08 Aug

C2C – Chennai to Canada (from 30┬║C to -5┬║C)

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We then stood in a custom queue for Visitors. There were two lines one for Permanent Residence and another for Visitors. Custom officer checked our passport and Visa and guided us to another hall. Inside the hall, it was a long queue. When our turn came lady officer asked us to sit at the waiting area inside hall. She has started checking our documents. She took almost an hour to check our documents. We then proceeded to baggage claim area. As soon as we entered in baggage claim area, we saw ┬аnumber of porters standing with trollies.4 Bags 10$, above 4 bags, each bag 3$.We came in baggage claim area and none of the conveyor was displaying our flight number. We rushed to BA counter, but there was no staff at the counter. We were unable to find any co passengers also at the airport. We were searching bags all over the baggage claim area. Near one belt conveyor we found few bags. When we went there we saw our bags. We quickly started collecting our bags. One from one corner, ┬а┬аsecond from another corner, third from some other place etc. While collecting we thought definitely the other ┬а2 handbags which we had deposited afterwards ┬а┬аmust be missing , but luckily we found those two bags. Now counting started 1, 2,3тАж.One bag is missing. To our surprise the bag which had all Kitchen items specially (Rolling pin and board for Chapati) and groceries was missing. We were then searching ┬аBA staff┬а so that we can inform about our missing bag. There was no BA staff at the airport. Then we saw a lady coming towards baggage area and she was BA staff. We informed her. She asked us to fill up the form about missing baggage and ensured that they will search the bag and will let us know the status within 24 hrs. We then decided to hire porter as it was not easy for us to carry 10 bags in 2 trollies.

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Skydiving Experience

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I opted for the tandem jump. On the assigned day, I reached Mysore airport. Staff from Kakini enterprises, organizers of the skydiving arrived later. There were about a dozen participants that day and my turn was at the end. That day’s group had some air force personnel and some adventure seekers like me.

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A weekend trip to digha. The Journey.

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When in Doubt, ask again. Ask someone else if you feel that the shmuck you just asked for directions was an inebriated nincompoop. I believe that even now, in the age of GPS and other bond gadgetry, the ultimate GPS is still the roadside paan wallah. Such is the level of accuracy & dependability, that i think they should be hired to proofread the local Google maps data.

You stop by a tapri/ khokha (as referred to in mumbai), light up a smoke, order a sweet paan, strike up a light conversation about how good or bad the weather is, and thatтАЩs it. Camaraderie set. The paan wallah will now easily divulge even the most complex info about the routes to take, routes to avoid, probable shortcuts & other awesome places to see in between. Screw you, GMaps !! I got my own local wiki/GPS/navigator/tour-guide.

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рдЕрдпреЛрдзреНрдпрд╛ рдирдЧрд░реА тАУ рдкреНрд░рдердо рднрд╛рдЧ

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рд╢рд╛рдпрдж рдЙрд╕ рдирдиреНрд╣реЗ рд╕реЗ рдЯреАрд▓реЗ рдХреЛ рд╡реЗ рдХреЛрдИ рдмрдбрд╝рд╛ рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рд╣реА рд╕рдордЭ рд░рд╣реАрдВ рдереАрдВ рдФрд░ рдмрдбрд╝реА рдЦреБрд╢ рд╣реБрдИрдВ. рдЯреАрд▓реЗ рдХреЗ рдКрдкрд░ рднреА рдПрдХ рдордВрджрд┐рд░ рд╣реИ, рдЬрд┐рд╕рдореЗрдВ рд╕реАрддрд╛-рд░рд╛рдо рдХрд╛ рдирдпрдирд╛рднрд┐рд░рд╛рдо рд╡рд┐рдЧреНрд░рд╣ рд╣реИ. рдордгрд┐ рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдЬрдирд╢реНрд░реБрддрд┐ рд╣реИ рдХрд┐ рд╣рд┐рдорд╛рд▓рдп рд╕реЗ рд╕рдВрдЬреАрд╡рдиреА рдмреВрдЯреА рд▓реЗ рдХрд░ рд▓рдВрдХрд╛ рдЬрд╛рддреЗ рд╣реБрдП рд╣рдиреБрдорд╛рди рдЬреА рдиреЗ рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд-рдЦрдВрдб рдХреЛ рд░рдЦ рдХрд░ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рд╡рд┐рд╢реНрд░рд╛рдо рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ рдерд╛. рдЕрдиреНрдп рд▓реЛрдХреЛрдХреНрддрд┐ рдпрд╣ рдХрд╣рддреА рд╣реИ рдХрд┐ рд░рд╛рдо рд╡рд┐рд╡рд╛рд╣ рдореЗрдВ рд░рд╛рдЬрд╛ рдЬрдирдХ рдЬреА рдиреЗ рдЗрддрдиреЗ рдЖрднреВрд╖рдг рдЗрддреНрдпрд╛рджрд┐ рджрд┐рдП рдереЗ рдХрд┐ рдЕрдпреЛрдзреНрдпрд╛ рд▓рд╛рдиреЗ рдкрд░ рдЙрдирдХрд╛ рдПрдХ рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рдмрди рдЧрдпрд╛, рдЬрд┐рд╕реЗ рдордгрд┐ рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рдХрд╣рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ. рдордгрд┐ рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рд╕реЗ рдиреАрдЪреЗ рдЙрддрд░ рдХрд░ рдореИрдВрдиреЗ рдорд╣рд╕реВрд╕ рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ рдХрд┐ рдорд╛рддрд╛рдЬреА рдХреЗ рдорди рдореЗрдВ рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рдЪрдврд╝рдиреЗ рд╕реЗ рдереЛрдбрд╝реА рдердХрд╛рди рдЫрд╛рдИ рд╣реБрдИ рд╣реИ. рд╢рд╛рдпрдж рдЬрд┐рд╕реЗ рдореИрдВ рдирдиреНрд╣рд╛-рд╕рд╛ рдЯреАрд▓рд╛ рд╕рдордЭ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛, рд╡рд╣ рдЙрдирдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдХрд┐рд╕реА рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рд╕реЗ рдХрдо рдирд╣реАрдВ рдерд╛.

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Chandratal to Sarchu… a picturesque drive through Lahaul

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Just this morning I was overwhelmed to see the abundance that water has bestowed in the southern part of Lahaul. I thought that is glorious. And now I stand awestruck in this dry and desolate landscape where soaring mountains surround a vast high altitude rolling plain through which is a deep gorge and a river flowing through it… We are a little short of Sarchu and these are the Lingti plains where there is virtually no precipitation even in the winters…

And finally, Sarchu! There is virtually nothing in the place except a few tented camps during the summer months and a small army detachment year round. The wind howls making me burrow deeper into my jacket the minute I step out. We take a walk around the place and soak in its unique charm. But nature has been kind in all its adversity. Or maybe it is the stark unspoilt and unpolluted beauty that I am so taken with. Such places need no adornment, no embellishment. Just this raw, unadulterated nature is enough. This is a place one must travel to at least once in this lifetime!

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рдЖрдЧрд░рд╛ рдХрд╛ рдордирдХрд╛рдореЗрд╢реНрд╡рд░ рдордиреНрджрд┐рд░

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рдЖрдЧрд░рд╛ рдореЗрдВ рднрдЧрд╡рд╛рди рд╢рд┐рд╡ рдЬрд╣рд╛рдБ рд╕реНрд╡рдпрдВ рдЖрдпреЗ рдереЗ рдХрд╣рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдХрд┐ рдЖрдЧрд░рд╛ рдХреЗ рдордирдХрд╛рдореЗрд╢реНрд╡рд░ рдордиреНрджрд┐рд░ рдореЗрдВ рд╕реНрдерд┐рдд рд╢рд┐рд╡рд▓рд┐рдВрдЧ рдХреА рд╕реНрдерд╛рдкрдирд╛ рд╕реНрд╡рдпрдВ рднрдЧрд╡рди рд╢рд┐рд╡ рдиреЗ рдХреА рдереА рдЬрдм рднрдЧрд╡рд╛рди рд╢реНрд░реА рдХреГрд╖реНрдг рдордереБрд░рд╛ рдореЗрдВ рдЬрдиреНрдо рд▓реЗ рдЪреБрдХреЗ рдереЗ. рдкреМрд░рд╛рдгрд┐рдХ рджреГрд╖реНрдЯрд┐ рдЗрд╕ рдордВрджрд┐рд░ рдХрд╛ рдЗрддрд┐рд╣рд╛рд╕ рд▓рдЧрднрдЧ рд╕рд╛реЭреЗ рдкрд╛рдВрдЪ рд╣рдЬрд╛рд░ рд╡рд░реНрд╖ рдкреБрд░рд╛рдирд╛ рд╣рдореЗрдВ рджреНрд╡рд╛рдкрд░ рдпреБрдЧ рдХреА рдпрд╛рдж рджрд┐рд▓рд╛рддрд╛ рд╣реИ, рдЬрдм рднрдЧрд╡рд╛рди рд╢рд┐рд╡ рдХреИрд▓рд╛рд╢ рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рд╕реЗ рдЗрд╕ рд╕реНрдерд▓ рдкрд░ рдЖрдпреЗ рдереЗ.

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Road to Leh!

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This July, I completed a motorcycle ride from Gurgaon to Ladakh, covering Spiti Valley, Leh, Kargil and Srinagar – one of my many trips to this part of the world. Despite having done these rides multiple times earlier, why do I keep riding to these crazy terrains, where unless someone has actually travelled on a motorcycle? They wouldnтАЩt believe what one would experience. WhatтАЩs the lure of Ladakh still, when everyone and their mothers-in-law are riding/driving/flying there these days? When

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рд╢реНрд░рд╛рд╡рдг рдореЗрдВ рд╢рд┐рд╡ рджрд░реНрд╢рди (рдЗрдиреНрджреМрд░ рд╕реЗ рдкреБрдгреЗ )

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рдирд╡рдореНрдмрд░ 2011 рдХрд┐ рдмрд╛рдд рд╣реИ, рдЕрдкрдиреА рдЬреНрдпреЛрддрд┐рд░реНрд▓рд┐рдВрдЧ рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ рдХреЗ рдЕрдЧрд▓реЗ рд╕реНрдерд╛рди рдХреЗ рд░реБрдк рдореЗрдВ рд╣рдордиреЗ рдЪреБрдирд╛ рдерд╛ рднрд┐рдорд╛рд╢рдВрдХрд░ рдХреЛред рд╡рд┐рд╢рд╛рд▓ рд░рд╛рдареЛреЬ рд╕реЗ рдЙрд╕ рд╕рдордп…

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Spiti valley, a caravan diary

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Woke up with a terrible headache and nausea on the Day 3 of the voyage to the once forbidden land, Spiti Valley. Outside it was just another dawn in Kaza, the snow is reflecting a tinge of orange in the early morning sun; the spotless blue sky in the background is arched over the town. The Gong inside the head continued meanwhile; I needed oxygen then.

ItтАЩs the primary state hospital of Kaza where I met Serine and the fellow patients. An ugly looking machine was pushing oxygen through my nostrils and I was trying hard to concentrate. Serine teaches english in a local private school, where tibetian is hardly taught seriously, she frowned. Her mother was lying sick on the bed adjacent; they have ultrasound machine here but nobody knows how to operate, looks like she will have to take her mother to Simla, a 500 kms and a strong determination away from Kaza. She had once travelled to Delhi though, her sister works as a hotel receptionist there. The Metro escalators are amongst worst inventions of the human kind; and she frowned againтАжit continued and the other patients joined in no time. Soon I was being invited to their homes; for tea, thukpa and country liquor ! Never felt more disappointed on leaving a hospital; was feeling better already. Affection works better than the oxygen may beтАжwho knows !

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My Trip to pune

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We started our Journey from Wadgaon Sheri in Pune around 1130pm to Shridi Village which is in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. From NH 9 the distance is 154 Kms (3 hrs drive). We reached the place at searched for the hotel. There are plenty of options available depending on your requirement such as u need room for changing or for staying. We checked in around 3 am and took rest for an hour. The best time to visit the temple is when the morning aarti is happening this is at 6 am.

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