Guaranteed

One bended knee is no way to be free
Lifting up an empty cup, I ask silently
All my destinations will accept the one that's me
So I can breathe...

Circles they grow and they swallow people whole
Half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know
A mind full of questions, and a teacher in my soul
And so it goes...

Don't come closer or I'll have to go
Holding me like gravity are places that pull
If ever there was someone to keep me at home
It would be you...

Everyone I come across, in cages they bought
They think of me and my wandering, but I'm never what they thought
I've got my indignation, but I'm pure in all my thoughts
I'm alive...

Wind in my hair, I feel part of everywhere
Underneath my being is a road that disappeared
Late at night I hear the trees, they're singing with the dead
Overhead...

Leave it to me as I find a way to be
Consider me a satellite, forever orbiting
I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me
Guaranteed

-- Eddie Vedder

Go See it...

This is one for everyone - the cynic, the eternal believer, the sceptic, the wagabond, the achiever, the slacker..GO SEE IT ..in theatres preferably

The experience!!

The morning dawned and in true Indian spirit the people assembled by the poolside for the trek at 8.00. a good hour and a half late...the next 2 hours was to some the best experiences in their life (atleast that is what they told me). For me it was a rekindling of the spirit that my forester grandpa had instilled in me.
The forest and the orange county estate were not that different in the morning dew, only the fencing demarcating the boundary of the dubare forest. We made our way to the forest and was the estate slowly stirring into life, with ladies under plastic sheets picking their way thru the coffee plants.
The trek threw up something new at every turn, a gnarled tree that resembled a python wapped around a man, a spooky bamboo grove, a steep ravine thru which we were to climb down and then climb up on the other side, leeches that sucked the blood of a few lucky people. and then the most majestic of all..the kaveri
This is what surrealism is all about, u walk down a jungle not knowing what lay ahead, and then out of nowhere u see the mighty kaveri in spate, roaring thru the jungle, the morning sun shining on it. It does make one philosophical. and u realise the insignificance of human existence, your troubles, egos, ur desires..how they all pale when compared with the underlying rhythm that nature seems to have, u r but a mere spec on this earth, millions of which have come and gone before..
Everybody was silent on the walk back, maybe too overawed by nature or then by the hunger pangs in their stomachs. The rain was giving us company all along, as was our guide ganesan's singing. Rajkumar numbers and kodagan tribal songs...never made head or tail of it, but nonetheless they fitted the mood to a T.
The sigh of breakfast laid out by the poolside, all 8 different varities of it meant that people set aside their civility, and attacked the food with the dirt from the jungle all over them. As for me, the thayir saatham guy that i was, it was idli and sambhar for me.. Soft idlies, vada and hot onion sambhar...never realised that these could ever be so tasty..
A little rest and then it was lunch, Leeches still popping up from people after they had had their fill.
The journey back began and with the rain splashin on the windows, everyone gently drifted into sleep, the rocking bus more like a cradle this time around. The return journey was more sedate, people receding into the comfort of their friends circles. But then chatting away still like there was no tomorrow. made me realise how u could be sitting next to someone for a whole year and still manage to share in a day what you couldnt in a year. and as the chatter in the train continues, i managed to hit the bed to get some shut eye. Too tired to think of the drudgery ahead
Awawken next day, groggy headed and my face sticking to the rexin of the railway birth, hitting home the fact that chennai was here.. "Chennai central...parrrr...aaapka swagat hain :-(( "

The journey!!

The train left Chennai and everyone seemed to be a different person on it...sans their emotional baggages, gleeful and without a care in the world. and for a change i myself felt a lot lighter in a long time (not physically i mean).
There seemed to be unbounded energy and no one was in any hurry to hit the bed, though authorities wanted them to.. Railway police can be bought off with a bribe, but then what do u do with..mm well let me stop at that..people slept for hardly a couple of hours, and yet were fresh as daisies in the morning, the morning chill doing a refreshing job. a quick breakfast and a brief interlude in mysore as we switched modes of transport..we were off again. ...Not a sign of the rain that was promised.
The vehicles tottered over the roads and were making slow progress when the rain suddenly came down in a delightful roar setting the mood for the day ahead. Winding through a big carpet of greenery we managed to reach the resort a good hour late. The journey had not taken its toll on anyone. The sight of a small cottage which was the reception was definitely not what we expected for a resort that had 5 stars going for it. all we could see from there being a small forest that was oozing the scent of the monsoon all over.
The small buggies which were there to cart the guests to their lodgings, gave a small hint of the vastness of the place. stepping out of the reception we walked down to the "cottage". And the only thought that was going thru me was "if this is the cottage then what would the presidential villa be like..."open mouthed anticipation".."
a quick, hot spicy lunch and we were off on a tour of the resorts coffee plantations...basically just a walk everybody huddling under umbrellas or their windcheaters and chatting away to glory with their friends and then somebody said it.."already i think this is worth the 2000 rs that i gave, and gave me a pat on the back"... too much on a high to think straight, the weight of the expectation when u do something to please 60 people was now gone.
the rain was now pouring in the forest and yet no one was complaining and something told me no one will. eveyone was drenched from head to toe, but were eagerly looking for more, as we had a hot cuppa of coorgi coffee by the pool side restaurant.
The beauty of the trip lay in the lack of itinerary, which actually was a gaffe on my part. People were free to do what they wanted for the evening.. cycling, games, or just plain old loitering. a cricket bat and ball materialised out of nowhere and we were off to the banks of the kaveri as the guide led us to a meadow where we could play.
I was a bit behind and was forutnate enough to see that sight. as we turned a corner there it lay, spread out in all its lushness and greenery the meadow that i am sure everyone dreams of just lying on with their loved ones by their side, gazing at the stars with a gentle gurgling of water by the side. As i stood there dazed, the guys in front of me broke ranks and just ran....like children rush out of their classed to the play ground during recess , some just running with no real purpose, someone thjrowing the ball high in the air and running behind another waving the bat around his headand prancing like a horse..that image for me was the defining moment of the trip by far..a thrilling cricket match in the meadow till it grew real dark, a few of the ladies strolling by with the odd comments and the day was done. Darkness and the stage was set for a different kind of fun..Everyone strolled in to the poolside for the 7.30 bonfire by 8.30, the usual intros and the light hearted ragging later, people tucked in to their dinners and were off, into their rooms for the long night ahead. Though everybody was tired, from what i gathered, nobody really slept that night too. Every room had its share of stories to tell. Sadly not mine cause all i remember was dozing within seconds of switching on the TV to watch formula 1. and then shouting at someone in my sleep over the phone, this particular person wanting me to arrange shoes at 12.00 in the night for the trekking that was scheduled the next day...DUH!!!

Orange county!!!

P.S:- This is intended as an update on the past few months in life...with too much of the focus being on work (cause that is all that has been happening)...also for the benefit of the wonderful friends that i have made in the small period that i have been here.. Names have been dropped to prevent future blood-letting..
This was a trip that was to have happened a good month ago, when the summer was at its peak in chennai....all the browsing and the online reviews had created visions in my mind of that perfect happy place of my dreams....I was to have organised it too, as it was my suggestion in the first place, but then my disappointments at work meant that i was to spend a good amount of time sulking and eventually backing out..so May came and went and then june seemed set to do the same.
Chennai was reeling under the sun and "PF-ians" under work. The signs of a burnout where everywhere..people who took some responsibility to their work were all stressed out and no respite was in sight...and the people who were supposed to take note were tucked away in their cabins and their dawn to dusk routine.."SULK"...
And then it happened ..the rain in chennai which rekindled that spirit in me..the travel junkie that i was..initially thinking of making a private trip with a few friends, only to be stopped by the prohibitive cost of the resort..for the uninitiated a cottage costs RS.9000 for a day and night...this was were the economies of scale reared its head...I had promised myself that i will never organise a massive trip again, least of it for this project...but then again, Orange county was too good a place to let my cut-out sized ego come in the way...and so here i was trying to get the thing started again...After some heavy selling of the idea, a decent number managed to turn up a good 57 out of 120. Very poor compared to the previous trip to Munnar....the team wanted to send a message and in the few conversations that i had can assure that it did find the person and touch a real raw nerve (a sadistic grin on the face)...the days moved quickly and there we were a motley bunch at Chennai central on the night of the 1st of July

Red earth and pouring rain!!!

Life has been meandering along for the past month and a half.desperately trying to bring a semblance of routine into my life, circumstances not letting me succeed (a.k.a worldcup football) ...June thus aptly summed up as one long sleepless month.
Nothing much happening at work either...moved to a god forsaken location within chennai,with a totally indifferent "You know who" to report to, it was beginning to look like i was staring at a deep dark bottomless pit.
My body and soul were crying out for a break..and as i sat in the balcony of my house counting recent dissapointments and hammering away for a way out....it happened....a cold little drop on my brow..do i dare hope ...Rain???...Nah!!!!
In chennai ..Nahh!!! a cool breeze then brought with it first the scent of the cooum and then that magical scent of pouring rain on red hot earth....reigniting a passion that i thought was long gone...buried deep under the baggage from the past two years..a job, responsibilities..living disciplined
It has never ceased to amaze me ..how despite being from kerala i manage to get so worked up about the rains. I don't remember being like this when i was in school..rather i was more like johny in that stupid old rhyme..hating every bit of it..
Peer pressure, the expectations that i had created for myself and my pursuit of what i thought would be best for me took me out of palakkad and onto one of the blue blooded schools in chennai. Dust, grime and the heat had become second nature. The only good that ever came out of it being my partially neutralised mallu accent and outlook..
Luckily for me i never did make it in the big city, dejected and sitting at home..my only company being the monsoon raging away in all its glory...that was to be the defining period in my life..if there ever has been one.
There is the kiran before and after...a snobby,serious, back stabbing go-getter to a self deprecating, friendly, slacker...family thinks otherwise though. and still has very high plans for me...if only they realise what i planned to do with my life (smirk on the face)
These and a flood of other thoughts came and then blurred away as i drifted into sleep...beautiful images of coorg that was going to clear the clutter in my brain

The last day!!!!

A hectic month in the office. Chennai scorching more than ever. Sleep deprivation. Nothing much to write home about. Amidst all this , somewhere down the line, i hit "Z" on my keyboard and it appeared in the browser adress box. Purely unintentional. And then something happened, a really trivial thing on a normal day,. but not today. the toolbar prompts http;\\Zimblyboring.blogspot.com...
with work taking up my mind space and orkut taking up my freetime, my lil blog had slowly started gathering moss in some god forsaken place in some google server somewhere. I look back on the posts that i had written so sincerely and it all came flooding back. The Pondy trip and the way i had left it hanging in the balance. come to think of it, i really had a lot to write home about, but then anything new would require closure to the past and so here goes the final chapter in the Pondy saga.
I still remember clearly the glaring light that shone through the window, but me blinking in the bed wondering why i was still feeling cold. I gather myself and the chores pass of in a haze. the climb down to the reception quickly brings me back to my senses. We check out of the hotel and on our way ask for the restaurant, only to be shown to a hole in the wall behind the reception. Nevertheless, we settle down and ask for the menu. Everyone really hungry now. Time 10.00 - and i was thinking "so much for sunrises". We open the menu only to be greeted by illustrious names like "Black label", "Johny Walker" etc etc..NAh!!not the time ..not the place.
Out on the road, under the glaring sun, on empty stomach. we ride around for a while before stumbling upon a eatery. As the ad goes "Thodi si pet pooja..kahin bhi kabhi bhi". Breakfast done. i chart the route for the day. Nothing too demanding, a trip to the Chunnambar river on the cuddalore road. With me playing navigator, it is not long before we find out that we have overshot the resort by a good kilometer. Beating a quick retreat, we locate the resort.
And to say the truth, the first impression was not good. A shack made from concrete, a ticket counter for a boat ride and a boat that could seat 10 maybe?? now that we had come this far, we only had one option - take the boat ride. the "leisure" boat was packed with ppl like a PTC bus in chennai, the water too close to the edge of the boat for comfort. But the sight of a man standing in water that was neck deep right in the middle of the river was comforting. A silent sweaty ride later we arrive at an island. Cut of on the sides by branches of the river and the sea forming the beach. Something out of a picture postcard. We wanted to dive in, but then logistics and the thought of the ride back to chennai held us back. A gentle stroll through the beach, and a few refreshing sights and some blind point-and-shoot snaps later we slowly made our way back to the boat. only to see that there was none. It sank in slowly that a boat doesnt wait for ever we had to wait for the next "trip". Too dazed to keep track of time, the only thing that was crystal clear was the growing rumbling from within. A sleepy boat ride back and a quick ride to pondy we were just in time to get in to "Rendezvous" before they downed shutters for the noon. A not so relaxed lunch later. We began the agonising journey back home. Time 4.00
Next stop alambra fort. A breezy 40 kms from pondy. this was for me one of the highlights of the drive. The fort as such is non existent. All that remains are whatever that nature and man have deemed fit for nothing. The fort was one of Tipu's strongholds..or so said the rusted plaque near the fort. The britishers had part destroyed it and whatever was left was taken by time. and the killer blow came from the tsunami. A few enterprising villagers swarmed with some fresh toddy and a boat ride on the sea. The fading light forcing us to decline. It was already 6.00 and we were not even half way thru.
I switch places and get my shot at the road. Immediately flooring it, i start riding like there is no morrow. i realised that i was going berserk and i did not care. the dusk brought with it, an irritating amount of flies, which seemd to have this knack of getting into my eyes thru the helmet. And the glaring headlights did not help either. I watch painfully as the traffic increases as we reach mahabalipuram and the the kms go down. The final halt at the road side inn. A quick bite later, we join the long caravan of vehicles making a beeline to the city. I sink into my own thoughts. and anil into his. This time at the thought of the city. And as the city lights grow bigger and brighter all i can do is take a deep breath and sigh!!!!

auroville...and the night ahead

La terasse beckoned us through the slighlty hidden archway..a cool place built aesthetically using sutmps of cocunut trees for pillars and a tatched roof...cool and windy..we were expecting a menu where prices started in 3 digits, but to our surprise the prices were nominal compared to what even a sangeetha in chennai charges. and we dug in for the long haul.
but the start was not good..."soups and frite"..i ordered..the waiter blinked "sprite????".."no no frite" i said pointing to the menu.."oh!!!u mean freets"
yeah!! yeah!! i replied; in a tone which was meant to convey that in my part of the country that thing was pronounced the way i just did it..
the waiter just smiled..i smiled back in the realisation that ordering veg dishes from a menu written in french/english was going to be fun(for all practical purposes the menu could have even been in greek or latin)
The fried potatos, with the hot soup set the taste buds yearning for more. We were out for a ball and we were going to have it. But then rarely did it strike us that these would later form an explosive combination once inside the body. But then again, first things first. starters done with, it was maincourse time..Italian wood fire pizzza for me ...and steaks for the others..The jouney began in all earnesty and providing respite to the mouth from all the chewing and swallowing was the harmless gossip and banter. oops i almost forgot. we also had mashed potato to go with this round.
Main course done..icecreams and frites for desserts:-))
stepping out into the early evening sun, we were brought back from the hallowed confines of a meditteranean setting to the hot early summer climes of Pondy..more specifically to the loud world of dravidian politics..Amma was going to have a rally in Pondy...yes, we were blessed to the see her in person and experience first hand the best in the world of sycophancy.
Managing to get out of pondy a good hour before the rally the drive to auroville was largely uneventful..except for the final 2 Kms. Bad roads, lush trees mango guava and jack fruit, lots and lotso white skin and life just ambling along ..no one in any particular hurry. Welcome to Auroville..The reception center was like an arts gallery and to shed the fatigue from the ride we loitered around in the A/C rooms for a while. Refreshed, we were all set to go to the maitri mandir only to be told that it was a good 15 minute walk. And the thought brought the fatigue right back. No walking business for us today. A lime soda from the canteen and we were off on our main pursuit..the Auroville beach ;-)
A lot of stories about the beach do the rounds in Chennai and we were going to get a few of our own to tell. Parking our bikes at the gates, we try and pass for regulars only to be shooed away by the security guards. Standing there perplexed, i had this feeling that we were going to be fodder for laughter for the few auto drivers there..only to have the thought cut short by sreejith leading the way..through a clearing beside the gate..smelly and shady we were wondering were we were headed.Only to be assured a few steps later by the lashing waves of the Bay of bengal. We felt like explorers and with the anticipation mounting by the minute, what resulted was one of the biggest anti climaxes of recent times. the clearing led us to the beach, only to be greeted by hundreds of "Onlookers" if u know what i mean, separated from the main beach by a fence and a few security guards..and a board that requested us to respect others' privacy ..Phuuu
Not to be undone and making the best use of the situation we quickly changed and dove right into the sea...real shallow and real gentle. we walk almost a 100 meters in. enjoi the waves, the occasional swimmer who has moved on to the wrong side inadvertently and then startled by some prick, moves back again. it went on for a while. Sunset and we were out of the water. All sandy we slowly ride back to Pondy only to be greeted by huge crowds waiting for amma. The rally was late.
a quick wash later we were back on the road, this time no bikes, we were going to explore the night life on foot. First pitstop - Hot and cold for Dinner. Take a turn on the road and there it was..The tempo carrying Amma a spot light on her face and the loud speaker blaring ..and I think i heard free rice????
The rooftop restaurant at H&C was quite a setting, and under the influence of a little bit of inhibition reducing substances the conversation grew more interesting as the night grew older.. A good 3 hrs and we were out on the empty roads...11.PM we decide to walk to the marina only to be surprised to see a good family crowd at that time of the night. i once again wonder when Kerala is going to be like this..
A few party animals coming out of the pub were to be our eye candy. And once we were sure that there were no more left where they came from we pushed on ..Only to have the night spiced up by a PYT totally lost in her world,drunk??? drugged??? riding a scooter all over the lonely road and us three standing right in the middle. She halts..We halt ..??????again anti climax..she comes close and then takes the turn on the road just ahead of us ..we walk on, only to have her zip past on the parallel roads a few times. Enough to have a few of us imagining a few things...the cool sea breeze, tired legs an A/C room ..we doze of with promises of catching the sunrise...Promises????

la pondy

time 7.30 distance covered 40kms. Not a great way to go if we wanted to beat the early summer sun to Pondicherry. And with every passing kilometer the road began twisting and turning more. And with every passing kilometer i was getting more and more comfy with the bike. Fear melting away and the deeply held craze for racing -NFS style took over. 10 mins into the drive and anil bellowed 10 mins-8 kms...and that did it..

I bent my head and crouched on the fuel tank, putting on the profile of a race biker, and exposing anil's huge frame to the wind. the tacho was steadily climbing.. 6000rpm...7k.....7.5k...8k... and i could now feel the engine straining. But i was not one to let go now. The spirit had taken over. tilting gently thru the banked curves. devouring the kilometers. And anil behind me was getting slightly uncomfortable and with a gentle tap on the shoulder pointed to the tacho..and i gently let go..a few kms on and the game was back on..immediate target - catch up with the guys in the front. and we did that soon after anil cried out 12 mins 15 kms..and we passed them...Riding was now a breeze with the vegetation providing
cover against the wind. With trees on both sides and lush green paddy fields the scene could been straight out of kerala. the road now punctuated with the odd signpost declaring dangerous curves. We were pushing ahead in the hope that the series of dangerous curves would continue even in Pondy.
After what felt like 5 minutes, we stopped. Time 8.30 distancve covered 55 kms.. And the guys couldnt have stopped at a better place. A road side flatform built long ago, under a huge banyan tree, for the travellers of yore. A small navagraha temple nearby and a couple of locals peering at us curiously. Kind of felt like a step back in time, as though, in the next second a huge caravan of bullock carts could come right out of the end of the road. Or a battalion of soldiers gallop by to the alambra fort that we just passed.
A few memorable snaps later we were off again, me and anil switching roles. We passed the memorial marking pondicherry soon and were slowed down to a crawl by the narrow roads and the traffic.
Upto me to play the role of the navigator. The countless traveller magazines that i had read came in handy. Pondy is reputed to have a very efficient tourism department and what better place to look for help than on the fabled marina. And there it was tucked away, in one of the buildings in the french quarter.
The sun was bearing down heavily on us and the reflection from the clear sea was blinding to say the least. The air conditioned confines of the tourism office was a welcome reprieve. We were asked to make ourselves comfortable, handed out a couple of brouchres and a map of pondy that was to become our guiding beacon from then on. Asking around for a couple of decent stay options we move out. A little bit of desperation creeping in with the rumblings from within growing bigger. And with nature calling a couple of us really badly, we needed to act fast. The sun was
sapping us pretty fast and a couple of hotels later (all of which were costly) we were dehydrated to the core. Finally finding a baragain at Hotel Aruna. Draggin up our tired asses upto 4th floor, and the A/C room felt like heaven. All of us dozed off almost instantaneously, waking up a good 2 hrs later at 12.30. A refreshing shower and all of us were raring to go. Lunch time!!!

Daybreak

The watch read 06.30 as we breezed past the toll way and the ECR stretched out ahead. But we were not confident about pushing the fazer to its limit. The past year had shown that the fazer leaves a lot to be desired on the buid quality. As a precaution the bike was just out of a full paid serive a week back and as of a couple of days back was singing like a nightingale. But then just before we were leaving for pondy we noticed that the speedo and the odo were broken - yet again.

A sign of things to come, maybe??? fingers crossed



Anil was cruising at around 60 kmph (had to count the miles and the time and then calculate the speed the good old fashioned way) on the ECR and by now the traffic had really thinned out to the odd moped or bike and the qualises that seemed to appear out of nowhere and then zoom past. We had also left behind the clutter of buildings on ECR which were obstructing the beach. The monstrosities that have been buuilt in the name of farmhouses were truly an eye sore. The rising sun was now peeking through the vegetation on our left more frequently. But then nothing
prepared us for the splendour of a sunrise over the wast bay of bengal as we approached the lake at Muthukad. The ECR bridges over the lake and provides a unhindered view of the sea to the left.That period of the dawn, was ideal too, with the haze and the smog gently lifting away and a cool wind blowing into the sea. Only thing i could mutter to myself was

"so, this is what sunrises look like!!".

I had by now, with my 2 years in the city, begun to associate day break with the changing hue at the horizon as seen from my 3rd floor bedroom window.
Bike rides with Anil regardless of who is riding is generally not a silent affair, what with everything ranging from movies, society , religion and ladies being discussed. But this was different. I was too engrossed in the life erupting around me at day break, trying to capture whatever i could with a digital camera, the size of a match box. Anil meanwhile, was fulfilling his hearts desire for a cruise at dawn. We hardly spoke and whatever little i said was answered with a nod of the helmet.
We were now truely out on the open road and to our left were the wind breakers - a series of trees that buffeted the space between the road and the sea. These were planted to protect the coast from the murderous winds that lash this coast, year after year, with unflinching resolve. If there ever was anything surreal then this was it. And we didnt notice the bike slowing down as we took in the magic of the moment.
After a few snaps, I had begun to lose faith in the camera and had begun hating the Japs for their obsession with size (small is beautiful seems to be their motto) and not functionality. The LCD monitor was getting blurred as the ambient light brightened and i had a hard time trying to figure out whether i was even pointing
in the right direction, let alone focus.
The semi trance that we were in broke suddenly, with what else, my mobile phone ringing. The guys ahead had already reached Mamallapuram (mahabalipuram of yore) and had been waiting for us for some time now. And this brought our attention back to more pressing things at hand. Revving up we raced ahead and met up with the guys in a few minutes.

Getting down from the bike i could sense the excitement that everyone shared. My whole body a sense of vibrations going up and down, as i stood on the ground. And was glad to note that this was not happening with me alone. A few interesting tit bits on the ride thus far and we were off again. Only to stop 500 meters later for breakfast. A quick bite and a sip of coffee later we were off again with me riding the fazer. Everyone a little apprehensive about the state of our bowels though.
I generally dont use helmets, as i am more of an instinctive driver. I sense vehicles coming up from behind with the corner of my eye rather than the rear view. But that short ride upto mamalla inn and the sight of an aveo, camry and an esteem slipstreaming one behind the other at what was deifnitely way over the speed limit, convinced me to put one on today....and i was not going to regret that today.

The pondy saga!!! - a prelude

The scene had not changed much from the time i hit the bed..all the lights in all the rooms were on..the comp was on...so i guessed i had not slept much and try and fall asleep again..
Vimal had other plans though. Already up and having finished his bath he was looking for a person to wake up. and with my timing sense being immaculate as ever, my gentle stirrings manage to catch his eye...quick to oblige, he does manage to get me out of bed..Groggy-eyed, slurred speech and a head that was weighin a million tonnes..
Everything begins to come back to me slowly....why i woke up, pondy, the bike, the ride and ECR!!! With an ego that is larger than me, backing out of the trip is not an option. I am already cursing myself for sort of having let the cat out of the bag..My fear of ECR..
I hurriedly rush through the chores (brushing my teeth) more as a ritual and with a deep breath decide not to have a bath..Logically speaking i would be accumulating dirt all along the way and so makes sense to wash at the end.. and another not so logical reason being.....like my mentor calvin i hate to take bath..(not apologetic)
And after a lot of pushing, cajoling and name calling, the door to our flat is finally shut at 5.45. Rushing down from the 3rd flr making quite a racket, the old mami staying in the ground floor would surely have been wondering at that sight...And the machines come to life.. Pulsar and a Fazer
First stop the petrol pump..and the realisation dawns that we dont have a helmet..That would mean us going back while vimal and sreejith Waited..Not a good sign...As grandma says " once u start a journey u r not supposed to turn back until u reach ur destination" , turning back is meant to bring MISFORTUNE..
Grandmas and their superstitions, "huh!! really silly!!!"...and brush aside my suspiscions...a nagging doubt though "r they really silly"...eeey!!!!!
And as we turn back from the house...we see a horde of buffalos......buffalos..Yaman's vehicle..at 6.00 in the morning..and every bloody superstition that has somehow been fed into my subconscious through a tradtional upbringing explode into the open...Never would have realised that i even knew these things..
Spooked i was..Spooked as in hell...but then when u have an overpowering ego coupled with a insatiable desire for travel, ur decisions and actions are not really yours and Fear invariably takes the back seat..we turn from Thiruvanmiyur and the ECR beckons...Vimal and sreejith Race ahead in the pulsar, through the sparse morning traffic while we strain to keep pace in the fazer...a good 5 kms out and my cap flies off...and now i am thinking of that stupid e-mail forward that i recd...about how god talks to u through his agents - helmet, Buffalo and now wind??? Weird when I begin to realise the amount of crap that is residing in my brain...

We give up on the Pulsar and steady the pace.
And as we approached the Toll, the sign post read.....

ECR Scenic roadway begins

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This was a trip that has been one of the most memorable ive ever made..and i have made quite a few..as i look at the photos and the events now...feel as though i have just experienced what can maybe run as a mega serial blog..giving me enough substance to write about for a couple of weeks and keep me engaged for the period.
All i can say is, however hard i try and blog, the trip will come alive in the images only...so keep the comments coming as u enjoy this attempt at a travelogue ( I hope)

Pondicherry!!!!

April begins tomorrow - The last month for the 4 of us at 3/10, Mayur apts, Indiranagar. We have given our landlord the notice and the four of us - Vimal - the investment banker, Sreejith - management guru, Anil - "_____" guru (really dont know what to put there) and me the travel journalist, all wannabes though...are set to part ways after 6 long years..and what better way to mark it than with a trip to pondy ...
This was a trip that was planned in December 04.. when we stepped into this house for the first time..but then due to the inborn tendency for procrastination that all of us seemed to have, the trip never ever happened and the farthest that we got towards pondicherry was T.C.O..
But now the issue picked up some real urgency, and April 1st was decided...easier part done with..but with our motto being "never do today, what u can do tomorrow"..the plan has not moved an inch off the ground...that is go to pondy..stay the night there and come back on sunday evening
planning to do this trip by car, my uncle's maruti 800, I make a couple of sorties to his house to try and lend me the car...but then...he has this nose to pick up shit coming from me how ever sugar coated it might be..so i get the car but only if i take the driver along...definitely not an interesting proposition..so plan ditched
After a lot of deliberation we decide to bike to Pondy..120 kms on ECR...and my meek mutterings against it are voted out 3 to 1...ECR is probably one of the most scenic of coastal highways in India..but one of the most dangerous too...and for me taming the ECR has been the stuff of nightmares...
I ride fast but carefully and rarely use the brake until i really need to. But that can often mean that the person sitting behind me often has his heart in his mouth, which i recognise by their thighs tightening against me....and to put it in the words of my bro/sis i ride like a madman...i simply luv riding for the fun of it..but then ECR it is a different ball game..
The guys are all excited...me too but to a lesser extent...excitement tinged with a little trepidation
I hear voices in the other room....and out comes an audacious plan..."the time is now 1.30am so let us get ready and leave now...we will reach pondy at 6.00 in the morning"...my heart just skipped a beat..quickly go on the offensive and manage to shoot down the plan....the guys pull back and settle down for a departure at 5.30 am...
My mind a little at ease..but not yet fully settled...planning to hit the bed now...dont know whether ill be able to sleep...looking ahead for what a brand new day beholds..cause all said and done...i will never want to back out of this trip cause the travel bug that has bitten me..sure did one hell of a job..fingers crossed

maa malakalkappuraththu ......marthaka...

The walk further up the hill was going to be a real tough ask. By the time the tail of the group clambered up to the mid way point the lead guys had had a good rest and before the rest could take a deep breath, the guys were off again...and giving them competition were a set of Kannadigas singing some song, i think from an upendra movie...
The dense growth had given way to more sparse but larger tress, basically huge eucalyptus and fir trees. The mist had thickened and the climb now brought back memories of that great walk up dodabetta..3rd Sem tour to ooty..when the class really came alive...
The indian idea of a great tourist spot is one that has a children's park..really wonder what use children were going to have for a park...Swings, Slides and for god's sake....SEE-SAWs....but the locals who had raced ahead were putting them to good use and their shrieks were kind of invigorating in the cold..Really wanted to have a go....but fear of the collective chori of 23 ppl, made me decide against


Everyone had almost given up hope of reaching the top, when out of the blue, a stretch of road in front of us and powerful headlamps from a scorpio peering thru,
Turn right ...viola...a tea shop, masala Kappalandis and then hold ur breath an icecream shop/...yes an icecream shop and we knew we had arrived. But strangely now that the climb was over no one seemed that tired after all.
It really was a sight to behold...a vast expanse of barren rock..a beautiful temple made of granite and the sky as though kneeling down and trying to kiss the earth.

A small path led along the temple wall was promising even more spectacular sights. A few steps later nothin but us and the open sky. and in steps Paul...
that picture of him is still frozen in my memory..standing in front of a few of us..pointing into the mist and the rocks and going "ithanu Nandi hilla...ividinnu nokkiyal thazhe vann kokkayanu..nalla kaattannu"
and we were like ...."mmmmm....seri"..but it was not that bad after all..in fact it was way beyond my expectations, going by Paul's initial description..later he did say though.." the mist saved the day..allengil ithu thani oooooooojvalamaayene".
a little grass totally open to the sky and i saw what i believe is the definition of ethereal, here was another chance for my camera to redeem itself..so canon big finder..here u go again.. and thankfully the elements combined perfectly if i can say so and the best picture of the lot happened


This picture summed up what this trip kind of meant for me. Leave all ur troubles behind and enjoy the moment-get togethor, friends, chori.

Hoyya - Hoy!!!!!

The climb up Nandi Hills began in right earnest. The steps to the top were in a state of disintegration. It was kind of like stepping in to the unknown as the view of the top was smudged by the mist. I am sure ppl new to Nandi hills thought that the steps led straight to the top..atleast i did...But ...and that is a but with a capital B.
The steps led to the bottom of the actual hills and the reserve forest..a road that led up to the archway - a relic from the Britishers, preserved as such ..

The mist had a magical effect on the day and the place....visibility was not more than 100 meters and so u never knew what lay straight ahead..and the archway had this ethereal feel to it...a doorway into another world maybe??????
The guys led by Radi were pushing ahead and the first stop was "Muthalakulam"...a huge pond, totally walled, a rusted warning telling people not to go in ...the mist totally covering it and the greenish water peering through occassionally....Everyone looking hard for the sliding brown of a crocodile...and i believe somebody did too...
Hats off to the guy who started this thing about the "Mothala"...Paul was it or Selvin???
The rain had drenched the walkway to the top. The walkway that led along the side of the muthalakulam and right below an old banyan tree..roots all gnarled and partially blocking the path...Obviously a photo-op, and the digital cameras clicked away..and the first real test for my canon Big-Finder camera (with auto focus, auto flash and auto light detection) appeared. A chance for a beautiful photo and all that i get a green background with a lot of smoke in the foreground..F#$%...so no photo for this part of the story...
the path had become a stairway now and the tree cover overhead was getting denser. what a day this is turning out to be...a tropical forest 60 kms from the city ..i never would have believed this if i hadnt seen it for myself...we would have climbed for say 10 mins..and already ppl were going...
"Eda, Vazhi thettiyo ennoru samshyam..."
"Vere Aarem Kaannanillalo...mmmmmmm????"
"Radi, Engotekkanada odunnathu....mazha vannal ellarum nanayum, vaa thirichu pokam".
"enikku mathiyaaye.......evideyenkilum onnu irikkanam...hooo"
angine paranju paranju we reached base station....and some body cried out "appo ithanno Nandi hills.....Phaaaaaa"...

"alla mone dinesha iniyum pokanam....."

dhaaaaande nere poyaal nandi hills

Nandi hills was never on the radar initially...we looked around a few blogs and saw nandi hills but then Paul's experience vetoed it down..all it had was a few hills, mist and a lot of wind... and finally masinagudi it was..
23 ppl at masinagudi...mmm sounded to good to be true..anyways went ahead with it..the first ominous signs came with the rain...but then positive thinking a.k.a shubapti vishwasam won the day...
after numerous calls and a long period of a tense silence, everyone started preparing for the get togethor....as the deadline neared, things started happening all of a sudden...a few mails exchanged, and a day later masinagudi was thrown to the bin..
popular opinion was for B'lore and that meant we were exactly where we started a month ago..
Nandi Hills suddenly didnt seem such a bad option after...it had beautiful hills...lotso mist...a superb breeze all day long..and was so close to the city...How come we missed it in the first place?????
Enough of flashbacks.... The trip was hotting up, ppl catchin up on the latest gossips, and so was everyone's hunger..everyone wanted to reach the hills fast...the bread,butter and jam was tempting ...and the calls from within were getting stronger... but nature has these strange ways of making u forget u r self



The climb up the hills began just like that...and in a few minutes the views began to emerge..the grey skies over distant bangalore...the mist covered top of the hills and the trees lining the winding roads....the windows were drawn as the breeze picked up....
The mist thickened as the mazda wound its way..some beautiful views and some beautiful couples later we wound up at the end of the road on the top..
the mist was smothering and after a bone chattering walk outside, everyone's hunger came roaring back...a cozy lunch within the van...bread, butter and Jam ..felt a lot like college..make do with whatever is available, if not try and grab from someone else..
Lunch done , everyone was raring to go..after all there were going to be just a few steps to climb anyway........

Picking up the pieces

who wants masinagudi when u can offroad right in the heart of blore. The mazda swayed and rocked as it tried to make its way to the main road. It felt like an eternity..even more so because of ppl trying to brush up on their chalus. and finally we managed to reach one of the (what i believe to be part of a rare set) roads which was tarred the way roads were meant to be tarred.
Distance travelled :- 3kms time :- 15 mins
It can be real surprising what new facts 15 minutes like these can bring forth, even in friends u have known for 4 years. Take Selvin, a shining case in point. He runs around all morning to try and get a digital camera..finally manages one (one which has batteries almost dead). But instead of capturing the momentous beginning of the trip for posterity, he dedicates the first half an hour to the wildlife around Indiranagar and Domlur. I mean birdlife, the kind that blore seems to have lots of...but have to give it to you man...you do know how to spot those rare beauties.
Location :- Domlur Time 11.30
A huge cry goes out as Sanoj,Joju and jose join us...everyone is sporting a grin as big as their faces..especially sanoj who seems to be in particularly high spirits...the reason dawned on the non enlightened souls soon though..Jose seemed to have grown a particularly remorseful beard...viraham???? mmmmm......and Joju as cool as ever...
Things settled down soon ..but before the Kaththi could begin again....Koramanagala.....and then ...FORUM!!!!

The transport committee was again fighting with the driver while the rest of the van was telling Thejus their Forum story...
Time for Aswath, Hari and Bimil...Aswath the family man that he is..straight out of Main hoon na..Sweater and all...Hari and Bimil , well trim as professionals should be...
Well now only the Ladies remained...after another round of dug up roads and traffic and a few juicy bits of gossips later..the ladies made their grand entry...Obviously mad at being made to wait for so long..but no one particular person to shout at..Archana,Divya and Sreedevi made their way to the back...but archana...nope not the back seat...a seat right behind Anil was ur first choice...habits do die hard don't they???
after a long ride around the ring roads anupa joined and so to say..the pieces all fell into place.....

Bangalored....

A normal friday in chennai...the usual FWDs with "Enjoy the Weekend" messages...Work not getting done as well as the TL would have it...(Like it ever does???)..
Save for the fact that Cyclone baaz was fast on our tails. The 3 of us Anil, Thejus and Me had scooted from work by 7 in the evening. It was raining already and Anil as usual had found the perfect excuse to escape from a gathering...One technical problem though. The tickets were with me and i was not going to cancel them. Facing the prospect of losing his 400 bucks and the fear of getting stuck at home - without power and without any way to go out...he hauled his baggage and we were finally off.
The rain was now coming sideways. And by the time we reached Central, we were 3 wet souls, chattering in the howling wind. And then began the never ending wait for the train - 6021, Chennai - Bangalore Express.Departure - 10.50 PM. In keeping with tradition, the train Chugged in at 11.50- a sight to behold. 1400 passengers peering at the driver, who has his head out the window, chewing paan, the look on his face signalling his truimph over this sea of humanity. As it turned out, the driver was just getting started..and he was in no hurry to reach there. K.R.Puram at 9.00 am on saturday - a good 3 hours late.
K.R.P is a very down to earth place to be. The roads are non existent. If it rains slush appears everywhere. Garbage is dumped about.Its only claim to fame being the wonderfully monsterous flyover that Zips tagged people to ITPL. Enthoru elima..absolutely no airs though it is in the Silicon Valley of India. As it turns out, it is not just K.R.P; almost the whole of B'lore is this way. Simple and Humble.
As it turns out, Bangalore had more to offer thrills to offer us...To be particular the B'lore Electricity board and the Mahangara Palike. There was no electricity in that entire area. Our hosts Arun and Elias ( the first of the organising committee to be seen) had gracefully learned to live with this fact. But coming from a boiling chennai, the prospect of a bath in that biting cold in an even colder water was not exactly interesting. Especially for a person like me.
That was the absolute low point of the trip for me. From then on things obviously had to get better, as they couldnt get any worse. and the first signs of improvement came with the breakfast...steaming puttu, spicy kadala curry and an omlette with a lot of chilli and coriander....and with Radi,Selvin,Sanjith, Shabeer,M.P. and T, for company the mood just got a lot merrier.
The time was 10.30 already and we were still at K.R.Puram. But as far as everyone else was concerned we were either in Jeevan Bhima nagar or in Domlur. The attitude being aptly summed up as "ara manikkuru mumbe purapattu, venemengil oru manikkuru mumbe purapedam...."
And at 11.00 that super luxury swaraj mazda finally made its way out of K.R.Puram