tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68592273677976668332024-03-07T18:16:03.568-08:00Nice Things Come in Small Packages :-)Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-58349082275240378042010-07-19T00:00:00.000-07:002010-07-19T00:01:41.250-07:00Time is the best healer or .....Is time an escape mechanism? Call me a cynic or a pessimist - But in my experience. we find solutions to lots of problems by having bigger problems ;-)<br />So time just faciliates new bigger problems ;-) but doesnt really heal anything that is meant to remain etched !Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-18649489595813250662007-06-20T03:34:00.000-07:002007-06-20T04:13:14.754-07:00Glimpses of Gangtok - Day 3 Continues !True to my word, here comes the Gangtok post.<br /><br />Gangtok, with its population of 50000, has a cosmopolitan flavor attached to it, with a combination of old-age charm, hospitality and Cyber parlors. I was fascinated with this hilly urbanized hamlet and its inhabitants. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We first headed towards Hanuman Tok and Ganesh Tok. Apparently one gets an amazing view of the Khanchendzonga from the Toks ;-).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNiafStNu6h8fdKsO35WUj-eOvHmftYPiUIwHv68kDtW7I5y97uamRkQT75x9wLgWwDMXtE9eHyN_wYWk7DK-P_50cCSk54iylY4zC_6f4NIAECxj5kVlZZvG8w-s5fA22ImrCEdkBzw-/s1600-h/collage1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNiafStNu6h8fdKsO35WUj-eOvHmftYPiUIwHv68kDtW7I5y97uamRkQT75x9wLgWwDMXtE9eHyN_wYWk7DK-P_50cCSk54iylY4zC_6f4NIAECxj5kVlZZvG8w-s5fA22ImrCEdkBzw-/s320/collage1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078099715618711090" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">As the name suggests, Hanuman Tok has a <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hanuman</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Temple</st1:placetype></st1:place>. The place was a humdrum of activity by the Army Junta .The next day happened to be Hanuman Jayanthi and the Governor was expected to visit the place. The zeal and fervor with which they were setting up the place was amazing. They really taught us what commitment and enthusiasm is all about .In addition to decorating the place, there was a small band of people singing bhajans and playing various instruments. I cannot describe in words, the ambience and the aura this place exuded.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM42pEWq_gPtg49yt8xSJKw5OWMDvoWpbKyFZJ95onLsyePahISTDGXahGB0LpVkBCwx6fcKnLOSWGa6QkF1JArUJNThsF2YCUAaQxteE1maVVMPsyw969ye-dL7qNycfcAwkn7tcFVxnv/s1600-h/collage3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM42pEWq_gPtg49yt8xSJKw5OWMDvoWpbKyFZJ95onLsyePahISTDGXahGB0LpVkBCwx6fcKnLOSWGa6QkF1JArUJNThsF2YCUAaQxteE1maVVMPsyw969ye-dL7qNycfcAwkn7tcFVxnv/s320/collage3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078100059216094786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAT-pw8tkgOX3vL8b_k2WMvic3e-gDCUkAMYYd26DpL2eamAy0bL5I28UQwaoactmWd58WLJt56KtKN53DTYpPDE4hNtj5FPS1cMGQojUmfxR8ojl637ZuoNDPM0TqF-7jZoT4c-CKnZ5/s1600-h/collage2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAT-pw8tkgOX3vL8b_k2WMvic3e-gDCUkAMYYd26DpL2eamAy0bL5I28UQwaoactmWd58WLJt56KtKN53DTYpPDE4hNtj5FPS1cMGQojUmfxR8ojl637ZuoNDPM0TqF-7jZoT4c-CKnZ5/s320/collage2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078100544547399250" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fortunately or unfortunately our gang, with all the Digital SLR’s and cameras, stood out completely, as tourists. So after all the initial introductions like “ We are from Bangalore “ – “Oh U have come ALL the way from Bangalore “ our gracious host threw a bombshell – Apparently one of the local channels was doing a piece on this event and they wanted the touristy Bangaloreans to share their exhilarating<span style=""> </span>experience with the media .<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Like always the guinea pig was chosen (No points for guessing) and the apparently media savvy me had to come up with a few lines! Needless to say I was horrified at the thought of doing anything remotely close to this! </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>So I scampered around the place pretending to take pictures etc etc. Somehow this was not to be my day. JK and I were asked to enact a dramatic ringing-the-bell entry into the temple! It was hilarious, to say the least, but thankfully the whole episode didn’t last for more than a few seconds! In the meantime the whole tourist interview was over and done with by the rest of the gang<span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="">J</span></span>. We had some nice Kadak Masala chai and scooted from the place.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We went to a few other viewpoints but there were no signs of the mountains anywhere around the place and continuing to curse our luck we headed back to the city centre.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-zcUdTbWYamikXAtJEMp3goQMv2eM_eMygsELVZxQ6Uej2V5evp5aTSYEPwTXhbcn-icJHMmXGpxdmthkS0cd6vFMDJ0p-RBCRLPtoWSLxPQJmzRIf__SrbuOI6teVdbj6RKcnBYEdWL/s1600-h/collage4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-zcUdTbWYamikXAtJEMp3goQMv2eM_eMygsELVZxQ6Uej2V5evp5aTSYEPwTXhbcn-icJHMmXGpxdmthkS0cd6vFMDJ0p-RBCRLPtoWSLxPQJmzRIf__SrbuOI6teVdbj6RKcnBYEdWL/s320/collage4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078101124367984226" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have always wondered, why every city, not only has an <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">MG Road</st1:address></st1:street>, but it also happens to be the most happening part of the city. Gangtok is no different. But the <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">MG Road</st1:address></st1:street> in Gangtok is open only to pedestrians in the evenings and no vehicles are allowed. It felt weird and also blissful to walk in the middle of <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">MG Road</st1:address></st1:street> in the evening with no fear of being run over.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You would also find kids playing football on <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">MG Road</st1:address></st1:street> in the evenings! This was a sight worth watching especially to someone who is all too familiar with the likes of <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">MG Road</st1:address></st1:street> in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Bangalore</st1:city></st1:place> ;-).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQeLRO_TroxvGLhrjW0HjtFhFoyHx3cz1xiSgPvgI7NaBhzM5GIezadjcnIlNbg1leUY5VKQtHW58t1buqdlGpwVteIki7GdUduvf15ljM_iYz52z2uzUbQCblj1gfOXEE46BsHw97x80/s1600-h/collage.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 454px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQeLRO_TroxvGLhrjW0HjtFhFoyHx3cz1xiSgPvgI7NaBhzM5GIezadjcnIlNbg1leUY5VKQtHW58t1buqdlGpwVteIki7GdUduvf15ljM_iYz52z2uzUbQCblj1gfOXEE46BsHw97x80/s320/collage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078101635469092466" border="0" /></a><br />Eventually we got around to discussing the itinerary. There was some trepidation regarding the itinerary because Nathu-La which was supposedly a must-see was not a part of the itinerary. After some local socializing we realized that a serious discussion with Mr. Mukhiya and itinerary-revisit was imminent.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We finally wound up on the third day with a nice walk back from <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">MG Road</st1:address></st1:street> to our habitat in Gangtok. There was some illusion of a glimpse of the peaks.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But it was too dark and we were too tired to decide if we were just hallucinating, or the peaks finally decided to bestow upon us the views we were longing for from the time we stepped into this land !( I know its too long a sentence ;-)).<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This was just an appetizer of Gangtok. The main highlights of Gangtok will come in the next post <span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style=""></span></span></p>Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-47729820522474839232007-06-19T04:29:00.001-07:002007-06-19T04:50:01.738-07:00Ruins , Confusion and Gangtok Glimpses - Day 2 -Sikkim<span style="font-family: times new roman;">By virtue of its location, mornings dawn early in </span><st1:place style="font-family: times new roman;" st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Sikkim</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="font-family: times new roman;">. After all the ravings and rantings about A.Tiptur, the previous night (We are indebted to JK for throwing so much light about such a worthy soul), the morning started on a lazy note. Finally we started off towards Rabdenste Ruins (For some reason the apparently phonetic me is still not sure how this is pronounced</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:Wingdings;" ><span style="">L</span></span><span style="font-family: times new roman;">). Rabdenste was the second capital of </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: times new roman;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sikkim</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> shifted from Yuksom. Presently the </span><st1:placename style="font-family: times new roman;" st="on">Rabdentse</st1:placename> <st1:placetype style="font-family: times new roman;" st="on">Palace</st1:placetype><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> in </span><st1:place style="font-family: times new roman;" st="on">West Sikkim</st1:place><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> is in ruins.</span><o:p style="font-family: times new roman;"> </o:p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">The entry to the ruins is calm, enchanting place where it seems criminal to exercise your vocal chords and disturb the tranquility.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ebP6Ly2_2NNCWNahcR0_m6k5N5TEQpmBJaJoEGMxSDNZxRytC7bOACltQlASMZc13W5cELsgpEacY9SSI3NiFqJKWq5IAqJ7kumi6XJyaMPJQbAzO5ni9j9pjpUesDQxM9HNmXqOLIGa/s1600-h/collage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ebP6Ly2_2NNCWNahcR0_m6k5N5TEQpmBJaJoEGMxSDNZxRytC7bOACltQlASMZc13W5cELsgpEacY9SSI3NiFqJKWq5IAqJ7kumi6XJyaMPJQbAzO5ni9j9pjpUesDQxM9HNmXqOLIGa/s320/collage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077738783747022770" border="0" /></a> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">A walk of about 0.5- 1 Km leads us to the ruins.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KJ3FHk2ka5gDy6H0phxdqKZvOApKabD8lfvnh1piMc2WBw0NPcjkUw6qgNEKYXa35D7YcSyBdrhEnvXrGvXg5guSRTKqGC0qzqRv-p3aDkRyx663zJbJsUAd5KEqGYbJ-lXHQ1nqgc9J/s1600-h/collage1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KJ3FHk2ka5gDy6H0phxdqKZvOApKabD8lfvnh1piMc2WBw0NPcjkUw6qgNEKYXa35D7YcSyBdrhEnvXrGvXg5guSRTKqGC0qzqRv-p3aDkRyx663zJbJsUAd5KEqGYbJ-lXHQ1nqgc9J/s320/collage1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077739037150093250" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">There are many motivating boards enroute, which ensure that the lazy software guys don’t head back without getting a peek of the Ruins.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">(The climb could be a wee bit strenuous for someone who is used to staring at the monitor 8-10 hours a day).</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sNAdVs7X66ryvYwG7BscuArTocsDlsv9nXB81A_k0Rx5bBIeCVnpSddtJKuIroThWE5Kp8zcbS9aNA-GUK6CNRkKYa3VVvWoxJphQ0tdHHznYNPyIgCx4toCClyHarAQp2Lp_xyDUo6-/s1600-h/collage2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sNAdVs7X66ryvYwG7BscuArTocsDlsv9nXB81A_k0Rx5bBIeCVnpSddtJKuIroThWE5Kp8zcbS9aNA-GUK6CNRkKYa3VVvWoxJphQ0tdHHznYNPyIgCx4toCClyHarAQp2Lp_xyDUo6-/s320/collage2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077739513891463122" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The ruins are on a small hillock and are primarily blocks of walls and a chorten. On a clear day (which we were not blessed with) one could get a very nice view of the Pemayangste Monastery! The ace photographers were exhibiting all the acrobatic skills they possessed by climbing up and down several of the walls :-P. </p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUL3vPDJqi2XWI9VKlQJ3ZKjVlCTiWoUPxOX5irVKop0wpi7IXfo6bhKFLhDz6QjiGYq3wFpGOrrPfLbbP16vtNlz0RSQFttr-SNi8t0R7FXlfjeEzW86hxoYoPzI5-AKeeI8IXtDghQl/s1600-h/collage3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUL3vPDJqi2XWI9VKlQJ3ZKjVlCTiWoUPxOX5irVKop0wpi7IXfo6bhKFLhDz6QjiGYq3wFpGOrrPfLbbP16vtNlz0RSQFttr-SNi8t0R7FXlfjeEzW86hxoYoPzI5-AKeeI8IXtDghQl/s320/collage3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077739999222767586" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Our videographer a.k.a Kiran recorded some rather scandalous conversations and is shameless enough to use those as blackmail tools :-(( .</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAB_RzZ9zLDrMSypw7YlBOfNoaMSpODONFq1eob3BZ654un1uUqILvDCKDU-zObZyOIne2Le1CYqF98XbK0eJK4YgQ_W0TePDcDf8ac3zgbxVx0qUbLSIc8Tiwv5cn7G8f9EBFFbnSeDn/s1600-h/collage4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAB_RzZ9zLDrMSypw7YlBOfNoaMSpODONFq1eob3BZ654un1uUqILvDCKDU-zObZyOIne2Le1CYqF98XbK0eJK4YgQ_W0TePDcDf8ac3zgbxVx0qUbLSIc8Tiwv5cn7G8f9EBFFbnSeDn/s320/collage4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077740394359758834" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Our itinerary said we would be heading towards Temi Tea Garden and Ravangla! None of us had any clue about either of the places except that a couple of us had read these names in the itinerary. The mallu junta was not very enthused about the Tea Garden coz no Tea Gardens can compare to Munnar. Durga with his ESP sensed this, and decided to head straight to Gangtok. Unfortunately his ESP did not make sense to us and we had to sort out the confusion with our Mr. Mukhiya. And before we realized, we reached Gangtok by 4 in the evening.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">An interesting piece of information – Every vehicle in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sikkim</st1:place></st1:country-region> is generally registered in specific districts and the permits allow them to operate only these specific district(s). So , to my misery, we had to bid farewell to our dear Durga since he was the <st1:place st="on">West Sikkim</st1:place> hero. After a tearful farewell we headed towards our hotel in Gangtok. The journey was full of mystery and we were curious to know our destination. We went through the winding roads, savoring this small hill capital and eventually reached a narrow dingy road. I was hoping against hope, this was not going be our destination! But Murphy being my close buddy, our hotel happened to be on this narrow piece of winding land called a street. The hotel was disappointing to say the least and we realized that we are possibly being taken on a ride by our dear Mr. Mukhiya and the ride had just begun!</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">But the hotel happened to be nice cozy place and it seemed like a cottage entirely for our group. DCM and I got the best room (I prefer to think so) with a heavenly view. But we were not yet blessed with the view of the mountains :-(.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Travails of Gangtok will follow soon! The good news is that I have decided to update my blog especially the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Sikkim</st1:country-region></st1:place> travelogue regularly and the bad news is that I am yet to implement them.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style=""> </span>Keep visiting <a href="http://rashthedash.blogspot.com/">http://rashthedash.blogspot.com</a> for quick(hopefully) updates ;-).</p>Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-26894703672605277632007-06-04T04:26:00.000-07:002007-06-04T21:20:21.707-07:00Placid Pelling – West Sikkim – Day One<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">Placid Pelling(West Sikkim)<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SJK2MslA6u6GC-tUYmDdAddvshXwIjiKySpC5oTxUyN8Ob5590C1MxGkD2LO_fi_EZ6ch2pXRmN3CP1gZQ9OnUlFmZwoJ6s6VRFfBFlN7i5miFDcb63aaz5AzkTJEa5ls4y2woW4DyGg/s1600-h/collage1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SJK2MslA6u6GC-tUYmDdAddvshXwIjiKySpC5oTxUyN8Ob5590C1MxGkD2LO_fi_EZ6ch2pXRmN3CP1gZQ9OnUlFmZwoJ6s6VRFfBFlN7i5miFDcb63aaz5AzkTJEa5ls4y2woW4DyGg/s320/collage1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072169823602155778" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At an altitude of 7200 Ft, Pelling was where our odyssey of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Sikkim</st1:country-region></st1:place> began. The hamlet was immensely popular for its view of the Khanchendzonga range of mountains. The pictures and travelogues promised us a breathtaking view of the mighty mountains at very close quarters.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After a tiring day of travel, we were looking forward to the glimpse of the mountains, next morning from the balcony! But the weather gods decided to play games with us.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">All that we saw next morning was White Vacuum in all directions. The guessing game started and all of us started guessing which direction the mountains would be visible. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The morning was a disappointment for me (coz I was really looking forward to viewing the gigantic mountain).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Apparently Pelling is as close as u can get to the Khanchendzonga without leaving the material comforts of good accommodation. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Driving on narrow hanging bridges, through small gurgling streams, we got the first taste of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sikkim</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s enchanting beauty. Our first stop was at the Rock Garden which is a small garden by the side of a very picturesque stream .The photographers got into action. Some of the poses/antics exhibited by JK, Sid were worth an audience. It was more like they were trying to ape different species of reptiles/insects!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtN4LzKpnR-cO92MnxVLakKr5KBd6uuiwAKq9UntiwhKaI942SbfAMTfDebvgHnO-e5fy5qVm6e_hQhIIqYNovdT-JZYpLuQMWbubf1Hcyi-sIuH0DdlA_PbtckOM18-W9Cw8oyN58a1N/s1600-h/collage3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtN4LzKpnR-cO92MnxVLakKr5KBd6uuiwAKq9UntiwhKaI942SbfAMTfDebvgHnO-e5fy5qVm6e_hQhIIqYNovdT-JZYpLuQMWbubf1Hcyi-sIuH0DdlA_PbtckOM18-W9Cw8oyN58a1N/s320/collage3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072170184379408658" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:480pt;height:480pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\ccb3303\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\04\clip_image003.jpg" title="collage3"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We then headed towards <b style="">Khanchendzonga</b> <b style="">Waterfalls</b> and then<span style=""> </span>towards this lake called <span class="subtitles"><b style="">Khecheopalri</b>(Kanji Pinji lake in Kiran’s words) .This is supposedly a sacred lake and myths have it that the birds </span>do not permit even a single leaf to float on the lake surface.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The lake is really calm and the surroundings are an epitome of calm and serenity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfDt0vFvH024hYMmEfKCT0jR34IJOgY-UcfV3UxCmpVZlv_najfLozI1WWQKNsoOUcag_OdQLFgS0RsyhAlC9kIQbxAMf0cKO0q9H64FHXeG3DRa62GuYM4tnIYA5y6da3eFAPkvekdAe/s1600-h/collage4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfDt0vFvH024hYMmEfKCT0jR34IJOgY-UcfV3UxCmpVZlv_najfLozI1WWQKNsoOUcag_OdQLFgS0RsyhAlC9kIQbxAMf0cKO0q9H64FHXeG3DRa62GuYM4tnIYA5y6da3eFAPkvekdAe/s320/collage4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072170618171105570" border="0" /></a>! I had started having my mood swing (not so much a frequent visitor lately) by then and Chinki hibernation set in for a while! In the meantime, Sid’s latest obsession had set in – “SimplyMarry.Com”. For some reason the whole bunch of people (Sid, JK, and Kiran etc etc) started taking snaps of me with the purpose of publishing it in on SimplyMarry.com. They were trying to achieve the impossible – Help me get hooked on ;-)))!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:6in;height:324pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\ccb3303\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\04\clip_image004.jpg" title="collage4"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We had a nice lunch back in Pelling after driving through a stream – Am not kidding when I say that Durga (our hunky driver) drove the Max through the stream. No points for guessing that this is a very convenient way of cleaning vehicles in Pelling ;-)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Post-Lunch we drove through the hills to this awfully long bridge called <b style="">Singshore Bridge</b>.This hanging bridge looks very nice from the road and the photography bonanza began! The theme of photography this time was – “Pictures through Holes”.Dont ask me what that was! The name says it all!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:6in;height:324pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\ccb3303\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\04\clip_image006.jpg" title="collage5"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nt5PCbbNUQ_zB2gQajn8imNn8-4na-osRyXWMeufFq0ZHgkHEVgcsYTAgi45bmuR1mONz_olNCxwtt-jjDGWwlGEta5CxJ6Dn7_R8cXou9HDEh-uDrVhUUqouHie_oyO7G95_vkn_OPT/s1600-h/collage5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nt5PCbbNUQ_zB2gQajn8imNn8-4na-osRyXWMeufFq0ZHgkHEVgcsYTAgi45bmuR1mONz_olNCxwtt-jjDGWwlGEta5CxJ6Dn7_R8cXou9HDEh-uDrVhUUqouHie_oyO7G95_vkn_OPT/s320/collage5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072171030487966002" border="0" /></a><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The last stop for the day was <strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pemayangtse Monastery</span>, supposedly one of the oldest and most important monasteries in Sikkim .Its located on a small hillock and completely surrounded by Prayer Flags which look heavenly when fluttering in the breeze.Inspite of restrictions on photography , we could find tourists violating the law and taking pictures. I wonder when we ll learn to respect and obey rules atleast in a religious abode like monasteries and temples.</span></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2lA9uqQxUWmNmIb0BbAUwy-fVmwh4ogFe1CDMj8it2NGTSitQt6rW_V7Hqb3-_UjaInwocfmDXUoFd60mw0fwwBBMbQMuDxqDQWATvSUi5VKuFksV2fqx_JhbX5_8Q2xUv-2rLGXPGkT/s1600-h/collage6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2lA9uqQxUWmNmIb0BbAUwy-fVmwh4ogFe1CDMj8it2NGTSitQt6rW_V7Hqb3-_UjaInwocfmDXUoFd60mw0fwwBBMbQMuDxqDQWATvSUi5VKuFksV2fqx_JhbX5_8Q2xUv-2rLGXPGkT/s320/collage6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072429912111390546" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">We also encountered a traffic hazard where our Max and a Truck (oposite direction) had a separation of few centimetres . The guys pushed the Max away from the Truck and got it going. One had to witness this scene to believe what was being done to move the vehicles :-) !<br /><strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal">We had some nice momos in a small bar in the evening and savored the early sunset in <st1:place st="on">Eastern India</st1:place>. The last thing in the day before sleeping was an extremely profound discussion on the architecture of buildings in Pelling. It took me a while to figure out that the discussion was about our very own Pelling abode. I have no qualms in admitting that the topic and the discussion was too profound for my liking. The Gyaani (He prefers to consider himself that - JK) had to intervene and put a logical end to the thesis and like he always does, he confused everyone so much, that people decided they had enough of architecture!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thus ended Day One – A nice breath of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sikkim</st1:place></st1:country-region>, Some Momos and some Architectural Discussions which was apparently Common Sense <span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="">J</span></span> but no Khanchendzonga<span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="">L</span></span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some useful links for Pelling </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.sikkiminfo.net/pelling.htm">http://www.sikkiminfo.net/pelling.htm</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.east-himalaya.com/sikkim/pelling.htm">http://www.east-himalaya.com/sikkim/pelling.htm</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-30349610459932850332007-05-30T04:27:00.000-07:002007-05-30T05:28:26.680-07:00The Start of the Odyssey – Sikkim<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyL60T_s8MgFFrvOiL7Avx8AuL2ZNloANbQj34Z3AHs-5aRq0mQdAA0HSfOOKTEdZ4ICiwBrS9dAMbPTMIshjjHmaRHqfQYwdr4EO1UffNvl8jDLsu8J7dW4qwyl9kEkGtEvRdwNmbx4s/s1600-h/DSC_0091_AgfaOptima_PS_WB_NR.jpg"></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SBaE6BP3GOeepmgea2sOCCBIaEWmijnsARhHz_mVdgA1K3N3i9uDA2IkAWaK8qp2Y9saJL5BpLLNr15QPhem574EqLrtGEAYCQCCV-mrhYkuftSQZhxAPh-XoUc4bPicmZKZroXPbA2m/s1600-h/collage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070326406458843362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SBaE6BP3GOeepmgea2sOCCBIaEWmijnsARhHz_mVdgA1K3N3i9uDA2IkAWaK8qp2Y9saJL5BpLLNr15QPhem574EqLrtGEAYCQCCV-mrhYkuftSQZhxAPh-XoUc4bPicmZKZroXPbA2m/s320/collage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The planning started in December and we spent sleepless nights booking tickets, accommodation etc etc. And finally the day dawned, when we had to embark on our much awaited Sikkim Trip. Our Air Deccan flight was at 5:45 in the morning. Lemme introduce my co-travellers. There z Dhanya popularly known as DCM , a veteran traveler, the ever organized , process-oriented Sid ,veteran No.2 , Kiran, one of the Managers of D, JK aka Entertainment Unlimited ,Sandhya the other manager of D and Sandhya’s better half, Manoj.</div><br /><div><br />The Herculean task ahead of us was to get to the airport by 4 atleast, with all our luggage (packed).Given Air Deccan ‘s reputation for overbooking , PARANOA was the word of the day !After all the initial hustle bustle we boarded the flight to Kolkatta !The flight was on time and uneventful except for the Coffee Making Process . We land in the hot and humid Kolkatta and start the hunt for restaurants! Found a horrendously expensive snack joint but had to make do with this place! The loooooooooooong wait for the Baghdogra flight seemed endless! Finally it was 2 PM and time to board the flight! Again the flight was normal and boring .Air Deccan earned more brownie points for no schedule variance.<br /><br />We finally got to meet Mr. Mukhiya our tour guide/travel agent! The Mahindra Max seemed very comfortable and spacious and the driver – Durga was ahem ahem ;-)!<br />We drove to Pelling –our first destination in Sikkim .It was quite a long drive but the journey got scenic by the minute!<br /><br />Some facts about Sikkim – Sikkim has four districts –West Sikkim, East Sikkim, South Sikkim and North Sikkim- Elementary wasn’t it ;-)?Pelling happens to be in West Sikkim .The highlight of Pelling being its vicinity to Mount Kanchenjunga – BTW The peak is spelt as KhanChenDzonga.Apparently the mountain peaks are very clearly visible from ay part of Pelling. </div><div><br />We finally reached our hotel and retired for the night after 2 flights and a road journey. Incidentally the Hindi spoken in this part of Sikkim is influenced by Bengali .So it takes a while (especially for people from South) to understand what the people speak.<br />Lots more on the Odysseys of Sikkim will follow</div></div>Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-1460008719997413342007-02-19T03:02:00.000-08:002007-02-19T03:04:01.344-08:00Bangalore - Haven for Rowdyism?"Gandhigiri:" - This was one of the latest additions to the Indian Vocabulary in the recent times. "Entertainmet with a message" was a highlight of the movie "MunnaBhai- Part2".<br /><br />Does Gandhigiri really work these days ?How many people here actually take this message seriously? - This is highly debatable !But one thing that seems to be working big time in Bangalore these days is "Goondagiri" .<br /><br />There have been tons of articles and debates on how Bangalore, which was once a safe paradise,has evolved into a haven for criminals. And this is being proved time and again. Getting mugged on the streets ,robbery (of all sorts) etc etc has become a feature of life.<br /><br />Just yesterday when I was having coffee in Indiranagar , there was some sudden activity outside the cafe .....Me ,being a normal curious homosapien, peeped outside. A couple of guys were beating up another one . This is quite common these days especially when it comes to accidents etc etc. But this went on for a loooooooong time. The story goes that the vicitm was just a normal being like us but with a little more social responsibility . The guys who were beating him up were local rowdies !!!Reason - These local goons were eve-teasing one of the girls in the cafe and this poor soul questioned them about it. And wat he got was a sound thrashing .....To top it all, the girl was trying to shield this poor guy from the a......------------This incident left me completely disturbed. One puny looking guy tries to question the basic flaw in the system,gets beaten up and the only protection he gets is from a victimised girl. Lets not forget that there were a group of spectators and onlookers including one cop !!!!!!!<br /><br />And we know that this is a common occurence these days.And these goons get away (which I know has been happening for a long time) with anything and everything. But the scary part of the whole situation is how this kind of a behaviour is catching up on the entire youth community. There is no legal or social binding which discourages the spread of such unruly behaviour.<br /><br />MIGHT IS RIGHT seems to be the "Order of the Day"Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-81427953492250309702007-01-05T06:43:00.000-08:002007-01-05T07:21:41.298-08:00"SORRY-Phobia" - Is' Sorry' such a diffcult word?I happened to come across a street argument in MG Road today. Something that we come across all the time these days in Bangalore. The whole argument was because one of the guys refused to say "Sorry".It was clear to every soul there, including our pal (sorry phobia infected), that he was at fault(one of the minor accidents caused because of sneaking.).But no he wouldnt utter the word "SORRY".<br /><br />This got me into thinking !!!!!<br /><br />Such an encounter is not alien to us, not just in traffic ,but in the everyday life. What is that , which really prevents someone from apologizing, when its evident to oneself that (s)he owes an apology ?Is SORRY so priceless ? Or is it the EGO ? Or is it the latest trend in our Silicon Valley?<br /><br />Whatever is the reason , it just re-inforces the fact that the our Cosmo Bangalore is just getting from bad to worse .The latest trend in the city is to be an irresponsible and unaccountable citizen, who likes to live a life according to his whim and fancy . Whether its overtaking in the wrong lanes causing a traffic hazard , or breaking lines and queues and rules everywhere, Bangaloreans(I include everyone who has been in Bangalore for atleast 2 years in this category) are starting to set new standards for unaccountability!<br /><br />I agree that if one goes overboard with "Thank You" and "Sorry", these words lose their value but when required we ought to rememer what courtesy is !<br /><br />I just wish people here start thinking a little beyond software , IT , etc etc and start paying attention to some basics of being a responsible human being!In our quest to learn all the three-four-five lettered abuses , lets not forget the first few words we learnt!<br /><br />This post, unlike my previous blog bug, is completely impulsive but its also an awakening(for me) which is so much needed in "Namma Bengaluru" (I still prefer Bangalore:-)).Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-21094578032328846462006-12-31T07:35:00.000-08:002006-12-31T09:48:42.986-08:00I’m still hanging onto the Bug!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIeigfS01wG7eyD3F0aVGY3c1fvE22pLXegheYyGTrR_Vq-qme8rCI5wDziowHy1GLz3b7tPHOAYBmrKvcSPWWzbvKrC9QCUqK8zBbxlZUwmaH4crVWaWPKSZ9MPumSvdHCPQvf5gWDqn/s1600-h/collage2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIeigfS01wG7eyD3F0aVGY3c1fvE22pLXegheYyGTrR_Vq-qme8rCI5wDziowHy1GLz3b7tPHOAYBmrKvcSPWWzbvKrC9QCUqK8zBbxlZUwmaH4crVWaWPKSZ9MPumSvdHCPQvf5gWDqn/s320/collage2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014745098452880066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Chimony came with lotsa mysteries and questions. We had no idea what was in store for us! Like they say “Ignorance is Bliss”. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyways lemme start from the beginning .It was the GANG again (the full GANG-minus Kiran). JK gave his car a break and we headed to Thrissur in a TAVERA.The journey was quite uneventful, the highlight of the journey being KK’s cozy bed in the backseat. Looked quite comfy!!!Oh and before I forget, Pint suddenly decided to join us on the trip. Pint was quite unknown to me. His name figured in many of the GANG conversations, but I didn’t know him personally …. So the next highlight of this trip was getting to know PINT!!!!And by the end of the trip I was in debt, I still owe PINT some numbers!!!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We finally reached Chimony (I still don’t know the right pronunciation and spelling) the next morning. I was in total awe of the place, since it was my first time here, unlike the rest of the GANG.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first half an hour was Mallu-Mallu bonding with the forest department. They were extremely friendly and nice though my only means of communication with them was Expressions and some sounds<span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="">J</span></span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We took a short ride to the IB .There were some dorms which were quite sparse but sufficient. The horror for me at that point of time was bath rather the lack of it…There was no possibility of having a bath. Me being the ever optimist was hopeful of a nice long bath later during the day. It so happened that all the guys (influenced by the bath maniac KK) had a nice bath before we set out on the bamboo raft ride (Bamboo Raft Ride - This was one of the temptations which PINT could not resist).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The reservoir was amazingly silent and serene. The bamboo rafts were very well designed; really cute with small kutti chairs ……The raft ride was relaxing and refreshing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPC3VhicXQ6I2Qed8Y65mnGL-8xcKNaMvV7I_gDLQ5dSCGsgs4nOOw2rB1U4G82e0mjj6wmT-29gDOVKplMPxl6Ip5a6roJeLeEyClCWbuKiQg-OrtN_BopgekauL6ORVJ0YT6tsZsMJba/s1600-h/DSC_6487.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPC3VhicXQ6I2Qed8Y65mnGL-8xcKNaMvV7I_gDLQ5dSCGsgs4nOOw2rB1U4G82e0mjj6wmT-29gDOVKplMPxl6Ip5a6roJeLeEyClCWbuKiQg-OrtN_BopgekauL6ORVJ0YT6tsZsMJba/s320/DSC_6487.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014722107492944402" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">JK was acting hydrophobic and was trying all kinds of tricks and antics to stay put on the raft. But he wouldn’t have thought in the wildest of his dreams, he would be in water clinging onto the raft! The first one to make the dive was PINT (which was expected) and Sid followed suit and<br />swam to the other raft – I have no idea who he was trying to impress!!!!!!!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0H7Ua7hj95-YO1pou_ldVX0Gn4HM6ncnIcojhFeRgdqKCM0xntPJOjevfk80zjW_2GlTNu7tecyPWLvUD9Gbrs4hLrT0gdpazfKfbD3xM4WONjaJXZ3eDIcY-AgIr8sBEYK7OkrZgDWQ/s1600-h/DSC_6541.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0H7Ua7hj95-YO1pou_ldVX0Gn4HM6ncnIcojhFeRgdqKCM0xntPJOjevfk80zjW_2GlTNu7tecyPWLvUD9Gbrs4hLrT0gdpazfKfbD3xM4WONjaJXZ3eDIcY-AgIr8sBEYK7OkrZgDWQ/s320/DSC_6541.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014722833342417442" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>And within the next few minutes everyone wasinside water and it felt reawwwwwy good! And this made up for the lack of bathing in the morning ;-) <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHnnuaW_e3ny7RLBaxvEfTmxuZIAnKSVgCOKCH_r5uJLAhnAvojkcawf0kP_ZtjknMCMIo1ewusNJRNVYdPhjmoAGj6Fi3fi62L6mO2bPyWGEDR6xS_Ge2rZZupD_bey8Oes7BXbyI_Mn/s1600-h/DSCN3911.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHnnuaW_e3ny7RLBaxvEfTmxuZIAnKSVgCOKCH_r5uJLAhnAvojkcawf0kP_ZtjknMCMIo1ewusNJRNVYdPhjmoAGj6Fi3fi62L6mO2bPyWGEDR6xS_Ge2rZZupD_bey8Oes7BXbyI_Mn/s320/DSCN3911.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014724207731952178" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once we reached the other side of the reservoir, the camping adventure was to begin. The people (tribals of that forest) put up the nice tents in no time in addition to setting up the kitchen etc.</p><p class="MsoNormal">We had a small trip to two very picturesque waterfalls. DCMs photography madness reached new heights!!!!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:225pt;"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\admin1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg" title="P1010069"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfAPQpdMMh-bFJWM9xA8aEPZ2GbcETL5hQG0c8liIpMaCVDIBpmPPxZqbepUwfF9tu3eS5_QKgpm1ohgX3OATn3jWFHE2UDWHi3a3RrZjCuscj74rxAXfa1UhyDFvJ-fNMgMGQvvLWsdC/s1600-h/P1010069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfAPQpdMMh-bFJWM9xA8aEPZ2GbcETL5hQG0c8liIpMaCVDIBpmPPxZqbepUwfF9tu3eS5_QKgpm1ohgX3OATn3jWFHE2UDWHi3a3RrZjCuscj74rxAXfa1UhyDFvJ-fNMgMGQvvLWsdC/s320/P1010069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014737466295995026" border="0" /></a><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">By the time we reached the camping area we were pretty much soaked. All of us huddled up in one camp eating biscuits. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We had nice sumptuous dinner which our fellow companions had cooked (We were amazed with the skills of these ppl who lost no time in making us as comfortable as possible). There was some corny cousin related jokes which made Pint, JK etc hysterical (I still haven’t understood what made them so hysterical).<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">A small discussion on the next day’s trek happened. The guys were very optimistic of DCMs and my capabilities but we were not!!!!!. We retired to our respective tents .1 tent for 4 guys (including the. one with an abnormal height) and 1 for DCM and me .At this point I had a crisis which I had to discuss with DCM in undertones (coz of the proximity issues between the 2 tents).The guys argue that they could overhear us but we prefer not to believe them ;-)…..</p> <span style=""><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:207pt;height:155.25pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\admin1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image003.jpg" title="P1010067"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/admin1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nG8Vud5lgukJe9mkLv__P1G5F4tg9EgoSA6XXB96zoEDDYsDu8SBbsOw11h0QK97Xig35LpAXa7QLS-Mm9SC2c1z0xeus8Hjn-Iz9YSvLaKyv3Lq-dJnt30uTcLNZ-SvH5SUmj-KNb6b/s1600-h/DSC_6644.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nG8Vud5lgukJe9mkLv__P1G5F4tg9EgoSA6XXB96zoEDDYsDu8SBbsOw11h0QK97Xig35LpAXa7QLS-Mm9SC2c1z0xeus8Hjn-Iz9YSvLaKyv3Lq-dJnt30uTcLNZ-SvH5SUmj-KNb6b/s320/DSC_6644.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014731715334785634" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">We had an unexpected visitor at night – a wild boar- but we couldn’t tempt our guest to stay for too long. The night was somewhat uneventful except that I hardly slept a wink. I am still curious as to how the 4 Giants snuggled in a single tent – I would rather not imagine wat was going on.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">The boat ride back to the IB cannot be described in words. The pictures speak for themselves.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5KLH3Qgl9A4TRiXWhTCXON60YhxhwA6JMdtbwtkWd9RxhiKWDBQyR-OyGsJ2rq9QXlJ1OvJ2h3RpUjlXSm_ETqpGm5l5idF0ckUAJFEqoRJHOeGG4G_2nbu3xNSuuvqHMbEOVaUVmchy/s1600-h/DSC_6745.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5KLH3Qgl9A4TRiXWhTCXON60YhxhwA6JMdtbwtkWd9RxhiKWDBQyR-OyGsJ2rq9QXlJ1OvJ2h3RpUjlXSm_ETqpGm5l5idF0ckUAJFEqoRJHOeGG4G_2nbu3xNSuuvqHMbEOVaUVmchy/s320/DSC_6745.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014734056091961970" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5KLH3Qgl9A4TRiXWhTCXON60YhxhwA6JMdtbwtkWd9RxhiKWDBQyR-OyGsJ2rq9QXlJ1OvJ2h3RpUjlXSm_ETqpGm5l5idF0ckUAJFEqoRJHOeGG4G_2nbu3xNSuuvqHMbEOVaUVmchy/s1600-h/DSC_6745.JPG"> </a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If I don’t end this blog here, I am sure none of you will read what happened next. So let me store the most happening trek to the next blog!!!! I am sure there will be one more ;-)</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Until next time ADIOS……..</p> <span style=""><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:198pt;"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\admin1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg" title="DSC_6622"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:198.75pt;height:132pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\admin1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image003.jpg" title="DSC_6623"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNi2Rj6JPLx-IdTMG3xHgMniQVQinp0AdAt5F_eNNMH7kZhHFH4QfDPRXt1psWd8vNKCEVLgoxiIZyw-JwBQhWCkmeReHQkM3ZcmZ07nU4yzO7fKMiso6zunxo2pGTug9H-M_DvS9f9Ra/s1600-h/DSCN4052.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNi2Rj6JPLx-IdTMG3xHgMniQVQinp0AdAt5F_eNNMH7kZhHFH4QfDPRXt1psWd8vNKCEVLgoxiIZyw-JwBQhWCkmeReHQkM3ZcmZ07nU4yzO7fKMiso6zunxo2pGTug9H-M_DvS9f9Ra/s320/DSCN4052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014734876430715522" border="0" /></a></p>Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6859227367797666833.post-42772893005525036132006-12-18T06:02:00.000-08:002006-12-18T06:06:55.003-08:00Blog?? Should I Blog? Lemme Try!!!!!GANG - Sid , DCM, JK,KK, Pint(sometimes), Kiran(sometimes)<br /><br />I have always been overly fond of traveling. For a while though, I wasn’t lucky enough to set my foot outside Bangalore except for some trivial reason like some visa interview etc which had no ounce of a vacation.<br /><br />Fortunately for me and unfortunately for them I met the travel GANG at SCS. I am sure Sid is still cursing the day he tempted me into the traveling spree. But lo and lo I finally went on a trip with Gang to Mangalore. I wouldn’t deny the fact that I was a little apprehensive about the fact that I didn’t know anyone except Sid but I had such a gala time in this trip , that I realized I had missed out on tons already . The GANG, mind u ,was a gang of seasoned travelers And me was a complete amateur chutku.This was the start of my travel rendition with the GANG. Undoubtedly I was the kid of the group (as always in every sense of the word)but I also provided some tax free entertainment ;-)).So the GANG decided they could do with a JOKER for their trips.<br /><br />The next expedition was the trip to Mudumalai. The highlight of the trip (should I say lowlight) being the nasty manager of the Kalahatti, our humble (truly) abode in Mudumalai. This trip had many high(low)lights.First the manager , then the Broadband Family(Whew) , Tom And Jerry on a laptop with a bonfire (This might classify for Ripley ‘s Believe it Or Not). But all said and done my linguistic learning curve improved a lot !!!!Wat do u expect with 4 Mals and one non Mal with an identity crisis. And at the end of the vacation I had a nice break.<br /><br />At the end of these two trips , I had caught the traveling bug and you will know more about the bug in the consequent blogs..<br /><br />Oh BTW this is my first Blog!!!Dunno y I started but I did.<br />Lets c if the blog bug hooks on to lesser mortals like me ;-))Rashdashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482810817758048922noreply@blogger.com5