!, the trip is definitely on, let me put a group together now.


I owe this passion for hills and waterfalls to the 4 years I spent in KREC Surathkal. An amazing campus with a private beach, which I would count as among the second best I have ever been to. KREC is perhaps among the few campuses, where standing on the hostel terrace, you can see the vast sea on one side, while just turning around you find the majestic peaks of western ghats at a distance. A liberal attendance rule and large group of friends high on Enthu, ensured each of the 8 semesters I had at least one very memorable trip to most beautiful places. While the visit to the campus beach required nothing more than a 5 minute stroll, a Sunday evening sunset watch was a regular part of our weekend itinerary.



Now trip to the hills/waterfalls was simple, book a Tata Sumo and pack in around 10 - 11 people and off you go. Overnight stay meant singing and dancing around a campfire, never once I remember booking a hotel room. If you ask me the best place I have been to, I would definitely rate the trek to Kumaraparvatha. This hill clearly visible to all visitors to Kukke Subramanya is considered by many as one of the most beautiful treks in Karnataka.

You may ask why?. It requires you to climb up and down a total of 24 km, at nearly 30 - 45 degree incline throughout, on jungle and hilly tracks with no roads, whatsoever. The uniqueness of the experience is in the night trek, whick you start off midway from your base camp at Bhatta's house at around 3:00 AM, so that you ascend to the peak by 9 - 10 AM. The experience of night treks is simply awesome. With torches as the only guiding light along narrow tracks, where a minor slip up with throw you down a deep ravine of hundreds of meters. In this pitch darkness, the attendance count is very important and also a source of great fun. The leader and his experience are critical, as his decision on the route will decide whether you will reach the peak or lose you way around the mountain and find yourself in a village in Madikeri on the other side of hill some 40 km away, as one of my friends found out on a recent hike. By sunrise, when you are halfway up hill, its the scenery that emerges that completely overwhelms you. In trekkers jargon, we call it Ksheera Sagara ( sea of milk).

At heights over 2000m, most of the clouds are well below your current altitude, this looks like milk overflowing around a vessel formed by the conical peaks of the surrounding mountain range. While you sit there and absorb this amazing feeling, you are reminded of the more than 3 hours of climb still remaining. While remaining trip is pretty much uneventful, the climb down takes another 4 hours. But the risk of injury is very high especially on the ankle. With no access to medication, the injured guy has to be walked down to Subramanya, with others sharing his baggage, while a few others lending their shoulders to support. One such accident on a trip with office colleagues, was probably the best team building experience that I have ever had in my life.

Second only to Kumaraparvata, comes the hike up the Kodachadri peak near Kollur, more famous for the Mookambika temple. The altitude here is much lower and also there is separate jeep track, an alternative to the trekking path. But if you are game, a third more difficuly route through the jungles might lead you near an amazing unnamed 100 m high waterfall in the valley , completely hidden from view across all directions.



Not every waterfall is difficult to access, there is Hanumana gundi waterfall near Karkala, as well the numerous waterfalls in Kemmanagundi - Kalahatti and Hebbe falls. These waterfalls present a different kind of trekking opportunity, which we call the "waterfall trail". Here you start off from the mouth of the falls and trek back towards the source . There is a very high probability you may end of finding another cascade completely cut off from tourists and visitors. The thrill of such a discovery is unmatched by any other experience.


While these are places close to Surathkal, there are of course very popular destinations like Coorg and Uttara Kannada. Any travel guide book would provide details about these places, so i would not delve into the details here.


Whats the big fuss about water falls?. For that you should sit right below a drop of a 10+ m high cascade and with the euphoria & excitement you experience from the force of the falling water on your head, you will find the answer yourself.


Now not to disappoint my beach crazy friends. For me the best beach to visit is Om & Kudle beach near Gokarna. A series of hills alternately separate these beaches, which count among the most beautiful. while being just 100 km away from Goa, it offers privacy and ambience that the beaches of Goa never can provide.


While I have been a few other equally beautiful places like Matheran and Panchmarhi, these were visited at a different time in a different phase of life. I would have to dedicate separate posts to those experiences. Trips around Surathkal would still remain among my fondest memories at a stage of adolescent life that I cherish the most.