When Mexico City was Tenochtitlan...

The Day 3 started with a small fiasco. We were really keen to see some more of the archeological history around the city, hence our target was the Museum of Anthropology. We wanted a slow morning and started off around 11.30 am for the museum. Little did we know that there will be almost 2km long queues at both the entrances! We circled the venue, thinking if there will be some alternate entrance for foreign tourists. There were none. We took another taxi back to the hotel, but there were road-blocks all around. The main roads were reserved for the skaters and cyclists on Sundays till 2pm, and it took 45 minutes to reach back. We were 400 pesos poorer and dejected at wasting the morning.

The Templo Mayor ruins were left to be seen, so we headed straight towards the site, after a brief break at the hotel room. En route, we entered the compounds of the Mexican Supreme Court and clicked some pictures of the interesting building structure.

Our major pain point was lack of English speaking crowd. The entry-point to the temple ruins also had a long queue, so we decided to have lunch instead and then head back. Both of us wanted some light lunch and searched for an unnamed street food that everybody seemed to be having. Finally it was located at those super-small 'thelas'. We ended up having chillis and bacon, and enchiladas at a local Bar-cum-Restaurant. The cheese could have been lesser though, no wonder the people (specially women) have such huge tires around their bellies.

We gawked at some local street dancers and the traditional dancers on the way. Curiously, the Mexicans seemed quite superstitious, similar to our culture - we came across enchanters on the road to drive away evil spirits, and people actually flocked to them. We reached the ruins around 4pm. It was another enriching experience. The huge area almost declared to us its past glory. The magnificent architecture has had lots of meditations, offerings and self sacrifices to the God, a tradition quite rampant during the Aztec era. The killings were abolished instantaneously with the Spanish conquest.

There were small boards with details written at each corner of the ruins. Interesting was the fact that there were quite a few teenagers, writing down notes from these boards, and clicking pictures on a Sunday afternoon. They all seemed to be on some school project. It kind of touched us since this seemed to be an ideal way to inculcate the importance of your own historical significance from an early age. You learn to respect that feeling throughout your life and pass it on to the next gen as well.

The temple used to have seven layers to maintain the inner sanctum. It was brought down by the Spanish soon after the invasion of the then Tenochtitlan (old name for Mexico City). There is a museum attached to the ruins that contains artifacts from the early age. With eight levels and hundreds of beautiful artifacts on display, we took almost an hour and a half to even scan through. Closing time was nigh and we did not have another day to come back.

We sometimes notice weird facts on our trips. One of them were the entry fees of each of the tourism sites - they are a standard 57 pesos, with no difference between locals and foreigners OR between the sites. This maybe to maintain equality of historical significance, or maybe we were deducing too much.

Late in the evening, we went to the local market again to experience the evening communal dances and smell the local food. Then we walked to the Monument of Revolution that we could see from our hotel room, and were curious to see it up front. The building is 52 mts high and was made during the first centennial celebrations. The colourful dancing fountain in the front had many people having a fun time in the water. We clicked some pictures and went up in the glass elevator, to the top of the building. The evening wind and the night-scape welcomed us with all its serenity. Some half an hour later, we came down from the building, only to see something totally unexpected. There was an open-air projection theater and Iron Man II had just started. Pleasant surprise there!

We headed back to the hotel room with warm thoughts of the day, and 312 pictures of the day in our camera. The entire city is a wonderful amalgamation of modern civilization with old architecture, all within walking distance. As I already said, the local people respect their own culture. There are various musicians on the roads as well. The people like to spend quality family time on Sundays, encourage their performers, eat to their heart's content, and live life in their own terms - no less than King size!

Our flight was in the early morning. A quick dinner later, we tucked in for the night and headed back to LA the next day.

Pre-Aztec era in Mexico

A lot of 'Gracias', 'Senorita', 'Por Favor', 'Amigo', and 'Hola' throughout Day 2's tour, we finally picked a few of the in-vogue words. I cannot put my finger on the highest point, yet I would say the experience at the Pyramids were supreme, along with tasting deer for the first (maybe only) time ever, and the Latin dance at the local market in the evening. I almost felt like joining the dance, where there were people from all ages moving to the lovely tunes.

The day started at 10.30 am. We had booked a day-long private tour to Teotihuacan, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. Considering it was $160 for both of us, a quite reasonable deal for an entire day's trip. A brief and pleasant 45 minutes' drive later, we reached the grounds of the Pyramids.

Our chauffeur of the day was Roul, an 'English-speaking' Mexican, as specified by the concierge. Yeah, he did manage to communicate with us and take us through various anecdotes and historical significance of the country. The first stop was at the artifacts emporium, which was information galore! The rock formed as a result of cooled magma (the parent material) is called Obsidian. Found here in abundance, the various colours of the rocks were formed due to the difference in pressure level. The black version is the hardest and was used to make weapons by the Aztecs. Then there were quartz, purple, etc, along with the golden rock that is the rarest of the lot. The artisans still make beautiful mementos and sculptures out of the rocks, which are sold at government approved prices.

The next set of admiration was reserved for the multi-purpose cacti that are grown here, most of which were used for survival. They used to get fruits and juices from a cactus that gives it's produce for 2-3 months, after that the leaves and thorns are used for papyrus, threads, aloe vera, and needles used for anesthesia and stitching. Larvae deposits on the cacti leaves were crushed to get a red hue and some leaves give the yellow colour - these were used by the Aztecs to colour their murals. The juices are used to make the local alcohol called pulque, which is still made here to taste and sell. For me, the most interesting fact was that Tequila is made from these juices and the Spanish method of distillation results in modern day version of the alcohol.

While we were still processing the gallon-load of information, Roul drove us to the actual destination. We did not really know what to expect, and you cannot make out anything from the parking lot, mainly because of the tall, thick, stone boundary that cordoned off the area. By the time we reached the top of the wall, we forgot all about the cacti and rocks, blown away by the grandeur in front of us.

Standing tall at 70 meters high, with 248 steps (each approx 1 feet tall), the mammoth structure of the Sun Pyramid welcomed us in all its glory! To the left of the Sun Pyramid, almost a kilometer away is the Moon Pyramid, which is not as tall but possesses it own beauty in structure. The pyramids were made by pre-Aztecs, potentially the Olmecs around 400 BC to 700 AD. The very top of the Sun Pyramid was a temple, which was blown away by a dynamite during excavation.

I somehow managed to huff and puff to the top, with sufficient breaks of course. We were lucky to get a clear blue sky, which accentuated the Pyramids even more. A circle around the top and we decided to climb down. It was tougher, with the sheer height of the steps, the extra tangential pyramid slope and the broken rocks. Needless to say, I did not have enough energy left to climb the Moon Pyramid.

Besides the Moon Pyramids, there is a large excavation of a palace with beautiful murals and advanced architecture. Even the sewage system was nicely organised, with indoor toilets in the living quarters. Next we spent some time at a comparatively smaller pyramid that proved that they were an agriculture based clan. There are lots of the head structures on the walls of Rain and Thunder Gods, and Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent or Precious Twin - God of intelligence and self-reflection), with more murals to highlight the sculptures. And yes, the Pyramids have been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Quite a few clicks later, we left for a sumptuous late lunch. Roul told us that in Mexico, the restaurants that are most crowded are the ones with the best and authentic food. He recommended deer for me and we took rabbit as well - the kind of food we do not get everywhere.

The final halt of the day was the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, known as the Virgin of Guadalupe who was a celebrated Roman Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary. The first church of Lady Guadalupe could hold only 700 people, even though it is huge structurally. The Aztec symbol is an eagle sitting on a cactus and devouring a snake, which stand on both sides to the entrance. The foundation of this church is sinking and it actually stands at an angle now. A new church was built with modern architecture besides the old one, and this church holds 10,000 people. The richer Mexicans who stay in Canada send money for the Independence month's celebrations (September, and the year was 1810). Also, the inside ornate ceiling design is made of wood that they have sent. An interesting factor of the new church is that it has moving walkways in front of the deity to avoid cluttering of the people.

A small visit to the local market and we went back to the hotel, after the tiring, yet exciting day amongst Mexican history. The final day lay ahead of us.

The French Riviera of the East - I

Have you guys ever tried to redefine your life, and all you could manage to come up with were synonyms? Off late I had been feeling exactly that way, and had to get out of the city for a few days. That's how the Pondicherry trip was conceived.

But as with all things, what Man proposes God disposes. We missed our bus on 26th of June, Friday evening due to some extremely displeasing turn of events. So on early Saturday morning we started out in a cab. Even though we left by 7am, it took us almost six and a half hours to reach Pondicherry! So whoever says going in your own vehicle would take at least 1 hour lesser than what the bus takes, do a double-check!

We got some traffic till Hosur, but once past that, driving conditions were good. The air was still cool and the road surface lovely. But once you reach Krishnagiri, don't go on the flyover, instead take the left from NH 7, and after about 500mt, take the right turn. You get up on the NH 66, and this goes straight to Pondicherry. This road isn't really worthy of being called a National Highway! It’s a double-lane, pockmarked road with no lane markers and KSRTC buses plying through the same stretch. Our earlier average speed of 70 km/ph tanked down to 40 km/ph. A word of caution – if you intend to eat on the way, I suggest you have some heavy breakfast at Krishnagiri and lunch in Pondi. NH 66 goes through the backwaters of civilisation. Look out for HP gas pumps to find a washroom in case of an emergency.

We finally reached Pondicherry around 2pm, and went straight to the Rishi Aurobindo ashram. Beyond the busy street, the entrance is just 10mt away. And when you are standing besides the great sage's resting place, the outside world just falls off from your consciousness, and your mind goes blank! The only thing I remember from that first visit is the pattern in which the brilliantly coloured flowers were arranged on the tomb. The next day when we visited the place again, I noticed that there was a new pattern in which the flowers were arranged.

We stayed at the Ashram for about 20mins on the first visit. We hadn’t booked a room, so searching for a hotel was very high up on the list. Luckily June-end happens to be off-season in Pondi. Unluckily the weather was mind-numbingly humid, hovering around 80%, and there was no tourist rush for the exact same reason. We managed to get lodging on our fourth attempt, at a hotel facing the sea. The service was pretty much up to the mark, except that you should go out for the big meals. The restaurants are good and decently priced, but the room delivery was a disaster.

After a couple of hours’ rest at the hotel, we set out on a quick trip around the beach road for the sunset. The evenings are pretty cool with a strong breeze that makes walking around quite a joy. We visited the old lighthouse first. Though no one is allowed to go in, we were pretty sure that the view from up there would have been amazing with dusk settling in. We also went to the main square with a live band playing both English and Kannada songs. You just laze around and take your pick as to which ones to lend an ear to! Right opposite the main square is a statute of the Mahatma, with eight beautifully sculptured pillars surrounding it. These are from the 12th century Chola dynasty, and off course they have been transported here and erected by the ASI (for the ignoramus, that’s Archaeological Survey of India).

On the beach road beside the statue of Mahatma, there's another very interesting place you should visit – an 80-year old coffee shop, La Cafe. The coffee can compete easily with Barista and CCD, and the ambience is mind-blowing! Just imagine sipping an Irish coffee with the sea breeze tussling your hair, listening to the breaking of the waves and looking at the dark water stretching to eternity!

We wound up our first day's stay at around 9pm and decided to get to the hotel and order dinner from room-service. That is the mistake I was talking about a while back. But well, you win some and lose some. We kept the room AC switched off and the balcony door open. Good night's sleep!

The French Riviera of the East - II

Now to continue with our journey in Pondicherry, we woke up without an intervening alarm at 5:30am. Nice cool breeze blowing and an almost cloudless sky turning an orangish purple. Haven't had better starts to the day! And just when the sun is about to come up, in trots a troop of about 20 people, standing right at the edge of the beach road, babbling and clicking pictures. Thanks people for the reminder that I am still in India! We had some 20 minutes of quiet before the circus, and a few marvelous shots of the sky gradually changing colour. So thankfully, it was not a complete disaster.

We had a quick breakfast and decided to visit Auroville before the sun made its ascent to the higher reaches. We started out about 8:30 in an auto-rickshaw. One small advice - bargain at will with the auto-wallahs and do not agree to anything above 200 bucks. Auroville is about 15kms away, and if you plan to go to the beach nearby, then the round trip would be anywhere between 35 and 40kms. So, another 30 odd bucks added in will be a good deal.

It took us a little over 40mins to get to Auroville. Once you enter the fenced area, after 50mts you will see the main information center on your left. This building also serves as a museum to the life and work of the Mother, and showcases the achievements of Aurovillites in the areas of sustainable and eco-friendly development. We also watched a 5mins video on Auroville and its extravagant architecture. The Mother started thinking about environmentally-sustainable development more than 30 years ago. The world could count the number of people with similar thoughts at that time!

There is a dome built in honour of the Mother that acts as the meditation center for Aurovillites. It is called the Matri-mandir and is a spectacular view, rising over 100mts from the ground in the shape of a sphere and is built about 200mts from a very old banyan tree (around 300 years old). By the time we reached back the information center it was already past 11, and the scorching heat of the previous day had returned to haunt us. So we dropped our plan to visit the beach, and headed back to Pondi for a cool lunch at the hotel's restaurant.

With the sun blazing away in full glory, we took a nap for about an hour and started out on foot at 3pm. First destination was the Pondicherry museum that houses a good coin collection dating back to almost 300AD, and a decent collection of sculptures, mostly from the Chalukya dynasty. Though Belur-Halebidu offers a greater variety of styles and concepts in sculpting from a similar period, the museum does not bore you. We went to the Ashram after this, and spent some perfectly quiet minutes besides the great Rishi. We also went through some of the publications by the Ashram, and though the themes are similar, the number of languages covered in those publications is quite amazing.

A brief walk to the old lighthouse on our way to La Cafe from the Ashram, and another ½ hour spent at coffee shop – heaven! The next hour went in a frenzy of shopping, and by the time we laid our guns (read wallets) down, it was already 6pm.

There's a jetty that is visible from the beach road, near to the Port Authority enclosure. Walk down the beach road and just as the road turns right, you will come across a gas station. There's a narrow road branching off from the beach road at this point that reaches the dock gates. There are no entry charges. Walk through the gate and to your north-north-west (at '10-o-clock') you will see another gate about 200mts away. That gate leads straight to the jetty. Families need to shell out about 50 bucks per person, but an all-guys group can always bargain with the policemen at the dock gates.

The sight from the tip of the jetty is mind-blowing. It ends around 150mts into the sea, so the breeze is pretty strong there, and by the time we went, all the lights had been lit up, so the whole coastline was a series sparkling dots! The new light house also started sending directional beams about every 45secs. We stayed for 30mins since it had become quite dark and returned to the hotel.

After a quick shower and a happy dinner later, we checked out of the hotel by 8:30pm. The return bus was at 10:30pm, and we reached the pick-up point around 9:30pm. Well, let’s just say things went as per schedule, the Indian Stretchable Time schedule! The bus finally arrived at 11pm and started off at 11:15pm. The return journey was not very pleasant or memorable. Not exactly the kind of journey one can expect to end a trip like this. We reached Bangalore about 7am, and to the beginning of another long, drawn-out week. Guess I need to pack up again soon, just can't see me sticking to that chair for long!

Down to the southernmost tip of India

A long-awaited destination, a curiosity and a fascination – the thirst of all were quenched! I won’t say Kanyakumari is a treat for the adventure lovers but it has a different charm in itself. The conjunction of the three seas and being the southernmost part of India – with Sri Lanka being just 300 km away – you feel like you have hit one corner of the world.

Kanyakumari is some 680 km and by bus it will take around 12 hours to reach. To save time, we took the shorter, and of course costlier route. On Saturday early morning, we took a Kingfisher flight from Bangalore to Trivandrum and then a cab after that for the 80 km distance till Kanyakumari district. There are limited flight options though, the planes themselves are small and are two-seaters throughout.

The flight timing was one and a half hours, then another 4 hours from Trivandrum. But it was worth the expense because the green outfield that lay before us on the way is a treat for the eyes. We reached by noon and luckily the driver took us to a hotel with a view of the Thiruvallur and Vivekananda Rock, set amongst the majestic water waves. We stayed in a place called – Sebaa Palace – and the room cost us 650 bucks a night, a lot lesser than a hotel called Hotel Sea View (4,000 bucks a night), which of course had a complete, unrestricted view of the sea. But it is an option for people who are ready to shell out some extra cash. Again, be sure of booking a place during the peak season.

Many people warned us about the rains and humidity in June, because of which we had our rain gear ready with us. But we were quite lucky since we faced mild rainfall, along with lots of sun and wind.

An evening’s rest and a walk in the market refreshed us enough for an early rise the next day to watch the sunrise. Though it was a bit cloudy, we could catch a glimpse of the red sky. Around 9 am we headed off for the rocks. The steamers cost 20 bucks for a round trip. The route is – shore till Vivekananda Rock, from there to Thiruvallur Statue and then back to shore – none of the short distance ferries are accessible on foot. The time it takes to wait for the next ferry to frisk you to the next destination – you really will wish for a much faster foot-bridge.

The wind is extremely strong in the two rocks, it feels wonderful. You can buy some memorabilia at the Vivekananda Rock. There is one map here that tracks the summer and winter solstice, and a sun-clock. Thiruvallur statue itself is 133 ft tall (besides the pedestal it is put on!!!). The local people said, during Tsunami, the water reached till the statue’s shoulder! No surprises that Kanyakumari was one of the worst affected regions during the natural calamity.

We were back on shore by 11.30 am and went straight for the Kanyakumari temple, set right near the beach. We were sweating like pigs by the time we came out. There are quite a few shell, conch and clothes shops on the way to the temple. I noticed a new tradition in the temples here, which many of you must be aware of already – the male population has to discard their clothing covering their torso before they can enter the temple premises.

A quick lunch later, we started off for Padmanabhapuram Palace, Thiraparappu Falls and Hanuman temple. The entire distance was a round trip of around 150 km through Kerela borders.

Well, it will still be an understatement if I say the palace was humongous! Set amongst beatific, cloud covered hills; the wooden palace was definitely the king’s pride. Even after an hour’s walk in the palace and skirting a portion, we still couldn’t see the entire place. The thing that struck me the most was the flooring of the entire building. Since there was no cement 300 years back, the floor composition was made of jaggery, lime, egg white, river sand, charcoal. It was almost edible and to think of the volume of the materials that went in!

The Thiraparappu waterfall wasn’t as exciting enough as we thought. It was crowded with many people bathing in the artificial fall. Also, many of them were drunk, making the place quite unsuitable for family outings. A bit higher up, there is Thiraparappu temple and boating area where public nuisance is much lesser.

I will suggest you go to the Hanuman temple only if you want to give alms to the lord. It was again quite dark and hot inside, not much of my taste. It is just 18 km from the district, so you can stop by anytime.

One day’s activities finally got over – and you can well imagine how tired we were. We were asleep before we hit the bed.

Rising to another morning’s sunrise and our day of returning, we went for a walk till Sangam and Gandhi Memorial. Sangam is the place from where is it said the three distinct colours of Arabian, Indian and Bay of Bengal can be made out. Gandhi Memorial has his portrait, etched on granite and a rock pedestal. It is said that on 2nd of October every year, the sun shines down for twenty minutes on the rock from a hole above. We chatted with the caretaker – Jalaal – who gave us the details. Jalaal is with the memorial for an astonishing 38 years, so it felt great talking to someone with such fervor for the place.

After a quick bath at the hotel, we checked out and took a cab around noon so that we could visit Kovalam beach. En route, we also visited Kanyakumari church. Our flight was at 7.45 pm, which gave us enough time to stop over at the beach. A lazy lunch and sudden bursts of rain, the rough and vibrant sea, climb a small rock for better view of the waves and coffee at an open air restaurant by the water – it did feel nice.

The beach was just 20 minutes away from the airport and we reached way too early for the flight. The small airport and its meager crowd was quite a different and refreshing experience from the ever-busy Bangalore airport. We were home by 10.30 pm and ready for office the next day.

Hogenakkal – Our own mini-Niagara

Take out 10% of the highly cosmopolitan Bangalore crowd and build a new city for them in Hosur. Now hold that thought. I shall come back to it in a while.

The 1st Sunday of June, the weather is so darn amazing that it felt like a crime to stay indoors. Also, we wanted to go to some waterfalls, with the recent rains swelling up the water level.

I had heard a lot about Hogenakkal. The Cauvery River flows through it and divides Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The water flows into Chennai, providing the drinking water for the citizens. The added attraction of the falls is the shooting of a couple of famous songs from the movies Roja and Guru. So on Sunday, we set out around 9.30am, with the target to reach the location in 3&1/2 hours.

What really amazed me was the absolutely great road throughout the entire 180km. Even as we crossed the villages, we came across not a single crater or a bump. In fact, after we crossed into Tamil Nadu border, it was a biker’s paradise and a driver’s highway to hell! You just won’t feel like pressing on that brake lever.

With the green and serene surroundings, almost a trickle of traffic, and the perfect weather to match the excitement, I could have sat in the car the entire day without complaining.

Now to come back to the first sentence, I don’t intend to spoil the virgin beauty of Tamil Nadu, but trust me, the faction of people who love peace and quiet, and clean breathing, the idea of shifting them just beyond Hosur won’t be a bad idea – especially if it is voluntary. So we will have a reciprocal benefit, Bangalore can relieve some of its ever-increasing population and Tamil Nadu can welcome some urban development. And they won’t be far from Bangalore also; it is just 40km away.

Hogenakkal seemed like a mini-Niagara Falls to me. It gets even more beautiful after monsoon, since some of the bigger falls are dry now. The only activity here will be boat-rides and bathing, so be sure to carry an extra set of dry attire with you. The big circular shaped boats take you right under the waterfalls, which is an unforgettable experience. In fact, the view from top of the cliff takes your breath away!

One more fantastic thing that we got to see was rock holes made by whirlpools, which drilled the granites right till the top. The rock-faces are as smooth as a porcelain cup!

The waterway we had taken becomes inaccessible during monsoon and the boatmen have to take an alternate route for the rides. From what we saw, a three hours’ stay is enough to enjoy Hogenakkal and we were back home by 8pm.

I intend to go again after monsoon, when the water swells to its fullest and reaches its purest and frothiest white!

Note: I have uploaded some pictures in the following link http://picasaweb.google.com/sanjula.guha/Hogenakkal#

Butt-Trouble

Ever wondered how it might feel if your to-be in-law looks at your butt and says – oh it’s wet!!!

Now before your imagination starts galloping to conclusions, I’ll give you the correct context to the build-up of the comment.

On the 2nd Sunday of June we went to Hogenakkal – a lovely day trip in Tamil Nadu. The ‘we’ includes my fiancé, his mom and me of course. As most of you must be aware of the fantabulous waterfalls, which divides Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the only activity here is a ride on the circular shaped boats. The end result – you just have to have a spare set of clothing if you want to return dry and ‘safe’ from being commented on!

The mistake I did was, the bag-pack I carried was of cotton material and the intelligent girl as I am, I had my fresh set of garments in that bag. I was quite oblivious to the fact that it conveniently got wet while we were taking our boat-ride.

Back on shore, with my pair of jeans and top dripping wet, I couldn’t wait to get out of them and you can imagine my shock when I discovered the disaster in my bag! So changing into them didn’t help much. Going back to the comment now, my to-be-mom-in-law happily and mischievously chirped – oh your butt is still wet!!!!! And my fiancé also HAD to peep in unabashedly.

I didn’t know how to react; all I could do was ask them to walk in front of me. At least the general passers-by were too busy to notice.

I had my bit of fun when, out in the sun, she turned her back towards the heat to dry her sari (since she didn’t have a fresh set of attire). I followed suit, it was like a mutual respect and acceptance since both of us wanted to get a little drier before getting into the car.

Moral of the story – Don’t go out of your way to impress your in-laws, you can’t change your comical self, so go out and have fun!

Mysore – No longer a peaceful day outing

Staying in Bangalore and not visiting Mysore is quite unimaginable, or that is what I thought. I decided to take my friend, who has recently shifted to Bangalore, for a day-trip on Good Friday’s weekend. But the visit to the City of Palace was a little less than a disaster!

Three to four years back, a day trip to Mysore was like visiting a haven for the daily-harassed Bangalorean, with lots of greeneries, lovely locales, and of course the un-missable Mysore Palace and Vrindavan Gardens. But the actual visit to the “must-visit” city took me more by shock than surprise.

We left at 7am and wanted to cover as much as possible in the day. We hired a car with AC, which was the one good decision we took, or else the scorching heat and the excessive sweat would have left us dehydrated to the bone by the end of the day.

The trip started with a whirlwind tour of Srirangapatna, just 20 km before Mysore. We went to the Sriranganathaswamy temple, followed by a visit to the spot where Lord Wellesley found the body of the great Tipu who fell to a bullet from the British soldiers, led on to Sangam, Gol Gombuz, and Meenaxi Temple. These three were at a distance of 2-3 km of each other but what struck us most was, with each stop we took, we had to shell out 20 bucks for parking. Money plays a great role these days, the toll gates, entry fees, extra charges for camera, in fact at Mysore Palace, we noticed that entry fees for foreigners are exactly 10 times to what we are paying!!!

Understandable, India is trying to promote its “incredibility” to it visitors but not to the extent that you literally exploit them. The veil of the age-old welcome feeling India used to give is lifting up. Commercialization is taking a toll on the actual beauty and pleasure of a tour.

“Sir, you have to pay here to enter the mosque”, “Two rupees per person to keep your shoes”, “The charge is 100 rupees to take your still camera in and 200 if you have a video camera”, “Pay 10 rupees for queue-less special entry to the temple”, “Three rupees for you to pose and I’ll click your picture in your camera”! These are some of the sentences we heard throughout the day.

True, maintenance cost is required for all the sites, but aren’t these trusts given enough funds by the tourism department to take care of the relics? The tourists are here to savor the beauty, learn about the lost heritage, relax and be carefree. Instead, it is more of a pain because one has to prepare so much beforehand that the whole anticipation is lost.

I know I digressed from the topic but the frustration was too much to hide. Getting back to Mysore, the first and possibly the tallest church I have ever visited personally, the Philomena’s Church was our first destination. Everything about the structure was grand, including more than 5000 name plaques that have been engraved in the walls of the catacomb. We didn’t enter Mysore Palace because of the sheer swarm of people. Instead we took a walk along the perimeter of the palace and had some of the best views of eagles swooping around the spires of the domes.

Then it was the turn to visit Chamundi Hills, which was quite a peaceful visit with nice views from the temple. On our way to the Vrindavan Gardens, we halted at the Karanji Kere Lake, which is right adjacent to the Mysore Zoo and a paradise with some amazing species of migratory birds. That half-an-hour was probably the most peaceful and quiet time of our whole trip. We had intended to make a half-an-hour trip to the Vrindavan Gardens, which turned out to be an hour due to one-way traffic diversions and of course the heavy traffic. The garden itself didn’t look less than a seasonal fair, a thousand plus cars, no parking area left and a maddening shoveling inside to move around.

I’ll suggest if you are keen to visit Mysore, go on a weekday. And don’t forget to carry cash since we had a tough time searching for an ATM which actually dispensed money.

We finally made our way out and reached home around 12.30 midnight. A journey of 380 km in one day, the heat, and the traffic squeezed out all our energy and we had dozed off even before our heads hit the pillow!

Goat jumps a channel!

Don’t kill me for the weird subject line guys! Well, for those who have already been to this natural wonder might have already guessed the place I am referring to. Mekedatu or goat’s leap is a narrow ravine, which forms a passage for the river Cauvery in its course of journey. Legend has it that in some places, the ravine becomes so narrow that a goat can jump over and cross the gorges, hence the name.

It is 90 odd km from Bangalore and is a great one-day getaway from the city humdrums. You can comfortably leave around 10am and be back by 6pm. After crossing the town of Kanakpura, a left turn directs you towards Sangam and Mekedatu. The road directions will prod you on, and still if you are not sure, there are the locals who will always help you out. Around 35 odd km on this route and you reach a junction which forks out for Sangam (on the right) and Mekedatu (on the left).

The first impression of the place will vary, depending on the season – steaming hot from February till pre-monsoon, with water level up to your knees in the stream, and pleasant weather during monsoon till January, with water up to your waist. The heat is even more intolerable, during monsoon because there are tons of rocks alongside the river with very less shade from the sun. Also, be careful of the idiosyncrasies of rowdy tourists, who will prefer to drink and create a nuisance.

You can trek up to a certain level besides the water body, splash around and get tanned, but the major fun is if you take the bus service which is available on the opposite side of the first stream that you have to cross. Battered, age-old buses, suited for ‘trekking’ purpose only, a distance of around 5km and a charge of 40 bucks will take to as far as the gorge – which again is a treat for the eyes. Another attraction is the varied colors and the contour formation on the rocks, a result of the water flowing in and out of the cavities.

Personally, I haven’t been to Sangam yet but if you leave early enough, you can make it to both the places. I will suggest Sangam first, which is the confluence of Arkavathi and Cauvery rivers, then Mekedatu, simply because the former will be quite a treat to your legs after the sunny trek in Mekedatu, and finally Cauvery Fishing Camp, a fishing haven, if you intend to stay overnight.

I did say that the trip can be made in some 8 hours, but for a longer trip, you can go to all of Chunchi falls, Sangam, and Cauvery Fishing Camp, all in the radius of 10km around Mekedatu. The place to stay is the fishing farms that have jungle resorts. Charges are around Rs. 2,200, a double bed, sufficient for maximum 4 people room.

Well, who doesn’t like a visit a peaceful countryside; listen to the innumerable birds chirping; read a book on a boat with a fishing rod waiting for a fish to take the bait; and of course gaze at a star-filled night. An extra day to your weekend and you can pack a couple of jumpers, a book (that is long awaited to be read) and goggles into your car, and drive off to anonymity! If you are craving for these simple luxuries in life, this destination is perfect for you. Have fun!

A day’s respite – Innovative Film City

“Visit Me”! No, it is not the name of the place I am going to tell you about, but that’s what it conveys when you see the extravagant entry to this humongous fun park outside Bangalore.

Innovative Film City is 40 odd km away from Banerghatta Road. You just need to find your way on to Mysore highway and from there on 25 odd km towards Mysore. Mind you, do not miss the fork which leads you to the park, or else you will end up almost in Mysore. Just keep a look-out for Wonder-la, Film City’s fork is around 7 km after that on the left and another 2 km once you are on the forked out road.

The highway is a driver’s paradise, sit back and step on the accelerator, but do drive safe. If you take the toll-road from Banerghatta to reach Mysore road, it is even better. It will also be fun to ride your bike to the park, simply because of the windy and lesser polluted roads.

The entry gate has some sculptures of European architecture, and with the pictures of the amusements painted on it, it gives a very presentable welcome to the visitors. The fun part is you can spend one whole day here!

Innovative was inaugurated in 2007, in the lines of Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. I haven’t visited the latter but was quite content with the Bangalore version of it. But whenever you go, you need to have a fun-loving and adventurous buddy group to accompany you. Or else there is nothing exciting to just look around, unless of course if you would like to window-shop several kilometers away from the city!
The place itself is ensconced in the middle of hills and is a lovely getaway from city humdrums. Some of the must-see stuffs here are – Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Mirror Maze, and 4-D cinema in Fun City. The rest of the attractions depend on your time and budget. There is Tussaud’s museum, Roller Skating, Dinosaur Park, Cartoon City, Aqua World, the gaming consoles at Fun City, horse riding, Karaoke, Kid’s World, and etcetera. As per recent news, Charlie Chaplin’s 67 feet sculpture is also going to be set up in this park. The entry fees is 50 bucks and each ride ranges from 50-100 bucks. If you want a package for all the attractions combined, it will be 699 bucks.

One more thing that really excited me was the Stallion restaurant in Wild Wild West. The place is set in a huge compound and they have very nicely replicated the cowboy environment, complete with sand and hovels set in their style. The Mexican food here is not exorbitantly costly, so you can sit back and have a nice time inside the restaurant or take your food while sitting outside underneath the king-size cowboy hats! There are other choices of eateries in Innovative Film City, catering to different palates.

The place is still under construction. There are quite a few buildings and rides which are coming up. But these don’t hinder you from having fun. The place is pretty organized and clean. If you plan a trip on a sunny day, be sure to keep a hat on or lots of sunscreen (message for the girls, of course!).

So what are you waiting for? Enjoy a lovely outing!

Where architecture and nature go hand-in-hand!

Note: This article is strictly for people who love to pick up their bags and rush out for any extended weekend trip!

Just kidding guys! This is going to be my very first post and I’ll feed you with my latest escapade (to ensure that it is a fresh-out-of-my-mind article).

By now, I believe most of you have noticed that 2009 presents its public holidays mostly on a Friday or a Monday. And the first thought that came to my mind was the numerous weekends that I have to explore around Bangalore.

My first opportunity came in the very first month of the year, when we had the 26^th Jan’s leave on a Monday. All I had to do was talk three more of my friends into the trip, book a car and zoom away! Well, of course we decided on the place first.

The trip was to consist of Belur, Halebidu and Chikmagalur – all in just three days. There were lots of speculations as to which is the best time to leave, i.e., drive during the night or leave early on Saturday morning. Finally, we took the driver’s suggestion and started off at 6.30am on Saturday, since he said we can catch up on Belur-Halebidu on our way to Chikmagalur, instead of doing the other way round.

The pleasant January cold and the mild sun did wonders to our journey. Sleepy-heads though I am, I surprisingly stayed awake the entire way to Belur. Whenever you plan to go, try not to miss the yummy idlis (each of which was the size of a big plate!) and the coconut water from the road-side vendors (mere 10 bucks and the water so sweet and in so much quantity, it’ll make you realize the difference of healthy country-side food and the polluted junk we get in the cities). One note of caution: try to take a 4-wheel drive instead of a small family car. The roads are BAD, sometimes beyond comprehension. Especially once you reach Chikmagalur, the uphill pot-holes will sure be too much for your Santro or Zen.

We reached Halebidu around 12.30pm. By that time we were actually cursing the heat. The sun scorched its fullest and a bare-footed tour of the temple didn’t help much either. Still we rolled up our sleeves and started looking around. I have heard from others who have already visited the place that is it similar architecture like that of Hampi. Maybe it was, but for us it was a marvel. The carvings were so intricate that it leaves you amazed that the masons didn’t chip off their fingers along with the stone. One more thing to keep an eye for is the angular structure of the temple. As you cover the circumference, I assure you complete awe of the symphony of the various stories that were carved on the walls, along with the temple construction itself. Then there is the serene lake beyond the green grass around the temple. You can sit under the shades of a tree and spend an entire day in its quiet and beauty.

We reluctantly left Halebidu and headed towards Belur. The second destination was somewhat a bit of disappointment as compared to the first. After the extravagant engravings of Halebidu, Belur looked somewhat bland. The temple supposedly still under construction, so many parts were of cement, which took away the charm. A brief and already tired look around Belur and we moved off for Chikmagalur.

One mistake of a hurried trip is lack of planning. We took for granted that hotels will be available, since it is not the peak season. We were definitely wrong, since it was not only us who decided on stealing away the weekend in the lap of nature. The search for a room lasted over an hour before we could settle down on a nice soft bed. I don’t need to say how tired we were. A thorough wash and a quick dinner that helped us sleep a dead man’s night.

Next morning, we left around 9.30am and headed for the Baba Budan Giri range and Baba Budan’s darga (Datta Peeta – Manikya Dhara falls) at the top of one of the hills. It was supposedly a falls but a big disappointment for us. I’ll suggest you skip it and head for Hebbe falls directly. Another caution: you won’t be able to visit the falls in monsoon because of its sheer bad roads. You CAN’T take your car to the falls directly. There is a point where you have to let go of your vehicle and book jeeps (per person 100 bucks and they will require eight people, or you can book one jeep for whole 800 bucks). The road leading to the falls wasn’t a road actually. Amongst boulders and dirt tracks, we bumped and jostled in the truck, sometimes we were on the slope of the hill-side, since there were no roads at all! It took all of 40 minutes to reach the village, and another 20 minutes’ walk through streams, hillocks and thin pathways.

The sight that awaited us, Police couldn’t have sung – ‘Take my breath away’ – with more emotion! Some 170 odd meters high waterfall, it was like God is pouring tons of milk. The water splashed and gurgled with all its beauty. Numerous ph­­­­­­­­­oto clicks later we left the place, with the promise of visiting it again and another falls that we missed – the comparably beautiful Kalahatti Falls.

A shocked realization woke us up the third and final day – it was our day to head back. We packed up and left the hotel around 9.30am. We were going to the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary first, covering an area of about 500 sq. km. Another lovely getaway, you can book cottages here for just 500 bucks a night. Safari happens at 9am and 6pm, so obviously we missed it. We couldn’t wait till evening to head back for Bangalore, but a small stream hidden amongst the pine trees consoled us. We couldn’t have asked for a better time there. The added surprise was the wonderful lunch we could glean from the residents of the area.

We started off around 2pm, thinking we will reach Bangalore by 8pm. Our driver had something else stored for us. On the way, around 5pm, he asked whether we would like to see Gomteshwar. Not knowing what it is, we played along. What we experienced was a climb of numerous stairs, climaxing in an 18 meter tall granite monolith of Buddha and an expansive view from the hill-top! It was only after we climbed down counting, we realized that there were 1,200 stairs up and down. Sounds mind-numbing, but yes, we actually made it to the top and down again. Being a holy place, it was even more surprising to see old people climbing with the same enthusiasm that we had.

After a break for dinner, by the time we reached home it was around 11.30pm. It was a long day for us, but we knew it’s going to be even longer day at office the next day.

Distance:

1. Bangalore to Chikmagalur – 240 km

a. Bangalore to Halebidu – 220km

b. Halebidu to Belur – 7km

c. Belur to Chikmagalur – 14 km

2. Chikmagalur to Hebbe Falls – 40 km

3. Chikmagalur to Bhadra – 25km