Day 21: Return to Bangalore

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain

Mark Twain can't be wrong, I wondered. It was this quote that laid the foundation for this trip. Maybe I will get a chance to visit all these places in the future. But if I don't, I will for sure be disappointed. I could have easily stayed at home, saved my strength and the money that I am spending now. But twenty years later, when I look back at my life, I will regret that I did not do it when I could. Even if I get the time and the money for a such a trip twenty years from now, for sure, I will not have the strength to do such a survival style journey. Dreams, unachieved, will haunt you throughout your life. That is why I decided to live my dream.
I got up early in the morning. I had to catch my flight back to Bangalore. I got to the airport on time to take my flight. I took off and there I was on my way back after a mammoth journey across India. There is no words to describe my feelings. The feeling of having accomplished what I wanted to do. The Kashmir trip was planned as early as 2005 and the Darjeeling trip in 2007, the journey around India in 2008. To do all this together in just 3weeks was really a great acheivement. The days went on so fast. The plan went right on, flawlessly. If ever there was a change in plan, it was for the better. It couldn't have been any better than this, I thought. There were back up plans in place but I never had to use any. The plan of using some key places as 'strategic location' for the case of a missed train. There was even a back up for the worst case scenario in which I am stranded in some part of India without my backpack, handbag, purse and mobile. I would still have the 1500rs cellotaped to my belt that would get me home. 750-800rs for a sleeper class tatkal ticket from anywhere in India to home. The other 700-750rs for means to get to nearest railway station and for food. But with nothing going wrong, I never had to use any of these.
After a stopover in Ahmedabad, I landed at the Bangalore International Airport at 11am. I have now covered more than 10,000kms around in India through plains, mountains, valleys, rivers and air. I have been in 17cities across 14states in India in just 21days.
Today being a sunday, I wanted to go to church. I had a lot of things to thank god for. Though I had a stock of all common medicines, against fever, cold, headache, indigestion, etc, not a single tablet of any kind had to be used in the entire course of the trip. Not a single thing that belonged to me was lost/stolen/misplaced during the trip. I visited all the destinations I intended to and even more. Been to two extreme places on earth in cherrapunjee and khardung la. From the scorching heat of Bhubaneswar, to the biting cold at Rohtang. From the marine drive at Puri, to the highest road in Khardung La. From the rainiest place in Cherrapunjee, to the cold desert in Ladakh. It was truly a journey from extreme to extreme. But was a wonderful experience altogether. Visiting new places, meeting new people, tasting new recipes and learning from other cultures. This was a perfect break I wanted.
And as for the obvious question, what next?, well, I don't reveal my plan in advance. Two years for my masters in business at TAPMI, Manipal. That is where I am heading to. Hope you have enjoyed my travelogues. Thanks for the encouragement and prayers. Do keep in touch.

berT
14.06.2009
Location: Bangalore

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day21BackToBangalore?feat=directlink

Day 20: In the national capital, Delhi

"Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quiestest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey."
- Pat Conroy

I arrived in Delhi a full day ahead of schedule, early in the morning. Delhi being my final strategic location, I did not want to make any goof ups here. I had a lot of things to be done for my other side of life, regarding admissions. So I decided to get here a day early.
I got down at the old Delhi station. I was now walking literally through the streets of 'delhi-6'. I got to the bus stand and got to a bus to gey to my cousin's house here. This being my fourth visit to the national capital, there was hardly any important place here left to visit. So I decided to take some rest and then do some window shopping. I went out for shopping in the afternoon. Delhi, with one and a half crore people in it, almost half the population of entire Kerala, had wonderful shopping centres. A wide variety of goods were available at competent prices. But I was hardly in the mood for shopping. I came back and took good rest.
Overall, Delhi is a wonderful place and there is a lot of historical monuments here to see. The transportation system here is quite visitor friendly and don't forget to try the Delhi metro.

berT
13.06.2009
Location: New Delhi

track the full story at www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Day 19: Escape to Jammu

After having a beautiful night's sleep at the houseboat, I got up early in the morning. From my interaction with some Kashmiri students yesterday in the bus, I had come to know that there was a possibility of a shutdown or protest in the city today. So I decided to leave as early as possible. I got ready and from my houseboat, I could see some vehicles and people out for jogging on the road. So I was sure that it wasn't a curfew. I moved out. On the road, I met a few security personal who asked the same old questions, where I was from and what I was here for, but in a very friendly manner. I told them that I wanted to go to Jammu today. They showed me a shared taxi to Jammu and asked me to make it fast.

I bought a local Kashmiri newspaper. I saw that it was having a strong anti India bias, but found interesting to read on the other side of the story. I read that there was a protest march from here to south Kashmir and the authorities were planning to impose section 144 restrictions in the vicinity of the march. And to make things worse for me, I had to go through south Kashmir. I saw that there were no restrictions in the Jammu stand. Soon the taxi got filled in and we were moving. We reached the city entry point. It looked like a battlefield with an array of military police, riot police, J&K police, CRPF personal with their armoured vehicles. The barbed wires were spread all around the place. They flagged down our taxi. I pulled down the window. As soon as I put my hand inside my jacket to switch off my iPod, I could see an officer staring at me, looking what I was upto. I just smiled back and showed him that it was just an iPod. We were cleared to proceed ahead. We moved on through the barricades. It was only a matter of hours before the section 144 restrictions were to come in force. They were making sure that the protesters won't be allowed to reach south kashmir. We moved on. The southern entry to the kashmir valley was spectacular with straight roads and beautiful trees on the side and the mountains a little far. This would look really good during autumn, I thought. Because of the army presence, I did not take photos here. We moved on to reach the longest road tunnel in India, the Jawahar Tunnel, which is also the entry point to Kashmir. It went on for 2.5km. Just after the tunnel, I could see a huge queue of traffic which was probably blocked from entering the valley. The vehicle queue went to almost 3-4kms. Such is the uncertainity here. There cannot be a fixed plan to visit Kashmir. You have to be lucky. And very lucky I was, to get one day without a strike and that day I was in there to see the places. Now I was out of kashmir. It was a feeling of accomplishment that was running through my mind as I came out of the Jawahar tunnel. This was a visit that I wanted to do since 2005. I knew about the risks. But still, it was like a dream for me. And now, I have done it.

It took me about 10hrs to reach Jammu. After many days of having to use winter clothing, it was a change for me as it was a very hot day in Jammu. Here in the railway station, I had to pass my bag through xray scanners, the only one such railway station I have seen in the country. Also there will be a routine check by the sniffer dogs on your bag. I then got into the train to move to my next destination.

berT
12.06.2009
Location: Jammu

track the full story at www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day19EscapeToJammu?feat=directlink

Day 18: In the paradise on earth, Kashmir

"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving."
- Lao Tzu

I woke up on the Zojilla pass. The heart on mouth situation was even worse now with narrow roads and deeper gorges. There is space for a sumo/scorpio, but hardly for a bus to move on. Adding to the narrow roads was the fact that there were quite a lot of lugguage on the top which made the bus oscillate as it went over potholes. I was so relieved when we somehow got down the pass. I swore that I will never in my life take this route on a bus. If there is a second time, it has to be by an SUV or flight.
As we got down the Zojilla pass, we were now on the kind of places whose photos we see on a calender. It was Sonamarg. It had beautiful pine trees on the mountain side and a river flowing through the centre. The river was Sindh and the road goes parallel to the river almost throughout from here on. I had heard in Ladakh itself that the home minister was to visit the state today and I expected a shutdown here. So there were no fixed plans for the day. But still I decided to take this route so that I will atleast be able to see Kashmir, which I wanted to see for quite some time now. So I started making backup plans in case it was a shutdown in the valley. Then, I could see trucks coming from Srinagar which was a good sign of normalcy. There were vehicles of the military, police, administration, running on this route. I also saw some shops opening up, which again was a positive signal. We soon entered Srinagar. I could see the beautiful Dal lake. It looked quite normal in the city with roads and streets full of people and traffic and the shops were open.
I got down and since the valley had seen a complete shutdown just until a couple of days back, the houseboats were being given at throw away prices. I managed to get one for 500rs. Though I was not planning for a houseboat accomodation, I decided to have the experience as well. It was a very comfortable houseboat double bed room. Getting this for 500rs was a real loot.
I got fresh and moved out. The city looked almost like one that was just taken over by force. There were so many bunkers around the city. Apart from that, there were security personal all around. The city was quite big and so was the Dal lake. There were lots of houseboats and Shikaras on it. I had a look around and also went to the Mughal Gardens. It was a beautiful garden and I took lots of photos here. I also went around the market and walked quite a lot through the city. Later, I came back to my houseboat and took rest.
Overall, to be frank, I was disappointed. It maybe because I over expected. Or maybe because I have seen so many beautiful places in India or maybe because it is not a place to come alone. But I will say that it is surely a wonderful place to be. But I wouldn't suggest you to come here after visiting the places that I have been. Do the reverse instead. There is a bit of Ladakh in terms of the terrain, there is a bit of Nainital in terms of the lake, there is a bit of Manali in terms of the snow capped mountains, there is a bit of Darjeeling in terms of the greenery. And maybe that is why it is called the heaven on earth. But... Don't come here after visiting the places I mentioned above. It won't be worth the risk you take.

berT
11.06.2009
Location: Srinagar

track the full story at www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day18InTheParadiseOnEarthKashmir?feat=directlink

Day 17: Through the battlefield where we won a decade back, Kargil

I woke up late in the morning. After having my Ladakhi breakfast, I went to the Bazaar to do some last minute shopping. On my way, I bumped into the 3 European tourists whom I met on the way here. Today, I am leaving Ladakh to go to my next destination. I had to walk about 2km to the bus stand with my 20kg backpack. What a difference from the day I came here. I could hardly take my own weight then. I got into my bus which I had already booked. Though it was a deluxe bus, I could not see anything deluxe about it. It was a 30seater. Everyone had to climb to the roof and put their heavy lugguage on the top themselves. So I also had to do the same. In the bus, there were a few tourists, locals and a mallu couple. It was quite sometime that I had heard malayalam directly. He was in the army.
The bus moved on. I could see that almost half of Ladakh was a military base. It was such a beautiful place. As we moved on, I could see many more army bases. These bases did not look like the ones we usually find in our part of the country. These were forward bases and looked more like the ones we see in the video games. One thing I can't help mentioning here are the roads. It is a single lane mountain road. Literally. If a vehicle comes from the other direction, the way out is to move it off the road, right at the edge of the cliff. Try this, get into a bus on this route, take a window seat, and trust me, you will surely know the exact meaning of the phrase, 'heart in your mouth'. It was, for me, most of the time as I was having a window seat. The way down will be a superfast 300ft plunge.
Soon we entered a town called Lamayuru. Like its meaning, it looks exactly like the moon. The colour of the soil is light and it is full of dust. At around 9:00pm, we were on a pass. Now, it started to snow. Wow. We are now in the Fotula pass, the highest in the Leh-Srinagar route at 4100m above MSL. Though it is common to see snow on these passes all the time, its quite rare to see a snowfall at this time of the year. The window pane in my seat wouldn't close properly. So I put my thermometer here. It showed -2°c. Wow again. Another first time experience, negative temperature. I was feeling the cold in my hands and feet, but was manageable.
It was night and we were now passing through the area which was a battlefield 10yrs ago. We were nearing Kargil. The Kargil town was quite big and resembles an average Indian town with shops and other business establishments. It is the ultimate sacrifice of those brave men, which enables me to use this road 10yrs later. There were a lot of signboards related to the Kargil war heros. It should have been very difficult to win in this terrain. They braved the cold and fought on to win. With a prayer in my heart, I moved on. I was now feeling quite cold in the bus. And rightly so, as we were now passing through the second coldest inhabited place on earth, Drass. In 1997, the temperature here plumetted to -40 degrees. But still people live here. I could also see a signboard, 'You are now under enemy observation'. We were moving so close to the line of control.
It is very late in the night, and I need to get some sleep. Remembering the war heroes and with a prayer, I slowly closed my eyes to get some rest.

berT
10.06.2009
Location: Leh/Kargil/Drass

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day17ThroughTheBattlefieldWhereWeWonADecadeBackKargil?feat=directlink

Day 16: Biking on the highest road in the world, Khardung La

I got up today morning quite early. I was looking forward to this day for quite some time. I put on three layers of protective clothing in anticipation of the cold place that I am heading to. I wanted to go to Khardung La, a pass which is the highest motorable road in the world. I enquired with the host here and they knew a person who conducts such biking trips around here. It is only 40km from here, at an altitude of 18,380 feet or 5600m above MSL. For any biker, it is the ultimate place to ride. There is no road higher than this on earth. And again, I still won't be taking the Diamox.

But first, I need to get the innerline permits. Since most places around Ladakh are close to the international border, it requires an inner line permit to visit. So I went to the Deputy Commissioner's office and wrote an application to the District Magistrate requesting him to grant me permits to visit Khardung La. For just 10rs, which will be donated to the Red Cross, I got my permits issued in half an hour. However, it is always advisable to take the permit as soon as you get here so that you don't run the risk of the permit issue getting delayed if the Magistrate is out of office. Now that I got my permits, I can start on my way to Khardung la. There were many bikers, mostly on bullets, most of them foriegners, who all want to take the ultimate route. We started off. The road was quite good and was not so steep unlike what I expected. It was not at all difficult to ride on. Just with a prior experience of riding on ghat roads, going slow, honking on the curves, is all that you need to do. As I climbed on, the chill factor came in. Though I was wearing a biking gloves, I still felt cold in my hands. But that was manageable. At a check point in South Pullu, I was asked to produce my inner line permits. There were breath taking views from the road that I was riding on. But, it was difficult for me to stop the bike, take off my gloves, pull out the camera and shoot. So I decided to enjoy it myself. It was now just 10km to the top of the pass. From now on, the roads are not surfaced properly. But still, it is very much motorable. There were patches of snow by the side of the road. But now, snow was such an ordinary sight for me. I moved on and after close to a 2hr ride, I reached the top. Took a lot of photos. It was indeed a place to be. 5600m above MSL, much higher than the passes I have been through, but still I never felt tired or affected by the altitude. It was the 36hr stay at Ladakh that made the difference. My body was now quite adapted to these altitudes. Since I was not feeling tired, I decided to try out something new. There was a stupa a little above the pass which was covered with snow. Also the way to reach there was also covered in snow. I thought of trying to get there. I asked the army men if I could climb and they answered in the affirmative. I decided to try out a technique that I had seen in the Discovery channel to climb through snow. The idea was to first kick on the snow and harden it enough and after making sure that it can take your weight, climb and repeat for next step. I tried it and it worked easily. I was able to climb through the snow. Atop, I again took some photos. I felt that coming down was a little more difficult even though I had the compacted snow footsteps that I made.

The Khardung La pass had a small army presence and had a canteen. Though it might not have been the tastiest tea that I have ever had, it was certainly the most refreshing one. I met a couple of army men, Bijoy Deora and Imran Khan. They asked me where I was from and how my journey was so far, etc. As expected, they were very surprised at the journey I had so far. They advised me not to stay there for long as it is a very high altitude. Also they told me not to take a bath immediately as it can cause complications. I don't know the science behind it though. We wished eachother good luck and parted. I then moved down slowly. There is a trend here to salute each rider you cross enroute. I also joined in that and found it quite good in building the biking spirit. After coming back to Leh, I had my lunch and went to see the Ladakh Shanti Stupa. From there, you also get a full view of the beautiful Ladakh town. I then returned my bike and came back to my room with wonderful memories of visiting yet another extreme place on earth in my trip.

berT
09.06.2009
Location: Ladakh

track the full story at www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day16BikingOnTheHighestRoadInTheWorldKhardungLa?feat=directlink

Day 15: Getting used to the 'rarified' air of Ladakh

It was 9:00am when I got up. After five back to back nights of incomplete rest, I finally got to sleep the whole night. I felt a lot better. The tourism department here, has a travel advisory which asks for Ladakh tourists to take atleast 24hr rest if arrived by road or 48hr rest if arrived by air. This time, I decided to listen.
After having my ladakhi breakfast, I went out to the town centre. I made some slow walk to get used to the altitude. I went to the main bus stand to enquire about my future travel plans and just roamed around the beautiful town, clicking photos. Ladakh was a small town with very few people. I could see a lot of foreign tourists though. These people come here mostly for trekking or social service. In one shop, I met another Israeli guy. Wonder what the whole of Israel is doing here. I told him that I met many people from Israel enroute. He replied, 'we love India'. What about us?, I wondered. I could see a lot of army vehicles around. The people were fluent in English, but if you speak in English, you will get everything at a foreigner's price. So better speak in Hindi and get at an Indian price. The only word I learnt in the local language was, 'jhuley' which means, hello/hi. The locals were very helpful as they rely a lot on tourism. Ladakh is cut off from the rest of the country for most time of the year. There are two roadways to reach Ladakh. One from the Manali side and the other from the Srinagar side. The Srinagar-Leh road opens from May to November, while the Manali-Leh road opens from June-September. For the rest of the year, the snow that accumulates on the passes renders it unmotorable. But the survey for an all weather tunnel to get to Ladakh is going on and a road is expected by 2015. That means, the route which I have been through, can't be done for long.
After the walk, I came back and took rest. In the evening, I went out again to do some shopping. This time, I could walk faster and was feeling more comfortable. I was happy that my body was getting used to the conditions here. Here, the nightfall happens only by 8:00pm. So I had a lot of time to roam around. I came back and settled to my bed after a wonderful Ladakhi dinner of soup, roti, butter and veggies along with sweet porridge of broken wheat and papaya like fruit.

berT
08.06.2009
Location: Ladakh

track the full story at www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day15GettingUsedToTheRarifiedAirOfLadakh?feat=directlink

Day 14: Taking the high road to Leh, Ladakh

"it doesn't matter for how long we are stuck in a sense of our limitations.
The moment you decide to break free, nothing will stop you."

It was early morning at 1:30 when I woke up. The Diamox tablets that I bought yesterday was on my table. If it has to give me any effect, it had to be taken now. The tablets are to help me cope with the Acute Mountain Sickness or AMS in short. The AMS is a kind of sickness that can strike you when your body doesn't adjust when you get yourself to very high altitudes. The trip to Ladakh always makes the road users sick. Finally, I decided not to take the tablets so as to get a full feel of the mountain sickness. I decided to take the AMS head on. The tempo traveller I booked for my journey to Ladakh came to pick me up from the hotel. The mercury read 14°c on my thermometer. I was all set in my full winter suit with thermals and my jacket. At the bus stand, I could see many more such vehicles tying up the lugguage and getting ready for the long journey to Ladakh. It is indeed the ultimate road trip in the world with many high altitude passes to cross across the rugged terrain. Our vehicle was full of foriegners, with I being the lone Indian apart from the driver. That means, we will be pulled up at all the checkposts. But anyways it will be a wonderful experience, I thought. The first pass enroute was the Rohtang. I was now on those snow covered mountains that I saw yesterday. There were patches of snow on the side of the road. I somehow managed to stick out the thermometer. It showed 8°c. Further up, more snow, 4°c. 5:00am, 0°c, top of the Rohtang pass, over 3900m above MSL, I got what I was praying for. Its a traffic block! I jumped out of my vehicle, clenched the snow in my fist. Wow. Natural snow in my hand for the first time. I quickly took some photos. The pass looked fantastic with snow completely covering the entire area. The block got cleared very soon and we were on our way. As the sun showed over the mountains, it was a very beautiful sight with the mountains bathed in golden colour. The vehicle was swaying from side to side around the corner and I found it extremely difficult to get a good shot. I understood that with the time and effort that I need to take just a single photo here, I could register a thousand in my mind. After all, there is no camera as good as the human eye. What a breath taking sight it was! We moved down and soon we reached a small village, Koksar, where we had our breakfast. Again, we moved on and now we were now passing through exceptionally beautiful places. Took a lot of photos. By 10am, we had our second stop for food and snacks. I got to know my co passengers. There were 7 tourists from Israel and 1 each from Belgium, Sweden and Germany. But unlike the Israelis, the Europeans were a lot friendlier. The one from Belgium was Aude, who is here in India from January for social work. The one from Sweden was Peter and he was not here for long and the one from Germany was Feli. Together, we made quite a gang here sharing our food and our experiences here in the country. Since they knew quite a bit about India, they were astonished to hear the places I have been in the last two weeks. I could see that were more of foriegn tourists than domestic ones who were taking this route. There is so much to see with an Indian passport and yet my countrymen use it only to travel out of India and not to see the beautiful country they were in, I wondered.
We then moved on. The next high altitude pass was the Barlacha la. It was over 4800m above MSL. As we were climbing, I got my first symptoms of altitude sickness with a mild headache. Most of the other passengers were already on Diamox tablets and those who didn't take it till now, were taking it. But I was still stubborn to test my body limits. The Israelis on board were taking turns to lie down on the floor. And to make matters worse, there was a lorry breakdown at the highest point of the pass which created a roadblock. We had to cut ice to make a route through its side. Because of the low oxygen content in the atmosphere at these altitudes, I had to take an occasional deep breath. But till now, I was adjusting quite well to the tough conditions here. As we moved down the pass, things got better as we lost altitude. We stopped for our lunch at Sarchu. From here on, it was Jammu & Kashmir. It was an ordinary meals with just rice, dal and a potato curry but I was quite happy to have it. We then moved on. It is from here that the most difficult part of the journey starts. The feature of the other two passes that I have crossed till now is that, once we cross the pass, the road gets to quite manageable altitudes. So the hard points are only near the highest point. But from now on, the road goes through a plain that is already at an altitude of around 4000m - 4500m. That means, it will be around 3hrs drive in these altitudes. It is this stretch that takes the strength out of you. Since it was my first time on these roads, I did not know what was coming. I was tired. So I had a short nap. By the time I woke up, I was already in the high altitude plains. I was feeling extremely tired as if there was no more energy in me. Even taking out the water bottle from my bag became a task. Since I was sleeping, I could not understand that my body was loosing energy because of the low oxygen content in the air. After taking repeated doses of glucose and water along with some deep breaths, I got back my energy. But I had to continue the glucose intake atleast once in an hour. With chocolates requiring a lot of oxygen to breakdown, better rely on glucose. The next pass was the highest in the route, Tanglang La. It was a 5300m pass. Though it was very much higher than the Rohtang, the temperature was above zero probably because of the daytime unlike in Rohtang. The mild headache continued. To be honest I was really tired. It was a 485km route through a road which you can hardly make out. As this route has been opened just 2weeks back, the surfacing of the roads had only started. The 3 high altitude passes and the high altitude plain. The low temperature and low oxygen atmosphere. All these are reason enough to make you tired. Also, my sincere advice, do not go in this route with your friends/spouses who have this habit of getting frustuated or start complaining enroute. Because once you start it, you have to complete it. There is no going back. I will compare this to a roller coaster ride. When you do the first couple of loops in a coaster, you will feel like asking the operator to stop it. But that is just for a few minutes. This takes hours. Also, make sure that you take Diamox tablets. That should atleast keep out the headache. However, if you want to try it the hard way like me, go ahead.
After a 19hr gruelling road journey, I reached Ladakh at around 9:15 in the night. Ladakh is a safe town but the shops get closed very soon. I got to my room that I had already booked here and for 150rs, it was a very comfortable home stay. Though late, they also prepared food for me. I was very tired and quickly settled to my bed.
Regarding the coverage, I think BSNL and airtel provides the coverage here. Make your that your airtel connection is postpaid, otherwise, you don't get roaming. And even if you have a postpaid connection like I had, you will have difficulties in getting the call connected. Also there are no gprs/edge networks available. So I have to use the cafe to send and receive mails which is slow and expensive. So do not expect my mails till I get back to civilization. Will be drafting all the details in my mobile though and will send them together.

berT
07.06.2009
Location: Ladakh

track the full story at www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day14TakingTheHighRoadToLehLadakh?feat=directlink

Day 13: Amidst the snow capped mountains in Manali

It was my fourth back to back nights without proper sleep. This time, I was in the bus from Simla to Manali. It was an overnight journey which took just 257rs in the HRTC bus. The journey was quite comfortable with reasonably good roads. As the day broke, I was in Kullu and I could see the beautiful snow covered mountains that seem quite near. We passed on through a beautiful river, called Beas. Manali was an exceptionally beautiful place to be with pine trees around and the mountains at a distance. It was a perfect holiday spot. The temperature here was quite fine and I was surprised to feel comfortable just in my half sleeved T-shirt. As I got here, the first thing that I needed to do was to find an accomodation. Though an expensive place to get an accomodation, I had to take proper rest before I continue on my journey. Also the rest here will help my body in getting acclimatised to the high altitudes. After a tiring search, again, with no single rooms available, I got a double room for 400rs, a little away from the city centre. After keeping my lugguage and getting fresh, I went out to have my breakfast. The shops were just opening up in the morning. I also enquired with regard to my future travel plans, bought a few tickets and came back. Then I had my rest which I badly needed.
I got up in the afternoon and had food from a tibetan restaurant. It was the best chicken biriyani that I have ever had in my life, even better than the hyderabadi biriyani. I then went out to shop for dry fruits and nuts. I decided not to venture out further as I had a challenging journey coming up. A slight rain started and that brought down the temperatures here further. Soon, I had to pack my things up and be prepared for the big day that was ahead.
I was now in my third strategic location of the trip in Manali. I have covered 6678km through 13 cities across 12 states in 13days till now. It may sound wierd that the trip was planned with the intention of going to the places that I am to go from here on. All the other destinations were planned so that the trip would still be worth, if I need to cancel the journey ahead. Its sure a special feeling. I was waiting for this day for so many years. I am now at the doorstep of achieving it.

berT
06.06.2009
Location: Manali

track the full story at www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day13AmidstTheSnowCappedMountainsInManali?feat=directlink

Day 12: A true beauty in the himalayas, Simla

"life is like a book; and those who don't travel, read just a page of it"

It was yet another night of getting into a connecting train and so, another night of interrupted rest. I got down at Ambala Cant station at 2am to get into my train to Kalka. This time, I got the train. After a quick nap, I got down at Kalka station at 4:30am. I got fresh and had a nice tea served in a matka (earthen cup). Since I had time till noon in Kalka, I decided to get to Chandigarh, just to roam around the city. I have heard quite a lot about this city. So I wanted to check it out myself. Again, there was a passenger train to Chandigarh at 7:15am for just 6rs. Enroute Chandigarh, I was lucky enough to spot a couple of peacocks in the open with their beautiful feathers spread out. Maybe it will rain in the afternoon, I thought. After half an hour, I reached Chandigarh station. Though the station looked quite ordinary, but from the outside, it looked like an airport terminal with carefully laid out parking and bus bays. I just wanted to get to the city centre and I found a bus at the bay that will go to the market in sector 17. It was an air conditioned bus and charged only 10rs to get me to the market. The roads looked as if they were first designed on drawing boards and then replicated on ground. From the route taken by the bus, I could make out that the traffic route was decided in such a way as to minimise the traffic signals. The city intersections looked more like expressway intersections. What a planned city, I wondered. I got into a restaurant and had a couple of aloo parathas. With the limited time that I got to spend here, I had to soon return back to the railway station to get back to Kalka.
On reaching Kalka, I could see my beautiful Himalayan Queen train all ready to take me to the beauty of the himalayas, Simla. After having a quick lunch, I got onto the train and took my seat. One more tip guys, never book an AC chair car ticket on this train. Its just a chair car and there isn't any AC. Book in first class instead. The booking starts exactly one month in advance. Anyways, I was happy with my window seat. I was now on a train that was added to the UNESCO world heritage site list this year. The train moved through sharp corners, tunnels, bridges and provided wonderful view throughout the journey. But still, if Simla alone is your destination, I think, its better to come here after the rains, maybe in the month of Sep/Oct. As we were climbing higher and higher, it was getting cooler and cooler. The train stops at many small stations in between. We can buy some snacks or water here. As we get closer to Simla, the view outside also gets better and better. There was a slight drizzle outside which was strengthening to a rain. That will not only bring discomfort to my travel plans, but also bring down the temperatures dramatically. But surely, the view outside was now fantastic. And as the rain stopped, a beautiful rainbow in the sky made it picture perfect. But suddenly the rain strengthened again and now there was heavy hail storm outside. Everyone was trying to catch the hail stones and I too joined. Wow. What more could I ask for in Simla. What a trip this is turning out to be. After almost 6hrs of travel, I reached Simla. It was surely worth the effort. The weather cleared and was pleasant.
Simla, being known as a hill station did not require a stay for my kind of travel. Also, I was very eager to get to my next destination. With no more trains beyond Simla, I have to travel by bus tonight. With the rain clouds looming in the sky, the night fall, the dropping temperatures and the anticipation of a colder destination, were all reason enough to put in my thermals. But since the waiting room was closed, I will not even have that luxury. The bus stand is just 1km from the station and in this weather, I would be happy to walk the distance. I got the ticket and am now waiting for my bus to my next destination. I have to adjust to the low temperatures and high altitudes fast.

berT
05.06.2009
Location: Simla

track the full story at www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day12ATrueBeautyInTheHimalayasSimla?feat=directlink

Day 11: In the summer town of Mussourie

"The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see."
- G.K. Chesterton

It was again a pre-dawn arrival at the station as I got down in Dehradun at 4am. The destination for the day was Mussourie, a famous summer destination in these parts of the country.
Since I did not find a good restaurant in the station, I had butter cake, chocolates and tea for breakfast. I then went out in search of a bus to Mussourie. Here, we need to take the ticket from the counter before getting into the bus. I took one, and we started on our journey. The road to Mussourie was good and so was the view. But again, not to be compared to the other hill roads I have been on. After a 1.5hr ride, I got to Mussourie. The weather was warmer than what I had expected. The town centre looked busy with a lot of tourists trying to get to various attractions in and around Mussourie. I was hungry, and so I got into a hotel and had paneer paratha. But this one was quite tastier compared to what we get back in Bangalore. I moved on in search of a bus or shared taxi to Kempty falls. After a brief search, I got a shared taxi that would take me there and back for 100rs. Soon I got to Kempty falls. It was just a small one but seemed a favourite with the tourists. There was also a ropeway which took a 45° uphill and downhill ride for 70rs. I tried it and found it quite ordinary but was surely worth a first experience on a sloped ropeway. After taking some photos at the falls, as usual, I did some small shopping and souvenir hunting. By then, it was time for me to get back to the taxi to get to Mussourie. I had a wonderful lunch and took some rest at the viewpoint. Overall, it was a good hill station in the lines of Nainital. Soon I got back to the bus stand and got into the bus to get back to the Dehradun Station. And with this, all the destinations in the trip with temperate climate has been covered and I will now enter the colder ones. And for that, here I am, yet again waiting at the railway station to get to my next destination.

berT
04.06.2009
Location: Mussourie

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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day11InTheSummerTownOfMussourie?feat=directlink

Day 10: A lake above the clouds, Nainital

I woke up in the wee hours today as I had to get down at Moradabad station (For your information, Moradabad is the constituency of the former Indian cricket captian, Mohd. Azharuddin) from where I had to take a train to Kathgodam which is the nearest station to Nainital. I had planned for a waiting time of more than 2hrs but since my train was more than 3hrs late, I was sure to miss the other train. I fished out my train timetable from the backpack and tried to find out whether there were any other trains to Kathgodam. I found that the next train was only at 12 noon. I hoped that there would be some passenger train from Moradabad. However, a closer observation of the railway map gave me a wierd idea. If I were to get down at the station before Moradabad, I would stand a chance to get into my train to Kathgodam. But finally, I decided against the idea as getting down at some unknown small station before daybreak was any day not a better option than to miss a train at a big station. So, I got down at Moradabad at 4:30 and as expected, I missed the train. On enquiry, I came to know that there was another passenger train starting from here to Kathgodam at 6:30. So I was relieved and decided to go by that train which would get me there for just 20rs.
I got into the train and found that there were only local people travelling by the train and no tourists like me. But that did not matter me much as I would always be fine with the great Indian passenger train ride. I just wondered, coming here in an AC coach and now on a passenger train with the local people. What an exceptional journey I was having! I was truly enjoying it. The train moved on. I could see beautiful mud houses with a coir bed in its front which resembled the typical north Indian countryside scene through the window. I would have missed all these had I got the other train to Kathgodam. When I opened my mineral water bottle, an old lady sitting next to me asked how much it costs. She was surprised when I told that it costs me 12rs. She advised me on not to waste money and to drink water from the pipe instead. 12rs might have been too much for her to spend on plain water and would probably have been the cost of her entire journey, if she has bought one. This trip is proving to be a wonderful learning experience for me. I put up a small conversation as the train was getting late. My army camouflage cargo pants and half sleeved T-shirt made them think that I was going back to my regiment in Kathgodam. It was the umpteenth time in the trip so far that I was asked whether I was in the army. Lone person, looking into his own business, travelling to far flung places should be from the army in this area. After a station named Haldwani, I was the lone person in the entire coach. I had planned this route just because I found from the railway book that Nainital was 35km from Kathgodam. That is all I knew. The train moved on mostly through the plains. I even wondered if there was any other place named Kathgodam. But soon I was able to spot the Himalayas. That brought the hope that I should heading in the right direction. I reached the Kathgodam station which was right at the foot of the hills. After I put my backpack at the cloak room, I went in search of a bus to Nainital. There is a stop right in front of the station but the buses were full and had only standing accomodation. So I decided to go to the bus stand. I got a shared auto that would get me there for 8rs. It was then that I found that, though Kathgodam was the nearest station, it was better to get down at Haldwani as the buses start from there. I got into a bus that would take me to Nainital for 35rs. It was pretty hot downhill but as we moved up, it got cooler and cooler. The road that leads to Nainital was beautiful, but the view was not so breathtaking if I would compare it with the places that I have been. The temperature was just about cool at the top, not hot and not too cool either. It took me 1.5hrs to get to the lake in Nainital. The lake looked beautiful with boating options available. I had a long walk around, taking photos and had a small shopping at the stalls around the lake. However, my sincere advice is that, do not expect too much at Nainital. It is a good place, but don't expect a Gangtok or Cherrapunji in there as I did. Also to note that the route upto Nainital is very steep and there is a high chance of you feeling sick. Many in my bus had fallen sick and vommitted enroute. So it is definitely not for those who find it difficult to travel by road. For rating, I would place Nainital a couple of notches up of Ootacamund. Thats all you should expect.
After spending 2hrs by the lakeside, I took a bus back to the Kathgodam station. Its 7:45pm, but still there is traces of daylight left here. Strange place. With memories of yet another place in India, here I am on the train to get to my next destination.

berT
03.06.2009
Location: Nainital

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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day10ALakeAboveTheCloudsInNainital?feat=directlink

Day 9: On a 36hr "travelling break"

After about a week's travel, today, I woke up at my own time. No need for any hurry. No need to plan my day's travel destinations. Just sit back, listen to my ipod, look at the world outside through the window, occasionally check or send mails. What more could I ask for. This was my kind of a break. I can enjoy all this for the 36hrs as I will be in the cool confines of the train, travelling through parts of west bengal, bihar and uttar pradesh.
It is indeed a welcome break for me. It was a hectic trip so far with a lot of timed challenges. Everything had to happen in a limited time window. But I really enjoyed these challenges. My trip is still not even half way through. I have a long road ahead. In the second half, I will have to face adaptability challenges along with timed ones. But today is surely not a day to think about all those. I will be online most of the day. All your mails are welcome and will be replied to at the earliest.

berT
02.06.2009
Location: on train from Guwahati

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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day9OnA36hrTravellingBreak?feat=directlink

Day 8: Out of the clouds to Guwahati

"To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world." - Freya Stark

I experienced what Freya Stark said. It is indeed true. I woke up today morning far far away from my home, alone in this strange place called Shillong. It was a pleasant morning here. I got fresh and had my breakfast. I had to take leave of this abode of clouds to Guwahati. It was truly a wonderful experience here. I had a drive through the best hill road that I have been on so far, stood on the rainiest place on earth, saw a part of Bangladesh, saw people so far away from my home, tasted the local food, and the list is endless.
I went straight to the shared taxi stand and got into one that would take me back to Guwahati. Shillong city was an army area and there are various checkpoints. I produced my driving license and told that I was a tourist from Kerala, now going back to Guwahati. The only trouble comes when they ask what I do for a living. I could neither prove my employment as I had already resigned, nor could I produce my student ID as I have still not joined. But that did not matter to them much as all they wanted to know was whether I was a legal citizen of India and my purpose of visit. We moved on from the beautiful Meghalaya. After a 3hr drive, I reached the Guwahati railway station to move to my next destination just 15min to departure of the train because of the city traffic.
Getting to Guwahati station was another milestone in my journey as it was my second strategic location (explained its significance in the Kolkata post). So it was the kind of phase-2 complete feeling. Also to be happy about is the fact that now that I have crossed Guwahati, my chances of getting monsooned is minimal. The monsoon should arrive only by the end of the month in the upcoming destinations and is expected to arrive here any day from today. I had now covered 3904km so far in my trip to cover 8 cities across 7 states in India in the past 8 days.
And now, here I am, back at the station to start what will be my longest leg of the journey.

berT
01.06.2009
Location: Guwahati

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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day8OutOfTheCloudsAndIntoGuwahati?feat=directlink

Day 7: In the rainiest place on earth, Cherrapunji

I woke in the morning as the train thundered through what seemed like a never ending bridge. That must have been the mighty river Bramhaputra. Though I had a confirmed birth, I was sleeping on 3/4th of the side upper berth. As I had expected my berth was occupied by others. This time, it was a small family travelling to the upper Assam with a lot of lugguage. It was after some hard negotiations that I got the 3/4th berth as I had to keep my backpack also on the berth. My ability to speak decent Hindi proved very useful through the trip so far. I felt pity of their plight and so I was ready to adjust. Most people in the train were carrying a lot of lugguage. Somehow, I managed to sleep in the space I had. I made a mistake in booking this leg of the journey in sleeper class as it was a short one.
I got down at the Guwahati station and headed out. The station looked as if it were on a seige with strong presence of the army and the assam rifles. I got to the shared taxi stand and got into a jeep that would take me to Shillong. Guwahati looked like a typical modern Indian city with good number of branded showrooms and malls. The city roads were good and well maintained. Half an hour's drive from Guwahati got me into Meghalaya. There was an infiltration checkpost enroute but they never asked for my documents. Illegal migration from Bangladesh is an issue here. The roads were excellent and the view was breathtaking. True to its name, Meghalaya, it really felt like going right into the clouds. The slight drizzle made the ride all the more beautiful. Along the road, there were girls dressed in the traditional dress, ladies with their baby on the back looked really beautiful. Close to Shillong, was a beautiful lake named Barapani. Overall, it was indeed a wonderful road trip. It was a 3hr drive for 140rs. By around 10:30, I reached Shillong and found a small hotel where I got a tiny room for 150rs. Since it was Sunday, I just kept my backpack at the room and went out in search of a church. In Shillong, its quite easy to find a church and I found one close to my room. I went there and found that the service was in the local Khasi language. I hardly understood the sermon but somehow managed to make out the key message. There was also the dedication and naming of a child of a beautiful couple. I thanked god for the wonderful journey I had so far and prayed for the journey ahead.
After the service got over, I went back to my room to get fresh and have my lunch. I then got out to find a shared taxi or bus to get to Cherrapunjee, which was my destination for the day. Each person I asked on how to get there, looked back at me as if they were asking, 'why are you going to Cherrapunji at this time?'. I think there are hardly any tourists here like me. Most of them were either on a package tour or on a taxi hired from Guwahati. The Meghalaya tourism department has a package tour to Cherrapunji, but that was once a day, in the morning. I enquired at the traffic police office and found that no buses are there to Cherrapunji now. They all asked me to hire a taxi to get there. But that would cost me over 1000rs. That would be quite an irony in my tight budgeted trip. I was taken aback. I had come so close, but now I cannot find a way to get to the wettest place on earth. After some deep thinking, I decided to go ahead. The money that I invest now is for a memory that will stay with me for this lifetime. After some negotiations, I got a taxi that would take me to most of the tourist destinations and view points near Cherrapunji for 1000rs.
I moved on. Trust me guys, the Shillong - Cherrapunji is the best hill road I have been on till now. There are no words to describe the beauty of this place. And for a rain enthusiast like me, this is the ultimate place to be. The Khasi hills looked absolutely fantastic. One distinct feature that I found in these hills was that they weren't tapered. On the way, we stopped at many view points and took photos. We also stopped at the Cherrapunji falls. Soon we entered Cherrapunji. Cherrapunji is a tiny village with only a few people around. No wonder there weren't any buses from Shillong, I thought. The weather here changes by the minute. One moment you will see the sunshine, the next, rain. The atmosphere is always laden with moisture. Cherrapunji still holds the world record for highest recorded rainfall in a single year and single month. But for the last few years, Mawsynram receives higher rainfall than Cherrapunji. However the highest recorded rainfall still lies with Cherrapunji. One thing I found there was that even without any signboards, it will still be possible to tell when you get to the actual point of Cherrapunji. You feel that in the air around. Further down the road, we got to a viewpoint where we can actually see Bangladesh. Still further, I could see the seven sisters waterfall. The seven different falls on the same rock face, gives it its name. I also went to the Mawsmai caves. It was a beautiful cave with drops of water falling from the rooftop. But the adventure in entering the cave was robbed by the artificial lights and wooden plank bridges kept over water logged floor. The only adventure for me was to keep myself, my camera and my mobile from slipping into the water. On the way back, I also took photos in front of the signboards of Cherrapunji. I was astonished to find network coverage even in here. Surely network penetration is going on quite fast in India. After the beautiful drive which turned out to be valued more than the money that I paid, I got back to my room to get a full stretched sleep which I didn't get yesterday.

berT
31.05.2009
Location: Shillong

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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day7InTheRainiestPlaceOnEarthCherrapunjee?feat=directlink

Day 6: Deep into the Himalayas in Gangtok

I was woken up early in the morning at 5:30 by the morning alarm and I never wanted to get out of the blanket. It was quite cold outside but manageable. My underestimation of the summer temperatures in Darjeeling turned out to be pardonable. My destination for the day was Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim which was about 4hrs drive from here on a shared taxi. This was my first unplanned destination in my trip. The extra hours I gained by coming here by road yesterday gave me this oppurtunity. The jeep moved on. In the taxi, there was a budhist lady next to me who was silently chanting prayers with the prayer beads. Enroute, I saw the Kanchenjunga peak slowly creeping out of the clouds. If you want to see the peak, don't try to find it next to the hills around. Look to the sky. You'll find it. Its such a huge peak. And on a very clear day, you can also see Mt. Everest far far away. If you don't believe me, just do a google image search on, 'everest from tiger hill, darjeeling'. You'll find the photo. Its a pity that it was a cloudy day yesterday. Anyways, with Darjeeling being more of a family destination, I should come here again. So, here is my travel tip. Come here during clear sunny days and spend around 3-4 days here. Also take the Darjeeling train.
The road to Gangtok was really breathtaking. Its surely a must try. But today, it had a lot of traffic snarls with the mud and rocks still being cleared with bulldozers. In one place, we were held up for almost an hour. Maybe there was a landslide here last night, I wondered. But the delay there, gave me a unique oppurtunity to take photos of the Kanchenjunga peak which was slowly coming out of the clouds. Let me tell you one thing. The first time you see a mountain peak for real is very special. I have seen many photos of this peak before. But only when you stand here, you get to see the relative size of the peak with everything else around you. That, my friend, you can't get in a photo. For people like me from the plains, its truly a breathtaking experience to see a mountain peak.
As we moved on, we passed through beautiful pine and tea plantations. With no breakfast, the chocolates came handy. The first town enroute was Teesta. It was on the banks of the Teesta river. The Teesta was a fast flowing river with white water rafting capabilities. We crossed the river and we were now on the road built by the border roads organisation of India under project swastik as Sikkim is surrounded by Nepal, China and Bhutan. Interesting signs were put up, "its not a rally, enjoy the valley". Five minutes down the road, another landslide, another delay, but more importantly, another photo oppurtunity. Took some photos over the Teesta river and then we moved on. The road was mostly on the immediate parallel to the river, though the river was atleast 100ft down. The next town enroute was Ringpo and thus we were now in Sikkim. By noon, I reached Gangtok and it was just a 130rs ride. Now I was quite hungry and that was my intent of arrival - To have a typical Sikkim lunch. I got into a hotel and though it was the ordinary chicken meals, it had a distinct taste. I enjoyed the food. One particular mannerism I noted in this part of the country was that whenever the people here give or take things like money, food or other materials, they always do that with the left hand crossed over to the right elbow. Suprisingly, you will feel quite uncivilised in taking or giving it with your single hand.
In the stand I could find buses and taxis to places in Nepal and Bhutan. Since I have already been to Nepal, it did not interest me much. But I was very much excited about the idea of a travel to Bhutan from here. That would mean missing out on my further destinations but I could still have come back to my trip by moving to the next strategic location. I would have given a serious thought at the travel to Bhutan if I had my passport in my handbag. That was back in the backpack kept at the cloak room. On enquiry, I learnt that I could still enter bhutan with my driver's license to prove my Indian citizenship but entering another country without my homeland passport was asking for trouble. Maybe this could be my next backpacking destination. Who knows. I had to be thankful that I could atleast visit Sikkim which was not on my trip plan. I set out back to get to Jalpaiguri to get my train to the next destination. This time, it was a direct route without touching Darjeeling. The road passes almost entirely by the side of Teesta river, though 100ft up. The route is so amazing that it is still worth going through, even if you don't do a thing in Gangtok. There was a small drizzle enroute that added special ambience to the journey. It took me 150rs and 4hrs to get back to the station with wonderful memories of the inner Himalayas.

berT
30.05.2009
Location: Gangtok

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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day6DeepIntoTheHimalayasInGangtok?feat=directlink

Day 5: In the queen of hills, Darjeeling

I woke up early in the morning, somewhere in northern Bengal. It was only 5:30 but the sun was way up in the sky. When I looked outside, I felt as if I was back in Kerala. It was beautiful all around with lush green fields and trees. The train finally reached New Jalpaiguri. It is from here that I can take the mountain train to Darjeeling. I finally made up my mind to keep the backpack at the station itself. I had to get to the narrow gauge platform to get to the train to Darjeeling. On enquiry, I came to know that the train was cancelled due to mudslips enroute caused by the recent cyclone. That was a real miss. I started thinking of backup plans like, to delay my Darjeeling leg of the trip and continue on my journey and then come back when the train route is up, etc. In the end, I made up my mind to go on. Just outside the station, I got onto a shared sumo that would take me to Darjeeling. The bus services were also cancelled. Enroute, I could see the narrow gauge just to the side and often, crossing it. I could also see boards of "we want gorkhaland!" on the side of the road. And there were even some private vehicles that had 'GL' for gorkhaland in their number plates. They were demanding a separate state from west bengal. After an hour's journey we stopped at a roadside hotel for food. I had chicken rice. I also took some photos and then we moved on. Just 5 minutes later, poof... It was a puncture. But the driver changed the tyre in just 10 minutes. So it did not make much of a delay. Soon we passed through the 1st town enroute, Kurseong. There were landslips on the road and the tracks. It did not look as if the tracks would be cleared very soon. My estimate, it should take atleast 3 weeks to get the rail services back on track. So it was a right decision that I took, to go ahead with Darjeeling now itself. It was getting cooler and cooler. I hoped that it would be manageable temperature at the top as both my thermals and jacket were in my backpack at the station. After many traffic snarls enroute, I finally reached Darjeeling. I tried to get a single room. But only double rooms were there in all hotels. Probably because there will be only be a few lone backpackers here in Darjeeling. I finally got a double room in Youth Hostel, since I was a member. Though at a cost of 440rs, it was the lowest in the place with reasonable comforts. The mercury was plummeting by the hour. I got fresh and headed out to the city centre. First of all, I wanted to do what I came here for - to taste the famous 'darjeeling chai' in Darjeeling. The tea did not have much of a colour, but the aroma and the taste was indeed special. Wow. Priceless. You have to be here to know its magic. For just 5rs, I was in a different world.
I then went on to the railway station to take a few photos in there. There were different coaches and steam engines at the station. With such a beautiful climate, landscape and people around, I decided to roam around to do some souvenir hunting here. Also, I need to taste that tea again. After that, I'll head back to my room where I can sleep on solid ground after 5 days.

berT
29.05.2009
Location: Darjeeling

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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day5InTheQueenOfTheHimalayasDarjeeling?feat=directlink

Day 4: In the grand old city of Kolkata

Very early in the morning, I was woken up by the coach attendant's call that the train had reached Howrah. As I got down, I could see patches of water on the ground. Should be from the cyclone Aila that had lashed out in Bengal 48hrs back, I thought. And now that the cyclone had eased off to a depression, I didn't have to worry. But before I could go around the city, I had to first dump my backpack at the Sealdah station. I learned that the first bus to get there starts at 5:30 only. So I decided to wait till then. The upper class waiting room wore a deserted look with only the cctv making some movement. The long, old fashioned 'easy chair' tempted me to take a small nap. After sometime, I woke up to find that it was already dawn. But it was just 4:45 in the morning. Seems the sun rises early in this part of the country. As I was getting fresh, a look outside the window surprised me. Just outside the station, I could see the beautiful Howrah bridge. I could also see the spectacular line up of the famous orange-yellow ambassador taxi of Kolkata. I was tempted to try that first. For 80rs, I took a prepaid taxi to Sealdah station. I found the city buzzing with activity even at 5:30 in the morning. The streets looked chaotic and in disarray. I reached the station and found a confident 'beware of rats' board hanging in front of the cloak room. I hope rats here don't need my chocolates.
I moved out of the station. One of the targets for the day was to get onto the tram, the only operational tram service in India. I got into a bus to get to Park circus. I saw a tram coming. Another guy jumped onto it. As I was busy photographing it, I could not. Maybe the trams don't stop for you. The next tram came. This time, I decided to get in. By the time I read where it was heading to, it was too close. I jumped. And somehow managed to scramble in. The tram provided a very low cost mean of travel in Kolkata. But was quite slow. It was just a 4rs ride to Howrah bridge. One particular thing that I noted in here was that, whatever you see around you looks atleast 30yrs old. One exception to this was the Howrah bridge which looked brand new. I walked over the bridge. And was taking photos with the cellphone camera. As soon as I took out the main camera, the passersby warned me against using it on the bridge. I walked across to find a police checkpost with a 'no photography' sign. I asked the police if I could take a photo. After producing my ID card, he agreed. But as soon as I pulled out my camera, he politely refused permission. I too smiled back and moved on. I went to the Howrah station, had my breakfast and bought a city map. Enroute the station, I had seen the ferry service and wanted to try it out. From the map, I thought to use it to get to Babughat to go to the Victoria Memorial. As the ferry passed through the hoogli river, I could take clear photos of the Howrah bridge. Now that I had taken most of the photos I needed to, I had the full day left for sight seeing around Kolkata. I saw the Victoria memorial which was a beautiful marble structure around which there was a beautiful lawn and pool. I also visited the museum which had paintings and photos of the old English empire in India. Just outside the museum, I found a small sherbat stall where I thought of tasting the local drink. I had the drink. It was horrible. Yuk.
As I moved on, I saw the Birla planetarium on the side but found that the show would start a good hour later. I looked around and just by its side was the St.Paul's cathedral, a beautiful church indeed. Went in and found tiny tots practising some action songs there. I took a look around and got back to the planetarium. After the celestial journey, I was back on earth and very hungry. I tried hard to find a hotel by asking others. They all pointed to the stalls at the sidewalk where people were standing and having food. I decided to find one for myself. After a long walk, all that I found was a Barista. Now, if I wanted to have food from a Barista, I could have stayed at Bangalore. So I decided to follow the old saying, 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'. I had some stuffed puris which they called 'sabji puri' and some gulab jamun. It was good. I moved on. A little ahead, I saw another food stall. They were selling what they call, 'momo'. It was just 10rs for a plate of 4 momos and a cup of soup. It tasted really great. With a full tummy, I now wanted to see the great banyan tree. For that, I needed to cross the river. I took the bus route and was a 7rs ride to the botanical garden. Now only I got to know that the banyan tree was in fact 250yrs old and was in the guiness book of world records. After taking photos and taking some rest under the tree, I decided to call it a day in Kolkata and return back to the station. On my way back, I stopped at esplanade stop. I saw an entrance which looked like a subway. On a closer look, I found that it was the entrance to a metro station. How could I miss this mode of transportation in Kolkata? I still had lots of time left. So I decided to try it out too. It was amazingly cheap, comfortable and fast. It resembled the Delhi metro with air conditioned stations and magnetic tickets.
As I am now in my 1st strategic location, the kind of phase 1 of the trip is complete, covering 2324kms (excluding city travel). While planning the trip, I had also planned about 'strategic locations'. The idea was that, in case I missed a train, the backup plan would be somehow get to these strategic locations. In this way, a goof up at one point of the trip still keeps the overall trip intact. The other point to be happy about was that I will now be moving from the hot and humid regions to the more temperate places. And thus the journey goes on...

berT
28.05.2009
Location: Kolkata
Track the full story at: www.onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day4InTheGrandOldCityOfKolkata?feat=directlink

Day 3: In the temple city of Bhubaneswar

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
- unknown

I could see parched fields upto a long distance as I took my first look outside the window. The farmers were preparing the fields by ploughing and manuring early in the morning. They were waiting for the monsoon which is due in a few weeks time. And here, I was trying to evade that. As I stepped outside, I found that it was a very warm morning. So there should be a pretty hot day too, I thought.
I could not find a good refreshment stall. So had to be content with fruit cake, chocolate and a cup of coffee for breakfast. I got to a passenger train which would take me to Puri for 10rs. Travelling like the locals was my kind of travel. After passing through the beautiful countryside, I finally reached Puri after a good 2hrs with the train stopping at each station enroute. After enquiring the return train timings, I then walked 2kms to the local bus stand to go to Konark, which was my destination for the day. I was tired after the walk in the hot sun. Thought of having a glass of roadside sugarcane juice. But it tasted more of diesel than sugarcane. So I took my first can of energy drink to get refreshed. The mini bus passed through the literal gallis of Puri and finally entered the marine drive road. Though long, I took this route as the 35km marine drive was the longest I would have done yet. The bus passed through Balukhand wildlife santuary. However, I was not lucky enough to spot any black buck or deer enroute. It was a 15rs ride and took me an hour to reach Konark from Puri with the bay of bengal on the side. I headed straight to the sun temple (a UNESCO world heritage site). It was amazing to find that it was built back in the 13th century. Awesome, is the word I would use. After having a look around and taking lots of photos, I headed out of the complex. I bought a small replica of the wheel of sun temple as a souvenir. I had a typical Marvadi meal from the nearby restaurant and headed back to the bus stand. I came to know that Bhubaneswar was a mere 2hr ride from here by bus. So I decided to try the new route. And it took only 30rs for my bus ride back to Bhubaneswar. I wanted to jump back into the cool confines of the train after the long day out in the sun. And thus, the journey goes on..

berT
27.05.2009
Location: Bhubaneswar

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day3InTheTempleCityOfBhubaneswar?feat=directlink

Day 2: In deccan city of Hyderabad

After a comfortable night's sleep, I woke up today morning near the hyderabad suburbs which was my first stop-over. I dumped my backpack at the cloak room and headed straight to the auto stand. I wanted to keep the trip on minimal comforts, but the mere 3hr window at Hyderabad left me with only a few options. I passed through a beautiful lake. However, the city roads were quite traffic free quite contrary to what I was expecting. Each minarets I saw enroute, brought about the hope that I reached charminar. After a 75rs ride, I was finally looking at the beautiful charminar. It looked awesome. I just had a look from its four sides and took lots of photos. Now, I had to return back to the railway station. I got to a bus and it was just a 7rs ride back. Of course, it took me more time though. And after having my idli vada breakfast, here I am back in the train, to my next destination.

berT
26.05.2009
Location: Hyderabad

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day2InTheDeccanCityOfHyderabad?feat=directlink

Planning the big trip

"what would you remember in life? Is it the corner office and the other mundane things of corporate life? Or is it the breath taking views of the great outdoors?"
- tata safari dicor ad

Is this some kind of a terrorist cache? Certainly looks so. These are the things am carrying for the big trip I just started. Try to spot the different things. The golden colored box at the centre is 1.5kg chocolate. That is to serve as an energy boost. You'll also find my thermals, jacket, clothes, camera, ipod, medicines, etc. And the list goes on. The paper strip you see at the centre is nothing but my train and flight tickets. Count them if you can. Such is the nature of the trip.
It was exactly 38days back that I had come to Kerala. Since the admission process were almost done, I decided to put in my papers as soon as I get back to office. Now that would give me a 45days of break. The Kashmir trip was there at the back of my mind as a broken dream. And this was the last time I could do something. Hence the big plan unfolded. Now, even if I have to cancel the Kashmir leg of the journey, I can still have a challenging trip. No more clues on the nature of the trip. Wait for my next mail tomorrow.

berT
25.05.2009
Location: out of Bangalore

Day 1: Embarking on the trip of a lifetime

What's so special about this photo? Why do I need to post this to all my friends on my routine visit to Kerala? Or is there anything special in going to Kerala this time around? Well, I am NOT going to Kerala.
Surprised? All my friends, except for Anish and Mecks, clearly believed my outright denial of having any trip plans before joining TAPMI. Kudos to you two guys, had caught me, almost.
Anyways, I had always planned for a big trip since I have joined here. All the things that I had purchased had a clear intention in that direction. Camera, backpack, ipod, mobile with gps, etc. Now the dots seem to be connecting eh? I had a clear plan to visit Kashmir last september. But due to the situation there, I had to cancel it at the last minute. I was waiting for an oppurtunity. The MBA admissions had robbed me of most of my trip chances. But now that the process is almost complete, I wouldn't get a better chance than this particular time. Also, because of the failed attempts earlier, I decided to keep the entire plan under cover and to reveal only when I start the trip. Till now only my sister and brother in law, know the entire plan. Papa knows that I am going somewhere but thats all I have told him. So papa, please find the entire trip itenerary hidden safely under the table cover of the laptop table.
I will be mailing you all throughout my trip with all those beautiful photos I promised. You may also check my blog,
onestepcloser2freedom.blogspot.com. I will be updating it with my daily entries on the go. Anyways, will mail you all the same. To know more about the preparations for the trip, wait for my next mail. As for the probable question, where am heading to?, well, keep guessing. :)

berT
Location: out of Bangalore
25.05.2009

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/meberty/Day1EmbarkingOnATripOfALifetime?feat=directlink